Turnabout Everlasting
by JordanPhoenix
Summary: Where the HELL were Maya & Miles those 7 hellish years when Nick's world collapsed, post-disbarment? Amid laughter & tears, the AA gang learn life's bittersweet truths: sometimes love's not happily ever after, justice doesn't always prevail, money can't fix all tragedies, and broken hearts can heal, but can they ever truly mend? Part 3 of Turnabout Lawful Love Trilogy. Phaya/Feyt.
1. I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight

_A/N: Follows the Ace Attorney Timeline for the most part and goes through AJ to Post DD. Slight spoilers for all games. This is the final installment of the_ _ **Turnabout Lawful Love Trilogy**_ _and takes place right where the first one ended._

 _The story starts pre-Apollo Justice, right before Phoenix's disbarment._

 _You don't HAVE to have read my Phaya story, which is part one of the series, called_ _ **Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman**_ _up to this point, in order to follow this tale. I try very hard to make my stories act as stand-alones for the most part, with only the odd reference thrown in from the previous stories. Just note that this does pick up right where that first story ended, with Phoenix and Maya a newly established couple as of the night of her 21st birthday._

 _I'm Canadian, so Happy Victoria Day! I thought, what better way to kick off a night of celebratory Roman candles...as well as my story, than with fireworks of some sort! Here's a little PG-13 sparks to start off your Monday! ;)  
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 **Disclaimer: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is property of Capcom, I am not the owner of Phoenix Wright or its characters, because if I were Fredgeworth, Phaya and all the other awesome pairings I'm going to have in this story would actually** _ **be**_ **together instead of only in my imagination and writing!**

 _ **My good friend ThePudz assembled the beautiful images for the cover art. Phaya art by Shiinacchi_Final_Boss and Fredgeworth art by aevitas.  
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 _ **Thanks so much**_ _to my readers and all those who have favourited, reviewed, story alerted, favourite author or author alerted me. I appreciate it more than I can say! You guys ROCK! :)  
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 _You're not just my friend you're my love.  
_ _You're not just my love you're my heart.  
_ _You're not just my heart you are my life.  
_ _You're not just my life.  
_ _You're my everything.  
_

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 **Chapter One:** **I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight**

 _ **Phoenix Wright & Maya Fey**_ **  
**Wright & Co. Law Offices  
April 18, 2019, 3:30 am

"We've got to keep quiet if we don't want to wake up Pearls, birthday girl," Phoenix mouthed against Maya's lips as they stealthily shifted backwards up the stairs, which led to his apartment and towards his chambers, exchanging heated kisses the entire way.

Once they had arrived at their destination, he carefully closed the door as silently possible behind them and walked towards her. The bedroom was cloaked in complete darkness, except for a brightened translucent shadow where Maya stood by the bed, from the sliver of the moon streaming through the partially closed blinds. His heart pounded in his chest as he drank in the sight of her. Bathed in the moonlight, her alabaster skin appeared to be glowing against the glimmering sequins of her red mini dress. She was absolutely breathtaking. And she was all his.

Maya looked over at him shyly. Even though she knew this was what she so desperately longed for, it was all still strange and foreign territory for her, and she was uncertain how to proceed.

Sensing her trepidation, Phoenix slowly walked over and gently pulled her to him in a warm embrace, one arm wrapped tightly around her slender waist, while with his free hand, he ran his fingers through her thick, glorious raven hair; wild waves with a few errant curls scattered throughout, hanging about her shoulders and down her back. The gesture soothed her somewhat, despite the apprehension beginning to move in a circle in her stomach, like a living creature, that his touch, his nearness had awakened.

He held her gaze as he lifted both her hands to his lips and kissed each finger one after the other.

Maya swallowed nervously, and her breaths were light again and very quick as she looked up with a mixture of excitement and anxiousness into Phoenix's handsome face. Were they really going to do this? Were they really going to make love? Was she, at long last, just hours after her 21st birthday, ready to finally surrender her virginity?

As if reading her mind, Phoenix cradled her face in his hands and looked down at her, his smile soft and almost teasing. "Tell me, Maya, what more can I do to ease you?"

She should be thinking of him. After all, he had already shown remarkable self-control these past four years, waiting for her, and even up until that moment had shown nothing but pure gentlemanly restraint. "Kiss me," she whispered.

Phoenix didn't wait for further invitation, but swept the few inches of his extraordinary height down to meet her lips in a searing kiss. This time, he was not gentle. She leaned against his hard chest and slung an arm around his neck, feeling his familiar soft spiky hair against her skin, and she took what he gave and gave more in return until he released her with a groan.

Her lips parted. Her breath flowed toward him, her familiar fresh, vanilla scent intoxicating his senses. Shivers chased over his body. What she could do to him!

She was killing him so sweetly. Did she know how she affected him? That her gaze never strayed told him she did this time. She had driven him to near madness all these years that he had ached for her, and all, no doubt, without the smallest awareness of the effect. This he knew to be so very true about her—she had no guile and he loved her for that.

His tongue flicked against the seam of her lips as they parted for him, eager for more of this rapturously sensual, erotic experience. He tasted of grape juice and spice, his tongue was talented but willing to yield to her own explorations, and somehow, without her realizing, they'd stepped into each other's arms. He plunged his hands through her silky hair, holding her head at the angle he wanted, her arms circling his powerful torso as she explored the muscular lines of his back. The fronts of their bodies were plastered together.

Standing in the cage of his arms, inhaling his intoxicating masculine blend of citrus and sandalwood, a hot surge of need and anticipation rushed through Maya. Despite his initial hesitation from the first time he'd kissed her that evening, Phoenix was now complete virile confidence personified. His skilled lips and strong hands gave off a crazy energy, making her crave his touch with an insatiable hunger that belied any she'd ever felt, for even the juiciest of burgers.

His lips brushed hers, soft but not the least bit tentative. Leisurely, yet not casual. Almost chaste, yet definitely not innocent. His touch was skilled, deliberate, as he traced the outline of her lips with the tip of his tongue, nibbled and sucked her bottom lip. Small caresses, yet each brushed fire across her skin, darting arousal through her body, making her tremble.

They undressed each other between kisses, murmuring words of love to one another as they found themselves toppling back onto the bed, his lips never leaving hers as she writhed beneath him.

It was as if her flesh became something other than skin. It grew so alive it leaped out of her control, rubbed itself against his body, her hip pressing against his, her hands touching, searching, stroking, seeking out each bone of his back, his flat wide shoulder blades, his strong arms, the firmness of his rear. Her lips opened to his and the unexpected sensation of their tongues entwining sent such a shiver of delicious shock through her body that it made him stop, lift his head, and gaze at her with concern.

"My love," he breathed. "Tell me this is what you want."

Maya looked up into Phoenix's loving face, his flushed complexion, the sheen of sweat on his forehead, his throat, his chest, his eyes very bright, and knew that the expression she saw would never waver, even if she were halt things, when they had already gone this far. Because he loved her that much. And it was because she loved him back, with every fiber of her being, that she knew her answer.

"I want your weight on top of me more than I've ever wanted something in my whole life, Nick. I want to be connected body and soul with you more than anything in the world, here and now, on this bed, at this moment. I just beg of you, don't stop. I want to be your woman, and only yours. Make me yours. Please."

His embrace wandered, caressing her boldly. She moved into his touch even while the path of his hands startled her. Over her stomach and bottom, he pressed and claimed all of her. His touch moved more shockingly, teasingly along, down every inch of her body, both pleasuring and maddening her.

And suddenly he was above her, his lips kissing her eyelids until she opened them and found his dark sapphire gaze looking down on her with an expression so tender and so full of longing that she knew she would carry it with her till her dying day. His mouth moved voraciously against her own.

Lifting himself over her, he at last did as she'd yearned him to, and made her his. During their whole union, they held on to each other as if the world would burst apart if they let go.

Only then did Phoenix lift his gaze to her face and saw the tears trickling from Maya's eyes. Only then, did he realize his own eyes were wet as well.

There was great beauty in being joined with your soul mate. Simultaneously, they both cried out as they soared over the edge and all the way to the far side of paradise together.

Even in the aftermath he wouldn't let go. Rolling to his side, he brought her with him, kissing her with untamed joy.

As she drifted down from the heights of ecstasy, she whispered, "Nick, I never knew . . . I never knew."

Her mouth was open in a blissful smile.

She was suddenly aware how few clothes she wore and that the room was cool. She covered her chest with her arms.

He held out his arm and a moment later a blanket appeared. He wrapped her up so that she felt warm and safe. He held the front together with his hands. He kissed her temple and made sure the blanket was tucked all about her, then warmed her body with his own, pulling her against him and tucking his chin on top of her head. She stretched, slowly lowered her head to the warm pillow of his broad chest and closed her eyes, the smile lingering about her lovely lips.

He was so very attentive, in every respect, and her heart reached for him, an almost physical leap in his direction. Would it be so very bad to make a life with this man?

 _Not at all_. Maya snuggled up next to her soul mate and fell fast asleep, secure in her love.

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The following night, Maya couldn't sleep. It was beyond vexing, as she had to catch the early morning train back to Kurain and was then required to attend a fortnight of spiritual training at a remote retreat atop Mount Koya in Japan. She felt unbelievably restless, and couldn't shake the inexplicable aura of foreboding unfolding within her, although she couldn't understand why. Nick, to be fair, had done all he could to ensure she would sleep soundly…and then some!

Maya blushed slightly, remembering just how vigorously her boyfriend had tried to ensure she was knocked out as heavily as he was, but for some reason, she just couldn't visit Mr. Sandman as readily as he had. Her mind was filled with bizarre foreshadows of impending doom, no matter how hard she tried to reassure herself that she was being ridiculous; that she was blithely lying next to the love of her life, her ever indomitable hero, who always had and would continually ensure no harm would ever befall her.

Maya looked over at Phoenix. With his eyes closed so that his long lashes nearly swept his cheeks, he resembled an ethereal cherub in sleep. But she didn't hear him snoring as usual, so she couldn't help but be suspicious. Was he really asleep? She managed to lift her arm and touch his shoulder. He stirred and turned his head so his face pressed into the curve of her neck.

"God," he muttered, his voice muffled. "That's the first time I've ever finished twice with one hard-on. It damn near killed me."

Stifling back a laugh so as not to awaken her cousin sleeping in the next room, Maya idly ran her fingers over his spiky hair. "We can't have that," she soothed, although her voice was tinged with laughter. "Now, I want to see you in bed."

"I thought that's where I was," he mumbled drowsily.

Maya lightly swatted at his shoulder. "Now, stop that, funny man! Asleep. I want you to sleep."

A sigh flowed out of his chest. "I think I could, as long as you were with me."

She knew that he'd been rushed into taking a last minute case, and had spent most of that day playing poker with his new client, Shadi Enigmar, while she and Pearly had visited with Gumshoe and Maggey until he'd returned. Maya also felt guilty that she and Pearly's unexpected extended Sunday night sleepover that night meant that he'd had little time to make provisions for the case, as they had monopolized his evening. Phoenix was obviously feeling some sort of anxiety as well, since he too, was still awake.

"I know me staying here tonight didn't give you a lot of time to prepare, Nick, but rest assured, I know you'll be great, as always."

Despite her misgivings, this she could give him, just a little peace of mind so that he could sleep.

"Hold me," Phoenix mumbled sleepily, turning over and pulling her against him so she was nuzzled against his chest. Maya obliged, wrapping an around his warm bare shoulder, and it seemed to do the trick; moments later she heard the peaceful, deep breathing of slumber. Finally, ignoring the unease within her, lulled by the rhythmic beat of his heart, eventually, she slept.

 _A/N- A very special thanks to my good friend, and fantastic fellow FF writer,_ _ **Feraligreater328**_ _for taking the time and effort to review and Beta read this story while still making the time to write his own stuff! It means so much! You're the best!_


	2. Reality Bites

_"A reason to live can never be a reason to die, it is an aspect driven by life so us to live and achieve."_

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 **Chapter Two:** **Reality Bites**

 _ **Phoenix Wright**  
District Court_  
April 19, 2019

Phoenix knew he was not in possession of any psychic abilities. That was strictly the department of his girlfriend and the rest of the Fey Clan. He knew that if he had been given the gift of clairvoyance, he never would had thought that kissing Maya goodbye early that morning at the train station, knowing she'd be gone for a fortnight in Japan on a remote mountaintop with little or no way of contacting her, would be the most agonizing thing he would have to endure that day.

Just how wrong could a man possibly be?

The rest of reality took on a surreal irrelevance to his feverishly surging mental processes.

It was the combination of the harried dash to catch the bus to the court in the morning rush hour, coupled with the frenetic knowledge that he was so ill-prepared for this case he'd been guiltily coerced into taking at the eleventh hour, which was the cause of the discombobulated state that was Phoenix Wright that morning. As he stood behind the defense bench as the trial began its opening formalities, the previous night's occurrences came to mind only as a frenzied hyper-reality.

He frantically recalled the events of the night before when he'd met with Gramarye at the detention center. Yes, he remembered now. He'd started feeling really confident somewhere along the line. It was because he'd won that poker game. That had been enough to secure his client's confidence that because he'd been able to accomplish that, he would be able to win this case.

He remembered feeling unusually anxious the night before, restlessly tossing and turning before Maya's sweet voice had soothed him to sleep, assuring him that he could do this. He'd allowed himself to believe her. Believe in himself. That against the odds, he could save the helpless Shadi Enigmar, otherwise known as acclaimed magician Zak Gramarye, and his darling little girl from destitution and starvation. Trucy had no other family – it strengthened Phoenix's resolved determination. And he was a proficient lawyer, right? His client's life was counting on him!

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The… the evidence was _forged_?

Phoenix's mind was reeling. This couldn't be happening. It was too otherworldly, too hypnagogic. He felt as if the walls of the courtroom were closing in on him, surging to crush him. He remained frozen in place, unable to think. Unable to move. Unable to breathe.

He was the defense attorney who had no rebuttal for himself against Gavin's witness, and was capable of no reaction other than stupefaction as Zak suddenly vanished into thin air, in a real life illusionist act, as his final curtain call.

The brilliantly harsh hues began to dull, replaced with a steadily greying atmosphere and an intense feeling of nausea. The room appeared to be spinning. He took shallow breaths through his mouth to avoid vomiting right there in the courtroom.

He stood there, still in shock, throughout the proceedings as he wrestled to comprehend the revelation. The experience of finding he had presented forged evidence and its implications was so surreal that Phoenix was still finding it nearly impossible to convince himself that this was all really happening. That it wasn't all just a terrible nightmare.

Mercifully, things wrapped up for the session relatively swiftly. Although presenting forged evidence was a criminal offence, it was not of the severity to require immediate police detention. The court allowed him to depart, pending future summons.

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He had no idea how he managed to drag himself home and fall into an agitated, disturbed slumber, but when he awoke a few hours later, he still half-expected to find his queasiness and throbbing migraine abated, and that the events of the trial hadn't really happened.

Instead, he woke up to the harsh reality of his nausea being replaced by a headache that had merely increased in intensity and that an extraordinary meeting of the Bar Association Review Board would be imminently occurring.

Upon hearing their verdict, all Phoenix could manage to do was blindly stumble out and collapse in a vacant corner, devoid of even the energy to sit up from his sprawled location of the ground. He stared at the wall before him, blurredly, unseeingly, all the while desperately wishing for nothing more than that the Earth would swallow him up, that reality would cease to exist, that somehow none of this was actually true.

He had no idea how long he sat in this pitiful, drooped position, but the telling pain in his limbs jerked him back to rationality, and along with it, the horrible actuality of it all. Knowledge that if he didn't move now he might never amass the will to do so again, along with a last ditch desperation of denial, shot a surge of adrenalin through his limbs, sending him rocketing to his feet.

He needed to cling to this one hope. That he could miraculously avert this disaster with the real truth.

A plan, a plan, he needed some sort of plan. He had experienced so much strife in his life, countless near-death experiences and disasters alike. He would just solve this one the same way, via an investigation. Somehow, he would find a way to prove that this wasn't true, that he didn't forge evidence. He would investigate Zak's disappearance and the crime, discover the answers to all of this and deflect this fresh hell his life had now become. But he soon reached the limits of what he could do on that route, as each supposed lead led to another dead end and he was forced to veer course.

Like a chicken with its head cut off, he ran amok in similar fashion, roaming the streets, desperate to keep doing something, now devoid of direction. He vaguely hoped his feet would carry him away from this asphyxiating nightmare of how each and every bearing by which he'd set his life had collapsed without provocation. Without warning.

Eventually a wave of sheer exhaustion overtook him, and he dragged himself back to the office and crumpled on the couch.

When he woke up again, the inescapable bleakness of it all left him incapable of movement. 27 years old – not even 30 yet – and his life, as he knew it, was over. His total existence, his whole reason for being, his entire adult _identity_ had somehow been built around the empowerment tied with being a defense attorney. He couldn't fathom what he was expected to do without it. What was he supposed to do with his life now? Going through the motions seemed pointless – for what purpose, exactly?

His phone rang several times, plummeting into his foggy haze, but Phoenix could find neither the required strength to rise up and answer, nor the desire to. He could be of no assistance, or even an asset, to his friends any more. More like a liability. Associating with him would just unfairly tarnish their reputations anyway. And he could hardly expect them to keep supporting him or even to believe him.

After all, this mistake was nobody's fault but his own. Sure, he didn't forge the evidence – but he was stupid enough to present it. He had no one to blame for the situation but himself. Overwhelming guilt at tarnishing Edgeworth's image, at betraying the legacy of Mia and the desired future with Maya were literally too painful to deal with at this time, and he descended again into the trackless paralysis of worthlessness.

 _Maya_. God help him. She wouldn't want to have anything to do with him when she discovered this. All their hopes, their dreams...all a shattered illusion now. It was over before it had even begun.

He felt numb. Couldn't move. Couldn't speak if his life had depended on it. All that his agonized mind could scream, over and over again, like a relentless, never-ending treadmill were the words: _I'm nothing now. I'm a failure! You've always believed in me but I've let you down! And I'm sorry! Maya, my love, I'm so, so sorry…_


	3. Aftershock

_A/N: You don't have to have read Miles and Franziska's steamy love story,_ _ **The Ties That Bind**_ _, which is part two of this series, in order to get most of the Fredgeworth references in this story. Just know that they have been a couple now for over a year, since the end of the JFA game/Matt Engarde trial and have only recently gotten engaged._

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 _"We should care and depend on each other and not hate one another."_

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 **Chapter Three:** **Aftershock**

 ** _Miles Edgeworth_**  
 _High Prosecutor's Office  
_ April 20, 2019, 9:36 am

Miles Edgeworth prided himself on forever remaining cool, calm and collected both in the best of times and the worst. It took a lot to faze him, and even more to shake him out of the norm. It wasn't because he was the cold-hearted automaton he'd often been accused of being. It was just that, at 28, he'd been through enough woes and hardships to last several lifetimes, the death of both his parents by the tender age of nine notwithstanding.

Thus far he'd been accused of murder, kidnapped, temporarily lost his prosecutor position, and, despite his skepticisms and misgivings about spirit mediums and the occult, had become familiar with the existence of both ghosts and demon possession; two things he never could have ever even fathomed had he not been friends with Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey.

Therefore, it would have been nearly comical to witness the normally austere High Prosecutor become so completely gobsmacked when he got _the call_ from Detective Dick Gumshoe that he nearly fell off of his office chair.

Fortunately, there was nobody around at the time to see it.

 _Wright has been disbarred!?_ Miles stared, dumbfounded, at the phone on his desk long after he and the detective had rang off. _I can't believe it! Wright has always had extremely unconventional, sometimes questionable courtroom methods, but… forgery?!_ Gumshoe's call offered few particulars other than to say that while the details of the murder trial were convoluted and multifaceted, ultimately, Phoenix had presented forged evidence and that the defendant, Zak Gramarye had vanished, so a retrial would not be possible.

Miles replayed the conversation he'd just had with his subordinate over and over again in his mind, wondering if this was all just a bad joke, or that he'd somehow misheard the story about the cruel misfortune his best friend had just endured. While he'd rather have heard the news straight from the horse's mouth, he could certainly understand Phoenix wanting some sort of secluded quantum of solace in the aftermath. It would certainly explain why he'd been unable to reach his friend the night before when he'd rung to convey his own sudden bulletin.

But relaying his mediocre by comparison news wasn't important right now. Still in a slight daze, he rose from his desk and headed to Franziska's office. For the first time in his life, the workaholic attorney decreed that work could wait. This is far more important.

Miles knocked at the door of his fiancée's office before entering, noting the presence of former Officer, now turned Court Bailiff, Mike Meekins standing before her desk, and silently nodded a curt greeting in the other man's direction.

"What do you want, fool?" Franziska asked sharply, not looking up from her paperwork. "I have work to do."

Miles cleared his throat, and she finally raised her gaze, the annoyed expression rapidly disappearing from her face and being replaced by a polite but pleasant smile at the sight of him.

"Oh, it's _you_. Good morning, Miles. I will be right with you."

Miles smirked at the characteristic, but needless showmanship Franziska tended to put on whenever other subordinates or colleagues were around. In mixed company, he was _Miles_ , rather _liebling_ , which had been her customary way of addressing him since they'd gotten together. She now kept such terms of endearment mostly in private, and he tended to follow suit, calling her _meine dame_ only when they were alone together.

While the two had never really talked about keeping their relationship a secret, they still kept themselves in a professional capacity for the most part. Neither of them would have lied if confronted by someone about their status, but keeping a low profile meant they were able to have more privacy, which they prized above all else. It was nice. Hell, nobody in their circle of _friends_ , aside from Phoenix and his girlfriend, had even known the two were an _item_ until this past weekend at Maya's birthday party, when they'd announced their formal engagement! Consequently, most of their coworkers were still unaware of this recent development; the two had only moved back to California from Germany a few days ago and they saw no need to broadcast things unnecessarily.

Clearly, Franziska didn't feel that Meekins was a worthwhile contender to be privy to this information.

She turned her icy grey eyes back towards the timid court officer, replacing the friendly look in them with a ferocious glare as she barked, "You are dismissed for now, you foolish fool! We shall discuss the details of your demotion later!"

"Yes sir! Right away, sir!" The overzealous young man gave his customary salute and hastily retreated towards the door, nearly clumsily tripping over his own feet in his haste to do so. "And a good day to you, Mr. Edgeworth sir!"

"Franziska – "

She held up one black gloved hand, the other one pinching the bridge of her nose as she did so. "Wait for it…"

Both prosecutors simultaneously flinched at the same time as they heard a resounding crash outside the office and an indignant shriek from one of the paralegals amid Meekins' stammering apologies.

"You bloody _idiot_! You just knocked over the entire filing cabinet!"

"S-sorry sir!"

Franziska let out a quiet groan, then placed her elbows on the desk, propping her chin onto her hands as she smiled wearily at her fiancé. " _Every. Single. Time_."

"Be nice, _meine dame_ ," Miles said mildly, amused in spite of himself. "I think you intimidated the poor man."

"However so?" She demanded indignantly. "I didn't even take out my whip this time, so devoted are my efforts to keep my promise to you to minimize its use."

Miles chuckled and shook his head. "You are ever the imposing figure, Franziska Von Karma. No weaponry required. And I am sure Meekins' fall from grace, career wise, is sufficient punishment enough. Whatever did the poor man do to get demoted from being a police officer to a court bailiff?"

" _That poor man_? That foolish, fool of a man, you mean." Franziska curled her lip in disgust. "Need I remind you, _liebling_ , that at some point after the incident at Gatewater Land, that _dummkopf_ lost not only his case files _four times in three days_ but also _lost his badge_?"

She _had_ needed to remind him, in fact, Miles realized sheepishly. So much had occurred since the aforementioned incident he'd been in charge of investigating. From their engagement to playing co-cupids for their friends to this… _sudden hammer that had fallen_ , anything relating to the admittedly imbecilic Meekins, along with any prior events, had completely slipped his mind.

"You got me," Miles admitted with a wry grin, bowing slightly.

"So to what do I attribute this surprise but welcome interruption?" Franziska murmured sultrily. With a quick glance to make sure that the door was closed and Meekins had truly made his exit she added, "After all, we _are_ on the clock." She walked up to Miles, wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him deeply.

He indulged in the pleasure of the ever sweet sensation of her lips against his for a few glorious moments before regretfully pulling away. "Unfortunately, _meine dame_ , I'm not here for that."

Franziska affected a fake pout, although they both knew that office liaisons hadn't been the reason for his impromptu visit. They had a strict not-while-at-work policy.

Well _mostly_ strict, at any rate.

"I'm here about Wright."

She raised her eyebrow at him. "What mess has that foolish man gotten himself into now?"

Miles sighed at the accuracy of the facetious query. "He's been disbarred."

" _What_?" Her eyes widened in shock.

Miles nodded and walked over to sit on the black leather couch Franziska had in her office. She came and sat down beside him.

"The fool! What the hell did he do?"

He shook his head. "I don't know exactly. Gumshoe just called me and said something about Wright presenting forged evidence."

"What a foolish fool! How could he do such a foolish fool thing?"

"Well, maybe his newfound romance with Maya has made him tad lax. But regardless, I refuse to judge him until I know the whole story. The man is my friend, _meine dame_. _Our_ friend. And he needs help."

Franziska fondled her whip. "I know _just_ what kind of help he needs! Damn foolish fool!"

Despite the lofty words, Miles knew she was as shaken by the news as he was. They both sat there in stunned silence for a while. Phoenix Wright was the only defense attorney who ever taught them anything. The spiky-haired man had helped put them in their place by forcing them to reevaluate and discover what was truly important when it came to justice and the law. He also had been the one who had made them realize that the true mission of a prosecutor should be pursuit of the truth, and not simply getting a guilty verdict at any cost.

Franziska put her head on his shoulder. "I can't imagine him forging evidence. Not after what Papa put him through."

Miles nodded. Manfred Von Karma, her late father, his mentor, had gone to great lengths to exact revenge on Phoenix and himself with the use of falsified evidence.

"Perhaps he was framed. I don't know. I don't even know who the prosecutor on the case was."

"Well, you'd better go clear up this foolishness, don't you think?"

Miles had not expected her to suggest this. Going to see his friend was his desired intention, of course, but Franziska didn't necessarily share his exact sentiment for the other man.

She took his hand and gazed into his eyes. "You're his friend…and I suppose…" she rolled her beautiful eyes and her lip twitched, as though resisting the urge to bare her teeth. "That I am too. You need to go see if you can help. Go to the foolish fool. I will take care of the preliminary details of the case files and keep things up to speed keep in the meantime, if need be."

 _She knows this is important; it's important to Wright and it's important to me._

While Franziska had mixed feelings about Phoenix, and at times appeared overly possessive about having to share her fiancé with his best friend as the sole other person of any relevance in his life, she didn't show it. Miles was loathe to leave her presence at that moment. As much as he enjoyed the fiery tigress side of her that the rest of the world was also well familiar with, on the rare occasions she let the softer, kittenish part of her show, he knew it was only meant for him, and he reveled in it all the more. He barely resisted the nearly irrepressible urge to fulfill the stereotypical fantasy of locking that office door, throwing his sexy fiancée onto her desk, and making wild, passionate love to her right there and then.

Miles reluctantly rose from the couch and smiled at her adoringly. He loved her so much.

"Thank you for your support on this, _meine dame_." His voice was filled with tenderness. "I love you."

" _Ich liebe dich auch, liebling_."


	4. One Life Stand

_A/N:There's no escaping from the bleakness if I'm going to cover the behind the scenes action post-disbarment. Hopefully though, y'all still find it entertaining and not too depressing! I swear things_ _ **will**_ _pick up! Please feel free to leave a review and let me know how I'm doing...as much as I write for myself, there would be no audience if not for the amazing FF folks, so essentially, I write for_ _ **you**_ _! :)  
_

* * *

 _"In life we meet many people. Some people remain in touch and some contacts are dumped in recycle bin of mind. We expect somethings from people in our life but sometimes those expectations remain unnoticed and incomplete. Getting depressed in such condition is natural but if we try, we can minimize this amount off hearty hurt."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Four: One Life Stand**

 ** _Phoenix Wright  
_** _Wright & Co. Law Offices_  
May 3, 2019, 7:15 am

It had been two weeks since the fateful day the only life he'd ever known ended. Phoenix had spent them mostly burrowed under his covers and existing mostly on coffee while wallowing in self-pity. He wanted nothing to do with the outside world whatsoever. He'd even stopped reading the paper and watching the newscasts.

While headlines about the "Forgin' Attorney" no longer were front page news, there was still the odd mention of it here and there, and he'd even caught it as short headers flashing across the bottom of the news screens on the television set.

He'd spent the last fortnight dodging all phone calls, texts and emails, until they eventually had stopped. He'd let the mail pile up on the counter, unopened, and allowed all calls to go to voicemail. His inbox was flooded, but he didn't care. He didn't even bother answering the door whenever he'd heard the odd knock on it. He just wanted to make everybody go away. Failing that, he simply wanted to disappear.

Two weeks. That had been all it had taken for his so-called friends, some of them life-long, to give up on him and move on. How long it had taken for the famously acclaimed attorney, the great Phoenix Wright, to dissipate into complete obscurity.

It was if they had never existed. As if _he_ had never existed.

There was only one person whose attempts to contact him hadn't ceased. Maya. She'd been calling and texting non-stop since the day before, when she'd obviously gotten back into the country from her Japanese retreat, returned to civilization, and heard the about the scandal. But she'd only been trying for one day. If he gave her another few weeks, she'd surely fade away, just like everyone else had. After all, she was now the master of a whole village. And he…was nothing. An absolute nobody, who had nothing to offer her. She'd be better off without him. Let her find somebody more worthy of her. Best she forget all about him, and allow that magical night they'd spent in each other's arms to languish away, and eventually remain as naught but a cherished memory from a lifetime ago.

A part of him knew he was being a complete bastard. She deserved more than this. She was worth way more than just being discarded away like trash, to undoubtedly feel that he had 'hit it and quit it' since the night she had given him her innocence and then never heard from him again. What kind of fortune's fool was he that he could be deserving of such a fate? One so cruel that it had allowed the love of his life to become a one-night stand?

 _As if_! He laughed humorlessly at the ludicrous notion. He'd never had a one-nighter in his entire life. Phoenix just wasn't the type to simply "hook-up" with random women. He would get too nervous, or want to talk afterwards... or just want to flat out leave.

As it turned out, women kind of hated when you did that.

Hence, he had only been with maybe three or four women in his entire life, all whom he'd been in some sort of relationship with. Phoenix had never been the "love em and leave em" type. That manner of womanizing was more suited to his childhood friend Larry Butz, the one friend who actually hadn't deserted him. Of course, that was because he was actually away on an art tour in Europe for the next few months and was still not aware of what had happened. But give him time…and no doubt, The Butz, too, would ultimately be gone with the wind, just like a noxious cloud of flatulence that eventually obliterated.

Well, speaking of things that completely stunk, there was no use dragging things out with Maya any longer. Time to nip things in the bud. Rip the Band-Aid off quickly so it would only feel like a quick sting, instead of slowly tearing it, and prolonging the agony. He'd done so many things wrong, at least he could do this right.

He just couldn't stand to hear the hurt in her voice if he were to call her up and tell her. Could never live with himself if he had to witness tears in those beautiful eyes again, because he was the cause of them. He was still taking the coward's way out by writing her a _Dear John,_ or rather, _Dear Jane_ style letter. But at least she would _know_. And it would be one less thing for him to feel guilty about.

Rising out of the bed, he rummaged through his night table and found a notepad and pen. He penned the memo quickly, before he lost his nerve.

 ** _Dear Maya,_**

 ** _I should have told you this in person, but you've probably figured it out by now—I can't see you anymore. I know this must be hard for you to believe, but I'm no longer the man you once knew. When one phoenix dies, a new phoenix is born from the ashes. That's me, Maya. The old Phoenix is dead. A new Phoenix has risen to take his place. Goodbye, Maya. We won't see each other again, and that's for the best. Take good care of Pearls._**

 ** _Phoenix Wright_**

 ** _PS. Please take this magatama back. I can't keep it around anymore. It reminds me too much of you, and the man I used to be._**

Phoenix blinked furiously as he finished writing, refusing to lose the battle he'd been winning against the dam of tears that had been threatening to erupt from within him for the past fortnight.

He reached back into his drawer for his ever present magatama, a green rock shaped like a number nine that his former assistant had given to him ages ago. It had been powered by the spirit medium Pearl Fey, Maya's little cousin, whom he'd known and loved as his own daughter ever since she was eight years old…

Suddenly, he faltered in his actions, and stopped his train of thought right there. _Pearl. Little girl. Daughter…_

 _Bloody freakin hell!_

He crumpled up the letter and threw it across the room into his wastepaper basket in the corner. It teetered around the rim for a moment before changing direction and bouncing onto the floor.

 _Negative two points, Wright. At least you know the NBA isn't in your future as a feasible career choice! Aside from the fact that you totally suck bag at anything sports related…you're also a damn Hobbit!_

Well, not _exactly_ Little People worthy. He was 5'9". But definitely nowhere near Lakers standards.

 _Good Lord._ Here he was, lamenting about his crushed dreams of the failed basketball career he'd never even wanted, and writing breakup letters, when there was something even more pressing he needed to attend to first. Something he should have done quite some time ago.

He took a gigantic, deep breath. And then, for the first time in two long weeks, Phoenix Wright picked up the phone.


	5. No Longer an Attorney, Just a Daddy

_"If you can find a cause that touches your soul, it will make you a better person. It will show you the power of helping others, and ultimately the biggest winner is us. Giving to others helps us to grow, to have a different outlook in life, to appreciate what we have and to be more positive."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Five:** **No Longer an Attorney, Just a Daddy**

 ** _Phoenix Wright_** _  
Wright & Co. Law Offices_  
May 3, 2019, 1:08 pm

Trucy Enigmar stood before him, enormous Bambi eyes, partially hidden by her pink silk magician hat, looking up at him with a mixture of anticipation and curiosity.

Phoenix gazed back at her, feeling small beads of apprehensive sweat beginning to form at his brow. Now that he'd summoned the little girl to his office, he had no idea how to go about the things. This conversation was going to be incredibly awkward, and he wasn't sure if what he was about tell the child was going to be harder to say, or harder to hear.

He nervously cleared his throat. "Trucy, there's something we need to talk about."

Trucy didn't speak, just continued to stare at him silently.

"It's been two weeks since your father... disappeared," he floundered. "We need to start thinking about... your future."

More silence.

"I, um, did some calling around…" Phoenix scratched the back of his head. "This is hard to say, but...you have no living relatives."

Still no response.

"So..." Phoenix was officially sweat-dropping now. "I was wondering if you wanted to stay with me for a while. Just until your daddy comes home. It won't be long." _I hope._

The little girl's continual muteness was making him agitated now, and he continued to jabber on anxiously. "Uh, of course, it's your choice! If you don't like it here, you can go wherever you'd like. I could look up some places you might like to stay at..." _This is so weird...I wish she'd say something. Anything!_

"Mr. Attorney." Trucy finally spoke, her tiny face serious. "Daddy told me about you. He said I could trust you."

"Huh...? Really?" _Jesus, did I really used to be a renowned attorney_? Phoenix thought disgustedly. _Has articulation left me entirely?_

Trucy nodded, the expression on her doll-like features earnest and hopeful. "So, if I stay here...does that mean you'll be my family?"

"Huh? Uh... Um... I guess so?" _Getting weirder..._

"Um... Mr. Attorney?"

He winced at the title, harmless though it'd been intended. "Er, actually, why don't you call me... Nick. Or you can call me "Daddy" if you'd like. It doesn't have to be today, or anything…"

Trucy beamed. "OK! Say, Daddy?"

 _That was quick..._ "Yes?"

"If I move here, I have to switch schools, right? And I was thinking, I haven't paid for lunches at my last school... for a year. So thanks, Daddy!" She gave a winsome smile, showing her little white teeth.

"...Ah." _Really, Wright? That's all you've got to say?_

"Oh, and this office? It's a little blah." The formerly tongue-tied child turned chatterbox went on happily. "A little color goes a long way, you know?"

"...Ah." _Once an articulate attorney, always an articulate attorney_. **_Not!_**

"Oh, and Daddy? You got fired from work, right? Don't you worry one bit! I'll work twice as hard! We'll make it through this!"

Her words officially sunk in, and Phoenix unexpectedly found his heart beating erratically. What the _hell_ was he doing? Five hours earlier he was sitting in his office looking up how to file for unemployment, and now here he was suddenly going to be playing daddy, and sharing his home with a little girl!? Had he completely lost his mind?! He didn't know the first thing about being a parent! Sure, he'd had some experience for a year or so with Pearls, with him and Maya playing unofficial mommy and daddy to the orphaned child, but other than that he had _zero_ parenting knowledge! He was definitely in over his head!

But what else could he do? Trucy had nowhere else to go, and he wasn't about to just throw a little girl out into the streets.

Phoenix finally managed to find himself able to snap out of his dumbfounded state and speak a complete sentence. "Trucy... how old are you?"

"Oh, I'm eight." She told him proudly, her cerulean eyes sparkling. "But don't let appearances deceive you! I'm a young professional! Stick with me and you'll do just fine, Daddy!"

"...Ah, thanks." _Why does it feel like she's already in charge...?_

Trucy reassured Phoenix that she would work hard to support both of them, as she was a professional magician, taking after her father. She showed him one of her magic tricks - the Amazing Mr. Hat - to prove her worth. Trucy explained that her mother, Thalassa Gramarye, had been a part of her father's magician's group, Troupe Gramarye, but she had "disappeared" during a trick, and had never come back. Zak had comforted Trucy with a locket containing a photo of her beautiful mother. She got misty eyed as she spoke of this, and his heart ached for the little girl, whose mother and father had both vanished, the latter right before her very eyes.

With a lump in his throat, Phoenix swore to Trucy that he would not disappear on her as her parents had. He apologized profusely for making her have to talk about so many heavy topics of conversation all at once, as he would have hated to overwhelm the child.

"It's OK!" Another disarming smile from the little girl. "After all, we're family! I just hope you're ready! The Wright Talent Agency opens tomorrow!"

He was completely dumbfounded. "Wh-What!? B-But are we...representing anyone?"

"Me and you...That makes two, Daddy...!"

"I think you need more than that to make an agency," Phoenix explained gently. "Besides...you may be a magician...but I'm no talent!"

Trucy looked disappointed, citing that a boy should always have a trick or two up his sleeve, but surely he was good at _something_? Phoenix hastily assured her that he would think of something, not wanting to hose down the child's burning enthusiasm.

"That's the spirit! See you bright and early tomorrow, Daddy!"

"Welcome to the team, Daddy-O!" Crowed Mr. Hat, the enormous life-sized wooden puppet of Trucy's that Phoenix had decided was more charming than creepy.

And that how was how the former Wright & Co. Law Offices became The Wright Talent Agency.

* * *

"I must say I'm a little confused, Mr. Wright. Why would a young, single, unemployed, and presumably sane man such as yourself want to take on the responsibility of adopting a child?"

A couple days later Phoenix had gone down to Social Services to discuss his plans to adopt with Trucy. The social worker in charge was a stern woman with a strict, no-nonsense air to her named _Ms._ (not _Miss_ , she'd nearly bitten his head off for the error) Bea Verhunt.

She was a towering, wide-framed woman in her sixties, built more like an NBA player than Phoenix could have ever hoped to be – for either the men _or_ woman's team! Her silver hair was scraped back off her face into a tight bun, her beady dark eyes raked him with disapproval, and her thin lips, which were only a slash on her face, were pursed into a frown as she looked over his application.

"Well...I know it sounds crazy but, I sort of feel like I...owe it to her?" Phoenix answered nervously. "What I mean is, I feel like it's my fault her father went missing in the first place. If I had only..." He stopped, not wanting to continue speaking of the events of that unfortunate case aloud, even though he'd been torturing himself with the thought ever since.

 _If I'd just stuck to my own gut instead of stooping to using the first thing that came to me, maybe I could have gotten Zak declared not guilty. Then maybe, Trucy would still have her real father with her_.

"Well I'm going to be honest with you, Mr. Wright." The social worker spoke gravely. "You are the last person I would choose to take in this little girl, considering your past and what looks like your future as a low-life ex-lawyer. And I'm not sure culpable obligation is among the better reasons I've heard of anyone wanting to become a parent."

Phoenix felt as if a hundred shards of ice went through his chest. But he struggled to keep his composure. This woman was _not_ going to take Trucy away from him.

"Sometimes when magicians vanish, they leave something behind," he informed the Iron Lady, his thoughtful, quiet voice betraying no evidence to his growing inner panic that his daughter's fate lay in the hands of this cuddly as a cactus She-Thing. "Something unbelievably precious. I need you to understand something. How I feel about this child is beyond any sort of guilty responsibility. Yes, to be honest, I was pretty lost those first few days after I was disbarred. It was a pretty dark time in my life…but Trucy, smiling, happy Trucy... she is my light. _The light of my life_."

His words were met with dead silence at first, and he realized he was actually holding his breath as he waited for a reaction from the social worker, whose expression was impassive. Finally, after what felt like ages, she spoke, her normally glacial tone visibly thawed by several degrees.

"That was quite the impassioned plea, Mr. Wright. You can take the attorney out of the courtroom…but…anyhow, I digress. Normally I find most lawyers to be the most insufferable sort of liars, but you really _do_ seem like you genuinely care about the girl." Ms. Verhunt leaned back in her chair and eyed him with begrudging respect. Apparently, his little speech had gotten to her. "And it _would_ be better than having her go to an orphanage. So..." She let out a resigned sigh. "I'm going to let her stay with you… _on a trial basis_. I will be checking up on you _every week_ to see how things are going. And as long as her environment is good and she is being well taken care of, then we will go through the steps to adopt."

"R-really?" Phoenix's eyes lit up in excitement. "Thank you Miss- er, _Ms_. Verhunt! Thank you so much!"

"Alright don't celebrate just yet. Just remember, this is only a trial. If I don't see that she is being properly taken care of, or if there's any questions of your character that comes up during the background investigation, then I won't hesitate in taking her." She smiled cheerlessly. "Let's hope that your forfeited attorney badge is the sole skeleton in your closet."

"Of course it is! And of course, she will be!"

"Your current unemployment status is also cause for concern. You _are_ looking for steady work, are you not?"

"Y-yeah! I am, don't worry everything will work out!"

"Fine then." She gave a dismissive wave of her hand, as if shooing away a pesky fly. "Off with you now, before I change my mind."

She didn't need to tell him twice.

* * *

Later that night, belly full of the salty noodles from Mr. Eldoon's stand that had been their dinner, a sleep-deprived Phoenix got into his bed as usual when he heard his bedroom door crack open slightly.

"Umm...Daddy?" Trucy whispered, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Is everything alright, Trucy?"

"I had a nightmare," she said in small voice. "I dreamt that you disappeared like my Mommy and Daddy did, and these mean people were telling me you left a note saying that you didn't want me anymore and were going to send me away...and I was all alone again…" her voice shook, and Phoenix felt a lump form in his throat. "So I was just...c-can I sleep with you tonight?"

He felt his heart break upon hearing the words, although he was hesitant at first, considering the potential rules he could break by allowing this; he had enough trouble with the law as it is. However, he was adopting the girl, so it shouldn't have any perturbing undertones. How many times had he fallen asleep cuddled against the then-teenaged Maya on the couch, or with Pearls in his lap?

Besides, for some reason, he was having a hard time saying 'no' to the little magician. She needed all the love and reassurance in the world right now, and he was going to make sure she got it, regardless of what it took to give it to her. He swore he was going ensure that Trucy Wright never had a doubt in her mind or another nightmare ever again that he was _ever_ going to let go of her, no matter what the circumstances. They would have to pry her from his cold, dead hands.

 _Two days in and she's already got me wrapped around her finger._

"Alright, come on." He patted the space next to him to which Trucy ran on and got under the covers. Phoenix took the top blanket and tucked her in accordingly, until she was as snug as a bug. "Just so you know, kiddo, I'm always going to be your Daddy from now on, alright? I promise you, I'm not going anywhere."

"Thank you," Trucy mumbled drowsily.

"Goodnight, Daddy." She yawned as she turned in place.

"Goodnight, Trucy." Phoenix reached over to the nightstand, shut off the lamp, got under the covers and closed his eyes.

Just as he was drifting off, he heard the words he never thought he'd hear in his life.

"I love you, Daddy."

Phoenix smiled for the first time in what seemed like ages. Maybe, just maybe, this parenting thing wasn't going to be so bad after all.


	6. Leaving On a Jet Plane

_A/N- For all you Edgeworth/Fredgeworth lovers out there, I swear to you that they are not only pivotal to the main plot of this story and won't be gone for long, but have an incredible SL of their own. This will be a lengthier tale than my previous two, but I hope y'all are in till the end! For everyone who took the time to read and review, thanks so much! :)_

* * *

 _"Even though everybody hates you, you'll always have a friend who protects you and wishes to uplift you from pain, misery and suffering, and that will always turn and remain the hardest blow to those who hate you."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Six:** **Leaving on a Jet Plane **

**_Miles Edgeworth  
_** _High Prosecutor's Office_  
May 6, 2019, 9:30 am

Miles bit back a frustrated curse as he got the same undeliverable communication bouncing back to his email for the umpteenth time, telling him that the mailbox he'd been attempting to send a message to was full. He'd gotten a similar message when he'd tried to call Phoenix's cell phone. Voicemail was full. And as for the number to his law office, the answering service didn't even turn on any more. The phone just endlessly rang, and rang and rang. He would know. He'd been relentlessly trying for the past _two weeks_ to reach his friend. Had even knocked on the door of his residence a few times, with the same outcome. No answer.

Phoenix Wright appeared to have completely vanished, in manner not at all eerily dissimilar to his last client, Zak Gramarye.

Miles' emotions had shifted from shock, to concern, to minor annoyance, to frustration. He'd circled back to concerned again. It didn't make matters any better that he had a frenzied spirit medium calling him at all hours of the day as well, frantically trying to reach her boyfriend, also to no avail, since she'd gotten back in town, demanding, begging, _pleading_ with him to update her on Phoenix's whereabouts.

"I've been trying to reach him for _four_ days now, Mr. Edgeworth!" Maya had wailed to him during her dozenth call to him that morning – and it was only half past nine! "Please let me know if he's alive, if he's alright…if there's anything I can do…"

 _Four days_ and she was already at this level of histrionics? Try _fourteen_!

But he remained calm, polite and reasonable with his friend. Yes, he was sure Phoenix was alive as neither she nor her cousin Pearl were able to channel his ghost from the 'spirit world', (Miles still couldn't get past the surreality of that conversation; after all, he was a man of _logic_ who now had idle conversations about otherworld occurrences as readily as he did about the weather!); yes he'd let her know if Phoenix was alright and absolutely he'd advise her if there was anything she could do.

Miles felt terribly sorry for Maya. Whatever her reasons – he'd been too mannerly to pry – for her being unable to come down from Kurain herself to try to see Phoenix, he'd accepted that it was now his apparent responsibility to keep tabs on the missing man, and he could tell underneath her hysteria was a deep hurt and confusion, as well as contriteness for any inconvenience she was causing her friend with her repeated calls and requests.

Miles had his own reasons for now adding anxiousness to the list of his kaleidoscope of emotions. The 'potential' news he'd wanted to convey to Phoenix for some time now was no longer optional; he'd put the deadline off as long as he possibly could. It was at a point now where his delay tactics were beginning to take their toll with him and Franziska, who had already flown back to The Continent without him in order to hold the down fort. The time had come where he had to make his final decision about whether or not he was going to, as his fuming fiancée had so eloquently put it, "shit or get off the pot."

At least, that was roughly what it translated into from German.

He couldn't put things off any longer. There was no more of the _should I stay or should I go_ game to play anymore. He was going to have to go.

Today was going to be Miles' final day in the States for a very long time. The night before Phoenix had been disbarred, he and Franziska had gotten the call that they were both requisite for a top secret investigation in Europe for Interpol, with Miles being requested as the prosecutor in charge of the investigation. Both attorneys would most likely be inaccessible via phone, and only sporadically via email to any outside contacts.

But it was an incredible opportunity, one that could not be missed.

Miles had tried to stall the motions as long as possible. It wasn't a matter of making a choice between Franziska and Phoenix, he'd patiently explained to his fiancée, who had wanted to leave the very next day. She'd wryly cited the obvious, which was that they were basically immigrating back to Europe literally _just_ as they had made the monumental decision to move back to the States, and had even gotten a new puppy, Pess!

He'd made the decision to accept Shi-Long Lang's offer the moment it had been made; Franziska and his career were always his top priorities, and it would be both challenging and exciting to be working together again alongside the brilliant Interpol agent. As for their four-legged 'daughter', Pess was bloody well coming with them! It had been his sole stipulation in agreeing to the whole thing!

The wheel in motion was already turning. Unable to remain in LA any longer with Miles without risking the Interpol agent's ire – Lang had never been a patient man – Franziska had left over a week ago now, taking the golden retriever puppy with her. It was literally a toss-up for Miles about which parting had been more difficult for him to endure, even though he knew he would be reunited with both his girls soon enough.

No, bidding temporary adieu to his fiancée and puppy wasn't what had Miles in such a turmoil. It would be saying goodbye to Phoenix, especially at this particularly low point in the former attorney's life, when, despite his valiant efforts to hide from the world, he needed compassion and support more than ever.

But despite his fervent efforts for the past two weeks, Miles had been unable to reach him. The deadline for him to make contact with his old friend was today. He had run out of tomorrows. His flight left the next morning.

He could no longer make the excuses to Lang that he needed some 'time to tie up loose ends and get his affairs in order.' Franziska had made it quite clear when they'd spoken on the phone the night before that the implied ultimatum wasn't coming from _her_ , even though she supported the beliefs of the Wolf-Man.

"You've been hounding that foolish man for weeks now, Miles!" She'd stormed, the aggravation evident in her voice even over the long-distance connection. "Enough is enough! Phoenix Wright is a grown man. He doesn't need a baby-sitter! You've been trying in vain to reach him and offer your assistance and sympathies, and he obviously doesn't want either one!"

"We don't know that," Miles protested weakly, although at this point he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Franziska or himself.

"Miles," Franziska's tone softened. "I know how much you care about him, but he's not your responsibility any more, if he ever was. There are some things you just can't bail him out of. He's got Maya now to be his shoulder to cry on."

"He won't even take _her_ calls!" Miles exclaimed. "Which is almost more maddening than him dodging _mine_. She's his _girlfriend_. After all they've been through, after all the trouble they went through to _be_ together, why would he cast her aside as he has? I've been around the two of them more than you have Franziska. _She_ needs _him_ just as much as _he_ needs _her_. Their relationship, even before they got together…I can only describe it as symbiotic. If one falls, the other falls. When one is strong, so therefore is the other."

"You've given them a lot of thought, _liebling_. I suppose you have naught better to do with your time, what with me and our daughter being so far away," Franziska teased.

"Not _thought_ so much as _witnessed_ ," Miles corrected her. "I saw what Wright was like when Maya got kidnapped by De Killer, _meine dame_. _She_ was helpless, so _he_ felt vulnerable and useless. Not even having Pearl channel Mia helped much."

"Yet it took the fool another year or so to declare his love for her after that whole fiasco," Franziska muttered. "The poor girl nearly had to die a second time after that to make him smarten up."

"No, nearly losing her after that whole Hazakura Temple ordeal still wasn't what did it, if you recall," Miles chuckled. "If memory serves me correctly, it was a martini to the face that was the ultimate eye opener for Wright."

"Miles, enough about Phoenix. _I'm_ lost without _you_ ," Franziska cried. "We head off to Borginia the day after tomorrow. After that I don't know if you'll be able to reach me – or if Lang's offer will still be on the table. What should I tell him?"

"Tell him I've booked the 11:00 am flight to Germany for tomorrow morning."

"Your daughter and I will be there waiting for you at arrivals, _liebling_. I can tell how much she misses her daddy."

"Has she really been the only one to notice my absence, _meine dame_?" Miles asked, a grin in his voice.

"I was planning on _showing_ , rather than _telling_ you, just how much I've missed you, _Herr_ Edgeworth," she purred.

Miles remembered how he'd felt his pulse quicken at the underlying premise of the words. He was still hot and bothered after they'd rang off. That night, he'd had the coldest shower known to man.

Twelve hours later, he was still wondering if it was already too late to bump up his flight time.

 _Probably_. He let out a small sigh. It was just as well. He genuinely did have some matters to finalize, non-Phoenix related ones, if he was going to be able to take off to Europe with a clear mind, and conscience.

He attended to those affairs first and foremost, and then at about 4:00 pm, picked up his desk phone and called Phoenix's office number one last time. Hell, he hadn't gotten to be a successful prosecutor without having _some_ level of perseverance!

To his complete surprise, this time someone actually answered.

"Hello, this is the Wright Talent Agency," twittered a young girl's voice. "President and CEO Trucy speaking!"

Had Miles not heard the name Wright in that sentence, he would have assumed he had dialed the wrong number. Nevertheless, he had to be certain.

"I'm looking for a Phoenix Wright?" He said hesitantly.

"Daddy is napping right now, may I take a message?" The child asked.

 _Daddy_? Since when did Phoenix have a _daughter_?

"No, it's fine, Miss. I will call back later," Miles replied abruptly, and hung up. Reaching into his drawer for his car keys, he headed swiftly for the door.

 _Wright, you've got some 'splaining to do…_

* * *

 _Wright Talent Agency  
_ May 6, 2019, 4:20 pm

Miles was relieved to note that Phoenix still had the same office, although when he got there, the professional looking gold name-placard had been replaced by a paper one. Written on a note card the office was now labeled, _in crayon_ , as the "Wright Talent Agency."

 _I'm not sure what that means, but it can't be good._

Miles couldn't believe he'd taken time off work in order to come there, the day before he left the country and still had to pack and complete about a million other things in preparation for his travels. There was just something about Phoenix; the man had this magnetic, almost magical draw about him, and he, Maya, Pearl were all the victims.

He shook his head as he knocked on the door. _Why must I be grouped with those two nutty girls? I'm a grown man! Why did I let this spiky haired fool make me open up my heart, and start having feelings again? Yes, in doing so, I wound up with Franziska, but now I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum, where I care about things, about people… about_ _ **him**_ _…_ _ **too damn much**_ _!_

The door swung open, and an adorable little moppet, wearing an odd cloak-like garment and matching pink hat looked up at him with a smile.

 _OK, I'd like to state for the record that what_ _ **she**_ _is wearing is actually_ _ **pink**_ _in color! My suit is_ _ **not pink**_ _, it's_ _ **magenta**_ _!_

"Hello, and welcome to the Wright Talent Agency!" The girl chirped, ushering Miles inside and closing the door behind him. She gave a dramatic bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Trucy, President and CEO." She offered him one of her tiny hands to shake.

Miles awkwardly shook her hand, all the while wondering what on earth was going on. The office was still the same as it'd been since he had last seen it, except now it was littered with magician's props everywhere, including a plate of plastic spaghetti with a fork that appeared to be floating over it. "I'm Miles Edgeworth. Is um, your father still napping?"

"Oh you're the client that called before! This is so exciting! Yup, he's awake, he's just scrubbing the toilet right now. I'll go get him." She ran off before Miles could explain that he was a friend, not a client of any sort. Sighing, he mulled over what he'd say when he finally saw Phoenix.

He was seated on one of the two chairs at the office conference table in the corner when the former defense attorney entered.

Phoenix carried himself in a kind of slouch and slumped into the chair across from Miles without looking up then said congenially, "Trucy told me we had our first client. Man, we just opened shop three days ago. Word sure gets around fast…"

Phoenix's eyes met the prosecutor's then. Midnight blue against steel grey. His composure visibly slipped.

Miles wasn't in a much better state as he took in the sight of his friend, completely speechless.

" _Edgeworth_?" Phoenix gasped.


	7. Severed Ties

_A/N - I love you guys so much! Just three chapters ago, I was begging for reviews...now I have 20 for a 7-chapter story! I'm glad you guys don't think I suck n'stuff!_ _Also, to answer an FAQ or two - no, Nick is not crazy, there's a method to the madness of why he says and does what he does here...and yes, we will be seeing Maya VERY soon!_

* * *

 _"What right have I to imagine that she would wish to unite her life with mine? Who and What am I? A man of no account, wanted by no one and of no use to anyone!"_

* * *

 **Chapter Seven:** **Severed Ties**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency  
_ May 6, 2019, 4:20 pm

"Yes, Wright, it's me. Though I believe you're the one who looks less recognizable. I mean, _I_ still have the same fashion sense."

 _The man has never had sense of style, but unless my eyes are playing tricks on me, he's wearing open toed sandals with some sort of jogging suit and a knit beanie of some kind._

"If _that's_ what you want to call it, Edgeworth." Phoenix's tone was acidic, but Miles was expecting as much. Logically his appearance at the residence during the work day meant he knew what had happened.

"Wright, what's going on?"

"We're doing business. Or is that not what you're here for? Because it's why my daughter called me out here."

"Wright, obviously I came here to talk with you about what happened."

"There's nothing to talk about. I've lost my badge. I have a kid. I run a talent agency now. So if you aren't here on business, get out."

Phoenix's eyes weren't meeting his. Miles could tell he was embarrassed. He wished he could somehow find the right words to convince the other man that things would get better, and that he didn't need to go through this act of carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, alone. Bloody hell, Wright could be exasperating at times! He frantically contemplated what he could say to ease the tension of the situation.

"Wright, is there anything at that we can do? Both Franziska and I are keen to lend assistance in any way possible."

"Like either of you give a rat's ass about me," Phoenix jeered. "That woman can't stand me and only puts up with me for your sake and you know it! I'm sure Franziska's as happy as a pig in shit about me being disbarred."

"I appreciate neither your choice of words nor your tone, Wright! I will thank you not to speak of my fiancée in such a manner again!"

Miles swallowed hard, uncertain of what to further say that wouldn't complicate things further. His reflex was to remind Phoenix that Franziska had played as big a role as he himself had, if not a bigger one, in getting Phoenix and Maya together, and she therefore deserved some iota of respect for that, but he held his tongue. He needed to remember that Phoenix was only acting this way because he was he wasn't himself right now, and his curt demeanor was simply a front to mask his pain.

 _I should have known better than to mention Franziska,_ Miles lamented. _She has been beyond inexcusably horrendous to him in the past. But she's my life now…we're a unit. She's the one who sent me, and held up our Interpol operation so that I could be here right now. I don't have to have her permission to do things, but I know I never would have come if she hadn't told me it was OK with her. As much as I care for my best friend, I love Franziska more._

"You just take off to Germany," Phoenix snarled. "Just _took off_ , without warning. That was my thanks for getting your ass off the hook for a murder rap."

Miles gritted his teeth against the unanticipated onslaught. He remembered all the times they'd hung out as children, and then later as adults. He remembered how much it had hurt when he'd moved away both times. How he'd still thought constantly about his childhood best friend, who had grown into the man who claimed that Miles had been his inspiration in life, without knowing how much of an influence he'd played in Miles' own.

He decided to change the subject.

"It was such unfortunate timing that when all this happened, Maya then had to leave on business travels…" Miles watched his friend as he spoke his girlfriend's name, and thought he saw a twitch. _That's what I thought. He always gets hugely depressed when she's away from him. It's a pity he's still in denial that he needs her, that he's pushing her away the way he is with me now. Damn him._ "What's going on with her, Wright?" He decided to play dumb about his knowledge of Phoenix's neglect in contacting the woman he claimed to love.

"We broke up all right?" He growled.

Miles was stunned. When he'd last spoken to Maya that morning, the girl had sounded sad and confused and hurt, but very much in love. And very much like someone who was entirely in the dark about what was going on. Had the two communicated since his last conversation with her? He wondered about the timing of this. Surely Maya couldn't be so low as to dump Phoenix for losing his badge? She'd always been so loyal and devoted, first as his employee, than as his friend and love interest. He'd assumed she cared about Phoenix enough to stick around when he'd hit rock bottom.

However, something about Phoenix's words contradicted information Miles was privy to, but which he wasn't about to disclose at the moment. He wasn't there to question the validity of Phoenix's statements.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Phoenix said nothing. He was back to avoiding eye contact.

"So, Wright, what's this about you becoming a father?"

"I'm in the process of the adoption application. Trucy's father was the defendant in my last case."

Miles smirked. That, at least, made perfect sense. Phoenix had always been very dedicated to his clients…and a sucker for little girls. He remembered how attached his friend had been to Pearl. No wonder he'd taken Trucy in.

"Do you think that's wise right now? Shouldn't you be working on getting your badge back?"

"No. Trucy's my priority right now. She needs a guardian, and my dumb-ass is the reason she lost her father, so I owe it to her. While I didn't actually forge anything, I still presented it. Therefore, it's my screw up. So I may as well just move on with my life."

"Which entails turning your back on everyone who was part of your past? Is that part of the moving on plan, Wright?"

"That's really rich coming from _you_ , Edgey. You're hardly a stranger to pushing people away. Or just _ghosting_ on their asses when you feel like disappearing on a whim! At least I didn't fake my own death." Phoenix's glare at Miles over the table was almost painful as the weight of the ambush hit him. "You sure have a flare for the dramatic, Edgeworth."

 _He and Franziska both grieved for me. I think Franziska has forgiven me, but Wright, obviously, has not. If he's still angry with me for the last time I took off to Europe, how on earth will he react when he finds out I'm leaving again…for much longer this time?_

"You know I'm sorry about that. You brought so many ugly truths to light…things that I needed to reassess and reevaluate, in solitude. It was so unexpected and overwhelming. I needed some time away to think things through...surely, you can understand that, Wright?"

Phoenix chuckled bitterly and looked away. Miles couldn't tell whether it was at his apology attempt or just the whole situation that was the reason for the harsh sound.

"Wright, I'm sorry Maya-"

"She didn't dump me, Edgeworth. I dumped her. At least…I'm going to. Whenever I get around to it."

 _Eureka! So he hasn't contacted her yet, just as I suspected. Interesting. I wonder how the normally bubbly Miss Fey could adapt to this new-found, I don't give a crap anymore, grumpiness of his? Still, it's rotten the way he's treating her. She deserves more than to be simply ignored like this, and should at least get a clean break._

"Wright, why are you adopting this little girl? What do you know about being a father?"

"What? You don't think I can do it? You think I'm not stable enough? Look, it doesn't take an attorney's badge to take care of a kid. I helped Maya and Pearls. I can help Trucy."

"You're seriously going to lump Maya into the kid category with Pearl and Trucy, Wright?"

"What do you mean? Alright, so we had some... close moments that would contradict that. But ultimately, she is… _was_ , like a sister to me."

Miles was fascinated by Phoenix's lame attempt to rewrite history. Was this really the same man who had tearily confessed, _just last month,_ to him, Larry, and Gumshoe that he loved Maya Fey more than the air he breathed? Who had made a public spectacle of himself proving that love to her that very night? Was he really going to pretend all those dramatic events had never happened and try to sweep it all under the whole 'I loved her but only as a sister' rug?

 _As an expert on the subject, I could elaborate and educate on the fine details on what it's like to have someone be so close to you for so long that it feels like a sibling relationship; until the day comes when you have no choice but to acknowledge that it's since developed into something much, much more._ Miles reflected. _It's just that I don't think he'd appreciate me bringing up Franziska again, so I'm keeping my mouth shut and leaving her out of this. But since I can't seem to speak to or reason with him, I feel like forfeiting on this entire endeavor. The blasted man can be so damn pig-headed!_

"Are you sure you aren't adopting this little girl to fill some kind of void in your life? When really what you should be doing is figuring out things with Maya?"

"I _thought_ I had feelings for Maya, but I've had time to think about it, and I didn't, OK? I have no romantic feelings for Maya whatsoever, _and_ I resent your insinuation that I ever did, as if I'm some kind of pedophile!"

Miles looked searchingly at his friend. Was there a particular reason Phoenix was suddenly trying to erase all history he'd ever had with Maya? Miles couldn't even begin to fathom what it could be. Instead, he rolled his eyes. "Wright, Maya's older now. It's OK for you to love her. For you two to be together."

"You sound like Pearls."

"No I don't." Miles grinned at the mention of Maya's adorable little cousin/pseudo adopted daughter. "Not at any point here did I use the words 'special someones'. Not even once."

The ghost of a smile flickered across spiky-haired man's lips at the mention of the precocious little spirit medium they'd both been so fond of. And that was when Miles realized that Maya and Pearl were amongst the list of people that Phoenix was trying to convince himself had been a _lifetime_ ago rather a few _months_ ago, as though he were literally were dead to them. Which was ridiculous! Maya and Pearl wouldn't give a damn what he did for a living. Hell, they'd probably be happier if he flipped hamburgers or drew caricatures as his occupation. They might even like his new hobo-chic look. They loved Phoenix, and he was sure they would miss him, as much as Miles would. As much as he already _did_.

 _Why can't the daft fool see that?_

"Wright, about Maya, you can still make this work. Don't try to deny how you've felt about her. She's been trying to reach you. She loves you. It doesn't matter what your occupation is. She loves you because you're _you_ …"

"No, we _can't_ make this work Edgeworth!" Phoenix loudly cut him off, his voice trembling. "She's an important, high status Master of Kurain Village now! She deserves better than a low-life ex lawyer like me!" His voice rose a notch, even though it was shaking with emotion. "What right have I to imagine that she would wish to unite her life with mine? Who and What am I? A man of no account, wanted by no one and of no use to anyone!"

 _Aha!_ So **_that's_** _why he's so coldly and cruelly cut off Maya. Because of his doubts of his own self-worth!_ Miles felt as if a light-bulb had gone off over his head. _But it still bewilders me why a moment ago though, Wright was trying to convince me that there was never anything between them in the first place._ He decided to ignore the former attorney's impassioned speech, surprisingly articulate though it had been. _Has the man been reading some classic literature during his time off of work?!_

"I merely think you need to reevaluate your motivations for adopting this young girl."

Phoenix jumped up from his seat and slammed both his hands on the table, courtroom style, as he glared daggers at his friend. "Shut the hell up, Edgeworth! Are you trying to insinuate that I have some kind of Lolita complex because I can't get Maya out of my head? You're sick! I thought you were my friend!"

"Oh good _God_ , I assure you I didn't mean it like _that_!" Miles protested. He hadn't expected his friend to be this touchy. He was at a loss for what to say, to comfort Phoenix somehow, but he didn't know what to do and telling him that it was killing him to see him like this wasn't going to help matters. "Phoenix, I think it's nice what you're doing, but you don't need to cut off ties with everyone. I know it's painful but we don't care about what happened! We haven't given up on you."

"Well, you should, OK? Ace Attorney Phoenix Wright is done, washed up, dead."

"I don't understand. Tell me why! Why are you throwing away everything you've worked so hard for so you can adopt that girl? Do you think this is what Mia would have wanted?"

"Don't you _dare_ talk to me about the Chief! The memory of her is _mine_ , not yours to throw around lightly! You didn't know…her like…I did…" Phoenix's voice broke, and he turned away from his friend. He was obviously crying, but he wasn't about to let Miles see that.

Miles wanted to cry as well, but of course, no tears come. Those would be too human for an android like him. How had things turned out this horribly? He'd come to help and comfort his best friend and somehow had only made a bad situation worse. But what the hell was he supposed to do to fix it? He realized now that Phoenix's current predicament was merely the tip of the iceberg. How much pain had he been holding in?!

The last few years flash through his mind. _He lost his beloved mentor… I came in and out of his life… Maya left to become the Master…he's got no living parents since they died in a plane crash when he was in college…_

"I'm sorry, Wright." Miles' expression was pained. "I never meant to upset you. That was never my intention when I came here. I came here because Franziska and I are going back to Europe tomorrow for an Interpol assignment. I have no idea when I'll be back. I've been trying to reach you for the past few weeks so I could tell you that, so that unlike last time, I didn't just up and leave without any warning. I wanted to tell you goodbye in person."

Phoenix turned his head slowly, his eyes red, but luckily dry now, as they stared at his friend, the hurt and betrayal in them as clear as day.

Miles understood the reason for that look. First Maya, now him. Was it any wonder Phoenix thought he'd better off alone when the two most important people in his life had vanished, however unintentionally, at the same time?

 _If only I wasn't so damn emotionally constipated and could just tell him how much I care about him! I wish I could tell him how Franziska has finally made me feel like I'm not alone anymore and he deserves the same, which is why he needs to call Maya. She's in complete agony over all this; she didn't want to leave. She still loves him and would forgive him anything. I'm sure of it._

"You're leaving again." It was a statement, not a question. Phoenix's voice was hallow, despite the cold, accusing look in his eyes.

"Wright! It won't be forever! A few years, at most," Miles' tone was beseeching as he spoke, even though Phoenix had turned away from him again. "We can try to fix all this! You can adopt Trucy and still fight to get your badge back. Listen to me, I will still be accessible via email. I can still do investigative work for you in the background. I'll help you. Franziska and I-"

"I am sick of hearing about your fiancée, Edgeworth! So stop reminding me of the woman who keeps taking you away from me!" Phoenix yelled, his face red. "You know, I can't believe you've been able to put up with her crazy, whip-happy ass for as long as you have. I really expected by this point that you'd have come to your senses, gotten sick of her shit, and moved back here by now, permanently!"

 _I've done Franziska a great disservice by never contradicting anyone's opinions of her character based on past convictions. She's changed so much. I should have let them know that she's no longer the heartless harpy they knew. That she cares about all of them nearly as much as I do._

"Phoenix, I know she's been awful to you in the past but things are different now. _Franziska_ is different now. She's the one who -"

"The _hell with Franziska Von Karma_ , Edgeworth! I have no bloody idea _what_ you see in that toxic, cold-hearted bitch –"

Miles was a pacifist man by nature. In spite of all the vicious situations he'd endured in his life, he'd always been more of a lover than a fighter. He had never used physical force in his entire life on another human being. Right up until that moment.

His fist moved, as if he had lost complete control of it, towards the other man's jaw before he had a chance to stop himself. It connected with the side of Phoenix's face with a sickening crunch, unlike anything Miles had ever heard before. Phoenix staggered back against the wall didn't fall.

Miles looked at his fist with horror. He'd just punched his best friend. One of the only friends he had. He wanted to cry when he saw the expression of shock and hurt upon Phoenix's face, like that of a wounded child or puppy as he clutched the side of his face where Miles had hit him.

 _Good Lord, what have I done?!_

"Phoenix, I'm sorry – "

"Get out, Edgeworth."

"Please, I'm so sorry…"

"I am going to go upstairs now, to get an ice-pack for my jaw." Phoenix's voice was frostily calm, even as he glared Miles with contemptuous loathing. "And when I get back, your ass had best be gone from my house. You and me, Edgeworth, we're history. Done. _Now. Get. The. Hell. Out_. " Then, without another word or backwards glance, Phoenix turned around and left the room.

 _This shouldn't matter as much as it does because I have Franziska now to ease this dreadful burden of mine. Yet it still does matter because I care about that daft fool so much! He's right back where he was the night of Maya's party – in denial._ Miles groaned and buried his head in his hands. _It's_ _painfully bad enough he's opting to deny his friendship to me. What's worse is the fact that he's denying the love he has for Maya, even though I know the idiot loves her, though I'll be damned if I can make him realize it! The blasted man has given me no choice but to move on with my life, even if it's without him. So be it. If he's too proud to accept my help and support, then fine. Wright is_ ** _right_** _– I guess I can't be his friend anymore._

With a heavy heart, Miles turned towards the door, his eyes burning with tears that were unable to fall, no matter how much he wished they would, because it would have been such a relief to just let it all out. All the pain. All this damn frustration.

 _Oh dear God, why does this have to hurt so much? I may have been the one to strike him, but_ _**I'm**_ _the one in total agony._

With a start, he realized his exit was blocked. Standing in front of the door, with an endearing grin, was Trucy. Miles winced at the sight of her; he'd literally forgotten she was still in the place as she seemed to have disappeared as soon as she'd let him in. He wondered how much she'd seen and heard.

"T- Trucy," Miles stammered. "Where did you come from?"

"From upstairs. I was cleaning up the apartment, then I had to go make an ice-pack and get my Daddy a grape juice."

It was at that moment that Miles at last understood the situation with Phoenix and his adorable daughter. _**He**_ _isn't taking care of_ ** _her_** _._ ** _She's_** _taking care of_ ** _him_** _. This makes a lot more sense. I have to admit, Wright hasn't done too badly for himself. This is one sweet little ward he's wound up with._

Miles kneeled down and smiled into the little girl's doll-like face. She had the aura of an old soul to her, and not just because she appeared to understand the importance of both housekeeping and ice usage to reduce swelling. It was more than that. Trucy had that same wise-beyond-her-years air to her that Franziska had also possessed as a child, along with that twinkle in her gaze only the innocence of youth possessed.

 _Children really do have such an amazing spark - until the harsh realities of the world around them dulls that angelic glimmer from their eyes. This one has more than most. May life be good to this young tot. She's already seen enough tough reality, for one so young._

"Trucy, can you do me a favor?"

She nodded.

"Be a good little girl for Phoenix, OK? And please take very good care of him."

"You care a lot about my Daddy don't you? You're not a client, are you?"

"No," Miles mumbled, his voice tinged with sadness. "I'm an attorney that worked with your Daddy. I…was a friend of his. I wanted to make sure you looked after him really well, because your Daddy…has a lot of people that care about him, very much."

"I'm sure he does, but no worries Mr. Miles! I make sure Daddy rises and shines, gets plenty of exercise and eats good…I do a lot of the cooking, because Daddy can't cook. Also, I make sure he gets enough to drink…" A bottle of grape juice materialized out of the thin air. "And here's one for you too, for the road."

Miles was astonished. _She's amazingly good at this sleight of hand thing, especially for one so young._

He couldn't help but smile again as he took the proffered drink. The child had a disarming, charismatic quality to her that would melt even the most austere man. Still in his crouched down position, he offered the little magician his hand.

"Well, Trucy it's been very nice to meet you."

Forgoing a handshake this time, Trucy threw her arms around Miles and hugged him. He cleared his throat in response to the awkwardness. He still wasn't used to this sort of thing. To comfort. To feelings. To physical contact.

 _I'm no good with children – yet for some reason Franziska wants to start a family with me! - and I've already reduced a grown man to tears today. What the hell is wrong with me? Was I born an automaton? Or do I have Manfred to thank for making me like this? I can't remember the last time anyone other than Franziska was this close to me. Or even wanted to be._

"Mr. Miles, please don't give up on my Daddy. He's been through a lot."

A wave of emotion hit Miles just then, and he gave the child a huge squeeze. "Don't you worry, Trucy," he whispered. "I promise you that I will _never_ give up on your Daddy, even if it seems at times like he's given up on himself."

With these as his final spoken words, he saw himself out. He felt more at peace now, despite the disastrous outcome with his friend, because he knew Phoenix was at least in the good care of very capable hands.

 _I know you'll both be all right after all, Wright. It looks like you're an even luckier man than I thought._


	8. Don't Stop Believing

_"Although you and I have crossed each other, we two are destined by the heavens to be together. There will come a day when the two of us will join together to do great things. But until then, you must wait and endure any hardship and danger that may come your way."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: Don't Stop Believing**

 _ **Phoenix Wright  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency_  
May 6, 2019, 4:45 pm

Phoenix had thought he'd already reached the pinnacle point of overwhelming devastation when he'd lost his badge. And yet he'd still managed to somehow keep it together and somehow not fall apart at the seams. But Edgeworth's visit had been his undoing. The moment he got upstairs to the kitchen and put the icepack on his face, he completely unraveled. A few tear drops fell.

 _I have nothing. Nobody. I've never been more alone. And just I can't take it anymore. This is all too much for me. I can't do this. I can't, I just can't…_

No. He couldn't let himself fall apart like this. He wasn't alone. He had Trucy. He had to be strong for her. He owed it to both her and her dad. He had to keep going for her. She deserved someone to care about her and love her. She didn't deserve getting shuffled from foster home to foster home and being with people who would break her spirit.

 _I'm sure Edgeworth thinks I'm going to be an awful Daddy. I probably will be, but at least Trucy will have one. Oh who am I kidding? What the hell do I know about being a father? I'm just going to screw up Trucy's life the same way I did mine._

His friend's visit had only served as the gut-wrenching reminder of all that he'd lost.

His life as an attorney… _I'm a disgraced forging attorney. A low-life ex lawyer just like Miss Beaver-Tail Face from Children's Services said._ _But being the law was all that I knew. What the hell am I supposed to do with my life now?_

Maya…. _The other day the Department of Child Safety asked about the 'nature' of my friendship with her, and it gutted me to have to deny the love of my life and swear that we were never romantically involved with one another and she was just a kid. Because the alternative is losing my daughter. And then I'd_ _ **truly**_ _have nothing._

Mia... _Oh Chief, I've screwed up your legacy. I failed you. I ruined your office…How you'd despise me if you knew what I've done!_

Pearls… _The girl who I loved as a daughter. The reason I thought I could maybe be a good father to Trucy, because I loved playing Daddy and Mommy with Maya for her so much. The person who always believed that Maya and I were each other's 'Special Someones' who loved each other and were meant to be together. But by the time we both finally realized she was right…it was too late for us…_

And now his best friend… _That smug, smarmy, judgmental son of a bitch! I loved him. And thinking I'd lost him, well that hurt like hell. I know it sounds emo or gay or whatever, but as a straight man, I can honestly say I love Edgeworth. He was my best friend… my heterosexual life partner! That was the reason why I never hit him back. Why did he have to go and deck me for calling Franziska a bitch? It's not a secret! I honestly thought he_ _ **knew**_ _!_

Phoenix paused momentarily in his pity party to ruefully acknowledge his own blame on that one.

 _OK, fine,_ _ **maybe**_ _I deserved it; I probably would have done the same thing if anyone had said something bad about Maya…I did smack that afro-haired, Southern she-devil photographer one time over Maya after all. Not that it's ever OK to hit a woman, but Lotta Hart is an exception to that rule, surely? Anyway, what does any of this matter now? Because now, just when he and I repaired that rift and we were getting close again… I've lost him to Germany and Franziska..._ _ **again**_ _!_

Phoenix had no idea where it had come from. While Edgeworth packed a good punch, which would undoubtedly leave a mark on his face, he was so used to more severe forms of torture: hot coffee to the face, seeds whipped at him, birds pecking at his head, and the ilk, that ultimately, for someone with his high pain threshold, the blow had been the equivalent to a fart in a hurricane.

So it wasn't because of the physical pain of being sucker-punched by his best friend that made the tears start. But the war he'd been winning against his inner dam of tears was completely lost. First a few more drops fell…and then the river flood commenced.

He hadn't cried in nearly ten years. It was completely ridiculous. He'd stopped being an emotive crybaby after the whole humiliating Dahlia trial in college. But cry he did. His chest heaved and his face burned. He was bawling like an infant in desperate need of a bottle, but he was powerless to stop it, regardless of how much he wanted to. He sobbed until he couldn't cry any longer, and even then, he sat at the kitchen table, shaking and sniffing. It could have been two minutes, it could have been two hours.

Trucy came back upstairs to the kitchen to find her father seated at the kitchen table, elbows up on the table with his head buried in his hands. The discarded ice pack carelessly lay on the floor, evidently forgotten. As she went to pick it up, she saw Daddy's shoulders were shaking. Was he crying? Why was daddy crying?

The little girl got up and walked around the table. Through his teary eyes he could see her solemn face, more solemn than an eight-year-old's should ever be. "Daddy…" she whispered, placing her hand on his back. "Why are you crying? Is it because your face hurts from bumping into the wall?"

Phoenix swallowed. Shit, she _knew_. She had caught him being weak. _She_ was the one who'd been abandoned. _She_ was the child. His daughter was the one who needed support. Yet, here he was, so wrapped up in his own bullshit that _she_ was comforting _him_. It shouldn't be this way.

Trucy smiled at him and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, Daddy. Everything will be OK." Then to his mortification, she added, "Daddy, please, don't cry."

"I'm so sorry, Trucy," Phoenix apologized, wiping his eyes. His crying had stopped now. He was uncertain if he was OK, or even stable. He wasn't sure how he felt about a lot of things, but he know this much; he had to get his act together, because this little angel was counting on him, and so far all he'd done was let her down. He'd let enough people down, including himself. But not his daughter. _Never again_.

"It's OK, Daddy. I love you," she said.

Fatherhood was a funny thing, Phoenix mused, taking off Trucy's top hat and gently tousling his daughter's silky reddish-brown hair. You didn't just love your kids. You fell _in_ love with them _._ He couldn't believe how much he already loved this child, who up until a few weeks ago had been a stranger to him. For the life of him, he couldn't understand how her father could have abandoned such a precious gem of a daughter, the rat bastard. She was so bright and loving, and smart and pretty. So mature for her age and wise beyond her years. It was so easy to love her.

"I know it's tough for you right now… It's the same for me, my old Mommy and Daddy are gone, too. But crying won't bring them back, and we can get through this together anyway, right? I know your badge was very important to you, and you loved being a lawyer, but I saw an ad for a piano player at the Borscht Bowl, and who knows? Maybe you'll be even better at piano playing than lawyering!"

Phoenix managed to crack a small smile at the irony of it all. _Phoenix Wright, Pianist Extraordinaire_! Wouldn't that be a boot to the head? Oh, how his old friends would have a field day with that one! A pianist, first for play, and now for profit, in the very place they'd witnessed his debut! He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and smiled lovingly at his little girl. "Thanks, Truce. It really means a lot to me."

"No problem, Daddy," Trucy beamed. "I believe in you. I will never give up on you. And you wanna know something else? You know your friend Mr. Miles? Right before he left, he promised me that he would never give up on you either."

And with those words, the light of his life brightened up the dark, lurching wretchedness that had been weighing down Phoenix's heart, and any sadness that still remained instantly melted away, replaced by the first hopeful realization in some time, that maybe, just _maybe_ , he wasn't as alone and downtrodden as he'd thought.


	9. No Letting Go

_A/N - Here's a little Maya (finally!) to kick off your Monday! Thanks for reading!  
_

* * *

 _"In order to capture someone's attention, you must allow them to have the mental and emotional space to let you in."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: No Letting Go**

 _ **Maya Fey**_  
 _Kurain Village_ , _Train Station Platform  
_ May 11, 2019, 12:00 pm

 _God dammit why can't this blasted thing go any faster?_

Maya pressed her nose against the glass window of her carriage, silently willing the perambulator to get moving. She'd been the only one to board the train headed to LA that afternoon at the Kurain Station platform and couldn't fathom what the pesky delay was. She had never been overly patient by nature, but this lagging now, when she was so close to finally being able to get to the bottom of things, was pure agony . And every minute apart from Phoenix these past three weeks had seemed like eons.

She tiredly leaned her head back against her seat and closed her eyes in preparation for the two-hour commute. She'd barely slept a wink since she'd gotten back to LA nine days ago from her Japanese spiritual training, during which it literally appeared she'd been living under a rock for the past two weeks.

When she'd returned and realized that the shit had hit the fan.

The entire time she'd been away in Japan, she had been completely cut off from the rest of the world. Forget cellular reception - there were _no phones_ , let alone cell towers or electricity (read: no radio or TV) in the mountains. The sole way to make communication to the rest of civilization was an hour and a half walk where you could use the one land line phone of the village's sole lodge in the visitor lobby.

 _For which there was usually a mile-long tourist line up_ , Maya had noted with aggravation the one or two times she'd made the grueling trek down the steep foothills in the evening after her daily rituals had been completed and she'd been feeling particularly sentimental about wanting to hear her boyfriend's voice. She would have had to call collect too (she could have died of humiliation at the _look_ she'd received when she'd asked the man at the front desk, in her broken Japanese, if they sold 'calling cards' – he'd looked at her as if she'd offered to _take out her samurai sword and shave his butt,_ which, considering how bad her grasp of the language was, may not have been too far-fetched a possibility!) and hope Nick would have accepted the charges – but each time there had been no answer or it'd gone right to voicemail when she'd tried the his cell or office line.

Maya had not ever realized how spoiled she'd gotten from Western Hemisphere living. The first few days, she'd woken up completely sore because she was unused to sleeping on a futon, as she was so accustomed to a soft mattress and bed. In Mount Koya, in traditional Japanese style, rooms within the temple were simple, with screened doors, tatami mats and a small altar decorated with a flower or scroll. In her room, which was kerosene heated, a thin yet comfortable mattress was folded away every morning and rolled out again on to the floor in the evening.

The difference in lifestyle had been astounding. Aside from none of the modern conveniences, including electricity, there was the food there to get used to. This meant no meat, dairy or eggs, spices, onions or garlic. The monks in the kitchen only used fruit, tofu and leaves which could be taken without killing the entire plant that it came from. Essentially, "food made by groovy people only using food that agreed to be in it in the first place". For the past two weeks, the fast-food loving Maya had been dining on tempura, miso soup, vinegary salads, pickles (hold the burger!) something that was a lot like baked beans, a selection of steamed vegetable and a hot pot with glass noodles, tofu and mushrooms. For dessert, (or at least she'd thought it was dessert) there was some opaque green jelly stuff, with some orange curd and candied peel and strawberries.

The fare she'd dined on was simple, vegetarian, fresh, clean and pure. Full of delicately steamed vegetables with whole grains and light soups, the meals left her feeling so refreshed and cleansed of the strains of daily city life.

* * *

 _LAX Airport  
_ May 2, 2019, 3:30 pm _  
_

The retreat had left Maya completely detoxed and purified. So of course, it was only natural that after trying to call her boyfriend twice more to no avail, and then checking her phone for the umpteenth time to find, to her disappointment, that there had been no texts, calls or emails from Phoenix in her absence, not even one sucky, _I miss you message_ , or _welcome back_ , the first thing Maya had done once she was back in the Los Angeles airport was head straight to the dining lounge and order the biggest, juiciest burger and greasiest fries available on the restaurant menu.

 _This is just what I needed after all that training. I not only deserve it, I_ ** _earned_** _it! Ugh, no more training. I don't ever want to see another waterfall as long as I live._

In a last moment choice of pure gluttonous indulgence, Maya decided to order extra mayo, bacon, and fried onion rings on top of her burger. When it arrived, she attacked it like it was her last meal on earth, tucking into her food and devouring the huge platter in record time, barely pausing to swallow.

This was probably not the wisest idea. Because to this day she wasn't sure if the immediate queasiness in her stomach almost immediately afterward was due to the shock to her digestive system to be eating such crap after detoxing, or if it was because she happened to look up at the one of the numerous TV's put up in the lounge.

Right in front of her, the headline on the bottom of the screen read, " _New Developments in case of Phoenix Wright, Forging Attorney_."

Maya wondered if the world had suddenly gone slightly tilted, or if it was just her imagination. Her mind reeled. She dropped her pickle and steadied herself on the table with both hands. She felt sick to her stomach, and would have bet her life it wasn't from the artery-clogging lard from her Sumo-sized burger. Fighting back nausea, she snatched the lemon wedge that had come with her glass of soda and stuck it in her mouth, sucking hard at the sour juice until the feeling eventually quelled.

The reporter on the screen kept on talking, but the rest of the newscast was muted, and Maya was no lip-reader. There would be no answers for the millions of questions racing through her mind from a silent television, she realized. She spit out the lemon wedge, which she'd unconsciously been gritting in her teeth all this time, and agitatedly fumbled through her bag for her cell. Once again, she rang Phoenix's office number, even though she knew, in her heart of hearts, that the effort would be in vain. The phone just kept on ringing, and this time didn't even go to the answering machine. Thereafter, she tried his cell. It went immediately to his voicemail.

"You've reached Phoenix Wright, attorney at law. I'm sorry I missed your call, but please leave your name, number, and message and I'll get right back to you."

"Nick, where are you?" Maya yelled helplessly. "Please, talk to me! Call me back! I'm worried about you!"

Next she called home. Pearl answered on the first ring.

"Mystic Maya! You're back? I kept trying to call you earlier and I always got your answering machine."

 _She must have been trying to call my cell while I was on the plane and it was turned off._ "I'm at the airport, Pearly. Could you please tell me what the hell has been going on in the news since I've been gone?"

"I think Mr. Nick is in trouble, Mystic Maya. I've collected all the newspapers for you since you've been gone. He's been on all the news channels. I even taped some of them on the VCR for you. What's a… 'forgin turney'?"

 _ **The VCR**_ _ **?**_ _First thing among my Master's duties really needs to be updating the technology we've got back at Kurain Manor!_

"Pearly, we'll chat when I get home. I'm going to skip the train and just take a taxi straight home, so I should be there in about an hour to an hour and a half, OK?"

"OK Mystic Maya. See you soon."

The cost of a taxi from Los Angeles to Kurain Village would surely be murder, but Maya didn't care. One of the few perks of the job title that she'd been bequeathed but never really wanted was an almost limitless supply of disposable income. Who would have thought that an ancient village, while situated in LA but immensely steeped in Japanese culture and tradition, created in the 17th century and modeled after Feudal Japan, (with no cell tower!) would be so steeped in wealth?

She hopped into a cab and made a spur of the moment decision to try to stop by Phoenix's place en route. She hoped he would answer the door, as she had left her office keys back home in Kurain. However, ten frustrated minutes later, having found the gesture to be yet another exercise in futility, she was back in the waiting cab, gently sucking on her poor abused knuckles, which were raw from her repeated impotent banging, coupled with loud hollering, at the office door.

 _Dear Lord, please let him be alright_ , she prayed over and over again as the taxi drove on. _Please don't let my Nick be dead._

She sent Phoenix numerous texts, each more frantic than the last, the entire ride home, until reaching Kurain, where her signal died and she could do so no more. The moment the cab dropped her off in front of Fey Manor, Maya ran inside full steam, only to nearly run head-first into her 9-year-old cousin, who'd been waiting in the foyer.

"Welcome back, Mystic Maya!" Pearl squealed, rushing towards her beloved cousin with her arms outstretched.

"Pearly!" Maya gasped breathlessly, quickly returning the effusive hug the tiny spirit medium greeted her with. "Talk to me! You've got to tell me what's been happening with Nick!"

The child apprehensively bit her thumb, and with her free hand, gently tugged Maya down the hallway to her own bedroom. Stacked on top of Pearl's bed were about a dozen or dailies, and in the corner, there was a small television and VCR set up. She handed her cousin the newspaper on the top of the pile and looked at her anxiously as she went to turn the TV on. "I think you should sit down first, Mystic Maya," the little girl advised nervously. "Do you want to read the paper first or see the news?"

Maya didn't reply as she was already too busy reading the front page story of the first paper. She was aghast when she saw the cover, which read, " _Phoenix Wright, or Phoenix Wrong_?" with a large image of Nick pointing below it. She couldn't believe her eyes; what had he done to get such a horrendous headline? Feeling sickened, all she could do was turn the page. The article started nicely, talking about Phoenix's law career and all his past wins. But then it turned acerbic, saying he forged evidence and presented it in court. He'd been disbarred since then, and nobody had seen him since.

Maya's stomach dropped. A dreadful roaring filled her ears. She looked up, wild-eyed, at the television screen which was now playing one of the news reports on it. A red-headed anchor was speaking. She forced her spinning mind to focus on the rest of what the woman was droning on about.

"This has cast great doubt on all prior trial convictions," the reporter continued. "Phoenix Wright, the former "King of the Turnabout", had built quite the reputation for himself by winning seemingly impossible cases, starting with the murder trial of his former partner and mentor over three years ago. However, with the latest speculations about his questionable tactics now being further scrutinized, dozens of the Forging Attorney's previously resolved cases may prompt further investigation…"

Maya reached for her cellphone, staring down at the lack of service bars and trying not to give into the overwhelming desire to screech in helpless fury and haul the useless thing across the room.

 _Second thing on my Master to-do list. Install a freaking cell tower!_

There was a landline just outside the house though, and Maya staggered there almost in a daze. She dialed up Phoenix's number, but again, the call went to voicemail. She couldn't bring herself to leave a message, to ask if it was true or not. She could only hang up and hope for him to call back.

Maya plodded back into her house, wondering how quickly she could get a train ticket into town. One usually left every few hours, and she could be there by early afternoon at the soonest. But she had meetings to attend, things that had to be done, and people to lead. She couldn't just skip out on a day or more on a whim. For not the first time, Maya cursed the Master's position, cursed her mother for leaving this mess, cursed her sister for dying and most of all, cursed herself for having inhaled that heart attack on a platter burger. It seemed to be resurfacing in her gut now with an indomitable vengeance that made her wince in discomfort, and she clutched her abdomen.

Had she been given the choice, she would have been happiest continuing to spend her days at the law office as Phoenix's assistant. But because of this of this accursed titled position she was born into, that she had never aspired for or wanted, she was bloody well stuck!

 _I don't care though! Nick needs me more than this damn village does! I have got to get to him. I've got to, I've got to…_

Maya didn't realize the room was keeling as she stabbed at the button of the remote to turn off the offending television before hurling it across the room. It thudded heavily against the wall before clattering noisily to the floor. Her head was pounding, and that pesky nausea she'd experienced at the airport had returned, full-throttle. She needed air.

The new Master fled from Pearl's room at a brisk pace, ignoring the child calling out behind her. Pearl quickly ran behind the fleeing form. The young medium was not entirely sure what was going on, but she knew it was not good. She knew something bad had happened and that "Mr. Nick" was in trouble.

Maya barely made it out of the house before she was violently sick, directly into the bushes right outside the front door.

Pearl looked her anxiously, her little face wreathed in concern as she gently rubbed her cousin's back while she heaved.

"Mystic Maya, are you going to be alright?" She asked worriedly.

"I'm fine!" Maya gasped, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Her vision was blurry, and the world still seemed to be spinning. She gripped the porch railing for support to pull herself back up. "Nick, I need to get to Nick!" On shaky legs she managed stagger as far as the main hallway before her knees buckled and gave out from underneath her.

Mercifully, Pearl was there to catch her head to keep it from hitting the tile as she collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.


	10. Stand By Me

_"If I love you, I will do whatever I can to keep my promise to you."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: Stand By Me**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Maya Fey  
**_ _Kurain Village_  
May 7, 9:00 am

Maya had finally pulled her head out of the toilet long enough to give Edgeworth a quick call. It was a good thing she had called when she had, because he was at the airport, headed to Europe.

"Impeccable timing as always Miss Fey," Edgeworth said dryly. "Another half hour or more and I may have already been aboard the plan. I'm very happy to at least be able to bid you adieu live, however, if not in person." He went on to explain the details of his departure to her, as well as lamenting about he may not be as phone-accessible going forward for an undetermined about of time due to the secret nature of his mission.

"Mr. Edgeworth, I've spent my past few bed-ridden days praying for death, tending to poor Pearly, who picked up a less severe version of my nasty bug, and catching up on all the news reports and articles about Nick's plight. Since I wasn't around for when it all happened, I'm hoping you can shed some light on how accurate these stories all are?"

"Ahem," coughed Edgeworth, who for once appeared to be floundering for words. He'd grown accustomed to her daily queries about whether or not he'd gotten a hold of Phoenix and was ill-prepared for this particular line of questioning. "Well, there's been quite the bit of propaganda, naturally. You know you can't believe everything these papers say. All spin and embellishment I expect. Recall they also referred to me as the 'Demon Prosecutor?"

"Please be straight with me!" Maya begged. "You don't need to sugarcoat things for my sake, Mr. Edgeworth. I've been ill, yes, but I am not so frail of heart or mind that I can't handle the truth! It's just – I just can't believe that Nick would 'commission a forgery'. He can't even afford it!"

"I, err…" Once again, Edgeworth was at a loss for words, uncomfortable with discussion about something as personal and confidential as Phoenix's monetary circumstances, even with Maya. Especially now that he'd been privy to seeing firsthand what sort of dire straits his friend was in. "Upon further investigation into the matter, it was undoubtedly suspect that Prosecutor Gavin was able to so speedily summon that 'special witness'."

"I knew it! He's innocent Mr. Edgeworth, I just know it!" Maya insisted.

Edgeworth was silent on the other end of the line. Via his fiancée, he'd had been able to garner further information that Prosecutor Gavin had taken and followed instructions from some unknown third-party, but it was probably gossip. Or maybe it wasn't. One thing was apparent. The requirement to 'pull strings' on Wright's behalf had conspired at a thoroughly inconvenient time.

"So it would seem our dear, naïve Wright walked unsuspectingly into a trap. Which was foolish and careless, but not worth career and reputation annihilation," murmured Edgeworth, more to himself.

"It appears so," sighed Maya.

Edgeworth took a breath. "Listen, Miss Fey, this is highly confidential information. I _don't_ want you telling Wright. I will try to resolve Wright's situation, but I'm currently constrained from much influence in the District Justice Department. It seems the ruthless Prosecutor Gavin was alerted to my recent day of unlicensed criminal _defense_ and has instigated an enquiry _._ If Wright finds out he'll blame himself. He's got enough on his plate now as it is."

"Oh no!" Maya was near tears. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Edgeworth. You don't deserve this crap. You were only trying to help Nick and me." A headache was slowly threatening to consume her.

 _Worst conceivable timing_ , seethed Edgeworth. He _had_ planned to lie low overseas and indirectly exert his influence to diffuse the 'Day 1 _State vs Iris_ ' matter, among other matters, while he was away. He did _not_ tell Maya of his fears of a worst case scenario – the court proceedings somehow being ruled invalid, and a _re_ -trial, forcing Maya to again testify about what must have been one of the most harrowing incidents of her life. Edgeworth vividly recalled his own horrors – and subsequently years of nightmares – of having had a parent murdered before his very eyes, and _he_ hadn't even _seen_ the moment of death properly. With any luck, Mr. Armando's existing confession had already conclusively proven the verdict, even with supposed 'defense corruption.'

However, with the recent 'reforms' of new Prosecutor Gavin, you could never tell. The kid was a punk, 17-years-old, with a bug up his butt and a need to have something to prove. The rock-star/prosecutor wasn't old enough to realize strong-arm tactics weren't the only way to establish your name, and was too damn young to know any better. Edgeworth would have been happy to 'school' the lad himself, if across-continental duty hadn't called first.

"I'll be alright," Edgeworth assured Maya. The poor girl was going through enough right now without having to carry the burden of this knowledge with her as well. "Repercussions, if any, will be slight for me, given my otherwise exemplary work history with the Bar and still having some friends in high places. Honestly, Miss Fey, me getting called abroad is perhaps a blessing in disguise. If I'm out of sight, it also means I shall be out of mind, even though I can still do some digging around into these matters in the background while I'm over there. I promised Wright, and now you, that I will do all that I can."

 _I have no ideas why blessings always wear disguises! If I were a blessing, I'd run around naked!_ Maya thought wildly, who while grateful for the sworn aid from her steadfast friend, was loathe that he had to depart when she and Phoenix needed him most. She then switched over to more customary conversation, her voice hopeful. "So, does that mean that you _have_ talked to Nick?"

"If you had contacted me with that question last night, immediately post altercation with Wright, my reply to you would have been 'good luck with him, he's entirely your problem now', Miss Fey," Edgeworth's tone was both sardonic and wry. "Or even half an hour before you called. However, our beleaguered friend rang me thirty minutes before you did to wish me a good trip. So hence, my reply to you, my friend, is that yes, he is indeed alive, moving about of his own free will, and…"

His voice trailed off then. He had zero desire to recount the details of his final visit nor recent conversation with his best friend to anyone just yet, any more than he wanted to disclose what Phoenix's intentions towards the girl who so desperately loved him were. That was neither his place nor his business, and he cared too much about Maya to be the one to tell her that the Phoenix Wright he'd seen and spoken to, who although had somewhat patched things up with _him_ so that he wouldn't be going away with too many regrets about things left unsaid, was nowhere near the man he used to be. He was doubtful the outcome of any conversation Maya would have with Phoenix would be pleasant or resolving, but he truly hoped he was wrong.

"If you can catch that stubborn mule of a man unawares, he'll have no choice but to speak to you," Edgeworth finished lamely. "When do you think Wright will have his next visitor? As you know, I shall be stuck in Europe henceforth. And I expect that you have pressing priorities in Kurain?"

"No," countered Maya, mental bounds to her Master duties immediately dissolving. "I'll go and speak to him very shortly. In person. The doctor said I should be well enough, and no longer walking a human contagion, within the next few days." She was relieved that Edgeworth was too polite to ask her why she hadn't gone to try to see Phoenix yet herself. Somehow she doubted he'd want to hear the traumatizing truth: _I couldn't go see my boyfriend because I didn't want to subject his already browbeaten ass with the bug I'd caught, which resulted in making horror-movie worthy stuff come up - and out!- of me, at_ ** _both ends_** _?_

"Good," breathed Edgeworth, momentarily slipping his facade of 'emotional detachment'.

"I'll contact you after I've talked to him," Maya promised as she decisively tore the offending newspaper article in her lap to shreds.

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey  
**_ _Los Angeles_ , _Train Station Platform_  
May 11, 2019, 2:10 pm

Maya had blamed her fast-food choice for her plight, but she was wrong. Instead of just good-old fashioned food-poisoning, which she'd had fervently hoped for, instead it turned out she had come up with a ferocious case of stomach flu as a memento of her Far East travels. It knocked her flat on her ass and left her dehydrated, depleted of any and all energy, and barely able to move for the next week. The village doctor who had paid her a house-call had said he'd never seen such a severe case, and told Maya it could have been anything from the unfiltered water she'd been consuming to some nasty germs she'd picked up trying to use the contaminated public phone at the lodge. The key thing was that she was highly contagious and essentially quarantined in her room until the nasty bug had run its course.

She was as weak and helpless as a newborn, and confined to bed the entire week. She couldn't even move to pen a letter, never mind rise up to make a phone call. Absolutely nothing stayed down. All she could do was take sips of water and whatever herbal teas and homemade broths – hold the noodles – the village Elders made for her. Maya had always been slim, but as a result of her illness, had lost close to ten pounds, leaving her with dark circles under her eyes, gaunt in face, pale as a ghost, and looking like shit run over twice.

Her only bit of relief had been her phone call to Edgeworth four days prior, when she'd finally been able to drag herself outside her house to use the phone, and he'd confirmed that the love of her life was neither dead nor confined in police custody. She replayed the details of that last conversation she'd had with her friend as she hopped into a cab, instructing the driver to take her to Phoenix's law office.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _  
Wright Talent Agency_  
May 11, 2019, 2:30 pm

Phoenix sat laggardly on the couch downstairs in his office, feigning oblivion to the insistent loud knocking on the door. Since Trucy was still at school and her bus wasn't due to drop her back for another couple of hours and he was in no mind-frame to see or speak to anyone, he ignored it as he had all of the other times, even as he resisted the urge to scream, _Get Lost! We don't want any!_

He was in no mood to be dealing with pesky reporters, discuss which God was his personal savior, or reject the latest dirt sucking piece of vacuuming technology at the moment.

However, after the briefest sound of keys jangling into the lock, the door flung open to reveal neither a nosy media member, bothersome Jehovah's Witness nor irksome salesman, but his girlfriend.

Maya pulled the door open to find the lights out and the shades drawn. The last stray beams of greying light poured through the windows and fell on a despondent figure collapsed on the couch. On it sat Phoenix, his head down and several glass bottles strewn around him. Maya stepped inside, flicked on the light switch, and shut the door behind her. She stood there in stunned disbelief at the sight of her formerly handsome, well-groomed, professionally-suited boyfriend, now looking completely unrecognizable in his bedraggled, homeless bum sweat suit.

Phoenix instinctively turned his head towards his unwelcome guest but then dropped it back at the ground, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. Maybe he could will her away if he refused to acknowledge her presence long enough. Having Maya seeing him like this was a nightmare come true. His hopes were in vain, however, as he listened to her footsteps drawing nearer to him until he could sense her standing right in front of him.

"Nick," Maya's voice was soft. "What happened?"

He did not respond.

Maya knelt beside him and took his hand. He shifted slightly, as if he registered her touch, but his eyes did not meet hers.

"Tell me what happened."

More silence.

"Nick, please. I'll believe what you say. I don't believe them".

"I… I didn't know," croaked Phoenix. "I really didn't know." His gaze finally met Maya's. His eyes chilled her with their glazed, vacant expression; too much reminiscent of those of Mia and her mother after they had died.

She squeezed his hand, and with her free one, gently stoked his cheek, gazing at him with compassionate eyes. And in that moment, Phoenix realized instinctively, that _she_ , at least, believed him, just as he'd always believed in her.


	11. Here and Now

_"_ _If I love you, then I will trust you, I will stand by you, I will stand by whichever decision you will make, but I won't allow you to toss me like a coin with foolish decisions and ways."  
_

* * *

 _A/N- I normally can't update thrice a week given my work schedule/attempts to have a life off this site (not always successful in the latter endeavor though!) But it's my anniversary this weekend so I was in a mushy mood. Here's some long-awaited Phaya with a splash of (slightly steamy) romance to kick off your weekend! Enjoy! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven:** **Here and Now**

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
_** _Wright Talent Agency  
_ May 11, 2019, 2:40 pm

As Maya attempted to come sit down on the sofa, Phoenix heard her foot accidentally hit one of his empty bottles, which were tossed listlessly on the ground by his feet. It noisily scattered across the wooden floor.

"What the –?" She got up again, picked up all the empties, and threw them into the trash, examining one of the labels closely as she did so.

"Since when are you such an avid fan of grape juice, Nick?" She arched an amused eyebrow at her boyfriend.

"It was my choice of wannabe poison after you and Pearl left for Kurain a few months ago. It's what I used to drown my lonely sorrows away in at the bar back then…now it's just force of habit, OK?" Phoenix scowled. "Yeah, I know, how lame am I, right? I can't even be an alcoholic properly."

Maya bit her cheeks to keep from laughing. "It may have been _slightly_ less lame if you were chugging back _root beer_ …at least that's got the name _beer_ in it, right?"

Phoenix reluctantly cracked a smile. "Well, I wasn't about to become fixated on _real_ alcohol, Maya! You know that costs extra!"

Maya set the bottle back into the garbage, came over, and sat down on the couch. "I don't believe that's the reason you're not getting into the harder stuff, Nick. I think it's because ultimately, you're made of stronger stuff than that. In the end, you know that you're better than regressing into some cheap, low-life drunk."

"You have _got_ to take me off this freakin' pedestal you've got me on, Maya," Phoenix scoffed. "You're not a kid anymore – you're a grown woman now. It's high time to take off the rose colored glasses and realize what your so-called hero has actually become."

The words stung like a slap. Maya bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "Come on, Nick, tell me what really happened."

"You being here means you _damn well_ know what happened!"

"I only know what I heard on the news, Nick. And what I read in the papers – all terrible lies that I know aren't true."

"Then what else do you need to know? Phoenix let out a humorless laugh. "After all, the news would _never_ lie to the public now, would they?"

" _Please_ , Nick." Maya reached for his hand again. He stiffened, but didn't pull away. "Forget anything else that's ever happened between us and just talk to me…as your best friend. That's what we were before anything else happened. It's what we _still_ are, if nothing else. Talk to me."

Phoenix finally looked at her with expressionless, dead eyes. "If you're my best friend, you'll respect my need for privacy then. I want you to leave while you still have all your illusions of me, of the man I used to be, intact. I don't want to shatter your ideal image of me that I can no longer live up to. Just… just go." He put his head back down.

Maya could not have been more pained than if he had actually struck her. The love of her life, after taking her virtue, had decided that she'd been worth nothing more than a weekend of bed-warming. And then, when the chips were down, he preferred complete solitude than any sort of comfort or anything she had to offer him, and had practically told her to walk out of his life. Never in all the years she'd known him had he said anything like this. It was like a stab to the heart.

Maya stepped back from the sofa and clutched her locket, biting back the sob threatening to build up in her chest. "Nick, why would you say such a thing to me? Do you blame me for not being there when this all happened? I wanted to come as soon as I got back from Japan, but then Pearly and I got really sick with a contagious stomach bug I picked up over there and I was completely bedridden… but I hope you don't feel like I was trying to delay seeing you or neglecting you. Why are you being like this?"

Phoenix turned an eye to her without looking up again. "Sorry. I'm not very good company at the moment, Maya. I'm just... not a fan of anyone or anything at present. I hate myself, my life, the whole damn world right now. Please go."

Maya had opted to forgo giving him hell for ignoring all her calls and messages. And considering the immediate circumstances that had occurred right afterward, she didn't want to bring up the subject of how he'd never contacted her after they'd been together, as if she were some random hookup he'd met in a bar, even though it still had hurt terribly. But she couldn't brush it all aside entirely. Instead, she whispered, "How could you tell me you loved me just last month, and then push me away like this? You're breaking my heart, Nick."

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her to deal with the pain, which he himself had been forced to endure the past few weeks, but found the words dying in his throat as he saw the tears sparkling in her beautiful dark eyes. His heart just wouldn't allow him to do it. He couldn't intentionally be cruel to the woman he loved.

"If I tell you what happened," he allowed. "Will you leave right after?" _She shouldn't be here anyway. What if Trucy had been here when she'd gotten here? How on earth would I be able to explain that?!_

Maya leaned down to study his face, which was partially hidden by an atrocious aqua beanie.

 _Note to self – lecture him about his hobo fashion sense at a later date._ "I don't understand. Why are you so eager to get rid of me? I get that you're angry about all this. I know how much your job meant to you and that you must be worried about how you're going to pay the bills." There was absolutely no way she could just disappear back to the village and leave Phoenix unemployed and in the lurch. "So…I'm going to pay the rent until you become a lawyer again," she spontaneously declared.

"Forget it, Maya. There's no way I'm going to leech off you."

"Consider this my repayment then, for the hole I ate in your wallet all these years with my burger consumption. I can afford to do this, really. I'm Master of Kurain now, Nick. I get a cut of the budget and everything!" Her tone left no room for rebuttal.

She was so stubborn. So tenacious. So… _wonderful_. Phoenix wondered if it was possibly illegal how much he loved her. And he did, _so damn much_ , in spite of using every tactic in the book to get her to leave. She was going to be shattered if he told her the truth about why he couldn't see her anymore.

"Well, it's true, I can't afford to keep renting this," Phoenix admitted, indicating the office. Mia's original practice had performed well, and it wasn't in too bad a part of town. "I'm only paid up till the end of this month."

"You see? You've got to let me help! And I… I can't just let you throw away Mia's old practice," Maya reasoned, attempting to justify her generosity. "I mean, then later we'd have to open with a new address. What a pain in the arse that would be!"

Realizing she wasn't about to budge on her unmovable stance, Phoenix at last retold the story of his final trial. Maya listened intently, her face unable to suppress her despair as she absorbed all the gory details about the forged diary page, the mysterious little girl who had given him, the vanishing defendant, the 'convenient' surprise witness who had put the final nail in the coffin.

"So as you see, it's a pure case of my complete idiocy," he finished flatly. " _Meā culpā_. There's nobody to blame but me." He buried his head in his hands again.

"I'm so sorry, Nick. If only I had been there. I could have…"

"Don't blame yourself," Phoenix told her. "There was nothing you could have done. I just took the bait; hook, line, and sinker."

Maya sighed, and gently stroked his cheek. He turned his head and kissed her palm, holding it against his unshaven stubble, reveling in the softness of her skin, before tugging at her hand and pulling her onto his lap. She nestled into him and rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat before speaking up. "We'll get through this together, Nick. We can fix this, somehow. I know we can!"

"Maya, it's not that easy. There's more to it than just this legal mess. There's a reason I was telling you to go. I don't think I'll be able to see you for some time."

She jerked up from her cuddled position on his lap and looked in him disbelief. She would have thought he had to be joking, if not for the authenticity of his somber, pained expression. "What? _Why_?" She gasped.

"You know that little girl I told you about, Trucy? Well, I decided to look after her when her father took off. I had to work really hard to fight for the right to adopt her. I had to go through a sea of paperwork and have home inspections and I had to be evaluated, which is on-going and nowhere near completed."

Maya looked around the office, and for the first time, noticed the scattered magician's props littering the place that she'd overlooked when she'd first entered. She had a sinking feeling she knew where this conversation was going, but she was so happy to be back in Phoenix's arms for the moment that she didn't want to rush the conversation, even though she knew, deep down, that she should cherish the sensation of being so close to him, because it would be ending soon.

"Evaluated?" She echoed.

His next words confirmed her worst suspicions.

"Yeah, like an interview for parenthood. They have to look for skeletons in the closet. You know, anything that might make you a less than ideal parent."

"Well, I'm sure they had to work pretty hard to find anything on you."

"Other than that I present forged evidence in court and have been disbarred?"

"Right. I forget people think that's for real."

There was no doubt Maya's mind that Phoenix had been set up. While she was surprised that her normally sharp boyfriend had so badly slipped up – had it been simply being sloppy on that case or had his luck run out? – she felt terrible about it. She couldn't help but feel if she'd been there, maybe she would have made him take a closer look at that mysterious diary page, picked up on something and saved him from this misery. But she hadn't been there and what was done was done. One little mistake and his life was sent in a completely new direction. It wasn't fair that a man so dedicated to his work and devoted to proving the innocence of his clients should have it all taken away from him. She'd have done anything to help him earn his badge back.

"You and Trucy are the only ones who think I'm innocent, Maya. I mean, Edgeworth says he'll help, and he says he believes me but…I digress." He took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Anyway, at one of these child safety evaluations they asked me about you."

"Oh? Why would they do that? We don't live together anymore. And now with me being Kurain Master, I'm barely going to get to see you."

 _Alas, my love, you have no idea just how barely that's going to be…dammit just tell her, Phoenix! Rip off that Band-Aid and stop reveling in the feeling of her in your arms because you sure as hell won't be able to get used to it!_

"Well, I was adopting a little girl and they wanted to know the nature of our relationship, because you were only about what, 16, 17, when you started working for me? An under aged minor, regardless. And there were suspicions and rumors…"

"But you set them straight?" The horror of what he was saying slowly began to dawn on her. "You told them the truth that nothing happened? I mean for heaven's sake you didn't even _kiss_ me until I was old enough to legally drink!"

"Of course, and then I had to say I didn't have feelings for you. That you and I are like brother and sister, just pals." Phoenix had been unable to look directly at her while he said the ugly words, but he turned his head towards her now, an agonized look on his face. "Oh, Maya! I _lied_! I'm so sorry! I had no choice!" He buried his face in her shoulder.

"Nick, it's alright," Maya soothed, taking the opportunity to take off the hated hat and stroking his soft hair, running her fingers over the beloved, familiar spikes, which miraculously hadn't flattened despite the tightness of the beanie. "There's nothing to forgive. I understand."

"I hate this!" Phoenix's voice was muffled against her neck as he spoke. "I hate myself for having to lie about you! I had to deny the love of my life! I _had_ to … just so that wretched old biddy of a social worker wouldn't think I was some kind of pervert, like I wanted to groom a little girl to become…" He couldn't finish the sentence.

"Nick, it's OK. Calm down." Maya's voice was firm. She pulled up his head and looked him directly in the eye. "Tell me, what are the challenges of this case?"

Despite her take-charge demeanor, Phoenix saw the wretched empathy and love mingling in her expression. More than anything in the world all he wanted to do was bury his lips against hers and forget about his plight, even temporarily. But he needed to focus right now. His eyes were red, but he managed a small grin. Talking in pseudo-legal terms helped put things into clearer perspective for him.

"Well, I have a daughter who is not fully, legally mine. These processes take God knows how long…and one of the conditions of her remaining with me is I appear of upstanding moral fiber. In other words, I don't fall in love or have sex with my employees who were living with me while underage."

"Right, the fact we're like this now would cast doubt on your previous testimony that nothing was going on, even though it was true. For the most part anyway." _That night of my birthday notwithstanding…_

"This is why we can't see each other right now, Maya. I've been taking the coward's path, and dodging you by not returning your calls because I couldn't stand to tell you the horrible truth. I've had a hard enough time dealing with it myself. It's a relief that Trucy's at school right now. I wouldn't know how to explain you to her. And I really don't want Trucy to have to lie about us. I can't see how teaching her to lie is being a good role model for her." Phoenix looked absolutely miserable. "Maya, I can't choose between you two. I _can't_."

Her eyes widened as she realized _this_ is what he'd been fretting over, the big dope! He should have known that she would never tell him to give his daughter up, but he'd been worried that he wouldn't have a choice. Trucy didn't deserve to grow up without parents. Maya knew firsthand what that was like and wouldn't have wished that on anyone. Especially since she could see some traces of the old Phoenix whenever he spoke of Trucy - the grumpy, apathetic persona faded away, replaced by some of his former spark and vigor, which used to be directed for his work. If all of that was going to be directed now at Trucy, at fatherhood, so be it. Perhaps it was for the best for him to have somebody to look after…or rather, have somebody look after him. To give him a purpose in life and be there for him, because right now, it appeared that the cruel hand of fate dictated that _she_ couldn't be able to.

"Of course not, Trucy needs you."

Phoenix finally took the opportunity to take in the kind, understanding, compassionate woman he was cradling in this lap, as if seeing her for the first time. Her silky raven hair was down, just as it'd been the night of her party, and rather than her regular robes, she was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, although her ethereal face was free of makeup, which he'd never thought was needed. She had such a natural beauty, one that in adulthood rivalled even that of her late sister's. He had always loved the scent of her vanilla perfume, but noticed today, despite being scent-free, she smelled just as wonderful. Like lavender soap, and pine needles and fresh air. She was everything he'd ever wanted. The thought of being apart from her, he realized now, gutted him more than the loss of his badge ever could.

"I don't know how long this whole process will take, Maya," he expressed sadly. "I don't know how long we'll have to be apart. It could be months….or even years. I can't be selfish enough to ask you to wait for me."

She looked at him steadily. He was her soul mate. And while she wanted to be with him all the time, she knew _their_ time perhaps wasn't now. But she also knew they had endured so much together already, that this was merely a storm that would surely pass. There was no one else for her. Phoenix Wright was worth waiting for.

"But what if I _want_ to, Nick?"

His eyes dropped from hers. "You can't put your life on hold for me like that, Maya! You… you are so young! You have your own life, and you have your responsibilities and me… I'm too much of a mess right now to be anything to anybody right now. My daughter has to be my priority."

"Nick, like you said earlier, I'm a grown woman now," she reminded him, trying not to let her voice break. "Which means I can make my own decisions."

Phoenix let out a defeated sigh. "So there's nothing I can do or say to get you to walk out that door right now and make this all be nothing but a distant memory to you?"

"Not a damn thing, Nick. I love you." Her lip began to quiver. "I believe in you. And I will wait for you. Forever, if I have to."

"I love you too." He tenderly wiped a tear from her eye with his thumb. "They say anything worth having is worth waiting for."

"I thought it was worth _fighting_ for?"

"You're worth that and more, Maya Fey. I promise I will do everything in my power to ensure that I am a man who will be worth the wait. And even though you're going to be taken away from me for a while, I swear to you from this day on, you'll always be here in my heart. Now and forever more." Phoenix brushed her hair out of her face, shaking his head at this willful, obstinate, firecracker of a girl who loved him more than he deserved, even as he relented and pressed a kiss against her forehead.

She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. "I don't want to complicate your decision," she whispered.

"You already have." He kissed her so softly, it was like a breeze on her mouth. Then he closed his eyes and reached for her, letting her ease him back on the couch. His hands closed over her face, holding her as they kissed, his heart beating so hard he could feel all his pulse points throbbing. He just wanted to lie there forever, holding her, trusting her. Loving her.

Closing her eyes, her fingers sank in to his hair and she pulled his lips tighter against hers, sinking into the kiss, dizzy with the pure bliss of it. The kiss was filled with all the aching love and bitter sweetness that spoke more words than either of them could possibly say right then.

She tried to memorize the feel of his lips, the pressure of his arm on her back, the texture of his spikes, as if he was going to disappear again as soon as the kiss was over. Phoenix pulled her closer as she wrapped her arms around him. When his touch turned electric, she didn't stop him, even though logically she knew she should have pushed him away. She didn't want this to be good-bye, but if this was going to be their farewell of any sort, it needed to be now, while she could still breathe through the tightness in her chest.

She turned her face up to his, but her half-felt protest became a moan of surrender as he flipped them over so she was now pinned beneath him on the sofa, driving his mouth down on hers with a hungry kiss which splintered her senses. For an instant, she was too surprised to react. She inhaled the warm, musky scent that always reminded her of him, the sensation acting like a powerful drug within her. She felt the strength in his arms and the sleek power of his body.

He moved one of his hands to the base of her neck, fingertips circling through the short hairs there. He applied just enough pressure to keep her head tilted back. She was breathing hard now, staring up at him as he stared down at her. His eyes focused on her lips, and involuntarily, her tongue came out to wet them. The distance between their lips disappeared as his mouth found hers. She wove her fingers into his thick, dark hair, holding him to her. She parted her lips, inviting him inside, wanting the taste of him on her breath, filling her lungs. He accepted the invitation, deepening their kiss, flooding her senses.

One of his hands remained pressed under her back, keeping their clothed bodies locked in tortured limbo, while the other wandered over her hair, her cheek, caressing the length of her neck. Abandoning her mouth, he kissed and nipped along her jaw. She took in deep gulps of air between the moans and whimpers. When his teeth scraped roughly down the sensitive area of her neck, she forgot to breathe, swallowing her shout as she arched against him. Taste, touch, smell, sound, sight, every bit of her was full of Phoenix. There wasn't anything she wouldn't do to hold on to this perfect moment with the man she loved.

She drank in his labored breath as his panting mouth feasted hungrily against her own, knowing he was aching to join them as desperately as she was. It was a heady feeling, to desire and be desired in return. It didn't matter if they had no tomorrows – they had the here and now. And right now was about forgetting their painful reality and just momentarily savoring and living out their passions. Powerless to stop the insatiable need to be as close to him as possible, she threw all safeguards to the wind and surrendered herself to the blissful abandonment of being one with him again.

They made love with tears in both their eyes, just as they had their first time, only this time it was for different reasons. They clung to each other through the bitter sweetness of it all as they tried to block out their sorrows and the cruelties of rest of the world, and focused on nothing but one another with what precious little time they had. His hands smoothed down the length of her spine, molding her to him, his fingers digging deep as he pulled her even closer, leaving impressions in her flesh, fingerprints in her memory that would never fade.

Afterward, convinced he was doing the right thing and that it had nothing to do with how damn bad he had wanted to feel her soft body pressed against him, Phoenix wrapped his arms around her. She sighed, settling into his embrace, fitting against him, her head tucked beneath his chin, like they'd come together this way a hundred times before. His hands had a mind of their own, stroking the silky length of her hair, kneading circles into her back. The subtle scent of floral shampoo and clean, beautiful woman filled every breath and he inhaled deeply, taking that small part of her inside as Maya lay there contentedly in his arms, and remained quite still, relaxed against him, mingling in to him. He let himself go from past and future, was reduced to bask in the moment with her, in which he took her and was with her and there was nothing beyond. They were together in an elemental embrace that they both wanted to cherish for as long as they could.

Each moment spent with her convinced him that maybe, someday, she really could be his.

A part of him felt was wrong to let her go on caring and loving him so much when he didn't even know when he'd ever be able to set eyes on her again once she walked away from there. Perhaps that was why he had been driven to be with her for what might have been their last time. He didn't want to allow himself to be distracted by such bleak thoughts. He did not want to lose her. If there were any way to keep her after all this was over, he would move heaven and earth to ensure he could to find it.


	12. Ebony and Ivory

_"The greatest challenge in life is discovering who you are. The second greatest is being happy with what you find."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: We all lead busy lives, and I am beyond touched and grateful that anyone takes the time to read my little story out of the thousands of Phoenix Wright FF's out there - and I am hence filled with indescribable gratitude to everyone who takes to the time to leave a review. A very special muchas gracias to my good friend, and terrific FF writer, ** Ilet Moratar **who has taken the time to read and review almost **every chapter** I've written with her encouraging and constructive feedback. If there's any Spanish speaking folks out there, check out her work, it's muy bueno! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve:** **Ebony and Ivory**

 ** _Phoenix Wright  
_** _Wright Talent Agency  
_ May 12, 2019, 11:30 am

Phoenix didn't get to mope over the loss of Maya for too long. There had barely been time to press one last kiss onto her sweet lips before, to both their heartaches, she'd had to leave or risk being spotted. She'd managed to scamper out of his apartment with only a few moments to spare before Trucy had come bounding up the stairs at 4:00 on the dot from the school bus, which dropped her off right outside the building.

Normally he met his daughter outside at the bus stop, and dropped her off there, every morning. However, right after Maya's hasty retreat, he'd been too busy getting re-dressed and straightening out his clothing. The most time consuming task had been trying to tuck his wildly disheveled hair, which was seemingly irreparable from Maya's madly roving fingers, back into the beanie hat Trucy had made for him, making sure the yellow smiley face and pink letters spelling 'Papa' were displayed in their usual fashion.

Luckily, the bubbly little girl had been so breathlessly excited about sharing the news of her classmates' delighted reactions to her wooden marionette, Mr. Hat, during show and tell that day that she hadn't seemed to notice that anything was awry with her Daddy. The only comment she'd made was that she was glad to see him smiling somewhat that day, even if his eyes still looked a little sad.

That morning, Phoenix had gone through his daily fatherly routine with his daughter as if he'd been doing so for ages, rather than mere days. While he was focused on making sure Trucy finished her cereal for breakfast, and ensured she brushed her teeth and was washed up in time to take her to the bus stop, he did these actions as if on autopilot. His mind was entirely elsewhere.

The conversation he'd had with Maya, speaking out loud in detail of his adoptive situation with his daughter, had definitely helped put things into perspective. If he was going to be able to put food more substantial than empty caloric, nutritionally unsound, sugary cereals and Chinese noodles into Trucy's belly, he needed to step off his self-pity wagon, get off his duff and _get a damn job_ to support himself and his growing little girl.

And regardless of how good he'd been, and how much he'd enjoyed creating caricatures back when he was in art school, being a street artist was hardly a pragmatic way to make a living. With his luck, his attempt to cash in on his meager drawing skills would end up with them demoting their diets down from Eldoon's savory noodles to instant ramen noodles, in the manner of Dick Gumshoe!

But where to begin? Career choices were slim pickings for disbarred former attorneys. He wasn't qualified for any non-lawyer related office work with daytime hours that he could do while Trucy was at school. His clerical skills were pitiful; he was a hunt and finger pecking, two-fingered typist and was nowhere up to snuff where he should have been for office software programs in order to be effective in administration. That had been why he'd had an office assistant in the first place! ( _God_ he missed his Maya!)

The embarrassing truth was, short of email and web browsing, Phoenix simply wasn't a tech-savvy sort of guy; in this modern era of Smart Phones, he still had his ancient basic flip-style cell - his Dumb Phone - with the _Steel Samurai_ ringtone that Maya had put on it back in the day. He kept it as such for two simple reasons – partial nostalgia of happier times with the woman he loved, and secondly, because he had _no inkling_ (nor desire to learn) how to change it!

He couldn't work in a store. They'd assume an alleged forger was also a thief who would pilfer their merchandise and make off with their wares in the middle of the night. As it was, his hobo appearance made the convenience store clerks look at him with trepidation, and had the cashiers at the supermarket eye him with clear suspicion that he wasn't smuggling an unpaid for item under his bulky sweatshirt. He'd seen the misgiving in their accusing eyes when he'd scrounged up the change to buy milk and bread for Trucy and coffee for himself that morning after dropping his daughter off at the stop. It was downright insulting.

If he were going to steal anything, it would be stuff _much_ cooler and valuable than produce! If Phoenix Wright were to choose the criminal path, he'd opt for a full-blown, _Ocean's Eleven_ -style heist!

Back at his apartment, he munched at his peanut butter sandwich, which was to suffice as his lunch and hopefully dinner as he perused the want ads in that day's paper. Nothing. Not a damn thing.

He didn't want to sell _Avon_ or _Mary Kay_ catalog cosmetics. But what a kick Edgeworth would get if Phoenix were to actually sell enough of the stuff to get that company _bubblegum pink_ car though, especially after all the times he'd busted the prosecutor's chops about his feminine choice of pink suit color!

He didn't even have a regular driver's license, never mind one to drive a big truck or forklift, so that was out of the question.

And he was very skeptical about the numerous ads asking for ' _beautiful ladies, discreet clientele, free training offered for personal massages, cash daily_ '. As much as Phoenix was willing to do anything for his daughter, dressing in drag and demeaning himself to giving rub n'tugs to business-suited perverts that he possibly used to work alongside was too horrific a thought to even contemplate. And after reading the ad, the disturbing images of the screechy-voiced, balding prosecutor Winston Payne as the first and foremost sort of client who'd leap at the opportunity for a ' _happy ending'_ couldn't be shaken from his mind!

That was when he remembered Trucy's offhand comment a few days earlier, after Edgeworth's momentous visit.

 _"I saw an ad for a piano player at the Borscht Bowl, and who knows? Maybe you'll be even better at piano playing than lawyering!_ "

True, he wasn't a pianist, but it wouldn't be the first time in his life he would be attempting the whole 'fake it till you make it' approach. Hadn't he become a renowned defense attorney by perfecting the fine art of bluffing, after all?

His face set with grim determination, Phoenix swapped his comfortable sandals for a pair of trainers better suited for the half hour walk. Bus fare cost extra, and his two feet and a heartbeat would have to suffice as his sole means of conveyance until he got a paycheck of some sort!

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**  
The Borscht Bowl Club_  
12:00 pm

The Borscht Bowl Club was a charming Russian restaurant, set in a double story stone-walled building, with tiled mosaic floors. On the bottom level was a quaint tavern, featuring blue-tin ceilings and red velvet walls, mingled with twinkling chandeliers. Since it was daytime, only a small handful of customers were seated on the plush velvet chairs at the oak tables.

Standing inside the lower entrance doors of the bar, Phoenix felt beads of perspiration forming by his temples as his confidence threatened to leave him. He hadn't been at the establishment since the fateful night of his girlfriend's birthday. While he'd been a bar regular shortly after Maya and Pearls had moved back to Kurain, he'd snapped out of his funk before he'd become completely dependent on alcohol to ease his lonely sorrows. That, and the overly flirtatious advances of Tiffany, the blonde bombshell server who had always waited on him, had quickly turned from flattering to unnerving. He'd been too busy moping about the new-found loss of his beloved Maya and surrogate daughter at the time to indulge himself in meaningless dalliances, and had also been too wrapped up in his career back then to pay heed to much else.

 _Oh good Lord!_ Phoenix was officially sweat dropping now. He was looking to work in the same place as Tiffany, the scorned waitress from his girlfriend's birthday party? Who he'd made a complete fool of himself in front of and whom Maya had been inexplicably, if not inexcusably rude to? What on _earth_ was he thinking? Surely the buxom beauty would give the management a horrible character reference whether one was solicited or not! Under the miraculous circumstances that he actually got hired, she'd most certainly ensure his working life there was utter and complete _hell_! Or at the least, ascertain that no bottle of grape juice he ever ordered from her would be without some sort of creative _addition_ added to it!

He turned on his heel to leave, but then suddenly pulled an about-face and took a deep breath. No, he had to least try. This was for his little girl. He couldn't be a cowardly wimp about this. And besides, even if he did have to eventually face Tiffany, he knew for a fact it wouldn't be then. She worked the night shift. Maybe he'd get lucky and she wouldn't even recognize him in his current bum gear anyway!

Phoenix slowly approached the bar, which was being tended solely by a blonde woman wearing entirely too much eye makeup and toxic perfume. She was dressed for the chilly atmosphere of the bar, perhaps a tad overly so, in a fuzzy black winter hat and a cobalt blue coat with white fur trim, over which she wore a white apron. On her hands she wore pink mittens.

Catching sight of him standing before her, in a heavy Russian accent, she nervously, and nearly inaudibly, asked if she could get him anything.

"No thank you. I'm actually not here for a drink…"

"We serving food too, down here in the tavern for lunchtime, sir. You like try my home made Borscht for lunch? I make special. Very good."

"No thank you," Phoenix repeated politely. "I'm actually here about your help wanted sign for the piano player?" He gestured to the large black baby grand in the corner of the room, which was presently devoid of a pianist.

A look of panic flickered across the woman's overly made up features. "I know nothing of this needing pianist." With her thick Slavic accent, the word sounded hilariously like _penis_ and Phoenix had to literally exercise all his self-control to keep from snorting with derisive laughter. "I am waitress upstairs only. I no hire people. You talk to bartender. But he no here now."

"Oh, that's a shame. Do you know when he'll be in? You don't normally work here in the bar? You work in the restaurant upstairs normally, you say?"

"Da." The woman nodded solemnly. "Bartender is late today. You wait, he coming soon."

"I can wait," Phoenix assured her. "I've nothing else to do. Could I get a grape juice in the meantime?"

The woman reached down under the counter and handed him a glass bottle, shyly avoiding his eyes and holding it high at the neck so his fingers wouldn't even accidentally brush her mittens during the interaction. He gave a smile of thanks and she returned it weakly before dropping her gaze.

 _They sure hired one helluva introverted gal to be waiting on their customers!_ Phoenix mused as he unscrewed the cap of his drink and took a hearty swig.

He sat there silently for a few moments watching the woman wipe the glasses with a towel and clean off the counter. While he'd grown accustomed to being a recluse the past few weeks, he was suddenly starved for adult conversation. Besides, there was something about this dame that intrigued him somewhat, although he couldn't quite put his finger on why. As if there were more to her than met the eye. His still not extinct lawyer probing radar was in full force.

"My name's Phoenix," he said affably. "Phoenix Wright. What's yours?"

For a split second, he could have sworn he saw the woman's brown eyes widen slightly upon hearing his identity, but then her face resumed its normal stoic composure before he could be certain. In his present garb, Phoenix was virtually unrecognizable from the lawyer images of him that had been splashed across all the papers and TV after the whole forging scandal, so her odd expression could have been attributed to having merely recognized his name, but somehow, he doubted that was the case. His instincts told him this didn't appear to be the type of gal who followed the news of any sort.

"I am Olga," she informed him stiffly, avoiding his eyes again. "Olga Orly."

 _Olga? Ugh, there's the mother of all hideous names that no man wants to picture shouting out in bed!_

Phoenix mentally berated himself for the crude notion, which was something more along the train of thought – or speech! – of his normally crass friend, Larry Butz. Not only did he not regard this strange woman in any sort of sexual light, but he'd only been disbarred a few weeks, and while his life was in the gutter at the moment, he saw no reason for his mind to so swiftly follow it.

"Pleasure to meet you Olga." He attempted to keep his tone pleasant despite the waitress's incomprehensibly weary countenance. "Do you know what happened to the other piano guy that used to play here? Mr. Willie Effastop?"

"I don't know this man. I new working here." Olga did not appear to be enjoying conversing with him in the least. In fact, she looked downright pained, as if she dreadfully needed to pass gas but didn't want to say anything.

"He played weekend nights from what I remember," Phoenix persisted. "Do you normally work day shift or are you ever here nights?"

"I working nights. I here daytime only because bartender coming late today. He coming and I go home, come back later for night shift."

"So maybe you did see Willie in action then? He was my age or maybe younger, with slicked back blond hair? OK pianist, terrible singer?"

"Willie quit last month," a deep male voice intoned smoothly, cutting into the dialogue and saving Phoenix from the tooth-pulling task of attempting conversation with the tight-lipped waitress.

A tall young man, about 6' 4" and broad-shouldered, appeared behind the bar, and Olga made what could only be described as a hasty, grateful retreat. The man was in his early 20's, and clean-shaven, with chestnut hair that kept falling into his coffee brown eyes, which were twinkling with mirth as he grinned at the former attorney.

"The poor thin-skinned sap had a mini breakdown of sorts one night because some guy hauled his seagull sounding ass off the piano bench to sing a song for his girlfriend. Mr. Frog-Voice never got over the ego-crushing agony of the crowd cheering more for this, and I quote ' _damn showoff with lackluster pianist skills but somewhat passable singing voice_ ' more than they ever had for poor old Willie!" He paused to take a breath and offered his hand to shake. "Sorry to have kept you waiting. I'm Tyler, the bartender/HR at this place until the owners, Boris and Natasha, get back from Russia tonight." He smirked at Phoenix's incredulous expression upon hearing the names. "No, I don't think they went there to go _moose hunting_!"

Phoenix stifled a snort upon hearing this, while feeling a slight blush tinge his cheeks about the reason for Willie's departure even as he shook the proffered hand. Unlike Olga, the young man exuded a friendly kindness that he couldn't help but be touched by, and somewhat melted the ice that had formed around his heart, however briefly.

"Phoenix Wright, prospective Borscht Bowl piano player." _And of disgraced, forging attorney acclaim._

Also what differed Tyler from the jittery waitress was the fact that if he recognized Phoenix's name or face, his expression never registered it. Instead, he smiled broadly.

"This is great! Weekends have seemed so dull without someone here to tickle the ivories since Willie left, and we've had a hard time finding someone that the owners approve of! I'm pretty easy-going, but they get the ultimate final say in the new musician. I'm going to give you a little trial, and if it's passable, I'll have you come by tonight to play a set for the owners to listen to, and see how the crowd takes to you. How's that sound?"

"It's fine." Phoenix cleared his throat. "Um, how good do I have to be, actually? I'm going to be honest here, Tyler…Willie was a better player than me."

"Nevertheless, the man cleared a room whenever he sang!" Tyler laughed. "He would probably still be here if he'd just shut the hell up and played without the ear piercing caterwauling! I have no idea why that tone-deaf tool thought that he could sing! Don't worry about it. I'm going to be on duty tonight so you'll have me for moral support. I usually work the 12 to 10 shift. The only reason I'm late today is because I had to take my wife to the doctor."

Phoenix raised his eyebrows. The kid was _married_? He didn't look a day over 21!

"I hope she's alright?"

"She's better than alright," the young man beamed. "Doc says she and our little one are doing just great! The baby is developing healthy and the constant kicking is a sign of vitality. The doctor was a bit worried that the heartbeat was a bit strange, but he attributes it to Sasha's high rate of caffeine consumption." The bartender gave a rueful laugh and shook his head.

"Oh, you guys are expecting? Congratulations! When's the baby due?"

"Two months' time," Tyler declared proudly. "Our first. But enough about me, let's get you on that piano and hear what you can do!"

Ugh, was it that evident that he'd been delaying the inevitable?

Phoenix dragged his feet over to the instrument and sat down on the edge of the bench, willing his hands to stop trembling.

"Anytime you're ready, Phoenix," Tyler called from behind the bar. "Trust me, I can hear you from here!"

 _That's what I was afraid of._

With clumsy fingers, Phoenix hurriedly hammered out a satisfactory rendition of _Chopsticks_ , followed by _Chariots of Fire._

Tyler looked at him with a polite, encouraging smile. "Not bad, but that's only a couple of short bars. Can you play a full song?"

There was only _one_ song Phoenix knew by heart. But there was _no_ way he was going to sing the lyrics to them. Not a chance. Not unless the bartender wanted to see his new wannabe pianist have a _complete_ breakdown in front of him due to the melancholic memories attached to it.

With great reluctance, he began to play the opening bars to the famous Bruno Mars song.

Tyler listened intently, nodding his head in time to the beat. " _Grenade_!" He exclaimed, applauding loudly when Phoenix was finished. "Great tune! A classic, really. Not bad at all. A little rusty…but just nerves, I figure, right? But I thought you said you couldn't play the piano?"

 _I can't. Just that one song. And only because I personalized the lyrics for the love of my life. Who life has cruelly decided to snatch away from me. Along with my badge, my dreams, my dignity…_

Phoenix gave a strained smile. "So does that mean I'm hired then?"

"Well, like I said, Boris and Natasha will have the final say when they come in tonight, but ultimately, yeah, you're in. We will need you for the 6:00 pm till 2:00 am Thursday to Sunday."

"Six in the _evening_? Till two in the _morning_?"

"Well of course, buddy. Those are the busiest nights at the bar! Did you think we needed a pianist for our non-existent lunch hour clientele?" Tyler chuckled and spread his muscular arms out widely, indicating the nearly empty tavern. "Is there a problem?"

Phoenix scratched the back of his neck and gave the bartender a sheepish grin. "A small one." He tried to speak lightly. "See, I was sort of hoping this was a kind of day job. Or at least, not such a night job! The thing is, I have a daughter. She's only eight…"

"And you can't leave her alone. I gotcha." Tyler crossed his arms and frowned. "Can't she stay with her mom?"

"Her mom's not in the picture. I'm a single father."

"Damn! Can't you figure something out? The job pays cash, plus tips."

 _Maybe customers will pay me **not** to play?_ _Then again, Willie would have made a fortune if they'd paid **him** to **not** sing…_

 _"_ Maybe…" Phoenix said slowly, stroking his chin as he pondered his next course of action. "Could I get back to you?"

"Sure thing. I'm here till 10:00. Let me know."

"I will. Thank you, Tyler." Phoenix reached into his meager wallet to pay for the grape juice he'd just consumed, but the bartender shooed his hand away.

"Forget about it. Consider it a welcome aboard drink."

"But I'm not sure if I can do this," Phoenix protested, embarrassed but touched by the unexpectedly kind gesture.

"I've got a good feeling about you," Tyler winked. "You'll be back."

Phoenix nodded, then turned and slowly headed to the door, feeling as if his feet weighed like a ton of bricks with each step home. The good news was, he had a job. Starting that night. The bad news was, what to do about Trucy? He could hardly drag an 8-year-old to a bar now, could he?

 _Could_ he?

No, _of course_ he couldn't! There had to be a better way than the low-life, redneck, Old Battle-axe from Children's Services would-have-his-head-on-a-platter method!

Once back at the office, Phoenix picked up his desk phone and dialed a familiar phone number. After what felt like a million years, the other party picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hi, it's me." Phoenix blurted out quickly, before he lost his nerve. "I know it's been awhile since we talked, and I know things have been kind of weird between us since I sort of fell off the face of the earth, and I'm really sorry about that. But the point is, we've always been there for one another whenever it really counted, and now, more than ever, I _really_ need your help…"

* * *

 _A/N:_ _For those of you not familiar with my part one Phaya tale,_ _ **Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman**_ _, or the song-fic which was the prelude to the series, I wanted to clarify something - the evasive song Phoenix mentally refers to when auditioning for the pianist position as the sole one he knows how to play piano on. It is one he played at that very bar for Maya on her 21st birthday. It was called_ _ **I Would Break Every Law For You**_ _and is sung to the famous Bruno Mars song, "Grenade."_ _If you haven't taken a gander at it, feel free to take a gander and let me know how I did! :)_


	13. Let it Go

_"_ _We have to accept that there are certain things in our life that are inescapable. These are the things that come natural to us and are necessary to our existence."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen:** **Let it Go**

 ** _Phoenix Wright_** _  
The Borscht Bowl Club_  
May 12, 2019 8:45 pm

The bar was surprisingly packed despite being still being early in the evening, and most of the patrons were already in "the happy zone". They didn't even appear to mind or notice that for the last couple of hours, Phoenix had been playing the same half dozen little ditties he'd hastily attempted to teach himself via YouTube earlier in the day, practicing the "easy keyboard tunes" on Trucy's small children's piano at home.

However, he couldn't help but notice Tyler, as one of the few still-sober people in the bar, attempt to hide his cringing expression when Phoenix yet _again_ launched into his _Pirates of the Caribbean_ theme song for the eighth time that night.

The crowd didn't seem to mind. They appeared to get a kick out of the Disney-themed music. Hey, he had an _8-year-old girl_ , it was what _she_ liked and hence, animated tunes were _all_ that he _knew_! The customers cheered loudly, and some even began to drunkenly sing the catchy chorus as he began another repeat performance of _Let it Go_.

"No, no, not _again_!"

Phoenix heard the agonized, piercing wail from behind him out of the blue, startling him into breaking off in mid-song as he spun around in his seat.

Standing behind him was a tall, slender woman in a purple jersey dress, arms crossed across her chest in an identical fashion to the man next to her. He was clad in a pinstriped dark grey suit and black bowler hat. The woman was presumably in her mid-to-late 40's, with sharp Slavic features and jet-black hair cut into a severe, geometric bob. Thick, Cleopatra-style bangs fell across her ivory forehead, grazing the heavily mascaraed lashes of icy blue-grey eyes, which were regarding him with undisguised irritation. The man beside her was about the same age. He was much shorter, and stocky, with a pencil-thin brown mustache, piercing dark eyes, and bushy brows, which were knitted together with an irked expression not at all dissimilar to his comrade. Phoenix had a sinking suspicion who they were, so he hurriedly spoke into his microphone, citing that he was taking a quick break and would be back shortly, before turning back and flashing his most disarming grin at the unsmiling duo.

"I take you aren't a fan of _Frozen_?" The new piano player quipped, addressing his comment to the woman who'd presumably voiced the loud protest. He took a moment to take note of her sleeveless frock. While she didn't appear to be showing any evident sign of discomfort, there were visible goose bumps on her bare arms, undoubtedly from the frigid atmosphere of the bar.

"Perhaps it seems like I was making a mockery of the temperature in this place, huh?" He added sheepishly. "Honestly, I _so_ wasn't! And it's not like I _should_ be complaining! I mean, sure my bare feet are cold in these sandals… But at least _I'm_ in a hoodie and pants…but _you_ , you're in a strapless dress and must be freezing half to death..."

"Not at all. I am _Russian_! The cold never bothered me anyway!" The woman's voice was more Arctic than the sub-zero chilliness of the room.

"Right. Er, sorry. I guess us sun-worshipping Californians must seem like a such sissy bunch to you folk, to think that this is anywhere _near_ the climate of Siberia, or wherever in Russia it is you're from…" Phoenix realized he was babbling, but couldn't seem to stop himself. He chuckled nervously as they continued glowering at him and scratched the back of his neck. "Um, how do you do? I'm Phoenix Wright, your new pianist…"

"I insistink you stoppink this endless drivel, you no-goodnik pianist!" The man snapped, his eyebrows drawing together even more. In his agitation, his thick Russian accent made his words nearly unintelligible, and made his pronunciation of the word _pianist_ sound as hilariously inappropriate as Olga had. It was evident that the protesting wail earlier had come from _him_ , and _not_ his wife. "We knowink who you are! I cannot believink that _durak_ , Tyler, thinkink _you_ be a suitable musician for our establishment!"

Phoenix wasn't quite sure what _durak_ meant, but he was sure the presumably Russian word intended for the kind-hearted bartender _hadn't_ been a complimentary one! He hoped the younger man's job wouldn't be on the line for having taken a chance on him, since the _owners_ , who this couple most certainly were, found his piano skills to be _less than worthy_!

"Dahlink, _sharrup your mouth!_ " The woman suddenly directed her glare away from the new hire and towards her companion. "That is no way of speakink to, _or of_ , our loyal, valued employees!" She turned back to Phoenix, her glacial gaze somewhat thawed now, as she extended a slim, well-manicured hand to him. "Please excuse my husband's ill-manners," she went on, in an accent that while was as distinctly Russian as her partner's, was infinitely more tangible. "I am Natasha Fatale Slotzky, one of the owners of the Borscht Bowl."

She turned to her stoic spouse, who appeared sullen at the reprimand, and slightly nudged him with the toe of her pointy-toed pump. When he still didn't react, she literally stamped on his suede loafer with the spiky heel of her stiletto, causing him to yelp in pain and scowl indignantly at her before turning back to Phoenix with a pained smile.

"Allow me to introducing myself. I am Boris Badenov, the other owner for this bar." He offered his meaty, multi-gold ringed hand to Phoenix to shake. "Forgive my bad manners, Mr. Wright. We have been watchink you for last couple hours now. I sorry, but my likink for children's movie song run its course now."

"Phoenix, please," he insisted, blushing furiously. "I'm very sorry for incessant reruns, Boris, Natasha. It's just first night jitters, I suppose…I, er, haven't played piano in an awfully long time." _Like, for the past 27 years_. "And I'm afraid it's the reason for my, ah, _limited repertoire_ this evening."

" _You sair it_!" Boris laughed. " _Limited_? I hearing less song repetition at Disneyland theme park!" His wife cast him a filthy look for his comment, and he flushed. "Pardon me, um, what I meaning to say is, Phoenix…can you no playing somethink unique? Original tune of your own makink?"

"I, er…" Phoenix felt himself sweat dropping at the unexpected request. "I'm a small-time musician, hardly a composer, sir, but…I can certainly try…"

"I having faith in you, Phoenix," Natasha assured him, although even as she smiled, it didn't appear to reach her dramatically made up eyes, and suddenly Phoenix felt a chill run down his spine that had naught to do with the temperature of the room. "I am sure that we will getting our money's worth from you, _somehow_ , as we exploring some of your _untapped_ talents."

Boris appeared to brighten upon hearing his wife say this. " _Da, da_ _kotik_ ," he enthused, smiling adoringly at Natasha.

 _Did he seriously just call her_ ** _pussycat_** _? The only reason I know that word is Mia once told me Diego tried initially making that her pet name, but she put the kybosh on that! So he had no choice but to forsake it and go with calling her_ **_kitten_** _instead!_

The Russian man turned back to his new employee. "Phoenix, why you don't playink for one more half hour, then we coming and seeing you again and talk about business, _da_?" A sly smile crept across his face.

"C-certainly, s-sir," Phoenix stammered, feeling both slightly shaken at the command to become a composer barely three hours into his pianist career, and relieved he would only need to pretend to play the piano for another thirty minutes.

" _Original_ music only, Phoenix," Natasha emphasized pointedly, flashing him a wink before sauntering off into the crowd.

" _Da_ , no more Disney songs, Phoenix, I begging you!" Boris joked, tipping his hat at him before turning to follow his wife. "Else, I might having to kill you!"

Despite the fiendish grin that accompanied the words, there was an instinctive, terrifying fear in Phoenix's mind that the sinister-looking man had not been entirely joking. He felt no relief that the owners had left him alone for now. He knew there were still somewhere in that bar, out of sight but ensuring _he_ was still visible to _them._ Listening. Watching. _Waiting_.

With shaking fingers, Phoenix fumbled his way through a piece that sounded partially like an old crooner's classic and kind of like ragtime. He didn't even have to look up towards the bar area to know that Tyler was probably burying his head in his hands and ruing ever hiring him in the first place! A discreet glance at his new friend told him that his guess had been correct. The bartender was staring at him, completely aghast, his thoughts clearly stamped across his face as clear as day: _Is he just making this shit up as he goes along?!_

Suddenly, a shrill voice cut across the din, louder than Boris's had been, but this time, the high pitch was all too disturbingly, mind-numbingly, _familiar_.

"What in tarnation is this dad-blasted music y'all got here tonight? I'll swanee that pianist must be more blind drunk than Cooter Brown, cuz he ain't got no dang rhythm to speak of! He's just piddlin' around and done hit the wrong keys at least _three times_ just since my arrival!"

 _Good Lord. It can't be…!_

Phoenix had managed to get this far into his shift without any irreparable turmoil or drama, despite his less than stellar meeting with the owners. He had been thanking his lucky stars that he'd somehow managed to go all evening without even once having to see _her._

His luck had run out. It was all over now. His past had come back to haunt him, and as much as he'd have loved to cut and run, there was absolutely no place for him to _hide_.

Unfortunately, dematerializing into thin air wasn't among his hidden talents any more than piano playing was. He was trapped at that piano bench facing one of his worst nightmares come true.

Standing next to Tyler at the bar, larger than life and glaring so hard at him that she would have bored holes through a brick wall, was the jilted bombshell waitress from Maya's birthday party. There was no mistaking the indelible pneumatic blonde anywhere. It was none other than the one, the only, Miss Tiffany Pierce herself.

* * *

 _A/N: Those of you who haven't read the first story of this trilogy, entitled **Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman** , may not understand the significance of Phoenix's "nightmare" come to life, but rest assured ... that poor bastard! :p_


	14. Hell Hath No Fury

_"_ _When things go wrong, just do your best to make it through the day and you'll be okay in a short time."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: A special conveyance of gratitude to fellow FF writer, **Emiko Gale** for taking the time away from writing her awesome stories to review three of my chapters yesterday! Thanks so much!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen:** **Hell Hath No Fury**

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _  
The Borscht Bowl Club_  
May 12, 2019 9:00 pm

The inside of the tavern rivaled that of the Siberia, as if trying to make customers truly experience the authentic Russian experience - or simply drink enough to be warmed up. If you were weren't touching the sauce, however, and had nothing stronger in your system then grape juice, the ability to remain even tepid was an admirable feat.

In such an environment where the owners were too damn cheap to pay for adequate heating, managing to profusely sweat-drop was damn right dumbfounding.

Yet the equivalent of a human Wet-Nap was exactly the state that could best be used to describe Phoenix Wright as he sat, frozen in horror, while looking helplessly back at the blonde server who was still staring straight at him across the room with a look of undisguised revulsion on her face, as if he were some festering maggot she'd discovered in her food.

Up until nearly a month ago, those long-lashed cobalt eyes had always sparkled with cheerfulness at the sight of him. _Now_ they were looking at him with so much scorn and disdain that he fervently wished he could somehow wave a magic wand and promptly apparate to someplace, _anyplace_ else!

How he wished to just instantaneously vanish and be _anywhere_ but _there,_ in that polar vortex of a bar, feeling like a bug pinned to the wall by the hostile gaze of a woman that had never once treated him with anything but friendly affection, even _adoration,_ or looked at him without undisguised admiration … up until that fateful night.

He'd never dreamed he'd see her again, especially not _now_ , so soon after the fact. But there she was, in living color.

Without further preamble, she slammed her tray down on the bar next to Tyler, ignoring the bartender's blatant protests and pleas not to make a scene, and strode over in Phoenix's direction.

He remained glued in seated position, helplessly staring like a deer caught in headlights.

Tiffany's ample cleavage jiggled as she marched purposefully towards him with utmost stunning legerity in her towering stilettos, until she at last accosted him at the piano bench, which unfortunately, he wasn't quite quick enough to bolt from.

Phoenix hastily stood, cursing himself for the knocking state of his knees, and wondered if they would be of any use if he needed to bolt from what was sure to be the mother of all ugly confrontations.

Tiffany stood a hair's breadth away from him, so close he could smell the magnolia scent of her perfume and fully make out the snarl on her tanned face. He had no idea how she wasn't freezing to death in her tiny black tuxedo shorts and sleeveless cropped ruffled white top, with mere black fishnets on her long, toned legs as sole covering from the chill of the room.

"Cease that piddlin' around _immediately_ , mister! I done got a bone to pick with ya!" Tiffany's normally syrupy Southern drawl was now a sharp-sounding twang. She leaned so close her heaving breasts were almost brushing against him while she stabbed a scarlet talon against his chest.

" _M-me_?" Phoenix stammered, bending himself so far backward in an attempt to avoid being out of reach from the claws of death, he may as well have been in in a limbo contest.

"Is there any other no-good _pie-yay-no_ player in this here house who dills my pickle?" She demanded, finally retracting her finger and placing both hands on her shapely, booty-shorted hips.

"P-pardon me?" Phoenix straightened up and eyed her wearily, while inching a step backward as subtly as he could, hopefully without the risk of sending his former admirer running off on another tangent.

" _Irritates me,_ bub! Normally, I got no axe to grind about the live entertainment at this here watering hole. But I can tell ya, I knows good music from doggone _bad!_ " Tiffany snarled, clenching her fists. "All's I know is the other musician didn't make me madder than a wet hen! Sho 'nuff that Mr. Willie couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, but still, I was as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine while he _played_ , even if I didn't know half the grand-pappy tunes he tried to perform! _Yers_ just hurts my poor dang ears, and I dern' tootin reckon them ears of the others in this bar too, if they weren't already three sheets to the wind! But speaking as a sober female with apt hearing, I do declare mister man, that yer ivory tickling skills are more scarce than a hen's teeth!"

"I-I'm sorry?" His voice was weak as he shrunk back further under her scathing glare. _Man, I can't believe how steamed she is about my playing! Talk about your tough crowd!_

"Listen here, buster. And listen good!" Tiffany leaned close to him so they were almost once again nose to nose, and her voice was steely as she ground out the next words through gritted teeth. "I don't need to wait on and be schlepping' drinks for these lecherous drunken lunkards, freezing my tail off all the while being forced to _smile_ … _and_ have to deal with yer stinkin' noise pollution to boot, ya hear?"

 _Loud and clear! But ouch! Whatever happened to those famed Southern manners and hospitality, anyway?! Hey, wait a minute…_

Somehow, throughout the verbal onslaught, Phoenix was able to actually decipher some relevant – and _coherent_! – clues amidst the fuming Southern rabble. _Mister. Bub. Buster…Jumping Jehoshaphat's!_

Phoenix's eyes widened as two realizations hit him. One, Tiffany didn't know who he was. And two, Lord have _mercy_ , if she was _this_ riled up about his lousy playing while being momentarily unaware of his true identity, then God help him when she finally _did_ find out!

But he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

Right now, he was too busy reveling in the relief this discovery had brought him.

She wasn't ripping a strip off him because she was steamed that the man who had jilted her and made an ass of himself less than a month ago had showed up at her bar playing crappy piano. She was just plain agitated that this _mysterious, unrecognizable hobo_ had showed up at _her workplace..._ and was playing bad piano. That which she _refused_ to be forced to _endure_!

His shoulders sagged slightly at this unexpected reprieve, and he finally released the bated breath from his lungs. Untargeted rage he could deal with! He'd been a defense attorney after all. He was used to people being mad at situations that often had naught to do directly with him, but still taking it out on him nonetheless. This situation didn't involve getting the hell out of dodge. It simply required a little bit of his old bluffing…and humoring. And if all else failed…playing dumb.

"Forgive me for offending your pretty ears, Miss. That was never my intention." Phoenix chuckled with embarrassment and flashed the waitress his most charming smile. "This was strictly a case of premiere night jitters, is all. The owners asked me to play something original as they got sick of my Disney songs, and I'm afraid I didn't have anything prepared."

His diversion tactic of frank honesty of his shortcomings appeared to be at least somewhat successful.

"I beg yer pardon, kind Sir." Tiffany's scowl vanished as her cheeks turned pink. "Nobody here told me they done hired a new pianist. I reckoned ya were just a drunken clown who had a hankerin' to go hog wild on our keyboard there…I swear I'd never give down the country and go off half-cocked on someone they'd actually _hired_ to play here, even if I did think they stunk!"

"No need to apologize," Phoenix reassured her. "I guess I _did_ kind of suck, didn't I? I assure you I will have a more pleasing selection tomorrow night. In the meantime, I do hope you can find it in your kind heart to bear with the new guy suffering from first night stage fright?"

"I aim to eagerly mend fences with anyone the bawses, Mr. Boris and Ms. Natasha deem fit for their pub…they know best, so who am I to be too big for one's britches!" Tiffany took a step back so she was no longer up in his face. The look of hostility was long gone from her eyes and was now replaced with friendly curiosity. "This be yer first night in this here stompin' grounds? Yer tellin' me that yer gonna be our new regular feller?"

"Indeed I am…" _Assuming Boris and Natasha haven't decided to fire my ass for my music causing their servers to be in such an uproar!_ "I work the 6:00 pm to 2:00 am shift Thursday to Sunday. How about you?"

"Well, that takes the cake! Ya be taking over Willie's old shift slot then. They got me workin' the 9:00 pm to 3:00 am night shift here them same days. I reckon this make us workmates then." Tiffany flashed him her familiar dazzling white smile. "Ain't that the berries! Even if I ain't agreeable to yer music, I reckon I oughta learn to co-exist with ya though, huh?"

"Well, that's good to hear." He grinned at her, the relief evident on his face although his body was still rigid with the tension that still hadn't fully abated.

She let out a tinkly laugh, which under most circumstances he would have found somewhat charming, but he was too busy silently praying her new-found congeniality wasn't temporary.

"Ya can relax now, fella! Ya look as nervous as a long-tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs! I'm not gonna bite ya! That is…" Her voice trailed off and her friendly smile was replaced by the oh-so-suggestive one he was all too familiar with. "Unless ya _want_ me to, of course…"

 _Good grief! Not_ ** _this_** _again_! Phoenix groaned inwardly. Was this femme fatale really so hard-up for his fine behind that she found him so alluring even _now_ , in all his scruffy, bum-gear wearing glory?! Or was she just the ultimate _man-eater_ that songs were made about?

"I, ah…" Phoenix coughed nervously. "Didn't take you for a vampire at all. You're much too tanned for that, heh heh."

"They bite to draw blood," she said coyly, tilting her head to the side and gazing at him coquettishly. "I'm more of a _nibbler_ myself ya know…"

"Well gee, will you look at the time!" Phoenix made a big show of looking at his watch. "It's 9:15 and Mr. Badenov and Ms. Slotsky will surely be looking for me, as they told me to only play for another half hour. I'm afraid I must be off now, Tiffany…" The name slipped out of his mouth before he realized what he'd said.

Unfortunately for him, in a bar so noisy you could have landed an helicopter in it without anyone noticing, the unfamiliar use of the word was somehow heard as clear as a bell.

Tiffany started at the sudden use of her name, which she most definitely had _not_ shared with him. The flirtatious expression slowly fell off her face as her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

 _Jesus H. Christ and bloody freakin hell!_ _It's over. The fat lady hath sung!_

"How do ya know my name?" Her sharp, searching gaze ran over him head to toe, as though looking for clues to his identity. "Who are ya? Do I know ya from somewhere round yonder?"

He cursed his stupidity. He'd pulled the lamest tongue-slip up in the book, the same one that had made countless witnesses guiltily hang themselves on the stand in numerous trials, and resulted in victories for him when he'd been an attorney. Now _he'd_ gone and fallen victim to the same careless error, without having even been verbally bated, goaded or plied with alcohol as a scapegoat for his idiocy!

Nope, he'd done goofed. Plain and simple

"Answer me!" Tiffany demanded, her hands back on her hips. Sparks shot out of her eyes. "How do ya know who I am?"

Phoenix gulped and uneasily scratched the back of his neck as he frantically scanned his alarmed mind for a plausible excuse. The unconscious habit resulted in the back of his beanie shifting up higher than usual on his head. A few of his spikes became exposed and wildly sprung out, as if in relief from no longer being restrained, like snakes springing from a gag can of peanut brittle.

Tiffany's eyes widened in recognition now, and as her mouth opened, the look on her face was downright _murderous_.

" _Phoenix Wright_!? Ya low-down, conniving, God-forsaken _wank biscuit_!"


	15. The Baron of Bluffing

"Move it or lose it, lose it and you'll learn from it, but never give up."

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen:** **The Baron of Bluffing**

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _  
The Borscht Bowl Club_  
May 12, 2019 9:15 pm

In spite of the fury behind it, Phoenix barely resisted a chuckle at the expletive. In his life, he'd been called much worse – including by his own girlfriend during one of her more fiery moments in this very bar! So he was used to inspiring rage from females in his life; it seemed to be his destiny, and he'd accepted it as such.

Regardless of the animated delivering of the insult, however, there was nothing comical about the enraged look on Tiffany's face at that moment. He'd never before seen her so incensed, not even when she'd overheard some of the wince-worthy insults Maya had been spewing behind her back. Had the blonde _been_ a cartoon character, though, there would literally have been visible _smoke_ coming out of her ears!

For once, fate was in his favor in that there was no available drink or any other reachable physical object for her to strike or fling at him, although he wasn't about to rule out her flipping the piano bench at him in her current state! Also, luckily, the waitress had left her drink tray back at the bar with Tyler, who was looking at him with helpless sympathy from the bar even as he shook his head and put his palms up in the air in an _I don't know what to do here_ fashion.

 _So much for intervening help from_ ** _that_** _department!_

Not that he really blamed his friend. Had the roles been reversed and Tyler been the subject of wrath, he wasn't sure he'd have touched the situation with an 80-foot-pole!

Phoenix knew he was due for some additional, creative form of violence on top of the outburst, however, unless he acted fast.

"Hey, couldn't fool you, could I?" He attempted to joke feebly, while wisely taking a step backward, not even attempting discretion in his actions this time.

"Ya lying, sneaky turd-blender! Gimme one dang good reason I shouldn't tan yer hide for making a fool outta me on _two_ blasted occasions now!" Tiffany hollered, her hands clenched into fists.

"Um, _objection_ ," Phoenix interjected weakly. "I never lied to you, Tiffany. You never did actually _ask_ my name, and I didn't provide a false identity to you at all."

"Ya dang tootin' know I ain't as mad as a mule chewin' on bumblebees just because yer posin' as some imposter playin' a lousy piano in my workplace, ya yellow-bellied scoundrel!" Tiffany's face was red from yelling. "Although I'd reckon subjecting me to that godforsaken noise woulda been reason enough! Ya better give yer _heart_ to Jesus, 'cause your _butt_ is _mine_!"

"F-first night jitters…"

"Don't ya dare make like ya haven't got the sense God gave a goose with _me_ , Phoenix Wright!" Tiffany hollered. "We both know that I am fit to be tied cuz ya were frontin' like ya had a hankerin' for me and were stringin' me along, when ya had a gal pal the whole time! Yer nuttin' more than a _wretched, lecherous, two-faced dawg_! I'll knock ya so hard ya'll see tomorrow today!"

OK, so he _hadn't_ been paranoid with his feelings of dread about their confrontation in the event their paths had crossed again! Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned indeed!

The worst part was, her four-color, full-stereo level of histrionics aside, Tiffany was right to be upset. Maya had behaved in an irredeemably horrible manner that night, while he _himself_ had only added fuel to the fire, and done little to diffuse the situation. If anything, he'd made it _worse_. The waitress was owed an apology for unwittingly becoming part of their insane love triangle that evening. It never would have existed in the first place, had he and his girlfriend both not been such blind, stubborn, and yes, _cowardly_ morons!

"Tiffany, you're absolutely right to despise me. Please pardon me for hurting you."

"Yer lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut! Why, I oughta kick yer keister from here to San Francisco! Wait – _what in Sam Hill did ya just say_?"

"You're right to hate me." Phoenix bravely took a tentative step forward and bowed his head in shame. "I deserve anything you have to dish out and more. However unintentionally, I did wind up leading you on. It was wrong of me. I apologize."

Tiffany looked taken aback by his unexpected shift in demeanor. Clearly, she'd been expecting more defensive actions and stammering excuses, not his sudden apology.

"W-what?" It was her turn to stammer now.

"I'm truly sorry, Tiffany," Phoenix stated plaintively, raising his head so she could see the veracity in his eyes. "No matter what you justifiably may think of me, believe me when I say that I am only guilty of being a daft prick. But never a purposely dishonest one. I'm not a dog or a two-timer of any sort. Which is why, although I admit I enjoyed your attentions, I never let it go further than what I hoped was mere friendly flirtation."

"But why couldn't ya lemme know I was wastin' my time?" The fire had left the blonde completely, and the hostility on her face had abated. She'd exchanged her clenched fists for crossed arms over her chest now, and eyed him sulkily. "Why didn't ya tell me you had a girlfriend before ya let me look like such a dang fool?"

"I swear to you, I didn't lie about that. When we first met, when I came here as your customer, you asked if I was single, and I _was_. But I _should_ have told you about Maya right out of the gate," Phoenix admitted guiltily. "I may not have _technically_ been taken, but _emotionally_ , I'd been off the market for four years." _I was just too much a lame-ass wuss to see it and too stupid and blind to do anything about it until then._

"I had no way of knowin." Tiffany sighed. She met his gaze levelly. "So lemme get this here straight…ya'll two really weren't an item till that night of her birthday here?"

"Nope."

"At least I wasn't some total hussy tryin' to land another gal's fella…" Tiffany murmured, almost to herself.

"Nope."

"But ya always loved her till then, ya just never had the _cojones_ to tell her?"

"Yup." _I loved her then, and love her still. Always have, and always will._

"And she was acting all catty and jealous and was ready to claw my eyes out that night because she was so madly in love with ya?"

"Yup." _Which I also didn't know till that night. How was I supposed to know she ever saw me that way when she always made it seem like she saw me as a stodgy old fart?_

"So, I reckon y'all two are happily together now?"

"Um…" Phoenix paused in his steady stream of monosyllabic replies and blushed. "I don't know exactly…"

"Jeez Louise!" Tiffany looked at him in disbelief. "Seems like ya don't know shit from shinola about anythin', buster! Whaddya mean _ya don't know_?"

"Er, it's complicated…" Phoenix grinned sheepishly and readjusted his beanie, carefully tucking the spikes back into place.

"This is real life, Phoenix, not a _Facebook_ status!" Tiffany exclaimed.

"Well, then, technically, yes, she's still my girlfriend." _She promised me she'd wait for me. I don't know if it's wrong of me to hope and pray I can hold her to that. But I do know that there will never be no other girl for me. She's taken my heart forever._ "There will never be anyone else for me but Maya."

"She's a lucky gal." Tiffany gave him a wistful smile. "The good ones are always taken, it seems. Yer a fine fella, Phoenix Wright."

" _I'm_ the lucky one," Phoenix insisted, shaking off the compliment. "But that aside, are we good, Tiffany? You think you can forgive me for being a clueless, bumbling clod, who ultimately meant you no harm?"

"I don't got much choice now, do I, fellow colleague?" She flashed him her megawatt grin. "Better to live in peace than in a war zone. It's just as well ya didn't link up with me, anyway, since yer workin' here now. Never piss in yer own backyard, Maw always said."

"Thank you, Tiffany. I really do hope we can be friends." Phoenix returned her smile with a sincere one of his own. Glancing up, he saw Boris and Natasha standing by the bar area, and the short man was looking at him while pointedly tapping his watch. "But I really _do_ have to get going now. The owners are waiting for me."

"See ya around, cutie." Tiffany gave him a friendly wink then wriggled her fingers at him as she sashayed off. In spite of himself, Phoenix couldn't help but notice the provocative sway of her hips as she moved, and just how well she filled out the back of those black fitted shorts. He shook his head as he headed over to his bosses. _Would anyone ever believe that I turned_ ** _that_** _down? Maya Fey, I must really and truly love you!_

Boris was wearing what appeared to be his customary scowl when Phoenix approached them, while Natasha at least was in her typical stony-faced hauteur when she saw him.

"Come with us," she said succinctly, nodding at Tyler as she walked past him and towards an exit just behind the bar area.

Phoenix flashed the bartender a quick smile in passing as he followed his bosses, relieved that his odious keyboarding hadn't resulted in the young man losing his job.

They headed down the hall to a dimly lit stairwell, which led them downstairs to presumably the basement. They stepped inside the place, which, if possible, was even more frigid than the tavern.

Phoenix was grateful for the warmth of his tracksuit, although he could already feel the numbness settling into his bare sandaled feet.

Boris walked over to a corner of the room and flicked on the lights, exposing a cramped, cellar-style room, with a piano in the corner, less luxe than the baby grand upstairs, as well as a little round table, flanked by two gold, red cushioned chairs. An unlit fireplace was on one wall, which had tiny matryoshka dolls on the mantle, as well as some cheap artwork. Two dimly lit torch-style wall lamps were the only other lighting in the room, which looked straight like the bad guy's underground secret hideout in every Hollywood movie ever made.

Phoenix was puzzled, even as he obediently took a seat at the table across from Boris as Natasha had indicated him to do.

"What is all this?" He asked them, watching as the woman expertly cut and began dealing a deck of cards to the men. "What is this place?"

"Welcome to the _Hydeout_ , Phoenix," Natasha intoned smoothly as she finished dealing the last of the cards to them.

"We thinkink you need gettink new job." Boris smirked, sliding his cards towards himself.

"New job?" Phoenix echoed blankly, wondering if the sub-Arctic temperature was beginning to affect his brain. "Does this mean you're removing me from playing the piano upstairs in the bar?"

"You thinkink we be _keepink_ you?" Boris scoffed. "How you Americans say? You _suckink_ at pianist."

"Dahlink, _sharrup your mouth!"_ Natasha's tone was poisonously sweet, even though the smile she flashed at Phoenix was best described as calculating. "We no hire you for your musician skills, Phoenix. We seeing all we need to see tonight that ah, perhaps being pianist is not where your true talents lie."

"You mean you're _firing_ me?" Phoenix felt a cold sweat breaking across his brow, despite the chill of the room. "Please don't fire me. Give me another chance! I will go home tonight and practice my tail off to create original, _non-Disney_ music for tomorrow night!" He emphasized, looking beseechingly at the couple. "I can't lose this job. I have a little girl at home, and I need to support her…"

" _Zatknis!"_ Boris snapped at Phoenix, miming the zipper across the mouth motion with his heavily jeweled hand. He then caught his wife's icy glare and shriveled down a bit in his seat. "Sorry, _kotik_ , he talkink too much!" He protested weakly.

" _You_ _sharrup your mouth_ and just sit while _I_ talk, Dahlink," Natasha commanded, frowning darkly at her husband. She turned back to Phoenix and spoke in a kinder tone. "We no firing you from our bar, Phoenix. We like to be keeping you. That is why we bringing you here. You play poker?"

"A- a bit…" He stuttered, his mind flashing back to the last time he'd played a winning hand of poker with a man, a fateful game which, despite being victorious, had ultimately cost him his job and everything he'd lived for. "I don't know how good I am though…"

"You were famous, brilliant defense attorney, no?" She raised a pencil-thin eyebrow. "We hearing all about your big-winning streak. You were the Baron of Bluffing, _da_?"

 _King of the Turnabout, Baron….it's all good. I'm still in royalty league, right?_

"Y-yes, b-but –"

"No _buttsky_. This be your official job interview, Phoenix Wright." Boris gave a humorless smile."You beatink me at poker, you keep job, and this room being your new 'office'. You lose, and we say bye-bye. We have deal?"

 _How has my life come to this?_ Phoenix thought frantically. All those years in law school, at being a champion of justice for the underdog…completely vanquished. And now his life consisted of having choices and making decisions which were _literally_ going to be left to a game of _chance_? Of _luck_? For Pete's sake, he was _fortune's fool!_

And yet, his current future seemed to rest, _yet again_ , on a mere deck of cards.

But Natasha had been right about one thing. He _had_ been the Baron of Bluffing – he accepted that as his new title and found it more amusing than his prior media dubbing as King of the Turnabout. It had partially been why he had been a successful defense attorney and what had won him his last game. He'd done it before, and he'd do it again.

Phoenix was steely-eyed with determination as he looked across the table at Boris.

"Let's dance."


	16. A Jack of All Trades, Master of Some

_"_ _To earn respect, you must earn your own self-respect before you can expect others, to respect you."_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen:** **A Jack of All Trades, Master of Some**

 ** _Phoenix Wright  
_** _The Hydeout  
_ May 12, 2019 9:45 pm

Phoenix's face was a mask of grim determination as he listened intently to Natasha explain what the chips were worth. They had some illogical system where the bigger chips were worth less than the smaller chips.

She caught his perplexed look and smirked. "It was my husband's idea to do this way."

Boris's shoulders went up in a noncommittal shrug. "You must do what you can to keepink things interestink."

The Russian man didn't appear to be the sort who needed to be worried about having a boring life, but Phoenix wisely said nothing. He anted.

He got dealt a jack of spades, a king of spades, a ten of hearts, a seven of diamonds, and a ten of clubs.

 _A freaking pair of tens! Crap! I've got a couple spades. I could go for a flush…or I could just toss out everything but the pair and hope for the best, but I won't get lucky enough to get a full house or anything. I could decide to ditch the jack and the seven and keep the king and the pair of tens. If I chuck the king it will reveal that all I've got is a pair, and considering it's only a pair of tens, I'd rather bluff a little_.

He turned over the cards that he'd been dealt and couldn't believe his luck. Another ten! He knew better than to smile.

Three of a kind wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either, especially when it was only tens. He flipped over the other card and hurray! It was a king. The king of hearts.

Boris placed his bet, but Phoenix could tell the other man had no confidence in his hand. He might as well raise him. He was certain he had the winning hand, but if he was too obviously cocky, the Russian would fold. Then again, Boris would expect Phoenix to raise him. It was part of the dance.

If he did it nonchalantly, his boss would have to hazard a guess as to what his opponent had up his sleeve.

Phoenix tossed some chips on the pile. "Raise you."

The Russian man's eyes widened a tad, but he was too proud to not see the raise even though Phoenix was positive he had zilch.

"Ready?" Natasha asked coolly.

Boris flipped his cards over. "Pair of Jacks."

Phoenix shook his head. _Man, is he ever a shitty card player_. _Was this supposed to be a_ _ **challenge**_ _?_ "Full house."

He slid his winnings towards him and barely resisted a smirk at the dumbfounded look on Boris's face. Natasha was more composed, but Phoenix caught the pleased glint in her eye before he turned back to her still stupefied husband.

"Another game?" He offered affably, with a perfectly straight face.

"No thankink you," Boris pouted, huffily crossing his arms across his chest like a recalcitrant child. "Beginner luck, I tellink you! Let's seeink if you can doing this again tomorrow."

Natasha flashed what could only be described as a Cheshire cat grin.

"Welcome aboard, Phoenix Wright," she purred.

* * *

 _Outside The Borscht Bowl Club_  
May 12, 2019 10:00 pm

The owners had decided to let Phoenix leave his shift early as it was his first night and they felt they had seen all they needed to see. They outlined what it was that they wanted from him if he wished to continue to be in their employment, and he'd agreed to their terms.

The rules were simple. They didn't really care that he was the shoddiest piano player to ever grace the walls of their establishment. It was merely a front for his real job, which nobody else was privy to know about, not even Tyler or Tiffany.

They wanted a poker shark. Someone that was so good at the game that eventually their business would be bustling and folks would come from far and wide to play 'the undefeated champion'. That was the one caveat. Much like his undefeated winning record in court, (the one Matt Engarde case he'd lost on purpose notwithstanding), having a flawless winning streak was contingent to him keeping his reputation, and in this instance, his job. It was a tall order, but Phoenix refused to shy away from the challenge. If he could cross examine a parrot, he could learn to kick ass at poker. The fine art of bluffing was innate within him, even without his attorney's badge. However, Boris had implored with him to also work _somewhat_ on his playing so his cover wasn't _completely_ blown.

"I no aksink you to be classical pianist," Boris had insisted. "But please, no be _so_ badly playink tomorrow? Forget own music, just playink what easy for you, even _Disney_!" Suddenly his face brightened. "Maybe you can make way to confusing people to thinkink you more good than you are…"

 _That's how I got this job in the first place_ , Phoenix thought wryly. _By wowing poor Tyler with the one song I actually knew how to play and playing a few bars of basic tunes even a monkey could do!_

"What my husband means," Natasha intervened blithely. "Is perhaps you make diversion for people from your…simple playing skills. Can you sing?"

"Only in the shower," Phoenix had lied easily.

Her eyes had narrowed dangerously. "It be no worse than your playing," she decided. "You practice that too. Sing or play, I don't care. You perform more often whatever people hating less. I let you decide."

"Sure, no problem. Good night guys. See you tomorrow." Phoenix smiled weakly and gave a half-hearted thumbs up sign of acquiescence before he glumly headed out the exit and up the stairs back to the bar, wondering how on earth he was going to fulfill the monumental delivery of what he'd just promised.

 _All I've got to do is morph into a champion poker player to prove to the owners that tonight wasn't a fluke victory, and also become a passable pianist and/or singer of some sort... overnight! It can happen! After all, miracles occur every day, right?_ He chuckled bitterly to himself as he trudged out the door and waited at the bus stop outside the bar. _Basically in order to keep this crummy gig and support myself and my daughter, all I had to do was basically swear a blood oath to a probable Russian gangster and his mafia princess wife that I'd become master card player/cabaret star by_ _ **tomorrow**_ _. Of_ _ **course**_ _I can do that! Why the hell not? I can also be a loving father, a long-distance boyfriend, learn to speak five languages, volunteer at the local orphanage and become a stunt car driver by the day_ _ **after**_ _tomorrow, to boot! Piece of cake!_

Phoenix was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even feel the first few droplets of water hit his forehead until he looked up at the sky and noticed a steady drizzle had begun to fall. His bus wasn't due for another half hour, and of course, the bus stop had no shelter. He didn't even have an umbrella to duck under. A clap of thunder was heard overhead just then.

 _Wow, I'm hoping that's not supposed to be taken as an omen about my probabilities of achieving these lofty goals…_

"Hey buddy, you need a lift?"

Phoenix turned around and saw Tyler exiting the bar doors just behind him, a newspaper held over his head to keep him dry from the increasingly steady rain.

"Hi, Tyler." He smiled at his friend. "Um, that would be great, but which way are you headed?"

"We live just over by Calico Drive and Olympic Avenue."

"I live on the opposite side of town, but I need to go pick up my daughter from her sitter and the place is just over on Palisades and Bouclair. Is that out of your way?"

"Not at all. We pass that way every day. I'm sure Sasha won't mind dropping you off."

"If you're sure it's not too much of an imposition…" _A warm car sounds much more welcoming than turning into a drowned rat waiting for my bus for another 25 minutes,_ _ **any**_ _day._ "I'd be happy to get a lift. Assuming your wife doesn't mind?"

"Nah, she's cool that way. Normally she'd be here already but she probably got slowed down a bit by the rain."

"Tyler," Phoenix began awkwardly, once again touched by the young man's kindness. "I hope I didn't get you into too much trouble with the owners because of my lousy playing tonight. And if you did, I'm so terribly sorry."

"Nah, the worst thing Boris could do was call me a tone-deaf _durak_ for hiring the likes of you." The bartender shrugged. "Natasha just literally bopped him on the head like she always does whenever he gets out of line or too rude with the staff, and forced him to apologize to me. She knows that ultimately, I can only recommend a new recruit, and it's their final call to decide on my selection of hires. Boris just likes to grumble and pretend he's a pit-bull, when we all know he's more of a _Chihuahua_!"

 _Well, he_ _ **is**_ _a yapping ankle-biter of a man…I could see him starring in his own fast food commercials…_

" _Yo quiero Taco Bell?"_ Phoenix joked.

"I could _so_ see that!" Tyler laughed at the quip, his dark eyes filled with merriment. "Just like how _everyone_ else can see that his wife is the one who wears the pants in that marriage! Natasha's old man used to own the place before he passed it onto her. Boris just tries to act like a big shot because she's got a butt load more money, _and_ four inches on him! Napoleon complex at its best, really. He likes to act all tough and growl and snarl to try to intimidate the staff until Natasha intervenes and tells him to _'s_ _harrup your mouth, Dahlink!'_

"I notice he always tends to oblige, too!" Phoenix couldn't help but crack up at his friend's dead-on impersonation of the female owner's cartoon-like Russian accent.

"He will if he knows what's best for him," Tyler declared, taking a few sections of his newspaper and handing it to Phoenix for some protection from the rainfall, who accepted it gratefully. "Besides, if anyone should be apologizing, buddy, it's me. I'm so sorry I couldn't help you out with your little, ah, altercation with Tiffany there, but I didn't know what to do! That woman is scary as hell when she's steamed - she's more of a pit-bull than Boris will _ever_ be!"

"Oh, she's not so bad," Phoenix dismissed, feeling a pang of loyalty. "She's just, er, very high-spirited about her musical tastes, I guess?"

"Is that _really_ why she was looking ready to rip you apart earlier tonight?" Tyler looked at him skeptically. " _Merely_ because she objected to your ... sub-par piano playing?"

Phoenix could have fibbed about the whole Tiffany situation, but opted not to. For one thing, he was going to be forced to bluff for a living now, and refused to have to do so when off the clock. And for another, Tyler struck him as a genuinely nice guy who had offered him benevolence, as well as his hand in friendship, while expecting nothing in return. He didn't deserve to be subjected to bullshit. With a sigh, he gave his friend a brief synopsis of the fiasco that had led up his wrath-fueled confrontation with the waitress.

" _Booberella_?" Tyler was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes. "Your girlfriend actually called Tiffany that to her _face_?"

"Among other things…" Phoenix admitted. "Although to be fair, Tiffany was being flirty with me because she had no clue about my feelings for Maya and vice versa. She was actually the unassuming, innocent party in that whole series of unfortunate events."

" _Innocent_?" Tyler snorted. "That woman's about as innocent as a black widow! She's a complete man-eater, that one! She's tried to get her fangs into almost every man that's passed through those bar doors, staff and patrons alike. Some have even succumbed to her wiles, but she chews them up and spits them out like bad tobacco. You'd be wise to keep it zipped around her, buddy."

"Well, luckily for me, having a girlfriend certainly helps keep her bay."

"I'm surprised it did. I'm married and expecting a baby and she _still_ used to hit on me!" Tyler exclaimed. "Of course, she was hitting on me _before_ I got married...so been over two years now I've been playing the old duck and dodge game with her."

The guy had been married two years? He must have been barely legal when he got hitched!

"High school sweethearts?" Phoenix asked tentatively. He hated to pry but curiosity claimed the better of him.

"Junior high," Tyler corrected, smiling broadly. "Sasha and I have been together since seventh grade. So nine years now."

Which meant that Tyler had been bartending long before he'd even legally been able to even drink! Phoenix wondered what other sort of shady activity went on in a place so unscrupulous that they'd hired a 19-year-old to serve alcohol!

"Speaking of my Sasha, there she is now!" Tyler's grin got even wider as a sea-foam green Viper suddenly pulled up to the curb right next to them. He walked over to the passenger window and tapped on the glass, signaling his wife to roll the window down. "Hey baby. You mind giving my pal Phoenix a ride? He's not too far from our place."

"As long as he doesn't mind squishing in the rear next to the groceries – the boot's too full!" Sasha replied cheerfully in a lilting British accent. She flashed Phoenix a warm smile. "Come in on my side, love, I have all the packages behind the passenger seat." Tyler sat down in the front as Sasha got out of the car and lowered the driver's seat forward so Phoenix could get in.

Sasha was tall – the same towering 6' 4" as her husband, so Phoenix was completely dwarfed standing next to her. Her sparkling blue eyes and long, lavender pastel hair, with baby blue tips at the wavy ends, complemented her flawless porcelain skin. She looked like an anime princess come to life, despite the noticeable baby bump, as pretty as a picture. Tyler was a lucky man indeed.

He climbed into the backseat behind the Amazon woman, barely stifling a grunt as his knees practically hit his chin. Sasha had to push the seat back as far as possible to make room for her long legs and protruding belly.

Tyler leaned over and gave his wife a tender kiss before they headed off. "Thanks for coming to get me, baby."

"Anything for my love," Sasha replied, taking her husband's hand and giving it a squeeze. "It's bloody well pouring out here now! You two would have been able to swim home in another few moments!" She carefully maneuvered the car along the slickly wet streets and caught Phoenix's eye in the rearview mirror. "So do you work at the bar with my husband, Phoenix? How are you liking it there?"

"Yes, I'm the new pianist," he replied. "It's alright…I had some, ah, mixed reviews about my performance tonight. Normally I'd be getting off later at 2:00 am but they let me go early because it was my first night."

"Made the hairs on their heads stand up enough for the night already, did you?" Tyler teased.

"Hey buddy, _you're_ the one who hired me!" Phoenix shot back with a grin.

"I didn't know how bad a rookie you were when I decided to take a chance on you, and that's the story I'm sticking to!" Tyler jibed.

"Tyler, don't be such a tosser!" Sasha scolded. "That's no way to talk to a budding musician! How would you like it if I were to be taking the piss out of you every time you hit on the wrong note on our harmonium?" She caught Phoenix's confused look in the mirror and gave a cheeky grin. "My husband's not one to talk about musical talents, Phoenix. I've been trying to teach him the harmonium at home so he can play music for our baby when it's born, and let me tell you, it's been quite the work in progress. You may have made the owner's hair stand on end, but this one here can bloody well make me _split_ mine at times, let me tell you!"

"I know I'm a challenge," Tyler sighed. "Thanks for not giving me yet, baby."

"You know I'd never give up on my love," she replied softly. "We'll make a brilliant musician out of you yet!"

The unmistakable love between the young couple was touching to see, and impossible to miss. While it made Phoenix smile to himself, there was an aching pang of longing inside his heart which also could not be denied.

 _God, I wish you were here. I miss you so damn much, Maya._

They arrived at the apartment complex Phoenix indicated, and he profusely thanked the couple again before dashing inside. Luckily, the rain had let up mostly by then, and had dulled down to a slow drizzle so he didn't get too wet making the trip from the car to the lobby and buzzed himself in.

Stepping into the elevator, he leaned back against the wall and sighed tiredly, gently rubbing his forehead in an effort to keep his pending headache at bay. What a night! Despite the unexpected reprieve of the shortened shift that night, his eyes were heavy as he let out a deep moan of exhaustion. Between the owners and Tiffany, the stressful events of the evening had truly left him drained. He wondered if the sitter would object to the he and Trucy crashing there for the night, as he'd be loath to wake his daughter up to take her to home. It was late and a school night, something he hadn't considered when he'd made the frantic call earlier that day in desperate search of a babysitter.

Stepping out of the elevator, he sleepily lumbered through the apartment corridors as he searched for right apartment and knocked on the door.

After a night like tonight, he couldn't wait to give to see Trucy's cherubic face and give her a kiss goodnight, which he did every night, even long after she'd gone to bed, which, given the late hour, she was most certainly already had.

The door swung open.

And the sight that greeted him made his heart leap high into his throat.


	17. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

_"_ _Surround yourself with good people who have earned your trust and respect and they will always be there for you."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen:** **Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic**

 ** _Phoenix Wright_** _  
Babysitter Headquarters_  
May 12, 2019 10:45 pm

Phoenix stood there inside the door, mouth agape and completely aghast at the sight before him. His gaze was riveted, in fascinated horror, on the unexpected sight of his _eight-year-old_ little girl, who was still awake _at quarter to eleven_ on a school night!

As if _that_ wasn't bad enough, the pink blur that used to be Trucy Wright was bouncing off the walls of the apartment and knocking over everything in sight, leaving an alarming state of disarray in her wake - there were broken knickknack pieces on the floor, paintings knocked off the walls and replaced with colorful crayon scrawlings, and varying stains on the floor. The place appeared as if a nuclear bomb had hit it!

 _On top of all of this_ , the normally well-behaved little magician was literally running amok - at warp speed - in circles around the room, under the helpless watch of her bedraggled baby sitters, blissfully ignoring their pleas to calm down as they tried unsuccessfully to catch the lighting fast child zipping by them as she alternated between laughing gleefully and jabbering so quickly that it came across as incomprehensible gibberish; she may as well have been babbling in a foreign language.

Phoenix remained in flabbergasted silence at the chaos. He observed the erratic rush of adrenaline the child was feeling for another gobsmacked moment before his senses returned. Jolted into attention, having been properly awoken by seeing the girl like this, he at last found his voice.

" _What in God's name is going on here_?!"

He had to yell to make his voice heard over the adult's hapless cries of chagrin and Trucy's bouncing and running all over the place.

His accusing gaze first met the shamefaced ones of his daughter's temporary guardians, before casting downward to the newly stained area rug. His own question was answered when his sharp eyes spotted a small ripped open package next to scattered chocolate pellets emptied next to it. As he knelt down to examine it, the ex-lawyer's eyes shot wide open as the pieces of this puzzle clicked together inside his head.

 _A sugar rush!_

Phoenix straightened up, his left hand tightly gripping the empty package of the saccharine evidence in a death grip. All traces of exhaustion within him were completely abolished as he glared at the accused party.

"What the _hell_ did you careless clods do to my _daughter_!? _"_ He inquired sharply, his dark blue gaze burning with the same fire the other two were all too familiar with, having been around to witness it in court on numerous occasions when he'd shouted _Objection!_

Phoenix was not a delusional man under normal circumstances. At 5'9" and 170 pounds, he knew he was relatively fit and in good shape, what with all the walking and biking he did as he had no car. However, he was also well aware of his limitations when it came to bodily confrontations, and thus was not the type to ever instigate any sort of physical altercation. As a peace-loving patron, he tended to avoid them at most costs.

In short, he didn't pick fights with people bigger than him when he knew he'd probably get his ass kicked.

However, in his current state of mind, it totally eluded him that Dick Gumshoe was built like a human refrigerator and had at least 40 pounds of muscle, six inches of height on him, and without contest, could make minced meat out of him if ever provoked to do so.

The former ace attorney rushed up to his friend without thinking, seizing the fabric of the larger man's shirt, and thus prompting the detective to shrink back a bit in slight guilt.

"You _idiot_!" Phoenix tightened his grip, teeth bared. "You fed my daughter chocolate, didn't you, Gumshoe?"

"It- it wasn't my fault, Pal!" Gumshoe protested, recovering from the surprise attack and removing Phoenix's clenched mitts off of him with complete, easy agility. He gently but firmly held onto his friend's hands with his own ham-sized ones to prevent further attack. "Trucy got into my secret stash!"

"It's true, Sir!" Maggey cried out, rushing to stand between the two men and plaintively placing her hand on Phoenix's arm in an attempt to calm him. "We tried to child-proof the place as best as we could but somehow she got into Dick's hidden stash of chocolate covered coffee beans!"

Phoenix stepped back from Gumshoe and abruptly swiveled his head towards his friend's wife, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Are you telling me that Trucy is not just suffering from a _sugar_ high, but a _caffeine_ high?" He demanded incredulously.

"She pushed a chair against the counter and climbed into the cabinets up top," Gumshoe admitted miserably. "I had just gone to make her a snack and Maggey was in the bathroom at the time..."

"I'm _pregnant_!" Maggey wailed. "I'm due in _three_ months! I _always_ need to go pee! It's why we were so late coming to pick you and Maya up for her party, remember?"

"When did this happen?" Phoenix asked wearily, the anger draining out of his voice and being replaced by resignation.

"About two hours ago," Maggey informed him.

"She did all _this_..." Phoenix gestured at the disastrous mess around him, open-mouthed in shock. "In _two hours_?"

"She did all that within about _thirty minutes_ ," Gumshoe corrected, striding across the room and plucking the little girl from the heavy window drapes, which she'd been attempting to climb like a miniature spider monkey. He brought the squirming pink bundle over to Phoenix and deposited her at her father's feet. "She's _been_ like this for the last two hours," he added grimly.

Trucy finally stopped to catch her breath, and lifted the brim of her pink silk hat, which although knocked askew, had somehow managed to remain on her head. She smiled brightly up at Phoenix, noticing his presence for the first time.

"Hi, Daddy!" She chirped.

"Hi baby girl," Phoenix struggled to keep his voice level as he looked down at Trucy, whose overly brightened eyes were the size of saucers. "What's this I hear about you sneaking some candy?"

"Ummm... I had some of Uncle Gumshoe's chocolate raisins," Trucy admitted sheepishly. "They tasted really yucky though! All bitter...I think they went bad!"

"Did you _ask_ Uncle Gumshoe if you could eat his 'chocolate raisins' Truce?" Phoenix asked, struggling to keep a straight face as the actual hilarity of the situation kicked in.

"I didn't," she confessed, then turned apologetic blue eyes towards the detective and his wife. "I'm sorry! But I was so hungry! And I know you offered to make me ramen noodles, Uncle Gumshoe, but that's all Daddy and I eat and I just was in the mood for something else for a change..."

"OK, that's enough, Trucy," Phoenix interrupted, feeling the heat in his cheeks. He reached down and lifted his daughter into his arms, pressing her head against his shoulder and effectively silencing her from any other ramblings. He gave her a gentle squeeze. "How about a hug for Daddy?"

"I'm so happy you're home, Daddy!" Trucy squealed, lifting up her head and throwing her tiny arms around his neck, effectively vanquishing any lingering feelings of annoyance Phoenix had had within him. A quick glance over her head showed no hard feelings on the faces of Gumshoe and Maggey either, just sheer relief that the situation was now under control.

"I will help you clean up this mess, I promise. Gumshoe, Maggey, I'm so sorry for the trouble she caused," Phoenix mumbled, his face red with mortification. "I haven't had any sweets to give her at all...money's been tight, so she must have literally been like a kid in a candy store when she saw what she thought were goodies in your cupboards...especially after living the past few weeks on cereal and instant noodles..."

"Don't sweat it, Pal," Gumshoe assured him, smiling benignly. "You needed a sitter, and we were happy to help you out. Figured it would be good practice for when our own little one comes."

"I thought I'd gotten enough experience when I babysat Pearl last month," Maggey admitted. "But she was much tamer! Although to be fair, she didn't consume copious amounts of _caffeine and sugar_ that night, either! I figure after this particular experience, Dick and I are ready for _anything_!"

The understanding and compassion of his friends was overwhelming. Phoenix swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn't even begin to voice the words to thank them. Instead, he flashed them a heartfelt, grateful smile that spoke more than any words could say, and sank down gratefully into the chair Gumshoe pulled out for him, a slightly more subdued Trucy still in his arms.

Trucy lifted her head, which had been snuggling against her father's chest, and smiled winsomely at the couple. "I can pay you back for your candies, Uncle Gumshoe, Aunt Maggey," she assured them. "I'm going to make some money from a birthday party I'm doing performing magic tricks for my friend Jinxie this weekend!"

"Don't worry about it, Pal," Gumshoe grinned, reaching down and affectionately tapping her on the nose. "You keep your money. Maybe buy something for you and your Daddy to eat other than noodles."

"Besides," Maggey added anxiously. "She'll be dealing with her own payback tomorrow and possibly the day after from all those coffee beans she ingested."

Phoenix nodded in agreement, even as he barely stifled a groan at the realization. He had a feeling that Trucy would be in for a few rough days ahead, as she had eaten way too much sugar for an eight-year-old to digest properly. She would probably get a very horrible stomach ache because of this. Not to mention the ill-effects of caffeine in a child's system.

 _Good grief, I hope this doesn't stunt her growth! Or potentially worse, have Mrs. Wretched Beavertail-Face from Social Services get wind of this!_

"She's going to crash hard, and soon," he noted, gently rocking the drowsy child in his arms. "Would it be too much of a hassle to ask you to drive us home now, Gumshoe, so I can tuck her into bed at home?"

"She can sleep here," Maggey offered. "We converted one of the closets into a little baby's room and my sister gave us my nephew's old bed, and you can take the couch. You look about ready to crash and burn yourself."

Phoenix dragged his hand down his face. "It was a rough night."

"Let me make you a little snack – I promise, _not_ ramen!" Maggey joked, waddling over to the kitchen. "Why don't you put Trucy on the sofa for now, and the three of us can play a little catch up while you eat, before we all head to bed?"

"You're a gem Maggey. Thank you." Phoenix carefully rose from his seat and gently placed the droopy-eyed girl onto the cushions before taking a seat at the dining table next to Gumshoe.

"We can put her to bed later, Pal," Gumshoe agreed amiably. "Relax and take a load off!"

Phoenix dove into the grilled cheese sandwich and apple presented before him with gusto. He was absolutely starved. His friends eyed him with barely repressed amusement at his record-time food consumption, and he flashed a rueful smile.

"Sooo...what's been going on with you guys?" He asked the couple. "How have you been?"

Maggey came and sat down on Gumshoe's lap. "We do have some news, but first and foremost, how have _you_ been?" She asked kindly. "I know a lot has happened since...um, the incident..."

"You mean since I lost my badge and since gained a daughter?" Phoenix asked dryly. "You don't have to mince words, Maggey. It is what is. Tonight is earlier than I normally will be home from this gig; they just let me go early as it was my first night. The shift runs 6:00 pm till 2:00 am Thursday to Sunday. I got myself a job as a piano player at The Borscht Bowl."

Gumshoe had taken a swig of cola while Phoenix had been speaking, and nearly did a spit take upon hearing the news. " _You_ are going to be playing piano, Pal?" He was the epitome of discombobulation "At the _same_ place where you made your debut last month?"

"The very same. Trust me, Gumshoe, the irony isn't lost on me."

"But Pal, you can't play the piano!" Gumshoe objected, never one to miss stating the obvious.

"Why wouldn't Phoenix be capable of doing so?" Maggey asked blankly, whose delicate condition and babysitting duties that night had not allowed her to be privy to the acclaimed performance.

"No, honey, he literally _can't_ play the piano!" Her husband insisted. "As in, he's _no_ musician. He somehow fluked and bluffed his way through that one song for Maya, but...that's _all_ he knows how to do! He can't play any other tune! He admitted it himself!"

"Not true!" Phoenix flashed his best shit-eating grin. "I will have you know that I can now play a select handful of Disney theme songs!"

Gumshoe looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "And _this_ is what they want you to do for your new job? When you told me earlier you'd gotten a gig at a bar, I'd assumed you were a waiter or a busboy..."

"Pal, unless I plan on squeezing myself into a pair of Daisy Duke black shorts _and_ getting a sex change operation, I don't have what it takes to be a server there," Phoenix said wryly. "And they have a great guy there who does double bartending and busboy duties. They like to keep their costs low, even if that means scrimping on the heat. Don't you remember how sub-zero the temperature was?"

"How could I forget? Maya almost turned into a Smurf that night, she was so blue!"

"Anyway...to be honest...they don't really want me for my sub-par pianist skills so much as for my, ah, poker playing ones."

Gumshoe's head shot up. " _Poker_?" He repeated sharply. "As in _gambling_? Uh, am I supposed to pretend that I didn't hear that, Pal?"

"No, no," Phoenix assured him. "Relax, I can play poker at that place with ease...not illegally, of course. They play for _glory_ , not _money_. I haven't forgotten I'm talking to a cop, Pal!"

"Not anymore you're not!" Maggey declared with a huge smile.

"Say what?" Phoenix's jaw dropped. "Gumshoe, don't tell me you got fired _again_?!"

"Not fired...just retired." Gumshoe told him proudly. "Remember how I helped create the Blue Badger? Well, with the success of Gatewater Land and its merchandise franshise, guess who's finally getting a sweet cut of the royalties...and no longer needs to be a 'Doughnut Boy?'

"C-congratulations!" While Phoenix was stunned, he was genuinely pleased for his friend. "When did this happen?"

Gumshoe's gaze shifted downward then, and he and Maggey both suddenly looked uncomfortable. "About a month ago, Pal. Shortly after you..."

 _Got disbarred_. The unspoken words hung over the three of them like an awkward cloud.

"I tried to call you, Pal," Gumshoe mumbled, scratching his head nervously. "So many times! But you..."

 _Didn't pick up my phone or answer my door for two weeks. Right._

"Listen, Pal, no need to feel bad!" Phoenix told the former detective. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to celebrate your good news right after the fact, but I'm here now, and I toast you!" He raised his soda can. "Hurrah for fulfilling the ultimate American Dream and _sticking it to The Man_! Cheers to you, _former_ Detective Gumshoe!"

"Here, here!" Maggey agreed happily, raising her can as well and clanking it against first Phoenix's, then her husband's.

They all took a chug of sodas.

"So, what does all this worldly wealth mean now?" Phoenix asked. "Does this mean you're going to move from here? And get rid of those trench-coats?"

Despite the covering of her glasses, Maggey's exasperated eye roll was evident. "Yes, after the baby is born, and no...he won't let me!" She grumbled. "He insists on still wearing them all the time because he thinks they're his 'trademark.'

"I threw out all the old ones _except_ for the one you bought me," Gumshoe reminded her.

"And then you insisted on going out and buying new ones!" She exclaimed.

"They're _designer_ trench coats, honey!"

"I still can't believe I haven't burned them yet..." she muttered darkly.

"Come on, Maggey." Phoenix barely stifled a laugh. "You fell in love with him when he was still rocking that coat! Surely you must have _some_ sentiment?"

"For the _man_ , not the coat," Maggey grumbled. "Do you know he insists on wearing them even when we go to fancy, five-star restaurants?"

"The kind that only Mr. Edgeworth could afford before," Gumshoe bragged.

"Sweetheart, I keep trying to tell you that your trench coats are not suitable attire for places that require a suit and jacket dress code!"

"Come on, honey! They're still fancy trench coats, with silk underlining and detailing and big gold buttons!"

Maggey face-palmed. "I give up!" She looked at her guest and shrugged resignedly. "Hell, I tried! You can take a detective out of the police department, but damned if you can get the trench coat off of the detective!"

Phoenix decided the time had come to try to change the subject.

"So essentially, they want me to be a poker shark," he told his friends, ignoring Gumshoe's reflexive Cop cringe at the not-so-legal sounding phrase. "You guys feel up to a few practice rounds?"

"Sure, let me deal." Maggey fished out a deck of cards, then, with surprisingly expert flair, shuffled and dealt them. "Since we're friends here, I'm assuming this is a _friendly_ game? Fancy playing with some M  & M's as betting chips?"

"Sure," Gumshoe chuckled. "Red ones are high, greens are low."

Phoenix anted, then looked at the dispensed hand and inwardly cursed. There was a king of clubs, a jack of spades, a two of hearts, an Ace of diamonds, and a two of clubs. All he had worth mentioning was a couple of lousy deuces!

He looked at Gumshoe and tried to read his expression, but for once the normally animated man's face was as stoic as a rock.

He turned over his cards he'd been dealt and saw that he had another two. Woot!

Gumshoe pushed four red candies forward. "Raise you."

Phoenix was surprised. He had three of a kind, but it wasn't that great when it was only two's. He was debating about his odds as he flipped over the other card. Another Ace! He had a full house now.

He saw Gumshoe's raise.

"Ready?" Maggey asked.

Phoenix flipped his cards. "Full house."

Gumshoe flipped his cards. "Oh crap! I only had a pair of kings!"

"Then why did you raise him?" Maggey snapped.

"I was trying to _bluff_!" Gumshoe cried feebly.

"I win!" Phoenix smirked, grabbing his 'winnings' and popping a green M & M in his mouth.

"Dick, you can't bluff for beans!" Maggey declared. "Let me show you how it's _really_ done!"

Gumshoe dealt the next hand, and Phoenix realized he'd finally met his match. Maggey raised the ante immediately with a pile of reds after being dealt, while all he had was a pair of Kings. He looked across the table at her pretty, inscrutable face.

"Where did a nice girl like you learn how to play poker like this?" He teased.

"Less talk, more play," Maggey growled. "Are you going to see my raise or not?"

Phoenix hesitated. It wasn't like his friend of normally sunny disposition to be so – curt. She sure took this game seriously! Which meant she probably had a blockbuster hand. He put his fingers on some red M & M's and hesitated for a brief moment.

"Daddy?"

With a start, he turned his head and found his sleepy-faced daughter standing by his elbow, rubbing her eyes. When had she woken?

"Truce, what are you doing up? You have school tomorrow!"

"I wanted a glass of water," Trucy yawned. She leaned forward and looked at his hand with interest, then at Maggey. Then she looked back to her father and gave the slightest, surreptitious nod of her head to him. Surprised, he contemplated about whether to accede or not for a moment, then mentally shrugged and tossed down a handful of red candies.

"I see your raise and double it."

Maggey's lips parted in a soundless gasp.

"Ready?" Asked Gumshoe.

Phoenix flipped his cards. "Pair of kings."

Maggey avoided Phoenix's eyes as she slowly turned her cards over. She had nada. Zilch. Not even a pair. Amazed, he swung his eyes back to his daughter. How had she known that Maggey's bravado had all been a bluff? Or had it merely been a lucky guess?

"I'm going to get her that water," he told his friends, getting up and following Trucy to the kitchen.

"Trucy!" He urgently whispered in her ear as she took a long gulp of water. "How did you know Maggey was bluffing? I was so sure she had a killer hand!"

Trucy shrugged. "It was so obvious to me! She got all loud and gruff…and she was puffing out her chest a bit to look bigger and meaner…to hide the fact that she didn't have anything!" She caught her father's questioning look and beamed mischievously. "My other Daddy was big on the poker scene and always took me with him. I know everything there is to know about poker, and its players. I could tell who had a good hand or not just with a quick look at their faces. Daddy never lost a game with me. He claimed he only lost that one game to you because I wasn't there!"

Was this all nonsensical children's prattle merely a residual result of the caffeine and sugar high, or was his daughter actually claiming…?

Phoenix looked searchingly into Trucy's eyes. "Truce, do you think you could do that again, with Uncle Gumshoe?"

"Sure I could, Daddy," she shrugged. "It's a piece of cake for me. That is, if you want me to."

"Trust me, baby girl, I want you to." Phoenix winked and grinned conspiringly at his daughter. "When all is said done…you and me…I think we're going to be alright, after all."


	18. Can't Buy Me Love

_"Changing careers, is something that takes you forward into unexplored territory, but you need not to get scared, maybe it's exactly where your success is hidden, explore it well and you will find."_

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen: Can't Buy Me Love**

 _ **Maya Fey  
**_ _Kurain Village  
_ January 24, 2020 12:00 pm

Ancient sacred traditions. Damn them all. Damn them all to hell.

There was nothing halfway about it. Being Master of the Kurain Channelling technique sucked, plain and simple. It really did.

There were less politics, conspiracies and smear campaigns involved in _Presidential election campaigns_ than there were within the semi-crumbling walls and ruins that were Kurain Village!

Maya's new-found position was as set in stone as if she'd inherited the blue blood monarch title of a nation. It had been determined as her irrefutable birthright and there was no say, _yay or nay_ , in the matter. This was an unspoken reminder that she was often tempted to voice out-loud to some of the remaining Morgan supporters on the Elder council, who deemed that succession should be based on ability, not what part of the family tree you were on, and that little Pearl, whom Maya had stated as her second-in-command, was more worthy of the title than she.

The old biddies would have fainted from the shocking irony, had they known that while Maya didn't agree with her aunt's insane attempted methods at securing her cousin the esteemed Master position, if she _had_ been able to step down and give the ten-year-old the task of running the damn village and all the headache inducing bullshit that went with, she bloody well _would_ have!

Nearly a year into the role, Maya still hadn't quite ascertained how there could be so much controversy over a position that was undisputedly inherited, much like a royal title. Hence, it was a topic that should have required neither debate nor discussion, much like the decisions she made as Master.

Yet that was exactly what she'd been facing on a regular basis since day one with the disapproving council of Elders, who had been running the matriarchal society since her mother had left.

On numerous occasions, and in complete exasperation veering on hysteria, Maya had pondered the lunacy of how it was that she had to _fight for the right_ to make decisions and maintain being in a position that she'd never even _wanted_?

The village had been without its master for 17 years and while outwardly appearing to function well, was actually breaking at the seams. Nobody had made a budget since Misty Fey vanished, though many members of the clan still saw fit to spend the family's vast pile of money regardless. Many of the buildings started to crumble without proper maintenance, leading to collapses and injuries.

All of these things would have to be dealt with, and quickly.

Some of the branch family members took some control into their hands during the long break, but were unable to legitimize their power. They had no respect for Maya's authority. They glared with spite and resentment at her as she claimed her unwanted position, and she in turn, ignored them as usual and mentally flipped them the finger as she did so.

She still had more plans for enhancing the place, and didn't give a damn if the disapproving old hags didn't like it.

For instance, Maya saw no correlation of how a customary _enforced vegetarian diet_ enhanced spiritual prowess in the least. So, to the council's undisguised horror, she had announced at the last meeting, her plans to remedy the fact that there was a _distinct lack of burgers_ in the chef's repertoire!

Why the hell not? It wasn't as if they couldn't _afford_ to make changes and customize the menus to suit specific palates – mainly, her own!

Maya now had more money than she could ever possibly spend. With those resources at her disposal, she'd finally been able to pull some aspects of Kurain Village and drag it (albeit kicking and screaming!), into the 21st century. Much to the disgruntlement of the village elders, she had brought into fruition her long ago plans to have not only a cell tower but satellite receiver as well. Hello cell phone _and_ internet service!

After all, she'd reasoned, what was the point of having a surplus of dispensable income, the same one that had allowed her to fulfill her promise and pre-pay her boyfriend's rent (also, his bills – plagued further by the guilt over all the money he'd spent feeding and lodging her and Pearly for all those years, she'd also taken to sending him some anonymous cash donations from the fees of her channelling sessions) for the next year or so, if there was no feasible way to _be in touch with him_ while they were apart? While the concept of love letters via snail mail was a romantic notion, no amount of money was going to change the fact that the mail was only collected and delivered weekly to the remote village. Maya's naturally impatient nature wouldn't allow for it.

Ergo, while she had more wealth than she ever could have imagined in her wildest dreams, Maya would have been the first subscribe to the old adage "money can't buy happiness."

It was all too painfully true. Despite the steady comforting presence of her beloved little cousin, the Master had never felt more miserable, or alone, in her entire life.

With Misty Fey's shocking, harrowing death, Maya had been thrust immediately into the role and responsibilities associated with taking over as Kurain Master. Despite having had the impending knowledge of her destiny all her life, Maya always deemed it something which was going to happen _years_ in the future, not _right away_! Now, after barely having the time to mourn her mother's unexpected passing, having the weighty responsibility thrust upon her was tremendously overwhelming, with all kinds of intense preparations, reordering and rearranging of her life. It was a daunting task, but initially, she had motivated herself partially with the consolation that soon she would get her life efficiently sorted, so she could also continue as Phoenix's legal assistant when all was said and done.

But then her boyfriend's life had unwittingly gone to hell in a hand basket, so _that_ option, along with the likelihood of it ever coming to pass in the imminent future, was gone with the wind!

Maya often hated herself for setting back the women's movement and admitting that so much of her life's goals had mostly revolved around a man. It was downright pathetic really, her lack of ambition. She was filled with self-disgust that her hopes and dreams had never centered around the career which was supposed to be her birthright, but had always revolved around Phoenix, initially as his subordinate as General Manager of the Law Office. Then, after they'd gotten together, her aspirations had never ventured further than remaining by his side, but maybe later down the line as his partner, in law _and_ life, perhaps obtaining her degree and becoming a paralegal.

Understandably the _former_ was a goal beyond foreseeable reach at the moment, but would the _latter_ _ever_ come into fruition, or was that too, just a pitiful pipe dream on her behalf?

It had been eight and a half months since she'd seen Phoenix. Since that agonizing fateful day in his office, when he'd told her that he loved her, but he didn't know how they could be together, due to the potential issues it could cause with Trucy's adoption, should Maya turn up as a character assassinating skeleton in his closet.

He had rejected her repeated consequent offers to come live with her at Kurain, insisting he couldn't subsist in a parasitic lifestyle sponging off her – that it was bad enough he had to rely on her to pay his rent. Besides, there was no way he could justifiably expect her to support his daughter, for whom he was still being forced to undergo the arduous turmoil that encompassed formal adoption. He implored her to concentrate on her own life and position as Kurain Master and not worry about him. Even though Phoenix knew how she felt about him, Maya was unable to properly convey the words to him to make him comprehend that despite everything, she _loved_ him; he was eternally established as a fundamental and irreducible part of her life in her psyche and _that_ was why she'd said she'd wait for him. At the time, he had agreed he _wanted_ her to because he loved her back.

And so the long-distance relationship betwixt them had begun.

Being Phoenix's cloak-and-dagger far-away girlfriend consisted of phone calls, the occasional Skype chats (she'd painstakingly had to explain how it worked, and had even mailed him a web cam and instructed him to set it up…and he'd still needed to have _Larry Butz_ come and complete the installation!) and emails galore.

All of these had, of course, been conducted after Trucy had gone to bed. While the calls and chats and emails helped ease some of the pain of separation, it wasn't the same as actually seeing her boyfriend. Of holding him in her arms and kissing him. Touching him. Making love with him.

Maya hated being out of sight – she strived to ensure that it didn't also mean _out of mind_. She did everything she could to keep the newly found distance between them as fun as interesting as possible. On top of racy late night conversations and random, saucy texts exchanged between them about what exactly they would do to one another if the other were there, she would frequently email amusing online photos, videos and a few jokes to hopefully lighten his mood.

She missed Phoenix so much it hurt. Aside from always having been her knight in shining armor, he'd also always given her a reason to smile - and that had been even before they'd gotten together. _Now_ on top of the pain of missing her best friend, Maya's heart and body ached for her boyfriend. Especially since, as of the last few months, their phone calls had been getting shorter in length and fewer and further in between. It wasn't the fault of either of them. She had her travels and conferences as part of her new role, and Phoenix worked till late in the night most of the week. Maya did her best to stay up for him when he called, but some nights, it was after 3:00 am and she had meetings early the next day, and would pass out before she could hear the much needed "sweet dreams, I love you," that she so desperately longed for in order to achieve a peaceful slumber.

In spite of their efforts to work around it, lately it seemed as though their opposite schedules didn't seem to _ever_ allow them to "reach out and touch each other" whenever intended. Whenever she tried to call him, he more often than not was asleep and had missed her call, or simply wasn't there, and vice versa.

On the occasions they _did_ manage to connect, it seemed that the best way for coping with the difficulty of their situation was to keep their communications to uncontroversial topics and maintain something of an emotional isolation between them. Maya didn't want to seem to be intruding or mistrusting of him, or worse, pathetically needy. She stifled the urge to beg him to constantly reassure her that all this agonizing wasn't for naught. That the end justified the means and that she wasn't a fool to be waiting in vain for him; that ultimately, they would be together again, a real family, and parents for Pearl and Trucy.

Losing his attorney's badge was something Maya knew would bother him until he got it back. She knew Phoenix would investigate who set him up and fight to get it back eventually; for all she knew, he had already commenced the process of finding out who framed him. But he had also made it clear that lately settling into life with Trucy was his primary objective.

He didn't want to talk about the disbarring or his situation – it had been almost a year now since it had occurred – and Maya didn't want to upset him by reminding him of it, and she didn't want to bore him with talk of the tediously demanding details of her training and the mentally draining politics involved with her position. It limited topics of conversation greatly to much else than fluff chatter and phone sex.

Maya knew Phoenix had been somewhat emotionally maladjusted since the disbarring, but he did not show warnings of becoming dysfunctional and was proving to be a competent and dedicated parent. Her boyfriend was born to be a dad and despite his initial misgivings, was a natural with kids, especially little girls. They adored him. Certainly being a single father was tough, but she was glad that he had someone there for him to give him a purpose in life right now; to fill the void in his life that at the moment, _she_ could not.

He certainly appeared to be enamoured with Trucy, who his life appeared to revolve around now. The topic of his daughter seemed to be the only thing that seemed to snap Phoenix out of his resigned, dead-man-walking state of being. He proudly boasted about the little girl's perceptiveness and self-reliance; how she helped with chores and made dinner for them and appeared to be more of a mini adult than child. Maya was thoroughly impressed by all of this, as well as relieved that the little girl appeared more of an asset than a burden in Phoenix's life. She was most taken by how Trucy was already doing paid magic shows at The Wonder Bar and at birthday parties.

So she was well aware of how much Phoenix had his hands full being a working single parent. And it was because of that devotion to fatherhood that Maya was uncertain about whether or not the favor she was about to ask would be feasible to agree to, or if it was even prudent to ask.

Japanese customs had dictated since the late 19th century to no longer adhere to the Chinese New Year time line and marked January 1st, as celebrated in the Western Hemisphere, as the onset date they used per annum. However, Maya had capitalized on and manipulated the fact that since Kurain was so steeped in the ancient cultural traditions and values for everything _else_ , that they should honor the previously historical Eastern date to mark the beginning of the New Year.

Maya had come up with every excuse in the book to delay the inevitability of the Master inauguration ceremony. She had cited how it was in poor taste, bad luck and not to mention _disrespectful_ to Misty Fey's memory to have a celebratory ritual of _any_ kind in the same year her mother had been killed. Therefore, there was no way she would allow anything of the sort to happen, in any _formal ceremonial capacity,_ despite the fact that she'd taken over the Master title last winter. And then she'd stubbornly maintained that stance when the premier date of January had come and gone.

Which brought her to the current date. No amount of delay tactics could change or prevent the fact that tomorrow marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year. And _that_ was the inarguable date when they would have the official initiation ceremony, swearing her in as the sanctioned Kurain Master.

The Master was officially out of ploys, despite her ridiculous, almost childish hopes that since until now, as she had not officially initiated, there was still time to vote that she be given official sanctions as having "abdicated" and voted unfit to be Master by the wretched Elders, who on occasion had claimed they would do just that! Maya now realized, as she should have then, that these had been empty threats and such a ruling would never pass with the required majority.

The time had come. She was going to become undisputed Master of Kurain as of tomorrow whether she liked it or not.

Maya sat there in her bedroom at Fey Manor, staring at the telephone, trying to summon the nerve to make the phone call she yearned to make. She'd been dragging her heels long enough.

 _Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained right?_

With a great feeling of trepidation, Maya took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Her palms were sweating and made her grip slippery as she picked up the receiver and dialled the number, all the while unable to squelch the despaired agony of rejection she was bracing herself for if the outcome didn't amass in the way she fervently hoped and prayed it would.


	19. Keep Me Hanging On

_"If I can't have your heart, then I'll cling onto your body at least, my body will be with you even after I die."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: Just wanted to take another opportunity to thank every single one of you for reading this...it's going to be a long, crazy ride and I love you all for joining me on this AA adventure. A special thanks for fellow FF writer **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr** for her kind and encouraging review. You're awesome (and your stories are terrific!)!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen: Keep Me Hanging On **

**_Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
_** Jan 24, 2020,12:00 pm

The phone rang half a dozen times before Phoenix answered. His deep, grumbly morning voice sounded like music to Maya's ears. It felt like it'd been ages since she'd last heard it.

"Hello?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Rise and shine sleepyhead!" Maya trilled, feigning cheerfulness in order mask the anxious fluttering of her heart. "Time to join the land of the living!"

" _Maya_?"

He _must_ have been in deep slumber if he wasn't recognizing her voice after _four years_ of knowing it! With a pang, Maya realized that she had indeed woken him, and that in spite of sudden fatherhood, her boyfriend was irrevocably _still not a morning person_! She hoped he wouldn't be too crabby with her. "I'm sorry I woke you up, Nick," she said in an uncharacteristically small voice. "But it's noon, so I figured you'd be up already…"

" _Noon_?!" Phoenix sounded a bit more alert now. "Damn, I am so happy I didn't miss you this time! Babe, I'm sorry we haven't been able to connect lately. Either you're in bed, or I am…just our stupid opposite schedules, really. I get home by _three_ in the morning on nights I'm unable to bum a ride with Tyler and have to take the bus…and _then_ I still wake up at seven to get Trucy ready for school, and if I'm fortunate enough I can catch a few more winks after she gets on the morning bus. Normally I'd have been up an hour or so ago…but last night was a rough one…"

"Nick, it's alright, I'm not mad," Maya assured him, so giddy about hearing his voice again that she nearly forgot the purpose of her call. "I know you work nights. Not everyone has to be up with the birds to start their morning meditation rituals like I do!"

"You got that right!" He chuckled. She heard him clanking something in the background and then take a large gulp of what she figured was his wake-up java. Nick was completely lost without his morning pick-me-up. "I was going to call you tonight anyway. I have some news for you!"

Maya felt her pulse quicken at the words. "What a coincidence! So do I!"

"By all means then! Ladies first." There was a grin in his voice.

"No, _you_ first," she insisted. She hadn't heard him sound so peppy in ages, and it appeared to be due to more than just the instant effects of the caffeine ingested.

"Do you recollect me mentioning that miserable battle-axe social worker, _Ms_. Bea Verhunt?"

As if Maya could have ever forgotten the wretched, acrimonious woman who had been making surprise visits to Phoenix for the past year!

The crabby, miserable biddy had made a point of surprise drop-ins which were much more often than the customary once a week visits Children's Services usually opted for. Despite having never met her, Maya had despised the vile, suspicious-minded woman, who she deemed partially responsible for her estrangement from her boyfriend and the unnecessary delays in the adoption process. It'd often seemed as if the crotchety old bag had actually _wanted_ to catch Phoenix in some sort of foul misdeed with Trucy! The Iron Lady, as Nick had called her, had acted as if being a single father were some sort of unheard of crime which warranted personalized, scrutinizing watch! Nick had noted that she'd always seemed _disappointed_ when no just cause for such attentiveness had ever been found, and that she hadn't been able to make good on her ever-underlying threat to take his daughter from him.

"Of course I remember! Does she have anything to do with your chipper mood Nick? Did she drop dead of a sudden heart-attack?"

" _Almost_ as good," he chuckled. "She's retired! I've been assigned a new social worker, Neal Bender. He and his husband, Bob, recently adopted their toddler, Jade, from China. Therefore, he doesn't share the same bias or prejudice about single fathers adopting a young girl as the cantankerous old coot did! He thinks I'm a great dad, and has been putting forward fantastic letters of recommendation on my behalf. I've been corresponding a bit with Edgeworth via email as well…"

"How is he doing?" Maya interrupted, delighted about the direction of this conversation and eager to learn more about their dear friend. Unfortunately, she herself hadn't heard from the prosecutor since the day he'd boarded his flight abroad, when she'd bade him adieu on the phone nearly a year ago.

"Edgeworth seems alright, but he didn't go into much detail as to what he and Franziska have been up to," Phoenix admitted. "You know they're on some top-secret Interpol mission. I think he's in Zheng-Fa now? But he's been giving me some much needed legal advisement about this whole adoption process. Maya, if all goes well, I may officially be Trucy's legal guardian within the _next six months_!"

Maya was so ecstatic she thought she'd burst with joy as she realized what this all signified.

It meant that she and Nick would be able to be together again soon – that they would no longer need to hide their relationship anymore! There would be no more poking into Nick's so-called unscrupulous history with her, and no further boundaries keeping him from becoming legal father to the little girl he adored. She'd _finally_ get to meet little Trucy and introduce her to Pearl – and they'd be like sisters! _And_ she'd at long last be able to _personally_ ask Trucy how she liked the 'magic panties' she'd sent her for Christmas! (Nick had told his daughter they were from _Santa_ and had assured Maya that Trucy had so loved the gift that she insisted on using them _all the time_ to whip out hidden items…both _on and off_ the stage)!

"I'm so happy for you, Nick," Maya said softly. "It's about time you caught some sort of break."

"No kidding! _Someone_ up there likes me!"

"Someone down here likes you too." Maya reminded him, swallowing a sudden lump in her throat. " _A lot_. I miss you so much, Nick."

"I miss you too, my love." His voice was filled with tenderness. "The only thing that dampens this joyous news is that you aren't here by my side to celebrate it with me." A long sigh. "But on a lighter note, you said you had news as well. I hope it's good?"

Maya mentally counted to ten, then spewed the words rapidly, before she lost her nerve.

"NicktomorrowismymastercermonyIhavebeentryingtoreachyoufordaystogiveyounoticepleasetellmeyoucancome!"

There was nothing but dead silence on the phone. A _long_ one.

"Hello?" Maya tapped on the receiver. "Um, hello? Nick, are you still there?"

"Yes..." Phoenix cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his tone was rich with amusement. "But now I'm wondering who _I'm_ talking to on the other end of the line? My girlfriend, or _Wendy Oldbag_? Do you want to pause and take a moment to breathe there, motor mouth?"

The reference to Edgeworth's geriatric stalker, whom he'd always referred to as the Wicked Witch of the Witness Stand, coupled with the teasing note in Nick's voice, made Maya giggle helplessly in response. Partly it was out of sheer relief to have gotten that load off, and partially, because he hadn't immediately negated the request, as she'd feared.

"I've done everything I can to delay the inevitable for as long as I could, Nick!" Maya wailed. "I even tried to claim the precise day was not _ours_ to choose, but was required to occur on some specific date associated to the alignment of the stars, planets and spiritual radiation of the current year… anyway, they didn't buy it. It's do or die time, and I'm finally out of tomorrows. I was hoping and praying that this was one time you could steal away from prying social worker eyes. And now that it's no longer an issue, all I can say is… hurrah for great timing _for once_!" She paused to catch her breath. "So, do you think you can come, Nick? It would mean the world to me if you could!"

"Of course I will, my love. I'll be there with bells on!" Phoenix assured her. "I would have found a way to come even if I _was_ still under constant evil-eye surveillance!"

"What would you have claimed to Children's Services if you were still under watchful eye though?"

"I know what a big deal this is, and would convey it as such. So I'd tell mostly the truth, I guess. I'd explain that I was going out of town for a very important graduation ceremony for my dear old friend who I've not seen since I took Trucy in," he replied simply. "Just let me see who I can get to baby-sit Trucy for the weekend."

 _Seriously,_ Phoenix thought to himself. _Something must indeed be written in the stars - this really is impeccable timing, because I have **no** poker tournaments at the bar this weekend!_ _What are the odds?!_

Under any other circumstances, Maya would have leapt at the chance to meet her hopefully future daughter, and offered to have Phoenix bring her along. However, the ancient ritual of inauguration dictated that it be one of utmost solemn sacredness, and ergo, be closed to off to all village outsiders. As it was, she was probably going to have to fight tooth and nail to have _Nick_ be able to attend, and probably would still have to deal with discord from the elders. The family card was exactly the one she planned to play while making the persuasive case for the council to allow Nick to attend the induction ceremony, as he was her 'pillar of strength.'

It killed her that she had to go through so much strife to have her loved ones be in her life, because in Maya's heart of hearts, Trucy was as much a relative to her as Nick was, in spite of the child being clueless to her existence. It was beyond maddening, as well as tragic.

"Trucy still doesn't know a thing about me, does she?" Maya realized gloomily.

"She will, as soon as the ink on those adoption papers dry," Phoenix promised. "And she'll love you as much as I do."

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright_**  
 _The Borscht Bowl Club_  
Jan 24, 2020 9:30 pm

As it turned out, Phoenix hadn't wound up making any false promises to Maya. There were no obstacles whatsoever that would keep him from going to Kurain that weekend.

Having no champion card tournaments that weekend meant he would have no need to bring his daughter into work with him – since the night at the Detective's place when he'd first learned of Trucy's 'special talent' she'd become the main indispensable reason for his still undefeated winning poker streak. Also, luck had it that there was no concerns about who to leave his precious treasure with while he was away.

The ever hospitable Gumshoe and Maggey were always happy to care for Trucy at a moment's notice without any questions, even though the detective insisted on giving Phoenix a totally transparent wink and nod when he dropped his young daughter off earlier that evening, citing that he would require their babysitting duties till Sunday. To his merit, Gumshoe never mentioned Maya by name, but the gleam in his eye told Phoenix that he knew they were still together. The former detective understood the need for discretion, for which Phoenix was thankful. Trucy didn't know a thing about Maya and as much as he knew she would adore her "new mom," the timing just wasn't right. He'd tell her one day, when it was safe for them to be together again. He just didn't know how long that would take.

Maggey had just airily declared that as long as his daughter wasn't traumatized by the sight of baby Gordy latching onto her boob intermittently throughout the night, Trucy was welcome to consider their home her own for as long as she liked. She and her husband absolutely adored the little girl. She was so cheery and well-behaved and they thoroughly enjoyed her antics – since they'd learned to lock their cupboards, there had been no since repeats of 'the incident' – and the feeling was mutual. Trucy saw her beloved Aunt and Uncle as the ever- _captive_ audience to her magic tricks …almost _literally_ one night!

To the Gumshoe's supreme humiliation, in the midst of a magic trick gone terribly wrong, Trucy had borrowed her uncle's old handcuffs, accidentally linked him and Maggey together… and then had temporarily forgotten the magical words to make the keys re-materialize! Gumshoe then had had to call the station for an officer to bring another set of keys over, and _then_ had spent the entire time futilely explaining to the clearly disbelieving cop that that no, he and Maggey _weren't engaging in some deviant acts within a child's presence_!

Phoenix paused in his piano playing and decided that he'd been playing broken chords of show tunes long enough. He needed a break. Murmuring into the microphone that there was a 15 minute intermission, he rose from the bench, and headed over to the bar to score a grape juice from Tyler.

The young bartender, since the arrival of Petra and Kaya, his unexpected _twin_ baby girls last summer, had been working the longer 5:00 pm to 2:00 am shift to help make ends meet for his surprise (but welcome) brood! His friend always managed to sneak Phoenix a few bottles every night, citing that there had to be _some_ perks to working this lousy gig, as long as the penny-pinching Russians didn't find out!

It was unbelievable, really. The same unscrupulous owners who hadn't thought twice about hiring an underage bartender, and who didn't bat an eyelash about a young child hanging out in the seedy underground poker scene, would have blown a gasket if they knew one of their lowly employees, even one who brought in _copious amounts of revenue to their business_ , hadn't paid full-price for a lousy _non-alcoholic_ beverage!

Phoenix leaned against the bar and took a long swig of his drink, his thoughts now on Maya. How desperately he'd missed her! If only she knew how she'd been plaguing his thoughts and dreams since the last, passionate moment they'd shared eons ago. How the concept of seeing her again was his sole true joy, save for his daughter, since he'd lost his badge.

He wondered idly if Maya would ever get bored of him, or ponder about what else was out there in the male domain. After all, Phoenix was the only man she had ever gotten involved with, emotionally or physically. He'd broached the subject with her once, telling her that there was every chance that what she considered "gratifyingly toe-curling in the sack" (her words) was simply just fair to middling instead of mind-blowing! Maya had just laughed at him then, her beautiful smile lighting up her eyes as she announced that if he was just _standard_ , then _expert level_ would definitely land her in traction at the hospital! He loved that answer. He loved _her_. She always knew just what to say to make him feel good about himself again.

Phoenix had every intention of them finally being together, for good, as soon as Trucy's adoption was finalized. However, until then, this special occasion aside, he didn't know when he'd see Maya next. Their schedules barely allowed them enough time to get it together long enough for a _phone call_ , never mind a _visit_! He didn't want her to feel like he was choosing to pop in and out of her life as if she were a drop-in center. And it was because of that very reason that Phoenix made a firm resolve _not_ to take advantage of her nearness again and show her just _how much_ he'd missed her these past nine months!

He couldn't. He _wouldn't_. He still felt it'd been selfish of him to surrender to the moment _last time_ , even though Maya had made it clear she'd wanted it as badly as he had. Being as close as man and woman could possibly be, despite it being an act of love...in _their_ case, was just wrong. It only made the lengthy separation afterward even more unbearable.

The concept of them secretly stealing sporadic coitus moments, when the _other_ most important girl in his life didn't even know his girlfriend existed didn't sit well with Phoenix. It made it seem as if Maya were some random dirty strumpet he was ashamed of and needed to hide, rather than the future mother of his children!

Was he overthinking? Or possibly insane for putting a lid on an opportunity that any other man would have savored and pounced on at the drop of a hat?

 _The first time after we made love, I never called her again. The second time after that, I had to sneak her out of the place like a thief in the night, even though it was broad daylight! I can't keep doing this to her, just hooking up with her every time I see her, whenever circumstances and our lousy schedules allow! I can't ever let her feel like I'm using her for sex. I'm sure we'd both enjoy such secret trysts, but the closeness we share has always been about so much more than just that, and I don't want to lose sight of it._

Phoenix squeezed his eyes shut and ran a hand over his chin, cringing at the sharp stubble. He definitely needed to shave, something he'd gotten all too lax with lately, before he went up to see Maya tomorrow morning _._ He looked down at his ragged sweatpants and scuffed sandals and let out a rueful chuckle.

 _And some part of me doesn't want that beautiful body defiled by the dirty old hobo's, even if it is my own._

Moreover, if they did wind up being intimate again, he didn't think he would be able to let her go this time.

But most of all, Phoenix knew, it was because he very well knew that what Maya really wanted was precisely what he was unable to give her right now – the commitment of someone who stayed with her, instead of disappearing and leaving her like everyone else had. Her father. Mia. Her mother. Her aunt who'd 'left' her by betraying her and was now rotting in prison for it. Worst of all, when he'd asked her about it, Maya hadn't even been aggrieved of her abandoning relatives, with the exception of Morgan. She'd simply accepted they thought they needed to do something which took them apart from her.

 _Perhaps this is part of the reason she grew so attached to me. I came back for her._

Maya deserved a man who would stay and support her every day of her life, instead of just selfishly using her for his own comfort and lustful desires. She deserved nothing less. Part of him was fearful that she might move on and find someone more suited to a woman of her stature, who could better fulfill her needs. Thus far, however, to his intense fortune yet disbelief, she'd made no sign of attempting to do so.

 _Maybe I should just tell her point blank that it's okay, she should find someone more worthy, without all this baggage and hang-ups. But I can't. I'm too selfish. I love her too damn much._

The former attorney was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the slight movement near his side until the shadowy figure was right next to him. Despite the already frigid atmosphere in the bar, the area immediately around him seemed to instantly drop yet another 10 degrees.

"Greetings, _Herr_ Wright," a familiar voice intoned coolly, jarring him from his reverie.

It was right then that Phoenix realized the hairs standing on the back of his neck and the arctic chill going down his spine had nothing to do with the cold room temperature as he looked up at that moment, and met the icy, soulless gaze of renowned defense attorney, Kristoph Gavin.


	20. Every Breath You Take

_"No one knows your success or failure best than your enemy who pretends to be your greatest friend."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty: Every Breath You Take**

 _ **Phoenix Wright  
**_ _The Borscht Bowl Club_  
Jan 24, 2020 9:35 pm

Despite having just consumed half a bottle of grape juice, Phoenix's throat felt dry as he repressed a shudder of revulsion creeping over him at the sight of the other man.

Save for his spectacles, Kristoph Gavin, with his immaculate grooming, tanned skin and flaxen braid, could have easily been the doppelganger of his younger brother, Klavier, the 17-year-old prosecutor who had helped end Phoenix's legal career. Kristoph had never expressed anything but friendliness towards Phoenix in the past, as well as sympathy when he'd been disbarred, even offering to take him out for coffee on numerous occasions, which Phoenix had always politely demurred.

So he was questioning his now sudden incomprehensible heightened sense of dread around the German man. When had he ever been the paranoid type? If anything, he'd always given people the benefit of the doubt and tried to believe the best in them – it had been these character traits that had resulted in his chosen path as a defense attorney rather than a prosecutor.

Phoenix forced himself to shove his queer misgivings aside and offered his new companion a wan smile.

"Good evening Mr. Gavin. What brings you to my neck of the woods?" Phoenix asked flatly, recovering his cool.

"Why so formal? I tell you all the time to call me Kristoph, please. We are friends, correct?" Kristoph smiled, the practiced gesture not meeting his eyes. It never did. "The Borscht Bowl is quite the fine establishment."

In spite of his resolve to be open minded and return Kristoph's friendliness, Phoenix looked at him skeptically. _A fine establishment_? _The Borscht Bowl? This cesspool is the mother of all dives and we both bloody well know it!_

In his customary dark blue suit and dark pink tie, Kristoph definitely stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the usual somewhat scruffy bar clientele.

Tonight's highlight customers entailed two drunken Russian guys getting into a heated debate at the bar and the obviously drunk, young, fat couple chewing each other's faces off at a dark corner table. The cherry on top had to be the fifty year old woman with the questionable profession, draped in a mink stole and a sequined gown with a frontal slit cut way too high to leave much to the imagination, swirling around her glass of vodka at the table in the back. It was definitely quiet, especially for a Friday.

However, Phoenix didn't mind. Fewer patrons meant less people's ears would have to suffer his still lackluster piano playing. And he knew that things would pick up at 11:00 though, which was when he would be finished playing his set and would head downstairs to The Hydeout to begin playing poker.

"And visiting here also gives me an opportunity to hear my favorite pianist play," Kristoph finished, his fake smile growing even more acrid.

Phoenix wasn't able to mask his surprise this time. "You've come around before? And actually _heard_ me play?"

" _Many, many_ times, _Herr_ Wright." Kristoph swirled the contents of red wine in his glass before taking a sip. "You have simply been too engrossed in your performing all the times I have been here though, nor would you have possibly noticed my face in the normal crowed." A ghost of a smile flickered across his chiseled features. "It is usually much more packed though. I guess people are still too broke from Christmas to be spending their meager remaining funds at the bar, hmmm?"

His mind was reeling. Kristoph had been able to come and see him play… _spy_ on him, essentially, all these months, and he'd never noticed? How was that even possible? Phoenix stared at him, too stunned at this unexpected bit of information to reply.

The defense attorney didn't seem to notice that his companion hadn't replied to his rhetorical statement and took another sip of wine.

"Marvelous," Kristoph said with an appreciative nod, placing the glass back down on the bar.

Phoenix nodded tersely in reply. _Gimme a break! We both know that stuff is crap! Why the pretense? Even as a non-wine connoisseur, I knew the stuff is complete and utter piss-water_ ** _swill_** _!_

"We have not seen each other in many months, _Herr_ Wright. How are you doing? How is young Trucy?" Kristoph chattered idly.

The mention of his daughter's name set off alarm bells in Phoenix's mind, because the last time he'd seen the other man had been at his Bar Association hearing, where he'd been the sole dissenter to _not_ vote against having his badge stripped.

And since he'd vetoed the man's initial offer to go for a drink immediately afterward, and each subsequent one since, Phoenix had no idea how Kristoph had gotten wind that he had a daughter. After all, he'd essentially disappeared into the underground and out of the public eye, since losing his badge, with privileged few knowing of his whereabouts or doings since. And _Phoenix_ most certainly hadn't told him! Sure he'd brought Trucy to work with him often for poker tournaments. However, The Hydeout was a tiny cellar room which could seat no more than a maximum of five people, so he would have most _definitely_ noticed if Kristoph had ever appeared _there_ to see him and Trucy in action, and he could have sworn he never had!

A growing sense of apprehension began to fill him, even as he tried to convince himself he was overreacting. Despite the fact the _he_ hadn't laid eyes on Kristoph in nearly a year now, and had never bothered to reply to any of his social calls or emails, the man knew where he worked, undoubtedly how lousy a pianist Phoenix was if he'd come to see him play, and knew he was now a father, all without his knowledge.

He quelled the inner urge to shout at the man that Trucy was none of his business. He picked up his grape juice bottle instead, concentrating on the feel of the cool sweetened liquid sliding down the back of his throat, imagining at the same time that it was cooling off his anger. Slipping his hand into his pocket, his fingers curled around the cool stone of Maya's magatama. Locks and chains immediately appeared, obscuring Kristoph from his vision. Just as he had suspected they would.

"Trucy is just fine." Phoenix said coolly, hoping that the brevity of his answer would convey to Kristoph that any mention of his young daughter was off limits. Kristoph seemed unaffected.

"I am so glad to hear this," he responded, clasping his bony hands together in a pleased manner.

"I guess word gets around," Phoenix pointedly remarked, raising an eyebrow with a look on his face which clearly said _how the hell do you know about my daughter?!_

Kristoph grinned and raised his glass to his lips again. He seemed to be reveling in Phoenix's obvious discomfort. "A group of us at work went out to the Wonder Bar one Friday evening and saw the little darling doing a magic act. Quite a talented tot, really. When I went to compliment her performance afterward, she mentioned that she was part of The Wright Talent Agency with her father and said I could have a business card if I so wished. I kind of put the pieces together from there. I do recall she was the daughter of your client that vanished, Zak Gramarye, was she not?"

 _You damn well know she was_. That fact was public knowledge. Anything after that, however, of Trucy or his whereabouts, or her subsequent adoption, was most certainly _not_.

"She's lucky you were there to take her under your wing, since her father was so selfishly left her in the lurch," Kristoph shook in head under the guise of reproach and commiseration.

Phoenix wasn't buying the compassionate act. He just nodded curtly. "I'm the lucky one. She's a great kid." He drained the last of his juice and forced a smile. "I was only taking a 15, so I've got to get back to tickling those ivories. It was so nice to see you again Mr. … er, _Kristoph_ ," he corrected hastily, seeing the other man's slight frown at the formal title. "I ah, hope to see you again."

"Don't worry, you will." Kristoph flashed him a half smile. "You've got to take me up on my offer for a drink _sometime_ , and I refuse to take no for an answer. I shall be here daily until you say yes."

 _Jesus, it's like having a perseverant suitor from hell who won't take the word_ ** _no_** _for an answer!_

Never before had he felt so much simultaneous sympathy _and_ empathy than he did at that moment for poor Edgeworth, who'd had to endure such persistent, stalker tendencies due to the unfortunately smitten senior, Wendy Oldbag! In the past, Phoenix had always found his friend's undisguised horror at the old woman's relentless pursuit amusing, never dreaming he himself would _ever_ be in a similar situation.

The semi-parallel would have been almost comical, if Phoenix hadn't been positive that his _own_ situation wasn't merely a case of unrequited ardor on Kristoph's behalf. He had a niggling suspicion that if _he_ kept rebuking the other party's persistent 'advances,' the results this time around would be worse than a mere boot to the head or a drink to the face.

Much, _much_ , worse.

"That won't be necessary. I will make sure that we set something up after the weekend," Phoenix promised, slowly beginning to back away from the bar, all the while beaming so broadly his cheeks were beginning to hurt. "Please excuse me, but I really do need to get back to work. I'll be seeing you around, Kristoph."

"I'm going to hold you that, _Herr_ Wright." A sly smirk flickered across the blond man's face. "Because you can run, but you can't hide! I've got my eye on you."

And it was with those final chilling words echoing in his mind that Phoenix somehow managed to get through his shift, his heart erratically thumping as he failed to shake the nagging feeling of watchful eyes searing into his back the rest of the night, even long after he saw Kristoph Gavin leave the bar.


	21. Total Eclipse of The Heart

_"I know you'll never be the boy you always wanted to be. But every now and then I know you'll always be the only boy who wanted me the way that I am."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One:** **Total Eclipse of The Heart**

 _ **Maya Fey**_  
 _Kurain Village Train Station_  
Jan 25, 2020 7:45 am

 _Every now and then I get a little bit lonely. And you're never coming round._

Where was he? Had Nick lied to her about coming? Was he going to let her down despite his promise to the contrary?

Maya squeezed her eyelids shut against the stinging sensation behind them.

 _Every now and then I get a little bit angry and I know I've got to get out and cry._

Nick was late. And she had no idea why.

Maya anxiously paced the train station platform like a caged panther, checking her phone for the millionth time to see if her nearly-an-hour-tardy _nitwit_ of a boyfriend had sent her a text or attempted to call her to let her know his whereabouts.

There was nothing. No messages, no missed calls. Absolutely _nada_. And her calls to his cell went straight to voicemail. The greeting on it now said, in Trucy's adorable chirpy twitter: "You've reached Phoenix Wright, Vice-President of the Wright Talent Agency! He's the pianist you've been searching for! Please leave a message and he will call you back quicker than you can say _Abracadabra_! "

Maya was beginning to panic. Time was wasting and she only had a precious few hours remaining. Her Master inauguration began at 10:00 am _sharp_ , and she _still_ had yet to make her provisions, spiritual, mental and physical.

On top of that, she also needed to change into her official ceremonial outfit, which she would undoubtedly require a lot of assistance with in getting on. While the Master's robes were gorgeous and regal, they also were unlike anything she'd ever worn before – intricately detailed and undoubtedly _heavy as hell,_ as they consisted of several contrasting layers and were made of pure silk and brocade. Pearly was expecting her back at Fey Manor as her head 'lady in waiting' and indubitably would be alongside Mystic Mildred. The stern, dour Village Elder was in charge of both the Council and supervision of the adorning ritual, and would be awaiting Maya's return with guaranteed less patience than her cousin.

Pearly had wanted to join Maya at the station to greet Nick, but Maya had instead instructed her to stay put, distract the Elders and keep them at bay, should anyone be questioning the Master's whereabouts and decide to come looking for her.

After running through a myriad of persuasive arguments and excuses to the Elders about justifying her intentions of letting her boyfriend attend the private ceremony, Maya ultimately had decided _the hell_ with decorum, and to just impromptu _spring Nick on them -_ and tell them they could _bite it sideways_ if they objected! She was an _adult_ now, and _Master_ for heaven's sake, and they absolutely could _not_ tell her what to do! Granted, it wasn't the most ideal way to handle things, but she was fed up and out of time, and it was certainly no worse than her pre-emptive actions to get the ball rolling.

To be frank, Maya's s bright idea for ensuring she could fulfill her desirous intention was _perhaps_ not the most _adult_ route a woman of her stature and office could do in this potentially sticky situation. But what other choice had she had?

In order to prevent suspicion or being accosted before she could escape to the station, Maya had barely slept a wink the night before and risen at dawn, fluffing her pillows into the shape of her slumbering body and pulling the covers over it to make it look like her sleeping form was still in bed, in the event that anyone prematurely poke their head in on her. She'd then snuck out of her house and made like a bat out of hell towards the train station, wearing a dark hooded cape over her regular purple Master kimono so that she would hopefully remain unrecognizable in the sun cast shadows of early morning. If asked of Maya's whereabouts, Pearly had been instructed to claim that, as custom dictated, the Master was off meditating in preparation for her ritual somewhere remote, was not to be disturbed, and would return in plenty of time for the ceremony preparation.

Which brought Maya to the present, waiting in vain for the past two some-odd hours at the station, fretfully looking into the horizon, trying to catch a glimpse of the blasted train which was now _an hour late_ and would never appear to come! She'd heard of train delays before, but this was _ridiculous! Equally_ _so_ was the fact that the person who was _supposed_ _to be on it_ hadn't even had the _courtesy_ to warn her of the delay, and now couldn't be reached!

It gave her a sickening sense of déjà vu. It was as if they were back to that God-awful period immediately after Phoenix's disbarment, all over again.

 _Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by._

Finally, at 8:02, she saw the large bullet-shaped steel vehicle in the distance coming towards her. It pulled into the station with a grinding halt, and she watched as the passengers began to disembark – there weren't too many this early in the morning, nor was the remote Kurain that popular of a stop.

Still no sign of Phoenix. Maya bit back an impotent sob of frustration.

 _Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears._

She turned away from the train, an agonized pang building inside her as she wiped the stray tear running down her face with the sleeve of her kimono.

He wasn't coming. Despite knowing how much this had meant to her, and how long he'd known her and supposedly loved her for, and knowing that he'd held her fragile heart in his hands this past near year, he wasn't going to show up.

Another tear fell.

 _Every now and then I fall apart._

"Turn around."

Maya spun about in the direction of that wonderful, familiar sound, and found herself face-to-face with Phoenix, standing several feet away from her on the platform, hands in his pockets, smiling shyly at her.

She tilted her head slightly, as if expecting him to say some further addendum to the spoken words. When none came, she completed the thought in her mind, _bright eyes_! Triggered from naught but sheer relief, she started to laugh at her foolishness, but it got caught in her throat at the sight of Nick's beatific smile in the sunlight.

 _Every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see the look in your eyes._

Her heart no longer filled with pain or uncertainty, she lifted her shining gaze to look at his sculptured, clean-shaven face, with the golden hues of early morning rays upon it, and thought that even with the silly hat Trucy had given him, he was still so handsome. Moreover, in spite of what the world might think, he was still a pursuer of the truth in all things, a trust-worthy, reliable man who kept his word. The man she loved.

She still felt wonderful, but no longer in a giggly way. She wanted Nick's arms around her again. She wanted to know what his lips felt like again after all this time. She just plain wanted. Him.

Phoenix's smile, too, faded and within a couple of quick strides, he closed the open space between them, and then he was holding her, pulling her to him. She looked up into his beautiful sapphire eyes, feeling giddy with joy.

Maya didn't know how she could have ever doubted him. But nothing else mattered now. She was where she belonged, with Phoenix's warm, firm arms around her shoulders and her hands around his back, feeling his muscles shifting under his clean-smelling hooded sweat shirt. Her lips parted as she leaned towards him.

Toward this kiss.

This soft, sweet, so-worth-the-wait kiss.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_

Phoenix had seen the dejected figure walking away as he'd exited from the back end of the train, and at long last, the sight of the beloved form caused the shout of her name to die in his throat, ceasing his ability to prevent her from leaving.

Desperately, he all but leapt off the accursed train and sprinted towards her, hastily catching his breath before urging her to turn around, and feeling a lump form in his throat when he saw the tears in her eyes, the apprehensive frown marring those beautiful features.

 _She thought I wasn't going to come._

He wanted to erase the tension from her face. Kiss away the worry. But what he wanted and what she needed were two very different things.

"Maya, the damn train got delayed and I forgot to charge my cell last night so my battery is completely dead. I'm so sorry I worried you."

Seconds passed and she didn't say a word. Her eyes were so wide, so open, so trusting. Had anyone aside from his daughter ever looked at him that way before? He didn't think so.

Swaying softly in his arms, she leaned her head against his chest and circled an arm around his neck. Her cheek was so warm, so soft where it met the bare flesh of his chin as he leaned down. Her eyelashes fluttered as she closed her eyes.

"It doesn't matter. Thank you Nick," she whispered. "Thank you for being here for me when I needed you most."

He breathed in her scent and lifted his hand to cradle her head against him, to keep her from ever leaving him. He couldn't force her to stay though, no matter how much he wanted this moment to last. So he trailed along the curve of her skull, following the path of her hair, teasing the silky strands between his fingertips before settling his hand on the middle of her back.

She snuggled closer, rubbing her cheek against his chest. Her quiet exhale heated him straight through.

It was the first perfect moment of his life in ages.

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey**_

Standing there, feeling his hard, muscled body so closely pressed against hers after so long, Maya felt an insatiable hunger unlike any she'd ever felt before. It wasn't just an innate response to wanting to wrap herself around him like a tire whenever she set eyes on him. This was a different kind of ravenousness, one where she didn't let herself think. Her whole body ached; _she_ ached, as if there were a terrible hollow emptiness inside her that could only now begin to be filled. She was more conscious of Phoenix than she had ever been of anything or anyone else in her life. Of the faint shine of blue beneath his half-closed lids, of the shadow of light stubble across his jaw where he hadn't shaved, of the faint scars that dotted the skin of his throat—and more than anything else, of his mouth, the crescent shape of it, the slight dent in the center of his bottom lip.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. He took a split second to respond, but then he made a sound almost like a growl from low in his throat. He leaned toward her and brushed his lips across hers and she reached for him as if she would otherwise drown.

For a moment their mouths pressed hotly together, Phoenix's free hand tangling in her hair. Maya gasped when his arms tightened around her, her knees nearly sagging beneath her as he pulled her against him. She put her hand lightly around his neck; his skin was burning hot to the touch. Slipping her free hand under his hoodie and thin t-shirt underneath, she could feel the muscles of his shoulders, hard and smooth. His arms wrapped around her even more firmly, holding her so tightly she could hardly breathe. Not that she cared. All she cared about was Phoenix, his mouth on hers, and his body pressed against her own. They had only kissed a few times in the past, but nothing like _this_. She felt electrified from the top of her head to her toes, and somewhere in the back of her mind she heard her late older sister once saying that love had a power all its own. Mia had been right: this was magic.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
**_ _Kurain Village_  
8:20 am

"So, do you know exactly what happened that made the train so late in arriving?" Maya asked Phoenix after they'd finally parted from their embrace and at last began to walk, hand in hand, onto the path which led them back to the village.

"There was a body tied down to the train tracks," Phoenix explained. "The conductor slammed on the breaks and had to call the police, who proceeded to then launch a _full-blown murder investigation_ , right there and then!"

Maya gasped. "Oh my God, Nick! That's awful!"

He grimaced. "Not really. It was a _dummy_ , not a real person! Something _I_ could _immediately_ ascertain by looking at it out the window, but took the cops _half an hour_ to figure out, after confirming with numerous sources and about taking about a million photographs!"

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" Maya started cracking up then, her shoulders shaking with mirth as he joined in the laughter. "Not even _Gumshoe_ could have been so idiotic not be able to tell a real corpse from a dummy?!"

"The _real_ dummy was that detective in charge," Phoenix chuckled. "Score another one for the LAPD, right? That's our tax dollars at work for you!"

"Speaking of detective work, have you had any luck getting any idea about who may have set you up, Nick?"

"Ideas, yes. Proof, no, and I haven't had much time to work on it, what with working and fatherhood and all." Phoenix let out a long sigh. "I'd really rather not get into this right now. This day is supposed to be all about _you_. Plus, it's kind of depressing."

"Nick, you've got to turnaround your way of thinking! Consider this instead as your greatest challenge yet. Envision the day you make your triumphant return to the courtroom! You'll have had the last laugh when you finally solve the mystery about Trucy's grandfather's death and the son of a bitch who did this to you. Pearly and me, we're rooting for you! And I know you'll make us proud. Sis will be so proud, too!"

"Chief?" That got his attention. Frowning, Phoenix adjusted his beanie and shook his head. "She never would have made such a stupid error – she was always so painstaking meticulous. She was always on me to be better prepared, to be more like her. I didn't listen. I got careless. I had a lot on my mind and I didn't pay enough attention. There's no one to blame but me. I should have known better."

"Ace Attorneys still make mistakes, Nick," Maya said softly, her heart aching at the pain in his voice as he berated himself. Phoenix's work had been his life. There had never been another lawyer who'd been more devoted to helping his clients. She knew that better than anyone. She'd been one of his first …on multiple occasions, including that one time in Europe…But that was another story.

"I feel like I've been making a lot of mistakes lately. I can't afford to make any more of them. I do have a hunch about someone that's making me feel suspicious about his ulterior motives, but once again, we're back to that burden of proof thing. The suspect in question's name is Kristoph Gavin."

"Gavin…why does that sound so familiar?"

"Klavier's older brother. He was the defense attorney that Zak had retained prior to deciding to hand the reins over to me at the eleventh hour. After I got disbarred, I remember he said something like 'if not for you, I'd be the one standing in your shoes right now.' It sounds harmlessly trite enough, but there was nothing consoling in his smile. The man had no emotion, no soul, like he was just woodenly reciting the lines from a script."

"Maybe he's just not good at expressing emotions? That's how Edgeworth was in the beginning, before you broke down his barriers and made him realize he had a heart, remember?"

"Edgeworth _always_ had a heart!" Phoenix proclaimed loyally. "It was just _hidden_ because his life had been made into a living hell at the hands of that diabolical Manfred Von Karma. There's no comparison of the two of them, Maya! There's a tad frosty…then there's flat out prickly like a cactus...a la Manfred…and then there's... Gavin. The man has eyes that would rival _Jaws._ The only proof I have is my magatama. It shows _black_ psyche locks and chains around him even though he's not even being asked any questions!"

"OK that _is_ weird," Maya murmured, feeling a flicker of uneasiness within her. "Black? I've never heard of that before. We definitely need to look into that later. Maybe you should trust your gut instincts then, Nick. He may be dangerous. You've got to stay away from him!"

They reached the village entrance and paused for a moment. Phoenix took Maya by the shoulders and looked at her steadily. She knew she wasn't going to like what he was about to say even before he spoke.

"Stay away from him? I can't do that, Maya. If he is as dangerous as we think he is, I'm better off being his false friend than his openly hostile adversary."

"Nick, you can't know what a man like that is capable of!" Maya protested, alarmed for her boyfriend's safety. "You don't just willingly play with fire and not expect to get burned!"

"You know what they say, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, right?" Phoenix smiled reassuringly at her and gave her a wink. "Besides, I may be completely wrong about the man and may just be turning into an eccentric, overly paranoid old man. I won't know unless I at least take Gavin up on his repeated offers to go for a drink."

"But Nick –"

Phoenix put a finger to her mouth to quiet her, then leaned down and gently replaced it with his lips, ever so softly brushing them with his own before drawing back.

"Don't you worry about me, my love. I've learned how to swim with sharks."

* * *

 _ **Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart**_


	22. Vipers, Cobras and Dragons

_Never cared for what they say.  
_ _Never cared for games they play.  
_ _Never cared for what they do.  
_ _Never cared for what they know.  
_ _But I know.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Two:** **Vipers, Cobras and Fire-Breathing Dragons**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
**_ _Kurain Village  
_ Jan 25, 2020, 8:25 am

His lips had barely left hers when a high-pitched, outraged cry filled the air all of a sudden, nearly splitting both their ear-drums.

"So! _This_ is who you've been off meandering with while you've been making that poor cousin of yours lie about your whereabouts! And all the while making the _rest_ of us all _frantic_ with worry!" The shrill voice pierced through the air, as sharp as a katana blade.

Phoenix's head shot up. Standing before them at the front of the gates of Fey Manor, with crossed arms and a pugnacious expression, was the dwarf _twin_ of The Iron Lady! Although she stood approximately five feet tall, a good foot shorter than the perma-scowl social worker, this woman, clad in a black and grey kimono with a dragon emblem emblazed on it, was eerily similar in appearance, if not in stature. Thin, pursed lips. Overly-tweezed, harshly knitted brows set in a wrinkled prune face. Salt and pepper hair, scraped back into a topknot so tight, it gave an almost a cat-like slant to her dark, beady eyes, which raked the couple with obvious disapproval.

 _Sharks I can handle, but venomous vipers are another story!_ Phoenix thought to himself, cringing slightly at the poisonous look that the older woman hitherto had for Maya, but was now directing at _him_. _Actually, this broad is scarier than that – I'd say she's more like that fire-breathing dragon on her kimono! Hell, while we're comparing her to scary reptiles, I'm also taking note that, at the very least, she's got the whole black cobra gaze thing down pat… would certainly win a stare-down with one,_ ** _no problem_** _! Man, if looks could kill…_

Surprisingly, his girlfriend appeared to be completely unfazed by the combative Reptilian Lady's presence. Rather than break away from Phoenix at the sight of the village Elder, she instead stepped even closer to him in an act of pure defiance, nestling under his arm so that it was slung around her shoulder.

"Good day to you, Mystic Mildred," Maya replied calmly, ignoring the outburst. "I apologize for misleading you all about my whereabouts earlier - it was I who instructed Pearly to do so. She is not to be blamed in this matter whatsoever. While I apologize if I worried anyone with my absence, as you can see, the fretfulness was completely unwarranted. I am alive and well and most certainly back in adequate time to be prepared for the ceremony."

"Oh yes, _completely unwarranted_ ," Mildred agreed, sarcasm positively dripping from her barbed tongue. "Perhaps it is _us_ who owe _you_ an apology Mystic, or shall I say, _Master_ Maya. How _silly_ of us to needlessly concern ourselves over the whereabouts of the future leader of our village, who's only been _dragging her heels_ about this inauguration _for the past year_ , when she goes _missing_ and is _nowhere to be found_ on _said ceremonial day_!"

 _Nope, forget viper or cobra_ , Phoenix decided. _Dragon. Definitely a dragon. And a fire-breathing one, at that!_ He half-expected he and Maya to be burnt to a crisp from the mouth flames that were surely about to be emitted at any moment!

Maya's sense of bravado slid down a degree at the scathing words, a fact which did not go unnoticed by Mildred, who upped her attack as the Master shrank back from the look of pure disdain directed at her, so reminiscent to the ones Morgan used to give when she was growing up as a young child.

"You sent us on a wild goose chase, I'll have you know! All of us, frenziedly searching the perimeters of this entire village, and even all the way up to _Hazakura Temple_ , looking for this so-called remote mediation area where you were _supposedly_ seeking your sacred solace, as Pearl had claimed." Mildred's lip curled in disgust. "Even _that_ we could have forgiven, had it been true! To go off in search of spiritual reprieve on such a sanctimonious day is expected, even _condoned_ behavior of the esteemed Master. But to have your location be unknown because you were out thoughtlessly _gallivanting_ like some… cheap _harlot_ with some strange man, who you have the _audacity_ to bring back to an all-female village on this most _sanctified_ day…"

" _Objection_!" Phoenix roared, pointing his famous courtroom finger then, refusing to endure the vile Dragon Lady's verbal onslaught against the woman he loved for another moment. "Number one, Maya was hardly out _gallivanting_ , as you so crudely put it, lady! She was picking _me_ up from the station! Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond either of our control, my train got delayed, hence her slight tardiness. And number two –"

"Silence! I don't seem to recall asking to hear _you_ speak, young man!" Mildred retorted. "First of all, insolent one, you need show some reverence! This young lady is henceforth to be properly addressed as Mystic, and very soon to be _Master,_ Maya, despite this little stunt she pulled. And second of all, Mister Whoever You Are, you are to be excused from our village _posthaste_. This ceremony is a private, closed off affair, I'll have you know, and is not open to outsiders of the general public!"

"But he's _not_ an outsider!" Maya cried. "Nor is he a stranger! He's practically family! Mystic Mildred, don't you remember the man who saved me from those murder charges? This is Mia's old protégé, Phoenix Wright!"

" _This_ is Phoenix Wright?" Mildred's composure slipped a notch for a moment. Her wrinkly hands fluttered to her bird-like throat, around which hung an opal colored magatama. "I _never_ would have recognized that famous lawyer being the _same_ man standing before me now, who looks like little more than a street bum!"

"I much prefer the term _hobo chic_ , thankyouverymuch!" Phoenix glared at the old woman.

"I should have you _and_ your trespassing, smart mouth ejected from here immediately!"

"Mystic Mildred, _please_ stop this!" Maya implored, sliding out from under her boyfriend's arm and wringing her hands as she looked beseechingly at the Dragon Lady. "I never wanted to cause any uproarious commotion. He's not trespassing…I _asked_ Nick to be here. He and Pearly are to represent my pillars of strength at the ceremony. I have no other family left, save for them, and I wanted, no, I _needed_ him to be here at my side for this. There's no need for you to act so contentious towards him. He's done nothing wrong. All he's ever done is help people, as well as help _me_."

The miserable old bag, while immune to assertive back-talk, didn't seem to be completely unmoved by complete, outright begging.

"Fine, your _friend_ may stay for the ceremony," Mildred allowed grudgingly, taking Maya's arm and tugging her towards Fey Manor. She tossed a disgusted look over her shoulder at Phoenix, signaling him to follow them. "However, seeing as how you are nowhere near dressed for such an auspicious occasion, Mr. Wright, I _cannot_ let you attend the festivities in that – unsuitable _attire_ ," she spat. "You are to wait outside the house until I send Pearl out to you. We shall need to search the house to see if we still have any of the elder's late husband's more appropriate clothing stashed away somewhere that you may borrow for the day."

"That's fine," Phoenix shrugged, his lips twitching with barely suppressed derision that he'd been told to remain outside like a flea-ridden puppy, rather than be invited inside the house like a normal visitor would have. Luckily, it was an unpredictably tepid morning, in spite of the mountain winter air, and he was plenty warm in his jogging suit. Working in the artic temperature of the Borscht Bowl had given him quite the impressive cold tolerance!

He waited patiently on the grounds of Fey Manor, leaning down to admire the shrubs and vegetation outside the main doors. If need be, he decided he could kill time and explore the magnificent surrounding area of Maya's home, having only been there a couple of times before in the past, albeit under much more dire circumstances. He was just about to check out the garden in the back when the front door swung open. Little Pearl came rushing out, her arms laden with black folded material, which she dropped in her haste to come greet him, while forgetting, in her zeal, to shut the door behind her.

"Mr. Nick!" She squealed joyfully, running up to Phoenix with outstretched arms, a smile of uninhibited happiness on her cherubic face. "You're finally here! I've missed you so much! I knew you would come!"

Laughing, Phoenix lifted the small girl in his arms and swung her around, equally as delighted to see her. He'd nearly forgotten how much he'd loved her as his own daughter. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be, Pearls," he said with a smile, setting her back down then bending over to pick up the garments she'd dropped in her excitement. "I've missed you too. Just look at you, you're getting so big! And you look so pretty in your dressy robes!"

Pearl smiled bashfully at him and shyly pressed her hands against her pink cheeks at the compliment. The spirit medium was dressed in a more formal version of her usual lavender acolyte robes for the occasion. The material was silk instead cotton, with pretty white embroidery design and a purple peony was tucked into the double loops of her light brown hair.

"Let me show you where you can get changed, Mr. Nick." Pearl's tiny hand took his. She was just about to lead him off when unexpectedly, a chorus of loud, infuriated voices were heard coming from inside the house through the open door.

"You are _never_ to see him again after today, is that understood?" Mildred's incensed voice could be heard as clear as a bell. "It's a dishonor that you brought such a man to be part of this solemn event, Mystic Maya. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Save your breath! I don't care a fig about your prejudiced, narrow-minded opinions and I especially _don't care_ what you think of him!" Maya snapped.

"You _will_ if you know what's good for you!" Mildred shrieked. "As of today you are _officially_ the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, and a woman of great prestige and influence. You are _not_ to sully your name and reputation, and _ours_ as default, by associating with the underbelly of society like _him_!"

"I'll see him whenever I damn well please! How _dare_ you try to command what I do!" Maya shouted back at a near ear-splitting decibel. Phoenix hadn't heard his girlfriend sound so incensed since the time they'd threatened to take the _Steel Samurai_ off the air. "Nick is not only an important part of my life, but he has been a long-time friend of the Fey family and will always continue to be! I absolutely _refuse_ to cast him aside like common trash! Especially not after everything he's done for us!"

"This is direct _order_ , not something that renders _debate_! Mr. Wright is _not_ a person whom we would like affiliated with the village," Mildred's voice was cold as her words. "It is bad enough that you continued to call him a _friend_ after that scandalous disbarring incident a year ago, but now _this_? To be out publicly embracing him in _plain sight_ , and openly flaunting him to us as your _lover_?" She sputtered the last word as if it were blasphemy. "It is an embarrassing disgrace to Kurain, as well as a disgrace to _you_ as Master of this village!"

Pearl's gray eyes widened in horror as she realized what a grievous oversight she'd made by forgetting to close the door behind her. She quickly ran over and pulled it shut to prevent them from being forced to listen to any more explosive dialogue, but it was too late.

They'd both already heard enough.

The precocious child bit her thumb nervously as she looked up and caught the stunned, anguished expression on Phoenix's face, pausing only for a moment before springing into action and taking his hand again.

"Forget about her, Mr. Nick," Pearl said kindly, gently tugging the dumbstruck man away from the main entrance, like a tiny little tugboat pulling an ocean liner, as she led him towards the Winding Way. "Mystic Mildred's just a cranky, mean old witch! It's _Mystic Maya_ who's in charge, and you're her Special Someone and _she_ wanted you here. Nothing else matters!"

Phoenix knew the little girl was trying hard to make him feel better, but he didn't have the heart to tell her it was all for naught. As he walked into the guest room and began to put on the outfit Pearl had brought out for him, he was unable to squelch the huge, tight knot that had formed in his chest upon hearing the ugly words, which could never be abated.

Especially since they were true.

He _was_ a disgrace. He _was_ beneath her. Maya _shouldn't_ be with the likes of him, not anymore. Not when she was now a woman of such influence and power, and whose reputation would be irreparably damaged if she continued having her name linked to his.

 _I can never come back to Kurain after all this,_ he realized despairingly. _I can't put us through the aftermath of what my presence here will result for her. And I was right to determine not to get intimate with her again – and that was_ ** _before_** _all this new shit went down! If we keep seeing each other,_ _I fear I won't be able to control myself. I'll lure her to the city, putting her in danger, both from Kristoph and me ruining the Master thing for her. Or I'll feel compelled to stay in Kurain and screw things up here for her._

He stood there numbly, alone with his torturous thoughts. He still remained silent and unmoving, in the manner of a stoic mannequin, when Pearl re-entered the room, after checking first that he was dressed, and began fussing over the correct draping and layering of the kimono.

"You look so handsome, Mr. Nick!" Pearl declared, jumping up and down like an excited little rubber ball. "Look in the mirror!"

Phoenix stifled a sigh and looked at his reflection in the glass. The little girl was being too kind. He thought he looked ridiculous, like the complete Philistine that he was, although he had to admit the clothing itself was quite nice.

The long Yukata was extremely elegant and made of authentic black Japanese silk and had a rich, soft sheen to the fabric, making it luxuriously soft to touch. The silk kimono was fully lined and had the kanji character kotobuki, which Pearl explained meant long life and happiness, embroidered on the front and back. It was made in the traditional style and was to be worn by wrapping left over right and loosely tying off using the obi. On his feet he wore a pair of somewhat ill-fitting wooden Geta, the traditional Japanese wooden clogs. He was fortunate the previous owner appeared to have not only been of similar height and build as him, but the shoes, while a tad too big, were certainly manageable as long as he didn't attempt to run in them.

"Thanks, Pearls," Phoenix attempted to smile for the spirit medium's benefit. "It _is_ a fine-looking outfit."

"Hmmm, something's still not right…" Pearl eyed him critically. "Mr. Nick, come down here for a second?" Confused, Phoenix obliged, leaning down towards her, when she suddenly reached up and yanked the beanie off his head.

"Hey! Give that back!" His hand reflexively flew to the now bared spikes on his head, which felt quite cold now due to the unaccustomed exposure to the air.

"No way, not till after the ritual!" Pearl grinned at him mischievously. "The hat looked silly with your kimono - it didn't go with your outfit. And just so you know, Mystic Maya _hates_ it!"

"B- but I'm going to need to fix my hair now!" He whined petulantly, resisting the urge to pout. "And I have no gel on me!"

" _Nuh-uh_." Pearl shook her head stubbornly and tucked the hat into the pocket of her outer robe. "Your spikes aren't flattened _at all_. Hey, how come you don't get what Mystic Maya calls 'hat head?' Your hair just stays spiky, like magic!"

"But Pearls –!"

"Let's go, Mr. Nick!" Pearl grabbed his hand and steered him out the door. "It's almost time for the ceremony! Come on! We need to take our places and go find seats!"

* * *

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters


	23. Nothing Else Matters

_"Keeping what you have is hard, like searching for what you've lost."  
_

* * *

 _A/N - For everyone who has taken the time to review, always know that any kind of feedback and commentary is always welcome, and appreciated. A special thanks to super FF writer, **6GunSally** who has somehow managed to take the time to write some of my fave stuff on here, as well as read **and** review my  entire trilogy! You're awesome girl! __To everyone else who's taken the time to read, my heartfelt thanks again, you ROCK!  
Here's some Monday morning **steam** to kick off your week! Enjoy! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Three:** **Nothing Else Matters**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_ _  
The Channeling Chamber_  
 _Jan 25, 2020,_ 10:00 am

Finding a seat proved to be easier said than done. In fact, 'seat' was a relative term, as there were no actual chairs. Instead, rows of mats were unrolled in the dimly lit Channeling Chamber, which smelled faintly of sandalwood incense, where the inauguration was being held. When Pearl arrived, followed by Phoenix, who was doing his best not to trip in his wooden clodhoppers, numerous spirit mediums of all ages were already in the traditional Japanese kneeled, feet resting on bottom, sitting position. It looked so delicately pretty...but would surely give _his_ unaccustomed legs an awful cramp!

A lot of the younger girls looked at Phoenix and began pointing, giggling and whispering among themselves, as he was the sole man in the room. He blushed and squirmed uncomfortably in his unfamiliar kneeled position, pretending not to notice, while simultaneously restraining the glaring Pearl from slapping any of them. She'd begun rolling up her sleeve menacingly as a couple of teenage girls coquettishly batted their eyelashes in the direction of "Mystic Maya's Special Someone".

With so many bodies packed into that small place, it was uncomfortably warm, and he hated to admit it, but he was grateful for the light fabric of his kimono – he'd have sweated to death in his jogging suit. The room was with nothing but candles, both as a source of heat and light. The area with the most lit-up flames was up at the altar, where a tall, slender woman, presumably the officiant, stood in wait. She was dressed in dark robes identical to Mildred's, indicating similar rank or status, and looked to be in her mid-50's, with dark, silver-streaked hair pulled back into a roll behind her head, and a somber expression.

All of a sudden, a gong sounded and all heads turned towards the door. The Master entered the room.

Phoenix's jaw dropped at the sight of her.

Maya looked like royalty. All that was missing was the crown.

She swept in grandly, her gait pure grace, her head held high, her posture straight and proud as she strode purposefully towards the front altar.

In place of her normal purple Master's kimono, Maya now wore a long, rich violet cloak, with intricate golden embroidery, draped over a fitted, floor-length, lilac kimono, with slits cut to mid-calf to allow for ease of walking. Around her waist was the thick obi, indigo in color, decorated with a large purple amethyst in the middle. It was placed inside a gold buckle setting, which had the Master symbols carved into it. The gemstone matched the hue of the round purple stone that was set in the golden staff she carried in her hand. He recognized it as the one that had belonged to Misty Fey. Her glorious black hair was put back into a lace braided bun on the crown of her head, with wispy curled tendrils, now free of the purple baubles, framing her artfully made up, exquisite face. A purple hibiscus was tucked behind one ear.

She was the picturesque vision of refinement and elegant dignity.

Phoenix's breath was caught in his throat. He couldn't believe Maya still had the ability to have such an impact on him. She hadn't taken his breath away like this since the night she'd worn that strapless, sequined red mini-dress for him. Although unlike the night of her 21st birthday, when she'd looked like a ravishing, sexy goddess, this time her beauty was still evident, but in a different, more subtle way. Less flashy, yet positively regal. Like a beautiful, ethereal _princess_.

He was still in a daze for the duration of the ceremony, and essentially lost for the duration of it, although he dutifully chanted along, when prompted, where it was required by the group. When it was his turn to come up to the front altar, after Pearl, he humbly bowed his head and mumbled "I will" when the officiant asked if he would accept that he was the Master's second pillar of strength and would help guide her on her path to spiritual righteousness or something of that sort. Then he placed his hand over Maya's as she lit the second pillar candle, next to the one she'd lit with her cousin, before shuffling back to his seat, horribly conscious of all the eyes on him, as well as the loud, horseshoe-like clapping of his sandals.

There was some more chanting done and Maya lit the largest pillar candle that stood in between Phoenix's and Pearl's. Then the Officiant at last gave a pleased smile and bowed.

"A soul of hospitality and a heart of humanity is a house of love, peace, freedom, liberty and justice," the elder declared, beaming. "The initiation has been completed, and the transfer of power is absolute. Master Maya Fey, we are honored by your acquiescence of the title of Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, under which we all may prosper. May we be inspired and guided by your wisdom, and may you be filled with peace and tranquility as you begin this new chapter of your life."

The audience applauded as Maya turned to them and bowed graciously. As she walked between the rows of attendees to exit, they all bowed in turn. Phoenix felt Pearl tug on his sleeve, indicating they were to follow the new Master.

Once outside, Maya exhaled in relief.

"Whew!" She exclaimed, pretending to wipe a bead of sweat from her brow and beaming radiantly at the two pillars of strength standing before her. "Thank God _that's_ finally over and done with! Hey, Nick, you look pretty damn hot in that kimono, you sexy thing!" She gave him sassy wink. "What are you rocking underneath that, anyway? Are you making like the Scottish men with their kilts and going _au naturel_ or what?"

" _Maya_!" Phoenix blushed furiously and looked pointedly at Pearl before shifting his mortified gaze back to his girlfriend.

"I guess that means no, huh? Too cold?" Maya laughed unabashedly. "It's kind of windy today too! Such a shame…some of these old dinosaurs would probably get a thrill from seeing a man's bits for the first time in _centuries_ , assuming they didn't die from shock or heart failure first!"

That did it! Being sexually harassed by his girlfriend in front of her innocent 10-year-old cousin had the result of turning the former attorney into a sweat-dropping, blushing schoolboy. Phoenix wanted to glare at Maya for being such a naughty minx, but that would have required his eyes to shift from the ground and also meet Pearl's inquisitive face.

 _Oh sweet Jesus, please don't let her ask…_

"Mystic Maya, what do you mean by a _man's bits_?" Pearl asked, with the complete innocence of a child who'd never had formal education or training aside from the spiritual studies of the village, where Sex Ed 101 was most definitely _not_ part the curriculum!

Before the Master could think of something even more inappropriately embarrassing to say – if that were even _possible_! – Phoenix looked up and saw the same village elder who had conducted the ceremony exit the Channeling Chamber, followed by the rest of the congregation, and let out an enormous sigh of relief. Not even Maya would be shameless enough to scandalize a whole _village_ of acolytes, some of whom were Pearl's age or younger, _would_ she?

Fortunately, he never found out.

"Hello, Master Maya," the officiant said as she approached the three of them, in a voice that was civil but not exactly warm. "Will you and your guest be joining us in the dining hall now for lunch?"

"Please, Mystic Matilda, I don't want to change my title of address," Maya insisted. " _Mystic Maya_ is perfectly fine. As for lunch…" she looked over at Pearl and Phoenix, the former who nodded eagerly and the latter who discreetly shook his head – between Maya's cheeky ribbing and the volatile scene he'd overheard earlier, he had no appetite whatsoever – "um, Pearly will be joining you right now. Nick and I just want to get out of these robes and slip into something a little more comfortable first, if that's alright?"

"Perfectly fine," Mystic Matilda replied, flashing a polite smile. "It is a celebratory feast in your honor, Mystic Maya. I do believe the head chef has even arranged to make an Angus burger, topped with ramen noodles, _especially for you,_ as you'd requested. Come join us whenever you're ready."

"Did he really? Man that is _awesomesauce_!" Maya pumped her fist in the air. "I was getting _so_ sick of vegetarian cuisine!" She turned to her cousin. "Pearly, you go with Mystic Matilda, and Nick and I will join you as soon as we change our clothes, alright?"

"OK Mystic Maya," Pearl agreed happily, turning away to follow the crowd to the dining area.

"Hey Pearls?" Phoenix called when she'd walked away a few feet. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Pearl turned around and looked at him, the picture of wide-eyed innocence. "What is it, Mr. Nick?"

He fought back a guffaw, in spite of everything. "Nice try, kiddo. My hat, please?"

Pearl blushed and brought her hands up to her cheeks. "Oops! I'm sorry, Mr. Nick! Here you go!" She reached into her pocket and handed him back his beanie, smiling sheepishly at her cousin. "Hey, I _tried_!" She stage-whispered into Maya's ear before scuttling off.

Phoenix looked at his girlfriend, who at least had the decency to look somewhat discomfited, and arched an eyebrow. "Seriously, Maya? Have you been talking to Kay Faraday lately? I can't believe that _you're_ the one responsible for trying to turn Pearl into mini-Yatagarasu, although as a _great thief of_ _headwear_ instead of the _truth_!"

They had begun walking back to Fey Manor, but Maya actually stopped in her tracks and whirled around on him, all traces of embarrassment now gone from her face.

"I'm _so_ not sorry, Nick! I _hate_ that hat!" Maya puffed out her cheeks and pounded her staff on the ground for emphasis. "Although I suppose I ought to be grateful Pearly managed to get it off you for at _least_ the ceremony!"

"I _see_. I apologize for the lack of foresight that something as trivial as the hat _my daughter_ gave me would cause you such grievance." Despite the serious words, Phoenix's eyes twinkled with unrepressed amusement as he held the front entrance door open for Maya as they stepped into the empty mansion – everyone else was at the lunch festivities in the dining hall. They plodded down the hall to her room, the clip-clop of his wooden sandals sounding like horse gallops across the floor.

"I'm sorry, I know it has sentimental value, but it seriously _does_ make you look like a complete hobo!" Maya huffed, tossing her staff on the bed and clenching her fists, bringing them up to chest level. Then she dropped her hands and her head drooped to the side. "I'm being a jerk, aren't I? I should just deal with it, right? It's _your_ hat from _your kid_ and a part of you, so I should just accept it." She gave a defeated sigh. "I'm sorry, Nick. I honestly have no idea what's come over me today."

"Well, you _do_ appear to be a _tad_ more animated than usual right now, my love," he observed, grinning. "Did they slip something into your pre-ceremonial green tea or something?"

Even though her boyfriend had been jesting, Maya put a hand to her chin, tapping her cheek with her index finger as she looked skyward in sober contemplation of the question. "Hmmm, Mystic Marley noticed I was really wound up after my, ah, _talk_ with Mystic Mildred during the dressing ritual, so she _did_ offer to pour me some tea and said she'd put something in it to help relax me for the ceremony…"

"Your _tongue_ , from the looks of it!" Phoenix chortled. "And it appears the affects still haven't worn off! I still can't _believe_ some of the things you were uttering to me in front of Pearls! Thank heavens Mystic Matilda came along before you got roped into an awkward Q and A with your baby cousin on _man bits!_ "

"Ugh! It is inconceivable that I had so little control over the stuff that was coming out of my mouth!" Maya groaned, burying her head in her hands. "I swear have no idea what got into me!"

"Copious amounts of spiked tea or overly relaxing herbs of some sort, I suspect!" Phoenix couldn't stop sniggering. Maya scowled at him. "You haven't been _that_ loose lipped since the night of your last birthday when you downed one too many Dead Lawyer drinks!"

Suddenly, Maya dropped her hands from her face and gave him an impish grin, as if the scenario they were currently in – alone together, in her bedroom – had just dawned on her. She sauntered up to Phoenix and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking at him with a sultry expression. "You know, Nick, I am fully capable of being equally as just loose with my _hips_ as I am with my _lips_ …"

The siren look in her eyes was unmistakable, and nearly weakened his resolve to stay _upright_ and _clothed_ for the duration of this visit, despite the longing ache triggered in his body by the feeling of her lush, ripe curves pressed against him after so long.

"Maya, _no_. We can't. The elders, Pearls, they're all expecting us back at the dining hall..."

" _After_ we slip into something more comfortable. It took _two_ women to get me _into_ this outfit, who's to say how long it will take me on my _own_ to remove all these hooks and clasps?" Maya shimmied out of her heavy cloak and let it drift to the floor, leaving her now only in her form-hugging kimono, the top part which looked it was straining to remain closed over her heaving chest. "You could always be a gentleman, Nick, and help speed up the undressing process of course…"

Phoenix's voice died in his throat as he looked at her with hungry eyes, which devoured a path up and down her body his mouth and hands yearned to follow. He sharply shook his head to clear his lustful thoughts.

"I should have just gone straight back to the guest house to change my clothes, instead of coming here with you, Maya. This isn't right. We shouldn't be alone."

Maya paused in the act of unfastening the clasps on the front of her kimono, stopping at the waist so he could clearly see the lacy lavender bra she was wearing underneath, as well as the smooth ivory skin of her toned abdomen. She stared at him.

" _What_ is your _problem_ , Nick?" There was a look of hurt and confusion in her eyes. "Why the sudden guilty priest act? It's not like I have anything you haven't seen before! Fine, if you don't want me right now, all you have to do is just say so!"

"Fine! I don't want you right now!" He shouted, sounding about as convincing as a fat lady on Weight Watchers eye-banging an all-you-can-eat dessert bar.

There was a tense silence. It was a boldfaced lie and they both knew it. It was obvious even without the nagging feeling of his arousal at the sight of her partial state of undress. The sexual tension between them was something they could both smell, something they could both taste.

Undaunted, Maya continued undoing her clasps, before slipping out of her kimono completely. She stood there in nothing but matching lacey lavender bra and panties, fixing him with a stare that pummeled every other thought or worry in his head and heart until his whole universe was just that look.

"I don't believe you," she murmured, moving closer towards him. "Even if that kimono does do a better job than your track pants of _hiding the evidence_ which _contradicts_ your so-called claim of non-desire for me, I know all I've got do it take a look for myself underneath that thing to establish my _burden of proof_." She stopped until she was only inches away from his face, and he could feel her breath against his lips with her next words. "So tell me, why are you freaking out, Nick?"

"I'm freaking out because every second I'm with you, all I can think about is…you…me…that bed…" He spluttered desperately, not even trying to resist when she wrapped her arms around his neck again. "And it's so _wrong_ , because I don't want you thinking that's all I want to do when I see you, especially after being apart for so long. Because you mean so much more to than just a roll in the hay, Maya."

"But what if it's all _I_ want to do, Nick?" Her gaze was filled with love, desire and determination. "What if you've unleashed a Pandora's Box here, and created an insatiable sex addict who's just wants to sink her teeth into you, _each and every time_ she looks at you, since the very first time you rocked her world?"

"As much as that is music to my ears, Maya, we really shouldn't…" Phoenix felt his resolve weakening.

"Nick, I love you, and I refuse to feel ashamed or guilty about wanting us to be intimate. So should you! Stop overthinking so much!"

"It's not _just_ that, Maya. I –" His words were cut off as she placed a finger to his lips and looked at him with limpid eyes.

"I will never forget that first night you made love to me, Nick," Maya whispered, holding his face in her hands and looking searchingly into his eyes. "I remember how tender and passionate you were, but above all, I remember how you were so patient with me. You took things slow, took the time and effort to ensure that _I_ was not only wanting, but ready. Now it's _my_ turn to do the same for you." She fluttered her long lashes against his throat, and the delicate brush of the butterfly kiss was so exquisite against his skin that he closed his eyes, just reveling in her touch.

"Is this okay?" She kissed his cheek. He nodded, his eyes still closed.

"And this?" She kissed his other cheek. He nodded again.

"And this?" Her lips pressed against his chin, his jaw. He closed his eyes tighter and nodded again.

"And–"

Her mouth hadn't yet touched his when he took her by the waist and yanked her to him. He kissed her like his heart might stop if he didn't, and he kept his arms around her as she moved back, toward the other side of the room. She turned when they reached the bed so that he lay down first, then crawled on top of him. His hands were strong and sure as they traveled down her back and drew her closer. His skin felt like it burned through his clothes as their bodies melded together, arms and stomachs and shoulders and chests—and mouths. Mouths smashing into each other, nothing delicate about it, mouths that knew that this was what they'd wanted to do from the very first moment they'd set eyes on one another at the train station.

And the next second his hand was behind her head and he'd eased her down on top of him and they kept kissing . . . kissing like crazy. Her whole body was buzzing. All she wanted was to keep pressing against him, lacing her legs through his, weaving her fingers over those familiar soft spikes and bask in his lips devouring hers for the rest of the day. It felt so good to have his body pressed against hers. Not just _any_ body, but Nick's body. Nick, who laughed for her when he didn't laugh for anyone anymore. Nick, who had dropped everything at a moment's notice, just to be by her side during one of the most important moments of her life. Nick, who she loved, who she wanted and who wanted her. She wanted so badly to be wanted, all of her, every piece. But just as she was marveling at how perfectly they fit together, she felt Phoenix moving away from her.

With superhuman effort he didn't know he had, Phoenix gave a moan of reluctance and broke off the kiss, gently pushing her off him, even though it took every ounce of inner strength he had to do so. He rolled over onto his side, taking Maya with him so that she lay beside him on the bed, panting just as heavily as he was. He was sickened by how cruel it would seem to reject her. How would he explain?

Instead of the usual instinctive poker mask thrown up to emotion-charged dilemmas, he felt tears building in his eyes. "We - we can't do this," he rasped.

Maya smiled understandingly, but it fell away again almost immediately. She looked down.

"Because of the Elders waiting for us?"

He nodded. "You know that the minute we go back into town –"

"Okay," Maya grinned, looking up at the ceiling. "So then we'll just stay here."

He laughed. "Forever?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "Seems as good a place to live as any. Nice big bedroom with a pretty view of the garden."

"Plenty of light."

"An en-suite bathroom."

He nodded. "Everything you'd ever need."

"Except food. But we could send Pearly out daily to personally bring us the chef's day-to-day specials as our part of our VIP room service."

They both snickered at their silly fantasizing for a moment, then Phoenix looked at her with an earnest expression.

"Maya, if I make love to you one more time, I won't ever be able to let you go again. It was agonizing enough the last occasion."

"But Nick –"

Phoenix placed a finger against her lips, silencing her. "There's more. I can't hold this inside me any longer. When you asked if the reason for my attempted restraint just now was because of the Elders waiting for us in the hall, I wasn't being fully honest. That's only part of it." He rolled over and sat up, looking at her with sorrowful eyes. "Maya, I know about your so-called _talk_ with Mildred earlier this morning…when Pearls came out, the door was open. And I heard ...everything."

She gasped and sat up as well, her hands flying to her lips and her eyes round with dismay at the realization of how devastated Nick must be feeling after hearing the wretched woman pour out all her venom. "Oh _God_ , Nick…I'm so sorry…"

"Well let me rephrase that. I may not have heard it _all_ ," Phoenix corrected himself, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Pearls shut that door pretty damn fast. But I still heard _enough_."

"Nick, you can't let what that miserable old bat said get to you! None of it is true! And it doesn't matter to me what they think! All that should matter is what _I_ think, and what _I_ feel. And _I_ don't care what they think of you!" Maya reaffirmed.

"But _I_ care what they think about _you_ ," he retaliated quietly. "Don't feel you should compromise your career just because I ruined mine."

The pained, haunted expression in his eyes broke her heart.

 _Never opened myself this way._

Phoenix knew he was doing the right thing, even though it was gutting him.

 _I can't expect her to throw away her life as Master for some borderline criminal addict, ruin her reputation… none of this was her fault! And there's no place for me in Kurain! My presence would only hinder her already difficult task of wielding power and respect there. It would be all about me and totally selfish. I love her too much to do that to her._

Maya swallowed back the sob building within her as she got up off the bed, suddenly feeling very exposed and vulnerable in her nearly naked state. With shaking hands, she quickly donned her regular Master's kimono, her mind reeling at what horrible, irreparable damage had been done to their relationship from this visit.

His resigned expression distressed her, enough that somehow she couldn't tell him it was too late for advising against compromise. That even though the door had shut before he'd heard the entire exchange with Mildred, she had made it unfathomably clear that her solicitations and alliance with Phoenix Wright were _the one thing_ she would _never,_ _under any circumstances_ , compromise or negotiate on.

 _Life is ours, we live it our way._

She'd fought so hard for him, for _them_ … tooth and nail. Yet _one,_ horribly-timed, mud-slinging overheard conversation was all it took for him to just throw in the towel.

It was Misty Fey all over again – publically shamed over a lie, 'not having the right to face or associate with her.' Her mother, Mia, Nick… the three people who exerted the most fundamental influence on her life, all taken from her without warning because of…because of a _lie_ , an _injustice_! It wasn't right. It wasn't _fair_! Was _he_ going to disappear too?

"So what does this mean for us, then?" Maya's voice trembled.

This was his cue where Phoenix knew he was supposed to do the magnanimous thing and tell her it was okay for her to move on if she wanted to, to find someone who would really dedicate himself and stay with her. But he couldn't force himself to say the words, even though he hated himself for it.

 _All these words I don't just say._

"I can't leave the city, and I know you have to dedicate yourself to being the Master and Kurain. I don't want you to feel you should ever give that up for me, either. So for now…I don't know, Maya. Maybe one day things will change, when things have cooled off a bit here, but for now…" Phoenix couldn't meet her eyes anymore. He knew if he saw tears in them, they would be his undoing, and he was barely holding it together as it was. "I don't want to be stirring up any more strife for you here at the village. I think it's best if I don't come back here for a while." He forced himself to look at her pretty, expressionless face. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Nick. I get it." Maya's voice was hollow. She felt numb.

"I'm so sorry, Maya. But I think I need you more than you need me. At this point, I'm just a hindrance with the Master thing, and in terms of relationship, I just… can't help or support you the way I should."

So _that_ was it, she realized. He thought he was being _noble_ , trying to set her free, unburdening her while he _alone_ bared the weight of the world on his shoulders. It was so typically _Nick_ that Maya would have actually laughed, if her mind wasn't already screaming in panic about what this all ultimately could mean if she allowed it.

 _No! I won't lose him! I can't! I was powerless to tell my mother how I felt, that she did have the right to face me, but I know better this time._

"Oh, Nick! Why do you think I needed you here so badly today?" Maya whispered brokenly. "The only reason I thought I could get through this whole Master ordeal was because of _you_!"

 _Trust I seek and I find in you._

She walked over to the bed where he was still sitting and reached for his hand, and her fingers were warm against his.

"If all I have with you now till God only knows when, is _today_ , Nick, then don't want to lose any more time," she said quietly, and when he leaned forward to kiss her, he could taste the salt on her lips from tears, although he was uncertain if they were hers or his. It was like gravity, this thing between them, a pull as strong as the tides and unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He'd meant it as a joke when he said he could stay here forever, but he suddenly felt it to be true.

 _Every day for us something new_.

She pulled back for a moment, tipped his chin up with her finger, and pulled him into a standing position, all the while looking deeply into his eyes.

 _Open mind for a different view._

"And I need _you_ too, Nick."

Her mouth was once again on his. He was already kissing her back, moving his hands up her arms, sliding slowly across her skin. Holding her in his dark, desirous gaze, he pulled her to him, pressing her right up to his body. One of his hands moved up the back of her neck, twining his fingers in her hair and tipping her face up to his. He brought his lips down again, this time barely brushing them against hers.

She looked up at him with a teasing smile. "You know, Nick, you never _did_ say anything about my outfit or hairdo today! Give me your review, you compliment-stingy goof! Did you think I looked pretty?"

He regarded her with utter seriousness, like he always did. "I thought you were absolutely beautiful. Then, and now. But especially now."

"Beautiful?" She breathed, feeling lost by the undisguised look of desire in his eyes.

"Maya Fey, you are so beautiful it hurts me sometimes."

His lips moved to hers, gentle at first, and then hard and hungry. His kiss consumed her. His hands on her arms slid down, down her hips, down to the edge of her kimono. He gathered up the fabric in his hands and began pushing it up her legs. She melted into his touch, into his kiss, and the way it burned against her mouth. His hands kept sliding up and up, until he'd pulled the silky fabric over her head and tossed it on the floor, before grabbing her and falling back on the bed, this time on top of her. His own clothes followed suit.

 _So close no matter how far._

Again the world had collapsed around them, and this time they knew they couldn't fix it, just as they both knew they had no answers on how to solve the many cruel injustices which kept them forcing them apart. All they could do was hold each other, and seek solace in one another's arms, in some effort to still have something to cling to, amidst all the madness and mayhem around them.

 _Couldn't be much more from the heart._

And before the morning was over, they'd both relinquished any measure of conscious inhibition or control on their desire to be together, for the first and last time in Kurain Village. Because Lord only knew when and where they would have another tomorrow.

It was a moment of spontaneous, fleeting passion, and they wanted to hold onto it in an effort to stay as close as physically possible to each other. She moved fluidly beneath him, seamlessly mingling into him. And he let himself go from past and future, was reduced to the beauteous moment in which he took her and was one with her and there was nothing beyond. They were together in an elemental embrace beyond their surrounding superficial esotericism.

There was nobody else in the world at that moment. It was just them. Nick and Maya.

Forever trusting who they were. And nothing else mattered.

* * *

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters


	24. Mine

_A/N - I am most curious if any of you guys figured out who this was prior to the big reveal. Rest assured, I_ _ **don't**_ _do gratuitous love scenes...this IS integral to the plot line. Some PG-13 steam here (disclaimer, because am paranoid)_

* * *

 _"The way her body existed only where he touched her. The rest of her was smoke."_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Four:** **Mine**

 _ **Mystery Male and Unidentified Female**_ _  
Legal Office_  
Date and Time Unknown

"You know, this wasn't quite what I had in mind when I said I wanted you to be working _under_ me tonight." She leaned back against the desk and crossed her long legs, flashing a sultry grin as she watched him undo the buttons of his shirt, one by one, with painstaking slowness.

"The _hell_ you didn't," he growled, casting the garment aside. He strode purposefully towards her and yanked her up into a fully standing position, forcefully grabbing her by the waist. His fingers roughly untucked her blouse from her skirt and slid underneath the silk, gripping her around her back, his nails digging slightly into her skin. Since he was normally so tender with her, the abruptness was startling at first, but only for a moment. Then she realized she was turned on by this rarely seen side of him, by this slightly untamed, animalistic side that nobody else was ever privy to see. His eyes were stormy as he heaved her against the hardness of his body. "You knew _damn_ well what you wanted to happen when you said you wanted to meet tonight. There's no witnesses around, so you can cease your foolish little games now. They may work with _him_ , but not me. _Never me_."

She felt her pulse quicken at the undertone of anger lacing his words, despite the obvious evidence of his desire pressing up against her. There was a hint of grim determination lurking in his eyes as he yanked her blouse off over her head, not even bothering with undoing the tiny buttons. He deftly snapped open the clasp of her bra with just the flick of one finger, so that she was completely bared to him from the waist up. Then he jerked her to him once more, crushing her against his firm pecs before plunging his tongue between her panting lips.

The unrelenting plundering caught her off-guard, and she jerked her head away, panting slightly, both from wantonness and the urge to suddenly catch her breath.

"You haven't been kissed in a while, have you?"

 _Oh God, it can't be that obvious._ "That's none of your business."

"Yes, it _is_ my business. And I'm making it priority business."

Hot, surging need slammed into her at the possessiveness in his tone. His grip tightened on her, quieting her denial.

"Don't lie to me, woman. You haven't been _laid properly_ in a while either, have you?"

"No, but I don't want you," she grit out, hating his arrogance, and herself even more for still wanting him nonetheless.

 _Good God, he's like a sexually charged nuclear weapon about to detonate me._

"Don't be petulant," he whispered softly, smoothing a hand down her hair. "Do you want me to ravage you?"

Her chest tingled from the sensation of being rubbed against the hair on his broad chest.

"You can't deny this tension between us." His voice was deathly sexy, his breath a warm gust of air against her throat as he nuzzled her. "This is as much for you as it is for me – for _us_. I have to get you out of my system. We'll play whatever game you want during daytime hours, but we'll have our own game. Just ours, which nobody else will ever know about. Do you understand me?"

 _Please excuse me, but my brain is in a fog of lust and I can't think straight._ "What? . . . You mean right here? Right _now_ . . . ?"

"Right here." Her muscles start quivering as he reached between their bodies and she heard the rasp of his zipper. "Right now."

"Have you been thinking about this for a long time now?" She swallowed back a moan when he bit the side of her neck and rasped "Yes," as if answering himself.

He nibbled down her neck to her shoulder, then his lips drifted lower, towards her bosom. It felt so good, she arched for him.

He smiled against her chest, because of course he hew— they _both_ knew—she was beyond fired-up and aching for him. Lord help her, but his tantalizing lips against her heated skin felt _so_ good…But her pride was smarting because she was turned on so easily, in spite of his goading, macho act. She wanted to fight the yearning he made her feel, and put her hands on his shoulders, battling within herself and gathering the strength she required to push him away.

But then she realized . . . _Who am I kidding? He's right – despite my better judgement, I_ _ **do**_ _want him as much as he wants me. This tension we've had between us all this time has been driving me insane! He_ _ **owes**_ _me this. He damn well_ _ **should**_ _pleasure me until I can't get enough!_

So she grabbed the back of his head and start kissing him again, groaning softly when he did the same, his mouth taking control of hers, his tongue working its magic on her as she felt his unmistakable hardness pressing against her skirt.

Then the next thing she knew, he had backed her against the wall and was kissing her hard. Harder than he'd ever kissed her before. But she was kissing him back with just as much fervor, moaning from pleasure as she raked her nails down his bare back. She was aware of so many things. Of the sleeping security guard down the hall. Of the hum of the lights and the faint whir of the air conditioning. And the delicious feel of his body as he pressed her against the wall. Of the way she was standing on tiptoe so he could reach her mouth. And especially of the way their mouths clung together and the feel of his tongue against of hers and the faint scrape of his teeth as he nibbled her bottom lip.

He pulled off of her, gasping for breath, his arms pining her to his body as his other hand wrapped around, jerking up her skirt and exposing her French-cut lace panties. A grin stretched across his face.

"Are those for me or _him_?"

She didn't answer, just continued to look at him challengingly, her chest still heaving.

"Take them off."

"If you want me so badly, take them off yourself," she huskily replied, still clinging to her pride.

He laughed darkly. His hips moved against her body in a punishing roll that made her gasp, and he groaned at the stimulation as though he could get off just dry-humping her.

"Do as I say, damn you."

She didn't respond, instead grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him towards her so she could nip his ear, but he pulled back, his eyes boring into hers.

"Answer me! Answer me while I make you mine, right here – and make you scream so loud that anyone walking by will hear you."

" _Make me_ ," she whispered, a challenge in her tones.

His hand tightened around her waist at the words, his eyes holding hers with a fierce look as he listened to her words.

" _Make_ me scream your name," she grit out, her teal eyes on his. They were tortured grey, cloudy with arousal, latent with passion. "Make me scream it so loud that you rock that man right out of my system."

"Damn you, woman!" He gasped. "You are mine. Only _mine._ " His breath ragged, his hands found her face and brought her mouth to his for a scorching kiss before pulling at her long brown hair, tilting her head back and then lifting his lips off hers so she could see his mussed dark hair and intense expression. "I'm going to send you back to him with the scent of me all over you."

She didn't reply, she was too busy running her nails down his rippling back with one hand, licking the sweat off the side of his neck, while her free hand trailed intimately over his body.

"God, Chief, you are so damn good…" He groaned at the sensations of her nipping lips and skillful, exploring fingers.

Then suddenly, abruptly, he pulled away, looking at her a combination of lust and possessive jealousy smoldering in his eyes.

"Tell me you want me to take you." His words were terse, thick. He was conflicted, but unignorably aroused at the same time, his breathing ragged. "Admit that you crave me to keep making love to you because you know that _he_ can never give it you as good as I can!" He grabbed her and ground against her, his lips buried in her throat while his hands roamed feverishly over her body. She melted against him, unable to speak, unable to breathe – she was so caught up in the electric sensations of pleasure jolting through her at the expert, teasing touch of his hands.

"Tell me you don't want me to stop." He put his mouth close to her ear, so she could feel the fiery heat of his breath and his words. "Tell me you want me."

"Please, don't stop! I want you! I _need_ you!" She gasped, arching against his relentless, tormenting fingers.

"Tell me to take you, Lana Skye."

She smiled and complied. They were back in territory she understood.

"You didn't say my name. Say my name when you tell me to take you."

"Take me hard, and take me _now_ , Miles Edgeworth."


	25. She's Like the Wind

_"We've made our decisions, we've taken our choices, what's left, is only a hand-full of emotions."  
_

* * *

 _A/N - I am so touched by the fact that you guys are reading and reviewing *does happy dance*...even though some of you Miles/Fredgeworth fans may want to murder me for the last chapter! All I can say is...Please keep reading?_

 _Also, forgive my gratuitous throwback to the 1980's chick flick here guys...but if you've read part one of the trilogy, you'll understand why that movie is such a nostalgic trip down memory lane for Phoenix. Also...Patrick Swayze was the one who first made me realize I liked boys! ;)  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: She's Like the Wind**

 _ **Phoenix Wright  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency  
_ September 4, 2020, 3:00 pm

Phoenix stared at the television set in his living room, idly flipping channels on the TV set in an attempt to unwind a bit before he started work in a few hours that night. It was the very same one on which he used to watch the _Steel Samurai_ with her. The same one on which they heard the news about their future clients and about their victories. It stayed there, far from him, as if to mock him. Far from him, just as she was.

It had been nearly nine months since Phoenix's self-imposed exile away from Maya. It had also been almost a year and a half since he'd lost his badge. It occurred to him that since Maya's last birthday, he'd seen the woman he loved on exactly two occasions. It was too depressing to even think about.

Both times had been to tell her goodbye.

Well, for the most part. And only for _now_ , anyway. He wasn't kicking her out of his _life_. He didn't think he could ever endure _that_.

They still emailed while she travelled for her Master's conferences and trainings, many which took her across the globe – he had souvenirs and postcards from most parts of Asia! – and they spoke on the phone, late at night after Trucy had gone to bed and he'd come home from another evening of "piano playing". Yes, that was still what Maya thought he did. Somehow he just couldn't find it in his heart to let his girlfriend (who against all odds, somehow hadn't lowered her opinion of him), know that he essentially ran an illegal poker gambling operation in the seedy pits of an icy hell. All the while using piano playing, and to his greater shame, his _daughter,_ as a cover.

It was a telling sign, how low he'd sunken, when in spite of all this, the thing he _most_ felt guilty about was having her staying up so late just so they could chat, since she often had early morning business meetings and such. But she always assured him not to worry, that it was a small price to pay.

Phoenix and Maya kept up their relationship, such as it was – but under strict wraps from Trucy, as it would just be too complicated to have her get ensnared into this tangled web – as well as the elders, who assumed Maya had acquiesced and cast him aside because they'd ordered her to.

Maya's birthday had come and gone in April. He hadn't even been able to _speak_ to her that day, never mind _see_ her. She'd been off on another remote retreat somewhere in Japan for the week prior to and after it, again with no electricity or technology access, so they hadn't even been able to Skype chat. However, when she'd returned back to LA, she'd told him that the loving birthday e-card he'd sent her had been enough to assure her that out of sight didn't mean out of mind for him any more than it did for her.

Then she'd tearily professed that no matter where she went, she carried him in her heart, and had yet to take off the locket that he'd given her for her last birthday, as it was a tangible piece of him to always have with her.

Despite the forced joviality in Maya's tone as she assured him that she was still willfully accepting of her fate of mystery _Juliet_ girlfriend (who was now also forbidden on _her_ end in seeing her Romeo), she couldn't fool him in the slightest.

Phoenix, for his part, could sense that Maya was unhappy in the Kurain Master position and could not absolve his own guilt that the disbarring had impeded her plans for balance and the opportunity to continue her life where she'd genuinely seemed her happiest - when she'd been his wisecracking office assistant.

Back then, things had been so simple. When life for both of them had been full of laughter and jokes and fun as they'd investigated the truth and fought for justice side by side. He sadly remembered how Maya had often told him that his kindness, his support, and his friendship had overshadowed everything else during her times of grief from the tragedies she'd had to suffer in-between. Later, when she'd found out that she had his _love_ , on top of everything else, she'd sworn she could face anything else that life chucked at them.

It was what she _still_ vowed now, to her boyfriend that she loved wholeheartedly but could almost never see. She could survive this separation, she assured him. As long as they loved each other, they could weather this storm. Like all other tragedies that had befallen them, this too, would surely pass. Phoenix wasn't sure to whom Maya was really trying to convince of that particular platitude. Was it him, or herself?

Phoenix had never felt more frustrated, helpless or miserable in his entire life. There wasn't a single day that went by that the same, futile thought didn't cross his mind at least a dozen times a day. _Damn those old hags of Kurain, with all their rules and all their icy stares! And damn that wretched Dragon Lady, Mystic Mildew to the fieriest pits of hell for being the catalyst behind this all!_

Of course, for the sake of the Master of Kurain's reputation, the elders of Kurain strongly discouraged contact with a blemished lawyer, disbarred for using false evidence.

He thought it only tactless to intrude, as there was little practical help he could provide. After all, _he_ was the source of much of her ongoing problems, and he was grateful that she had kept up their "friendship" despite the rest of society's ostracism and the stain it cast on her own reputation.

So that was the latest tragic tale of how another nine months – the same length of time as a human pregnancy – had passed without him setting eyes on the love of his life. It was gut-wrenching, but what choice did he have? Their circumstances were hardly ideal for a normal relationship.

He had a daughter who had no idea of Maya's existence, and while her formalized adoption had at last been completely finalized the month before, there were other, far more sinister factors to consider. And he couldn't visit Kurain. Well, he _could_ , Maya insisted, but she probably just didn't want to hurt his feelings. So he refused. He knew it would make things terribly difficult for her right now.

As it turned out, The Dragon Lady indeed hadn't been blowing smoke when she'd loftily informed him that Maya was a woman to be revered! In fact, in some hasty research post _State vs Iris_ , Phoenix had discovered that the Kurain Master held far more power and influence than he'd ever suspected. Phoenix's self-esteem had taken a significant hit in the whole disbarring fiasco – what had possessed him to be so incomprehensibly stupid as to fall into that obvious trap and present that 'evidence'?

Hence, he almost felt ashamed to associate with her, his negative public image being what it was and all.

To top it all off, his girlfriend had confided that despite being long gone and rotting in prison, the vile stench of lies and mistrust that Morgan Fey had left behind in her wake still ran rampant amongst many of the Elders. Maya's aunt had completely screwed her niece over long before Maya had ever assumed the unwanted Master position. Although she wasn't there to bask in the fruits of her labor, even in absence, the seeds Morgan the Maleficent planted had fully sprouted.

When Misty Fey had vanished, Pearl's wretched mother had gone about political "restructuring" – which essentially meant commandeering as much power away from the actual Master as possible, and inflaming a pathological fear and resentment of law and legal circles, since they had been what 'destroyed' Misty and Mia. Kurain politics were the dirty stuff that White House wet dreams were made of. And this ghastly gaggle of women would undauntedly kill each other when and if things don't work out, by disturbing historic precedent.

Phoenix wished with all his heart he could go stick his foot up several asses, or, failing that, encourage those old bags to eat _several kinds_ of dick! However, he knew anything he did would only worsen matters, as for one thing, it was only up until recently the world had stopped seeing the Kurain Technique itself as a fraud. And for another, all the Kurain heavyweights thought he was the pointy-haired devil himself, the fraudulent criminal ex-lawyer who'd corrupted their new Master, and ensured the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree as Misty, of course, had been lured to 'betray' them all by some lawyer.

There had been a nasty debacle after his disbarring where some shoddy tabloid had hypothesized if there had been a "forged channeling" during the _State vs. Iris_ trial! Mercifully, it'd been the sort of ill-reputed rag whose ideas of hard news tended to revolve around Elvis sightings in outer space and advocating miracle diet drugs that made you lose 21 pounds in 18 minutes! Phoenix had been beyond relieved that the lunacy hadn't spread further; he didn't know if he could have abided being the reason behind the Master yet again be a laughing stock, and whose business had tanked because ultimately, _nobody_ wanted a forged channeling!

One of the Kurain cronies – without Maya's consent – went into damage control and informed the publication that Maya and Phoenix had severed all ties over the disbarring. Maya was furious, but he'd told her to go with that story, at least for the moment.

It had been little wonder Mia had thought Maya would have been better off in the care of Phoenix than with her own people. The Kurain Master truly could have used the assistance of a _practicing_ lawyer, one who could assist with updating Kurain laws, as well as help her make her own, and get clout over the council of elders.

 _Nice one, Wright, ruining things for her._ Phoenix brooded to himself as he idly flipped through the channels. _I was right in making the call in staying away from her. As it is, I'm just detrimental to any chance of her gaining respect._

 _Dirty Dancing_ was playing on the TV set. Even though the classic film was completely the mother of all chick flicks, Phoenix couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia wash over him as he watched the handsome, graceful Johnny Castle effortlessly glide around his Baby, moving in perfect harmony with her to sultry, pulsating beats. Maya had loved this movie. Had even tried to clumsily reenact the famous dance number at the end, where the heroine had dashed across the crowded room to the side of her lover, where he'd effortlessly caught her in his strong arms and lifted her easily over his head.

In _their_ case, Maya been lucky she'd had him to break her fall, as all that had been achieved from _her_ running leap efforts had been Phoenix winding up crumpled on the ground, with her sprawled on top of him! The two of them had better resembled a couple of askew pretzels rather than poetry in motion!

 _God_ , how he missed her! His burger loving, chick-flick watching, wannabe tiny dancer!

Well, while it was true that the taut but lithe and dually left-footed Phoenix Wright possessed neither the muscles nor suave rhythmic moves of the late, great Patrick Swayze, there was _one_ trait of the studly actor that he could _potentially_ emulate... if he only took the time…

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _The Borscht Bowl Club_  
10:45pm

Phoenix truly, madly deeply hated The Borscht Bowl. It was always freezing cold and – despite Olga's great pride in her signature dish…was there anything more genuinely disgusting and unpalatable than _borscht_?

 _What the hell even_ _ **is**_ _borscht? It's red, so either tomato soup or blood. And it smells as if it contains the supporting cast of The Little Mermaid! Ugh...Sebastian the Crab blood? Do shellfish even have blood? … All three contenders are gag-worthy, tomatoes, shellfish and blood, so it's an ultimate pass on the borscht, no matter how many times Miss Olga Orly tries cramming her alleged homemade masterpiece down my throat!_

On top of it all, he was finding his new life intensely draining. He endeavored to keep positive around Trucy, who was largely his only motivation to get out of bed, but the blatant hostility and rejection from all his former acquaintances still pained him – the far away but not forgotten Edgeworth and his adopted "siblings", the Gumshoes, notwithstanding. Plus, his so-called "job" kept him on edge, since he'd never really considered himself a poker player and it was surely only a matter of time before he lost and was fired, and cultivating an uneasy "friendship" since the beginning of the year with that highly unpleasant Kristoph Gavin consumed all his powers of self-control.

Never in his life had Phoenix ever felt so bleak.

 _Without my unbroken poker win streak, I am nothing – and in this empty, meaningless game, it's actually true,_ he thought miserably. _That's why I hope it doesn't matter that I don't even care anymore how much I use Trucy to cheat – that I shamelessly use my daughter as collateral, exploit her on my behalf when I'm supposedly now her_ _ **legal**_ _guardian. I even feel like I've won, like it's a legitimate part of the game. Trucy probably just thinks it's a magic trick._

It _was_ all just another part of the performance. An inescapable act on the Phoenix Wright Never-Ending Magic Show.

Boris and Natasha had known who he was right out of the gate. They'd hired him based on his reputation. His criminal reputation. There were all kinds of illegal betting rings and Lord knew what else going on within these freezing walls. He did his best to turn a blind eye, just as they'd always suspected he would.

"My other Daddy played here all the time," Trucy confessed to Phoenix, shortly after he'd been hired. It had been one of his reasons for keeping the crummy job in this lousy hell. He had to believe that someday, somehow, the elusive Zak would turn up there one day.

Trucy kept him sane. Only around his daughter could he be something even remotely resembling his old self. But even then, ever since that fateful day she'd caught him pathetically weeping at the table over a year ago, it never escaped his mind that he could only ever reveal a subsection of his true feelings. After all, _he_ was the adult, and _she_ was the child. He couldn't upset her. He couldn't reveal his problems. He had to mask his pain, and attempt to obscure at least _some_ of his flaws. While him and Trucy had a very close and loving connection, it was far more of a mutual support partnership than surely most real fathers had with their daughters.

He knew it was dysfunctional, the way he allowed Trucy to also look after him. He felt like shit-heel about that at times. He knew if he were a more responsible parent, he'd try harder to stop it. But he didn't. He _couldn't_. And he was all too painfully aware of what – _who_ – he was compensating for.

The compulsion over that "occurrence" was what led him, like a lamb to slaughter, to repeatedly accept Kristoph Gavin's offers of hospitality, over and over again.

From their earlier meetings, Phoenix soon got the impression Kristoph was a potentially dangerous individual, and his instinct was to protect Maya from the consequences - the whole disbarring mess had nothing to do with her. The seemingly affable defense attorney apparently assumed that he and Maya were lovers. Phoenix spent quite a lot of time and effort deconstructing that impression so Kristoph would believe that they weren't. He had no concrete proof that it was his safest and best bet to lie about Maya – the German man had exuded nothing but genteel charm towards him. But Phoenix's magatama wasn't something to deny, and so the charade commenced.

His emotional response refuting the claim was awkward – not one he could properly cover, in spite of having perfected his poker face. So he decided the best tactic in terms of believability was to pretend Maya thought he had forged the evidence, was furious with him, and things were now frigid; anything between them was long over. It was close enough to the truth in his mind for his acting to be convincing. Kristoph genuinely seemed to have bought it – Phoenix could even feign anger. Really, it was all directed solely at himself, this rage and self-loathing about ruining the legal practice and, consequently, what they'd had together.

Phoenix's gut instincts about his "stalker" had proven to be correct when the Thursday night following his last visit to Kurain, Kristoph had accosted him after he'd played his final set of the evening, the expression behind his glasses simultaneously placid but probing.

Apparently, Phoenix's absence and whereabouts that past weekend hadn't escaped the blond man's attention.

"So," Kristoph had remarked mildly, taking a small sip of that vile red wine he so favored. "Did you have a nice visit in Kurain, visiting your lover?"

"Maya? Oh _God_ no, she's not my lover!" Somehow, Phoenix managed a slight, derisive laugh, even as he felt his stomach drop into his shoes. He knew he'd _never_ told Kristoph what his plans for the weekend were going to be! "She was my former office manager of my law office. We needed to finalize business matters over the closure of the legal practice."

Despite his stoic expression, Phoenix sensed that Kristoph didn't believe him, and all his previous efforts spinning a semi-legitimate story in his mind were now in vain. What was it about people being able to read him like a book when it came to Maya Fey? How was it they could somehow just... _tell_? Long before he _himself_ had been able to?!

A far more inbred instinct surged forth; to protect Maya, from this danger – if indeed his gut reaction was correct and not leading him astray again – of entirely his own making, in which she should have no involvement. What was he going to do?

Phoenix knew he wouldn't be able to conceal his highly emotional response – he never had been able to do so when it came to that girl _long_ before he'd professed his love to her, and covering up their past history had proven to be impossible. So instead, he opted for another route altogether – infuriated, mortally wounded ex-boyfriend.

He pictured Mildew's withered, wilting prune face. It was from this which he drew his ire as he spat out his next words.

"Maya, in the end, didn't have enough faith or trust in me to be in it for the long haul. She chose to believe the lies of those around her, and convinced herself that I forged the evidence. She sees me as nothing but a low-life who has sullied the pristine name of her revered title and that of her hoity-toity village. She feels I'm beneath a woman of her station now, and wants nothing more to do with me in the future."

Kristoph smirked but shook his head in a sham expression of sympathy. "Ah, so you tried to maintain relations but ultimately were jilted in your efforts, were you?"

Phoenix stifled a gulp at how pleased his faux tale of misery seemed to make the other man. _Good Lord,_ Kristoph was scary! But the attorney did appear to be buying this particular angle, and it was the best he could think of at the moment, considering the wounds of his Kurain visit were still fresh.

He contemplated playing the forlorn, discarded lover angle, but then opted for anger instead, as it would be easier to prove he was squelching any and all desire for reconciliation. It was easy enough to do – the anger was indeed real. It was directed at _himself_ , for yet _again_ having to _deny_ , and now _bad-mouth_ , his beloved Maya.

"Damn she-devil!" Phoenix fumed. "When the chips were down, she was nowhere to be found! And after I gave her my whole heart! So the hell with her! She thinks she's too good for me, yet I have no idea what _I_ ever saw in her – her… _ridiculous, juvenile ass_! And now that the law firm is over, _thank Christ,_ I no longer have any excuses or reasons to need to see her disloyal face _ever_ again!"

Tears stung his eyes as the despicable words left his mouth - which he'd be damned if he ever let Kristoph ever see fall! - But he'd upset himself enough over it to be convincing. Kristoph genuinely seemed to believe him, taking the agitation to mean this was no act, rather than the reality, which was that it was the sick lies Phoenix was forced to utter that was making him so distraught.

It gave him quite the sense of gratification, the notion that he'd finally succeeded in convincing Kristoph that he and Maya would never again be an item, taking her off his radar of consideration. However, he was glad he'd managed to keep Trucy in the dark about the whole thing; having an over-enthusiastic kid running around and unwittingly spouting contradictory information was surely something that would have gotten back to Kristoph and damaged the whole defensive façade.

He'd been successful in his endeavors. For these past nine months of being Kristoph's alleged pal, during all their coffee chats and visits, Maya's name was never brought up again. And to his utter relief, the past few months, the German's visits to see him at the bar had been steadily dwindling. Phoenix hadn't seen or heard from him in months, for which he was most relieved.

And so he was lost in his own little world as he played the last ballad of the night to a captive, and appreciative audience. It was only the second whole song he'd ever taught himself to play since… _that_ one many moons ago. Encouraged by the cheers of the crowd, Phoenix found himself dutifully singing the lyrics as he played, as they perfectly matched how he'd been feeling all day.

* * *

 _ **She's like the wind through my tree**_  
 _ **She rides the night next to me**_  
 _ **She leads me through moonlight**_  
 _ **Only to burn me with the sun**_  
 _ **She's taken my heart**_  
 _ **But she doesn't know what she's done**_

 _ **I feel her breath on my face**_  
 _ **Her body close to me**_  
 _ **Can't look in her eyes**_  
 _ **She's out of my league**_

 _ **Just a fool to believe**_  
 _ **I have anything she needs**_  
 _ **She's like the wind**_

 _ **I look in the mirror and all I see**_  
 _ **Is a young old man with only a dream**_  
 _ **Am I just fooling myself**_  
 _ **That she'll stop the pain**_  
 _ **Living without her**_  
 _ **I'd go insane**_

 _ **I feel her breath on my face**_  
 _ **Her body close to me**_  
 _ **Can't look in her eyes**_  
 _ **She's out of my league**_

 _ **Just a fool to believe**_  
 _ **I have anything she needs**_  
 _ **She's like the wind**_

 _ **I feel your breath on my face**_  
 _ **Your body close to me**_  
 _ **Can't look in your eyes**_  
 _ **You're out of my league**_

 _ **Just a fool to believe**_  
 _ **She's like the wind**_  
 _ **Just a fool to believe (just a fool to believe)**_  
 _ **She's like the wind**_  
 _ **Just a fool to believe**_  
 _ **She's like the wind**_  
 _ **Just a fool**_  
 _ **She's like the wind...  
**_

* * *

The patrons were still applauding when Phoenix took his final bow for the night. While he thought their alcohol-impaired minds hardly made them discerning music critics – he'd only practiced the song for a couple of hours before work just earlier that day – he knew that while he was no Swayze-like crooner, his own singing voice wasn't half-bad. It was certainly better than his playing; singing was something which he only resorted to when he needed to create a distraction from a really off-key playing night.

Tonight had been one of those nights.

As he stood up and headed towards the stairs to The Hydeout, he saw a flash of blond hair. With a start, he realized Kristoph was standing in the corner of the bar, watching, and now moving toward him.

Kristoph wore his customary smirk as he approached Phoenix, who'd just been about to make his escape downstairs. The German man was still applauding as he drew nearer, even though the look on his face didn't resemble that an advocate who was still appreciating the performance he'd just heard. However, he certainly didn't look displeased. As usual, he was the epitome of coolness and composure.

"Bravo, _Herr_ Wright, bravo!" Kristoph gave one final slow clap before fixing his icy blue eyes on Phoenix. "In all the time I've had the privilege of hearing you tickle those ivories, my friend, I have _never_ before known what a _lark_ hath been hiding from me underneath that hat! What _else_ have you been keeping from me, hmmm?"

Phoenix cracked a smile of attempted humility. "You're too kind, Kristoph. But thank you."

"Alas, I know _not_ why the proverbial caged birds sings." A ghost of a smile flickered across Kristoph's face. Phoenix thought the man had an awful smile - it was more like a leer. "Whatever inspired such a melodious, yet _melancholic_ melody, _Herr_ Wright? Has your heart not _healed_ from Miss Fey's _taking a heel_ to it earlier this year? Or are you victim of fresh heartache anew, perchance?"

"None of the above!" Phoenix lied easily, reaching up and scratching the back of his neck while smiling nervously. "You give me too much credit as a musician, Kristoph, if you think I am actually able to project and vent my _genuine_ emotions through _song_! My Trucy loves the, ah, _magic scenes_ in that movie. Especially the part where the man is sawing the woman inside the box. Unfortunately, that means she also makes me sit through the _whole film_ because she likes the music in it as well, and I guess that tune got stuck in my head."

"You possess the keen ability to play by ear, do you?"

"I guess so. I can't read music worth a lick...but yeah, if I concentrate hard and listen to a song enough, I can usually play something that _closely resembles_ it, heh, heh."

"Yes, although it's most curious how the saddest love song in the film was indeed the most memorable to you," Kristoph arched an eyebrow, although he nodded his head in understanding. "I'd have thought it'd have been the catchy one they play in the end, where they do that famous dance lift scene."

The conversation was beginning to make Phoenix's composure unravel. Deep down, he would have bet his life that Kristoph was speaking of more than just the charming 80's flick. There was an underlying menace to his words that could not be ignored.

It was the true reason why, even if the Elders in Kurain _hadn't_ put their foot down about Maya associating with him, Phoenix would have opted to stay away from her, regardless. It was why he was doing so _now_ , even though he knew Maya was confused and upset by his refusal to try to see her.

If only he could tell her the truth! But the truth was cloaked in shadow, making it difficult to determine. Was Kristoph his friend or enemy? _Was_ he as evil as he seemed? Would the man really hurt Maya or him or Trucy? And what about that brother of his? Would the rock god play along with or orchestrate a plot to cause them harm?

One moment Phoenix was certain that in the end, good would triumph over evil, and justice would be served to all those that had hurt him and his loved ones. The next moment he felt like he was losing his marbles and that his daughter deserved a saner guardian, one who could actually be a family with the woman he loved, and give her the new mommy she'd been asking for more and more lately.

Sometimes the worst thought of all was his fear that he was wrong about Kristoph, that he was being overly paranoid and keeping him and Maya apart for no real reason.

Realizing he still hadn't replied to Kristoph's observation, he fought back the urge to squirm, as he was starting to grow steadily more uncomfortable under the man's unwavering gaze.

"Well, since you're obviously not a fan of classic 80's love soundtracks, as my most frequent audience member, I should allow you to make a request for the next time I play!" Phoenix joked, flashing his most disarming grin. "What song shall I learn that might better please you, Kristoph?"

Instead of answering, Kristoph slowly began singing out the lyrics to the famous Police song, the cold smile never leaving his face as he did so.

Phoenix felt his blood chill down to the bone.

" _Every move you make, every vow you break. Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you."_

Patrick Swayze - She's Like the Wind

The Police - Every Breath You Take


	26. My Cross to Bear

_"_ _Nothing good ever comes out of hurry and frustration, only misery."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: I cannot thank you guys enough for reading and reviewing! Nothing makes a writer happier than knowing the audience is engaged! Much thanks to The Generic Overlord for her review on the last chapter. Her work stuff is pretty sweet guys…though you may to fan yourself a bit after reading… ;)_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Six:** **My Cross to Bear**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
**_ September 5, 2020, 3:00 am

Maya sometimes wondered if there was more than met the eye with regards to her relationship with Phoenix. Despite her efforts to try to sneak in a visit, he kept making excuses about why he couldn't see her – even when her conferences and travels had taken her to his neck of the woods, in Los Angeles, a few times in the past couple of months! As the Gumshoes were always willing and delighted babysitters for Trucy, she'd have thought her boyfriend would have leapt at the chance to see her for a few stolen hours or even the night!

But no, Phoenix always had some excuse, muttering things about ruining her reputation if the Elders found out she'd seen him, to which she always retorted she didn't give a rat's ass about – he meant more to her than a village of narrow-minded spinsters and this cursed position she'd never wanted, but he was obstinate and wouldn't budge – she blamed the fact that he was a Capricorn. He really was a stubborn old goat just like his astrology sign dictated!

That night, when she'd spoken to him on the phone, things had nearly come to a head. When she'd flat out demanded if he was telling the truth or simply making lame excuses not to see her this time around – Trucy was formally adopted now so why the holdup still? – he'd mumbled something about him putting her danger if he were to be around her right now.

Maya sat there on the phone in stunned silence, unsure she'd heard him right. "Nick, _what_ did you just say?"

She heard her boyfriend make a funny noise, almost like a groan. She could picture him right now, small beads of sweat rolling down his forehead with that hilarious, chagrined chimpanzee expression on his face as he realized how much of a slip of the tongue he'd made. Even though she couldn't see his face, she was able to feel his emotions, his expressions. It made her grin, in spite of herself.

Phoenix felt the smile, and regained his composure. While the circumstances were no laughing matter, he was glad to have been able to brighten up that lovely face. He was convinced they were linked in some cosmic, other worldly way. They didn't have to be physically with one another to be together, or so he told himself, but perhaps it was nothing more than delusion…just like this apparent paranoia of his.

"Danger?" He cleared his throat and felt one hand unconsciously drop to his hip now, while the other free one slid behind his neck as he held the phone in his shoulder. "I didn't say danger. I said, um, _don't be a stranger_!"

"Nick, you're such a lousy liar! I know you too well! Now tell me, _what the hell_ is going on here!" Maya hated when he kept things from her. It was a painfully stinging rejection indeed when you coupled his secrecy with his refusal to see her.

"Remember I told you I was going to try and become Kristoph's friend? Well, mission accomplished, but this isn't a relationship that isn't without some risks and some complications, Maya. Things could get a little – capricious. I could be wrong, but I don't want to take that gamble. Which is why I don't want you with me…"

"Are you saying I can't visit you next time I'm down in the city?" She felt like crying now.

"Yes! No! Ngh! Maya, listen, it's late… I don't know exactly what I'm saying…"

"Phoenix Wright don't you dare try to pussyfoot around with me!" Maya was beyond hurt now and just flat out peeved. "I'm not hard of hearing and I'm not going to listen to any more of your ridiculous bluffs to try to cover up what you just said! I heard you say _danger_!" Her voice softened, but remained at the same level of intensity. "Nick, _please_. Talk to me."

"It's Gavin, OK?" He blurted out. "Kristoph Gavin… that creepy blond lawyer I mentioned to you last time I came up. He's got me all shook up. I'm worried for you. Kristoph can smile to your face and stab you in the back."

"I remember, Nick. So tell me that truth, right now." Her voice was a stern as a school teacher's. "You're not doing anything dangerous are you?"

"You told me not to lie to you, my love." A long sigh on the other end of the phone. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

That meant yes. Maya swallowed. She knew Phoenix was worried about her because he knew he was taking risks getting close to Kristoph, who, if he _was_ as dangerous as her boyfriend was speculating, and realized he was on to him, forget _her_ , _Nick_ could be the one in real danger!

"How are you going about protecting Trucy, Nick? She's not only your daughter, she's also involved in all this…you don't think…" Maya's voice trailed off. She was too afraid to even finish the awful thought in her mind, never mind say it out loud.

"I don't know how much I can do, but I can't worry about you, too. This is why I've emphasized that we can't see each other right now, Maya. If you're up in Kurain, at least I know you're safe."

"I think you're being ridiculous, Nick," Maya declared. "I'm a big girl who's been through quite enough to last several lifetimes. I can take care of myself! Besides, I think you're going about this wrong. Have you forgotten we're partners? You don't need to bear the weight of this alone! Let me help! I've established internet and a cell tower and a burger chef up here in the sticks, there must be _something_ I can do!"

"My love, I will never forget you're my partner. I'll give you a job," Phoenix promised. "I swear I will, but I'm not that far along yet. And besides, I'm going off nothing but hunches and the non-stop glowing of my magatama. I could still be wrong about the whole Gavin thing! But I give you my word, I'll let you know."

"I don't understand why you think it's dangerous. Have you been threatened?"

 _Not unless you count him knowing every step I take, every move I make, and me and Trucy's whereabouts even when I haven't told him of them, and_ ** _then_** _, as the icing on the cake, singing lyrics of the creepiest stalker pop song known to man as a direct threat._

Phoenix decided to keep these thoughts to himself. He knew these occurrences wouldn't be seen as enough evidence to validate his fears to the police if he were to approach them with the issue.

And if he told Maya his suspicions, she would either laugh them off or worse, make herself sick with worry, when there was nothing she would be able to do. He wisely kept his peace.

"No, everything seems fine," he told her. "But that's what doesn't make sense. Criminals like to tie up loose ends. They like to bump people off who know stuff and there are too many people in the city who know stuff, myself included. I worry someone's going to try to kill me or someone near me is going to end up dead and probably pretty soon."

She hesitated, but only for an instant. She'd never been one to mince words with Phoenix when they'd just been friends and she saw no reason to keep things bottled up from him when, despite the distance that separated them, he was her lover and partner.

"Nick, in all these evaluations you've had to make sure you were a fit parent for Trucy, did they ever evaluate you for paranoia?" There was an air of amused exasperation in her voice.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, and for a split second she thought he'd hung up on her. Then Phoenix let out a loud, booming chuckle. It was so hearty and genuine that Maya knew he wasn't crazy. If he had been, he'd have gotten defensive.

"So after all this time you've decided I might be nuts. Is that it?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted honestly.

"Well, I hope I'm paranoid. If nobody gets killed or hurt I'd be happy. Better paranoid than dead, my love."

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey  
**_ _Fey Manor  
_ September 5, 5:30 am

The conversation hadn't gone on much longer after that. And so the case was closed for now, leaving Maya with nothing to do but fight back her tears of disappointment, as she'd been doing this whole time, and look forward to yet another looming stretch of time and distance in the horizon, separating her from the man she loved.

If she wasn't able to be a proper girlfriend to Nick – he wouldn't let her, dammit! – then she could at least be the best Master she could be, while being a good daughter to her mother, by filling in her shoes as best as possible and becoming a village leader that Misty Fey would have been proud of.

So Maya flung herself into intense instruction practices immediately after the official Kurain Master Induction ritual had taken place. It wasn't as if she'd had a choice - what else was there for her to do? Mope about the fact she was in a village of elders who felt nothing but contemptuous loathing for her and who would leap at the opportunity to crow that they were right, and that she did completely suck and was unworthy of her title? That she was obviously unfit to fill her mother's shoes because all she could apparently focus on was the loss of that no good ex-lawyer of hers?

The same one who claimed he loved her and had yet made zero effort to see her since the day of her ceremony?

Mildred, in particular, took advantage the most of this fact, almost daily rubbing salt into the wound that Maya's precious Nick that she'd so vehemently championed for hadn't even cared enough about her to fight back and make the efforts to see her since Chinese New Year, conveniently forgetting that it'd been Mildred herself who'd threatened to charge him with trespassing if he ever set foot into the village again!

It took all every ounce of Maya's self-control to keep from knocking the woman into the middle of next week looking both ways for Sunday!

Pearl was despaired upon seeing the chronic state of misery the village elder put the master in, although as the little girl's guardian, Maya had had to repeatedly restrain the princess of sharp slaps not to make good on her constant loyal offers to take care of that "mean old witch" by "slapping her to sleep, then slapping her for sleeping!" Maya had been torn between laughter and bewilderment at the offer - what the _hell_ were they teaching kids on that _Children's Masterpiece Theatre_ program that Pearl was always watching nowadays?!

After all, aside from a moment of delicious instant gratification, what good would it do, really? It wouldn't bring Nick's badge back or return him back to her side, and defending his honor to the council was just fruitless.

Maya could plead Phoenix's case until she was blue in the face and implore that he was a good man who'd been wronged, framed for acts he'd never committed, but it would only have fallen on willfully deaf ears. The damage that had been done, and the years of mistrust of outsiders, and particularly, of the legal world, stemmed from roots that had been in place way before Phoenix or Maya had ever come along.

Most of the Kurain Elders and power brokers were not intrinsically unpleasant or malicious people, and much of their intense hostility toward Phoenix, Maya and the legal world had its origins in fear and intimidation.

The opportunist Morgan had seized the opening to portray herself as their savior who could salvage a future of reorder.

Kurain's customary traditional beliefs and values had always usurped traditional laws and concepts of justice. Many of Morgan's right-hands, Mildred especially, still genuinely believed that Morgan's attempts against Maya were justified and more honorable, rather than criminal in nature. After all, she'd only been trying to ensure the village's future was protected, and if securing that by finding a more viable Master meant sacrificing Maya as the only way to do so, then so be it. Morgan, they believed, should have been commended rather than condemned. The elders truly resented and saw Maya as the disloyal, disgruntled leader who was the reason such a noble woman was no longer among them! Even those who were more neutral and reasonable and agreed that Morgan's methods had been wrong were still mistrustful, skeptical and suspicious of official legal meddling.

The ever manipulative and overly ambitious Morgan had taken advantage DL-6 with gusto. She'd gleefully cultivated and inflated the fear and resentment of the law by citing how it responsible for the caused destruction of Kurain's reputation, inflaming the inferno of suspicion and acrimony against both the legal world and the disgraced Misty. Morgan had convinced them that her sister's intentions had been far from virtuous, and had spin doctored the whole incident by portraying Maya's mother as the woman who had betrayed them all by becoming entangled in its ominous stems and consequently causing both her own collapse and their near- devastation.

Such chaos and panic had been a perfect atmosphere for the calculating and crafty Morgan to seize and exert control. Mia had already been lost to the legal world's 'corruptive influence' but she had never been a viable candidate anyway – brought up by and too much likely to be like her mother. Law was seen as a blasphemy within the village walls; a sinister threat which had caused all their problems and would continue to do so if they allowed any sort of association with it, directly, or indirectly, to continue.

Due to this mistrust of legal matters, Phoenix had been viewed with misgiving even before his downfall. His associations with Maya were regarded as interfering in Kurain affairs and a perilous, contaminative influence. Now, of course, they all believed he had constructed forgeries for his other cases too, including the three trials involving Maya.

None of them believed Maya had really committed the murders (there was no motivation to kill Mia, as she had already abdicated her right to the Master position) but Maya was conclusively viewed as a rabble-rouser.

After Mia had left to become a lawyer, it had been Morgan who had raised Maya and taken the reins over all the preparations and trainings the future Master would require. Her underlying plan had been to simply ensure that while her niece would be adequately trained in spirit channeling, she would be ill-prepared for the future power plays, diplomacy, politics, or any of the other arenas which might better allow Maya to wield autonomous power when she assumed the role. After all, why would the cunning woman do anything to thwart away from her ultimate goal, which was to wield Master Maya to her own whims as (inconspicuously) possible?

When Maya had been staying with Phoenix in the city, Morgan had stirred the village in an uproar over the disappearance of her "insubordinate and uncontrollable" niece. She was going to defect to the seduction of the "dark side" just as her female relatives had – aka the one thing Morgan feared would surpass the authority of archaic tradition – the law.

Of course, many powerbrokers on the national Kurain Technique boards were perfectly nice, reasonable, people. Morgan, however, had installed various loud, hostile individuals in pivotal positions, and it would take a very long to demote or diffuse them all.

So this was what Maya had been forced to contend with since she'd taken over the leadership role. Mastering politics, which she loathed and no interest in, and currently attempting to compose a list of initial essential restructurings to initiate as Master amidst the grumblings of reluctant dinosaurs who were resistant to change of any sort. Kurain residents were big on tradition, and Maya was sick of tradition!

Some of her implementations were obvious and straightforward, such as arranging regular delivery of fresh meat and other yummy food stuff for the new burger chef. Also, on top of getting cell signals and internet, albeit not the world's fastest connection up in the village, her next motions were to : **install satellite dish to receive maximum TV channels** , **get DVD and DVR recorders** (how else could she watch _The Pink Princess_ and _Steel Samurai_ DVD movies?) **Kill all antiquated VCR's with fire!** A few of her other aspirations were more debatable: **Installing security cameras in Channeling Chamber. Will it interfere with spirits?**

So while she was Master, she was still essentially just a figurehead, caught in a sick power struggle over which she frequently never had the upper hand.

Much like the ghost of Jacob Marley in _A Christmas Carol_ , even though the so-called sins of Fey's past shouldn't have been her burden to bare, Maya's appeared to be fatedly doomed to wear the chains of eternity.

 _Morgan sure ensured that_ , Maya thought grimly. _Even though she's not here, the damage she'd done sure is. The die is cast. Misty Fey's fated turnabout has now become my cross to bear._

And there wasn't a damn thing in the world she could do about it.


	27. Without You

_No I can't forget this evening_  
 _Or your face as you were leaving_  
 _But I guess that's just the way_  
 _The story goes_  
 _You always smile but in your eyes_  
 _Your sorrow shows_  
 _Yes it shows  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Seven:** **Without You**

 ** _Maya Fey_**  
 _Fey Manor_  
September 5, 2020 5:30 am

As Maya was only now finding out, as soon as the disgraced Misty had gone, her duplicitous sister had assembled the Kurain Elder Council, composed of similar-minded old cronies who shared her warped vision, and maneuvered the power structures into amendments taking decisive influence away from the Master and into the hands of the boards of Elders across the country, hastily rubber-stamping them 'for' the Master in her absence, citing this as temporary emergency means, aka damage control, until the day Misty returned. Amid such pandemonium, everyone had believed her. By the time it was entirely clear Misty was never coming back, the new order was already conclusively embedded.

The elders' hostility, too, was mostly built on lies, inflated out of proportion. Maya repeatedly tried to assure herself that _she_ was the one in charge, and they knew it, so the things they thought and said shouldn't matter, and that they were just trying to intimidate her.

However, that was easier said than done. Especially since the hostile elder council made no attempt to hide their disdain to the new Master.

"We don't respect you. You have yet to prove yourself to us. All we have to base our judgement on is your past 'questionable' associations and 'crimes'. You will always carry the lingering stigma of your disgraced mother until you lead us to believe you're different than her – that you won't be like her. What's more, the shadows of Misty and her disgrace still lingers on you. How do we know you aren't going to throw in the towel and abdicate as she did? Become swayed by outside influence? If you can't fulfill your duties sufficiently, you'd be doing us all a better favor to just slither away and drop dead!"

Words like these were tougher to dismiss. Even the strongest-willed champion would become battered and near broken to hear such cruelties hurled at them like rocks. By continuously bringing up her mother, they knew exactly how to hit her where it hurt most.

 _What's the point of being the Master of Kurain when all I do is train and get told what to do?! It's ridiculous!_ _ **I'm**_ _supposed to be the leader, right?_ _ **They**_ _should do what_ _ **I**_ _say! After I was nearly killed over this stupid position, it's the least they could do. And right after I lost my mother, who I barely had any time to mourn over…_

Misty, Misty, Misty. Ultimately, it always came back to Misty - the plaguing aura that would never go away. The whole issue of the deceased Misty Fey to deal with on top of everything else.

Maya didn't blame her mother for abandoning her. Her mother apparently thought she was doing the best thing for her daughters by not transferring the mantle of shame and dishonor down as an inheritance. However, in reality, Aunt Morgan had never really allowed Maya to forget it, and in Misty's absenteeism, she'd wielded significant influence, as the Master's sister, even with her lack of spiritual powers.

Maya's thoughts had frequently drifted to her mother. She'd never known her, she'd always been a distant and almost mythical figure in her mind. Mia had already decided quite early on to submit the Master position to Maya by default. Maya wished she'd been old enough to understand what that accountability had truly entailed. If Mia had ever properly discussed the decision with her, had Maya known all the bullshit the position entailed, she would have told her sister she didn't want it! Let Pearl have the role!

But Mia hadn't, and so Maya could barely recall a period of her life when she had not had Kurain Master as her inherent future, mapped out for her, to take over from her mother. It wasn't right for Maya, as second born, to have been faced with this tremendous responsibility. There wasn't a day that went by when she didn't feel absolutely miserable about the fact that Mia was really the one who had deserved the leader role, instead of centering her life on her dedicated mission to expose those who destroyed Misty. It was Mia who should have been able to succeed in her quest, and then claim her rightful place as Master, instead of her cluelessly reluctant little sister!

In terms of administrative affairs, however, that burden had passed to Maya as soon as Misty Fey's soul departed.

Her mother was a confusing figurehead; at once an impossibly legendary ideal to emulate while simultaneously being an ultimately fallible example of what _not_ to become; disgraced and still ostracized by many in Kurain for her shameful 'betrayal' of her duty and responsibility after her destroyed reputation and subsequent breakdown.

Maya was torn between being feelings of outraged dignity by her poor mother's name still being besmirched posthumously, and being terrified that there was some actual underlying truth in the slandering… would she too, fall vulnerable victim to these same types of devastating weaknesses, which kept being brought up repeatedly to uncompromising light?

Her mother had died effectively so that she, Maya, should take over the Kurain Master position.

Maya couldn't repress a creeping sense of guilt. Her mother, though obviously dedicated to her daughter's succession, had never really known her. Would her mother have sacrificed herself if she knew the truth about her daughter?

What would Misty have thought if she'd learned that while she felt Morgan's attempting to kill her had been an extreme action to resort to in achieving her lofty goal, Maya actually didn't _disagree_ with her aunt's notion that Pearl _should_ inherit the Master title, as the child's spiritual powers and dedication were exponentially superior to her own! Would Misty have been horrified to learn that as far as Maya's goals and aspirations went in life, the only one she was actually clear on wanting to achieve was acquiring just enough spirit medium power to become a fully independent adult, who could then absent Kurain without restraint or re-requisition, so she could be with Nick uncompromised?

 _I can't live, if living is without you._

Nick, who had issues she knew he still wasn't fully divulging to her. Nick, who she yearned to help more than anything in the world, if only he would let her! It seemed, more than anything, languishing in Kurain was _compromising_ , not _advancing_ her goal. And an uneasy sensation belied the suspicion that maybe the roles were reversed this time. _She_ was the one with empowerment, such as it was, and _Phoenix_ was the disempowered victim.

Maya couldn't remember a time in her life when she hadn't been so seized with futile frustration and helplessness. After all the times he'd rescued her in the past, now that it was _him_ in need of aid, she desperately wished that she could help Phoenix, but could not comprehend _how_. Maybe she was actually becoming a pain in his ass by constantly begging to visit with him. Perhaps laying low and not bothering him for a bit until he sorted himself out would be for the best.

 _I can't give. I can't give anymore._

But how could she forget about Phoenix, _today_ of all the days? Maya shut her eyes against the hot flood of tears stinging behind them. _September 5._ The most bittersweet day of her existence. The day life had taken her beloved sister from her forever, and simultaneously presented her the man who she would grow to love till her own dying day.

Phoenix…he was her pillar of strength. He'd always believed in her, believed she could handle this Master position. For him, for _Pearly_ , she had to find the vigor and gumption to carry on, in spite of all the obstacles, the misery. It was the least she could do.

So many people had sacrificed themselves so she could become Kurain Master – her mother, Mia, Diego… she would just have to attempt to dedicate herself to the Kurain Master position with fervor, to heighten her powers, and to somehow attempt to become the daughter her mother had obviously envisioned she was saving. She needed to become a Master worthy of such sacrifice, one Misty would have been proud of. She needed to make a _Kurain_ her mother could have been proud of.

 _I will not let them break me,_ Maya vowed. _I will not let them change who I am. And I sure as hell won't let them change Nick, or Pearly, or anyone else! I refuse to let them tear down my Nick, just because he chose a profession they don't like, or my mother, because she was sold out, just as he was!_

Maya knew she had to prove herself, and for the past nine months, at the unwitting near-expense of her own health, she'd been striving to show her worthiness by throwing herself headfirst into her training. Pearl was there to cheer her on, even assist and offer guidance in some areas where the new Master was lacking. It shamed Maya that at the age of 8, her cousin had been able to power Nick's magatama for him, whereas Maya herself as of late, had been unable to even channel _Mia_ , despite her strenuous efforts, never mind her _mother_ , who seemed content to remain as obscure from her daughter in the afterlife as she had when she'd been alive.

It was a depressing realization to know that she was truly alone – and despite knowing she was being silly – if she channeled them, she couldn't talk to them anyway! – Maya couldn't help but feel abandoned and vulnerable. Was her mother still afraid to face her, even now? Was Mia so disgusted with her lack of prowess as Master that she'd decided to wash her hands of her little sister completely, henceforth?

These desertion issues must have been taking their toll on her psyche, and manifesting themselves into her dreams. They plagued her at night, causing her insufferable insomnia, because the alternative, sleep, was too terrifying. For the past month or so, Maya had been having night visions so harrowing that if Hollywood had been able to stick a projection screen into her brain and made a movie out of it, they would have had the biggest blockbuster horror film since _The Excorcist._

She felt inexcusably guilty for worrying Pearl, who'd taken to sleeping with her lately because of the alarming frequency and intensity of the night terrors. Maya had been unable to suppress herself from waking screaming from one of her nightmares – really just a mental replay of witnessing her mother dying as she was stabbed, often superimposed with the moment of Mia's death and that haunted, dead look in Phoenix's eyes after he'd been disbarred. Perturbingly, they were recurring with increasing frequency and disrupting her sleeping patterns, a matter she was unable to obscure from Pearl, who seemed generally concerned with her. Just yesterday, she had been roused from her nightmare, drenched in sweat from the terror of her dreams, and shot up in the bed, looking frantic and wild-eyed at her cousin. Pearl's huge Bambi eyes were wide with apprehension.

"Are you okay, Mystic Maya? Your alarm clock just went off, but it's only 5:00 in the morning. You just got to bed a couple of hours ago - are you sure you shouldn't rest instead of doing more training? You look pale."

"I'm okay, Pearly, please don't worry," Maya had assured her, despite the protesting ache of her overwrought body. But giving it the further slumber it so desperately craved simply wasn't an option. She _had_ to train, or die trying.

She'd recently re-tried – and failed – her magatama-charging benchmark test. She'd ignored the fact that her head pounded, her jaw tightened as if it had dislocated, and that it was sometimes difficult to perform tasks that involved recalling many steps. There were infinite tasks to perform – that channeling for the foreign ambassador, the monthly meeting with the region's Kurain Elders, the Special Course she'd booked for the next morning… obviously she just required further training to stay focused.

Rising her exhausted body out of bed, she'd half walked, half dragged herself to the Kurain Master's Library, a collection of thousands upon thousands of ancient books and manuscripts covering numerous centuries of secret esoteric knowledge. She planned on consulting some of the scriptures before she headed over to Hazakura Temple the next morning for that Special Training Course.

And since she'd been meditating obsessively for most of the last _month_ , her powers should be heightened.

 _Should_ have been. But they weren't. Where had she gone wrong? Was it because she was so damn tired all the time? The average two hours of sleep got per night after getting off her late-night phone calls with Nick probably weren't helping her weakened state.

Maya read and re-read the almost incomprehensibly archaic instructions with intensity. She locked herself in the Master's Wing of rooms and attempted to focus her powers to accomplish the task described. She concentrated her powers till she felt queasy and nauseous, until she radiated with pain, until she literally collapsed to the ground, limp and shaking. Her vision blurred, she gasped for breath, and she was on the verge of unconsciousness.

 _There are six lines to the Sacred Writings. Cleanse thy soul... Open the door to the spiritual realm beyond... Converse with the departed... ...Cast on thyself Protection... Maintain the spell... Release the spell..._

All to no avail. Her powers simply had not reached an effective threshold to affect her Magatama in any way, shape or form. She had failed. She _was_ a failure.

Disgusted with herself, as soon as she was able, Maya crawled back to the Library. There was an entire shelf of many hundreds of torturous and brutal masochistic training endeavors that she was supposed to perfect as Master. Maya resolved to complete every one of these in succession. When she'd finished, she'd repeat them again. Maybe then her powers might heighten to an acceptable level for the type of person her mother had wanted to save.

Well, she'd begin with that one- except she'd commit herself to the Advanced Level, of course – and then she'd busy herself with all the other torturous rituals outlined in the books here. Whenever she wasn't taking channeling clients, Maya amassed her schedule with constant training ordeals.

These past nine months were starting to take their toll on her, mentally _and_ emotionally, but still she pressed onward with little thought to her diminishing physical state as well.

She'd stacked her schedule with tasks at odd hours to distract herself from the reality she couldn't sleep, was gripped with insomnia and fraught with repeating nightmares fracturing when she did doze off. It gave the illusion of control that she took several short naps of an hour or two by choice to balance out the lack of sleep she got at night.

 _"All Masters must be able to endure such rites and I have not seen much evidence of your training."_

Mildred's obnoxious taunt from the other day came floating back to her mind now.

Her new title of Kurain Master immediately brought a succession of high-profile clients – government officials, international diplomats, celebrities… and in her first critical job she had almost failed, her powers seemingly too inferior to capture the required spirit. Maya had been beyond mortified, and didn't know what had been the worse to endure – the knowing smirk on Mildred's smug face, or the one of saddened dismay on Pearl's.

She was the _Master_ , God dammit! She could _do_ this! All it required was just a little more intense training, and just a little more time.

So train she did. Rigorous, grueling, punishing training, which would have brought even the mightiest men to their knees nine _days_ in, never mind nine _months_! Maya was determination personified. She _would_ prevail even if it killed her!

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey_** _  
Hazakura Temple, Sacred Cavern_  
September 5, 6:30 am

Maya was barely mindful of the howling winds that rustled Dusky Bridge as she crossed it en route to the inner temple and the gate leading back to the garden. She smiled wanly at the jovial, rotund Sister Bikini as she greeted her at the temple doors, then followed the tiny, hunched-over shrine maiden to the Sacred Cavern. Maya took a deep breath to calm her nerves and moved further down in to the belly of the mountain. This would be the final step of her Master training. If she could endure this after all the previous rituals she'd gone through for the past year she was golden.

All Maya's excess training produced positive feedback of heightened spiritual power for some time, but then the results plateaued, and, by the time she was reaching the last book and planning to repeat from the first, her powers appeared to be dwindling. In fact, repeating the exercises, they seemed more difficult than they had the first time around. She was obviously too weak and pathetic, she castigated herself. Somehow, she had to increase her inner strength and mental toughness and stop acting like a wimp. Most likely, Pearl had mastered all these by the time she had learned to walk.

Preceding the final Special Course, her training had consisted of torturous meditations lasting for 4 days, continuous spiritual fasts lasting 5 days at a time, endless freezing in ice and water, flagellation under spiritual stones, power-honing exercises which only ended when the medium collapsed… Kurain was filled with desolate mountains, secluded dingy caves, freezing waterfalls and jagged boulders, and Maya frequented them all, far more than she did Fey Manor. She fasted so often she ceased to even notice when she was hungry, and frequently simply forgot to eat even when she was not engaged in training. Somehow, despite losing over ten pounds off her already tiny frame, Maya had managed to persevere for nearly a year. She also booked herself into constant repeats of the Ultra Course at Hazakurain – preludes to prepare her for the final Special Course – to the point where even Bikini was confused and hesitant. However, it was excellent for business, and she didn't like to question the Master, even though apprehension was etched on the elderly nun's kindly visage when she saw how drained and gaunt Maya's formerly glowing, youthful face now was.

"So this is it?" Maya forced a smile at Sister Bikini as she grabbed a burlap sack to sit on under the waterfall. "The end of the line?"

"The final frontier!" Sister Bikini gave one of her loud, booming laughs, even though there was no humorous tone to the conversation – Maya surmised it was how the petite nun kept herself warm in these frosty mountains. "If you can get through _this_ one, Master Maya, you can get through _anything_! Ho, ho, ho!"

"Yeah, finally, I get to complete what I came here for the first time." _It only took me a year and half to do this damn course! I_ _ **would**_ _have done it_ _ **sooner**_ _, but things kept getting in the way. Witnessing harrowing homicides, nearly being murdered…being possessed by the demonic, homicidal **ex-girlfriend** of my **current** boyfriend, Dahlia, who was the one who tried to kill me in the first place…_

A huge cube of ice with a magatama etched in the side slipped out and icy mists billowed off it. With a gentle push, Maya slid it under the waterfall, shivering at the sight of the pounding waters under which she would be spending hours beneath.

Sister Bikini gave the room one final cursory inspection, ensuring all the holy artifacts were in place. Satisfied that everything required for the sacred ritual was present and accounted for, she bowed to Maya and made her way out of the room.

"Free your mind of all worries, Master Maya. I'll be watching over you the whole time and will be in with hot tea the minute you're finished your incantations! All 100,000 of them! Ho, ho, ho!"

Maya smiled faintly and thanked the nun, then turned to face her frigid seat. She took in a deep breath and tried concentrating on the words to her mantras. Squeezing her eyes shut, she took a deep breath and ducked under the freezing waters. She hissed, barely able to keep from crying out. Her first few minutes were spent shivering and taking shallow, stilted breaths through clenched teeth. No matter how many waterfalls she sat beneath, starting out was always the worst part. Finally, blissful numbness set in, and she commenced her chanting. Her long, sleek hair was soaked and stuck to her. Her extremities were anesthetized and she could not even feel her face.

However, her _mind_ was the one thing that could not become frozen or devoid of thought or sensation. All she could do was think while the icy water crashed down over her.

Think and remember.

She mentally replayed the final words of her last conversation with Phoenix. How she'd asked him to come and visit there, since he refused to let her come down, but he'd muttered something about letting the other Kurain officials cool down for a while over him, that it hadn't even been a year since the ban on him had sprung. She didn't argue with him. They both knew it was an empty proposal. Of course Maya wanted Phoenix to live with her… but the open hostility of some of the Kurain power-brokers would make life unpleasant for both of them, and there was nothing for him or Trucy in Kurain. Hell, Maya wished she could escape herself, and she was _Master_ of the place!

"Promise me you'll let me know when I can come and visit, Nick." It was a plea, not merely an offer.

"I will, my love…as soon as I know it's safe…" Phoenix trailed off, unsure of what else to say. "I'll call you tomorrow. Goodnight, Maya. I love you."

"I love you back," she whispered. After hanging up the phone, she remained sitting there, staring at her cell, her mind whirling.

 _He's going to keep on investigating this Gavin character, not even caring about the potential danger that might be involved._ The idea of anything happening to Phoenix made her stomach churn. _I should be going with him. If only I was going with him._

But she was out of excuses to stay out of Kurain. The excuse of 'General Manager of ex Fey and Co.' was no longer applicable, either to the Elders or to Nick.

 _No I can't forget tomorrow. When I think of all my sorrow. When I had you there, but then I let you go._

It was upsetting that it turned out as an adult you actually had no – maybe less – freedoms and control over your own life, with all those 'duties' and 'responsibilities' thrust on you, than you did when you were younger. Maya had less autonomy over her own life now as a grown woman than she'd had as a teenager! And worse, as Master, it was difficult to validate a coherent reasoning for long-term absence from Kurain, without her former excuse of that pre-existing legal position. It was futile. Wright and Co. Law Offices was over. Maya could sense by the dead look in Nick's eyes that it would be a long time, probably eternity, before it reopened. Something had broken in him, she could tell. Those sad eyes. And _why_ wasn't she still with him, to try to make things better when he needed her most? Because she was out of justifications.

 _And now it's only fair that I should let you know. What you should know._

And whatever _his_ reasons were, Mildred was right about one thing. Phoenix hadn't exactly been knocking himself out coming up with plausible pretexts to see _her_ , either. Maybe being apart wasn't as gut-wrenching for him as it was for her. Maybe a part of him wasn't dead inside because she wasn't there to fill the void.

 _I can't live. If living is without you._

Maya set herself to a Master-level spiritual training ordeal, willing the flagellation of the waterfall's icy daggers to numb her into oblivion.

* * *

 ** _Sister Bikini_** _  
Hazakura Temple, Sacred Cavern_  
September 5, 8:30 am

Sometime later, Sister Bikini, who had become accustomed to the familiar ritual, cheerfully returned to check on her customer.

"Ho, ho, I trust you completed all 100, 000 incantations, Master Maya?" The nun questioned cheerfully as she unlocked the physical Psyche-Lock on the cavern of the Ultra Course.

Sister Bikini peered in, letting her eyes adjust to the frosty mist. She was shocked to see the form of Maya Fey lying face-down in the pool of freezing melted spiritual ice. It wouldn't have been the first time the good sister had seen someone fall into deep slumber under the numbing effect of the waterfall, although the Master was usually much more energized and renewed afterward, _never_ sleepy. She wondered if the young woman had managed to finish her chanting.

"Are we taking a little nap? Oh well, you've completed this so many times at 30,000 chants before and you looked completely ragged, so I guess you would be exhausted. Don't worry Sleeping Beauty, this will be our little secret just this once, ho, ho, ho!" Laughed the nun.

Maya didn't reply. Sister Bikini strode closer.

"Master Maya?" She gently nudged Maya with her foot. Something in the unnatural flopping motion of Maya's body alerted her attention. She rolled Maya over and gasped.

The Master was immensely pale, and parts of her had taken on a blueish tinge. She was devoid of the rise and fall of breathing, or any breathing motion at all.

Sister Bikini felt a rising panic coursing through her veins.

"Master Maya!" She cried. In desperation, she flung her ear to Maya's chest, detecting a heartbeat so shallow and erratic that she feared it only existed in her imagination.

Thankfully the nun had been trained in CPR, which she was forced to perform for the entirety of duration until the ambulance arrived. How she wished Iris was still here to help at times like these! Maya's condition seem acutely injurious. She could only pray all those machines could effectively revive her.

Only when Maya had been safely loaded into the ambulance, did Sister Bikini, with trembling fingers, begin to dial the number for Mystic Pearl in Kurain Village.

* * *

Mariah Carey – Without You


	28. Phoenix and Maya Day

_"Sometimes it takes you to lose something you really have in order to learn the good of what you really had."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight: Phoenix and Maya Day**

 ** _Phoenix Wright_ _  
_** _Wright Talent Agency_  
September 5, 2020 11:00 am

Phoenix was jolted awake from his mid-morning nap by an unexpected pounding in his heart and ringing in his ears. After getting breakfast for Trucy and seeing her off to the school bus stop, he'd fallen back to sleep, as he didn't work again until later that evening, and it had been a rough night. He'd barely slept a wink, as he'd been inexplicably plagued by horrifying dreams, all involving malevolent, vengeful people; some dead, some alive, some incarcerated. Every night, on the eve of this date, he had nightmares.

And every September 5, all he could do was think. Sit, think, and remember.

It was inescapable to forget the fact that on this date, exactly four years ago, the devil, in the form of the diabolical Redd White, had taken his beloved mentor, Mia Fey, away from him. And then, at that exact moment, on that same fateful day, he'd met Maya Fey. The woman who would later become the love of his life, who, because of their _complete incompetence_ , the LAPD had tried to take away from him! Maya Fey, who had then gone to become his _second_ murder defendant (and _not for the first time_ in years to come)!

As much as the knowledge of this date was torture for _him_ , he knew it was a hundred times worse for Maya. She'd not only been just a teenager at the time, but had stood accused of the horrific crime of murdering the only remaining family she'd had – _after_ having the misfortune of being _the first to discover the body_!

More than anything in the world, Phoenix wished he could be by Maya's side right now, to hold and comfort her on this most dreadful anniversary, made all the more bittersweet as it also marked the day they had first met.

Normally he'd have sought out Maya's company so he could see her, touch her, hear her, to make sure that she was indeed alive and well. But of course, his Kristoph suspicions aside, now that he'd been made so clearly aware just to what degree of contemptuous loathing the Elders of Kurain felt for him, giving that reassurance in person was impossible.

Maya was probably too busy anyway. Most of the time when he did ring, she was off on some kind of arduous training ordeal. The Kurain Master position must be incredibly difficult and time consuming. He shouldn't inconvenience her with his own troubles.

The perimeters of this _latest_ separation were inarguably and mostly his own fault, so OK fine, maybe _seeing_ Maya was out of the question. Phoenix had to admit that on top of his genuine concern about how negatively her Master position was impacted by his presence, his _pride_ had also taken a severe beating nine months ago, when he'd seen her last, at the hands of the scathing village hags. Coupling _that_ with his suspected stalker's antics since his disbarment, and there was only _so much_ one man could possibly take!

But all that didn't mean he couldn't _call_ her, right? There would be nobody around right now to hear him. Maya had mentioned she had vigorous training to undergo during the daytime today when they'd last spoken, so if he couldn't reach her by phone, he could simply shoot her a quick email.

How to begin either method of contact was the question. A simple "hi babe, just wanted to ensure that you're still alive" didn't sound quite right, especially coming from _him_ of people. This was considering the fact that he _himself_ had gone undercover for over a fortnight a year and a half ago and made her question both his whereabouts _and_ continued existence.

That, and it would also sound completely insane, since he'd _just_ spoken to her only _last night_!

Phoenix wasn't sure if he was simply being paranoid because of the date it was, or if something was genuinely off-course with Maya. Regardless, he knew that he was struck with a resounding, incomprehensible need to hear her voice and be reassured of her well-being, if he was ever going to have his heartbeat and pulse return to a steady pace anytime soon! Both were racing, and not in the _good_ way, like when Maya was in his arms and they were wrapped together in a heated lip lock. And even then, it didn't account for _this ringing in his ears_!

That was when he realized that the shrill sound he was hearing was _not_ within his eardrums at all, but _actually_ coming from _his phone_!

It was Pearl. Phoenix was pleasantly surprised to hear from her, yet at the same time, he couldn't help but fight the feeling of trepidation he felt as he spoke to the little girl he'd always adored.

"Mr. Nick?" She sniffled when he answered.

"Hi, Pearls," Phoenix said warmly. "How are you?"

"I'm not doing so good, Mr. Nick –"

"What's wrong, Pearls?" He anxiously cut in. "Are you sick? Did something bad happen?"

"It - it's Mystic Maya, Mr. Nick!" Pearl wailed hysterically. "She's in the hospital!"

"Hospital?" Phoenix's pulsating heart lurched into his throat. "Is she okay?"

"I- I don't know…" Pearl sounded as if she were near tears. "I'm so scared!"

"W…What happened?" Phoenix had been standing up when he'd taken the call, but promptly fell back onto the bed in shock upon hearing the news.

"She was doing that Extra Special Course at Hazakura Temple… she collapsed and Sister Bikini had to do CPR on her until the ambulance came." Pearl's voice broke, and she began to cry. "They… don't know if she'll be okay…Mr. Nick, she's the only family I have left now…"

The world screeched to a sudden halt for Phoenix at that moment. He felt as if he couldn't breathe; his head pounded, his vision began to waver.

"W…where is she? I'm coming right now!" Shakily he scrawled down the address of the hospital and rushed out the door.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _Hickfield Clinic_  
September 5, 11:35 am

Palms drenched in a cold sweat, Phoenix spied Pearl at their meeting place at the hospital entrance. Pearl wrapped her arms around him in a huge hug, her little face drenched in tears. After a few moments of him attempting to soothe the distraught child, Pearl handed him the number of Maya's room in the ICU.

"She can only have one visitor at a time, so I'll be in the lounge down the hall waiting for you." She slumped down against the wall, a small, doleful figure. Phoenix gave her one more hug before she slowly shuffled towards the waiting area, her head down. He watched her despondently for another moment before heading towards Maya's room.

"M…Maya?" he called hesitantly as he neared the doorway.

A burly nurse with rolling pin arms and a too-tight perm sprang out to obstruct his view.

"I'm sorry, sir, the patient is in a critical condition and only immediate family members are allowed visitation."

"I'm her… uh…cousin!" Phoenix improvised hastily _. Good grief, I just can't seem to get a break from bluffing, even when I'm off the damn clock!_

The nurse looked at his panicked, desperate expression with knowing sympathy. She knew he was lying. She saw it all the time. But there was something about this particular man, something she saw in his eyes, which made her balk at outright refusing him admission – it was the look of genuine, nervous terror reflected in the dark blue depths. A despaired, pleading look that a man could only have when the woman he loved was in terrible danger. Ultimately, she just couldn't make herself refute it at that moment. With a sigh of acquiescence, the nurse nodded, as if in acceptance of his explanation, and stepped aside.

Phoenix rushed into the room… but then froze in his tracks as his alarmed gaze took in the scene before him.

An imposing array of unidentifiable, scary-looking machines surrounded Maya, creating a cacophony of varying beeps and sounds along with a flashing numbers he had no comprehensible way of understanding. Various tubes were attached to her body, and the sole machine he recognized was the IV tube running into her slim, pale arm, which he knew was giving her life-sustaining nutrients. Maya herself was as limp and white as the sheets on her bed, looking tinier and frailer than he ever could have envisioned his normally bubbly, vibrant girlfriend ever appearing.

Gingerly, Phoenix took her icy hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Maya?"

"I don't think she can hear you," called the nurse from the doorway. "She's been unconscious ever since she came here."

 _No! I've heard that people in a coma can still hear you sometimes, and apparently, hearing is often the last thing to go! There is **no way** I'm taking the chance of not letting Maya know I'm here by her side, which I never should have left in the first place!_

Phoenix pointedly ignored the nurse, his attentions solely fixed on the woman lying before him.

"I'm so sorry, my love," he whispered, uncaring if the nurse overheard and busted him in his earlier lie about being a _kissing cousin_. "Forgive me for not letting you come down to see me a long time ago." He softly pressed a kiss to her forehead, which sported a small, bruised bump. "But I'm here now, and I'm not leaving your side again until you come back to me, do you hear me?"

After several minutes of Phoenix clinging to Maya's unresponsive hand, murmuring words of loving adages and gazing hopelessly at her, the nurse interjected.

"I'm sorry, but the doctor's coming soon. You'll have to leave for now, sir."

"No!" Phoenix cried. "I can't leave just yet! I just got here…and she can't be left alone right now and she _needs_ me…" He was veering on hysteria.

"OK, fine then." The nurse gave a reluctant sigh. "I'll let you stay until the doctor gets here."

Phoenix pounced on the doctor like a ravenous lion the minute he set eyes on him. He ran right up to the other man, his eyes wild and panicked.

"Doctor, please tell me if my Maya will be alright? What happened to her? Is she going to get better? When will she wake up?"

The doctor calmly extracted his white lab coat sleeves from Phoenix's frantic, vice-like grip before he coolly replied to the barrage of questions.

"Miss Fey has come down with a minor case of hypothermia, which was easy enough to take care of. However, she's also contracted pneumonia, and appears to be extremely malnourished, the former which we're treating first and foremost."

 _His_ Maya, the gluttonous burger-loving queen, _malnourished_? Impossible! Phoenix shook his head, still unable to process that information. "And her survival odds over all?"

"It's hard to say," the doctor told him. "She's young and strong, and does appear to be stabilizing, so prospects for survival are good." Phoenix felt a small glimmer of hope flicker within him at these encouraging words. "However, I can't predict if or when she will fully recover."

The hope withered and died, replaced by a bout of nearly overwhelming nausea washing over him. He couldn't muster a response.

"Miss Fey is lucky to be alive against all these odds," marveled the doctor. "It's unfathomable how she managed to survive under such extreme circumstances. The nun who found her was truly her guardian angel for having administered CPR so quickly. She may not still be with us otherwise."

 _Sister Bikini._ Phoenix solemnly vowed to go volunteer his assistance and services at the temple in the future to express his gratitude to the shrine maiden who had saved Maya's life.

"I must ask you to wait outside now, sir," the doctor continued, his voice polite but firm. "I need to tend to our patient now. You're welcome to return when the nurses change rotation after lunch, in about an hour."

Before he could open his mouth to protest again, the nurse came in dragged Phoenix out of the room. Shaky and stunned, he traipsed back to the waiting Pearl, heavy of both mind and heart.

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Pearl Fey_** _  
Hickfield Clinic, Visitors Lounge_  
September 5, 11:50 am

It was a small lounge in which the little girl sat, void of any other visitors, equipped with only three chairs on each side of the room, a coffee maker and a snack food vending machine. Pearl sat in her chair, knees tucked to chin, looking almost more small and helpless than Maya had. As impossible as it seemed, his heart ached even _more_ at the sight of her dejected form. Maya was more of a sister to her than first cousin, and since her mother had been incarcerated, was Pearl's legal guardian. Each was the only family the other had. The little girl was the only person in the world who loved, and moreover, _needed_ , Maya as much as he did, if not more so.

She lifted her head when Phoenix entered the room, her doe eyes red rimmed and teary.

"Did she wake up yet, Mr. Nick?"

He shook his head and sank down in the chair next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"The doctor said her chances of survival are good, Pearls. He just doesn't know when she'll wake up."

Pearl's lower lip trembled, and Phoenix was worried about what he'd do if she started crying again. He was barely keeping it together himself as it was. He decided to try to divert her anguish, however momentarily, with conversation.

"Talk to me, Pearls," he urged gently. "I need to know what happened. So she was training at Hazakura Temple? She and I did that Ultra course together with Sister Bikini shortly after the whole Dahlia incident and I was barely over the cold I caught falling into that raging river, but _I_ still managed to survive sitting under that freezing waterfall with her. And Maya was completely unfazed by it! How was it this time around it affected it her badly? Surely she's done some sort of similar training like this since?"

"She has," Pearl sniffled. "But the Special Course is 100, 000 incantations under that waterfall versus 30,000 of the Ultra…and there's so much stricter preparing for it that's involved. I think Mystic Maya has been doing too much training. She's done nothing else since that last time you came up to the village. I've tried to talk to her about how she's been pushing herself too hard, and making herself sick. But she wouldn't listen! So when she left for Hazakura Temple this morning, I was so worried about her that I went and borrowed some of the books she was reading. I believe she has been doing these training exercises."

Completing the Ultra Course had been an one giant, eye-opening boot to the head for Phoenix, bequeathing him with blatant new cognizance and respect of the massive amount of inner strength Maya must possess in that petite frame of hers. He would have run screaming from the cavern after five minutes if Maya hadn't been supportively holding his hand. It'd been almost emasculating for him how easy in comparison the experience been for Maya, but then again, his strong, brave girl had endured a lifetime of these tortures and God knew what else. Whatever had eventually lambasted her must have been more than just a mere training regimen.

They poured over the thick book Pearl had brought. The archaic Japanese was impossible for him to decipher, and difficult for Pearl, but the recent incident had been more than enough motivation to compel the little girl to work on her reading skills. With a concerned frown, she summarized aloud a recent trial Maya had performed, a four-day starvation, crushed under a spiritual boulder atop a freezing mountaintop, in tandem with some power-honing exercise that belied any sense to Phoenix.

"But _why_?" He demanded, burying his head in his hands. "Why would she do this to herself, Pearls? Is it really necessitous?" The tiny spirit medium looked at him quizzically, and he hastily corrected the last word. " _Necessary_?"

"I think she's been feeling the need to prove herself to the Elders. They've been so mean to her!" Pearl went on to give him a brief synopsis of the verbal taunts, lashings and emotional abuse they'd heaped upon Maya since she'd assumed the Master role.

Phoenix just listened in agonized silence, his head still buried in his hands, heartsick at how much torment the woman he loved had endured in his absence. His composure was beginning to unravel. He could feel it. He was about to lose his shit right there in the hospital waiting room right before an equally devastated 10-year-old girl. One who who right then, desperately needed his strength and support, rather than his tears, more than anything in the world.

And he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to hold out.

In his vast efforts to keep reign on his tumultuous emotions, he bit his lower lip, so hard that he thought he tasted blood, as he nodded his head while Pearl went on, silently prodding her to continue.

"That mean old witch Mystic Mildred has been the worst!" Pearl concluded, her gray eyes flashing with anger. "She's the main reason all the elders never listen to Mystic Maya, and always say mean things about her mother." She bit her thumb and looked down. "I think that's the main reason Mystic Maya feels she is expected to heighten her powers. I think," continued Pearl, recalling Maya's blabbering during one of her recent dreams, "she does not wish to fail her mother."

"Oh dear God!" Phoenix yearned to collapse to the ground, so profound was his sorrowful penitence. Deep down, he'd always deduced that Maya wasn't truly dealing with the whole issue of her mother's death as well as she outwardly claimed to be. As her friend at the time – hell, as her _damn boyfriend_ now! – he should have found a way to better assist and support her, despite her claims that she was fine.

But he'd always been afraid to press the issue, of what might have become unleashed if he'd opted to not let those sleeping dogs lie. Then, after he was disbarred, he'd been too self-absorbed by his battered ego and own issues, and had taken no notice to her plight whatsoever. Had never paid heed to that beatific smile that masked so much pain.

 _I really am the most selfish son-of-a-bitch on earth_ , Phoenix berated himself bitterly. _All she's ever done is stand by me, and hide her own problems and focus all her attentions on mine, and the sole thing she ever asked for in return was merely to **see** me. Just a visit. But no, I was too wrapped up in my stupid, possibly needless, paranoia to even give her **that**! And now it may be too late. Christ, what if I lose her? I couldn't go on. She's **my** pillar of strength. She's my **hero**. How will I ever survive if Maya dies? _

He felt Pearl's eyes on his hunched over frame and lifted his head from his hands, looking into her doll-like face to find it no longer etched in sorrowfulness, but wreathed with concern. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. Nick, are you going to be alright?"

 _Lord help me._ _I'm the most pitiful, pathetic excuse of a man that ever existed. **Another** little girl, who I see as a daughter of mine, having to console my sorry ass in a time of sadness, when it should be the other way around._

His self-disgust nearly overcame his grief and his head dropped down again. This was the _second_ time now that a young child who had so much strife equal or worse than his own had had to be the adult and attempt to comfort _him_ , when _they_ were the ones who needed it most. It was that incident in the kitchen last year with Trucy all over again, even down to the same silky brown hair.

Except, he thought, as he looked up again at last, the sympathetic, caring eyes that were peering into his face right now weren't his daughter's crystal blue ones. They were a clear, amethyst grey, and held a look of wisdom that belied the years of their owner.

No wait… _no they weren't_!

The gentle eyes he were looking into were just as kind, just as loving…but a beautiful amber _brown_ in color!

"You're going to be alright, Phoenix."

Phoenix blinked a few times, and a startled cry escaped his lips.

" _You_!" He gasped.

* * *

 _A/N - My first story, (part 1 of the series as well as my first EVER FF!) Phoenix and Maya's courtship tale, **Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman** , was to date, my most widely-read story, ( **10K** views!) which I completed back in the spring._

 _I am so proud and giddy to say that, however, as of today with this chapter, **Turnabout Everlasting** , in the last two and a half months since I started this story, is **almost** tied in readership for my Phaya tale! (and **this** one's not even **done** yet!)_  
 _My mind = blown!_  
 _Thanks **so much** for reading and reviewing guys! You're **the best**! *does happy dance*_


	29. Hail to the Chief

_"_ _Females in general are embodiment of alluring mysteries that is beyond mortal capacity to decipher or understand."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine: Hail to the Chief**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Mia Fey**_  
 _Hickfield Clinic, Visitors Lounge  
_ September 5, 2020 12:00 pm

Mia Fey glanced around at her surroundings, still slightly disoriented from the channeling process. She realized she was crouched down in front of a slumped over Phoenix, in what appeared to be a hospital waiting lounge, and found that the fitted sash of Pearl's spirit medium robe was digging into her stomach in her current position. Also, it was so obscenely short on her, she was uncertain if her squatted stance allowed her any more decency in the _rear_ than she had in the _front_!

Hastily, she stood up. She tried to opt for a standing position, and then leaning over her old protégé instead, but found that, as always, she wasn't able to get the top part of Pearl's robes to fully encompass the globes of her breasts. Luckily, she caught herself in time. Glancing down in embarrassment, Mia realized that the robe was stretched to bursting, threatening to let her modesty tumble free at a moment's notice and would have given poor Phoenix a _boob to the head_!

Fighting back frustration, she finally decided that the perfect blend of reassurance _and_ decorum was to remain standing _straight_ , one hand tugging Pearl's robes as far around her breasts as possible, while placing her free one comfortingly upon his shoulder. She stared down at his dejected form with a mixture of curiosity and concern. Mia wasn't sure _why_ Pearl had channeled her, but she _did_ know something must have happened. There could be no other explanation for her current presence back on earth, along with the miserable-looking figure slouched down in front of her, his shoulders sagged with defeat.

"You're going to be alright, Phoenix," she soothed, not knowing the circumstances of his gloomy state, yet instinctively knowing it was the right thing to say.

Phoenix's head jerked up, and he shot up out of his chair like a rocket, a shocked expression on his face at the sight of her.

" _You_!" He gasped, his eyes the size of saucers.

"It's been a long time, Phoenix," Mia smiled, slightly amused at his dramatic, stunned reaction. "Exactly _how_ long has it been, anyway?"

"Ch- _Chief_!" Phoenix struggled to return to normalcy from his state of unreality, but still found himself speechless. He wracked his brain, trying to find the answer to Mia's simple question. Since his disbarment, everyday felt exactly the same as the next, with no distinction in-between, just like in _Groundhog Day_ – he hardly had any concept of time anymore. When he finally tabulated the mental math of just _how_ long it'd been since he'd seen his beloved mentor, he could scarcely get the words out.

"About a year and a half since our last case, Chief …" His voice was barely audible.

Mia tilted her head questioningly to the side as she absently touched her cheek, and found it still slightly damp. Pearl had been crying. As she coupled this with the state Phoenix had been in, she felt alarm slowly rising within her. Something was wrong. _Very_ wrong.

"Phoenix, talk to me. I _know_ something isn't right, or Pearly wouldn't have called me. What's going on?"

His deceased mentor's worried tone cut into him like a katana blade. He could no longer hold back the sob welling up in his throat.

"Ch- Chief, do you remember how you always said that an attorney has to keep smiling, no matter how bad it gets?" He stuttered, hanging his head in misery. "That you only get to cry when it's all over?"

Mia nodded silently.

"Well… it's over." Phoenix's stomach churned as the words tumbled out of his lips. "I... I failed my client. I-I failed _you!_ I ruined your office!" A tear escaped the corner of his eye, and he helplessly gestured at his hobo apparel, as though inviting her to think the unspoken words: _look at what I've become_!

"Phoenix, one loss isn't failing. You win some, and you lose some –"

"Mia, I _lost my badge_! And I ruined both mine _and_ Maya's lives! It's _my_ fault she's been admitted here to this hospital right now!"

Silence blanketed the room like an overbearing blackness, listening to the resonance of Phoenix's outburst and echoing against the walls.

Mia could only stare mutely at the man now standing before her, rattled by his confession. She didn't know what bit of news had her more shaken to the core – Phoenix Wright, champion of justice, the against all odds, King of the Turnabout … _stripped of his badge_? Her baby sister was _in the hospital_? And it was somehow _his_ fault? No. She couldn't – _wouldn't_! – believe it! There _had_ to be some mistake!

"W- what? H-how?" Was all she could muster. It was her turn to stammer now.

This was his worst nightmare come to life. Phoenix swallowed hard. He wasn't sure which admission would make her despise him more, but there was no turning back now. After all, it was over. Mia _knew_. May as well start from the very beginning to the events that had led up to here.

"I've been disbarred. I made a stupid mistake, a year and a half ago." He fought back another sob. "I... I screwed up, Chief. I don't know what I was thinking when I blindly presented that diary page. The bar association panel – the _tribunal-_ they demanded my badge and _made me watch_ while they destroyed it, right before my eyes!" That by far was the most agonizing, humiliating moment of all to recount, one he hadn't even shared with Maya. A tear drop fell, then another, and another, until they were falling faster than he could brush them away. "I'm so, so sorry, Chief. I lost your practice. I failed you! I failed Maya! I – I've ruined everything!"

Mia stepped forward and wrapped her slender arms around her former pupil. He collapsed on her in a sorrowful hug, apologizing over a torrent of tears he had not allowed himself to shed since that fateful day over a year ago with Trucy. His crumpling form dragged them both back into the chairs until she was seated next to him with his head buried against her, bracing him as he cried. She struggled against the lump in her throat and fought back her own tears of sympathy. It was heart-wrenching to see a grown man, particularly one she adored, cry like this. But she'd never allowed Phoenix be lost to devastation before and she most definitely wasn't about to start now.

Another sob rose within him, and his inability to stifle it only emphasized his feebleness to himself. The tears were flowing freely down his cheeks now.

"I- I've destroyed your legacy, and everything I've ever b-believed in! And worked so hard for! It's all gone now because of _me_! And I have no idea what to do and how to turn things around, Mia. I beg of you, _please_ forgive me…I never, _ever_ wanted you to see me like this…"

Phoenix was literally blinded by his tears; his vision was so bleary that all he could vaguely make out of his surroundings were blurry splotches of color. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to will the heaving of his chest back under control.

His efforts proved to be futile as Mia gently pulled his head against her shoulder, wrapping her arms around him and rocking him as soothingly as a mother would a newborn infant.

"Shhh…" She whispered. "It's OK. Let it all out."

Wrapping his arms around her waist, Phoenix at last wept the way he'd wanted to since his life had turned upside down. The way he'd wanted to when he'd overheard the Dragon Lady spewing her malice about how he wasn't good enough for Maya. The way he'd longed to when he'd had to tell Maya goodbye each time… and the way he'd barely refrained from when he'd discovered that the love of his life was in the hospital, fighting for her life. He sobbed wordlessly, inconsolably, clutching at Mia as if she were his anchor for both safety and sanity. He cried until there were no more tears left to shed, and his stinging eyes felt puffy and swollen and he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to fully open them again.

Eventually, the tears ceased, leaving behind a feeling of hollowness. Mia reached under his hat and softly stroked his hair, her fingers gliding over his spikes in the same manner of her sister, maintaining the calming motion the whole time, while gently rocking him and making soothing noises.

At last, he sat up and dried the last of his tears on the sleeve of his hooded sweatshirt. A quick glance around the room showed him that mercifully, they were still alone and there had been no other witnesses to his mini-breakdown. He grinned sheepishly at his girlfriend's sister, redness in his cheeks as he managed to mumble, "Thanks Chief. I guess I needed that. But again, I'm so sorry…"

"Please stop apologizing," Mia said kindly. The smile on her pretty face was sad, but sincere. "Lawyers may need to be strong and smile for their clients, but behind closed doors, by ourselves, with our loved ones…sometimes you just have to let go. Remember, you're only human." She gave him a maternal pat on his cheek. "And stop thinking you've disappointed me, Phoenix. I'm still proud of all you've managed to achieve. I'm also eternally grateful to you, for all you've done for my family. Taking in Maya was kindness and generosity personified, but then to have taken in _Pearly_ as well…I will always love you for that. I don't know what they would have done without you."

 _Maya_. Oh sweet Jesus. In his misery, he'd forgotten that he had yet to tell Mia about _her sister_ , about _why_ their bittersweet reunion was taking place in a hospital lounge!

Phoenix averted his eyes, unable to meet her gaze as she went on.

"I may not know all the details of your badge being stripped, Phoenix, but I _do_ know _you_. You're a wonderful person, a good, honest man. You wouldn't do anything unethical or illegal on purpose."

He didn't deserve her ready forgiveness. Her praise. Not when she found out…

It was definitely give-me-strength time. Phoenix rose from his seat and looked down at the seated Mia, his expression tormented.

"Chief, I appreciate you being such an angel, and not throwing the book at me for making such a calamity of my life, of your practice… but there's still more I need to tell you. I don't know if you'll forgive me so willingly when I tell you how I'm to blame for Maya being here in the first place."

Mia rose up from her chair as well, studying her former protégé's face for a moment. She stubbornly shook her head.

"You've always cared for Maya, Phoenix. And you gave me your word that you'd take care of her and protect her. I know that can't be true."

"I _do_ Chief! I _do_ …I- I _love_ her. And I _was_ trying to protect her!" Phoenix cried. "But was the point of it all, when she's on that bed, _fighting for her life_ right now? I may as well have said _to hell_ with those disapproving Kurain hags and that psycho stalker of mine and just _been_ with her whenever she wanted us to be, had I known she was just going to _wind up in here_! If only I _had_! At least then, while I'd have still been a fallen and disgraced ex-lawyer, we'd have been together and _happy_!"

In a rush, he told her everything, as best as he could, as Mia sat there in stunned, open-mouthed silence. His recanting of the details was based on the snippets Maya had briefly mentioned, in passing, throughout the past months, as well as what Pearl had confided to him earlier. He layered the insults on himself as he told Mia the whole twisted tale, from having to hide their love first for the sake of Trucy's adoption, _then_ due to the Kurain embargo, and _lastly_ , because to his suspicions about Kristoph Gavin.

"We could have snuck around! _Why_ didn't my shit-for-brains self come up with that option earlier? It's not like Gumshoe hasn't taken Trucy at the drop of a hat before!" He berated himself now. "But _no_ , I was _such_ a daft prick! An idiotic, paranoid _ass_ of a man who let his wounded ego over that Dragon Lady cloud my judgement and refuse to see the woman I love because of it! Maya wouldn't have nearly killed herself like this if I'd _been_ there for her more often, Chief, I just know it!"

Mia absorbed all this, astonished by the amount of self-abuse Phoenix was heaping upon himself. How long had he been going around carrying the burdening weight of the world upon his shoulders like this? _Why_ did he feel the sordid need to make everything _his_ fault? _He_ hadn't driven Maya to near suicide, those horrible wretches of Kurain had! _Fate_ had! _Life_ had! But _not_ him. _Never_ him. Her sister wouldn't have even _survived_ any of her _previous_ trials and tribulations: the murder charges, the kidnapping, the Dahlia ordeal… had it not been for Phoenix. He was Maya's savior. Her _strength_. _Not_ her downfall. And his love would get her sister through this as well. She _had_ to make him see that.

"Phoenix, I _demand_ that you stop calling yourself such debasing names! That's one of my favorite people you're talking about!" Mia tugged his horrid hat off of him then, allowing the familiar spikes to spring free, before playfully swatting him on the head with it. He yelped in protest and made a move to grab it back, but she shook her head and stepped out of reach. "You'll get this back _after_ you sit still and listen to your old boss now, alright?"

Phoenix nodded obediently and sat back down, while self-consciously running his hand over his bared head. _I'll agree to anything if it means getting my beanie back! Ugh, and I didn't even wash my hair today! Jeez, what is it with these Fey girls and their hate-on for my hat?!_

"Now, tell me something Mr. Wright," Mia began, sounding like a professor lecturing her student. " _Why_ is it that you think my sister fell in love with you in the first place?"

The unexpected question threw him. "Um…b-because I saved her life?" Phoenix speculated, yelping as Mia smacked him over the head with his hat again, as if trying to beat some sense into him.

"Stop calling yourself names _and_ selling yourself so short, Phoenix Wright!" Mia commanded, putting her hands on her hips. "Is that all you think Maya feels for you? Some sort of _hero gratitude_? Is that all you take her for? All you take _yourself_ for?"

"N- no, b-but…"

"I'll have you know something about my sister," Mia interrupted, pacing back and forth in front of him. "She's a very bright girl, and she's _not_ one to give her heart away so easily! You always being her knight in shining armor to her damsel in distress fallacies may have been why she first formed a _crush_ on you." She grinned impishly. "Well, _that_ , along with the possible gratitude for funding her chronically insatiable burger consumption."

 _So it was based on me forever filling up her six bottomless stomachs then?_ Phoenix wondered where Mia was going with this.

"But… it's _not_ why she ultimately fell in _love_ with you."

Phoenix belatedly realized that amongst all the unanticipated news he'd updated her on, Mia had shown _no_ sign of surprise _whatsoever_ , about him and Maya now being together!

" _Hold it_! Chief… _you_ knew how she felt about me?" _Good grief, even the_ ** _dead_** _were aware that Maya loved me before I ever was? Damn, it's true! The man really always_ ** _is_** _the last one to know!_

"I'm her big sister, Phoenix," Mia flashed a cheeky grin. "Of _course_ I knew! It's also why I can attest that the _reason_ Maya loves you is because of that big, beautiful heart of yours. And because of _who you are_ , and _not_ what you do for a living! You never gave up on anyone, and you can't give up on yourself either." She walked back over to him tousled his hair. "She _may_ have also noticed that when you're not wearing this ugly-ass hat, you're not too hard on the eyes either, you know!"

"Thanks, Chief." Phoenix blushed and dropped his eyes. "But it's been over a year, now, and I'm not getting anywhere. I'm just stringing her along. I'm supposed to be _hers_ ; she's supposed to be _mine_...We love each other so much… And we can't even see each other!"

"I'm confused. You just told me you'd been together a year and a half. Aren't you seeing each other now?"

"Not really. In the past year and a half, I've seen her _three_ times," Phoenix answered miserably. "You know the drill with that village, Mia! The Master can't associate with a scumbag forgin' attorney like me! It would ruin her reputation and that of the Kurain, which only recently has shed its previous stigma."

"Need I remind you how tenacious and stubborn my sister is, Phoenix?" Mia sighed. "Those things wouldn't matter to her if she's got her mind set elsewhere, on something more important. And obviously, she's got her mind set on _you_. So to that end, _I'm_ more worried about _you_. I haven't seen you so broken since, well, since the last time Maya was in peril."

"That's why I've tried to make friends with Kristoph. So he'll trust me, and like me enough not to want to hurt those I love just to get to me." Phoenix couldn't look her in the eye as he made this admission. "I still don't know for sure if my suspicions about him are correct, but the whole idea was to try to have it so Maya _wouldn't_ be in any perilous danger. I was willing to take that chance, even if I feel like I'm keeping her prisoner in Kurain, because of my paranoia about the wrong people seeing us together. I never in a million years could have known that Kurain would wind up being more dangerous for her than associating with me! But I _should_ have known! The signs were all there, I saw it for myself the last time I visited, and especially after Misty…"

"Phoenix, _stop blaming yourself_!" Mia exclaimed, exasperated. "Not _everything_ bad that happens is _your_ fault! Neither was _World War Two_ for heaven's sake!" She held up her hand, silencing the protest he was about to make. "Tell me, did _you_ ever say anything to make Maya question her abilities as Master?"

Phoenix shook his head vehemently. " _No_! Of course not! I told her I always believed in her; that she could do anything she put her mind to!"

"Did _you_ ever make disparaging comments about Misty Fey? Did _you_ make Maya feel as if she were somehow doomed to follow in her 'betraying' mother's footsteps and have history repeat itself, because the proverbial apple doesn't fall far from the tree? Did _you_ ever make her feel inferior because Pearl was a better medium than her and thus deserved the title more?"

" _No and no_! A thousand times _no_!" Phoenix was indignant. "Christ, Mia, what do you take me for?"

She still wasn't done. "Did _you_ forcibly drag Maya up to that temple today after making her starve herself for days on end and coerce her to stand for hours under a frigid waterfall?"

"Of course not!"

"I didn't _think_ so," Mia crossed her arms and smirked at him. "So then tell me again, _how_ and _why_ any of this is _your_ fault, Phoenix?"

With the cards all fully laid out on the table and put into such blatantly glaring light like this, Phoenix suddenly felt his self-recriminations melt away like cotton candy in the rain. Now he just felt like a _complete_ and _total_ imbecile – albeit a somewhat less guilty one! He didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he suddenly, miraculously felt the heavy burden of guilt leave his shoulders.

"You _really_ don't think this was my fault, Mia?" He asked meekly, hopefully. "That if I'd been around more, she wouldn't have…"

" _Regardless_ if you were there or not, Phoenix, she still would have had those nasty old biddies to contend with to undo any damage repair your presence may have temporarily fixed," Mia affirmed gloomily.

The knowledge didn't make _her_ feel much better, although she was glad that her protégé appeared to have his unnecessary self-reproach somewhat alleviated. The realization that Maya was living in such a hostile environment, with only little Pearl as her sole ally, and being forced to sever ties with Phoenix as her only other alliance, was disturbing indeed. That was a whole new can of worms entirely, which Mia wasn't even sure Maya's superhero boyfriend could save her from this time.

Yet something had to be done to fix this plight. The question was, _what_?

Mia stifled another sigh. She would worry about that later, once she was sure she'd completely gotten through to her former apt pupil.

"Listen Superman, for both your sakes, please stop thinking you have to do this alone just to protect her," Mia stated firmly, her gaze intense. "You're not a one-man band, Phoenix! This martyred hero complex of yours may very well have you winding up in a bed _right next_ to Maya's if you keep this up!"

Phoenix shrank away from her unwavering glower. "Ok, fine, when you put it that way, I guess you're right, I'm not _completely_ alone," he realized. "Maya aside, the Gumshoes have been like family to me and Trucy, ready to take her in at a moment's notice whenever I needed them to watch her. And I actually do have Edgeworth in Europe looking into things regarding that last case and the Gavins as well."

"Where does your daughter factor into all of this? Even though she's adopted officially now, she still isn't privy to know about Maya?"

Phoenix shook his head. "I'm keeping Trucy out of this, Mia. Kids, even good ones like her, are unintentional blabbermouths! The _last_ thing I need is to take Trucy to work, have Kristoph show up, and _hear_ her beg for a 'new mommy' by name."

"You take Trucy to _work_ with you?" Mia repeated, looking puzzled. "What _is_ it you're doing now?"

Phoenix's breath caught suddenly. He leaned forward on his knees and caught his head on his right thumb and forefinger to stare into the floor. Revealing his new job was almost as painfully mortifying as professing his disbarment. He took a deep breath and looked back up to Mia's pensively waiting face.

"I'm... I'm a pianist now."

"You're a _what_?" Mia was startled. "I didn't know you knew how to play the piano!"

"Um, I _can't_ ," he muttered. "Not _well,_ anyway. I know maybe two songs fully, and I just fake my way through a few bars of show tunes or Disney themes for the most part. The customers are too drunk to care, anyway. If they get rowdy, I um, sort of start singing to distract them…"

" _Sing_?" Now Mia looked completely gob-smacked. "You can actually _sing_?"

 _It's how I won your sister's heart. But that's a story for another day._

"Well, better than I play piano anyhow …" Phoenix felt his cheeks redden. "Or, so I've been told anyway…"

"Let me get this straight…" Mia spoke slowly, trying to comprehend the situation. "What you're telling me is… you're a sub-par musician but a _passable_ singer…and you somehow manage to get _paid_ for this?"

Phoenix scratched the back of his neck and gave Mia one of his most disarming smiles before he dropped his next bomb on her.

"I _hate_ telling this part…Maya doesn't even know about it…the piano playing's just a front for my real job anyway. Er, I play poker. I'm kinda, sorta undefeated." He could feel another blush creeping across his face. There really was no good way to make his unbroken win record sound like anything but cockish boasting or a lame reparation attempt for his failure.

" _Poker_?" Mia echoed blankly.

"It's not gambling or anything," Phoenix explained, somewhat defensively. He hadn't relayed this information to anyone but the Gumshoes – his friends at the bar didn't even know about the details of his double duty. He figured the questionable legality of the other activities that went down in the underground circuit were best left unsaid right now. He didn't want to risk Mia's disapproval – there was only _so much_ saintliness a woman could have!

"Then how –?"

"I just get paid to play customers wanting a challenge. We play for glory, not money. And I don't take Trucy in every night, only when there's a poker tournament and only on the evenings she's not working as a magician at The Wonder Bar. Plus, her father was big in the poker circuit. I figure if I stick with this, I might be able to find him."

"I see."

He sat up straight in his chair then, a look of grim determination, reminiscent of the old Phoenix, on his face.

"But even if I do find that lousy rat bastard, I'm _not_ giving her back to him! He doesn't deserve her! Besides, I'm not sure I could let her go." He smiled shyly. "Trucy's my _daughter_ , Chief. She loves me and I love her. Maya aside, she's the best thing that's ever happened to me. She's my _light_."

Mia smiled at that, before enquiring, "But you're not going to hide Maya forever, are you? You _will_ let Trucy meet her, eventually?"

"Definitely," Phoenix swore. "You have no idea how tempting it is to just confess everything, ruining both my investigation and Maya's reputation just to bring my girls together." He sighed. "But I can't do that. Not yet. Not until I know it's safe."

"I'm not going to lie, this isn't a pretty picture you've painted here, Phoenix." Mia spoke quietly, her expression thoughtful. "However, I'm also not going to tell you to smile this time or keep putting on a brave face. It's not necessary, or even realistic. Life sucks right now, for both of you. Obviously, your attempts to keep a stiff upper lip throughout all of this, even if it was for the sake of your daughter…may have made things far worse than if you'd just…released that sorrow, and leaned on those who love you. Me, and Pearly… We love you like family, and we'll never be ashamed to call you our friend. You _are_ family to Maya…to _all_ of us. You are _not_ alone. Please remember that."

Phoenix's responding smile was hesitant, but genuine as he mulled over what his former boss had just said. _I will no longer shun or refuse help from my friends, and I don't have to pretend I'm fine in front of them when I'm really not. I will_ ** _not_** _try to be a one-man band._

"Thank you, Mia," he said softly.

"You're welcome, Phoenix." A benign smile from Mia. "But, do you want to know who _else_ shouldn't be alone right now?"

"Who?"

"Pearly. With her guardian here in the hospital, who's going to look after her? I'd hate to send her off to Kurain without my sister there to watch over her – I mean, look at what they did to _her_! God knows what they'd try to do to my baby cousin without Maya there to protect her!" Mia shuddered as she looked at him anxiously. "What are we going to do, Phoenix?"

Another smile crept over Phoenix's face. Things were still bad, yes. Maya's recovery was still pending, but he was confident she'd pull through. Mia had reminded him what a tough cookie his girl was. He _needed_ to believe in that for the moment. Right now though, at least, he'd finally come across a problem that he _actually_ had the solution for.

"Don't you worry about Pearls, Chief," he winked. "You just leave this to me. I have an idea."


	30. Suddenly Siblings

_"We all have ups and downs in our life. Some of the incidents make us laugh, while some leave us with silence. Everyone faces weird situations in life. We should cherish these odd conditions and stay happy."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: It's hard to reply to anonymous reviews if there's no FF account to respond to directly, but to the last person who reviewed chapter 24 and 29 : Thank you with all my heart. The reviews somehow managed to be short but sweet...yet almost made ME tear up...I am so touched people are reading through this and are moved by my writing (and sticking around!) in spite of all the angst in my attempts to be canon. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to **you** , wonderful anonymous reviewer. A dose of sugary fluff to make up for all the tragedy! I hope you enjoy!  
_

 _To the rest of you amazing folks who are still with me (thanks, love you!) if **THIS** doesn't send you to the dentist chair, I don't know what will! :p_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty: Suddenly Siblings**

 ** _Maggey Gumshoe and Pearl Fey_**  
 _Gumshoe Residence_  
September 5, 2020 7:00 pm

"Are you _sure_ you had enough to eat for supper, little missy?" Maggey asked the silent spirit medium, who was sitting glumly at the dining table in the seat next to her, idly stirring the untouched glass of chocolate milk placed before her with a straw. "You barely pecked at your dinner. I thought you loved macaroni and cheese?"

Pearl looked at the kindly woman, who, along with her husband, had agreed to keep her as their 'special houseguest' for the evening while Mr. Nick was at work, and forced a smile.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Gumshoe," she mumbled, absently reaching over and stroking baby Gordy's silky brown hair. Unlike their visitor, the one-year old, seated at the high chair next to her, was happily tucking into _his_ meal, consisting of mashed potatoes and peas, even though _he_ was wearing most of the fare on his bib and face; Maggey had been only partially successful in getting half of the _actual_ spoonfuls into his mouth! "I guess I'm not very hungry right now. But it was very yummy. Maybe I'll have some later if that's OK?"

Maggey looked into the little girl's downcast face and smiled sympathetically. She didn't blame the child for not being in the mood to eat, what with her guardian being in the hospital. Unlike the last time she'd baby-sat her, the normally cheerful and bubbly Pearl had barely spoken a word all night, and had only smiled when playing with Gordy, whom she'd taken to like a duck to water.

"Of course it's OK sweetie. I guess Maya's legendary healthy appetite skipped your side of the family?" She teased softly, hoping to lighten the mood. " _She_ never would have let homemade mac n' cheese get past her – especially not with the ground up hamburger I added to it!"

The quip had the desired effect of bringing a brief smile to Pearl's face for a moment.

"Mr. Nick always used to say he didn't understand how she wasn't 400 pounds with the way she eats," she told Maggey, giggling. "When he came up for her Master ritual, he and Mystic Maya missed the special lunch. The chef had made an Angus burger with ramen noodles on top especially for her! Mystic Maya told me later she didn't care about food, because she could eat _whenever_ , but she'd wanted to ensure she spent as much time alone with her Special Someone as possible, and that was why she stayed with him at the house all morning, after the ceremony."

Maggey's eyes widened in amazement. " _Maya_ turned down a _burger_ for _Phoenix_? Wow, she _must_ really love him!"

"She does," Pearl admitted quietly. "And she hadn't been eating much since his last visit. I think it's partly because she's been so sad that he hasn't been allowed to visit her at Kurain since then, because the Dragon Lady says the Master isn't allowed to hang out with a _forgin' turney_ and she'd have him arrested for _tres-pass-ing_ if he ever came back."

" _The Dragon Lady_?" Maggey echoed, not sure whether or not to be amused by the christening of one of the presumed village elders, or saddened upon hearing that their narrow-minded prejudices were keeping her two dear friends apart.

"Mystic Mildred." A scowl marred Pearl's angelic face as she rolled up her sleeve. "I _hate_ that mean old witch! After Mr. Nick left, I heard Mystic Maya explaining that they'd been gone so long because some wild squirrels and raccoons had gotten into the Fey Manor and she'd needed his help chasing them out. And _that_ was the reason why little Mystic Miranda, from my class, heard so much _noise_ coming out the house when Mystic Mildred sent her after a while to check on them. Mystic Maya said she was glad Mr. Nick was there to help her, because she was scared the animals may have had rabies and would bite her, so _that's_ why Mystic Miranda heard her screaming so loudly…"

Maggey's eyes nearly bugged out her head at the direction this conversation was headed. She felt her face reddening and quickly took a large swig from her glass of water, desperately wishing it were vodka.

 _Damn I wish I weren't still breast-feeding!_

Pearl appeared oblivious to her mortified reaction and prattled on, as though on a roll.

"So anyway, I heard the mean old witch tell Mystic Maya that Miranda wouldn't have been so _tram-at-sized_ and run away from the house….if Mystic Maya had only kept her bedroom window, _among other things_ , closed!" Pearl's eyes flashed with annoyance. "That is _so unfair_ and _mean_! How would The Dragon Lady know the animals came in through _Mystic Maya's_ room? And it's not my cousin's fault she's frightened of little woodland animals and they make her yell so loud! It's a real big house - how is Mystic Maya supposed to keep track of _all_ the doors and windows? Aside from shutting her own bedroom window, and the main door, exactly _what else_ did the Dragon Lady expect her to keep closed, Mrs. Gumshoe?" She looked at Maggey expectantly, and found Gordy's mom was now the color of a tomato.

 _Good grief, how am I ever supposed to look Phoenix in the eye again after hearing this?!_

"I, um…" Maggey was at a complete loss for words. She knew as a parent now, she would _eventually_ be responsible for having the "birds and the bees" talk with her own son, somewhere down the line. But Gordy was only a baby now; she hadn't planned on having this talk for at least…another _twenty or thirty years_! Besides, her son was a _boy_. She would leave _that_ particular subject to his _father_!

Right now, the idea of telling a naïve, vulnerable young girl that the only animals sounds little Miranda had overheard coming out of the revered Master's bedroom had been of the _two-legged variety_ was about as welcome as another C-section! "Well you see, Pearl…"

"Honey, I'm home!" A loud voice boomed from the doorway.

"Dick!" Maggey nearly toppled over her chair in her haste to greet her husband at that moment; she was _that_ grateful for the reprieve from the _mother_ of all awkward conversations. "You're back! How wonderful!" She threw her arms around him in a huge hug, which he returned, then drew back to look inquisitively at her still flushed face.

"Have you been eating spicy food, honey?" He asked, looking confused.

"No, not at all, why?"

"Did the AC go out again?" He persisted, his eyes concerned as he studied his wife. "Your face is all red."

"Yes! That's it! So hot in here…stupid AC!" Maggey seized the excuse with gusto and mimed fanning herself with her hand. "Good thing we're moving out of here in a week! That blasted superintendent _never_ returns my calls!"

Gumshoe looked at her strangely, then his broad face broke into a huge grin at the sight of Pearl, who'd been playing peek-a-boo with the baby.

"Are you finished eating, little missy?" He asked. "Maggey has to bathe and put Gordy to bed now, but I have a surprise for you tonight, just you and me, if you're up for it?"

Pearl nodded and reluctantly pulled herself away from Gordy, her early animated mood vanished, replaced by her solemn one. "I'm ready, Mr. Scruffy Detective," she said softly, walking over to him.

"Hey! How many times do I gotta keep telling you, I'm not a detective anymore, Pal?" He chortled, tousling her hair.

"Oops. I'm sorry Mr. Gumshoe." Pearl dropped her head to the side, looking downward with embarrassment.

 _Oh dear, she took that wrong. Why did I have to make a big deal out of that?_ Gumshoe groaned inwardly. _She's been calling me Scruffy Detective since she's known me, why would I ask her to stop **now** , when she's so down?_

"Please, Pearl, no Mr. neither," he pleaded. "How about you just call me – Scruffy, then?"

"And no _Mrs_. with me, either," Maggey added quickly. "Feel free to just call me Maggey."

Pearl shook her head. "I was raised not to call grown-ups by their first names."

"Sweetie, we love you like family," Maggey said gently, reaching down and stroking the little girl's cheek. "How would you feel about calling me Aunt Maggey?" _After all, that's what Trucy calls me, and if there's a God up there, she will be your sister someday, if the heavens actually allow Phoenix and Maya to **finally** be together so you all can be a family!_

Pearl smiled hesitantly. "OK… Aunt Maggey." She gave her a quick hug, then turned to Gumshoe. "Let's go now…Uncle Scruffy."

The former detective threw his head back and laughed loudly at his new title, then flashed Pearl a big ear-to-ear grin. "I like it, Pal! It's the best compromise in the whole world."

* * *

 ** _Dick Gumshoe and Pearl Fey_**  
 _The Wonder Bar_  
September 5, 2020 7:30 pm

"I sure hope you like the show," Gumshoe looked anxiously at Pearl. They were seated front row and center right before the stage, and the performance had yet to start. "I'm not too sure if this is really your thing, but I thought it'd be a good way to get your mind off things…how are your fries?"

Pearl paused from the act of drawing pictures in the pool of ketchup on her plate with her French fries, which, upon hearing that she'd barely eaten dinner, Gumshoe had thoughtfully bought for her.

"They're very good," she replied, dutifully popping a couple into her mouth and smiling wanly. "Thank you, Uncle Scruffy. And I'm sure if you think this place is fun, I will too."

Gumshoe wasn't convinced, but he would have given anything in the world to see a smile on that sweet face again, which hadn't resurfaced since they'd left the apartment. Surely this was still a better idea than having her sitting all night with a couple of boring adults after Gordy was in bed, waiting for Phoenix to come back from work? He certainly hoped so. He'd never seen Pearl so blue, although he was grateful she was at least putting more of a dent in the French fries than she had in her dinner plate at home.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The MC suddenly announced on the speaker system. "Take your places, it's time for the main event of the evening! Put your hands together for the one, the only, Trucy the Talented!"

A spotlight shined on the stage, and a tiny girl in a pink cape, about Pearl's age, appeared as if from nowhere, from a thick cloud of smoke amid a fanfare of music. She beamed broadly at the audience, who welcomed her warmly with applause, and tipped her pink silk magician hat at them. Pearl joined in the clapping as well, then sat back with a small smile on her lips as she watched the little girl begin a series of fun magic acts.

Gumshoe eyed his companion nervously at first, but then relaxed and basked in the show as well, once he'd ascertained that Pearl was indeed, enjoying herself.

Pearl was absolutely enchanted, her woes momentarily forgotten as her transfixed gaze remained, unwavering, on the stage. How could someone the same age as her be capable of such incredible feats? It was absolutely marvelous! This little girl, who although performing things on a smaller scale than acclaimed magician Max Galactica at the Berry Circus, was _every bit_ as talented as he, just as her stage name indicated!

Trucy warmed up the crowd by beginning with her "production" tricks, first pulling an adorable white bunny from an empty hat.

 _No way would Mystic Maya have been scared and screaming if **that** came in through her window!_ Pearl thought gleefully.

Next Trucy produced a fan of cards from "thin air", then managed to somehow create a shower of gold coins from an empty bucket. Pearl giggled as Trucy began tossing them into the audience and even caught a few of them – they were gold-foil coins wrapped over chocolate.

For the second act, Trucy then moved into her "vanishing" set. She began by stuffing a silk scarf into her fist…said a few magic words, and then opened her hands to the crowd, revealing nothing at all! After that, the magician placed a white dove in a cage, clapped her hands, and everything vanished…not only the bird, _but the cage_ , as well! Pearl really got a kick out of that one.

The third act was the "restoration" set. Trucy took a knife and cut a rope into two pieces, then tied the two pieces together, and the knot mysteriously vanished, leaving one unbroken piece of rope! Her following trick was of a similar nature; she then proceeded to take a newspaper and tear it to bits.

 _That's what Mystic Maya did with all those bad news articles about Mr. Nick being a forgin' turney!_ Pearl giggled to herself, applauding as the magician rubbed the pieces together and the newspaper became whole again.

Trucy momentarily left the stage, then returned a moment later, wheeling a large box.

"For my next trick, I need some help from a member of the audience!" She proclaimed. "Any volunteers?"

"Over here, Trucy!" Gumshoe suddenly called, standing up. Then, without warning, he took the protesting Pearl by the hand and pulled her onto the stage, a big grin on his face as he brought the two girls face-to-face. "Here's your volunteer right here!"

Trucy cheerfully explained she would need Pearl to get into the container, where she'd be laying down and only her head would be out of the box from the opening on top. She wielded a saw in one hand and smiled mischievously as Pearl's eyes widened in terror.

"Don't worry, this will only hurt for a minute!" Trucy joked.

Panicked, Pearl shook her head violently and ducked behind her Uncle. "No!" She wailed. "I don't want to be sawed in half!" Tears sprung to her eyes. "Please don't make me!"

Seeing that she was genuinely distraught, Trucy relented.

"No problem, then. But the box is for sure big enough for _you_ , Mister!" She announced, flashing a grin at Gumshoe. "Would you mind taking her place, then?"

"Um, I dunno, Pal…" Gumshoe scratched his head nervously. "That looks like an awfully tight squeeze…"

"They say what's good for the goose is good for the gander," Trucy insisted. "Unless you're too _chicken_?" She began making clucking sounds and flapping her "wings", to the merriment of the crowd, who joined in the motion.

" _Bakok_!" They chorused over and over, until the red-faced Gumshoe relented and unenthusiastically stepped into the contraption.

Trucy stood in front of the box, saw in hand, and smiled deviously at Pearl as she began the sawing motion.

"You've got life insurance, right?" She asked Gumshoe with a fiendish grin as she finished the action. He grunted in response.

Pearl covered her eyes, then clapped her hand over her open mouth as Trucy pushed the now separated parts of the box apart, with Gumshoe's head in one half, and his "feet" sticking out of the other.

Trucy walked up to Pearl, who was still open-mouthed in shock. "Now to put him back together!" She beamed. "But first I need to say the magic words. Will you help me?"

Pearl nodded dumbly.

"Say it with me, on the count of three, OK? _Alakazoo, alakazam, abracadabra, you're back together again_!"

Pearl chanted obediently when prompted, and despite knowing she was being silly, felt a surge of relief when Gumshoe stepped out of the once again magically rejoined box, fully intact, in one piece, and completely unharmed. She applauded enthusiastically as Trucy and Gumshoe bowed to the crowd.

"That was wonderful!" She enthused to Trucy. "But I'm sorry I chickened out and made you have to do that in my place, Uncle Scruffy." She smiled shyly at Gumshoe, who chuckled and tousled her hair.

"No worries, little missy."

"Uncle Gumshoe is _your_ uncle too?" Trucy asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

Pearl nodded shyly.

"Well why didn't you say so? That makes you my _extra special_ assistant then, cuz that would make us practically _cousins_!" Trucy declared happily. "What's your name?"

"I'm Pearl." She ducked her head bashfully.

"Pearl, for my next trick, I'm going to need _two_ helpers. First, everyone, say hello…to Mr. Hat!"

The audience cheered, but Pearl jumped skittishly as the life-sized wooden marionette suddenly popped up behind Trucy, somehow taking the hat off her head and winding up with it on his own as he clacked his jaws.

"Hello Pearl!" Mr. Hat greeted her.

"Um, hello, Mr. Hat," she replied cautiously.

"Pearl, could you take this hat off my head and check that it's empty?" Mr. Hat asked.

Pearl hesitantly reached over and took the hat off the puppet's head, leaving Trucy and him both bare-headed now.

"Feel inside the hat," Trucy instructed. "Is it empty?"

Pearl ran her hand along the inside of the hat. "Yes it is." She affirmed.

"Now show the hat to the crowd, that it is empty," Trucy instructed.

Pearl smiled, feeling herself getting into the swing of things. She made a grand presentation of visibly shaking out the hat to indicate that nothing was falling out of it, then showed the hat from all possible angles to the audience to verify that it was indeed, empty, before handing it to Trucy.

Trucy closed her eyes and waved her hands, shouting out " _Alazkazam_!" The she reached into the hat and with a flourish, produced a pair of enormous women's bloomers, which were blue with red hearts decorating them. "Behold my magic panties!"

She fished into them and produced another silk magician's hat, identical to her own but in a pretty lilac color that matched Pearl's acolyte robe. The magician waved it dramatically as she presented it to her delighted "cousin", placing it on her head before grabbing her own off Mr. Hat's head and donning it back on. She grabbed Pearl's hand and waved it in the air.

"Now you're _officially_ a magician's assistant!" Trucy crowed, waving their joined hands in the air. "Everyone, let's give my special magic helper, Pearl, a great big hand!"

The audience applauded enthusiastically as the two girls bowed, and then Trucy dug into her magic panties again, this time pulling colorful strips of confetti out and throwing them out to the thrilled crowd as part of her finale. There seemed to be a never-ending supply of the decorative streamers coming out from the bloomers which she waved about in the air in a swirl of blue and red.

As silky-hatted Pearl made her exit and went back to her seat, she continued to watch Trucy on the stage with the panties, all the while feeling almost hypnotized as she did so. She furrowed her brow in concentration, as this time she was finally able to pay full attention to the scene, not only to the charming girl wielding them, but to the magical prop in action.

 _What is about those panties that look so familiar?!_

She blinked twice to ensure she wasn't seeing things. Then, as she studied the novelty item in Trucy's hands, understanding dawned on her at last.

The reason magical panties looked so familiar to her was because she _recognized_ them… as the item Mystic Maya had purchased as a present last Christmas! For Mr. Nick's _daughter_ , Trucy!

Pearl wanted to smack herself in the head for being so obtuse. She blamed it on the stress of Mystic Maya being in the hospital. She should have gotten her first clue when the gregarious girl had happily proclaimed them to be cousins because they shared the same man as an uncle…the sole exception being that Trucy referred to Uncle _Scruffy_ as Uncle _Gumshoe_!

 _Trucy…magic panties…my goodness why didn't I put two and two together when I heard her name announced earlier? Trucy isn't that common of a name!_ Pearl thought in disbelief. _And there's no way another girl named Trucy out there would also have these magic panties! This girl **is** Mr. Nick's daughter! Forget **cousins** , when he marries Mystic Maya, she'll be my **sister**!_

 _This_ was Uncle Scruffy's _true_ surprise! At long last, _finally_ getting to meet her _sister_! And she was a talented _magician_!

Pearl knew magicians weren't allowed to reveal their secrets of their act to anyone if asked, even their family members, but that was OK with her, because In the meantime, _she_ had her _own_ secret to keep from her sudden sibling. The knowledge made her smile to herself as she remembered the events from earlier that evening…

* * *

TWO HOURS AGO...

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Pearl Fey_**  
 _Gumshoe Residence_  
September 5, 2020 5:30 pm

When the visiting hours at the hospital had ended for the day, Phoenix decided to drop Pearl off to the Gumshoe's residence on his way to work that evening, and then his friend was going to take him to The Borscht Bowl Club right afterward so he'd still make it in time for his shift.

"I'd love you to meet Trucy while you're down here, Pearls," Phoenix smiled as he guided her off the elevator. "She's a year younger than you, and she's loads of fun. I know you two will be best friends. You'll just adore her!"

Pearl's hands flew to her cheeks with excitement at the news. "That would be so great, Mr. Nick, to have someone my age to play with while I'm down here in the city!"

"She's been asking me for a new mommy for some time," Phoenix laughed. "But since I can't do that right now, until Maya gets better, I figured giving her a _sibling_ would be the next best thing! She'll be like a sister to you."

 _Yay! And **this** one can play with me because she's not in jail like my other sister, Iris!_

"I can't wait to meet my new sister!" Pearl couldn't contain her excitement. "I hope _she_ likes the idea of having _me_ as one!"

"There's just one thing, Pearls," Phoenix sighed, affecting a somber expression. "When you _do_ meet Trucy, you need to understand, you can't tell her about the fact that she's going to be…heck, that she essentially _is_ your sister. She can't know about Maya and I yet, OK? That's got to be a secret for now."

"But _why_?" Pearls cried, chagrined. "I've waited so long for you two to admit you're Special Someones and now you're hiding it!? And from your _daughter_?"

"I'm sorry Pearls," Phoenix said sadly. "But we just can't take the risk of word getting back to Kurain that Maya and I are still seeing each other. Look at what a hard time she's having with the elders as it is. When she gets better, I want her focus to be on recovery, and not have those mean old ladies make her life any harder than it already is. Please try to understand." _There's no way I'm even mentioning that I also don't want any word of Maya coming to the knowledge of my stalker, either. Why freak out a ten-year-old?_

"Alright, Mr. Nick," Pearl nodded solemnly, her shoulders slumped in disappointment, despite her willingness to do whatever was needed to make life easier for her beloved cousin. "I promise I won't say anything whenever I meet her."

"You don't need to lie about who _you_ are though," Phoenix assured her as they walked to the Gumshoe's apartment door. Before they knocked, though, he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her dejected frame towards him.

"Trucy knows I had an assistant before, so there's no need to hide the fact that you're Maya's cousin." He gently put a finger under her chin and tilted up her downcast face so she could see his affectionate expression. "Or the fact that I love _you_ just as much as I do Trucy. As if you were my own daughter too, Pearls."

Hearing those poignant words from the only father figure she'd ever known, at a point in her life when she'd never before felt more scared and alone, Pearl felt a wave of emotion wash over her just then. With a wordless cry and tears welling up in her eyes, she lurched forward to wrap her arms around Phoenix for one last hug before he had to go.

"I love you too, Mr. Nick," she whispered. "I really, really, do."

* * *

 _A/N: The AA wiki and Dual Destinies game shows that Pearl and Trucy have long since met and adore each other...but we got cheated out of their seeing their first intro! So I give you my fluffy version of their first meeting. Hope you approve!_


	31. Unfaithful

_"So she thoroughly taught him that one cannot take pleasure without giving pleasure, and that every gesture, every caress, every touch, every glance, every last bit of the body has its secret, which brings happiness to the person who knows how to wake it. She taught him that after a celebration of love the lovers should not part without admiring each other, without being conquered or having conquered, so that neither is bleak or glutted or has the bad feeling of being used or misused."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: Another Miles Edgeworth chapter! Dedicated to 6GunSally and Ilet Moratar. Disclaimer: **PG-13** steam to take you into the weekend!_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-One: Unfaithful**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye**_  
 _Legal Office_  
Date and Time Unknown

"How much longer do you think I'm going to put up with this?" Miles shouted. "How much more do you think I can endure having to play second fiddle to that, that _\- blasted man_ , while he remains blissfully ignorant about us, Lana?"

"It's not that easy, Miles." Lana bit her lip, partially in anxiety about the mounting anger she heard building again in his normally smooth, calm tone, and partially because she knew the gesture drove him wild. "I swear I tell him about us. I _will!_ It's just –"

"I am sick and tired of your cowardice and excuses, woman! Is it that you're rather _enjoying_ playing us both? Or is it that you're relishing and getting off on the idea of having two men fighting over you?" Miles demanded harshly. He advanced towards her, a steely glint in his eye. She instinctively backed away from him, until she found her back pressed against the wall. He stood before her, gripping her arms, forcefully enough to keep her from moving away, but not enough to cause her discomfort. Even so, she flinched slightly at this unexpectedly aggressive side to him.

It was a mistake, a big one. Because he caught the gesture. _She flinched? She's suddenly_ ** _afraid_** _of me? Unbelievable! Might as well give her something to_ ** _really_** _be afraid of then!_

His eyes narrowed and he pressed her harder against the wall, his fingers now digging painfully into her flesh. "I told you I will _not_ abide sharing you with _him_ another moment! How much longer do you think you can keep being such a two-timing, cheating _slut_? When will your ignorable conscience finally cease allowing you to keep deceiving him like this?"

She glared at him, green embers of mounting fury in her eyes. "Might I remind you, _Prosecutor Edgeworth_ , that you are _still_ my subordinate? You'd be wise to watch the way you speak to me!"

A flash of anger sparked in his stormy gaze, but a second later, he had himself under control again.

"Not after hours I'm not," he murmured silkily, running a free hand into her long caramel tresses. He gripped a handful, firmly but not painfully, and lifted her head so she was forced to look into his stormy eyes. "As of _right now_ , you are no longer Chief Skye. It's just you and me – Lana and Miles. Complete equals, my dear."

She saw through his bravado of macho jealousy. And it pained her terribly that she was the cause of the underlying hurt beneath it.

"You're making this so hard, Miles!" She cried, looking at him beseechingly. "I wish I could do the right thing and just end this! Because then I could just walk away and not care. But you've shown me too much of yourself. I can't pretend that this is just about sex anymore, any more than _you_ can. I have feelings for you! And you can't deny that the reason you're being like this is because _you_ have feelings for _me_ , too."

" _Feelings_?" He stared at her with incredulity. "You know _nothing_ about me, Lana! Nothing at all, _except_ for my body. Have you forgotten who I've been raised and molded after? The indomitable Manfred Von Karma! He's shown me that if I want something, it's _mine_ to have. I go after what I want, and I _always_ get what I want. What I _don't_ take well is when something is _mine_ for the taking and things get _unnecessarily_ difficult."

Lana shook her head, remembering the glimpse of his soul she'd seen the last time they'd made love. She understood him better than he thought. He didn't fool her for a minute with his impassioned speech about how she meant naught to him but an object he yearned to possess.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, unable to yell any longer. "I wish I could make it all undone. This complicated mess I've made of the three of our lives…I wish I could help you understand that it's alright to have emotions, Miles. I wish I could help make you see how hard this is for me." She closed her eyes. Would she really want to wipe any memories of her time with Miles from her mind if she could? It took only a second for her heart to find the answer.

"No. I take that back. Us…this whole affair. No matter what happens, Miles, I regret nothing. I wouldn't undo that." She shut her eyes, bracing herself for the verbal onslaught, negating her words.

But none came. When she opened her eyes, she collided with his heated gaze.

"God _damn it!_ " he cursed and sank his lips onto hers.

She felt his anger in the way he kissed her, rough, hard, as if he wanted to punish her for what she'd said.

His hands let go of her shoulders, then went down to her hem of her skirt. He jerked it up around her waist, then dug his fingers into the waistband of her panties. But instead of simply pulling them down, he tore at the lacy fabric and shredded it like it was paper, making her aware that he could tear her body just as easily if he wished.

She gasped into his mouth, both shocked and excited at the same time, just as he ripped his mouth from hers.

"I tell you how you can help me," he bit out. "By spreading those legs for me."

His eyes still held some of the anger in them that she'd seen there earlier, but now they were glazed with lust, and she knew intuitively that he wouldn't hurt her.

Before she could do any more, he reached down and pulled her up into his arms. He effortlessly lifted her, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist as he slammed her back into the wall. Miles knew what he needed now was to show her that he couldn't be played with. He had to make it clear to her that she would be punished if she kept hurting him like this. He pressed her harder back against the wall, forcefully kissing her, his eyes still open. She didn't close hers, either. Seeing his intense expression overwhelmed her. She grabbed his hair, locked her eyes on his, and kissed him until she had to break away to breathe.

When he looked at her face, he saw how she'd leaned her head back against the wall, her lips parted, and her eyes half closed.

"Take me Miles!" Lana panted.

She showed no sign of distress despite his rough handling of her. On the contrary. Her legs wrapped tighter around his waist, urging him on to take her, in any way, with as much force as he wished.

Unable to resist, he took her lips again, this time with more passion and less anger. _God_ , she tasted good—so good he couldn't imagine ever giving this up, ever giving _her_ up. Despite everything, despite the fact that she was letting another man use her body while still allowing his enjoyment of it as well, she'd held her own when confronted with his fury. She hadn't backed down, just as she didn't flinch now as he grinded himself hard against her.

"I need you," he mumbled against her lips, before he delved his tongue back into her mouth.

He wasn't lying this time: he _needed_ her. Desperately so. She gave him the strength to not be afraid of having emotions again after so many years of built-up walls, and to face his own personal demons, the ones that had been haunting him since his father's death.

Breathing hard, Miles released her lips and trailed hot kisses along her neck.

"I want you, Miles, I want you so much," she let out, and it sounded like a sob.

He looked back at her eyes and saw a multitude of emotions brimming there. "You have me, Lana," he whispered back and gently captured her lips, stroking his tongue over them.

When she sighed contently, his entire body filled with a newfound sense of strength. Breathing hard, his heart racing, he leaned his forehead against hers. "No more lies. He needs to know the truth _now_."

She nodded, running her nails down his back as she nipped his jaw. "Make love to me now," she begged. "I'm _aching_ for you, Miles."

He reached down with one hand while still bracing her against the wall, and deftly unzipped his pants before finally obeying the command. She felt so good. He groaned in rapture.

" _God_ , what you do to me, Lana!"

"Oh Miles, _Miles_ …"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Presidential Suite, Lan Kwai Fong Palace Hotel_  
 _Zheng Fa_  
September 9, 2020 5:00 am

 _Miles_. _Miles_. The sound reverberated in his mind as he blissfully closed his eyes. Never before had his name sounded so glorious.

"Miles?"

He jolted from his reverie with a start upon hearing his name so unexpectedly, and nearly lost his balance. Luckily, he fell backward rather than forward, cringing at the heavy thud of the wet marble shower wall against the back of his head.

"Miles?" There was a knock on the bathroom door of the hotel room. "Are you going to be much longer? I need to use the facilities, please!"

"Just a moment, Franziska!" He called back, squeezing his eyes shut in irritation as he felt the warm water cascade down his body, and onto the now deflated manhood in his hand. "I'm nearly done!"

 _God dammit, woman! I was so close…_

Miles stifled an angry mutter as he jerked off the faucets and stepped out of the steamy stall, reaching for his plush robe. He wasn't sure at that moment if his feelings of agitation were more directed at his fiancée, or at himself.

 _Lana Skye_. Why was it her memory kept resurfacing in his mind more and more these days? The first time had been a few weeks ago, when he'd needed to – _release his tension,_ in the shower, as he'd tried unsuccessfully to do now. The searing memory of that time they'd had sex in her office during her Chief Prosecutor days had resulted in him having one of the most intense orgasms of his life.

He'd been hoping to achieve the same result this time around as he vividly recollected another instance, but alas, to no avail. Franziska's ill-timed interruption had definitely squelched _that_ option!

 _Ngh! She should be arrested for_ ** _killing_** _my_ ** _erection_** _!_

He supposed it served him right. Using the mental images of _another woman_ from his past to gratify himself while committing the _sin of self-pollution,_ when he _had_ a sexy, beautiful one in his _present_ , was making him feel like every bit the cheater he'd accused Lana of being at the time.

Well, what choice did he have? It's wasn't as if he had any recent sexual experience with _Franziska_ to draw upon during these moments! They hadn't made love in _five months_!

Miles raked a hand through his damp hair as he lay back on the bed, staring up at the white ceiling of the luxe hotel room, his body tight with unspent release.

His sexual dry spell wasn't because of lack of yearning, at least not on _his_ part! Despite his recent steamy trysts that he mentally relived from days of yesteryear between himself and the beguiling Ms. Skye, Miles knew that the only woman who could ever fulfill him _completely_ , sexually and in every way possible, was Franziska. In real-life, she was the only woman, on a _conscious_ level, that he would ever covet for the rest of his days.

His fiancée didn't seem to share his sentiments, however. Lately, whenever he'd tried to instigate some form of intimacy, she'd either claim she was too tired and needed to sleep, or else had been so moody and withdrawn lately that he hadn't dared venture _near_ her!

Hence his extra-long, steamy, rub-a-dub-shower times as of late, with _Palmela Handerson_ and _Rosie Palms_ being his sole lovers these last few months.

He'd had no choice but to _be a_ _man_ and _use his_ _hand_ , simply because his _loofah_ was too rough for _certain_ parts of his anatomy!

Partially to blame were their conflicting schedules, as they were working together but separately on the latest Interpol assignment. Aside from the first couple of months together, the last year had consisted of them working opposing hours. As an International agent, Franziska actually worked round the clock hours with no defined perimeters, whereas Mile, as the investigating prosecutor, would work mostly daytime hours and be done by the evening, at the latest. If he were lucky, he could sometimes catch her while she was prepping herself to get ready for work and they could steal a quickie beforehand.

It'd been how they'd managed to squeeze in some play time the last time, which had been back in the _springtime_!

Nowadays, he wasn't as fortunate to get to see her before she went to work. More times than not, he would miss her entirely by the time he got back to their suite, or would often be asleep already just as she was getting into bed at the crack of dawn.

 _Far be it for_ ** _her_** _to be the one to instigate things and rise_ ** _me_** _awake if the mood were to strike!_ Miles thought grumpily. _I'd hardly be making any_ ** _objections_** _to my hot future wife riding me in my sleep!_

He'd decided to rise early and take _his_ hot and bothered self to the solace of the shower, as lately, carnal images of him with Lana were not only plaguing his mind as sexual fantasies, but his _dreams_ , as well! He'd woken up that morning, sweating, shaking and as _horny as hell_! Then he'd looked over at Franziska's peaceful, sleeping form, and had decided rubbing one out while she lay in the bed next to him would be in rather poor taste.

It would be unthinkable for _him_ to try to stir things up with _her_ while she was sleeping! A growling grizzly bear being woken from hibernation was a less terrifying concept than Franziska Von Karma when her beauty sleep was interrupted! Miles had no zero aspirations to receive yet _another_ stinging verbal rebuke, accompanied by a _pillow to the face_ as he had gotten the _last_ time she'd thwarted his advances! His pride was _still_ wounded from that one!

This frigid behaviour was _inconceivable_ , coming from the former readily randy woman who less than a year ago, had spontaneously decided to make the two of them the newest members of the mile-high club!

It was quarter after five in the morning. They were both awake - she was still in the bathroom. He wasn't due for work for another two and half hours. Why not try to take advantage of this rare opportunity of their _mutually_ conscious, upright state?

Franziska emerged from the loo, yawning. She stumbled towards the king-sized bed, a stunning vision in her satin slip nightie, despite the sleepiness reflected in her gray eyes. His pulse raced at the sight of her. Even with her glossy, shoulder-length, silvery hair slightly disarrayed with bed-head, she still looked delectable to him. And all he could think about was taking her, right here, right now.

Miles lunged for her the moment she got onto the bed, flipping her onto her back and resting his weight on his forearms as he hovered above her, his mouth pressed heatedly on top of hers, stroking his tongue against her sweet lips, demanding entrance.

Franziska returned the fiery kiss for a brief moment, then gently pushed up against his chest as she felt his hardness pressing against her.

"Not now, Miles," she murmured drowsily. "I'm too tired." She caught the look of disappointment in his eyes and reached up to consolingly pat his cheek. "I'm sorry, _liebling_ , but I'm running 12-hour shifts on maybe four hours of sleep a night! I'll make it up to you, though, OK?" She leaned up, gave him a chaste peck on the lips, and removed his arm. Then she rolled over onto her side and immediately fell back asleep, leaving a _very_ disgruntled and unfulfilled Miles lying there, silently fuming, beside her.

The damn woman had completely c-blocked him _twice_ now, in a matter of minutes!

Both _figuratively_ and now _literally_!

 _She'll make it up to me?_ He mentally scoffed. _Right, like I haven't heard_ ** _that_** _a million times before! If I were to start a Christmas fund by putting away a dollar for every time we've made love this year, thus far…she'd be getting a_ ** _junior hamburger_** _, hold the fries!_

 _Good Lord_ , the lack of sex was regressing his mindset to one similar to his idiotic, _walking hormone_ of a friend, Larry Butz! Miles was utterly disgusted with himself for his Neanderthal train of thoughts, and vowed to stick with cold showers _posthaste,_ to numb his mind from allowing entrance to any more of them!

He didn't even try to hold back an angry mutter this time as he rose out of bed – there was no point trying to go back to sleep; he was completely awake how. He may as well check some emails before he had to get ready for work, on one of these rare moments that he had to do so. It'd been over a week since he'd done any sort of outside correspondence with the rest of the world. He shut to the bedroom door quietly behind him and walked over to the small study desk in the living room, firing up his laptop as he sat down on the leather, wing-backed chair.

Among the other things he was working on, in his limited downtime, was looking into the matter of the Gavin brothers for Wright, as he'd promised. Franziska had given him a lead last time from her underground probing, and he figured he'd follow up on it.

Pess woke up from her curled spot at the foot of the sofa and plodded over to her daddy, nuzzling up to him by nudging her head against his hand, begging to be petted.

"Ah, Pess, my dear girl," Miles sighed, stroking her silky golden ears. "You're the sole female in this family that will even let me _near_ her anymore, aren't you?"

Pess wagged her trail and dropped her head onto his lap, looking up at him lovingly.

He continued stroking her furry head with his free hand while scrolling through his emails with his other one.

 _Nigerian prince offering me his latest monetary windfall…yet another offer to enlarge my manhood_ ** _and_** _extend my erections, both quickly and easily…_ He smirked at that one. _Oh please!_ _For all the good_ ** _that_** _would do me!_

Miles scrolled through a few more junk emails that had managed to get past his spam settings, and that was when he finally he saw _it._

The breath got caught from his lungs, and he could feel the blood drain from his face. Then, as if in a daze, his mind still reeling, he reached for his phone and began dialing a number.

* * *

 _A/N: The mystery of chapter 24, solved at last! ;)_


	32. Remember When

_"If you're determined to face death, then you'll find a way to live."_

* * *

 _A/N: This was one of my favorite chapters to write, as Phoenix and Maya never really had much of a courtship aside from the brief one I gave them in part one. However, that being said..._

 _ **Warning - spoilers for the** **Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright** game. _

_If you haven't played the game, just note that the events that occurred here from the game have no effect on the AA universe (only in my story for the purpose of the Phoenix and Maya SL)  
_

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright_ **  
_Hickfield Clinic, Maya Fey's ICU Room_  
September 8, 2020 4:55 pm

Phoenix sat at the still unconscious Maya's bedside, silently imploring with her to come back to him. Never in his entire life had he felt more hopeless and lost. Without his soulmate, he was merely existing, but no longer living. He had no idea how he'd go on if he lost her.

"Maya, please, _please_ don't die," he pleaded desperately, over the teary lump in his throat. "If you leave me now, you'll take away the very heart of me."

He stroked her cool cheek lightly with his fingers while shutting his eyes against the stinging sensation behind his eyelids.

 _Dear God, why does this keep happening to us? This reminds me all too much of that nightmare in England awhile back..._

* * *

TWO YEARS AGO...

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Two: Remember When**

 **Ace Bakers**

 **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**  
 _Patty Eclaire's Bakery, Labyrinthia_  
April 1, 2018

"Could I please have one loaf of bread?" Asked the stout, middle-aged woman, while stroking her ever-present baby goat, which bleated softly in her arms.

"Sure thing!" Maya replied cheerfully, dusting her hands off on her apron and turning from the counter to retrieve the requested item from the bakery shelf. She was almost back with the loaf when Phoenix beat her to the punch, stepping in front of the woman and proudly presenting her the loaf…in customary Phoenix Wright fashion.

" _Take that_!"

"Ack!" The startled woman, whose name was Mary, nearly dropped her pet and clasped a hand to her ample bosom in fright as the loaf was suddenly slammed down in front of her. A thick cloud of flour went flying into the air, making both Maya and poor Mary lapse into a small coughing frenzy.

Phoenix, oblivious to what he'd just done, smiled proudly and pointed his famous courtroom finger at Mary, going right into his well-rehearsed spiel.

"Our bakery uses only the finest ingredients! Upper crust goods for not much dough!"

"What in the world?" Gasped Mary, still shaken.

Maya was mortified. "May I please apologize on his behalf?" She smiled benignly at the customer. "He's still…training. This is Nick, my assistant baker."

Phoenix beamed at Mary, pointer finger still in mid-air. "Our bakery only uses the finest walnuts! You'll go _nuts_ for our walnut bread!"

"How many times do I gotta tell you, Nick?" Maya glared at him. "You're supposed to say _, here's your order_!"

"Forget the bread!" The shaken Mary exclaimed, clutching her goat to her chest and spinning around on her heel. "I'm _out_ of here! There must be a normal baker _somewhere_ in this godforsaken town!"

Maya groaned and face palmed, then turned to back Phoenix, her cheeks puffed out with annoyance, fists raised to chest level as she looked sternly at him.

"Bad Nick! Bad! You can't shout at customers like that! The boss will be all over you like butter on toast!"

"Oh that's right! I forgot!" Phoenix thoughtfully put his finger to his chin, then affected a sheepish grin. "I don't _why_ but I just get the urge to point and shout like that sometimes!"

"That's the _third_ customer we've lost this week! And it's only _Tuesday_!" Maya shook her head in despair.

"Ugh!" Phoenix's shoulders slumped, and beads of sweat formed on his brow. Suddenly, he straightened, as if something had just occurred to him, and he scowled. "Hey! How come _I'm_ the assistant?"

"Because unlike _certain_ people around here, _I_ can bake bread without nearly setting my hair on fire!" Maya shot back with an impish grin. "Which I can only assume is due to whatever gravity-defying concoction you need to put in your hair to get it to stay up?"

"They only have _one_ thing here that comes _close_ to holding my hair in place! But it smells weird – _and_ attracts insects!" He sulked. "I've been using this homemade pomade from the marketplace to make do for my 'do. It's made of beeswax, olive oil and coconut oil."

"That's a lot of oil! No _wonder_ you've been so flammable!" Maya teased. "Should we just throw your head on a pan next time we need to fry something, grease ball?"

"I'm two seconds away from telling you _exactly_ where you can stick your next batch of loaves, Maya!" Phoenix huffed.

He then resumed his abandoned task of kneading the dough. His knuckles dug so deeply into the soft mixture that he tore holes into it. Giving a grunt of frustration, he grabbed the gooey glob, quickly rolled it into a large ball in his hands, and slammed it back onto the floury counter.

" _Take that_!" He declared, to no one in particular.

Maya watched this with barely concealed mirth.

"Easy there Nick!" She admonished. "You're supposed to be _kneading_ the dough, not _pounding_ it!"

He glowered at her and opted to ignore her ribbing, focusing back on the daunting mission before him, while still using the same forceful technique.

"For Pete's sake Nick, you're _kneading_ it, not having _sex_ with it!" Maya giggled, her dark eyes twinkling mischievously.

He stopped abruptly and glowered at her. " _What_?!"

"You heard me. Why so rough?" She jibed, arching an eyebrow. "Imagine that dough is a woman's breasts…is _that_ how you'd go about kneading, or rather, _massaging_ them?"

Phoenix felt his face turning bright red. He wasn't about to get into a loaded conversation about his bedroom prowess while handling baked goods. And _especially_ not with Maya Fey!

"Shall I take your silence as assent that your treatment of that poor dough is _indeed_ identical to your manhandling of the fairer sex?" Maya appeared to be enjoying his obvious discomfort. She shook her head in mock sadness, then affected her best Mr. T voice. "Well then, _I pity the fool_ who gets into bed with you, Wright!"

"My God, will you _please_ shut up Maya!" Phoenix exclaimed, his face now so hot he was sure his head was going to explode. "For your kind information, I happen to know _very well_ what I'm doing here! In _and_ out of the bedroom, if you must know!"

"Oh _really_?" Maya derided, shooting him a wicked grin as she sauntered over to him. "Is that so? Well, regardless of your alleged masterful _handiwork_ in the sack, I'm not seeing any _evidence_ of applicable handiness _here_ at all! You'd think after five years of doing this job, you'd no longer need my extreme tutelage! However, it appears you're getting complacent, Mr. Wright."

Without warning, she came and stood behind him. Phoenix nearly jumped at the startling sensation of her tiny, firm body pushing against him, her soft breasts pressing tightly against his back. She reached around him and placed her small hands over his, allowing him to admire the contrast of her pale, graceful hands against his tanned, larger ones, before she moved them aside and placed her own onto the dough.

"Watch me," she instructed, expertly folding the messy glob he'd been working on, and then gently, but steadily, kneading the dough with her dainty, agile fingers. "Do you see what I'm trying to do here?"

 _Besides give me a complete woody underneath this damn apron, where I hope and pray it's well hidden?_

Phoenix couldn't believe the effect the innocuous contact with Maya was having on his body, on his _psyche_. But the intoxicating scent of her vanilla perfume, coupled with the heated feel of her lush curves pressed against him, along with the satiny smoothness of her bare skin brushing against his forearms as she worked that dough into a frenzy… made _him_ long to work _her body_ into one as well! Not to mention bloody well _prove_ to her that he handled the female form _just as well_ as he could that damn dough, if not _better_!

This was crazy. She was his assistant! Or rather, _he_ was _hers_ …in this bakery, if nowhere else! It was _obscene_ , these lewd thoughts he was having about her. What the _hell_ was the matter with him?!

Phoenix gruffly cleared his throat. "OK, you can move now, Maya, I think I got this now."

She shook her head stubbornly. "I don't know if you do. How about if I come around and stand in _front_ of you and have you place your hands over mine…"

His eyes widened in panic. He could just imagine the hay-day Maya would have if she were to step before him right now and took notice of his arousal. _"Hey Nick, is that a loaf of bread in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"_

" _No_!" He yelped, feeling beads of sweat forming at his temples again. "Er, I mean, I'm fine. Really! You should um, go take that next batch out of the oven or something…"

Suddenly the bells over the door chimed, indicating someone had entered the bakery. Phoenix felt his shoulders sag with relief.

 _Saved by the bell! Literally!_

"Ah… Professor, it's the smell of freshly baked bread!" A young boy's voice, with a distinctly British accent, exclaimed.

"Indeed Luke. It's certainly whetting my appetite," replied a pleasant male's voice, with the same unmistakable English intonation.

"I bet the staff here are really talented!" Luke enthused.

Phoenix took the convenient appearance of these customers saving his bacon – and thus preventing further embarrassment by his horny adolescent reactions – as a sign from the heavens.

"Welcome!" He boomed, slapping his hands on the counter and creating a heavy gust of flying flour everywhere as he did so. Both actions were apparently done with a tad more force than he'd intended, as it resulted in the gentleman and boy jumping slightly, while both clutching their respective top hat and news cap, as if to prevent them from flying off their heads.

Phoenix all but raced to the door – and away from Maya – to meet his guests as fast as his legs would carry him, and went into his practiced routine, courtroom pointed finger extended in readiness.

"Our bakery uses only the finest ingredients! Upper crust goods for not much dough!"

"And thus vanquished are all my previous lessons and lectures, up in a white poufy cloud!" He heard Maya mutter. " _Here we go again_ …"

* * *

 **A Taste of Despair**

 **Phoenix Wright**  
 _Rouge's Tavern, Labyrinthia_  
April 2, 2018

"Maya! Nooo!"

Phoenix sat up on the hard wooden bed, drenched in sweat, his heart thumping so loudly in his chest, he was actually worried it would awaken Luke and Espella in the bunks above him. Luckily, however, neither his sudden jolt nor muffled cry had stirred the children whatsoever; he could tell from the deep, labored breathing from the bunks above him that they were still sound asleep.

How he envied them. Despite his heavily drained mental and beyond fatigued physical state, sleep completely eluded _him_.

Each and every time he closed his eyes, he was drawn back into the same horrifying nightmare his mind would not allow him reprieve from, even in slumber. Asleep or awake, it didn't matter. There was no escaping the horrible actuality.

Maya was gone. _That_ was reality. Everything else up until then had been one gigantic mind cluster-fuck.

Phoenix still hadn't been able to wrap his head around the series of unfortunate events that had brought him to this medieval British town, and into this dank tavern, where he and his friends were now sequestered into hiding, targets of the unrelenting, pursuing village knights.

His last conscious memory prior to arrival in Europe was that he and Maya had decided to participate in the League of Attorney Exchange program to see the different legal systems abroad. The excursion had taken them to England. After suffering the horrible kidnapping ordeal at the hands of Shelly de Killer, Phoenix had had no issues with Maya tagging along on the trip. It was the _least_ he could do for the bubbly, vibrant girl-child who had nestled her way into his heart. He'd always felt a special fondness for the Chief's baby sister, but those feelings of friendly affection had steadily been blossoming into something quite different when Maya had been abducted. Something _more_.

Something he yet couldn't, and wasn't _quite_ _ready,_ to investigate or identify further. But all he understood was that when she'd been gone during the Engarde trial, it had been the longest three days _of his life_. A part of him had felt like it was missing, _dead_. Maya was more than just his assistant – she'd become his friend. His _best_ friend. She was the person closest to him in the entire world, and life had ceased to have meaning for him until that day had come when she'd been safely returned to his side.

He'd been so happy about going away on this trip with her. It was a chance to soak up some culture and spend some time together outside the office. A getaway from the everyday. An escape from LA, where crime and danger loomed. What could possibly go awry on a trip to merry ol' England?

A whole lot, apparently.

Phoenix couldn't remember how he and Maya had wound up in this tiny village where life was lived in the manner of the days of yore. He had no memory of even coming to Labyrinthia, beyond being sucked into a strange book left behind by the mysterious Espella Cantabella, as if by magic.

After that, it was as if he'd been lobotomized and had had recollections imbedded into his brain, as though he were the lab experiment of an evil mad scientist. False memories had been somehow placed into his mind, via some invasive magic spell, convincing him he had spent five years living in this fantasy world with a girl he had only known for _two_ , as a baker in the tiny village of Labyrinthia.

For a man who'd suddenly been dragged into the mystical paranormal world of ghosts and spirit channeling two years ago, _magic_ wasn't _that_ much of a stretch!

The implanted memories and the backstories had been counterfeit visions, but the emotions he'd felt for the lovely young woman at his side had remained. The feelings invoked that had stirred within him as Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney, had been identical to those of Phoenix Wright, Ace Baker.

For instance, the spell hadn't been able to erase the pleasure he got from the familiar, sweet scent of her. The racing of his pulse whenever their bodies would have even the most innocent contact, such as their hands brushing when they simultaneously reached for the last piece of bread in the basket. The endeared amusement he felt watching her mesmerized stare at the metal-suited knights when they would practice their defense and joust moves in town square, because it seemed to remind her of _something_ …that she _evidently_ liked to watch, very much…

Then there were the more poignant emotions that swept over him, identical to the ones he'd felt in LA, just in different scenarios: the feelings of achievement and pride when they'd first created those golden loaves of perfection; the calm serene peacefulness he'd felt sitting with her at the dinner table, _literally_ breaking bread together; the blissful happiness he'd felt when she would cozy up next to him on the living room rug afterward, drawing warmth from the roaring fireplace as well as the closeness of her body.

There was no point in denying it any more. Somehow, with Maya gone, quelling feelings that had been burgeoning for years made no sense now. There wasn't a single soul on the planet who had meant more to him than Maya Fey. Phoenix at last acknowledged what he'd long since been denying, not only to the world, but to himself: he was in love with her. And in spite of coming to this mystical town, with his memories erased, and new ones put in their place, he'd fallen in love with her all over again.

 _That_ had been real, even though every other occurrence was fake.

Tragically, Maya's untimely demise wasn't one of them.

In his mind's eye, the horrific scene played out in front of him, over and over again, like a film stuck in rewind mode.

Phoenix could feel his hapless, impotent struggles against the merciless knights clamoring on top of him, preventing him from rescuing the helpless girl trapped in that steel cage, her eyes wide with panic as she felt the scorching heat from the fiery pit of hell beneath her. All the while, he had been forced to watch. Watch alongside the jeering, cheering masses who sought to spectate this as their sick form of entertainment. Of _justice_.

 _"_ Help me, Nick!" She'd screamed, just before the steel contraption had dropped his precious treasure that Mia had left him, right into the relentless, surging flames that greedily engulfed their victim.

Those had been her last words. The final words out of the mouth of his beloved Maya, who'd been no longer a girl, but not yet a woman. Still just a teenager. 19-years-old. Just over two weeks away from her 20th birthday.

 _She trusted me, she had faith in me. She believed that I could save her like I always had before. But I let her down. I failed her._ Phoenix clenched his jaw and stifled back a sob. _I let her die!_

"NO!" He'd frantically cried out to the uncaring and ruthless knights who had pulled the lever, sealing Maya's fate. "You've got to stop! Maya! Nooooo!"

A soft whimper escaped his lips. He rose from the bed and bit his fist to muffle the sound, quietly creeping to the doorway leading to the upper level hall above the tavern, where he could hopefully cry his heart out without awaking his two companions.

"Mr. Wright?" A voice whispered softly.

Phoenix whirled around, startled. There in the shadows of the dark room, with only the beam of the moon streaming through the windows as brightness, stood Espella.

"Espella," he whispered. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's alright," the pretty teen smiled gently. "I know how hard today was for you…believe me, I wish I'd taken Rouge up on her offer to slip some of that laudanum into my milk before bed like she did for Luke!"

Phoenix turned his head in the direction of the upper bunks that Espella had come down from. "She _drugged_ Luke?"

"It's only a mild sleeping sedative we use sometimes for insomnia," she explained. "So he's out like a light. He needed it. He hasn't been sleeping much…has been suffering from nightmares since you know…the Professor…"

Phoenix nodded and tried to pull himself together. He couldn't be so selfish in his grief. He had to stay strong for these kids. After all, Maya had sacrificed her life so Espella could live. That had to be quite the heavy cross to bear for a 16-year-old girl. And her mentioning the death of the dear Professor was a painful reminder to him that he wasn't the only one who had lost someone close to him.

"Right. Well, I'm glad he's resting. He's a growing boy, he needs it."

"So do _you_ , Mr. Wright," Espella said quietly. "You'll need your strength, and you can't do that without any rest."

"I'm exhausted," he admitted. "But I can't keep my eyes shut! I just – feel so hopeless! I need to protect Luke! And protect _you_! You're in an even deeper a mess than you were before, now that you're a fugitive! But I'm so scared, Espella. I'm terrified that I'm going to fail you _both_ , the way I failed to protect Maya."

"Mr. Wright, please stop doing this to yourself. This wasn't your fault!"

"But Espella, if only I'd moved faster, and gotten to her sooner…"

Espella shook her head, her flaxen braids swinging around her ethereal, porcelain face. "Maya told me you've been her knight in shining armor in the past, but ultimately today, you were up against _real_ knights…and grossly outnumbered. There was nothing you could have done." She placed a hand on his arm. "Blaming yourself for Maya's death won't bring her back, Mr. Wright. And she never would have wanted you beating yourself up this way. She cared about you too much. Just the same way I know _you_ …cared about her."

Phoenix didn't miss the slight pause before she'd finished the sentence. Espella _knew_. Everyone who saw them together appeared to, so it seemed. No matter how much he'd tried to hide it, and make excuses, he'd never fooled anybody else, any more than he'd ever fooled himself.

His voice broke. "…I – I never told her."

Espella's smile was warm and kind as she gently squeezed his hand. "I think she knew."

He stared at her, hopeful but uncertain. "What makes you say that?"

"Women's intuition. But also because I've seen you two together, and I've honestly never seen two people who loved each other more. I'm certain that Maya recognised that you loved her, Mr. Wright…even if she didn't quite get the depth of _how much_. But more importantly, just know that she loved _you_ as well. And cherish that memory always, to give you the strength to get you through all this."

How was it that a young girl was wiser than he was? Phoenix wondered. But while he fervently hoped Espella was right, he couldn't help but wonder… _had_ Maya truly known how he'd felt about her? Hell, _he_ hadn't even known! Not until it was too late.

He'd never taken the opportunity to vow to Maya Fey that he was going to love her for the rest of her life. But he swore from that day onward, that he would go on loving her for the rest of _his_.

* * *

 **A Tearful Reunion**

 **Phoenix** _ **Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Underground Witch's Cavern, Labyrinthia  
_ April 4, 2018

"Professor!" Phoenix exclaimed, filled simultaneously with both shock and joy. "You're alright!" He looked at the top hatted gentleman hopefully. "Um Professor, what about Maya? I…um…thought I heard her voice too?"

"Ah yes," Layton smiled. "Not to worry Mr. Wright. Rest assured, Miss Fey is just –"

At that precise moment, Maya herself bounced in, as if from nowhere, and in full-stereo.

"Yoooo Niiiiiick!"

Phoenix jumped, startled. He gaped at the woman standing before him, hoping his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

"Hey Nick?" Maya's eyes held their familiar playful sparkle as she grinned at him. " _Niiiiccck_!"

 _Well, my_ ** _ears_** _definitely aren't deceiving me, anyway…_

"M-Maya?" He whispered, still in disbelief. "Am I _dreaming_? Or is it really you?"

"Yup, yup!" Maya smiled gleefully and clasped her hands together as if in prayer. "The professor and I are as real as real can be!"

 _How can she look so carefree and merry?! Doesn't she know what utter and complete_ ** _hell_** _I've gone through when I thought she was gone forever? How in God's name can she be so… blasé about this all? Well never mind,_ ** _two_** _can play at that game then!_

"You have no idea how relieved I am. Really." Phoenix's voice was uncharacteristically calm as he coolly placed a hand on his hip and rearranged his expression of stunned incredulity into one of more neutrally pleased relief. "I've never been so happy to see you!"

"I uh, I'm really sorry Nick." As if seeing through his façade, Maya's cheerful demeanor faded, and tears formed in her eyes. "You must have been worried sick. It's just…I wanted to do something to help Espella, you know?" She dropped her eyes guiltily, as if no longer able to meet his.

Now it was _his_ turn to be shame-faced. Why on earth had he been putting on this ridiculous pretense in the first place? Maya, _his Maya_ was alive! _Nothing_ else mattered!

"No, no, it's not your fault, Maya. It's _mine_!" Phoenix cried, desperately hoping his eyes conveyed the words his lips wouldn't allow him to speak. "If only I'd helped you sooner, none of this would have happened…and you wouldn't have been dropped into that pit of fire!"

Maya's lip quivered as she looked at him, her eyes still glistening with tears. "I, I thought I'd never see you again, Nick." She sniffled. "I…I'm really sorry!"

Phoenix felt his heart ache at the look of anguish on her lovely face. He wasn't even sure what either of them were apologizing for anymore. But for _him_ , it was easier than saying what was in his heart at that moment. Was it the same way for her as well?

He peered searchingly into her eyes, looking for answers to things that Maya possibly was unaware were even _questions_! The only thing _he_ could grasp was at that moment, more than anything in the world, all he wanted to do was take her into his arms and –

"Come now," Layton interjected smoothly. "Everyone did the best they could."

Phoenix and Maya both jumped at the sound of his voice. They'd been so transfixed in each other's gazes, they'd completely forgotten that they weren't alone – in fact, they had a _full audience_ witnessing their reunion; Luke, Layton _and_ Espella!

They both hastily agreed with the words of wisdom and platitudes Layton went on to say, but deep down, Phoenix's thoughts still drifted back to the same premise – the whole how to let her know/ _did_ she know his true feelings.

There was so much he needed to say to Maya. So much she needed to _hear_. But it wouldn't be now. At this moment, the timing just wasn't right. But he recognized that somewhere, somehow, _someday_ down the line, they would both know when that time had come.

He hoped that day would come soon. Because he had no idea how he'd ever go on if he lost her again.

* * *

 _A/N - I know this 'flashback' chapter may seem to be out of sorts with the rest of the story because it's related to another game and not a scene of my own creation, but I promise, we will find out why Phoenix is recalling these memories while he sits at Maya's bedside in the hospital in the next chapter! (Apologies for any confusion!)_


	33. I Need You

_I need you like mercy_  
 _From Heaven's gate_  
 _There's a freedom in your arms_  
 _That carries me through_  
 _I need you_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Three: I Need You**

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Pearl Fey_**  
 _Hickfield Clinic, Maya Fey's ICU Room_  
September 8, 2020 5:00 PM

Since the day she'd been admitted, as soon as Trucy had left for school, Phoenix and Pearl, who'd been staying with him during the daytime before work and at the Gumshoe's in the evening, had set off to the hospital to sit vigil with Maya.

Phoenix sat quietly in the chair next to his silent, unmoving girlfriend on the hospital bed, tightly squeezing her tiny hand in both of his as he silently prayed to whatever God was listening, for his Maya to come back to him, as she had all those other times.

Despite Mia's reassurance that he wasn't at fault, he still couldn't help but lament about how he wished he'd allowed her to visit with him instead of being so absorbed with his own issues and obsessive paranoia!

Now that he'd finally gotten the chance to see her, it may have been too late.

"I missed you," he whispered brokenly, bringing her icy hand to his lips. "I should have invited you to visit. I'm sorry my love, I'm so, so sorry. Please don't leave me. I'm begging you, _please_ come back to me!"

Looking down at her slumbering form, he realized how intensely he'd missed her. He always did, he finally acknowledged. Even during the days when she'd only been his assistant, he'd always been an empty shell whenever she hadn't been around; a depressed wreck of a man, quite frankly.

He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead on the cool metal bed-frame, lost in his Maya-fueled flashbacks.

In all the years he'd known Maya Fey, he'd loved her for half of them. More than that, really, if he was honest with himself. As he recalled the incidents that had occurred abroad when they'd travelled for the League of Attorney Exchange, he mentally reprimanded himself for yet another opportunity that had passed him when he'd been too gutless to admit how he'd felt about her, how much she'd meant to him.

"I was such a coward, my love. Despite all the times you were nearly lost, I still didn't take that as a sign to let you know how much I loved you! Somehow, I could never admit exactly how much you meant to me when you were there to see, even though everyone around us could! For the longest time, I couldn't even admit it to _myself_."

Three times. He'd almost lost the woman he loved _three bloody times_ , if you added the Witch Trial in Labyrinthia to the Engarde and Hazakura incidents. Was fate going to play a cruel game of baseball with him now? Three strikes, and he was out? Fourth time _wasn't_ the charm?

Three days had passed since she'd been admitted, and though Maya's physical condition improved, she still showed no signs of waking.

Poor Pearl had been a wreck that day when he'd brought her in. During her last torrent of tears, a few moments ago, one of the kindly orderlies had taken the distraught child under her wing and offered to see if she could sneak Pearl some custard from the staff kitchen. That had given him a few minutes alone with Maya to freely speak his mind to her, in hopes that she could hear him.

For the three days since her arrival at the hospital, Maya's twilight world was bombarded with both bitter and sweet memories.

Phoenix continued pouring out his love and thoughts to her, realizing how much he'd missed talking to her and discovering that though she may not actually hear him, he would have no regrets at all if she had. Their relationship had transcended the petty issues which had inspired his distancing, he understood that now.

"Forgive me, Maya. I'm sorry I pushed you away after I got disbarred – and how I've kept you at arm's length since, all because of my underlying thought that I wasn't good enough for you, that you would reject me, the hobo bum that I became. How could I have underestimated you that way? I was so stupid not to realize that _you're_ the hope that moves me to courage again."

His voice trembled with emotion.

"I realize that you would never reject me. Even now, with a whole village against you, telling you to sever ties with me, you still prove your steadfast loyalty is _always_ to me. It's _me_ who's been keeping us apart. I swear, I thought it was for a greater good…not because I didn't want you by my side. Never that. You're a part of me. When it comes to loving you, you're my only reason, you're my only truth."

A tear rolled down his face as he softly stoked her pale cheek.

"I'm so sorry I didn't fight harder to keep you by my side where you belonged, where you were happiest. I will try to move heaven and earth to make sure we can be together more often, if only you come back to me. You told me that day in Kurain, that _you_ needed _me_ , too. And Maya, I need _you_! Like water, like breath, like rain!"

"Mr. Nick?"

Phoenix's head jerked up, and he looked hopefully at the figure on the bed, but found Maya still lying there with her eyes closed.

"Mr. Nick, it's me."

Pearl had returned to the room, calmer now, and with drier eyes. She'd slipped back to the bedside so silently he hadn't even noticed.

"Hi Pearls." Phoenix swallowed back his disappointment and forced a smile for the little girl's benefit. "Did the nice lady get you some custard?"

Pearl nodded. "It was vanilla and very yummy."

"That was very nice of her."

"Yes." She nodded again. "Normally it's one visitor at a time, but I didn't want you to have to leave, so I snuck back in."

She grinned as she gestured to the hospital gown she was wearing.

"I swiped this off one of the trolleys in the hall. I thought maybe I'd be less noticeable in this than my robe."

Phoenix chuckled at the sight of the tiny spirit medium in the oversized blue gown which completely hid her hands and arms and trailed to the floor. All he could see was her sweet face.

"Yup, you definitely blend in with the rest of the patients now, Pearls."

He turned back to Maya, not caring if Pearl heard the next words he was going to say as he pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Pearls is here with me now, and she needs you and loves you as much as I do. Please come back Maya, for the _both_ of us."

"We love you Mystic Maya," Pearls whispered, clutching her cousin's hand.

"Nick..." murmured Maya sleepily. "Pearly…"

"Huh?"

Phoenix blinked and his eyes widened as he looked down at the figure on the bed, praying his eyes weren't deceiving him. He looked at Pearl, uncertain if she'd heard what he had, or if it was wishful thinking. Her eyes were also transfixed on the bed.

Maya's eyelids slowly slid open. An expression of utter bewilderment rapidly crossed her face.

"Mystic Maya, you're awake!" Pearl cried, bouncing up and down in excitement. "You woke up for your Special Someone! His kiss of love brought you back to us!"

Maya's head slowly turned, her disorientated eyes taking in the sight of the people who mattered the most to her in the world, her expression now showing signs of recognition mingled with confusion.

"Nick? Pearly?" Maya struggled to sit up. "What –?"

"You're at the hospital," explained Pearl.

"You collapsed unconscious at Hazakura Temple," Phoenix added.

"No!" Maya looked panicked. "No, I need to finish that Special Course!" In desperation she lurched into a sitting position, only to have her continued ill-health immediately collapse her back to the bed. Defeated, she groaned, "I can't fail my mother!"

"Maya…It's okay now," Phoenix soothed, stroking her hair. "You've been very sick. Please don't worry about it."

Exhausted, Maya could only lie back against her pillow, eyes wearily drifting closed although the stubborn tilt of her chin remained. "You don't _get it_ , Nick! I've _got_ to do this. I've got to get out of here!"

Phoenix looked helplessly at Pearl. Maya was right, he _didn't_ get it…any more than he knew what on earth to say to get through to his obstinate, strong-willed girlfriend. He was absolutely certain that as soon as visiting hours were over in an hour, and he had to leave to go to work, Maya would stagger, and _crawl_ if necessary, even in her still-weakened state, to sign herself out of that hospital and continue on the same destructive, over-exerting path she'd been spiraling on. And there would be absolutely _nothing_ he could do to stop her!

"Pearls," he pleaded. "Please… _do_ something! _You_ try to reason with her!"

"Pearly," Maya swung desperate eyes to her cousin. "You understand, don't you? I need to finish my course! I'm the Master! It's my duty! _You_ tell him for me!"

Pearl bit her thumb as she looked at Phoenix with troubled eyes, shaking her head.

"She wouldn't listen to _me_ either, Mr. Nick." Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "But I know who she _will_ listen to!"

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Mia Fey_**  
 _Hickfield Clinic, Maya Fey's ICU Room_  
September 8, 2020 5:15 PM

Phoenix watched as Pearl closed her eyes and appeared to be shimmering slightly before filling her loose-fitting outfit with a much older, shapelier woman.

Mia looked around her, wide-eyed and slightly dumbfounded, as usual, from the channeling. She then glanced down at her surprisingly fully covered frontal region, clad in a hospital gown, which fit her much better than anything she'd ever worn when previously summoned, and gasped.

"Phoenix! Should I be happy that I'm covered up _for once_?" She asked dryly, putting a hand to her face and tapping her cheek with her index finger. "Or should I be _worried_ that something happened to Pearly?"

"Sis!" Maya cried ecstatically, her arms upward.

Mia looked down at the hospital bed then, and her eyes welled up slightly at seeing her sister awake at last. She leaned down and wrapped her arms tightly around Maya, hugging her close, as though she never wanted to let her go.

"Maya, thank God you've come back to us," Mia breathed, the relief evident in her voice. "I was so worried!" She stroked her sister's hair back from her face and smiled lovingly.

Phoenix watched the two sisters hug, a lump in his throat. Few things brought him greater pleasure than seeing his Maya happy, and Mia's visits were always a joy to behold, even at precarious moments such as these.

However, he knew Maya wasn't going to be happy for long once he did what he was about to do. Nevertheless, it was his way of atoning for how he'd failed to save her back in Labyrinthia two and a half years ago. He was going to be successful in his endeavors _this_ time around, even if it meant doing _whatever_ _it took_ to save her.

This time, from _herself_.

Phoenix finally spoke, his expression grim.

"You should be more worried _now_ , Chief. It seems despite the miracle of being brought back to life, my tenacious little _engine that could_ seems hell-bent on busting out of here ASAP to resume the activities that brought her here in the first place!"

" _Nick_!" Maya wailed plaintively, tearing herself from Mia's embrace and turning to look at him with an expression of utmost anger and betrayal. "How _could_ you!"

Mia crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side as she looked down at Maya, her tender expression suddenly weary.

" _Is that so_ , Maya?"

"Sis, you don't know what's been going on!" Maya protested. "It's not like he's saying at _all_!"

"Oh I know _very_ well what's been going on, little sis," Mia stated firmly, in a voice to be reckoned with. "This may be _your_ first time seeing me in a while, but believe you me, this _isn't_ my first visit. Phoenix, with the help of Pearly, has kept me up to speed on _everything_ that's been going on. You and me, Maya …we need to have _a little talk_."

Maya puffed out her cheeks in exasperation.

"Fine then!" She pouted, already knowing full well that unlike with her pushover boyfriend, there was no way she was about to win any sort of battle of wills against her revered older sister. "Say what you will!"

There was a tense silence in the room.

At that moment, Phoenix's phone rang, the loud _Steel Samurai_ ring tone echoing loudly in the sudden tension-filled atmosphere. He hastily answered, not even checking to see who it was; he was just grateful to be granted the opportunity to get a reprieve from his girlfriend's icy glare in his direction.

"H – hello?" He said timidly, turning away slightly but still keeping sight of the two siblings from the corner of his eye.

His jaw dropped when he heard the voice on the other end of the line, and his eyes were the size of saucers as he looked at Mia and Maya, then slowly began backing out the room.

"I'll leave you to your chat, lovely ladies. I – I _have_ to take this call."


	34. Turnabout Sisters

_"When you get scared, embarrassed, angry, nervous, with full of emotion and bad thoughts…Remember to maintain your discipline. It earns you respect the more."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: I grew up watching a lot of Bollywood movies. They're all genres rolled into one - drama, romance, comedy - and angst! SO. MUCH. ANGST. So that's my excuse for this emotional roller coaster I've subjected my dear readers to, and my consequent apologies for this story having more ups and downs than a hooker in Amsterdam! :p_

 _Sunny skies for a bit now so enjoy! Thanks for reading...this story has **officially** passes my first Phaya tale readership! Hot diggity! Also, sincere appreciation for all the reviews, I LOVE hearing feedback from you guys!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Four:** **Turnabout Sisters**

 _ **Maya Fey and Mia Fey**_ _  
Hickfield Clinic, Maya Fey's ICU Room_  
September 8, 2020

There was a pregnant pause in the room as Mia and Maya stared after Phoenix, both confused and slightly concerned about his sudden hasty retreat.

The patient was the first to speak, seizing the opportunity to delay the inevitable lecture she was about to receive, thanks to her boyfriend, The Big Mouth! She still couldn't believe he'd _tattled_ on her to Mia! As if she were some _recalcitrant child_ who needed discipline, rather than a _grown woman_ , who was in charge of a whole village!

On the other hand though, from the recesses of her mind, Maya could vaguely remember hearing her boyfriend's mellifluous voice, and the faint snippets of the things he'd said to her while she'd been unconscious, and had gathered from them that he had devotedly remained at her side…so _who on earth_ could have called his phone just then that would make him _leave it_ , so swiftly and abruptly?

"I hope everything's alright…and nothing happened to Trucy or something…" Maya murmured, her fingers grazing her lips as though lost in thought. "Or God forbid...I hope it wasn't...no...please don't let it be..."

"What is it Maya?" Mia prompted, noting her sister's troubled expression.

"I hope it wasn't that horrid Kristoph Gavin that Nick has been so paranoid about!" Maya exclaimed, miming holding a telephone to her ear. "I've never even met the man but the descriptions are enough to give me the willies! Maybe that's why Nick suddenly excused himself - _sorry ladies, I must make haste - creepy German sausage on line one_!"

"You're so silly!" Mia laughed. "I'm sure everything is fine. You just woke up from a _coma_ \- don't fret yourself too much!"

"Well, he sure took off like a bat out of hell when he got that phone call!"

"Maybe it was an emergency call from work?" Mia suggested. " _Or_ …" she flashed a wry grin. "He may have just been grateful for the opportunity to escape that _death glare_ you shot him when he told me your completely nonsensical plans to try to leave this place already!"

"That rat fink is supposed to be my _boyfriend_!" Maya pouted, crossing her arms across her chest. "He's supposed to be on _my_ side and support me, as well as my _decisions_ , not _narc_ on me to my big sister!"

"Sometimes to protect the people you love, you must hurt them, Maya. Did you really expect Phoenix to stand by idly and do _nothing,_ when his girlfriend's said decisions are completely _harebrained_ , not to mention _moronic_?" Mia raised an eyebrow at her sister.

Maya blushed at the reprimand, mild thought it'd been – thus far.

" _Siiiiiis_ …" she whined. "Don't talk to me like I'm _five_ and don't know what I'm doing! This isn't about just _me_ …it's about being the best Master I can be! How much did Nick tell you about what's been going on in Kurain?"

"Enough, sweetie, enough." Mia brushed a strand of stray hair out of Maya's eyes. "I know a lot of this has to do with Mom – how you're trying to prove something to the elders because of what happened with her, and that you don't want to let her down. But _Maya_ ," her voice softened. "You _can't_ keep doing this to yourself! Mom didn't sacrifice herself only to have you literally _kill_ yourself in your attempts at trying to follow in her footsteps, and join me and her in the afterlife!"

Maya was immensely touched by Mia's apparent faith in her, and that she'd preserved the belief that her performance as Kurain Master could be suitably acceptable.

"I don't think I'm the type of person mom thought she was saving," she admitted miserably, her downcast gaze on her lap. "She didn't even _know_ me."

Mia shook her head. "Any mother in the world would have done the same thing had her child's life been at stake. She must have known _something_. She knew that she loved you. I think _that's_ why she saved you. Not because she wanted you to be a prodigious Kurain Master."

"I'm not very good though, Sis. Not like you were. Not like Pearly, who channeling comes to as naturally as breathing. That's why I was trying so hard! But I feel as if I'm living a gigantic lie…that I'm a fraud! Because…I utterly _loathe_ and _despise_ this accursed position!" Maya cried, tears of frustration burning in her eyes. " _I never wanted it_! And feeling like this… it just makes me feel so guilty! Mom died so I could take it over, as it was my birthright, and yet, lately, I can't even do the _bare essentials,_ like charming a magatama! Hell, despite all my valiant efforts, I couldn't even channel _you_ , never mind _mom_!" A tear drop rolled down her cheek. "It's like she doesn't want anything to do with me, alive _or_ dead."

Mia winced internally at the tragic attitudes of shame and dishonor which had torn her mother and Maya apart – outlooks which still appeared to distort and tarnish the relationship even from beyond the grave. She had to try to remedy this. Her mind raced through the vast amount of information her sister's boyfriend had relayed to her, trying to locate the fragment of it that might remedy things, even marginally. Finally, the correct bit of lore that she needed to convey dawned on her.

"Sister Bikini was the one to contact Pearly after you collapsed," Mia informed her sister. "She told Pearly something that she wanted conveyed to you, when our cousin must have wailed to her that you did all this to prove yourself to mom." Mia rapidly searched her memory for what Phoenix had told her about Misty Fey. "Among mom's last words to the good Sister before she passed, were ' _I don't have the right to face my daughter after the stigma of disgrace I've left her with, but no matter what path she takes in life, I will always love her and keep her in my heart_.'"

" _Really_?" Maya raised her head to meet her sister's steady gaze, her eyes still sparkling with tears. "Mom actually told Bikini that?"

"Nuns aren't generally known to be liars, silly girl," Mia smiled. "A mother's love is unconditional. I'm sure she saved you for being _you_ , Maya," she asserted resolutely. "It was _not_ contingent on training yourself to collapse or being something you're not. I don't think she would have wanted that from you."

The concern in Mia's eyes confirmed the sincerity of her commitment to her younger sister's well-being, and Maya began to concede the logic of the stance.

"You _really_ think so, Sis?" Maya sniffled, looking at her sister hopefully.

"I do. But Maya, regardless of everything, in the end, the choice is ultimately _yours_ ," Mia told her. "It's _your_ life, not moms. You're not just Master of that village. You're Master of your own _destiny_."

At least Mia apparently still had faith in her and her ability to succeed as Kurain Master on her own terms – without having to morph into some unachievable superior incarnation to her former self. That was a great comfort.

"According to Mystic Mildred, I'm _destined_ for failure," Maya mumbled gloomily, somewhat placated by her sister's words but now consumed with the disturbing thoughts about the rest of her village woes.

"Forget about _her_ , Mildew is just a crusty, miserable _old_ _bag_!" Mia's lip curled in disgust. "God, I _hated_ that woman! The feeling was entirely mutual, too. She was always up in _my_ face, too and hated that I never backed or bowed down to her. _On top of that_ , she used to call me a _bimbo_!"

"You're kidding!" Maya choked back a horrified laugh. "She _didn't_!"

"She _did_ ," Mia affirmed, a scowl marring her pretty face as she folded her arms across her chest. "Like I could help the way I was _built_! It's not _my_ fault they didn't have any robes that properly fit me! Ugh, that's _half_ the reason I left that godforsaken place!"

"That's terrible," Maya commiserated, even as she swallowed back another bout of laughter. "Still, it's hard to feel sorry for you when you hogged all the good genes, Sis! I was a carpenter's dream right up until I was about 19, when Mother Nature _finally_ took pity on me and gave me a _small_ sprinkling of the booby dust!"

" _A carpenter's dream_?" Mia echoed, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"You know," Maya giggled. " _Flat as a board and never been nailed_!"

"Ah, I _see_ ," Mia smirked. "As much as I can see that _Ma Nature_ has so graciously taken care of the _former_ issue…can I safely assume that _Phoenix_ has seen to it that the _latter_ is no longer applicable, either?"

" _Oh my God_ , Sis!" Maya's face turned crimson and she buried her face in her hands in mortification. "We are _so_ not having this conversation!"

"You're what, 22 now, right?" Mia teased relentlessly. "Do you _really_ still want to try to play the outraged _hymenally challenged_ card with me?"

"I am going to _die_ ," Maya groaned, her burning face still hidden in her palms. "I came out of a coma, only to have _you_ ensure that I _literally die of embarrassment_ right afterward!"

"So, based on the evidence of your reaction to my allegation, little sis…" There was a grin in Mia's voice. She was obviously enjoying herself, immensely. "I'm going to conclude that I was correct, and that my _nailing_ speculation was _not_ baseless conjecture?"

" _Ahhhhh_!"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright  
**_ _Hickfield Clinic, Visitors Lounge_  
September 8, 2020

Phoenix sat rigidly on the edge of his chair in the visitor lounge, where he seemed to have spent so much time in the last few days with various Fey family members. As usual, the room was completely isolated. This was a very good thing, because there was nobody around to see him nervously sweat-dropping as he spoke on the phone to the unexpected caller who had completely thrown him for a loop when they'd rang a moment ago.

"H- hello?"

"Wright. We need to talk. _Now_."

 _Edgeworth?!_

Phoenix's mind went numb from shock. He'd not spoken to his best friend, except via email, since that fateful day when he'd come to visit at his home a year and a half ago. To say he was _surprised_ by the call would have been the understatement of the _millennium_ , never mind _century_!

Normally, he _would_ have been merely pleasantly astonished to hear from the other man after so long. However, there was something _not quite_ right in his friend's intonation, which made Phoenix feel jumpier than a virgin at a prison rodeo!

Barely able to make his suddenly dry mouth form the words, he mumbled his excuses to Maya and Mia and hightailed it to the waiting room down the hall, not raising the phone back to his ear again until he was seated and had ensured he was adequate distance out of ear-shot.

"I'm alone now," he said nervously, hating the slight tremble in his voice that always made it evident when he was completely shaken out of the norm. "I can talk."

"Good. There is much that needs to be said."

Again with _that_ tone! Edgeworth had always possessed a succinct, even curt, manner of speaking in general, making few exceptions for anyone, not even Phoenix himself, for the most part. But this time he sounded even _more_ so than usual! Edgeworth sounded… _edgier_. Even _more_ brusque, if that were even _possible_! As if he were _angry_ with him, and for the _life_ of him, Phoenix couldn't fathom _why_!

He wracked his brain, trying to figure out the reason, and drew a complete blank, which was only making him feel _more_ antsy! He was certain it had nothing to do with the disastrous way things had been left between them when they'd last seen each other. Phoenix had been beyond touched and humbled when Trucy had relayed the message to him that his friend wouldn't stop believing in him. Therefore, he had ensured that he contacted Edgeworth before he jetted off to Europe the next morning, and the two had smoothed things over between them so that their parting had been a sweet sorrow, not a hostile one filled with regret. Any adverse feelings or hurts, Phoenix had assured himself, were now water under the bridge.

Maybe they weren't.

How else to explain _the_ tone, the same disdainful one Edgeworth tended to use when he found something to be intolerable or disagreeable? The _last_ time he'd used that voice with Phoenix had been at his girlfriend's 21st birthday party, when the prosecutor had been lecturing him (completely justifiably!) on his buffoonery that night, which had nearly ruined things with him and Maya permanently!

 _I haven't done anything that stupid since! Well, not that Edgeworth_ ** _knows_** _of, anyway…_

"Um, OK," Phoenix replied weakly, trying to infuse some of the familiar warmth they'd had in their last phone conversation into the present one. "Long time, no speak, Edgeworth! This is, ah, a most pleasant surprise, really! How have you been?"

"I did not call to make senseless chit-chat, Wright," Edgeworth's cadence was clipped. "Before we proceed however, I have but one pressing matter than I would like to address, and I would appreciate a straight answer."

"S- sure, Edgeworth!" Phoenix stammered. "Ask me anything you want! You should know that at this point you don't need to ask permission before you enquire –"

"Fine. Then answer me _this_ , Wright." The next words sounded like they were being uttered through gritted teeth. " _Why. In. God's. Name_ …Did I have to find out from my _manservant_ that Miss Fey was comatose in the hospital?"


	35. I Heard it Through The Grapevine

_"Complaining solves nothing but creative problem solving amongst people with a common focus will produce solutions."  
_

* * *

 _A/N - Had such a blast writing this chapter...The Edgeworth is back with a vengeance! You think Edgy's given Nick crap before...ya ain't seen nothing yet! I'm taking a break from angst and trying my hand at slight comedic banter. Lemme know how I did! :p_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Five: I Heard it Through The Grapevine**

 ** _Maya Fey and Mia Fey_**  
 _Hickfield Clinic, Maya Fey's ICU Room_  
September 8, 2020

"Now that you've filled in all the remaining blanks your beau wasn't able to, I'm afraid these problems you're having in Kurain are beyond Phoenix's ability to fix _this_ time around, little sister," Mia sighed, dropping down onto the foot of the hospital bed. "There's a lot of profoundly entrenched issues that need to be unraveled first and foremost, which have been deeply rooted before you even assumed the title."

"Unless you know how to build a time machine, I can't turn back and undo all the damage that's been done," Maya joked. Mia rolled her beautiful amber eyes heavenward at her quip, so she quickly amended her statement.

"I mean, as much as I'd _like_ to go back in time, obviously I can't, so there has to be another solution, but I have no idea what! How on earth do I take on all these pre-existing issues _on top_ of the new-found hellacious ways they keep finding to torture me?"

"We need to try to get to the _root_ of that cause first, Maya, and _then_ deal with all the other shenanigans you're facing against those who oppose your authority. The first cut is the deepest, so they say. In the case of the origins of _this_ particular deep, pulsating wound...My educated guess would be it all stems from the DL-6 incident."

"You're right, it does." Maya nodded, tightly hugging her pillow to her chest. "I've been shying away from tackling things at the _heart_ of the matter, thinking if only I _prove_ myself, all those years of prejudice and conjectures the elders have about our family, about the law, will just go away. Obviously, I was wrong! It's all so overwhelming, Sis. I don't even know where to even begin!"

"Well, the person who's left this fresh hell for you to deal with is already incarcerated, so there's nothing else that can be done in _that_ regard." Mia's expression was thoughtful. "What we need to figure out is how to tackle the demon spawns she's sired in her destructive wake, starting with her most grueling one, _Mildew_. If you can get _her_ to topple, we'll get the domino effect we're seeking, and the _rest_ will fall accordingly, thereafter."

"It all starts with one, huh?" Maya brooded. "But tackling the issue that is The Dragon Lady is easier said than done; even if she _wasn't_ always trash-talking and thumbing her nose at you and mom because she didn't agree with the paths you chose, she also makes it clear she will _never_ respect my authority because she's such an avid Morgan supporter. If that old battle-axe had had _her_ way, our duplicitous aunt would have been completely successful in her evil murderous endeavors!"

"You know what I'm thinking here, Maya?" Mia spoke slowly, as a realization suddenly dawned on her. "You _can't_ take the high road with slithering reptilians like Mildew and her ilk. There's no point. We've got to turn things around here! You've been going about this _all wrong_ , trying to prove yourself to them, and trying to garner their reverence…"

"It seemed like the best idea at the time, trying to establish my worthiness of the title…having them winding up respecting me, consequently, just seemed to be the next logical route," Maya professed miserably. " _Liking_ me was inconsequential but not unwelcome!"

" _Eureka_! That's _it_!" Mia snapped her fingers and her eyes lit up. "Maya, is there a light bulb over my head?"

"You mean you had an idea?" Maya's voice was hopeful.

"No little sis," she teased. "I'm _literally_ asking you if there's actually a light-bulb over my head!"

"Ha-ha. Alright, wise one, let's have at it then?"

"Have you ever heard the phrase, ' _respect is born out of either love or fear'_?" Mia enquired eagerly. "Well, _forget_ about trying to make them respect you because they _like_ you and acknowledge your abilities…what we've got to do is strike _fear_ in their hearts!"

"Oooh…I _like_ the way you think, Sis!" Maya exclaimed enthusiastically. "You're thinking if they _fear_ me, they'll also _have_ to respect me!"

"That's right." Mia gave a Cheshire cat grin. "Because we won't let them have a _choice_."

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Hickfield Clinic, Visitors Lounge_  
September 8, 2020

" _W- what_?" Phoenix stammered, completely flabbergasted by the words his friend had just uttered. " _W- who_? Your manservant? Told _you_ about _Maya_? _H- how_?"

"The questions _who, what_ and _how_ are not _yours_ to ask, Wright. The question is mine, and it is: _why_?" Edgeworth asked curtly. "As in _why_ did I have to hear from _Hendricks_ that Miss Fey, _your_ girlfriend – unless you've loused that up since we last spoke! – and _my_ good friend, had been hospitalized, yet I had not been privy to hear neither hide nor hair of it from _you_?"

 _Whoa! He's seriously steamed about being left out of the loop!_ Phoenix acknowledged, taken aback by the vehement anger in his friend's undertone, despite his voice not being raised. _I honestly never intended to do that! It's just what with suddenly playing daddy to_ ** _two_** _little girls,_ ** _and_** _visiting Maya daily_ ** _while_** _praying for her well-being,_ ** _and_** _then having to go and bluff my pianist skills at work…it just_ ** _completely_** _slipped my mind! I'm seriously touched how much Edgeworth cares though. It didn't occur to me how much he really does love Maya; he truly values her friendship beyond mere Steel Samurai kinship bonding._ ** _That's_** _why he's so mad. He's_ ** _hurt_** _I didn't tell him._

The realization made Phoenix smack his forehead with the heel of his palm. _Oh boy…time to take my (verbal) lumps like a man…and be thankful he's not here in person to give them to me physically…_ ** _this_** _time…_

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey and Mia Fey_**  
 _Hickfield Clinic, Maya Fey's ICU Room_  
September 8, 2020

"The question is not why, but how. As in, _how_ to train your dragon? _That_ is the $64,000 question." Mia closed her eyes in contemplation for a moment.

"Sis, citing off titles of children's movies isn't going to help here," Maya kidded.

Mia opened her eyes and slowly turned her head towards her sister with a look of complete annoyance on her face. Oblivious that her joke had flat lined, Maya continued jesting in her usual playful manner.

"Well, if you're _literally_ looking at approaching The Dragon Lady as a giant, fiery reptile," she went on. "I _suppose_ we could try to channel the late St. George to slay the beast on our behalf…"

Maya was on a roll now, completely unprepared for the explosive reaction coming her way.

"There is also the option to _exploit_ said creature's particular fondness for gold….Hey, I know! We first _lure,_ and then _lock_ her into room _full_ of pretty, shiny nuggets, treasure and jewels galore…"

"Oh for the love of _all holy saints_!" Mia snapped, fixing her sister with a ferocious glare. "Can you stop being a clown ass and _please_ be serious here for a minute, Master Fey?"

Maya was taken aback at the reaction. "Awe, lighten up Sis, I was just joking around!"

" _Objection_! My ribbing you about _Phoenix_ nailing you was a joke! This reprehensible dilemma with Mildew and the others pushing you around, and nearly to the _breaking point_ , is _no_ laughing matter, missy!" Mia scolded, giving her sister such a stern look that poor Maya slumped down on the bed in fright as the former defense attorney continued her tirade.

"Here _I_ am, back from the _other side of the grave_ , frantically trying to help you fix this _horrendous debacle_ you're in, and there _you_ are _…"_ Mia extended her arm and raised her famous legal pointer finger at her sister. "Making insipid, _corny_ jokes!"

"Sis, I'm _sorry_ …" Maya whimpered, cowering even lower and pulling the covers up to her chin.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Hickfield Clinic, Visitors Lounge_  
September 8, 2020

"I am so sorry, Edgeworth." Phoenix dragged a hand down his face as he braced himself for impact, knowing his apology would likely be falling onto deaf ears. "It – it just didn't seem like the sort of thing you _email_ someone about…it'd have been such a shock! It was a shock for _me_ and I heard it on the _phone_! And you _did_ say that you would be inaccessible via phone, after all…"

"I said _you_ wouldn't be able to reach _me_ by phone, yes," his friend conceded grumpily. "Nonetheless, if email correspondence was your _sole_ source of contacting me, it still should have been utilized! That was ultimately how Hendricks contacted me. My American cell phone has been forwarded to my LA penthouse, and he screens my calls and voicemails and makes me cognizant of matters of magnitude, via electronic mail – in this case, the frantic message made by little Pearl three days prior. Then, obviously, _I_ can still call _you,_ if need be."

"How _are_ you calling me, anyway?" Phoenix was confused. "I thought you were on some top-secret Interpol mission and your whereabouts weren't allowed to be known?"

"I am not in any breach of my required anonymity instructions, Wright," Edgeworth informed him, his annoyed tone partially now replaced with his typical dry one. "Take a look at your caller ID. Tell me, what does it say? Does it give you _any_ indication as to who is calling you or the caller's whereabouts, _whatsoever_?"

Phoenix blinked. He had completely forgotten that he hadn't even checked to see who'd been calling when he'd answered his cell…he'd just been relieved for the excuse to break away from the death glare Maya had given him when he'd blown the whistle on her to Mia!

 _Oh, boy, I'm gonna pay for_ ** _that_** _later, too. Yeesh! I'm in hot water with my best friend, and later, my_ ** _girlfriend_** _…is there_ ** _anyone_** _in my life right now who_ ** _isn't_** _super pissed at me?_

 _Possibly_ Mia. But only because she was dead. He was sure he was long overdue for some slaps from Pearls later for _some_ reason or other soon enough…

"Um, yeah, good point, it says ' _unknown name, unknown number.'_ So yes Edgeworth, you have thus maintained your status of International Man of Mystery, heh, heh."

"I wouldn't start chuckling just yet, Wright. I am still completely unimpressed with you. Tell me, something – did Gumshoe know about Miss Fey's critical condition?"

"Yes, in fact, he and Maggey look after Pearls in the evening, along with Trucy, on nights she's not working at The Wonder Bar. But since Maya is in ICU, only immediate family are allowed to see her."

"Then how did _you_ manage to get in there?"

"I, um, claimed I was a cousin." _However, after since witnessing the way I've been talking to Maya in her unconscious state, and the copious amounts of kissing on her sleeping face, the medical staff here undoubtedly think we're the most_ ** _incestuous cousins_** _on the planet! Oh maybe they just figure we're from the South?_

"You just can't stop bluffing, can you?" The prosecutor sounded a trifle amused for a second, but then his voice hardened again. "So Gumshoe _also_ knew of this occurrence, yet didn't see fit to notify me either, did he? Remind me to cut his salary during his next review… _dammit_ , he's _rich_ now, so I can't threaten him with that anymore! Ngh! _Do_ remind me to send him a scathing email, then, after we wrap up here, Wright."

 _I will do_ ** _no_** _such thing! Damn, poor, unsuspecting Gumshoe, who's also due a_ ** _what for_** _! At least he and I can later compare the battle injuries of Edgeworth's verbal lashings together though…_

"For what it's worth, Maya's no longer in a coma. She woke up just moments before you rang, and it seems she's going to be just fine."

"And _when_ were you going to tell me _that_ , Wright?"

 _Jeez Louise, Edgeworth is_ ** _really_** _on edge! If I didn't know better, I'd think something_ ** _else_** _was eating him, beyond being mortally wounded by my unintentional silence on this matter…_

"Edgeworth, exactly _how_ many times are you going to rake me over the coals for this?" Phoenix sighed. "You're absolutely right to be mad at me. You're my best friend in the world, and Maya and I love you like family. Although it was unintentional on my part, you absolutely _shouldn't_ have been kept in the dark, and I _swear_ to you on all that is sacred and holy, I will _never_ be so careless again."

Silence on the line. Phoenix wasn't sure if his friend was at all mollified or simply reloading his ammo. He affected a more imploring tone, just to be safe.

"I apologize, Miles," he said sincerely. "I'm really and truly sorry."

It was his rare use of his friend's first name that seemed to do the trick this time.

"Forget it about, Wright."

Despite the gruffness of the words, the other man's tone had softened a tad. After all, while Phoenix was too big a man to mention it, they both knew _he'd_ forgiven the prosecutor for much more dire sins in the past.

"So, anyway, how's Franziska?" Phoenix asked, keen to change that subject.

Another strange pause.

"She is blissfully still dead to the world as we speak, as it's only quarter past five in the morning where we are. However, she's doing well, thank you."

Phoenix was _positive_ now he'd heard an edge to his friend's voice when he'd asked about his fiancée. Which was odd, considering Edgeworth had been so besotted with the woman that he'd _decked_ him for slighting her! But he knew how jealously his friend guarded his privacy, so he didn't even try to pry. Edgeworth knew he could always turn to him if he needed an ear.

"In response to your prior, _subtle as a Mack truck_ query, I'd like to let you know, for the record that yes, Maya is _still_ my girlfriend. Shockingly, _no_ I didn't louse things up. And yes, we're still together. Um, about as together as we can be, anyway…" he added without thinking.

"What on _earth_ does that mean?"

 _Damn your slippery tongue, Phoenix! You've apparently lost your sharpness,_ ** _along_** _with your badge!_

"Well, you know," Phoenix began awkwardly. "Circumstances being what they are right now since my disbarment… and her being a prominent master and all…. and factoring in that she no longer resides with me, and is now a two hour commute away and everything…"

"You're babbling, Wright," Edgeworth stated dryly. "Is there something fallacious between you and Miss Fey? Are you due yet _another_ talking to, the way I had to do that fateful night at the bar?"

 _Oh_ ** _God_** _no! Not that! Anything but_ ** _that_** _!_

Miles Edgeworth's lectures were the painful _mind-numbing, ego-crushing, pride-stripping_ stuff that most paint thinners could have been made of! Phoenix was _still_ recovering from his last one! _That_ had taken him longer to get over than the actual _physical_ blow he'd received from him!

"We've seen each other three times in the last year and a half." Phoenix slumped down in his chair and pulled his beanie over his eyes, as if trying to physically block out the weight of his confession.

"Do you care to enlighten me as to _why_?" The prosecutor was unable to hide the surprise in his tone. "The last time you and I spoke of her, you were playing dodgeball with her calls because you were worried about how she would react to the news of your disbarment. Then we spoke on the phone the next day, and I got you to confess that the real concern wasn't her feared rejection of you. You'd indicated that you were actually fretful about the repercussions of Children's Services if they found out about the two of you, hence, you didn't know how you and Miss Fey would be able to make things work in the meantime. Has that particular matter not yet been resolved?"

"Oh sure, Trucy's been formally adopted now and is legally and truly mine. That's not the issue at all."

"Then what, pray tell, is keeping you from leaning on the woman you love in your darkest hour, and at the very least, being a family with her and Trucy?"

And Phoenix told him everything. His voice nearly broke a few times as he unburdened the sorrows and hardships that he'd been facing to his best friend at long last. He told Edgeworth all of it, from his suspicions about Kristoph Gavin's thinly veiled threats and his consequential fears for Maya's safety, to the Kurain restriction, and the heartbreaking events that had transpired the day of the Master Ceremony with Mildew.

Edgeworth listened quietly, occasionally murmuring the odd " _Interesting_ ," and " _I see,"_ his tone giving no indication of his own feelings on the matters whatsoever.

"So at least in Kurain, I know Maya's safe," Phoenix finished, taking a moment to catch his breath. "Or, so I thought…before _this_ happened! But it kills me that I couldn't even go see her once all this time because that miserable old bag…"

"Ngh! Don't say _Oldbag_ , I implore you. I _still_ have nightmares about that woman."

Phoenix chuckled at the mention of his friend's geriatric stalker, who was the one thing that Edgeworth feared more than elevators and earthquakes _combined_.

"Sorry, _Edgey-poo_ ," he snickered, using the unfortunate nickname Edgeworth's relentless admirer had bequeathed him.

"You're an ass, Wright."

Phoenix smirked, picturing Edgeworth's famous glare at him even through the phone line, his arms crossed across his chest while he tapped his index finger on his arm, the way he always did when he was impatient or unamused.

"Apologies, dear friend. As I was saying, I can't go see Maya in Kurain because that _crotchety_ , _cantankerous_ old coot…"

"You've been working on your vocabulary, I see." Edgeworth's amusement at Phoenix's colorful depiction was evident.

"Put a sock in it, Edgeworth! Now is _not_ the time to be a heartless, condescending _prig_! Where's your damn empathy?"

"Wright, you really should come up with a supply of cheese to match your vintage whine."

"I don't really think you're grasping how dire this situation is, Edgeworth!" Phoenix cried. "I can't go see Maya because The Dragon Lady threatened to have me charged with trespassing –"

"I see that line of logic as a big failure or a foolish joke."

"Hey! Don't just cut into my monologue like that!" Phoenix was indignant. "Can't you see I'm _explaining_ things here?"

"No, Wright, you're whinging to me about a problem to which there is a perfectly simple and logical resolution."

"Really, a solution to the issue of this Kurain embargo? Well since you seem to have all the answers, I'd love to hear it, Mr. Logic!"

"You need to free your mind more, Wright, and let it fly like a bird on the wind."

 _Says the man whose hair looks like a bird on his_ ** _head_** _…_ Phoenix grumbled to himself as he wracked his brain, trying to deduce all possibilities to the situation with the village elders. Unfortunately, he drew a complete and total blank. Frustrated, he yanked off his hat and ran a hand through his hair.

"Dammit Edgeworth, I just don't get where you're going with this. I mean, maybe it's because I'm too close to the blasted situation…"

"I believe the proper phrase here is, _you fail_ , Wright," chuckled Edgeworth. He was obviously enjoying having the upper hand.

"I super-hate you, Edgeworth." Phoenix muttered darkly.

"Wright, I know you're not a lawyer anymore, but you should never stop thinking like one!" Edgeworth urged. "There is a giant contradiction right here in front of us. Can't you see it?"

"I cannot _believe_ you just used the word contradiction, Edgeworth," Phoenix couldn't resist a slight dig. "It appears that over the years, I must have _really_ rubbed off on you. You're even starting to _sound_ like me!"

"Ngh!" Edgeworth grunted, then cleared his throat and pressed on. "The point I'm trying to make is that this Mildred person, _who_ is _she_ to vanquish you off the land? Is she the sole proprietor of it?"

"Nooo…" Phoenix said slowly. "She's just a village Elder, and possibly ancient enough to be Oldbag's _grandmother_!" He added. " _Maya's_ the Master, and _she's_ the owner of all that land. At least, her family was. And I _think_ she is now…"

"You _think_ , Wright? You mean neither you nor Maya ever looked into looked into the title of land ownership? Or her Mother's Last Will and Testament?"

"Well…as you know, Maya barely had time to mourn her mother's passing before she was thrust into assuming the role right afterward…there was no final will reading or formality…"

"So I take this to mean that you didn't." Edgeworth sighed. "Don't worry, I shall look into the matter."

"Maybe I've been a non-attorney for too long, but for what purpose? Where are you going with this?"

"The law is merely a tool, Wright. There is no limit to it, only the skill of the craftsman." Edgeworth reminded him. "Think, man, _think_! If it can be _lawfully_ proven that Miss Fey is the _sole_ , legal owner of the land and the property that is Kurain Village…"

"That means absolutely _nobody_ else has the authority to eject me from the boundaries _of_ the property, because it belongs to _Maya_!" Phoenix sat up straighter now, and tugged his hat back on his head, feeling his first surge of hope in years. "Edgeworth, you're a genius!"

"I can't _always_ argue with you now, can I Wright?" The prosecutor sounded as self-satisfied as the cat who'd eaten the cream. "So that's _one_ hassle potentially out of the way – and don't worry – you're welcome. What else?"

"Well, it's like I told you, I have my suspicions about Gavin, but I have no proof…but I told you the underlying menacing comments and thinly veiled threats he's made. He thinks Maya and I are broken up for now. But he always seems to know my whereabouts!" Phoenix yanked at his beanie in agitation. "And even if I _can_ sneak into Kurain say, in the middle of the night going forward without any legal repercussion, I'm still too paranoid to risk Maya's safety having her come down to see me. Gavin knows where I live, Edgeworth. He – he comes to watch me where I work! He knows where Trucy works…there is little doubt that he's following me. So if he sees _Maya_ …"

"You're afraid he'll follow through on those implied threats."

Phoenix shuddered at the thought. "I just can't take that risk. So there's nowhere safe for Maya and me to see one another here in LA. Hotels are out of the question, what with the closest one, Gatewater being across the street, and visible _viewing_ distance from my place. And plus, I don't have the money for that kind of extravagance what with raising a daughter and all…"

"Wright, please, cease your rambling." Edgeworth ordered. "I got it. Franziska got a lead about the Gavins the other day, and I will look into that matter for you. I haven't stopped my investigations on that subject, but this man is one smooth criminal. He's left no trails whatsoever, so if he is indeed cause for your suspicions, finding the evidence of it will be no easy feat."

"Words cannot describe how screwed I am." Phoenix griped.

"But in the meantime…" His friend went on, as if he hadn't heard him. "You're aware of the location of my residence, are you not?"

"No, I've never been there." _Possibly because you've never invited me…_

"It's 1 Palos Verdes, Coto de Caza, Penthouse. Surely you've heard of that area?"

 _Heard of it? Are you kidding? I wouldn't even know how to_ ** _spell_** _it!_

"Um, can't say I have, actually…"

"The Empire Bellagio building."

" _That's_ your place? Damn! That's a really exclusive area! In fact, that's where the Gumshoes are moving to next week!"

 _Holy toledo, I didn't realize the Gumshoes were_ ** _that_** _loaded! They're officially in_ ** _Edgeworth_** _league now!_

"I know." Edgeworth sounded smug. "I was told that there was a 20 year waiting list for a suite in that condo when I was first shopping around for a penthouse. I didn't feel like waiting. So I just outright bought it."

"What, that penthouse?"

"No, the _building_."

"You _own_ the _entire_ Empire Bellagio building?" Phoenix's jaw dropped.

"How _else_ do you think Gumshoe was able to secure a place in that building?" Edgeworth replied. "I _told_ you that Hendricks keeps me abreast of any relevant matters that occur in my absence did I not?"

 _Wow, I guess this favor sure atones for all the times he cut Gumshoe's salary when he was on the force! Hmmm…so good old Edgeworth has a heart_ ** _and_** _a conscience it would seem…_

"That's really great that you did that for the Gumshoes, Edgeworth…" Phoenix scratched his head. "Although I still don't quite get why you're giving me your address?"

"Wright, how daft _are_ you? I'm giving you use of my place as a safe ground for you and Miss Fey to meet up whenever her business travels bring her down to LA, or whenever you two so desire. Let me know what day is best for you, and I will ensure Hendricks will be available to give you the keys."

Phoenix was completely dumbfounded at the generous offer. In a dozen lifetimes, he would never be able to afford such a luxury residence, and as it was on the other side of town, in an upscale area, it was unlikely he would be noticed or followed there. Even if he _was_ seen going into the building, Gumshoe, as Trucy's baby-sitter was the perfect ruse to be going there if he ever _was_ noticed! He could safely hold Maya in his arms in the undoubtedly opulent penthouse suite with not a worry or care in the world…and his precious baby girl would safely be a few floors down in the care of one of his dearest friends in the meantime.

It was an absolutely perfect solution which was the answer to his prayers and essentially all his relationship problems…but he couldn't take it.

"That's an incredibly magnanimous offer, Edgeworth," Phoenix cleared his throat. "And as much as I appreciate it - and believe me, I _do -_ I just can't accept it."

" _What_?" For once the usually cool and collected Edgeworth was unable to hide the incredulity from his normally composed tone. "Why in the blazes not, Wright? Have you lost what is left of your mind?"

"Edgeworth, you've already done so much for me...you're my best friend, please try to understand," Phoenix pleaded. "I at _least_ need to maintain my dignity, if nothing else. I just can't accept a handout from you."

"You foolish fool of a man! A handout? _That's_ how you choose to look at this?" Edgeworth demanded, his ire unmistakable now. "Do you not remember when you defended me in court four years ago, and then refused to accept payment from me?"

"Of course I do. And I still won't! Why are you bringing that up now, though?"

"This isn't a hand-out, Wright. Consider this the other part of my debt repaid."

"The _other_ part?"

"Have you _not_ noticed that you haven't received an internet, phone or cable bill for the last _four years_ , Wright?"

Phoenix scratched the back of his neck as he thought. As promised, Maya indeed had paid his rent, in a lump sum, for the next few years. And the money he and Trucy both made at their jobs paid his other bills: water, electricity and groceries, quite manageably, although for the past year, even _more_ so. This was mostly due to the large, sporadic, anonymous _cash donations_ he seemed to keep getting in the mail! In the midst of all this, and the general chaos that was his everyday existence, the absence of the _one_ aforementioned consolidated bill had _indeed_ escaped his notice, to his complete embarrassment!

"Um…" Phoenix mumbled. "I guess I thought…they just sort of…forgot to bill me?"

"Good _God_ , man!" Edgeworth groaned. "You really are as _trite_ as Godot said, aren't you?"

"Hey!"

"Wright, I took the fee that I normally charge my clients and applied it to your account with your TV/cell/internet provider. You're paid up for at least another decade."

Phoenix mentally did the math in his mind, and nearly did a spit take with the coffee he'd just helped himself to from the vending machine. It was at _least_ half a year's salary! And Edgeworth _still_ thought he owed him?!

"Edgeworth, your so-called debt to me is repaid at _least_ ten times over!" Phoenix exclaimed. "How on _earth_ do you figure you're _still_ indebted to me?"

"Do you have any _idea_ how much _I_ typically charge, Wright?" Edgeworth asked wryly. "After _this_ is all said and done, I'll consider us to be square. But _not_ before then."

Phoenix shook his head stubbornly, even though he knew his friend couldn't see him. "Edgeworth, no. I just can't. Forget charity…I'd feel like I was taking… malapropos propitiousness of your friendship, of your kindness! I can't lower myself to be a man of such low moral turpitude!"

" _Phoenix_ _Wright_ ," Edgeworth growled. Phoenix could easily picture his friend's fearsome angry zombie expression even over the phone. "That does it! I am _not_ going to waste _one_ more moment attempting to have a logical conversation with a man who has the common sense of a _lemming_ , regardless of his new-found enhanced vocabulary! I demand you go over to Miss Fey and let me speak to her, posthaste."

"W- what?" Phoenix was stunned. "You want to talk to _Maya_ now? Why?"

"Do not argue with me, Wright," Edgeworth stated, in his frosty _don't mess with me_ voice. "Give. Miss. Fey. The. Phone. _Now_."

"B - but..."

" _Silence_!"

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Mia Fey**_  
 _Hickfield Clinic, Maya Fey's ICU Room_  
September 8, 2020

"Silence!" Mia fumed, slapping her hands down, courtroom style, on the hospital over-bed table, with such force it went wheeling across the room. "Maya Fey, you are _lucky_ I'm not giving you _more_ of an earful for your _completely_ impetuous actions which made you wind up in here in the first place, you…you _reckless ninny_!"

 _I'm lucky she's not giving me_ ** _more_** _?_ _Mystic Ami help me…this is her holding_ ** _back_** _?!_ Maya cringed and barely resisted the urge to dive under the blankets for cover _._ Mia had always been slow to lose her temper, but when she did, _look out_!

"And for the record, little sister, if you know what's good for you, I'd _better_ have since dissuaded _any and all_ fool-headed notions you've been having about checking out early!" The former defense attorney added, getting off the bed and pacing the room while she continued her tirade.

"You and Phoenix make quite the pair, you know that? Just a few days ago, I had to give your boyfriend a good talking to about his superhero complex, and going around carrying the burden of the world on his shoulders alone. Apparently, I am now required to give _you_ the same lecture!" Mia put her hands on her hips. "Do you know he blamed _himself_ for your ludicrous actions? That he somehow convinced himself that his lack of presence at your side was the underlying cause of you nearly killing yourself while trying to prove your worth to those _wretched harpies_?"

"Oh God, he _didn't_! My poor Nick!" Maya wailed and buried her face in her hands, then peeked at Mia fearfully through her fingers. "Did you try to convince him he was being absurd and he couldn't have been further from the truth?"

"Maya, what on earth do you take me for?" Her sister asked crossly, catching the rolling under-bed table with her foot and placing her palms down on it to keep it in place. "Of _course_ I did! The poor man was ready to have a nervous breakdown when he found out what had happened to you. I told him the last thing we needed was him you joining him in here. I know misery loves company, but _that_ would have been ridiculous!"

"At least if he were in here with me I'd finally get a chance to actually _see_ him." Maya folded her arms across her chest and sighed. "Oh, don't worry, I don't _mean_ it of course, but…Sis, this long-distance relationship thing we've been having…" her voice trailed off desolately.

"Phoenix told me you've only seen each other three times in the last eighteen months, Maya." Mia looked at her sympathetically. "That must be so hard on you both."

"It is, it completely sucks," Maya admitted sadly. "But I _love_ him, Sis. And in my heart of hearts, I know, ultimately, he's worth it."

"I'm _sure_ he is," Mia drawled, trying to lighten the mood. "Jeez, only three times within a year and a half, eh? And you've managed to somehow make that tide you over, _and_ you're willing to tough it out? _Damn_! He _must_ be good!" She arched an eyebrow suggestively.

" _Gahhhhh_!" Maya shrieked in horror, grabbing the closest throwable object near her.

Mia managed to dodge swiftly as Maya, with surprising new-found vigor, hurled a pillow in her direction. It sailed out the door, almost beaning Phoenix, who'd just been about to walk back into the room, right in the kisser! Luckily, he managed to duck slightly, so instead the pillow sailed harmlessly off the top of his head, slightly knocking his beanie askew. He clapped a hand on his head to secure the hat back in place, while staring at the two guilty-looking sisters incredulously.

" _Exactly_ what did I miss?" He asked disbelievingly. "You know, _aside_ from finding out _which_ one of you is trying out to be the new starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels baseball team?!"

"Oops! Sorry, Nick," Maya grinned sheepishly.

"Well, _speaking_ of _grand slams_ and _home runs_ , I'm still deciding whether I should be giving a look of disapproval _and/or_ a high-five to the man who deflowered my baby sister?" Mia derided, smirking as Phoenix's face turned so red she could have dabbed him with white paint and used him as a stop sign.

" _Ngh_! Phone – Maya – _Edgeworth_!" Phoenix spluttered, sweat-dropping profusely as he all but hurled his cell at his girlfriend. " _You_ – talk – now! _Me_ – bathroom – _bye_!" With that, he bolted from the room, nearly leaving smoke trails in his wake.

"You'll have to return back here at _some point_ , Phoenix!" Mia called after him merrily. "You know you can't hide in the john _forever_!"

"Hiya, Mr. Edgeworth." Maya swallowed her giggles and shook her head at her sister, before at last speaking into the phone. "How's it going?"

"I am going to pretend that I didn't hear a word of that conversation, Miss Fey. It. Did. Not. Happen."

 _Edgeworth?_ Mia thought quickly. _High Prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth! Perfect! He's just what the doctored ordered!_

"Hey, little sister," she said sweetly, before Maya could say another word. "When you're done speaking to my _favorite_ prosecutor, _do_ allow me to have a word with him, will you please?"

"Sure…." Maya answered uncertainly. "But why, what's up?"

"Oh, I've just figured out how to _slay_ that dragon of yours," Mia replied with a mischievous smile.

"What, you're going to try to fight fire with fire?"

"Nope," Mia shook her head, a devilish glint in her eye now. "I'm going to attack that beast with the _one thing_ _that it fears more than anything in the world_."


	36. Miles Apart but Close at Heart

_"Though miles may lie between us, we're never far apart, for friendship doesn't count the miles, it's measured by the heart."  
_

* * *

 _A/N- The awesomeness that is The Edgeworth continues! Also..Poor Phoenix! :p_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Six: Miles Apart but Close at Heart**

 ** _Maya Fey and Mia Fey_**  
 _Hickfield Clinic, Maya Fey's ICU Room_  
September 8, 2020

Maya's eyes were the size of silver dollars as she stared at Mia in contemplative disbelief, the forgotten Edgeworth left hanging on the line, as the cell phone she'd had clamped to her ear was now lying on the bed.

" _The one thing it fears more than anything in the world_?" She repeated blankly. "What the heck does that even _mean_?"

"Nothing for _you_ to worry about right now, sweetie." Mia waved her hand airily. "The semantics of that will be hammered out later. You go on and talk to dear old Edgy for now. He's been waiting most patiently, and is most likely calling long-distance on his own dime, and that probably costs extra!"

"Don't worry about the charge at all." Edgeworth coughed, as if to remind the sisters he was still present. "I'm expensing this call to Interpol."

"I'll talk to you later, Edgeworth," Mia called as she made her way to the exit. "I'm going out to the hallway to give you two some privacy. Plus, I have a certain ex-lawyer turned _lover-boy_ to torment, anyway!" With those as her last words, she sashayed out the door, waving at her sister over her shoulder as she did so.

There was an odd silence on the line as Maya hastily retrieved the cell phone she'd dropped in her lap.

"Um…sorry about that Mr. Edgeworth," she apologized sincerely. "I got a tad distracted by what Sis was saying. However, she's gone now. I'm all yours!"

" _Sis_? I was unaware that you had a sibling other than Mia, Miss Fey." Edgeworth sounded surprised.

"Er, I don't. That _was_ , Mia, Mr. Edgeworth."

" _Hold it!"_ The normally composed prosecutor's tone was incredulous. "That was the _late Mia Fey_ I just overheard talking in the background? How in _God's name_ is that even _possible_?!"

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Mia Fey_**  
 _Hickfield Clinic, ICU Hallway_  
September 8, 2020

Mia leaned languidly against the hallway wall outside the room. She crossed her legs at the ankle as she waited patiently for her sister's boyfriend to come back from his hasty retreat, an slight smile of anticipation on her lips. She honestly _had_ left in order to allow Maya the discretion she was entitled to. But aside from that, her newfound resolution to their Kurain issues had left her in an extremely jovial mood, and therefore, she thought it would be _most_ humorous to accost Phoenix the minute he _finally_ gathered up the will to return.

Looking up just then, she saw her former protégé approaching, and giggled to herself at the chagrined look on his face when he laid eyes on her. It was too late to pull an about-face – she'd already seen him.

"Sooo…" Mia smirked. "Is my little sister's _stud-muffin_ faring better now after his speedy trip to _le_ john?"

"Ngh!" Phoenix gulped, feeling his face burning again despite the copious amount of cold water he'd just splashed upon it in the men's room.

"You must have _really_ had to go!" Mia ribbed. "I think the Road Runner on Looney Tunes took off with less speed!"

"Um…yes?" Phoenix blushed and scratched the back of his neck.

"With regards to you taking the flower of my baby sister, I've decided to _entirely_ forsake the disproving look and just _flat-out_ go for the high-five!" Mia continued playfully. "How can I not? Apparently you're such a stallion that the _three times_ in the past _eighteen months_ has been enough to keep Maya _quite_ tided over indeed… _if_ her tell-tale blushing is anything to go by!" She flashed him a mischievous wink.

" _Gah_!" Phoenix blushed an even deeper shade of red and looked frantically around for a place to hide. Finding nothing in the hallway save for a laundry hamper, he simply moaned and yanked his beanie down over his eyes, unable to stand his former employer's teasing expression any longer.

Mia snickered and reached over, rolling up the brim of his hat just enough to make out his abashed eyes, as though playing peek-a-boo with an infant. "You know, Phoenix I can still _see_ you!" She jibed. "You're not an _ostrich_ , you know!"

"Er…I gotta go, I think I forgot my phone in the bathroom!" He spun on his heel, about to bolt again.

"No you didn't, silly." Mia reached out and tugged at the hood of his sweatshirt, forcing him to stay put. "Maya's got it. She's in there talking to Edgeworth, _remember_?"

"Ugh! You win! Please, I beg you _, have mercy_ , Chief!" Phoenix threw his hands up in surrender and looked at her pleadingly.

"OK, OK, I swear I'm done busting your chops," Mia relented, releasing her hold on him, even though her eyes were still dancing with laughter. "I'm sorry Phoenix, but we dead don't get that many opportunities to amuse ourselves, you know! And you have _got_ to admit, you make it _way_ too easy!" She yanked off the hated hat from his head and tousled his hair affectionately. "Seriously though, all jokes aside, I give the two of you my whole-hearted blessing. I am genuinely pleased my sister is with someone that loves her so much. I couldn't have asked for a better man for her if I'd tried."

"Thanks Chief," he smiled bashfully. "That means the world to me. You have no idea."

"I absolutely adore and think the world of you, Phoenix. You've always been like family…and now, as fate would have it, you're my future brother-in-law, right?" Mia smiled broadly. "Ah, assuming it's not too early to discuss your intentions with my baby sister of course?"

"Not at all. I assure you, Chief, that my _intentions_ are strictly honorable." Phoenix chuckled. "Although I'm having déja vu with this current conversation. Edgeworth asked me the very same question a year and a half ago, in the manner of The Godfather, what my _intentions_ were."

"Did he _really_?" She cracked up. "Oh, that Edgeworth is too much sometimes! I forget at times that the two of you are the same age…that man was _born_ 37-years-old, I swear! Always too serious and mature for his own good…although Maya has assured me he's mellowed over the years and actually has a good heart under that curt demeanor."

"He really does," Phoenix confirmed loyally. "He's a great guy. Other than your sister, I'd even dare say…he's my best friend in the world. And he loves Maya almost as much as I do - he nearly tore me a new one when he found out she'd been hospitalized and I hadn't told him! He came to that knowledge because Pearls notified him…she left a message on his cell phone."

"It is so sweet that the former _Demon Prosecutor_ looks out for the two of you; that he actually called from _overseas_ because he was so concerned about Maya." Mia beamed. "So, what else were you fellas chatting about all this time anyway?" She asked curiously. "Surely _Don Corleone_ didn't spend the _entire_ conversation chewing you out?"

"No, he didn't, just the first five or ten minutes or so," he smiled ruefully. "I admit, I deserved it! I caught him up on everything that's transpired in his absence, the abridged version of course, and he gave me an offer he thought I couldn't refuse."

"Oh? What was it?"

Phoenix told her, and Mia's eyes widened.

"How unbelievably generous of him," she breathed. "So what did you say?"

"I, um refused." Phoenix looked down at the ground as he mumbled his reply. "Which, I assume, is why he wanted to talk to Maya."

"You did _what_?!" Mia glared at him, then, without warning, whacked him on the head with his hat. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you?!"

"Hey!" Phoenix held up his arms in a vain effort to defend himself against another unexpected attack. "What is it with you Fey women? First Maya not being able to _hold her liquor_ when it came to me, _literally! Then_ Pearls and her _slaps..._ and now _you_ with my _hat_! Why is it every time I see you lately, you're _assaulting_ me in some way, shape or form? This is most unbecoming of a former attorney, not to mention... _illegal_!"

"I'm _dead_! What are you going to do, charge me with assault?" Mia snapped, giving him another swat with the beanie for good measure. "Obviously, I didn't do it _enough_ last time because it is glaringly evident that I _failed_ to beat enough sense into your fool head!"

"Mia, surely you can understand how I don't want to be a charity case?" Phoenix protested, still attempting to dodge the hat smacks, to little avail.

"No, I sure the hell do _not_ understand! Are you out of your mind? You were offered a reprieve from all this separation hell," Mia huffed, swatting him again. "A _safe haven_ to be with my sister, who had been as lost without _you_ as _you've_ been without _her_ , yet you _turned it down_?"

"Can we not discuss the pros and cons of this _calmly, and rationally_?" He begged. "And _without_ violence?!"

 _Thwomp! Thwomp! Thwomp!_

"Chief! For the love of God, can you _please_ lay off the hat smacks already?!"

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Hickfield Clinic, Maya Fey's ICU Room_  
September 8, 2020

"I think I may need to smack some sense into that man," Maya fumed. "I cannot _believe_ he didn't tell you I was in the hospital! You being his best friend and all!"

"No need, Miss Fey, he's already been succumbed to enough of a verbal tongue lashing from me for his oversight," Edgeworth chuckled. "I truly think Wright has been adequately punished enough for his misdeeds."

Suddenly a pained yelp was heard from outside the room.

" _Ouch_! OK Chief, you made your point! That last one kind of _hurt_!"

"If you'd hold _still_ it wouldn't _hurt_ as much!"

"What in the world…?" Maya craned her neck to see if she could make out what was happening out in the hallway from her bedside, but found the under-bed table obstructed her view.

"Miss Fey, is everything alright?" Edgeworth asked wearily, having also heard the commotion.

"Oh, just Nick getting his deserved lumps for something undoubtedly stupid he's done," Maya dismissed, shrugging. "Nothing he won't survive, am sure."

"I can completely feel the ardency between you two lovebirds across the miles," Edgeworth drawled, a grin in his voice. "It is indeed heartwarming to hear the dynamics of this heaven-made match that my fiancée and I moved mountains to get together."

"Oh hush, Nick knows I love him," Maya laughed. "And _you_ know very well I do too. Truly, we'd move heaven and earth to be together, but up until now, fate has been most cruel to us both. You're a saint for making this offer to us, Mr. Edgeworth. Forget what Nick said to you…on our behalf, _I_ most whole-heartedly accept!"

"And _I_ am most grateful that I opted to speak to the one half of your duo who holds some common sense. I always knew you were the _beauty_ amongst the two of you, Miss Fey," Edgeworth said wryly. "But you've just proven to me that you're _also_ the _brains_ , as well."

"You just leave Nick to me, I'm no slouch at swaying him when he's being contrary." Maya spoke confidently. "After all, I always managed to get him to take me to _Pink Princess_ movies, didn't I?"

" _Against his will_ each and every time, if I'm not mistaken," Edgeworth agreed sardonically. "It must have been _those puppy dog eyes_ he just couldn't say no to!"

"Exactly!" Maya gigged. "If I could get him to do stuff that he _hated_ , then this particular instance, which is of _mutual_ benefit, will be a cake walk! I am positive once I get a chance to speak to him about this myself, I will be able to persuade him into realizing what an incredible, can't-miss opportunity you've given us. I mean, you're allowing us to continue our clandestine love affair by using your luxurious place as our love-shack!"

" _Egad_!" On the other end of the line, Edgeworth cringed at the bawdy description. "Ah, might we find another way to perhaps re-word things in a manner less… _crass_ , Miss Fey?"

"Sorry Mr. Edgeworth," Maya laughed, picturing the look of horror on her friend's face. "I promise you we will treat your place exactly like it was our own."

 _Oh dear God, then I can't_ _ **possibly**_ _let them use it._ He began massaging his temple with his free hand as he recalled the chronic state of disarray Phoenix's place had always been in when Maya had lived with him, all the while wondering if it was too late to recant his offer.

As if reading his mind, Maya quickly modified her statement.

"I mean, we'll treat it _better_ than our own!" She amended hastily. "With utmost care and respect. Honestly, Mr. Edgeworth, what with my Master schedule and Nick working nights and weekends, it's not like we can _move_ into the place or anything! We will be lucky if we can get together once or twice a month, if that. But it sure beats _once_ every _nine_!"

"The place is yours as often as you like," he assured her, properly mollified by her reassuring words. "My one caveat is this, Miss Fey: I'd like your word, your _absolute, solemn word_ _that_ you will not _lay a finger_ on any of the _Steel Samurai_ collectible figurines I have in the showcase. They are extremely rare edition and in their original packaging, and will lose value if even slightly opened."

"Oh wow, you have _Steel Samurai_ memorabilia at your place?" Maya asked excitedly. "That is _so_ cool! Do you have the first edition model with the real working light-up sword?"

"I do…" Edgeworth cleared his throat. "But, ah…forget about what I just said, and just enjoy the place as you will." _I'll just instruct Hendricks to ensure he safely locks up everything into the vault prior to their arrival._

"You're the _best_ , Mr. Edgeworth!" Maya squealed delightedly, at such a high pitch the prosecutor actually had to hold the phone away from his poor, abused ear for a moment to give his eardrums a reprieve. "Now it's only a matter of how to go about convincing my stubborn, bull-headed boyfriend that this truly is an incredibly great idea…"

"Alright, you _win_ , Chief! I acquiesce, it's a _great i_ dea!" Phoenix rasped, suddenly racing into the room at that moment, with Mia in tow.

"Come back here, you _coward_!" She shouted at him, stepping forward menacingly, his hat clenched in her fist.

Phoenix's face was flushed and his head was bare as he rushed to Maya's side and ducked behind his astonished girlfriend. "Mia, I will agree to _any terms and conditions_ , as well as naming my first-born child after you, whether it's _male or female_! Just for the love of all that is holy, please…stop…hitting…me!"

Mia relaxed her arm, which had been brandishing the beanie-turned weapon, and smiled winsomely, all traces of battle seeming to leave her completely then.

"Good, I _knew_ you'd finally come around to seeing things my way!" She trilled, before turning to her sister, who was staring at her in open-mouthed befuddlement. "Are you just about done chatting with Edgy, there, Maya? I've ah, laid out the groundwork for you with your boyfriend, who despite some _initial_ resistance, has at last come around to seeing the light. Phoenix is now fully on board with operation love-shack!"

"Ngh! Can you ladies _please cease_ referring to my residence in such a manner?" Edgeworth implored, loud enough for all three of them to hear.

From his squatted, secure place at Maya's bedside, and in spite of the slight numbness in his head from Mia's whumps, Phoenix couldn't help but snigger at the imploring tone in his friend's voice.

"Don't worry, Edgeworth," he called into the phone. "I promise you, Maya and I will be on our best behavior at your place, and the only _adult_ activities we'll participate in will be playing _chess_ against each other on your indisputably invaluable set!"

 _Note to self_ , Edgeworth thought. _Have Hendricks lock up my antique, gold-and-silver chess set along with my Steel Samurai collectibles._

"Tell your _hilarious_ boyfriend if he even knows _how_ to play the game, I'll bequeath him his _own_ set for Christmas," were his lofty words to Maya, which she laughingly repeated to Phoenix before bidding her friend adieu.

"I think me and Mr. Edgeworth are wrapped up now," she then told Mia, handing her sister the phone. "You going to take it out in the hallway?"

"Absolutely." Mia was already heading to the door. "It's about time you crazy kids had a moment to yourselves, anyway!"

The moment she was gone, Phoenix got up from his crouched position by the bed and looked down at his girlfriend, an expression of resignation and amusement on his face.

"Before you take _your_ turn on the _Phoenix Wright Smack-Down Gameshow_ , my love" he began, his eyes twinkling. "Might I first let you know what I've _already_ had my best friend rip a strip off of me, from which my wounds are _still_ tender. _Then_ your sister further compounded said injuries by attacking me with _my own hat_! Which, incidentally, she seems to have taken off with at the moment, _and_ seeing as how she shares the same female Fey loathing for it as you and your cousin do, I fear it shall _never_ be returned!"

Maya looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with barely suppressed mirth. "I _was_ going to tear you apart for being a snitch to Sis earlier," she admitted. "But truly, you look like you've already been through enough already, and also, having been on the receiving end of my own tongue lashing, I'm in a better position than normal to sympathize with your plight and cut you some slack."

"You're a peach, my love." He sighed with relief and carefully sat down on the bed next to her, reaching over to take her hand in his. "Thank you."

"I know you were only looking out for me, Nick." Maya squeezed his hand. "And you needn't worry, I'm not going anywhere until I'm better. Sis made sure of it!"

"Scariest. Dead. Woman. _Ever_." He gave a mock shudder, then flashed an impish grin. "Am I ever glad she's on _our_ side!"

"No kidding!" Maya exclaimed. "She was quite keen to talk to Mr. Edgeworth because she claimed she had a solution to all my problems with the Dragon Lady. Of course, prior to that, she _nearly burned me alive_ for my ill-timed Dragon jokes!"

"My poor Maya!" Phoenix chuckled, reaching up to stroke her cheek. "Kind of hard to decide which of us got it worse here, lecture-wise. Chief totally gave you shit, huh?"

"Like you would _not_ believe!" Maya groaned, nestling her face into his hand, then turning her head slightly and softly kissing his palm. "So, Mr. Edgeworth totally gave _you_ shit, too?"

"Yup. Sounds like we both suffered about equally, although Mia spared _me_ the verbal onslaught in lieu of a _physical_ one this time!"

"So how's this for a deal, _I_ won't give _you_ shit, if _you_ don't give _me_ shit, and we just agree that we're _both_ a couple of complete idiots who totally deserve each other. Deal?"

"Deal." Phoenix absently twirled a lock of her silky hair with his fingers, while putting his other hand thoughtfully to his chin. "Hey Maya?"

"Yeah, Nick?"

"I am nearly bursting with curiosity to find out exactly what Chief wanted to talk to Edgeworth about!"

"You and me _both_!"

* * *

 ** _Pearl Fey and Miles Edgeworth_**  
 _Hickfield Clinic, ICU Hallway_  
September 8, 2020

Fresh from her triumph of winning the battle of wits against her thick-skulled former protégé, Mia's mood had ventured from annoyed, and right back to delightfully devious. Hence, while Edgeworth was in mid-conversation, the very first thing she did the moment she was out in the hallway was, without warning, morph back into Pearl.

The little girl blinked, confused, as she found herself outside her cousin's hospital room, a cell phone in her hand, and a strange man's voice, with a vaguely British accent, coming out of it.

"So…your sister explained to me how you're able to make an appearance at times via the Kurain Channeling Technique," the man was saying presently. "I must admit, hearing your voice, initially, was a bit of shock! You can certainly appreciate that, am sure. Now, what was it you wanted to discuss with me, Miss Fey?"

"Who is this?" Asked the completely bewildered Pearl.

"What, who's _this_? Your voice is different now. Who am I now speaking to?" Edgeworth sounded equally as baffled.

That accent seemed more familiar to Pearl the more she listened to it. "Mr. Eh-ji-worth?"

"Ah, Miss Fey… _young_ …Miss Fey…" he stammered. "I don't…hello, how are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you, Mr. Eh-ji-worth?"

"I'm quite well," he replied uncomfortably. "I should take this opportunity to thank you, for making me aware of your cousin's situation, and I am most relieved that she's doing better now." He cleared his throat. "Please excuse the confusion…but I thought I was talking to Miss Fey."

"I _am_ Miss Fey," answered the perplexed Pearl.

"No, not you…the _other_ Miss Fey."

Pearl bit her thumb. "Did you want me to give the phone to Mystic Maya, Mr. Eh-ji-worth?"

"No, no, not _her_. We've already spoken!" Edgeworth bit back a cry of frustration. "I meant the other, _other_ Miss Fey."

Silence on the phone.

"I meant the _busty_ Miss Fey." Edgeworth stifled a groan and clapped a hand to his forehead. "I mean, the _lawyer_ …your cousin..."

"Oh!" Pearl said brightly. "You mean you want to talk to Mystic Mia?"

" _Yes, please_!"

"Why didn't you just _say_ so, Mr. Eh-ji-worth?"

* * *

 ** _Mia Fey and Miles Edgeworth_**  
 _Hickfield Clinic, ICU Hallway_  
September 8, 2020

Just as Edgeworth was certain his head was about to explode, an older woman's voice came back on the line.

"Good day to you, Miles. How's my favorite prosecutor?"

"Miss…Fey?" he began hesitantly.

"Speaking!" Mia replied cheerfully.

"As in, Wright's girlfriend's sister, and his former boss?"

"That would be me," she chirped. "Sorry about any confusion earlier, I just figured Pearly would have wanted to say hello to you."

Her mischievous undertone was not lost on Edgeworth, who mentally grumbled to himself about these crazy Fey women and their warped senses of humor.

"Just so I understand and am up to speed…" he resumed rubbing his temple. "Aren't you supposed to be _dead_?"

"That I am," she affirmed with sham solemnity, even as she bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Ah, alright …" His voice trailed off awkwardly. "Well, um, my condolences then."

"Thank you, Edgy," Mia replied blithely, then her voice took on a more serious modulation. "Look, I need to talk shop with you, _Miles_. These law matters are for personal reasons, and for people we _both_ care deeply about, therefore, for the duration of _this_ conversation, at the very least, let's curb the formalities. After all, we aren't on opposing sides of the court anymore, and there's no longer a mentally unstable, suicidal witness on the stand. I'm _Mia_ , and you're _Miles_. Is that alright?"

"Quite." He cleared his throat again, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he was indeed, speaking to a dead woman. "How may I be of assistance, Miss – er, Mia?"

Mia walked down the hall to the visitor's lounge then, sat down, and crossed her long legs.

"I need the benefit of having a renowned, practicing attorney on our side, Miles." She began. "Are you on board with helping Phoenix and Maya in a few legal matters? I know you're already doing a lot for them already, what with the use of your place, and looking deeper into the circumstances surrounding Phoenix's disbarment. I'd hate to further impose, or worse, have you think I'm trying to take advantage of your generosity."

"If something is beyond my means, I will advise you, Mia," he replied firmly. "But as it stands, there's not much that I would not do, _legally and within_ my power, to be of assistance to either of those two. I owe them both a great deal, both in a professional and personal capacity."

"I would think that you and Franziska playing matchmaker for them in exchange for helping the two of you get together was repayment _enough_ for the personal side," Mia teased. "And the use of your place _more_ than makes you even for anything you feel you owe them in any professional capacity."

"My goodness, being deceased hasn't kept you out of the loop at all, has it?" Edgeworth noted dryly. "You still appear to be in the know about almost everything."

"Heaven isn't _that_ far away, you know - I still hear things," she joked. "Just like I _heard_ through the grapevine that you're a big softy under that lofty exterior of yours, and you care a lot for my little sister and Phoenix. I suspect _that_ is the _real reason_ why you're lending a hand here, _not_ because of any supposed debt you feel you allegedly still owe to either of them."

"Shall we move onto the legal matters then?" Edgeworth asked abruptly, neither confirming nor denying the allegation that they both knew to be true.

Mia smirked to herself. Still the same aloofness on the outside, despite being the most steadfast, loyal friend her sister or Phoenix would ever have in their entire lives, regardless of the distance that separated them. And _still_ as emotionally constipated as ever. _That_ was the Miles Edgeworth she'd always known. So be it. They needed his help, and she knew they would get it. In the end, that was all that really mattered.

"OK, Prodigal Prosecutor, let's get down to business," Mia stated. "Here's what I need to you do…"


	37. Homeward Bound, The Incredible Journey

_"The impression you give out will last for a while and will never be taken from you or put against you."_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Seven: Homeward Bound, The Incredible Journey**

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey_**  
 _Hickfield Clinic, Maya Fey's Hospital Room_  
September 17, 2020, 2:00 pm

Today was the big day!

Maya stretched out her arms and did a little exultant twirl, she was still so giddy at hearing the news.

After nearly two weeks since the day she'd been admitted, Maya had finally received a clean bill of health from the hospital as well as her official discharge papers, just over an hour ago. At last, she would be free from sub-par hospital food, being used as human pin-cushion, and the indignity of those ill-fitting nighties that didn't close up in the back!

She was so close to freedom she could almost _taste_ it.

Maya stuck her head out of the doorway of her room, anxiously craning her neck for the sight of Phoenix coming down the hall for about the dozenth time in the last five minutes.

Still no sign of her boyfriend.

Heaving a long-suffering sigh, she flopped back down on the visitor chair in her room, impatiently drummed her nails on the accompanying table, took a long sip of ice water from her Styrofoam cup and fumed silently. Where the _hell_ was Nick?! Much like the day of her inauguration, yet _again_ , he was running late – albeit only a quarter of an hour in this case. And, to be fair, _this_ time, he had ensured there was enough battery on his "Dumb Phone" and actually _called_ her, letting her know he'd been unexpectedly delayed, and to hang on and sit still, as he was on his way.

As if she had _any other choice_!

Aside from the fact that Maya had no purse, wallet or ID on her, she also had found, when she'd been moved out of ICU and into a normal patient room four days ago, that she also had no shoes…or even _clothes_! She had no inkling of what had happened to the clothing she'd been wearing when she'd collapsed. The sole items in her possession were the small toothbrush and personal toiletries Phoenix had thoughtfully purchased for her once she'd woken. And she had _no_ desire to take _them_ with her as a memento of her hellacious ordeal, any more than she wished to actually leave the hospital in her current attire, feeling the cool breeze of the outside winds on her naked behind from the flapping open-back gown, which left _no_ option of coverage or modesty for the unfortunate wearer.

At the _very_ top of Maya's list of Things Not in Possession was any sort of _underwear_!

She'd mentioned her plight to Phoenix, who'd assured her that Pearl had taken her Master's kimono back to the Gumshoe's place and washed it, as well as dried and cleaned her shoes, and that her cousin would bring them along when they came to collect her.

Not that Maya would have left for home even if she'd had her belongings, anyway. For one thing, she had to take Pearly home with her, and for another, there was no way she was returning to Kurain before she saw Phoenix again. She was glad that she'd been released in the daytime, so he could come and see her off before work, while Trucy was still at school. When he'd spoken to her earlier, he'd also mysteriously told her that he had some _very important_ items to give to her.

She desperately hoped that a bra and panties set was among them.

Finally, just as Maya was crunching through the crushed ice cubes from her second water glass, Phoenix at last showed up, Pearl at his side.

"Oh thank goodness!" Maya cried, racing up to the two of them and wrapping her arms around her cousin and boyfriend in an effusive hug. "I was losing my mind here, waiting for you guys!"

"Hey, I was only _twenty_ minutes late _this_ time." Phoenix dropped a kiss on top of her forehead. "I'm getting slightly better aren't I?"

Now that she'd gotten over the joyous relief at the arrival of the two most important people in her life, Maya was just a wee bit peeved. She crossed her arms and looked at Phoenix pointedly. "You haven't changed a bit, have you, Nick? Even when you were a _lawyer_ you were always running late for court!"

"It wasn't his fault, Mystic Maya!" Pearl cut in anxiously. "He was waiting for Miss Sasha to come and pick him up but as soon as we got on the road, Petra threw up all over herself and Kaya went boom-boom in her diaper, so she had to change them both before we could head over to get him."

" _Miss Sasha_?" Maya echoed blankly. "Kaya? Petra? Who the heck are _they_?"

"They're Mr. Tyler's wife and twin baby girls!" Pearl told her cousin, as if this were common knowledge. "He's Mr. Nick's friend from his work. He and Miss. Sasha are so nice, and I love playing with the babies! They're as much fun as little Gordy!"

"Um…that's really nice, Pearly…" Maya was absolutely flummoxed. "But…how do you know these people?"

"Yeah, about that, Maya…" Phoenix cleared his throat awkwardly. "As you know, the Gumshoes normally watch Trucy for me while I'm at work, and while you've been here, they've generously taken Pearls in in the evenings, and I tend to watch her during the daytime…"

"Uh-huh..." She said slowly, already sensing she wasn't going to be overly impressed with the outcome of this conversation.

"Well the thing is, the Gumshoes went out of town this week, to Idaho, for Gumshoe's father's 75th birthday party." Phoenix spoke quickly, as if sensing her growing weariness. "So they weren't around to watch the girls on the evenings I've had to go to work, so for the past couple of nights, my friend Tyler has kindly offered to babysit both Pearl and Trucy, since his wife is home with the babies anyway…"

Maya's jaw dropped. Phoenix had done _what_? He'd left her precious little cousin in the care of some random, _unknown_ people? And he'd not even _mentioned_ this to her?

"What the _hell_ , Nick?" Maya stared at him in irate disbelief, barely resisting the urge to hurl her bedside pillow in his direction again – on _purpose_ this time! "You left Pearly in the care of _strangers_? How could you make that sort of decision without even _telling_ me?"

"They're _not_ strangers," he insisted. "Tyler's the nice guy who always gives me a ride home whom I've been working with for _a year and a half_ now, Maya. And Sasha is a wonderful person, a responsible mother. And she's watched Trucy before…they bailed me out those couple of nights last fall when I had to work and Maggey was at the hospital having Gordy."

"I just love Trucy!" Pearl piped up happily. "Me and my cousin have become best friends! We made tacos with Miss Sasha for dinner last night."

Maya sighed, some of her annoyance fizzling a tad as she acknowledged that Phoenix had left her cousin to be looked after by people he entrusted his own daughter with, and that Pearly appeared to have been well-treated and cared for.

"I just wish you'd told me, Nick. I _am_ Pearly's legal guardian, after all."

"I'm sorry, Maya." He looked duly chastened. "I didn't want you to worry, had you known the Gumshoes weren't around, and just wanted you to focus on your recovery. You have to know that Pearls means as much to me as Trucy does…I'd never have left _either_ of them in the care of people who I didn't whole-heartedly trust… _and_ they passed my magatama test!"

Maya reluctantly cracked a smile at that one. "Don't worry, Nick, it's all good…I guess she dropped you and Pearly here? That was pretty nice of her."

"Miss Sasha's still here!" Pearl told her, bouncing up and down. "She's downstairs in the car with the babies waiting for us. She's going to drive us to the train station!"

"Is she really? That is so sweet of her." Maya's smile was genuine now. "But I don't want to put your friend out, Nick, especially not when she's got two little ones to tend to. Pearly and I can easily catch a cab to the train."

"She _insisted_ ," Phoenix assured her. "Trust me…when you meet her, you'll see how futile…and _scary_ it is to argue with her!"

"Sounds like a gal after my own heart!" Maya grinned. For the first time, she noticed the bag and two packages under her boyfriend's arm. "What are those parcels you're holding?"

"Well, the bag has your freshly washed and dried sandals, underthings, and kimono, courtesy of the Gumshoe Dry Cleaners. _However_ ," Phoenix waved the larger brown-wrapped bundle at her with a flourish and placed it her hands. "I get the feeling you _may_ want to wear what's inside this home, instead."

"For _me_?" Maya was already delightedly tearing through the brown paper like a child on Christmas morning. Upon seeing the contents of the parcel, she gave an elated squeal.

"A get-well present from Miles Edgeworth." Phoenix chuckled at the sight of the autographed _Steel Samurai_ T-shirt Maya was holding up against herself, which although was labelled as a small size, came past the knees on her petite frame. "Jeez, if _that's_ a small, I'd hate to imagine what a _large_ size looks like! I can only assume it's constructed from a part of the _Big Berry Circus Tent_?"

They both snickered, then he pointed to a piece of paper that had fallen to the ground. "That must have come with the package. I think he left you a note, too."

Maya retrieved the paper, which bore the blue ink of Edgeworth's customary, elegant scrawl.

" 'Dear Miss Fey. Get well soon. I hope you enjoy this special edition _Steel Samurai_ movie shirt. I apologize for the size, but it's the smallest they make…although I assume the only person it would be petite on is the director, Mr. Sal Manella'." Maya hooted as she read the handwritten penmanship aloud. "Wow, did Edgy actually insert a _joke_ here?"

"Seems like he's more likely to make a funny via letter than via email," Phoenix noted dryly.

 _Or in person. **Or** on the phone, where the only thing he seems to take amusement in is **busting my balls** …_

"Wait, there's more on the bottom…" Maya scanned the additional script. " 'I trust Wright to be an adequate nursemaid while you're recovering. Should he be lacking in any area, please be advised that my offer for the use of my place, and my attentive man-servant, Hendricks, is ever-standing. I wish for you to be back in top form when our paths cross again, hopefully in the near future'."

"Awe!" Pearl pressed her hands to her cheeks. "That's so nice of Mr. Eh-ji-worth!"

"Wait, there's still more," Maya read. " 'P.S please find, in the other parcel, the items your sister and I discussed'."

"Got them right here." Phoenix held up the second, flat, legal-sized package. "I figure you've got a two-hour trip to peruse through it."

"I suspect that would be the unidentified item you alluded to earlier?"

"It is indeed."

"Then he wrote, 'I hope these assist you in alleviating your troubles'." Her eyes grew misty. "Gosh, that Edgy! He can be so sweet!"

"Yeah, he's a good guy," Phoenix admitted with a wry grin.

"Hang on, there's one last bit on the other side…" Maya turned the paper over, then started giggling manically when she read what was written.

"Hey, you want to let _me_ in on the gag?" Phoenix asked, looking bewildered. "What's so funny?"

"P. P.S. 'Please burn that atrocious beanie of your boyfriend's post-haste'." Maya and Pearl were both flat out cracking up now, completely unaware to the scowl forming on Phoenix's face.

 _I spoke too soon. You're still an ass, Edgeworth._

* * *

 **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
** _Hickfield Clinic, Main Entrance_  
September 17, 2020, 2:40 pm

"Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" Maya cried out at the top of her lungs as she all but skipped out the main entrance doors in her sandals and customized T-shirt-turned-dress, on which she'd fashioned the sash of her kimono as a belt,

"You're acting like you just got out of prison," Phoenix laughed as he ushered her to a silver SUV parked to the side of the driveway.

"In a matter of speaking, I _was_ , though! The constant needle pricking can't be _that_ much better than unsolicited _anal_ probing, right?"

" _Maya_!" Phoenix admonished, casting a furtive glance at Pearl, who mercifully was oblivious to the inappropriate commentary as she was already excitedly rushing to the waiting vehicle.

His girlfriend's embarrassed expression conveyed that for once, she'd at least caught the hint, yet still continued on rambling about her time in alleged captivity.

" _Sorry_! But, ugh, you were in the hospital when you fell off that bridge last year, Nick! Don't tell me _you_ liked that slop they called food? I'd have preferred bread and water, but they forced me to eat because they claimed I was malnourished…last night's dinner was some sort of nasty mystery meat substance drowning in some greasy gravy…it tasted like monkey butt!"

 _Good grief, can she **be** any more embarrassing? Did they slip some sort of tongue loosening agent into said ambiguous **primate posterior** meal?!_

Phoenix's cheeks were pink as they neared the van, hoping against hope his friend hadn't heard Maya's unfiltered remarks, but the musical peal of laughter he heard emerging from inside the vehicle immediately told him otherwise. He flung open the passenger door and looked apologetically at the driver.

"Sasha, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting."

"No worries, love, the twins were asleep till now. They just woke up… but are no worse for wear," Tyler's wife replied cheerfully, her blue eyes sparkling with her customary warmth as she turned her laughing gaze to his girlfriend. "And you, Miss _Monkey Butt-Muncher_ , must be Maya! It's so nice to finally meet you." She extended her hand.

Maya shook it and smiled uncertainly, before her dubious gaze slid back to Phoenix again.

"She's British," he whispered into her ear as he fastened her seat-belt around her after she'd climbed into the front seat. "She calls _everybody_ love!"

Upon hearing that bit of reassuring trivia, Maya visibly relaxed and flashed Sasha her most winsome smile.

"The pleasure's all mine," she declared to the pretty, lavender-locked woman, admiring the baby blue tips of the silky long waves that tumbled past her shoulders. "And by the way, I _love_ your hair."

"Thank you, love. I'm a hairdresser, so I try to keep myself as a walking advertisement for my business, which I run from my home," Sasha replied, carefully pulling away from driveway. "It was fire-engine red for the longest time, but I decided to change it up before I had my girls last summer."

Maya turned in her seat and took note of the cooing dark-haired babies in the back seat between Phoenix and Pearl, the latter who was entertaining them both by giving each a finger to squeeze.

"They're both beautiful," she said sincerely. "Completely identical too, I see. How on earth can you differentiate them?"

"You're such a love! Thank you so much! Their hair is my own _natural_ color, you know," Sasha confided. "We can tell them apart because Kaya's eyes are hazel, and Petra's are green. That, and Kaya's the more peaceful one…Petra's a bit more…lively."

As if to accentuate her mother's point, Petra suddenly reached over and tugged at Phoenix's hat, yanking it right off of his head. As soon as she saw his spikes spring free, the baby laughed gleefully and clapped her hands.

"Hey!" Phoenix yelped, but then shrugged good-naturedly and patted the infant on the head. "You _really_ hate my beanie, don't you Petra?"

"We _all_ do!" Maya chimed in, bursting into giggles. "See, Nick? _Nobody_ likes that thing!"

"The first time Petra saw him, she cried," Sasha told her merrily. "I'm telling you, that thing is pure female repellent!"

"That wasn't because of my _hat_!" Phoenix protested. "That was because you told me she was hungry and needed to be fed!"

"She did, love. But she stopped crying the _minute_ you took that ridiculous hat off, which was _way_ before I popped the bottle into her mouth!"

Seeing he was fighting a losing battle, Phoenix let out a rueful chuckle. " _Now_ do you see what I meant when I said you can't argue with her, Maya?"

"I'm a _hairdresser_ , Phoenix," Sasha insisted. "Why don't you just let me give you a quick snip so you won't need to wear that manky thing? Or at least style your hair with some product so you don't need to keep covering up!"

"As much as I appreciate the offer, Sasha, I'm flat out vetoing _any_ sort of _snipping_!" He shook his head and placed a hand protectively over his spikes.

 _Besides, I'm broke, and hair gel costs extra…_

"Your girls both seem to have taken to Pearly very well," Maya observed, her expression tender as she watched her cousin playing with the twins. "It's hard to believe you've all only known each other a few days."

"Pearl is an absolute love and she is welcome to our home _any_ time!" Sasha declared. "Our entire family is mad about both her and Trucy. She's also such a delightful little girl, just like her cousin."

Maya was endeared that the girls proclaimed themselves as kinsmen due to the sharing of 'Uncle Gumshoe.' If only Trucy knew just _how_ closely related they could _all_ actually be… if fate ever allowed, she mused sadly.

She didn't have time to mull on the thought though, as the bubbly hairdresser carried on a steady friendly stream of chatter the entire car ride en route to Phoenix's place, (where they would be dropping him off as he had work later that evening), to which Maya joyfully responded. Her boyfriend had been right to trust their girls with Sasha – she was a genuinely wonderful person, and an obvious doting and devoted wife and mother.

In the backseat, Phoenix smiled to himself and was content to sit back quietly, his attentions split between half listening to the laughing conversation coming from the front seat, and playing peek-a-boo with Petra, whose car seat was directly next to his. For a moment, he idly wondered what eye color he and Maya's children would have. Would they be blue, like his, or the gorgeous mahogany of their mother's? Or even a stunning green like the adorable baby he was playing with, whose parents had the same eye colors he and Maya did?

He was suddenly jolted from his reverie when he realized that Sasha was talking about Maya's hair, and chastised himself for letting such seemingly out of reach notions infiltrate his mind. As it was, he could barely support the _one_ daughter he _already_ had, never mind adding _another_ mouth to feed to the mix! And who knew when – or if! – circumstances would ever change?

"I'd just take off a good few inches, and then add some layers, so you won't need to always wear it up in a bun, like Pearly told me you've been doing since you've been Master," the British woman was saying enthusiastically as she stopped at a red light. "You could even wear it down more often and not have to worry about it if you consider letting me cut it into a chic, classic bob, which is _all the rage_ right now!"

"Leave it!" Phoenix rapped out the order before he could stop himself or temper his tone. Sasha and Maya turned around in their seats, and mimicked the gaping expression little Pearl had on her face. Luckily, his outburst hadn't awoken the twins, who were now sleeping soundly in their seats.

"But Phoenix," Sasha protested. "Maya's got so much hair…we could easily donate the rest to make wigs for cancer patients…"

Phoenix knew it was the 21st century and that he had no right to dictate what his girlfriend did with her appearance. He was also aware that it was not in his place to interfere in an entirely feminine judgment about coiffure, but the thought of Maya's heavy mass of glorious, raven locks lying in a shiny heap on the floor was unthinkable. "Do _not_ cut her hair," he said in a tone of forceful command, which back in his courtroom days, used to make even the most defiant witnesses on the stand scurry for cover.

Inexplicably, his tone made Pearl smile.

It made Sasha look chastened.

It made Maya momentarily consider cutting her hair off at the nape.

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey and Pearl Fey_**  
 _Kurain Village, Fey Manor_  
September 17, 2020, 4:45 pm

Maya thanked Sasha again profusely as she exited the vehicle, while Pearl blew kisses to the twins. Despite her protests, the kind-hearted woman had insisted on driving them all the way back to Kurain, instead of just to the station, citing that her babies slept better on long car rides and that she didn't have much else to do as she had no hair clients till later that evening. Sasha had insisted Maya take her business card, which she had, but while she would welcome the other woman's delightful company again in a social situation, she had _zero_ true desire of seeing her in _professional_ capacity!

In spite of her fleeting defiant thoughts upon her boyfriend's impromptu, obnoxious, wannabe-macho, _dictator_ veto, Maya actually had _no_ intention of parting with her waist length hair, which she'd been growing her entire life! Besides, she knew Nick would truly be heartbroken if she ever parted with her signature tresses – they were as much a part of her identity as his spikes, and he revelled in running his fingers through her hair as much as she did with his. He especially enjoyed softly giving her locks gentle, erotic tugs at _certain_ times, like whenever they were –

"Mystic Maya?" Pearl's soft voice interrupted her lusty thoughts.

Maya gave her head a shake, as if to clear it. There would be plenty of time to reminisce about her steamy moments with Phoenix later, in the privacy of her own chambers. Right now, she would have to satisfy herself with one last, fleeting recollection of their bittersweet, all too hasty good-bye peck on the lips when Sasha had dropped him off earlier, and the gut-wrenching, forlorn expression on his face as he'd waved good-bye, until God only knew when. She sighed soundlessly, then looked at her cousin.

"Yes, Pearly?"

"Um, aren't you going to go into the house?" Pearl bit her thumb as she looked at Maya uncertainly. "You've been standing here in the driveway looking into space since Miss Sasha left. Are you scared to go inside?"

"Don't be silly!" Maya declared, with a false sense of bravado she was far from feeling. "Give me one good reason why I would be scared to enter my own home?"

"Because you never told anyone here you were coming back home today and you wouldn't let me tell the Elders any updates on your condition and you're worried how they're going to act when they finally see you?"

OK, fine, those were actually _a few_ very good reasons why Maya was feeling _exactly_ like that!

"They don't need to know _everything_ ," she replied stubbornly, lifting her chin. "By the way, there is one thing I never did ask you, Pearly. You didn't have an overnight bag or change of clothes the entire time you were staying with Nick and the Gumshoes. What on earth did you wear?"

"Aunt Maggey bought me some pajamas which she says I can keep at their place for the next time I sleep over. And Trucy is about the same size as me, and she was nice enough to let me borrow her clothes so I didn't need to wear my acolyte robe every day."

 _My boyfriend is truly raising a gem for a daughter_ , Maya marveled, as she silently felt her heart filling with even more love for this wonderful child whom she'd still never met, and who was blissfully unaware of her existence.

OK, she'd stalled long enough. It was time to go in and face the proverbial music, if any at all. In all likelihood, she was probably being ridiculous with her misgivings. Phoenix's paranoia had probably just rubbed off on her, that's what it was! She'd only been gone for just under a _fortnight_ , after all! What sinister lurkings or wrongful ill-doings could have _possibly_ transpired during such a short period of time?

Maya took a deep breath and entered the foyer of Fey Manor, with her cousin in tow.

The sight that greeted them made them freeze in mid-stride.

Upon entry, Pearl gasped, and her hands flew to her cheeks in horror.

Mouth agape, Maya just stood there in frozen paralysis, completely unable to move, unable to think, unable to breathe.


	38. The Dragon's Den

_"Understanding the world is a door to believing what we are, where we are living in and what we expect to come out of our actions."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Eight:** **The Dragon's Den**

 _ **Maya Fey and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Kurain Village, Fey Manor_  
September 17, 2020, 4:47 pm

Maya rapidly blinked a few times as she stood on the stone tile flooring in the main hallway of her ancestral residence, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that what lay before her aghast eyes was indeed, _still_ her home, and _not_ a warped replication straight out of _The Twilight Zone_!

Fey Manor, in traditional Japanese style, had an interior scheme that was both clean and minimalist, composed of doors, screen grids and frames all made of natural wood, maple, cypress, hemlock and red pine, with bamboo used for accent decorative purposes. The flooring was mostly wood or grey stone tile, with wood shelving and wall panels remaining of the few walls not replaced with large glass sliding doors or screens that were covered in opaque paper. The large, expansive skylight windows and ceiling openings were mostly void of any heavy drapery or obstruction, save for a few simple bamboo shades or sheer, gauzy curtain panels to allow as much natural lighting in as possible.

In keeping with the natural beauty of the outside world, the manor bore simple colors from nature, with the predominant colors derived from the browns of wooden elements, and the greens of plants. The design resulted in a simple color palette that was very neutral, Zen-inspired interior to soothe the mind and soul.

At least, that _had_ been the way it'd been when Maya had seen it _last_!

Taking in her new surroundings, the Master had forsaken peaceful tranquility _entirely_ and had immediately catapulted, as her shock wore off, straight to immeasurable, violent, _homicidal wrath_!

Maya's hands clenched into fists at her sides. " _Mildew_!" She seethed.

Her targeted ferocity wasn't misconstrued, of that she was absolutely certain. After all, who, besides _The Dragon Lady herself,_ could be responsible for such an audacious, repugnant… _objectionable_ décor overhaul?

Just like who _else_ would have had the _tenacity and gall_ to have replaced the wall painting of Maya's mother, which had been hanging in the foyer, with a portrait of her own haughty, vainglorious one, in full _floor-to-ceiling_ size? And then removed the statue of Mystic Ami with a still incomplete but _definitely_ recognizable, _life-sized_ one of herself, taking up most of the main hallway, to boot?

The beautiful, brightly lit-windows which allowed for a breathtaking view of the lush greenery outside were now covered with dreary, bulky, _ugly-ass_ curtains, which were _gun-metal grey_ , and so thick that sunlight was entirely obstructed – inside, the place looked like it was near dark outside rather than broad daylight!

 _This place looks fit for a sun-evading_ ** _vampire_**! Maya fumed. _Hell_ , _blood-sucker, fire-breathing dragon…same difference. Both can be immediately_ ** _eliminated_** _via a stake – or sword! – To the heart!_

Taking a look around, however, Maya was actually _grateful_ for the dim lighting, which partially obscured the monstrosity that was now her home. She wasn't sure she could have handled the bastardizing of her residence _in living c_ olor at that particular moment!

The pretty, rice paper lamps and Shoji screens, as well as the dramatic wall-hanging fountains and Japanese brushstroke paintings, depicting waterscapes, were all gone. In their place were blinding, brightly-colored, psychedelic paintings that were more _eye-sore_ than artwork, _snomit_ -green shaggy throw rugs and hideous, heavy wooden and brass lamps, with gaudy orange and purple paisley lampshades. The icing on the cake had to be the large, pastel-colored flower pot chandelier hanging from the ceiling…from a faux-floral garland.

It all looked like an unfathomable mismatched combination of regurgitated _groovy_ 1970's coupled with 1960's the _hippy-era_!

 _Ugh, is this vile, putrid, reminiscent décor Mildew's way of trying to re-live her youthful days of…Gah!_ ** _Free love_** _?_

Maya shuddered at the notion, which was more foul and nausea-inducing than _actual_ snot/vomit, or _any_ color combination that resembled it!

Suddenly, another unendurably abominable thought occurred to her, and apparently also to the still-horrified looking Pearl, who was right at Maya's heels as she raced down the hall.

 _Oh my God, my office…_

It was worse than Maya had feared. Paisley wallpaper… _plaid_ couches… tacky, fluorescent lava lamps… and all her Pink Princess and Steel Samurai posters were nowhere to be seen…unless they'd been covered by the enormous black and white photos of Donny Osmond…and _Engelbert Humperdinck_!

The focal point of the room was none other than The Dragon Lady herself. She was seated languorously at Maya's desk, with her bare feet propped up atop it, sipping from a porcelain teacup as Tom Jone's _What's New, Pussycat_ blared from the old-fashioned record player sitting on the corner table, eyes idyllically closed and head leaning back on the wall behind her, which was adorned by a large photo of Elvis Presley in his white-suited, hip-thrusting, guitar-playing glory.

Without preamble, Maya stormed over to the phonograph and crudely jerked the needle across the vinyl, uncaring about the jolting stop that occurred only after an unignorably resounding scratching sound was heard first. It jolted Mildred out of her quixotic woolgathering, and she jerked forward in her chair with a comical lurch, crying out in dismay as the action spilled what Maya could only _hope_ was scalding hot tea down the front of her kimono.

The old woman's eyes were wide with disbelief at the sight of the mutinous Master standing, arms-crossed, before her. "Mystic Maya," she croaked, attempting to drag together the rags of her composure. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I _could_ ask you the same thing…" Maya's cadence was one of poisonous sweetness. "But I think the evidence of that is _pretty_ _damn_ clear. Making yourself right at home in my absence, I see, Mildred. I hope you haven't gotten _too_ comfortable though?"

The village elder was too rattled by the Kurain leader's unexpected arrival to even bother harping about Maya's deliberate disrespectful omission of her name-preceding _Mystic_ title.

"I- I've been holding down the fort during your most unfortunate absence, Mystic Maya," Mildred stammered, rising quickly from her chair and slowly making her way over. "I wasn't certain when – _or if_ – you'd be returning. The hospital refused to offer any further details…the last update we received was from Sister Bikini that you'd collapsed and were in a coma."

 _Because Sis instructed Hickfield not to, unless they wanted the pants sued off them_ , Maya thought smugly. The kindly nun, of course, had long since been reassured of her recovery, as well as the on-goings of what she'd been enduring at the hands of the Elders by Mia herself. Therefore, Bikini had had zero qualms about keeping mum and letting those _'wicked women'_ stew a bit longer!

"Yes, I can see you've made yourself _positively sick_ with worry this whole time you were uncertain whether or not I was at death's door." Maya treated the other woman to a prickly smile. "However, whatever actions you've taken may now be ceased straightaway. As you can see, _I'm back now_ , and most certainly among the land of the living."

"We were worried _sick_ ," Mildred insisted, her shrill voice sounding about as convincing in her argument as Winston Payne's. "We thought we'd lost yet _another_ Master…and so soon after last year's tragedy! And _then_ your second-in-command, Mystic Pearl, appeared to have gone missing right afterward, and we had no idea of _her_ whereabouts…"

"She was staying in Los Angeles, where I was admitted, with some close friends. You needn't have concerned yourself about her, either." Maya wrapped a protective arm around her silent cousin's shoulders. "Pearly, along with this whole village, is entirely my responsibility. As I just indicated, you are hereby relieved of your temporarily, _self-appointed_ , Master's duties _immediately_."

"As you wish, Mystic Maya," Mildred ground out through gritted teeth, walking towards the door. She was just about to leave when the Master's next words stopped her cold in her tracks.

"Incidentally, I am placing you _solely_ in charge of changing this manor back to the _exact_ order it was in prior to my departure, Mystic Mildred," Maya informed her coolly. "Also, while I've been gone, if you've been residing within Fey Manor, or _my chambers_ , perchance, you are to gather up all of your possessions and move back to your cabin post-haste. You have 48 hours to complete both actions."

" _48 hours_?" Mildred hissed in fury as she spun around, her face slowly turning purple with rage as her meek, contrite mien vanished in a cloud of smoke. "That's _ridiculous_! Absolutely impossible – I will do no such thing! You have _no_ right to cast me out of this house on my ear, when I have been the one _exclusively_ keeping this village running for the past near two weeks! How _dare_ you!"

"I have _every_ right in the _world_." Maya glowered at the old woman. "You have desecrated my mother's name in the past enough, and I have withstood that for far too long in silence, but I will _not_ stand by and abide your existence in _her_ home, _my_ home, a moment longer! How dare _you_ to try to wipe away her presence by replacing her sacred Master's painting with your own? You're lucky I'm even giving you the _opportunity_ to collect your belongings, rather than throwing them with the rest of the trashy things you've defiled my house with!"

"It's a massive improvement, especially this office, having these legendary crooner images instead of your _childish cartoon characters_!" Mildred snarled. _"_ If anything my tasteful enhancements _improved_ this place! What would a grown woman who still idolizes _animated characters_ know about taste? You've got your nerve insulting all the great things I've done while you weren't around!"

" _Improved_?" Maya laughed humorlessly. "By turning the bright, natural lighting of the main hall and foyer into a dimly lit place with your drab, dark drapery, all you've managed to do is make this place look like the inside of a _prison_ full of your _tawdry crap_!"

"You truly are just as much a _discourteous, heathen Fey,_ just like the other two before you, as I've always known you were! How _dare_ you speak so disrespectfully to a Village Elder in this impudent manner?" Mildred yelled. "You are _not_ worthy of your title, you hear me? Such ill-mannered impertinence, and from a girl-child who is supposed to be our esteemed leader! Just _who the hell_ do you think you are?"

"I'm the _woman_ who is informing you that despite your valiant efforts to make it the contrary, you are _not_ my warden, and Fey Manor is _my house_ , not a bloody penitentiary!" Maya's voice rose. "I _just_ got out of one hellacious prison of sorts, and you presumptuously attempt to literally turn my _home_ into one? Who the hell do you think _you_ are? Did you get so deluded in your little act of playing Kurain leader that you forgot that this _isn't_ your house, because you don't _own_ _squat_ , and you're _not_ , and you bloody well _never_ will be, the Master!"

"Why you… _worthless, incompetent, ungrateful… spoiled little_ ** _bitch_** _!"_ Mildred spat.

"You shut up, you mean old witch!" Pearl suddenly shouted, rolling up her sleeve menacingly as her eyes shot daggers at the elder. "You can't talk to Mystic Maya like that! You're just mad because you know you're supposed to listen to her, because _she's_ Master and _you're_ not! And you made her house look…all _stupid_ and _ugly_!"

"You shut your mouth, you little brat!" The old woman shrieked, turning her lethal glare towards the girl. "Don't you take after the long line of obstinate, disreputable, useless Fey women and disrespect your elders as well!"

"I hate you, Dragon Lady!" Pearl screamed. " _Up your ziggy with a wawa brush_!"

"Pearly!" Maya gasped, taking advantage of Mildred's startled silence to momentarily take her eyes off her adversary and look incredulously at her cousin. "Where on _earth_ did you learn language like that?"

"Um, the internet, Mystic Maya." Pearl blushed and looked down, shamefaced.

 _Good grief, after this dust settles, I_ ** _really_** _need to remember to put the parental controls on my computer…_

Maya didn't get a chance to finish her thought, as Mildred had recovered from her stupefaction and was advancing on the tiny spirit medium menacingly, her hand raised in the air to strike her.

"Don't you _dare_!" Maya shouted, but before she could intervene, Pearl suddenly did a sharp, Ninja-style spinning kick, catching Mildred right in her knee, causing the old woman to fall to the ground with a hard thump, right on her backside.

"Oof!" Mildred grunted.

Maya was torn between being horrified and bursting into hysterical laughter at how out of hand things had gotten. "Pearly, where on earth did you learn _that_?!"

"Miss Sasha. She used to be an MMA fighter and taught me and Trucy all kinds of self-defense moves…"

Pearl's sentence was left dangling as with surprising speed for a woman of her advanced age, Mildred recovered from her fall and was back on her feet, lunging at the child and roughly grabbing her by her tiny shoulder as she again raised her bony hand to smack her.

Maya reflexively threw out her arm in front of Pearl to protect her beloved cousin from the slap, as the little girl raised her arms over her head, cringing in preparation for the blow.


	39. You Slay Me

_"It is important to be intuitive at this time and allow the natural course to show you the way to the next step and the way out."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: The bad news - still can't see my stats so I have no idea how many of you wonderful readers have still stuck around to see what weaponry was used against the dastardly Dragon Lady! The good news, I'm actually getting reviews!_

 _Just_ _got to take a quick moment here:_

 ** _Megaranger66_ **_thanks so much being one of my supportive, all-time fave readers throughout this story, and for the insightful and often hilarious reviews, especially the last one! LOL. This chapter is dedicated to **you** , because you're awesomesauce!_

 _Also a thanks for reviewing to the talented FF writer **dsceptor27** \- check out her latest AA mystery, it's amazing!_

 _And last but not least, I love all you guys who are reading, thanks so much! :D_

 _OK, into the Dragon's Den..._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Nine: You Slay Me**

 ** _Maya Fey and Mia Fey_**  
 _Fey Manor, Master's Office_  
September 17, 2020, 5:00 pm

The wallop never came.

Just as Mildred's hand was about to connect with Pearl's face, it was suddenly caught in mid-air, in a surprisingly strong grip, and the elder found her face no longer peering into the frightened eyes of a child, but at the exposed cleavage of Mia Fey, who, upon looking down to see whose wrist she was grabbing, only tightened her vice-like hold as she looked down hatefully at the old woman.

"Sis!" Maya yelled. "The Dragon Lady was about to hit Pearly!"

" _Is that so_?" Mia narrowed her eyes dangerously as she bent the elder's wrist backward sharply, causing her to yelp in pain. Still holding her wrist at the awkward angle, Maya's sister jerked Mildred right up against her, forcing the old woman's terrified face to meet her own murderous one.

"If you even so much as _lay a finger_ on my cousin, Mildew, I will ensure you spend what's left of your twilight years rotting in prison in a cell right next to Morgan Fey, you hear me?" She hissed, her normally warm eyes revealing her matchless fury. "And that's _assuming_ I even let you _live_ long enough to go to trial, are we clear?"

"Quite clear," croaked Mildred, whose captive wrist had surpassed blinding pain and now gone numb from lack of circulation in the former lawyer's death grip. "Forgive me, Mystic Mia, I forgot myself, it will never happen again…"

"You better believe your _wrinkled old ass_ it won't!" Abruptly, Mia released her, causing Mildred to fall back again onto the floor with another thud. "It's just as well that I'm here anyway. I suggest you make yourself comfortable, Mildew. We girls need to have a _little_ chat with you."

Mildred slowly rose to her feet, her non-injured hand pitifully holding onto her newly battered knee as she did so. Mia strode over to Maya's desk and leaned back against it, crossing her long legs at the ankle. Maya walked over to stand next to her sister, arms folded across her chest as both Fey girls glared at the woman with identical expressions of fierce determination, coupled with contemptuous loathing.

Mia paused for a moment in her stare-down to take in her surroundings.

"Ugh, what's with the _groovy, shagadelic_ and completely _barf-worthy_ décor?" She wrinkled her pert nose. "This has _got_ to be _your_ doing, Mildew! _No way_ is my baby sister's taste this outré!"

"You got that right," Maya grumbled. " _Someone_ made themselves right at home in our ancestral residence, Sis, in obvious hopes I'd never wake up out of my coma and little Pearly, wherever _she was,_ would remain absent as well!" Mildred shrunk back at the scathing look the sisters directed at her. "Apparently, we Fey's are unworthy only by _bloodline and preceding reputation_ …but our _house_ is still ripe for the taking!"

Mia's eyes lit up then. "On that note, little sister, have you had a chance to present our unwelcome house guest with that _package_ that I see good old Edgy sent over as promised?"

"Not yet. But now's as good a time as any." Maya walked over to Mildred and whacked her in the arm with the envelope Phoenix had given her earlier. "Consider this a… _present_ , Mystic Mildred. No refunds or exchanges though." She flashed a cheeky grin at the uneasy look on the elder's face as she cautiously opened the envelope and scanned the documents within it.

"Read it and weep, Mildew," Mia snickered, her eyes dancing as she saw the blood drain from Mildred's face. "In fact, do one better, won't you dear? Read it _out loud_."

"Attention Ms. Mildred Latrine," the elder began, her voice trembling slightly. "I attach hereto a copy of the Barrister's opinion, dated September 9, 2020…"

"Ooh, I forgot, old Edgy did a portion of his legal studies and got his credentials in England, didn't he? Mia smiled delightedly. "Therefore, he gets to use the much more suitable albeit somewhat pompous sounding 'barrister' rather than just boring old _lawyer_ …"

Maya wasn't listening to what her sister was saying, however, as she was too busy being doubled over, while wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes unsuccessfully with her oversized T-shirt.

" _Latrine_?" She howled, bursting into a fresh fit of laughter. "Seriously? Your last name is _latrine_? Man that explains _so_ much…no wonder _I think you_ _stink_!"

"Not _now_ , Maya!" Mia attempted a frown of disapproval at her sibling's childish conduct, but felt her own lips twitching with amusement, regardless. "Although," she giggled slightly. "I can't imagine a more aptly _fitting_ surname myself!"

"Oh Mystic Ami, help me, that felt so good!" Maya finally stopped cracking up, although she was still wiping her streaming eyes with her hands. "I'd almost feel sorry for you, Mildred, if the circumstances were less severe. I mean… _Latrine_ …that's _pretty shitty_!"

"Are you _quite_ done Mystic Maya and Mia?" Mildred shot them a look so lethal that it could have counted as a killer weapon. "Should I continue or give you _ladies_ , and I do use that term _loosely_ with you _Fey clan_ , a few more moments to recover?"

"Oh, the good part's just coming up now!" Maya clapped her hands delightedly.

"Yes, _do_ go on, by all means, I _insist_!" Mia feigned graciousness while trying to affect a more solemn tone, even though a smirk still played on her lips.

Scowling, Mildred continued to read, the blood draining from her face as she spluttered out the words.

"Under the _l- legal_ definition and repercussions to be had from this day forward, _s-slander_ of any persons beholding the Fey surname will no longer be tolerated and will result in a proceeded _legal law suit_ , which, if _c-convicted,_ may potentially result in _undisclosed monetary sums_ payable to the holder of _said family name_ for damages accrued due to this defamation of character…"

Mildred huffed and flung the papers to the ground, crossing her arms defiantly. "This is ludicrous, cockamamie drivel, and not even worth the paper it's written on! You can't enforce this! You can't _sue_ me or _anyone_ else for saying alleged disparities about you Fey's! Especially _you_!" She pointed at Mia. "You're _dead_! It's not against the law to speak ill of the dead, it's just usually… _frowned upon_!"

"You're right," Mia replied calmly, swiftly retrieving the strewn papers and straightening them out. "My mother and I _are_ indeed both deceased. However…both Pearly and _Maya_ here," she flashed a grin at her sister, who returned it with a knowing one of her own. "Otherwise known as your _Master_ , are still very much _alive_. And as the latter is a holder of such an esteemed, influential position, she _does_ , as _you countlessly remind her_ , have to maintain an _untarnished re_ putation, both inside _and_ outside this village! It cannot in _any_ way be _sullied or besmirched!_ Should she have to bear the consequences of such sullying to her good family name, and it creates a defamation of her character, it could jeopardize her career and livelihood, and hence make her no longer able to continue in the Master role consequently…"

 _My **God** , she's good_. Maya thought, looking at her sister admiringly before turning to Mildred.

"Or, to put it in more _layman's_ terms I'm sure you'll be more likely to understand," she stated bluntly. "You're here on _my land_ , at _my discretion_ , and I'm sick and tired of _your bullshit,_ and if you keep trashing me and my family while staying on these grounds, forget kicking your keister out my _house_ , Mystic Mildred, I'm throwing you out _on your ear_ and out of _my village_!"

" _Your_ village?" Mildred snorted derisively. "Oh, that's a good one! I'd love to see you back up that claim!"

"We _did_." Mia walked over to Mildred and flipped the stack of papers underneath her nose. "I suggest you keep reading, Mildew."

"I will not!" Mildred snapped, snatching the papers out of Mia's hand and crumpling them in her fist. "Even if you did find some legal loophole to try to make this stick, you still need an _official lawyer_ to have signed these forms! And you, miss _bimb_ o, no longer qualify, because you're _dead_!"

Mia's nostrils flared at the insult, and she started walking ominously towards the old woman, but Maya put a hand on her sister's arm, effectively stopping her, as she then turned her icy gaze at the elder.

"You have exactly five seconds to apologize to my sister," she said, in a surprisingly _deadly calm_ voice that was more alarming than any anger-fueled one. "And I hope you savored that slight, Dragon Lady, because it's the _last_ one I will _ever_ allow to leave your lips within my presence. Are we clear?"

"Oh, and how can _you_ enforce anything, prey tell? Being Master doesn't make you a lawyer. And your precious Phoenix Wright is no longer an attorney!" Mildred gloated.

"You will find in that package that you're refusing to read," Maya continued, as if Mildred hadn't spoken. "Along with the _signed barrister's_ opinion document, is the official last will and testament of Misty Fey, former official Kurain Master _and_ lawful owner of all of Kurain Village, its land, properties, and surrounding area. This will _irrefutably_ bequeaths all land and assets to one Mia Fey. It also cites that in the event of my mom's death, and then after, in the event of _Sis's_ demise, everything is then passed on and would be inherited by _me_. There are also the legal documentations proving _my_ proof of _sole_ land ownership. In the interest of saving us all some time, however, I suggest you take a _long, hard look_ at the bottom of those pages."

Mildred blanched then. She frantically scanned over the papers in her hand, to the very end. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head where she saw the unmistakable, and _clearly legible_ signature.

" _Edgeworth_?" She gulped, her voice suddenly hoarse. "As in … _Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth_? _The_ …Miles Edgeworth?"

"That's _High Prosecutor_ , Miles Edgeworth, actually. Very, _very_ good friend of mine. And, quite efficient and thorough at his work, too, considering he's not even in the country right now! Isn't it _nice_ to have friends in high places?" Maya flashed her most shit-eating grin and put an arm around her still-seething sister. "However, before we go on, about that apology you still owe Mia…because the alternative is I release her and just let her _have at you_! As you've so gleefully reminded her, she's _dead_ , after all…so good luck trying to make any sort of assault charges stick…"

"We the deceased truly can't do any jail time, Mildew." Mia gave a devilish smile at the idea of being unleashed, which was nearly as terrifying as Maya's quiet tone. "And good luck finding a lawyer to take, or even _believe_ your case! Because positively _none_ of them would fathom the _damage I could do to you_ could _ever_ be caused by the tiny 10-year-old whose body I'm borrowing…"

"Stop it!" Mildred put her palms up then, in the universal surrender gesture as she backed away in terror. " _Please_! I'm sorry! OK? I'm sorry I called you a bimbo, Mystic Mia! But for the love of God, if you aren't _still_ as indecent in the afterlife as you were when you were alive! Could you not… somehow cover those _obscenely displayed_ mammaries up at all so I could at least _pretend_ to take you seriously?"

"Are you sure I can't hit her _just once_?" Mia implored to Maya. "I _promise_ I won't leave any marks!"

Maya shook her head and her sister pretended to pout.

"Oh, come on, you've got to admit, attacking the beast with the _one thing she fears most_ is so much more fun though! You sure called that one, Sis!"

Mia cracked a smile. "We _do_ know how much these old bags _love_ the long arm of the _law_!"

"So what happens to me now?" Mildred asked meekly. "What are my options here?"

"You _could_ try to fight me on this and just ignore all my orders, and go along being the thorn in my side you've always been." Maya shrugged. "To which, I _may_ just say to hell with it all, and simply sell the land and move back to the city."

"Y-You _wouldn't_!" Mildred gasped, her veiny hand flying to her birdlike throat in horror. "That would mean the end of Kurain, and leave us _all_ destitute and homeless!"

Of _course_ she wouldn't! But Maya had studied and perfected her own poker-faced technique over the years from watching and learning from the Baron of Bluffing himself, so Mildred had no way of knowing whether or not she could _seriously_ call her out on the fake pretense.

"Well…" Maya pretended to think, tilting her head to the side and cupping her elbow while pressing the fingers of her free hand against the side of her face. "As another option, you _could_ always try to pool your sources – although, obviously not a cent of it will come from Kurain – and try to hire a lawyer who will try and fight the motion of me giving your _freeloading, non-rent paying, squatter's ass_ 30 days' notice to eject itself off _my_ property if you don't want to play by _my_ rules and regulations on _my_ land! I'm feeling charitable though, so I'm going to tell you right now not to bother."

Despite not having a cent to her own name, Mildred couldn't help but be curious about the Master's logic in that instance. Maya caught the quizzical look and smirked knowingly.

"I'm telling you this because it would an exercise in futility. Because there's _no lawyer_ you could _ever_ hire who could beat mine! Miles Edgeworth has a virtually undefeated track record against _every single_ courtroom adversary he's ever had…except of course, for _one_ …"

"That's right!" Mia snapped her fingers, as if this thought had just dawned on her. "Now, _what_ was his name again?" She assumed a mock pondering pose as well, and tapped a finger against her cheek.

" _Hold it_! I'm trying to remember!" Maya squeezed her eyes shut as if trying to drum up the memory and when she opened them again, there was a triumphant glint in her eye. "Oh yes, now I recall! The sole lawyer to have _ever_ been able to historically beat Miles Edgeworth in court…that would be _Phoenix Wright_!"

Mildred groaned, and both sisters barely stifled a giggle.

"Such a shame, as _Mildew here reminded us_ , that he's no longer a practicing attorney though." Mia shook her head in mock sadness.

"Well _that_ , and good old Mystic Mildred _banned_ him from our village under the _threat of trespassing_ charges," Maya purred with relish as Mildred face-palmed. "Not to worry though, Mildred, considering it's _my_ property and _not yours_ , you don't have the authority to ban _anyone_! Only to _be_ banned! I hereby veto that previous action of yours! _Take that_!"

"Indeed, Mildew, now the _only_ thing keeping you from ever having Phoenix take your case, even if he _did_ still have his badge…is the _small, teeny, tiny_ fact that he hates your _goddamn guts_!" Mia smiled broadly as Mildred barely stifled a whimper.

" _Please_! I can't take this anymore!" The old woman cried. "What's to become of me? What will you do to me? I throw myself at your mercy, Mystic Maya! I will do whatever you wish, I swear! But please, don't banish me, I beg of you! I'm naught but a helpless old woman!"

"About as helpless as a sleeping cobra," Mia muttered, but to Maya, the Dragon Lady was so genuine in her pathetic pleading that it was almost touching.

"I have no family, no money, and no home of my own!" Mildred pleaded. "Kurain is all I've ever known! If you send me away now, I shall be in the streets. Where shall I go? What shall I do?"

"Is this the part where I get to say, _frankly my dear, I don't give a damn_?" Mia inquired hopefully, unmoved by the intended pitying performance.

Maya shook her head, her tender heart softened a tad at the sight of tears in the old woman's eyes, even though her sister grunted and rolled her eyes disgustedly.

Sensing the Master's wavering, Mildred upped her pleading. "I swear I shall never speak another ill word against you or your family, Mystic Maya. All I've ever done, I have truly done with Kurain's best interests at heart. This village means everything to me!"

"I believe you, Mystic Mildred," Maya said quietly. "While I do believe you're the most _God-awful, overly ambitious, self-serving_ harpy since Lady Macbeth, I _do_ genuinely think you want what's best for Kurain. Save the tears. Against my better judgement, I'm not going to exile you."

"You're _not_?!" Both Mia and Mildred gasped in astonishment.

"No, I'm not." Maya shook her head. "You're many things, Mildred, cunning, shrewd, manipulative…but you're not stupid. You _do_ run this village, and _have_ kept things afloat before I even got here. You're entirely adept of doing as such, and I'm going to let you continue to do so. My Master's travels keep me away from Kurain quite often, and I know things will still be running smoothly if left in your capable hands. But it will be on _my_ terms, hence, _not_ yours. Do you follow?"

A slightly more humbled and subdued Mildred nodded vigorously in understanding.

"Here's how this is going to play out," Maya began, pacing the office as she began to think out-loud. "First and foremost, Mystic Mildred, you are going to turn this place back to _exactly_ as it was before I was gone. I mean it. _48 hours_."

"I promise, I will!" Mildred's relief was as clear as day. "I didn't throw out your mother's portrait or Mystic Ami's statue or anything that belonged to you! They're all stored in my cabin and I only made these changes a few days ago when it seemed unlikely that you'd be returning anytime soon…"

 _And also, garbage collection is only once a week but she doesn't need to know that part!_

"If you can drag that statue of yourself to your final destination of choice, feel free to do with it as you wish," Maya offered benignly. "But _first and foremost_ , I want _that_ eyesore out of here! And then, we will have a bonfire later tonight to dispose of that portrait of you in the hallway…and use the wooden part of the frame as firewood, of course…"

"Can I roast some marshmallows?" Mia begged.

"Of course," Mildred nodded amicably, trying not to be too heartbroken about the painting, as well as the fact that the glorious statue that she'd commissioned the artist to make of her would now _never_ be completed. Although she supposed it was a small price to pay, all things considered. There weren't too many job opportunities for spirit mediums of close to senior age, with no formal training or education outside of a remote village.

"There are some things of course, that _will_ actually cost money to undo, however," Mia noted. "Like this repugnant wallpaper. And where did you get the money for all this horrendous, outdated furniture? Moreover, where in God's name was it still _available_ to buy?"

"I didn't just _buy_ it!" Mildred's cheeks burned with humiliation at the debasing commentary. "These are all my belongings! I moved the furnishings from my cabin into here!"

"Ugh, so _this_ is what the inside of _your_ place looked like?" Mia shuddered. Maya shot her a _look_ , and she shrugged. "Sorry Maya, but come on! If _that's_ the case, her whole _cabin_ should be used in the bonfire as firewood!"

"As tactless as my normally more eloquent sister is being at the moment, she _is_ right about one thing, though," Maya tittered. "Changing the wallpaper and restoring the windows _will_ cost some money. And it's unfair that it be paid for out of Kurain's budget. Therefore, Mystic Mildred, I think a good plan of action would be perhaps seeing if any of the more remote cabins on the further outskirts of the village get put into suitable condition for renting to people looking for spiritual training, or just for some romantic or restful R  & R. Starting with the ones around Heavenly Hall. In fact…" A small smiled played on the Master's lips. "What better way for you to determine if it's fit to be lived in other than _staying there yourself_ , and overseeing things and construction and renovations from there _directly_?"

"H-Heavenly Hall?" Mildred stammered.

"Would you rather I add vandalism to the list of potential charges against you?" Mia raised an eyebrow. "That is _exactly_ what you did to our house, you know. Were you aware that the penalty for vandalizing is caning if we were in _Singapore_?"

"No problem," Mildred agreed quickly, smiling weakly. "I will fix everything you ask me to. So, you're referring to the um, _shack_ that's all the way out by H-Hazakura Temple?"

"That's the one!" Maya nodded. "Turns out, I own that land, too! Sister Bikini will be _so_ happy to assist you, am sure, as well as being elated about the additional revenues of the business we shall be bringing her!" She clasped her hands in front of her happily. "What better way to thank her for saving my life? And it's way up in Eagle Mountain! I bet it's nice and cold. ...just perfect for training!"

"Hurrah!" Mildred cheered dryly, with no real enthusiasm.

"Well, we won't have you move out there until this place is back to normal," Maya assured her, with a mischievous smile. "I'm so cheered and excited about this development, I'll even give you 72 hours instead of 48 to restore the place back to its normal order before you pack your bags!"

"You're the epitome of kindness, Mystic Maya," Mildred's voice was hallow. "But if I'm off in Eagle Mountain overseeing that project, how am I to run this village when you're away at your travels?"

"As my second in command, Pearly is in charge when I'm on regular daily meeting and local travels, for the most part," Maya replied. "And when I'm gone for longer trips or abroad, she will come with me, and Bikini can oversee the cabin renovations, and you can be in charge of the village. I don't imagine the cabin rental project taking longer than six months to a year anyway."

"Mystic Pearl will be joining you when you travel?" Mildred echoed, surprised.

"Pearly is a very gifted medium, and there's no better way to show off the Channeling Technique than to demonstrate it first-hand!" This was the truth, although Maya wisely opted not to voice the rest of her thoughts out loud.

 _Yes, I'm bringing her with me, because there's no way in **hell** I'm leaving my cousin alone in the care of **any** of you, **ever**! I said I trusted you to run the village, Dragon Lady. I **never** claimed I trusted **you**!_

They said to keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, right? Or in this case, keep the enemy far enough away to keep an eye on, if need be.

"But what about her on-going training and studies here in Kurain?" Mildred asked. "Is it wise to just have her abandon them entirely?"

"Mildew, Pearly channels as _easily as breathing_ , and no doubt will be the one _teaching_ the classes herself in a few years," Mia pointed out. "She's a powerful medium with more spiritual ability than the three of us put together, hence _my_ ready presence before you! Her training at this point is a mere formality if anything. You tell me _one_ thing that's left to teach that child that you _yourself_ have always expressed as being a more suitable future leader of Kurain than my sister?"

Mildew hung her head at having her own words and actions thrown back in her face for the umpteenth time. A response to Mia's query was obviously unnecessary.

"That being said," Maya noted, walking over to her desk and absently flipping through her date book. "Pearly made some very good friends while she was down in LA, so the next time I have a conference, I will be taking her with me – what better place, also, to show off a first-hand demonstration of channeling, than on local grounds?"

"I guess that means you'll be visiting with _me_ more often then?" Mia asked cheerfully. "Wow, this really _is_ a win-win situation for all!"

"You have _no_ idea, Sis!" Maya put her finger on a page in the next week's calendar section and flashed huge ear-to-ear grin. "Guess who's got a two-day conference at the Gatewater Hotel in Los Angeles _this_ coming Monday and Tuesday?!" She looked at Mildred and raised an eyebrow. "Well isn't it great that in my absence, and on my behalf, _somebody_ had apparently already conceded to this appointment that I had _no knowledge of prior to my hospitalization_?"

Mildred at least had the decency to blush. "It was a great opportunity not to be missed after all..."

This time, neither Mia nor Maya argued with her, because it was true. In her new found ambitious zeal, the newly extinguished Dragon Lady had indeed done Maya a factor of the utmost magnitude, both on a professional _and_ personal level. The sisters smiled happily at one another, each knowing _exactly_ what _else_ Maya's next trip truly meant, without having to utter the words aloud in the now humbled Mildred's presence.

 _And guess who **better** take advantage of my baby sister's presence in his neighborhood this time around if he knows what's good for him? _ Mia thought darkly. _Because if for any reason he **doesn't** milk this golden opportunity, let's just say there's **more uncomfortable things** I could do with that beanie of his than just swatting him over the head with it…_

* * *

 _A/N: A special thanks for my good friend, and another awesome writer, **Feraligreater328** for his help with hooking me up with the legal eagles I consulted for all the law talk in this chapter. Any additional errors in the cited terms are due to creative liberties I took with them and are in no way any reflection of the legal advice I was given! :p_


	40. Love Shack

_"Though there are no stars, no light, the souls in love will always shine so bright, even in darkness."_

* * *

 **Chapter Forty:** **Love Shack**

 _ **Maya Fey and Pearl Fey**_ _  
Empire Bellagio, Los Angeles_  
September 17, 2020 6:30 pm

"I bet you're super excited about seeing Trucy and the Gumshoes again, aren't you Pearly?" Maya asked her cousin as the taxi headed to the stylish condominium.

Pearl nodded, her eyes shining. "She's performing at The Wonder Bar tonight, and we're going to go see her after supper, which Aunty Maggey said is going to be her special family _la-za-nee-ha_ recipe! I love watching Trucy perform her magic! She's so much fun!"

"I'm so happy you two have hit it off the way you have Pearly." Maya smiled indulgently, feeling the same mixed pleasure and pangs she always did whenever Pearl spoke of her secret sister. "Did you make sure you packed your magician assistant hat that she gave you?"

"Yup, I couldn't be her assistant tonight without it! But I hope she doesn't try to saw me in half again! Maybe Aunty Maggey can do _that_ part!"

"Is Maggey going to be the guinea pig because Gumshoe refuses to do it again after the last time?" Maya joked as they neared the luxurious building that was to be their home away from home for the next two nights, where both Edgeworth and the former detective lived.

"He says the box makes him _klose-tra-fo-bic,_ " Pearl informed her. "But I don't think that's the reason he's probably going to be the one to stay home tonight with Gordy, and it will just be me and Aunt Maggey going to see the show." Maya raised a questioning eyebrow, and Pearl clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles. "I think it's because last time me and Uncle Scruffy went there, he nearly fainted when Trucy did her Needle Through Thumb trick!"

"You've _got_ to be joking!" Now it was Maya's turn to giggle. "He nearly _fainted_? The _big, strapping, strong_ former Detective is scared of seeing a _teeny, weensy_ little needle?"

Pearl nodded as they exited the cab then, which had dropped them off at the main entrance, dragging their small, wheeled suitcases behind them.

"Uncle Scruffy is scared to death of needles, Mystic Maya! Aunt Maggey said he _actually_ _fainted_ for real when he saw the _epi-der-al_ needle they gave her when she was having Gordy at the hospital!"

"Oh, I am going to rib him over this one, _big_ time!" Maya joined in Pearl's laughter.

However, both girls abruptly ceased their tittering, and their jaws dropped simultaneously as they at last looked up at the breath-taking building, which was to be their home away from home for the next two nights.

The Empire Bellagio consisted of two side-by-side buildings, connected by a beautiful porte-cochère. The exterior, designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, coupled terra-cotta roofs with authentic tile detailing to complement the rich history and tradition of being located in one of Southern California's most posh and celebrated neighborhoods.

According to Maya's online research of the place, the featured majestic gate had been inspired by Buckingham Palace, that was an _original_ El Camino Real bell marker on the outside, and the surrounding gas lamps were brought in from Edinburgh, with the finishing touch being a cobblestone driveway of imported stone from Italy.

Stepping inside the lobby, Maya and Pearl both stared, awestruck, at the grand interior, which featured a decorative copper ceilings, black marble tiling and a baby grand piano off to the side in what looked like a lounge area, flanked by white leather sofas.

After telling the concierge that they were there to see Richard Gumshoe in suite 707, the girls headed over to the large, mirror-walled lift, and told the uniformed elevator operator they would be going to the 7th floor.

"Be a good girl for your aunt and uncle, Pearly, even though I know you always are." Maya dropped a kiss on top of her cousin's head as they arrived at her floor. "Give my love to Gumshoe and Maggey. Tell them I'll see them tomorrow morning when I come to pick you up at 11:00 the conference."

"Bye, Mystic Maya. You have a good evening, and hug Mr. Nick for me." Pearl smiled and skipped off the elevator.

Maya suddenly felt butterflies forming in her stomach at the thought of finally being alone with Phoenix after so long. Although she'd seen him just four days ago, and every day prior since she'd awoken from her coma, they had essentially been chaperoned visits, with either Pearl or Mia or a slew of medical staff around as well, making any sort of private moment between the them absolutely _impossible_ to achieve!

On top of that, aside from that _one_ chaste good-bye peck they'd shared when Sasha had dropped him off, Maya hadn't actually felt the sweetness of her boyfriend's lips on hers for the past _nine months_! What if things were all awkward and uncomfortable between them now? What if they'd been apart for too long and that magical spark between them was now vanquished? What if …

"The Penthouse, madam," the elevator operator announced, interrupting her tormented thoughts, as the doors slid open. He bowed slightly. "Enjoy your evening."

"Thanks, same to you." Maya smiled politely. Then she grabbed her suitcase, stepped out into the thickly carpeted hallway and headed towards her destination. The butterflies inside of her had now been replaced by giant, flappy-winged birds. As silly as it seemed, she couldn't recall the last time she'd felt so incredibly excited…and _nervous_! Swallowing back her pang of trepidation, she walked over to the mahogany egress and knocked, breathless with nervous anticipation.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Edgeworth's Love Shack, Empire Bellagio Penthouse_  
September 17, 2020 6:35 pm

The door swung open, revealing a tall, dignified, well-dressed man in his mid-to-late 50's, who greeted her with a friendly but not overly familiar smile on his moustached lips.

"Welcome and good evening, Miss Fey," intoned the British-sounding, dark haired butler, dressed in customary black attire with a white towel over one arm. He bowed to her in greeting, one arm going behind his back and the other remaining in front of him at the waist. "I am Hendricks, the Manservant of Master Edgeworth's estate, here to see that you are recipient of utmost luxury and comfort for the duration of your visit. Please, allow me to take your valise and join your companion in the dining room. He's been expecting you."

"Pleased to meet you Hendricks," Maya replied with a sunny smile as she handed him her bag. Taking in her surroundings, she fought back the unladylike urge to give an appreciative wolf whistle as she got her first view of the home belonging to High Prosecutors Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma.

The interior design was rich and welcoming, burgundy and grey color palettes, and crisp white accents, complete with maple hardwood floors, soaring 18-foot, cathedral ceilings and sparkling crystal chandeliers.

The living room, which was about the size of Phoenix's _entire apartment_ , featured a large hearth, hand-tufted, Tibetan area rugs and hand-etched table lamps next to each of the sofas, comprised of regal-looking upholstery and carved wooden embellishments. Exquisite, gold-framed oil paintings hung on the walls, which Maya instinctively knew were _original_ artwork. She swallowed back a shout of laughter as she took note of the several limited edition, _Steel Samurai_ figurines in the lacquered display case to the side, with a discrete but can't-miss _lock_ on the glass door!

The dramatically long living and dining area had a full wall of windows with a magnificent 180-degree view of the northern cityscape, covered with trees. French doors lead from the living area to the step-out, wraparound balcony, allowing for a breath-taking panoramic view of the Hollywood Hills and downtown Los Angeles. Looking to her left, she noted the grand entryway to the dining room, as well-lit and large as the rest of the place. Walking to it, she marveled at the wall tapestries, huge, glittery crystal chandelier, and a long cherry wood table that was flanked by heavy chairs. Despite having seating for twelve, there were only two place settings laid out, with domed lids covering the meals.

It was here where Maya found Phoenix seated, dressed in his usual jogging suit attire, but for once without the detested beanie on his head. Her disquietude was gone and replaced by sheer elation the minute she laid eyes on him, her arms already stretched out as she walked over.

"Nick!" She called happily, quickening her pace, as she fought the urge to run into his arms for fear of bumping into one of Edgeworth's valuable antique knickknacks by accident. "Nick, I'm finally here!"

He shot up from his wing-backed dining lounge when he saw her, striding forward with a sweet, but slightly shy smile on his face. He reached for her hands and held them clasped in his own for a moment as his loving eyes drank in the sight of her.

"My love," Phoenix whispered. "I can't believe you're really here; that I'm finally getting to see you again." He reached up and stroked her face with his knuckles. "Since that day Sasha dropped me off, all I could do was daydream about when I would be able to lay my eyes on you once more. I thought it'd be another _near year_. I never _dreamed_ it would be so soon."

"I still can't believe this is real, either." She caught his hand and pressed it against her cheek, her eyes brimming with tears of joy. "I feel like I'm dreaming, Nick."

"Maya, I –"

"Dinner is served," Hendricks suddenly announced from his standing position next to the table, his countenance full of the dignity of his office as he grandly lifted the silver dome covers off the two plates on the table. "Come along, get it while it's warm!"

 _God damn it!_

Maya stifled an irritated sigh as she reluctantly stepped away from her boyfriend and plodded back to the dining area. In spite of her annoyance at the butler's unintentional interruption of their private reunion, her eyes still lit up when she saw what was on the dinner menu.

" _Holy cow_!" Maya clapped her hands. "Hendricks, is that monster-sized thing a _burger_!?"

"And is this a grilled chicken sandwich?" Phoenix looked impressed. " _Nice_! However did you know what our favorite foods were?"

"Mr. Wright, Miss Fey, I taken the liberty of consulting with the Master as to what meals might best be pleasing to your palates," Hendricks explained as he held out Maya's chair for her then placed Phoenix's linen napkin in his lap. "For the lady, an Angus burger with chipotle mayonnaise, blue cheese, manchego cheese and chargrilled red capsicum. For the gentleman, poached chicken with strawberry, mint and lemon crème fraiche. Both are served on garlic and rosemary focaccia, with a side order of hand-cut, oven-baked, Desiree potato fries, drizzled with truffle oil and tossed with freshly shaved parmesan."

Phoenix and Maya stared at Edgeworth's faithful servant, mouths agape with astonishment.

"Wow…" Maya breathed. "Jeez, Hendricks, not that we're aren't grateful for this gourmet spread you made…but… you needn't have put yourself out like this, really!"

"Yeah, we're neither of us the fancy, schmancy foodie types, really." Phoenix smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck. "I mean, Maya here would have been fine with just some pickles and ketchup on a regular slab of beef, and I'd have been as happy as a clam with just some grilled chicken, with mustard!"

" _Mustard_?" The butler echoed, his voice tinged with slight disdain. "Mr. Wright, I don't believe the Master has anything of … _that sort_ within the premises. However, if you would like me to head to my _own_ quarters on the lower level, perhaps I can retrieve a jar of _Grey Poupon_ for you?"

 _Poop grey on_ ** _what_** _now?_ Phoenix thought as he looked blankly at the other man. Luckily, Maya saved him from replying and saying something completely undignified.

"We are fine, but thank you Hendricks," she assured him graciously. "This looks wonderful!"

"Very good Miss Fey. I do hope everything is to your liking. Please allow me to pour your beverage. I have taken the liberty of acquiring you a bottle of the finest..." Hendricks looked at the bottle and his eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. "Sparking… _grape juice_. I shall, ah, go… _unscrew_ it for you now. I shall be right back." He retreated to the kitchen.

Maya, who had just taken a hearty mouthful of savory scrumptiousness, nearly choked on her burger. Grape juice?!

 _Jeez Louise,_ _Edgy didn't miss_ ** _one_** _little detail did he?_

She noticed that Phoenix was happily munching his epicurean fries but still hadn't taken a bite of his chicken sandwich.

"Nick!" She hissed at him, as discreetly as she could across the enormous table. "Why aren't you eating your food?!"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Maya." Phoenix looked dubiously at his plate, and gingerly poked at the bun as if afraid it was going to bite him. "I'm a plain, mustard, mayo kind of man, not some _shi-shi frou-frou_ gourmet kind of guy like Edgeworth. I mean, who eats _fruit_ on their chicken?!"

Maya was fuming at her boyfriend's ingratitude.

"Phoenix Wright, you better eat your damn chicken," she threatened. "Or I'll…I'll… go and tell Edgy you so discourteously _refused_ to eat the delicious looking fare his man-servant went through so much trouble for! And you know that I know that you know that I know he will _totally_ give you what-for!"

"You're kidding! My _girlfriend_ would seriously go _tattletaling_ on me?" Phoenix felt sweat forming at his temples as he pictured the torturous, wound-inducing, _tongue-lashing_ he would be subjected to if Maya made good on her minacity. "You _wouldn't_!"

" _Try_ me." She glared at him. "It's not like you wouldn't _deserve_ it! Like _you_ haven't sold _me_ out in the past! Or have you already forgotten about snitching to my sister just a couple of weeks ago?"

" _Objection_! Totally and completely different circumstances for the ultimate greater good! I was trying to prevent you from putting yourself into further peril! I was trying to save your _life_ , Maya!"

" _Overruled_! _I_ am trying to save _you_ from the lecture of a lifetime, as well as your xenophobia," Maya smirked as Phoenix's shoulder's slumped in resignation, knowing she'd won this battle. "Stop being such a stick in the mud and _live_ a little! Embrace trying new things instead of sticking to the status quo, Nick! I'm sure it's delicious! _Mine_ sure is!"

 _Try new things, she says._ Phoenix grumbled to himself as he gingerly took a bite of his food. _As if revamping myself from being a bachelor defense attorney into a wannabe cabaret musician and a father wasn't enough…_

As he slowly chewed however, he was both surprised and amazed at the delicious sensation of savory sweetness blending in his mouth.

"Maya, you were right, this is _out of this world_!" Phoenix enthused, tucking into his fare with gusto. "This is the best chicken sandwich I've _ever tasted_!"

" _Seee_?" Maya teased, sticking her tongue out at him. Phoenix rolled his eyes at her, even though he was grinning. "Told ya!"

 _Even before she ever became Mrs. Wright, she was Ms._ ** _Right_** _! I just didn't realize her first name was_ ** _Always_** _…_

Hendricks returned with their fizzy grape juice in long-stemmed crystal goblets, then disappeared again. The couple toasted each other before taking a sip of the cool, sweet liquid.

"To the man I love!" Maya said, clinking her glass against his.

"And to the woman I adore."

Now that the two had eaten and sated their appetites, a whole glorious evening lay sprawled ahead of them, and Maya became fully aware of an entirely different hunger unfolding within her. The lascivious look in Phoenix's eyes told her that he was thinking the _exact_ same thing.

"You know, I still haven't shown you around of the rest of this place, Maya," he noted with a sly smile, starting to rise from his seat. "I really _should_ give you the full, grand tour."

"Yes, and perhaps you could start said _tour_ by showing me where Hendricks so thoughtfully put my bags? Maybe you could begin by escorting me to the general vicinity of the _bedchambers_?" She purred, getting up from her chair as well.

"Your dessert, Mr. Wright and Miss Fey." Hendricks cut in, putting a huge glass domed platter down on the table.

 _Oh come_ ** _on_** _! Now I think he's just doing it on_ ** _purpose_** _!_

Maya barely stifled back an angry mutter as she flopped dejectedly back into her seat, giggling silently in her mind at the withering look Phoenix shot the butler as he obliviously began to cut and serve the admittedly sumptuous-looking cake he'd brought out.

"The Master told me you were quite the fan of The Pink Princess, Miss Fey." Hendricks placed a generous slab onto a china saucer and placed it before her. "So I took the liberty of making a pink-themed item for pudding."

In spite of dessert not having been the kind of _sweet goodness_ she'd wanted to _sink her teeth_ into a moment ago, Maya's gluttonous nature couldn't help but be tantalized by the words.

"Oh really? What do we have here, then?"

Despite his frustration at being _c-blocked_ for the _second_ time that night, Phoenix couldn't help but snicker to himself. Maya's six stomachs had spoken! It looked like they would be lingering for dessert after all, even if the sole _saccharine thing_ he could have possibly been in the mood for at that moment was whipped cream, and _only_ if it could be eaten off his girlfriend's delectable body…

"Homemade Greek yogurt raspberry cheesecake," Hendricks told them, interrupting Phoenix's lewd thoughts. There was a note of pride in his voice. "It is a blend of Greek yogurt cheesecake and chunks of raspberry cake, with a graham cracker crust, and drizzled with real raspberry purée, garnished with fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint."

"Sounds superlative." Maya was pretty much drooling, and Phoenix was certain her reaction would have been the same even if the Englishman _hadn't_ mentioned the beloved theme that had inspired the dessert, which, he had to admit as he took a bite, _was_ divine.

"I shall be taking my leave for the evening now, Mr. Wright, Miss Fey," Hendricks informed the two as they finished off their last bites. "Don't worry about clearing up, I shall take care of that when I return in the morning to make you breakfast. How does 9:00 am sound?"

"That's perfect." Maya beamed. "I'm to go downstairs to get my cousin at 11, and need to be in for work by noon. Thank you, Hendricks."

"Yes, thank you. Everything was _fantastic_." Phoenix told him, even though he was wondering why the meticulous butler was content to leave cleanup till the next day rather than doing it then.

Hendricks appeared to be reading Phoenix's mind, and the ghost of a smile flickered across his austere features.

"I live within the building on the 6th floor, so there's no issue nor great delay about when I tidy up, Mr. Wright. _However_ ," the butler gave him a knowing look. "I get the feeling if I were to stick around another _moment_ , the two of you may very well murder me in my sleep! The Master _did_ indicate to me how long it had been since you saw one another, and I have no desire to be a hindrance to your private reunion _one minute longer_!"

 _Oh dear God! I am going to_ ** _kill_** _Edgy!_ Maya thought, wishing she could disappear into the floor at the sight of the manservant's twinkling eyes.

Hendricks caught her stunned, embarrassed expression and gave a hearty chuckle. "Nor, do I wish to be witness, _in any way, shape or form_ to said _reunion,_ which I imagine will be commencing the _moment_ the two of you leave this table, hence _my_ desire to leave these premises, post-haste! You _will_ allow an old man to at _least_ get a head start out the front door though, I hope?"

Phoenix shut his eyes, desperately wishing he hadn't forsaken his beanie that night, which he yearned to pull over his _entire face_ at that moment more than anything in the world! This was almost as bad as it'd been with the mischievous Mia! As if having a taunting sister-in-law wasn't _enough_ of a nightmare, _now_ they were subjected to a suddenly overly chatty _butler_ with a _wonderfully, awful_ sense of humor! Why, oh, _why_ couldn't Edgeworth have hired a stoic, zip-lipped, _tight-ass_ instead?!

"Oh come on now, I was a young man once too, you know!" Hendricks chuckled, unabashed in the slightest. "As much fun as it's been serving you both whilst pretending to not notice the woeful, _homicidal_ looks exchanged between you all evening, I _do_ need to put an end to my torturous actions at _some_ point now, don't I?" The butler ignored their crimson faces and gave a jaunty wink before turning back to Maya and bowing slightly. "Your valise is in the Master bedroom along with Mr. Wright's, Miss Fey. The bathroom is fully stocked with any essentials you may require, and the refrigerator is fully stocked should either of you get a mite puckish later...after the, ah... _festivities_. Now, I am going to take my leave. Good evening to you both."

With that, he turned and, as promised, left the suite right after, leaving a mortified Maya and still blushing Phoenix in his wake.

"Oh _good Lord_ , I wonder how much of this will get back to Edgy?" Maya looked at her boyfriend, who had walked over to the living room and flopped onto the sofa, with a hand now tightly clapped over his eyes.

He grunted in response, which she supposed meant, _all of it_!

"I mean, if Hendricks wanted to ensure I _never_ wanted to have sex again, he did a great job!" Maya continued, pressing her hands against her flushed cheeks. "I mean, is it really _that_ evident that I wanted to completely devour you the minute I laid eyes on you tonight?"

Phoenix lifted one finger off his eye and turned his head towards her. "Really, you thought he was calling _you_ out? I thought it was _me_ he was mocking because it's been glaringly obvious that _I've_ been fantasizing about getting _you_ out of those clothes _before_ you even walked through that door!"

Maya's pulse quickened at the words, her embarrassment now vanished.

"Have you _really_ been thinking that, Nick?" She asked coyly, a naughty glint in her eye now.

"You _know_ I have, Maya." Phoenix sat up and looked at her longingly. "Whether you're with me or not, day or night, I _always_ want you. I absolutely _crave_ you."

"Well, Mr. Wright…" Maya tilted her head to the side and gave him a coquettish smile. "If you wanted to still play _tour guide_ things…rest assured, there are indeed _certain_ things I am most eager to _explore_ …"

* * *

 _A/N I decided to call it Love Shack because **The Cock Blocking Butler** was too obvious! :p_


	41. Almost Paradise

" _You and I, it's as though we have been taught to kiss in heaven and sent down to earth together, to see if we know what we were taught."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: After a 9-month drought the star-crossed crossed lovers are finally alone together, and more than make up for lost time (aka PG-13 steam warning) ;)  
_

* * *

 **Chapter** **Forty-One:** **Almost Paradise**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_ _  
Edgeworth Master Bedroom (aka Love Shack)_  
September 17, 2020, 7:05 PM

Edgeworth's place was enormous, Maya thought to herself as she and Phoenix plodded across the living room and down the hallway to where the sleeping quarters were.

There were two bedrooms, each separated at either end of the suite – both featuring a sitting area, walk-in closet and each had a full bathroom.

Both restrooms boasted an oversized, walk-in rain shower which doubled as a steam room, was made of sleek glass tiles, and was separate from the sunken marble, deep-soaking tub. Vintage black and white film photography brought iconic and historic cultural moments to life on the walls. Maya poked her head into both of them, marveling at how the splendor of it all, before at last following Phoenix into Edgeworth and Franziska's boudoir.

The master bedroom was Classic European décor with rich, vibrant color tones, teak flooring, an expansive walk-in closet. Its en-suite bathroom had exotic stones and custom-designed, marble mosaic flooring. The focal point of the room, however, was the enormous, immaculately made, California king-sized bed, which looked large enough to accommodate ten people.

Bedroom. Giant bed. Phoenix. Maya. _Alone_. _At last_.

That's when the reality finally sunk in for the two of them – they were _finally_ alone together, just as they'd been longing to be for far too long. But now that the moment was there… _now what?_

Phoenix looked at Maya with same bashful expression in his eyes that she'd glimpsed earlier that evening, and she herself suddenly felt every bit the quivering, timid virgin she'd been on the night of her 21st birthday a year and a half ago…excited, but so uncertain, and _so_ unsure how to proceed…

They approached one another timidly, hesitantly, as though the other were breakable. It had been so long since they'd been alone together, that the bond between them seemed fragile just then, both of them apprehensive about the future and the wounds they could inflict with all of their jagged edges.

After staring at each other for what seemed like ages, tentatively, almost shyly, Phoenix leaned forward, tugged Maya's wrist, and pulled her toward him until she collided, somewhat startled, against his body, her parted lips barely an inch apart from his. She put her hands on the back of his neck and pulled him closer until there they were standing in each other's arms. His lips were soft against her temple as he wrapped his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his chest as if he'd been waiting for this forever and he's wasn't going to let her get away.

"Hey," he whispered after a while. His warm breath felt like heaven against her skin.

She turned tilted her head up to meet his gaze, his nose now touching hers, his lips one breath away, his eyes already devouring her, and she was a puddle with no arms or no legs. She could smell him everywhere; she could feel every point of his physique pressed against hers – his hands at her waist, gripping her hips, his legs flush against her own, his chest overpowering her with strength, his muscular frame built by bricks of desire.

Maya had never felt this secure. At last, in the middle of Edgeworth's bedroom, in Phoenix's embrace, everything else faded away, and she was completely safe. She wrapped her arms around his waist beneath his shirt, luxuriating in his strength. His breath wafted against the top of her head, and his heart beat steadily beneath her cheek. The soft cotton of his thin black T-shirt felt comforting against her face. She closed her eyes and let herself enjoy how he made everything feel so right.

Suddenly overcome with the urge to touch him, she drew back slightly, and ran her fingers over his hard chest, flat belly, and the ridges of his hipbones. Maya loved his narrow hips, especially when they were nestled between her thighs. She slid both hands up his back, over his shoulders, down his hard biceps, relishing her freedom to do so. She stroked his hips up and down with the palms of her hand, then shifted her touch to his firm pecs, lightly brushing her lips against his chest. His back muscles tightened beneath her hands and she knew he'd felt her kiss. Her gaze returned to his eyes, her breath catching at the desire simmering there. A shiver ran through him.

Phoenix pulled her back toward him, quickly, fiercely, and lowered his mouth to hers. With the first taste, he moaned. Maya's lips were sweet, soft…perfect. She exhaled, a contented sigh, and his body melted into hers. As if flawlessly harmonized, their mouths moved in the same rhythm, lips drawing in, hands learning curves and muscles, breaths coming out at faster rates. And when Maya knotted her hands in his hair, his self-control ruptured. His arms became steel bands around her waist as he lifted her, basking in how perfectly she fit against him. She latched her arms around his neck and joined him as the kiss raced past innocent and into heated—bordering on out of control.

He kissed her harder, deeper, with a fervent urgent need he'd never known before. He broke for air only to bury his lips in her beckoning neck, along her collarbone, up her chin and cheeks. The spinning in his head spiraled toward delirium as Maya shifted her legs, one thigh moving and the other one following to wrap around his hips. He relished her warm weight, and the delectable feeling of her curves pressing into his body. Heat surged through his bloodstream and his fingers dug into her skin.

Maya's body lit up, an explosion of sensory awareness that set her ablaze. She wanted to draw him closer and rip his clothes right off him at that very moment. She wanted to strip off every thread of clothing and have him take her, right there in the middle of the bedroom floor.

Strong hands anchored on her backside, fingers hot and demanding, searing through her clothes. She ground against him encouragingly and he responded with a deep growl, yanking her against his rock-hard body while his mouth greedily feasted on hers.

She returned his kiss, opening her mouth and inviting him inside. It had been so long since they'd kissed, but she didn't _ever_ remember feeling it down to her toes. She poured all that she'd been feeling for the past torturous nine months into that kiss – from the initial agony she'd been experiencing since the day he'd left Kurain, to the despair she'd felt the entire time they'd been apart, to the joyous relief she felt that they were finally together now – as she pressed against him. Lifting her hands to his hair, she ran her fingers through the familiar spikes in the back. She heard a moan, but wasn't sure if it was his or her own. He surrounded her, consumed her, and she wanted to give him more to take.

But instead of getting closer, Phoenix unexpectedly set her back down and minutely pulled back, allowing room for a hand to travel under her shirt, fingertips brushing against her skin. He explored her with tender caresses so at odds with the frantic tension exploding between them, while thrumming liquid heat swelled low in her belly, threatening to boil over.

"Take this off," she begged between kisses. "I want to see you…to feel you against me." She reached for the bottom of his t-shirt and pushed it higher. Phoenix stopped and watched her with passion-filled sapphire eyes, beauteous, luminous, and full of love and longing…she revelled that this handsome, amazing man could want her so much.

He raised his arms, pulling the fabric over his head and flinging it aside. She stared at him in awe; as always, he was so sculpted, and so beautiful to her. She'd felt his solid muscles working as he'd held her, and finally, she could feast her eyes upon him unabashedly.

He swallowed, as his eyes fell to her mouth. His fingers began working on the buttons of her blouse, slowly exposing her black, lacy bra and creamy flesh as his lips left a hot path from her jaw down her neck to her collarbone.

"This is finally going to happen," he breathed as he bent and ran a trail of hot, open-mouthed kisses to the curve of her shoulder. His fingers were soft, brushing over her skin and giving goose bumps as he pushed the blouse down her arms. "Jesus, Maya. You're gorgeous. I've missed touching you like this. I missed my mouth on yours, missed my hands on your body…missed being one with you."

He was making love to her with his words even though he was barely touching her, and her body came alive. Every inch of skin burned for his touch, her lower body hot and pulsing, and her breathing was shallow and rapid. His hands tangled in her hair, gently tugging her face closer to his. She looked up into his smoldering gaze, and this time she answered him the way she couldn't before.

"Let's forget this past year of hell we've gone through, being apart," she breathed into his mouth. "Make me forget, Nick. Make _us_ forget."

" _Maya_." Her skin was amazingly warm and the scents of her, the perfume at her throat and the exotic, unnamable aroma of her hair, made blood beat at his temples.

His fingers traced over the swells of her flesh, visible above the delicate edge of her bra. He peeled off her remaining clothing with precise, expert movements. She closed her eyes and offered up her mouth, silently begging to end her torture. She was similarly frantic in undressing him, her hands clumsily reaching out to find the drawstring waistband of his jogging pants, which was tied shut, and she desperately worked the knot, her breathing nearly at a fevered pitch.

After what seems like ages, their clothing was finally discarded and they fell back onto the bed, frantically clawing at each other with wild urgency.

Maya closed her eyes blissfully as his mouth ran along her cheekbone and then back toward her mouth, gasping and writhing beneath him as Phoenix's eager hands and lips roamed her body insistently, deftly. He caressed her side from shoulder to hip and back again, over and over, gentling her as her heart raced wildly, murmuring words of apology and need in a voice broken by love and the tormented misery they'd had to endure to finally get to this moment.

" _Nick_." The delicate pulls of his skillful lips on her heated skin coaxed desire through her restless mind. Her body was already lost in him, greedily seeking the rapture and beauty of his.

"I breathe you," he whispered. "You're everything. You're the air." He teased her mercilessly with his hands and planted gentle kisses down her neck, feathering up and down her body while she urged him on with confident fingers, which were intently roaming over every inch of his heightened body.

"I need you," she begged, arching against him. "Make love to me _now_."

He kissed her smooth stomach as his hand glided across the surface of her skin, moving down to test her, and shook his head. "You aren't ready."

"But I _want_ you."

"I want you too. But it's been so long since we were last together. I want to set your body on fire first."

Maya's impatient desire was countered by Phoenix's commitment to see that each of their primal encounters were pleasurable for both of them. He'd rather delay entrance and gratification until she was equally as mad with want, rather than speed along before she was sufficiently ready to make her his again.

He leaned over her on his forearms then, cradling her face in his hands as he looked down at Maya with an earnest and determined expression.

"Trust me, my love," he whispered. "It's been far too long. I need to make sure you're ready for me so I can prove to you it was worth the wait."

His look of promise and tender persuasion was her undoing. She lay, trembling then, and let him love her, as he teased and tormented her to the brink of insanity, until her back bowed and hoarse pleas left her lips. Tension spread through her body, tightening everything until she felt like she might snap under the pressure, until Phoenix at last brought her to sweet release. She cried out, heated relief pulsing through her writhing body.

"I can't let you go, Maya." Phoenix levered over her as she vibrated with pleasure. "I can't …"

She barely paused to catch her breath before sitting up and grabbing his head for a searing kiss before pushing him to recline on his back and straddling his hips. "Then don't," she whispered, and with a boldness she didn't know she had, guided him to her.

When they were at last joined, she looked down into open blue eyes, their faces only a whisper apart. She moved with him painstakingly slowly, her eyes closing as she focused on the pleasurable sensation, before opening again. Dark blue, heavy with emotion, gazed up, unblinking, into wide chestnut. Every movement, every yearning was reflected between the couple's eyes.

"I've missed you so much." He nuzzled her nose with his as they moved together as one, in the carnal synchronized rhythm only those who were perfectly in tune with one another could achieve.

"God, I've _needed_ you, Nick –" Her last word was interrupted by a low moan as a delicious shudder came over her body.

"It's been so long…I was so worried after being apart all this time that you'd have moved on from me…"

" _Never_." She stopped his mouth with a quick, clinging kiss that scattered his troubled thoughts like dead ashes. "We've gone beyond promises. Everything but this moment."

She reached down to catch his lips as her movements sped. Their tongues explored one another, refusing to allow their groans and confessions to interrupt their connection. He ran his fingers over her back and smoothed over her waist. He slipped his hands under the curve of her bottom so he could lift her slightly, increasing his leverage.

Maya had become addicted to this, to _him_. She adored the way he looked at her in these passionate moments and the way in which the world fell out of focus around them. She'd been aching and craving him all this time; to feel him loving her, moving with her, being one with her – he always made her feel so sensual, so beautiful. She would have said that any frenzied peak was an extra gift in addition to the way she felt when they were conjoined. As she felt the blissful convulsions overcoming her again, she felt Phoenix's release at the same moment, his euphoric sounds sparking her fierce yearning to a dizzy pitch, then slowly fulfilled it with piercing, welling intensity, until her own incited cry was swept away as he lifted his head to reclaim her lips with his.

Finally, sweat drenching both their skins, she collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily for several moments before she felt his arms wrap around her waist, holding her against his glistening, chest, which was rapidly rising and falling. He rolled them over so she was lying cradled against his side on the bed now, both struggling to catch their breaths.

Phoenix reached over and smooth tucked an errant strand of hair back behind her ear. "I love you," he murmured, brushing her lips with his. Gently he explored her face with his fingers as a blind man might, as if he had never seen it before and might never again. "I love you so much, Maya."

"I love you too, Nick." She smoothed the damp hair from his temples and smiled at him mischievously. "But don't you get too comfortable now, buster! This was merely an _intermission_ not the final curtain call! There's a whole nine months of making up that you've got to do here…"

"Have mercy, woman!" He half laughed, half pleaded, although putting up no resistance as her tiny hands pinned his broad shoulders down then and she flashed an impish grin that made her intentions _quite_ clear. "It's been nearly a year for _me_ , too! You'll be the death of me, Maya Fey!"

"Then you'll die the happiest _old man_ on earth." Maya winked. " _Giddy-up_ , cowboy."

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
**_ _Edgeworth Master Bedroom (aka Love Shack)  
_ September 18, 2020, 7:15 AM

The next morning, a still exhausted but happily sated Maya awoke with her head on Phoenix's chest, with his arms wrapped around her. He stirred slightly and stroked her satiny hair, down to her smooth back, and then back up again, eyes still closed.

Placing a kiss on his warm, bare chest, she leaned up on one elbow.

"Can we talk a bit now?"

"Not until I've had my coffee," he mumbled.

"Nick!" She playfully hit him over the head with her pillow. He still didn't stir or open his eyes.

"Woman, I am _spent_! You made me ravage you _three_ times last night, you insatiable wanton seductress! You're lucky all my _necessary_ parts are still attached to my body!"

"I didn't hear you complaining at the time!" Maya swallowed back a giggle and leaned over to kiss him. "But fine, how about _I_ talk, _you_ listen?"

"Deal." Phoenix dropped his arm over his eyes.

And so Maya then proceeded to him in about what she'd faced back in Kurain when she and Pearl had returned. When she got to the part about The Dragon Lady nearly hitting her cousin, Phoenix jolted up in the bed, his eyes ablaze, now fully alert. Even after reassuring him that her sister had stopped Mildew before she'd ever laid a hand on Pearl, she could still sense his anger at hearing that part of the story. However, he let out a shout of laughter when he heard about Mia's merciless tirade, along with the pseudo-banishment of Mildred to the outskirts of the village to oversee the cabin rental project with Bikini, and how despite having Fey Manor restored to its former glory, the harrowing memories of the shagadelic 70's décor still remained etched into her mind.

"I almost wish I'd taken photos to show you, but that would mean _never_ getting the images of _paisley_ out of my head!" Maya shuddered.

"Thanks for sparing me the sight, although rest assured, my love, your depictions are most vivid," Phoenix assured her, twirling a strand her long hair around his fingers.

"I'm so glad Mia and Edgy came through with their legal stuff!" She enthused. "It really was what I needed to attack that Dragon Lady and stuff her back into her cave!"

"I wish I could have helped you out more in that department," he said quietly.

Maya looked up at him, although in the dark, shady room, with the drapes closed, it was hard to make out his expression. She hoped he wasn't about to get depressed about his plight again. She decided to change the subject.

"I hope the Elders – the _non-mean_ ones, don't think I was too hard on Mildred, or worse, are disappointed in my inabilities which led to my collapse, and see me a failure of a Master," she fretted.

"I don't think anybody is disappointed in you," he reassured her. "I'm sure they're pleased to have you back. They're not telling you to quit, are they?"

"Well, no, I don't think so anyway…"

"See? You're not a failure. Not like me."

"Oh! Nick! You're not a failure," she implored unequivocally, immediately engaging herself with his problems. "Don't beat yourself up over this again! You know that's exactly what the person who framed you _wants_!"

"Yeah, I guess. But I can't help it! And I know everyone thinks I forged that evidence."

"But _I_ know you didn't do it. If anyone thinks you did, then they obviously didn't really know you and aren't worth your time, anyway."

"Thanks," mumbled Phoenix, a gross understatement of the immense gratitude he felt for her unwavering loyalty. "But it completely ruins any career prospects. For example, this poker job is terrible. I'm always paranoid I'll lose and be fired."

"Poker?" She asked blankly. "I thought you played piano?"

"Um, they have me playing cards at this place too now. But they only keep me so long as I keep winning."

"Does it really matter?" Maya demanded. "If you were smart enough to pass law school, I'm sure you can find something else to do..."

"Well…I'm sticking around mostly to see if Trucy's father is ever going to turn up. If he does, it will probably be on the poker circuit." Phoenix chose his words carefully, still loathe to confide to Maya his thinly veiled position pianist position actually being that of a poker shark.

Maya looked at him quizzically, and he carefully stretched the truth as much as he could without flat-out lying.

"We have a...card room downstairs where patrons can play poker from time to time, and Zak was obsessed with the game. Therefore, hanging about may be my only way to find him!" He cried out in exasperation. "I just can't seem to stop obsessing over this though, Maya! I've _got_ to find out who did this, and what really happened. I don't know how much longer I can take this, any more than I know what the future will bring..."

"It'll be okay, Nick," she whispered. "Know that I'll always be here for you, whatever happens."

Phoenix only nodded in agreement and moved down for a kiss.

"You know, since we sort of rushed straight here into the bedroom, you totally skipped out on giving me that promised tour, so we never _did_ get a chance to check out all the bells and whistles this place has!" Maya suddenly realized, hopping out of the bed and flicking on the bedside lamp. Phoenix smiled with amused admiration as he watched Maya's flawless, bare form bounce around the room, long raven waves floating behind her, running her fingers over everything she could get her hands on, like a kid in a candy store.

"Hey Nick, check this out!" She grabbed a small remote from the dresser table and started to randomly punch some buttons. "I wonder this does?"

"Maya stop touching stuff if you don't know what it is!"

"Why not? This is an adventure, and for the next two days, I'm on _vacation_ , Old Man!" She hit another button, and suddenly the wood panel in front of the bed began to flip over, exposing an enormous, 60-inch flat-screen TV.

"Wow, Edgy's like Batman!" Maya's eyes were wide. "I'll bet he even gets the foreign cartoon channels on this thing!"

"That _is_ a pretty sweet setup," Phoenix admitted. "I think this is the TV remote here on my bedside table..." He busied himself flicking through the channels while Maya kept pushing the buttons on the magical mystery remote.

"Awesome!" She exclaimed, as the drapes on the floor to ceiling windows suddenly began to be drawn back, as if on their own. She walked over to the glass and pressed her nose against it. "Nick, you should come and see the view from up here! It's _incredible_!"

"Not as incredible as the view I'm sure _you're_ giving the people in the penthouse across the courtyard, Maya," Phoenix admonished. "Can you please get your _naked behind_ away from the window now?"

"You're such a stick in the mud!" Maya turned away from the window and casually pulled her long hair down the front of her shoulders, arranging it so it draped over her chest in some semblance of modesty. "And if you're so worried about my decency, maybe _you_ should turn off the light then!"

"What? And interrupt _my_ viewing pleasure, then?" Phoenix raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Maya giggled and then headed over to the bathroom. "Man this john is huge! The tub is a whirlpool one. We should totally take a bubble bath together later!" She called out to him. "The _toilets_ are even made of marble! And this is so cute, Nick! Edgy's even got a little drinking fountain here set up for Pess!"

"Maya, that's a _bidet_!"

"Oops!" She poked her head of the room and grinned sheepishly. "Hey, what's this weird paper bag poking out of your overnight bag in the corner?" She walked over to it, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"Oh yeah, that's for you. You need to make sure you wear those every single time you come here from now on, going forward."

Maya examined herself in front of the full-length mirror behind the door before twirling around so Phoenix could see the transformation effect of the long golden blonde wig, over-sized sunglasses and black trench coat.

"Cool! I look like a movie star trying to be undercover from the prying eyes of the paparazzi!" She exclaimed, making exaggerated duck faces at her reflection in front of the glass.

 _The key thing is, you also won't look anything like_ _ **you**_ _if noticed by the_ _ **spying, stalker eyes**_ _of_ _ **Kristoph Gavin**_ _,_ Phoenix thought, relieved that the costume had the desired effect of making his girlfriend look completely unrecognizable.

"Why the flaxen hair, Nick?" Maya teased. "Do gentlemen _truly_ prefer blondes? Or is this just your way of saying you want to do some kinky role-playing?"

" _This_ gentleman doesn't," he chuckled. "But while I wouldn't kick you out of my bed if you were to keep that wig on, the key thing is you _don't_ look like the Master of Kurain anymore, which is the whole point. Please, Maya, just trust me on this one, OK? I don't want to take any chances."

"Whatever you say, Nick." Maya pulled off the coat, hat and glasses and continued to poke around the room, while Phoenix kept staring at the TV screen, still flipping channels.

All of a sudden, Maya squealed.

"Omigod, Nick! Check _this_ out! Edgy has the _original film print_ from the _actual movie reel_ of the first _Steel Samurai_ flick mounted in a case on the wall here!" She crowed excitedly.

"Put it back, Maya," Phoenix instructed, without even turning his head.

"What the –" Maya stared at him, wide-eyed, her hand on the small, framed item, wondering how her boyfriend had known what she was up to when he hadn't even once taken his eyes off the screen. "How did you know I going to take it off the wall?!"

"Because I _know_ you, my little klepto," Phoenix finally turned his head towards her with a knowing smirk. "And knowing Edgeworth, he's probably got an alarm rigged to that thing. Unless you want the heat busting in here at any moment, I suggest you take your hot little hands off that thing and _step_ _away_ from the merchandise."

"He does _not_ have an alarm on this thing!" Maya triumphantly removed the film print from the wall. "And he's got so much _Steel Samurai_ stuff already, I'm sure he'll never miss _this_ teeny thing…wait, there was a note behind it on the wall. What the heck…?" She read it aloud. " _Miss Fey. Put. It. Back._ _**Now**_."

She scowled, hung the framed item back up and hurled herself back onto the bed beside her sniggering boyfriend. "Stop laughing, Nick!" She swatted him in the arm. "You're _all_ a bunch of big ol' meanies!"

"Come here, my sticky-fingered lady," Phoenix coaxed, pulling her sulky form against him and dropping a kiss on her head. "We shouldn't be spending the rest of your vacation with you pouting!"

"You're right, Nick." She brightened up then, and leaned over to peck him on the lips.

"So tell me, how did the channeling go with Pearls yesterday at the conference? Was it as successful as you'd hoped?"

"It went _better_ than I could have hoped! The audience was _mesmerized_ , watching a little girl transform into a grown woman right before their every eyes. This will be so great for business! And of course, you know it's always a bittersweet joy for me to visit with Sis, however briefly."

"I owe that woman so much," Phoenix murmured. "Even in the afterlife, she's there for me when I need her. Pearls channeled her for me, that first night you were in a coma, and honestly, Maya, talking to Mia was just what I needed, though I'm glad you didn't see me fall apart on her. I think the scariest part of my disbarment was having her find out."

"Did she have some miraculous answer that saved the day, as always?"

Phoenix sighed and wrapped his arms around Maya, resting his head on hers. "I don't think this one's going to be that easy, but she did remind me of something very important."

"What's that?"

"I'm not doing this by myself. I think I lost sight of that, but this is no different from when I was still practicing. You and me, Maya, with friends like Gumshoe and Edgeworth…there's _nothing_ we can't achieve."

"And as long as you and I have _each other_ ," Maya added, looking up at him with loving eyes. "The sky's the limit. _We can do_ _anything_."

Phoenix nodded and simply held his girlfriend close to him.

"Let's get back to your next move. Nick. What do you have going on in the pipeline?"

"Well, I have Edgeworth overseas, keeping an eye out for any information on the Gavins. I have Trucy at home to keep me sane. I have an eternal mentor now to push me along and," he smiled lovingly down at Maya. "I have the love of my life in my arms right now, giving me reason to fight."

"We'll figure this out," Maya promised, scooting closer to her boyfriend and nuzzling into him. "But while we're together right now, let's just please take a break from all that? Today, and again tonight, it's just us."

"Sounds like a plan," Phoenix agreed amiably, and lowered his lips down to hers in a tender kiss.

Yes, his future was still uncertain and he still had absolutely no plan of attack, but he felt far better about it now. It was only a matter of time and, if that time was spent like this, with the woman he loved in his arms, then he really _could_ get through anything.

Maya wrapped her arms around Phoenix's neck, pulling him closer as their kiss deepened. She had never imagined how wonderful it could be to awaken in the morning and find herself wrapped in the arms of someone he loved. Such a peaceful feeling, a safe feeling. It made the prospect of her coming day so much brighter, knowing she'd have Phoenix to share it with when she came home again that evening, as well as tomorrow. And she knew that _someday_ , _somehow_ , in the future, that the day would eventually come when _all_ her tomorrows would be his.


	42. Pardon My Sobbing

_"Being a single parent is twice the work, twice the stress, and twice the tears, but also twice the love, twice the joy, and twice the pride."_

* * *

 _A/N: I hope you guys like him...because the Butz is BACK y'all! (Come on he's **way** overdue!)_

 _A special thanks to fellow FF writer_ _ **TheFreelancerSeal** for their kind and encouraging review! It brings me such joy that I can please even AA newbies! Keep playing through those games - dear reader, they only get better! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Forty Two: Pardon My Sobbing**

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _  
Wright Talent Agency_  
September 11, 2023 2:30 am

He never saw it coming.

It was just a _movie_.

Phoenix was completely unprepared for the repercussions of _The Pursuit of Happyness_ from both Pearl, now 13, and 12-year-old Trucy that afternoon, before he headed out to work that evening.

The Will Smith drama was one he thoroughly enjoyed, and so he'd ordered it on Netflix for his daughter and her "cousin." The online monthly subscription to unlimited movies and TV shows was _such_ a great concept his little girl had introduced him to! Prior to this, he'd just figured he would just rent the DVD from the video rental place…until Trucy had reminded her not-so-tech-savvy father that those places _didn't exist_ anymore!

Pearl was staying over that weekend, which she tended to do once or twice a month when her guardian was away. In this case, the Master was at a weekend convention somewhere in the remote deserts of New Mexico. Maya had warned him the area had weak to zero cell and internet reception, and at first had been fretful about her ward being left in his care at a time when she would most likely be completely indisposed, but he'd assured his girlfriend that all would be fine. After all, Pearl had stayed over many times since she and Trucy had met, and both girls were now old enough to stay alone without needing a babysitter – although Maya's cousin often made a point to still drop in on her aunt and uncle whenever she was down in the city, so he knew if anything were to go awry while he was at work, the Gumshoes lived nearby and would be there at a moment's notice, if needed.

Besides, his daughter was supposed to work at The Wonder Bar that evening, so he figured that by the time he got home from work, either both girls would have gone home with the Gumshoes (who rarely missed a show), and stayed over there for the night and would return by next morning, or would be in bed by then, as he was often back no earlier than 3:00 am.

That night, Phoenix had gotten in a bit earlier, about half-past two, as he'd gotten a ride home from Tyler. The bartender had asked if he could run in and use the bathroom, as well as say a quick hello to Pearl, whom he'd not seen in eons, on the off-chance she was still awake.

"I haven't seen Pearl in ages," Tyler was saying as they walked down the hall to Phoenix's place. "Tell her to stop in on Sasha and the twins the next time she's down, they'd love to see her! Trucy too. We love those girls – they're so sweet!"

"Yup, they're great," Phoenix agreed, putting his key into the lock. "Delightfully low-maintenance too, the both of them. I sure got lucky there! But we should keep it down…since Gumshoe didn't message me that they're staying at his place tonight, that means they're both here, but may already be in bed."

"No problem," his friend whispered as Phoenix quietly opened the door and flicked on the light.

Both men were completely unprepared for the astounding sight that greeted them.

Several empty bowls of what looked like melted ice cream were laid about on the floor, along with several strewn empty bags of potato chips, soda cans…and crumpled tissues.

In the sitting area of the office, instead of being in bed, Trucy and Pearl were wide awake and sprawled on the sofa in front of the small television set. Both had their legs stretched out onto the couch while sitting at opposite ends, with a blanket over both of their legs, and tissues clenched in each of their hands as they sobbed relentlessly at whatever was on the screen.

"What in the _world_?" Tyler gasped.

"Trucy, Pearls, are you alright?" Phoenix asked concernedly.

Neither girl appeared to have taken notice of their presence just yet; they didn't pry their eyes off the television. Phoenix stared at them, completely flummoxed.

 _I rented them_ ** _The Pursuit of Happyness_** _,_ he thought wildly, staring helplessly at the two overwrought girls. _Did I screw up and accidentally order them_ ** _Bambi_** _by mistake?_

That had to be the only explanation for both Pearl and Trucy's currently wailing dispositions, in such an demonstrative, emotional fashion that it would have put even _Larry Butz_ to shame!

 _I don't get it. OK, fine, it is_ ** _kind of_** _a sad movie,_ ** _somewhat_** _… but it still had a great ending! What gives?_

"It's so heart-breaking, Pearly!" Trucy cried, the tears pouring down her cheeks in a never-ending stream. "That poor little boy and his daddy have no home!"

"They're s-sleeping in a b-bathroom!" Pearl wept, dabbing at her eyes with her soggy tissue. "It's so _unfair_!"

Phoenix looked back at Tyler, who was still standing behind him, speechless, his dark eyes wide with panic, before turning back to the two girls, at last finding his voice again.

"Um, Truce? Pearls? Are you guys alright?" He asked awkwardly.

Both girls lifted their gazes from the movie and he found himself affixed by two sets of red-rimmed eyes.

"Mr. Nick, why didn't you tell us this movie was so _sad_!" Pearl demanded, trying to contain her sobs, her gray eyes looking at him accusingly.

Phoenix was bewildered. "I, um…er…"

"Oh, hi, Mr. Tyler." Pearl at last took note of the young man now cowering behind Phoenix – a neat trick to achieve, as the bartender towered over him by about a good half-foot – who desperately looked like he wished he could disappear.

"Hi Pearl," Tyler waved from behind Phoenix's back with a weak smile. "Hiya, Trucy."

"Hi Tyler." Trucy sniffled, dabbing at her eyes. "Pearly's right though Daddy! Why would you get us such a _depressing movie_ and not even _warn_ us?"

"That's _mean_ , Mr. Nick!" Pearl added, as indignantly as one possibly could muster while loudly blowing her nose to the tune of a one-note, honking trumpet.

"I – I… _Aye Yai Yai_ …" Phoenix was at a complete loss for words. "Um…sorry?"

"Oh Daddy!" Trucy whimpered suddenly, lurching off the couch and hurling herself at her father then, burying her head into his side and wrapping her arms around his waist. "That poor man in the movie is a _single Papa_ , just like you! He sacrificed so much for his son, like _you_ have for _me_!|" Her tiny body shook with sobs. "And I feel so bad! At least _he_ had a wife in the beginning… _you've_ never even gotten married or had your _own_ family, and it's all because of _me_! It's all my fault! _I ruined your life_! I- I'm so sorry!"

Phoenix looked helplessly down at the shaking mess that was his daughter, trying to speak soothingly and smooth her hair, when suddenly Pearl jumped up and buried her head against his other side. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, Mr. Nick!" She wept, throwing her arms around him as well. "You're not mean! Y- You're _wonderful_! You're the only father I've ever really known!"

"I love you, Daddy!" Trucy wept.

"I love you too, Mr. Nick!"

"Pearls…Trucy…I…" Phoenix shot a frantic glance at Tyler, who had stealthily been inching away and backing up towards the door this whole time. "Hey, where are _you_ going? I thought you needed to use the bathroom!"

"Um, I've decided I don't need to go _that_ badly…" his friend mumbled, pointedly ignoring the pleading look in Phoenix's eyes. "And by the way, I have a wife and _two_ toddler daughters at home, so I _will_ have _my due time_ to be _exactly_ where _you_ are right now…in about a _decade_! So, for this reason alone, I have _no_ qualms _whatsoever_ about saying…good-night, bud! And good luck! _You're going to need it_! See ya at work tomorrow!"

With that, Tyler bolted from the office, not even pausing to shut the door behind him, leaving a hapless, anxious Phoenix standing there, alone and defenselessly sandwiched between two inexplicably hysterical adolescent girls, who had gone from being _mad_ at him to _loving_ him…within the course of _two minutes_! He silently cursed and envied his friend for his easy, hasty exit.

 _Tyler you bum! You_ ** _suck_** _! A_ ** _real_** _friend would stuck around…or at least offered to take me_ ** _with_** _him!_

Phoenix had never felt more powerless …or confused in his entire life. Worst of all, he had no inkling about what could have possibly caused this insane situation, or how to handle it. _Of all the blasted times_ for Maya to be unreachable… what on earth was he to going to do _now_?!

He awkwardly patted both girls on their heads and stifled a sigh of resignation. It was going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Larry Butz**_ _  
Wright Talent Agency_  
September 11, 2023 11:30 am

"Pearls? Truce? I'm back from the store!" Phoenix called, setting the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter.

No answer.

"Baby girl, I got that ice-cream you wanted!" He busied himself putting away the food his daughter and Pearl had requested from the store – various and copious amounts of chocolate bars, brownies, ramen noodles, more potato chips, _and_ more soda. He thought he'd bought enough treats and munchies for the _three_ of them to at _least_ last them the whole weekend, but it appeared a tapeworm had overcome both Pearl and Trucy the night before, and they had gone through _everything_ in the place! Old Mother Hubbard probably had less barren cupboards!

Also, he'd needed to buy several more boxes of _tissues_. By the time he'd comforted and quieted down the two girls and sent them to bed, it'd been nearly four in the morning, and there hadn't been a single-ply left in house!

"You got my ice-cream, Daddy?" Trucy plodded into the room, still in her pajamas, looking like something the cat had dragged in. "Thanks so much. Pearly and I are absolutely _starved_!"

Phoenix stared at the bottomless pit that used to be his daughter dubiously.

 _How can they still be hungry when they ate an entire convenience store's worth of junk not even eight hours ago?! I just don't get_ ** _how in God's name_** _two tiny girls could put away more food than the entire Oakland Raiders Football team?! I don't care if one of them_ ** _is_** _my gluttonous girlfriend's cousin!_

Phoenix smiled indulgently and ruffled Trucy's hair. "I ordered some pizza for lunch before I stepped out, Truce, it should be here soon."

Trucy had just grabbed two bowls and went to scoop some ice cream out when she suddenly let out an outraged shriek at such a high decibel, he was certain only _dogs_ would be able to hear it!

" _Daddy_!" She howled, slamming the carton down on the counter in a manner not at all dissimilar to her father's courtroom desk poundings. "How could you _do_ this to me?"

"What's wrong baby-girl?" Phoenix fretted, rushing over to her side, abandoning the coffee he'd been about to pour for himself. "What did I do wrong?"

"I asked you for chocolate-chip _mint_ ice-cream!" Was the anguished reply. "And you got me just _plain_ chocolate-chip ice-cream!"

"I'm sorry, Truce. But they were out of the mint chocolate-chip kind. I thought this one would be just as good…"

"Daddy, you should _know_ I hate vanilla chocolate chip!" Without warning, Trucy burst into tears. "After all this time, you still don't even know your own daughter!"

Phoenix cast a surreptitious glance at the garbage pail by his feet, which contained not one, but _two_ empty tubs of said despised chocolate-chip vanilla Ben  & Jerry's, which belied this latest evidence, but wisely kept his peace.

Instead, he looked wearily at this demonic entity that seemed to have taken over his sweet little girl, wondering if it was at all possible she was somehow being invaded by the malevolent spirit of his ex-girlfriend, Dahlia Hawthorne!

" _Wah_! You don't love me!" Trucy was really getting worked up now, her tiny face drenched with tears. "Admit it, Daddy, you _hate_ me! Why _else_ would you _do_ this to me?"

"Truce, don't be ridiculous! _Please_ stop crying…Of course I love you!" Phoenix protested impotently, unsure about what to say or do to diffuse the nuclear-style explosion he had unwittingly detonated. He was right back to where he'd been last night…and just as perplexed! He couldn't see how the situation could possibly get _any worse_.

At that moment there was a knock at the front door.

"Hey Nick, open up! Did you order pizza?" The unmistakable sound of Larry Butz's voice could be heard on the other side of the door.

Phoenix couldn't stifle the groan that emitted from his lips this time.

 _Of_ ** _course_** _…_

"I'll get the door, Mr. Nick," called Pearl, as Phoenix put his arms around the still-crying Trucy, who refused to be consoled, despite his pleas to calm down.

"Thanks, Pearls!" He hollered across the apartment, still trying to somehow mollify his weepy daughter, while simultaneously feeling relieved that of the two of them, at least Maya's cousin sounded completely normal this morning!

He placed his hands on Trucy's shoulders and looked her squarely in the eye. "Truce, come on, I'm sorry! I will go check the other grocery store for your ice-cream after we have some pizza, alright? I was just in a rush to get back before the delivery guy got here so I could pay him. Please don't be so sad. You know I love you, right?"

"OK, Daddy," she sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me. I woke up this morning with such a bad headache! And I don't know why! Last night my back was aching so badly…I couldn't even go to work!"

"You didn't go to work?" Phoenix was genuinely alarmed now. "Your back was aching? Truce, do you think you're getting sick or something? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I had some ice-cream and laid back on the sofa, and I felt better after a little while. I just thought maybe I'd caught a trace of whatever Pearly had. She said she felt some kind of stomach and back pains last night too."

 _Pearls_ too? Oh great. Were _both_ his girls coming down with something? It sounded contagious! Phoenix clapped a hand to his head. Good grief, was _he_ going to be next? _He_ couldn't afford to miss work! But who would want to hear the ear-grating caterwauling of a sick pianist with a frog in his throat?!

"Hey, Trucy doll! Dry those tears, Uncle Larry's here!" Larry walked into the kitchen, Pearl in tow, and set down the large, flat box onto the counter.

Since Phoenix's disbarring, Larry had been off on various art tours which took him to parts of Europe, Asia and even Africa for the most part. He'd only been in LA for perhaps a month in total these past four years, but had kept in touch with Phoenix, never one to forsake his childhood friend, for which he supposed he was grateful.

Larry hadn't totally abandoned him, Phoenix mused, but he hadn't believed him, of course, when he'd heard the news.

"Fired from your big-shot job? Stupid Nick, ah we all make mistakes at work. No, I didn't think it was my fault either when the fryer burned down at the fast food place, but they all said it was."

And of course Phoenix couldn't expect Larry to ever believe him. Whole segments of his life now were effectively an act. It was no coincidence he paid little heed to grooming and donned that investigatory hat, save for during his clandestine bi-weekly visits with Maya at Edgeworth's love-shack, which curtailed his true identity, but he feared that old adage of eventually becoming what you pretended to be wasn't far off. It was all a lie…he _was_ a fraud.

The irony of the situation hadn't escaped him, however, that the tables had now been turned; _Larry_ was the artist of semi-minor fame, and _he_ was the loser criminal hobo.

The world-class children's book illustrator, who still went by the professional name of Laurice Deauxnim in honor of his late mentor, Elise Deauxnim (the pseudonym Misty Fey had been going by before she'd passed), looked the same as ever, goofy grin in place over his neatly trimmed goatee, and spiky brown hair sitting underneath his orange artist beret, which had accompanied his monkey-emblemed, pink sweater ensemble ever since he'd taken up the artist path in life four years prior.

 _There is that one saving grace about the Butz_ , Phoenix thought now, flashing his unexpected visitor a crooked smile. _He's the_ ** _only_** _one who doesn't bust my chops about_ ** _my_** _hat, since he insists on wearing_ ** _his_** _ridiculous artist cap on his head_ ** _everywhere_** _he goes!_

"Hi, Larry." For once, Phoenix was grateful for the distraction of his friend's presence. Trucy was always on her best behavior around company. "This is quite the surprise! I haven't seen you since you…installed my web cam for me a few years back."

"Well, I'm glad I could help my buddy keep in touch with those nearest and dearest to him." Larry flashed a not-so-discreet wink, but Phoenix knew his friend could be trusted to keep mum about the person with whom he was web-chatting with around Trucy, as he was aware of the cloaked romance with Maya. However, not even Larry was privy to a lot of the details, such as how often they met up in secret at Edgeworth's residence, or of the complex reasons why he was forced to keep it a secret from his daughter. Phoenix had simply stated that he would tell his little girl about his girlfriend when the time was right.

"Besides," Larry continued. "If I'm in town, I gotta drop in on my best friend! By the way Nick, I paid the pizza guy for you."

 _Well, that was nice of him!_ Phoenix thought, taken aback, but touched by his friend's unpredictable generosity.

"You owe me twenty bucks." Larry was already opening up the box and about to get himself to a slice, but Phoenix snapped the lid down on his fingers.

"Sorry Larry, I've got _two very hungry_ mouths to feed," he said curtly, hardly suppressing the urge to roll his eyes as he tersely handed over the money. "Girls, dig in!"

 _Jeez, for all the times I've saved his sorry ass in court,_ ** _pro bono_** _, you'd think the miserable cheapskate wouldn't nickel and dime me over a lousy pizza!_

"But you've got an extra-large pie here!" Larry pouted, before he turned to Trucy, who had slapped two slices together and was about take a huge bite. He bent down and playfully tapped her nose. "Hey Truce, long time no see! Just look at you now! You've gotten so big!"

" _Big_?!" Trucy screeched, as though mortally wounded. She dropped the slices back onto her plate and looked at Larry with stormy blue eyes. "What does that mean? Are you saying I look _fat_ or something, Uncle Larry?"

Phoenix sighed. _Nice going Butz, getting her all riled up again…_

" _Fat_! N –no! Of course not!" Larry stammered nervously, backing away from the fuming girl. "I just meant you've grown so much since the last time I saw you!" He looked pleadingly at Pearl. "You know what I mean… _both_ of you do!"

"Hey, that's so mean, Mr. Larry! Are you saying _I_ look _fat_ now, too?" Pearl burst into impromptu tears.

"You _stink_! You made my cousin cry!" Without warning, Trucy suddenly did a rapid spinning kick, which, since he was still bent over her, caught him square in the mid-section. Larry tumbled backward to the ground, completely winded.

Phoenix had heard all about the hilarious tale of Pearl's martial arts maneuver on Mildew a few years ago, but this was the first time he'd ever seen his _daughter_ make someone a victim of the move! He barely stifled a chuckle at the sight of Larry rolling on the ground as he clutched his stomach while wheezing dramatically.

 _Oh, knock it off you wimp! Luckily for you, Trucy was only wearing socks instead of her usual hard-toed magician boots!_

"I'm sorry, Larry," he apologized, hoping he sounded sincere. "I really have to talk to Sasha, my buddy's wife, about teaching the girls those MMA moves…how they're not to be used unless in _extreme_ situations!"

"I'm sorry, Uncle Larry!" Trucy was crying too now. "I – I don't know what came over me!"

"He called you and me _fat_ , that's what happened!" Pearl had recovered from her tears and stomped over to Larry, reaching down and whacking at him with her tiny fingers. "You horrible, big ol' _meanie stink-face_!"

"What the hell! No I didn't! Stop it, Pearl!" Larry complained, putting his arms over his head in an unsuccessful effort to stop the infamous round of Fey slaps and smacks. "Ouch! That _hurts_!"

Phoenix couldn't help it, he actually snorted slightly before he pretended to be a responsible adult and went and plucked Pearl away from Larry, finally allowing him to rise up again.

"See, it's not so funny when _you're_ the one on the _receiving_ end of those Fey fists of fury, now, is it?" He snickered.

Larry scowled at him before turning to the sullen girls.

"Trucy, Pearl, I'm sorry if I unintentionally hurt your feelings. I haven't seen you two in ages, and what I _should_ have said was you've both gotten so much taller since I saw you last. Not bigger as in fat." He looked hopefully at the two. "So, are we friends again?"

"Of course we are, Uncle Larry!" Trucy beamed and wrapped her arms around him in a big hug.

"We forgive you, Mr. Larry!" Pearl bounced over and hugged him too.

Phoenix stared at this whole scene in disbelief, wondering if he had unwittingly entered some sort of alternate dimension. How the _hell_ had the girls gone and done a complete 180 degree _turnabout_ like that, from _violent, teary rage_ to _hugs_ , within the blink of an eye?! And without any preamble?!

 _Are their heads going to start spinning soon?!_

Right on cue, Trucy suddenly yanked herself away from Larry and looked pained. "Oh no," she groaned, clutching her stomach. "I don't feel so good. I think I need to …" She took a few shallow, ragged, breaths, then made an impromptu bolt towards the bathroom.

"Trucy!" Phoenix cried. "Are you alright?"

Trucy didn't reply, but they all heard her moaning softly from behind the closed door.

"Trucy!" Phoenix went and rapped on the door. "Baby girl, talk to me! Are you OK? I'm really worried!"

"Um, let me try, Mr. Nick," Pearl offered after a few more moments went by and the knob didn't turn. She rapped on the door. "Trucy, it's me, Pearly. Let me in, please?"

The door opened a crack, and Pearl stepped inside, quickly shutting the door behind her.

Phoenix cast a fretful glance back at Larry, taking off his hat and running both his hands through his hair in agitation.

"God-dammit! I don't know what's gotten into them, Larry! I wish I knew how to aid…but I don't know what's wrong with either girl…what's causing this sudden, _Exorcist style_ bi-polar disorder in both of them!"

"Are you serious Nick? You haven't figured it out?" Larry laughed. "Man, I never thought the day would come when I knew more about women than you did! Aren't you supposed to be a _dad_ or something?"

"Trucy hardly came with a manual, you know!" Phoenix glared at him. "And I can't get hold of … _Pearls' guardian_ , who's off in the middle of the desert somewhere to consult on this matter, so if you have any idea about the cause of what's made my little girl turn into this mini… _She Devil_ , please enlighten me!"

"A Potential Murder Suspect, you mean?" Larry derided, his lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"What? Larry, I'm sorry she kicked you but I swear to you, she wasn't trying to actually _murder_ you with that move! Her and Pearls are very close you see, and she was merely being protective of her…"

"No, no, Nick! That's not what I meant! Don't you _get_ it?" Larry looked at him with disgust. "Man, are you ever slow! I've had a million girlfriends go through these mood swings…on a _monthly_ basis, if you catch my drift?"

Phoenix looked at him in horror. "You don't mean…"

"Yup, yup. Potential. Murder. Suspect. Take the first letter of each of those words, Nick, and what do you get? P – M –"

"For the love of God, _don't say it_!" Phoenix's eyes widened in alarm and he clapped a hand over his friend's mouth and looked nervously at the still closed bathroom door. "The last time I uttered those letters in relation to a female I wound up wearing the remains of her martini!"

Larry jerked his head away from Phoenix's palm and sniggered. "That's because you used it inappropriately, when it wasn't even the case, and in mixed company….in public! But trust me on this one."

"You could be wrong! Maybe she's not being herself because she's unwell! Trucy told me she's been feeling sick…headachy, and body ache…and Pearls as well…"

" _Both_ of them?!" Larry shuddered. "Talk about your double trouble!"

" _Why_ is this happening to me?!" Phoenix cried. "I don't know what to do, do you?"

"Well, you could…"

Just then, the bathroom door opened, and two sets of eyes, one blue, and one grey, peeked at the men timidly, both with identical expressions on their little faces. Pure panic.

"Daddy!"

"Mr. Nick!"

"Trucy, Pearls…what is it? What's wrong?" Phoenix asked, his voice filled with love and concern. "Talk to me!"

"I can't tell you," Trucy whispered, her gaze on the ground. Pearl's eyes remained downcast.

"Trucy, I'm your _father_!" He insisted. "You should be able to tell me anything!"

Trucy looked up at him them, and she then she squeezed her eyes tightly shut before she blurted out the words before she lost her nerve. "I think I just got my period."

Pearl's lip quivered. "I think I just did too!"

Phoenix looked up towards the ceiling.

 _Oh jeez, I can actually_ ** _hear_** _God laughing at me…_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maggey Gumshoe**_ _  
Wright Talent Agency_  
September 12, 2023 12:30 pm

Maggey arrived exactly twenty minutes after a frantic Phoenix had called her, armed with what looked like an overflowing diaper bag of products which she dropped onto the floor as the overwhelmed man lurched himself at her and wrapped his arms around her in a nearly suffocating hug.

"You're an angel, Maggey!" He cried, nearly lifting the petite brunette off her feet with the sheer force of relief. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come!"

"Neither do I. Good thing Dick was home to watch Gordy," Maggey replied dryly, walking over to the couch where the two girls were sitting exactly as they'd been the night before, with their legs propped up on it and a blanket covering their laps. "I heard these awful, loud yowls when you called me…are they poor dears in that much pain?"

"That was _me_!" Larry grumbled, waving at Maggey from his seated position at the conference table in the corner. "Nick wouldn't let me peel out of here, so he forced me to stay here and endure his plight with him till you got here, and grabbed me really tightly by the back of my sweater, which nearly choked me in my throat – to keep me from going anywhere – those sounds were _me_ gasping for _air_!" He glared at Phoenix, who flashed him a contemptuous one right back. "Such violence in this Wright household! I can _see_ where your kid gets it from!"

"A _true_ pal wouldn't have tried to bolt when things got tough, and would have _wanted_ to stay and be supportive after all the times I've kept his sorry ass out of jail!" Phoenix retorted. "And for the millionth time, Larry, Trucy and Pearl learned those self-defence martial arts moves from Sasha, _not me_!"

"A _truer_ pal wouldn't have forced me to have to stay and deal with such a…embarrassing situation!"

" _Objection_!"

Both men started, unprepared for the loud shout the came from the normally mild-mannered woman.

Maggey looked startled at the volume of her tone, and grinned sheepishly.

"Wow, I've always wanted to do that!" She giggled, before regaining her composure and subjecting both of them to a deathly glare while putting her hands on her hips. "But seriously, both of you, knock it off! I can't even choose sides here, because all this is complete and utter flumadiddle! Not to mention that you're _both_ acting like _immature, blathering idiots_!"

Phoenix and Larry both looked at the ground, shame-faced.

"Sorry," they mumbled in unison.

"Now, tell me." Maggey was in full take charge mode. "Phoenix, did you find a hot water bottle and heating pad for Pearl's back and Trucy's abdomen, like I told you to?"

"We only had one heating pad," Phoenix explained. "And I gave it to Pearls, and she said it's making her feel a bit better. But we didn't have a water bottle…"

"Then what on earth is Trucy holding on her stomach under that afghan?" Maggey demanded.

"Hi Aunt Maggey!" Trucy called sunnily. "Daddy got creative and poured boiling water into a Ziploc bag, then put them into my magic panties as a makeshift water bottle to put on my tummy! It's alleviating the pain a lot!"

Maggey looked back at the blushing Phoenix. "That's pretty creative, Papa." There was a note of admiration in her tone. "Good thinking."

"Thanks," he grinned sheepishly. "Also, we um…didn't have anything for…you know. So…" He leaned closer and whispered in Maggey's ear. "I told them to use a clean washcloth in the meantime to tide them over."

"Whatever you lack in common sense sometimes, Phoenix, you more than make up for in creativity." Maggey grinned. "Good call. But I can take over from here." She grabbed her bag and brought it over to the seating area, then proceeded to dump out the arsenal of feminine products in there onto the coffee table.

"OK girls, listen up!" She announced brusquely. "Never fear, Aunt Maggey is here!"

"Well…since you're here now, I can leave right?" Larry asked hopefully, already inching his way to the door.

"Yeah, I can go and get Trucy that right flavor of ice cream now that we've got everything under the control of your capable hands, right, Maggey?" Phoenix was already shuffling after his friend. "So we are going to leave you ladies to um…figure out your…situation…"

"You're not going anywhere, Phoenix Wright!" Maggey snapped, sounding every bit the authoritative police officer she'd once been. "This is your daughter, and you are her father, and you need to know what do when this situation occurs again in another 30 days or so! Because I may not always be around to make house calls!"

"Yeah, Nick!" Larry's tone was smug as he reached for the doorknob. "It's your job to stick around and be there for your kid!"

"You're not going anywhere either, Larry Butz!" Maggey commanded, glowering at him. "You come back here and sit your bony ass down, too! You aren't pretty enough to keep on being this damn obtuse, and someday, God willing, there _may_ be a woman you meet who can _tolerate_ your ridiculous self and decides, against her better judgement, to _procreate_ with you, and you may _also_ have a daughter someday!"

 _God forbid_ …Phoenix thought, suppressing a shiver at the thought of Larry producing offspring.

Larry slunk over the sofa area, head hanging. He looked with interest at the dozen different packages and boxes scattered about.

"Extra-long?" He read. "With wings? What the hell, these things make you fly?"

Maggey gave a long-suffering sigh, and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

"Larry Butz, _you're_ the reason we have warning labels on everything!" She exclaimed. "I'm not even sure if I ought to dignify that query with a response!"

"Sorry if it was a stupid question…" Larry's face was red.

"There's no such thing as stupid questions, just stupid people!" Maggey muttered, almost to herself, then shot him a disgusted look. Then she turned to the girls and Phoenix. "Alright, you guys, listen up and pay attention. I can only _explain_ it all to you but I can't _understand_ it for you." She shot Phoenix a mischievous smile. "That second part was mostly for Mr. Wright here."

Phoenix gave a wry grin, and Trucy and Pearl both giggled as they listened intently to Maggey's instructions. Then, after a few moments, both girls excused themselves, now armed with the appropriate products, as they went to tend to the matters at hand.

"Wow, that's a relief!" Phoenix exclaimed, dropping back onto the couch with a look of visible relief on his face. "I know you wanted me to stick around so I'd know what to pick up for Trucy going forward Maggey, but it looks like you brought me a _lifetime_ supply here! There's a drug store variety _and_ amount of feminine products here…will you even have anything left for yourself? Why so much stuff?"

"Since we have a few extra bucks now, Dick discovered the joys of Costco Wholesale." Maggey shrugged. "We buy everything in bulk. This stuff is yours to keep – I imagine this stash should last Trucy a good six months, easy."

"Oh gosh…Maggey…you're the best. I don't know how to thank you," Phoenix said quietly. "I am so lucky and grateful to have you and your husband as friends."

"That little girl, is so incredibly lucky _and blessed_ to have you for a father, Phoenix Wright." Maggey said softly, her eyes glowing with affection and pride. "It takes a strong man to accept someone else's children, and step up to the plate another man left on the table."

Phoenix blushed at the praise, and Larry grinned as he clapped his old friend on the back.

"Yup, Nick here is slowly but surely nailing this whole fatherhood thing for sure, Mags," He agreed. "But there's just one thing I can't figure out about what happened here! I mean…both girls…at the same time…I mean, ugh, what the hell man, do they _give it to each other_ somehow or something?!"

Phoenix just looked at his friend with an expression of undisguised incredulity, but Maggey actually gave him the mother of all withering looks.

"I do declare, Larry Butz!" She proclaimed. "As of this day, it is now _official._ You are _…_ as bright as a black hole, _and_ twice as dense!"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Presidential Suite, Lan Kwai Fong Palace Hotel_  
 _Zheng Fa_  
September 3, 2023 6:30 am

Alone in his study area, Miles finished reading Phoenix's email, and upon seeing Maggey's last line of dialogue to Butz, (a thought which he _himself_ had not-so-secretly shared for _many, many_ years!) let out a loud shout of uncharacteristic laughter.

True to his word, since the fateful day Maya had been admitted to the hospital, his friend had kept his promise and ensured Miles was _never_ in the dark about _anything_ whatsoever. In fact, Phoenix plied him with almost too _much_ information now, keeping him abreast of all his regular comings and goings, milestones and developments in him and Trucy's lives. Miles would never complain though…as Phoenix's emails were always so well-worded and intricately detailed, he almost felt as if he were there in heart of the action alongside his friend's in LA, instead of feeling forlorn that it had been four years since he'd laid eyes on any of them.

He grinned to himself as he re-read the last few lines, still chuckling to himself about how panicked and hopeless Phoenix must have felt over dealing with Mother Nature's first impromptu visit to his daughter. It was pure comedic gold indeed, and he was happy to have been kept in the loop, even it was something as seemingly trite as Trucy's first bout of Pardon My Sobbing.

"Miles!" Franziska called from the bedroom, her voice harsh. "Whatever are you laughing at right now, you foolish fool! You're supposed to be packing and getting ready for our trip to Borginia!"

 _Dammit woman, we don't leave for another_ ** _fortnight!_** He yearned to shout back, but wisely opted to keep mum. After all, unlike his best friend, _he_ had had _many_ years of experience dealing with these matters, and knowing the best way of handling them.

So rather than uttering an angry retort, instead he shut down his laptop and gave a deep, long-suffering sigh, before taking a deep breath and heading over to join his fiancée in their chambers.

It was _his_ turn now to deal with his own case of Potential Murder Suspect, it would seem…


	43. Too Many Walls

_A/N: As determined from the last chapter, we are now moving into Edgeworth territory. Here's some PG-13 EDGINESS to kick things off! (*coughs* it was_ ** _long_** _overdue!)_ _For those of you who haven't read_ _ **The Ties That Bind**_ _, a love-sick Franziska was doodling potential future baby names, naming her and Miles' daughter Manfrieda after her father for a girl, or Gregory after his, if it were a boy.  
_

* * *

 _"As you walk in love, understanding your entire being becomes perfected."_

* * *

 ** _Chapter Forty-Three: Too Many _****_Walls_**

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma_**  
 _Presidential Suite, Lan Kwai Fong Palace Hotel_  
 _Zheng Fa_  
September 12, 2023 6:31 am

As Miles walked into the luxurious hotel room he shared with his fiancée, he found Franziska, clad satiny, baby-doll pajamas, standing in front of the King-sized bed, frowning at the gigantic Louis Vuitton suitcase yawning open, only half packed, with her arms across her chest as in stern contemplation. She looked up as he entered, his expression neutral, although his eyebrow was arched.

"Was something the matter _meine dame_?" He drawled, still in good spirits from the humorous email from his best friend. "You sounded most displeased when you called out to me earlier, and I wondered what misdeed I had done to have been deserving of such ire in your tone."

She flushed slightly at the unspoken reprimand in the words. Translation: _What the hell did I do to deserve that bitchiness?_

The answer was he'd done nothing…and yet everything. As childish and pathetic as it sounded, she'd actually been jealous when she'd heard him laughing. What right had _he_ to feel such joy, whereas all _she_ had been feeling the past few years was complete and utter wretchedness and misery? She hadn't laughed in ages. Hadn't wanted to. Didn't think she would even know _how_ to, if her life had depended on it. Not since…

No. She wouldn't let her mind go there. Even now, three years on, it was too painful. Too raw. As fresh as if it had been yesterday. This was her own cross to near. She needn't burden him with it.

"Nothing, _liebling_ ," Franziska replied stiffly, dropping her head so her gaze was focused on the items in the suitcase and her silvery hair fell into her face, obscuring it from his view. "I shouldn't have used that tone or words with you. It was wrong of me. I guess I felt left out from whatever had you so entertained." She looked up then, having had a moment to compose her features, and forced a slight smile. "Care to share?"

Still chuckling somewhat, Miles gave her synopsis of Phoenix's latest plight, expecting to at least hear a titter from his partner when he got to the part about Butz getting a spinning kick to the midsection, but while a flicker of amusement flickered within her beautiful grey eyes, not even a trace of genuine mirth crossed her lovely face. It made him ache.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever seen her truly smile.

It was a rare time when the both of them were together, on the same schedule, but as their assignment in Zheng Fa had at last wrapped up and they were headed to Europe soon, Agent Lang had allowed them a fortnight to tie up any and all loose ends in preparation for the next stage of the operation.

And already, his ever-zealous dame was packing their belongings. She had always been organized and fastidious, but had been more so than usual the last few years, always wanting to be prepared and never caught unawares of anything. Especially since…

He couldn't say the words out loud. Franziska had insisted they never speak of the matter again. It had been the only way for her to handle what had happened, and while he disagreed with her coping method, Miles loved her so much he had reluctantly acquiesced and swept it all under a rug, like she'd insisted he do. He hadn't really had a choice – he'd been too weary of facing the wrath of her since _rediscovered_ whip if he hadn't!

Now, as he looked at her unintelligible expression, he felt the same frigid wall between them that rivaled the Berlin one. He longed to break down that barrier, and turn her back into warm, laughing woman he'd fallen in love with. But how? That Franziska appeared to have vanished, and was replaced with an even colder, more remote version of the whip-wielding hoyden she'd been before they'd gotten together.

He couldn't take it anymore. If Phoenix Wright could find it within himself to brave not one but _two_ pubescent, PMSing girls, Miles Edgeworth could discover the strength to handle things with his presumably pre-menstrual future wife!

Miles strode over to her side and put his hands on her bare shoulders, trying not to flinch at the realization that she'd visibly stiffened at the unfamiliar sensation of his touch.

"Franziska, we need to talk," he stated firmly, in his best no-nonsense prosecutor voice.

She stubbornly jutted her chin, the way she always had when about to be scolded by her father and affected her most supercilious expression.

"What do you wish to speak of that is so important, Miles?" She asked, meeting his eyes levelly. "Can't you see I'm trying to pack for our next trip?"

"We don't leave for another two weeks," he reminded her mildly, not at all swayed by her attempted haughty countenance. He pushed her gently back onto the bed, taking the suitcase and placing it onto the floor so he could sit next to her. "So enough of that, please." She turned her head to look at the ground then, but he lightly placed his finger under her chin and tilted her head, forcing her to look at him.

" _Mein dame_ ," he whispered. "Talk to me, please. I know how hard this day must be for you. It is for me as well. I remembered the date. I know what today is."

"Don't do this to me, Miles! I can't… I just…can't…" She choked back a sob and jerked her head away, and tried to rise from the bed, but he put a hand on her arm, pulling her back onto the bed, and into his arms. She collapsed against him then, crying so hard her entire body shook.

"When will it stop, Miles?" She wept, nearly wringing his heart out with her tears. His strong, brave girl so rarely cried. "When will the pain go away?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly, stroking her satiny hair, his own eyes welling up at the pain she was in, yet at the same time, relieved that this time, she was at least letting him comfort her, so they could mourn together. "But I do understand, _meine dame._ And I'm here for you."

"How can you _possibly_ understand, Miles?" She drew back and looked at him with sorrowful eyes, still watery with tears. "You can't possibly know how I'm feeling today, of all days!"

"Franziska," his eyes were agonized. "You weren't the only one to have felt the loss on this very date three years ago. It was _my_ baby too."

There, he'd said it. The words they'd left unsaid for so long, at last out in the open, the unignorably harsh ring echoing within the walls of the silent room.

"I loved her so much, Miles!" Franziska sobbed, falling back against him in another torrent of tears. "My little Manfrieda…gone. She was with me such a short time…I didn't know until it was too late!"

That was the worst part of it all. Franziska had been five months along when she'd miscarried, but as she was so petite in stature and frame, and because of her constant irregular monthly cycles and even more irregular work schedule, she had had no idea she was pregnant, and had mistaken her occasional spotting and cramps for menstrual ones…until the day she'd lost the fetus. Miles would never forget the look of devastation in her eyes after she'd been rushed, in agonizing pain, to the hospital, and found out that their baby was gone, and it'd been a girl, whom they'd decided to name Manfrieda.

"I know, Franziska." He murmured, tightening his arms around her back and drawing her against his chest. "I know."

"If only _I'd_ known!" Franziska wailed now. "I know she w-wasn't planned, Miles. But I wanted her so much! What were the odds that the one time I missed my pill would have been the one time we made love that spring?"

Miles felt a twinge of guilt creeping over him. He remembered how he'd been grumbling to himself how moody and withdrawn Franziska was being, and not fulfilling his primal urges, which he had been attempting to do himself by dredging up the memories of his former lover. If only he'd known she'd been carrying their child at the time! He wasn't sure if would have made a difference, but he still felt terrible about the whole thing.

The worst part was that since then, Franziska barely let him touch her, seeming to swap her old birth control method of the pill for flat out _abstinence_! He could practically count on the fingers of his hands how many times they'd made love in the past three years, and mostly it'd been on the traditional festive occasions, like his birthday or Valentine's Day! Each time, he'd sensed her reluctance and trepidation, and had essentially felt like he'd merely spent himself on her, instead of it being a mutual enjoyable experience. They'd barely hugged or kissed, either – it was as though his touch made her skittish – like she was afraid he would ravage her against her will whenever he tried to be affectionate in any sort of way.

With their opposite work schedules, those awkward moments of her evasion of intimacy hadn't been too glaring, but when they were alone together, as they were now, it really was. He was surprised she'd even let him hold her, but he was grateful to have at least been able to offer her comfort from the pent up grief she'd been harboring all this time.

"It doesn't matter that she wasn't planned, _meine dame_." He brushed her hair off her face and looked at her with sincere amethyst eyes. "But believe you me, she would have been not only loved, but cherished and welcomed."

Franziska looked at him hopefully, still sobbing slightly. "Do you really mean that, _liebling_?" She whispered. "I didn't think it was possible to want something so badly that I didn't know I even had! But the hardest part of this all was…you know I've wanted a baby for the longest time now. I just didn't know if _you_ did just yet…or if you had only going along with it initially just to appease me. So I wasn't quite sure how you felt about the loss. A part of me wondered if you even may have felt…" She dropped her eyes then and could barely choke the last word out. " _R-relieved_."

"Franziska!" Miles' eyes were round with shock. "How could you – even… no! Of course I wasn't relieved! I was as distraught as you were…because I love you, and more than anything in the world, I want a life and family with you, even at this point, with our hectic careers."

"I think I needed to hear that." Franziska wiped her eyes, and smiled at him sadly. "I know I've pushed you away all this time Miles, and I'm sorry. But I was so terrified of getting pregnant …and I just couldn't endure ever having to go through such a heart-breaking experience again. Or even worse…thinking I'd brought a child into this world that was only reluctantly accepted by his father."

"Franziska Von Karma." Miles took her face in his hands and looked searchingly into her eyes. "Please believe me when I tell you, with all my heart, I would welcome and thank God for any child you give me."

"Oh _liebling_." Her lips trembled as she looked at him, the look of relief and love on her face as clear as day. " _Danke_. _Ich liebe dich_."

"I love you too _, meine dame_." He looked at her meaningfully. "But I'd love the opportunity to show you how much a love you." He leaned towards her, and a slight blush tinged her cheeks as the meaning of his words sank in.

"Miles…I…I'm not on the pill anymore," she stammered, blushing gorgeously. "And it's been so long since we made love that the box of condoms we had from last time has expired! It could be risky if we make love right now."

"Let it be," he growled. "You're going to be my wife. This time if it happens, you will know it was expected and wanted. I've been aching for you for so long...and I know by that look in your eyes I'm not the only one who's been craving _this_ …"

The world tumbled in slow motion, then stopped for a brief moment. Her blood rushed in her veins, wetness seeped between her thighs, her pulse pounded with a mad glee, and then he kissed her and it was all over.

She was lost.

A low moan ripped from her throat at contact and his tongue plunged deep. Completely raw, with little finesse and all dark hunger, he invaded her mouth.

The past and present blurred together, but this time, there was no retreat. Meeting him halfway, their tongues tangled and fought in a sensual dual she was happy to lose. He claimed and plundered, pressing her back onto the bed until she was stretched out and he loomed over her. She gripped his shoulders and arched against him, asking for more, and without breaking the kiss, as his hand slipped underneath the silk of her chemise, and hit bare skin.

Oh, God. His tweaking fingers against her bosom felt so good, causing a lightning jolt to course through her. Never had her body lit up so fast, with just a kiss and simple touch. Usually it took a while for foreplay to get her going, but good Lord, she was going to finish right now if she could just lift her hips a bit and rub—

"Don't think so, my little hellcat." He murmured the words against her lips, pausing to bite, then suck. "I waited three years to have you properly. I'm not letting you get off on a quick rub on the bed."

She should be completely embarrassed, but Franziska was beyond caring how she got there. Right now, tonight, the need in her body hurt too much. Her hunger reached beyond any type of rationality. She tried to lift her ass higher. "You win. I want you. _Fuck a baby into me_ , Miles Edgeworth."

He chuckled low and dirty. "Oh, _mein dame_ , you're still gonna pay."

Shivers raced down her spine. "I didn't do anything."

He broke the kiss and looked deep in her eyes. "You did everything. You just don't know it yet."

The words made no sense, but he gave her no time to ponder. He lifted her up and pressed her down on the bed, so her legs dangled over the side, her back supported by the mattress. Franziska waited for the frantic pull of clothes, the feel of skin on skin, the mad rush toward orgasm that usually accompanied a passionate encounter. Instead, he towered over her at the edge. With his exotic, simmering gaze trained on hers, Miles smiled, telling her immediately he was in no rush.

Oh, God, he was going to kill her.

He toed off his slippers and pulled off his pajama top with one easy motion. His skin gleamed in the morning sunrise outside the window, with chiseled, well-defined pecs and biceps. A line of light hair traveled down washboard abs and disappeared into his pajama bottoms. Her fingers fisted to rip them off, and feast. Franziska was just about to jump him when he moved out of reach.

"Stay there. Don't move."

She didn't think she was capable of movement then. Because her mind had become putty, just like her body.

Without a word, he reached for one bare foot, rubbing it in a slow massage. As he pressed into her instep, she swallowed a moan and kicked her leg a bit so he'd get on with the more important parts. Her body throbbed for relief, but he took his time with each foot, then gently let them sway back, dangling in midair.

"Miles?"

"Yes, Franziska?"

"Umm, we started at a good pace there, but things have slowed."

A glint of white teeth flashed. "Ever hear the motto 'it's all in the journey and not the destination'?"

"Yeah. I always thought that was bullshit." She scooted an inch down and wiggled her hips. "Getting to goal is a good thing." The thought of a mind-blowing orgasm had all her circuits firing. She enjoyed sex, but found her mind was way too involved, so she did best with a quick, intense session that got her to climax. Franziska had accepted her limitations and issues a long time ago, and though many times she wished to be less complicated, she also realized it was easier to accept and move on than try and fight her natural inclinations.

"What if I told you I intend to change your mind?" He played with her ankle, slipping his fingers under up her leg and rubbing her calf. Damn, the man could've been a massage therapist and made a million. Her muscles flexed while he kneaded, then caressed the back of her knee. Bolts of pleasure streaked through her. "What if I told you I don't intend to let you get to goal until you're begging me?"

 _Beg him? Damn, he was cocky! Uh, yeah. Good try_.

But she was so hot right now, as soon as he got close for any friction she'd take care of herself. Still, she smiled. "I'd say good luck."

His grin was very smug and very male. A shiver of warning trickled down her spine. She'd never begged for anything in her life, especially for a man to satisfy her. She didn't intend to start now.

Miles leaned over and skated both hands higher, pausing right underneath her thighs. He squeezed hard, and her hips lifted unconsciously. "I'm going to love every moment of this."

With one deft movement, he gripped the material of her baby doll bottoms and pulled them off her.

Franziska sucked in a breath. His hot gaze took in every inch of her skin, until a secret thrill began to build. Something dark and dirty stirred to life. Even after all this time, she loved it when he took the time to study her body with such razor intent, as if dying to ravish, taste, and mate. She trembled, not knowing what to do with the crazy feelings beginning to surge. He teasingly traced one index finger over the elastic, skimming over the front so she struggled to remain still.

"I want to take you so badly. Just…not yet."

Miles leaned over, and she released a sigh, waiting for the final barrier to be off and feel him inside her.

Instead, he lowered his mouth and pressed kisses over her thighs with a leisurely intent that told her he was in no rush. His tongue lashed out at her, tasting the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, knee, calves, and slowly back up. Her mind spun. She tried to grab his head and urge him upward, but he ignored her. A nibble here, a lick there; his hands consistently roved, pushing up her and dipping into her belly button, squeezing her hips, playing with the damn elastic of her panties until a whimper broke from her lips.

Finally, he inched his way back up. The heat of his skin burned into hers, and with the same easy pace, he pushed up her pajama top, propped her up, and guided it over her head.

"You taste like I remember. Exotic. Sweet."

Her voice sounded like sandpaper. "Orange blossom body lotion."

"And jasmine."

"Yes, that's in there, too. Miles, what are you doing?" Her eyes begged him to give her the orgasm and stop the torture, but the wicked grin that tugged at his lips told her he had other plans.

"Everything. By the time I'm through with you, you'll beg me for release. And I'll demand it, Franziska. Every last bit of it is mine."

So naughty. Until Miles, words like this had never been spoken to her, and she found she liked it, immensely.

He focused his attention on her chest then, dipping his head as he began licking her through the material, scraping his teeth over her most sensitive areas again and again until a low scream built at the back of her throat. His erection through his pajamas seemed massive as he grinded against her, and she lifted her hips to press back. Her head thrashed back and forth. Too much. It was all too much.

"I can't do this," she moaned. "It's taking too long."

She held on to him in a fierce grip, arched upward, burning alive to satisfy the burning ache within her and the need for this man to take all of her, any way he wanted, over and over and over.

"Open your mouth for me, Franziska." His eyes seethed with demand and lust. "Now."

His tongue surged between her lips and she almost wept with the pleasure. He plundered every last secret, then softened the pressure so he could play. The dual effects of hard and soft, rough and gentle, slow and fast, broke down her mental barriers and left her with nothing.

Just freedom.

By the time he broke the kiss and moved his way back down her body, Franziska was ready to surrender.

"Oh, please," she whispered. " _Please_."

"Better. You're almost there." He tugged off her panties and laid her bare for his gaze. "Do you know how long I fantasized about making love to you you?" He dragged a finger from her neck, down her chest, down to her navel, and Franziska writhed with a dark need to let him do anything. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes!"

"Ask me, Franziska. Beg me."

"P-p-please, _liebling_."

"Please what?"

Shame burned within but she was past caring. "Please take me now. Please make love to me."

"Beautiful. You're so beautiful, you were made for this. For me." He lowered his head and began a teasing trail of kisses from her neck down to her navel, and as his tormenting journey continued, Franziska felt the last of her sanity shred.

"Miles, please! I need—I'm _begging_!"

At last he answered her pleas and joined them together. Slowly, he filled her completely, taking everything she had without apology. She stretched to accommodate him, relishing the tightness, and as they began to move together, he interweaved his fingers with hers.

"I've missed this so much Franziska." His voice broke. "I've wanted you, ached for you, needed you. I've _always_ needed you."

She had no time to process the words or their meaning. The ride was wild, long, choppy, thrilling. Her release shimmered just out of reach, the feeling of him taking over her body, his hips working in a primitive dance, sweat drenching their skin, over and over until—

Franziska broke apart, dimly noting him following her over the edge. She gripped his hands as her only anchor, his weight pressing her against the bed, until they collapsed.

She closed her eyes.

Her mind was completely and blissfully empty.

But for the first time in three years, her mouth was open into a genuine, beatific smile.


	44. I'll Be Right Here Waiting For You

_"_ _No one is asking you to be in love with anyone. That is your choice."_

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 _A/N: I don't do gratuitous love scenes guys, and I swear I am not some sort of deviant by posting two **PG-13 scenes** back-to-back; (for the record this will be the last one for awhile!). This steamy scene is indeed plot related. At long last, the mystery man of Lana's that she was cheating on with Miles is revealed! For those of you who read **Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman**...recall WHY Ema was there at the bar in the first place? ;)_

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Four:** **I'll Be Right Here Waiting For You**

 _ **Lana Skye and Prison Inmate**_ _  
Detention Centre, Los Angeles_  
April 16, 2019

She walked into the trailer wearing a short black dress and thigh high boots. The outfit, along with her long silky hair, looked younger than her actual years, appearing to be in her late twenties. Her tight, sexually provocative clothing had been chosen to aid the illusion of youth.

But she wasn't young anymore. She was 32. Older. Wiser. More experienced. And as this would be her last time seeing him for a long time, she was going to draw upon all the experience to ensure it would be one neither of them would ever forget.

Pulling the strings to allow this special visit had been tough business. Lana had known it would be. After all, they weren't married – therefore, she and the inmate didn't really fall under the typically allowed realm for a conjugal visit.

However, there were some perks to having been a detective, and then chief prosecutor, none the least which included a mere two-year sentence for tampering with a murder scene, even if at the time her helpless intentions had been thought they were for a greater good. She'd done her hard time, and Lana Skye was now a free woman - even though she'd pretty much agreed to sell her soul to the devil in order to beget her freedom.

Her lover hadn't been as lucky. Despite being a former lawman, there would be no early parole for a man who had taken a cop's ID, assaulted a fellow officer, and stolen evidence.

She sat down on the bed in the trailer and closed her eyes, waiting.

She smelled him before seeing him.

The scent came from her right. She sniffed the air, breathing in the familiar aroma of tobacco and earthy patchouli. Looking up, she saw a tall man with midnight coffee brown eyes smiling down at her.

"I just wanted to stand here and admire you for a spell longer. Just take in the sexy as sin sight of you," he drawled, his lips curling up into a slow smile. "I'm enjoying it tremendously."

She rose and silently rubbed her body up against his. Her hip dug into his groin and she could feel the slight telltale swelling there already. She knew from experience how much promise that bulge held. She sniffed again. Sweet smelling. Smiling easily. No display of sadness, that this would be their last time seeing one another for ages. A mellow and amused expression, eyes dancing with unrepressed desire. Her inner goddess stretched inside her, urging her to take him, right then and now, and the hell with foreplay.

"Oh, really?" She raised one brow and wriggled against him again. The size of the ridge against her hip increased. Oh, yeah. This was going to be fun, she though, as she realized, from memory, that his more than adequate proportions weren't fully erect yet.

He nodded, his dark eyes gleaming as they raked over her from the top of her caramel head to the tips of her designer boots. "Of course, we'd both enjoy it a lot more naked in that bed," he told her candidly.

"You don't believe in wasting time, I see." She turned, deliberately rubbing against him, breast to chest. In her boots, she almost matched his height.

He quirked a dark brown brow at her. "And you do? You can't tell me that after all this time apart, you're not dying to be clawing to get me, _bambina_."

Lana began to smile. There had been a time when she'd been sick of being called a baby girl in Italian by a wannabe Texan who was really from California, but right now, after so long, the endearing term was like music to her ears. His body might have been apart from hers for some time, but he obviously still knew the details of how to rile her up intimately, regardless. Good. One less thing she'd have to retrain him on.

"You're a bold young thing, aren't you, cowboy?"

He laughed. "I'm not young anymore, _bambina_. Gonna be two score age in five years yonder."

He shifted his hips against her and the hard ridge of his erection bumped against her belly. Instinctively, she grinded against it.

"Like a fine wine, you've only improved with age, though am sure," she purred, reaching down and boldly stroking the front of his prison uniform pants. "But if you want, we can play student and teacher and you can pretend to be the bad little boy who didn't do his homework…"

His engaging smile widened.

"I'll be teacher's pet, I promise," he joked.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Not a bad game. Have you been bad today? Do you need a spanking?"

As the words fell from her lips, she could have kicked herself. This time was supposed to be about vanilla sex, not kinks or fetishes.

However, the handsome cowboy man just shrugged.

"I'd rather just take you. All that other crap isn't necessary for me. As you can tell, I'm pretty much good to go."

His eyes gleamed. One hand cupped the side of her face, the long elegant fingers sliding into her long hair. Angling his head toward hers, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips. An electric tingle went through Lana's body as she felt the heat rushing to the surface of her skin.

When he deepened the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue, she sighed into his mouth. His free hand slid over her hip and curved over her taut buttock. She rubbed herself against him again as his intoxicating scent grew stronger. Lifting her arms, she draped them over his broad shoulders, feeling the hard muscle and bone beneath his inmate shirt. He sucked on her tongue and heat pooled deliciously between her thighs. God, he was hot! She slid her hand up his orange-clad thigh and caressed him intimately. He responded instantly to her touch.

"I gather you're not much for chitchat right now." He sucked in a breath, his hand coming up to cup her bosom.

"Nope," she replied. Naturally reticent, whenever she was horny, as she was now, she was even less inclined to words. Only action of a sexual nature would calm the beast inside her. "Just looking for some amazing sex to send you off with. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"Well, just in case you feel the urge to shout my name later, I like it when you call me _Jake_ ," he said and grabbed her by the back of the head.

Shock rippled through Lana as he held her firmly. He kissed her deeply, ravaging her mouth with the kind of kiss she'd expect and gotten accustomed to from an Alpha like Miles, not a Beta like Jake Marshall. If his kiss hadn't completely overwhelmed her and made thinking next to impossible, she would have wondered if she had pegged him wrong all this time. Where his kiss had been leisurely before, now it burned hot and urgent, demanding a response from her rather than accepting what she doled out to him.

Abruptly, he let her go. Her chest heaved as she sucked in great gulps of air. Jake's eyes glinted enigmatically at her in the dim light trailer.

"Does it still surprise you I'm not the kind of mild-mannered man I used to be now, Lana? Or does the prison jumpsuit make you think I could no longer be that anyway? You gotta be more careful about judging a book by its cover," he growled.

She blinked. He looked at her with a feral light in his eyes. _Ho-ly shit_. She'd never misjudged an Alpha before. Of course, her familiarity with former policemen turned inmates was few and far between…She was starting to feel skittish. Two years in the clink…how much of her beloved Jake Marshall had been changed since?

Jake took her chin in his hand, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes were the color of espresso, rich with reddish brown flecks. She could feel the steely strength in his long elegant fingers.

"You're lucky after all this hard time, I'm still a nice guy. I promise not to give it to you harder than you can handle," he whispered, shocking her with his unexpected choice of words.

Her eyes widened a little. He smiled then, and the sunny, amusing persona he'd always displayed that she'd grown to love, the one that'd always whispered words of love and adoration to her all these years, snapped back into place.

"You are going to let me have my way with you, aren't you?" he asked as his fingers turned from steel to silk, sliding warmly across her skin.

Lana nodded. Several strands of her hair caught in the dark stubble that covered his jaw. His warm, masculine scent grew stronger and she realized his arousal intensified it. The more aroused he became, the stronger the scent grew. The sweet smell flooded her entire being, making her mouth water. She wondered what he tasted like now…

In a split second, the inner tigress within her roared to life. She pushed Jake against the back wall of the trailer and kissed him hard, her lips and tongue sucking urgently at his. The heat and depth of the kiss pushed her arousal up several notches. It had been a long time since a man had affected her so strongly, and never had one's scent overpowered her as Jake's did. Potent and distinctive, she would have been able to find him in a crowd of thousands. Definitely something to remember as she tried to savor the memories of this day.

Jake's hands slid up under the hem of her mini dress, his fingers digging into her bottom. She rubbed herself against him and he rewarded her with another growl. Pure sex emanated from the sound, with none of the male fierceness that had colored it previously. The sound skittered along her nerve endings, rousing her tremendous sexual appetite.

A wave of heat flooded through her. Jake's nostrils flared and she knew he was as ready as she was. Beneath her hand, his manhood had swollen to a satisfying proportion. The long thick ridge through his pants promised to fill her as no one had before. Size had never mattered to her, but then, she'd never had someone as big as Jake, ever.

When he turned toward her, she reached back and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor.

Standing in front of Jake in her black silk thong and leather boots, a sense of empowerment filled her. Jake looked at her hand and arched one dark brow in amusement, almost as if he could read her thoughts. He casually pulled off his inmate shirt and tossed it on the floor.

Lana's eyes raked over the muscles of his arms and chest. He had a fine boned aristocratic caste to his build, with pale gold skin, a shade or two lighter than her own tan. The muscles of his arms, pecs, and shoulders were sculpted and well defined, but not bulky. His rock hard abs had classic six pack ridges. A fine dust of dark hair encircled each of his pale brown nipples… pale brown pierced nipples.

Her lips quirked in a smile. He really wasn't the hardened inmate he appeared to be, she thought as he bent and removed his shoes and socks. When he straightened, she briefly eyed his long narrow feet. Elegant like his hands. Her gaze shifted to those hands. They pulled down his pants pushing the material down his muscular thighs. He kicked the pants away and hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers. With a practiced flick, the garment in question hit the floor and he kicked them in the same direction as the jeans.

"Will I do?" he asked, as her eyes wandered his hard body. Dark hair arrowed from his navel to his groin. She saw that he'd somehow kept himself man-scaped. It'd been so long she'd nearly forgotten how well-endowed he was. Her mouth watered at the sight of him.

"I believe you will." Desire turned her voice husky. "Tell me, you still wanna go for a ride, cowboy?"

Jake smiled angelically. "For now, yes. I'm ready whenever you are, _bambina_."

As his voice trailed away, Lana bent over and unzipped her boots. She could feel Jake's eyes on her body, as if he touched her. The weight of his gaze made her rush and she kicked the expensive designer footwear off, something she never did. She lifted her head, her eyes holding his as she shimmied out of the black silk thong.

Her insides churned, knowing that the tension they shared would soon be released. Lana walked over to the bed and ripped the covers back. Lying on the sheets, her inviting smile visible even in the low light.

 _If you want it, come and get it, big boy_. _Standing there staring doesn't do either of us any good._

Jake's eyes jerked to hers and for a split second she had the weird sense that he had heard her thoughts. But then he flashed a seductive smile that widened as he started toward her.

"You're as beautiful as I remember, _bambina_ ," he said softly, his tone filled with satisfaction.

When he reached the side of the bed, his long fingers trailed over her knee and up the inside of her thigh. Her heart thundered in her chest, her breathing harsh.

Jake leaned over her, his hands denting the mattress on either side of her hips as he sat on the edge of the bed. "How much foreplay do you want, _bambina_? Because as far as I'm concerned, kissing those full succulent lips while you grinded me for a spell was all I needed."

Lana licked her lips, watching as Jake's eyes darkened even more. "I don't need any more teasing. Just take me hard and fast before I explode from looking at you."

She didn't know what to expect, but what happened next still surprised her. With an economy of movement that made it all seem like a single smooth move, Jake reached out, flipped her onto her belly, drew her back against him, and swiftly took her. Pleasure ripped through her in a great wave. She had no idea how he remembered what she liked. He'd certainly never before been a rough lover before.

He jerked her up off her hands, his chest cradling and supporting her torso. His hips stilled as his hands swept over her body, finding all the places she most liked to be touched. When she moaned uncontrollably, he licked her neck and she shivered. The most incredible sensations overcame her body when his tongue stroked over her skin as he moved with her.

"Come, _bambina_ , you're almost there," he growled. "Finish for me…I know you can…"

"Not yet," she gasped. "I want you to be there with me…"

Jake chuckled but his tempo didn't lessen. He gave her exactly what she'd asked for. She shuddered and gasped for air, her heart racing thunderously. His tongue licked at her neck as his movements grew more frantic. His teeth nipped the back of her neck as his hands tightened on her thighs.

Heat flooded her veins. Shivers of pleasure racked her body. Her release crested and she cried out, tossing her head just as with a muffled cry, feeling her spasms, Jake joined her over the edge. Shaking uncontrollably, her arms gave out and her face landed on the sheet. She moaned at the feel of his flesh separating from hers. Jake flopped onto his back beside her and her knees gave out, her lower body sprawling bonelessly on the bed. They looked at each other, both of them gasping for air. Then Jake reached out and brushed a lock of hair off her face.

"I'll give you fifteen minutes to recover. Then I'm good to go again, _bambina_."

Lana's eyes popped open in astonishment. She didn't know what astonished her more, the fact that he would be ready again so soon or the way he took control. Her lips curved in a grin.

"I worked something out with the boys. They've given us a few good hours to do nothing but just wildly hump like bunnies," she told him, still trying to catch her breath.

"Well, I'm good at it and I like to do it for hours. After all, this had to tide me over for a long time, ain't that right?" His dark eyes twinkled at her. "Unless you're sending me away now that you've had your way with me already."

Although he hadn't framed his words as a question, she shook her head anyway.

"I don't think I can send you away. At least, not until I'm worn out and can't walk," she replied, her own smile growing as approval flashed across his face.

"Good." He leaned over and kissed her hard. "Because if you can't walk away, then maybe you won't run away screaming when I say this to you." He took her face in his hands and looked earnestly into her eyes. "I love you Lana Skye. Always have. Always will. Wait for me, _bambina_. Marry me."

Her mind reeled with shock. In spite of everything that had happened, he _still_ loved her? He wanted to _marry_ her?

Up until she'd been incarcerated, the whole world, from Miles to her own baby sister, had accused her of being an unfeeling bitch, it stung. Those words from people she had cared for struck deeply into emotions she struggled daily to control. To survive the pain, she'd retreated into the cold bitch persona she'd been accused of.

Now, that same self-preservation kept the lid on her emotions, when she looked at Jake. The core of her knew she loved him, and that ultimately, she wanted to be with him. But the icy bitch who'd taken control of her all those years ago still refused to let go. The bitch coolly surveyed Jake, wondering how she was expected to accept a marriage proposal from cowboy-obsessed former patrol officer turned convict who was sure to remain in the slammer for at least another seven years. She snarkily thought that all her life, she'd dreamed of being proposed to, never dreaming it would be in a conjugal trailer, without even a ring or sign of parole in sight.

Inside her, behind the icy bitch, the real Lana gazed at Jake's beautiful face and wished her life was different.


	45. Skeletons in the Closet

_"If I trust you, I will follow your lead and if you think I am right, just follow me."_

* * *

 _A/N: The characters of Tyrell Badd, Kay Faraday, and Shih-Long Lang are from the Miles Edgeworth AA games. I hope I've made it so you can still follow the next arc of the story even if you haven't played those games, as I try my best to recap any references to them as best I can. If you have any questions, of course, please feel free to message me. That being said, the next few chapters may contain some slight spoilers for the Edgeworth games._

 _This chapter is dedicated to wonderful reader and FF writer, who is definitely my most **passionate** reviewer, **Ilet Moratar!** May your worries about the Fredgeworth's sacred bed be dispelled after this, mi amiga! You're awesome!_

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Five: Skeletons in the Closet**

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karm_** **a**  
 _Interpol Offices, Borginia  
_ August 7, 2024 3:00 pm

" _Dummkopf_!" The whip slashed through the air with a loud hiss, snapping loudly against the man's unsuspecting cheek. "Just _who_ do you think you are? How _dare_ you tell me what I can and cannot do, you foolish fool!"

Shi-Long Lang clapped a hand against his weathered cheek to take away the sting and shot a scathing look at Miles, who merely raised an eyebrow at his superior's brown-eyed glare.

"Can't _you_ control your fiancée, Edgeworth?"

 _And risk being at the receiving end of her back-in-action, ever-ready whip? No thank you!_ Miles thought to himself, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

The head Interpol agent heightened his glare at him, so Miles acquiesced to the silent order, while barely stifling a sigh as he looked imploringly at the fuming Franziska.

"For starters, _meine dame,_ said foolish fool is the head agent in charge of this smuggling operation, and in essence, our boss," he reminded her calmly. "And as you are fully aware, negating his authority counts as insubordination."

 _As does impromptu whipping of him whenever he says something that you don't like or disagree with!_

"Miles Edgeworth, just _whose_ side are you on, you traitorous fool?!" Franziska snapped, brandishing her whip menacingly as her hitherto stormy gaze on the wolf-man agent shifted over to her betrothed. "Did you not hear the tom foolery that this damn _foolish fool_ of a man just _said_ to me? He told me that I couldn't be your partner in the Borginia undercover investigation!"

"We are changing tactics because our standard investigation methods have been an exercise in futility! We need to do something more drastic!" Lang thundered. "We have wasted _how_ many years in Zheng-Fa prior to now, and God only knows how many millions of dollars, thinking we could find out the key source of the cocoon smuggling by investigating the importing country to which the good were being smuggled _to_. Obviously whoever is in charge has been way too good at covering their tracks, which means we have to go start probing the _source_ of where the goods are stemming _from._ That means a highly dangerous sting operation, which _you_ , Franziska, absolutely _will not_ take part of, no matter _how_ many times you use that blasted whip!"

"I am one of the best Interpol agents you have, you foolish fool!" Franziska cried out in rage, her eyes flashing. "Have you forgotten that it was _I_ who was successful in helping you shut down the one of the distribution systems in Zheng-Fa, as well getting you the contact information to get in touch with the source so that you could orchestrate this sting in the first place! Ergo, you have _no_ right to do this to me, you fool!" Her whip whizzed through the air again, directed at Lang's long sideburn on the right side of his face.

" _Not so fast_!" Prepared for the onslaught this time, the Wolf-Man raised his hand and caught the weapon, wrapping it around his huge hand and yanking it out of the angry woman's wielding fingers as he affected his best no-nonsense tone. "We are going to have this conversation like adults, _Ane-san_. No more violence or tantrums, is that understood?"

"Don't you _dare_ call me big-sister now, Lang!" Smoke was practically coming out of Franziska's ears; she was too angry to even note the respectful title despite being younger than her superior. "I demand one good reason why you will not allow me to be the undercover agent by Mile's side while we go into this next phase of the venture. Who better to play the part of his lover than his _actual_ fiancée, you foolish fool of a man!"

Lang wearily dragged a hand down his face. "Well for starters, what with the legacy and infamy of your late father, as well as _your_ famous Von Karma name and face, you are way too well known here in Europe to try to play an undercover agent without being recognized by the wrong people and we just can't take that risk, Franziska."

"What foolish nonsense!" She declared, although her rage had simmered down to a lower boil as she contemplated her boss's words. "I would as surely go by a disguised name and appearance as Miles most definitely would – aren't you worried that _he_ will be recognized as well?"

"Edgeworth was never at the forefront in the matters as _you_ have been; he's been strictly behind the scenes investigation this whole time, so no, his face is not well known," Lang explained with strained patience. "Also, his prosecuting fame was mostly prevalent in the States, so his name and reputation actually has not followed him overseas much at all. He will be a much better plant and much easier to disguise as a billionaire playboy for this this reason."

" _A billionaire playboy_?" Franziska echoed, her eyes narrowing as they slid over to her suddenly guilty looking fiancé, as if for the first time taking in his recently acquired, closely-cropped long soul-patch and narrow mustache. Normally clean-shaven, she realized Miles hadn't shaved for over a good few weeks now…as though in anticipation for something of this sort…

Miles caught the look of betrayal in the gray depths as the realization dawned on her then, and her eyes flickered for a second. But the pure anger flared again, and he couldn't stay away from her. He wanted to go to her, to soothe and help make her see the logical reason for all this.

Her eyes didn't widen, they unhurriedly formed into unnerving slits as she directed her lethal glare at him.

"You _knew_ about this, Miles Edgeworth!" She accused, her voice wavering. "You've _always_ known of their plans for you – and that they were planning on shutting me out! So! Tell me! Is _this_ why you've been growing out your facial hair lately to look like _Iron Man_?!"

"Wright told me that was the best route to go with!" Miles shrugged helplessly. "When I last emailed him, casually inquiring about how an alleged billionaire playboy appeared, he insisted I look up images of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark and this was the look that _he_ apparently possessed in all those superhero movies!"

"Good call, Edgeworth," Lang nodded approvingly, oblivious to the look of hurt betrayal on Franziska's face. "The finishing touches will be getting you some designer sunglasses, a fitted dark suit, and slicking back your hair. The pièce de résistance will be your arm candy of course."

" _Arm candy_?" Both Franziska and Miles swiveled their heads in unison at the agent upon hearing the last words, mouths agape.

"Of course." Lang shrugged. "You can't be a billionaire playboy looking for drugs and good times without the flashy car…or the even flashier, scantily-clad hot babe on his arm to complete the picture."

" _Hot babe_?" Franziska's voice had reached a fevered pitch now. "How is it that you _dare_ claim that you see fit to put some random…slutty-dressed wannabe _floozy_ on _my_ Miles' arm –while I am _still_ _present_? Are you trying to imply that _I_ don't fit that bill?" Her infuriated gaze traveled back to her precious whip, still in the agent's hand, as if contemplating snatching it out of his fingers. "What reason do you have to determine I lack the sex appeal to fulfill this role, you _low-down, rotten, sneaky son-of-a_ …"

"Franziska, you're _pregnant_!" Miles exclaimed, exasperated.

She stared at him, shocked into silence at his unexpected outburst at what she'd thought was confidential information.

"I didn't want to get into personal matters, and had hoped that my authoritative stance on the matter was just cause enough." Lang stated, crossing his muscular, leather-clad arms across his chest.

"However, since the cat's out of the bag, Franziska, that _is_ indeed the primary reason why I will not allow you to endanger yourself in this kind of precarious situation."

"I can't believe you told _him_!" Franziska shrieked, running over to Miles and pounding him in the chest with her tiny fists, until he finally caught her wrists, looking down at her with a tormented expression as he saw the tears of rage and betrayal in her eyes. "How could you deceive me like this Miles? How could you go and tell _him_ and _not even tell_ _me_ any of this?"

" _Meine dame_ , please calm yourself," he pleaded. "It's still early, you shouldn't be getting so upset…"

"I'm only two months along! The baby isn't due till March, and I'm not even _showing_!" She shouted, at last ceasing her struggling efforts from his grip and instead stamping her foot on the ground in helpless fury.

"Franziska…" his tone was beseeching. "I won't have the mother of my child risk her life or that of our baby like that. I love you both too much to let that happen. I'll not have you be put into danger…"

"The hell with you both!" Franziska cried, at last wrestling free from him and casting a wild-eyed glare at the two men. "I hate you! I will never forgive you for this Miles!" She turned and ran from the room then, out the door of the office and out the front door, leaving a hapless-looking Lang and anguished-looking Miles behind in her wake

Once she'd reached the outside of the building though, taken in some fresh air, and forced her angry and admittedly, hormone-riddled mind to assess the situation clearly, however, she knew, in her heart of hearts, that she was in the wrong.

Ever since that fateful morning in Zheng-Fa nearly a year ago, when the two of them had had their heart-to-heart about wanting a baby, she and Miles had been trying, with no avail, for the longest time, to conceive again. No protection, no worries, just blissfully making love with wild abandon, whenever opportunity arose. But nothing had happened. Month after month she'd frenetically checked that at-home urine-test, only to be disappointed at the negative results each time. Then, finally, at last, in June, on the night of her birthday, a miracle had happened, and a month later, they'd both been delighted to see that smiling face on the stick, indicating that at last, they'd been given another chance, and she was indeed with child.

They'd decided to keep her pregnancy a secret for now, telling nobody – especially since she was still in the first trimester – so she'd been beyond stunned to learn that Miles had gone behind her back and told their boss of her delicate condition! It was humiliating – it made her look weak, helpless, and unprofessional…for heaven's sake she was in her _mid-twenties_ now! A grown woman who should be allowed to make her own choices! How dare her fiancé act like her father – or worse, her lord and master and make executive decisions like this behind her back!

With a rueful sigh, she shook her head at that ridiculous notion, dismissing it as soon as it entered her head. Deep down, Franziska knew Miles had not been trying to play God with her, at least not without just cause. He loved her, and simply didn't want to endanger her or their baby, especially after the heartache they'd faced four years ago. She would need to apologize to both men for the erratic way she'd behaved.

Hell, she could blame her pre-existing tempestuous nature as now being magnified due to the pregnancy hormones. And she still had a good 7 months to _milk the hell_ out of _that_ excuse! She idly wondered, as she reached into her bag and hit the speed-dial button for their home mansion back in Germany on her cell phone and listened to the rings, just _how much_ _butt-kissing_ she'd have to do to Lang in order to get her trusty whip back. Hmmm, in order to regain his trust, she supposed she'd have to prove she was capable of being level-headed and rational…

"Hello?" A sleepy – and distinctly _female_! – voice murmured into the receiver after about half a dozen rings.

Franziska stared at the phone as though it were some sort of contaminated item in her hand, her full lips parted in a silent gasp. The voice didn't have the Bavarian accent of Helga, her head housekeeper back at home, whom she'd called to give some additional home-care instructions to. No, the unfamiliar voice sounded American and sleepy, as though having just been risen from slumber!

"Hello?" The voice on the phone said again, sounding a tad impatient now. "Who is this?"

"Who the hell is _this_?" Franziska shrieked, forgetting her earlier decision to be calm and rationale now.

"Oops, shouldn't have answered," the voice mumbled, and then Franziska heard a click as the woman hung up.

Seething, she looked at the number she'd dialed, and was infuriated to note that in her haste, instead of having called the speed-dial number for her home in Germany, she'd actually called _Miles'_ penthouse home back in LA! Where absolutely _nobody_ else was supposed to be residing other than _Hendricks_ , who, unless he'd gotten a sex-change operation or _castrated hims_ elf was most definitely not the one in possession of the high-pitched, feminine voice she'd just heard!

" _Franziska_!"

She whirled around at the sound of her name, and saw Miles jogging towards her, a look of earnestness on his handsome face. He stopped before her, placing her hands on her shoulders as he looked down at her with loving relief. " _Meine dame_ , I'm so glad I caught up with you!"

She shrugged free from his grip and glared at him, sparks flying out of her eyes. "Miles Edgeworth, why the hell is it now that every time I call your phone some random woman answers it?!"

"What?!" A startled look flashed across his features.

"I just called your – _our –_ home, back in Los Angeles by accident while I was trying to call Helga," she bit out. "And some… _woman_ answered the line! Care to explain yourself?"

Miles groaned and clapped a hand to his forehead.

 _Note to self – murder both Wright and his girlfriend in their sleep next time I'm in town for causing me this latest strife, however unwittingly…_

" _Meine dame_ ," he replied patiently, rubbing his hands up and down her tense shoulder. "That wasn't a woman…"

" _Really_?" She derided humorlessly. "You could have fooled me! Unless there's a kept _man_ , instead of a kept _woman_ , with an _alarmingly high falsetto_ whom you're keeping in the luxe lifestyle in our home I would certainly beg to the contrary!"

"Franziska that was Miss Fey!" He blurted out.

" _Maya_?" Franziska's eyes widened. "What on earth is _Maya Fey_ doing in our house?"

 _Presumably,_ _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _, but somehow I sense that's not the answer that needs to be spoken at this moment…_ Miles bit back the sarcastic retort threatening to spring from his lips. _God dammit I could have_ _ **sworn**_ _I told that imbecile and his girlfriend_ _ **never**_ _, under any circumstances, to answer the phone!_

"She stays over there whenever she's down in LA for conferences or meetings," Miles explained, quickly giving her the quick rundown of the situation which he now realized he'd been remiss in sharing. Franziska listened intently, nodding and even giggled slightly when he joked about how he'd instructed the butler to essentially rig and nail down every _Steel Samurai_ bit of memorabilia so it would be spared Maya's undoubtedly sticky fingers.

"So you see, it's perfectly harmless," he concluded. "Although after that time you called me and had Kay answer my cell, I can see why you may have gotten the wrong idea."

"I blame these hormones, _liebling_ …I'm overreacting to _everything_ ," she admitted, blushing at her own foolishness. "And I'm sorry. But on both counts…Maya…this sting, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I agreed to help out Wright and Miss Fey out of their dire straits years ago…right before…the incident. So it honestly slipped my mind." Miles winced.

"Phoenix Wright is most fortunate to have a friend as loyal and generous as you _liebling_. But I know he's had his share of bad luck, so it's wonderful you were able to assist him in this matter."

"He's a downright fool at times, Franziska, but he's _my_ fool. And he too, has done a lot for me in the past," Miles sighed.

"I agree with you completely. However, as our bedroom, moreover, our _bed_ is their rendezvous safe place..." Franziska's eyes gleamed with derision. "I do hope after all is said and done, you will have Hendricks _burn_ all those sheets, won't you _liebling_?"

"Never mind burning the sheets _meine dame_ ," he drawled, tapping her on the nose. "I promise you that I shall ensure we get ourselves a brand-new _bed_ and present our _old_ one to them as an early wedding present!

They both laughed, then his expression grew serious again.

"But back to this…everything since…this whole operation…our schedules…I genuinely forgot about it, _meine dame_. Forgive me; my deception was completely unintentional."

"I do forgive you, Miles. I hope you can forgive me." She pulled his head down to hers for a gentle kiss. "I love you so much."

"Always, _meine dame_. I love you, too." He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled tenderly down at her. "With regards to the sting…that wasn't exactly my decision to make, keeping you out of the operation. I told Lang that you were in the family way a month ago, when he made me aware that he needed me to be the plant. He said he would tell you about it when the time was right…and for some reason decided that today would be the day. I was following orders from my superior, Franziska – although I'm sorry that meant keeping things temporarily secret from you."

"It's alright, Miles, really," she insisted, standing up on her tip toes to kiss him again. "However, I'm certainly hoping that's the _only_ other secret you've been keeping from me? There's absolutely _nothing_ else that you think I should be in the know on? No other matter _at all_ that may have _slipped your mind_?" She prodded with a teasing smirk.

"None whatsoever," he swore, taking her hand and leading her back into the building. "I'm a boring old prosecutor, Franziska. And you've been raised by my side for most of my dull, uneventful life. What other deep, dark skeletons could I possibly have lurking in my closet?"

"I guess none, you dull old man you!" She grinned mischievously as they entered the office again, finding Lang with one hand holding his cell to his ear, while with his free hand, he was doing practice lashes with the whip, expertly wrapping it around the out of reach items on his desk and using it to draw them near. He ceased when he saw the two, looking a tad embarrassed to have been caught in such unseemly behavior.

"You're back, Franziska," he said brusquely, looking over at Miles. "I take it you two have smoothed things out then?"

"We have, Agent Lang," she replied sweetly. "I wish to apologize for my conduct earlier. You were absolutely right in your decision. The sting is too dangerous for a pregnant woman. But I do hope that I will still be doing my regular Interpol agent duties and not be completely kept out of the loop?"

"Of course," he assured her. "You're one of our finest agents, Franziska. We still want you to trail the plant, er Miles, in the van whereas needed, and do stakeout and surveillance, as is customary."

"Sounds good. So who will be accompanying him, then? Kay Faraday?"

"Cool! I get to be Mr. Edgeworth's bimbo for this stunt?" The Yatagarasu's familiar chirp could be heard crowing excitedly from the other end of the line. Lang frowned into his phone at the word choice.

"No, Kay, we need to keep an ear to the ground in all of this and keep close tabs on the suspect, maybe even utilize your great-thief espionage skills if we need to you break into a place that requires truth-stealing," the agent informed Miles' former assistant turned fellow Interpol agent.

"Why can't she do double duty?" Franziska suggested mildly. "If anyone can pull off stealth and secret identity, it would be the daughter of the original truth stealing Yatagarasu."

"Because we need a smoking hot, sexy femme-fatale type, not a perky girl-child with a key in her hair!" Lang barked, clearly frustrated with the conversation.

"Hey!" Kay protested. "Who you calling a _kid_ , _Wolf-Man_? I'm _23_ now, I'll have you know!"

Lang sighed, dropped the whip onto the desk, and began rubbing his temple with his free hand. Seizing her opportunity, Franziska discreetly grabbed it and silently slipped it back onto her hip holster, smiling angelically at the irked agent the whole time, who was too engrossed in the phone call to notice. Miles bit back a chuckle.

"Yes, Kay, I'm sure you're now a lovely young woman," he said dryly. "But you're too valuable an asset for us to risk at the moment."

Miles wasn't quite sure if the implication meant that he was of less value, as Lang had had no qualms putting _his_ neck on the line to go undercover, or if he was merely trying to placate the feisty girl.

"We already have someone in mind," Lang continued. "She's a special field agent that we've been extensively been training for years just for this particular assignment. She is aware it's a high-risk situation, but has agreed to the terms as part of her early parole, and in exchange we will be expunging her records after 10 years as part of the agreement. No, she's not a stranger to the field at all. She was already in the world of law many moons ago."

 _Someone who had been in law…but then had been convicted of a crime…as they'd been paroled? As in, had done prison time? And was now agreeing to a top-secret, dangerous mission in exchange for clearing her criminal background?_

Miles' brow furrowed as he tried to piece together the bewildering tidbits of information he was hearing but drew a complete blank. It was a bizarre, but not unheard of situation, of course, for someone of prior influence to negotiate some sort of bargain in exchange for their freedom. But for the life of him he couldn't imagine who it could be. Maybe someone from Europe? Or even Zheng-Fa?

"Yes, yes, you will be working with her as well. In fact, she's on her way here now, which is why I called you," Lang was saying now. "I figured the timing was perfect, as Franziska and Edgeworth are here now as well. In fact, Detective Badd should be coming along with her any moment now."

"Someone call my name?" A deep voice from the office entrance intoned just then.

The three turned their heads, where a man stood, large frame filling the whole doorway. He was large, unshaven, and wore a coat that looked like it had been salvaged from a war zone. Even the man's loosely dangling tie carried similar holes.

After taking a suspicious look back and forth, the man shoved his hands in his coat pockets and began trudging forward. A white stick, which looked like a cigarette between his lips, flicked slightly as he walked. The man pulled his hand back out of his coat. In it he held a small, personal mirror. After giving himself the once over, he stuffed it back in his pocket. He removed the stick from his lips, which actually turned out to be a lollipop.

"Detective Tyrell Badd at your service," he said gruffly. "I bring along with the requested company, Agent Lang. Behold your newest Interpol Agent."

A shadow stepped out from behind the burly man, and Miles saw a flash of jacket and willowy form…and then the rest of the figure emerged into view, and for once in his life, the cool, calm prosecutor felt his composure unravel as he laid eyes on the face that had been haunting his memories – and recent fantasies! – for the past near decade. His eyes were round with shock, and his jaw dropped as he took in just who would be playing the part of his "arm-candy bimbo."

" _Lana?"_ He gasped.


	46. Fire and Ashes

_"A human being who trades away individuality for conformity is nothing but a slave."_

* * *

 _A/N – this chapter's timeline takes place during the SL-9 incident, which was the one that whole foundation the Rise From the Ashes game was based on. So…I guess the time falls around the RFTA prequel?_

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Six: Fire and Ashes**

 _ **Lana Skye and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Los Angeles Criminal Affairs Department_  
October 30, 2014 3:00 pm

There was a knock on the door to Lana's office, causing the workaholic detective to pause in her paperwork. The door opened, revealing a towering hulk of a man in his early 60's with twinkling green eyes over his ever-present pink sunglasses, which were perched upon his tanned hawkish nose.

"Come on in!" She called, smiling at the sight of Damon Gant, her office mate and literal partner in crime.

"Glad I found you here, Skye."

"What's up, Gant? Going on a donut run?" She flashed a teasing smile at her workmate. "Make mine a Boston cream, please."

"Oh, you're hilarious, Skye," The silver-haired detective flashed a wry grin. "Nope, no donuts for you this time. I just wanted to you to introduce you to someone." Her wide-shouldered co-worker stepped aside and ushered the man who'd been standing behind him into the room. "Skye, I'd like you to meet the man who hopefully will be making his US courtroom debut once we finally catch the bastard behind these SL-9 killings, Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth."

Edgeworth stepped inside and as his eyes met Lana's, she found herself unabashedly staring at the flawless male specimen before her.

Her mouth went dry.

 _Your reaction is completely inappropriate, not to mention ridiculous_! The small, sane remaining part of her mind screamed at her. _Act your age, woman! You're 27-years-old, not some hormonally-crazed teenager! And this –_ ** _man/boy_** _can't be more than 22-years-old! Stop gawking at him already! Besides, have you forgotten that you're_ ** _spoken_** _for?! To one_ ** _helluva_** _looker, to boot!_

Right. She had a lover already. Jake Marshall. Mr. Tall, Dark and Studly. Her fellow detective boyfriend, whom she'd been seeing the past few months. The cowboy-loving man with the sultry Western drawl wasn't exactly hard on the eyes, and there was no denying that he most definitely sported head-turning, rugged good looks in his own right.

But there was _good-looking_ …and then there was _Miles Edgeworth_.

Lana felt her breath catch in her throat as she studied him intently. Edgeworth's tall and broad-shouldered frame was clad in a well-fitted merlot-red suit and snowy ruffled cravat, which should have made him look like some sort of old-fashioned, flouncy dandy sort. But instead, it perfectly set off his immaculately groomed greyish-black hair, which she suddenly itched to run her fingers through. His bone structure was fine, his chiseled features perfectly symmetrical. He had distinct cheekbones and an angular jaw, his pale skin making him look devilishly handsome. And those eyes…Lana had never seen eyes like his before in her entire life. He had strong arched brows and eyelashes so thick, it could be illegal. She was utterly mesmerized by those long-lashed, grey eyes, the color of ash remnants of a roaring fire.

Much like the fire that had ignited _inside of her_ at the sight of him, in a way that it _never_ had before with her Jake!

It was an irrevocable case of _lust_ at first sight. She _definitely_ needn't ask him to walk by her again!

On shaky legs, Lana rose from her desk and walked over to shake his hand, hoping he wouldn't notice the slight trembling of her fingers as his long, elegant ones clasped hers. At the touch of his skin, she felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her. Standing this close before him, she could see the flecks of silver in his eyes, the momentary knowing glint in them leading her to realize she wasn't the only one who had been affected by the contact. She dropped her gaze to the well-manicured, yet masculine fingers still gripping hers, and cleared her throat before allowing her eyes to meet his again.

"Detective Lana Skye." She murmured, a pleasant, polite smile on her pretty face which hopefully belied none of her lascivious thoughts. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Edgeworth."

"The pleasure is _all_ mine, Detective Skye," he assured her, bowing slightly in a smooth, fluid motion that would have looked ludicrous if done by any other man, yet with this man, was suave genteel epitomized. There was a hint of a teasing smile on his lips, indicating he was well-aware of her ill-hidden reaction to him.

Lana flushed slightly. "The department is quite happy to have you take over this case when we capture the perpetrator, Mr. Edgeworth. I'm not sure how much Gant has told you about the homicides yet but…I assure you, this first case of yours will definitely be a most memorable one."

"Actually, Detective Skye, my first case was last February against Mia Fey." The debonair young man's cadence as polished and elegant as the rest of him, and vaguely British sounding.

 _My old college friend?_ Lana thought in surprise, but her colleague interrupted before she could voice her thoughts.

"Ah, my mistake, dear boy." Gant gave a loud, booming laugh, making both of them start, as they'd nearly forgotten he was still in the room. "I guess I misunderstood Von Karma then! Although I could have sworn he declared you as a prodigal genius with an undefeated record – I'd taken that to mean that this was your first ever _American_ case and you'd had a lengthy streak of wins over in Europe!"

"While it is true I've not yet _lost_ a case, I have yet to have _won_ a case yet, either." He smiled thinly at their confused expressions. "The defendant of my premier trial against the illustrious Miss Fey… er, committed suicide on the witness stand." Edgeworth smooth brow furrowed as he recalled at the memory.

"Suicide?" Lana gasped. "How awful."

"Yes, quite the tragedy," the handsome prosecutor abruptly ceased frowning and gave a slight shrug of attempted insouciance. "But that's neither here nor there now, is it? I am quite confident in the LAPD's ability to apprehend the killer, Detective Skye, especially with you and Detective Gant on the case. He's spoken most highly of your sleuthing skills."

"Did he now?" Lana shot an impish grin at her partner. "Well, wasn't that nice of him? I suppose this is my cue to tell you that Gant ain't too bad of a cop either then?"

"You're both referred to as the Legendary Duo, are you not?" Edgeworth countered, crossing his arms across his chest and smiling at her. "Surely not the kind of praise that is given lightly?"

Lana blushed modestly. "I suppose not."

"You know you're kind of a big deal when even rookie prosecutors have heard of us, huh, Skye?" Gant chuckled, clapping Edgeworth affectionately on the shoulder with his huge hand. "Come along, Miles, I need to introduce you to the rest of the team in charge of investigating the SL-9 case, detectives Bruce Goodman, Angel Star, and Skye's _personal favorite_ , Jake Marshall."

It was the prosecutor's turn to look confused this time.

"Personal favorite?" Edgeworth echoed.

"Him and Skye are kind of a _thing_ ," Gant confided with a smirk as he ushered the younger man out, ignoring the irritated look his partner shot him for discussing her personal affairs with a complete stranger. "Take it easy, Skye."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Detective Skye," Edgeworth graciously inclined his head at her, although his warm smile seemed to have lessened a tad since finding out the news that she was off the market. "I'll be seeing you, then."

Lana returned the smile with a polite one of her own, although her attempted cool demeanor was the complete opposite of her thoughts. A sly smile curved on her lips.

 _Not if I see_ ** _you_** _first, Mr. Edgeworth._

* * *

 _ **Lana Skye**_  
 _Chief Prosecutor's Office_  
February 25, 2015 8:00 pm

Devastation and hopelessness were the only emotions Lana had been experiencing since the end of the SL-9 case. The ability to laugh, to smile, to feel any sort of joy completely alluded her, and she had no idea when or if she ever would be able to again.

Up until last week, when Neil had been murdered, life hadn't been perfect, what them all spending every hour around the clock trying to catch the culprit behind the mysterious homicides, but it had been filled with _some_ areas of happiness. Things had been going well with Jake, who had at last told her that he loved her, and was hinting at the two of them moving in together in the near future. She was enjoying the challenges of her work as a detective, as well as the friendly, not-so-idle flirtations she shared with Edgeworth whenever he'd come by for required evidence on cases he was working on.

Lana sensed he was holding back on his obvious attraction to her because she was in a relationship, but she unabashedly acknowledged that she rejoiced in seeing the look of admiration in his eyes whenever he thought she didn't notice, and she in turn found him to be clever, witty and engaging whenever he indulged her in a battle of wits on occasion. Despite the fact that he was five years her junior, there was a maturity in him that belied his years, and she couldn't help but admire that, along with his work ethic. For such a young man, he'd achieved quite a lot already, career-wise, and she had little doubt that he would be utmost success in all of his future endeavors.

Also, he was so _different_ from Jake!

Cowboys, Lana was thinking, more and more often, were only sexy in Westerns. Especially when, for the love of all that was holy, the cowboy enthusiast was born and raised in _California_ , not _Texas_! He was no more a yokel country folk than _she_ herself was!

There were times she was sure that she loved Jake Marshall, and wanted to jump at the opportunity to "shack up" with him, as he'd so eloquently put it. But then there were times when she wondered what other dining venues were out there that didn't mostly include some sort of pasta or spaghetti! And had an actual wine list! She wondered what it would be like to be greeted with something other than 'howdy' and called a pet name other than _bambina_.

In every one of these potential scenarios she'd been imagining since their fateful meeting in her office last fall, the man was always Edgeworth – a man of refinement. Of _taste_. Of _style_. Of _class_.

A man who would have no concept of what a _poncho_ was and would recoil in horror at the concept of _drinking wine from a box_!

A partner who would actually take her out _dancing_ , instead of spinning her around the makeshift dance floor of a tavern, to a jukebox blaring country westerns and refer to it as a ' _hoe-dow_ n'!

A gentleman who would occasionally opt for a _filet mignon_ rather than Salisbury steak, take her to places other that his familiar ' _stompin ground'_ saloons to ' _wet his whistle_.' Or at the very least, not scoff and dismiss any other suggested venue as ' _them high-falootin fancy, schmancy places that are only fer these namby-pamby city-slickers!_ '

Most importantly, she wondered what it'd be like to make love to a man in a place _other than a bed_ , and not be forced to be the one to have to always take top and holler ' _ride em, cowboy_!'

Furthermore…she wanted to know what it was like to _fuck a m_ an who actually _took his hat off_ during sex!

Even all _that_ she'd managed to overlook for the past near year!

But then Neil had been killed and soon after, Gant, in one of his first acts as Police Chief, had fired Angel Star, who was now pedaling lunches, and demoted the still grieving Jake to patrolman guard of the evidence room!

And then, on top of _that_ , Jake's girlfriend had suddenly been unwittingly _promoted_.

Talk about adding _insult_ to _injury_!

Unaware of the circumstances surrounding Lana's new appointed role, which she could in no way tell him, the new situation had put such a strain on their relationship that there appeared to be no end, or hope of reparation, in sight! There were times Lana wasn't even sure who _she_ was anymore…and most of the time, felt she no longer knew _Jake_! He'd become more and more distant since his brother died, refusing to open up to her and let her be there for him, preferring to drown his sorrows at his favorite tavern, and acting resentful of her because of her new job as a 'big shot' and acting as if she could no longer relate to the 'little folk anymore!

For her part, Lana was trying to deal with the fact that her only remaining family, her baby sister, had nearly been murdered…and was actually potentially the one who had accidentally killed Neal Marshall! Her continued guilt and silence over the matter only created a further rift between her and Jake, but what choice did she have? It felt hypocritical to be trying to offer him comfort, knowing what she did, and then there was the horrible, lecherous Gant she had to contend with now.

Lana had sold her soul to the devil. The blackmailing son of a bitch who'd helped her cover up Ema's crime so the Skye sisters wouldn't have that cross to bear. However, Gant, who incidentally, was old enough to be her _father,_ had also been making it more and more clear, as he had just now on the phone, that he was expecting _some sort of repayment_ for his _kindness and generosity_ in the whole matter!

Just the thought of it made her skin crawl and hysteria rise within her.

 _Kindness and generosity?_ Lana thought bitterly. _The only reason that bastard promoted me was so that he could keep tabs on me while_ ** _blackmailing_** _me! And Jake is jealous about this? I never wanted it! I never wanted any of this! But I can't tell him the truth. How he'd despise me if he knew. And then Ema…_

Nope. It wasn't going to happen. Ema was her baby, her sole reason for living. Lana would die before she'd ever let anything happen to her. So she would degrade and debase herself and suffer anything to ensure the now teenage girl she'd raised would go on and live a blissful, happy, although oblivious, existence, no matter how much she herself had to suffer in order to make that happen.

Aside from Ema, Jake was all she had. She needed him. And _he_ needed _her_ too…even if he couldn't properly express it.

The night before, Lana and Jake had gotten into a screaming match over his shirking duties at work, and his drunken late nights were causing him to miss work more and more. He had stormed off and not returned until dawn, smelling of cheap liquor and…Salisbury steak – just like the one from Angel's lunch wagon…even though he'd insisted her accusations were ridiculous. So she tried to believe him.

She knew she had to be supportive. He was grieving and hurting and needed her love and patience. She couldn't just up and leave the man while he was down! And she loved, Jake. She really did, she insisted to herself as she hung up the phone from her latest threatening call from Gant and began to sob.

Lana Skye had never felt more miserable, alone and helpless in her entire life.

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth & Lana Skye  
**_ _Chief Prosecutor's Office  
_ February 25, 2015 8:00 pm

Miles rapped on the door Lana's office for the second time, but there was no answer. Which was odd, because he'd seen the light shining from underneath the door, and her car was still in the parking lot, the only one left at the office besides his own. He'd come by to give Lana the last of the records and paperwork, officially closing the SL-9 incident. That was the case that Gant had initially assumed he would be taking over, but which had ultimately been given to his senior colleague, Prosecutor Neil Marshall.

He had been unwittingly thrust into the newly vacated role of Prosecutor when Joe Darke, the serial killer behind all the grisly homicides that they'd been seeking since last fall, had at last been apprehended - but unfortunately not before making Marshall his final victim in his heinous murder spree.

Darke had since been incarcerated and was sentenced to death row. The arduous case had been wrapped up a week prior, and now Miles was delivering the requested final case files to his new boss, who had just been promoted the month before to Chief Prosecutor by the newly appointed Police Chief and former partner, Damon Gant. The last of the paperwork had taken forever to complete, and Miles was eager to deliver them as requested and at last head on home. It had been a long day.

Frustrated at the lack of response to his knocking, Miles hesitantly turned the doorknob and to his surprise, found it open. He was even more astounded at the sight that greeted him.

The normally disciplined and hardworking, albeit cheery and pleasant, former detective was sitting hunched over at her desk, completely oblivious to his arrival. Several folders and papers were messily scattered about, and her head was buried in her hands, her slender shoulders shaking with sobs that wracked her whole body.

Miles stood there awkwardly, uncertain of what to do, and debated about ducking out before she noticed him standing there, witnessing her breakdown. He struggled with his options, feeling absolutely torn.

On the one hand, he was unaccustomed to having to deal with such scenarios – his mentor, Manfred, had run a tight ship, raising both Miles and his adopted sister, Franziska to be as emotionally guarded and brusque as he. Ergo, Miles had never been overly uncomfortable with expressing or even feeling emotions of his _own_ – never mind being those of a weeping person! And dealing with the weepings of an emotional _female_ was about welcome to him as a _trip in an elevator!_

But on the other hand, he was quite fond of the captivating and alluring Lana Skye – both as a cohort, and as a person, and his innate gentlemen qualities just couldn't allow him to ignore a damsel in distress. Especially not this particular one.

Miles was reluctant to admit it, but there was something about the brunette beauty he'd found particularly beguiling right out of the gate, when Gant had introduced them last year, and he'd been led to believe by her coquettish actions towards him that she'd been as struck by his presence as he'd been by hers. But then Gant, perhaps sensing the blossoming mutual attraction, had nipped things in the bud when he'd had not-so-discreetly let it slip that Lana was the girlfriend of Detective Jake Marshall, and that had been the end of that.

In spite of working with her sporadically on his other cases the last few months, Miles had swallowed his initial attraction and tried to maintain a friendly distance, trying to block out the images of her come-hither glances and luminous smile. Innocuous flirting was one thing, and at times, while he indulged in the odd playful banter with her, he repeatedly reminded himself that Lana Skye was off-limits. She belonged to another man, and Miles Edgeworth had no desire whatsoever to be a homewrecker of any sort, even if he _did_ often think a classy lady like Lana could have done better for herself than a wannabe cowboy whose idea of a seven-course meal probably consisted of a plate of spaghetti and a six-pack of beer!

Whatever, it was her choice. Miles had simply thrown himself into his work and tried his best to get the unforgettable Detective Skye out of his mind and turned a blind eye to everything, including all other women, to work. It wasn't much of a stretch, truthfully.

Normally the workaholic prosecutor was blissfully oblivious to female admirers, although over the years Franziska had been teasing her "Little Brother" about how handsome he'd become, and how he was the targeted crush of her numerous girlfriends over the years, but he'd dismissed such proclamations. For one thing, albeit a budding beauty, his adopted sister was only 15 and her childish idol worship could hardly be taken seriously. For another thing, Miles had been too focused on his lofty achievement of becoming a prosecutor by the age of 20 – and hopefully winning the respect of Manfred while at it – to pay women much mind.

Well, the loss of his virginity to his piano teacher, Gretchen, who was ten years his senior, seven years ago notwithstanding…

Miles cleared his throat uncomfortably, opting at last to let Lana know of his presence, and her head shot-up, looking up at him with red, watery eyes.

"Edgeworth," she muttered, quickly wiping her eyes with the back of her hands and rising from her seat, all resumed poise and haughty countenance intact again. "What brings you here?"

"I er, brought you those files you wanted on that SL-9 case, Chief Skye," Miles mumbled, averting his eyes from the tears he could see still sparkling in her lovely teal eyes despite her vain attempts at professionalism. "I – I'm sorry to have just barged on you like this. I did attempt to knock, but there was no answer, and you did indicate you wanted the final papers tonight…"

"You're right, I did." She walked over to him then and lifted her chin. "Thank you, Edgeworth. I appreciate your due diligence in this matter. I'm sure you'll be as relieved as I am to finally put this nightmare all behind us."

He caught the pain in her eyes at the words, and it was at the moment that Miles realized just what a hellacious ordeal the whole case must have been for the Chief. Not only had Neil Marshall been her boyfriend Jake's brother, but her younger sister, Ema, whom she'd raised almost as her own daughter, had nearly become Darke's victim as well.

Miles knew that as much as Manfred had raised him to be a stoic son of a bitch, he was still Gregory Edgeworth's son first and foremost, and still had a heart underneath his icy veneer – he didn't know what he would have done if anything had ever happened to Franziska, who he truly loved as if she were his own flesh and blood. And now Lana was dealing with the additional responsibilities of her impromptu promotion on top of probably still trying to console her still grieving lover over his brother's passing. How much could one woman possibly endure?

Miles took a deep breath and slowly released it before speaking his next words.

"I can only imagine what all this must have been like for you, Chief Skye," he said quietly. "And for what it's worth…I'm glad I could help put that monster behind bars where he belongs, where he can never hurt anyone ever again."

Lana attempted to smile at his words, but then her lips began to tremble, and she blinked rapidly to stop the tears that once again had begun forming in her eyes. She looked away and grabbed the file from his hands. "Most appreciated, Edgeworth," she replied stiffly, keeping her head down as she turned back towards her desk. "I shall take care of these now. That will be all."

It was an obvious dismissal, one that Miles knew, as her subordinate, that he was obligated to comply with, yet he couldn't leave just yet. A voice in the back of his head niggled at him that there was more to this than met the eye – and that she shouldn't be left alone in her current state. He had to at least try to offer her his condolences, if naught else.

"Chief Skye...Lana...I know how hard this must have been on Jake…and on you." He walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, turning her around so she could see his sympathetic expression. "And I know words can't possibly ease the suffering you and Jake have both gone through, and are still going through, but I just wanted to let you know – you have my utmost sympathies. I'm truly sorry."

Lana's lips parted, about to tell him that she was beyond needing any obligatory consolation and platitudes, but her words died in her throat as she looked at the veracity in his handsome face, along with something along the lines of…empathy? How was that even possible? Did Edgeworth also have a sob story under that stern demeanor? Was it possible that he could actually understand, at some level, the fresh hell her life had become?

"You _really_ mean it, don't you Miles?" She breathed. Peering searchingly into his eyes, she was astounded at the unmasked whirling emotions she saw there now. "You're not just saying you're sorry to be nice…you really and truly _are_ , aren't you?"

Miles found he couldn't speak. Someway, somehow, _this_ woman had made him take his guard down with her tears, and he had no idea how to draw it back up. Wasn't even sure if he could…or even _wanted_ to. He merely nodded mutely, and despite the fact that he normally hated to be touched, didn't even try to resist when she reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face, her wide-eyed gaze transfixed on his.

"You _know_ , don't you?" She whispered, her eyes wide and seeking. " _You_ know what it's like…to have your world turn upside down and feel like you have nobody." It was a statement, not a question.

Miles was stunned at the insightful revelation she'd realized…of the secret pain he'd tried to bury all these years since his father's murder. He'd always tried to mask his suffering under his laconic, impassive façade…How was it that _this_ woman, whom he'd only known for _four_ _months_ , could see so deeply into his heart? Into his _soul_?

Lana stared into his beautiful grey eyes, the swirls of emotion she saw there made her breath catch. She was completely mesmerized. They were the grey of the last ashes on a fire, tossed up on the breeze. Those eyes gazed deeply into hers, ensnaring her from that moment in a net of intrigue, comfort and promise, all at once.

His hand reached under her hair below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek, his eyes revealing more than his words could express.

They both knew it was coming. There was one final intense look before she pulled his face closer. Hesitantly, she glanced up at him one last time. Lust and desire. However, before she could ponder about it further, he yanked her to him.

Unexpectedly, his hand drifted to her hip and settled there and pulled her closer. She inhaled sharply. She was against his warm chest, chiseled to perfection. _Must_ he be so perfect? She splayed her hand against it, intending to push him away, but instead she left it there. His breathing quickened as did hers. He began nuzzling her neck with delicate kisses. So faint, they were whispers. She urged herself to push away, but couldn't. Her limp body began to tremble uncontrollably. His head was angled slightly to the side as his lips came closer and closer to hers. She was surprised to find her own lips parted. Their breaths mingled. Her heart fluttered inside her chest. At first, it was a delicate butterfly of a kiss. Then his arms encircled her and his hungry mouth devoured her own.

The kiss obliterated every thought. For the first time in forever Lana's mind was locked into the present. The worries of the day evaporated like a summer shower onto a hot car. Her usual mode of hurrying from one thing to the next was suspended, she had no wish for the kiss to end.

Drunk on endorphins, Miles' only desire was to touch her, to move his hands under her blouse and feel her perfect softness. In moments the soft caress had become more firm, he savored her lips and the quickening of her breath that matched his own. A kiss like this was a beginning, a promise of much more to come.

When they finally parted, she looked up at him with her beautiful, tear-stained face, and he felt a stirring within his chest that he'd never felt before. As trite as it seemed, the moment was just like the movies. For that single moment, time stopped. It was just them.

Then his lips claimed hers again.

Lana no longer cared about the world, or the people around her. She no longer paid heed or mind to them. There was no cruelties, no death, no suffering. Right there, at that moment, it was just her and Edgeworth. Because apart they might be as different as night and day, black and white, right and wrong, but together they created two sides of a whole. Together they balanced.

She wasn't sure what this meant or what would happen tomorrow. All she knew was that right now, kissing Miles Edgeworth was the best idea in the world.


	47. When Love and Hate Collide

"If two past lovers can remain friends, it's because they're still in love…or they never really were."

* * *

 _A/N: The OC of Jilly Baxter was used with permission by my friend and terrific writer,_ _ **6Gun_Sally.**_ _She is seen in Sally's Miles Edgeworth fan-fic called Turnabout Honeymoon amongst several others. :)_

 _Readers, it means so much that you're still hanging on this far on this emotional roller-coaster and I cannot say thanks enough! Also, I love hearing from you guys and will_ _ **always**_ _take the time to chat and reply to each and every one of you - I just got wiped out this weekend with the flu so please don't take my delay in replying as ingratitude! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Seven: When Love and Hate Collide **

**_Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye_**  
 _Interpol Offices, Borginia_  
August 7, 2024 3:35 pm

Miles prided himself on always being able to keep his cool. The ever sane, logical – albeit semi _laconic_ –voice of reason in most situations. Considering the company he'd kept for the past near decade: a tempestuous fiancée; an emo head case for a best friend; a bumbling, albeit good-hearted, occasional masochist detective partner; and a childhood friend who was more often than not a shameful, good-for-nothing blight on the face of humanity – it was the end result which was equal parts nurture as well as _necessity_!

For Pete's sake, just four or five years ago, he'd been accused of _murder_ , (again!) on an _airplane_ and then been accosted for the crime he'd been innocent of! And then he'd had do the investigations _himself_ and ascertain the perpetrator in order to prove himself blameless to boot!

And somehow, he'd _still_ managed to maintain his equanimity completely!

In short, Miles Edgeworth was ever the turn-to, level-headed man; the voice of reason in any sort of crisis, or unexpected situation!

These were the thoughts that were rapidly flying through his mind at the moment – to little avail whatsoever! – as the normally unruffled prosecutor now found a visible sweat forming over his brow, and his lips still parted in astonishment, at the impromptu sight of his former lover after almost ten years.

It was just his luck to be caught completely unawares like this! He'd missed out on her apparent debut of being sprung from jail five years ago, when the _rest_ of his friends had seen Lana, along with Ema, at the crowded bar for Maya's 21st birthday. The Skye sisters had dropped by their table to say hello, but he and Franziska had been too busy tearing it up on the dance floor at the moment, and by the time they'd all returned, both women had been gone, for which he'd been completely relieved – Franziska had already used her whip enough that night – and he was thanking whatever forces of the universe for having dodged that proverbial bullet, as there had already been enough drama that night!

Ergo, Miles hadn't seen Lana Skye since the verdict of her fate had been declared at _that_ trial. The one he'd left the country soon afterward to try and forget. The one where he had had to detach his mind from his heart, and been forced prosecute his _former boss and ex-paramour_ for murder!

Luckily, thanks to Phoenix, she been found innocent of that crime, but the same horrible case surrounding the murder of Detective Bruce Goodman had resulted in both Lana's lover and herself being incarcerated, although for lesser crimes.

So this was the first time that Miles had set eyes on the woman who had gotten under his skin, fired up his blood, and relentlessly fueled his lust, in nearly ten years. He supposed she was in her late 30's now, but despite her brief stint in prison, there was no roughness or hardness to her face. Quite the contrary. The years had been most incredibly kind to her, even if life hadn't.

She still looked so young; still exuded that exuberance of youth. She had that movie star look, not overly tall and willowy, but more like an action star, with perfect muscle definition. The Lana Skye he'd known had been a force to reckon with at work, but after hours, there had been slight sweet shyness to her, hesitation in her body movements and a softness in her voice.

She now walked with the wisdom of age, and confidence of someone nearly a decade older. She was the kind of woman that other women loved to hate.

She wasn't just flawless in her bone structure, her skin was like silk over glass, marble dusted with light specs of gold, and she radiated an intelligent beauty. Her cream suit had a tailored look that was bold against her lightly tanned skin, but just as clearly as if it'd been yesterday, in his mind's eye, he could easily remember her jeans and a t-shirt, feet up on the couch and painting her nails. Her shoulder-length hair was a lovely whisky, the color of fallen leaves browned and sleek with the first rain of autumn. He'd always admired how such a tint could play with the light, like peering at the sun through a jar of pine honey, as well as the way her long lashes framed her eyes whenever she'd apprehended a culprit, one cutting glance turning them into stone, and the way her full lips would curl into a mischievous grin every time she did so.

It was inevitable and certain that once you looked at her, you couldn't look away. She kept you still and held your beating heart with one gaze, feeding off of you.

But by now, he had learned that looks were deceiving, especially with Lana. She was a succubus, beautiful and dangerous.

He made the mistake of looking into her eyes, all too vividly recalling how alluringly she would blink her eyes from time to time, allowing her eyelashes to flutter like the wings of a butterfly, and each and every time, he would think the same thought to himself just as he was now.

 _My God, her eyes are simply spellbinding_.

Those eyes…which were now staring back into his, with a mixture of undisguised curiosity and surprise.

Eyes the shade of churning, passionate green that the ocean turned during a storm. That green color that brought back every one of life's exquisite bitter and sweet memories, no matter what had happened. And looking into those eyes, he could see it. And he knew that she could as well.

She was right there, only feet away, but in her understated glamour she may as well have been on the television or a girl in a pop video. It was too much. He needed to look away.

It was in that moment that he looked down, because he knew he needed to stop staring, that the unruliness began.

"Miles!" Franziska's sharp voice shattered his reverie. "What on _earth_ is wrong with you? Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

Oh good Lord. How could he have been so distracted by his pitiful ogling of another woman that he'd forgotten the indomitable standing by his side, even momentarily?

 _Franziska_. Love of his life. His gorgeous fiancée. Mother of his unborn child…who had never met the other woman standing before them till now…and there he was, gazing upon her like the besotted fool she'd once taken him for! He turned his head, and found his lover's slate grey eyes narrowed at him in suspicion. That accursed feminine intuition. Somehow, she _knew_ something was awry, even if she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

He had to nip things in the bud. _Now_. This could lead to nothing but disaster otherwise. Within the blink of an eye, his unspoken past had come colliding with his present, his future, with the force of rocketing comet. Miles had zero desire to be a victim of the impact.

Franziska's piercing, unwavering eyes hadn't moved from his face. "Oh should I say _reintroduce_ yourself, _Herr_ Edgeworth? Because it's _quite_ obvious that the two of you already know each other?"

"Indeed we do." Miles cleared his throat and dragged together the rags of his composure. "I er, used be under her."

Four pairs of eyes gawked at him. There was a dead silence in the room.

Lana looked at him unblinkingly, her expression impassive despite the blunder, although a small muscle twitched under her right eye.

"I mean, _she_ worked on _top_ of me!" Miles amended hastily, hating how at the moment, he sounded every bit the blathering fool _Phoenix Wright_ could often be! He felt his face burning as he realized belatedly just what he'd said.

" _Phrasing_!" Squawked Kay's voice from the other end of Lang's phone. Everyone nearly jumped at the sound, as they'd forgotten she was still on the line.

Franziska's eyes narrowed into little slits.

"In the office! I mean, _only_ in the office!" He added desperately. "Ah…to be clear…Lana was…my boss, Franziska. She used to be the Chief Prosecutor in the days of my early career, you see."

"Nice save, Mr. Edgeworth!" Kay praised, her voice ringing loud and clear against the deafening silence of the room.

Mercifully, it was Kay's ill-timed, yet somehow still fitting, interruption which saved Miles from doing further damage, and seemed to make Lang be the first to recover from the tension.

Lang cleared his throat. "Um, apologies, Kay, I'd forgotten you were still there. Agent Skye, on the line we have Agent Kay Faraday, who will assisting us with the behind the scene investigations of this sting operation."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance!" Kay sang cheerfully. "Well sort of, anyway…"

"The pleasure's all mine, Kay." Lana called, before she strode over to Franziska and Lang, extending her hand first to the man, while graciously inclining her head towards Miles with a polite, sideways smile.

"How nice to see you again after all this time, Edge- er, _Miles_." She then turned to the wolf man before Miles could react - for which he was most grateful, as he still didn't trust himself to speak again.

"And it's so lovely to finally meet _you_ , Agent Lang," Lana's tone was the personification of pleasant professionalism. "So good to _at last_ put a face to the voice making instructions over the phone!

And _you_ …must be Franziska." She turned and offered her hand to the German woman, who looked at her suspiciously for an uncomfortable moment before extending her own. "I've heard so much about you."

"That's funny," Franziska retorted, her smile acidic as she retracted her palm and crossed her arms across her chest. "This is the first time either my _fiancé_ ," she added pointedly. "Or _I, have_ heard _a thing_ about _you_. Where in the _world_ have they been hiding you, Lana?"

Lana's composure slipped a notch, but she quickly recovered.

"Oh, how nice, the two of _you_ are engaged?" She asked expectantly, gesturing to Lang and Franziska with a slight smile. "Well, congratulations then!"

"No, not _him_!" Franziska shot Lana a look of unprecedented disgust. "Me and your _former subordinate_." She reached over and wrapped a possessive hand around Miles' shoulder, in what appeared to be a loving gesture, but he could feel her sharp nails digging into his skin, and barely kept from wincing in pain. "I'm engaged to _Miles_."

Lana blinked. "My sincere apologies," she murmured, dropping her eyes in embarrassment for a moment before raising them up to meet Miles' face, her countenance unreadable. "However, my sincere best wishes to you both."

"Thank you, Lana," Miles mumbled, forcing a smile while wishing he was somewhere – _anywhere_! –but there at that moment. Franziska was undoubtedly leaving permanent talon marks in his arm, even through the fabric of his suit, all the while smiling benignly at the other woman.

"Aren't you _sweet_?" Franziska purred, in a dangerous voice Miles knew all too well. "But back to my question, where _has_ Lang been hiding you all this time, Lana?" She raised an eyebrow at the agent and Detective Badd. "And why have we heard neither hide nor hair about it? At the very least, I _do_ hope the good Detective has been taking good care of you?"

"As I mentioned, Agent Skye been going through specialized training in preparation for this mission, under _my_ direct orders and Badd's tutelage, for some time now," Lang replied gruffly. "Not that I recall ever needing to run my operational procedures by _you_ , or secure _your_ permissions, _Agent_ Von Karma."

"I never thought you did," Franziska answered smoothly, seemingly un-phased by the cautionary edge to his voice. "Still, as one of your _top agents_ , as you indicated, it _still_ would have been nice to know who the _bimbo_ working alongside my fiancé was going to be – or at least have notified either of us that there would even _be_ one!"

There was another tense silence.

 _Good God!_ Miles thought in disbelief, stunned at his fiancée's behavior. _She's out for blood! Without even having an inkling of our history, she_ ** _already_** _has it in for poor Lana…I've never even heard of such a case of hate at first sight till now!_

" _Bimbo_?" Lana echoed incredulously, her voice never raising but the warning glint in her eye was unmistakable. "I _beg_ your pardon?"

"Um, yeah…on that note, I think I'm going to go now, Agent Lang…" Kay said uncomfortably. " _Smell ya later!_ " She hung up before he could reply.

"Ah…that _may_ be my fault, Agent Skye!" Lang interjected quickly, obviously anticipating chaos as the two women glared at one another. "When I was explaining your role at Edgeworth's side for this undercover role, I mentioned that you would be the _arm-candy_ companion to his billionaire playboy front. I assure you, she meant to say… _fake bimbo_ of course!" He shot an irate look towards Franziska. " _Didn't you_ , Agent Von Karma?"

Franziska's arms remained crossed across her chest and she remained stubbornly silent.

"Shall I go fetch the stylist and hairdresser?" Badd offered, equally as eager to avoid a smack-down. "I told them to be here for four o'clock, and it's five minutes to. Undoubtedly, they will need clearance to get into the building. I'll go intercept them at the main entrance. Franziska, why don't you come along with me so we can catch up on things?" It was an order, not a request.

There were few people, Miles' fiancée included, who didn't feel even the slightest twinge of intimidation of the threatening-looking man when he turned the heat up. In spite of her sulky expression, Franziska wisely obliged and followed the big detective out the door.

"What are we having these people come for?" Lana asked Lang the moment they left.

"For your makeovers, of course!" Lang told them, as if they already should have known. "We called in the best in the business here! You and pretty boy here will be going to a flashy party at some shady character's mansion tonight. We don't know if Wa Sing Ku is the head of the smuggling ring or not, but he's a notorious recreational pusher of the illegal stuff nonetheless, and we are hoping if you rub elbows with the right people, he can perhaps steer you towards the head guy we're seeking."

" _Makeovers_?" Lana repeated. " _Party_?"

" _Pretty boy_?" Miles arched a well-groomed eyebrow.

"Yes, and they're only going to make you even prettier, _Iron Man_ ," Lang derided with a smirk, before turning to Lana with a more sincere look. "You see, we've decided we've been going about this all wrong," he explained. "Instead of trying to go from the _outside_ , trying to get _inside_ information, we've decided to go straight into the lion's den, essentially. Have you in plain sight of the criminals, so to speak, and mingle amongst them as regular citizens, hopefully gaining their trust so they can hopefully steer us towards the head honcho."

"Just so I understand, we're going to the swanky soirée of some rich, bad guy, who probably isn't the _head_ bad guy, in hopes it will _lead us_ _to_ the head bad guy?" Lana asked. "And you're telling us right now, at the near eleventh hour, that our debut as said playboy and arm candy is going to be _tonight_?"

"That's exactly it." Lang affirmed, nodding.

"A little notice would have been nice," Miles said dryly, still unamused at the nicknames he'd been bestowed. "This hardly gives me much time to shop for said billionaire playboy ensemble." He gestured to his magenta suit. "As I assume _this_ won't suffice?"

"I'd probably need a party dress for this ball, and much like Cinderella, I haven't a thing to wear!" Lana chimed in, looking worried.

"Relax both of you," Lang looked up at the doorway, and saw Badd and Franziska had returned just then, a pretty, plump woman in her late 20's and slender, slightly older Latino man in tow. "Here come your _fairy_ _godmothers_ right now."

"Was that a _gay joke_ , Lang?" The Latino man quipped, flashing an impish grin as he walked up to Miles and Lana, dragging his large, wheeled suitcase behind him. "Because I will have you know, not _all_ clothing stylists are same-sex preferring!"

"Then explain that outfit," Lang snickered, clapping the man on his back, while Miles barely concealed a smirk at the truth behind the words.

Carlos was maybe an inch or so shorter than Miles, and slight of build. He was perhaps in his mid to late 30's, with friendly, twinkling hazel-brown behind chic, wire-rim glasses. He wore his dark brown hair in a faux-hawk, with fitted low riser-jeans and a tight, black graphic tee shirt, which sported the baby blue Iron Man circular emblem in it and in black and white, Tony Stark's smug, shades-wearing visage over it. Around the circular emblem read the words, GENUIS, BILLIIONAIRE, PLAYBOY, PHILANTHROPIST Club.

The stylist looked down at his attire and looked wounded. "I'm _not_ gay! Just…slightly metrosexual!"

 _Metrosexual?_ Miles' brow furrowed at the unfamiliar term. _Didn't Butz once tell me that's just a gay guy who can't get laid?_

"Bah same difference," Lang shrugged, shooting the man his most shit-eating grin. "Edgeworth, Agent Skye, meet Carlos Moledo, celebrity stylist to the stars."

"Nice to meet you," Lana smiled, extending her hand. "Also, Carlos, Agent Lang, it's after hours. Please call me Lana."

"Miles Edgeworth," the prosecutor extended his own hand, but refused to offer the other man the same familiarity option. He had to attempt to retain his cool _somehow_ , after all. The more formal, the better, as far as he was concerned. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Moledo."

" _Miles_!" Squealed the hairdresser, dropping her own suitcase behind her in her haste to rush up to him and wrap her arms around him in an effusive hug. "I can't believe it's you! It's been so long!"

"Do I know you, Miss?" He struggled to disentangle himself from her suffocating embrace, all too aware of his stony-faced fiancée arching an eyebrow at him in the background.

The woman pulled away then, looking slightly hurt as she placed lacquered plum hands on her ample hips. "Miles Edgeworth, don't you remember me? You, me, Phoenix, Larry, we all went to school together! It's _me_ , Jilly Baxter!"

 _Jilly Baxter? Ah, yes the one who went to the senior prom with Butz only to have things end disastrously! I seem to remember Butz blathering about that at some point. And didn't Wright…?_

"Your buddy Phoenix, the kid with the spikes, he had a huge crush on me and used to embarrass himself all the time trying to get my attention?" Jilly prompted, looking at him hopefully. "Does that ring a bell?"

 _Yes, Wright was as smooth with the ladies back then as he is now_ , Miles chuckled to himself. _How he lucked out and wound up with fragile, ethereal beauty like Miss Fey is_ ** _still_** _beyond me!_

"It's all coming back to me now. I apologize, Miss Baxter." Miles smiled courteously at the dark blonde woman, who although had gotten a tad heavyset over the years, still had the same contagious smile and charming disposition of the girl he'd once known. "I did change schools in the middle of fourth grade, so while it is indeed nothing but pleasant memories I have of you, it has been far too long, and so it did take an extra moment for them to resurface."

"Well, _I_ know all about _you_ , Mr. Big-Shot Prosecutor," Jilly teased, her green eyes dancing. "My salon may be situated over in Hollywood, but news travels fast in Southern California!"

"I'm flattered, really." Miles gave a humble smile. He had no idea law matters were of any interest in the hair community. "So you work at a salon in Hollywood?" He enquired politely.

"I'm the owner of the one on Rodeo Drive – it's a huge nationwide chain, perhaps you ladies have heard of them –full service salons and blow-dry bars." Jilly turned to Lana and Franziska. "They're called _You-Blo-Me?"_

"Can't say I have," Lana responded, with a miraculously straight face, while Franziska merely snorted and muttered something under her breath about foolish Americans with their foolish, undignified names for everything.

" _I_ have!" Carlos piped up, then flushed as everyone turned to look at him. "What? It's _totally_ a famous chain, and one of the many businesses owned by the famous Beaugosse family! All the celebrities go get blown there!"

 _I think this is yet another case of where Kay would yell_ ** _phrasing_** _!_ Miles thought to himself. _Also, not doing much to quell the gay stereotype assumption there, my friend!_

"I mean, getting a _blow-out_ …hairstyle… of their _hair_ ," the stylist corrected himself, turning even redder. "In fact, that's how Jilly and I got this gig! I do the styling for Brad Pitt and Jilly has been blowing him since his long hair days…"

 _Oh for the love of the saints! There's no way he's not doing this on purpose!_ Lana and even Franziska bit back a smile at that one. Miles bit the inside of his cheek to keep from snickering. Lang and Badd were only partially successful. _Seriously,_ ** _again_** _with the_ ** _phrasing_** _?!_

"But now that she's doing Angelina Jolie – I mean, _her hair_ , too, the news just travelled about us, and here we are!" Carlos finished lamely, staring at the ground with reddened cheeks as he at last realized their reactions.

"Would you go as far as to say, the carried winds _blew_ about the news about you and Jilly's talents?" Badd deadpanned.

Miles bent over then, quickly masking his laughter as a cough while Lang flat out howled and the two women stared intently at the carpet, their long hair hiding their faces, although their shoulders were shaking.

"Old Brad must be quite the _blowhard_ then!" Lang tittered. "I mean, the news of your skills was _blown_ all the way up here!"

"OK, OK, that's enough guys." Jilly intervened, finally taking pity on the clueless stylist and shaking Lana's hand. "I know I didn't introduce myself yet, but I know you must be Lana," she said with a smile. "I was told you have a single bathroom and free office space in the back, so please come with me. You too, Miles. Come along Carlos, time to fire up the glam squad!"

As she led them away, she tossed an amused look over her shoulder at Badd and Lang. "By the way, Brad's always gotten flack for being a pretty boy, so about the fact that I was blow… _drying_ ," she added wryly. "Brad's then-lustrous, long locks for longer than I have been his lovely wife's, I trust you all will keep that news confidential, please?"

The men nodded, then turned to Franziska.

"Well, they'll be gone a few hours, easy," Badd jibed. "They've got to _somehow_ make Lana look attractive!"

"I'd say we should be back by nightfall," Lang drawled. "After all, they've been tasked with the _strenuous_ job of making Edgeworth look like a pretty boy!"

Both men snorted, and Franziska fixed them both with her most icy stare, completely unimpressed.

"What are _we_ supposed to do while my fiancé and … _that woman_ ," she spat. "Are off getting the celebrity treatment?"

They chose to ignore the ire behind the words.

"I guess we can go over our action game plan with Kay in the meantime," Lang offered. "Honestly though, _Ane-san,_ as a man, Edgeworth shouldn't be more than an hour or so…maybe we can all go out to dinner with him when he's done. I imagine Lana will take longer simply because…dames take longer to get done up!"

"Humph! I know you fools were being facetious about Jilly Baxter having her work cut out for her with Lana, but I hardly think making her look like a bimbo will be _much of a stretch_!"

"What is your problem with Lana, Franziska?" Badd finally asked, exasperated. "You told me you and Edgeworth are engaged now and expecting. So what if she's good-looking? It's one of the reasons she was hired for this particular gig! She was also his _boss_ , and _nothing_ else!"

"Surely you can't be _jealous_?" Lang demanded. "You've got his rock on your hand, his bun in the oven, _and_ she's a good decade or so older than you! How much more reassurance do you _need_?"

Franziska gave a rueful smile at having her childish antics called out into light. "I'm being a fool, aren't I?" She professed guiltily. "It's just…did you not see the way Miles _reacted_ to her? He was gazing at her like a _foolish, love-struck_ schoolboy!"

Lang had already started walking ahead of them. "Come on guys." He gestured them over to the back office. "Let's go call Kay and go over our roles tonight…"

"Listen you're overthinking the whole thing with Edgeworth." Badd gently took Franziska's arm and pulled her back for a moment. "It's called shock, kid," he said kindly, popping his ever present lollipop into his mouth. "That's _all_ it was. I mean the guy has got the weirdest odds _ever_ , what with meeting his old boss _and_ childhood friend _across the worl_ d, on the _same_ day, _at the same time_!"

 _I still couldn't help but notice that he had less of a reaction when he saw his friend that he hadn't seen since he was_ ** _nine_** _!_ Franziska thought darkly. _And he_ ** _better_** _have one_ ** _hell_** _of an explanation for that when I get my hands on him later…_


	48. Sexy and I Know It

_Thorn in my side._  
 _A bundle of lies._  
 _You know that's all that it was worth_  
 _I should have known better_  
 _But I trusted you at first._  
 _I should have known better_  
 _But I got what I deserved_  
 _To run away from you_  
 _Was all that I could do.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Eight: Sexy and I Know It**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye**_  
 _Interpol Offices, Borginia_ _  
_August 7, 2024 7:35 pm

By the time 6:00 had rolled around, then come and gone, apparently neither Carlos nor Jilly had deemed Miles and Lana ready to make their makeover debut. In the end, Lang and Badd refused to let a pregnant woman go too long without eating, despite Franziska's protests, so at 6:30, after effectively wrapping things up with Kay, the men had taken her out for a quick bite at a local sushi place around the corner.

Then they'd both blushed furiously when she'd loftily informed them that raw fish was on the _forbidden list of things_ an expecting mother could eat! However, rather than waste more time changing restaurants, as she was eager to get back to the office and see Miles' new look, Franziska made do with some chicken teriyaki while the men happily gorged themselves on California rolls, before the trio headed back to the office.

Jilly and Carlos were out of the back room and grinning expectantly when they came in.

"Oh goody, you guys are just in time for the unveiling!" The blonde told them, a broad smile on her face. She hit the light switch so the room was plunged into slight darkness, then snapped her fingers at Carlos, who immediately turned the audio player on his cell and shone his phone's flashlight towards the closed door to the far back office for a dramatic spotlight effect.

A moment later, with LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It" playing in the background, the door opened, and a very grumpy-looking Miles emerged.

Franziska's heart thudded wildly at the sight of him, and she felt an electric jolt, which she was delighted he could still give her five years later. All her life, she'd known how handsome Miles Edgeworth looked in a suit…but _this_ …was something else entirely.

"Here we have Miles Edgeworth, in a custom-designer suit, courtesy of Burberry London," Jilly narrated, sounding positively giddy as she held up a nearby pen to her lips as a microphone, as though she were a fashion commenter at a runaway show. "Take note that the coloring is dark grey, an almost but not quite black suit, which deepens his mesmerizing eyes to gun-metal grey. Made in 100% wool woven in Italy. Pick stitched accents and black, branded buttons touch up a dapper two-button, notch-lapel suit crafted from smooth, woven wool. Slim, crisply creased flat-front trousers pair perfectly with the trim-tailored jacket to achieve a dashing, modern profile. The jacket has two-button closure; four-button cuffs; chest pocket; front flap pockets; interior pocket; center vent. The trousers have a zip fly with hook-and-bar closure; front slant pockets; back button-closure welt pockets…doesn't he look _sexy,_ guys!"

"Alright, enough already!" Miles snapped, turning his head to glare at the hairdresser and huffily folding his arms across his chest, upon which he wore a crisp white dress shirt, a wine colored vest, and his usual snowy cravat…all topped off by the darkening scowl on his face. "I _abhor_ that word, Miss Baxter, as well as this noise pollution! I demand that you turn off that abominable, inappropriate, horrendous excuse for music, post-haste!"

Startled by the anger in the normally calm prosecutor's voice, Carlos' hasty fingers struggled to find the stop button on his phone's audio player, but in his nervous state, merely succeeded in turning _up_ the volume, so the song's sound was only amplified just as the door opened again, and Lana stepped out just as the song went to the chorus: "I'm sexy and I know it…"

Not wanting her other client to miss her grand entrance, Jilly quickly grabbed her own phone and shone its flashlight like a spotlight on an embarrassed-looking, but absolutely stunning Lana Skye as she emerged from behind the door, and she continued in her narration.

"Next, we have Lana Skye, in a fetching merlot colored celebratory mini dress with shimmering sequins! Sprinkle your celebration and make retro style go modern with sparkle! Its top features a daringly low-cut V-neckline. Note the lustrous sequined accents on the bodice and run up the shoulder straps, which secure and encrust the fitted bodice. A tailored profile produces a curvy fit through bust, waist and hips, and the sheer overlay with streams of multicolor sequins shimmers atop a solid lining, surrounding her in glints of light. Sheer panels, composed of curvaceous stretch fabric in a contrasting shade, curve down the sides and the length of the mini-dress, and the tapered skirt makes a show-stopping, short dénouement, with a back zipper creating a stunning fit…"

Lana felt her face burn as she felt six sets of eyes staring at her, and she promptly wished she could disappear. She felt so self-conscious she wanted to die. This was ridiculous! She was too old for this! How on earth could _she_ possibly pass for arm-candy, no matter how slutty a dress they put her into and _how_ much makeup was slapped onto her face?

As a young girl she had hardly bothered with make-up, her youth made her beautiful enough. Heads would turn, boys took notice. But now that she had her toes inching towards her fourth decade, things were different. She would never leave the house without a full face on. It was a mask on her aging, she felt safe behind it, and she felt naked without it. It was confidence in a tube, beauty in a bottle, ego in a palette. It allowed her to cling to the illusion of youth a little longer, to pretend she wasn't middle aged and marching forwards. But there was a far cry from her daily pink lip gloss, eyeliner and skin-smoothing foundation, to her _current_ diva look!

She felt like a desperate old cougar on the prowl in her attire, even if her rigorous workouts had admittedly kept her in good enough shape to wear the daring and revealing dress! But neck up, she was still 37-years-old – and probably _looked_ it! She was certain their cover tonight would be blown entirely, because although dressed and made up to the nines, she felt like she couldn't be comfortable in doing so – and looking this way was hardly part of her normal repertoire! To top it all off, she felt like an overgrown giant - she was already 5'6" barefoot, but in the four inch stilettos Jilly had insisted on putting her in, while her legs admittedly looked mile-long, she was now the same height as Miles himself!

Her new look included, but was not limited to: contoured cheekbones with Lord knew how many layers of blusher and bronzer, dark smoky-eye makeup, along with individual false eyelashes, and heavily glossed, vampy lipstick. Lana had barely recognized herself in the mirror – the black eyeliner around her eyes so heavy and defined it made her teal-green eyes look almost cat-like in appearance! She was sure she looked every bit the ridiculously made up _clown-whore_ she thought she did! In another moment she would insist that the younger, striking, meaner than piss and vinegar German woman, who for some reason had taken an intense dislike to her _at first sigh_ t, take her place tonight in her stead!

Maybe she could pretend to sprain her ankle due to her towering footwear, and then be put out of her misery?

The lights switched back on, and Lana nervously looked around at her colleagues, dimly noticing that right after she'd come into the room, and the hairdresser had said her spiel, the music had abruptly stopped. The silence surrounded her, crushed her. Her stomached did double loops as she stood, unmoving, at the front of the room, like a scrutinized statue on display.

Franziska's expression was unreadable, and Jilly looked delighted with the fruits of her labor, but it was the males in the room whose gazes were unnerving her. The men were all staring at her still – in complete silence, and she had no idea what they were thinking!

Desperate for a friendly face, her frantic eyes sought out her former lover's, and she froze, feeling her pulse race wildly at the sight of him, exactly as it had when she'd first set eyes upon him nearly a decade ago.

She'd seen Miles in a suit many times before – almost as many times as she'd seen him _out_ of it, of course, she thought to herself, blushing slightly. So she knew he cleaned up well – knew too, when she'd laid eyes on him a few hours ago, that he had gotten even more attractive over the years, and had swapped his old pinkish uniform with gold tassels, knee breeches and ascot for a magenta suit, with full-length trousers, and had traded in the cross gemstone and ascot for a white cravat, which suited him and his more refined, matured look all the better now.

So she thought she'd seen the faces of Miles Edgeworth in their entirety.

But the man who was looking at her now just looked like a _different_ person, entirely!

The longish, eyelash-grazing, smoky bangs were now coal black in color, heavily slicked back into place atop his head, so you could now clearly make out the classically sculpted features, flawless fair skin, and strong, well-defined brows. His facial hair was now even more groomed and looked somewhat darkened, making him simultaneously appear younger-looking, yet more roguish and sophisticated. All in all, Miles looked like a more fair-skinned, younger version of the Tony Stark on Carlos' t-shirt, which she supposed was the look they'd been going for!

 _Damn him,_ the blasted man had gotten _even better-looking_ with his makeover… if that were even _possible_!

Lana gulped. There was _no way_ anyone was going to believe that Miles would be with an old hag like her. Never in a million years!

Miles forgot all about his irritation with the music and how much he hated this kind of attention, as well as that blasted, inane song! Instead, all his objections died in his throat as he took note of how stunning Lana looked in her full temptress, vixenish, arm-candy _glory_.

Her tall frame and slender body was like that of a Victoria secret model, her bare arms toned from obvious hours in the gym, and about her long neck sat a large ruby gemstone necklace, surrounded by small diamonds, nestling just above the tantalizing display of cleavage. Her seraph's ears were pierced by matching diamond and ruby earrings that were concealed by her caramel colored waves, which Jilly had curled and clipped underneath with invisible bobby pins, so it looked like it was cropped into a posh, chin-length bob, which highlighted her high, knuckle-duster cheekbones.

She was a ravishing, breath-taking, _goddess_.

Miles felt his mouth go dry as his eyes met her exquisitely made up ones, and expected at any moment for her to come towards him with her head thrown back in that same confident, sexy strut she'd initially walked in with, the one that told the world, "I'm beautiful and I know it."

Instead, she remained completely immobile at the front of the room, and unfathomably, what he saw was a genuine look of concern on her symmetrical features, rather than the glee of having a room full of admiring male _and_ female gawkers!

Miles cleared his throat, struggling to find the words to ease the tension in the room, and he fervently wished he hadn't asked for the music to be turned off. No doubt it would mask the sudden loud, erratic beating of his heart, which he was sure they could all hear!

"Lana," he began.

"Miles," she started, at the exact same time.

They both chuckled nervously, then tried again.

"You look stunning," he told her, at the simultaneous moment that she blurted out, "You look sexy!"

Miles felt himself blush at the compliment, forgetting she'd used the one word he had a distinct aversion to, while his spoken ones brought a deep curve on her lips, making the world stop around her. It was a smile that brought back a million memories in a split second; the precious dimple that made his heart skip a beat, even though he still saw some apprehension in her eyes.

 _She has a smile that makes you feel happy about being alive; just a bit more human._

For one brief, insane moment, he wanted to reach out and touch her lips, full and glossy red even in the fading light of the evening…if only to assure her that all was fine, and that she looked absolutely perfect.

Then he remembered that he was engaged now, that his memories of Lana were from another lifetime ago and that these fleeting thoughts of temporary insanity were beyond ridiculous and inappropriate, and he mentally lambasted himself for his moment of craziness and weakness. The adage was true after all.

 _Old feelings die hard indeed._

"He _does_ look sexy doesn't he?" Franziska purred, breaking the momentary spell between them as she strolled up to Miles and, forgetting their long ago placed rules about professional conduct between them during working hours, placed a proprietary kiss on his cheek as she flashed an icy look at the other woman. "However, I hardly think it's appropriate for you to say as much! You may have missed him castigating poor Miss Baxter for use of that very word just before you arrived, Agent Skye."

"Yeah, that's right, you _did_ , Miles." Jilly looked at him in confusion. "Number one, though, Ms. Von Karma, you're marrying a hunky piece of man meat, so unless you want to claw the eyes out of every female on earth, I suggest you get _used_ to them noticing! After all, Lana was just admiring our hard work! But number two, Miles, seriously, _what is up_ with you and your hate-on for that word, anyway?"

Miles cleared his throat. "I simply find it to be overly provocative and …unnecessary."

 _Even if it's true?_ Lana thought, but wisely kept her thoughts to herself. She had no desire to show up at the party bearing the markings of the whip that she saw Franziska sported on her holster, and would undoubtedly not hesitate to use if provoked!

The woman was _obviously_ the jealous, possessive sort!

Which was _ridiculous_! Aside from being a breathtaking beauty, with her long silvery hair and striking, flawless face and figure, Franziska was visibly sporting a rock you could have skated on…she couldn't _possibly_ see _her_ as a threat?!

Assuming she even _knew_ of Lana's past with Miles…surely he wouldn't have been _stupid_ enough to actually tell her, _would_ he?

Regardless, aside from that one tongue-slip just now, Lana had in no way acted in any way inappropriately towards Miles whatsoever; the German woman's behavior was simply childish and uncalled for!

After all, her history with Miles was long gone, over. Deader than the Macarena.

 _Wasn't it?_

Lana couldn't help but question her own sanity as she tried ascertain the distinction between wishful thinking versus actuality. Was it possible, even _remotely_ , that he still carried a torch for an old hag like _her_ after all this time, when he had this world-class beauty at his side? _Was_ she imagining the fact that there was something she saw in his eyes a few times when he'd looked at her? Gazed at her in such a way, that it made her start wondering if there was a part of _her_ that never fully gotten over _Miles_ either, and if she'd made a grave mistake with her decision nine years ago…

"You're way too modest, Miles," Franziska admonished lightly, smiling adoringly up at him. "Would you give _me_ a tongue lashing as well if I noted how _sexy_ my billionaire playboy looks right now?"

Miles cringed. "Truly, _meine dame_ , I would prefer, if at all, the words _handsome_ or _debonair_ if anything."

"That was _before_ you morphed into Tony Stark." Badd spoke up, crossing his arms across his chest and smirking. "Pink suit Edgeworth gets called pretty boy, or handsome, if you will. The pimping Iron Man vibe just oozes _sexiness_."

"Yes, _sexy_ _one_ , indeed it does," Lang grinned, purposely ignoring Miles' flinch at the word. "What I want to know is how this transformation of _yours_ took _three hours_ to complete? With the ravishing Lana, I get it! But _you_ already had the facial hair - how long could it _possibly_ have taken to dye your hair and slap some gel on it?"

"I'll have you know that I was also subjected to the indignities of buffed, manicured and _plucked_ to within an inch of my life, in parts of my body that I didn't even realize _could or should_ have had hair removed from!" Miles retorted loftily. "No doubt, Lang that if dealing with the task of taming _your_ mane, the poor woman would have up and quit, retiring her shears for life rather than take on _that_ burden!"

"Hey, why you talking smack about my 'do, pretty boy?" Lang glowered, running a self-conscious hand through his light brown tufts. "Do _I_ ever make fun of _your_ hair?"

"You mean about how you think he normally looks like a he's got a bird on his head?" Badd interjected, pulling his sucker out of his mouth and flashing the agent a shit-eating grin. "No, you don't. Not to his _face_ , anyway…"

Miles glared at the men.

Sensing an argument about to break out, and having no desire to be caught in the crossfire, Carlos hastily intervened.

"To be honest, dressing Mr. Edgeworth and Jilly dyeing and styling his hair just took a little over an hour," he told them. "And then the manicure and tweezing…only took another half hour, to be honest."

"Then what in _God's name_ were you doing with him for the other two hours, you foolish fool?" Franziska demanded indignantly. "He could have come and had dinner with us!"

Carlos smiled sheepishly. "To be honest…the rest of the time was spent playing tug of war with him over his cravat. He refuses to give it up!"

"I am _not_ taking off my cravat!" Miles insisted stubbornly.

Carlos groaned. "Will one of you _please_ reason with him and inform him that ruffly thing does _not_ go with this designer ensemble?"

The agents were all silent.

"I don't know…" Lang said skeptically. "He's awfully found of that fluttery napkin thing."

"My cravat is neither fluttery, nor a napkin of any sort!" Miles shot him a withering look.

"Except for that _one time_ Kay used it as a _Kleenex_ …" Franziska reminded him playfully.

"I told you to _never_ speak of that again!"

"He insists it's part of who he is," Badd added doubtfully. "I don't know, Moledo, it may be cravat or bust!"

"He's _got_ to lose that thing!" Carlos insisted. "The suit's a _Burberry London_ for crying out loud!"

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Lana sighed, striding over to Miles then. Completely catching him off guard, she stood in front of him, bending over and studying something intently on his chest, giving him the chance to catch a whiff of her familiar lavender perfume. "Hey, Miles, whatever is that spot on your shirt – did Jilly goop some gel onto it by mistake?"

"What the –" Alarmed, Miles looked down at the phantom stain, and Lana took advantage of his split second distraction to deftly remove the offending cravat from his neck, clench it into her fist, and toss it to the astonished stylist. "Keep that safe," she instructed Carlos with a smirk. "I assure you, he'll want it back tonight."

" _Objection_ , Lana!" Miles scowled at her, stunned, impressed, and somewhat wounded by the duplicity. "That was pretty low indeed, catching me unawares like that!"

"Agent tactic 101 from out in the field Miles," she winked. "Take advantage of _any and all_ diversions. Failing that, have the lightning quick reflexes to _make one of your own_."

"See? I _knew_ she'd be good," Lang bragged, flashing Lana a look of admiration.

"Of course! She was trained by the _best_ , after all!" Badd boasted.

"If you all are done patting yourselves on the back now," Miles said dryly. "There is still the matter that Lana and I have spent the last few hours in captivity and are now _completely_ famished. Is it possible to get some food into us before the festivities tonight?"

"We already ate though," Lang said.

"So then you can watch _me_ eat!" Miles declared grumpily, forlornly touching the empty spot on his neck where his cravat normally lay. "God, I feel naked without that thing!"

"I second the motion of food being a good idea," Lana agreed. "No doubt there will be copious amounts of alcohol there, and I'm a complete lightweight. Best if I don't drink on an empty stomach!"

"OK fine…" Lang looked at his watch. "It's 8:00 now, the party doesn't start till 10:00. We can all duck into that tavern a few blocks down for some grub before we send you guys off to the shindig. That gives us some time to brief you on the details for tonight as well." He smiled at Carlos and Jilly. "Am sure our hardworking glam squad here aren't opposed to getting something into them, either."

"I'm starved," Jilly admitted.

"Me too," said Carlos.

"OK, everyone, to The Brass Monkey!" Badd declared. "I can grab Carlos and Jilly in my car, Lang, if you don't mind taking Lana."

"I'll come with Miles," Franziska informed them. "I'd like to steal a few moments with my fiancé before he heads off for the night."

"Here, Edgeworth." Lang tossed him a set of keys. "May as well give you access to your ride for the night now."

Miles looked down at the emblem, a slow smile of appreciation forming on his lips. "A Lamborghini, Lang? I'm impressed, I'll admit it."

"You can't be a billionaire playboy showing up to a drug lord's mansion in a Chevy," Lang shrugged. "Enjoy your temporary loaner, courtesy of Interpol. It's the red one out back."

As they began to file out, Franziska took her fiancé's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Well, this will be a fun ride, won't it, _liebling_?"

"Yes, I like the idea of going for fish and chips with my fiancée in style," he grinned, leaning down to kiss her lightly on the lips.

"There's just one thing I need to ask you, _liebling_ …" Franziska began sweetly as they headed towards the doors and towards the flashy sports car.

"What's that?" Miles asked, putting on his seat-belt.

"What the _hell_ is the true story betwixt you and that overly made up harlot, _Herr_ Edgeworth?"

* * *

 **Eurythmics – Thorn in My Side**


	49. A Bullet Dodged

" _The most difficult part of dating as a single parent is deciding how much risk your own child's heart is worth."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-Nine:** **A Bullet Dodged**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Interpol Office Parking Lot, Borginia_  
August 7, 2024 8:00 pm

Miles was grateful he hadn't been driving the six-digit costing sports car when his fiancée had made her not-so-innocent inquiry; he actually jolted upon hearing the $64,000 question, which would have been a disaster, had they actually been moving!

He shouldn't have been caught so unawares, though; realistically, he _should_ have seen it coming. After all, when had Franziska Von Karma _ever_ let sleeping dogs lie?! Taking a deep breath, he rapidly ran through his options in this most undesirable scenario that had been thrust upon him.

For the purposes of his legal career, he had agreed to go take his investigations undercover as a billionaire playboy, and for a variety of reasons that were irrelevant now (but seemed noble at the time!), he'd opted not to tell Franziska about it. Now, as some sort of karmic comeuppance for that oversight in judgment, (or as some _other_ form of cosmic retribution for sins he was _still_ unaware of!), he had to pretend to be the _boyfriend_ of his _ex-girlfriend_ – scratch that, _former illicit lover_! All the while, he was also supposed to maintain his dignity _and_ his cool, in the face of his _current_ ever-probing, slightly possessive and now _hormonal_ lover/future wife, who had _no idea_ that his current _faux paramour_ , in another lifetime, had once been his _real-life_ one!

It all actually sounded like something out of a bad romantic comedy or soap-opera, but the potential consequences of facing his fiancée's wrath if she ever caught wind of his unintentional deception was more like the scenario from a B-rated _horror_ movie, where _he_ would be the sole casualty!

Good God, _was_ it possible to be whipped _to death_? And since Franziska was pregnant, hormonal, and hence, not fully in control of her senses, was it plausible that a jury of sympathetic women would let her walk on the homicide charge on some sort of technicality? _Possibly_! How unjust _that_ would be, if he were _actually_ slain over this whole mess? Truly, what was he _really_ guilty of anyway? Not declaring _every single one_ of his past sexual conquests to his lover, a topic which had never come up, until now? That would be most unfair! After all, withholding the truth _wasn't_ the same as lying!

Not _technically_ , anyway…

Miles was disgusted with himself. God help him, he sounded just like every dishonest, bastard, corrupt lawyer stereotype he'd ever known…or even worse.

 _God dammit I'm as bad as_ _**Larry Butz** __!_

Taking a deep breath, he made sure to compose his features before turning on his biggest and brightest smile and facing his fiancé, whose pretty face was the picture of innocent patience and simple curiosity.

However, having known her most of her life, he could make out the not quite hidden steely glint in her eyes, which clearly said: _lie to me and you're a dead man walking, Miles Edgeworth!_

"I take it by the colorful description of that query, you are referring to Agent Skye?" He replied lightly, all the while trying to will himself from once again breaking out into the sweat forming on his brow.

"It's after hours, _liebling_ ," Franziska reminded him, her voice dripping with honey. "I do believe she invited us to call her _Lana_." Suddenly, her tone took on a harder edge. "Don't you _dare_ try to act like a fool or try to play me as one, Miles! I'm neither blind _nor_ daft and will not allow you to treat me as such!"

"Franziska, I swear I am doing no such thing!" He protested weakly. "You know that I respect you and value your intelligence and have never tried to insult it as such…"

"Then tell me why you've been staring at _that woman_ like a besotted fool the whole night, especially _within my presence_?" Franziska demanded. "Are you really going to try to deny the fact that you've been – dammit, what is that term Larry Butz uses? – _eye-banging_ her the entire night?!"

"I think you're confusing my unprecedented shock for something more, _meine dame_."

"Even if I _did_ decide to let you get away with that pitiful, weak excuse first time around – which I won't, by the way– it still doesn't excuse your tongue practically hanging out of your mouth as you essentially _panted_ , much like in the manner of _Pess_ when she's begging for table scraps!"

"Alright, you got me! I confess that ten years ago, as a young prosecutor, yes, I _may_ have had a _slight_ crush on Agent Skye," Miles admitted. That was the truth, after all, albeit a _very_ condensed version of it! "All this time later, despite being a happily committed man, I will admit that I was taken aback by how good a job Jilly did at making her appear so…well preserved."

 _I'm just sorry that you noticed me noticing her as such…_

"Well… I imagine I can't fault you for acknowledging her feminine wiles when it was _so very long ago_." Franziska eyed him suspiciously. "That's _all_ this was then? You visibly acknowledging the hard workings of Lana's makeover artists and _naught_ else?"

"Lana is a comely lady, Franziska," Miles exhaled, closing his eyes and accepting the fact that he was doomed. "Jilly did a great job with preparing her for the role tonight. To suggest otherwise is to slight the valiant efforts of an old friend, and I _do_ think you're bigger than _that_ , are you not?" It was a long shot, taking this route, but it was worth a try!

He could hear the gears in Franziska's mind turning as she mulled over his words, and knew without a doubt, that he had her there. She knew it as well as he did, even before she replied.

"OK, _fine_ , Miles, your friend did a good job," she acquiesced grudgingly. "It's not like you were the _only_ one salivating in that room…forget _drooling_ – Carlos was _frothing_ at the mouth, Badd's eyes nearly bugged out of his head…and the normally terse Lang actually referred to her as _ravishing_! So, I guess you're right. For an old dame…I _can_ admit Lana Skye is not _entirely_ unfortunate looking."

Relieved at the slight reprieve, Miles opened his eyes and raised a brow in her direction. "If my complimenting, or acknowledging another pulchritudinous female in your presence offended you in any way, Franziska, I apologize. However, if _looking_ at another woman is my worst offence towards you thus far, after five years, have you _really_ fared so badly overall in the fiancé department?"

It was like a game of chess. Check and mate. Miles had won.

 _Ngh! That manipulative…methodical…logical….dammit,_ w _hy did I agree to marry a genius lawyer?_ Franziska thought to herself grumpily, folding her arms across her chest and reluctantly admitting there was some actual veracity to his words, although hating the way he'd managed to turn things around! She blamed that fool Phoenix Wright for that! Obviously his influences had rubbed off on her fiancé in more ways than one!

Miles was still looking at her with that arched brow, obviously waiting for a reply to his not-so-rhetorical question.

"No, I fathom I _haven't_ done too badly in the fiancé department if _this_ is the worst thing I can fault you with," Franziska acknowledged, giving him a wry smile. "I'm probably being silly, getting so jealous over something so foolish, Miles…but I'm pregnant, and just feeling a little vulnerable! While I'm not showing yet, I _will_ be soon. Put yourself in my position. Here's this attractive woman wearing slinky, revealing dresses at your side, which _I_ will no longer be able to wear anymore, and here's me, who shall in the very near future, resemble a hippo with a gland problem in comparison!"

Miles let out a shout of laughter then, partially from relief, and partially because in that moment, he truly realized that he would never love any other woman for the rest of his days, the way he did Franziska Von Karma. He turned towards her then, cupping her face in his hands and smiling lovingly at her.

" _Meine dame_ , your body may swell as the months pass, but it's because you're having _my_ baby." He stroked her cheek with his thumb as a tear rolled out of her eye. "As the glowing, beatific woman carrying our child, there could never be a more beautiful sight to behold than that, in my eyes, _ever_. I really mean that! Even if a parade of lingerie models were to prance before my eyes, I may be guilty of _glancing_ in that direction…but that would take away my _attentions_ for naught but a fleeting second. My mind, my heart, my _soul_ …will _always_ stay with you."

Another tear rolled out of Franziska's eye at his poignant words. " _Ich liebe dich_ , Miles Edgeworth."

"I love you too, _meine dame_." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Shall we get going now?"

"Yes, of course." She flashed him a radiant smile. "But there is one more thing I'm wondering about, Miles."

"What's that?" He turned the key in the ignition and carefully pulled out of the parking lot.

"What in the world is with you and this aversion of yours to the word _sexy_?" She exclaimed, giggling. "I know your understandable aversions to earthquakes and elevators, but…what's in a harmless little word? It's not like you to be _that_ neurotic!"

"It's a _long_ story…" Miles sighed, giving her a sideways look. "And while it's not really _mine_ to tell, it just as surely did affect me as if it _had_ happened to _me_ …"


	50. DILF

_"The most difficult part of dating as a single parent is deciding how much risk your own child's heart is worth_."

* * *

 _A/N: I am dedicating this chapter to one of my favorite readers, (and awesome FF writers - just sayin'!) TheFreelancerSeal. I swear I did NOT pay him for this awesome and psychic premonition lovely review he left me on my last chapter:_

 _ **"I do look forward to seeing how Miles developed that aversion to being called 'sexy.' I will admit that I miss Phoenix and Maya, the former especially, navigating the perils of fatherhood."**_

 _It means the world to me when I hear from you guys, and as always, thanks for reading! I hope this brings a smile to your faces!_

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty: DILF**

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Trucy Wright_** **  
** _Wright Talent Agency_  
October 14, 2019 4:00 pm

"It was _so_ hot today, Daddy!" Trucy exclaimed as she barged into the office. She fanned herself dramatically with her magician's hat as she took off her cape and hung it up on the hat rack by the front door. "The school bus driver says this is what they call _Indian_ summer!"

"It's at least 102 degrees," her father agreed, taking a swig of his cold bottle of grape juice and leaning closer to the whirring fan perched on the coffee table. "And _still_ a scorcher, even this late in the day! Definitely a sizzler for sure!"

"I bet you could fry an egg by cracking it on the sidewalk!"

 _Quite possibly._

Phoenix took off his beanie and fanned himself with it. He was seated on the sofa, having forsaken his usual sweat suit in lieu of a tank top and shorts, but as neither the office nor upstairs apartment had air conditioning (that cost _extra_!) he had few other ways of keeping cool, aside from lounging in the tub for a cold bath for another half hour…which he'd already done that day, _twice_!

For once the sub-zero temperatures at The Borscht Bowl would have been welcome, but he didn't work that night, so there appeared to be no visible relief in sight. He'd already gone through a half box of popsicles! He got up off the couch and presented his daughter with some cheese and crackers he'd prepared for her after school snack. Normally he'd have told her to go eat upstairs in the kitchen, but it was _even hotter_ up there!

"Do you work tonight, Truce?" He asked, smiling as she dug in hungrily into her fare. Gosh, the girl could _eat_! Thankfully, despite his current plight and diminished funds, he was still able to keep her healthy appetite fed. Aside from those generous but anonymous cash donations that kept coming in the mail intermittently, he was also actually making a couple of extra dollars in tips for his piano playing, _as well as_ his poker playing as of late. Who would have ever known that his mastering of show tunes would have turned out to be semi _lucrative_?

She shook her head as she chugged down a whole bottle of apple juice. "Nope, not tonight. That means it's just you and me then, Daddy! What do you want to do?"

Phoenix thoughtfully put a finger to his chin. "Hmmm, let me think…"

" _You_ decide! In the meantime, you wanna hear what happened to me at school today?"

"Of course, baby girl." He reached for his ever-present bottle. "Why don't you tell me a little about your day while I brainstorm a way we can beat this heat?"

"First, I have a question then. Daddy, what's a DILF?"

Phoenix had just taken a swig of juice then, and nearly choked at the words. "Say _what_?!" He looked at his daughter in disbelief.

 _Good Lord, please tell me I didn't hear her right…_

"A _DILF_? I never heard of that word before so I thought maybe you could tell me?"

 _Ngh! So I did hear her right?! Sweet Jesus, of all the times for my hearing not to be failing me …_

" _What_!? _Where…how_ in the world did you hear _that_ word, Trucy?!"

"Well, because I heard my teacher Miss Hickey… you know, you met her last week at parent/teacher night?"

"Uh huh…" he replied slowly, barely surpassing a shudder at the memory of the shapely, overly tanned, titian-haired _cougar_ who'd had _zero_ respect to his personal boundaries. She'd continuously kept in _way_ too close proximity to him during the entire uncomfortable evening, when the "very single" barracuda had seemed more interested in discussing his _lack of wedding band_ than his daughter's academic prowess! She'd also been _much_ too keen on lasciviously bending over in her slightly too-low cut blouse repeatedly before his embarrassed eyes, while repetitively letting him know that her first name was _Ivana_. "What about her?"

"Anyway, I had to come back inside to use the bathroom during recess, and I heard Miss Hickey talking to the music teacher, Miss Wigglywomp today in the staff lounge, and they were talking about some of the parents from that night. I heard Miss Hickey say that I was lucky to have a daddy who was such a total _DILF_ , and that you shouldn't bother wearing that baggy sweatshirt around, because it wasn't fooling _anyone_ about what kind of _sexy_ lay beneath!"

Phoenix's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Undaunted, his daughter continued in her rehashing.

"…and then she described your _bedroom blue eyes_ – what does that mean Daddy? That you look sleepy?"

 _Gah!_

Phoenix couldn't have answered that question at that moment if his _life_ had depended on it! Shrugging at his continued abashed silence, Trucy went on.

"So then Miss Wigglywomp said based on that _sexy DILF_ description, _she_ wouldn't mind having a _wriggly romp_ with you either, whatever _that_ means…"

Phoenix flat out choked on his grape juice this time, coughing so hard Trucy had to come and thump him on the back. He gasped a few times, thinking asphyxiation on his favorite drink was _preferable_ to having this conversation with his 8-year-old! He couldn't _believe_ the inappropriate conduct his daughter's educational advisers carried themselves in, and had half a mind to actually complain to the school board about this!

If this _proceeding conversation_ right now didn't make him _die of embarrassment_ first!

Having seen the raunchy comedy classic film, _American Pie_ , he of course knew what the term MILF meant, but up until that moment, he'd had no idea that the _male_ counterpart to _Mother I'd Love to Fuck_ had become so mainstream!

Or that it would _ever_ be used in conjunction to _him_ in _any way, shape or form_!

"Daddy?" Trucy was looking at him expectantly once she'd ascertained he wasn't going to choke to death. "What does _DILF_ mean? It is the same thing as _sexy_? My friend Gouda Berger says that sexy means –"

"It um, means, Daddy I'll Love Forever!" Phoenix improvised on the spot, hoping his daughter would now cease this _beyond_ disturbing conversation.

"Oh, that's so cool! It's _so_ nice, that my teacher can tell what a loving Daddy I have, and tells people that he is a DILF!" Trucy smiled brightly. "I'm going to tell all my friends at school tomorrow that my Daddy is a DILF!"

"Er…maybe you shouldn't do that, Truce!" Phoenix said quickly. Trucy looked at him quizzically, and he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "I mean, it would sound like Miss Hickey only says such, ah, nice _things_ about _me_ and not about the other kid's mommies and daddies. And that wouldn't be good, because then they would all be sad…and feel, ah, _left out_ , you know what I mean?"

"Hmm, that's true," Trucy said thoughtfully. "I wouldn't want to make any of the boys and girls in the class feel bad."

"That's my baby girl!" He sighed in relief and lifted her up into his arms, hugging her tightly.

"Gouda says sexy means you have muscles!" Trucy informed him, poking her tiny finger into his firm bare shoulder. "I don't understand why muscles make you sexy though! I think they look weird and funny and _lumpy_!"

Phoenix drew back and stared at her, his eyes wide.

"Don't worry, you're not so bad! I remember my other daddy was much bigger and _lumpier_ than you are Daddy!" Trucy giggled, not noticing the pink tinge forming in Phoenix's cheeks. "But lately, I've noticed that _your_ lumps have gotten bigger since the spring time – Miss Hickey is right, you _can_ still see the outline of your lumps even in your sweatshirt, and I can see them _now_ even more!" She poked at his bicep again and grinned impishly. "Does that mean you've been trying to be _more_ sexy, Daddy?"

 _No! Becoming allegedly more sexy is just a side effect from the long daytime jogs, free weights and calisthenics I've been doing to burn off the steam I've got pent up from having a beautiful girlfriend who lives two hours away that I'm not allowed to see! Which, consequently, also means that I have not been able make love to said siren for the past five months – phone and Skype sex notwithstanding!_

" _Ngh_!" Phoenix croaked, having no idea how to answer such a question.

"It's OK if you want to be sexy, Daddy!" Trucy grinned. "Ladies like muscles, and muscles are sexy and if they think you look sexy…"

 _For the love of God, Truce, stop saying the word sexy! I never want to hear that word ever again, especially coming from you, for the rest of my life!_

"Then that means you can get me a new mommy!" She finished happily. "A new mommy for my sexy Daddy!"

That did it! Phoenix shot up from the couch, nearly knocking Trucy to the ground in his haste. He fanned his face with his hand, which felt as if it were on fire, in spite of the beads of sweat rolling off his temples! He desperately needed to cool down, and get the _hell_ away from the apartment – and this conversation – _pronto_!

Of course, the law, and Children's Services, dictated that he _really_ should take his eight-year-old _with him_!

Maybe a cool dunk would distract the little chatterbox?

 _Perfect!_

"Get your swimsuit, Truce!" Phoenix announced. "We're going to the pool!"

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Trucy Wright_** **  
** _Community Pool_  
October 14, 2019 4:35 pm

Luckily, the YMCA was only a few blocks away, and the Olympic-sized outdoor pool was free for local use, so Phoenix figured a dip would be just what the doctor ordered to beat the heat and rinse away the stigma of general _ookiness_ Trucy's _sexy DILF_ revelations had given him!

It was still blazingly hot outside, and there were lifeguards on duty until 7:00 that night, when it would switch to adult only swim time. Trucy was a good swimmer, and could move about like a little fish in her adorable pink swimsuit throughout both the deep and shallow areas without him needing to worry too much. He pulled up a lounge chair near the poolside underneath a tree, and lay back in the shade, enjoying the slight breeze.

The place was packed, with tons of parents and their kids splashing in the water, some of whom Phoenix recognized from Trucy's class. She immediately spotted her friends Gouda and Jinxie, so he knew he could just sit back and relax for a bit since she was with company and not alone in the water, while still being able to keep an eye on his daughter.

"Daddy!" Trucy called after a while. "Aren't you going to come in? The water's great!"

Phoenix looked around self-consciously. While there were plenty of middle-aged and older men and women at the pool, there really weren't any other men in his demographic there at all. And after the bizarre conversation he and Trucy had had earlier, he really didn't want to draw much attention to himself!

"Um, I'm OK Truce, you enjoy yourself!"

"Daddy, _please_!" She begged, looking at him with pleading eyes. "I want to play chicken against Gouda and her daddy and Jinxie can't hold me up on her shoulders!"

Phoenix sighed in defeat. He'd _never_ been able to say no to females with imploring _puppy dog eyes_!

Kicking off his sandals and yanking off his hat, he padded unenthusiastically down the stairs into the pool, smiling politely at the pretty, bronze, copper-haired lifeguard on duty, who sat up and suddenly appeared _much_ more interested in the on-goings in the water as he walked past her and up to Trucy's group.

"Excuse me, Sir!" She called. "But appropriate attire and regulations must be followed in this pool! Please remove your shirt if you're going to be in the water!"

"Um, is it really _that_ big a deal if I keep it on?" Phoenix asked awkwardly, feeling a blush creeping over his face and neck as Trucy, Jinxie, Gouda and her father, a slightly rotund, red-faced man with a comb over, all stared at him.

"It's a health and safety regulation, Sir," the lifeguard stated firmly, extending her hand to take the clothing from him. Then she tilted her head to the side and gave him a dazzling smile. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on your shirt for you!"

"Um…thanks but…" Phoenix gripped the bottom edge of his shirt uncertainly.

"You don't have anything I haven't seen before!" She joked, winking. "But I also don't think you have anything to be self-conscious about either, from what _I_ can see!"

"Hey Trucy, is your Daddy too _chicken_ to _play_ chicken with me and my Daddy?" Gouda taunted. "That's OK, you'd only lose anyway! Because _my_ Daddy is taller than _your_ Daddy anyway, _and_ he's _stronger_ too!"

"My Daddy isn't a chicken!" Trucy declared indignantly, scowling at the freckle-faced red-headed girl. "He's _just_ as strong as your Daddy! And your Daddy may be taller, but _my_ Daddy is way more sexy than _your_ Daddy!"

"Truce!" Phoenix turned beet-red. "Don't say things like that! It's not… nice!"

The lifeguard was leaning forward in her chair now, amusement on her tanned face as she listened to the exchange.

"But it's _true_!" Trucy sulked. "Gouda told me muscles are sexy! And _you_ have muscles, Daddy! More than _her_ Daddy does! Prove to her you're not a chicken!"

It was with this mortifying prompt that the now scarlet-faced Phoenix reluctantly took off his top and tossed it to the appreciative-eyed lifeguard, who was grinning broadly at him as she extended her hand for it.

"Wow, your Daddy _does_ have muscles!" Jinxie marveled. " _My_ Daddy's are bigger, but that's only because he's a wrestler!" She smiled reassuringly at Phoenix. "Don't worry, Mr. Wright! You're still sexy though!"

Phoenix gave the dark haired girl a sickly grin and wished he could disappear.

"Ready to play chicken now, Truce?" He asked turning back to his daughter. He was beginning to get unnerved by the admiring looks he was getting not only from _Jinxie_ , but from the _lifeguard_ , as well as several other of the _mothers_ in the pool now that Trucy had made such a scene!

Also from (and he _hoped_ he was imagining _this_ one!) Gouda's _father_?!

"OK Daddy!" Trucy said blithely, clambering on top of his shoulders. Then she turned back to the lifeguard and flashed her a proud smile. "Don't you agree that my Daddy is sexy?"

" _Yes_!" Blurted out Gouda, then blushed and clapped a hand over her mouth as Trucy flashed her a triumphant smirk and Phoenix felt himself wishing he could dive for cover somewhere.

"I wasn't asking _you_ , Gouda! I was asking the pretty lifeguard!"

Phoenix wanted to drown himself into the water at that exact moment.

"Actually," the young woman drawled, smiling flirtatiously. "I _really_ do, honey. You're lucky to have such a handsome, _sexy_ Daddy."

"My _teacher_ thinks so too!" Trucy confided in a stage whisper, seeming to forget that her friends and Gouda's father were still in ear-shot. "She says my Daddy is a _sexy_ _DILF_ with bedroom eyes!"

The lifeguard clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter as Phoenix turned crimson and prayed for the earth to swallow him whole.

"Not _now_ , Trucy!" Phoenix groaned, struggling to carry his daughter away from this conversation as fast as he could, but not before Trucy made one more last pitch to the lifeguard over her shoulder. "Hey Miss, since you think my Daddy is _sexy_ , does that mean you'd want to be my new Mommy?"

 _Heaven help me! My daughter is traumatizing me with the word sexy, making her little friends agree with the diagnosis, and is now at the present, publicly pimping me out at a community swimming pool! Someone…Please. Just. Kill. Me. Now…_

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma_**  
 _The Brass Monkey Tavern, Parking Lot_  
August 7, 2024 8:05 pm

Franziska was laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes.

"Oh, that poor _too sexy for his shirt_ , foolish fool!" She gasped, turning her mirthful expression towards Miles, who had somehow kept a straight face while retelling the story Phoenix had emailed him, which although it had been five years ago, was still as fresh in his mind as if it were yesterday. "I wonder what happened at the pool after all that?"

"What does that matter?" He asked darkly, pulling the car into a free spot and frowning at his fiancée. "The point was to explain to you my repugnance to the word _sexy_. Did this embarrassing tale not suffice to illustrate my point?"

"Well, it certainly demonstrates why _Phoenix Wright_ would have distaste for the word, after hearing it inappropriately used _ad nauseam_ by his elementary school daughter, her little friends _and_ educators," she admitted, still giggling softly. "I just am still not fully grasping why the word would traumatize _you_ so, _liebling_?"

"Wright is my best friend, Franziska," Miles replied stiffly, averting his eyes from her probing gaze. "As such, I can certainly feel his mortification at the whole situation through my general male empathies and such…"

"No, it _still_ doesn't make sense." She insisted. "There's no way that _you_ would be so adverse to a word just because Phoenix Wright's daughter unwittingly traumatized him with it! Tell me what the _real_ reason is, Miles! _Please_?"

Miles slapped his hand on the dashboard then, courtroom style.

"For the love of God, woman!" He snapped. "If you _must_ know…that's what… _Wendy Oldbag_ calls _me_!"

" _Gah_!" Her eyes like saucers.

"Well, you _had_ to ask!" He grimaced. "Refers to me as her ' _sexy-wexy Edgy-Poo_ '."

"I could see how that would affect my stomach more than my heart. Ugh! _Sexy-wexy_..." Franziska commiserated, before suddenly lurching forward in her seat, looking ill.

" _Meine dame_!" His eyes large with alarm. "Are you alright?

"Ugh!" Franziska groaned and clutched her stomach. "I think I'm going to be sick now."

"Is it the baby?"

" _No_! It's from hearing your _own_ blasted story!"

"Curiosity killed the cat _meine dame_."


	51. Maximillian Banks (the Third)

_"With life problems, just remember that you're a man who solves his own problems and you will be able to handle it, whenever."_

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-One: Maximillian Banks (the Third)**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye**_ _  
Wa Sing Ku's Mansion, Borginia_  
August 7, 2024 11:00 pm

Prior to being allowed entrance to the fiesta at the drug lord's mansion, Lana and Miles first had to do a check-in with the armed security guard located in front of the iron gates, and assure him that they were there for Wa Sing Ku's party, and then wait for the man to verify that indeed, he and Lana were _on the list_ before they could proceed.

Although he was familiarized with opulence and splendor, having been raised in Germany at the Von Karma manor, and was certainly no stranger to life's extravagances, as he was wealthy enough in his own right, Miles still couldn't help but be impressed by the luxurious manor where that night's festivities were being held.

He marveled at the sights before him as he slowly drove the Lamborghini up the long winding stone path, lined with pine trees and red crackle glass garden stakes, which held lit up flickering flame torches. Tall, stone towers loomed in the distance, past a courtyard filled with marble fountains, the soft gurgling of the clear water melodic as it resonated in the surrounding night silence.

At last they came upon the brightly-lit colossal structure.

Looking up, he noted a third floor balcony, shaped like a half-circle, which overlooked the front of the house, with spiral carved bushes near the door.

After parking the car next to the several dozen others onto the side lawn which seemed to be the designated parking area, Miles extended his arm to Lana and escorted her up the driveway. En route, they passed the lawn of immaculately landscaped cherry blossom and pine trees, from which sphere-shaped cage lanterns hung, as well as next to the large wooden double door. A loud clacking noise resounded as he rapped on the heavy silver knocker shaped liked a lion's head, wondering if it would even be heard over the roaring din he could hear inside.

The door was promptly opened by a man that could have easily passed for the lovechild of Hendricks and his housekeeper, Mrs. Kucharka. The dark-haired lad had the similar stern features of his butler and the same wide-eyed, slightly stunned expression of his Eastern European maid, the latter which Miles found decidedly amusing. After all, wouldn't the butler have been _expecting_ to have folks arriving at the door of the premises where a seemingly roaring soirée was being held?

"Good evening," the prosecutor turned 'playboy' smiled as the young man bowed and ushered them in. "We're guests of Mr. Ku."

"Good evening, and welcome to Huxi Manor, Master Ku's esteemed estate. Please follow me to the terrace, and join the other guests."

Miles and Lana were led through the massive home, which appeared to have no doors, but high archways instead. There was a gigantic electrolier, fifteen feet high, with upward-curling gilt branches opening into cloudy glass lilies of light in the tall ceiling. The main foyer took them through a long hallway leading to the courtyard, followed by just about the longest spiral staircase imaginable. Each area they passed along the way was filled with mosaics on the walls, ornate rugs and carved statues, as well as extortionate trinkets of deep, lustrous gold and silken silver coruscated in the glimmering lighting provided, shooting beams of pure wealth into every corner of the lavish rooms.

It was exactly the type of residence one would picture for an obscenely prosperous businessman who had achieved his wealth via various illegal and unscrupulous activities.

Drinks were being served on the long terrace, and when Miles and Lana stepped out through the French doors, they spotted two or three dozen small groups of people, already laughing and glowing. It was evident that everyone had been on holiday, and like the roses and begonias in the blossoming garden, they seemed to take and hold the richly filtered light of the flickering torches.

"Shall we meander about?" Miles asked Lana. "I see the party seems to be in full swing already, even though it apparently only started an hour ago."

Lana nodded, her eyes still taking in their swanky surroundings and the various attendees. "Hurrah for being fashionably late…"

 _The last thing we want to do is draw unnecessary attention to ourselves! Although it's not as if_ _ **that's**_ _likely to happen! Well, not in_ _ **my**_ _case, anyway…_

While there were many attractive, suited types of men in various shapes and sizes milling about, Miles, in Lana's opinion, was easily the most handsome man there. The majority of lucky blokes were accompanied by one or two exquisite, statuesque model types hanging off their arms, all in various colors of dresses and styles that made her own alleged daring number look like a _nun's habit_ in comparison!

And in her towering stilettos, Lana could deduce that she was easily the tallest, although _far_ from the most eye-catching female there! If anything, she felt impossibly gangly and out of place next to these petite, dainty belles, not to mention _ancient_ , as well-preserved as she was! There appeared to be absolutely _no_ other woman there who was even over the age of _25_?!

As if sensing her unease, Miles plucked two flutes of champagne from a dark-eyed young waiter, and steered them into the knee-high maze of the parterre.

The curlicue of the path brought them round to a view of enormous, Olympic-sized pool, equipped with two diving boards. Several guests were already happily splashing about, and shrieks of laughter could be heard as someone started a spirited game of Marco Polo.

"I didn't know it was going to be a _pool_ party!" Lana observed enviously, wishing she'd thought to slip a bikini into her evening bag. "It's such a warm night out, too. It'd be _perfect_ for a swim."

" _Do_ remember, we're not here for _fun_ ," he murmured in her ear, his warm breath shooting unprecedented tingles up and down her spine.

She flashed him an impish grin to mask the unexpected reaction his nearness had on her.

"How could I forget, you old stick in the mud?" She quipped. "It's a damn _party_! Lighten up, will you?"

"A _work_ party, mind you." He crossed his arms.

"I didn't think it was possible, but have you gotten even _more_ uptight over the years?" She goaded. "Is that a _wrinkle_ I see forming on your brow?"

"I _beg_ your pardon?" He asked with attempted hauteur, trying to appear irked at the question but unable to keep the frown on his face as he saw the barely suppressed mirth shining in her lovely eyes.

"Oh, stop frowning!" She admonished playfully. "It will only give you wrinkles! And the _more wrinkly_ your face becomes, _the less_ I'm going to be able to read what you're thinking!"

"Well, I never -! I'll have you know, I don't have a single wrinkle upon my youthful brow!" He declared, crossing his arms while still trying not to smile. "I suggest _you_ fall _more_ into your hired role and take heed to the fact that you're a _working girl_ tonight!"

"I don't think so," she dismissed with a shrug, her eyes still dancing. "You're enough of a stickler for the both of us! Although I think I _might_ _resent_ the _double entendre_ of that particular phrase, Mr. – "

"Ah, ah, ah, _honey_." Even though there appeared to be nobody around them thus far, he put a cautious finger to her lips, effectively silencing her from accidentally blurting out his true identity, while trying to squelch the slight charge he'd felt at the personal gesture. "I respond only to _darling_ or…"

"Yes, I know… _Maximillian Banks, the third_." She smirked at him and took a swig from her glass. "Or do you prefer _Max_?"

"Whatever tickles your fancy, Ms. _Kane_."

"I insist that you that back at once! You _know_ that I _refused_ to be called, _Lana Kane_!" She took another sip of champagne. "What was Lang _thinking_ when he offered to name me after an _anti-friction ointment_?"

"I suppose," he chuckled, breaking his austere mien at last. "That he thought you would be _grateful_ he allowed you to veto the first name _Candy_."

"Ugh…talk about your rock and a hard place…" she groaned. "I realize I'm supposed to be your _arm candy_ tonight, but surely I could have been designated a more _dignified_ moniker, such as _yours_?"

"Well since you're going to _look_ the part of the _doxy_ , I guess they figured why not go _all_ the way?" He suggested mildly, finding himself enjoying this slight banter _way_ more than he should have been, as it made him reminiscent of their past flirtations.

" _First_ I'm a working girl, and now _you're_ calling me another fancy word for _bimbo_?" She swatted him on the arm, even though she was snickering. "You mind your mouth there, _maxi pad_!"

"Tut, tut, my pet," he grinned. "Anyone within earshot may begin questioning your devotion to me thus! Or even worse, assume that there's _friction_ among us and that more _Lanacane_ need be involved!"

She drained the last of her glass and slapped it on a nearby table before turning back to him, her playful smile now replaced with a decidedly less amused expression.

"You _know_ that's not my name!"

"Come along, Ms. _Dallas_." He lightly put his hand on the small of her back and steered her toward the refreshment table. "Let's get some substance into you…you knocked back that last glass a bit too quickly for my liking."

" _One_ glass of bubbly won't make me _drunk_ , you worrywart!" She insisted, but went along willingly.

At the far side of the pool were three benches that were dedicated to desserts, which held lemon tarts, rhubarb crème brûlée, orange blossom cakes, minted strawberries fresh from the garden, meringues so beautifully shaped it was a pity to eat them and apple strudels served with ice-cream. There were decadent chocolate bonbons that oozed rum cream on first bite. A large crystal punch bowl held sparkling candy apple punch, and a swarm of other guests socialized around a waterfall wine chiller and champagne fountain that sparkled with flames.

Lana helped herself to some punch, which, upon first swallow, she could tell was _copiously_ spiked with a spicy, exotic liquor. Seeing no way to leave it at the table without appearing gauche, and as there was no empty table or server around to dispose of the offending item, she reluctantly held onto the large cup and popped two decadent bon-bons into her mouth… before she realized that there was alcohol in _those_ as well.

It was a good thing Lang and Badd had taken them for food prior to all of this, so she didn't have a _completely_ empty stomach. However, she'd been so filled with trepidation and focused on taking note of all the commands and instructions for the evening that she'd barely pecked at her meal, taking only tiny bites of her salad and potatoes, but not much else, in an effort to preserve her lipstick.

 _God, I'm an idiot!_

Lana cursed herself now for her vain stupidity. She was going to be the most _immaculately made up_ , _intoxicated_ Interpol agent in the _history_ of undercover operation!

 _Fantastic! And I'm a lightweight, so this will all go_ _ **right**_ _to my head! So then I'll be the big awkward giantess who got drunk_ _ **an hour**_ _into the party, fell and twisted her ankle in her stupid spiked heels, and totally blew our whole undercover operation!_ _ **Why**_ _does this kind of stuff have to happen to me? And why…in front of_ _ **him**_ _, of all people?!_

"Is there anything here that _doesn't_ have booze in it?" She hissed at Miles. "I'd been hoping to have my wits about me for when we finally met our host! Have you spotted him yet?"

"Tart?"

" _What_ did you call me now?" Lana asked indignantly, then blushed when he held out of the lemon pastries to her, brow raised in derision.

She hastily popped it into her mouth before she said something to embarrass herself further. Unfortunately she could feel the effects of the punch and champagne and consumed rum balls already making her head feel abuzz.

"Are you alright?" Miles looked at her in concern, noticing her semi glassy-eyed expression and that she was teetering dangerously on her stilettos. "I'm worried about you."

"I'm _fine_!" She staggered slightly, then reached out and quickly grabbed his shoulder to catch herself, wondering if the consumed sugar from the pastry table hadn't possibly made her tipsy state worse. Unfortunately, there was no other form of more substantial fare in sight. "Just, um, don't walk too fast and see if you can flag down a waiter for some water?"

 _Blast! She indeed appears a tad inebriated_. **_Just_** _what I need…_

Stifling a sigh, Miles wrapped a strong arm around her slender waist, basically supporting her at his side so she could walk with decidedly less stumble. Trying to ignore the stimulating heat of her scantily clad body as he felt her every curve pressed up against him, he plastered on the biggest smile he could muster as he busied himself with the tasks of mingling with guests, pouring water down Lana's throat whenever he could flag down a server, and making what he hoped were subtle inquiries about the whereabouts of their elusive host.

Lana, for her part, was mortified that she had to use Miles as a human crutch because of her blitzed state, and was painfully aware of the inappropriate but deliciously intimate sensation of his firm, muscular body up against hers. She groaned inwardly, and could just _imagine_ Franziska's reaction, watching all this on surveillance with the other agents at the moment. No doubt the German would throw about a _hundred and thirty-seven_ fits about Lana's too-close proximity to her fiancé, and not give a rat's ass about the extenuating circumstances that had preceded it!

Oh well, she would have to worry about _that_ later, along with what her planned method would be _of killing Lang_ for giving her such a _ridiculous_ undercover name…

Finally, after half an hour or so of essentially carrying Lana about, Mils stopped to catch his breath and made small talk with a slim, grey-suited gentlemen with a mustache, who was accompanied by a blonde bombshell, donned in a belt that she was passing off as a dress. Lana was still using him as a leaning post, but it was much easier to prop her up if he was no longer _carrying her while moving_! Miles figured if at least he was standing put, the still tipsy Interpol agent could just support herself on him while he regathered his bearings, even it meant their bodies were still in slightly _too close for comfort_ proximity!

"That's him over there," pointed Fletcher Worthington, the art dealer whom they'd been chatting with, along with his companion, who didn't even bother pretending she was anything other than the vapid arm candy she was.

Miles and Lana turned their heads in the direction of the extended finger, by the dessert table.

Wa Sing Ku had at last made an appearance.

As if sensing their stares, the Asian man looked over at them and strode over, a polite smile playing upon his lips.

He appeared before them, in all his grandeur. A tailored black suit with a charming red tie. His chiseled jaw lifted with a proud, pleasant smile. To describe his appearance would be to totally miss the point. He was an aristocrat and he didn't give a damn what you thought of the way he looked.

Under the glare of the outdoor lighting against the darkened sky, he looked to be no older than 25, but in the harsher brightness of the day he was likely closer to 30, although still slightly boyish and charming.

When he at last spoke, there was no hint in his voice of his Chinese heritage. He sounded nearly as American Miles himself did, perhaps more so. The prosecutor been told he still had an English lilt to his voice, leftover from his studies abroad in Europe. Despite spending over a decade as a lawyer in the States, people still called him on it sometimes.

"Fletcher, my boy, so glad you could make it," Ku enthused, shaking the art dealer's hand enthusiastically while flashing a row of flawless dentistry to Destiny. "And who is this ravishing creature at your side?"

"Destiny Wilder." The nymph treated him to a sunny smile while extending her hand to shake. "Thanks for inviting us to this _amazeballs_ party, Mr. Ku."

"The pleasure is mine, dear. Well Fletcher, you're most fortunate to have landed yourself such a stunning catch."

" _Landed_?" Destiny asked blankly, her eyes wide. "I dunno if _that's_ what I'd call this… _deal_ I have going on with Fletchie. I'd say it's more of a transitory alliance of convenience…it's only been a few nights, but by current standards, I guess that makes us _practically_ married!"

She tittered at her own wit, clearly oblivious to the mortified look on her date's face that in her attempts to sound intelligent, all she'd managed to do was _out_ herself as the literal _rented sexpot for hire_ she actually was!

There was a dead silence as the revelation sunk in.

Miles wanted to laugh, he really did, but knew that would be most unwise, not to mention cruel. All he could think was… _next time, you poor sod, pay her extra_ _ **not**_ _to talk!_

"I'm Maximillian Banks, The Third," he interjected easily, cutting through the pregnant pause that seemed to be lingering. "You have a beautiful home. It's a great pleasure to meet you at last, Mr. Ku. I've heard so much about you."

"And I you, Mr. Banks." Ku's smile never wavered. "Our _mutual_ associate has been regaling me with tales about how you're man of exquisite tastes, who enjoys the more refined things life has offer."

"And _I_ hear you're a man who can acquire me some of the more _elusive_ things I desire," Miles replied smoothly, relieved that they were able to cut to the chase so quickly. "But before we continue, please excuse my rudeness in not first introducing you my cherished companion, Miss Debbie Dallas."

"Deborah!" Lana cut in quickly, straightening slightly from her leaning position against him and digging her fingers cuttingly into his back, unseen by the others. She forced a smile.

"It's _Deborah_ Dallas, actually."

"But _darling_ , you know how nobody likes to call you that but your mother – it's _much_ too serious a name for a fun-loving girl like you!" Miles smirked, stifling a wince from her sharp jab. "Really, she _prefers_ Debbie, Mr. Ku. Much less formal. Doesn't she even _look_ more like a Debbie?"

"Your name is _Debbie Dallas_?" Asked the incredulous Destiny Wilder, bursting into giggles. " _Seriously_? You guys _do_ know that's the title of a _totally_ famous _skin flick_ , right?"

 _Well if they didn't_ _ **before**_ _, they do_ _ **now**_ _, you freaking big-mouthed_ _ **bimbo with the stripper name**_ _!_ Lana fumed, dropping her eyes to the ground in mortification. **_Someone_** _remind me to_ _ **murder**_ _Lang when all is said and done!_

Mercifully, her moment of shame was cut short, mercifully, by said bubble head's date.

"Honey, why don't you go get some of that scrumptious dessert over the table before it's all gone?" Fletcher hinted, taking his rental date firmly by the shoulders as he all but shoved her in the general direction indicated despite her resistance.

She turned and gave him a petulant look.

"Fletchie! I'm not going to eat all that _sugar_!" Destiny sulked. "Do you want me to get _fat_ and burst the seams of this Versace?"

"Then go get a _drink_!" He ground out through gritted teeth, his impatience and frustration evident now.

"Please partake in the champagne fountain I have installed for guest enjoyment." Ku inclined his head graciously. "It's _Cristal_."

"Oh wow, the expensive stuff!" Destiny clapped her hands in delight. "It was nice talking to y'all! I'll catch you later, Fletchie! _Toodles_!"

The moment she was gone, there was a collective sigh of relief from the group, although it was hard to say whose was loudest.

"Sorry about that," Fletcher flushed slightly. "She's a nice girl, you know. She just has er, has no filter is all…"

"And she's pleasing to the eye, so what else matters?" Ku waved a dismissive hand, then turned his curious almond eyes back to Miles. "As you were saying, Mr. Banks?"

"Max, please." Miles gave his most disarming smile.

"Alright, Max. You were saying you have, ah, rare, _hedonist_ tastes? Are you, perchance, a collector of some sort?"

"I have a small but impressive and rare art collection," Miles responded easily, having specifically been prepared for this line of questioning.

" _Do_ you now?" Ku raised a skeptical eyebrow. " _Originals_ , of course?"

"Of _course_ ," Miles replied smoothly. "My latest acquisition was the exquisite oil painting done by Vincent van Gough… _Poppy Flower_. Perhaps you've heard of it?"

" _I_ have!" Exclaimed Fletcher before Ku could answer. Behind his glasses, his eyes were the size of silver dollars as he stared at Miles. "B- but, wasn't that stolen over a decade ago from Cairo's Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum? It's worth over $55 million dollars!"

"You say stolen…I say _liberated_ …" Miles blithely examined his manicure for a moment then looked up and smirked at the art dealer's incredulous expression. "Tomatoe, tomato…regardless, it sets off my living room décor _splendidly_."

"I am impressed," Ku admitted. "Although I must let you know now, Max, that I don't dabble as much in artwork so much as I do in …shipping and receiving _other items_ , shall we say?"

 _This_ was the segway they were looking for - possibly having Ku be the lead to Interpol's big break.

Although the Cohdopian smuggling ring had been shut down five years ago, there was something more sinister in the works now that they had to contend with. It appeared that a new, even more lethal criminal organization that had risen from its ashes, called the **_Li-Suun Niik._** The criminal ring was what Interpol had since been chasing since the previous bust, bouncing from Cohdopia to Borginia to Zheng-Fa, yet to no avail, each lead had only led to a dead end.

Interpol wasn't sure if _**Li**_ was an actual person or a code name, but the hot items the ring was moving, among other illegal substances, were Borginian cocoons. The cocoons were an item native to the European country of Borginia and the source of a very powerful medicine known to cure the disease Incuritis. It was due to the latter property that Borginian cocoons were forbidden from being taken out of the country, under penalty of death.

The illegal exports were also the source of a very potent toxin, which was being used to make recreational drugs, and give a high even _more_ potent than cocaine – like bath salts for the private jet set. The cocoons were not for the common street junkie, but for the most well-to-do of users to be used as an upper. Miles wasn't stupid enough to start out _initial_ dealings by asking for them, nor was he certain if Ku was even the top dog who could get them for him. But they were certain Ku _was_ their gateway man if nothing else.

But in order to gain Ku's trust, first he'd have to start _smallish_.

"If you could please excuse us, Fletcher," Miles shot the still-stupefied man his most charming smile. "I'd appreciate a moment alone with our delightful host to talk business?"

"Oh, of course." Fletcher blinked, his cheeks reddening at his obtuseness. "I shall…go ensure Destiny hasn't _completely_ drained that Cristal waterfall there! I'll see you all later."

Miles turned to the Asian man, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, his arms crossed. "So…what do you say, Mr. Ku? Can we talk shop?"

A slow smile curved across the Chinese man's lips. "But of course. However, in the interest of keeping cool on this stifling warm night…" he gestured to the swimming pool. "How would you feel about taking this conversation to the water where we can all be refreshed and energized?"

"That's a great offer, Mr. Ku," Lana smiled ruefully. "But neither Max nor I brought our swimsuits."

She was treated to an unmistakable leer.

"That's hardly a hindrance, Debbie. Take a look."

Lana turned around, her cheeks turning pink as she noticed not only various _swim trunks_ tossed carelessly onto the deck, but several of the women had also whipped off their bikini tops and were now drunkenly floating, face-up in the water. Even as she kept staring, one of them whipped off her bottoms and was now prancing, all carefree and merry, throughout the water.

Wait, was that drunken naked chick _Destiny_?!

"Oh," Lana blushed. "Um, I don't think…"

"What's the matter, Debbie?" Ku asked, lasciviously appraising her, making Lana's skin crawl. "That dress already doesn't leave _too_ much to the imagination…and I can say, with Max here hopefully not objecting, that you have _nothing_ to be bashful about in the slightest! If you were old and fat, I'd understand. Seeing as how you're neither, and have a _most_ acceptable figure…"

"It's my monthly, er, _lady time_!" Lana cried desperately, improvising quickly. Her face flamed. "I don't think…"

"Say no more my dear, say no more." Ku looked disappointed at the lost opportunity of seeing her birthday suit. "However, you needn't miss out on a dip nevertheless. Actually, few of my guests were prepared for this impromptu pool party. But off to the side, there's a men and women's change room, and there is spare swimming attire for both of you to change into." He smirked at Miles. "I'm not even going to _pretend_ to offer to let _you_ go in _au naturel_ , Max. I don't know if I could bear the… _competition_." Flashing a wink, he sauntered back inside the house. "I'll see you two in there in five, then?"

"You bet." Lana's voice was hollow as she looked wearily at Miles. They both knew, without saying aloud, the _true_ reasons for her reservations about Operation Pool Dip, but neither could say it out loud at the moment.

There was also the _tiny_ matter that _neither_ of them had planned on seeing the other in a (near) state of _undress_ , ever again - never mind this _soon_! It only added more discomfort to the already undeniable sexual tension between them, which was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Silently, the two headed to their respective pool houses, lost in thought.

Clad in a pair of well-fitted black trunks from the surprisingly vast selection that had been available, Miles was the first to emerge.

Splashes, squeals and the cacophony of voices greeted his ears at the swimming pool.

 _Listen to those drunken louts_ , he glowered internally. _It sounds like a zoo!_

Then he dropped his eyes to the pool water that lapped at the tiled edges, failing to see a need to delay the inevitable, in spite of the now somewhat cooler outside temperature. The only way to do this was to plunge right in and let the cold water surround him all at once, hoping the heat from his muscles would be enough to keep the shivering at bay.

So he dove right into the water.

After doing a few laps up and down the one secluded lane of the pool, away from the drunken and naked other bathers, he stopped and lay back in the water, letting his limbs do the thinking for him. The water was so refreshing. He tried to allow it to take all of his worries away.

Stretching out his arms, he opened his palms and released all bodily tension.

After a few moments of blissful silence, he looked around and saw Ku and Lana coming towards the pool at the same time, both in red swimwear…the former in … _Gah_! _A Speedo_!

The latter wore a minute string bikini, her lithe, lush body prominently on display as it consisted of nothing more than two triangles barely covering her breasts and one only slightly larger to cover up her…

His mouth went dry. He shut his eyes.

 _Don't even_ _ **go**_ _there, Edgeworth!_

Lana had emerged from the change room, feeling as _self-conscious as hell_ in her barely-there bikini, the skimpy style being the _sole one_ the deviant, perverted host had had available!

Her eyes fell to the pool surface, taking a deep breath as she tried to get her tumultuous emotions in check. This day had been nothing but unprecedented, and unexpected havoc on her psyche, and, after this party with Miles, her _heart_. It could all need to nothing but disaster. And none of this would be going away, no matter how much she wished otherwise. She was trapped.

 _I want to be in that water, under it, gliding dolphin-like to the tiles below more than my next breath. The coolness will bring me to the present like nothing else. In those perfect moments I can forget the past, cease to analyze the future. I won't worry about who I am, who I will become, who I might never be. In its watery embrace there is only the present, nothing more. Underneath the surface I can escape the dull drag of gravity. It is as free as I've ever experienced in my 37 years; nothing else comes close._

But she had her reasons for not going into the water and joining the lecherous-looking Asian man who was now in there. So she perched herself on the edge and smiled benignly at him, pretending to be engrossed in his blathering while she brooded her plight.

Opening his eyes again, Miles craned his neck to get a clearer view of Ku, and also of Lana, at the far end, chatting with the host. She was sitting on the ledge outside of the pool, long tanned legs dangling in the water as she laughed at whatever Ku was saying. The Chinese man stood in the shallow end, directly below her in the water, reaching up and putting his hand on her leg, a gesture which made her look most discomfited.

With gritted teeth, Miles approached them _. Unhand her, you despicable lech! Before I'm forced to remove your grubby paws_ _ **for**_ _you!_

Lana looked over at him and colored up, looking round with a tight grin of apprehension as she was obviously uncomfortable being left alone with the lewd other man, especially in these circumstances!

Miles grinned back at her, and wanted to help her, but was powerless, of course. He was red-faced himself with the anxiety and forced eagerness of awaiting to talk business with a man he now wanted to beat into a pulp, all the while hoping his hair wouldn't _completely_ be undone from Jilly's laborious efforts.

Also, he _really_ hoped that this was a _permanent_ and not sort of eco-friendly, scent-free, water soluble variety of dye on his head…you never could tell with those vegan, hippy Hollywood types…and the last thing he needed to was to cast inky stains in the pool!

He at last sidled up to the two and engaged himself in the conversation, discreetly putting himself between the touchy-feely host and Lana so the other man had no choice but to remove his travelling hand, which had been creeping up her thigh at this point, while allowing Ku to lead the conversation and regale them with several amusing anecdotes that thus far had naught to do with the matter at large.

Finally, there was a lull of the conversation, and Miles seized the opportunity to steer things back to business.

"So…" he began. "Here's my thoughts, Mr. Ku. Nothing too big…but I'm thinking maybe arranging a shipment…for ten kilos?"

"No, it's not too big…but not exactly _small_ either, Max." Ku smilingly arched an eyebrow. "That kind of nose candy will run you about $350,000 US."

"Not a problem," Miles said smoothly. "Do you take cheques?"

"Ha-ha, you're a funny guy." Ku's smiling visage vanished. "I'm no bank, _Banks_. Cash _only_. But I don't get into new business with just _anyone_ …it doesn't matter to me how impressive the news from the underground or stories are that I've heard from our mutual associate. I need to ensure certain _factors_ first…make sure things are on the up and up with you, and that I can depend on your loyalty. Trust you _completely_."

"Not a problem." Miles crossed his arms and looked unwaveringly at the other man. "I understand completely. You name whatever it is I'm going to have to do to gain your trust and you can consider it done."

"Well…before I will have you _receiving_ anything from me…" Ku smiled slyly. "There's some _shipping_ I need you to take care of for me first."

"Consider it done." Miles had expected as such, and had been given autonomy to agree to just about anything to get phase one off the ground. If things went according to plan, Ku would soon get to trust him with a large cocaine shipment…then hopefully… _eventually_ …to more expensive, _rare_ finds. Or at least, trust him enough to steer him towards the folks who could get his hot little hands on the cocoons.

Ku outlined his operation plan, while Miles nodded and acquiesced, taking mental note of everything as well as the time, date and place the shipment would need to be dropped off to. If all went well, Ku said, then he would contact Miles to talk about arranging the cocaine shipment he'd requested.

After all the details were laid out, Ku resumed his laughing congenial state and engaged them in some idle chatter for a bit longer.

Through the generous laughter emitted, Miles caught Lana's eye again, and held it for two or three long seconds, giving her perhaps a transfusion of reassurance. Miles himself was a trifle nervous whether or not his planned speech had gone properly, and was chuckling in imitation of the others, not at the jokes themselves….all the while feel more than a little anxious himself.

After a spell, Ku proclaimed he had to mingle with his other guests and told them to enjoy the rest of the party.

His parting should have made Miles feel relieved, but he didn't. Now that he was alone with Lana, who still hadn't come into the pool, he felt more agitated and apprehensive than ever.

And he finally was allowing himself to understand _why_. If he were to be perfectly honest, his frayed nerves pertained to more than merely just talking shop with a potentially dangerous and powerful criminal.

It was because of Lana. _99%_ of this was because of Lana! About how she had gotten under his skin again. About how he'd felt an almost uncontrollable surge of protectiveness and worse… _jealousy_ , when he'd seen that creep with his mitts on that delectable body.

He hated that she'd always brought that instinct out in him. He hated even more that she _still_ did, apparently.

Worse, her beauty only deepened the more time he spent looking at her.

He remembered earlier that day, when had been that fraction of a heartbeat when he'd partially lost himself and actually contemplated kissing her! And earlier that night, when she'd been tipsy from the champagne, he'd imagined cradling her cheek and tasting the wine from those full red lips. He'd quickly come to his senses of course, and knew he needed to get a rein on himself.

He took a deep breath and exhaled.

He and Lana were colleagues now…who could talk at length about many different subjects. Friendly colleagues, who happened to share a _colorful_ history, but now _just_ a working relationship. And playful banter. But that was _all_.

Lana had thus far given no indication she felt anything beyond friendly courtesy toward him now, so that spirited back and forth that they still had, that they'd had even back then, was safe enough. Now, it was merely a part of the undercover ruse, after all.

But his surprising inclination towards her at the moment was making him think otherwise.

Desperate to clear his thoughts and remain focused, he looked up at Lana, still sitting on the ledge, and asked the question that had been plaguing his mind since he'd seen her in all her nearly nude glory.

"So….Miles looked at Lana as soon as he was certain Ku was out of earshot. "Um…do you _still_ somehow have your wiretap on you, by any chance?"

"Miraculously, yes," she said wryly. "Thank goodness I was able to come up with a plausible excuse not to go into the water though! I don't know it this thing is waterproof!"

"You've got it on…underneath _that thing_?" He asked disbelieving, gesturing to the bikini on her barely covered body. "But _how_ …?"

"Trust me, _Max_." She grimaced. You _don't want to know_."

* * *

 _A/N: In case ya'll want to get an idea how Lana looks in her glam gear, this fan art was the great one that inspired my description: (remove spaces)_ _colon slash slash imgur dot com slash gAXv964_

 _The OC reference to Mile's maid, Mrs. Kucharka was used with permission by my friend and terrific writer, 6Gun_Sally. She is seen in Sally's Miles Edgeworth fan fic called **"Turnabout Honeymoon"**_


	52. So Much Left Unsaid

_"To hold the power of affection and maintain the roots of love, you must stay trusted."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Two:** **So Much Left Unsaid**

 _ **Franziska Von Karma and Shi-Long Lang**_  
 _Discreet Surveillance Van, Wa Sing Ku's Neighborhood,_  
 _Borginia_  
August 8, 2024 1:00 am

"Have that camera drone zoom in a bit closer," Lang instructed, squinting at the screen. "I don't know how she managed to do it – but _somehow_ Agent Skye still managed to keep her wire on! Even in that tiny getup that pervert made her change into! The question is, _how_?"

"And _where_?" Badd chuckled as he complied with the instructions. "There's barely anything covering her! I mean, I'm sure _Ku_ isn't complaining! By the way, she's _still_ more covered than half the women and men in that _orgy_ pool party…"

"I'm impressed," Kay admitted, grinning at them as she momentarily removed the left headphone away from her ear. "She's managed to keep her clothes, wits _and_ wire about her. I can hear everything clear as day!"

"Detective Badd." Franziska ground out through gritted teeth as she gripped the back of his chair so hard her knuckles turned white. "As the more reasonable of the two of you _gentlemen_ , could _you_ please hand me another tablet so that _I_ may also take surveillance of the situation and don't need to force my way over there to better view the screen over you... and Lang's _gigantic head_?"

"I said _no_ the _first_ time, Miss Claws of Steel and I meant it! Even though you're content to try to _talk around me_ as if I'm not here, in the manner of a petulant child, the answer is _still_ no!" Lang barked, before Badd could reply. "You know very well the reason that I am _not_ giving you another tablet, in the current _state of mind_ that you're in, is because you've already broken _two_!" He gestured to the busted two devices sitting to the right of Kay's seat, one with an irreparably cracked screen and the other split nearly in half. "Do you have any idea _how much_ those things _cost_?!"

"You know, those are military spec and supposedly indestructible." Badd popped his ever-present lollipop back into his mouth to disguise his smirk as Lang glowered. "However did a tiny thing like you manage to do that, anyway? What do you do on the side, Franziska? _Crack walnuts_? _Shuck oysters_?"

Fortunately for her colleagues, although the van was just roomy enough for the four of them and their surveillance equipment, it wasn't large enough for Franziska to have room to unleash her wrath with her whip. A glare that would have bored holes through a wall was the detective's reward for his quip instead.

"The _first_ one was probably around the time Lana nearly tripped and had to lean against Mr. Edgeworth for the rest of the night," Kay reminded them, as though anyone had forgotten. "I _think_ that may have been the one that she actually cracked in two…"

"I'm going to be cracking a few _skulls_ in another moment!" Franziska threatened, returning Lang's furious glare with one of her own. " _Starting_ with my _uber-friendly fiancé_ with regards to his _inexcusably_ near proximity to the now _practically naked_ agent he's cavorting in that pool with!"

"For the record, she's not _in_ the pool, she's still sitting _outside_ on the edge…" Lang began but the fiery woman interrupted him.

"Don't you _dare_ try to sidetrack me with semantics, you fool!" Franziska snarled. "She's been _draped_ on _my fiancé_ like a _cheap suit_ all night and you actually expect me _to keep calm and carry on_ about this?!"

Lang closed his eyes for a moment and clasped his palms together tightly as if praying for strength before replying.

"I understand your delicate condition, which _may_ be clouding your impartial judgment now, Agent Von Karma, but what I _expect_ is for you to put your personal petty jealousies aside and remain professional!"

"This has _nothing_ to do with me being pregnant!"

"She's probably telling the truth, Agent Lang," Kay offered helpfully. "It's just in her nature to be possessive and irrational when it comes to Mr. Edgeworth." She crossed her arms and shrugged at the furious look Franziska shot her. "What? It's true! Mr. Edgeworth told me about the time that you threw a hissy fit when I swiped his phone from him and answered it when you called that one time! And you _weren't_ even having his baby back then!"

"I do believe it's time I _fired my defense attorney_ here." Franziska narrowed her eyes at the raven-haired agent. "Shouldn't you be _listening_ to what's going on at that party rather than _jabbering nonsensically_ with these trite anecdotes?" _Whether or not they're true is completely beside the point!_

"Jeez, we defense council are subject to so much _ingratitude_." Kay lifted a brown-gloved hand to her mouth to cover her amused smile as she turned back to her screen with another shrug. "That's _one_ client I'm not going to bother trying to _defend_ again!"

"Hey, Lana's leaving the pool area now!" Badd suddenly reported, his sharp eyes peering intently at his screen. "Edgeworth has arranged some sort of deal for next week – but Ku hasn't agreed to deliver any of the goods requested until _Mr. Banks_ scratches his back first."

"Crafty son of a bitch," Lang grumbled. "Although I suspected as much. Do we have the details of the demands?"

"We do." Badd nodded. "Although am sure Edgeworth can fill us in more on things during the debriefing. Shall we steer this thing and head back to HQ?"

"Affirmative. They know to meet us back there when all is said and done. It will be a most interesting…and I hope… _civilized_ exchange of information amongst us…" Lang cast a weary glance at Franziska, who had crossed her arms defiantly and turned her back now, refusing to look at any of them.

The van ride back to the office was filled with stony silence.

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Interpol Headquarters, Borginia_  
August 8, 2024 2:00 am

The four of them were literally sitting on the edge of their seats in eager anticipation for the return of the playboy and his "play mate."

Lana entered first, bearing a coffee cup in her hands, Mile's suit jacket draped over her shoulders, and a drained expression. Her cohort followed suit, looking just as exhausted but slightly more triumphant when he caught sight of them, an expression which slowly faded to consternation when he caught the look on Franziska's face as he advanced on them.

Nobody spoke a word as the two lovers stared at one another, grey eyes on grey eyes, one looking confused and slightly guilty, the other downright mutinous.

The tension in the room was so thick it was almost visible.

"Sooo…" Kay began awkwardly, when it appeared that nobody was in a rush to speak. Rising from her chair, she walked to up to Lana with her hand extended, her green eyes sparkling with their usual friendly, mischievous twinkle. "It's so nice to finally be able to put a face to the voice on the phone from earlier. Agent Lang and Uncle Badd have told me so much about you tonight that I feel that I _already_ know you, Lana." She smirked at Miles' fiancée and confided in a stage whisper. "Also, I heard quite a bit about you from _Franziska_ too, but I'm going to _ignore_ most of _that_!"

Lana smiled hesitantly and shook the proffered hand. "Probably a good call," she said wryly, pretending to ignore the foul look the German woman shot her. "Pleased to meet you, Kay."

"Well, now that everyone has been properly introduced…" Franziska's voice held the sharpness of a tachi blade as she cast a pointed look at Lang. "Could I _politely and professio_ nally ask Agent Skye to remove _my fiancé's_ attire from her person, post-haste?"

Miles groaned. "Franziska…"

"Franziska, _what_?" She snapped. "The sting act is _over_ for the night and she is no longer posing as your… _play thing_ , so why is she _still_ wearing your clothing? Is it not enough that she had _you_ draped all over her the entire night?"

Lana winced. "Good grief, is your voice always this shrill?" She rubbed her temple. "Ugh my poor head…"

" _Shrill_?" Franziska's tone rose a few octaves until it could be described as nothing _but_ that. "I cannot believe the audacity of you, you little… _schlampe!_ _Take. It. Off_!"

"I will do anything you want if it'll make _you_ take it _down a notch_ ," Lana moaned and dropped her head into one hand as she shrugged off the offending item and waved it at Miles to take back. "Ugh my aching head…"

Miles retrieved the jacket quickly, mortified at Franziska's behavior. He wasn't sure if the others were equally fluent in German and knew that Lana had just been called a _slut_ , but _he_ was, and he was stumped about how to handle his lover's ire, especially when he couldn't understand what had caused it, this _time_!

"Are you alright, Lana?" Lang asked worriedly, ignoring Franziska for the moment and placing a hand on the agent's bare shoulder. "What's wrong with your head?"

"Are you cold? Take _my_ jacket," Badd offered graciously, dropping his enormous, battered trench coat over the slumped woman's shoulders. She smiled gratefully as she took another sip from her Styrofoam cup.

"Er, Lana accidentally ingested a bit more alcohol than initially intended at the party," Miles admitted sheepishly. "Hence my pulling over en route at the donut shop so I could get her a coffee."

Lang frowned slightly. "I understand you had to try to blend in with the scene, Lana, but I can't say I'm too impressed with your inability to handle your liquor intake the first night of the operation…"

"Ugh, I didn't load up _on purpose_!" Lana sighed, draining the last of her coffee and setting it aside. "That party was a gigantic _orgy_ ready to happen and the scene was _perfectly_ set, what with champagne waterfalls and wine fountains and spiked punch and even booze-soaked desserts as the sole foods there! I _told_ you guys I was a lightweight, and I was too nervous to eat much dinner, so an hour in, I had knowingly only consumed _one_ glass of champagne."

"And then the poor girl _unwittingly_ consumed a huge glass of said spiked punch and two rum-infused desserts, being none the wiser till it was too late," Miles finished loyally.

"Oh?" Franziska raised an eyebrow. "Is _that_ why you two looked so cozy on camera then?"

Miles barely stifled another groan. Of _course_ , the _cameras_ …the overhead drones…they'd all been watching the action unfold all night and no doubt his fiancée had seen the supposed 'coziness' between him and Lana and _completely_ misconstrued the whole damn thing!

"She was in four inch stilettos on a cobblestone patio, _meine dame_ ," he replied patiently. "And as she just explained, on an empty stomach, suddenly tipsy and in need of _something_ to stabilize her. I was a human crutch for the night, nothing more, however it may have appeared on the screens. We had a part to play, and we did our best."

"I was only wearing his jacket because I caught a nasty chill being outdoors in this skimpy ensemble and _then_ was forced to wear an even _skimpier_ one by the pool for that _lecher_ in order to save face, and I caught an even _worse_ draft," Lana added, looking Franziska right in the eye. "Miles was simply being a gentleman."

Franziska broke eye contact first, and Lana barely stifled a scream of frustration.

"For God's sake, Franziska, I was _not_ trying to make the moves on your fiancé, alright? It was _just_ as uncomfortable for me as it was for _him_. After all, _I'm_ engaged as well, I'll have you know!" Lana exclaimed righteously.

"You _are_?" Franziska looked at her skeptically and arched an eyebrow just as Miles cried out: "To _whom_?"

"Yes, I am." Lana opted to answer Franziska's question first. "For the past _five years_."

"So where's your ring then?" Franziska persisted, eying the agent's barren finger doubtfully.

"Um, I don't have one," Lana blushed slightly. "Jake's er, currently incarcerated right now…"

" _Marshall_?" Miles gaped at her in surprise. "You're engaged to _Jake Marshall_?"

"I am." Lana lifted her chin piously. "Right before I came over to Europe to commence training, he proposed to me and asked me to wait for him. And I told him I will."

Putting this new information with the other explanations they'd divulged, ultimately the innocence behind the incriminating evidence on the tape _did_ all make sense, Franziska was forced to admit, as her anger fizzled a notch.

Nonetheless, there was _still_ something else that was bothering her. Something she couldn't _quite_ put her finger on, which she'd taken note of on that camera, and what the others seemed to have missed entirely, which just wouldn't allow her to recant her words or actions just yet. So many things were left unsaid that she yearned to know.

It wasn't just the actions between the two so much as that intimate _overall exchange_ between the two she'd witnessed all night.

The _looks_ …the overall _vibe_ …the lingering glances. How much of it had _really_ just been part of the _act_? Was Miles really just an Academy worthy actor? Was there more to this story than her fiancé had let on? Would Miles confess it to her if she inquired later? Oh would he just wave away her doubts as petty unfounded insecurities yet again?

So many questions, so few answers.

Ergo, she opted to remain mum and let her colleagues continue. Miles was quiet as well – he still looked poleaxed by Lana's betrothal news, Franziska noted.

"Well, now that we got that out of the way, _I'm_ going to demand the question the fellas here are too polite to ask!" Kay announced. " _Where_ did you manage to manage to stash that wire in that itty bitty bikini, Lana?"

Lana grimaced. " _Don't ask_." She reached into her bra and recovered the device, tossing it at Lang, who caught it easily. "But for the record, that thing chafes like a bitch."

"Great job, Lana," Lang praised. "Great job tonight, both of you. I know that must have been a tad embarrassing for you, but that was some pretty fast thinking, that feminine excuse you made about why you didn't go into the pool when Ku asked."

"You could have, you know." Badd removed his sucker from his mouth. "That thing _is_ waterproof."

Lana grunted. " _Now_ you tell me!" She then fixed her indignant eyes on Lang. " _I_ was the agent, and _Miles_ was actually the escort, technically, even though Ku didn't know that! So why couldn't he have been the one who got stuck with that damn wire?"

"It would have been the same outcome even if you'd gone with Badd or I, assuming either one of us could have convincingly played the part of a billionaire playboy, which we most certainly could not! _You_ had to wear it, Lana, because _you_ were the innocent, arm-candy bimbo." Lang shrugged. " _Nobody_ ever suspects the bimbo."

The word _bimbo_ , yet again, on top of the unknown German word Franziska had hurled at her, which she didn't quite understand but knew had been intended as an insult, was a bit much for Lana after everything she'd endured that day. Without thinking, she shot up out of her seat, stalked up to the agent, and gave him a sharp jab to the arm.

" _Ouch_!" Lang glared at her and clutched his mildly injured left shoulder where Lana's surprisingly strong, practiced fist had connected. "What the _hell_ was that for?"

"What was it _for_?" Lana fumed, glaring back at him. "Tonight I was intoxicated, nearly froze to death, was degraded and paraded around like a floozy, groped, sexually harassed…and to top it all off, laughed at by some rent-a-date jezebel with a stripper name for _my_ even _more_ depraved one of _Debbie Dallas_!"

"Debbie Dallas?" Kay echoed. "Wait, isn't that…"

"Oh, right… _that_ …" Lang smirked and rubbed his arm. "Sorry about that, Agent Skye."

"Was that your idea of spiteful revenge because I vetoed your equal attempts at debasing hilarity, _Candy Cane_ and _Lanacane_?" She demanded crossly, hands on hips. "You decided to name me after a _porn star_?"

"Actually, _Debbie Does Dallas_ is the name of the actual porn _movie_ , not the _star,"_ Lang chuckled. "I couldn't recall the name of the actress herself if my life had depended on it…"

"Are you _missing_ the point on _purpose_? Or need I make it with your _other_ arm?" Lana's eyes were blazing. "I was _completely_ humiliated tonight because of your sick, twisted, perverse sense of humor!"

" _Not so fast_!" Lang was cracking up now, even though he held up a placating hand as he did so. "Sick and twisted I can be, Lana, but there was _no_ perversion intended, I swear! Every pack has its own rules, and as leader of this one, I make it a rule to subject all rookies to just a little razzing once they're board, sort of an impromptu initiation of sorts. Sometimes, the hazing consists of a giving them a name they don't particularly care for. Isn't that right, _pretty boy_?"

He grinned at Miles, who scowled back but nodded in reply. "However, I'm very sorry if you were embarrassed tonight because of it." He flashed his most disarming smile. "Sounds like the only person who gave you an actual hard time about your name was an _actual_ bimbo herself, and in the end, does her opinion even matter?"

"Alright, fine, I forgive you," Lana sighed. "And no, I guess not. It was just the principle of it all, being judged by a woman who rents her body by the hour who then proceeded to publicly display it by parading around naked in the pool with the other disrobed drunken idiots…"

Kay snickered and Badd popped his candy back in his mouth to mask his own.

"I _saw_ that." Franziska finally spoke. "What _sort of party_ did our inside mole lure them to, Lang?"

"We're Interpol agents, not moralists or priests," Lang shrugged. "And we got the job done, so what does it matter if the man you went to arrange business with is rich as hell but morally bankrupt? No skin off our backs, right?"

"Well, I _suppose_ so…"

"The timing couldn't have been better, we wrapped up the deal just as things got quite crazy indeed." Miles spoke up. "We managed to leave the premises just as the host began doing lines off Miss Wilder's bare bosom…"

"Alright, that's enough!" Badd held up a hand. "We have it on tape, Miles, no need to paint the rest of the tawdry picture of the debauchery that you did or didn't partake in tonight!"

"Of course I _didn't_! Nor did I have any desire to!" Miles was annoyed. "And no matter what indignities Lana was subjected to tonight, there's no way I would have allowed _that_!"

There it was _again_ , Franziska noted, narrowing her eyes. That protective, almost jealous vibe in her fiancé she'd noted when she'd seen Lana being subject to lascivious attentions from the host. At the time, she'd tried to convince herself he'd been merely playing the part of attentive, protective boyfriend to the hilt, and had very well _known_ they were watching his every move on camera.

Franziska's nostrils flared and her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

Yet she could see it on his face _now_ , once more! And in conjunction with damn _that woman_ , who, engaged or not, her gut instinct told her was _nowhere near as innocent_ as she seemed.

And _this_ time, there were no cameras around…


	53. Toucha-A, Touch-A, Touch Me

" _We all love people in our life. The way of expressing it may change but the intensity never fluctuates. There are comparisons and fights in any relation because of the same reason of their existence."_

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Three: Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye  
**_ _Wa Sing Ku's Neighborhood, Borginia  
_ October 13, 2024 6:15 PM

The air in the Lamborghini on the ride over to the Asian drug lord's house was filled with strained silence.

Miles was at the wheel, his eyes staring straight ahead of him at the road, not once veering in the direction of his passenger, to whom he'd not spoken a word since leaving Interpol Headquarters and getting the latest set of instructions from Lang half an hour ago.

Lana cast a surreptitious, sideways glance at her faux beau's tense profile and saw his jaw tighten even more, as if sensing her gaze. Perplexed, she dropped her eyes back into her lap, busying herself with staring instead at her long, French-manicured nails, the tips which were idly fiddling with the hem of the mini-dress she was wearing for that evening's excursion.

She had always known Miles was the strong, silent type and not one for idle chit-chat, but they were supposed to be presenting a united front as passionate lovers to Wa Sing Ku at his impromptu 'business' dinner that night. Therefore, she certainly didn't want to go in there with any sort of dissention between them, which her spy senses told her was _definitely_ evident, at least on _his_ end, although she had no idea _why_.

This was ridiculous! She told herself. What the _hell_ was his problem?!

As it was, she was already bundle of nerves because of her redone 'arm candy' appearance, as she'd been subjected to yet another makeover earlier that day. Jilly and Carlos had been retained to be on-site for as long as their services were required, and while the transformation process had been less grueling and intricate than the last, she was still uncomfortable having to dress up like a slutty Barbie doll.

When Miles had emerged from his makeover, he'd looked as grumpy as he had the last time around, even though he'd only taken half an hour for his transformation this time, having only required a black root and eyebrow touchup. He was donned in another dark designer suit, as well as being (presumably forcibly) cravat free yet again.

When Lana had completed her transformation, her cohort not said a word, or even _looked_ at her, with any sort of smile or reassurance as he had for the last occasion, so she had no idea if she looked convincingly sexy enough this round; she'd begged Carlos and Jilly to tone it down a notch from last time.

After all, the _last_ thing Lana had wanted to do was encourage the horny Ku in _any_ way!

Ergo at the present, she was only in 2-inch kitten heels, the same shade of her royal blue strapless dress, which wasn't as micro-mini as the last one, and allowed her to bend over without too much scandal this time, if required –so long as she did a _knee-bend_!

Her long brown hair, worn down, although artfully coiffed around her face and hanging down her back in long, loose waves, was not elaborately pinned up into a shorter, more high maintenance style, and her face, while skillfully made up, no longer felt like an inch-thick mask on her face. Carlos had even allowed Lana to wear her beloved familiar red scarf, an old gift from Ema, as the flowy material went well with her outfit, and made her feel a tad more comfortable at having a memorable, comforting piece of her old life with her.

Sick of the muteness at last, Lana fiddled with the radio dials on the dashboard, selected a station at random, and began drumming her fingers in tune to a song from the _Rocky Horror Picture Show_ , "Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me."

 ** _Toucha toucha toucha touch me, I wanna be dirty  
_ _Thrill me chill me fulfill me  
_ _Creature of the night._**

 ** _Then if anything grows while you pose  
_ _I'll oil you up and rub you down  
_ _And that's just one small fraction of the main attraction  
_ _You need a friendly hand and I need action..._**

Without warning, and never once taking his eyes off the road, Miles reached over and promptly shut the song off, just as Lana was starting to mentally sing along the lyrics in her mind.

"Hey!" She turned and gave him a look of annoyance. "What gives, Miles, er, _Max_? Since when are you violently opposed to Broadway show tunes? I thought you and your _alter ego_ were both avid enjoyers of culture and refinement."

"I am indeed," he bit out. "However, that song is…borderline _obscene and distracting_ and I needed some silence to get my mind together in preparation for this deal with Ku."

" _Obscene_?" She echoed in disbelief, astounded that this edgy, uptight person was once the fiery, passionate lover she'd once known. "What are you, _100_? And since _when_ has keeping your mind in focus _ever_ been an issue?"

 _Since_ _ **now**_ _! Since sexually suggestive lyrics about wanting to touch…things is the_ _ **last**_ _thing I need in my mind at this moment!_

"This is our first time hearing from Ku since his pool party," Miles tersely reminded her. "And I delivered _my_ end of the bargain and successfully had his requested shipment sent to Zheng Fa. It's now _his_ turn to hold up his end of the deal and give me what _I_ want. This is not something to be taken lightly, _Ms. Dallas._ If we are successful in arranging this initial shipment with Ku now that we've gained some of his trust, it can be the gateway we need to get to those cocoons."

"I'm well aware," she replied dryly, hating his withering, know-it-all tone but so relieved to have broken the eerie quiet that she was willing to overlook it. "I have my wire in position, and there are overhead, infrared camera drones buzzing overhead the Ku Mansion as we speak."

"Those only track heat and movement though," Miles frowned. "The surveillance won't actually be able to clearly see if Ku pulls a fast move on us."

"But _I_ will," she pointed out. "I have my purse revolver with me if need be, _and_ I've been trained as a brown belt in karate if Ku tries to try any sudden Kung-Fu moves on us! I think you've fallen victim of my persuasive performance and been a trifle _too_ convinced by my helpless bimbo front, Miles. You're forgetting I'm a highly skilled and trained Agent."

"This is your first serious case!"

"I was a Detective in another lifetime too," she smirked. "Don't you worry, playboy, you'll be safe around me!"

Miles wasn't so sure he _would_ be. Thus far, mentally and emotionally, he felt about as steady as a house made of a deck of playing cards. Which was why, up until then, he'd been trying to hold his alluring arm candy at _arm's length_ so he could get a hold of himself.

"Did Carlos have nothing else in his arsenal at all? Something that could have _covered_ you more?" He asked abruptly, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "We are in _autumn_ now, after all!"

"It's Indian summer," Lana retorted, stung at what she took as a pot-shot at her appearance, which bothered her more than she cared to let on. "I'm actually quite warm, although I can use my scarf as a wrap if need be. If you had such an issue with the _inappropriateness_ of my attire, I wish you'd spoken up back at the agency so I might have changed into something you found more suitable!"

No answer from Miles, although she saw a muscle tense in his jaw. Lana didn't care. She was flat out pissed.

"Or should I perhaps have asked Carlos to have given me a _burqa_ instead, so as not to offend your conservative sensibilities?" She derided.

It would have been a hell of a lot better for his senses if she _had_ been wearing the traditional enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions to cover their bodies when in public, Miles reflected ruefully, running an agitated hand though his hair. Although being a convincing sexy _babe in a burqa_ would have been a _very_ hard feat to pull off, no matter _how_ good an actress Lana was! As it was, her current outfit – hell her current _presence_! – was unnerving him, through no actual fault of her own, and the strain it was creating on him, on his _psyche_ , was beginning to get to him.

Even worse was the way it was starting to impact his relationship with Franziska.

He still got a slight headache as he recalled the angry, tearful scene they'd had back at their hotel room back after they'd all parted ways post debriefing in August. His fiancée had repeatedly shrieked at him to be honest with her, and tell her what was going on between him and Lana, and why he was acting like her possessive lover when there were no cameras around, and why he'd seemed so rattled to hear that Lana was engaged to his former colleague, Jake Marshall.

Miles had protested that she was overreacting of course. He'd claimed he'd just been stunned to hear that Lana was engaged as her betrothed was presently incarcerated, which was _mostly_ true, and that he of course cared for his former boss _as a person_ , and had felt terrible about any perturbing advances made upon her, as he would have for _any_ female in his presence, but Franziska had refused to be mollified this time.

"I have known you most of my life, Miles Edgeworth." Franziska's voice was cold, even though her eyes were red with barely suppressed tears. "I have seen _countless_ women throw themselves at you over the years, and have you seem as unaffected, if not entirely _oblivious_ to them _all_ , like a horse brushing off flies with its tail. What is it about _this_ woman that rattles you so? Why is it _she_ brings out your protective instincts thus?"

"D-do I really inspire this sort of frothing desire from the female masses?" Miles had stammered, having a creepy sense of déjà vu come over him.

"You know _very_ well you do." Her eyes narrowed. "And it has _never_ been an issue until this moment! Who _is_ this woman that you insist you only supposedly _worked under_ , hmm? You declared you had a crush on her – but was that _all_ it was?"

Miles swallowed. This was his chance. To confess everything to his fuming, expecting fiancée with the admitted (albeit questionable) jealousy issues that Lana and he had been _slightly_ more than just supervisor and subordinate.

And then risk having her blow a fuse that he hadn't fessed up earlier, and have her be blowing down his neck like a fire-breathing dragon for the rest of the sting operation _knowing_ he was posing as the lover of his _ex-lover._

Or he could continue to play dodge-ball with the questions and continue to give his hormonal lover all the reassurance and love in the world and hoped that her suspicions eventually would at last be put to rest.

It was quite the gamble, as much as it was a truly was a lose-lose situation. Given what a loose cannon Franziska was, and the fact that she was having his baby and he didn't want her to be further stressed or aggravated, he opted for the latter, cowardly though it was.

Flat out denial.

"Yes," Miles replied after what seemed like the world's most pregnant pause. "Yes, that's all it was."

It wasn't an _outright lie_ , he tried to convince himself. As far as feelings went, he was certain they hadn't harbored past the obsessive, lust-fueled phase. That constituted the same thing as a crush did it not?

Franziska's eyes misted over slightly.

"I've very disappointed in you, Miles," she said softly. "I've always known you to be so truthful." Then she'd turned around and walked into the bedroom, quietly shutting the door behind her.

A moment later, it'd opened again, followed by a blanket and pillow being hurled at him before immediately closing again.

Miles had been reduced to sofa purgatory, with Pess as his company, for the rest of the week.

Intimacy had completely faltered between them, as hard as he tried to instigate. Even his attempts to kiss her had been responded to with the slightest peck in response.

Mile was right back to being the same sexless, sexually frustrated and unfulfilled man he'd been circa _four years ago!_

Except _this_ time round, instead of having to gratify himself to old memories from nearly a decade ago, _now_ he had to deal with seeing his former lover on a regular basis, who was now engaged to the cuckolded fool she'd been cheating on with _him_! He had to pretend to be oblivious to her smoldering sexuality, and even worse, to the impossible to deny sexual tension that still existed between them, which his astute fiancée had undoubtedly sensed, which he didn't have enough excuses or apologies in the world for!

Worst of all, he had Lord knew _how_ many more solo operations with said _sexy ex_ , who each time it appeared would dressed to the nines, in skimpy garments that his deprived self would have to pretend not to be affected by!

It was like waving a prime steak in front of a ravenous lion who had been forcibly famished for ages (after his extensive dry spells the last five years, two and a half months felt like a _lifetime_!) and then expecting him to not even take a _bite_!

Miles had no idea what he'd ever done to deserve such cruel and unusual punishment.

Nevertheless, Lana didn't deserve to have his frustrations taken out on her, and he knew he couldn't allow them to walk into the lion's den with any sort of palpable tension between them.

"I'm sorry Lana," he apologized now, pulling into the driveway of the manor and looking at her with a contrite expression. "I was completely out of line with what I said earlier. I don't know what's came over me."

Lana studied his face and saw only sincerity etched across his features. "I forgive you, _honey_ ," she said with a smile as she reached for her door handle. "This time around anyway. You ready for this, Mr. Banks?"

"I am indeed." He came around her side of the car and extended his arm to her. " _Showtime_."

 _ **Rocky Horror Picture Show – Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me**_

* * *

 _A/N: Who's hotter? Lana  
_ ** _imgur dot com/DncaaNw_**

 _ ***by**_ _ **sulfoxides on**_ _ **Deviant Art**_

or Franny?

 _ **imgur dot com/qX8Rkn3**_


	54. The Coke is a Lie

" _Temptation is the fire that brings up the scum of the heart."_

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Four: The Coke is a Lie**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye**_

 _Huxi Manor, Cigar Lounge_

October 13, 2024 8:15 pm

Dinner, served in Ku's magnificent, regal dining area, was sublime. On the finest of bone china plates and with gleaming silverware, they feasted on shrimp scampi, baby lamb chops, asparagus tips, then topped it all off with a perfectly heavenly cappuccino, which Miles, although he would have preferred tea, drank with no complaint.

Ku's companion that evening was a breathtaking Chinese beauty, as undeterminable of age as the man himself, named Wong Li Tsong, although she insisted that Lana and Miles call her Li. Her silky jet-black hair fell nearly to her waist, and her full lips were the same magenta color of her fitted sleeveless sheath, which highlighted her delicate features and petite frame. She was apparently the daughter of some diplomat friend of Ku's, and while she smiled demurely and nodded when appropriate during the conversation, she said very little the whole time.

As Lana couldn't recall seeing Li at the party a couple of months ago, she surmised that the other woman was the latest addition of living trophies in Ku's supposedly extensive collection. She was uncertain how much shop they would be able to speak of in Li's presence, but then gave a mental shrug and decided they could proceed unless otherwise directed. Ku was no fool – he surely wouldn't have opted for company that evening that he didn't deem trustworthy.

Lana sat rigidly on the white leather loveseat next to Miles, unhurriedly sipping the cognac from the crystal tumbler Ku had poured them. Erring on the side of caution this time, she had ensured she'd eaten every savory morsel of dinner, while also vowing to make this glass of liquor her sole one. The _last_ thing she needed was a repeat of last time!

However, she was relieved to note that aside from kissing her hand upon greeting earlier that evening, Ku had been on his most gentlemanly behavior. Possibly because of the presence of the lovely Li, or simply because Miles had made a point to have a possessive arm wrapped around her shoulders the majority of the night, as if to clearly mark his territory.

"So, Mr. Ku," Miles began, setting his half-finished drink down on the glass coffee table. "That was a superb meal, and we are most grateful for the hospitality, but I think we can finally get down to business now, don't you?"

Ku blew three smoke rings out of his cigar, while with his free hand, he mimicked Mile's action of placing an arm around his date's shoulders.

"Always so businesslike, Mr. Banks," he smiled easily, putting the cigar out in his ashtray on the table next to him. "I was so hoping that we would have a chance to get to know one another better this time, since I don't have dozens of guest to play host to. But as you wish. First things first, I wanted to thank you for holding up your end of the deal as agreed upon."

He discreetly pointed to the center of the table to his uniformed maid, who had just entered with a silver tray full of what appeared to be white powdered donuts. He waited until the servant had placed the platter down, then left as stealthily as she'd arrived, before continuing.

"My associate in Zheng-Fa was most pleased indeed with the promptness of the arrival. I appreciate that you can be trusted."

"I'm a man of my word, Mr. Ku," Miles replied, shaking his head as Li rose and offered to pour him another drink. "Like I said before, whatever it takes to secure your utmost trust in me, consider it done."

"I can see that." A sly smile curled on Ku's lips as he gestured to the sweets on the table in front of them. "Why don't we all savor the saccharinity of this new partnership by having you indulge in the _sweetness_ that was your shipment?"

Miles' eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline as he looked at the powdered donuts and then back at his smirking host again. "I _beg_ your pardon?"

"My brother owns the most successful chain of gourmet bakeries in all of Zheng-Fa," Ku informed them, his eyes dancing with amusement as a look of understanding dawned on both their faces. "He sent this over to us fresh this morning. Topped with only the _finest icing sugar_ Europe had to offer." He reached over and took a bite of a snowy-topped pastry. "Won't you join me in trying these delectable donuts?"

" _Donuts_?" Lana echoed, stunned.

" _Icing sugar_?" Miles repeated, dazed. "Are you telling me that the packed _50 kilos_ … _1.5 million dollars'_ worth of what _you told me was_ _cocaine_ , which I had shipped out on my _private jet…"_ his voice trailed off and he grabbed his tumbler and took a large swallow before he could continue. "…Was actually just _icing sugar_?"  
 _  
_"I had to ensure you were a man I could trust, Max," Ku calmly took another bite of his donut, unfazed by the look of unbridled indignation in Miles's eyes. "Obviously I can. No harm done, after all, in my taking extra precautionary measures, right?"

"The coke is a _lie_? I actually bribed custom officials thousands of dollars…" Miles heart dropped into his stomach and he swallowed back the urge to punch Ku's stupid, smug face right there and then. "For mere baker's confectionary…"

 _Good Lord, Lang will never let me live this down…_

Just then, he felt Lana's well-manicured fingertips firmly grasp his thigh and dig her nails in ever-so-slightly, as if cautioning him to back off. Knowing she was right, he acknowledged the prompt. He took one more swig of amber and forced himself to emit a light-hearted laugh.

Ku joined in, until soon all four of them were laughing at the lunacy of it all and biting into the dessert, which actually was, Miles hated to admit, quite tasty, despite the duplicity that had gone into making them.

"You're a funny man, Mr. Ku," Miles drawled, sitting up straight in his seat and waving his finger at the other man, more in playful reprimand then in warning. "But a funny man who serves great donuts."

"Please forgive my underhanded whimsy," Ku said, wiping his fingertips on a napkin. "You can't imagine how I man in my position is often the target of suspicion amongst narcs and federal agents, not to mention business rivals who would be most content to put a hindrance to my operations, once and for all."

"Of course," Lana murmured sympathetically, flashing a dazzling smile. "As you said, Mr. Ku, no harm, no foul."

"Indeed," Miles agreed. "So now that you know I am a man you can trust at any cost, could we perhaps go back to my initial request, which was, shall we say, 10 kilos?"

"Not a problem at all, Mr. Banks. The same rate applies. $350,000 cash. I can arrange a shipment for you next week or so, shall we say?" Ku winked. "I shall see if I can expedite things in light of this slight _inconvenience_."

"Sounds good." Miles outlined the details of the shipment as he'd been instructed and Ku listened intently, nodding his head. Then he turned to Li and murmured something in her ear. She nodded and left the room for a moment, only to return with a small glass vial and a small mirrored tray.

"As a celebration of our newfound partnership, what say we all take a little sample of the goods to prove there's no hard feelings?" Ku offered, pouring the contents of the vial onto the mirror, which he'd placed on the table, and making four lines with the edge of a playing card he swiped from his side table. "No better way to guarantee the quality of your shipment than firsthand knowledge, eh, Max?" He fished a $100 bill from his pocket and rolled it tightly before holding it up to Lana and Miles, both who were trying to maintain their cool. "Who would like to do the honors first?"

Miles felt his mouth go dry. In his entire life he'd never even touched a _cigarette_. He barely drank – for Heaven's sake he _prosecuted_ men like Ku for a living! _How_ had his life come to this? He felt completely torn. There was Lang's golden rule of doing _whatever it took to seal the deal_ , but when it came to something like _this_ which went against his ethics…

He could sense Lana's hesitation as well, as her nails were once again anxiously digging into his thigh.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to politely decline," Miles at last replied smoothly, his fixed smile never wavering. "I've never been one to eat out of my own pot, so to speak, and I prefer to keep myself in an unaltered state of mind at all times. I hope you can understand, Mr. Ku."

"Not only do I understand, but I admire your stance." Ku eyed him with newfound respect. "I despise doing dealings with cokeheads and drug users. Only the weak dip into their own proceeds. You have passed yet another test of mine, Max."

"I didn't become a billionaire by being a weak or foolish man." Miles barely stifled a sigh of relief at the reprieve he'd earned himself. "I've never been one to partake in such indulgences if I think it means it could compromise my wits and interfere with my business matters, which is what I'm all about, first and foremost."

"Then who do you purchase cocaine _for_ Mr. Banks?" Li asked, out of the blue. Her sharp almond eyes were staring directly into his, almost as if in a challenge, despite the mildness of her tone. "You only buy, but _never_ use?"

"Madam, do you presume everyone who owns a liquor store is an alcoholic?" Miles countered, flashing a dazzling smile. Ku smirked in response, but Li's eyes narrowed, so he quickly amended his statement.

"I mean, it's for my _lady_ here," he said quickly, not even blinking as he felt Lana's nails dig even harder into his thigh. "She is _ever the party girl_ , after all, and I do like to keep my _darling_ _happy_. It's not _all_ for her of course," he added as Li raised an eyebrow. "As discussed, the requested shipment is to go to Cohdopia."

Li nodded and handed Lana the rolled up bill. "You take Max's share," she instructed Lana, her meek tone now more brusque. "Ladies first."

Lana gulped as she looked back and forth between Ku and Li, understanding the situation for exactly what it was. Miles had thrown her under the bus to save his own skin, and now there was no choice but for her to take up the slack or risk blowing their entire cover.

 _Miles Edgeworth you crafty son of a bitch!_

After all, _'party girls' with porn-star names_ would _not_ typically reject a free snort of premium nose candy!

"After you, Debbie," Ku beamed, inclining his head graciously.

Lana smiled weakly and reluctantly took the currency note from the hawk-eyed other woman. She had no choice. She was trapped.

 _I was warned about the drugs they sell on the streets, the ones you could slip into my drink, and the ones that might become appealing to my eyes; however, they never prepared me for the one that comes with a smile._

Reluctantly leaning forward, she covered one nostril, then inhaled first one line, then the other that had been reserved for Miles.

Having never done cocaine in her life, Lana wasn't sure what to expect, so she leaned back against the cushions, dimly aware of Li then Ku partaking in their share while Miles helped himself to a second glass of cognac from the crystal decanter, seemingly to not look like too much of a stuffed shirt in comparison.

Lana sat there tensely, experiencing the initial drip sensation in her throat, sort of like a constant after-taste, as well as nasal congestion. After a few minutes, a warm feeling came over her body, with a tingly sensation in her limbs.

This was nothing like her school days at all, when all she'd ever done was try a hit of acid. And even that had only been a couple of times. Everyone was doing it then, and she hadn't taken much. There had been moving lights and geometric patterns, which she'd watched in a detached way. Afterwards she'd wondered what all the talk about cosmic profundity had been about, though she hadn't wanted to say anything. People were very competitive about the meaningfulness of their drug trips in those days.

She wasn't sure what to expect next. Certainly not the unexpected burst of feeling more energetic, awake, and _happy_.

Not to mention _sexier_ and charged with _unignorably lusty proclivities_ …

Lana turned her head, and gazed at Miles, who was looking back at her anxiously. She flashed a vixenish smile, reached out, and ran her fingers through his silky, inky black hair. He jolted a bit at the unexpected contact slightly but remained still.

God, his hair was so thick, her fingers disappeared into the locks. Lana found she just couldn't stop touching him. Touching the back of his neck and face and hair….all so smooth. So masculine. So _familiar_. So… _perfect_.

Ku smiled knowingly as Lana sat up and pressed herself against Miles side. The prosecutor, while not reciprocating her touches, didn't pull away, either.

He just wasn't sure if he even _wanted_ to, even if he hadn't been under the watchful eyes of Li and Ku, and risked blowing their cover.

"It's a wonderful feeling, sharing this experience with new friends," Ku announced, lifting his liquor glass up in a toast. Then he stopped himself. "Wait, what am I doing? We should be toasting with the finest! Li, go tell the maid to get me a bottle of my best vintage from the cellar!"

Li nodded, dabbed at her nose, and with a congenial smile now replacing her earlier suspicious expression, left the room, just as Ku's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and frowned.

"Apologies, but I've been expecting this call. Most important. Please excuse me, I shouldn't be too long." He quickly left the room as well, quietly shutting the French doors shut behind him.

Miles turned to Lana the moment they were alone, gently taking her roaming hands in his own, as she'd graduated from stoking his hair to running her fingers over every inch of his face, like a sculpturer trying to memorize every line and crevice, stopping her as her nails began tracing the sensitive skin of his earlobe and he fought back a shiver.

Undaunted, she plastered herself to him, kissing every inch of his face hungrily, devouring his neck, earlobes, throat. He broke free with muscular ease, trying to squelch the conflicting memories and desire stirring within him her hands and lips brought back to him.

"L - _Darling_ …" he whispered, feeling beyond remorseful. It was his fault she was in this state. "Please...don't. This isn't _you_ – it's the drugs. I'm so sorry…I had no choice…"

"Sorry for what, _honey_?" She purred, wrestling her hands away from his. "I haven't felt this _good_ in ages. I only wish _you_ could have partaken with me so you'd know _how_ good I'm feeling right _now_." She rose up from the loveseat and stood before him, so he couldn't look away, even if he'd wanted to tear his eyes away from her lithe, taut frame, so aptly displayed in that dress.

Aware of his fixated eyes on her, slowly, she unwrapped her scarf from her neck and ran in down her collarbone to her exposed cleavage, a naughty glint in her eye as she did so. She had never undressed like this before. The shyness, the feeling of inner panic, the dizziness, all that she had always felt when undressing in front of the younger man - was gone. She was now standing in front of him, self-confident, insolent, bathed in light, and astonished at her impulsive discovery of the gestures, heretofore unknown to her, of a slow provocative striptease.

Suddenly, she bent over and looped her scarf around the back of his neck like a lasso, drawing him towards her until they were eye to eye, noses touching.

"You're unbelievable," Miles whispered, at a loss for words as he breathed in her scent. "Ms. _Dallas_."

"This is the role of a _lifetime_ , Max," she whispered back. "How about I show how _believable_ I can be, then?"

He barely had time to process what the look on her face meant. Miles didn't know what was wrong or right anymore. He _loved_ Franziska… yet it had been _so long_ since he'd felt a woman's touch…and Lana…was _Lana_. And he wasn't Miles right now. He was _Max Banks_ and she was _Debbie Dallas_ and they were supposed to be in character. He felt conflicted between his morals and lust and his duties.

What if he drew back and Ku were to come in, and suspiciously inquire why he was resisting his sexy girlfriend's horny drug-addled advances?

Or would it be _worse_ if Ku returned and he and Lana actually _were_ –

Before he could finish his diverged thoughts, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged him back to her, crushing her lips to his. He made a muffled sound of surprise in the back of his throat, hesitating for a heartbeat before his mouth opened against hers. And then they were kissing for real—clumsy at first as they felt each other out, but then she shifted forward into his lap, falling against his chest and tipping her head down, and it was like two puzzle pieces snapping into place.

They were beyond the present, outside time, with no memories and no future. There was nothing but obliterating sensation, thrilling and swelling, and the sound of fabric on fabric and skin on fabric as their limbs slid across each other in this restless, sensuous wrestling.

She felt strange and wild. Her body was just a collection of organs. She was blood and plumbing, like any other creature, and there was nothing that was forbidden about any of it. She gnawed on Miles ravenously, like an animal ravaging its prey, and when she had had enough of that she swung her leg over him, like a rider swinging into a saddle, and galloped.

There wasn't a moment of hesitation. His mouth was on hers, and she stopped breathing. He shuddered and there was a sound from the back of his throat, half growl, half moan. Little shivers of pleasure and shock shot through her as he deepened the kiss, parting her lips. She stopped thinking. She pressed against him, digging her fingers into his soft, silky hair once more. Nothing else about him felt that way – his body was all hard, masculine planes. She sparked alive, her heart swelled to the point of near bursting. The rush of sensations crawling across her body was maddening. Scary. Thrilling.

His hands were on her hips, and he lifted her up as if she were made of air. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and they moved to the right of the loveseat, knocking into a floor lamp. It toppled over, but neither spared it another thought. Their lips remained sealed. It was like they couldn't get enough of each other. They were devouring one another, drowning in each other.

And she didn't just let it happen. She pushed it further, opening her mouth and letting his tongue find hers. She didn't care that they were locked in a clinch on some drug lord's leather couch, or that and the stubble on his chin was scratching her face. In this moment, in her cocaine-fueled euphoria, every ounce of care she had in the world was replaced by desire.

A satisfied sigh escaped Lana's mouth, as if she were content to stay in his arms forever.

Miles took over control as soon as she tilted her head. Their lips touched for the briefest moment before he laced his fingers in her hair and kept kissing, now softer and gentler. He cupped her cheek in his palm, feeling her baby-soft skin against his fingers. His body urged him to take advantage of the situation, but his brain (the one inside his head) kept him in check.

He brushed the tip of his tongue against her lips, enticing her to open her mouth again. She tentatively met his tongue with her own. Their mouths and tongues mingled in a slow, erotic dance until the sound of the door opening brought them crashing back to reality.

Lana had fantasized about what it'd be like to kiss Miles again over the past few months, way more than she cared to admit. But she didn't even have time to register what had just transpired between them as without breath, upon hearing the sound at the door, he pulled back. His face froze, eyes wide with 'oh shit' written across them. Maybe she'd have been offended if she wasn't so sure that her own expression matched his perfectly.

"I shouldn't have done that," she blurted out, her voice muffled against his ear. "I'm an idiot."

"Yeah," he agreed breathlessly. "You really are."

Lana allowed herself to breathe, and vaguely realized she was sitting on top of Miles in a position that was little, uh, friendly. She motioned to get up, but he put his hand on her waist, and one of his hands fell across the inside of her knee, cautioning her to act natural and not jump away like a guilty teenager as they looked up and saw Ku's girlfriend standing in the doorway, her cheeks slightly pink.

"Sorry to interrupt you two," Li giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Wa Sing just wanted me to let you know that he's just about to wrap up his call, and the maid is just uncorking the wine right now. We'll be back. I'll give you both a moment to…recover. That coke is _really_ something else, isn't it?" With another winsome smile, she graciously inclined her head towards them again and left again.

 _The cocaine_. Lana inwardly groaned. _Oh good Lord, what have I_ _ **done**_ _?_

She turned her head back to Miles' face, hovering inches from her. His expression was so open and understanding and sympathetic that her throat closed up just looking at it.

And just like that, it was over. They didn't look at each other as they got up, and she was glad, because she could feel what a mess she must look like right now.

The spell had been shattered with Li's interruption. Neither of them were sure if they were more relieved…or _chagrined_.

But they _were_ both sure about one thing…nothing would _ever_ be the same again.

* * *

 _A/N: I was feeling punny. Sticker to whoever gets the title reference. This chapter is dedicated to one of my fave readers, Lady Von Whippingburg who will possibly never read this FF ever again...all I can say is...PLEASE trust me and keep reading guys!_


	55. The Edge of Misanthropy

_"_ _Anguished heart attack is tightly packed on to people with actions full of emotions and personal tragedies, yet they can overcome it with personal self-esteem and nice thinking."_

* * *

 _A/N: Time for a splash of Phoenix again! Who's missed him? I know **I** have! He comes with a dash of that famous Wrightworth bromance to brighten your day! It's been over five years since these buds have last seen each other and I cannot wait for their reunion! It's going to be sweeet! :D_

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Five: The Edge of Misanthropy**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_ **  
**October 12, 2024 7:45 am

For the past five years, Phoenix had been lulled into a somewhat sense of security and contentment in life. Things weren't perfect of course, but his life wasn't _completely_ horrible.

He'd faked his way so well into the role of pianist that he actually was now somewhat deemed a _passable_ one at work now, and rarely got anymore boos from the crowed; ergo, he hadn't needed to placate them with his singing all that often. He was _still_ undefeated as a poker player – mostly due of course, to Trucy's special talents, and money wise, things were OK, not great, between the income of her job and his own. The Gumshoes were still doting extended family to them both, and he'd kept in regular email correspondence with Edgeworth, even hearing the occasional phone call from him as well, which was always a pleasure. Most of all, thanks to the kindness of said best friend, he had a safe-house where he could spent at least two weekends, sometimes more, a month, with the love of his life.

There were times when Phoenix would be lying there in that obscenely large bed, breathing in Maya's familiar fragrant scent as he stroked the long, glorious, ebony hair that he so loved to caress, and he wondered if he wasn't insane to be keeping his girlfriend still in hiding all this time; if he shouldn't just have Trucy meet her "future Mommy." After all, Edgeworth, in spite of having "feelers" out there regarding the Gavins had yet to come up with anything conclusive – he'd even told him a couple of years ago to ease back on investigating, despite Edgeworth's frustrated protests that he was being a simpleton about the whole thing and was allowing himself to fall victim of being overly complacent.

However, Phoenix remained stubborn on the matter. Life was alright for him right now, and he'd resigned himself, somewhat, to letting sleeping dogs lie – for now, anyway. He didn't want his best friend to be wasting his precious time and efforts for naught, and was certain if there _had_ been anything worth finding about the Gavins, surely _something_ would have come up by now, or he himself would have found out through his _own_ subtle researching.

Phoenix himself wasn't particularly forthcoming or amicable with regards to his own 'investigations'. Oh, he'd shared what he'd learned with the prosecutor for a time, but irrationally, he ultimately hesitated regarding the blond man.

Over the years Phoenix hadn't seen much of Kristoph at all; perhaps once or twice every quarter at his bar if that, since the day he'd convinced the German that he and Maya were ancient history. The German's absence in his life dimmed his initial doubt somewhat; while his gut still gave him misgivings about the defense attorney, Phoenix wondered at times if he'd been irrational for thinking the worst of the other man.

The ever suspicious Edgeworth was certain Gavin had framed Phoenix, despite there being no conclusive proof or evidence. He appeared to be struggling with the comprehension of his childhood friend's reluctance to pin absolute blame on the sinister lawyer.

 _We haven't got total proof, maybe he didn't do it_ , Phoenix gamely persisted, which completely irritated Edgeworth, even though he thought he understood.

Ultimately, in spite of the curveballs and hardships he'd endured, the painful truth was that Phoenix had somehow still managed to maintain much of his old naïve, trusting streak; still held out with some vague faith or hope that perhaps unconfirmed damaging allegations against people weren't true – maybe not _everyone's_ motivations were truly malevolent.

In the depths of his psyche, which his bursts of love and joy with Maya and Trucy allowed him mostly suppress, Phoenix knew Kristoph was a murderous betrayer. However, his unassuming heart still clung to a last remnant of what Edgeworth curtly referred to his _Pollyanna idealism_ ; his desperate need to believe that sometimes people _weren't_ driven exclusively by individual advantage, and that _maybe_ one _'friend'_ really _did_ believe in giving him a chance. It was somehow symbolic, that idealistic streak of his worldview, which he knew he was losing, but was reluctant to do so.

Till then, Phoenix had maintained the passion he'd had as a defense attorney; still kept that trait of his ever since even though he was a lawyer no longer, because he'd always wanted – _no, needed_ – to have faith in the conceivable good in people. He was still largely in renunciation because deep down, he knew he neither could, nor _should_ , anymore...But he so badly wanted to postpone the bitter acknowledgement that the idealism _had_ been crushed out of him, that his attitude to humanity and its motivations _was_ now cynical and negative by default.

The last time they'd spoken on the phone, he and Edgeworth had gotten into a brief head-butting reminiscent of their courtroom days.

"Dammit Wright, you know that I know that you know that I know that Gavin did it! Of course he did it!"

"We don't _know_ that, Edgeworth," Phoenix stated for the umpteenth time with a sigh, as he gently rolled away from the embrace of the still-slumbering Maya and tiptoed into the bathroom for privacy.

"Cease this tommyrot! Of _course_ he did it, you fool!" Edgeworth snapped in frustration. "Either that or _you_ did it. Or are you attempting to merely dispel your _own_ guilt?"

That stung. "I thought _you_ of all people, believed in me, Edgeworth."

"I believe you're so merrily, _madly in love_ that you've got _willing_ blinders on, or that you've just flat out gone _mad_ ," the other man replied curtly.

"Maya has _nothing_ to do with my desire to just want to let things be for now, and not share your _constant_ suspicion that everyone in the world sucks and is out to _get_ me, for their own personal gain and vendetta!" Phoenix exclaimed with exasperation, although not completely convincingly.

While it wasn't _entirely_ untrue that Maya was mostly in the dark about the Gavin situation, she was also still his _very last beacon of hop_ e, his last tangible peace of something pure and good from his old life, which had kept him from falling back into that wallowing, self-pitying, misanthrope he'd immediately been post-disbarring.

"Malarkey, and we both know it," Edgeworth grumbled. "This incomprehensible, _trite_ level of Pollyannaism and naïveté was somewhat endearing in your 20's Wright, but you're in your 30's now! You can still be a good father and boyfriend even if you _finally_ break those _blasted rose colored glasses_ of yours!"

Phoenix knew it took a lot to make his calm, level-headed friend get this worked up, and he felt terrible about being the cause of it. Even if he didn't fully agree with him, he was touched Edgeworth cared so much.

"Look, I'm not trying to be difficult, and I'm sorry if I seem ungrateful," he mumbled awkwardly. "I know you only have my own best interests at heart and are only trying to help."

"Forget it Wright." Edgeworth sighed too; he was way beyond holding onto resentments. "It's fine…while I'm happy for my part in helping you and Miss Fey get some of the happiness you surely deserve, it is only a _Band-Aid solution_ to your underlying situation, _not_ a _long-term_ one! I dreadfully sense the years have made you forget the fact that there was a preliminary _reason_ you needed to _maintain the secret_ of this clandestine love affair of yours!"

That stung even more than the first remark. Didn't the truth _always_ hurt? And wasn't the reason he revered Edgeworth's friendship so much was because he'd always given it to him straight, even if it was painful?

"You're right Edgeworth," Phoenix admitted quietly. "Indeed, to some degree, I know that I've just been purposefully duping myself. That's because I've accepted an even _harsher_ truth than any that you could ever dish out at me, old friend."

"Really, and whatever would that be?" Edgeworth demanded, sounding surprised at the abrupt change in his tone.

"I have to accept I won't ever clear my name," Phoenix stated flatly. "I am 90% sure, although not completely beyond reasonable doubt, that Kristoph did it; just as much as I also realize that there's _nada_ you or I can do to _legally_ prove it. _Nothing_. I've wasted all this time, and had all this paranoia and now I'm trapped. And why? For what purpose?"

Edgeworth started at the sudden resigned desolateness in his friend's tone. Good Lord, what had he _done_?

"Listen, Wright..." he began awkwardly, but Phoenix cut him off.

"It doesn't matter, Edgeworth. Because even if I did become an attorney again, I could never again fully believe in my clients. Not really."

And it was these last, desolate words ringing in Edgeworth's ear that the gloomy, and evidently not as gullible as perceived Phoenix Wright then murmured his final words of goodbye and rang off.

The startled Edgeworth sat there, still holding the cell in his hand, feeling not at all mollified that he'd forced his friend to see the light. Had he been wrong to try to crack Phoenix's optimistic streak after all? Had he, somehow in his desperation to ensure his best friend didn't become completely delusional to the grim reality of his plight, _broken_ the other man's spirit entirely? That had never been his intention.

Well, as stubborn as Phoenix Wright was - after all, this was the _same man_ who had ingested _poison_ for his serial killer ex-girlfriend, in spite of all the glaring evidence in front of his face that she'd not only betrayed him but tried to kill him!- he wasn't the _only one_ who could be steadfast with his stubborn beliefs.

A few weeks later, Edgeworth was back to investigating Wright's case, but to Phoenix himself he left this obscured.

After all, what would be the point?

Once Phoenix Wright made up his _thick-skulled, mulish mind_ up about something, not even the hounds of hell could move him to change it – sometimes, not until it was too late.

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry this was a shorty guys...will have another chapter up Friday to make up for it!_


	56. The Cups Runneth Over

_"Stupidity is a talent for misconception"_

* * *

 _A/N: Did you really think Phoenix's misadventures in fatherhood were over? I don't know why I get such sadistic pleasure out of torturing my favorite guy, but I know I was snickering my BUTZ off writing this final puberty peril featuring the horrors of Nick having to buy Trucy her first bra as my last installment of Phoenix's struggles of being a Papa! Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Six: The Cups Runneth Over**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Trucy Wright  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency_  
October 13, 2024 4:14 pm

Despite being dragged back to earth about his not-so-ideal loss of badge situation and Kristoph Gavin admittedly being the most likely cause of it, Phoenix's overall outlook about life was still positive for the most part. Pertaining to fatherhood, in comparison, he was downright chipper, as Trucy was, for the most part, a parent's dream as a daughter.

After the infamous dual destinies that had simultaneously ricocheted both Pearls and Trucy into womanhood under his very roof, somehow, Phoenix had foolishly convinced himself he had _done his due time_. He'd assumed he'd successfully surpassed all the embarrassing hardships of fatherhood now that his little girl was 13, and that the most traumatic of it was over.

Once again, he _really_ needed to stop assuming!

It wasn't as though Phoenix was _intentionally_ being naïve about the strife that came with being the single parent of a young girl. He'd known it wouldn't be _easy;_ had even checked out parenting articles online, in hopes of getting some better fatherly insight – along with some very effective _brain bleach_ sites to _erase_ both the mortifying _DILF_ and _PMS_ incidents shortly thereafter!

Overall, he'd prided himself _somewhat_ for having dealt with the _sexy_ at the pool debacle and double period fiascos with _some_ level of aplomb. Therefore, as Trucy veered into adolescence, Phoenix figured he now could take a slight step back, as the worst of it all had passed, and just reap the rewards of having raised a well-behaved, overall happy daughter. A little girl who, although teetering on the brink of womanhood – now that he'd mastered the fine art of nodding, smiling, and staying the _hell_ out of her way when Nature's Fury reared its ugly monthly head! – was still generally mature, helpful and delightfully low-maintenance, her voracious growing appetite notwithstanding!

Just how _wrong_ could a person be?! The _worst_ , it seemed, was _yet_ to _come_!

"Daddy, I need to talk to you," Trucy told him nervously, for once barely pecking at her after school snack, which she normally demolished in seconds.

A frown creased his forehead. He'd tried his hand at baking some blueberry muffins lately, which his daughter claimed she loved. He had been confident that since he'd finally mastered the art of pancakes, (after the _first_ _dozen_ had been written off at as charred Frisbees) muffins would be the next step – and while his initial attempts had been _dryer than chalk dust_ and/or _overly hardened hockey pucks_ , he'd been confident that this latest batch was at least _edible_.

Therefore, why had she left his latest attempt at creativity – a blueberry lemon muffin – go completely untouched?

 _Oh dear Lord don't tell me_ _ **another**_ _one of her teachers was saying inappropriate things about me_ _ **again**_ _!_ He thought frantically. _Do I need her to send her to a Catholic school taught by actual_ _ **nuns**_ _and pray the_ _ **pious sisters**_ _at_ _Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow_ _will at least demonstrate conduct that is more appropriate?!_

"What is it, Truce?" He asked wearily. "You can talk to me about anything, you know that."

 _My_ _ **insides**_ _may_ _ **quell**_ _at hearing some of those things, but it_ _ **is**_ _my parental duty to grin and bear it after all…_

"Well, we've started co-ed gym this year…" Trucy mumbled, absently breaking off a piece of muffin top and popping it into her mouth, not looking at him in the eye. "And we were playing volleyball against the boys…and lately, it's been kind of _hurting_ me whenever I've had to jump up for the ball, you know? And my gym uniform has been becoming kind of tight lately…"

Phoenix cast a quick, appraising eye at his tiny daughter's rail-thin form in surprise. Had he somehow shrunken her clothes in the wash? She didn't appear to have gained even a pound as far as _he_ could tell…

"Um…in my _chest_ area, Daddy," she finished, her voice barely above a whisper as her cheeks turned pink. "It really hurt today when the ball hit me there…the gym teacher told me to tell you that I need to get a bra."

 _A bra?!_

Phoenix cleared his throat uncomfortably and fought back the urge to smack himself in the forehead for being so completely _daft_ and blind. Of _course_ , his baby girl was growing up! Why hadn't he thought of this before?

Because he was a single father and…Trucy hadn't exactly come with a _manual_?

In addition, there were few people he could consult about this without sounding like some sort of creepy _weirdo_. The Gumshoes, after all, had a _son_ , and Tyler's twin girls were only in kindergarten. Sure, Maya was guardian to Pearls, but exactly _how_ was he supposed to ask if little Pearls was _wearing a bra yet_ and if so, _for how long_?!

"Don't worry about it, baby girl," he replied. "We'll take you shopping at Lordly Tailor tonight for whatever you need. Uncle Larry is coming to take us out to dinner, and he can drive us to the store right after."

"I can't shop tonight, Daddy," Trucy reminded him. "After dinner, I need to get to work at the Wonder Bar."

"Oops, I forgot Truce. Sorry, at my old age, it's hard to keep track of my _own_ work schedule, never mind _yours_!" Phoenix flashed a sheepish grin. "Did you want to go shopping maybe tomorrow night? No wait, _I'm_ working then…" His forehead creased as he mentally ran over the rest of the week.

"Daddy, you're so silly! You're not _that_ old!" Trucy giggled. "But I have gym class every day, and it's going to be so uncomfortable for me to participate unless I get some sort of… _support_ , you know? Do you think maybe you and Uncle Larry could get one for me tonight?"

 _Ugh!_ Phoenix moaned inwardly. _I was hoping she_ _ **wouldn't**_ _say that!_

He'd never gone bra shopping in his _life_ , not even with a girlfriend. And thanks to Maggey's gargantuan Costco supply of feminine products the year before, despite being reluctantly schooled in the matter, he'd _still_ not yet needed to pick up any embarrassing _monthly_ _necessities_ for his daughter as of yet.

Nevertheless, it looked life was only going to let him play dodge ball with mortification for only so long…

 _Should I ask Maggey to come along? Nah, I'll be fine! I bought her roller skates before._ _ **Ladies'**_ _skates, too! How hard could a_ _bra_ _be?_

"Of course we can, baby girl," Phoenix reassured her, forcing a smile. "I'm sure Uncle Larry won't mind at all!"

 _Mostly, because I'm not exactly going to give him a_ _ **choice**_ _!  
_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Larry Butz**_ _  
Lordly Tailor Department Store_  
October 14, 2024 6:30 pm

"I thought you hated shopping Nick," Larry said as they entered the doors of the large, multi-level department store. "What did you need to buy?"

"Nothing for _me_ in particular," Phoenix hedged, smiling as Adrian Andrews walked up to them, a friendly smile on her lovely face.

"Are we here for a gift for a _special someone_?" Larry asked slyly, nudging him discreetly in the side, carefully refraining from mentioning any _particular names_.

"Well, I _am_ here to pick up something for a _very special_ little lady."

"I should have figured as much, since you made me drive you to the fanciest and most expensive department store in all of Los Angeles!"

Phoenix ignored the comment and smiled pleasantly at the pretty blonde, who was still as immaculately groomed as ever; dark blonde topknot and wire-rim glasses over warm brown eyes, which were now regarding him with curiosity and surprise as eventual recognition in his hobo attire dawned on her.

"Phoenix Wright, is that _you_?"

"In the flesh, Adrian," he grinned.

"Well stranger, long time no see!" She exclaimed, reaching over and giving him an unexpected, effusive hug, before doing to the same to Larry, who looked as happy as pup with two tails being near an attractive female. "Larry, it's so nice to see you too! What are you guys doing here?"

"Every six years or so I figure you're owed a visit," Phoenix joked. "I figured I was due a quick check to see if you had any more special exhibits in motion? I'm partial to the _mystical variety_ , as you know."

"Yes, because the last one _wasn't_ a complete unmitigated disaster, right?" She laughed. "By the way, how is Maya doing? She's got that urn in a safer place now, I should hope?"

"She's just fine, I expect," Phoenix replied serenely, his poker face betraying nothing. "She left about five years ago to become master of her village, but appears to be doing quite well, from what her cousin Pearl tells us. She and my daughter, Trucy are best friends, and the two get together whenever she comes down to the city to visit."

"A _daughter_?" While decorum had kept her from bringing up anything concerning his disbarring, Adrian was unable to conceal her stunned reaction to this news. "H – How nice…um, when did you get married?"

"He's not married," Larry intervened, never one to enjoy not partaking in conversation, even ones with naught to do with him. "Nick here is a single Papa."

" _Single_?" Adrian pushed her glasses up her nose and gave a shy, appreciative smile. "I can't imagine _why_! Phoenix, I didn't think it was possible, but you look like you've gotten even _more_ fit since the last time I saw you. Working out really seems to agree with you!"

Phoenix blushed at the unexpected compliment and shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. Apparently, Trucy's _horny teachers_ had been correct about the fact that his bulky sweat suit didn't hide the results of his daily jogging or exercising whatsoever!

"Thanks, Adrian," he murmured bashfully. "Actually, that's the reason we're here. I need to pick up something for my daughter. Can you tell us where the girl's department is?"

"Well, children's clothing is on the second floor…"

"Oops, sorry. I should have clarified, Trucy is 13. Definitely not in kids clothing anymore, heh heh."

"She's _13_?" Adrian repeated, her eyes widening as she did the mental math. "Um, I didn't know you had a daughter when I saw you last? You must have had her when you were a _teenager_ then?"

"Trucy's adopted," Larry offered, deciding to put the poor woman out of her misery with all these bombshells. "Cute as a button, really."

"Oh, _I see_." Adrian was all smiles again. "Well then, you need the Junior Miss department, which is next to ladies wear on the third floor level."

"Is that where they have the…" Phoenix wracked his mind for the right word. " _Underclothing garments_ as well?"

"It is indeed. Happy shopping, you two. See you around."

"See you later, Adrian," Phoenix waved as she walked off, just as Larry looked at his friend in alarm as he digested what he'd just said.

" _Underclothing garments_?" The artist echoed, his eyes panicked eyes bulging out of his skull. "You didn't tell me we were shopping for _that_ , Nick!"

"You didn't ask." Phoenix shrugged, nonchalantly yanking his friend's shirt and tugging him towards the escalators.

" _Nuh-uh_! _No way_ , José!" Larry struggled to pull himself free from Phoenix's clasp. "You _already_ coerced me to endure that whole _dueling cyclone_ that was Trucy and Pearl last year, and _then_ forced me to stick around – only to get _insulted by Maggey_! – during that whole lecture on _things with wings_ …but _this_ is just too much!" He wrestled free and shook his head, already starting to walk downwards on the ascending escalator. " _This_ is where I draw the line!"

Without warning, Phoenix stepped down and easily grabbed the back of Larry's collar, as though he were a scruffy dog, and jerked him back up next to him again on the moving stairway, ignoring the other man's choking gasps of protests as he did so.

"Nick! _Stawp_! I can't _breathe_!"

Phoenix relaxed his grasp enough to allow Larry oxygen but maintained his tenacious grip.

"If you want to breathe, all you need to do is stop struggling, Larry," he said calmly as they reached the second floor landing and took the next escalator headed upwards to the third floor. "You know, _you're_ the one who makes these things unnecessarily hard on _yourself_."

"And _you're_ the one who makes _unnecessary use of those muscles_ Adrian was admiring!" Larry scowled as Phoenix released him and rubbed his poor, abused windpipe. "Talk about your _abuse of strength_ , you big bully!"

"This isn't exactly _my_ ideal way to spend one of the rare evenings you're in town either, Larry." Phoenix shrugged again, but this time flashed an impish grin. "In fact, I'm sure on the _excruciating_ scale, _this_ will be an experience that _rivals_ last year's, which I look forward to about as much as _a month in the dentist's chair_! However, you _are_ my _oldest_ pal…and what is it they say? Buddies who _suffer_ together, _stay_ together?"

"Well then _this incident_ should take us through to our _golden years_ ," Larry grumbled as they arrived at their destination floor and looked around. "Look, there's the Junior Miss area in the far corner, can we just hurry up and get this over with already?"

"I have no desire to prolong this either, you know." Phoenix strode over to the section and then peered further into the aisle, in search of the underwear section. "The sooner we find Trucy her training bra, the sooner we can leave."

"And then hopefully participate in a somewhat _less emasculating_ activity, like playing pool or going for beers, I hope!" Larry flipped through some of the neatly stacked boxes on display and looked up questioningly at his friend. "I don't even know what I'm looking for here, Nick! What size is Trucy?"

" _Size_?" He echoed blankly.

"Yeah, Nick! You know… her _cup_ size? Of her _bra_?"

"Howdy y'all. Can I give ya fellas a hand?"

 _No way!_ Phoenix froze at the sound of the familiar voice behind him. _It_ _ **can't**_ _be! God_ _ **couldn't**_ _hate me that much!_

Yet when the blushing former defense attorney turned around, standing there, this time, _fully clothed_ , in a chic navy women's business suit, stood Tiffany Pierce.

Otherwise known to him as the _normally scantily-clad_ , friendly neighborhood waitress at The Borscht Bowl.

 _Oh boy. This is going to be even more harrowing than I thought._ He cast a quick surreptitious glance heavenward and shook his head at the Man upstairs. _You've got_ _ **quite**_ _the sense of the humor, don't you?_

"Um, hey Tiffany," he gulped, his cheeks warm. "Fancy running into _you_ here."

It was _Godsend_ that he _hadn't_ brought Trucy with him! The _last_ thing Phoenix needed was his daughter asking Tiffany if _she_ was going to be her _new Mommy_ , or even worse, ask the bombshell if she thought her _Daddy_ was _se_ xy! He was positive that neither he _n_ _or_ his daughter would be prepared to hear the _potentially_ _traumatizing answer_ to _that line of questioning_!

" _I_ work here Mondays through Wednesday, stud," Tiffany winked. "Although I reckoned this would be the last place _I'd_ be bumping into _yer fine behind_!"

 _Why do I have the inexplicable urge to run away screaming?_

Although he and Tiffany had made peace years ago, and were in friendly enough terms at the bar, Phoenix had always tried to maintain his distance and keep his personal and work life separate from the still slightly too flirtatious blonde. He saw Maya often enough now to make fleeting thoughts of temptation have diminished almost entirely, yet Tiffany's overt sexuality and saucy winks still made him feel a trifle skittish around her.

Right now, Tiffany's heavily made up eyes were giving her colleague the _customary_ _thorough inspection_ , from head to toe, then back up again, before drifting over to Larry, who was still clutching a package with a baby-pink brassiere photo and " _My First Training Bra_ " emblazoned on it, while gawking at her with a thunderstruck expression.

Suddenly, a look of understanding dawned on Tiffany's tanned face, and her full lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"Well, come to think of it, maybe I _shouldn't_ be as about as _confused as a fart in a fan factory_ ," she drawled. "This actually makes things _one helluva lot of sense_ , now that I think of it!" She nodded in approval at the now guilty-looking, flustered Larry, who'd dropped the package back on the table as if it were a hot potato. "Good call, suga. That fo sho wasn't yer color at _all_!"

"Hey!" Larry yelped indignantly. "That wasn't for _me_ ; it was for _Nick_ , here!"

"I'm ain't judging ya, sweetie!" Tiffany tittered and waved her scarlet-tipped hand. "In this here modern day and age, it's no longer considered a sin to be _light in the loafers_! Well, maybe to the Baptist church it is, but this _is_ LA... and we're a far bit away from Birmingham anyway…"

"W-What?" Larry spluttered. "Nick, _say_ something! Tell your friend here that _you and I_ …that _we_ , so totally _are not_ …"

" _Confirmed bachelors_?" Tiffany arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms around her tremendous bosom, which strained against the buttons of her white shirt.

"He's telling the truth, Tiffany." Phoenix at last found his voice. "We were shopping for _me_. Well, not _for me_ , exactly, and then he found that bra and was just inquiring about sizes when you came along…"

"Does your girlfriend know about _this_ side of you?" Tiffany queried, her eyes bright with unabashed interest. "Or is she no longer in the picture? Never did see her come around since that night I met her…am guessing _this_ is what you've upgraded her to?" She gestured to Larry.

"I am _not_ gay!" Phoenix placed his hands on either side of his head and flung them forward with palpable exasperation as he shouted. "And if I _were_ gay, I'd like to think I could do better than _him_!"

" _Objection_! What the hell, Nick? Why you gotta be such a _meanie_?" Larry's lower lip trembled. "That's _way_ harsh man! Just what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Give it a rest, Larry!" Phoenix glared at his friend, who'd magically managed to get _teary-eyed_ over this _ludicrous_ situation! "But for the record, you _don't turn me on_ , alright?"

"It's the _hat_ , isn't it?" Larry wailed, now in full waterworks mode. " _And_ the pink sweater! Admit it! You _hate_ my artist look! _That's_ why you're always yanking at my beret!"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Phoenix groaned. " _Jesus_ , Larry…"

" _Fine_ then, Phoenix Wright!" Larry cried. "See if _I_ ever come bra shopping for _you_ ever again!"

"Not really helping our case here, Larry." Phoenix sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"I reckon ya don't _have_ to be a _fruit smoothie_ to want to dress up like a _fancy man_ ," Tiffany murmured to herself, looking thoughtful. "I hear some fellas just like to gussy up all girly like, in their private time, but still swear that they're _happy as a pig in mud_ when it comes to their wives or girlfriends. Is that the case for yew two folks here? I remember yer gal pal was a tiny little thing, Phoenix, so I guess yew don't fit into her things? Is _that_ why ya'll two are lookin' fer yer own?"

"Tiffany, I'm here for my _daughter_!" Phoenix was exasperated. "Trucy? Remember, you've seen her at the bar once or twice? And for the record, Larry and I are _neither gay nor cross-dressers_!"

"Oh that's right!" Tiffany slapped her halo of platinum curls. "Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit! I remember her now. Cute as a June bug, that one!"

"Yes, my Trucy." Phoenix was relieved to have finally alleviated that misunderstanding. "Said June bug is 13 now, and we're looking for –"

" _Hell to the no_ I ain't gay, gorgeous!" Larry instantly recovered from his tears and ogled at Tiffany with his normal lascivious expression. " _Trust me_ , I've had _more pie_ than _Rosie O'Donnell_!"

Phoenix literally face palmed at that one.

Completely oblivious, Larry shamelessly continued.

"And _I_ remember _you_ as the sexy waitress that night of Maya's birthday! _Damn girl_ , like a fine wine, you've only improved with age!" Larry's eyes travelled admiringly over the blonde's statuesque physique. "You look _just_ as good, _covered up_ , as you do in that _itty bitty uniform_ , which let me tell ya, is the stuff _naughty dreams are made of!"_

"For the love of all that is holy, _please_ stop, Larry!" Phoenix begged as Tiffany silently gaped at the artist in disbelief. "You're _completely overcompensating_ here!"

"Hey _you_ may not off the market, but _I'm_ not! Your friend here is _smokin' hot_ , Nick!"

"Er, as flattering as all this is…" Tiffany interjected awkwardly. "I do believe y'all were sayin' yew were looking for _over the shoulder boulder holders_ for yer little girl, Phoenix?"

"Yes, yes I am!" Phoenix responded quickly, eager to get back to business. "Like I said, she's 13."

"So obviously, nowhere near _your_ league, of course," Larry leered, his tongue wagging as he gestured to Tiffany's ample bust. "You're at least what, a 36 DD right?"

"Not bad," Tiffany grinned, proudly thrusting out her chest even more for inspection. "34 DD actually. That was a good guess, mister. Ya want a job here?"

"Well when you've had as much _experience_ with the _female form_ as I have both painting and _otherwise,_ it _comes naturally_ ," Larry bragged. "I'm an artist, you see."

Tiffany opted to disregard this and kept her eyes on Phoenix, all professional mode again.

"So I reckon this is her first foundation garment?" she asked.

"Yup," he nodded. "Mine too, actually..."

Tiffany's eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline.

"I _swear_ to you this _is_ for _her_ ," he added hastily. "I meant, it's _my_ first time, buying _Trucy_ a foundation garment."

"I'd hope so! If we _were_ shopping for something for _those_ mighty pecs of _yers_ , Phoenix, I'd reckon _maybe_ a 38A!" Tiffany winked as he started blushing again and began expertly flipping through the rows of boxes on the table Larry had abandoned. "What size is she?"

"I'm afraid I don't know her size…" Phoenix scratched the back of his head. "She um, takes about a 5.5 roller skate?"

Tiffany arched a brow at him.

"I have no clue!" His blush deepened as he stared back at her helplessly. "She's a 13-year-old girl size?"

"I gotcha." Tiffany held up a box, pulled the garment out, and held it up for inspection. " _This_ here is our most popular early teen and preteen model."

" _Really_?" Larry snickered. "It looks like a _surgical bandage_!"

Tiffany sighed and once again kept her focus on Phoenix, who glared at his friend.

"Does your daughter need something larger then?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Hmmm….this one here is purty," she offered, holding up another box. "It's got a little pink bow."

"I don't know about pink bows." Phoenix scrunched up his face and shook his head. "It's kinda fancy; I don't usually like that kind of stuff…"

"But y'all _claim_ ya _aren't_ shopping for _yerself_ , right?" Tiffany waved her finger at him playfully. "Yer thinking like a _man_ , Phoenix. Yer _supposed_ to be thinking like a 13-year-old girl!"

"I'm having a hard time thinking like a _31-year-old father_!" Phoenix groaned. "We'll um, just take that first one you showed us, OK?"

"Excellent choice," Tiffany beamed, headed towards the cash register. "It's the one I started out with."

"When you were 13?" Phoenix asked.

"No suga, bless yer heart!" Tiffany let out a tinkling laugh, gesturing towards her buxom figure again. "When I was _9_! By the time I was 13, I was up to a _34 C_!"

"No kidding!" Larry let out a wolf whistle of appreciation. "I totally would have been hitting on you if you'd been in my class!"

" _All_ the boys did, suga," Tiffany flashed him a wink and a flirty smile. "And evidently, they _still_ do!"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Trucy Wright**_ _  
Wright Talent Agency_  
October 14, 2024 10:30 pm

"Here you go, baby girl," Phoenix handed Trucy the package when Larry dropped them home after she was done work that night. "I hope it fits."

"You're the _best_ , Daddy!" Trucy excitedly tore into the bag, pulled the bra out of the box, and held it up for inspection. Her face fell with disappointment. "Oh. Thanks, Daddy."

"What's wrong, Truce?" Phoenix asked nervously, noting her crestfallen expression. "Did I get the wrong size?"

"No, it's the right _size_ ," she answered. "It's just…I kinda wanted the same one as Jinxie has, with the little pink bow on it."

"You _wanted_ the pink bow?" Phoenix bit back a curse. "Why's that?"

"Because everyone's going to see it!"

" _Hold it_!" He pointed a stern finger at his daughter. "It's enough that you wave your magic _panties_ in public, Missy! _Who_ , pray tell, is going to see your _bra_?"

" _Everyone_ , Daddy! All the girls in gym class and at the slumber parties…"

"Oh, I see." He expelled a huge breath of relief.

"You just don't _get_ it, Daddy," Trucy explained patiently. "You _have_ to have the little pink bow."

"It's fine, Truce." Phoenix cleared his throat. "I'll go someplace else and get you a bra with your little pink bow."

"Why go through all that jazz, Daddy? Why don't you just take that one back to where you got it from?"

Phoenix's eyes widened in horror at the thought.

"No way in _hell_ …" he caught himself in time as Trucy stared at him.

 _Return it to where I bought it, though?! Not in a million years!_ _Perish the thought!_

"I mean, nope! It's fine!" He insisted. "Really, it's um, good to have more than one, anyway."

"I hope it wasn't too much trouble, Daddy."

 _Trouble? Nah! I just wound up at the snooty, overpriced department store where my_ _ **bawdy**_ _,_ _ **overly friendly**_ _neighborhood waitress worked, which I had to_ _ **con**_ _Larry into taking me to the_ _ **first place**_ _! Then I had to_ _ **physically restrain**_ _The Butz from taking off on me_ _ **like a bat out of hell**_ _, once he realized_ _ **what**_ _we needed to buy!_ _ **Then**_ _I endured the_ _ **humiliating experience of a lifetime**_ _of trying to_ _ **convince**_ _said_ _ **man-eater**_ _bar wench turned saleswoman that_ _ **no**_ _, I'm not_ _ **light in the loafers**_ _, and that I_ _ **do**_ _indeed_ _ **love women**_ _… but_ _ **not enough to wear their clothing**_ _as my alter ego, but I'm pretty sure she_ _ **still**_ _believes that_ _ **bra**_ _was for_ _ **me**_ _! And last but not least,_ _ **then**_ _I had to spend the rest of the night soothing Larry Butz's_ _ **wounded ego**_ _and_ _ **assuring**_ _ **him that**_ _ **I found him attractive,**_ _in order to get him to_ _ **stop crying**_ _, which he'd resumed the minute we left the store, and drive us home!_

"Don't give it another thought, Truce. What are fathers for?" Phoenix dropped a kiss on his daughter's forehead. "It was no trouble at all."


	57. Pandora's Box

_"The truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't going away."_

* * *

 _A/N: Dedicated to my fave male reviewers, **Megaranger66** and **The Freelancer Seal** for practically always taking the time to review and inspire me to want to keep being a better writer. (also because the former got the portal reference and the latter seems to be the king of loaded statements...hmmm...while Debbie and Max were playing tonsil hockey... **did** she have a wire on...? ;)  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Seven : Pandora's Box**

 _ **Franziska Von Karma and Shi-Long Lang**_  
 _Discreet Surveillance Van, Wa Sing Ku's Neighborhood,_  
 _Borginia_  
October 13, 2024 8:45 pm

"What the _heck_ ," Kay muttered fretfully to herself as she looked at the two image outlines from the overhead infrared cameras of the Ku mansion on her observation screen. " _Why_ do their bodies appear to be generating _more_ heat now?"

The next moment she had her answer as she heard Lana's sultry voice in her headset, loud and clear.

"I haven't felt this _good_ in ages. I only wish _you_ could have partaken with me so you'd know _how_ good I'm feeling right _now_."

"You're unbelievable," Miles whispered. " _Ms. Dallas_."

"This is the role of a _lifetime_ , Max," Lana whispered back. "How about I show how _believable_ I can be, then?"

Kay's jaw dropped open as the two figures then seemed to become _entangled_ …until they appeared to be essentially _one giant shadowy outline_ instead of _two separate individuals_!

And now, somehow, _if it were even possible_ , the agent was detecting even _more heat_ emanating from the conglomerate blob! So much that she was wondering if Ku's _smoke alarm_ was about to be set off!

All audible dialogue ceased then, but Kay could make out the sounds as the easily decipherable ones of those caught in the throes of passion; where conversation was not at _all_ necessarily in order to ascertain _what_ was going on inside that house!

Kay's stomach dropped as she looked nervously up at Badd, whose broad frame, mercifully, till that moment, had been blocking Lang and Franziska from visibility. He was clenching his lollipop stick so hard in his teeth, the end broke off and fell to the ground as he stared unblinkingly at the screen.

" _Oh damn_ …" Kay breathed.

"What is it? Franziska snapped, ceasing her vain efforts to try stand on her tiptoes to look over Lang's shoulder at his tablet, since he still vehemently refused to let her have her own! The wolf man frowned at whatever he saw on the screen and turned his back to her, further obstructing her view, but not before she got the look of apprehension on his face.

Feeling panicked now, she stormed over to Kay and the detective, and found the same obstacle. After several fruitless efforts at shoving Badd aside, the German woman finally got smart and ducked _under_ his arm and squeezed in front of him so she was standing right behind Kay's seated form in front of the monitor.

And that was when she saw _it_.

The images were vivid enough as a mere outline, and no ear piece was required. It was _glaringly evident_ what she was seeing.

Her heart twisted and sunk with nerves she stared at the screen. The white light enveloped her, coldly, as she shook. Her breaths came in sharp pants and she tried to gain control, but nothing was working. It hurt. It HURT! She tried to breathe calmly, but every time she looked up, those cruel, horrible, tormenting images were there. Images she had known long would be there before she'd actually set eyes on the monitor. Images she had waited for with anxiety, uneasiness, and suspicion, knowing, _somehow_ , that someday, they would appear, from the moment she'd found out about Miles' accursed sting operation with that _schlampe_ Lana Skye.

She just hadn't thought it'd be this _soon_.

Slowly, the panic and anxiety attack flowed away, and yet she still shook. Her eyes, closed and aimed towards her clasped hands, slowly opened. Trepidation swelled through her as she slowly raised her eyes yet again to the steadily shining screen.

It was like a vexing of the soul, for what she felt was not human, it was twisted and distorted but it was something strong. It burned so badly, like fire lacing her veins and creeping up her spine, her skin was a sore-looking red but all she could feel was desire; desire to hate. She was intoxicated with emotion that she'd had no intention of ever feeling, the acidity of it was residing in her stomach waiting to be spat out of her mouth in foul and vulgar words she would be stared at for saying, except she wasn't going to say them.

She was going to _screech_ them with every ounce of breath that dwelled in her lungs.

The child suddenly burst out at her like a tornado. She turned on Lang like an enraged panther.

Franziska Von Karma's tantrums were immediate and violent. There was no winding up period, no warning. They were full force from the very start like a bomb with no fuse, just an immediate explosion. But unlike such a blast she could go on for some time, sustained in her hormone-fueled rage. Then afterward she would justify it, excuse it and generally blame it on someone else. And so she went on her whole life, never learning, never cooling down, always just one more assault away from jail time.

" _You_!" She shrieked, rushing up to Lang and charging at the stupefied man, pounding at his chest with her tiny fists, fast and furious blows that he was fully unprepared for and had no way of dodging in the small vicinity of the surveillance van. "You stupid, _foolish fool_! _You_ did this! This is _all_ your fault!"

She'd managed to get a few half dozen shots in before Lang quickly reacted, grabbing her wrists and holding them tightly in his enormous hands, his experience furious and foreboding.

"Oh shiiiiittttt…." Kay groaned, forgetting she was supposed to be on surveillance and covering her face with her hands.

"Not so fast!" Lang roared, his raw voice brutal against her ear. Franziska struggled against him, shooting her right leg out but her movements were far too slow. Hands moving from her waist, Lang seized her arms, trapping them to her side. He pushed her, forcefully but not too roughly, further away from him, against the side of the van, the agile gesture causing Franziska to stumble, almost falling flat on her face. "That's the last I'm going to take from you, pregnant or not, you hear me!"

She wanted to cry as rage filled her belly. She felt her ears getting hot. She glared at him then spat out "HOW DARE YOU?"

His half-snarl, half-laugh only added fuel to her wrath.

"You think this is funny, you fool?" She snapped, sparks flying out of her eyes.

"I've just about _had_ it with you!" He glared back at her with fire in his dangerous, dark eyes. "You are an extremely stupid girl, Agent Von Karma. Aren't you?"

" _Uneheliches Kind_!" She spat. "How is this _not_ your fault? _You_ found that _schlampe_! _You_ put them together in this undercover operation! And it's thanks to you that she's all over my fiancé like some kind of cheap suit! Just look at that _obscene_ image on the screen of what is obviously the tell-tale sign of that cheating swine's _arousal_ on that screen!"

" _Arousal_?" Badd inquired, squinting at the screen with interest as he popped another lollipop into his mouth.

"Yes, look at that _long erect shadow_ you fool!" She shouted, turning her attention away from Lang momentarily to gesture furiously at the monitor.

"Um, Franziska…" Badd sounded like he was trying his best not to laugh as he spoke. "Unless you're engaged to a _horse_ , that's _not_ the Kid's er, arousal you're seeing on the screen there…"

"Yeah, he's right Franziska," Kay chimed. "It looks like they may have just knocked over the pole lamp."

"So _that_ makes this alright then?" She raged, stamping her foot, refusing to be placated. "Just because that's not my fiancé's _visibly erect manhood_ on that screen _doesn't_ mean he's probably _not_ fully aroused nevertheless from… frolicking shamelessly with that… _Miststück!_ "

"Enough of the gratuitous German insults already!" Lang exclaimed. "I don't need to speak the language to know that you've gravely insulted Miles, Lana, and I all within the last half minute! And for _what_ , pray tell? Why am _I_ to blame? Did _I_ force Lana to be crawling all over pretty boy there like a spider monkey?"

Franziska went to lunge at him again but Badd caught her this time, wrapping his enormous tree trunk arms around her and holding her tightly against him to restrain her squirming form.

"You're enjoying this!" She accused hotly. "Or you planned this Wolf-Man! Admit it! This is all just one sick joke to you!"

"How on _God's_ name do you think I saw _this_ coming?" Lang demanded, equally as furious.

"She's been panting after him like a _Miststück_ in heat since the moment she laid eyes on him! And he's been like some sort of lovesick schoolboy since she came about as well! Don't tell me you haven't noticed! Surely not even _you_ can be so foolish and blind, Lang?"

"Um, guys?" Kay cut in awkwardly, taking one headphone off her ear. "Can I say something?"

"What is it, Kay?" Lang asked grumpily, displeased at being interrupted.

"Er, from what I could tell from the conversation, just hearing it, it sounds like Ku _forced_ them to do _cocaine_ ," Kay informed them, her green eyes wide. "Mr. Edgeworth seems to have managed to dodge it, just barely, but it seems like Lana was just having a weird reaction to it; they're not em…. _canoodling_ anymore and she seems to have expressed extreme regret for her actions already."

"How noble of the harlot to take her _tongue out of my fiancé's mouth_ long enough to have a conscience!" Sarcasm was positively dripping from Franziska's tongue.

Badd sighed and loosened his grip on her long enough to turn her around to face him placing firm hands on her shoulders as he looked down at her, his expression serious.

"Can you _try_ to be rational just for a moment, Franziska?" He asked evenly. "I don't know if you've ever done cocaine before…"

"Of course I haven't! A Von Karma would never sully their body or mind from the path of perfection with such pollutants!"

"Well, _I_ have!" He retorted, smirking at the stunned look on Kay's face. "Don't judge! Look, it was _way_ before my detective days, and it was the _80's_ , when that stuff was _everywhere_! The point is, it changes your mood, your psyche. You think you're invincible…you're not yourself."

Franziska was silent as she pondered this, sinking down into a nearby chair as she contemplated his words, but then suddenly, her expression grew fierce again as her arm shot out and she pointed an accusing finger at Lang.

Badd groaned and clapped a hand to his forehead as he realized his attempts to calm things down had all been for naught and that the heated quarrel would continue. It was definitely a war of words and who could hurt the other one worse. Both agents were at each other throats like savage hungry dogs fighting over dominance.

"This is _still_ _your_ _fault_ , you fool!"

"Of _course_ it is," Lang agreed acidly, crossing his arms and giving her one of his best stares. " _Everything_ is my fault. _World War 2 was my mea culpa_! Please _do_ just share with us how some Asian King Pin forcing Miles to act the boyfriend part with Lana in this case, _while_ _she was under the influence of coerced coke_ , was _my_ bad, _Ane-san_?"

"You. Sent. Them. To. A. Drug. Lord's. House," Franziska ground out through gritted teeth. "And you didn't _think_ to arm them with some sort of drug to _counteract_ any sort of drug that may have been given to them?" Lang looked away guiltily for a moment and her voice raised. "Surely you have access to them you fool!"

"Of course I do, they're over there in that box by Kay," Lang muttered uncomfortably, fidgeting with his sunglasses. "I just…didn't think to give them any because…"

"Because you didn't understand the concept of how they only tend to _work when you use them_ , you ridiculous foolish fool of a man?!" She screamed, her face red with fury.

"It was an early evening _dinner_ party, _not_ a _wild late night cocaine_ party!" He shouted back.

"If memory serves me correctly, that first party you schlepped them off too did wind up turning into one of those, and you didn't arm them with any sort of anti-drug defense mechanism _then_ either, you _dummkopf_!"

"You watch your mouth Agent Von Karma! Have you forgotten whom you're speaking to here?"

"A completely incompetent _fool_ of an agent that I have the misfortune of having as my superior?" She goaded.

"One more smart remark out of you and I'll have your badge, you hear me, you _little hellion_!" Lang slammed his fist against the counter behind him, causing the whole van to quake and poor Kay to jump.

Lang's temper was like TNT, once the sparks started to sizzle there was very little time to duck and cover. Franziska knew she should just stay quiet and wait for the storm to abate, but she couldn't help sparring with him. Like trained boxers they circled one another, the kid gloves were off, it was fighting time. She traded slur for slur, insult for insult, dig for dig. When his temper blew hot and he started thumping the counter with his fist, she knew she'd won. He'd never laid an actual hand on her, but she knew she'd pushed him harder than was wise. For every pound she weighed he weighed three and it was all solid muscle.

 _I'm right. I know I am. I'm right and they won't listen. I could explain all damn day and they still won't get it. My face has become rigid, jaw clamped tight, teeth grinding. It's time to get out of here before I do something they'll make me regret._

This could get even uglier than it already had if things further escalated. She had to get out of there. She shot out of her seat, and in standing, her chair flew backwards, falling. Lang glared at her as if she'd done it on purpose.

"I'm taking a walk!" Franziska announced, flinging open the rear van doors and stepping out into the cool night air, storming off before anyone could reply. On the way out she slammed the door hard; she hoped their stupid brains rattled in their stupid skulls.

Her mind raced as she stomped around the neighborhood, her face still flushed with anger.

 _In his head, in all their heads, surely, my retreat was a victory already. In their warped logic my anger meant they were right. Just because they'd kept their cool it doesn't prove the veracity of their argument. They're just coolly wrong. I need to turn away now, turn before I snap at their wide judgmental stares. "There she goes again, all pregnant and irrational" I can_ ** _hear_** _them thinking it. With each stride, I just know I'm the subject of discussion, not the reason I lost it, but the fact_ ** _that_** _I lost it. And so it goes on, them feeling superior and me never altering the status quo no matter how hard I try._

She let out a slow controlled breath and attempted to loosen her body movements. She was walking like a clockwork soldier and that was no way to be in this neighborhood. She gave her shoulders a wiggle and lolled her head in a circle, let her stride slacken to a more casual pace. It was a decent effort, enough to fool the casual observer, but for the onlooker with a keen eye she was a walking advert for tension. Her eyes moved with the alertness that comes from heavy stress and her hands remained clenched by subconscious demand.

Franziska tried to calm down and neatly assess the situation from a bird's eye point of view.

She and Lang had always butted heads in the past, and rarely seen eye-to-eye. She knew eventually her anger with the agent would surely come to pass.

But as for Miles…and that _strumpet_ ….Franziska dug her fingernails so hard into her palms she could feel the tender skin tear and start to bleed slightly. She wasn't sure when or even _if_ her fury at them would _ever_ cease.

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Interpol Headquarters, Borginia_  
October 13, 2024 10:30 pm

"OK, I heard them recap details about the next shipment, which Ku insisted _wouldn't_ be a dud this time, and then Mr. Edgeworth and Lana were preparing to exit the premises," Kay told them as they van pulled up to the office. "That was about half an hour ago, so they should be here shortly to debrief."

" _If_ we can manage to let Miles get through the door before Agent Von Karma has his _head on a platter_ ," Lang stated dryly, looking pointedly at the quiet German woman who was sitting across from him with her arms crossed and avoiding his gaze. She didn't reply to Lang, but the stiffness of her posture, however, and the tightness of her jaw, indicated that the matter was nowhere near resolved with her, just resting.

"Franziska?" Kay placed a hand on the pregnant woman's shoulder, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you going to be alright?"

Franziska nodded mutely. She didn't trust herself to speak.

During her walk, she'd managed to clear her head enough to acknowledge that while Lang may have been naïve at best, and negligent at the worst, with not foreseeing the need to be arming Miles and Lana with preventative solutions, her main issue ultimately had naught to do with her boss.

No, it had _everything_ to do with her _loose lipped_ lover and his porn star named _faux bimbo_. She'd swallowed their excuses and acts of innocence long enough. It was time for some answers.

At last, at quarter to eleven, Miles strolled in, with Lana in tow, a coffee cup in her hand just as she'd had last time. Déjà vu all over again. Except this time, her scarf was wrapped around her slender bare shoulders as a wrap in lieu of Miles' jacket. Lana slid into the seat next to Lang while Miles stood there rigidly at her side.

Franziska thought she'd calmed down a tad, she really did. But at the sight of her lover, next to the woman whom she deemed to be the cause of all her suspicions and headaches, she felt the burning rage once again hissing through her body like deathly poison, screeching a demanded release in the form of unwanted violence. It was like a volcano erupting; fury sweeping off her like ferocious waves. The wrath consumed like, engulfing her moralities and destroying the boundaries of loyalty.

Miles caught the look in her eyes, and gulped, desperately wishing he'd gotten a coffee for himself as well. It would have given him something to fidget or toy with, rather than stand there completely unarmed and defenseless, under their unrelenting stares; three sets of weary eyes, and one downright _murderous_.

The dread crept over him like an icy chill, numbing his brain. In this frozen state his mind offered him only one thought.

 _It would be today_.

There was no more avoiding it. He felt like a cow being herded into a truck for the slaughter house, only the cow didn't know where it was going and _he_ did.

Nowhere good. And he had nowhere left to hide.

His nerves were frayed to the quick. In his building anxiety, he constructed elaborate rationalizations for why everything would turn out alright, but still the nagging voice in the back of his mind spoke of nothing but doom ahead.

As Franziska thought of her lover's betrayal, her lip curled and her nostrils flared. Her mind felt as if lead were coursing though it instead of blood. Her once sunny childhood memories of him now felt as if they were tarred, disfigured into something grotesque. She took a moment to drag her gaze off him. She couldn't bear to look his way, because if they made eye contact she thought she might vomit. Disgust. Total disgust.

The silence hung in the air like the suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground.

"I don't see any point in wasting any time here, do you?" Franziska's voice was filled with venomous sweetness. "I figure why ignore the pink elephant in the room?"

"Franziska…" Lang began, but she held up her hand, silencing him.

"You've done enough already, have you not, Agent Lang?" She asked quietly, but with the intensity still palpable in her tone. "Don't you think you owe me this much?"

"Maybe we should give them a few moments," Badd suggested, already rising from his seat, with Kay following suit, but Franziska raised her hand at them.

"No, please stay. After all, you all had to witness _my_ humiliation about the events that transpired tonight. Why leave half the story untold?"

Lang sighed, crossed his arms, and shook his head.

"You've got five minutes to get this out of your system," he stated firmly. "Like _calm, rational,_ adults. _Then_ we get straight to the debriefing."

"Which _type_ of debriefing did you mean, Agent Lang?" Franziska purred. "The kind where we go over the details of the dealings that our _undercover lovers_ here secured tonight, or the kind that this first _drunken_ , and now _drugged_ ... _ **whore**_ keeps _repeatedly_ attempting to do with my fiancé? Assuming of course, tonight she wasn't indeed successful in her endeavors?"

Miles stared at his fiancée in disbelief, the color draining out of his face.

"Franziska, you're completely of line!" He rasped, struggling to maintain an even tone. "I will have you know that _no such lewd_ _conduct_ occurred tonight whatsoever!"

"None that cameras picked up, _liebling_?" She asked silkily. Then her voice hardened. "Or none that _you're willing to admit t_ o at the moment?"

"I resent this line of questioning!" Lana cried, her eyes wide with indignation. "We kissed, but that's all, I swear it! It was still wrong, and I'll admit my conduct tonight was unseemly and unprofessional but I will _not_ allow myself to be slandered in such a manner! I wasn't myself tonight, Franziska! I'm – I'm still not." She dropped her head in her hands. "Ugh, my _head_ …"

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?" Franziska snarled. "This helpless, damsel in distress act may work with the _men_ , Agent Hot Lips, but as a _woman_ , I am _onto_ you, and _completely_ _immune_ to your wiles!

" _Meine dame_..." Miles began but she cut him off, her voice as sharp as a blade.

"How exactly do you expect me to _react_ , Lana, when this is now the _second_ time I've seen you all over my fiancé, like white on rice, _both_ times claiming you were _under the influence_ of some substance?" She shifted her glower to Miles. "And how do _you_ expect me to _feel_ , Sir Baron Kiss-A-Lot, after seeing just how _enthusiastically_ you threw yourself into this _role of a lifetime_ , and yet _don't_ even have the excuse of _drugs_ as _your_ alibi, hmmm?"

"Please, leave Miles out of this," Lana pleaded, still rubbing her temple with her free hand as she set her drained cup down on the ground. "I'm so sorry. _I_ was the one strung out on coke, not him! _He_ was simply acting accordingly as my lover, because it was either that, or risk blowing the entire operation! Surely you can understand that?"

"All I understand is that you've been panting after each other like a couple of dogs in heat from the moment you came here! And _you're_ supposed to be an engaged woman too - yet still you conduct yourself in such a ... _wanton, undignified_ manner? Unless that whole tragic tale about your jailbird fiancé was just a ruse, so that you could look like the unsuspecting, innocent party while you tried to seduce _mine_!"

"You're getting way below the belt here, Franziska." Lana's lip quivered. "Don't you _dare_ talk about Jake in such a manner! There's no need to drag him into this!"

"And why not? How do we know Jake even exists?"

"I know him. He _does_..." Miles offered weakly but she ignored him and continued on her relentless tirade.

"What proof do we even have that you're _actually_ engaged to this man then? There's no ring, no _physical evidence_ of such, all we have is your _word_ , which means _nothing_ in light of your actions!" Franziska raged. "If this Jake Marshall _does_ exist then he's the most cuckolded man in existence! I can't believe he's completely unaware of what a _vile, filthy slut_ he's proposed to! A woman of such loose morals she would dare try to sleep with a pregnant woman's betrothed!"

"You shut your foul mouth, Franziska Von Karma!" Lana rose unsteadily to her feet. While her eyes were still slightly glazed, her lethal stare was still savagely piercing, as if her glare would be able to tear the other woman apart with a blinding teal light. "Don't even _think_ of going there unless you're prepared for the consequences!"

"You think _you_ can scare _me_?" Franziska shouted. "You're just a pathetic, oversexed _cougar_ who needs to prowl after another woman's man because she's obviously not getting it _good enough_ from her own! Is that what this is all about, Lana? You wanted to sink your claws into the one that got away? So you can stop wondering how old Jake stacks up, or should I say, _lacks_ in comparison?"

Miles felt his heart drop down into his shoes as he watched Lana's eyes lock onto Franziska's. They were the same ones she'd reserved for the apprehended guilty criminals back in the day, a contemptuous, hateful disdain. But it was more than that. There was a also a tenseness she wasn't even trying to mask...like the false warning silence before the loud explosive sound of thunder.

"I don't need to _wonder_ how Miles stacks up," Lana seethed, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. " _Been, there, done that_ already!" She caught the startled look on Franziska's face and narrowed her eyes. " _There_ , are you happy now?"

Franziska was gobsmacked, although in hindsight, she knew she shouldn't have been.

 _This_ was what she'd suspected all along. But _believing_ something and _hearing_ your confounded suspicions out loud like this was still a thousand times worse than she could have _ever_ anticipated. This was _it_. Her worst nightmare come true.

Sensing her enemy's retreat, Lana stepped up her attack, both guns blazing.

"Yes, Franziska! Alright already! Miles and I – we've _fucked_! We _fucked hard_! But that was _eight bloody years_ ago! Was _that_ what you wanted to hear?! Yeah, we work well together! Because we have _chemistry_! But I'm _not_ in love with him and for some unknown reason, _he's_ madly in love with _you_! You're the future mother of his _child_! So grow up and stop being so ridiculous!"

The words echoed throughout the still room, loudly and clearly, by everyone present, and could never be taken back or unheard.

It was too late for recanting or regrets.

Franziska's mind reeled. Her voice shook as she turned her hurt, accusing gaze onto her sheepish-looking fiancé.

"You lied to me, Miles."

Their voices rose above the tense silence. A glance and one small comment stirred a hurricane of harsh and horsed insults. Miles' face brightened, just a tone lighter than Franziska's own crimson. This was no longer " _He said, She said_." Blood was had been spilled, feelings hurt. They hadn't been too strong at all lately, and after this, he knew, without a doubt, that now they would never again be as strong as we once were.

"Franziska –"

She shook her head, her heart pounding rapidly as she felt the furor once again coursing through her veins.

"I _asked_ you, _repeatedly_ , if Lana had ever been more to you than just your boss, and you denied it. You looked me _right in the eyes_ and _lied_ to me. How am I ever supposed to trust you again?"

The eyes that looked at him now rendered him speechless. She was past rage, past yelling.

What was left behind was something much, much worse.

The Pandora's box had been opened, sending each word full speed ahead, to shatter their souls into a million pieces.

Her cold fury burnt with dangerous intensity. He'd never worried about her frequent fireworks and showers of red hot sparks. It was these bitterly cold, slow burning rages that threatened to engulf their relationship.

Angry eyes were just the start. Next would come the strut, then the next bout of slamming and clipped words. Franziska would turn, all of a smolder, but her familiar, loving face was gone. Instead she now bore the baleful mask of her stern father, the one who'd raised her on the fancy side of town in the house where Miles' own life had been hell. Between the perfect stripes of eyeliner, the grey eyes he'd fallen for were no more than stormy ice.

When someone looked at you like that, eyes holding total anger, it hurt; but when that someone held your heart in their hand, it _killed_. Even if you _deserved_ it, sometimes _especially_ if you did, the loss was a fine pair of concrete boots and your own soul was an unforgivably cold, raging river.


	58. On the Edge

_"By your side, or in your absence; in reality or in dreams; in the privacy of friendly corner or against the formidable murmur of the sea; at moonlight or black night and dotted of interrogators stars; in the beautiful and tender moment dawn; in the meridian day stupor or twilight gold thoughtful ... Everywhere and all the hours my subdued heart cries out the words which I fear I may never again be able to verbally pronounce."_

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Eight: On the Edge**

 ** _Miles Edgeworth_**  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
December 22, 2024 8:15 am

Slowly and reluctantly, Miles uncovered his face. He blinked, closed his eyes, and blinked again. Streaks of sunlight penetrated the window and blinded him. He sat up, dragged his feet off the bed, and rubbed his knuckles onto his eyes. He stretched his arms above his head and yawned. He watched his legs dangle above the off-white plush carpet, then looked over his shoulder at the sleeping form next to him on the bed, an amused smile tugging at his lips as he listened to the soft snores emitting from the other side of the mattress.

Reaching over, he ran his fingers over the familiar silky hair, then, feeling uncharacteristically emotive, buried his head into the comforting warmth.

"Oh Pess," he whispered. "Thank heavens I have you to wake up to and to and warm this cold, lonely bed of mine."

While his chambers had much of the luxe opulence as the ones of the rest of the house, there were no photos within it, or personal items to make him feel as if he belonged there. Unlike in the master bedroom, where Franziska was presumably still slumbering.

He hadn't slept there in over two months. Hadn't been allowed to, no matter how hard he tried.

Once again, his fiancée had forcibly ejected him from their chambers.

He shouldn't complain. At least he had one of many guest rooms to choose from at the manor, and hadn't been resorted to the sofa again, like at the hotel, as he had for a week after the first party at Ku's.

It was the aftermath of the second party when things had irrevocably gone to hell in a handbasket. He could still remember the falling out that had resulted with him in this purgatory as clearly as it had been yesterday.

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma_**  
 _Venabu Fjellhotell og Hytter Hotel, Presidential Suite,_  
 _Borginia_  
October 13, 2024 11:15 pm

They'd left the Interpol offices shortly after the hammer had fallen. In the aftermath of Lana's infuriated, half-provoked, half-cocaine fueled revelation, the room had gone into a standstill. Nobody had spoken a word after Franziska had tearily realized the enormity of the deceptions around her.

A pin drop could have easily been heard in that room, so rigid was the resounding stillness.

Seconds felt like hours, minutes felt like eons. At last, Lang had awkwardly muttered something about calling it a night, and then made haste before anyone else could either balk or agree. The others had followed hot on his heels, nearly leaving smoke trails in their alacrity to follow immediate suit, leaving only Miles and Franziska behind, alone.

He tried to speak, tried to force his lips to cooperate, but when he parted them, no sound came out. She looked at him and shook her head, her silvery hair falling down against her flushed cheeks as she lowered her face, obstructing it from his vision. Then she mutely walked out the door. He had no choice but to do the same.

The trip back to the hotel, and then to their room, was filled with a torturous, deafening silence that he'd found more agonizing than if she'd just lashed out at him, either with her whips, or even her words. But no, not a peep from Franziska. She had even kept her head turned away from him so he couldn't even see the steely set jaw of her profile anymore.

They entered their room, and Miles trailed behind her into the bedroom, absently tossing his suit jacket onto the armchair in the corner of the room as Franziska rummaged in the dresser for her nighttime clothing. He stood there, helplessly, having no choice but to look at her, silently pleading with her to at least afford him a glance so he'd at least know he didn't repulse her to the point where she couldn't even _look_ at him, never mind _speak_ to him.

When at last his fiancée turned, Miles wished he had kept his trance anywhere else – the television, the window view…the artwork on the walls. Deliberation was over. She had judged him already and in her eyes he saw only cool abhorrence. He'd seen that same look when she'd first told him of her premier courtroom defeat to Phoenix, like if someone offered her a loaded gun and a "get out of jail free card", she'd have forgotten she was a woman of the law and given it serious contemplation.

Only this time, it was much worse. This time it was the same expression under the exact same scenario…but he knew in _this_ circumstance, if handed the ammo, she'd have no problem pulling the trigger.

Franziska didn't even know how infuriated she still was until they were alone that moment. Her anger had been simmering down to what she'd been hoping would now be a lowered boil... she was well aware that being this steamed was not the most ideal situation for a woman in her _delicate condition_.

But then she saw his suit jacket laying carelessly on the plush, wingback chaise lounge, and the bark of her voice even surprised her.

"I am not your maid Miles Edgeworth! Stop being a slob and get your damn clothing off the furniture _immediately_ you _lying_ , _inconsiderate, slovenly fool_!"

Miles flinched at the sudden outburst, and looked at her with startled, hurt grey eyes. She knew she should reign it in, apologize before she made it worse, but she just didn't have it in her to stop. Her words crashed out unchecked, unaltered.

"It is the epitome of foolish laziness! Lazy, disgusting and vile. Get your damn jacket off the armchair and hang it up in the wardrobe like a civilized human being before I toss it – _along with your duplicitous rear_ , off the bloody balcony!" She grabbed his jacket and hurled it at him. He caught it, and then, in a tiny fit of additional temper, she picked up a pillow from the bed and hurled that at him, too.

"Franziska, please," Miles pleaded, although he wisely grabbed the pillow and held it up as a shield between them. "Let me explain."

"Explain what? How the father of my child is nothing but a wretched, two-faced _liar_? Who had _repeated, ample opportunity_ to confess the truth to me about his tawdry history with that… _schlampe_ but didn't and chose to flat-out _lie_ to me instead?" He dropped his eyes guiltily and her voice rose. "Now get out of my sight! I don't even want to _look_ at you!"

"It was a long time ago, _meine dame_!" He insisted, slowly backing out of the room as she began shoving him backwards out the door, pushing forcibly at his pillow, which was clutched against him as a barrier between them. "I didn't want to upset you in your delicate condition! In your state, I never could have lived with myself if, had you known about my history with Lana, you then got unnecessarily upset and stressed out…I was trying to _protect_ you!"

Her second voice was urging her to stop, but this was an explosion in progress, no reverse gear, no dampeners. Franziska's every word was clipped, punching into the air. She jabbed the air with a pointed finger at each utterance, her eyes narrowed and set hard.

"Miles Edgeworth, I can't even stand the _sight_ of you right now! What the hell are you doing here? Are you actually so foolish that you think I'm going to allow you to get in this bed with me tonight? Or ever again? Out! _You_ may have made your bed with your lies and deceit but I'll be _damned_ if I let you lie in it _with me_!" Franziska spoke through clenched teeth. "You go out there and fight with Pess to make room for you on that sofa in the sitting room! And I _really hope_ she doesn't budge at all, and makes you sleep on the floor like any other _dog_!"

"Franziska, please. I know you're angry right now, and I'm so sorry, but maybe after you've calmed down a bit we -"

Her eyes flashed with indignation and anger, much like lightning on a pitch black night. He couldn't recognize her anymore, the sweet, loving girl he used to know was gone, and it was all because of him.

"Miles Edgeworth." There was a blast of arctic in her voice as she slowly, calculatingly, spoke her ire. "No matter what you say or do, it will never make up for what happened between us. I will never trust you. I will never again be comfortable around you. I will never look at you or think of you without considering the destruction you have train wrecked through my life. Right now as we speak, I _despise you so much_ I can wholeheartedly tell you that if I weren't pregnant with your baby right now, as the _sole tie that binds us together_ , that there is enough decisive evidence gained tonight to make me render the verdict and end things with you, _utterly and permanently_."

Miles stood, swaying at the venom of the words. The desolation he felt was all consuming. His mind became an icy wasteland, the wind howled in his soul and wrapped icy tentacles around his heart so tightly it almost stopped beating as he looked at the woman he'd loved, one way or another, for nearly his entire life.

Franziska Von Karma loathed him. Despised him. _Hated_ him so much that she had just clearly, and painfully, stated that the only reason she was still staying with him, from this day on, was because of the baby. _This_ was what he'd reduced their status to. The knowledge was staggering, devastating. He didn't trust himself to speak.

He felt as if a part of him had died inside, and his burgeoning hope that he'd be able to rectify matters was now completely vanquished, gone faster than summer rain on the tarmac.

She wasn't even looking at him anymore. Indeed her focus was somewhere on the wall behind him, as if he had become invisible to her, or she could not bear to see him at all anymore. He'd crossed some invisible line, offended her sensibilities. He'd seen her do this to others before, but he'd thought their bond immune, unbreakable.

Now his blood drained and his heart hammered erratically. He was never afraid of Franziska's anger when it came as fire, for that burnt hot and fast. Miles was deathly afraid of her ice. It coated her like protective permafrost. It was pointless to try to reach her now. His well-meant words would bounce off as good as hard rain. He knew, as he was no stranger to the same preferred method, that it had saved them both from the torments of their youth, but now the same method would isolate her everything – work, friends…but most of all, _him_.

The words had flown from her mouth that she never thought she'd even think, let alone say out loud. She knew instantly from the look in his eyes that they'd hit their mark. In that instant their relationship shattered into glassy shards. Nothing would ever be the same again. She felt emotionally bankrupt. The was nothing left to feel, nothing left to say, nothing left but the void that enveloped her mind in swirling blackness.

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's:_

 **Blindknyttstories** **-** _(on ch 56) To my co-pilot of Filling the Void/Turnabout Gender/Gregory Edgeworth story acclaim...(both hilarious, not that I'm at ALL biased, of course!) all I can say is, I am humbled to have such funny man like my brand of humor so greatly! Who'd have thought overflowing cups would be so amusing! The Butz is comic gold...you make him gay...I make him presumed gay until proven otherwise overcompensating...Thank you for making my day! XD_

 **Yanmegaman -** _(ch 57) I'd almost feel sorry for Lang for being first in line of that brute force a la Von Karma if I didn't feel worse for the other lashes she gave Miles...not necessarily of the physical variety though...let the record show the queen of whipping knows how to use her choice of weapons effectively...words can HURT!_

 **Megaranger66** \- _(on ch 56) I am so happy that I made you laugh before the attack of the feels! Comedy is SO. FREAKING. HARD. for me to write...chapter 57 because I am a freak for whom angst flows freely from her fingertips...maybe 3-4 hours. Writing chapter 56- Bra shopping? Try like, 5-6?! But My readers deserve some comic relief after all the angst..._

 _(on ch 57) - ..dear boy, am so sorry for the feels assault...Ugh...Edgy._ _his heart was in the right place just I don't know where his HEAD was! Even geniuses can be idiots...(there's a reason him and Nick are besties...I shall have you ask you soon who's the bigger boob! (wait, wrong chapter!) XD_

 **Forgreatcoffee -** _I'm glad Phoenix's pain amuses you so! I guess Nick was hoping with age Larry would be less an embarrassing pain in the Butz? XD  
_ _I tried very hard...I feel good now! I CAN make people laugh! :)_


	59. Teenage Dreams

_"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible."_

* * *

 _A/N: It's Christmastime in AA land! This is for all the Skye sister fans out there...a dose of fluff to balance out the chapters of angst previously, **with marshmallows on top** to kick off the next few chapters of the holiday season! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Fifty-Nine: Teenage Dreams**

 ** _Lana Skye and Ema Skye_** _  
Elsewhere in Europe_  
December 22, 2024 8:16 am

"Not that I am not thrilled to be spending Christmas with my big sister," Ema said as she placed the last of the tinsel on the Christmas tree and then stepped back to admire their efforts. "But I am just confused how you've come to have this sudden impromptu break from Interpol in the first place? Did you get time off for good behavior or something?"

"I _wish_ ," Lana replied dryly, reaching into the last tissue paper-lined box and handing her sister the glass angel on top. "I don't get my record expunged till after 10 years, remember? I have _five_ more to go. Talk about selling your soul to the devil," she added disgustedly. "I thought my days of soul-sucking bargains ended with that bastard Gant!"

"He's on death row," Ema reminded her quietly, noting the tears that had formed in Lana's eyes as she spoke, and hating to see her sister upset. "He's out of our lives now, Sis. He can't hurt us anymore."

Lana looked at the young woman whom she'd raised practically as a daughter, and smiled slightly as she tried to shove the harrowing memories of the diabolical former Police Chief out of her mind. "You're right Ema, I'm sorry to be such a Debbie Downer." _Evidently, I'm much better at being a **Debbie Dallas**!_

"Let's talk happy stuff then." Ema poured them some eggnog. "How long do I have you for? At least till Christmas, right? Maybe New Years?"

"Well, I've been off work a week now, so Christmas is likely," Lana nodded, taking a sip. "But this isn't your 9-5, two-weeks off sort of gig, Ema. I may have to up and leave at a moment's notice if Lang calls and tells me the… _source_ has decided to end his own holidays in Asia early and is headed back to Europe."

It sucked, it really did. Had she known for sure how long she'd be off for, she'd have flown back to the states to visit Jake as well as Phoenix and some other friends. But no, Lang had insisted that she and Miles, in particular, remain in Europe so they were available at a moment's notice. Lang and Badd were staying with some of the Agent's associates in France for the holidays and Kay was staying with Raymond Shields, Gregory Edgeworth's former law partner, and his wife, Katherine Hall.

That was about as much classified information as Lana was allowed to divulge, even though she'd sworn her sister to secrecy nevertheless. But it was the truth. After four more successful, surpassingly larger drug shipments via Ku the last couple of months, (which, as he'd promised, had been the real McCoy and not placebos) _Maximillian Banks_ had finally been able assess that he'd gained enough of the drug lord's trust enough to move in for the kill and make the inquiry about the sought-after cocoons. That had been around mid-December. Ku in turn, to the surprise of none of them, had admitted that he had no direct dealings with the coveted Borginian exports, and that he was going to go spend the holidays back in his native Hong Kong, for an undisclosed amount of time. But, he'd mentioned slyly, when he got back, he would be happy to divulge the information about who did have a cocoon connection…for the right price.

Therefore, the operation was on a temporary standstill, at merciful whims of an Asian king pin whose return date none of them had any idea of. Hence, the standby status.

"I know it's dangerous and all Sis, but it all sounds so exciting at the same time!" Ema's teal eyes, so like her sisters, sparkled with excitement. "I mean, you and Mr. Edgeworth going undercover like that…it's like having a real-life 007 spy for a sibling! Except _he's_ James Bond and you're more… _Pussy Galore_!"

"Ugh, _that's_ the first Bond girl name that came to your mind, you _gutter-minded_ little girl?" Lana groaned, laughingly tossing a snackoo at her sister.

"Hey don't waste those!" Ema caught the snack in mid-air and popped it into her mouth as she flashed an impish grin. "Sorry, did I bring up bad memories of your assigned porn star name, _Ms. Dallas_?"

"Gah!" Lana took aim again and another snack object whizzed past Ema's ear.

"Man, your boss has one _twisted_ sense of humor!" Ema ducked as Lana tossed a decorative pine cone at her and snickered. "By the way, is Mr. Edgeworth still as _hot_ now as he was back in the day?"

"Ema!" Lana chided, taking a quick sip of her drink to hide the flustered expression on her face at the innocent query. "That is my colleague and former subordinate you're speaking of! And have you forgotten I'm a betrothed woman?" _  
_  
"You're nearly _married_ , not _buried_ , right?" Ema shrugged. "Besides, he's not working under you anymore, right?" She appeared oblivious to her sister's blush at the words, and hugged herself at the thought of the handsome prosecutor. "Oh, you're so lucky, getting to work with him! I had _the hugest crush_ on him when I was a teenager!"

"Really," Lana remarked mildly, busying herself with placing the glittery pine cones in a pretty crystal vase and dipping her head down to hide her face with her hair so Ema wouldn't see her still pink cheeks. "I'm surprised you noticed Miles, when the majority of your time was spent with Phoenix. If memory serves me correctly, he was a pretty good-looking fella too."

"Phoenix, good-looking? Yes, he was. Probably still is, at least he was last time I saw him." Ema shrugged again. "But even if I'd wanted to pursue that path, it would have been useless; I could sense even back then that his mind and heart was elsewhere – I remember Maya was his assistant back then, and had been gone for a while. So when I came to see him to ask if he'd help us, he gave me the weirdest look, as if he'd seen a ghost! And then at times, when he thought I wasn't noticing, he'd look at me with this kind of sad, nostalgic look on his face. I obviously reminded him of her, and he was missing her dreadfully."

"I've never met Maya," Lana murmured absently, happy to have steered the conversation onto safer topics and away for her former lover, whom she still felt guilty about causing such irreparable strife for in his love life; the chasm between him and Franziska had been impossible to ignore since that fateful dinner party in the fall, and she still hated herself for her loose-lips which had been the cause of it. "Do you two really look that much alike?"

"Apparently to the point where Maya kind of freaked out when she saw me in the bathroom that night!" Ema nodded, a slight smile on her lips as she fondly remembered her old friend and his girlfriend. "I think Phoenix may have loved her, even then. My suspicions were proven that night at the bar when we went there to celebrate your engagement and the two were totally together! I saw Franziska too, but I didn't know she and Mr. Edgeworth were engaged at the time." She sighed wistfully. "She's a lucky girl, that one."

"Indeed she is," replied Lana noncommittally as she finished ornamenting the table and smiled at her sister. "OK, the house is all decorated! Hope is going to _love_ what we did with the place!"

"I _hope_ so," Ema grinned, ignoring her sister's eye-roll at her pun pertaining to the name of the coroner friend of Lana's with whom she'd been staying for the past decade. "Poor dear doesn't get any time off in her line of work anymore than you do, otherwise she'd have done up the place herself!"

"I still insist you somehow had some sort of _ESP premonition_ I was going to be here in time to help you do up the place and trim the tree," Lana teased. "Which is why nothing was still done when I got here!"

"Oh please, scientifically speaking, there is no such thing as ESP or psychic powers," Ema scoffed. "I just got lucky that you came along when you did, Sis! I've just been too busy obsessing over my science books and study papers trying to ascertain how I did on that forensic exam!" She nervously popped one of her ever-present snackoos into her mouth and looked nervous. "I cannot believe I have to wait until the New Year to find out how I did!"

"Professors don't generally like to mark papers during the holidays, Ema," Lana told her wryly. "Stop eating your weight in those things! I have no idea how you aren't the size of a house by now with the way you gorge on them!"

"Must be my metabolism." Ema popped another two of the treats into her mouth.

"It's called being in your _20's_ ," Lana laughed. "Enjoy it while you can! And no more worrying about science, OK? Am sure you passed that test with flying colors, and then my contacts in the US are going to hook you up with your dream job, and you'll be the happiest, snackoos-stuffed forensic scientist in the world!"

"Do you think by the time I'm done my training for the role and am an actively practicing scientist, you and Mr. Edgeworth will have wrapped up this whole operation and be back in the States by then?" Ema asked dreamily.

"I'm not sure..."

"I'll never forget the first time I saw Mr. Edgeworth in the courtroom," Ema sighed. "He was so …much more… _forceful_ in person! It was so inspiring…hell, I remember he inspired me to think: I suddenly feel like confessing to _everything_! Even things I haven't even done!"

Lana cracked up. Sometimes her sister was just too much!

"One of the reasons I wanted to go into this field was so I could gather scientific evidence to help with crime cases and get to work alongside his suave, debonair self!"

"Ema!" Lana admonished with a giggle. "You little home-wrecking hussy! You _do_ know he's not only engaged to Franziska but they're expecting a baby in a couple months, right?"

"Sis, don't be such a kill-joy!" Ema scowled. "Just let me have my teenage dream, alright?!"


	60. Stalemate

" _When it feels hardest to give love, it is the most important moment to give without measure."_

* * *

 _A/N: A very special thanks to my friend and fellow FF writer, **AddiedeNaddie** for her assistance with the German aspect of this chapter. Any errors made are strictly the fault of the author and Google Translate and should promptly be disregarded and forgiven! :p_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty:** **Stalemate**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
December 22, 2024 8:16 am

Miles had just thrown on his robe over his pajamas and was about to head downstairs for some breakfast when he heard Franziska's furious shriek coming from the master bedroom.

" _Warum sind Sie einfach nur da du tor frau_?" She yelled. " _Von meinem Bad laufen_!"

" _Ich glaube nicht, gnädige Frau zu verstehen_!" He heard Helga, the Von Karma long-time faithful maid, cry plaintively.

 _Crash_!

There was an earsplitting clatter from the room along with a howl of dismay from the housekeeper and a steady stream of German curses from Franziska.

Alarmed, Miles raced down the hall, and flung open the door to find his fiancée sitting up in bed, her whip in her hand, glaring at the older, salt-and-pepper haired woman, who stood there wringing her hands against her starched white apron in hopeless dismay.

Both women appeared unharmed, the sole casualty being the porcelain vase which had been sitting on a wooden pillar in the corner of the room, which was smashed into a million pieces.

"Now look what you've made me do!" Franziska snapped at the housekeeper. "If you hadn't moved, I wouldn't have missed and gotten the vase instead!"

" _Meine_ – _Franziska_ ," he corrected himself quickly when he saw her scowl at the now unwanted affectionate term. " _Why_ have you been resorted to using your whip on the staff?"

"I don't know what language I need to speak to make this _dummkopf_ understand me!" She crossed her arms and glared at the both of them, evidently forgetting that the other woman spoke English. "I asked her to run my bath and she just looked at me with this foolish look of mystification on her face!"

Miles knitted his brow with confusion as he looked down at the plump German maid, whose eyes were round with alarm. She was obviously too terrified to speak within her incensed mistress's presence in her own defense, so he put a reassuring arm around her shoulders, held his finger up to Franziska to signal they would be right back, and steered the poor, overwrought woman out into the hallway.

"Helga, what's going on?" Miles asked gently, as the maid stared at the ground and attempted to smooth back an errant strand of hair back into its tightly scraped back bun. "Why was Franziska so upset with you?"

He waited patiently for the head housekeeper to speak, and when she finally looked up at him, her face wreathed with helpless despair.

"I don't know what to do make _gnädige frau_ happy anymore!" Wailed Helga, her dark eyes filling with tears. "She's so – irrational nowadays. The staff is terrified of her, _Meister_ Edgeworth! At the mere drop of a hat, she's ready with that whip of hers! My husband – Hans and I have been serving the Von Karma family for over 40 years now – and she's never tried to strike either of us before – we've helped raise her since _Mätresse_ Von Karma passed… now it seems all she wants to do is lash out at us, ever since the two of you came back from your latest operation…" She buried her heads in her hands.

Miles sighed and awkwardly patted the poor sobbing woman on the shoulder.

"I just don't understand her anymore, _Meister_!" Helga attempted to wipe her tears on her apron.

Miles felt simultaneously miserable and very well guiltily aware that he was partially to blame for Franziska's foul, abhorrent disposition and worsened temperament. He also had no idea how to console Helga about matters either; not without airing their dirty laundry.

"She's not too far from her due date now, Helga, don't take it personally," he mumbled. "I'm sure she doesn't mean to be this way…a lot of it is hormonal, after all…"

"I mean, I _literally_ don't understand her!" Helga cried. "Her German is _awful_! Why can't she just speak to me in English? I could translate for the rest of the servants! Just now she broke into a rage when I didn't understand what she meant when she told me _von meinem bad laufen_!"

Being fluent in German, despite not having needed to speak the language in years, Miles' lips twitched with amusement at the misunderstanding.

"I am positive, Helga," he said, somehow keeping a straight face. "That she meant to say, _Führen Sie mein Bad."_ A look of understanding came over the housekeeper's face then, and she bit back a smile as he continued. "I can assure you Franziska was attempting to say _run my bath_ , as opposed to saying that she was _running from my bathroom_!"

" _Danke_ , _Meister,"_ Helga sounded relieved. "But first I should go try to soothe my poor, frazzled Hans, who she ordered to _ringt mir mein Frühstück im Bett_."

Miles swallowed back a chuckle.

 _ **Wrestles me my breakfast**_ _ **in bed.**_ _Ah, meine dame, please stick with English, your German is atrocious enough to bring tears to_ ** _my_** _eyes, never mind to those of these confused servants!_

"Please have Hans know the clarified instructions should have been _Bringt mir mein Frühstück im Bett,_ " Miles said pleasantly. "While you go and fulfill Franziska's intended request to _bring her breakfast in bed_ , I shall take the task of drawing her bath off your hands in the meantime. And could you please have Hans prepare _my_ usual breakfast?"

"I can do it," Helga assured him, all smiles again. "He's too busy preparing a special brunch for when _gnädige frau_ Katharina and her daughter arrive shortly. One chamomile tea, no sugar, and a two egg-white omelet with _Hirtenkäse_ cheese? Shall I bring it up along with _gnädige frau's_ breakfast?"

"No, it's fine, Helga," Miles assured her, positive his fiancée was in no mind to want to share a meal with him in her current state; she barely had done so for the past two months after all. "I shall be down shortly."

He patted the housekeeper once more on the shoulder as she headed downstairs, idly wondering if Anneliese's dog Phoenix would be joining the two women on the trip. He sure hoped so. Pess would love the four-legged company!

It certainly was a testament to how rattled he had been; in all the morning chaos, Miles had nearly forgotten about the holiday arrival of Franziska's 36-year-old sister, Katharina Rudolf, and her 15-year-old daughter, Anneliese, who would be coming in from Switzerland, where the elder Von Karma sibling had been residing since her divorce from her husband, Günther, the past nine years. Their company would be a welcome distraction from the otherwise quiet, sullen halls of the mansion, where the atmospheres had been far from festive in spite of the lavish Christmas décor.

He adored his future sister-in-law and niece, and hoped the excited presence of the cheery duo at Christmastime would lift the dismal spirits that seemed to loom throughout the manor.

Maybe their visit would be the Christmas miracle Franziska and he needed. After all, it was supposed to be a time for loved ones. Moreover, the two sisters were close, in spite of living in separate countries. Perhaps reminding Franziska of their arrival would cheer her somewhat. Or, at the very least, make her temporarily retire her whip. For the _day_ , anyway! They hadn't had a family Christmas in _ages_.

He cautiously opened the door to the master bedroom and saw Franziska was still sitting in the bed, but staring forlornly in the direction of the window, where the curtains were only partially opened, and a sliver of sunlight streamed through the otherwise darkened shaded room.

Miles walked over to the window, drew up the shades and pulled back the curtains, bathing the room in bright morning sunlight, and affording them a view of the outside world.

It was breathtaking.

The sky was clear now, a perfect uninterrupted blue. A chilled squirrel hopped from tree to tree, carefully trotting on branches. Upon the numerous trees that lined the Von Karma back grounds, the branches hung low with the weight of the snow. After yesterday's snowfall, the top layer was perfect powder, glittering under the morning sun like white sequins laying all over the floor. The green was still slightly visible under the brilliant white, contrasting perfectly in that "winter wonderland" sort of way. It was odd to think that the grass was down there, surviving as best it could until the spring melt, entombed in the compacted and icy layers lower down. The white blanketed layer on the ground looked as solid as a forest floor where one would sink right up to their knees or beyond.

Miles had forgotten how beautiful white Christmas weather, specifically in Germany, could be, as he'd grown so accustomed to sunny green ones in LA. Smiling slightly, he walked over and sat down near the foot of the bed and tried to read Franziska's expression. She was still facing the window, but rather than being taken by the outside beauty as he had been, she looked even more morose than ever, as if she were fighting back tears.

It didn't even take him a minute to realize that she was not alright. He got up on his feet and asked, "What's wrong?"

No answer from Franziska.

He put his hand on her right cheek and leaned his face closer. She shoved his hand away.

"Get your foolish hands off me." Just a few words, but they brought tears to her eyes as she spoke.

He swallowed back a lump in his throat. Never had he ever dreamed things would be the way they were now between them. How could he be so close, yet still be so far away from the woman he loved? He needed to believe she was still there underneath this sullen, angry woman who had taken over her body the last few months. He would have given anything in the world to thaw her anger, to return that loving spark to her eyes.

"What happened?" he asked, covering her face with his hands and wiping away her tears with his thumbs.

She jerked back and shook her head, her hair falling like a glossy silvery curtain in front of her face, obstructing it from his view.

"The servants think I'm a fool, don't they?" She asked woodenly, finally lifting her head to meet his eyes with her own her saddened, watery ones.

"No!" Miles assured her, alarmed by the tears – Franziska so rarely cried. "Why would you say such a thing, _meine dame_?"

"I can't do anything right," she replied dully. "My German…my ability to speak my own mother tongue…fading like the sunset over the horizon…" _Slipping through my fingers, like sands through the hourglass…much like our relationship._ She didn't need to voice the thoughts. They both knew it.

She choked back a sob. She wanted to be perfect so much, even as a little kid, and it killed her that she wasn't. She'd tried so hard to follow the Von Karma ways from her earliest memories, yet still from the path, she'd strayed. So it was exceptionally hard to move past her mistakes. She owned them, hold them as her own, and inwardly lashed at herself for all her follies that had led up to this moment, when Miles had caught her being weak and self-pitying. She wished she could accept that despite everything, he still loved her regardless. She only hoped that by the time all was said and done, she could actually fully believe it.

"I- I heard you and the maid outside the door, Miles. The day has come when I need _you_ , of all people, a foreigner to this country, to speak on _my_ behalf to people I've known _my_ entire life." She looked down. "I have no idea what came over me, lashing out like Helga like that this morning. I don't know what's happening to me…with anything. Nothing makes much sense anymore."

Miles flushed slightly. Even though he'd thought he'd kept his voice down, Franziska had heard him and Helga's conversation nevertheless. While it hadn't been unkind it was more than likely embarrassing for such a proud woman like his fiancée to have such a flaw noted by the help.

"She is aware of your delicate condition, Franziska," he told her gently, putting his hands in his robe pockets so he wouldn't give in to the urge to touch her again. "I don't mind being your translator…or helping matters in any way that is required. I'm sorry you feel bad about this, but she holds no grudges, _meine dame,_ only concern. Hans and Helga….both care about you. We all, do."

She didn't answer, just sniffled slightly. He plucked a tissue from the box on the night table and discreetly handed her one, forcing himself to smile for her sake.

"Come now, I will draw your bath if you wish, Franziska. Please, be happy. Today is a joyful day, as your niece and sister are arriving around noon, and you don't want them to see you looking so downtrodden before Christmas, do you?"

"I can draw my own bath," she said, her countenance once again haughty in spite of her still saddened eyes. "I will be ready when they arrive. It will be nice to be with family. You go have your breakfast, Miles. I will see you downstairs."

She had dismissed him as easily as she would have the help. She wouldn't even allow him to fill her tub with water for her. That was how estranged they now were, even though they lived under the same roof. His heart lurched painfully.

Two months later, the guilt was ice in his guts. It could be a hundred degrees out and he still felt frozen on the inside. He couldn't melt it on his own, he couldn't shift it at all. He needed her to bring her warmth, to show him that he could be better, that he could still be worthy of her.

"Franziska..." He began hesitantly, trying to find the right words.

She swung her legs off the bed and attempted to shimmy past him, en route to the en-suite bathroom, but he caught her arm.

"Please…" he pleaded, although he had no idea what he was begging for anymore.

She looked at him coolly with a challenging lift of her brows, waiting for him to continue, and when he didn't, shrugged her arm away from his grasp and attempted to brush past him again. He caught her by the hand this time, stilling her in mid stride as he looked at her with disheartened eyes.

" _Meine dame_ , are you ever going to forgive me?" He asked desperately, having no clue what else to say at that moment but the obvious query hanging over both their heads like an ever-present tachi blade. "Are we ever, _ever_ going to be alright again?"

There was a slight pause, and for a moment he wondered if she was even going to reply to the question, but to his surprise, rather than responding, she rebutted with one of her one.

"I could state the obvious yet again, Miles, and tell you that once trust is shattered, nothing can but a miracle can mend the rift it creates," she said staunchly. "But I won't this time. Instead I need you to answer me the one thing that's been niggling my mind. Tell me, _why_?"

"Wh- what?" He stammered, startled. "Why _what_ , Franziska? If it's about why I didn't give you full disclosure, I've explained that I didn't want to upset you in your condition and …"

She waved away the explanation with a dismissive hand.

"No, not that." She sighed. "We've been over that too many times already. I want to know why… _her_ , Miles?"

Miles gawked at her, not sure he understood the question.

"Why her? As in, why, _Lana_?"

"I can see the attraction, surely," Franziska stated bluntly, looking at him with an unwavering grey gaze. "Surely Lana Skye is attractive enough, in a cheap, tawdry sort of way, so I don't mean _why_ in _that_ sense. What I mean is… _why_ … _her_?"

He stared at her, still utterly bewildered.

She swallowed and tears suddenly sparkled in her eyes again. "Why her…and not _me_?" Her voice shook. "I loved you my entire life! I had thought that I'd even made that obvious enough…you've always known me so well, seen through any walls or shields I ever tried to draw up and sent them crumbling to the ground. There was a time I wondered if you even knew me better than I knew myself. Knew that I loved you even before _I_ even knew. But still, ultimately, I wasn't enough. You chose _her_. Why Miles? Where was _I_ lacking?"

Miles felt as if the rug had been yanked from beneath him. He struggled for words. He had no idea what the right ones could possibly be. She'd _always_ loved him? As in since… _when_? Childhood? Teenage years? When it would have been illegal, even by European standards, to even _entertain_ the notion of her even in his _mind_?! He ran through the mental math in his head and hissed through his teeth.

"For one thing, you were _15_ , Franziska!" He exclaimed. "I was 22…and already a prosecutor in the States, so I wasn't even in the country to be aware of any…non-sisterly affections you might have been harboring for me!"

"Was I not mature enough for you at the time, Little Brother?" She snapped, narrowing her eyes.

Miles shook his head. She couldn't be serious, surely? It _had_ to be the hormones. She was being even _more_ maddeningly irrational than _ever_!

"That has little to do with _anything_ Franziska!" He exclaimed. "At the time, given the age difference betwixt us, it would have been _illegal_ in _both_ countries, not to mention _wrong_ on _so many different levels!"_

Franziska still didn't seem convinced and he had a sudden urge to want to bash his forehead against the wall in the manner of Manfred Von Karma. Instead, Miles expelled a ragged breath.

"Last but not least, how about including that your father would have had me castrated, beheaded, and then drawn and quartered, not even necessarily in that order! You were his baby _daughter_ …and raised as my _sister_ for heaven's sake!"

"Legalities aside, I would have waited for you," her lip trembled. "Forever, if I'd had to. Because there was _nobody_ else for me but _you_ Miles! But _you_ …tell me, did you love her?"

" _No_ ," he stated, without hesitation. "She was never mine to love."

"What does that even mean, Miles?" Her eyes were barely visible slits now. "Was it just some cheap tawdry affair?" He looked away guiltily then, and she sucked in a breath. " _Mein Gott_ … Did she …belong to another?"

"It was a long time ago, Franziska," he said tiredly. "I will try to atone my sins until the day I draw my last breath, but what need is there to rehash the gory details of days past now?"

"Who ended the affair?" She demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"What does that matter?"

"Because I've seen the way you were around her, and it indicated that your previous trysts with her meant more than just a few meaningless rolls in the hay," Franziska informed him loftily. "If your history had merely been a few casual romps with her and then you had simply discarded her and sent her back to her lover, you wouldn't have seemed so…conflicted."

"Franziska, please stop this. I told you that I didn't love her."

"Yet you weren't the one to end the affair were you, Miles?" Realization dawned on her face. "Which means, you may have never entirely gotten _over_ her, either."

" _Meine dame_ , this is ridiculous. I love _you_ now. None of this matters anymore."

"Whatever history you had with Lana Skye, you felt it was significant enough to lie to your fiancée about, Miles." Her tone was weary. "So I'm afraid I don't agree with you in that regard. It _does_ matter. And, to a certain degree, it seems, so does _she_."

"You're wrong, Franziska!" His voice was hoarse as he looked at her pleadingly. "So, so wrong…"

She held up her hand to stop him.

"Closure, Miles," Franziska said quietly, defeatedly. "Until you and Lana have that, I don't think you will ever _fully_ be free to love me, no matter what you say. So until you achieve that with her, there's naught more for you and I to say to one another regarding this matter."

With that she released her hand from his grip and walked into the bathroom then, shutting the door behind her, leaving a distraught Miles in her wake.

Their argument was cold. Every word over pronounced, slicing rather than tumbling through the dry air. The love hadn't gone, it had been distorted into a close mimic of hatred; and just as love endured, so would the wall of bitterness that separated them, growing more thorns every day.

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth_**  
 _Nur Herren, Herren Assoziation_  
December 22, 2024 3:30 pm

The chilly environment within the house had gotten to be too much for Miles after that. After forcing himself to smile and play the congenial host and loving fiancé for the benefit of Katharina and Anneliese, all through the delicious brunch Hans had prepared, (although he had little appetite after the altercation he'd had with his fiancée earlier) he murmured his polite excuses and excused himself, citing the need to go get some fresh air.

His sister-in-law had offered to come with him, but he'd insisted she stay with Franziska and play catch up. They had indeed brought along Phoenix, who had still been prancing gleefully out in the snowy backyard with Pess when he'd set out.

He needed to clear his head. And luckily, within walking distance, he knew just the place he could do it, as well.

The wind whispered as the snow fell like confetti on his wooly cap. He gazed at the untouched snow in front of me. The swirling white and the lush grass collided. The shrubs and trees were stained with white. The ground was as smooth as a cake and the snow fell like icing powder, perfecting it to its finest point.

Intricate patterns of ice floated weightlessly downward from the pure white sky above, each flake swirling and dancing, as an icy wind carried it toward a group of intrepid travelers.

Once upon a time, Miles had been used to this kind of weather, so he had no qualms walking through the whitened landscape. The trek took over half an hour by foot, but he didn't mind.

He enjoyed everything about this kind of weather, the satisfaction of being the first to make an impression in a blanket of freshly lain snow, the subtle crunch underfoot as he strode forward and the best bit of all...the sight of low hanging shafts of sunlight illuminating the sparkling whitened scene before him.

Large flakes fells as if angels in heaven were having a pillow fight. Though the snow was beautiful it was cold and sharp. Crisp, white, pristine, shining covering that transformed the landscape making it a magical land full of wonder and undiscovered mysteries.

By now, sitting in the soft leather chaise lounge by the roaring fireplace, he was settled, toasty, and feeling in somewhat more raised spirits as he slowly sipped from his tumbler of brandy at _Nur Herren¸_ a members-only haven of serenity, as well as his favorite gentlemen's club in all of Europe.

The restricted club was no regular drop in center. Acquiring a new membership required a proposal from an existing member, and the final decision was made by a secret ballot. Not for individuals of arid and fusty character, the club's original criterion was that 'it would be better that ten objectionable men should be excluded than one terrible bore should be admitted.'

Gaining entry to such and elite establishment was often a nepotistic endeavor for most, but being the adopted son of Manfred Von Karma certainly had had a few elite societal privileges; his membership at the exclusive, prestigious club was among them.

The ancient building was one of the oldest gentlemen's clubs in Germany, first established in 1762 as a private society. The club was now housed in a grand yellow brick and Portland stone building, which mimicked the style of early Dutch country houses. Amongst the blathering's, enunciated by its raffish members, were its famous gaming rooms, where fortunes were slung at the feet of Lady Luck.

The club offered its members a variety of facilities, including a fully equipped gym, swimming pool, a billiards room, a business room (as no working papers were allowed in the public rooms), and club sports teams to partake in. _Nur Herren_ also offered its members access to an abundant, majestic bar, dining room and library. Members also enjoyed the privilege of chambers for overnight stays and an extensive wine cellar.

Some notable alumni included diplomats, socialites, politicians and even royalty from all over the continent.

He'd initially set out to find some quiet solitude, but ultimately, such a fate was not meant to be his. As soon as he'd sat down with his filled cognac glass in front of the marble game board on the granite table, he was soon joined by another, very _familiar_ -looking guest, who had immediately challenged the prosecutor to his favorite game.

Miles Edgeworth had never been one to refuse a game of chess.

Silence reigned within the library at the corner where Miles furrowed his brow, his stealthy fingers silently plucking a rook from its place on the black and white battlefield and moving it towards his opponent's side. Wincing as he realized the grave error he'd had made, Miles closed his eyes and pictured the board in his mind, mentally working out that there was only one way to win from here.

 _If…if he moves any one of those two pieces there…Eureka! I can move my piece and take his king, securing my victory!_

It was all up to Lady Luck now.

A mere game of chess was turning out much harder than Miles had anticipated, and as he leaned back on his mahogany and leather chair, which matched the color scheme of the room, he felt the tension rising.

Purposeful resolve suddenly took over his mind, though, and a grim, determined smile came over his face.

Miles Edgeworth had _never_ been beaten in chess. _Ever._

If _this man_ , of all people, beat him, he didn't think his ego would ever be able to recover.

 _Make your move, dammit!_

His opposition chortled loudly, and Miles barely suppressed a shiver of repulsion. There was no genuine mirth behind the sound; it didn't sound real. It resounded in his ears, a devious, sardonic laugh that he knew would ring endlessly throughout his mind for days thereafter.

Miles knew the meaning of that laugh, though. It meant something was being hidden. A secret, a lie, or worse – _the truth_.

There had only been one of other time in his life that Miles had encountered a laugh such as this. It was eerily reminiscent of the sounds emitted by his late mentor –Manfred von Karma, while he'd been growing up. When Manfred had at last been exposed as the evil, vicious monster he was, the prosecutor had at last comprehended why the older man would often clutch his right shoulder whenever Miles had come around him as a boy, or laugh in such a manner when Miles had left.

It made him inexplicably shudder in both fear and revulsion – much like it was now.

Which was completely illogical and ridiculous, he chastised himself. Now was hardly the time for taking unpleasant strolls down memory lane. He had a chess game to focus on!

"A most regrettable move, Edgeworth. Whatever were you thinking? Did you get too cocky, thinking you had the upper hand till now?" The man across from Miles asked, making him grit teeth in frustration.

 _No one insults the way Miles Edgeworth plays chess._ ** _No one_** _._

As it was, Miles had more than one reason to want to knock that smarmy expression off the other man's face, reasons which had _naught_ to do with any type of chess game.

However, he was a polite man by nature first and foremost, and moreover, they were in a gentlemen's club, and hence, should act accordingly.

So he had to satisfy himself with merely clenching his hands into tight fists under the table.

"Ludicrous on my behalf indeed," Miles forced out an amiable chuckle, which died in his throat as the man opposite him smiled benignly. The sight made the austere Miles tremble slightly. There had been another person, besides Manfred whose antics this man was making Miles reminiscent of right now, and the realization was harrowing.

His mind flashed back to his best friend's psychotic ex-girlfriend, Dahlia Hawthorne, an ethereal beauty with a smile of an angel, which she'd used to mask the heart of a cold-blooded killer. The demonic femme fatale had also used to smile in such a beatific manner, always leaving Miles with a desperate, burning desire to know what was going on in her deranged mind at the time

"No matter," Miles nervously cleared his throat. "Let's move on, shall we?" He made his play, then waited with bated breath. "Now, I shall move…"

His last move would determine if he was leading to the path of his downfall… or his victory. He had no way of ascertaining what the outcome would be, and Miles hated relying on chance. He had never been a gambling man.

He took a sip of liquor to calm his nerves.

"…this piece."

 _Victory is mine!_ Miles crowed silently as he merrily moved his pawn to the king's space and took it with a smug grin on his face.

"Checkmate." He drawled with relish.

He couldn't resist a smirk as the opposition let out a bellow of vexation and dropped his head into his hands with defeat.

It was a heady feeling, triumphing over someone in this manner, the adrenaline rush just as invigorating outside the courtroom as inside of it.

 _That will teach him to try and trash talk Miles Edgeworth during a chess game!_

Miles reached down for his tumbler again, the action making his eyes drop downward and at that moment, get a view at his opponent's formerly obstructed hand.

His eyes widened in shock and horror.

The other man's hand had acquired a deformed, demonic face on the back of it, twitching as the scars moved, blood vessels showing up clearly next the scars.

It was the most petrifying thing Miles had ever seen for a very long time, and he was alarmed at how disturbed he was by the vision. He tried to think logically against the mounting fear within him. It had to be his imagination.

He blinked hard.

The hand was back to normal.

Shaking his head, he sighed with relief and let out a long breath as the fear dissipated from him.

Mayhap the spirit he was consuming had been too strong for his sensibilities, or he'd just been shaken out of the norm after his argument with Franziska.

 _Calm down, Edgeworth. Don't be foolish._

The other man rose from his seat and gave a begrudging smile of respect.

"However did you manage to turn things around like that? It occurred so unexpectedly that I barely had a chance to figure out what was going on."

Edgeworth smiled indulgently.

"I once knew a man who would appear to be losing every court trial, right up until the last moment, when he would do a complete turnabout and snatch victory from my grasp. I have only once in my life been able to defeat that man, and I have never heard of anyone else beating him since then."

The man opposite him wrinkled his forehead as if in contemplation, his eyes suddenly becoming vacant of all countenance as Miles' words sank in. Then a diabolical expression crossed his face.

" _Herr_ Wright, I believe you're referring to, Edgeworth. _Phoenix Wright_." The other man spat out, with such undisguised rancor that Miles was taken aback.

What could this man have against _Phoenix_ , a man of his own occupation? To say his name with such vindictive, contemptuous _loathing_?

 _This man is really wearying me…I do not think he's as innocent as everyone thinks. However, I could be wrong. Wright did tell me I'm too cynical and overly suspicious of everyone. No, it is wrong. I have no evidence, and anyway…that man is not a criminal. Wright doesn't even suspect him, even though there was a time that_ ** _I_** _thought otherwise! What evidence do I have, except this nagging, churning feeling in the pit of my stomach?_

It was the laugh, Miles realized. That horrible, evil laugh. Those cold, shark-like eyes. That demonic hand….

Most of all, it was the unprecedented, bitter malice he'd heard when the other man had spoken his best friend's name.

Miles dug his hands into his pockets and curled them into fists, even tighter than he had before.

"Anyway, Edgeworth, it's been a real treat bumping into you here, of all places." The man smiled at Miles, but it came across as more of an awful leer. "I'd certainly be up for another game sometime if you are."

"Sure thing." Miles smiled politely.

"I'm here for the holidays visiting my family, but will be back in the States early in the New Year. Should you ever need anything, Mr. Prosecutor, don't hesitate to call me. There's a good reason I'm renowned as the _'Coolest Defense Attorney in the West'_ , you know."

"I do know." Miles' replied stiffly.

 _"Auf Wiedersehen_ , Miles Edgeworth."

"Goodbye…Kristoph Gavin."

* * *

 ** _M_** ** _iles Edgeworth_**  
 _Outside Nur Herren, Herren Assoziation_  
 _Germany_  
December 22, 2024, 4:30 pm

As soon as the German man had left, Miles listened to Kristoph's footsteps die away down the corridor towards the elevator. Then he took a deep breath, took a quick assessment of his surroundings, grabbed his jacket, and headed outside, preparing for his journey home.

The moment he left the club, he picked up his cell and frantically dialed a number. It rang three times, and just before the voicemail message instructions began to monotonously direct Edgeworth to 'leave a message after the tone', someone picked up on the other end.

"Wright Talent Agency. Vice-President Phoenix Wright speaking."

"Wright… sit down. We need to talk. _Now_."

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's:_

 **TheFreelancerSeal** \- _(ch 59)I'm having a lot of fun with Lana, the character has really grown on me beyond being a mere home-wrecking hussy (wittingly or unwittingly though?! We shall see!) I don't know about Lana's old crew...Jake is in prison, as is Gant, poor Neil and Bruce are dead...there's Edgy and Ema of course from RFTA, but Angel? Having worked with the character in depth in my other FF **Filling the Void... I realized I can't stand her! XD  
**_ _I don't think I will bring her back except maybe as a reference/flashback (she may have been the catalyst who triggered the whole infidelity between Jake and Lana) as I have a full cast of more beloved characters in this tale...with more to come as AJ SL is around the corner..._

 **Yanmegaman -** _(ch 59) If anyone doesn't like the Skye sisters, then I have not heard of it! They're parallels to the beloved Fey sibs!  
_ _LOL at the "office reality" guess now it's YOUR turn to leave innuendo comments on my story!_ _Loves it! :p_

 **As always guys, thanks so much for reading! Next week we are back to Phaya...and a couple of special people we haven't seen for a little bit! I'm so excited about what I have in store for them all! :)**


	61. Never Gonna Give You Up

_"When the right chance to love comes in hand, you have not to let it go. It might be the last chance you would've been waiting for and when it's gone, you will never see it again."_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-One: Never Gonna Give You Up**

 _Two months ago..._

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Edgeworth Master Bedroom (aka Love Shack)_  
October 26, 2024 7:30 am

Edgeworth's curt reminder of the Band-Aid solution Phoenix had been settling for a fortnight ago had been the exact kick in the pants the former defense attorney had needed. However painful the knowledge was that he had indeed, gotten overly lax and complacent due to the happy bubble he'd been living in with Maya, and his mostly low-stress gig at the bar, the execrable, inescapable reality of his situation had needed to be addressed.

So since that fateful phone call, Phoenix had sprung into action, taking the bull by the horns, resuming investigations, trying to get to the bottom of the events surrounding Trucy's grandfather's death and the forged diary page and his disbarring with such grim, determined gusto that this time, try as he might, he hadn't been able to hide things from Maya, who was most deeply disturbed.

A few weeks after that initial phone call in October, she'd awoken from her satiated slumber the next morning and had been concerned about the haunted look on her boyfriend's face as he'd lain there on the bed, arms behind his head, gazing sightlessly at the busy, sunken rectangular panels on the coffered ceiling.

Sidling over to his side of the bed, she rubbed her bare form against his and placed a soft kiss on his exposed, muscled chest, then rested her shining head there, looking up at him expectantly.

No response from Phoenix.

Maya lay there staring, unnoticed, up at his set jaw and vacant gaze for a few moments before she had no choice but to wave her hand in front of his face.

"Earth to Nick!" She teased, snapping her fingers when it appeared he didn't appear to be reacting to her palm resting inches from his nose. "Come in, Nick!"

Phoenix started, as though he literally hadn't noticed that there was a warm naked female pressing her curves up against his own bare flesh and was now looking at him with an expression of combined love and concern. Looking down, he met his girlfriend's troubled gaze and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, guess I was spacing out there for a sec." He lifted his head and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "What's up, Maya?"

"Every guy that looks at me!" She quipped, momentarily ignoring her misgivings about his troubled state and flashing a sassy wink. "But I'm not complaining!"

Phoenix stared at her for a moment, then gave a throaty chuckle at her naughty punny wit.

"While not at all untrue, especially in the case with _this_ guy here," he drawled, a slow smile of appreciation tugging at his lips as he ran his fingers through her long tresses and then let them fall back in a satiny curtain over his bare torso. "I also see there's _nothing_ lacking with _your_ self-confidence, Miss Fey."

" _Should_ there be?" She derided, arching an eyebrow and taking a peek under the sheets to assess just _how_ true his statement was before looking back at up at him with a sultry expression that made his blood-pressure, among other things, even further rise.

" _Never_ with _me_ , wanton vixen," he growled, quickly flipping over so he had her pinned beneath him on the mattress. He flashed her a wicked grin. "Allow me to _prove_ to you just _how_ confident you should be in your ability to _make things go up_ in thine presence…and what will _always_ happen whenever it does…"

With that he proceeded to give her a _thorough_ demonstration of just _exactly_ what the end result was when such matters did _arise_!

Sometime later, the sated Maya drowsily lifted her head up from his chest again and poked him playfully in the chest.

"While that was a most _toe-curling_ way to prove the validity of my glib words, don't think I don't know what you were trying to do, Phoenix Wright! I'm onto you!"

"I am most wounded by your insinuations that I was motivated by anything but the desire of having a glorious morning romp with the most gorgeous, sexy woman on the planet!" Phoenix looked at her with feigned innocence. "I wasn't trying to _do_ anything! Well, besides _you_ , anyway…"

"Listen, Nick, while I may have allowed myself to willingly succumb to such sinful distraction this _one_ time…" Maya giggled and lifted her head up to look at him sternly. "Rest assured, I'm not always going to let you get away with trying to make love to me just because you don't want to discuss what's going on in that overly complex noggin of yours!"

" _Tried_?" He asked mock-indignantly, lazily twirling a lock of raven hair around his finger and smiling smugly. "I think we can _both_ attest that I was most successful in my endeavors, was I not?"

It wasn't as though he was purposefully trying to mislead his girlfriend. It was just that Phoenix had gotten so used to the fine art of bluffing at this point in his life; at masking his true emotions behind an empty or polite smile. At work, he smiled for eight hours a day, and then well into the evenings, for the sake of his daughter. It was a requirement of both his jobs, fake Pianist and real Papa. It was only when he was alone, that he would let his face fall into neutral, let his mouth lie in a thin morbid line and his cheeks rest.

But once in a while he would turn on the faux grin, without thinking, for his girlfriend, like he was now, and she would just stare at him, aghast. Maya didn't want to see the smile with his mouth, she wanted the smile with his _eyes_. She would take just a soft look of contentment over that façade of a grin. She'd tell him, quite firmly, "Phoenix Wright, I'd rather an honest scowl to _that_!"

Such was her disposition on that matter at that very moment.

"Cut it out Nick." Maya sat up then and fixed him with her best don't-mess-with-me stare. "You were mentally in another dimension earlier when I first woke up. Don't deny it. I know when something's on your mind. What's going on? Is it your investigations? Have you finally gotten any solid leads?"

Before Phoenix could reply, they heard the tell-tale sound of the dining bell Hendricks had discreetly rung, to let them know that despite his ninja-like stealth, he was not only present (and more than likely had heard their recent mid-morning canoodling!) he'd come in and had prepared them breakfast.

"I don't know about you Maya, but I'm starved!" Phoenix grinned excitedly and rolled out of bed, looking way too relieved for the impromptu reprieve for Maya's liking, and reached for his jeans. "You sure made me work up quite the appetite, you temptress! I'm going to wash up later. See you at the breakfast table!"

Maya sat there, fuming, yet again at the butler's timing as she threw on her nightie. Sure, Hendricks hadn't _c-blocked_ them _this_ time, but somehow, _this_ was almost worse! Getting information out of the tight-lipped Phoenix was like pulling teeth, and she _knew_ when her boyfriend was up to something, and hiding things from her, and she hated it! Wasn't there already enough secrets and hidden factors going on?!

Like the fact that his daughter, for reasons she could _no longer fathom_ …still knew _nothing_ of her existence?!

Maya truly loved hearing Phoenix talk about Trucy. He always beamed with such love, especially when he told her how he'd survived some of the most mortifying moments of parenthood – from the dueling cyclones PMS incident to the sexy DILF scenario ( _she'd_ been the one smirking with pride at that one – her man was a totally hottie but he was _all hers_!) to the side-splitting anecdote of the bra-shopping excursion.

In all the time she'd known him, Phoenix had never been like that about anything else, so happy and completely full of joyful pride, not even when he'd performed those miraculous, Baron of Bluffing courtroom turnabouts. The more she heard about the little girl, the more her insides wept with sadness that she hadn't met her future (she _hoped_ , anyway!) daughter. Just listening to the anecdotes from the Gumshoes, Pearly and especially her boyfriend, Maya fell a little bit more in love with the girl each day.

It gutted her more and more daily that after nearly six years, despite Pearly, the Gumshoes, Franziska, Miles, and Larry knowing they were together, she was still a dirty little secret from Trucy and she didn't understand why!

Sadly they both knew it wouldn't be long until Trucy had to move on to pursue her predestined magician's path or head to college, and she knew Phoenix dreaded the day he would be all by his lonesome once more. Maya desperately wanted to ensure they were together before Trucy moved out. No matter what her boyfriend claimed to the contrary, Maya knew, from witnessing his self-destructive path post-disbarring, that Phoenix would not be able to handle being alone again.

Aside from feeling like the forlorn girlfriend forced to watch her loved ones lives silently from the sidelines, Maya's life had of course gotten easier and slightly better since they'd found a way to extinguish the flames of The Dragon Lady. However, she knew, instinctively, that it wouldn't be for good, and that the wretched village elder was probably still _steaming_ – if only as a means to _keep warm_ since her banishment to the colder outskirts of the village to help Bikini with the cabin rentals!

Improved, yes. But it didn't mean that things were _perfect_ by any means! Maya still sometimes felt as trapped as ever at times due to the albatross around her neck, otherwise known as her life of Kurain Master, where moral, obligatory duty to the village and its people belied all else. Including her own happiness.

Maya knew she should be grateful and be honoring her ancestors by fulfilling her destined path, but, frankly, she still hated it. While having the X-Men mutant ability to channel spirits was fun at times, and was sort of like having a superpower, the onuses that dictated that she thus needed to behave a certain way and project an image that just wasn't her was aggravating.

She was just…Maya. Forget _Master_ Maya – she even hated being called _Mystic_ Maya. She wasn't some sophisticate, spiritual or super talented leader – she refused to eat forfeit burgers and fulfill a vegan diet, and got more stoked about the airing of the latest upcoming TV series adapted from the _Steel Samurai_ on-going series than she did about the ceremonies and rituals associated with the order! (The latest was the one where _Pink Princess_ married the _Steel Samurai_ and had given birth to the Bronze Baby. Phoenix completely enjoyed ribbing her about her addiction to the children's show – she in turn had laughingly told him he was getting the full DVD set for Christmas and she wanted detailed reports on each episode henceforth, because it was important to her that he proved he was becoming familiarized with something so important to her).

Her only solace from it all were her bi-weekly visits with her boyfriend, where she could enjoy the almost-paradise experience and try to forget that despite the tenure of it, theirs was still essentially a clandestine affair.

For reasons she just didn't _get_ anymore!

 _Why_ couldn't they just tell the elders that she'd decided to blatantly disregard their orders about cutting ties with Phoenix and was still with him? While Maya had no idea what the elders would do to her, in the end, did it really matter? They could just get through it together, shrug and say, 'what's done is done.'

Honestly, if Maya _had_ to choose something that would cause her to be totally disgraced and potentially excommunicated over, it was her love for Phoenix Wright. Traditions and her prestigious title be _damned_! Lately, she'd been giving him hints that she was ready to just say to hell with it all, Pearly could soon take over as Master in her stead, and that they should just come out of hiding.

And yet Phoenix _continued_ to go along with the status quo!

It made her so frustrated at times she could have screamed!

Maya had a _biological clock_ that was _ticking_ , _goddammit_! She'd be pushing _30_ soon enough! _Her_ _eggs_ had an expiry date even if _his sperm_ didn't! Many was the time she wanted to grab him by his hooded shirt, shake him mercilessly and scream: _We're losing valuable time here, Old Man!_

* * *

The darkness of her brooding thoughts resulted in breakfast that morning being a solemn affair. It was mostly eaten in such terse silence that the normally jovial Hendricks had quickly excused himself from the premises shortly after serving them, not even bothering to make his usual humorous quips about reminding them not to be ' _waking up the neighbors and making their hairs stand on end_ ' like last time or ' _don't try to take any_ _ **Steel Samurai**_ _memorabilia – just because it wasn't nailed or locked away didn't mean there wasn't a silent alarm attached to it_!'

The butler, as if sensing the unfamiliar tension between the couple, post serving and cleanup, had politely made his excuses, bowed, and hastily bid them adieu.

Without the clatterings and sounds of the Englishman in the kitchen, the daunting silence at the table was all the more glaring.

Maya just sat there, fuming, idly pushing her spoon around in her remaining pool of homemade Greek yogurt and berry parfait Hendricks had served them as part of their delicious breakfast. She could feel Phoenix's eyes on her from across the table, but she was so upset, she didn't trust herself to speak just yet.

Just a few moments ago, Trucy had called Phoenix's cell to ask him something, and he'd actually _shushed_ her to keep quiet in the background while he spoke with his daughter. Such had been par for course over the years, but this time, for some reason, it was eating her up inside. She was worried she'd say something she'd regret.

" _Maya_ …" Phoenix's voice was gentle, pleading. "Maya, look at me."

She didn't respond, just focused on making designs and patterns in the vanilla-flavored pool on her plate with her cutlery. She idly drew a heart shape, then scowled at it and vehemently crossed it out, breaking the image into two, because suddenly, that was _exactly_ how broken up she was feeling about the _entire crappy situation!_

Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. After all, she only saw the man she loved two weekends of the month. Neither of them worked that day, so she may as well make the most of their time together and make nice, despite her misery, as per usual.

 _Think happy thoughts, Maya. Smile through the tears. It's who you are. It's what you do._

So she lifted her head and plastered on her best Master of Kurain grin for him. She had mastered her fake smile, right down to the wrinkles around her eyes. Had perfected it for many years. Right after she'd been kidnapped, and her mother had died, because she had to be strong, for Pearl's sake. This aura of feigned cheer and smiles had become so convincing that no one ever questioned her.

Except one person. He saw in her eyes, the windows to her soul, and held onto her gaze steadily, searchingly, as the facade crumbled into a real grimace. Discomfited that he'd seen through her veneer, she dropped her eyes down to her lap then.

Phoenix got up from his seat, walked around the table, and stood in front of her. When she still refused to look up at him, he crouched below her so she had no choice but to look down at his imploring visage.

"My love, please tell me what's wrong. I don't understand. It's like you're mad about something, and I don't get it. Talk to me. Please."

Maya exploded then as she clenched her hands into fists, squeezing them between her knees as she was overcome with the sudden urge to strike him. All her pent up rage, resentment and hurt, which she hadn't realized she'd been harboring came spewing out of her like an erupting volcano.

 _"Talk_ to you? What do you want to hear, Nick? About how shitty that phone call just made me feel? About how shitty this _whole situation_ makes me feel, in general? Or about how I can't believe that I'm _still_ sneaking around with you? How agonized I am that I have to be _hidden in the closet like a filthy whore_ when it comes to the daughter of the boyfriend, whom I only see a couple of times a month, because of the same old, trite, _bullshit_ excuses?"

Phoenix rocked back on his crouched heels, looking stunned and wounded by the verbal onslaught, but Maya didn't care. Red-hot tears ran down her face, each one carving furrows down her normally cheery features as she at long last poured it all out to her completely gobsmacked boyfriend.

"It was one thing when the Children's Services was breathing down your neck, Nick, but Trucy has been legally yours for ages now! Pearly sees you as her _father_! _She_ knows about us –plus _all_ our friends! Our girls are _best friends_ – _my_ little girl sees _your_ daughter as her cousin! Yet _I've_ never even met her! How do you think that makes me feel, knowing she doesn't even know I exist? Do you _still_ tell her it's Santa giving her those mystery presents on Christmas and her birthday?"

Maya didn't wait for Phoenix to reply as she angrily brushed aside the unending streams from her cheeks and continued in her tirade.

"I just don't even understand why you won't just let me confess the truth to the elders and be done with it! When it comes to the elders, Nick, we both know there's no pleasing them…so I just don't get it!" She paused then because her voice was hoarse from shouting, and she buried her head in her palms. She felt so lost.

"Maya, I know you're mad, and I don't blame you…" Phoenix reached his hand out to draw her to him, but she smacked it away.

"Don't touch me!"

"I'm sorry." He sounded like he was choking, stifling his own tears.

That was something Maya just couldn't do any longer – fight away her tears no matter how hard they wanted to show. He reached for her again, and this time, she buried her head against his body for a second; it was so hard, but warm and safe. It was her Nick. But she was absolutely furious with him right now. So she put her hands against the firm wall of his chest and pushed him away.

"I said don't touch me!" She was still crying, her cheeks wet with tears. But she didn't wipe them away. She didn't want to be like him, fighting away tears and hiding emotions.

He didn't try to get closer to her again. He sat down and tucked his knees to his chest, put his elbows on his knees, and covered his face with his hands, then started breathing slowly, much like she often did, when she didn't know what to do. It made her feel angrier. How could they both be so different, and yet so alike at the same time?

 _I love Nick more than my own life, but it's been six years! Six years, dammit! It's not like we have to shack up or get hitched right away, but I'm tired of the sneaking around!_

How she wished her big sister were still alive! Mia, she was certain, would have told her to throw in the towel ages ago, of that she was certain. Then she would harangue him as though he were one of her witnesses in the hot seat on the stand, and mercilessly point out incriminating evidence and every _contradiction_ between his actions and his supposed "love" for her! Or else, she would have helped Maya make sense of this! Well, either that, or _beat Nick senseless_ with his beanie – or some _other_ choice of weapon, on Maya's behalf!

The last image nearly made her laugh out loud. A slight titter escaped her lips.

Phoenix lifted his head hopefully at the sound of the laugh, and his despondent expression was replaced by one of compassion as he looked at her. His kind eyes showed gentle concern as he reached over and laid his hand lightly on her shoulder, and instead of flinching again, she was soothed by it. He left his hand there and spoke with such a soft voice she felt his words calming her more by the way they were said than the actual words. It felt as if she were wrapped in a blanket of his caring. How could she not consider her actions now, now that she could see how profoundly they affected him too?

"It'll be OK, my love. We will get through this, I swear it."

She released her hands from their clenched state and fell forward, off her chair, into his arms. As soon as she had cleared her tears away, a fresh torrent bust forth. Her body was wracked with great sobs and she shook like a leaf. The noisy sobs echoed throughout the high ceilings of the empty condo.

He pulled her to his chest where she stayed until her crying subsided. When she finally looked at him, her beautiful brown eyes were swollen and sore.

"I am _so_ mad at you!" She wailed. "I- I'm just so sick of the _lying_ and the _sneaking around_ and the _denial_! This shouldn't be happening to me, to _us_! I love you. We should be together and I shouldn't have to be freaking out about this!"

"I know, Maya." There was no poker-face in the world that could have masked his regretful eyes, his sorrowful expression. "I'm so, so sorry."

"I am _so_ sick and tired of you saying that! I'm done, Nick. I'm _done_. I'm _tired_ of being your dirty little secret, you hear me?"

He looked stricken, but he took his hand to the back of her head and pulled her towards him.

"Why are you so ashamed of me, Nick?" She resumed sobbing, and Phoenix looked even more agonized, which just made her want to punch him again.

"Is _that_ what you think? Maya, how can you think this isn't killing me, too? You think I've enjoyed having my clueless but well-meaning daughter trying to _pimp me out_ to everyone from her _teachers to lifeguards_ over the years, because she wants a new mommy?" His voice broke slightly. "You don't think I _die a thousand deaths_ that I can't even tell her that I found her future mommy – _years ago_? Do you genuinely think I don't want to be with you, and have the world know? Shout it out on the rooftops that I'm the luckiest, happiest man on earth because you're _mine_?"

She looked at his anguished expression, wanting to believe him, yet still torn between wanting to hug and slug him!

"I don't know _what_ to think, Nick. You keep me in the dark about _everything_. You won't explain to me why you think I'm in danger, or about your plans, and I'm starting to think that you're completely insane! You're obviously not ever going to move on with your life to the point where I will get to be with you!" Maya cried, glaring at him stormily through her tears. "I can't believe that I was so blinded by love that I honestly believed we would come out together at the end of all this! I've been listening to your ridiculous conspiracy theories all these years! God, I feel so naïve…so…so … _stupid_!"

"I know I must seem crazy, but Maya I know what I'm doing now," he pleaded. "Please, just give me just a little more time."

"Why does this matter? Why should your disbarment have anything to do with us?" She demanded. "Are you punishing me for not being there? I don't understand anymore!"

"Good God no!" Phoenix looked appalled at the notion. "Maya, please don't say that ever again…the one who's being punished here is _me_." He choked back a sob. "Know that I am naught but a dead man walking _every single moment_ I'm not with you…there's not a minute of the day when I'm not thinking about you, wanting to just to lose myself in you, and bask in your every breath, in your very presence…"

"It's the same thing for me," Maya looked at him morosely. "I can't live without you either, Nick."

"So stop talking this way! You _don't have to_!" He swore, pulling her into his arms and raining frantic kisses all over her forehead and cheeks and chin. "Maya, just trust me. I have a game plan in motion now, and I _will_ get to the bottom of this all…just have faith in me, my love, just a _little_ bit longer, that's all I ask."

"I do trust you, Nick," Maya sniffled. "I _have_ to. I love you too much not to. I don't want to let you go…I _need_ you."

"I need you too Maya." He uttered a half moan, half groan as his urgent lips claimed hers. "I'll _always_ need you. _Want_ you. _Crave_ you…"

Maya completely surrendered to the heated embrace then, to the ardor, to the meaningful words. To everything in that heated moment.

* * *

The kiss grew more fiery and passionate. They clawed at one another like a couple of wild animals ready to devour. Lips still fused together, they stumbled down the hallway into the bedroom.

Still groping and kissing.

Phoenix slammed the door and spun her around. In one quick movement he pulled the nightie down her body, leaving her bare.

Maya leaned over the dresser, resting on her elbows. She heard the hiss of a zipper—and then she felt him. Sliding himself at the edge of her entrance—testing the waters—making sure she was ready.

She was always ready for him.

"Don't tease," she whimpered.

Between the passion of the argument and the fiery kisses, she was really turned on. Needy. He pushed forward, slowly but to the hilt. And she groaned in rapture.

He was big—not that she had anything to compare him to, but it wasn't really size that made the man. It was the rhythm—the pace—knowing how to hit all those delicious spots with just the right amount of pressure.

Maya wished she could do a public service announcement to all the men of the world on her lover's behalf.

 _Hey fellas, the next time you see an infomercial for miracle manhood growth? Save your money. Buy the Kama Sutra instead!_

Phoenix grabbed her hair, pulling her head back, and moved quicker. Hard and fast. She gripped the edge of the dresser, holding on for balance.

He kissed her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "You like that, baby?"

She moaned. "Yes . . . yes . . . so much."

He began moving with more force, shaking the dresser.

And just like that, she was …seeing stars…floating. Weightless. And it was sublime.

Phoenix slowed the movement of his hips as she rocked with him, drawing it out—making it last. He pulled her back against his hard chest, making her gasp and arch her back against him. Maya raised her arms around his neck, turning her head, hungrily bringing his mouth to hers.

She loved his mouth, his lips, his tongue. Kissing was an art form, and Phoenix Wright was Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello all rolled into one.

He withdrew and she turned around to face him, backing him up to the bed. Phoenix sat on the edge and she climbed on, wrapping her legs around his waist. This was how she liked it best—chest to chest, mouth to mouth, not an inch of space between them. She took him in her hand and joined them, testing the strength of the bed springs as she heard his delightful moan.

 _God, yes._

Maya looked down into his handsome face, sculpted and strong, as he moved so swiftly and smoothly, it was as if he'd always been there.

She moved faster. Their bodies were slick with sweat now.

And then Phoenix was holding her face in his hands, his thumbs moving back and forth across her skin. Suddenly tender. Worshipful.

She pushed his hair back from his forehead.

Her voice was imploring, "Tell me you love me."

He couldn't say it often enough. He preferred to show her. But she'd never get tired of hearing it. Because every time he actually said the words, she was filled with same wonderment as the first time.

"I love you, Maya."

His hands still held her face. Both of them panting—moving faster—getting closer. It felt almost spiritual. A holy communion.

"I'm never gonna give you up, my love." Phoenix's voice was hushed. Breathless. Beseeching. "Tell me you'll never leave me."

His eyes were soft now, liquid sapphire. Begging for reassurance.

Despite being together all these years, Maya knew there was a part of Phoenix that was still haunted by the fear that she would get fed up and walk away from him due to his circumstances…and because of their less than ideal situation. She often thought that was why he worked so hard to prove how much he always wanted her.

To show her that she'd chosen wisely.

She smiled softly and looked right into his eyes.

"Never. I'll never leave you, Nick."

The words felt like vows.

His hands gripped her hips, raising her up, grinding her against his flat, muscular belly.

" _God_ , Maya . . ." His eyes closed.

She could see her desire mirrored in his expression. And suddenly, like a flash of heat lightning that's gone almost as soon as it's seen, she felt his thoughts.

 _I'm about to go over the edge, my love...I want to take you with me._

Their mouths opened, giving and taking each other's breaths.

She whimpered into his mouth, tasting his sweetness. His gasps turned to moans in her open mouth. She stared into his face, his breath coming in short, rasping pants that matched her own. She wanted to ask _how, why_ , but then her physical need took over, straining her near that edge that trembled just beyond her reach. She shifted her weight, grinding against him, and that was all it took. She cried out her release even as he pulled her head down to him and kissed her. She swallowed his breath, her euphoria seemed never ending, spiraling higher and higher as he tensed beneath her and then, he followed her to that edge.

They went over together.

In perfect unison.

Perfect splendor.

Afterward, Phoenix's arms tightened around her. She touched his face and kissed him gently. He fell backward on the bed, taking her with him, keeping her on top. They lay like that for a while until their heart rates come back down and their breathing slowed.

Trembling and still moaning with satisfaction, she melted against him, her legs still wrapped around his hips. Boneless and nerveless, she let her head roll to the side, and slowly, languidly, opened her eyes. She lay still, heart pounding, legs still locked in place.

Phoenix, meanwhile, had reached his own quietus as he lay back on the mattress, eyes blissfully closed, his lashes nearly sweeping down to his tanned cheeks.

Head hanging so that her long hair brushed his face like gossamer silk in the dark, she murmured, "God, that was incredible" and lowered herself, slowly and gently, against his damp chest.

Whereupon he breathed "Love you...God, I love you...Thank you," in her ear and lapsed into warm half-consciousness beneath her, breathing heavily.

"Oh the pleasure was mine," she replied smugly, looking down at his peaceful, cherubic sleeping face with a knowing smirk. "Don't mention it."

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's (chapter 60)_

 **Megaranger66-** _Dude! Long time no speak! Missed ya! Sorry that you had to have a dose of creepy German sausage as your dose of evil on Devil's Night - how fitting because Herr Gavin is el diablo! LOL. But alas, we can't forget the underlying reason why Nick is keeping Maya a secret from the world and his daughter all this time. **Six** years now! Yeesh!_

 **Ilet Moratar -** _Fredgeworth is second only to Phaya for me OTP wise, and I know you're an avid shipper - Capcom sucks n stuff for not putting Nick with Maya and Miles with Edgy! Grrr! Thank God for fan fictions where I can attempt to Wright the wrongs! :p_  
 _That being said...it's almost as hard for me to write Franny and Miles being so distant from one another as it is for some of you to read it...all I can say...is **trust** me. Happy couples are so boring to read about! :p_

 **AddiedeNaddie** \- _I know you're still getting used to the reviewing thing, sweet girl, so I lub you for taking the time to do so! I love hearing from you!_

 _I know you read Fredgeworth's tale, **The Ties That Bind**...so as you know, this was a continuation of Fran's regression in the language! LOL  
_ _For those that didn't read the FF, I tossed in Fran's shoddy German as a throwback to her and Mile's love story, where in her attempts to order the household staff then as well, she um...wound up unintentionally asking the poor, mortified butler to put some er, produce in some unseemly parts of her anatomy XD_

 _About them fighting... I say is this...the course of true love never did run smooth... ;)  
_

 **TheFreelancerSeal** \- _Chess...how they keep warm in Russia! :p_

 _Miles is a mastermind in the game of kings, that SOB Gavin didn't have a prayer! Did you guess who Edgy's opponent was prior to the big reveal?_

 _Franziska has a a lot of perception (she was a child prodigy after all!) under those pregnancy hormones/possessive paranoia...so you're astute as always bud! Miles **does** have a lot of issues to resolve internally when it comes to his ex...but is it the same for the lovely older Skye sister as well? We shall see!_

 **As always guys, thanks so much for reading! The next couple of weeks are going to be pure Phaya...I hope you enjoy the Christmastime celebrations with them (and some friends!)**


	62. Dangerous Liaisons

" _One day you'll notice something different and if you take advantage of that moment, you will be what you exactly needed to be."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-Two: Dangerous Liaisons**

 ** _Phoenix Wright_** _  
Los Angeles, California_  
December 24, 2024

It was that time of the year again.

Palpable excitement buzzed through the charged air. Everywhere he turned were swarms of people some looking frazzled, some wearing infectious grins. Strangers shaking hands, patting one another on the back, spontaneous outpouring of emotions as they as they filled the streets which were bustling with last-minute Christmas shoppers.

The festively designed shops, illuminated with blinking Christmas lights, vibrant ornaments and brightly colored signs, were lined up along either side of the street and had varieties of delectable treats, jasmine scented fragrances, skillfully hand-crafted greeting cards and unlimited choices of gifts to customers occupied for endless periods of time.

The warm smiles of the people behind the stalls as they tossed freshly roasted, golden brown chestnuts into paper cones or carefully poured creamy hot chocolate into mugs and added generous layers of whipped cream, was returned by the beaming grins of the children who were eagerly waiting to get their mug. The energetic youngsters giggling at their creamy chocolate mustaches were followed soon after. The loud, spirited laughter of adults could be heard over the continuous chatter surrounding the vivacious atmosphere.

Many would have been allured by the scent of freshly baked Christmas cake coming from a neighboring bakery amidst the busy streets of the local Christmas Market while strolling alongside the magnificently structured shops all spruced up in décor for festive season. In turn, the elegantly decorated, store windows slowly revealed their hidden wonders attracting long queues of hustling customers.

Phoenix Wright wasn't one of them. He had his own reasons for not being in the most festive of moods that evening, even if he was going to be spending Christmas Eve in good company. There were other matters on his mind which dampened the joy of the holiday season for him, with no reprieve in sight, although he would ensure he put on his best happy face for those around him who wanted nothing more than to have him eat, drink and be merry.

It was because of this dark cloud hanging over his head that he was barely half conscious of all the Yuletide happenings around him as he neared his destination for the evening, absently side-stepping away from the masses of folks going in and out of the packed coffee shops and bakeries like bees as he continued along his journey. As the evening sky slowly began to fade away, the pink and orange hues were just beginning to be replaced with dark shades of blue, whilst the amber light of the street lamps spilled on the stone-paved streets.

He was too lost in thoughts to even notice. His mind was too preoccupied on the events in his life that had been unfolding the past few months; and how everything had been brought to a head just a few days ago with just one brief, unanticipated phone call…

* * *

When he'd committed to his 'investigation', he'd optimistically assumed it would take a few years to resolve at most, and soon after, things would return to a semblance of normality, and then he'd become a lawyer again.

Life truly was a strange and unpredictable thing.

Nearly six years later, that was still the unreachable, impossible dream.

With no sign of it manifesting to a feasible reality within sight.

No evidence and no legal system opening.

It appeared that as much as he hoped and prayed for it to be to the contrary, fate seemed to have other plans for him. Things could never be as they were. He was entrapped on this treadmill. Phoenix had begun to resign himself to the fact that he'd reached stalemate, possibly eternal stalemate. There appeared to be no way to convict Kristoph, no way to clear his name.

 _This is madness!_ He silently screamed to himself. _Why are things so broken? I begin to feel I'll do practically anything to get the 'closure', escape that entrapment to my obsessions. Well, short of murder and similar atrocities, of course._

He'd dwindled around the poker circuit initially on the ingrained expectation that Trucy's father would somehow resurface there.

But as the years passed, this likelihood diminished more and more, and became increasingly improbable; Zak had sworn he would return one day to see her, but Phoenix's suspicions merely inflated as time passed that he'd merely been lying.

Truly, it was the worthless accomplishment of his unbroken winning poker streak which kept him there, really. And of course he'd bent the rules marginally on that one. Trucy knew exactly what she was doing, somehow he wouldn't categorize it as exploitation, nor all the magic shows – she stubbornly insisted to do them, got upset if he tried to make her stop. Trucy had never known anything but his current act. She probably assumed he'd always been this way, cheating and forging his way through life, living a lie instead of trying to break through them.

He didn't try to change her mind. He couldn't even try to even if he wanted to. What evidence did he have to the contrary?

His daughter thought his borderline criminal behavior was _cool_. While disturbing, he took some solace that at least she didn't think he was scum, like a lot of other people would have had they known of his dealings.

As far as lies and half-truths went, at the very least, Phoenix had been true to his word to Maya. He really _did_ have a game plan in motion to try to get to the bottom of things. He couldn't, _wouldn't_ possibly have ever lied about something like that!

Edgeworth in all his curt, no-hold-barred, so honest, it-more-often-than-not-hurt glory had given him the motivation he needed. And he knew, as his suppressed instincts had been telling him all along, it all started, and was connected to Kristoph Gavin.

It was one thing to have learned over the years how to swim with sharks. It was quite another thing to throw yourself into their hungry hunter's waters with a bleeding wound and wait for them to take the tantalizing bait.

A horrible euphemism, but there was no other way to describe the act of actually being the pursuer, rather than the pursed, for the first time in five in a half years, and be the one making contact with the predatory German.

All under the harmless, innocuous guise of wanting to rekindle the friendship that they'd allegedly forged years ago, which had waned somewhat when he'd convinced Kristoph that Maya was no longer in his life, and had hence seen slim to none of the man's whereabouts much, save for the odd call or email.

At the time it had been a welcome reprieve, but in hindsight, Phoenix knew it had been foolish to let the defense attorney stray too far from his radar. For heaven's sake, he'd heard from _Edgeworth_ more often, and he was allegedly undercover!

The old adage was true for a reason after all. Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.

And Kristoph Gavin was indeed his enemy.

Edgeworth's confirmation phone call two days before Christmas had been the final proof Phoenix had needed of that.

He'd known his best friend nearly his whole life, and he trusted and valued that nearly flawless logic of his and never should have doubted Edgeworth's instincts for a moment. Phoenix was still kicking himself for that one even more than for ignoring his own.

He ruefully acknowledged Maya had had a right to be upset about the still uncertain present, never mind future, she had with him.

Since that day of Edgeworth's pressing phone call back in the fall, Kristoph Gavin had become Phoenix's primary obsession.

Instead of the imagined future with Maya as legal and otherwise partners, since mid- October, on top of trying to formulate an action plan, Phoenix had been forced into whoring himself out to Kristoph Gavin for mind rape and character disintegration.

Till that fateful call, Phoenix had only mildly suspected Kristoph was somehow involved with or knew about the real forgery. But now he was caught in the spider's web; the bated trap of the German's alleged friendship and association. If Kristoph ever realized Phoenix knew or suspected the truth about him, no doubt the consequences would be deadly. As serpentine as he knew it was, he couldn't force himself to turn away either. It was the lone real lead he had on the whole incident. He felt like he was an entranced moth circling a flame, hypnotically caught in its orbit, but with enough remaining sense not to impale himself in it.

As if association with the icy, calculating man wasn't an unpleasant enough experience, investigating Kristoph Gavin was even worse. There wasn't a moment when Phoenix was within his presence what he wasn't nearly sickened with an overwhelming sense of combined dread and warped with uninhibited fury, even prior to getting the 'affirmation' call from Edgeworth, who had cautioned him to try to keep it together and not blow the whole operation with one of his former trademarked " _Phoenix Wright Freak-Outs_!"

That embarrassing reminder had forced him to acknowledge that his mannerisms in the past had tended to lean towards the over-dramatic at times, especially when compared to the ever-calm and collected Edgeworth. While his best friend had often mocked him about it many times – in and out of court – especially his tendency to sweat drop when nervous, Phoenix had always just dismissed the ribbings as the other man being a pompous ass, which, initially, the prosecutor bloody well _had_ been!

Up until life had turned him into a poker-faced card shark, Phoenix had never really realized just _how_ animated he'd been as a lawyer in comparison, how his expressions tended to show on his face as clearly as a weather vane; how his hands, famous pointer finger notwithstanding, tended to make wild gesticulations and flap dramatically about whenever he was incensed or passionate about something - and he wasn't even _Italian_!

Of course, such obvious mannerisms would never do in his current circumstances. He could never let Kristoph see him sweat. His new preventative measure from such overt, tell-tale gestures was to keep his hands jammed tightly in his pockets, the smooth, familiar ever-present magatama forcing him to maintain an outwardly cool veneer, and disguise the fact that the other man's mere presence tended to make his palms sweaty.

No doubt despite his alleged ineptness at poker, even Kristoph could read faces.

Also, the calculating attorney would be able to tell if Phoenix's nerves overcame him and he pissed himself! His nights, even ones spent with Maya, were plagued by insomnia, due to his mounting paranoia. Clutching his magatama as his sole give-me-strength support, he tried to talk himself into maintaining the same level of the infamous cool his adversary so prided himself on.

 _Easy there. Calm down, Phoenix. Relax. Deep breaths. Don't forget to breathe!_

However, in the act of shutting off the mental switch of dread and suspicion, he was plagued even further with the barely suppressed mounting flames of expressed injustice.

Phoenix repeatedly cursed himself for his incapacity to mask his emotions and fears in a better manner. He was positive that the end result would be his worst nightmare come true – a mistake even more foolishly fatal than presenting 'forged diary pages'. The inability to do so inflated his paranoias further in a vicious cycle. Who knew who the victim – or casualty – would be this time - him, Trucy, _Maya_..?

It was becoming more and more evident to Phoenix that Kristoph Gavin was a sick and dangerous man.

The worst part was his ever-ready, ever-present, infallible charming disposition. While Phoenix wasn't stupid enough to blow his cover by trying to break the psyche locks he could see at every turn, he still berated himself daily for squelching all his own doubts over the years, in spite of the mystical gemstone's capability to let him see through the defense attorney's outer persona of lies.

Edgeworth's validation of his longtime ignored suspicions had given Phoenix rekindled hope. The hope that he could still clear his name. For the sake of his sanity, he wanted, no, _needed_ , the truth. It had helped him before, and he prayed it would again.

Aside from his girlfriend, his quest for the truth, and the daily responsibilities of fatherhood, were his single motivations in life which give him direction and forced him out of bed each morning.

Leading him and his innocent, unsuspecting daughter into the regular dealings with a tumultuous, unpredictable madman whose next move was impossible to anticipate and who held both their lives in his bony hands.

Phoenix was playing with fire and risking his own vitality because what Maya has shrieked at him was true. He _couldn't_ move on and let it go. He _couldn't_ leave well enough alone.

What Phoenix should have done, as best for Trucy and him, was abandon his selfish, perilous investigations years ago while there was still time to reinvent himself.

 _As **what** , Phoenix_? His torturous mind taunted him. _What do you want to be when you grow up? You gonna hope to find another bar where the locals are too drunk to notice you can barely, passably, play the piano? You going to be some cheesy cabaret singer instead to distract them once they realize you've been bluffing your way through tickling the ivories, much like you've been with everything else?_

It was unimaginable what Phoenix could have aspired to, had he not chosen law as his destined path. Being a defense attorney, with its associated empowerment to save others, (mostly inspired having friends like Edgeworth) was the one genuine motivator he'd ever had, career-wise. The vague fantasy from another lifetime, of becoming some sort of artist, when he'd signed up to art school, had just been a juvenile delusion to avoid serious career enslavement.

Perhaps he should have thrown in the towel at this point, but as much as it appeared his lawyer self from another lifetime ago was long dead and gone, that infallible tenacity still prevailed. As much as the sane, rational part of him urged him to give up, he literally just _couldn't_. Because it now impossible.

He was too thoroughly intermingled in the shadowy stems of the Gavins and the Gramaryes. If he put a foot wrong, the other man would probably kill him, and if he could not untangle the darkness of the Gramaryes, it would likely seize and exhume Trucy.

His life was a complete conundrum in every hellacious way possible. He was damned no matter what he did.

What he should have done, Phoenix conceded in hindsight, was moved to another city years ago where his fraudulent reputation had not so extended, and gotten a 3:00 am night shift at the 7/11. It would have eliminated the jeopardy his investigation exposed Trucy and himself to, communicated the illusion to Trucy and Maya that he had 'moved on' from that devastating incident, and perhaps avoided that fraud he'd trapped himself in, like a moth impaled to a flame.

While Trucy was the light of his life, and parenthood was the one task of any meaning Phoenix had accomplished since then, he didn't delude himself that he'd performed this via the most altruistic means possible. His parenting had been partially ruined by hijacking her special skills and presence into his selfish little quest for justice.

 _I'm a sick, sick man._ He thought bitterly, and with no short amount of self-loathing. _Trucy makes money for us and helps me while I waste and endanger both our lives because I can't find closure on that hideous day._

He admitted to himself that no, it wasn't _really_ about waiting for the return of Zak for Trucy's sake – that son of a bitch didn't deserve to get his hands on and exploit someone like Trucy, and her personal safety would be enhanced by never having to deal with him again.

 _But how am I any better? Look at the jeopardy **I'm** putting her life into! Every meeting with Kristoph is just hazarding with both our lives. She's the one who Kristoph told to give me the 'evidence', of course. She's under his radar too now, I'm sure of it. And here's me, leading us both along this treacherous path, like a sheep with his little lamb, to slaughter._

The self-hate gnawed at his insides daily, threatening to overcome the hapless feelings of hopelessness that accompanied it.

On a daily basis, Phoenix was forced to acknowledge the true gamble he was making in this portentous game. Every day, he knew he was imperiling Trucy's safety and well being.

But he refused to endanger Maya.

 _I'm officially going to go to hell for this._

It wasn't due to the fact that Trucy was less valued to him than his girlfriend. Phoenix couldn't have loved the girl any more than if she was biologically his; they were as close as law and love could possibly make them.

It was honestly because he didn't _really_ believe his daughter was in the direct line of fire should the predator decide to strike.

Thus far, and in the past, all veiled threats had been made against solely Phoenix himself, and Maya alone had been on the blond's radar previously; save for that one time he'd mentioned seeing his daughter working at The Wonder Bar, Kristoph had since seemed content to torture Phoenix by making the odd remarks about his lover, which he'd ceased doing once convinced she was no longer in the picture. Phoenix aimed to keep it that way.

Phoenix was entirely fueled by his obsession, and more superficially, by his poker and grape juice addictions. He lambasted himself regularly for being such a sick and a terrible parent. He should have felt the same regard for his daughter, yet was painfully aware of the fact that he exploited her as much as protected her, with her full willingness and compliance. He truly was a horrible father.

Worst of all, Trucy showed no signs of neither knowing nor caring. It was all just a game to her, part of the Phoenix Wright Magic Show. Luckily for him Zak had set the standards on fatherhood pretty low, so his daughter thought it was all in good fun, and was used to using her talents for helping " _Daddy, the good guy, win_ ".

From the day he'd met her, and even more now since he'd fallen in love with her, Phoenix's first and foremost responsibility to Maya was to instinctively protect her, not ruin her life with his own stupid agenda. He'd sworn to his mentor he'd protect and take care of her. It was a vow, no matter how low the levels he'd sunken to, that he aimed to keep. She'd been through enough strife and hardships in her life; no selfish needs or desires of his were ever worth the chance of her getting hurt.

He thanked his lucky stars every day for the safe haven his best friend had provided so he could still see the woman whom he loved more than his own life. While it may not have been as often as either of them would have liked – between her Master schedule and his own difficulties getting time away from his awful shady piano/poker gig, there was no way they could venture these types of rendez vous at his insecure apartment. His residence was all too liable to easy surveillance by Kristoph, and other nosy parties. That was the true reason why, to this day, he couldn't let his daughter know about Maya. Trucy had too many secrets to keep already.

So Phoenix pressed on, powered by his obsessive belief that once he knew the truth, he'd find peace, closure, even if it meant playing against him and Trucy's life and morals every day to get it.

But he could not, would not, ante _hers_. Never. Even if it meant keeping her in the dark. Ignorance was bliss in some cases. This was one of them.

Keeping secrets from Maya gutted him. But she'd merely panic if she knew what he was doing. Worry. Make demanding queries he couldn't answer. Ask why he was doing this? What was he hoping to achieve? Was it worth the gamble?

And he knew there was no answer he could give her that would be satisfactory.

What _was_ he fighting for now? Phoenix wasn't even sure any more. He could try to tell himself it was to keep Trucy alive, but it wasn't. Not really. He willingly hazarded Trucy's and his own life and safety by continuing to meet with Kristoph, but he could _never_ let Maya risk herself that way.

 _No matter what._

He knew she would never understand that. He could hear how the conversation would go in his mind right now, could hear the incredulous hysteria in her voice as clearly as if she'd been right before him then.

 _"You lost your job, the whole world turned on you, and you're still worried about me?"_

 _"I can't let anything happen to you, Maya, even if it means losing you."_

All those crazy ideals he'd once believed in - justice, the good in humanity, the justice system itself could still work for good – they seem almost preposterous now. Trite. Nonsensical.

He _had_ to forget them, his once steadfast morals, his ethics, his entire belief system. He went against them daily in order to survive.

But there was only one other thing that he'd believed in back then, and still did. It was the only one that still made sense.

He'd believed in _her_. In Maya Fey.

She was the _solitary_ evidence there was still somebody decent once upon a time; someone who hadn't really forged the evidence, who was fighting for something larger than just a selfish obsession over a personal injustice, alternately drugging and numbing himself in order to exist.

 _She's the last remaining tie that binds me to the man I used to be,_ he despaired now as he put his hand on the familiar doorknob and swallowed the lump in his throat. _If that day should ever come, if I lose her, then Phoenix Wright will truly be gone_.

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers (it is SO COOL that guys read this love story too fellas you ROCK!) including PM's  
(chapter 61)_

 **TheFreelancerSeal** \- _Oh Maya WAS thisclose to leaving him! That's why Nick got all sucky and begged her to never leave him...sigh. He knows their situation, although they're in this bubble at the love shack, bites the big one! She's not some dirty trallop to be ashamed of, shes's an esteemed village leader and has loved him and stood by him and they've made **zero progress** , even in their relationship, **in 6 years**?! The reader knows Nick's thought of her as his future wife, (who yes, would make SUCH gorgeous babies with her!) and has honorable intentions, but MAYA doesn't, right? Plus she's very fiery when need be - but so different from Franny! (um, more SANE...and can convey emotions beyond just anger...) yes, you hit the nail on the head as usual with your perception...things will get worse before they get better. Imagine, if things were this bad just after Edgy's kick in the pants call in the autumn...we have yet to see the aftermath of his December call after meeting with that German devil..._

 **Yanmegaman -** _While I feel Nick and Maya are both very passionate and emotional, I don't want to regress him to the pink sweater crybaby we saw in college...I don't want Maya to see him cry just yet, even though it angers her. We the readers have seen him cry in extreme cases, like in front of Trucy that one time post Edgy fight, and when Maya was in a coma (in Mia's arms)...but while he's a big emo headcase/suck (as per him practically making her swear marriage vows of steadfastness mid-coitus lol), and came very near tears during this fight...one of them had to be, for lack of better words, "the man" and keep it together, right? Kristoph is a brilliant man - shame he decided to use those talents for evil rather than good. I feel he gave Edgy more a run for his money than Nick ever will on a chessboard! :p_

 **As always guys, thanks so much for reading! The AA holidays continue into next week!**


	63. All I Want for Christmas

**_Passionate Night  
_**

 _Silent night  
Passionate night  
All is hot  
All is right_

 _Our kisses start  
gentle and mild  
heating quickly  
tender and wild_

 _Deep in heavenly bliss  
Deep in heavenly bliss_

 _Silent night  
Passionate night  
All is hot  
all is right_

 _Feeling glorious  
in your arms  
desire runs deep  
can't resist your charms_

 _Deep in heavenly bliss  
Deep in heavenly bliss_

 _Silent night  
Passionate night  
All is hot  
all is right_

 _Our passion burns  
the sparks do fly  
I feel so good  
I could cry_

 _Deep in heavenly bliss  
Deep in heavenly bliss  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-Three:** **All I Want for Christmas** **  
**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Edgeworth's Love Shack, Empire Bellagio Penthouse_  
December 24, 2024 5:00 pm

Edgeworth's place appeared to be empty when Phoenix entered. He was surprised, as he'd expected his girlfriend to have beaten him there – he'd actually been running a little behind schedule as he'd waited for Trucy's friend to come pick her up before he could head out – to the place, but had thought Maya would have been there by now. Odd.

In the meantime, the sole bit of happy news he had been given was Edgeworth confirming that as Kristoph was away in Germany for the holidays, it meant that Phoenix could spend Christmas Eve with the love of his life, knowing he was free from the potential observations of his stalker/pseudo friend.

He took off his shoes, his overnight bag still in his hand as he shut the door behind him, and wandered into the now familiar luxurious condo.

As his feet silently padded into the home on the plush carpeting, he cast a glance at the dining area, where they for once they would not be eating that night's dinner. Phoenix noticed that there was an exquisite crystal vase with a beautiful bunch of fresh poinsettias and berries in it, set as a festive centerpiece on the huge mahogany table, which took up most of the vast space the dark, romantic room offered, was left without a tablecloth, as though daring guests to ruin the perfectly varnished shine with their unworthy fingerprints. Two tall, silver candelabras commanded attention from the center of the table, holding smooth white candles whose wax never dripped. Much like the rest of the home, the dinner table always looked fit for royalty to dine – Edgeworth's manservant ensured of such, even in his master's absence.

Hendricks was gone, knowing that he and Maya would be going out that evening and so his services would not be required, but nevertheless, the butler thoughtfully had decorated the residence with touches of Christmas, with tasteful boughs of holly, along with wreathes and other elegant but discreet holiday adornments expertly placed about the condo.

The decorations had not been present that last time Phoenix and Maya had been there a fortnight ago. As dismissive and un-merry as he'd been feeling that holiday season, Phoenix knew there was no way he would have missed that fully decorated red and gold Christmas tree by the fireplace in the living room. His appreciative eyes took in the sight of the enormous, flickering tree, adorned with glittery ornaments, its tiers glowing fairy lights draped around it. Next to the fireplace were two stockings, looking like they were already stuffed with goodies, with the names _Phoenix_ and _Maya_ on them.

Good old Hendricks. And even better, good old Edgeworth. Phoenix smiled for the first time in ages.

 _Guys, sometimes you're just too much!_

He dropped his bag onto the floor of the bedroom, wondering if he should call Maya to see when she'd be arriving, when suddenly he heard the unfamiliar but distinct sound of something. It appeared to be the radio…coming from the master bathroom, from which a thin crack of light streamed into the bedroom, through the slightly ajar door.

It looked like he wasn't alone after all...

He sidled towards the sound and quietly pushed the door further open, and heard the sound he'd mistaken for the radio, in _full-stereo_!

 _I won't ask for much this Christmas_

 _I won't even wish for snow, and I_

 _I just wanna keep on waiting_

 _Underneath the mistletoe_

 _I won't make a list and send it_

 _To the North Pole for Saint Nick_

 _I won't even stay awake_

 _To hear those magic reindeer click_

Phoenix immediately recognized Mariah Carey's holiday classic, "All I Want for Christmas is You". But the sounds being emitted and echoing throughout the large bathroom weren't coming from any sort of radio airwaves or the famous songbird.

The voice was unexpected. It was low, with an agreeable trace of huskiness and with a hint of more power than the tiny body it was coming from would suggest. The _source_ of the voice was even more staggering.

It was _Maya_.

In all the years Phoenix had known her, he'd never heard her sing before, and while she was obviously belting at the top of her lungs, during her own private moment and not for an audience, he found himself rather enjoying the performance, as over-the-top as it was, as she attempted the similar caterwauling manner of the falsetto singer.

 _'cause I just want you here tonight_

 _Holding on to me so tight_

 _What more can I do_

 _Oh, Baby all I want for Christmas is you…_

Phoenix couldn't help it. All his rancor dissolved then at the sight of Maya, soaking her beautiful bottom in that sunken Roman tub, and he found himself spontaneously breaking into applause, finding himself slightly disappointed that his impromptu presence had abruptly ended the performance.

" _Nick_!" Maya started, but only for a moment, then her face broke into a huge ear to ear grin at the sight of her boyfriend. "You bum! You startled me!" She self-consciously tucked an errant strand of dark hair behind one ear and blushed. "I, um, didn't hear you come in."

He returned her embarrassed look with one of merriment.

"You were too busy channeling your inner diva, my love," Phoenix teased, his eyes dancing as he drank in the sight of her, thinking that it ought to be against the law for a woman to be so gorgeous.

She had her hair pinned up for her bath, exposing her swanlike neck. Without her hair framing her face, her classic beauty was wholly realized. Though Maya was now in her late 20's, with her face fully exposed and without any makeup, Phoenix could see the girl she'd once been. She was one of those women for whom it seemed that time ran at half speed, allowing her to age slower than most people. Maya's natural beauty wouldn't fade for a long time.

As she basked in the foamy bubbles, Phoenix imagined that this was what Cleopatra or Nefertiti must have looked like ages ago as they bathed, except that those queens were attended to by hand maidens.

He pictured Maya rising from her bath, assisted by her faithful female servants. He imagined them gently drying off her smooth skin, and then scenting her body by rubbing fragrant oils into her flesh…

Then he found his mind drifting to the even more delightful notion of his _own_ hands performing that service instead.

In his naughty imagination, he saw Maya growing excited by his touch. It was making her hot, making her juices flow as he'd start off planting a gentle kiss at the base of her neck, making her shiver and moan. And then their lips would come together…

Phoenix realized that Maya was looking at him from the tub, smiling knowingly, as if reading his lusty thoughts.

Maya eyed her boyfriend speculatively and bit her lip. The overhead lights gilded his dark, beanie-free hair, picked out glints in his brunet scruff, and highlighted his pulse at the base of his throat. He looked at her, his blue eyes dark and intense under his eyebrows, making him look just as tempting as a gingerbread man that she yearned sink her teeth into. The hungry look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.

"What?" he asked pointlessly. No doubt his sheepish expression gave him away.

"Do you want to come in here?" she asked sultrily. Her eyes slid from his face down his body.

He looked down and saw evidence of his "excitement" pointing at her.

Maya rose from the tub, her lithe body glistening with soapy water as she stood, beckoning him over with the crook of her finger. He obliged and was already reaching for her as she leaned forwards, her warm breath in his ear, then she hummed the sultry Christmas song "Santa Baby" in his ear.

His lips, the ones that really hadn't wanted to smile tonight, crept into a grin. She kept on humming until, disregarding the fact that he was still fully clothed, he crushed her wet, naked form into a gigantic bear hug and kissed her.

The sharp edge of his scruff scratched deliciously at her lips as she brushed them back and forth across his mouth, tempting him to open them. When he did, she touched the tip of her tongue to his, tasting the grape juice he preferred. When she withdrew, his tongue traced the edges of her teeth, then her lower lip. She licked the spot, then bit it, watching his eyes drop to her mouth as she did. She closed the last couple of inches between them, and exhaled softly when her body pressed against his from her knees to her breasts. Everything that was soft about her—breasts, stomach, thighs— pressed against everything that was hard about him. Chest. Abdomen. His hardness, thickening against her lower belly.

His hand cupped her jaw, his thumbs brushing her cheekbones, then he bent his head and kissed her again, using lips and teeth and tongue to capture her mouth. Phoenix had learned patience handling over the years when it came to seducing women over the years – but he was _especially_ well versed with _this_ particular one.

He didn't rush. He drew it out, nipping at her lips, tilting his head to kiss the corner of her mouth, then her jaw, before returning to her mouth and using his lips to open it farther, his tongue advancing in slow stages, until she stepped closer, giving most of her weight to his body, weaving her thigh between his. She put her hands on his hips and tucked her index and middle fingers through his belt loops, pulling him closer, letting herself get absorbed in the texture of his stubble against her lips and tongue.

She bent her head to rest on his shoulder, felt the heat of his skin through the fine cotton of his shirt, smelled the scent of him, so elemental. Soap, skin, and the heat he absorbed all day. He was intoxicating. Delicious. And he was all hers.

He turned, seeking out her ear, nipping at the lobe as he felt his heart beating wildly against hers.

 _I swear this woman is an expert on keeping my heart beating. Without her I'm sure it would simply stop._

"So…" He growled against her ear. "What do you say we just say _screw it_ to our _dinner_ plans this evening and just skip right to _dessert_?"

"No way, Nick!" She gave his neck one last teasing lick and drew back then, her dark eyes twinkling mischievously. "Christmas is a time for feasting, and I have purposefully been curtailing my six stomachs in preparation for tonight's holiday banquet!"

"Such a minx!" He mocked, putting on his best hangdog look of disappointment. "Didn't you just ask me to come in and join you?"

"That was _before_ I saw the time," she admitted, casting a quick glance at the clock on the wall. "We're due for dinner in half an hour and you still need to at least shave before we dine, scruffy! I'll be out of here soon enough."

"You're very naughty, Miss Fey." He wriggled his finger at her in mock disapproval. "I'm going to tell Santa just how much of a bad girl you've been, getting your man all worked up like that, first singing tantalizingly that all you want for Christmas is _him_ , and _then_ humming saucy songs about hurrying down your chimney tonight…getting him _all worked up_ …and _then_ making the poor man need a _cold_ shower before dinner, even though he _already had_ one at home!"

"You will have a very _Merry Sexmas_ later, Mr. Saint Nick," she giggled, sinking back down into the tub, much to his chagrin, and hiding herself under the bubbles again. "I _promise_!"

"I know it's not Christmas _yet_ , but Saint Nick's lap here is always ready…" He suggestively wiggled his eyebrows.

"Out!" Maya laughingly threw her wet loofah at him, missing by several inches.

Phoenix chuckled and stepped out of the bathroom to give her some privacy.

* * *

 _ **Mariah Carey - All I Want for Christmas**_


	64. Paragons, Picture Books & Dental Floss

_"New Beginnings are in order, and you are bound to feel some level of excitement as the year unfolds."_

* * *

 _A/N: As Phaya celebrates Christmas with some dear friends we've not seen in awhile, today is Diwali (I'm half Indian) the Hindu Festival of Lights celebration, aka Our Christmas, so I am feeling extra festive! Happy Diwali and wishing peace, joy and prosperity to all of you! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-Four: Paragons, Picture Books and Dental Floss **

**_Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey/Dick Gumshoe and Maggey Gumshoe_**  
 _Empire Bellagio, Los Angeles_  
 _Gumshoe's Condo Suit 707_  
December 24, 2024 5:30 pm

Both Phoenix and Maya had been to the Gumshoe's residence on numerous occasions over the years, although rarely together, as amongst the other couple's visitors whenever the Master was in town was Trucy, who was still blissfully unaware of her existence, along with Pearl.

However, neither of the Gumshoe guests were prepared for the holiday grandeur that had would be their environment that night, and Phoenix couldn't help but let out a whistle of appreciation when they arrived that evening, a bottle of Edgeworth's finest, rarest port wine in hand for them all to enjoy. (Hendricks had just 'happened' to leave the wine cellar door open that evening and so Phoenix had helped himself to a bottle of vintage as a last-minute host gift – his best friend had so many _hundreds_ in his vast collection, surely it wouldn't be missed!)

While slightly smaller than Edgeworth's penthouse, the Gumshoe's condo was still quite the grand space, to say the least. Compared to the museum perfection of the prosecutor's home, their décor and furnishings were infinitely more homey and inviting, with plush carpets and suede sofas in neutral earth colors in the living room with tons of friends and family photos and Gordy's colorful drawings decorating the walls in lieu of priceless artwork.

On normal days, the dining room was elegant, in a minimalist sort of way. The maple chairs had plush velvet backs and cushions, each one beautiful in its simplicity, all clean straight lines and high backs. The floor beneath it all was slate and with the cream walls and tall mullioned windows, it was a fine place for the evening meal.

In preparation for the holidays, and their guests that night, however, the Gumshoe dining-room could only be described as absolutely _exquisite_.

The table had been laid in advance: tinsel was strewn along starched white damask tablecloths, freshly ironed for the event. Cut crystal and fine porcelain dishes held chocolates and nuts. The walls were covered with a shimmering gold paper and in the middle of the ceiling above the carved oak table was a candelabra. Down the center of the table was a runner with holly design woven in gold and green into the fabric itself. At the end of the table were floor to ceiling French doors, left slightly ajar to let in the scented smell of the cranberry candles lit up in the living room. The polished silver cutlery was heavy to the hand and shone brightly in the early evening light. At each place stood a tall empty wine glass and there were beautifully folded napkins to match the runner. All that was missing was the food and the guests.

"Merry Christmas!" Maggey squealed, throwing her arms around Maya in a warm embrace before doing the same to Phoenix. Gumshoe came out with a smiling, exuberant five-year-old Gordy, a pint-sized version of his father, who was bouncing around like a little rubber ball at the sight of Uncle Phoenix and Aunty Maya, and they all exchanged hugs.

Phoenix smiled broadly at the sight of the Gumshoe in his Santa hat and Maggey with her reindeer horns headband. Both wore ugly Christmas sweaters – his with a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer emblemed in it with a flashing red nose, and hers with green Grinch on it wearing his infamous faux Santa costume. It was heartwarming and hilarious at the same time.

He was pleased that money hadn't changed his old friends in the least; he would have bet his bottom dollar that Maggey had decorated the place herself even though she and her husband had more than enough funds to have hired someone, as well as made the dinner that night with her own two hands. Although not a big eater, his mouth was watering from the heavenly aromas wafting from the kitchen and taunting his nostrils.

"Gordy's been bouncing off the walls waiting for you guys to come," Maggey grinned as she ushered them into the living room and sitting next to the two on the sofa. "Dinner is all ready, and ready whenever you are to bring it out."

"My wife has outdone herself this year," Gumshoe boasted, taking a seat on his Lazy Boy recliner. "She's made enough food for an army! They will be more than enough leftovers for tomorrow night's dinner with you and the Trucy, Pal." He gestured to Phoenix. "Do you know what time Mr. Burger will be dropping Trucy and Pearl off here tomorrow morning?"

"Probably around 9:00 am," Phoenix replied. "Gouda's family is German, and the Burgers, like a lot of European families, tend to celebrate everything on Christmas Eve not the day of, so I didn't mind letting my girls go off for the night to enjoy the additional festivities, since I get them back tomorrow."

"Although you only get Pearly for an hour or so in the morning," Maya reminded him. "Because after that, she's coming upstairs to grab me from the penthouse, so we can go back and spend Christmas Day in Kurain."

"I'm sure a primeval Kurain celebration of Christmas will be wonderful Maya," Maggey beamed. "It must be great getting two holiday meals this year!"

"Oh sure," Maya grimaced. "I can't wait for this year's annual _tofu turkey_ on a platter! It's the _one_ day a year I can't get the chef to budge on the village's ridiculous vegetarian stance!"

Gumshoe chuckled and began chatting with Maya about her other antiquated holiday village customs, while Maggey took the moment to discreetly whisper into Phoenix's ear.

"Don't worry about Gordy blabbing to Trucy that Maya was here tonight," she assured him. "He just thinks it's all a big game of surprise and mystery anyway. Dick and I told him Santa counts loose-lips as an act of Bad Little Boys, whose punishment is getting _clothes_ for Christmas!"

"I'm sure he'll be too excited about seeing his 'cousins' tomorrow to even give us a second thought," Phoenix smiled. "Although I feel bad your annual Santa threat has to still be put into place to ensure his silence."

Gordy had just run off to get something from his room at that moment, so Gumshoe turned to his friends then and looked at them, his broad face filled with curiosity and concern.

"We can only maybe get away with the Santa bluff for another year or two while he Gordy believes, to bribe his silence, guys," he told them. "When do you think you'll be able to finally come clean to Trucy about the two of you? I _still_ don't quite get why you haven't gone public?"

Maya gave a strained smile. The whole issue of their clandestine affair was still a touchy subject for her. "I trust Nick has his reasons," she murmured softly, idly swishing around the glass of wine Gumshoe had just poured them all from the bottle they'd brought. "We can only hope it will be soon."

Maggey glared at her husband for his tactlessness. Phoenix's pained expression and Maya's downcast gaze were evidence enough to her that this was not a topic to be brought up, no matter how close they all were.

"Don't worry you worry about how long Gordy's a Santa believer for." She smiled reassuringly at her guests. "If he's anything like his father, we've got _at least_ _another ten years_ of naiveté in him yet! Why, Dick here was 16 before he found out the truth about Saint Nick!"

" _Maggey_!" Gumshoe whined, flushing deeply with embarrassment. "You're not supposed to _tell_ people that!"

"And _you_ are not supposed to be a bad host and ask our guests overly personal questions that make them visibly uncomfortable!" She snapped back.

"It's OK, Maggey." Phoenix cleared his throat awkwardly. "He's right, of course. It's time I came clean. To all of you, about what's happening with me."

Everyone looked at him, stunned at how forthright the close-mouthed former attorney was being at that moment.

"You're not obligated to tell us anything you don't want to, Phoenix…" Maggey began, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"You're wrong, Maggey." He shook his head. "Guys, I feel I finally owe you all some sort of explanation about what's been going on, seeing as how you've all, one way or another, been dragged into this mess by having to lie or cover for me these last six years. The truth is, I think this goes a lot deeper than we thought."

Phoenix took a large swig of his wine, not looking at any of them while he spoke his next words.

"There is a lot more going on… and I'm worried about something else. I know it seems like such an easy, logical thing, just coming out in the open about our relationship lately, but …" he closed his eyes as if gathering courage, and spoke the next words rapidly, as though trying to spit them out while he had the nerve. "I have reasons to think that just wouldn't be a good idea right now. As a matter of fact…I don't think it can be known, _at all_ , that Maya and I are together, until I get cleared."

Gumshoe and Maggey looked flummoxed at the words.

Maya remained frozen, her hand, which had been reaching for her glass, stopped in mid-air. She sat there miserably, trying to digest Phoenix's words, while trying to hold it together and not start shrieking again as she had months prior. She couldn't _believe_ he was saying _all this_ , unloading this kind of heavy content, here and now, on _Christmas Eve!_ And not even in private with her, but in _mixed company_!

Unless that was _exactly_ why he was doing so, Maya fumed inwardly. He thought he knew her well enough to presume that she was unlikely to make a scene in front of others. How _conveniently_ he'd forgotten the events of her 21st birthday, when he'd gotten her so enraged he'd wound up with a martini _right in the ki_ sser!

The blasted man was right in _this_ instance though. She was with two people who were among their best of friends, it was indeed Xmas Eve, and while little Gordy was still off in his room, being spared this conversation, the little boy would undoubtedly still hear it if Maya _lost her shit_ and made her boyfriend wear the remains of her glass, _yet again_!

And so the Master sucked in a deep breath, trying to compose herself and not cry out at the painful statement Gumshoe had essentially just coerced Phoenix into making. All this time, she'd had complete undying faith that her boyfriend would be able to prove his innocence someday, but thinking their entire future rested upon it made her feel like she'd just been sucker-punched to the gut. It appeared no ray of hope loomed in sight. God only knew _when_ this legal mess would be cleaned up.

In the meantime, despite her boyfriend's placating words back in the fall, Maya was once again getting impatient. She just could no longer see the correlation between his disbarment and their relationship, any more than their friends did!

Phoenix caught the hurt expression on her face, and released a long breath. When he looked at her again, his face was sad but earnest.

The two momentarily were so lost in gazing unwaveringly at one another, neither had heard Maggey discreetly murmur her excuses moments earlier, about checking on dinner, as she'd dragged her obtuse husband with her into the kitchen.

"My love, I know this wasn't what you wanted to hear, and believe you me, it's not easy for me to say either! I know you probably think I'm being paranoid again, but I think there's some underlying sinister workings afoot here."

Maya stifled a sigh. His Kristoph/Gavin brother conspiracy theory was at play _again_ here, she just knew it. Something had retriggered Phoenix's agitation – he'd been so carefree up until now. The question was, _what_ had it been _this_ time around?

Ignoring his mini-speech, she crossed her arms and gave him a tight-lipped stare.

"How long are we talking, Nick? How much longer do I need to remain your sordid little secret?"

"I don't know Maya." He looked away from her angry gaze. "Butt-kicking legal paragons hardly grow on trees! I don't want to say years…Months, _weeks_ , if we're lucky…"

Maya shut her eyes against the threatening onslaught of tears. For the entire duration of their relationship, she'd naturally figured they would continue with their current clandestine affair indeterminately, but hearing Phoenix so blithely state that they had _no choice_ was more painful than words could say.

"Edgeworth called me a few months ago," Phoenix told her bluntly, responding to her unspoken question from earlier. "Talking to him brought things to a head for me. It made me realize I can't just go out there blindly searching for answers, or expecting him be able to while he's over there in Europe or wherever the heck he is now, without having a more conclusive plan first. First and foremost, I've realized that since my best friend is indeed, not here in the States at the moment, I need to look elsewhere for legal representation."

Maya was startled. "You…Nick… _you_ want to find a lawyer?"

"I have to, Maya. I need someone who actually a practicing attorney, _and on the same continent as me,_ to help plead my case and be my legal spokesperson. But the problem is, I can't take just _any_ jerk with a badge. I need to hold out for someone who actually _cares_ about helping people…who looks out for the underdog. Who actually cares about _justice_."

Phoenix just as easily could have been describing himself, but Maya knew him well enough to know exactly what the subtext of his search really meant. She smiled sadly, knowingly.

"You need Mia. You're looking for a lawyer with the same ethics and morals as my sister, aren't you, Nick?"

"Lawyers like your sister, they don't exactly grow on trees, you know." Phoenix nodded, relieved that she understood. "Mia was a diamond in the rough, Maya. One in a million. Lord only knows when another lawyer like her will come about. That's why I told you this next phase…although it's the final frontier, it won't be an overnight thing. This waiting game could take a while." He looked at her anxiously. "But I can't force you to play said waiting game with me, Maya. I know it's already been almost six years…"

She cut him off. "Nick, save your breath. I know I've been getting impatient, but don't even think about asking me if I'm willing to wait for you." She slid off the couch and stood before him, bending forward and taking his face into her hands so he could see the determination and unwavering love in her eyes. "We're in this together. Partners, remember?"

He nodded, turning his head slightly against her palm so he could kiss it. "Thank you, my love."

"Oh goody, I see you crazy kids have cleared things up," Maggey announced gaily as she walked into dining room, Gumshoe in tow. The former was carrying two delectable silver platters of steaming food, and the latter held the most gigantic, juiciest-looking turkey either guest had ever seen.

"And I see no booze went flying, so it looks like your shirt and my couch are safe from harm, Pal," Gumshoe joked to Phoenix, setting down the enormous bird next to the dishes of food Maggey had placed on the table.

"I'm sorry you guys felt like you had to leave," Phoenix apologized. "It really wasn't anything I wouldn't have wanted you to hear. After all, you two are family."

" _See_? I _told_ you we didn't have to get up and leave, Mags!" Gumshoe cried plaintively.

Maggey shook her head at her daft husband, then flashed her most benign smile at her friends.

"Don't be silly, family is still allowed their privacy," she dismissed airily. "I'd sent Gordy to go get your presents, because I thought it'd be fun to do a quick little gift exchange before supper, but I should check to see what's taking him so long…"

"I got the presents, Mommy!" Gordy burst back into the room, dragging a large, velour Santa-style gift bag along the carpet behind him. "I got all the ones that said ' _Nick and Maya_ ' on them!"

"You got us a _sack_ full of goodies, guys?" Maya teased, reaching on the floor by her feet where she'd placed the parcels they had brought for the Gumshoes. "Way to make us feel bad! We only got you guys _one_ gift each!" She handed Gordy his gift, and then passed the two boxes for his parents to him to deliver.

"So did _we_ …" Maggey replied hesitantly, reaching for the sack of presents, but her son pulled it out of her grasp.

" _I'm_ gonna play Santa, Mommy!" Gordy ordered. "You and Daddy sit! I wanna give out the presents!"

"OK sport, whatever you say," Gumshoe chuckled, coming back to sit in his recliner while Maggey perched herself on the arm.

" _M – Maya_. This one's for you, Aunty Maya!" Gordy told her happily, placing a flat box into Maya's arms and then passing the other one to Phoenix. "And that one says _Nick_ …it's for you, Uncle Phoenix!"

"Thanks Gordy," Phoenix grinned, patiently waiting until everyone had been handed their gifts before opening his, unlike his girlfriend, who promptly tore into hers with her normal child-like enthusiasm.

Everybody began unwrapping.

"Oh wow this is so cool!" The little boy crowed with delight when he saw the complete action figure set Phoenix and Maya had gotten him from the _Pink Princess, Steel Samurai and Bronze Baby_ movie. "It has the Evil Magistrate too! Thank you Aunty Maya and Uncle Phoenix!"

" _Um_ …" Phoenix had just opened his box, his face registering complete confusion, just as Maya opened hers and let out a stunned gasp. " _Gah_!"

Gumshoe and Maggey's eyes widened in horror as they realized what parcels their son had just handed their guests.

"No, wait –!" They cried in unison, but it was too late.

"Er, was this supposed to be some sort of hint?" Phoenix asked weakly as he held up a package, which contained a long-handled, turbo-charged, electronic _back shaver_!

Maya's jaw dropped, momentarily forgetting her own _traumatic_ items that she'd just unwrapped.

"Hey, _what gives,_ guys?" She demanded indignantly of the red-faced Gumshoes. "My boyfriend does _not_ have a hairy back!"

"That was meant for _D- Dick_ ," Maggey spluttered. "Gordy's just learning the alphabet in kindergarten, and just couldn't make out my terrible handwriting…he probably just saw the _i-c-k_ part and thought it said _Nick_!"

"Great, honey! Now our friends not _only_ know I believed in Santa till I was a teenager, but that my _wife_ thinks I'm _furry gorilla_ with too much hair on his back!" Gumshoe groaned, burying his head in his hands.

"Don't feel bad about having lots of hair, Daddy," Gordy stopped playing with his figurines long enough to console his father. "After all, Mommy has hair on her bottom!"

There was a stunned silence in the room, before Maya exploded into a fit of giggles, followed by Phoenix.

"It's not funny guys!" Maggey scowled, her cheeks turning pink.

"Wait till you hear the stuff that comes out of _your_ kids mouths," Gumshoe added wryly.

Maya was still giggling helplessly, her opened gift abandoned in her lap, as Gordy walked over to his aunt and looked at the contents of the box in confusion.

"Daddy, why did you get Aunty Maya a _picture_ book?" The little boy asked, holding up a _very familiar-looking and adult_ book in one hand and a pair of fur-lined handcuffs in another. "Can't she read words? It looks so _boring_ – it just keep showing pictures of the _man hugging the lady_ on each page…"

"Oh my _God_ …" Maggey choked, her face now resembling a tomato. " _Gordy_ …"

"And why did you give Aunty handcuffs? Are you going to arrest her, Daddy?"

"Ngh!" Gumshoe promptly overcame the shamed indignation of being a hairy beast and lunged for his son, but he wasn't quick enough. "That was for your _mother_!" He gasped helplessly as Gordy now held up the hot-pink skimpy Victoria's Secret thong for the whole room to see.

"I'm sorry, Aunty Maya, I think I mixed up your name with my Mommy's," Gordy told Maya solemnly. "Cuz I remember my Mommy was looking at pictures of this in a magazine, but Daddy told her it _was way too much_ to spend on _dental floss_."

"I guess he changed his mind," Phoenix quipped, smirking. "Can't put a price tag on _oral hygiene_ after all!"

Maya's shoulders were still shaking with helpless laughter as she tactfully turned the explicitly diagramed copy of the _Kuma Sutra_ downward and handed it, along with the cuffs to Maggey, whose face was still beet-red with mortification.

"I believe these were for _you_ , too!" She rasped, wiping her eyes, and flashing an impish grin at her boyfriend, who was literally rolling on the floor with laughter. "Too bad for _us_ , though, huh, Nick?"

 **"** I want to die," Maggey moaned, clapping a hand to her forehead. "Guys…I'm so sorry…"

"For what, giving us the best laugh we've had in _ages_?" Maya tittered. "Are you _kidding_?"

Gumshoe handed his guests the other two, remaining unwrapped boxes Gordy had given to his parents in error and scratched his head. " _These_ are actually for you guys," he told them, still blushing. "Hope you like them!"

"We love the wine and cheese club membership you guys got us, by the way," Maggey was glowing with pleasure. "Two varieties of artisanal cheese selections and two different, critically acclaimed, accompanying wines every month! How thoughtful!"

"I _do_ like my cheese," Gumshoe admitted, smiling broadly. "Although with an incident like _this_ one here, I could certainly use a good, hefty dose of the _grape stuff_ to get past _this_!"

"At least we needn't ever ask if you'd like some _cheese_ with your _whine_ ," Phoenix deadpanned.

"Yeah, you _wino_!" Maya twittered.

"Don't judge him, you'll drink too once you're parents!" Maggey added, laughing. "Kids do say the darndest things! Now open your gifts, which I imagine you'll find far more appropriate!"

"Two tickets to the _Steel Samurai_ live stage production!" Maya enthused, her eyes sparkling with delight. "Thanks so much, you guys are the best! Pearly will love this!"

"She better," Phoenix said dryly. "Even if you we _were_ in a different situation than we are now, Maya, I'd still rather _spend a month in the dentist chair_ than be the one going with you to _that_!"

"You just _wait_ till I get you back upstairs and see what kind of gift you're getting for _that_ smart-aleck remark, Buster!" Maya scowled at him. " _A lump of coal_ , that's for sure!"

"Hey! I _did_ my time already! Have you forgotten the _three_ _years_ I previously endured of your _brain-numbing_ kiddy samurai shows, Maya?"

 _His brain **must** numb if he thinks **that part** of his life is over now,_ Maya snickered to herself. _Just wait till he sees what I got him for Christmas!_

She smiled angelically at her boyfriend. "Why don't you see what's inside the box, Nick?"

Phoenix tore off the wrapping, and unveiled a pretty chrome and glass French press coffee maker. He smiled thankfully.

"Perfect timing guys, my current coffee-maker's on the fritz," he told them, admiring the Bodum model's fine Swiss craftsmanship. "And this will go so perfectly with that mysterious, premium blend, coffee bean package from South America I just got in the mail!"

"Someone sent you an anonymous package of _coffee_?" Maya asked, surprised. "Is there a Secret Santa or Admirer I should know about, Nick?"

"Well, I'll let you know how _generous_ a gift giver they are once I try their thoughtful blend," he answered, his eyes twinkling. "But in the meantime, it _does_ appear to be the good stuff, so Merry Christmas to me indeed!"

Maggey clapped her hands. "OK, now that everyone's done with their presents, Dick has an announcement he has to make!"

"If you want me to investigate that package for you, Pal, I'll be able to as of the New Year," Gumshoe told them proudly, an ear to ear grin on his face. "Guess who is back on the police force as of January?"

The couple was astounded only for a split second. Then they spoke at once.

"That's awesomesauce! Way to go, Pal!" Maya cheered.

"Congratulations, newly reinstated Detective Gumshoe!"

"That's _Chief Gumshoe_ now, Pals." The big man smiled with pride as he scratched his head. "The old chief retired, and _I'm_ _sick and tired_ of the retirement life already. I miss the force. Even if it is mostly a desk job now, once an officer, always an officer."

"He was going stir-crazy being at home these last few years. Dick _belongs_ on the force," Maggey sighed. "Plus, we're running out of room for all the junk he keeps buying in bulk since he discovered the joys of _economy-sized wholesale_ shopping! Do you know the guest room has _floor to ceiling_ stacked packages of Costco brand toilet paper?!"

"Best be prepared in the event things suddenly get _pretty shitty_ ," Maya quipped, then blushed as Phoenix gave her a pointed look and then tilted his head at Gordy, who thankfully appeared oblivious to the pun as he was too engrossed with his new toys.

"Well, I won't need to be worrying this time about taking anyone else's _sh- er, shitake mushrooms_ ," Gumshoe corrected himself hastily as he puffed out his chest. "It's not like I need the money now. And, if they don't like my performance, it's not like they can try to hurt me by _threatening to lower my pay or fire me_!"

Phoenix cracked up at that one. "Does Edgeworth know yet?"

"I thought I'd surprise him next time I talk to him."

"That is so amazing, Gumshoe, coming back as the boss, and not having to take any guff from anyone!" Maya enthused. "I mean, I'd _totally_ be milking this for all it's worth knowing, I was untouchable!" She smirked and lowered her voice a few octaves. " _Yeah man, I'm coming in la_ te! _And I'm going home early_! Whatcha gonna do to me, huh, _punk_? Do you feel lucky?"

"He's becoming a cop and rejoining the force, not morphing into Clint Eastwood and headed to the Wild, Wild West, Maya!" Phoenix joked.

"True, although I think my husband would make _quite the sexy cowboy_." Maggey smiled lovingly at Gumshoe before letting out another long-suffering sigh. "Alas, Dick _finally_ has found the _perfect excuse_ for wearing those 'trademark' trench coats again! Ergo, I have no room to raise an _objection, this_ time around!" She shook her head ruefully. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: You can take a detective out of the police department, but _damned if you can get the trench coat off of the detective!"_

"I swear, I will _only_ wear the new designer ones, and throw them out as soon as they get ratty or bullet-holed honey," Gumshoe promised, rising from his seat and gesturing for the others to follow him out of the living room.

Somehow, they were all marshalled into the dining room, and the feast began.

There was bread sauce for the turkey, apple sauce for the pickled pork, gravy for both, and a mound of sage and onion stuffing. Crispy potatoes of course, as well as pumpkin, baked tomatoes and an ample helping of the green vegetables. Best of all was the still-steaming, aromatic freshly baked loaf, which Maya eagerly grabbed first.

The Master brought the fresh, warm bread to her nose, inhaling deeply. It smelled rich, promising a delightful taste. Picking up a knife, she applied copious amounts of thick, creamy yellow butter. She spooned out a dollop of sweet, tangy blackberry jelly and slathered the fruity preserve onto the spongy white bread. She ripped off a chunk, stuffing the piece into her mouth. It was soft and warm. The pleasant smoothness of the butter blended perfectly with the bitter-sweet taste of blackberries.

There was soon contented silence at the table as everyone dug into the delicious food. Maggey had truly outdone herself that year, and Phoenix found himself being happier than he'd been in ages, just soaking up the atmosphere of having those near and dear to him on this festive occasion. He felt truly blessed.

 _It's not about the turkey for me, or the stuffing, or even the roast potatoes. Don't get me wrong, I love all that stuff and Christmas wouldn't be the same without it. But a holiday that's all about getting the loved ones together, being thankful for all that we have; each other, our home and the food we eat. Being able to sit around the table, all of us together and thank God, that's just magic to me. It's a holiday when we just kick back and celebrate how wonderful our ordinary lives are._

But there was something else he was grateful for more than anything, and that something was what was making a part of him incredibly antsy and eager to fast-forward this delightful feast, so he could get his beautiful girlfriend back upstairs and _really_ let the good times roll, and _pick up where they'd left off_ from that steamy moment in Edgeworth's bathroom.

Earlier than night, when a _horny as hell_ Phoenix had left the facilities while Maya was finishing her bath, he'd stumbled up something that had just 'happened' to be resting on the bedside night table on her side.

A _very_ distinctive sheet of stationary.

At the top of the striped paper were the words _Wish List_ printed in a font designed to resemble a child's scrawl. Below that were the beautifully formed letters he recognized as Maya's handwriting.

 _ **Pearly : new pearl necklace for her magatama** _

_**Trucy : golden magician stick** _

_**Phoenix: Grape Juice of the Month Club Year Membership**_

And then she'd run a slash through that list and begun a new one.

 ** _My Wish List – (naughty)_**

 _ **Nick naked and wrapped in a bow**_

 _ **Nick kissing me senseless**_

 _ **Nick cooking me dinner nekkid (so I can stare at his sweet ass)**_

 _ **Paying lip service to Nick (yum)**_

 ** _Nick paying lip service to me (double yum)_**

 ** _Screwing Nick until he can't walk_**

Phoenix cast a surreptitious sideways glance at the love of his life, who was merrily chatting away and stuffing herself to oblivion, completely unaware of what he had in store for her the moment he got her alone that night.

He smirked to himself. _Merry Sexmas indeed!_

This Christmas, not-so-Saint Nick was making sure all of Maya Fey's wishes came true…

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's (chapter 63)_

 **Ilet Moratar -** _Maya Fey is hands down my fave video game heroine of all time. I feel Athena is much like a younger version of her. Both have endured so much strife in their young lives, and still be able to have the ability to have smiles that light up their faces and the need to bring joy to those around them - that's true strength and beauty of spirit and a beautiful person, period. Maybe that's why both are so blessed with outward beauty as well? (Adult Maya artwork, which is all we have to go on thus far, shows her to be a knockout!) as it glows from within. While Trucy is Nick's light, I feel Maya is his heartbeat. Which is why he thought that without her, it would surely stop beating. Gah! Nick without Maya! Like peanut butter without jelly! :)_

 **Yanmegaman** \- _"Saint Nick's lap is always ready." Yup that was so smooth it made silk look like gravel! ;)  
I dunno why Capcom had painted this damn fox as such a bumbler with the ladies - maybe it's the sexiness that is beanie Feenie or just put him with the Wright woman but Phoenix Wright can have more game than Wii and Xbox combined! XD_

 ** _To the Guest who reviewed chapter 57 -_** _I hope you're reading this, and know how much I appreciate the kind words of encouragement you said. It doesn't matter to me if you're behind in the story, thrilled folks out there are reading and liking this story! Fredgeworth has some choppy waters ahead of them, so I hope you hang on tight for the bumpy (but entertaining, I hope!) boat ride! :)_

 **As always guys, thanks so much for reading! I hope you've enjoyed the last few weeks of Christmas time with Phaya and friends - next week...that's quite the wish list Maya's got! Ya'll think Nick can fulfill such a tall order? ;)**


	65. Jingle Your Bells

**_You Ring My Bell_**

 _Hey Baby, you jingle my bell  
the way you run your fingers  
across my skin  
makes me want you  
again and again_

 _Yes, Honey, you jingle my bell  
with your million dollar smile  
vibrant and bright  
you make the holidays  
merry and right_

 _That's right, Sugar, you jingle my bell  
you love me good  
you love me well_

 _You, my darling, jingle my bell  
you're my personal  
Mr/Mrs. Crinkle  
keep ringing my bell  
jingle, jingle, jingle_

* * *

 _A/N: Merry Sexmas from Phaya! There's some PG-13 stocking stuffing as Nick tackles Maya's wish list so just a heads up! Enjoy!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-Five: Jingle Your Bells**

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey_**  
 _Edgeworth's Love Shack, Empire Bellagio Penthouse_  
December 24, 2024 8:00 pm

The evening had been perfect in spite of everything, Phoenix mused as he went into the master bedroom and pulled off his holiday sweater Trucy had given him as an early Christmas gift and stepped out of his jeans. The company had been wonderful, and the Gumshoes had provided their guests with a decadent feast, along with a take home plate of leftovers that he doubted they would dive into. He figured it was more for his gluttonous girlfriend than himself; Phoenix was tided over well until breakfast tomorrow. And he had some _very_ special breakfast plans for them the following morning, he thought, grinning to himself as he changed back into his comfortable sweat pants and t-shirt.

But first, there was the matter of _dessert_ , and treating a certain _vixen_ to a _not-so-silent-night_ as her 'secret' wish list had dictated…

These were the more naughty than nice thoughts that had been plaguing Phoenix's mind all evening, and had continued as soon as they got back to Edgeworth's condo. In fact, he was so entranced with visions of _Maya's sugar buns dancing in his head_ that he was certain he had to be losing his mind when he heard the unmistakable sounds of his girlfriend rustling about in the front and some pots and pans banging in the kitchen.

What on earth could Maya possibly be whipping up _not even two hours_ since their holiday food orgy?!

Since Maya was spending Christmas Day with Pearl in Kurain, Phoenix and Maya would be celebrating Christmas together that evening. As much as he loved his friends, he'd been nearly bursting with impatience for the festivities to end and Gordy to be put to bed so he could go have his girlfriend to himself. Now here they were, alone at last, and she was _cooking_ something?!

Phoenix had one hell of a craving to satisfy, but it wasn't for _food_ …

Grumbling to himself about his lousy luck of falling in love with a woman with a bottomless pit for a stomach, he opened the door of the bedroom and padded down the hall, noticing the sounds had ceased and now been replaced by the sweet sounds of Christmas carols playing from the living room stereo.

"I'm coming out with one of your presents, Maya, so we can do the gift exchange now," Phoenix called as he neared the room, his mystery box in his hands. He'd hidden it in his overnight bag before heading into the shower earlier that evening; unlike him, Maya wasn't very good about waiting. Her childlike inquisitiveness meant her curiosity often overruled her joy of being surprised, so he often needed to put in the extra effort of hiding her gifts to keep her from sneaking a peek.

The aroma of hot chocolate greeted him as he walked into the living room—and stopped dead in his tracks. He'd been planning on giving Maya her main gift that night instead of the following morning in case they got rushed, and had been plotting about the best way to surprise her with it, but those plans got tossed out the window.

Because reclining in the family room chaise longue, next to the Christmas tree, was a gift that beat the hell out of anything he'd ever seen wrapped up for him with a bow.

His girlfriend, Maya Fey.

Maya Fey in lingerie.

Maya Fey in see-through, Christmas-themed lingerie.

Her smooth legs were crossed at the ankle, bare except for the spiky heeled, shiny black boots that ended below her knees. A satiny red robe, trimmed in fluffy white fur, was held together by two silk bows tied at her hips. A shiny black belt cinched her flat stomach, and more white fur embellished the strapless neckline, bringing his attention to her perfect breasts and twin peaks pressing against the gauzy fabric. Maya's luscious dark hair fell over her shoulders, curled at the ends, and a fleecy red-and-white Santa hat sat on top of her head.

His jaw dropped.

She'd managed to change out of her red Christmas sweater-dress into _this_ in the two minutes it'd taken him to get out of his attire?! Where had she stashed that outfit?! Or had she been wearing this underneath all along?!

She smiled mischievously at his awestruck expression. "Merry Christmas, _Saint Nick_."

"Mrs. Claus," he smirked. "You've changed."

"It was time for a makeover."

She stood then and he saw that what she had on was a floor-length red satin robe. She held a wrapped gift in her hands.

He finally picked his jaw up off the ground.

"Nice Christmas outfit,"

"Oh, this is just the _wrapping_ ," she grinned. "You get the _present_ shortly. But first open your other gift." She handed him the package.

He opened his present and smiled, trying to look as surprised as man who had read his girlfriend's gift list could possibly appear. "Wow, this is nice, babe."

It was indeed. It was an annual membership for the Juice of the Month Club, which sent a 3-pack of juices and nectars to someone special all year round, in monthly specialty packs which included 2 of 100% fruit juices and 1 premium freshly pressed 100% fruit nectars.

"You like it?" Maya asked. "I know you love your grape juice but there's other flavors too."

"Man, definitely." He read the card insert and whistled appreciatively. "Pecco Sparkling Grape Juice, Germany…Organic Red Grape Juice, Austria… Sparkling Syrah & Valdiguie Grape Juice, Castello di Amorosa…wow, this is a really high stuff. Love it!"

"You're so hard to shop for!" She laughed. "I emailed Mr. Edgeworth to ask for ideas and he recommended piano lessons!"

 _What an ass! He hasn't heard me play, except that_ ** _one_** _time, in nearly six years! I'd like to think I've evolved_ ** _somewhat_** _since then…_ In the spirit of the holiday season, Phoenix fought back a scowl and smiled at his girlfriend.

"Well, he sure knew what he was talking about if he talked you out of that and convinced you this was a better option. It's great. Thank you, my love." Phoenix took her into his arms. Her kiss and the feel of her body beneath her robe reawakened his desire for her. After a minute he forced himself to let her go. "Okay, time for your gift," he said, and retrieved her present from under the tree where it'd fallen from his hands the moment he'd set eyes on the sexiest Mrs. Claus he'd ever seen.

He watched as Maya removed the wrapping with eyes as excited as those of a child from the corner of his eye as he bent down and threw a couple of logs into the fireplace. He'd just gotten the fire going when she said behind him, now sounding utterly bewildered, "Nick, what _is_ all this?"

Phoenix stood up and turned around. Maya was wearing a perplexed smile on her face as she pointed to the items in the box, which contained some CD-ROMs and a bunch of newspaper clippings. He handed her one with a flourish, an expectant smiled on his face.

Maya's brows kitted together in confusion as she looked at the item in her hand. It was from the Ivy College Newspaper, containing and article about a soon to be graduating law student.

Phoenix smiled excitedly when she still looked puzzled.

"Apollo Justice?" Maya was completely flummoxed. "What kind of a name is _that_?!"

"What's in a name?" Phoenix dismissed, waving his hand. "It's no weirder than April May or Penny Nichols! Maya, I didn't want to get into it at the Gumshoe's place earlier tonight, but this was my Christmas present to you, don't you _get_ it? This was my evidence to you that I really _do_ have an action plan in mind to fix this whole disbarring mess and clear my name!"

Understanding slowly began to dawn on her. "You'd said you needed to find yourself a good lawyer… but that it would take months, even _years_ …" She glared at him. "You got me all worked up about all of that, about putting my life on hold for even longer than I already have, for nothing, Nick? How _could_ you?!"

"I'm sorry to have lied to you like that, but there are some things that I really wanted to keep just between us for now, my love. I hope you understand… I sure wasn't counting on being put on the spot like that and having the whole issue of our secrecy come up in front of them," Phoenix apologized, leaning down and pressing a swift kiss on her forehead. He looked positively giddy, like a happy little boy who was pleading with her to share in his revelation of a newly discovered toy. "The truth is, Maya, that no, it won't take years. Because I've found him! I've found my lawyer!"

Maya was intrigued by her boyfriend's uncharacteristic enthusiasm, so she decided to temporarily set aside her anger.

She squinted at the photo of Apollo in the article. "What's with his hair, Nick? He looks like a little devil! Are those… _horns_?!"

"Your boyfriend has porcupine spikes, so I can't believe _you'd_ pick on _anyone_ for their hair after that!" Phoenix chuckled. "At least, _I_ sure can't! But no, silly girl, they're not _horns_!"

"You're right…" Maya scrunched up her pretty face as she held the clipping closer to her face. "More like radio antennae…I bet you he can tune into Tokyo with those things…"

" _Maya_!" Phoenix laughed. "Be kind! It's merely a bad photo. He just has spiky hair, too, like I do. Whether or not his are natural or not remains to be seen!"

"Sorry, Nick," she sighed with acquiescence. "Please, regale me full details now about your findings and this Clarion of Revelations! Full disclosure _is_ part of my holiday package, is it not?"

Maya curled up next to him by the fire and listened as Phoenix revealed, at last, the details of his latest investigations. She realized that he had been up to quite a lot. He had recordings of conversations from way back when, as well as detailed notes about evidence and a whole bunch of complicated legal spiel that Edgeworth had taken note of and put together that was out of her realm of comprehension.

Phoenix explained how he wanted to formulate some sort of trap for Trucy's father to slither up from whatever rock he'd been hiding under, and then have Apollo retry the case of Magnifi Gramarye, Trucy's grandfather. The whole thing sounded quite convoluted and little insane.

 _But this is Nick, if anybody can do it he can,_ Maya tried to convince herself, trying to squelch the old familiar misgivings creeping up on her again.

She wanted to be supportive and happy that Phoenix had this new-found rekindled hope, and she understood that his last trial had been quite complicated, but still didn't quite get why it meant they had keep mum about their relationship. After half an hour of listening to his theories, she finally exploded with exasperation.

"Forgive me for sounding like a broken record, Nick, but as promising as Mr. Horny sounds, all this still doesn't clarify the $64,000 question you refuse to answer!"

Phoenix looked taken aback; he'd thought she'd be happier about his progress. "What are you talking about Maya?"

" _Why_ are we living this way?" Maya demanded. "I just don't understand! Our friends all know, Pearly knows. _Why_ , Nick? Give me a _good_ reason!"

"Maya…" he sighed, expelling a long breath. "Are you willing to give me…six months?"

"Six months? That's it?" She looked at him wearily. "In half a year, you're telling me that we can finally come out of hiding?"

"I promise you, Maya," he took her face in his hands and looked at her with earnest eyes. "If I can't get this all cleared up in six months, I'm going to grab Trucy and rescue you from the elders wrath…we'll take Pearls and the four of us, we can move to someplace far, far away… I don't know… like to Canada or something."

As crazy as it all seemed, as crazy as _Phoenix_ often seemed, for the first time in forever, Maya actually felt a sense of peace. Of _relief_. Yes, she often wondered at times if her boyfriend was just an overly paranoid lunatic, but he was _her_ paranoid loon. He belonged to her. She belonged to him. End of story.

"You win Nick," Maya snuggled closer to him and flashed an impish grin. "I shall start practicing my Canadian, just in case, _eh_? Did you know that aside from poutine, maple syrup and bacon, Canadians are famous for having beer that is comparatively stronger?"

Phoenix, who didn't drink at all save for champagne on New Years Eve arched an amused eyebrow at his equally non-drinking girlfriend. "Their beer is stronger… _And_?" he prompted. "Your point is?"

"Therefore, their men look cuter!" Maya giggled. "They _do_ say beauty is in the eye of the _beer holder_ , right, Nick?"

" _Drink till he's cute_ is the true North motto!" Phoenix cracked up and kissed her nose.

They spent the next little while chatting about the forged diary page, the guns, and the pointy-haired young man Phoenix had decided to place his fate upon. Amid the items in the box, Maya retrieved a different photo of Apollo Justice, this one in color, where he was wearing a sharp-looking red suit with a red vest. Maya refrained from joking about how the combination of red and the horns made the lad look very much like a pointy-haired devil, because in actuality, Apollo, although baby-faced, was quite handsome, and she could tell with this more flattering picture that he didn't actually have horns. The photo had quotes from him about why he was studying to be a defense attorney. His words were so reminiscent of her late older sister is gave her a creepy sense of déjà vu, almost as though he were channeling Mia and she was speaking through him somehow.

Maya held the photo up next to Phoenix and smirked.

"You know, he _is_ a cutie, actually. In fact, he kind of looks like _you_ , don't you think? Like a little mini-Nick! Why, you could pass for his Daddy!" She teased.

"I guess I forgot to mention that I fathered him when I was eleven." Phoenix rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "We look _nothing_ alike, aside from the spiky hair! But I do think he sort of looks like Trucy though, if you squint your eyes."

It was Maya's turn to crack up now at how ridiculous her boyfriend looked doing his Squint Eastwood impression, his eyes pinched almost shut, glaring at the photo and looking slightly constipated!

"I wish I could meet Apollo," Maya sighed. "There's something comforting about this guy…he's got a good aura to him, you know? If he means half of what he said in those essays he's got to be a really good guy. But if he's going to work for Kristoph Gavin post-graduation, what chance do you have?"

"I can't pay him," Phoenix acknowledged with a shrug. "But I'm betting on the fact that as Kristoph's friend, I can use my connection to him."

"You're acting as Kristoph's friend? This is the same guy who, along with his brother, you and Mr. Edgeworth suspect could have been behind the whole thing."

"Yes he is, and yes we do." Phoenix raked a hand through his hair. "But I know how psychos like Gavin work, Maya. I know Kristoph. His inflated ego, his narcissism will make him think he can't be caught and he's the king shit who can't be beat. He's too self-enamored and inflated with his own self-importance that he can't see what I can so clearly – that Apollo is a far more superior lawyer than him."

"How can you make such a bold claim, Nick? You don't even know this kid."

"I've been watching him," Phoenix admitted. "I've seen some of his mock trials at the college. Maya, he's really good. He's better than _I_ ever was."

"Better than _you_ , Nick? _Impossible_. You were a _legend_ ," Maya declared loyally. "I don't believe that for a minute!"

"As flattering as that is my love, I'm only telling the truth. I showed you those papers he's written about why he's a defense attorney. This kid is an amazing genius. Just brilliant."

"He's only a kid," Maya pointed out cautiously. "And that's an awful lot of faith you're bestowing in him." She didn't want to knock this admittedly impressive sounding young man, or worse, her boyfriend's choices, but this was a huge gamble. They both had a lot at stake here.

"He's only a year or two younger than I was when I started at Mia's practice," Phoenix reminded her, undaunted. "I was just a kid too, remember?"

"Nick, I love you," Maya told him, her dark eyes serious. "And I want to be with you. But I've known you since I was a kid, have loved you since I _was_ one…but we _neither_ of us are kids anymore. I'm tired of lying and sneaking around. It isn't fun anymore. As much as I've always liked sharing secrets with you, now I'm ready for it to be over, and just be with you like a normal girl can be with her boyfriend. I hope I'm not the only one who feels this way."

"I gave you my word, Maya. In six months, if I can't fix resolve this mess, I'm going to throw all my research efforts into investigating where we want to move to."

"Six months is still a long time," Maya pouted. "Why can't Pearly and I just move in with you and Trucy _now_?"

Phoenix dropped his gaze from hers then so she could no longer read his face.

"Maya…If my plans with Apollo don't work I don't want any of us in the city. Let's just leave it at that and hope it won't come to that. Are you still willing to tough this out with me?"

"Like you need to ask," Maya sighed. "My answer will never change, so you may as well stop asking."

She was in his arms then, giving him her lips, sealing her words with a kiss.

He tasted like peppermint candy canes and kissed like a bad boy. Her lips parted on a sigh and he dipped his tongue inside, stroking hers. She felt the jolt straight to her toes…and points in between. She kept her head long enough to think, _No matter how rough things seem for us at times, I always know that in the end, it'll be like this_ , and then she stopped thinking and just let herself feel.

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey. It was set in stone as far as she was concerned. They belonged together. As she'd always said, they were partners.

 _Like Bonnie and Clyde. We go together, ride or die._

Phoenix was starting to imagine what Maya would look like without that robe on...

Suddenly, she broke the smooch. "I made you hot chocolate. Go get some."

He shook his head. "The only hot thing I want right now is _you_."

He went after her lips again, but Maya leaned away. "No baby. I made it from scratch," she said. "None of that pour from a packet instant stuff. I want to see how you like it, okay?"

Phoenix gave up trying to sample Maya's natural sweetness and went into the kitchen, following the aroma of the hot chocolate. As he poured himself a steaming mug Maya put on some music, and The Temptations classic version of _Silent Night_ began playing softly.

"Nick, for this long-awaited, beautiful gift of reassurance and promise you've given me, you know you're gonna get it, right?"

"Get what?"

" _Whatever_ it is you want, it's yours." She met his eyes with a scorching expression. "… _anything_."

"You're all I want for Christmas," Phoenix told her hoarsely.

Maya flashed him a sultry smile at him. She stepped next to the tree, and then released the sash encircling her trim waist. As he watched, she peeled her gown off her shoulders, let it drop to the carpet and stepped out of it.

Phoenix was glad that he hadn't been sipping the hot chocolate at that moment, because if he had been he would have choked to death.

Maya wore a red teddy – if you could call the assemblage of lace and string laces hugging her beautiful frame a teddy. The lace was barely enough material to cover her full breasts. The strings held everything together. The polished magatama necklace encircling her neck sparkled under the lights on the Christmas tree.

Phoenix stared at her, awed by her beauty.

Then she turned slowly around, and his heart slammed as he saw the tiny red thong panties—the string at the back of the teddy disappearing in the cleft of her round bottom.

He sat his mug down and was across the room in an instant, wrapping his arms around her from behind. He kissed the base of her neck as his caressing hands roamed feverishly over the front of her lush body.

As Phoenix kissed her Maya whispered, "Do you remember the first time we were here, and we made love, how good it was?" By way of reminder she pressed her bottom back, grinding herself against him.

"I remember," he murmured into her neck.

"I want to make this Christmas _blow_ that memory out of your mind." She flashed him a siren smile that made his pulses throb.

"I'm always ready to slide down your chimney…"

"First things first. Now," she whispered. "Reach into your stocking, Saint Nick, and pull out your little holiday bonus treat."

Phoenix walked backwards towards the fireplace, never once taking his searing gaze off Maya, who'd settled back onto the armchair, as he blindly fumbled into the sock, finally retrieving a small plastic bottle.

Because they were celebrating the holiday, Maya selected a fragranced body lotion called _Dreamy Chocolate Mint_.

"Consider that a treat that's a part of your holiday package," she winked. "Now strip down, Not-So-Saint Nick."

He was already lifting up his shirt. "Want to sit on my lap ... and tell me if you've been a nice girl this year?"

Maya tittered softly. Then she tucked her legs under her, rose onto all fours, and crawled down the chaise toward him.

Phoenix watched her with hungry eyes.

 _She's so damn sexy. Damn I'm so stiff you could hang an ornament on me!_

"Well, I've tried to be nice, but every time I look at you, Not-So-Saint-Nick, the naughty just takes over."

Maya bit her lip—because she knew it drove him crazy—and watched his every move as he tossed his shirt on the floor. Her eyes caressed his arms, chest, and abs, then focused on his fingers as he slowly untied the drawstring on his joggers and slid them his legs, stifling a slight gasp as she crawled up to him and with a surprisingly strong push, shoved him so that he toppled backward so that he was sitting flat on his rear on the rug in front of the fire.

"Besides," she breathed. "I've always thought 'nice' was way too overrated anyway..."

She crawled over to him so she was kneeling by his feet, he hands slowly sliding up his thighs.

" _Maya_ ," he murmured. He couldn't take being toyed with right now. She'd gotten him so worked up that if he let her manipulate him anymore, his resistance would be futile. Grimacing, he reached down, took her by the wrist, and eased her hand away. "You're making it damn difficult to remember I still haven't given you _all_ your Christmas gifts yet."

"Later," the normally present-hungry Maya Fey dismissed impatiently. "Christmas is a time for giving. And I'm not through _giving_ with you yet, Nick. After all…" she leaned forward so he could feel her warm breath at the top of his thighs. "I know that you know that it was _on my list_ to do _this_ …"

She was going to put her warm, sultry lips on him and brand him for life. And when she did, she could kiss any idea of getting the rest of her gift goodbye. He'd never make it to tonight without screwing her senseless first. Phoenix gripped her shoulder, torn between dragging her away from his rock-hardness and holding her in place.

Her breath whispered against his skin, a pulse-point away. "Let me please you, Nick."

It wasn't the searing heat of her that sent Phoenix staggering backward onto the rug. No, what dropped him onto his back, and completely at her mercy, was her desire to give him pleasure. He couldn't remember, in his lifetime, when he'd never craved a connection more than he did right now. He'd never thought to be this close to a partner, never expected to feel that pang of pain in his chest that made it seem as if his heart would burst from the emotions welling up inside him.

She loved that part of his body, loved digging her fingers into the tight muscles as she pleased him until he couldn't stand it anymore. And she loved it when he lost his famous control, threading his fingers through her hair, until he exploded.

All of it was pure, undiluted Phoenix.

Maya looked up at him once more, finding the sated pleasure still etched over his beautiful features. Bottom lip swollen from biting it, black hair moist with sweat and clinging to his temples, Phoenix really did wear debauchery well.

"And a ho-ho-ho to you," she purred, with a satisfied smile.

He popped open one eye and caught her knowing smirk. "You feeling proud of yourself, are you, Miss Fey?"

"Very," she replied smugly.

"In that case…" he shot up then with a newfound burst of unexpected energy. "I do believe there were a few other items on that _wish list_ of yours that needed fulfilling…"

The next thing Maya knew, she was lying flat on her back, her skimpy lingerie promptly cast aside as she found herself suddenly being the lucky recipient of the world's naughtiest massage, with the very same holiday lotion she'd purchased for her boyfriend!

As he massaged the scented lotion into her skin, Phoenix made sure he covered every inch of her body, from her neck to her toes. He loved touching her, loved the smooth softness of her skin, the swell of her feminine curves, the heat that radiated off her in waves of pure, raw femininity.

The fragrance had him thinking about something sweet. He was thinking that Maya's body was _his_ candy. He gazed down at said _candy_ as she lay with her eyes closed, enjoying his hands.

 _Chocolate candy._

 _Plump, sweet slices._

 _With a juicy center._

The curse and the benefit of having a mind like his was that rather than always living in the moment, his active imagination often had him visualizing the 'what ifs' in life. Like right now he imagined the taste of his girlfriend's sweetness against his mouth…

Hey what was good for the _gander_ was good for the _goose_ , right?

Okay, the hell with this massage. He wanted some candy.

He wanted to make _her_ be the one with her eyes rolling back in her head this time while _he_ paid her some _lip service_.

So he proceeded to do _just_ that.

Even after he'd returned the favor though, and she lay there, still shivering in the aftershock of the bliss he'd just brought her, it still wasn't enough.

Because he wasn't done with her. He wanted _all_ of his candy, in _every_ way.

Phoenix looked up at her with eyes darkened with desire. "I want you. I want _all_ of you. I want to bring you to rapture again, just as you brought me…but I want us to have it _together_ this time. Would you like that?"

"Mmm, yes Santa baby…"

"Then say it, you naughty vixen."

"I want you make me yours," Maya rasped, even as she shuddered and moaned through her bliss as Phoenix rose up and made her his. She wrapped her legs around him, signaling her acceptance and her need. He braced himself over her, with his hands on the ground.

"Do you want to make love?" he asked.

Maya stared up at him, her eyes smoldering like liquid brown fire. "No," she rasped.

"What do you want then?"

Through clenched teeth she moaned. "Take me _hard_ , and take me _now_ , Saint Nick!"

"You were right," Phoenix growled, as he set out to _very willingly_ oblige the command. " _Nice_ is _way_ too overrated…"

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's_

 **Gaby -** _(ch 1) I wish you had an account so I could personally thank you, sweet semi-anon guest reader, for taking the time to tell me how much you like the story already. I hope you read this eventually (I know as you just started, you've got a long ways to go in this lengthy emotional roller-coaster!). Merci beaucoup for making my day with your kind and encouraging words. Fret not, your English is much better than my francais so I so understood you fine! I wish I could update more often than twice a week but alas...stupid day job! LOL. But I shan't ever stop - the unexpected support and feedback from readers has been mind-blowing and is the fuel I need to keep going! And as it says on my profile, I shall **never** start a story I can't finish, although this story will not be done till the New Year at this rate, so I hope you guys stick around! (In the case where my posted stories are co-written, they may be DELAYED but never the unpardonable faux pas of being abandoned!)  
_

* * *

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr -** _(chapter 60) Sweetie! Long time no see! Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, about Edgy...I promise you he and Franny will have an emotional rollercoaster that I hope you and the rest of the readers find entertaining...yes Franny is a hard ass but we will soon find out why she's got such trust (among other!) issues...ugh Miles...his heart was in the right place but I dunno where his HEAD was!  
_

* * *

 **Yanmegaman -** _(ch 64) They say if a gal wants something she needs to spell it out! At least this way the adorkable and yes, often clueless and daft Nick can't feign ignorance, Wright? :p  
(still that was quite the list he had to fulfill, in fact...the list still has a few items missing...did he forget about them, you think?)  
_

* * *

 **Ilet Moratar -** (ch 64)on your behalf I am posting this letter for you to Edgy:

 ** _Dear Miles._**

 _ **You know that sexy wish list Maya left for St. Nick? Please study accordingly, and make a point in your travels to visit the beautiful country of Cuba, particularly, sliding down my chimney and fulfilling each item on there. That is all I want for Christm** as. _

_**Love,**_

 _ **Ilet Moratar**_

 _Trust me, that little bottle of wine that Nick "borrowed" will bite him in the culo! Miles is very uptight and precise and that was a real wine I plan on having Miles notice (Nick wouldn't know the difference!) is missing - a $1500 bottle from FRANCE!  
The idea of Edgy drunk on Cuban rum is too funny! If he starts singing the hilarious "La Guantanamera" and end dancing guaguancó...I can only imagine Franny asking for a divorce before they even make it to the altar! LOL_  
 _Nick...his paranoia may or may not be valid when it comes to wanting to protect Maya from el diablo Gavin...(how on earth do you tell the love of your life someone out there may want to kill her just bc she loves you so much? Answer- you CAN'T!) guess we won't know unless we keep reading..._  
 _We will find out soon enough how Maya reacts to this news, after all they still are in company of friends and she is more mature since her days of throwing a drink to his face, so she will not act out in front of them now!  
Ah, those poor foolish fools, the Gumshoes. At least Nick and Maya can laugh the wrong gifts off - imagine the unbearable shame had it been Franny and Edgy who got the mixed up gifts?! XD  
_

* * *

 **TheFreelancerSeal** \- (ch 64) _TMI Gumshoe family deets we now know...Maggey will be suffering from Hungry Bum syndrome as her arse will no doubt be eating that neon floss passing off as underwear, Gumshoe's undercover identity is Chewbacca, and handcuffs - they aren't just for prisoners anymore! XD  
_ _Also - Phaya has a delightfully tormenting sense of humor even when given traumatic gifts, and 5-year-old can't read - TOTAL rookie mistake of his folks! Yes Nick and Maya have a bittersweet love story right now, but there's a glimmer of hope for them over the horizon (in the form of one of your earlier prophecies maybe? Stay tuned!)_

 **As always guys, thanks so much for reading! The AA holidays wrap up next week - but not before some of my favorite characters get a long overdue mini reunion! Hope ya'll are as excited about it as I am!**


	66. Faithfully

_"Meeting your soul mate is like walking into a house you've been in before- you will recognize the furniture, the pictures on the wall, the books on the shelves, the contents of drawers. You could find your way around in the dark if you had to."_

* * *

 _A/N: This is dedicated to my friend **TheFreelancerSeal** \- who is my male king of thoughtful, insightful and PROPHECY reviews! :p  
_

 _While there is a hint of steam here, ultimately, Turnabout Everlasting is a love story. And this is possibly **the** most fluffy Phoenix and Maya chapter I have written (to date) in this entire series, and I hope you guys love reading it as much as I loved Wrighting it! Merry Christmas from Phaya!_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-Six: Faithfully** **  
**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Edgeworth's Love Shack, Empire Bellagio Penthouse_  
December 25, 2024 6:30 am

When Maya woke up Christmas morning, she was naked and alone. Frowning at the digital alarm clock next to the bed, she saw it was still early – Pearly wasn't due back for another good few hours and there was no sign of Phoenix.

Also, she had no recollection of coming to bed, as when she awakened, she was conscious of two things…the most heavenly smells wafting into the bedroom, where she was laying under the cool Egyptian cotton sheets, and that her boyfriend was nowhere in sight.

The last memory she had was making wild, passionate love with Phoenix before the roaring fireplace before passing out just after midnight in his arms on the rug in front of the hearth.

She swung her legs over the bed and reached for her satiny robe from last night, which Phoenix had thoughtfully placed by the night table on her side. Her thighs felt slightly shaky as her bare feet hit the plush carpet beneath her, and she had to grab the foot board to steady herself.

So much for her wish list of leaving Nick unable to move! After three rounds before midnight last night, _Maya_ was the one who had been screwed till she could barely walk!

 _I must have really been down for the count_ , Maya thought, blushing slightly, as she hadn't even been aware of Phoenix carrying her to bed, him joining her, or his absence from her side till that moment.

That tantalizing aroma was making her stomach growl, and she had the insatiable urge to follow it. Tying her gown around her waist, she headed to the door, and heard the faint strains from Edgeworth's baby grand piano in the living room, as well her boyfriend's sweet voice singing along to the ballad.

 _Highway run_ _  
Into the midnight sun  
Wheels go round and round  
You're on my mind  
Restless hearts  
Sleep alone tonight  
Sendin' all my love  
Along the wire_

Maya was startled, to say the least. For one thing, the pianist tickling those ivories sure as hell needed no lessons from what _she_ could determine! The music playing of the _Journey_ song on that piano was nearly flawless.

But moreover, her boyfriend's singing voice was so melodious…so hauntingly _beautiful_ that a wave of emotion washed over her then, bringing unexpected tears to her eyes even though she could only make out snatches of the lyrics from the bedroom.

She opened the door and padded down the hallway.

 _Right down the line_ _  
It's been you and me  
And lovin' a music man  
Ain't always what it's supposed to be_

 _Oh girl you stand by me_  
 _I'm forever yours, faithfully_

Three things hit Maya at once as she came out.

One, the heavenly whiff that had been partially responsible for awaking her was the scent of bacon, mixed with an indeterminable sweetness, coming from the kitchen. Two, the dining table had been immaculately set with two place settings in readiness of whatever that scrumptious smelling substance was. And three, seated at the piano, crooning along to the piano, was her gorgeous, shirtless boyfriend, wearing her Santa hat from the night before, who smiled broadly at her as he continued the next verse.

 _Through space and time_ _  
Always another show  
Wondering where I am  
Lost without you_

She hadn't heard him sing for almost six years, ever since his debut song at The Borscht Bowl. He'd made her cry then, for different reasons than now, but even though their circumstances were much different now, she still had to wipe her eyes a tad as Phoenix came round to the final chorus bars.

 _And being apart ain't easy on this love affair_ _  
Two strangers learn to fall in love again  
I get the joy  
Of rediscovering you_

 _Oh girl, you stand by me_  
 _I'm forever yours, faithfully_  
 _Oh, oh, oh, oh_  
 _Faithfully, I'm still yours_  
 _I'm forever yours_  
 _Ever yours, faithfully_

She swallowed back the lump of emotion in her throat and found herself applauding, although unlike his playfully sarcastic ovation to her bathtub warbling the day before, hers was with sincerity, as completely heartfelt as Phoenix's performance as he finished the song, blushing slightly at her effusive response.

"Merry Christmas my love," he said softly, rising from the piano and walking up to her. She realized that he wasn't completely shirtless after all, but instead had a black apron tied around his otherwise bare, muscled torso…and as it was up to toned _mid-thigh_ …there was naught else beneath it.

Maya stared. _Ohhh myyyy…_

In spite of her emotions, Maya couldn't help but giggle helplessly at the sight of what was emblazoned on the front of his apron in red and green letters: _**I'm the reason Santa has a naughty list.**_

"I know your X-mas list said you wanted to see me cooking _naked_ so you could stare at my ass…" Phoenix said apologetically. "And that would have been easy enough to do with the pancakes, but bacon, er, tends to _splatter_." He turned did a twirl then, so she could catch a tantalizing view of his firm, bare buttocks. "But you still get the _majority_ of the view right?"

Maya eyed him appreciatively, in fully unabashed eye-banging mode, nodding as she and bit her lip.

It was unbelievable how she'd been satiated beyond her wildest fantasies just hours ago, yet one look at Phoenix wearing an apron and nothing at else under it was enough to send visions of doing things that would get her on Father Christmas's _permanent bad girls list_ dancing through her head.

"Nick, why the heck do your friends think you can't play piano?" Maya asked dazedly, still in somewhat awe of her boyfriend's hidden talents. "Moreover, why do _you_ always insist to me that you're this lousy pianist who only manages to _scrape b_ y on barely recognizable show tunes at the bar? _That_ …was absolutely incredible. I'm still torn which performance I loved more between this one and the _last_ one."

"You're being too kind," Phoenix shrugged and blushed modestly. "I guess I do OK if I really put my heart and soul into the song, like I've done both times I've played for you. At work… being a pianist, well…it's the _job_ I never wanted, you know? I hate it, so I guess I'm more lackluster. Plus, I guess it helps that I've been practicing _this_ little ditty for a few weeks! I'm glad you liked it."

"I _loved_ it," she whispered, walking up and wrapping her arms around him. She looked up at him adoringly. "It was the most wonderful Christmas present in the world."

He leaned down and kissed her softly, letting her taste the soft sweetness of his lips as well as the faint saltiness of bacon. It was an intoxicating blend, and when they parted, Maya felt a surge of ravenousness surge through her that for once, had nothing to do with food.

"By the way," he grinned. "This wasn't your Christmas gift. It was the _prelude_ to one of them, really. I had meant to give it to you last night after your 'legal revelations' mini-gift, but I seemed to have ah, gotten distracted."

"Sorry," Maya snickered, dropping her hands from his broad shoulders and running them down to his butt, giving his bare cheeks a playful squeeze. "I guess it was all that talk about moving to Canada that made you lose track of your intentions?"

"Yes, _that_ was it!" He smirked, laughing as she lightly smacked his cheeks then. "It definitely got my thoughts straying from the present to the future though. Oh Canada, were it to be our home and native land…first things first, we'd have to get a small apartment."

"Not too small, it has to fit all four of us," she reminded him, playing along, snuggling into this chest. "Better yet, a loft!"

"That's right," his low voice answered over the top of her head.

"And all we'd need is a bed in it," she added.

"And _you_ ," his husky voice murmured. She looked up at him, dark blue eyes meeting hers, heavy-lidded, both tender and eerily sharp. His lips curled into an adorable smile, and she knew right then and there that her boyfriend loved that she'd suggested a bed, of course.

"We can even get a dog," Maya added cheekily. "We'll call him _Steely_."

"And maybe a cat that we'll name her _Princess_ ," he chuckled. "And some artwork that may not be as pricey as the stuff in this place, but definitely more us than all _this_ …"

Phoenix lifted one arm to point at the priceless painting on the walls of their love shack. As much as they liked the place that had been their safe haven, the reality was it wasn't theirs, merely their sole hiding place where they could securely meet and spend as much time together as they could.

How wonderful it would be once they finally had a place to call their own.

It was almost dawn then, and though they hadn't slept much, they both could easily have stayed there forever.

"Soooo…" Maya fluttered her eyelashes coyly at him. "As much as I'm loving this trip to _Fantasy Island_ …the reality is…" her eyes sparkled with her familiar childlike delight. "If that beautiful song still wasn't my actual present – though believe me, it would have been enough! – then where's my actual present _Saint Nick_?"

He grinned. No matter how old she got, she was always the same old Maya, his woman/child zany girl with enough zany enthusiasm that would put most kids to shame.

"Hmmm…." Phoenix put a finger to his chin, as if in thought. "Now where did I stash that present of yours…you rattled my brains so hard last night I seem to have forgotten where I put it…"

"Nick!" She laughed, swatting his arm.

"Oh right, here it is…" He shoved his hand into his frontal apron pocket. "There's been something I've been wanting you to have . . ."

A sliver of excitement ran through her body when she realized what it was, and her eyes widened when she saw the velvet covered jewelry case he presented it to her. She opened it, and covered her mouth to stifle her gasp. It was silver ring, with the symbol of infinity on it, lined with tiny chips of his and hers birthstones on each side of it, her April crystal and his December blue zircon.

She looked at him with shining eyes. "Oh my God, Nick…"

"You like it?"

"Are you kidding?"

"It's only a silver one right now," he said shyly. "I promise you someday when I have more money, to get you one of white gold, or any gold you like, and a bigger rock, when I'm able to get you a proper betrothal ring. In the meantime, consider this the prelude to your someday-hopefully-soon engagement ring."

"Is this a promise ring?" She looked with delight at the delicate design, and then, when her shining eyes raised, she found him watching her with somber intensity.

With the intensity of a man who loved her.

Just like she loved him.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, reverently reaching out for it.

"Read the inscription." His voice was textured with emotion, his beautiful face harsh with it as she read the words _forever yours, faithfully_ engraved on the back. There were tears in her eyes as he then slipped it onto her finger.

"What are you promising me?" She breathed, lifting her face to his.

She would never forget the love and promise in his smile as he whispered back, "Me."

Maya's mind was a whirlwind of joyous thoughts at this tangible proof of Nick's love and commitment to her, to their future.

 _Oh, God, I love him. I love him like a storm loves a sky and a smile needs a face. Nick is the best of me, the rock that holds me, the only one who understands me. He's all that is left of my life that is tender and happy._

She threw herself at him and he caught her, squeezed her, and held her tighter than anyone else had ever hugged her.

"I'll say yes and take all of you, so don't joke about this, Nick," she laughingly warned.

"No joke," he promised, lifting her hand so he could admire the ring. "It looks so pretty on you."

She squeezed his fingers with hers as her heart squeezed at the very same time.

"Someday…soon, I can't wait to show this off to whole world, Nick."

 _Our lives are so imperfect. Cluttered with obstacles between him and me._

 _Either it's the elder's disapproval looming over our heads._

 _Or Nick and his still not quite yet named paranoia of unspoken danger still remaining for us if we go public just yet…_

So many other previous hindrances they'd overcome, yet still those last straggling few, threatening to destroy their every chance at happiness.

Maybe it wouldn't be such a horrible thing if they had to run off together.

She couldn't wait to get away.

Perhaps they _both_ needed to get away.

Fate would decide for them in half a year…

He stroked her face with his long, piano-playing fingers. "Pearls and Trucy need us, which is another reason we can't be hasty or just cut and run just yet. The next six months will fly right by, Maya, you'll see. Whatever happens with my badge, whatever the destiny decides . . . we'll be together and we'll manage somehow, even if it means I score couple of piano gigs at a few local bars in another state or country."

"Are you really willing to just pack up and leave if that's what it takes for us to be together in the end? Are you sure you can do it?" She asked hopefully.

"Maya, I'd do anything for you." He was deadly serious as he spoke the words, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "I'm tired of hiding, too, you know."

"I know."

"I want to be with you. Out in the open. I'm sick of being your secret. I want to be your guy. I want people to know you're mine."

"But I am." She lifted her hand to his line of vision again, wiggling her beautifully adorned finger. "I am yours. And our plan's still on, whatever happens with your investigation. You and me… we're end game, Nick."

Phoenix smiled a slightly sad smile at the mention of the investigation, then he lifted her ringed hand and kissed it tenderly.

"Maya Fey, I'm forever yours. Faithfully." Then pulled her against his hard, broad chest and kissed her senseless.

* * *

 _A short time later…_

After the delicious breakfast Phoenix had prepared for them, he'd insisted on not creating any more additional work for Hendricks and taking care of the clean-up all by himself, despite her protests and offers to help, insisting she go clean up and ready herself for Pearl's arrival in the next few hours and her subsequent trip back to Kurain.

Phoenix was tired as hell when he was finally finished tidying up. He never had been, nor ever would be a morning person, in spite of the copious cups of coffee he'd consumed when after a rapturous night of vigorous lovemaking, he'd woken up just a few hours later that morning at _sparrow's fart_ to prepare Christmas breakfast and fulfill Maya's final item on her wish list.

Now that he'd taken care of that, he figured he'd steal a quick nap before it was time for him to meet up with Trucy downstairs.

As he dragged himself down the hall to the bedroom, he saw the light on in the master bathroom, and the tell-tale, happy sound of Maya humming "Faithfully" from the tub.

A broad smile crept over his face, along with a pleasant feeling of déjà vu as he pushed the ajar door further open.

Tired flew right out the window as Phoenix watched his sexy girlfriend playing with the bubbles in the tub.

Playing _him_.

She was definitely in one of those turned-on, hell-on-wheels-in-bed moods, but he didn't mind the game. Not at all. Light from those scented candles she loved so much flickered over her body in the otherwise dark bathroom. Her dark curls were piled high on her head in a messy knot, her cheeks flushed pink from the steam, and she had a come-hither look in her gorgeous dark eyes.

That was one invitation he wouldn't refuse.

Maya picked up a bath pouf and started running it over her raised leg, letting the soap suds slide down to her thighs. Her breath hitched and she did it several times, pretending not to notice Phoenix leaning against the door, his arms crossed, and a sexy-as-sin smile on his face.

She dunked the pouf again, picking up more bubbles, and then squeezed it so the water and the suds cascaded over her chest, all the while still humming the tune.

A low rumble came from his chest. "I've given you quite the earworm, I see."

She turned her head and smiled lazily at him, even as her body flushed with heat. "So you have. You have too many clothes on. Get naked. There's plenty of room for both of us in this tub."

His grin was all male, and it chased some of the tired from his face and most of the tension from his body. She loved the way Nick looked, with his spiky dark hair and azure eyes that were now sparkling with lust.

He pushed himself away from the door and started a very personal strip show. She swallowed hard as he slowly untied the strings of the apron behind his neck, torturously, exposing a broad, muscled chest.

She scooped up some bubbles and painted them on her body, across her chest, drawing one finger through the froth, circling each glistening mound that was peeking tantalizingly through the bubbles.

"Oh God, _yes_ ," she breathed, groaning aloud as she became more aroused.

"You're a goddess," he replied thickly, reaching behind him to lock the door. He never took his eyes off her, which was incredibly sexy. "I like what you're doing with those bubbles, but save that job for _me_." Working quickly, he removed the apron ties and slid it down his taut physique with his strong, sure fingers.

Fingers Maya wanted on her body, _in_ her body… She shivered and feasted her eyes on her boyfriend's body, letting him feel the weight of her yearning as she visually caressed the bulge of his arousal.

"You keep looking at me like that," he said, his voice rough with desire, "and things are going to be over before they even start."

"You're still wearing too much," she said softly. Even though she loved the way her lover looked right now, clad only in a pair of skin-tight black boxer briefs that he'd donned on after breakfast, which left nothing to the imagination, naked would be _so_ much better.

"Workin' on it." He skimmed his briefs down his body, giving her a quick flash of his incredibly sexy ass.

When he turned around, Maya burst into laughter when she saw the _bright red bow_ tied around his nether regions.

Her naughty list was _officially_ complete!

Smirking, Phoenix deftly unraveled the bow and discarded it before he stalked over to the tub and crouched next to it, leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers. She gasped and he slid his tongue in her mouth, feasting on the taste that was uniquely his Maya's.

He kissed her again. "Scoot up."

When she did, he slid into the tub behind her. He leaned back against the tub's high walls with a heartfelt groan. The hot water felt great. He slipped his arms around her, tugging her back against his chest. That felt even better—her bottom was pressed right against his aching hardness. He nipped at her shoulder and held her close, reveling in the feel of her. Her head dropped back against his shoulder, and she clutched at his arms, rubbing her body back and forth against his.

The warmth of the water, the heat and movement of Maya's body, the potent scent of the candles in the air—all of it put him on edge. He cupped her head and pulled her into a deep kiss, covering her mouth with his, swallowing her moan.

His heart galloped, his breathing ragged as she kissed the back of his hand and then turned all the way around and settled between his thighs, facing him on her knees. Water sloshed over the edge of the tub, and small waves rippled in the water's depth, caressing him the way he wanted Maya to. He gritted his teeth, not wanting to go over, not yet.

"Hi there." She leaned up to kiss him, coming half out of the water like a mermaid from the sea. Her long waves, now curly from the water, had fallen from their knot and now trailed over her shoulders, tumbling down her back and past her buttocks.

He wrapped a finger in one of her damp tendrils and tugged lightly. "Hi yourself. This is a nice surprise."

She tilted her head and reached out, splaying her hand across his chest. "For both of us. I thought you were going to take a nap."

"Really? You seemed to be enjoying yourself just fine I got here. Playing without me?" he teased, intrigued by the thought. Damned if it didn't send a lightning bolt of lust straight through him. "It doesn't matter either way, my love." He ran his knuckles gently down Maya's cheek. "I'm just glad the sight of your glorious naked, wet form jolted me awake so I got to spend some quality time with my gorgeous girlfriend."

Now Maya had her hands on his thighs. She slid them forward until her fingers nestled in the crook of his legs, close to his hot spot, but she didn't touch him. And oh, how he wanted that. His muscles bunched and flexed as she rubbed her thumbs closer and closer.

"Babe, you're killing me here." He closed his eyes and dropped his head back against the edge of the tub. "Touch me. Please."

"Touch you how?" Maya's voice was like velvet, her softly uttered words uncharacteristically bold. "Tell me what you want me to do."

His eyes flew open, and in the dim light, he saw raw desire on his girlfriend's face. Damned if that didn't turn him on too. Whatever had come over Maya this holiday season, it definitely added a spark to their love life. He liked it. A lot.

He kept his eyes locked on hers as his heart threatened to gallop out of his chest. He had to clear his throat twice to get his voice to work. "Get your hand all soapy… I want to feel those delightful hands on me…"

Her eyes lit up as she demonstrated. "Like this?"

Steam rose around them, but he wasn't sure if it was from the water or from the heat they generated together. As her slick, soapy hands went to work, his body jerked in response.

It felt like hell, and it felt like heaven. "Stop," he groaned. "Or I'm going to finish like this."

She didn't listen, continuing to tease him with her skillful hands. He knew he was going to lose it, right there, without being united with her, if he didn't do something fast. And he didn't want to finish alone.

He tugged Maya up his body, draping her legs on either side of this, and joined them together. As good as her warm, soapy hand had felt, it was nothing like being intimately intertwined. He held her hips steady, moving until he was completely one with her.

"Nick," she cried out, closing her eyes and biting her lip.

"Take me." He didn't care how needy he sounded; their union was already urging him toward release. He slid his hands into her hair, pulling her down for a kiss as she rocked back and forth on his body, her movements drawing him closer and closer to the fire. When she went over at last, he finally stopped fighting against his need to do the same, and tightened his hands in her hair, deepening the kiss, swallowing the ragged sound she made as she found her sweet release, and he followed her almost immediately, holding her as wave after wave of pleasure overtook him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding Maya close while she came back to earth.

They lay together in the tub, breathing heavily, and he stroked a hand up and down her smooth back. He didn't know how long they lay there like that, entwined and nestled together.

She beyond content to stay connected to him, to rest in their intimate embrace. No moment in her life had prepared her for this utter sense of completion. Every sad thought, every bad memory…everything melted away. It was just them. Nick and Maya. The rest of the world was all an illusion.

"A husband could get used to coming home to this every night," he murmured in her ear, and he felt her smile against his neck.

"So could a wife," she said with a satisfied sigh.

Phoenix curled up behind her, his warm, sated body spooning hers, his lips against her hair, whispering words of unconditional love.

He wanted never to be away from her. She had the spark of life.

* * *

 _ **Journey - Faithfully  
**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's (ch 65)_

 **Yanmegaman -** _Poor Herr Forehead indeed! Maya can be brutal with her candid but (harmlessly intended!) remarks eh? Hee!_  
 _My punny friend, I'm not going to lie, I did think of your punny self a few times when I was writing this! lol. They make euphemisms so much more fun, funny and easier to keep this story T-rated! XD_

 **Ilet Moratar -** _I think we know now why Maya wasn't in AJ - between her mischievous but ego-crushing hair jokes and Klavier calling him Herr Forehead no doubt the poor guy would want to stick his head in a vase! (but would it FIT over those spikes AND that gigantic forehead?! LOL)_  
 _Ah, if Phoenix were to come to the cold North that is Canada I dunno if his California self could handle the frigid temperatures, so of course I'd offer to keep him warm SOMEHOW like the hospitable hostess I am! (and maybe push Maya into a snowdrift only to thaw her out in time for spring. MAYBE!)_  
 _I'm glad you like my steam scenes- it is hard to show the passion these to two share (confined to that Love Shack what **else** is there to do?!) and keep it clean (bubbles, clean, get it?) but I try! :p_

 ** _Next week, AA holidays wrap up, but end with some mini-reunions I am so stoked about! They are soooo overdue! As always guys, thanks for reading!_**


	67. Miles Away on New Year's Day

_"Technology is sometimes the only way to be together, but it sure can make your day when you get that call and see them, bringing you that familiar love and comfort…as though they were right there by your side."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: I am so excited about this chapter when you see who the characters interacting all are! I hope you enjoy it!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-Seven:** **Miles Away on New Year's Day**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
January 2, 2025, 8:00 am

While relations between Miles and Franziska had been strained, yet civil, over the course of the holidays, up until the first week of January, they at least had had Annalise and Katharina as houseguests to provide a sort of buffer. The vivacious blondes had greatly filled in the uncomfortable gaps of silence and pained glances between the couple with their cheery conversation and laughter, and he dreaded the day they would leave, as having them afoot turned that gloomy house into an actual home.

But alas, much like most things in life, all good things had to come to an end, and Miles was distressed to bid his future sister-in-law and niece adieu at the train station for their trip back home to Switzerland. Anneliese had hastily kissed him goodbye on the cheek then scurried off ahead with their baggage, Phoenix happily trailing by her side. Katharina placed her slender fingers on the door handle, but then, at the last minute, leaned over to brush her lips against his cheek before stepping out of the car, her grey eyes, so like her sister's, baring a sympathetic, knowing look in their depths.

"Take good care of my baby sister, _Brüderchen_ ," she whispered. "I know not the intricate details of what troubles stir betwixt you two, which neither of you are skilled enough thespians to conceal from me, just as much as I know you shan't reveal them to me any more than she would have, had I been foolish enough to ask. Franziska can be just as stubborn and close-mouthed as you can be, but you two are alike in so many other ways, that I know your love will see you through in the end. You're perfect for one another. I pray you can remedy this rift between you in good time."

Miles looked into her kind, loving face and swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked at her saddened gaze, which he knew mirrored his own.

Of _course_ , despite her diplomatic silence on the matter during the duration of her stay, Katharina was still painfully aware something was amiss with them; how could you hide the fact that they slept in separate chambers, even in a manor as large as theirs? While it had been easy enough to dupe Anneliese with the lame excuse that his snores disrupted his fiancée's slumber, and it wasn't good to have Franziska lose sleep this close to her due date, surely a _family psychologist_ was harder to fool!

"I will do everything in my power to make those prayers come true, _Schwester_ ," he whispered back, dropping his eyes guiltily.

"Just remember two things, always. One, my sister has loved you since she was a young girl, and still does, in spite of what she may say or do to the contrary. And two, she suffers from that obstinate Von Karma pride, which she unfortunately inherited from our father. But underneath it all, the good heart of our mother also beats within her, and as sure as I am of my own name, know that it will only beat for you until her last breath."

"I love her, too," Miles looked at her helplessly. "You _have_ to know that."

"I _do_ know that. Which is why these past few weeks, seeing the two of you act like polite strangers towards one another, these silences, they've nearly broken my heart." Katharina sighed, then gave him a maternal pat on the cheek. "But I know you're a good man, and that things will work themselves in due time. I am only a phone call and train ride away if you need me, either of you," she reminded him. "I hope the next time I see you both, you will be the happy family of three that you deserve to be. Much love."

Miles nodded mutely and forced a smile for her benefit as he drove away, the older woman's words echoing in his mind as he headed back home, all the while contemplating just how he could possibly go about fulfilling the promise he'd made. He hoped with all his heart Katharina knew of what she spoke. He needed to believe that more than anything in the world.

Franziska had opted to stay home instead of accompanying him on the ride over, and had still been resting when they'd left the house. At 7 months along now, she was constantly exhausted, and he could tell she was uncomfortable being on her feet for more than a few moments at a time, due to her aching back and swollen body, which put her often in a state of discomfiture.

Even though Miles knew Franziska would never admit it, it was a blessing in disguise that their sting operation was on hiatus. He honestly didn't think, in her current, chronic state of discomfort and pain (which she wasn't _quite_ skilled at hiding), that his fiancée was in _any_ condition to resume work once Ku came back to Europe. He fervently hoped she would have already had the baby by the time the drug lord returned. Things were undoubtedly going to take an even more risky turn if the king pin was going to be true to his word and lead them to the contact for the big cheese – the Borginian cocoons.

Miles had no desire for Franziska and his baby daughter to get caught in any dangerous crossfire.

The month before, they'd found out that were having a little girl, whom they'd decided to name _Carol Wilhelmine_ , after Mile's and Franziska's late mothers. Miles had been relieved she hadn't been too insistent on making her mother's given name be the baby's as well, and had hesitantly suggested they refer to the child as the slightly softer-sounding "Minna" had that been Franziska's true heart's desire. However, she'd just offhandedly shrugged and said fair was fair after all, and when he'd protested, she'd coolly reminded him that ' _the last one had been named after her father after all_ ,' then just as nonchalantly informed him that due to circumstances beyond her control, she'd become privy to the baby's gender.

Apparently, that afternoon he'd gone to the gentleman's club in December, Franziska had gone with her sister to her last appointment at the general practitioner's before he went on holidays, and the excited 'foolish fool of a receptionist' had blurted out the news, thinking they'd already known!

Luckily Katharina had been there to restrain her fuming younger sibling from unleashing her wrath – and her whip! – upon the poor, clueless young woman who'd unwittingly ruined the surprise.

When Miles returned to the house, he found Franziska on the computer in library, scrolling through a site of natural remedies for prenatal bloating and swelling. She quickly minimized the window when she saw him enter.

"You're back," she said stiffly, a slight blush coloring her cheeks as she saw him enter.

"I am," he replied, arching a brow and crossing his arms. "I had no inkling that you were a believer in the homeopathic ways of healing, Franziska. I thought you'd always dismissed that sort of thing as 'foolish nonsense' and preferred the western medical route as a trusted science."

Franziska averted her gaze from his. "Well…Maya had Skyped me to wish me Happy New Year a few moments ago, and you know how that village of hers preaches the ancient, natural ways of the land over traditional medicine..." Miles nodded, and her blush deepened. "So she was mentioning how I can treat some of my less than pleasant persistent...ill-health symptoms with things such as Cyprus or lavender oil, which can apparently be helpful. As can, ahem, _allium sativum_ …"

Miles didn't need to inquire which ailment would require the use of garlic; he already knew. Hence, he wisely didn't mention that along looking up relief for edema, he'd also noticed Franziska had had an open window detailing relieving suggestions for thrush in the nether regions, presumably to help ease … _womanly itching._

"And how is Miss Fey doing?" He asked. "I hope she and Wright got their Christmas presents sent to them in time."

"Maya's actually still online," Franziska gestured to the Skype window. "I was just messaging her a few moments ago. She and Phoenix are over at our place right now, if you want to wish them Happy New Year. It's still the first of the month over in California right now."

Miles felt a slight smile tugging at his lips. While he'd emailed and called his best friend many times over the years, and had the sporadic written correspondence with the Gumshoes and Maya as well, he hadn't actually _set eyes_ on _any_ of them in six years, and was suddenly bursting with a desire to do so. He would blame the sentiment of the holiday season still being within him for his uncharacteristic reaction.

How _else_ to explain the barely concealed delight spreading within him as Franziska set up the video call feature, as he waited with excited anticipation for his friends to pick up on the other end?

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma/ Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany/Edgeworth's Penthouse, Los Angeles_  
January 2, 2025/January 1, 2025

Maya was obviously on her laptop, seated on the couch. Miles and Franziska could clearly make out their still holiday-decorated living room in the background. A sleepy-looking Phoenix was only partially visible as he appeared to be resting his head on Maya's shoulder. Miles could only make out his friend's forehead and spikes at this particular angle of the camera.

"Holy cow! I can't believe we're _finally_ getting to see you guys!" The Kurain Master chirped happily, her eyes sparkling at the sight of her friends after so long. "Happy New Year!"

Maya's customary bubbly expression faded slightly as she then turned to look at her dozing boyfriend. She poked the top of his skull with her finger, as though trying to push his head off of her. "Hey! Old Man, wake up! You'll _never guess_ who's on cam right now!"

Phoenix emitted a loud snore in response, much to the couple's amusement and Maya's visible annoyance.

"Happy New Year, Miss Fey," Miles gave a mock-bow, noting that even with her face scrubbed free of makeup, and her hair pulled up in a messy semi-topknot, his friend was the same fresh-faced, ageless beauty she'd been when he'd seen her last, even though she now had to be in her late 20's.

"Happy New Year, Maya," Franziska smiled graciously, then raised a sardonic brow. "It's early morning here in Germany, on January 2nd... how late it is over there now, seeing as your ah, _lively_ _companion_ seems to be in wont of his bed?"

"It's only 11:00 pm at night right now," Maya told them. "So still first day of the year for us! We were just watching my favorite TV series when you called me, Franziska. _This_ _guy_ here was obviously _pretending_ to be awake watching _The Pink Princess/Steel Samurai_ DVD series I got him for Christmas when he's _actually been asleep_ the whole time, the bum!" She glared at Phoenix and then shifted abruptly so that his slumbering form slumped then fell over to the side…and off the screen. " _Take that,_ you big bluffer!"

Miles and Franziska snorted as they heard a heavy thud on the floor, followed by an irate cry of: "Hey! Maya, what the hell!" from the rudely awakened Phoenix.

" _That's_ what you get for falling asleep watching the Christmas gift I _so lovingly_ gave you, Buster! How are you ever going to do those reports you promised me, when you're not even awake to see the episodes!" Maya snapped unapologetically. "Besides, Nick… _yeesh_! What are you, like, _a hundred_? How can you be falling asleep when it's only _11:00_!?"

There was a shuffling sound as Phoenix struggled to get up off the carpet. Miles and Franziska could hear him, but still not see him as he grumbled. "Maybe because prior to turning on this _ridiculously boring drivel,_ a certain _someone_ completely wore me out earlier _all afternoon and evening_ with her repeated need to –"

"Oh my _God_!" Maya clapped a hand over her mouth and turned bright red. "Shut _up_ , Nick!"

"Why? What's with the innocent denial act, all of a sudden, Little Miss Insatiable? You're the one who jumped me _right here_ on _this very sofa_ …"

"Phoenix Wright, you _foolish fool_!" Franziska lifted a hand over her mouth to smother her giggles and affected the normal stern tone she'd reserved for him in the past. "I'll thank you to cease wagging your tongue and to _not_ to finish that _unseemly sent_ ence within my presence, lest the thought of it arise this morning's breakfast within me!"

"Yes, I beg you, _please_ spare us the recapped gory details of the exertion which caused your state of exhaustion, Wright," Miles added, a wry smile on his face as he saw Phoenix's spikes first emerge on the camera, and next, his forehead…and then one wide, stunned eyeball, followed by the other.

" _Franziska_?" Phoenix gasped, his cheeks flaming as he flopped back onto the couch next to Maya. " _Edgeworth_? What the? How? When…?"

"And a Happy New Year to you too, Wright," Miles smirked. While his voice held its typical wry tone, he was biting back a huge ear-to-ear grin at the sight of his best friend. Phoenix was now fully alert, staring back at the screen, his eyes wide with surprise, embarrassment, and completely unconcealed happiness at seeing Miles after all this time.

"H- Happy New Year, Edgeworth, Franziska!" A genuine beam of pleasure crossed Phoenix's face, lighting it up as he took in the sight of the two at last. "Long time no see!"

"Well if you'd just learned how to use Skype instead of always making _Larry_ be the one to set up that webcam for you all those times past, you could have been video-chatting with your best friend _ages_ ago, Nick!" Maya scolded playfully, rumpling her boyfriend's spikes.

"Give me a break, Maya, you _know_ how I'm not a techie guy! Hell, I don't even know how to change the ringtone on my Dumb Phone!" Phoenix groused, grabbing her hand to cease the tousling and smoothing his hair back into place. "It _still_ plays the _Steel Samurai_ theme when I get a call!"

"Yup!" Maya stuck out her tongue at him. "And I'm not about to change it, either!"

"I see some things _never_ change and that you're still your technologically challenged self, Wright," Miles' tone was smug. "Although I see you're at last free of that atrocious beanie! Miss Fey, did you take my advice and finally kill it with fire?"

"Nope, he's still got it," Maya tittered, ignoring the indignant look Phoenix shot her. "He just doesn't wear it here when we're together because he _knows_ I hate that thing!"

"Humph! I _have_ gotten wiser over the years, I'll have you all know! Therefore, I'm fully aware of the way your mind works, Maya!" Phoenix informed his girlfriend wryly, before turning his head to speak into the camera, the happy grin on his face belying his words entirely. "No doubt if I bring it here, she _will_ make off with it in my sleep, Edgeworth, and undoubtedly burn it as you've _repeatedly_ directed her to, _posthaste_! Luckily she's not been able to take that advice of yours, and disregarded your _equally hilarious_ suggestion to gift me with piano lessons for Christmas!"

"I apologize if I offended your artistic sensibilities, Wright!" Miles laughed. "It seemed like a good idea, based on my memories of your pianist skills!"

"That coincides with _my_ recollections as well, at his impromptu debut performance that night," Franziska chimed in, smirking. "I also seem to recall he was a better singer than pianist."

"And we are back to the gang up and make fun of Phoenix show!" The pianist quipped, rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

"Oh, Nick's a great singer, but really, his playing isn't so bad," Maya defended loyally, turning her head to press a kiss on Phoenix's temple. "It's certainly evolved so it was convincingly moving enough to make me accept his Christmas present." She beamed as she waved her promise ring at the camera. "Isn't it pretty?"

"I am impressed," Miles admitted. "It's very exquisite indeed. It appears your boyfriend has better taste in jewelry than his _own_ accessories, at any rate."

"You're _hilarious_ , Edgeworth, you know that?" Phoenix scowled at his best friend. "A real pip!"

"Cut it out, you two, you're not in court right now!" Maya admonished. "Have _neither_ of you evolved past this senseless bickering you seem to regress to whenever you're together?"

" _He_ started it!" Phoenix cried petulantly.

"Wright, what are you, a _five-year-old_?!" Miles exclaimed.

"So, are the two of you betrothed now?" Franziska broke in, anxious to cease the childlike bickering the two men seemed to forever favor. "Are a congratulations in order here?"

"It's only a promise ring for now," Phoenix said quickly. "But I'm going to give her the real thing soon enough…thanks to my investigations and some leads I've gotten from you guys, I'm on the path to clearing my name and hopefully, regaining my badge!"

"Let's hope that day comes soon, Phoenix Wright!" Franziska flashed a wicked grin. "I sorely miss sparring with you in the courtroom."

"And I thank _you_ , Franziska, for at least being _one_ of the _two_ of you to contain _said spars_ to the courtroom," Phoenix quipped, before looking back at Miles. "Anyway, I'm liking the Iron Man hairdo, Edgeworth. I see _you_ followed _my_ advice on cribbing the Tony Stark look."

"That facial hair is really something!" Maya noted. "It makes you look _really_ sharp, Mr. Edgeworth."

"If by _sharp_ , she really means that you totally look like a _greasy billionaire playboy_ , I'm going to have to agree with her!" Phoenix derided.

"Thank you both. That was _just the look_ I was going for!" Miles stroked his soul-patch. "I also wanted to ask if you two received your Christmas presents in time, and found them to be satisfactory."

" _Satisfactory_? Are you kidding Mr. Edgeworth? We _loved_ our gifts!" Maya enthused. "I'd wish we could have sent you guys something more than just the treat basket to your Germany residence, but we never knew where in the world you two were, and didn't want to risk sending anything perishable…but you better _believe_ Nick loves his new Corinthian Series Luxury Ebony Chess Pieces chess set!"

"Well, chess _is_ probably more _stimulating_ than the DVD set we were watching…Maya I'm only kidding!" Phoenix ducked as his girlfriend hit him over the head with a sofa pillow. He grinned mischievously at the camera. "What I _should_ have done was down a few cups of that awesome Brazilian roast that was sent to me anonymously for Christmas …"

Miles smirked. He had a pretty good idea of the identity of Phoenix's mysterious Arabica-bean gifter. Not at all coincidentally, _a_ _certain_ _coffee-connoisseur_ , whose early prison release Phoenix had requested years ago, had been recently paroled. It seemed his friend had forgotten the appeal had been the _penultimate_ motion he'd put into play prior to losing his badge, which over the years, _amongst other things_ , Miles had discreetly ensured came to fruition on his best friend's behalf. But now was not the time to remind him. Phoenix was still jabbering about the chess set.

"…no doubt that java will come in handy for keeping me alert in finally learning how to play that beloved game of yours…" Phoenix went on, smirking. "So when you come back, we can have the match of the century, Edgeworth!"

" _Bring it_ , Wright!" Miles replied, his face hurting from suppressing the enormous smile that only bantering with his best friend could evoke from him. "And Miss Fey, I hope you know what you have now is a _limited edition, original film print_ from the actual reel of the _Steel Samurai/Pink Princess_ / _Bronze Baby_ movie. _Ergo_ …" he gave her a meaningful look. "I imagine this will cease your desire to want to 'borrow' the _Steel Samurai_ movie print of _mine_ , henceforth?"

Maya at least had the decency to blush as she realized the big-mouthed Hendricks had blabbed about her sticky finger attempts. "Um, yeah," she mumbled. "Thanks so much for that, Mr. Edgeworth!"

All of a sudden, Phoenix and Maya heard a bark in the background. The next thing they knew, a beautiful golden retriever emerged on screen, pawing at first her daddy's, then mommy's laps, startling Franziska as Miles quickly grabbed the dog's collar.

"Pess! You're all wet! Down girl!" The German woman shot out of her seat…affording the other couple their first view of her protruding abdomen. "Hans!" she called, turning her head away from the camera as she walked a few steps away, hands to her mouth as a megaphone. "Helga! Dry her paws _immediately_! She's trailing the snow into the house!"

Phoenix and Maya were gobsmacked at the sight of the formerly svelte woman's expanded waistline – they'd had no idea Franziska was pregnant! Maya had simply assumed former prosecutor's slightly rounder face had been from indulging in too much holiday food consumption!

Of course, unlike her daft boyfriend, she wasn't idiotic enough to actually voice these thoughts _out loud…_

"Um, are those packed on pounds of hers, er, cause for congratulations on our behalf, Edgy?" Phoenix asked awkwardly, before Maya could shush him. "Or should we play dumb?"

" _Play_? You could _manage the team_ , Phoenix Wright, you foolish fool!" Franziska barked, returning to the camera and putting her hands on her hips. "Do you mean to tell me your foolish self can't the difference between when a woman has _gained weight_ or is _with child_?!"

" _S- Sorry_!" Phoenix flushed deeply and scratched the back of his neck, grateful he wouldn't be able to feel the crack of her whip over the connection. "Maya always said you are never to ask a woman if she's pregnant unless you see a baby's crowning head coming out of her…"

"Jeez, Nick, of all the times of you to finally start listening to me, _that's_ where you decided to start?" Maya demanded crossly. " _Thanks a lot_!"

" _Enough_ you two!" Miles was exasperated. "I can't _believe_ the _two of you_ haven't outgrown _your_ senseless squabbling! Yes, Franziska is _pregnant_ not fat, Wright, you imbecile! And before you put your foot in your mouth again, she's due in _two months_ , with our baby girl, Carol."

 _Mr. Edgeworth's parents were named_ _ **Greg and Carol**_ _?_ Maya smothered back a giggle. _If they were having a boy, would they have named him_ _ **Brady**_ _…?_

" _Really_?" Phoenix looked skeptical. He scratched his head. "She's only seven months then? I'd have thought she was further along…"

" _Congratulations_ , both of you!" Maya trilled, elbowing her boyfriend sharply in the side to shut him up. Ignoring his grunt, she clasped her hands in delight and beamed. "This is _wonderful_ news! Franziska, please ignore my perma-foot-in-mouth boyfriend…you look absolutely beautiful and _radiant_! Please, contact us when your little one is born so we know where to send a newborn basket!"

The four chatted a little bit longer, before finally signing off, with the last words they heard being Maya chastising Phoenix on being such a " _clueless_ , _insensitive jerk_!"

Both Miles and Franziska were still chuckling as they rang off.

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's (ch 66)_

 **Ryszard** **–** There is no one here whose work is above reproach or who cannot benefit from some sort of critisicm of enough of a discerning, or seeking eye seeks to go as such. The internet is full of them, and ergo I am grateful you took the time to not only read my little story, (this far in too!) but review to let me know if it is to be ridiculed in spork fame, it shan't be by you. Glad you think it's good. Danke!

 **Thefeelancerseal-** My dear phrophesizing pal, am so glad you liked this chapter as well as the band and song choice. Who doesn't like Journey? Nobody I care to know! So you, you called it awhile back, more than anything Nick has wanted to put ring on it, but it's all about the timing. Giving their circumstances, his ways if showing his love have been essentially limited to well, the physical cooped up in that love shack... It's not like he can take her to an amusement park and win her a stuffed bear at this point... But I hope I've conveyed there's more to Phaya's love than just love making and that Nick isn't all talk no action! Does he love Maya enough to uproot himself and risk teenage wrath? Yes. Will it come to that in this story? We shall see! :)

(ch 65) I don't know if I could do the closet/undercover part-time lover bit either but as we will find out when we see Phaya's backstory down the line, Maya has loved Nick since she was a teen, so that's not a prize you're quick to let go! With that tenacity is a lot of loyalty and yes Nick is a very lucky man indeed, and in chapter 66 at last found a way to show her his gratitude for standing by him all this time.

 **Yanmegaman –** my punny friend, I'd like to think we encourage and inspire one another in many different ways, including encouraging the other to go the dentist one of us overdoses on the overly saccharine content of our romantic stories! XD  
It's so nice that men out there are willing to admit they like my love story! You rock! Thank you!

 _**This week, the AA holiday season wrap ups, but there's one more mini-reunions looming over the horizon! As always guys, thanks for reading!**_


	68. Unanticipated Hiccoughs

" _Changes and new interests, characterize the time periods ahead of us unknowingly."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-Eight: Unanticipated Hiccoughs**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma/ Dick Gumshoe and Maggey Gumshoe**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany/Gumshoe Penthouse, Los Angeles_  
January 2, 2025/January 1, 2025

It was the first time in what seemed like forever that something nice had happened between them.

Miles was still grinning broadly as Franziska was still snickering slightly for a few good moments after the call with their friends ended. They both smiled at one another, and a lovely feeling of uncustomary warmth was exchanged between the two.

The fun, light-hearted chat with Phoenix and Maya had been just what the doctor ordered. Miles couldn't recall the last time either he or his fiancée had had a much needed bout of laughter such as this, never mind in one another's presence, together like this.

Franziska was the first to break the spell, as she suddenly jolted forward with a look of discomfort on her face and clutched her abdomen. Miles reflexively reached out his hand, wanting to convey his concern and offer some sort of comfort, but she shook her head and leaned back in her chair, taking short, labored breaths as she slumped back on the chair and rubbed her belly, both of them falling silent as they stared at the now inactive computer screen, then one another, then both looked away.

The festive holiday game of catch-up had been wonderfully unexpected, but was over all too quick for his liking. Now that it was over, neither of them were sure what to say or do. But Miles was loathe to lose the merry spirits their friends had left them with just yet, and desperately wished to hold on this moment of unprecedented joy just a little bit longer.

"I see Gumshoe's online too," Miles noted hopefully, looking at the time on the computer. "I suppose, since we already gave New Year's salutations to Wright and Miss Fey that it would only be prudent to do the same for them. Perhaps we should give them a quick video call as well, to wish them Happy New Year...it's still the first of the month in California for another half hour."

Franziska nodded, blowing out slowly through her mouth as she rubbed her temple with one hand and her belly with the other, looking grateful for the suggestion. "Yes, we may as well divulge our big news to them, since the cats out of the bag and Phoenix and Maya know already…word travels fast."

"Indeed, considering they are all in the same building at the moment, with only 23 floors separating them…?"

Miles pulled up a chair next to Franziska, both of them waiting expectantly for the call on the other end to be answered. A moment later, Gumshoe answered, his broad frame filling the entire video monitor, only slightly bigger than the ear-to-ear grin on his face at the sight of his past employers.

"Mr. Edgeworth! Sir! This is a most pleasant surprise! Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year to you too, Gumshoe," Franziska and Miles chorused, just as the former detective turned his head from the screen and hollered over his shoulder. "Maggey! Honey, get over here! You'll _won't believe_ whose Skyping us right now!"

" _Must_ you be so loud, Dick?" Maggey exclaimed, coming over the computer and frowning at her husband. "It's almost midnight – you'll wake up Gordy!" Then she turned her head to the camera, and look of stunned delight flickered on her face as her hands flew to her mouth. "My goodness, this _is_ a pleasant surprise! Happy New Year Guys!"

"Happy New Year, Maggey," the couple replied warmly.

"I'm sorry our son is in bed already, so he can't thank you directly, but I wanted to let you know that Gordy _loved_ the robot model kit you sent him for Christmas guys, thanks so much," Maggey gushed, her eyes glowing. "And Dick and I are so excited about the golfing lessons you signed us up for at our Country Club."

Miles crossed his arms and smirked. "I figure between Wright mastering his chess game while I'm away on his new board and you two picking up some putting pointers from the pros, I shall ensure I have worthy oppositions for my two favorite games for when I return to the States!"

"How are things in Europe?" Gumshoe asked. "Or is it Asia? I can never keep track of your whereabouts, Sir! Although I suppose that's the whole point of being a top-secret undercover Interpol agent, right?"

"We're home in Germany for the holidays, and all is quite well, Gumshoe," Miles replied. "How are you enjoying your retirement? You keeping him out of trouble, Maggey?"

"Well, about my retirement…" Gumshoe smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "I sort of have some big news to tell the two of you in that regard…let's just say I'm not sure how much free time I'm going to have on the greens nowadays because as of next week…I'm back on the police force!"

There was a moment of stillness as the other couple's news sunk in that a man who had achieved wealth beyond his wildest dreams was forgoing his luxe life of financial freedom to return to a lifestyle and salary that had barely afforded him instant noodles.

Franziska's eyes were wide with shock, while her fiancé was rendered speechless.

 _Egad!_ Miles thought in disbelief _. Just when I was starting to sleep better at nights knowing the world's most bumbling flat foot was no longer on street duty trying to 'protect and serve'… he goes and does_ _ **this**_ _?!_

"This is…most… _unexpected_!" Franziska finally exclaimed, breaking the silence. "Does this mean you're going back to being our favorite Scruffy Detective then?"

Miles tried to speak lightly. "And will this mean, upon my arrival back in Los Angeles, that I will once more have a certain scruffy assistant of mine as my right-hand man again?"

Gumshoe chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Edgeworth, and Sir, but your days of cracking that whip over me and cutting my salary are long-gone. I'm not going back to the force as a homicide detective this time. I'm the precinct's newly appointed Chief of Police!"

"Mostly a desk job," Maggey added with a smile. "So I needn't worry about him out there risking his life and limb apprehending criminals and thugs and can sleep at night!"

 _I know_ _ **I**_ _will resume sleeping better with this additional knowledge,_ Miles added silently to himself.

"Well, congratulations to you indeed." Franziska smiled, even as she tried to stifle a pained wince as she rubbed her lower back. "While we're on the topic of news to be shared, we have some of our own as well."

"Pess unwittingly outed us to Wright and Miss Fey when we were Skyping them earlier," Miles told them dryly. "So you may as well hear it from us than through the grapevine. Franziska and I are expecting."

"Congratulations!" Boomed Gumshoe, disregarding his wife's earlier plea to keep his volume down due to their sleeping son. "I'm so happy for you both!"

"This is so wonderful! Congratulations indeed!" Maggey clasped her hands to her chest with glee. "I wish I could be there to rub your belly, Sir! Stand up, let us have out first look at little baby Edgeworth!"

Franziska gave a strained smile and with one hand clutching her back and the other bracing herself against the computer desk, hesitantly got up from her seat and protectively placed a hand on her extended belly. "We're giving a girl," she told the Gumshoes. "In two months."

"Just _one_ girl?" Gumshoe sounded startled. "Gee, Sir, I thought you were having twins! Or were ready to pop any minute from the looks of you!"

 _Gumshoe, you imbecile!_ Miles fumed to himself, while bracing himself for impact as his fiancée's eyes narrowed into slits. The glare she shot at the big man on the screen was so lethal, if looks could kill, Gumshoe would have been deemed worm chow.

" _Eep_!" Gumshoe squeaked in terror, as though forgetting her whip couldn't strike him through the screen.

"You _fool_!" Franziska exploded and sat back down quickly, crossing her arms across her chest and hunching forward, as though trying to obstruct her belly from view. "Have you been talking to the foolish fool, Phoenix Wright just before we called you? He too made a similar, foolish assumption! Either that or it's a sign you've been spending too much time in each other's foolish presences!"

"Dick, what in God's name is wrong with you, you nitwit?" Maggey demanded, putting her hands on her hips and scowling at her husband. "How could you even say such a thing?! She's not _that_ big! Don't you remember how big _I_ was when I was pregnant with Gordy?"

"S- Sorry honey, but that was _different_! Gordy was born a bigger than average baby…he was 11 pounds at birth and you needed a C-section for him!"

"The point is I was still the size of a house when I was playing host to _your_ Bullwinkle-headed baby which I am still thanking the Man upstairs I didn't have to wind up _pushing out of my hoo-ha_ , as it _never would have recovered_!" Maggey scolded. "You don't know how big a baby she's carrying or anything so you shouldn't say such foolish things!"

"B- but, Gordy was a big baby because _I'm_ a big guy!" Gumshoe protested, seeming to forget Miles and Franziska were still present. "Neither Sir or Mr. Edgeworth are very large people, so of course I was wondering why she looked so big and swollen up like a water balloon already!"

Miles cleared his throat. "Is it possible to change subjects from the topic of my fiancée's prenatal measurements?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Edgeworth," Gumshoe looked shame-faced as he hung his head, then looked up guiltily at the still-fuming Franziska. "Sorry, Sir. I wasn't trying to be rude. As a cop on the force, I've seen and dealt with my share of expecting mothers. Even helped deliver a couple in emergency situations. I was just – worried, that's all."

"I sure hope you work on your communication skills before you go back on the force, Dick," Maggey muttered before either of the other two could reply. Then she smiled brightly. "However, if you don't mind us asking, have you guys signed up for any Lamaze or parenting classes of the sort? They're both great bonding experiences for the couples to do together and have the daddy feel more involved, especially the former!"

 _I would have been very open to taking the Lamaze classes_ , Miles lamented. _But bonding with me hasn't exactly been high on Franziska's priority list!_

"Of course not!" Franziska scoffed. "This baby is half Von Karma after all, and will therefore be perfect, with no need to have some self-proclaimed birth experts with no medical certifications share their foolish drivel about how to make this baby's life better with their conjectures. Nor am I in need of any foolish advice about how to make our daughter's entrance into the world less painful. As a woman I have accepted it is my lot in life to bare the discomfort of childbirth, and I have no fear of such. I am fully prepared to handle the pain with the strength and grit of my mother and all my ancestors before me – completely naturally with no need of any sort of aid."

"You mean you're not going to take the drugs, Sir?" Maggey was amazed. "I was fully doped up before they realized I'd need a Caesarian…which _definitely_ made it more bearable for me, but you're obviously made from stronger stock than I am. Hell, you survived a gunshot, after all!"

"Hey, since you aren't taking parental classes like we did, we can at least give you some first-hand parenting tips for when your little one arrives," Gumshoe offered, completely unfazed by Franziska's previous rant. "Number one, Mr. Edgeworth, I suggest you get a good burping towel to cover whatever it is you wear, and reconsider wearing your nice pink suits around the baby for the first little while…"

Before the irate Miles could object for the umpteenth time that his suit was _not pink, it was magenta_ , his friend was already moving onto the topic of his cravat.

"Also, you may want to get rid of that fluttery napkin thingie you wear, because assuming the baby doesn't grab your frills and nearly choke you in the process, it will at least wind up using it as their bib and will ensure it won't stay that spotless white for long!"

"He's right, you know. Nothing _white_ around a newborn," Maggey grimaced. "It's like the little bugger _knows_. And then takes _aim_ …"

Miles was astonished. He hadn't given thought to his choice of attire around the baby at all. "If I am not wearing my customary attire once I'm a new father, what would you suggest then?"

"Well, for the longest time, I had a special 'baby spit-up' trench coat," Gumshoe informed them. "It was my own go-to, protective grownup raincoat/bib for handling _whatever liquid or solid_ that came out of that little guy! One second…" he walked away from the computer for a moment and then returned with his old, familiar battered green trench which had seen better days.

Miles was used to seeing the normal tears and stains on it, but as his friend held it up to the camera, he was appalled to see various whitish and yellow ones as well that he didn't recall ever seeing when Gumshoe had been on the force!

"Ngh! What are those?!"

"These are my battle scars of fatherhood," Gumshoe said proudly. "Sure, you can try to wipe off or dry-clean the baby drool or puke, but once your hands are full, or your partner isn't around to pass the baby to while you go clean it off, it just isn't possible. And as you can see," he pointed to one particular nasty snot-colored stain. "Some puke stains just don't come off. Imagine that on one of your fancy suits, Mr. Edgeworth."

Miles felt the blood completely draining from his face at the thought of his Italian, custom-tailored suits being subjected to such atrocities.

"Dick, why in God's name do you still have that manky old thing?" Maggey cried, her expression mortified at her husband's shameless show and tell display to the still horrified-looking Miles and gobsmacked-looking Franziska. "I thought you got rid of all your old trench coats save for your silky-lined, designer ones!"

"This one has _sentimental_ value, honey," Gumshoe insisted, clutching the coat protectively. "It's like a prized memento of my first days of fatherhood!"

" _Days_?" Miles echoed weakly. "All that mess was created on your coat…within… _days_?"

Both Gumshoes ignored the question as Gumshoe continued regarding his wife, his expression now tender.

"Besides, honey…" he added softly. "If we're going to make little Gordy's Christmas wish come true, won't you be happy I'll still have this, as it will be much needed again?"

Maggey nodded shyly and blushed a tad as she looked back at her friends. "Gordy asked for a little brother or sister for Christmas," she explained with a bashful smile. "We're working on making that come true."

"Best of luck in that," Miles replied, clearing his throat while attempting to do the same thing with his mind from the traumatizing visions of Gumshoe's trench coat. "And, er, thank for the additional parental insight, at any rate…"

His weary tone was impossible to miss, and Maggey smiled reassuringly at Miles and Franziska as she reached around Gumshoe's broad neck from behind, wrapping her arms around him and dropping her chin on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry if all this raw talk about baby messes, other than the expected diaper variety, was a bit much for you guys." She said kindly. "But believe me, while babies are loud and noisy and messy as all holy hell, they're also adorable and squishy and give you _the_ most rewarding experience of your lives!"

"However…" Gumshoe added, unwrapping himself from his wife's embrace and dropping a kiss atop her head before picking up the camera then and walking into the living room area. "Just so you know, the stains and messes aren't always limited to your _clothing_. Nothing is sacred, including the couches!" He zoomed the camera in on the stylish suede sofa arm and pulled back the matching-colored suede arm draping, revealing a huge whitish stain underneath. "A puke stain we missed that we can't get out no matter how much we've tried, although we did manage to get the smelly scent out," he sighed. "You may want to consider plastic-wrapping your fine furniture _at least_ …till the kid's in college!"

Franziska giggled softly at that one, but Miles was in no laughing mood.

For the new police chief had unwittingly triggered a very recent memory for him, and with it, a horrible thought.

" _Nothing is sacred, including the_ _ **couches**_ _…"_

Gumshoe's harmless, well-intended advice was now producing an image even _more_ _harrowing_ than the terrible trench coat.

"… _A certain someone completely wore me out earlier all afternoon and evening…._ "

Snippets of Phoenix's way too revealing revelations of shared debauchery with Maya, which he'd unknowingly shared with the condo's horrified owner, came flooding back to his mind like a deluge.

"… _Little Miss Insatiable… You're the one who_ _ **jumped me right here on this very sofa**_ _…"_

 _Couches... Stains…. Scents…Ngh!_ Miles clapped a hand to his forehead in dismay at the realization. _My handmade, custom-built, imported leather sofas…._ _ **noooo**_ _!_ _Forget merely burning my sheets and getting a new bed…thanks Wright and Miss Fey's incorrigible bunny rabbit tendencies, I'm going to need to re-furnish_ _ **my entire living room**_ _!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's (ch 67)_

 **Yanmegaman –** Hey Apollo! You've taken over for my homeboy Thefreelancerseal with your psychic comment to me ...lo and behold! A Gummy sighting! Hope you liked it! Also, kudos for being BANG ON (hee!) as well as about how, bc of all that banging, Edgy may need to replace more than just his bed! (Way to go, frantic Phaya bunny-trysters!) XD

 **Ilet Moratar -** Nick will always be a nitwit saying the wrong thing especially around women! :p (there's only so much control poor Maya can have of that bocha stupido of his!)

At this point am sure Franny is saving up all the stupid things she's going to whip him for when they meet again - the egg/banana I agree would get him the worst lashing of all! ㈶1

I cannot wait to put Miles and Nick together in person again! I am so excited but I am happy you enjoyed the mini reunion as well. And I love Katharina - she did indeed have a less than ideal marriage, and I still have not decided if it was decided by Papa or her but she did marry young (she's 36 with a 15 year old) to get the hell out of the house and away from Manfred- can you blame her?!

 **(chapter 66)** \- Every day I learn something new. I did not know what Rosemary's Baby was written by a man! I have indeed seen the piano and I agree, it was a wonderful display of eroticism. I do plan to finally check out your beloved Outlander series! I am most excited about this! I don't like to write porn for characters who are so madly in love...in chapter 61, although I wrote about a passionate makeup sex session, even then I felt Phoenix is such an emotional guy he would still say _I love you_ during! lol

 ** _Thus ends the AA holiday season. Next week, back to life, back to reality! And as always guys, thanks for reading!_**


	69. Unexpected Arrival

" _The key to holding a logical argument or debate is to allow oneself to understand the other person's argument no matter how divergent their views may seem."  
_

* * *

 ** _*A/N - This chapter is trigger warning for some readers as it is very emotional and may be hard to read._**

* * *

 **Chapter Sixty-Nine: Unexpected Arrival**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_ _ **  
**_ _Von Karma Estate, Germany_

Unfortunately, the peaceful feelings of contentment and serenity between the couple from the holidays didn't last long, as soon after, they resumed their polite, distant relations, of speaking only when spoken to and only to convey essential information, such as whether or not they would be dining together that night, more than often not, all much to Miles' heartache.

Since the winter break, they tip-toed around each other about that sprawling mansion, careful to avoid eye or body contact when possible.

How had something so fun and exciting come to this? The sound of her voice used to warm him, the scent of her perfume had made his heart race and the touch of her hand had sent tingles down his spine. That was only _four months_ ago.

Since then, they'd just focused on their work, often taking longer or later hours where applicable so they could avoid each other; Franziska more than him. Dates had been replaced with shifts, laughing and socializing with colleagues and friends had become nights sitting alone in front of the fireplace in their separate chamber or the living room, with a tea, usually alone. They passed each other like ghosts, neither with enough emotional reserves left after their jobs to take care of one another as the used to. Life had become a monotony. With all the best motives they had lost what was precious to them, the reason they worked so hard. The dream was dying in the wind and they had not enough energy to fix things. They had both become unhappy, each of them spent idle moments thinking of alternate lovers who might provide a quick fix to a deeper problem.

They said to expect the unexpected, but truly, what did that really mean? There were some things in life that one could never anticipate, or even fathom, in their wildest dreams or imaginations, simply because the ability to do so was beyond human realm. Could even the most gifted clairvoyant psychic have foreseen all of _this_?

That in taking on an investigation case that was supposed to be the most challenging and rewarding one of his career, it was going to cost Miles everything he'd ever known, and ever really loved, in one full swoop?

That it would make his past come colliding with his present, and irrevocably alter his future, with the forceful cessation of a comet hitting the earth, shattering everything he held dear to his very existence?

That his revered colleagues would look at him with barely disguised judgement, or worse, pity, where they had once regarded him with respect and reverence since the fateful day of Ku's dinner party when all past sins had been revealed?

That his former paramour, whom he'd thought time had softened his relationship with into noncomplex, amiable esteem could now barely look him in the eye or speak to him without some level of angst or strain in her voice?

And worst of all, that the woman he'd loved most of his life, in one way or another, would become a distant, cold, withdrawn stranger to him, even when in the same room…although they supposedly lived under the same roof?

Was Miles actually supposed to have expected any of that, when he'd opted to take this sting operation on with Franziska nearly six years ago?

Or the traumatic events that were soon to follow, because as much as he was loathe to wallow in self-pity and regrets…the cruel hands of fate had decided thus that the worst was yet to come?

* * *

 _ **Franziska Von Karma and Maggey Gumshoe**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
February 15, 2025 8:00 am

Franziska had always been well-read, in spite of her somewhat sheltered existence. She'd thoroughly studied every medical book and website she could get her hands on since she'd known she was pregnant, and had known it would be no cakewalk and that her body would change drastically.

She'd been fully prepared for the knowledge that her hands, feet and ankles would get puffy, so her swollen and aching limbs didn't surprise her, although she was still saddened when her engagement ring had stopped fitting her at Christmastime. Despite how strained things had been between her and Miles, she'd never wanted to take it off that symbol of his love and commitment. However, she couldn't bear the thought of having to cut it off should it have gotten stuck, so she'd taken it to wearing it around her neck on her gold chain, which she tucked discreetly under her clothing. Miles had looked so pained when he'd seen her barren left hand, but while she was sentimental about the ring, she was still too furious with him to explain.

After all, he was supposed to be the prodigal genius – let him figure it out!

Although she'd brushed aside their banal commentary at the time, she was still mortified about both Gumshoe and Phoenix's proclamations that she was bigger than she should have been – and had hence tried to get an appointment to go see her doctor, who had been the Von Karma physician since she and Katharina were children. He hadn't been able to see her until nearly the third week of January, as when he'd returned from holidays he'd been completely booked, and she had been too embarrassed and proud to have put enough stock into her friends' _amateur observations_ to consider going elsewhere for an opinion in the meantime – after all, what did _they,_ as _men,_ know about having babies?

It turned out the foolish former attorney and detective had been right all along – Franziska was diagnosed with _polyhydramnios_. Miles had been alarmed of course, and had insisted on accompanying her to all the follow-up tests after she'd been determined to have excess amniotic fluid, resulting in her overly swollen body. She'd told him he was being foolish by worrying himself so – really, _polyhydramnios_ was just a fancy word meaning excessive fluids had caused her uterus to grow a bit more rapidly than it should have, hence the fact that she resembled a hippo with a gland problem!

However, Franziska was relieved the scary sounding, although not at all overly alarming, diagnosis was all that had been causing her abdominal discomfort, increased back pain, shortness of breath, and extreme swelling in her feet and ankles. The good news was that post ultrasound and testing, the possibility of fetal abnormalities, amniocentesis and gestational diabetes had been ruled out, but her doctor had told her he'd be monitoring her closely during labor to ensure everything was going smoothly.

Franziska remained optimistic when she got the results back. Sure, her pregnancy wasn't _textbook definition perfect_ , but that was alright. Just because her gestation period wasn't flawless didn't mean _her baby_ wouldn't be, after all. And thus far, there was nothing she couldn't handle. A little extra swelling of her body and limbs seemed to be a small price to pay for the precious life inside her, which had been conceived with all the love in the world between her and the baby's father, even if a small part of her _still_ wanted to wring _said baby father's neck_ for his still _yet-to-be-redeemed,_ _imbecilic, perfidious, deceitful_ behavior regarding the whole Lana situation!

Such was Franziska's state of mind, until the second week of February, three or so weeks from her delivery date.

That morning, she'd woken up with upper abdominal pain, under her ribs on the right side. She threw back the bed covers and was certain she was seeing things – how was it her _right_ leg looked more swollen than the left leg?!

She felt like a foreign alien was inside her body … and was starting to wonder if she was losing her mind. Was she being a pathetic, foolish wimp because the sharp pains she'd been feeling in her back and abdomen were now veering into the more _unbearable zone_?

Frowning, she looked at the clock on the bedside table. She really needed to talk to someone – someone who knew of what they spoke, who could tell her if she was overreacting or just going through the final bizarre pregnancy body changes because she was so close to her due date. But whom could she speak with? Adrian didn't even know she was pregnant, and wouldn't be more than a sympathetic ear as she had no children of her own yet. Her doctor was next to impossible to reach by phone and it was a gamble if his _foolish, loose-lipped, airhead_ secretary would convey a message in time. Katharina was at work…who else did she know who had any experience with babies that she could consult?

 _Maggey_.

The answer came to Franziska as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. The act of doing so made her step directly into a ray of sun that was peeking through a crack in the drawn bedroom draperies. It shone right into her newly wakened eyes, and she winced in pain as she hastily pulled them shut, effectively blocking out the stream of light and rubbing her temples as she fired up the laptop on her desk –her head had been killing her since yesterday.

She averted her eyes from the computer screen as she waited, silently begging for her friend to pick up the video call. Ugh, had the monitor lights always been so _bright_?

Gumshoe answered, a smile on his broad face at the sight of her.

"Hey Sir, Happy Valentine's Day!"

Franziska blinked, then looked at the clock on the computer again, and realized it was 11:00 pm, and indeed the overly celebrated romantic day of fools in the States still. So _that_ had been why Miles had left a dozen roses at her bedside yesterday morning! She'd thought it was all still part of the groveling process, the same reason he'd bequeathed her with a diamond tennis bracelet for Christmas! Her fiancé had been out the rest of the day, so she hadn't even been able to thank him in person…her exhausted state mean that she was out like a light by 9:00 the night before, way before he'd probably returned home. He was spending more and more time at that gentlemen's club he so favored since they'd been on holidays, it seemed.

"Same to you, Gumshoe," Franziska muttered, horribly self-conscious of her visibly swollen state and embarrassed at the thought that she may have interrupted a romantic evening between the two. "I hope I did not wake you two?"

"Not at all – wow, you look about ready to pop now for sure! It must be any day now, huh?"

Franziska scowled. "Not for another _near month_ , actually. I'll thank you to refrain from any further commentary, you fool!" Even as she spoke, a wave of dizziness came over her, and the sight of her friend on the screen no longer looked clear. Was their long distance connection skewered? The big detective appeared to look _blurry_ …and _ouch_ , what was _with_ that abdominal pain?! "Um, is Maggey around, perchance?"

"Sure thing, I'll get her. I'll leave you two to your girly talk." Gumshoe gave her a mock salute, and a moment later, Maggey's sweet, smiling face appeared on the screen.

"Well, this is an unexpected surprise, Sir! I didn't think I'd hear from you again so soon! How are you feeling?"

"Um…that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," Franziska murmured, feeling awkward. As much as she liked both Gumshoes, she'd always considered them more friends of Miles' than her own, and was often paranoid that they were her friends by association who merely tolerated her for her fiancé's sake. Consequently, she rarely socialized with them when he was not present and was uncertain how to thus proceed with the conversation. "But before I get into that…how are you two doing? How was your Valentine's Day?"

"Well…since you asked…" Maggey's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she lowered her voice a tad. "It was wonderful! Dick took me to a swanky restaurant and Trucy and Pearl watched our son for a few hours. We each got the best Valentine's Day gift ever! It's still sort of early, and I'm not sure if Dick would want me to tell anyone just yet, but I'm so excited I could just burst! But do you remember what little Gordy's Christmas wish was?"

Franziska nodded.

"I _just_ found out I'm six weeks pregnant, Sir!" Maggey said happily, clasping her hands to her chest. "Gordy's going to have a little brother or sister this fall!"

"Congratulations!" Franziska replied sincerely. "I can understand not wanting to tell people when you're only in your first trimester – I promise you I won't tell anyone, not even Miles."

"Oh…you can tell him if you want though," Maggey insisted. "I'd hate to be the reason you kept secrets from your future husband!"

Franziska gritted her teeth, partially because of her now glaring headache, and partially at the unintentionally triggering words her friend had just uttered.

"It's fine, Maggey," she grinded out with a forced smile. "It's not like Miles hasn't _kept a few little secrets_ from me in the past, after all!"

"Ah, alrighty then…" The kindly brunette trailed off uncomfortably; the vehemence in the other woman's tone had been impossible to miss. "So, er, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Franziska stood up hesitantly, still massaging her aching temples, letting her friend see her enormous belly and thick, sausage-like fingers.

Maggey stifled a gasp and immediately was regretful she'd chastised her husband so severely the month prior about his misgivings regarding the former prosecutor's proportions.

Franziska looked almost twice the size she'd been in January, and it appeared she was _at least_ having twins now! But what was most alarming was when she raised her leg to the camera and Maggey saw her ankles, which were now nearly indecipherable from her calves! The right one looked like a _grapefruit_ compared to the left one. It appeared her police husband knew of what he'd been speaking, after all. As large as Maggey had been, with an _11-pound baby_ in her stomach, she had been _nowhere_ near Franziska's league.

"Um…hang on just a moment, Franziska…" Maggey whispered shakily, rising from her seat, her eyes wide. "I'm going to go get Dick…"

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma_**  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
February 15, 2025 8:05 am

Miles was sitting in the study, having just finished his breakfast, and was polishing off his second cup of tea while reading the paper when Helga appeared in the doorway.

" _Guten Morgen._ You have guests at the door, _Meister_ ," the housekeeper told him, reaching down to collect his drained teacup. "A young woman and a _Wolf-Mann_ who says he's your boss. He wished me to convey that needs to see you _urgently_."

 _Lana. Lang._ Miles shot up from the armchair immediately and ran a self-conscious hand through his hair. While it was free of hair-products and not in the slicked back style his alter-ego Max preferred, he was grateful that he was fully dressed and that he'd had the foresight to have kept his goatee and gotten his roots touched up a few days ago. After all, Lang _had_ advised that Miles needed to be ready to resume his position at a moment's notice the moment Ku returned, and while it was well past the holiday season and Interpol had begun to despair if the drug lord would ever return from his overseas trip to Asia, it appeared that time had finally come. His suspicions were confirmed as he strode up to the main hallway, and found Lana and Lang standing there, both with suitcases in their hands and apprehensive looks on their faces.

"Ready to go?" Lang barked by way of salutation. "Our insider has informed us Ku is on his way back to Borginia. We've instructed Badd and Kay to meet us at HQ there immediately. I already have the plane tickets for the next flight which is in two hours. Let's move!"

"Of course, just let me go get my bag from my room, I'm already packed," Miles told them, smiling wanly at Lana in greeting as he started up the staircase. He was halfway up the stairs when he looked up and saw Franziska standing there at the top of the landing, fully dressed, her accusing gaze riveted on first him, then down to their unanticipated arrivals in the foyer below.

Lang gaped at the unexpected sight of her; the last time he'd seen Franziska, she'd barely been showing at all.

"Going somewhere? "She asked Miles coldly, a hand on her hip as she glared first at him, then Lang, who hurriedly shut his mouth and dropped his gaze to the ground, where Lana's eyes were already cast. "And were you planning on _telling_ me at all, or merely creeping out of here like a thief in the night – except of course, it is still _daylight_?" Her eyes hardened at the sight of Lana. "Also, what is that _Schlampe_ doing here in my house?!"

Miles groaned inwardly. _Not this again. Not now…of all times!_

"Franziska, they _just_ came to fetch me to go to the airport. I was on my way to tell you right now that Ku is headed back to Borginia," Miles told her honestly. "And I've got to get a move on and was just going to get my bag from my chambers."

 _From_ ** _his_** _chambers?_ Lana cringed at the insinuation that the couple was now sleeping in separate quarters and mentally cursed herself, yet again, for her role in the matter. She vowed silently to keep her mouth shut, thus, no matter _how_ many insults Franziska hurled at her. It was a small price to pay, after all, considering she still felt responsible for the rift between the couple.

"How nice that _you're_ so prepared, yet never thought to prompt _me_ to do the same, Miles!" Franziska snapped, before turning to their boss. "Also, thank you so much for the lack of notice, Lang, considering we've been on _holidays the_ _past_ _two-months_! It's a good thing I'm a light packer…I'll just need a moment to get my things…"

"Franziska…" Lang cleared his throat. "We just need Miles… _you_ can stay put…" He met her fuming eyes without flinching. "Don't give me that look! You're hardly in any condition to be going anywhere right now!"

"Condition? You sexist fool! I may be pregnant, but I am _fully_ capable of doing my duties _just_ as well, if not _better,_ than half the other foolish agents you have!" Franziska argued. "Besides, I am not due for nearly another month…"

" _Meine dame_ , you can't fly this late in your third trimester," Miles stated reasonably, his eyes imploring with her to understand.

"Then I shall take the next train over and be there within a couple of hours," Franziska declared, completely undaunted. "I can be packed and out the door in twenty minutes or less and have Hans drive me to the station so I'd have a head start…"

"Agent Von Karma, this is _not_ up for discussion!" Lang exclaimed. "This isn't just mere surveillance anymore. This is the _actual dealer_ of the illegal cocoons now, if Ku can be trusted, and is far too dangerous. Also, we can't risk any… _setbacks_ at this point, should things occur that are not as planned…"

"I'm hardly going to go into labor anytime soon!" Franziska cried, forgetting that she'd been about to come downstairs and have Miles take her to the doctor after getting both Gumshoe's nervous recommendations of her situation. "And if you think I'm going to sit idly at home and let my fiancée do _undercover_ …" she practically spat out the word. "Work of _any_ sort with that… _shameless, home-wrecking, horny_ _Miststück_ there, you're a bigger fool of a man than I thought, Wolfman!"

Lana didn't need a German translator to know that she'd just endured her _second_ barbed insult in the last minute. She bit her lower lip so hard she thought she tasted blood, but still she said nothing.

"Franziska, _please_ ," Miles pleaded, hating to see her so incensed. He reached for her hand but she yanked it out of reach, as though she'd been scorched. Suddenly, she let out a moan and grabbed at her abdomen.

Taking her momentary silence as acquiescence, Lang reached down and grabbed his bag then.

"When you're in calmer, rational state, I think you'll see the validity of my logic, _Ane-san_ , as well as the fact that this debate is now _over_." There was a note of finality in Lang's tone as he turned towards the door. "Come on Lana, Miles…our cab's on its way."

"Don't you _dare_ turn your back on me, _Uneheliches Kind_!" Franziska shrieked, and lashed out with her whip at Lang as she hurriedly scampered down the stairs. She missed her mark, but wound up flicking Lana's hand instead. The agent yelped, more in shock than pain, and Franziska flicked her whip again, this time getting Lang in the ear just as he was almost out the door.

"What the – " The Interpol Agent spun around and glowered at her, his expression murderous. "How _dare_ you!"

"How dare _you_!" Franziska screamed back, lashing out again, this time flicking the whip so it hit his weathered cheek. "First you have the _gall_ to bring this _Schlampe_ into my home, knowing I cannot even abide _the air she breathes_ … _then_ you just swoop in and grab Miles by the ear as though he's your _pet dog_ and tell him he's leaving with you, and give neither of us any notice? You have one _hell of a lot of nerve_ –!" Suddenly she bent over, nearly falling to her knees as she clutched her stomach again, this time with both hands, her hair falling into her face so it was obstructed from view.

" _Franziska_!" Miles yelled, rushing to her side just as she collapsed to the floor, her face scrunched up and red with pain as she let out a howl of such piteous agony that the sound would forever be seared into his soul. "My _God_ …" he gasped in alarm as a puddle began to form underneath her. "I think her water just broke!"

" _Noooo_!" Franziska screeched, even as she thrashed about violently in Miles' arms. "No… I can't be in labor already! I'm too early!"

" _Please_!" Miles shouted plaintively at his colleagues as he helplessly held the wailing love of his life in his arms. "Someone, _do_ something!"

" _Quick_!" Lana's hand flew to her mouth as her free one gripped Lang's leather sleeve. "Dial _**112**_ , ambulance emergency, _now_!" She shouted at her supervisor, when he still stood there, dumbfounded, as she fumbled into her purse for her cell. "I'll call the others!"

"W- What's happening? What's going on?" Lang's eyes were saucers as he dumbly complied, the phone already at his ear. "It's just her water that broke, right?"

As she impatiently waited for Badd to answer the line, Lana stared at in horror at Franziska, whose crimson face was now pale, eyes squeezed shut as painful convulsions took over her entire body, still in Miles' embrace, as the terrifying- _colored_ puddle beneath her grew steadily larger.

The agent shook her head at the nightmarish scene happening before her very eyes as she struggled to get the words out while she looked at Lang with a stricken expression.

"I don't think…that there's supposed to be _blood_ when your water breaks…"

Suddenly, without warning, the thrashings ceased completely, and the German woman's entire body went limp. Her eyes closed as she lay completely still in Miles arms.

"Franziska!" Miles cried hoarsely, his composure completely unraveled, as he impotently shook her lifeless form. " _Meine dame_! _Please_ …stay with me!"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Emergency Unit, Hospital, Germany_  
February 15, 2025 11:00 am

" _Why_ won't they let me see her?" Miles ranted, pacing for the millionth time in the waiting room. "Or even _speak_ to me?! I keep begging them to talk to me but they keep shooing me away as if I'm some sort of… _pesky fly_ instead of a man whose _future wife and daughter_ …" his voice trailed off then and he slumped down into the chair next to Lana, burying his head in his hands.

It was just the two of them in the waiting room at that moment. Lang had just gone to use the bathroom, Kay, who had recently arrived, had volunteered to go get them all some coffee from the cafeteria, and Badd was on his way over – he'd actually been halfway to Borginia when he'd gotten the call, and was on the first train back to Germany.

Lana put a consoling arm around his shoulders. "They're doing all they can," she whispered. "All we can do is pray…"

" _You_ pray, Lana!" Miles cried, his face a mask of anguish. "How am I supposed to put my faith in _anyone_ , or _anything_ right now? You tell me, _how_? That's _my fiancée_ in there fighting for her life, _for our baby's life_ in there, and the fact that they're even going through this… makes me wonder if there _is_ anyone up there _at all_! I've already been through so much loss in my life...I _refuse_ to believe that if there _is_ a higher power up there, He would be so cruel, so merciless as to take them away from me!"

"Please...you can't think that way..."

Lana watched him helplessly, at loss for words as she looked at his tortured expression. In all the years she'd known Miles Edgeworth, she'd never seen him so close to falling apart like this. He was always in charge; so cool, so brusque, so calm. He was a pillar of strength in all strife, which she'd historically always been able to lean on and depend on. When she had cried in the past, his strong arms had held her, comforted her. Now that their roles were reversed, she didn't know what to do, except try to think positively, in spite of her own worry and anxiety about the horrible situation.

"She's in good hands, Miles," Lang said thickly, clapping Miles on the shoulder as he walked up to them, having heard the last part of his words. "Keep the faith."

"They have great medical care here, Mr. Edgeworth," Kay said gently, setting down the tray of drinks on the table in front of him and shuffling her feet awkwardly. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"The doctors asked me, if I had to choose, whom they should save between Franziska and the baby," Miles told them hollowly, looking up into their shocked, distressed faces upon hearing this news. "What kind of choice is that to give someone? How can any man ever choose between his wife and his child?"

Lana fought back her own tears of sympathy. She didn't know what she would do in this sort of situation herself. She prayed to whatever God was listening that she never would, and that her friend wouldn't have to come to that choice either. The more anxious she became, the more pronounced became her intellectualization of the whole process. She rationalized and viewed the problem from different viewpoints. She gabbled and sorted the agreement of everyone around her, as if she could force a positive outcome by her sheer brilliance of thought.

"What did you say?" She prompted softly.

"I told them to save them _both_!" Miles cried. "Who am I to play God with their lives? I love them both! I – I want them both! What have I ever done in my life that I should have to make this kind of decision?" His voice broke then, and he dropped his head back in his hands. "Th – they told me they'd do what they could…but they couldn't promise anything because she'd lost so much blood…"

"She's a tough girl," a gruff, familiar voice interjected, putting a hand on his back. "That Franziska, that little hellion…I know her. If ever confronted with the devil _himself_ , she would unleash a wrathful fury so forceful she'd send him straight back to hell with his tail between his legs, baring the marks of her whip on his back!"

Kay tittered slightly at the imagery, and smiled in relief at the long last arrival of Detective Badd.

"We're glad you're here Uncle Badd." She wrapped her arms around him in an effusive hug. He hugged her back, then looked at Lang over her head and jutted his chin towards the nurse's desk.

"Any updates since you called me?"

Lang shook his head and fidgeted with his sunglasses.

The five of them sat there, silently, each lost in their own thoughts and prayers, for what seemed like eons, until at long last, one of the doctors finally came out to the front.

"Miles Edgeworth?"

Miles' head shot up from his hands and he all but ran at the doctor, his eyes wild and tormented as he waited for the bulletin that would forever change his life.

The doctor's face was stoic and impossible to read as he told him.

Emotions swirled with the ice water circling the cold metal drain as streaks of fire burned his cheeks. Each new wave a hot trail of agony as his shoulders shook in each rake of emotion through his frame. Fire of shame and anger burned just under his skin and a deep emptiness filled his heart as the sentiments brewed over and boiled past the seams he could no longer hold together.

It started slowly, with him sniffling into his sleeves as a pair of tears raced down his cheeks, then slowly graduated, until the heart-wrenching sounds of his noisy sobs echoed through the nearly empty waiting room.

Miles cried as if his brain was being shredded from the inside. Emotional pain flowed out of his every pore. From his mouth came a cry so raw that even the eyes of his friends and few strangers around them were suddenly wet with tears. He grabbed onto a chair so that his violent shaking would not cause him to fall and from his eyes came a thicker flow of tears than he had cried for even his own father when he'd passed away. The doctor was still talking to him, for all the good it did. The whole world had vanished for him, now there was only pain enough to break him, pain enough to change him beyond recognition.

Badd, Lang, Kay and Lana were forced to haplessly endure the sight of something none of them ever thought they'd ever live to see, and never hoped to see again.

Miles Edgeworth breaking down completely.

Breathing hitched as his knees grew weak and he slumped to the tiles of the hospital ground. There was no hope for a man who cried to his death on the cold linoleum floor, drowning himself in his own tears of hell.

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's (ch 68)_

 **Ryszard** **–** While I've only been hearing from you as of late I cannot emphasize how it is truly one of my greatest pleasures, your particular brand of comment and insight. Plus there's the whole mind = blown that people in EUROPE actually read my stuff. So _danke_ for that alone! Now, if I could draw, I'd love to draw Gummy (who totally traumatized Edgy btw! Lol) – or any of these guys but alas I can't even draw a straight line with a ruler so you guys are stuck with vivid description instead! His trench coat is his trademark I agree – so is being a cop hence the forsaking his millionaire status to return to the force – and he's a dad now so even the if he buys new, designer ones they won't stay pristine for long! Polanski is one of my fave directors, period. (never heard of other guy – has he done anything we North Americans would know?)

 **Yanmegaman –** That would be so funny if _that_ was why they were doing it! Edgy did say awhile back he would just give them that bed! (and the sofas…and the tub…and the dining set…)  
Imagine how out of place Nick's tiny flat would look, overflowing with hand-crafted custom made furniture…and then having to explain how and why he wound up with it all! XD (Gant = ugh. Just…no)

 **Ilet Moratar –** Franny does need a lot of love right now, sadly she's in no state of mind to accept it. Let's blame the hormones and that she is an acute sufferer of alexithymia shall we? lol  
(let's face it the only emotion she can properly convey is _rage_!)  
I loved torturing Miles with the messy reality of fatherhood here! I have no doubt he will be a wonderful father someday (no matter what you read just trust me!) as he is so uptight I know the thought never occurred to him! (sadly him and Franny's naughty days seem to be nixed for now!)

Lana may surprise you as this story progresses - you MAY wind up hating her a bit less as we go on. Is she a thing of the past? Well...you said no spoilers right? lol

 _ **Thus ends the AA holiday season. Next week, back to life, back to reality! (reality bites...Not just a crappy movie...)  
And as always guys, thanks for reading!**_


	70. The Darwin Award Winner

_"Success is not attained by chance, you have to work in order to get it."_

* * *

 _A/N: While this work is indeed fiction, The Darwin Awards are most definitely a real thing! Trust me! Look it up!_

 _Wow… there's no words… I went from having to once beg for reviews to… mind = blown at all the amazing views and reader feedback I got last chapter…You guys are the **best**! Thanks so much!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventy** **: The Darwin Award Winner**

 ** _Mildred Latrine_**  
 _Beaugosse Incorporated Headquarters, Los Angeles_  
February 17, 2025 10:00 am

In _this_ place, she could be anyone, or perhaps no one at all. The people flowed like rivers, never stopping for obstacles but swirling around them. On those wide avenues with a mix of trees, their leaves rustling softly from the slightly chilly winds of late winter, (which still felt like the _Sahara_ compared to the _icy wasteland_ that was Eagle Mountain, her coerced place of habitation the past five years!), the buildings towered on each side. A hundred years ago she expected it'd been pretty, the golden light on the sandstone architecture, built in the days when curves and design weren't considered superfluous. Even the street-lamps were dreamt by an artist, built by an engineer following the teachings of a scientist.

On a day like this, crammed amongst more bodies than she could count even in a photograph, Mildred sought comfort in tilting her head to the sky. The glimpse of the morning sun against the skyline gave her the strength just to walk at the pace of the crowd and bottle her claustrophobia inside her chest, so unaccustomed was she to such vast crowds, having not left the serene tranquility of Kurain Village in over 30 years. It was slightly overwhelming, to say the least!

The horde milling about on the busy streets appeared to have a life of its own, the vibrant clothes shone in the morning light and the people moved like enchanting shoals of fish. There was chatter between street vendors and buyers, old friends catching up, new friends being made. It was busy for sure, but the hustle and bustle brought a lot to this city. She found it compelling, albeit slightly daunting.

The village elder's awestruck eyes took in the bustling surroundings about her, mouth agape as she regarded the cluster of four high tech skyline office buildings before her. All of them were large, smoked glass and steel, each one joined to the next by a covered walkway.

She squinted down at the address she'd jotted down on the piece of paper she was gripping tightly in her hand. 905 Wilshire Boulevard. Yes, that was the one.

The old woman painfully straightened and threw back her shoulders, marching with grim determination into the lobby and then the clear glass elevators, marveling at the shrinking sights of the city view beneath her as she was lifted higher and higher, until she at last reached the 20th floor. Opening the door to 2016, she found it was lit up with sunny windows all around, which afforded one a picturesque view of downtown Los Angeles.

The receptionist at the front desk was on the phone, but she gave a brief welcoming smile as she gestured to have a seat. Mildred obligingly sat down in one of the chairs indicated and observed her surroundings.

The room was designed to inspire confidence and allay apprehension, with watercolors of outside scenery of some sort sprawled on each wall. Every painting depicted some sort of beautiful beachy rolling waves on idyllic sand or prints of country landscapes. There was a square glass topped coffee table with company brochures upon it, next to a small coffee carafe, mugs and cream and sugar. Various chairs in complementary brown, fawn and baby blues, neutral tan colored walls. Impressive and elegant, assorted chairs, some comfortable, some upright with padded seats and carved backs, health magazines neatly arranged on large central cherry wood table.

Beneath her feet was a plush navy carpet that covered the whole room. A television hung in one corner displaying boring commercials. She was too anxious to read any of the magazines or watch TV, so she just tapped her foot impatiently, her sharp eyes never leaving the doorway past the waiting room, which led to the offices inside.

At last, the woman ended her call.

"Good morning and, welcome to Beaugosse Incorporated. My name is Madison." She was a woman close to forties, short brown curly hair and somewhat overweight. "And you are?"

"Good day, I am Mildred." The village elder wisely kept mum about her admittedly comical – and _accursed_ – surname. She smiled as graciously as she could. "I'm here to see your CEO."

"Oh, yes, I see you had a 10:00 am appointment." The receptionist checked the appointment book to confirm and then directed her where she needed to go. "You can go on and wait in his office. Monsieur Beaugosse may be a few moments. He's just wrapping up a conference call."

Mildred heard the soft clicks of her sandals hitting the marble floor as she walked through the hallway the secretary told her to go through. The walls were covered with grey and ivory wallpapers and motivational photography with silver frames. There were two small sections of offices across from each other. At last she reached a heavy set of double doors. On one of them there was a gold placard, which read, in calligraphy, **_Longines Beaugosse III, President and CEO._**

She stepped inside and looked around her.

The office was one of tasteful décor overall. It was a huge room, occupying the corner of the building, with floor-to-ceiling windows giving views in two directions: San Gabriel Mountains to the east, and the 73-story U.S. Bank Tower, the tallest building in all LA, to the north. The two remaining walls contained a door, a floor to ceiling bookshelf, with books lined up in precise order, a filing cabinet with paper work stacked on top, and a water dispenser with paper cups. On the wall behind the bureau was another low bookshelf, and a single oil painting – a vase of flowers by Vincent van Gogh.

A posh leather swivel chair sat behind the mahogany desk, with three drawers on the right hand side. The black glass surface of was mostly uncluttered, bearing only a MacBook Pro, several stacks of paperwork, pens in a tin, a leather notebook, and a framed photograph .

Curious, Mildred stepped closer to the desk to examine the image. The picture showed a chubby-cheeked little boy, presumably Beaugosse himself, as a golden ringleted moppet, standing between his parents in a little sailor outfit and cap.

The mother, who was dressed in a white tennis dress, a sweater thrown casually over her slender shoulders with the sleeves tied loosely around her neck, was a great beauty. Her eyes, even in the photograph, were vibrantly blue, the color of an indigo ocean, sculpted upon her creamy face like dazzling jewels. Strands of molten gold tumbled out of her scalp, cascading down her back like a waterfall. Cherry lips, crystal white teeth: she truly was a beautiful sight to behold.

In contrast, the father was a man built like a wild animal, his chest muscles bulging and his biceps balls of strength. Even his legs were swelling with muscle in his tennis white shorts. He looked to be in his late 30's to early 40's in the photo, a strong man whose muscular definition hadn't yet begun to wear off with age, his polo shirt still clinging tightly to his skin, showing everyone that he was still in the game. He had short, but immaculately groomed, wavy brown hair and his deeply tanned skin glowed, making his stubble covered chin seem darker. The man's high cheekbones, perfectly accentuated his face, his full pink lips pressed firmly together in an untellable expression, and his eyes, a golden honey hue, seemed to be screaming out varying emotions which the camera had failed to capture.

 _Interesting. Save for Daddy's rosebud lips, it appears the boy took completely after his mother in the looks department_ , Mildred noted idly, walking over to gaze out one of the enormous windows.

The window was so large it reminded her of a store-front, but so high up who could see in, anyway? It was triple-glazed, and so clear that the panorama view was like a high definition screen at the movie theater. The birds traveled past, buffeted by the winds that whistled through the towers, as if to remind folks that they were in _their_ space now. This real-estate in the sky felt so futuristic, Mildred wouldn't have been surprised if the CEO just _beamed_ himself right into the office. The city below was so far away, it was like another world, those ant-like people and all their problems were of no more consequence than temporary static on intercom. In this building, in this office, all this concrete was your cocoon and the window, well, the window showed you as much detail as one would want to know.

Mildred looked down at her watch. It was now 10:20. She swore silently, and hoped she'd not made the lengthy, two-hour train, then near 45-minute bus trip, into the city for _nothing_!

 _It took me nearly **two months** of skimming off the profits of knitting handmade mittens and hats and scarves for those idiot tourists to get the money for the journey up here! _ She fumed.

* * *

Luckily, Sister Bikini was in a too blissful state of disarray and obliviousness to have noticed the decreased sales turnout that year from Mildred's homemade creations. It appeared that Iris was going to be eligible for parole later this year, so most of the nun's labors and attentions were focused on making the shrine temple and its surroundings more homey and inviting, in the hopeful event that her adopted daughter should be released. She was still as aggravatingly cheery and jolly as ever, much to Mildred's irritation and incredulity.

How _anyone_ could manage to laugh so boisterously, while living in such _hellacious_ , mostly barren and frigid surroundings, save for the influx of guests for the cabin rentals, during tourist season, was beyond her. Especially in the extra frosty _mornings_!

That was when Mildred particularly just wanted to _smash her breakfast grapefruit_ right into the Sister's stupid, jovial, _annoyingly perma-grinning_ face! _Hard_. As _hard_ as she could _stand_ it…

Of course such actions would only get her keister booted out of the village and a one-way ticket to homeless bag lady land. As much as her current residential ramshackle hut left much to be desired, it was _still_ better than getting her mail delivered to " _Old Woman in Gutter. PO Box Anywhere…"_

Mildred supposed the shrine maiden chortled so much in an effort to keep warm, and would have been tempted to follow suit herself, had she thought it would have made a difference in her comfort since that _deceptive village leader_ had _banished_ her five years ago to the _icy depths of hell_ , all under the thinly veiled ruse of having Mildred oversee the cabin constructions! At the time, Maya had been insidiously assuring that it was only going to be a half year to a year until everything was up and running and tourist ready.

 _Six months to a year, **my backside**!_ Mildred thought darkly. _I guess I did **too** damn good a job of overseeing things, because that dastardly dame was so "pleased with progress" that she insisted I stay up here to maintain the order and smooth operations, even though tourist season is over now and there's no other living sole up there besides Bikini and I! Doesn't she even **know** what extreme chilly temperatures like this will do to my poor old bones? Not to mention what it does to my **arthritis**! I bet she **does** know! She just **doesn't give a damn!** Curse you Maya Fey, you sadistic, conniving, ungrateful **bitch**!_

The worst part of the deal, if _anything_ else could possibly be, was that _on top_ of everything else, the wretched Kurain Master had placed Sister Bikini _solely_ in charge of _all_ the finances, meaning Mildred's days of secretly cooking the books, skimming off the top of the profits, then discreetly pocketing the proceeds as she had while in the village, were completely _over and_ _done_. It was now impossible for Mildred to have _one red cent_ to her name – Maya had ensured she had coughed up _every cent_ she'd had hoarded and that it'd all gone to paying for and making reparations for the Fey Manor _redecorating_ that had been done in the Master's absence at the time. _Then_ , to add insult to injury, she'd stuck Mildred with _all_ other _menial_ tasks, such as rental bookings and room upkeep…as well as _maintaining the integrity of the outhouses_ when the maintenance men couldn't make it all the way up there, in the off-season!

It was too humiliating for words! Once an esteemed leader and revered council member of the Village Elders, _now_ , in exchange for food, as well as the room and board of her little _hovel_ of a shack, Heavenly Hall, _she_ , Mildred Latrine, was now being forced to _clean latrines!_ All because there was no running water or flushing toilets in Eagle Mountain. Maya had wanted the authentic visitor experience of remotely 'getting away from it all' to include lack of plumbing as well!

Out of sheer desperation, Mildred had volunteered to knit winter accessories to help the shivering tourists, most who were unaccustomed to the cold, keep warm that year, ( _why_ she hadn't thought of the idea prior to this eluded her _completely_ – she was going to blame the cold for affecting her normally cunning mind and making it slower than usual!) as a way to bring in extra income. It was a great plan, and the tourists loved the adorable mittens and gloves and hats and scarves that she created, not even minding the outlandish pricing for them.

Unfortunately, Mildred had come up with the idea only in January that year, when it was too cold for the sanest of visitors to even contemplate visiting. Therefore, she'd only swiped the profits from maybe a dozen sales before the naïve, innocently trusting Sister Bikini, who hadn't even _dreamed_ of asking for the price list, had swooped in and taken whatever meager funds the sales had generated.

Her biggest regret, in hindsight, was that she hadn't thought of including "man cozies" as part of her knit and crochet collection. Some tactless male tourist had _actually asked her_ if she had anything _extra_ to "preserve his precious parts" from succumbing to frostbite!

At the time, this had been her response:

 _"I bet your brain feels as good as new, seeing that you never use it! Is this how you speak to your elders, you insolent swine!" She glared at him._

 _"Can't blame a man for wanting to protect his pride and joy, you miserable old bag! I bet you bring everyone a lot of joy, when you leave the room! I'm jealous of all the people that haven't met you!"_

 _"Roses are red, violets are blue, I have 5 fingers, **the 3rd one's for you**!"_

Admittedly, not one of her finer moments.

Mercifully Maya had been out of town at a conference, and had taken Mystic Pearl with her, as she usually did when she would be gone more than overnight, so she'd never heard about the incident of Mildred being terrible to revenue-increasing revered visitors!

Now she deeply regretted her rash actions – the new concept of living a frozen, poverty-stricken existence, where she'd once been enjoying comfortable splendor, must have affected her rationale.

For that "man cozy" contraption _alone_ she could have easily charged a good $20 to $25 apiece, and then pocketed $5 to $10 of that easily, before reluctantly turning over the rest to the unsuspecting Sister Bikini. But alas, she hadn't, and now would have to wait until the next inpouring of tourist season, around April or so, and hope it would still be warm enough to warrant the obscene accessories!

* * *

Therefore, this was why she'd needed to have scrimped and saved thus, in order to have the funds to come down to the city that day. Bikini was busy doing early "spring cleaning" and was so far gone in her own little world she wouldn't even notice Mildred's absence, and the Master and Pearl were once again away.

 _This_ man was the answer to all of her, and, if she played her cards right, to all of _Kurain's_ prayers. It would just take a lot and convincing…and a lot of _luck_!

"Good morning. Sorry to keep you waiting," a pleasant-sounding voice said from behind her.

Mildred turned around and affixed the most placid smile she could muster on her face as she looked at the young man who had entered.

Monsieur Longines Beaugosse the Third had finally made an appearance.

She supposed he wasn't quite what you would handsome…not in the rugged or even conventional sense. However, the blond man who stood towering before her could hardly be called hard on the eyes either- when he entered a room, most certainly, all heads would turn his way.

Longines was tall in stature, and had a slim but muscular build, like that of a gymnast or swimmer. One could have jibed that his clean cut looks and golden ringlets, the same as in his childhood photo, made him look comparable to a hybrid that was part Mythical Elf and part Ken doll. His blond curls were close cropped, but long enough not to be rebellious. He obviously sheared that mug every morning with a cut-throat razor, for it to be so smooth and close-shaved. His shirt collar was pristine white, without the tell-tale brown lines of some men who skimped on their laundry. His expensive looking, designer suit was neat pressed and his golden tie a perfect knot. His skin was supple and void of facial hair. In fact, his chin was as smooth as a twelve- year-old's.

From her research, Mildred knew it wasn't just his looks that were clean cut. He was a non-smoker, never tried drugs, exercised daily, kept a clean home and ran his own company. And that's all anyone knew about him, until she'd arranged this meeting with him, by chance, in the most unlikely circumstances. He was one of the richest men in the State of California, from a long line of wealth, and carried himself like a man of class and refinement.

Yet Longines Beaugosse wasn't at all standoffish. He remained friendly-faced and welcoming in body posture as he looked at her with a polite, but pleasant smile.

The skin of his face was flawless and deep bronze, standing out against his long-lashed eyes that were pools of iridescent blue, such like his mother's from the photo. They shone brightly, honest, open eyes that held no hint of guile – making Mildred lose some of her initial trepidation.

She bit her lip. How could she start a conversation with this man when she didn't know him? Then, in that instant, he caught her eye; before she could turn away with discomfort, a genuine grin spread across his face, turning it from handsome into divine.

Ultimately, if a man could ever be called _pretty_ , then that was what word she would have used to describe him. _Man-pretty_ , if there was such a thing, really.

He walked with a natural, fluid grace, every movement competent and flowing as he shook her hand with his slender, well-manicured fingers.

"I'm Longines Beaugosse. _You_ must be Mildred. I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting for so long," he apologized sincerely. "I had some oversea investors in Japan on a conference call, and _my goodness_ , could they ever go _on, and on_! I couldn't very well cut them off either, after all, the call was on _their_ dime!" He tittered slightly and sank down into his desk chair, affixing a dazzling smile of perfect white teeth in her direction as he motioned for her to take the seat across from him. "But, the point is, I'm here now, and I'm all yours…until…" he frowned slightly at his gold Rolex. "11:00. Oh darn, that only gives us a half hour. No matter, I can have Madison push back my calls. I'm never one to cut short a meeting with a potential business partner."

Mildred looked at him blankly for a moment, momentarily forgetting the ruse under which she'd created this meeting.

"That _was_ why you wanted to see me, wasn't it?" He faltered slightly, looking confused. "You wished to discuss becoming a potential franchisee of my _You Blo Me_ salons?"

"Um yes…" she cleared her throat awkwardly and affected her most contrite look. "About that. I believe it's _me_ who should be apologizing to _you_ , Mr. Beaugosse…"

"Longines, please," he dismissed, waving his hand airily. "Mr. Beaugosse is my father!" A sad expression crossed his face then, and he looked down for a moment. "Er, I mean… _was_ my father…"

"Well, that's just it. I didn't come here to talk business with you," Mildred stated simply. "And I am very sorry for the dishonest approach I took in my endeavors to meet with you. But still, as a matter of fact, I _am_ here regarding business…with regards to your father, starting with my sincere condolences about his recent passing."

"Thank you," he murmured softly, his face falling yet again. "It was so…sudden…and it was only a week ago."

"I understand what a terrible shock this must have been," she sympathized. "He wasn't even that old was he?"

"Sixty-one and still seemed like he was in his prime," Longines replied hollowly. Then he looked at her strangely. "But why would you make an appointment to see me just to offer your condolences? You could have just sent flowers or a card or even called…why did you feel a need to go through so much trouble? Did you know my father? Do _I_ even know _you,_ Ms.…?"

"Latrine," Mildred supplied quickly, hoping the man would be too caught up in his grieving to smirk or snicker, as nearly everyone did, when they heard her last name. When he didn't react, she hurriedly pressed on. "Actually, I did know your father. _And_ your mother, in a manner of speaking. I knew you too, but it was so long ago, I'm sure you don't remember me at all."

"No doubt," Longines' pleasant expression was slowly being replaced by one of suspicion. "My mother died when I was five. You'll have to forgive me if my memories from a _quarter century ago_ are a bit…skewered."

" _Completely_ understandable," Mildred assured him, smiling benignly. "You were such a beautiful child, I recall. Those cherubic, pink cheeks! I see you've still got the same halo of curls!" She purposely kept her eyes on his face, never once letting them wander down to the photo facing her on his desk which would have relayed that _exact_ information she'd gotten. "Just look at you now, the spitting image of your beautiful mother!"

"Thank you…" Longines said slowly, still looking at her oddly. "Yes, she was very beautiful indeed."

"And was taken away from you so young," Mildred added, assuming her most saddened visage. "Such a senseless tragedy!"

"Well, I'm sure you were aware then, of the circumstances of my mother's _tragic demise_ ," Longines suddenly sounded curt. "As well as my father's." He arched a well-groomed golden brow. " _And_ the fact that you're looking at a man whose parents were _both_ declared posthumous _Darwin Award Winners!_ "

There was a pregnant pause.

"But I digress," Longines' voice was hard now. "You were about to explain to me, I believe, Ms. _Latrine_ , just _how_ you actually _knew_ my father, and aren't yet _another_ random weirdo who's come creeping out of the woodwork since his passing, looking for some sort of _handout_ or favor, or is trying to exploit the very well-known fact of how active my father was in _charity_ work!"

"Oh good heavens no!" Mildew lied easily, widening her eyes innocently. "I won't want _any_ sort of _money or handout_ from you whatsoever! In fact, it is _I_ who wishes to offer _you_ my services, _free_ of charge of course, _because_ I knew your father so well. What a great man he was! Me and my village are forever indebted to him!"

"Go on…" Longines nodded slowly, his expression less foreboding now but still guarded.

"When you were five, your father came to my village, to communicate with the spirit of your mother, who had died so suddenly," Mildred explained, sounding so convincing that she nearly fooled herself into believing the events had actually transpired. "I know you were perhaps too young to remember, and your father definitely made you sit outside the channeling chamber during, but... there was so much left unsaid betwixt them, and I was so happy I was able to give him the closure, the answers he was seeking. After that, your father became a most generous benefactor to Kurain, as a way to express his gratitude…"

" _Kurain_?" Longines interrupted. "What is that? And where is it? I've never heard of it."

"Kurain in my village, set in the style of Feudal Japan, where the Kurain Channeling Technique first originated from, and is about two hours outside of Los Angeles. All the residents there are spirit mediums, who make their way of living by reuniting regular citizens like your father with the spirit of their dearly departed…"

"Spirit mediums?" Longines echoed. "You mean, you're like Whoopi Goldberg's kooky psychic character in that Patrick Swayze movie, _Ghost_? You can talk to actual dead people?!"

"Essentially yes," Mildred nodded, not overly thrilled with having her family's sacred powers reduced to being compared to some Hollywood movie she'd never heard, yet seeing no choice but to agree. "Your father was one of our most beloved and renowned philanthropists afterward up until about a month ago. Because of him, our people have been able to get on the map and be known far and wide for our spiritual capabilities."

"So _that's_ why you're wearing that bizarre dressing gown costume that looks like something you'd wear for Cosplay at a fan convention?"

"Indeed it is why I'm wearing this _kimono_." Mildred gritted her teeth and fought for a patient tone. "This is the customary apparel for spirit mediums, which we traditionally wear both inside and outside the village. It's what I wear when I'm channeling as well."

"You're really for real, aren't you?" Tears of gratitude flooded Longines' eyes then. "I still can't believe that because of _you_ , my father was able to talk to my mother! It was really _you_ personally?"

Mildred nodded again.

"Oh, how _wonderful_!" He clasped his hands to his chest and looked at her with new-found respect, before letting out a small sigh. "My mother, Brooke Beaugosse, was only 25 at the time of her passing. She was the perfect trophy wife and mother, who was merely a victim of trying to maintain her California standards of beauty while simultaneously being someone who was always searching for a deeper spiritual identification with recitations from new age guru, Dr. Deepak Chopra. She was really into yoga and attempting levitation you see…but bit off more than she could chew with her untimely demise in a bizarre levitating accident. I don't know what possessed Mom to want to make her first-time levitating efforts be off of the Hollywood Hills!"

Mildred had been aware of all of this from her meticulous research on the Beaugosse family, so she didn't even bat an eyelash at hearing the details of the admittedly freak incident.

"Indeed, a shocking tragedy," she agreed solemnly. "Which is why I'm so happy to offer my services to you, as a means of expressing my gratitude for all your father did for me and my people, by offering a complementary channeling of your father for you, so you two could say words to one another that you never had a chance to. Would you like that?"

"Would I _ever_!" His blue eyes glowed. "I only wish I could have remembered what it was Mom would have said to Dad back then during her channeling – I don't remember Dad mentioning anything to me at all, ever! And I can't seem to recall him every bringing me to some little village ever!" He sighed. "If only I hadn't been so young…"

The curiosity was getting to her. There was still one thing she yearned to clarify.

"About your mother…" Mildred asked carefully. "I must admit, I'm a bit confused as to what her attempting to maintain her beauty standards had to do with her...untimely demise?"

"That quack plastic surgeon of hers was to blame for this, mark my words!" His eyes flashed with anger. "Mom had been complaining that her routine liposuction didn't feel right a few days beforehand…she was complaining to the maids that her right butt cheek looked and felt more lopsided than the left! _Completely_ threw off her groove, as well as her equilibrium balance, trust me!"

 _But of course_! Mildred thought acidly, barely refraining from rolling her eyes. _It had **nothing** to do with the overly vain, new-age hippy **henwit** trying to raise herself off a 45-foot high set of HOLLYWOOD letters which are sitting just below a steep cliff **whatsoever**!_

"I see," Mildred said aloud, with a perfectly straight face. "That is most disturbing news indeed. That part certainly wasn't publicized at all."

"My father's death sure was though," Longines groaned, burying his head in his hands. "Oh, the humanity! The trashy tabloids were all over this scandal just because he was the Governor of Utah!"

Mildred raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

"Those filthy rags just make me sick!" Longines fumed. "Those cheap, tawdry tabloids describe even the most _salacious_ details of the private lives of the rich and famous! And the public- they eat it all up! It's like they feel it's 'one in the eye' for the common man, like they _deserved_ it for courting celebrity and fame! It's like crack to these vultures, the way they devour and pour over the print, imbibing the scandal, reveling in the embarrassment of others. Then at work on the next day, they'll go off and just repeat the latest diatribe of news, telling it like it was _their_ information to spread!"

Mildred remained mum and let him rant, nodding sympathetically.

"Even though my father was a politician, I've always jealously guarded my _own_ privacy," Longines declared, crossing his arms. "I keep my own phone number strictly unlisted and grow the hedges around my mansion so high that no one could peer in!" He paused for a breath then. "So, this channeling thing you can do, how does it work? Can you channel my father right here, right now?"

This was where matters could be tricky. Mildred chose her words carefully.

"While the Kurain Channeling Technique _can_ be done outside of the perimeters of our village, we usually _recommend_ the person actually come to the village itself, where our spiritual powers are strongest," she said quickly. "What's your schedule like, say…later this week?"

* * *

 ** _Mildred Latrine_**  
 _Kurain Village_  
February 21, 2025 3:00 pm

"I'm glad you're pleased with the statue of your late father that we're in the midst of creating in his honor," Mildred smiled sweetly as she walked Longines to the outskirts of the village and to his red Ferrari. "After all it was _his_ generosity that allowed us to be part of modern civilization, and finally have cell service, as well as internet and cable here! You saw that cell tower and satellite dish! By the way, the only reason said statue is on the _outskirts of the village_ right now, outside of Heavenly Hall, is because it's still not completed. The moment it is, we shall move it right by Dusky Bridge, which, as you saw on the _newly painted sign_ there, has been now changed to " _JeMarkus Pepper Estaban Beaugosse Bridge_ " in commemoration of your father."

"That's so sweet of you," Longines smiled back. "I don't know how to thank you enough for what you've done for me, Mystic Mildred. That experience in that Channeling Chamber was…just _literally out of this world!_ Were it not for you, I'd never have gotten to talk to my dear old Dad again…never mind known what his last wishes were for me! But now that I do, I am morally bound to honor them. I really appreciate your offer to help me fulfill them."

"It was a most _pleasant_ _surprise_ , was it not?" Mildred grinned like a Cheshire Cat. "Don't you worry about a thing, I will set up with a meeting with you _very_ soon - you can _count on it!"_

"We'll be in touch then!" Longines waved from his convertible as he pulled away. "Thank you again, Mystic Mildred!"

"Don't mention it!" Mildred kept the smile plastered on her face, waving until Longines had driven out of sight. Then she smirked to herself as she reached into the pocket of her kimono and pulled out the newspaper clipping from the week before, of the "tragic" event that had been the answer to all her troubles.

 **JEMARKUS PEPPER ESTABAN BEAUGOSSE. Born in 1964 in Salt Lake City, the former Governor of Utah and owner of several businesses including North Star Telcom Corporation, passed away on February 11, 2025 in a tragic accident at an adult entertainment bar where he unfortunately choked to death on a sequined pastie he had orally removed from an exotic dancer at an unnamed Los Angeles establishment.  
"I didn't think he was going to eat it," the dancer identified only as "Charity" said, adding, "He was really drunk."  
Beaugosse was 61 years old. Predeceased by his wife, Brooklyn Beaugosse, (nee Bridges) he is survived by his only son, Longines Diandre Crispin Beaugosse the Third, 30, the owner of the successful salon chain and blow dry bar, **_You Blo Me…_

 _Darwin Winners indeed! He and his wife were definitely two of a kind!_

Mildred cackled gleefully as she headed into the Meeting Hall where the council of Elders had assembled, at her request.

Upon entering the room, she swiftly walked to the head of the table, smiled benevolently at her fellow peers, then slapped her hands hard on the polished wood with a resounding thump, to ensure she had all eyes on her while her steely gaze met those of the dozen women seated.

"I bring an important matter to this table today, ladies, which is why I've assembled all of you here today. As is our scared tradition, I move that it is high time our Master of Kurain, Mystic Maya, find herself a suitable husband and produce an heir, via the same means of all Masters before her – by _allowing us to arrange a suitor_ for her. And I already have the _perfect_ fellow in mind…"

* * *

A/N: _Writing is fun, and can be hard thing to make time for many of us, especially when you work six days a week and have a family like I do. I love this community of readers and writers who support and encourage each other. I put my full efforts and passion into my work, and of all the great stories on here and talented writers, my mind is blown when people take the time to read my work,_ **never mind find inspiration from it. Therefore, if** **anyone wants to make any sort of transformative/derivative work based on my fics (be that** _ **IDEAS/OC's/NAMES/ETC**_ **.), I'm absolutely cool with it. In fact I'd be extremely flattered. All I ask is that you** _ **ask**_ **, or at least** _ **credit**_ **me -** _a_ _nd give me a link so I can send any readers of the original your way._ **Blatant copying, without accrediting the writer who puts their all into their work, however, is** _ **not**_ **cool.** _ **Scruples, people!  
**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's_

Guest ( **chapter 64 )** \- I love hearing from you – behind or not no matter! And moreover am glad you get my replies…I've since changed my former stance of 'as long as you have an account I will reply to you' to 'ANYONE and EVERYONE who cared enough to take the time to review will be thanked and acknowledged - And YOU are the reason I changed it! (and then I hope they keep reading to get it!)

 **TheFreelancerSeal** **– (chapter 67)** I care not about the order of your reviews, my dear friend, just that you take the time and effort to make such lovely, thought-provoking ones! I had a blast writing the BFF mini-reunion am glad someone else appreciated it too! Kids blurting out stuff…(wrong FF that's Double DILF Doodies but you can get an idea where Phaya's daughter gets her loose lips from anyway!) XD

The kind words as such light up the heart and feed my poetic soul. Muchas gracias mi amigo!

 **TheFreelancerSeal** **-(chapter 68)** Gummy has a heart of gold but the only other fictional cop who's worse than him is Wiggum from the Simpsons! Let's hope his bumbling arse stays behind that desk! :p

I think at this point Edgy should just give Phaya his apartment! If that's what they are aiming for then they are evil geniuses! XD  
(at least with the tub it gets washed/down the drain right? LOL)

 **(Chapter 69)**

 **TheFreelancerSeal** **-** In this site of countless works and writers of great talent, your words that I am the best…I am beyond moved by the praise my friend. I don't feel I am worthy of such a compliment but I shall do my very best to not disappoint, which is why I give this story, above all others, my very all!

Edgy…and Franny…they're such a beautiful and tragic love story to have overcome the hate of her monster father only to fall in love with his daughter…I am blown away that I can make your eloquent self be at a loss for words…perhaps the knowledge my writing is THAT impacting is the best praise of all. Humblest thanks dear boy.

 **Ryszard** \- Forgive me my dear for any heartbreak – writing this was brutal for me too, trust me!

Gummy is a great guy who is deserving of a promotion but who also was possibly the. Worst. Cop. Ever! In my mind, if he hadn't lost the card Maya had drawn of Nick when she was kidnapped, Nick would have known how Maya felt about him and they would have been an official couple in game instead of being resorted to this FF and the other 40% of Phaya ones out there that don't put him with Edgy! XD

 **Ilet Moratar** \- First of all – mind boggled at even put in the same sentence as the literary genius who gave us Hobbits. So muchas gracias. And pregnancy is such a scary thing…Franny's ever irritable disposition and ability to keep calm in her delicate condition cannot have possibly helped matters in the least! I can only say this much about Lana and Miles…trust me, right now, Lana Skye is THE last thing on Edgy's mind in the world! Pain is indeed a great teacher, and time a great healer.

 **chloemcg** -It is a great thing to make a reader dig a couple they normally wouldn't have rooted for…I am glad folks like me breaking away from the "Trite and True" pairing of Wrightworth and are willing to give Fredgworth a chance! Also, I love your work – I was a lurker/reader for ages before I started writing and your story updates are well worth the wait. It means a lot to have one of my fave writers like my stuff! Gold star for JP! Woot!

 **Yanmegaman** \- Franny Von Karma may have been the most ornery preggo woman in the history of AA fan fiction! I can't imagine making that choice either – I think I would have said exactly what he did…how can a mortal man be asked to play God?!

 **Megaranger66** \- Buddy! Long time no see! I'm so glad you've still been reading though. I hear ya about the feels…can I tell you that writing my second fave guy's breakdown nearly broke ME down, writing it?!


	71. Shattered Dreams

_"Life is but a roaming shadow, a pitiable thespian who struts and frets his few moments upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale imparted by a foolish wit, full of noise and fury... yet meaningless nonetheless. A beautiful lie. A depressing truth. Beyond the hedgerows and white picket fence, a new grave...lies, with daisies or buttercups for the deceased. We come from mother earth, born naked and vulnerable; we return to her embrace as the same simple beings, sending our spirits to our Father above."  
_

* * *

 _*A/N - This chapter is trigger warning for some readers as it is very emotional and may be hard to read.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventy-One:** **Shattered Dreams**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye**_  
 _Konigsfeld im Schwarzwald, God's Acre Cemetery, Germany_  
February 22, 2025 3:00 pm

The day of the funeral arrived, and Miles found himself dressed in his black suit pants and jacket, preparing to leave in a black car that had come from nowhere, surrounded by people he could only pay half mind to. A small handful of supporters and friends would be there at his side, people he'd known for years, but in his current state of mind, he knew he'd hardly register any of them. A grave had been dug close to the lane that ran the length of the cemetery. He didn't say a word as the black Rolls Royce drew up and the driver exited swiftly, opening the back door for him to get out.

Lana, who'd been sitting silently next to him, reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Lang and…the others will already be there," she said softly. "He insisted I ride over with you so that you wouldn't have to come alone. Your sister in law and everyone else wanted me to convey that they will be here very shortly…they just wanted you to arrive earlier so you could maybe have a few extra moments …"

"I'm fine, Lana," he replied stiffly, standing like a statue outside the car while he waited for the driver to extend a hand and help her exit. "There's no need to worry yourself."

Lana bit her lip, unsure of what to say further. There was no predicting how Miles was going to act or react under these circumstances, and she had no desire to rock the boat. All she wanted to do was be there for him and support him, and she had no idea how best to do so in these tragic circumstances.

She'd never felt more hapless or useless in her life. This was just as bad as that fateful day they'd found out the news.

Her mind flashed back to that horrible event a week ago in the hospital waiting room… right before the doctor had arrived…

* * *

 _ **Lana Skye and Interpol Agents**_  
 _Emergency Unit, Hospital, Germany_  
February 15, 2025 11:00 am

The atmosphere in the waiting room wasn't much better than the frigid air outside, where it was so brittle it could snap, and if it didn't, one of the agents feared _they_ might; they were all _that_ on edge.

Nobody spoke. What was there to say? Further platitudes wouldn't cut it right now, would do little good to ease the terrible burden of worry. While they all cared for Franziska, none of them could even _fathom_ what was going through _Miles_ ' mind at that moment. After all, beyond those doors, fighting for their lives... was _his_ unborn child and _his_ future wife, the love of his life and keeper of his heart - not just some nameless patient facing life or death peril. In this suspended horror that they all willed to end, and to last an eternity at the same time, each of their hearts were heavy and their minds filled with torment, while their eyes were still scanning for medical personnel who could answer the endless, torturous questions. Any minute, any second, they could know, and then decide whether to cheer the roof right off or all suffer the resonating pain together, which would undoubtedly engulf them entirely. There was not a person in that room who wanted anything but a happy miracle for Franziska and the baby, yet _Miles Edgeworth_ was the one who might have required sedation if he lost them.

And so they all sat. Worrying. Wondering. Hoping. Praying.

Then the doctor at last came out.

"Miles Edgeworth?"

The doctor spoke into his ear, but not loud enough for any of them to fully overhear.

They didn't need to.

Miles fell apart, right there and then, in front of their astounded, pained eyes.

Lana and the rest were forced to watch this proud, often aloof, man, one of renowned, enviable self-control, who had forever been a pillar of strength in all avenues, regardless of what life had thrown at him, completely crumble to pieces before them.

And they could do nothing but helplessly watch.

When he'd cried there was a rawness to it, like the pain was still an open wound. He'd clasp onto something for support, anything, a table or the back of a chair, and then his whole body would shake. The sobs were stifled at first as he attempted to hide his torment, then overcome by the wave of his emotions, he broke down entirely, all his defenses washed away in those salty tears.

Not knowing what else to do, Lana and Kay had rushed to his side, each kneeling next to him on that cold floor and enveloping his shaking form from either side, holding him while he wept.

Badd had yanked the flustered doctor aside, demanding answers, his own voice tight with barely suppressed emotions as he demanded clarity to the unintentional, but misleading, words of devastation he'd just uttered to the grieving man collapsed in a heap at their feet.

" _Mr. Edgeworth, I'm very sorry – we did all we could to save them both, but unfortunately that wasn't possible…"_

Then the rest of his words had been lost as Miles had promptly crumbled like a napkin right there and then, too distraught to understand the rest of what the doctor was trying to convey.

"What the hell _happened_?" Badd demanded harshly, grabbing the doctor and yanking him away from the shattered Miles, whom he was still trying to talk to, only to have his words falling on deafened ears. He glowered at the smaller man murderously. " _What_ did you say to him? Forget trying to talk to him right now – can't you see he's a bloody wreck?! Did you just tell him that _neither his wife nor daughter_ …" The burly detective couldn't even say the words.

The doctor shook his head nervously, dismay and terror on his face at the intense look in the large man's eyes. "No – no, _Herr_ , I did not," he stammered. "Not intentionally. I had initially spoken to him in German and I'm afraid something got lost in translation…"

"Well obviously you're _capable_ of speaking _English_!" Lang barked, glaring at the young man as he stormed up behind the two. "So go ahead and tell _us_ what you _meant_ to tell him, but evidently didn't manage to convey properly!"

At the sight of the incensed Wolf Man, the poor doctor nearly wet himself. While the larger older detective was a threatening presence, the Interpol agent was an even more disturbing force to be reckoned with.

"The b-baby," the doctor rasped desperately. "He – he didn't allow me to finish the sentence… but… while we did all we could to save them both, unfortunately that wasn't possible…there were complications during the emergency caesarian. I'm very sorry, but the baby…she didn't make it."

Lang closed his eyes as he sucked a deep, shuddering breath at the distressing news, so Badd took over again.

"And Franziska…?" He asked wearily, struggling to keep his voice even.

"She's lost a lot of blood, and we are trying to get her blood-pressure down, but she will be fine," the doctor assured Badd, focusing his attentions on the less terrifying of the men. "She's heavily sedated now, and will need to stay here a few nights until we can stabilize her vitals and get her a transfusion and let her stitches heal. She's got a very rare blood type but luckily we have enough in stock." He looked back nervously at Miles, who was now slumped against Lana's shoulder while still being sandwiched between both her and Kay in a comforting embrace. "Er, will he be alright? Would you mind conveying this to him, as I need to get back to the patient…"

"Don't worry, we can make sure we get the _proper information_ to the poor man, you _dummkopf_!" Lang snarled. "I take it no _communications course_ is required for you folks in medical school!"

The doctor cowered slightly, and in spite of his own sadness, Badd took pity on the man and somehow managed to speak in a slightly less gruff, imposing tone now.

"Just go take care of Franziska," he told the doctor, jerking his thumb back in the direction of the Emergency Unit. "We will all be here for Miles."

The doctor didn't need to be told twice and hastily disappeared in a rapid blur of white coat and green scrubs within the blink of an eye.

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye**_  
 _Konigsfeld im Schwarzwald, God's Acre Cemetery, Germany_  
February 22, 2025 3:00 pm

Lana stepped out of the vehicle, and stood there next to him, trying to scrutinize Miles' expression but his head was turned away from her.

"Miles, please, don't do this," she whispered. "Let me be here for you, as you were for me."

He remained silent.

"Miles," her tone was beseeching. "Miles, _look_ at me."

When he at last turned his face to Lana, her heart lurched at the beleagued look in that grey gaze.

In spite of his attempted stoic tone earlier, his expression was a picture of grief, loss, devastation. It was the face of one who had suffered previously and didn't know if he could do it again. Then, just when she thought the breakthrough would come and he would trust her with his vulnerability, the shutters would come down, his emotion walled off behind a mask of coping. He would just wear it until everything was right again, he didn't know another way.

"We expect to bury our parents one day, Lana," Miles whispered brokenly. "But – never our children."

"I know." She nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat, looking at him with saddened, compassionate eyes.

Neither of them spoke.

"We should head in," Miles told her, putting on a pair of dark sunglasses in a vain attempt to mask the sorrow in his eyes. "Franziska wanted to ensure she and I didn't arrive here together, so it won't be respectful to her wishes if she and Katharina pull up now with us still standing here at the entrance, so let's go." Without looking behind him to see if she was following him or not then, he strode on ahead.

To enter the cemetery he first needed to skirt around a pile of brown frosted leaves, the innumerable flashing fragments shining in the brilliant wintry light, for today there was no weather; no wind, no cloud, just subzero temperatures. Even the leaf stems lay white and sharp. Ahead the path glistened like white quartz, yet ice crystals on weary concrete was all it was. All this beauty over everything dead. And here he was to add to it, with a bunch of yellow buttercups in his hand.

He paused, waiting for Lana to catch up to his lengthy strides in her dressy heels, his breath rising in visible puffs, then he remembered why he'd come. He needed to pay his respects to his daughter, Carol, his mother's namesake, prior to them being separated by six feet of earth, while he could still imagine her: whole, tiny, cherubic and perfect, lying there as if only sleeping.

Along the wide central avenue, the convoy of black limousines was already stationary and there was already a small group of people who he wasn't sure he would be able to face – some, he was certain, like Franziska, and possibly her sister, who possibly didn't want to see his face. After all, he was the man who had lied, albeit with mostly with honorable intentions, to protect the mother of his child and the life inside of her, from any stress or upset by sweeping his sundry past details under a rug, only to have instead shattered the trust between them in the process.

All in vain. In end, no matter what his objective had been, it had all been for nothing! That was one of the most devastating aspects of all.

Miles still loved Franziska entirely, her good and her bad, and wanted to be there for her and comfort her in this darkest hour for them both.

Alas, it was not even a remote possibility.

Because it was glaringly, painfully evident that somehow, for this loss, Franziska evidently blamed _him_. Moreover, she utterly _despised_ him now, if anything, _more_ so now, than even _before_ the tragedy.

For the rest of his days, Miles knew he would be plagued by the haunted, accusing look in her eyes when he'd seen her right after she'd woken up that fateful day at the hospital…

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Hospital, Germany_  
February 15, 2025 2:00 pm

He'd had three hours to pull himself together since he'd been relayed the shattering news. To dry his tears, call Katharina, and put on his most ascetic expression for the sake of his friends, who had not left his side, and were still there in the waiting room, knowing, although he would never be able to convey, that he needed them.

Miles stopped hesitantly at the door of his fiancée's ward. He'd been told she'd finally awakened from her sedation but hadn't been certain if she was awake yet, or been told what had happened.

Her eyes met his the moment he stepped in and that was when he realized he wouldn't be the one forced to relay the horrible message to her.

She already knew.

Miles had never seen Franziska look that way, her eyes had a deadness, a stillness. The girl who laughed often, the one who had been his long-time lover and friend had developed a hardness. It was as if he could read everything she blamed in for in one extended glare and forgiveness wasn't an option anymore. Perhaps if they saved Carol, got to her faster, things would have been different between them...

"Franziska…"

Her eyes were a knife in his ribs, the sharp point digging deeper. Where there had been love was an emptiness, but not in any vulnerable sense. Uncomfortable with the void, she appeared to have filled it with an emotion she was infinitely more at ease with - raw anger. The unmoving gaze was accompanied by deliberate slow breathing, like she was fighting something back and loosing.

"How _could_ you, Miles?"

He stared at her speechlessly, utterly stunned. He'd expected grieving, of course, but not this… _cold, incriminating, fury_ emanating from her, as her icy grey eyes bored into him.

"The doctors told me you were given the choice between me and Carol," Franziska stared daggers at him. "You were given the chance to save me or your _daughter_ , and yet you _failed_ to make what should have been such an _obvious_ decision! _How_ could you _not_ know, if given the option, that _I'd_ have chosen to have saved the _baby_ , you foolish fool!" Her voice broke then. "My baby. My poor, sweet baby…"

"Franziska… _how_ could I make such a choice?" Miles cried, still dumbfounded by her anger, even as her eyes raked him with scorn. "I didn't tell them not to save the baby – I _begged and pleaded_ with them to _save you both_! I couldn't choose between you two!"

"Well you _should_ have!" Franziska buried her head in her hands. "I wish it _had_ been me that had died! What life is there for me now to live, if I have to go through it without my precious daughter?"

" _Meine dame_ …" He walked over to the bed and went to put his hand on her shoulder, but she slapped it away, her voice rising to a shrill, nearly hysterical, pitch.

"Don't you _dare_ touch me!"

"Stop this, Franziska," a familiar voice spoke then, quietly but firmly.

Franziska and Miles looked up and met the saddened but steady gaze of Katharina Rudolf, who had arrived at last.

" _Schwester,"_ Franziska whispered shakily, tears filling her eyes at the sight of her beloved elder sister.

Katharina strode in swiftly, pausing only long enough to give Miles a consoling pat on the arm and quick kiss on the cheek, then engulfed her younger sibling into her arms. Franziska sagged against her, burying her head against the older woman's chest like a young child, while Katharina soothingly stroked her satiny silver hair.

"My heart aches for your loss, dear sister," Katharina murmured, placing a kiss on top of Franziska's head. "But I cannot allow you to use Miles as your whipping boy. It is _just as much_ his loss as it is your own, and he bears no fault whatsoever for this senseless tragedy. The doctors told me what happened. There was naught they could do for the child. It was too late."

Franziska and Miles silently stared at her, trying to understand. Katharina shook her head sadly as she elaborated.

"Unfortunately, Franziska, on top of the polyhydramnios, which was causing the excess swelling, it seemed near the end, you were a victim of preeclampsia, which was the most likely the cause of the placental abruption, which caused the excess bleeding. It was why they opted for emergency caesarian…in an effort to save the baby, but …" Her voice trailed off. She shook her head sorrowfully as she looked at her sister, then Miles, with grey eyes that were shining with love and sympathy. "I am so sorry, both of you, for this loss."

Miles swallowed hard. He didn't trust himself to speak.

Franziska jerked her head up, her eyes wild as she looked first at Miles, then back at her sister.

"I'm a bad person, aren't I, Katharina?" She asked frantically. "That means this was my fault then - _I'm_ to blame! _That's_ why I'm being punished like this, thus. How else to explain the loss of not _one_ , but _two_ daughters already, in less than five years?"

"Franziska, what in the world…" Katharina was so shocked she was at a loss for words. " _How_ can you even…"

" _Meine dame_!" Miles gasped in horror. "Please, don't speak in such a manner! Of course you're not a bad person…"

Franziska shook her head stubbornly, her voice rising again to a fevered pitch as she looked at them with troubled, agonized eyes.

"No, no, I _have_ been a bad person," she insisted stubbornly. "It is all _my_ fault these hardships have befallen me! For I have whipped, I have yelled, hit, threatened those who were often undeserving of my wrath…"

"Dear sister..." Katharina sounded like she was near tears.

"And God only knows what _other_ sins I have committed that I am not paying mind to at this moment!" Franziska cried. She clutched her sister's sleeves then, and looked up at her, then over at Miles, continuing in her crazed ramblings, wrenching Miles' heart with her words.

"To come so close to pure love and lose it so violently is something no medication can heal. I held our baby girl when she came into this world, a gift from God above, a new angel for Earth and then I was told even as I rejoiced in holding her in my arms, thereafter, I must now mourn her and find a coffin for her to be placed in instead of a bassinet. All I shall have left of her now is whatever we readied for her in the nursery that was once our home, as her soul has fled back to the creator." Her lips trembled. "My heart is broken, what beats in my chest is merely a mass of angry muscle that will function only to pump blood in my veins, for I have nothing else left within me. Carol... she should have had a _life_ , love, music and dance! _She_ should have been the one weeping at _my_ graveside with her husband and children about her, not the other way around!"

And with those gut-twisting words uttered, Franziska collapsed in Katharina's arms then, and finally cried. She cried like there was too much raw pain inside her to be contained. She cried as if the ferocity of it might bring her baby back; as if by the sheer force of her grievance, the news would be undone. She cried like her spirit needed to break loose from her skin, desperate to release an elemental rage on the world. The soothing words of her sister made no difference at all. She was beyond all reason, beyond all natural methods of calming.

She wasn't even aware that Miles had left the room, awash in fresh tears of his own rekindled grief.

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Konigsfeld im Schwarzwald, God's Acre Cemetery, Germany_  
February 22, 2025 3:00 pm

 _Grief. Feels like emptiness in your heart, a shear of nothingness that somehow takes over and holds your soul and threatens to kill you entirely. It gives you this heavy feeling that's like the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders and there is nothing you can do to get out from under it. It's like this hole in your heart that is the shape of the one you lost and that makes you feel the need to wipe away any non-existent tears that you want to form but can't._

The wretchedness of the grief came in waves and threatened to consume him entirely. It was his master, for now. He was at the mercy of its whims and at times it bit at him with such ferocity he feared it would leave him an empty shell.

The sun shone brilliantly. Its glare was offensively bright and cheerful. It was as if it conspired to show him how the world would go on without his precious little angel. It shouldn't. Everything should have been as grey and foggy as his emotions, it should have been cold and damp with silent air. But the birds still sang and the flowers still bloomed. He walked through the grounds like a silhouette of himself, wishing he really was as insubstantial as the shadows, so that his insides might not feel so mangled. As he neared the designated spot, behind his sunglasses, he found he could no longer hold back tears which had already begun to flow. Furious with himself, he yanked off the shades and buried his head in his hands, this time not turning away from the comforting hands that were placed on his shoulders.

He was not ashamed. Carol had been as much his daughter as Franziska's. She'd been _planned for, and wanted_ , and he'd _loved_ her. Now that she was gone, a light had been extinguished forever in his heart.

He stood in his silent mourning and awaited the start of the funeral service.

* * *

 _ **Franziska Von Karma and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Konigsfeld im Schwarzwald, God's Acre Cemetery, Germany_  
February 22, 2025 3:15 pm

Franziska silently stared out the tinted windows of the limousine as it pulled up the cemetery, barely registering her sister squeezing her hand. Katharina had been staying at the mansion ever since her arrival a week ago, while Anneliese, who was still in school, was staying with her father in Switzerland during her mother's absence.

 _It is a cruelty of life that a heart can keep on beating even after it has been broken in two. It can feel as though it is being gripped in an ice-cold vice and ache as if it will implode in your chest, but still the boom-boom continues._

Prior to exiting the car and making her way over the frozen turf, she took her sorrow and balled it up so tight none could escape. She was out of tears. There was no longer any point in weeping over a child God had not allowed her to bring to this world, and had not ever allowed to love in life, so in death it should have been no different. She felt like a zombie as she stepped out of the limo. She'd had no mind as she'd cast on her designer black dress and applied her eyeliner earlier. Every movement for the past week had been methodical…and yet automatically robotic at the same time.

She was unprepared for the frigid wintry air that invaded her lungs and stung her eyes. Her eyes welled up and tears streaked down her face, her lips trembling until she bit them and threw back her shoulders, marching next to her sister as her tears dried on her cheeks, head bowed, ignoring the searing pain of her abdominal stitches the brisk movements caused - she'd _refused_ to take the recommended wheelchair for this trip until she was healed! - before standing and taking her place across from Miles and amongst the official mourners.

Her fiancé tried to catch her eye and she nodded her greeting, but she couldn't look into his anguished face, knowing his tormented expression mirrored her own. It was just too much for her to bear.

The minister wore empathy like his overcoat, just for work. It wasn't that he was a cold person, quite the opposite, but he had to find a way not to be drained by constant blackness. Stepping into the world of the bereaved, even just a fraction, day after day would wipe him out emotionally. He'd seen more bodies returned to the earth, more souls returned to the Lord, than most people saw sunsets. Today was no different. As the mourners gathered on the windswept graveyard his face was a perfect picture of controlled sadness as he began to read a passage.

In spite of her resolve to remain dry-eyed, Franziska felt her eyes become wet, yet she didn't realize she was crying until her ribs began to heave like they suddenly weighed too much to allow breathing.

 _There will always be a part of me still at her funeral, listening to the hymn, "The Lord is my Shepard." It's the part that refuses to let her go, that needs our bond to extend past our mortal life together, which was cruelly cut too short._

Miles lost his struggle to hold back the grieving. The tears flowed steadily, silently, down his immobile face. He felt bruised inside, numbness, emptiness, standing by that tiny mahogany coffin, saying goodbye, although little Carol was gone already, the soul unwilling to acknowledge the finality of death, never to be able look upon her parents' faces or feel their embrace, see the warmth in their eyes, be surrounded by their love. Words from the minister, and Katharina's speech at the service brought a fresh onslaught of tears, well-spoken words, a tribute to this tiny life that would have been given a lifetime of love. His hands shook as he placed his flowers, along with the swarm of daisies and dusky pink roses, on the casket, watching the mini box be lowered into the grave through tearstained eyes.

 _Good-bye my sweet angel. You'll have both your grandmas to look after you in heaven now._

It was too overwhelming. The emptiness in his heart, the dullness pounding his brain, the salty tears that flowed unchecked from his eyes, and the sheer nothingness that now took hold of his soul, threatened to engulf him entirely. His legs buckled, knees sinking into the sodden earth as he watched the casket lowered to its final resting place

At the sight of her normally kept-together, stoic fiancé unraveling at the seams before her very eyes, for the first time, something inside Franziska snapped then, and she too, came undone at that moment.

It was more than crying, it was the kind of desolate sobbing that comes from a person drained of all hope. The strength left her legs and she sank to her knees at the tiny grave, not caring about the damp mud that dirtied her dress. Her tears mingled with the rain that had suddenly begun to fall, and her gasping wails echoed around the gravestones. The pain that flowed from her was as palpable as the frigid winter wind and within moments, Miles was at her side and taking her sobbing form into his strong arms while struggling to keep his own tears silent, looking up to the watery skies and heaven beyond as he held the weeping Franziska in his embrace for the first time in months. He had to believe his baby was safe up there, comfortable and warm. To look down would be to imagine her cold in a box, bereft of his cuddles and goodnight kisses.

Franziska had always been so self-conscious when she cried, but now she just gave way to the enormity of her misery. She sobbed into her hands and the tears dripped between her fingers, raining down onto the parched soil. Her breathing was ragged, gasping. She couldn't even feel the grit that dug into her knees. She was noisy, her skin was blotched and she didn't give a damn that everyone at the service could see her, completely delirious with grief. She cried until no more tears came, but still the emptiness and sorrow remained.

Miles cried until there was nothing left inside but a raw emptiness that nibbled at his insides like a hungry rat. His irises were threaded scarlet and his eyeballs hung heavy in their sockets. His whole body hung limp, as though each limb weighed twice as much as it had before, and just moving it about was a slow, painful effort.

Above them, just as quickly as it had come, the rain had abated. The clouds parted and sun now shone in the sky. But not for him. The birds sung in bursts of melody. But not for him. For him there was no beauty left in the world.

For his heart wasn't merely broken, it was a shadow of what it was…and only fading a little more and more with each passing day.

* * *

 _A/N: In case you're wondering what Mildred aka The Dragon Lady and pretty boy Longines look like – sadly, not my artwork and yes, she may look **familiar**! : (remove spaces)_

 _ **Mildew**_ : **i dot imgur dot com / CAm3RJG dot jpg**

 _ **Longines** : _**i dot imgur dot com / tbRY3ha dot jpg** _  
_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's:_

 **Yanmegaman:** Maya and Nick may need non-flammable clothing to bare the scorching of the vengeful beast that hath been lying in wait (within an icy cave!) feigning slumber _for five long years_ …

 **Megaranger66: (God** I've missed your adorably dramatic rants! lol) _JP_ LOVES Phaya. T'is the wretched _Mildew_ who is their enemy! Well I'd mentioned before that the Dragon hath not been slain – was but merely resting …

 **Ilet Moratar :** Poor Maya, she's got problems all around, the dragon lady is back with a vengeance! Death is tragic but I hope it came across as comical still – I mean choking on a stripper's pastie and a levitation accident caused by an unevenly liposuctioned culo?! XD  
I had a lot of fun with this one. Truly, it's hilarious you mentioned Ricky Martin…poor newly orphaned Longines will soon be _living la vida_ local indeed…(Any Fey/Kurain association will!)

 **TheFreelancerSeal :** Yay people hate Mildred! My work here is done!Mildred, just so you know, is just a total sociopath, through and through. There is no redemption, or anything of the sort. Some cows are made to give sour milk no matter how sweet the grass they are fed on. Mildred is THAT cow. (Which is the British term for bitch. Which you are too adorably polite to say so Ima say it for you!) Alas, Mildew is up there with Meekins and Wocky for me – characters who don't need to kill anyone (yet) to be abhorrent and make you want to throw them off a cliff!  
As for lockup – the dragon has been freezing her bony arse off in the ironically named Heavenly Hall shack! A warm American prison would seem like a hotel to her! XD

 **Ryszard: The Naked Gun's** Frank Drebin was hilarious and one of the most lovable bumblers of all time! Still wound up with a pretty (and accepting!) wife though, just like Gummy did (p.s. Shameless opportunity to say the late great, Leslie Nielsen was a Canadian treasure… and our apology for Justin Bieber!)

The **Darwin Awards** is one of the most comical things I ever heard of, with idiots dying in the most comical ways possible (like the man who was staring down the barrel of his shotgun and then accidentally pulled the trigger). The whole premise is that the "Awards" are a tongue-in-cheek honor, originating in Usenet newsgroup discussions circa 1985. They recognize individuals who have supposedly contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene poolvia death or sterilization by their own actions. Accidental self-sterilization also qualifies; however, the site notes: "Of necessity, the award is usually bestowed posthumously." But the candidate is disqualified if "innocent bystanders", who might have contributed positively to the gene pool, are killed in the process.

The unassuming Beaugosse is an unfortunate victim here of Mildew's sociopathic manipulations, and indeed a pitiable character here…as for pitying Maya…don't take that away from her…the poor girl has to deal with LATRINE…who totally _stinks_! XD

 **Chloemcg:** Only because I love your work and you have promised to resume that wonderful PL vs PW ff shall I forgive you for the unpardonable sin of being too busy to write your own awesome stuff to have yet read this entire Bible-length (and STILL not complete!) story of mine! LOL. You're too cute. OK, so to give you the cliffnotes of Mildew: This village elder is a Morgan supporter who has essentially picked up where Pearl's mom left off. Minus the atrocious hairstyle, The OC Dragon Lady is lot like Morgan, but a lot _more_ self serving and a lot _less_ homicidal. If you get in the way of her ambitions, she will make your life miserable to the point where _you_ nearly kill _yourself_ (she essentially put Maya into a coma earlier in this tale after she pushed herself trying to prove her worthiness to the amn harpy!) but _she_ won't try to kill you. She's more of a sociopathic megalomaniac as opposed to a psychotic criminal mastermind. The vulnerable, naive and newly orphaned (and uber rich!) Longines Beaugosse is also an OC, who has the poor misfortune of being a pawn to Mildred's manipulations - and his role in this story will have a huge impact on the Phaya storyline. Hope this helps - and thanks so much for reading and reviewing. :)

 **All you readers, thanks so much for reading! You freakin' ROCK!**


	72. For The Honor Or Love

" _We have the right and the responsibility to be intolerant of those things which should not be tolerated."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventy-Two:** **For the Honor or Love**

 _ **Mildred Latrine**_  
 _Kurain Village_  
March 1, 2025 8:00 pm

Mildred whistled cheerfully to herself as she headed to the Meeting Hall to join the rest of the Elder Council. She was certain that everything would go according to plan that day as she'd conspired it to. Surely not even Mystic Maya, in all her concrete obstinacy and resolve, would be able to resist the pressure of an _entire_ board, especially when, with regards to the Kurain leader's betrothal, they were all on _her_ side!

It was no matter that most of the council didn't personally loathe the Master as Mildred herself did – a fact which she'd skillfully kept latent when she'd presented her case to them, instead proclaiming how an auspicious marriage could result in nothing but the greater good for all of Kurain. Ultimately, her persuasions had been a slam dunk when coupled with the bare bones at the heart of the matter – ancient revered village custom and tradition, which were sacred above all else. To break such a convention would only bring back all the shame and dishonor to the Fey name that Maya had fought so hard to rise above over the years.

Ergo, Mildred was certain this was one argument she could not lose. Admittedly, getting the tenacious young master to agree to the terms might be _slightly_ more difficult than it had been convincing the simple, trusting, traditional Elders, and would be _infinitely_ harder than it'd been getting that _sniveling, naïve simpleton_ pretty boy on board, but the old woman was confident she would triumph victoriously in the end.

Mildred genuinely didn't believe that her intended actions were rooted from any sort of pure meanness or malice, as much as from a rather an exaggerated sense of self preservation. She wasn't the only one in this world who was like this, after all, she convinced herself.

If asked, Mildred would honestly reply that she wasn't sure from precisely _what_ her dismissive apathy of those around her stemmed, or from exactly _where_ her self-serving instincts initially came. Perhaps she'd been a baby that was left to cry, or suffered a personality disorder that the doctors couldn't ever fix. Either way, she had as much empathy as a medieval mace. She'd known she was different from when she was young. Her had mother forever been chastising her for not displaying the correct emotions. As a young girl, Mildred had merely asked if it meant the end of her lesson when her friend had broken her arm falling off a pony and expressed no concern whatsoever when her brother tripped on nothing and cracked his head on the sidewalk. She'd simply inquired if that had meant they were no longer going out for ice-cream anymore. So for as long as she could remember, Mildred Latrine had always been callous; the strife and worries of others were never of any concern to her at all, unless she was somehow directly impacted.

She'd learned to look after number one since the early days of her childhood. Perhaps this need wouldn't have necessitated had she not been born with such an unfortunate surname, but she had, and had had to act accordingly, or been plagued to death by the taunts and ridicule it provoked. All the kids in her elementary school had been played by the same set of rules. It was a survival of the fittest, and the soft kids either got tough, or got beaten, every day of their lives. That was just the way it was. Rare ones reformed afterwards, understood that those ways were cruel, but stuck with safety, and what was safer than being the bully?

In adulthood, the rules remained the same, even if the players were different and older now, and the playground that would serve as the battleground was no longer one with swings and slides, but boardrooms with chairs and tables where she still wasn't afraid to resort to manipulation and bullying to get her own way if need be.

Mildred felt absolutely no remorse for duping that admittedly vulnerable, but overly soft and gullible Longines Beaugosse either.

She refused to apologize for not needing the "kid's picture book" version of life. In her mind, people got what they got by _any_ means possible, and the "honest" were just too spineless to do otherwise. The law enforcers were just one step away from being the criminals themselves – look at that Phoenix Wright, the forging attorney whom Master Maya had held so dear (and _still_ did, Mildred suspected)! In fact, Mildred was certain the former defense lawyer was merely _one_ of the many legal men who led double lives; he'd just been _stupid_ enough to get caught!

If there was one thing Mildred had learned in her long life thus far, it was that in this world, no matter what the romanticists and poets would have you believe, there was no such thing as actual selflessness and true love; just people unhesitatingly using other people. They were fools in denial if they thought otherwise, or perhaps in their mental weakness, they could not accept other people, or even themselves, for what they _really_ were; their brains needed to construct complicated notions of things that did not and could not exist to soothe themselves somehow.

Cynical? Perhaps, but all she needed to do to reinforce her jaded beliefs was look at the history of failed marriages in Kurain, which had hence resulted in pure matriarchal society!

Mildred had never aspired for what most other women yearned for in life: a husband, children and home of her own. She scoffed inwardly at those who did, witnessing as they only wound up being bitter, overly ambitious, _single_ mothers in Kurain, in the manner of Pearl's mother, Morgan, a t _wo-time_ loser in the game of marriage!

 _I don't understand these faint-hearted, weak women who want a life time of slaving…and for what, pray? To raise kids that are just going to hate you, or be indifferent while you rot in an old folk's home? No chance! If they want the ungrateful little brats, I don't care, not my problem. Now, if you don't mind, I've got some more people to maneuver and to scam. I just love Kurain's steadfast resolve in never evolving past archaic tradition, makes my job so easy._ _ **Too easy**_ _._

It was all too simple to gain trust – laughably so. First ask a favor, the bigger the better – but be careful to lace it with flattery. Hardly a person in a hundred would spot it if done right. Hell, it'd worked for her for decades – why stop now when it always worked?

Mildred paused before entering the room, taking a moment to gaze up at the night sky, as dark as it should be with a green snake of light swimming into the horizon. It was at times like this in remote Kurain Village that she felt most content. Distance was but an illusion in the twenty-first century. Getting into someone's life, their head, was no more complicated than breathing, really.

Well, for _her_ , anyway.

Had it not been Longines she'd ensnared into her plot, it could just as easily have been someone else – some other unfortunate orphan of immeasurable wealth. She'd highlighted quite a few obituaries over the years, desperately seeking the perfect one to fit into her strategy, and would have kept on persevering until she'd found the right unsuspecting bait that bit. It was a game that ultimately brought such sweet rewards, and Mildred was the undefeated grand master of it.

It wasn't as if she would be the _only_ one benefiting from all this hard work, after all. Was it really so horrible that in doing all this for the better good of her village, _she too,_ could bask and reap in the victory of the spoils?

The village elder entered the hall, taking her place at the opposite head of the long table in the back, while noting from the vacant chair at the front head that the Master still had not arrived. No matter, Maya would be on her way soon enough.

A supercilious smile crept on the old woman's face as she propped her elbows on the table, putting together her long, bony fingers into a temple-like steeple.

Like a spider resting in its web, Mildred patiently awaited her prey.

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Pearl Fey**_ _  
Kurain Village_  
March 1, 2025 8:05 pm

" _Why_ would the council call for a meeting so late, Mystic Maya?" The completely bewildered Pearl asked as she hurried alongside her cousin on the way to the meeting hall from Fey Manor. "Especially since we _just_ got back from an out of state conference earlier this evening! Don't these mean old ladies care or think that you'd be tired? I know _I_ am! We haven't even had dinner yet!"

"Hey, I thought _I_ was the one with the six stomachs who was always hungry!" Maya grinned at the 15-year-old, who stuck out her tongue playfully in response to the jibe. "Am sure this won't take too long, Pearly. The chef can easily whip us up some noodles or a burger after the meeting."

"Well, I _am_ your cousin, so the hearty appetite must run in the family!" Pearl exclaimed, patting her flat tummy. "And I sure hope so, Mystic Maya, because I need my nourishment – spirit channeling all week took _a lot_ out of me, and remember, I'm a growing girl, after all!"

"How can I forget? You're like a noisy little calendar! _You're_ getting older so it means _I_ am too, Missy!" Even as she kidded, there was an unmistakable look of maternal love in Maya's eyes as she regarded the lovely young woman she'd essentially been raising for the past seven years as her own daughter. Her little Pearly was no longer a child, and was most definitely still growing. Thus far, nature and puberty had been quite kind indeed.

Still sweetly baby-faced, the traces of the little girl she'd been lingered in Pearl's smile and the thinness of her body. Another year, and her curves would fill out a bit more, just enough to give her an adult shape. She had the trappings of womanhood already; from the pretty pearl necklace Maya had given her for Christmas now dangled her ever-present magatama, and her taffy-colored hair, so reminiscent of Mia's, although still in its endearing double-looped hairstyle, now touted a purple bead at the end of the long tendril hanging in the front of her face. The girl had a nose like a cartoon character, or one drawn by a lazy artist at least, the bridge was so low-profile as to be barely there at all; so on her flawless porcelain-skinned visage, her nose was a pert bump just above her dusky pink lips, on which she wore just a hint of clear gloss. Her delicately featured, doll-like face neither bore nor needed much other artifice, except for a hint of mascara on her enormous, long-lashed amethyst gray eyes, her most dazzlingly prominent feature. It was just the right hint of make-up, enough to show she wasn't a kid, yet not so much as an older woman would wear.

Maya, of course, was biased in her observations, but as far as she was concerned, there was no two ways about it. Her darling Pearly was quite the budding beauty indeed.

Pearl's youthful exuberance put some extra pep in Maya's comparatively sluggish step. The world still excited the teen; she saw opportunities ahead, a life of good fun and good health. The Master, who was indeed slightly worn out from the week-long convention, desperately needed her cousin's energetic disposition to rub off on her. Especially since she was about to head to a meeting with the Elders, which was going to be chaired by the Dragon Lady, no less, and could never be a pleasant thing!

Maya heaved a soundless sigh as she and Pearl entered the Meeting Hall.

Being Master of Kurain was an often unenviable position. Maya might have considered giving it up, if she was not so thoroughly aware of how her mother, Diego, Mia and Phoenix had put themselves on the line for her to inherit her rightful position.

The outward hostility of the council had diminished since they'd witnessed the horror of Mildred's 'banishment' to the icy outskirts of the village, and they had softened their behavior and actions towards Maya. Nonetheless, they still often tried to undermine and overrule her decisions at every turn, and there had been no success Maya ever earned in changing matters to her own liking that hadn't ever been hard-won and required a draining rebuttal on her end!

At times, Maya wondered if she'd missed her calling; all this argumentative combat was reminiscent of her days in the courtroom at Phoenix's side – she often thought she'd have made one helluva lawyer!

Still, she hated always needing to resort strong-arm tactics to get her way, since _she_ was in charge! It made her feel in danger of becoming obsolete. She felt it when the elders began gleefully describing the happier, peaceful times of Kurain "back in the day," giving Maya the feeling that no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't do anything right or to anyone else's liking. And even on the rare occasions she _did_ make a ruling that was overall favorable, her decisions were mere copies of another more favored predecessor; her own thoughts and ideas were still not yet adequate to the demands, and her ideas of modernization in such a place of ancient and sacred customs was something to be ashamed of.

Maya often felt unaccomplished as Master – as though something _always_ needed tending or fixing to, and it was never enough, no matter how hard she tried to keep on top of things. It seemed the council was always ranting on about how "this needs to change" and "that needs to be" and "this isn't good enough."

Sadly, she was beginning to realize that no matter how much or what she had done, someone else somewhere had already done it, or done it better, in a manner that appeased the masses, not just herself (like the additions of the burger chef and Netflix) and having her own desires fulfilled was nothing to be proud about. Maya had tried her best to create a Kurain that had kept up with the times, and was something amazing to behold, and was thriving and back on the maps as a respected place of channeling, yet it seemed she was still deemed a philistine who was out of her league, and outside her realm. She didn't like the feeling of having no imagination, of having no good ideas and she hated feeling as though she was being rained upon every time she placed an idea on the table. And she didn't want to have to put up with it anymore!

Therefore, she relished any opportunity to travel out of the village on retreats, conferences and conventions – especially ones in LA every fortnight, where she could seek solace in Phoenix's loving arms.

Ergo, she looked forward to this council meeting as much as she would her own hanging!

Thirteen expectant sets of eyes were on the Feys as they entered the room. Pearl, as second-in-command, took her rightful spot on the Master's right-hand side, while Maya seated herself at the head of the table.

"Mystic Maya," Mildred purred, smiling winsomely at her in a disturbing manner that made Maya's skin crawl. "How _nice_ of you to finally join us."

Maya loathed it when her antagonist would smile, and almost preferred Mildred's former overt antagonism in its stead. Every smile that lit up the Dragon Lady's features was the wrong sort. It was as though the old woman ran purely on cold malice, rather than of any form of genuine affection with the action.

To squelch the sudden, uneasy, misgiving feelings stirring within her, Maya returned the other woman's thinly-veiled barbed greeting with her own, no-nonsense one while she struggled to keep her tone pleasant.

"As you all know, Pearly and I were away all week in New Orleans, promoting the Kurain Channeling Technique and only arrived back in the village barely an hour ago for this _last-minute_ meeting," she answered coolly. "I do hope our _five-minute_ delay, in our efforts to freshen up somewhat from our travels, hasn't inconvenienced anyone _too_ badly?"

"Not at all, Mystic Maya," assured Mystic Matilda, flashing a warning look at Mildew, which the old woman blithely ignored. "We shall try to keep things short and sweet thus, and appreciate your gracious accommodation tonight."

"Well, I imagine you shall want to call it an early evening then so you and Mystic Pearl can retire your surely exhausted selves for the evening," Mildred cooed with faux sympathy. "Therefore, I shall cut right to the chase and without further ado, bring to light the reason for this meeting."

"That would be most preferred, thank you." Maya crossed her arms and raised a brow at the village elder, whose unsettling smile only grew wider in response.

"This meeting, esteemed village leader," Mildred rose from her seat and pointed at Maya. "Is _all_ about _you."_

" _Me_?" Maya echoed, pointing to herself, as she was so caught off-guard.

"It has come to the attention of the council," Mildred went on. "That you are soon to be pushing your third decade in life…"

"I'm only turning 27 next month!" Maya retorted hotly, without thinking. " _27_! That's _three_ whole years away!" _That's still a helluva lot younger than_ _ **you**_ _, Dragon Lady, possibly by at least a_ _ **half century**_ _, even_ _ **before**_ _I reverse the_ _ **2 and the 7**_ _around in the case of_ _ **your**_ _wretched spinster ass, you miserable,_ _ **old as balls, She-Thing!**_

"While not a requirement, according to Kurain tradition, it is desirous that Kurain Masters be married by or before the age of thirty," Mildred continued, as though the master hadn't spoken. Her smiled had now morphed into a sneer as the blood visibly drained from Maya's face. "Why, your own mother was married and had your elder sister by the time she was _19_!"

For the first time, Maya briefly pondered now the possibility that her own father might have been an arranged marriage, especially if her mother had married so young.

 _That's just peachy. The_ _ **one**_ _favorable thing these hags ever said about my mother, and_ _ **this**_ _is what they come up with?! And the_ _ **one**_ _thing about her that I have no desire to emulate whatsoever?!_

"….As elders, it is our solemn and forsworn duty, to bear in mind what is in the best interests and operations of Kurain Village, and not only assist with its spiritual learnings, but to also aid the Master in finding a suitable husband to secure the producing of an legitimate heir."

Maya's flabbergasted mind was reeling with matchless fury at this unprecedented rug being swept out from beneath her feet. _This_ was what her life had come to? _Six blasted y_ ears of selflessly putting the _frigging_ village along with everyone else's wants and needs before her own, in the name of this accursed position she'd _never_ wanted. And _now_ they were going to hound her to hurry up and produce an heir to the Kurain Master position as though they were still in the Dark Ages?! _What the deuce_? She was _27_ and wasn't even _married_? Time was running out!

Maya had to admit that until Phoenix, she'd had little interest in having children, and if she'd passed away, Pearl was quite welcome to the Master position. But one of the main reasons she and her boyfriend had been bickering so much lately _was_ because she wanted to have his children someday, which couldn't very well happen with their current status in one-another's lives as _undercover lovers!_

An explosion of past events, scenes and people flashed through Maya's consciousness.

 _I love you madly, without question or reason, and care naught if it's for a lifetime, or a season._

 _I'm forever yours, faithfully._

 _Nick_. The love of her life. The man she'd lost her mind and heart to nearly a decade ago. The man whose promise ring she was wearing, discreetly tucked away on a necklace, under her robes, along with the ever-present, _visible_ locket, swearing his everlasting love, that he'd bequeathed her on her 21st birthday.

How could these witches _do_ this to her? Her mind screamed frantically. How could _she_ do that to _him_? What kind of choice _was_ _this_?! Forsake their love, after all they'd been through to be together, in the name of revered tradition and family honor, or risk complete ostracization and dishonor to her family name?

Although she'd kept her relationship with Phoenix under wraps, after the awful day of her Master ceremony, and nobody in Kurain, save for Pearl, (who hadn't breathed a word), knew about him, Maya wasn't stupid enough to think that Phoenix hadn't come into play when they'd made this momentous decision. No doubt, the elders were concerned that the only male in the picture seemed to be that that good-for-nothing Phoenix Wright, who was worse than nobody. The level of ostracism they'd previously heaped on Misty Fey paled in comparison to the vile venom they'd intermittently spewed at Maya about the "fraudulent ex-lawyer" during the irritating meetings they demanded over the years.

Now, in their attempts to put that last nail in the Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey coffin, as their final act of ultimate power and control over her, which had rescinded in the past five years, _this_ was what they had come up with as the final frontier. It was nothing short of a sheer act of desperation, Maya was certain, that the elders were now trying to set up the traditional arranged marriage.

It didn't matter. _This_ master was going to _be_ master of her own fate and when the time was right, marry for _love_ , _not_ some antiquated concept of duty! There was absolutely _no_ other option for her, tradition and customs be _damned_. Maya was going to marry her Nick and that was _final_!

Maya was unaware that as she'd been gripping the locket in her hand, which was dangling freely around her neck, her mouth had fallen open in stunned horror, and her parted lips had subconsciously mouthed the word: _Phoenix_.

They all saw it, and it was their turn to now look as gobsmacked as Maya undoubtedly had, save for the Dragon Lady. And it was now too late to retract it.

" _Just_ as I thought," Mildred snarled, folding her arms across her scrawny chest. "You're still stuck on that disgraceful forging attorney, Phoenix Wright _aren't you_? Admit it! You _never_ ceased ties with him when we commanded you to, _did_ you Mystic Maya?"

Maya's eyes widened at the accusation, her guilt written all over her face as clear as day, and the elder stepped up her attack, full-throttle.

"I _should have known_! There's _no way_ anyone who wasn't _getting it regularly_ _on the sly_ would have such a glowing complexion!"

Maya gasped and reeled back in shock at the blatant crudeness of the words, finding herself speechless, even though her mind was screaming mindless obscenities which she yearned to fling at the foul-mouthed, dirty-minded old woman.

"I wasn't even sure till now, I was merely hazarding a guess," Mildred added, her voice as cold as her words. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Mr. Wright is _not_ a person whom we would like affiliated with our village!"

Maya mentally willed her shaking knees to stop knocking, as her whole body was trembling now, she was so livid, and silently ordered the rest of her to fall in line. Retreat would be a disaster, a show of weakness, an inlet for the enemy to surge through. Nothing on her face betrayed her fear at being so outnumbered, and she composed her face to ensure it was a mask of defiance and surety. _Never back down or let them see you sweat_ was her motto. This was why _she_ was the fearless village leader. She'd overcome way more fearsome obstacles in her life than the likes of _The Dragon Lady_ , and Maya would ensure she'd find a way to deal with Mildew accordingly for her audacious, underhanded masterminding of this magnitude.

However, there was a time and a place for that later, and at that moment, _this sure as hell_ wasn't it.

After all, for a woman of not even thirty who had _thrice_ been on trial for murder, kidnapped, possessed by a demon, almost murdered, nearly frozen to death and woken up from a coma, Mildred Latrine was naught but a _fart in a hurricane_!

The master at last found her voice. "That's _not_ your call to make and you damn well know it! This is _my_ village and I shall – _befriend_ whom I bloody well please!" There was _no way_ she was going to elaborate on the fact that Phoenix was so much more than merely her friend at _that_ moment. Not with the _despicable_ , _lewd_ way the old witch had just painted their relationship before the council, and in front of _Pearly_ , no less!

"Have you been lying to us all this time about severing ties with him, Mystic Maya?" Mystic Matilda asked quietly, but with just as much intensity as Mildred. "It was bad enough that you continued to call him your _friend_ after that…scandalous incident six years ago, but now _this_?" She shook her head in dismay. "Surely you understand that associations with a man like this, being a woman of your stature and caliber, can be an embarrassment to Kurain Village…"

"An _embarrassment_ is an understatement!" Mildred yapped, interrupting the other woman. "It's a flat out _disgrace_ to this village, is what it is, and a _disgrace_ to you as Master!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Maya saw Pearl push back her sleeve in a rather threatening manner, and shook her head vigorously at her. Pearl reluctantly obeyed and pulled her sleeve back down, clearly annoyed, although she joined her cousin in glaring daggers at Mildred.

Maya was so furious with her adversary that she temporarily took leave of her senses. She leapt to her feet and slammed the table with her hands, reminiscent of Phoenix when he had been a lawyer, ignoring the stinging pain in her palms the action caused.

 _Ouch, that freaking hurts! How the_ _ **hell**_ _does Nick keep doing that?! Does he have hands of steel or something?!_

" _Objection_! Stop this slander immediately! If you had a mind even _anywhere near_ as big as that _mouth_ of yours, Mildred, you'd bloody well realize that Nick was framed! Everyone with _half a brain_ knows that, except for you!" Maya shouted, pointing her finger, courtroom style at her enemy, her voice shaking with rage. "Despite this being _my_ village, I _have_ at least obeyed the council's wishes and not allowed Nick to set foot here since the day you cast him out like a stray dog, and _have_ kept my dealings with him discrete all this time, keeping my so-called esteemed position in mind. And yet you're _still_ content to keep bad-mouthing him to me like this? He's lambasted himself enough these past six years! He doesn't need the likes of _you_ coming along and giving him a hand!"

All the women in the room stared at Maya, mouths all agape in consternation, except for Matilda, who was staring down at the table as if in deep thought, although the corner of her mouth was twitching, as though fighting the urge to break out into a smile of admiration.

Mildred was the first to speak, and remained undaunted by the passionate outburst. "Sit down and hold your tongue!" She barked at Maya.

In all actuality, what Maya fervently wanted to do was _stick out her tongue_ out at _all_ of them, while accompanying it with the raising of a _particular_ finger, to boot! Conversely, the small, remaining rational part of her knew that it wouldn't help the situation at all, and would only make things worse.

Nevertheless, she ensured she remained standing as the elders began fiercely whispering and muttering amongst one another, until Mildred, the last to come to her senses, loudly cleared her throat for their attention. Immediately, the room turned silent and the women all turned to gauge her reaction.

Opting to ignore Maya's flare-up, Mildred continued with the topic at hand. She knew that any candidate _she_ came up with for potential matching would immediately be disqualified by Maya in a nanosecond, on the mere basis that the antipathy between the two was _100% mutual_! So while _Ketsuno Ana_ was indeed a very real matchmaker, Mildred had no desire to do anything to _legitimately_ have Longines be taken out of the running as the sole participant in this competition! Ergo, she planned on showing Maya a few profiles of _less-than desirable_ suitors, all whom would so _blatantly_ pale in comparison to the successful _hair heir_ that the master would have no choice _but_ to choose Longines as the best prospect for marriage, while being fooled into thinking it'd been _her_ own choosing! It was the perfect plan with every base covered, it was just a matter of _convincing the damn stubborn girl to comply_!

"This was not a hastily made decision, Mystic Maya, or one we are taking lightly. I had taken the liberty of recruiting the services of a professional matchmaker from Japan, named _Ketsuno Ana_. She has been in the business practice of _miai_ for decades and has been is responsible for many successful marriages, both in and out of Kurain. She has been notified and is searching for interested candidates even as we speak."

Maya felt her legs turn to cooked spaghetti then. This wasn't all just a bad dream, or a mere threat. It was all _very real_. This was _really happening_. She gripped the edge of the table for strength, praying her legs wouldn't give out and that she could manage to remain upright, even as she gawked at Mildew in disbelieving silence, hoping she had heard the elder wrongly.

The Dragon Lady, however, seemed to revel in her stupefied state. "We are just waiting on _Ketsuno_ to submit a list of short profiles to the person who requested the miai – in this case _me_ , on behalf of _you_ , which should be coming in any day now." Mildred's tone was smug even as she smirked at Maya's helpless expression. "You will have a quite a variety of _expertly_ _selected_ suitors to choose from, Mystic Maya."

Maya felt her eyes growing red and the stinging sensation of tears burning behind them, which she would have rather died than let the old witch see fall.

"In the meantime," Mildred prattled on. "As we are in the process of getting this ball rolling, things are a bit rushed, as we'd like to have this wrapped up as soon as possible. Unfortunately, you will need to tell your _friend_ , Mr. Wright that he will have to maintain his _friendship_ status henceforth, _permanently_. However, there will be no _objections_ from the council _whatsoever_ should you decide to wisely acquiesce with the original orders and sever ties with that no-goodnik completely…"

Maya bit her tongue, trying to hold the tears that threatened to leave her now burning eyes. She was aware of every gaze in the room, including the stunned, saddened one of her mute cousin, glued unwaveringly to her as to they awaited her response to this hammer that had fallen.

All Maya would think of was how sickened to the pit of her stomach she'd felt when she'd first discovered Phoenix had been disbarred, and was consciously aware, despite her misery, that this _present_ feeling of being sick compared to six years earlier, was intensified a tenfold. But, perhaps most of all, she was aware of the cold rage that was building up inside her.

"Mystic Maya?" Pearl asked worriedly, placing a hand on her arm. "Are you all right?"

Maya's dark eyes swung over in the teenager's direction briefly, so blurred by her withheld tears she could barely see. Seeing the distraught look on her beloved cousin's face gave her the gumption to find her voice at last.

" _Never_." She hissed, raising her chin and glowering hatefully at Mildew.

"I _beg_ your pardon?" The Dragon Lady dramatically clapped a hand to her chest, clearly slighted.

"You heard me." Maya didn't even blink as she kept her infuriated eyes locked on Mildred's, which were two like two icy bottomless pits of black coal. She couldn't have cared less. "After all that's happened, you have one _hell_ of a lot of nerve, _still_ trying to play God and dictate what I do with my life, Mildew, as well as going behind my back like this! Regardless, I'll spare you the trouble." Her voice raised a notch. "I will _never_ agree to go along with this! And there's _nothing_ you can do to make me!"

It was the truth – in a manner of speaking. In all actuality, the Elder's couldn't _force_ Maya to do anything, as she was Master. However, the adage of with _great power comes great responsibility_ was all too true in this instance and what would ultimate leave Maya vulnerable to eventual persuasion. The position conferred not only international power and status, but also required a lot of ugly politics with the various powerbrokers and hangers-on involved in Kurain and its myriad branch-family towns. This deeply-entrenched network of old village elders mostly appeared to have been be loyal to Morgan Fey, and now Mildred, and hence, still regarded poor Maya with the same disrespect as her disgraced mother. While the master didn't really _have_ to do anything they said, they could make still life unbearable for her and spread gossip… and _worse_.

Maya's thoughts switched back to Phoenix, and the genuine fear she saw in his eyes that he wasn't skilled enough to mask from her, when it came to Kristoph Gavin. What if word got out she was still with Nick and this paranoid fear of his was actually rightful, and it came around to bite them both?

"No one is _making_ you do a thing, Mystic Maya," Mildred replied in the irksome, condescendingly patient tone one normally reserved for slow child. "In the history of Kurain Village, no person has ever made the Master do anything against her will. However, it is _because_ they are the Master that they must do what they are honor-bound to do, for the sake of the village, in a manner much like a mother making a sacrifice for the better good of her child. After all – and this is hardly a _slanderous_ statement in this instance as it happens to be the truth: _Did or did not_ your mother, Mystic Misty, _willingly_ disappear, because of the shame she brought upon the village for her mistake? Need we fear that _you too_ , will abdicate in the exact same manner and have history repeat itself, leaving this Kurain once again in shambles?"

Maya felt her battle against her pent-up tears losing ground entirely. With a barely muffled cry, she shoved back her chair from the table, knocking it over in the process, as she bolted to the door, ignoring Pearl calling after her, her whole body shaking with the effort of suppressing her sobs. The sound of her footsteps and the dull thud of wood upon the tatami mat were the only sounds inside the room where the elders remained, with not even the sounds of breathing heard within that room of deadly silence.

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's (chapter 71)_

 **SkyiesTheLimit** : I'm not sure where you are in the story or if you just climbed about this crazy roller coaster just now (either way thanks for joining and welcome!) so at the risk over-redundancy, in a nutshell: Fredgeworth was happily engaged and pregnant, working as Interpol agents in Europe after Nick got disbarred. Miles is undercover, and Fran is surveillance, as they try to bring down the Borginian cocoon smuggling ring. Enter Lana to masquerade as Edgy's faux-lover. How Lana feels about Miles at this point is still debatable, and Miles' feelings for his ex are mixed, and impossible to ignore. In order to protect her, as she's lost their baby in the past, and (um, he's an _idiot_!) Miles lied and DENIED when asked, (after the agents witnessed a coked out Lana passionately kissing Miles while on surveillance!) of his former clandestine affair with Lana, by the jealous and temperamental Franny. The ugly truth came out though, and Fredgeworth has been estranged and in separate beds ever since, with a betrayed Franziska claiming at this point she's _only_ staying with Miles _for the sake of the baby_... which they've since tragically lost. (hope that helps if anything else, feel free to PM me!)

 **Ryszard:** Leslie will forever be my heart as one of the funniest Canadian mo-fo's to ever grace the silver screen! (along with John Candy and Mike Myers circa Austin Powers/Shrek days!) Thank you for accepting my nation's apologies! :) **  
**Beaugosse...is a bit of an overly sheltered simpleton with a naive streak as wide as the day is long. I think he knew what the award was about, but said innocent streak never let him even fathom such a thing could ever make _him_ a target of shysters like Mildew! Or perhaps you're right, and he IS a bit of an idiot simply because...hell it could be genetic...after all, BOTH his parents are Darwin award winners! XD

p.s. As per your comment on another story I can't help but say...guilty as charged, and _Sie sind willkommen, guter Herr,_ for any hand I have played in reworking your shipping table! LOL

 **Chloemcg:** Fredgeworth was a hard storyline to write and give a conflict because they're both 'perfect prosecutors'. Here's this successful couple that's gorgeous, rich and in love. What problems could _they_ have? (Phaya was easy. Broke, disgraced and jerks trying to keep them apart because of their perceived caste system of hobo bum in lower league than prestige Master? Check, check, check!) With Miles and Fran, theirs was the angle I wanted to explore of the whole 'money can't always buy happiness'...because how to give issues to the duo that has it _all_ and make you root for them? It was a sign not all love is lost, as Fran _finally_ let Miles hold her...it was a glimmer of hope, anyway...  
Yay you posted _Carols_! (ouch what a horrible parallel of stories - only because of the tragedy surrounding _mine_!) I love that story! No need to apologize milady, anything you write is worth waiting for, and no sins whatsoever have been committed! (like I said to the other reader, no matter if you've been on this crazy train just now or from the beginning, just delighted to have you on board!):)  
Happy Christmas to you too!

 **TheFreelancerSeal:** You can blame the _dummkopf_ doctor and his phrasing for poor Miles' breakdown. Yes Edgy speaks German, but he was on edge (pun not FULLY intended!) and his nerves were shot to hell at the time - and how else was he supposed to take such a foolishly worded statement!? There is still some love there on Franny's part - we knew _Miles_ never stopped loving _her,_ ever - and there is perhaps light at the end of the dark Fredgeworth tunnel, as it was the sight of Miles' tears that brought out Franziska's own, and she at last allowed him to console her. Now that there's no child as the ties that bind, it's a game of wait and see whether or not Fran's harsh words of only staying together for Carol's sake will come back to haunt the couple, and if she'll able to get over her knee-jerk reaction of blaming Miles for not making "the right decision".

 **Yanmegaman:** Franziska is portrayed as such a crazy, even unlikable (IMO) beyotch in the games that she has been by far the hardest character to flesh out and make seeming of having a conscience and soul, and not just being Manfred Jr, _minus the outdoor plumbing_! I am so glad I have been able to make her someone the readers can care for, and share the pain of her loss. She's a hellion but she has such a vulnerable heart under this all! I'd like to think the love in her heart, in the manner of the Grinch, has expanded three sizes because of her love for Miles - she was starting to become a better person because of him. And her kids would indeed be very loved (and well-disciplined!) Hee! Did Mildred throw off your GROOVE?! :p  
This Dragon is a force to be reckoned with...can someone build me a teleport machine to give Nick, so he can dash to Labyrinthia and borrow Barnham's suit of armor to prepare for battle? Presently Mr. Wright is too broke ass to afford the required air fare there! XD

 **Ilet Moratar:** While I cannot comment too much on the Skyeworth storyline, I can say that at the present, seducing Miles or being anything more than a sympathetic friend nowhere on Lana's agenda presently and likewise, Lana Skye is the _very_ last thing on Miles' mind, nor is any sort infidelity. I can't say, in all fairness, that Ms. Skye's presence was at all the _cause_ of this tragedy but it certainly didn't HELP...if that makes sense. At least that's what Lana thinks, which was why she let Franziska lambast her back at the mansion without retort!  
You are correct, it is impossible in these kinds of tragedies except for the most heartless, unfeeling curr! Which, of course, Edgy is _most certainly not_ , which is why we love him! :)  
Praise the Lord, in my life, I have not even come close to experiencing a loss that can even come close to that of Franziska. While it was a _small_ bit of my own personal angst that inspired this tragedy, the rest of the sorrow is strictly me attempting to empathize the kind of pain this must have been for a man and woman, and I am touched and flattered you found my work moving and that I have done it so well. Good news - this level of heartache is the worst for _Fredgeworth_ in the story...you may draw your own conclusions from that sentence...  
It is indeed a hopeful note, at the grave she at last let him hold her in his arms for the first time in ages, so the love is still there under all this hardship and sorrow.

 **Everyone else out there thank you so much for reading!**


	73. If I Could Turn Back Time

" _I thought the only way I can repay you for the favor you've shown me all these years, is to stay by your side until the day I die, but Dear, you never know how a person's fate turns out. And even with all that, I love you and you'll always have a place in my heart."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: I'm a Rock and Roll freak...if you don't know the song "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by the Scorpions, I suggest you look up the lyrics... **seriously** sexy.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventy-Three:** **If I Could Turn Back Time**

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _Wright Talent Agency_  
 _February 17, 2025 9:00 am_

Phoenix was in unusually good spirits that morning as he saw his daughter off to her school bus. Normally not a morning person in the slightest, he found himself whistling cheerfully as he sipped his coffee and went through his emails, which he hadn't done in some time.

His mind was partially preoccupied reliving the memories of one of the rare elusive whole weekends he had had with Maya for that Valentine's Day weekend. Business at the bar had been slower than usual, what with it having been the romantic Hallmark Holiday, so the usual drunkards would be doing their weekend festivities elsewhere with their sweethearts. Ergo, there had been no problem booking it off, and Trucy had been happy to spend the weekend with Pearl at the Gumshoes, blissfully oblivious to her Daddy's passionate three-day romp within that very building.

Now, as he vividly recalled some of the wilder, toe-curling moments over the weekend, Phoenix couldn't resist smirking to himself as he scrolled through the usual junk mails offering to make him more of a well-hung, everlasting, thrill-banger in the sack.

 _Don't think I need any help in_ _ **that**_ _department, if these recent tell-tale marks on my back from my little wildcat are anything to go by! Ouch, it still stings a bit! Gotta make sure I don't let Trucy accidentally see me shirtless for a bit until these marks have healed – may be hard to convince her that I fell backwards onto a rake!_

Phoenix's cheery reverie, which included the humming of the slightly naughty rock anthem, "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by the Scorpions, came to an abrupt halt as one particular email from Edgeworth, dated the morning of February 14, and caught his eye.

Phoenix's eyes widened as he read the email. Edgeworth knew just how to explain things so that while the message was an obvious reminder of matters that had nearly completely slipped Phoenix's mind from six years ago without coming right out and saying it, it was done in a manner that appeared to be just a simple FYI.

He shook his head and smiled slightly. _That Edgy can be so diplomatic and tactful when he chooses to be, which he more often than not **never** is with me…_

He closed his eyes and found himself falling back in time, to February 2019 and the harrowing events at Hazakura Temple that had changed his life, as well as Maya's and Pearl's, forever.

The memories were still exceptionally painful to relive.

Mia's lover, Diego Armando, aka Godot, had killed the Fey sister's mother, Misty Fey, when, in her demon possessed state, she had nearly killed Maya while channeling Dahlia Hawthorne. Iris Hawthorne had helped move the body and fabricate the evidence and had gone to jail for this crime along with Godot. Due to the circumstances of the killing, which had been in defending Maya's life, his comatose state which he'd fallen into after being poisoned, and his exemplary history as a defense attorney, Maya had begged Phoenix to plead his sentence, which had originally been 15 years. Before he'd lost his badge, there had been two final motions Phoenix had made as a defense attorney. One had been for an early release for Godot, which Edgeworth had followed through with on his behalf, as well as for Iris, who had been sentenced to 10 years for her crimes.

Obviously the first motion had been successful. How else to explain the mysterious, anonymous monthly packages he'd been getting since Christmas? January's coffee (which quick research had told him cost _$100/lb_!) had been _Panama Ironman Camilina Geisha_ from Boquete, Panama, and on his doorstep that morning, which he was now sipping, was from the a bag of beans called _El Morito Pandora de Fatima_ from Mataquescuintla, Guatemala.

Phoenix shook his head and chuckled, chastising himself for taking this long to finally cluing into who his Secret Santa was.

 _Oh, Godot, living the dream of travelling the Latin Americas in search of the perfect coffee blend. Obviously he doesn't hate me anymore. God bless him!_

But, back to a more sobering notion, and the purpose of his best friend's email. Iris.

 _ **Just a quick heads up Wright**_ , Edgeworth had written. _**Our other appeal, which you and I placed six years ago, finally is seeing light. Iris Hawthorne is getting some time off for good behavior. It appears that they're feeling what with being a model prisoner, on top of her non-existent criminal record, Ms. Hawthorne had done her due time and paid for her crimes.**_

Phoenix's mind reeled at the unanticipated news. He wasn't certain how he felt about it, didn't know if he should have been happy or scared. While it'd been in the back of his mind many times to go visit Iris over the years, he'd always wound up balking in the end. It was partially stemmed from his guilt about the whole incident – he'd sworn to her he'd help her, but then soon after had lost the one thing that had any influence that could have helped with getting her out of there any sooner. It was one of the major things that had depressed him the most when he'd lost his badge. He'd always tried so hard to be man of his word, and had promised Iris to try to help her in any way possible, yet he'd failed her. For all he knew, she would have been resentful and blamed him, he worried about how she would feel when they would meet again.

He rubbed his chin as he mulled this over, lost in thought and memories.

Lovely Iris. She'd been his lover when he was an art student in college, but had hidden her true identity from him the whole time. Phoenix had been relieved when he'd at last discovered he hadn't actually fallen in love with the psychotic Dahlia after all, but her sweet, gentle, mild-mannered identical twin sister. But he'd also been dumbfounded when he'd realized the full weight of Iris's deceit. He knew Iris had always been concerned over this, and been worried that Phoenix would never forgive her duplicity, no matter how noble her intentions, and the fact that her lies had ultimately hurt and devastated them both when she'd opted not to reveal the truth even after her sister had been caught.

But in truth, he'd forgiven her long ago, and had often blamed himself for what happened to her and Godot. While Mia, and later, Maya, had tried their best to convince him he'd done the right thing, in the back of his mind there was always doubt. As well as that nagging guilt that he'd failed his ex-girlfriend in the end.

As though reading his mind, as he often seemed to be able to even from across the globe, Edgeworth's next lines addressed his tumultuous emotions.

 _ **You can stop with the self-blame now, Wright, and at last lay off beating yourself up, as I know you have been all this time, even though you've never said as much. I know you too well.**_

 _Ah, Edgy, as astute as ever. I suppose that's one of the reasons why we're best friends. Thank you, old friend._ Phoenix smiled ruefully and continued reading.

 _ **I don't know if you've been to see her during her incarceration, but there's something I feel you should know, with the hopes that this in no way is seen as my attempting to complicate matters between you and Ms. Fey, whom you know I hold very dear. But in my attempts to assuage your overly-active guilty conscience, Wright, I'm telling you now what I've known for some time now. From the last time I spoke with Ms. Hawthorne, she's made it very clear that she not only still loves you, but in no way, shape or form, blames you for anything. I tell you this because I know a part of you is also still hurting from that incident. Go and see her Wright. While you can't turn back time, this is the chance that neither of you had to figure things out after you discovered the truth.**_ _**It's so important to get closure with an ex, regardless how you feel about her now, in order to completely move on in your life without needing to look back. Just trust me on this one.**_

 _ **Best,  
Miles Edgeworth  
**_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Iris Hawthorne**_ _  
Detention Center_  
February 21, 2025 2:00 pm

Phoenix leaned up against the building and took in a breath. He had been hoping for this day for a long time, yet now that he was there, he was uneasy and slightly scared. Another reason he was worried was that Iris had been a shrine maiden at Hazakura Temple and he wasn't sure what her next plan of action would be, and if they included going back to Sister Bikini to continue her nun duties, or something else entirely.

"Iris…" he stared up into the bright blue sky. "I wish I knew for sure what to do…"

He felt so conflicted. So much had happened in the past few years, he felt he was no longer the same person. What if she didn't like what he had become? What if she didn't feel the same way after all this time?

 _How am I going to face her..? She's going to be so disappointed_ … Phoenix's thoughts were a mess as he waited for the guard to get Iris Hawthorne. _Regardless of Edgeworth's reassuring email, she was still counting on me… And I failed her._ He laughed bitterly to himself. _Oh well, everybody's good at_ _ **something**_ _! And these past six years have proved that I'm better at disappointing people better than anyone I know!_

He knew maybe he should have visited her cell long ago, but nothing less than sheer cowardice had prevented him from doing so. What if she'd gotten mad at him and told him to drop dead? What if she'd started crying? Behind glass was safe, yet aggravating. So much had changed for them…and what he was about to say to her was so monumentally huge for the both of them, for so many parties involved…he had no idea how she was going to react.

" _Phoenix?_ " A high chime voice suddenly spoke.

Phoenix looked up, and there was his ex-girlfriend, former nun of Hazakura Temple, Sister Iris. She was as exquisite as ever, with none of the hardened edge he'd imagined time in prison would have had on her. The same huge, long-lashed brown eyes, black hair in braids on the top of her head, the rest of her hair flowing around her ethereal, delicately featured face. He'd gotten so accustomed to seeing her in her hood and acolyte dress of the Fey Clan from the last time he'd seen her, that the sight of her in the stark orange prison garb was jarring.

"Phoenix, how have you been? You haven't been here in a while. I've been worried."

"I'm so sorry Iris," he sighed. "I've had a lot on my mind. There's…. some bad news I have to tell you."

"It's about your disbarment isn't it?" She asked, looking down.

Phoenix was startled. "H-how did you…?"

"While we don't hear much in here, Phoenix, there _have_ been rumors," she admitted. "I heard about the Gramarye Trial, the forged evidence, all because they've been questioning everyone involved in all your cases in the past few years. It angered Mr. Godot when he heard about this, you would have been surprised how he defended you…"

" _Oh_ _God_ , Iris!" He groaned. "I probably just made things worse for you!"

"No Feen _– Phoenix_. I got _myself_ into this mess." She sniffed, trying to hold back her tears. "Just please, tell me in your own words what happened. I don't believe a word of the rumors. I want to know what happened. The truth. And I want to hear it from _you_."

"I was stupid, Iris." Phoenix dropped his gaze. "And gullible. I fell right into someone's trap. I used evidence I didn't check the credibility of and presented it without thinking." He went on to explain the events that transpired that day. "I was set up and used, and I can't believe I fell for it!"

The raven-haired beauty listened and nodded. "I felt the same way when I discovered my sister's true nature. I believed in her, she was my _sister_ after all… But I felt used and betrayed just like you do now. And I know there are many things I did wrong, like assisting in stealing father's diamond, deceiving you…" She sniffled then, and looked at him with glittering, pellucid eyes, sparkling with repressed tears.

"Please, stop berating yourself over me, Iris. Those months we had together were among the happiest of my life." His expression was one of pure fondness as he gazed at her. "Even if you were just staying around me just to get that necklace back… it was worth it, because I got to spend the time with you."

" _Feenie…_ " she blushed slightly, then placed her hand over her mouth. "Oh I'm sorry I…"

"Honestly, it's fine…and believe me, I've been called worse," he assured her, smiling. "I know now it was you that came up with that nickname and it was you I was with all that time. I'd actually like it if you call me 'Feenie' from now on, as whenever you do get out of here I'd like to spend some time with you, at the very least as my friend."

"Oh _Feenie_ …" She was almost crying. "You have no idea how happy I am to find that out. I thought you hated me for deceiving you."

He shook his head. "No, I forgave you for that. That's why ever since you were sentenced I was trying everything to shorten your time… but the most was down to 10 years before my badge was taken away from me… If only I still had it and hadn't lost it like the fool I was!" He banged the counter. "I failed you, Iris I'm so sorry…"

"Feenie… _Please_ …" She whimpered. "If you can't prove you were tricked there isn't much you can do. And it's OK. I'll serve my sentence and get out of your way if you wish. I'll go back to the temple…"

" _Objection_ _ **!**_ " Phoenix suddenly raised his voice. "Er, sorry. Guess even after six years I'm not out of the habit! But listen, Iris, please believe me when I say that I don't _want_ you to go away. I just told you that. And I promise you – I will cease feeling guilty, but only if _you_ do as well."

" _Huh?_ " The soft-spoken girl shivered slightly, still shaken from his impromptu loud shout.

"I'm talking about how you still feel remorseful for being my 'Dollie' only to get that necklace back." He reminded her.

She cracked a smile. "So if I finally forgive myself, you'll forgive yourself?"

"It's a fair trade, is it not? I'll try to visit more often… Oh though next time I come I have someone for you to meet."

"Oh?" Iris blinked.

"Yeah I've sort of acquired a daughter." Phoenix rubbed the back of his head.

" _ **What?!**_ " Her doe eyes widened.

"Trucy Enigmar, the defendant's daughter. She was abandoned that day," he explained. "She had no living relatives, so I put in the paperwork and adopted her."

"That's so sweet of you, Feenie." Iris smiled softly. "You still have that big, beautiful heart of yours, in spite of everything that's happened to you. I'm happy to see that hasn't changed."

"Trucy's almost 14 now, and while she's a handful, she's also very innovative." Phoenix was in full proud father mode. He reached for his wallet and showed her the photo of the teenager, in full blue top hat and cape magician mode.

"Oh, she's so pretty!" Iris exclaimed, looking delighted. "You're going to have to beat the boys off with a stick pretty soon, you know!"

 _Her and Pearls both! But Maya seems to think it's cruel and unusual punishment to lock them both into a convent until they're thirty_!

"She made this for me when she was eight. I've never taken it off since." He gestured to his beanie. "Truce also revamped the office and has a job as a magician like her biological father was. She even talked me into converting my old law office into the Wright Talent Agency. Since then, I've been honing my piano playing skills at this bar, which are still subpar, but good enough to Boris and Natasha to get paid for it."

Iris looked at him blankly. "Er, you work for cartoon characters?"

"Pretty much," he said lightly. "Let's just say they're very _animated_ Russians who don't have the same high standards for their pianists as we Americans do, shall we?"

There was no reason, Phoenix figured, to let a delicate flower like Iris know about his shady poker playing dealings. She was one of the few people out there whose opinion of him didn't seem to have lessened at all, and as pathetic as it seemed, he yearned to keep it that way!

"I'm sure you aren't as bad a player as you think you are," Iris said kindly. "You've always been so humble, Feenie. You probably have some latent artistic talents that were still untapped. I remember you were one heck of an artist back in college before you decided on the legal path."

 _Heck_. Phoenix smirked. _Man, she really is a nun by_ _ **habit**_ _, wasn't she? Couldn't even say_ _ **H-E-Double hockey sticks**_ _. Hey look at me, being so gosh darn punny at the most inappropriate of times!  
_  
"I guess having to memorize all those legalities and laws came in handy for this unwanted second career of mine," he just smiled modestly. "I can't read music worth a lick. I play entirely by ear. My daughter seems to think I'm not half bad though." _Although, that certainly would explain my ability to at least recognizably play that infamous Bruno Mars song for Maya, as well as that Dirty Dancing and Journey song, after having just heard them a handful of times!_

She giggled. "Well it's good Trucy's trying to get your mind off not being a lawyer anymore."

"Yeah but I'm hopeless as anything else, I wasn't even that good of a lawyer." He snorted. "You're being too generous. I was a lousy art student, even in college."

"Maybe you should try something in another area?" Iris suggested. "I remember all those things I tried when I was posing as Dahlia in college, just to explore things? Remember when I took those piano lessons?"

"Yeah I remember sitting by you as you played. You were always so beautiful, and the melody you could play was amazing, with so few of lessons," he recalled, smiling at the memory. "That's when I would say you looked like an angel."

"I remember all too well." She blushed. "I wasn't very good though."

"Better than anything _I_ could ever play, even though _I_ get paid for it." Phoenix grinned. "But I also recall that you liked me calling you an angel, and yet you always acted funny when I did call you _Dollie_ , which now makes complete sense. Oh Iris, it must have been hard for you, hearing your sister's name like that all the time."

"It was worth it though." Iris smiled tenderly. "After all, what's in a name?"

"I should come up with a new name, just for the sake of it, put that old one behind us…" He rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm…is _Rissy_ too simple?"

"No! It's perfect!" Iris smiled widely. "But, Feenie, I do have one more thing to confess." She looked down then and blushed gorgeously.

 _More confessions?_ He blinked. "OK, what is it?"

"Remember how I told you I couldn't get that necklace back, so I stayed with you all that time during those eight months?"

"Well yeah, every time you asked I thought you just were worried I hated it." Phoenix gave a rueful chuckle.

"I purposely prolonged it." Iris looked away in embarrassment. "My sister caught on. I could have pressed you more, or just plain stole it a few times. But after just a few weeks with you… I didn't want our time together to end. That's why Dahlia took things into her own hands. She knew I had fallen in love with you, and if she revealed she was going to kill you, I would have stopped her."

Now it was Phoenix's turn to blush. "I-Iris…"

"Think about it Feenie, enough of those… Times in your dorm room where we…. _You know_ …" She was turning bright red now. "I could have snuck out with the necklace, but I didn't. You were my _first_ , you know."

"You were mine, too," he whispered.

"I was so happy with you. I knew the moment I gave my sister the necklace, she'd take my place and break up with you, and I'd be sent back to the temple."

"I think I understand now." Phoenix scratched the back of his neck. "Though I have to admit I'm…conflicted, you must understand. I thought you were gone. I thought you were Dahlia, the woman who tried to murder me and was in prison at one point. I don't know if I can just jump back to over a decade ago…"

"I _do_ understand, Feenie. And I'm willing to give you the time, and the distance if you need it. Just know that in all these years I've never stopped loving you." She pressed her hand against the glass.

He lifted his hand to match hers. "And a part of me has always had a special place for you in my heart as well, and always will, Iris. It's _because_ of this soft spot I have for you that I did whatever I could for you to help you out…so I'm pleased to tell you that despite _my_ grievous misfortune, I actually have some good news for _you,_ though."

"What's that, Feenie?"

"Even though I'm no longer a practicing attorney, my colleague Miles Edgeworth still is. I put the process of your appeal in play right before I lost my badge, as the last thing I did before being disbarred, and he continued with the appeal on my behalf. Based on your non-existent criminal history and your unlikelihood of repeat offence, it looks like your parole has been granted. You should be out of here in a fortnight."

Tears of gratitude filled her beautiful eyes. "Oh Feenie, thank you," she whispered. "I can't believe after what I've done, you still went and did this for me. I am forever in your debt, love. If there's ever anything I can do for _you_ at all…"

 _Give me strength_ , Phoenix silently prayed, to whatever forces that might have been listening. He didn't want to come across as capitalizing on Iris's current vulnerable state while being incarcerated, or appear to be taking advantage of the fact that she still had feelings for him.

But he couldn't help how he felt, or who he loved.

"Actually, Iris, there is something that would make me a _very_ happy man. I know this is sudden and unexpected, but I really hope the answer will be yes…"

Iris's eyes widened in surprise as she listened. Then they began to shine with the limpid adoration and affection of a woman who still loved a man desperately, even a decade later. Before she could reply though, fate once again decided to be the bitch that it always had been, in the form of the warden, who chose that _exact_ moment to announce that their time was up. Phoenix barely restrained from pounding at the glass in agitation.

"Iris, I promise I'll be back soon. I'll bring Trucy next time so you can meet her," he vowed, rising from his seat. "And I'll be there the day you're released to pick you up, I swear." _I hope the suspense doesn't kill me in the meantime while I await her answer…_

Iris smiled softly. "Feenie, anything for you." She once again placed her hand on the glass that kept them apart. Then, a small smile playing upon her lips, she surreptitiously gave a tiny nod of her head. His earnest eyes betraying a myriad of emotions as he looked at her, Phoenix met with her hand for one last time, before his former love had to be led away.

He then slowly headed out, his mind racing with the events that had just happened, as he contemplated what his next steps would be now that he knew that Iris had said _yes_.

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's:_

 **Megaranger66** **(chapter 71)**

Apologies for your assaulted feels…past, present…*coughs* can't comment on future…

So you've chosen your final stance then after all the weeks of debate then of Skyeworth vs Fredgeworth there dear? Final answer is Fredgeworth? Tragedy either bonds us closer or tears you apart…in this case, it's what it took for Franny to let Edgy finally hold her in his arms…which can't be too bad a sign?

 **(Chapter 72)**

 **Yanmegaman**

Alas, every love must weather a storm of some sort to see if it can withstand and is _everlasting_ …be it hailstorm, thunderstorm…shit-storm? LOL

About the lovely Ms. Cykes, she will absolutely have a role in this tale, but as am manipulating the canon and working with the game timelines, first comes Polly, and the AJ storyline is looming around the corner as it began in 2026 (we're in year 6 of disbarring at 2025).

Thou art a most valiant knight to offer to slay the dragon on Sir Blue Knight's behalf but alas, so our main hero is not seen as yellow and milady Fey must learn to also hold her own in battle, this offer of the story's easily most justified homicide must be demurred for now! XD

 **Guest:** If you're the same from before, yay you're caught up!

No need to drag Athena – everyone's fave redhead will definitely come into play in this story – wow time has flown we are nearly in Apollo Justice! – so her grand entrance is just a couple years away! Here's a very interesting thought for you though…could Mildew actually handle the demon that is Hawthorne since not even Master Misty could contain her? Or would the insane combination of all that evil rolled into one entity just make her spontaneously combust? Hmmm…that would solve everyone's problems wouldn't it? ;)

 **SkyiesTheLimit:** Pleasure to be of assistance! Glad to have you as a reader and happy to answer any questions at all!

 **Ryszard:** Where were you for all my possibly erred German throughout this series? LOL

I hope to never render you too speechless… I love hearing from you!

I'm glad you think Ms. Latrine is most aptly named – she's pretty _beschissen_ indeed…and yes, a complete thunder C U Next Tuesday! (IS there a German word for that?!)

 **Chloemcg:** I should just throw a suit of armor on you alongside **Yanmegaman** and have you both unleash and wield your sword and shields against this fiery beast! As a writer, it is so challenging to make readers have any sort of passionate reaction to an OC, so your offer to murder Mildew as warped as it sounds brings me such joy! Also, to even be held _in the same sentence_ of a character created by the literary genius, who in this modern video game era, managed to make millions of children and adults actually _read_ …I am ever humbled. Thank you so much. I hope you stay on board this wild ride!


	74. Suddenly These Changes

_I stain the floor with my love. It runs from my mouth and I choke on the air. It bleeds from my ears and drips from my chin. My head hangs low, heavy with thoughts of you._

* * *

 **Chapter Seventy-Four:** **Suddenly These Changes**

 _ **Maya Fey**_  
 _Fey Manor_  
March 1, 2025 9:00 pm

Maya was mindless to everything around her when she'd raced from the Meeting Hall earlier and to the sanctity of her chambers, slamming and locking the door behind her and flinging herself onto her bed while she sobbed into her pillow about the impossible dilemma she'd been thrust into and the feelings of being completely distraught and overwhelmed about what to do.

A little while later, she heard the timid knock at her door and Pearl's gentle, pleading voice begging her to open up, but she couldn't face anyone just then.

Through a voice hoarse from weeping, she croaked out: "Pearly, I'll be alright, don't worry. Go get something to eat and just head to bed. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow. Be a good girl for me, and don't talk to anyone or do anything silly trying to defend me or Nick's honor, OK? I love you."

"OK Mystic Maya," Pearl's soft voice had a mixture of defeat and sadness to it, which only made a fresh bout of tears well up in Maya's eyes. "I'll see you in the morning. I love you too."

As she heard the quiet sounds of her retreating cousin's footsteps, Maya wiped the last of her tears angrily with the sleeve of her robe and reached onto the night table for her cell phone. She knew it was a Saturday night, and Phoenix was working at the bar. He wouldn't be done till 2:00, and depending if he caught a ride home with his friend Tyler or got stuck taking the bus, wouldn't be able to call her till nearly 3:00 in the morning when he got home, but she was overcome with the desperate need to hear his voice, even on his answering machine.

Besides, surely if he knew that she'd called him when she knew he was on duty, and couldn't wait till his shift was over, it had to be important. Maybe he'd even call her during break or on his way home so she could connect with him that much earlier and tell him the horrid details of the evening and the trap she was now in. Together, they would find a solution, she was sure of it.

She struggled to keep her voice level, so as not to alarm him too much when he got the message, but ensured the urgency was evident in her tone as she quickly said: "Nick, it's me. Please call me as soon as you get this message. It doesn't matter what time it is. It's very important, and I need to talk to you so bad. I'll be waiting for your call. And Nick, baby, I love you."

The next few hours seemed to crawl by. Maya couldn't remember a time before when she'd seen the second hand on her wall clock _ever_ move with _such painstaking slowness_ as the minutes, then hours, crept by.

She tried to kill time napping, watching TV, even reading some cheap, tawdry romance novels she'd picked up at the airport newsstand during her last business trip, but when she looked at the time again, it was only 1:30 am.

Still no call or text from Phoenix.

He rarely did contact her from work, so she hadn't really expected him to, especially with Saturday being the busiest night of the week, but nevertheless, Maya was inexplicably disappointed. Nick was her _soulmate_ , _dammit_! Didn't he _sense_ she needed him? Couldn't he have checked his phone, _just once_ , on the way to the bathroom and shot her back a quick text? Surely he wasn't a _camel_ who stored up liquids for _months on end_ and had needed to relieve himself at least _once_ between the hours of 6:00 pm and 2:00 am?!

Maya realized in her frenzy that she was being completely irrational, and let out a rueful chuckle, in spite of herself. She was being ridiculous! Phoenix was just busy, he wasn't ignoring her! Hell, he'd even been in touch with her via text and email while she'd been out of town in New Orleans. Not too frequently, if she _really_ thought about it though, and only in short but sweet replies to _her_ instigated contact efforts for the past few weeks, come to think of it… hell, they'd only actually _spoken_ a couple of times since the Monday after Valentine's Day!

Each time since then, Maya tried to call her boyfriend, left a message, and instead of calling her back that night, more often than not, she'd get a quick text the next morning, explaining he'd worked later than planned or had simply crashed and burned the moment he'd gotten home.

This ducking and dodging MO of Phoenix's suspiciously reminded Maya of the two weeks he'd been completely MIA when he'd first been disbarred, although not as blatant. He wasn't _ignoring_ her presently, per se…it was just that something seemed… _off_ with Phoenix now, and she couldn't quite place her finger on it or figure out the cause!

Which was bizarre, as in the past, before being given the reprieve of Edgeworth's condo as a safe haven, she and Nick had gone much longer than a mere fortnight without seeing one another – hell they'd gone _nine months_ at a time! – and she _still_ hadn't had these impromptu shadows of misgivings dwelling within her!

 _Stop it Maya!_ She scolded herself. _You're just overreacting as usual, as you're so upset and emotional because of The Dragon Lady and blowing things out of proportion! Of_ _ **course**_ _Nick isn't avoiding you! He_ _ **loves**_ _you! There's surely an explanation for his monosyllabic texts and subdued tone of voice that you've noticed since you went to Louisiana!_

Maya sat and impatiently stewed for the next hour. She thought 2:30 would never come, but of course, it did. She sprang like a tightly coiled spring at her phone when it finally rang at 2:31, answering on the first ring.

"Nick, thank _God_ you called!" She cried by way of greeting. "I've nearly been losing my mind!"

"I got your message, and here I am, returning your call," Phoenix replied, almost casually, as though oblivious to the distraught note in her voice. "What's gotten you so worked up, Maya?"

She frowned into the phone. It wasn't as though her boyfriend didn't call her by name anymore since they'd been together – he did – just as she'd never been able to come up with a more affectionate nickname for him other than _Nick,_ in the past six years. It was just that whenever Maya was upset or sad, he always sensed it. Then in turn, would use that concerned, loving voice he reserved _especially_ for her, prompting her with something more along the lines of "why are you so upset, my love? Talk to me."

And yet _this_ time around, all she got was a mild, almost off-hand, query of " _What's gotten you so worked up, Maya_?!" As though she were distressed over a _run in her pantyhose_ , rather than been forced to contend with _the worst possible scenario on earth_ since she'd become Master!

Feeling even more vulnerable _now_ than before Phoenix had called, Maya swallowed back the fresh wave of tears threatening to fall at his callous tone, but proceeded to pour out her myriad of fears over the arrangement, the fact that it was such an important strategic tactical alliance, and that she was supposed to be fulfilling her duty as Kurain Master, otherwise the old crones would give and make her life a living hell. As she spoke, she couldn't help shedding a few tears in spite of her resolve not cry anymore over the matter.

Phoenix listened silently until she was done, before he spoke again.

"That sounds pretty rough," he remarked mildly, as though she'd just told him the chef had mistakenly given her a vegan patty instead of her usual bacon cheeseburger. "How about I come up and pay you a visit tomorrow after I'm done work? I think you'd feel better getting this all out in person, wouldn't you?"

Maya was torn between wanting to shriek at Phoenix for sounding so dismissive about the worst plight she'd been presented with, _in her entire life –_ did he just not _get_ how this affected _him_ as well her?! Had she _stuttered_?! – And being overjoyed at the prospect of seeing him so soon. Moreover, _he_ was volunteering to come up and see _her_? He hadn't set _foot_ in Kurain since her Master ceremony!

"Y- You want to come up here to Kurain, t- tomorrow?" Maya stammered. "I mean, you can – everyone will have long since gone to bed as you get off so late. Um, except, of course, for me. So there's no issues with sneaking you in. I mean, this is so nice of you, Nick – but it will be about 4:00 in the morning when you get up here, won't you be too tired?"

She could almost hear Phoenix shrug.

"Well desperate times call for desperate measures. These _are_ extenuating circumstances, after all. I'll see if I can duck out of work a bit early and if I can borrow Gumshoe's car. Driving-wise, Kurain is only about 90 minutes away, possibly faster at that time of night since there's no traffic."

Maya was astonished at the offer – she hadn't thought she'd be seeing Phoenix again until her next LA conference later that week. Also, since when could her boyfriend drive?

"When did you get your license, Nick?" She couldn't keep the befuddlement out of her tone. "Also, please don't speed on my account – we don't want you getting pulled over!"

"I may not have a license to drive, Maya, but I never said _I didn't know how_ to operate a motorized vehicle if need be," Phoenix laughed mirthlessly. "Besides, who's going to pull me over if I'm driving Brutus, the _Police Chief's_ huge honking tank of a car?"

" _Brutus_?" Maya repeated blankly, still staggered at her boyfriend's willingness to do such illegal activity for her and being torn between letting him and trying to talk him out of it.

"Gumshoe's black Dodge Charger. It is the automobile of choice for most unmarked cruisers, and one of the few beasts that hulk of a man can fit into! _Nobody's_ going to get in my way in that thing – it's the Bullwinkle of all cars!"

"Nick, I don't want you to go through so much trouble and risk –"

"I'll see you tomorrow night, Maya, even if I have to walk there," Phoenix abruptly cut her off, silencing any further protests she'd been about to make. "It's getting late and I'm sure you've had a draining evening. I know _I'm_ beat. Goodnight."

He clicked off before Maya could even respond. She sat there, staring at the cell phone in her hand, wondering why she didn't feel better at the prospect of seeing her boyfriend again so shortly after alerting him to her crisis. He was her pillar of strength, after all, and she needed him. And so Phoenix had said he'd be there for her, even sooner than she could have hoped or planned to see him.

So then _why_ was she now feeling slightly worse off _now_ , than she had _before_ Nick had called?

Maya had a hard time sleeping that night, and when she finally did drift off, her slumber was filled with tormenting dreams, which only further fueled the inexplicable feeling of dread in her heart.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Kurain Village_  
March 3, 2025 3:15 am

Maya was waiting at the main entrance of the village when she saw a set of headlights flash on her, bathing her in its glaring brightness as an enormous dark car pulled up. Turning off the engine and pocketing his keys, Phoenix exited the car swiftly and looked at her, a slight smile on his lips.

"Brutus drives like a dream," he told her. "Handles great even on sharp turns. I have to admit, I'm going to be mighty sad handing him back to his owner."

"I'm surprised being a cop again, that Gumshoe loaned it to you – considering you don't have a license."

"He didn't ask." Phoenix shrugged. "My motto – don't ask don't tell."

 _Since when_? Maya wondered. Aside from bluffing in court, Phoenix had always been the most forthright, honest man she'd ever known. What was _with_ him?

She searched his handsome face, which was made visible by the night torches that lit up the gated entrance, but he was wearing an unreadable poker face at the moment, along with the despised beanie as well, for the first time in ages. He made no move to remove it, and for some reason, Maya was hesitant to do her normal playful jesting about it or try to pull it off of him as usual. There was something oddly foreboding in his expression that made refrain from her usual antics at that moment.

Also, thus far, he'd made no move to hug or kiss her in greeting, so Maya just stood there a few feet away from him, awkwardly mimicking Phoenix's action of jamming his hands into his sweatshirt pockets by placing her own into the pockets of the light cloak she'd thrown on over her nightgown. She'd been lying in bed, not expecting him till at least 4:00, when he'd texted her saying he was nearby, so the outer garment had been all she'd grabbed when she'd left the manor, taking not even her house keys or magatama with her from her night table. It was a warm enough night – about 18 degrees Celsius – but she wasn't sure how long they would be staying outside, and she wished she'd worn closed toed shoes rather than her sandals, as her exposed feet were already feeling the chill of the late night air.

"Does this thing have wings? Because you must have _flown_ it to get up here just after 3:00 when you left the bar at 2:00," Maya joked, attempting to ease the tension. "How lead was that driving foot of yours coming up here, Nick?"

"I got time off for good behavior," Phoenix smirked. "So I got to leave about fifteen minutes earlier than planned. Also, since Gumshoe uses Brutus for work and home, that baby's got an inner light bar in the back that silently flashes when going, ah, _high speeds_ on the roads…you'd be surprised how fast folks in other cars get out of your way!"

Maya frowned at him disapprovingly. Driving without a license _and_ speeding – in a _cop car_ , to boot? This sort of thoughtless, reckless behavior wasn't typical of the Phoenix Wright she knew and loved _at all_!

Phoenix caught the look and put his palms up in a gesture of mock innocence.

"Don't look at me like that, Maya! I didn't drive recklessly, just as fast as I could to get to you because I thought you needed me!"

 _Sure_ , she thought sourly, folding her arms across her chest. _Use_ _ **me**_ _as your trump card to excuse your borderline criminal actions why don't you!_

"As long as I return that car without a scratch on it, Gumshoe's cool," Phoenix went on. "I told him you had a crisis that needed tending to, and he said I could borrow his wheels no problem. All he asked was that I have the car back to him by 8:30 in the morning as he starts work at 9:00."

Maya didn't know what to say to that, so she just gestured to him to follow her to the pretty gardens just off to the side, where there was a stone bench among the fragrant blooming flower bushes. She sat down and patted the spot next to her. Phoenix took a seat beside her but kept his distance somewhat, so that he was close but not touching.

Something _definitely_ was not right. Maya didn't even know how to begin. In all the years she'd known Phoenix, she'd never been a loss for words with him. This imposter might have been Phoenix Wright's doppelganger, but despite whoever he actually claimed to be, he was a stranger as far as she was concerned. And while the man seated next to her _looked_ like her longtime lover, instinctively, she somehow _knew_ he _wasn't_.

Since the disbarring, Maya knew Phoenix had changed. His eyes had lost their bashful, slightly naive expression from his lawyer days and attained a slightly tortured, cynical air, but still retained the same gentleness.

There was none of that evident in the eyes of this man sitting next to her now, his eyes guarded, hard, and unreadable.

 _This isn't my Nick._

"So what did you tell Trucy this time?" Maya began awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

Phoenix groaned. "She worked tonight, and I sent her a text telling her I was in a late night poker game and might not be back till she's in school. Luckily she's old enough now to be home alone and can get herself dressed and to school without my help anymore. But still, I hate having to lie to her."

" _A poker game_?" Maya queried, glad they seemed to at last be having a normal, non-stilted conversation. "I'm confused. I thought you played piano at The Borscht Bowl?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess I haven't mentioned, have I? My bad." Phoenix smiled thinly, not sounding sorry at all. "I'm a double agent at the bar – I play a lousy night of piano till about 11:00 then I go downstairs to the Hydeout in the basement and let the poker sharks take a crack at the undefeated poker champion."

"Undefeated poker champion?" Maya's eyes were wide with disbelief, uncaring that she was beginning to sound like a parrot. "Nick, you're _gambling_?"

"For the past six years," he affirmed smugly, not appearing even remotely contrite at this admission, despite her stupefied reaction to the news. "The piano playing is a front, Maya. I've been making a living playing poker right from the start. But relax, it's nothing illegal. We play for glory, not money. I'm the undefeated Baron of Bluffing. All those years of bluffing my way through court made it a transferable skill, I suppose."

"It still sounds sort of shady…" Maya began slowly, not wanting to sound judgmental but still stunned at the revelation. "I don't mean to sound so pious…it's just that…"

"It doesn't sound too prudent for a prestigious village master to be associating with a lowlife poker shark, is that it?" Phoenix sneered. "Is _that_ what you meant?"

Maya drew back, aghast at his tone. She stared at him, tears filling her eyes.

"How could you say such a thing to me, Nick? I've _never_ looked down at you! I've stood by you, even when you told me not to! Do you really think something as trivial as telling me something like you play underground cards is all it'd take to make me start _now_?"

"Maybe not. But it's just another black mark against me in the eyes of the elders if they ever get wind of this." Phoenix spoke with his head to the dusty ground. "Someday, Maya, you'll wise up and see me the way they do – as someone who's a worthless bum, and who is beneath you and unworthy of you in every way possible."

"Are we on _this_ _again_ , Nick?" Maya was exasperated. "Did someone build a time machine and put us back in the year 2020 again? _What_ does it take to convince you that _I don't care_ what those hags think! I'm not a snob! I don't care what occupation you have! And I don't care what they think about you!"

"You should. Because they're right about me, Maya," Phoenix looked at her with a pained expression. "Trust me, the day _will_ come, when one day, you'll hate me."

Maya stopped like she'd taken a bullet to the guts.

"Why would you say such a thing? I love you. I can't live without you."

Phoenix raised his eyes to meet hers, so she would know he wasn't messing.

"It's what happens to a great love when the expectations are too high. We'll be fine for a while, then the monotony of having a lover who is nothing more than hobo bum will kick in. And you'll realize you're a woman of great power and prestige who has been wasting her life slumming it with poker shark, a fake pianist. A borderline criminal, with no name or money. One whose stigma of being a disbarred forging attorney will forever plague us wherever we go."

"Nick, _why_ are you talking like this?" Maya wailed, fighting back tears as he continued debasing himself, as though she hadn't spoken.

"And I'll only find some way to let you down in the end, can't you see that? I won't bring you flowers or gifts anymore. I'll forget our anniversary. Your friends will have nicer homes and fancier vacations. I won't be exciting, I'll be a burden. A disgrace. And you will be as ashamed to associate with me as everyone else is!"

Maya's face had lost what little color it had had.

"Damn you, Nick! These are all nothing more than lousy excuses not to try! Or maybe you just don't love me?!" Her eyes washed with the kind of tears that only came when people finally broke, in ways not easily repaired. But when she met his gaze, his were just the same. Phoenix _did_ love her. So what was all this nonsense about hate?

He was just spiraling down that woe-is-me, self-pitying route yet again for some reason. Maya had to snap him out of it.

"I know we've got our problems, Nick, but you told me you found your lawyer and were making investigative progress in clearing your name! Stop being in such a funk, old man!" Maya jumped to her feet and placed her hands on her hips. "Come on! We're two smart people, and we gotta think of something. For _my_ situation as well as _yours_. But we'll do it together, OK?" She swallowed the lump in her throat. "No matter what, I'll stand by you. Because… I – I can't lose you again."

"Maya, some problems can't be solved." He replied flatly, burying his head in his hands.

"I don't want to think of us as a problem, Nick! Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me – well other than the whole Mia being killed and me being accused of the murder and me thinking I must have done it –" Maya realized she was rambling. "But I'm telling you, I love you. Let's find a solution, Nick. We're an unstoppable team."

"No we aren't Maya. Not anymore. I can't do this anymore, can't you see that?" Phoenix cried, jumping to his feet and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Being with me is going to tear you apart! These elders _don't_ have the wrong idea! You should try to find a better man than me, who can give you the life, the love, the family you deserve! If you stay with me I'll kill you bit by bit. That's what I do to those who love me."

"Nick, don't –" Maya pleaded, but no avail as he relentlessly pressed on.

"Why, I'm not altogether sure. But when you soar high, I'll only drag you down. I'll stir up your anxieties, just to be the one to soothe you and help you to find fault with anyone that competes for your attention. This is about as fair as I can be, it's your warning. You're settling by being with me, choosing this life! Heed my words, Maya! If you know me at all, you'll realize this isn't a joke." He grabbed her face in his hands, tilting it up as he watched the tears filling her eyes and he swallowed hard. "So, my smitten lover, you have some thinking to do."

Phoenix never argued with his fists but his words packed a powerful punch. Carefully spoken, without drama, his words had an air of finality to them and no matter how hard she railed against them, nothing would change his mind. Still, she had to try.

"I don't _want_ another husband!" Maya shouted, the tears beginning to trickle down her face as she frantically grasped his hands and clasped them to her cheeks, needing to feel his touch. "I want _you_! I love _you_ , Nick! I'll _wait_ for you! How can you say these things about yourself? It doesn't matter what the world, or society thinks! Being with you rises me up, gives me a reason for _being_. You could never drag me down!"

"But I've already begun to, Maya. I heard it in your voice when you told me what the Dragon Lady was planning for you. She wants better for you, even though her methods might be unorthodox, and so do I! Being a woman of your stature, being forced to be with a _nobody_ like me has been _killing you softly_ all these years, you just can't admit it, even though I've seen it!"

She started shaking her head in denial, but he shook her gently, trying desperately to make her understand.

"Stop refuting the truth, Maya! You'd deny it whenever I tried to talk about it, but I saw it every time. The lies over your lips, faking smiles and words, trying to convince everybody you were perfectly fine. Whenever you smiled, something felt wrong, like a little crook over your mouth, coming from deep inside your soul. Oh Maya, you will never know how many times you broke my heart whenever I saw the sad look in your eyes, the corrupted fake smile you put on as a daily dress, denying yourself the right to be honest with the way you felt. Tell me, are you sure you were just trying to convince the world? Or maybe you just desperately wanted to convince yourself?" Phoenix released her then and turned his head away from her so she could no longer see his face. "I guess we will never know. I wish I could know."

His words fell out of his mouth like vapor, but landed in her guts as shrapnel. Maya felt her insides tear, and the blood drained from her face. A small, rising hysteria within her made her want to laugh, yet she knew he was deadly serious. His eyes were cold like she'd never seen and his features immobile. He looked like someone about to vomit.

She was trying to understand the words he was telling her but she couldn't. He _must_ love her, he had for so many years, and to be honest, she thought aside from Pearl, he was the _only_ one in the world left who did.

Then he turned away to go, shoulders sunken and his hands in his pockets.

Before Maya knew what she was doing, she was standing in his way and they locked eyes, the perfect distance for a kiss, but he shook his head. She could see her pain mirrored in his dark blue eyes. This smacked of duty. Phoenix always said he'd stick around while she tried to persuade the Elders to accept him someday, but in the end, it seemed they'd won after all.

She couldn't let that happen. _Wouldn't_ let that happen!

"Please, let's just say to hell with the elders, to _everything_ , Nick!" Maya begged. Slow desolate tears ran from her unblinking eyes and dripped steadily into her nightshirt. "We've talked about this before, let's just grab Trucy and Pearly and just run away! To Canada! To Connecticut! To _anywhere but here_! We can find a place where nobody can trace our whereabouts! Where no one can find us and give us orders or tell us what the rules are…"

"Maya please stop this." Phoenix sounded absolutely drained then. He looked at her with pity in his eyes as he spoke his next words. "I didn't want to have to tell you this – I was hoping I could just let things end with clean break between us, but it looks like you've left me with no choice but to tell you the entire, terrible truth." He took a deep breath. "I got an email from Edgeworth a few weeks ago. The motion plea we put through for early release for Godot and Iris has been granted. He got out in December – he's been the one sending me that gourmet coffee in the mail I've been telling you about. And Iris… is being granted early parole as well. She's being released from prison this Friday."

Maya looked at him apprehensively, a feeling of dread mounting in her gut. This was her worst nightmare come true. She knew what his next words were going to be, but found herself powerless to stop him, to save herself the soul-crushing agony she knew the next verse would bring.

"I went to go see her two weeks ago, Maya." Phoenix's face was pained as he looked at her. "Seeing Iris again, after so long…it was as though the years had stood still – as if no time had passed for us at all." He dropped his gaze then so she could no longer see his eyes. "Maya…Iris – she never stopped loving me. And when I saw her again…I realized I felt the same way. I never stopped loving her either. Sh – she was my first love. We were each other's first love. You never forget your first, Maya. We have another rare chance to try again…and I _have_ to take it." His eyes were still on the ground as he mumbled his next words. "I hate to do this to you, but I can't go on lying to you any longer."

"You're _kidding_ , right?" She asked, her voice shaking as his unflinching eyes met hers. She wanted to beg, plead, get down on her knees and tell him that without him, her life had no meaning; that their _love_ had meaning, but she knew that face. It was the one he wore when his ears were closed and his mind had put up barriers to all new information.

"No, Maya, it's over." He slowly turned away, trying to hide the sadness in his eyes. "I – I'm sorry."

Hearing the words, her stomach contracted so violently that she actually thought the congealed contents of her guts would emerge right there and then. She could feel her chest tightening under the sudden alarmingly erratic thudding of her increased heartbeat. She stood still, vision blurring, and in that moment, Maya heard her heart break. It was a small, clean sound, like the snapping of a flower's stem.

"You're – _sorry_?!" Maya screamed, not even recognizing her own voice anymore, it was so shrill. "I was gone away for _one week_ …and in that time you're telling me _you secretly met, fell in love with and are leaving me_ , not for all the bullshit excuses you just spewed at me about not being good enough, or because of the elders, but _for my cousin_? Because she was your _first_?! _You_ were _my_ first! Does that not matter at all to you, you _soulless son of a bitch_! I gave you my _heart_ …my _body_ …my _virginity_ …" she broke down then, the tears pouring from her eyes now in unending streams, unable to go on.

"It _wasn't_ bullshit, Maya." Phoenix sounded maddeningly calm in comparison, unlike Maya, who was crying so hard now she was shaking.

Looking up at him through her bloodshot eyes, she saw that somehow, he was completely composed. In the half-light of the moon, Phoenix looked like the shadow he'd become. Hunched over in that sweatshirt, face partially obscured by that hated beanie, he could have been anybody, and in a way Maya guessed he was. She'd thought their bond was everlasting, and in her naivety she'd believed it to be unbreakable.

"I meant what I said. You _are_ too far above me in stature. It just wouldn't work in the long run. As it is, we only see one another a couple times a month, and only in hiding! That's no way to live your life. With Iris, there's no need to sneak around, or deal with any drama from the elders, or need to worry about societal expectations. I'm a low-life poker player. She's been to prison. We're two peas in a pod, when you think about it. Both on the bottom rung of society, really." He laughed humorlessly then. "Aside from our shared history, we genuinely can relate to and understand one another, don't you see?"

"You've been plotting this all along, haven't you?" Maya wept, wrapping her arms around herself in a vain effort to contain the sobs that wracked her slender body. "Was I just your _filler_ girlfriend until she was released? Was _she_ the one you loved all along even while you were singing songs to me and making love to me and giving me jewelry…?"

"No," he shook his head, his face somber, although his eyes were still unreadable. "I didn't realize I'd never gotten over Iris until I laid eyes on her again. And – I really did care about you Maya. I still do. Please know that."

"You _care_ for me?" She shouted, glaring at him with outraged indignation even as the tears continued to fall. "You care for a _cat_ , or a _dog_ or for your… _clients_! Me…I gave you my _virtue_ … _my_ soul…my _all_ …and _you_ tell me…you _care_ for me?!"

"Maya…" he reached out a hand then, and tried to place it on her shoulder, but she shrunk away from him, crying so hard now she could barely see.

"No! Don't touch me!" She shrieked, slapping at his hand. "Don't you dare touch me, Phoenix Wright! Never, _ever_ again!"

Her mind began to spin as a whirling kaleidoscope of memories raced through it from the last six years.

The night of her 21st birthday, when he'd first told her he'd loved her after singing that Bruno Mars themed song for her at the Borscht Bowl.

" _And you already know I would break every law for you."_

" _I will never love anybody the way I love you, Nick."_

Their marriage-like vows in Edgeworth's condo as he made love to her.

" _I'm never gonna give you up, my love. Tell me you'll never leave me."_

" _Never. I'll never leave you, Nick."_

When he'd given her that heart-shaped locket with Mia, Pearl and his photo in it with the engraving on it: _**"I love you madly, without question or reason, and care naught if it's for a lifetime, or a season."**_

Christmastime, when he'd given her that ring.

" _What are you promising me?"_

" _Me."_

" _You and me… we're end game, Nick."_

" _Maya Fey, I'm forever yours. Faithfully."_

Maya's hands were shaking as she reached behind her neck then and undid the clasp of the gold chain that held the locket, which she never took off. She was alone, scared and devastated. Her heart felt butchered, her love taken away bit by bit. Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"I invented every excuse for staying. I must admit, and I think you'd agree with me, I got pretty creative over time. Yet you kept giving me every reason to leave. And I still tried to ignore them, like a lovesick fool; like a drug addict dying from an overdose. It seemed like in those days, even if I'd died, if I'd have let you kill me, I still would have made an apology for you to use. You should've given me something to hold on, like a fake hope, or a beautiful lie; maybe then things would've gone differently. Maybe you'd have changed and let us grow healthy into something beautiful, instead of opting for Iris. We both know it's because she's the easier choice, and no reason other than that!"

Maya gripped the locket in her hand for the last time before flinging it at him, not caring as it bounced harmlessly off his chest and onto the ground.

Phoenix didn't make a move to pick it up.

"Or maybe I'd have finally _let_ you crush me into a million pieces, and perhaps I very well would've ended up as the broken photograph taken from an obituary. But for once, you'd say just for once, I listened to you, not to your lying eyes or your false words. For once I got further and listened to the things that cannot be faked. Yes, you told me in so many ways that I should leave you, go far away and never go back. I didn't listen, as I've never given up on a person ever, in my whole life. Yet now it seems, I have no choice."

She yanked the silver chain the promise ring had been dangling from around her neck, didn't even bother trying to undo the clasp, and felt some grim vindication as she felt it break in two. Just like her heart. She took aim and hurled that at him too. It hit him right in the face.

This time, Phoenix caught the ring before it fell to the earth beneath them.

But still, he didn't move. Didn't even blink.

In contrast, Maya couldn't believe that it was possible for a person to feel _this_ kind of searing, agonizing pain and still go on living. It burned within her, coupling with the white-hot rage which was rapidly replacing her sorrow as the full weight of his betrayal hit her, the waves of wretchedness threatening to engulf her mind, body and soul.

"You were my _life_! Now you're nothing more than a mere slither of worthlessness. I _trusted_ you! I _loved_ you! I prayed to God that you remained healthy, happy, and strong. And _this_ is how you repay me! _This_! Telling me you loved me, taking my body whenever you pleased… and in the end, having the colossal nerve and audacity to tell me your heart lies with _my cousin_?!" Then her hand moved, as if on its own volition, and she reached out and sharply slapped Phoenix Wright cleanly across the face.

The slap was as loud as a clap and stung his face. It had been an open-handed smack, and it had left a red welt behind. Phoenix staggered backwards, clutching his cheek, as he stared at her in shocked disbelief at what she'd just done.

Maya didn't care. She literally was seeing red as she pointed to the direction of the dirt path leading from Kurain, her chest heaving with the force of her rage.

"Now get out of my village, you heartless, low-life, Godforsaken _bastard_! You are nothing to me anymore, Phoenix Wright, do you hear me? _Nothing_! You've lost all my trust, weakened your status to the point where you are now _dead_ to me. Get out. _Get out!_ The very sight of you makes me sick."

And just like that, Maya Fey, Master of Kurain, lifted her head like a dignified queen looking down at a peasant she no longer deemed worthy of her presence. Then she somehow, reaching for the last of the inner strength within her, gulped down a sob, dragged together the remaining rags of her composure, turned on her heel, and walked away, back towards the village, not even once looking back over her shoulder.

With each stride her mind became more clear, more resolute, as if the growing physical distance between them had now become an emotional chasm. As the nascent moonlight caressed her skin, promising that the next few hours would bring a new dawn, a new beginning, she entombed her memories of him in thick walled ice. Then, abruptly pausing to close her eyes and take in a deep breath of dewy air, she steeled herself to only think of her future from here on in. A future _she_ would mould, build, direct. Then, with each stride after that, she felt more in charge, in command of her own mind, body and soul. She was a no longer the girl he'd once known. She was a grown woman now, walking into her own destiny, a destiny that lay squarely in her own hands.

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **TheFreelancerSeal** **(chapter 72)**

People like Mildew are just slowly decomposing from within and the stench and decay of their rotting soul just engulfs those with the misfortune to be around them. As much as living in hell enough, at this point, death, no matter how much my beloved readers have wished it on her, is too good for her. Lips are zipped on Matilda, dear friend, although I'd interested in where your guess lies (PM me!)

Maya is the main heroine here…I hope you guys can appreciate where I go with her storyline, although am sure of the readers are presently channeling their Mildred hate onto me right about _now_ … *hides*

Poor Phaya…their relationship can be summarized as a day late and a dollar short at this point! Kurain politics are fascinating aren't they? I don't know any real-life pure matriarch societies but backwards thinking villages like this do exist still in parts of the world! (FYI so do arranged marriages for _both_ my cultural backgrounds…but that's another story!)

 **Ilet Moratar**

Mildred, just so you know, is just a sociopath, through and through. there is no redemption, or anything of the sort. some cows are made to give sour milk no matter how sweet the grass they are fed on. Mildred is THAT cow.

Awesome and hilariously fitting scenario! lol

Longines is man pretty - you saw the pic - prettier than even Miles! Maya...does not have the calluses Nick does from years of practice lol. Also..she's got a tough road ahead dealing with this bruja and ...other stuff... :p (so far I hope he comes across as a decent, albeit overly trusting soul)

 **(Chapter 73)**

 **Yanmegaman**

I know how you abhor that wriggling piece of plywood…so I get the bitter sweetness. In Nick's defense (the _only_ one he will get!) He had no idea what fresh hell poor Maya had to contend with when he made this visit…here's a question for you…do you think it would have made a difference?

 **Ryszard**

Excellent choice of words my friend…that cheating _bastard_ …Maya had some similar colorful words for him as well…she must have ripped a page out of your book! XD

Terry was my husband's all-time favorite author so high praise indeed! I am truly humbled. Danke!

On top of the pleasure of hearing from you, I also appreciate all the help with the German, (and all the times you send me to the translator! Lol) and the feedback from such a wonderfully colorful and animated male viewer! Yeah…and you thought Phoenix suck just from the last chapter… I am most curious what your opinion is of him NOW… (*coughs* HIM, not ME!) :p

 **chloemcg**

Am so glad you like this story, it's my baby!

I guess it may be evident what Nick wound up chatting with his ex about now…those were very good guesses milady!

I am very stoked about the two young uns joining the practice…but alas, Nick still has to suffer the indignities of the AJ storyline first … am going to go out on a limb and assume this wasn't the kind of Phaya reunion you anticipated…?

 **Ilet Moratar**

Although they are the same age, Miles is more mature than Nick and tends to assume a more older brother role. Funny as Franny calls him little brother. I have some wonderful ideas for their backstory as you come to see how they fell in love...is there any ideas/something you want to see, in their childhood or even ideas for their courtship leading up to the ties that bind, where he finally confessed his feelings (justice for all game end) sadly, Nick may or may not always listen to big brother...sometimes he's too stupid/stubborn and sometimes…he just can't.

Whyever did you think Nick was trying to trick Iris my lady? Please tell me what you do think...Did you not think he may have just asked her something _muy importante_ and that was indeed what she said yes to?


	75. Partners in Crime

_"Love is like a friendship caught on fire: in the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: When I started my premiere FF, the first story of this series, **Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman** , about Phaya's story, I never dreamed I'd ever do a trilogy - how could I have known out of the thousands of AA FF's out there, anyone would actually care to read MINE?! __But to my shock, amazing readers out there actually were reading (and mostly digging) my geekdom, therefore prompting the second and third story. (Thanks so much guys!)  
_ _Looking back, I realized when the reader jumped into that 1st story, it was where the Phaya ROMANCE began, but as I wrote part 2, and now part 3, I realized I never gave Phaya the COURTSHIP they deserved.  
_ _Instead, thus far, I gave the couple what I hope you guys think is their own beautiful love story.  
_ _Ergo, I hope you guys enjoy my own take on the roots of how Phaya began, and therefore, grow to love and appreciate their story as much as I do :)  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventy-Five:** **Partners in Crime**

_**Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Fey & Co. Law Offices_  
September 5, 2016

He couldn't breathe, he couldn't blink. All he could do was stare.

The harrowing scene before him would be seared into his mind and haunt him for the rest of his days: Mia Fey's lifeless body slumped over, beneath the window sill, her head bowed as though in submission, a thin trickle of tell-tale blood matting the silken caramel tresses.

At last he found his voice, and heard it, although unrecognizable, as it cried out her name, begging her to wake up.

Desperately, not daring to hope, he placed his fingers against the side of her slender neck.

There was no pulse.

He'd known there wouldn't be. The pungent smell of blood wafting throughout the air, that had assaulted his nostrils as he'd burst into the office, had confirmed that suspicion.

Chills ran down his spine as he felt the last of her warmth leave her still form.

His eyes were burning and his chest felt heavy as if it were filled with lead. He could no longer see clearly. All he knew was that his beloved mentor was gone, out of his life, forever.

A bead of liquid fell onto his hand he looked to the night sky outside the window, towards the heavens, silently screaming at whatever merciless powers that be how such a thing could have happened to the kindest, gentlest, greatest woman he'd ever known. And even though the sky had been grey and looked like it was about to break into a heavy downpour, not a droplet came from the sky. Looking down at his hand again another drop appeared, and he realized that the liquid was coming from his eyes.

A soft whimper sounded suddenly.

Peering over to the other side of Mia's remains, Phoenix first laid eyes on the small, helpless-looking form, curled up into a little ball, astounded that he hadn't even noticed it till now. It was a young girl, no older than high school years.

Stunned, as he'd thought he was alone, he walked to the girl and shook her to let her know of his presence. She lifted her head and looked at Phoenix silently, pearl-shaped tears rolling down her tear-stained, pale cheeks, falling in wet tracks from wide, luminous eyes, as great sobs wracked her body.

In that split second, as he stared into those pained, red, tear-rimmed eyes staring back at him, instinctively, he _somehow_ knew that the inconsolable, grieving devastation on this stranger's visage matched exactly not only what was on _his_ face, but also within his _heart_.

Before he could dwell on the curious sensation, however, the girl's eyes suddenly rolled up in her head, and then, breathlessly, she fainted.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Fey & Co. Law Offices_  
September 9, 2016 9:02 pm

The trial had been physically depleting. _That sonofabitch White has one_ _ **hell**_ _of a right hook._

Mentally exhausting. _I haven't slept more than five minutes all week._

And _emotionally_ vexing and fatiguing. _Damn, it's been one helluva ride, with more ups and downs, twists and turns than the Matterhorn at Disney!_

He felt enlightened…yet confused. _Mediums aren't a hoax?!_ _Spirit channeling was real?!_

Less naïve, and somewhat wiser. _Think outside the box, don't be afraid to turnaround your way of looking at things…_

Downright drained, tired, and above all, _old_. Phoenix actually wondered if it was at all plausible to have aged _ten years_ in just four days. He'd been through enough drama and turmoil since the fateful day of September 5 to last him a lifetime.

First, he'd had to square-off against Miles Edgeworth, his childhood friend who'd suddenly resurfaced after fifteen years, into an inexplicably hardened prosecutor who was nothing like the loyal, kindhearted young boy who'd championed for justice that Phoenix had once known. This alone had been quite disappointing and jostling in itself.

But then, _on top of that_ , in the act of defending her, he'd had to not only repeatedly _personally_ _relive_ , but _succumb_ poor Maya to the horrifying trauma and gory details of Mia's murder, which thanks to the _inconceivable ineptitude_ of the LAPD, she'd actually been _accused_ of!

Of course, there was _also_ the brief terrifying spell of when _he'd_ temporarily been arrested for the crime and wound up in the defendant's chair himself! However, after everything else he'd endured, he'd felt nothing but an icy calm within him as he'd successfully defended himself in the same manner he had the Chief's baby sister.

The icing on the cake was now that the trial was over and Mia's murderer, Redd White, had been incarcerated, Phoenix was now facing an additional sense of heavy obligation; that the onus was now on _him_ to take care of the plucky teenage spirit medium.

To be fair, it had never actually been _stated_. However, in the manner of the instant unspoken affinity with Maya he'd felt from the first moment he'd looked into her sorrowful eyes, knowing she not only shared but _felt_ his same agony at the loss of Mia, somehow, he just _knew_.

What he _didn't_ know was how he felt about the additional sudden – he didn't want to say _burden – responsibility._ After all, he was a rookie defense attorney who'd only just won his second ever case, which couldn't have been done without the help of his late mentor, whom Maya had miraculously suddenly been able to channel at the last moment, saving his bacon in the world's most unanticipated turnabout. And he was a _24-year-old bachelor_ for Pete's sake – he could barely take care of _himself!_

These were the brooding thoughts that plagued his mind as he headed back to the law office that night, as Mia, while being channeled by Maya, had asked him to. Initially his response to the request had been complete and utter disbelief – _how_ could he meet a woman who was _dead_?

However, after the events over the past few days, he opted to suspend disbelief and decided that truly, in this whole new world as he now knew it, _anything_ could happen.

Also, he figured he had enough to dwell over without adding this to the list, and opted to push it to the back of his mind.

At 9:00 pm, Phoenix entered the building. It was dark, like the day of the murder. He barely repressed a shiver.

 _Being here, it's hard not to think about that night..._

He scanned the premises and saw a figure standing by Mia's desk.

"You came!" A familiar, but implacable, voice chirped.

"Mia..." he whispered.

"I was kinda worried you might not," the voice went on.

"Huh?" He blinked, dazed. "Of course I came..."

"Well then! I'm pretty hungry. How about a burger?" The voice asked cheerfully.

"Mia...?" Now Phoenix was dazed _and_ confused!

There was a loud burst of laughter, and suddenly _Maya_ burst from the shadows.

"You should see your face!" She crowed, looking at him with an undisguised expression of mirth.

Phoenix started. "Mia!"

" _What_ are you talking about?" Asked the elfin-faced girl standing before him. "It's _me_! _Maya_!"

"M-Maya...?"

Standing before him was not his beautiful mentor, tall, long stemmed and voluptuous, with the honey-brown eyes and flawless caramel tresses, but _Maya_. Tiny, little, ever-animated Maya, with her long black hair and impish mocha brown eyes, who wore that weird purple yukata…and an enormous shit-eating grin.

"What, did I look like my sister?" She asked mischievously.

Phoenix stared at her. _Look like... you WERE her!_

"Hmm! I might be able to use that!" Maya smirked. "Oh, Phoenix! Go to the store and buy me lunch, would you?"

 _She's a real ball of gags when she's not being indicted for murder, isn't she?_

Shaking his head, Phoenix turned on the lights in the office and asked what she was doing there.

Maya beamed and with a flourish, waved a piece of paper at him, explaining Mia had written her a letter.

It was sweet and direct, just like the Chief herself. It simply read: _"Take care of Phoenix for me."_

Phoenix closed his eyes. Here he'd thought he was going to be tasked with looking after this _boisterous, effervescent minor_ as his final forsworn homage and duty to the woman who'd meant the world to him. Instead, even in the afterlife, Mia was making sure that _he_ was the one who was looked after, in a way that she no longer would be able to.

He swallowed the lump in his throat before he finally found his voice.

"Take care of... huh?"

"She means the office! _This_ office!" Maya stated simply, as though it were that obvious, which, come to think of it, it _really_ was. " _Someone_ has to help with the new Wright  & Co. Law Offices, right? And who better _than_ me!"

 _Who better indeed?_ Phoenix thought wryly, his lips twitching as he fought back a smile in spite of his exhausted state. The girl was bubblier than a bottle of champagne. _As much as I am not one to disobey the last orders of a dead woman…this is still moving a bit too fast for me…_

"Maya Fey, reporting for duty!" Beaming, she clasped her hands in front of her chest delightedly. "Wait, no, on second thought, let's make this casual!"

 _Casual?_ He looked at her in confusion. _As opposed to what?_ _ **More**_ _formal? I already wear a suit to work – if we get any_ _ **more**_ _formal I'd be in penguin-style tuxedo attire!_

"Yo, Nick! Maya here, ready, to get down to business!"

Phoenix just stared at her. _**Where**_ _does she get all that energy?! Will I_ _ **ever**_ _be able to keep up?!_

Maya suddenly halted and smiled at him bashfully.

"You... don't mind me calling you "Nick," do you?" She asked shyly. "It's a great name! Mia said that's what your friend Larry calls you."

 _Nick? Sure why not? I'd forgotten Larry calls me that too…I try hard not to cross paths with that ill-fated bumble butt too often! But heck, there's no other_ _ **girl**_ _that's ever called me that. I'll let her be the first._

"You know what this means, don't you?" Maya exclaimed as she put her hand out in front of her. "We're _partners_!"

 _I guess we are. I need to trust the Chief knew what was best…_ Phoenix hesitated for just a moment, but then, somehow, he found himself placing his large hand on top of Maya's tiny one, as though _someone_ had taken his hand and led him to do it… almost as if… _Mia herself_ were guiding it…

Maya was grinning at him, her slightly too-long fringe falling into her eyes, suddenly reminding him a Shetland pony. It was adorable and endearing. He resisted the urge to want to pat her on the head.

She noticed her was looking at her strangely, and she blushed slightly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She tilted her head to the side, in the manner of her late older sister, and Phoenix was startled at the uncanny mimic of the action. They looked nothing alike, and _yet_ …

"Sorry," Phoenix blushed. "It's just, looking at you right now, there was just something… I was just thinking you look kinda like Chief. Not your coloring or hair, and the…" He gestured awkwardly at her physique. "But I don't know, _something_."

Perplexed, Maya studied him, this blushing man who was now her business partner/boss, properly, for the very first time. He had removed his suit jacket at some point, and had his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, his tie loose and his collar unbuttoned. It made him look more relaxed and less serious. More approachable.

 _More hot._

She felt her own cheeks turning pink. Looking up at him, she realized just how much he towered over her petite frame. Wow, he was big. Tall, broad shoulders, strong forearms…just overall _strong-looking_. Like the kind of strong where you could lean on him, and be supported by him, kind of strong.

She'd never had any guys around in the village growing up and it was embarrassing to admit but really, she'd never been this close to one before. His eyes weren't brown, like she'd initially thought, but more like a sort of dark blue. They were gentle eyes. Kind. Trustworthy.

She owed this man a lot. He'd not only saved her life, and kept her from death row, but he was saving _her_ , period.

Now that the trial was over, Maya was suddenly and achingly aware of her position. 17-years-old and she'd never been to school. Hell, she'd barely ever ventured outside of her remote little _backwards- in every-way_ village. She wore clothes that made people stare like she was some kind of hippy-chick or freak and all afternoon, had been constantly fielding phone calls from her hometown telling her to just take the first train home. The elders curtly reminded her that since Mia was gone, there was nothing there for her in the city anymore.

But Maya didn't _want_ to go back. This man, this _savior_ of hers, had given her a chance to see what else existed outside the restrictive walls of Kurain.

Staring into his eyes, Maya's mind shifted from the focus that right now she was standing in her dead sister's office, with her former protégé; this guy with broad shoulders and weird spiky hair... who was so damn tall, and strong-looking, and gentle and kind…

 _Stop it Maya! He is your_ _ **boss**_ _! Your_ _ **partner**_ _! You are_ _ **not**_ _, repeat_ _ **not**_ _going to start fawning over him like some_ _ **pathetic, love-struck teenager**_ _experiencing her first crush!_

Even though that was **exactly** what Maya was at that moment!

Not that she had a _hope in hell_ of ever being with him in _that_ way. But her little crush would fade in time, surely. In the meantime, she had a rare opportunity to repay his kindness, and be of some value to him. However, she'd have been lying to herself if she wasn't a _bit_ tickled that she reminded him of her gorgeous, glamorous big sister.

 _If that's what it takes to make him look at me, er,_ _ **find value**_ _in me, so be it! It's a_ _ **start**_ _, right?_

"Really?" Maya asked, her blush deepening as she fidgeted with her magatama and dropped her eyes. "You really think I look like Sis?" Privately she thought she didn't in the least. She was short, flat, gawky and skinny – nowhere near as beautiful, polished, grown-up as Mia. Could never be.

"Yeah, kinda," Phoenix replied self-consciously, not knowing what else to say. Her staring had unnerved him, and he wondered if he had something stuck on his face or in his teeth.

"Well, so do you," she blurted out, then realized that didn't even make any sense. "I mean, I don't know, you're like her _in_ _court_."

That much was true, at least. Phoenix had Mia's finger-pointing _Objections_ , statement-pressing, and dual hand, desk-slapping mannerisms down to a T.

"I guess…I learned from the best after all." Phoenix shrugged. "You were too. Literally."

 _Oh, right. Of_ _ **course**_ _that's what he meant._ Maya swallowed back the ridiculous feeling of disappointment. _So_ _ **that's**_ _what he's seeing. Mia…_ _ **literally**_ _. Duh! Man, can I_ _ **be**_ _any more of a lame-ass, pathetic, love-struck idiot?!_

"It was pretty awesome," he continued. "I've never seen anyone do something like that. Never believed in magic."

"It's not magic," Maya mumbled. "It's spiritual power. For harnessing spirits. And their power."

"Ah, gotcha."

There was weird silence. She was the first to break it.

"Hey Nick, shouldn't we mark this momentous occasion and celebrate somehow?" Maya forced herself to smile. She didn't need to _be Mia_ in order to get a bite to eat with him, after all, and she was absolutely _starved_. "Maybe you could take me out for that burger I mentioned earlier?"

"Um, sure, if you want," Phoenix smiled. "Any place in particular?"

"Actually, yes!" Maya's eyes lit up. "There's this awesome place around the corner that Sis used to take me to whenever I'd visit her in the city, can we go there?"

"Sure thing." Phoenix graciously opened the office door and ushered her to proceed. "After you."

"You're buying, right Nick?"

"Er, sure. Your burger is on me."

" _Burgers_ , Nick! I'm a growing girl! I need more than just _one_!"

"OK, I'll need to stop at the ATM then," he agreed good-naturedly, figuring another twenty should suffice.

After all, how many burgers could one _tiny, rail-thin_ teenage girl _possibly_ eat?

 _A/N:_ _FanFic is down so since last Wed, I have been unable to see who's reading anymore! :(  
It's a real bummer…I hope I haven't lost too many of you because of chapter 74… (PLEASE trust me!) and I hope you still review…it's the fuel that keeps this motor roaring and I love hearing from you! (And regardless, I will still post - am not gonna be the jerk-wad who holds her FF hostage till the stats come back, cuz who knows when the heck that will be!)  
_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's:_

 **TheFreelancerSeal (chapter 73)**

You _must_ play T  & T game bud! IMO it's the best one in the series…and you can then tell me what you think of my take of a lot of these characters you either get to meet first time in the game (Bikini and Hawthorne twins) and revisit, like Maggey.

About your feelings of trepidations for Phaya based on this chapter um, well…

 **(Chapter 74)**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I'm sorry you were blindsided – that was one of the reasons I'd posted the Iris chapter previously so ya'll at least may have had some hint of misgivings…

Also I hate the idea of leaving you speechless repeatedly! Your written speak is always so insightful and anticipated! I do you hope you will keep reading…hopefully by or before when you get your speech back! :p

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

You're such a sweetie! I am so touched you thought this chapter was good – _thank you!_ I was paranoid it was a tad too long but Phaya was together for 6 years and I spent 70-something chapters building them up – I couldn't write a situation like that with a mere 1000 word dismissal!

 **Yanmegaman**

 _"No boring girls allowed." So, in that regard, Junie is banned from entering too._ LMAO. Stop making me laugh at your hilariously (accurate!) character disparaging funny boy! (I _may_ get in flak from readers when I do!) Ahem, anyway, moving on…

Oh damn punny man, I feel kinda bad. Broke my funny as hail male reviewer and rendered the eloquent male one _speechless_! Gah! Someone get me some glue and anti-speech-be-gone, STAT! XD

Yeah, Nick was a d*ck in this chapter…I can't comment on if his mind was made up already prior to knowing of The Dragon Lady's plot but yeah, it couldn't have _helped_! Indeed, a _Dahlia-style plague on his house!_ (if he _had_ one…on his _flat_ , then? Hopefully while poor Truce isn't in it! lol)

 **Ryszard**

I feel so much better knowing that angry German rant and fire and brimstone was directed at Nick and not yours truly! It's a great honor alone to make my readers despise and wish death on an OC like Mildew…but I made a reader want to _murder a universally beloved icon_ …and we haven't even gotten to Apollo Justice, DB Nick yet! Thank you my dear! My work here is done! LOL

I have indeed read that FF, _danke_ – _Nevertalk_ I believe wrote it. One of my favorite writers on here, and I should be so lucky if people are still enjoying and referring to anything I've written nearly a decade later!

 **Ilet Moratar**

So essentially, you sense _Something is rotten in the state of Denmark?_ I must wonder what reader's chosen fate is worse for Nick for what he's done…Yanmegaman sicking Demon girl Dahlia on him, or you breaking his rod in three pieces ( _ouch_!) or… having him straight up looking into the depths of hell! Maya shoving his head up _Mildew's_ skirt?! Yes, the _punishment_ would be _fitting of the crime_ but that's up there with seeing Oldbag in a bikini! XD

I personally would rather stare with binoculars _into the sun_!

 **Luffy**

Mi amiga, do not abuse your ceiling so! It has been very good to you thus far and has kept you sheltered and dry all this time!

OK, Nick the D*ck's punishment number _four_ – just so you're up to date with helpful suggested reader list thus far:

\- sicking Demon girl Dahlia

-breaking his rod in three pieces

-Maya shoving his head up Mildew's skirt

-Picking Nick up by the spikes and dragging him down the 23 flights of stairs between Edgy's 30th floor penthouse and Gumshoe's 7th floor condo. Repeat as necessary…

Well…I suppose the last one is still more merciful than dragging him by the short and curlies? XD (am kidding please don't hate me!)

*wipes eyes* If I ever run a FF writing contest – who wants to torture Phoenix Wright? – I need to look no further than my vengeful, wonderful readers!

 **chloemcg**

I'd like to think Maya's conspicuous absence was a factor in Nick's sullen disposition in AJ…canon wise we've always seen him be a morose wreck whenever she's gone!

Thank you Chloe, for saying that this chapter was as heartbreaking as the one where Franny and Miles had to suffer their latest tragedy – while that kind of loss rivals slim to no others on a devastation scale, I hope and pray it's one not all the readers can or will ever need to relate to! However, most of us at some point, had or may (down the line) have a breakup that's so painful, your heart shatters into a million pieces, leaving nothing behind but a shell, worse than a robot and bereft of a love. (At least, that's how my heroine right now, anyway!) Happier times? Your wish is my command milady, coming right up! :)


	76. Just the Way You Are

_When I see your face  
There's not a thing that I would change  
'Cause you're amazing  
Just the way you are_

 _And when you smile  
The whole world stops and stares for a while  
'Cause girl, you're amazing  
Just the way you are_

* * *

 _A/N: Guys with the stats still being down, can I tell you how much joy you bring me to be reviewing, so I know I still have an audience? I can't thank you enough! (well I can, below as usual but you know what I mean! Lol) Am so glad you liked the flashback chapters of Phaya courtship – and for you Fredgeworth lovers, yes they get one too! ;)_

 _That being said, this chapter goes out to two awesomesauce FF male readers, **Megaranger66** for his hilarious binge-reading/ per chapter review ranting that cracked me up, and my fave German, **Ryszard** , who I swear I did not secretly bribe to say the lovely things he did in his last review…but it bolstered and prompted me to plug away into the wee dawn hours so I could get a third chapter out to you guys this week! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventy-Six:** **Just the Way You Are**

Since the fateful day of September 9, 2016, the rambunctious, burger-chomping, _Steel Samurai_ loving Maya Fey had become Phoenix Wright's new legal assistant of the new Wright  & Co. Law Offices.

It was a divinely asserted choice Phoenix never once regretted, despite the _hole_ in his wallet that stemmed from the spirit medium's insatiable yen for the former, as well as the one he often yearned _to put into his own head_ from the brain-numbing ardor she had for the latter.

From the seeds of obligation and mutual partnership, a deep rooted companionship, stemmed from mutual loss and suffering, blossomed between the two from that day onward, springing up into a friendship unlike any he'd ever known before, and soon came to value and cherish above all else.

Just as he'd predicted, yes, Phoenix had wound up taking care of Maya. She had no other family. If not for him, she would have had nowhere to turn, nowhere to go.

But moreover, Maya took care of _him_. He had nobody else left either. If not for her, he would have wound up in jail. Moreover, he'd have been nothing more than a lonely, sad shell of the man he used to be.

Somehow, in the midst of unspeakable tragedy, two lost souls had found one another, and together, the healing process began. They were one another's rock and support.

With Maya around, the pain of losing Mia was dulled somewhat, replaced by a bitter sweetness that he couldn't quite describe. But he knew she felt the same way when it came to him.

Words only got in the way, Phoenix assured himself on numerous occasions. They weren't _needed_.

Until one day, in the near future, they _were_.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _Wright & Co. Law Offices_  
December 29, 2016 5:02 am

Phoenix woke up feeling like he'd gotten a boot to the head.

 _Ugh, my head hurts. I think I went a little bit overboard celebrating Edgeworth's murder acquittal with Gumshoe and the gang…_

His eyes felt gritty, his head felt like it'd been stuffed with cotton candy and his throat felt like it was full of cotton balls.

 _Huh? It's still only 5:00. Maybe I should go back to sleep...Hmm? What's this? A letter?_

Even in his bleary-eyed, hungover state, Phoenix could make out Maya's familiar, elegant handwriting.

 _ **Good morning, Nick,**_

 ** _You were really impressive yesterday. Seeing you...It made me think about what I'm doing here._**  
 ** _I'm a spirit medium... in training, of course. I wanted to help Mr. Edgeworth too. I wanted to help you._**  
 ** _But I couldn't._**  
 ** _I was useless._**  
 ** _So, I've decided to go back to my training. I'll become a full-fledged spirit medium, for starters._**  
 ** _I couldn't say it to your face, so I left this letter._**

 _ **Goodbye, Nick.**_

Phoenix's heart leapt into his throat.

 _What?! She's leaving?! No! She can't! Not like this!_

As he staggered out the door in desperate hopes of making it to the train station in time, Phoenix silently cursed himself for the umpteenth time for never giving the obviously insecure teen the validation and reassurance she'd so desperately needed. This last case had hit Maya pretty hard, and for _some godforsaken reason_ , when she'd been unable to channel Mia, she'd kept wailing at how useless she was to him.

He had _no inkling_ where his assistant had gotten the stupid idea of how she meant nothing to him unless she could channel Mia, but obviously he hadn't done enough to dispel that _ludicrous_ notion!

Phoenix's client in this last case had been none other than his childhood friend, Miles Edgeworth, whom he knew wasn't capable of even stealing a cookie from the jar even if no eyes were on him, never mind wiping out a human life. It was the burden of proof that had been his challenge.

Well, that and getting the maddeningly _obstinate_ , not to mention _haughty,_ prosecutor to agree to let Phoenix defend him, after some _heavy_ initial resistance!

This trial was fiercer than any he'd ever had against his favorite courtroom rival, as the opposing prosecutor was Edgeworth's mentor, the legendary Manfred Von Karma, who boasted a 40-year perfect win record.

On top of that, Phoenix had hit a new level of bizarre with this case. _He'd actually cross-examined a parrot_! As absurd as it'd sounded, _that_ had been what had turned the whole thing around! Had it not been for his perceptive assistant asking the dumb bird, 'Is there anything we're forgetting Polly?' and it hadn't mentioned the DL-6 incident, Phoenix would have lost his first case.

Then, during the trial, when hope had been all but lost, the headstrong, impetuous, _act first, think_ _later_ Maya had made a scene by objecting to a key witness testimony, even though the action had made her be held in contempt of court. (It turned out the grateful Edgeworth had paid the money to bail Maya out of prison, where she'd wound up yet _again_!)

 _Two instances_ where _Maya_ , not _Mia_ , Fey had saved the day, and _still_ the girl couldn't see her own worth to him!

When Phoenix had gotten Edgeworth declared not guilty, the German Dracula-impersonating prosecutor hadn't looked too fazed, which was discerning.

The older man's ulterior intentions were finally revealed when Edgeworth had proceeded to shock them and plead his guilt to _another_ crime – the murder of his own father, defense attorney Gregory Edgeworth, from the DL-6 incident, 15 years ago!

It had been at that moment that Phoenix had realized _this_ had been the dastardly man's ultimate diabolical plan from the get-go! All this time, his goal had been to get _his own adopted son_ incarcerated, for a crime _he hadn't even committed_!

Manfred was one _twisted_ son of a bitch!

"I'm not very useful am I?" Maya had complained again for the millionth time that night.

"Don't say that Maya, you've helped me with a lot of things," Phoenix assured her.

"Oh _yeah_?" Maya countered. "Name _one_?"

Outside of court (and in some cases _inside_ as well), the gift of articulation and ability to _present evidence on command_ often appeared to leave the spiky-haired defense attorney entirely.

 _This_ was one of those times!

His mind suddenly inexplicably blank, Phoenix tried to bluff his way around the question by appearing to be in deep concentration as he frantically searched through the recesses of his suddenly traitorous memory.

"Gimme one second…well there was… um uh… yeah…"

" _See_?!" Maya wailed plaintively. "You can't even come up with _one_ thing!"

It wasn't that Phoenix hadn't cared enough to produce the proof of her worth; it was just at the time, he and Maya had been focusing on finding more DL-6 related information in the filing room for the court records! At last, he found what he was looking for. Opening up the file, he found, to his relief that everything was still inside.

"What are you doing in here? Who permitted you to enter?" A maniacal voice behind them suddenly shouted.

Turning around, the startled duo found themselves facing the scary, unnerving sight of Nosferatu himself, with Taser gun, armed and ready.

"I believe you have something that belongs to me, hand it over NOW!" Von Karma demanded as he came at Phoenix with his weapon.

"Nick! Run!" Maya screamed as she launched herself in front of Phoenix, taking the blow of the Taser in his stead.

In the blink of an eye, Maya was unconscious on the ground, completely unmoving. Phoenix was terrified that she was dead. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Von Karma charged at Phoenix with the weapon, charging him with 60,000 electric volts, until he too, blacked out.

When Phoenix awoke, he found Maya was still out cold and lying on the ground by his feet, a bag clutched in a death grip in her hands.

"Maya, Maya wake up," Phoenix pleaded as he shook the girl awake.

To his relief, she began to stir, and Phoenix inspected the item she was grasping. It was a bag with the coding DL-6 incident etched on it. Inside the bag was a bullet that was removed from the victim in the case, one Gregory Edgeworth.

 _Maya she must have grabbed this piece of evidence when she protected me from Von Karma._

The girl could have _died_ trying to protect him with her hasty, steadfast loyalty. _Why_ had she risked endangering herself so, the brave, wonderful _fool_?!

"Good job Maya. What would I ever do without you?" Phoenix whispered, his voice heavy with emotion.

Apparently not loudly enough for Maya to have heard him though.

The bullet that Phoenix pulled out of Maya's clutches turned out to being the key to winning the trial. It put everything together and pulled out the real culprit, who had turned out to be the psychotic, vengeful Manfred, who had murdered Edgeworth's father due some petty, personal grudge against Gregory, and found _this_ to have been his way of extracting revenge!

Considering all these factors of how important Maya had been in resolving the case, Phoenix had honestly thought he'd stopped her ridiculous train of thoughts regarding her lack of usefulness, and convinced her how much she meant him.

Obviously, he wasn't as convincing in his personal life was he was in the courtroom.

In the last three months, Maya Fey had come to mean the world to him. He felt as though he'd known her a lifetime. Sure, the ties that bound her to him stemmed from their mutual love of Mia, but his assistant had come to mean so much more to him than that.

After only a few short months, there became an implacable point where he couldn't remember how he'd ever gotten by without her. A day without her irrepressible humor, smiles and vibrancy was a day without sunshine, which she brought back to his otherwise boring, monotonous, gloomy life.

She was warm and funny and kind. Supportive. He valued her for _her_. _Her_ ever-present smile. _Her_ companionship. She wasn't just there to channel Mia for him…she was his _partner_. His _friend_. Possibly even…his _best friend._

He needed to let her know that. If he wasn't already too late…

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_ _  
Train Station, Los Angeles_  
December 29, 2016 5:22 am

Huffing from his winding sprint, Phoenix cast a frantic eye about him, wondering if he'd made it in time.

 _Is she already gone?_ He thought dejectedly, his shoulders slumping. _I guess I'm too late..._

 _"Nick?"_ Maya's surprised voice sounded behind him.

He spun around, his expression pleading.

"Maya... _what the heck_...?"

"Nick… I'm going back home. To Kurain Village." Maya dropped her eyes, avoiding Phoenix's questioning gaze.

"But Maya… _Why_?" Phoenix stared at her in disbelief.

"It's hard being a spirit medium who can't talk to spirits. And...I think you'll do fine without me, Nick." Big, tearful brown eyes met his then, and he felt a lump forming in his throat. "Be good... okay?"

"Please," he begged. "Don't go."

"I'm of no use here… and besides I have been shirking my responsibilities as a medium. I need to go back and train to become the new master of the village. The position was supposed to be Mia's but um, she's gone…and I can't channel her forever, right? So that makes _me_ next in line!" Maya cracked a smile and attempted to sound like her old chipper self, yet was failing miserably.

"You're wrong," Phoenix insisted. "I _never_ could have saved Edgeworth without your help…On the last day of the trial... I _heard_ her. I _heard_ Mia's voice!"

Her dark eyes widened. "You _heard_ my sister...?"

He nodded vehemently. "Yes... only her voice, but still...It was at the very end when I thought we'd lost everything."

"Well, that's my sister for you," Maya mumbled glumly. "Detective Gumshoe helped, and Mr. Grossberg, and even Larry... _I'm_ the only one who couldn't help. I was useless, Nick."

Phoenix felt himself temporarily sympathizing with Manfred's insane need to thump his head repeatedly against a wall at that moment.

 _Maya is Mia's sister alright. Stubborn as a bull, this one!_

"Of _course_ you're useful! I wouldn't have been able to win this case without you!" Phoenix tried to encourage her, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the bag that contained the bullet she had wrestled away from Von Karma.

"What's that? The bullet you used in court?"

"It's something from the DL-6 incident… Something I found in your hands after Von Karma attacked us. Something _you_ did that was _the most useful thing_ ever," Phoenix flashed a genuine smile.

" _I_ did that? _I_ saved that from Von Karma?" Maya sounded amazed.

Phoenix smiled and nodded.

"Yes _you_ , Maya, _not Mia_. _You_ saved the day. Without you I would have never been able to finish this case. You saved _both_ me _and_ Edgeworth," he pointed out. "Thank you, Maya Fey. I couldn't have done it without you." He held his breath, hoping he'd convinced her.

Maya looked at him with misty eyes.

"Thank you, Nick," she whispered. "I promise you, I'm going to go back to Kurain Village to finish my training as a medium, then come back to you. This way I can help you more with your work, and I can be even _more_ useful!"

"Y-you're _still_ leaving?" Phoenix spluttered, trying not to break down and beg her not to leave him. For some absurd reason, it felt as though Maya was abandoning him. He felt like an orphaned puppy.

"I'll be back soon," Maya promised, reaching over and giving him a quick hug. "I'm going to complete my training, and come back." She caught the sad look in his eyes and tears welled up in her own again. "I _swear_ to you, I'll come back to you, Nick."

"I'll be waiting." He fought the urge to sniffle and cursed himself. Jeez, what was _wrong_ with him?!

"Of course you will!" Maya exclaimed, giggling. "You can't run that office by yourself! You're hopeless!"

Phoenix cracked a smile at that one and raised a brow at her. "Uh, I don't know about that..."

Maya stepped onto the train then, flashing one final watery smile over her shoulder. "Bye for now, Nick. And thanks!"

"Bye," he whispered, standing rooted on that platform and waving until the train was completely out of sight, carrying the young girl who, within such a short time, had come to mean so much to him, who unknowingly was taking a piece of him with her.

Phoenix was unaware of it at that time, but that young girl, that priceless treasure, had been the Chief's final gift to him.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright  
**_ _Wright & Co. Law Offices_

In Maya's absence, Phoenix fell into a desolate slump and didn't accept any cases. He just couldn't drum up the gumption.

Prospective clients that he turned away looked at him oddly when they saw the poster of the _Steel Samurai_ on the wall. He couldn't have cared less what they thought.

 _Maya stuck it up here on the day she left._ He thought defensively. _I didn't have the heart to take it down._

Two months after she'd departed, Phoenix agreed to take _one_ very particular case. The desperate teenage scientist, who had been frantic to save her elder sister from execution, had reminded him of something, of _someone,_ that he couldn't quite place at the time, and he'd been compelled somehow to take her case.

Strangely, Phoenix found the girl's presence semi discomfiting, yet comforting, at the same time. Money wasn't the factor – he'd agreed to take on the case of Ema and Lana Skye for an _entirely_ different reason.

Although he fully didn't understand at the time, Ema helped ease the empty void in his heart that he'd never realized was there until then. But only partially. There was only _one_ person who could bring him out of his slump, and it wouldn't be anytime soon. Each day without her that passed by felt like a week. And each week felt like a month.

Phoenix's thoughts were uncustomarily bleak those entire six months.

 _I never knew that missing someone could take over every fiber of your being, and wring you out like a wet sponge every day. It is a daily torment that I was wholly and completely unprepared for_.

 **Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's:_

 **Megaranger66** (chapter 72)

Shall I add you to the list of my readers who hath offered to slay the evil, scheming, fire-breathing beast, Sir Silver Knight?

 **Megaranger66** (chapter 73)

*smiles innocently* Well….it depends on what you constitute as _cheating_ per se…it wasn't a conjugal visit…*coughs* Jake and Lana

 **Megaranger66** (chapter 74)

 _"...it wasn't supposed to end like this." He murmurs looking out at the sea of emotions. As the chapter went on, it seemed an invisible force had blown several holes into the ship he held so dear. Waves of feels smashed into the sinking ship as the pained fan in silver stood at the front. Wood creaked and lurched as the feels dragged the ship down into its depths. Before the water submerged the fan with its feels, a single tear rolled down his face behind his helmet. "Farewell Phaya..."_

 **And** _ **this**_ **is why I dedicated this chapter to you! LOL. I had a hard time writing that sad chapter, and here's me cracking up, which I didn't think was possible to do regarding** _ **any**_ **relation to it! You have missed your calling – teenage Twilight-esque campy romance best-selling author lies in your future, should you ever choose to embrace it, dear boy! XD**

 **(Chapter 75)**

 **Megaranger66**

I decided to give my readers cavities for a short spell as atonement for the gloomy chapters that have been the 70's …(depressing décor decade as well I've heard! How fitting!) :p

I hope you enjoyed this Phaya flashback…there's one more coming from the first game, and should be saccharine enough, I hope, for the bitterness that comes with the enduring of Nick the D*ck circa AJ…

 **Luffy**

I admit I truly got a kick out of your inner channeled Franziska from the last review. Yes, Nick can very much be an idiot, foolish fool at times…here's a thought…how do you think Edgeworth will take the news when he finds out? He's no stranger to giving his best friend shit (it may be awhile as the poor man is grieving right now!)

" _Wright, you imbecile! I told you to go get closure with your "slug" ex – not dump Miss Fey FOR her, you blathering idiot of a man!"_

 **Ilet Moratar**

The airport scene with Fredgeworth was canon _gold_ for me to write their love story about! I can't believe Capcom wasted such an opportunity either…I guess I should be grateful for what little canon they gave me to manipulate…most of their fated romance stems from my imagination, rather than the hinted nuggets Capcom has been teasing us with regarding Phaya for years!

" _This is the kind of situation that binds one person to another, is in the vicissitudes that souls are often found and recognize themselves, and determine who is a good friend and who thereafter begins to live in your heart."_

Not corny at all, my dear friend. They say the best relationships start out as friendships, do they not? While Nick and Maya met through the worst possible experience, it was still a tie that binded them for life and therefore, this wonderful quote was very fitting, methinks!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Glad you got your speech back to assure me I am not getting a lump of coal in my stocking for blindsiding you bud! *whew!*

Nah, you're not the only one to wonder if Nick was ever bonerific for Mia (my fave German reader who frequently sends me to google translate has told me that's his OTP, which actually makes his acceptance and support of Phaya all the more touching!). However, while I have no doubt Phoenix thought Mia was hot (who wouldn't!?) I think any crush would have been one-sided as her heart was always with Diego, and also because she knew him in his um, (*cough* you'll see in T &T) _not so desirable/unmanly days_ , so I've always reckoned their relationship to me more maternal/sad puppy at its roots, although she probably found him as adorkable as most gals do! I believe his sadness was because he saw the loss of a woman he revered and loved, but not in the same way he loved Maya (IMO of course!)

Poor Nick…how could he possibly have known the insatiable, bottom-less pit beast he hath unleashed when he first opened that wallet! LOL

 **chloemcg**

Thank you so much for your encouraging review, as well as your preemptive faith in my ability to write Polly – I may need to take inspiration from other ff's like yours to ensure I do his character JUSTICE! XD

Writing Phaya's origins was so much fun to do – it helps Capcom gave me such a great base to create the foundation of that relationship and expand on it, even if they are content to just tease us with it and never do so themselves! Grrr! Hope you liked this second dash of fluff – I love writing it, and there's one more to come!

 **Yanmegaman**

Am glad you like the fluff punny man!  
The sexiest, most fun parts of any relationship are those first dashes of tension and discovery…the first stirrings in the tummy, the lingering glances, the extended stares…even if you see where this is going, I hope you still enjoy the journey!

A wonderful reader gave me this quote which I feel is perfect for Phaya: _"Today I had a friend. And what is strange indeed. I felt embarrassed, pleased, and restless enraptured, embedded in their company. I felt strange sensations, but I guess it always will be enter the strange world of a life."_

 **Ryszard (last but not least!)**

AJ…sigh…I will be covering it but it is still my least favorite game of them all, for all the reasons you outlined. The fall of my all-time fave iconic character, even though we saw his triumphant rise from the ashes in DD, is still hard to swallow.

" _Since, if I would own Ace Attorney, 1-2 wouldn't have happened and Nick would be together with Mia, but from that MAJOR fault, you easily write the best fanfic here. Or second best after Phoenix Wright in 500 Words."_

High praise indeed, which I humbly thank you for. There is no shame in being considered the writer of the (still staggering!) second best FF to such a funny writer like the one you mentioned, nor on a site where there are more than 6K of them! There are no words to describe how much these encouraging words meant to me.

It appears we have similar tastes in FF writers…GreenX91 is another fave or mine, and a comic genius of sorts where I cannot even hold a candle to – I specialize in giving my readers more diabetes, as you alluded to! LOL

" _Nick may still be together with the (slightly) wrong girl (as opposed to the wrong- Iris and the GET HER OFF, GET HER OFF! SHE FITS AS MUCH AS SALT WITH RAISINS! - Dahlia)"_

ROTFL! I get in crap if I laugh too hard at the Iris quips from my readers from angry anonymous folks…but I shall risk it for that nugget of comic gold!

Am glad you enjoy my comedic moments – they are rare in this angst-fest, I know, although are you sure you aren't a side comedian yourself? Or maybe a surgeon…Your reviews leave me in _stitches_! :p


	77. Ain't No Mountain High Enough

_My love is alive_  
 _Way down in my heart_  
 _Although we are miles apart_  
 _If you ever need a helping hand,_  
 _I'll be there on the double_  
 _Just as fast as I can_  
 _Don't you know that there_

 _Ain't no mountain high enough,_  
 _Ain't no valley low enough,_  
 _Ain't no river wide enough_  
 _To keep me from getting to you babe_

* * *

 _A/N: I am so lucky to have readers who take the time to review…you guys rock! Thanks so much for reading - and for reviewing! It's **totally** worth the tingling extra-active fingers I've gotten from cranking out three chapters this week! __As you guys know this site will not let me post links but for a great laugh, go to the video channel and look up:_ **Phoenix Wright: Boot to the Head Video on U Toob.** _And thanks to the awesome, astute reader_ **DiamondTruth2** who _got the reference!_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventy-Seven:** **Ain't No Mountain High Enough**

 _ **Maya Fey**_  
 _Fey Manor, Kurain Village  
_ June 15, 2017 11:55 am

"You look sad, Mystic Maya," Pearl Fey observed, watching Maya brush her long dark hair before her dresser so it hung in more a tidy manner down her shoulders and back, as she was headed out to meet with a prospective client in a few moments and wanted to look nice and neat. "What's the matter?"

Maya sighed and set her hairbrush back down, casting one last forlorn glance at the _Pink Princess_ themed birthday card Phoenix had sent her, where she'd kept it propped up so she could look at it daily, before turning to face her little cousin.

"Oh, I guess…when I heard that this client I'm meeting was coming up from LA, it made me think of Nick, because that's where _he_ is right now," Maya sighed. "I kinda wish it was _him_ coming up to see me instead."

"You really miss him, don't you Mystic Maya?"

"Of course I do, Pearly," Maya replied, feeling her cheeks grow pink under the little girl's knowing gaze. "He _is_ my friend, after all."

"But he's _more_ than your friend, isn't he Mystic Maya?" Pearl prompted, putting her hands to her cheeks and going starry-eyed. "You told me he's your _hero_ , and that he's so _handsome and brave and strong_ …"

 _Good grief, I've really been bending her ear about Nick, haven't I?_ Maya realized, her face flaming now. _I gotta remember to ease down on that a bit – the last thing I need is her blurting out to Nick that she knows we're a couple because of_ _ **my**_ _incessant, infatuated ramblings!_

"Um, he _is_ all that Pearly, but what I _really_ feel for him is _gratitude_ , you know? I mean, he saved me when I was in trouble, and he's really generous, like buying me burgers and taking me to some really cool places, like Global Studios…you know the Pink Princess was inspired by me, right?" Maya added, eager to change the subject away from Phoenix.

Pearl studied the animated image on the front of the birthday card, the inner inscription which read:

 _ **To Maya,  
**_  
 _ **I may not be with you to celebrate this special day, but near or far, I always wish for you the best in the world.**_

 _ **Best wishes,**_  
 _ **Nick**_

Maya had analyzed that message about a million times the past few months, desperately trying to read some sort of deeper, hidden meaning into the familiar chicken scratch, but alas, could find none. It was simply _exactly_ what it seemed. A perfectly _friendly_ , _slightly more_ than merely perfunctory handwritten message, on a personalized card that he'd known she'd like. If Phoenix felt anything beyond what was in the written, or came _even close_ to missing her the way she missed him in the time that they'd been apart, this card had given zero indication, much to her absurd disappointment.

 _So much for absence making the heart grow fonder._ Maya thought gloomily. _The only one that adage is applicable to is_ _ **me**_ _! This time away from Nick has made me realize that what I'm feeling for him belies just a_ _ **mere passing crush**_ _…_

"I guess Pink Princess _does_ kind of look like you," Pearl agreed, looking back up at Maya and then at the card again. "Except they gave her boobies that look more like Mystic Mia's than yours."

"Right…" Maya muttered, self-consciously folding her arms across her less than ample chest.

"Oh, don't be sad, Mystic Maya!" Pearl brightened then, an angelic smile crossing her cherubic face. "I'm sure your Special Someone, Mr. Nick, loves you _just_ the way you are, even if your chest _isn't_ big, because _he_ cares more about what's _inside_ your robes!"

Maya gulped and prayed for the earth to open up and swallow her.

"He cares about the part inside that he can't see, but he knows _only beats_ for _him_ – your _heart_!"

Maya was sure at this point a marshmallow could have been roasted against her face! She _had_ to get out of there!

 _Mystic Ami help me, I'm about to die of mortification! From the mouths of babes indeed!_

"Um, yeah, Pearly, I've gotta go, I'm going to be late meeting with Dr. Grey," Maya said quickly and hastily exited the room before Pearl could think yet _another_ embarrassing comment to remind her just how much ardor-fueled rambling she'd been doing about the object of her affection!

When Maya entered the doors of the Meeting Hall and quickly sat across from the stern-faced man already seated at the table, he pointedly looked at his watch, even though Maya had been _merely two minutes late_ , and then cut right to the chase.

"Ms. Fey I will try to make this quick. I have no desire to lollygag or extend this meeting longer than necessary as it's a two hour drive back home and while it doesn't look like rain may fall, I cannot afford to be caught in rush hour traffic if it does, and as it is, I forgot my umbrella at the office so if it does rain, I'm ill-prepared for it even if only walking, and the weather girl is never right about these things anyway as you know."

Maya stared at him, her eyes the size of saucers.

 _Aunt Morgan set up a business meeting with Wendy Oldbag's twin brother it appears! He hasn't even taken_ _ **one breath**_ _during that entire, asinine monologue! All that's required now to prove the evidence behind my claim is for him to call me_ _ **whippersnapper**_ _!_

"Morgan says that you're a spirit medium in training so your services are only half price, as a full-fledged medium costs extra." The brown-suited man continued, pushing his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose as his sharp eyes raked her impatiently in anticipation of her answer. "So are you going to help me or not?"

Maya bit her lip nervously. She was surprised little Pearl, who had more spiritual power in her tiny pinky finger than Maya herself possessed in her whole body, hadn't been asked to do the spirit channeling for the plastic surgeon instead. After all, Morgan took particular relish in reminding Maya of her own skillful shortcomings in comparison to the 8-year-old _constantly_! Perhaps Maya been underestimating her capabilities, and her aunt saw some further progress in her that she herself had missed – although quick to ridicule or criticize, Morgan was always slow to bestow praise of any sort – and was hence using this opportunity to finally be able to put all these months of preparing in the icy mountains of the village into practice.

This would be her _first, real, legitimate,_ spirit-channeling. The _true_ test of whether or not her swift departure from the city, and away from Phoenix, whom she missed even more dreadfully as the days went by, had been in vain. True, the training rituals Aunt Morgan had subjected her to had been grueling, borderline torture, really. But it was all for a greater good. And how else could she prove that her powers were strong enough to be of value unless she fulfilled the request of this strange, weather-obsessed man her aunt had suddenly sprung upon her?

Dr. Turner Grey's request was for her to channel the spirit of the dead nurse, Mimi Miney, who'd been employed at his practice in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles…the city… _Phoenix_ …

Maya's earlier, innocuous remark to Pearl came rushing back to mind.

 _I kinda wish it was_ _ **him**_ _coming up to see me instead…_

An impish grin tugged at the spirit medium's lips as an idea manifested in her mind. If Mohomet couldn't go to the mountain, why couldn't the _mountain_ come to _Mohomet_?

"I will be delighted to help you, Dr. Grey," Maya told him cheerfully, clasping her hands to her chest. "But before I do, there is something _you_ must do for _me_ first."

Grey listened with an arched eyebrow as she cited her stipulation.

"I see, and where can I find this Phoenix Wright, without whom you shall refuse to assist me, in the event that I return back here without him by my side?" He conceded grumpily.

Maya beamed and told him the address and phone number for the Wright & Co. Law Offices.

"Most interesting, this request of yours, Ms. Fey," Grey remarked, looking at her thoughtfully. "Exactly who _is_ this man to you, who is of such relevance that you're willing to halt business proceedings for this village, whose reputation Morgan told me you're all so desperately trying to re-establish? Is he your lover?"

"N- Nick? My l-lover?" Maya spluttered, feeling her cheeks redden at the unexpected bluntness of the unanticipated query. _Only in my every waking fantasy! Would that count?!_

She cleared her throat and reached for a glass of water, pausing to swallow while searching for a satisfactory answer to the unseemly question.

"Phoenix Wright is a prominent defense attorney of untarnished repute," Maya replied at last, with as much dignity as she could muster, while realizing in hindsight she hadn't refuted the statement of him being her lover at all. "He was the protégé of my late sister and a man with whom I established a business partnership last year that I am most privileged to call my friend and associate. I have had to temporarily halt affairs between us as my duties here took precedence, and want to assure him firsthand that I have now achieved a new levels of skills that he will find most greatly will benefit the practice."

" _You_ established the partnership?" Grey inquired, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he looked at her with newfound respect. "Most impressive for a girl your age to have a successful lawyer be working _under_ _you_. You can't be more than what, 14? 15?"

Maya was so irritated by the inaccuracy of the age guess that she didn't even pay mind to the equally incorrect assumption that had preceded it. OK, she realized that she looked young – five foot nothing in stature, with long bangs that hid her eyes like a sheep-dog most of the time, added to the fact that she had the physique of a _13-year-old boy_ to boot. If the good Lord ever intended to give her a bosom, He was most certainly taking his _sweet, precious time_ with it! But nevertheless – she was _legal_ now for heaven's sake! A _woman_! And _this_ _ **fart-pick**_ thought she was _still_ in the later stages of _puberty_?! Hell, it would no longer be _illegal_ if Nick were to actually look at her _that_ way now! Not that he ever _would_ in a million years, but _still_ , it was no longer a teenage _fantasy_ that would _land him in prison_ if it _ever_ came to fruition!

Puffing out her cheeks, Maya threw her shoulders back to make her marginally augmented chest more pronounced (curse these baggy, overly concealing acolyte robes – she may as well have been in a _burka_!) and completely forgot about her attempted efforts at eloquence and maturity from a moment ago as she glared at the man.

"It wouldn't hurt to get your _lens prescription_ checked out when you return to the city to fetch Nick, Dr. Grey," Maya returned crisply, rising from her seat, indicating the meeting was over. "For your kind information, I'll have you know that I actually turned 18 two months ago."

"Oh, did you?" He at least had the propriety to blush. "Well, um…my apologies…trust me, by the time you're _my_ age, it will be considered a compliment to have people round _down_ , rather than _up,_ when guessing your age."

"Better get moving Dr. Grey," Maya grinned, enjoying his discomfort. "The faster you head to the city, the faster you'll be back with Nick, and the faster I can tend to matters of importance to you."

"This Phoenix…he sounds very important to you," Grey noted, at last mimicking her actions and getting up from his chair as well. "You sound most eager to make his acquaintance again."

"Well, I'm sure it's the same for him too," Maya quipped. "That man's gone far too long without me around as well, and is probably _wasting away_ from loneliness even as we speak!"

 _Hey a girl can_ _ **dream**_ _, right?  
_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _  
Wright & Co. Law Offices_  
June 16, 2017 3:34 pm

Life had consisted of a dreary routine of bottomless cups of coffee and reading the paper for Phoenix since the Lana Skye murder acquittal back in February. For one thing, his childhood friend, shortly after receiving the King of Prosecutors Award, had left a cryptic note behind, stating _**"Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death,"**_ as his final swan song.

That was it. That was _all_ Edgeworth had left behind for Phoenix Wright, his childhood friend and defense attorney.

The man who had twice gotten him acquitted for crimes he'd never committed. The man who had made it his _life's ambition_ to become a defense attorney because Edgeworth had so inspired him at the tender age of nine. That was Phoenix's thanks for all of it.

To say he was _embittered somewhat_ was the _understatement of the century_!

It was like saying that _Wendy Oldbag_ and her unrequited crush on the prosecutor were only _mildly inappropriate_ , instead of _scary beyond all reason!_

Between losing his mentor, his office assistant turned best friend, and now the man who had influenced his _life path_ , life as Phoenix knew it kind of sucked and stuff, to say the least.

He hadn't bothered with another case in the past four months – mercifully, he'd been paid fairly well from the Will Powers case, as well as the Skye trial, so for once, he wasn't exactly hurting for money.

And so he sat in his office, coffee mug in hand, idly perusing the comic section of the daily newspaper, when he suddenly got an unexpected arrival.

Despite claiming that as a plastic surgeon, he had a saintly profession in comparison to Phoenix's, Turner Grey, to date, had to be _the_ most pompous, aggravating, _nerve-grinding_ person the defense attorney had ever encountered.

This was an impressive feat indeed, seeing as how the _last_ witness Phoenix had dealt with was an _unruly, nameless, narcoleptic_ man with a _disgusting, continuous snot bubble_ in his last trial before Maya had left!

Completely enamored with the sound of his own voice, Grey proceeded to venture on a mindless dialogue, first about the weather, _then_ about his befallen woes at the hands of his incompetent former employee, which had brought him to the Wright Law Offices.

At this point, Phoenix had ceased pretending they were actually having a two-way conversation and had switched to polite nodding and _uh-huhs_ and _hmmms_ , all the while continuously sipping from his coffee mug to stay awake throughout the senseless droning. Somehow, he _just barely_ resisted the urge to flip through his paper during the monologue. Grey was so full of inflated self-importance he probably wouldn't have even noticed!

Eventually, Grey paused in his endless lamenting about his unjust fate of dwindled patient loads since the previous year's malpractice suit.

Phoenix was finally able to get a word in edgewise and mildly inquire why the doctor had come to see a _defense attorney_ , when it sounded like he was more in need of a private investigator.

"No, this is something only _you_ can do," the arrogant windbag insisted. "Maya Fey, you know this girl, do you not?"

 _Maya_! The other man had Phoenix's full attention now. _Why does_ _ **this**_ _man know Maya?_

"I heard you were working under her for a little while?" Grey pushed his glasses up his nose for the millionth time.

"Well…yes…" He stammered, still stunned at the mentioning of his friend, who had crossed his mind more times that day than he cared to count. "I mean – hey! Wait a second here! I worked UNDER her?!"

 _I can't tell if he's trying to be tongue in cheek or not here but…I'm not sure this insufferable egomaniac even has a sense of humor!_

"Yes," the other man replied simply, as though not understanding the context of inappropriateness whatsoever. "Am I wrong? _She_ told me as much, so I'm not quite sure if…?"

 _She was_ _ **17-years-old**_ , _you depraved freak of human nature!_

"Well, we _did_ work a few trials together… But she went back to her hometown to undergo more training."

"Ah, yes, I _heard_ ," Grey smirked. "It must be lonely for you."

Phoenix's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"Wh-What!? Wait... I'm not...!"

 _What_ _ **exactly**_ _has Maya been telling Dr. Grey?!_

"She must be an extraordinary girl to handle such rigid training," Grey remarked, oblivious to Phoenix's dumbfounded expression. He went on to explain how an acquaintance of his had introduced him to the young spirit medium and had enlightened him to the mystical world of spirts, prompting Phoenix to wonder how he'd never realized how famous and acclaimed Maya was.

 _Was she just excessively modest or is this blowhard…blowing smoke? Ah. Maya, I've missed her. Wonder what she's up to right now?_

"When I made this appointment, I was notified that I'm her first client for spirit channeling," Grey went on. "So she gave me _one condition_ before accepting my request."

"A condition...?" Phoenix echoed.

"The condition is _you_ , Mr. Wright." Grey pushed up his glasses again. "She said that she _wouldn't do the channeling without first seeing you again."_

Phoenix was completely gobsmacked at this news. And, also, a teeny bit touched.

 _Maybe she's missed me as much as I've missed her after all…_

"So I _need_ you, don't you see?" Grey asked impatiently, at last noticing Phoenix hadn't spoken. "And _that_ is why I've searched you out! You want to see her too, don't you!?"

Phoenix took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and the sudden jolt that gone through him at the prospect of finally being reunited with Maya again, and nodded affirmation.

"Yes I do."

 _More than anything in the world…_

* * *

 _ **Marvin Gaye- Ain't No Mountain High Enough**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's:_

 **(Chapter 76)**

 **TheMexicanDetective**

I have never had the pleasure of hearing from you before, but thanks so much for reading and taking the time to review. I also love Ryu and Chun-Li together…have you ever seen the College Humor Video: Street Fighter, The Later Years? Hilarious and a wasted opportunity!

RKO – too cute! Streetfighter isn't the only game that can provoke writers to do that I guess? XD

Seriously, I'm sorry for the blindside … these flashbacks are my attempt to ease _the feels_ from The Incident, and am so happy you like them! I promise there will be some fluff and humor coming up to balance out the angst and I hope you keep reading!

 **DiamondTruth2**

YESSS! *fist pumps air!*

I have literally made that reference so many times throughout this entire series and you're literally the only one who's either gotten Phoenix's repeated Boot the Head references or has been the first one to mention it! Hee! You're awesome! Thanks for reading!

 **Ilet** **Moratar**

 _"Today I had a friend. And what is strange indeed. I felt embarrassed, pleased, restless enraptured, embedded in their company.  
I felt strange sensations, but I guess it always will be  
enter the strange world of a life."  
_ _Frank País_

There is nothing wrong with using great quotes mi amiga. You are one of the most creative people I know! Even though you and I are writers, sometimes, other people can simply better summarize for us what's in our hearts. A lot of the quotes I've been using as chapter headlines have been by the wonderful inspiring author _Auliq Ice._ _ **There is nothing wrong with referencing the work of an writer we admire…(it means you have the soul of a poet in your case, and are not at all guilty of petty theft). What's wrong is when we take that work and try to pass it off as our own. That is not reference that is flat out copying.**_

That wonderful Frank Pais quote you gave me will be used as the header chapter quote in an upcoming chapter. Muchas gracias!

 **Chloemcg**

I plan on giving my readers cavities from the sugar plum/figgy pudding sweetness of my fluffiness! I promise you if I take any sort of inspiration in particular from you, (or any writer!) I will definitely reference and properly credit the source – _**it's only fair, I know I would appreciate the same!**_ – and a talented writer like you deserves the recognition!

Trucy is a very perceptive young lady. Has she truly been in the dark all this time about what's been happening with her Daddy? We shall see! ;)

If I can crank out an average of 3 chapters a week (which I am so inspired to do because of amazing encouraging and supportive readers like you!) we will be meeting the indelible Mr. Justice in the early New Year!

 **Yanmegaman**

Don't worry about ranting that was a very well thought out and put together series of thoughts which I whole-heartedly agree with!

Maya is the most fascinating video game heroine (and my all time fave female character ever!) yes she's silly and had a naughty side with sticky fingers…but then she's so loyal she would die for you – she would have for Espella in the crossover, so of course she would for Nick!

I wish I could have worked that Taser line into the Bruno Mars inspired song-fic that inspired this whole series, "I Would Break Every Law For You." (Alas it would have hurt the music – what rhymes with _taser_? A million burgers won't _phase her_? Lol) If that's not love, I don't know what is!

To me, there's enough evidence canon wise that there is a certain, more than mere platonic _je ne sais quoi_ with Phaya, but given the age difference, I feel Maya may have loved him a wee bit longer, or at least been more accepting of a crush, while I could see Nick holding off till she was more than legal (21 in my series!) to avoid looking like a pedo! I see their relationship in the way you do – they _**need each other!**_

 **Ryszard**

To my dear Doctor/Demolition Man,

Since I often apologize for saddening my beloved readers I shall say to my fave European of multi linguist talents… _es tut mir so leid/_ _nicht leid,_ for giving you little cause _sich beschweren_ but hey, the story isn't don yet, there's still time! LOL

You have made being facetious a freaking art form good sir. I tip my hat to you for that! (also, for sending me to Google translate in multi-languages to decipher the last review!) Thou art quite the _przebiegły językoznawca_! XD

I decided you were worth more than mere potato fermented by-product. The _Jägermeister_ is en route as we speak!

I feel Nick has evolved a lot since the second game – he's gotten progressively less goofy and matured a lot, and the same with Maya. However, yes, my fave lawyer can still be a lovable _dummkopf_ , which will clearly be evidenced in the (canon manipulated) coming chapters that I hope will amuse my readers, and yourself, as much as your reviews do me!

 _Wenn Sie nach Sachen suchen_ , um spork, there is a collection of VORE in the second pages of the Ace Attorney…*shudders* would love your thoughts on that _gówno!_

As for Red White and Matt Engarde, there is no room in their hearts for any sort of love as yes, they are too psychotic/narcissistic. They love them like Kanye loves Kanye! :p


	78. Unbreak My Heart

_Don't leave me in all this pain  
Don't leave me out in the rain  
Come back and bring back my smile  
Come and take these tears away  
I need your arms to hold me now  
The nights are so unkind  
Bring back those nights when I held you beside me_

* * *

 _A/N: I have 900+ AA pics in my Pinterest (yes I am the epitome of geek! Lol) but this **by far** is **the** most stunning artist work of an adult Maya Fey I've ever seen. (Am sure a lot of you will be saying something along the lines of: Oh Nick…what were you __**thinking**_ _?!)_

 _ **Maya Fey fan art: I dot imgur dot com slash iwE4BPW dot png  
**_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventy-Eight: Unbreak My Heart** _ **  
**_

 _ **Maya Fey**_  
 _Fey Manor_  
March 9, 2025 8:45 am

Staring at her reflection in the bedroom mirror, she was shocked. She looked okay, normal even. Inside, the ache for him gnawed at the very heart that still beat endlessly for him. She pulled her lips into a smile, and let out a frightened sob when she realized that anyone could easily mistake this lackluster grin for real happiness. It amazed her to think; _how can I look so ordinarily normal when I have crumbled inside?_

It had been a week now since Phoenix had left her, and the pain still hadn't lessened. The ache of longing to be with him echoed through the very marrow of her bones. It was a chill wind trapped in the chambers of her heart. Time herself seemed to slow to such a leisurely pace that she seemed cruel to Maya, ringing out the seconds, so that the past mere week felt like a month.

Maya leaned her forehead against the cool glass, unable to bear another moment of the sorrowful reflection staring back at her, and watched as the tears dripped down onto the mahogany wooden dresser.

 _Without you the world goes by like a bad movie - exciting in all the wrong ways and lagging in-between. I was never locked into my own head when you were here. It was like we drew the essence of one another from our skulls and combined in a way that is only meant for the gods. You were my elixir, I was your sunshine. Seasons come and go, as do the celebrities and politicians. None of it means anything anymore. I know I'm alone and lost without you. The conventional cure is to find a friend, but next to even the memory of you, they aren't friends at all. They'd drop me in lava if they thought the rest of the world would approve. There was a time, you'd have stopped earth on its axis to save me from harm, no matter what anyone else thought. I guess I'm spoiled. You were my prince, I was your princess, and together we were the richer than all the money ever created._

Maya shut her eyes.

 _The three of us, you, me, Pearly, for the longest time, we were like a little family. Then Trucy came along, and we could have had it_ ** _all_** _– not_ ** _one_** _, but now_ ** _two_** _daughters to love unconditionally. These two precious angels already loved one another as blood siblings, and would have had_ ** _two_** _doting parents who loved_ ** _them_** _, and_ ** _each other_** _, more than even the air they breathed._

A tear rolled down her cheek.

 _You shattered that dream Phoenix Wright. Damn you. Damn you to_ ** _hell_** _!_

Another hope blasted.

 _But it wasn't just_ ** _my_** _heart you broke that night, you cowardly bastard. You got off easy – one last smack to the face and you got off scot-free._ ** _You_** _weren't the one who had to break the news to_ ** _her_** _…and listen to the sound of her tender heart shattering into a million pieces…  
_

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Fey Manor_  
March 3, 2025 9:05 am

Maya would never forget the devastated look on Pearl's face as she told her the ugly, harsh words.

At first, Pearl shook her head violently in denial. Then, eventually, the shock and anguish began to register on her face as she looked into Maya's woeful gaze.

" _No_ ," the distraught teen whispered helplessly, searching for some indication on her cousin's face that she'd heard her wrong. But there Maya sat on the bed, silently watching Pearl as she stood there by the wall of the Master's bedroom, which she suddenly braced her trembling hand against. "No, it can't be true, Mystic Maya, _it just can't_!"

"It's over Pearly," Maya's voice sounded tired and resigned. "He doesn't love me anymore. I don't think he ever did. H – he wants to be with Iris now."

The younger girl stood quite still for several moments then, suddenly lapsed into silence, holding herself in a manner that suggested she'd like to disappear altogether.

Maya watched her anxiously.

Pearl's eyes, although directed in her cousin's direction, were no longer focusing; they were scanning the room now, locking onto any one thing, almost daydream-like. She shifted her weight from her left to her right and back again every few seconds as if thinking of moving and yet choosing to remain still. A few seconds later, she blinked, as though the full impact of the words had hit her at last, moving backwards until her back hit the wall behind her, which she slumped heavily against. A small gasp escaped her as she trembled.

Then her face buckled, her eyes brimming deeper and deeper with tears until finally they fell as if they'd never stop, falling thickly to her cherubic lips, " _Why_? Why doesn't Mr. Nick love us anymore? H – he was our _family_!"

Maya had thought last night her heart had already been through the wringer enough to last a thousand lifetimes, but seeing the misery that matched what was in her own heart, manifested in those dejected gray eyes, was nearly her undoing.

"I'm sure he still loves _you_ , Pearly," Maya soothed, choking back a sob. "And you needn't cut ties with Trucy over this either. She's still your family – and I know you two love one another like sisters…"

"She's _not_ my _sister_ anymore!" Pearl wailed. "Not if _you're_ not with her _daddy_!"

"Then she can be like your _cousin_ , sweetheart, which is _still family_ , the same way Uncle Scruffy and Aunty Maggey are to both you girls," Maya forced herself to smile and rose from the bed, reaching out to comfort the despondent teen. "And Ni – _Phoenix_ can still be your family, Pearly. After all, Iris is your half-sister, so when he marries her," she swallowed the bile in her throat that arose at the words. "Then he will be your new brother-in-law…"

"I don't _want_ a _brother_ , Mystic Maya!" Now Pearl was entirely undone and her tears flowing in a constant stream down her cheeks. "I – I wanted f _ather_!"

"Oh Pearly…" Maya reached out a hand to place it on Pearl's shoulder, but she shrugged it off.

" _Leave me alone_!" She wept, burying her face in her hands as she turned and fled the room, out the main doors of the manor and outside.

For many long paces Pearl raced, not even thinking of where she was headed. She just had to get away. It was silly, she knew. No matter where she went, she could never escape the horrible reality of the situation. And no matter where she went, no matter what she did, there was nowhere she could hide from the thoughts in her head.

At last, Pearl stopped to catch her breath in front of the magnificent lake, about a mile away from the mansion grounds, and sat down.

Had she not been as forlorn as she sat at the edge of the mountain lake, she would have been moved at the picturesque beauty of her surroundings. The image of the snowcapped peak behind it was perfectly mirrored in the water below. It looked like giant mass of rock stretching down into the water and up to the clouds. The edges of the image were a little ruffled where the wind blew on the water and the colors had a bluish hue.

Pearl pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins.

 _If I could just curl up into a ball, I wouldn't have to face real life, I'd be protected from everything around me._ She laughed bitterly. _But I'd still have to live with myself, with the wretched memories swirling around in my mind._

Her eyes, already red and puffy from crying, squeezed shut to push more tears out. She let her head fall down to her knees, and pulled her legs closer to her.

Any moments of happiness and joy Pearl Fey had ever known in her otherwise tragic young life, were associated with Maya, and Phoenix Wright. The loving affection she'd gotten the last seven years from the latter, coupled with the maternal love of her cousin had almost made up for having an faceless, unknown father. Or the gut-wrenching betrayal and knowledge that she'd had a scheming, overly ambitious, murderess-in-training for a mother, who'd never loved her and only seen her a pawn in her insatiable thirst for power.

Mr. Nick hadn't _just_ broken up with _Mystic Maya_. He'd broken up with _both_ of them. _Why_? _What_ had they ever done? What had _she, Pearl,_ ever done? _She'd loved him so much!_ She had so many cherished memories with him!

The most beautiful of memories were the worst, cutting her insides as if they were shards of glass.

* * *

 _June 2017_

The bright eyed-eyed 8-year-old looked up shyly at the tall man with the spiky hair and gentle eyes, smiling bashfully.

"To tell you the truth, I really want to grow my hair out, just like Mystic Maya," she told him. "But my mother wouldn't let me." The little girl couldn't understand why her mom wouldn't want her to have hair as long and beautiful as Mystic Maya's any more than she could understand why her mom was so mean to her cousin most of the time.

Phoenix looked down at her and smiled warmly. "I think your hair now suits you perfectly."

Pearl felt her cheeks turning pink with pleasure. "R-Really? Th-Thank you!" _What a nice thing to say! Mystic Maya's Special Someone sure is a nice man! What a lucky girl!  
_

* * *

 _November 2017  
_

"This is so much fun!" Pearl crowded as she bounced on Phoenix's back.

"You know you're spoiling her, Nick, giving her piggyback rides all the time like that whenever she says she's too tired," Maya mock admonished, even though she was grinning. "Put her down, she's old enough to walk!"

"She's as light as a feather," Phoenix dismissed. "After all, she spent all day walking around on those little legs looking at lions and tigers and bears, _ohhh myyyy_!"

Maya laughed. "You're _such_ a dork, Nick!"

"Besides, this _Old M_ an needs the exercise!" Phoenix chuckled. "But since I'm carrying the weight _for two_ , that also means I get your share of ice-cream, right Pearls?"

" _No_!" Pearl squealed. "I want ice-cream too!"

"You expect me to carry you _and_ buy you ice cream?" Phoenix teased. "You sure drive a hard bargain! It must run in the family! I _pay_ your cousin here to essentially play _Steel Samurai_ games online when she _should_ be working…"

"I do not!" Maya denied hotly, then blushed when he raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, maybe _sometimes_ , when we have _downtime_ , but not _all the time…_ "

"The things your cousin does when she thinks I'm not looking," Phoenix confided to Pearl in a stage-whisper. "She goofs off _on my dime_ and _still_ makes me _buy her burgers_ all the time! Cuz she knows I'm just a big softie who can't say no to _either_ of you Fey girls!"

Pearl giggled, warming both the adult's hearts with the sound.

The giggle was an auditory hug. It wended its way through the wintry air enveloping even strangers in its tickling embrace. Even the most stoic of the commuters on that walking past them stifled grins. Beneath a sky that only promised icy rain and with a stressful day ahead that threatened to stretch into infinity before nightfall, that childish eruption of pure glee was the gift they didn't know they needed.

"She laughs!" Phoenix joked. "But that's because Pearls knows she's got me wrapped around her little finger!"

The little girl just giggled and denied nothing.

Maya looked at him with a soft smile playing on her lips. "You really are great with kids, Nick."

"Pearls makes it easy!" Phoenix declared. "If I ever have a daughter, Pearls, I want her to be _just like you!"_

Pearl smiled shyly and ducked her chin. She'd never felt more lighthearted and happy in her life.

 _You're wonderful, Mr. Nick,_ she thought. _I wish you could be my daddy.  
_

* * *

 _April 18, 2019  
_

When Pearl woke up and came to the breakfast table the morning after Maya's birthday party, both her cousin and Phoenix were looked at her with conspiring smiles.

"Pearly," Maya grinned, nuzzling into Phoenix as he wrapped an arm around her slender shoulders. "Nick and I have something we want to tell you."

"I think you're going to be pretty happy with the news," Phoenix added mysteriously.

Pearl felt like every fiber of her being was vibrating with anticipation. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins. Her hands trembled and her eyes were wide. _This is what a cat must feel like waiting to pounce on a mouse,_ she thought.

"What is it, tell me, _please_!" She begged, bouncing on her heels.

"Pearls," Phoenix smiled, looking lovingly at Maya then at her. "You've been right all along. Maya and I, as of last night, we're Special Someones."

Her cousin reached down to pull out her a beautiful heart-shaped locket from under her oversized nightshirt (actually, one of Phoenix's shirts which she'd worn as an impromptu nightie) and showed Pearl the picture of Mia on one side, and the three of them on the other.

"Everyone I love, all together in one place," Maya whispered, leaning over and kissing Phoenix on the cheek.

Pearl squealed with delight and pressed her hands against her cheeks, her eyes shining. She felt as though the sky had just filled up with rainbows, made of jellybeans!

Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya were _finally_ admitting they were in love! Now they could all be a _real_ family! That meant maybe someday, Mr. Nick would adopt her to be his _daughter_!

"I _knew_ it! I _always_ knew it! Even when you two kept saying _no_ and that I was wrong, I always _knew_ you two loved each other all along!" Pearl shouted gleefully. Then she delightedly ran up to the two and threw her tiny arms around both of them.

The three of them had a big family hug then, and Pearl beamed at the man she'd grown to so adore the past couple of years. She'd never seen her cousin so happy, and she knew the big smile on her face was mirrored by all three of them.

 _This is even better than when we all went to Gatewater Land and I met the Blue Badger!_ Pearl thought, positively giddy with glee. _Today is the happiest day of my whole life!  
_

* * *

 _September 5, 2020  
_

"Trucy knows I had an assistant before, so there's no need to hide the fact that you're Maya's cousin." Phoenix gently put a finger under her chin and tilted up her downcast face so she could see his affectionate expression. "Or the fact that I love you _just as much_ as I do Trucy. As if you were my _own_ daughter too, Pearls."

Hearing those poignant words from the only father figure she'd ever known, at a point in her life when she'd never before felt more scared and alone, Pearl felt a wave of emotion wash over her just then. With a wordless cry and tears welling up in her eyes, she lurched forward to wrap her arms around Phoenix for one last hug before he had to go.

"I love you too, Mr. Nick," she whispered. "I really, really, do."

"Pearly," Maya's voice sounded softly in her ear then.

The spirit medium looked up, startled, and saw that raindrops had begun to fall from the sky, soaking the ground beneath her. Maya stood there, an umbrella in her hand, and a sad, but loving, look in her eyes.

"Pearly, you'll get sick out here in the rain." Maya crouched down next to her on the dampened grass and leaning forward, wrapping an arm around her and holding the umbrella over both their heads. "Please, come back inside with me."

Pearl looked into Maya's gentle eyes with her own woeful, watery ones, and nodded mutely.

"It's OK to be sad, Pearly," the Master told her. "I'm sad too. But we'll get through this, together. You and me, we'll be one another's shoulder to cry on. Just no more crying by yourself in the rain, sweet girl. Never feel as though you've got no one. I swear to you, you will never be unloved, or alone, as long as there is breath in my body." She pulled the girl into her arms then. "I love you so much, Pearl Fey. You're my _life_ ; my _everything_."

Pearl she opened her mouth to speak, to tell Maya she felt the same way about her, that she was sorry she'd run out when her cousin was hurting just as bad, if not worse than she was, and that Maya was the whole world to her, but the words came out fitfully, the sounds half swallowed by a sobbing noise. To her dismay, she was crying almost too much to be coherent, and her sobbing form fell into her cousin's comforting embrace then, her tears not even masked by the rain.

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey_**  
 _Fey Manor_  
March 9, 2025 8:55 am

 _You said you loved me and I took you at your word. You said I was your soul mate and over the years you became part of the bedrock of my personality. Then one day, out of the blue, under a dark, moonlit sky, you announced you were in love with someone else._

With every spare moment her mind would rehearse a new call or letter to him, but the small remaining shred of her sanity, of her dignity wouldn't allow her to. Besides, she knew it was ultimately for naught if she did. He had made his choice agonizingly, crystal clear that night.

 _Of all the women in the world, you hath forsaken me for my own cousin. Iris. It would have been kinder to kill me. Now I must be this person filled with a sorrow and emptiness that I can't control._ ** _She_** _is to be the mother of your future children, you want Trucy to call_ ** _her_** _"mommy." You never spared even a second thought about what this would do to my darling Pearly, how this would affect her, did you? She loved you as much as_ ** _I_** _did, you sonofabitch!_

Maya clenched her hands into fists so tight, her nails tore into her palms.

 _What about_ ** _my_** _little girl's loss? She saw you as her_ ** _father_** _. Seeing the heartache of a child that you love as your own, it surpasses any kind of hurt or pain that you can_ ** _ever_** _feel for yourself. It takes all my pitiful sadness... and replaces it with_ ** _bitterness and hate_** _._

She glared at her reflection in the mirror, watching the mournful eyes harden in appearance. As she recalled the betrayal and suffering she'd seen in her beloved Pearl's face upon hearing the news, it only strengthened her resolve and hardened her heart.

 _I wish I hadn't stopped with one slap. I wish I could have hit your unbreakable ass with enough force to make you feel even a_ ** _fraction_** _of the pain you've caused me, caused_ ** _us both_** _, and just as easily as I did that night, I'd_ ** _still_** _have walked away without shedding a God damn tear, not one. The girl you met nearly ten years ago, the one with the big eyes and the bigger heart is now consumed by a hatred she never knew could take root. But here it is. Here we are. I am yesterday's news and she is the new belle of the ball. You hold her around her waist and let the world see who your heart belongs to now. All the while, I am forced keep calm and carry on and smile, as I always have, through the pain. I am_ ** _sick_** _of it._ ** _Sickened_** _that_ ** _you've_** _made me need to do this. I_ ** _hate_** _you Phoenix Wright. The hate doesn't ebb, it multiplies._

Without another moment's hesitation, Maya reached for her cell phone and called Tyler's wife, Sasha.

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey_**  
 _Fey Manor, Master Bedroom_  
March 9, 2025 1:00 pm

"Thanks for squeezing me in, Sasha, especially on such short notice," Maya smiled gratefully. "I hope this won't take too long – you're picking up Kaya and Petra from school this afternoon?"

"It's fine, Tyler doesn't start work till six, and I will be back long before then. It's raining out there, so there's no way I'm going to be driving like a madwoman to the city during breakneck speed if there's rush hour," the hairdresser replied. "I don't normally make house calls – especially this far from LA, but for an old friend, I don't mind making an exception."

"I'll make it worth your while, including paying your gas and mileage," Maya promised. "I – I just couldn't face going down to the city just yet, Sasha, which is why I didn't just come down to see you myself at your home salon."

"Do you have a pressing upcoming engagement?" Her friend asked. "You sounded so frantic and desperate on the phone I didn't even try to make you wait till you were in a more rational state of mind, or even hold off until your next trip down to the city."

"I'm not sure _when_ I will ever go back to Los Angeles, Sasha. Or if I _ever_ will again."

Sasha's pretty face looked puzzled, but she opted not to pry. That one was trick of the trade she'd learned. Clients loved to confide and talk, but never push them. They would open up whenever they were ready.

"You sure you want to do this, love?" She asked doubtfully, draping the smock around Maya. "I mean, this is a most drastic move, and shouldn't be made rashly. Why don't you just go for a wild hair color, like mine?"

Maya looked at the Amazon's now electric coral, shoulder-length waves, with the bright blue streak running down the left side of her face, accentuating her blue eyes, and smiled. Few people could pull off the look, but the porcelain-skinned British woman definitely had the panache to do so.

For a brief moment, Maya allowed herself to entertain the notion, imagining the looks of scandalized horror of the elders and business associates if the esteemed Master of Kurain were to show up with a rainbow-hued hair 'do. Mildew herself would have a _complete_ conniption, if not an _outright_ heart attack!

 _Oh…_ ** _that_** _would be_ ** _reason_** _enough! I. Am. So. Tempted..._

"No, stick with the original plan, Sasha," she replied at last. "No coloring."

Maya's mind flashed back to the gut-wrenching memory of holding her heartbroken, weeping cousin in her arms a week ago.

"W-what does M-Miss Iris have that _you_ don't, Mystic Maya?" Pearl had sobbed piteously. "He told me he loved everything about you! You're fun! You're smart! You're beautiful! He said he loved you _from head to toe_ and that you were _perfect_ in every way, and he wouldn't have changed even a _single strand_ of _hair on your head_!"

 _Her hair…her long, signature, silken raven hair…_

"I just don't want you to have any regrets in the morning," Sasha murmured uneasily. "I mean, I am kind of shocked still that after _five_ years since I made the offer, you're taking me up on it _now_! You _sure_ your boyfriend won't come after me? He nearly bit my head off when I even _mentioned_ it, remember?"

Of _course_ Maya remembered. She remembered _everything_. She remembered endless blissful times of Phoenix stroking the long, fragrant tresses, which tumbled past her buttocks - he'd even liked playfully tweaking it at times, even before they'd gotten together. How many times he'd twirled it around his fingers and ran his hands through it. Not to mention the countless moments of tugging it erotically during those wild, passionate lovemaking sessions…

Phoenix had _loved_ her hair.

"Nick's not my boyfriend anymore," Maya said abruptly, in a tone that left no room for further discussion. "So I couldn't give a rat's ass what he thinks."

"He's _not_?" Sasha looked horrified. "Since when?! He's not mentioned a _word_ to Tyler or me! That _ass_! What did he _do_ to you?!"

The woman's posh Cambridge accent made the word sound like _ahsss_ , which under different circumstances, Maya would have tittered about.

But she was in no laughing mood right now. There was a song, she was sure, about "washing that man right out of my hair."

Well, as of today, Maya Fey was going to symbolically _cut_ Phoenix Wright right out of her _hair_ ** _and life_** , just as easily and readily as he'd cut himself from hers.

"It doesn't matter," Maya answered hollowly, clenching her jaw. "What's important is this. _Hack away_ , Sasha. Donate it for charity, cancer wigs, whatever. But _take it off_. _Right here, right now_."

* * *

 _Sometime later…_

"All done," Sasha declared, removing the cape with a flourish and biting her lip as she handed Maya the hand mirror. "What do you think?"

Maya gulped. It was so… _different_. But she didn't _hate_ it. And after all, it would grow back, right?

She nodded swiftly. "I trusted you. And I don't regret my decision." Reaching into her bag, she handed the hairdresser a very generous monetary sum for all her efforts, and then proceeded to walk her out the door of the manor, to the main village gate, where Sasha gave her one last hug, made Maya swear she'd call if she ever needed anything or just wanted to talk, then got into her car and left.

Maya already had her phone to her ear as she called Sister Bikini at Hazakura temple.

"Sister, I need to speak to Mystic Mildred." Her tone was brusque, as she was in no mood for chit chat.

"Ho-ho, all business today I hear," the jovial nun gave her customary booming laugh. "But she's busy right now, as she's out digging a new _latrine_ as we speak. Remember, you told her you wanted a new dug-out for a few additional outhouses, since tourist season for cabin rentals is around the corner?"

"Fine, then please relay a message for me," Maya said curtly.

"Certainly," Bikini replied pleasantly. "What is it?"

"Just tell her this: _I changed my mind_. _She'll_ know what it means."

 _ **Toni Braxton - Unbreak My Heart**_

* * *

 _A/N: Wonderful readers…for all the times you say I've written a heartbreaking chapter that's moved, even saddened you, I'd like you to know that_ _ **this**_ _one depressed even_ _ **me**_ _. It was a challenge presented to me by my friend and beta reader,_ _ **Feraligreater328**_ _to try to write how the breakup of her 'parents' would affect Pearl. I blame nobody but myself for writing such an angst-laden chapter during the emotional holiday season…I do hope you liked this chapter though! I'm away for a week, so if I don't get a chance to update before then,_ _ **Merry Christmas dear readers, and Happy Holidays! Thanks for reading!**_

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's:_

 **(Chapter 77)**

 **Ryszard**

I read Modot – freaking hilarious. I do share that view – _if you don't like Maya, I don't like you_ either! I heard Trucy and Athena are confirmed for AA6 which is cool but I'm like… _wahhhh where's my Maya!?_

My dear multilinguistic reader…I feel I need five brains to keep up with all your languages! Lol. Good stuff thought! I speak four, but my partner is purely Anglophone so I don't get to show off my French or Spanish much…although I do incomprehensibly cuss at him in Indian dialect when he's ein Scheiße to amuse myself at times! :p

I dunno WTF is wrong with people – to me that stuff is just… falsch auf so vielen Ebenen!

Sorry for your trauma dear boy! XD (although again, sorry/not sorry for the heart replacement…like I said, this chapter depressed even ME – consider us even now?) :D

Yeah, Grey sucked serious donkey nads. Didn't even care that 14 people died – just that his precious name didn't get involved in the blame game. That quack kicking the bucket was no loss to humanity!

 _Oh, you'll eat and I'll pay_

 _For as long as we shall live._

Haha I believe the lines quoted from this songfic were from this totally geeky chick with _way_ too much love for Bruno Mars and a certain fictional spiky attorney, who attempted to combine both worlds, much to the amusement of readers in cyberspace! LOL

 **Ilet Moratar**

I love Pearl! She is my third fave AA character (Nick, Maya, Pearl, Miles and Mia, btw) and I truly feel her initial bond with Nick was what inspired him to think he could handle adopting Trucy! I agree, Maya and Nick play very well off one another – he's the straight man to her silly girl, and Miles playing straight man to the fiery, _exasperated by his underreacting_ fiery Franny is hilarious!

 **chloemcg**

Hee! Glad you liked Boot the Head and last chapter! Your last one made my heart leap high into my throat you meanie! XD

Maybe good news about Great Ace Attorney – Capcom France has gone from saying "no plans for western release" to "no plans for western release…for _now!_ "

 **Yanmegaman**

Glad you liked this chapter, punny man!

I shall add steel-toed boot to the head of the ever growing, freakin hilarious list of reader torture for Nick – I think we are half a dozen now! Ouch though! Remind me to never make any of you guys mad at _me_! I don't have Nick's super-healing, Wolverine capability! " _Excuse me for a moment while I get a Band-Aid, I was just hot by a Mack trucy!"_

Grey was a motor-mouthed miscreant who got what he deserved. Horrible but true. And I think you're ripping a page from my buddy Freelancer Seal's psychic pages with your last comment about what you'd like to see…hehe! J


	79. Déjà Vu

_"I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't hurt ... It's like déjà vu all over again. It's fine. I'll take the same approach as last year."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: Hola from Cancun amigos! I pre-loaded this before I took off so I could post in the event my resort had Wi-Fi (yay it does!) so if any of you did PM me or review, this chapter doesn't have my standard replies at the end, but as I've written in my profile, I will take the time to reply to each and every person that ever took the time to review my work, just may be a slight delay...what with me being on other side of the world and all... :)_

 _Feliz Navidad!_

* * *

 **Chapter Seventy-Nine:** **Déjà Vu**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Kurain Village_  
June 19, 2017 1:25 pm

The 90-minute drive between Phoenix and Grey en route to Kurain was filled with contemplative silence, as Phoenix was too busy enjoying the scenic views of the countryside to care much for conversation with the haughty man, who had to focus his attentions on the narrow and steep roads to the mountainous village and was unable to bend his passenger's ear with asinine trivialities in the meantime.

The defense attorney was grateful for the silence, for another reason besides enjoyment of the natural countryside beauty.

It gave him a chance to compose himself and collect his thoughts about reuniting with Maya, after what seemed like it'd been a dog's age, rather than merely half a year. That feeling in itself was a most curious one, which, if further probed about, Phoenix knew he wouldn't have a satisfactory reply to. Not one that made _sense_. Or seemed _appropriate._

 _Or makes appropriate sense…_

Phoenix sighed soundlessly. Hell, he may as well quit kidding himself. Whether he wanted to concede to it or not, the fact remained that he was more excited than he cared to admit, either to Grey, or even _himself_ , about his reunion with his best friend.

The sun was a radiant, all-watching eye, its light creeping into every corner, bathing the whole world in a warm glow. The car cruised down a twisting road, grassy, forest green hills looming over the mountainous drive. An endless expanse of turquoise wonder, shimmering a liquid gold, stretched towards the distant horizon.

Dr. Grey scampered away to ready himself for the channeling as soon as they arrived in Kurain Village, leaving Phoenix alone to absorb the sight of Maya's hometown for the very first time.

Moss and lichen-covered boulders sprawled in the rockery of Mother Nature. At first glance, there was no trace of civilization in this wilderness, apart from a worn out path that snaked through the blanket of grass leading to the entrance to the village.

Feeling his lungs bursting with fresh air, he observed the sunlight cascading down a gap of clouds into an azure blue lake. Around it the vegetation was lush with dew and resembled an ocean waving in the breeze. As he tilted his head up, he saw the path fade into a void of mist and bare twigs. In the horizon, mountains reached up to the sky, seemingly trying to pluck and rival the sun. The homey smell of pine drifted in the air, lingering gently like a charm. Birds twittered and gossiped in the tall mighty trees.

Due to the surreal ambience, it was hard to believe that he wouldn't encounter a pack of trolls or fairies on the go, it was so remote.

But as he walked along further and drew nearer to Kurain's gates, he could make out several Japanese-style residential homes and buildings, set in the style of Feudal Japan.

As he strolled through the main entrance, Phoenix couldn't help but marvel at the serene, breathtaking atmosphere and peaceful tranquility of the place, so different from the hectic hustle and bustle of the city life he was accustomed to.

 _So this is Kurain Village, Maya's hometown._

Suddenly, a young girl came across his path, as if out of nowhere.

Startled, Phoenix halted in his tracks as the child stared at him silently, the expression on her adorable face completely unreadable.

The girl was a slight little thing, small for her age, which he guessed to be somewhere between 6 and 8, with enormous, doe-like eyes. They fixed unblinkingly upon him, set an in diminutive, doll-like face with accompanying features – a tiny snub nose, porcelain skin, and rosebud lips. Her light brown hair was worn in a double loop atop her head, and she wore a miniature version of Maya's lavender acolyte robes on her tiny frame.

"W-Why, hello there," Phoenix spoke at last, when it became evident that the girl wasn't going to speak.

After staring at him for another breath, without a word, the girl ran off, making the defense attorney wonder, not for the first time, if she'd had a fear or aversion to his _hair_. Was it too spiky? Not spiky enough? Probably the former. After all, at first sight, his spikes _were_ rather daunting…Maya always teased him about gelling them into such sharp points, even though he'd told her a million times they were _real_! He sensed she didn't believe him!

"Hmm... What an odd little girl…" he murmured to himself.

"Hey! Wait up, Pearly!" A strangely familiar voice called in the distance.

 _Hmm? Someone else is coming this way..._

"Niiiiiiiick!" Materializing as though from thin air, much like the little girl had, all of a sudden, Maya was in front of him, a huge ear-to-ear grin on her face, hands clasped in front of her delightedly as her sparkling gaze took in the sight of him.

Phoenix's friend still looked the same, with the customary lavender robes, sandals and topknot – yet still so _different_ , in a way he couldn't quite put his finger on. She looked and acted like she was still the same perky Maya...so why couldn't he stop staring at her as though he'd never seen her before? Was it _him_ that was just seeing her through a stranger's eyes after so long?

Phoenix mentally shook his head and spoke quickly over his accelerating heart-rate, which he convinced himself was simply due to the impromptu appearance of his assistant, and absolutely naught else.

"M-Maya." He found his voice quivering inexplicably. "How are you...? It's good to see you again."

Her dark eyes glowed as she beamed at him.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd really show up!"

Phoenix felt his cheeks redden at the unconcealed joy on her face, as though _his mere presenc_ e was the equivalent of Mardi Gras, The Fourth of July and Christmas all rolled into one for her. Jamming his hands into his pockets, he found himself returning the smile, although he forced his own to be more contained.

"It's not that big a deal. You made it sound like you were soooo far away," he teased.

"Well, maybe I exaggerated..." She shrugged, her exuberance now also somewhat restrained to match his. "Just a little."

Phoenix found himself wanting to throttle and hug the girl simultaneously then. All these months he'd spent, mooning over the loss of his friend's company from his side, and she'd literally only been on the _other side of a mountain! If only he'd known! Why hadn't she told him?_ Didn't she _know_ how much he'd _missed_ her?

"It was a 90 minute car ride…and apparently only 2 hours by train. If I had known you were _this_ close, I'd have visited more," he spoke lightly and tried to keep the accusing tone out of his voice.

"No! You're not allowed." Maya grinned unapologetically. "I already decided, you know. Until I become an adult, I have to work hard and be strong _by myself_."

Phoenix swallowed. Of _course_. She'd been _busy_. Maya didn't need him around all the time, not when she had important Master in Training matters to attend to. He decided then and there to not let her know how lost he'd been without her, or do anything to make her feel guilty about her commendable decision to try and better herself.

It wasn't as though she _lived and breathed_ for _him_ , right? He should try to do the same, and be less needy and more independent as well. After all, _he_ already _was_ an adult.

"Oh... well..." He forced a smile. "Anyway, congratulations. I'm glad to hear training is going well for you."

They chatted some more while Maya explained the details of what she knew about Dr. Grey's case. It turned out that the mysterious little girl he'd seen earlier was her cousin, Pearl, also a spirit medium.

"Isn't she adorable?" Maya flashed an impish grin. "Just like yours truly!"

Before Phoenix could deny or confirm the veracity of the statement, Maya went on to explain that Pearl was very sheltered and didn't know much of life outside of "Medium Valley," which was why she'd run off at the sight of him. She assured him that it was "nothing personal, her mom taught her to be weary of strangers" and that she would grill up some juicy burgers for them as soon as the channeling session was over.

Phoenix listened intently, then wished her good luck and looked away, purposefully keeping his expression guarded. Then, not knowing what else to do or say, he scuffed the ground beneath him with his shoe, dropping his eyes so she wouldn't see his face.

Maya tittered slightly to hide the nervousness she'd hoped to have disguised with her ramblings, but then as she studied Phoenix's downcast gaze, she realized he somehow looked – _displeased_?

 _Why_? Had she hurt his feelings somehow? Wasn't he _happy_ to see her? She'd wanted so desperately to prove her worth to him, and not let him see her until she was able to do so… surely he _understood_ that? _Didn't_ he?

 _Guys are so weird! Nick's here now, so what else matters_ _?_

Maya looked at her best friend, and only hesitated for another split second before lurching forward, wrapping her arms around him in an effusive hug that belied anything that she could have said or wanted to say.

In Phoenix's embrace, the world stopped still on its axis. There was no time, no wind, no rain. Maya's mind was at peace. How could it be that she hadn't ever before realized how much could be conveyed between them with such a simple gesture, without a single spoken word required? As she held Phoenix close, all she could feel radiating from him was security, peace and undemanding comfort. She revelled in pressing against his firmness and warmth. This was the moment that for so long, she'd waited for, prayed for. She inwardly thanked God and hugged him all the tighter, wishing she could speak what was in her heart. But even if nothing else, Nick was her _friend_ , he had come as she'd asked, and they were together again.

A friendship like this was to be cherished for life. In his arms, at last, finally, Maya was _home_.

"I've missed you Old Man!" She laughed, allowing herself the brief sensation of burying her head against his chest as his arms reflexively wrapped around her back, holding her close as he stroked her hair, allowing her to breathe in the familiar, heavenly feel and scent of his body and the even, steady thud of his heartbeat, unlike her own, which was suddenly pounding wildly at being so close to him after so long that she was sure he could _hear_ it!

Blushing furiously at her schoolgirl romanticisms, she pulled away, not even noticing that she'd needed to be the first to break the embrace, and looked up at Phoenix through her lashes, for once grateful she had too-long bangs that covered, and in this case, helped disguise, her eyes.

"I've gotta go get ready for the channeling, Nick. I'll see you later."

Maya scurried off before Phoenix could reply.

He stood there, staring after her for a moment, shaking his head, trying to clear it.

 _What the heck just happened?!  
_

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright_**  
 _Fey Manor, Channeling Chamber_  
June 19, 2017

He hadn't thought he'd ever come across anyone with a more _obnoxious_ coiffure than that agitating Southern journalist with the big puffy hair that looked like cotton candy whose mostly incomprehensible accent rivalled her 'fro as an irritating distraction. What had been her name again? _Lotta Hard? Lotta Hair?_

Nevertheless, the icy, supercilious Aunt Morgan won the grand prize most for terrible tresses, _hands down_.

 _Just how many moose did she need to kill to get that gravity-defying hairdo?_

Hair aside, Phoenix hated Morgan Fey at first sight.

It was very rare for the good-natured attorney to dislike anyone, but in this case, he was certain the feeling between him and Pearl's mother was entirely mutual.

Oh, Morgan had certainly greeted him cordially enough when they'd met, calling him "Good Sir" and saying that she'd heard a lot about him from Maya – all _good_ , he hoped! – but things had only gone downhill then after. She'd curtly informed him it was _most unbecoming_ how much he asked of "Mystic Maya", without whom he'd undoubtedly have lost his last case, had she not channeled Mia.

He bristled at the words.

 _First a girl that runs away, and now an old lady who says I stink at doing my job...when did I become the poster boy for "How Not to Make a First Impression"...?!_

Then, _The Hair_ had talked down to him as though he were an blathering imbecile when he'd accidentally touched one of the holy sacraments within the channeling chamber, which were offerings to the spirits, and would become _cursed_ by his tainted fingers! The icing on the cake had to have been when she'd asked him to refrain from affiliations with her angelic little Pearl, to keep the child of "pure heart who knew not of the evils of this world."

When he'd presented her with a photo of Maya, the blasted woman had become _unhinged_ , demanding to know when he'd taken a hidden picture of Mystic Maya and then, to his complete incomprehension, had proceeded to _slap_ him for such an unforgivable action, despite his impotent protests that "it wasn't like that!"

Slightly injured and dumbfounded by the unpreceded hostility, Phoenix left shortly afterwards.

He wandered around the grounds of the estate a bit more after that, stumbling across a sleeping form in the Side Room, Dr. Grey, who was once again blathering about the weather, (this time cursing the weather girl for claiming it was supposed to have rained cats and dogs that day but hadn't), and Lotta Hart, who was there for some ridiculous reason or other, something about wanting to be a paranormal photographer now.

The journalist and her ever-present camera accompanied him back to the Channeling Chamber doors, which Maya and Grey were now inside of.

Lotta whined to The Hair, asking "Granny" why they weren't allowed inside to spectate.

Phoenix nearly wilted from the arctic look of disdain the older woman gave the redhead.

"Dear Madam, you have an "impressive" grasp of English. From where did you learn it?"

"What!?" Lotta yelped indignantly, her nerve-grating twang increasing. "I'm from the heart of the heartland!"

"Is that so?" Morgan fixed the younger woman with a look so frosty that it could have made her morph into an igloo. "Then I humbly request that you return to this _Heart of the Heartland_ "

"Wh-What are ya...?"

"This is Kurain Village," Morgan's tone was lofty. "If you cannot follow our traditions and rules, _we request that you leave_!"

Lotta's face flamed, and her shoulders drooped dejectedly at the verbal assault.

"Sorry."

 _Wow. She shut Lotta up! Now THAT's impressive!_ Phoenix was torn between admiration and pity. _Maybe it's nothing personal towards me at all, and The Hair is just a nasty, mean old biddy to everybody_ _!_

The three stood there, waiting for the channeling to be over, in uneasy silence.

 **BANG**!

A loud, sharp noise suddenly sounded out of the blue, breaking the stillness.

"Hey now!" Lotta yelled. "Wh-What was that just now!?"

Phoenix jolted, suddenly on high alert. _It came from inside the Channeling Chamber...!_

 **BANG!**

"Hey!" Lotta sounded alarmed. "Th-That's a gunshot!"

"E-Excuse me!?" Morgan glared at them both, not seeming to share the mounting panic that was evident on both Phoenix and Lotta's faces.

"I've heard that sound before!" Lotta hollered. "It's a gunshot! I'd bet my afro on it!"

 _M-Maya!_ Phoenix's heart thudded against his ribs as epinephrine began to course through his veins _. Maya's in there!_

He cast a quick, appraising glance at the locked double doors leading to the chamber, to which Maya apparently had the only key. The doors were scratched and dented with chipped brown varnish, apparently to keep out the worst of the weather, rather than intruders, and framed with what looked like a plank of wood around the outside edges and one across the middle for strength. It had the clawed, slightly bubbly look of wood that was starting to rot at the joints.

They were the only thing standing between him and his best friend.

A creepy sense of déjà vu came over Phoenix. Maya needed him. She was in trouble again. He could _feel_ it.

After a moment's deliberation, and shouting at Morgan to not even think of stopping him and to bill his office for the damages, an adrenaline-fueled Phoenix charged at the doors full force, using his broad shoulders as a battering ram.

"Now that's what I call a man!" Lotta crowed behind him.

Frantic and nearly mad with panic and fear, Phoenix didn't hear her. All this attentions were focused on rescuing Maya from whatever terrible danger she was in. He needed to protect her!

 **CRASH!**

After only two tries, Phoenix busted down that door. In hindsight, he had no idea how he'd managed to do it– the ancient wood was heavier and sturdier than he'd realized, although he felt no pain from his bodily impact – the worst damage appeared to have been done to the _doors_!

 _It doesn't seem possible, but I managed to break it pretty badly. When we want to do something bad enough, people can do the most amazing things.  
_

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey_**  
 _Detention Centre, Visitor's Room_  
June 20, 2017 10:34 am

In the traditional manner of the _LAPD being at its finest_ , Maya was once again charged with murder, this time of Dr. Grey, who'd been found within a puddle of blood inside the chamber when Phoenix and Lotta had burst in.

"Maya!" He cried when he saw her, looking shaken and vulnerable as the bailiff escorted her in.

"N- Nick!" She wailed hysterically. "I'm so scared! What am I going to do! I never imagined it would turn out like _this_!"

Phoenix felt sick to his stomach as he saw her tear-stained face, wishing he could reach through the heavy glass that separated them, hold her in his arms and comfort her somehow. The girl was so small and defenseless looking, and so _helpless_. His heart ached that she had to endure this fresh hell again, and so soon after the last tragedy.

 _Maya Fey is a good, wonderful, warm, caring person!_ He raged internally. _Why does this sort of thing keep happening to her?!_

"Calm down, Maya," Phoenix struggled to keep his voice level and professional, even though it was very much personal this time around. "Take deep breaths."

 _Come to think of it, the first time I met her, it all started right here, in this detention center...yup, definitely déjà vu all over again…_

She gulped back a sob. "I finally...I _finally_ get to see you again, _and_..." her voice broke.

"It's _not_ your fault." Phoenix's voice was gentle but firm. "You _didn't_ do it."

"No, I... I _did_ it…" Maya insisted, sniffling. "I killed that person."

"That wasn't you."

"It doesn't matter. It _might as well_ have been _me_!" Maya wept. "I was too weak... and I...I couldn't control the spirit's power, so..." She buried her face in her hands to hide her tears.

Phoenix felt as though he'd been punched in the gut. He hated to see her cry.

"You don't have to be nice to me. I understand…" Maya choked out miserably.

 _I'm such a pebble in the shoe of this man, I bring him more trouble than I'm worth!_ She thought wildly _. And I dream of making him_ ** _love_** _me? As if! I'm such a_ ** _nuisance_** _…a_ ** _burden_** _! He must secretly_ ** _despise_** _me…I'm like an albatross around his neck! If only I'd just stayed away from him! If only…if only…_

He cleared his throat where a lump was rapidly forming. It was getting harder and harder for him to remain composed and remain at a mere professional level of sympathy. He didn't want to even think about why.

"Let's just go over what we know so far, OK, Maya?"

They went over Maya's recollection of the events from the time of the channeling to the murder itself, including the strange dream she'd had. Phoenix listened intently and took as many notes as he could. He knew Maya Fey. She was no murderer – the girl couldn't even kill a _bug_ – she always jumped up on a chair and shrieked for _him_ to bludgeon them, for heaven's sake! And he wasn't going to rest until he'd proven her innocence, no matter how much to the contrary she protested!

Finally, it seemed Phoenix had taken as much information from her as he could – Maya looked positively drained now. Plus the guard was motioning to them that his time was almost up.

"I'll be back later, Maya." Phoenix smiled bravely for her sake as he rose. "In the meantime, please make sure you prepare it, OK?"

Maya looked at him dazedly. "Huh? _It_? What is _it_?"

"The document requesting me to be your attorney, of course." He flashed her the most encouraging smile he could muster.

For once, Maya seemed at loss for words. She stared at him.

"But…"

"What's wrong?"

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm guilty!" She whispered, looking at him with tormented eyes. "I'm a _murderer_!"

"No one's decided that yet." Phoenix shook his head vehemently. Maya wasn't the only one who could be stubborn. _He_ would believe in her innocence even if _she_ couldn't. He'd believe enough for them both.

"But I did it! I killed that person... with these...two hands...!" She hung her head and tears filled her eyes again.

"That's enough, Maya." Phoenix pressed his lips together as he tried with all his might to hold it together. He felt himself unravelling at the seams, he was so upset now.

"It's hopeless!" She whimpered. "If you defend me, you'll lose, I'm sure..."

This was even worse than the time he had defended Edgeworth. He didn't know _why_. It just _was_. He couldn't even pretend he was cool, calm and collected anymore. He just… _couldn't_.

" _Stop it!"_ Phoenix yelled, thumping his fist against the glass, startling them both.

Maya looked searchingly into his eyes then, and to her amazement, saw _tears_ in the distraught sapphire gaze. It both comforted and confused her, knowing how much he cared. But what good would it do if she was behind bars for the rest of her life? Or sent to death row? She hadn't felt this terrified and alone since… _last year._

"Help me..." she begged as her eyes welled up again. "Nick, _help me_ …I'm so scared..."

"Don't worry, I will," Phoenix whispered hoarsely, unable to maintain eye contact any longer. This girl's tears would be his undoing for certain if he remained doing so. "When is the trial?"

The trial would be the following day, giving him nearly zero prep time.

 _Time to make another trip to the scene of the crime._ Phoenix sighed. _Good thing I work best under pressure…I_ ** _have_** _to save Maya._ ** _No matter what_** _.  
_

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Pearl Fey_**  
 _Kurain Village_  
June 20, 2017

 _And even though the weather is gorgeous today, it's raining inside my heart..._

After the emotional scene at the detention center with Maya, Phoenix's mind and heart were in a complete state of turmoil. Ergo, he admittedly wasn't in the best of moods, or the right state of mind.

That was his only plausible excuse for his irrational, out of character behavior with the Southern She-Devil. Somehow, the woman knew how to get on his last nerve, all which were admittedly frayed.

Phoenix had come across Lotta sniffing around the village entrance, where of course the topic of Maya had come up after the journalist had boasted about the "hot pictures" her camera had captured.

For the record, he _hadn't_ asked for her opinion on his friend. She'd _volunteered_ it.

After which, he'd _completely_ lost it.

"Now, this kid," Lotta had then declared, flicking her finger against his photo of Maya. "I think she needs to be taught some manners. This here's her _second_ time in the stew, right? My Pa woulda slapped me straight!"

"Y-Yeah..." Phoenix muttered darkly, taking the photo out of her offending reach and mentally counting to ten to curb his mounting anger.

Lotta smirked and gave him a knowing look.

"Ya know what they say, if there's a second time, there's bound to be a third, and a fo-"

It was Doug Swallows from college all over again. That had been the only other time the pacifistic Phoenix Wright had ever gotten physically violent with another human being. Doug had been talking smack about Feenie's beloved Dollie, warning the then naïve, besotted fool that the demon girl was bad news and to steer clear of her. It didn't matter that ultimately, poor Doug had been right in his futile warning.

All Phoenix had heard was someone bad mouthing the woman he loved.

Infuriated and unaware of his own strength, Phoenix had reacted entirely out of reflex, shoving the other man, hard, to the ground.

History repeated itself at that moment. Lotta Hart never got to finish her obnoxious, semi-slanderous sentence.

Phoenix didn't even stop or take time to think. In an uncharacteristic fit of temper, the normally peace-loving, spiky-haired man's hand reached out, as though he had no control of it, and connected against the side of Lotta's completely unprepared cheek, leaving a bright red mark from the open-palmed blow.

Her head jerked back from the smack but she didn't fall back. More than likely the excess weight of her afro kept her grounded and balanced upright!

He quickly withdrew his hand, knowing he'd been wrong, but unable to stop himself from still glaring daggers at the frog-mouthed, too big for her britches troublemaker, silently daring her to continue.

 _I'm_ ** _not_** _apologizing_! Phoenix fumed. _God forgive me, but I'm not. I_ ** _won't_** _!_ ** _Nobody_** _, but_ ** _nobody_** _talks smack about Maya in front of me. Not as long as my heart beats and the blood is coursing through my veins!_

"OW!" Lotta whined, clapping a hand to her face, looking at him like a wounded puppy. " _Nngh_! Ya didn't have to slap me. I get it, I get it. Sorry..."

Phoenix couldn't stand being in the irksome woman's presence another moment. He simply spun on his heel and walked away.

To say his nerves were _shot_ after that would have been quite the understatement. Coming right on the heels of that undesirable scene, where he _still couldn't fathom why_ he'd reacted the way he had – _Dahlia_ had been his _girlfriend_ at the time, after all, _Maya,_ contrary to what Pearl believed, was _not_! – it seemed the close encounters of the worst kind were nowhere near an end for him.

Next was another unpleasant confrontation with Morgan where she'd schooled him on the errors of his ways in not referring to his friend as "Mystic Maya" among other disturbing things.

After that came the insufferable chatting session with _aggravating, air-headed_ valley-girl, Ini. With each subsequent encounter, Phoenix found he only further _like, totally wanted to shake her_ , each and every time he spoke with her.

It was only his guilt from losing his temper with _one_ woman already kept him from succumbing to the urges!

As soon as that ended, he meandered towards the Winding Way, only to bump into Pearl _again_.

"Ack!" He exclaimed, then lowered his voice so as not to scare her away again. "Y-You surprised me!"

This time, she didn't run. But she didn't speak, either.

Phoenix looked at Pearl.

"And how are you today?" He asked at last.

Pearl simply stared at him.

 _Hmm... I guess she isn't open to friendly chatting... If only I had something that would catch her interest. Maybe then she'd talk to me…_

Desperately, he flashed the little girl Maya's green, slightly translucent magatama, hoping to instigate some sort of conversation.

"Oh yeah. Maya said to give this to you."

Pearl stared at the mystical stone for a moment, then back at him.

Then she promptly burst into tears.

 _Ack! I'm in trouble now!_ Phoenix's eyes widened in alarm. _If Morgan sees us like this,_ ** _I'll_** _be the next one they're channeling!_

"Th-That's...That's Mystic Maya's…" Pearl sniffed.

"Huh?" _She actually spoke?!_

 _"_ Who are you?"

"I-I'm Phoenix Wright," he stammered, still unaccustomed to hearing her speak. "I, uh, worked with Maya...

"Y-You worked with Mystic Maya...?" A look of recognition dawned on her cherubic face. "You... You're Mr. Nick, right?"

"Uh, excuse me?" _I bet I know who she picked "Nick" up from..._

"I know who you are!" Pearl pressed her palms to her cheeks and went starry-eyed. "You're...You're Mystic Maya's... _Special Someone_!"

"WH-WH-WH-WHAT!?" Phoenix was absolutely gobsmacked. Where in the world had _that_ come from?!

"So then...Of course!" Pearl continued happily, oblivious to his thunderstruck expression. "You're going to help Mystic Maya, aren't you? That's what you're going to do, right?"

He was still flabbergasted. "W-Well, yeah... I will..."

"Oh wow... It's like a beautiful fairy tale!" Pearl's expression was dreamy. "That earnest look shining brightly in your eyes... It must be true love..."

"Wh-What!?" Was all he could manage to get out, while he felt his cheeks flame, to his utter mortification and bewilderment.

 _What is wrong with me?! I'm a grown man! So why am I being boiled into a bright red lobster by this little kid!?_

"I'm so jealous of Mystic Maya!" Pearl prattled on. "Ah, what a wonderful relationship!"

 _We're in a_ ** _relationship_** _? The_ ** _man_** _truly is always the last one to know…! I've got to set her straight…Maya doesn't like me in_ ** _that_** _way!_ ** _Does she?!_**

"W-Wait... I... uhh... I mean... We aren't... Things aren't like..."

Phoenix was going to blame the stress of his best friend's _second_ murder trial being the _very next day_ for the fact that he was _suddenly unable to form a proper sentence!_ While he was at it, he was also going to make _that_ be the reason why he simply wasn't going to further explore the concept of where Pearl could have _possibly_ gotten such a… _ridiculous_ notion! _And_ why he wasn't even going to stop and contemplate if he _even remotely_ had _ever_ thought of Maya as…anything _other_ than his _assistant_. _Best friend_. _**Chief's baby sister**_.

OK, so she was 18 now and _technically_ legal _but_ …

 _Hold it Phoenix! Maya needs a lawyer right now,_ ** _nothing_** _else!_

"Hee hee, I can tell you're a good person." Pearl giggled at his tell-tale blush, taking it as acquiescence to her statement. "Alright, Mr. Nick! I may be small, but I'm going to help you in any way I can!"

Phoenix was endeared how much Pearl looked up to Maya, more like a sister than just a cousin, and positively sang her praises.

"She's so smart, and pretty, and kind, and loving!" The tiny spirit medium chirped. "She's always cheerful, never gets sick, isn't picky, and has good sleeping habits. She always wakes up before me, and always eats breakfast before me too."

He merely smiled softly in response.

"And she has _you_ ," Pearl added. "Such a wonderful person with whom she can share a lo-"

"Ack! OK, OK! I get the idea!" Phoenix exclaimed, feeling himself redden again as he cursed the fact that the mere innocent implications – which bore _no foundations_! – of the tiny tot had made him continually blush like a love-struck schoolboy on command, for some _unfathomable_ reason! Also, he was completely unable to refute any of this staggering _evidence_ of how wonderful Maya was.

Which made this most recent unjustified tragedy that had befallen her all the more disheartening.

After chatting with Pearl further – and thereby dubbing her _Pearls_ henceforth, citing she was too cute to call merely _Pearl_ , the defense attorney went about further investigations, with a fully charged magatama in his pocket, and a heavy burden in his heart at all the mounting evidence piling up against Maya.

Talking to Gumshoe, he found out that Lotta Hart would be a witness at the trial, which could never be a good thing. Neither was knowing the opposition would be Manfred Von Karma's kid, yet another prodigal prosecuting genius who'd honed their talents in Europe.

Prodigy Prosecutor.

It was all bringing back terrible flashback to _that_ case.

Edgeworth's.

Miles Edgeworth, who had chosen death…

 _Stop it! Get over it Phoenix! That person is gone now! Maya needs you to keep it together! This is neither the time nor place to get emotional!_

Phoenix didn't know who he was kidding.

When it came to Maya Fey, all rational thought and logic _flew right out the window!_

It would be nearly another year before he figured out why.


	80. Revelations

_"A guy and a girl can be best friends, but at one point or another, they will fall for each other… Maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe forever."_

* * *

 _A/N: I'm back from vacation dear readers! The good news - Mayan Rivera had some brief rainy spells so I got a lot of writing done and can post a few times this week! The bad news...I got home at 4am last night to a flooded inbox - while I adore hearing from you guys, there are um... **pages** of reviews I need to sift through to get to the ones related to current storyline and am too drained to do so (take a look yourself!) but I swear on all that is holy I will reply to all of them in tomorrow's chapter! I hope you enjoy this one and don't take my delay in response as a slight and it won't stop you from reviewing - please don't mistake my jetlag for ingratitude or dismissal, there is nothing I love more than hearing from you guys! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Eighty:** **Revelations**

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
June 23, 2017

Looking back at that second trial, Phoenix still couldn't fathom how after six months apart from his best friend, he'd gotten her back in his life, only to have to defend her against her _second_ ersatz murder charge, approximately _five minutes after she'd reentered it_!

Of course, it had turned out Maya was innocent of the accused crime, as Phoenix had suspected all along, and she was free to go once again. He really couldn't help but reflect on the competency of the LAPD as well as the Prosecutor's Office; _how many more_ bogus trials would they make poor Maya have to go through before they all realized that she simply wasn't capable of taking a human life?!

Man, he'd thought _Edgeworth_ had been brutal to square off against in court. Miles Edgeworth had been a _cakewalk_ compared to what Phoenix had gone through when he'd defended Maya against the _sadistically whip happy_ Franziska Von Karma, Manfred's daughter. Her attractive exterior and petite stature were supremely misleading – that whip of hers… _boy… did it hurt_! While Phoenix had an admittedly high tolerance for pain, in the ultimate act of being a _sore loser_ , the enraged German _still_ managed to whip him at one point till he'd _passed out_.

He still shuddered at the memory.

Of course, normal daily occurrences would also have him shuddering…but mostly only when he looked at his bank account statements and credit card bills…

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Wright & Co. Law Offices_  
July 14, 2017 7:30 pm

 _She just thinks of me as a brother!_ Phoenix's mind cried pitifully.

 _Objection! She made sure you came to see her before she agreed to channel Mimi Ini,_ his heart argued. _She has put complete trust in you several times. There's the fact that she got tasered by Von Karma for the DL-6 evidence. The fact that when she's in trouble,_ _ **you're**_ _all she thinks about. The little hints she drops, the_ _ **glances**_ _you know you've caught her casting just outside your field of vision... shall I go on_?

 _God help me, this is hopeless!_ Phoenix groaned as he swore and tried to readjust his tie for the umpteenth time. _I can't even decide from my heart and mind which is winning! I mean…what the hell is wrong with me? I've been in court too long!_

Phoenix looked at himself up and down in the mirror, and attempted a smile. He straightened out his shirt and ran a hand through his hair; trying to fix it up the best he could with the little gel he had left on his hand.

That weekend had Larry invited them to tag along to a splashy cocktail affair. It was a "Model Party" that was being held at a swanky restaurant sponsored by the talent agency of his flavor of the month girlfriend. Larry insisted they keep him company as his gal pal would be too busy rubbing elbows and hobnobbing. Her name was Heidi Lobes, whose cover girl claim to fame was that she was the poster girl on the subway ads for _Clear My Ears_ anti-ear odor spray and _Sitting Pretty_ hemorrhoid cream.

Phoenix felt ridiculously nervous. Little Pearl was away training in Kurain that weekend – normally she was up in the village throughout the week and spent Friday through Sunday nights at his place – so she wouldn't be there tonight as the much needed buffer between him and Maya during that evening's plans.

Plans that felt an awful lot like…a _date_ of sorts.

The mere notion made him panic. This was no burgers or Samurai dogs at the park. This was getting dressed up, the both of them, and mingling amongst other adults in a formal setting... _together_.

Suddenly the idea of staying home and spending their usual Friday nights watching the brain-numbing _Steel Samurai_ on TV while being surrounded by headache-inducing, MSG-filled Chinese food takeout boxes sounded infinitely more appealing.

Lately, all he could think about was the spirit medium in training currently taking up the spot on the small sofa next to him. Sure, she was quite the handful sometimes, and she was the reason his wallet seemed to never have over fifty dollars inside, but she always managed to smile regardless of the situation and stood by him throughout his many cases. That was something he could seriously appreciate in the moments he had where everything he was trying to accomplish seemed impossible.

Still, that was not a very good excuse for why she was occupying his thoughts _as of late_. Thoughts he was uncomfortable with thinking. Such as earlier that day, when he'd accidentally caught a glimpse of Maya, who'd obviously forgotten her bathrobe in the bedroom, making the mad dash out of the shower wearing nothing but a skimpy towel. He'd noted that she had developed some curves on her formerly lanky frame. The questions in his mind, where he'd occasionally wonder what was under that purple robe had unwittingly been answered!

And now that he'd gotten a firsthand glimpse of _said answer_ , it was harder than usual to resume his normal reaction of slapping himself inwardly at the perverted thought and quickly begin to think about something else entirely!

 _Baseball. Kittens. My grandma's neon-green sweater. Wendy Oldbag in a bikini… Gah! Why did I have to go there?!_

This train of thought was only followed by a series of more questions he had no answer to.

Why had his mind even wandered down that path, anyway?

Maya was nothing more than his friend…right?

 _Right_.

So no, he shouldn't think thoughts like that. Maya was _just a friend_.

 _Just a friend, just a friend, just a friend_. He tried to drill it into his head, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling.

He made a mental note to accompany her next time she went to train at the waterfall he had found close by for her. He could use the freezing cold of the beating water to clear his mind.

Perhaps he could just talk this out with her. After all, communication was what you were supposed to have with your best friend, right?

 _Maybe I should just fully go for it and confess these conflicting feelings?_

 _Sure. Great. Who am I kidding? She'd completely freak out!_ He face palmed _. I can just picture how it would go…_

" _Look, Maya, ever since you've come back into my life, I've had these weird feelings for you . . . and at first I didn't know what they were but lately, I've been starting to think that, well- maybe I'm a bit attracted to you. As more than a friend and I know this is incredibly stupid and will probably wreck our friendship and you're way too young and pretty and outgoing for a stodgy Old Man like me really but …"_ Sighing he stopped and rolled his eyes _. Yeah, that'll convince her, Phoenix. Point out all the reasons why she shouldn't ever consider you. Mmm,_ _ **sexy**_ _!_ _ **Not**_ _!_

Phoenix had decided to try to spruce up for the affair, and in a surprise turn of events, Maya for once hadn't commanded he take her shopping. She had figured she'd just throw on something of Mia's, joking that if this had been for a wedding or something more grandeur, she'd have ensured that she dragged him to the mall to get her a new outfit. Ergo, he should consider himself _lucky_ she was letting him off easy this time!

Maybe he should go for flattery? Hmmm…women liked compliments, didn't they?

Phoenix put on his most sincere expression in front of the mirror as he rehearsed how this preliminary speech would sound.

"Truly, you're more than just pleasing to the eye. You're _take my breath away_ beautiful…"

"Wow, Narcissus, I've heard of learning to love yourself, but this is just ridiculous," Maya drawled.

Spinning around, blushing furiously, Phoenix caught sight of his friend standing in the door frame, grinning broadly. He leapt away from the glass, realizing how bad this must have looked, but not knowing how else to explain the scenario, which luckily, since she was acting like her normal, jesting self, she hadn't figured out.

"I guess I should be flattered that you've taken such efforts this evening, considering it's just _me_ who you're escorting to this shindig and _I'm_ the one who's got to look at you all night." Maya was still grinning. "Kudos on the rarely seen black suit and tie that's been collecting dust in your closet along with the hair-gel…I get making the effort, but you _are_ aware that vanity is a sin, right, _Wright_?"

Phoenix flushed. He knew by now not to take anything Maya said personally, as she was total kidder who liked to bust his balls all the time. If he took her jibes seriously, he'd truly have very low self-esteem, since Maya liked to make fun of him _a lot_.

"Maya, there's nothing wrong with looking after yourself. If I want to look nice for this soiree, I will," he replied coolly. "So, how _do_ I look?" He extended his arms and turned in a circle, giving her an all-around view and raised his eyebrow.

Caught off guard by the question, which he'd never asked her before, Maya found herself uncharacteristically speechless. Jokes aside, Phoenix looked quite nice.

 _Nice_? Oh please, who was she kidding?

Phoenix was truly a handsome sight to behold; the blue shirt he'd opted for to go with the black suit brightened his sapphire eyes to a lighter shade of royal blue. He looked downright _delectable_ in that outfit.

Her date that night was a babe. And here _she_ was, in turn, in Mia's oversized hand-me-down dress, like a little girl playing dress up. She'd be lucky if some slutty model didn't dig her claws into him that night and drag him off to Paris or Milan or something.

Answering him in a quiet voice she said, "They might mistake you for one of the male models at this fiesta tonight."

Phoenix felt his cheeks redden at the unaccustomed praise, and took a good look at Maya, who was picturesque sophistication personified.

While Mia had been much taller and more… _endowed_ than her little sister, the two were the same shoe size, and about equally as slender. The Chief's Chinese-print dress had the glamorous retro look of the 70's. It was a printed silk shirtdress, black with allover white print, spread collar, long sleeves, buttoned cuffs, concealed placket, self-tie satin sash around the waist, curved hem and a loosely tailored fit. On Mia, it would have been knee-to-mid length, but on Maya, the modest dress fell down to her toes, even in the raised platform pumps he saw peeking under the hemline. A jeweled clutch was in her hand.

The girl wasn't even wearing any makeup, as her natural beauty needed none whatsoever. Already he knew, that even in a room full of models, he'd be there with the prettiest girl at the party.

Phoenix's words died in his throat then, and he found himself unable to return the compliment, even though he desperately yearned to.

He was saved by the bell, literally, at that moment when the phone rang. Grateful for the reprieve, he grabbed it quickly.

"Wright & Co. Offices…"

"Mr. Nick! Have you confessed your love to Mystic Maya yet?" Shouted a voice Maya and Phoenix knew all too well, resounding throughout the small room with no requirement of speakerphone.

"Pearly! Don't tell me you've taken a break from your important spiritual training just to bother us with this thing again!" Maya felt the heat rise in her cheeks and she looked down, obviously embarrassed by the bluntness of her starry-eyed cousin.

"Why? It's going to happen one day isn't?" Pearl demanded. " _Right_ , Mr. Nick?"

Phoenix blushed as well, shaking his head profusely, before he realized Pearl couldn't see him over the phone.

Pearl sighed in a way no 8-year-old should be allowed to. "I wanted to check on you, Mystic Maya. To see if Mr. Nick was treating you in all the right ways!"

 _She says it like we're dating_ , Phoenix groaned inwardly. Dating someone wasn't on the list of his priorities at the moment. Being a lawyer was – or so he kept trying to tell himself. _Why is Pearls always so keen on having us date?_

Maya awkwardly cleared her throat. "He certainly is. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Goody!" Pearl crowed happily. "Is he taking you out to get burgers every day?"

Phoenix sat back down on his bed, absolutely speechless. He buried his face in his hands and groaned as he felt the blush deepen in his cheeks. _More than twice a day. Why does Pearls care so much?_

Maya's jaw dropped. "...Sure, Pearly."

"That's right!" Pearl squealed. "You'd walk over miles of hot coals for Mystic Maya, wouldn't you, Mr. Nick?"

Pearl _was_ right. Every single wild adventure Maya took them on, Nick carried on with little to no resistance, even if his wallet was empty and he was sore all over at the end of the day. In truth, Maya kept him alive most days.

"Um…" Was all Phoenix could manage in response.

"Good job, Mr. Nick. I _completely_ approve!"

"...Thanks?" Was all Phoenix could think of to say.

"Well," Pearl said. "I'll be going now. Gotta go to training. See you two lovebirds next weekend, okay?"

Maya groaned and said her goodbyes, as did Phoenix. Then she turned to look at Phoenix and immediately turned away.

"That was...embarrassing. Sorry about that, Nick."

"It wasn't a problem at all. She does it every day, doesn't she?" Phoenix replied with a sudden grin.

Maya nodded, still mortified. She had talked to her cousin about doing this type of thing before, but she had taken a wild guess and guessed that it didn't stick to Pearl's memory.

"Anyway, let's get going." Phoenix rose off the bed and placed his hand on the small of Maya's back, about to usher her out the door when she stopped abruptly, forcing him to do so as well. Her brow furrowed as she looked at him critically.

"What's wrong?" He asked wearily as she bit her lip, while studying him in a manner that was now more diagnostic than complimentary.

"Your tie is on a little weird," she informed him, frowning. Without warning, Maya leaned toward him and stuck her hand at his collar, shifting the silky, flimsy fabric hanging off his neck. With her raised height, her lips were at level with his throat, and he could feel her warm breath and soft skin inadvertently caressed the rough skin exposed above his torso, causing Phoenix to unconsciously erupt into goosebumps.

"Um, um, uhhhh..." he stammered, feeling awkward about the distance between them. He uncomfortably squirmed backward, nudging his assistant away from him.

"Hold still, Nick," Maya commanded. She stepped closer, trying to correct whatever mistake he had made in his mindless hurry to get dressed. He felt his face redden as she bumped up against his body so that she could get a better grip on his clothing.

"I'm almost done..." Maya continued to fumble with his tie, shifting it. Phoenix wondered whether or not she could feel the fast tempo of his heartbeat now that her chest – which seemed to have grown a bit from when he'd first met her! – was pressed up against his.

Finally, Maya stepped back, bouncing on the heels of her feet. "There!" She eyed him up and down, seemingly oblivious to his flushed skin, goosebumps, and nervous trembling. "Now you look good."

"Uh, thanks," Phoenix mumbled, trying to suppress a stupid grin. "For that," he lamely added after a brief pause, as if that made a difference.

Maya smiled at her handiwork and nodded her approval.

"Come on, Nick!" she exclaimed. "We don't want to keep The Butz and his _backdoor_ model waiting! Maybe she can score us some samples to give to poor Mr. Grossberg for his ever inflamed 'roids!"

"S-Sorry," Phoenix muttered. He stared at Maya, beginning to suddenly notice everything about her was breathtaking. Her hair was done in a simple bun, with a few strands on either side of her cheeks, caressing her shoulders, and she was an elegant vision in her dress, which was neither too long nor too short.

Even though the girl was a beauty, she wasn't subjecting herself to men in this outfit – never did – and she always blew off the men that approached her, including the Butz on several occasions. That was one of the many things Phoenix had always appreciated about her. She was _herself_. She was a channeler, or a spirit medium, either name would suffice. Maya was Maya, and that's who Phoenix Wright liked.

 _As a friend. Right…just a friend_.

"About the way you look tonight…" Phoenix, unsure of what to do, stared at Maya. "I...um..." He trailed off.

"Yes?" Maya smiled, a knowing look in her eyes. "Spit it out, Nick."

"I um, I like your hair," Phoenix finished lamely, unable to make himself say anything better. "It looks good…um, up like that. More grown up."

 _How sweet._ He liked her _hair_. The _one_ thing that she hadn't done much with at all! It had taken Maya ages trying to find something among the statuesque Mia's things that hadn't fallen down to her navel in the neckline since she didn't have the required _assets_ to hold it up, or trail past the floor on her overly short frame!

Oh well, he'd looked not entirely _displeased_ with her appearance, she'd seen as much in his eyes (or maybe that was wishful thinking on her part!) even if his _mouth_ made him compliment stingy.

"You like my hair, Nick? How sweet!" Maya opted to go for flippant graciousness. "I like _your_ spiky hair, too. You remind me of a porcupine. A cute porcupine in a blue suit that's black tonight!"

"You _like_ my _hair_ …?" How had he been demoted from being _mistaken for a model_ to being the _prick of the animal kingdom_?

"I do," Maya smiled mischievously. "You're my cute porcupine with pretty eyes!"

"A... _porcupine_? I'm hopefully _cuter_ than a porcupine, Maya!" Phoenix was a little hurt.

Maya leaned close to Phoenix.

"Did I hurt your feelings, Nick?" She looked worried for a second, and she came closer and closer to Phoenix's face, until she was just mere inches apart; they were basically lip-to-lip. Then she crushed her lips against his cheek and began to sashay down the hall, flashing a jaunty wink over her shoulder. "I'm _not_ apologizing! Porcupines are adorable! Would you rather I call you _Sonic_ , as in the Hedgehog?"

Phoenix just stared after her in astonishment.

"Now, you know cocktail parties always have stuffy people and undersized food so after this snooze fest, you owe me a burger or seven!" Maya declared. "And _then_ after that we're watching at least four back-to-back episodes of the _Steel Samurai_! And that's that! No _objections_ either, they'll be overruled anyways, Nick!"

Phoenix stood there, amazed. He was grinning widely, from to ear to ear like an idiot. The only thing he was dreading was buying Maya _seven_ burgers. His wallet could only stand for two burgers. And that was if his burger was about the size of Maya's _Steel Samurai_ charm. He would need to go to an ATM machine on the way there.

"Maya, wait for me!" Phoenix called, as he ran after her. When he came downstairs, he noticed Maya was actually waiting at the main office door for him, smiling.

"No need to yell!" Maya grinned. She interlocked her arm with Phoenix's and they were off on their non-date to a model party…followed by a burger...or seven.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Wright & Co. Law Offices_  
August 31, 2017 6:30 pm

"Nick, _why_ are you _still_ working?!" Maya shrieked. "I told you ages ago I'd be back in half an hour to pick up Pearly from the train station and here's _you_ …" she gestured with annoyance where Phoenix was still at his desk, frowning at the contents of a manila folder filled to the brim. The gleam of the freshly polished surface was completely invisible, buried beneath a sea of papers, pictures, tabs, and paper clips flooded his desktop. " _Still_ trudging away!"

Phoenix barely stifled a sigh as he looked up at his assistant standing in the doorway beside little Pearl and her weekend bag. Maya placed one hand on her slim hip while her angry finger pointed at him, courtroom-style, as she affixed him with her accusing gaze.

Unaccustomed to seeing her good-natured cousin so incensed, the tiny spirit medium merely bit her thumb anxiously and said nothing.

"Maya, you _know_ I have this huge murder trial coming up in a week, right?" Phoenix sighed, knowing his speech would fall on deaf ears. "It's going to take a lot of time and effort to be prepared for it. It's a police officer who was allegedly murdered by another fellow officer …"

"Nick, you've working on that stupid file for ages…including _all day today_! Time to put your pen down, Old Man, it's Friday night!" Maya whined. "Does that mean _nothing_ to you? At _all_?" When Phoenix made no move to respond and simply stared blankly at her, she crossed her arms across her chest, scowled, and in her most withering voice, informed him, "It's _movie_ night! Which I can tell you _forgot_ all about!"

 _Guilty as charged._ Phoenix admitted silently. "Can't you guys just go ahead without me and I'll catch up once I've got some paperwork completed?"

"But, Nick, we've had movie night _every single Friday_ since I started working here! And- and Pearly just started joining in on the fun. You can't deny _her_ movie night!" Maya looked at him with her puppy-dog eyes. "C'mon, Nick," she cajoled, clamping her hands in front of her and dragging out his nickname. "Fridays are a movie night _tradition_!"

Staring at the two females before him, imploring him with their big, bright eyes, Phoenix felt his resolve wavering. In the end, he was a complete pushover for these crazy Fey girls, and Maya knew he'd _never_ be able to refuse Pearl.

With a sigh, the lawyer sank into his swivel chair, placing his forehead in his palm. Defeat had washed over him before the battle had truly started. Hopefully, his _backbone_ would grow before his court date in few days…

"You win, Maya," he sighed. "You _always_ win!"

"Yay!" Maya cheered, already heading upstairs to the loft. "What will it be tonight, _The Steel Samurai_ or _Pink Princess?_ "

 _Like it matters,_ Phoenix thought grumpily. _Either way I lose._

"Surprise me!" He called.

"Mr. Nick?" Pearl said quietly, looking at him with her big-doe eyes. "Um, can I ask you something?"

His annoyance vanished at the look of nervous hesitation on her face. Unlike her cousin, who always took for granted that his answer to all requests would be _yes_ , the little girl had yet to be in a place where she was so presumptuous, which only made him like her more.

"What's up, Pearls?" He asked kindly.

"Can we order something for dinner? Mystic Maya has been telling me about something called _pee-zah_ and I'm a little hungry."

"Well, far be it for me to deny a growing girl food," Phoenix allowed, grinning at the girl. "Go on upstairs to the living room. I'll order the pizza and be up in a moment."

* * *

 _ **Four brain-numbing hours later…**_

Like the little angel that she was, Pearl had fallen asleep after only one slice and lay curled up on her side, head resting on Phoenix's lap, and Maya occupied the attorney's other side, eyes glued to the TV set and fist pumping excitedly.

He honestly couldn't fathom how the child could remain in a blissful slumber when Maya was all but bouncing on the couch while the _Steel Samurai_ twirled his sword about and thrust the victorious blow at the Evil Magistrate, as she shouted words of encouragement at the screen.

"You go _Steel Samurai!_ Kick his ass!"

Phoenix barely suppressed an eye roll as he took a bite of pizza.

 _This movie is even worse than the last one, if that's even possible! It's even lamer than Barry Manilow and a three-legged horse combined!_

The end credits began to roll, and Phoenix released a sigh of relief. Well, he had survived _another_ _Steel Samurai_ flick and he had participated in movie night – and even managed to stay awake this time. If that didn't earn him the _Best Friend/Boss of the Year Award_ , he didn't know what _would_!

Maya was still gurgling with child-like delight and she bounced on the cushions, earning a frown from Phoenix as he looked down at the sleeping Pearl, but miraculously, she was still conked out. Maya spotted him trying to shift away and let out a wail of distress.

"Nick! What are you _doing_!? Where are you _going_?!"

"I am going to go back to my files, which I should have done _two_ hours ago," he told her firmly, finally managing to wriggle free from Pearl, whose eyelids fluttered but mercifully remained closed. "However, you insisted and begged me to stick around and watch the sequel with you, and invertebrate I am, I gave in. But _enough is enough_ , Maya. I need to get back to work _now_!"

Ignoring his tone, Maya looked at him beseechingly. "But…it's movie night…"

Phoenix shook his head. "And any other night I don't have case files to the ceiling, I am happy to indulge you and watch movies till dawn! As it is now, I will probably have to bluff my way through this case unless I want to send Ms. Byrde to the gallows, as I am so far behind!"

Maya's lip quivered and Phoenix ran a frustrated hand through his spikes. No. He was not going to be swayed by her tears. _Not this time._

"Maya, I have to ask…what is it with you and movie night and the damn _Steel Samurai_?" He demanded, unable to hide the exasperation in his voice as she sniffled. "I mean, I _know_ you're like a big kid with a lot of things, and most of the time, I find it endearing, but …I cannot fathom how _your_ devotion to a _children's show_ is supposed to surpass _my_ devotion to my job! I really want to comprehend …and I'm giving you this _one opportunity_ , here and now, to plead your case!"

"You really feel that I'm just some _emotionally stunted, overgrown kid_ , and _that's_ why I like this show?" Maya whispered, looking at him with a pained expression. "Is that _really_ what you think of me, Nick?"

Suddenly Phoenix felt like the world's biggest shitheel. No that wasn't how he felt about her at all. He merely wanted to try to understand her, this woman/child, zany girl. This crazy lady's obsessive samurai passion. Had it been so wrong of him to ask her? Should he have just shut the hell up and indulged her? After all, he owed her so much.

After only a year of knowing her, Phoenix was certain that had it not been for Maya, his life would have fallen into complete chaos. Every time misfortune had struck her, and he'd needed to defend her in trial, it kept giving him the momentum and strength to carry on her sister's vision…which he didn't even know he'd _had_. If a teenage girl could overcome the grief of her sister's death why couldn't he, her protégé, continue her legacy?

Moreover, she was like a ray sunshine in his otherwise dreary existence. She kept that smile on her face in the best and worst of times, all the while keeping herself together and giving him her ever-unwavering steadfastness. She had smiled in the hardest of times, trusting his instincts, giving him her unfaltering loyalty, and had taught him what he should have _already_ known _._

 _She's my shining star. She finds the light in the darkness I'm forever seeking but can't always find, and reminds me to never lose hope, because without that, all is lost…_ Realization dawned on him then and there. Phoenix now knew the reason she watched these shows and it _definitely_ wasn't because she was immature – the things she'd suffered in her young life attested to that.

"In my life," Maya said hollowly, staring at the ground and unable to meet his eyes. "I've seen good guys both win, and lose to the bad guy. I've seen bad guys win and lose to the good guy. I have seen firsthand proof that evil exists in _this_ world and not just Neo-Old Tokyo…I guess…to me, this isn't _just_ about a TV show…" her voice trailed off and she looked absolutely miserable. "It's going to sound so childish…"

"Maya." Her name was spoken in a soft breath, but there was an authoritative undertone. He gently hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "I'm asking you as your friend now, not as a lawyer requesting evidence. Don't keep secrets from me, please."

"He- he's proof that a silver lining exists and that there are forces of good in this world to combat and ultimately triumph over all the evil and corruption in this world." She looked up at him, her eyes welling with tears. "Nick…he reminds me of…"

Finger still under her chin, he moved his thumb to stroke the soft skin near her lips.

"Of?" He prompted softly.

"Please don't laugh at me," Maya begged, looking at him with limpid dark eyes.

"Never," he promised, brushing a stray lock hair out of her eyes. He knew what she was going to say before she was even going to say it.

"He reminds me of _you_ , Nick," she whispered helplessly. "These movie nights with you…I treasure them so much. They represent the one thing in this life I can depend on, and count on as a consistent tradition. Since Sis died…you and Pearly…you're all I've got left. So while it may seem childish and immature to you, I – I love these nights, because it's the only real time when we're not working I get to spend with you. With my best friend. _My_ _hero_."

At last, Maya drew a deep breath, feeling nearly naked, as she had essentially bared her soul to him, even though in doing so, she'd risked coming across as a hapless, needy girl instead of the strong, independent woman she kept wishing he would now see her as. Looking up at him through her lashes, she braced herself for him to tell her she was distastefully codependent, or worse, pity her.

Phoenix stared at her in dumbfounded silence as he absorbed her words.

Hearing that Maya held him in such high esteem…that she _needed_ him, was the most unexpected, _non-childish, non-dumb_ thing he'd ever heard from her.

Or perhaps anyone. _Ever_.

Maya's poignant words touched him to his very core, making his heart swell with warmth and pride…and _something else_ his stubborn heart and mind wouldn't allow him to put his finger on just yet.

But it did bring a smile to his lips.

Gently scooping Pearl into his arms, he nodded toward the DVD player. "Put the next movie in. I'm going to put this little one to bed. You may be bunking on the couch tonight, Miss Fey."

"You really mean it, Nick?" Maya's cheeks were still pink from the embarrassment of her confession, but her eyes lit up with joy at the words. "But what about those files?"

"It can wait till morning," he dismissed. "What's a few more hours?"

Returning to the living room, Phoenix plunked himself down on the couch next to Maya with a resigned smiled, focusing his gaze on the brightening screen. It was almost as though their previous exchange had never taken place. Maya was once again his burger-loving, _Steel Samurai_ -squealing, happy-go-lucky Maya. And somehow he had allowed himself to be conned into watching another samurai movie. He had let her words sway him, and now he was going to be forced to sit through another two-hour long escapade.

And he called _himself a lawyer._

If anything, _Maya_ appeared to be the one who'd missed her calling!

As Maya shifted into him, head resting lightly against his shoulder, he surprised both the woman and himself by wrapping an arm around her, securing her against him as he took a surreptitious glance at her profile, her gaze riveted on the screen.

As he looked at those beautiful eyes, and cute little smile of hers, Phoenix felt his grin from seconds earlier return.

He was an admitted sucker for these Fey girls alright…yet he couldn't find it in him to complain. Not one little bit.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _District Court, Defendant Lobby No 1_  
September 8, 2017 2:16 pm

In the neither the first nor the last of injuries Phoenix would sustain in his legal career, an innocent nap on the courtroom lobby sofa had resulted in his suddenly getting an impromptu _fire extinguisher_ to the head! The blow had rendered him unconscious. The subsequent pain itself hadn't nearly been his undoing, as much as the fact that he had suffered a spell of temporary amnesia – all the while trying to defend Maggey Byrde from her first murder trial.

Throughout the whole trial, he'd managed to blunder and bluff his way through, while having no recollection of anything – of ever taking a murder trial, or what his _own name_ was, or even having ever been a lawyer.

It wasn't looking too good – another witness for the prosecution was about to be called. There was a short recess.

And then, Maya the Magnificent had appeared, fuming as she had phoned him several times and gotten no reply. She then told Maggey not to worry about her case and presented him with a list, containing some names and phone numbers that apparently belonged to a group of con artists that the police were currently investigating, which Phoenix had evidently asked her to look up. It was this with this evidence that the defense attorney had been able to prove Richard Wellington was the true murder culprit of Maggey's then beau, and not Lady Luckless herself.

All the while, he had no idea who this tiny spitfire of a girl was. She wore the strangest clothing on her petite, coltish frame, along with an indignant expression, in spite of which, he absently noted, she was quite cute. And for some reason, something about her _reminded him of someone_ …

Finally he couldn't bluff anymore. He was willing to risk this animated girl's ire and just profess to her post-trial that while his memory had almost fully returned at that point, he was still guilty of not yet remembering who this Maya Fey person was, even though she obviously knew him – enough to be exasperated with him, and to take that withering tone and expression she'd had when she'd greeted him. Apparently their work relationship was most informal, to say the least…was that typical of their dynamic, although _he_ was supposedly _her_ boss?

"You're OK, and that's what counts," Maya said cheerily once the grateful policewoman was gone. "You really had me worried! Come on, let's go back to the office!"

"This might sound bad," Phoenix mumbled apologetically. "But _who_ are you again?!"

A look of shock and annoyance crossed the young girl's elfish features as she glared at him incredulously.

"What!? I thought you said you got your memory back!" She puffed out her cheeks in her familiar expression of irritation, but he caught a look of barely suppressed... _hurt_ in her mocha eyes as well, which she wasn't able to conceal. He cringed, knowing he'd been the one to put it there.

 _Think Phoenix! Think!_

Suddenly, images flashed through his mind. The kindly, bumbling detective. The easily swayed, good-hearted, chrome-dome judge. The talking hairpiece prosecutor whose name eluded him at the moment, with the screechy voice that had sounded like nails on a blackboard, and during the entire trial had only worsened the agonized throbbing in Phoenix's skull. He'd forgotten how many times he'd winced in pain…

 _At that moment, everything really did come back to me..._

He blinked and stared into that now familiar… _dear_ face before him.

"Maya," he whispered.

Tears filled her dark eyes, turning them into translucent pools of liquid chocolate.

"You…you finally remembered," she cried.

 _This is Maya Fey, my assistant. That's right... I have so many unforgettable memories about her…For example..._

Maya was… _God_ , where did he even begin? She was the sun when he woke up, shining even more brilliantly than the real thing. She was energetic in to a degree that he didn't even know existed, with her ever-present charming smile and cheerful disposition. Every day was an adventure with Maya, whether it was cleaning around the office or taking a trip to the drug store. Her burger-eating habits did seem to empty his wallet quite a bit, but he never denied her such privileges. In a way, it was kind of his thanks for making his life interesting. God knows he would stay holed up in the office if it wasn't for her…

Maya Fey. Faithful assistant. Chief's baby sister. Moreover, his best friend. How on _earth_ could he have forgotten her, even momentarily? Well, it would take more than a mere _metal cylinder to the skull_ to ever do away his copious recollections with _this_ little firecracker!

Before he could continue on his newfound trip down memory lane, Maya interrupted his thoughts, her now dry eyes sparkling with merriment.

"Earth to Nick! What's wrong? You keep staring at me! Don't tell me you've missed me?" She teased, grinning impishly.

"Uh, well, yeah I suppose I have," he muttered sheepishly. When she smiled in that way of hers, he couldn't help but notice the she surpassed being merely cute…she was as pretty as a picture! "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

"Oh?" She tilted her head at him and smiled benignly. "Well, I'm back now. So it's time for us to create new memories together!"

"Alright." Phoenix returned the smile. "Sounds good."

"Come on Nick! Let's go to our usual burger joint!"

Had it only been a couple of months since she'd back in his life? Because now it seemed like she'd never been gone – his wallet certainly hadn't had much time to recover in her absence!

"OK, OK!" Phoenix chuckled, allowing her to take him by the hand and drag him outside the courthouse door – for such a small girl she had surprising strength, as well as one helluva grip! "We can get you burgers, Burger Queen! But actually, I was hoping we could stop at Eldoon's. I've got a sudden yen for his salty special."

"That's cool," Maya replied easily, patting her flat tummy. "I can do noodles too. What are six stomachs for if I can't indulge both our cravings?"

 _This girl is going to eat me out of house and home._

"Fine, but this is the last time this week." Truthfully, he going to struggle to afford this anyway. But it was worth it if it made her smile. He never wanted to be the cause of that hurt look in her eyes, ever again.

Maya was pretty stoked about going for burgers with Phoenix. She liked to pretend it was like a real date – it was an innocuous role-play she kept within her own mind, so she figured it was harmless enough. Going for burgers always made her excited, but lately, since she'd been back with him in the city, she couldn't help but note that Phoenix had been looking _better_ than usual – _insanely good._ What was it? A new gel so his stiff spikes had more of a sexier, mussed up thing going on? Had he bought some man moisturizer or had his skin always looked so soft and smooth?

 _It's pretty cool to go places with him; having a hot best-friend who takes you out for burgers all the time is pretty damn nice._

Later, Maya was happily slurping down her noodles as Phoenix watched her, endeared how she slurped the ends of her noodles and how the noodles hit her nose.

 _It's kind of cute… Wait what?!_ Phoenix put a hand over his face and Maya looked over at him.

"Something wrong, Nick?"

 _Where did it come from and why did I think that?_ Phoenix blushed. _Why am I being such a dork around Maya?_

"Nope, what could be wrong?" Even as he said the words aloud, he shook his head and sighed soundlessly.

 _I've got to blame that blow to the head for my sudden mulling of how she is kind of cute and she is always cheerful no matter what…She is my_ _ **mentor's sister**_ _! This is ridiculous…! Oh no… I'm arguing with myself._

He made a face and turned back to his noodles, eating them in silence.

As usual, Maya finished her meal way before he did and tugged at his arm, urging him to finish quickly.

"Come on, Old Man, you owe me burgers now!" Maya teased. "After all, I did save your heinie in court today by bringing you that evidence, right?"

She figured Phoenix didn't really mind her ribbing him the way she did – it was how their friendship worked. Phoenix was all uptight and she was more laid back so they balanced each other out. She could rely on him to tell her when she was going over-the-top and she'd tell him if he was acting too boring and old. Of course, she didn't ever think _he was ever_ boring, or old for that matter. But he _could_ be way too uptight about money sometimes! After all, he'd just had a client, and surely another case would come up soon enough, right? And money was no big deal…you only lived once, and you couldn't take it with you in the end!

They walked side by side on the pavement. Luckily, the usual burger place was right around the corner, but somehow, Phoenix kept nearly barging into her and then apologizing and walking too far away from her. Maya was bewildered.

 _He's acting weird again. He's been doing that a lot too lately. Really, it's just been little things, he's been acting oddly about us being too close. He got all embarrassed the other day when I gave him a hug. I think it might be the age thing. He's probably worried he looks like a pervert who has a girlfriend who's much younger than him. I hope it's not this though, I like hugging Nick. It'd really suck if he decided all contact was inappropriate suddenly._

That day Maya ate so many burgers that Phoenix's wallet was actually emptied.

"Thanks Nick!" Maya patted her stomach and smiled cheerfully, noting Phoenix didn't look as happy as she did.

"Aww come on," she cajoled, putting an around his waist in a consoling hug. He stiffened at the contact and he drew away; quick as lightning.

 _I wish I knew what was up with him._ Maya stared at him, her confusion and hurt mounting.

Phoenix caught the look and cursed himself.

He hated himself for the reflex reaction. Maya had become more open with him as the months had gone by, and in no time at all, they were back to their normal rapport as best friends. Lately, Phoenix began to notice how close they really were. When Maya had been gone back home, he realized how much he'd missed the subtle touches, rare hugs, and general closeness their separation had robbed them of. Therefore, he didn't know what his problem was at that moment. He loved it when Maya touched him! Perhaps a bit _too_ much…

"This isn't the first time I've cleaned out your wallet!" She kidded, hoping to ease the sudden tension with her typical humor.

Phoenix still didn't look amused, and Maya studied his sullen expression. They'd gone for burgers a million times, and he'd never acted like this before. What was _with_ him?! She _had_ to get him out of this funk!

"Do you want me to tell Pearly you're treating me bad?" She smirked, nudging him with her elbow.

That seemed to do the trick.

"Ack! I'm fine Maya." Phoenix said quickly, not wanting Pearl to come all the way here just to slap him.

Maya grinned.

"I can't mourn the death of my wallet?" He asked with a small smile.

"Your wallet isn't dead. See you still have some credit cards." Maya flashed open his wallet, holding it up for him to see.

"Hey how did you get my wallet?" He asked with wide eyes.

"The hand is quicker than the eye," she snickered. "Your reflexes are slowing with age, you old fart!"

Maya then began to run.

"Maya get back here with my wallet!" Phoenix yelled and gave chase.

Then Maya had the upper hand, and they raced down the street, through People Park, right until she suddenly tripped on something protruding from the ground and fell face-first on the grass.

"Maya!" Phoenix shouted, catching up to her, barely winded but slightly sweaty from exertion. "My goodness, are you alright?"

"The only thing hurt here is my ego," Maya grimaced, wriggling her ankle, which was twisted oddly beneath her from the way she'd fallen. "Serves me right for running in these damn sandals!"

"I'd say serves you right for being a little pick-pocket, but first I want to ensure you didn't break anything," Phoenix frowned, his brows knitted together with concern as he gently touched her ankle. It didn't appear to be broken, but it did look badly bruised. "I think maybe you just twisted it. Let's get you home and put some ice on that thing. Do you think you can stand?"

Maya tried to rise up, using Phoenix as a crutch, but when she gingerly tried to apply any weight on the injured ankle, she couldn't help but cry out in pain.

"Oh crap, no I can't. What are we going to do?" She wailed, falling back to the ground defeatedly.

Phoenix sighed and squatted down, reaching behind him to grab her wrist and pulled one arm so it fell across the front of his chest, then the other.

"We have no choice, looks like I'll have to carry you home," he said simply. "Hop on."

Maya blushed frantically as Phoenix effortlessly saddled her up onto him and began carrying her, piggyback style, while he began the journey back to their residence. She could feel the hardness of his muscles, usually concealed by his suit, as her breasts crushed against his back, and she could feel the warmth of his skin as her arms brushed his neck as she wrapped them around his shoulders.

Had the circumstances been different she'd have been enjoying herself immensely, but as it stood…the fact that she was dependent on him first to _save her life twice_ , and _now_ to keep her _mobile_ was _embarrassing as hell!_

"The perfect end to the perfect day," Phoenix grumbled after about ten minutes, grunting slightly as he shifted her on his back into a more comfortable position. "You're heavier than you look you know! Must be those ten pounds of dead cow you consumed weighing you down!"

He was hoping complaining about the scenario would distract his thoughts as he tried not to notice the silky feel of her legs against his hands as they pressed into his sides, and the satiny feel of her hair tickling his neck.

Maya tried not to be wounded by the onslaught and attempted to ignore the pounding in her heart at being so close to him, in spite of his grumpiness.

"I said I was sorry a million times, didn't I Nick? Besides, this is kinda fun, I'm liking being carried like royalty by my noble steed!" She giggled suddenly. "So stop being such a killjoy and _giddyap,_ good stallion!"

"I am not your personal horse! Forget _steed_ , I feel more like a _pack mule_ ," Phoenix groused. "This is just like when I've taken you shopping and you've _loaded_ me down with your millions of bags, while _unloading_ the contents of my wallet in the process! And I will cease being a kill joy when _you_ get off _my_ back, Maya!"

"Oh please Nick, stop denying the truth!" Maya giggled, as though sensing he wasn't seriously mad. "You know that I know that you know that I know that you love carrying me. Just like I know you love _Steel Samurai_."

He rolled his eyes at her _Steel Samura_ i comment. It may or may not have been true, but he would never admit it to her!

Maya decided to take this as a perfect chance to mess with him. Proceeding to pull herself closer to him, she rested her head on his shoulder, allowing him to get closer whiff of her vanilla-scent, and put her lips directly next to his ear, before whispering in her most flirtatious voice, "Isn't that right _Phoenix_?"

The suggestive way she had said his proper name, along with the unaccustomed use of it, made him tense up immediately beneath her.

Sensing she'd gotten the upper hand, Maya snickered and wrapped her arms tighter in a quick hug.

"You're _too_ easy to tease you know that, Nick?"

He huffed and turned his head away from her in mock anger, but in reality to hide the blush on his cheeks.

They finally arrived home, where Phoenix abruptly deposited Maya onto her bed, pausing for a moment and giving her an odd look before curtly telling her he was going to take a walk and would be back shortly.

"Enjoy, Nick! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Maya chirped playfully.

"Like eat burgers until my wallet is empty?" He asked sarcastically.

"No, I would do that… and I _did_ do that!" Maya laughed and then got quiet for a moment. She looked at him silently for a moment, like she was waiting for something, but then she smiled instead. "See you later, Nick. And thanks for being my hero again."

"Don't get _too_ used to it, Miss Fey," he shot back with a grin. "That was the _last_ time I save your damsel in distress self from the trouble you keep getting yourself in!"

Neither of them had any way of knowing that six months later, Phoenix Wright would come to regret those words.


	81. Under Pressure

" _Sometimes, it's not in the battle field where truth and courage only shows. You can win in any place with the help of your courage and determination."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: This next arc covers the final case of JFA in detail so spoiler warning._

 _I did my best not to make this next mini-arc simply a mere rehashing of the game case, but opted to go into greater, in-depth detail of all the main protagonists involved, because JFA was where the true character development began of not only Miles Edgeworth, but the whole Wrightworth Bromance that I know a lot of you love as much as I do! Also, I'd like to show the contrast and character development of Maya the Burger Queen as a teen, versus the one I've turned her into, along with the kind, naïve, dorky younger Nick of early games compared to my version of him and then the AJ portrayal of him since._

 _Ergo, I bring you the novelization of the game where in my trilogy, (and canon wise but that's just my opinion!) Phaya's dynamic did the ultimate turnabout...and where my Fredgeworth lovers know,_ _ **their**_ _story also began...so without further ado... Justice for All case four...Farewell My Turnabout...JP style! :)  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Eighty-One** **:** **Under Pressure**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Gatewater Hotel, Viola Hall_  
March 20, 2018 7:42 PM

The three of them had been invited to the Grand Prix by Will Powers, where there was some 'Hero of Heroes' contest thing that the Nickel Samurai had won. Maya was pretty pumped about it, but the gaudiness of the hotel kind of stole Phoenix's concentration. The solid marble winding staircases were _insane_.

If Maya hadn't already called him Old Man more times in the past two years than most people had had hot dinners, Phoenix _still_ would have felt older than his 26 years as he watched his two wards, as he often thought of Maya and Pearl, racing about, like little hyperactive house apes, around the lobby of the prestigious hotel.

Well, his assistant's cousin, who had been living with him and Maya full-time since the previous Christmas, he could overlook, seeing as how she _was_ only a kid. However, watching Maya zip to and fro around the press area, in a tiny lavender blur of acolyte robes, squealing excitedly as she did so, was making him positively _dizzy_.

Moreover, it was making him feel _like an over aged babysitter!_

"Aren't you nearly 20?" Phoenix asked grumpily, knowing he probably looked every bit the stuffy, bored caregiver he was feeling like at the moment, being forced to be responsible and dignified while the children played. " _Must_ you act your shoe size _every_ time I'm dragged to one of these ridiculous kiddy program events of yours?!"

Maya ignored him. The winning of the Hero of Heroes Grand Prix by the Nickel Samurai had her positively giddy with excitement, in spite of Phoenix's apathy. Powers was filled with pride that The Nickel Samurai was "doing the series justice" and Pearl filled with confusion, asking if the person everyone was cheering for had won, and Maya told her that he had.

Pearl revealed that she watched Kids' Masterpiece Theatre rather than The Nickel Samurai, and an aghast Maya tried to persuade her to change those plans post-haste insisting the Steel Samurai's successor was all the rage with the kids.

"Do you like The Nickel Samurai too, Mr. Nick?" The little spirit medium asked.

"Nah, Nick's an old fart," Maya giggled, nudging him in the ribs and smirking when he scowled at her. "So he's not allowed to watch it anymore."

 _And there she goes again_ , Phoenix sighed to himself, trying to ignore the unwelcome feelings boiling in his chest. For every time he was certain Maya actually _may_ have felt even the slightest stirrings for him beyond mere friendship, and he came _thisclose_ to confessing his feelings, she went and acted the way she was right now, and his gumption went right out the window. It'd been two years now since he'd met Maya Fey, and even though she would be out of her teens in a month, and was now 19, mentally she was still just a kid who loved _The Steel Samurai_ and _The Nickel Samurai_!

Nevertheless, the fact was that she had been around him for too long. He realized he could never un-see her as a young woman now – even if he hadn't accidentally spotted her in nothing but her towel dashing from the bathroom that one time last summer – try as he might to forget it, the scorching image was permanently imprinted in his brain. He could no longer ignore the fact that nature had physically blossomed her into a grown young woman, somehow, in the midst of all the cases and annoyance and burgers.

Phoenix had begun to have suspicions about his feelings the year previously, after defending her on her second murder trial, but he'd hated himself ever since. He had… _a crush_ … on Mia's baby sister, and it made him feel like a perverse lecher or sorts. He was _too old_ for such ridiculous affections, as well as for _her_!

OK fine, since Maya was of legal age, he _technically_ wasn't a pedophile, but he was still _7 years older_ than her. And it didn't help that she called him _an old fart_ much of the time!

"That's right." The defense attorney plastered on a grin through gritted teeth at Maya's familiar, albeit irksome, quip. "But I do like Kids' Masterpiece Theatre."

"Hey, I didn't know you were so young at heart, Nick!" Maya smirked.

"Mr. Nick! You're a grown-up!" Pearl scolded. "You're not allowed to watch it anymore! You're supposed to act your age and have interests that match." She gestured to her cousin and then back at Phoenix again, a frown of disapproval marring her doll-like features. "...It's very important!"

To Phoenix's surprise, Maya blushed a tad.

"Aw, give it a rest, Pearly!"

 _Oh thank goodness_ , Phoenix thought, noticing his own cheeks had gotten warmer, as usual, whenever Pearl began her usual Special Someones spiel.

Apparently, he looked a bit _too_ relieved at the reprieve for the little girl's liking.

"Mr. Nick, aren't you happy?" Demanded Pearl, intruding on his thoughts. She had that admonishing look on her face again.

 _Gah! Please, stop! Why must I always be on the receiving end of a glare…from one so young…?_ Phoenix braced himself for impact.

"You _should be happy_ because _Mystic Maya_ is happy!" She reached up and slapped him. Her hidden strength was really quite brutal.

"OWW! I am ecstatically jubilant! I _swear_ I am!" Phoenix squawked.

The intercom suddenly crackled into life, saving Phoenix from further infantile battery.

" _Attention_ ," it said. " _Attention everybody. The Nickel Samurai's Post-Ceremony stage show set for tonight has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. We have a special request from the police: everyone must stay where they are. Deepest apologies for the inconvenience, and we thank you for your cooperation."_

"WHAAAT!?" Maya's jaw dropped. "WHYYYYY!?" She reached over and pinched Phoenix on his forearm. _Hard_.

"Oww!" He glared at her and rubbed the tender spot where her talons had dug in. _What is it with Fey girls assaulting me?!_ "You didn't have to pinch me! Pinch _yourself_ if you don't believe it!"

The voice on the speaker went on to advise everyone to stay put…by order of the police.

 _The police?_ Phoenix's senses went into high alert then. _Oh man, this can't be good…_

Maya was nearly hyperventilating, she was so distraught.

" _WHAAAT?!_ " she shrieked, grabbing Phoenix's arms and shaking him. "Is this – this can't be happening! The Nickel Samurai! The post-ceremony –"

"Hey, don't punish ME for this!" Phoenix exclaimed, wrestling himself out of her grip and nearly falling into Powers, who was sincerely apologetic about having wasted their time. Which was silly, really. Maya, the walking bottomless pit, had certainly gorged on enough food at the opulent buffet to feed a _small third-world nation,_ so _that alone_ had made the trek worth the while, for _him_ at least! (It meant she'd be tided over enough so he'd probably need to only buy her 1-2 burgers afterwards instead the usual 6!)

When he had joked about her gluttony that night, Maya had insisted she was a _growing girl_ , which had filled him with no small amount of alarm. After all, didn't girls _stop_ growing… _vertically_ … when they were _18_?!

 _A growing girl? Exactly how big do you plan on getting...?!_

He began to walk out of the lobby, shouldering past groups of confused people who had clustered into the middle of the huge room. Phoenix faced a dilemma: he couldn't just stand around here being useless, _could_ he? He _had_ to fulfill his role as nosy lawyer, even when off-duty... What if there had been…a murder?

They poked their heads around the hotel, running into the ever Edgeworth-loving, _über_ crotchety, _unstoppable windbag_ that was Wendy Oldbag, as well as checking out the hallways of the two actor's dressing rooms, Matt Engarde and Juan Corrida, strewn with stuffed bears and flowers.

The lawyer couldn't help but lament that it'd have been nice to have gotten _one_ bouquet at some point from at least _one_ of his grateful clients. Was it _really_ so difficult to send him some florals with a simple card? Something along the likes of: " _Thanks for saving my life, literally_!"

 _Wouldn't it be nice indeed..._

As the trio came back to Viola Hall, they were stopped in their tracks when a tall, thin man stepped right into their path. All arduous thoughts of Maya were erased from Phoenix's brain as he stared at this hotel employee, who looked so incredibly, _stereotypically, like a_ _bellboy,_ it was all he could do not to take a picture. But it wasn't just that: not even the man's classy monocle could take away from the line of stitches, neatly dividing his face in half from forehead to chin.

" _Woah_." Maya's fallen fell open. "Mister – Mister Bellboy, sir? Can I try your monocle on?!"

Phoenix nearly face palmed with embarrassment. _**Why**_ _do I like her again, exactly?!_

"Would you be Ms. Maya Fey?" The bellboy asked, thankfully ignoring the question.

"Um, yes." Maya looked startled. Phoenix was too; how the heck did that guy even know her name?

"There is a phone call waiting for you at the front desk," said the bellboy.

Maya frowned, tapping her chin. "I wonder who it is? Someone from Kurain Village?" She glanced back at Phoenix and Pearl. "I'll be right back. Go on ahead, okay?"

* * *

 _If I had known what was to happen…I never would have let her out of my sight...  
_

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey  
**_ Date: ? Time:? Location: ?

"Nnngh..." Maya moaned, rubbing her skull, which felt tender to the touch. "Oww, my head..."

The cranium agony was relentless – she was its prisoner, quite helpless in her cage of pain, which was throbbing so violently around her skull that she wondered why it didn't just crack open.

She'd just woken up with a mouth feeling as dry as cotton balls, an excruciating, agonized ache in her head that rivalled anything she'd ever felt before, ( _including_ the time Morgan had walloped her with the spirit severing stick the previous year), and a general feeling of bewilderment. She had no idea where she was, as she was in some sort of darkened room, and didn't recognize her surroundings. Was she still at the Gatewater? What had happened to her?

"Nick….Pearly!" She called weakly, as loud as she could with her parched throat. A feeling of dread crept over her. Was this some sort of joke? Because if it was, it wasn't funny anymore…

Suddenly there was a click of the door unlocking, and then she was face to face with the stitched-face bellboy from the hotel, who regarded her with unreadable eyes. When he finally spoke, his voice was as cool as a cucumber.

"I see you have awoken."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Maya's eyes widened in fear. "Wh-Wh-Wh-Who are you!?" In this dimly lit room, even with the monocle and black suit, the man no longer looked distinguished; with the red glare lighting, he now actually looked downright _demonic_.

"Me?" He answered calmly, completely unaffected by her scream. "...I am known as "De Killer".

"D-De Killer"!? You mean like an ASSASSIN!?"

A million thoughts raced through her mind in the next split second.

… _My little Pearly! Who's going to look after her?! After_ _ **Nick**_ _?! I promised Sis!_

… _Oh my God this_ _ **sucks harder than a vegan burger**_ _! I'm going to die a_ _ **freakin' virgin**_ _! I mean, I haven't even_ _ **kissed**_ _a guy yet! Wait – isn't the_ _ **sole**_ _upside of being_ _ **this lame**_ _is that it normally_ _ **increases**_ _your survival odds in all the horror movies?!_

… _Wah! I... I'm too young to go! Take your stupid light and shove it up your tunnel!_

De Killer coolly informed her not to fret, that she wasn't his intended target, but Maya was beyond being reasoned with at the moment. She continued to cry out for Nick to help her, all the while internally praying to whatever forces that were listening, to spare her life.

"Yes, that's right," he replied, still unruffled when her shrieks at last subsided. "Only one person can save you now, and that is Mr. Phoenix Wright."

"Wh-What?" Stunned, Maya managed to muffle another scream and speak in a somewhat normal tone. "Nick... Nick's going to save me...?"

A glimmer of hope flickered through her. Nick… he was her hero. He _would_ save her, just as he _always_ had in the past…

De Killer succinctly instructed her to calm down and be a good girl, and that it was all part of a business transaction, and that she'd be wise to play her assigned cooperative role while he contacted Phoenix.

Maya shrank back in horror. How in the world was a kidnapping anything like giving away money in exchange for something else? She saw no reason to trust this insane murderer whatsoever, and was certain her life was going to come to a halt soon enough, regardless of his words. The formality of this man was almost staggering considering the situation, but Maya guessed that when you murdered people for a living, kidnapping was like a business transaction.

Ultimately, though, Maya realized that's all she actually _was_ to this horrible, evil man. Simply a pawn to be used for business matters. He didn't see her as a _person_. He didn't care that she had a little girl whom she had to now raise and was dependent on her, or that she was an office partner to a dear man, who'd come to lean on her as much as she'd come to lean on him. She was the most trivial matter of total insignificance in this dark and deadly game.

Her heart hammered against her ribs as tears of terror filled her eyes.

" _Nick_..." She whispered brokenly, curling into a call and hugging her knees against her chest protectively. "What's going to happen to me? Nick...Pearls...Sis..."

Her last heartrending thought resounded through her mind over and over again like a broken record as her tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

 _I never got a chance to tell Nick how much I he means to me.  
_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Gatewater Hotel_  
March 20, 2018

Phoenix and Pearl busied themselves for the next little bit with investigations, finding some details of the homicide via the always irksome, meddlesome, downright annoying _jer-na-list, aka_ "that woman with the big puffy hair that looks like cotton candy" as the little spirit medium called her, Lotta Hart.

Lotta's information was then further relayed and confirmed by the ever overly chatty Detective Gumshoe.

The Jammin' Ninja had been murdered and his rival, The Nickle Samurai was the suspect.

It was all as ugly as Phoenix had imagined.

The lawyer sighed in resignation and turned to the suddenly pensive looking Pearl.

"Maya's definitely going to make me take this case, isn't she?"

"If The Nickel Samurai's involved?! Of course!" Pearl bit her thumb. "But, Mr. Nick, are phone calls supposed to take _this_ long?"

"Hah!" Phoenix glanced at his watch. "You're right! What's taking her so long? Maybe we should look for her back at the lobby. We've got all the information we need anyway."

"D – Do you think she got lost, Mr. Nick?" Pearl asked worriedly, hurrying ahead down the hallway.

"Wouldn't put it past her," Phoenix muttered to himself. He really wished Maya would _get lost..._ from his _mind!_

But as he looked at the little girl's concerned expression, he tried, and failed, to squelch the sudden feeling of unease. After all, Maya _had_ just gone to take a phone call…

Anxiously, he scurried to the hotel foyer, Pearl having to jog slightly on her little legs to keep up with his long, urgent strides.

However, once they got to the lobby – full of murmuring as people wandered about, unsure of what was happening – Maya wasn't there. Powers waved them over from near the stage, a radio transceiver in one of his large hands.

Phoenix relayed the information he'd learned to his friend, with the current children's exercise program star remarking that if anything, as Matt Engarde kept his trumping his rival in popularity, one would have thought that Juan Corrida would have murdered _him_ , not vice versa!

As he was absorbing this newest fact, which now further confused him as the circumstances made even lesser sense, he felt Pearl tugging at his sleeve.

"Mr. Nick, what's that thing he's holding?" She asked. Phoenix's eyes dropped to the transceiver in Powers' hand. It kinda, sorta ...but no, not really looked like a mobile phone of sorts to his non-techy eyes.

"Oh!" Exclaimed Powers, overhearing this. "Sorry, I forgot about it. This whole murder thing completely distracted me. This is meant for you."

"For me?!" Phoenix took the device, which was a fair weight in his hand. "Who was it from?"

"The bellboy. You know, the one with stitches all the way down the centre of his face…" Powders shivered. "It's scary!"

 _And this is coming from a man who always looks like a hungry lion!_

"The bellboy…?" Phoenix didn't have much time to think it over, as the transceiver suddenly began to beep. Unsure of what to do, he raised it to his mouth.

"…Hello?"

"Is this the attorney Mr. Phoenix Wright speaking?"

It seemed he was now connected.

 _Bravo, Phoenix! Top notch deduction skills, honed to perfection from years of artful investigations!_

"Yes. And who are you?!"

"You don't need to know who I am. You have much more important things to worry about, don't you?"

Suddenly, there was a scream on the other end, which sent ice shooting down the back of Phoenix's neck.

"H – HEEELP! NICK!"

"M – Maya?" Phoenix's brain seemed to have stopped working. Surely this was all a bad dream. Surely this wasn't –

"- a kidnapping, Mr. Attorney. So if you want to see the girl again, you had better listen closely."

Phoenix almost dropped the transceiver.

"Maya! Are you alright?! Are you hurt?! Where are you?"

He suddenly felt very faint. Beside him, Pearl had started crying.

"M – Mystic Maya…?" She whispered, tears falling down her cheeks. "W – what's happening, Mr. Nick?!" Her lower lip began to tremble, and soon she was bawling her eyes out. "Mystic Mayaaaaaaa!"

The world seemed to be fading before Phoenix's eyes. His breathing was shallow, and he didn't think he would be able to stand for much longer.

"What…have you done with her?!" he managed to say.

"…Good. Now that I have your attention, Mr. Attorney…it is a very simple proposal. In exchange, I will return to you…your precious 'item'."

Phoenix swayed on his feet, clutching at the transceiver as though his life depended on it.

"…Mr. Attorney, are you there?"

"H – How much?!" Demanded Phoenix, managing to snap out of it. He was going to fall unconscious in a moment, and _then_ what would happen? "How much do you want?! Just say it, hurry up!"

"That's much better, Mr. Attorney, however…it is not money I need. You are an attorney, no? You must become Matt Engarde's lawyer. He did not kill anyone," the voice continued. "I can attest to that: he has been framed. All I simply ask is that you earn him a complete acquittal…in two days. One court trial."

"W- What?! Where's Maya?! What have you done to –?"

"She is fine, Mr. Attorney…at the moment. Failure to comply, however, and…"

The unspoken threat hung silently in the frigid air.

"Who – who are you?!" Phoenix asked desperately. The silence on the other end went on for so long he was afraid connection would be cut.

"I suppose I can tell you that much. I am De Killer."

"What –"

"Two days, Mr. Attorney."

 _Click_. The signal went dead.

The defense attorney's insides went numb and a vacant, glazed expression came over his eyes. He was no longer capable of either thinking or feeling. In that moment, he turned into nothing more than a mere shell of himself.

Until he knew Maya was safe and sound, Phoenix Wright would remain naught but a dead man walking.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Wright & Co. Law Offices_  
March 21, 2018

Pearl was beyond inconsolable about her beloved cousin, and only managed to not fall completely to pieces under the gentle, kind guidance of Gumshoe, who had escorted her and Phoenix back to their place, where the burly detective had remained at the child's side, not leaving until she'd at last fallen into an uneasy sleep in her and Maya's bed.

However, as the drained defense attorney looked at the shadows under her eyes that morning, it was apparent that like himself, Pearl had barely slept a wink either. As he hurriedly fixed them some breakfast – a complete exercise in futility as neither of them had any appetite to speak of – Phoenix had to keep reminding himself to take deep breaths and keep himself calm and collected, if only for the sake of the small, helpless, little girl, who looked as morose and lost as he felt.

He didn't even know what to say to her. Everything he said came out wrong and just made things worse for the terrified child, who professed to him that without Maya, she truly had no family left in the world.

"Pearls why are you so interested in how Maya and I get along?" Phoenix asked, eager to change topics now, as he'd barely been able to swallow the lump in his throat at the tragic news of her otherwise orphaned status. "I mean we don't have anything special...?"

"What do you mean?" Pearl looked stunned. "But I thought you and mystic Maya were... I've been mistaken all this time?! No way!" She looked downcast then and hung her head, the picturesque vision of heartbroken dejection.

 _Aaaah! She really wasn't kidding! Pearls actually believes Maya and I are...maybe I should have just left it alone!_ Phoenix berated himself for his thoughtless stupidity, and mentally called himself every name in the book for upsetting the little girl he had come to adore. _What the hell is wrong with me!? Why did I even say that? I know Maya and I aren't anything_ _ **official on paper**_ _… but…_

"Mr. Nick! Stop it!" Pearls suddenly snapped, completely out of the blue, unexpectedly breaking out of her funk. "Don't hide your true feelings from me!" With that, she rolled up her sleeve and took aim.

 _Ow! She slapped me!_ _ **Again**_ _!_

The smarting sensation would have brought any other man in this current state of precarious, emotional affairs to tears, but Phoenix managed to resist somehow. Mostly because deep down, he knew Pearl was 100% right. Also, he didn't know who he was kidding anymore, denying how he felt about Maya. Or why he even bothered. He was obviously fooling no one. Especially not himself.

 _After all,_ _De Killer was actually able to determine exactly which person to kidnap to ensure my complete co-operation. Obviously he sensed some sort of strong bond between us – and perceived it as her being more than just my 'legal assistant', and it's become obvious even to the outside world…_

The number one reason however, that Phoenix hadn't allowed himself to cry, even though he yearned to _more than anything,_ was because Pearl had done enough of that for the both of them. She alternated between completely distraught misery, and total self-blame for the whole situation, as she'd not accompanied Maya on her phone call, despite his vain efforts to dissuade such notions.

Also, he was afraid if he started to cry, he'd never stop.

The only way to keep from wallowing was keeping busy, so they'd ensured their day was as jam-packed with progressive, productive investigation as possible.

It'd been the mother of all draining days.

They'd gone to see the self-enamored, flaky, and "refreshing like a spring breeze" defendant, Matt Engarde, in prison. He'd not set off any psyche locks when Phoenix had flat out asked him if he'd killed Juan Corrida.

The actor had blithely replied: "Alright just so we're clear dude I didn't kill anyone and that includes Juan Corrida OK?"

So Phoenix had felt better about taking his case now, ensuring himself that he could fight to get the pretty boy a not-guilty verdict with a clear conscience.

He and Pearl had gone back to investigate further at the Gatewater Hotel after that. They had yet another series of mixed unpleasant and pleasant encounters with: the annoying Oldbag (and her prized ray gun), the loud-mouthed Lotta Hart, the evasive Adrian Andrews, the gossip-gabbing Will Powers, the ever-helpful Gumshoe, and the enraged, whip-happy, revenge-obsessed (for breaking her perfect prosecution record), Franziska Von Karma.

And then there had been another moment where Phoenix had had to draw upon all his inner strength not to break down in front of Pearl again as they went through Viola Hall.

Pearl had been more mum than usual up until that point, walking by his side with a haunted look on her angelic face, until her solemn eyes riveted to the familiar front table in the chandeliered room they'd all dined in the night before.

"We ate at this table last night, didn't we?" She asked quietly, with an expression more melancholic than any little girl should ever be allowed to have.

"Yes." Phoenix nodded, sighing at the memory of that carefree evening, which now seemed like eons ago.

"I was really happy then," Pearl said wistfully, looking down at the ground to avoid letting him see the tears filling her eyes.

 _I wish I could make you smile again... Even for a second._

As the thought entered his mind, at that moment, Phoenix Wright felt a wave of such powerful, protective, _paternal_ love that it startled him. He reacted without thinking, and allowed his hallowed heart to embrace the first emotion he'd actually allowed himself to _feel_ since this nightmare had begun, along with the tiny spirit medium who had triggered it.

Taking Pearl into his arms in a tight, comforting hug, Phoenix held her small, frail body against him, murmuring words of reassurance to her, as at last, a lone tear escaped from his eye and rolled down his cheek.

He'd promised this child, his sole remaining tie to both Mia and Maya Fey, that he was going to save her cousin. It was one he vowed that he was going to keep.

 _No matter what it took.  
_

* * *

Later that evening…

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Police Station, Criminal Affairs Department_  
March 21, 2018

Phoenix and Pearl met with Gumshoe at the police station, and for once, the kindhearted detective was quite grim.

It turned out the knife in Corrida's chest had Engarde's fingerprints all over it.

Phoenix gulped. This wasn't looking good at all for getting his client that not-guilty verdict! If anything, Engarde was looking guiltier by the minute!

Gumshoe was just in the midst of telling Phoenix about Corrida's former manager, Celeste, when suddenly, they were rudely interrupted by _Lady Von Whippingburg_ herself! Furious at catching Gumshoe in the act of "leaking" information, Franziska curtly fired the poor man on the spot, ignoring his pleas.

"Quiet!" The German woman snapped, cracking her whip until the newly jobless detective had fled in terror. She glowered Phoenix and pointed an accusing black-gloved finger at him. "If it weren't for traitors like _you_ …"

"I would've won." A smooth – and _very familiar_! – Voice intoned just then. "Is _that_ what you want to say?"

Franziska's eyes narrowed. "Wh-Who!?"

 _That voice…_ Phoenix felt his mouth go dry. _No it_ _ **can't**_ _be! Pearl isn't able to channel male ghosts just yet,_ _ **is**_ _she?_

It was no ghost. Suddenly, there before them, larger than life, _in full living_ _ **magenta**_ _color,_ stood the one, the only, _Miles Edgeworth_ himself.

 _ **Back from the dead.**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's (please note that I have included any and all reviews since I was gone so this will be a lengthy reply!)_

 *******FIRST AND FOREMOST, TO MY READER WHO IN THE LAST FORTNIGHT OR LESS HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO READ** _MY WHOLE_ _TRILOGY_ **AND REVIEW** _ALMOST EVERY CHAPTER_ **OF THE** _ **TURNABOUT LAWFUL LOVE TRILOGY**_ **, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, AND I'D LIKE TO SINCERELY AND PUBLICLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR MOST REFRESHING AND UNIQUE POV ON THE SERIES I'VE LABORED OVER EXTENSIVELY FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW.*******

 **Chapter 80**

 **SkyiesTheLimit** \- Am so happy you liked it hun! Phoenix was such SO adrokable back then! LOL

I wanted to showcase how he's evolved/de-evolved since and show the Phaya origins of puppy love!

 **chloemcg** – hehe who doesn't love Sonic – glad it made you happy as your lovely, encouraging reviews make my day! I see you like retro games too! I didn't think it was possible to like you any more, English Rose, but thanks for proving me wrong!

Nah, I'd never drop a story – it says so on my profile aka my geek creed lol (with the exception of Crossfire as my co-pilot who is more a comedic genius than I shall ever be seems to have dropped off the face of the earth – that one is on undetermined hiatus!

Only the sunny calls of Mexico could ever make me take a break from my baby that is TE and my beloved readers!

At least in darker AJ styles Nick was a sexy hobo, although a complete douche! It pains me to write how he hath fallen, but I am trying to stick to canon…and there was no Maya in AJ so…

OK, I made someone who isn't even a Phaya fan root for Phaya? People are most dedicated in their ships so mind= blown! High praise indeed! Thank you so much!

 **Yanmegaman-** Glad you like the courtship fluff it's sooo fun!

I decided there had to be a deeper meaning to Maya's Samurai obsession than just her being a overgrown kid, you know? Can you imagine if she ever met Simon, who is a real live Samurai?! You could probably drown a toddler in her panties! XD

Um... When we get back to present timeline I can assure you Maya will have her hands way to full with... _stuff_ to give _fictional_ men a second thought!

 **Chapter 79**

 **Ryszard** \- _Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku!_ You're my fave Euro man here, and I hope you can bear with the JFA flashbacks hun – I have done my best to make them more in depth than the game and entertaining and show a new perspective, as this arc is integral to my storyline and very important in showing the development of my characters. I will do my best to not disappoint when I do get back to the present day in beginning of January – chapter _zwany zupełnie nowy świat_!

 **Megaranger66** – I am so against violence against women but come ON! Does Lotta really qualify?! LOL. The woman is maddening…and she was indeed being disrespectful about Maya – nobody, but _nobody_ talks smack the woman Nick loves!

 **TheFreelancerSeal** – Phoenix was still in adorkable, albeit denial mode about his conflicting emotions right now. While I did mention JFA was the Phaya turnabout game IMO (in my series, anyway) the big reveal of when Phoenix and Maya realize it's love will be _slightly_ delayed, but I hope believable as it will actually be (semi)-canon! Lemme know if you catch it and what you think! (also, PM me about T and T when you get to the whole Iris part and let me know your thoughts on Feenris then!)

 **chloemcg** – Milady for someone anti-violent, I must profess, some of your more violent scenes in your FF made the breath leave my lungs! I mean, kicking a pregnant woman in the stomach?! And I don't even really like Junie but oh the feels! (Just a sign of good writing on your part!)

Here, here! We none of us shall judge Nick or call him a woman-beater for slapping Lotta Hair the Loudmouth! Most of us really like Maya and the She-Thing deserved that smack for talking smack!

Phaya to me, had such a beautiful love story I had to give it an origin…and Nick was the valiant hero who kept saving the damsel in distress so in that sense it is very much a modern (albeit dark!) fairytale (hell this one even has a DRAGON!) Glad you think so! (and Happy New Year if we don't correspond before then!)

 **Yanmegaman** – I am so glad you see these chapters for what they are intended to be, punny man, and not just a rehash of the games, so thanks so much for the kind words! You're awesomesauce!

 **Ilet Moratar** – Mi amiga dolce, like I said to the English Rose, Phaya can easily be seen as a dark, modern day fairytale romance, and what is more romantic than falling in love with your best friend who is also your hero? Am so touched you appreciate this arc so much, since I know your actual OTP is Fredgeworth!

Yo hablado con los lectores más jóvenes de mis capítulos calientes. Aprecian las advertencias, pero este lector es mayor de edad. No sé qué decir solamente que no puedo complacer a todos ni me importa a . Yo no soy una botella de vino! Gracias por tu amable ayuda. Es por eso te quiero!

 **Chapter 78**

 **Megaranger66** – Oh lord have mercy you and Ryszard should somehow merge the borders that separate you and become a comic duo! I laugh _so_ hard at your feedback and only wish you guys wrote so I could become your number one fan! This was no exception:

 _He washed ashore on and empty island, watching the spot where the sunken ship fell. As the story went on he could see- no, he felt the pain and anguish radiating off of Pearly. The ship was the air she breathed. The happiness of life that pierced the blackness. Each moment almost made him cry behind his cracked helmet Why? Why must she suffer? Why must she and Maya suffer? Because...because of him. He destroyed the ship. He broke the family that the fan came to love. He clenched his fist at the realization. Wright...he looked up to him! He enjoyed every moment of interaction between him and Maya! And he tears it all apart?! If only he could scream. If only he had a true voice to express how badly he despised Wright at this moment!  
Wait...this pain. What was this pain?! No...no! Not her hair! Not those beautiful locks! And what...not that. Anything but- Oh god...she's accepted the arranged marriage. His hand clutched to his chest, falling on his back as the pain made him pass out._

Regarding Nick the D*ck…I'd say he's gonna get his for doing what he's done but as we saw in AJ…he's kinda been through the wringer already…is it possible to torture him _any_ more!? *wicked grin*

About Maya's hair…we will soon find out just how much of her bum-grazing ebony silken strands _actually_ got turned into cancer wigs soon enough…am so happy someone actually caught the tragic symbolism of the gesture (mentioning the bartender's hairdresser wife and all those scenes in the past with Nick lovingly playing with that glorious mane all make so much more sense now, don't they?)

Thanks for making my day as usual! If I don't hear from you for a while again, Happy New Year, buddy!

 **TheFreelancerSeal** – Happily Ever After. You're my second reader to make a fairytale reference in conjunction to Phaya…have you been talking to Chloemcg? :p

I appreciate your candor and eloquence bud. While you admit you don't like being shocked or saddened, you haven't stopped reading and manage to convey your thoughts in a way that doesn't tear the writer down, belittle, nitpick and I want to thank you not only for that, but always taking the time to review. You rock!

Nick lying to himself? At this point he's still not admitted he's in love with Maya, (and in my series, the two didn't even get together for another YEAR after all this) so absolutely, he's been guilty of lying to himself in the past…

Ah, the dragon lady, sadly, isn't going anywhere for awhile…every hero, or in this case, heroine needs an antagonist so the foul beast is indeed, Maya's. About Nick's present day POV…I swear to you, much like the writer of Game of Thrones teased his readers/viewers (ironically, about the dragons!) _it's coming_! I promise!

 **DiamondTruth2** – _Jerk_ is one of the nicer names my vengeful readers have called Phoenix! LOL. In my previous chapters I have recapped the various methods of torture they have suggested as penance for his sins!

Actually I am doing my very best to do a story mostly based on canon manipulation (except Fredgeworth, that's all up to my warped imagination since they're gone from the games until the magnificent Enter The Edgeworth scene in aa5) so that boat scene was actually done at Gatewater Land, and took place between March and April 2019 before Nick's disbarring and post T and T. I will have one final short series of Phaya flashbacks that will include that day!

 **Ryszard** – This chapter broke my heart too mój przyjaciel. Mam pewne ukryte problemy ojcem! :p

Ah, Iris…the homewrecker and Nick the D*ck - dwa w swoim rodzaju, nie? At least you didn't go into great depth of how the homicide will play out in the way my hilarious readers have suggested payback for Nick! I have another reader who had the Nun on his top three most despised Scheisse list…ironically even _before_ my breakup chapter! Yanmegman would be a most delighted accomplice should you need one!

I hope Capcom brings AA6 soon to the West…and wish Great Ace Attorney would get fan translated already! I will take what I can get! I did with Miles 2 and I have no problem settling!

 **Ilet Moratar** \- I have not yet showed just how short Maya cut her hair but it used to be down to her bum... care to take any guesses?

You know the story of Samson and Delilah right? She took away his power when she cut his hair? Maya was trying to cut that _Nick_ out of her hair!

I don't know how much fan art work you have seen of Maya as an adult, but the fan work, I'm going to treat it as cannon until we see her in the new game. All the pictures show her hair being nowhere near as long as it was a teen, which is exactly how I'm going to play this. I also in a very emotional state when I broke up with my former fiancé… chopped off my hair! At the time it was shoulder length and I cut it into one of those angled bobs that came just below my chin because he loved my hair long!

If I could relate to any character it probably would be Maya I truly see her as a passionate but (somewhat) rational person who acts first and thinks later!

This chapter was so hard for me to write because Pearl is probably my favorite character after Phoenix and Maya. I could comment on the deviousness of Phoenix but ...I kinda want you to keep reading! :p

 **chloemcg** – hee! You mentioned the boot to the head! You have no idea how many times I have made that reference throughout my trilogy – I judge myself for not veering the readers towards that hilarious video sooner!

Pearl still loves Nick a lot – she's more shattered than angry right now. But the Kurain Master is past grieving and is full blown anger mode now…my Maya is the same girl who, in the first story of the series, gave Phoenix a much deserved martini to the face – in public! A blow of some sort, bone crushing or boot related really isn't so far-fetched, really…after all, she also already gave him a backhand that made his head snap back already…she's a firecracker, that one! Don't let the small stature fool you! :p

 **Yanmegaman** – bah! Happy stories are boring! XD

For making me LMAO after a chapter that depressed even _me_ , who wrote it, thank you! I get in shite from anonymous readers if I dare comment on stuff that you guys say about Iris, so I will repeat the side splitting comment here as a direct quote instead:

 _It's only just now dawning on me that of all the horrible characters in this series, from Manfred von Karma to Kristoph Gavin to The Phantom, Iris is the character I hate the most. As I said before, hiding bodies -not cool. But she also commits the unforgivable crime of having no personality in an Ace Attorney game. Seriously, AA has one of the most colorful cast of characters in any series I've ever played, and yet Iris is just there, having less personality than 'That wriggling piece of plywood."_

I cannot emphasize how as a writer, how happy (am I messed up or what?!) it makes me to make fans of a beloved icon have visions of murder dancing in their heads this holiday season! I shall recap your creative and hilarious latest vengeful suggestions for Nick the D*ck for breaking sweet Pearl's heart here for the merriment of the readers:

-Tie his legs and pointer fingers to four different horses and have them run in different directions.

-Lock him in a room with Shelly De Killer

-Poison his grape juice with atroquinine

-Rehypnotize the residents of Labyrinthia and make them believe he's a witch

-Toss him into the middle of a sword duel between Barnham and Blackquill... I think you get the idea. (hmmm…what _kind_ of swordfight, exactly? Hee!)

You must chat with **Ryszard**. He has offered to kill the nun you so loathe…I innocently offered your accomplice services…

 **Chapter 77**

 **TheFreelancerSeal** – Grey sucked donkey balls. His death was no tragedy. I judge Nick for remaining so polite to Wendy Oldbag's undeclared blathering brother from another mother!

Thanks for digging the oldies and not dubbing me an old fart for referencing so many 20th century tunes in this story!

It's so funny, how Pearl always makes Nick and Maya _blush_ with her outrageous declarations of their Special Someone's and for all the people who don't get the Phaya vibe all I can say is this fact: _people do_ _ **not**_ _blush around/about people they don't find attractive. They_ _ **yawn**_ _!_

Hmmm...was there a purpose or was Nick just being the D*ck he morphed into in Apollo Justice? (Have you bought the game already?!) So…are you a prophetic reader? Only time will tell…look out for the next chapter dedication with your name on it, bud! :p

 **Megaranger66** – Another male with great music taste. Be still my heart! *swoons*

Seriously though, after reading your last hilarious few reviews…are you sure it's PEARL who is the number one Phaya shipper bud? :p

 **Chapter 76**

 **Megaranger66** – You're welcome for the dedication because you're amazeballs! I've missed you!

Yeah, who'd have thunk that it'd have been Dracula to _ignite the spark_ of Phaya?! XD

 **TheFreelancerSeal** \- What a wonderful welcome home present, another wonderful and thoughtful review from my homeboy!

Nope not love yet, but these two…they have a tie that binds…their first meeting cinched that! No reason at all…hmmm you've never seen Feenris's backstory yet? Let me know your thoughts when you get there! ;)

Thanks for trusting me bud. This far in…I shall do my best not to disappoint!

 **Chapter 72**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr** \- Carlin! Sweetie I'm so happy you're back! Love hearing from you!

Funny how most of my readers are so busy plotting Nick's torture and Iris's untimely demise that they seemed to have forgotten the Despicable Dragon Lady! LOL. Thanks for taking the time to hate the OC! It means _just as much_ as my making people want to kill a globally beloved video game character! XD

You are a very perceptive reader to have caught that bit with Matilda. Is she a friend or foe? Guess only time will tell…although you can feel free to place your bets now!

Kids are noisy little calendars! Yup Pearly is getting older so that means Maya is too – and wiser! Sorry about the feels…I wish I could say that they would stop at this chapter but…

 **Chapter 71**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr** – Fredgeworth…will have a lot to contend with after all this. Can they survive a _second_ tragedy? They either make or break couples… (sorry again about the feels! I must get that tattooed on me somewhere…)

 **Chapter 70**

 **Guest Sharpie** – (cute name!) yup you made me change my stance. Who cares if you have an account or not? Someone out of now 6.7K AA ff's out there on this site alone took the time to read and review _my_ story…hails yeah I'm going to reply back to them! How many chapters sweetie? 100 something….I hope you stick around as around the corner is Apollo with AJ and then enter Athena with DD…my goal is to wrap this up before AA6! Thanks for reading!

 **Chapter 69**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr** – I shall apologize now for the angst of this chapter!

I hope you kicked arse on those exams! I happily welcome back the return of you and your tablet! I know at this point were I to take the driver's test again for my license I'd fail miserably after so many years of bad habits but to know I'd still be an Ace student in English class warms my heart hun! Thank you! I hope you stick around for the wild ride as I strive to continue to:

-SHOW, don't tell.  
-use a variety of sentences  
-use interesting word choice  
-use figurative language  
-produce tone and mood so strong that I can even feel the emotions of the characters... the feels.  
-use plenty of details that make it easy for the reader to make a picture in their head.  
-also you have good grammar so that's a plus

Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year sweetie!


	82. Right at the Edge

" _I don't hate you, because hate is a feeling and I feel absolutely nothing for you."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: I am dedicating this one to English Rose, aka fellow FF writer, the talented_ _ **Chloemcg**_ _because she's awesomesauce and makes my spirit soar with her kind encouragement and thoughtful insights. Also because she totally gets the turbulence of JFA as she's used it in her own amazeballs work!_

 _I wish this site let you post pictures but here's a hilarious one which perfectly summarizes how Nick must have felt when he first laid eyes on his back from the dead best friend! XD_

 ** _i dot imgur dot com slash KuGSoMa dot jpg_**

* * *

Continuation of _**Justice For All**_ case four... _Farewell My Turnabout_...

* * *

 **Chapter Eighty-Two:** **Right at the Edge**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Police Station, Criminal Affairs Department_  
March 21, 2018

"E-Edgeworth!" Phoenix croaked out, completely shaken out of the norm.

The prosecutor arched a sardonic brow at his old friend's completely ashen face. "It's been a long time...Wright." He was completely in full, unruffled, composed _Edgeworth_ state, as though popping up out of the blue from the grave was an everyday event, and he couldn't fathom Phoenix's gobsmacked expression in the least.

"Th-This person..." Pearl's fingers flew to her lips as she gasped in surprise. " _This_ is Mr. Edgeworth?" Thus far the little girl knew the gallant man purely by name and reputation only.

"In the flesh." Edgeworth smiled indulgently at the tiny spirit medium and gave his customary grandeur bow in greeting, before turning to Franziska, who, unlike Phoenix, looked more _stormy_ than _shocked_ at his unexpected arrival.

In other words, if she was as thrown by the sudden sighting of him as Phoenix was, her expression belied no such evidence.

 _Maybe stony-faced stoicism is a prosecutor prerequisite?_ The spiky-haired man thought, hastily shutting his gaping mouth as he observed the exchange between the two.

" _What_ am I going to do with you...?" The handsome man shook his head in dismay at Franziska, with whom he appeared to be quite _well acquainted_ with indeed. "Still blaming others when things go wrong? You haven't changed a bit, Franziska."

"Y... You..." Franziska's cheeks were a heightened shade of pink. She was positively spluttering with rage as she turned her accusing pointer finger at Edgeworth. "How _dare_ you show your face to me _without a shred of shame_ upon it!? You've _soiled_ the Von Karma name and _dragged it through the mud!_ Run away with your _tail between your_ legs like the _ill-bred dog_ you are!"

 _Ouch_. Although Phoenix had his _own_ choice words for Edgeworth, for his little trick of _rolling over and playing dead_ like a cowardly canine, he had to admit, the woman's wording was still _harsh_. Also, what _was_ the deal with these two?! He couldn't determine if this heated exchange was that of _siblings_ …or an _old married couple_ from _hell_!

"Are you talking about the Von Karma family creed?" Edgeworth smirked, appearing completely unruffled by the directed ire. " _To be perfect in every way_. Then let's hear it, Franziska. How _are_ things going? I hear you are having a rough time maintaining perfection in this country."

"Y-You!" She glared daggers at him.

Both of them appeared to have forgotten Pearl and Phoenix were even in the room. The duo stared on in wide-eyed silence.

"You seem to be getting crushed under the weight of it all," Edgeworth remarked mildly. "That's why I came back."

"Keep your assumptions to yourself!" Franziska snapped. "I... I haven't given in yet! I _won't_ lose! This case is _mine_! I'll _never_ hand it over to you! _Never_!"

 _OK, now they just sound like a_ _ **bitterly divorced**_ _couple from_ _ **hell**_ … Phoenix decided.

"Mr. Phoenix Wright!" The fiery femme turned to the defense attorney then and scowled. "I will see _you_ tomorrow...In court!" A smug smile. "It will be a clinical lesson on the meaning of "total victory"!"

Edgeworth waited till she'd stormed off before turning back to Phoenix with a smirk.

"Humph. Still the same wild mare she always was."

 _Seriously?!_ _ **That**_ _was all the son of a bitch had to say for himself?!_

Phoenix at last found his voice. "I thought you, the prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, had gone and _died_!" He cried, feeling a stinging sensation beneath his lashes and hating himself for it. He ignored Pearl's stunned gasp of "Mr. Nick!" This whole ordeal with Maya and now his so-called _ghosting_ friend unexpectedly _apparating_ again was too much for his frayed nerves! "I... I never wanted to see you again!"

"I think that's enough of a warm welcome for someone you haven't seen in a year..." Edgeworth sighed, although if he was effected by the words, his expression was impossible to read.

Phoenix crossed his arms and fixed the other man with one of his best stares. "Are you going to run tomorrow's trial?"

"You heard her right?" Edgeworth shook his head ruefully. "That wild mare hasn't given in yet it seems. So no I don't think I'll be making an appearance."

Phoenix merely glared at him, still fuming but too angry to say another word.

"Your hatred for me is quite unhealthy, not to mention one sided," Edgeworth said in a surprisingly _gentle_ tone. "But I will say one thing. You can't win on your own at the trial tomorrow."

 _What is that supposed to mean? Of all the cotton-pickin nerve! Is he_ _ **doubting my capabilities**_ _?!_

"I have something definitive that you lack and that's the definition of teamwork, Wright." Edgeworth informed him. "It's the power to find the truth."

"The truth?"

The charcoal-haired man nodded. "In order to understand this case, you have to understand a _certain_ _truth_. If you ever feel the need for my assistance, it is available to you. _I'm_ not in charge of this case, so I can be a bit more generous with information."

The defense attorney was thrown into dumbfounded silence by the unexpectedly generous offer. Especially considering the source. Edgeworth was notoriously tight-lipped with information of any sort – that was partially what had made him Phoenix's most formidable courtroom rival to this day!

 _Just what is going on inside his head?!_ _I will never understand this man. Ever! I_ _ **don't care**_ _to anymore anyway! It's too late to atone_ _ **now**_ _, Edgeworth! I've moved on! And I_ _ **don't**_ _ **need**_ _you!_

"A lot of things may have happened," Edgeworth went on. "But Manfred Von Karma was still my mentor. And a 'perfect win' record is proof of a Von Karma."

"One year ago … _you_ could not establish a perfect win record," Phoenix countered, unwavering dark blue orbs never leaving the steel grey ones. "You could not establish guilt in a few cases. Are _those_ losses the same reason you suddenly disappeared from the Prosecutor's Office?" He was too incensed to note the flicker of sadness that reflected on the other man's face and stepped up his attack. "Did you leave because you lost your perfect win record?"

This time, Edgeworth visibly winced, but Phoenix was too infuriated to care.

"To think your motivation for prosecuting trials was _so selfish!"_ The normally good-natured attorney was flat-out yelling now. "It'd have been _better for everyone_ if you _never came back from the dead, Edgeworth_!"

Edgeworth expelled a deep breath and his downcast glance appeared focused on something on the ground during this verbal onslaught. But when he finally raised it to meet Phoenix's, his face was once again unreadable.

"I see. Then let me ask you something?" His voice was placid. "Why do YOU stand in the courtroom? What is _your_ reason?"

"Well if it was Franziska, she would most definitely say _I will defeat you this time!_ The instant she saw me. But the courtroom is not a personal battlefield for prosecutors and lawyers. I stand in the courtroom to defend my client... To _save their lives_."

"To save your client you say?" That damned raised eyebrow again.

"Those who think only of their own ego driven goals… those kind of prosecutors are _reprehensible_ to me!" Phoenix declared, not giving a damn that he sounded sanctimonious. "Even if you _are_ a prodigy. Or someone like _you_ , Edgeworth!"

The other man eyed him coolly. "It looks like there is still a lot you have yet to learn."

 _He's got some gall! Is he for real?!_

"A lot _I_ have yet to learn?" Phoenix laughed humorlessly. " _Me_?"

"Humph. That's enough for now." Edgeworth crossed his arms and refused to meet his gaze then. "The time when you will see is coming soon enough."

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 3_  
March 22, 2018 10:00 AM

The next morning Phoenix went to court with Mia, who was being summoned by Pearl.

Although he saw Franziska Von Karma as a mini terrorist and a replica of her Machiavelli father, (minus the _presumable_ outdoor plumbing!) Phoenix would have been telling the truth if he'd said as much as he _disliked_ the cruel perfectionist, he certainly wouldn't have wished any _harm_ on her.

Ergo, he was horrified when, before the trial could commence, he got another call from the kidnapper, who stated he was giving Phoenix "a gift." It became obvious right away what he meant when Franziska didn't show up behind the prosecutor's bench.

 _This is insane!_ He thought wildly. _How had it all come to_ _ **this**_ _?!_

The equally alarmed judge wasn't even able to answer his frantic query if the prosecutor was alright!

Just then, Edgeworth showed up, reporting that she'd been was shot in the shoulder on her way into court, and that he, Miles Edgeworth would step up to take her place.

 _I thought he'd show up!_ Phoenix thought, this time sharing none of the shock the judge expressed at the unanticipated sight of the presumed dead prosecutor. He also couldn't help but feel relieved, for some unfathomable reason, by the other man's presence, although he didn't know why.

 _I'm still pissed at him…but dammit, given the choice I'd still take_ _ **him**_ _over_ _ **Franziska**_ _ **any**_ _day! At least I know_ _ **he's**_ _got a_ _ **soul**_ _…if not a_ _ **conscience**_ _, seeing as how he_ _ **played dead**_ _for_ _ **a year**_ _…but that's neither here nor there right now…_

Gumshoe took the stand first. The poor man was about to lose his job again because of what happened with Franziska, but he advised the court that the real cause death was strangulation, from a scarf discovered around his neck. The knife was stabbed in Juan Corrida's chest after he was already dead.

Edgeworth was totally on his game. For every contradiction Phoenix raised, the other man had a perfect explanation. Even Mia was impressed, and at this rate there wasn't much keeping the prosecutor from getting a guilty verdict. He told Phoenix that he'd spent the last year really thinking about what it meant to be a prosecutor, and the answer he'd found was just what he was showing today.

Oldbag was called to the stand, throwing the austere Edgeworth off for a moment with her lovesick greetings.

"It's been a year since I've seen my Edgey-Wedgey," Oldbag cooed, batting her eyelashes at the aghast prosecutor before then turning to glare at the poor judge. "So don't interrupt us, _gramps_!"

The stupefied judge hastily agreed.

"No, no, no, _please_ , _by all means_ , interrupt her!" Edgeworth begged. " _Please_!"

Phoenix amusedly couldn't help but wonder where the calm, composed prosecutor who'd been making him work up a sweat all morning had gone to!

"I saw her name on the testimony!" Edgeworth groaned. "But who knew under that helmet was the wicked witch of the witness stand?!"

 _I'm going to withhold judgement on the poor guy in this case. After all, it's not like Oldbag doesn't have the ability to bring out the worst in people…_

The day before, even sweet, polite Pearl had asked, "Um... I was wondering if that old lady is really a person from Earth? I mean, maybe she's really from waaaaaay out in outer space..."

"Yeah, actually, I was thinking the same exact thing," Phoenix had chuckled. "She's too strange to be from Earth!"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _District Court, Courtroom No. 3_  
March 22, 2:25 PM

Phoenix wasn't expecting any surprises when Adrian Andrews took the witness stand. The day before, even after he'd lambasted the other man, Edgeworth had still given Phoenix two pieces of important information.

The first was about Celeste Impax, the victim's former manager. The two had recently cut off their marriage engagement when Celeste killed herself. Corrida had found the body, and it was suspected that he might have concealed Celeste's suicide note and will. The second piece of information was about Adrian. Engarde's manager had a co-dependent personality – her cool, calm exterior was simply an act that covered up the fact that she couldn't function without support from someone else. She was very close to her mentor, and after Celeste had died, had attempted suicide herself.

Adrian's testimony looked favorable for the defense. It appeared Phoenix had the _true_ killer!

However, after her testimony, when she began to be accused of planting evidence, Adrian abruptly exerted her right not to testify! Phoenix realized that she was hiding something, probably because of Franziska's coaching the day before. But with Adrian refusing to confess or testify the Judge had no choice but to suspend the trial for another day!

"Ms. Adrian Andrews has refused to testify," the judge decided. "And the defense's theory that she is the actual murderer...has not been fully substantiated with solid definitive proof."

"But that's not true!" Phoenix cried.

"In this situation, there is only one thing this court can do," the judge went on, ignoring him. "And that is to declare a recess."

"R-Recess...!?"

The judge nodded. "I request that both the prosecution and the defense look further into this matter. And at tomorrow's trial..."

The room began to spin for Phoenix at that moment at the words.

 _T-Tomorrow...!? We don't have a "tomorrow"! If we don't get a not guilty verdict today, then..._

"HOLD IT!" He shouted desperately. "Please wait, Your Honor! Th...That's not necessary! The trial... Please continue the trial!"

"What are you sweating for...?" Edgeworth eyed him suspiciously. "Your client is getting one more day to live, isn't he?"

"That... That's not it! This isn't about that! Edgeworth!" Phoenix looked beseechingly across the courtroom into the face of the man he'd once called a friend, his heart in his eyes. "I _know_ you know who the real killer is! _Please_... Let the trial continue! If I don't get the verdict...then Maya..." His voice cracked then.

Edgeworth's startled eyes widened upon hearing the name of the young woman who'd put her neck on the line for him the year before, and had never asked for something in return. Also, the look of naked pleading on Phoenix's panicked face was impossible to miss. The prosecutor instinctively knew something was wrong. And he knew he had to act. _Now_.

"But it's impossible to continue as long as the witness refuses to testify." The judge was adamant. "Now then, this court is..."

" _OBJECTION_!" Edgeworth shouted, never taking his gaze off Phoenix even though he was speaking to the judge. "It is not impossible for this trial to continue!"

Adrian gasped, the color draining from her face.

"Mr. Edgeworth!" The judge was astounded. "Wh-What are you..."

Edgeworth demanded Adrian to testify about the juice she'd left in Corrida's room, reasoning it couldn't possibly incriminate her. The pretty blonde admitted that the tomato juice bottle pictured in the crime scene photo is the one she poured the juice from. When she first entered the room she'd thought the actor was just asleep, and she'd poured the juice for him, not for herself. Phoenix objected that if Corrida had a knife through his chest, there was no way she could have thought he was still alive and calmly poured the juice.

"I don't know what it is about Edgeworth today, but I can't get a good read off of him," Mia noted thoughtfully. "Is he friend or foe? I just don't know..."

 _Neither do I!_ Phoenix thought. _Edgeworth what the heck is going on in that brain of yours!_

But he fervently _needed_ to believe that a man who was astute and merciful enough to have noted his unspoken plea earlier to prolong the trial, without even knowing the circumstances involved, couldn't be his enemy. He just _couldn't_!

Adrian clammed up once more, and again the Judge tried to adjourn for the day, and _again_ Edgeworth objected, declaring that he could explain why she wouldn't testify.

"Ms. Andrews. Since you absolutely refuse to testify..." Edgeworth shrugged with complete insouciance. "It falls on _my_ shoulders to disclose this to the court."

"...S...Stop..." Adrian stammered, sweat beginning to form at her temples.

"M-Mr. Edgeworth!?" The judge was confused.

"This witness... How should I put this...? She has an _illness_ ," Edgeworth remarked casually, as though discussing the weather.

"What!?" Adrian gasped, looking at him with dread.

"And because of this illness, she has tried to commit suicide in the past."

"S-Stop... Please stop...!"

"No matter how much you want to hide it, it's no use. I have the evidence right here." Edgeworth tapped the folder on his table and met her pleading stare unflinchingly.

"Ah!" Adrian stammered. "Th-That's...!"

 _That's the second part of the suicide report; the attempted suicide report!_ Phoenix realized dazedly.

The warning note in Edgeworth's voice was impossible to miss as he threatened to reveal to the court the secret of Adrian's co-dependent nature, despite knowing that having other people know about it scared her more than anything else in the world.

"I will now reveal to the court," the prosecutor declared. "The true nature of the pitiful woman known as Adrian Andrews!"

"Please! Please STOP!" She begged. "I beg you! If people find out...If people find out... I... I'll..."

Edgeworth looked at her stonily, his face an emotionless mask. "If you're going to say you would "choose death", that is of no concern to me."

Phoenix gaped at the callous man who had formerly been known as the "Demon Prosecutor". Had his talk about rediscovery in his year away all been bullshit? This was too much! All that was missing was the red tail and horns!

 _Edgeworth..._ He thought despairingly. _How can you be so cold...!?_

"However, before you die..." Edgeworth slammed his hand on the table. "I will _pull the truth_ from _your breathing_ lips, no matter what I have to do!"

The tactic was harsh, ruthless, and cruel. Phoenix never, in all his kindheartedness, could have ever resorted to such measures.

But it had worked.

Adrian crumbled like dry biscuit under the strain and finally confessed that while she hadn't killed Corrida, she had tried to frame Engarde for the crime because she knew somehow, he was responsible, and had ruined her beloved mentor's life and was responsible for her suicide.

And that was that. Despite Phoenix's protests, the judge ended court for the day, and had Adrian arrested for questioning, citing there was not enough proof she was the killer.

Court was over for the day. And he still hadn't gotten the required not-guilty required to set Maya free.

Phoenix's head dropped into his hands in complete devastation.

He'd failed her.

"Witness...Would you mind if I asked you something?"

Phoenix's head shot up at the harsh sound of the prosecutor's normally level tone, which was directed at Adrian, still on the stand, as he asked about the card she was holding.

 _Edgeworth?_

Adrian absently twirled the card in her fingers, admitting Phoenix had also asked her about that same, strange, shell-monogramed card, which she hadn't paid much mind to and unconsciously slipped into her pocket.

"Do you have _any_ idea what you have _stupidly_ , yet inadvertently _done_!?" Edgeworth slammed his hand down on the desk and glared at her, his voice raising. "This... I can't believe you hid this from me all this time!"

"I... I didn't mean to..." Adrian looked shaken at the normally level prosecutor's flip out.

"Wh-What is this all about...?" Mia gaped at the incensed Edgeworth, who practically had steam coming out of his ears, his broad chest heaving.

Phoenix stared with consternation at the other man, his own alarm mounting.

 _I've never seen such an emotional Edgeworth in my entire life...That card...What in the world is it? And what does it mean...!  
_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Hotti Clinic_  
March 22, 2017 6:00 pm

After leaving court, Phoenix met up with Gumshoe. Now that Gumshoe had been fired (again) he wanted to help with the investigation. He was great at consoling the weeping Pearl, who was fretful the ended trial without a not guilty verdict would mean the end of her cousin's life, but the men were able to reassure her that since Engarde hadn't been declared guilty, there was no reason for the assassin to break his word and harm Maya.

"It'll be OK! You'll see her again, little missy," the big man soothed the distraught child, who was now sniffling.

"Y-Yeah!" Pearl smiled slightly.

"It's really important that you don't give up!" Gumshoe reached down with his ham-sized fist and tried to softly bump it against the spirit mediums small knuckles.

"O-OK!" Pearl smiled even more brightly now and returned the fist bump, her tears gone now. "I... I won't give up. Ever!"

Phoenix was both touched and relieved at how good the other man was with cheering Pearl up. _I guess a big voice really does give you a sense of presence..._

"Hey! I know!" Gumshoe was excitedly saying now. "I'll show you something cool! How's this? It's a real, genuine pistol..."

 _His big_ _ **heart**_ _may make him great to be around kids, although at times I just don't know where his_ _ **head**_ _is!_ Phoenix face palmed. _Why does he keep insisting on wanting to have an 8-year-old play with a gun?!_

The former detective searched his pockets for the sought item, and his face fell then. "I... I don't have my pistol or my police badge anymore…" He mumbled sadly.

"Cheer up!" Pearl chirped. "You can't give in!"

"Y-Yeah!" Gumshoe beamed then.

 _ **What**_ _are those two_ _ **doing**_ _...?!_ Phoenix wondered. _Wait, do I even want to know..?_

Gumshoe explained that while Franziska's bullet wound to the shoulder was minor, the one to her _pride_ was even worse.

"Well, until now, she's always upheld the "Von Karma Creed"," he explained to the baffled Phoenix. "But since she came here, well, you've given her pride quite a beating, pal. I mean, she may act all grown-up, but she's really still just 19-years-old. Quite frankly, I worry about her, pal."

The burly man went on to shake his head over Edgeworth's courtroom antics that day.

"First time I've ever seen him be that kind of strong-arm tactics, pal, what with forcing people to say what he wants them to during testimony…I want to know what in the world happened to him all this time he's been gone..."

Speak of the devil, Phoenix and Pearl bumped into Edgeworth himself when they went to the Hotti Clinic to visit Franziska. However, they'd first had to contend with the same skin-crawling, gap-toothed, itchy, scratchy, _pink-haired pervert_ who was pretending to be Dr. Hotti but was merely a wannabe _Dr. Bad Touch,_ whom the defense attorney all too vividly remembered from his _last_ harrowing visit there!

Luckily, Franziska came along then and whipped faux Dr. Strangelove till he passed out and had to be carried away. For once, the weapon was a godsend!

Phoenix shuddered with relief when the creepy man was out of sight. _Everything_ about this place gave him the _heebie jeebs!_

Franziska didn't seem too worse for the wear, and appeared to have thawed out somewhat towards both him and Edgeworth, so Phoenix figured he could talk to her a bit, and asked the German woman how she was faring.

"I was shot in the shoulder en route to the courthouse," she shrugged. "No big deal, these things happen all the time. I even had full intentions of running the trial this morning." Rolling her eyes, she grimaced in Edgeworth's direction. "But I was dragged here by THAT prosecutor."

Edgeworth only _looked_ at her, with an expression that clearly said, _I'm_ _ **not**_ _apologizing!_

"He even went so far as to grab me by the wrist the whole way here!" Franziska grumbled, looking more annoyed than grateful.

Edgeworth crossed his arms. "It was the only logical course of action given the bullet was still lodged in your shoulder!" Now it was his turn to grimace as he added wryly, "But with me doing so...I found myself having to clean up after you and that _irresponsible deal_ you made!"

Franziska scowled at the implied reprimand but said nothing.

Phoenix looked back and forth at the duo, knowing full well of that "deal" the other man spoke of….yet _still_ not knowing what the _deal_ was with these two! Were they…pseudo-siblings? Friends… _or_ …a niggling thought occurred to him even though he had no hardcore evidence of such.

 _Perhaps more than met the eye…?_

Unsurprisingly, Franziska didn't seem to care that she almost got Adrian blamed for murder, and shortly afterward, abruptly excused herself, leaving Edgeworth alone with Phoenix and Pearl.

Edgeworth, likewise, was unrepentant for presenting the evidence Adrian was so desperate to hide, even though Phoenix insisted that he'd never seen the prosecutor act in such a ruthless manner before…hadn't he gone too far?

"Ah, but she wouldn't testify about THAT until I said something. Listen, Wright. The courtroom is a garden of judgment. I am putting myself on the line when I stand in there," Edgeworth stated unapologetically. "And that's why I made the witness do the same...It's only natural."

 _Looks like we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one,_ Phoenix figured, and changed topics, asking about Edgeworth's uncharacteristic anger about the mysterious card.

The prosecutor explained that for years the police had been after a professional assassin, Shelly De Killer, who left cards with a seashell design at the scene of his murders. Adrian must have picked it up without thinking. This meant that De Killer must have killed Corrida, but Edgeworth still believed Engarde was the one that hired him, a fact he was deliberating how to break to Phoenix.

"My turn to ask questions now," Edgeworth folded his arms over his chest and affixed the blue attorney with a level gaze. "I noticed something at the trial today. You were behaving in a very strange manner. Is something the matter?"

Seeing no point in hiding things any longer, despite his conflicting emotions about the other man – was he wingless angel or a heartless demon?! – Phoenix reluctantly filled Edgeworth in on the details of Maya's kidnapping and the stipulations involved.

Edgeworth listened with a furrowed, pensive brow, showing his genuine concern, and after hearing all the information, immediately offered to prepare a rescue team as soon as possible, and was confident he could resolve this matter by tomorrow.

"R-Really!?" Pearl squealed excitedly, clapping her hands and looking at Edgeworth as though he were the Hero of Heroes. "Did you hear that, Mr. Nick!? M-Mr. Edgeworth is going to..."

But Phoenix wasn't as easy to win over as the little girl. This wasn't some TV show and this wasn't that easy! The problem was not going to be resolved in half an hour and Phoenix was in no mood to forgive the other man his past sins in 20 minutes plus commercial breaks just yet!

"Forget it!" Phoenix said gruffly, shaking his head stubbornly. If anyone was going to be Maya's hero, goddammit it was going to be _him_! "Stop trying to console me, Edgeworth! I don't need your pity!"

"Mr. Nick?" Pearl looked up at him in confusion and bit her thumb.

"There's no way you can find her. We don't have even _a single clue_ to go on!" Phoenix continued, irritated that Edgeworth thought the solution was so straightforward – if it _had_ been, did he _really_ think Phoenix wouldn't have come up with a search party _himself_?! This wasn't a simple situation where the prosecutor could just swoop in in typical genius fashion and have all the answers. Not this time. _This_ was beyond mere _logic_!

Edgeworth looked at him with a knitted brow.

"There's only one way to save her," Phoenix went on. "I... I have to get an acquittal somehow! It's the _only_ way!"

Seeing how stubborn a man he was dealing with here – and that his trespasses were a long ways away from being forgiven – Edgeworth shook his head and sighed in resignation. It was time.

"Wright. Listen, you need to know something." His tone was serious and no-nonsense. "Juan Corrida was killed by Shelly de Killer. And the client who ordered the job...is Matt Engarde. Your own client."

Phoenix's face went as white as a hospital sheet. He shook his head violently, trying to block out the ugly words.

No! It couldn't be true! It _couldn't_! There _had_ to be a mistake! Surely all this time he couldn't _possibly_ had been jumping through hoops trying to save a man from a crime he was actually _guilty_ of! That would mean… _no!_ His magatama _wouldn't_ mislead him!

"I don't believe you!" He squeezed his lids shut, away from Edgeworth's unrelenting stare. "Please, stop! I can't listen to you. I _can't_ believe that!"

Edgeworth somberly regarded the rattled defense attorney, and realized he couldn't push the truth on him any further. Phoenix was _thisclose_ to cracking, and there was a little girl right there who needed him to keep it together. Still, he felt frustrated.

 _There are none so blind as those who will not see._

Stifling a sigh, Edgeworth looked at his childhood friend with an acquiescent expression.

"I see. Well, if you want to continue your investigation, you will need this."

"What is it?" Pearl asked.

"The hotel right now is restricted to police personnel only, as we are looking for any clues that might lead us to Shelly De Killer. This letter will allow the police at the hotel to let you continue investigating."

The prosecutor turned to leave, but then looked back at the two one last time.

"In any case, I must attend to the preparations for Maya's rescue team." He held up a hand, silencing the protest Phoenix was about to make. "This isn't about pity Wright. I care about the girl. She went out on a limb _twice_ for me …and I've never forgotten. If you won't let me do this for you, allow me to do this for Miss Fey."

Phoenix hesitated for a moment, but then nodded assent.

"We'll meet again, if anything should happen, Wright." Edgeworth smiled faintly at Pearl and nodded at the defense attorney. "Now if you'll excuse me...I must bid you adieu."

Phoenix and Pearl stared after the prosecutor for a moment, then the little girl turned to look at him anxiously.

"Mr. Nick? Do you... Do you really think...Mr. Engarde hired an assassin...?"

"No way!" Phoenix insisted, desperately hoping it was true. _I mean, he doesn't have a Psyche-Lock..._

Pearl seemed reassured by the conviction in his tone. "Y-Yeah, I guess not..." She smiled trustingly up at him and slipped her tiny hand into his. "Let's get of here before that scary-looking man comes back."

As he led Pearl away, Phoenix sent a silent prayer out to the universe, hoping against hope that he wasn't wrong, and that somehow, Maya could feel or hear his thoughts.

 _Maya…_ he thought achingly. _Wherever you are…Please... Come back to us. We need you so bad… Please God, if you're listening, all I ask is you bring Maya back home, safe and sound!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's (as I'm on top of updates this one will be_ _ **much**_ _shorter than the last!)_

 **(Chapter 81)**

 **Chloemcg**

How interesting that you're playing AJ before this – as you said you're not done it yet, I hope you don't mind it completely being spoiled for you as this whole story is based on the events of that game! JFA is great but ugh…Turnabout Big Top! Have you played that one? Your thoughts? If you have not played Farewell My Turnabout, I am even more impressed by your portrayal of that sick, twisted bastard Engarde so accurately! (And even _more_ despicable than the game, as I've praised you for previously!)

I was trying hard to not be too in your face about Nick's occasional underlying exasperation with Maya's childlike antics, which he seems to indeed often seek a break from, but am glad you still picked up on it – it seems canon to me, and thus that was exactly how I tried to portray his inner monologue here, which, coupled with the newly suppressed ardor I've written for him in this story, must be an _insane_ conflict of emotions to contend with – how shoddy he must feel at how he took Maya for granted before she was so cruelly snatched away from him and before he realized just how much she meant to him! That whole you don't know what you had till it's gone adage is there for a reason!

I LOVE that you picked up and liked the emotional exchange between Nick and Pearly! While Trucy is his legal daughter, I feel his love and attachment to Pearl was what made him think he could handle being a father in the first place! Second only to the Wrightworth Bromance, Phoenix's paternal love with Pearl is my fave nonromantic dynamic to write so am so pleased it's appreciated!

Oh man, I can't wait till the bad guys get theirs in this story! It is so satisfying to pummel the antagonist – sadly, unlike yours, my story doesn't call for much gratuitous violence beyond cartoon like spinning kicks to Mildew and poor Larry, but I don't think you have overdone it in your FF, and I thank you for feeling I'm not a failed comedian as I try to throw in some humor to balance out all the angst!

 **Ryszard**

A ringed lemon/pineapple….sounds more gag than swoon worthy…unless of course that was the intention? XD (the nun is in the top five hit list eh? Dang!)

No need to apologize good man, it's a delight to hear from you, even with those blunt words of yours whenever it may be! And DH is an avid Terry fan so no explanation necessary but I thank you for it all the same!

Of the four languages I speak (sadly, not as fluently or often as I'd like as I married a _completely_ Anglophone man!) Polish is nowhere near any of them, so I shall stick with German, but the stuff I google translated to you last message was sort of personal and felt it was too obvious if it were in German or French…but I hope you still understood what I was trying to convey and forgive me my bastardized butchering of the adorable teddy bear language! (I did listen to the tune, _danke_ , I always listen to music I don't fully understand like Latin, so this was still cute!)

Cool what was the contest? I participated on one on Inkitt but sadly those are more popularity contests based on votes than ability based – while Ace Attorney surely has a large fandom, it's always going to be surpassed by the Harry Potter and Twi-hards out there!

Yes, as much as Nick is lost without Maya as shown in this case, he needed Edgey – I feel the three of them are a formidable, unstoppable trio (still preferable to the one he consists of with Athena and Apollo, who I like fine but just my own preference!)


	83. Holding Out For a Hero

_"And then a hero comes along  
With the strength to carry on  
And you cast your fears aside  
And you know you can survive  
So when you feel like hope is gone  
Look inside you and be strong  
And you'll finally see the truth  
That a hero lies in you."  
_ **Mariah Carey - Hero**

* * *

 _A/N: Continuation of Justice for All case four...Farewell My Turnabout..._

* * *

 **Chapter Eighty-Three:** **Holding Out For a Hero**

 _ **Maya Fey**_ **  
**Date: ? Time: ? Location: ?

Maya was doing her best to not go completely out of her mind with fright.

 _Don't panic. Stay calm. There's_ _ **got**_ _to be a way out of this dank, hellacious prison. There's just_ _ **got**_ _to…_

She could now claim that this kidnapping ordeal was _officially_ more terrifying than the two times when she'd been incarcerated and had been facing the death penalty. Even though the concept of being sent to the gallows for crimes she hadn't committed had been _petrifying_ , deep in her heart, she'd always _somehow_ known that Phoenix would save her. She'd blindly placed her faith in the fact that her hero was out there championing for her on justice's behalf, searching for the clues that would prove her innocence. And he'd never let her down. Not even _once_!

This time was different. Once more, she was innocent, and yet again, something bad had happened to her that she didn't deserve. But _this_ time, she wasn't scared, but safe, in a secure detention center surrounded by armed guards.

 _This_ time around, Phoenix had no clue where she was. _She_ didn't even know where she was!

And _this_ time, Maya wasn't at the mercy of the legal court system. She was at the mercy of a _madman_ , and in this instance, there was no _scheduled date_ for her _pending execution_. The questionable date and method of the horrific outcome was suspended in mid-air, looming over her head like a shichishito sword…

 _No! I_ _ **can't**_ _think like that! I mustn't give up!_

Trying to squelch the trepidation coursing through her veins, Maya desperately dashed up the stairs that lead to the door of her current 'holding cell.' Using the card with the strange seashell monogram that she'd found earlier, she slipped it between the crack of the door and the jam, then frantically wriggled it.

To her amazement, the card trick really worked! The door _actually_ opened! She wouldn't even _need_ Phoenix to save her this time! Maya the Magnificent was going to rescue _herself_!

A feeling of giddy relief flooded over her, along with a faint trace of smugness. It seemed even kidnappers could be a little clumsy, what with leaving behind a telling card like this to find, which had been the tool allowing for her escape opportunity!

The thought of the kidnapper's actions if he busted her attempted escape no longer seemed as frightening. Surely a man who could be so careless wasn't too daunting after all!

 _Even though he said he was an "assassin", he's probably just trying to scare me! I bet he's just making that up, like how Nick does with everything in court! Anyway, I can pat myself on the back later. Time to take a look around!_

Opening the door, Maya could see she was in some sort of recreation room.

 _Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore…_

Looking around the blue room, the spirit medium noted the fully stocked, wall-to-wall bookshelves, a small leather couch with a tiny toy bear on it, a computer, a satellite dish and a large-screen TV, the biggest one she'd ever seen.

 _Maya, I've a feeling we're not at the Gatewater anymore either…_ She shook her head ruefully. _Score one for Captain Obvious!_

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad…she might be able to kill some time watching TV on that ginormous flat screen, which dwarfed even the 50-incher she'd finally conned the _skinflint_ Phoenix into buying recently. She tried to power it on, but it didn't work. It was _completely_ busted. She let a groan of disappointment.

 _Sufferin' succotash_! She huffed with chagrin. _I would so die a happy Samurai fan if I ever got to see the Nickel Samurai on a TV like this. Ack! I can't believe I just made a joke about dying, all things considered..._

The computer was a dud too. So much for using it somehow as part of the getaway plan! And of course, the door to _this_ room was locked, and as petite as Maya was, she _definitely_ wasn't small enough to crawl through the tiny flapping _pet door_ on the bottom of it!

Taking another look around the room, she then spotted a framed photo of a pretty woman on the coffee table, which read, "With Love, Celeste."

 _Hmm…could this be some sort of clue? I need to gather as many as I can to let Sis know my whereabouts so I can get the Sam Hill out of here!_

Maya turned the photo over to see if there was anything else written on the picture anywhere. It was just as dimly lit in this area as the one below, minus the eerie red lighting, and it was hard to see much, as most of the room was in shadows.

She was so busy squinting at the image in her hands that she didn't notice the dark form creeping along in said shadows until it was too late.

"Oh, this simply will not do." The voice was smoothly professional and quietly untroubled. "I cannot have you wandering around at will."

Maya spun around at the unanticipated sound and let out a startled shriek as she found herself face-to-face with the kidnapper.

Once more, De Killer seemed unaffected by her screaming. He looked at her with unwavering eyes and a stony expression as he spoke again in that smooth tone.

"It seems…that your Mr. Wright is truly concerned about you."

Although Maya heard him speak previously, the icy calm that was her abductor's voice was still unexpected. It was low, with an agreeable trace of huskiness and with a hint of more power than the slightly built body would suggest – not an aristocratic voice, but one on which education had imposed a discipline which hadn't quite obliterated; a provincial, sort of East Anglian accent from childhood.

She swallowed hard. "H – He is?"

A flicker of hope flared within her. Was she going to be rescued? Did that mean Nick was going give this diabolical man whatever he wanted after all, so he'd set her free?

The assassin nodded. "For now, I would suggest you _remain coope_ rative. If you _cannot_ , there are _ways_ in which I can _help_ you..."

"Ways...?" Her mouth went dry then. "You mean...?"

 _No_. That _couldn't_ be what he'd meant! Surely she'd misunderstood him…

"Dead men tell no tales." He eyed her coolly. "That _is_ how the saying goes, correct?"

"D-D-D-D-Dead?!" She spluttered, looking at him with mounting dread.

"I'm almost certain I told you on our first meeting," he replied simply. "I am... an _assassin_. Or did you not believe me the first time I said it?"

It was in this moment that the young woman fully realized the nightmarish reality of her situation. This was no joke. She was face to face with a stone cold, aptly named, _killer_.

Maya glanced at the floor. No trap door. Her eyes went to the walls, but saw no other windows or doors. Her breath caught. Still, surely there was _some_ sort of chance to escape – certainly even _this_ ghoul had limits? Outside was night now, surely. Nick and Pearly would be frantic! She had to placate this man, _somehow_ , so he would not see fit to end her life, until they arrived and saved her.

In the meantime, all she could do was stall.

However, in her terrified state, Maya's mind was starting to fail, like an engine that turned over and over, never kicking into action. She couldn't formulate a thought. Every action could lead to more pain and there was no way out of this house.

 _No way out_. She brought her hand to her throat. No blood. Not _yet_ , anyway.

Even though her mind was frantically shrieking for her to fall to her knees; to beg and plead for her life to be spared, as the full force of the horror enveloped her, she found herself unable to speak or formulate a sentence at that moment. And so Maya simply stared at De Killer, making a noise like a chicken choking on a piece of string.

"N-No way." Her eyes were round with shock, and her heart hammered wildly against her ribs as she shook her head. "You're lying! I mean... An _assassin_...?"

De Killer stepped closer to her until his horrible visage was merely inches away and she could feel his icy breath upon her face. "People are not always who they appear to be, Ms. Fey."

Darkness washed over Maya then, sending another chill down her spine. But it was no chill of passion, it was one of pure terror. The same kind she'd felt when she'd discovered Mia's dead body, and been twice incarcerated for murder.

She'd been wrong. This _was_ a joke after all. A _dead serious one_.

Staring into her captor's eyes, she was shocked to note that she saw nothing inside. _Nothing_. It was like looking inside a depth of ever-ending darkness, combined with a large amount of charcoal being thrown at your rosy red cheeks. She blinked, attempting to think this was a small side effect of her paranoia, but nothing changed. His eyes were black. _Pure_ black. There was no other visible color of irises, but instead she saw a small portal of Tartarus just waiting to envelope her.

As De Killer drew closer, Maya could hear his laugh, a cruel, cold cackle that froze her in her spot and drained all hope, dreams and feeling from within her, replacing them with a feeling of despair, hopelessness, and most of all, _fear_. Its claws cut through her body and wrapped around her brain. It choked the breath from her lungs and left her body dry heaving, desperately trying to rid her of all this. Black mist swirled at the edges of her mind, drawing her into its open arms and salty tears spilled over onto her cheeks leaving a tight, dry feeling. As his bony paws reached out for her, she wanted to scream. Only she _couldn't_. She strained her vocal chords but not a sound came out.

The monster's claws wrapped around her body, and Maya summoned up the last of her strength, finally managing to emit a blood-curdling scream, hoping, _praying,_ that _someone_ would hear. She screamed and screamed and screamed.

" _Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick_!"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Gatewater Hotel, Juan Corrida's Room_  
March 22, 2018 7:30 pm

After leaving the clinic, Phoenix and Pearl made a short stop at the detention center, where Engarde asked Phoenix to feed his cat, Shoe for him. The lawyer reluctantly agreed, although he was grumbling to himself about the hindrance of the impromptu pit stop, as he was in the midst of important investigations.

 _Phoenix Wright, Ace_ _ **Pet Sitter**_ _, at your service!_

They didn't find anything notable at the Engarde mansion, other than a locked door off to the side of the living room. They also met the actor's stiff-upper lip, semi-snooty butler, who looked suspiciously like the hotel bellboy. The manservant assured them all was fine, and politely escorted them out after they'd completed the purpose of their visit.

Back in Juan Corrida's room at the hotel, Phoenix discovered the origins of the late actor's love of bears, which fans sent him all the time. He received another call from De Killer, who, mercifully, agreed to allow Maya live another day, because he needed the acquittal as much as Phoenix did. Their conversation was interrupted by static, and Gumshoe guessed there must be some strong interference in the room.

The kindly former detective whipped out his trusty, homemade, electric wave detector from his elementary school days. Together, they scoped out Juan's room, and discovered a small transmitter inside one of the many bear dolls, attached to a video camera, which was set to record the night of the murder. Gumshoe offered to take the camera and run a trace on it, but it was likely to be little more than a shot in the dark; it was already late in the evening, and chances were it was too generic a camera to track down.

Still, it was better than nothing. As soon as the big man left, the two came across another fellow investigator.

With his usual impeccable timing, Edgeworth swooped in then, and valiantly offered to run a trace on the bear that the camera was planted in. Evidently, it was a special brand name bear made in Germany, and rarely imported, and hopefully much easier to trace.

"T-thanks," Phoenix stammered, still unaccustomed to the prosecutor's newfound magnanimous nature.

"See you soon, Wright." The other man nodded at him and strode to the door.

Phoenix sprang into action then. No! Edgeworth couldn't just leave _now_! There were still so many questions to ask him!

"Edgeworth, wait!" Phoenix cried desperately. " _Please_ – don't go yet!"

Edgeworth halted, then turned around and looked at him impassively, brow arched questioningly.

"I- I don't understand." The defense attorney found himself stumbling over his words as he tried to voice his tumultuous thoughts. "That is… I _need_ to know… _why_ are you doing all this...?"

Edgeworth regarded him with his customary unreadable expression for a moment, then looked away.

"I have no interest in explaining myself to someone who cannot comprehend," he answered stiffly, indecipherable mask firmly in place.

Phoenix looked back at him helplessly, and Edgeworth's tone softened a tad, although his steely gaze still bore a determined expression as he stared the spiky-haired man down.

"But besides that, Wright, you're _still_ not asking the right questions, which means you _still aren't seeking the right_ _answers_ ," Edgeworth informed him, his voice laden with meaning. "Until court reconvenes tomorrow, the sole thing you should concern yourself with is the answer to _this_ question: " _Who was the person that murdered Juan Corrida_?"

"The _real_ killer, you mean?" Even as he asked the question, Phoenix already knew the response.

"Do you _really_ still think it was Adrian Andrews?" Edgeworth studied him searchingly with those all-knowing, ever-prodding eyes.

Phoenix flushed at the intense scrutiny. The other man always seemed to demand answers from him that he either did not know – or was simply unready to face – thus far.

"To be honest... I -I don't know anymore," he muttered, dropping his eyes to the ground. "I don't know _what_ to think, or _what_ to believe any longer."

"You still have a little time left." Despite his stoical expression, the prosecutor's tone was encouraging as he gave Phoenix one last, determined look. "Find the truth, Wright. _Everything begins with the truth."_

He should have been used to Edgeworth's cryptic, riddle-style manner of speech by now, but he wasn't. Edgeworth was well aware, deep down, that Phoenix knew the unspeakable truth in all this – but he graciously wasn't about to push it upon him, instinctively sensing the time still wasn't right to force Phoenix to face such matters.

Phoenix supposed for that gallantry, he should have been grateful. But he wasn't. Because it no longer mattered.

 _An inconvenient truth_ was the underlying answer to this mystery, and they _both_ knew it.

However, this knowledge did nothing to squelch the feeling of underlying dread harboring in his gut that the worst was _still_ yet to come.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Detention Centre_  
March 22, 2018 9:30 pm

With Edgeworth's conversation still rankling in his mind, Phoenix and Pearl went to the police station and discovered the prosecution's newest witness was none other than Will Powers! While his friend was hindered from being able to tell the defense attorney what he'd seen that fateful night, he did manage to shed some much needed light on the victim's former manager, Celeste Impax. Shortly afterwards, Gumshoe called Phoenix with the disturbing news that the German bear had been purchased… by none other than _Matt Engarde_!

Phoenix's mind was spinning as he and the little spirit medium made a beeline for the detention center.

 _Magatama or no magatama, this is_ _ **not**_ _good_ , he thought grimly.

They met with Adrian first, who alluded to the secret Corrida had had about the defendant. A secret which had been so devastating in nature that if revealed, it would have given Engarde the _ultimate_ motive for murder.

Another piece of the puzzle slid into place. But in order to complete the picture, Phoenix still needed to speak to his client again.

As he and Pearl waited impatiently for Engarde to be summoned, the defense attorney's mind flashed back to the disturbing conversation he'd had with Edgeworth back at the hotel before the prosecutor had headed out on the great bear chase.

 _Find the truth, Wright. Everything begins with the truth._

There was no doubt that Shelly De Killer had murdered Juan Corrida. This was indisputable fact that nobody was denying. The $64,000 was, _who_ had hired the hit? Whoever it had been hadn't wanted to dirty their own hands, surely, but nevertheless, even with their unsullied mitts, they were still just as guilty as the actual killer himself!

With this latest damning evidence in his arsenal, Phoenix was running out of reasons to suspect that the person who had hired the assassin was Adrian Andrews. After all, if it had been Engarde's manager who'd done the deed, then why go through the effort to stab the knife into the corpse herself?

Running a hand through his spikes in frustration, Phoenix turned to Pearl, who looked at him with trusting, unwavering faith in her enormous doe eyes.

"I... I believe in your lawyer powers, Mr. Nick," she assured him, patting his hand reassuringly, like a parent would to a nervous child. "I know you can bring us a miracle."

Phoenix never wanted to be the one to ever make that hopeful spark die from the little girl's eyes, but at the same time, it made him nervous. She had no much faith and belief in him, it was scary.

 _I'm guessing by "miracle", she means a not guilty verdict...and she wouldn't be wrong either. It will take a_ _ **miracle**_ _to pull this one off!_

"Why... Why did the kidnapper have to take Mystic Maya...?" Pearl looked miserable then. "Why couldn't the kidnapper have taken _me_ instead?"

 _I can't even begin to get into what_ _ **I'd**_ _do if anything ever happened to this little one! I can't even bear the notion…_ _ **my**_ _heart stopped at the mere thought!_

"Stop it, Pearls!" He commanded gruffly, hoping the tougher approach would thwart another round of tears, which at this stage, would surely trigger his own, and the _last_ thing he needed was to face his client with watery eyes! "Don't say things like that! If that had happened, then Maya would be hurting, I'm sure of it. Just like how you are hurting now, Pearls."

"Y-You're right..." Pearl sniffled, then looked up at him expectantly. "One more day..."

"Yeah... If we can bring the trial to its end, she'll be back," he assured her. "Don't worry."

"I decided I won't cry anymore, Mr. Nick," Pearl promised, her little face solemn. "You're so brave and holding strong for Mystic Maya, so I have to do the same."

 _Brave and holding strong? Guess I have a better façade than I thought. Only for you, Pearls. Were it not for you, I'd have broken down ages ago…_

"Thank you for thinking so, Pearls," Phoenix mumbled. "I'm glad you think I've been brave and strong."

"All heroes are!" Pearl smiled brightly. "And that's what _you_ are, Mr. Nick! You'll _always_ be Mystic Maya's hero!"

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey  
**_ Date: ? Time: ? Location: ?

 ** _Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the Gods? Where's the street-wise Hercules, to fight the rising odds? Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed? Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need_ …**

Maya was past the point of trying to pretend she was some sort of butt-kicking feminist who could get herself out of this and didn't need a man. She could fully concede – she _needed_ to be rescued.

 ** _I need a hero, I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night. He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight._**

She was a damsel.

 ** _I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light. He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon and he's gotta be larger than life._**

She was in distress.

 ** _Somewhere after midnight in my wildest fantasy…somewhere just beyond my reach, there's someone reaching back for me._**

And she needed to be saved.

 ** _Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat…It's gonna take a Superman to sweep me off my feet…_**

She needed _Phoenix_.

Her rather delayed epiphany came rather swiftly and unexpectedly.

Locked in that dark room with neither food nor water, in endless trepidation that any moment could be her last on earth, there were numerous things that should have been running through the spirit medium's thoughts.

Yet only _one_ thought did, and it completely bewildered her.

As she squinted at her doodle on the seashell card in her hand, straining to see what she was doing in the dim lighting, like a constant treadmill, her mind always circled back to the only thought it seemed to be capable of: _Phoenix_.

To be fair, she'd also thought a lot about her darling Pearly. About how to escape. About ramen noodles and burgers, and about the next season of _The Pink Princess_. But ultimately, all those thoughts seemed to fade to black when compared to the other one from which her mind knew no escape.

As she carefully outlined the sharp peaks of his hair, the intrusive feeling kept returning, over and over, like a boomerang.

 _You should have told him._

Told him _what_ pray tell? That she was so fond of Nick's porcupine spikes that she'd actually referred to him as her _cute porcupine_ , to the point where she was now _sketching_ them while in captivity? He _knew_ that already!

Actually, her exact phrasing had been _my cute porcupine with pretty eyes_ but _semantics_ , really!

Oh but Nick _did_ have pretty eyes. Maya sighed. Much more than _pretty_ , if she was totally honest.

Nick's eyes were deep, dark blue. Not the ordinary sky blue, or the colour of the paint flaking off of the old shed in the back of the field, or even the little flowers that sprang up by the side of the road. Never till now had Maya ever realized just how much his eyes caught the beauty of deep oceans glittering in the light of the moon. Cut just right, even the darkest of sapphire couldn't hold light to the electric fire that burned each rim and shimmered, crashed and churned just under his glossy gaze. His eyes were blue like the sky right before the sun disappeared - dark rich indigo, with specks of wild colours here and there. His eyes were blue like that warm wool sweater that you put on when the air got that chill- comfortable, warm, and familiar. His eyes were _that_ kind of mesmerizing, spellbinding blue, which she could never get tired of staring into or fantasizing about.

 _It's too late, Maya. Now he'll never know._

He would never know _what_ , exactly? Maya silently screamed back to the inner, tormenting voice inside her mind. It was entirely uncertain that she wasn't descending into madness due to her captivity. What _mystery_ was there that she'd allegedly been keeping her friend in the dark about, and _how_ exactly did it relate to _Nick_?! _That_ was an even bigger mystery!

But as she appeared to have nothing but _all the time in the world_ in this malodourous hell-hole, she bloody well was going to figure it out!

Maya finished her drawing. It wasn't too shabby, all circumstances considered, such as the poor lighting, her weakened body and mind from lack of sleep or nourishment, and the throbbing pain in her head from where De Killer had clubbed her, _again_ , to knock her out once more. Not to mention her panicked, terrified, overall state of being.

She could just barely see in the blackness, but she could still make out Phoenix's image, and it felt as though he were actually _there_ with her. That brought a smile to her face, and a still-not-extinguished glimmer of hope in her heart, despite the bleak circumstances.

 _Nick. My Hercules, my white knight._ _He'll save me, just like he always has._ _He's my hero._ Maya _needed_ to believe this, to maintain that level of optimism in spite of her nagging, ever growing, ever present, _overwhelming_ feeling of foreboding.

Maya tried to distract herself from the idea of never leaving this place or ever seeing her friends and family again by daydreaming. She alternated between fantasizing about _The Nickle Samurai_ and choosing between her yen for _The Steel Samurai_ versus _The Pink Princess_. Ultimately she balked at making such an impossible choice. Why couldn't Global Studios just create the best of both worlds and just _merge_ the two already?! It'd be the ultimate dream crossover – not to mention how romantic it'd be if the heroic defender of Neo Olde Tokyo actually _married_ the heroine that Maya had helped inspire the creation of! And then they could have a metallic… Silver – no, _Bronze_ – Baby!

Still, her treacherous brain kept stubbornly pulling her mind away from such creative television mergers and firmly planting it back to thoughts of Phoenix.

Maya remembered back when they'd first met, and how he had had complete belief in her innocence and defended her, in spite of her foolish initial decision to shirk his offer of legal counsel for that duplicitous _soggy_ , _hemorrhoid_ _hog_ , Grossberg. Still, he'd defended her, despite not even knowing her from a hole in the ground.

She thought of every case they'd gone through, how much fun she'd had investigating with him – except for that one time they'd both been tasered; that had _completely_ sucked bag! – And how impossible all the situations had seemed. Each time they'd come _thisclose_ to losing. And _each and every time_ , the _King of the Turnabout_ had gone on to prove the innocent party not-guilty and ensured justice was served!

Nick truly was a hero. And not just for _her_ – but to all the _innocent_ people out there who needed someone to defend from the long, often bullying, arm of the law. Moreover, he was so indulgent and _kind_. He'd not only taken her under his wing, but then, to have also basically adopted little Pearly…not caring of the additional financial strain it would cause him to have _two_ additional mouths to feed…the man was _mensch_ if she'd ever seen one!

Spending downtime with him was the best part. While he'd started out just humoring her with their Friday night _Steel Samurai_ movie marathon nights, she was well aware, while he still liked to grumble in protest, that he'd actually now gotten _into_ it, although he'd _never_ admit it! She _knew_ he had! After all, why else would he have allowed her to make the theme song his cell ringtone, and then _never_ changed it?

Even dining was entertainment for them. Whenever Maya would race him to their favorite burger joint for lunch, or for Samurai dogs, she'd always win – except for that one time she'd done that wipe out and he'd had to carry her! – But for an old fart, he was pretty good at keeping up!

Of course, there were the times where they had to actually _work_ …but somehow, as long as they were together, even _that_ was still kind of fun! They would talk and tease and argue. She would say some stupid joke and the Old Man's grumpy veneer would always crack, and then he would double over with laughter.

Maya loved to make Nick laugh. She loved the sight of the serious-looking defense attorney leaning back in his chair, clutching his stomach and fighting back the tears of mirth that would almost always wind up falling in the end. It was so cute when he'd stop and try to compose himself, looking all sheepish about letting his guard down in such a manner, but then he'd just shrug, drop the worried face , and just grin happily, suddenly looking years younger, almost close to her own age – not that he looked old to begin with! She was certain Phoenix knew she didn't _really_ see him as an Old Man! Surely a man so handsome was well aware of his appeal?

Sometimes, out of the blue, Nick would look into her eyes for just a moment longer than necessary, and Maya would forget all about time, space and whoever happened to be around, and just feel like nobody else in the universe existed except them. Then she'd feel embarrassed to be caught acting like a starry-eyed, besotted teenager and feel her face grow warm. So then she'd look away and make a goofy, smart-aleck crack, and Nick would say something equally silly and sarcastic right back, and then the spell would be broken – assuming it had _existed in the first place_ , outside of her own fanciful imagination!

 _Opportunity knocked. You just never opened the door._

That damn, accursed thought again! Maya couldn't make heads or tails of what her subconscious was trying to say! That she had missed some sort of _chance_ with Nick? What _kind_ of chance? To tell him how important he was to her? How much he meant to her? How much she valued his friendship? She'd made that _evident_ when she'd confessed the true meaning of Movie Night to him! Maya was sure she'd made all of that pretty clear. _Hadn't_ she?

The more she mulled it over, the less certain she became. After all, Phoenix was so _adorkably_ , _obliviously,_ _clueless_! He never even seemed to notice the passing, admiring glances he got from women in the street, or when the waitresses at the restaurants would offer extra friendly service…maybe he'd been daft to all she'd been hoping to convey as well!

So perchance, his significance to her life _wasn't_ as crystal clear as she'd always assumed. She'd genuinely thought being unfailingly by his side, and ever eager to offer her assistance and constant loyalty had been enough to make him realize…

Realize _what_?

Maya and Phoenix were already dear friends as well as office partners, who were close enough to able to often convey their thoughts to one another without having to say anything. They could simply _look_ at the other's face and know what the other one was thinking or feeling, most of the time! That was a bond that belied more than just mere _friendship_! He meant _so_ much more to her than _just_ that…she just couldn't find the right words all of a sudden…to convey precisely _what_ though!

In Phoenix, she had found a dorky, constant comrade. His arguments about stepladders were completely pointless, and she was pretty darn sure that his spiky hair had got cell phone reception of at least a few bars. She loved his quirky comments and the fact that she could be herself with him, and vice versa. He was earnest, trustworthy and kind, and that was among the many things Maya had valued in Phoenix. They truly were best friends.

She'd long since acknowledged she didn't look at him as a _brother_ of any sort, ergo, the word _family_ and friend just couldn't even come close to how she felt about Nick. Sure, she thought he was _hot_ , but so what! That didn't mean anything… _much_ … _did_ it?

So what _was_ it then? What was her mind so desperately trying to tell her about Phoenix? Maya moodily mulled this over some more as she allowed thoughts of the spiky haired defense attorney to flood her mind yet again.

Since he tried to put on a serious, professional lawyer front for the most part, she thought she was lucky to be one of the few people to see how the rarer instances of how his face would light up whenever he laughed or smiled, which was almost all the time when he was around her. She thought of his pokerfaced remarks and the way he would roll his eyes at her before giving just a hint of a shit-eating grin.

In the courtroom, whenever he was on an unstoppable role, jaw set, eyes sparking with determination, Maya could barely contain her pride-filled smirk as he mopped the floor with the prosecution. Her favorite part of court was whenever Phoenix would win – which he _always_ did! – He would turn to her then, thank her for her help, and engulf her in his strong arms for a hug. Normally the embraces only lasted for a fleeting moment, but it was enough for her to feel his warmth and the strength of his arms, and the butterflies would begin the flutter around in her stomach. She wished those moment would last forever.

 _God_ , she loved that man!

Maya had regretted leaving Phoenix as soon as she had gotten on the train to leave for Kurain when she had first met him. It was just that by that point, she honestly believed that she was no added value to this wonderful man who had already done so much for her! Not only had she felt that she was a shoddy spirit medium, but also useless investigative partner, no matter what Phoenix had told her differently. To add to the heap of problems, she ruefully now acknowledged that she had had – and _still_ did have! – a major-league, crush on him as well! She had felt like a complete fool to have repeatedly let down this man she had such arduous affections for!

 _Wait a second! Jump back!_

Alright so _maybe_ she still had a little – _fine_ , _Mount Everest sized_! – crush on her friend/sort of boss/sort of guardian/employee of her dead sister. That wasn't _such_ a big deal, right?

 _What_ had she just allowed herself to think?! _Crush_ yes. Think he was hot as hell, _yes_! Maybe even have surpassed the _teenage crush_ phase and was now in the _wildly infatuated_ stage. But… _love_?!

 _Hold it! Objection!_

She was going to make like that thought had _never even crossed_ her mind – so _take that_! _Stupid_ brain!

Maya's cheeks felt as though someone had just set a fire under her skin, despite there being no one to embarrass but herself.

It _couldn't_ be! She had _not_ just complicated matters to the _umpteenth_ level and just admitted that she had exceeded _all juvenile phases_ of _puppy love_ and was now _truly, madly, unequivocally_ – not to mention _unrequitedly_! – _In love_ with her best friend!

 _Eureka_! This was all because of _Pearly_! Pearly and her childlike dreaming of them being Special Someones. Maya was merely letting the fantasies of a child get to her, that's what it was. _Loving_ Phoenix… _hell to the no_! What an absurd, ludicrous, _inconceivable_ notion!

This subject was not even up for debate. She didn't _love_ Nick! Well she _did_ , as a friend, and harbored a few fanciful romantic fantasies about him but…no, _not love_! It had been naught but a slip of, um… _mind_ , resulting from her getting cabin fever from her forced captivity. Yeah, _that_ was it! Maya was an intelligent young woman of nearly _twenty_ now. She was _not_ going to make things awkward and weird with her _admittedly aesthetic_ best friend, by claiming she was now _in love_ with him! _Love_ …What a _terrifying_ concept!

 _Really Maya? Even more terrifying than the situation you're in now?_

Maya gulped. She had no retort to that whatsoever.

 _You are acutely aware, Maya Fey, that you're sitting here, arguing with yourself, in the dark, with an assassin lurking outside, just waiting for an excuse to kill you. Face it, girl, denial is more than a river in Egypt._

"Shut up!"

As her voice echoed in the quiet of the room, Maya stifled back a sob, hugged her knees close to her and mumbled in resignation.

It was chilly in the room, and Maya was now, on top of everything else, being subjected to chattering teeth due to a quivering jaw. She clenched the teeth in an effort to keep her jaw still; dropping the jaw so as to breathe in more oxygen, in preparation for what was to come.

The anticipated mental torture of the looming unknown horrors lying in wait for her was agonizing.

Maya buried her face in her arms and sighed. A part of her sort of wish the assassin would just get it over with already. The other part quivered with fright and dreaded at having her life end so soon.

She _had_ to find a way to distract herself from these morbid thoughts. But what? She was done with drawing for now. What else could she do to kill – _no not kill_ – _pass_ the time?

 _I know! I'll write something! I'm sure I can find some writing tool in that computer desk over there…now, I just need to find something to write on..._

Her eyes fell on the photo atop the coffee table. _Perfect_.

 _Experts always say you feel better if you put your feelings on paper, so I will. But I know, deep down inside me, neither the ink in my pen or the stencil in my pencil are strong enough to handle the words I want to write at this moment._

Maya's eyes closed as she contemplated what message she wanted to convey to the two most important people in the world to her, if ever they found the note she was about to compose.

 _Jim Morrison says "people fear death even more than pain. It's strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over." And he's right, he really is. Death is that one thing everyone's afraid of, yet they will themselves to go on with life. I do the same and I know I do it. He's right, too. Because even though I'm a spirit medium, above pain, I_ _ **am**_ _afraid of death. Of course I am! For God's sake, I'm still only_ _ **19-years-old**_ _!_

So many wasted precious opportunities. So much left unsaid.

"I love you, Phoenix Wright," Maya whispered out loud as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. "I wish I'd told you when I'd had the chance."

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's_

 _ **Freaking site…either no stats can be seen and now no reviews! There's a ridiculous still unsolved bug thingie where although I get notifications of the reviews via email, it won't post on the site still, nor can I reply to them via pm unless I copy and paste which is annoying and there are some readers I can't PM because of their settings. Ergo, even if I've replied to you, I love my readers so much – a lot whom are also wonderful FF writers – and wish to still acknowledge them publicly as best I can against these maddening odds!**_

 **Chapter 82**

 **Ryszard** \- First off, thank you kindly for your review...you have quite a way with words, good sir and I get a kick out of hearing from you always! Yes JFA is very much the black sheep of the AA trilogy with the suckage that was Turnabout Big Top - it had to have the created one of the most heinous characters with Regina Berry whom I don't blame Acro for wanting to kill her puppet loving arse! Yeesh talk about not having all your dogs barking! And don't even get me started on Moe the unfunny clown! :|

No Object-Shun from me whatsoever...as much as I love Truce, Pearl and Nick's dynamic is the one that melts my heart the most. Have you ever seen these heartwarming photos?

 **i dot imgur dot com slash 6ewS1jr dot jpg**

 **i dot imgur dot com slash tlk0n9T dot jpg**

I hope you don't mind me telling you this bit of info about my story since you appreciate Pearl and Nick's bond...watch out for the future chapter that brings them face to face at last for the first time since the breakup...it's going to be... _something_! :)

 **TheFreelancerSeal -** JFA it was very much implied there was something Fredgeworth there, especially with Franny bawling afterward...freakin idiots at Capcom missed a wonderful opportunity to expand on that! As you can see the course of true love never did run smooth for these two…their path has been rocky from the start. One thing I need to tell you to please take heed to...while Nick is clueless when it comes to stuff relating to HIM, even HE picked up on the tension between them...as well as the fact that HE seemed to be the only one who seemed shocked Miles was still alive...Franny did _not_...keep that in mind! ;)

 **Chloemcg –** Gumshoe…luckily has a huge heart to compensate for that pea-sized brain of his what with repeatedly trying to give an 8 year old a gun to play with! Lol. I always picture him sounding like Big Moose from the Archie comics…I can't wait to hear his anime voice! LOL

I have done a lot of research in my initial stories based on fan fics, trust me – I still haven't finished the Miles games although am in the last game of the second one and mid-way through first!

 **Yanmegaman –** All games get better when it's Enter the Edgeworth time – first JFA and then DD! I'm glad you're liking this arc- it's lengthy because of the development of the Wrightworth Bromance which is so integral to the lot/and Nick, period, and because the chapters have so much detail they've gotten lengthy so I've had to split them up (else we are looking at 8000-10000 words!) Indeed this was the game where Phaya IMO as well, became essentially canon, and am glad you think so too!

 **Chapter 81**

 **TheFreelancerSeal -** The Japanese are god awful at romances portrayal. They like to tease and hint but...even in canon romances like Iris and Nick...it falls flat! She's a deceptive jerk with no personality so that's who they pair this dynamic hero with?! WTF?!

I love hearing from you don't worry I never think you're a broken record. Capcom/video game designers could learn from me? I most humbly thank you sweetie! Hugs!

Phaya was a missed opportunity for the canon by the third case - where are you in T and T btw? Get caught up before this story spoilers you rotten! Lol

 **Chapter 80**

 **TheFreelancerSeal -** I think a squirming Nick is a hilarious one! Can't you just see him nervously sweat-dropping as Maya 'innocently' brushes up against his chest with hers as she innocuously ties his tie? XD

Maya is a teenage virgin who seems to have an inferiority complex compared to Mia,(sensed that in the game too!) both in looks and value to Nick, so I can only imagine how weird it must be for her feeling the way she does! I mean, he's her BOSS! AWKWARD!

 **Chapter 75**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr** \- Yes Maya did leave a hole in poor (literally! Lol) Nick's wallet…but then slowly began to fill the void in his heart as you will see in the next few courtship/flashback chapters. They're a lot of fluffy fun, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed Wrighting them!

 **Chapter 74**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr-** _In the last paragraph, something happened to Maya. She had grown so much stronger right at that moment. She really did become a grown woman._

Sweet girl I _love_ how you pick up on these small but relevant details, first Mystic Matilda now this…which the rest of my Phaya lovers may have been too busy plotting to kill Nick to have noticed! XD

But yes, without Nick, Maya is going to be forced to become stronger and independent… I hope you like the direction I take with my favorite heroine…she's got her own storyline coming up that will have more twists and turns than a winding road!


	84. Irrefutable Evidence

_"Today I had a friend. And what is strange indeed. I felt embarrassed, pleased, restless  
enraptured, embedded in their company.  
I felt strange sensations, but I guess it always will be  
enter the strange world of a life."  
_

 _Frank Pais_

* * *

 _A/N: Continuation of Justice For All case four...Farewell My Turnabout... Dedicated to my good friend and great FF writer, TheFreelancerSeal…there was a certain 'reveal' and 'revelation' that I promised you awhile back Mr. Prophet…and a certain reference that is surprisingly canon that couples with it…hope you like it!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Eighty-Four:** **Irrefutable Evidence  
**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Detention Center_  
March 22, 2018 10:00 PM

 _There's a reason why they say ignorance is bliss. Because yes the truth can set you free…but only if it doesn't completely devastate you first, like an enormous wave crashing to the shore that tows you away back under the tide._

Phoenix now knew the inconvenient truth. On some level, he'd always known, but for the sake of what he'd been forced to do – keep a murderer from incarceration in order to let Maya live – he'd made like an ostrich and willingly buried his head in the sand while he tried to obstinately maintain his unshakable belief in his client's innocence, in spite of all the unignorably glaring proof Edgeworth and Gumshoe kept providing to the contrary, in order to preserve his sense of ethics. Of justice.

The true nature of the vicious monster that was Matt Engarde had at last been unleashed, along with the even uglier reality.

His mind was laid waste by the news. Everything he'd ever trusted, represented, believed in… annihilated within one moment.

Phoenix had just confronted the actor with the damning evidence of his guilt, and finally the _real_ Matt Engarde had been revealed, right before his and Pearl's horrified eyes. That scarred face…those diabolical eyes, those lips pulled back into more of malevolent snarl than smile…the formerly pretty boy actor's face had suddenly resembled a scary Halloween mask one could have bought in a costume store. He'd remorselessly professed that indeed, he'd hired De Killer to kill Juan Corrida, because Juan was planning on ruining his career with Celeste's last will. It was partly his fault that Celeste killed herself, and if that got out, it would ruin his "refreshing like a spring breeze" reputation.

The reality shouldn't have devastated Phoenix the way it had, but it did. The overwhelming news passed through him like a hurricane. Everything he'd worked and struggled for lay in ruins. After striving to champion for the underdog all this time, and protect the innocent, the realization that he would have to go against all his morals, ethics, and beliefs to keep a guilty as sin _murderer_ out of prison was downright _staggering_.

 _All because of this deceitful, two-faced, son-of-a-bitch_ _ **Judas**_ _in front of him!_

The horrified look on the defense attorney's weather-vane face was impossible not to read, even before he finally found his voice.

"You killed Mr. Corrida!" Phoenix accused, glaring resentfully at the other man behind the prison glass.

The cruel smirk on Engarde's face grew even wider as he let out a gleeful cackle.

"I dare you to say that in court tomorrow. Aww, but too bad. You _can't_. You're my lawyer, after all. _Aren't_ you?"

Phoenix's hands clenched into fists, his eyes blazing as he furiously stared back at the sociopath.

"You _could_ always drop my case and refuse to represent me. How does that sound?" Engarde sneered. "Aww, but you can't, can you? That would be the one thing you absolutely _can't_ do."

" _M-Mystic Maya_...!" Pearl gasped in horror.

"You wouldn't want to test De Killer. He's a man of his word, or so I hear." Engarde's tone was downright mocking now. "You could end up getting a certain _friend_ of yours rubbed out if you lose."

In spite of the turbulent, raging emotions stirring within him, Phoenix's dim realization that Pearl was right next to him was the sole thing that kept the litany of threatening obscenities from escaping his lips.

"Y...You... _scoundrel_...!" He managed to get out, jumping to his feet from his chair.

"If I were you, Mr. Wright, esquire, I think I would give it my all tomorrow," Engarde's malicious grin was unwavering. "Remember, everyone likes a happy win-win resolution."

Up until that moment in his life, the pacifist, benign defense attorney could have honestly said he didn't hate anyone. He never had, although he supposed that made him an elusive, incomprehensible paragon to most. Even in betrayal, the mechanism to turn it into hatred failed for him. Instead his mind sought to understand the atrocious behavior from a compassionate point of view. Why did they do it? What was it about them that lead them to such a bad decision? He wasn't a masochist; he didn't keep folks around that hurt him over and over, failing to learn even a little from each life lesson and it wasn't a good idea. But as far as Phoenix was concerned, the greatest predictor of future behavior was past behavior. He just hoped that in time, hatred in general would be seen for the pointless waste of time it was, and that when it was seen, it would be understood that it was a marker of love misused.

Such had always been his stance in life up until that moment. Not even Dahlia Hawthorne had created this level of loathing within him. But Matt Engarde…This bastard was playing _God_ with the life of an _innocent girl_ for his own evil, twisted, selfish purposes. A girl who had never done any harm to another living creature in her whole life, and who was the light of _his_ _own_.

Death was too good for this snake. He deserved the worst possible kind of suffering known to man.

Hate and enmity welled up inside him, scorching so deep in his heart that it was ingrained in the tissue. He could feel the fury itself burning him up from within.

"I... I'll _get_ you for this!" Phoenix seethed through gritted teeth.

"That's such a cliché phrase," Engarde jeered. "Juan said something _just_ like that, if memory serves. Of course... Well, we all know how well things turned out for _him_ , don't we?" He waved at Phoenix one last time and skinned his teeth into one final leer. "Good night, Mister Lawyer."

Rather than respond, Phoenix banged his fist impotently against the heavy glass, uncaring of the sharp pain in his knuckles that resulted from the action.

 _Maya_ , he despaired, squeezing his eyes shut and falling back onto his seat in complete hopelessness. _Maya, what am I supposed to do!?_

He was still breathing raggedly and literally seeing red after the fiend bade him adieu, and didn't even notice the sudden appearance of Edgeworth until the prosecutor was practically on top of him.

"And now...you've finally found it. The starting line of this case."

"Edgeworth..." Phoenix looked at the other man with reddened eyes, expecting to see some sort of triumph glinting on his face, knowing he'd been right about Engarde all along. However, the other man's somber countenance was surprisingly _sympathetic_ as he took the defense attorney by the arm and pulled him to his feet.

"I don't care for the horrid atmosphere here, Wright. Let's return to the precinct."

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Police Station, Criminal Affairs Dept.  
_ March 22, 2018 10:15 PM

 _I feel like such a damn fool!_ Phoenix castigated himself the umpteenth time. _How could I have been so trusting and blind and naïve to that deranged psycho's true nature?! HOW?!_

As though reading his mind, as he often somehow seemed to be able to, Edgeworth was the first to break the deafening reticence.

"You're not the only one to be fooled by his wholesome, good-guy pretense, Wright. Engarde is the textbook definition of a psychopath." The prosecutor's cadence was supportively compassionate. "They don't always come with flashing or tell-tale signs. Psychopaths can even run _charities_ as shields for the activities they truly enjoy – causing others pain and emotional distress. They take a perverse pleasure in attaining positions of public trust and respect, they are charming and socially intelligent. They don't play by the same rule book as the rest of society and so they win with ease. No morals means no restraints. They are the wolves, but we don't have to be the _sheep_. We can be _lions_."

No response from Phoenix. He appreciated what the other man was trying to do, but he was too busy wallowing in self-berating to reply.

"In every great thing we do, the psychopaths hide, wolves among the sheep," Edgeworth went on cajolingly.

"But that's okay, it is, because soon they'll just be wolves among lions and we will outnumber them, swamp them. Then they will pretend to be one of us, a good guy mislead. We will let them retreat, but _know_ they are psychopathic."

More silence.

"Well, Wright?" A note of frustration crept into Edgeworth's tone then. " _What_ are you going to do? If you plan on changing your strategy…"

"N...No!" Pearl shouted, then flushed at her outburst and her shoulders drooped. "We can't do that..."

"That's right..." Edgeworth groaned slightly. "He's holding Maya hostage..."

At last, Phoenix spoke, looking up with helpless, bloodshot eyes. "What... What should I do...?"

"That's not something I can answer for you." The prosecutor regarded him levelly. "Wright... Only you can decide where to go from here. One year ago... At that time, I didn't truly understand what a "prosecutor" was. And that is why... I had to leave the Prosecutor's Office. I felt that I couldn't stand in a court of law until I knew what a prosecutor really was." He expelled a heavy sigh. "And now, Wright...It's _your_ turn."

"My... Turn?"

Edgeworth nodded. "What is this thing called a "lawyer"? What can you do as one? _You_ must find the answer. And you must find it on your _own_."

"I'm a _lawyer_!" Phoenix cried helplessly. "But to fight for someone who is clearly a killer...Matt Engarde... That man is really... _Argh_!" He buried his head in his hands, unable to go on.

As Edgeworth primly reminded him that every person deserved a proper defense and fair trial as the basis of their judicial system, Phoenix's head shot up, and he goggled at the prosecutor in disbelief.

"A _proper defense_?" He echoed hollowly. "But what exactly _is_ that? Is it where a lawyer forcibly and blindly gets an acquittal through shouting and trickery?"

"Ironic that _you_ of all people should say such a thing." Edgeworth flashed a wry grin and crossed his arms, returning Phoenix's stare with his one of own. "Isn't that _exactly_ how _you_ have fought for your clients up until now?"

Phoenix was caught off guard by the confronting accusation, mildly put though it was.

"W-Well, that _may_ be true," he stammered. "But...But that's...That's because I've believed my clients to be innocent from the _bottom of my heart_! But if I were to get _Engarde_ an acquittal... That... That isn't a proper defense at all! It goes against my ethics, my morals…and _everything_ _I've_ _ever believed in!"_

Edgeworth didn't reply, just continued gazing at him thoughtfully, so the flustered spiky-haired man continued his ramblings.

"I became a lawyer because I thought I could save people who were suffering and in pain..."

He made the mistake of looking at Pearl at that moment, whose downcast eyes were welling up, and his voice broke then.

"But... When I look at this mess we're in... I can't even protect the person closest to me!" He looked at the prosecutor with anguished eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Even if I _win_ the case, I – I still _lose_ in the end...I just don't know what to do!"

Sensing the other man was a moment away from a complete emotional breakdown, Edgeworth spoke quickly, his voice gentle but firm.

"Wright. Would you get a hold of yourself? You have it all wrong." Noting his rival's utterly bewildered expression, Edgeworth lightly shook his shoulder, as though trying to jostle some sense into him. "We aren't some sort of _heroes_. We're only human, you and I. You want to "save someone"? That's something easier said than done, wouldn't you say?"

"Th-That's..." Pearl's little face crumpled at the bluntness of the words.

Edgeworth looked guiltily at the child for a moment, hating to upset her, but he had to make his point, so he pressed on.

"Wright, you are a defense lawyer. You can't run away from that. You can only fight. That's _all you can do."_

 _This is really rich, coming from Edgeworth_ , Phoenix thought bitterly. This _was_ after all, the same man who had steamrolled all of his courtroom opposition by any means necessary in the past, in the identical manner of an honorary Von Karma! And now _he_ was urging him to _fight_? _Why_?

"People like you and Franziska von Karma are always using all you have to pin me down. You fight to the very end, even when you _know_ the _truth_ is not with you." Phoenix shook his head stubbornly. "But _I'm_ not like _you_. I _can't_ fight for a false verdict - for a man I clearly _know_ to be guilty!"

Rather than looking affronted by the veracity of the words, Edgeworth merely nodded his agreement to the statement. When he at last spoke, there was a look for repentance in his eyes that Phoenix had never seen before.

"Franziska... She fights for herself." The prosecutor's face was a mask of sadness. The remorse in his tone was impossible to miss as he uttered the next words. "The only thing she fights for is her perfect win record. That's all."

Phoenix blinked, astounded at the lamenting tone of the normally composed other man. Edgeworth sounded flat-out _pained_ as he regretfully acknowledged Franziska's shortcomings. Almost as though…it nearly _broke his heart_ to say them out loud.

 _What exactly is_ _ **going on**_ _with those two_? He wondered, not for the first time. _Who_ _ **is**_ _Franziska Von Karma to Miles Edgeworth, really? No doubt they've been raised by the same 'father' but…while I've been wrongfully blind to seeing the true nature of many things these last few days, I'm betting my attorney's badge that this is much_ _ **more**_ _than a case of mere_ _ **sibling admonishment**_ _or_ _ **professional sympathy**_ _to me!_

But now was not the time to pry into Edgeworth's affairs or matters of the heart. Not when there were more pressing matters to deal with. Besides, what position was _Mr. Chooses Death_ in to point out the wrongdoings of others when _he_ was no better?

" _And_!? Isn't that the same as _you_!?" Phoenix retorted with a scowl. "Isn't that why _you_ ran away a year ago? Because _your_ precious win record was destroyed!?"

The other man looked away then, and the blue attorney's voice rose.

" _To hell with your hypocrisy_ , Edgeworth! You are so _goddamn_ petty!"

Rather than get defensive at the accusation, a look of understanding dawned on Edgeworth's face then.

"I see. Now, at last, I understand why you despise me so." The ghost of a smile played across his lips. "However, you are mistaken."

Phoenix only looked at him skeptically.

Edgeworth simply laughed softly in response, his limpid grey eyes fixed on his friend.

"Thanks to you, when you sealed off my path to a perfect win record, I began to realize the error of my ways. I realized that things such as a perfect record were meaningless, in the grand scheme of things. And I realized that because of _you_."

Phoenix wasn't sure his poor frayed nerves could handle another shock to his system – he thought he'd reached maximum capacity when he'd become enlightened to the true nature of his client. But _this_ …this was too much! As much as he would have loved to have believed that _he_ had had any influence over the man who had initially inspired him to pursue the legal path, his newfound knowledge about the darkness of humanity made him question and doubt literally _everything and anything_ now.

"I don't believe you." He ogled the other man incredulously. "Are you saying _that_ is why you left the Prosecutor's Office?"

The prosecutor merely nodded.

"But then, _why_?" Phoenix struggled to understand. " _Why_ are you here _now_?"

"The answer to that is something you will find out on your own." The eyes that had been glowing with momentary warmth immediately were replaced by the typical shuttered ones as Edgeworth's mask returned then, although his placid tone remained. "I have faith you will see it before the verdict is read tomorrow. But if you can't, then you will be powerless to change the ending of this story. The onus is entirely on _you_ , Wright."

Phoenix took a depth breath as he tried to absorb the enormity of everything he'd just heard. Unfortunately, he didn't have too long to process things, however, as just then, his transceiver began to beep and they were again interrupted by De Killer on the radio.

Unable to hold back any longer, Phoenix demanded to know why De Killer wanted a murderer like Matt Engarde acquitted. The assassin replied that it was part of his "after care service." He prided himself on the strong bond of trust between him and his clients, so having his own client be convicted of murder would be a strike against his honor.

 _Just what I need. An assassin with a conscience!_

Right before the transmission ended, though, Phoenix heard a familiar meow.

Suddenly, the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place.

 _Shoe! I'd know that meow anywhere! And that familiar bellboy from the hotel…that_ _ **was**_ _the butler at the mansion!_ _ **That's**_ _Shelly De Killer! That madman is keeping Maya there at the Engarde Estate!_

"Edgeworth!" He yelped. "You heard that sound too, didn't you?"

The prosecutor eyed him strangely. "You mean that cat in the background?"

"I think... I know where Shelly de Killer is holding Maya hostage!" Phoenix felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins. "Edgeworth! Have all police units head for the Engarde Mansion _immediately_!" He turned to Pearl then. "Don't lose hope yet, Pearls! The fight has only just begun!"

"Y-Yeah!" The little girl cheered, scampering behind Phoenix's fleeting form as fast as her legs would carry her.

 _I'm coming for you Maya!_ He thought frantically as he raced out the door. _Please,_ _ **please**_ _, be alright!  
_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Engarde Mansion, Living Room_  
March 22, 2018 10:45 pm

The police had the place surrounded. Bursting into Engarde's living room, the first thing Phoenix noted was the bear figurine sitting by the door with the pet flap he and Pearl had noticed off to the side.

Edgeworth grunted as he jiggled the doorknob. It didn't budge.

"Umph! This door...It's _locked_!"

Phoenix was completely undaunted.

"Well, I'm pretty used to breaking doors down by now! Let's go, Edgeworth!"

The lawyers ran at the door with all their might, using their broad, muscled shoulders as battering rams.

SLAM! SLAM! CRASH!

The door gave way, and the men raced down the stairs, with Pearl frantically calling out Maya's name as they looked around a room that appeared to be some sort of lounge.

The first thing Phoenix noted was the huge television and speakers.

 _I'm sure if Maya saw this, she'd say, "I would die a happy Samurai fan if I could see the Nickel Samurai on a TV like this!"_ Phoenix chuckled ruefully to himself. _Yeah, that's_ _ **exactly**_ _what she'd say...Ack! I can't believe I just made a joke like that about Maya, all things considered! Man, I_ _ **totally suck**_ _!_

They looked around some more but found nothing of any relevance, so they rushed to the wine cellar.

There was nobody there. It seemed they were too late.

Edgeworth was extremely apologetic to report after a few moments that it appeared De Killer had somehow managed to slip away with Maya; they were nowhere to be found on the premises.

Phoenix barely bit back a curse at the news.

 _Maya! Where are you? Dammit I was so close!_

"And now... we've lost our only lead." He hung his head dejectedly.

"Don't give up yet," Edgeworth advised kindly. He gestured to the saddened spirit medium next to them. "Besides, that little girl is looking to you to be her pillar."

Pearl's lower lip was trembling, her eyes once again filled with tears of disappointment.

"Yeah, you're right." Phoenix sighed as he pulled the tiny Fey over to his side in a quick hug. That was when he noticed the "With love, Celeste" photo on the ground. He picked it up, about to stash it for the court record in case it was a clue, when suddenly, Pearl gasped, reaching out and demanding to see that picture frame.

Dumbly, the lawyer obliged, confused about what was so special about the item, when Pearl told him that she was certain she'd seen _writing_ on that back!

Pearl squinted at the letters in the dim lighting. "Maya!" She shouted. "Mystic Maya! She left us a message!"

"Wh-What!?" Phoenix snatched the photo back and quickly read aloud the letter in Maya's beloved familiar hand.

 _ **I thought you'd come. I knew you would. Now listen up! You'd better get Engarde a guilty sentence ok? If you get that creepy slimebag a not guilty, I'll never forgive you, ever! I'm fine, so you don't need to worry. There's so much I want to write, but I don't think I have a lot of time left. Pearly, you're there too, right? Make sure you help Nick, okay? Someone's gotta watch out for that helpless lunk! Um... That's it for now, Nick. I guess I'll talk to you guys later.**_

 _ **Love,  
Maya**_

"Nooooooooo!" Pearl wailed, burying her head against Phoenix's side and beginning to sob uncontrollably against him. "Mystic Mayaaaaaaa..."

The entire world seemed to vanish before Phoenix's eyes at that moment as he remained rooted there, completely frozen, vaguely aware of his hand absently stroking the hysterical child's hair as he pulled her even tighter against him. On the outside, he was standing there in that dark cellar, staying strong for Pearl's sake, while attempting to comfort her with his embrace.

On the inside though, he was a million miles away. He swayed slightly on his feet as a kaleidoscope of swirling emotions flooded his mind in that instant, the sheer, tidal force of them nearly knocking the breath from his lungs.

"Wright!" Edgeworth was alarmed by the dazed, faraway look in the other man's eyes. Had he gone into shock?

Phoenix's mind reeled at the revelation which, at last, his mind would not allow him to suppress any longer.

 _I'm in love with her._

The realization shouldn't have shaken him to the core like it did, but it had. Out of the million moments in the past couple of years of trying to understand just what it was he felt, after countless efforts of trying to sweep his feelings under a rug, and after all the trite excuses he'd made about why he _shouldn't, wouldn't, couldn't_ feel this way… all it had taken was _one little note_ to make him now clearly see what deep down, he'd always known.

One little note, where the spirit medium whose safety was still in mortal peril had nevertheless used her last words to urge him to choose justice over her own life. That hastily scrawled message, in just a few sentences, had conveyed to him the beatific, noble, selfless purity of the soul behind the girl who'd written them, to at last make him recognize the irrefutable evidence his heart would no longer allow him to deny.

 _I'm in love with Maya Fey._

The realization had him rocking on his heels.

Phoenix Wright was _utterly, hopelessly, insanely_ in love with this _headstrong, boisterous, maddening, wonderful_ young woman, who made his life worth living. Who made him so _consistently, sublimely, incomparably_ _**happier**_ than he'd ever been in his whole life.

Because of Maya Fey, while they'd had moments of hardships, these last two years had been so incredibly, ecstatically joyous. He'd just never acknowledged it, not to himself or anyone else.

Lord, she made him so unbelievably _happy_! The kind of happy that elevated the spirit, lifted one from the mire of whatever was normal. Maybe that's why he'd noticed Maya, she wasn't like that at all. Despite the strife she'd suffered in life, she still had an _inner happiness_ , one utterly independent of the outside world. She smiled like it burst from within instead of being worn like an obligation in the way others did.

 _Happy is what I feel when Maya walks in the door, when I know for the rest of the evening she's all mine, even if we're just vegging in front of the TV. It's not that she even always wants me to be like her, all fireworks and chatter; she knows after work, mostly I'm so quiet, unwinding after a busy day. Just being near her lights me up inside, gives me a serenity I can never know without her being close. It's like the breaths I take aren't full when she's away, like the smiles I smile are incomplete somehow. Just sitting next to her on the sofa is my favourite place in the world. It's_ _ **her**_ _that creates the warmth in my soul,_ _ **her**_ _that fills me full of love and keeps the fire burning in my eyes. If that isn't happiness I don't know what is, so I'll let it be my own definition, the one I keep with me always._

But now, Maya wasn't by his side. And he'd been completely lost without her, just as when she'd first gone back to Kurain.

Her joyous presence had been something else he'd taken for granted. She'd always been there and always would, right? That's what he'd always thought. With his assistant by his side, he'd always known everything was going to be alright, because he had Maya and she had him. They were a team. They had been inseparable the last two years, and he'd always figured nobody could separate them, for better or worse. These last few nightmarish days, it struck him that something had just been removed from his life, his happiness. It was the springboard on which his whole life was based, it was the reason he could practice law, be a courtroom champion, and still have the energy and desire to run after two giddy, energetic young girls. How was it he'd missed it all this time?

 _Because you're a completely daft and blind_ _ **idiot attorney**_ _, Phoenix Wright,_ _ **that's**_ _how!_

"Wright, what's wrong?" Edgeworth's concerned voice shattered his reverie and mental recriminations. "Why the blank stare?"

Phoenix blinked and gave his head a shake.

"Oh, um, nothing."

He could chew himself out later for his delayed reaction to the glaringly obvious! Right now, he had a trial to 'win' and the woman he loved to save!

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's_

 **Chapter 83**

 **Chloemcg –** consider us even then – I have been happy as a clam and also spurred to Wright when one of my favorite FF writers also became an avid reader of my work! That's what this site should be about – entertaining great readers and support and encouragement from fantabulous writers!

Yay Pess the scene stealing wonder dog surviving! Thank you so much for putting my mind at ease - and I will totally check out that Pess origin FF. Fredgeworth _daughter_ made her adorable debut as a puppy during a very romantic moment in their story – it would be wonderful for her to make an appearance – I've written her as a golden retriever

I hope you like my canon twist on the diabolical pretty boy although in the game of making Engarde the _mother of all psychos_ that award still goes to you, English Rose! I cannot wait to wrap up this arc and stop giving this fiend so much screen time!

 **SkyiesTheLimit** – indeed this flashback arc to the second JFA game includes memories of Phoenix and Maya of one another, and how they came to be Phaya, based partially on my fanciful imagination and partial golden canon manipulation – hope you don't need to see a dentist from all this added sugary fluff but am SO happy you like it!

 **Cyberchao X –** Not sure if they restore missing stats but hope so – it sucks when it happens though as stats are all we writers have to go on to know that an often radio silent audience is listening – er, reading!

 **Chapters 81**

 **Cyberchao X –** I acknowledge that am fortunate to have such interactive readers – so no worries about 'burying' me – better too much than to little – or worse, none at all! Reviews are often rarer than unicorns, so it sucks that the site is acting up like this and not posting them, as it may discourage readers from giving their valued feedback (Grrr!) Readers - they deserve the acknowledgement otherwise who are we writing for?!

Matt Engarde is seriously in my top five of loathed villains – like Damon Gant, all he needed was one case to show his diabolical nature! I love the character development in JFA – Miles IMO is the developed video game character I've seen possibly ever! And am so pleased the readers can see the Phaya angle so my take doesn't completely seem out of nowhere!

 **Chapter 78**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr –** I honestly think while canon wise, Pearl yearns for Nick and Maya to be an item because she genuinely loves her cousin and believes there is something there, I also believe with all my heart a lot is also stemmed from the fact that she loves Phoenix as the father she never had and always dreamed he'd marry Maya and adopt her. I truly think she's what made him think he could handle being a dad to Trucy, as he was so attached to the little spirit medium, so writing how devastated she was by the split tore me up to write!

Great catch about Maya cutting her hair as symbolism that she's getting over not Nick, but _Phoenix Wright_ – but don't be too fooled by her mask of outer strength – they were together six years after all and the healing process will be a slow one! (Hmmm what could mend a broken heart…?) ;)

Just like in the game, she's got to put on a brave, strong front for her little girl's sake – she can't have both her and little Pearl in pieces! (love your astuteness!)


	85. I'll Be There For You

_No one could ever know me  
No one could ever see me  
Seems you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me  
Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with  
Someone I'll always laugh with  
Even at my worst, I'm best with you, yeah!_

* * *

 _A/N: Wohoo!_ _ **FF's issue of reviews not posting is resolved now and I can actually see the feedback from my beloved readers! I'm as happy as a clam!**_

 _Conclusion of Justice For All, case four, Farewell My Turnabout  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Eighty-Five: I'll Be There For You**

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth_**  
 _District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 3_  
March 23, 2018

Phoenix and Edgeworth went at it with all they had in court that day. It was the most emotionally draining, mentally-taxing courtroom session of the blue attorney's life. The trial was a long, well fought one, where both lawyers pulled out all the stops, as well as the right evidence to keep the case going, making it impossible for the judge to call a verdict.

Nevertheless, Phoenix was a complete headcase, knowing he was working on rapidly dwindling, borrowed time. It hadn't helped that Mia as Pearl had reported that Maya hadn't tried to channel her that morning, as she was probably too weak in her current state…

The fact that both attorneys were secretly on the same side was something they both managed to keep well hidden. However, it also had meant that the King of Turnabouts and Prodigal Prosecutor both had to morph into the _Sultan and Solicitor of Stalling,_ in order to drag things out and buy as much time as they could till they were sure Maya had been rescued!

Phoenix played every card he had in delaying Engarde's guilty verdict, even though at one point, he may have gone a bit too far and the judge thought he was immoral enough to hire an assassin! Of course, that _may_ have been _partially_ his own fault…

On a transmitter radio, Shelly De Killer was falsely testifying that the client who'd hired him was Adrian Andrews. Talk about an unexpected twist! But how to expose the lie and somehow prolong the trial, without incurring the hitman's suspicion?

"Um... Witness…" Phoenix floundered, wracking his brain for an excuse to stretch out the conversation with the assassin. "About requesting a hit..."

"Yes?" Queried De Killer's disembodied voice from the radio.

"Er…" Phoenix smiled sheepishly. "How much is your fee...?"

There was dead silence in the courtroom following the outlandish question. Finally, De Killer spoke.

"I see you are also quite a dark-hearted man, Mr. Attorney..." There was a grin of beguilement in the assassin's voice. "If you would like to talk business, we can do so after the trial..."

"Ack! _NONONO_!" Phoenix squawked in horror. "I'm not thinking of hiring –"

"M-M-Mr. Wright!" The judge thundered.

"Y-Yes!?" He gulped.

"Y-Y-You..." The old man's eyes were wide with fear and revulsion. "You _want to kill me_...You _want me dead_...DON'T YOU!?"

 _Whoever said lawmen had no imagination?!_

"Whaaaat!?" Phoenix clapped an exasperated hand to his forehead, barely suppressing the impulse to either start screaming or bursting into hysterical laughter at the sheer lunacy of the situation. " _Why_ would you think something like that, Your Hon –"

"Guilty! MR. PHOENIX WRIGHT!" The panic-stricken judge shrieked, pounding his gavel with each word. "You are hereby declared GUILTY!"

"Gah!" Phoenix gulped, drawing back in horror.

There was a terse silence in the courtroom yet again, which mercifully, the genius prosecutor broke.

"...Witness." Edgeworth was all but rubbing his temples at this whole exchange. "Let's continue...shall we?"

Phoenix was well aware at this point that the entire _peanut gallery_ in the courtroom audience had begun to demonize him, if they hadn't already! But he didn't care. Like a sacred mantra, he simply repeated the looped thought over and over again in his mind, in order to get him through the ordeal.

 _This is to save Maya... This is to save Maya...Even if the whole world turns against me, this is one fight I can't give up on._

Edgeworth had truly come through for Phoenix. There was no way he could have gotten this far without him – after all, the only reason he'd even become privy to the truth was because of the prosecutor! The other's man's unfaltering constancy had been exemplified when Gumshoe had called Phoenix on his phone, asking for a little more time. Panicked, Phoenix had hurled his phone across court to Edgeworth, who although hanging up, managed to maintain his legendary cool and helped stall things by asking for 30 minutes to check the authenticity of Celeste Impax's will.

Phoenix had gotten the opportunity to repay the favor when De Killer's testimony of naming the client who'd hired him was falsely declared to be Adrian Andrews. With that testimony alone, he could have easily gotten an acquittal for Engarde, but he decided to go on with the cross examination. He owed it to the other man, not just as his courtroom colleague/rival…but as his old _friend_.

 _Edgeworth could have gotten a guilty verdict at any time up until now, but he didn't. If I push for an acquittal now, it'll be like I betrayed him. I can't do that. He trusted me. And… **I trust him**_ _. I **do trust**_ _him._

But like everything good, it all had to come to an end, and Phoenix was forced to make a decision, Maya's life or putting an innocent person in jail. Ultimately, Phoenix couldn't do it. He was a complete wreck about having to make such a decision - he couldn't have Maya die and he couldn't do the latter.

That was when fate suddenly came charging through those court doors, in the form of the _last_ person he thought would save him! Franziska Von Karma burst in like an avenging angel at that moment, bringing the evidence that would solve everything. And mercifully, it did _just_ that! The three key presented pieces had been just what they'd needed to put Engarde behind bars, while saving Maya's life at the same time!

Phoenix had never felt more vindicated or such a believer of _justice for all_ when he'd seen the tormented, horrified expression of terror on the fiendish Engarde's face when De Killer had been made aware of his client's breach of his revered trust …and announced that he'd be changing who his new 'target' would be! The defense attorney never had thought the day would come when he'd live to see a guilty murderer blatantly confessing - in terror !- so readily…and begging to be put behind bars…because it was a safer, more desirous fate than being targeted by the hitman he'd hired!

 _I_ _ **told**_ _you I'd get you Engarde, you smarmy, sick bastard. I always_ _ **have**_ _been a man of my word!_

Phoenix was more than happy to have lost his first case, and he couldn't have done it without the help of the prosecutor he had come to trust.

Not matter what an awful thing Edgeworth had done, for whatever reason, by faking his own death, he obviously felt contrite about it. He'd gallantly endured all the verbal lashes Phoenix had slung at him with his signature aplomb, and had _still_ helped him out every step of the way. That certainly went a long way towards atonement, as far as Phoenix was concerned.

 _I've known him too long. He's too important to me. I can't hold a petty grudge or try to exact any sort of revenge. Even though he's never fully explained or asked for my pardon… I forgive him._

These were Phoenix's decisive thoughts, which put his mind at ease completely as he walked out of the courtroom, freshly exhilarated in spite of the first "loss" on his lawyer record. He was smiling as he faced Edgeworth, who assured him that Maya was now safe, as De Killer had released her, _as surely as he had released the two-faced Engarde as his client_ , and was on her way over to the courthouse.

" _Aaaaaaaaah_! Mystic Maya! Mystic Maya's safe! You did it! You really did it, Mr. Nick!" Pearl screeched, giving him an ecstasy-laden shot to the arm.

Phoenix winced. _Oww... She punches deceptively hard for a kid...even if it was one of joy!_

"I... I believed in you!" Pearl sniffed. "I kept saying to myself: Mr. Nick will save her...Mr. Nick will save her... _Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah_!" And then she lurched herself into his arms.

As he held the little girl, who was sobbing tears of happy relief, in his embrace, Phoenix looked over her head at his friend and smiled awkwardly. "Thanks, Edgeworth."

The other man nodded, the slight smile on his lips fading then as he spotted Franziska coming out of the courtroom. Following the direction of the prosecutor's suddenly discomfited gaze, Phoenix flashed an uncomfortable grin upon seeing the German woman, and mumbled his thanks.

Instead of replying, Franziska lashed out and whipped him, _right on the same spot on his arm_ where Pearl had just jabbed him!

"OW!" He yelped. "What was _that_ for!?"

"Why are you still smiling Mr. Phoenix Wright!?" She demanded crossly, putting her hands on her hips. "You...You _lost_! Your great rival here has triumphed over you at last, so your perfect win record has now been crushed! And yet... You are still _happy_!?"

"I don't think you'll ever understand... Ms. Von Karma." Phoenix shook his head pityingly at her. "Which is too bad, really. I – I actually feel sorry for you."

" _You_ feel sorry for _me_?!" Her gray eyes widened in outrage. "How _dare_ you!?"

"Don't worry. She may get it in due time," Edgeworth spoke quietly. "After all, _I_ was like that _myself_ , until a year ago."

Both Phoenix and Franziska gasped in shock at seeing the proud prosecutor humbling himself to speak on behalf of the defense attorney.

"For my own personal victories...and for guilty verdicts... I used every dirty trick in the book. And so my win record remained spotless." Edgeworth's voice was laced with regret and self-disgust. "But then one day, out of the blue, a man appeared and stood fast against that selfish me. I fought him in my usual manner, and tasted my first defeat. I felt like I had lost everything because of that. And then...the fateful day came, when it was _my_ turn to sit in the defendant's chair, only to wind up being saved...by that person I'd foolishly called my 'enemy.' I couldn't forgive myself for all that had happened. So I left the Prosecutor's Office, leaving behind that note... ' _Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death'_..."

"Humph, as well you should have!" Franziska snapped. "A prosecutor who has shamed himself with defeat _should_ crawl into a hole and die!"

"But that was _not_ what happened. After I left the Prosecutor's Office, I finally came to realize something." Edgeworth's gaze flickered to Phoenix for a moment before settling back on Franziska, as though trying to privately convey a message to her. "And it was in _that_ moment of clarity that _everything began to change_."

Evidently the unspoken words rang loud and clear. She blushed slightly, while struggling to maintain her lofty tone.

"Wh-What foolish nonsense..."

"It was the _truth_ , Franziska," Edgeworth's eyes bored into hers. "I'm not proud to say so, but it is. We prosecutors use anything we can to attack the defendant. But every time we did so... No matter how desperate the situation, instead of giving up like most people, _that man_ would hold strong with his undying faith. And then, before I knew it... _I_ began to trust in that man as well."

"Wh-What!?" Franziska stared at the prosecutor in disbelief as his words sank in. "You _trusted_ _your_ _enemy_!?"

"It doesn't matter how many underhanded tricks a person uses... The truth will always find a way to make itself known." Edgeworth was staring straight at Franziska when he spoke again, as though pleading with her to understand.

Once again, it was as though he'd forgotten Pearl and Phoenix were even there.

"The only thing we can do is to fight with the knowledge we hold and everything we have. Erasing the paradoxes one by one... It's never easy... We claw and scratch for every inch. But we will always eventually reach that one single truth. This I promise you. That's the reason why prosecutors and defense lawyers exist." Edgeworth at last lifted his intense gaze from Franziska and directed it at the astonished defense attorney. "But I'm sure _you_ knew that already, _didn't_ you _, Wright_?"

Phoenix was still so gobsmacked by this unanticipated revelation that he was literally unable to do anything more than gape at his friend, who was back in a staring match with Franziska. The woman's jaw was clenched tightly, although her lips were trembling.

" _That's_ why you couldn't forgive me; this man who went into hiding, isn't it?" Edgeworth prodded, reluctantly tearing his eyes away from the female prosecutor and affixing them on the still-silent, stunned-looking blue attorney. "Isn't that right? This man who only had his sights set on "victory", who ran away like a thief in the night..."

"Ah!" Pearl's eyes were huge with awe as she looked first up at Edgeworth then at Phoenix. "Is...Is Mr. Edgeworth right, Mr. Nick...!?"

 _You really let me down… but at least, now I somewhat understand why._

"When you disappeared, I felt...betrayed." Phoenix struggled to find the right words. "The reason I decided to become a lawyer to begin with...was because I believed in the things _you_ said to me, all those years ago. And then...you _betrayed_ your _own_ words." He took a deep breath and slowly released it. "That's why...one year ago, I made up my mind. I decided that the Miles Edgeworth I knew had died... At least, that's what I told myself."

 _At least, that's what I_ ** _had_** _to convince myself. I_ ** _needed_** _to believe that, even though I didn't want to, if I ever wanted to find the strength to carry on…_

"You pathetic fool! I don't want to hear the wretched whimpering of a disgraced loser!" Franziska snarled, breaking the peaceful stillness with a crack of her whip against the floor. It wasn't clear to whom she was speaking as her infuriated gaze raked both men with scorn, although it seemed to linger a tad longer on Edgeworth. "A Von Karma is someone who is destined to be perfect! Miles Edgeworth... You are no longer worthy!" Her voice shook with emotion.

Edgeworth took a step towards her, but she shook her head and backed away, but not before he saw the hint of angry tears sparkling in her eyes, which he knew she would be too proud to shed.

" _You_ are no longer worthy of being a Von Karma! And _neither am I_!" Franziska cried, her stormy eyes zeroing in on Edgeworth one final time before hurling something to the ground. "It's over... _It's all over_!"

With that, she stormed off, leaving a forlorn looking Edgeworth behind, staring after her.

 _He looks like he wants to go run after her, but is allowing himself to be held back,_ Phoenix noted, still confounded by what he'd witnessed between the two prosecutors. _That's the first time I've seen Franziska so emotional - beyond mere wrath! And not even directed at_ ** _me_** _this time! But there was more than just anger in that last look she shot at Edgeworth - there was a lot of pain there, too. There's no denying it –_ ** _something_** _is up with these two. And it sure as hell ain't no_ ** _sibling rivalry!_**

That was when he noticed what the fiery femme had left behind on the floor in her wake. Edgeworth followed his eyes, and bent down to retrieve electromagnetic receiver. As he murmured he'd return the tracking device that she'd planted on poor Gumshoe to the precinct later, the former Solicitor of Stalling then spotted the familiar coil of black leather curled up on the tile, clutched it in his fist, and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'll never set foot in another courtroom again." The expression of unmasked anguish on his handsome face was impossible to miss. "I'm sure that's what she's saying by this action..."

 _Good grief, Edgeworth, what are you doing here? Go after her!_ Phoenix stared at his friend, speechless by the tormented look he saw in those usually hardened grey eyes. _You_ ** _know_** _you want to! And I'd bet my bottom dollar_ ** _she_** _wouldn't be against it either! You two have so much left unsaid…even_ ** _more_** _than_ ** _you and I_** _ever did!_

But he remained silent. Things had only just now thawed out between him and the other man, and he didn't wish to speak out of turn and worsen things, or pry into what was obviously a very private, and very _personal_ affair…between a man and woman who, for whatever reason, wanted to convey the impression that there was no love lost.

Edgeworth cleared his throat. "You should keep this, Wright." He waved the whip at Phoenix then, who only took it because it appeared as though it pained the other man to even look at it anymore.

 _I was wrong. This isn't a case of no love lost_ , the reformed Sultan of Stalling finally realized, looking solemnly at his friend. _This is a case of way_ ** _too much love_** _…left_ ** _unspoken_** _._

He didn't have too much time to dwell on this newfound epiphany however, because it the next instant, Phoenix heard a well-known sound.

" _Nick_!"

There was only _one girl in the world_ who called him that name. And never before had it ever sounded more like music to his ears.

He spun around upon hearing his nickname and came face to face with his beloved assistant. Phoenix let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding as Maya half ran, half wobbled to him and Pearl. The little girl was the first one to make it to her cousin as Maya bent down to receive her hug, but Phoenix couldn't wait for his turn and he enveloped both girls in a tight embrace. There were no words to describe his joyous relief. Maya was here, safe and sound. Moreover, best of all, she was by his side once more.

Maya buried her head in his shoulder as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Oh, Nick! I knew you would come through!" She wept. "You got Engarde convicted, like I knew you would! And on top of that, you even rescued me!"

Phoenix drew back to study that cherished, familiar visage, as beautiful as ever despite looking a tad pale and drawn. There was so much he wanted to say to her. So much he wanted to hear _her_ say. But the time wasn't now. Not with little Pearl squealing by their side, and Edgeworth smiling shyly in the background, nervously scuffing his shoe against the floor, not wanting to intrude on their reunion.

"Well, of course I did!" He teased. "You know I would never desert you! What are heroes for, right?"

Maya laughed giddily and wrapped her arms even tighter around his neck.

Phoenix allowed himself a brief moment of savoring the sensation of having her safely in his arms, before he chuckled awkwardly and reluctantly pulled away.

"But we sure pressed our luck this trial... You're really lucky to be standing here!"

"Whatever, whatever," Maya quipped, giggling. "Look, it's over, OK? Besides, if I _did_ croak, I would just come back and haunt you like a bad ghost through Pearly!"

Phoenix gulped. _Is it really that easy to do something like that...?_

"Th-Thanks a lot... Nick." Maya was looking up at him while flashing her best shit-eating grin.

"Um... Don't mention it." He mumbled, trying to keep his tone level, and failing.

The catch in his voice was impossible to miss, and suddenly, the laughter died in her eyes as she stared at him with mocha orbs again brimming with tears…and a myriad of emotions. He gazed right back, hoping she could read what he so desperately wished to convey with his own.

"Maya..." Edgeworth cleared his throat behind them then, momentarily breaking the spell.

"Mr. Edgeworth!" The spirit medium beamed, at last noticing the debonair man's presence.

"Um... I'm relieved you're alright," he mumbled uncomfortably, looking very much like a man who knew he was intruding on a private moment he didn't belong in, but not knowing what to do about it.

Maya's smile grew even broader at his discomfort. "Hey... It looks like you've made some real progress, Mr. Edgeworth!"

"Yes, well, a lot has happened in the past year…" Edgeworth blushed slightly. "Well, I suppose I'm a little different from who I was a year ago. Er, you know, more forthcoming and approachable and what have you…"

 _There was_ ** _no_** _other way for you to_ ** _go_** _, Edgeworth!_ Phoenix smirked to himself, and then gave a shout of laughter at the unmistakable sound of all six of Maya's stomachs loudly growling at that exact moment.

"We are going for food _now_!" Maya declared merrily, an impish twinkle in her eye. "I'm starved! I'm so hungry even _you_ look like a nice, juicy burger on a bun to me, Nick!"

"Y-You think I look like a _burger_...?" Phoenix demurred, refusing to be enthusiastic about the woman he loved wanting to _sink her teeth into him_ if it was in _that_ context! "Come on! I'm a _Prime Rib_ at least!"

"Grand feast in honor of my return to the _land of the living_!" Maya announced, then winked at the prosecutor. "And _yours_ , too, it would appear, eh, Mr. Edgeworth?"

Edgeworth merely reddened in response.

"Gatewater Hotel, here we come!" Maya was already headed to the doors.

"Come with us, Mr. Edgeworth!" Pearl implored. " _Please_!"

Edgeworth smiled timorously, looking pleased at being included but unsure how to convey as much. "Uh, um... If you insist."

"Of course we do!" Maya shot him a mischievous grin. " _Who_ do you think is _driving_ us over, after all?"

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth_**  
 _Gatewater Hotel Lobby_  
March 23, 2018 7:38 PM

Lotta Hart, the newly rehired Detective Dick Gumshoe, and Will Powers joined them for the feast, where the ever-gourmandizing Maya ate her own weight in gourmet fare, and then looked _disappointed_ then the Head Chef came downstairs to notify them that they would be closing the kitchen down shortly, despite the early hour.

In other words…the hotel was running out of food, since the others were making such _pigs_ of themselves, so _would they please stop eating!_

Phoenix was both mortified and relieved, especially since he was sure the bill would add up to close to his _next month's salary_!

Edgeworth greeted his reinstated subordinate with surprising warmth, citing that Gumshoe was the one who'd saved the day in the end. This was in spite of the Detective's atrocious driving skills, which had made him hit a telephone pole, resulting in the big man's mild head injury, and ergo _Franziska_ , not he, being the one to rush the three pieces of key evidence to court!

"It might be the head injury…" Gumshoe scratched at his bandages. "But I could have _sworn_ when I ran off with the things from De Killer's hideout, I took _four_ things total, sir!"

Phoenix was surprised. _There was a fourth item?_

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'm sure I put one of the items in my coat pocket."

"Bah, it's all over!" Lotta dismissed airily, waving her hand and resting her sharp eyes on Maya with interest. "But whoo boy, I tell ya! You really are somethin' else! Between getting' accused of murder and getting' kidnapped...Never a dull moment with you, huh?"

"Hahaha," Maya tittered. "You think?"

 _Had I been a cat, these last couple of days would have spooked me out of_ ** _eight_** _of my_ ** _nine_** _lives!_ Phoenix grumbled to himself. _So why does she look so_ ** _happy_** _about that...?_

"But being shut away for two whole days…" Pearl shuddered. "Weren't you scared...?"

A slight shadow crossed the spirit medium's sunny face then.

"Yeah, it was really scary. I felt so hopeless…" She gave her head a shake and affixed her cousin with her customary megawatt smile. "So to keep my mind off of things, I drew a picture!"

Lotta and Pearl, of course, were keen to see said picture. Phoenix was as well, but he kept silent as he studied Maya's face, her delicate brows knitted together as she searched her memory for said item's whereabouts, but then shrugged and blithely said she couldn't recall where she'd left it.

"Aww..." Pearl looked crestfallen. "That's too bad."

"W-Well, it's alright!" Maya replied, a tad too quickly. "It wasn't anything _important_ anyway!"

 _Well, if she says so, then I'm not going to give it another thought either then_. Phoenix mentally shrugged. _It sure is nice to finally see them both smiling again._

His attention was diverted from the Fey girls at that moment as he suddenly heard the familiar beeping of Franziska's receiver.

Gumshoe groaned when he recognized the device, citing that because of Franziska slapping that tracking device on him, he'd had the most _miserable experience of his life_!

 _And this is coming from a man whose salary had been cut so many times he was forced to live on ramen noodles!_

"Even though _you're_ standing right here, the tracking device seems to be in a _different_ location though …" Edgeworth's brow furrowed in contemplation.

"Oh... It's probably busted or something, sir." Gumshoe guessed. "It did take quite a beating when I hit that telephone pole…"

The prosecutor nodded, still looking thoughtful, as he politely excused himself then and cited that he had some work to do.

"Huh!? But Mr. Edgeworth!" Maya protested. "You haven't even eaten anything yet!"

 _And_ ** _you've_** _eaten way too much, you glutton!_ Phoenix noted wryly.

"I had fun tonight." Edgeworth bowed graciously. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" He turned to leave, but Phoenix clamped a hand on the prosecutor's shoulder, halting him.

"Wait."

"What?" Edgeworth arched a finely groomed brow.

"I just want to say, thanks, Edgeworth," Phoenix smiled warmly. "You really saved me out there."

"If anyone should be saying thanks, it should be me, Wright." Edgeworth shook his head and looked away. "It's because of you that this former Demon Prosecutor regained his soul."

Phoenix swallowed at the poignancy of the words, as well as the appreciativeness in those normally guarded eyes that the other man's still stoic nature wouldn't allow him to convey.

They had come full circle now, and their friendship was well on the road to recovery. It was the kind of friendship that bloomed in the center of your heart - that kind of friendship that grew from the seed basking in the warm soil, into a vast tree with many ups and downs, many - but not enough to disguise the enormity or the grandeur of such a tree, the sheer brilliance and beauty of it.

17 years later, because of Phoenix Wright, even though he'd strayed from his own predetermined defense attorney path, Miles Edgeworth had discovered the integrity of what being a prosecutor truly meant, and had been inspired to become a better version of the man he used to be.

 _In this life, my good friend, you aren't the fountains in the park or the fireworks on the fourth of July. You aren't a fine wine or an aged cheese._ Edgeworth thought, wishing he could find the courage to say the words aloud. _You are fresh air and clean water, you are rich soil for the harvest and the sweet spring rain. You are all the things we don't know we need or love so dearly, until they are gone. So now that we swim in the tidewater near our third decades, I wish I could convey to you what you mean to me, what you mean to all those lives you have touched. No one can change the world in a single stroke, Wright, but with each act of trust, faith, and selfless deed, you made all the difference in the world and I feel blessed to know you._

Because of Miles Edgeworth's kindness and sense of justice at the tender age of nine, Phoenix Wright had discovered what his life's destined path would be.

 _He's got a kind of brutal honesty that tests most friendships, but I appreciate it. I'll always know where I stand with him. As a child, he was steadfast, and as an adult, he's not only that, but generous to a fault, both with his time and resources. I get the feeling that he has few friends, and so his loyalty to those who stick with him is fierce. Some friends are for a reason, some are for a season and some are for a lifetime. Edgeworth is for life. How I yearn to say all this to him!_ _I feel like words alone aren't enough here…I wonder if there's anything I can give him to express how I feel...?_

Suddenly inspiration struck him and he retrieved the whip Edgeworth had handed to him earlier.

"Please, take this," Phoenix urged softly, pressing it into the other man's resisting fingers. "Thank you...you two are just as much heroes as I am. It's all thanks to you two. You... and her."

"You don't need to thank me." Edgeworth coughed. "I was only doing my job."

Phoenix peered earnestly into the other man's eyes, silently trying to convey the message he still didn't feel prudent to say.

 _Take this to her, Edgeworth._ ** _Go_** ** _to her_** _, wherever she is. I know your heart is already there, which is the_ ** _real_** _reason,_ ** _not work_** _, that you want to leave so soon…_

Edgeworth got the message. He nodded. "I'll see you around, Wright."

"Good luck!" Phoenix called after him, although uncertain if his friend had heard.

"It looks like Mr. Edgeworth has left, Mr. Nick," Pearl observed behind him, before turning to her cousin. "Hey, Mystic Maya?"

The spirit medium paused in the middle of shoveling one of the three pieces of cake on her plate into her mouth. "Hmm? Yes, Pearly?"

"I guess you two can go back to being lovey-dovey, right?" Pearl clapped her hands. "You and Mr. Nick, I mean..."

Maya turned fifty shades of red then.

"P-Pearly!" She spluttered. "Would you cut it out already!? You're embarrassing me!"

Had Phoenix's own cheeks not been flaming simultaneously at the time, he would have laughed himself silly at how hilariously Maya had managed to shoot pink pastry icing out of her mouth as she voiced her protests!

After some skirmish about who would pay the bill – including the $3000 one for Lotta's new camera – Maya had oh-so-valiantly offered her boss to be the sole payer, while Phoenix, of course, had voiced a very loud _Objection!_ Regarding such matters, Pearl turned to Phoenix and Maya, pressing her hands to her pink cheeks and assuming her most angelic expression.

"I'm so happy that you could save Mystic Maya, Mr. Nick! And I'm so happy for the two of you!" The little spirit medium affixed them with a bright, hopeful smile. "Speaking of... I think this hotel is a popular place for honeymooners...So I sort of... made reservations for the two of you... Just in case!"

The last thing Miles Edgeworth heard before he exited the main doors of the Gatewater Hotel were the indignant squawks of Phoenix and Maya at a decibel which, up until that point, he'd thought only _dogs_ could hear!

"Pearls! You did _what_?! _When_ did you even get your hands on my _credit card?!"_

"Pearly! _What the hell?_!"

The prosecutor chuckled to himself as he climbed into his Alfa Romeo and headed towards the direction of where the device beeping had come from.

 _Good luck, Wright!_ He thought with amusement. _Looks like I'm not the only one who's going to need it!_

 _ **The Rembrandts – I'll Be There For You**_

 _A/N: Those of you who've read my Fredgeworth story, **The Ties That Bind** , know exactly where Miles rushed off to after he left that dinner party - as well as what happened! ;)_

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 84**

 **Cyberchao X**

The great thing about the Ace Attorney series is that Phoenix has such great chemistry with so many different people – that's why people see the potential of so many possible pairings – and it's believable!

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Phoenix is a genius in the courtroom – there's no law that decreed him to be one outside of it as well! He's not Edgeworth! LOL. I think him being so adorkably clueless is part of his charm – it keeps him from being too perfect, and therefore, relatable.

This chapter focused a lot on the Wrightworth Bromance – I hope you liked it. You're right – Nick without Miles is like peas without carrots – the two need _each other_ to balance out but in this case particularly, Edgy really saved his skin. How wonderful to see a chip in that normally icy exterior of his!

Telling Maya about his realization? I don't know if you've read the trilogy but …it didn't happen for another _year_ …and a few more Maya near death experiences… XD

 **Chloemcg**

Yes, he finally realized it! And it only took him another year to tell her! LOL. I'd like to think this case was an eye-opener for Phaya in the game – after all, in her darkest hour, she thought of him canon wise – so it gave me a wonderful foundation to build upon!

Your feedback really makes my day English Rose! Truly, you do! As for your wonderful FF…Maya had a thing for Nick…is there any way at all amidst all the violence ensuing…that mayhap he could return said crush? I personally am dying to know about Bella's daddy…as for the Phantom's sudden turnabout…will that be further explored? Will he be an unexpected ally? I love those…the unexpected bad guy is a great angle…but what's more tragic/better drama than a bad guy suddenly becoming redeeming…and then still getting killed somehow? (or not, up to you?)


	86. In My Life

_But of all these friends and lovers_  
 _There is no one compares with you_  
 _And these memories lose their meaning_  
 _When I think of love as something new_  
 _Though I know I'll never lose affection_  
 _For people and things that went before_  
 _I know I'll often stop and think about them_  
 _In my life, I love you more_

* * *

 _A/N: In **The Ties That Bind** , Franny and Edgeworth wind up being together because of the love advice given to Edgy by Phoenix and Maya after he made a fateful phone call to the defense attorney. This chapter begins with the aftermath of what happened with Phaya after Edgy hung up._

* * *

 **Chapter Eight-Six: In My Life**

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey_** _  
_ _Wright & Co. Law Offices_  
March 23, 2018 10:15 pm

The duo stood there in disbelief listening to the dead silence on the phone, as the third voice that'd been on the line had since departed without their notice.

"I can't believe Mr. Edgeworth _hung up on us_!" Maya was positively indignant. "How _rude_!"

"Well, we _did_ sort of go off on a tangent," Phoenix admitted sheepishly. "Considering the poor guy was coming to me for love advice about what to do with the whole Franziska thing and then somehow we got on the topic of your cousin and her Special Someone spiel…"

"Right! I remember now!" Maya recollected, then cleared her throat. "Um, hey, Nick?"

"Yeah, Maya?"

"Er, why are we still talking to each other on the phone when I'm right next to you?"

Phoenix turned around, the telephone still at his ear, and snickered as he realized Maya was indeed correct – she was standing beside his desk in the office, with the cordless phone still held against her head.

"The only reason _you_ were on the phone was because you decided to snoop in on that very personal phone call, Miss Nosy," he teased, replacing the receiver back in the cradle. "All this time I thought you and Pearls had gone to bed. Which is where _you_ should be too! It's been one helluva day for all of us!"

"I got up to go to the bathroom and overheard you saying all this sweet stuff about moving heaven and earth to ensure we stayed in touch!" Maya smirked, completely unapologetic. "How could I not want to _investigate_!

"You mean _eavesdrop_ , don't you?" Phoenix corrected gruffly, his cheeks reddening as he realized just _how_ telling his half of the conversation with Edgeworth had been and wondering just how much his assistant had listened in on when she'd picked up on the other line. "A man is entitled to _some_ privacy, Maya, you know that don't you?"

"Oh come on, Nick, we're best friends!" Maya flashed a cheeky grin. "Surely you don't have secrets from little ol' me?"

Phoenix's hand reflexively went into his pants pocket, his fingers wrapping protectively around the small box within it and smiled innocuously.

"Of course not," he assured her. "I'm only _kidding_!"

 _Man am I lucky she takes off her magatama when she goes to bed and didn't think of putting it back on when she came downstairs to find me!_ He thought nervously. _I'm sure there's about a million red psyche locks she'd be able to see in front of my face if she had!_

"That's good to hear!" She clasped her hands in front of her chest and put on a sunny smile. "But while we're on the topic of laughing matters…did you sort out that mess with the Gatewater Hotel about the Honeymoon Suite reservations Pearly made for us tomorrow night?"

"I did, actually. In fact, I may even have some good news on that front. " Phoenix broke into a smile then, as he recalled the outcome of that whole situation. "Actually, I was going to talk to you about that in the morning, but since you're awake…

"You mean you're not mad at her anymore?" Maya demanded, her eyes wide with surprise. "I figured you'd be suing that stupid hotel for taking a credit card reservation from an _eight-year-old!_ I thought you'd be furious! _I'm_ furious, and it wasn't even _my_ card!"

"Yeah, I was too, at first, as you very well know!" Phoenix chuckled. "And then even _more_ so when they told me that hotel policy dictated that due to the high-demand of the executive suites and rooms, they're non-refundable, and all reservations are final. Ergo, they simply can't afford to refund the cash for them."

"That's terrible!" Maya looked at him with even further incredulity. "For one thing, you're not even _engaged_! For another, the cost of such a luxe room there will cost you a _fortune_! I mean, you were complaining about the cost of just me, you and Pearly's plates for dinner! Surely it's more than the cost of Lotta's camera, which your stingy self refused to pay by the way!" She waved her finger at him in disapproval.

"Maya, I am _not_ a bank, nor am I rich! Also, I don't owe that frizzy-haired, Southern she-devil a _gosh-darn_ thing!" Phoenix rebutted for the millionth time. "Yes, the room will cost an arm and a leg, but we are _absolutely_ going! Costs be damned!"

"B-But… _why_ , Nick?" Maya looked positively stupefied.

"Because you're worth it," Phoenix replied simply. "I think after the hell on earth you and Pearl and I have been through these last few days, we're entitled to a little luxury, are we not?"

This was too much. Despite having had zero qualms about shamelessly spending Phoenix's meager, hard-earned dollars for her every whim, without a second thought, in the past, Maya's reflective time in captivity had taught her to take nothing for granted. The spirit medium flopped down in the chair across from his desk and shook her head vehemently.

"No, Nick. I _can't_ let you do this! That's a _five-star hotel_!" She protested. "You'll never be able to pay for it in a _dozen_ lifetimes!"

"Actually, if people are true to their word…" Phoenix paused for dramatic effect and flashed her a shit-eating grin. "As of tomorrow morning, I shall be able to pay for it within _this_ lifetime, _no_ problem!"

" _Whaaaat_?" Her jaw dropped open.

"I slipped away to the front desk during the fiesta to talk about this whole Honeymoon Suite thing, not to mention get away from the aggravating sounds of Lotta's squawking about me not paying for her camera, and Will Powers and Gumshoe Powers noisily counting their _combined change_ to pay for their portion of dinner, and fretting that they'd have to do dishes." Phoenix explained, smiling sardonically at the memory. "As I turned away, completely disgruntled when the snooty concierge broke the news about how we were stuck with said room, I got a _very surprising_ phone call…"

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright_** _  
_ _Gatewater Hotel Lobby_  
March 23, 2018 8:00 PM

"Phoenix Wright speaking."

"Mr. Wright. How nice to speak to you again after so long."

Phoenix grimaced. The man's cadence on the line was strangely familiar, and somehow, _grotesque_. Was it even possible for a person's voice to sound – _moist_?!

"Thanks. Er, who's this?"

"How r00d can j00 get!" The voice sounded like it was slobbering on something. "J00 don't remember ME!? It's Sal Manella. I'm the Global Studios television director!"

 _Ugh_. The lawyer barely squelched a disgusted sound, which he hoped the other man hadn't heard. _Of course_ he hadn't forgotten the perverse, repulsive _human Wet-Nap_ of a man - the associated harrowing memories of him were _eternally seared_ into both Phoenix and Maya's skulls!

Sal Manella was the aptly named, _walking bacteria_ director of _The_ _Steel Samurai_ and _The_ _Pink Princess_ s shows _,_ who tended to sweat profusely and salivate excessively at the mere mention of a pretty girl, or food, which he always seemed to have in his mouth. Phoenix wasn't at all surprised that the morbidly obese glutton was in the midst of feeding his face right now, as he was presently being forcibly subjected to listening to the _disgusting_ slurping sounds on the other end of the line!

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" He asked politely, waiting patiently for the other man to noisily swallow whatever wad of foodstuff he was chewing beforehand.

"I'm calling on behalf of the new head producer of the studio, who is the successor of Dee Vasquez since her ah, regretful departure from Global," Manella explained. "Mr. Shea V. Yerbush would like to have me thank you for all your work in the Matte Engarde trial."

Phoenix was speechless – and it wasn't just from hearing the hilarious but _unfortunate_ moniker of the man who now ran the studio. Global was _grateful_ to him? For putting one of their hugest stars, _The Nickel Samurai_ , in the slammer?!

"Mr. Yerbush feels most grateful for the horrible media publicity you have saved our studio by getting Engarde declared guilty and sparing us the stigma of having a potential murderer on our payroll," Manella explained, noting Phoenix's silence. "He and his partner, Haywood Jablomi have invested a lot of money in the studio since restoring its reputation after that Will Powers incident, and are hardly keen about letting it get dragged through the mud again."

"Well, you're welcome then, I guess?" Phoenix was still confused. "However, I still don't understand…"

" _Names notwithstanding_ , these are men of the highest reputable esteem," the director interrupted, sounding like he was chewing on something again. "They value trust between themselves and their subordinates above all else, and it was obviously misplaced in Engarde. Not to mention the fact that we no longer have to pay his outlandish salary! Did you know that criminal activity completely nulls and voids his contact?"

"I, er –" Phoenix was too flabbergasted to come up with an intelligible reply.

"Therefore, for having saved Global monetary squandering, as well as more future scandal and burden down the line," Manella went on, as though Phoenix hadn't spoken. "Mr. Yerbush and Mr. Jablomi wanted me to let you know that they intend to pay respect to those who have aided them, wittingly or unwittingly. A check will be couriered to your law offices at 9:00 tomorrow morning, Mr. Wright. The amount will be what Engarde would have paid for your legal fees, plus a little extra."

"T-there must be a catch here!" Phoenix exclaimed, at last finding his voice once he heard the staggering sum. "There's no way your studio could make such a magnanimous a gesture without wanting _something_ in return?!"

"They do," the soggy hog admitted. "The one condition is your unconditional cooperative silence, Mr. Wright. In the unlikely event you are approached by any of the media who will try to link a connection to your previous case with the studio, or with Global Studios in any way, you deny any and all involvement of either entirely. It would also be in your better interest to deny any association while you're at it."

 _No need to twist my arm!_ Phoenix thought wryly. _The sooner I leave any and all memories of Global Studios behind, none of which were good, the better! So this is essentially hush money. No problem! I know when to keep my mouth shut!_

"I shall take your silence as acquiescence," Manella noted. "Now, I just need to confirm your address."

As Phoenix recited the information to the director, he was still dumbfounded at this latest unexpected turn of events. Somehow, though, through the recesses of this reeling mind, he heard himself manage to utter a _thank you_.

"It's my pleasure," Manella told him, before assuming his typical nauseating lascivious tone. "How is my _delectable_ _Pink Princess_ doing? You know she's the one who triggered my CR34T1V3 P0W3RZ, along with _creating quite the stir_ in my _…"_

 _Gah! Maya_ ** _still_** _has the occasional nightmare about the lecherous Otaku and his ever-roaming gaze, which had always made her feel like she needed a shower afterward!_

"She's fine, thanks! I should get back to her now, we're at a party in her honor. Thanks again!" With that, Phoenix quickly hung up.

Still in a daze, the spiky-haired man found himself wandering into _Belle Epoque_ , the small corner jeweler's shop that he'd passed through about a dozen times the past few days, situated just outside the hotel lobby.

As he entered, he was recognized by the same elegantly thin, fussy-looking silver-haired saleslady, whose gold-plated nametag read _Ainsley_.

"Mr. Wright," she greeted him with a bright smile. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Good evening, Ainsley," Phoenix smiled. "I'll bet you know what I want to look at."

"It's still here, you know," she told him with a conspiratorial wink as she unlocked the glass counter drawer. "I know you really seemed to like it when you came in the other day and asked me about what a nice token of affection would be for the special lady in your life. I sensed you would be back, so I tried to keep it sort of hidden in the back row behind the more _ostentatious_ pieces. Would you like to look at it again?"

Phoenix nodded mutely, his eyes transfixed on the exquisite adornment on a braided gold necklace he'd previously eyed on several occasions.

When Maya had been kidnapped, he'd wanted to have some sort of token, some sort of symbol of hope, to show how much she meant to him, which he wanted to gift her with if she ever came back to him. The minute he'd set his gaze on that heart-shaped gold pendant, he'd known it was perfect for Maya. At the time, he hadn't bought it because it'd seemed like a frivolous expense, in the grand scheme of things, as the item was definitely outside his affordable budget, and he'd had to consider the fact that Pearl would most likely been his ward if anything horrible had happened to his assistant.

But now that Maya had been brought back to him, really, what was a few dollars compared to the joy it would bring her?

"It's a locket," Ainsley told him, opening up the pendant and showing him the open sides where two small photos could fit. "It's a hand-crafted, exclusive creation from Europe and it's the only one we have like it. If you were to purchase it today, I can also do custom engraving for you, at no additional charge."

"Sounds perfect." His eyes lit up. "I'll take both the chain and locket, please." He handed over his credit card without a second thought, still smiling ruefully at Pearl's pickpocket ability to have gotten it out of his wallet without his notice. If that slight-of-hand magician-like skill wasn't proof she was Maya's cousin, he didn't know what was!

"Did you have an inscription in mind?" Ainsley asked, as she took out a pen and paper to jot down whatever it was.

Smiling, Phoenix told her.

"That's so romantic!" She gushed, clasping her hands to her chest and swooning slightly, making the attorney blush slightly. "That's one lucky lady you've got there, Sir!"

A few minutes later, the small velvet box secured in his pocket, Phoenix headed back to the party, whistling cheerfully to himself. The small token had cost him some pretty big bucks, but he knew Maya was worth it. It definitely helped sweeten the deal that it wouldn't take him half a year to pay off his Visa, either!

As the news of the director's phone call further sank in, a broad smile crept over the attorney's face. He'd finally gotten a break after all, it seemed. If what Sal Manella had said was true, then it appeared this festive shindig wouldn't bankrupt him after all. In fact, Phoenix was going to go right back to his guests and tell Powers and Gumshoe not to worry about getting dish panned hands, he would gladly pay for their plates that night! Heck, he'd even pay for Lotta's too. He'd certainly be able to afford to now!

However, he _still_ wasn't paying for that blasted woman's camera!

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey_** _  
_ _Wright & Co. Law Offices_  
March 23, 2018 10:20 pm

"Ugh, Nick, you _could spared me the traumatizing part of the story_ where that horrendous warthog asked about me!" Maya shuddered, scowling as Phoenix sniggered at her reaction. "But that is _such_ great news! I can't wait to tell Pearly tomorrow morning! Did Manella happen to mention how much the check was going to be for?"

Phoenix told her the 5-digit amount, which was easily a good few 4 to 6 month's salary, and she let out an ecstatic whoop.

"Oh my God, Nick! You should defend homicidal Hollywood stars more often!" Maya crowed. "With _that_ kind of money, we can actually afford to maybe even _buy_ those plushy hotel towels and robes, not just steal them like I planned to!" With that she threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him over backward with the effusive vigor of the action.

Startled, but happy to hold her, Phoenix returned the embrace, until the two were finally clasped together in a warm, slow and luxurious hug, each feeling all the stressful, hellacious events of the last 72 hours melting away as they melded together, chests rising and falling against one another's, breaths in unison, as they felt the warm blood in each other's embrace. He buried his head in her fragrant hair as she nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder.

"It feels good to be back, Nick," she whispered, drawing back and looking searchingly into his eyes.

"I'm so happy to _have_ you back, Maya," he whispered, reaching up and smoothing an errant lock of satiny ebony hair off her cheek.

"Nick, I…" She began at the exact same time he started with "Maya….I…"

They both stopped and laughed.

"You first," he urged softly, tucking the stray strands behind her ear.

"Nick…I just – I wanted you to know…"

Maya's words were suddenly interrupted by a loud, piercing scream from upstairs, effectively breaking the spell.

"Oh my God, _Pearly_!" She cried, breaking free from Phoenix's arms and casting an apprehensive glance over her shoulder as she raced up the steps leading to the loft. "She must have had a nightmare, and then panicked when she woke up and I wasn't there in the bed with her…"

Phoenix was hot on her heels, reaching the room just in time to see Maya cradling the little girl in her arms on the bed, making soothing, reassuring sounds to her as Pearl cried, whimpering that she'd had an awful dream that the "bad man who tried to hurt Mystic Maya had come back to steal her away again."

"Shhh…I'm here, Pearly, it's OK. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." Maya rocked the little spirit medium against her, looking apologetically at him over the head of the child, whose eyes were starting to drift closed. "She's starting to drowse now," she whispered. "I'll see you in the morning, Nick."

He nodded silently and went down the hall to his own room to change into his pajamas, peeking into the girl's room one last time before he hit the hay, and saw the two of them snuggled tightly together on the bed. Maya was holding her cousin against her, and Pearl's head for the most part was buried against Maya's chest, her caramel strands sticking out behind like she'd just woken up from a long nap. Her tiny fingers were curled into the fabric of Maya's nightshirt, not clasping it tightly, but just enough to reassure her they were staying together.

The two looked like a like such a picturesque maternal vision of The Madonna and Child that in spite of the circumstances, Phoenix's heart was filled with so much love for both girls at that moment he thought it would surely burst.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Gatewater Hotel Lobby_  
March 24, 2018 8:00 PM

As it turned out, in spite of Phoenix's offer to bring Pearl along with them to the suite the following evening, Gumshoe, who'd had to take Maya's statement for the formal police records earlier that afternoon regarding the whole kidnapping ordeal, offered to babysit Little Missy for the night.

It was his way of conveying his thanks to Phoenix for his dinner generosity, which had saved him from getting dish panned hands!

Pearl had been delighted to spend the evening at the flat of the Scruffy Detective, who would be joined by his _new friend_ , Maggey Byrde. The former police woman was babysitting her little out of town nephew for her sister that weekend anyway. Maya's sole stipulations were that she forbade Gumshoe from getting behind the wheel of the car that weekend as he was still recovering from his head injury. And secondly, her little girl was only to be in the vehicle if _Maggey_ was driving! The detective had blushingly agreed, fully aware of how his recent collision with a telephone pole had made the normally easy-going spirit medium weary of his motor skills!

Phoenix was just finishing checking them into the suite at the front desk, which had been reserved under Mr. Nick, when suddenly his cell rang. Juggling the room keys and his overnight bag with one hand, he hastily clapped the phone to his head with his free one, without checking to see who the caller was.

"Phoenix Wright speaking…"

"Hi Mr. Nick! I just wanted to tell you and Mystic Maya to enjoy your special room of love tonight!"

 _Pearls_. He closed his eyes and let out a long suffering sigh. _What am I going to do with you?_

Luckily, Maya saved him the trouble of having to reply to such an embarrassing statement.

"Pearly, don't you dare start on that again!" Her voice was uncharacteristically stern. "You know that you've been very naughty, going behind Nick's back and squandering such a huge amount of money like that without his permission!"

"I'm sorry Mystic Maya," Pearl replied in a small voice. "I just wanted to do something nice for you after what you've been through, and do something that would make Mr. Nick happy too, because he's been so sad without you when that bad man took you away…"

Maya felt all her ire draining out of her then. How could she possibly stay angry at this innocent child, who lived and breathed for her happiness? And it just so happened that her time away had made her realize that her cousin's fantasies _did_ hold validation. Maya _did_ love Phoenix.

 _But a girl loving a guy doth_ ** _not_** _a couple make!_ She silently screamed in frustration, wishing Pearl would understand that. _It takes_ ** _two_** _to tango, kiddo! And as far as I know, I'm dancing with_ ** _myself_** _!_

"Pearly, next time you want to do something nice, buy Nick a new coffeemaker or buy me _The Pink Princess_ collector's edition merchandise!" Maya said at last, in a gentler tone. "You know it's a fluke that Nick wound up getting the money to pay for all this, right? And that it doesn't grow on trees?"

"But money is made from paper," Pearl sounded confused. "And paper comes from trees, so how does that work, Mystic Maya?"

Maya emitted a silent moan. As much as she loved her cousin like her own daughter at this point, there were also times, like this one, where she could just as easily have cheerfully _throttled_ her!

Seeing her disgruntled expression, Phoenix hastily grabbed the phone back before the spirit medium exploded.

"We're going to go now, Pearls," he said quickly. "Be a good little girl for Ms. Byrde and Detective Gumshoe, OK? And play nice with little Joshua too!"

"I will, Mr. Nick! Josh is pretty cool, even though he's a boy! He taught me how to make a homemade sling-shot and he told me when it's winter time in Colorado, he can write his name in snow!"

 _I_ ** _don't_** _want to know…_ Phoenix pinched the bridge of his nose. "We'll see you tomorrow morning Pearls!" Ringing off, he turned to Maya and extended his arm to her. "Shall we go our room?"

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey_** _  
_ _Gatewater Honeymoon Suite_  
March 24, 2018 8:05 PM

"Woooooooooooooow!" Maya whistled appreciatively as they entered the luxurious room and dropped their bags by the door.

Phoenix's jaw dropped as he took in their surroundings. The enormous suite, was about three times the size of his apartment and office space combined!

"So this is how the other half lives," Maya breathed as she walked around the place. "If rich people spend a single night in a room like this, just imagine how they must live _every day_!"

The sky-lit grand entrance led to a library, attached to a majestic living room, with a comfortable sitting area. It had plush carpeting so deep, their toes disappeared, along with deluxe furnishings in beige and burgundy tones. It also boasted an 80- inch flat screen TV (the largest either of them had ever seen!) and Crestron technology for remote-controlled media, sound system, lighting and curtains – all state-of-the-art media equipment. Next to this was an intimate dining room, which had an elegant ebony table and a dramatic, boat-shaped crystal chandelier. A Granite-countertop kitchenette area, with a fully stocked bar fridge, was adjacent to the eating area.

The master bedroom featured motorized drapery, a stunning colossal California King bed, topped with sumptuous Italian linens, as well as a 42-inch″ plasma TV, espresso machine and a cocktail shaker, just in case they wanted to mix their own drinks, as well as his and hers walk-in closets. Both wardrobes connected to the spectacular marble bathroom, complete with a high-tech toilet and climate steam shower for two, a deep soaking tub, mirrors with integrated, custom-designed televisions, and in the master suite, a high-tech toilet with a bidet.

It was definitely a room with a view - shuttered doors opened to the recently renovated over 2000 square foot terrace, furnished for outdoor living and dining, and featuring a 270-degree views of Rodeo Drive and the Hollywood Hills.

The pièce de résistance was the fresh rose petals that were scattered throughout the rooms, along with a huge silver ice bucket, with complimentary sparkling wine and chocolate-covered strawberries on the coffee table.

"I guess this means I get to pretend I'm Edgeworth for the night," Phoenix joked. "One night of blissful fantasy, then back to humbling reality tomorrow, where I can be _painfully_ reminded of how poor I am!"

"Come on, it was hardly chump change that Global studios gave you!"

"Yes but it won't last forever, especially not with _you_ around to make me spend it on burgers and toys!"

"Bah! Stop being such a sour puss and enjoy this night of living the high life with me, Old Man!" Maya laughingly responded, barging into the living room and standing in the middle of it. She spun in a circle, giddily taking everything in, then began to spin faster and faster, like a pirouetting ballerina, nearly making him dizzy just observing.

Phoenix watched as this tiny dancer of a girl whirled around like poetry in motion, admiring the way her glossy raven hair flew outwards from her body. Everything about her was sleek and graceful. With her yukata shawl removed, he was free to gaze upon the enchanting form which the bulky outfit normally obscured; could see the full length of her slim arms as they tapered up to her narrow shoulders and followed a path down from her slender body to her smooth legs. While she wasn't a buxom beauty like her sister had been, instead she was graced with a more subtle, gentler attractiveness, one you truly had to take the time to see in order to appreciate.

And appreciate he did. He couldn't stop staring at her. He was afraid that if he did, he might lose her again, and that terrified Phoenix more than anything else.

But despite the mess of the Engarde trial they'd been involved in, Maya was back to being her usual self. Except something was off; it was as though she was trying a little too hard to act like everything was normal, and it was almost as if she was not only trying to convince Phoenix that she was okay, but _herself_ as well. It was unnerving.

As he watched her flittering about the hotel room, he fought the urge to tell her, "It's okay to cry sometimes. You don't always have to be the clown who makes sure everyone else is smiling."

Maya wasn't the only one trying to recover, though. A lack of sleep and huge amounts of stress from the whole Engarde disaster were starting to catch up with him, and he'd been plagued with nightmares, including the night before, where he'd dreamed he'd been experiencing the whole thing all over again, except he couldn't save her this time.

 _I've missed you so much._

Phoenix mentally slapped himself. He wanted to ensure everything would be perfectly normal and platonic, but all of a sudden a thought like that would pop into his mind, which he knew could make things weird, and he'd stifle his sudden urges to hold her close. He certainly didn't want to make things awkward between them while he came to terms with his newly discovered feelings, and was going to do his best not to act on them and ruin this amazing friendship. Every time he looked at her, he couldn't look away, and then she'd tease him for spacing out like that, and Phoenix would laugh and apologize, blush spreading into his cheeks for an entirely different reason than Maya thought.

"So, what do you want to do?" He asked at last.

"Well we're in the _honeymoon_ suite…" she grinned mischievously. "So we ought to be doing _honeymoon_ stuff!"

His jaw dropped again. _"Wh-what?"_

 **The Beatles - In My Life**

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 85**

 **Yanmegaman –** Better late than pregnant – er, _never_! :p

No worries at all punny man, I'm just happy that you're still on this crazy train!

Phoenix Wright is truly the shoemaker with no shoes, isn't he? And just think…in my series…it still took him another YEAR (and a martini to the face!) to make him admit how he felt! XD

This is the last of gaming coverage – next stop…picks up right after where Edgy left the fiesta! Hope you likey!

 **Ilet Moratar**

Indeed, Nick and the perfect prosecutors made quite the unstoppable legal trio didn't they? Pity Franny didn't seem to soften up until fate brought them all together again in T & T! (Hey as long as she came around eventually!)

I know you're a Fredgeworth lover, and in my mind, this game was where it all began…so am happy you picked up on the subtle hints I tried to worm in there between Miles and Franny while still sticking to the canon script!

Ah, Capcom, the creators of wonderful character development and subtlety (silences/looks speaking louder than words!) when it comes to romances and teasing you with them but never following through! (That's what geeks like me are for – to pick up where they left off!) :p

I like being compared to an opera…although I hope my FF isn't seen as being as tragic as most of them!

 **Chloemcg**

Am so glad you like this FF - it's hard to get loyalty for a non Miles X Phoenix story on the sites! XD

We will be rounding the bend to 2026 - and the year of AJ hopefully by Feb...I have tried to get through these 7 years of disbarment as best as I can sticking to canon timeline but when we get back to present...we are least nearly in second quarter of 2025 - and there will be segway to some more twists and turns that will prelude into the AJ SL! Fasten your seatbelts!

I need to revisit Fredgeworth as last time we saw them they were at the cemetery! Off to check out some puppy love now!

 **Chapter 84**

 **Ilet Moratar**

You're most welcome amiga! I have done my best to use a lot of the wonderful poetry you have given me as best as I can, (keep bringing it on!) along with a lot of your wonderful ideas and suggestions!

" _You're my cute porcupine with pretty eyes!"_

Yup, did my best to keep her as cute and silly in this FF (well when she was younger and carefree anyway…before she grew up and shit got real!) as in the games….Maya Fey, queen of the shit-eating grin and often, hilarious one-liners! (If you remember the first Phaya story, Maya called him a porcupine _then_ too…albeit in a _much less endearing manner_ though! Lol)

Good grief I will never look at porcupines the same way again after that Outlander anecdote! I do love Jamie though (possibly the hottest red-haired man on the planet!) and I can totally see the parallels with him and Nick as romantic leads…both headstrong, passionate about EVERYTHING, act first, think later…and keep getting into precarious, painful and near death situations but appear to be unbreakable!

 **Chapter 1**

 **Guest**

With regards to your question ..there was a certain detail mentioned in this chapter that was also implied in the infamous split chapter as well...I hope that helps!


	87. You Make Me Wanna

" _Three words with eight letters "I LOVE YOU" can make you to give away everything you own in life."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: This will be the final Phaya flashback for a while. I've been splitting chapters up due to length, otherwise it would have been done awhile back...the final JFA case was loooong! Back to the future - er, present tense, next chapter!_

* * *

 **Chapter Eighty-Seven** **:** **You Make Me Wanna**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Gatewater Honeymoon Suite_  
March 24, 2018 8:05 PM

"I-I didn't mean _that_ honeymoon stuff!" Maya insisted with cheeks both puffed from annoyance and red from embarrassment. " _Sheesh_! Get your head out of the gutter, Old Man! I mean this hotel has to have like a pool or something awesome we can't do at home."

Her dark eyes lit up as they fixed on the bucket of champagne on the coffee table then.

"I know! Let's grab this bottle of bubbly and enjoy it someplace with fresh air and a great view! Like…the roof of this place!"

"Even _if_ I overlook the request for the sparkling wine and _don't_ remind you that _you still aren't legally_ old enough to drink…" Phoenix began, only to be cut off with a fierce scowl in his direction.

"Come off it, you Old Fart!" Maya huffed. "This is supposed to be my _honeymoon_ for Pete's sake!"

Phoenix wasn't about to touch _that_ one with a ten-foot pole!

"OK fine, even if I indulge you and let your underage self partake in some bubbly this once, Maya, we're _already_ on the _14_ _th_ floor," he reminded her. "And I don't think there's much fresh air to be had in L.A. We could always just use the balcony and the view in our room."

Truthfully, even _that_ would be pushing it for him…but at least it was a semi-enclosed place, and he'd be all right on the terrace as long as he didn't look down. His assistant had conveniently forgotten his fear of heights.

"But that's so _boring_!" Maya crossed her arms. "I want to _live_ a little, you know?"

"And your only way of experiencing the _joie de vivre_ is going atop of the roof of this hotel, where am assuming it will be _illegal_ to go?" Phoenix was exasperated. "Why the heck would you want to go to the roof, anyway?"

"Oh gee, could it be because I've been cooped and locked away like a criminal in a dank, musty cellar these past few days?" She puffed out her cheeks. "All I wanted was just some fresh air and open sky…but you're right, it's probably a lame thing to do anyway…"

Phoenix looked at her sympathetically. As brutal as the entire case had been on him, he could not even fathom what it had been like for her.

"OK, you win. We can go to the roof," he conceded, wondering how he always let her talk him into these things.

"Yay!" Maya bounced up and down with excitement. "You're the _best_ , Nick! It'll be _so_ great! And don't worry about getting busted…what are they going to do, _ban_ us from ever returning to this _shi-shi, frou-frou_ hotel we can't afford, anyway?"

"Fair enough. However, if I'm going to be _that_ high off the ground, I'm going to need some Dutch courage first! Let's crack open that bottle _now_!"

Twenty minutes later, each with about three glasses of champagne and about a half dozen chocolate covered strawberries under their belts, a slightly _buzzed out_ and _sugar-shocked_ Phoenix and Maya were at the 30th level stairwell, which was the very top stairway of the hotel. Both stared in dismay at the six-foot high barred metal gate, which blocked the last flight of stairs leading to the roof.

The gate was locked, but that didn't stop Phoenix's determined spider-monkey assistant. With a boost from her reluctant partner in crime, she deftly hoisted herself up, climbed over the iron gate with surprising ninja-stealth, jumped down, and unlocked it from the inside, thus allowing a grudgingly impressed Phoenix to walk through it with comparable ease.

Not even bothering to wait for him to catch up, Maya eagerly dashed up the last flight of stairs leading to the rooftop entrance.

As Maya flung the door open, she flinched slightly at the burst of wind that hit her, but quickly overcame it and stepped out into the open. She stood in place, her gaze roaming upwards and a feeling of wonderment overtaking her.

"Holy cow! It's gorgeous up here! Check out this view, Nick! I'm on top of the world!"

Phoenix shook his head as he stepped outside, still astounded by her covetable energy, while briefly contemplating if the kidnapping had even _phased_ her at _all_. _Seriously_? All it had taken to have her forget all about the traumatic events… was a mere trip to the roof of a hotel? He didn't get it. After all, it was just a _roof_ …what was the big deal?

In the next instant, however, as all lucid thoughts left his mind, Phoenix completely understood Maya's desire to come up there. His tongue lay uselessly in his mouth as he encountered a scene straight out of a Hollywood film before him.

There, silhouetted against a canvas of the night sky with a full moon as the backdrop, robes and hair billowing gently in the breeze and soft light outlining her shape, stood Maya, face tilted up to the breeze, a look of enchantment on her face. As though sensing his presence next to her, she tilted her head towards him, eyes still blissfully closed, and beamed a beatific smile in his direction.

She was the most breathtaking sight he'd ever seen in his life.

Studying the pale moonlight on her visage, and realizing just how much he had missed that face the past few days, Phoenix was glad he'd braved his acrophobia. He'd never been good with heights, so it was rather odd how fine he was up on this roof. He wasn't feeling dizzy at all. Perhaps his inability to see the ground bolstered his bravery. It had been worth the risk, if it meant seeing that smile of hers. That smile…that was what he'd been fighting for the whole time.

 _ **I often fantasize the stars above are watching you. They know my heart, it speaks to yours like only lovers do.**_

He cast his gaze up with hers realized that he had never before seen the stars so clearly and brightly across the deep ebony feathers of night.

 _The twinkling of the stars are enchanting; they blink and flicker away, and yet always return like rogues hiding away in the shadows. Yet, no matter what planet, what galaxy, or what universe any small creature may be on, those fiery lights streaking across the skies in diffusing blue streaks will always be there._

And so would he. He wanted to be _wherever_ Maya Fey was from this day on, and never be separated from her again.

 _ **If I could wear your clothes I'd pretend I was you and lose control.**_

Maya shivered slightly in the night chill, so Phoenix took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders but she surprised him by still stepping back to lean against his chest, nuzzling into his warmth. He sank down to the roof and placed his hands behind him to support the both of them as they just continued observing the sky, simply enjoying the moment, forgetting about the nerve-wracking, gut-wrenching moments of the trial from hell. Right now, there was nothing around him. Even the buzz of the city several stories below was muted, allowing to bask in the calm of the night, a cool breeze, and a happy, very alive young woman contentedly seated in front of him.

"This is nice," Maya spoke at last, breaking the stillness.

 _ **What's it gonna be, 'cuz I can't pretend.**_

"It is," he agreed. "Thanks for getting me to come up here." Without thinking, he leaned forward and brushed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Maya stiffened then, and Phoenix suddenly felt like an idiot for breaking their contented moment with his thoughtless arduous act. He belatedly wondered if it would make things better or worse if he blamed the champagne for his behavior.

Rising to her feet, she stared down at him, although her expression was unreadable in the shadows of the rooftop.

"Wh- what was that for?" She asked. He was relieved to note she didn't sound angry – just genuinely confused.

 _ **Don't you want to be more than friends?**_

"I'm not really sure. I guess that was just my way of reminding myself you're still here." Phoenix got up too, keeping his gaze fixed on hers the entire time. "After nearly losing you twice in less than a year, maybe it finally hit home that I can't take you for granted. But if that made you uncomfortable in any way, or if I overstepped my boundaries, Maya, I'm sorry."

 _ **I often tell myself that we could be more than just friends.**_

"Nooo… _please, d_ on't be!" She whispered then, sounding almost teary all of a sudden.

 _Holy mood swing! I am totally blaming_ ** _hers_** _on the champagne!_

"I just – I'm the one who's sorry, Nick. I'm such a burden to you. I wish you didn't keep having to play hero and keep rescuing me…"

"Maya, don't be silly," he insisted. "None of anything that's happened has been your fault."

"Because of me, you lost your first case though," she stated miserably.

"None of that other stuff matters to me! You should know that by now." He shook his head. "I only cared about _you_ , Maya. _Your_ safety. My blemished record is a small price to pay if it that's what it took to bring my best friend back to me."

 _ **I know you think that if we move too soon it would all end.**_

She sniffled slightly, then looked up at him through her lashes. "You really mean that?"

 _You're the best friend that I ever had. I've been with you such a long time. You're my sunshine, and I want you to know that my feelings are true. I really love you._

But of course, he could never have the guts to say this aloud. He hadn't had _that_ much to drink!

"I really do." Phoenix cleared his throat. "I couldn't ask for a better partner or a better friend if my life depended on it."

Maya laughed then and lurched herself at him in a full-on, body lock hug.

"You're the most adorkable guy in the world, Phoenix Wright!" She looked up at him fondly. "But that's alright, because you're pretty much the _best_ guy in the universe. You know that?"

"You're just saying that because it's true!" He joked, returning the hug. "Although I have no plans to change my business cards to _Phoenix Wright, A Dork At Law_ . It might make people look at me funny."

"Nah, not if they _know_ you!" Maya tittered, then clutched his jacket more tightly around her and shuddered as cold breeze washed over them. "Let's go back to the room, you old fart! I'm freezing! And I know that chill up here can't be good for _your_ old, brittle bones either!"

Phoenix shook his head at her but was grinning as he raced her to the stairs.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Gatewater Honeymoon Suite_  
March 24, 2018 10:35 PM

A couple of hours– as well as about a dozen emptied mini-bottles from the fridge later – the now _very_ tipsy duo were zoned out in front of the ginormous television set in the living room. Two empty trays from the room service they'd ordered for dinner cluttered the coffee table, along with several emptied snack containers from the minibar as well.

Phoenix figured he had to be at least _somewhat_ inebriated at this point, since he was _completely_ unfazed by the fact that the _nosebleed prices_ from the minibar's consumed goods would result in his final hotel bill being _even more sky-high_ than the rooftop had been!

 _Oh well..._

The other reason he was glad that he was _buzzed out at nearly maximum capacity_ was there was _no other feasible way_ he could have withstood watching _Steel Samurai_ reruns, even on an impressive 80-inch plasma, while on his _honeymoon_ , otherwise!

Phoenix sighed as Maya flopped down back on the plush sofa from her umpteenth trip to the bathroom – she'd long since 'broken the seal' and had made at least three trips in the last hour alone! The defense attorney watched her reach for the remote and eagerly start flipping through TV channels, while finding himself yet again questioning her completely unchanged demeanor from the kidnapping whole ordeal. He should have been grateful that she'd gone back to her normal, cheery self, so surprisingly quickly…but still, something wasn't right. He was _sure_ of it.

"Boring… old… boring… hey, it's a _Pink Princess_ rerun!"

It was an episode Maya had taped, and she'd had him sit through it several times in the past. Phoenix sighed even more deeply.

Halfway through viewing the episode, or at least, _he_ watched _Maya_ watch it – she knew this one so well she could actually recite the dialogue along with the on screen actors – Phoenix had to admit that this time, he wasn't paying attention. His mind was elsewhere.

 _I love you_ , he wanted to say. _I was_ ** _losing my mind_** _without you – and it's driving me crazy that_ ** _you_** _seem so unfazed by this all! Either you're heartless…or hiding something! I don't know which is a worse possibility!_

But of course, he didn't say anything of the sort. Apparently, he hadn't loosened up enough from the alcohol to be _that_ brave! However – and he was going to blame the booze for this secondary act of inhibition since the roof – he couldn't stop from reaching over and brushing Maya's bangs out of her eyes before he realized what he was doing. It didn't take long for him to process what had happened when Maya's expression became as flustered as it'd been when he'd kissed her on the rooftop. She jerked her head in his direction, eyes wide and questioning.

Cursing himself, he quickly withdrew his hand as though he'd been scorched.

 _Stop touching her, Phoenix! Can't you see it makes her get all awkward and uncomfortable?!_

A tense silence arose between the pair, and Phoenix immediately regretted the action.

"I apologize – um, sorry." His face felt hot. "I just...I missed you."

 _ **I live in misery when you're not around.**_

A heavy silence followed, and he was uncertain what to say or do next to ease the awkwardness he'd unwittingly created.

"Don't worry about it!" Maya replied brightly, avoiding his eyes and turning back to the show. "My bangs are getting way too long, and I look like a sheepdog! I _so_ need to trim them! Thanks for looking out for me, Nick!"

Phoenix glanced at Maya out of the corner of his eye. Despite the fact that she was acting the same as she always did, and he knew he should be thankful for the reprieve he'd just gotten, he was having a bit of difficulty _believing_ it.

He'd only managed to prolong the trial and rescue her by the skin of his teeth, with the assistance of Edgeworth and Franziska's perfect timing, and had gone through mental stress- _complete and utter hell -_ beyond contemplation...And on the flipside, here was _Maya_ , happily tipsy and giggling at children's shows as though nothing had happened! This was yet another strain in itself on his psyche. He was going to lose his mind if he stayed silent about this another minute.

 _ **And I won't be satisfied till we're taking those vows.**_

Not caring that she'd be annoyed by the action, without warning, Phoenix hit the power button on the remote and turned the TV off.

" _Nick_!" Maya shrieked as though he'd set her hair on fire. "What gives?!"

"I can't take it anymore!" Phoenix cried, running a flustered hand through his spikes. "You and me, we need to talk."

"Sounds like a breakup speech," she joked. "I'd be worried if we were _actually_ dating! Luckily, we aren't, except in Pearly's imagination!" She lightly nudged him in the ribs to punctuate the quip, but then the smile died on her face when he continued to regard her with a somber expression.

Phoenix caught the bewilderment in her eyes and sighed inwardly. This was going to be harder than he'd thought, and apparently, Maya did not intend to make things any easier.

"I'm worried about you Maya. I feel like you're not levelling with me since…this all happened. Are you _sure_ you're alright?"

"Yes, _grandpa_ , for the 100th time, I'm _fine_ , so stop worrying about me!" Maya grinned and gave him a playful punch in the arm. "I mean, I may have some gut rot in the morning from mixing that tequila with the rum shots earlier but...that that don't kill me, can only make me stronger, right?"

"That's not what I meant!" Phoenix was fully agitated now, and it was evident in his sharp tone. Maya looked at him with the expression of a wounded puppy, which only made him even more aggravated. "I meant _you_ – not your stomach – _you_ , Maya. Are you sure you're totally fine?"

"Of course I'm fine! What answer are you looking for here, Nick? You think I have some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder from being abducted and need to see a shrink or something?" Maya exclaimed, words slightly slurred. Her eyes looked slightly dazed, although it wasn't clear if it was from the copious amount of alcohol consumed, fatigue, or the unexpected turn of conversation.

" _Goddammit_ Maya!" The easygoing attorney finally erupted like a volcano. "During that trial, this whole ordeal…I went through _fucking hell!_ I was willing to throw _my morals, my ethics, my values_ out the window and let a madman go free if it meant that you would live! At one point…I wasn't even sure if you were still alright or not…until I found your letter. So then, I was able to persevere, because as long as I knew you were okay, I knew I could keep fighting."

He buried his head in his hands then.

"I thought I'd have to choose between justice and obeying your last wishes…that I'd have to play _God_ with your life, until Franziska arrived with the evidence that allowed me to save you and ensure justice was served for Engarde at the eleventh hour."

"I had no idea, Nick," Maya stared at him, lower lip quivering. "I'm so sorry…you must think I'm some heartless, unfeeling jerk…"

"No, don't be _sorry_! I'd do it all again in a heartbeat! Because you mean _that_ much to me!" He cried, his voice heavy with emotion. "I was so _lost_ without you… _missing_ you… _worrying_ about you…and now it's just…here's _you_ , acting all carefree and merry and dandy, as though nothing happened at all!"

 _ **What's it gonna be 'cause I can't pretend?**_

He saw Maya's eyes well up slightly, and hated himself for having upset her, but there was a reason booze was labeled as truth serum, after all - he'd been unable to hold back the tide any longer.

"Nick, I am so sorry you had to endure all that because of me." Maya's eyes were on her lap, where her palms were clenching and unclenching into fists. She bit her lip. "The _only_ way I got through being locked up in that dark room, was because of my _unshakable faith in you_. I just knew that in the end, you'd save me, like you always have. B-because you're my hero…" She raised a hand to her quivering lips then and stopped, unable to go on.

Phoenix let out a long breath. As horrible as it sounded, he'd _needed_ to hear this from her – to know she wasn't acting glib out of complete indifference. Feeling about her the way he did, that would have _killed_ him.

 _ **Don't you wanna be more than friends?**_

Now that he knew he wasn't in love with a heartless, unfeeling automaton, he would just turn her brain-numbing show back on and they could go back to –

Suddenly, Phoenix felt Maya's shoulders shaking against him.

"M-Maya?" He looked at her hunched over form with alarm.

Phoenix put his hand on her shoulder and turned her towards him, astounded by the sight of the tears he'd noticed earlier forming in her eyes and silently rolling down her cheeks. She didn't cry very often, and he felt terrible that she was now, because it was his fault.

"Oh, Nick!" Maya wailed then, and suddenly flung her arms around his neck.

He sat there, stunned, uncertain how to react.

"I missed you too, Nick. I missed you so much!" Her voice broke.

Hesitantly, he returned the embrace, enveloping her in his arms, tightening his hold. He buried his head in her shoulder, inhaling her sweet vanilla scent. He'd ached to hold her like this when she was first returned safely, but he'd held back. It was never the right time, or there was an audience, or it would have given little Pearl more ammo for her whole Special Someone's beliefs…Although really, considering how he felt about Maya now, the little girl really wasn't so far off!

 _ **Hold me tight and don't let go.**_

Maya burst into tears and wrapped her arms more tightly around Phoenix's neck, crying into the stiff shoulder of his suit. Stunned, Phoenix slowly pulled Maya closer to him and hugged her awkwardly, not entirely sure how to comfort her but eventually figuring that silence would be the best company.

 _ **You have the right to lose control**_.

"It's all an act, Nick," Maya mumbled into his chest. "I've been trying so hard to put it behind me, and stay strong…for you, for Pearly…but all I did was make you think I didn't care! It's not true! Please, _please_ forgive me!"

 _ **Don't let go.**_

"For what?" he cupped her face in his hands, gently wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "There's nothing to apologize for."

 _ **You gotta make the sacrifice.**_

"I was...I was so terrified," she wept, looking at him with liquid chocolate brown eyes. "I was scared I was going to die. I was afraid that I wasn't going to see you or Pearly ever again. That was all I could think about when I was in that wine cellar…never seeing your faces again…" she dissolved into a fresh bout of tears.

 _ **Somebody's gotta choose.**_

"It's all right," He drew back so he could look at that beautiful, tear-stained face. "It's all over, Maya. You're here with me now. And you're safe." He pulled her tightly against his chest as she buried her head in his neck while she cried. He stoked her satiny hair. "I'm… I'm just glad you're safe."

 _ **We can make it if we try.**_

Just as she had done with Pearl the night before, Phoenix rocked her back and forth in his arms while soothingly rubbing her back. After a few moments, Maya's tears were reduced to quiet sniffles.

"Alcohol…bringing out the truth in its consumers since the beginning of mankind," he laughed softly, trying to lighten the mood. "There's a reason I barely drink. And I'm not letting _you_ again, either, Miss Fey. At least, not for another _year_ , when it'll be _legal_ then!"

Not a sound from Maya as he cradled her tiny form against his.

 _ **For the sake of you and I.**_

"I'm glad you finally opened up with me. Sometimes, even clowns take off the mask, Maya. You don't always have to put on a brave or funny face around me. Maybe with strangers, but not with _me_."

She'd stopped crying entirely, so Phoenix kept talking as she listened in captive silence.

 _ **Together we can make it right.**_

"You and me, Maya, it's hard to believe there was a time that _we_ ever were strangers. But _were_ we ever, really? I'm not too sure. I recall the day our bond was forged. It was like being let into the warmth after a lifetime of winter. That day I first saw you there was something even then, though I didn't know _what_ it was at the time," he mused aloud, absently running his fingertips in small circles on her back. "However, it was some sort of _connection_ ; granted, under the _worst circumstances possible_. Yet I still felt this… _affinity_ with you, even though I wasn't able to put it into words. I wonder if you ever felt like that too."

Maya was breathing softly and steadily against him now, still not responding, but Phoenix was barely mindful of that as he went on in his hazy liquored monologue.

"I wonder if there's an element of time that allows us to feel such emotions, like an orange glow bursting over a dark horizon. From the darkness of losing Mia…I forged this bond with you, and it brightened up my world. I hope it was the same for you too. It was like this warm, comforting light."

He rested his chin atop her head as he mulled this over.

"This light…it's like it was for our eyes only, something to carry us through this life. It was the dawn of the person I am today, the person I was destined to be. If that's being your hero, so be it. If it's being a good lawyer, and an even better man, then so much the better. If I had to do it all again, Maya, I wouldn't do a damn thing differently. That means I would defend you with my life even if the odds were insurmountable. I would do anything to keep you safe. I would give up anything in the world for you. Because you're worth it. Even though at times I've had to work hard to keep you comfortable and secure, in the end, I'd rather be poor in money than ever risk losing you."

Phoenix took a deep breath before speaking his next words. He uttered them as quickly as he could, before he lost his nerve.

"You are the greatest treasure of my life, Maya Fey. The one, the only one."

There was no answer. Time stretched on and there still was no response from Maya. Phoenix felt a tad apprehensive with the uncustomary silence from the normally overly talkative girl. How stupid could he have been to ruin the whole evening, maybe even their whole friendship like that? He'd said too much. She was obviously unsure of how to respond to his impromptu declaration of affection, and he was certain he'd overwhelmed her.

Biting back a curse, he drew back slightly to study her expression, wondering what her reaction would be to his speech, and his eyes widened in surprise.

It looked like the champagne and liquor had taken their toll. Maya's head was buried against his chest and she was fast asleep – or more than likely – _passed out_!

Phoenix shouldn't have been stunned– after all, these last few nightmarish days, _he'd_ barely gotten any sleep, so he should have expected this. As her head lolled on his shoulder, her eyelids tightly closed, the rest of her body slowly leaned into him, completely limp. He studied her sleeping form with a tender smile. She was actually quite cute in her sleep, he noticed. Her long hair was devoid of its usual ornaments and loosely scattered behind her, and the gentle snuffles and rhythmic rise and fall of her chest was oddly soothing to him, even though he knew that if she was in such deep slumber, more than likely, she hadn't heard a _word_ he'd said!

He blinked as that realization sank in, not sure if he was disappointed or relieved that his innermost feelings were still his own secret. Well, for _now_ , anyway. More than likely, they'd remain that way, as long as he _never_ consumed _another drop_ of 'truth serum' in the presence of Maya Fey _ever_ again!

With a sigh of resignation, he carefully hooked his arms underneath her knees, scooped up her slight form in his arms, and headed to the bedroom, where he stared at the mammoth bed in contemplation.

Well, getting the two of them on that colossal thing certainly wouldn't cause any awkward or accidental brushing or contact in the middle of the night! Phoenix observed with amusement. The mattress was about the size of a _football field_ – the _entire Raiders_ team could fit on it without ever once being in want of space, never mind an average-sized lawyer and a pocket-sized spirit medium!

He gently placed Maya onto the bed, lifting the bottom of the covers up and over, tucking them securely around her until she looked as snug as a bug in a rug before carefully adjusting the pillow underneath her head.

She didn't even budge once.

Phoenix brushed a strand of hair off her face, looking down at her peaceful form with a soft smile on his lips.

 _Love. When your heart melts like butter on hot toast at the sight of someone. When you feel lightheaded and free. When you ache to be with them, to look at them, to touch them. That is love._

Phoenix reached into his pocket and opened up the jeweler's box holding the locket, admiring how the shiny metal gleamed in his hand as his fingers traced over the engraved words on the back as he looked at her. He'd hoped he'd have the opportunity to give this to her tonight, but alas, it just wasn't meant to be.

He leaned over and lightly pressed his lips against her soft cheek.

"Someday, when this time is right, I hope I'll have the courage to say these words aloud to you, when you can hear them," he whispered. "But for now, I'll just be content to have you in my sights, where I know you're safe. I love you, Maya Fey. Sweet dreams."

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Gatewater Honeymoon Suite_  
March 25, 2018 1:30 AM

 _"_ _I love you Maya Fey."_

Maya sighed contently at the warming sensation creeping over her as his strong arms wrapped around her waist and she tilted her lips up to meet his. What a wonderful sound, hearing Nick say those words she'd been longing to hear for so long. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, having him love her. His mouth came closer and closer, and she could feel his warm breath on her face as she leaned in.

 _"_ _I love you, Phoenix Wright."_

At least, that's what she _wanted_ to say. However, she couldn't _make_ herself say it! Her tongue felt thick in her mouth, as though _glued_ in place, and her throat felt _parched_!

 _What the hell?!_

As Maya reluctantly felt herself awakening, her mind swam with intense images of that _glorious_ dream. She groaned, reluctant to banish it and rise from the bed.

 _Huh? Bed? I don't remember coming here…_

The light of the full moon shone into her slowly opening eyes from an open crack in the thick bedroom drapes, and she brought her hands up to guard them. Everything about her felt heavy, from her arms to her feet. She let her head loll from one side to the other, eyes closing one more time as she enjoyed the brief darkness. How she yearned to sleep on, conjure that _wonderful, vivid_ dream anew!

However, nature was calling and her parched throat, which demanded she get a drink of water...was all too _real_.

 _Goddammit_! It'd _all_ been a _dream_!

The reality sunk in. That meant there had been no kiss or love declaration from Phoenix after all!

 _Man, reality bites the big one! And, as my lousy luck would have it, I can't even kiss Nick in my_ ** _slumbering fantasies_** _, for crying out loud!_ Maya groaned as she rolled over onto her back. _Instead, I get C-blocked by my own overactive bladder, stemmed from_ ** _overdoing_** _the sauce last night, no doubt! Just…_ ** _lovely_** _!_

She turned her head to the side and saw Phoenix snoring softly on the other side of the bed - the same one she couldn't recall getting into! The last thing she remembered was crying for his forgiveness, and then him holding her in his arms and stroking her hair.

How she loved when he'd play with her hair, even briefly...

And the _next_ thing she knew, she'd awoken on this huge hotel bed, next to her best friend, with a head that felt like it was stuffed with popcorn. Dammit, it was still _night_! Wasn't it too _early_ to be _hungover_?!

Maya turned her head towards the window where the small sliver of moonlight was streaming in and winced at the contrasting glare against the dim room.

 _Yup, I'm already in the makings of a wicked hangover! Classic! I spent my night in the romantic honeymoon suite with Nick getting shit-faced and watching Steel Samurai videos, and at some point, I dissolved into a hysterical weepy mess and drunkenly passed out, prompting him to carry my sorry ass to bed._ Maya moaned in mortification and clapped a hand to her head. _**How romantic!**_

At least she had the chance to take advantage of one rare opportunity though. Scooting across the bed so she was a little closer to him, Maya propped herself up on one elbow and allowed herself the indulgence of finally seeing Phoenix in his sleep.

In slumber, without the complex workings of his conscious mind, he looked so vulnerable and childlike, almost cherubic, with his long, sooty lashes nearly brushing his cheeks. Maya couldn't help but feel envious. She couldn't achieve lashes like his even if she caked on a whole tube of mascara!

Phoenix's breaths were even and calming, the expression on his face no longer stressed but relaxed. A lock of hair had fallen forward across his forehead, simultaneously making him look younger, and like an adorkable Superman. Her fingers itched to brush it away, as he'd done with her bangs last night…the gesture so sweet and natural…until she'd ruined the moment with her awkward _stupidness_ , as usual!

"I know you looked after me last night, so that's yet another thing to thank you for," she whispered to the sleeping lawyer. "You're _always_ taking care of me, Nick. I-I don't know what I'd do without you. I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have you in my life. You and me…even though I make fun of you for being a big dork and you call me The Burger Queen…somehow we just _work_ , you know? Like we _belong_ together. At least that's how it was in the dream I just had. I was so sad when I woke up and realized that the Nick and Maya in the dream wasn't an actual reality."

A tear rolled down her cheek inexplicably then, and she brushed it away impatiently.

"There were a few times last night where it seemed like _you_ felt that way too…and that _you and me_ …it could be more than just a thing in my dreams. I wanted that so much! Nevertheless, we'd both been drinking…and I have no experience with guys, Nick. And I just couldn't trust my judgement to tell back then what was _real_ , and what _wasn't_. Were you looking at me differently last night, and touching me more than usual, because of _me_ , or was it beer goggles talking? I couldn't tell the difference."

Maya bit her lip and gave into the urge to gently brush Phoenix's stray bang off his forehead. Luckily, he was in such deep sleep, he didn't even stir.

"I _really_ wanted it to be the former…but what if I'd allowed something to happen and you didn't remember it in the morning? Or worse, _regretted_ it? Then what would I do? I'd _lose_ you. And I _can't_ have that Nick! Since Sis died, you're all I've got. I _need_ you. My - _My life would suck without you_."

With a heavy sigh, Maya gave up on her last ounce of courage as she stared longingly at the handsome sleeping man next to her, noting how peaceful he was under the blanket of shadows. The bedside digital clock told her it was half past one.

Whatever magic had potentially been there a few hours ago was long gone. She'd missed her only chance.

In the morning, he'd have forgotten all about the romantic rooftop moments and how they'd had a small window of _almost_ opportunities the night before. The splinters and cracks that had formed in their impenetrable wall of friendship would be resealed, and they'd resume their comfortable friendly regime as usual.

It was just as well. She knew he'd never feel the same way about her; even remotely come close to the way she'd been feeling since she'd first met him. For her, Phoenix Wright was just meant to remain her teenage dream.

Except now, she was almost twenty and she loved him even more now than she had then.

"Last night, I dreamt you told me you loved me." Maya swallowed against the lump in her throat. "But I couldn't say it back for some reason! Not even in my _dream_ …even though me loving you is very much a _reality_. When I was kidnapped by De Killer, my biggest fear was never getting the chance to tell you how I felt about you...so I'm going to tell you _now_."

She took a deep breath.

"I love you, Phoenix Wright. Each day, I keep falling in love with you more and more, and each time is harder than the last to not just blurt out and tell you. Every time I'm with you, the feeling gets deeper, more complete, more bewitching. There isn't a thing I wouldn't do for you. Don't ever think you have to ask for my affection because you don't, and you never did. The more love I give you the more I have bursting inside of me... crazy, huh?"

She placed her fingers to her lips and, giving them a kiss, softly placed those fingertips against Phoenix's lips.

His eyelids fluttered briefly, but he seemed too out of it to notice.

Maya smiled sadly, then tiptoed to the bathroom, did what she needed to, chugged back three glasses of tap water, and then crawled back into bed, making herself comfortable and waiting for sleep to retake her.

Tomorrow would put things back to normal.

Whatever that was.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

 **En Vogue - Don't Let Go  
**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's:_

 **Chapter 86**

 **Chloemcg**

There was one more thing Pearly the matchmaker did canon-wise aside from the Gatewater thing that I wish to cover and hope my readers like (won't be for a little bit!) and that was the Ultra-Course at Hazakura Temple! It will be my last chance to torture Nick of the past…and freezing under a waterfall will be fiendish fun am sure!

Maya…sigh…she's got such great maternal instincts for her little cousin which you see in the game that I loved expanding on further here and I'm so happy you liked as well!…Truly I believe she would have made such a wonderful mom (say it with me and my readers now doll… STUPID NICK!) XD

Pess is in the background for now while Miles and Franny investigate with the sting operation around Europe…I'd love to have a save the day moment with her like you did but I'd hate to have people think I'm copying your wonderful story! However… I do have a couple of fluffy, gushy moments planned with her in this story, so stay tuned for a special guest appearance of Fredgeworth's 'daughter' J

I am intrigued by your thoughts that Polly is an act first, think later person…hmmm I could see him being heroic for his family and loved ones of course (like Nick) but always saw him, myself, as a smaller, albeit louder version of his mentor. However, I always figured him to be the voice of reason, given his Athena interactions in DD, but less impulsive than Phoenix and having a temper that simmers for a bit before it explodes…like the grudge holding type, you know? Interesting. I shall mull your POV over when the time comes to Wright him!

As for naughty…nope, as per the first story in the series, where Maya griped to Franny that all they did was "get shit-faced from the mini bar and pass out watching Steel Samurai!" the gentleman that was Nick didn't lay a hand on Maya until she turned 21…see chapter one for steamy mind-refresher! ;)

(Damn was that almost a year ago I wrote that! Yeesh time flies!)

See you next chapter I hope!

 **Yanmegaman**

I must be psychic, punny man, as I was hoping/knowing that _you_ of all people would catch onto the unfortunately named producer names that seemed to have gone past most people's notice! Thank you for not disappointing! Perhaps if I'd spelled the name _Shea_ the way it is meant to be pronounced, which is _Shay_ it would have been better? XD (You've still split my sides open with your puns…they're just more G-rated than mine…I can be a bad girl sometimes, what can I say? LOL)

I dunno how a hotel could possibly take a credit card from an 8-year-old? Perhaps it was wrapped up in a $20 bill?!

Your wish is my command my friend, I updated chapter 5, which is the _second-last_ chapter of DDD last night! I hope you like it, and look forward to your feedback on the latest hijinks of the AA clan!

 **Ryszard**

I am always delighted to hear from you, regardless, _lieber Herr!_ Great song, _danke_ , and even greater dance…not an inch of space between you and your partner! So sensual…although in my head canon, poor Nick can't dance (just sing and play the odd ditty!)…which is why he dropped Maya in her efforts to recreate the iconic lift scene from Dirty Dancing! (I get the feeling if they were to try the dance they'd just wind up kicking each other!) XD

Yay! You liked the Gatewater Hotel chapter! I always wondered what happened after Pearl made that booking, and decided to put my own spin on it! Can't you just see poor Nick sweat-dropping at that last suggestion of Maya's?

I have not seen Star Wars as a couple of friends spoiled it for me – and DH is a fan and all sulky as he may have overheard them…(so I may be spared this one! Here's hoping!) as he's the Trekky/Geeky one; I am limited to anime/video games for my geekdom. That being said, I was still forced to endure all the movies in the name of love…and _Jim-Jam Bonks_ , as he was parodied on the Simpsons, was a more preferable (and much shorter!) version – I am amongst the masses who was vying for his untimely demise…of course, being forced to watch these movies also makes me pray for _my own_ … :p

Also, I cracked up at your top three alien list! Um, I will agree with 1 and 2 and if you can count Kang and Kodos from the Simpsons as one, they'd be my third!

 **Cyberchao X**

Please see author's note at beginning of this chapter.

 **Chapter 85**

 **Cyberchao X**

Thank you very much!

 **Chapter 83**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Bud, I'm just happy you still take the time to read and review! Like I said before, better late than _pregnant_ (oops, wrong fandom/author/FF! LOL). In the games, I hated how they glossed over the horrors Maya must have faced in De Killer's hands and how she just went back to being all happy go lucky right after – how unrealistic! So pleased you liked my more in-depth exploration into her psyche! I cannot even put into words how much I love Nick and Pearl's dynamic and how he's only holding it together for the sake of the little girl he's just now realized he loves…at the same time Maya realized how much _he_ meant to _her_. The moral of the story…tell people you love them when you can! Spirit mediums aren't always going to be around to help you! XD


	88. Take a Chance on Me

" _The trouble with falling in love is that it's not a conscious thing, it's not a decision. It's a decision that's made for you and it isn't always good."_

* * *

 _A/N: We are back in present day, guys. The story picks up right where I left it last...shortly after we saw the heartbroken Pearl...and Maya made a momentous decision about altering her appearance..._

* * *

 **Chapter Eighty-Eight: Take a Chance on Me**

 _Maya Fey and Mildred Latrine_ _  
_March 9, 2025 2:22 PM

Maya never dreamed that the day would come when she would have to eat humble pie pertaining to The Dragon Lady. Yet that was exactly what it happened when she had had to contact the despised village elder with regards to her newly altered matrimonial stance, and long after Sasha had left, taking her magical transforming shears with her, the village leader sat in her room brooding while she awaited Mildew to return her phone call.

She could just _imagine_ how the village elder would _revel_ in triumph upon discovering the Master had done a _complete_ about face, barely a sennight after the dramatic stormy refusal in the Meeting Hall – and _moments_ after receiving a life-altering, impromptu _hairdo_ - _do_ - _over_! – and was now meekly admitting to being _wholly_ on board with the entire matchmaking proposal and was _most_ keen on being found a suitable suitor!

Her phone rang just then. As she lifted it her ear, the caller at the other end spoke briskly before she could even utter the first _hello_.

"This better be a matter of utmost importance, Mystic Maya," Mildred said crisply, without preamble. "Sister Bikini insisted it a most pressing issue, which I assume it would _have_ to be, to make you disrupt the most important task _you_ had personally assigned me to!"

Despite the dire straits that had led to this moment, Maya couldn't resist the visible smirk resounding in her voice as she spoke.

"How _was_ that outhouse digging?" She asked sweetly, ensuring her voice was as innocuous as possible. "Sister Bikini _did_ assure me you were giving it your all with this latest outhouse lot...pray tell, just _how_ deep did you make the required holes?"

"I dare say at _least_ _thirty hands deep_! I sincerely hope that would be good enough for the esteemed Master?" The old woman snapped, obviously most displeased with the reminder of the menial, degrading chore she'd been subjected to. "Now was there a point to this phone call, or shall I save you the niceties and just flat out inquire to whether or not there's a point to this asinine conversation?"

"I can assure you Mildred," Maya reassured dryly. "I literally did not call to _shoot the shit."_

"I must say Master, your sense of humor _truly_ knows no bounds," Mildred deadpanned. "But at the risk of sounding belligerent or impudent, I have yet _again_ to enquire as to what _pleasure_ I owe this phone call?"

Maya took a deep breath and expelled it slowly as she gathered her wits about her.

"I have had a change of heart, and I want you to contact your matchmaker, Mildred. I've decided that I wish to be considered for a suitor as initially recommended."

There was a pregnant pause on the line.

"Well, I say… this is a most _unforeseen_ , not to mention, _unexpected_ turnabout." The initial surprise evident in Mildred's voice was slowly being replaced by a gloating undertone. "Might I inquire exactly _what_ brought about this sudden, if not completely _out of the blue,_ change of heart, Mystic Maya?"

"No, you _may_ _not_." Maya returned archly. "As _you_ pointed out, it is an ancient, revered tradition for the Kurain Master to marry before her third decade. This past week, I've had a chance to clear my mind, and am now opting do what is best according to scared custom, which will in the end, be best for the village."

"But what about your 'friend' Mr. Wight?" Mildred asked slyly, a knowing note in her tone now. "Will _he_ not be quite taken _aback_ , and not just merely _surprised_ , by this most hasty change?"

"Perhaps," Maya returned crisply. "However I suspect that Sister Iris can certainly help _cushion the blow_ or any sort of shock to the system, as she is the current keeper of his heart. So now that we've gotten _that_ out of the way, tell me, how soon can you fix me up with my first match? My only stipulation is that while I _will_ allow you to present me with suitable contenders, I _shan't_ agree to any one of them blindly. I shall wish to first converse, and if that goes well, meet with them _myself_. Ultimately, if I _do_ happen to find one of these selections favorable, and wish to wed, it will still be a man of _my_ own choosing, is that understood?"

Mildred decided not to press her luck with a further "I told you so" even though she was inwardly cackling with exultant glee. And here she'd thought she would be forced to either indeterminably postpone, if not flat out _put the kybosh_ , on all her hard efforts and plans! She'd actually been pondering if she'd be forced to be resorted to further risky and improbable manipulations, which would have taken who knew how long to put into fruition, or just throw in the towel…but the fates had turned the tides in her favor after all here! It was all turning turned out even _better_ than she could have hoped, with that good-for-nothing Phoenix Wright (the elder wasn't foolish enough to think he _wasn't_ a key factor in Maya's abrupt 180!) doing all the hard work for her and taking coercion entirely off the table, and thus making the Master actually come to _her_ … _willingly_!

If her brittle old bones have allowed it, Mildred would have broken into a happy dance at that moment! But she figured she would work on her jig later. Right now, she sensed outward rejoicing would rock this precarious boat, which had just been tipped in her favor, and thus would need to tread cautiously.

"Quite understood, loud, and clear," Mildred replied serenely, affecting her most humble and helpful tone. "I am merely going _window shopping_ for you, Mystic Maya, with a general list of what I think would make a good buy, which will be based partially on your own desires as well. However, of course, it is _entirely_ up to you to decide if you wish to _purchase_. In fact, I shall take note of any _particular_ wants and stipulations right now, even as we speak."

She paused for a moment to pretend she was getting a paper and pen, and then returned to the line.

"Just so I have a general idea of your tastes, what sort of man _are_ you looking for? Are there any particular traits or characteristics you find favorable or unfavorable?"

"I really don't care," Maya stated flatly. "I shall leave it to your discretion to determine what you think is best for this village in the long term."

 _ **Obviously**_ _,_ she thought bitterly _. My own judgment in men of my own choosing is sorely lacking! Why not let Mildew do her thing? Future Significant Other can't possibly do any worse damage than the last one!_

Mildred was dumbfounded. She really hadn't expected it to be _quite_ this easy! Maya was all but positively _begging_ her to deliver Longines Beaugosse on a _silver platter_!

However, she had to be careful. Much like buying a car, people didn't tend to settle for the very first model they set their eyes on, no matter _how_ much they liked it! They tended to have an innate need to test drive _several_ different models first, as though to reassure themselves they hadn't been impulsive, or were settling…or simply because they didn't trust their own intuitive judgment that the right model had come along first and foremost after all!

This was evidently the case with the Master. Maya was suddenly, for some reason or other, now skeptical about her own ability in choosing the right suitor for her, and was openly admitting to it as much. If Mildred didn't despise the other woman as much as she did, she would have been touched and flattered that the Master was humbly putting her faith and trust in her.

Still, Mildred _supposed_ it was nice to at last be acknowledged that as a revered elder, she was indeed older _and_ wiser, and at the end of the day, also knew what was best, for both the village leader as well as Kurain! _Any_ man, really, was a step up from that no-goodnik disbarred lawyer after all! What could that penniless, worthless bum have ever had to offer _any_ of them but headache, shame and despair? He was Sister Iris's cross to bear now. That jailbird daughter of Morgan's had zero need to be as selective with her choice of mates, anyway, and given _her_ history, obviously knew she had to _take what she could get!_ Good riddance, truly!

Nevertheless, the elder knew she still had to at least _ease her way in_ slowly. After all, even the most successful car salesman couldn't compel a client to buy a Ferrari if said customer had her heart set on some sort of _Japanese or German_ sedan! This wouldn't be too difficult a feat, though. No doubt though, Maya's standards weren't too high – she'd almost settled for a complete _lemon_ with _irreparable and liable collateral_ _damage_ and nigh no hope of reparation or increase in value _whatsoever_!

"Surely…" Mildred began cautiously. "The Master must have _some_ inkling of what she could and could not tolerate? Of course, the bare essentials, naturally, would be a man who is at _least_ established and successful, so we know he has only eyes for you, and not the wealth and power a woman of your esteemed stature wields?"

"Oh sure, that sounds good," Maya responded dully. "I guess the palpable basics? No mental health issues or criminal records. And a lack of drug or alcohol abuse history should be a given…"

"That goes without saying!" Mildred sounded completely affronted at the notion. "I meant, more along the lines of what traits you would find _most compatible_ , not merely eliminating the obvious _deal breakers_ , Mystic Maya. Ah, is there a certain type you would find pleasing, physically? Slim? Toned? Blond?"

Silence on the line.

"Or _brunet_?" Mildred added hastily, not wanting to make it too glaring about the fact that she'd just fully described Longines to a T! "Er, muscular? Brown or green eyed? Tall?"

"I'm just over five feet, so finding a man taller than _me_ shouldn't be too hard, unless you were planning on fetching me one from _Middle Earth_ ," Maya answered with a sigh. "Um, now that you mention it, Mildred, there _is_ a particular type that I shall _not_ consider in the least. I have quite a s _trong avers_ ion to any _black_ _haired_ men whatsoever. In addition, I find _dark blue eyes_ of any sort most abhorrent. But that is all. Otherwise I'm most open-minded."

Worriedly, Mildred's mind flashed back to Longines' open, honest, trusting cerulean orbs…which tended to change color from sky blue to royal blue at their deepest, depending on his mood, but were nowhere near the midnight blue depths like that the Master had just described. She also had a pretty good idea about the _underlying basis_ of these deal-breakers, but wisely kept mum.

"Duly noted." Her tone was cheerful reassurance personified. "I shall keep my eyes peeled for men with hair no darker than chestnut in color and restrict my search to blond, brunet and redhead only."

"Thank you Mildred. I shall stand-by in wait to see what results these search perimeters bring," Maya said quickly, then hung up quickly before she changed her mind.

 _Ugh, I should have said no to redheads,_ the Master realized belatedly _. The last thing I want is to give birth to some soulless ginger baby if folklore is anything to go by!_ She giggled to herself at the though _t. Ah what the hell, I don't want to limit myself_ ** _too_** _much…red hair doesn't_ ** _have_** _to mean freckles – hell Jamie Fraser on that British TV show_ ** _Outlander_** _is a_ ** _totally freckle-free auburn-haired_** _hottie!_

Maya flopped down onto her bed and heaved a gusty sigh.

 _Besides, Mildew could walk across to the ends of the world and back without finding_ ** _another Phoenix Wright_** _\- which is_ ** _exactly_** _what I'm hoping for! And besides, am sure she'll choose wealthy, ambitious men who can only benefit my reputation and with whom affiliations will only bolster, not_ ** _tarnish_** _Kurain in any way…so really,_ ** _anyone_** _other than my ex has to be better in comparison!_ ** _How bad_** _can any of these guys_ ** _be_** _?  
_

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey and Mildred Latrine_** _  
_ _Fey Manor_  
March 31, 2025 2:22 PM

Three disastrous weeks later, Maya curtly commanded a completely bewildered Sister Bikini to summon Mildred to her office at Fey Manor _immediately_!

Steam was practically coming out of the Master's ears as she impatiently drummed her fingertips atop her desk as she awaited The Dragon Lady's arrival from Eagle Mountain.

"You wished to see me, Mystic Maya?" Mildred asked sweetly, when she arrived just over half an hour later.

"You better _believe_ I wanted to see you!" Maya crossed her arms and glared at the old woman. "Did you know that the meaning of your _miai_ 's name, _Ketsuno Ana,_ loosely translates into _asshole_ in Japanese?"

" _Does_ it?" Mildred blinked, her expression one of utmost virtuousness. "How incredibly… _ill-fated_ for her then –"

"It _does_!" Maya scowled. "And quite frankly, given the _quality of the_ men she's been hooking me up with, I wish to tell you that I find her _unfortunate_ _moniker_ to be most _aptly_ fitting!"

"Woe is me to hear of such things, Master." Mildred miraculously managed to keep a straight face. "Are any of the sought-out suitors in some sort of way lacking? I can assure you that I did screen and further narrow down the selection _myself,_ _prior_ to presenting the profiles to you…"

"Then I don't know which of you is more deserving of the translation!" Maya shouted, sparks shooting out of her mocha eyes. "Shall I now begin regaling you about my video chat with _bachelor number one?_ I have no qualms in telling you right now; he has already been voted off the island and will _not_ be getting any sort of in-person date!"

"Er, that would have been Mr. Tuggley, correct?" Mildred cleared her throat and affixed her most sympathetic expression. "What faux pas was it that the gentleman is guilty of that shan't even allow him the pleasure of an in-person introductory date with the Master?"

"Buck Tuggley is a compulsive sportsman – a noxious _trophy hunter_ who kills animals purely for the bloodthirsty sport!" Maya shuddered at the thought. "If I chose to be with him, I would have to slog down every stream between California and New England, as it would entail spending _the rest of my life_ in the hunting field! The other thing is he appears to be completely _terrified_ of women! He is unable to make eye-contact at all, and claims that is _perfectly normal_ for him to blush like a schoolboy "in the company of pretty women"… even though he's _nearly 40_ and we were only talking on Skype!"

Mildred just stared at her blankly. Incensed, Maya rose from her desk, placed her hands on either side of her head and flung them forward with palpable disbelief as she shouted.

"For the love of _God_ , Mildred! Your matchmaker _literally_ set me up with the _40-year-old virgin!"_

Mildred somehow managed a look of innocent confusion at the Master's obvious ire.

"But I've heard he's quite charming and nice, however. Moreover, he does have a lot of wealth and is of amiable disposition."

" _Nice_?!" Maya shrieked. "He's a complete _bacon-brain_! I Googled the _oily heir_ , and rest assured, despite his riches and stature, Mr. Tuggley is neither mature, bright nor even _an adequate hunter_! When I questioned him about my findings, he finally confessed that the reason he still walks with a limp is due to a certain recent _hunting accident_. It appears he was startled by a deer, and _accidentally shot himself in the foot_ last year! Were I to wed him, I would be a widow, by _his own mark_ , surely, within a year's time at most!"

Maya paused to take a breath of air into her starved lungs.

"His best friend, Phil McCracken, due to the same incident, was hospitalized due to the ball from the rifle being ricocheted off of a tree and hitting him in the arm! For heaven's sake, if he doesn't kill _himself_ , if he will surely maim or hospitalize _me_! So thank you but no thank you!"

"Alright, I can see why you may have an aversion to a virginal bad hunter with equally bad aim…" Mildred bit her lip as hard as she could to stifle her snort of laughter. "But surely the other two couldn't have been as bad –"

" _Bad_?" Maya fumed. "They were worse, if that was at all possible! Let's take us to bachelor number two, the _equally and aptly_ named _Jack Knoff_. That _misogynistic nimrod_ is also an _overdressed, egotistical, razor-tongued_ little gossip on top of everything else! I was aghast when he showed up for our dinner date by shamelessly admitting the _more flattering_ photo I'd seen of him was over a _decade_ old!"

"Surely looks aren't everything?" Mildred defended, biting back a knowing grin.

"If his disposition wasn't as grotesque as his appearance, I would say surely not!" Maya agreed icily. "However, that foul-stenched and equally _potty-mouthed_ swine is now _gassy_ , f _at and balding!_ It was false advertising at its worst!"

"Oh dear…"

" _Oh dear_ is right! That _flatulent pig_ claims he is quite the catch, and hence he refuses to settle, as he has yet to have found a woman who _he_ thinks is _worthy_ of him! He seems to look _disdainfully_ upon all women, as opposed to _fearing_ them! At _42_ , he _still_ lives with his mother, who helped him start his _urinal cake_ empire and he thinks no other female alive can hold a candle to her in comparison!"

Maya's lip curled with disgust at the memories of the lecherous brute with the wandering eyes.

"Between his inability to snip the apron strings and his Narcissism, I was bored to near tears despite the admittedly succulent steak dinner – which the skinflint tried to make me go _Dutch_ on! The man drones on about himself more than any flying remote hovering object ever could! And to boot, he appears to love himself the way _Kanye loves Kanye_!"

"I won't even _pretend_ that I know who that is," Mildred answered, unable to mask her amusement any longer as she flashed a wry smile. "Although I shall gather it to mean his undoubtedly too many hugs received in childhood from his overly doting Mother have made him unbearably self-enamored? Dare I ask about the final match? I can only assume that third time wasn't the charm?"

Maya merely glared at her in response and she shrank back slightly. "Er, I guess not…"

"You guess right!" Maya muttered darkly. "Mike Easter, _the granola crunching, tree-hugging hippie_ founder of Happy Hemp Production Products, who wore socks _with his Birkenstock sandals_ , somehow saw fit to be _my_ fashion critic! That blasted Jesus-bearded pot-head had the gall to get high right before our date – then called me a square for not taking a hit off his bong with him! – and then, _mock_ my Master's outfit – saying I looked like an _escaped nun on the run!"_

"The bloody cheek of him!" Mildred shook her head in mock dismay. "How incredibly disrespectful! Um, mayhap he's more level headed when he's not indulging in…the products his empire is built upon?"

"Not a chance! Easter is a total _stoner_ pothead!" Maya snarled. "He was blasting _60's folk music_ in his _electric car_ the entire way to the restaurant… where he took the liberty of ordering for the both of us at Grassroots Eatery… _Gah_! The man is a _complete vegan_! He ordered us _tofu burgers_! He actually _grimaced_ when I dared ask for cheese as a topping, and then _sanctimoniously and quite loftily_ preached that _anything_ consumed from an animal was _barbaric_!"

 _I saved the worst for last indeed_! Mildred thought gleefully. _Longines will be a shoo-in after this!_

" _Then_ he went on to lecture me by saying I was a _soulless animal killer_ when he found out I like my _burgers copious and juicy_ and my _steaks rare and bloody_!" Maya complained. "I've encountered less judgmental men in a court of law! I told him the only reason he was a vegetarian was he was a shoddy hunter and that Mike Easter could go right ahead and… _kiss his own name_ before he even thought twice of calling me again!"

"I profess these suitors sorely misrepresented themselves and sound truly dreadful…" Mildred knitted her brow. "However, I must say you are being most particular Mystic Maya, and certainly not making the process very easy! After all, _are you_ , or _are you not_ , breaking _all your exact words_ to me, when you first asked me to _just find you a match in the first place_?"

"That's not fair!" Maya puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "It's not _my_ fault these guys passed themselves off as normal on the phone with me and then duped me into agreeing to go out what wound up being the _dates from hell!_ I'm _done_ , Mildred, you hear me? _Done_! Three strikes, I'm out! I give up! No more dates for me! I'll just…join Sister Bikini on the Nun Path and go without a husband. After all, it's the path many of the village ladies have opted for, and _they're_ none the worse for wear!"

She let out a humorless laugh then and gestured to her flowing robes. "And evidently, I look the part, already!"

"I refuse to let you give up so soon!" Mildred insisted, putting on her most cajoling tone. "Life is not a game of baseball! I implore you to give it one more chance. There's one more man whom the matchmaker has just gotten wind of, and I've thoroughly researched him myself as well. He is younger than the rest, only 30, and has no hygiene aversions or penchant for recreational substance abuse. Far from being self-centered and self-enamored, he and his family come from a long line of charitable philanthropists and he's a self-made billionaire running an international chain of successful hair salons."

" _Self-made_ _billionaire_?" Maya raised an eyebrow, intrigued in spite of herself. "Active in charity work? And he's only three years older than me? Wherever did Ketsuno Ana find this _elusive paragon?"_

"He's from Los Angeles, but he travels frequently around the globe, as he's a very hands-on CEO," Mildred replied honestly, for the very first time. "Meaning he'd be very understanding about your own hectic Master's travels, which often take you abroad as well and has no interest in _your_ wealth whatsoever."

"Hmm..." Maya cupped her chin in one hand and tapped her cheek thoughtfully as she mulled that over. Encouraged, Mildred hastily continued singing the blond man's praises.

"And while his father was a wealthy politician who made his own fortune in telecommunications, a decade ago he loaned his only son a small sum of start-up money to come up with a business plan and build his own empire. Longines returned the full amount back to his father _within the first year_ , _with interest_ , and tried to pay his father back, but he refused to accept it, so it was instead given to charity."

"Hmmm….honorable _and_ generous. He sounds…like he has _potential_. I wonder what this wingless angel _looks_ like, though?" Maya murmured, almost to herself, sitting back down at her desk, her fingertips already poised over her computer keyboard as she went to her internet search engine. "What's the name of this _hair heir?"_

"Longines," Mildred purred, her thin lips curling into a supercilious smile. "Longines Diandre Crispin Beaugosse the Third."

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey_** _  
_ _Kurain Village_  
April 26, 2025 5:40 PM

For the next four weeks, Longines and Maya played what appeared to be a never-ending game of phone-tag. While they texted and emailed as much as possible, they were never in the same time zone to be able to have a live webcam or phone chat. However, his voice in the voicemails he left her, from his travels in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji always sounded genuinely remorseful to have missed her, and his voice was kind, sweet, and sincere, much like his expression in every photo she found of him online.

Much to the Master's surprise, the man in the corporate photo she'd pulled up on his company website looked every bit the clean-cut, pulchritudinous golden-boy Mildred had described him to be. Her further research also showed that despite his fame and famous parental lineage, the recently orphaned Longines Beaugosse kept a relatively low profile and had no black mark against his name whatsoever – not even a drunken bar brawl or speeding ticket. He led a healthy lifestyle, was very generous with his charity work and donations, and ran the most successful blow-dry chain in the country, which meant he was never kept in more than one place for long!

According to a recent interview in _Forbes_ Magazine the year prior, he was one of the _Top 30 Under 30_ richest men in the world, and was looking to expand _You Blo Me_ salons in the Southern Hemisphere, which was where he now was and had been the past month.

Ironically, the second week of April, the _one_ _wee_ _k_ he'd been in town, had been when Maya and Pearl had gone off to a South American convention in Peru!

It seemed they were two ships in the nights that were doomed to pass each other and never to connect.

Then, to Maya's great surprise, the weekend prior, Longines had emailed her and claimed that since she'd been so patient with his crazed schedule, he was going to make the effort to come up to Kurain to spare her any hassle and would be "enchanted" to make her acquaintance near month end at any time she could spare.

So here Maya was, anxiously checking her reflection in her dresser mirror for the umpteenth time as she smoothed her satin ebony hair back with trembling fingers and applied another layer of pearly gloss to her lips.

Her innate nature fought shy against makeup, being fortunate enough even this late in her second decade to have smooth, unlined porcelain skin that needed no artifice. However, she did tend to put a dab of rouge on her already rosy cheeks and a flick of mascara on her long lashes whenever she went out to conferences away from the village so figured that bare minimum would suffice now as well. While she had no expectations from the meeting of suitor number four that afternoon – after all, hadn't all the others seemed great on paper and photo then still been _complete loser/idiot/morons_?! – Maya sincerely wanted to put her best foot forward so that she could honestly tell Mildred that _she_ , at least had made her most valiant effort!

Seriously, this was _it_ , she'd informed the elder crossly. If this guy was the _Mother of all Fart Knocking, Goat Blowers,_ then off to the nunnery she would go!

Maya had decided to take a different approach in meeting Longines than she had with the other men. In all the former instances, she'd met them in Master mode: floor-length purple kimono, hair pulled back into its no-nonsense bun (which also hid the evidence of Sasha's hack job until now!) and practical wooden sandals. This time, she was going to actually meet him not as _Master Maya_ , but as _Maiden Maya_ , a _single woman_ who, when effort was made, could be a creature of fetching nature indeed – something she'd not given even half a mind to since Phoenix had left her nearly two months ago. But now, things were different – she wanted, at the very least, for Longines to find her physically pleasing, as he was quite the looker indeed! She may as well use her feminine wiles now, while she still had them, and before she got too old and they shriveled away to non-existence, like the Dragon Lady's!

Instead of her long robes, Maya had donned on a somewhat daring, fitted baby-pink double layer, cocktail dress that hugged her every curve, with a plunging open back. It was short with a flirty full skirt, silky double layer voile, spaghetti straps with an adjustable back, with a matching thick sash tied around her narrow waist. Three-inch indigo stilettos completed the look. It was close to dinnertime, and Saturday evening. If the two hit it off, Maya hoped maybe, they could grab a bite to eat somewhere or at least have a drink at a chic cocktail lounge where she could show off this racy little number she'd picked up on her last business trip in LA in February, but hadn't had a chance to wear. She'd been planning to wear it for Phoenix to knock his socks off on her birthday…

Maya bit her lip as she felt a stinging sensation prick the back of her lids. She hadn't been down to the city since the breakup and any thought of it only made her think of her former lover, which only brought back the river of tears which still hadn't fully dried up. But she fought back the urge to cry – she didn't want to ruin her painstakingly applied eye makeup – and threw back her shoulders confidently and tossed her hair, letting the glossy raven strands cascade in a soft swish around her.

For a moment, her courage nearly failed her, and she flushed as she smoothed her hands down her hips, suddenly self-conscious of how much skin she was showing, even though it was a warm spring evening which would allow for such an ensemble. What if Longines thought she looked like a harlot? What if she didn't find him aesthetic at all and the idea of his eyes seeing so much of her made her skin crawl more than tingle? Erring on the side of caution, Maya hastily threw a lavender cashmere cloak over her dress, which although shorter than her kimono, and showed off her bare, slender legs, was still longer than the mini itself, and fell just above her knees for modesty purposes.

 _There! N_ ow it would be entirely up to fate to determine whether the lucky son of a bitch got to see what lay beneath! She giggled to herself and strode to the door.

 _Here goes nothing…_

* * *

 **Chapter 87**

 **Yanmegaman**

Well, she's almost 20 so he's not a total jerk for letting her drink right? (He's a jerk for everything including chapter 74 and anything beyond that as per AJ canon…grrrr!) I figure if anyone gets a free pass to be a lush it'd be poor Maya for all she's endured…and just think, game three still looms where the worst is yet to come…

 **Chloemcg**

Is there anything more romantic and swoon worthy than courtship? Those lingering glances and clinging hugs…those gentle accidental grazes…all leading up to that first, spellbinding soft, slow kiss…*sighs* Am glad you liked this arc! I had a blast giving my readers cavities lol

BTW I updated the latest chapter of Double DILF Doodies whenever you have a moment…(I know you liked that story too but I know how hard it is to read when you're writing…if I had to choose I'd make all my readers read TE as it's my baby and I put my heart and soul into it!)

Nick, I swear, will get _something_ knocked into him indeed…but the source may surprise you… XD

 **Chapter 86**

 **Luffy**

This is something I would love to hear more about next time we correspond hermana! She had to _push_ you into your handsome hubby? I'd have gone into him face first! However, I love Pearl so it's awesome you can compare life imitating art! Pearl's final game matchmaking, the special course at Hazakura will be briefly covered, but not for a little bit – Nick and Maya's embarrassed reactions to her blatant Cupid attempts are hilarious!

Chapter 87 is the last flashback for awhile though I knew you hit the roof when Phaya split so am delighted their courtship tail pleased you! Back to the not quite as jubilant present next…please don't kill me! *hides*


	89. Unspoken Truths

_"Lying is done with words and also with silence."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Eighty-Nine: Unspoken Truths**

 _ **Maya Fey**_  
 _Kurain Village_  
April 26, 2025 5:40 PM

Maya stepped into the main hallway of Fey manor, and then let out a let out a startled cry as she unexpectedly bumped into Pearl, who'd just emerged from her room, and was undoubtedly heading to the Dining Hall for dinner.

"Hi, Mystic Maya! You sure look pretty," her cousin greeted her with a sweet smile. "How come you're so dressed up for dinner?"

The Master nervously thrust her hands into her coat pockets. She knew how heartbroken Pearl had been over the split with Phoenix. Undoubtedly, despite everything, she was also painfully aware that the teen still adored him, and was nowhere _near_ ready to accept another man as a potential "father figure" in her life _anytime_ soon.

Ergo, Maya had kept mum about her altered marriage stance and her disastrous dates thus far – luckily none of whom had been worth mentioning! She figured she would convey matters to her little girl when the time was right and there was actually something to _tell_.

That evening, she'd desperately been hoping to have dodged any encounters with _anyone_ en route to meeting Longines and Mildred at the Meeting Hall, vainly anticipating that everyone else would already be at dinner.

Too late, it looked like she was busted now! The meeting spot was en route to the dining area, and no doubt, Pearl would want to accompany her cousin on the way there… and Maya, for the life of her, could not think of a single reason for her _not_ to!

 _Well, surely Pearl wouldn't want to stick around for a boring business matter – not when her Fey inherited six stomachs are calling her_! Maya thought hopefully. _Maybe she'll just say hello and keep walking ahead to go have dinner – and it's not like Mildew or Longines can say anything to blow my cover in that split_ _ **nanosecond**_ _greeting, right?_

"Er, we have a visitor who's come up this evening that I'm going to be meeting with, Pearly," Maya responded awkwardly, her hands clenching into nervous fists inside her pockets as she reluctantly headed out the main doors alongside the spirit medium. "We may go out later to have a… _a business related outing_ in the city after dinner, and I wanted to look, um, you know, more modern and all…"

It was as close to the truth as she could get without flat-out lying, Maya figured. After all, none of these agreed-to meetings, regardless of whether they led to matrimony, would ever be deemed as some sort of heart or emotive-based decision. Any sort of arranged marriage in her case was indeed a matter of mutually beneficial business, in the end. Like a merger of sorts, based on pure convenience, and perhaps, if she was lucky, some sort of contentment... someday.

But it would never be anything beyond that. She was emotionally dead and empty inside. Any true happiness…love…joy…those would never be hers again.

As unromantic as it sounded, even if she ever mated somewhere down the line, Maya supposed it would be the equivalent of channeling a spirit. The part where you submitted to them taking over your empty vessel of a body, allowing it to be utilized for the moment. Sure, she was supposed to triumph over loss and all that, but she knew, realistically, that no male would ever take Phoenix's place. She'd loved him with every fiber of her heart, and every day had to come to terms that she wasn't going to end up with him. On a daily basis, she still had to fight the urge where all she wanted to do was get in a bed somewhere, turn the lights off, and just lie there. For, like, a century.

 _Phoenix Wright, your soul was a pure spark of love but the day you took it away was more than my poor, vulnerable heart could bear. You drew me in with a sweetness I had never found before, something so strong I could feel it even when we were apart. But that day you left me, you destroyed me in ways I had never imagined possible. You turned the safe haven of my mind into a tormenting hell, into its own prison. You broke my heart and now I must recoil to protect the shattered pieces that remain._

"You don't need to explain wanting to get out of those robes on a beautiful night like this, Mystic Maya." Pearl looked at her adoringly. "I know you've worn regular clothes sometimes at conference when we've traveled – and I've decided to take a break from these acolyte robes once in a while as well. Next time you shop for clothes though, I may take you up on your offer to shop for _me_ , too! Definitely some looser, bigger blouses, so Mystic Mia doesn't have another _near wardrobe malfunction_ next time I channel her!"

Maya giggled. As much as Pearl had grown over the years and now wore a larger size robe than she had as a child, at 15, the youngest Fey was still nowhere _near_ her late elder sister's build in the bust department! More times than not, they'd both feared Mia's Fey Twins would tumble free from the teen's robes at the most inopportune moment, so the idea of Pearl wearing looser garments wasn't such a bad one at all!

"You really do look nice," Pearl told Maya as they strode along. "Although I'm still getting used to that new haircut of yours…you've never worn it down around the others yet – aren't you worried about the elders freaking out when they see you?"

"The elders are the last thing on my mind," Maya answered honestly, but ran a self-conscious hand over her locks just the same. "Does it really look _that_ bad?"

"Not at all," Pearl assured her. "It's just…so different! Besides, you told me Miss Sasha was going to make lots of cancer charity wigs from it, right? Therefore, it was for a good cause! And besides, it'll grow back!"

Maya groaned inwardly. _Jeez, thanks a lot Pearly!_

As the Feys walked up the garden path and neared the Meeting Hall, Maya craned her neck to see if Longines had arrived yet, but it appeared that he might have been running late. However, an unexpected visitor, a tall, willowy woman, whose back was to them, could be seen presently speaking to Mildred.

The stranger was suitably dressed for the warm weather that evening, sporting purple suede gauchos, a lime green tank top, and lime green espadrilles. Long, bouncy platinum curls spilled about her shoulders. Her hair reminded Maya of Tiffany, the pneumatic blonde bombshell from The Borscht Bowl, whose _eerily similar,_ perfectly coiffed tresses made her look like she'd just stepped out of a salon shampoo commercial!

For a moment, Maya's heart froze in her chest. She hadn't seen the waitress since the comedy of errors night that had been her 21st birthday six years ago, and she was mortified at the prospect of seeing an unexpected ghost from her – _and her exes_ – past, as she ruefully acknowledged she'd behaved terribly towards the other woman that evening! But what was Phoenix's colleague doing all the way up there in Kurain?! She hadn't struck Maya as the sort who believed in spirit channeling in the least!

As they drew closer to the two figures, Maya could make out the expression but not the words being spoken by the village elder, who was facing their direction. Her hands waved about animatedly as she spoke to the person before her, who had her back to them, a strangely pensive look on her face as she addressed her guest.

"Ah, your hair…" Mildred began uneasily, her bony hands gesturing to her companion anxiously as she fluttered them about like restless birds. "It's er…grown so _long_ since I saw you just back in February…"

 _Huh? So Mildew knows Tiffany? But wasn't her hair_ _ **always**_ _that long? What on earth is going on here?!_

As Maya approached, the worry lines in Mildred's hag face further deepened, and only became more pronounced at the unanticipated sight of the accompanying Pearl.

"Oh, Mystic Maya, _there_ you are! Er, Mystic Pearl…I didn't expect to see _you_ too…" The old woman tittered nervously. "Ah…ladies, allow me to introduce…"

"No need, Mildred, I've been doing my homework on the world famous Kurain Channeling Technique and its esteemed leader and assistant," the blonde-haired person drawled and turned to Pearl with a megawatt beam. " _You_ must be Pearl! Just look at you! Pretty as a picture, just like in the photos I've seen of you online on the Kurain site!"

Another blinding white smile.

"And you…by process of elimination…must be Master Maya Fey! I do declare, the photos do you _no_ justice whatsoever! You're _gorgeous_! Although I see you've updated your hairdo since that profile pic was taken! I totally approve – it's _fabulous_! Loves it!" Maya was then dimly aware of her hand being grasped into a warm clasp. "Such a pleasure to finally meet you, at last, Miss Fey! I'm Longines Beaugosse."

Maya blinked at the blonde woman, whose hand was still holding hers – and gawked as she realized it actually wasn't a _woman_ at all!

This…tall, _flawless specimen_ …whose hair, if possible, was even _more glorious_ than _hers_ had ever been, even _before_ she'd cut it… _this_ was her proposed betrothed?!

 _Yet another man who looks nothing like his photos!_ She thought dazedly.

Next to her, Pearl's eyes were the size of saucers as they took in the sight of their visitor.

Maya was no stranger to attractive men – she'd seen legions of Miles Edgeworth fangirls swoon over the model comedy prosecutor over the years. Moreover, while he wasn't as classically handsome as his best friend/rival, Phoenix had had a unique, unconventional, and undefined look that had _oozed raw, primal sexuality_ , even in his hobo gear – even though it now _killed_ her to admit it!

However, Longines Beaugosse …was in a different league _entirely_. The man was simply too perfect in his man-prettiness!

His smile was soft, genuine, and his flawlessly sculpted strong bone structure was without a hint of femininity. If other men till then had all been meadow grass, _he_ was a rouge poppy – his 'colors' were just more vibrant and brighter, making him stand out no matter where he went. In addition, there was that….that _hair_! The kind of locks every girl dreamed of thick – blond, with just the right hint of body and bounce – essentially liquid sunshine that was so glossy it appeared to be _shimmering_ , with all the essences of summer, like the Greek God of the sun. It draped gracefully past his shoulders, curling along the ends, glistening in the evening sunlight with every movement of his head so the rest of it fell down his back in mesmerizing waves.

He also looked _nothing_ even _remotely_ like Phoenix Wright, which was merely _another_ crucial point in his favor, as far as Maya was concerned!

 _This guy's even prettier than_ _ **Pearly and I put together**_ _!_ Maya knew she was staring, but was unable to stop herself. _Also... he's_ _ **really**_ _flamboyant…but maybe that's a hairdressing world thing?!_

"It's nice to meet you too…" Maya finally managed to utter, just as Mildred let out a gasp of dismay as she at last set eyes on the Master's new hair, in its unpinned glory, for the very first time. Her hands flew to her lips in shock.

"Mystic Maya… your _hair_ ," the elder finally managed to croak weakly. "Wh – what have you done?! Why – why ever did you _do_ such a thing?"

Maya crossed her arms and glowered defiantly at her enemy, as though daring her to speak another word, and tossed her glossy tresses back over her shoulder, incredibly displeased with the dramatic antics of the Dragon Lady. After all, her mane was still plenty long! In spite of Maya's irrational initial pleas, stemmed from temporary insanity, for Sasha to hack it off at the nape, the hairdresser had refused, knowing the heartbroken, unthinking actions of a reckless female when she saw one.

"Do you have a problem with my new hairstyle, Mystic Mildred?" She coolly raised an eyebrow while Mildred's thin lips opened and closed rapidly, like a fish gaping out of water.

"Your _hair_!" The elder burst out, gesturing to the onyx strands which had once flowed past the Master's buttocks, but now fell just under her breasts, admittedly a shocking good _two feet shorter_ than she'd ever had it before. "Wh- when, that is, how long has it been so… _short_?"

 _Mildew! Your_ _ **face**_ _! How long has your pruny, dried up mug looked like you just sucked on a lemon?_ Maya retorted mentally, fuming that the other woman was making such a scene in front of a revered guest, and over a matter that should have been of no concern to her!

"You're seriously calling _this_ short?" Longines sounded flabbergasted as he shook his head at the elder. "Are you kidding me? I'm _in the business_ , and believe you me, this girl could easily be a hair model for one of my ad campaigns!"

He turned to Maya and flashed another smile worthy of a Colgate toothpaste commercial.

"Pay her no mind, Miss Fey – _I_ happen to think that length suits you perfectly! It's neither too long, nor too short. Not too straight nor too curly, but what makes me just _adore_ it is that it's so perfectly jet-black! Moreover, I can tell it's your natural color, which is just stunning, really! The shade is so dark, in the bright sun it positively _shines_ , creating a _superb_ contrast. Plus, it looks so soft and silky, I can tell apart each strand. I can tell you obviously take great care of it!"

"Longines, please call me Maya." She smiled shyly. "And thank you kindly – I brush it 100 strokes nightly. It _was_ down past my – er – _posterior,_ up until a couple of months ago. I've been wearing it tied back in a topknot since, however. It appears ah, Mystic Mildred here wasn't expecting such a _drastic_ change at my impromptu unveiling."

" _Fiddlesticks_!" Longines waved his hand dismissively and clucked his tongue in disapproval at the Dragon Lady. "A girl as tiny as you, Maya…sounds like your hair was _too_ long before, and would have been completely overpowering you, so people would have been seeing your _hair_ , but not _you_! Besides, we all need to make a change sometimes, right? But, to answer your question, Mildred - no I have _not_ discovered Miracle Grow Hair Magic."

The hair heir twittered at the old woman's thunderstruck expression.

"Not _yet_ , anyway! FYI, until my actual hair gets to this length, these here are Beaugosse brand hair extensions I'm presently rocking!"

He studied the still-stupefied elder with a contemplative look on his face then.

"Also, we _so_ have got to do something about that _skinned rabbit_ look of yours, as you _insist_ on scraping your hair back into that über tight bun! I'm amazed you have _any_ hair left at all – you're just _asking_ to go bald early!"

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I suppose." Mildred pursed her lips together so hard, they seemed to disappear. "Although, I'll have you know, I've been wearing this hairstyle for the better part of 50 years."

"I'm all about signature style, but why must you wear it so _tight_? Longines exclaimed, undaunted. "I noticed it when we last met, by the way, but didn't want to say anything at the time, for the record. It seriously looks like your _hairdo_ is trying to give you a _facelift_ – and if _that's_ your goal, by the way, I can _totally_ recommend a _killer_ place to get that done. Nevertheless, right now, your 'do _pulls the skin_ around your temples, and the way it slants up your eyes makes you look almost _Asian_!"

"Mr. Beaugosse!" Mildred huffed, eying him stonily. Smoke was practically coming out of the Dragon Lady's nostrils. "I'll have you know that nearly everyone in Kurain, while of Caucasian race, has some sort of Japanese ancestry that ties them to the roots of this village! Technically speaking…we are _all_ Asian!"

"Relax, Millie girl, or you'll lose whatever hair is _left_ on that head of yours! I meant no offense!" Longines tittered and held up his hands in a palm up, no offence gesture. "Whatever _floats your boat,_ you know? I was just giving you my _professional_ input, that's all. Anytime you want a tune up…you know where to go, though!"

 _Millie girl_? Maya nearly snorted with laughter at the outrageous nickname – this entire exchange was _beyond_ hilarious! Next to her, Pearl's lips also switched with barely repressed amusement. The old battle-axe noticed, and shot them both a filthy look before turning back to the Apollo Sun God.

"I prefer to be addressed as _Mystic Mildred,_ thank you." The old woman was struggling to sound civil despite her clenched jaw and gritted teeth. "However, regardless, I suppose we seem to be straying away from the important matter at hand. Mystic Maya, have you decided yet what your plans will be this evening, to better acquaint yourself with your suitor?"

Maya jolted, both at the sound of Pearl's astonished gasp, and at the thoroughly _unfamiliar_ use of the phrase, all the while realizing, to her utter horror, that in that exact moment, her cover had been blown!

Before she could give the Dragon Lady hell for her _big, fat mouth_ , she turned her head to look guiltily at her cousin, whose angelic face had transformed from being wreathed with surprised curiosity into one that was now white with shock as the meaning of the _very telltale_ word sank in.

" _Suitor_?" Pearl whispered in dismay, her accusing gaze sliding resentfully first from the bewildered-looking Longines, to her shamefaced looking guardian. "Mystic Maya, you were going to _marry_ this man? S –so soon? _Already_? And you weren't going to even _tell_ me?! She raised a hand and pointed her trembling finger at the blond man. "Was _he_ the reason why you got so dressed up for dinner - when you _lied_ and told me that you might have a _business meeting_ tonight?!"

"Pearly, _no_!" Maya looked at her with chagrin and shook her head vehemently. "It's not like that! Let me explain!" She reached out a hand towards the betrayed looking teen, but the teenager pulled away, shaking her head violently as hurt and angry tears filled her eyes.

"Mystic Maya, you _lied_ to me!" Pearl cried, glaring at Maya and Longines defiantly. "How could you have a change of heart _already_? I - I _still_ miss Mr. Nick!" With that, the poor girl burst into tears and ran off, leaving a thunderstruck Maya, a mixed up Mildred and perplexed Longines in her wake.

"Pearly, wait!" Maya cried, and then frantically turned back to her guest, a distraught expression on her pretty face. "Longines, I'm so sorry, but I _have_ to go! My Pearly... she had _no idea_ about any of this! I swear, I was going to tell her if there _ever_ became _something worth mentioning,_ but right now, she's been completely blindsided – yet again, and worse, she thinks I betrayed her. That girl's been through so much already! Please excuse me..." She turned to run after her cousin, but Mildred clamped a hand on her arm, effectively halting her.

"Mystic Maya, are we to take this to mean you _never_ told Mystic Pearl that you've since agreed to the matchmaking?" Mildred was the picture of innocent mystification, as though still not realizing – or more likely, _uncaring_ – of the calamity her unthinking words had just caused. "While of course it is entirely your prerogative to do as you see fit, I must admonish this notion you have of rewarding such…unseemly behavior and you taking off after your cousin right now! It would be hardly prudent, not to mention flat out _rude,_ considering our visitor here has come from so far and after so long... _no less impudent_ than that whole scene your cousin has subjected us to just now!"

The wretched woman then affixed her most serene expression and turned to their guest, ignoring the dangerous warning glimmer in Maya's eyes.

"Mr. Beaugosse," she simpered. "On her behalf, _please_ allow me to most sincerely apologize for Mystic Pearl's unprecedented _outburst_ in front of mixed company, incidentally which, I'm sure you'll concur, was _most_ _inappropriate and unbecoming_ behavior for a young lady..."

"Will you _shut the hell up_ , Mildew!" Maya exploded, jerking her arm free. Her expression as she glared at the village elder was downright murderous. "Haven't you and your _ever gaping, blathering pie-hole_ done enough damage already?!"

"Why, I never!" Mildred gasped theatrically and clutched a veiny hand to her chest as she affected her most affronted expression. "How _dare_ you speak so disrespectfully to an elder, and in front mixed company, too! Mr. Beaugosse, I assure you this sort of outrageous behavior is absolutely not typical in the least and is not at all condoned in our village whatsoever…"

"Oh will you give it a rest, _Mystic Mildred_! This is hardly the time and place for this nonsense!" Longines snapped, all former joviality vanished from his face as he frowned his disapproval at the old woman before turning to Maya with a compassionate look in his cerulean eyes.

"Don't you worry about me, Maya. Go to your cousin," he urged softly, his expression one of utmost sympathy. "I'll still be here when you get back, I promise."

"I don't know _when_ I'll be back…Pearly's run all the way down to LA before as a child, she's quite the little sprinter," Maya sighed, and then flashed him a grateful smile. "Thank you for being so understanding…"

"There's no need for you to need to clean up this mess which you have had absolutely no hand in creating, Mystic Maya," a fourth voice chimed in just then from behind them. "I shall agree with Mystic Mildred that it would be most inappropriate to run off on your guest in this instance."

* * *

 _ **Mildred Latrine and Mystic Matilda**_  
 _Kurain Village  
_ April 26, 2025 5:50 PM

The Master spun around at the familiar sound, and came face to face to Mystic Matilda. She was uncertain how long the older woman had been standing there, or how much she had witnessed, but the elder's face was a mask of disapproval. Her dark eyes remained riveted on Mildew, as she continued in a no-nonsense tone.

"Since _you're_ the one who caused this cataclysm, however _unwittingly_ , it is only prudent that _you_ be the one to clean up after the catastrophe you've created, wouldn't you say?" Matilda prompted firmly. "Otherwise, we are allowing our village to be seen in a _most unfavorable light_ , if we _in any way,_ suggest to this kind gentleman that we endorse _not tidying up after our own messes_ here in Kurain, are we not, Mystic Mildred?"

Mildred gulped and shrank back under Matilda's withering stare.

"Of – of _course_!" She stammered, clearing her throat. "You make a magnificent and wise point! I ah, was _just_ about to suggest that myself, Mystic Matilda."

"I'm sure you were." Matilda smiled thinly at her cohort, and then graciously inclined her head towards Maya and Longines. "Welcome to Kurain Village. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, however briefly, Mr. Beaugosse. Please excuse my hasty departure now, as Mystic Mildred and I tend to this most important matter."

She congenially placed her hand on the old woman's arm and began to lead her away, tossing a reassuring grin at Maya over her shoulder.

"Please try to enjoy your evening, both of you. And don't you worry about your cousin, Mystic Maya. I've lived in this village my entire life, and I know every nook and cranny of it. She can't have gone too far. We'll sort this all out with her – you have my word."

The moment they were out of earshot, Matilda abruptly dropped her hand from Mildred and faced her squarely.

" _That_ is the man whom your _miai_ chose as a suitor for Mystic Maya?" The elder demanded, crossing arms across her chest as she looked sternly at the other woman. "And _you_ actually _approved_ of it? What on earth were _either_ of you _thinking_?!"

"What _exactly_ is your issue with Mr. Beaugosse?" Mildred countered, opting to play dumb and act as though she had no idea about what Matilda was about to refer to. "He is a successful businessman, and as you saw, a most gallant gentleman as well! Plus, he's not exactly hard on the eyes! Surely he will sire Mystic Maya with a most handsome heir!"

"The man is _prettier than Mystic Maya herself_ and I highly doubt _she's got what he seeks_ in the _actions that are required_ to create _said heir_!" Matilda retorted. "Don't tell me you didn't notice something that might be… _amiss_ here, in order to make this marriage – and _subsequent consummation_ of it – ever come into fruition?"

The Dragon Lady placed her hands on her hips and glared at her colleague defiantly. How she hated Matilda at that moment! Deep down, she was painfully aware the elder was simply stating the obvious, and was voicing Mildred's own innermost fears aloud.

Internally, Mildred had been _silently screaming_ in horrified disbelief from the moment she'd witnessed the night and day transformation of the _handsome, soft-spoken, aristocratic_ man she'd first encountered, to the now _outrageously ostentatious_ … _man-pretty_ , _goldilocks_ she'd come across that evening! Evidently, something in Longines had snapped after his father's untimely demise – he'd proudly told her that he had decided to finally " _free himself of his previous, stifling shackles_ " and " _finally be the true me I've always wanted to be!"_

The astounded Mildred been positive that there was _no way in hell_ Maya would ever accept such a _flamboyant, glimmerous fop of a man_ , who was more feminine than _she_ was, but Mildred would be _damned_ if _she_ were the one to try to halt the wheels in motion in the _unlikely event of a miracle_! After all, perhaps Longines was merely going through a phase of sorts, and marriage would _straighten him out_ , onto a more…normal path, yet again?

However, these were misgivings she would _never_ admit aloud in a million years!

"Just _what_ are you trying to imply, Mystic Matilda?" Mildred demanded tersely.

"I wasn't _implying_ anything!" Matilda snapped. "I'm flat out _saying_ it! There is _no way_ Mystic Maya will _ever_ agree to some sort of _sham of a marriage_ to this man! Surely, you're putting me on here – you absolutely _cannot_ be this completely daft or blind! If you allow this to happen, Kurain will yet _again_ be the _laughingstock_ of the nation! We both know that Longines Beaugosse is _queerer than a three-dollar bill!"_

"He is _not_ gay!" Mildred denied hotly, feeling her face burn with embarrassment and anger. "He's just… _French_!"

Matilda just stared at her dubiously.

"He's also in the hair industry…so he's just _colorful_ , that's all!" Mildred continued, warming to her defense argument and actually beginning to _believe_ her own words now. "You know how that _metrosexual_ craze has allowed men to be a tad more effeminate nowadays! How else can you explain the makeup for men and the _man purses_ they now make?"

"Is _that_ how you plan to explain the fact that Mr. Beaugosse was _sporting both_ of those things tonight?" Matilda arched a derisive eyebrow. "The man had longer lashes than _I_ do!"

"I refuse to partake in this slander another moment!" Mildred declared, assuming her most sanctimonious tone. "I truly trust the belief of our esteemed, _world-famous, professional matchmaker_ that this match would not only be a suitable one for our Master, but a fruitful one for our village!"

"You can't sacrifice Mystic Maya into a loveless marriage where _forces of nature_ dictate she can never be _wholly compatible_ with the mate she's been offered, just for the better of the village!" Matilda exclaimed in incredulity. "That isn't right!"

"Fine! If _you_ wish to be one to stand in the path of what could very well lead to a happy union that _benefits us all_ , because of _your own narrow minded prejudices_ , Mystic Matilda, than go ahead, and be my guest!" Mildred offered, knowing full well that the quick-speaking, but slow-acting, and overly tenderhearted woman would do no such thing. "But I _do_ believe you promised Mystic Maya that you'd see to her cousin's distressed state first and foremost, did you not? Ergo, I shall leave _you_ to it! I myself am going to retire to my chambers as soon as I make that _long_ trip down to Eagle Mountain. All this bickering has given me _quite_ the headache!"

She paused for dramatic effect, and placed a hand to her forehead, suddenly pale with instant terminal illness. The she sniffed haughtily and headed off in the direction of Heavenly Hall.

Matilda stood there alone, biting her lip as she struggled with both her plight and the weight of her decision – doing what was morally right versus what was for greater good of the village where she was a council member and for which she wanted nothing but the best!

But first things first, she was indeed a woman of her word – she _would_ go and try to console Mystic Pearl as she'd promised to do.

However, _after_ that, she _knew_ what she had to do – it was something that was _long_ overdue…

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 88**

 **chloemcg**

Being in any way shape or form to JK Rowling, the literary genius who made children and adults around the globe actually read…again, I humbly thank you! Grinning like an idiot that my OC Mildew is deemed to be in the same despicable league as the universally despised, chilling "poufy pink meanie, Dolores Umbridge." _Spoiler: The Dragon Lady will NOT be getting raped by centaurs!_ I mean, it barely deterred _Umbridge_ – she was back to being a Buck Tuggley pain in Mike Easter (and everyone else's!) in the final install! XD

OK milady, here's a funny story – it is no coincidence that the majority of the chapters in this story are (hopefully fitting) song titles/have accompany song lyrics woven in the story itself. However, I am a classic rock and retro fan and not much on contemporary music unless it's at least semi-iconic (like Bruno Mars' "Grenade" to which I wrote the song-fic "I Would Break Every Law For You" that inspired this whole trilogy!). Ergo, in short, I had never even heard of JLS – Take a Chance on Me was written with Abba in mind, and You Make Me Wanna was the Usher tune. That being said, I checked out the song "She Makes Me Wanna" and it is SO cute! I wrote my replies to these catchy songs by said artist so thank you for introducing me!

Polly is rounding the bend…am thinking by or before Feb…and Edgy's return to Nick's life…that reunion will be a MUST-READ! I cannot wait to revisit the epic Bromance!

 **Ryszard**

Glad you liked the flashbacks! There will be no others that are so long I swear! Lol

This is why you're amazeballs, _Herr auf den Punkt…_ you say so much without needing there to BE much! This FF could be canon? _Damn_! I shall do all I can to ensure this tale is worthy of such revered praise… Between you and sweet Chloemcg and her kind JK Rowling comparisons, awesomesauce readers like you make writing go from a mere self-indulgence to a sublimely euphoric hobby!

Latrine will…be around for a little bit longer, but I cannot promise a Harry Potter Style, Centuar style retribution for her! XD

As for Nick…we will be seeing him right before Polly…and we'll see what he has been up to/has to say for himself! (Am thinking by or before Feb?). He's my all time fave character and it pains me what was done to him in AJ…and I have to write him in a similar manner…ugh!

Yeah, he very well could have been body snatched – THAT wasn't our Nick!

Me (throughout whole AJ game): _Phoenix, shall I compare thy to a Summer's Eve? Because thou art a douche!_

 **Yanmegaman**

Hee! Am glad despite the bitter sweetness of Maya being forced to move on, the intended humor of her loser suitors still came across! Dating a sanctimonious vegan would be a deal breaker for _me_ , too who only eats dead birds, never mind a meatarian like The Burger Queen! _Hold it!_ You're gonna judge me for liking CHEESE?! _Objection!_ Kiss your own name, Mike Easter! _Take That! XD_

 _Can_ Nick be "enough of an idiot who places a few months in college with a girl that has a personality akin cardboard over 6 years with a woman who has enough personality for TWO characters!" LMAO. Well, if we go by the personally preferred evil twin/pod people theory suggested by my fave Euro reader…anything is possible, no? :p

 **Ilet Moratar**

Non-AJ Nick is the passionate, romantic Jamie from Outlander personified! Sigh.

However, the AJ-era one I've been forced to make him now be from here and onward is SO not worthy…he was _obviously_ body-snatched by aliens!

Hmm…how _would_ Nick react to the sight of his ex on the arm of another man…or even leading him around by the BELT as you suggested? What a great idea! *wicked grin* I guess…keep reading to find out! ;)

 **Cyberchao X**

Mildew is no muttonhead. Hey even _Jack Black_ looks like a hottie biscotti when placed next to … _Steve Buscemi_ right?

 **Chapter 86**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Even though Nick caught a rare break by being able to pay for the room the well-meaning, naughty little matchmaker booked – (finish T and T dammit, so you can find out her OTHER cupid attempt!) how much do you wanna bet Maya still stole the robes and towels _anyway_?! XD

Now, what kinda deadbeat would Nick have to be to take his blushing bride to the Gatewater Hotel NEXT DOOR to his place, no matter how grandeur the Honeymoon Suite is? LOL. Ah, Iris just got out of prison, surely she shan't be that picky! :p

Maya's suppressed trauma from her ordeal annoyed me too, so I decided to flesh it out a bit in this arc. I'm happy you thought I did justice delving into the psyche of my all-time favorite (and iconic!) heroine!

 **Chapter 85**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

This chapter/game for me was where the epic Bromance began, as did Fredgeworth. They have a beautiful love story that those Capcom ignoramuses didn't capitalize on but I will do my best to do justice to! However, the course of true love never did run smooth. Fasten your seatbelts for a bumpy (but enjoyable, I hope!) ride!

 **Chapter 84**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Phoenix is an intuitive man, even without that magatama…it was why he was a great attorney. However, I feel he needs _a boot to the head_ to sometimes see things that the rest of the world can see when he's too close to it all! I thought Maya's selfless note when kidnapped was a good place to throw that revelation in! Keep reading, bud…Maya will soon have too much on her plate to contend with to spend too much time hating Nick! ;)

 **Chapter 83** **  
**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Ah Nick and Maya…a couple of adorkables who sometimes need to be a tad shook up to come to certain revelations. In her defense though, she has no life or male experience so that's a factor. At least she acknowledge she had a crush…Nick wouldn't even admit to _that_! Hmmm…. _seeds_ …you know what my fave _blooms_ are to keep in my house, bud? Orchids. You should really look into them! ;)


	90. A Whole New World

" _For every night I can't sleep, for every night a dream I weave. A star is borne out of the darkness in the skies, and it lights up a whole new world..."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Ninety:** **A Whole New World**

 _ **Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse**_  
 _Kurain Village_  
April 26, 2025 5:55 PM

Maya, still in shock over the arrival of her unexpected ally, stared after the two women in amazed silence for several moments.

After what seemed like an eternity, Longines at last spoke.

"Your home, Kurain, is a beautiful place, Maya."

She blinked, surprised at how _normal_ he sounded, in spite of what had just transpired.

"Yes, I suppose it is…" she mumbled, her still cheeks pink from the recent events. "I guess I take it for granted, but thanks. That's really nice of you to say so."

"Do you want to maybe take a walk, and you can show me around a bit? It really is breathtaking – and I profess I am in the business of appreciating _all things of great beauty_." He flashed a friendly wink, and Maya felt her blush deepen.

She hated herself for her ridiculous, almost adolescent _awkwardity_ – it was as if she'd been warped into a time machine to nearly a decade ago as a virginal teenager when she'd first met Phoenix!

Therefore, Maya was uncertain how to take either Longines' unsurpassable kindness, or his playful flirtation. After all, aside from her ex and her friendship with Miles, in her 27 years, she had _zero_ experience interacting in any way, shape or form with the opposite sex, which was in itself, _mortifying_ to admit! In addition, she couldn't help but question Longines' _sanity_ for not running away screaming based on what had just unfolded before his very eyes! And he'd handled both the situation and Mildew herself with such admirable finesse and panache…was it _possible_ for a man to be so beauteous a person, both inside _and_ out?!

 _What is his deal, anyway? Something's gotta be wrong with him! I just know it!_

"Um, there's a lakeside mountain view out this way if you want to follow me through the woods…" Maya murmured as she led the way. They walked along in companionable silence for the mile-long journey, finally stopping at the destination and just savoring the perfect stillness and silence of nature.

Longines sucked in a deep breath as his mesmerized gaze took in the surroundings. The mountains were covered with a rug of trees, green, yellow, scarlet and orange, but their bare tops were scarfed and beribboned with still un-melted snow. From carved rocky outcrops, waterfalls drifted like skeins of white lawn, and in the fields, they could see the amber glint of rivers and the occasional mirror-like flash of the mountain lake. He lifted his eyes to the sky, touched his fingers to his lips, and offered a kiss heaven-bound before he spoke at last.

"I've been blessed to travel all over some of the most breathtakingly beautiful parts of the world." There was wonder in his voice. "Yet all this time, unknownst to me, in my own backyard, essentially, this _exquisite, untouched splendor_ has been here all along." He took in a deep lungful of fresh, untainted air and beamed happily at Maya. "Being alone in such a peaceful setting must help you lot feel very spiritual."

"It's a great place to come, reflect, and think," she replied, returning the smile. "But whenever we actually want to get in touch with our more spiritual side, we usually sit under a frigid waterfall for hours on end or opt to get crushed by an icy boulder."

"I know the truth is supposedly stranger than fiction!" Longines started and gaped at her, his eyes the size of saucers. "But you've _got_ to be kidding me!"

"I guess that part would not have been included for the general public knowledge," Maya tittered. "That's some top secret, insider medium information I'm regaling you with, by the way! The kind you won't find on our website!"

"I thought I'd done enough homework on you, Miss Fey. Yet it seems there's much more to your beguiling self than is revealed on you on the World Wide Web."

"I've asked you to call me _Maya_! Care to compare notes on what it is you've googled about me, monsieur, so I can help separate fact from fiction? After all, you can't believe everything you read!"

"The same could be said about me – or about _anyone_ , really. I'd rather find out the truth for myself, at any rate." His face grew serious then. "I know that yours is a most esteemed position that requires a lot of travel, and that before your ancestral duties brought you back this paradise, you were a legal assistant in the city to a renowned defense attorney, as well as being involved in some very high profile cases with him – including _as the defendant_!"

Maya felt her smile waver a notch for a moment, but then smiled brightly.

"It's all of it true," she said simply. "I was found innocent on all counts, because I can't even kill a _bug_ or watch a scary movie without having nightmares for weeks! Although, I will profess to occasionally have _contemplated_ homicide on several occasions…"

 _Mostly certain old-as-balls, fire-breathing spinsters residing in this village who shall remain nameless!_

"I can only imagine who would drive such images in the good Master's mind!" Longines' eyes twinkled with barely suppressed mirth. "The intended victim of mental murder, by the way, wouldn't _possibly_ have been Mystic Mildred, would it? Like, say, when she let her tongue slip earlier this evening to your cousin, perchance?"

"Was our mutual antipathy _that_ obvious?" Maya cracked up then. "Er, I mean, I confess and deny _nothing_ , you hear me! I plead the fifth amendment!"

"Well, since you just told me you're afraid to kill bugs and watch horror films, I shall in turn confess to you that I am, in comparison, an utter _freak_ and find them to be most profusely amusing!"

Longines put up his hands in surrender as Maya goggled at him.

"I'm not a complete _ghoul_! I mean, I'm not talking about the ghostly, demon-based ones like _The Exorcist_ , but come _on_! _The Nightmare on Elm Str_ eet series, with Freddy Kruger and his fiendishly funny one-liners? Or Jason Voorhees and his merciless, maniacal machete on unsuspecting bumping and grinding teenagers in the _Friday the Thirteenth_ flicks?"

"Who _always_ manage to trip and fall in their haste to get away? Bah! Serves them right for no longer being _untouchable virgins_!" The Master snickered. "But Jason is the _least soulless_ of all serial killers – he won't ever hurt a kid!"

 _He's got a leg up on_ _ **Mildew**_ _in_ _ **that**_ _sense!_ Maya added silently. She never had, nor ever would, forgive the miserable village elder for the time she'd tried to strike her beloved cousin, for merely defending the Fey name against verbal onslaught and the desecration of their ancestral home.

Just thinking about Pearl, and the devastated look in her eyes when she'd run off earlier, made Maya lose all good humor and suddenly just want to break down and cry. She didn't know how, or even _if_ , Matilda had managed to smooth things over with the teen so that she'd be able to right things with her little girl, ever again. Worst of all was the knowledge that _she herself_ had been responsible, even unintentionally, for that pained look in Pearl's eyes. It was downright _agonizing_.

Longines caught the sudden sadness on her face and placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression sympathetic.

"I guess confession session is now over, huh?"

She looked at him pensively.

"No…not really. As long as we're playing the reveal game, there is a _major big reveal_ before things go any further," Maya muttered, her gaze on the ground. "I don't want to waste my time or yours any further without laying all my cards out on the table. I don't know how much Mildred told you about me or how much background information reading you managed to do, but there is something very important you need to know. I am not a woman without baggage, Longines. I come as part of a package deal, and am not available to be purchased separately."

"I suspected as much." He nodded understandingly. "Would this have anything to do with your cousin, Pearl, and why she reacted so adversely upon finding out that you've placed yourself on the marriage market?"

"That's just it, Longines; Pearly isn't just merely my _cousin_." Maya looked him squarely in the eye. "We grew up together as sisters, and I've been raising her, as her legal guardian, since she was 8-years-old. She's essentially been my daughter for the past 7 years. She's _my little girl_ , and although I didn't birth her, I couldn't love her any more than if I had. Pearly's the most important part of my life, part of _me_. I know it's a huge cross to bear for any man, dealing with a woman who's essentially a single mom, but better I tell you this now than later. There's no use pursuing things with someone who cannot, or _will not_ , accept us both."

"I understand. Pearly is lovely girl, and I'd welcome the chance to get to know her better, if she'd _let_ me." Longines shook his head ruefully. "But that may be a challenge, since she seemed to _loathe_ the very sight of me!"

"Oh, that has nothing to do with _you_ , or who you _are_ ," Maya assured him, a note of amusement creeping back into her voice now that it seemed he wasn't about to make tracks upon hearing such a major caveat. "It's who you're _not_ that's the problem - it's because you're _not_ _my ex_. Pearly was very attached to him, you see, as he took her under his wing as a father after she lost her mother."

"How simply awful!" Longines gasped. "Did her mother pass away when she was just a little girl? Is that why you wound up raising her with your ex?"

"Morgan's not dead, no. However, Pearly's _Lady Macbeth_ , _overly ambitious, scheming_ mother _is_ serving a life sentence in prison for not only once, but _twice_ trying to have me killed." Maya flashed a wry smile. "I've decided to take it personally."

Longines let out a horrified shout of laughter at that one, shaking his head in mock despair, as Maya continued.

"As for Nick, he was around as a paternal figure for two years full-time when we lived with him, but then he was still in her life even after we moved back to Kurain, so he's the only father she had ever known, which is why she's taking our split so hard." Maya took a deep breath and tried not to let her voice break. "Pearly really loved him, as though he was her real father. She thought one day we'd wed and he'd adopt her."

"Mr. Nick," Longines stated quietly. "That lawyer you worked with, he was your boyfriend, wasn't he?"

Maya nodded miserably.

"Am I right in assuming that this split was fairly recent then?"

"Not even two months ago." Maya looked at him helplessly, her expression pained. "I'm sure you know what became of Phoenix Wright six years ago if you've done your homework as extensively as you say. The elders – they _hated_ him. They thought a disbarred lawyer was beneath a woman of my stature, and kept telling me to forget about him, to let him go. Nevertheless, even now, when it's finally over, I ask you, _how_? It's all part of me. I can't let go of the pain without losing something sacred. The good memories keep me going and the bad ones make me want to curl under the duvet and never come out again, but they are locked tight together like two sides of the same coin."

Her eyes flooded with tears then.

"The three of us…Pearly, Nick and I...we were a little family, Longines. He's hurt me so badly…yet I can't even badmouth him to Pearly, because it'd be like I was trash talking her _father_!"

"This Nick… _he's_ the reason you agreed to be set up for an arranged marriage, isn't he?" Longines asked softly, discreetly pulling a handkerchief from his bag and pressing it against her knuckles, which she accepted gratefully. "Because he hurt you so badly, you didn't want to bother trying to look for a mate on your own, based on love."

" _Never again!"_ She whispered fiercely, wiping her eyes. "Plus, it's a cultural expectation thing, a tradition, really. I only agreed to it when Nick and I split up because it's the only way I'd ever have agreed to any of this – if the stakes involved _didn't_ include my heart."

"So what _are_ you looking for in a marriage then?" He enquired benignly. "A sort of a mutually beneficial, joint business venture, of sorts, but no emotions involved? Sort of like a couple of _androids_ dining together and having nights of perfunctory conversation?"

"I don't sound too desirable now that I've laid it out on the line do I?" Maya sighed mournfully. "But at least nobody can accuse me anymore of harboring overly idealistic or unrealistic expectations. Surely you can respect my candor, if nothing else?"

"I can, Maya and I do," he assured her gently. "In fact, I rather think I like that about you. Moreover, I think I actually like _you_."

" _Really_?" She gasped, eyes round with disbelief. "Does that mean – you actually want to pursue _this_? You and me, I mean?"

"I'm not proposing immediate matrimony at first meet or anything," he replied, his full lips twitching with a wry smirk. "This isn't the Dark Ages! However, yes, I'd like very much to get to know you, and see where this goes. Why is that so shocking to you?"

"B-because I just told you that I probably _won't_ _ever love you_!" She burst out. "And because you're a rich, good-looking guy who could have _anybody he chooses!_ Why in the world would you even agree to such circumstances and forgo the option of a truly loving marriage? Why would you _want_ to take a chance on an emo headcase spirit medium, who is raising someone else's turbulent teenage daughter as her own, and who is too damaged to offer you anything you'd want in a _real_ partner?"

"You're not the only one with familial obligations and expectations, Maya," Longines sighed then as well, and flopped down onto the grassy hillside, lightly tugging her by the hand so she sat down beside him. "My late father's last desires were for me to produce a legitimate heir, and _I_ have no desire to go against a dead man's wishes. Besides, being a constant jet-setting mogul can get lonely at times. I have three residential and two vacation homes around the world, all empty. I would welcome having a friendly companion in my life, to be by my side, to help fill that void sometimes. Someone who could also be a willing escort to my countless work affairs and engagements that my business and charity ventures dictate."

He lifted his lips into a half smile then.

"Besides, when a man my age is an unattached bachelor for too long…people start to _assume_ …certain, ah, _things_ about him, if you catch my drift. Things that having a _pretty, feisty, kind-hearted wife_ , who has her own business engagements to keep her equally as occupied, could help _squelch,_ with the occasional appearances on my arm, if you know what I mean."

"I think I get what you mean…although Longines, you _do_ understand that I have nothing to offer you, except my friendship…and companionship, don't you?" She asked carefully.

"And I said I _liked_ you Maya, nothing more, nothing less. We've only just met, and I have no idea where the road ahead will take us. But I know I'd like you to be by my side for the journey." Longines was direct and to the point. "I'm not going to promise that I'm going to be the next great love of your life, any more than I can expect or count on you to be mine. But I _can_ promise to be your friend, companion, and defending champion against Mildred and these dreaded elders of yours, as well as a friend to your little girl, if you allow me to be."

Maya's hunched up shoulders sagged with relief as the full understanding of it all came over her then. It was going to be alright. They were on the same page after all.

"Just out of curiosity, though… _is_ there any ah, validation in those assumptions people may occasionally have, Longines?"

There was no right or wrong answer as far as Maya was concerned. She would actually prefer it if such _were_ actually the case – that meant she would never need to worry about _another man touching her, ever again_ – which suited her just fine. The thought of anyone else's hands on her body made her skin crawl.

"Well, I guess that question will answer itself the more you get to know me." Longines shrugged in response. "In the meantime, believe what you will. Only time can verify or dispel any preconceived notions and answer all your questions, right?"

He stood up then, and pulled Maya back up to her feet, still clasping her hands warmly in his as he regarded her with an earnest expression.

"But what I would like you to know is _this_ , Maya Fey. I am a very wealthy man, so I have no interest in your bank account. I find you to be incredibly beautiful, with that glorious hair so thick, cascading down your delicate skin like midnight waves on a sandy beach, and I selfishly hope I can one say convince you to be a Beaugosse Salon hair model. I know you'd make not only great arm candy, but one hell of a MILF if it ever comes to that point."

Maya blushed slightly. She was genuinely flattered by this handsome man's obvious admiration of her physical appearance, but at the same time, was uncertain how she felt about being naught more than a trophy escort of sorts. Surely, there was more to her to value than just her beauty?

As though reading her mind, Longines smiled indulgently and went on explaining the reasons for his interest and pursuit.

"Moreover, Maya, I find you warm, witty, and engaging. You obviously have a heart the size of football field to so dearly love another woman's daughter as your own, and evidently, a high tolerance and patience to have put up with the likes of Mildred this long. You stuck around with a disgraced lawyer when the world told you to turn your back on him, so obviously you're very loyal. You're a public figure as well, so no stranger to being in the media and are well reared and bred – not to make you sound like a pedigree! There's not a man alive who wouldn't find these desirous traits in a partner. I am no exception."

"Thank you, Longines," Maya smiled bashfully. "I think you're kind of awesomesauce myself really! Hey, you don't like _The Zappy Samurai: Electric Bugaboo_ by any chance, do you?"

"I was a _Steel Samurai_ fan as a kid," Longines chuckled good-naturedly, as though inquiring about children's TV shows were a perfectly normal thing for a grown woman to ask about. "Unfortunately, I am unaware any of the spinoff shows that followed it. Plus, travelling as much as I do, I don't get too many opportunities to sit back and relax with classic shows from my youth, as much as I'd love to."

 _Oh well. Nobody's perfect, right?_

"Well, _I_ for one, am _totally over_ the _Steel Samurai_ ," Maya sniffed disdainfully. "That silly kid's how is _totally_ yesterday's news, hence my move onto greener Samurai pastures! By the way, did you know that I helped inspire that show's spin-off, _The Pink Princess_?"

"I did not! Tell me about that."

The two chatted some more for awhile, getting to know a bit about one another's likes and dislikes. To Maya's great relief, Longines had no concept of going Dutch, zero interest in anything hemp related, smelled delightfully fresh and clean, and while he thought hunting was barbaric, he admitted that he liked his steak and burgers as much as the next guy. However, he hastily added that he did try to balance out his red-meat inclination with regular jogging and a vegetable smoothie daily for breakfast.

As they exchanged more trivia and information about one another, the two both realized that they didn't mind the odd glass of white wine on special occasions, even though it was the unsophisticated cohort to the more heart-healthy red, as it didn't tend to give them headaches. Also, it turned out that they had a shared allergy to dark chocolate but not milk chocolate, and they both were avid watchers of Disney movies and live theatre plays.

"I still can't get over all this bountiful greenery around me!" Longines exclaimed, spreading out his arms and twirling about as he began to sing. " _My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds…That rise from the lake to the trees…My heart wants to sigh like a chime…That flies from a church on a breeze…"_

" _Longines_!" Maya began giggling manically. "This isn't the _Sound of Music_!" She covered her mouth to smother her giggles as the blond man spun around like the Julie Andrews character and continued to warble out the words to "The Hills Are Alive." While as agile and light on his feet as any professional dancer – he'd told Maya he'd taken both fencing and ballroom dancing lessons as a boy – his singing voice was similar to the caterwauling of the doomed pianist at The Borscht Bowl, Willie Effastop. "And you are _not_ in Austria!"

 _What is it with good-looking blond men who can't carry a tune in a basket?_ She wondered amusedly. _That suits me fine…the last thing I need is_ _ **another**_ _show tune crooner whose voice sweeps me off my feet, anyway!_

Longines suddenly stopped in mid-whirl, his platinum curls somehow falling perfectly back into place as he did so, as though an idea had just occurred to him.

"Lovely Maya," he said grandly, taking her hand and bowing over it in an exaggerated fashion. "I have a proposal for you, and I swear not the indecent or matrimonial kind."

"Well, that's a relief. I'd hate to have to shoot you down so soon after the past couple of fun time hours," Maya deadpanned. "What's on your mind?"

"I realize this is crazy short notice, but I didn't plan on you being as incredible as you are," Longines admitted. "Or me taking to you like a duck to water. But after today, in a week's time, I need to go away for a few weeks overseas, to Europe, actually. I'd hate to halt this fledgling…courtship, friendship or what have you, so abruptly. I'd love to spend more time with you, and get to know you better. So I was wondering... How would you feel about coming with me?"

Maya was dumbfounded by the unexpected request. She gaped at Longines in surprise, having no idea how to respond.

"I'm asking you to come with me, _on my dollar, of course_ , as nothing but my friend," he said quickly, wanting to clarify matters right out of the gate. "Normally, I have an assistant who travels with me on these extensive trips, who is simply too busy attending to their own business matters relating to their restaurant, to accompany me this time. I assure you my full intention is that this be a most chaste trip for us both, with separate sleeping quarters of course. Have you ever been to The Continent?"

"Just once," Maya replied dazedly, still feeling as though she were in a crazy dream where everything was happening at lightning speed. "About eight years ago, we went to England on some sort of Legal Exchange program for a fortnight."

"Well, what a coincidence! My very first stop will actually be in London, to oversee a brand new chain of salons opening in the area, and you would be free to explore the sights while I tended to matters in the day, and then we could dine together in the evening, check out plays, museums, whatever you want to do!" Longines' eyes were sparkling with excitement and promise. "Maya, please say you'll come."

"I – don't know…" She began hesitantly as she mentally started to run over her list of events and obligations for the next month. "It's such short notice…and I have my Master's responsibilities…"

"Maya, what's the point of being a rich man, with all the world at his fingertips, if he's alone and has nobody to share it with?" Longines pleaded. " _Please_ , allow me to make you part of my world. To show you this big, wide world we live in, which will be all the more magical if you were by my side…" He stopped speaking then, and a broad grin broke over his face as he suddenly reached over, grabbed her by the hand, and began waltzing her about while singing at the top of his lungs.

 _ **I can show you the world**_

 _ **Shining, shimmering, splendid**_

 _ **Tell me, Pink Princess, when did**_

 _ **You last let your heart decide?**_

"Longines!" Maya threw her head back and laughed as he continued gliding gracefully along with her, expertly twirling her about. "You're such a nut!"

Undaunted, the blond man continued his serenade in his endearingly, off-key voice, made only tolerable by his light on his feet dancing.

 _ **I can open your eyes**_

 _ **Take you wonder by wonder**_

 _ **Over, sideways and under**_

 _ **On a private jet plane ride**_

 _ **A whole new world**_

 _ **A new fantastic point of view**_

 _ **No one to tell us no or where to go**_

 _ **Or say we're only dreaming…**_

"Okay!" Maya gasped, tears of mirth running down her face now. "Okay, you win! If I agree to this, will you _please cease channeling your inner Aladdin_ and _stop singing?_ "

"If I do, does that mean you'll come?"

"Yes! Like I said, I'll come! Wild horses couldn't keep me away!"

Longines' face lit up. "Seriously? You'll come? On my magic jet plane ride? You _really_ mean it?"

"I mean it!" Maya affirmed, her eyes shining. "It's absolutely crazy and impetuous and my calendar will be _totally_ crammed with catch up conferences and meetings I'll have to reshuffle, but heck, what's a couple of weeks away in the grand scheme of things, anyway? I can't remember when I last travelled strictly for pleasure and not for some sort of business!"

"Maya, you're _wonderful_!" He gushed. "This will be _so_ much fun! And I meant what I said about having no dishonorable intentions towards you when I asked you to accompany me as my dear companion. In fact, I would even be open to, and _actually encourage you_ , to even bring along a chaperone of your own choosing, to further ensure your comfort…heck, you could even ask Mystic Mildred!"

" _Over my dead body_!" Maya blurted out, then clapped a hand over her mouth and grinned sheepishly. "Er, that is, I have a little girl, remember? She's like a ready-made lady-in-waiting for instances like this! So this will be just terrific!"

"Pearly?" Longines' smooth brow furrowed with concern. "Do you think she'd agree to coming? I mean, feeling about this whole thing as she does…you don't think she'll be too sore at me?"

"Nonsense!" Maya laughed delightedly, clapping her hands. "I am over the moon about going back to London! I have a wonderful, world-famous archeologist friend there who I cannot wait to look up! And Pearly's going to get over her little snit pretty quickly when I explain you and I are just friends…and besides, she's never been to Europe! This will be a whole new world for _her_ , too!"

"This is going to be the _journey of a lifetime_!" Longines crowed, grabbing her hand again and spinning her about once more as he resumed singing the song. "Sing along with me, Pink Princess!"

This time, a giddy and merry Maya joined in in singing the lyrics.

 _ **I'm like a shooting star**_

 _ **I've come so far**_

 _ **I can't go back**_

 _ **To where I used to be...**_

As they laughed and danced well into the evening, Maya felt the first beginnings, at long last, of her battered heart finally beginning to mend.

 _When Nick first left, I would describe my heartache as like an insatiable fire that burnt all the oxygen in my body leaving me listless and empty. But now it is more like a thin layer of ice, cooling my insides, a gentle reminder of the pain that came before and a warning not to stoke that fire again. They say once bitten, twice shy, but I think for me it's more like forever shy. I can't see myself putting my heart out there again, I don't think it can survive another inferno. But this…this deal he's proposing…I could agree to this. I can be, if not a traditional lover and partner, a friend, a travel companion. Arm candy at festive, snooty soirées if need be. As long as neither my body nor heart is required, what's there to say no to?_

* * *

 _ **Pearl Fey and Iris Hawthorne**_  
 _Hazakura Temple_  
April 26, 2025 7:15 PM

By foot, the trek up to Eagle Mountain from Kurain Village took the average person about half an hour.

For an avid sprinter like Pearl Fey, especially in her emotive state, while on a mission, the trip took no longer than twenty minutes, after being somewhat placated by the well-meaning Mystic Matilda.

"Mystic Pearl! Long time no see!" Sister Bikini boomed, beaming warmly at the spirit medium. "But what brings you to our frigid air mountains, when springtime brings warmer airs to your village? It's also when a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love! Hoh hoh!"

 _Thoughts of love indeed! That's_ _ **exactly**_ _why I'm here in the first place!_

"It's nice to see you again, Sister," Pearl replied politely. "The reason I'm here is to see my sis- er, that is, Sister Iris, actually. Might I speak with her please?"

Years of docile mannerisms and respect for her elders were what kept the teen from asking the kind woman if she could please see her adoptive daughter, the _home wrecking hussy_!

Although Maya had installed both into Kurain for the past six years now, Pearl still continued to be amazed by the whole new world of colorful phrases she had learned – but had rare opportunities to use! – from cable TV and the internet!

"Why so formal?" The nun grinned. "She _is_ your sister, after all! She'd be delighted to see you! Let me go fetch her!"

" _Half_ -sister," Pearl muttered darkly behind the shrine maiden's retreating back. "And most definitely not by _my_ choice _at all_!"

A few moments, Iris Hawthorne appeared, back in her customary shrine maiden garb but minus the white hood, so her long black hair flowed freely down her back and around her ethereal visage. Her huge doe orbs, so like her half-sister's, were wide with astonishment as she set them on the younger girl, whose unreadable expression, while not hostile, was not in the least friendly either.

The shrine maiden swallowed nervously as she flashed an uncertain smile.

"I guess Sister Bikini wanted to surprise me when she told me I had an unexpected visitor," Iris's soft-spoken voice ventured timidly. "I had no idea who it could be, other than perhaps Feenie. However, of course, seeing my little sister is a _much_ welcome and pleasant surprise! What brings you here, today Pearl?"

"My quest for _the truth_ , Sister Iris," Pearl replied sweetly, even as she affixed her icy, determined eyes on her sibling's suddenly anxious ones. "And what a coincidence - it's regarding a subject you have _expert knowledge_ on - your _darling Feenie_!" She nearly gagged on the word. "I'd like to ask you some questions _, dear sister_. I want some honest answers. _And I want them_ _now_."

 _ **Walt Disney's Aladdin - A Whole New World**_

* * *

 _A/N: Disclaimer –_ _ **not my drawing**_ _– I WISH! But if anyone is curious about what long-haired Longines and pretty in pink Maya looked like in this scene and can get past my CRAPTASTIC Photoshop coloring skills, here's the link:_

 **I dot imgur dot com slash q9vEDoE dot jpg**

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 89**

 **Yanmegaman**

Longines is NOT gay, punny man! You heard Mildew! He's just…FRENCH! LOL

Well, let's not get too hasty…so far we have just ascertained (I hoped!) that the hair heir of dubious sexual orientation doesn't completely _suck and_ _ **blo**_! XD

Surely that wouldn't be reason enough for Maya to make him Pearl's new 'daddy'…would it?! :p

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Well, if Maya _did_ want to do the Sister Act thing, she _already has the outfit_ according to lame ass suitor the third…but she's so amazing and beautiful (see pic link at bottom) for all the reasons Longines outlined in this chapter… it'd be such a waste wouldn't it?

I liked the idea of somebody sticking it to Mildew besides Maya, hence the entry of the surprisingly benign Mystic Matilda. _Are_ Matilda's suspicions about Longines correct though? You _do_ get leeway to be as _flamboyant as hail_ if you're in the hair industry after all, as it's considered 'artsy' and this dang metrosexual craze has made it very hard to determine Bromance from romance…which explains why so many folks pair Nick with the he of the 'pink suit and fluttery napkin thingie,' Wright? :p

 **Ilet Moratar**

I think it'd be hilarious if Longines actually made Maya a hair model – rocking the new 'do and having hacked off a good chunk of that Rapunzel worthy hair Nick so loved once – like he so yearns to do and Nick was forced to see his ex's face splashed on 80 foot billboards saying _You Blo Me!_ XD

But for the record, you've seen the hot adult Maya fan art online amiga, including the one I posted in this chapter…can Longines _not_ be _set on the straight path_ as Mildred so hopes (assuming this is even applicable!)? After all, _nobody's_ THAT gay! :p

 **Ryszard**

 _Danke Herr Melodisch!_

Not only am I delighted to still be able to surprise my readers at this point in the game, but you've given me a Sting song so inspiring and awesome, (all the songs you've told me of have been!) I am literally moving a part of the _sting operation_ no pun intended (for once!) to the Big Apple for the next Edgy chapter, which has your name written on it! I wasn't sure if it was head canon that made Miles British, or his love of tea, tea sets, and the voice actors who voice him in the English version, anyway, always tend to sound British!

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

The shrine maiden made another cameo in this chapter…But as of right now, the next story arc takes us back to Fredgeworth (who I last left sobbing in the cemetery) and the adventures in Europe, and Nick will be making an appearance by or before February.

 **Chloemcg**

I am delighted I have prompted my readers to take a break from listing creative ways of torturing Nick to now making them think of creative ways to make life hell for _Mildew_! That chaining to the Payne's suggestion seems about as good as any, although with that skinned rabbit 'do Longines called her out on, ripping out her remaining hairs on her head will only grow less and less significant with each passing day… XD

Pearly…poor thing, she needs a break from heartache! She will have a very special ray of sunshine in the dark cloud that's been her poor life up until now _very, very soon_ , and I am so excited about it! I hope you guys all like it…although _you_ in particular, milady, formerly known as English Rose (bc I just read you're from Ireland on your profile – my bad I just assumed UK = England…apologies, it's a name I've tended to give British lasses as they are just of such well mannered and lovely, like the flower, as people in disposition!) may get a special kick out of it! :p

 **Chapter 88**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Don't you hate when evil people win? I guess chopping off the lovely locks her ex so loved wasn't enough…Maya has been ripped apart in the heart enough to actually embrace the whole "if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with" mentality!

 **Chapter 87**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

 _In vino veritas._

Booze is called truth serum for a reason, right? I think in this case Dutch courage was a mixed blessing – it made Maya pass out before she learned a long awaited truth, but it also gave Nick the courage to make her defensive walls crumble so she could let go and finally start to heal.

I loved writing the history of the famous locket and the significance of it in this arc…and had I not written self into a corner with when and where he presented her with the evidence of his love this so would have been the perfect opportunity!

Here's something to mull over bud…he _did_ tell Maya he loved her – albeit when she was unconscious – and then she dreamed she was telling him she loved him back. Could it be she subconsciously _heard_ it, hence the dream, or just a _coincidence_? :p


	91. A Bullet Fired

_"Words are weapons used to create words that are hard to heal. You can't take back a bullet fired once it's already left the gun. So too, cruel things that leave your mouth, so try to hold your tongue."_

* * *

 _A/N **:** Bet you guys thought I forgot about Fredgeworth, didn't you? I know it's been twenty chapters and a good few months since we visited my other OTP, and I'd like to thank my good friend and writer, Feraligreater328 (check him out, he's awesome!) for his assistance with this chapter._

* * *

 **Chapter Ninety-One:** **A Bullet Fired**

 _ **Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
April 28, 2025 5:15 AM

Franziska jolted awake, heart thudding in her ears, drenched in a cold sweat. Her breathing was rapid and shallow as she sat there in her little section of the king-sized ocean of sheets that she and Miles had resumed sharing for the past two months, while she stared into the darkness and tried to calm down.

She'd mostly gotten over her previous grudge regarding the Lana situation after the loss of Carol. In the grand scheme of things, it was such a trifling matter in the end – or so she'd needed to convince herself – and had let Miles back into their bed. Ever since the fateful day when she'd finally allowed him to comfort her and wept in his arms at their daughter's graveside, she'd found some a bit of solace in his embrace and sought the reassurance of his presence, even though things still weren't quite the same between them.

In the past two and a half months since the tragedy, Miles had remained dutifully and unwaveringly by her side, undaunted by her incapability of saying much to him, and the fact that her eyes, whenever they met his concerned, saddened ones, were essentially lifeless and empty.

Nevertheless, even though she sensed his uncertainty in what the right thing was to say or do, Franziska still found Miles' company next to her on the bed each night was a much-needed comfort. Especially because nearly every night since, she suffered from plaguing, tormenting, horrific dreams which would result in her waking up, panicked and screaming and trembling like a leaf as Miles would jolt awake and envelope her in his warm clasp.

"Shhh… _meine dame_ , it's alright," he'd always whisper, stroking her hair. "It's OK, I'm here. You're safe now. It was just a nightmare."

Asleep or awake, it didn't matter. All of Franziska's thoughts were stuck on one image, the one of the lifeless little form of her daughter that the Doctor had handed her, after a two grueling hours of labor. That tiny life, the one that she and Miles had created, no longer a life at all; it was just an empty shell that she would never know.

 _Riddle me this. How can I call it a nightmare, if it doesn't leave my presence when I awake?_ She yearned to shout back in response.

Be that as it may, she couldn't make herself utter these words aloud. After all, as Katharina had reminded her repeatedly, she couldn't be so selfish in her grief. It had been Miles' loss too. Moreover, he was holding on, silent and strong as always, trying to be the pillar of strength for the both of them.

And so she would nod mutely and allow the sound of his steady heartbeat to lull her back into uneasy slumber yet again.

Right now, as she sat up in bed, Franziska struggled to sort through the fuzziness of her mind from her latest dream – the first in ages not to be some sort of night terror – and clear her head.

From the carousel of random and vivid dreams came some order - a subtle awareness of who she was under the flow of thoughts with their loose connections to her waking life. After a few moments more, she began to analyze them in a hazy way, thinking perhaps those ideas were meant to be kept. Some were composed as though from a book she'd read, some were just silly. In another moment, they were gone, leaving no trace. If they were still in her head, there was no breadcrumb trail back to them.

Her eyelids flickered open in the unlit room. No daylight. She tried to close them again, willing the carousel to return, for her mind to tumble back to the dreams, but it wouldn't. Now the rest of the hours of the day loomed ahead, demanding she think about them, find solutions, get things done by day's end. She was awake and there was no retreat.

Heart pounding, she stole a glance at the pointless alarm clock, glowing red, and reached out to turn it off. Once upon a time, 6:30 in the morning had been a rude awakening; now it was an impossible target. It would take at least a week of vacation to get there...

A vacation. Things to do. What laughable notions. She'd not worked in over two months and the empty endless days and nights stretched before her, with no end in sight.

 _The world outside teases me with its silence; everyone and everything sleeps, save the owls. Time is marked only by the numbers changing on my bedside alarm. It was long ago that the last of the daylight left my bedroom and it will be hours before it creeps back again. I can only hope that in the meantime I am not aware of every second of every minute. My mind is constantly regurgitating the worries of the day, the tension of tomorrow, the agonies of yesteryear. Yet I have no new or brilliant solutions to offer, I can only do what I have always done- take each day as it comes._

Franziska looked over at Miles, his slumbering form as immobile as a mountain. She faintly smiled to herself and reached out to touch him, but then she stopped herself. As her hand neared closer to the love of her life, the terrible memories flooded back in: the sudden pain, the hours of labor, and… _ugh_! She slumped over, burying her face into her knees.

Memories were the soul torturer of the woman. She couldn't escape them, or hide from them; they were the worst kind of monster.

She was scared of what her past held, all the memories that seemed to never escape her. They were pinpoint needles, piercing her skin. She couldn't scream or fight back, she had to just endure the pain as the picture of her baby's face, and other demons from her past, flashed through her mind.

She had experienced pain before, including the time she'd been shot, but nothing had ever amounted to this.

Her heart was as barren as the moors on a desolate winter morn.

The vivid recollections of the labor pain was a prison for her mind. In that jail cell of fear and confusion, the time had passed without her being able to keep track. Her stomach had tightened, as though a ball of searing, poker-hot knives were within, and she heard her own screams without being aware of making them. She'd tried to lay still as the medications were administered, waiting for the agony to subside...

She could neither hide or run or fight them. Her memories were indeed her worst enemy and the thing that would most likely destroy her.

Looking back now, Franziska did her best to forget those torturous moments as effectively as formatting a hard-drive, and instead recall the love she'd felt for her baby, her precious child, one created in perfect love.

Now gone forever. Now a child of God's kingdom, a heavenly angel, alongside Franziska's mother and her sister, Manfrieda.

As much as she wanted to, Franziska could barely even bring herself to cry anymore, she could shudder, she could even whimper, but tears just wouldn't come forth anymore. Now all Franziska could do was analyze and try to make it from one day to the next.

While the tears weren't even halfway done, Franziska was completely empty. She couldn't have cried even if she wanted to. She hadn't experienced this feeling before. The sadness was still there, but not raw anymore – now it was an empty unhappiness - the kind she didn't think would easily lift. Even if Miles had surprised her with the cutest kitten on earth, a playmate for Pess, she wouldn't feel a thing, and would merely stare around her as though in a pit. Her surroundings were exactly the same, but they gave her no emotion. How could that be? She needed emotion to experience being _alive_ , to feel joy, both which was she void of feeling.

That foolish fool Shi-Long Lang had tried to console her when the news had reached him. He started by telling her something that Lang Zi had once said, as he often did in sorry scenarios such as hers, and then he bluntly got to the point.

Franziska could remember his words as clearly as she could remember the color of the sky. Lang had sighed as he stared her down, as she weakly lay in the hospital bed.

"Here's the deal Agent von Karma. I'm here now, not as your Interpol boss, but as your friend. As a federal agency, it is our job to ensure that all of our agents are in the proper physical condition to do their duty…"

She could only bring herself to nod as Lang continued to speak what was probably the most prepared statement ever constructed, and clenched her fist harder and harder around her sheets as Lang continued.

"…but, I digress, we offer our deepest condolences for your…loss and wish you a speedy recovery from your – Caesar – ah, your _surgery_. In addition, we humbly offer to pay all of your medical bills. In fact, we _insist_!"

Miles spoke up from his depressing slump in the chair in the corner of the room. "Thank you, Agent Lang, your generosity means the world to us in these harsh times."

Lang nodded and turned to leave, but then gave Franziska one last solemn look. "I don't want to see you back around the office for at least two months. Are we clear, Franziska?"

Franziska would have normally admonished such sentimentality, but she meekly nodded her acquiescence. "Understood."

"You will be missed, Agent Von Karma…" Lang's voice trailed off uncertainly then, and he coughed uncomfortably. "Please let us know about the… _arrangements_ as soon as you've got the details." With that, he left, leaving Detective Badd alone with the couple.

Badd looked at her with somber dark eyes, rife with sympathy. "Get well soon, kid," he said gruffly, clearing his throat awkwardly. "And please, let me know if there's anything we can do at all." Then he followed the Wolf Man's path out the door.

Franziska sat there, brooding, as she grappled with her thoughts. She knew that Lang and Badd had only wished to help, but she couldn't process how they thought time off would fix anything. At the same time, she didn't know how, when or if she'd ever find the _inner_ strength – she was now fully _physically_ healed from the caesarian – to ever leave the house, never mind go back to work again.

She hadn't left the mansion or had any contact with the outside world since the funeral, save for her sister.

The numbness of her loss had passed, and suddenly, the pain once again hit her out of nowhere, doubling her over, racking her body with sobs. _Where are you Carol?_ She cried out in her mind, just as she had countless times these past few months. _Where have you gone?_

Of course, there was never any answer.

Franziska curled up into a ball, hugged her knees, and dropped her desolate head down upon them as her agonized mind continued on the same treacherous treadmill of memories, from which there seemed to be no escape in sight, about her precious daughter.

Would there _ever_ be an end to the awful images? The anger, the sadness, the constant thoughts of what could've been, rushing through her head?

The German woman solemnly glanced over at Miles, giving her longtime lover a longing stare. She wanted so desperately to reach out, to touch him again, but…the fear was too strong. She didn't want to have _that_ happen again, she didn't want to make another mistake.

She didn't want to lose another baby.

Franziska silently sighed. A few times in the last week or so, Miles had hinted about wanting intimacy again, but each time his soft lips had so much as brushed hers, horrific thoughts of another miscarriage inundated her mind and she froze, stiffening like a rock, and turned away, so that he had no choice but to reluctantly let her be.

She felt so terrible for her fiancé; he wanted so desperately for them to be intimate, to love, and make love once more, but Franziska just couldn't find it within herself to do it. So now, her lover, a person she had known for most of her life, was still distant from her as ever, and she had no idea how to bridge that gap.

 _My heartache has wrung me out until I am dry inside, no more tears will come. My insides still feel as raw as if a winter wind was blowing right through my skin. The last conversation haunts me, taunts me, replaying like an echo. My appetite has dwindled to nothing. I keep the curtains closed so that I won't have to witness life going on as usual. How could it when my world has crumbled?_

There were times Franziska felt like the world was slowly disappearing in front of her. Alternatively, maybe it was just _her_ who was fading away – figuratively as well as literally.

Try as she might, and no matter what tempting dishes Helga would offer her, she couldn't bear to eat more than a few bites of anything, as all food tasted like sawdust in her mouth. As a result, she'd unexpectedly dropped all of her excess pregnancy weight, plus some. Miles had worriedly noted that she was even thinner now than before she'd gotten pregnant, but Franziska just couldn't find it in her to care about these things. Nothing mattered anyway. Who was there to see her? What did it matter if she was now barely more than skin on and bones on the outside?

 _Because my empty burning lungs and my heart hitting my chest so hard I think it will break my ribs and rip apart my skin are the only things I care to think about. In addition, there's that void. The black hole in my head, deep inside my soul, slowly swallowing all my hopes and dreams. That's the worst of those moments. The realization of the vacuum, the nothingness, the absurdity of my existence. These times awaken me at five a.m. and make me wonder: what am I living for anyway? Maybe for me, maybe for others. Does it really matter? And when I can't find my answers, from my mind, from my dreams… the anxiety turns into panic._

Franziska knew she was going to lose her mind if she sat there with her thoughts another minute, and she didn't want to awaken Miles, who was slumbering so peacefully, so she silently slipped out of the bed and slunk into her smaller, adjoining study in the next room, carefully closing the connecting door to the bedroom behind her. Her fiancé had stayed up with her most nights she couldn't sleep, and had faithfully stayed by her side while she'd been off work. She didn't want to rouse him – he needed his rest. After all, he couldn't stay off work forever. There was only so much leeway Lang could give them after all…

She swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat. Miles _should_ sleep. He deserved it. He'd been a great partner to her – perhaps even better than she deserved. Especially after what she'd said to him…

 _Stop it Franziska. Don't torture yourself with words you didn't mean to say!_ Her heart wept plaintively. _You were pregnant, hormonal, angry…he knows you didn't mean it!_

 _That's no excuse!_ The logical part of her mind cried. _You told him that the baby was the_ _ **only**_ _thing keeping you together, Franziska Von Karma! The_ _ **sole tie that binds**_ _you together! Yes, he's still with you now after the fact, because he feels sorry for you, but for how long? After saying such a venomous thing to him, truly, what's keeping him with you? From running off to Lana? Or just leaving, period? What makes you think his moral obligations are enough to keep him around? That_ _ **you're**_ _enough, especially after the way you've behaved? What makes you think you'll_ _ **ever**_ _be enough?!_

If she listened to these contradicting voices much longer, she'd surely go mad.

 _There it goes again, my inner dialogue, but it's not my friend. It whispers to me, "Everything has gone wrong, it's terrible, no way back, disaster, ruin..." The world seems closer to my eyes and the air becomes murkier, harder to breathe in. A glossy sheen coats my eyes that wasn't there before, and my thoughts scatter like there's an electrical storm in my head, with too many short-circuits to make any sense. All the while, the only thing that comes through is "You've failed, it's over, you're hanging onto a tree with dead roots…time to chop it down and stop prolonging this misery…"_

She gave her head a firm shake, and then quickly turned to her computer, frantically scrolling through some personal emails she'd been neglecting for some time. One in particular caught her eye, and a soft smile formed around her lips when she saw the unexpected sender. Before she could have a change of heart, she quickly fired back a quick reply, responding to the requested information, then sat back in her chair.

 _That may just be what the doctor ordered! A most unanticipated surprise, and a welcome distraction. Miles will be pleased as well, I'd think!_

Franziska busied herself replying to a few other emails and idly went to a few sites of particular interest, happy to distract herself from her thoughts, and when she looked at the time on the computer, she was startled to realize that she'd been online for just over an hour. It was 6:30 now. Daylight was beginning to creep through the blinds.

 _I need to get back to bed. Maybe I can squeeze in another hour or two of rest by Miles' side before he wakes up for his morning run. Perhaps just lying next to him, feeling his presence, will quell my nerves from earlier. And maybe…the time has come for us to try to talk about what's been happening between us, like he's tried so hard to do all those months ago, and see if we can salvage that …dying tree, so it can flourish and grow once again. Assuming I'm not too late…_

Franziska scrunched her eyes tightly shut against her stinging lids, trying to drown out her tormenting internal monologue.

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye  
**_ April 28, 2025 6:25 AM

Miles felt himself rustled from his deep slumber by the sudden vibrating sound of his cell on his bedside night table. Quickly, not wanting to awaken Franziska, he grabbed it and pressed the talk button, brushing his long bangs out of his face while he did so. As he said hello into the phone, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and cast a glance over his shoulder, fully planning on taking the call in the next room, but saw that her side of the bed was empty. How odd. The bathroom door was wide open so where could she have gone?

Frowning with unease, he sank back down on the bed and was startled to hear Lana's voice on the line. He hadn't seen her since the funeral, and had only exchanged a small handful of emails, checking in to see how he and Franziska were faring, ever since.

"Miles, it's me. I know it's early," Lana began apologetically. "But you know I wouldn't be calling you unless it was important."

"It's alright, Lana. What's going on?"

"Lang contacted me. It's about the operation Miles. He can't stall things any longer – things have already been setback longer than anticipated. He wants us back and on the case, as soon as possible."

Miles rubbed a hand over his face. He'd known this day was coming – even though Lang had said they could have a few months, he also knew business was business and that the agent had hoped Franziska and Miles wouldn't _really_ need to take it - and thus he'd been dreading it too. As much as his heart still ached when he thought of his stillborn daughter, Miles actually welcomed the distracting reprieve work would offer him to thwart the painful memories.

But his fiancée was a different story. Never before had he ever seen the formidable Franziska Von Karma so frail, so lost. She'd finally let down her barriers and shown him her vulnerable side, and they'd finally started to reconnect, and console each other after all this heartache. And now he was being called away just when he knew she needed him most…

"How soon is soon, Lana?" He asked wearily, although already knowing the answer.

" _Yesterday_ if Lang had his way," she replied with a groan. "But realistically, tomorrow, or the day after. He's not going to try to coerce Franziska to return until she's fully ready to, but you and me, we're to meet Jilly and Carlos at HQ, get our tune up alter ego makeovers again, and we're back in that saddle."

"This won't do!" Miles exclaimed, even though he knew he was barking at the wrong tree. "I won't just up and leave Franziska at the drop of a hat! I can't just do that Lana. It's not that easy!"

"I hear you…" she replied hesitantly. "But…"

"Franziska's still a wreck, and she's been leaning heavily on me. I can't just go like that – I'd need to give her some notice."

" _We_ _need you_ , Miles."

"My fiancée does too! I _know_ she needs me, and I've already hurt her so badly in the past…"

"I know, and a lot of that was my fault as well," she whispered. "Miles, a part of me still feels so guilty about the rift that came between you because of me, you have no idea how much I yearn to turn back time and undo it all."

"So can't you see how it's entirely too cruel for me to just leave her like this?"

"Miles…"

"Surely _you_ can try to understand?"

"Of _course_ I do, Miles," Lana sounded mournful as she spoke. "I _hate_ the part I've unwittingly played in all this heartbreak, just as much as I hate that _I_ had to be the one to make this phone call."

"It's not your fault," Miles sighed. "This isn't about you and me in the least – I'd not want to leave her side even if it were for charity purposes right now. Franziska is so vulnerable right now. She's wasted away to practically nothing…I fear she may be suffering from some sort of postpartum depression on top of everything."

"Isn't her sister a psychologist? Couldn't you talk to her about this? Get her opinion?"

"Katharina was here for a good month afterward, and she too, is worried she'll fall apart. But she's so obstinate I'm not sure she'd be willing to accept any sort of help in that regard."

"Miles, I'm sorry about all this strife, but what do you want me to tell Lang?" Lana asked helplessly. "Should I tell him that you're unable to continue with the operation and need to be replaced? That you're not coming back?"

"No, I won't ask you to do such a thing." Miles raked a hand through his hair. "I knew this day was looming…it was only a matter of time. However, while _I've_ been consciously aware that it's been a long time coming, Franziska hasn't really been in the right sort of mind to take heed to time. She's got a strong work ethic, and would probably encourage my return at some point, but she probably wasn't expecting this so soon, even though for Interpol it feels like forever."

"It's going to be different this time, Miles," Lana warned. "And we are going to be out there minimum six months, easy, trying to get to these cocoons while we try to pick up where we left off and hope Ku can still make good on his promise. Nevertheless, we may have to start from scratch in our dealings with him to prove our interest is still keen after all this radio silence, or go a new route entirely. This is going to be rough. I need to know you have my back. Because it's going to be just you and me, thrown to the wolves, fending for ourselves out there. I can't do this without you."

"I can't do this without you, either," he admitted. "But there are few people I'd trust more than you to look out for me on that minefield. You have my absolute word, Lana, we're a team, you and I."

"Thank you, Miles." She sounded relieved. "So what can I tell Lang? When should I say we're back in action?"

"Well, first and foremost, I need to advise this latest change to the love of my life and hope I can make her understand the underlying factors here. We've always been very supportive of one another's career ambitions – but the part about us being so deep undercover, and unreachable for so long, that's what I'm worried about. She may not take this well."

"So you're going to let me know what's up once you've talked to Franziska then?"

"I'll save you the middle man duty and contact Lang myself," Miles assured her. "But I do need to first speak to my fiancée before I commit to any dates. She's the most important person in my life, and I owe her this."

"The things we do in the name of justice," Lana sighed. "This is the kind of thing you read about in spy novels or see in James Bond movies, these sort of dangerous life and limb situations. It's a dirty job, but _somebody's_ gotta do it, right?"

"I know what you mean. I feel the same way. These smugglers are destroying so many lives…and someone needs to put a stop to it. I've always done my best to get to the truth, and make sure that I fulfill my life's mission so that someday, our children will someday have a safer world to grow up in." Miles chuckled ruefully. "In my case, it's not what I _want_ to do; it's what I _have_ to do."

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
April 28, 2025 6:35 AM

As she placed her hand on the heavy wooden door, Franziska realized she could hear the slightly muffled sounds of Miles' voice on the other side. When had he awakened?

He appeared to be on the phone with someone. She could only make out snatches and snippets of the conversation. She hated herself for eavesdropping, but felt compelled to stay still and listen for some reason.

"I can't just do that Lana. It's not that easy…"

 _Lana?!_ Franziska's heart went into a tailspin, as all of her insecurities came flooding back to her at the mere mention of the other woman's name. What was _she_ doing calling Miles this early in the morning?!

"….need to give her some notice…. She needs me…too cruel to just leave her like this…try to understand….This isn't about you and me…Franziska is so vulnerable…worried she'll fall apart…it's been a long time coming but she probably wasn't expecting this…Can't do this without you….we're a team, you and I…make her understand…I _owe_ her this…"

Franziska's heart sank. It seemed she was too late after all. This was her worst fear. That she had killed whatever precious love he'd had for her, and that without the baby as a key factor anymore, he had no reason to stay by her side anymore, save for his obligatory morals. He was trying to spare her, because he knew she was vulnerable. Well dammit, she was a Von Karma! She didn't need his pity! If her words, her actions had uprooted that dying tree and it was about to fall dead anyway, so be it! She would deal with the consequences of her actions like a grown woman and end this torture!

 _The love I have for you, Miles Edgeworth, it can't end until my body ceases to function and my soul is released for whatever comes after. I hope that somehow it is embedded into my soul, and that at the very least,_ _ **mine**_ _will eternally endure. Even on my darkest days, my love for you had ridden underneath it all, keeping my mind from sinking into the mire that claimed me in the past. I'd always known that however deep I fear I'd fallen into the darkness, you would be there, as you have all this time, like solid ground to steady me, giving me time to climb back into positivity. But if such is no longer the case, I'd rather you slap me with the bitter truth that your heart has moved on, rather kiss me with a lie any longer._

Loudly clearing her throat as she opened the door then, to make her entrance known, Franziska pushed the heavy wood ajar, and found Miles sitting up on the bed, raking his fingers anxiously through his hair with his free hand, with the other clamping his cell tightly to his ear. A pensive frown marred brow as he listened intently to whatever Lana was saying, and still didn't seem aware of her existence behind him in the bedroom, so engrossed was he in the conversation.

"It's not what I _want_ to do, it's what I _have_ to do…"

Swallowing painfully upon hearing those words, Franziska coughed slightly, to alert him of her presence, and Miles' head shot up then, his eyes wide with astonishment.

"I'll call you later, Lana," he said abruptly into the phone, then rung off.

Franziska ensured her expression was neutral as she studied his handsome face, which wore a look of intense consternation at the sight of her.

" _Meine dame_ , when did you get up?" He asked worriedly. "I wasn't sure where you'd went, if you'd left the house or just gone downstairs, but when I woke up you weren't here…"

"I couldn't sleep," she answered guardedly. "But _you_ were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you yet again, so decided to just check some emails. When did you awaken?"

"Just now," he replied, his concerned eyes scrutinizing the weary lines on her drawn face, as he appeared to be struggling with his next words. "I was woken up only a few moments ago by that phone call from Lana…" His voice trailed off then, as he studied her but her countenance belied nothing.

"I see," was all she said in response. " _And_?"

Miles expelled the breath that he appeared to be holding in his lungs.

"Franziska, it appears that Lang can't stall the sting operation any longer. There's already been a huge setback due to…well, anyway, he wants me to come back to work. _Immediately_. That was why she called."

"Oh, is that _all_?" Franziska forced herself to smile slightly. " _That_ was what had you looking like so apprehensive, Miles? Don't be foolish! Of course, you need to go back to work. There's no need to beat around the bush. The operation got halted because of me. I am well aware of this, and I refuse to be the albatross around Interpol's neck a moment longer. If Lang says you need to go, then you should go! I – I'm sure my return shan't be too long afterward. I assume the Wolf Man said nothing about expecting _me_ to give an anticipated return date?"

"Well, no…" Miles was obviously struggling with how surprisingly blithe she was being with what he'd imagined was unexpected news. "Lang is most understanding about your plight and wants you fully healed and recuperated before you resume your duties. But as for Lana and I…Ku was headed back to Borginia back in February, and was going to give us the name of the cocoon dealer, but our inside source has indicated he's gotten impatient with our silence, and we may need to restart from scratch in the process of buttering him up once more. Alternatively, we may need to seek another lead to the source entirely. Nonetheless, we need to act fast, and _now_."

"Sounds about right," she returned breezily. "You're a great undercover agent, Miles, as is Lana. I have no concerns over your combined talents _as a team_ to set things back on course with Ku or find a more reliable alternative route. I want you to go with my blessing!"

"Franziska…I don't want to leave you when you're like this," Miles protested, not looking at all placated by her words. If anything, he looked weary and anxious. "I know your stitches have healed, but you're still not eating or sleeping properly…"

"I'm a grown woman, Miles, and I _don't_ need a babysitter." Franziska was adamant. "There is a house full of servants to tend to me if any need arises, so you needn't…worry about that as a factor to force you to be here any longer."

" _Force_?" Miles echoed, looking stunned. " _Meine dame_ , you're not a _chore_ to me – you've _never_ been. How could you even suggest such a thing?"

"Forgive me, _liebling_." Franziska shrugged. "I shall blame the early hour for my unprecedented lax vocabulary. _Forced, obliged, bound to me_ ...the phrasing is not important here. What's important is that you are an investigative prosecutor on a top secret Interpol mission, and _that_ is your first and foremost duty now. You have back burned it long enough on my account. Lang has been surprisingly saintly about this whole matter, what with us both being off the case this long – we're lucky he hasn't tried to replace either of us! I shall contact him myself about my own situation when I am ready, but in the meantime, duty calls, and I completely understand."

"Franziska, I don't think you do." Miles looked slightly pained now. "This isn't the same as before – we're going in deep, and we need to make up for lost time. There's no pressure on when you can come back and join us, of course, but I don't know when I'll be back. That's what I'm trying to convey to you. I'll be gone for quite a while this time around. We're talking half a year at least, easily. Lana and I may be so deep undercover at that point that there's a chance that whenever you _do_ decide to come back as part of the surveillance team, I may not see you even then."

"So _that's_ your primary concern, _liebling_? Because you don't know when we'll see one another again?" Franziska somehow managed to conjure up a light laugh, even though the words _Lana_ and _deep undercover_ made her grit her teeth behind her affixed placid expression. "Surely a man with work ethics such as yours cannot be hindered by such foolish sentiments. As I said, I am a grown woman, and surely, this isn't the first time in our lives we have been separated. Why, there were _years_ that passed between us without seeing one another, like when you left me – er, that is, when you left to go to the States to become a prosecutor, remember? I survived then, and rest assured, I will survive this time as well."

"That was different, Franziska," he reminded her. "We still kept in contact and I still came back home to visit during the holidays. This time, I may not even be accessible as easily, which is why I was wrestling with making a decision without first speaking to you."

"And I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but it's unnecessary, I assure you," Franziska stated stubbornly. "Like I said, I will be fine. My sister is only a train ride away, I have Helga hovering over me, waving my favorite meals like a flag to tempt me with, and also…I just got an email from an old friend, who may be coming to visit me in a week or so. Pity you won't be here, but I shall have my hostess duties to keep me busy as well. It's about time I rejoined the outside world, is it not?"

"This is good news, _meine dame_ , although I must say, I am surprised by this complete turnabout of yours…" Miles said slowly, studying her expression carefully. "Are you absolutely _sure_ you're alright with this? Because I don't want you to feel that you have to put on a brave face Franziska…"

"Miles, I refuse to speak about this another moment!" She declared, lifting her chin. "I have lived without you _glued to my side_ in the past, and I will do so again. I am a survivor, I am an adult…and moreover, I am a Von Karma!"

"That you are, _meine dame_. That you are." Miles gave a soft chuckle of admiration then and rose from the bed, coming to stand before her and placing his hands on her shoulders. She stood there somewhat stiffly, although her eyes were locked on that beauteous visage, silently trying to memorize every inch of it to the confines of her memory as she internally wept on the inside that she was losing him yet again, more than likely for good this time.

"I'll think of you every day, you know that, right?" He lifted her chin with his finger and looked deeply into her eyes. "Out of sight doesn't mean out of mind, _meine dame_. And when I get back, I'm hoping that perhaps you and I could perhaps try again to have another – "

"One thing at a time, _liebling_ ," she said quickly, not wanting to hear offers or promises that were never meant to be kept, and babies that were never going to be had, just for the sake of saying them. "Let us deal with the immediate situation first and foremost, before we discuss things that are further down the line, shall we?" She forced another smile, as she fought back her tears.

"As you wish." Miles leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. "But that was our dream, Franziska, and I don't want you to give up on it. I look forward to making it a reality when this is all over. Now, I'm going to take a shower and give Lang a call. Try to get some sleep in the meantime, alright?"

She nodded mutely, closing her eyes to breathe in his familiar scent one more time as she savored the sensation of his lips, trying to instill them into her permanent memory, to tide her over until the day she would never see him again.

 _Please don't go!_ Her heart cried silently, achingly. _I need you so badly, Miles! I beg you, please stay by my side! In my heart I retract all the bad things I ever said, they were never a reflection on you, only on my inner demons. You worked hard and I only saw what you could not do. In that permanent fatigue you must have wrestled with, trying to put up with my inexplicable moods and cruel words, how could you be a the husband Elle magazine said I should have? In my misplaced entitlement, I gave you only passive aggressive rage, I withdrew to punish you and became self-absorbed. Now you're gone, fled to another who gives you hugs instead of cold stares, acceptance and not demands, respect and never condemnation. I can never hope to win you back and I don't deserve you, but every day I pray that she treats you well, that you know all the happiness I never gave, that you make back those wasted years we shared. I wish you could remain still by my side, that I could make amends, that it's me you will be snuggling after dark. I've grown, I've learnt about what really matters. But not soon enough for us._

Even so, these were words her Von Karma pride would never allow her to say out loud. Besides, the die was cast. What would be the point?

The cruel voice in her mind rang in to taunt her, torture her. Further rub salt into the wound.

 _I am your worst nightmare. I will listen to your worst fears. I will understand what makes you tick. Then I'll control you like a remote control toy. I'll start you out with small tasks you find distasteful and work you up to doing and saying things, horrible, unforgivable things of which you never dreamed you were capable. Why will you do all this for me? Because I'll dangle the illusion of fulfilling your dreams…of_ _ **love**_ _, before you, and even let you get close enough to_ _ **almost**_ _attain it. Then I'll just ask you for_ _ **one more little thing**_ _, to prove your devotion of course. When you have become the person your old self would have loathed beyond all others, I will disappear. Why? Because that is the end of my game and you mean nothing to me. Just as in the end, you meant nothing to Miles. He's going to leave you behind yet again, and this time, he'd got Lana. And he's_ _ **never**_ _going to look back._

As soon as the bathroom door clicked shut, Franziska dropped down on the bed and sat there, still, with no strength to move. Her shaky fingers finally came to stop after running restlessly through her messed up hair as she bit down on her lip, trying not weep like an infant.

 _Stay strong, Franziska. Crying is not going to help, it's not going to change anything. You know that as much you want to blame Lana for this inevitable outcome, it's just as much your fault as well. Your jealousy drove him away, and since he is only a man, of course he would succumb to her wiles. There's no use feeling despair over something you saw coming from the moment he first set eyes on that woman almost a year ago. Have your life lessons, your history, taught you_ _ **nothing**_ _you foolish girl? No one woman is_ _ **ever**_ _enough for any man. What made you think_ _ **you**_ _were any different?_

Despite her mind's efforts to look at things matter-of-factly, her aching heart wouldn't stop racing fast, and Franziska at last gave into the flood of tears that had building up within her from the moment she'd heard the words of that phone call.

 _He's not going to come back. His body's been with me, but his heart has moved on. He always winds up leaving – he has all my life. This time though, I understand. I get it. In the end, I wasn't enough. I've never been enough…_

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 90**

 **Chloemcg**

Mexican standoff milady? *wipes eyes* hoo-boy! Loves it an am using it! LOL

Maya is a little bad ass after all she's been through, even though Iris has done time, my money is on the Kurain Master should there ever be a smack down! Worst case scenario…she can just channel Mia, who can kick anyone's ass! Remember how she handled the Dragon Lady after Mildew dared desecrate Fey Manor with her shagadelic décor? :p

I'm glad you like my OC Mr. Beaugosse…my readers were due one who didn't completely suck after contending with Mildew all this time!

(Also am glad Junie got some medical attention considering she JUST gave birth…hail Simon!)

 **Yanmegaman**

Maya's archeologist friend, punny man, goes by man different names… Mr. Long Head, Sir Dark Hat to name a few…I really hope you guy appreciate marshmallows in your hot cocoa because there will be some delightfully fluffy times ahead for the Fey females as the head over on the Eurotrip of a lifetime…as for Iris…my readers have all called…and _wished_ worse for her including _you_! XD


	92. Tangled Roots

" _Life asked Death: Why do people love me, but hate you? Death responded: Because you're a beautiful lie and I'm a painful truth."_

* * *

 _A/N: The site was having its typical stupidness issues... and my readers let me know that reviews were not posting. It appears to have been fixed... but thanks for telling me, Yanmegaman, and also caring to take the time to hence, PM your review! Ditto Mr. Coffee! (shoutouts, as normal at end of chapter!) :)_

 _Also, please forgive any errors in my German, was I am at the mercy of Google! (and am open to any applicable correction!)_

* * *

 **Chapter Ninety-Two:** **Tangled Roots**

 _ **Franziska Von Karma and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
January 1, 2004 3:00 am

Franziska was jolted from her sleep by the first familiar rumbles of a storm brewing from the living room. Manfred's booming voice seemed to shake the walls. It was quickly echoed by the shrill tones of her mother, Wilhelmine, which electrified the air. Pulling her head under the pillow, she waited for the storm to abate.

There appeared to be no end in sight to this night's battle. Their voices rose. Frightened tears stung Franziska's eyes.

The little girl lay trembling in her bed, tiny hands clamped against her ears, eyes squeezed tightly shut as she unsuccessfully tried to drown out the sounds from the dreadful scene unfolding one floor below. Even in a manor as large as this, Manfred's bellowing reverberated in her ears like a clap of thunder, such was his rage. She heard the more muffled, almost mewling sounds of her mother's soft, pleading voice, completely being drowned out against her father's roar of pure anger, like that of a ferocious lion, rearing for attack.

It wasn't the first time in her life the six-year-old heard her parents shouting at one another. The fights would usually last no more than half an hour to an hour at most – one time Miles had timed it, just to satisfy her curiosity because she'd claimed it felt like _years_.

The rows would usually result in her father storming out, leaving her mother behind whimpering in a trail of her defeated tears. Then, whenever he did return, often not for _days_ later, Papa would come and sleep in one of the guest rooms until he was able to charm his way back into the Master chambers, where he'd always be welcomed back by his kind-hearted, overly-forgiving wife.

How Franziska desperately wished that her big sister were there, so that she could escape to the comfort of her soothing embrace and seek solace in her room. However, no, as the years went by, Katharina had been spending more and more time away from home during the holidays. Save for Christmas Eve and Day, the teenage Von Karma, whenever home from boarding school, usually opted to stay at a friend's place otherwise. Ergo, she was spared the increasingly frequent, often frightening shouting matches, when things were usually at their worst – particularly during the holidays, when Papa was home more often, and consequently, so would increase the frequency of the arguments.

Therefore, it was only Franziska and Miles who got all the details they never wanted to know, who, what and where... The next day passing Mama and Papa in the hallway was excruciating, with them both wearing plastered on smiles and Franziska and Miles not knowing where to put their eyes.

She supposed she should be grateful _this time_ , at least she wasn't in the same room – or the same floor! – As her parents. As much as Mama would beg Papa not to fight in front of the children, his rages knew no bounds, and even if in the privacy of their own chambers, the arguing came right through the walls as loud as any TV show.

Very rarely could she make any sense of logic to the arguments. If Miles was ever able to do so, he never did share the knowledge with his "Big Sister," despite her repeated demands that her "Little Brother" do so at once! Instead, whenever another evening loomed ahead, when the two children would be forced to listen to them bicker, he preferred to silently wince, and then turn his face away, feigning interest in whatever oil painting was on the nearest wall or something that caught his attention in the closest window.

For the most part they agreed to disagree with one another, but such was the urge to score points that each honed in on the tiniest of differences. They would nitpick and grind away until there was a chasm they just couldn't bridge. Then Papa would storm out to his club, leaving Mama to fill their ears with soothing reassurance not to fret and that all couples fought but rest assured, Mama and Papa still loved one another fiercely, which Franziska really tried hard to believe, even though it grew increasingly harder and harder to do so.

The shouting grew even louder. Curiosity outweighed her fear, and she tiptoed out of her room then, and to her surprise, she found Miles out in the hallway as well, still in his pajamas, and poised by the railing upstairs, peering over it and craning his neck so as to catch a glimpse of what was transpiring downstairs in the room beneath them. She crouched by his feet, opening her mouth to ask him what he'd heard thus far, but he placed a finger to his lips, silencing her.

A steady stream of German expletives tore at her ears then, both from her mother and father.

" _Schweigen_ , _miststück!_ " Manfred commanded furiously. "Would you have the neighbors be privy to all this! You're not worried that your craziness will wake up the children _this time_?"

" _Sprich nicht mit mir, du verrückter Mann_!" Wilhelmine screamed. "Obviously you don't give a damn about _me or the children,_ based on your actions this evening! How _dare_ you humiliate me in such a manner! I have turned a blind eye to your liaisons for many years now, Manfred Von Karma, but _no more_ , do you hear me? You have the nerve to drag me to a New Year's party at _your_ old schoolmate's home, and then disappear for _hours_ , leaving me alone in a room full of strangers I barely know – only to be found _cavorting_ with that filthy _hure,_ Irmgard upstairs in the guest bedroom, while I am within the same building? Along with countless other witnesses!"

"I was doing no such thing!" Manfred shouted back. "Your sick and suspicious mind is finally getting the best of you, Minna! It's these delusions which are causing those headaches you are always complaining about, nothing else!"

"Oh, I suppose you shall claim 'twas a sudden one of my _headaches_ which caused me to see things tonight then? The pain caused me to merely _imagine_ the image of finding the two of you _betrunkenen arschlöcher_ in the guest room, with your nearly shirtless body on top of that _schmutzige schlampe,_ and your hand down the front of her gown!"

"If you chose to misinterpret the scene you feel you witnessed, Minna, then that is no concern of mine," he answered tersely. "You would take the word of others _over your own_ _husband_ , you foolish woman!"

"The hostess was at my side; so it's not just mine eyes that you would claim to have been deceived!" She shrieked. "Do you not care whatsoever how you've shamed me in front of your own friends with your lecherous, lurid actions tonight! The guest's tongues will never cease their malicious wagging after hearing of this _sordid tryst!"_

"What those simpletons choose to think of me is of no consequence whatsoever! If you wish to buy into the mindless gossip and believe everything you hear that is _your_ problem and _you_ will learn to solve it!"

"Forget what I have endured and heard; the pitying looks and whispers of the servants and mutual acquaintances when I'm in town! You are asking me to disbelieve my own _eyes_! Would you have me believe that you were trying to search for her _lost contact lens_ down her bodice, _du hurensohn!"_

"You would be wise to watch your mouth, woman!" There was an ominous warning note in Manfred's voice. "You best remember that _I_ am the _man in this house_ , and your _husband_ , therefore you will show me some respect and know your place! Regardless of what you _think_ you saw, I _owe you nothing_! I do not need to answer to _you_ or to anyone else!"

So much damage was done when Manfred and Minna argued. Every mean thing he'd thought but knew better than to say came flooding out. He was every bit as ruthless and merciless with his wife as he was with his courtroom rivals. Much like when he saw hurt or devastation in his opponent's eyes, or in those of the mother of his children, still he never backed off, only dug deeper, like a hunter at the first sign of blood. So when he unleashed his wrath on his wife, all those around could scarcely do more than hold their breath, knowing she was simply too vulnerable to withstand his heat.

Minna's voice trembled, and the tears were evident in her voice, as the fight seemed to drain out of her then.

"How has it come to this, Manfred?" She whispered brokenly. "Where have I failed you as wife these past twenty years? Tell me what I have done so that I am not enough for you, and you have chosen to whet your appetites elsewhere. Your dalliances all this time, I had chosen to pay no mind to, as long as you came home, came back to me in the end, and your indiscretions brought no shame nor pain to this house and our children. But _this_ …this newest level of disregard, of _disrespect_! To so remorselessly be _dallying_ , paying no mindful heed that your _wife_ was in close proximity – and under the same roof, yet! Pray tell, what have I ever done to endure the need for you to succumb me to this sort of public shame and humiliation?"

Manfred didn't reply.

 _Shame_? Franziska wondered, feeling both bewildered and anxious, as she finally was able to pick up on one of the few words that stood out amongst all the screeching. _Dallying_? _Tryst_? She would need to look into the meaning of those words later! Wide-eyed, she glanced at the stupefied Miles beside her. Somehow, she sensed, as she looked at his disturbed face, that inquiring to _him_ would only lead to a dead end!

She felt sad because her Mama was so sad, but was also confused. _Why_ would her Papa have his hand down another lady's gown? _Why_ would he even need to _look_ at another woman when he had her beautiful Mama at his side? Surely, Mama _had_ to have misunderstood what she had seen! She waited, fervently hoping her Papa would tell Mama she was wrong, that _she_ was the only one for him, but still, he remained silent, unmoved by the agony that was evident in her voice.

"Manfred, you have gone from being my protective knight in shining armor to the monster of my nights, and as time goes on, even during my days, you are one and the same. There are times I can't tell the nightmare of my reality from the fiction of my nightmares."

Uncaring of her husband's continued lack of response, Minna continued to speak, her voice breaking and fraught with tears now.

"Sometimes there are clues that I only catch in retrospect: the house is different or you have developed supernatural powers. It doesn't matter at all, that you continue beat me down by carrying on in this manner. With nonchalant ease, you crush every ounce of self-worth I glean, failing to disguise how delighted you are to deal your favourite blows, in the form of your actions and words. The _others_ …they compensate for you, for whatever it is I am lacking; they are like irresistible candy to you. You didn't choose me to love or cherish, but to whip and destroy - for power and malice are your drugs of choice. They light you up inside with a sickly glow that shines in those languid eyes as you look at me now, void of any emotion, and you obviously don't care that all this is slowly _killing_ me, day by day. Killing _us_."

Instead of answering, Manfred stormed out of the living room and into the main hallway, headed towards the front door, which was directly underneath the stairway. If he so much as looked up right now, he'd see his adoptive son and youngest daughter, and in his current state, the consequences seemed alarming. Quickly, Miles and Franziska drew back from the upper hall railing in fright, hiding themselves within the shadows, so they could hear but no longer see.

Minna came running after him, the sobs in her voice unmistakable now.

"Where are you going?" She wept. "Why won't you answer me?"

"I'm going out. I shall return when you have come to your senses and are no longer at this level of histrionics," he replied coldly. "I have no desire to contend with your mindless, hysterical accusations or attempts at guilting me any further, not to mention the crippling headache I'm sure you will claim to be suffering from shortly after all is said and done! Goodnight, Minna."

"No!" She cried, clutching impotently at his sleeve, even as he tried to swat at her and shake her free, in the same manner one would try to shoo away a pesky fly. "Please, don't leave! We need to discuss this further! I will _not_ have you dismiss _this_ – dismiss _me_! – so readily this time, _Sie herzlos Saukerl!"_

The prosecutor's fuse simmered and fizzed like a firework in a chill autumn breeze, and then he exploded with unrestrained fury.

"Minna, I warned you about minding your tongue and speaking to me like a common _Metze_!" Manfred's arm drew back then.

While they had scurried too far back from the railing to witness it, both children heard the appalling cracking sound of a hand striking flesh, followed by the heavy thud of Minna's head snapping back with the force of the blow, causing her to reel sickeningly as she slammed back into the wall behind her.

A chill ran through Franziska's spine as she heard her Mama's piteous cry of pain. It made her shudder, feeling as chilled as though she were caught in a freezing wind. Her blood ran cold and a bead of sweat dripped down her face. Reflexively, she made a move to bolt down the stairs to her weeping Mama, but Miles grabbed her and held her back, shaking his head violently and pulling her quivering form against him, a hand firmly clamped against her mouth to stifle her whimpering as they sat there helplessly, not knowing what to do and too scared to even think.

Cradling Franziska's head against his chest so his hand purposely obstructed her view below, Miles dared inch forward a tad to look down at the current scene below.

Manfred's face was mottled crimson, his eyes popped, his tree trunk neck strained. His words were spat out with the ferocity and rapidity of machine gun fire as he rattled off something harshly in German while he bent over his wife, who was still slumped against the wall.

Wilhelmine Von Karma was a frail, ethereal beauty of slight build and stature, with peaches and cream skin and long, ash blonde hair that she usually wore in a low bun behind her nape, which only accentuated her huge, long-lashed amethyst gray eyes, inherited by both her daughters, and delicate features. Even from the distance above, Miles could make out the angry crimson mark from the slap, and just below her eye, a small cut where Manfred's huge signet ruby ring had caught her. She staggered backwards, trying to get away from her husband, whose expression was like that of a possessed madman as she clutched her cheek, her beautiful eyes watering.

He loomed over her menacingly, without a trace of contriteness at the sight of her ashen face as he leant closer, perfectly composed and uttered just three words, "I don't care."

She remained as still as a cadaver and just as pallid, unblinking against his onslaught. Then with a barely concealed smirk, he turned on his heel walked away from her and out the door, as if strolling in the park on a fine day.

Franziska cried herself to sleep that night.

It wouldn't be the first time. Moreover, it definitely wouldn't be the last.

* * *

 _ **Franziska Von Karma and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
July 14, 2006

The fifteen-year-old Miles apprehensively glanced at his piano teacher out of the corner of his eye as his shaking hands fluttered across the keys of the baby grand in the music room at the mansion. Gretchen nodded encouragingly from her spot by the window, where she sat in one of the great, big wicker chairs, legs neatly tucked under her and hidden from sight.

Today her hazelnut hair, which tumbled into perfect curls on her olive shoulders when down, was woven into a braid, nothing fancy, just to keep the sweat out of her soft hazel eyes, which regarded him with a knowing expression, sensing his nervousness. The older woman, who was in her late 20's to early 30's, always had an air of calming serenity to her, which that never failed to put the young man at ease. She looked down at the music book in her lap, following along with his key strokes as she read the musical notes of the song he was playing and Miles couldn't help but marvel how delicately her eyes seemed to follow those pages. How elegantly her fingers would stroke the words.

He wasn't able to admire his instructor of half a year while reading the music and playing piano simultaneously, and he hit a painfully off-key note then, the loud sound echoing in the large, airy room.

She finally caught him staring, and Miles dropped his gaze, all rosy cheeks and tongue-tied, knowing she'd seen right through his lie when she knowingly asked exactly _what_ was making him so distracted from his lesson that day.

"Nothing," he murmured, turning his head down so his long bangs fell forward, in an effort to hide his burning cheeks. "I apologize; I think I am just having an off day."

The German woman smirked to herself as she sipped her coffee and took in the appearance of her pupil, who was mostly void of all traces of boyhood and just teetering on the cusp of manhood. Still so innocent, and totally unaware of his appeal. She liked that the most.

From her seat, it would appear if she were staring out of the window behind him if her gaze was caught straying from the songbook in her lap. She took in his developing muscles, the clean-shaven square jaw and tuned into his voice. It was as deep as any man's was. He smiled with ease and made fluid arm movements to exaggerate his buoyant speech. He was going to be a heartthrob when he was older, that was a given. He had that Clarke Kent look about him, the dark hair, and intense eyes, minus the glasses – intellectual, studious, strong. In another five years, her age might hinder her, but at thirty-two, she was still a good-looking woman and one with money, made from marrying well, to a workaholic husband who was never home. She closed her hand around her mug, feeling the warmth, taking in deep drags on the rich, aromatic scent. She wanted him. Not for keeps, of course, just to play, and she _always_ got what she wanted...one way or another.

Stretching like a cat, Gretchen rose from her seat and strode purposely towards him, leaning down so his face was at eye level with her gardenia-scented cleavage, aptly showcased in her white cotton sundress.

"It's not your fault, Miles," she purred, running a predatory talon up and down his shoulder while unknownst to them both, a silent Franziska watched enviously from around the corner. "I blame the piano. When is the last time Manfred had this tuned?"

"I –I'm not sure," Miles mumbled, staring at her as though hypnotized, but not seeming to mind in the least as Gretchen's caress grew more bold, moving from his shoulder to his hair, idly pushing one long lock out of his face so she could see if more clearly and tucking it behind his ear.

Franziska scowled. She hated how freely the older woman seemed to be with her "Little Brother" and always made some sort of excuse to touch and stroke him as though he were some prized pony! The worst part was Miles didn't seem to mind in the least – and she didn't even know him to be a very "touchy-feely" kind of person. He tended to stiffen slightly even when her Mama, Katharina or Franziska would go to hug him, although he would always readily return the gesture after a moment's hesitation.

Franziska loved hugging Miles. He was so tall now that whenever she did, her head only came up to his chest, and she liked the scent coming off his shirt; he always smelled so…fresh and clean. In addition, it felt _nice_. How was it this strange woman didn't stir that awkward expression on his face like they all did?! What was her secret?!

"How about you come over to my place this evening," Gretchen offered, flashing a sultry smile as she idly ran her finger down the side of her student's neck, down to his collarbone. "You're an apt pupil, Miles. You just need some extra lessons and a chance to work on your _finger play_ a bit more. And I have a _much better_ instrument you can practice on over there."

"Um, sure OK…t-that'd be great," Miles stammered, blushing furiously now but making no move to stop the woman's roaming fingers as they trailed over his chest. "B – but what about your husband? Won't he be distracted from his work since you said he spends most of his nights in his office at home?"

"Oh, don't you worry about old Diederich, _lieber Junge,_ " Gretchen breathed, her eyes filled with meaningful promise as they devoured the handsome young man. "He's out of town at an accountant seminar. So there will be nothing there tonight to distract us at _all_."

Franziska clenched her little hands into fists. There was something… _different_ about the way this woman looked at and touched her _Brüderchen._ It much more different from the way Katharina and Mama did – although she couldn't put her finger or _what_. But she knew she didn't like it.

 _Not one little bit!_

* * *

 _ **Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Konigsfeld im Schwarzwald, God's Acre Cemetery, Germany_  
June 11, 2007

An inoperable, deeply embedded, benign brain tumor was what had been causing all the headache pain, and would leave Minna Von Karma faint and weak and in unspeakable pain for days on end.

Minna's headaches hadn't been because she was being dramatic or a mere sympathy ploy at all. Franziska discovered Mama had known for some time. Papa had too. Neither had told their children, since there was nothing that could be done but await the inevitable.

 _Stay strong, Franziska,_ Manfred had commanded roughly, his eyes betraying no emotion. _Big girls don't cry._

Therefore, she didn't shed a tear, even though her soul cried a river.

Franziska didn't need to cry. The hundreds of people at Minna's funeral, from the local butcher to the housemaids to family and friends all cried enough for her.

Wilhelmine Von Karma had been a beautiful person, both inside and out. As soft-spoken and kind-hearted as much as her husband had been gruff and hardened, she was genuinely mourned by all who'd known her within her short life; only 38-years old when she died.

Franziska cast her eyes to the fresh dug soil. Mama was down there and God had taken her. What the _hell_ did He need her for? The priest said God had "called her home," with a dopey look on his smug face, making Franziska imagine his features being rearranged by the business end of a shovel!

Mama had already _had_ a goddamn home and _damn_ God for taking her! When _she_ got to heaven, she was kicking his ghostly ass all around the goddamn place and burning the pearly gates!

What was left now for her? Katharina was already gone, off at school, getting her Ph.D and then, in the New Year, was set to wed her high school sweetheart, Günther Rudolf, whom she'd be moving in with right after. All she had was Miles, who was trying to keep a stoic front beside her but couldn't mask the tears of sorrow sliding down his cheeks. He'd known Franziska's mother since he was nine-years-old. From the moment Manfred had brought him home, Minna had warmly and lovingly accepted Miles as her own son from that day onward, never making any distinction between him and her daughters, and she'd been the buffer between Miles and her often stern, if not downright cruel, husband. Now she was gone, and both Franziska and Miles would have to fend for themselves against Manfred.

"Look at that _gefühllose Schweine_ ," a disapproving voice murmured behind Franziska, glaring contemptuously at Manfred, who was standing at the other side of the burial plot, hands thrust in his pockets, head down, not speaking or making eye contact with anyone. "I've seen more warmth from statues! Damn ne'er-do-well, can't even pretend to shed a tear for that angel. The man has ice and a barren cave where there should be a heart and soul. She was too good for him, I tell you."

"I know. The poor thing was in so much pain near the end," another voice, a female's, whispered back. Franziska recognized it as Helga's, the head housekeeper at the estate. "But always had a smile on her face and a kind word for everyone. Was a faithful and loving spouse till her last breath."

"Couldn't say the same for that scoundrel," the first voice, a woman's, hissed. "Everyone knew what he was up to on those so-called business trips of his. Got his knob polished with any _schlampe_ that would blink twice in his direction, the brute. He could try to tell you he had his needs when Minna became too frail and sick to fulfill them near the end, but mark my words, that man wasn't faithful for five minutes to that saintly woman."

"Minna was not only beautiful, she had a heart of gold, she did," Helga sniffled. "I don't know why she wasn't enough for that scoundrel. The heartache of knowing she was married to such a philandering rogue was what really did her in, mark my words."

"It makes me wonder about the capriciousness of nature that allowed _that_ man," a contemptuous sniff in Manfred's direction. "To have ever been graced by that heavenly creature."

Although Franziska was only nine now, she was as precocious as the day was long. She understood _everything_ that was being said around her, regarding her mother and father.

She just didn't couldn't believe it – _wouldn't_ believe it! No! Her brilliant, proud Papa was a man of many faults – domineering, temperamental, an overt perfectionist even – but not a cheater! She knew a couple of times he'd drank too much and struck her Mama, but he wouldn't have been _unfaithful_! Why would he be?! A man who'd had Minna Von Karma for a wife had had _everything_. She refused pay mind to this mindless servant gossip!

One thing was certain though. Her mother _had_ been a saintly angel and Franziska didn't know how she was going to move on without her.

Without Minna, the Von Karma mansion was merely a house, but not a home. Not when it was just Papa.

Papa, who didn't even know how to break a smile or utter a word of kindness.

Papa who found fault in every goddamn little thing and wielded his meaty hands like the raw hunks of meat they were.

Papa, who was already tucking into the liquor and screaming at the servants to buy his preferred tobacco for his cigars.

Papa, who only knew how to push Franziska and Miles to follow in his illustrious footsteps and become prodigal prosecutors and overachievers but never offered them any praise for their achievements, only punishment for what he deemed to be failures.

Franziska was still a little girl! She shouldn't have to grow up without her Mama! Her Mama was supposed to be there to give her the talk about what to expect when her body became a woman's – maybe she'd even have had some insight on her daughter's conflicting thoughts about her "Little Brother," which she still didn't quite understand but somehow sensed were not just merely _sisterly_. Mama should be brushing her hair and taking her dress shopping for the next school dance and telling her how pretty she looked. But most of all, Mama should be there to hug her goodnight and kiss her before Franziska left for school.

Now she would miss out on all that.

Now there was just a graveyard, a stone that bore her name and soon only Mama's cold bones beneath the soil.

Franziska had always been agnostic, but now she put all her faith in God to care for her Mama, and reunite them when her own life was done. Nothing and nobody that good could simply disappear; Minna was waiting, looking down on her, and smiling. She could _feel_ it.

 _God had taken the wrong damn parent._

She kicked at the soil beneath her feet, feeling the only love she'd ever known in all her life drain right through her shoes, and slowly being replaced by ice.

* * *

 _ **Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
September 19, 2007

Miles had just completed his piano lesson for the day and dashed upstairs to shower before dinner. Gretchen was in the middle of gathering up the sheets and books in the music room when suddenly, out of the blue, Manfred appeared, as if out of nowhere, his expression murderous.

Franziska, who taken a quick break from her studies and had been hoping to sneak into the kitchen to steal a quick snack before dinner, had had to pass the room on her way back upstairs, but not wanting to be spotted, quickly ducked behind the wall pillar, her heart pounding.

" _Sie schmutzige Hure_!" Manfred shouted at Gretchen. "How long has this been going on! How long have you been taking advantage of my adopted son?!"

Rather than sound flustered or embarrassed by the accusation, Gretchen merely crossed her arms across her ample chest and raised an eyebrow at him.

"The boy is the age of consent, Manfred. He's 16 now," she drawled, unperturbed by the hateful disdain on his face, and the tenseness he wasn't even trying to mask. However, she did back away slightly so she was out of arm's reach, although nothing about this was making sense, not his curling fists or the anger that radiated from his skin. "So if you wish to get technical, nobody has taken advantage of anybody here."

"Aren't you going to ask me how I came upon this knowledge, which I notice you aren't even denying?" He demanded harshly.

She shrugged. "If you wish. I know the boy wouldn't have been foolish enough to tell you, so I'm going to assume you snooped around until you found some sort of evidence to back up your claim? That is what you lawyers thrive upon, isn't it? Conclusive proof?"

"I found _this_ scented note in his bag!" Manfred gripped a sheet of lilac stationery in his clenched fist. "You've been secretly giving him private lessons in your home, without my knowledge or consent, and using it as an excuse to … _lure_ him into God knows what sort of deviant acts! _Last night was fun, Liebende, tonight I'm going to show you how to tickle more than just those ivories?_ Is there any way this is being taken out of context?"

"Not at all," she replied easily, even as she coolly regarded him with mounting visible ennui. "It is exactly as it seems. I have had relations with Miles that have extended beyond the mere teacher/pupil dynamic, and he has been a most delightful, keen and _willing_ study, with no coercion on my behalf whatsoever!" A sultry smile played upon her lips. "Although I have no idea why this bothers _you_ so, Manfred?"

"You're a married woman, you _schlampe_!" He barked, crumpling the offending paper in his hand.

"My husband and I have an _understanding_ , of sorts," she shrugged, her indifference as clear as day.

Franziska felt positively _ill_ as she heard this. So, she _hadn't_ been imagining the inappropriate spark between Miles and Gretchen! This… _harlot_ was _married_ and had been having adult relations with her teenage brother?! It was despicable! Did marriage vows mean nothing to this _Dirne?_

"It does not need to include the members of this house!" Manfred roared. "You are an immoral _Ehebrecherin_ who has been taking advantage of a grieving teenage boy who just lost the only woman he'd ever known as a mother, merely a few months ago!"

 _Shame on you, you horrible, vile woman!_ Franziska added silently.

"Now, now, Manfred." Gretchen sounded downright coy. "You never _thought tw_ ice about me being an adulteress before _now_ , did you?"

Manfred seemed shocked into momentary silence.

Franziska was confused now. What was _that_ supposed to mean? Why had Papa stopped giving her hell?!

"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't make Miles a man after the unfortunate passing of your wife," Gretchen informed him loftily. "This has been going on since last year. But of course, all good things must come to an end. He's gotten to be a very good pianist, and if he keeps it up, could even be a professional. There's nothing really left for me to teach him." She flashed a saucy wink. "Not on the _piano_ , anyway."

"Get out of my house!" Manfred thundered, his face puce now with rage.

"I guess this means you have no desire to pick up where _you and I_ left off then?" She asked with mock disappointment. "Such a pity. Although if it's worrying you that I would favor his ah… _performance_ unfavorably to yours…rest assured, you're still the master with the talented fingers, Manfred. Although, a few years and few more lovers later, no doubt Miles could give you a run for your money…"

"Get out of my sight!" Manfred slammed his hand on the piano with such clanging force Franziska wondered if he'd actually broken it!

No longer interested in hearing Gretchen's reactions, her heart thumping, she dashed silently up the stairs and stopped on the landing, trying to catch her breath.

She peeked over the top railing, watching as the German woman casually strode out the front door, as though nothing had transpired whatsoever. A few moments later, Manfred stalked out the front door as well, barking at Hans to take him to the gentleman's club as he would be in no condition to be driving later!

Franziska's head swum as she tried to come to terms with what she'd just heard.

Her "Little Brother's" piano teacher was a morally bankrupt, adulteress _hure_ who'd had zero qualms about breaking her marriage vows, or having adult relations with an impressionable, naïve teenage boy.

And also, unless Franziska had misunderstood, which she _desperately_ hoped she had…Miles wasn't the _only_ male in that household with whom Gretchen seemed to have familiarized herself with.

 _Papa…no! It can't be true! How could you?!_

No, she mustn't jump to conclusions and assume that all those disgusting innuendos Gretchen had been making about her and her father had any merit. If Franziska was going to be any sort of prosecutor like her father, she would need conclusive evidence, not just conjecture.

And she knew just where to start looking, too.

Tip-toeing back downstairs, Franziska slunk over to Manfred's personal study. It was the one place she and Miles were forbidden to enter, presumably because that where her father kept the cabinet holding his prized cigars and liquor, but also because she knew he kept private files in his Oakwood desk.

However, Manfred was so certain that his word was law, and so confident in his ability to strike terror in their hearts with his commands, that he never bothered locking the room, which she now slipped into with ninja-like stealth.

She also knew where the key to Papa's hidden drawer was stashed. She didn't know what she hoped to find or why she knew to look there first…she just _did_.

Franziska rummaged through the usual office supplies once she slid the drawer open: pens, paperclips, rubber bands, loose change…but inside was a Cherrywood box, about the size of a cigar box, and it was the contents within here that made the child's heart drop down to her shoes.

Photos of women – different women, including a particularly slender but voluptuous one with long light brown hair and teal colored eyes, who Franziska recognized as the lead actress in a stage play her father had taken her to once. There were a couple of other photos of scantily clad women, all in various stages of undress, with racy notes about what they wanted to do with her Papa, handwritten on the back, and imprinted with lipstick marks.

A pair of lacy women's panties, which looked like dental floss, and that she instinctively knew hadn't belonged to her mother.

A couple of numbers hastily scrawled on matchbook covers.

Square foil packets…, which she was certain, were not Wet Naps.

Lastly, and this one made her feel sick, a sheet of lavender stationery, still vaguely scented with gardenia perfume. It was handwritten and dated January 2006. Back when Minna had still been alive.

 _ **I have a full student roster so I'm uncertain about being able to keep on your ward as my current new student. However, he does show great promise…let's see how**_ _ **persuasive**_ _ **you can be in making me change my mind? Diederich leaves town at 8:00. I will be waiting for you on top of my piano, wearing nothing but a great big smile. Until tonight, Liebhaber.**_

Franziska dropped the note back into the box as though her fingers had been scorched.

The full impact of the discovery hit her then, and the nausea swirled unrestrained in her empty stomach. Her head swam with half-formed regrets. Her heart felt as if her blood had become tar as it struggled to keep a steady beat. Her melancholy mood hung over her like a black cloud, deluging her personal sorrow down on her with the force of a tidal wave.

Somehow, the full realization of her father's betrayal, that her beautiful, sweet mother had never been enough for him, was almost more devastating than the actual loss of Minna herself.

The heartache was like a red-hot coal placed in her chest, it glowed and burnt her at the same time, but it did not cool quickly like a coal in water, it throbbed and she knew it'd torture her in all her waking hours and there would be no relief to be found.

In that moment, all the pent-up grief and tears Franziska Von Karma had been holding inside her at last came out, the force of it so great she fell to her knees, so heavy was the weight of her sorrow. There were no words in the world she could use to describe how she was feeling.

 _When the right words would not come to explain my inner turmoil, the tears finally did. The mourning for my Mama was supposed to be something dignified and stoic in my family, but I cried like a child, because I_ _ **was**_ _still a child and I was not ashamed. Curled up in a ball on the floor of my father's study, I wept loudly and noisily, with running snot and choking sobs, because my Mama was gone and that made me sad, and so I cried and cried until there were no more tears left to be shed._

 _ **Big girls don't cry.**_ _ **Von Karmas don't cry.**_ _ **But little girls who miss their Mama can cry...**_

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 91**

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

I am beyond touched you were so touched by my writing. Thank you so much! For the record, no hun, you aren't the only one who found the last chapter moving. This was PM'd to me by a dear reader, whose identity I shall keep secret:

 _I can't even type; I'm crying too hard. I should thank you for doing a Fredgeworth update, but this chapter fully crushed me._

 _I read the chapter title and REALLY wanted the "bullet to be fired" in Iris's general direction. Instead, I got my heart killed. Again. WHY ARE YOU SO AMAZING AT WRITING THINGS THAT MESS WITH MY EMOTIONS!?_

 _The worst part was, as I'm watching my OTP fall apart before my very eyes, a little voice in the back of my head is still singing, "A whole new world!" Curse Disney for being so catchy!_

 **Yanmegaman**

Here's the thing with Franny right now certain factors may have compromised that perfect Von Karma hearing besides thick, heavy wooden European mansion doors! XD

…she is possibly going through simultaneous grieving and PPD…good news, she has found she can lean on Miles. Bad news…she said possibly the worst thing you can say to someone…that she was only staying with him as the baby as the sole tie that binds. Now that that isn't a factor…what's keeping them together? And then, just as the poor dear was ready to eat crow over her words…she hears a conversation that taps into her inner demons on Miles leaving her… and never being enough…which was partially explained here, and will be wrapped up next chapter.

 **chloemcg**

Will Franny do anything drastic? Ummm…define as such? :p

No she's a tough cookie she'd never take THAT path…Von Karmas are too tough for that, but I can't promises her emotive state won't make her take other actions that may make the reader feel sorry for her. The grieving, the voices…Yes, she's in a dark place right now…but a ray of light is coming her way soon…

 **Mr. Coffee**

" _Like a cup of coffee, if you just_ _let_ _things sit untouched_ _it's_ _just going to grow cold."_

Franny's issues are past demons of abandonment and feeling like one person is never enough…we shall find out more as to why, as well as the roots of her insecure jealousy in the next chapter. Fredgeworth…while both are brilliant, and are capable of _feeling_ great emotions, they can't seem to properly _express_ them…in that sense they are two of a kind, as both seem to suffer from severe alexithymia, which hence makes them shoddy communicators!


	93. Seeds of Yesterday

" _You slashed at me with betrayal. I'll parry with my vengeance."_

* * *

 **Chapter Ninety-Three:** **Seeds of Yesterday**

 _ **Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
April 29, 2025 6:15 AM

Miles was leaving that day to go back to work. He was currently packing his bags in the master bedroom, but Franziska couldn't bear to watch this, so she'd slipped out when he'd gone to the bathroom and sought comfort in the seclusion of her study so she could mentally prep herself for the moment when she had to bid the love of her life adieu.

 _A misty haze of painful memories looms upon the horizons of my mind. That's where I keep everything, in my mind. That was - until now, when the weight of them all threaten to consume me. I can_ _ **feel**_ _the hard painful lump in the back of my throat as the tears begin to form...as I sit here and think...and remember..._

Shortly after Gretchen had been fired, Manfred had sent Miles off to an all-boys boarding school in England where he'd continued his legal studies, effectively abandoning his Big Sister, however unwittingly.

The end result had been that she'd only seen her Little Brother again at Katharina's wedding, and then afterward, just during summer holidays, the odd family event, and holidays for the next four years, until he'd left to the States to become a prosecutor. After which she'd barely seen him at all.

One way or another, Miles ultimately _always_ wound up leaving her.

Franziska supposed she should have been used to it by now, but she wasn't. And knowing, deep down, all along, what an inevitable outcome it would be still didn't make it any _less_ agonizing - after her mother had died and her sister had married, Miles had been her only companion and ally against the monster she'd called father.

Franziska angrily wiped away the stray tear that had rolled down her cheek. She couldn't cry. _Not yet._ Not until Miles left. Otherwise, if she allowed the tears to fall now, they'd _never_ stop.

 _To describe Papa now makes him sound like a tyrant. Maybe that's fair. He screamed at us for the slightest thing with a voice that would make even grown-ups quake when they heard it. I bet when he was young he was the playground bully, he was certainly the bully of our house. Whenever something didn't go his way, the entire household would hear about it. His yell echoed between walls, creeping under doors and squeezing through keyholes, travelling through windows like they weren't even there._

What choice did Franziska have after that, but to adopt the "if you can't beat them, join them" motto? What other options were there as the last Von Karma child residing, but to try to follow the Von Karma family creed? All of it was in vain hopes that if she could somehow meet Manfred's high expectations and be just like him, he would respect her and she might regain a _glimpse_ of the occasional love and kindness he'd bestowed on her as a young child.

 _To be a Von Karma meant be perfect in every way. Always be strong. Never show unnecessary emotions…including any sort of fear._

That was why she'd never openly shed any tears when Minna had died. Had kept on a brave face when her sister had left. Why she'd remained dry-eyed even when Miles had gone away each time.

She'd gotten so good at keeping a stiff upper lip that she even fooled herself at times. But it'd gotten to the point where everyone who'd ever met her must have deemed her either a cold-hearted bitch, or an unbreakable tough cookie who never crumbled, and was completely fearless.

Nobody would ever know how she'd never gotten over the overwhelming feelings of abandonment, or alternatively, how terrifying it was being the sole person behind who could risk bringing dishonor to her father, who was all that she'd had left in the end.

 _I always had to be strong. I was never permitted to be afraid. I was never allowed to show the tenseness, sadness or doubts that grew in my head and heart. I was to be "warrior" and "survivor," preferably wrapped up with "perfect" to be above all others. There is a height at which adulthood level of perfection was expected of me, regardless of age, and I simply reached it faster than my peers when I started prosecuting at 13. A few growth spurts too many and childhood was gone well before the teen years began. So I rose to the expectations; I stood tall no matter what came my way, whip ready and drawn, and resting in my holster beside me. It is not for me to regret who I am, but to fulfill the destiny given. So I balled up the fear when I needed to, allowed it to seep out when it was safe, and knew that ahead lay a path I was born to follow._

Franziska gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. Slowly, her breathing hallowed itself, yet a small but intense pain struck the top nerve in her head.

 _I want to be as nonchalant, aloof, unruffled on the inside as I am on the outside. I have perfected a mask of calm and competence; the person I present is mature and capable, professional. On the inside is the same kid I was when mama died, scared that someday someone will pull the rug out, tell me that all my accomplishments, are truly nothing to behold, that I'm just overall rubbish, no prodigy worth mentioning…that I have no talent at all._

She expelled a heavy sigh. She'd long ago come to terms with the fact that she was far from being perfect or a genius like her father, but always wondered if she paled in comparison if anyone were ever to line up her accomplishments compared to those of Manfred's, her sister's, or even, and she hated to admit this last part, _Miles_. What evidence was there, really, that she was truly worthy of any of them?

 _I yearn to be one of those people with a rock at their centre, someone able to stand-alone and not be lonely – someone who attracts people_ _ **because**_ _they are strong. In a way, I do, but it's just a charade, a tower of cards. Should my foundation get a good jab, the whole thing will come down to reveal the abandoned child within- the child who still mourns for who they were before the world exploded. Before they learnt that "forever" could be frighteningly short and "unconditional love" was subject to the whims of a selfish parent and that information is still burnt into my cerebral cortex, writ large in scars._ _ **Forever means never.**_

Sitting at her computer desk now, she buried her head in her hands.

 _Perhaps I am cynical. Perhaps I am damaged. Perhaps I would have wound up a different person if I hadn't been forced to learn, excessively early in life, that_ _ **love means betrayal**_ _…_

* * *

 _ **Franziska Von Karma and Katharina Rudolph**_  
 _Germany_  
November 11, 2015

"Tell me you are not serious, _Schwester_." Franziska was gripping the telephone receiver so tightly, her knuckles turned white. "Tell me I am a foolish fool who is hard of hearing, and that I _did not_ hear what you just said."

"If you would prefer me to lie to you, Franziska I will gladly do just that." There was a blast of arctic in Katharina's normally warm, loving cadence. "However, I am quite certain that you heard me the first time."

"But I simply cannot _understand_!" The normally composed younger sibling cried. "Just three months ago we were at your residence celebrating my brother-in-law's milestone third decade! I had never seen a happier couple than the two of you at his birthday festivities! Was that all merely an act on your parts?"

"Mayhap on _his_ part; any joy you witnessed was real and most definitely _not performing_ on _my behalf_ ," Katharina returned crisply. "Evidently, the man is dire need of an Academy Award, methinks. Best Performance of a Happy Husband goes to... _Günther Rudolph."_

"Now is _not_ the time to be facetious!" Franziska exclaimed. "You _cannot_ call me up like this, out of the blue, and tell me that after 7 years of marriage and a beautiful child later, that you are leaving your husband. I _know_ you, _Schwester_ , and I know how seriously you took your marriage vows. Pray tell, what has brought this on? Do not tell me you are suffering from the dreaded 7 _-year itch_?"

" _I_ am not," the elder sibling replied flatly. "But it seems my soon to be _ex-husband_ was indeed suffering from such ailment. Günther has had an affair, Franziska. _That_ is why I'm leaving him."

Franziska felt as though she'd been blindsided, such was her level of shock. Günther, her tall, fair-haired, handsome brother-in-law, who'd known and loved her sister since her secondary school years…had had an affair?! Was _nothing_ sacred?

Suddenly, the world made a lot less sense to her.

"But you two…were _soulmates_." The dismay in Franziska's voice was evident. "I was a bridesmaid at your nuptials…you had a _fairytale_ wedding…"

"There are no such things as fairytales," Katharina snapped. "Grow up, Franziska! Sometimes your knight in shining armor in naught but a _Scheißkerl_ in tin foil!"

Franziska cringed, but couldn't stop herself from playing Devil's Advocate. Surely _someone_ in their family was deserving of matrimonial happiness?!

"What evidence have you of such an allegation?" She asked hesitantly. "Is it in any way possible that this is all mindless conjecture?"

"This is real life, not a courtroom, _Prosecutor Von Karma!_ " Katharina erupted like a volcano. "I walked in on him and his lover in our sacred marital bed when I decided to come home for lunch yesterday and _saw them_ _with my own two eyes_! Is _that_ eyewitness account enough burden of proof for you?"

Franziska was stunned into silence. She had no idea how to reply. _What_ would it take to please a man so he kept his trousers zipped? She wondered sadly. Her kindhearted sister was a gorgeous, tiny dancer of a woman, as well as a brilliant family psychologist who had her own practice, and had given her husband a tidy, lovely home and beautiful child. What more could a man want?

What did any man want? Was monogamy really such an impossible dream to attain?

She'd idolized, even envied her sister's union. For Katharina Von Karma and Günther Rudolph, marriage had been inevitable from the time they were teens. They were inseparable. Each was the centre of the universe for the other. They were so relaxed in each other's company, so caring. Their love for one another radiated from them, touching the lives of everyone they knew. Over the years, they'd remained fiercely devoted to one another. Through sicknesses and family tragedies, including Minna's passing, they had supported one another. They walked through the neighborhood arm in arm, the light spring sunshine reflecting from their golden heads. When asked the secret to a long happy marriage, they would smile and say, "Good communication, never go to bed on an argument and never let fun become unimportant."

In the rough times, neither had ever strayed.

Until now.

"This cannot be happening," Franziska heard herself saying, as though in a daze. "You two were like… _a real-life Ken and Barbie_. Where could it have gone so wrong?"

"I've been asking myself the same thing." Katharina sounded positively drained now. "Things weren't always perfect of course – like all couples we had our ups and downs. There were moments my gaze would fall on the road that passed our home and followed the cracked and dappled grey to the bend in the road where it twists out of sight. Often I'd wondered what might have happened if I had taken a step on that road less travelled, and just keep going. But I _didn't,_ because I never really _wanted_ to."

"I'm so sorry," Franziska said at last. "What will you do now?"

"I am going to get away from the lying, cheating _hurensohn_ is what I'm going to do! I am taking my daughter to Switzerland, and shall continue my practice there."

Franziska hated the idea of her beloved niece having to pay the price for her father's sins. Anneliese adored Günther, and shouldn't have to be so far from him, especially during her formative years! She needed to make her sister see that.

"But what about Anneliese?" She asked hesitantly. "She's only 6. Is it right to have her be so far from her own father…"

"I cannot _believe_ your disloyalty during my hour of need!" Katharina exploded. "You would take the side _of the criminal_ in this instance? Where's your sense of justice for your own flesh and blood, Franziska? Wait, _why_ am I even speaking to _you_ about this?! You're no more than just a bloody kid who's never had _any_ sort of relatable life experience!"

That was so unfair! And moreover, it stung.

"I am 17-years-old, and have been a prosecutor with a flawless record for the past _four_ years!" Franziska countered. "I'm hardly a _child_!"

"I have no idea _why_ I am even wasting my breath of my _marital woes_ to a _virginal teenager_ with naïve dreams, who has _never even had a boyfriend_ of her own!" Katharina's tone was beyond scathing. "Which means you are _still_ a _little girl_ _internally_ , Franziska! You have shown me evidence as such by comparing me and my husband to _plastic doll figures,_ while still harboring ludicrous fairytale ideals! Do not even deny the fact that to this day, you are still sitting in your castle tower, waiting for Prince Miles to come rescue you on his white horse!"

Franziska felt her face grow hot and her arguments becoming scrambled.

"What _nonsense_!" She declared angrily. "And how cruel of you to attack me in such a manner, just because you are upset! You know I see Miles Edgeworth as nothing more than my…"

"Do not lie to _me,_ Franziska!" Katharina warned. "I have reached my quota for people who are dishonest and play me for a fool by denying charges we _both_ know are accurate. You have been in love with that man since the day you met him! You stopped seeing him as your _Little Brother_ ages ago, if you _ever_ did! I _saw_ the way you were looking at him at Günther's party in August. The look of ardor on your face was unmistakable!"

Franziska's mouth went dry. Her latent feelings for Miles – or so she'd _thought_ they were – were they _that_ evident?

As though reading her mind, Katharina sighed, the ire draining from her, and sounded more calm now.

"Often I wondered if Papa had ever known, or somehow sensed your feelings?" She mused. "I'd ponder if that had any bearing as to why he'd be so cold to Miles at times? Or why he insisted on putting the two of you against one another competitively, so that you would never form a _true_ alliance?"

"He did _not_!" Franziska protested feebly. "Papa just always... expected ambition and the best from us, because _he_ was so revered in the legal field…"

"Look, we are getting off topic," Katharina interrupted. "I'm sorry I spoke so harshly to you, Franziska. Everybody seeks love, and I suppose you are no exception." A note of melancholy crept into her voice then. "Mama always said there was love out there for everyone and I just assumed Günther was it; the guy who brought me over a beer at a crowded party one night and said I was 'pretty good-looking for a short chick.' I thought that was so sweet at the time but now I wonder… was _that_ the highest I rose in his eyes? He pursued me merely because he thought me to be fair of face?"

"Of _course_ not," Franziska replied quickly. "There's so much more to you than your beauty, _Schwester_. You're every man's dream woman! You'd be perfect even if you _weren't_ born a Von Karma!"

Her sister laughed softly at that but then grew subdued again.

"Perfect or not, _I wasn't enough_ for my husband. Also, I am no longer young," Katharina reminded her sadly. "I _married_ young, and now that I am pushing my third decade, Franziska, I shall be doing so as a single woman... _alone_. As anti-Von Karma it may be to admit as much, frankly, I'm _terrified_."

Franziska didn't know what to say. It was so hard hearing her strong-willed sister sounding so broken, and there were no words to convey the sympathy she was feeling at that moment.

"I wasted so much time with the wrong man, and gave him the best years of my youth…and it's all been nothing but a waste. Miles is a good man, but I don't want you squandering your life on an impossible dream for someone who may not be aware of your feelings. On the other hand, there's also the chance he may never feel any affection for you beyond the brotherly kind even if he _did_ know, dear sister."

Katharina sniffled slightly, but then a steely edge crept into her voice.

"Remember to keep that in mind, before you waste another decade waiting for him in that tower. Because age isn't kind to women. I already feel like sunbaked, dilapidated roadkill on a scorching day. Monogamy doesn't seem to exist in this world anymore. Ultimately…Love means betrayal."

Katharina's heartbreaking verse echoed in Franziska's mind for a long time after that.

Little did she know that the cruel hand of fate would allow her to see the shattering validity of her sister's words sooner than she thought…

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 92**

 **Yanmegaman**

I know you and I spoke about this previously, however I still cannot understand the concept of anyone being a foolish fool to think that Manfred would make up having a grandchild! I wanted to make Franziska a character people could sympathize with because she's written as such a cold and heartless bitch in the game. I really think that her and Miles could have a very beautiful love story and if Capcom won't do it, then I will! However, it does require going back to their roots! I truly agree with you especially with calling him Manfred Von douche bag I cannot find anything redeeming about that man whatsoever and therefore have written him as such.

 **Chloemcg**

Say what you want about Franny she is a tough cookie! No she's too strong to kill herself but there is definitely a vulnerability there. There is one more chapter which I hope truly encompasses her reason for being and after that it's cavity time! Yes jerk face is definitely putting it mildly I've had readers call him worse as have I! LOL

I'm really happy that I can make readers sympathize with the character because with all my heart I do believe that bitches are not born they are made!

Have faith that with the turnabout after all it's in the title for reason! ;-)

 **Ilet Moratar**

To be honest if I had Manfred for father I would be more than just a bitch… I'd probably be a psycho just like him! I've tried hard to portray that any humanity Franny has in her is definitely from her mother, and it gives hope that all it takes is _one_ decent or normal parent, no matter how bad the other one, for a kid to turn out alright (even though in this case she has so many demons she could use an exorcism!) I've also tried to exemplify that her older sister has not a trace of Manfred in her, and is purely Minna, but could also be because she got the hell out of the house at such an early age! (However, you see here, Kat has some issues, too!)

I can't even imagine what it must be like to be a confused nine-year-old and be told you're not allowed to cry and grieve your own mother's passing, and not even have a mother or older figure around to try to explain to her the conflicting feelings about her Little Brother! Perhaps a subconscious level finding out about miles in the piano teacher could a very well felt like betrayal even though that may have not made much sense at the time, it just keeps adding to the pile!

For a lot of people being alone to reflect can be a good thing in this particular case we shall see whether or not having all that time to herself did Franny any good whatsoever!

 **Chapter 91**

 **Ilet Moratar**

Poor Miles; for reasons that are not even entirely his fault Franny has a lot of trust issues which he may have unwittingly stirred and now cannot be helped because duty calls. I don't know what it will take to restore her faith and to conquer these demons that plague her but I'm growing very fond of this character, whom I initially always thought of as nothing more than a bitch in the games, and I would like to see her have a light at the end of the dark tunnel. :-)


	94. Like a Virgin

" _Love is like sunlight. You must embrace the dark shadow of the past warmly and touch the hearts of others, that's when they'll love you."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: Franziska's feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and jealousy...at last summarized in one final nutshell! Just as the title implies … head's up, there is some mature content here._

* * *

 **Chapter Ninety-Four:** **Like a Virgin**

 _ **Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Germany_  
December 29, 2016

It was like a scene from the movies. A momentous festive party at a majestic mansion, still festively decorated for Christmas, as the scene for even more celebration – the event of Franziska's childhood friend Adelaide's engagement, complete with a live local band. The social atmosphere, charged with evanescent gayety, intoxicated her. She felt like a flower held under the surface of champagne. Through all the glamour spread a tincture of chrysanthemums.

Over the roar of music, a distant, hazy chatter could be heard. She couldn't make out any words, but laughter rang in her ears and wouldn't seem to stop. The song that was playing got louder, pulling her in and wouldn't let go.

She had no choice but to join the crowd, jumping in a huddled group like Tic-Tac's being shaken in a box. The celebration was a riot of colour, everyone a little more hyped up than they should be. Her eyes ate up the scene like a post Ramadan feast, her limbs feeling supercharged, and her head giddy. Everything about the flowing silks made her want to dance, her feet moving with grace, and her pulses racing. Franziska let her hair down and indulged more than a few glasses of bubbly as she let herself get into the mindless swing of things. The music was so loud that it made her skin tingle and her lungs feel like mush.

The underlying vibe on the dance floor was electric tonight, everyone feeding off the smiles and fast dancing. She could go like this all night long, feet moving to the crazy beat as if they belonged to the music. She shimmied in her killer dress as though her hips were made to sway, the sequins catching the disco ball light that twirled above - launching in every shade of the rainbow into the darkness. The bass thumped in time with her heartbeat as though they were one, filling her from head to toe with music.

Franziska _really_ liked this song!

The band was playing the cover to the 80's classic, " _Boom Boom Boom (Let's Go Back To My Room)_ " by Paul Lekakis, and unless her liquored haze was making her see things, the bronze performer appeared to be _looking right at her_ as he sang.

Growing up with a sister who was a decade her senior, Franziska was very familiar with retro music. It fit the jovial atmosphere and she found herself getting a particular kick out of the playful, suggestive lyrics. In her current, buzzed out state, it suited her to a T.

 _Second time you moved me_  
 _It's time for us to boom boom_  
 _You can come right close to me_  
 _And feel the burning fire_  
 _All the time you got me_  
 _It's fine for us to boom boom_  
 _If you see the spark in me_  
 _And feel my strong desire_

 _Boom Boom Boom_  
 _Let's go back to my room_  
 _So we can do it all night_  
 _And you can make me feel right_

The lead singer of the band was unlike any man she'd ever seen before. There was only one word to describe the sun-kissed, bleached-blond musician. _Adonis_. She found herself hypnotized at the sight of that beautiful face. Well defined, with a sharp jaw and angular cheekbones, the complexion of his tanned skin going well with his ocean-blue eyes. The strength of his neck showed in the twining cords of muscle that shaped his entire body; strong arms, bold thighs and calves, a firm chest and abdomen. He was like a Greek God among the other men present, all who each paled in comparison. One look and both women and men swooned at the sight of him no matter their sexual preferences and one word passed from his lips had even the straightest of men flushing shades of red that no one ever knew was naturally possible.

Franziska felt her body tense and start to tremble as he suddenly looked down at that moment, his azure gaze locking with hers as he brought the microphone to his full lips, curving them into a knowing smile as he continued to sing while staring directly at her.

She knocked back the remains of her glass, the burning sensation pouring down her throat, creating a warm feeling deep inside of her stomach, which began to flutter as pure, unadulterated lust raced within her. This, _this_ was what she needed, _that_ night, more than _anything_.

 _Him_. He was the one. _Tonight_. She must have him. She _would_ have him.

The moment the set was over he approached her silently, and like a bee to honey, she was already zooming towards him, feeling further emboldened from several more consumed glasses. She never drank to excess but the giddiness she felt from just the touch of his warm hand clamping down on her arm as he guided her through the crowd gave her little doubt her was thinking in much the same way. With her primitive brain in charge and the flood of endorphins urging her to continue, she allowed herself to be swept away in the moment with this man. She was equal parts exhilarated and intoxicated. She was as steady as a weakly spun spinning top gyrating back and forth.

He led her downstairs to the recreation room, where there was another bar, a pool table, a leather sofa and a flat screen TV. However, neither of them were there for any sort of entertainment that the room had to offer – only the secluded privacy it gave them away from the masses. He locked the door behind him and then his heated gaze fixed upon her.

She emitted a tiny gasp when she noted the familiar glazing over in his eyes. It was as though she'd just enchanted him, ensnaring him with her gaze. She tossed her hair back and arched her spine so her breasts were pressed against the thin fabric of her sheath for his hungry gaze. She sensed him squirming with desire from here and then the scent of his cologne drifts in through her nostrils, a scent to which she was quickly becoming addicted. A tingling sensation disrupted her ruse and the tables turned. She was now caught in his web. This game of desire was intoxicating.

He stepped closer to her, swaying slightly, indicating he also had indulged in some festive spirits that evening. Even though she'd never done anything like this before, Franziska was aware of the electricity in the air, like a crackling in the air. She didn't remember feeling this way ever before.

 _Perhaps this is what it's like when people say they feel fireworks going off._

He smirked at her, his gaze roaming speculatively over every inch of her curvy body, aptly displayed in her clingy sleeveless black dress, and taking no shortcuts. She felt a heated tingle all over as a slow, appreciatively smile played across his lips. And then his eyes – they were deep and catastrophic, a vivid baby blue as a great body of water that softly melted into a milky green. This close, she could see the flecks of silver in his eyes. He had distinct cheekbones and an angular jaw, making him look devilishly handsome.

He leaned back against the pool table, crossing his long legs at the ankle while folding his arms across his chest, partially bare as he'd unzipped his thin black leather jacket to mid-navel and tilted his head to the side.

"Do you have a name to go with that luscious body, which would bring even the most pious of men to their knees, _schöne frau_?"

What did it matter about names? After tonight, she would never see him again, and there was a higher chance of her actually mustering up the courage to go through with this recklessness if they kept things as anonymous.

"Whatever you want it to be," she replied coyly, flashing a disarming smile. "After all, what's in a name? Is it really so important?"

"It's only proper we have an exchange." There was a lascivious glint in his eye. "For I wish to let you know _my_ name, as you will be _screaming_ it soon enough. My name is Konrad."

 _Confident, this one_. Franziska raised an amused eyebrow _. Downright_ _ **cocky**_ _, really_.

She'd expect nothing less from a musician. Addie's fiancé Élie, had told her that he'd actually attended their school at some point, and that he and his band were local, but damned if she could recall _him_ , never mind the name of it, in her current state!

"You can call me Hilde." She quickly opted to shorten her middle name, _Hildeberta_ , but he'd never need to know that.

"Hilde." He pointed a finger right at her. "Without question, you truly are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Franziska tried to give a knowing smile and fought back the blush creeping on her cheeks at the words.

" _Danke_ ," she murmured, hoping her voice came across as husky and throaty instead of coming out as quivery as her insides felt. " _Das ist sehr nett von ihnen zu sagen."_

"I am not trying to be kind, _schöne dame_ , merely honest." He shook his head slightly. "Although I sense you've been told that before. A lot."

Sure, ever since becoming a prosecutor five years ago, Franziska had had many admirers who'd told her they found her becoming over the years, albeit mostly at the most inappropriate moments, like when they were on the trial defendants! She'd paid little mind to any of them, concentrating instead on her work while trying to keep her traitorous mind from veering towards…impossible dreams. _Him_. Always _him_. If she couldn't have _him_ , she had never wanted another – up until tonight, when she'd decided to finally change her mind, when he'd battered her ego as well as her heart, and left her with _no other choice_.

So yes, over the years, as time and nature had blossomed her into a young woman, there had been no shortage of people who had conveyed to Franziska, the spitting image of her fair, late mother, save for having her father's hair color, that she was beautiful.

 _However, never anyone who_ _ **mattered**_ _,_ she thought rebelliously. In addition, never by the _one person_ who she'd ever wished would see her as such…but as tonight had indicated, obviously _never_ would, even though she was now 18 and there were no more barriers in the way…

"Yes, although nobody's ever said it quite like you just did," she replied serenely, wanting to let him know she appreciated the compliment but refusing to bolster his ego by returning it.

"But do you _believe_ it?" He pressed, staring at her as though trying to see into her soul.

Franziska faltered then, her faux confidence slowly withering away at the question. Suddenly she wasn't so sure about her appeal any more at all. After all, here she was, two years shy of 20…and the most she'd ever done was play a few foolish games of spin the bottle at some friends' birthday parties in middle school and French kissed a couple of boys, but nothing further. She felt embarrassed about her lack of experience with the opposite sex then, and would have rather died than let Konrad know she was still a virgin.

"I – I guess…" She smiled uncertainly at him and dropped her gaze. "I suppose…I know that, I am not… _ugly_."

"No, _schmackhaft frau."_ He chuckled then and took a step closer—he was so much taller than her - and she rose to meet him as he leaned down, staring down into her eyes, which were wide with longing and uncertainty. "You're not ugly."

In the next instant, his arms swept around her and pulled her to him, firm and close, then his lips were on hers, sweeping away all hesitation from her mind and filling her with a heady rush of excitement.

Softly he nibbled the corner of her mouth. She did the same back, slanting her lips against his, teasing and nipping and savoring his firm, soft skin. Her eyes drifted shut. Her heart pounded and began to race as she wrapped her arms around him, snuggled closer into his embrace, and felt the unmistakable ridge of his excitement against her belly.

The impatient hardness contrasted sharply against the soft, patient, gentle lips; another tantalizing combination.

The man was pure seduction.

Heat sizzled and throbbed through her, centering in a hot pulse of need.

He lifted his arms from her back to fist his hands in her hair and adjust the angle of her head. The tip of his tongue teased the crease between her lips. She sighed with desire, opening to him. He slipped inside, his tongue meeting hers in a slow greeting that quickly turned heated.

So much sensation. The textures of lips and tongue, the inside of his mouth, the occasional gentle nip. That strange, intoxicating taste of liquor, and the scent of something herbal like verbena from his shampoo or cologne. Under her hands, his jacket zipped slipped further down until the sides fell apart, with nothing but bare, tanned skin beneath it, along with the tensile strength of taut back muscles. And always, at the firm center of everything, the bold press of his hardness.

Instinctively, she wriggled her pelvis, rubbing against him.

He groaned and pressed against her and she ached for the contact her body craved, that would drive her to satisfaction. This was a real, palpable need, something that felt all consuming and inexorable. It wouldn't take much. She was so aroused already, as well as something else.

Feminine, for sure. Purely feminine.

Meltingly, bonelessly feminine.

Achingly, hungrily feminine.

"Hilde, I want you," he rasped, tearing his mouth away from her and looking at her hungrily. "I want to feast my eyes on that glorious body of yours. "Take off your dress."

Franziska took a step back and mutely obliged, unable to refuse him anything at this point, although her hands were shaking slightly as she slipped the straps off her shoulders, still holding his gaze, and let them drop so the dress slowly slid down her body and pooled at her feet, followed by her wispy black bra and panties.

She heard the faint catch of his breath as his smoldering blue gaze took in everything from the tip of her toes still in the strappy sandals, to the curve of her hips, the lift of her bosom, the shape of her arms, the slope of her shoulders, the riotous tumble of her hair, and her parted lips, slightly swollen from his kisses.

He reached for her and yanked her to him, devouring her mouth with his own yet again, his hands already fumbling with the zipper of his pants, freeing the evidence of his arousal, rubbing against her stomach. Surprised, she drew back slightly and looked down to see he was going commando.

"Underwear gets in the way." He shoved his hands in her hair and licked the side of her neck. "I like the au naturel feeling of my erection rubbing against my pants this way."

She'd never heard a man speak in such a vulgar manner before, wasn't sure know how to respond, so she just looked up at him, her lips swollen and wet. "Tell me. What do you want, Konrad?"

He swallowed hard, panting slightly as the words threatened to break through and let his tongue free because she'd demanded it of him with her own uninhibited behavior and took his other hand and started nudging her south.

"You really want to know what I want, Hilde? I want you to wrap those lips around me, baby. Take me as far as you can into that sweet, hot throat while I pound against your mouth and control you by your hair."

So _that_ was the way he wanted it. Not gentle, not nice, but hard and dark. Which was fine, but she was already feeling vulnerable enough being completely naked while _he_ was still fully clothed, with only his zipper undone, she didn't want to feel even more like a cheap whore than his unchecked words already had, which getting on her knees before him at that moment most certainly would have. Some of her friends paid lip service to men as readily as breathing, but _that_ …that was _too_ personal for her. She didn't want _that_ level of intimacy, not with this crass-talking stranger.

Of course, he didn't need to know her sudden semi-prudish tendencies, not at this stage in the game, any more than he needed to her real name.

Bolstered by the desire in his hungry eyes, Franziska moved her head out of reach of his insistently guiding hands, and looked at him with a teasing expression, feeling amazingly liberated and deliciously bold.

"Konrad, as much as I want to taste every inch of you and make you beg me to stop, because you're aching to be inside me…"

" _Mein Gott._ " He took a deep breath then let it out slowly. "You're wicked. You know what you're doing to me, _schmutziges mädchen_? You could make me explode, just hearing those words from your sexy mouth."

 _From_ _ **beautiful lady**_ _, down to_ _ **tasty woman**_ _, and now I'm regressed to_ _ **dirty girl**_ _._ Franziska swallowed. Well, she was naked and drunk in a recreation room at a friend's party with a rock musician who didn't even see fit to even remove his clothing. What else did she expect him to see her as, the wanton _schlampe_ who had come alone with him, _willingly_ , whose real name he didn't even know?

"Well, that would be a waste," she said huskily, squelching her rising misgivings. "Because when you _do_ finish, I want it to be _inside_ _me_."

"As much as it's a waste of those succulent lips of yours, if that's the way you want it to be," he growled. " _So be it_. I'm going to rock your world and explode within you just the way you'd like it, _schmutziges mädchen."_

He erupted then, pulling her towards him, jabbing his tongue into her mouth as he backed her towards the pool table behind her and pushed her back onto it then, without warning. The gesture was so abrupt that she fell flat on her back with a slight thud, her body canted against his, her legs still dangling off the side before she even comprehended what he was doing.

Konrad knew exactly what he wanted. Roughly, he flipped her around, bending her over the table. Franziska couldn't even see his face or expression as he positioned her at the precise angle for maximum depth and gripped her hips, drawing her back towards him.

"Don't move," he commanded. Then, without any foreplay or another word, he swiftly and abruptly united them together.

She gasped at the unprepared shock of the joining. Thinking it was a sound of rapture, Konrad was mindless to anything but his rampaging craving to sexually devour, suppressed and expressed at the same time. He had never felt such a hunger to possess someone, his movements quickening and becoming more forceful, so she was pressed even harder down on the green fabric surface, one pool ball wedged almost painfully against her chest as he pulled her tighter. He sprawled on top of her, covering her, as he pounded her body unrelentingly.

Franziska caught her breath, which she'd been holding in the entire time, and prayed for him to hurry up and get it over with. In the next instant, she found herself crying out in more than just slight discomfort as he grabbed a handful of her hair. She heard the sounds at the back of his throat, jolting, convulsing as he neared the edge.

"Hilde!" He cried in ecstasy, his body tightening, signaling his release was imminent.

She didn't know which of the two invasive sensations was more uncomfortable or made her feel more like a _billige_ _hure_ at that moment – his relentless driven actions or the now officially excruciatingly sphere lodged against her breast. She was almost too scared to move, thinking if she did, this joining of their bodies would last even longer, and it almost felt like it'd been forever already. Therefore, she gripped the sides of the table and just held on, captive under his weight and at the mercy of his indomitable jerking movements.

Finally, at last, Konrad found his release, hard and forceful, then he gave her one last ass slap for good measure, as if to convey his thanks for the pleasure he'd gotten from her body and drew away, leaving her bereft, both physically and emotionally.

He was already across the room by the time she trusted her shaking legs to have the strength to move enough to turn around to face him. Trembling, Franziska backed up against the pool table, leaning back on it for support while clutching her discarded dress against herself, shielding her nudity from his gaze. She'd never felt more cheap, filthy or used in her entire life.

She was already stretched, tender and sore in every orifice of her violated body. She'd been horseback riding enough as a young girl to not be worried that he'd actually broken her maidenhead but _no way_ was she checking to see if she was at all bleeding. Not in front of _him_.

"That was fun. _Danke_ , _schmutziges mädchen."_ He deftly zipped up his pants and jacket then, then grabbed his sunglasses from the side of the pool table and put them back on, flashing her a jaunty wink as he headed to the door. "You were right, I'd take being _within those heavenly gates_ over _der oralverkehr any_ day!"

She turned her head away, unable to look at him; she was so sickened with degradation.

Didn't he realize he'd just taken her virginity? Somehow, in the back of her mind, she sensed it wouldn't have made a difference. His sole target had been his _own_ selfish gratification, naught else.

No, he hadn't _taken_ it, Franziska corrected herself internally, stifling the hysterical sob she felt building within her chest, and not even noticing Konrad's swift exit, or him even shutting the door behind him. She had _given_ it to him, _consensually and willingly_! Her prided _virtue_ was completely vanquished now, due to nothing but her defiant, reckless behavior and an _insane_ need to soothe her battered ego, to feel desired and sexy so she could shout a smug _**take that**_ **!** To _him_.

Only _now_ , when it was too late, Franziska realized she could _never_ profess this incident and claim she was _now a woman_ , to another soul, for the waves of shame and self-loathing washing over her would _always_ be too great.

She wished she were _dead_.

Nausea nearly overcame her as she remembered how thoughtlessly Konrad had tossed her aside, as the _dirty girl_ she clearly had been to him, once he'd gotten what he'd wanted from her and his primal needs had been satisfied.

God, how she _hated_ him! Hated that he hadn't even stripped while _she_ had been buck-naked, and only his relentless manhood had been exposed as he'd pulled it, hard and throbbing from his pants, and then hauled her up, mounted her, and rammed himself into her furiously like some sort of unleashed, insatiable, crazed beast!

It was another ten minutes before Franziska was able to still her shaky fingers and get dressed again, and then another five before she could entrust her quaking legs to carry her back upstairs and back to the party. She had to get _the hell out of there_! Forget trying to find her friends – they were too busy playing host and she couldn't risk bumping into the musician again while trying to find Addie and Élie to bid them adieu.

The prosecutor knew if Konrad so much as tried touch her, or even _speak_ to her again, she would start screaming and would _never, ever_ stop!

As she pushed her way through the crowd on her way to the front entrance lobby, Franziska cast one last look over her shoulder at the buzzing, festive party, still in full swing – then immediately wished she hadn't.

Forever etched into her memory for the rest of her days would be the image of Konrad, fresh from _deflowering_ her, lustily tonguing yet _another_ random, horny _schlampe_ … _not even half an hour_ afterward! The gruesome twosome, oblivious to their surroundings, were grinding on the dance floor, pawing frantically at one another and slobbering all over each other's faces like a couple of wild, untamed, rabid animals!

At that exact moment, Franziska felt it break - her last shred of normalcy. It shattered into a million pieces, like a crystal vase falling onto a marble floor that lay glittering in the sun. Who'd have known breaking down could be so poetic? She knew there was no hope of the broken fragments of her soul ever again being pieced back together; she wasn't even going to try. And so she just stood there, frozen in place, staring numbly at a blank spot on the wall.

"I'm done." She whispered to herself. "I've reached my limit and now I'm just… _done_."

 _Evidently, I'm not enough to tide over a man, even for a_ _ **one night,**_ Franziska realized achingly. _So what hope is there for me ever being enough for any man, for a_ _ **lifetime**_ _? Gretchen's husband wasn't enough for her, nor was my mother for my father, or Katharina for Günther….my sister is right. Ultimately, love_ _ **does**_ _mean betrayal._

Infuriated tears of humiliation burned her eyes, and she swallowed back the ones forming in her throat, as for the _second_ time that night, her wounded pride and battered heart threatened to be her undoing.

 _The bitterness is rising like bile into my mouth,_ she despaired, violently wiping her mouth with her hand and wishing the motion could remove _the tainted taste_ of the musician from her lips. _Although after I remove myself from here, I'll have no reason to swallow it anymore. I've to get out of here. I've got to, I've got to…_

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
April 29, 2025 6:30 AM

" _Meine dame_ , the taxi will be here soon. I'm leaving now."

Franziska jerked at the unexpected sound of Miles' voice then, so lost had she been in relieving painful recollections of yesteryear that she'd not even become aware of his presence until that moment.

There he stood in the doorway of her study, which connected it to their bedroom, suitcase in his hand, and a sad smile on his face.

He came over and stood close – too close. She could see the combined shades in his smoky eyes, which presently reminded her of the grey of the sea - a stormy, tumultuous sea that tore apart anyone who looked into them and dragged the onlooker down into their depths. It was fitting, because she felt as though she were drowning, as surely as she knew he saw the unshed tears caught in her own. The moment bore down on her, heavy, like the feel of the air right before a thunderstorm. A little sigh escaped her lungs, and her chin tilted just a bit. His palm smoothed a small path from her chin to her cheek, and his fingers feathered into her hairline.

"I hope you'll be alright…you know I'm going to worry about you."

For some reason, that made her furious. She didn't want his sadness any more than his pity. She was sick of the pain, the uncertainty – of just _everything_!

" _Please_ , Miles. Don't make this harder than it needs to be. Just…you've got to go, so _go_."

Franziska lifted one hand, to either shove him or slap his hand away, and he caught it. Caught _her_.

She froze. It wasn't that she wasn't hurt or angry anymore, because she was. She just felt so much other conflicting emotions as well in that moment, which she didn't even have a name for, and it hit her so hard she couldn't move.

Miles didn't either, and the two stared at each other silently, until he huskily said, "Do not give me any more orders, Franziska. Not now…not _ever_."

Without any warning, he pulled her into his arms and gazed down into her face, noting that her lower lip was starting to quiver.

"Unhand me at once, Miles Edgeworth! How dare you try to be forceful with me? And _now_ of all times!" She struggled against his iron grip, knowing she was about to lose all control if she remained in his embrace for even another instant.

Gently, he placed a fingertip against her trembling lip, in an effort to still it, and when her mouth opened to make another protest, he pressed down, gently but firmly, with the pad of his index finger, softly running the tip over the outline of her lips.

"I have always been more of a lover than a fighter, Franziska Von Karma." Miles' determined gaze fixed unwaveringly on hers. "And in the attempt to be a peace-keeping sort in the past, I have for the most part opted to remain in subdued silence against your fiery ways, but now, I'm completely out of time. As much as you deserve a man who tries to allow you to be who you are, and never try to change you, I need to also stand my ground at times. In addition, I wouldn't rush this under normal circumstances, but desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Stop this nonsense, Miles Edgeworth!" While she ceased her impotent struggle in his powerful hold, helpless tears now filled her eyes instead. " _Why_ are you doing this to me?! Let go of me, damn you!"

" _No_." His voice was quiet but firm. "No, I will _not_ let you go, _meine dame. Not_ when I am leaving for half a year, with the chance that I will not hear your voice or see your face again in that time. There are times when I will give you what you want, and there are times I'm going to go ahead and do what _I_ want. Even if this angers you, I'd never forgive myself if I didn't at least _try_ to give you something to remember me by."

She felt a weird prickling heat, like a blush but stronger, shiver though her, and she knew something was going to happen... and that they were both powerless to stop it.

"Five minutes, Franziska," he murmured. "That's all I'm going to take from you. I've even set my cell phone alarm so you know I am a man of my word."

He pulled her resisting form even nearer, his breath warm against her parted lips.

Closer.

Their lips inched closer still, and then with a loud groan, Miles drew her tightly against his broad chest, her soft feminine curves crushed tightly against his hard, muscled build, leaving zero inches of space between their bodies. The entire world funneled into the space between the two of them.

His hands ran up along her cheek, and he tipped her face to his. She could smell the sharp tang of his aftershave and the clean, masculine scent that was so beloved and distinctly _Miles_.

Almost as though she had no control over them, Franziska's arms snaked around his waist, and her knees wobbled when he locked his hips to hers. Miles nuzzled her neck, sucking gently and breathing deeply, and she gasped as she pressed against him. He pulled his mouth up her throat, across her cheek, and finally found her lips with a desperate press that shocked her and knocked a moan out of her mouth and into his. The fingers of his one hand slid through her hair and his other hand dipped down to the small of her back, pulling her tighter and locking her closer.

The first brief sensation of his mouth shocked her, even though she had known it was coming. She clutched his arms for support and kept her eyes open. He hesitated, his forehead wrinkled in confusion, then he swooped in again, both hands in her hair, and the bottom of her world dropped away.

They kissed with the same parry and thrust that they did everything. An answer to a taunt. Vying for what seemed to be the same thing, the clash of wills and lips.

Franziska's mouth opened and his tongue slid in, and as he at last fiercely claimed her lips as he'd yearned to for so long, his kiss wasn't the mix of lazy and confident she was sure it would be. It was crazy passion and definite possessiveness, as though he knew that if he snared her with a kiss she couldn't forget, she wouldn't be able to walk away after the five minutes were up…even though _he_ had to.

Miles' alarm sounded on his phone then, but Franziska didn't hear it over the loud pounding of her heart, and the ringing in her own ears; all she could think about was the hungry pull of his mouth as she stood there in the strong cage of his arms.

Despite knowing that the end for them was looming the very minute he walked out that door, taking a part of her with him that would never again be returned, it didn't matter. Because right up until very the last minute, Franziska Von Karma fully admitted her wordless surrender to them both; she was powerless against Miles Edgeworth and his smoldering kisses.

They kissed again and her mind blurred, and she thought about how until now, it'd been so long since Miles had laid a hand on her, that she'd forgotten what it was like to be kissed by him. He rubbed her heart raw. Spell-casting kisses, kisses that took off the layers of the soul, that split one wide open. The kiss was the kind that broke open the sky. It stole her breath and gave it back. It showed her that every other kiss she'd had in her life had been wrong.

Miles pulled away first. They regarded each other in bewildered silence, like neither of them could quite grasp what had just happened.

Then he regained his famous composure, and as she struggled to regain hers, he dropped his hands off her waist and sighed ruefully.

"Sorry" he murmured. He gave her a look of combined… _love_? _Regret_?…laced with a hint of mischief. "I couldn't help it. But at least now it's over with and I too, have something to remember _you_ by, Franziska."

She stared at him a while longer, still unable to speak, the feel of his warm mouth still lingering like a stamp on her lips. She put a hand to her heart to calm the thudding while her mind screamed at her to collect her thoughts. Miles returned her look. Then he smiled, as if he knew what sort of effect he had, and turned away – but not before he pressed one last tender kiss on her forehead, grabbed his previously discarded valise, and strode out the door and down the stairs towards his now waiting taxi.

At first, there was silence, until at last, she began breathing again.

Then she fell apart.

Franziska's remaining thread of strength frayed before breaking completely, sending her plummeting over the edge as the long-suppressed tears fell from her eyes and streaked down her face. Sobs shook her slender frame, threatening to tear her apart from the inside. She fought to reclaim control over her body, shocked by the sounds escaping from deep within her chest.

 _Damn you, Miles Edgeworth!_ Her heart silently screamed. _I don't know what to think or to believe about us anymore! The only coherent thought I'm capable of is this: How am I_ _ **ever**_ _supposed to get_ _ **over**_ _you, when you kiss me as though you still love me – right before you_ _ **leave**_ _me – and now all I can do is fantasize about being_ _ **under**_ _you!?_

* * *

 _A/N:_ _If you've read_ _ **The Ties That Bind**_ _, it was mentioned that Miles was NOT Franny's first lover...and that she'd lost her virginity at a drunken party the year before they got together. Sadly, I cannot rewrite my own history and make Miles her first now...something, something, continuity..._

* * *

 ** _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_**

 **Chapter 93**

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _"I was looking for a good that was and that perhaps does not exist on earth I no longer look for it, I do not expect it, I do not want it. So I am calmer."_

This is an excellent quote my dear friend and perfectly summarizes my feelings and thoughts that I've tried to portray through my characters here.

I have said it before and I will say it again with all my heart as much as I believe that bitches are not born, they're made, so therefore are hardened cynics like Franny. The only good news is as much as a woman can think all men suck for a good portion of her life, I also is firmly believe that all it takes is one man to change her mind about the entire male species! Every desiring woman deserves to find such a man!

You know it's really interesting how you said Ace Attorney's endurance has made it a classic… I think it's because of the soap opera style suffering and drama the Japanese creators have forced these poor characters to endure! The greatest revelation in writing this story is realizing there was not a whole lot more I needed to do to them to make them suffer… because the groundwork had been laid out for me! However I am beyond flattered and humbled that you feel that I have deepened the psychological richness of these characters and that Capcom would be duly impressed! Muchas gracias mu amiga dulce!

 **chloemcg**

Franziska Von Karma is definitely a tough cookie to have endured so much… and I have really loved creating the character of Katharina. I'm happy you guys like her; I definitely will have her popping up some more throughout the story, and I love developing relationships and heart to hearts, not just the romantic ones – you'll be seeing some more of both coming up, and it makes me so pleased that you're appreciating the way I've written everything thus far!

You have given me some really great ideas in your reviews milady; the origins of Franny's whip will absolutely be explored in the story! We will be seeing Maya soon; of Monday we are moving over to Europe! Prepare us for some fluff and familiar faces! :-)

About Godot, he actually is no longer in prison and is now a wanderer and may be hard to reach; he was released and has been sending Phoenix expensive South American coffee beans from his travels for the past year or so! (Miles figured out who the anonymous sender was before Nick did!) XD

Finally sweet girl, I think you're absolutely lovely and delightful, and I not only love your work (oh the glorious angst and pain!) but I _love_ hearing from you! I would _never,_ _ever_ find you to be annoying in any sense, and I'm beyond flattered that one of my favorite writers refers to my little geeky indulgent story as a "gorgeous piece of literature!" :-)

 **Yanmegaman**

Yeah the fact that Franziska has not turned into a raging man-hater/lesbian/serial killer by this point is mind-boggling is not? XD

Poor Katharina indeed! Is anything more icky than seeing your spouse tainting your marital bed?! While actually, after reading this chapter, you let me know if what Franziska endured was maybe a bit _more_ icky or …equal? It makes me really happy that my readers like Katharina; it's so refreshing to create original characters that aren't despised by the masses, and I'm going to see if I can give her a chance at happiness, as well… of course, that would mean first finishing the torturing of the major four characters of the story… _if_ I do! * _inserts evil maniacal laugh here_!* XD

 **Chapter 92**

 **Cyberchao X**

It is a lot of fun writing flashbacks created from scratch based loosely on the established characters! Also, it really is fun writing horrible characters, even though I can't take credit for creating Manfred…it wasn't much of a stretch to write him sucking harder than a Hoover! They could easily have made this one of the events in the Ace Attorney timeline… _early 2000's Dahlia Hawthorne_ … " _Manfred Von Karma is proven to be as much of a heartless bastard in his personal life as well as in courtroom…and scars both his daughters and adopted son for life…"_

 **Chapter 91**

 **Cyberchao X**

Yes Pearl is a little kick ass chick - Mia or no Mia, my money would be on her over Iris _any_ day!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Franziska seems to have declared herself unworthy of love or she seems to think that love means betrayal... as you read the next couple of chapters you'll understand that it really is NOT her desire to want to feel this way but her demons and insecurities also keeping in mind the poor girl was possibly still suffering from some sort of postpartum depression.

The most tragic part was the fact that she was willing to atone for her words, which were pretty horrible to have said, only to have her demons and insecurities come up because she misheard him talking to his ex-girlfriend sounding like he was going to leave her..

Just one very important thing, though. I don't know if you played the Miles Edgeworth games (this also came up at end of JFA about him always leaving her behind!) but Miles "leaving her" and her subsequent feelings of resentment and abandonment are actually quite canon, even though his intentions were never to do that, merely it was because he was so much older than her he went up to the states to become a prosecutor at 20, and there's also another point in the Miles games where she accused him of "leaving her again"... which I will not spoil for you… (unless you want meto!)

But like I said, you'll see what I mean in the next couple chapters! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing dear friend, I love hearing from you!

 **Chapter 90**

 **Cyberchao X**

I gave myself an earworm when I wrote this chapter you know that? XD

Who doesn't like them some Disney sometimes? It just seem fitting! (Although take note, unlike Nick, Longines cannot sing worth a lick – hey, I couldn't make him a _totally_ perfect golden boy right?)

I wouldn't put my money on Iris if there's a showdown here… I mean come on, what chance does a timid nun have against a slap happy teenager who's been perfecting the art since childhood? LOL

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Welcome back my dear friend I have missed you greatly! It gives me such great joy that my readers like my two main original characters who coincidentally, happen to be golden boy in Golden girl a.k.a. Longines and Katharina! Lesson learned from the story beautiful blonde people cannot be evil! XD

Unfortunately, both Longines and Maya have unwittingly played into Mildew's hands, although as Maya tried to reassure her cousin, nobody is getting married… As Longines pointed out, they only just met, and this isn't the dark ages!

As Maya told Longines, at this point she has nothing to offer him except for friendship and companionship… After all Phaya were together six years and Nick the D*ck is the sole man she gave her heart _and_ body to… and conversely, she's only been single for two months, way too soon for marriage or love team be put on the table. Place your bets right now Pearl versus Iris who will win the ultimate smack down! Too bad you can't make way boxing matches about than huh?:p

 **Chapter 89**

 **Cyberchao X**

You gotta like a guy who's not afraid to tell off the Dragon Lady! For that reason alone, him being her ally against the dreaded evil elder, Maya has a good reason to like him! Being a gorgeous billionaire can't hurt either, right? :)


	95. Muted Voices

" _The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the mysteries. There are no secrets time does not reveal."_

* * *

 _A/N: Just wanted to say, dear readers, my apologies if the scene at the party with Franziska and her random tryst in the previous chapter made anybody uncomfortable while reading it._

 _As I've said before, occasional steam scenes (and angst!) aside, Turnabout Everlasting is intended to be a romantic love story, where my readers have seen my characters express that love in a physical way._

 _There are legit reasons I have portrayed, on a couple of different occasions, hookups that were more mindless "fling" style, like Lana and Miles, and in the most recent, Franziska and filthy random pig. My intent was merely to show how different "casual" joining can be compared to the tender passionate union between my characters when they are in a loving relationship._

 _In this case, I also wanted to show the how the ramifications of sex, when with the wrong person, rather than be an expression of love, can be a weapon that can make someone feel very vulnerable and deeply affect them emotionally for some time after._

 ** _On a lighter note, slight spoilers for Layton games. Also, this chapter goes out to milady fair, my fave UK gal, Chloemcg! I hope to have done your wonderful country accurate justice with my descriptions!_**

* * *

 **Chapter Ninety-Five** **:** **Muted Voices**

 _Wright Talent Agency  
_ May 3, 2025 8:00 AM

 _Ring! Ring! Ring!_

 _Beep!_

"You've reached Phoenix Wright, Vice-President of the Wright Talent Agency! He's the pianist you've been searching for! Please leave a message and he will call you back quicker than you can say _Abracadabra_!"

"…..Hey there, pal, it's me Gumshoe. Huh, I thought I'd be able to catch you since you don't work at the bar until evening…anyway, I hope everything is good, since I've been trying to get a hold of you for a few _weeks_ now and it's like you've fallen off the face of the earth _again_!... I'm having some crazy déjà vu flashbacks from 6 years ago! I hope you and Trucy are OK…you _do_ know you can always come to us if you need _anything,_ don't you? ... I can't seem to reach you on your cell phone or via email, so that's why I thought I'd try calling your office. Also, I can't get a hold of Maya on her cell either! Whenever I call it now, the voicemail says _the cellular customer you are trying to call is currently out of the service area or unavailable_. Should I be worried? Anyway, pal, I know I'm rambling…Thing is, I got a call from Kay with some news about Mr. Edgeworth and Sir that I wanted to let you know about, and it's pretty important, so please give me a call whenever you get this. I guess that's it for now…. Oh, _right_! Sorry honey, I almost forgot! Oops! The wife just reminded me of just _one_ more thing… I wanted to let you know that in July, Maggey's sister is throwing her a baby shower, as she is due with little Jeff in September. Just wondering if Trucy would want to come? Gordy asks about her all the time...it's been ages since we've seen you guys. Maggey and I miss you! Call me."

 _Click._

* * *

 _Fey Manor  
_ May 3, 2025 8:06 AM

 _Ring! Ring! Ring!_

 _Beep!_

"Greetings and Mystic Ami's blessings be with you! You have reached the personal and confidential voicemail of Maya Fey, Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. Please leave a message detailing your request, and I will happy to discuss how I can help reacquaint you with your dearly departed. In the meantime, keep your _spirits_ up and see you on the _other side_!"

"…Hiya pal, it's Gumshoe. I just left a long message on your other half's voicemail… Hmmm… Do I need to whip out the tracking device, since I can't reach _either_ of you? Did you two crazy kids run off somewhere and elope without telling us? I mean, _you're_ not around _and...Phoenix_ isn't either…As they say _... The plot thickens!_ Heh heh!...Listen, Maya, I know when we last emailed with regards to Maggey's baby shower, you said Little Missy will be attending...we'd love to have you too, but do understand your Master duties may keep you from joining us and that you can't commit to any dates yet. However, as I can't get a hold of Phoenix, I'm not sure whether Trucy would be there, and if that would that affect _your_ ability to come? Or has that all been sorted out since we saw you guys at Christmas? So, uh, I also kind of have some news about Mr. Edgeworth and Sir… and it's nothing I want to leave in a voicemail. Give me a call whenever you get this, since I can't get you on your cell phone. I hope everything's OK? Maggey and I miss you girls a lot. See ya, pal!"

 _Click._

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Beaugosse Private Jet Plane_  
May 3, 2005 8:30 AM

The luxurious ride on Longines' private jet over to the UK, despite offering every sort of pampering, on-air entertainment, and comfort that one could ever hope for, was filled with tense silence.

In spite of her lackluster enthusiasm when Maya had told her about the Euro Trip, Pearl had still sullenly agreed to come along and _promised_ to be on her best behavior. Nevertheless, the trio had been on the plane for a little more than a couple of hours before the normally sweet spirit medium had morphed back into _Salty Pearls._

AKA, a typical _moody, angsty teenager_!

Maya thought she'd reached her limit with her cousin's misbehavior when Pearl had insidiously booked her and Phoenix in the outlandishly priced Honeymoon Suite at the Gatewater Hotel all those years ago! Then her patience had been tested _yet again_ , when the mischievous but well-meaning little matchmaker had proceeded to (sneakily!) sign the duo up for the Ultra Course at the frigid Hazakura Temple, only a year later! (Although to be fair, admittedly, the nearly frostbitten Phoenix _may_ have been _the more homicidal one_ at the time!)

In both instances, Maya had barely suppressed her exasperation and somehow, still managed to maintain her _cool_ , (both _literally_ and _figuratively_ in the latter sense) and even decided against disciplining or scolding the child whom she normally loved more than her own life. Therefore, in lieu of mild castigating or punishment for her misdeed, she'd opted to make Pearl promise to be nothing but a good girl in the future! It seemed to have been a well-made decision up until then, as for the past six years, her cousin had been true to her word. Maya couldn't have ever asked for more well-mannered and angelically behaved child if her life had depended on it.

However, _that_ day, Maya's saintly maternal self had reached the end of her tether!

The pretty teenager sat there gloomily in her seat, arms folded across her chest and as silent as the grave, despite Longines' friendly attempts to lure her into conversation. She merely scowled when Maya tried to chide her about her surly behavior, and simply turned her head away, simulating interest in looking out the window while completely ignoring them both.

The Kurain leader was positively _fuming_. Pearl's uncharacteristically bad attitude made a _complete_ mockery of her parenting skills, not to mention it made the young girl come across as nothing more than a moody, ill-mannered, _brat_! It was _beyond_ embarrassing and frustrating!

At that moment, as much as Maya adored her little girl, there were also times when she just as easily could have cheerfully _strangled_ her! (Then channeled her back somehow... only to strangle her some _more_!)

 _This_ was one of those times!

"Um, I'm going to go chat with the pilot about our estimated landing time," the blond man mumbled awkwardly, when Pearl had refused to look at him or reply to his kind offer for snacks or refreshments for the second time. Rising from his seat, he set down his plate of sumptuous hors d'oeuvres that he had Maya had been enjoying, which his on-board personal chef had prepared, and gave his friend's shoulder a small, reassuring pat before heading off towards the cockpit.

 _How_ the grumpy Pearl could have turned down sublime fare such as spicy ahi tuna cucumber avocado appetizers with pickled ginger, butternut squash and sage wontons, mini corn bread crab cakes with lemon-caper sauce and peach and gorgonzola grilled polenta rounds with chipotle honey was beyond the happily gorging Master's comprehension!

The moment Longines left, Maya delicately brushed away a few stray crumbs from the lap of her stylish new travelling outfit – a snowy linen sleeveless, A-line frock, worn under a fitted navy blazer with white piping – and affixed her cousin with her best don't-mess-with-me stare.

Pearl pretended not to notice, absently adjusting the collar of her lavender trench coat and crossing her black legging-clad ankles while continuing to stare morosely out the window.

Obviously, this wasn't going to be easy.

Maya honestly wondered why in God's name she had ever deemed that she would be exempt from having to deal with this sort of matter with her pseudo teenage daughter. She supposed she would chalk it up to partial naivety and partial misplaced hope (if not full _belief_ ) that in _adolescence, her_ little girl would be different. Well, it turned out she'd been wrong. It would hardly be the _first_ time!

"Pearly, you know you're being very rude to Mr. Beaugosse, don't you?" Maya began, without preamble. "And I absolutely cannot take it anymore! You were raised better than that and you know it! Are you still angry with me for not telling you that I changed my mind about the matchmaking? Is this your way of punishing me?"

Silence from the teen, who still refused to even turn her head towards her cousin while she continued to sulk.

"You _swore_ to me that you understood the circumstances after you spoke with Mystic Matilda; that Longines is _only my friend_ and nobody here is getting married already!"

" _Yet_ ," Pearl muttered under her breath. "And when you do, I won't be getting a _Daddy_ – I'll be getting a _second Mommy_!"

" _Pearly_!" Maya gasped in horror, furtively looking around them to see if Longines was anywhere within earshot – mercifully, he wasn't. "You mustn't say such things! That's not very nice! Did you know that _he_ was the one who not only insisted I bring you along on this trip, but paid for both of our new traveling wardrobes, including that very outfit you've got on, down to those knee-high leather boots you're wearing right now, that you said you loved so much?"

Pearl finally turned to look at her then, lower lip protruding petulantly.

" _Why_ did you let him do that, Mystic Maya? Now we're _both_ going to feel indebted to him, and it isn't right! It's not as if you don't have more than enough money of _your own_! You _do_ know he's trying to buy your love, right?"

 _Moreover, I'm_ _ **selling**_ _it_! Maya flushed guiltily and fidgeted with her cherry red leather belt around her waist.

"Well, it's not like I asked, he _offered_!" She replied defensively. " _Repeatedly_! And it's rude to keep saying no to someone's generosity if they keep insisting, you know!"

Pearl looked at her skeptically.

"Can I help it if I _like_ it when people buy me things?" Maya asked sheepishly, her cheeks reddening.

 _Does it make me a bad person that I've_ _ **always**_ _been like that? That even when I_ _ **have**_ _had my own money, I never spent it, because it was_ _ **so much more fun**_ _blowing someone else's? It certainly explained my penchant to keep making Nick go nearly broke buying me my own weight in daily burgers way back when, even though_ _ **he paid me**_ _to work for him, to boot!_

"I wish you'd warm up to him, Pearly," Maya sighed. "You missed out on a really fun excursion when you refused to come to the mall with us the other day. Longines was such a great shopping buddy for me as I selected the pieces I needed to augment my own collection, and even helped me pick out things for you and I _both_. He's really a lot of fun once you get to know him, and has a _great_ eye for fashion…"

" _Really_?" Pearl interrupted, grimacing slightly. " _You_ took clothing advice from that… _fancy_ _man,_ Mystic Maya? But he dresses so… _weird_ – almost like some sort of overly trendy, _fussy lady_!"

Maya couldn't really say a whole lot to refute _that_ statement. For the trip to the UK, Longines' outfit that day had consisted of a tight, rose pink, dress shirt and skinny technicolored tie, along with flat-front, slim-fitted, white leather pants, and a cow skin plum belt with a large silver cross skeleton buckle, which was an identical color to his leather wing-tipped loafers.

OK, so _maybe_ Pearl had a point, she conceded. It was a fact that the man liked to dress to stand out in a crowd and didn't appear to own one _quiet item_ of clothing in his whole closet! Still, it wasn't the _clothes that made the man_ , and her suddenly overly judgmental cousin had _no right_ criticizing anyone based on their apparel!

"Longines is in the hairdressing industry; he's _allowed_ to be flamboyant and _haute couture_!" Maya defended at last. "He's actually a very nice man, and only wants to be your friend, if you'd just give him a chance!"

Pearl ignored that, choosing to remain fixated on her nitpicking of the salon tycoon's ensemble instead.

"I _still_ say he wears too many bright colors at once; it's like a _rainbow_ threw up on him!" She declared crossly. "Why can't he dress like a _normal_ man? Mr. Nick never wore bizarre colors and stuff like that –"

"Alright, Pearl Fey, that's _enough_!" Maya exploded, startling them both with the force of her detonation – the teen actually jumped in her seat slightly. Never before had Pearl seen her cousin so incensed. "You've _got_ to let this whole _Nick_ thing go already! That part of our lives is _over_ now, and you _have_ to accept that, no matter _how much it still hurts_!" Sudden tears sprang to in her dark eyes then, and she brushed them away impatiently.

Pearl saw the pain in Maya's glistening orbs, and her own lip began to quiver. "Mystic Maya, listen –"

"No, _you_ listen! We _both_ have to move on! Nick's made his choice, and he's _gone for good_ , Pearly. And h-he's never coming back." Maya sniffled slightly and dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. " _I_ wasn't the one who made that decision, _he_ did, remember? He's with Iris and that's _that_. _She's_ the one he loves now, _n-not_ _me_."

The spirit medium's mind flashed back to her visit with her half-sister the week prior at Eagle Mountain, and opened her mouth to respond to this particular regard, but then changed her mind and swallowed hard as she took in Maya's grief-stricken expression. Shaking her head slightly, she bit down so hard on her lower lip it nearly bled.

"You're right, Mystic Maya," Pearl whispered, nibbling at her thumb and dropping her eyes, knowing she'd be unable to hold her tongue if she looked at her cousin's sorrowful face for another moment. "I - I'm sorry. Please, don't be sad." She reached over and gently squeezed Maya's hand, forcing a smile for her benefit. "I'll be good, I _promise_. In addition, I _will_ be nice to your friend from now on. You have my _word_."

The look of tearful thanks on Maya's face was almost more than Pearl could bear. She closed her eyes and flopped back against her seat, heaving a soundless sigh.

 _Mystic Ami, forgive me. I hope I just did the right thing..._

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Pearl Fey**_  
 _London, England_  
May 3, 2025 3:30 PM

London greeted Maya like an old reliable friend. Red double-deckers, black cabs, blue-uniformed police officers, and gray clouds...could she be _anywhere_ else?

A gentle drizzle greeted the three of them upon arrival. As they wove among the crowds and tried to hail a cab, the Feys followed Longines about as they clutched their wheeled suitcases in one hand and their brollies in the other. The blond man knew the bustling city like the back of his hand, and excitedly pointed out points of interest amidst the umbrella-bearing pedestrians who were also battling against rain while the vehicles rumbled by around Oxford Street.

At last, Longines got them settled into a taxi. After instructing the driver to bill his credit card once the girls arrived at their intended destination, he then waved a cheerful goodbye to Maya and Pearl as he headed off to attend that afternoon's business function, promising he'd be joining them in a few hours to enjoy some scones and Devonshire cream with their host.

As the cab rolled along the roads, which were now familiarizing themselves again to Maya's memory nearly a decade later, the clouds rolled back then, and the late afternoon sun brought the whole city, shining, into view. Both girls stared with awe from the rain-splattered windows at the swarms of people that moved in each direction, and the sights whizzing by as they absorbed their surroundings.

There was Battersea Power Station, standing proud with its four great chimneys still intact, even though much of its roof had long ago been eaten away. Behind it, Battersea Park appeared as a square of dense green bushes and trees that were making a last stand, fighting back the urban spread. In the far distance, the Millennium wheel perched like a fabulous silver coin, balancing effortlessly on its rim. In addition, all around it, London crouched; gas towers and apartment blocks, endless rows of shops and houses, roads, railways, and bridges stretching away on both sides, separated only by the bright sliver crack in the landscape that was the River Thames.

They rolled along past the busy city, just to the outskirts of London towards their destination.

"Oh, this is all so incredible, Mystic Maya!" Pearl clapped her hands excitedly as she beamed with genuine pleasure at her cousin. "Thank you so much for bringing me along – and I can't wait to meet your friend!"

"You'll love him; he's really great! I wonder if it's still tea time at his place?" Maya quipped, delighted at the sudden switch in Pearl's disposition. "Oh, who am I kidding – this is England – tea time is _anytime_!" She hugged herself with glee. "Oh, Pearly, I have _missed_ this place! It's so good to be back!"

They neared their host's residence, which from a distance, looked so small it looked more like a doll's house than a human dwelling. The walls were like cold set oatmeal, painted white. There were two little windows at the front, each no larger than a sheet of tabloid newspaper, with window frames of mahogany. There appeared to be no upstairs to the place, which had a grey slate roof and a large chimney poked out of one side of the roof and a small chimney out of the other. It seemed alive and welcoming, a warm ribbon of smoke rising from the old chimney. A neat pile of chopped wood was stacked against the side of the place.

Maya saw a narrow dirt-path leading to the front door. On either side of the path there was a wilderness of nettles and blackberry thorns and long brown grass, an enormous oak tree stood overshadowing the cottage. Its massive spreading branches seemed to be enfolding and embracing the tiny building, and perhaps hiding it as well from the rest of the world.

"We're here!" She announced, slipping a few pound notes into the driver's hand as appreciation for carrying their bags to the front door, on which she gave a short succession of raps to announce their arrival. "I do hope he's not upset we arrived a little later than expected!"

The door opened then, and Maya came face-to-face with one of the few men from her past with whom she had nothing but the fondest of memories.

"Welcome back to England, and to my humble abode, Maya." The lilting accent and proper speech manner of the soft-spoken English gentleman hadn't changed one bit. "It has been far too long."

" _Professor_!" She squealed, and lurched forward to give her old friend an enormous hug, nearly knocking off his top hat in the process. "I've missed you _so_ much!"

Pearl barely stifled a giggle at the blush that stained the fair cheeks of the man who was currently struggling to remain standing upright due to the vigor of Maya's greeting. Deducing from the stories she'd heard, she assumed he was in his early 40's now, although based on the photos she'd seen from her cousin's last visit with him, Hershel Layton looked exactly as he had back then, down to the exact same brown coat over dark orange shirt, brown pants, and a pair of dark green shoes.

At last, Layton detangled himself from Maya's arms and noticed the petite teen standing behind her, smiling shyly. The wise, intelligent dark eyes that turned in Pearl's direction glowed with a gentle kindness and friendliness unlike any she'd ever seen before, and she liked him instantly.

"You must be Pearl." He tipped his hat at her, and then clasped her hands warmly in his own. "It is such a pleasure to at last meet the young woman about whom Maya has been regaling me with tales over the years in her emails. Welcome to England, and my home. Please do come in."

Inside the homey cottage, the Feys took in the gentle crackle of the wood-fire, blazing cheerily in the ample fireplace, sending its warmth and light far out into the room, flashing red reflections all over the walls, with a small settee and two armchairs pulled inward to the warmth.

On the richly carved mantel there stood an exquisite plate-glass clock, the chimes of which were just striking four, and, keeping it company to right and left, were two dainty figures of a shepherd and shepherdess in Dresden china. The remaining mantel space was filled with tiny figures in bisque,-a dachshund, a cat and kittens, a porcelain box, heart-shaped, the top covered with china forget-me-nots, a silver drinking-cup, a small oval portrait on ivory of a beautiful young woman, framed in richly chased gold, the inner rim set round with pearls. A blue pitcher of Cloisonné and a tray of filigree silver heaped with dainty cotillion favors stood on one end; on the other, a crystal vase filled with white tulips.

Two medium windows let in natural light. The windows were mullioned, overlooking the rose garden in the front yard. A radio played classical music softly in the background, and the smell of freshly baked biscuits wafted out to greet them as Maya walked through, a smile spreading over her face as she set her bags and umbrella down by the settee and took a seat, with Pearl mimicking the action. The house had hints of Elizabethan touches, with wooden panels along the corridors, small, ornate chandeliers, and oil paintings of old bearded men in tunics and ruffs.

Layton presented the girls with his favorite tea blend - Belle Classic, along with some warm, buttery biscuits and preserves, before taking a seat in the tweed armchair across from the girls.

"I hope the tea is to your liking, although if it's too bitter, I am brewing another pot, Oasis Berry, if you prefer something sweeter. It's actually Luke's favorite." The Professor cast an idle glance at his watch and his brow furrowed a tad. "Hmmm, he really should have been here by now. I wonder what's delaying him."

 _Luke_? Pearl's ears perked up. For some reason, Maya's other English gentleman-in-training friend had escaped her mind. She was dying to meet him; she hoped he'd arrive soon.

"I'm sure he'll be here soon. And don't worry about the tea, it's great, Professor, but thank you." Maya sipped her tea pleasurably and smiled. "I'm sorry it's been awhile since we last corresponded, so I know we have a lot of catching up to do! What are you doing with yourself these days? And how about little Luke?!"

"My former apprentice just turned 18, and is now taller than you and I both, so he's not so little anymore," Layton chuckled in response. "He had some matters to take care of, but was most eager to assure me he will be here for supper by the time your other companion arrives this evening, especially when I told him I would be making roast lamb for dinner, which happens to be his favorite."

The Professor then proceeded to fill them in on things since Maya had seen him last. Although on summer holidays from school presently, Luke was majoring in Linguistics and minoring in Archaeology, as well as being the Professor's teaching assistant at Gressenheller University. Layton had once taught there, but now could only squeeze in time to do the odd lecture hall, in between his duties of now being the C _hief Archaeologist for the Crown!_ For all his work in the field and contributions of mystery solving and aiding Scotland Yard in maintaining the safety of his country, he'd actually been _knighted by the Queen_ , five years ago!

"Wow, you're really an actual _knight_ now?" Maya gasped. "Not like, a fake Labyrinthia, brain-washed knight who's in armor but is just playing the part, like Barnham and those other metal lunks, but a _real, genuine, knight_? Should we be addressing you as Sir instead of Professor? Or Sir Professor?!"

Pearl was amazed as well. Over the years, during their business meetings and travels, she and Maya had met various aristocrats, blue bloods, and even royalty from numerous parts of the world, but she had never met a _real knight_ before! She belatedly wondered if they should have curtsied the Professor in greeting, like they had when they'd met the Earl of Verdunia or the Prince of Santa Clara, but found herself too shy to ask.

Layton shared some of the fascinating tales and adventures he and Luke had had, from the time they had uncovered a mysterious village consisting of robots posing as humans, to scientific time warped experiments that went 'bonk' to the series of events that had led him to the finding and adopting of his daughter, Flora Reinhold.

"Flora will be sorry to have missed you, but she's away at boarding school until it lets out in June." Layton sipped his tea pleasurably. "She's about your age, Pearl…how old are you?"

"I'll be 16 this fall."

"Ah, so she is the same age as you are. Such a delightful girl. She's off to Oxford soon enough, and wants to major in Art History. Tell me, Pearl, have you considered any sort of post-secondary studies?"

"Not really…" Pearl replied hesitantly. "Mostly everything I'd ever studied in Kurain was occult related and any time I'm not furthering my spiritual knowledge is spent being Mystic Maya's second in command whenever she's gone on local travels. But having had access to the big world out there since we've had the internet does make me curious sometimes about what the universe beholds. It's something I think maybe I'd like to do if given the opportunity, but I don't know if I'd have the time."

"Pearly, I had no idea you were interested in pursuits outside the village!" Maya sounded surprised. "You never mentioned anything before!"

The teen shrugged. She'd been keeping mum about _a lot_ of things recently, and her cousin's _hair would curl_ if she knew about them!

"Perhaps some individual courses of interest then, or even summer or day camps?" Layton ventured. "They have such things in your area I'm sure, just so you can have some adventures with people of your own age."

"That sounds like something worth exploring," Pearl murmured, blushing. No doubt the way her eyes had lit up at the mention of Luke's name must have tipped the observant man off to how starved she was for companionship from others her own age. As much as she thought Layton was delightful, it had been ages since she'd had someone her own age to talk to; it seemed like it had been a dog's age since she'd seen Trucy, and who knew _when_ or _if_ she would again, all things considered?

They three of them resumed conversation and for the next little while, Maya regaled the Professor with particulars on everything from her Master's duties and travels to the revamping modernizing she'd done with Kurain since she'd become village leader. She conspicuously, Pearl noted, seemed to be steering any possible conversation at all from veering toward _the pink elephant in the room_ , even laughingly told Layton some of the more amusing anecdotes of Mildred. Layton had to lift his teacup to hide his amused smile when Maya cited The Dragon Lady as her personal _bête noire_ and detailed how she'd stuck the old hag with outhouse digging duty to correspond to the implemented rental cabins, which had created extra revenue for their hometown.

A good few hours of laughter and conversation had gone by, and there was still no mention of Phoenix whatsoever. Setting down his teacup at last, the Professor studied Maya with a puzzled frown.

"The regrettable circumstances regarding Mr. Wright's disbarring made worldwide news, Maya, and was therefore brought to my attention through the media. I haven't heard from him in years, despite my efforts at correspondence, and was wondering how he was faring? Has that matter been resolved? Have the two of you kept in touch?"

The spirit medium's hot beverage sloshed over the sides of her teacup as it slipped from her fingers and onto her saucer with a loud clink. It was the only sound in the suddenly silent room.

Pearl could feel the anxiety in her chest waiting to take over. Perhaps it only wanted to protect her, even though there really wasn't any dangerous situation. Nevertheless, it sat there like an angry ball propelling her towards a panic attack she just _didn't need_. The teen's mouth was as dry as cotton balls as she swiveled her head and caught the look of unmistakable agony on her cousin's face, which she wasn't quick enough to conceal, as well as noting Maya's fingernails digging into her palms, as she was clenching her fists so tightly, deep markings would surely be left behind.

Carefully placing the china down on the table and safely out of reach, Pearl felt completely hapless; she had no clue what to do to make matters easier for the Master in answering the innocuous and unintended intrusive question, but found herself at a loss.

"He still has not regained his badge that I am aware of." Maya kept the faux placid grin on her face, although her posture was tensely rigid. "I'm sorry to report that, what with my Master's duties and a village to run, I have been very busy the past six years and my…communications with _Mr. Wright_ have unfortunately dwindled."

The shift in her entire demeanor, from pleasant to _downright pained_ , was not lost on the Professor, and his gentle eyes darkened with concern.

"I'm very sorry to hear that time has made you and Mr. Wright strangers, Maya," Layton said tactfully. "The two of you seemed to have such a close connection when I saw you last. I hope Mr. Wright gets matters settled soon enough, and has the support he needs to get him through this surely difficult time."

"I'm sure he does," Maya replied stiffly. "The last I heard, he was dating my cousin, Iris, who is a shrine maiden at Hazakura Temple, which is in close quarters to my village. She is a woman of most…amiable and hospitable disposition, having been raised by a nun, and am sure she's been _everything_ Mr. Wright could possibly _need_."

The stress spread through her mind like ink on paper. Pearl took in deep, ragged breath before placing her hands, enclosed together, onto her lap to quell the sudden tightness in her chest.

"I need to get some air," she blurted out, jumping to her feet. "I'm going to take a little stroll out back." She was already halfway down the front hall before either Maya or the Professor could react, that was how quickly she'd moved.

"What's the matter? What do mean you're taking a walk, Pearly?" Maya cried plaintively. "It's nearly six already and surely Longines and Luke will be here soon for supper and you don't know your way around this place and you could get lost…"

"I – I won't be long, Mystic Maya." Undaunted, Pearl reached for the handle of the front door, and avoiding her distressed cousin's gaze, shifted her eyes to the Professor, allowing him to see the pleading look on her face. "I promise to be back in time for dinner. Please don't worry about me. I – I just want to explore these beautiful woods out back…"

A look of understanding crossed Layton's face, and he placed a cajoling hand on Maya's shoulder.

"It will be daylight out for another couple of hours, Maya. Pearl is not a child, and seems to be a most levelheaded young lady. I'm sure she'll be fine. You and I still have so much catching up to do – I wish to hear more about this _bête noire_ of yours." He gently steered Maya back towards the living room and flashed Pearl a reassuring smile. "If you stick to the main stone trial, Pearl, it will take you down to a little river, but then loops back to the cottage. It is very easy to follow back and should take you no more than an hour at most."

"Thank you so much Professor," Pearl smiled gratefully. "I'll be back soon!"

The teen sprinted out the door then, barely pausing to shut it behind her, before her cousin could make any more protests. Her heart pounding, she broke into a sprint down the directed path that had been indicated. She approached the forest, carefully refastened the row of buttons on her lavender coat, took a huge breath, and set off, her mind racing. She was certain if she'd remained there another minute, she would have uttered a litany of tightly suppressed confessions itching on the tip of her tongue to Maya, which would have undoubtedly resulted in nothing but _disaster_!

Once Pearl was deep in the woods though, she felt herself calming down slightly and allowed herself to bask in the wondrous natural beauty of the surrounding forest, and the feeling of the silky smooth leaves brushing against her hands as she heard the melodious chirping of the birds in the trees. She tilted her head up and let the rays of warm, amber evening sunlight dance across her face while she stared up at the small patches of the clear blue sky peering in through the trees, as tall as skyscrapers. She picked a small blackberry from a bush and popped it into her mouth, immediately feeling its sweet and tangy taste. The tranquil atmosphere in the forest had soothed her nerves, with the only audible sound being her crunching footsteps on the leaves.

Alone at last with her thoughts, the spirit medium now had the privacy to reflect upon the sudden turnabout that had become her life since the fateful day Mr. Nick had broken up with her cousin. What a series of unfortunate events that had led to be!

For one thing, she missed the Gumshoes, and especially _Trucy,_ so much it _hurt_.

The magician had tried to reach her on numerous occasions, both by phone and email, as she was blissfully unaware of the heartbreaking circumstances regarding her father, and Pearl was embarrassed to admit that she'd been playing a shameless, unforgivable game of duck and dodge each time her former 'sister' had tried to make contact. She didn't know how to act or know what to say anymore to the girl she'd once loved as a sibling, especially knowing how in the dark Trucy had been about Phoenix's relationship with Maya, any more than she'd know how to respond to the inquiries of when she would next be coming down to the city to visit. Maya hadn't been to Los Angeles since the breakup and Pearl couldn't think of any feasible reason to venture down there if they weren't attending a conference. In addition, the idea of associating with anyone who had broken her cousin's heart seemed disloyal, despite Maya's benign reassurance that Pearl needn't sever ties with Phoenix's daughter.

As much as she was looking forward to seeing the Gumshoes – they still didn't know about the split and Maya had insisted it was _her_ business _when or if_ to tell – at Maggey's baby shower, Pearl dreaded the inevitable confrontation she would have with the justifiably hurt girl for _ghosting_ on her. No doubt, when it was done _in real life_ and _not as a magic trick_ , Pearl's _disappearing act_ had probably caused the other girl much pain, and the guilt gnawed away at her daily.

Also, to go down to see Trucy meant she'd risk seeing Phoenix himself, and feeling towards him as she did – especially armed with her _recent newfound knowledge_ – she was afraid setting eyes on the man she'd loved as a father, and still missed dreadfully, would result in her bursting into tears, slapping him six ways from Sunday, or _both_! It was a risk she just didn't want to take!

That extra information she'd recently acquired, however unwittingly, from Iris was the biggest cross to bear…

* * *

 _ **Pearl Fey and Iris Hawthorne**_  
 _Hazakura Temple_  
April 26, 2025 7:15 PM

It was like a Mexican standoff for two as the sisters stared unwaveringly at one another.

"I want some honest answers. _And I want them now_."

The weight of the words hung over the half-siblings like a storm cloud.

Iris shifted nervously. The younger girl's stare was as uncomfortable as a showgirl corset, and had the same effect on her breathing, which was suddenly constricted and shallow. There was no leniency in those simmering grey orbs, which were currently boring holes into her. Every move Pearl made, from the rigidness of her shoulders to the rolling and unrolling of her sleeve, betrayed her intentions, none of which were noble.

The shrine maiden wilted under her sibling's glare and dropped her gaze. It wasn't just the cool determination in those eyeballs so much as the intelligence behind them that made her quiver. In the gap between her eyes and Pearl's, a battle was fought and the spirit medium trounced without flinching.

"Whether you can face looking me in the eye or not makes no difference to me! I'm not leaving here until I have the answers I seek." When push came to shove, Pearl Fey had a way of not mincing her words. She folded her arms tightly over her freshly ironed acolyte uniform. For such a small, frail girl, she was kinda badass.

"It's, ah… funny that you asked me about Feenie, Pearl." Iris took a hesitant step backward. "I er…was _on my way_ to give him a call _right now._.. just before you came along…" She forced herself to smile convincingly.

"I'll just _bet_ you were!" Pearl growled, already rolling up her sleeve again. "You know you've ruined my life right? Mine _and_ Mystic Maya's! It's all _your_ fault I might have some weird, _flouncy dandy man_ who's even prettier than Mystic Maya for a new daddy now!"

Iris studied the ground beneath her sandal. "You blame me for their break up don't you?"

Hate and enmity welled up in Pearl's heart, so deep that it was ingrained in the tissue itself as she felt the fury burning her up.

"I _hate_ you!" The teenager shouted, her voice nearly breaking. "The three of us – me, Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick…we were like a little family! I even had found a new _sister_ with his daughter! Everything was going great – it was only a matter of time before he cleared his name and we could all be together… until _you_ came along and ruined everything!"

Iris gulped. "Pearl…"

"How could you break up the home of _your own cousin_?! He was going to marry her! Did you know he gave her a promise ring?! You're hardly any better than that wretched, psychotic twin of yours, if not _worse_!" Pearl's cheeks were bright pink with rage. "You're _just_ as much an evil sorceress as _Dahlia_ was!"

Iris cringed but couldn't find a suitable response.

"What are you, some sort of _witch_ like your insane twin sister?" Pearl put her hands on her hips and glowered at the other woman scathingly. "Tell me, how _did_ you _bewitch_ Mr. Nick's mind and heart to make him turn away from Mystic Maya, and just suddenly decide to _leave us both_ … for _you,_ huh? What _spell_ did you cast on him?"

"I didn't _do_ _anything_ ," Iris whispered tearfully. "Feenie… _he_ came to _me_ Pearl. I _swear_ to you, I'm telling you the truth."

"That's _not_ the _point_!" Pearl was unmoved at the sight of the flooded eyes gazing back at her. "In the end, it's all the same! Give me _one good reason_ why I shouldn't slap you from here to the moon!"

"You can hit me if you want if it's going to make you feel better, Pearl." Iris bowed her head in submission. "But you should know it's not going to _change anything_."

Pearl faltered slightly at the painful veracity of the words and slowly rolled down her sleeve again and let out browbeaten sigh.

"Why's that?" She asked defeatedly. "Because _you love him_ that much?"

Limpid brown eyes met resigned gray ones. "I never stopped."

"And... _he_ feels the same way about _you_?" Pearl bit her lip to keep it from trembling.

Iris cast a downcast glance before replying. "I-I'd like to think so."

"So what you're trying to tell me is that… you and Mr. Nick...you're _Special Someones_ now?" Pearl felt numb then, the fight draining out of her completely.

Iris hesitated but didn't raise her eyes from the ground. " _Y-yes_."

Pearl's eyes widened then, and she stared at Iris speechlessly. However, the shrine maiden refused to look at her anymore, and had already turned away.

"Look Pearl, someday…when the dust all clears… I hope you can get past this and accept me as your sister. I'm more than happy to accept _you_ as _mine_. However, I have to go now. I –I promised Feenie I'd call him before he heads out to work. Take care."

Pearl was still silently rooted on the same spot as Iris left and walked back into the temple. True to her word, the nun made a beeline to the telephone.

"Feenie love...it's me Rissy. I've got some really important news that I need to tell you, and I don't want to do it on the phone. Let me know when you can come up and see me next. Call me when you're done your shift. I miss you. Bye now."

* * *

 _ **Pearl Fey**_  
 _Layton's Woods, England_  
May 3, 2025

 _Mystic Ami, help me. I don't know what to do. I've always tried to do the right thing…but I don't know what that is anymore!_

The gloomy teen jammed her hands in her pockets and kicked a large stone in her path, and watched as it scuttled off to the side of the dirt footpath she'd been following.

 _Wait what?_ _ **Dirt**_ _path? What had happened to the_ _ **stone**_ _path I was following?!_

Pearl looked around her with a startled gasp. With panicked eyes, she cast a glance skyward, and saw that without her notice, the beautiful evening sun above had rescinded to near vanishing at this point, and as she looked down at the ground, she was frightened and dismayed that the familiar stone trail she'd sworn she was trekking on was no longer beneath her feet.

Somehow, it appeared she had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed she'd veered off the main path and was now going in a completely different and unknown direction, deeper and deeper into the dense woods.

 _OK…don't panic_ , Pearl thought wildly, even though her every instinct was internally screaming at her to do _just_ that. Sure, she didn't have a watch with her, so she had no idea how long she'd been out there, and was sure Maya was panicking enough about her daughter's absence for the _both_ of them. Nor did she have a compass, or even a cell phone to call for help…

Stifling a terrified sob, she looked about her unfamiliar surroundings and wondered if she should stay put in case Maya and the Professor eventually came to find her, or keep plodding ahead, and search for that elusive river he'd mentioned to her, as from there would be the trail that looped back towards his home.

A branch snapped behind her from somewhere and she jumped in fright.

Flopping down onto a fallen tree log then, the tiny spirit medium buried her head in her hands. She'd never felt more powerless or vulnerable in her entire life.

For the next five minutes, she strained her vocals until nearly nothing came out, but still she screamed, hoping _someone_ would hear her. Suddenly, her body wracked with raw sobs and she shook like a leaf. Fright consumed every cell in her body, swelling them with terror. With every second she practically felt the rise of her blood pressure, but she knew that this was the least of her worries.

 _I'm lost in the forest in a foreign country,_ Pearl realized frantically, fear coursing through her veins and making her heart thud rapidly in her chest. _I'm_ _ **literally**_ _…._ _ **a lost**_ _…babe in the woods!_

In the distance, all of a sudden, she _thought_ she heard a growling sound, then came an unmistakably _distinct growling sound_... then a series of _furious canine barks_. And it sounded as though they were coming _closer!_

 _Was that a dog…or a_ _**wolf**_? Pearl wondered with alarm. _Do they even have wolves in England?_ _OK, I really shouldn't have decided to think of that movie an_ _ **American Werewolf in London**_ _just now, of all times…_

" _Helllllp_!" She cried hysterically as panicked tears sprang to her eyes. " _Someone! Anyone! Please_! _Help me_!"

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 94**

 **Ilet Moratar**

Franny would not be the first woman in the world to do something in an act of reckless rebellion only to wind up regretting it later… In this case _she_ was the one that was very disappointed and hurt afterword, which was ironic since the whole point of random party screw was intended to be a screw you to the "mystery" _him!_

I definitely think this is a character, based on the videogame alone , who is afraid of physical and emotional intimacy in any way… Her and Miles both are tough nuts to crack which is why they were so perfect for each other! :-) And yes I totally agree that her icy cover why is her attempt to mask any softness or loving feelings that were hidden under the surface. People like her do need someone of great understanding and patience, because like a Ferrari, yes they are high maintenance, but ultimately they are so pretty and _fun to_ ride that they are worth it! Luckily miles is already used a high maintenance cars since he drives and Alfa Romeo! :p

I've tried to keep their relationship Canon as even in the games most notably the Miles games, Franny is still the fiery one and is often maddened by Mr. Edgeworth always keeping his cool and basically staying calm and staying out of her way a.k.a. bowing to her more dominant nature. In this particular instance I wanted to go back to their roots which was when he kissed her for the first time in sort of took her by surprise (and a bit of surprising virility!) And history did repeat itself as the results as you saw were pretty favorable! Call it taming of the shrew if you will… I prefer to put it more mildly and say that only Mr. Edgeworth (can turn that tigress into a purring pussycat!

 **chloemcg**

I really hope that I still have you as a reader, and apologies if the prior past chapter made you uncomfortable. I wanted to portray a series of events that made Franny be the person that we see today and unfortunately, I decided that should include parts or her life that were not always rosy, including some rash decisions she may have made on her own, and some of the consequences… Good news, if you've been following the passion her and Miles share, am sure she never gave random party boy a second thought since!… Until _now_ , but that just because she's going to a dark spell temporarily… Err anyway moving on… yes milady, Edgeworth's chief prosecutor angle will be covered!

I hope you like this chapter, and the whole Eurotrip angle here… :-)

 **Yanmegaman**

I truly think in a game that has so many fascinating fleshed out characters with so much back story and personality, to create an OC that people give a flying leap about whether it's to love them or loathe them is still quite an accomplishment! Don't underestimate yourself I hated your dude bro with a passion that burned my soul! :p

I truly believe Francisca could have a moment of temporary insanity fueled by unreturned ardor and said elixir coursing through her veins… Not everyone's first-time is the greatest however it not like she hasn't had her world rocked ever since right?! XD

I mean Edgy could only look good in comparison to _Mr. Wham Bam thank you nope that was not his name_ , sorry! LOL


	96. Puppy Love

" _Meeting you was like listening to a song for the first time and knowing it was going to be my favorite."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: There is a certain_ _ **small**_ _(not major) character here that is from the Professor Layton crossover game…and brief mention of another character's_ _ **name**_ _from that game …dunno if that counts as a spoiler? In addition, I have nothing but admiration and respect for the beautiful countries of England and France and their people, ergo; I hope none of my readers take any offence of my attempts at local/foreign wit!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Ninety-Six** **:** **Puppy Love**

 _ **Pearl Fey**_ _  
Layton's Woods, England_  
May 3, 2025

Although no animal expert, the spirit medium knew the worst thing to do when confronted with any sort of canine, wild or domestic, was to run and allow the animal to give chase, allowing their primitive wolf instincts to take over. Instead, she dimly recalled, in the faded recesses of her horrified mind, that you were supposed stand your ground and confront the creature. However, you were not to make direct eye contact, and should remain still, all the while showing no fear, as all dogs could innately smell it.

The _stay put_ part was easy enough for the quivering teen.

For one thing, her fashionable high-heeled boots were _completely impractical_ for sprinting! They wouldn't even allow her to outrun a _peg-legged senior citizen_ , never mind a _spry animal_ of any sort, not to mention that her sprinting efforts would draw unsolicited extra attention from all the rustle and noise!

For another, in her current petrified state, Pearl was _absolutely frozen_ on that log, and unable to move in the slightest; she was _completely paralyzed with fear_ as the sounds of the barking grew steadily louder, and the beast appeared to be drawing nearer and nearer. Whimpering slightly, she curled herself up into a ball, hugged her knees to her chest, dropped her head down, and sobbed about her impending fate.

The loud barking ceased… now reduced to smaller, softer, yipping noises.

Peeking through her fingers around her, Pearl looked down to see the source of the sound, which sounded like it was coming from _right in front of her_!

Immediately, her terror abated, and the young girl was simultaneously mortified by her ridiculous fears, while completely reduced into a puddle of _goo_.

In front of her, resting on its hind legs so its front paws were perched up on the log beside her, was the most _adorable, gorgeous little puppy_ she'd ever seen in her life! The tiny animal was compact of body, not even a foot in height, with a baby-doll face, a poodle-like, fluffy white coat, and the hugest, button black eyes! Its tiny pink tongue was extended into a goofy grin, with its little fuzzy tail happily wagging as it nudged its pert wet nose against her fingers, begging to be petted.

The fact that she was _still_ utterly lost in the woods, while in a foreign land, would occur to her again later. Right now… _puppy_!

Giving a squeal of delight this time, rather than horror, Pearl reached down and stroked its furry head on its exposed parts, as most of the puppy's crown was covered, bizarrely, by a pint-sized… _helmet_?

"Aren't _you_ the sweetest little thing?" Pearl cooed, giggling as the puppy kept yapping while it licked her fingers. "However did a _itty, bitty little_ guy like you make such a _big, scary_ racket in the forest? You nearly scared me half to death! But you're _soooo_ cute, I'll forgive you! Are you lost too? You look well-groomed and cared for, so you're obviously not a stray…not to mention that _adorable_ little helmet! Wherever is your owner, fella?"

The puppy continued to yip, then made a sudden leap up onto the log, and into the unsuspecting Pearl Fey's arms, happily wagging its tail the whole time.

"Affectionate little thing aren't you?" Pearl laughed, cradling the puppy in her arms like a baby and reveling in its fuzzy warmth against her. "I wonder what your name is?"

" _Constantine_!" A male voice called out just then. "Constantine! Where are you? Come back here, boy!"

The next thing Pearl knew, there was a rustle in the bushes before her, and out popped a slightly winded and panting boy, not much older than she was, who she could only presume was the little white bundle of fur's owner.

" _There_ you are!" The boy exclaimed thankfully, as he caught sight of the puppy, whose name appeared to be Constantine. The relieved smile on his face faded slightly as he finally took notice of the girl who was holding him. He looked at Pearl, his expression unreadable, without blinking, and simply stared.

Pearl stared right back.

Really, she was mannerly enough to avoid gawking at random strangers. However, this boy before her, radiating with nothing but grace, had her _enthralled_. He was mesmerizing in every way. Tawny-colored hair peeked out from underneath a blue news cap, which was identical in shade to the blue sweater he wore over his white shirt, along with viridian shorts, which fell just past the knees of his strong, toned calves. The faint glimmer of the last remains of the evening sun ghosted over his fair skin, and his eyes were deep wells of melted caramel and chocolate combined. In addition, when those very eyes had shifted and finally acknowledged her presence, a surge of understanding had both calmed and further mystified her at the same time. For once in her life, Pearl Fey had had her breath taken away by a complete stranger - _by the eyes_ of a complete stranger.

At that precise moment, as Pearl first laid her eyes on him, she knew _exactly_ what it meant to be _spellbound_.

Constantine squirmed slightly in her arms, so with great reluctance, she set him down on the ground, grateful for the reprieve of the staring match the boy seemed determined to have with her.

The puppy ran to the boy immediately, happily resuming his little barks, and pawed at his bare leg, but the boy's eyes remained fixated on the now blushing spirit medium.

Pearl rose from the log then and ducked her head shyly, still wholly speechless. The only thing that came out of her mouth at that moment was the mentioning of the puppy, and even then, it came out shaky and quiet.

"Constantine, is that his name? I'm happy to have been able to keep a hold of him for you," she mumbled. "He's such a gorgeous little puppy."

The boy cleared his throat.

"Yes, thank you for doing that, Miss. He's surprisingly spry for his age. Don't let the size fool you, he's not a puppy anymore. I believe he's pushing nine now, actually. Constantine normally isn't so friendly with strangers, but he really seems to like _you_ …." His voice, which was as smooth and cultured as the Professor's was, and identical in accent, trailed off then, and the rest of his words were unspoken, but unnecessary, as they both heard the end of the hanging sentence…

 _Can't say I blame him._

The two smiled at one another like a couple of goofy, love-struck teenagers…which was _exactly_ what they both were!

Constantine continued to yip.

"He sure is _chatty_ little guy, isn't he?" Pearl noted. "I wish I could understand what he was saying!"

"Um, _I_ can." The boy's cheeks turned rosy. "He thinks your hair looks like a big, delicious pretzel, and he _really_ wants to _eat_ it." An amused smile tugged at the corner of his full lips. "He's going to be _very_ disappointed in a minute, when I tell him he's not allowed to."

Pearl self-consciously raised a hand to her double loops, and dropped her eyes to the ground again, her cheeks turning even pinker with embarrassment.

"Hush now, boy, I can only relay one message at a time!" The boy looked down at Constantine, who was still yipping insistently. "I'll _tell_ her, alright? Give me a moment!"

Pearl tilted her head to the side and regarded the boy strangely. While she'd seen and heard many pet owners talking to their animals, this particular lad _literally_ appeared to be having a conversation with his, as though he could _actually_ understand what the creature was trying to convey!

"Er, Constantine also wants me to tell you something else," the boy said softly, looking her right in the eyes this time, despite the high color mounting on his cheeks. "He says that he meant no offense with the pretzel comment, because he loves them, as they are his favorite treat, and that style suits you perfectly. And, um…" He cleared his throat nervously. "He also wants me to tell you…that he thinks you're the prettiest girl he's ever seen in his whole life."

Pearl's cheeks warmed again, this time with bashful pleasure, as she looked up at the boy through her lashes.

"Please tell Constantine I said thank you, and that he's quite the charming little gentleman poodle."

"Bichon Frise actually...Gentleman… _Gah_!" The boy clapped a hand to his face. "Beg your pardon …I cannot _believe_ I have taken such leave of my manners and have been standing here, playing _The Dog Whisperer_ with you, before I even introduced myself!" He removed his hat then, and a shock of thick, sandy hair fell forward as he bowed ever so slightly. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss. My name is Luke Triton." He replaced his cap on his head and beamed at her, extending his hand.

"Luke!" Pearl gasped, forgetting to offer her own hand because she was so astounded. " _You're_ Luke? The Professor's friend? You know Mystic Maya then!"

"I do indeed…" Luke studied her intently, his eyes falling on her magatama, which was peeking from beneath her jacket, and a broad smile of recognition crept across his adorable face. " _You_ must be Pearl, Maya's cousin!"

Pearl nodded, finally recovering enough to offer him her hand now, and he clasped it firmly and held it in both of his own, while continuing to beam at her. She couldn't help but flush some more at the contact with his skin. His touch was so _warm_!

"I am delighted to meet you at last," Luke enthused. "I knew you and your cousin were coming this afternoon, and I so wanted to be at the Professor's house to greet you ladies! However, at the _last minute_ , Constantine's owner, Barnham, decided to rope me into pet sitting for the weekend, while he whisks his girlfriend away to Paris, because he wants to surprise propose to her at the Eiffel Tower! He didn't show up until _half past five_ , the bum! And then, as soon as the pup and I got to the cottage, the little rascal ran off on me! I've been chasing him for the better part of an hour, if not more!" He reluctantly released her hand then, and frowned at his watch. "Oh dear, _longer_ than that, actually! It's almost half past seven now!"

" _Please_ tell me you're kidding!" Pearl groaned. "I've been gone _so_ much longer than I planned to be! Mystic Maya is going to _kill_ me! I'd only planned to take a short little stroll, but I somehow got lost, you see, and was so scared I'd never find my way back! Lucky for me that Constantine came along when he did…"

"Well, I'm mighty glad myself. That must have been quite nerve-wracking, you poor thing, losing your path in a strange country, in the middle of nowhere."

"I'm not normally this careless." Pearl conceded. "I could have _sworn_ I was following the stone path to the river that the Professor told me about, but the woods are just so beautiful, and I guess I just got distracted, and started thinking…I don't know. But thanks for coming to my rescue, Luke."

"A gentleman is always glad to help out a damsel in distress!" Luke flashed a cheeky grin. "Although, _I_ can't take credit fully. It's a good thing Constantine here was being so mischievous and decided to make me go run after him!"

"You adorable little troublemaker!" Pearl crouched down and scooped the dog back up into her arms. Constantine responded by licking her nose. "I just love him to pieces! You say he's not normally friendly with strangers?"

"Not at all." Luke shook his head. "He belongs to former knight, Zacharias Barnham, and was trained to be a little warrior pup, really. Even though the Labyrinthian knights have since disbanded, he still instinctively is always poised to strike – and we can't get him to give up that helmet! He whimpers and cries if you try to remove it!" He chuckled then. "I guess Mr. Wright didn't fill you in on how many times Constantine tried to make a snack out of him during his and Maya's last couple of visits!"

"Constantine bit Mr. Nick?!" Pearl barely suppressed a smirk.

 _Humph! Serves him right! I love this little guy_ _ **even more**_ _now!_

" _Repeatedly_!" Luke's eyes danced with laughter. "This is a rare case of his _bite_ _being worse than his bark_ , trust me!"

The two began to head back in the direction of the cottage, chatting idly and freely, as though they'd known one another for years. It turned out that Luke _literally_ could speak to animals of all shapes and sizes, and was further honing his skills taking linguistics. Pearl suspended all disbelief and instinctively knew he was telling the truth – after all, _she_ could communicate with ghosts…were animals _really_ so farfetched?

Now that she was no longer lost, Pearl was happy to resume her enjoyment of what seemed to be an enchanted wood, right down to the fireflies that twinkled like fairy lights in the trees. The fallen leaves scudded over the ground and took small flights into the air. As she tossed her head back and raised her eyes to the sky, a smile spread from cheek to cheek. The branches swayed in a chaotic dance, hypnotically beautiful. With Luke by her side, she found her frayed mind completely relaxing, and felt a newfound happiness of life bubble up from within. The light she'd been keeping inside began to escape from her pores.

If she had overcome _all_ of her shyness at this point in front of the handsome boy at her side, she would have spun like a little girl again; arms out wide and fingers spread, but instead kept her hands in her pockets and contented herself deeply inhaling the sweet smells of nature. The mild winds carried the fragrance of the woodland, reminiscent of Kurain, and the essence of her childhood days...

The spirit medium was so busy looking skyward at the trees at one point that she completely missed a rock in her path, and stumbled slightly, nearly falling face first onto the ground. Fortunately, Luke quickly reached out and caught the red-cheeked girl in his arms, just in time. He didn't let go of her right away, either.

Pearl caught her breath as she gazed up into the orbs that were once again, intently staring back into hers, feeling as though time had stood still right then. Luke's eyes were the shade of acorns, just bright enough to shine in the shadows. Since first seeing him, she'd been keeping her gaze to the soil or else tilted upward to the sky, but now, with his hands steadily holding her waist, she was brave enough to meet them without aversion anymore, and a shiver of golden light raced down her spine.

She'd never felt like this before.

Constantine barked then, as though urging them to keep moving. The spell was broken, and both Pearl and Luke were blushing furiously as they finally parted and continued walking along. She didn't mind too much though. With Luke Triton by her side, she felt as though she were walking on a cloud.

* * *

 _ **Pearl Fey and Luke Triton**_ _  
London, England_  
May 4, 2025 12:05 PM

Luckily for Pearl, she had merely been subjected to the mildest of reprimands, as Maya had been too ecstatic being reunited with Luke and Constantine again to be too angry with her. Once the new friends had arrived at the cottage, just after 8:00, Longines had been there to join them for the delicious supper, and the five of them had had a splendid evening, with Luke and Pearl staying up late chatting until nearly dawn in front of the fireplace.

Longines, of course, had tried to have the three of them sleep at a hotel, but Layton had insisted they stay with him. Ultimately, in the end, nobody wanted to separate the two lovebirds, even for a night – both teens were so obviously, adorably besotted, and only a heartless monster would have tried to interfere with the blossoming romance, which was beyond heartwarming to see.

It only scored the blond man a few extra brownie points in Pearl's books when he'd at last relented and agreed to spend the night. Eventually, Longines and Maya had retired to the two small guest rooms just after midnight. Luke had eventually passed out on the sofa, and Pearl crawled into bed with Maya just as the sunrise came up, snatching just a couple hours sleep before the Professor and Luke would take the girls sightseeing during the day while Longines attended business matters.

Maya and Layton had tactfully opted to take a separate capsule to allow some privacy to the teens when the four of them went to ride London's number one tourist attraction, The London Eye. Pearl's eyes were the size of saucers as she looked up at the enormous Ferris wheel, which Luke boasted would give them a stupendous view of the South Bank of the River Thames, from a height of 135 meters!

"That's 443 feet tall, for you Americans," the teenage boy joked, oblivious to the color draining from Pearl's face. The spirit medium had never been on a ride such as this, and was rather daunted at the prospect, although she certainly didn't want her new friends thinking she was chicken! Luke was _sooo_ cute, and so nice! He was so excited about the prospect of playing tour guide with the girls, and Pearl didn't want to him to think she was ungrateful, or _anything but giddy_ at the prospect of spending time with him. Therefore, she figured she'd be a big girl, and just suck it up!

Once they were inside the capsule. Luke continued to fill her ears with trivia.

"A ride on the London Eye takes 30 minutes, and it travels at a speed of about 0.6 miles per hour," he told her. "And on a clear day like today, you can see as far as Windsor Castle!"

Pearl forgot about all her fearful height reservations as the wheel began moving, and she saw the captivating view. She eagerly pressed her nose and hands up against the glass wall to watch. From her great vantage point so high above ground, she saw the community in a new light, the whole city spread beneath her like a living map, and she squeaked with glee.

The city of London was spread beneath them, a network of roads and rail sprawled below, mazes of cul-de-sacs. The houses and buildings resembled the tiny models on an architect's street plan: expanses of green, neat rectangular parks, lakes shimmering like oval face mirrors, a river winding slowly like an ethereal gift from God Himself. As far as the eye could see were green clumps of woodland, with raggedy edges, arteriole roads like canals of tarmac, match box cars, spires of churches with weather vanes, patchwork of surrounding villages, and great smoke stacks spewing silver plumes. Pearl sighed, amazed at the sights laid out before her.

Unknownst to her, a smiling Luke took this opportunity to bask in the pleasure of looking at his lovely companion. His eyes were filled with admiration as he watched her face light up with excitement as she soaked up the breathtaking bird's eye view of the magnificent city below her. He had never, until then, experienced a greater joy than witnessing that mesmerizing flicker of her beautiful eyes, which he hoped would never die.

Pearl didn't pretend to be glamorous or some sort of sophisticated city slicker, like most of the girls Luke encountered. Despite her being a completely natural beauty, she appeared unaware of it entirely, and still had a shy, modest vibe to her, which fewer and fewer young women lately wore. She sparkled with _life_ ; always behind those slightly pursed lips of hers was a smile just waiting to be tempted out. He liked that about her.

In fact, he liked _everything_ about her.

Sometimes, as though sensing his staring, she'd look his way and Luke had to generally pretend not to notice; too much interest and he feared she would have run. However, when he did return her glances, he didn't have to _try_ to smile, it just came naturally. In those moments, she would blush ever so slightly, and despite the miles and continents that he knew separated them, he'd allow his fanciful young mind to briefly imagine Pearl Fey actually being his girl. He certainly wasn't in any rush, however; the small, remaining sane part of him did acknowledge that while it felt as though he'd known her forever, they had only _just_ met.

The air was sweet, and there was no hurry, Luke assured himself. His world had been cast anew, and he was going to savor each and every moment.

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Professor Layton's House, England  
_ May 5, 2025 8:00 PM

" _What_ do you _mean_ I need to pack my bags and we're leaving tomorrow?" Pearl wailed plaintively, uncaring if the Professor and Luke, who were cleaning up the dinner dishes in the kitchen, heard her dramatic outburst, which made it seem like the sky had fallen on her.

The Master let out a long-suffering sigh and looked helplessly at Longines, who stared back at her with a look in his eyes that clearly stated: _**please**_ _don't drag me into this_!

"Pearly," Maya began with exaggerated patience. "I thought I explained to you that Longines kindly extended this invite for us to accompany him to _whatever_ countries _he needs to go to_ for his business travels. This was supposed to be a _Europe_ trip, not an _England_ trip! I understand you and Luke have… made friends, and you don't want to leave, but there are still a _whole slew_ of other countries across the Continent for us to see! Don't you want to make the most of this trip and explore all of Europe? You don't want to spend the _entire two weeks_ here just in the UK, do you?"

The balky look the teen shot back at Maya let her know that Pearl would be _quite_ merrily content doing _just_ that…if it meant her new crush was by her side!

 _Teenagers!_

Maya groaned inwardly. She didn't want to be the ogre to interfere with Pearl's newfound romance – she was overcome with joy that her little girl was so happy, and surely, she deserved it after all she'd been through. But on the other hand, she didn't want to take advantage of Longines' kindness and good nature. For a man who was used to five-star hotels and 1000 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, surely spending the last two nights on a lumpy mattress, with an itchy wool blanket, in the Professor's small guest room couldn't have been too fun for him. She and Pearl were there on _his_ dime, and _he_ was the one technically in charge, something the _smitten kitten_ seemed to have overlooked!

"Come on, Pearly, tomorrow we're going to _France_! It will be _so much fun_!" Maya coaxed. "We can stop in Paris, and see the Louvre, and then Longines has exclusive premiere tickets for us all to see a really cool, unreleased foreign flick at the Cannes Film Festival…"

"I don't care!" Pearl retorted, folding her arms across her chest in a huff. "I want to stay here in London! There's still so much to see!"

"Sweetie, we've already seen most of the sights! The Professor and Luke have taken us to Buckingham Palace, and the Tower of London, and we've been on the Millennium Wheel…"

"But England has so much more to offer than _just_ that, Maya," Luke interrupted suddenly, blushing to the roots of his hair at having been caught eavesdropping. "I so wanted to take Pearl on a trip to see Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Oxford! Please, I humbly request that you allow Pearl to stay. There's so much more I want her to see…and I shall still ensure she gets the most out Europe! We can _all_ go to France tomorrow – it's a mere day trip for us, as it's right next door, and you and Longines can enjoy Cannes, and I can tour her around Paris. After that, however, I can _still_ take her around Europe…show her the castles, gardens and sights in Scotland, as well as Wales…"

"Oh that sounds _marvelous_!" Pearl's eyes lit up. " _See_ , Mystic Maya? I'm _still_ going to explore Europe! That's _four_ countries right there! And admit it, you and Longines will have so much more fun without me tagging along, anyway!"

"It's not a problem if she wants to stay, Maya," Layton reassured her. "Pearl is an utter delight to have around, and I must say, I'm biased, but I do love the idea of her further soaking more cultural knowledge of our Mother country. I'll be busy this week doing some work for the Crown in the daytime, so it would be the perfect opportunity for Luke to show Pearl about. And there's more than enough room for them to stay here at the house…"

"I'd sleep in the other guest room of course," Luke added quickly, his eyes pleading. " _Please_ say yes."

Pearl was all but wringing her hands as she looked back and forth from Longines and Maya with her best puppy-dog eyes, which she'd inherently gotten from her cousin, circa-legal assistant, " _burgers and Steel Samurai movies"…_ _ **courtesy of Phoenix**_ _,_ days!

Constantine whimpered then, and affixed his button eyes on Maya as well, mimicking the teenagers' pleading expression, and _literally_ giving her puppy-dog eyes!

Maya was wavering. There were few people in the world she'd trust her little girl with, save for Layton. In addition, she knew Luke would be nothing but a perfect gentleman. Moreover, it _was_ true…she and Longines _would_ definitely have a better chance to explore and get to know one another if the need to play chaperone was taken off their plates!

"Maya, it's no imposition for me either," Longines offered, flashing a discreet wink at Pearl. "I need to come back through London again anyway, as our last stop, so it's not a bother to come and fetch Pearl en route – and I couldn't say no to the chance to enjoy another one of the Professor's hearty, home cooked English meals to boot!"

 _Ugh, traditional British fare is the_ _ **one**_ _thing I won't miss in the least!_ Maya groaned to herself. As hard as it was to believe, her second visit to the UK had made her realize there were certain foods even her gluttonous self had _zero desire_ to encounter, _ever again_! Her stomach still lurched as she recalled the horrors of _crispy pig's head, steak and kidney pie_ and _blood pudding_! She'd rather resume the detestable preferred vegetarian lifestyle favored in Kurain than ever again encounter on her dinner plate anything _with a face,_ or food that entailed _animal organs_ or _blood_ of any sort!

Pearl shot a tentative, grateful, and sincere smile – her first one ever – in Longines' direction before turning it towards Maya, changing it to a hopeful one yet again.

The Master sighed. There was no way she could resist the adorable Constantine's begging puppy-dog face, _coupled with_ _two sets_ of _pleading puppy-dog_ _eyes_ from _two_ _teenagers_ who were utterly, hopelessly, in the fledgling stages of _puppy love!_

 _Jeez, now I can see why Nick was such a pushover and could never deny us anything whenever Pearly and I tag-teamed him! And that was_ _ **without**_ _Constantine in the mix! I stand less a chance than that poor sucker ever did!_

Resistance was futile. The tables were turned, and now it was _Maya's_ turn to be the world-class marshmallow.

" _Welll_ …as long as it's OK with Longines and the Professor, and you promise me you'll be on your _best, ladylike_ behavior, Pearly…I can't think of any reason to say no." Maya conceded, flashing a wry smile as the two teenagers both gave a triumphant whoop and then exchanged high-fives. "That means I'm holding you to that gentleman's clause as well, Mr. Triton!"

"I'd expect no less, my good lady!" Luke beamed, removing his cap and bowing slightly. "Tomorrow, the Professor is back to work, but for the four of us…France, here we come!"

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse  
**_ _Cannes Film Festival, France  
_

Maya and Longines were both dressed to the nines for that night's movie premiere of _Boules de Fromage,_ as it appeared that everyone seemed to look like a Hollywood star at these events. In fact, unless her eyes were deceiving her, she could have sworn she saw Johnny Depp and Roman Polansky exiting from their limos!

The excitement of celeb sighting helped vanquish the churning in her stomach and aftertaste in her mouth – despite swishing it with copious amounts of champagne – from that night's dinner!

To think, she'd been mentally moaning about _British fare!_ Give her bloody sausages _any day_ compared to what she'd been subjected to in the name of gourmet fare at the snooty restaurant Longines had taken her to, prior to coming to the festival.

Her friend had had to order for them both, as he was fluent in French, and Maya didn't know a lick of it. She'd tried, but had only succeeded in uttering, _votre mère est une vache._

Maya knew _vache_ meant cow. However, her lame attempt to _order it_ had only resulted in her telling their server _your mother is a cow_ , Longines laughing until his eyes had watered, and getting _stink-eye_ from the waiter the rest of the night!

Dinner had consisted of _Farandole d'escargots et quenelles de volaille à la moutarde de Charroux_ , ("Juste par gourmandize!" Pierre the server had insisted) as the appetizer, and then for the main course, _cuisses de grenouille, sautéed cerveaux._ Otherwise known as _Farandole snails and chicken dumplings with mustard of Charroux, frog legs and fried cow brains_!

To beg for a good old-fashioned burger would have been gauche – not to mention it would have made Maya seem even _more_ like an ungrateful _and_ rude, imbecilic American _, especially_ after the cow incident! Therefore, she'd had no choice but to daintily peck and swallow her food with the minimal chewing possible, and then move it around her plate to give the illusion of eating it. Somehow, she'd been lucky enough to discreetly manage to spit out the _slimy_ brains into her napkin when Longines' head was turned, (what was _with_ Europeans eating various animal organs!) claiming all this overseas travel and time difference had made her eat like a bird.

Maya thought her acting skills that night were worthy of any they would be seeing on the silver screen – it had taken every ounce of her willpower not to gag or vomit – she didn't want to risk mussing her artfully applied makeup! Instead, she'd guzzled the bubbly, pigged out on the breadbasket and cheese (gross and bizarre food aside, France _did_ boast the best cheese and champagne she'd ever had in her life!), and dove headfirst into dessert, a perfectly heavenly lemon soufflé, sweetened with homemade lemon pastry cream.

Longines, looking like Tinsel Town perfection himself in a black tuxedo, with his hair neatly pulled back in a ponytail for the evening, had insisted on splurging for Maya's outfit for the event.

The Master was donned in sparkling gemstones at her ears and throat, and wore elbow-length satin gloves, along with her floor-length, strapless, black velvet Christian Dior evening gown. The scarlet of her evening bag, rhinestone Louboutin stilettos, and lipstick were all perfectly matched. Apparently, red lipstick was the signature glam look of French women, her makeup artist at the salon where Longines and she had gotten their hair done, had told her. Maya's long hair had been artfully braided into a French plaited updo, and together, they made quite the striking pair of head turners – some photographers on the red carpet had actually taken their photographs, and apparently mistaken them for celebrities!

Maya, who was quite drunk on champagne at this point, was therefore quite merry indeed, as she smiled and waved at the flashing cameras pointed at them, as though she were a Hollywood Starlet. She even allowed Longines to laughingly pose the two of them into a melodramatic embrace, dipping her down over his arm and lowering his head, as though leaning in for a kiss, pausing just inches from her lips, just as the flashes went off, then raised her back up again, smiling mischievously.

"Hell, let's give them something to talk about!" He quipped. "Tomorrow, when they go over their pictures and see ours, they'll realize that the _best-tressed_ folks here at the festival are just a boring hair tycoon and necromancer and dispose of them, surely!"

"There goes my dream of having my photo in the international news!" Maya giggled as she allowed him to escort her to their seats.

The name of the film was odd, but she knew the French could be delightfully eccentric and lax with sexuality censoring – hello, this was a country where _50 Shades of Grey_ was only rated _ages 12 and up_! Longines had laughingly assured her this was a "tasteful, artsy film" and no, it was not named because of some sort of pornographic content that would involve any kind of dairy products coming into contact with spherical objects of the male nether region!

Somewhat disappointed by this information, Maya nevertheless vowed to watch the flick with an open mind. However, as the movie went on, the tipsy Master began to come to the conclusion that the film, which in English, translated to _Cheesy Balls_ was quite _aptly_ named!

In addition, she thought she'd _done_ _enough hard time_ sitting through _The English Patient,_ a film so boring that she'd inwardly been screaming at the main actor _to just die_ already! OK, maybe it hadn't been _completely_ inward…she _may_ have _screamed it at the screen_ about two hours in! Phoenix had been pretty pissed at her for that, and whined that she should really try to appreciate Oscar winning films, instead of just movies with things that blew up all the time! In response, Maya had told him that he was _fired_ from choosing movie rentals for the next millennium!

Score one for England…not only for more tolerable cuisine…but _movies_ , where they often merely bored her to death but didn't leave her _aggravated and bewildered_!

 _Cheesy_ wasn't the word for it! Like a rotten, moldy cheese left festering for too long…it flat out… _stunk_! _Eu de pew!_

The characters spoke so quickly she could only understand the simplest words and expressions, such as _oui_ and _pardon, Madame_. The subtitles didn't help either, because the plot of the movie was so strange. As far as Maya could tell, all the characters believed they were in purgatory, although to her it looked just like the inside of a doctor's waiting room. Occasionally, a nurse would call someone's name, and that person would look shocked and begin talking morosely about his childhood. Then the scene would switch to someone's apartment, and the characters would begin to talk about opera and the family's cheese-making factory (well that explained the _fromage_ component of the movie name!) It didn't make _any sense at all_!

To make matters worse, every once in a while, a little red ball would roll across whatever room the characters were in (and _there_ was the _balls_ title explanation!) No one in the film seemed to notice it. It just made the whole thing seem even weirder. Maya didn't get the symbolism of the damn ball any more than she'd understood the damn floating plastic bag in _American Beauty_!

In conclusion, she decided the French, the creators of _creepy-ass mimes_ , when it came to the arts, were simply _shit-whistlingly insane,_ not only for their dubious choices in _haute cuisine_ but also for their idea of what an _avant-garde_ film was!

Luckily, they were only in France for that night and would be off to the next country – and adventure – tomorrow. Maya could hardly wait.

 _Oh Pearly, I hope you and Luke are having a better time in Paris than I am in Cannes…_

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 95**

 **Cyberchao X**

I'm glad to hear that you like where the current storyline is at, and assuming you still read this chapter, despite my brief author's note about the mentioning of a couple of character names from the crossover game, I do hope you enjoyed this fluffy piece! (and the blind playthrough of that awesome game!)

Thank you very much for totally hitting the nail on the head with what my intention was with the last chapter. Yes, it was supposed to be hard to read, because despite being an occasional bitch, most people do like Franny, myself included, and I've already put her through enough hell, and now _this_! However, it was absolutely intended to not be romantic or sexy, and indeed be harsh and soulless, and the musician was supposed to be a _complete pig_ that handled her in a way that no man should _ever_ treat _any_ woman, _ever_!

 **Ryszard**

 _Wilkommen zurück guter Herr! Wie habe ich dich vermisst!_

I appreciate the short but sweet review, but moreover, the fact that you're still with me on this crazy ride, although I must say it was _shocking_ to actually hear from you…in just regular plain _Englisch_! XD

 **Yanmegaman**

My dear friend, I sincerely apologize if the last chapter ruined your any enjoyment of the wonderful Layton series! :(

There will be no more mentioning of Layton games from this point on FYI, so anyone else who spoiled anything for you shall not be _me_!

I hope that you liked Luke and Pearl's first meeting… As well as where this is going… you're a fan of **FeyT** as well, if I'm not mistaken right? :-)

Who doesn't love Layton – gentleman extraordinaire! I hope they smarten up and make more games with him, although I heard level 5 is done with Layton as the main character! Wah!

As much as Pearl was a very well behaved and lovable child, and now young woman, I think it would've been very unrealistic to portray her as still being an angelic teen given the circumstances of her home breaking up _yet again_. I couldn't see her wholly embracing a new man as a daddy so soon after she lost her last one, so I'm glad that you actually share her point of view (however mean it is! Lol) on Maya's new friend, and that she didn't come across as overly bratty; at least not for no reason!

" _Not hers or Maya's faults that Nick decided to go crazy and start dating the human equivalent of a 2x4"_

I personally think that you and Luffy are secretly conversing about most _hilarious_ insults possible for the shrine maiden! Of course Nick _had_ to be _crazy…_ what other reason could there possibly be,Wright? XD

 **Guest**

Will we be seeing anything from Phoenix's perspective soon? _Soon_ is a relative term… but yes we will be seeing Nick's point of view coming up _this month for sure…_ if you wanted a rough estimation, I would say probably in about 4 to 6 chapters? I hope you stick around for the ride though and thank you very much for reading and taking the time to drop me a line! :-)

 **chloemcg**

Indeed, Mexican Stand-Off… that was a great line milady I had to use it!

I'm so happy you like your dedication chapter, and took no offense to Maya's silly, goofy observations about British film and fare in this one!

It's kinda hard to make the video gaming world's favorite English gentleman even more awesome I figure there is nothing left to do but make him a _knight_ and call it a _day!_ XD

I'm very glad you approve! :-)

You're one of my few reviewing readers who actually does _not_ hate on Iris! Will miracles never cease?!

As the writer of this story, I have _tried_ to portray Iris in a neutral, even sympathetic light, and I can honestly tell you that indeed, she truly did not mean to cause any trouble and she was completely sincere with what she said to Pearl about wanting to be her sister someday. Now as for the likelihood of _that actually happening_ … That is another story _entirely!_ (Iris is just lucky Pearl's mellowed with age and didn't make good on her threat to slap silly!)

Are you psychic? I hope you liked Luke saving the damsel Pearl from distress! :-)

Did _Feyt_ give you a cavity yet? :p

I am neither knight nor Queen milady, but you are adorable for the whole "kneel at my feet " thing, because you like my geekdom so much! XD

I _love_ your story! Now there is the obvious fan wish, which is please make Nick like Maya back! (a girl can _dream_!) ;)

OK being serious… my only small suggestion, because you done such an amazing job portraying despicable villains, is to maybe give one of them more depth than just the evil… like maybe has second thoughts, or a change of heart and tries to redeem themselves SOMEWHAT, so the reader feels really bad when they finally get blown up or get killed… Assuming they do! Maybe they turn good… and that's a twist we didn't see coming? We already saw a _sliver_ of humanity when the Phantom opted not to kill the baby… (doesn't have to be HIM of course!)While certainly there are characters who are just purely evil and have no redeeming qualities, like Mildew, (I'm telling you right now do not look for any Franny kind of sob backstory with her - she is just vile, period and was born that way!) However, she is also a bit character, who just happens to cause big problems for the major ones, but I digress. Since all your characters have larger roles than my villainess, that would be my only suggestion. And that _is_ all it is; a suggestion… because like I said, it is one of my favorite stories on this site, because GOOD ace attorney good fanfiction is even more rare than unicorns and that one is a total gem!

 **Luffy**

 _Hola mi hermana Maya_! I totally understand that you have been busy, and just happy to hear from you! Also feel free to review me in Japanese I get a kick out of it, and it is such an adorable language definitely the most melodious of all the Asian ones in my opinion!

I'm so happy you liked Nick and Maya's courtship story as told in the _justice for all_ flashbacks! I really do think some people need to be put in extreme circumstances to realize their feelings and since everything about Phoenix is extreme, I figured the slow burn buildup of his emotions up until Maya's kidnapping was as good a place as any! And absolutely since you have read _the ties that bind_ , Miles is no better whatsoever! There is a reason him and Nick are best friends! _Ambos son abogados inteligentes y guapos, pero estúpidos con las mujeres!_ LOL

With age comes wisdom, as well as a general sense of mellowing out somewhat, this is why Pearl decided to keep her mouth shut and took a walk, so as not to blurt out things that may upset Maja even more, and it's exactly the same reasons why she opted _not_ to slap Iris _from here to the moon_! Sorry if her lack of action against the nun disappointed you though! XD

My readers have speculated everything from an evil twin to alien abduction to just flat out being _loco_ as reasons for Nick forsaking Maya for "that slug Iris"!

As for Mr. Nick himself, as I told my other reader, we will be getting back to him very soon this month; probably in the next 4 to 6 chapters… As much as I love character development and giving everybody his or her own little fun story, ultimately, this is _Phoenix'_ s story and I hope you guys are happy with the route I take with him!

 **Chapter 94**

 **Cyberchao X**

Indeed, fanfiction can be easier than original works in the sense that the character's personality traits, scene, setting and all that stuff, has been established for you, and because the characters already have loyal fans, it's more than likely to have an established readership. It would definitely be much harder for me to try to get people interested and care if I were writing about some OC California lawyer named Nick Left, who got disbarred and his suddenly wealthy, esteemed new girlfriend, Maria Fairy, who has snooty relatives don't approve of his new lowly social status, KWIM?

However, the part that makes it challenging, which I've been doing my very best to work with, is acknowledging and respecting that these are characters that do _not_ belong to me, are almost universally beloved and iconic, and knowing to a certain degree, if I want to make them believable/accepted by fans, try to keep them in character! This is while still trying to flesh them out and give the already complex characters more depth….all the while trying to keep things interesting, without them being considered OOC, or have your story declared AU! (or worse… _boring_!)

Sometimes I feel like I'm walking a tightrope wire as a circus performer trying to balance it all out!

 **Chapter 92**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Another dear reader whom I have sorely missed! As always, I welcome you back with open arms and a big smile whenever I read your wonderful and thoughtful reviews. Aside from his legal genius, which may or may not have been overly inflated because it is now known that he forged evidence and manipulated things to ensure his forty-year victory streak, I cannot find anything redeeming whatsoever about Manfred! This is why I opted to not give him too much depth beyond what we already know about him; ergo as Franziska in the games was proven to still be a redeemable character, I decided to make it so those qualities could be prevalent by making her mother a wonderful, beautiful person (because Manfred was one _ugly-ass mo-fo_ so _no way_ did Franny and Katherina get their beauty from _him_! LOL)

And yes, sadly and truly the good do die young… Which is why I think Wendy Oldbag will be immortal! XD

Franziska is a fascinating character to write, and I'm happy that I've made her back-story, however tragic, seem believable. As we saw in the game, she did not ever _truly_ hate Manfred, since he was her father, but there were definitely signs that she _did_ hate what he became and stood for, (which is how I've tried to portray her) and this is very much evidenced particularly, in the second Miles game, where she essentially renounced the relevance of her von Karma name and echoes Miles' newfound creed and sentiment about now only caring about _the truth._


	97. Special Someones

" _Love isn't what makes the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: This chapter is dedicated to fellow **Fey-T** lovers Yanmegaman and Chloemcg. Pearl is my third favorite character after Phoenix and Maya, (Miles and Mia round out the top 5 BTW) and I hope you guys enjoy this final fluffy piece before we go back to the main story!:)_

* * *

 **Chapter Ninety-Seven** **:** **Special Someones**

 _ **Pearl Fey and Luke Triton**_ _ **  
**_ _The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France_

 _Mystic Maya, thank you so much for letting me come to Paris with Luke! I hope the rest of your visit in France and Europe is just as wonderful as mine has been!_ Pearl thought blissfully, beaming at her très beau tour guide as they neared the Eiffel Tower.

It had been a story-book perfect day in Paris. It had begun with exploration of the world famous Musee du Louvre, where Pearl had seen gorgeous artworks and priceless historical pieces that had been beyond fascinating to behold.

However, the biggest thrill of all of course, had been seeing the acclaimed Mona Lisa.

"In order to really appreciate this particular work, I've often tried to imagine what was going through her mind, as though she were a real person," Luke's expression was thoughtful. "I envision her hanging on chipped white paint, within a painting, as she waited for someone to stop and look and admire her. She watched other paintings be admired, and people praising extravagant brush strokes and bright bold colors, as she just hung there, unnoticed, unloved. She knew that she was as just as good as them, maybe even better. Her day would come, and they would all regret not stopping to see her beauty. She later became the most famous painting in the world. Her name was Mona. Mona Lisa."

Pearl couldn't help but be endeared that Luke was sensitive enough to empathize not just with the thoughts and feelings of animals, but inanimate objects. It was another quirk of his that made him so wonderfully, uniquely… _him_.

Next, they had visited the 800-year-old Gothic constructed wonder, complete with flying buttresses, the Notre Dame Cathedral, where the teens had both marveled that the historical 17th century organ with all of its parts was actually still functional.

On the outside of the church, high above their heads, were the gargoyles, embodiments of evil in people's minds over the centuries. On their lofty perches, the stone caricatures were exposed to the worst of the France weather, and showed signs of the relentless seasonal freeze-thaw.

"It's hard now, not to find them amusing," Luke remarked with a smirk. "But long ago, when demons were feared and the spiritual world was tangible to the masses, I can quite imagine how they inspired the flock to speed up their walk into the sanctuary of the church."

In the fading watery light of the spring day, the gargoyles clung to the shadows. Crouched high on the church, intricately carved of semi crumbling stone, they were crafted to be grotesque. Eyes bulged, over-sized ears were unnaturally pointed, and the grins evoked notions of sadistic pleasure. Hunched, disfigured and leering downward toward the parishioners they were as cold as the demon's hearts they represented.

Pearl looked up at the stone creatures in the half-light of the evening. They were built into the ends of the gutters to drain rainwater off the roof; since the gargoyles extended far off the side of the roof, the liters of rainwater from storms fell far from the walls to prevent damage.

 _Personally, they simply remind me to guard against the blacker parts of my nature; that we all have a little demon inside and it's up to us to keep it as impudent as those gargoyles._

"True, some of them may be frightening," she said softly. "But they remind us that all creatures are the work of God, so they deserve His love and salvation."

Luke looked at her with unsuppressed admiration. Pearl had such a rare perception and depth that belied her years, coupled with an innocent, simplistic view of the world, which was beyond refreshing. If you showed her a gold coin or a kitten and asked her to pick one, he knew she'd take the silly cat every time. He wanted to try to see the world through her eyes; there was a simple wisdom there and he loved it. With Pearl, happiness was simple, and he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

It was already dark by the time the teens headed to the tower – Luke had already called the Professor and told him they'd be home before midnight, but not too worry about making dinner for them.

As the city came out of the darkness of night, the duo crossed the Seine in silence. Without the traffic, they walked right down the centre of the street and not far away lay The Eiffel Tower, like a skeleton of metal projecting up into a sky that was rapidly becoming midnight blue.

Standing at the base and looking up, Luke couldn't help but marvel that he'd never before truly appreciated its size. Pearl just stared in awe of the enthralling sight of the majestic structure, all 20,000 sparkling bulbs on the 324-meter high building completely lit up, right before her very eyes. The legs were as far apart as your average town plaza, the metal dull, and when they reached out, it was cold to the touch. As the elevator finally let them out at the top, a far smaller space than below, the two rushed to the edge, and there it lay…Paris. It was spread out like a colored light board, a map of classic architecture.

The cityscape, spread below, was unapologetically urban, and the world suddenly felt so wide and free that she wanted to jump. There were few trees or city planted blooms visible from this height in the dark, just monoliths of concrete soaring out of the sidewalk in an exact grid pattern. At night, it was beautiful in its own way, with just so many lights.

Pearl looked down below and what she saw took her breath away. The ground below her was alive with lights, as if someone had taken a handful of glitter and thrown it as far as the eye could see. It was too dark to make out individual buildings, but the lights were enough for her. She sighed, amazed at the view laid out before her. Lights glittered everywhere, just liked stars dropping to the earth, huge and small buildings collided in a mixture of shadow and geometry, tiny vehicles rushing along tangled lines of streets creating twisting threads of light - they all intertwined together in a magnificent mess of dream.

A breathtaking, marvelous, dream that made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be there at that moment.

As though reading her mind, Luke flashed her a knowing smile.

"The Tower also represents the magic of light. Its lighting, its sparkling lights, and its beacon shine and inspire dreams every evening."

Pearl turned around to face him, her heartbeat quickening as she realized how closely behind her he was standing. A slight shiver ran through her, and she knew it had nothing to so the sudden gust of cool breeze that came over the high level of the tower. She was far from cold. As she and Luke stared into one another's eyes, she'd realized she'd never felt warmer, or happier, in ages.

"Luke, there is no dream I could have in my whole life," Pearl whispered, her eyes transfixed on his. "That could _ever_ rival the reality of this moment here with you. I feel like every dream I've ever had in my entire life has come true."

 _You keep saying things like that, Pearl Fey, and I may never, ever let you get back on that plane back to LA. It would take a strong man to ever let you go, and I don't know if I am a man of such strength._

Rather than reply, Luke's eyes burned with intensity as he leant forward then, and her pulse raced. A small lock of hair tumbled in front of her face, resting just in front of her cheek, but with one swift slide of his thumb, it was brushed out of the way. Looking into his eyes, she saw deep the pools of toffee that displayed his soul.

The next thing she knew, his gentle lips touched her cheek.

To most, a kiss on the cheek would be a sign of friendship, or a polite way to greet a stranger of the opposite sex. However, she knew that a simple peck could convey as much meaning as a full-on kiss. Simple though it may be, a kiss on the cheek was special in its own, unique way. This one had been no exception.

Time stopped. Her heart came to a halt. Her breath caught in her throat. Their fingers locked together, similar to puzzle pieces. As the soft skin of his mouth left the side of her face, the exact spot where they had come into contact burned and tingled. A hot blazing fire pulsed through her. A small grin crept onto her face and her cheeks painted themselves rosy-red. He pulled away silently, but their eyes remained locked, having a private conversation entirely of their own.

The two of them were now both irrefutably, unequivocally and undeniably twitterpated.

* * *

 _ **Pearl Fey and Luke Triton**_ _ **  
**_ _Edinburgh, Scotland_

There was so much in Pearl's quietness at times, so much she just wouldn't say. Luke could see by her expression at times that there was a lot going on in her head. Sometimes, when Pearl didn't think he was looking, Luke noticed sometimes, out of the blue, her sweet voice would trail off in mid-sentence, and her eyes would look sad. He wanted Pearl to trust him, confide in him. He wanted to know about the cause of pain he could sense that had ever made her cry, and then comfort her, and ensure that Pearl Fey never had another reason to ever cry again in her whole life. As much as he yearned to know what secrets lay behind those captivating orbs, he knew better than to pry.

The tour of Scotland was unbelievable for them both thus far.

First, he'd taken Pearl to the picturesque Princess Street Gardens. The garden stretched up into town, winding like a river through the bright surroundings and houses. Clusters of daffodils waved their golden heads amidst the bursts of rainbow colored blooms, along with smatters of fuchsia and alongside the scarlet and saffron hued primroses.

Luke made sure he took numerous pictures of Pearl's smiling face alongside all the purple shades of flowers, as that was her favorite color. At moments like this, when her radiant face rivalled the rays of the overhead sun, Luke would wonder if he was imagining those quiet reflective moments of hers being unhappy ones. But if he asked her, she'd just say something cheeky, like she was thinking of how cute he was when he smiled!

Luke had to give the girl credit, he was a complete sucker for her one-liners. But especially her smile. She'd flash that smile of hers that got him tied up tighter than a banker's money, but unlike a vault, wasn't claustrophobic at all. He instinctively knew his heart was safe with her, even if she did keep secrets. He knew that even though he was falling for her like a ton of bricks – forget butterflies, he felt the whole sodding zoo when he was with her! – it still didn't give him the right to know every pain and doubt, to rummage through the confines of her head. Some scars were invisible, and he knew _he_ carried _his_ share. Still, it gnawed away at him and at times, he too, lapsed into frustrated silence.

Sighing, he slipped his hand into hers as they winded through the colorful botanical, just two enamored teens, happy, connected.

Next, Luke had taken Pearl to King Arthur's Seat, which was often mentioned as one of the possible locations for Camelot, the legendary castle and court of the legendary Romano-British warrior-chief, King Arthur. It was huge crag, which rose to a height of 822 feet above sea-level above the city of Edinburgh, and was said that the association of the hill with the Legendary Arthur. Part of Holyrood Park, it offered a tremendous view of the surrounding country and of the sea to the east. The 'seat' itself was said to be the notch between the highest point of the peak and a secondary point a little way to the south affording them an incredible view.

 _Up here, it's like looking down at the world,_ Pearl thought, mesmerized by all the surrounding lush greenery from her view atop the dormant volcano. _You can see the trees, the flowers, the sea, and the many busy people going on about the day. Up here, it's like standing on a giant's back exploring the world with awe._

"Happy?" Luke queried, taking a seat next to her at the top of the hill and slinging an arm around her slender shoulders.

"Very." Pearl leaned slightly into him then, and dropped her head against his shoulder with a sigh. "This has all been…magical, Luke. I still feel like I'm in some amazing dream I don't want to wake up from."

"Yet sometimes, I sense you aren't happy." Luke swallowed then, knowing that he was risking being told off for once again subjecting her to this invasive line of questioning, but he fervently hoped that as their fledgling relationship had progressed to hand-holding and cuddles this past week, it was a sign she had come to like and trust him more. "And it makes me feel so sad, the idea of you being unhappy. I want to know if there's anything I can do to make it better."

Pearl drew away slightly then, and pulled her knees to her chin, looking morosely at the view below. "Not unless you can turn back time," she answered dully. "Not unless you can unbreak a heart."

Luke was stunned at her candor…and also felt a ridiculous twinge of irrational jealousy of some other bugger having had her heart before he had.

"Before you came here, did some bloody sod break your heart, love?" He inquired gently, his hand reflexively curling into a fist at the thought of anyone hurting this gem of a girl.

Pearl turned to look at him, and her eyes softened slightly as she dropped her head back against his shoulder again. One of the greatest things about Luke was that Pearl felt she could talk to him about anything. She knew he'd been holding back and trying to respect her boundaries until she felt comfortable sharing that personal part of her life, and she adored him for it. She was ready now.

"Not _my_ heart in the traditional sense," she replied hollowly. "But they _did_ break my cousin's…and indirectly, mine as well."

Then, in a rush, she told Luke everything about the Phoenix and Maya breakup, although she was careful to keep any criticism of Longines and her additional fear of him marrying her still heartbroken cousin to herself. It wasn't as though she didn't like _him_ , per se, it was just that she knew he wasn't the one Maya was meant to be with and she worried her cousin was too raw from her wounds to know that!

"Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya, they were meant for one another," Pearl divulged sadly. "It was like…a beautiful fairytale! He was her knight in shining armor…and I guess this whole King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table thing just made me think about them…and then this whole trip with you and me...I'm afraid that it's going to end …just as badly, and I'll wind up having my heart broken too."

"Pearl," Luke's voice was quiet. "Look at me."

She lifted her head to gaze into his face, and saw his dark eyes were shining with understanding sympathy.

"I want to thank you for trusting me enough to finally confide in me, and I vow to _never_ betray that trust." His expression was one of sincerity and promise. "But while I _can_ swear to you that I will never break your heart, what I _can't_ do, as much as I _wish_ I could, is bring Mr. Wright back to you and Maya."

Luke stood up then and gently tugged her by the hand, a slight smile playing across his face.

"However, since I know you like knights and fairytales so much…how would you like it if I made you star in your very own, by taking you, fair lady…to beautiful fairytale castle?"

* * *

 _ **Pearl Fey and Luke Triton**_ _ **  
**_ _Glenapp Castle, Ballantrae, Scotland_

Glenapp Castle could only be described as a fairytale castle come to life! It was hidden on the beautiful Ayrshire coast, a magnificently restored Scottish Baronial Castle and Michelin-starred venue. Nestled in 36 acres of glorious gardens on the rugged Ayrshire coast in Ballantrae, and boasted spectacular views.

The castle afforded a breathtaking view across the Irish Sea, to the island of Arran, and the massive granite rock of Ailsa Craig. There was not one seaport in the whole area, and those parts of the coasts into which the rivers issued were so full of pointed rocks, and the sea generally so rough, that there was no venturing with the smallest of boats; so the entire time you were at remote Glenapp, you felt as if the rest of the world faded away, leaving just you and your partner behind.

The windows were oversized, mullioned and almost cathedral-like. Inside every room was bathed in daylight from the first kiss of dawn to the twilight hours. By night the oak floors and antique furniture would be bathed in the flicker of yellow candlelight from the many candelabras that still hung there. All the castle hallways were carpeted with an indigo material bearing elaborate golden designs and draped with rich tapestries of emerald green and gold hanging on the walls, making the whole place look regal.

It was the perfect setting for them to enjoy an afternoon tea for two, including assorted finger sandwiches, scones with Devonshire cream and preserves, and a selection of freshly baked cakes, all served with a selection of fine teas and coffee, after which they took the time to give themselves a self-guided tour of the place.

The stairs were twisted in a perfect spiral, like a child's slinky toy pulled from each end. Each stair was smoothed cut stone. Pearl let her hand fall on to the black iron railing, rough in its rustic charm and placed her weight on the first step. There was no sign of rot, they were as solid as the day they were made. She walked swiftly to the top, leaving her shoe prints behind, towards the top floor. Instead of the peaks in the roof, the castle had domed towers instead, with an open porch at the front held up with most ostentatiously detailed pillars, painted in brilliant white. Inside there were no doors on the ground floor, only arches, and the windows up there, located in the tower, were like great slits in the thick walls.

The paths wandered around the azalea pond, and through established woodland, leading to another wonderful walled garden with its 150-foot Victorian glasshouse and then past that they could see the 36-acres of gardens, with many rare, unusual plants and shrubs, including magnificent specimen rhododendrons.

"It's like a magical kingdom in a storybook come to life," Pearl breathed, her eyes glowing as she led Luke by the hand through the archway and onto the platform balcony, which afforded them a grand view of the courtyard, and the grounds below. "I really _do_ feel like a princess in a fairytale!"

"You _are_ a princess, destined to become a queen. Your wondrous story has already begun." Luke took her hand and bowed over it with a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Your once upon a time is _now_ , and I am but a mere peasant boy basking in thy regal grace, Princess Pearl."

"Luke Triton, my dream wouldn't be complete without you." Pearl clasped her hand to her chest as she smiled at him, her heart in her eyes. "You are more than a dream come true. You made my world more brightful and beautiful. I vow to be your princess if _you'll_ be my prince, for you are already the ruler of my…" her breath caught then, and she found herself unable to finish the sentence, but he knew what she had come close to saying.

They _both_ knew.

Just as they both knew it was sheer lunacy, given how short a time they'd known one another. However, what was even _more_ madness was that they were both aware, in spite of everything, that _this_ was real.

Still holding her hand, Luke stepped closer to her then, pressing it against his chest, so she could feel the quickened beat of his heart, which matched her own wildly thudding one.

"I am no prince if not yours," he murmured, gazing tenderly into her wide eyes. " _You_ make me believe in fairytales."

Then, with his free hand, his fingers were tracing her forehead, ever so gently—his touch, too, was a whisper, the lightest breath, and she was paralyzed, frozen. Over the bridge of her nose, and over her lips—the slightest bit of pressure here, so she tasted the saltiness of his skin and felt the ridges and swirls of his thumb on her lower lip. They then trailed over her chin, and around her jaw, and up to her hair, leaving Pearl full of a roaring hot whiteness which rooted her in place on that stone floor, suddenly swamped with a feeling that she would rather die than let go of, and rather wither away than ever lose.

* * *

 _ **Pearl Fey and Luke Triton**_ _ **  
**_ _New Quay, Cardigan Bay, Wales_ _  
_

"You will love the boat tour in Cardigan Bay," Luke told Pearl excitedly as the two hurriedly climbed aboard with the rest of the tourists. "It has plenty of food for the dolphins; their habitat hasn't been destroyed by industrial development or big towns; the water is clean and they are largely left alone. Being at sea will allow you the closest encounter with these fascinating creatures, Pearl!"

"I can't wait!" Pearl's eyes shone. "Plus, the guide book says we may also see harbor porpoise and Atlantic grey seals and basking sharks and sunfish, but I'm most excited about the dolphins. I've never seen one before, except online and on TV."

Luke's jaw dropped. "Really? Not even in an aquarium?"

She shook her head.

"Well, I'll be happy to change that!" Luke stated, straightening the brim of his cap. "There's such a big beautiful world out there that you need to see, Pearl Fey, and I'm happy to show it to you!"

Pearl just smiled in response, enjoying the view of the surprisingly calm seawater, a slice of mellow harmony amid chaos of land. It flowed like time, always onward, always toward its destiny. Now she was about to venture onto that great ocean, and experience the thrill of the marine life that was part of the mighty aquatic world, and thanked the whatever forces were listening that she would get to experience it with this incredible young man beside her.

Under the gentle sun of early May, the sea was an unbroken calm, speckled by a million fragments of light - each one so tiny but together are intense in a way that is utterly beautiful, Pearl leaned over the side of the boat, dangling her hand over the edge near the surface of the water. She dipped her long, graceful fingers in, feeling its soothing coolness.

Suddenly, the tourists on the boat began squealing with delight and frantically snapping pictures as a magnificent dolphin leaped high into the sultry air of mid-Spring. From his shiny grey topside and whiter underbelly, flew water droplets, cascading down, bejeweled in the light. His body arced, tail flipped, and down he went with a splash.

Pearl laughed happily and clapped her hands. Luke came over to lean off the side of the boat next to her.

"He's magnificent!" She breathed, her eyes shining. "Look, he's brought some friends with him!" She pointed, and saw that indeed, a school of several more of the finned mammals had come up to the boat, and were now showing off in a similar fashion, gracefully leaping above the surface of the water and diving back in.

" _Her_ name is Brenda," he whispered in her ear. "I was talking to her earlier, before she went to get some of her friends to make this outing be one of greater viewing pleasure for you, and she said she would, and wants to pay you a visit. Would you like to pet her?"

"I can _touch_ her?" Pearl gasped, clapping an astonished hand to her mouth. "I'd love to! B- but how? They're all swimming a distance away from the boat, close enough to take pictures, but not close enough to touch…"

"They don't let just anyone pet them." Luke winked. "Just… _special somones_. Put your hand back down in the water, Pearl."

Dumbly, Pearl obliged. The tour guide and tourists were too busy snapping photos of the leaping school of Brenda's friends to notice the teenagers and their secret antics. The spirit medium splashed her hand idly about, as she'd been doing earlier, and then squealed with elated surprise. Where moments ago there had just been briny water was now a shiny grey head observing her with intelligent eyes. As Luke once again began to talk to it, Pearl gently patted the smooth, slippery head with trembling fingers.

"Tell her she's beautiful," Pearl told Luke with a megawatt smile. "And that this has been the most thrilling moment of my life!"

Grinning, Luke repeated the statement, and the dolphin nodded her head, as if she understood every word, and looked so much as if she was returning the smile that Pearl burst out laughing.

He stood up then, camera poised, and told the enchanted teen that Brenda liked her, and would allow Pearl to give her a kiss if she wanted.

Pearl didn't need to be asked twice. She happily leaned down and lightly brushed her lips against the side of Brenda's hard, wet snout, eyes blissfully closed, not even taking note of Luke capturing the moment, to be forever immortalized on film. She was so happy she thought her heart would burst.

 _Trust Luke Triton to make such a wondrous outing all the more wonderful._

Though the day was hot, Pearl felt more warmed by this mammal of the sea than the brilliant rays above. It a moment of utter perfection - sweet gentle perfection...

* * *

 ** _Pearl Fey and Luke Triton_**  
 _Snowdonia, Maentwrog, Wales_

"Snowdonia is full of waterfalls - _Rheadar_ in Welsh - and rivers, and it's such a unique part of the area that if you come to visit, you really should jump into at least one waterfall pool. It's exciting, it's fun, it's an adventure, it's a challenge and…. it's _free_!" Luke was even more cheery than usual that day.

"I guess it's usually a cold affair jumping into the pools." Pearl bit her thumb uncertainly. "But am supposing… that's half the fun?"

"You bet!" He grinned as they trekked on through the woods. "The serotonin high you get for having done it always outweighs everything and that's just the adults – show me a child who doesn't enjoy jumping off rocks into water! Heck, I still do! Makes me a big kid at heart!"

Pearl couldn't help but giggle at his childlike enthusiasm.

"I can't wait till you see it! This place where we are headed has three pools, deep, shallow, and medium, as well as a waterfall." Luke explained. "But the water is very clear and none of the pools are very deep. There are many waterfalls in Wales, but you want one where the plunge pool is not overhung with trees, or it will be even colder."

In the shade of the boughs they walked past, towards the stone beach which was hidden in the woods and opened out to a large pool with a big waterfall that Luke insisted they could stand underneath. The teens felt the welcome kiss of coolness, watching the currents that swirled and disappeared. The water surface was livened by brief crescents of white and fish arcing as they swam by. Their eyes traveled downstream, caressing the dapples that brought the shine of the water to a cozy hue. As they walked on, the music of the woods became ever quieter, until they could hear it no more.

Pearl stifled a nervous titter. This wood was so far from the home of Layton's, and even further from her own back in Kurain… but right now it didn't matter one bit. This moment was her own. Hers and Luke's. And right now, in this flash of the time continuum, she was _at home_.

At last, they arrived at the waterfall, and what a glorious sight it was. The water tumbled down the hillside in a series of mini-waterfalls. The cascades tinkled in a laughing sort of way and Pearl imagined that this was the sort of places faeries might live.

"If you sit under freezing cold waterfalls for hours on end, then the wild swimming here in the cold waters of _Maentwrog at Rheaedar Ddu_ should be a walk in the park for you, won't it?" Luke asked.

Despite her earlier feelings of embracing this as her moment, still, the spirit medium hesitated for a moment.

"Maybe…" Pearl bit her thumb again. "But we sit under the waterfall to the point where we become numb and just remain unmoving there…it's another thing to be frozen numb and then keep being expected to move!"

"You sounded a little nervous there," Luke noted. "If it'll make you feel any better, I'll go first and literally test the waters then! Just let me get my water shoes on…you have yours?" She nodded. "OK, here I go!" He yanked off his sweater and shorts, revealing his wetsuit underneath. Since her back had been turned away as she slipped out of her t-shirt and capris she'd been wearing over her own wetsuit, Pearl wasn't prepared for what she'd see when she turned back to him, and blushed to the roots of her hair at the sight of him.

The wetsuit clung to him like a second skin, emphasizing every shape of his body. Luke had all the height of a man, but none of the bulk. There were visible muscles under his suit, but not the bulky kind men got from years of weight lifting. From behind he could be anywhere in his late teens to early 20's, but when he turned to face her, that face was all boy. He was lit up with that grin boys wore when they have something mischievous planned. His sandy hair flopped over his eyes as he held out his hand for her to take.

She complied, but instead of pulling her into the water as she'd expected, he brought her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss upon it, then gave a huge whoop as he let go and plunged right in.

From a distance, the waterfall had been like a silent white stream cascading over the rocky outcrops. A force of nature, both beautiful and brutal. Tranquil from a distance but deafening up close. It was as if the cascades of water conjured cascades of equally powerful emotions in his brain and it quite took his breath away. It was simply spectacular, the most magnificent sight he had ever beheld.

"Ack!" He yelled, laughing as he surfaced a moment later. "It's cold at first, but it's great once you get used to the shock. Come on in, Princess Pearl! The water's great!"

Pearl was unable to answer. Her face was still flushed warm and the hairs on her neck were still standing from the contact of his lips against her skin. Something fluttered in her stomach, but she didn't know what that feeling was. She thought it was a bizarre sensation, but it wasn't unpleasant. In that moment she knew that if she spoke, her words would fumble and she wouldn't be able to make her usual witty remarks. Right there and then, she was at a loss for everything; no words, no breath, no thoughts.

 _He was eighteen if a day and he's already stolen my heart, without even knowing it was in his pocket._

With this thought in mind, Pearl cautiously entered the water, gasping at the initial cold sensation, but then just decided to go for it and dunked right in.

Laughing happily, Luke swam out towards the waterfall then, and Pearl followed suit.

As they had drawn closer, the noise had increased steadily until they were only a few hundred meters away. They could no longer even shout to one another over the deafening roar of the water. Closer still they drew until they were in the plume of water vapour that hung over the plunge pool and in only minutes they were as wet as they would have been in any rainstorm. Their hair clung to their heads and around their faces, but no matter how wet they became, it could not dampen their spirits. They stood in awe.

"It's n-not _that_ cold," Pearl asserted, although her teeth were beginning to chatter even as the waterfall continued to pour down over them. "J-just takes getting some used to is all."

"You are a terrible liar!" Luke chuckled, but then his eyes darkened with concern. "Are you really that cold? We can get out if you want?"

She shook her head stubbornly. "No, I've stood under falls way colder than this! J-just…give me a moment…"

He walked up to Pearl slowly and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her so that the majority of the waterfall washed over him and only splashed down on her now. His embrace was warm, and she stopped shivering immediately. His big, strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around her frail body. The world around her melted away as she squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end.

Luke stroked her long hair and pulled her into his chest. The warmth of being with another human being and being this happy made him want to shout out to the rooftops. The hug was an exchange of pure joy between Pearl and him. His mind swam with the heady excitement of emotions churning within. The embrace was a simple enough gesture - affection, perhaps the fragile beginnings of first love. The arms that hugged him back were soft, yet strong.

The feel of his body so close to hers soothed her more than she had expected.

"Feeling warmer now?" He asked softly, looking down into her wide grey eyes.

She nodded silently, gazing at him so intently that Luke felt his cheeks reddening slightly.

"Um, what is it?" He sounded awkward, obviously not used to girls looking at him for extended periods of time, which was surprising to Pearl, since he was easily the best-looking boy she'd ever seen.

"Your eyes," she breathed, still staring at him as though hypnotized. "Right now, in the daylight, in the water…they're this incredible shade. I hadn't realized they could change colors until now."

Luke's cheeks flamed even further.

"I guess they do, depending on my mood, or emotions or what have you, but they're nothing special," he mumbled, dropping his eyes to the water, even as he continued to hold her against him. " _You're_ the one with the incredible eyes. They're like… like _wisps of cloud at twilight_. Mine are nothing special, really, just your normal everyday brown."

"Luke Triton, it blows my mind that after all this time you've spent on earth, nobody has ever bothered to tell you your eyes _aren't brown_!" Pearl declared, taking his face into her hands and lifting his head so he had to look at her. Her lithe frame was still molded to his own, sharing her body heat as easily as she shared her heart. "They are copper against honey, and when you're really excited, they glow like two perfect orbs the same shade as nature after it rains. They are warm and sweet like milk chocolate; when you look at me and smile, the creases frame them in perfect happiness. They are hot chocolate on a cold fall night, and the soft warmness of them wraps around me like a blanket and makes me feel at home no matter where I am!"

Extended silence followed her declaration, and Pearl suddenly wanted to sink down into the pool of water they were standing in, only to never resurface again. If it were possible to _die_ of embarrassment, she was afraid she was going to do so at that moment. How could she have just blurted that out like that! Now she'd gone and made him feel even more awkward and uncomfortable, and he would think her nothing more than a silly, babbling love-struck schoolgirl…

Luke's mind was reeling at the words he'd just heard. After almost two weeks of long walks, conversations, and lingering glances with this fragile beauty who was still in his arms, he'd somehow, through sheer willpower, maintained his promised gentleman stance, not wanting to rush things, nor scare off the most amazing girl he'd ever encountered in his 18 years.

He'd never met a girl like Pearl Fey before in his life. Certainly, being kin to such an old and dear friend had made him more predisposed to liking her right out the gate, but there was something more to her, a certain unspoiled sweetness and innocence, unlike any he'd ever encountered before, and like an addictive drug, found he merely couldn't get enough of her. He could never let another soul get close to him like this – emotionally, not just physically – but Pearl was so different. He'd never known a person to always have the right motivations, even when she risked exposing too much of herself, because she wore that beautiful heart of hers on her sleeve. There was a purity to her, naivety perhaps, but she was the only flower in the meadow for his eyes.

Luke stared deeply into those silvery moon orbs. He cupped her cheek, which was slowly turning pink, and smiled at her before slowly leaning into her. His other hand was shaking slightly, and his mind was repeating the same sentence over and over: " _think long and hard about this…there's no going back once you do this…"_

However, the sound of his heart was beating so loudly, he couldn't concentrate. It felt like it was going to explode. Finally, his lips touched hers. Sparks flew in every direction, and the world was slowly disappearing around them, along with all of their worries, their troubles, and their problems. Pearl made him feel like nothing else mattered. The factor of geography, and the miles that separated their residences, didn't faze Luke in the least; it wasn't as though the long distance would separate them forever. Some people were worth the wait and instinctively, he knew Pearl Fey was one of them.

It was a small, yet warm kiss. Luke honestly never knew a kiss so innocent could be so intimate and electrifying. Her lips were moving in perfect sync, his hands feeling her waist; he pulled her closer, the kiss deeper, more passionate. He felt her hands on the back of his neck playing with the ends of his hair. A smile grew on his face as it started to tickle, and finally, they pulled apart.

When they broke apart for air, Pearl rested her forehead against his and gathered some much needed oxygen. His smirk told her everything and she smiled back, sinking into his hold as she felt her body flush warm. A kiss like this was a beginning, a promise of much more to come. _This_ was a boy she wanted to keep getting to know more, because she fully realized that this was no mere vacation fling. _This was a boy she could love forever._

* * *

 ** _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_**

 **Chapter 96**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I'm glad you liked and caught on to the silly humor I was attempting with Maya's adventures in France! I'm sure the French have some wonderful cuisine that would blow your mind if you were to eat it that does _not_ involve animal organs and amphibian body parts, however I decided to go with the stereo typical fare for comedic purposes, which certainly turns _my_ stomach, never mind that of your unsophisticated palate American Burger Queen! I have heard that stereotype as well about the French being rude but in this case Maya getting stink eye was probably well-deserved since she unwittingly told the waiter that his mother was a cow! XD

 _I feel sorry for Maya, having to choke down food that no one has any business eating (except for the soufflé) and **sitting through movies that make Michael Bay look like an academy award winning director.**_

I think that may officially be the funniest thing you've ever said in your reviews, my dear friend! Hee! Just think about how _cheesy_ those _balls_ had to be! :p

Pearl is such a sweetheart, and I put her through hell on top of what the Canon has already done to her I wanted to give her a little bit of happiness, and I hope all the sweetness didn't make you gag, and that you somewhat enjoyed this mushy little chapter! :)

 **Ryszard**

Much like whenever you have mentioned music to me _Guter Mann,_ so did I look up the _Wasabi_ movie you mentioned to me. Boy did I get a great laugh when I saw what that title translated into in the France release:

 ** _"Wasabi, the little mustard that gets right up your nose_** _"_ et en français : **_Wasabi, la petite moutarde qui monte au nez_**

Hee! Sound so much prettier in French doesn't it?

You know with Nick getting his tie cut off, I must admit that is one of the lesser violent suggestions my readers have suggested as retribution… After all didn't involve any body parts… This time! We are going to be seeing him in roughly about three chapters… And there will be a time when he and Maya will be face-to-face yet again… I will have to put all these reader suggestions into a ballot box and randomly draw which selected method of torture he will be receiving at her hands! XD

Prior to this moment, I had never heard of the aforementioned Fat Thursday is it something that celebrated in your country commonly? I always did want to go to Carnival in Brazil, however it does make me curious to check this version out instead, if there is lesser chance of me getting shot! (That may be adequate compensation for the weather and like a rain forest, _meinen sie nicht auch?)_

 **Yanmegaman**

I'm glad that you still liked the game despite the spoiler, and hey you still got to bask in the joy of being right, right?  
I really had a blast writing this chapter; it took me to a time of yonder days of youth… I wanted to call it _return to innocence_ but then I thought that might have a naughty overture…and heaven forbid! No! _Not **these two**_! As you said… _These two are too pure for this rotten world!_ XD

 **chloemcg**

 _Be still my heart!_ I made you change your mind considering what an avid Layton writer you are? High praise indeed to make you favor crossover couple! Ask and you shall receive, I hope you enjoyed the sugary sweetness that is Luke and Pearly! While I couldn't manage to squeeze in them singing songs from _Frozen_ (it wasn't that much of a stretch; I realize I have turned a good chunk of the story into a mini musicals sorts! LOL) I assure you the dolphins were singing a sweet song of love, and the violins were playing for both of these lovebirds during that magical moment under the waterfall! ;p

I may very well take a look at some more of your Layton works to get some further inspirations! :-)

 **Speaking of inspiration... I am beyond delighted to have been of any assistance with your absolutely wonderful story and eagerly anticipate your next chapter, and wish you milady a very speedy recovery!**

 **C** **hapter 95**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

If you do like Ace Attorney, I highly recommend crossover game. Are you still playing _trials and tribulations_? I am still in eager anticipation to your feedback on that!

You don't get to be as astute of the professor without having keen powers of observation to go with deduction! Good news he will have to wait very long to find out some inside information about the whole Pearl Iris and Phoenix angle because we will be seeing Mr. Wright within the next few chapters and at that point, let me know if _your_ powers of deduction were anywhere near the league of Professor Layton's! ;)

Poor Pearl indeed. I think all things considered, she's been very well behaved so far, but she is still a teenager and I tried my best realistically portray her as one. Her misery over the breakup was one of the reasons I wanted to do something sweet for her which is why I wanted to pair her with Luke. I sense the character is actually a diehard romantic at heart, and she deserves her own fairytale! I'm glad you like Longines, there is nothing deceptive here, he actually is a very nice guy and as Pearl said in this chapter, it's not that she dislikes _him_ per se, it's just that… He's not _Nick_. :(

 **Chapter 94**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I try to think of the worst thing possible that could happen to a woman if she were to lose her innocence in such a callous manner by such a pig, and therefore came up with that whole premise! However, this _is_ an Ace Attorney story and while Franziska has had the most tragic and horrible luck in life and love so far, always remember there is a _very high_ _chance_ that both may do a _complete turnabout_ … ;)


	98. The Rest of the Pieces

" _Sometimes, the brightest smiles hide the deepest secrets, the most beautiful eyes have cried the most tears and the kindest hearts have felt the most pain."_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _I was so joyous at the appreciative feedback the Fey-T pairing got from my readers! It is heartwarming that guys and gals alike appreciate sweetness and romance! I promise you there will be more of that in the story once I get past this angst part!_

 _If you want to see the adorable fan artwork that inspired chapter 97, check out this link:_

 _ **I dot imgur dot com slash CtMukvi dot png**_

* * *

 **Chapter Ninety-Eight** **:** **The Rest of the Pieces**

 _ **Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse**_  
 _Berlin, Germany  
_ May 8, 2025 12:30 PM

Maya was slowly getting used to the many differing customs and lifestyles of Europe, and on a daily basis, found herself marveling how greatly the food, culture and architecture contrasted from America.

Prior to arriving in Germany, she'd only had only stereotypes to go on. She'd gotten exactly what she'd expected as far as the trains running on time, the engineering being world leading, and the architecture being indomitably beautiful. What Maya _hadn't_ expected was how warm the people were, once you got past the somewhat guttural way the language sounded, and how their natural generosity of spirit stopped her homesickness in its tracks.

Of course, it also helped that the Kurain Master found _this_ country's traditional fare, such as _Schnitzel,_ _Spatzle and Apfelstrudel_ to be a vast improvement from the _authentic_ cuisine she'd been forced to endure in both England and France! Not only was the food a comparatively _far cry –_ hell _,_ German food was _goddamn_ _köstlich_ on its _own accord_ , even when not in favorable comparison to _bloody_ _meat, animal innards, and amphibian limbs!_

The topography surrounding Berlin was picturesque; an area of low-lying marshy woodlands with a mainly flat bailiwick, and a series of the deepest blue lakes Maya had ever seen. It was truly nature at its finest.

Then there was the capital of Germany itself.

Berlin was more than just a lively cosmopolitan city. It was a fascinating, vibrant mix of international artists, immigrants, and young visitors from all over Europe, attracted by its progressive cultural scene, easy-going attitude, and buzzing nightlife. Maya had gotten a heaping dose of _all of the above_ the night before.

On their first evening there, after taking her to the enchanting and enthralling Berlin Philharmonic, she and Longines had boogied until dawn at the clubs, where he'd burned up the dance floor and nearly worn down her stilettos _to kitten heels_ while trying to keep up with him!

On top of all the marvelous things to see and do, Berlin was a city steeped with a fascinating, universally renowned history! Maya had enjoyed a whirlwind couple of days enjoying the local sights while Longines tended to business matters in the daytime. She had absolutely loved exploring the historical, world-famous landmarks, such as Brandenburg Gate, where she'd noticed a row of white crosses lining the road. Yes, the tour guide had confirmed, those were memorials to people who had died trying to cross the Wall. Then he'd led the group to the double row of cobblestones in the road that now marked where the Wall had once stood, before taking the tourist group to see the somber Memorial of the Berlin Wall.

Truly, Maya found the city's culture was something to behold, and that Berlin was so much more than just a landmark for historical tragedies! Some of Europe's finest museums were clustered on the Unesco-listed Museum Island in central Berlin, all within easy walking distance, so Maya didn't even need to use the excellent public transport system. She'd actually had managed to check all five institutions: The Altes Museum (Old Museum), The Neues Museum (New Museum), The Bode Museum, and The Pergamon Museum. Her favorite by far was the Bode, which exhibited the sculpture collections and late Antique and Byzantine art.

Today had been her final day of touring Berlin, as she was now due to visit her old friend.

For lunch, Maya and Longines dined at a quaint local restaurant, where he'd assured her not to take it personally when the server didn't immediately return her reflexive sunny smile; apparently folks in Berlin found such displayed actions unnecessary and superficial. He went on to elaborate that in Germany, it was a compliment if asked how you were doing, because it meant the person actually cared to know, as opposed to making inane small talk.

 _Whatever you want to say about those plain-speaking Germans,_ Maya noted wryly, _there isn't a fake nor pretentious bone in their bodies!_

She found herself famished from their earlier visit to The East Side Gallery, a 1.3 km long section of the Berlin Wall, consisting of 105 paintings by artists from all over the world, and therefore dove in headfirst by the time they finally sat down to their heavenly meal. The sublime eats consisted of _Schweinenbraten_ , a delicious roast pork dish, served with braised _sauerkraut_ and dumplings, called _knoedel_ , and a side of pilsner beer.

"Sure beats frog legs and cow brains, huh?" Longines teased as Maya ordered a second serving of _Kartoffelpuffer,_ shallow pan-fried pancakes made from grated or ground potatoes mixed with flour, egg, onion and seasoning. The hair heir had enjoyed his as a salty side dish alongside his meaty main course; the ever-gluttonous Master snarfed hers as a sweet treat, opting to douse them with blueberries, sugar and cinnamon.

Maya paused in the act of spooning applesauce onto her fourth sugar and cinnamon coated German flapjack and looked at her friend sheepishly.

"Was my aversion to the food in Cannes _that_ obvious?" She asked, blushing slightly at his knowing smirk.

"Well, I _wasn't_ about to point out that I noticed your supposedly _birdlike palate_ magically vanished the minute we left France and England," Longines deadpanned. "But since _you_ brought it up, it is hard to pretend not to notice that you are _not_ a major drinker in any way shape or form, and have barely touched your beer. Yet in spite of that fact, the night of the film festival, when you claimed you had _no appetite_ , you were filling up on the champagne as though it was going out of style!"

 _My barely touching this_ _ **swill they call beer**_ _is hardly evidence of anything!_ Maya made a face _. The stuff tastes like_ _ **piss water**_ _! Even the British serve a better pint!_

"Those are some powerful observation and deduction skills you've got there," She responded innocently, with barely suppressed laughter. "It's no wonder you and the Professor got along so swimmingly!"

"High praise indeed, being compared to a brilliant, and _knighted,_ world famous archeologist!" His cerulean eyes twinkled with mirth. "With regards to my astute deductions to your notable _healthy desire for food,_ my initial observations kicked in on our trip over here. I noted that although your cousin barely had a bite on the jet ride over, _you_ had _no qualms_ eating _her_ share of fodder _as well as_ yours! By putting the _pieces_ of this _mystery_ together, I have deemed that indeed, Sir Layton is right, and _every puzzle has a_ _solution!_ It seemed the obvious elucidation to ensuring your _sudden_ _dainty appetite_ only remained a temporary thing was to _switch countries_!"

"Couldn't fool you for a minute, could I? I confess, _guilty as charged_!" Maya shrugged and flashed him a mischievous smile, void of any remorse or shame. "I really made Nick nearly _broke_ back in the day with my legendary six stomachs! To this day, I have _no idea_ how he afforded me!"

"Luckily for _you_ , I'm a billionaire!" Longines chuckled good-naturedly, waving the waitress over to pay the bill. "Or should I say, luckily for _me_ that the _one thing_ I needn't fret about is you eating me out of house and _homes_!"

"So tell me, what _is_ something you actually _do_ need to be concerned about then, Monsieur Beaugosse?" Maya batted her eyelashes coyly at him as they hopped into a cab.

"Oh that's easy!" He flashed her a disarming smile. "Even as we now speak, I am already _worrying myself sick_ about dealing with how _desperately_ I shall miss you when I drop you off your friends' place, ergo losing the pleasure of your divine company for _nearly a week_!"

Just like with Pearl's defecting, Longines been most understanding about Maya's desire to stay with Franziska instead of touring about Germany for the rest of their stay, and hadn't even protested about it cutting into her bonding time with him. Instead, he'd benignly smiled and stated he would be happy to have her back to himself when he whisked her to Rome for a spell before heading back to London to collect the love-struck Pearl, who, after a fortnight with Luke, they'd undoubtedly need to drag back onto the homebound jet plane, _kicking and screaming_!

"Quite the sweet talker, aren't you?" She laughed and nudged him playfully in the ribs.

"Oh but I _meant_ every word of it, Maya Fey." He tapped her lightly on the nose and looked at her with a serious expression. "I couldn't have asked for more fabulous traveling companion if my life had depended on it! Although I've been to Europe many times in my life, these _stale eyes of mine_ have brought a completely new perspective by making me look at things through your own fresh point of view. This trip has truly been absolutely riveting and incredible, and I cannot thank you enough for it."

The sincerity in his tone made Maya blush slightly and turn her head to look out the window, unsure of how to respond.

It was true that she had been enjoying herself immensely for the past week or so with the world's most amiable and congenial tour guide. She thought of Pearl daily, of course, but her daily calls to the Professor had fully reassured that Luke and Pearl were safe and absolutely having the time of their lives, so she had nothing to worry about there. Consequently, she was happier than she thought she ever could be, considering the still recent breaking of her heart.

On the other hand, said heart was still in no place just yet to move on entirely. As wonderful and charming as the blond man was, you couldn't compare a mere month of friendship to _six_ _years of romance;_ liking to _loving_ ; warm affection to _endless blazing passion_ which had known no bounds.

By day, with the handsome, laughing blond man at her side, she could laugh and smile and fall into role, even genuinely enjoy his company. What woman wouldn't? Longines Beaugosse was the epitome of worldly sophistication. He spoke at least half a dozen language fluently and was so well travelled and cultured he didn't even need a tour guide to know what the best places for them to see and things to do were. When he'd offered to show her the world, he'd meant it, and done it in spades!

However, on the inside, she still felt listless and empty.

In all the years of her existence, in the many worlds she had seen, there was one thing that had always been true: people only see what they want to see. This thing with Longines was no different.

Since the breakup, and especially since coming to Europe, Maya despaired that it seemed it would _never_ get easier. In this case, here she was, among new and exciting people, in beautiful places anyone would give their eyeteeth to see, and yet somehow, she still felt utterly alone.

It pained her to have everyone around her believe in the lie she was living; in the happy façade that was completely a false veneer to mask her true pain. The burden of that often weighed heavily upon her soul. It was one thing to put on a happy face and dance regarding her little girl; she'd had nearly a decade to grow accustomed to putting on a strong front for Pearl's sake.

It was still quite another to do so in such a convincing manner with a completely unassuming, kind-hearted stranger, and hence endear herself to him so soon.

 _I am one of life's smilers; it's how I greet friend, stranger, or foe. It doesn't mean I'm OK on the inside. Not at all._ _Nick knew that, my sister and mother too, but they are gone. People who meet me, even friends who don't know the true me, will sing my praises, that I'm "such a happy person," "a real gem" and "one of a kind." Nevertheless, inside I feel like the love I've accumulated over the years is dissipating faster than the dwindling endangered rainforests._

It was her fault. She had chosen the path that lead to having to weaving herself into his life. Naturally, the newly orphaned, lonely travelling businessman had come to have a _tendre_ for her and if she continued down this path, could even come to love her, and once he loved her it would become her burden to bear the terrible truth, which was he would only be loving her lies and the character she played.

With this truth crept a dark feeling, cold, and void of hope. It made every word that slipped from her lips feel sullied. Soon her smiles were reflexive and her eyes were dull, so empty. When she laughed, it sounded hallow, like the laugh of a woman about to die.

And poor Longines didn't know her well enough to know the difference.

Nighttime, alone in her bed, was always the worst. It reminded her that in this crowded world, even this magical, whole new world that Longines had brought her to, Maya was alone. A hellish kind of isolation where her only company was loneliness, which seemed it would never leave.

When would it stop? Her broken heart was slowly healing, but would it ever truly _mend_?

At that moment, Maya was dying to see her old friend more than anything in the world, and at last be able to have someone she could fully trust and confide in with utmost confidence, to help sort out her daily tumultuous and conflicting feelings about everything.

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_ _  
_May 8, 2025 12:55 PM

As the taxi pulled up before the at the 36-foot-high fountain in the massive driveway of the enormous, 19th century Neoclassical manor, Maya couldn't help but marvel the splendor of her friend's residence.

While her own home, the grand and sprawling Fey Manor had its own regal, albeit traditional Eastern influential style, _this_ particular European mansion was just about _the_ most resplendent, _majestic_ one she had ever seen, and even from the outside, looked fit for royalty.

Maya turned to Longines with a bright smile then, finally speaking for the first time since his last statement, which had lapsed the rest of the ride over in silence.

"You didn't _have_ to see me off here personally, you know. I could easily come here myself!" She chided. "I know you're busy with matters to attend to in Berlin today, what with over a dozen salon openings here in Germany alone, most of which are in the capital city!"

"Don't be silly!" He brushed away her protest with an airy wave of his hand. "I'm going to be gone for a good few days so you ladies have your privacy and catch up time, and it would be so rude of me not to at least come to the door and say hello to your friend. I've heard so much about her; it will be nice to finally meet the woman, who up until this point I've only heard of by reputation alone."

"I'm sure Franziska will be _thrilled_ to know you've done your homework on her," Maya joked. "Tell me, did you do a background check on _everybody_ in my life since we've met?"

"Of _course_ not!" He retorted with mock indignation, flashing her a shit-eating grin. "I did all the preliminary stalking _before_ we even met! There was _nearly a month_ since our initial correspondence until our first meeting, you know!"

Maya just giggled as she exited the taxi and smiled pleasantly at the driver as he grabbed her bags and carried them up to the main entrance. Longines spoke a quick smattering of German to him, as rapid-fire as any of the locals she had encountered since they had arrived two days before, and she couldn't help but marvel at her friend's flawless execution of a language she was no closer to mastering than any other she'd encountered. After all, despite the crash course in diverse cultures, _her unilingual ass_ still only spoke _English,_ and she barely even got _that_ right half the time! Thank heavens for her cunning linguist friend to swoop in and save the day whenever she got herself in hot water by saying something that could get lost in translation!

Thank heavens for Longines, _period_.

Longines wasn't entirely alone in his earlier sentiment, Maya realized then. He truly was a classy, valiant, renaissance gentleman, and delightful companion, of whom she too, had unwittingly grown very fond. She could now confidently call him her friend, and while this long overdue visit with Franziska was just what the doctor ordered, a part of her knew she was going to miss him too.

Nevertheless, she was going to appreciate the next few days apart from him. She really needed to clear her mind with some much-needed alone time to better sort herself.

"I told the cabby I would only be a few minutes and the keep the car running," Longines told her as he thudded the brass knocker on the heavy wooden door.

A distinguished, silver haired butler eventually answered, and smiled pleasantly at her.

" _Hallo. Gnädige frau_ Fey? _Herr_ Wright?" He asked with a polite smile.

Maya nodded hesitantly in confirmation of her identity, but as she opened her mouth to advise the manservant that her companion was _not_ _Mr. Wright,_ they suddenly heard a shuffle behind him, and saw Franziska walking towards them into the main hallway.

As the Kurain Master at last set sight on her old friend for the first time, _in the flesh_ , in six long years, she couldn't help but stare at Miles Edgeworth's fiancée as though she'd never seen her before.

The woman, now in her late 20's, striding towards them had the same silvery hair, albeit longer than Maya last remembered, which now fell in silky waves just past her shoulders. Considering how big she'd looked only a few months ago on Skype, her surprisingly slender frame was outfitted casually in a pair of black skinny jeans and a loose-fitting, cream-colored, cashmere sweater. Her smooth, fair complexion made her beautiful pink lips stand out, and while her face was free of any artifice, her cheeks looked nearly rouged as they flushed pink with pleasure at the sight of her.

Therefore, at first glance, the years indeed appeared to have been kind to Franziska von Karma.

Nonetheless, as one that was well-practiced in appearing as though all were fine on the surface, Maya's scrutinizing gaze couldn't help but take note that as her friend approached, her gait was halting, as though something were wrong. Maya couldn't quite put her finger on it.

 _She's almost walking right, but there's something out of sync. Perhaps one leg is stopping a little short or maybe going long – it's so hard to tell! Despite all that, when I see that welcoming smile at last, all my thoughts of inquiry fade. I guess the best way to put it is that while the woman I see before me may not be seen as conventionally beautiful; to me, she's simply haunting._

As Franziska drew near, she placed a slim hand on Maya's arm and went to give her the traditional European air kiss on the cheek, but froze in mid gesture as she at last took in the sight of the tall stranger at her side.

" _Y_ – _you're_ not Phoenix Wright!" she blurted out, her huge grey eyes wide with astonishment.

There was an uncomfortable silence. The butler quite _mystifyingly,_ chose _that exact moment_ to vanish from sight.

 _Oh dear, this is super awkward,_ Maya thought, biting her lip anxiously _. I didn't really_ _ **mean**_ _to misrepresent myself when I emailed her a few weeks ago and told her that_ _ **we**_ _would be coming to Europe. It never occurred to me to clarify…_

Longines was the first to recover, and treated the startled woman to his signature megawatt smile.

"No I am not," he agreed pleasantly. "And I am so pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss von Karma, that I shall not even take offense to that mistaken identity. Rest assured, I have certainly been called _worse."_

Franziska didn't reply, just continued to stare back and forth between her two visitors with a completely flummoxed look on her pretty face.

"Franziska, of course he's not Nick!" Maya said quickly, placing a hand on her companion's arm and smiling sweetly. "This is Longines Beaugosse."

"And who might _he_ be?" Franziska queried, with what Maya had quickly learned was typical German direct bluntness. "I have already determined _who he_ _is_ _not_ , which is, _your boyfriend_ , whom I'd presumed would be the one arriving here with you, based on your email."

 _Oh, come_ _ **on**_ _! I_ _ **never**_ _ **said**_ _ **Nick's**_ _name! For all Franziska knew, I could have just been referring to myself and Pearly, who, for the record, had she not fallen head over heels with the Professor's former apprentice, would actually be here by my side right now!_

"Don't be silly, Franziska," Maya forced her grin even wider, even though it was now hurting her cheeks to do so. "As you are surely aware, Phoenix Wright is a disbarred lawyer who makes no more than presumable minimum-wage working as a second-rate piano player at a seedy bar, and I'm certain even additional money made from being an _undercover poker_ _shark_ at said shady establishment, _still_ wouldn't allow him to have the funds to be here, right?"

"I – I guess just thought you would have paid his fare," Franziska stammered, clearly shaken anew at the unflattering summary of the man who, when she had last seen him on the webcam, had been happily by Maya's side as her _very much enamored lover_!

"I'm not paying _anything_ of his anymore!" Maya informed her with false cheer, her fingers tightening on Longines' arm with the growing tension of the situation. " _Including his rent_! He'll just have to _fend for himself_ , now won't he?"

Longines look like he wished he were _anywhere but there_ that precise moment, but once again smiled brightly at Franziska as he attempted to engage her.

"You know, you have _fabulous_ hair," he told her pleasantly. "Perchance, _You Blo Me_?"

Maya could have died of mortification right there and then.

Franziska's shocked expression turned into one of customary righteous indignation, while her eyes narrowed dangerously.

" _E-excuse me_?" She spluttered, her hand reaching reflexively for her whip holster. "I _beg_ your pardon?!"

Longines saw the action, and swallowed nervously, realizing belatedly that his nerves had allowed him to speak of his business in the most _misunderstood_ and possibly _offensive way_ , _ever_! Utterly lost as to how to remedy his last question, he spoke his next words in rapid-fire succession, not even pausing for breath as he surreptitiously began inching his way backwards.

"Ah, the name of my famous chain of blow dry bars, Miss Von karma. No disrespect intended, heh heh. We are opening up several locations in this lovely country of yours, including Frankfurt and Berlin."

He quickly patted Maya on the arm and carefully extracted her death grip from his other one.

"Oh, wow, will you look at the time! I must be off now, can't keep that cabby waiting too long, you know! The meter's running! This was a real treat! Maya, see you in a week! You girls have fun! Ta-ta!" With that, he hightailed it to the cab, barely closing the door shut as it sped off.

The two women stared after him for a moment, before looking at each other in disbelief.

"What in the _world_?" Franziska gasped, just as Maya at the same time began to say, "Oh my God, _I am so sorry_!"

Suddenly realizing the lunacy of the situation, the friends burst into a fit of simultaneous laughter, so hard that tears of mirth came to both their eyes.

"I _swear_ to you, he's normally much more _genteel!_ " Maya giggled, removing her white and mint, wide-brimmed sunhat. "I think you just made the poor man nervous! However _do_ you manage to make people so uncomfortable without even trying?"

Franziska shrugged. "It's a gift." She wiped her eyes, which were suddenly sparkling with amusement, and gently tugged Maya's hand to lead her into the house. "That felt _so_ good, you have no idea!"

"Tell me about it! Gosh, Franziska, this place is _gorgeous_ ," Maya breathed as her appreciative gaze took in the high ceilings and exquisite wall paintings before settling back on her friend. "And look at _you_ , all perfectly back in shape so soon after the baby like the perfect von Karma you are! Where is little Carol? Asleep?"

The laughter died from the German woman's eyes then, and she sighed heavily as she closed the heavy door behind them.

"Come join me for a drink in the study," she said in response. "I'm in sudden need of one."

"It's just after lunch!" Maya exclaimed reflexively, even though by now she knew Europeans liked to have their liquor more often than Americans typically did. She followed her friend into the small private room with its own liquor cabinet, where Franziska was pouring herself a tumbler of some sort of amber liquid.

"Surely, it's after five _somewhere_ ," Franziska countered flippantly, taking a long swig from her glass and slightly gasping as it seared its way down her throat. "I realize you and I have a lot of catching up to do, but first off, I'd like to state, for the record, that I very much like your new shorter style. It makes you look more grown-up and sophisticated."

She lifted the glass again and paused to look at her friend with slightly deadened eyes.

"Speaking of hair...how should we commence, Maya? Shall I go first, or would _you_ like to kick off the festivities, and enlighten me as to _the truth behind who that strange man_ who, incidentally, has better hair than _you and I both do,_ really _is_?Thus far, the only thing that has been established is who he _is not_ , otherwise known as… _Phoenix Wright."_

"On second thought, I'll have whatever you're having." Maya sank down onto the armchair behind her then, and smiled tiredly. "I think I'm going need that drink after all."

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 97**

 **Anonymous**

It really makes me happy to know that readers out there still appreciate a good old-fashioned romance! Of course, Pearl was swept off her feet! (she deserved it after all she's been through, poor dear!) Her suitor was none other than the famous _knighted gentlemen apprentice_ , Sir Layton himself! :-)

There are fewer praises greater to hear for fanfiction writer meant to be told that something could be cannon, or is accepted as such… Particularly since this was a crossover pairing I'd like to let you know how grateful and proud I feel I've heard such a compliment! I certainly hope to keep surprising you dear reader, the last thing I'd want is for the story to become predictable in any way!

 **Ryszard**

I'm happy you liked the chapter of saccharine sweetness that was teenage romance :-)

So I was looking into Carnival ever since you mentioned it to me and it really looks like Germans know how to celebrate with style, although when I first googled carnival 2016 Germany imagine my reaction when the very first thing that popped up was this headline:

 _ **Big rise in sex offence complaints at Cologne carnival**_

Still beats being shot, which is what the Rio one is most famous for though! XD

Also, the article also was quick to say that: _with the increased policing for the Carnival events, the incidence of other non-sexual crimes were down compared to last year._

I'd like to make the disclaimer right now that I have never been to the beautiful country of Germany, (although I have experienced their beer firsthand!) so my descriptions in this chapter were 100% based on talking to the few German people I know, as well as research but I hope I did it justice! (the non-Apollo variety!)

Ergo, so just like with my Britain and France the disclaimer from a couple of chapters ago, with "Maya's" observations, no offense was intended in the least to my Euro readers!

 **Yanmegaman**

Given how young my characters are, I have no desire to explore or write to any sort of physical romance between them, not with the magnificent background of European castles and waterfalls and the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop! Pearl and Luke are end game… They already have _continents_ dividing them because of their residences, so they don't need my help to do anything further to keep them apart in the meantime! :)

It would be awesome to have had Pearl in that crossover game and I would not entirely be against seeing Luke and his own game at some point although I'd like him to be more grown-up by then!

 **Chloemcg**

You know what at some point in there I think I _do_ want to slip in how proud the professor is of his former apprentice following his gentlemanly footsteps… I mean it took Luke nearly _2 weeks_ to even kiss her in spite of all the romantic settings there were in so that some serious gentlemanly restraint exhibited right there! XD

I don't know if level 5 or Capcom whatever let Luke be an ace attorney game, however the idea of him joining or visiting the Wright anything agency sounds like it would make an amazing story! Nope not too far-fetched at all!

Speaking of stories, if there actually was enough reader interest I would love to do a fanfiction about the next generation, like Pearl, Trucy and maybe the offspring that I created in my DILF story… But either way considering how much love this pairing has gotten I would definitely give them their own epilogue!

Unfortunately I have already used the whole puppy marriage proposal angle with Miles and Franny with Pess, because since Constantine was a big factor in their magical meeting I would be very open to some suggestions about how he can help further develop this romance even later in the story? :-)

 **Luffy**

You are so funny! It was with great miraculous restraints that Pearl did not slap Iris, however it yes if you were to try to be the third wheel on her romantic euro trip I don't think she could practice such restraint again! LOL

Your mother has gotten to bathe dolphins?! I am so jealous and I cannot believe she did not mention this to me! It is the cutest sound in the world when they sing, and I would be okay if they fell in love with me because having frolics with him in both Cuba and Jamaica, they are perhaps the easiest creature in the world fall in love with… I named the couple's dolphin Brenda because that was the name of the dolphin my husband and I got to pet and play with when we went to Holguin on our honeymoon :-)

I'm glad you like the fairytale castle setting in Scotland, such a beautiful place as we have both seen being fans of the show _Outlander_ please no spoilers and beg of you! I still need to get through the last couple of episodes of season one!


	99. Daughters of Destiny

_Watch your thoughts; they become words_  
 _Watch your words; they become actions_  
 _Watch your actions; they become habit_  
 _Watch your habits; they become character_  
 _Watch your character; it becomes your destiny_

* * *

 **Chapter Ninety-Nine: Daughters of Destiny**

 _ **Maya Fey and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany  
_ May 8, 2025 3: 30 PM

Even if she'd been pressed hard, Franziska didn't think she would have been able to properly elaborate on her currently numbed grieving state if her life had depended on it.

That being said, if further prompted, she supposed she would have likened her despondency to death by a thousand paper cuts, for every time she remembered her loss, it was another cut to her already damaged mind. Even though none of the wounds were enough to kill her, over time, their accumulation further bled her of the humanity she had once had. Where she once had been vibrant and spirited, now she was just gaunt and melancholy.

In the case with relaying the circumstances to Maya, she decided to simply recite the facts, as though recalling historical events about a chronicle that wasn't her own, which forced her voice to remain level and composed and left little room for breakdown as she rehashed to her friend what had happened.

"So Miles got called back to work, and that's that." Franziska finished dully sometime later, her eyes no longer meeting Maya's as she stared at the nearly empty contents of her third glass of Jägermeister.

" _Dear God_." Maya shook her head sorrowfully, completely at a loss for words. "So it's just been you here, all by yourself, ever since this tragedy?"

"Not _completely_. I _do_ have a house full of doting servants to attend to my needs. Unless I overdo it with the workouts, like I did today, the stitches from the cesarean are mostly healed, and don't hurt too much anymore. Ergo, I can finally move around on my own, for the most part," Franziska returned flatly, clutching her glass so hard her knuckles turned white. "Katharina stayed here with me for a month afterward, before she had to leave and get back to her own work and duties. It was the same thing with Miles. I do not fault him – he _had_ to leave. He was with me for whole two months after I lost Carol, and as they say, the show must go on, right? The world doesn't stop turning, just because your heart is broken."

 _Ain't that the truth?_ Maya blinked back tears of sympathy. _Oh my dear friend, how I long to convey that, almost better than anybody could, I know just how true that is! I don't even know which one of us has it more rough, though what does it really matter, in the end? A loss is a loss, and we are both grieving for those no longer in our lives, because one way or another, they were cruelly taken from us._

"Dear girl," she whispered, the catch evident in her voice as she set down her drained glass on the table beside the armchair and rose to her feet. In two steps, she closed the distance between them and stood right before her friend, who had been standing in front of the liquor cabinet this entire time while she poured out her tale of woe. "Franziska, I am so, so sorry for your loss."

It was the tremor of barely suppressed tears of _empathy_ , not mere _sympathy_ , which at last made the German woman look up from her drink and study Maya properly for the first time since she had arrived at her doorstep over two hours ago.

Franziska had known Maya Fey for nearly a decade now, since they were both teenagers. The two of them were the same age, though Maya had been a later bloomer than Franziska had been, and she hadn't set eyes on the other woman in person since her 21st birthday party, when she had acknowledged that nature had blossomed the spirit medium into quite the beauty. Seeing her up close now, after so long, only reinforced that truth.

The Kurain Master was of pastel white skin, with long wisps of obsidian locks that always seemed to gleam when they captured the light just right. In addition, at that precise moment, Franziska realized that Maya Fey also had the kindest pair of coffee brown orbs, trimmed by the longest, most gorgeous lashes that she'd ever seen in her whole life. Lovely eyes, yet somehow gentle, that always held warmth within them, and were now also shining with sympathy.

While Franziska had heard every single possible condolence since her daughter's passing, in English _and_ German, there was something that she saw on Maya's visage that moment which made her feel, for the first time in a very long time, that somebody other than Miles not only _felt_ her agony, but _shared_ it too. Despite the newfound pain, which always resurfaced whenever she thought of or spoke of Carol, there was something she saw in Maya's eyes that made it impossible for her to retreat into her own private world of selfish grief at the moment. Something that made her want to not only _accept_ comfort, but inexplicably _give_ it as well.

Unfortunately, years of suppressing her emotions made her completely unaware of how to go about doing so.

Maya's heart ached so badly for the other woman she thought it would surely break. To see such a formerly strong, formidable woman like Franziska Von Karma now reduced to an empty shell of what she'd once been, was gut wrenching. What would it take to mend a soul as damaged as that, and who would attempt to?

The answer: _she_ would, or _die trying_.

" _Oh, Franziska_." Maya tugged at her friend's sleeve, and without another word, gently pulled the rigid, albeit unresisting, woman's form against hers.

Franziska stiffened reflexively. She was so unused to physical contact with anybody but Miles that the first touch of another human being after so long, while not unwelcome, was still jolting.

"Maya Fey, you foolish fool! What do you think you're doing?" She bristled, arms remaining locked by her side, even though her voice was trembling.

Undaunted, the spirit medium only held on tighter. While Franziska didn't return the embrace, she didn't turn away either, and a muffled sob was heard coming from the woman in Maya's arms, even as she remained stubbornly unyielding.

 _God dammit! Stop being a Von Karma right now, and just let me_ _ **love**_ _you!_

Franziska had been hugged before, since her daughter had passed, but never like _this_ , where there was something _so warm_ ; something that felt _soright_. She at last let her body sag and her muscles become loose. Maya gave her the respect of an equal, yet cradled her like a cherished child. In that embrace, she felt her worries lose their keen sting and her optimism raise its head from the dirt. Perhaps the hope had been there all along, although without some love, it had been trapped, like crystals in a stone. All she could do was try and release her pent up emotions out of the darkness she'd been in for so long, and even that was hard.

Nevertheless, in Maya Fey's arms, Franziska experienced the most pure, unconditional, honest form of love she had _ever_ felt from someone who was neither her fiancé nor relative. The world-weariness, that stifling feeling of _Weltschmerz,_ left her completely, and she finally raised her arms to return the embrace, dropping her head onto her friend's shoulder, left bare by her mint colored sundress, and let her silent tears fall.

She'd needed this so much. Hadn't even realized just _how_ much, until that very moment.

 _They say that compassion is the closest thing you get to love, although I'd argue that compassion is just as great at times when your entire being is so broken inside that your own cries get stuck in the back of your throat. Your sorrow brings you so far gone that you can't even shed a tear. Your screams get lost in your head. Is compassion not so much love that your brain could explode just by being around those people you care about most? Until I stood in this woman's arms just now, never before had I ever experienced such a sense of_ _ **gemütlichkeit**_ _, of complete, satiating coziness and comfort._

The two women remained in each other's arms for several moments, just reveling in the solace they had been seeking for so long, until Franziska finally realized that Maya's shoulder wasn't the only one that was soaked. The right shoulder of her sweater was positively _drenched._

"Thank you, Maya," Franziska whispered. "I didn't realize until right now, just how much I needed that." She drew back slightly then and studied her friend's damp eyes with concern. "Hold on! Why are _you_ crying?"

Maya sniffled and wiped her eyes. She felt so ashamed of herself, crying over the loss of _some blasted man,_ when her friend had experienced _the worst kind of loss possible_ – that of _their own child_.

"I just – I've missed you. A lot," she mumbled, and looked away in embarrassment. "And my heart breaks for you, and what you've been through."

Franziska viewed her steadily, her truth-seeking prosecutor's eyes seeing right through the other woman's façade of attempted composure.

 _In my life, if there's one thing I've learned, it's that you'll never meet a strong person with an easy past._

"Your heart breaks," she prompted quietly. "Even _more_ than it _already_ has?"

Maya gazed at her with a forlorn expression, feeling extremely exposed and vulnerable.

"Franziska…please don't underestimate how dear you are to me," she pleaded. "We weren't even friends that night of my 21st birthday, yet I've never forgotten the kindness you bestowed upon me. While my tears are partially for my own loss, I know it doesn't even _compare_ to yours…I beg you not to think less of me for my own weakness, when _you_ are the one with greater cause of grief. I am so torn right now, even saying this, yet I am unable to lie to you and say that I myself am a complete stranger to heartache as of late."

"I sensed as much." Franziska's tone was far more gentle than any Maya had ever heard her use before. "And I want you to feel free to confide in me, if you feel comfortable enough to do so."

 _I can't even explain_ _ **how**_ _I knew of her sorrow… I just_ _ **felt**_ _it. I just_ _ **knew**_ _that she's been feeling exactly what_ _ **I've**_ _been experiencing – that overwhelming sense of_ _ **Mutterseelenallein**_ _– that horrid feeling that no soul is with you, and that you're so alone that not even your mother's soul can be by your side. I don't know if being in this dark place these past few months, with nothing except my own thoughts and emotions as company, is what's made me more sensitive in general, because I've never been in tune with, or cared too much, about other people. With Maya, for some reason…though, it's different. Perhaps I just have a particular connection with her that cannot be defined. It's one I don't think I've ever had with any other woman, except perhaps my sister,_ _ **ever**_ _._

At that exact moment, Helga appeared in the doorway, and Maya hurriedly closed her mouth.

The old housemaid greeted the new guest with a welcoming smile, while carrying a silver tray laden with a delectable selection of breads, various fresh cheeses, smoked salmon and thinly sliced meats and cold cuts.

" _Entschuldigung_ , _gnädige frau, aufschnitte für die damen_." Helga set the tray down on the desk and regarded Franziska sternly, waving away the protest she was about to make. " _Du musst essen._ _Sie sind zu dünn!_ _Ihr Freund zu!"_

Franziska barely stifled a frustrated sigh at the housekeeper's well-intentioned, yet _ill-timed_ interruption.

"Resistance is futile; Helga is going to _insist_ that we eat _something,_ you know," she translated to Maya with a wry smile. "She says I look too thin, and so do _you_."

"Well she doesn't need to twist _my_ arm." Maya's mouth was beginning to water at the scrummy smorgasbord that had been presented, and her misery temporarily abated in lieu of her ever-present appetite. In addition, the unaccustomed amount of strong spirits in her now empty stomach was burning a hole within her gut. "That looks absolutely _lecker._ "

Franziska's lips twitched into a knowing smile. Trust Maya Fey, out of _all the German words_ , to have picked up on the adjective to describe tasty _food_!

Nonetheless, that was what made Maya, _Maya._ As she watched her friend tuck into her fare with her customary gusto, as though she hadn't eaten in a month, the former prosecutor found herself helplessly endeared that even as a grown-up, who was now a single mom, her old friend still exhibited many of the candid traits of her youth.

 _She's the most childlike adult I've ever met, although talking to her has been so refreshing. She lacks the guile and complexity of everyone else I have ever known; with Maya,_ _ **what you see**_ _is what_ _ **she actually is**_ _. When she smiles and laughs, it's impossible not to smile along too, even if it's just on the inside. To be in her company is to feel that you too are someone, that you have been warmed in summer rays, regardless of the season._

At least, that _had_ been the Maya whom Franziska had always known, right up until _then_.

Staring into the other woman's eyes _now_ was like gazing into a mirror of her own soul, and feeling completely lost at the kaleidoscope of raw emotions she saw there.

Internal pain and struggle. Jumbled and disordered thoughts. Things loved most that had been thrown aside, trashed from the mind. Memories covered and caked with darkness and torment.

 _Sorrow is the new smile in her eye. Tears replace the sunshine. And life is dark, for what seems to be forever. I must find some way to let her know it doesn't need to be so. This woman offered me comfort while asking for nothing in return. A small piece of me now feels somewhat healed because of her, while_ _ **her**_ _inside remains broken. How can I help her? I'm not very good at matters of the heart. If I were, my Miles would still be with me…_

Franziska steeled herself and her mind from spiraling yet again onto that one-way, self-pitying track into black abyss and placed her fingertips on Maya's hand, which was brushing off a few stray crumbs onto her plate. Not a speck of food remained on the tray.

"Do you think you're satisfied for now, or shall I have Helga get us something else?" She smirked, gesturing to the empty tray. "I just wanted to ensure that everything was to your liking? I mean, _obviously_ you _hated_ it…"

"What, no _Döner Kebab_? That's what's made this whole visit to Germany worthwhile!" Maya quipped, blushing slightly as she patted her mouth daintily with her napkin. "I jest, of course, though I admit, I _may_ be overcompensating with your country's _zum Anbeißen_ food since coming here to Germany. Prior to that, I think I may have lost a few pounds from light eating during my time in the first two European two countries," she admitted. "If your maid thought I appeared thin, it's possibly because aside from the Professor's scrumptious lamb dinner the first night in London, I was subjected to some _authentic fare_ which just _did not_ sit right with my palate! I pretty much just lived off cheese and champagne in France, and off toast and tea and _chips,_ as they call them over there, in England!"

"Oh, you Americans!" Franziska admonished laughingly. " _Must_ you be so _xenophobic_? I see your newfound sophistication is limited strictly to your hairstyle, Maya Fey! Do you plan on living the rest your life existing entirely on burgers and French fries, regardless of where you go?"

Maya sighed as she followed her friend out of the study, down the hall, and up the stairs to one of guest bedrooms, which Franziska told her was right next to her own. One of the servants had already thoughtfully put her bags by the bed, which the Kurain Master now flopped onto, pulling her knees to her chin as she patted the spot beside her, for Franziska to come sit down.

"I remember I once gave a lecture to Nick, to stop sticking with the same old food habits and not be afraid to embrace new things," the raven-haired beauty murmured, idly twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "In this case it was because he was reluctant to try this amazing gourmet chicken with fruity sauce that Hendricks had labored over at the penthouse. I hated the idea of either of us appearing ungrateful, so I threatened to _rat him out to Miles_ if he didn't comply and _eat his damn bird like a good boy!_ "

There it was again, Franziska noted. While the story was supposed to be funny, and it was, the sadness in Maya's eyes didn't match the humor of the tale whatsoever, and only made her more concerned about her friend's state of being.

"Maya." Somehow, the Interpol agent instinctively already knew the answer to the question she was about to pose. "What happened with Phoenix?"

Maya's eyes were the type of brown that were like a sweet chocolate, the kind that melted at the slightest bit of the heat from love, or happiness. Regardless, that chocolate could also grow hard from heartbreak, or the cold harsh reality that was apparent in the world, and in this case, the depression that she hid from all those around her so well, right up until that moment, when Franziska saw unmistakable tears once again glistening in those expressive orbs.

That was when she immediately knew. Deep down, from the moment she'd first observed her friend's eyes, she'd _already_ known.

"I'm very sorry, Maya." Franziska shook her head sadly. "Phoenix Wright is a foolish fool of a man to think he can do any better than you."

The spirit medium looked into Franziska's eyes, which showed the kind of gentle concern her beloved sister used to have, as she laid her fingers lightly on Maya's shoulder, and instead of flinching at the unexpected gesture, she was soothed by it, as it felt as though she were wrapped up in a blanket of her caring. Franziska left her hand there and spoke with such a soft voice that Maya felt her friend's words calming her more by the _way_ they were said, than the _actual words_ themselves, which were calling Phoenix colorful variances of " _the_ _ **mother**_ _of all fool-hearted fools_."

A single droplet slid from those warm, mocha eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until soon, a steady stream of salty tears flowed its way down her pale cheek, releasing the wretchedness and sorrow that had been held inside of her for all this time, even though she still did not make a sound.

Wordlessly, Franziska reached over, held the petite woman in her arms, and let her cry her heart out.

"I feel like such a pitiful _idiot_!" Maya wept. "To be crying in front of _you,_ after all _you've_ gone through…"

"Stop talking like a fool Maya." Franziska gently rubbed her friend's back. "When words fail me, and right now, I will be honest, they _do_ , I find a good cry can be equally as comforting. With me, always know that you have the freedom to do that."

And so, placated by those words, Maya let out a heart-wrenching wail, followed by a series of blatant sobs that wracked her body, even though she still hated herself for the proverbial actions of " _preaching to the choir_ " and forcing comfort from a woman who had already lost so much.

However, attempting to halt the flowing rivulets cascading down her cheeks would have been like trying to hold back a tidal wave. She just couldn't stop.

 _Crying is how I understand myself best. When I cry, I know who I really am. I cry when others hurt, as well as myself. I've cried at stupid children's samurai shows and brutal world news and stupid soft movies. It's my strength and my weakness. Strong because it brings understanding and weak because who wants the listener to weep when they are seeking a strong shoulder? I wish I could turn my tears off, or perhaps just save it until I'm alone, but I'm not wired like that. My emotions swirl like ocean currents, deep and strong. Sometimes I'm scared to dive in, just in case I don't make it out again. Regardless, I can't be anyone else. I don't suppose any of us can._

For the longest time, Maya bawled in the former prosecutor's arms, until at last, her tears ran dry, and then she was finally quiet.

"Do you feel any better now?" Franziska discreetly plucked a tissue from the night table and gently pressed it against Maya's knuckles.

Maya nodded silently, and mopped at her damp face with the proffered paper handkerchief.

"It's been two months," she uttered morosely, staring into the sympathetic grey gaze. "And it still hurts as much as it did the day he left me. I've tried to be strong, because my little girl loved him so much, and I can't be breaking down in front of her… I can't even badmouth him, not only because it would be like badmouthing her _father_ , but also because I still _love_ him! I was trying to play it cool and not let Longines know just what a wreck I still am about it all, but saying those atrocities in front of him about Nick …it damn near _killed_ me, as _pathetic_ as that sounds!"

"It's not pathetic Maya," Franziska patted her hand. "You can't control who you love."

" _How_ can I still ache for a man who tossed me aside like yesterday's trash?" Maya lamented. "Am I some kind of _masochist_? A complete _doormat_ , with no self-esteem, for I know I would _take him back in New York minute_ if he just give me the word, even though I would hate myself at the same time if I did, because it would mean _sacrificing all of my self-respect_?"

"None of the above," Franziska assured her. "I do understand exactly how you feel. In fact we even have a term in German to paraphrase what it is that you're feeling. It's called _Sehnsucht."_

"Come again?" Maya peered at her blankly, what such an animated expression of confusion it was almost comical.

" _Sehnsucht._ This is another word that describes a complex set of emotions," Franziska explained. "It comes from _sehnen,_ which means " _to yearn or long for_ ," and _sucht,_ an obsession, craving or addiction. Literally, it would mean something like " _an obsessive yearning_ " for something, but that doesn't quite capture it. It could be used to describe an inconsolable hankering for happiness and the unattainable. It could illustrate that you're intensely missing something or someone… Even if they are _the_ most _foolish fool_ of a man to have ever graced God's green earth!" She added darkly.

Maya cracked a smile at that one.

"My friend, I will profess that I am not always very good with my verse," Franziska admitted. "Perhaps that is why I have always resorted to my whip to demonstrate the words I cannot properly convey! However, I want you to try an exercise with me. Pretend that I am Phoenix Wright, standing in front of you right now. What would you now express to him, which thus far, you have been unable to?"

Maya thought about that for a moment, and searched her mind for the right words to convey the tumultuous mix of anger, pain, and despair she had been experiencing for the last two months, and then turned her newfound furious, accusing gaze onto Franziska, speaking to her as though she actually _were_ her ex-boyfriend.

"Phoenix Wright, you have turned every moment we spent together into painful memories that are so sharp, they cut right through me whenever I think about our time together! Even the sweet good moments we had are now turned into a stabbing knife that kills my already broken heart. You not only _pierced my soul_ ; you made me skeptical and cynical about people and love!"

Maya jumped off the bed and pointed her finger at Franziska, courtroom style, her body trembling with the force of her rage.

"For that, I _hate_ you! Do you hear me? _I fucking hate you!_ You turned me into this broken mess, and even if I won't see you again, your touch will be with me for years, or maybe for the _rest of my life_! You fucked up my confidence, and I remember every single word you said that fateful night; I remember how you made me feel like a waste of space. Now that voice inside me, the one that puts me down and tells me I will never have a love like that ever again… it's not _my own_ anymore! It's – it's _your voice_ , telling me all over again how you don't _love_ me...that you merely _care_ for me! And that _you're leaving me for Iris!"_

" _Iris_? Iris _Hawthorne_?!" Franziska stared at her incredulously, peepers round with shock. "As in, the twin sister of that crazy _Miststück_ , Dahlia Hawthorne? Your mystery cousin, that you didn't even know you _had_ , until that horrible Hazakura temple case? _That_ Iris?"

"Yes indeed, _that_ would be said home wrecking hussy." Although Maya laughed, it was completely devoid of mirth, sounding cold and harsh to both their ears. "The _one and only_!"

"Isn't she a _nun_?!"

"I guess she's breaking her celibacy vows," Maya replied bitterly.

"I thought she was in prison for her misdeeds during that whole incident involving your mother?"

"Guess which _jailbird_ has now _flown the coop_?"

"I cannot _believe_ this!" Franziska jumped off the bed and placed her hands on her hips, completely outraged on her behalf. "That – that _Scheißkerl_ left _you_ for that… _weak-willed, brainless_ … _dishrag_ ex-girlfriend of his?!"

Maya nodded silently, and her friend's voice rose.

" _Saukerl_!" Franziska spat. " _Dämlich Arschloch is most fortunate he cannot taste the leather of my whip from here_! Iris is as _bland as rice cake_ and _all_ Phoenix Wright got out of their relationship _was a stomach full of glass and metal_!"

"I know."

"The woman is completely _spineless, mindless_ _and_ good _for nothing_ whatsoever unless you're trying to convince her _to commit a felony on your behalf_!" Franziska was positively fuming now. " _How_ could that man leave _you,_ vivacious, funny, kind and loyal… For the _human equivalent of a paper clip?!"_

Maya choked back a horrified laugh, this time a genuine one, in spite of her misery.

"No wait, I would like to strike that previous testimony from the record! _A paper clip_ would imply she's actually _useful_ _for_ _something!_ " Franziska was only getting warmed up now. "What is _wrong_ with that blasted, foolish man? Did she _drug_ him somehow? Cast some sort of _voodoo love spell_? I refuse to believe that _any man in his right mind_ could forsake _you_ , the prestigious Kurain Master, an _unequivocal world-class beauty_ , for that _weeping willow of a woman_ , suffering from the worst-case I have _ever_ seen of _Backpfeifengesicht_ syndrome!"

"What the _hell_ does _that_ mean?" A helpless snort of laughter escaped Maya then. Franziska was just too much!

" _Backpfeifengesicht_ is a German term that literally translates into: _a face that makes you want to smack that person_! In Iris's case - she has a ' _face that should get a slap that whistles across the cheek_!' And _then_ some!"

"Franziska I beg of you, _please_ stop!" Maya fell back on the bed then, laughing so hard she could hardly breathe. "You're gonna _kill_ me!"

"Humph! Fine, we can _try_ to be adults about this," Franziska grumbled. "They say never feel bad if you see your ex with somebody else, because it is the _ultimate act of charity_ to give your _used goods_ to the _less fortunate_ …"

" _Stop_!" Maya howled, clutching her stomach.

"Oh come on, I find I'm rather enjoying this!" The gray eyes were dancing with laughter. " _You_ try it now! It's actually quite _fun_!"

"OK fine! If you insist! I… I hope Nick has gets _incurable erectile dysfunction_ , stemmed from the most _bland, boring, permanent missionary sex ever_ , with Iris!" Maya ventured, erupting into a fresh the giggles.

"You're still being too kind! _I_ wish that he reenacts that scene from _There's Something about Mary_ and yanks his zipper up too fast and at the wrong time!"

" _I_ hope bearing _his spiky-headed demon offspring_ leaves Iris with a flapping _hoo-ha_ as _loose as a caboose_ and his _man-thing_ feels like the equivalent of a _hot dog in a hallway_!"

" _That's the spirit_!" Franziska crowed, laughing herself now. "I hope whenever he tries to kiss her, he is _permanently haunted_ by mental images of _Larry_ instead! Or better still, images of Mr. Butz's _large, hairy butt_!"

Unable to go on a moment longer, the two women fell back onto the bed, laughing so hard that tears streamed out of their eyes.

"You're the _best_ Franziska." Maya finally sat up and beamed at her friend. "I _really_ needed that, you know."

"It _will_ get better," Franziska promised, her expression turning serious then. "Maya believe me, I _know_ of what I speak. At the time of great loss, your world gives way to sights and sounds of bleakness. It is as if you were walking in the street and a Mack truck ran you down, emotionally. The loved one is gone, whereas _you_ are still here. Moreover, you ask, " _How can that be_?" That loss will impact _every part_ of your _being_. Not only can you not think straight, your activities also run on automation. To call it " _walking in a daze_ ," doesn't even begin to approach the dark clouds that amass inside your skull. There is a mental tornado in there, which no one can see nor comprehend. One may " _shut down_ " for weeks, even months."

"Check, check, affirmative, and check!" Maya nodded vigorously. "That's _exactly_ how I've been feeling all this time! I _trusted_ Nick _completely_. I was _lost_ in his _lies_. The only thing that was there in the end, after _six years of hoping, and wishing, and waiting_ , was _betrayal_. It's slowly been seeping in how much of a fool I had been, living in my own dream world. I've floated away from the fake promises and reality until… I was just a lost star." She took a deep, shaky breath. "So how do I know _when, or if_ , it will ever get better?"

"Because _time heals all wounds_ , Maya. _Trust me_ on this one." Franziska met her gaze levelly. "The day will come that you will find that the loss gravitates into new reality. You'll realize you are not the only one to have ever suffered in such a manner, and you will acknowledge that this is not the last time you will encounter great loss. By that point, all memories connected to the lost one will become bitter-sweet. You can remember all the good times, relive them, and _still move on with your life_. You'll discover that this horrible experience has not crushed you; rather, you have been _enriched_ by it."

"You sound like Yoda," Maya smiled sadly. "I know there is a lot of wise intelligence behind those words… You don't become a _prodigy prosecutor at age 13_ by being a completely _foolish fool_." She playfully stuck out her tongue at Franziska. "However, in the meantime, until this wondrous day comes, what am I supposed to do?"

"You can stop beating yourself up for the way you feel, Maya, and accept the fact that it's OK to still love him. You were together for six years, and have only been apart for a couple of months." Franziska leaned over and patted her hand. "Phoenix Wright was not only your lover, he was your best friend, and essentially, your _daughter's father_. Don't be angry with yourself for being human. _Wir alle sehnen uns nach Streicheleinheiten_."

"Um, translation please?"

"It means we're _all_ in want of love and affection, which I know, in my heart of hearts, that someday you'll most definitely find. For now, take this time, Maya, and actually _get to know_ what _you're_ really all about. For almost 10 years, the only world you have ever known was one that revolved around Phoenix Wright. Now you are the prestigious leader of the village, and an adult. It's time for _you_ to discover _who Maya Fey_ really _is_ , as _I_ already know who she is."

"While that makes _one_ of us," Maya said dryly. "Who _am_ I then? _You_ tell _me_ , because _I_ have no earthly idea."

" _You are Maya Fey_ ," Franziska told her, smiling encouragingly . "A grown woman who can no longer be made to be a victim in life. She _alone_ is in charge of her own fate, her own destiny."

Maya mulled all of this over, and slowly, but surely, for the first time in forever, she felt somewhat at peace within her heart as the weight of her friend's words sink in.

"What about _you_ , Franziska?" She inquired. "You told me that Miles is going be gone for six months to a year. In the meantime, what do _you_ want to do with _your_ life now?"

Franziska heaved a great sigh and dropped her eyes down towards her lap. She was immensely happy to have cheered her friend up somewhat, and have given Maya genuine heartfelt and useful advice, on top of a few good laughs. Nevertheless, when the tables were turned, at that moment she suddenly felt like the shoemaker with no shoes. For the life of her, she could not muster a fitting answer to Maya's question.

"I don't know." She replied honestly, clenching her hands into fists and then unclenching them again over and over again. "I really don't."

"Don't give me that! Franziska, you're a _Von Karma,_ dammit!" Maya put her hand on Franziska's shoulder and shook her gently, forcing the other woman to meet her eyes. "How do you _not_ know what you want to do? You Von Karmas not only always _know_ what they want to do, they _move heaven and earth_ to make sure that they actually go out and _do_ it, and _do it better than anybody else_! Should that not work, they're resourceful enough to have _six or seven different but equally perfect plans_ to achieve said _perfect goal_!"

"I no longer strive for perfection Maya." Franziska laughed ruefully and shook her head. "Many years ago, I ceased attempting to be a cloned version of my perfectionist, victory-seeking father, because I came to the humbling realization that I was I neither perfect nor a genius. That knowledge freed me from the obsessive desire to be _anything_ like him, or what _he_ _thought_ our family name and creed stood for."

"The Von Karma creed, _to be perfect in every way_ ," Maya recalled. "This is something that is no longer of relevance to you then?"

"Not _in the least_." Franziska shook her head vehemently. "I don't like the person I was back then, when a perfect victory record was my sole _raison d'être_ , back before I realized that the prosecution path wasn't about winning, but uncovering the truth. Evidently, I wasn't alone in my self-loathing. To this day, I still remember the stinging words little Pearl said to me six years ago. ' _I don't like you. You're nothing more than a little girl without your whip'_ "

"Pearly was only a little girl the time and didn't know what she was saying. Please don't take that to heart. She didn't mean it."

"Whether she meant it or not, she was right though." Franziska crossed her arms and tightly clutched her sleeves. "I –I no longer wish to be seen as naught more than a cruel, heartless woman who abuses others with her whip in her determined quest for perfection."

"By admitting to your previous flaws, and knowing what you _no longer want to be_ , you have already taken giant leaps towards discovering who you _do_ _want to be_ and _what_ you _want to do_ ," Maya said softly. "You _do_ realize that, don't you?"

"By eliminating the impossible, we find the possible. Is that where you're going with this?"

"It's about where _you're_ going with this, Franziska." Maya's expression was earnest. "Listen to _me_ now. You and I, we are _a lot alike_. We _both_ were born into _legacies_ that maybe we didn't necessarily want, but the _die was cast_. Nevertheless, what we need to understand is that _we_ _are still the masters of our own fates."_

"You make it sound so simple." Franziska blinked back tears. "I wish it really _were_ as such, and that I could see life in the same positive light that _you_ do. Things would be so much simpler if only I could see only see _myself_ through those ever optimistic eyes of yours, Maya Fey."

"Franziska Von Karma, I didn't see _any_ light at the end of the tunnel, and had a dark cloud of gloom over my head, right up until I came to see _you_ today." Maya looked her steadily the eye. " _You_ have renewed my hope in everything."

"Hope?"

"Yes, _hope_. _That's_ what keeps you alive, gives you strength, and helps you to fight through every day. What do _you_ hope for? A better tomorrow? What would you do if you realized that you'll never get that? Would you just give up?"

 _I wish I could just give up; but deep down, the last remaining flicker of light within me, my dreams, my hopes, tell me not to,_ Franziska realized. _They help me to wake up every day. Maybe_ _ **that's**_ _what hope is - a distant star shining in the darkest sky. Not enough to remove the darkness, just enough to make you believe there's thousand more stars somewhere and all you have to do is find that 'somewhere.' Therefore, you keep fighting, ignoring the darkness that tries to stop you._

"No." Franziska finally spoke, and squared her jaw as a steely glint of determination flickered in her eyes. "Whatever happens next, I know I can't allow myself to be beat, because that would mean bowing to what fate says would be my lot in life, and accepting a path exactly like my father's. I know ultimately, _I am the master of my destiny_. I've already learnt that there is help in the world for a hard worker with the right attitude."

" _Thatta girl_!" Maya cheered, beaming excitedly. "Whatever your talent is, you need to go out there and change the world, make this a better place to be in. However, it's for different reasons than your father, who tried to change the world for selfish reasons; fame, glory, power. _You_ are brave, pure of heart and strong of spirit. We both may have inherited great responsibilities, but we also both _have the power to control our own destinies_ , and _turn them into something great_. But you can't achieve any of that sitting here cooped up, and in wallowing away in this mansion."

"You've made your point Maya Fey." Franziska leaned over and pulled the spirit medium into a warm, crushing embrace for a moment, then rose from the bed and threw back her shoulders. "I'm going to go make a phone call to a certain Wolfman now. He needs to know that I am finally ready to come back to work… But on _my_ terms, _not his_." She flashed her trademark confident grin. "After all, I _am_ a _Von Karma_!"

"A Von Karma born with the exact talents this universe needs to become further enriched, because _you're_ in it." Maya flashed her a thumbs up sign. "Use those strengths for justice, peace and a healing world, and know that I will _always_ be here, _believing_ in you, _rooting_ for you, _no matter what_."

Franziska's eyes glowed with warmth and affection as she regarded her friend, then gave her one last smile before she nodded her head and strode out of the room, once again resuming the assertive, self-assured gait Maya had always associated with the formidable German woman.

Sitting there, alone in that room, the Kurain Master reflected over everything she and her friend had discussed, and what revelations had come to light.

 _Even though the dawn is still some time away, there is a light in my heart that was missing just yesterday. Right now, it is a spark of hope, a ray of sunshine yet to be born, but it is there and I feel it. Perhaps that is optimism, the anticipation of good things to come. It is a feeling I haven't had in so long that if feels as foreign as it is welcome. However, in order for me to embrace the brightness of my future, I must finally be ready to let go of the shadows of my past. Therefore, the time has come for me to_ _ **make**_ _my heart go on, in order for me to keep moving forward, and never looking back, except to see how far ahead I've come. Moreover, while I will never understand_ _ **why**_ _Nick did what he did to me, it doesn't matter anymore. Phoenix Wright, wherever you are, I wish you well, as well as_ _ **farewell**_ _. It's time for the next chapter of my life to begin, even if is without you. I have at last come to accept that fact that_ _ **sometimes**_ _,_ _ **even the greatest love has to end, so your true destiny can finally begin.**_

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 98**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

It's interesting how there is not a lot of emphasis on the female nonfamily relationships in the way that the Phoenix and Miles friendship is in the ace attorney world. I literally sent Maya to Europe just so I could have some fun visiting the good professor as well as Franziska. :-)

I'm happy you like the many different faces of Maya, the smiley on the outside and weeping on the inside. I've tried very hard to keep her in character because that was exactly what she was like in the videogame, acting all bubbly and perky right after being kidnapped and still smiling and staying strong for the sake of her little cousin when her mother got murdered right front of her!

Now as for Nick and Maya rushing things… I'd like to think that three years of friendship, despite the suppressed romantic/sexual tension and many "almost" moments (like Gatewater), did give their love ample time to grow like a plant, so that when they finally got together at her birthday party, it would allow them to have had a free pass to basically hook up on what was their "first date/official first day of a couple", whereas possibly, that could have been seen as rushing for most other people, if that makes sense? As for their marathon boink-fests at the love shack… Considering they were unable to go out anywhere in public that was _nothing else for them to do_! XD

I'm really happy you don't find romantic fluff to be nauseating in my case dear friend, and I appreciate being the exception to the rule!

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _Poor_ Longines and his so easily misinterpreted salon name! (although not _literally_ , he'd never be able to afford Maya's six stomachs otherwise!) He makes Franziska's acquaintance for all of 30 seconds and she is already reaching for her whip! I think that might even beat Phoenix's record! XD

I hope you enjoyed this confession session chapter, I do like to try to emphasize the relationships between the characters beyond just the blood relatives and romantic, because right now more than anything these women need a shoulder to cry on! (literally _and_ figuratively in this sense!)

 **Ryszard**

I am happy you liked the chapter, and that I properly portrayed this country/capital city which I have unfortunately not been to yet! :-)

It totally sucks to hear about sexual attacks over something that supposed to be a joyous celebration! :(

I hope you did note that I do listen to you with your recommendations in this chapter regarding food! I really needed to add the part about Germany to show that despite Maya's aversion to traditional French and British food, she's not a hater of Europe and German food is awesome while I have not eaten it in the country itself I can personally vouch for that! Döner Kebabs ROCK!

To further show you _evidence_ of how I do take note to your suggestions… I do hope you read the next chapter… :-)

 **chloemcg**

While this chapter probably did reopen some wounds for the women, I do hope I managed to properly convey that the girls finding comfort in one another helped expedite the healing process faster than either possibly could've done on their own. Nobody should have to face what either one of these women have had to endure without a good friend, and I hope you enjoyed the portrayal of their friendship in this chapter :-)

I want to find a cute way to work the animal angle of the two puppies in there… And I thank you for the suggestion, although might be a little while into the story I do hope you stick around!

While I had a natural predisposition to like her, as her mother is my third favorite ace attorney character of all time ,what I find most charming about your original character of Bella, (aside from the adorbs description – surely any daughter of the lovely Pearl would be lovely!) is her almost mystical ability to charm everybody around her and turn them into a pile of goo!

Certainly all toddlers are cute, (however in my other short story Phoenix and Maya also have a cute toddler named Ace, who is two years old, and it's been pondered whether or not his spiky hair hides his demon horns!) but _you_ have created a character and portrayed her as so endearing, that she melted the hearts even of the soulless bad guys in your earlier chapters, and made Luke fall in love with her at first sight! Excellent job; it is very hard to create an OC that readers actually care about as the Canon characters are so incredible but power to you!

 **Yanmegaman**

I do believe after this chapter if Franziska had had but one wish, it would've been for Nick to eat whip! Of course there can be no drinking alone, Franziska is _European_ not an _alcoholic_! LOL

Although surely, if anyone deserves a nonjudgmental free pass to down a few after all they have endured, surely it would be these two daughters of destiny?

 **Chapter 97**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I'm happy you enjoyed the European tour! It seems like such a wonderful continent to live on, and once I am able to is the first place I want to go visit and I will once the Canadian dollars stops being so crap! (Sadly, I married a pauper, not a prince, so it may be not for a while – it's all good – he compensates for the slim pockets by having the soul the poet! LOL)

Dolphins are absolutely magnificent, I think everybody should have a chance to frolic with them at some point in their life, or at least see the majestic animals! :-)

This is a 100% case of totally mutual puppy love, and I assure you both Pearl and Luke are equally twitterpated! These two crazy kids already have continents to divide them, as a huge obstacle to contend with, so _I_ surely will not be adding any more angst to their union like I have with the other couples in the story! I hope you like them, because while they may have to try extra hard to make this long distance love work, I think they have what it takes to make it for the long haul! **Fey-T** is forever! :D

 **Chapter 94**

 **Sharpie**

You know it's really funny my first two fan fictions in this series were about 15 chapters each, and maybe 2000 to 4000 words in length maximum! Now there's so much story to tell that I feel like I'm ripping my readers off if I give them a 2000 to 3000 word chapter, and even had one of my readers comment on a recent 3000 word one that it felt short! Jeez… unbelieve I was once able to tell story in 15 chapters I think 15 chapters into _this_ story Phoenix had just gotten his job at the club! LOL

I don't know whether not to be happy or sad that I've given you a case of the feels! I have given Franziska a very hard time I know, but also because I know she's a tough girl and can handle it! LOL

I am so thankful in touch that you like my writing and think that I am a good writer :)

I write for a living, (boring corporate stuff so this fun fluffy fanfiction thing is my creative therapy/outlet!) So I have published work in the sense of articles and such for magazines in print and online and websites, but sadly, I am not yet published book author although that would be my lifelong dream! I've written a few short stories of my own creation but I don't even know a site we could put up stuff like that where someone would read it; if anyone knows of such a site please let me know!

 **Chapter 80**

 **Megaranger66**

I have missed you so! It's kind like eating a big box of Crackerjacks and then finally finding the surprise inside whenever I hear from you so, I shall savor this! LOL

I hope you enjoy the story of Phoenix and Maya's courtship, which in this story started around justice for all game as well as for Franziska and Miles. There should definitely be enough fluff there to give you cavity to atone for the previous sniffles! XD

Are you playing the justice for all game right now? Please feel free to let me know what your thoughts are in the game and if you can pickup the same vibe that I did that this may have been where their feelings for each other veered beyond the platonic! :D


	100. Englishman in New York

_Takes more than combat gear to make a man  
Takes more than a license for a gun  
Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can  
A gentleman will walk but never run  
_

* * *

 _A/N:_ _ **Chapter 100**_ _!_ _ **Holy crap, I'm a nerd!**_ _(readers who are still with me on this crazy train?! THANK YOU SO MUCH!)_

 _With this milestone chapter, I am very happy to tell you all that as of next week, we are back to Phoenix (and will be for some time - he's got a lot of explaining to do about where he's been at and where his head's at!) :D  
_

 _P.S. The beginning of this chapter kicks off with some... **steam**..._

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred:** **Englishman in New York**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _German Country Club, Germany  
_ German Thanksgiving

Franziska and Miles had had one hell of a singles tennis game that afternoon, but in the end, with the competitive pair both giving it their all, ultimately Miles had triumphed as the victor of the set and had blown his hot, sweaty, and semi-disgruntled lover a kiss before jogging off to the showers.

Franziska's face was still flushed pink from exertion as she lifted the damp hair off the back of her sweaty nape and wrapped a towel around her neck. She was still panting slightly from the intense workout as she trudged towards the locker-room, eager to get out of her sweaty tennis skirt and top, at the back of the club. Suddenly, she let out a startled gasp as she felt someone grab her by the arm and drag her into shower room just as she was about to walk past.

A warm hand clamped against her mouth before she could cry out in alarm, and looking up, she saw the familiar smirk of her fiancé, wearing nothing but his tennis shorts, smirking down at her as he hauled her up against him.

For an instant, Franziska was too surprised to react. She inhaled the warm, male scent of him. It acted like a powerful drug on her senses. She could feel the strength in his arms and the sleek power in his body. She could also feel the evidence of his desire in his close-fitting shorts.

Miles wanted her. _Right there, right now_. It looked like the tennis match had gotten him hot and bothered in more ways than one! Moreover, he certainly wasn't alone in his naughty urges. Despite being in a public place at that moment, Franziska felt the chorus of female hormones humming within her to burst into full-throated song.

" _Liebling_! What are you doing?" She protested faintly, even as her body arched against him as he deftly locked the door to the single room shower behind her.

"I'm claiming my _victory_ spoils, _meine dame_ ," he growled, a wicked glint in his eye. "And I trust you have no… _objections_?"

She laughed then, almost a purr, and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him down to her. His mouth was already lowering towards her, ever so slowly, and despite the semi-public location of this tryst, Franziska did nothing to stop him. She gasped a little at the first touch of flesh-to-flesh, and he took advantage, easing his tongue into her mouth slowly, deeply. She shuddered at the blatant carnality of it as she allowed herself to be caught in the pull of some incredible magnet, unable to draw away, unable to stop her body from responding as he tasted her.

Pressed back against the cool tiles, Franziska was in too much in a lusty daze to notice as Miles did that one-hand-over-the-head thing with her shirt, then his hands wandered to her back, seeking access, snapping open the clasp of her bra, and discarded both items to the cool tiled floor while reaching in to turn on the shower behind her. She quivered under his touch. The tightly loomed muscles of his back moved like cogs under marble, smooth skin. Everything about him screamed pleasure.

"I _want_ you, Franziska."

With his lust-stoked gaze, Miles tracked the motions of his hands down her sides to her hips, pulling her even more tightly against him. His eyes were dark with desire, her heated skin becoming even more alive beneath his smoldering gaze.

"I can't control myself when I'm with you." One finger traced the curve on her hip. "You're so beautiful. I can't get enough of you." He coasted his hands up her sides and rested a finger above her collarbone, feeling her thudding heartbeat beneath his fingertip.

Her spine had dissolved, leaving her useless, so thank God he took over. He gently pushed her back under the rainfall of showerhead above them, the hot jets enclosing them in a thick cloud of steam while the water drenched the bare, wet skin of her body, which writhed against for his, her pulse rate thudding into overdrive.

She gripped his shoulders and dug her nails into his skin, needing an anchor.

" _Miles_ ," she whispered into the vapor, feeling like she had entered a fevered dream. Feeling a reckless abandon she had never before experienced, knowing at any time, someone could come unexpectedly and try to use the shower and undoubtedly hear them, leaving no doubt as to what was happening behind that closed door.

Holding her steady, he pulled off her tennis shoes and socks then divested the remainder of the clothing, kissing her ears, throat, and shoulders, down to her smooth, flat stomach as he gripped her hips. The staccato of her beating heart thudded in her ears.

Miles kissed the side of her neck and Franziska was sure he could feel her pulse thumping. He moved away from her neck until his face was inches from her. His lips were so close but it was as though he was waiting for her to close the gap between them. Without hesitation, she leaned in just enough to make contact. It was all the invitation he needed. His hands left her hips only to move to the sides of her face and pulled her in kissing her hard, their mouths coming together and apart. They feverishly alternated top and bottom lips, unable to decide which way to kiss because everything felt so good and there was so much more they wanted to do. The air vibrated between them, the places they weren't yet touching. Every second slowed down until all she felt was the pulse in her neck quivering like hummingbird wings, so fast she needed to gasp. He waited until she was practically begging before gliding his tongue against hers. The now cold water falling from the shower, into their mouths and chilling both their tongues made a delicious contrast to the heat of their skin.

He broke away, kissing her one last time on that really sweet spot on her neck and stood straight, giving her a chance to catch her breath and appreciate his glistening, broad chest. Dark hair arrowed down his chiseled abs down to his treasure trail, blazing a path she yearned to follow with her fingers, her lips, her tongue. He was perfectly formed, all steel flesh, so beautiful that it simply hurt to look at him. His chest was heaving as he gazed at her.

"I _have_ to have you. Tell me you want me as much as I want you."

" _Miles Edgeworth_!" She whimpered. "Please, take me! _Now_!"

In one swift movement, he shucked off his shorts, and lifted her off the floor with little effort apparent in his raw, masculine strength, sucking the delicate juncture where her neck met her shoulder and in one swift movement, joined them together.

Their united groan reverberated against the tile, such a satisfying sound.

Such a _loud_ , satisfying sound.

Panic about how public this was warred with bone-melting desire. " _Liebling_ , someone might hear..."

His mouth fitted over hers, cutting off her words. A fiery, demanding kiss, as he took her higher. She pressed her forehead to his, her breath on his face as he stared into her contorted features as they moved in perfect synchronized rhythm, until Franziska's back arched and her body tensed digging her nails deeply into his shoulders as she went over the edge. Her sweet release triggered his own, and then he was gone, off into the careening nowhere. He lived for seconds in that soaring agonizing perfection. It was this, only this, he was lost to himself, he was no one, he was obliterated, there was no Miles Edgeworth at all, there was only…

" _Franziska_!" He heard himself gasp in ecstasy as he fell into a euphoric bliss, completely, lost, unmade.

" _Mein Gott! Miles, Miles, Miles_ …"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye**_  
 _Ty Warner Penthouse Suite, Four Seasons hotel, New York City  
_ November 11, 2025 12:00 PM

"Miles?"

Frustrated, Miles slammed down the receiver in his bedroom back into the cradle and raked an agitated hand through his jet-black hair.

"Miles?"

There it was again. A soft, sweet, feminine voice calling out his name.

 _No! It couldn't be real!_

There was no way he'd actually heard that sound, _no way_ it was the one which had been consuming his thoughts _every day and night for over the past six months_ , or his mind at that moment, while he'd been recalling a previous _steamy_ Thanksgiving, when Franziska Von Karma had given him _a lot_ to be thankful for!

Despite laying upon on a California King bed bearing Thai silk sheets in the $50,000 a night room (Miles had picked up the tab himself because he could _only_ have the best!), he hadn't slept a damn wink for the past three nights he'd been there.

His mind was playing tricks on him. There was nobody really calling his name. In his sleep-deprived state, he was surely hearing things. He knew his fiancée's voice, and was obviously so aching to hear it, it was overwhelming his every slumbering and waking thought.

 _Goddammit I am just not destined to hear my fiancée's voice except for in my torturous memories and dreams! Bloody hell! Where_ _ **is**_ _she?! Why can't I ever reach her? Not via email, and voicemail on both house and cell each and every time!_

" _Miles_?" Lana called as she stepped out of the lift. The 4,300-square-foot space occupied the entire 52nd floor of the building and had a private elevator that led guests directly to its stunning rooms, and as she stepped off the private elevator, it lead her into the living room of her colleague's enormous suite. "Where are you?"

Even though she'd seen the room several times, over the past few days – her own, much more modestly priced room was a few floors down within the hotel, which Interpol had readily agreed to pay for! –Lana couldn't help but marvel at the splendor of her cohort's accommodations.

Each detail — from the soft calfskin leather walls that lined the dressing room to the Chinese onyx stones that made up the bathroom — was created by international artisans. The living room featured high cathedral ceilings, diamond skylights, and a Bösendorfer grand piano, the restroom came with an infinity tub, a rain shower, and the sinks were comprised of semiprecious tiger's-eye stone. The suite also included a 24-hour butler, Rolls-Royce chauffeur, personal trainer, art concierge and a Zen room, equipped with a soothing waterfall, as well as a spa room for massages.

It was inside the 600-square-foot master bedroom where the Interpol Agent at last spotted the pensive looking "Maximillian Banks," who was staring sightlessly out the breathtaking 360-degree view of Manhattan and Central Park, visible from any of the suite's wall-to-wall windows.

 _New York is such a remarkable city. In spite of the countless times I have been here to the City that Never Sleeps, I still revel in the jungle of vast, extraordinary buildings that pierce the sky,_ he thought listlessly, still completely unaware of Lana's presence in the doorway. _The mobbed streets bear an atmosphere that is like a young child on a shopping spree in a candy store, filled with taxicabs and cars going back and forth in numerous directions, with the scent of exhaust surfing through the air. The roads aren't much more crowded than the permanently congested sidewalks, with people desperate to shop in the famous stores in which celebrities dwell. The voices of the never-ending attractions call out and envelop you in their awe, and although your feet swelter from the continuous walking, you find yourself pressing on with the yearning to discover the 'New York Experience'. I can see why so many get lost in their love for The Big Apple. I feel rather_ _ **lost**_ _myself as well …albeit for much more complex reasons…_

" _Earth to Max_!"

It appeared he wasn't hallucinating after all.

He jolted at the sound. At last, she had gotten his attention.

Miles distractedly turned away from the window, and stared at Lana, in her Debbie Dallas mode, as though he had never seen her before. Carlos and Jilly had supplied them for the week with the appropriate necessary attire, corresponding to the characters they were playing. In her skinny, black leather, pants, fitted cropped black motorcycle jacket, sleeveless white turtleneck sweater, and black and white stiletto ankle boots, Lana Skye was the picture-perfect definition of urban chic. A large pair of Jackie Onassis sunglasses, with an accompanying posh white handbag completed her look.

"Is that a Louis Vuitton handbag?" He asked idly. "Franziska has one just like it in black. Although I dare say, you're wearing _enough_ of that already."

"No kidding." Lana grimaced. "What _is_ it with these Manhattan folk having a need to dress like they are forever in _perpetual mourning?_ Moreover, why do they keep insisting that it's _fashionable_ to walk around looking like a _funeral undertaker…_ _year-round_?"

"Regardless, I'd say you are hence most adequately dressed for the occasion, _Ms. Dallas_ ," Miles smirked. "It _is_ Veterans Day today, so indeed a very somber occasion, you know. Besides, I thought you would be exultant that the cooler temperatures of The City this late in the year dictate that Debbie Dallas no longer needs to wear that _skimpy attire_ that you so loathe. I dare say this is _the most covered up_ I've seen you in ages. Truly, you look like a _lady_."

"You mean as opposed to all those other times, when I was forced to look like a _tramp_?" She shot back with a mock scowl. "I'm happy to see that you've got such a keen eye for women's fashion and ergo are at least on the ball in that sense. I've been calling your name for the last little while, and you didn't seem to hear me – it was like you were in another world!"

Miles cleared his throat and adjusted his double-breasted leather coat. His own Manhattan trendsetter ensemble, according to his stylist, was what the fashionable males were all about: a velvet black blazer, grey turtleneck shirt, black wool pants, and a pair of brogues, although truthfully, he would have been more comfortable in a suit.

"Apologies, Lana," he replied gruffly. "I profess I was slightly distracted, as I've tried round-the-clock to get a hold of Franziska, on copious occasions since we arrived here earlier this week, to _no avail whatsoever_. I think I am beginning to get quite worried."

"It's rough that you couldn't reach her." Lana looked at him sympathetically. "Especially since I know you and I haven't had a chance to contact _anybody_ this past half year! The one or two emails I did shoot Ema in the past were in between traipsing to the _half-dozen countries_ you and I have been shuffled off to, like doomed cattle! Has Franziska replied to _any_ of your emails, previously?"

"Unfortunately not." Miles frowned. "The last time I was able to send her an email would have been roughly when you were able to send one to Ema, which was when we are traveling from Verdunia to Santa Clara in the summertime. I remember it was one of the few times we were in between locations, while on this _cockamamie wild goose_ chase that _dastardly Ku_ has been sending us on! If Franziska has since changed her email address or phone number, I have no way of knowing, since you and I have been so deeply undercover with this blasted sting operation. Nevertheless, I would have thought she would've _at least_ left me a message, if nothing else, with our butler Hendricks back in Los Angeles, or even with the housekeeper at the estate! However, the _one_ time I managed to get through, Helga just stated that she just wasn't home and didn't know when she'd be back. It's been nothing but the answering machine when I've called from here ever since."

"Well, if she's leaving the house, it means she's not cooped up and wallowing anymore. Surely a good sign, don't you think?"

"I suppose." Miles shook his head, as though trying to clear it. "After our meeting today, maybe I'll try calling her sister, to see if she knows about Franziska's whereabouts. It's not like her to up and vanish like this. I hope I am perturbing about nothing. After all, I _did_ presage her that she and I may be unable to have _any_ contact this time around. Nonetheless, it is so peculiar that I can't reach her on either the house line, her private line or her cell phone."

"I think giving Katharina a call after we go and… _have salad_ is a great idea." Lana smiled and inclined her head. "Shall we get going? We need to leave now if we're going to get there in time. New York roads are gridlock at _all hours_ , and while this swanky suite entails complementary Rolls-Royce chauffeuring, I think it will be faster if we walk, as it's close by."

"Agreed. Showing up midday at a metropolis café in a luxury vehicle is definitely the kind of attention you and I _don't_ need right now," Miles nodded agreement and reached for his own aviator sunglasses. "But are you _sure_ you're going to be able to walk in those heels?"

"I assure you, Mr. Banks, if Carrie Bradshaw could traipse all over Manhattan in stilettos on _Sex and The City_ , so can I!" Lana winked. "Don't let the spike heels fool you, these boots were _made_ for walking, and that's _just_ what they'll do!"

As Lana and Miles continued on their journey, they were passed by the ongoing flow of pedestrians talking on their cell phones and drinking Starbucks while enjoying the city. The constant commotion of conversing voices raged up and down the streets as someone called for a fast taxi. A mixed sound of various music styles all banded together to form one wild tune. Despite the time, the hustle and bustle never came to a halt. There was a reason it was referred to as the City that Never Sleeps.

While accustomed to the quirky eccentricities of the city, Miles still couldn't help but shake his head at the _absolutely ridiculous_ names of the coffee shops they walked by on the way to their meeting.

 _Perkatory?! Bean Me Up, Scottie? Sacred Grounds? What kind of people would go to such places? Does this entire city have nothing for tea connoisseurs such as myself? Wait –_ _ **Tea'se Me,**_ _tea emporium?! Ngh! No thank you!_

New York was so different from his accustomed Los Angeles. While both cities had a vast, intricate, labyrinth of noisy, streets and alleys, the smells of The City were alien to Miles and that day, the chaotic fragrance set him on edge. Unlike LA, there was no tinge of earthy loam to the air, no fragrance of vegetative growth or heady warning when rain was due. The fumes from belching vehicles underpinned everything, but punching right out of it would be the spicy offerings of the street vendors, coming sharply into focus like a camera zoom and then ebbing away again; only to be replaced by the next vendor and the next.

The various mouth-watering aromas of the many restaurants passed through his nostrils, making him nearly crave the "street meat" from one of the numerous vendors of the NY Hot Dog, calling out to passers by, but then decided to pass.

"Considering how last night's operation was a _complete_ bust, I'm surprised you're still able to be so chipper, Ms. Dallas," Miles grumbled as he and Lana neared the café. "You know that I know that you know that I know that this trip has been _nothing_ but a complete waste of our time!"

"Easy there, _Groucho!_ " Lana's beautifully made up eyes twinkled with laughter. "You and I have been one another's sole companion for over the last six months, so I'm happy to let you vent if needed about how frustrating this operation has been, but _one_ of us has to try to be positive right? I know we haven't had any luck so far with any of the people or locations that Ku has been directing us to, but I'm still doing my best, regardless, to stay optimistic, and _you_ should too. Have faith in Interpol!"

"Well fine, you can play the Pollyanna, but I don't care _what_ you say, Lana." Miles scowled at his coworker and folded his arms across his chest, already impatiently tapping his famous forefinger against his arm as he trotted on. "I am starting to despair that it is just _not in our destiny_ to ever find this bloody kingpin who keeps eluding us!"

" _Ku_ was the one who gave us the leads not me," she reminded him. "I'm just as much the dark as you, and I'm on this here crazy train riding _just as blindly_ as you are!"

"I think _this_ is the place," Miles murmured, looking at the sign of the quaint little coffee shop before them. " _Brewed Awakening_?"

"No, this isn't it." She shook her head. "Although I _do_ remember it started with a _B_." She looked over across the street. "There it is! And that must be _salad bar boy_ sitting in the window seat of _Bean There, Drank That."_

" _Who names these places_?" Miles let out a soft groan as they crossed the street. "I truly hope this tête-à-tête at least goes better than the events of other night."

"I guess you wouldn't be up to experience that sort of _Deja Bre_ w?" Lana quipped, and then shrank back against his disapproving glare. "Sorry! Christ, Max, you are _such a grump_! Let's get some coffee into your system to _perk you_ _up_ , ASAP! I'm _this close_ to injecting it into your _veins_!"

" _Très_ _drôle_. Better make _yours_ a _decaf_ , funny lady," he muttered darkly as he held open the door to usher his friend inside. "I am uncertain if I can handle such _rapier wit_ should you be augmenting it with the additional pep of a caffeinated beverage!"

Lana's tinkling laughter matched the sound of the bells chiming on the door as they walked into the café.

* * *

 ** _Damien Cain_**  
November 11, 2025

Damien Cain eyed the weapon with bleak black eyes, those of a hunter framed in the passionless face of an executioner. His blunt hands were steady as they lifted the gun and tried a dry shot at an imaginary target. He nodded to himself. He was ready. Carefully, he laid the rifle down on the mattress, which covered the floor of his firing point, and looked out through the hole in the brickwork to the narrow canyon of the street below.

Damien Cain was not his real name. His black, greasy hair was fake, as were his glasses, mustache, and uneven teeth. He looked fifty years old, but he was actually closer to thirty. Nobody knew his true appearance any more than the man's real name, but in the business he was in, a name was the last thing he could afford. He was known merely as "The Gentleman," and he was one of the highest-paid and most successful contract killers in the world. He had been given his nickname because he always sent flowers to the family of his victims.

Despite that fact, he maintained a cool detachment to his targets. Mostly he preferred not to think of them, but when he did, it was as if they were already dead - walking meat bags waiting to be dispatched to the butcher. He preferred to think of them as meeting their destiny, and he was merely the conduit. Everyone had to die sometime, and he considered it a good way to go. No illness, no drawn-out goodbyes. They were just happy and oblivious one second, and gone the next.

Simple. Convenient. Painless.

He cycled through the jobs he'd been offered in the last week, killing the boredom by selecting his next employer. There was more than money to consider. The city was important; if there was a favourite girl of his there, the job was as good as taken. He recalled this offer for New York and smiled. The Big Apple meant time with Lissianna.

His smile had barely set on his weathered skin when the mark appeared.

He assumed the position, the crosshairs locked onto the position on the sidewalk. Cursing, he shifted slightly and moved into the prone stance again, his sharp, unwavering eyes fixated on the target. Nothing. He flicked to his infrared. He saw ten possible targets down below; then a man walked towards the small coffee bar. However, he couldn't tell what gender or who it was. With infrared, he could only tell the difference between a cow to a human to a chicken. Cursing, he flicked back to his regular scope _. Now_ he could clearly see the target on the busy street below, but now _everyone and their dog_ seemed to be determined to get in his way, milling ant-like on the grey concrete.

 _Shit_!

He slowly, carefully, slid into better stance.

 _Goddammit_!

Yet _another_ figure was standing in front of the mark now, and blocking his shot! If he assassinated the wrong target, he would be promptly fired.

He couldn't afford to make such a mistake. He only had one chance, and he couldn't afford to fuck it up. He'd need to wait for another opportunity to later arise, but that was fine.

He could wait.

The target would have to come out again, _eventually_ , and when they did, Cain would be waiting. _Patiently_. It was par for course, and it was why he the best in his field.

People had no idea about the grim reality of his job other than what they had seen it in the movies – the sniper in the prone position, ready to fire. They didn't realize the stealth, the precision, the _arduous predatory waiting for the prey_ that was also entailed.

He had been set in place for nearly an hour and his neck muscles were fit to spasm. It felt like his elbow had melded to the damp blacktop roof and at times, he always wondered if his legs wouldn't work when it was time to pack up and ship out. Once the target was down, he was going to have to haul ass to get out before the place was swarmed with cops. While on paper, the job sounded exciting, the reality was hours of tedium and pain, followed by an adrenaline-filled escape that lasted all of ten minutes or less.

He smiled cruelly, but it refused to reach his bloodshot eyes.

 _It's all still_ _ **completely**_ _worth it.  
_

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye**_  
 _Bean There, Drank That, New York City  
_ November 11, 2025 1:00 PM

Despite spending the last half hour in his company, Miles still had no idea what to make of the undercover Interpol Agent sitting at the coffee shop table across from him and Lana.

Here was a man that was every bit as no nonsense and badass as Detective Badd and Agent Lang combined!

To the prosecutor, it seemed as though Romein LeTouse was the kind of Agent who'd been born in a suit. He had never been a baby or an infant; he'd come out readily into the world as a serious man, with a serious gun, who had rolled off the Borginian assembly line.

LeTouse had the standard issued broad, squared shoulders and prerequisite athletic build required of Interpol Agents. His features bore the ubiquitous number of strong dominant surfaces of Slavic men: a commanding bone structure, heavy brows, a nose that appeared to end in a blunt plane rather than a point. His was a harsh, long-boned face, tapering to a squared chin, with widely dark spaced eyes with a slight drop of the left eyelid. The most telling features were his ears, slightly swollen and disfigured ears to convey the large man had seen his share of fights during his life.

The agent had a neatly trimmed brown beard and moustache, and spoke with a baritone voice and clipped legalistic words. Life had no colour for him, no shades of grey either; it was all black/white right/wrong legal/illegal. When he wasn't preparing perfect paperwork, he was chasing down criminals with that action-man run of his. Lang had revealed that the man clocked more hours than any of the rest of the Borginian Agents. He was the perfect Interpol Agent, but Miles was still guarded around him.

 _It's not that I think he is a bad person or anything. Lang trusts him, therefore I should too. However, it's not so easy for me. I just didn't trust anyone without a visible weakness. It makes me wonder if it's all a facade over something less stable, less honorable..._

"Just so we're clear," Miles spoke now. "You have been investigating the _same matter_ that we've all been from your home of Borginia?"

The large Agent nodded. He was a man of few words, literally the strong silent type, which Miles generally respected, but there was still _something_ about the man that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Something that made it nigh impossible to feel _fully_ comfortable around him.

Of course, there was a very high possibility that Miles Edgeworth simply had a difficult time dealing with another alpha male in his general presence, which would certainly explain his previous history of initially butting heads with Agent Lang himself! After all, who was more _alpha male_ than the _Wolfman_ himself?

"It _does_ make sense _Max_ ," Lana broke in pointedly, giving him a _look_ to remind him that while the noisy crowded atmosphere of the coffee shop would have made it very difficult for any planted bugs to overhear anything of relevance, they were indeed _still in a_ _public place_. "After all, the _desired items_ are being _imported_ from _his_ home country."

The Agent nodded again. His face was stern, even a little melancholy, in repose, which was transfigured when he smiled, even though the gesture aimed at the brunette was supposedly intended to be friendly.

"I can appreciate that, Debbie." Miles give a strained smile. "I would just like to know _why_ , as the _two key leads_ in the middle of all _this_ , _we_ have not been made aware of the Borginian involvement up until now."

"The answer to that is simple, Mr. Banks." LeTouse maintained the same steady but slightly ironic gaze he seemed to be reserving especially for Miles. "I am a local Agent. Ms. Dallas is not and _you_ are not even an _official Agent of any magnitude_. Therefore, this information was classified due to compartmentalization."

"Fine." Miles replied stiffly and clutched his nearly empty teacup. "So _what exactly_ are you proposing then, and why did you want to see me and _Ms. Dallas_?"

"First, I want to hear about all your given leads and where you have been these past six months so we can all compare notes, and I figured it was best to do it in person. I do not trust phones," LeTouse answered, his fingers held straight, as if their aerodynamic form could conceivably make a difference. "Secondly, I want to give the two of you advance notice to figure out amongst yourselves who will be my asset on the ground in Europe, and who will be my ground asset in the States. If we are going to proceed with my operations plan, I will need someone in both countries. Today's meeting is because Lang assured me the two of you are the best assets Interpol has, who also know the preliminaries of the case."

"Agent Lang is going to let us decide amongst ourselves?" Lana gestured to herself and then Miles.

"Correct," LeTouse nodded. "Now, if _I_ had to choose for you two, ultimately I would select _Mr. Banks_ to go to the States, because he has the connections and contacts there. But ultimately, the choice is yours entirely. The next course of action is that I am to become the manager, bodyguard and interpreter for the singer Lamiroir when her worldwide tour starts next month, and will be accompanying her to the States next summer. My American ground asset, of course, will have to be stationed there a few months prior, to assure everything is in order for our arrival."

"I'm confused," Lana furrowed her brow in confusion. "What on earth does some international _diva_ have to do with this operation?"

"I'm afraid that is classified information as of right now," LeTouse replied firmly. "However, I would very much like to hear what the two of you have been up to in the meantime, especially pertaining to your actions here in New York."

"Before we commence, might we take a quick break?" Lana asked quickly. "I just need to use the ladies room and I'll be right back."

"No problem." LeTouse rose from his chair to his full 6'3" height. "I will take this opportunity to excuse myself as well. Mr. Banks, I will be back shortly."

Miles nodded absently, already reaching into his breast pocket for his cell phone. He figured he would use this impromptu break to try to call Katharina. However, he would need to go outside, as the noisy din of the coffee shop made it nearly impossible to even hear _himself think_ , never mind catch word of the person next to him, which he supposed was the reason the Agent had selected the nondescript venue in the first place.

He headed out the door, shooting Lana a quick text that he would be back in just a moment. Once outside, he then paced the front window area of the coffee shop like a caged panther while he anxiously awaited to see if there would be an answer at the other end of the line. He was utterly engrossed with the phone call, while simultaneously focusing on keeping one eye cast towards the coffee shop window to see if Lana and the Agent had returned to the table yet.

The preoccupied Miles Edgeworth never thought twice about the fact that his back was turned to the busy, noisy street behind him.

* * *

 _ **Damien Cain  
**_ November 11, 2025

To the assassin, it was just like another day in the office. Except his office was presently a windy rooftop, overlooking his target's location on the street down below. His tools, rather than a computer, were a state-of-the-art rifle with telescopic lens. On the point of firing, he remembered the ruddy great big silencer - a rookery mistake. He unscrewed it and re-aimed. There was no need for a silencer, the noise would be lost in the droning of the traffic below and most likely mistaken for a backfiring van. He checked the wind speed and the distance and adjusted accordingly. He took aim with no more qualms than one would gossip about a colleague. There was a slight thud as he turned the safety off, and then squeezed the trigger, all while thinking of the coffee he would order at Starbucks afterwards and his mind refocusing on Lissianna.

The mark, who up until then had had his back towards Cain, suddenly turned around and faced the street, his expression unreadable from the distance, as he appeared to be looking at the phone in his hand.

The assassin took his aim and fired.

The bullet spat out of his rifle. It hit the man squarely in the chest, propelling him backward in an awkward cartwheel. The man fell back onto the pavement. For a few seconds, he appeared to be looking up at the sky, as if trying to admire it one last time, right before the black waves folded over him.

Damien Cain took his time packing his equipment into an inconspicuous rucksack.

The sniper took no satisfaction in the killing, but he took enormous pride in getting a good clean kill. He had a reputation to maintain and that reputation guaranteed his exorbitant fee.

 _One shot. One kill.  
_

* * *

 _ **Detective Tyrell Badd  
**_ November 11, 2025

Earlier in time, during his younger police days, Tyrell Badd had been partaking in surveillance and was hidden high up in a tree, waiting motionlessly for the culprits to wander into the forest clearing where he was stationed nearby. However, at one point, the big man had lost his footing as a branch snapped beneath his burly weight, and the Detective had fallen ten feet to the ground, landing with a heavy thud on his back. Miraculously, he had broken neither his spine nor any limbs in the fall, but the impact had still knocked every wisp of air from his lungs, and he'd lain there in shock at what had just happened, completely supine on the ground, struggling to inhale, to exhale, and to do anything.

That was how Badd felt now, trying to remember how to breathe, how to speak, for that was how gobsmacked he was as the name uttered to him on the other end of the line ricocheted around inside his skull. His mind was sent reeling, unable to comprehend or process the conveyed information. It had been delivered as such a shocking blow that it had caught him rather low, making him nearly short of breath and unable to respire. He sat rigidly in his chair, as paralyzed as an actual winded man, and drew upon all his will to prevent himself from gasping.

Through his parted lips, he drew a tiny controlled gasp.

" _What the hell do you mean_ , _**he's dead**_?!"

 _ **Sting - Englishman In New York**_

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 99**

 **Yanmegaman**

 _By the way, I'm still having issues with my app, and my computer seems to be having a spaz attack, so I'm kinda left with no choice but to leave my review for chapter 99 here. I'm kinda torn between being happy for these two helping mend each other's broken hearts and just laughing my ass off at them bonding over bashing Iris! The thought of Franziska calling Ms. Hawthorne the human equivalent of a paper clip and a rice cake in her angry german accent is gut bustingly hilarious!_ _Can't wait to see what's in store for chapter 100!_

I am so sorry the technology is not being your friend and therefore not allowing my readers to read your normally hilarious and insightful reviews, which you thoughtfully decided to send to me personally therefore I am still going to apply to publicly because even if technology is not your friend, YOU still are and you're awesomesauce! :D

Yes I kind of figured that your "fondness" for Iris would entail great amusement by my usage of not only one but two of your more colorful descriptions of the nun that stole Nick away from Maya! LOL

Don't we all need a friend like Franny? Not necessarily an angry German, but just that girlfriend who gets mad _for_ you and be willing to punch out anyone that ever hurt you (or in this case, whip to death anyone that has ever hurt you), and will sit there and bash your ex until you have no choice but to laugh until tears come out of your eyes? Somehow I felt Franziska would be _that_ kind of girlfriend, which was just what Maya needed! Glad you approved, and I also want to personally thank you, my dear friend, for being one of my most loyal readers throughout this crazy 100 chapter ride! :-)

 **chocolaterox**

There are no words to describe how touched I am by your review. Sadly, a lot of us are not strangers to broken hearts - I was in a situation not too dissimilar to yours before I met my husband, and it was only when I found solace in my girls (sadly none of them offered to lash him with their whip like Franny did...in my state of mind at the time, I'd have let it happen! lol) that I finally was able to mend my heart and give it to the man who was worthy of it. I am so happy my chapter was somewhat cathartic to you, (this one took me nearly three days to get Wright!) and I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read and review.

 **Ryszard**

 _Mein herzliches Dankeschön guter Herr_ for recommending the song which is the title of this milestone chapter! The lyrics were absolutely perfect for my chapter quote, and I love getting my musical and cultural tastes further enhanced and explored by great readers like you! Thank you for still being with me!

Well Fredgeworth is not gonna be around for a little bit because this is indeed Nick's, and (to a marginal lesser degree), Maya's story, and as of next week we get right back into Phoenix's point of view and we shall see what will/has kicked his ass more… _Leben_ , _schlechtes Karma,_ _verschiedenen Fey Verwandten! XD_

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _Muchas gracias mi amiga dulce,_ not just for sticking around this long, but also thank you personally for a lot of the ideas and inspirations you have given me for this story. At first glance Franziska and Maya appeared to have nothing more in common than their age, but as I probed deeper into their characters and try to expand them a bit, I found they they really aren't that dissimilar!

That was a very difficult chapter for me to write because I knew it would be sad and I have put my readers through enough angst already, but that being said I am so pleased to you appreciated the emotional aspect of daughters of destiny!

You are very blessed to have a friend that is so dear. I have that fortune myself, sometimes a great girl friend can be more of a comfort that our partners because it's all about that woman to woman connection.

We all need a friend who will literally and figuratively give us a shoulder to cry on, and let's face it, even though both these girls are tough cookies, they have more reason to cry than most of us! Forget my story adding to their suffering… Canon wise, if I had gone through half of what Maya Fey has gone through, I would probably have jumped off that bridge myself by now! LOL

I think a few of my readers actually do read the other comments, and most of us have been through a brutal breakup at some point, so please regale us with what this life-changing movie was _por favor?_

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

At this point in the story, considering Franziska is channeling her own anger and frustration at life on top of her genuine empathy for what Phoenix did to her dear friend, if I were to put these two together at this moment… There _would_ be blood! LOL

But yes Phoenix does need a good lashing at this point either the whip or tongue variety will do! XD

The Apollo Justice timeline is looming right now… his story kicks off in April 2026 and we are now and of 2025, in the story itself I would say we will see Mr. justice by and of month/early March. I hope you guys like the way I write him because he's not a character that I have normally written!

I'd also like to sincerely thank you again for the stories you have dedicated to me and for saying that I have helped inspire your writing in any way. It means a lot, and thank you for still being with me on this crazy train so far in! :-)

 **Chloemcg**

Maya let a lot of weight go off her chest in the last chapter, so coupled with the strength and support of Franny, we will definitely see things looking more on the up and up for her. For the Franziska lovers out there, I just want to say she may be "off-screen" for a little while but definitely is not forgotten as she is my secondary heroine in the story! (She's only off-screen because we switch to Nick's point of view as a next week!)

Thank you very much for the faith that everything will be alright eventually… I figure my readers have been with me now for 100 chapters and over 400,000 words… At this point if you guys still don't trust me, I don't know what else to say! LOL

I hope you appreciated this milestone chapter milady and I appreciate the congratulations I eagerly anticipate chapter 100 of your wonderful story… And here's my chance to return the favor for all the times you have plugged to me…

 _Guys for a story that has more twists and turns than the Matterhorn at Disney, with essentially every ace attorney character in the game, check out_ _ **rise of the fallen**_ _by_ _ **Chloemcg…**_ _she is not only a gracious and loyal reader and reviewer, but one hell of a writer! :-)_


	101. Another One Bites the Dust

_"_ _The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: I use this voice recognition program called Dragon which allows me to crank these out a lot faster, and is generally pretty awesome, but of course it's not 100% accurate so apologies in advance if in my rush to hurriedly post these chapters, (usually done at the most ungodly of hours!) my replies to you guys despite my efforts, may not be as_ _ **meticulously edited**_ _as the story itself!_

 _As I said before, next week he we are back to Phoenix… very important for my readers… To minimize confusion (although I am always happy to answer/clarify!) from this chapter onward, please take heed to the date and times, because there will be a lot of time and date jumping. :)  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred One:** **Another One Bites The Dust**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye**_  
 _Huxi Manor, Borginia  
_ November 2, 2025 7:30 PM

Say what you wanted about Wa Sing Ku, but the man sure knew how to throw one _hell_ of a party!

Lana was still as impressed by the luxurious estate as she had been the first time she'd seen it. It'd been so long since her last visit that she'd nearly forgotten the splendor and magnificence of the mansion. After all, the previous two times she'd been there, she'd been first _drunk off her ass_ , and then high on _angel dust!_

When Debbie Dallas and Maximilian Banks had been invited to what was now the residence of both Wa Sing Ku and Wong Li Tsong, for the couple's engagement party, the two had been uncertain what to expect. However, neither had anticipated much more than a small, intimate gathering, comprising of the standard rubbing elbows, inane polite conversation, canapés that would be more pleasing to the eye than palate, (like caviar and pâté) and copious amounts champagne, which Lana knew from the last time would consequentially make her terribly hungover the morning after.

Both Lana and Miles had been pleasantly surprised to discover their assumptions had been incorrect, and that Ku had spared no expense to ensure his engagement soiree included delicious food far beyond customary, undersized, and tasteless hors d'oeuvres. The guests were privy to feast on sublime Oysters with Bacon Mignonette, Roast Beef Tenderloin with Cognac Butter, Carrot Mash with Crème Fraîche and Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Slow-Fried Shallots, finished off with superb Champagne Gelatin with Peaches and Plums for dessert. The servers, all young male model types, were immaculately dressed in white dinner jackets, moving wordlessly to and from the table, keeping the platters and glasses full.

After dinner, the shindig moved over to the recreation room. A dance floor and bar, complete with a bartender, had been set up. However, Miles was in pure _stick up ass_ , undercover mode. He absolutely refused make himself look undignified by " _thrashing alongside these drunken fools, while looking like I'm having some sort of seizure!"_

Ergo, yet _again_ , Lana had had to take one for the team, and agree to dance with the ever overly eager Ku when he had dragged her to the dance floor, insisting that as the "host with the most" it was his _duty_ "to dance with his most beautiful guests."

Under Li's hawk-eye, Lana had endured an agonizing hour of trying to appear as if she was enjoying shimmying and shaking her moneymaker. At the same time, she also had to simultaneously, but not too obviously, fend off the nearly married, _but nowhere near_ _tamed_ drug lord's salacious advances, which he tried to disguise _as dance moves_.

Miles had been amiably chatting and mingling in the meantime, and had merely shrugged helplessly upon seeing the look of desperation in Lana's eyes. She glowered at him and mouthed, " _You owe me big time!_ "

Finally, unable to withstand another deplorable moment of the obscene Asian man's clammy paws "grazing" her bottom, while trying to grip her hips, Lana had at last excused herself, insisting she needed to rest her aching, stilettoed feet, and had made a beeline to the bartender.

The brunette bombshell leaned on the bar, her long russet hair tossed over one shoulder of her crystal-beaded, crimson mini dress. She lolled her head to one side, plumping her red pout ever so slightly. She wasn't at all drunk, but as part of her bimbo façade, needed to give the impression that she was. After all, in the presence of a harmless, drunken party girl in their midst, people tended to let their guard down and be more loose-lipped.

The young mixologist was there to take her order in a flash, eyes dropping immediately to her low-cut neckline. She twiddled her hair in a seemingly absentminded way and giggled girlishly before ordering a Dirty Martini, glad that she'd practiced drinking sexily from a stemmed glass filled with just water back at her hotel in front of the mirror. While she awaited her drink, she cast a smoky-eyed glance around the room. Over in the corner, she spotted Miles chatting with the newly engaged couple, Ku having finally disentangled himself from bumping and grinding with his latest unsuspecting female guest to rejoin his betrothed's side.

Lana knew she had to go join them, and steeled herself for another uncomfortable round of lascivious leers, and "accidentally on purpose" pawing. Enough was enough! Hell, she had _done_ her time! There was only _so much_ degradation she could withstand in the name of undercover duty, and if her host could not make himself act like a respectable, almost married man around his female guests, even in the presence of his fiancée, then he could bloody well find himself _another target_! In a flash of inspiration, Lana decided her best bet was to act as though she was too unsteady on her feet to withstand another round of being spun around – aka _molested_ – on the dance floor!

The Interpol Agent awarded the bartender with an appreciative grin as she grabbed her glass. She then feigned a rather convincing drunken wobble while staggering over to the trio and sidling over to Miles' side.

The good news was that Ku appeared to be in high and amiable spirits, and hopefully, had _consumed enough spirits,_ to give them the information they needed, so they could finally get the hell out of there. She hated the way the kingpin ogled at her whenever they were around him, and it bothered her even more that Li's presence that night had done nothing to quell his former bachelor habits.

As she joined them, Lana ensured she made a big show of needing support by slightly stumbling, then grabbing onto Miles' arm and leaning her hip against his side, while smiling congenially at both Ku and Li. With a knowing smirk, Miles agreeably wrapped a welcoming arm around her shoulder and graciously inclined his head towards her, all the while maintaining a steady stream of conversation with the duo.

The future groom-to-be was as impeccably groomed as ever, dressed to the nines in a custom-tailored, designer black suit, which rivalled even the one Miles was wearing that night. The bride-to-be was looking as pretty as a picture in a strapless, floor-length, coral mermaid gown, her beautiful black hair, curled for the occasion, flowing down to her waist in inky waves.

"So how are you doing, _lovebirds_?" Lana trilled. "Congratulations again! When is the big day?"

"Couldn't be soon enough!" Ku chortled loudly and gave his fiancée a squeeze around her slender shoulders. Li appeared to stiffen slightly at the gesture, but did not turn away from the embrace. "This _stallion_ cannot wait to _saddle up his mare_ and create a whole new stable of _fillies_!"

There was an uncomfortable silence following the audacious statement. Even Miles, _the logic chess master of words for every occasion_ , was rendered speechless.

 _What the_ _ **hell**_ _did he just say?!_

Lana stared at the drug lord incredulously. Surely, Ku had to be as _drunk as a skunk_ or _high_ _as a kite_ to be speaking of the woman he was to marry in such a crude manner, and _right in front of her_ , no less?! The Agent then cast a stealthy glimpse at the Asian beauty to assess her reaction.

Upon hearing the unseemly statement, Li, whose pink, embarrassed face now matched her dress, gave a strained smile, although she made no reply to her fiancé's abominably crude response. Then, as though sensing Lana's observant eye, she forced her full lips into a bigger, more convincing, grin in her direction. The Interpol Agent readily returned the gesture, however internally, her former detective's mind was already pondering if _genuine_ _happiness_ was applicable to both halves of this particular union.

 _Perhaps 'smile' isn't the right word for it – the top row of teeth are showing, and there's a faint curve to the lips, but there's no crease below those eyes, no movement of the cheeks. On anyone else, it would be a_ _ **grimace**_ _, at best. Nevertheless, Li's always been your stereotypically stoic Asian! Perhaps on_ _ **her**_ _face, this_ _ **is**_ _an actual sign of bliss?!_

"My fiancé has quite a sense of humor," Li finally murmured, beaming even more brightly as Ku chortled loudly at the reply, and barely flinched as he gave her a hearty slap on the backside. "In answer to your question, Ms. Dallas, we are thinking of a small, intimate ceremony, sometime during the holidays, over in Hong Kong, where both of our families reside."

" _I_ wanted to get married right here in Borginia, alongside all of my dearest friends and associates, with a splashy affair that would rival even Prince William's!" Ku declared, planting a big, juicy kiss on his fiancée's cheek, oblivious to her discretely dabbing the wet mark on her face afterward. "But the future Mrs. Ku here is a traditional girl, of good, old-fashioned, Chinese values, and insists on our families being present."

Lana studied Li's reaction, wondering if the demure, reserved Asian was at all discomfited by her fiancé's overly effusive disposition, or if she had merely imagined her adverse reaction earlier. At the moment, though, the other woman's face was benignly placid as she nodded her agreement.

"The wedding is still over a month away, so until then, _I_ am still open for business, however you see fit, Mr. Banks." As usual, Ku was a subtle as a Mack truck. "In the meantime, I do hope the two of you enjoy your visit to the Big Apple next week."

" _New York_?" Lana looked at Miles in wonder. Apparently, Max Banks had gotten the information they were seeking after all. Perhaps suffering the Chinese lecher's groping attempts this time around had not _completely_ been for naught!

"Look at that, Ku, you spoiled my surprise!" Miles chuckled ruefully and shook his head at the couple. "I have not had a chance to tell Debbie here that I was going to whisk her away to The City whilst paying _your friend_ a visit!" At that moment, the music changed to the melancholic, yet haunting tune, "Again," and several couples were milling to the dance floor, already.

 _A sacred gift of heaven_  
 _For better worse, wherever_  
 _And I would never let somebody break you down_  
 _Until you cried, never_

"Apologies, Mr. Banks, Ms. Dallas, for letting the cat out of the bag so soon!" Ku apologized blithely, already reaching out to grab Lana by the arm. "My associate will be most agreeable to help you out, seeing as how he could use the extra money to finance his own upcoming nuptials, not to mention that _surely splashy bachelor party_ he will be having!" He turned to Lana with his customary leer. "This is a wonderful song, Ms. Dallas. Would you do me the honors?"

Lana's eyes widened in alarm. Bad enough to endure the horny Asian's attempted wandering hands during the _fast tracks_ , but the idea of him using the ballad as an excuse to clasp her body close to his, while slithering his palms up and down her form, made her feel slightly queasy.

 _All of my life_  
 _Where have you been_  
 _I wonder if I'll ever see you again_  
 _And if that day comes_  
 _I know we could win_  
 _I wonder if I'll ever see you again_

"Oh but this is such a _sweet, romantic_ song," she interjected, and smiled hopefully at the impassive-looking Li. "I'm sure your beautiful fiancée wouldn't mind being taken for spin on the dance floor in my stead."

"It is no bother to me, Ms. Dallas," Li demurred, bowing her head slightly in submission. "I'm afraid I must excuse myself now, as I'm neglecting my hostess duties. Enjoy the rest of the party."

And off she went, taking Lana's _one viable excuse_ to refuse with her!

Miles didn't need the urging of Lana's fingernails digging into his arm this time around to get the hint.

"As flattered as I am that you find dancing with my companion so delightful, I must _insist_ that _I_ be Debbie's dance partner for this most _personally meaningful_ song." The smile never left Miles' face as he spoke to Ku. "If you'll excuse us, please."

Then, not even giving the Asian man an opportunity to reply, Miles proceeded to take Lana by the hand as they joined the throng of swaying couples on the floor, one strong arm around her waist, while the other held her hand. She seized the opportunity to appear to be nuzzling his ear, even as she whispered furiously into it.

"Thanks for saving me _this_ time, _Max_!" She hissed. "Why couldn't you have done that the rest of this evening, when I was held captive in Ku's clasp, as a true and proper _gentleman_ would've done?! And if you dare say it's because _I am no lady_ , you are getting _a boot to the head,_ Buster!"

"Calm yourself, _Debbie_." Miles tightened his grip on her and appeared to be burying his face in her hair as he murmured his response. "There were a couple of determining factors in my opting not to cut in like some sort of macho, insecure lover; first, because I had to keep an ear to the ground, and second, because I know that you are big girl, who can take care of herself."

"Humph!" Lana sniffed, although partially mollified now. She never _could_ stay angry with the blasted man! Miles Edgeworth had _always_ had a way with words!

"Surely any woman that undoubtedly could make good on her threat to give _me_ a _boot to the head_ would have no qualms about a _strategically placed, knee to the groin,_ should our host have gotten _too_ fresh?" He smirked.

"I have seen farm-cropped _produce_ that is _less fresh_ than that _satiric swine_ was with me!" She cast him a look of outraged feminine indignation. "Do you know that I probably have his _paw prints_ _permanently seared_ on my _hindquarters_?"

"I would gladly _check_ _the veracity_ of that statement for you, _Ms. Dallas_." Miles was unable to hide the grin in his voice. "But that wouldn't make me much of a _gentleman_ then, _would it_?"

Lana only scowled at him in response, and he chuckled softly.

"I apologize, _Debbie,_ for any indignities that you suffered tonight. I swear to you, I most definitely _would_ have intervened if it appeared that things were getting too out of hand. Nevertheless, had I _not_ allowed you to fend for yourself, I would have been unable to secure the information that we so prominently needed. Besides, I came through for you in the end, did I not?"

"I _guess,_ " Lana grumbled, and then looked up at him with a quizzical expression. "Is this song _really_ of such great relevance to _Maximilian Banks_ , or was that just an excuse to get me out of Ku's oversexed clutches?"

 _At every time I've always known_  
 _That you were there, upon your throne_  
 _A lonely queen without her king_  
 _I longed for you, my love forever_

 _All of my life_  
 _Where have you been_  
 _I wonder if I'll ever see you again_  
 _And if that day comes_  
 _I know we could win_  
 _I wonder if I'll ever see you again_

"I wasn't lying." The laughter died from his eyes then, and a look of sadness crossed his handsome face. "Even though I'd known her nearly my entire life, I remember when I first realized I loved Franziska, that was still exactly how I felt; I wondered where she had been, all of my life. This song, it reminds me of the Queen who holds my heart, whom I have not seen, nor even spoken to, in so long. At times, I have to do wonder, _when_ , or _if_ , I'll ever see her again."

"Oh Mi – _Max_." Lana eyed him sympathetically, surprised and touched by the poignant words. "I'm so sorry. Separation is brutal, and trust me, I know how you feel, I really do. After all, it has been over seven years since I've laid eyes on the man that I love."

Miles suddenly felt ashamed by his self-centeredness. Here he was, lamenting about how much _he_ missed _his_ lover, to a woman who had not been able to see, or even _communicate,_ with her own, in _a dog's age_. Talk about preaching to the choir!

"When is he up for parole?" He asked awkwardly.

"Sometime early next year, if all goes well," she sighed. "Not that it will matter, anyway, if I'm stationed as a ground asset in Europe when he gets out. On top of all the laws he broke while trying to avenge his brother, assaulting a police officer, even one as _aggravating and incompetent_ as Mike Meekins, is no laughing matter. They really threw the book at him for that."

"I'm very sorry."

"Thank you. Anyhow, this is supposed to be a party, so I can wait till we get out of here to _shed a tear in my beer_ ," Lana quipped, forcing a smile. "In the meantime, what's the deal with New York?"

"After all these months of placating Ku by having _our lips placed upon his posterior_ by spending an obscene amount on funds on his wares to get back in his good graces, all the while frantically chasing every ridiculous, dead-end lead we've had thus far, we may _finally_ gotten a break. Ku has finally decided to eliminate himself as the intermediary, and give us the name of the man from whom he purchases _Borginia's most coveted imports_. We will be paying a visit to the unsuspecting _Craven Moorehead_ as soon as I get the green light from a certain Wolfman."

" _What_ did you say his name was?" Lana stared at him in disbelief, wondering if the last martini she'd consumed had affected her hearing. "You've _got_ to be kidding me!"

"On the contrary, my dear," Miles shook his head and flashed her a disarming grin. "I couldn't make this up if I _tried_."

* * *

 _ **Detective Tyrell Badd and Lou Pole the Mole**_  
 _Hideout Residence, Borginia_  
November 12, 2025 3:00 AM

The tiny hellhole had the look of a poorly planned enterprise gone badly wrong. The walls of rough sodden planks were haphazardly wonky, allowing the few surrounding streams of streetlights to crisscross the hut like a crazy tic-tac-toe board. Dirt and moss clung to the grooves of the corrugated iron roof that jutted out, overhanging the walls by a good two feet on every side.

Badd shook his head as he parked a few meters away from the intended destination, and then approached the residence.

The shack would have appeared to others as discomforting and sinister, but it was the designated meeting spot the detective had been summoned to. The clandestine hovel was his associate's escape place to hide away and remain unknown from the rest of the world. The dwelling had no windows and its only entrance had been barred from inside. However, there was a _way_ to enter it, but only to those who knew _where_ to look for it – it was in a blink and you'd miss it location, buried under the camouflaged ivy, which draped the outside of the tiny ramshackle dwelling like a curtain.

The detective gave the door of the rundown, obscure shack three knocks, in the rhythmic "shave and a haircut" manner, to indicate to the person within of his identity.

The door opened a tiny sliver of a crack, and a pair of frantic eyes peered out.

"You alone?" The voice inside rasped.

Badd nodded.

The door creaked open, moving open a centimeter at a time. Badd knew better than to try to force it to open faster, as the wood of the door had grown moldy and soft with water and neglect, and pushing it harder, especially if done by someone of his strength, would probably result in him pushing right _through_ the door. At last, the door opened just enough to let the big man inside, and then the person within hurriedly shut it behind him.

Dust layered on the floor, like a thick carpet, muffling both their footsteps. Had it been daytime, Badd imagined no more than a few rays of sunlight could burst through the boarded up windows, casting a dim light across the dingy room. A single, stained twin mattress lay neglected in the corner of the room, underneath a half-packed suitcase and a battery-powered radio was playing in the background. Paper and clothes were strewn all over the table flocked by a single wrought-iron chair in the corner. There were crumbs all over the table, dirty dishes sitting on the floor, and old newspapers piled up in the corners. The decrepit hovel looked like a witch's home. Even in the light of the dimly lit oil lamp in the corner of the room, Badd could make out the cobwebs hanging off the walls, along with the damp seeping across the ceiling, like reaching fingers. On top of all that, the mildew and mould smell was so overpowering, the detective needed to cover his mouth and nose.

"I thought you'd never get here, dude!" The shack occupant squawked to the detective. "I was, like, _totally_ getting freaked out, man! Even _more_ than I already _am_!"

Badd took a step forward so that he could get a closer look at his shifty-eyed insider, who looked both young and old at the same time. He was currently shaking and gnawing at his fingernails, which were already bitten to the quick, and his dark eyes, filled with obvious distress and hidden trauma, glistened in the tiny haze of light that radiated off the small flickering flame of the table candle, the only other source of light in the room. His face was caked in soot, streaked with dirt and sand, making him look like a chimney sweep, all hollow skin, and prominent bones in his narrow face. The long coat covering his bony shoulders was sewn with replacement dark thread and leather patches, and his boots mimicked the style of his jacket: leather, heavy, and durable. A fine layer of dust coated his short, mousy brown hair, appeared ashy grey, the tips haphazardly tousled so they intertwined to resemble a chaotic bird's nest.

"Get a hold of yourself, Lou!" The big man barked, crossing his large arms across his broad chest. " _Now_ is _not_ the time for _hysterics_! Just calm down, pull yourself together, and start from the beginning!"

"Give me a break, dude! _How_ can you be telling me to keep _calm and a carry on_ when I got my _life on the line_ , man?" Interpol's long-time cocoon smuggling "inside" man, Lou Pole, bore a face infused with terror, equipped with bloodshot, pallid eyes and bloodless lips. " _You_ would, like, be freaking _the fuck out_ too, if _you_ had been the one to have _literally dodged a bullet_ like I did, not even _12 hours ago_ , man!"

 _I love how he states the obvious with_ _ **such**_ _a sense of discovery…_

Badd let out a soundless sigh of exasperation at the younger man's histrionics for uttering such a _ludicrous statement_ to a _homicide detective,_ whose _coat had more_ _ **bullet holes**_ _than Swiss cheese_ , but ultimately decided to let in pass, in light of the dire situation.

"Sorry for seeming insensitive, Lou." He took a fresh lollipop from his inner jacket pocket and popped it into his mouth, the stick bobbing up and down as he spoke. "Take your time, and tell me what happened earlier today when you two were downtown."

Lou raked an agitated hand through his hair as he lit up the marijuana joint dangling in his mouth with quivering fingers. The poor guy's nerves were so shattered that he evidently missed the irony of indulging in the very drug he'd been busted for dealing in the first place! ( _in front of an officer of the law_ , no less!) It was said bust had made him become Interpol's turncoat insider, in lieu of hauling his bony ass to prison.

Badd decided to let it go. Even the smell of _weed_ was welcome over the unbearable musty scent of the place, and actually helped _disguise_ _it_ , somewhat!

"It was just a normal day, you know what I mean, dude?" The spindly, squirrely-eyed bloke took a deep drag and expelled a huge smoky cloud, seeming to relax somewhat as he did so. "He thought I was his homeboy, you know what I'm saying? We'd gone downtown to look at some gift shops that sold wedding favors to give your guests, what do you call them, _bum in your ears_?"

"Did you mean, _bombonieres_ , per chance?" Badd's lips twitched behind his lollipop as he tried to hide a smirk.

"Yeah, _that's what I said_!" Lou looked mortally wounded at the correction. " _Bum in your ears_! Anyway, man, it was a social call, just us two bros hanging loose, having a nice day out and about. After checking out the wedding favors, we were, like, heading back to his car when he got a sudden hankering for coffee. Ku _literally drank his weight in coffee_ – he was as addicted to it as he was to the nose candy, man! Well, he went on ahead, and I followed him, because I seriously needed to go drain my lizard. I'd only had two cups, but the stuff goes right through me, you know what I'm saying, man? Makes me _piss like a racehorse_! I don't know how that little dude could consume so much of the stuff and not constantly needed to be _seeing a man about a horse_! _Kidneys of steel_ or _secret adult diapers_ …what do _you_ think?"

 _I_ _ **think**_ _I am a hair's breadth away from throttling you by your scrawny neck! Goddammit, you little shit-weasel, stop straying from the topic!_ The detective longed to shout, his own nerves getting aggravated by the scatterbrained man's constant derailing from the most important matter at hand. _Get to the point where you called me and told me you were_ _ **bailing on us**_ _and_ _ **why**_ _!_

Instead of a response, Badd opted to give one of his customary glares. Lou got the hint, and put up his hands in surrender, looking at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Sorry, man! Why you gotta give me that death glare for, dude? Have I not suffered enough already from the trauma of this event?"

 _Is this the same level of unfathomable exasperation Miles feels whenever he's had to deal with that bumble butt, Larry Butz?_ _Grrr_! _You_ _ **do**_ _realize that people just_ _ **tolerate**_ _you, don't you, Lou? Moreover, I'm thisclose to not even being able to do_ _ **that**_ _anymore, you_ _ **irksome little pipsqueak**_ _!_

Badd remained silent with his fuming thoughts, chomping down so hard on his lollipop that the stick broke off and fell to the ground while he looked daggers at his informant.

" _Please_ don't kill me, dude!" Lou let out a soft whimper. "I'm sorry, OK? I'm just so rattled, man! Now where was I? It all just seems like a blur… So anyway, while I was like, taking a leak, he stepped out and was on his phone. I could see him standing in front of the café window as I came back towards the front door. I was just about to join him outside, when I suddenly looked down and realize my shoelaces were undone. Such a pain in the ass, man! No matter how hard I try, they still always become unlaced, and I _literally_ trip over my own feet! Kinda hard to impress the ladies when you're face planting on the sidewalk, huh, dude?"

 _The king of attention deficit disorder strikes again!_ Badd barely resisted the urge to facepalm. _I'm too damn old to have the saintly level of patience needed to deal with this_ _ **dumbass**_ _anymore!_ _ **What**_ _have I_ _ **ever**_ _ **done**_ _to deserve_ _ **this**_ _?_

"I never realized that my _unlucky laces_ were going to be what saved my life, man!" Lou stubbed out his joint on the floor and stomped it with his boot. "So, like, I kneeled down to tie up my laces. Then, just as I was getting up again, that's when I heard it. The gunshot."

 _About freaking time!_ _ **Now**_ _we are_ _ **finally**_ _getting somewhere!_

"Gunshot?" Badd prompted impatiently, as the other man's eyes took on a haunted look while he remembered the series of events.

"Until today, man, I had no idea what _real_ gunshots sounded like. I've only heard them and fired them in those virtual reality video games, and it _did_ sound like the ones in the games! At first, I thought it was a car backfiring. But when I saw Ku drop to the ground, I realized, holy shit, that _was_ a gunshot, man! I became sure of it when I saw the hole in the café window. Damn bullet went right through the poor sonofabitch, and got stuck in the glass, and couldn't even penetrate it. It must have been a sniper rifle and the shooter used real low velocity."

The poor man's eyes were wide with fear as he rehashed the details.

"All I remember thinking was, _who is it? Where is he hiding_? I know these guns can fire bullets further than we can see. I stared out of the window in the direction where the bullet came from, wondering, _what if they fired again_? _What if someone was hunting_ _ **me**_ _down, too and was rearing to take a second shot_? Then I thought, if somebody was hunting Ku down with a sniper rifle, he must be a professional. And there's no way in hell he would miss his mark."

"That must've been terrifying," Badd sympathized, completely sincere this time. After all, Lou Pole wasn't a trained Interpol Agent, or even an officer of the law. He was a small-time, former drug dealer who had been their willing informant and inside man to all of Wa Sing Ku's dealings, and while he had previously lived a life of crime, it had not been a violent one. "So tell me, what did you do then? What happened?"

"It was complete pandemonium in the coffee shop, man." Lou frantically paced the dusty floor and ran a hand down his dirty face. "People were screaming, try to hide under the tables, bumping into each other, crying… Total mayhem, dude! In the middle of all the mass hysteria, I did the only thing I could think of to do. I took advantage of the chaos, went outside to check on Ku, and when I realized that the bullet had made its mark, and that he really was dead, I reached into his inner jacket pocket, grabbed his papers, and ran like a bat out of hell."

* * *

 _ **Lana Skye and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Four Seasons Hotel, 50_ _th_ _floor, New York City_  
November 9, 2025 9:30 PM

"Once we get the listening device into that room, and get some proof that this Craven Moorehead guy is the cocoon dealer, Max Banks will find some way to bump into him tomorrow, say that I'm an associate of Ku, and try to set up a deal. It's just a matter of getting _in there_. So, are you ready for this, Lana?" Miles probed. "I already have the pinhole camera set up in the room next door to the bachelor party, where I will be monitoring the surveillance of the activities. Do you want to go over the plan of action one more time?"

"Relax, I got this." Lana fidgeted with her black hemline of her skirt, which _rivaled a Band-Aid in length_ , and undid another button, revealing just enough of a tantalizing glimpse of her black bustier underneath. Miles, being the gentleman that he was, did his best to appear he didn't notice. "I just hope that the guys are already too drunk and stoned to notice that my attire looks _nothing_ like the _rest of the housekeeping staff_ at this hotel, and don't mistake me for being _one of the peelers_ they have undoubtedly hired for the evening! It's one thing for me to have to _dress_ like a cheap floozy for this demeaning task for the sake of this operation, but _I draw the line_ at removing my clothing while the _hard-up horn dogs_ try to stick dollar bills into my garter!"

"You will be in and out of there before you know it," Miles assured her, biting back a grin. "All you have to do is plant the bug, and find some excuse to get in there to do so. Fortunately, most men are suckers for good-looking, scantily clad women who offer to come _fluff their pillows_."

"You're just a barrel of laughs, aren't you?!" Annoyed, Lana picked up a nearby throw pillow from the couch beside her and hurled it at him. " _It's not funny_! Even when I'm not on your arm as Debbie Dallas, I _still_ don't get a break from having to play this _bimbo role_!"

"I'm sorry, Lana." Miles tried unsuccessfully to hide his smirk. "I should be more sensitive. Can you even _breathe_ in that thing? That corset looks mighty tight!"

"I'm _just fine_." She grimaced. " _Breathing_ is _totally overrated_ you know. All the better to put my _boobs under my chin,_ for the merriment of the _lecherous pervs_ I will be visiting in a moment!"

"I have faith in you," Miles winked at her good-naturedly. "If you can handle _Ku_ , you can handle _anybody_."

" _My_ ability to _handle anybody_ isn't the situation that I'm worried about," Lana grumbled as she headed out the door. "It's _their_ desire to _handle me_ that may be an issue!"

Miles found this very amusing, which made Lana only want to hurl something else at him, but she was out of pillows, and out of time. It was show time.

 _Here goes nothing…  
_

* * *

 _ **Craven Moorehead's Bachelor Party  
**_ _Four Seasons Hotel,_ _Suite 5069_

A man in his mid-to-late 30's, with tousled black hair, wearing a light blue dress shirt with the collar unbuttoned and the sleeves rolled up at the elbow, answered the door with a goofy, lopsided grin. A drop-dead gorgeous brunette, looking like something out of every man's wet dream, sporting a _skimpy French maid uniform_ and a vixenish smile stood there, holding an enormous bottle of champagne in her crimson tipped hands.

"Good evening," she purred, biting her lip and looking the man up and down appreciatively. "Is this the bachelor party for Mr. Craven Moorehead?"

"You bet it is, sweet cheeks!" The man let out a drunken whoop and cupped a hand to his mouth as he hollered back to the occupants of the room. "Hey guys, this is going to be one hell of a party! The _other_ stripper is here now!"

Without warning, he grabbed Lana by the arm, yanked her into the room and pulled her into the living room, where about a dozen drunken louts were lolling about. Their lascivious, blatant gawking made her flesh crawl, feeling as though she'd actually been stripped bare before their eyes.

"Hot Diggity!" Somebody yelled. "Who ordered _another babe_? I thought our _entertainers_ tonight were gonna be the chick that was going to do that _special belly dance_ routine with the goat and those two Barbie lookalike twins who were _double-jointed_?"

 _Gah! It's more depraved than I thought! Goat?!_ _ **I don't want to know**_ _…_

"Er, I think there's been a misunderstanding." Lana kept the sickly grin on her face, even though she was inwardly groaning as she waved the bottle of bubbly in the air, hoping she wouldn't need to use it as a weapon. "When management became aware of the upcoming nuptials of Mr. Moorehead, they sent me to bring up this _complementary bottle of champagne_ , courtesy of the hotel." She batted her eyelashes at the men. "Shall I pop it open for y'all?"

"I'm _popping a woody_ just _looking_ at you, baby!" Somebody shouted. " _God Dayam_ girl, _you so fine!_ You so fine, _you blow my mind!"_

 _Dammit! I_ _ **knew**_ _this was going to happen!_

Lana could have dropped dead of humiliation right then and there. _For the love of God_ , she had been _chief prosecutor_ , and one-half of the _legendary duo_ when she had been a top ranking detective in another lifetime, and yet somehow, she had now been reduced to _this_?! To being _drunken man candy?!_

" _I_ would be the lucky future groom," the man who answered the door wriggled his eyebrows suggestively at her, leaning down so they were practically nose-to-nose. " _Mmm_ …you sure you don't make a few extra bucks, honey? We would ensure we make it _worth your while_... and it would be _our little secret_ …"

 _Ugh,_ _ **this**_ _ **libidinous pervert**_ _is the mastermind tycoon running the cocoon business?! I pity the woman that's going to marry him, because my instincts scream they want me to do_ _ **a little bit more**_ _for them than just simply peeling off my clothing…_

"Tempting though that may be…" Lana subtly inched away and smiled sweetly. "I'm still on the clock with the hotel, and they wouldn't take too kindly to me moonlighting mid-duty. Besides, it sounds like your _contortionist Barbie girls_ and _animal entertainer_ would be _more than enough excitement_ compared to boring little ol' me!" She waved the bottle in the air. "This is _Cristal_ , the _good stuff_ , guys! Someone go bring out the glasses while I do the honors!"

Lana discreetly gave the bubbly a big shake and took the small towel that was handed to her while she went about the task of uncorking the champagne. Squeezing her eyes shut, in case the cork went flying, she popped the bottle open, intentionally aiming it towards herself. Just as planned, a spray of champagne went flying onto her, soaking the top portion of her uniform and trickling down her throat to her chest. She tried not to vomit in her own mouth as a dozen pairs of horny eyes fixated on how the soaking wet material clung to her breasts.

"Oh dear, I'm so clumsy!" She tittered, clapping a hand to her mouth and looking at the men with wide, innocent eyes. "Look at me, _I'm all wet_! And I'm still on duty, with other guests that need to be services!" She looked beseechingly at Moorehead and discreetly arched her back so that the drenched material strained against her bosom. "Do you think I could duck into the bathroom and try to dry off, real quick?"

"No problem." Moorehead nodded dazedly, his eyes never straying from the glorious sight before him as he reached for the bottle of champagne… What was _left_ within it, anyway! "The bathroom is by the front door."

"Thank you, sugar." Lana blew him a kiss, swinging her hips as her long, high-heeled legs sashayed towards the bathroom, while 12 sets of admiring eyes followed her every move.

Once inside the bathroom, she quickly reached into the front pocket of her apron, retrieved the listening device, and discreetly placed it underneath the marble counter.

" _Done_!" Lana whispered with satisfaction, before looking down gloomily at her drenched uniform. She quickly grabbed a towel and attempted to pat herself dry. "Ugh I can't wait to get out of this sticky thing…"

 _Damn I hope this actually gets us somewhere and I didn't just degrade myself like this for nothing…  
_

* * *

 _ **Detective Tyrell Badd and Lou Pole the Mole**_  
 _Hideout Residence, Borginia_  
November 12, 2025 3:15 AM

"Ku has been, like, jerking you guys around, dude!" Lou cried. "He's _not_ the cocoon supplier! In fact, he's got _nothing_ to do with them!"

"He eventually _did_ relay that information to Lana and Miles…" _Several tens of thousands of dollars in cocaine later, the greedy, crooked bastard!_ "But he told them the name of the New York based supplier, a Craven Moorehead?"

"Moorehead is like a Ku – he's at the _bottom of the food chain_ , too, man! That pretty boy is nothing more than a _drug dealing, cokehead, Playboy_ , who is only _one_ rung above Ku on the ladder! _He_ doesn't supply the cocoons either, nor does he _even know who the key supplier is_! He's just a guy who Ku supposedly buys them from, and we are talking _small, piddlin amounts,_ dude!"

" _Goddammit_!" Badd cursed. "That bastard Ku has been having us run around in circles, like a dog chasing its own tail, _for the past year_ , and he hasn't known _anything_? What a waste of time and money!"

 _It's horrible for me to even be thinking this but I'm_ _ **glad**_ _he's dead! I_ _ **really**_ _am!_

"Ku was like, just giving you the bum steer, man! Here's the thing though. He may not have given you the names of people who were more powerful or influential than he was, but that didn't mean he _didn't know or have access to them_. I dunno what his deal was, if he was _ever_ going to share this information with you, but I doubt it. My guess is he was just gonna continue stringing you along and keep making you buy kilos off him, to keep further lining his deep pockets."

"What are you talking about, Lou?" Badd narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "How would _you_ know all this information?"

"Take a look at this." Lou reached into his inner jacket pocket with a trembling hand and handed Badd a few sheets of paper with handwritten notes, including names and numbers. "These were the papers that I snagged off Ku before I like, made tracks, and spent the rest of the day hiding out in the underground dirt paths like some sorta mole, man! These top-secret docs were _always on his person_. Ku didn't even trust digitizing them, by putting them into a computer or cell, in case they were traced or hacked!"

Badd skeptically took the papers from the informant and cast a furtive glance just at the first few names, his eyes widening as he saw some names he recognized.

 _Fu Manchu  
_ _Shang-Chi  
_ _Dian Mayudzuki  
_ _Tomas Kashkash  
_ _Adam Baum  
_ _Jim Shu  
_ _Randy Lover  
_ _Seymour Heinie_

"I actually have heard of a few of these guys!" Badd's eyes were wide with shock as he looked down the _goldmine_ of information he had just been handed. "A few of them are notorious drug lords and smugglers across the globe that Interpol has been after for some time, but they keep evading us, or we haven't had enough evidence to prove they were involved in anything more nefarious than your standard drug trafficking. Is it possible that Ku could've been buying cocoons from these guys?"

"I don't know man, but it's up to you guys to find out, _without_ my help now." Lou snapped his suitcase shut and grabbed it by the handle. "This was my final hurrah for you guys, and now, I'm out! I just barely missed being a sniper target today, and I don't want to live my life _by the luck of my shoelaces_ anymore, dude! Sorry, but I'm just not meant for this racket, man! I've _done_ my part, I made friends with the bad guy, but now he's plant food, and it's _way_ too dangerous for me to stick around, man! I'm getting the hell out of Dodge, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

"I can understand why you're scared Lou, but we can place you in protective custody! You don't _have_ to run!" Badd protested. "After you testify, we can get you a brand new start, a whole new life and identity! But you need to actually sign an affidavit with Lang, and provide testimony about what you know! It's the only way we can get rid of scum like this, and get them put away for good!"

"I never said I wanted to be a Power Ranger or justice champion!" Lou shouted, brushing past Badd and reaching for the door, opening it just wide enough for his narrow frame to slip through. "I'm not the brave, hero type, man! I was a petty thug that got roped into trying to help the good guys, but now that might cost me my neck, and _croaking_ wasn't part of the deal, dude! I am a _shameless coward_ , I am _shitting bricks_ , and I am _getting the_ _ **fuck**_ _outta here_! It's been nice knowing you! As they say in Japan … _Sayonara_!"

And he raced out the door.

"Lou, wait!" Badd yelled, struggling to fling open the stubbornly stuck door even further so he could squeeze his broad frame through it, but only succeeded in ripping it off the hinges. " _Shit_!"

He raced around the house in hot pursuit, just in time to see to see the frantic Lou Pole struggling to get into his car across the street.

" _Lou_!" Badd started to race towards him, but abruptly halted thirty meters short of the vehicle, as his cell phone started ringing just then. It was Lang.

"Lang, make this quick!" He growled as a greeting, keeping one eye on his informant's rusted, beaten up Ford Pinto, which the other man appeared to be having trouble starting. "I've got an emergency here!"

"I've got an even _bigger_ emergency!" Lang countered. "You know how Ku got shot today?"

"Yes, of course I do! That's why I'm here with Lou right now! We've got a flight risk, Lang, so make this quick!"

"They're _dead_ Badd!" The Wolfman hollered. " _All_ of Ku's associates: his bodyguards, friends, even his _servants_ … Looks like _nobody's_ been spared – they've _all been silenced_. We're talking snipers, mysterious poison blow darts to the neck, drowned in the river, drowned in their _own damn bathtubs!_ One of them, a fellow drug lord, perished today in a car bomb! Anyone who that fiend ever had any dealings with appears to have been a marked target. It's like someone's been putting a tracker on _each and every person_ that had ever known Wa Sing Ku!"

Badd's blood chilled in his veins then.

 _Tracker….car bomb….Jesus Christ!_

The cell phone dropped from the horrified detective's hand as he rushed forward.

" _Lou_!" He screamed. " _Wait! Stop!_ "

It was too late.

" _Noooooo_!"

There was a huge gust of smoke blown from the engine, and then the car was annihilated into oblivion, right before his very eyes.

As the vehicle had sputtered to life, a horrible coughing sound, like that of a dying man, activated the small, deadly device, filled with a mixture of magnesium powder and mercury fulminate. The Pinto ignited in a fiery ball of yellow flame, billowing outwards into a pillar of fiery smoke and dust, the sound reverberating in the still of the night with the ominous boom of a thunderclap. The light from the ignited mercury burned for a full five seconds. It was so blinding that even closing his eyes made no difference. The blast didn't just deafen Badd, it shuddered right through him, as if trying to rip out his heart.

The universe turned into a blur, and so did all the sounds. The taste. The smell. Everything was gone. The last painful sensation slammed against the detective before he lost all feeling. Everything darkened into nothingness as the world faded to black around him.

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye**_  
 _Ty Warner Penthouse Suite, Four Seasons hotel, New York City  
_ November 11, 2025 9:30 PM

"At ease, Lana! You've been complaining about LeTouse for the last _seven hours_ ," Miles said dryly, pouring some brandy into a tumbler and handing it to his frazzled partner, who was fuming on his sofa. "Stop, take a break, and get some oxygen into those starved lungs of yours."

 _And give my poor, abused ears a break while you're at it!_

"The man is a _bastard_!" Lana seethed, tossing back the contents of her glass in one gulp. "I thought he would be sympathetic to our plight when we disclosed details to him of our dead end leads and regaled him about how our personal undercover operation with the bachelor party was a bust! He's a fellow agent! He should know what it's like to occasionally get the bum steer when sources don't pan out! Instead, he had the gall to _laugh_ at us!"

"I know," Miles brooded at the memory as he raised his own glass to his lips. " _I_ _was there_ , in case you don't recall, in your current state of _ire_."

"Then you should also remember what he had the nerve to say to me when I told him how those over aged, _drunken frat boys_ mistook me for a _stripper_!" Lana snapped. "His exact words were… ' _At least they didn't think you were a hooker'!"_

Miles barely stifled a derisive snort at the reminder, then cleared his throat and affixed his most sympathetic expression.

"If memory serves me correctly, he may have been trying to placate you with that particular sentiment! And for the record, that _wasn't_ when he started laughing though," he reminded her patiently. "I do believe LeTouse still only _tittered_ _somewhat_ when you told him that by the time you exited the bathroom, there was some woman there in a belly dancing outfit, doing _unspeakably sordid things_ with a goat that would be forever scorched into your memory… While simultaneously, two _other_ scantily clad women, of _questionable virtue_ , were drawing pictures with black Sharpies all over the _very_ _naked_ future groom, who was lying there in a drugged out stupor, which we assumed was from cocoon overdose..."

"I could have forgiven him for laughing at the tales of that level of _unparalleled_ , _hedonist, debauchery!_ " Lana sulked, folding her arms under her breasts. "But that _still_ wasn't the part which made that _dickhead_ double over!"

"Ah, yes it's all coming back to me now." Miles crossed his arms across his chest and tapped his forefinger, a frown creasing his forehead. "I do believe the man was wiping tears of mirth from his eyes when he found out that after wasting all those resources, what with the pinhole camera and planting the bug, that Craven Moorehead was no more than a playboy drug Lord like Ku, who evidently had _no idea_ how to get cocoons!"

"And in all probability, sold _some other substance_ to Ku, which he _undoubtedly thought_ were the Borginia imports, but actually weren't!" Lana groaned. "Because that _freaking idiot,_ Moorehead was heard as the one asking his boys if they could score him cocoons, and was delighted to dive right in when one of them said he had _finally_ had gotten his mitts on the stuff… Which it turned out was _nothing of the sort,_ but instead of wound up being _highly illegal_ rhino horn powder, to which he had a most adverse, epileptic sort of reaction, possibly due to all the other drugs in his system, and 911 needed to be called!"

"No doubt his _fiancée_ would've been called too," Miles lamented. "I am most curious to know how he was going to explain those _black happy face_ drawings on his nether regions."

"Who cares?" Lana shrieked. "LeTouse thinks we're a _damn_ _joke_ and a _waste of resources_! You _heard_ what he said to us both: ' _you two are the best assets Interpol has? Boy are we in trouble! I wouldn't quit my day job if I were either of you… And Lana, it perhaps wouldn't have hurt to have taken up Moorehead on his original offer to dance for dollars'!"_

"Yes, I concede, that _was_ an underhanded blow..."

"And to _top it all off_ , the _one_ thing illegal we _could_ have busted them for, because _rhinos are endangered_ , _we're_ _not even going to get credit for_ , because that judgmental, smarmy son of a bitch LeTouse swooped in and swiped it out from under us by calling it in, right there and then!"

"I do admit that was most… Unkind of him." Miles frowned. "After all, this is hardly our fault. I don't believe I will be looking forward to working with him in the future whatsoever."

" _Unkind_?!" Lana jumped to her feet, her eyes blazing. "That's _all_ you have to say about that _smug, glory-stealing, credit-hogging, asshole_?! Let me introduce you to a _few other choice_ _words_ you could be using, Miles!"

At that exact moment, Miles' cell rang. With a furrowed brow, he looked down and saw that it was Kay's phone number. Why was she calling him at this hour? It was the wee hours of the morning in Borginia, where she was presently stationed with Lang and Badd. What was going on?

"Hello?"

"Oh Christ, _thank God_ you answered!" The shrill-sounding wail was one that Miles never would've recognized as his old friend's, had it not been for the caller ID. The next thing he knew, Kay dissolved into a hysterical bout of weeping, the noisy bawling only interrupted by her need to draw breath. It was a primal sound, one that was impossible for Miles to either ignore…or not be completely alarmed by.

Except for the one time when she had been 10 years old and just found out her father had been murdered, Kay Faraday _never_ cried. And even then, after she had blown her nose in his cravat, she had recovered readily enough, and put on her brave face very soon afterwards.

This time was different. There appeared to be no end to the heartrending cries from the other end of the line, and he had no idea what to do.

"Calm down, Kay," Miles instructed, looking anxiously at Lana, who was at his side in seconds, and listening in with an equally apprehensive look on her face that he knew mirrored his own. "I can't understand you when you're crying like this! What's wrong? What happened?"

"C-car b-bomb!" Kay managed to blubber, trying unsuccessfully to muffle her sobs.

"Dear Lord! A car bomb?" Miles gasped. "What?! Where? How? _W- Who_?"

"It was… _U – Uncle B – Badd_!"

 _ **Lenny Kravitz – Again  
**_

* * *

 _ **Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!**_

 **Chapter 100**

 **chloemcg**

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this fandom has the most loyal ships I've ever seen, and I think it makes you even more amazing milady to be so supportive and evidently be enjoying the story where you're not particularly partial to the pairings within it. That being said, thank you for the kind words, you're very talented writer yourself, and if you think this for the crazy train… The elusive Mr. Wright jumps back into the fray as of next week! :-)

 **Cyberchao X**

I really don't want change too much of the actual gaming script. It is an incredible base storyline-given to work with and is a reason that captivated millions of people around the world… So who the hell am I to change it? :-)

What I _do_ intend to do is manipulate the living crap out of the Canon, and try to give a plausible, and hopefully interesting behind the scenes story to the beloved characters that were given the shaft in Apollo Justice, as well as try to flesh it out the existing characters and storyline a little bit. I know many readers were looking forward to Apollo's entrance… It's practically here, and I've never really written him before so pardon the pun but I hope I do him _justice_! XD

P.S. Happy mucking! :p

 **Ryszard**

 _Du bist sehr willkommen europäische Lieblings männlichen Leser!_

Dan Brown and his _steadily declining in quality steaming heaps_ may have been onto something regarding Manhattan sniping, however… European sniping is another ballgame entirely, especially fictional countries in it!

I believe you are referring to my story with the Nick and miles having the offspring from hell called DILF double duties, which I'm very touched to hear that you have also read, but none of the references in that story should be taken too much in the context with this one, as it is a standalone and not part of the trilogy, with the exception of Hendricks the cock blocking Butler… How could I _not_ use that guy again? :p

Yeah that song was just weird… Not to mention that film was the weakest in the entire trilogy…

I don't know if I can ever take away from the evil genius character that is Shelly De Killer… But we may not have seen the last of Damien Cain! As of the second miles investigation game, the assassin with a conscience was there was very much still alive, and very much still a killer! :-)

It was never specified where in Germany Franziska and Manfred were from, and I didn't feel like picking an area in case my European readers rioted/made fun of me! XD

Ergo, I just wrote that Maya went to go visit her friend outside of Berlin… Given my lack of knowledge about German geography, I'd say your head canon is as good as any!

 **Yanmegaman**

Come on bud, the last time I put Phoenix and Miles together, Nick put the kibosh temporarily on their Bromance – if I had bumped off Edgy, I would be _killing it entirely_ – and unpardonable sin for which I don't think my readers could ever forgive me… _Especially_ my fiery Latina one! (it would be making her Edgeworth's widow!) XD

 **DannyDragon**

 _Gracias por tomarse el tiempo para leer mi historia! Siempre es agradable cuando mis lectores disfrutan de las mismas parejas que hago!_

I am no grammar police, and I'm delighted to hear from my readers always! I understood you just fine, and I'm happy you liked my portrayal of Franziska, because well I may change my mind when I get to Apollo whom I have not written yet, she is such a complex possibly misunderstood character, that I found her to be the most difficult to write of all the ones in this trilogy! How is it that you speak German? Do you get a lot of tourists from there in your beautiful country, where I was just two months ago? Those are two languages I never would've put together in the same thought… _German and Spanish_!?

 _Ich ziehe meinen Hut gut zu dir Herr kippen!_

 **XenoBound**

I do hope you get this message since he did not have an account for me to reply to directly, but I am honestly practically speechless by your kind and thoughtful review. I truly hope that you find my story captivating and intriguing till the very end, and that you stick around for this crazy train! Also I am delighted to have a new addition to the Luke and Pearl ship! :-)

I have a new voice to text program which allows me to update the story approximately 2 to 3 times a week, so I do hope to hear from you again, and with all my heart, I'd like to thank you thank you for reading and know that readers like you are what keep me writing!

 **Chapter 99**

 **Cyberchao X**

I am so touched by the amazing feedback I got on daughters of destiny. That chapter took me nearly 3 days to write… However I am overjoyed that in the middle of all the poignancy, you picked up on the very much intended humor between the two women! Nothing bonds to wounded souls together like hating on another human being! It means even more that you liked the silliness, because you're actually a fan of the shrine maiden, who now has three women on her hit list… Pearl, Maya, and now Franziska! (poor thing!)

 **Chapter 98**

 **Cyberchao X**

Thank you very much good sir! I hope to deliver! :)

 **Chapter 97**

 **Cyberchao X**

I find this fandom has the most loyal and diverse shipping's than any I have ever seen in my entire life! _Alternative_ pairings… There's a good word for people like to pair up _Maya and Apollo!_ Yeesh, I'm not even a yaoi fan and I'd rather see Nick with Edgy! All that being said, I am very pleased to hear that you like Pearl and Luke! :-)

 **Chapter 96**

 **Cyberchao X**

I love professor Layton, he will be back later in the story, however there will be no more spoilers regarding any of the games going forward. The upcoming storyline of course has Apollo Justice spoilers but I will always put a disclaimer on the chapters :-)

 **Chapter 91**

 **Megaranger66**

Indeed, the Fredgeworth ship has yet to become _shipwrecked_ , however… If you read a little bit more, you will find out the cause of a lot of Franziska's pain… As well as how her off from Von Karma self heals from it! :)

 **Chapter 90**

 **Megaranger66**

What do you have against Disney dude? LOL

What girl would not agree to see the world with a guy who channels his inner Aladdin and offers to show her whole new world? :-)

Pearl Fey… Ace investigator is on the case!

 **Chapter 89**

 **Megaranger66**

Longines… Bright? That is _definitely_ one of the terms of my readers have not yet used to describe Maya's new friend! XD

Just what you trying to imply, dear boy?

… Poor Pearl, I know! :(

 **Chapter 88**

 **Megaranger66**

Okay this review was so damn hilarious I had to repost it!

 _It seemed the walk down memory lane felt like wouldn't last as the fallen captain lied alone on his near-empty island. Planks of the Phaya ship had floated onto the shore in the past few chapters, so he now sat in a makeshift structure. As he read on his heart sank with each word. With his broken ship, Latrine had won. And now her plan was slowly coming to pass again. Though she still had fire within her, the fire wasn't the same. And the way she vented over the suitors...it was all part of the Dragon Lady's plan. The moment Wright was mentioned a single tear rolled down before he covered his face in sorrow. Curse him...curse Wright for his AJ persona. Curse him for destroying the ship. Curse him for making him miss it so._

For now, unfortunately, it does seem as if Mildred's dastardly plan is working… But I would like to point out, that Longines and Maya only just met… Nobody's getting married! (You'll find Longines thing the _exact_ same thing to her in the next couple of chapters! LOL)

 **Chapter 83**

 **Megaranger66**

I don't think poor Maya was ready to deal with facing impending death along with the realization that she was suffering from unrequited love (as far as she knew!) for her best friend all at the same time!

May I consult you next time I have a comedic chapter? LOL

Come on bud, the flashbacks were supposed to be cute and happy! The _plushy holding_ isn't until later! XD

 **Chapter 81**

 **Megaranger66**

The only light to be found with poor Pearl's sadness and fear about the safety of her beloved cousin was that even Canon wise, this case showed just how much Nick cared about her. The bond between Nick and Pearl is my favorite nonromantic one in this entire series, as well as my belief that Pearly was the reason I honestly believe he thought he could handle adopting Trucy.

I love Miles Edgeworth almost as much as I love Phoenix… But come _on_! The man _played dead_ for _a year_ … after Phoenix got his ass off the hook for _murder, twice_ … I'm amazed that this wasn't Phoenix's reaction:

 **I dot imgur dot com slash KuGSoMa dot jpg**


	102. No One Like You

_The way you used to touch me felt so fine  
We kept our hearts together down the line  
A moment in the soul can last forever  
Comfort and keep us  
Help me bring the feeling back again_

 _Didn't we almost have it all  
When love was all we had worth giving?  
The ride with you was worth the fall my friend  
Loving you makes life worth living_

 _Didn't we almost have it all  
The night we held on till the morning  
You know you'll never love that way again  
Didn't we almost have it all_

* * *

 _A/N: G_ _uys, I have **the** most stubborn, pesky flu bug going on that is uber slow to budge, so your reviews are like get-well cards in my inbox! Thanks so much!_

 _ **Trials and Tribulations Spoilers (sorta) And we're back to Nick!:)**_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Two:** **No One Like You**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Eagle Mountain, Hazakura Temple,  
_ February 23, 2019

"You know you don't _have_ to do this, right Nick?"

"Maya I heard you say it the first few hundred times!" Phoenix nervously fidgeted with the sash on his navy blue kimono and avoided her eyes. "As you know, I am a man of my word, and if I promised both you and your cousin that I'm going to do this Ultra Course with you, then I meant it!"

"This isn't like the Gatewater Hotel, Nick. Even though Pearly is the one who signed you up to do this, you won't be losing a four digit amount of dollars if you back out!" Maya eyed him anxiously. "Besides you're only just now getting over that terrible cold you caught a couple of weeks ago from falling into that river. You know this waterfall, after 30,000 chants, is going to be 100 times as cold, right?"

"I'm sure I'll survive. Sister Bikini can revive me if I'm at risk of dying from hypothermia," he deadpanned. "Besides, this training will be helpful for you to harness your powers for when you take over the Master duties, right?"

"Well, yes, but _I'm_ also used to this sort of thing, _you_ aren't! Unless of course," she added playfully. "You're doing this _just so_ you wind up back in hospital, and are hoping _I'm_ gonna nurse you back to health!"

"Don't even _go_ there, Maya!" Phoenix moaned. "I don't even want to hear the _word_ hospital! If I never see one again for as long as I live, it will be too soon!"

"I think I still have that Très Bien uniform from my short-lived career as Jean Armstrong's waitress," Maya teased, nudging him in the ribs. "If you wind up strapped to a gurney again, I can always nurse you back to health wearing _that_ , seeing as how I don't have a nurse's uniform!"

"Ha-ha, very funny!" Even as he mockingly said the words, Phoenix felt his face turning bright red at the memory of Maya in that uniform. The image was permanently etched into his memory, and still made him hot under the collar, even six weeks later…

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Très Bien Restaurant_  
January 6, 2019

The French restaurant, while possibly the most overpriced one he had ever been to ($45 for a ' _lunch_ _special'_?! Seriously?!) was nevertheless pretty, frilly and pink. Phoenix glanced around, noting he was the sole person in the otherwise empty restaurant.

"Ah! Welcome! _Bee Avenue_!"

 _Wow. What a cute voice._

"Oh it's just you, Nick." Suddenly, Maya appeared before him, a tray in her arms, flashing her trademark contagious smile, dressed in a waitress uniform that could only be described as an orange Creamsicle with a skirt.

" _M- Maya_!" Phoenix's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, as he was so unaccustomed to seeing her in anything but her acolyte robes.

She caught his startled expression, flashed an adorable, shit-eating grin and gave him a coy, sideways glance.

" _Well_?" She prompted, when he still continued to gawk at her with a slack jaw and saucer-sized eyes.

 _Oh. Dear. God..._

"How do I look?" Maya twirled around in her waitress uniform, causing the skirt to lift up slightly.

Phoenix was trying his hardest not to salivate like a dog ogling a steak bone.

 _Legs_. All he could see was beautiful, shapely, smooth _legs_.

OK, legs…and also… _a hint of a bosom_ , which Mother Nature had somehow _sneakily augmented_ over the years, without his notice! Of course, this was possibly because _that_ _bust_ was always hidden underneath a baggy spirit medium ensemble!

Phoenix had had over a year now to get used to the fact that he was madly in love with his legal assistant – the tell-tale velvet jeweler's box sitting and collecting dust in his night table was tangible evidence of such! However, it was one thing to _love_ a woman because of her _beautiful_ _heart_ … And quite another to admittedly also be _lusting_ after said woman because of her very well displayed… _Beautiful parts_.

 _Life would have been so much easier on me as a man if this former girl before me had never blossomed into a woman! Why couldn't she just remain a skinny, flat-chested, burger-loving teenager?!_

With the addition of the white apron tied around Maya's narrow waist, the fitted top clinging to her breasts, not to mention the frilly white cap atop her head, the pretty, frilly waitress uniform, had it been black and white instead of creamy orange in color, could have passed for a _naughty French maid uniform_. And the combination of _naughty_ and _Maya Fey_ was bad enough _in his mind_ , but having it _in living color_ right before his _eyes_ , was nearly his undoing!

 _She's your_ ** _best friend,_** _Phoenix! Play it cool! Even if she_ ** _is_** _going to be 21 soon, by no means does it now gives you a free pass to be a_ ** _debauched lecher_** _and drool over her like a hormonal teenage horndog! Good Lord, if she could read your mind right now,_ ** _what a tale_** _your thoughts would tell…_

Maya was still eyeing him expectantly, but her smile was fading slightly due to his continually delayed silence, and slowly being replaced by a quizzical frown marring her smooth forehead.

Phoenix cleared his throat and realized that during the duration of his _lame ass, extended eye banging_ , he still hadn't spoken. He wasn't sure why it was necessary for a uniform to be so tight fitting and short, but ultimately, as discomforting as it was for him to see her like this, he _didn't mind one bit._

"Er, maybe you should quit being a spirit medium," he finally ventured, in what he hoped was a completely normal tone.

Was he imagining things, or was that an expression of _disappointment_ on Maya's face by his neutral response?

Maya gave a small shrug, and resumed her customary sunny smile.

"Should I take that to mean that you like it then, Nick?"

"Oh yes," he nodded, his mouth still dry. "I like it."

 _More than you'll ever know…_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Hazakura Temple, Sacred Cavern_ _  
_February 23, 2019

"Nick?" Maya studied him, puzzled. Phoenix appeared to be about a million miles away. "Are you OK?"

No answer from the defense attorney.

" _Yoo hoo_!" Maya waved a hand in front of her friend's face. "Earth to, Nick! Come in, Nick!"

Phoenix blinked, startled. He felt himself blushing slightly as his mind was reluctantly dragged back to the present and saw Maya studying him oddly.

"Sorry, Maya. My mind was in another place for some reason…"

 _It was a very nice,_ ** _happy_** _place… Albeit a_ ** _completely inappropriate one_** _… But she doesn't need to know_ ** _everything_** _, does she?_

"Mr. Wright, are you sure you're up for this? This is your last chance to back out," Sister Bikini said gravely. "I promise you, we will not think any less of you should you want to opt out of this."

"It's fine," he responded. He didn't blame the nun for appearing concerned, or even if she actually was questioning his sanity at this moment. After all, he was certainly questioning it _himself_!

 _Seriously,_ ** _who_** ** _in his right mind_** _would willingly sit on a block of ice, chanting words in a foreign language, 30,000 times while having an arctic waterfall pouring on his head the whole time?! Answer:_ ** _I_** _would! Me, Phoenix Wright, who is undoubtedly so besotted with Maya Fey that I've taken temporary leave of my senses,_ ** _that's who_** _! Jesus Christ, first_ ** _fire and lightning_** _, now_ ** _ice and freezing water_** _. I_ ** _do_** _really seem to_ ** _completely lose my head_** _when it comes to this girl! The funniest thing is, this isn't even_ ** _the_** _most insane thing I've ever done for Maya Fey. Not by a_ ** _longshot…_**

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Larry Butz**_  
 _Dusky Bridge_  
February 7, 2019 11:18 PM

Elise Deauxnim was one hell of a mentor. Under her patient guiding and tutelage, Larry was pretty sure that he would be able to properly capture the strange sighting he had just witnessed by the burning Dusky Bridge. The artist, who henceforth preferred to be known as Laurice Deauxnim, was so engrossed in his sketching that he didn't even notice the huffing, puffing defense attorney rushing towards them until the panicked man was practically on top of him.

 _It's farther than I thought. The bridge is just up ahead,_ the spiky haired man thought frantically _. I have to go tell Maya what happened, too!_

"Dusky Bridge...! It's burning down! _Aaaaaaaaaah_!" Phoenix shrieked as his sprinting form nearly collided with his friend, obviously too distracted to have spotted him until then. "D-Don't scare me like that, Larry! I almost had a heart attack!"

"Nick?! What the heck are _you_ doing here?"

"Larry! Hurry up and call the police!" He shouted. "I'm going to the Inner Temple!"

Larry felt his heart lurch as he noted the other man's wild eyes. Phoenix had most certainly _lost his mind_! What he was proposing was beyond preposterous! Couldn't he see that the path to the Inner Temple was only reachable by the bridge, which was currently _aflame_?! Did the lunatic man have some sort of _death wish_?!

"D-Don't be stupid!" The artist stammered, putting a halting hand on his friend's arm. "The bridge is nothing but a burning wreck right now!"

"Listen to me!" The defense attorney cried. "There's been a murder! Here! At Hazakura Temple!"

"Wha-Whaaaaat!?" Larry's jaw dropped to the ground in shock, as the panic coursed through his bloodstream. His mind reeled.

 _Holy smokes! Nick is totally spazzing out, somebody has been killed, and we're stuck on an isolated mountain... With a murderer?!_

"The murderer might have fled across the bridge!" Phoenix shrieked, flinging Larry's hand off. "I have to make sure Maya is safe!"

Larry was no stranger to doing crazy things in the name of love. He had switched cities, occupations, interests, and had even proposed to a girl with an overhead blimp at a football game, (on their second date, back in high school... but he'd still been heartbroken when she'd disappeared at half time). But this… This was pure _insanity_! And this is coming from _him!_ Phoenix Wright was his best friend, he couldn't let Nick risk his very existence, especially for a lost cause! Because in the effort of trying to save Maya's life, in _this_ case, all he would be doing was surely _ending_ _his own_!

"B-B-But..." Larry grabbed Phoenix by the shoulders and shook them as he tried futilely to talk some sense into the blue attorney. "I can't let you do this! Have you lost your mind?!"

" _Please_!" Phoenix pleaded hoarsely, his face white with terror. "Call the police! I've got to go! Get outta my way, Larry!"

"It-It's too dangerous!" Larry shook his head stubbornly and tightened his grip. "Nick, you'll die! There's _no way in hell_ you'll make it!"

What superhuman strength he didn't even know he had, Phoenix forcibly removed Larry's hands and pushed him aside, causing the poor man to tumble to the ground in the process, as he then made his mad dash across the burning bridge.

"Nick, w-wait!" Larry called after him desperately. "Have you forgotten that you're deathly afraid of heights?!"

"I don't care! I need to get to Maya!" Were the last words Larry heard Phoenix Wright scream. " _Maya_!"

 _I will do_ ** _whatever it takes_** _to save that girl! My acrophobia takes a backseat in dire straits like this! It doesn't matter what happens to me! Without Maya Fey, life just isn't worth living!_

 _ **...*crack!*...**_

Weakened even more by the fire, the rickety old bridge's planks snapped and gave way, swallowing Phoenix Wright into the eternal darkness.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" A final, terrified scream rose up to pierce the frozen air of that harrowing night.

" _Niiiiiick_ -!"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Hazakura Temple, Sacred Cavern_ _  
_February 23, 2019

 _Sitting on a block of special extra-cold, slow-melting spirit ice while being hit by a relentless shower of frigid water is tough enough, but try repeating a mantra 30,000 times when your teeth are chattering so hard that you can barely form the words! If given the choice to do this again, I would take the plunge back into the Eagle River_ ** _any_** _day! At least that was only_ ** _once_** _!_

"You can do this, Nick! Just stay with me!" Maya instructed through chattering teeth. She was sitting on the large ice block across from the one Phoenix was situated on, while a freezing torrent of subzero water poured over their heads. " _Mind over matter_! _Mind over matter_! Just keep repeating with me five times: _Toho Kami Emi Tamae."_

Phoenix repeated the Japanese Shinto prayer after her through blue, numb lips.

"Now repeat this after me one time: _Harae Tamae Kiyome Tamae."_

"Aaaahhhh!" he gasped, trying to suck in air, but it was icy cold, like breathing in frozen blades. He took a peek at Maya, frigid air puffing from his nose and mouth, to see that although she was soaking wet and shivering as badly as he was, she was still somehow chanting the words.

 _I have to do this. I have to be strong for Maya. Even if it means wearing a flu mask for the rest of my life._

His teeth were chattering, his lips were numb and he was positive his frostbitten nose was about to fall off his face, along with other, _more precious_ parts of him, even though he had kept his pants on beneath his kimono! He also had the token additional covering of the Demon Warding Hood on his head - for all the good _that_ did! It clung to his hair and head like a glacial blanket.

Ice water coursed over him, seeping through his clothes, driving onto his face like pinpricks. He could feel the frost forming onto his hair, his nose, his hands. His eyes were watering. He was shivering all over. Trembling all down his spine, in long, powerful shudders.

The words were coming out as breathy whispers. His muscles felt like slabs of burning ice.

 _So, so cold. So cold and numb, so painful. I can't feel my body anymore, it's so numb. I'm drifting on a cloud of ice water…_

"Nick, I can't hear you chanting!" Maya rasped through purple lips as she swayed slightly. " _Focus_!"

Silence from Phoenix.

Maya opened one eye to peek at him and panicked as she realized he seemed like he was about to keel over!

"Come on Nick, _stay with me_!" Maya's voice rose in fear. "It's basically meditating, until we eventually get to a level that sends us spiraling into a vortex of cold."

Phoenix began slowly sliding off his ice block.

Alarmed, Maya reached over and shoved his drooping form back onto his frozen boulder. She had to do _something_ to keep him from fading on her! Perhaps she could keep his mind away from the painfulness of the stinging icy water and somehow allay him. A beacon of hope shone through her. While she wasn't a spiritual healer by conventional definition – her touch couldn't fuse a broken arm or close a wound – in this case, her hands _could_ at least help soothe, and help his mind, body and soul relax.

Reaching out, she took his hand in hers. This man had done and endured _so much_ for her. She couldn't let him down!

The spirit medium's hands slid up his arms, then neck, until she was cradling his face. With the softest of touches, she lowered her face to his, until they were resting forehead to forehead.

Maya raised her hands to Phoenix's temples and began massaging his scalp. Every touch was meant to stimulate the senses and relax the body. She combed her fingers through the slick black spikes at the base of his neck. His slow exhale burned hot against her throat and a shiver went through her body that had naught to do with the cold.

Desire flooded through her. A desire to help him…but also so much _more_. A desire to _be_ with him, _love_ him, as well as take away his discomfort. Moreover, the desire to make sure he _made it through this_!

Mystic Ami help her, how she _loved_ _and needed_ this man! Needed him to survive this ordeal, never leave her side, and be with her _completely_. Moving her hands to his face, she ran her fingers along the sculpted line of his jaw. The rough sandpaper feel burned against her fingertips. She wanted to feel that roughness as he kissed her neck, the scruff scraping her mouth as he claimed it with his own. She wanted to hear his voice growling out her name…

Maya stopped in mid-caress. This was a _healing_ …not a _seduction_.

She coughed slightly, and then continued coaxing in her most soothing voice.

"Once you focus your thoughts, Nick, that's when you'll achieve a weightless feeling. The feeling of being so numb, so disconnected, that you'll feel like you're floating. Listen to me Nick! Channel your mind to the moments that led you here, and once you get to that place just repeat after me… _Harae Tamae Kiyome Tamae…_ "

Phoenix felt himself stirring slightly as some slight sensation began to get restored in his body.

 _Focus, Phoenix. You can do this!_ He ordered himself to mindlessly repeat the Japanese words, feeling himself warming up a tad, while he tried not to melt under the warm sweetness of Maya's hands on his skin.

He clutched his magatama tightly in his hand and felt Maya's blessing in his ears, fortifying an inner strength in him he didn't know he possessed. He could _do_ this. Water above, ice below...it was _nothing_. With Maya Fey by his side, he could handle _anything_.

 _Focus Phoenix. Focus your mind on everything that led up to the events of you being here at this very moment…_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Hotti Clinic, ICU_  
February 8, 2019 12:00 PM

Sometimes Phoenix wasn't sure if he was the _luckiest_ or the _unluckiest_ man on earth. However, seeing as how he was still alive after falling off a 80-foot high suspension bridge into frigid, rocky waters, with only a high fever and pesky cough that wouldn't seem to abate, he _supposed_ he _could_ veer his thoughts more towards the _former_.

 _I must have been crazy. I knew how dangerous it was, but I still went for it. And if I had to do all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Pearls once asked me if I would walk over burning hot coals for her cousin. Yes Pearls, I would. Maya's_ _ **mad**_ _…but she's_ _ **magic**_ _. There's no lie in her fire. There is no limit to the things I'd do for love. Not when it comes to that girl._

Miles Edgeworth would never understand that. Sure, he was with Franziska now, and was no stranger to love, but he was also a man who was strictly by the book and didn't believe in taking unnecessary risks. Edgeworth would never even _jaywalk across the street_ , never mind _run across a burning bridge!_

Therefore, he was grateful that Edgeworth wasn't in the country at the moment, knowing full well what kind of tongue-lashing he would get from his ever logical and sensible friend about his irrational behavior that had led up to this.

 _It's just as well that Edgy is in Europe then. I don't need one of his infamous lectures right now!_

Phoenix had been told that his temperature had been wavering between 103°F and 104°F. Therefore, he was sure that his highly fevered state _had_ to be what was causing him to be _seeing_ confusing _visions_. How else to explain the fact that he had just been thinking about the former demon prosecutor, _at that moment_ … Only to have The Edgeworth himself suddenly materialize, at that exact minute, in his hospital room?

The two men locked eyes wordlessly for a moment. There was an expression of exasperated relief on Edgeworth's normally stoic, guarded visage.

Astonished, Phoenix started to speak, but suddenly his body began to shake as he went into a coughing fit. Winded with exhaustion, he flopped back down on his pillow and silently waved at Edgeworth in welcome.

"Wright." Edgeworth nodded in greeting, speaking in his normal composed tone, as though seeing his friend in ICU under these circumstances was an everyday occurrence.

 _What I'd give to have an ounce of this man's composure._ _ **Nothing**_ _ever rattles Edgeworth. Absolutely_ _ **nothing**_ _._

"Edgeworth!" Phoenix's eyes were the size of silver dollars. "What are you doing here? I thought you and Franziska were happily shacked up in Europe!"

"Working international investigations and for Interpol – not at the same residence! – should anyone else ever ask," Edgeworth said wryly. "That insider information is strictly for you and Miss Fey's knowledge only, thank you."

"Whatever you say, buddy." Phoenix nodded solemnly, well aware of how Edgeworth and Franziska were with their jealously guarded privacy.

"Anyhow, to answer your question, Wright, I took a break from said duties because I was awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call from a hysterical friend of ours, who led me to believe that you were on the brink of death."

Phoenix's shoulders drooped as he grimaced.

"Let me guess…this friend wouldn't happen to occasionally be referred to as _Harry Butz_ now, would he?"

"Yes, although the man of many names rather insistently informed me that he now wants to be known as Laurice Deauxnim." The prosecutor's lips twitched with amusement.

"Heh, heh…there's a bit of a story to that. I have quite a bit to get you caught up on. Why don't you pull up a chair?"

As Edgeworth sat down, his eyes fell on the Demon Warding Hood tossed carelessly at the foot of the bed.

"Wright, what in God's name is that ridiculous looking contraption?"

"Oh, yeah, that's another tale entirely. It's the Demon Warding Hood that Iris gave me." Phoenix felt his face flush and awkwardly scratched the back of his head, knowing how ludicrous it must sound to Mr. Logic. "I was wearing it up until you came in. It was making my head itch…plus it totally flattens my spikes."

"I didn't think there was any force of nature that could achieve that, Wright," Edgeworth quipped, smirking when he saw Phoenix's scowl. "So tell me, how are you feeling?"

"Well, I feel dizzy, my ears are ringing, my throat burns, and my head's on fire. Other than that, I'm fine, thanks."

"Uh huh. I spoke with the doctors. They told me that you'll need to stay here for at least another few days and get bed rest."

"They told me that too, but I don't need to stay here that long. I told them I'm _completely fine_!" The minute Phoenix finished the sentence, he went into another coughing fit.

"Oh yes. You're doing splendidly."

Once the coughing episode had subsided, Phoenix let out a deep breath and flopped back against his pillow again, shutting his eyes.

"I _can't_ stay here, Edgeworth! There's so much I need to do! I need to find make sure Maya is alright, find Ms. Deauxnim's murderer, locate Pearls and defend Iris…"

"What you _need to do_ ," Edgeworth stated firmly. "Is _get better_ , Wright! You can barely _talk_ , never mind _walk_! You're not a superhero, and it's a miracle you're alive after falling off an 80-foot high burning bridge! You're lucky you didn't catch pneumonia, or your death! I've never known you to be this foolish before. What the hell were you thinking?!"

Phoenix's eyes remained closed, and he only managed to whisper one word.

" _Maya_."

The defense attorney cringed inwardly as he steeled himself for the barrage of questions that were sure to follow, probably something along the lines of: _Are you bloody mad?!_ and _What the hell were you thinking?!_

Phoenix wasn't even sure how he would answer. How could he possibly explain his secret, hidden feelings, ones that he as of yet had never uttered to another human being, which had caused him to do what he had done? Feelings that he could barely even admit to _himself_ , even now?

He studied the other man's face apprehensively , and rather than a harsh, judgmental countenance, instead found, to his amazement, his friend's expression was one of compassionate understanding.

"I know you love her, Wright." Edgeworth's tone was surprisingly gentle and matter of fact.

Phoenix felt his throat closing up, and reached quickly for his bedside water glass. Edgeworth… _knew_? _How_? _Since when?_ Was it possible he'd known… _before Phoenix himself_ even had? Before he could raise an objection, his friend continued in his mild castigating.

"But you're no good to Miss Fey, or _anyone_ , as a dead man. Sometimes…it may be better to lead with your head than your heart."

 _You condescending, sanctimonious,_ _ **prig**_ _!_

Phoenix was _completely incensed,_ despite his feeble state, and had to summon up all his inner strength before he could find the ability to speak. _This_ was coming from a man who had literally dropped his position as a High Prosecutor like a hot potato, _completely on a whim_ , without any fear or heed of ramification, in order to jump on a plane to Germany and chase the woman _he_ loved?! Was he going to claim it had been a decision led entirely by his _head_? That it had been nothing but his _enormous, Poindexter, genius_ _ **brain**_ which had led him to spontaneously pick up and move back _halfway around the world,_ with Franziska Von Karma?!

Phoenix sucked in as deep a breath as his congested lungs would allow, finally opened up one dark circled eye, and glared.

"You mean like _you_ do?"

"Like any logical person, Wright." Edgeworth replied primly, making Phoenix wish he wasn't as weak as a kitten, because otherwise he would have completely forgotten that he was a pacifist by nature, launched himself right then and there at the _preachy prosecutor_ , and _choked him with his own cravat!_

The spiky haired man opened both his eyes then, the bags underneath them proof of his sleepless state over his current plight. A plight that his _oh so quick to judge_ 'friend' had no idea about whatsoever! He would _love_ to see just _how rational_ Edgeworth _himself_ would be if _he_ were the one lying helplessly in a hospital bed, knowing he still had to contend, _simultaneously_ , with the following harrowing scenarios:

The woman _he_ loved – yet again! – was trapped somewhere, and may have her life in jeopardy

The little girl he loved as his own daughter was missing as well, and her life also could potentially be in peril

A children's book author and illustrator, a kind, seemingly harmless, woman of evident saint-like patience (as she had taken _Larry Butz_ under her wing as her protégé) _whom said child had completely idolized_ , had been inexplicably, and brutally murdered, and there was a _horrific possibility_ that both Pearls and Maya were still trapped on that remote mountainside with the killer

That his psychotic, serial killer, ex-girlfriend Dahlia, who supposedly had been hung for her heinous crimes five years ago, magically appeared to be _very much alive_ , _somehow_ … in the form of the demure shrine maiden residing at Hazakura Temple, now going by the name of Iris, who was the accused murderer of the crime!

"Edgeworth, you _freakin' hypocrite_!" He seethed, his eyes boring holes into the other man. "You and Franziska wouldn't even _be_ together now if you hadn't followed me and Maya's advice _to follow your heart_ …and _her_ , back to Germany!"

Edgeworth's cheeks reddened, and he looked away guiltily.

"You got me there, Wright," he replied humbly. "It was never my intention to try to make you over in my own image, or to not give credit where it is due pertaining to you and Miss Fey's assistance with getting Franziska and I together. Our sincere thanks for that. I merely wanted to ensure that you'd be more careful in your actions henceforth, as neither one of us would ever want to lose our favorite courtroom adversary."

Translation if Edgeworth were a normal human being with easily expressed emotions, and _not_ an android _: I'm sorry Phoenix. No, I'm_ _ **not**_ _trying to turn you into me. I realize that you and Maya are the reason Franziska and I got together, and I am forever indebted to you for that, nor can I ever thank you enough. You're my oldest, dearest friend, and I wish you would be more careful, because you mean a lot to me, and I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you. Moreover, I'm not just saying this out of concern of losing you because you are my favorite courtroom rival, but because you're my best friend, and I love you._

Phoenix's defensive expression softened. He was still getting used to how similar but separate he and his friend were, despite sharing the same values and being champions for justice and truth. On the surface, Edgeworth would always claim that Phoenix Wright was a _hot-blooded,_ _overly passionate_ , _emotional basket case_ , whereas Phoenix would tell anyone that would listen that Miles Edgeworth was an _ornery tight-ass_ who suffered from the worst possible case of _alexithymia_ known to man! But that didn't matter, because time and time again, the prosecutor proved to Phoenix that underneath his lofty exterior was a heart of gold, unwavering loyalty, and that just because he couldn't _express_ his feelings, it didn't mean he didn't _feel_ them.

 _He's proven to me that even an adulthood, he's the same great kid that defended me in class. He'll always stick up for me in front of others, even when he knows I was wrong. Then privately, he'll let me know what he really thought and how I should have behaved differently, who I should apologize to, how to avoid repeating the mistake, and I'll listen to him. Sometimes, he can lose his temper and be a right_ _ **prat**_ _, and then it will be_ _ **my**_ _turn with the sage advice, and_ _ **his**_ _turn to listen to me. It's how we roll. Edgeworth and me – we're friends no matter what._

"You're welcome, Edgeworth, don't sweat it. I know if the roles were reversed, you'd do the same for me. I shouldn't have jumped down your throat like that. I know you're just looking out for me," Phoenix sighed. "It's just hard to keep it together with this particular predicament… "

"I don't know much about your current situation," his friend admitted. "I have to go meet up with Larry at the detention center after this, and we both know however noble his intentions, he's not exactly the most _credible_ source of information. If you are willing to tell me about it, I'm willing to offer you my assistance in any way I can."

" _Really_?" Phoenix eyed him with a mixture of skepticism and hopefulness. "You aren't pulling my leg here?"

"I thought you'd know me well enough by now, Wright." Edgeworth crossed his arms and tapped his finger. "I rarely make jokes, and especially not about matters of such importance. Now, you can tell me what's been going on in my absence, or I shall take my leave."

"Wait, don't go! Sheesh, I'll tell you!"

Phoenix went on to explain the details of events that had transpired: the medium special training course Maya had wanted at Hazakura Temple, meeting Sister Bikini and Elise Deauxnim, and the other subsequent details leading up to her murder. He bit back a smirk at the incredulity in his friend's eyes when he tried to explain the workings of the magatama that he handed to Edgeworth, who still insisted on dubiously referring to hidden secrets as "psycho locks" instead of "psyche locks."

"I know this is a lot to take in right now." His face was earnest. "However, I've _never_ bullshitted you before, and I'm not about to start _now_. You _have_ to believe that."

Edgeworth arched an eyebrow at him but said nothing.

"Edgeworth, you can go ahead and say I make strange choices, but they're not strange _for me_. I don't need logic to fuel my fascination with human behavior, by the worlds inside people. I am led purely by _intuition_ , not _logic_ , to try to understand and probe what's underneath the surface. It doesn't matter how much of a genius you are, or how well you know the world, or world of law, because the truth is, ultimately _everyone_ you will ever meet, will know something that _you_ don't."

"Like how to raise the dead and read secrets inside people's hearts?" The prosecutor derided, barely hiding a smirk.

" _Exactly_!" Phoenix nodded vigorously, opting to ignore the barely veiled sarcasm within the last question. "There are three things that I have learned over the years. Number one: _anything that gets our blood racing is probably worth doing_. Number two: _you will have a much more fulfilling life if you choose to be happy rather than dignified_." The rest of his words were cut off as he suddenly went into another hacking fit.

Edgeworth closed his eyes and seemed to contemplate Phoenix's words for a moment, before opening them and nodding solemnly, as he waited patiently for him to continue.

"And the final life lesson?" He asked kindly.

Phoenix locked eyes with him then, indigo against slate grey, the veracity in them as clear as day.

"Do you trust me?"

The other man appeared startled by the question.

"At this point in our lives, Edgeworth, _do you trust me_? In your heart of hearts, do you believe I know _what I'm doing_ , and _what I'm talking about_? That I would _never_ steer you, or anybody else that I care about, wrong? That _regardless of what I say or do_ , my _intentions_ are _always true_ and _never false_?"

Edgeworth paused for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"You have more than earned that from me at this point in our lives. Yes Wright. I _do_ trust you."

"Then trust me when I say _this_ Edgeworth, and I say it with all my heart. _Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden."_

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
_** _Detention Center  
_ February 11, 2019

Seeing Iris had still been very difficult for him. Every time he'd gazed at her, which he just couldn't stop doing, all he could see was Dahlia.

"I'm going to see what I can do about getting you a reduced sentence, Iris," he mumbled through the prison glass, casting a sideways glanced at both Maya and Pearl for a moment before turning his eyes back to the teary-eyed inmate on the other side. "You have no previous record, and it's very unlikely that you would be making a repeat offense…"

"Oh Feenie!" Her doe eyes welled up with tears. "I can't believe you're still willing to do this for me… Especially after…"

"Please don't." Phoenix muttered, swallowing back the heavy lump in his throat.

"I hope someday you can find it in your heart to forgive me." She choked back a sob. "Even if it meant deceiving you, please believe me when I say I only wanted to protect you."

"Iris, it's OK. I understand. And I _do_ forgive you."

"Thank you, Feenie," she whispered. "That means the world to me."

Phoenix peered into her lovely eyes, and mentally berated himself for not having been able to ever see the differences between the twins before. There was nothing but limpid sincerity in those orbs, and only gentle sweetness behind that smile, whereas with Dahlia, he'd only seen calculating hardness in those same eyes, and malice, thinly veiled by her saccharine veneer. _How_ could he have been _so foolish and blind_?

What did it matter now? What was done was done. Because of Dahlia Hawthorne, Phoenix had had severe issues with trusting another woman with his heart ever since. And unfortunately, Iris was part of that equation. Perhaps subconsciously, _that_ was a key factor of why he still hadn't declared his love to Maya. His uncertainty about his best friend's own feelings notwithstanding, he wasn't sure when, or if, he would _ever_ be ready to put his heart on the line like that again.

The shrine maiden's cheeks reddened and she dropped her eyes, making Phoenix realize, belatedly, that he had been gazing at her this entire time.

Pearl, who was seated on his left, glared at him and gave him a _very sharp_ jab to the arm.

" _Seriously_ , Mr. Nick?" She snapped. "How can you be so insensitive and be ogling another woman, when your Special Someone is sitting right here next to you?!"

Phoenix winced, and it wasn't just from the sting of the slap. It was Maya's pained visage that felt like a kick to the gut.

"Pearly, stop that!" Maya commanded, jerking up from her seat then and averting her eyes. "We wanted to pay our respects to your half-sister and my cousin, and now we should give Nick and Iris a chance to say their goodbyes privately."

The catch in Maya's voice was not unnoticed by Phoenix. He gazed beseechingly at her, not quite sure what to say, but hoping to _somehow_ give her some sort of reassuring look, and _in some way,_ convey that _Iris_ was no longer the keeper of his heart! However, Maya refused to meet his gaze.

"Even in prison orange, Iris is the most beautiful woman here. How could I ever fault Nick for thinking the exact same thing that I do; that I could _never_ compare?" She murmured forlornly under her breath, but Phoenix heard her all the same. "There's no contest."

Then she straightened up and gave her cousin one last, strained smile.

"See you later, Iris. Nick, we'll see you out front." With that, she grabbed Pearl by the hand and all but dragged her out of there as fast as she could.

Phoenix stared after her speechlessly, his heart aching in his chest at the rift and misunderstanding he had just unwittingly caused.

 _How_ had he done that? _How_ had he managed to give three females the wrong idea, and _all at the same time_?! It _had_ to be _some sort of record!_

Iris saw the distress in his eyes, and regarded him sorrowfully.

"It seems I'm destined to _still_ cause you pain, even from behind bars."

"Please don't say that." He shook his head vehemently. " _This_ wasn't your fault. Maya - she doesn't know…"

"That you ran across a burning bridge for her?" Iris eyed him steadily. "That you nearly had a complete breakdown when you thought she was dead? Or that you're _desperately, hopelessly, in love with her_?"

"How can you know?" Phoenix studied her with a pained expression, too upset to even deny anything. "How is it that _everybody_ just seems _to know_ , except the _one person_ who really matters? Are you all _psychics_? _Mind–readers?_ "

"I'm not psychic, Feenie," Iris shook her head. "That mystical gene skipped _me and my equally unworthy sister,_ remember? I _knew_ … because the way you looked at her just now…" Her voice trembled. "It's the way you used to look at _me_."

"Iris…"

"It's OK, Feenie," she smiled sadly. "The past is the past. But if you want Maya to be your future, heed my words: _Nothing haunts us like the things we don't say."_

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
_** _Misty Fey's Funeral  
_ February 16, 2019

The entire gang banded together for Maya's mother's funeral. Edgeworth, Franziska, Gumshoe, Maggey, Larry. Iris, of course was incarcerated, so she was unable to attend. When Phoenix, Maya and Pearl had gone to go see her when she had been sentenced, she had sent her sorrowful, repentant condolences.

Silent drops rolled down the attorney's cheeks and drifted down onto Pearl's hair as he held the tiny, sobbing spirit medium in his arms. The tears were not for Misty Fey, for he had not known her but for heartbeat. His tears were for his best friend. For the family that she had lost. For the burden of the unwanted duty that she had gained.

Maya still had not cried, and remained dry eyed and dignified amongst all the mourners. At one point, Phoenix left Pearl's side in the capable loving arms of Gumshoe and Maggey, and went to her side.

"Are you alright?" He asked tenderly, putting a hand on her stiff shoulder. "I feel like I'm not being supportive for you because _I'm_ crying more than _you_ are. I'm so sorry."

" _I'm_ sorry that I can't be fake, Nick." Maya regarded him with dull eyes. "When Mia died, the sister I had known and loved as a maternal figure, I cried. However, I just can't shed crocodile tears, when I never knew Misty Fey. She was like this mythical figure that everybody talked about, but I had no real proof existed. I didn't even recognize her when we were standing right in the same room."

"She loved you Maya. Misty loved you enough to _die_ for you…"

"But she didn't love me enough to _live_ with me," Maya stated flatly. "Maybe I'm still numb from seeing her be murdered in front of my very eyes. Maybe the tears will come later. Right now, though, I'm fine. But I feel like you're expecting some sort of response from me, that I _just can't give you_."

"That's not true!" He protested. "I don't expect or want _anything_ from you, Maya. I only want to _be_ _there_ for you. _My_ parents are gone, too! It's not like I don't understand what you're going through!"

"Your parents died in a plane crash when you were in college, after _knowing and loving_ _you_ for _20 years_." Maya shook her head and crossed her arms protectively over her body. "So no, you _just don't get it_! It's not the same Nick. I'm sorry, but it just isn't…"

"Maya, I –"

"Miss Fey," Edgeworth's smooth voice suddenly cut in behind them.

Phoenix and Maya turned around to face the handsome prosecutor, whose hands were jammed into his pockets, his expression somber but sympathetic.

"Franziska is chatting with Gumshoe and Maggey about their upcoming nuptials, so I thought I'd steal away for a moment. I couldn't help but overhear. Please allow me to extend my deepest condolences and to let you know that if you ever need to talk..." His voice trailed off and he cleared his throat awkwardly as he regarded Maya with compassionate grey eyes. "Unfortunately… I _do_ get it."

Tears flooded Maya's vision then.

"You really _do_ know, don't you?" She whispered brokenly. "You _know_ what it's like to have your parent be murdered before your very eyes…" Small tears formed in the corner of her eyes and a slight sob escaped. "Mr. Edgeworth…"

The prosecutor was already reaching out his hand to her, and the pair silently moved off into a corner and began speaking quietly amongst themselves.

Phoenix stared after the two of them, feeling a tightness in his chest, as well as inexplicably hurt, even though he hated himself for it.

This _one_ time, when Maya needed him _most_ , he couldn't seem to get through to her. He couldn't _be_ there for her, because _he_ wasn't what she needed. While he was happy she could find solace, _even if it was with Edgeworth_ , he still felt simultaneously worthless and miserable beyond all reason.

"Don't worry about my sister seeking anything more than comfort from your courtroom rival, Phoenix."

Astonished, Phoenix spun around and found himself face-to-face with his late mentor.

" _Chief_!" He gasped.

"Mystic Matilda told Pearly that maybe I would like to have a chance to pay my last respects to my mom." Mia smiled softly. "Plus, Pearly was so genuinely distraught; I don't think she needed much convincing to channel me to be here in her stead. Funerals aren't really a place for little ones, are they?"

"No, I guess not." He gestured towards Maya and Edgeworth. The new Kurain Master was now weeping in the prosecutor's arms, and as bizarre as it sounded, he couldn't help but feel slightly envious that _he_ hadn't been the one to have allowed Maya to finally release her grief and cry. "You can still read me like a book, can't you? Was my misery _that_ obvious?"

"Seeing your best friend seeking comfort in another man's arms might sting, _just a little._ " Mia tilted her head and gave him a knowing smile. "However, I am _very_ aware that Edgeworth's heart lies elsewhere." She nodded her chin towards Franziska, who, also no stranger to parents lost, had merely nodded her head in approval at her partner's gallantry, and resumed conversation with her friends. "And so does my sister's."

"How can _you_ possibly _know_ about _them_?!" Phoenix stared at her incredulously, so astonished by how _in the loop_ his _deceased employer_ was that he altogether overlooked the second part of her statement.

"We dead still have our ways of finding things out." Mia shrugged and flashed him an impish grin.

"They haven't even come out publicly with their relationship just yet… The only ones who know are Maya and I, and we've both been sworn to secrecy!"

"I know _a lot more_ than you think I do." The former attorney smiled softly in the direction of her baby sister. "I also know that once all this funeral stuff is over and done with, Maya is going to need you _more than ever now_. You – you're her _rock,_ Phoenix. Maya will _always_ needs you."

"That's good to hear." Phoenix cleared his throat awkwardly. "And rest assured, no matter how much she might try to push me away, like she did just now, I will _always_ be there for her."

"I know Maya is in good hands with you, Phoenix." Another knowing smile. "You really do love her, don't you?"

Phoenix goggled at Mia for second in surprise, then lowered his gaze to the ground.

"Of course I do," he mumbled. "She's your baby sister. My best friend."

" _You're_ the reason that this funeral is for my mother, and _not her_." Mia suddenly grabbed his shoulder and pulled Phoenix into a tight hug. "I don't think I had a chance to properly thank you, after the trial, for saving the day as always. I knew you would. I even wrote Maya a letter telling her as much. Nevertheless, that still doesn't mean I can't let you know how I'm eternally in your debt for being my sister's guardian angel here on earth. _You're her hero,_ Phoenix. For what it's worth, Maya loves you, too."

 _Yeah as her brother/hero figure_ , Phoenix thought ruefully, shaking his head, but then he regarded Mia with intense sapphire eyes.

"Three years ago, you made Maya promise to take care of me, Chief." He solemnly took her hand and placed it against his heart. "So now it's _my_ turn to make one to _you_. As I stand before you, I swear an oath to God, and if it better pleases you, _on your mother's grave,_ Mia Fey, that no man nor woman will ever harm the hair on Maya's head, as long as this heart of mine still beats within this chest."

"I trust you, Phoenix Wright. I know I can hold you to that the promise." Tears of relief, love, and gratitude flooded Mia's beautiful eyes. "I know that you won't break this vow to always look after my sister, _because you love her that much_."

There was a fierceness to his tone as his passionate eyes gazed unwaveringly into hers. Phoenix knew he couldn't lie to a dead woman, just as he knew she would take his next secret confession back to the grave with her.

"You're right, Chief. I _do_ love Maya. " He finally professed the words aloud. "I love her more than the air I breathe. And I will protect your sister like a cloak and shield her with my body, until the day I draw my last breath, _no matter what it takes_."

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright_**  
 _Wright Talent Agency_  
December 24, 2025 4:45 AM

" _Maya_!"

Phoenix jolted awake in a cold sweat. Sitting up in his bed, his heart spreading rapidly, he swallowed hard, clutching furiously at his chest, hoping that by a scratch or simple graze, his heart would stop racing, and his body just might entirely shut down – causing him clarity. The fluorescent numbers of the alarm clock beside his bedside table teased him with the ungodly hour of 4:45.

 _It was all a dream. Dreams of memories from another lifetime ago. A dream that ends in nothing and leaves the sleeper where he lay down._ He harshly rubbed at his eyes with bruised palms. _But I wish you knew that you inspired it, Maya Fey, because maybe **then** you could **also** explain to me why it is that **I removed you out of my life** for **going on one year** now…and yet, **you still regularly haunt my nights, and my dreams!** Not even my subconscious can be free from you! **Damn you**!_

Feeling completely drained, Phoenix glanced over at his cell phone next to the alarm clock and saw that it was blinking. Apparently, he had a text that must've come in right after he'd come home from work, then completely crashed and burned.

 _Feenie, you still haven't let me know if you and Trucy plan to come up for Christmas. Let me know either way so I can plan accordingly. I miss you. Call me whenever you get this._

Shit, he hadn't called Iris in a while. And yet, angel that she was, she _still_ hadn't given up on him. _That nun truly was a saint._

"Oh Iris, sweet Iris." Phoenix groaned and flopped back on the bed, burying his head in his pillow. "You're too good for me. You deserve so much better..."

 **Whitney Houston - Didn't We Almost Have It All**

* * *

 ** _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_**

 **Chapter 101**

 **Yanmegaman**

Yes, Ku has been permanently KO'd, however I am under the impression nobody is really shedding too many tears over this!

Tyrell Badd I agree completely would look freaking bad ass with a robot arm!

I'm glad you like the punny names… punny man! I thought you might! XD

Also I judge myself for not having thought of _Wa Chez Yupee_ myself! LOL

 **Forgreatcoffee**

I see you have a warped sense of humor that rivals my own! A man blown to kingdom come is really no laughing matter in this case though since it was an OC who I purposely tried to make as annoying as possible so nobody would miss them, I will just thank you for your morbid but funny jokes and thank you for reading and sticking around thus far!

 **Feraligreater328**

I figured I needed to balance out the fluffiness that was Pearl and Luke would little bit of dark matter! :-)

Excellent question asking about if Lana and Miles are in danger… How very fortunate for them that Ku was doing business transactions with _Maximilian Banks_ and _Debbie Dallas_ huh? ;)

 **Chloemcg**

I really am amazed by how many people liked/even knew Detective Badd-Ass because I wasn't sure how many folks out there had played the Miles games! Something for me to bear in mind while I determine his fate…

I may very well have to do some fanfiction homework regarding Apollo, and you do a great job writing him, so I will more than likely be taking you up on the offer.

When Miles got called back to work Franziska was not yet in the proper state of mind to have gone back yet, and also considering how deeply undercover they are/were I don't think she would've been able to meet up with him and Lana. However, she is back at work now according to the last chapter she was in… As for where the future lies with regards to Ms. Von Karma's heart… That's something that is still to be determined because next chapter, we are back to Mr. Wright! :-)

The answer to the theater questions regarding Nick and Iris, as well as how Trucy has been coping without her best friend will be touched upon in the next couple of chapters… Are you mind reader or do great minds just think alike? (Mildew will be alive for just a bit longer though, sorry!)

I like everything you have done with your fanfic so far can't wait to see what else is in store for the characters… Please don't kill Nick!

 **Cyberchao X**

I fully admit that I shamelessly abused the living hell out of the puns in this last chapter, but I'm glad my readers get and appreciate the attempt at humor, thank you very much! :-)

 **XenoBound**

Lana is a hottie… Something that Interpol took shameless advantage of when they put her in the sting operation… Just because she was good at playing the bimbo didn't mean she liked it though... Next time you see her though she will be fully clothed! XD

While there will not be explosive chaos of the physical kind in this next story arc… Do prepare for some explosive revelations that I hope you will find entertaining, because we are back to Phoenix! And boy does he have some explaining to do! :-)

 **Chapter 100**

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Senor Java, on behalf of all cappuccino and latte lovers of the world, I apologize for the purity desecration of your favorite beverage! XD

as it is probably evident I am a big fan of puns and if possible will not just stop at people's names!

No doubt had Franny and Miles been caught the perfect prosecutors would have thought of the perfect way to get out of it unscathed:p

Considering the sharp shooting skills of Mr. Damien Cain I can assure you he did not miss his mark with the intended shot to the heart... while he is indeed to blame, I shall draw the line at telling him : darling you give love a bad name !

 **Chapter 99**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr**

Carlin! Sweet girl I have missed you and your always adorable, in depth, insightful reviews! I'm so happy you are back in action with that iPad! :-)

I am happy this did not come across as a man hating or feminist attempt chapter but rather showing the empowering friendship between these two amazing daughters of destiny. Had I not come up with that title for the chapter, I would have called it _lean on me_!

With true friends it doesn't matter how long it is between visits… Because wherever they go, wherever they may be, they carry their heart with them. This was when I was trying very hard to convey with Maya and Franziska and I'm delighted that you liked that chapter… It took me three days (I'm not even joking) to write! Every girl needs a friend like Franziska… She is such a formidable character, and I love the fact that she is also such a strong one despite everything she's gone through. Also she's the friend that we all need who may not be the most sensitive all the time… She's not the one who bakes you cookies when things are down… she's the one who trashes your ex and makes you roll on the floor laughing! Do you know how hard it must have been to make Maya laugh considering the misery she's been going through? Franziska RULES! XD

I try really hard to not F-Bomb a whole lot in the story… However, Maya really needed to unleash that fury… And Nick deserves that surely! :p

 **Chapter 98**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr**

Thanks so much for appreciating my attempt to give depth to these already incredible characters.

I am also very touched that with the cast of such amazing characters people actually give a crap about my original ones! So thank you, Longines was always intended to be a likable character, and Maya needed a friend very badly at this point in her life… It's not the poor guy's fault though that Maya is the Queen of acting like she's fine when she's not… So he has no idea how much pain she's in. She needs Franny. She also needs to find strength to stand on her own feet because for the longest time her entire life was Phoenix, and I wanted to give her more than that, because she is my all-time favorite video game heroine!

 **Chapter 97**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr**

I really wish I could've put this couple together sooner based on how much love they got from my readers!

I'm not going to lie, you are not my first reader to have told me to my utter delight, that they were eagerly anticipating that first kiss… I hope that when they finally did it was well worth the wait! It was Pearly's first kiss I have to make as magical as possible! Plus I just love writing kisses and romance… I promise you there will be more romance coming up in the story!

You hit the nail on the head Sweet girl. With my attempt at following Canon somewhat, and as we are going into AJ… it is indeed a huge factor why Maya is not in Phoenix's life. However, since these two adorable teenagers have an ocean already keeping them apart, they don't need _my_ help to give them any more drama. Luke and Pearl aren't going anywhere… In fact, because my readers love this couple so much… look for him to be popping up again in the story pretty soon! :-)

 **Chapter 96**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr**

Yay team Feyt! We have another member on the team! :)

I'm so happy to have you back and touched that you stuck around on this crazy train!

I went through a lot of emo nostalgia myself when I was writing the justice for all flashbacks… Everything seem so much simpler and everyone seemed so much happier back then! :(

Don't worry there will be some joy amongst the feels coming up… Like in the next chapter… ;)

 **Chapter 92**

 **Megaranger66**

Yes Manfred was totally irredeemable Dracula look-alike douche bag! I can't find anything nice to say about that man whatsoever except that he may have instilled the importance of ambition into the miles and Franziska… I think you hit the nail on the head with evil incarnate!

I tried to think of the most grotesque possible scenario with the cougar… And what is more yucky than sharing a woman with your adoptive son? :p

Gretchen in the gardening tool… I try to call her a _trowel_ , my friend? XD

Manfred is a straight up " _man er...hure_ "…. That one I think just speaks for itself!

Poor Franziska does need a hug really badly… Stick around for more hugs and feels my friend, who makes me laugh my ass off at his reviews _every single time!_

Whelp, the start of chapter further proves that Manfred is EVIL! Cheating on your wife, hitting her, forging evidence, TAZING people?! Pure! Evil! Incarnate!


	103. Show Must Go On

_Empty spaces - what are we living for  
_ _Abandoned places - I guess we know the score  
_ _On and on, does anybody know what we are looking for..._

 _Another hero, another mindless crime  
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime  
Hold the line, does anybody want to take it anymore  
The show must go on_

 _The show must go on  
Inside my heart is breaking  
My make-up may be flaking  
But my smile still stays on_

 _Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance  
Another heartache, another failed romance  
On and on, does anybody know what we are living for?  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Three:** **Show Must Go On**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Trucy Wright**_ _  
Wright Talent Agency_  
December 24, 2025 11:00 AM

 _In my sleeplessness, I am drunk on silence. For hours, it has seeped into my pores, dowsing my mind in its thick toxicity. The usefulness of my thoughts left long ago, leaving these fatigued neurons to fire almost randomly and flailing without direction. I crave not to think at all. I yearn to be absorbed into the darkness that the night promised me hours ago. I so desperately want to wake up feeling refreshed in the stream of white daylight, unaware of the hours between then and now. I simply wish_ _ **to sleep**_ _._ _Nevertheless, as usual, my wishes don't mean a damn thing, and behind these closed lids, the restlessness and wretched insomnia continues._

After waking up from his series of tormenting dreams featuring ghosts of girlfriends past, he'd lain awake for a long time in the dark – for a good two hours, thinking and not thinking, in that barren state which was not sleep, nor yet full wakefulness, which was an excruciating strain.

 _Eyes that won't close. A heart that won't stop its beating. The dark space is endless in the abyss prison that is my mind. I wish to drift away into a never-ending dream, but dreams are only a memory in this hell of reality._

Phoenix got out of bed the next morning feeling like the energy was slowly trickling out of him; as though he were literally leaking electricity. Taking a glance at his unshaven face and dark under eye circles in his dresser mirror, he wryly observed that he could have easily pulled off being a walking zombie; dead on the inside, but subconsciously awake.

 _Coffee_. He needed it. _Lots_ of it.

As he staggered towards the kitchen, the fragrant aroma of blueberry pancakes filled the air.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Trucy chirped, waving at him over the griddle as she flipped a fresh flapjack over. She was wearing her regular magician's outfit, but with a Santa Claus cap instead of her regular blue top hat. "Glad you're up! Now that you're finally awake, you can get breakfast while it's hot."

Phoenix grunted something barely intelligible, which may or may not have passed as a greeting, and poured himself a cup of coffee, downing half of it in one gulp before slumping into his seat at the table.

"I made the hot cakes Christmas style, Daddy!" Trucy plopped a stack of pancakes onto the table in front of him and kissed him on the cheek. "See? They're shaped like little Santa hats and Christmas bells!"

"They look great, Truce." Phoenix smiled faintly. "But I'm not too hungry this morning. Maybe I'll have them later."

"Come on, you _have_ to eat!" Trucy insisted, sitting down at the table and stuffing a forkful into her mouth. "You _always_ said breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and besides, it's Christmas Eve, and you simply _cannot_ rob me of the chance to have holiday breakfast with my Daddy! As it is, I was gonna head out to work soon and thought I was going to miss you for sure!"

"Fine, maybe just one." Phoenix speared a pancake with his fork and popped it into his mouth.

Trucy had surprised him over the years by surpassing him greatly with her culinary skills, and therefore, usually ended up taking over the cooking duties. Phoenix was sure that to anyone else in the world, his edible Santa hat tasted superb. However, this morning, for _him_ , every food may as well have been cardboard and no amount of chewing made it possible to easily swallow. His mouth was dryer than a sandbox in summer. His brain was too preoccupied with vivid memories of the taunting dreams from the night before, as well as feeling completely short-circuited from his lack of sleep for the _fifth_ consecutive night in a row. His insomnia had magnified a ten-fold this last year, and this past week leading up to the holidays had been particularly brutal. Every time he closed his eyes and drifted off, he'd somehow wind up seeing Maya's face. Asleep or awake, his mind was like a one-track treadmill that seemed determined to torture him, and would not let him be released from his thoughts, which continually plagued him with memories of his former lover.

Phoenix chased down the mouthful with the remainder of his coffee and immediately got up for a refill. It was only as he downed his second cup that his brain at last registered what his daughter had said.

"You're going to work _today_ , Truce? On Christmas Eve?"

"The Wonder Bar is having a special holiday afternoon performance, and is closing early this evening because of Christmas. Besides, I don't really have much of a choice, right?" Trucy shrugged. "I have to pick up as many shifts as I can, seeing as how we barely made rent this month."

Phoenix grimaced, at both the reminder, as well as the aftertaste left behind in his mouth from the cheap instant grounds. The no name stuff was gritty, tasteless, and bitter, and lingered distastefully on the tongue, but it was all he could afford. Due to his lack of sleep, he had torn through his monthly special South American roast from Godot by mid-month, as coffee was his only means of staying awake.

Presently, money was extremely tight, what with him having to support himself and Trucy based _solely on their combined salaries_ , and _no more additional help from any other parties_. Therefore, in order to make ends meet, he'd been forced to cut corners, even with the smallest luxuries. This entailed being resorted to consuming generic store brand with _everything_ , from toilet paper to coffee beans, and even then, he wasn't always successful.

Being skint also meant he was playing poker more than he was performing piano at the bar, and whenever possible, Trucy was working extra hours at her job, as well. Thus far, it was only by the grace of God that it had not affected her schoolwork much.

"Speaking of money that's owing, the utility bill is due at the end of the month. Have you paid it yet?"

 _Oh crap, I_ _ **knew**_ _forgot to do something!_

Phoenix suddenly found his appetite restored, and busied himself polishing off the rest of his flapjack in order to avoid answering the question.

Noting the guilty look on her father's face, which he hadn't been quick enough to hide, Trucy hastily swallowed down her last bite of pancakes and brought her dishes to the sink.

"Don't worry about it," she said quickly. "I can just pay it through online banking before I head out. It's been Grand Central Station here while you were sleeping and you missed quite a few phone calls! Would you like your messages now, or should I wait until you're on your _third_ cup of Joe before you're coherent enough to process them?"

Phoenix glanced over, the corners of his lips fighting a smirk; his eyebrows slightly raised, ready to give a mild reprimand to the teen for her unprecedented sarcasm, but then relaxed somewhat when Trucy grinned mischievously.

 _Ha-ha, so Daddy isn't a morning person - never has been, never will be! She's had almost 7 years to get used to this!_

"Very funny, missy. I'm as awake as I'm going to be. What went down while I was sleeping?"

"Well first off, Iris called. She wanted to know if you and I were going to go up there for Christmas." Trucy began ticking off the phone calls on her fingers. "Next, Uncle Larry called. He's back in town, and is probably here to stay, as his world art tour is finally over. He's going to be at Uncle Gumshoe's for Christmas tomorrow, and _he_ was wondering if we were going to be there. _Then_ Uncle Gumshoe _himself_ called, asking if we're coming over tomorrow, as we have every year. I told him to call back a little bit later, because you were still in bed. "

"I've been meaning to call Iris back," Phoenix said gruffly, reaching for his morning paper. "I've got to let her know that I won't be coming up this evening, because my work is having their employee Christmas party tonight. And as for Gumshoe…"

"Number _four_ ," Trucy interrupted, looking sulkily at her father. "My friend Gouda called and asked me if _I'm_ going over to her place tonight after work for Christmas Eve, like _I've_ done every year, but I told her I wasn't sure yet, because for the last few weeks you have been _insisting_ that I'm _grounded_ from going anywhere except for work…"

"Ergo, I refuse to _un_ -ground you, just because it's Christmas, so you can stop pouting, Truce!" Phoenix stated firmly, affecting his best fatherly tone. "Or have you forgotten that I wasn't exactly about to _reward_ you _for getting expelled from school_ a fortnight ago, _right_ before the holidays!"

"I haven't forgotten, Daddy." Trucy shuffled her feet uncomfortably. "However, seeing as how it _is_ the holidays, I was hoping you would stop being the Grinch just for a minute, and finally give me a chance to at least _explain_ …"

"Oh, I think your school principal explained it clearly enough when he called me in." Phoenix put up his hand, silencing the protest she was about to make. "I _still_ can't believe you got into a fight with another student! I'm not sure if it was a combination of you using the martial arts moves Sasha taught you a few years ago, or the shock of you also springing Mr. Hat on him, but you made the kid _soil his pants_ , Truce!"

"But Daddy – that Drew Peacock is the meanest bully in school!" Trucy protested, sniffling slightly. "Why can't you listen to my side of the story about what happened?"

"Because I am still _so mad_ at you, that's why! There is _no excuse for violence!_ I thought I'd raised you better than that!" Phoenix rose to his feet and aimed his famous courtroom finger at his daughter then, uncaring that tears were forming in her eyes. "Spare me the waterworks Truce! _How_ could you get yourself kicked out of school before the end of first semester? Do you have any idea how hard it's going to be to find another high school within our area, to attend mid-year?"

"It's _not an excuse_!" Trucy wailed, her chin quivering now. "Daddy, please, you have been avoiding this for the last two weeks, but I'm _begging_ you to listen to me…"

"I don't want talk about this." Phoenix abruptly grabbed his newspaper and was about to head out of the kitchen, but Trucy clamped a hand on his arm, effectively stopping him, and looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes.

"You _never_ want to talk anymore!" Her eyes welled up. "You never even _smile_ anymore! You – you're just _not the same_ anymore, Daddy! What's _happened_ to you?!"

Phoenix halted then, and felt some of his acrimony draining at the sight of those agonized blue eyes filling with tears, _instinctively_ knowing they were genuine and not intended for manipulation purposes, which most teens were infamous for cuing on command.

"Don't you want to hear my _defense_ about why that _douchebag_ got a roundhouse kick to the midsection?" The teardrops were trickling down Trucy's cheeks now. "And _why_ I sprung Mr. Hat on him to deliver the final sucker-punch? It was because of _you,_ Daddy!"

 _That_ caught him off guard.

"Because of _me_?" He echoed, completely disconcerted.

"He cornered me before school in the front courtyard, in front of all of his mean friends, trying to look like some sort of big shot. He said ' _hey magic girl, it's been almost 7 years, has your big faker of a father been able to clear his name yet_? _Because if he hasn't by now, obviously it's because he's actually guilty of forging that evidence, which makes him a_ _ **low-life criminal**_ _, just like your_ _ **other father'**_ _!"_ Trucy was fully bawling now, barely able to brush the tears away as fast as they fell.

Phoenix felt as though _he_ was the one who'd been sucker-punched as he tried to digest this information.

"I _told_ him to stop." Trucy drew in a deep, shuddering breath. "I told him to get lost and leave me alone, and tried to brush past him. But then he grabbed my arm, and said _'I'll bet your magic tricks are as fake as that evidence your loser bum of a father presented in court. You're both complete phonies'_! Was I supposed to do _nothing_ Daddy, while this _asshat_ , who has been picking on me ever since I turned him down last year when he asked me out for a date, insulted _both_ my fathers, _and_ my _legacy_? I tried to shake off his grip, but he _wouldn't let go of me_ , and only held on harder. I actually had a _bruise_ on my upper arm, and I wanted to show it to you, but you just wouldn't hear me out!"

Phoenix felt a painful lump forming in his throat, suddenly feeling like the world's biggest shit heel. His daughter was no troublemaker nor delinquent. In fact, in that moment, right there and then, he realized that Trucy was his _only existing proof_ that he'd actually done something _right_ in his life, if her big, beautiful heart, steadfast loyalty, and unwavering sense of self-esteem could even be attributed to _him_ at all!

Wordlessly, he pulled the sobbing teen into his arms, holding her tightly while she wept.

"I'm sorry, Truce," he murmured, stroking her hair. "You're right. I should've listened to you. That kid sounds like real jerk, and you shouldn't ever have to put up with that kind of abuse. Thank you for defending me, honey. I'm not mad at you anymore. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've _ever_ been more proud of you."

"T- Thank you, Daddy. Everybody's got their breaking point, and that _fart pick_ was _it_ for me!" Trucy stormed, her tears soaking his T-shirt. "It wasn't only Drew that did it for me – he was just the straw that broke the camel's back. It's just been… _everything_ , and I just _couldn't take it anymore!"_

Phoenix drew back and placed his hands on Trucy shoulders, peering down into her face with concern.

"What does _everything_ mean, baby girl? What else has been bothering you?"

"My best friend fell off the face of the earth and completely ignored me, right up until Aunt Maggey's baby shower in the summer," Trucy replied bitterly, her voice muffled as she buried her face back against his chest. "I don't know _what_ I did to her to make her stop returning my calls and emails, but from _March_ , up until _July_ , it was like Pearl _hated_ _me_ or something! Then, around the same time, _you_ got all gloomy and withdrawn, and didn't want to talk to me anymore, either. I felt so confused and alone! I had no idea _what I did_ , to _either one of you_ , to make you both just _stop_ … _loving_ _me_!"

Phoenix swallowed hard. It had never occurred to him to think about the ramifications of his breakup with Maya on anyone else, and he felt terrible about it. Obviously, Pearl had not wanted to associate with _anybody_ that had anything to do with him, which was understandable, but while he _couldn't_ do anything about that, he _could_ certainly set things straight about the other issue that been distressing his poor daughter.

"Trucy, forgive me," he said humbly. "You haven't done _anything_! I've had a lot on my mind lately, I haven't been sleeping well, and work has been crazy! I'm sorry if I pushed you away, but you have to know that you're _my light,_ and that the _only_ _good thing_ I have left in my life _is_ _you_ , baby girl!" He smoothed her hair back from her forehead. "You can doubt that the sun will rise tomorrow, Trucy Wright, but promise me that you won't _ever_ doubt how much I love you, _ever again,_ OK? I will tell you that every day, and every night, until you believe me again. You're my daughter, and I love you, _so very much_."

"I love you too, Daddy." Trucy hiccupped slightly as she tried to stop crying. "I'm sorry to lay all this out on you, but with first _Pearl,_ and then _you_ acting so distant, I don't know, the whole thing seemed like _the whole world hated me_ , and _everyone_ was out to get me! It sounds so silly, but that was how I felt!" She sighed. "Don't worry about Pearl and me, we're OK now. She sincerely apologized to me at the baby shower, and explained that she's just been very busy and has been kind of preoccupied, because when she's not helping Maya run the village, she spends every free moment on Skype with her new boyfriend who she met on her spring trip to Europe."

" _Little Pearls_ has a _boyfriend_ now?" Phoenix blurted out before he could stop himself, astonished by the news.

"Pearl's not so little anymore Daddy, she's a year older than me! She turned 16 in the fall!" Trucy giggled slightly, her tears gone now. "She and I are back to talking and emailing, and I think we're back to normal. However, she's not coming down to Uncle Gumshoe's this Christmas, because her boyfriend came down yesterday from England and is spending the holidays with her in Kurain. She invited me to come up, of course, but I don't want to be the third wheel with her and Luke!"

Phoenix felt a jolt within him at this newest bit of information. Today was definitely his daughter's day _to pull the rug out_ from under him!

" _Luke_? His name wouldn't happen to be _Luke Triton_ , by any chance would it?"

"Yes, I think so," Trucy smiled as the realization dawned on her. "He was the famous Professor Layton's apprentice when he was younger, I believe she told me. I saw his photo, and she's _such_ a lucky girl. _What a cutie_!"

 _It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all…_

"Hey, that would make him _the same Luke_ that was the Professor's apprentice, who you met when you went to England, so that means you know _him_ , too then, right?"

"I used to." Phoenix cleared his throat. "That was a very long time ago though. So, they've been together since spring, you said?"

"Uh-huh. Since May. Pearl is so excited! This will be her first time seeing him since then!"

 _More power to them! They've still managed to see each other_ _ **twice**_ _in_ _ **seven months**_ _, and these two have_ _ **the Atlantic Ocean**_ _between them!_ Phoenix noted sardonically _. Funny how a couple of_ _ **teenagers**_ _are better at this whole long distance thing then_ _ **we**_ _were! What was our personal best? Three times in a year and a half, if I'm not mistaken?_

"Well good for them," Phoenix said noncommittally, reaching for his newspaper again and lightly tousling his daughter's hair. " _You're_ certainly welcome to go if you want, but I don't know about going to your Uncle Gumshoe's this year, Truce. Maybe you could just let him know whenever he calls back?"

"I wouldn't want to go without _you_! Why don't you want to go, Daddy?"

"I haven't been feeling too great lately. Maybe it's because I haven't been sleeping too well, but I think I might be fighting something, which probably wouldn't be make me a welcome guest in a house that has a brand-new baby." Phoenix looked away then and dropped his eyes down to the newspaper. "However, I'll be here Christmas morning, if you want to hang out with your old man when you come back from your friend's house."

"Of course I want to spend Christmas with _you_ , Daddy! Wait – _what_? Do you mean to say I _can_ go to Gouda's tonight?" Trucy's eyes lit up. "You _really_ mean it?"

"I sure do," Phoenix replied, flipping idly through the paper. "Have fun, baby girl!"

"You're _the best,_ Daddy!" Trucy squealed with delight, lurching herself at him with a huge hug, just as Phoenix flipped over to the _LA Times_ lifestyle section.

And that was when he saw _it,_ in full color, right on the front page.

 _LOVE IS IN THE_ _ **HAIR**_ _!_ The large headline read, followed by the sub header, which read: _Billionaire Salon Tycoon, Longines Beaugosse is newly engaged to Maya Fey, Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique!_

Underneath all of this was a full-page photo of Maya, in a long black dress, locked in what looked like a passionate embrace with a man, who had her bent over his arm on what looked like a red carpet. His face was not completely visible, as it was facing her and turned away from the camera. Beside the couple's photo, from what looked like a company business profile, was a headshot of Maya's smiling visage, next to another one of a handsome blond man, who looked like a _live action Ken Doll_.

" _Maya Fey_!" Trucy exclaimed excitedly, tapping her finger against Maya's photo. "She's the one who used to be your assistant, right Daddy?"

Phoenix nodded mutely, incapable of speech at that moment as he just stared at the photo, openmouthed. His brain formulated no thoughts, other than to register that he was utterly _floored_.

There were several quotes splashed around the borders of the page.

 _The exclusive first photo_ _ **seen here first**_ _, of the secret lovebirds on a romantic trip to the Cannes Film Festival!_ _Find out all the details on page 3!_ _The ring! The romantic proposal_! _The intimate personal details of this match made in heaven, as told by 'a close inside source'!_

"She looks like a _movie star_ ," Trucy breathed, her eyes shining with admiration. "You never told me she was _so pretty_ , Daddy!"

Phoenix closed his mouth, and then looked at his toes before glancing back up to catch her eye. "I guess so," was all he could say.

At that moment, the phone rang, and Trucy bounced away to answer it while he sat there, completely dumbfounded, trying to digest the news. He flipped open to the referenced third page of the paper, barely registering that his hands were shaking. He supposed he could attribute that to three cups of coffee on slim-to-no sleep taking its ugly toll.

 _The 30-year-old philanthropist tycoon, of the successful_ _ **You Blo Me**_ _blow dry salon chain proposed to the delighted Kurain Master, 27, last night on a romantic trip to the Eiffel Tower in France, the very country where this worldwide exclusive Cannes photo of the duo was initially taken…_

"Daddy," Trucy's voice suddenly broke into his thoughts. "Daddy, the phone – it's for you. It's _Uncle Gumshoe_."

No response from Phoenix.

"Daddy?" His daughter's sweet voice sounded confused and slightly anxious now. "Daddy, are you OK?"

 _My heart still beats, but against a chest that feels hollow,_ Phoenix's mind was spinning. _My eyes still see, yet the world that is so close around me seems far away. My mind begins to shut down, unwilling to think anymore. Perhaps this is shock, due to the fact that I dreamed of my ex, merely_ _ **the night before**_ _, only to wake up to_ _ **this**_ _,_ _ **the morning after**_ _! I'm really not sure…._

" _Daddy_!" Trucy sounded exasperated as she waved the cordless phone at him. When he _still_ didn't reply, she pressed the receiver into his hand and forcibly lifted it to his ear, giving him a pointed look as she did so. "Talk to Uncle Gumshoe, please! You can let him know about Christmas _yourself_ , since _he's on the phone it right now."_

Still in a daze, Phoenix raised the phone to his head, but still couldn't find his voice.

"Hey, pal!" Gumshoe's familiar loud boom in his ear finally snapped him out of his trance-like state. "Are you there?"

"Hey, Gumshoe." Phoenix cleared his throat and forced himself to sound as neutral as possible. "Yes, I'm here. What's up?"

"Long time, no speak!" Gumshoe chuckled. "I was little bit worried about you for a while, it was like you fell off the face of the earth, _again_! Have you been getting my calls and messages?"

"Sorry about that." Phoenix slapped the newspaper shut and dropped it back onto the table. "I know you've rang a few times… Just been really crazy busy with work and everything. I actually tried to return your call last month sometime, but Maggey said that you'd gone away somewhere."

"Um, yeah, I had to make an unexpected trip abroad…" Gumshoe mumbled awkwardly. There was a pregnant pause as Phoenix pointedly didn't pry for more details, and the police chief appeared reluctant to give any.

There was an uncomfortable silence on the phone as the other man was obviously struggling to find the right words for his next line of conversation.

"Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something…" Gumshoe coughed. "So…did you happen check out the front page of the local newspaper?"

"The _front_ page?" Phoenix asked mildly, although he had a pretty good idea where this was going.

"Er, yeah, first page of the lifestyle section of the _LA Times_ and front page of the local newspaper, pal," Gumshoe mumbled apologetically, as though he were personally responsible for delivering the confounding news about Maya's betrothal.

 _Proposing atop The Eiffel Tower?_ _ **Cliché much**_ _? Oh well, looks like Maya's_ _ **traded up**_ _for sure! From_ _ **Pauper**_ _to_ _ **Prince**_ _, indeed! Got herself a_ _ **hair heir**_ _who's more rich and famous than_ _ **she**_ _is! Good for her! I'm certain_ _ **this**_ _is a match the elders and The Dragon Lady_ _ **wholeheartedly**_ _approve of!_

"Yes, I've seen it Gumshoe," Phoenix replied politely. "What of it?"

"Well a couple of things. I guess I wanted to see if you're OK? I mean, I heard about you and Iris, so I can't imagine why you _wouldn't_ be, but you know, you're _both_ my friends so…" The other man's voice trailed off. "Maggey and I, we wanted to know, would it would bother you if little Gordy were to be ring bearer for the ceremony? Maya called this morning and asked us. I mean, if it _is_ a big deal to you, we can always tell her no, but…"

"That's very considerate of you," he replied affably, fully regaining his composure now that the initial astonishment had abated. "But _completely_ unnecessary. Maya has obviously moved onward and upward in the world, and I wish her nothing but the best. I'm sure your son will be a delightful ring bearer."

"It's so great that you're alright with this!" The relief was evident in the police chief's voice. "I mean, considering Maggey _already_ told Maya that she was going to get Gordy a brand new little tuxedo, and she's all excited about getting herself back into shape and buying a new dress and all…"

"I hope they have fun shopping for this momentous occasion," Phoenix said cordially. "Considering how renowned both the bride and groom are with the media, I'm positive it will be _one hell of an affair_!"

"I'm glad you're taking the so well!" Gumshoe remarked. "Maggey was really worried about your reaction, even though _I_ was sure _you'd be fine_! Still, she insisted that I call you as many times as needed to get confirmation. I told her not to worry about _that_ – I've been chasing you for the last seven months, even though you've only apparently returned _one of_ my calls, but I never gave up on you, did I?"

"No chief, you most certainly _did not_ ," Phoenix deadpanned. "Kudos for your perseverance."

"I'm a cop, it's what we do!" Gumshoe chortled. "So Larry is in town again, and he's going to be over here tomorrow night. How about you?"

"That's very kind of you, but I'm going up to see Iris for Christmas."

Upon hearing this, Trucy, who had been standing in the corner this entire time while staring at her father with a pensive brow, gave a small gasp of indignation, crossing her arms while looking disapprovingly at her him.

"How is she doing, anyway? You crazy kids keeping well?"

"We're both fine, thank you," Phoenix responded pleasantly. "I'm going to ring off now, but thank you for calling and a Merry Christmas to you, Maggey, and the kids."

"Thanks. Merry Christmas to you too pal. Maybe we can catch up sometime in the New Year, huh."

"Sure thing. Take care."

The moment Phoenix rung off, Trucy swooped down on him, hands on her hips and a frown on her face.

"Yes, Truce?" He asked wearily.

" _Why_ did you lie to Uncle Gumshoe like that?" She demanded. "You told me you _weren't_ going to go see Iris because you have your Christmas party tonight! _Then_ you said you were coming down with something, so you didn't want to go see Uncle Gumshoe and risk making baby Jeff sick. But _now,_ you just told him that you _are_ going to go see Iris! What gives? Why all the bluffing, Daddy?"

 _Because I've been doing it so long for a living, that I just can't stop doing it real life!_ Phoenix longed to retort, but considering how upset Trucy had been just a few moments ago, decided not to rock the boat.

"Didn't you say you have to get ready to go to work soon?" He asked pointedly.

Trucy's shoulders drooped defeatedly, knowing better than to press the issue when her father became closed off like this. She turned to leave, but then paused in the kitchen doorway for a moment.

"If you _are_ going to stay home after your party tonight, Daddy, I hope you get the rest that you need, so you can finally go back to being the way you used to be." Trucy regarded him with a troubled expression. "I miss seeing you smile."

Phoenix smiled softly at his daughter. "Is _this_ better, baby girl?"

Trucy bit her lip, nodded silently, and turned away again.

"Merry Christmas, Daddy. See you tomorrow morning."

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _  
The Borscht Bowl Club_  
December 24, 2025 5:50 PM

The moment Phoenix walked into The Borscht Bowl, he spotted Tyler at his usual spot behind the bar, leisurely flipping through the newspaper. It was completely dead; aside from a couple of stragglers in the corner of the room, there was nobody else inside the tavern. The office party was going to start at 9:30 that evening, and Boris, cheapskate that he was, wanted to make sure they were open until at least 9:00, to squeeze in any extra dimes from last-minute customers popping in for a pint before heading off for their holiday festivities.

"How goes it?" Phoenix politely asked the bartender, whose head jerked up from the article he was reading, his longish, shaggy brown hair flopping backwards from his face as he did so. He quickly stashed away the newspaper, but not before Phoenix saw that his colleague had been reading the lifestyle section of that day's paper. "I've already seen it Tyler. No need to hide on my account. I'm fine."

"I would certainly _hope_ so, all things considered." Tyler looked at him coolly, his normally friendly brown eyes noticeably lacking his customary warmth, which had been more and more of a regular occurrence ever since he and Maya had split up, and it was then that Phoenix belatedly recalled how fond the bartender and his wife had been of both Maya and Pearl.

"Maya looks really beautiful, doesn't she?" Without even waiting for response, Tyler reached back under the counter and pulled out the lifestyle section, flicking his finger against Maya's photo. "But her hair's in an updo in this photo, so it's kind of hard to make out the _drastic haircut_ my wife gave her just a couple of months before this picture was taken. She called Sasha up out of the blue, and intended to hack it off at the nape."

Phoenix thought he had reached the humanly possible quota of staggering news that day, but it seemed he was wrong. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time.

 _What the hell?! Maya chopped off her hair? Her long, beautiful hair?_ He pondered in disbelief. _**At the nape**_ _?! Does that mean she's wearing a_ _ **wig**_ _in that photo?!_

"Sasha didn't do it though. She tends to refuse knee-jerk requests that customers will undoubtedly regret right after making them, because she's been in the industry long enough to know when someone really means it, and when they _really_ don't." The bartender's intense gaze nearly bored a hole into Phoenix's face. "So, Phoenix, perchance, _you_ wouldn't happen to know _what_ could have _possibly_ made Maya want to chop off that _glorious, trademark mane_ _of hers in the first place,_ _would you_?"

"I'm quite certain I have no idea what you're referring to." Phoenix answered smoothly, his expression unreadable. "Although, as it's all water under the bridge, what does it matter now?"

"I guess it doesn't," Tyler shrugged. "The point is, Maya's moved on and is happy now. She's already asked Sasha to do her hair for the big day. We think this _couldn't have happened to a nicer gal_."

The pianist raised a brow, but refused to take the bait. The bartender just looked at him disgustedly, then pulled out his countertop rag and busied himself wiping down the top of the bar, muttering something under his breath that sounded vaguely along the lines of, _cold-hearted son of a bitch._

No matter. Phoenix shrugged internally. He'd certainly been called _worse_. Besides, regardless of Tyler's apparent rebuking of their previous friendship, which kinda sucked, he hadn't really come over for idle chitchat, anyway. He had three hours of work to get out of the way before the holiday festivities began, and Tyler was _just_ the person who could help kick it off!

"Hey, Tyler?"

" _Yeah, what_?" The younger man wasn't even going to _pretend_ to be civil, it appeared.

"I need you to give me a bottle. And I'm _not_ talking grape juice."

" _You_ , drinking something _besides_ grape juice, while _on the clock_?" Tyler smirked and regarded him skeptically. " _This_ is new. However, you know it's been hard enough for me to slip you freebie bottles of your regular, _nonalcoholic_ poison, never mind the stronger stuff. Or have you forgotten what a _skinflint_ Boris is?"

"Lighten up, it's Christmas! Put it on my tab."

"You don't _have_ a tab." Tyler shook his head. "Now, for _friends_ _of mine_ , I never minded bending the rules, _but_ …"

"The man ain't lying, Phoenix," a familiar voice cut in then. "We all know here that Russian is so dang cheap he wouldn't give a nickel to see Jesus ridin' a bicycle! Still, Tyler, that's no reason ya for to turn into Scrooge over _one lousy bottle of vino_! Put it on _my_ tab."

Phoenix turned around, and there stood Tiffany, her impressive assets aptly displayed in her sexy party dress, in lieu of her regular waitress uniform. The statuesque beauty's pneumatic physique was poured into a tight fitted, spaghetti strap, crimson dress, with a huge slit up the thigh. A Santa hat rested atop her halo of platinum curls.

Tyler shrugged and handed Phoenix a bottle of domestic red wine before turning to serve another customer.

Phoenix turned away from the bar and lifted the bottle in a mock salute to the pretty blonde.

"That was really nice you, Tiff. Much obliged."

 _At least not_ _ **everybody**_ _here that I work with now hates my guts…_

"It's the holidays, sometimes we need _spirits_ in order to get into the _festive_ spirits," she winked. "Merry Christmas, Phoenix."

Then she sashayed off.

He unscrewed the cap, set it atop the bar counter, and sauntered over to the piano, his lips already fastened on what he knew would be _the first of many bottles_ that evening.

One of the drunks in the corner promptly bent over at that moment and threw up on the floor.

Phoenix sighed.

It was going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _  
The Borscht Bowl Club_  
December 24, 2025 11:55 PM

In traditionally true cheapskate fashion, instead of any sort of cash holiday bonus, or even gifts for his staff, Boris had treated the bar employees to a _traditional Yuletide feast_ of _pizza and wings_ that night.

 _You know, because catering something_ _even_ _ **marginally more festive appropriate**_ _would cost_ _ **extra**_ _!_

He opted to forsake the food in exchange for wine that evening. In an unexpected gesture of additional generosity that year, this year's staff party had included unlimited drinks, which Phoenix surmised was more _Natasha's_ influence than her husband's.

The owners had also decided to splurge on a karaoke machine for that evening's entertainment.

He sat there on the piano bench, rocking side to side, although he wasn't sure if it was due to the fact that he was now on his _fourth bottle of wine_ , or if it was his body's reflexive reaction to the hypnotic tempo of Tiffany's sexy karaoke performance of the Christmas classic, "Santa Baby."

 _ **Think of all the fun I've missed;**_  
 _ **Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed;**_  
 _ **Next year I could be just as good... if you check off my Christmas list**_

Truth be known, Phoenix honestly was unable to ascertain whether or not the bombshell's voice was any good, as by that point, he was semi-pissed off his gourd, although he was not so drunk he didn't notice that her smoky eyes were zeroing _right on him_ as she sang the last few notes of the _suggestively naughty_ tune.

 _ **Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing... A ring...**_  
 _ **I don't mean on the phone; Santa baby,**_  
 _ **So hurry down the chimney tonight**_

 _ **Hurry down the chimney tonight**_  
 _ **Hurry, tonight!**_

He applauded enthusiastically when the performance was over, and Tiffany flashed him a flirtatious little wink as she sauntered off the stage and strolled towards him.

"I do believe it would be _yer_ turn to _rock ma socks_ off now," she said playfully, removing her Santa hat, taking off his beanie, and putting the red cap on his head.

" _Me_ , sing?" Phoenix scoffed and waved away the suggestion. "Nah! These guys hear me warble often enough when I'm on duty! I don't want to damper the evening! After all, this _is_ supposed to be a party, right?"

"Yer a funny fella." Tiffany laughed and tossed her hair. "In the six years ya been workin' here, Phoenix, yer piano playing has remained just barely subpar, but ya got the voice of a lark to compensate and _ya damn well know it_!"

Natasha came up onto the stage then, still in her customary purple dress, although like Tiffany, she had spruced up for the occasion with a Santa hat on her head.

"Is nobody more performing tonight?" She asked. "Because if everyone finished singing, then as you know, I always ending night with holiday speech, wishing Merry Christmas and thanking all for another year good service. But since we having this machine, this year I thanking you all with song."

Phoenix barely stifled a groan. The Russian woman's rendition of " _I Touch Myself_ " earlier that evening had sounded like a strangled cat crossed with a banshee and his head was already beginning to throb in anticipation for the next assault to his ears.

"So, I ending night singing famous Mariah Carey song, " _All I Want for Christmas_ " for you people." Natasha pointed to the DJ. "Play that funky music, white boy!"

Phoenix's heart froze in his chest.

 _ **What tune**_ _did she just say she was going to sing?!_

The bars of the song began to play.

The nausea swirled unrestrained in his empty stomach. His head swam with half-formed regrets. His heart felt as if his blood had become tar as it struggled to keep a steady beat. His suddenly melancholy mood hung over him like a black cloud, raining his personal sorrow down on him, which followed him wherever he went, that he'd been trying so desperately to suppress that night with the wine. And up until that exact moment, Phoenix had been mostly successful in doing so. Had even tried to convince himself he was actually having fun with his coworkers that night.

Now as he looked around, even the festive colors and holiday decorations within the bar looked drab to him, and all the sounds around him begin grating on his frayed nerves.

Phoenix _couldn't_ listen to another woman sing that song. _Not tonight. Not then_. _Not after a day like he'd had_ , when in _one day,_ he had already been _brutally whammed_ with _enough jarring news_ to last him _well into the next millennium_!

" _Objection_!" He shouted hoarsely, jumping to his feet and pointing at Natasha. "Stop that music!"

Immediately, the grateful-looking DJ obliged, readily seizing the music before Natasha could begin the first bar.

"Phoenix Wright!" The Russian woman looked at him with narrowed eyes. "What is meaning of this? You having problem with my singing?"

" _No_!" Desperately he raced to the stage and grabbed the microphone out of her hand. "Of _course not_ , Natasha, we _all love your singing_! It's just - I just wasn't paying attention a moment ago, when you asked if we were _all done performing_! _I_ still have yet to go up and sing! And, um, I promised Tiffany that I would! It's my way of thanking her for buying me a drink earlier tonight, heh, heh."

Natasha looked at him suspiciously, but then nodded slowly.

"It is fine," she announced crisply. "You singing last song this night, Phoenix Wright. But make sure you making it _good_."

 _Yup no pressure there it all!_ Phoenix felt the sweat forming at his temples. _I feel like I'm right back exactly where I was six years ago, at my very first audition to get this gig!_

Phoenix walked over to the DJ, and didn't even bother flipping through the song book. He knew what he wanted to sing.

"Are you _sure_?" The DJ asked doubtfully. "It might be kind of a _downer_."

"Just play it." Phoenix steeled his jaw.

Still wearing Tiffany's Santa hat atop his head, and trying to block out the hooting and hollering his presence on the stage brought from the rowdy blonde, Phoenix closed his eyes, waited for the music and began. He didn't even need to look at the screen for the lyrics.

 ** _This Romeo is bleeding_**  
 ** _But you can't see his blood_**  
 ** _It's nothing but some feelings_**  
 ** _That this old dog kicked up_**

He knew every single word of this song _by_ _heart_ , because _that_ was where the lyrics were permanently engraved.

 ** _It's been raining since you left me_**  
 ** _Now I'm drowning in the flood_**  
 ** _You see I've always been a fighter_**  
 ** _But without you I give up_**

Memories of the previous holiday, on this exact same date, flashed in his mind, against his will and without warning.

 ** _Now I can't sing a love song_**  
 ** _Like the way it's meant to be_**  
 ** _Well, I guess I'm not that good anymore_**  
 ** _But, baby, that's just me_**

In his mind's eye, he could see the scene as clearly as if it were yesterday.

 ** _And I will love you, baby, always_**  
 ** _And I'll be there forever and a day, always_**  
 ** _I'll be there 'til the stars don't shine_**  
 ** _'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme_**  
 ** _And I know when I die,_**  
 ** _You'll be on my mind_**  
 ** _And I'll love you always_**

 _A goddess in a bathtub, filled with bubbles, rising up from the water like some sort of exquisite Aphrodite. Glorious, obsidian hair, pinned atop her head so you could see those florid cheeks and flawlessly sculpted lips, as if crafted by seraphs themselves, glistening attractively from water beads, added further rosy clear, color. All these features, set together on a delicate, almost angelic face. Singing that Mariah Carey Christmas song._

 ** _Now your pictures that you left behind_**  
 ** _Are just memories of a different life_**  
 ** _Some that made us laugh, some that made us cry_**  
 ** _One that made you have to say goodbye_**  
 ** _What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair_**  
 ** _To touch your lips, to hold you near_**  
 ** _When you say your prayers, try to understand_**  
 ** _I've made mistakes, I'm just a man_**

He could still vividly recollect the lyrics said goddess had been singing. _That_ _song_. The one he'd refused to let Natasha besmirch: _'Cause I just want you here tonight, holding on to me so tight, what more can I do, oh, Baby all I want for Christmas is you_

 ** _When he holds you close, when he pulls you near_**  
 ** _When he says the words you've been needing to hear_**  
 ** _I'll wish I was him 'cause those words are mine_**  
 ** _To say to you 'til the end of time_**

What had followed that bathtub performance had been a searing kiss that he could still feel stamped on his lips every time he closed his eyes.

 ** _Yeah, I will love you, baby, always  
And I'll be there forever and a day, always_**

He still remembered his exact thoughts: _I_ _swear this woman is an expert on keeping my heart beating. Without her, I'm sure it would simply stop._

 ** _If you told me to cry for you_**  
 ** _I could_**  
 ** _If you told me to die for you_**  
 ** _I would_**  
 ** _Take a look at my face_**  
 ** _There's no price I won't pay_**  
 ** _To say these words to you_**

Phoenix threw his head back, tilting his face up at the heated overhead light beating down his face, all the while hoping that the burning tears trickling from behind his tightly squeezed eyes would be mistaken for the sweat streaming from his temples.

 ** _Well, there ain't no luck_**  
 ** _In these loaded dice_**  
 ** _But, baby, if you give me just one more try_**  
 ** _We can pack up our old dreams and our old lives_**  
 ** _We'll find a place where the sun still shines_**

 _I have tried to throw her out of my head. However, she keeps coming back every night. I don't know if I should really call it a nightmare, because I always wake up before I get to see the part where I tell her I love her. Maybe I can never get rid of it, or maybe I don't want to. It's the only part of her I can hold on to. And every time I see her, I revise through all the other options I had: beg her to take me back, tell her I love her, or make her swear never to leave me. But I had done none of them, and what's done is done. I can't ever change that. I let her haunt me every night, so I can still have part of her with me, and hope that one day, she will forgive me._

 ** _And I will love you, baby, always_**  
 ** _And I'll be there forever and a day, always_**  
 ** _I'll be there 'til the stars don't shine_**  
 ** _'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme_**  
 ** _And I know when I die,_**  
 ** _You'll be on my mind_**  
 ** _And I'll love you, always_**

Phoenix hadn't given such a heartfelt performance before an audience since his original impromptu recital nearly 7 years ago. Even now, there was only one woman in the whole world who would ever inspire him to sing like this, with his entire his heart and soul… Both of which he'd thought had deserted him these past nine months, because all he'd been feeling within the depths of both was a hollow, aching numbness.

When the song was over, the immediate silence in that room was so deafening, you could've heard a pin drop.

Then all at once, a cacophony of applause and cheering by every single person in that room, including Tyler, who gave a thumbs up and then a half smile, which seemed to say something along the lines of: _I guess you_ _'_ _re not such a heartless son of a bitch after all._

But Phoenix didn't care about the standing ovation. All he knew was that he had bared himself for all to see, and now he'd never felt more exposed or vulnerable. He couldn't stay there another minute.

He blindly staggered off the stage and towards the exit doors, desperately needing air. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew one thing. He _had_ to get out of there.

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Tiffany Pearce_**  
 _Outside The Borscht Bowl Club_  
December 25, 2025 12:10 AM

Tiffany came running after him the moment he stepped outside the doors.

"Phoenix _wait_!" She called. His blue beanie was in her hands.

Panting, Phoenix turned around, chest heaving, finally realizing that if _she_ was holding _his_ hat, that meant _he_ still had _hers_. He yanked the cap off his head, reveling in the cool night air flowing through his heated, sweaty scalp. His head felt like it was going to explode.

"Why did ya run out of there without even taking a bow, Phoenix?" Her lovely eyes were puzzled. "Ya were amazing! Didn't ya hear all that applause? A _blind bat_ could see ya were singing it right from yer heart… Bon Jovi woulda been proud of ya!" She beamed at him, but then realized he wasn't looking _at_ her so much as he was looking _through_ her.

"Phoenix… ya feeling alright?" A concerned look flickered across her face. "Whatcha planning on doing tonight?"

"I was gonna go home," he slurred, swaying slightly on his feet. "My daughter is away at a friend's house for the night so I was gonna be _all by myself_ , and I was going to get _even more drunk_ _than I already am_ , so I can _try to forget_ _how much I hate the fucking holidays_!"

"I don't think you should be alone tonight, suga." Tiffany bit her lip and placed a hand on his arm. "How about ya come sleep off some of that sauce on my sofa?"

" _That_ is a _great_ idea!" He laughed loudly, a harsh sound, with no mirth in it whatsoever. "I guess that means _you_ at least know _your_ address? Because _I_ seem to have _forgotten_ _mine!_ _"_

"Alright, that's enough of that Mr. Three Sheets to the Wind!" Tiffany was already waving down a taxi, then all but shoved him into the back seat before climbing in beside him as she recited her address to the driver.

Tiffany's apartment wasn't very far from the bar, although in Phoenix's current state, it could have been anywhere from a five minute ride to an hour. He was clueless as to time or his whereabouts at that moment.

The tall blonde had to literally prop him up like a human crutch to escort him into her building, up her elevator, and then down the hall to her residential unit. Once inside, she seated him on the couch and chewed her lip nervously.

"Ima get ya a big ol' glass of water OK? Then I'm going to get ya a pillow and some blankets for this here sofa."

"Thank you, Tiffany." Phoenix looked at her admiringly; all dazzling and statuesque in that killer dress, and flashed his first genuine smile all day. "Did I tell you how purty you looked tonight?"

She shook her head and giggled slightly before bending over him and gently tapping his nose.

"Yer quite the sweet talker when yer drinking aintcha?"

"Drunk or sober, Tiffany, you are _absolutely beautiful_." Phoenix grabbed her hand, and with a quick tug, pulled the startled waitress down onto the sofa, who, unprepared for the action, ended up sprawled right on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and devoured her with hungry eyes.

"Phoenix!" She gasped, her heart pounding wildly as he abruptly flipped her over onto her back so he was leaning above her on the sofa. "Wh - what are you doing?"

"Something I should've done a _long_ time ago," he replied savagely, raking his fingers through her thick curls, cupping the nape of her neck, and lifting her head up towards his descending lips.

"Phoenix, this is _crazy_ …" Tiffany moaned weakly, even as her body instinctively arched towards his.

Phoenix swallowed, closing his eyes and inhaling slowly. He knew he should be all rational and do-the-right-thing and listen to his conscience and just push her away, but there was another side of him that he could not control at the moment, and it was determined _not_ to give him that chance.

His eyes flashed open and he growled, " _I want you_ ," right before pushing her back against the cushion, slamming his forearms on either side of her head and kissing her more forcefully than she'd ever been kissed, so firmly that she could feel his stubble scoring into the surface of her lip. He pressed his hard body against hers and she pressed back, grabbing handfuls of his t-shirt and fitting herself to him while his tongue stroked the interior of her mouth. When he drew back a fraction, she gave one final attempt at protest, with an embarrassingly inarticulate rasp.

"B-but, dontcha have a girlfriend?"

Sitting up, he dragged her astride his lap, cradling her head in one palm and crushing her closer with the other as he looked fiercely into her wide blue eyes, and only uttered two words before crushing his lips against hers again.

 _"_ _Not tonight._ _"_

 **Bon Jovi** **–** **Always**

* * *

 ** _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_**

 **Chapter 102**

 **Ryszard**

 _Zuerst vielen dank für Sein meine Meilenstein 500! Kritik_ _lieber Herr! :)_

Second, I would like to thank you for giving me the most unique combination of AA couple name pairing I think I've ever heard! The nickname _Feenie_ is cringe worthy in my opinion - way to make the _world's most sissy nickname_ out of a _kick ass_ mythological bird that is so _damn awesomesauce_ it _rises from its own ashes_! However I have only heard of the couple of Nick and Iris be referred to as _Feenris_. _Nicknis_ was not only a creatively _hilarious_ alternative _,_ it made me think of some kind of disease because it made me think of _sickness…_ Which am assuming, _not coincidentally_ , happens to rhyme with _Nicknis?_ The only thing I find even more amusing than this review with your insistence that Phoenix, even in his Apollo Justice _arschloch_ state, is too good for Iris! XD

Now as the writer, I must 100% neutral and refrain from giving any personal opinion on such a thought. However I can _guarantee_ you are not alone in thinking that sentiment, any more than you are alone in thinking that " _The person who he belongs with has a name starting with M"_

Now about Manfred von Karma, a.k.a. "he without whom we would not have the trilogy," I will completely agree that he is indeed a necessary evil in the best way to describe it would be _love to hate him_? Manny…you Dracula doppelgänger you! Danke for giving us Franziska, who has been totally awesome to write and is the only woman in the video games that had ever insured alpha male Miles Edgeworth remains on his toes! :)

Yanmegaman

 _Aw, it's to see a little cuteness right before we get back to AJ era asshole Nick. I always love to see people's take on the two of them taking the course together, and this one didn't disappoint! Also, Nick, I think you have it backwards. You may be an ass, but YOU are too good for that paperclip!_

I can't wait till you have internet back – though it seems across the miles you my fave Euromale are of same mind pertaining to Iris! LOL. Glad you liked the course funny how Nick is unbreakable but the cold nearly killed him. Ya…cuteness is gone man…thank you again Capcom!

 **Eternalfoxhound**

I can completely understand your thoughts about how it seemed like Nick has not made up his mind between Maya and Iris and it appeared as of last chapter that he was going to break one girl's heart for the other, however, it's hard to determine who was the most brokenhearted of all after reading this chapter, Wright? ;)

 **ajani's apprentice**

I didn't want to reply to your questions just yet because quite a few of them were answered in this chapter, with regards to Larry being around (and therefore will he be instrumental to anything)… His resurfacing in the story after a long absence, begins _right about now_ … :-)

Up until this point, Professor Layton has not seen Phoenix. As he told Maya when she and Pearl went to see him in England back in the spring, the good professor has joined the long list of friends who had been trying to get a hold of Phoenix's brooding (Apollo Justice) arse, whom he in turn, has been dodging/ignoring… Although none as bad as Gumshoe. Poor Gummy! :(

Indeed Maya _has_ moved on…

With regards to Nick and Maya… as of this chapter, I'd say the answer to that query would be the Taylor Swift song _we are never ever getting back together_ is fully applicable. I mean, seriously, Apollo Justice Phoenix is such a complete **D*CK** (thanks, Capcom!) I don't think he should be with _anybody_! (Well, my two of my fave male reader still thinks he's too good for Iris regardless but that's neither here nor there!) XD

 **chloemcg**

I don't think I have seen a whole lot of stories focusing on Nick's character in Apollo Justice… Therefore I would be most interested in your opinion, in _all_ my readers opinions, of whether or not I nailed his darker character this chapter onward. I know you were looking forward to seeing more of him, but I hope you can still _stomach_ him with the way I have to Wright him, though!

Milady, there is no rest for the wicked. If the adage is true that only the good die young… That means the Dragon Lady will probably outlive us _all_! XD

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Ah Señor Java ...What can I say to you to try to acknowledge your wonderful questions and insights without spoiling the entire damn story! I will start with saying that yes Maya looked mighty hot in that uniform… This is coming from a heterosexual female… And we should applaud Nick for his self-restraint!

One of my readers suggested that Phoenix may be part Wolverine/mutant therefore the potential of a bullet bouncing off of him may not be as far-fetched as you think! He's unbreakable… Look how well he handled all that hot coffee to the face which would a given anybody else third-degree burn surely!

Does Nick feel guilty? I guess we'll get more insight into his psyche in the next few chapters I hope you stick around and as always thanks for reading!

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

After justice for all's lengthy flashback arc, I swore I would not do that to my readers again which is why the one for trials and tribulations was a short and sweet one chapter. However I am so happy that you liked this last trip down memory lane… Tell me you see it coming that it was Nick's dream instead of your regular reminisce? You were missing a word in the review but I'm going to assume you said you want _Nick and Maya_ back together again … Well …. They odds don't look that great right now… considering the news Nick got in this chapter…

 **DannyDragon**

This was the final trip down memory lane for the original trilogy am so glad you liked it! _Muchas gracias_ for the kind words, _señor buen gusto musical_! How can you not like Queen? Are you any chance a fan of the Scorpions? It was their slightly lesser-known hit _no one like you_ that I chose for the song title of the previous chapter… Great tune, which is often eclipsed by their timeless anthem _rock you like a hurricane_! (which Nick was mentally humming to himself in chapter 73 but the lyrics were _a bit too suggestive_ for my younger readers for me to print!) :p

I love Mia and I will definitely try to have her pop up in the future again because it probably among my favorite chapters in this story had to be when she was torturing Phoenix at the hospital for deflowering her little sister and assaulting him with his own beanie! XD

 **Chapter 101**

 **Ilet Moratar**

Poor Lana! While I have tortured her a trifle less than my other characters, that cannot be fun for a woman who is bright enough to be legendary detective and chief prosecutor to have to play the part of a brainless bimbo and be looked at like a piece of meat while being undercover!

Now that I finished reading the 101 and realized what happened, I bow to you. Achieve a police plot is quite complicated, especially if it is the first time you write about this subject. I think both the facts and the characters are nicely concatenated.

Are you kidding amiga, how can I possibly kill Miles Edgeworth – he's freaking awesome and most of us _love_ him! That and I would probably feel your whip lash all the way from Cuba if I did! XD

 **Chapter 100**

 **Ilet Moratar**

I hope I can find places in my story to use as much of the wonderful poetry you bestowed upon me as humanly possible! I'd like to think that two prosecutors were so stoic at work would have a lot of pent-up steam to release! XD

Franziska Von Karma I truly believe would give Miles a lot to be thankful for… Or any man really… Once you get past the whip happy harpy which she is portrayed as the videogame… She's freaking hot and said for me as dead in my opinion probably has the best body and Ace Attorney series (do not even go there with Athena she's _barely_ legal!)


	104. Can't Fight Feyt

" _Fate controls who walks into your life but you decide who you let walk out, who you let stay and who you refuse to let go, because faith only takes you so far, once you're there it's up to you to make it happen."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Four:** **Can't Fight Fey-T**

 _ **Dick Gumshoe and Maggey Gumshoe**_  
 _Empire Bellagio, Los Angeles_  
 _Gumshoe's Condo Suit 707_  
December 24, 2025 11:54 PM

The fireplace was their tiny sun for the evening, casting long shadows over the rug, mimicking the warmth of the day. Cozy by the flame, the couple sat on the rug before it, their features illuminated by the flickering light, the only one in the room. Together, they stared at it, as though in a hypnotic state of peaceful bliss, holding hands and reveling in the subtle heat.

"This is so nice, honey, just you me."

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Maggey tittered, lids drooping with exhaustion. "Assuming we're lucky and the baby doesn't wake up in the middle of the night, I think you _may_ have me for about 5.5 hours, if our eldest son's previous Christmas morning wake-up record is anything to go by!"

"So then for the precious little time I have you to myself, I'm going to savor it." Gumshoe turned and dropped a gentle kiss on top of his wife's head. "I love our kids, don't get me wrong! But it's been so long since Gordy was a baby; it wasn't until Jeff came along that I'd forgotten how much I took _sleeping_ for granted!"

"Yeah, I'm lucky if our colicky bundle of joy lets me get four hours of shuteye at night!" Maggey comfortably rested her head on her husband's broad shoulder. "Tonight I couldn't seem to get either one of the boys to sleep! Jeff was cluster feeding like crazy, and the older Gordy gets, the harder it gets each year to get him to go to bed, especially at Christmas, because he's so stoked about Santa! He's still convinced that if he stays up late enough, he'll be able to hear the sleigh and reindeer on the rooftop! "

"I remember last year we got to _sleep in_ … He woke us up at _5:30_!" Gumshoe groused, raising his mug of hot cocoa to his lips. He really wished it could have been spiked with a stronger substance, but as his breast-feeding wife still was unable to drink, he didn't think it would be fair for him to indulge, either. "I think that was his _personal_ best!"

"Speaking of the future ring bearer, you and I have a wedding to attend next year, Mister!" She playfully poked him in the side. "Therefore, if I fully intend to wear a dress _that's not a tent_ , I have to get my butt in gear to be back in pre-pregnancy shape in time for Maya's nuptials! This means _you're_ responsible for eating all those cookies he left out for Santa, _not_ me!"

"Even if you _were_ wearing a tent, you would _still_ be the prettiest woman at that wedding." Gumshoe's eyes glowed with the same love and admiration that had been in his eyes from the moment he had first set eyes on her. "No matter what, Maggey, you will _always_ be the most beautiful woman I have _ever_ seen."

"Flattery will get you _everywhere,_ you know!" Maggey blushed modestly, and then nuzzled her nose against his. "You keep sweet talking me like this, Dick Gumshoe, and I just might commit _some sort of crazy action_ , like marry you and have your babies!"

"Ever the wise guy! Luckily it's one of the million things I love about you!" He chortled quietly, then his expression turned serious as he cupped his wife's face in his large hands. "Maggey Gumshoe, have I thanked you for our two beautiful sons yet?"

"Around this same time last night, when we peeped in on our sleeping cherub, and I noted that Gordy was steadily turning more and more into a miniature version of his Daddy with each passing day." She smiled tenderly at him, even as her orbs glistened. "I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who gets emotional and sentimental at Christmastime."

"How can I _not_ be? It was Christmastime seven years ago that I proposed to the love of my life."

"I still remember every word of your proposal. You said: ' _when I think of the future, I like to picture us as two trees planted side-by-side, our roots growing_ _together more firmly as the years go by, and our children sprouting like seedlings around us._ _Let's make a plan. Ten years from tonight, we'll tell our children the story of how I proposed to you'."_ She gazed at him adoringly. "Only _four more years to go_ before we _put our older son in therapy_ when we tell him the story of how he _prompted you to get on bended knee_ , because of the fact that he was a _special mystery guest_ at our wedding!"

"Come _on_! I was gonna ask you to marry me _anyway_ and you know it!" He laughingly protested, relaxing slightly when she stuck out her tongue. "But for the record, I said one _other_ thing before that. I remember as clearly, as if it were yesterday. I told you I'd be completely lost without you, because while _you_ just saw yourself as the unlucky Goddess of Misfortune, _I_ thought I was the luckiest man in the world to be blessed enough by fate to have found you."

"Right! I remember now!" Her face lit up. "I said to you: ' _I still have to learn to love myself, but honestly, I've liked myself a little more ever since you came along_.'

"Maggey, I said it before, I'll say it again, and I hope you'll never get tired of hearing it: loving you was the easiest thing I ever did." He kissed her tenderly. "Even when it was hard, it was easy. Loving you was like _breathing_. And after you said _yes_ , you told me that I'd never need to feel _lost_ again, because we'd _found_ _each other."_

The clock above the fireplace chimed quietly then, indicating that it was now midnight.

"Merry Christmas, sweetie." She leaned over and kissed him back. "This topic of conversation, has prompted me into giving you one of your Christmas presents early. I thought it was particularly important _now_ , since as of this holiday season, we have not _one_ , but _two_ little house apes." She went over the Christmas tree and grabbed a tiny box with his name on it, presenting it with a flourish.

"You want me to open it _now_?" He gawked at her with surprise.

"It is _officially_ Christmas!" She smiled shyly. "I hope you like it."

The police chief eagerly tore into his present like an excited child, hastily discarding the beautiful, intricate wrapping paper and festive bow, and then let out a whoop of laughter when he saw the contents, quickly clapping a guilty hand over his mouth, in case he woke up the children.

Inside was a shiny gold dog tag, attached to a balled gold chain. The engraving on the back of the tag had their address and phone number engraved on the back, but on the front, circled in a heart, were the words: ' _If lost, please return to Maggey Gumshoe.'_

Rising his head, Gumshoe's puppy dog brown eyes were misty as he stared into his wife's loving face. Surprised by his reaction, Maggey stroked his cheek with a concerned frown.

"Did I hurt your feelings, sweetie?" She asked anxiously. "I thought it'd be kind of an inside joke with us, you know? I figured you wouldn't take offense to me getting it as a _dog license_ _tag_ – it seemed so much more creative and unique than putting the inscription on a regular boring old piece of jewelry, but if you don't like it, I can certainly take it back…" Her words were cut off as her husband lunged at her then, setting her sprawling backward on the carpet as he covered her lips with his own, effectively silencing her.

"Don't you _dare_ even think about returning the most _thoughtful, meaningful piece of metal_ I have _ever_ gotten from you, ever since the day you put that wedding band on my finger, Maggey Gumshoe!" He commanded fiercely, before claiming her lips once again.

Maggey wasn't sure what had gotten into her, but she felt completely breathless, a situation only further compounded by the questing mouth roving insistently against hers. It was as though they were back in their courtship days all over again, and their tongues had fallen madly in love, gotten married and moved to Paris.

"Wow," she breathed, when the two had surely atoned for all their former years of _parental kisslessness,_ and finally came up for air. "I cannot believe you _still_ have that effect on me, all these years later, Dick! I wonder if this is how it is for _everyone_?"

"No."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. I never felt this with anyone before I met you."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. That _isn't_ a line." The flickering flame of the fireplace matched the burning intensity of his gaze. "Allow me to demonstrate _how serious_ I am about that, Mrs. Gumshoe, as I also further express _my appreciation_ for this most wonderful Christmas gift of mine."

"Kiss me, Dick," she sighed, reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck, her eyes full of love and promise. "I think if we stop kissing, the world is going to explode."

"Seems like it," he murmured, staring dreamily into her eyes, and then proceeded to do _just that_.

Heathcliff and Cathy had nothing on them.

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse  
**_ _Paris, France  
_ December 24, 2025 10:00 PM

"I can't thank you enough for coming with me on this last-minute two-day Christmas trip," Longines said to Maya as they exited the music hall, where they had just seen the ever-riveting holiday ballet, _The Nutcracker_. Naturally, the hair heir had had his own personal boxed seats. "I give you my _solemn_ _vow_ that we'll be back tomorrow evening with more than enough time for us to have Christmas dinner with Luke and Pearl in Kurain, Scouts honor!"

"I don't know _quite_ how to take that," Maya teased. "Considering you told me you got _kicked out_ of the Boy Scouts for giving _unsolicited haircuts_ to all the boys, _without_ _parental permission!"_

"Let's just say I started practicing my expertly honed crafting skills _really_ early in life, but _not_ _everyone_ _appreciated_ them back then!" Longines joked. "I think the _real_ reason the parents got so steamed is because my expertly nimble schoolboy fingers gave their kids _better hairstyles_ than the _craptastic ones_ that they were _paying their barbers for_ , or should I say, _butchers_?!"

"Obviously, the whole thing did nothing to shake that unshakable Beaugosse confidence!" Maya laughed. "And for the record, you don't need to thank me again Longines. I didn't have any business affairs this time, seeing as how it's the holidays, but I can't believe that _you_ did!"

A gusty winter breeze washed over the duo then, and Maya shivered slightly.

It was only about 36°F in Paris this time of the year, and she was a tad chilly, despite the wool cloak she had over on over her floor-length, rose silk Chanel gown. It was the most stunning item she'd ever owned, an early Christmas gift from Longines for agreeing to the last minute trip – at this point her friend now knew that pink was her favorite color. The slim fitting, dropped waistline dress had sparkling jeweled accents, along with shimmering gold lace, which cascaded down from the off the shoulder neckline, through the torso, down to mid-thigh. A luxurious, pastel pink, tulle overlay on the layered, flared skirt was the final addition, and perfectly complemented her gold Louis Vuitton heels.

"I said I _needed some company_ for _a last-minute trip_." There was a mischievous twinkle in his sky-blue eyes as he ushered her into a limousine that had been waiting just outside the opera house. "I _never_ said it was _business-related."_ This revelation earned him a confused mocha-eyed glance, and he flashed an impish grin. "I merely conveyed I was going to be making _an impromptu trip to France_ , and if I swore to not subject you to any _animal limbs or organs_ as cuisine, _this time around_ , would you once again be my delightful European travel buddy?"

"Surely thou jest!" Maya looked with amazement through the tinted window at the beautifully, lit-up night time view of the City of Lights as they whizzed by. "Do you mean to tell me that we flew here on your jet at the crack of dawn, on a _complete whim_? For _no purpose_ , whatsoever? Just because you're a billionaire and you _can_?"

"Well, seeing as how the nearly conjoined teenage lovebirds have been as _thick as thieves_ since Luke got to your village yesterday – _your_ words not mine! – I thought you wouldn't mind being whisked away, and taking a night off from being the third wheel." He gently placed his hand on top of hers. "I know last Christmas with your ex was a very big milestone in your relationship, which made it all the more devastating when things ended just a few months later. Therefore, I thought I would try to provide some sort of distraction, for what might be a particularly painful time of year for you."

The Kurain Master rapidly blinked back hot tears and glanced down at her lap, where her one hand lay flatly beneath his golden, well-manicured one, while her free, French-manicured one was clenched tightly into a fist. There was no way to deny the truthfulness of her friend's astute observation, however desperately she'd tried to conceal it.

While Franziska was easily her closest female confidante, Longines Beaugosse now filled the close buddy void in her life that Phoenix had left behind, in that he truly had become her best _male_ friend within the last eight months. It had not been an overnight process, but the kind-hearted man knew Maya very well by now. He now instinctively knew when she was happy – _genuinely_ happy, as well as when she was sad, even when she had her happy mask in place.

Since losing Phoenix, Maya would have described her heartache as a glove of ice, encasing her heart in the same way a cage encased a tropical bird. While her heart longed to fly again, to stretch its wings and soar, and see the vast possibilities of life laid out before her, it stayed locked up in its frozen prison, afraid to pick the lock or try to break the bars.

 _When Nick appeared in my life, first as my friend, then my lover, suddenly all the love songs made sense. However, it was only after he left that I understood all the sad ones._

When she had first met the salon tycoon, as much as she'd been fond of him, she'd also known right away that a new relationship was the last thing she'd needed, not right on the heels of Phoenix. While Maya hadn't wanted to rebound on Longines, knowing he deserved something real, someone to adore him until the end of time, nevertheless, the blond man wasn't taking ' _no'_ for an answer. Every time she pushed him away, Longines gave her no resistance, but every time she fell, he seamlessly picked her back up again, without any sort of _thank-you_ required.

Every time she'd feel she was going to break down and cry, Longines had taken her to see a funny movie or comedy club so that the only tears she'd shed were ones of mirth. Whenever she'd wanted to shut the whole world out, he'd wined and dined her at the most fabulous LA eateries, even ones she'd never even heard of before, as though sensing her heart could be healed if he first started with the _appeasing of her bottomless stomach_. The few times she'd just wanted to have a few drinks and lose herself into mindless oblivion, he'd arrived to fetch her that very evening. Next, he'd whisk them both on a whirlwind shopping excursion at the mall to buy _each of them_ a brand-new outfit for the night, and then escort her to the trendiest LA nightclubs, tearing up the dance floor by her side while she tipsily shimmied and shook her groove thang until her feet ached. In the clubs, with that pulsating music, that beat, those crazy, crazy lights, she once again truly felt she was alive and real, and would think: _Reality bites? Nah! It's freakin' awesome_!

Dancing proved to be a phenomenal way to release pent-up frustration. They went nearly every weekend Longines was in town. It didn't hurt that Maya's gorgeous dance partner had VIP access to all the best places, and had moves like Jagger, either! Many was the time he would _boogie in circles_ _around her,_ leaving her in his dust!

By the end of the night, Maya would be quite drunk, knowing she should cut back, but who was counting? Certainly not Longines, who occasionally would indulge with her in a few drinks, and they'd leave the club arm in arm, wobbling down the lamp-lit alley to hail a cab. The next day she'd check out the previous night's photos on her cell phone of the two of them and their drunken antics, and totally laugh her ass off.

 _This man is too precious. It's only because of him I've gotten through this past year. I simply adore him._

In that same manner, the spirit medium had only been able to endure the otherwise depressing holiday season because of her best friend. This trip _had_ been just what she'd needed. This Christmas, she was still so raw from the previous one that she had welcomed the change of scenery, pace… _country…continent_. As always _,_ Longines knew just what she'd needed. The fact that she hadn't fallen apart thus far was _completely_ because of _her best friend_. As a compatriot and loyal companion, Maya loved him to pieces. She truly did.

"It is _me_ , who should be thanking _you_ , Longines, for putting up with my walls and guarded exterior for so long." Maya raised her eyes to his face with an earnest expression. "For the longest time, I hated Nick for doing that to me, for _making_ me so guarded. You have no idea how badly I yearned to go back to when I was ingenuous enough to think everyone had my best interests at heart and actually _meant_ what they said. I _hate_ that trusting people has become so much harder."

"You were worth sticking around for, Maya." He said kindly, squeezing her hand. "In my life, I have learned to determine that people are like businesses, in the sense that _some_ are worth the investment, whereas _some are not_. _You_ were worth every bit of it, ergo, I _regret nothing_. However, because you're so dear to me, there are few things, life lessons if you will, that I would like to share with you at this time."

Maya nodded and leaned forward expectantly.

"Go on," she urged softly. "I'm listening."

"Torturing yourself over these two things in life will most surely ruin you, Maya." He regarded her steadily. "First: what you thought _could_ have been, and second: what you thought _should_ have been."

"I understand what you're saying, Longines. I really do, even though, nine months later, I keep clawing at my own skin, trying to get back to where I was before. However infrequent, though, there's a part of me that is still plagued by tormenting thoughts. ' _Why did he have to be the one to teach me how to hide?_ ' and _'Why did he make me associate love with_ _ **this'**_ _?"_

"Does it still hurt?" He eyes were bright with compassion.

"Yeah, a lot," she admitted, and then smiled faintly. "But it's getting better. It doesn't feel hopeless anymore."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, Maya." He gave her hand a squeeze, then tapped on the glass partition until it opened slightly, leaning forward to murmur a few French words into the driver's ear.

Maya hadn't realized that the limousine had come to a complete stop. When she saw where they had arrived, her face lit up with excitement and awe.

" _Mon Dieu_!" She gushed as she stepped out of the limousine. "That's the Eiffel Tower!"

" _So it is_ ," Longines replied innocently, his eyes sparkling in the manner of the glowing lit tower behind them. "I realized that when I took you Cannes, I let your cousin have all the fun in Paris, yet never give _you_ a chance to check out France's number one tourist attraction. This is my chance of making reparations for that, as well as for the food I forced you to dine on!"

"It's so _majestic_!" Maya was positively giddy as they walked towards the entrance. "I can't _believe_ we're _really_ here!"

They had just gotten into the elevator, about to ascend, when Longines suddenly blushed sheepishly and slapped himself on the forehead.

"I am _such_ a dunce!" He exclaimed. "I forgot something in the limo with Jacques – you go on without me and I'll be right up in a minute."

"I can wait," Maya offered. "We seem to be the only ones who are willing to freeze our butts off on Christmas Eve going up there, so nobody else is waiting for the elevator. I can hold it for you."

"No, no go ahead, I _insist_!" Longines shooed away her offer with the wave of his hand. "The view is unlike anything you've ever seen before, and I've seen it a million times, but there's no reason for _you_ to delay! You go on ahead, and I'll be up before you know it!"

"As you like it, then!" Maya waved. "See ya later!"

When she arrived at the top, she was surprised to see that she was the sole person up there, and shuddered slightly at the initial heavy breeze that washed over her. She wrapped her arms around her body, wishing she'd worn a more substantial garment than her thin cloak for warmth.

Then she peered out at the view below her for the first time, and forgot about the chilly atmosphere entirely.

 _To witness the elevated view of Paris at night is like being hailed by the angels. The City of Lights steals your breath away in the most magical way possible. Down there are thousands of souls whose lights burn just as brightly as the artificial bulbs. Each one of them is a star – it's just that under the haze of everyday life, they come to forget it and believe themselves ordinary. However, like the 'ordinary' air and the 'ordinary water', they are the purity that makes the world so enchanting, so beautiful, so worth living in. Hailing from a small village, at times like this, I crave to live in a major city, to be in such a place where the sky twinkles at night with the man-made lights that guide my path! A place that never allows the deafening silence to enter my mind. A place where constant motion forbids me to wallow in self-pity! A place that has a million faces I will never know! A place where I can no longer be feel bored or listless. A place where my soul meets my wildest ambitions._

She shook her head in marvel at her surroundings. It was little wonder that this romantic, glorious tower had been where the smitten Pearl had first fallen for her now boyfriend. The place fairly shrieked _l'amour pour tout le monde!_ For Pete's sake, Maya could be up there with the _Hunchback of Notre Dame_ and _still_ probably fall under his spell, because the breathtaking backdrop would do all the romancing work _for_ him! Heck, up here, even _The Evil Magistrate_ would possibly appear to have some sex appeal!

 _Wait, what?!_ _Ugh,_ _ **how**_ _did I actually think that about a_ _ **fictional antihero on a kiddy TV show**_ _? Man, it has been way too long since I've been laid…_

Suddenly, right behind her, came a _deep, bizarre, maniacal_ , but somehow… _well-known_ laugh.

 _I guess Longines finally came up here_. Maya didn't even bothering turning around and closed her eyes against the now blissful night breeze blowing in her face. _All the same, I don't think the cooler temperature of Europe this time of year is agreeing with Mr. California. What's up with that campy, weird-ass,_ _ **cartoon villain**_ _laugh of his? Is he catching a cold?!_

" _HOHN! HOHN! HOHN! HOHN!_ I have found you at last, Pink Princess!" A deep, foreboding male's voice sneered from behind her.

 _What the hell?!_ Seeing as how she was the _only_ one up there, the Kurain Master reflexively spun around, and her eyes nearly bugged out of her skull.

Maya knew she came from a rare, gifted family with mystical psychic powers. Thus far, however, said powers had been _severely limited_ to _necromancy_ , and had _never in the least_ entailed the alarming _clairvoyant ability to mentally conjure_ another _living creature/person_ and _have them summoned,_ to appear right before her eyes! Or rather, in _this_ case, a fictitious character that was _technically_ living but didn't _really exist_ _in the real world!_

Standing before her, _in living color_ , was _The Evil Magistrate_ from The Steel Samurai and Pink Princess TV series, who, as far as _she_ knew, did not exist outside her TV set or movie screen.

Yet somehow, _there he was_ , no matter how many times she blinked, and even rubbed her disbelieving orbs! All 6'5" inches of him, in his proverbial purple samurai suit, black and fuchsia cape, demonic white mask, and humongous, _very real looking_ _katana_ , which was _pointed straight at her_ while he let out that evil cackle once more.

"There is nowhere for you to run, Pink Princess! You cannot escape me now! Prepare to meet your fate!"

" _What_?!" She cried in horror. "I –I'm not the Pink Princess! There must be some mistake!"

 _ **I**_ _am not a fictional character on a TV show! My name is Maya Fey, I am_ _ **very real**_ _, and I have_ _ **no desire**_ _to be turned into a human kebab!_

The Master realized that she had _, for the second time in her life,_ entered The Twilight Zone! The last time this had happened had been nearly 7 years ago on her 21st birthday. She and Franziska had been in the bathroom at The Borscht Bowl, and her friend had been trying to convince her about the existence of one Ms. Ema Skye, whose similar appearance to Maya was so jarring that Phoenix had been swayed into taking on _her_ case, despite turning them down left, right, and center prior to that. Maya of course, had scoffed at the notion that she could _possibly_ have a doppelgänger of such magnitude… Only to have the petite brunette waltz into the ladies' room _at that exact moment and prove her wrong_!

So of course, the shocked and alarmed spirit medium hypothesized that she _must_ be in _some_ _sort_ of alternate universe! How _else_ could she _possibly_ _explain_ the fact that she was _helpless, alone_ , and _on the receiving end of a make-believe evildoers sword_ on the top level of the Eiffel Tower?!

 _Where the hell is Longines?!_ She thought frantically. _I am a damsel, I am in distress, and since the Steel Samurai does not exist, I sure as hell hope my hairdresser pal miraculously appears with oversized shears or at least a gigantic pair of hedge clippers as his defense weapon!_

"Spare me your lies!" The Evil Magistrate lunged towards her and yanked her towards him, wrapping an huge arm around her tiny waist, leaving her no means of escape. "I know who you are, and I have come for you! You belong to _me_ , Princess! Forget the goody-goody Steel Samurai and join _my_ side as I conquer Neo Olde Tokyo!"

Maya was too terrified to even try to process the gibberish coming out of the bad guy's mouth at the moment. While his grip on her was not painful, it was as hard as the iron suit he appeared to be wearing, and her impotent struggles only made him cackle more loudly.

From _completely out of nowhere_ , the Steel Samurai theme music began to blare loudly, and out of the blue, the spear-wielding hero himself materialized, at that exact moment.

"Unhand her at once, Evil Magistrate!" The Steel Samurai commanded, pointing the sharp tip of his spear just inches away from his nemesis. "Her heart will _never_ belong to you! The Pink Princess is _mine_ , vile fiend!"

 _Screw you guys, I don't belong to_ _ **either one of you**_ _!_ Maya thought indignantly, but then decided that the wacko playing the Steel Samurai could very well be the _lesser of both evils_ , and instead affixed her most doe-eyed, pleading expression.

 _After all, The Steel Samurai at least, isn't known to_ _ **forcibly manhandle a girl**_ _,_ _ **ever**_ _!_ _Good Lord,_ _ **why**_ _am I rationalizing_ _ **any of this**_ _as though it_ _ **actually makes any sense,**_ _or as if_ _ **either one of them**_ _is_ _ **lucid?!**_

"My _hero_!" She pretended to swoon, clasping her hands to her chest and batting her eyelashes coquettishly. "Save me!"

The Evil Magistrate shoved Maya aside and readied his sword.

"Prepare for battle, arch nemesis! We will settle this, once and for all!"

"I have foiled you before, diabolical one and I shall emerge triumphant yet again!"

Maya began inching her way towards the door to the elevator, jabbing insistently at the button to go down, while casting a frantic glance behind her. The two men had begun a set of very complex and choreographed fight moves with their weapons, while the music continued to play from some mysterious source in the background.

 _Come on elevator! Hurry up, please!_ She silently pleaded, to whatever forces were listening. There was _no way_ , in her high heels, that she would make headway down the stairs, should one of these lunatics give chase!

"Victory is mine!"

She cast another furtive glance over her shoulder, and saw that The Evil Magistrate was now lying facedown on the ground, The Steel Samurai standing triumphantly with one foot on his foe's back, wielding both the spear and katana victoriously in his hands. He turned his head then, spotted her attempted escape route by the lift, and let out a chagrined cry.

"Maya, _wait_! Please don't go!"

Maya clasped a hand to her chest, this time genuine. Despite being somewhat muffled by the mask, the hero's voice _sounded_ vaguely familiar...

The Steel Samurai yanked off his head, and a gleaming tumble of golden waves spilled out.

" _Longines_?!" Her jaw hit the floor. " _What the deuce_?!"

" _Gah_! I had this _all planned out_ so perfectly, too!" He moaned. "I don't know what to do now! Um, is it possible for you to _pretend_ that you didn't see it was me if I were to put my head back on now?!"

"What in the world are you talking about?!" Maya gaped at him. "Planned _what_?!"

"Well, I guess there's no time like the present, to um, _present_ …" He mumbled, fumbling into his pants pocket while sinking down onto one bended knee, while his front foot remained on the poor man trapped beneath it.

" _Oof_! _Merde_!"

Ignoring the pinned Magistrate's grunt of pain, Longines produced a velvet box and popped it open, revealing a glittering, _ginormous_ diamond ring inside.

At the sight of the jewelry, Maya was so bowled over that she fell back with a heavy thud against the wall by the elevator, lips still parted in shock.

"Ultimately, I have learned that we are all searching for someone whose demons play well with ours. From the day that I met you, you have been the greatest ally I've ever had in my life. The peanut butter to my jelly. The peas to my carrots. _The Pink Princess_ to my _Steel Samurai_." Longines gazed at her with ardent cerulean eyes. "There is nothing I can't do with you by my side and that includes handling the responsibility of running Neo Olde Tokyo!"

He lunged forward, once again disregarding the villain's injured cry of " _Zut, alors_!"

"In war times or in peace, in a utopian or dystopian future, whatever good or evil forces that may come, Pink Princess, will you be my fellow liege and give your hand to this Steel Samurai?"

Maya goggled at her best friend as if he'd just produced a pink, polka dot rhinoceros from his pocket and was certain she resembled a pop-eyed toy from one of those claw machines at the fun fair. She could just imagine the sparks in her brain, desperately trying to connect the dots and instead just causing a short circuit as she tried to process what she'd just witnessed – the most _insane_ , _over the top…_ _ **hilarious**_ _marriage proposal on God's green earth_!

Before she could even answer, however, the completely forgotten Evil Magistrate beneath Longines' foot let out an agonized yowl, sounding like a squealing pig in a vacuum cleaner.

" _Mon Dieu_! _Arrêtez_! _J'en ai assez! Monsieur_ , zees is all _très romantique_ ," he rasped, in a very _high-pitched_ voice. "I hope _zee belle mademoiselle_ says _oui_ , _mais s'il vous plait,_ _ **retirer votre chaussure de mon dos**_!"

" _What_ did he just say?!" Maya gasped, amazed she was only now noticing The Evil Magistrate suddenly had _such an unignorable,_ _ **thick French accent**_ **!**

" _Sacré bleu!_ " He wheezed. " _Get off my back! Eez killing me!"_

"My goodness, Jacques!" Longines hurriedly removed his foot and helped the other man to his feet, which he did quite slowly and painfully, clutching his lower back dramatically as he did so. " _I am_ _so incredibly sorry_! I guess I just got caught up in the moment!"

"Zat veel cost extra, Monsieur!" The driver grumbled, already trudging towards the elevator. "As veel my medical bill! _Mon pauvre dos! Maudit marques de talons_! I veel see you in zee car."

" _Merci beaucoup_ , Jacques!" Longines winced. " _À bientôt! Et je suis très désolé!"_

A disgruntled grunt was the limousine driver's reply as he limped theatrically to the elevator and exited the scene, _stage left_!

With a heartfelt expression, Longines walked up to Maya and took her hands in both of his.

"It's kind of hard to be in character without the mask on, so I'm sorry if the previous proposal sounded too ridiculous to take seriously," he apologized. "Speaking to you now, Maya, as Longines Beaugosse and _not_ some fictional TV character, I assure you, the question was still _very real_ , even if the Steel Samurai _isn't_."

He popped open the ring box, exposing a platinum band ring, with a positively _enormous_ , solitaire, Princess-cut, pink diamond, big enough to _skate_ on!

"Maya, I promise you, no one will work harder to make you happy or cherish you more than me. Life offers many challenges, and I know I can meet them, if you're willing to face them with me? Maya Fey, my dearest friend, faithful companion, and treasured confidante, I absolutely adore you. Will you give me your hand in marriage?"

She shook her head back and forth, her mind reeling as she tried to process all this.

 _I want love, but I also want to stand on my own feet. I want a relationship where we are a "we" and two separate "I's." Like sitting on a teeter-totter. When you first get on, it's a little scary, but you have to trust the other person won't let you crash to the ground—that they won't jump off. That's Longines and I. Together, we are balanced and count on and support each other. Everything is just even—balanced. We're both in the flow. When one of our lives is on a real high, the other holds them there, letting them ride the wave, appreciating them in all their glory— adoring them unconditionally. Together, we just enjoy the ride, and the elation of just balancing life together. Nick – he let me crash to the ground. Well, I'm done with my feelings of what Longines has described as_ _ **la douleur exquise**_ _– the heart wrenching pain of wanting the affection of someone unattainable. I want something…_ _ **real**_ _. I want a best friend I can trust._ _ **Eff passion**_ _–hugs, laughter, shopping trips and a killer dance partner make one_ _ **helluva consolation**_ _!_

"Longines Beaugosse, not only do you treat me like a real-life Princess, _you_ have been _the rainbow in my cloud_." Maya's eyes were shining. "You too, are _my_ best friend, and most revered comrade. Words cannot express my fondness for you. My answer is yes. I _will_ marry you."

" _Really_?" His eyes glimmered with delight. "You'll marry me?"

"I really will." She nodded, smiling happily, as she reached out her arms to him.

The blond man let out a loud whoop as he grabbed Maya, lifted her off the ground, and spun her around and around. She giggled hysterically as he shouted cheers in a garbled mixture in both French and English, and then gasped in amazement as fireworks suddenly went off in the background, _bright pink_ _fireworks_ , _in every shade imaginable on the pink rainbow scale_!

" _Youpi_! _Mon cœur joyeux!_ She said yes! She said yes! She said yessssss!" Longines shouted over the loud boom of the explosive Roman candles as The Steel Samurai theme music somehow magically resumed playing in the background while the laughing Kurain master wrapped her arms around his neck. "You hear that, Paris! _She said yesssss_!"

* * *

 _ **Pearl Fey and Luke Triton  
**_ _Kurain Village_ _ **  
**_December 25, 2025 2:00PM

"I swear this won't take very long," Luke promised Pearl, as the two teenagers walked the snowy path through the woods, hand-in-hand, towards the snowcapped mountain lake area up ahead. "I know that we'll be having Christmas dinner in just a few hours, and I did promise Mystic Matilda that we would help out with the preparations." He flashed an adorable, embarrassed smile. "Although having never had a tofu turkey before, I'm not quite sure how long it would take to roast one the oven…"

"Coming from a country where meat is very rampant in dishes, what with black pudding and steak and kidney pie, do you find the vegetarian ways of my village difficult to adapt to, Mr. Carnivore?" Pearl teased, her gleeful smile, which hadn't budged since her boyfriend's arrival, brightening up her lovely face to spectacular effect.

"Not at _all_!" Luke insisted gallantly. "It gives my arteries a chance to unclog for the fortnight I am here, and there is absolutely _nothing_ I am unable to become accustomed to, including being the only male in this entire matriarchal village! However, I shan't lie to you; a part of me _cannot wait_ until Longines gets here with your cousin, so I have _some_ male companionship! Or at least give all the ladies someone _else_ to rubberneck at!"

 _I still don't think the village people will notice another_ _ **man**_ _is here when Longines arrives, considering he's prettier than_ _ **most**_ _of its female residents!_ Pearl thought wryly, but kept her mouth shut in the spirit of Christmas, and also because she didn't want Luke to think she was being petty.

In all actuality, she had legitimately thawed out towards Maya's new friend, and while she didn't think she could ever love him the way she had Phoenix, being with Luke had made her more open and had given her an unexpected maturity with adapting to new situations, and she'd finally come around to semi-grudgingly accepting him. Maya seemed less saddened in his presence, and for that alone, Pearl supposed she liked the blond man _somewhat_.

Luke was the key factor with the resuming of her friendship with Trucy, a decision Pearl didn't regret in the least, but still hated herself for not doing sooner. The former professor's apprentice had explained that while Maya may have been putting on a brave face for Pearl's sake since breaking up with Phoenix, the love she had for her little girl was still unwavering. Therefore, if Maya had _claimed that she was OK_ with the two girls keeping in touch, despite the bond between her and Trucy's father being severed, she had more than likely _meant_ it. Also, Luke had wisely pointed out, Pearl punishing Trucy, however unwittingly, for the sins of her father, would be the cruel equivalent of _Maya_ shunning _Pearl_ herself, because of Morgan's evil crimes, a concept the spirit medium had never once considered.

Still, Pearl had waited until they were face-to-face at Maggey's baby shower to make amends. She'd wanted to be able to look into her best friend's eyes in person, hold her in her arms, and promise _never_ to let go of her ever again. It had been a very emotional and tearful reunion, but with both Luke, and now Trucy once again being part of her world, Pearl had never been happier in her entire life.

Having her best friend back, Pearl realized just how desperately she had missed her, and she couldn't wait until the other girl got to meet her boyfriend at Uncle Scruffy's New Year's Eve party. Before coming out on this mysterious walk in the woods that Luke had insisted upon, he and the magician had been introduced via Skype. The couple had contacted the magician earlier that morning to wish Trucy a Merry Christmas. To Pearl's delight, Luke and Trucy had gotten on famously, and the duo had chatted with her for nearly an hour before they'd let her go. Luke had wanted to say hello to Phoenix, but his daughter had quickly explained that she was presently alone Daddy had stepped out to the store.

Pearl's best friend was blissfully unaware that the spirit medium's magatama had immediately enabled her to see the psyche locks that had materialized when Trucy had uttered the presumably harmless fib. Wisely, Pearl had kept mum about her knowledge of the little white lie. While she adored Trucy, Phoenix's comings and goings were no longer her concern, though deep in her heart she knew she would always care about him, even if the feeling wasn't mutual. Besides, a part of her was saddened that Trucy was alone at 9:00 on Christmas morning, because _wherever_ her father was, his absence from the apartment most certainly was _not_ because he had stepped out for _an hour long errand_ , not on the _one day of the year_ when nearly _everything was closed!_

"This forest is pretty big. You must've really had a chance to explore it in depth when you woke up to take your _daily_ _sunrise stroll_ ," Pearl commented, impressed with the area expertise knowledge her boyfriend exhibited as he led them to their destination.

"It's been my daily morning ritual ever since I was a young lad. It clears my head and helps me get ready for a new day," Luke flashed an embarrassed grin. "Truth be known, you're right, the surrounding area _is_ a lot bigger than I thought and I actually _did_ get lost a couple of times! I had to ask a couple of squirrels and chipmunks for directions on how to get back to the village!"

"I was surprised you chose to go alone, though." Pearl giggled at the image of her boyfriend being Doctor Doolittle. "I usually wake up pretty early myself, to meditate. Your room is right next to mine, so why didn't you come knock on my door? I would've been happy to join you."

"Um…" Luke suddenly appeared nervous, and awkwardly scratched at his news cap. "I wanted to see if my ability to communicate with animals was the same in America as it is in England, should the need have arisen. And ha-ha, it _did_! The local creatures here can understand my British accent with _no qualms whatsoever_!"

Immediately, a psyche lock, bright and red, with thick chains, appeared before Pearl's vision.

 _OK, this is now the_ _ **third person**_ _I've caught keeping secrets from me!_ The spirit medium was both annoyed and bewildered. _Why is_ _ **everyone**_ _around me_ _ **lying to my face**_ _?!_ _Especially my_ _ **boyfriend**_ _?!_

This most recent hidden truth bothered her the most. She and Luke told each other _everything!_ He knew her mother was incarcerated! _She_ knew all about his adventures with the professor in his youth, some of which had even been _death-defying_ and consequently left him with a few lingering phobias of such innocuous things like _suits of armors_ , due to his paranoia they would suddenly _spring to life and attack_! So _what the heck_ was he hiding from her _now_?

They finally reached the clearing, with Pearl still mulling over her boyfriend's secrecy, as Luke turned and beamed at her.

"I wanted to give you your Christmas present in private," he explained. "I hope you don't mind."

"It's a good thing that I thought to bring yours with me, and that it's compact," Pearl answered, fishing into her jacket pocket and handing him a tiny box. "My gift requires a short explanation, but I do hope you like it."

Smiling, Luke lifted the lid, and found a bright blue magatama made of Lapis lazuli.

"This is so pretty!" He held it up to his eye like a magnifying glass, and peaked at her through the hole in the loop. "Is this thing _glowing_?!"

"It's a magatama," Pearl explained, her cheeks reddening slightly. While Luke was very well aware of her spiritual powers, she had never really explained psyche locks to him and she hoped that he wouldn't think the premise silly or unbelievable. "You know that all members of the Fey clan wear one, and it's charged with my spiritual energy. I know you deal with animals, which don't normally tend to lie, but this mystical gemstone allows you to see a secret someone might be hiding in their heart, so you'll always know if somebody is being true with you or not."

"I see." Luke inspected the 9-shaped stone with admiration. "This is really neat! So it's kind of like a built in lie-detector?"

"Something like that." Pearl's cheeks turned even more pink. "A long time ago, I gave the one that belonged to Maya to Mr. Nick, and the entire time they knew each other, he said he kept it with him always, because it reminded him of her. This sacred symbol is very special to my family, which we only give to those very dear to us."

Staring down the snow, she shyly traced a design on it with the toe of her boot.

"I hope you don't think it's silly or weird. We're apart most of the year, and it seems like every time we part, you take _a piece of me_ , Luke. _This time,_ when we have to go our separate ways, I guess I wanted you to have a _real_ , _tangible_ part of me to take with you, so maybe you'd feel like I'm always with you. Because...I _always_ carry _you_ in _my_ heart."

Luke had already been touched by the gift before she'd even gone into her explanation. He had already known for some time now that Pearl Fey was one in a million. She always had about her that look of otherness, of eyes that saw things much too far and thoughts that wandered off the edge of the world, far surpassing those of most others. Now, as he observed her downcast visage, his heart swelled even more, which he hadn't thought was possible.

 _Pearl Fey_ , he longed to say. _Being with you is the only antidote I have to this world. Leave me and you will take the best part of me with you. Without you, I'm not_ _ **me**_ _anymore, for I am incomplete. When I wrap you in my arms, I wish you could promise to never let go, ever. In return I'll never let go of you, love you, defend you, keep you safe. If in all this cold universe, there is only you I can truly love, it is enough. You are the spark to my flame, the one who keeps me burning when logic decries my light should have been extinguished long ago._

"I absolutely love it," he said huskily, and drew her closer to him. "Thank you."

Knowing he didn't yet have the courage to say these profound words on the tip of his tongue, instead Luke cupped her chin with his hand, and holding her face toward his, lowered his lips to hers and gave her the faintest whisper of a kiss.

As she felt him brush her hair back with his gentle fingers and kiss her gently, there was something about the tentativeness of the brief touch of his lips that made Pearl feel so beautiful. Without even speaking, she could understand how genuinely happy he was at that moment, as well as how deeply moved he was by her gesture and words. And deeper than any of that, as he enfolded her into his strong arms, she sensed that he adored her.

His body was so familiar to her already, even the sound of his heart beating, but this was the first time she'd really felt it, lean and hard muscle against her own slender frame.

 _Luke Triton, being in your embrace is a little touch of heaven, warm, together, cozy. I wish I could extend this moment, just so I could stay close to you for longer, safe in your embrace. Your arms wrapped right around me bring a peace I've never known before, a calming of the storms in my heart. You have brought light where there was once only darkness, a lone star in an otherwise empty sky. I think it's you that gives me hope for the future. In your arms, I start to believe that there is nothing out there to fear, that all there is sunshine, beautiful trees and kind people. You alone are all I will ever need._

"It's your turn now." Luke rested his chin on top of her head, loathe to release her. "Would you like your present now?"

"You _do_ know Luke, that you being here with me is the greatest gift of all." Her eyes glowed. "However…" She tilted her head to the side and flashed a sweet smile. "Who am I to refuse the gift if it came from the heart? And if it's coming from _you_ , I know that's _exactly_ where it's from."

Luke nodded, his dark eyes dancing as he drew her away from her, put two fingers to his lips then, and whistled.

In the next moment, Pearl Fey literally felt as though she were a Disney Princess in an enchanted fairy tale come to life.

The teens may as well have burst into singing "Love is an Open Door" from _Frozen_.

There was a stirring in the trees, and a rustle in the bushes, and then the next thing she knew, various woodland creatures approached them, everything from rabbits to foxes to chipmunks to squirrels, all happily chittering amongst themselves as they formed a perfect circle around the couple. An adorable fat raccoon waddled over to Pearl, a small gift box in its little paws. It turned to Luke for confirmation, saw his nod, handed it to her, and then headed back to its place in the circle, this time making sure there was a medium-sized space on one side of it, so that it wasn't completely closed off.

In the next moment, dozens of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds and Mountain Bluebirds flew overhead and hovered in the air above them, forming an gigantic blue and red heart shape with their tiny, fluttering bodies.

"Oh my…" Pearl's hands flew to her cheeks. "This is the _cutest_ , _most incredible thing_ I've ever seen…"

"You haven't seen _anything_ yet!" Luke whistled once more.

There was a faint ringing of what could only be described as _sleigh bells,_ and then a beautiful, harnessed stag and doe appeared, pulling a wooden sled behind them, atop which sat a large package with a big red bow. The deer pulled the sled into the circle, coming through the gapped space left within it, and stopped just a few feet away from the couple. Luke walked over to retrieve the box, which, unless Pearl's eyes were deceiving her, appeared to be… _moving_?!

Glancing down at the ground, the spirit medium realized that when her hands had flown to her face, she had accidentally dropped the gift box that the raccoon had so thoughtfully presented to her, and bent down to retrieve it from the snow. It had fallen open, and as she picked it up, she saw it was a beautiful, but tiny, artfully woven purple _bracelet_ of some sort, with a heart shaped tag on it, and what appeared to be an engraving, finely etched on it. She squinted, as the glare of the morning sun against the silver metal made it difficult to read, but as she cupped her hand over it, she made out the words written on it clear as day.

 _I love you._

There it was, in writing, the very words her heart had been singing, almost from the first moment she had first set eyes on Luke Triton. And it seemed like _he_ felt the same way! She swallowed back the sentimental tears forming in her throat, and found herself too choked up to speak.

" _Oh no_!" Luke turned around from the sled, the large box in his arms, his face distraught. "You were supposed to open _this_ one first!"

Confused by his reaction, Pearl let the bracelet fall slack in her fingers and nodded mutely, her arms already reaching out to take the massive parcel from him, which now appeared to be making little _yipping_ noises. Puzzled, but curious, she lifted the lid off the box and reached inside, only to pull out a _miniature version of Constantine,_ _The Wonder Pup,_ from its contents!

Several thoughts hit Pearl's mind at the same time. First of all, the _bracelet_ she had opened was actually a _dog collar_ for this _gorgeous_ little puppy, a pint-sized, button-eyed bundle of white fluff that was now in her arms, happily wagging his fuzzy little tail. For a split second, her heart sank, as she realized the _I love you_ on the collar had been an intended message from _the puppy_ to _his new owner_ , and not from the _gift giver_ to _the recipient,_ after all!

She did not have time to dwell on this anymore, however, as Luke was already chattering animatedly, and the puppy left no room for her to have anything but merriment within her heart as he repeatedly licked her nose with his tiny pink tongue. It was the most wonderful, magical, incredible Christmas gift in the whole world. In exactly the same manner as when she had met the puppy's father, Pearl completely dissolved into a helpless pile of goo. It was love at first sight for the both puppy and owner.

"I had to wake up extra early this morning to meet with the delivery man who brought this little guy over," he was saying. "I had him shipped over from England. You see, I couldn't bring him with me on the plane because we had to ensure we had all the shots and certifications, which took a few days. Constantine is so beloved by Barnham, but he's also getting older, so my friend wanted to make sure a part of the canine would always be with him, so in the summer, he started scouting for another Bichon Frise to breed him with. He's keeping all three, except for this one, who is two months old now. I told him how Constantine was a big part of our meeting, but more than anything…"

Luke walked up to Pearl then, and placed one hand on her shoulder, while the other one gently stroked the puppy.

"I guess great minds think alike, Pearl. Because when I go this time, I guess I wanted a part of _me_ to stay with _you_ , too." His voice trembled. "I asked Maya's permission, of course, before I did this. Also, Sister Bikini loves him so much – she was babysitting him all morning from his arrival until now – I had to essentially _pry_ him from _her overly loving arms_! She also said she would be delighted to puppy-sit whenever you and Maya have to go out of town on business. I – I hope you like him."

"I _love_ him, Luke. Thank you so much! He's so… _perfect_!" Tears of joyfulness filled her eyes as she looked down at the squirming bundle of fur in her arms. "I promise you, little one, that I will be the _best mommy in the world to you_!"

"What are you going to name him?"

"Hmmm…." Pearl absently stroked the puppy's fur as she pondered, then flashed a radiant smile. "I think I'm going to name him Feyt. F-E-Y-T. Because that way, he's a part of us _both_ , and after all… _fate_ is what brought us together, Luke."

Luke thought his heart would surely burst with jubilance at that moment. He couldn't speak, even though inside his heart was silently crying out the words he wished his lips could say.

Shifting the puppy into one arm, Pearl raised her free hand to stroke Luke's cheek and looked at him apologetically then.

"I'm sorry I opened the wrong box first, Luke. I actually thought it was a bracelet at first! It was an accident, I swear! I never meant to ruin the surprise of this little guy's message to me."

 _What a silly, wonderful, non-presumptuous angel of a girl!_ Luke was astounded by his girlfriend's lack of guile. _I swear I couldn't love her more than I do right now, and yet I know I will tomorrow..._

"It wasn't from him." He swallowed nervously. "I – I mean, I have no doubt that Feyt does love you already, but it wasn't intended to be a message from _son_ to _mommy_. It – it was a message… from _me_ to _you."_

Pearl's heart somersaulted inside her chest, and her mouth fell open at the unexpected revelation.

"Pearl Fey, I love you." Luke regarded her with limpid brown eyes. "I love you, with no beginning, no end. I love you as though you have become an extra necessary organ in my body. I love you as only a boy could love a girl. Without fear. Without expectations. Wanting nothing in return, except that you allow me to keep you here in my heart, that I may always know your strength, your eyes, and your spirit, that gave me freedom and let me fly." He took her palm then, and just like that day back in the Scottish fairytale castle, placed it against his heart. "Regardless of where I am, whenever I'm with you, you make me feel like I am home again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am _whole_ again."

She was too choked up to speak. Aside from Maya, and a long time ago, Phoenix, nobody had _ever_ told Pearl they loved her, not even her _mother_. Tears of joy rolled down her pastel cheeks, but she couldn't utter a word in response. Her heart was too full.

Luke leaned forward then, and Pearl knew what was coming and bashfully glanced away, then peeked up at him through her lashes.

His hand reached under her hair, below her ear and his thumb caressed her cheek. As he stepped closer to her, he saw her glistening eyes mirrored his own, and suddenly, although she hadn't said a word yet, Luke saw the answer he so desperately was seeking in the gray depths, which revealed more than her words could express, and he knew the feeling was mutual.

His lips parted, and their breaths mingled. With his hand laying atop hers on his chest, Luke gazed at her beautiful face, then, with his free hand, allowed his restless fingers to touch her hair. He stroked her cheek and her lips parted, his thumb tracing a line along her lower lip. He could feel her quickened breath on his thumb, signaling her need to feel his lips on hers. They paused, gazing into each other's eyes.

Pearl swallowed and held her breath, her eyes searching his as he leaned into her, his lips drawing near, her lips parting to receive them. He stopped inches away, his eyes drifted down to her lips as though he were savoring the moment. Her heart fluttered as he drew her closer, then slowly, inexorably, he pressed his lips to hers. It was soft and gentle and perfect.

A warm, glowing feeling filled her, spilling out from Luke's heart and the warmth of his lips on hers and rushing to every corner of her body: the cracks in between her toes, the crooks of her elbows, the tips of her ears. Every inch of her was saturated with love. They stared deeply into one another's eyes as they parted for a split second, and then slowly leaned in once more. When their lips finally met again, something like magic ignited, and the kiss deepened.

Luke trailed his fingers across her cheek. Pearl remained perfectly still as she revelled in the exquisite gentleness of his touch.

" _Luke_." His name sounded like a prayer on her lips.

"Say my name again," he breathed.

She closed her eyes and leaned forward. " _Luke_."

"Pearl?" He took her soft, tiny hand into his, loving how those perfect hands fit his just so and leaned down towards her.

"Yes?" Their foreheads touched.

"Will you please tell me you love me?" He whispered hoarsely. "I'm dying here."

And then they were both laughing. And then Pearl placed Feyt down and was in Luke's arms, and once again, they were kissing, at first quickly—to make up for lost time—and then slowly, because they had all the time in the world. And Luke Triton's lips were honey sweet, and the careful, passionate way he moved them against her own enlightened Pearl that he savored the way _hers_ tasted, as well. And in between kisses, she told him she loved him. Again and again and again.

* * *

 ** _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_**

 **Chapter 103**

 **Ilet Moratar**

I have had so much fun writing first about teenage Pearl and now Trucy, now that she's older and has a more defined personality. She's so sweet! I would love to find her a partner as well but I cannot think of anybody in the ace attorney universe for her that being said I'm very open to reader suggestions!

I am very excited to hear about Luffy's reaction to this chapter, although between her enraged broken furniture bill along with her mother's, I'm going to be living on a diet of Ramen noodles like poor Gumshoe used to! XD

I have to admit I completely cracked up laughing at you calling Tiffany Roger Rabbit's wife, it was actually quite accurate because the way I described her physique as well as the dress she was wearing last chapter was exactly the look I was going for! LOL

I remember a long time ago you made a joke about saying what would Nick do if Maya were a walk past him with some hot new guy leading him by the pants because she so tiny… The newspaper article about her engagement was the ultimate _take that_ to Nick, hence his sudden love for vino over grape juice that night….

 **Evanna Leroy**

 _Muchas gracias por lo que me has escrito. Me puso feliz que te gustara mi historia. Aunque soy un escritor no hay ninguna palabras par decirte lo que me hizo sentir lo que escribiste. Yo escribo para gente Como tu. Por favor ten fe que al final el amor encuentra su camino en El Destino juntos._

 _Nunca olvides que el hombre es el rey de la tiempo en puerto! ;)_

I hope that was mostly understandable… (Spanglish much? LOL)

Now to address the rest of your wonderful review… Yes, Trucy is a complete sweetheart and sometimes too good, and more than Phoenix deserves at times… Even in the game. No doubt he got very lucky with her and should be counting his lucky stars that she is not a teenage brat and a pretty easy daughter to have, aside from the couple of embarrassing moments in puberty that I wrote earlier in the story! :p

I laughed until I had tears in my eyes at your reaction to Iris. I have a very good friend in Cuba, who has shared my story with her daughter, and the two of them share your thoughts on the shrine maiden – perhaps the fiery culture of the wonderful Latinas makes them scathing towards a woman of such comparatively demure nature? XD

Never apologize for the length of your review, they gave me much pleasure to read and again in English now, people like give me the motivation to want to keep on writing :)

Thank you so much!

 **XenoBound**

I really do enjoy writing Phoenix bonding with both Pearl and now Trucy. I needed to put that scene in there with her to remind us all that are actually still _a good heart beating_ underneath his _assoholic_ Apollo Justice exterior! Sense knocked into him? Well, if you are trying to inquire whether or not Phoenix will get a _boot to the head_ for his drunken behavior… I would think the hangover he'll be suffering from tomorrow morning would be a good punishment to start… XD

However, there is one other thing I wanted to throw out there, dear reader (whom I love to hear from!) I think this week you will have a _very good_ idea about what to think of our favorite former defense attorney. I hope you stay tuned… It's going to be a _crazy_ roller coaster ride! :-)

 **Yanmegaman**

Yeah about the accreditation to seraphs pertaining to Maya's lips description… That was me trying to frantically hunt through the thesaurus trying to find another word for angel! XD

It's my neurosis I don't like overusing one word repeatedly especially in the same chapter or in this case the same paragraph… You know… _lips crafted by angels themselves set on an angelic face…_

Moving on….

With regards to Nick being a cheater… dude, y'all have been together with me for about _half a million words_ now, which my adorkable husband tells me is longer than Lord of the Rings book!

Like Phoenix said to Miles in the previous chapter No One Like You…

 _"At this point in our lives, Edgeworth, **do you trust me**? In your heart of hearts, do you believe I know what I'm doing, and what I'm talking about? That I would never steer you, or anybody else that I care about, wrong? That regardless of what I say or do my intentions are always true and never false?"_

 **PiercedMyHeart**

Hey don't hate Tiffany, after all, _she's_ single, so there's no onus on her to keep her primal urges at bay especially pertaining to a man she's been vying to sink her teeth into for nearly 7 years! XD

I know this chapter probably didn't leave my readers with much more to think beyond the fact that the main protagonist of the story has been written as a philandering b*stard. Therefore, I am actually very happy that you liked the choice of Bon Jovi song that Phoenix was singing, and that you able to pick up on the sadness that I was trying to convey. Because ultimately you have to think of it this way… _He_ broke up with _her_ , right? However, _why_ would he have gotten completely drunk and saying one of the saddest remorseful love songs known to man… Unless he was _completely heartbroken_?

 **DannyDragon**

My Spanish is mostly conversational and a good chunk of it is at the mercy of Google translate as my speaking is much better than my reading or writing :-)

I can totally picture some crazy cat lady coming up to the teenage lovebirds and trying to speak to the dearly departed spirit of her Princess Kitty!

You know it's really cool you mentioning Luke being the dog whisperer and Pearl being a necromancer… I'm thinking I shall get them married and have them make a _fortune_ doing pet séances! LOL

I can totally understand why the end of the last chapter left you speechless… However, you guys have been patient long enough … _this is the week_ **_that I am certain my readers will be pretty sure what words to use regarding Phoenix!_**

This week is going to be a three-time update, because I really have to get the story moving and getting to be Apollo Justice timeline… The ultimate goal is to get the story done before ace attorney six comes out!

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Señor Java!

Have a heart! The poor guy needed your South American goodness because he can't sleep! You can't take away his coffee... Then the poor man _truly_ will have nothing! You might well send him decaf! *shudders*

It does seem as though Nick is having some sort of crisis with at the very least guilt or possibly regret...

I'm glad you like Tiffany. Ultimately, she actually is a very nice person who was worried Nick would off himself if left alone that night... considering the state he was in its not so farfetched!

Always a pleasure to hear from you...thanks for reading!

 **chloemcg**

I cannot wait until your next chapter of your story, although I'm hoping by the time you get this message you will have gotten _my_ previous one to _you_ regarding something specific to your last review ;)

While I don't really think that I'll be doing court cases in this story, I have tried very hard to keep things canon with the characters and give it as many twists and turns as you would find in an actual ace attorney game, and if there's one thing to keep in mind with ace attorney games… Is that things are never quite what they seem! I mean we were led to believe that Miles actually shot somebody on Christmas Eve! XD


	105. Dead or Alive

_It's all the same, only the names will change_  
 _Every day, it seems we're wastin' away_  
 _Another place where the faces are so cold_  
 _I drive all night just to get back home_

 _Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days_  
 _The people I meet always go their separate ways_  
 _Sometimes you tell the day_  
 _By the bottle that you drink_  
 _And times when you're all alone all you do is think_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Five:** **Dead or Alive**

 _ **Trucy Wright**_ _  
Wright Talent Agency_  
December 25, 2025 9:05 AM

 _Did either one of them believe me? I sounded so…_ _ **Guilty**_ _._

Trucy sat before the office computer, staring at the blank monitor for a full five minutes after signing off video chat off with Pearl and Luke. Her conscience gnawed at her like a ravenous sewer rat, castigating her for lying to both her best friend and her boyfriend about where her father was that morning. Not anticipating the question, when Luke and asked if he could say hello to Phoenix, without thinking, and for lack of a better immediate excuse, the magician had blurted out that her Daddy had gone to the store. Even if she had been further pressed on the issue, however, Trucy wouldn't have known what to say.

Because she honestly _had no clue_ where her father _actually was_!

The combination of her guilt for fibbing regarding Phoenix's whereabouts, coupled with the genuine lack of knowledge of where he could possibly be was slowly driving her insane.

When she had been dropped off at her home at 8:00 AM that morning by Gouda's father, she had fully anticipated that after a holiday company party, her _never been a morning person_ father would still be in bed, sleeping off the effects of the night before.

Trucy's plan had been to quietly slip in, prepare a terrific holiday breakfast for the both of them, and give her father his Christmas gift, which was a brand-new shaving kit. Her 'DILF' Daddy was looking _pretty scruffy_ lately! (At 15 now, she knew what that word _really_ meant, and was beyond mortified at what _wanton jezebels_ she'd had for elementary school teachers!)

The gift had been as much for _her_ as well as Phoenix. She knew that he'd barely been using his old, dull-looking blade lately, but hoped if presented with a shiny, new, silver razor, with changeable blades, he'd finally ditch the _Canadian lumberjack look_ and get the incentive to want to clean himself up a little! The set came with a nice leather bag, including sandalwood shaving soap and aftershave, as well as a lathering, boar-bristle brush, too! After all, how was Daddy supposed to find her a Mommy when he walked around looking like an unsmiling _and_ unshaven hobo? Trucy had been making a new Mommy her number one request for the nearly the past seven years, on both her Christmas _and_ birthday wish list, not even opting for subtlety anymore.

Phoenix had simply smiled wanly each time, and stated that _he_ wished she'd would ask something more reasonably attainable, like a Barbie doll, or as she got older… A _pet_ of some sort!

It wasn't that he was _purposely_ trying to deny Trucy her fondest wish, he'd patiently explained to his daughter on numerous occasions. It was simply the fact that women were generally _not_ lining up to date a "disbarred former defense attorney turned second-rate pianist."

The idealist magician stubbornly remained undaunted. For one thing, her ever-humble Daddy was nowhere _near_ as bad a piano-player as he thought he was! She remembered hearing him practice _one particular, sweet-sounding song_ on his keyboard, _every night, for several weeks,_ leading up to last Christmas, when he thought she'd been in bed. Trucy had gotten up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and had secretly listened to Phoenix singing along to the tune he was playing downstairs in the office with a smile on her lips. The song was from a band whose music was _way_ before Trucy's time, called _Journey_. Looking up the ballad, "Faithfully" on YouTube, she was astounded to hear what a comparatively _wonderful_ singing voice her father had! Why didn't he sing at the bar more often? If _any_ woman were to hear what a good singer he was, she'd most certainly _swoon_ , so surely, _that_ was a point in Daddy's favor!

 _My_ _ **supposedly average**_ _pianist father is a_ _ **secret songbird,**_ _it seems. What else has he been hiding from me?!_

There was also the fact that when Phoenix shaved, showered, _and_ smiled, Trucy's father was the handsomest man she knew! Who cared if he didn't drive or have a fancy house or job? Her Daddy was a _good person, as well as_ _**singer**_! _Somewhere_ out there in the world, there _had_ to be a special sort of lady who wasn't superficial, and didn't care about stupid things like jobs and status! The teen was certain out of the _seven billion people on earth_ , surely there must be _one_ woman worthy enough to find a place in Daddy's heart! Besides, if _prison inmates_ could get married, surely _her father could_ , too!

On Christmas morning, however, from the moment she had walked in through the door, Trucy had known something was not right. The observant teen was quick to note that when she went to hang up her cape on the coat rack and place her house keys on the wall hook, neither her father's jacket nor keys were present in either location. In addition, his sandals were not in their usual place on the shoe rack.

A feeling of unease flickered within her.

 _Perhaps Daddy staggered in really late the night before from a little too much holiday celebration and took everything with him to his room, and is now dead to the world? Yes, that's it! I'm being silly and worrying over nothing!_

Trucy tiptoed upstairs and placed an ear to Phoenix's bedroom door, but only detected complete silence.

 _Why don't I hear him snoring like a band saw, as per usual?_

Quietly, so as not to awaken him, she tentatively opened the door a crack, and immediately saw that the bed was completely made and hadn't been slept in.

Her brow knitted with concern, Trucy looked down at her watch and saw it was 8:05. Daddy must have stayed over somewhere. Maybe he had gone home with his colleague Tyler after the party. She would give him a call if she couldn't reach her father, and find out when he would be home. As it was, Trucy was home earlier than she had expected to be, but Gouda and her family was going to visit with some cousins on the other side of town that day, and the car ride was a lengthy one, therefore they had dropped Trucy off en route, in hopes to beat holiday traffic.

Just then, she heard the computer buzzing downstairs. She had a Skype call.

After ringing off with her friends, the first thing Trucy had done was call Phoenix's cell, which went straight to voicemail.

Next, she tried Tyler and Sasha, figuring that since they had young children, they would undoubtedly be awake this early on Christmas morning. However, after a few moments of pleasant small talk, her first call ultimately led to a dead-end, with the bartender telling Trucy that he had seen Phoenix the night before at the party, but her father had been the first one to leave, and not been heard from since.

Then she tried calling Uncle Gumshoe, who also hadn't heard from Phoenix since the night before, and of course, reiterated his offer to have them come over later.

"He's still not back? I hope he's not randomly passed out in a ditch or something…" The police chief sounded perturbed.

Upon hearing this, Trucy felt her heart, almost literally, standstill.

"I wonder if we should be worried." Gumshoe continued thinking aloud, cluelessly oblivious, as usual, as to the effect his words were having on his now panicked niece. "Hmmm…Do I need to put out an APB on that guy to find out if he's dead or alive?"

"Dick, you big _oaf_! When are you _ever_ going to learn that when you're _thinking and your lips are moving_ , it means you're _talking_?" Aunt Maggey scolded in the background. "I'm sure Phoenix is _fine_! He's probably crashed at a coworker's place, and is more than likely still sleeping off the effects of the party! Why do you have to go and worry that poor little girl for?"

"Oops! Heh, heh, you're right, honey," Gumshoe muttered sheepishly. "Trucy, give your father a call and leave a message if he doesn't answer, but if he's not back by say, noon, give me a call back, OK?"

"Thanks, I will, Uncle Gumshoe," Trucy mumbled. "Merry Christmas. Take care."

Finally, Trucy called Larry's number, which of course didn't give her any further clue of Phoenix's whereabouts either, and her second call to his cell proved to be as futile as the first.

Trucy checked the train schedule online, and noted that the last train to Kurain had stopped running at 5:00 PM Christmas Eve, so she could rule out the possibility he'd gone to see Iris after his work party.

She tried to squelch her mounting misgivings, attempting to convince herself that even as an overnight guest, her sleepyhead father was unlikely to be awake already. Nevertheless, a head's up call or text _sure would've been nice_ right about _now_! She looked at the clock and saw that it was 9:15.

For completely inexplicable reasons, Trucy suddenly felt compelled to go back into Phoenix's room, which she normally never did, except to put away laundry on top of his bed. She tried to rationalize that she wasn't being unnecessarily nosy, and that within these four walls there might be a hint as to his current whereabouts, but in the end, she ended up nearly tearing his wardrobe and dressers apart in her quest.

Naturally, she found nothing.

 _Dang, Daddy! Where_ _ **are**_ _you?! I'm really starting to get worried here!_

Grumbling to herself, the teen hastily restored everything to its proper order, then let out a frustrated grunt and flopped onto her father's bed, accidentally whacking her ankle, quite painfully, on the bottom drawer of Phoenix's heavy wooden night table. Biting back a curse, Trucy looked down, and realized that the cause for the injury was because the drawer wasn't fully closed, as it appeared to be _stuffed to maximum capacity_ , and was therefore, still partially opened.

 _What the heck does he keep in there anyway?_

Trucy wasn't even going to _pretend_ she wasn't snooping anymore. Her mysterious, secretive father was presently missing, and up until the night before, had spoken very little to her about his comings and goings, _or at all_ , in general! Perhaps she could find some clues that would make her understand him a bit better, and give her a better insight to _why_ he had stopped smiling over nine months ago.

The first item she found shoved into the drawer was the previous day's lifestyle section of the _LA Times_.

 _Okay that's odd. I could've sworn I threw that into the kitchen-recycling box before I went to work yesterday! Hmmm, I wonder what's in this rectangular wooden box?_

Inside the drawer was a shiny, mahogany chest, approximately the size of a standard, chocolate gift box. It wasn't locked, so Trucy had no problem popping the lid open to study its contents. Inside was a miscellaneous combination of curious things that she could make no sense of at all, as each discovery was more random than the next.

\- A bullet in a small plastic bag

-A weird business card with a seashell emblem

-The fingerprinting powder Phoenix had told her he'd gotten from his friend, Ema Skye, when he had taken on her sister's case many moons ago

\- A drawing of some sort of _object,_ flying over an unknown commodity that appeared to be on fire, or something to that effect

 _Whoever drew that had a fantastic imagination, but_ _ **no**_ _artistic skills whatsoever! Someone should tell them_ _ **not**_ _to quit their day job!_

In Trucy's amateur artsy opinion, the next drawing she stumbled upon was considerably better. It was on a business card that had a pink shell on it, with a spiky-haired man drawn over it in Sharpie. Trucy would have recognized the likeness of her father's spikes, even if she hadn't seen _Nick_ written on it.

 _Huh._ _ **Nick**_ _? Nobody calls him that except Uncle Larry. Did he draw this too? Maybe his skills improved from the time that he drew a flying stick figure over fire. Alrighty, this investigation has been a complete bust! So much for getting any clues from here!_

Exasperated now, Trucy tried to shove the box back into the drawer, but found she was unable to, as it kept hitting something hidden in the rear corner, which she had somehow missed. Reaching her hand to the very back of the drawer, which was longer and deeper than she had thought, Trucy's searching fingers closed upon a smaller box.

Snapping the lid open, the teen looked at the contents within the velvet jeweler box, and let out a stunned gasp. Not _one_ , but _two_ absolutely exquisite pieces of jewelry lay inside. _Women's_ jewelry.

The first item was a stunning, heart-shaped gold pendant, which was on a delicately braided gold chain. Unfortunately, the necklace was broken, on the actual chain link itself, not the clasp, looking as though it'd nearly been snapped in two. The heart pendant remained undamaged. Examining it more closely, Trucy saw it was engraved in the back, and smiled at the romantic inscription.

 _I love you madly, without question or reason, and care naught if it's for a lifetime, or season._

Running her fingernail along the edge, the teen realized that the pendant was actually a locket, and popped it open. The heart's interior allowed room for two small photos inside. On one side was a picture of a breathtakingly beautiful woman, with long caramel hair, kind brown eyes, and a smile like an angel's. On the other side, Trucy immediately recognized her father and Pearl, who was no older than eight or nine at the time, in a rowboat, on a body of water. Next to the two was a pretty, _familiar-looking_ , older girl, with long black hair and mischievous dark eyes, pressing her face against Phoenix's, as she waved at the camera. Although she had been much younger in this locket photo, Trucy recognized the raven-haired female as her father's former assistant, Maya Fey, the same woman whose engagement had been in the newspaper the previous day.

 _There's no indication of whom this locket belonged to, but that_ _ **is**_ _the_ _ **very same newspaper**_ _Daddy swiped, then_ _ **stashed**_ _, into his night table drawer!_ _ **Why**_ _did he do that? It doesn't make sense…_

The second piece in the tiny box was truly a sight to behold. It was a striking silver ring, with the symbol of infinity on it, lined with tiny chips of two different sets of birthday gemstones on each side of it, crystal and blue zircon, the latter, which Trucy recognized as her father's birthstone. _**Forever yours, faithfully**_ was engraved on the back _._

 _Maybe Daddy bought this ring so he could give it to the next lady he meets, who will be my new Mommy! How sweet! I had no idea Daddy was so romantic!_

Upon further scrutiny, however, Trucy realized that the ring was actually _not_ intended for a future recipient, as it was not new. Even though it was still shiny and well taken care of, closer inspection suggested that it had belonged to somebody previously, which meant that her father had given this ring to someone at some point. Trucy didn't know how long ago it had been, but she _did_ know that he must have been keeping that ring for some _very_ _sentimental_ and _very_ _personal_ reasons.

Trucy's intuition went into overdrive at that moment. She _knew_ that ring hadn't belonged to Iris. She could just _sense_ it. Her instincts also told her that the same mystery woman who'd worn this ring was the same one to whom the locket had belonged, and that very person had _also_ been the keeper of her _father's heart_. Perhaps _she_ had something to do with the fact that Daddy had suddenly stopped smiling.

There was no denying she was slightly hurt that her Daddy had chosen to keep such a large part of his life hidden from her. However, more than anything, Trucy was overcome with an overwhelming sense of helpless despair, because her father felt he'd had to endure such hapless, wretched, _agonized_ heartache, _all alone_.

 _Why_ had her Daddy stopped smiling? _What_ had made him so sad? It wasn't just a losing his badge. Her father had still managed to smile after that for the longest time. It was something _more_. Something _else_.

Trucy clutched the locket in one hand and the ring in the other, then brought her clenched fists up to her forehead and felt tears of sorrow and confusion stinging her eyes.

" _Daddy_ ," she whispered sadly into the empty room. "What _happened_ to you?"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wrigh**_ **t**  
 _Mystery Location_  
Time and Date Unknown

Phoenix opened his eyes in a strange, dimly lit room. Although sensing it was daytime by the brightness of the sun bursting against the thick window drapes, nobody had opened them as of yet. As he shifted, the creaky springs of the sofa beneath him made a loud squeak of protest in the otherwise silent room. The noise pierced his ears, making him realize his head was positively _killing_ him. He squinted, dry mouth sticky with thick saliva, and let out a tortured moan before retreating under the duvet that covered him.

The fact that he had _no earthly idea_ of _where the hell_ he was…well, _that_ was a fact he would contend with later. _Much, much later._ What _was_ important was that his hungover ass _wasn't_ dead or _in a gutter somewhere_ , despite the fact that he _literally_ felt like _death warmed over_!

"Wake up, Phoenix! Day's a breakin'! Yonder comes a hare with his tail a shakin'!"

The _sharp twang_ made the pianist's _balls jump right back into his body_!

 _Oh. Good. Gawd._ An intense feeling of dread began to course through him. _Speaking of ear-splitting sounds…That voice_ … _it sounds like nails on a chalkboard…_

Upon seeing the source of the migraine-inducing sound, Phoenix sprung aloft like a Jack in the Box, oblivious that the act of sitting up so abruptly had flung the blanket to the ground, and exposed the fact that he was wearing nothing but his boxers.

 _What the shit?! Why am I practically naked?!_

Standing before him, looking like something out of a _Victoria's Secret_ lingerie catalogue, stood Miss Southern Belle herself. She was wearing a poppy-red, baby doll negligée, which had lace triangle cups with cross-strap bust detail, and a mesh-skirted bottom, along with matching, high cut sheer panties with lace trim, and a _dark scowl_ on her pretty face.

"Normally I'd say, _well lookit what the cat dragged in,_ " she drawled. "But of course, that would _imply_ that yer _drunk as Cooter Brown_ behind had actually _left_ at some point! I reckon it's a trifle more appropriate to say ya look like ya been _rode hard and hung up wet_ , Phoenix Wright!"

" _R – rode h – hard_?" Phoenix stammered, suddenly incredibly self-conscious about his lack of attire. He surreptitiously made a move to grab the flung cover off the floor and hide himself from her scathing eyes for decorum purposes, which seemed ridiculous, considering what had already transpired between them. Well, what he _presumed_ had transpired, anyway. It wasn't as though he could _ask for confirmation_! _Could_ he?!

 _How does_ _one react in these situations? Did I miss my cue to ask '_ _was it good for you, too_ _?' I'm sure I can safely assume that I_ _was a happy camper? I mean, look_ _at her! It must_ _have been good for me_ _! Not_ _that I remember any_ _of it!_

Tiffany saw the attempted modesty action and gave a derisive snort.

"Why so shy all of a sudden, _sweet cheeks_?" She purred, leaning forward and tapping him on the nose. "Yew _ain't got a dang thing_ I haven't _seen_ already! Wasn't even eight hours ago that there wadn't nothin' between yew and the Lord but a smile."

" _T- the Lord_?" Phoenix was completely mortified.

 _Oh dear Lord, we didn't_ _! Please_ _tell me we didn't_ _!_

"Well, I suppose that ain't _quite_ right. I mean, last night yew were as naked as the day yew were born, but I reckon the proper phrase woulda been _wadn't nothin' between yew and me but a smil_ e." Tiffany flashed a shit-eating grin. "Although there was _some_ hootin' and hollerin' done towards the man upstairs, so I reckon He was an omnipresent witness to last night's shenanigans…"

 _The aching in my skull ebbs and flows like a cold tide, yet the pain is always there. I understand at once, why they call it a hangover, for it feels as if the blackest of clouds loom over my head, with no intention of clearing until at least late afternoon._

" _Please_ stop torturing me like this, I _beg_ of you!" Phoenix moaned and clutched his throbbing head in his hands. "Tiffany, just tell me _what the hell happened_ last night?! Did _I_ , I mean, did _you_ …that is, _did we_ …er…did _you and me_ …?"

For some reason, the question seemed to aggravate the shapely blonde.

"Why, ya _cotton' pickin,' egg-suckin' dawg_!" All traces of mirth vanished from her face, and her grin was replaced by a ferocious glare. "Do ya mean to tell me that yer sitting there on ma divan, lookin' like ya dunno whether to check yer ass or scratch yer watch, cuz yew _fo'sho_ ain't got no dang recollection of what happened last night?"

"I'm _so_ sorry!" Phoenix looked at her helplessly. "I don't even know _why_ you're so _mad_ at me! Um, was my performance _lacking_ somehow? Did I leave you _hanging_ or _disappointed_ or something –?"

" _Disappointed_?" Tiffany let out a short, humorless laugh. "Yew _gotta be_ kidding me! I see all that wine ya consumed has left yer brain about as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle!"

"Um… So that means I _didn't_ disappoint you, then?" Phoenix asked hopefully, completely uncertain at this point as to _what_ he wanted the answer to be anymore!

"Hush yer dang mouth!" The waitress commanded, folding her arms across her ample bosom and scowling at him. "I'm fixin' to jog yer memory since yew seems to be as lost as last year's Easter egg…"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Tiffany Pearce**_  
 _Tiffany Pearce's Apartment_  
December 25, 2025 12:45 AM

"Dang, boy! Where did yew learn how to kiss like that?" Tiffany's mouth was bruised and slightly swollen from the fierceness of Phoenix's kisses as he buried his lips against her throat.

"It all just comes naturally with you baby! You're so damn hot!" He groaned, grinding his hips against her pelvis as she writhed beneath him on the couch.

Unfortunately, despite their steamy makeout session and frantic dry humping for the past half hour, it seemed as though _certain parts_ of Phoenix's _anatomy_ were _not cooperating_ with his heated words! It was like _pushing rope_ , in spite of the fact that they were both wearing _nothing but their underwear_ at that point! Tiffany began to grow impatient, and even reached down to try to help things along with her expert fingers, but to no avail.

 _Dagnabbit_! The waitress thought with irritation. _It seems all that blasted wine has made his manhood as useless as a screen door on a submarine!_

"This has _never_ happened before!" Phoenix grunted in frustration, and sat up, twin trails of sweat trickling down from underneath his beanie and down his flushed cheeks. "I'm so sorry…"

"It ain't _yer_ fault, suga," Tiffany cooed, rolling out from underneath him then. "Every winter, they crank the heat so high on this dang building that it's hotter than two rabbits screwin' in a wool sack in here! How's about I give yew a couple minutes _to cool off_ …"

She then bent over, and with lightning quick reflexes, relieved him of both his beanie and boxers, the latter which piled down by his ankles in a red and green plaid pool of fabric. Biting her lip, this time with appreciation rather than concern, she eyed his well-defined pecs and sculpted abs ravenously. Truly, her colleague was one _fine_ specimen. Who could have possibly known _what kind of body_ he'd been hiding underneath those bulky sweats all these years? She ached _to give him a complete tongue bath_ , and was wholly confident that she had _just what the doctor ordered_ to make _his soldier stand at attention!_

"Just wait right here, sexy, and brace yerself for the _night of yer life_ ," Tiffany promised, running one long fingernail down from his chest to his navel. "Ima go slip into something more comfortable and be right back."

"Don't take too long, _hot stuff_." His eyes were dark with desire. "I can't wait to _get my hands_ on _every part_ of that gorgeous body of yours."

Tiffany gave a throaty chuckle and flashed him a saucy wink, leaving the pianist grinnin' like a possum eatin' a sweet tater as she sashayed off to her bedroom to put on her sexiest, yet to be worn lingerie set. She preened in front of the mirror, pleased with her appearance as she fluffed out her long curls and adjusted her full bust into place accordingly.

 _If this doesn't get that man's blood pumping in all his regions, he's got ice water in his veins!_ She thought, licking her lips with anticipation as she returned to the living room. _It's taken me almost 7 years to determine that my past suspicions were correct… But lawdy, lawdy, if that man is as much a grow-er as he is an impressive show-er, I am one lucky gal tonight!_

To Tiffany's great chagrin, when she returned to the couch, she found Phoenix passed out and facedown, boxers still down by his ankles, and snoring loudly, sounding very much _like a 747 plane at take off!_

 _No problem, I know how to get him to rise_ _to attention…_

Bending over the sleeping man's prostrate form, she began leaving light, teasing kisses on his body, starting by first nipping at his earlobe then trailing down the side of his neck. Phoenix stirred slightly, but remained out like a light.

 _Dang it, the man sleeps like the dead! I'd have an easier time reviving Elvis!_

Undeterred, the determined blonde continued to plant kisses down her coworker's back while her lightly scratching talons followed the trail, until she finally was bending over Phoenix's bare, firm buttocks. She pressed her lips against his lower back, and then prepared to give _them sweet c_ heeks a nice wholesome squeeze, which she was _sure_ would rouse him.

And that was when _it_ happened, without any warning, _faster than a bell clapper in a goose's ass_!

 _THPPTPHTPHPHHPH!_

The initial stank blast was mighty and boisterous. Tiffany _literally_ could feel her long curls being blown back from the explosive force. If she hadn't been standing in the way of the empty soda can she'd left forgotten on her coffee table, she was positive the _back-end blowout_ could have probably knocked over her earlier consumed Diet Coke.

However, what _immediately followed_ the butt yodeling out of the gas chamber was what was _truly_ horrifying. The ass acoustic implication changed, swiftly and without notice. It went from a loud, dry air horn squeal to a nefarious, hissing mephitis. Because she was so close to the bumsen burner, the poor waitress was made privy to the noxious metamorphosis _sooner_ , rather than _later_. She wretched her neck violently, trying to get away from the personified evil being fumigated into her soul and she wondered if the fetid back draft emitted could mean certain death. In total, it lasted about 4 seconds, but for Tiffany, it seemed like time was frozen. The _long-term, severe brain damage_ , which she was sure she'd suffer, not to mention how badly her poor, abused nostrils had been fumigated, only added to that effect.

Tiffany jumped up in horror, one hand plugging her nose, the other frantically waving about her as she desperately tried to clear the befouled air so that she could resume breathing again.

 _Forget lightin' a match! I'm fixin' to light a whole match BOOK!_

"Lawd have mercy, that's just _nasty_!" She exclaimed disgustedly, curling her lip. "I thought the damn peckerwood only had wine, but based on _that lethal stench_ , fo'sho he snuck _some beer in there_ tonight as well! That stinks so bad it could _knock a buzzard off a gut wagon_! Ugh, _the hell with this_! _Mr. Booty Bomb_ and his _rank air biscuits_ can just park it out here, dagnabbit! I'm going to bed!"

She spun around on her heel and began stalking back towards her bedroom in a huff, then thought the better of it. Holding her breath once again, Tiffany quickly yanked Phoenix's underwear back up, and then covered him with the afghan she kept on the armchair for whenever she would be watching late-night movies on TV.

"Ain't no way I'm leaving _that_ s _phincter siren_ exposed, _with them guns still blazing ho_ t! Mr. Horton Hears a Poo is likely to burn a hole into my poor divan!" She stomped back towards her room then, muttering to herself. "Very _Airy Christmas_ to me indeed!"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Tiffany Pearce**_  
 _Tiffany Pearce's Apartment_  
December 25, 2025 8:30 AM

 _Jesus H. Christ and I was ready to slit my own wrists after the bra-shopping incident…_

The traumatized Phoenix was beyond mortified, as he remained frozen on that couch while Tiffany finished relaying his _**tail**_ _of shame_. He couldn't believe such a colossally humiliating thing had happened – _yet again_! – with his colleague, who he had to _somehow still face on a regular basis after this_ , no less!

His head began to spin, and he dropped it into his hands with a loud groan, knowing _he'd never live this down for as long as he lived…._

"Ain't got nuttin' to say for yerself, Mr. _Rootin McTootin_?" Tiffany raised an eyebrow at his slumped over form.

"Was it really _that_ bad?" Phoenix looked up at her with guilty, bloodshot orbs, and then winced as she visibly fumed at the question.

"Smelled bad enough to gag a maggot," she confirmed, heaving a gusty sigh. "I reckon any and all of my nose hairs were completely disintegrated on impact!"

"There are no words to express how sorry I am, Tiffany." Phoenix grabbed his clothes from the ground, and hastily shoved his legs back into his joggers, while yanking his T-shirt on over his head. Reaching into his pocket for his cell phone, he tried to power it on, only to find that the battery was 100% _dead_.

 _Dammit! Trucy's probably worried sick already!_

"Can I buy you a coffee or something some time, to thank you for looking after my sorry drunken ass last night?"

" _Coffee_?" She spat out the word as though it were blasphemy, and then stuck out her lower lip into a pout. " _That's_ yer big ol' plan to _make things up to me_?!"

"My little girl's at home, probably wondering whether I'm _dead or alive_!" He grabbed his sweatshirt and beanie. "I need to get home to her!"

"OK, fine, you're a dedicated DILF, I get it," she sulked, oblivious to the pianist's visible cringe at her use of the _traumatizing term_. "I can respect that ya ain't got time to knock ma socks off _this instant_. But aintcha even gonna _try_ to offer me a _rain check_?!"

"I – I er…" Phoenix gulped as he discreetly inched his way to the front, and felt himself beginning to sweat drop as he frantically groped for a way out of this _fresh hell._ "Well, the thing is, we should really take last night as a sign that um, certain things maybe just aren't meant to be…"

"Are ya trying to tell me," Tiffany's eyes narrowed as she put her hands on her shapely hips. "That _now_ , when yer _stone-cold sober_ , and ain't got the dang excuse of being _drunker than a bessy bug_ , that yew _don't wanna get with_ _this_?"

He remained silent and her voice rose a few octaves, and was now high with a combination of rage and disbelief.

"Yer _seriously_ telling me ya don't want _me_? What in tarnation… Was I right all along that day y'all came bra-shopping with your special fella after all?! Yer a _total fruitcake_ , aintcha?!"

Phoenix sighed deeply and took a good long lingering look at his coworker, clad in such sheer, translucent, miniscule pieces of fabric, she may as well have been bare before him. Tiffany's voluptuous, slender figure was like that of a Victoria's Secret lingerie model. Even free of makeup, her azure eyes, although lovely, were like the sea, calm and emotionless. His eyes were drawn to the golden river that gently caressed its way down her neck, reaching to just below her shoulder blades; long, blonde curls, so smooth and silky, almost as if tailored from gold fabric. He gazed upon her perfect, nearly naked form, her skin glistening with a sensual sweat from the overheated radiator heat of the apartment, with admiring, yet completely dispassionate eyes.

Tiffany Pearce was drop-dead gorgeous, tempting, alluring and despite the fact that he had completely tooted his own horn in her face, evidently for reasons he could not even _fathom, still_ wanted a piece of his _messed up, emo head case ass_!

 _If the gods are real_ , he told himself. _Then this woman is their masterpiece. There isn't a man alive with a pulse who wouldn't give his eyeteeth to be standing where I am right now._

Yet he didn't _feel damn thing_. No stirring in his loins, fire in his blood, nor, most importantly, any increased pounding of his heart. There had only been _one woman_ who had ever _truly_ possessed the ability to have _total_ _reign_ _over all three_ , and having experienced that in his life, there was no way he could ever get involved with somebody else, knowing it was going to be mindless, soulless and meaningless, right out of the gate. He would only feel even more wretched and empty than he already did.

"I –I'm really sorry, Tiffany. You're a wonderful person to have taken care of me last night, when I was such a wreck, but you deserve more than to be somebody's meaningless distraction." Phoenix shook his head regretfully and forced himself to meet her indignant face. "B-But I can't. I just can't. I swear to God _it's not you, it's me_."

"Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's rainin'! Tell me something _right now_ , Phoenix Wright." Her voice trembled with rage. "And quit goin' around your ass to get to your elbow! Is this because ya actually _got a girlfriend_? Yer little 'not tonight' comment _wasn't_ just yew being playfully naughty?"

"It's…um… _Complicated_ …" Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ignore the infuriated look his rehashing of the old line from over six years ago earned him. "Look Tiffany, any man in this world would be lucky to have you. I _am_ still a man, and I _fully confess_ that I think you're _absolutely beautiful._ But the truth of the matter is, I have a particular soft spot for raven-haired brunettes."

"Yew _low-down, no-good piece of Yankee slime_!" Tiffany hollered, storming up to him, reaching for the knob, and flinging the door open. " _Yew_ kissed _me_ , and yew actually _do_ have a gal pal?! And ya still went full steam ahead last night, knowing darn tootin' I ain't the kind of floozy to mow another gal's lawn?! Yer lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut! Now git outta ma sight!"

The waitress's Southern accent magnified tenfold when she got enraged. The steam was practically coming out of her ears now, for which Phoenix felt absolutely terrible.

"Tiffany, I -"

"Git the hell outta my house before I jerk ya bald!" She all but shoved him out the door. "Go back to yer poor, unsuspecting girlfriend! If she can handle _the dang stench of yer stank ass_ , she can _have_ yew!"

A very sorrowful but terrified Phoenix was only too happy to oblige, barely making it out of the apartment before the door behind him slammed so hard, he was sure the walls shook.

 _Yet_ _ **another**_ _woman who now hates my guts._ He dragged a hand down his face. _You would think I'd be getting used to this by now…_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright Trucy Wright**_ _  
Wright Talent Agency_  
December 25, 2025 10:00 AM

Trucy sat rigidly in front of the computer, staring unseeingly at the monitor while she attempted to distract herself by surfing the Internet, but it was an exercise in futility. All she could do was stare at the clock, and think to herself that if her father didn't walk through that door in two hours, she was actually going to have to take Uncle Gumshoe up on his offer to put an APB out on her Daddy to find out that he was dead or alive! The idea of losing yet another parent was beyond devastating, and the poor magician buried her head in her hands as hot tears stung her eyes.

 _Dear Lord,_ she prayed. _I've not asked you for a whole lot in my life, but please,_ _ **please**_ _let my father come home, alive and well. He's really a good guy and a good Daddy, and I love him and need him so much! He's all I've got in this world…_

Suddenly there was a jingle of keys, and Trucy realized that Christmas miracles _did_ exist as her thankful, teary gaze fell upon the face of her exhausted looking, but _completely alive,_ father, as he walked in the door.

" _Daddy_!" Trucy cried, rushing up to Phoenix and nearly tackling him with the vigor of her embrace as she threw her arms around him, her tears of relief soaking his shirt. "Oh Daddy, thank God you're OK!"

"Forgive me, baby girl." Phoenix held her tightly in his arms, feeling sickened with guilt at how distraught she obviously had been. "I did a little bit too much celebrating last night, and unexpectedly crashed at a coworkers house. I swear it was _completely_ unplanned. I didn't realize I hadn't charged my phone and it was utterly dead, which is why I didn't call. And the buses are all on a holiday schedule, so it took forever to get home. Truce, I'm so sorry…"

"It doesn't matter," Trucy sniffled and wiped her eyes, and his heart ached that for the second time in less than 24 hours, his daughter had shed tears on his account. She forced herself to smile. "You're safe and home now, and nothing else matters."

"I love you, Truce." Phoenix swallowed the lump in his throat, and kissed the top of her head. Trucy was too good for him. He didn't deserve her. For some reason, this little angel, his light, loved him enough for the both of them. Because Phoenix did not love himself at all anymore. In fact, that morning, he realized that he had reached the pinnacle of self-loathing. "You're right, I'm home now, and I'm not going anywhere. All I want to do is spend Christmas with my daughter."

"I love you too. I'm so happy you're OK! I can give you your present now!" Trucy's eyes lit up, even as she gave her father a critical once over. "I think you need it _now_ more than ever! You don't look so good, Daddy. You're giving Uncle Gumshoe a run for his money in the scruffy department!"

In spite of his bleak mood, Phoenix threw his head back and laughed, then self-consciously ran a hand over the stubble on his chin.

"Guilty as charged," he chuckled, walking over to the hall closet were the extra coats were stored. He reached up to the top shelf for the gift he had hidden there as Trucy raced back downstairs from retrieving his Christmas present.

"I hope you like this, baby girl." He handed the large box to her. "I've had to drink generic brand grape juice the past few months to save up for it!"

"I would like _anything_ you gave me, Daddy!" Trucy tore eagerly into the box. "But I know money's tight; you didn't have to buy me anything!"

Pulling out the brand-new, blue silk magician's hat, the teen squealed with delight.

"But I'm _so happy_ you did!" She lunged at Phoenix with another crushing hug. "Thank you so much! I needed this so bad! My old one was ruined beyond repair when I got into a fight with Drew Peacock but I thought I was going to have to wait after Christmas for all the Boxing Day specials to get another one!"

"Let this be your incentive then to _use your words_ and _not your fists_ in the future." Phoenix smiled at her enthusiasm, then burst out laughing as his daughter placed the hat on her head and began to make ridiculous, goofy faces.

"I'm _serious_ , Daddy! This is the infamous ' _duck face'_ all the girls do when they take selfies for their social media pages because they think it makes them look sexy or something!"

"My least favorite waterfowl!" Phoenix shook his head, and then pointed to his parcel. "My turn?"

He couldn't help but smirk when he opened the shaving set. His daughter truly was a subtle as a Mack truck!

"I _thought_ it was the perfect gift," Trucy crossed her arms and gave him a mock stern face. "But after this morning, I'm wondering if I shouldn't have bought you a portable cell phone charger or backup battery instead!"

"I swear I will never be so irresponsible again," Phoenix promised, leaning over and rumpling her hair. "From this day forward, your Daddy _only_ drinks grape juice! And if I _ever_ go back to my word, you have my full permission to _club me over the head with the bottle_!"

"I don't know if my nostrils could handle you drinking anything more than grape juice again!" Trucy wrinkled her little button nose. "Yuck! You smell like a _brewery,_ Daddy! Off to the shower with you! And there's no time better than the _present_ to make use of your new _present!"_

"Thanks for the candor, kiddo!" Phoenix chuckled ruefully and turned to head upstairs. "I won't be too long, but you're right, a nice hot shower is _just_ what I need right now."

"You go do that," Trucy instructed. "I'm going to go make us a nice Christmas breakfast." She smiled innocently at her father. "I get the feeling that you would probably appreciate something _really greasy_ right about now… How do you feel about bacon and eggs?"

 _Is there anything more embarrassing and undignified than having your teenage daughter make it_ _ **crystal clear**_ _that she knows you're totally hung over?_ Phoenix wondered as he headed to his room. _I mean, it's at least_ _ **got to be right up there**_ _with_ _ **ripping ass,**_ _right in the face of your_ _ **obscenely hot coworker**_ _, and having her_ _ **not once, but now twice**_ _, accuse you of being_ _ **light in the loafers!**_

Not that it really mattered what Tiffany thought of him in the grand scheme of things. Nothing really mattered to him anymore. He had put all his efforts into the _one thing_ that _had_ mattered, and discovered yesterday that the sacrifice had been completely worthwhile.

His ex-girlfriend's engagement was proof that, at all costs, he been successful in his endeavors.

Phoenix flopped down on his bed, and reached for the bottom drawer of his night table, carefully pulling out the folded newspaper page he'd hidden in there. With delicate precision, so as not to wrinkle it too much, he lightly traced his finger over every inch of that flawless face in the photo.

Time looked like it'd been good to his ever-ageless former lover. She barely looked any older than she had when he had first set eyes on her a decade ago. Like a fine wine, she had only improved with age.

As for Phoenix…well, a quick look in the mirror indicated that Tiffany had not been kidding when she said he looked like he'd been rode hard and put away wet. Whereas his ex was destined to look forever young, he knew _he_ looked old, destitute, and haggard… And _at least_ a good decade older than he actually was. It was just as well she wasn't around to see how badly he'd deteriorated since he'd seen her last.

The former defense attorney's doleful gaze ran over every detail of that ethereal visage, as though trying to commit it to memory. He honestly thought that Maya had never looked more beautiful. This pretty boy of hers was one _lucky_ son of a bitch.

Soon, the Master of Kurain would be a radiant bride, and just like her engagement, it would be a news event that _everybody_ _worldwide_ would be made aware of.

"It was all worth it, in the end," Phoenix whispered aloud, raising his stinging eyes upward towards the heavens. "I kept my promise you, Chief. Maya's safe now."

 _ **Bon Jovi – Dead or Alive**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 104**

 **chloemcg**

I couldn't see a way to work the lyrics in there but of course, I _had_ to pay some homage to one of my favorite and most loyal readers hence throwing love is an open door in there! I'm glad you approved of my alternative methods of adding Disney mushiness in their, what with the talking dolphins and now the enchanted Forest Woodland creatures! LOL

We will definitely see little Gordy again. He is six now, and the last time we saw the little troublemaker was at Christmas time last year in the story when he subjected Nick and Maya and his parents to possibly the world's most embarrassing gift mix up! XD

Now as for the Dragon Lady, Pearl and Luke are end game but they're too young to be talking marriage so I don't think anyone would take it seriously enough to interfere at this point! Also I'd like to think the elders don't really care about what you do romantically if you're not the master and you're not a disbarred attorney! I would like to think by the time Feyt is old enough to be talking marriage, Mildew _will_ be long dead and buried (possibly because Maya killed her!) :p

I love your story I'm very excited about whatever is you have planned!

This is a week where I am actually updating three times to get the story moving and I think any and all questions about Phoenix the who/what/ where/ why will finally be answered come Friday!

 **Yanmegaman**

The legacy of Constantine the wonder pup lives on through the pups he hath sired… When Luke and Pearl do get married, I think Feyt should be the ring bearer at the wedding! :-)

I think Longines would've _had_ to be flamboyant, hairdresser type took pulled up such an over-the-top proposal! I had _way_ too much fun writing the Eiffel Tower scene!

You're lucky I only give you a cavity I think it back she had gone through with Chloe's song suggestion and actually incorporated love is an open door my readers would've had full-blown diabetes! XD

 **XenoBound**

Thank you! I love Maggey and Gumshoe… They're kind of like the rock of sanity and stability amongst the chaos in this story! And I'm happy you liked the Eiffel Tower proposal! I got to use my high school French and every possible French stereotype expression all over again! XD

Fluff makes the world go round… I'm what you see the can splash a dash of romance in between of the drama since it's wonderful to know that my readers appreciate it

 **DannyDragon**

Longines is goofy as hell, so no Phoenix… Maya made very sure of that when she gave her wish list to Mildew that her match not have anything in common with her ex… he's rich, more man-pretty, light on his feet er , can dance but not sing! – and is more bright and cheery than brooding. I'm glad readers are not _completely_ adverse to him though! Feyt has replaced Pearl as the youngest member of the Fey clan! This is proof that Pearl and Luke will be together forever… After all they are Mommy and Daddy to the little one!

I figured my readers needed to swoon before I resumed…The Angst….

 **Chapter 102**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I wanted to do something different with the third game and covering events which you know probably took place more necessarily a rehash of what you'd already seen the exception of what went through Phoenix's mind when he ran across that bridge. It boggles my mind that he willingly did something like that for Maya and people out there still can't see the chemistry between them, or the fact that he is obviously giving Canon wise got feelings that belie friendship. I totally had a blast with these though so thank you very much!

You cannot escape your past or your demons… This is the week that you'll find out why Nick threw that love away, and I am most keen on finding out my reader's reactions!

 **Chapter 101**

I really don't know what to do with Lana… Her character has kind of grown on me and I tried to make her more likable instead of the original homeworking hussy I initially planned… However one of my challenges as a writer has been trying to create tension, sadness and drama without resorting to killing off iconic characters (that's what OC's are for! LOL) as I think it's a very cheap and unnecessary and overused ploy a lot of writers use (along with excessive profanity but I digress)… I really have missed hearing from you so thank you so much for your kind feedback I do hope you keep reading to see if any of your usual prophecies have come true!

 **Chapter 100**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

A better writer than _you?_ I am a fan of your work, so very high praise indeed and I'm not sure it even fully justified but please accept my humble thanks nevertheless.

Unlike Europe which was based on extensive research, I actually have been a Manhattan but I don't think I could squeeze in a trip to Central Park in there as much I would've liked to… Plus I think Miles is too posh to be doing what _I_ did, which was posing like an idiot in the Friends fountain! ;p

Personally I found near to be a fantastic place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there… No offense to any New Yorkers out there but crime aside…. way too crowded, the people were rude and the subway system gives me a headache… I don't know why Frank's kept singing about it!

The last time Miles was reminiscing, he was _in_ the shower… The shower has definitely been a place of a very different type of steam for the debonair Mr. Edgeworth in the story has it not? XD

Just as much as Nick cannot escape his demons, unfortunately neither can Franziska… Here's a question for you… Why do you think he can't get a hold of her…?

 **Chapter 99**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

It means a lot that you liked this chapter as this is the one that I told you took me three days to write. Franziska is not the warm and cuddly type at all I'm not even sure how much her own father would've hugged her and think the last person should any physical involvement with beyond a handshake was probably Miles! If it is one thing to learn from this chapter is that crying is therapeutic, true friends are the most priceless gift you can have for yourself, and Maya had _a lot_ of pent-up anger in her that she needed to get out! As for turnabouts… Stay tuned! XD


	106. Someone to Watch Over Me

_Every breath you take  
Every move you make  
Every bond you break  
Every step you take  
I'll be watching you_

 _Every single day_  
 _Every word you say_  
 _Every game you play_  
 _Every night you stay_  
 _I'll be watching you  
_

* * *

 _A/N: Some weekend reading for you guys! This was supposed to be one chapter, which I split up due to length to make for easier reading, and is meant to be read with the subsequent following chapter. As I promised you guys, today we **finally** have the answer to THAT question, Happy Friday!  
_

 _P.S. Please pay mind to the dates in this chapter and the next guys - these are flashbacks, leading up to Nick and Maya's split at the beginning of 2025 (in present timeline, however, as per the Can't Fight Feyt chapter, we are in December 2025)_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Six:** **Someone to Watch Over Me**

 _ **Maya Fey**_ _  
Governor's Mansion, Los Angeles  
_ February 14, 2025 6:30 PM

It was the Who's Who as far as swanky affairs went. All of the bigwigs across the state, and possibly even the nation, were present at the Governor's Ball that night. Everybody from politicians, to diplomats, to business professionals, even a couple of scattered celebrities. As the prestigious Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, and in spite of her great reluctance Maya was also obligated to make an appearance at the politician's LA mansion, a place so grandeur it made Fey Manor look like a shoebox in comparison.

Designs of fruit and flowers were carved into the moulding, and small, fat children with wings looked down at the guests from every angle from the 20-foot high ceiling of the luxurious great hall Maya entered. Large, crystal vases of fragrant blossoms sat atop the main hall pillars, which, while pleasing to the eye, gave off a cloying scent that they made her eyes itch. She heaved a deep sigh and plastered on her most winsome smile as she handed her coat to the attentive butler standing in the foyer and headed into the main room where the festivities were being held.

 _Note to self, make sure I tell Nick that I have an_ _ **adverse reaction to daises**_ _! I don't even know why they chose to use an abundance of traditional_ _ **funeral**_ _flowers for decoration anyway! Were they_ _ **trying**_ _to go for irony here? Like, ha-ha! This_ _ **party**_ _is sure to be_ _ **dead**_ _, hence implied hilarity of the_ _ **unfortunate floral accents**_ _?! Ugh, I sure hope this fête has good eats at least!_

The room was uncomfortably large, reminding the Kurain Master of a hotel foyer, not just in the space, but in the artwork too. Her eyes scanned around for a personal touch, something that didn't suggest a hired designer chose it, but found none. The floor was polished concrete, the walls white and the furniture probably from some hard to pronounce, high-end Scandinavian designer. It was a perfect place, but cold in its tranquility. The soft music, just audible as background noise, somehow made it even less personal. Maya felt as though she had just stepped into some sort of museum, and suddenly was aching to get out of there and over to Edgeworth's penthouse to see Phoenix, as soon as it was socially acceptable for her to do so. She did not want to spend the entire duration of her Valentine's Day evening at this _complete bore of a party_ even if it was a prime opportunity to drum up business for Kurain! Ah, the things she did for diplomacy.

While she normally didn't mind an opportunity to get dressed up in her finer party clothes and munch on some free fancy food, Maya _hated_ the pretentiousness that always seem to accompany soirées of this magnitude! Inwardly, she was cursing the Governor for the ill timing of his annual fiesta having to be on the _same_ night as _the most romantic night of the year_! Sure, the vast majority of these _stodgy old farts_ might be too ancient to have _a love life worth mentioning_ , but _she_ most certainly was not!

As soon as Maya could get out of there, she and Phoenix had a _whole, blissfully romantic, clothing optional weekend_ planned; one of the few when the two of them could simultaneously be free from any duties or work obligations. It pained her that she was required to be _there_ right now, having to _kiss ass_ and _rub elbows_ , when she _should_ have been _placing her lips_ upon her sexy _boyfriend's_ , and _rubbing_ her _body_ all over _his_!

The Master smilingly clutched her half-consumed, secondary glass of bubbly, while murmuring bits of small talk as she made the rounds across the crowded room. She was so lost in her own little dream world as she mingled, blissfully envisioning her plans that night once she could prudently make her escape, that she didn't even see the Rubenesque, middle-aged woman step in front of her at the buffet table until she was practically on top of her.

The two women collided heavily, sending both of their purses clattering to the floor.

"Oh my goodness!" The woman's plump hand fluttered to her throat, her armful of gold bangles colliding in an 18-carat clash as her thickly lined, Cupids bow lips formed a round-O of horror. "I am _so_ sorry! How clumsy of me…"

"It's OK, it was probably my fault…darn champagne bubbles go right to my head and make me all wonky!" Maya then let out a surprised cry when she saw who was standing before her. " _Rosanne Palms_! How's it going?"

" _Maya Fey_!" The woman let out a gleeful, high-pitched trill of recognition at the sight of the spirit medium. "Fancy seeing _you_ here! And none of this Rosanne business, Missy! I told you before, and I'll tell you again, please call me _Rosie_ like everyone else does!"

 _I'd_ _ **really**_ _rather not…_ Maya giggled silently to herself, but miraculously kept a straight face.

"It's so nice to see you again." The spirit medium smiled pleasantly. "I imagine your husband's around here somewhere? I'll have to say hello before I head out."

"Yes, Harry's milling about with his cronies and colleagues, leaving me here all by my lonesome," Rosie sulked. "So I'm _beyond_ tickled to finally see a familiar face at this _complete bore of the ball!"_

"Hey _you_ said it!" Maya snickered. " _I've_ just been _thinking_ it!"

"I only speak the truth, my dear. What a difference it is, seeing you in regular attire, rather than your Master robes! You look absolutely _stunning_! Is that a new dress?"

"What, _this_ old thing?" Maya self-consciously ran her hands down the hips of her scarlet mini dress, crafted from dazzling sequins on the strapless bodice, with a fitted skirt that fell over the hips and thighs, with a flourish of delicate chiffon flowers decorating the hip-length hemline of the garment. "Nah! The mail in my village only comes once a week, so therefore, I literally received invitation for this party _at the 11_ _th_ _hour_ , which didn't give me much time to shop. So I just threw on this dress I got ages ago, which thank goodness, _still_ fits!"

"It's positively splendid, especially with your coloring, and it looks pretty _brand spanking new_ to me!" The older woman's overly made-up eyes shone with admiration. "Wherever did you get it?"

"An old friend of mine bought this as my birthday gift six years ago, at DKNY. I'll be seeing them later tonight, and it _is_ Valentine's Day, so I thought I'd dress for the occasion." A becoming blush rose upon Maya's cheeks. "I have a lot of _very fond memories_ attached to this little number."

"I'm _sure_ you do!" Rosie flashed a sly wink, and Maya's blush deepened. "Well I'm happy to hear you have other plans besides this snooze of a shindig! It would be a total _waste_ of that ensemble otherwise! I don't think Harry and I doing anything after we get out of here, so _you_ go live it up for the _both_ of us!"

The raven-haired woman giggled in response, then looked down at the floor, realizing that while the two of them had been busily gabbing, they _still_ hadn't picked up their handbags, both of which had fallen open, and spilled out their contents. Rosie noticed as well at that moment, and bent down at the same time. Maya hastily scooped up the remaining items back into her clutch but not before her friend spotted the shiny gold locket, which had been hidden within the confines of the bag's silk lining interior, and gave a gasp of appreciation.

"Oh my, that's just _magnificent_! _Why on earth_ aren't you _wearing_ it?"

"Oh, I _always_ do, underneath my Master's robes, but I didn't want any _unnecessary attention_ drawn to certain parts of my anatomy, due to _where the chain_ falls on my person!" She laughed, gesturing towards her full cleavage. "I think I may have been _a tad less modest_ when I was 21 than I am _now_! But I'm definitely going to make sure I slip it back on when I get out of here."

"Perchance, did the same _friend_ who bought you that killer dress, _also_ happen to give you that locket?" Rosie flashed a telltale wink, and Maya shyly dropped her eyes as she nodded.

"The photos of everybody _nearest and dearest to my heart_ are inside that locket." There was no mistaking the lilt in Maya's voice as she made this small confession.

" _Really_?" The other woman smirked. "Does the _handsome, spiky-haired_ man in that picture with you _fall into that category_?"

" _Maybe_." Maya bit back a coy smile, a tad too tipsy to notice the fact that she was being less guarded than usual, and that Rosie wasn't the only one within vicinity to be hearing this conversation.

"It's so nice to see that you young folks can still be so romantic and sentimental! Don't _ever_ change!" Rosie sighed enviously. "Currently, the only one with a love life worth mentioning in my household is my daughter. She just turned 18, you know, which is just _the perfect age_ to give her mama a heart attack!"

"My little girl is 16 this fall, but luckily, so far, she's been an angel."

"You just wait until she gets into _boys_!" Rosie warned. "My little troublemaker's got some hot date tonight with some guy she's _completely_ smitten with, but who _I_ insist is nothing but a _complete bum_! You _know_ how these young girls are! She's completely romanticizing the concept of him being this _sullen, emotive, long-haired guitarist,_ who makes a living doing nothing but playing _folk songs_ at her university campus coffee house."

"You never know. He might actually be a very nice young man, with a pure, poetic soul, despite his lack of stature," Maya suggested kindly, with _an impossible to miss, knowing smile_ lingering on her lips as she spoke. "I might be biased of course, but I profess to you that I am _no stranger_ to …these _brooding, musician_ types."

"I _see_ ," Rosie twittered then, and raised an inquisitive, pencil-thin brow. "Would you say you've surpassed the _no stranger_ zone and are more so veering towards _very well acquainted_?"

"I plead the fifth!" Maya quipped, popping an hors d'oeuvre into her mouth as she belatedly realized she _may_ have said a bit too much. "Allow me to excuse myself, Rosie, while I go say hello to your husband, will you?"

Out of sight, but _definitely_ not out of earshot, every single tidbit of the women's conversation was processed by the man lurking in the dark shadows of the large pillar in the center of the room.

Each word he overheard only fueled the fire that burned inside of him. Every phrase further incensed him, as though it were composed of a flammable substance. His face had become rigid, and his jaw clamped tight. Teeth grinding, his fist clenched as he pictured a certain _handsome, spiky-haired_ man's neck _snapping like a twig_ in his mind. He could feel his fist smashing into his nose, splattering red blood on the dirty walls of that filthy bar he worked in.

 _That low-life degenerate has crossed the_ _ **wrong**_ _nabob. He needs to learn that makes me very,_ _ **very**_ _angry. He won't like me when I'm angry…  
_

* * *

 _ **Party Guest**_ _  
Governor's Mansion, Los Angeles  
_ February 14, 2025 7:30 PM

He downed the last of his champagne, and then flicked his hand lazily to signal to the server to give him another. The young woman swooped in quickly, replacing his glass with a newly poured one while retrieving his empty flute. Without even looking at her, he silently shooed her away, as though she were a pesky fly, turning his head away with a contemptuous sniff to exaggerate his dismissal of 'the help.'

Besides, he was a man on a mission, and that belied having to make niceties with the 'little people.'

The moment she was alone, he'd swooped in grandly upon the _vapid, bubble-headed_ , _badly aging_ blonde woman, who was stuffing her already fat cheeks with appetizers by the buffet table. It turned out she was the wife of one of the diplomats at the party, whose name he couldn't be bothered recalling. While he supposed making her acquaintance could have been a potential future investment, as her spouse surely had useful connections, at that moment, he had no interest in anything except pumping her for as much information as possible about the striking, raven-haired beauty with whom he had just heard her conversing.

"You haven't met Maya Fey yet?" Her little piggy eyes nearly bulged out of her plump face in surprise when he made the polite query. "I think she may have _just left_ , but I'm telling you, she is the most delightful thing, really! So incredibly kind and sweet! She performed a spirit channeling for my husband's dearly departed great aunt last month. Between you and me, I think my teenage son had little crush on her. _Such a beauty_! She's not married yet, but I know a woman with glowing skin like that _definitely_ can't actually be _single_ , if you _catch my drift_ …"

 _Let her feel like she's in charge, that she earned my trust. She's easier to steer than my new Mercedes._

He returned his arm to its resting position against the wall pillar, manicured hand dangling downward, and an affixed smile almost touching his lips to mask his ennui. The gleaming gold links of his Patek Philippe on the tanned skin of his wrist glinted in the bright overhead lights in the high ceiling. He would remain there, all genteel congeniality, until he had finished drawing information out of the blathering imbecile before him. The woman was trying too hard, laughing too easily, visibly uncomfortable in a too-tight fussy dress made of fabric of the _gaudiest_ sheen. He, on the other hand, underplayed his part, coy and a little slow to warm, and ensured his placid expression was impenetrable, even though he was stewing internally, a raging storm swirling at having been victim of such _treacherous deceit_ , so _readily_ and _for so long_.

The woman continued to babble. He remained impassive and quiet and let her drone on, nodding and smiling where needed. He knew the type of woman who loved to talk, and this was portly little fountain of knowledge was most _definitely_ one of them.

Beneath his mask of calm coolness and interested listening, he was planning his next plan of action against the man who had _played him for a fool and dared lie to his face_.

Turning away from the conversation at last, he idly contemplated what the lovely Master of Kurain would look like if she were _somehow made_ even _more_ pastel white than she was presently. He was certain that exquisite visage would still be _quite as becoming_ _in eternal rest,_ were it to become _the same shade of white_ as the graveside flowers copiously placed around the room. A pernicious smirk played upon his lips at the thought.

He didn't even notice the champagne flute he'd been holding shattered in his clenched hand, and he was oblivious to the bright red drops oozing from his fingers.

Fires of fury and hatred were smoldering in the small narrowed eyes as he weighed the pros and cons of the various and creative means available to him for exacting revenge.

He knew he'd have to make that man pay; make him _even more a sorry human being_ than _he already was_ for this _unforgivable breach of trust_.

However, that would be later.

For now, he had some hobnobbing to do, and outwardly, would enjoy himself immensely in the process, even though he'd be conspiring _his_ punishment all the while.

Plotting the perfect way to teach that _inferior cretin_ not to mess with him.

 _No, Miss Piggy, I_ _ **haven't**_ _made myself acquainted with the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique as of yet._ A cold, baleful smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. _However,_ _ **that is about to change, very, very soon…  
**_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
February 17, 2025 11:55 AM

"Sorry to get back to you so late, my love." Phoenix yanked off his beanie and ran an exhausted hand through his spikes as he flopped down onto the tiny loveseat in the downstairs office, making sure he didn't speak too loudly in case his sleeping daughter upstairs happened to overhear the conversation. "But Trucy needed me to help her out with some homework before she went to bed, and since she had to go to work tonight, it ended up being later than usual." His voice turned husky. "I know I _just_ said goodbye to you this morning, but would I be too much of a suck to admit that I miss you _already_?"

"Not at all, because I miss you too," Maya sighed. "This weekend together was so _amazing_. It felt like we were _honeymooning_ or something. I wish we could do it more often."

"Well, I still have the _battle scars_ left behind on my back to remember you by until the next time we meet!" Phoenix shifted his shoulders uncomfortably and chuckled ruefully. "Hopefully within a fortnight, they will have healed and I shall be able to _take off my shirt_ within my own home, without fear of having to give _an embarrassing explanation_ to my innocent teenage daughter!"

"I'm sorry, Nick." Although Maya's tone was regretful, he could still hear a hint of laughter in her voice at the concept of having literally _marked her man_! "Next time, I'll try to be more like _you_ were with _me_ , and just leave _strategically placed hickeys behind on the body,_ where _nobody but the recipient_ will ever know about them!"

"What can I say?" He guffawed. "We _both_ like leaving behind _evidence_ of _a job well done_! Moreover, please don't be sorry, my love. I've had nearly six years to learn that _you can't bed a vixen,_ without expecting _to be bitten_ , _or marked_ in _some manner_."

"It all seems like a _delicious dream_ now, made all the worse by coming back to work Monday with a heaping dose of _back to life, back to reality_!" Maya groaned. "And let me tell you something, _reality bites!"_

"Pun fully _not_ intended?" He teased.

"Well, on top of regular duties, I also had to see Sister Bikini and go over the guest logs of the weekend visitors that rented cabins for Valentine's Day, to make sure that the numbers matched," she explained.

 _Sister Bikini… Hey, that reminds me, I've got to tell her about Edgeworth's email this morning regarding Iris's upcoming release…_

Phoenix never got the chance to relay the news however, as Maya's next words stopped him cold.

"By the way Nick, you know that pretty boy, rock star prosecutor that was a big part of ruining you? What was his last name again? _Gavin_ , right?"

"Yes, it was." Phoenix sat up straight on the cushions then, his heart inexplicably beginning to pound faster. " _There's_ a name you and I haven't brought up in some time! What makes you ask about him _now_?'

"Well I guess the _dual life_ of _playing lousy music_ and _helping destroy the reputations of innocent men_ finally took their toll on him." He could practically hear Maya rolling her eyes. "I guess that douchebag came up here to Eagle Mountain to _get away from it all_. I saw his name in the guest logbook. He was here all weekend, from the night of February 14 to the morning of February 17. I'm looking at his name right here. It's under _K. Gavin_."

Upon hearing the name, Phoenix felt the blood beginning to roar in his ears. An invisible hand clasped over his mouth; an equally ghostly hypodermic of adrenaline pierced his heart, unloading in an instant.

"If he only checked out early Monday morning, I guess it's a good thing it's a two hour train ride to come up from the city!" She tittered then, apparently not even noticing her boyfriend's lack of response. "Funny how things work out! If a _certain someone_ _hadn't_ _worn me out so badly_ , I wouldn't have missed waking up for my alarm clock in time to catch the first train up!"

He wanted to run; he needed to freeze. He could feel his ribs heaving, as if bound by ropes, straining to inflate his lungs.

"You know, my sleeping in seems to be the _sole reason_ that I _just barely missed_ that _arschloch_ by the time I got up there!" Maya obliviously continued to prattle on. "Lucky for him too! I would've had _some choice words_ for that man, had I _actually_ run into him, let me tell you!"

Phoenix felt his throat closing up as the words building up within him became stuck in his throat, still not allowing him to make a response.

"If he wanted privacy, and to be anonymous, you would _think_ he would've chosen a _different last name_ , instead of just putting down his first initial, the idiot!" Maya continued indignantly. "It makes _no sense_ , don't you agree, Nick? I mean _obviously_ the egomaniac _wanted to let us know that he was up there_ , one way or another, right?"

"Maya, thanks for waiting up for me as usual. It's been great talking to you, but I think I'm coming down with something, because I feel kinda rundown. In fact, I'm _really_ tired," Phoenix managed to finally croak out. "I'm going to head to bed now."

"Do you really have to go _already_?" She sounded disappointed. "Remember, I only have this week to talk to you a regular basis, because this Saturday, Pearly and I are going away to Bon Temps, Louisiana, just outside New Orleans, for a week. I don't know how good the reception will be down there in the American realms of voodoo and bayous."

"Don't worry, we'll definitely connect before then," he promised, while simultaneously trying not to succumb to hyperpnea. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, OK? Goodnight. I love you."

The moment he hung up the phone, Phoenix shut his eyes and tried to take deep breaths. His head was a carousel of fears spinning out of control, each one pushing his mind into blackness. Sounds that were suddenly near felt far away, and he felt as if he was no longer in the body that sat, paralyzed with fear, on that battered old piece of furniture.

 _Oh heavenly and merciful Lord_ , he prayed vehemently, raising his shaking hands to his face and burying his head in them. _Let me be having these visions of paranoia and this barely stifled panic attack for no reason whatsoever! Please I beg of you, let that have been_ _ **Klavier**_ _who was up there this weekend whom my beloved girlfriend just_ _ **barely**_ _escaped_ _ **encountering**_ _…_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright  
**_ _The Borscht Bowl Club  
_ February 20, 2025 10:45 PM

Since that unsettling conversation with Maya, Phoenix had never dreaded going to work as much as he did that evening. The last few days leading up to his shift that week had his nerves completely shot, which was never a good thing, considering what he _did for a living_. Poker players were neither supposed to be shaken nor sweaty, but that night, his fingers were so slick with nervous perspiration, they kept slipping off the keys on more than one occasion.

His jumpy disposition couldn't have happened at worse time, as tonight was a poker tournament, which meant his daughter would be joining him at 11:00 in The Hydeout when he was done this last set. Trucy had popped in after finishing work about half an hour ago, and was idly munching some French fries at a table near his piano, smiling encouragingly at him as he hit yet another off key in the verse.

Phoenix knew he was playing worse than usual that evening, as he was so consumed by his renewed paranoid suspicions about _which Gavin_ had gone to Eagle Mountain. Afraid that Maya would hear the tremor in his voice, he had taken to only texting her and leaving voicemails when he knew she would be busy, rather than speaking to her live, ever since her chilling revelation about the cabins. Unless his suspicions were confirmed, he saw no reason to worry the woman he loved, who already had enough on her plate with the stress of single motherhood and running a village amongst ever-disapproving elders.

The pianist's shaky fingers hit a particularly cringe-worthy off note in his practiced melody then. Disgusted with himself, he tersely announced into the microphone that he was done for the night, and walked over to his daughter, a false smile plastered on his face.

"You're _really_ having an off night, on the piano, Daddy," the magician observed, studying his weary face with a pensive frown. "I mean, _more than usual_! Are you OK?"

"I'm fine," Phoenix lied easily, his affixed smile never wavering. "Truce, I was just thinking, about your birthday, which isn't so far away from now. I know you're a fan of The Gavinners, and I was hoping you could look up the price of a couple of tickets, perhaps cheaper ones, in the further back rows. Did you want to find out when their next American tour dates are?"

"That would be so cool, Daddy!" Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement at the notion. "But I don't need to look up the tour dates, I've been keeping track of them since the new year! They've been overseas in Europe since last December, and their North American tour won't start until sometime in late summer, which may be a little bit too late for my actual birthday. I mean, I would _love_ to see them no matter what! Even if it is _after_ my birthday, I would take it as a late present, no problem…"

Phoenix had already tuned out the rest of her words the moment he'd heard the words: _in Europe since last December_.

His worst fear was officially confirmed.

 _Klavier wasn't the one who was up at those cabins._

He dimly heard Trucy tell him that she was going to the bathroom then, but he was lost in his reverie as he sat there at in the seat she had vacated, mindlessly munching on her left over fries on the table.

Suddenly, the temperature in the general vicinity behind him dropped by several degrees.

"Good evening, _Herr_ Wright." Kristoph greeted in his usual cool manner, causing the startled pianist to nearly choke on his barely digested fry at the impromptu appearance of the disingenuous defense attorney. "I hope I've not arrived too late to hear my favorite pianist play."

Phoenix hastily grabbed his daughter's half-finished glass of soda and downed it so he could finally answer.

"Actually, yes, I'm done for the night. I'm just taking a quick break, and then in about 10 more minutes I'm off to play poker tonight. It's just as well that you missed tonight's performance. It's been a rather rough one." He smiled weakly. "I mean, _rougher than usual_ , heh, heh."

"You are way too way too modest _Herr_ Wright!" Kristoph laughed, the sound like an angle grinder to Phoenix's ears. "Surely, you are much too self-critical regarding the capabilities of your talent."

"You're either too kind or your musical taste leaves much to be desired." Phoenix smiled so hard his cheek muscles hurt as he silently prayed his response came out sounding more sincere than he'd anticipated.

"We both know this is a complete _untruth_." Kristoph commended, as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "In all actuality, I have quite _discerning_ , dare I even say, _refined_ tastes, pertaining _to all_ things in life. As disappointing as it is that I missed the opportunity to hear you _tickle those ivories,_ if you _are_ on break until 11:00, that still gives me _just_ enough time to enjoy a drink with you."

The defense attorney waved down a passing waitress and ordered a grape juice for Phoenix and a house red for himself before taking a seat, uninvited, across from him at the table. The two men sat there and stared at one another, in complete silence, until the server returned with their drinks.

"I wanted to let you know what a _small world_ we live in, _Herr_ Wright." Kristoph began casually, as though citing the reason for his visit had only just occurred to him at that moment. "I'd wished to convey information that I thought would be of _particular interest to you._ " He picked up his glass of wine and took a sip. "I was one of the privileged few to have attended the Governor's Ball on Valentine's Day evening. Such a _splendid_ event. You _really_ should have been there."

"It sounds _divine_." Phoenix lifted the grape juice bottle to his lips with trembling fingers. "Perhaps _ **my**_ _invitation_ got _lost in the mail_? Oh well, there's always next year, right?"

"You'll _never guess_ who was in attendance _this year_." Kristoph's smile turned even more crafty, like that of a cat mercilessly toying with a mouse within its trap.

 _Please don't be her. Please don't be her. Sweet Jesus…_ _ **anybody**_ _but her…._

The overwhelming feeling of dread set his face like rigor mortis, and made his teeth lock tightly together. However, unless there was a miraculous way to could turn back time, drag the sun from the sky and inject amnesia into the mind of the German fiend across from him, Phoenix knew his day had come.

"I can't even begin to guess." He swallowed heavily, somehow managing to get a word out, even though his mouth had gone as dry as the Sahara.

"The Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique." Kristoph's diabolical smile could now only be called an outright _sneer_. "She was quite the _belle of the ball_ , you know. _Everybody_ who was _anybody_ wanted to get a chance to talk with her and make her acquaintance. Unfortunately, it was absolutely impossible for _me_ to _get near her,_ even though I was _most desirous_ to do so _._ "

Phoenix's stomach dropped to his feet as wave of panic washed over him. He had thought the first time he had heard Kristoph mention _his daughter's name,_ many years ago, had been _the worst thing imaginable_. However, as usual he'd been wrong. _This_ was about _a thousand times worse_.

"I'm sorry, _who_?" He asked blithely, desperately hoping to convey that Maya was a name from his long forgotten past.

"How _fickle of your memory_ , to have _already forgotten_ such an _enchantress_ , _Herr_ Wright." Even as Kristoph smiled at him, as usual, it never touched his icy blue eyes, which were now staring at him unblinkingly. "I can't believe you have no immediate recollection of Maya Fey, your _faithful former assistant_ before…the _unfortunate incident_."

The sound of Maya's name on the other man's lips made bile rise in Phoenix's throat. _His goose was cooked._

"I was _so disappointed_ that such a _prime opportunity_ to introduce myself had escaped me." Kristoph shook his head with mock regret. "Especially since, seeing her _in the flesh_ , I was able to determine that the photos I have seen of her in the media have done her no justice whatsoever, and that she is indeed, _even more ravishing,_ in person." His leer deepened. "Maya has grown into quite an _astoundingly beautiful_ young woman. I suppose I shall have to arrange some sort of _future opportunity_ to _ensure_ that _my path crosses with hers_ once more in the _very near future_."

 _Oh dear God, NO! Maya shouldn't even be on his radar! She's never done anything to anybody in her entire life. This …this about him wanting to_ _ **mess with my head.**_ _Most of all, it's working! All this…it's just one gigantic mind cluster-fuck for him!_

"As I told you many years ago, Kristoph, Maya Fey and I lost contact with one another a very long time ago." Phoenix spoke through gritted teeth, hoping the other man would be convinced that this was still a sore subject for him. "While I thank you for thinking this would be of relevance to me, alas it is not, and her comings and goings are of no concern to me in the least."

"I believe it would be _my_ turn, then, to be the one suffering from a fickle memory, as this bit of trivia that you so long ago relayed to me had _completely_ escaped my mind indeed."

"Well allow me to _refresh_ it then," he said tightly. "Being a disbarred defense attorney due to presenting forged evidence was deemed to have been a hindrance to her political career, both by her village elders, as well as herself. Therefore, with no qualms whatsoever, Maya left me high and dry, and is part of another life now." He punctuated his last words with a morose sigh, as though speaking of it still pained him.

" _Such_ a shame," Kristoph sympathized, not looking in the least bit sorry. "The only thing worse than a _fickle memory_ is a _fickle heart_ , is it not? How fortunate for you to have been able to move past such _gross disloyalty_ and no longer need to worry about _a callous_ _person_ such as Maya Fey still being a part of your life _now_."

Phoenix's eyes snapped up from the label of his grape juice bottle, which he had mindlessly been peeling away at in an attempt to avert his gaze from Kristoph glacial, unnerving eyes. As he met the expressionless blue orbs now, he felt sick to his stomach.

Kristoph _knew._ Despite all their carefully laid efforts and disguises and discretions over the years, somehow, someway, the German man knew about Maya. Probably knew about the two of them having been together all along, and had as few qualms about letting Phoenix know this as he had about making his appearance at the cabins last weekend _equally as apparent_.

Just the _thought_ of his vulnerable girlfriend stuck in that remote, middle of _butt-fuck nowhere_ location, at the mercy of a deranged lunatic, made the pianist feel _physically ill_.

The cabins _just_ _outside_ Kurain Village. Maya's _home_. The _one_ place where she should have always been safe, yet _the one place_ where, had she not been down in the city with _him_ that weekend, instead would have had her out there at _Kristoph's whim._

Phoenix was a hair's breadth away from completely falling to pieces right then and there, when out of the clear blue sky, his daughter returned from the ladies' room just in time to pipe up with the world's most _ill-timed question_.

"Is Maya going to be your girlfriend, Daddy?" Confused blue eyes darted back and forth between the composed defense attorney and her nearly hyperventilating father. "Is _that_ why you guys are talking about her?"

 _You see this right here?_ The former defense attorney silently screamed _._ _ **This**_ _is the_ _ **exact**_ _reason why I kept my_ _ **mouth shut,**_ _and_ _ **my daughter in the dark,**_ _about Maya, for these_ _ **past six years**_ _!_

Phoenix couldn't believe his _godawful_ luck! Here he had actually thought/hoped/prayed that he may have, _once again, successfully convinced_ Kristoph that he and Maya _never had, nor ever would be_ an item, and taken her off his radar of consideration! But lo and behold, _right on schedule_ , was his _completely clueless but well-meaning_ kid, bursting in and inquiring about contradictory information, which surely had damaged his well-planned, long played defensively denying façade.

"No baby girl." He forced his voice not to waiver as he swallowed back another wave of panic. "Maya was _only my assistant_ , and when Daddy lost his badge, she and those mean ladies in the village told her that it would be bad for her name to have anything to do with me. Do you remember me telling you this, now? _That's the reason_ why she and I are _not friends_ anymore, which is _all we ever were_ , a _very long time ago_."

To his great relief, Trucy seem to suddenly remember the long-ago fib from yesteryear, then merely shrugged and smiled brightly as she seemed to mentally add it as yet another fake trick in the now Phoenix Wright Never-Ending Magic Show, and was already yapping about going downstairs to the poker room, and then ran off.

However, he didn't mind the timing this time. At that point, he would've given his right arm to have escaped the German man's unwavering stare, which was making him feel like a bug pinned to the wall.

"It's been great seeing you, Kristoph, b – but I need to get going," Phoenix stammered, tearing his eyes away. "Like I said, poker game at 11:00 and all."

"Don't worry; _I'll be back_ , soon enough _._ " Kristoph extended his hand. "I enjoy your company _way_ too much to _ever stray too far,_ for _too long_ , _Herr_ Wright. Surely, you _must be aware that by now_?"

"I sure am." Phoenix nodded dumbly as he stood, moving to shake the man's ice-cold hand.

"We must play catch up again very soon, _Nick_ ," Kristoph said silkily. Without warning, the hairs on the back of Phoenix's neck stood on end at the use of his nickname. "Next time, _my friend_ , I will ensure I come here _early enough_ to hear your delightful pianist's skills. I still have _yet_ to hear you play my song request from many years ago. I'm still a big fan of _The Police_ , and I'm quite certain that you're familiar their most famous song, 'Every Breath You Take,' _aren't you_?"

The dual meaning of the words was not lost whatsoever, and the fear travelled in Phoenix's veins, but never made it to his facial muscles or skin. His complexion remained pale and matte, but his eyes remained steady as he nodded swiftly, let out an understated sigh, and turned to leave, showing he wasn't afraid to turn his back.

As he walked away from the table, towards the basement door, he could feel Kristoph's eyes still burning into his retreating form. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed his heart to stop hammering in his chest.

 _Maya._

He had to protect her, no matter what the cost.

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Iris Hawthorne_** _  
_ _Detention Center_  
February 21, 2025 2:00 PM

 _For nearly seven years, I have lived with the conscious fear that I've been subsumed by my act, that I'm really the criminal who forges evidence and calls mass murderers friends, that the person I once was with the ideals and values I once held is completely gone. However, when I'm in Maya's arms, and she still sees through the lie that is my life, I get the sense, maybe I won't lose myself entirely, that there still lingers a trace of the former Phoenix Wright. I could truly believe she could save me from myself; that her love would see me through this mess, and maybe even make me realize I've been wrong in my paranoid suspicions all along._

It turned out his first impressions of the nefarious Kristoph had been dead-on, all along. Yet somehow, to finally realize he'd been right all this time, in this instance, brought him no joy whatsoever; not when it would cost him so dearly and when said revelation was simultaneously conjoined with the cruel hand of fate. Not when finding the truth would mean losing his pillar of strength – the sole person who had kept him whole, and complete, and sane, and had given him hope he could perhaps someday, once again become the man he used to be.

Therefore, Phoenix took no solace about the accuracy of his initial instincts about the dangerous defense attorney, and he cursed himself for _ever_ letting his initial gut reaction ever waiver. It was hardly comforting to know that Kristoph had _not_ been lying when he had made those thinly veiled threats to harm him in myriad circumstances over the years, and that all of his invested time and effort in maintaining the façade of distance between himself and Maya hadn't been for naught. Sure, he'd had the magatama to reinforce his doubts about the blond man, but even if he were to spend the rest of his life with one hand clamped firmly in his pocket, the psyche locks that he could see were nothing more than a guide, and not tangible proof of anything.

The chained locks certainly would not force a confession out of Kristoph, and even if he _did_ manage to get that out of him, what good would it do, when it would probably be dismissed as mere _hearsay_ and not _evidence_?

In addition, if Kristoph really _was_ as cold, merciless, and calculating as Phoenix suspected, he was positive that the German would either kill him, or have him killed, straight after. The defense attorney was also the type of pathological liar that could undoubtedly beat a polygraph, and the most valuable nuggets of information that could possibly be extracted from his lips would be in the rare instances that the locks were _not_ present

The evil man's harrowing visit to him at the bar yesterday reinforced Phoenix's faith in his past judgments that hiding his relationship with Maya and never allowing it to become public knowledge had been the right decision.

 _If he recognizes me as too much of a threat, Maya would_ _ **be a far more valuable informant or blackmail object**_ _than Trucy ever was. He would have no problem torturing her and/or killing her._ _Psychos have always sensed how much she means to me, which is why she's always been a victim… Usually_ _ **because**_ _of me_. _Maya has already sacrificed enough for me over the years, what with getting tasered for me, getting held in contempt of court, been willing to die at the hands of a madman assassin to see that justice was done even if it meant risking her life. Her willingness to sacrifice her reputation for a hobo bum like me, even though it would have meant complete, irreparable disgrace… this has to stop. I can't_ _ **do**_ _this anymore. I can't be selfish and knowingly risk her life_ _ **another minute**_ _. If Kristoph does anything to hurt her, it would be all my fault and I'd never forgive myself,_ _ **ever**_ _for as long as I live._

He leaned up against the building and took in a breath, trying to regulate his breathing.

 _The fear sits quietly, eroding the person I was born to be. What starts as a contortion of my stomach becomes a feeling of being smothered by an invisible hand. My breathing becomes erratic, deep, then shallow. I fight it. I fight the feeling as my body writhes to be free or shut down entirely._

Phoenix had suffered a restless, sleepless night from hell, suffering from repeated nightmares that Maya had been kidnapped again, this time by Kristoph, who then proceeded to personally rape and torture her to death, ignoring all his pleas to die in her place, and he was completely drained. This visit to his ex was his one chance to make sure that his nightmares never became a reality. His brain was too fried to analyze any other option.

"Iris…" he stared up into the bright blue sky. "I wish I knew for sure what to do…"

 _ **The Police – Every Breath You Take**_

* * *

 _A/N: I tip my hat to the very talented purplepjs whose whose amazing works helped inspire parts of this chapter._


	107. King of Pain

_There's a little black spot on the sun today  
That's my soul up there.  
It's the same old thing as yesterday  
That's my soul up there.  
There's a black hat caught in a high treetop  
That's my soul up there.  
There's a flagpole rag and the wind won't stop  
That's my soul up there._

 _I have stood here before inside the pouring rain  
With the world turning circles running 'round my brain.  
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign,  
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain...  
_

* * *

 _A/N There is two sides to every story. This chapter at last explains Phoenix's POV from the time he visited Iris in chapter 73 "If I Could Turn Back Time" to the last time he saw Maya in THAT scene, chapter 74 "Suddenly These Changes". I hope things make more sense now, and hopefully, poor Nick is now seen as somewhat less of a D*ck! :)  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Seven:** **King of Pain**

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Iris Hawthorne_** _  
Detention Center_  
February 21, 2025 2:00 PM

There was _so much_ riding on this visit. Today he'd need to _ante up_ and play _the most high-stake gamble_ of all time.

However, he wouldn't be able to do it alone.

 _The biggest mistake I ever made was underestimating Kristoph Gavin._ _Sneaking around obviously didn't work. He's not only every bit the twisted, psychotic man Edgeworth warned me that he is, but moreover he is definitely intelligent enough to sense my associations with him are not motivated merely by 'friendship,'_ _ **that's**_ _why he's always watching me, watching everyone I care about. This man's life motto is 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.' Now that he knows I've lied to him, no matter how much I try to act like his friend, he will_ _ **never**_ _be duped again and will always see me as his enemy. Therefore, he_ _ **will**_ _mercilessly and ruthlessly destroy_ _ **anyone**_ _and_ _ **everyone**_ _that I love, just to get to_ _ **me**_ _._

Phoenix knew he should have visited Iris ages ago, and hated that he looked like a shameless opportunist because he was coinciding this visit by coupling it with an entreaty of such magnitude. There was always the worrying possibility that upon hearing what he had to say, she would simply tell him to _drop dead_ , or _worse_ , start crying. So much had changed for them…and what he was about to say to her would have such a monumental impact for the both of them, for so many parties involved…he had no idea _how_ she was going to react.

 _Oh Christ, please let her say yes. I'll_ _ **beg**_ _her if I have to. There's_ _ **no other way**_ _._

Seeing Iris again made Phoenix wish he had taken the plunge and come to see her sooner. She was still as gracious and sweet as ever, and almost immediately squelched his previous fears of being angry or disappointed that he had been unable to get her paroled sooner, due to losing his badge.

He could see the genuine affection on her enchanting face as she blushingly confessed to him how she had purposely delayed retrieving the necklace, because she had loved him so dearly, and had enjoyed the intimacy that they had shared in their months together.

While Phoenix was extremely touched and moved by the sentiment, he was loath to want to give his ex false hope about his own feelings towards her now. He took a long moment to mull over his next words, choosing them carefully, so as not to lead her on. He cared about her too much.

 _She was my first love. Were it not for her, I never would have known what love was in the first place, and aside from the fact I'll always be grateful to her for that, she deserves so much better than for me to mislead her._

"I think I understand now." Phoenix scratched the back of his neck. "Though I have to admit I'm…conflicted, you must understand. I thought you were gone. I thought you were Dahlia, the woman who tried to murder me and was in prison at one point. I don't know if I can _just jump back to over a decade ago_ …"

He cringed inwardly the moment he finished speaking.

 _ **Subtle,**_ _Phoenix._ _ **Very subtle**_. _Why not just hit her over the head with it and just scream, "It's too late for us, it's been too long and too much has changed. I've moved on, and I'm in love with your cousin now… But will you help me out anyway?!"_

"I do understand, Feenie. And I'm willing to give you the time, and the distance if you need it. Just know that in all these years I've never stopped loving you." She pressed her hand against the glass.

He lifted his hand to match hers. It meant so much to him that she loved him. A part of him would always love her – he just wasn't _in love_ with her anymore. Although their time had passed, he still wanted her to be in his life. In the end, Iris Hawthorne was not a bad woman, just a somewhat innocent and naïve person who had been easily swayed into making regretful decisions because she had put her faith and trust in the wrong people. He could no longer fault her for that. To do so would be hypocritical. Hadn't _he_ been guilty of the same thing? Was _he_ not _where he was right now_ , _due to_ the _exact same thing_?

"And a part of me has always had a special place for you in my heart as well, and always will, Iris." His heartfelt words were spoken with utmost sincerity. "It's _because_ of this soft spot I have for you that I did whatever I could for you to help you out…so I'm pleased to tell you that despite my grievous misfortune, I actually have some good news for you, though."

He then proceeded to tell her how Edgeworth had followed through with her early release request on his behalf and that she would be a free woman within a fortnight.

Tears of gratitude filled her eyes.

"Oh Feenie, thank you," she whispered. "I can't believe after what I've done, you still went and did this for me. I am forever in your debt, love. If there's ever anything I can do for you at all…"

 _Give me strength,_ Phoenix silently prayed, to whatever forces that might have been listening. He didn't want to come across as capitalizing on Iris's current vulnerable state while being incarcerated, or appear to be taking advantage of the fact that she still had feelings for him.

However, he couldn't help how he felt, or whom he loved.

Phoenix Wright loved Maya Fey enough to sacrifice his own happiness. As much as it gutted him, he _would_ remove her from his life, if in the end, it meant _saving_ _**her**_ _life_. Moreover, he needed to _hope and pray_ that if Iris truly loved him, in the selfless, noble way it appeared that she did, she would find in her heart to help him, even though in the end, this wasn't _for him_ , or even _about_ him. He desperately needed to convey that _this_ was bigger than _both_ of them were, andmake Iris see that _this_ was ultimately not only the _right_ thing to do, but also the _only option they had_.

This wasn't merely about imploring for the aid of a former lover because she was made to feel that she _owed him_ due to all he'd done for her, for that was a trump card he absolutely _refused_ to play, and this was _not_ a case of _tit-for-tat._

This was about protecting an innocent bystander, _the love of his life,_ and _her_ _cousin_.

This was about a solemn vow he'd made seven years ago to a now dead woman, who'd meant the world to him, which he intended to keep, until the day he drew his last breath.

"Actually, Iris, there _is_ something that would make me a very happy man," Phoenix began awkwardly. "I know this is sudden and unexpected, but I really hope the answer will be yes…"

Her eyes were filled with a kindness that seemed so innocent and genuine so endless; as big as the sea.

"Go on," she urged gently.

"Iris, for your safety, I will not disclose names, but I need you to believe me when I tell you everything I'm about to disclose is the God's honest truth." Phoenix gathered up all his wits, and then expelled it all out in one breath. "For reasons I still cannot completely fathom, I have somehow made it into the bad books of a _very dangerous, sinister_ man out there, who would do _anything_ to see me suffer. In addition, it's no longer limited to _just_ me, but _anybody_ I love. It makes no difference to him whether or not his target is a good person, who has never so much as harmed a fly in their life, and that _the sole mistake_ they have _ever_ been guilty of is _having known_ _ **me**_. He doesn't care. In order to ruin me, to _torture_ me, he _will_ destroy, and possibly even _kill_ , if it so pleases him, without recourse or remorse. "

He closed his eyes and had to swallow hard before he could continue

"You mean a lot to me, Iris, and I would _never_ try to endanger your life in exchange for another's. Please be assured that I genuinely do not think _you_ would be in any sort of peril should you agree to this, partially because of how far away and remote you will be up at the temple, which I know you rarely leave, and will therefore be safe at. Furthermore, I will ensure that you and I are _never_ seen together in the meantime, so essentially I will stay away from you, as well, until this all blows over."

Phoenix stared beseechingly into her stunned face.

"I have _no other choice_ remaining. I have tried to sneak around these past six years, but the devil has eyes in the back of his head. He drifts in and out of our lives, never giving us rest, threatening us and those around us, with death. We are on the run without moving, and were we to try to make a dash for it, that demon would still somehow bring us down. The evil one is satisfied to let us live as long as we stay where we are and do not challenge him. We are his playthings, nothing more than amusements."

Tears of sympathy glistened in the doe-like orbs as she saw his eyes beginning to mist over.

"Iris, you need to understand just how _stubborn and tenacious_ your cousin is. There are no bounds to her loyalty and love, which would make her insist on remaining at my side, _even if it potentially costs_ _ **her own life**_. However, I love her too damned much to let that happen! She's essentially the _mother_ of _your baby sister_ now, and I _cannot_ , even _unwittingly,_ be responsible for taking away _another_ parent from that little girl – not _again_!" His hands began to shake. "Truth be known, you may not even need to _do_ anything at all. This man, once his _stalker ass_ finds out about our _legitimately severed ties,_ I _know_ he'll leave her alone. And he _will_ know – due to the whole forged channeling fiasco from years ago, any of the Kurain Master's _associations are still decisively in the public eye_."

"I understand," she nodded.

"You _need_ to comprehend that this is my _last_ resort _,_ " he implored, regarding her with a pleading expression. "At this point, I have exhausted _all_ options. I can't think of _any other way_ to keep her safe, except to keep her _as far away from me_ as possible. Iris, please forgive me for even _thinking_ of asking of you what I'm about to."

"Feenie, it's alright." She assured him. "I owe you the world. Ask me for anything, and it's yours."

"Iris," he whispered hoarsely. " _If_ it comes down to it, and _if_ I absolutely _have_ to, I _will_ tell your cousin that I'm leaving her – f-for _you_. However, if she _or anyone,_ should ask you for confirmation about this, I'm _begging_ you to go along with it as if it were true, and tell them _yes_."

Iris's eyes widened in surprise as she listened. Then they began to shine with the limpid adoration and affection of a woman who still loved a man desperately, even a decade later. Before she could reply though, fate once again decided to be the bitch that it always had been, in the form of the warden, who chose that exact moment to announce that their time was up. Phoenix barely restrained from pounding at the glass in agitation.

"Iris, I promise I'll be back soon. I'll bring Trucy next time so you can meet her," he vowed, rising from his seat. "And I'll be there the day you're released to pick you up, I swear."

 _I hope the suspense doesn't kill me in the meantime while I await her answer…_

"Feenie, anything for you." Iris smiled softly.

She once again placed her hand on the glass that kept them apart. Then, a small smile playing upon her lips, she surreptitiously gave a tiny nod of her head. His earnest eyes betraying a myriad of emotions as he looked at her, Phoenix met with her hand for one last time, before his former love had to be led away.

He then slowly headed out, his mind racing with the events that had just happened, as he contemplated what his next steps would be now that he knew that Iris had said _yes_.

 _My love, I will sacrifice my own life to keep you safe, but to me, sacrifice can only ever be a personal decision about oneself to be noble. I will never ask you for the same in return, because I trust in your ability to think and make decisions for yourself. If what appeared to be God Himself demanded that I sacrifice you, I would tell Him to go straight to hell, for I know that such a command could never come from God. He would never demand a betrayal of love, and that is what it would be. He would never approach me through fear, because that is not His way. I pray the day will come when I will no longer feel fear and I will know my path, but in the meantime, I can only pray I'm choosing the right one.  
_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
March 2, 2025 2:29 AM

That night's shift at the bar had seemed particularly endless for him, although part of him hadn't really cared whether it finally ended or not. What did it matter anymore? _What_ exactly was left for him to anticipate when he got out of there, aside from breaking the heart of the woman he loved, while simultaneously ripping _his_ still beating heart out of his own chest in the process?

All week long, he'd been playing dodgeball with Maya's phone calls while she'd been away in Louisiana, opting to shoot her a quick text in reply whenever possible. Phoenix fully admitted that it was a horrible act of cowardice on his behalf, but considering what he now _had_ to do, he knew that if he were to hear her voice again before _the time arrived_ , he wasn't entirely sure he would actually be able to go through with it. Maya was his soulmate after all, and even over the phone would be able to read him like a book. He would have to do everything he could to keep his voice level, and at least have the courtesy to perform the necessary means in person – after six years, she surely at least deserved _that_ much.

The voicemail she had left him earlier that evening, the sobs evident in her voice even though she was struggling to sound normal, had nearly consumed him.

"Nick, it's me. Please call me as soon as you get this message. It doesn't matter what time it is. It's very important, and I need to talk to you so bad. I'll be waiting for your call. And Nick, baby, I love you."

Phoenix had never before felt so helpless, and at a complete loss of what to do. He knew a call of such obvious importance would take much longer than the standard fifteen minute break he was normally allowed, yet warranted much more than a mere text in reply. Surely, it was a borderline emergency, considering the fact that in the last six years, Maya had very rarely called him when she knew he was at work.

Besides, _what on earth_ could he _possibly_ do to help her at this point in the game? Console her, hold her in his arms, and try to soothe her about whatever had caused her such distress… And _then_ later break up with her _ten minutes later_ , rather than _five_? That would be too cruel, and he'd be then going about this _completely wrong_. He would need to approach this the same manner one would pull a Band-Aid; _quickly_ and _in one go_ – not _slowly and painstakingly_ , which would only prolong the agony.

Tyler gave him a ride from the bar, and he had been home for about five minutes before he finally summoned up the courage to return Maya's call.

"Nick, thank God you called!" She cried by way of greeting. "I've nearly been losing my mind!"

Phoenix had to take the world's most pregnant pause to steady his voice before he could speak. Maya was normally the most cheery, sunny person he'd ever known, but right now, he could hear the tremor in her voice, and the tears threatening to fall just beneath the surface. It made a lump form in his own throat. He hated it when she cried.

"I got your message, and here I am, returning your call," Phoenix finally answered, in his best matter-of-fact tone, trying not to sound overly emotionally invested. Nothing good could _possibly_ come from him giving her a false sense of security while attempting to comfort her, only to _end things_ right afterward! The _last_ thing he wanted to do was _completely_ blindsided her! Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to allude that something was possibly awry. "What's gotten you so worked up, Maya?"

There was an uncomfortable silence on the phone before his girlfriend finally spoke at last. Through barely suppressed tears, Phoenix listened with a heavy heart as she haltingly explained to him the devastating chain of events that had occurred in Kurain earlier that evening. He could hear the anguish in her voice as she poured out her myriad of fears over the arrangement, the fact that it was such an important strategic tactical alliance, and that she was supposed to be fulfilling her duty as Kurain Master, otherwise the old crones would give and make her life a living hell. He listened, with a heavy heart, as she broke down into tears at the idea of being coerced to align her future with another man, when her heart already belonged to _him_.

Phoenix listened in silent sympathy, all the while struggling not to break down and cry along with her, something he had been forcing himself not to do from the moment he'd first heard her voice.

Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise, however. Mildew was a diabolical fiend in her own right, but compared to Kristoph, she was like _a fart in a hurricane_. He would just have to convince Maya to agree to the matchmaking, for the better good of her people, and to simply forget about him henceforth. Yes, it would still sting, but ultimately cause her much less pain in the long run if he played the card of being an advocate to the whole premise of it being 'for a greater good.'

Steeling himself, he heard his own voice, mild, calm, and completely neutral, offering to come up and see her the next night after he was finished work.

"Y-You want to come up here to Kurain, t-tomorrow?" Maya stammered. "I mean, you can – everyone will have long since gone to bed as you get off so late. Um, except, of course, for me. So there's no issues with sneaking you in. I mean, this is so nice of you, Nick – but it will be about 4:00 in the morning when you get up here, won't you be too tired?"

 _I will undoubtedly be completely drained, but that's because I haven't slept a wink since this whole nightmare with Gavin began. The key thing, my love, is that since you wake up so early in the mornings, I_ _ **know**_ _that_ _ **you**_ _will be tired as well, and if I time this just right, you'll have undoubtedly already gone to bed much earlier that night, before you wake up to come meet me. I'm a gambling man, and this is the ultimate bet to make, but the last decade of knowing you has made me fully aware of the fact that there will be_ _ **a very specific item**_ _that_ _ **will be missing**_ _from your person, which you_ _ **never**_ _wear when you go to bed._

"Well desperate times call for desperate measures. These are extenuating circumstances, after all. I'll see if I can duck out of work a bit early and if I can borrow Gumshoe's car. Driving-wise, Kurain is only about 90 minutes away, possibly faster at that time of night since there's no traffic."

It was a premature promise on his behalf of course. There was no guarantee at all that Gumshoe would loan him the car, but just as Phoenix had had to wager on Iris willing to help him, he would once again have to hope that the deck was stacked in his favor, two for two.

"Nick, I don't want you to go through so much trouble and risk –"

He quickly brushed aside her concerns about the illegality of driving without a license, refusing to let her believe he was acting like a selfless hero on her behalf, when all he was ensuring was that he could expedite her heartache, and curtly interrupted her protests.

"I'll see you tomorrow night, Maya, even if I have to walk there," Phoenix abruptly cut her off, silencing any further objections she'd been about to make. "It's getting late and I'm sure you've had a draining evening. I know _I'm_ beat. Goodnight."

He clicked off before Maya could even respond with what she _always_ said before letting him go, which was _"I love you Nick."_

Phoenix didn't want to hear it. He had numbed himself so thoroughly these past couple of weeks in preparation of _bracing himself for the inevitable impact_ , that very few things at this point could have torn him apart even more than he already was. Nevertheless, he couldn't _bear_ to hear those words come from her lips, _ever again._

Because he already knew _that_ would have been his undoing.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Kurain Village_  
March 3, 2025 3:15 am

Maya was waiting at the main entrance of the village when she saw a set of headlights flash on her, bathing her in its glaring brightness as an enormous dark car pulled up. Turning off the engine and pocketing his keys, Phoenix exited the car swiftly and looked at her, a slight smile on his lips.

Just as he had hoped, his girlfriend looked as though she'd just woken up. Her glorious onyx hair that he so loved was tousled from bedhead, tumbling freely around her delicate face, down her back, and past her hips. Over her nightgown, she wore a light cloak to protect her from the slightly chilly night air, although it wasn't fully buttoned up. He could make out the delicate, exposed skin of her pale throat, _free from any sort of telltale, mystic gemstone_ , just as he'd hoped and planned, so that was no surprise.

What _did_ surprise him, however, was that she _was_ wearing the locket he'd given her on her 21st birthday. Maya hadn't been kidding when told him that she _rarely ever_ took the cherished item off! It seemed just dumb luck then, that he _had_ been correct in assuming that _the other neck adornment_ she always wore wasn't present!

 _Wait_ , there was something _else_ hidden under the chain that held the locket. Phoenix stopped breathing for a moment, wondering if he had been wrong in his gamble, after all, but then let out a silent sigh of relief that it was only a secondary, silver chain, thinner than the gold, on which she wore the promise ring that he had given her for Christmas.

It was always cooler up in Kurain than it was in Los Angeles, and Phoenix was grateful that he had kept on his beanie to at least protect his head from the draft, despite knowing how much his girlfriend hated the hat, figuring soon enough, that wouldn't matter anyway.

There must've been something in his expression that kept her from making one of her playful attempts to pull it off of him, or make one of her usual jokes about her aversion, because she did neither.

It felt strange not to hug or kiss her by way of greeting, but he wisely kept his distance, knowing that if he were to so much as lay hand upon her, he would never, _ever_ let her go.

"Brutus drives like a dream," he told her, deliberately keeping his voice casual. "Handles great even on sharp turns. I have to admit, I'm going to be mighty sad handing him back to his owner."

"I'm surprised being a cop again, that Gumshoe loaned it to you – considering you don't have a license."

"He didn't ask." Phoenix shrugged. "My motto – don't ask don't tell."

Maya looked startled by his reply, but said nothing, opting instead to mimic his action of jamming his hands into his sweatshirt pockets by placing her own into the pockets of her cloak. They continued to stare at one another, and he realized, with a pang, that for the first time in ten years, his little chatterbox was at a loss for words with him. She _knew_ something wasn't right, and didn't know _what_ to say, any more than _he_ did at that moment.

"Does this thing have wings? Because you must have flown it to get up here just after 3:00 when you left the bar at 2:00," Maya asked lightly, at last breaking the silence. "How lead was that driving foot of yours coming up here, Nick?"

"I got time off for good behavior," Phoenix smirked. "So I got to leave about fifteen minutes earlier than planned. Also, since Gumshoe uses Brutus for work and home, that baby's got an inner light bar in the back that silently flashes when going, ah, high speeds on the roads…you'd be surprised how fast folks in other cars get out of your way!"

He caught Maya's disapproving frown at that, and a spark of hope flared within him. Maybe he could convince her that he was an entirely _no-goodnik, reckless individual,_ who dabbled in borderline criminal behavior who truly was beneath her, and she would be better without! After all, he had already confessed to driving without a license, as well as speeding in a policeman's borrowed car. Perhaps at last finding out that he was a lowlife poker shark would be enough to make her see that she'd _unknowingly been slumming it_ for the past six years, and that there _may actually have been some validation_ in the elder's disapproval of him. The question was, _how the hell_ to bring this up into the presently stilted conversation?!

"So what did you tell Trucy this time?" Maya inquired, looking uncomfortable.

 _Perfect! Full-blown occupational confession time coming right up!_

"She worked tonight, and I sent her a text telling her _I was in a late night poker game_ and might not be back till she's in school. Luckily, she's old enough now to be home alone and can get herself dressed and to school without my help anymore. But still, I hate having to lie to her."

Unfortunately, upon hearing this Maya still looked more confused than unimpressed, as he had hoped she would be.

" _A poker game_? I'm confused. I thought you played piano at The Borscht Bowl?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess I haven't mentioned, have I? My bad." Phoenix smirked. "I'm a double agent at the bar – I play a lousy night of piano till about 11:00, then I go downstairs to the Hydeout in the basement and let the poker sharks take a crack at the undefeated poker champion."

"Undefeated poker champion?" Maya's eyes were wide with disbelief. "Nick, you're _gambling_?"

 _Here we go! One scummy, seedy, underground card shark and_ _ **ex-boyfriend**_ _,_ _ **coming right up**_ _!_

"For the past six years," he affirmed smugly, pretending to be unaffected by her stupefied reaction. "The piano playing is a _front_ , Maya. I've been making a living playing poker right from the start. But relax, it's nothing illegal. We play for glory, not money. I'm the undefeated Baron of Bluffing. All those years of bluffing my way through court made it a transferable skill, I suppose."

"It still sounds sort of shady…" Maya said tentatively. "I don't mean to sound so pious…it's just that…"

 _Dammit, Maya stop making this so hard! Don't try to be understanding about the fact that you are_ _ **far above me in stature**_ _and could do_ _ **so much better**_ _!_ _ **Why the hell**_ _can't you just_ _ **be like the rest of the world**_ _and look at me with_ _ **disgust and disapproval**_ _for what I have become?! You're just going to_ _ **force me**_ _to be a_ _ **complete asshole**_ _, aren't you?_

"It doesn't sound too prudent for a prestigious village master to be associating with a lowlife poker shark, is that it?" Phoenix sneered, using a contemptuous tone that he'd had no idea he was capable of until then. "Is _that_ what you meant?"

Maya drew back, and stared at him, tears filling her eyes.

 _Tears. Already_. His stomach sank. He hadn't even been there _five minutes._

"How could you say such a thing to me, Nick? I've _never_ looked down at you! I've stood by you, even when you told me _not_ to! Do you really think something as trivial as telling me something like you play underground cards is all it'd take to make me start _now_?"

Phoenix didn't know _how_ he was going to be able to do this, but one thing was for sure – there was no way in hell he'd be able to if it meant he had to keep _looking_ at her – especially _not_ while she had that thunderstruck expression on her lovely face. His eyes were focused on the ground as he mumbled his next words.

"Maybe not. But it's just another black mark against me in the eyes of the elders if they ever get wind of this. Someday, Maya, you'll wise up and see me the way they do – as someone who's a worthless bum, and who is beneath you and unworthy of you in every way possible."

"Are we on _this_ _again_ , Nick?" Maya's hurt expression evaporated, and was replaced by one of familiar exasperation. "Did someone build a time machine and put us back in the year 2020 again? _What_ does it take to convince you that _I don't care_ what those hags think! I'm not a snob! I don't care what occupation you have! And I don't care what they think about you!"

 _That kind, beautiful heart that I have always loved about you will be your undoing, my love. It will only make this more difficult._ _ **Why**_ _must you make this be so hard?!_ _ **Why**_ _must you be such a_ _ **saint**_ _?!_

"You _should_. Because they're right about me, Maya. " The excruciation he held within was reflected in his eyes as he forced himself to look at her then. "Trust me, the day _will_ come, when one day, you'll hate me."

"Why would you say such a thing?" He heard her take a sharp inward breath. "I love you. I can't live without you."

 _Yes you can, love of my life. Because you're the strongest woman I've ever known, and you're tougher than you think. And also, because I'm not going to leave you any other choice._

"It's what happens to a great love when the expectations are too high." Phoenix focused on ensuring that his voice matched the intensity of his expression. "We'll be fine for a while, then the monotony of having a lover who is nothing more than hobo bum will kick in. And you'll realize you're a woman of great power and prestige who has been wasting her life slumming it with poker shark, a fake pianist. A borderline criminal, with no name or money. One whose stigma of being a disbarred forging attorney will forever plague us wherever we go."

"Nick, _why_ are you talking like this?" Maya wailed. She went on with counter arguments for every reason he gave her about his unworthiness, stating that they would find solutions to all their problems if they worked together, while he countered each statement with steadfast rebuttals about how not all problems were able to be solved.

"I can't do this anymore, can't you see that?" Phoenix cried, jumping to his feet and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Being with me is going to tear you apart! These elders _don't_ have the wrong idea! You should try to find a better man than me, who can give you the life, the love, the family you deserve! If you stay with me, I'll kill you bit by bit. That's what I do to those who love me."

"Nick, don't –"

"Why, I'm not altogether sure. But when you soar high, I'll only drag you down. I'll stir up your anxieties, just to be the one to soothe you and help you to find fault with anyone that competes for your attention. This is about as fair as I can be, it's your warning. You're settling by being with me, choosing this life! Heed my words, Maya! If you know me at all, you'll realize this isn't a joke." He grabbed her face in his hands, tilting it up as he watched the tears filling her eyes and he swallowed hard. "So, my smitten lover, you have some thinking to do."

"I don't _want_ another husband!" Maya shouted, the tears beginning to trickle down her face as she frantically grasped his hands and clasped them to her cheeks, needing to feel his touch. "I want _you_! I love _you_ , Nick! I'll _wait_ for you! How can you say these things about yourself? It doesn't matter what the world, or society thinks! Being with you rises me up, gives me a reason for _being_. You could never drag me down!"

"But I've already begun to, Maya. I heard it in your voice when you told me what the Dragon Lady was planning for you." His voice was raw with emotion. "She wants better for you, even though her methods might be unorthodox, and so do I! Being a woman of your stature, being forced to be with a _nobody_ like me has been _killing you softly_ all these years; you just can't admit it, even though I've seen it!"

She started shaking her head in denial, but he shook her gently, trying desperately to make her understand.

 _You love me so much that you'll sacrifice yourself; you'll walk right into the flames and never blink or look back. You love me so much that you'll give me the things I need at the expense of yourself. So, time to prove yourself little one, walk into certain death, and do it for me. Then I shall remember you as one who loved me and you will live on in my memory, immortalized. I will be quite safe, but you will be dead. That_ _ **is**_ _what you want, right? You_ _ **do**_ _love me, don't you? If you don't then I guess you don't love me; in which case I don't love you either._

Was _that_ the sort of monstrous thing he'd have to say to make her _finally_ understand?!

Phoenix tried to turn deaf ears to her heart wrenching cries that she didn't _want_ another husband; she only wanted _him_. She stood directly in his path when he tried to walk around her, and put her face so close to his that they were nearly lip to lip, but with great effort he shook his head and pulled away. Then, with the few remaining shards of willpower he had left within him, he hardened his heart and put on his best poker face as he slouched shoulders, jammed his hands into his pockets, and turned to leave.

"Please, let's just say to hell with the elders, to _everything_ , Nick!" Maya begged. Slow desolate tears ran from her unblinking eyes and dripped steadily into her nightshirt. "We've talked about this before, let's just grab Trucy and Pearly, and just run away! To Canada! To Connecticut! To _anywhere but here_! We can find a place where nobody can trace our whereabouts! Where no one can find us and give us orders or tell us what the rules are…"

It was no use. There was no scapegoat he could possibly use to get out of this. It was just as he had feared - she loved him too damn much to listen to logic or reason. Phoenix barely choked back a sob. Maya was _really_ going to _force him to do it_. He was going to have to use _the ultimate trump card_ , which he had silently been praying would be _a last resort_ , and one that he had _never_ wanted to utilize.

 _Leaving is killing my soul as sure as a dagger can stop a beating heart. It isn't easy to leave, even when it's the only option available. If there were any hope at all, I would stay by your side and choose to die in the dark, for without your love I will cease to exist. If I stay, I lose you for sure. If I go, while there shan't be a chance for our togetherness, someday, with another, you **will** find a peaceful life, with love. I pray someday, that you will understand, pray that you keep the memory of our love alive in your soul, and one day are able to think of me with **just one iota less** of the hatred you are about to feel for me in this next instant._

One second passed. Two seconds passed. Three seconds passed. Already the guilt for what he was about to do was slowly burning him from within. A fire burned in his mind and throat. Remorse hit him like a sledgehammer before he even forced his lips to form the ugly words to pull the off the ultimate bluff of his entire life. Bile rose in his throat as he steeled himself.

Summoning up his former courtroom persona, Phoenix spoke with as much conviction as he possibly could, just as he had in his attorney days, and put his poker face in full effect, looking and sounding as though he actually believed in the bullshit about to spew from his mouth, even though he felt like he was going to vomit at any moment.

"Maya please stop this." It sounded like ground glass, not his vocal cords, that formed the words, and he even managed to pull off what he hoped was a pitying expression as he made himself meet those rich as molasses eyes, which were glistening. "I didn't want to have to tell you this – I was hoping I could just let things end with clean break between us, but it looks like you've left me with no choice but to tell you the entire, terrible truth." He took a deep breath. "I got an email from Edgeworth a few weeks ago. The motion plea we put through for early release for Godot and Iris has been granted. He got out in December – he's been the one sending me that gourmet coffee in the mail I've been telling you about. And Iris… is being granted early parole as well. She's being released from prison this Friday."

Maya stayed silent, her welled up, mocha orbs staring deeply into his soul. The betrayed expression already forming on her face almost made him lose the nerve to continue.

The dread of this final nail he had to drive in the coffin felt like an invisible demon sitting heavily on his shoulders, and only he could hear the sharpening of its knives. He felt himself sweat-dropping and becoming pale, then the tremor in his hands began. His head felt dizzy and the nauseous feeling in his stomach intensified.

"I went to go see her two weeks ago, Maya." Phoenix's face was twisted into a mask of anguish. "Seeing Iris again, after so long…it was as though the years had stood still – as if no time had passed for us at all."

As a pair of tears raced down her cheeks, Phoenix felt his will almost caving completely as he saw the pain in those expressive jeweled orbs. Pain that _he_ had caused.

 _ **The hell with this**_ _! My so-called poker face be_ _ **damned**_ _! There was a time I could bluff and lie to your face in the courtroom, and still can on the poker table, but there's_ _ **no way**_ _I can look_ _ **this woman**_ _the eye and say what I'm about to say. Maybe I can look anyone else in the eye and lie, but not_ _ **her**_ _. I can't. I just_ _ **can't**_ _._

"Maya…Iris – she never stopped loving me." He dropped his gaze then so she could no longer see his tormented expression. If she did, it would all be over. "And when I saw her again…I realized I felt the same way. I never stopped loving her either. Sh – she was my first love. We were each other's first love. You never forget your first, Maya. We have another rare chance to try again…and I _have_ to take it." His despairing eyes were still on the ground as he mumbled his next words, which nearly got his stuck in his throat, but somehow, he forced them out. "I hate to do this to you, but I can't go on lying to you any longer."

"You're _kidding_ , right?" The anger and hurt in her voice was beyond torturous to hear.

"No, Maya, it's over." Phoenix slowly turned away, biting his lower lip as hard as he could to combat the burning sensation prickling behind his lids. He tried to blink them away and when he realized that he couldn't, he pulled up the hood of his jacket and continued staring at the ground.

"You're – _sorry_?!" Maya screamed, her voice barely recognizable to him, because it was so shrill with incredulity. "I was gone away for _one week_ …and in that time you're telling me _you secretly met, fell in love with and are leaving me_ , not for all the bullshit excuses you just spewed at me about not being good enough, or because of the elders, but _for my cousin_? Because she was your _first_?! _You_ were _my_ first! Does that not matter at all to you, you _soulless son of a bitch_! I gave you my _heart_ …my _body_ …my _virginity_ …" she broke down then, rivets pouring from her eyes now in unending streams, unable to go on.

With shattering remorse, Phoenix listened to her weep, as she cried her heart out in harsh, wracking sobs that shook her tiny frame with such violence, he thought they would surely tear her apart. He punished himself with the sound of her muffled weeping and lashed himself with the tears that poured from her eyes.

"It _wasn't_ bullshit, Maya." He finally managed to choke out, somehow managing to sound somewhat controlled, even though a part of him had officially died inside.

She glared at him with red-rimmed eyes.

"I meant what I said. You are too far above me in stature." His voice was no longer his own. This deadened, soulless monotone emitting from his mouth sounded like a stranger's, while completely belying his inner turmoil. "It just wouldn't work in the long run. As it is, we only see one another a couple times a month, and only in hiding! That's no way to live your life. With Iris, there's no need to sneak around, or deal with any drama from the elders, or need to worry about societal expectations. I'm a low-life poker player. She's been to prison. We're two peas in a pod, when you think about it. Both on the bottom rung of society, really."

From somewhere within him, Phoenix managed to conjure up a short, dry laugh. It was a harsh sound, completely devoid of mirth, and made him sound every bit the heartless son of a bitch he wanted her to think he was.

"Aside from our shared history, we genuinely can relate to and understand one another, don't you see?"

"You've been plotting this all along, haven't you?" Maya wept, wrapping her arms around herself in a vain effort to contain the sobs that wracked her slender body. "Was I just your _filler_ girlfriend until she was released? Was _she_ the one you loved all along even while you were singing songs to me and making love to me and giving me jewelry…?"

Phoenix hadn't seen her look so shattered and grief struck since Mia had died. He had to somehow _make_ her channel that sadness into anger. _Rage_ he could deal with. It was the tears that were stabbing daggers into his heart, killing him slowly, with every passing moment.

"No," he denied flatly, his mask back in full effect now that the worst part of the lie was over. He purposely kept his expression unreadable. "I didn't realize I'd never gotten over Iris until I laid eyes on her again. And – I really did care about you Maya. I still do. Please know that."

Mercifully, his intended sharp, pointed words at last seemed to have the desired effect he had been seeking, as her heartbroken expression slowly became replaced by one of righteous fury.

"You _care_ for me?" She shouted, glaring at him with outraged indignation even as the droplets continued to fall. "You care for a _cat_ , or a _dog_ or for your… _clients_! Me…I gave you my _virtue_ … _my_ soul…my _all_ …and _you_ tell me…you _care_ for me?!"

 _I can't take this anymore! She's tearing me apart…_

Try as he might, Phoenix couldn't _bear_ looking at that tear streaked face another minute! He expelled a ragged breath as he reached out a hand to her, in a final attempt to comfort her.

" _No_! Don't touch me!" She shrieked, slapping at his hand. "Don't you dare touch me, Phoenix Wright! Never, _ever_ again!"

As she glared at him, with a combination of sorrow and betrayal etched on her face, Maya's body jerked with suppressed sobs, until the burden of holding them back was more than she could bear. As much as she obviously wanted to be held and comforted, she knew better than to seek this comfort from her own tormentor. Shuddering on a lonely, convulsive cry, she wrapped her arms around herself and wept.

Phoenix stood there, staring helplessly at the only woman he had ever loved, powerless either to comfort her or regain her.

 _How could the day have come that I had to do this to her,_ he wondered achingly. _When all I've_ _ **ever**_ _wanted to do was love and cherish and protect her? Instead, I've just coldly and deliberately broken her heart._

Maya's hands were shaking as she reached behind her neck then, and undid the clasp of the gold chain that held the locket, which she never took off. She was alone, scared and devastated. Her heart felt butchered, her love taken away bit by bit. Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"I invented every excuse for staying. I must admit, and I think you'd agree with me, I got pretty creative over time. Yet you kept giving me every reason to leave. And I still tried to ignore them, like a lovesick fool; like a drug addict dying from an overdose. It seemed like in those days, even if I'd died, if I'd have let you kill me, I still would have made an apology for you to use. You should've given me something to hold on, like a fake hope, or a beautiful lie; maybe then things would've gone differently. Maybe you'd have changed and let us grow healthy into something beautiful, instead of opting for Iris. We both know it's because she's the easier choice, and no reason other than that!"

Maya gripped the locket in her hand for the last time before flinging it at him, not caring as it bounced harmlessly off his chest and onto the ground.

Phoenix didn't make a move to pick it up; couldn't let her know that the strike of that weightless object, the one bearing the initial promise of his eternal love for her, had walloped him with the same damage as an actual bullet wound. The love that had nestled in his soul and made him a better man now reached out with its clawed hand and tore at his chest, taking his own ravaged heart in its relentless clasp as a decade of memories swirled through the melancholic recesses of his mind.

* * *

There was the moment when he'd realized he had been complacent for far too long and that he'd had to make a grand gesture to let Maya know how much she meant to him or risk losing her forever…

 _Phoenix stared after her, completely disheartened. This time, he had screwed things up so badly beyond probable repair that it would take a bloody_ _ **miracle**_ _. Because Maya Fey wasn't his assistant or roommate any longer. She didn't_ _ **have**_ _to come back the next day._

 _ **She didn't have to come back at all**_ _ **.**_

 _That dawning realization made Phoenix feel a panic building inside him unlike any he'd ever experienced; even worse than when he'd crossed that burning bridge. Because the fear of_ _ **losing his life**_ _hadn't even come close to the terrifying concept of_ _ **losing**_ _ **the**_ _ **love of his life**_ _._ _ **Without Maya Fey, life had no meaning.**_

 _He had to do something drastic,_ _ **now**_ _. And do it fast._

 _That had been the night he'd thrown Willie Effastop, the unsuspecting, frog-mouthed pianist off the piano bench and commenced his own piano playing debut by singing_ _ **I Would Break Every Law For You.**_

 _Because love is a friendship set to music._

 _ **Because Phoenix loved Maya Fey more than anything in the world, and hadn't given a damn who knew it.  
**_

* * *

He would never forget the first time they had finally said they loved each other, after her party at The Borscht Bowl.

 _ **Because I could watch you for a minute and find a thousand things I love about you**_

 _His eyes locked on hers. Sapphire against topaz. He leaned forward and kissed her, slowly, reverently, no longer quite so surprised that this was happening, that he needed her so badly. She responded in kind, letting him know now in all certainty that his ardor was most definitely not one-sided. When they finally parted, both were breathless and panting. Phoenix rested his forehead against Maya's, pulling her so tightly against him she could feel his rapid heartbeat against hers._

 _"I love you," she whispered against his chest._

" _What was that? I didn't hear you."_

" _Don't push me."_

" _I love you, too," he said. He put his cheek against hers. "So much."  
_

* * *

Forever in his memories was the night of her 21st birthday, when she had so sweetly, innocently, given herself to him, body, and soul. She had been a virgin, and afraid, but so trusting and willing that it had wound up being one of the most intense, passionate, unforgettable nights of both their lives.

" _My love," he breathed. "Tell me this is what you want."_

" _I want your weight on top of me more than I've ever wanted something in my whole life, Nick. I want to be connected body and soul with you more than anything in the world, here and now, on this bed, at this moment. I just beg of you, don't stop. I want to be your woman, and only yours. Make me yours. Please."_

 _Lifting himself over her, he at last did as she'd yearned him to, and made her his. During their whole union, they held on to each other as if the world would burst apart if they let go._

 _Only then, did Phoenix lift his gaze to her face and saw the tears trickling from Maya's eyes. Only then, did he realize his own eyes were wet as well._

 _There was great beauty in being joined with your soul mate. Simultaneously, they both cried out as they soared over the edge and all the way to the far side of paradise together.  
_

* * *

He remembered how jumpy and nervous he'd been prior to presenting her with that ring at Christmas. He'd been so anxious about whether or not she would like it, or understand the intended profound meaning behind the simple token that represented his love everlasting. If she'd even _accept_ it.

" _It's only a silver one right now," he said shyly. "I promise you someday when I have more money, to get you one of white gold, or any gold you like, and a bigger rock, when I'm able to get you a proper betrothal ring. In the meantime, consider this the prequel to your someday-hopefully-soon engagement ring."_

" _Is this a promise ring?" She looked with delight at the delicate design, and then, when her shining eyes raised, she found him watching her with somber intensity as he nodded. With the intensity of a man who loved her. Just like she loved him._

" _It's beautiful," she whispered, reverently reaching out for it._

" _Read the inscription." His voice was textured with emotion as she read the words_ _ **forever yours, faithfully**_ _engraved on the back. There were tears in her eyes as he then slipped it onto her finger, then he lifted her ringed hand and kissed it tenderly._

" _Maya Fey, I'm forever yours. Faithfully." Then he pulled her against his hard, broad chest and kissed her senseless.  
_

* * *

Through everything, the good, and the bad, they had clung together like two sailors in a storm. He would have laid down his life for her and she would have for him. They were two halves that made a whole. He knew for certainty that the love that had saved him till that point would now break him.

Maya was too busy sobbing to see that Phoenix's head was thrown back, his eyes clenched shut, his features a mask of tortured anguish as he remembered every detail of how he'd fallen for her eight years previously. How he had become her hero when she'd been captured, while at the same time, he'd finally realized that _she_ had captured _his_ heart, and because of that, he had wanted to become a better man. _Because of_ _her_.

"Or maybe I'd have finally let you crush me into a million pieces, and perhaps I very well would've ended up as the broken photograph taken from an obituary. But for once, you'd say just for once, I listened to you, not to your lying eyes or your false words. For once I got further and listened to the things that cannot be faked. Yes, you told me in so many ways that I should leave you, go far away and never go back. I didn't listen, as I've never given up on a person ever, in my whole life. Yet now it seems, I have no choice."

She yanked the silver chain the promise ring had been dangling from around her neck, didn't even bother trying to undo the clasp, and felt some grim vindication as she felt it break in two. Just like her heart. She took aim and hurled that at him too. It hit him right in the face.

 _Only a lover such as you can cause pain as deep as this. Only one all the way inside a heart can shatter it with just a few words and actions._

Not even caring about how telling the motion was, this time, Phoenix caught the ring before it fell to the earth beneath them.

But still, he didn't move. Didn't even blink. He was slowly unravelling at the seams, and if he were able to even utter one word, it would be to beg her forgiveness.

"You were my _life_! Now you're nothing more than a mere slither of worthlessness. I _trusted_ you! I _loved_ you! I prayed to God that you remained healthy, happy, and strong. And _this_ is how you repay me! _This_! Telling me you loved me, taking my body whenever you pleased… and in the end, having the colossal nerve and audacity to tell me your heart lies with _my cousin_?!" Then her hand moved, as if on its own volition, and she reached out and sharply slapped him cleanly across the face.

The slap was as loud as a clap and stung his face. It had been an open-handed smack, and it had left a red welt behind. Phoenix staggered backwards, clutching his cheek, as he stared at her in shocked disbelief at what she'd just done, even though he knew he'd wholly deserved it.

He mentally ran through every coarse, discourteous, stinging barb he had been driven to say to her. Each damaging word he had spoken, and the humiliation it had caused her, paraded across his mind, bringing a sharp, agonizing pain as he punished himself by going over and over every vicious thing he had said and done.

"Now get out of my village, you heartless, low-life, Godforsaken _bastard_! You are nothing to me anymore, Phoenix Wright, do you hear me? _Nothing_! You've lost all my trust, weakened your status to the point where you are now _dead_ to me. Get out. _Get out!_ The very sight of you makes me sick."

In his life, Phoenix had endured pain and torture that would have brought most other men to their knees, if not their graves. He'd ingested poisoned glass, been whipped until he was unconscious, been struck with a fire extinguisher, and had scalding coffee thrown at his face. All of these incidences had been a cakewalk compared the sting of that slap; _what had spurned_ the actual gesture, and _what it represented_ , for _that_ was that wounded him more than the actual force of the blow itself.

 _As my heart breaks, so do I, dying a little more with each passing moment, because I've forced you to treat me like an enemy._

Moreover, in doing so, he had lost even more than she had, for he had managed to lose the only thing he had ever really wanted his entire life: this one headstrong, gorgeous firecracker of a girl, who had just slapped him. And was now loathing him.

He knew this be the last time he would ever be able to set eyes on Maya Fey. This was his final farewell. The trees bent and sighed in the wind, bowing deeply to her as she strode away into the cold night, which was as bleak and dreary as his soul. He would curse his luck every day from today onward for having to let her go. But there was nothing he could do to atone for the irreverent activity he'd committed. _Nothing_.

And just like that, Maya Fey, Master of Kurain, lifted her head like a dignified queen looking down at a peasant she no longer deemed worthy of her presence. Her robes flew about her as she walked away and the wind caught her hair, tumbling wildly about her. He would have given anything to have been able, one last time, to stretch his hand out and glide his knuckles over her soft cheek. Finally, Maya lifted her head in that regal way of hers, gave it to defiant toss and without looking back, walked out of his life forever.

Better she remain alive and hating him, than die for loving him.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency_  
December 25, 2025 10:15 AM

The water poured down, dripping by his side, while his mind faded into dullness and everything became a foggy illusion. The sensation of the steamy water calmed him; it momentarily took his mind off things. All the trivial things he honestly didn't care about.

 _It's the water. My mind swirls, and it's like I'm standing under an everlasting waterfall. Ever so beckoning, but it can never last, I know that now._ _ **Nothing**_ _ever does._

It seemed unfair that no matter how much he strived to be the man his conscience wanted him to be, it would keep taunting him with his failures. Each time the regrets reemerged, he would diligently analyze them again, hoping that this time his mind would be satisfied with his self-professed remorse, but it never was. Like an unforgiving specter, it would be back tomorrow to haunt him all over again.

Phoenix stood there under the trickling water, eyes squeezed tightly shut as he silently tortured himself by thinking of the things he'd said.

 _I want you to know that even though we don't talk anymore, I still think about you and the way things ended, and some nights I still cry about it._

"I hurt her!" He groaned agonizingly, banging his head against the cool tiles, wishing he could do so hard enough to obliterate these wretched memories.

Phoenix dragged his thoughts from that awful night and opted for the more preferred and more refined torture of thinking about the joy of her, the jaunty way she'd always looked at him. He could still visualize her exactly as she was up until that night, her exquisite face always aglow with vibrancy and merriment. He thought all the times she had melted against him and kissed him with sweet passion. God, what a warm, fiery, loving creature she could be, when she wasn't being _stubborn and rebellious_ … and wonderful.

"I had _no choice_!" He covered his face with his hands, his voice a horse, ravaged whisper in the silent room around him.

The regret would come to him in quiet moments, such as when he was going to sleep or stopped to take a lunch break. It would seep to the foreground of his mind and demand to be reexamined again. However, he was tired of thinking about it; no amount of analysis was going to turn back the clock. He had to get on with the here and now, make better choices next time around.

"But I _hurt_ her so much!" He choked brokenly. "I can still hear her crying…"

Phoenix had known that to love deeply meant to risk great pain. He wished at times he were the callous sort of man who could pursue superficial relationships and one-night stands; find the oblivion he'd been seeking temporarily in another's arms and completely lose himself. Alas, he was not. He had never looked at another, nor wanted another. This was his cross to bear alone.

He stood there under the mist, silent tears dropping and mingling with the water jets. The tears were not quiet and controlled, and they fell as fast as the falling stream and he sobbed to draw breath. His lungs heaved, and he knew there was no cure for his heart. Via his own _hand_ , albeit not his own _will_ , the love of his life was gone and he had to find a way to move forward, just as she had. Maya was alive, but gone, for good.

He remained with his head bowed under the jets long after the hot water and run out and began pulsing him with a cold spray, welcoming the painful, needle like sting as the iciness hit his body. This was his pain and he would keep it, it was the intensity of this heartache that proved the strength of him and Maya's bond and he could not bear to feel less.

 _They say the pain dulls with time, and that things will get better. But how can things be better when the reason the pain isn't as bad anymore, is because that would meant that I've forgotten? Over time, the memory of your presence still hasn't escaped my mind. I can still see your face in strangers, and the things we once shared still bring tears to my eyes. If getting past the pain means forgetting you, Maya Fey, then I choose suffer my entire life._


	108. The Rules of Engagement

" _We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: I just wanted to say I am blown away by how much incredible feedback and support I got from you guys on my last couple of chapters! **Totally** worth the three grueling days it took me to write them; I genuinely think I have **the best,** interactive, supportive, and loyal readers in this fandom **if not all of cyberspace**! _

_I know it was a very long wait of six months to find out the reason why Nick did what he did, but I hope it was worthwhile! In addition, I apologize if I duped any Feenris lovers out there. I am not adverse to the shrine maiden, (who hopefully showed what a stellar character she has in her decision to help Phoenix). However, my logic was that after 70+ chapters of building up a love story with Phoenix and Maya, to suddenly take that away and have him just leave Maya for another, **for reals,** would've been a slap in the face to all my loyal Phaya readers. I do hope despite the fact that it did not wind up being a Phoenix X Iris story that you guys will still stay on the crazy train with me!_

 _To make up for my lengthy (for me!) break, here's some weekend reading! I hope you all find it was worth the wait! **Very important, a lot of flashbacks and dates to take note of so please pay attention to the dates in this chapter! :)**_

 _Review replies are long (you may need to scroll for yours!) but as always, are at the end!_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Eight: The Rules of Engagement**

 ** _Pearl Fey and Luke Triton  
_** _Fey Manor  
_ December 31, 2025 4:00 PM

 _Do I dare disturb the universe?_

Pearl eyed herself critically in front of her dresser mirror, loath about the fact that despite the extra care and effort she'd made with her appearance, she still _looked_ as lost and confused as she actually _felt!_

Trying to distract herself from her tumultuous thoughts, the spirit medium applied a thin layer of pink lip-gloss to her unsmiling mouth. She didn't want to make her mouth _overly gooey,_ lest _Luke_ wind up being the one wearing the pearlescent color all over him, and she hoped to kiss her boyfriend Happy New Year at midnight at Uncle Gumshoe's that night!

Yes, he was _Uncle Gumshoe_ now; at 16, she figured she was now a little bit too old to be calling him _Uncle Scruffy_!

The spirit medium had initially been over the moon about going down to Los Angeles to ring in the New Year. After all, not only would her best friend be in attendance at Aunt Maggey and Uncle Gumshoe's New Year's Eve gathering, but also the ever wacky Uncle Larry, and of course, her "cousins," Jeff and Gordy, all whom would be introduced to her boyfriend for the first time.

However, within not even a week's period, Pearl's happy, festive mood had done a complete turnabout, and she knew that the intuitive and perceptive Luke had noticed the change in her disposition, and she hated that he thought _bringing him to her Uncle's_ was the possible reason!

 _Silly boy_! How could he possibly think _that_ ? After all, her boyfriend was charismatic, charming and a perfect gentleman – with the beautiful British accent, to boot! She had no doubt whatsoever that her friends would all love him nearly as much a _she_ did!

The issue was that Pearl had been unable to give proper reassurance that would squelch the misgivings of the boy she adored; at least, not without divulging the _actual_ reason the teenager feel as tense, confused, and _blue_ as a _Swimsuit Illustrated model in the North Pole_! However, she was still at a _complete loss_ at how to _possibly_ explain that it was Maya and Longines' unexpectedly _happy_ news, which they'd sprung when returning from Paris, that was the _true catalyst_ behind _her angst and uncertainty_?

Pearl had been wrestling with her conscience regarding the enormous bombshell she'd been withholding from her cousin for quite some time. Now, with the newfound bulletin of Maya's impending marriage to the hair heir, she was now facing going into a _New Year,_ still shrouded with the _previous year's_ secrecy, sitting on news, which she had _yet_ to divulge, that seemed _even more pertinent than ever_ , and with each passing day, only further gnawed away at her insides. And it made her absolutely miserable. She was lost in her longing to understand what the right thing was to do.

"What should I _do_?" Pearl turned away from the mirror, aggravated tears blurring her vision as she stared helplessly at Feyt, who was sitting on her bed next to his carrier, studying her with loving, but knowing eyes, as though sensing something was amiss with his mommy. "I _wish_ I _knew_!"

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and Luke's sweet voice could be heard from the other side.

"Hey Pearl? It's me."

"Come in," the teen said glumly, grabbing her overnight bag with one hand, and slinging it over her shoulder as she lifted the puppy into her arms. The door opened, and she forced a smile for her boyfriend's benefit, admiring how handsome he looked without his customary blue cap, dressed in dark brown cords and the blue cotton sweater Maya had given him for Christmas. "You look really nice."

"So do you. That lavender knit dress your cousin gave you for Christmas makes you look even prettier than usual, and I didn't think that was possible." Luke smiled as he gallantly took her bag from her and slung it over his shoulder to accompany his own overnight carry-on. "Maya wanted me to come get you, as Longines and his assistant will be here any moment to pick us up. Are you ready to go yet?"

Pearl nodded, her eyes dropping to the floor at the mention of Maya's fiancé, which was impossible to miss. Heaving a great sigh, Luke put down the luggage and strode into the room.

"Am I _ever_ going to see you smile again?" He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, tilting her chin up with his finger, a look of loving concern on his face.

She gazed up at him with a distressed expression, and a look of weariness came over his visage.

"I've watched you be like this all week, Pearl, and it's tearing me apart seeing you this way," he lamented. "I _know_ Longines wasn't your ideal choice to be Maya's life partner, but he's still a very nice man, and seems to make her _happy_ , and _that_ should be what _ultimately_ matters. I understand that you still miss Mr. Wright, but a New Year is upon us, and it may be time for you to finally let that go…"

"Longines is _fine_!" Pearl shook her head. "I really don't mind him anymore, _as a person_ … That's not _quite_ what this is about…"

"And you're _sure_ this isn't a case of you being nervous about your friends' reactions to meeting me tonight?"

"No! They'll _love_ you! I've told you, Luke, _it's not **you**_ , either! _Please_ believe me…" She rapidly blinked back tears, so he backed off slightly and tried to lighten up the mood.

"I could've sworn I heard you talking to somebody a moment ago." Luke remarked. "Were you using _our son_ as a confidante?"

She nodded silently, and cuddled Feyt tightly against her chest.

"I tend to do the same thing myself, with creatures of both the feathery _and_ furry variety," he teased softly. "Although in _my_ case, of course, they tend to talk _back."_

"You're such a goofball!" Pearl giggled, her mood lifting slightly. "For what it's worth, despite it having been a _one-sided conversation_ , and _in spite of being_ _male,_ Feyt is a _great listener!_ "

"Cute," Luke chuckled. "Our little guy can represent and atone for the entire male persuasion in _that_ domain!" Suddenly his dark eyes turned serious. "However, by now, you should know that _I'm_ no slouch in the listening department either, Pearl. Whatever it is that's bothering you, I wish you would feel like you could talk to me about it. It may even make you feel better."

"I have yet to have told _anybody_ this, but you're right, Luke. I _do_ need to get this off my chest." Pearl's smile faded as she glanced downward again, as though trying to gather courage, before she took a deep breath and regarded her boyfriend with glistening eyes. "That day, back in the spring, when Longines first came here to the village to meet Mystic Maya, I got really upset about the idea of her seeking another suitor so soon after Mr. Nick. Mystic Matilda was nice enough to come after me and try to comfort me, but after she left, I decided I _still_ needed some answers. So I went to Eagle Mountain and decided to pay my half-sister a visit…"

* * *

 ** _Pearl Fey and Iris Hawthorne_**  
 _Hazakura Temple_  
April 26, 2025 7:15 PM

"I didn't _do_ _anything_ ," Iris whispered tearfully. "Feenie… _he_ came to _me,_ Pearl. I _swear_ to you, I'm telling you the truth."

"That's _not_ the _point_!" Pearl was unmoved at the sight of the flooded eyes gazing back at her. "In the end, it's all the same! Give me _one good reason_ why I shouldn't slap you from here to the moon!"

"You can hit me if you want, if it's going to make you feel better, Pearl." Iris bowed her head in submission. "But you should know it's not going to _change anything_."

Pearl faltered slightly at the painful veracity of the words, slowly rolled down her sleeve again, and let out a browbeaten sigh.

"Why's that?" She asked defeatedly. "Because _you love him_ that much?"

Limpid brown eyes met resigned gray ones. "I never stopped."

"And... _he_ feels the same way about _you_?" Pearl bit her lip to keep it from trembling.

Iris cast a downcast glance before replying. "I-I'd like to think so."

"So what you're trying to tell me is that… you and Mr. Nick...you're _Special Someones_ now?" Pearl felt numb then, the fight draining out of her completely.

Iris hesitated but didn't raise her eyes from the ground. " _Y-yes_."

Almost immediately, heavy chains, invisible to any human eye, except for Pearl's, sprung up and completely covered the shrine maiden then, and _two enormous, glowing, red psyche locks_ now covered her heart, not even _a split second_ after the affirmation left her lips.

 _What the heck?! Why on earth did those locks appear **the minute Iris said** she was **Special Someones with Mr. Nick**?! _ _Why would she be **lying** about **that**?! And what **else** is she hiding?!_

Pearl's eyes widened then, and she stared at Iris speechlessly. However, the shrine maiden refused to look at her anymore, and had already turned away.

"Look Pearl, someday…when the dust all clears… I hope you can get past this and accept me as your sister. I'm more than happy to accept _you_ as _mine_. However, I have to go now. I –I promised Feenie I'd call him before he heads out to work. Take care."

Pearl was still silently rooted on the same spot as Iris left and walked back into the temple, her mind reeling with what she'd unintentionally just discovered.

 _For **whatever** reason, Iris is **lying** about Mr. Nick!, even if she **was** telling the truth about still loving him! Surely_ _she had to have known that making me think **she** was the reason he and Mystic Maya broke up would only make me despise her, so obviously, she **must!**?! I have no idea how to break the secrets behind those locks of hers, but I **do** know **one** thing for a **fact** now: Mr. Nick did **not** leave Mystic Maya for **Iris!** Maybe… he **never** **stopped loving her,** at all?! If only I knew the **real** reason **why** he did what he did…_

* * *

 ** _Pearl Fey and Luke Triton_** _  
Fey Manor_  
December 31, 2025 4:10 PM

"Oh Pearl…" Luke's eyes were filled with compassion and sympathy as his girlfriend finished telling him her plight, which had been weighing so heavily upon her conscience all this time. Without another word, he pulled her into his arms, careful not to squish the tiny puppy sandwiched between them, and rested his chin atop her head. "I'm so sorry that you've been carrying this burden with you for so long."

"I should have _known_ something wasn't right!" Pearl's words were muffled against his chest as tears of chagrined frustration rolled down her cheeks. "Mr. Nick…he loved my cousin _so_ much, Luke! Even _before_ they even got together, he risked _everything_ for her – he would've sent _an innocent person to prison_ if it had meant keeping Mystic Maya safe! He _ran across a burning bridge for her_ , even though it would've meant the end of _his own life!_ I can't _believe_ I actually _allowed myself_ to think that he would've thrown it all away, _just like that_! I _should_ _have_ _known_ that he would _never_ have betrayed _his true love_ in such a manner, and while she was away on business, just give his heart away to another, _so easily_ …"

"Pearl, I _know_ how much Mr. Wright loved Maya. I witnessed evidence of that love with my own eyes when they came to England," Luke told her, gently wiping away her tears with his thumb. "When your _ever-impulsive_ , _act-first, think-later_ cousin risked her life to save Espella's in Labyrinthia, he tried to fight off _half a dozen knights_ trying to save her. Then, when he thought Maya was gone for good… Even in my own despair of thinking the Professor was dead – I had _still never_ seen a man so grieving, or so devastated. I was only a child, going through my own mourning, but even _I_ could see how much he loved her, even back then."

" _Now_ you see why I don't think I can keep my silence any longer, don't you Luke?" Pearl cried miserably. "The _only_ reason Mystic Maya has tried to move on with Longines is because _she_ _believes_ that Mr. Nick _left her for Iris_ , and now I _know_ that's _not true_! _How_ can I _possibly_ let her marry another man, one I know she doesn't love, at least, not in the same way that she loved _Mr. Nick,_ knowing what I do? Don't you agree that I should tell her what I know?"

"No, Pearl." Luke eyed her steadily. "I don't support that idea _at all_."

"Y-you _don't_?" She wailed plaintively, her eyes widening with disbelief. "I –I don't _understand_! You just agreed with me that you, _firsthand_ , could attest to _how much Mr. Nick loved Mystic Maya_! So how can you possibly think that it's alright for her to go through with this wedding, knowing that he lied to her about Iris?"

"Pearl, _history_ cannot be refuted. There is no doubt in my mind that there was obviously a time when indeed, Mr. Wright loved your cousin very much, even enough to risk his life for her." Luke shook his head sadly. "However, this still doesn't change _anything_. The fact remains that even if he _did_ lie to her about the reason for leaving, and it _wasn't_ for Iris, the bottom line _is: he still left her."_

"But Luke…"

"I want you to _really_ contemplate this." Luke's gaze remained kind and understanding, but there was a determined set to his jaw now. "You are proposing the risk of potentially getting Maya's hopes up – all for _nothing_! As of right now, the full story remains unknown, so this information remains _incomplete,_ do you understand that? Regardless of whether or not Mr. Wright left your cousin for another woman, the point is, _you still don't know_ **_why_** _he did_. The fact also remains that both Maya and Longines are household names, both nationally and internationally, and I have little doubt that by this point, Mr. Wright has gotten wind of this betrothal – but has opted to do _nothing_ about it."

"Perhaps there's a chance he _doesn't know yet_!" She protested. "Or maybe Mr. Nick doesn't want to confess he still loves Mystic Maya, because _he_ thinks _she's_ finally moved on!"

"Pearl, I hate to break this to you, but both Longines and Maya are _world renowned_ media darlings! The Professor is _across the ocean_ , _in England_ , and even _he_ knew of the engagement before Maya rang him with the news!" Luke placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her squarely in the eye. "It is _nigh impossible_ that Mr. Wright _doesn't know_! I need you to truly comprehend what this means, which is, _it doesn't matter_ if he _is_ or _isn't_ with Iris, and _it makes no difference_ if he is single! What's _relevant_ is that _he hasn't done_ _a bloody thing_ to _halt this engagement_! He has not even tried to _contact_ her, nor come rushing over here, begging Maya to break it off, which, if he _still_ loved her so much, is _exactly_ what he _would_ do! It's what _any_ man would do - he would _fight_ for the woman he loved! I _know_ this… because it's what _I_ would do if _I_ was _him_ , and Maya were _you_!"

Upon hearing this, Pearl silently took one of his hands and cradled it against her cheek, the look of love in her eyes requiring no words to be spoken aloud whatsoever. Encouraged, Luke continued.

"Pearl, trust me, I am not trying to be cruel. I also care about Maya very much, and I don't think you should gamble with her happiness for something that sounds like such a long shot. What if you were to go ahead, tell her what you know, and your impetuous cousin calls off her wedding – and it's _all_ _for naught_? What would happen if it turns out that for whatever _unknown_ reason, Mr. Wright tells her he _still_ doesn't want to be with her, and Maya's heart gets broken all over again? Do you _really_ want to potentially have _that cross to bear_?"

"No," she whispered, knowing deep in her heart her boyfriend was right. "It's true, isn't it? Maybe in the end… He just didn't love her enough."

"We can't spend our lives playing the _maybe_ or _what-if_ game, Pearl. I know how much _you_ love Maya, which is why you have stayed silent for this long, because you knew what a landmine this information could possibly be. Sometimes in life, you have to love someone enough to just stay silent, step back and have the chips fall where they may, and let whatever happens, _happen_."

"OK." Pearl nodded bravely, then leaned forward and kissed him softly. "If I ever did anything that ended up hurting Mystic Maya, I would never forgive myself. Thank you for preventing me from making a big mistake, Luke."

"I want to thank _you_ for finally unloading this burden off your shoulders, even somewhat, and trusting me enough to confide in me." He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "It was killing me, knowing that this whole week, behind that bright smile of yours, you've keeping secrets from me."

"I can't _believe_ how well you know me, _already_." Pearl shook her head ruefully. "I know _Mystic Maya_ doesn't even have a clue about how miserable I've been, and _she's_ known me my _entire life_! Am I really such a _transparently bad actress_?"

"Not at all!" There was a mischievous glint in his eye. "I have little doubt that Maya has been too wrapped up in her engagement whirlwind of excitement to have been focusing on much else, including her daughter's latent misery this whole time. Had she _not_ been, though, I'm certain she would've been tipped off, in spite of your _Oscar worthy performance_ , in the same manner that _I_ was."

Seeing the confused look on her face, Luke reached into his pocket and held up his magatama.

"What _I_ can't _believe_ is that I've been able to maintain _any_ sort of worthwhile conversation with you all week!" He smirked. "For heaven's sake, the rattling of the chains and psyche locks around your heart were _so loud_ , they were driving me to near distraction!"

"Luke Triton! Can we make an agreement, from this day forward, _not_ to use our powers on one another?" Scowling slightly, Pearl grabbed the sides of his head and brought his face down to her level so he could see clearly make out the mock indignation in her amethyst eyes. "After all, even the _closest of couples_ should be allowed to a _little_ privacy every now and then, right?!"

"As you wish, Princess Pearl!" He chuckled, and leaned over to kiss her nose. "You have my word as a gentleman never to pry, even unwittingly, into the mysteries inside that heart of yours again!"

"There's not a lot of room left in there for much else," she confessed, blushing slightly. "It's mostly occupied with thoughts of _you_."

 _She's always saying these things! And it melts my heart, each and every time._

"Such a sweet-talker!" Luke laughed. "I've never met anyone like you in my whole life, Pearl Fey! I don't know what to do with you!"

"Kiss me," she said simply, giggling slightly.

And Luke did. He lifted her chin and kissed her mouth and swallowed her giggles whole. He felt her sunshine fill his lungs and her heartbeat quicken against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Since you used your magatama on me, mister man, you _have_ to make it up to me!" Pearl told him playfully. "That means you have to now _willingly_ tell me a secret."

"I have already bared my entire heart and soul to you practically from day one! I am naught but an open book when it comes to you, I'm afraid." Luke shook his head in mock despair. "As trite and boring as it may be, I've already told you everything there is to know."

"Tell me a _secret_ ," she repeated, in pure, unrelenting, stubborn Fey fashion.

"Okay," Luke sighed resignedly. "I love you."

"I love you, too. But I wanted you to tell me _a secret_!"

"I've always loved you."

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse_** _  
Kurain Village_  
December 31, 2025 4:15 PM

At _this_ point in her life, Maya prided herself on the fact that she'd handled more _curveballs_ than any professional baseball player had, _and_ with a _somewhat_ exceptional level of panache! Ergo, Maya genuinely and sincerely thought after all she'd endured, _in the past 7 years alone_ , there was absolutely _nothing_ left that could dumbfound her.

Take that evening's proposed game plan, for example.

Her fiancé's suggestion for their New Year's Eve plans hadn't sounded like anything out of the norm. Since Longines had amiably spent Christmas in Kurain, with her, Pearl and Luke, eating a _tofu turkey_ , it had only been fair to let him make their plans for the last night of the year. When he'd suggested spending the night's festivities at the grand opening of his long since mentioned, but never before met, assistant's new French restaurant, Maya hadn't thought twice about it. Her fiancé had graciously volunteered to come along, with said assistant, to Kurain in his limousine, pick her up, and bring her down to the city, and had even offered to deliver Pearl and Luke to the Gumshoes' party as well, as it was on the way. (The Kurain Master had already expressed her apologies to her old friends about not being able to attend the little gathering at their home, but had said she would drop by the next day to pick up Luke and Pearl on the way back to Kurain).

So there Maya was, standing solo at the entrance gates of the village, wondering if Pearl and Luke were going to be ready in time. She was the epitome of picture-perfect elegance, in a violet, Pierre Cardin, chiffon slip dress that fell just past her knees, with her long hair, which had since re-grown back to her waist, worn down in loosely curled waves, as she stood there in wait.

The spirit medium smiled in relief as she saw her cousin and her boyfriend, with little Feyt in Luke's arms, coming in the distance, just as she saw the limousine pull-up. The driver exited the black, shiny vehicle and opened the door side door.

Longines smilingly stepped out, with his normal, easygoing grace. He was as flawlessly coiffed and groomed as ever, with his halo of golden curls, no longer in need of extensions, tumbling just past his shoulders and looking like Tinsel Town perfection in his black Hermes suit.

"What's cookin', good-lookin'?" He winked, greeting Maya with a roguish wolf whistle. "I do believe you may set off the smoke alarms upon entry to the restaurant, because you'll be the hottest thing on the menu!"

"I wouldn't sell myself so short if I were _you_ , silly!" A high pitched… and _strangely recognizable_ man's voice twittered from behind the blond man. "Longines, you're _hardly a slouch_ in the looks department _yourself,_ you know!"

At the sound of the other male voice, Maya's eyes and mouth froze wide open, in an expression of stunned awe, and although she was staring straight at her smiling fiancé, she appeared not to notice him at all.

As though in a daze, her rounded orbs remained firmly transfixed on the _eerily familiar_ form emerging from behind the billionaire, who was gazing right back at her, while shaking his torso in a _most disturbing fashion!_

" _You_!" She gasped.

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse_**  
 _Paris, France_  
December 24, 2025 11:30 PM

"I don't know what has more of a sparkle," Longines told Maya as he poured champagne into her flute from the bar located in the back seat of the limousine. "That blingy engagement ring, or those beautiful, twinkling eyes of yours."

"I'm sure it's a close call!" She grinned, holding up her left hand to admire the twinkle of the knuckle-crushing pink diamond on her finger. "But since it's such a gorgeous thing to be compared to that I'm going to say… _Yes_?"

"You already _did_!" He laughingly filled his own glass as well. "And I made sure _all of Paris_ knew it, as well!"

"I hope by now Jacques has forgiven you for his back…" Maya winced. "I think he may be _one_ person who may not share in the joyousness of the occasion!"

Longines decided to ignore the statement and instead clinked her glass against his own.

"A toast to the future _Madame Beaugosse!"_ He declared, beaming at her. "May she never lose that indelible sparkle!"

"I'll drink to that!"

The two paused to sip pleasurably at the ice cold bubbly.

"Would now be a good time to go over the rules of engagement?" Longines asked at last.

Maya had known that this wasn't your typical everyday betrothal, and that there would be stipulations included, but figured at this point, she was prepared for just about anything.

"Go ahead," she smiled encouragingly. _"I'm all ears_."

"Don't sell yourself short!" He quipped, chuckling.

"Ha-ha, funnyman. State your terms."

"OK, from this day on, I vow to give you _everything and anything_ your heart desires: clothing, shoes, jewels, plane or show tickets... _Whatever_ you or your little girl will ever want, without question, it's yours," he began. "In return, I ask for nothing too unreasonably crazy, save for your steadfast friendship, delightful companionship, and your ethereal self on my arm at any related corporate or charity event… As well as your _complete discretion_ in doing _whatever it is you please,_ as long as at the end of the day, it is _me_ you come home to."

Maya knew full well what was being implied, and that the _open marriage stipulation_ went both ways, even though Longines was too much of a gentleman to say as much out loud. They each would have the freedom to screw _whomever_ they wanted, _whenever_ they want, just as long as they came home and had dinner with one another by the end of the night. While she appreciated that he was allowing her such inconsequential liberties, one of the reasons she had initially decided to form an alliance with the hair heir, which had since become a treasured friendship, was because she genuinely _never_ wanted _another man's hands_ _on her body,_ for _as long as she lived_! Consequently, _she_ would remain a scrupulous wife, and she didn't care if on the flipside, that still meant Longines wouldn't necessarily be a traditionally faithful husband.

 _Therefore, we'll essentially be The Nun and The Man Whore - not that anybody would know what goes on behind our closed doors! It's kind of funny, really… Nick's one **former ex** , turned **current love** , left the nunnery so she could be with him! _Maya smiled grimly _. Whereas his **other ex,** who was once told by an unworthy suitor that she **looked like an escaped nun on the run,** is actually **getting married** …but is essentially picking up Sister Iris's celibate **old habit!** As Alanis Morissette sang: **Isn't it ironic, don't you think**?_

"Fair enough," she murmured, without even batting an eyelash. "Anything else?"

" _Mes maisons sont vos maisons_ , and I want you to feel free to decorate them or do with them as you wish, so that you're comfortable and feel like it's your place as well, whenever you and Pearl are visiting or vacationing in them, regardless of whether or not I'm there with you or am away tending to company matters. Keep in mind that my assistant always accompanied me on most of my business travels, but in the New Year, he will be busy running his own restaurant. I'm hoping, so long as it doesn't conflict with your own business matters, that you would still be able and willing to be my regular traveling companion."

"No objections thus far. Please continue."

"Not a whole lot will change from what we have right now to be honest; you don't even really need to alter your living conditions. I travel a lot for work, as I know you do as well, but whenever we're both in town, it would be nice to dine together on those evenings. All I ask is that you just let me know if you're not going to be home, and I'll give you the same courtesy." He paused to refill both their glasses. "We can decide whether or not you wish to do a 50-50 split, living partially at Fey Manor and partially in my Hollywood mansion. Of course, it is also _your_ call to pick which of your non-occupied bedrooms will be set up as my own separate chambers at Fey Manor for whenever I'm around, in the same manner that Luke is currently occupying one of the guest rooms presently."

"So far so good," Maya said easily. "Nothing to stress about at this point, which cannot be figured out later, anyway."

"Is there anything _you_ would like to add?" Longines asked courteously. "I feel like I'm doing _all_ the talking here!"

"I'm pretty laidback, as you've undoubtedly noticed." Maya shrugged, then tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm…I always dreamed of being a June bride who married in my mother's wedding dress, and I'd love for Sasha, the woman who trimmed my hair right before I met you, to be my hairstylist for the wedding. That would be about it, as far as _my_ demands went, in this department."

"I'm relieved to know I'm not marrying a _Bridezilla_!" He grinned. "I'm sure all those requests could be easily accommodated."

Maya nodded in agreement.

"In public of course, you will be my wife, and I will be your husband; in private, my guest, and vice versa."

 _Here's the part where things would possibly get awkward…_

Maya took a big gulp of champagne before spitting out the $64,000 question that they both seemed to be dancing around, AKA the _real_ reason he'd proposed/agreed to this marriage in the first place!

"Actually there it's just _one_ thing I want to clarify…" she mumbled, unable to look him in the eye. "But while this marriage of companionship and mutual benefit is wholly suitable, and I assure you, _most preferable_... I'm just wondering how the whole _private guest and separate chambers_ situation is going to be, ah… _addressed_ when you feel the time has come to produce that _legitimate heir_ you feel so inclined to have someday?"

"My _darling fiancée_!" Longines' eyes were dancing with barely suppressed laughter as he regarded her pink-tinged cheeks. "Is that a delicate way of asking me if I will be able to perform my _husbandly duties_ when the moment arises?"

"Um… Well you _did_ tell me there were rumors about you being a _confirmed bachelor,_ since you were 30 and still unmarried, when we first met." For some inexplicable reason, Maya was beyond mortified by his candor, and found herself become flustered as she stumbled for the right words. "I figured any _extracurricular activities_ you decided to _inconspicuously partake_ in with _other parties_ would be…er, _not necessarily_ of the _female persuasion_ … So I was sort of wondering exactly _how_ that would work, ah, pertaining to _you and me_ …?"

"Are you essentially asking me if _I'm too gay_ to _get it up for you_ , when the time comes, or if I need to be picturing _Johnny Depp_?" Longines threw back his head and gave out a loud shout of laughter. "Is _that_ what you think of me, my dear? That I should be _afraid of fire extinguishers_ , because _I'm so flaming_?"

"I never said _that_!" Maya gasped, then dissolved into giggles when she saw he was teasing. "But hey - _your_ words _, not mine_!"

"Girl, have you _looked in the mirror_ _lately_?" Longines wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes before fixing them on her with a fond, admiring expression. "You're freaking _hot as hell_! Moreover, _even_ if I _were_ a _player for the other team_ , trust me, _nobody's_ _that_ gay!"

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse_** _  
Kurain Village_  
December 31, 2025 4:16 PM

 _Close your mouth, Maya Fey!_ The Kurain Master's brain commanded sharply. _You **knew** what you were getting into when you agreed to this engagement, even before the rules of it were outlined to you, in **no** uncertain detail!_

Up until that point, Maya had thought that Longines Beaugosse, founder, and _hair heir extraordinaire_ of _You Blo Me,_ was _the most outrageously flamboyant and outré_ man she would be encountering from this point onward.

Of course, she had _also_ thought by the time she'd be pushing 30, she would be _beyond being shocked_ to the point where her mouth soundlessly gaped open and closed, like a fish out of water!

 _As usual, it turns out I was wrong! You think I'd be used to this by now…_

Longines' assistant was no stranger to Maya whatsoever. In fact, although she hadn't set eyes on him in nearly 7 years, he hadn't changed _a bit_!

The garish, orangey-yellow tightly coiffed spiraled mane, with matching curls as his beard, were still very much evident on the husky, muscular, and _very effeminate_ man standing before her. However, a hot pink Santa Hat and matching sleeveless Mr. Claus outfit now replaced the customary bright pink chef hat and uniform!

 _OK, I didn't think it was possible for the sight of him to be **any** **more** **disturbia** …way to go on a triple perfect score of being wrong Maya! Three strikes… I'm out!_

Nevertheless, even all this time later, she had _no problem_ immediately recognizing _Jean Armstrong_ , her ex-boss and former owner of the now defunct _Trés Bien,_ otherwise known as _the most god-awful French restaurant known to man!_

"I was just about to introduce you to my longtime faithful assistant, Jean Armstrong, Maya…" Longines looked at her flummoxed expression strangely. "But it appears that you two _already_ know each other...?"

Armstrong had been staring Maya with a look of polite surprise, but appeared _nowhere near_ as shocked at the sight of _her,_ whatsoever!

"Maya Fey _! Mon cherie mademoiselle_!" He lunged at the petite woman with his brawny arms, planting two wet, sloppy kisses on both her cheeks. "I see the years have been kind to you! It has been so long!"

 _Ugh, not long enough…_

Maya cringed inwardly at the dampness left behind on her face. Somehow, she managed to muster a strained smile, trying to obliterate the memories of the time the Frenchman had unsuspectingly, and against her will, roped her into working for him as waitress!

* * *

 ** _Flashback  
January 2019_**

"Bien!" Armstrong grabbed the unsuspecting spirit medium by the arm as he yanked her into the restaurant. "Come wiz me. I will teach you everyz'ing I know!"

"N-Nick!" Maya yelped, eyes round with horror, right before she disappeared from sight. "HEEEEEELP!"

 _I don't know whether to laugh or feel bad for Maya..._ Phoenix thought, his shoulders shaking with silent, helpless laughter. _Maybe I should do both…?_

 ** _End flashback_**

* * *

 ** _Back to present day…_**

 _Ugh, that was the longest **day** of forced labor of my _ life! Maya barely suppressed a shudder. _Not to mention that he forced me to wear that gaudy orange French maid uniform, that was so goddamn short, had I bent over in it, you would've been able to **see my religion!**_

"It's great that you're already so …er, _well acquainted_ with my fiancée, Jean!" Longines smiled, although looking slightly taken aback at his friend's effusive greeting of the spirit medium. "I told you she was a beauty, didn't I?"

" _Oh là là_! Indeed you did!" Armstrong clasped his hands to his chest and regarded Maya delightedly. " _Oui, oui! C'est vrai! Elle est très belle_! How blessed that the good Lord decided to bestow you _with a bosom_ at long last! Better late than never, right?"

Maya blinked, trying to register exactly what she'd just heard.

 _Did he just say what I **think** he did?!_

"However is that 'andsome lawyer friend of yours?" Armstrong prattled on, before the astonished woman could come up with a suitable response to such an _unseemly_ observation! "I cannot wait to play catch-up with you! I am most excited about tonight's grand opening! I am sure you will love zi food!"

 _I'm sure I **won't**! _ Maya thought petulantly, still trying to _digest_ this most _unpalatable_ _blast from her past_! What were the odds of this _freak show_ (who, back in the day, had had zero qualms about making _goo-goo e_ yes at Phoenix!), would now be… _bosom buddies_ with her fiancé?!

Also, was she losing her mind, or was Armstrong _batting his eyelashes_ in Longines' direction?!

"It's nice to see you again." Maya dragged together the rags of her composure. "I must fully concur with your earlier observations of my fiancé. Of the two of us, Longines may _very well_ may be the prettier one!"

"I am biased, of course, when it comes to my _cher ami_ , but I have to agree with you!" Armstrong let out a high-pitched titter, as he turned his _unmistakably drooling face_ towards the handsome blond man. "After all, his name isn't _Beaugosse_ _pour rien_!"

"Stop it, Jean!" Longines blushed modestly and waved his hand at his friend. "You're embarrassing me!"

"I only speak zee truth!" Armstrong insisted, putting a hand on Longines' shoulder and leaving it lingering there a few moments longer than necessary as he looked at him with puppy-dog eyes. "Your last name means _handsome boy_ for good reason indeed! Maya, you are _such_ a fortunate femme! Do you have _any_ idea how many people would _kill_ to be in your shoes?"

The wistfulness the last sentence did not escape Maya's ears, although Longines seemed completely oblivious to the barely concealed meaningfulness in the screaming queen's tone, as he was suddenly preoccupied by an email that had just come in on his cell phone.

 _Good grief!_ The spirit medium thought in disbelief. _This **pouf totally has** a **flambé** for my fiancé! How is it possible that Longines seems totally oblivious to this?! _

Maya halted her train of thought in its tracks and mentally smacked herself in the head for such a ridiculous thought. After all, hadn't both _she and Phoenix_ been completely clueless to one another's feelings for _years_ before _they_ had finally confessed? Even though apparently the evidence of their affection for one another had apparently been _glaringly obvious_ to the rest of the entire world?!

 _Alrighty then! It seems I'm literally experiencing a homosexual version of my personal déjà vu…or would it be **gay-ja vu** in this case?!_

Apparently not noticing that Maya had never applied to his last question, Armstrong blissfully continued jabbering on about his new restaurant.

"Zeez restaurant is called _Douce-Amère,_ " the pink clad man babbled excitedly. "It eez so different from the last one…"

 _Thank freakin' God_! Maya thought with relief. _Does this mean that **he** isn't the one doing the cooking this time?!_

"Zi restaurant is my life," Armstrong continued. "My cuisine is not for all. Some people, z'ey do not appreciate la haute cuisine. J'adore life! J'adore food! J'adore cooking! J'adore work!"

 _Ugh, that's what he said about the **last** place!_

" _Douce-Amère,_ it's French for _bittersweet_." The burly man cast an unmistakably forlorn look at Longines, who was still busily sending a reply on his cell phone. "I was inspired by _certain factors_ …in fact, _mon cher_ Longines was _une grande raison_ of what was going through my mind during the name selection, you see…"

 ** _Stevie Wonder_** _could see, you subtle as a Mack truck, overly besotted, cream puff!_

Maya was torn between laughter and pity at the Frenchman's completely blatant ardor for the man she was betrothed to, as she was certainly no stranger to pining for someone that didn't appear to share her affections!

At the exact same time, Armstrong's cell phone suddenly started to ring, and he excused himself to go answer it as he stepped away a few yards, just as Pearl and Luke finally approached the trio.

" _Longines_!" Maya hissed at her fiancé, beckoning him over to her. "Might I speak to you for a moment please?!"

"Sure, Maya." Longines put away his phone and smiled in greeting at the teenagers before walking over to her. Maya waved a hello at her cousin and her boyfriend before not-so-discreetly pulling her fiancé's arm, so that they moved a few feet away, hopefully somewhat out of earshot from the others.

" _This_ man, _he's_ been your assistant all this time?!" Maya's face and tone were incredulous as she stared at the blond man.

"Yes, for the past two years or so, why?" A perplexed frown marred Longines' smooth brow. "Is there problem, sweetie?"

"Well for one thing, are you _sure_ nothing's ever gone _missing_?" She demanded, as she nervously clutched her evening bag closer to her. "The man was a kleptomaniac with a _massive_ debt problem!"

"Oh, I knew all about _that_!" Longines replied airily, not sounding in the least concerned. "He did some extensive pharmacological, cognitive, and dialectical behavioral therapy after he spent some time behind bars, and he has paid his debt to society as well as _re-paid_ his debt to that awful _loan shark_ who had him by the _short and curlies!_ Part of his release was based on several hundred hours of community service, so he was actually helping out at one of my personal charity foundations, and he did such a great job with the fundraising that I decided to hire him on directly as soon as his hours were done. He's been such a dear friend ever since!"

"A _friend_ , you say?" Maya raised an eyebrow at that one. "Are you sure that's _all_ he's ever been?"

"Of _course_ that's all he's been!" Longines gawked at her blankly. "Just _what_ you trying to _imply_ here?"

Maya didn't reply, just continued to stare at him, and a slight blush crept along the billionaire's tanned cheeks.

"Oh my _God_ , Maya Fey! What a _dirty, suspicious_ little mind you have!" Longines actually looked somewhat offended. "Of _course_ I have _never_ had any sort of _dalliance_ with somebody that is a _paid staff member of mine_! I didn't get to be a _tycoon_ by _foolishly dipping my own pen_ into the _company ink_!"

" _Really_? Not even if it's _really_ obvious that he _wants_ you to dip your pen into _any_ _willing_ and _available_ part of him?" Maya flushed as she realized how crass that sounded. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound crude, but surely you've noticed he _shamelessly_ hits on you?!"

"You're so _silly_!" Longines laughed, waving away her observation with his hand. "Jean is just flirtatious - he hits on _everyone_! He can't help it – he's _French_ , like me! We're a flirty lot! It's _what_ we _do_!"

As if on cue, Armstrong ended his phone call, and turned to look at Luke and Pearl, his gaze affixed on the British gentleman-in-training with unabashed interest.

"Oh, what a _precious_ little puppy!" He burbled cheerfully, clasping his hands together in delight as he looked at the two wide-eyed teens. "So _you_ must be Maya's little cousin Pearl! And _you_ , tasty little morsel… Must be _the better half!_ It's _such_ a pleasure meet you! It's _Lucas_ , right?"

"Er, yes, but I prefer to be called Luke," the gobsmacked Englishman replied politely, hesitantly offering his hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you, too, Mister…?"

"No need to be so _formal_!" Leaning forward, Armstrong planted a loud juicy smack on both of the totally unprepared Luke's cheeks. "No _Mister_ , you can just call me _Jean_! I've always had a soft spot for z'e younger boys, you know! _Especially_ ones with such _delicious_ accents!"

Luke looked like he'd slightly thrown up in his own mouth.

Armstrong leered at Luke for another lingering moment, before turning to Pearl.

"Make sure you keep a tight rein on _that fine behind_ , girlfriend! What a _lucky_ little thing you are!"

"Erm, _I'm_ the lucky one, really," Luke insisted gallantly, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and essentially putting her between him and Armstrong as a makeshift human shield. "As you can plainly see, good looks run rampant in the Fey family, heh, heh."

"Oh, I suppose your _petite copine_ is a _pretty_ sort," Armstrong sniffed, knowing a rebuke when he heard one, but flashing a jaunty wink at Luke nonetheless. "If you _like_ that _rosebud lipped, doe-eyed_ sort of thing…"

"I _really_ do, actually!" Luke's voice was now as strained as his smile. "I've always been a lover of _pretty girls_! My _whole, entire_ _life, honestly_!"

"I'm sure _they_ love _you_ too, English Muffin!" Armstrong trilled. "I mean, just _look_ at you! You're _gorgeous_!"

"Maybe we should get going," Maya cut in anxiously, before the over-the-top _wannabe_ _Frenchman_ possibly scarred her daughter's boyfriend _for life_! "Kids, do you have everything you need for overnight?"

Pearl and Luke nodded mutely, completely at a loss for words.

 _This is what my life has become_?! Pearl silently screamed. _I made **one** horrible comment a few months ago about how if Mystic Maya were to marry Longines, I would be getting a **second mommy** , and now **this** guy comes along, as the **third** creepy **maternal** figure?! What did I ever do to wind up with **this** 2-for-1 package from hell?!_

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse_**  
 _Douce-Amère Restaurant_  
January 1, 2026 12:15 AM

She hadn't been able to stand being in there another moment.

Desperately needing some fresh air, Maya stepped outside on the restaurant patio, waving away the pungent smell of cigarette smoke as she joined the throng of smokers who were puffing away on their cancer sticks, making a bluish grey opaque cloud form around their heads, _completely negating_ her need to come out there.

 _Fine, so it's not fresh. Well at least it's semi-fresh. Well kind of…outdoorsy…_ Maya coughed as a stream of smoke blew her way. _OK fine, at least it's **air**!_

At least it was better than _in there at the party,_ where, on a night out _with her own fiancé_ , _she_ had been made to feel like _the odd man out,_ by his disgustingly _inappropriate_ , _clinging vine_ of an _enamored assistant_!

 _Who, incidentally, hasn't upped his game in the kitchen whatsoever in the past near decade! He should have stuck with his mondo grosso aromatherapy oils!_

Longines had apologized to her profusely for the stomach-lurching, so-called gourmet fare, which made the previous food that Armstrong had served at _Trés Bien_ seem _deliciously edible in comparison_! He'd even promised to take her out for a burger before the night was over, as atonement!

Historically, it seemed the combination of _Maya Fey + Longines Beaugosse + French Cuisine_ = **_doomed, abysmal, epic fail_** , _regardless_ of the continent they were on!

Thus far, however, Longines had been unable to make good on his promise, because Armstrong had insisted on keeping Maya's fiancé _glued to his side_ while he had mingled amongst the other party guests, possessively clutching his arm in a death grip while he steered him about, as though the hair tycoon were _his_ date!

Longines, of course had been too gracious to say anything much without causing a scene, and had _repeatedly_ , and _apologetically_ , looked over at her and mouthed, " _we're leaving soon_!"

The last time had been about _an hour and a half ago_! As a result, Maya was left to fend for herself all night, in a roomful of people she didn't even know, (and desperately wishing she'd gone ahead to the Gumshoes instead!) while feeling like she was an unwanted third wheel.

In spite of her misery, the spirit medium honestly found she couldn't even be entirely angry with Armstrong for acting the way he was. Unrequited love _sucked_ , she knew this firsthand, and she also understood that the man was simply acting out because he suddenly had to share Longines' affections and attentions with _somebody_ _else_ _now_ , after having had him to himself, for so long.

How could Maya possibly judge him, without seeming like a _complete hypocrite_ , when nearly 7 years ago, _she_ had been guilty of such equally abhorrent behavior herself?

 _I wanted things that I thought would never be mine and I had not yet learnt how to deal with that. Armstrong is merely a fatter, hairier, **bitchier** version of me, circa 2019, really._

On her 21st birthday at The Borscht Bowl, Maya was beyond mortified to admit that she had acted like an absolute green-eyed monster towards the unassuming Tiffany, the sexpot waitress who'd worked there. The sexy blonde had had her eye on Phoenix, and had innocently assumed that he was unattached at the time, which _technically_ , up until that night, he very well _had_ been! However, that _still_ hadn't stopped Maya from acting like a _catty, jealous, shrew_ towards the other woman for the entire night, until things between her and Phoenix had finally come to a head.

" _There_ you are!" Longines exclaimed, bursting out the side door and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I've been looking all over for you! You took off right after the clock struck midnight, and I couldn't even kiss my fiancée Happy New Year!" Leaning over, he planted a light kiss on her cheek.

"I noted that your _lips were occupied_ when the New Year was being rung in, my dear." Maya smiled faintly, planting a chaste peck on his cheek in return. "I didn't want to get in the way."

"Ugh, you _saw_ that?!" Longines groaned with embarrassment and dragged a hand down his face. "I _swear_ to you, Maya I don't know _what_ got into Jean tonight - I mean aside from over a half-dozen SUCK, BANG  & BLOW cocktails! He's _never_ acted in such a manner before - but the minute 12 o'clock hit, he just grabbed my face and _planted one right on me_ before I could do anything about it!"

"I _did_ see it," Maya admitted, her lips twisting into a wry smile. "But I can't say I even fault him too much. I tried to hint at it earlier, up in Kurain, when I said he was hitting on you and you dismissed his actions as mere Frenchman flirtatiousness. Obviously, there's more than that. He's acting out because he's desperate, and terrified about losing you."

" _Losing_ me?!" Longines gaped at her comically. "Maya _what the hell_ you talking about?!"

"Longines." Maya looked at him earnestly. "I thought you were such a bright man, yet you continue to astound me by still insisting that you are _truly this_ _blind_? Even _now_ , you're going to claim to be _wholly unawar_ e of the fact that Jean Armstrong is _madly_ , _hopelessly_ , _perilously_ in love with you?"

"Are you gonna be all silly about this, _again_?" Longines demanded, shaking his head. "Jean's just a little bit too much to drink, probably stemmed from his nerves about opening night of his restaurant, that's all. You're reading _way_ too much into this!"

"A French restaurant with a name that translates as _bittersweet!_ He essentially declared he called it that with _you_ in mind. No, I'm not being silly, dear friend." Her voice was soft. "He's _in love with you_. Trust me on this one. I can tell by the way he looks at you."

"Oh?" Longines raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And _how_ exactly does he do _that_?"

Maya closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she drew upon a distant memory from another lifetime ago, pausing for a moment to swallow back the searing pain that accompanied it before she found the ability to answer.

"The way the moon looks at the sun," she explained, her voice quivering. "Like for the first time in his life, he feels warm."

Longines stared at her, wide-eyed and completely speechless as the weight of her words sunk in.

"I _know_ that look," Maya whispered, as tears filled her eyes. "I know it, because _that's_ how _Nick_ used to look at me."

"I'm so sorry, Maya." His blue eyes were awash with sympathy as he pulled her into a tight hug. "I've been a terrible fiancé for keeping you here this long, alone with your pained thoughts, when I should have been at your side and feeding you that burger I promised you! Nevertheless, I _am_ a man of my word – let's get out of here. I'll take you to this great burgers-only diner, and then me and some other folks here are gonna check out this terrific after-hours club that has dancing till dawn…"

"You go on ahead." She shook her head. "I swear, I'm not angry at either of you for the way your assistant behaved tonight, but I'm kind of in party pooper mode tonight and I don't want to drag everyone down with me. I - I just want to go home."

" _Home_?" He looked astonished. "Maya, I don't want to go out without you…"

"I _insist_ that you do, though. It's fine, _really_." She smiled tiredly. "I'm a big girl. I'll be alright on my own."

"But you said you were going to go see your friend Gumshoe tomorrow, while picking up Luke and Pearl on the way back to Kurain? You wanting to go home tonight makes no sense! At least let me book you a hotel room down here in the city, and then you can just head over to your friend's place and pick up your daughter and go home tomorrow, instead of making a double trip for nothing."

"Longines, please, let me be." Maya put a placating hand on his arm. "Maybe I've had too much to drink tonight, or I'm just tired, but regardless, whatever it is, I know it's going to make me be really bad company tonight. I refuse to do that to you. The only thing that'll snap me out of this funk is just going home, being alone, and sleeping in _my own bed_. I'll call a cab. It's no big deal."

Seeing that she was in no mood to be argued was, the blond man sighed in resignation, then leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

"Fine, but there's no way I am letting you take a taxi all the way back to Kurain. I'm going to jump into a cab with some friends, and had to that all-night club, and then probably crash either at a hotel down here in LA, or head back to my mansion. In the meantime though, Beauregard, my limo driver is on call, and just around the corner. I called him right before I came out to see you. At least let me ensure you get home safely, if nothing else."

"Thank you," Maya replied quietly, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. "You're such a sweetheart. Your assistant is right, you know. I _am_ a lucky girl. I'll give you call tomorrow."

Fifteen minutes later, the spirit medium was sitting comfortably in the luxury limousine, headed homeward bound. She leaned her head back against the plush seat and closed her eyes.

Maya wasn't quite sure if it had been Armstrong's arduous actions that she'd witnessed that night that had triggered her overly emotional state, or if she could blame it all on the fact that it was still the holiday season, which was making her feel so nostalgic for her ex and the love they'd once shared.

Regardless of what it was, and the fact that she was now engaged to a man who actually dulled a lot of her pain, and allowed her to feel some sort of happiness again, _something_ tonight had triggered a sleeping beast within. And this cruel beast had made her feel more melancholic, and more alone, than she had in a very, very long time.

 _Loneliness eats you alive, swallowing every ounce of hope you had yet to spare. It feasts upon any happiness you have left, leaving behind empty carcass; full of despair and memories you can't seem to hold onto anymore. It takes your heart into its claws, squeezing out every bit of life you had circulating throughout your opaque veins. It craves for you to suffer a life without any warm hands embracing you, or any shoulders to go cry on. No, this beast wants you to only feel those cold fingertips tracing your soul, getting close to you, yet leaving in the end; abandoning you, once more, for this beast is something you should be afraid of, because you have no power over it._

Maya sighed as she stared out the window. Even though she'd made the conscious decision to release her ex-lover from her heart and mind on during her fateful visit to Franziska, there were still times when she missed Phoenix Wright so much, it _hurt_.

 _This_ was one of those times.

 _In French, they say **tu me manques**. It translates into "you are missing from me." Much like a limb, organ, or blood, you were a part of me. You were essential to my being. I simply cannot function without you. Not in the same way. Despite what you did to me, I cannot pretend that I'm now a cold, heartless creature when it comes to you. Of course, I still miss you. One minute you were here…and in my life for nine long years… Not just as my lover, but also as my hero, confidante, and the best friend I'd ever had in my life. Now… you're just…gone. Even if I didn't love you, even if I now actually **hated** you, I'd still miss you, Nick._

 _And for the record, I loved the fuck out of you._

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 107**

 **XenoBound**

Maya is all grown up now I'd like to think she moved beyond burgers. What do you think about making, as per the beautiful artwork of her more sophisticated self an ace attorney 6… I have are suddenly start squabbling over Ramen noodles instead? XD

As for Phoenix's development I really hope by this point, he has evolved enough to have finally " _stopped judging things based on narrow-minded cultural assumptions!"_

All step-ladder jokes aside however, the course of true love never did run smooth, but I hope you stick around for the crazy ride! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review! As always a pleasure to hear from you! :-)

 **Feraligreater328**

My darling friend and Beta, I apologize for any pained stakes in the heart that resulted from my last chapter! :p

I'm not sure if getting back together is gonna be as easy as one might think, since Phoenix is the kind of man who would put another's happiness before his own, it might be kind of hard to get back with Maya, seeing as how she is promised to another man at this point… And Apollo Justice timeline is just around the corner where unfortunately there was no Maya… And I am trying to emulate the canon somewhat… ;)

 **Yanmegaman**

At this point unfortunately, the most wonderful people in the story could not constitute as winners, least of all the main protagonist. Here's a heartbreaking thought for you: Pearl lost a father figure up at least gave her the strong arms of Luke to be consoled in; Maya had her heartbroken almost irreparably, and I at least gave her Longines to taken for spin on the dance floor and pour martinis down her throat as _her_ consolation… Nick has had… _Nobody_. That hug would probably feel really good right about now! :(

Seeing as how we all know Kristoph is perfectly capable of murdering those who he pictures as corpses, it didn't seem so far-fetched that because of his paranoia about getting caught anyone close to Phoenix would be perceived as a threat and therefore can be used as leverage to get Nick to back off!

You have no idea how much it meant to me to hear you of all people rescind your previous testimonies regarding Phoenix is torture since you were one of my readers who was most creative about methods! XD

Thank you so much for all the time and support you've given me thus far Punny Man! :-)

 **DannyDragon**

In the defense of Iris, I think it's just a case of old habits die hard… For over ten years Phoenix has been _Feenie_ and you know how habits are… They are hard to break. Nick has proven to be a wonderful and selfless human being… unfortunately Maya has _no way_ of discovering this… How will she ever find out? ;)

 _Como siempre, gracias por leer y revisar chiquita!_

 **Mr Coffee**

It is so kind of you take the extra time to correct yourself Señor Java, even though it wasn't needed I totally knew what you meant, although I am so touched to have touched your heart to the point of blurry vision! I'm _proud_ to have made some of my readers cry (bonus if they're male! Lol) with this poignant last chapter that makes me a sadist, may I be struck down now or forever hold my peace! XD

First of all, I'd like to thank you for your kind words and being my defense attorney with regards to the matter that you previously addressed in your second review, although I don't know if I am worthy of being told that I have had _saintly_ patience with regards what you praised me for. I simply choose to emphasize on my more _amazing and positive readers_ who _genuinely_ seem to _be moved by_ _and actually enjoy_ my work, as opposed to dwelling or _giving unnecessary spotlight_ to those who appear to have been more _underwhelmed_ by my work. Makes things so much easier for the sake of preserving my poor fragile artistic ego and sanity more than anything else! XD

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Phoenix kept his promise to your kitten. Apology accepted it takes a very big man to do so and I thank you for that Señor Java! Phoenix is an all-time low right now. Have you been holding out on him? He so needs the good stuff right now! Bring it on I beg of you!

While being a woman of countless virtues that make her so lovable, even canon-wise, there have been numerous examples Maya is very tenacious and stubborn, therefore I'm glad it was evident that Nick had exercised _every single option_ possible before he had to be resorted to breaking the heart of the love of his life!

As always thanks for reading!

 **Anonymous**

I'm not going to lie I had no intention of the justice for all flashbacks being as long as they were however I felt that was the game that not only showed with the dynamic shifted in Phoenix and Maya's relationship but where his relationship with Edgeworth also evolved into the incredible bromance is now is! I'm really happy that you gave Phoenix the benefit of the doubt – you have _no idea_ what guilt I was feeling to have made my beloved readers see this incredible iconic character as _an asshat_ because of my story! XD

 _"Although I admit I was a little annoyed at the fact that a lot of the chapters from the breakup to get to this one was essentially a re-hash of the games, it was necessary in order to portray all the emotions Phoenix feels in this chapter accurately."_

Furthermore, dear reader, it means a lot to me that you also were astute enough to see the reason why the flashbacks were there in the first place! Indeed, it was to show that this is not a man who sacrificed everything for girl he was with for five minutes. but for someone that he had known for a _decade_ , _loved for the majority of it_ , and who was the greatest, most loyal friend he'd ever had before any of that even began!

It was a pleasure hearing from you, I hope I do so again, and thank you so much for reading! :-)

 **chloemcg**

Do not worry milady, about being a meanie to him. You and about 99% of my other readers thought Nick was a d*ck… Now that he's been redeemed in the eyes of my beloved readers there is still the tragic lingering aspect of the fact that Maya has _no idea_ just _how much_ he loved her when he had to break her heart! Speaking of Maya she is so beautiful in the new game artwork!

Yeah please get Apollo away from that sick of a bitch Matt Engarde! That man has more issues than a newsstand! XD

Stab Kristoph? Yay! _In the crotch?_ *smiles hopefully* Or perhaps save that for Matt, the rapist bastard! Grrr….

Girl you know I adore your work and you as a reader…but unfortunately, I'm sorry to say that at this point, I cannot commit to any other projects, as I want to get TE done this year and still have a several other projects I'm collaborating as well. Please still love me!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I'm so happy you're finally caught up bud! I know you went silent there for a while but I can genuinely tell you that was a review worth waiting for! :-)

There have been only two chapters in this entire story, which have actually depressed ME in the act of writing them. The first one was suggested by my beta reader, I think it was chapter 78, called _Unbreak My Heart_ depicting Pearl's reaction to the breakup, and this one here, _King of Pain._ Therefore _,_ I hope it's not really mean to say that since I somewhat depressed myself writing this chapter it means a lot to know if my readers were actually able to _empathize_ with both Maya and Phoenix's pain? There's something I feel that's extra heartbreaking about a grown man crying, especially one that's already been through so much, canon-wise, you know?

Maya finding out the truth is definitely not going to be easy, seeing as how she is engaged to be married to a man she sees as her best friend. You're absolutely right, I try to keep my characters as virtuous as the games do, so no she would _not_ be the type to cheat on Longines, even if the same passionate love she felt for Phoenix is not there in this relationship comparatively.

I genuinely do think Nick does have a soft spot for Iris, and probably has forgiven her. The character Iris is possibly one of the more controversial ones in ace attorney. I find most people either love her or hate her – there isn't really a whole lot of in between! (Although if you have ever read my other reader reviews most of them seem to veer towards the latter!) I personally don't really have too much of an issue with her – I just didn't think for this particular story she would've been the best match for Phoenix. While she did deceive Nick I do get that she did it to protect him, and it still takes a pretty big person who knows that the person they love doesn't love them back in the same way, still love them enough to help them out because it's the right thing to do. She's got an additional tragedy angle as well aside from the pain of knowing that her feelings are no longer requited, her bond with her half-sister is possibly irreparably damaged, since Pearl still hates her guts for thinking that she was actual reason that Phoenix left Maya!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and give me such a thoughtful and thorough review dear friend it means so much you've no idea.

 **Ilet Moratar**

Can I tell you how much it really stinks keeping secrets from your friends? I know you had your suspicions about Phoenix is sudden motives for leaving Maya for a woman that you yourself referred to _as a slug,_ and I give you kudos for your astuteness and instincts, but I hope you can forgive me for neither confirming nor denying them! And you happy you are able to trust your instincts about good old Nick? :-)

 _"Sometimes it seems like a Sade character, those souls who are innocent and good spend the greatest hardship."_

Very eloquently put. That same passiveness and Mary Sue sweetness which makes Iris not necessarily likable by a lot of people, is the exact same kindness however which I felt would result in her being agreeable to helping Phoenix out of his situation, even if it cost her the hatred of her half-sister and even Maya herself. Indeed, she has done a very selfless good deed because of how much she loves Nick, and I do want to do my best to ensure that her kindness does not go completely unrewarded.

 **Chapter 106**

 **chloemcg**

I cannot wait until your next chapter! What a cliffhanger! :-)

The concept of Longines Beaugosse being related to Florent L'Belle is absolutely hilarious! And yes Longines is a great guy who at press time is set to marry Maya… He's been through enough already what was being suddenly orphaned not so long ago and being manipulated by Mildew… And he generally does have a kind heart and I do my very best to ensure it doesn't get smashed like glass, and I also want to let you know how endeared I am by how much you care about an OC. Like I said before in a cast of amazing can in ace attorney characters it's really hard to make readers give a whooping funt about your own so thank you!

First of all, keep writing and _finish that story_! You are an excellent writer and I have no critiques to make of your work in the least! It was still a very happy day in my life to find out that someone whose work I have long since been enjoying as a reader, was now reading mine! Nothing is more maddening than getting invested in a great story only to find out that it's been dropped! (see my profile pet peeves!)

With regards to reviews, I have asked myself the same question every day, about how I am so blessed to have the most amazeballs, supportive and interactive readers in the entire fandom be reading _my story_ out of the now, _seven thousand_ Phoenix Wright fanfictions written on this site alone! I'm not sure I have an accurate or even good answer to your question but I will try nevertheless.

I find that people genuinely like to be acknowledged for their opinions – I know that your PM feature is disabled for your own reasons, but it does potentially make it hard for your more shy readers who don't feel comfortable publicly posting their opinions to leave their thoughts on your absolutely wonderful stories.

However, I think perhaps responding to your reviewers in the same manner that myself and other writers do (to be fair not everyone goes into as much detail as I do; I'm just a very chatty and very wordy person! LOL!) but even a few short simple sentences perhaps as I do? Yes, I understand it is time-consuming, but I feel it is a worthwhile investment to do so, with simply doing an individual reply to each reviewer (great for anonymous readers by the way!), either at the beginning or end of your chapters. I think it would help your readers have an enhanced interactive experience with you as a writer, and also feel appreciated, especially as you and I both know as writers (this story notwithstanding!) reviews are more _rare than unicorns_! :)

 **Yanmegaman**

Of course Kristoph would've threatened Maya, he tried to kill a young girl via now polish after all! He is a _completely irredeemable son of a bitch_ who I also will always despise for what he did to Nick –and for the _stupidest reason on earth_ – just because he's a sore loser!? Kristoph is the byproduct of kids sports teams that give you trophies just for participating! Maybe if he had learned how to take a loss earlier in life… And maybe if he'd heard the word no more often in his life he would've taken Zak's rejections so to heart?! Grrrr!

 **DannyDragon**

You know it's really interesting is the song literally is a creepy stalker song, but because Sting has this beautiful breezy voice is often misconstrued as some sort of love song something which the singer has repeatedly said he is horrified by! LOL

That being said… _Every Breath You Take_ is still a timeless and awesome tune and I _love love love_ your taste in music! Kristoph actually outranks Dahlia for me on the hate scale, because while she did screw up Phoenix big time, in the end _el gringo loco_ still stole seven years of my favorite character's life… _bastardo_!

 **Forgreatcoffee**

 _"It's Official. Kristoph is the creepiest person on the planet. He's worse than Sal Manella and "Doctor" Hotti combined. I get shivers up my spine just reading this."_

Thank you so much Señor Java for that delightful mental combination which are sure to give me nightmares now! LOL

Would you believe me if I told you that the whole purpose of those cabins that Maya had installed way earlier in the story, aside from the hilarity of punishing Mildew and banishing her to the outhouse trenches, was indeed for this pivotal plot point of Kristoph actually going up there to stalk her? Any man that would spend Valentine's Day weekend doing that would surely be capable of anything, hence Phoenix's swift reaction. I'm glad you approve :-)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Despicable what a _great_ word! Kristoph could easily been the star of the _despicable me_ movies. Of course he would threaten Maya, the creepy German sausage freak! Gru had absolutely nothing on this douche bag! Kristoph was the one who framed Phoenix and got him disbarred well it's never really expressly explained in Apollo Justice, I don't think – it's been a while since I played the game – it is can end that Phoenix attempted to befriend him in order to find validation for his ever present suspicions of the other man. I do believe Kristoph resorted to murdering the people that he did because they could be traced back to him, and it was that same paranoia which actually did make in stock Phoenix and anyone associated with him throughout the entire game, which is canon. The Maya part of course was not but it wasn't that farfetched as you will hopefully soon see!

For those who are not familiar with the song _the hardest thing_ by 98° I have posted them below and I wholeheartedly agree that these lyrics also would've been pretty fitting during that breakup. You have no idea how much it pleases me that I am not the only one who draws inspiration from musical lyrics. :-)

 _It's the hardest thing  
I'll ever have to do  
To look you in the eye  
And tell you I don't love you  
It's the hardest thing  
I'll ever have to lie  
To show no emotion  
When you start to cry  
I can't let you see  
What you mean to me  
When my hands are tied  
And my heart's not free  
We're not meant to be  
It's the hardest thing  
I'll ever have to do  
To turn around and walk away  
Pretending I don't love you_

 **Ilet Moratar**

I have to give credit for Capcom for giving me such an incredible evil and chilling villain to work with and expand on with Kristoph, although I'm very pleased that you like the way I have written him so thank you :-)

There wasn't a whole lot of extra work I needed to do to make it believable that the same man, who framed such a universally beloved icon and made him lose his badge, could also be the same man who was enough of a murderous bastard already that would threaten the innocent and unsuspecting Maya.

In the end connected proved to be smarter than Kristoph whose downfall was actually his narcissism not only by underestimating the creature that will always rise from its own ashes, buffer underestimating his own apprentice because Apollo justice was a WAY more brilliant lawyer then that creepy German sausage will ever be! Imagine being taken down by your own protégé! Phoenix only got the last laugh did he not? XD

 **Chapter 105**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

You totally hit the nail on the head! I mentioned Gavin throughout the story but then I suddenly stopped without warning… so a lot of my readers did seem to forget about Phoenix is earlier paranoia regarding the German man that had been there for quite some time. Nevertheless, there was obviously a reason that he made Maya dress up in a blonde wig and still sneak around with him while they were hooking up at the love shack!

There was nothing but selflessness when Phoenix had to let the love of his life go in order to save her life. He was not being paranoid despite him trying to convince himself all this time that he was because we get to Apollo justice you'll find Kristoph is perfectly capable of committing murder without blinking twice; it is actually very chilling indeed.

I'm happy you liked my portrayal of Trucy there's not a whole lot of good fanfics with her so I had to kind of use my own imagination to expand on her character. But the way I look at it is she's this great kid who's already lost one father and all the sudden sees her new one withdrawn from her and then disappears without warning… At this point the character would've only been fourteen so of course she would've panicked, poor thing! My intention was never to portray Nick as a bad father just a brokenhearted man, and he will not have too many more bad daddy moments in the story. At least not by _my_ own creation. However, a lot of people might tell you that his fatherhood capabilities were questionable during Apollo Justice, as he let his underage daughter run around with this twenty something year old guy whom she'd _just met_ while Phoenix disappeared to God knows where! XD

I'm glad my male readers can openly admit that the concept of Phoenix _breaking wind_ and essentially _blowing it_ with Tiffany consequently was as hilarious as I hoped it to be! LOL

I admit this was probably a big blow to her ego, but ultimately had she slept with them we all know he would've been thinking of Maya the whole time. And she's not a bad person so I thought she deserved better than that.

The key thing was I knew the next couple of chapters were going to be very emotional side did try to put a little bit of comedic edge there to give the reader some tension relief before the big reveal, with you at least, am glad to see I succeeded! :-)

 **Chapter 104**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Longines and Maya do actually love each other, and are best friends, but it's not the same kind of breathless and passionate love that Phoenix and Maya had at all. It was _totally_ a geek worthy proposal, which I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing. I guess she figures he can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with, even if it is platonic.

Roll in the hay?! Gah! Hell to the no! Luke was trained by the greatest gentlemen in all of video games, Sir Professor Layton! The good professor's trainings would probably make Luke and ensure they onto both their virginity cards until they are married because those two are just too pure for this otherwise horrible world, and they were my symbol that there can be a romance and true love, without necessarily needing to emphasize in the physical. Hence the puppy Feyt as the immaculate offspring of their love! XD

Luke and Pearl are a Disney romance they are _supposed to be sappy_ it's purity and innocence personified you're lucky I didn't make them start singing _love is an open door_ from Frozen! LOL

 **Chapter 103**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr**

Of course Phoenix loves her to death how can you _not_ love this sweetheart? :)

Trucy is a fantastic and very underrated character, and now that she's older and is a teenager in the story, I'm definitely going to try to give her more opportunities to shine; in this case she was the scene stealer in the chapter however unintentional! I remember what it's like having teenage hormones erupt within you and it feels like everything is happening at once, even though she's portrayed as happy-go-lucky in the games, I can't imagine that living a life with Phoenix while he was in Apollo Justice brooding mode could've been fun for her all the time. And kids can be cruel, I often wondered if she ever got teased by her peers for being a magician or for being a disbarred attorney's daughter. She does seem to prefer hanging out with the attorneys rather than her own school friends and although in dual destinies of kind of happy to see that she actually had a friend her own age when the character of Jinxie was introduced.

I swear, I'm not laughing at your emotions but you're expressing but I was cracking up at the _bad Phoenix!_ Technically Phoenix is a dog as Manfred van Karma said that his granddaughter had a dog named Phoenix… Therefore I dated name Franziska's niece's dog the same name! XD

As for the _human_ Phoenix being of the canine species… keep reading let me know if you still have that diagnosis….

 **Chapter 102**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr**

I hope you kick butt on those exams sweet girl! Better late than never your reviews are _always_ worth waiting for! You always manage to read him between the lines and pick up on every emotion I'm trying to convey even if I don't explicitly say it! I absolutely love that about you! I am also an enormous fan of the Phoenix and Miles bromance myself and their scene in this chapter was probably my favorite to write! :-)

I'm really happy that Maya's pain at the funeral was evident underneath her attempted stony hauteur and my readers seem to understand that this was one rare example where Miles could actually relate to her in a way Phoenix cannot, without being accused of trying to pair the two of _them_ together! Perish the thought!

The man is _truly_ the last one to know! April 2019 post trials and tribulation was when I decided to get Phoenix and Maya together in my story so this funeral was about two months before he finally pulled his head out of his rear end and told her what the entire world seem to already know! I've always wondered about the roots of fans like me and yourself who are such shippers of this pairing… I think my own personal Phaya love stems from the fact that canon wise, they were best friends before anything else and I personally can't think of too many things more romantic than falling in love with the person that knows you better than anybody don't you agree? :-)

It seems Phoenix's subconscious is try to tell him something… When you find out what it is I would love to hear your thoughts. ;)


	109. Shape of My Heart

_"If someone punches you in the stomach, it'll hurt whether you were expecting it or not. So if the person you love stops loving you back, you're going to feel the blow even if you saw it coming."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: I'm back to updating 2-3 times a week now! Yay! It's 2026 - AJ SL year! Look for two of the character's to appear in Friday's chapter!_

I'm going to now address something that quite a few of my readers have asked me, which is whether or not my story entitled _Double DILF Doodies_ is the epilogue to _Turnabout Everlasting._

 **In short, the answer is** **_no_**.

Much like _Filling the Void_ and my soon to be resumed, _Crossfire, DDD_ is **100% a standalone story** , and any parallels that you notice should not be taken as any indication as to the outcome of _this_ story.

For those who've not read it, _DDD_ is a very different story altogether from this crazy train angst-fest, (it's not for everyone but I do hope it's good for a laugh!) and my first effort at a story that was 100% lighthearted comedy. However, it was written as a birthday gift to a very good friend of mine on this site, **Ilet Moratar** , who loves the heck out Franziska and Miles even more than I do Nick and Maya! **_The whole story concept and ideas of DDD were fulfilled as requested by my friend, as were the pairings in that story._**

 **Therefore _,_ yes, there is some overlap of OC's and TE crossover references/Easter eggs that I threw in for the sake of amusement to my very loyal readers of _this_ story. ** It was never meant to be spoilers for this tale at all – more of an _insider_ sort of a thank you to them (because if you hadn't read TE, the references, while still funny, would have gone over the reader's head!) I am very aware that TE is a very lengthy read and following it requires a lengthy, but I hope worthwhile time investment to make.

 ** _And I love you all for it!_**

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program! :)

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Nine: Shape of My Heart**

 ** _Phoenix Wright_**  
 _The Borscht Bowl Club_  
January 1, 2026 7:30 PM

Running a hand abashedly over his chin, Phoenix winced inwardly at the protruding bristles scraping over his fingertips. He couldn't remember the last time he'd shaved – sometime _last year_ , probably. He smiled grimly at his self-directed attempt at drollness.

He'd figured that his appearance wouldn't matter much that evening, as he'd thought it would be a dead night at the bar. His rationale had been that everyone would still be so hungover from the previous night's New Year's Eve festivities, they simply wouldn't have enough energy to leave the house the next day, and add more _hair of the dog_ to their systems.

Turned out, he was wrong. Well, it certainly wouldn't be the first time.

The joint was completely, ass-to-elbow jam-packed. He couldn't even see the back wall of the room among the sea of laughing, cheering heads. It was just as well. If he couldn't see _spaces_ , he wouldn't be focusing on _faces_. This meant Phoenix could just lose himself into this particular piece he'd long been perfecting, rather than reflecting that a fresh year had been rung in, and yet absolutely nothing was new or improved in the desolate, abysmal, hollow shell that was otherwise known as his general existence.

The bond he had shared with Maya had been like a bridge out of his fortressed mind, it allowed him to set foot outside its protective compound and explore the sun-warmed grass on the other side. Now she had gone, and the bridge had been severed. Now, no matter how many people surrounded him, even in a crowded bar of cheery, drunken regulars – some with questionable music tastes who were fans of his and actually _enjoyed_ his mediocre pianist performances – he still felt inconsolably desolate, empty and alone.

 _Love is just a dilemma people tend to believe in. I have observed that people use this term to actually cover up their actual concern. Loneliness is what you get out of it; it makes your life miserable, breaks your heart into thousand pieces and still each broken part of your heart misses her like your heart missed her as whole. It keeps you obsessed with her, you just miss her face, her eyes, her smile, her scent, all the time knowing that you are never going to get her again. Life becomes vulnerable as you are enslaved by her thoughts, you try to be normal but you just can't. Each and every thing seems meaningless, at starting everything looks_  
 _extraordinary and ecstatic but at the end you are left with nothing except agony and emptiness._

Phoenix had never felt more bleak or lonesome in his entire life. If his old friends had all simply been physically far away, like Edgeworth (whom he hadn't heard a peep from in nearly a year now) he could have overcome it with technology. However, since the breakup, and his consequential emotional distance, he'd sensed it was now too late to go back to them – to have to deal with his angry, antagonistic, forsaken point of view on life. That was why he'd opted not to go to Gumshoe's party last night and just gone home to wallow after work. He couldn't face seeing them after having pushed them away for so long. No doubt they also blamed him for the deterioration of the relationship with Maya, and now, the chasm between them was simply too devastating to be bridged. It yawned ever wider with each passing day until he knew finally, there was no going back and he would be an outcast for the rest of his days.

Phoenix gave his head a firm shake. He refused to let himself continue down this downward spiraling train of thought. He would not allow himself to wallow self-pity, in spite of the fact that for the most part, his world was full of shadows and gloom.

After all, he still had his darling Trucy, who still managed to light up his otherwise dark world, and who was the sole reason that the ever-present glass bottle resting atop the piano bench was nothing stronger than grape juice. He'd learned Christmas Eve that _very bad things_ tended to happen when he drank anything stronger.

The pianist uncapped the bottle resting at his side (Tyler seemed to have had pity on his sorry ass since his moving Bon Jovi performance and was back to slipping him freebies), and took a long swing from it, hoping to drown his sorrows into its sweet taste.

His daughter was the motivation for him not having gone over the edge, into the alcohol-soaked dark side of the abyss, never to return. Hell, Trucy was the sole reason he hadn't gone and _offed himself_ after his final breakup with the love of his life.

Maya Fey. His first source of light.

He recalled the sorrow of their first meeting, both of them mutually shattered at the shock and grief of finding Mia's body. In one of the worst moments of his life, as he'd gazed into those pained, red, tear-rimmed eyes staring back at him, instinctively, even then, he'd somehow known that the inconsolable, grieving devastation on her visage, despite still being a stranger to him, matched exactly not only what was on his face, but also within his heart. From the darkness of losing Mia…he'd forged this incomparable, impenetrable bond with Maya Fey, connecting them in some otherworldly way, right from the very start. There was so much more to Maya than Phoenix Wright ever knew – he had been determined to discover every single part of the real person hidden at the bottom of her soul. It was the dawn of the person he had been; the person he'd thought was destined to be. She had made him realize what true love, selflessness, and sacrifice truly were.

 _She had made him want to be a better man._

Then along had come his daughter when he'd been at his darkest hour, adding her own wonderful beacon of light to his life.

How lucky he'd been to have not only had the loving Trucy, but Maya right there too, enduring his personal hell right with him, all the while dealing with her own. Together, they had braved the odds, and side by side, they both had survived, even if their hearts bore scars that would never fade. In the end, he had realized that with her beside him, nothing could ever go wrong. With Maya having his back, and vice versa, they could face anything.

In hindsight, he could see how despite the loss of his badge, how blessed he'd been to have had two great loves of his life to help see him through, even though fate hadn't allowed them to come and shine together.

Not even a burning bridge stopped him from trying to save her, rescue her, to try to bring her back to safety. He had almost died that day, but he had done it for her, and he would never regret it. Even back then, he'd known he would have done anything to keep her safe, because she'd meant that much to him. He would have done anything to keep her alive, to keep her by his side and maintain that otherworldly, unbreakable connection they'd forged. That connection which had since brightened up his whole world, like a warm, comforting light he'd always carried him through his life and given him continued strength in all adversity.

Against all odds, Maya Fey had remained by his side. He'd thought nothing could ever take her away from him.

Unfortunately, cruel destiny had decided once more to prove him wrong, and send something against them that would finally be their undoing.

When Phoenix had presented that diary page to the court, he hadn't realized that it would decide his future and change his life forever; hadn't known that it was going to cost him the most important person in his life.

He never could have fathomed that after all they had endured together, a mere little piece of paper would cruelly snatch her from his arms, and that a pitiful excuse for a man – an evil, diabolical, madman, would be what severed the unbreakable tie and put the final nail in the coffin, sealing his fate.

 _Kristoph Gavin._

The name would forever burn like an eternal curse in his ears.

Because of that monster, where there had once been dual pinnacles of brightness in his life, now Phoenix only had one.

His Trucy. His sole remaining source of light, which somehow, still shined on brightly through the haze, like a lighthouse in the distant skyline.

He'd given his daughter the night off from sidekick poker shark duty. Nobody would be in the right frame of mind to be playing poker that night. At 15, Trucy was old enough to stay home by herself, but had remained at Gumshoe and Maggey's since the night before, along with his ex's cousin and her boyfriend. Although Pearl's visits to the city to see his daughter had dwindled down to near non-existence since he and Maya's breakup last spring, he was glad that the two teens were still in touch. Phoenix was grateful that the demise of his own relationship hadn't affected that of his daughter, and the young girl he would always love as much as his own. However, on the rare instances he knew Pearl might have been dropping by to see Trucy, either for a visit or en route to visit the Gumshoes, he'd found himself making excuses to quickly make himself scarce, lest he be victim to a sharp slap or pointed choice of words for breaking her cousin's heart.

Phoenix's current state of mind possibly wasn't in peak form for piano playing, but he figured having played the song infinite times, he could reproduce it by habitual automatic memory.

 _It's the routine procedure_ , he reminded himself, feeling the cold air from the underground room beginning to hit the bare skin on his face and hands like shards of ice. _It's for the paycheck; it's for Trucy._

Seven years ago, in another lifetime, a young defense attorney, desperate to declare his affections to the woman he loved, had made a last-ditch, courageous effort to prove his ardor with a certain song. He'd impulsively overthrown Willie Effastop, the unsuspecting pianist in a bar, and taken over the ivories to play a song of his own creation, to the tune of "Grenade" by Bruno Mars, and sung about how he would break every law for her. That final attempted hurrah had been the only way to convince her how much she'd meant to him. At the time, the customers at the tavern had applauded and hailed him for the romantic gesture of his supposed wondrous singing.

None of the cheering crowd that night could have ever foreseen, in a million years, that _not even a month later,_ that acclaimed performer would one day be forced to show off his lackluster piano skills, _in that same bar_ , yet again. Except this time, for _profit_ instead of _play_. And not as a passionate performer, but as a disgraced former defense attorney. A pathetic, nearly unrecognizable has-been.

There had only been one point in his life that the piano _publicly_ hadn't been a despised task that represented all that he'd had and lost, and that had been the one time he'd played it for Maya.

He wished like hell she could be there now, but he knew that was an impossible dream. If the fiendish German were to know about Maya having any kind of contact with him, she would have been in danger, he couldn't have ever risked that. As a result, he'd had no choice but to make the gut-wrenching decision to forcibly eject her from his life forever.

 _Damn you, Kristoph._

How easily he could still visualize her, as though she were actually there. He could picture her standing before him, looking into his eyes, lifting her hand up to his face, soft, cool fingertips tracing up the shape of his lips, up the length of his nose and to his eyelids. Then her fingers brushed his cheek and cradled it with her palm.

 _Nick_ , he heard her say.

Her touch . . . it felt so real. It was almost as if he could physically feel her skin against his. It was just like the previous night, in his room, where he could have sworn that she was there.

 _Nick, Nick, Nick . . . I've missed you so much._

The sound of her voice rang true to his ears.

 _It's so real,_ he thought in wonder, staring at her beautiful face.

Tentatively, he reached up to touch her cheeks. His rough fingers caressed her face, treating her like a delicate, porcelain doll. Soon, chapped lips replaced rough fingers and his hands ran up her spine, caressing her with tantalizingly slowness. He smirked when he felt her delighted shiver and her hands roaming up his back to his biceps, gripping tightly.

 _Nick_ , he heard her murmur.

"Maya," he whispered back to his hallucination, his lips brushing her forehead.

Phoenix moved his hands down to her waist, pulling her close to him, her chest pressed tightly against his own. He loved the feeling of her heart beating against his.

" _Nick_." Her voice broke as she grabbed his hoodie tighter and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

She stretched up on her toes, her lips brushing his ear, making him shudder.

 _I love you_ , he heard her say in his mind, her voice echoing softly into his head. It still sounded so clear to him, as if she were actually there. _I loved you then, I love you still. Always have. Always will._

"Maya," he whispered softly, savoring the feel of her name on his tongue. How he missed that as well. His mind was where she continued to haunt him, where she made her pleasurable jaunts. Where he could still tell her, over and over again, how much he still loved her. How he never had, nor ever would stop, until the day he drew his last breath.

 _I like to think back when the tender breath we shared was all but my own. What a stale mist it is within my mouth nowadays. You flourished in life with such a young heart. There was nothing ever to be changed. You had figured your heart long before I could ever set my own. I knew from the moment I met you my life would become a blur. No longer would I be able to count the days that I wasn't happy. You would become my beacon, my love, my laughter, my **life**. How I long for your lips, your vanilla-sweet scent, the teasing chime of your laughter, the gentle breath of sweet nothings in my ear. If only you knew how simply broken I am without you._

Christ, how he missed his Maya.

 _Maya. Maya. Maya_. Her name ran through his thoughts, as unforgettable to him as she was. He saw her in his mind's eye, giggling, whispering his name, and beckoning him to reach her.

However, he never, ever could. It was only a figment of his imagination.

 _Because she's promised to belong to another man now. Here's the inescapable truth – she's moved on, so I had to tell everyone that I was over it, as well. But it ended up being the worst decision I ever made, because then I couldn't even get to talk about missing her. About how when I coerced her to leave me, she took away the very heart of me._

Phoenix fervently hoped nobody would challenge him at cards tonight. Trucy's absence notwithstanding, in his current melancholic state, he knew he would undoubtedly lose, which would result in bidding _sayonara_ to his perfect undefeated winning poker streak, and consequently, saying _hello unemployment line_!

 _Wouldn't that just be the ultimate **kick you in the crotch, spit on your neck fantastic** way to kick off the New Year!_

After seven years, the tune to "I Would Break Every Law for You," otherwise known as "Grenade" was forever seared into his skull, but he only played the piano cover of the song, and he rarely sang along to it. However, sometimes, if he was in decent spirits, and a few consumer bucks accompanied the request for the song, Phoenix would concede and sing the Bruno Mars version. Nevertheless, n _ever, ever_ again did he sing his personalized lyrics, despite the repeated cajoling requests and the tempting dollars waved at him.

Gritting his teeth, Phoenix began to play the familiar song, but somehow _still_ managed to screw up the first few opening bars. He bit back the stream of curses threatening to erupt.

He blamed nobody but himself. The holidays always left him gloomier than usual, because they reminded him of _her_. Consequently, his entire game was off, and he couldn't even get it together enough to play the tune of the very song he'd started out his pianist 'career' with! And _sing_? The _one thing_ which normally distracted the crowd from his second-rate piano playing? _Tonight_? _Forget it!_

Phoenix's shaky fingers made yet another sharp, off-key blunder, and this time, the messing up of the notes resulted in some of the cruelly unforgiving drunken patrons actually jeering at him.

 _The hell with it all_ , he thought angrily, burying the heels of his hands in his eyes.

In resigned desperation, Phoenix pounded out another song. He hadn't practiced this one as much, and he winced as his fingers hit a beginning off-key note, which he hoped nobody had noticed. In his tormented condition, he wouldn't be able to withstand another chorus of boos.

Some things were set in stone, whether you liked it or not, and the fact withstood that Phoenix Wright was a better poker player than he was a singer, and a better singer than a piano player, even though there were _actually_ some nights when he didn't have to resort to singing to obscure his lack of pianist skills.

Unfortunately, this was not one of them. He had no choice. He _had_ to sing.

The accompanying lyrics were disturbingly revealing, but he knew Kristoph was away in Germany for the holidays until the next day.

 ** _He deals the cards as a meditation_**  
 ** _And those he plays never suspect_ **  
**_He doesn't play for the money he wins_ **  
**_He don't play for respect_**

 ** _He deals the cards to find the answer_**  
 ** _The sacred geometry of chance_ **  
**_The hidden law of a probable outcome_ **  
**_The numbers lead a dance_**

 ** _I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier_**  
 ** _I know that the clubs are weapons of war_ **  
**_I know that diamonds mean money for this art_ **  
**_But that's not the shape of my heart_**

 ** _He may play the Jack of diamonds_**  
 ** _He may lay the Queen of spades_ **  
**_He may conceal a King in his hand_ **  
**_While the memory of it fades_**

 ** _I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier_**  
 ** _I know that the clubs are weapons of war_ **  
**_I know that diamonds mean money for this art_ **  
**_But that's not the shape of my heart_ **  
**_That's not the shape, the shape of my heart_**

 ** _And if I told you that I loved you_**  
 ** _You'd maybe think there's something wrong_ **  
**_I'm not a man of too many faces_ **  
**_The mask I wear is one_**

 ** _But those who speak know nothing_**  
 ** _And find out to their cost_ **  
**_Like those who curse their luck in too many places_ **  
**_And those who fear a loss_**

 ** _I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier_**  
 ** _I know that the clubs are weapons of war_**  
 ** _I know that diamonds mean money for this art_**  
 ** _But that's not the shape of my heart_**  
 ** _That's not the shape of my heart_**  
 ** _That's not the shape, the shape of my heart_**

Phoenix ruefully acknowledged that he possibly wasn't as incompetent at piano as he liked to think he was; it was more of the fact that he had no aspiration to actually be a piano player, and didn't want to risk internally assuming its identity. It was a transience, a means to an end. The true Phoenix Wright's fulfillment lay elsewhere, over the horizon. So tantalizingly within sight yet so far, and still out of reach…

When the song was over, the bar burst into a smattering of applause and cheers. He smiled faintly but did not revel in the crowd's admiration. He hadn't been able to do so in seven years.

 _No matter how much I think, no matter how much I try, I can't fill this void in my heart._

"I love you, Maya," he whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears as it got lost amongst the throng of shouts and cheers. "Happy New Year."

He tugged his blue beanie down so that it shadowed his eyes, before closing them against the burning sensation behind his eyelids, unaware that across the room in the far corner, unnoticed and unseen, somebody else was doing the exact same thing.

* * *

 _ **Sting - Shape of My Heart  
**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 108**

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

Pearl is a smart little cookie and I absolutely love her! No need to apologize whatsoever for calling Longines a little bitch – although considering he hasn't done anything too horrible, except somehow be the unwilling love interest of John Armstrong, I thought that the phony Frenchman would be more deservingly fitting of that word! XD

Either way I died laughing! Thank you for that, and as always my friend from down under thank you for reading! _(I have ThePutz and you – that makes 2 POMS now!) Yay! :-)_

 **Yanmegaman**

It would take a lot to make Pearl back off but she's such a sweet girl that she loves Maya more than she hates Iris, which is really saying something considering she threatened to slap her to the moon! Poor Iris! Yes, Nick thought he had all his bases covered but he forgot about Pearl! Never underestimate that girl! Maya will never get over Phoenix and the passionate love they shared, considering _the rules of engagement_ she's agreeing to which will pour her until both a loveless and sexless marriage. What would her little girl say if she knew about these stipulations? Probably cry herself to sleep – there goes the last of her fairytale ideals :(

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I am so happy my attempted humor with Armstrong came across! I was laughing myself silly writing that part for Luke used Pearl as a human estrogen shield! XD

"Nobody's THAT gay!"

 _Not coincidentally right after… Enter the Armstrong… Who is gayer than a stack of strawberry flapjacks and a tree full of parrots combined! LOL_

Pearl is a very bright girl, but she's also very inexperienced in ways of the world whereas Luke really is not if you have followed the professor Layton series – this is another reason I think he is so good for her. I'm very happy that you support Luke telling her to keep her mouth shut I really do think that was probably the best course of action and I would've hated to my readers hate the adorable Englishman for what he thought was good advice – also as you saw – he suffered enough lifelong trauma at the hands of the freakishly gaudy Armstrong! XD

I think you're pretty accurate but Maya's happiness being a façade you know the whole if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with? She's trying really hard to do that, is even willing to marry her best friend and live like a nun in order to keep up with that façade. Yes we can thank Mildew for this, sadly.

Unfortunately her and Longines do not have even the kind of love that Pearl and Luke do – while their Disney romance is also not a physical one, is still very much a real one, and while I know you once mentioned they were a tad sappy, I'm happy you converted over to liking the Feyt train and appreciate Luke being such a gentleman, as you are one too. :-)

 **chloemcg**

Thank you so much for being understanding sweet girl! No need to apologize I'm delighted to still have you as a reader and you will always be one of my favorite writers! By the way if I did have a couple of suggestive notes about giving birth scene - how would one give them to you?

Poor Pearl is a dealing with teenage angst isn't bad enough she was sitting on that bubbling cauldron for all this time! Isn't it great that she's got a levelheaded compassionate boyfriend? These two are so perfect for one another – she is more of a dreamer and he is more realist but they just balance each other out so well!

Maya… Has somehow wind up in the world's most hilarious triangle of the clueless fiancé and the bitchy sidekick pining for him! LOL. I actually had to look up that Alpha and Omega reference but I can see it being a very fitting comparison indeed!

I cannot wait for your next chapter and I'm so delighted that Phoenix's gonna keep on being a bad ass even in advanced age!


	110. Tell Me Lies

" _Even if I'm clinging onto you out of hypocrisy and obsession, I can't let you go. You've never been your whole self with me. I thought things will get better if I can just hold onto your empty glances but there's no room for me in your heart."  
_

* * *

 _A/N:_ _The mystery about who was secretly listening to Nick's heart wrenching song last chapter is revealed... Let me know how many of you guessed it right! :)  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Ten:** **Tell Me Lies** **  
**

 _ **Maya Fey**_  
 _The Borscht Bowl Club  
_ January 1, 2026 _,_ 7:25 PM

After spending the previous, mostly sleepless night tossing and turning, while wallowing in memories of old before finally snatching a few hours of sleep, Maya felt like 2026 had already started out sucking harder than a Hoover. She'd dragged her feet the entire day around Fey Manor, accidentally-on-purpose waiting until early evening to catch the train down to Los Angeles to go make her promised cameo appearance at Gumshoe's place to grab Luke and Pearly.

For some reason, which, _for the life of her_ , she could not explain _to anybody, including herself_ , she felt compelled to make _a certain drop-in,_ when she knew _a certain somebody_ would be working his shift at _a certain place,_ before going to see her friends.

Therefore, after suffering the majority of the previous evening as a sympathetic bystander of the actions stemming from unrequited love, Maya truly had no justifiable reason for coming to the Russian bar that night, save for the simple fact that she was possibly _a closet masochist who was a glutton for punishment_. Yet it was a fact that murderers often attended their victim's funerals, was it not? So really, was it _that_ difficult to fathom her irrepressible urge to return to back to where it had all begun?

For the rest of her life, The Borscht Bowl would always be the place she would mentally associate as the proverbial scene of the crime. It had been seven years ago, _in this very establishment_ , after all, that Phoenix Wright had first _publicly_ , then _privately_ , declared his everlasting love to her. A love which, at the time, she had naively believed, with all her heart, was unshakable, unbreakable, and bulletproof – and yet in the mother of all ironies, _he_ had been the one who'd shot her, right through the heart.

 _Shot through the heart, and you're to blame. Darling, you give love a bad name._

Maya smiled gloomily at her own wit and took a sip of her _Dead Lawyer_ drink; hell, if she was going to go nostalgia, she may as well go _full-blown_! She took a quick gander of her immediate location and surroundings, ensuring she wasn't too far from any exit doors, in the unlikely occurrence that Phoenix or, God forbid, _Iris_ , spotted her, in which case she'd be forced to make a cowardly mad dash out of there.

In an attempt to remain inconspicuously blended amongst the surprisingly busy masses that evening, the spirit medium had worn her long hair up in a nondescript topknot, and had donned on leggings with a black turtleneck cotton sweater under a dark denim jacket. Despite it being nighttime, she'd seriously contemplated wearing sunglasses inside the bar, but had vetoed the idea at the last minute. After all, despite her minor media fame as Master of Kurain, she refused to wear her sunglasses at night, as she was no Corey Hart, and had no desire to resemble some sort of desperate celebrity attempting to be incognito. Instead, she'd opted for minimal makeup and accessories instead, even forgoing the wearing of her distinctive trademark magatama, to avoid standing out.

It turned out that all of her efforts had been completely in vain, as it was so crowded in the tavern you could barely see _your own hand_ in front of your face, never mind anyone else's!

 _Oh well. At least this time, I'm properly dressed for the frigid temperature of the place!_

Maya's stop-over game plan had consisted of remaining a safely hidden distance away, downing a quick drink, and having a brief listen to Phoenix's pianist repertoire. She was admittedly curious to discover if his music skills had expanded at all since she'd last heard them.

At the time, it had seemed like a harmless enough strategy. Admittedly, even after all this time, in her highly emotional state, the actual _sight_ of her ex would _gut her_ surely. However, _hearing_ him play wouldn't be _so bad_ , would it? From what she remembered, Nick had a very nice voice, so this would be her live musical entertainment for the night; _her cultural immersion_ , if you would.

Maya was in the process of actually trying to convince herself of the validity of _this positively ridiculous explanation_ in order to justify the fact that she was presently _stalking her ex at his workplace_ , just as Phoenix began to play his next ballad.

There were a couple of breath-halting moments when she heard the first few notes of _that_ song, and her stomach, as well as her heart, gave an unexpected lurch. Of _all_ the songs, in all the world, _how_ could he play _that_ song, the _heartless bastard_? Did he possess absolutely _zero_ sense of sentiment, whatsoever? Of course, Phoenix had no clue that she was lurking in the crowd, would never expect her to be; with the exception of last night with her fiancé, this was her first trip down to LA since they'd split up. Nevertheless, even though _he_ had since moved on, it was unfathomable for her to comprehend that he could genuinely be so blasé and sing the song he'd personalized for her, _in public_ , as effortlessly and readily, as though it were Mary Had A Little Lamb!

The song continued for another few bars, and Maya clutched her glass so hard, her knuckles turned white, only relaxing when ultimately, Phoenix didn't go on to sing the accompanying lyrics. Feeling slightly foolish for her unprecedented knee-jerk response, she let out a small sigh of relief when it appeared that he'd had a change of heart, and was opting to play a different song instead.

Nonetheless, she chided herself for her momentary bout of weakness. After all, it was a _New Year_ now. As she'd lain on her sleepless bed last night, she had opted to make several resolutions, and the first one had been _to quit being such an_ _emo head case_ _about anything pertaining to Phoenix Wright_ , and thus _cease making a sobbing spectacle of herself, in public_ _ **and**_ _in private_!

These affirmations, of course, were much easier to adhere to when her ex-boyfriend wasn't _playing or singing_ the customized song with which he'd declared his love for her to, in the background!

The new melody was pleasant to hear, and Phoenix was obviously familiar with it, even though Maya wasn't. While she couldn't tell how on or off-key his singing, or playing, was to the unknown ballad, it was pleasing to the ear and didn't appear to be overly poignant.

Then her former lover began to sing. He was as golden-throated as ever; the rich, warm crooning voice that she'd so dearly loved was still present, and everything else around her seemed to fade away as she focused on the lyrics, her brow furrowed in concentration as she listened to the words.

 _ **I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier**_  
 _ **I know that the clubs are weapons of war**_  
 _ **I know that diamonds mean money for this art**_  
 _ **But that's not the shape of my heart**_  
 _ **That's not the shape, the shape of my heart**_

While it wasn't _quite_ a _love song_ … there was still something strangely… _melancholic_ about it…

 _ **And if I told you that I loved you**_  
 _ **You'd maybe think there's something wrong**_  
 _ **I'm not a man of too many faces**_  
 _ **The mask I wear is one**_

Her head jerked up upon hearing that verse, and inexplicably, tears stung her eyes. _What_ had made Phoenix chose to sing _this_ song, with its haunting melody, which could only be described as _heartrending sadness personified_? _This_ … This was nearly as bad if he had sang "I Would Break Every Law for You," if not somehow… _inexplicably_ _**worse**_!

 _ **But those who speak know nothing**_  
 _ **And find out to their cost**_  
 _ **Like those who curse their luck in too many places**_  
 _ **And those who fear a loss**_

What the hell was going on here?! Phoenix Wright was not a man who was supposed to sound so woebegone about loss! He was supposed to be a man in love – with the fortunate, fair maiden Iris, the woman whom he'd left her for! So why was she, Maya, the one who was feeling such a strong impact by these lyrics, as though he were singing them about her; as if she was the reason he 'wore a mask'? Above all, why did she suddenly feel like weeping readily and uncontrollably, until there were no more tears left inside of her?

The song ended, and Maya set down her drained glass and joined in the applause of the other enthused patrons as Phoenix finished. She closed her eyes against the stinging sensation behind them, clapping her hands so hard they nearly felt sore.

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Tiffany Pearce**_  
 _The Borscht Bowl Club  
_ January 1, 2026 _,_ 7:35 PM

"Mighty dang good crooner, ain't he?" A familiar voice drawled beside her.

With a start, the Master looked up and saw Tiffany, the statuesque, bombshell server from that fateful night all those years ago, standing next to her. The scantily clad waitress, still in the same tuxedo booty shorts and cropped ruffled blouse, was standing next to Maya, but facing towards the piano, her empty tray tucked under one tanned, toned arm as she effusively applauded.

"Um, yeah," Maya mumbled, suddenly feeling very awkward and extremely plain in the scantily clad buxom beauty's presence. She was also more than a trifle embarrassed, considering everything that had transpired between them the last time she'd seen Tiffany, none of which had been pleasant. "I'd still say that he's a better singer than pianist, though."

"Believe yew me, I've been an observer of his ivory tickling skills for quite a spell, and I gotta tell ya, that was _mighty fine playin' –_ for _him_ , anyway! – but I reckon y'all are entitled to be a music critic, even if some opinions are like assholes, in that some are just louder and smellier than others…" Tiffany finally turned her head to see whom she'd been trying to make idle chatter with, her blue eyes growing large in surprised recognition as she stared at Maya. " _Yew!_ "

Maya dropped her eyes and discreetly began inching her way towards the nearby back exit. The last thing in the world she needed right now was a scene. _Dammit_ , why hadn't she worn her camouflaging sunglasses after all?

"Um, yes, it's me. Hello, Tiffany, long time, no see." She smiled weakly, even though her insides were quivering with trepidation.

"Well I _do_ declare missy! I haven't seen ya on these here stompin' grounds in a coon's age! But my, my, my, don't I feel like hostess _without_ the mostest, seeing as how yew know my name and I can't seem to recollect _yers_ …" Tiffany droned in her Alabama accent, her pretty face screwed up in concentration as she scanned the recesses of her memory. " _Myra_ , was it?"

"It's _Maya_ , actually, but hey, close enough. I've been called _worse_! How nice to have you even come _close_ to remembering me after all this time…" Maya took another small step backwards, keeping the nervous grin plastered on her face the entire time as she did so. "Happy New Year, by the way!"

"You must be here to see Nick." Tiffany's smiling face bore absolutely no trace of any rancor whatsoever. All of a sudden, her eyes widened in alarm and she clapped a scarlet-tipped hand over her plump, glossy lips. " _Dawggonnit_! I meant _Phoenix_. I beg yer pardon!"

"It's not my place to dictate what you address him as." Maya looked at the other girl as if she had just sprung a third cantaloupe-sized boob onto her forehead. "You can call him whatever you want, Tiffany."

"Well, shut my mouth!" The waitress flashed a mega-watt smile and dramatically pretended to wipe the sweat off her brow. "The _last_ time I called him _Nick_ , yew done got _yer panties in a bunch_! And I ain't got no axe to grind with yew, so I just don't want ya flying off the handle on me again! Because I've said it before, and I will say it again, I ain't the kind of hussy to willingly go after another gal's fella, even if he _is_ still a sight for sore eyes after all this time!" She gave Maya one of her trademarked friendly winks.

"Like I said, you can call him whatever you like, Tiffany," Maya repeated dully. She forced a smile upon seeing the bewildered expression on the blonde's face. "Nick – _Phoenix_ and I, we aren't together anymore."

"Well I'll be!" Tiffany gasped, one slim hand flying to her pneumatic chest. "Talk about getting caught with yer pants down! I had _no inkling_ …dang it, _why did he lie to me then_ …?" A confused look came into her eyes as she murmured the last bit under her breath, then quickly remembered that she had an audience, and shrugged. "That makes a helluva lot of sense then _,_ really. I reckon _that's_ why _Mr_. _Formerly Devilishly Handsome_ has been looking like _10 miles of bad road_ lately!"

 _If that's true, that actually doesn't make_ _ **any**_ _sense_! Maya thought to herself. Although she had been unable to see Phoenix over the jam-packed roaring din that night, she had assumed that being with the beautiful Iris would constitute him making _some_ sort of effort with his appearance!

"His girlfriend lives kind of far away." Maya shrugged. "Mayhap he doesn't feel a need to spruce himself up on days he's not seei _ng her, I guess?"_

" _Hang on one_ _cotton' pickin' minute there_! So he _does_ have himself a _lady_ friend – just not _yew_ anymore then?! _Dang scoundrel_! That scallywag's as windy as a sack full of farts!" Tiffany now looked more _irritated_ than surprised, which confused Maya slightly. A contemplative look came over her visage. "Huh. Might be trouble in paradise for them lovebirds? How else ya done explain that sad, but sweet little ditty he just sang?"

So Maya _hadn't_ been the only have similar thoughts about the song! While evocatively beautiful, the melody had been sung with too much _genuinely_ _soulful, lamenting angst_ to be unnoticeable, but made _no sense in the least_ for a man who'd been reunited with his longtime first love!

"I _thought_ he did," she responded at last. "Have you made any _endeavors_ to ascertain knowledge of his romantic status? You know, find out if he's available?"

"Heavens to Betsy! I've put countless efforts in with that blasted man over the years, as ya very well _know_!" Tiffany scowled. "But it ain't done me no good! He's _completely immune_ to _any_ of _my_ feminine wiles…hell, there was one time I flat out asked him if he wasn't _a dang fruitcake_!"

"You _didn't_!" Maya giggled, in spite of herself. "Tell me, how did he respond?"

"He completely _denied_ _being lacy_!" The blonde's scowl deepened. "Then he told me he thought I was beautiful…but he had a soft spot for _raven-haired brunettes_."

Iris had obsidian hair the same color as Maya's. Phoenix definitely had a type, all right!

"I'm assuming he meant _women_ …" Tiffany muttered darkly, obviously still stinging from the unaccustomed rejection. It was understandable. The girl was walking _sex on stick_ , and undoubtedly had more prospects than she knew what to do with! Phoenix's refusal to her advances had probably been a major blow to her ego. She caught Maya's raised eyebrow and shrugged. "I'm just sayin."

"Say whatever you want about my ex, girl…" Maya faltered, remembering the many passionate nights she and Phoenix had shared over the years, the memories that now were making a lump form in her throat as she struggled to utter the next words. "B-but he's _not_ gay. Trust me."

 _That Iris is one lucky lady!_

Tiffany heard the quiver in Maya's voice and regarded her with unmasked sympathy.

"Still, he hasn't got the sense God gave a goose if he let a fine dame like you go!"

"Thank you, Tiffany." Maya smiled sadly. "Regardless, he broke up with me because he was in love with someone else…a _woman_. A very beautiful one."

"That takes the cake!" Tiffany exclaimed. "More purdy than _yew_?"

"She's my cousin." Maya shrugged. "I can't judge."

"Yer _cousin_? Now that just makes my ass itch! And here I thought he sang that song just now because he was all broken up about a _love lost_! That _lyin_ , _no-good, piece of Yankee slime_!" Tiffany fumed, with such endearingly loyal ferocity that had it been under any other circumstances, Maya would have cracked up. " _He's slicker'n owl shit_! That _varmint_ done left yew for _yer own kin_? If that don't beat all! I'm fixin' to give that low-down snake in the grass a piece of my mind!" She turned on her heel and started to stomp away but Maya quickly caught up with her.

"Tiffany, wait! Please don't!" She begged, placing a hand on the waitress's arm.

"Why in tarnation won't ya let me give that egg-suckin' dawg a piece of my mind?" Tiffany demanded.

"Nick, he doesn't know I'm here tonight, and I don't _want him to_! I never wanted to interfere with his relationship, or his life!" Maya cried. "He told me to go away…and I should have listened. I shouldn't even _be_ here!"

Tiffany's hostile expression softened as she looked down into the petite woman's imploring face, the sorrowful mocha eyes sparkling with unshed tears. She sighed in resignation, shook her head, and then gently patted the brunette on the shoulder.

"Cross my heart, missy, my lips are zipped, I swear it. Yer a good gal. I'll pray for yew."

"Thank you, Tiffany." Maya swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled sincerely at the woman she had misjudged so long ago. "You – you're a true _Southern Belle_ , both inside and out. I'm so sorry about my behavior all those years ago…"

"Forget about it, missy. I already have. However, I must take my leave. Tonight I'm busier than a one-armed monkey with two peckers!" With a final wink, the waitress waved the apology away and headed back into the bar area, leaving a broken but resolute Maya behind in her wake.

She wasn't going to go to Gumshoe's – at least, not _yet_. There was _one more pit stop_ she had to make first! Something was _definitely_ _amiss_ here, and she _would_ get to _the bottom of it_ , _no matter_ _ **what**_ _the consequences!_

Maya took a deep breath to steady herself, and headed to the exit door. Then she looked back forlornly over her shoulder one final time, in the general direction of the piano in the corner of the bar.

 _Happy New Year, my love.  
_

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Iris Hawthorne**_  
 _Hazakura Temple_  
January 1, 2026, 9:00 PM

The spirit medium had messaged Pearl on the cab ride back to Kurain, citing that she wasn't sure she'd be able to make it over to Gumshoe's that night, due to some last-minute important Master business that she desperately needed to tend to, immediately. Maya also advised her little girl that she and Luke were free to return to the village on their own whenever they wished, but needn't wait for her arrival.

 _Thank God, psyche locks cannot be detected over cell phone texts! I hate lying to Pearly, but what choice do I have?_

Maya didn't even bother with any trivialities or small talk as she stormed into the temple and found Iris, in her customary garments, finishing the sweeping of the main entrance. The shrine maiden looked beyond startled when she looked up and saw her cousin standing there, hands on hips, visibly fuming.

"Mystic Maya!" She gasped, her slender fingers fluttering to her parted lips. "This is most unexpected – but of course, it's wonderful to see somebody from the village besides Mystic Mildred. Happy New Year. If you've come to see Sister Bikini, I'm afraid she's already gone to bed…"

"Happy New Year to you, _cousin_." The words sounded downright venomous, even to her own ears, and Iris cringed upon hearing them.

The Kurain Master took a deep breath to steady her nerves in an attempt to calm herself. She hadn't realized just how much resentment she still harbored towards the other woman even a year later, but knew that she would not get anywhere if she walked in there with her guns blazing.

"As a matter of fact, the good Sister is not the person who I came here to see at all. It is _you_ whom I seek."

"Certainly." Iris turned and leaned the wicker broom against the stone wall and turned back with a polite but apprehensive smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I suppose I am slightly delayed in congratulating your newly free-bird self on being sprung from jail at last," Maya drawled, unable to keep the sarcasm from positively dripping off her tongue. "I imagine Nick would've been the one behind your early release?"

"Um, yes he was," Iris answered hesitantly after a brief pause. "Feenie arranged for his friend Miles to take over and put the motion into completion after he ...um, you know, was unable to do so himself. He's _so wonderful._ "

 _Ugh, I was so not prepared to hear her start gushing about my ex! Best change the subject of Nick's praises before I projectile vomit in her general direction!_

"Yes, I can certainly see why you would think so," Maya replied tightly. "I take it that means things are going pretty well for the two of you?"

"Better than I could've ever hoped," the nun responded with utmost sincerity.

 _Considering I thought he would hate me forever after what I did, and instead he has offered me his eternal friendship and unconditional trust as well as forgiveness..._

"Huh. So I guess that means you're in touch with him a lot, then?"

"Yes." Iris decided her best course of action in this not-so-subtle Spanish inquisition was to keep her replies short and sweet.

 _If you can broaden the definition of keeping in touch to mean_ _ **I**_ _call_ _ **him**_ _and Feenie calls me back whenever he can, which tends to be on a sporadic basis... but he forewarned me as much._

Maya arched an eyebrow at the unexpected brief answer, so Iris felt compelled to make an addendum.

"I mean, we're both very busy people, you know, me helping out Sister Bikini with the cabin rentals now, on top of my normal shrine temple duties, and Feenie being a single, working father and all..."

"Relax, I get it, I get it!" Maya subjected the demure woman to a piercing stare as she spoke. "We're _all_ extremely busy, but surely, he still _makes_ the time to come up and see you?"

"Actually..." Iris hedged. "I invited him and Trucy to come up for Christmas."

"I – I see." Maya faltered at this response, and the words came out sounding as flustered as she suddenly felt. "Y-You mean – _you've_ actually _met_ Trucy?"

"Yes I have." Iris smiled sweetly at the memory of the magician; oblivious of the unexpected sucker punch to the gut this revelation had caused her cousin, who _in six years,_ hadn't even had Phoenix's daughter be made _aware_ of her _existence_! "Such a delightful girl! So pretty, and smart and sweet! Feenie has been doing such a great job raising her."

Maya closed her eyes for a moment as waves of unexpected pain washed over her. She hadn't thought that this visit was going to be overall pleasant, but she also hadn't expected any of the revelations to cause her this level of angst. For all his lies and excuses, she had genuinely believed that Phoenix had had good reasons for never allowing her path to cross with his daughter's; that even after the whole mess with the social worker had died down, that he generally had been concerned for her reputation with the elders and her overall safety. But obviously, he just hadn't thought that she had been fit to be seen as the potential mother of his only child. Maya felt her heart constrict with the agony of that realization. A bullet to the chest would have hurt her less at this point.

Anxious for an excuse to look away from Iris's benign expression, she reached under her turtleneck and began fidgeting with her magatama, which she had taken out of her purse and refastened in the taxi, en route to the village. As she absently stroked the mystical gemstone with trembling fingers, she was unaware of how the glint of her pink diamond ring twinkled under the bright flames of the surrounding temple torch lamps, and caught her cousin's admiring glimpse.

"Oh, what a ring! That's just gorgeous!" Iris said warmly. "By the way, cousin, Sister Bikini told me about your engagement! She is so excited and happy for you! I believe it is my turn to wish a most heartfelt congratulations to _you_."

"Thank you." Maya replied numbly. "I'm, er, still getting used to the weight of this thing, really. Ah, _speaking of jewelry_ , is it a fair assumption that since Nick has allowed you to have met his daughter, coupled with your longtime history with him, that the topic of… _rings_ has also come up with you as well?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, the subject of rings has _definitely_ been brought up to me." Once again, Iris was telling the truth.

 _Mind you, it was with my enraged half-sister, who threatened to slap me to the moon when she told me about the_ _ **promise ring**_ _Feenie gave to you, because he was going to marry you, but that's neither here nor there._ The shrine maiden anxiously eyed her cousin's impossible-to-miss magatama. _So far so good! I haven't_ _ **lied once**_ _._

Maya's glance followed the direction of her cousin's nervous orbs, and her dark eyes narrowed suspiciously, as she reflexively curled her fingers over the glowing gemstone.

"You really love him, don't you?" She asked at last.

"I always have." Iris met her gaze unflinchingly. "I never stopped."

"Yes, well, I suppose old feelings die hard." Maya turned her head away then, unable to withstand the look of unrestricted love in those doe eyes staring back at her another moment. "I suppose he loves you too?"

"I – I'd like to think so." Iris stuck with the same response she had given her half-sister nearly a year ago to the same question. Unfortunately, the split-second hesitation in her reply caught Maya's notice, and she tilted her face back up, now wearing a look of intense scrutiny.

"You affirmed that you _have_ been in contact with him, and that you asked him to come up for Christmas," the spirit medium said slowly, never tearing her eyes from her cousin's visage. "But tell me… _did_ _Nick_ _actually_ _ **come up**_?"

Iris's eyes widened with panic as her mind frantically groped for a way to give a vague but convincing answer to such a direct question. Maya noticed, and her tone grew slightly louder and more accusing.

"Would you prefer if I asked you something that was _less ambiguous_ , Sister Iris?" She spat, her dark eyes flashing now. "If he _wasn't_ up here during the holidays, _have_ you seen Nick _recently_ , at all?"

Iris felt her heartbeat quickening and her breath coming out in shorter rasps at the look of unmistakable, contemptuous loathing in the Kurain master's eyes, which could no longer be disguised.

"It appears that I am _still_ being too vague. Would you prefer if I _spelled it out for you_ , _**dear cousin**_?" Maya took a step forward and leaned closer to the now trembling shrine maiden, so that they were nearly nose to nose, incensed dark orbs now boring into the nun's. "Have you _actually seen Phoenix Wright in person, at all_ _**since you got out of prison**_?!"

Iris's eyes filled with tears, and her lips began to tremble. She had never, ever wanted to betray Phoenix, and had always intended to keep her promise to go along with his plan. She'd even thought she had been successful with Pearl last year, but it looked as though lightning wasn't about to strike twice in the same place, with her sister's slightly more perceptive, and _marginally less volatile_ but equally as fiery, guardian.

"Maya, I – "

"Holy blast from the past! Maya baby, how long has it been?" A familiar voice suddenly crowed, as though from nowhere. "Happy New Year!"

The next thing the spirit medium knew, she was unexpectedly crushed in the arms of none other than Larry Butz!

Larry wrapped her in his arms in an effusive embrace, rocking her back and forth with the fervor of his visible delight at seeing her. It was only when Maya began to gasp from lack of air that he slightly released his hold and drew back, his huge animated eyes bright with affection.

"I don't think I have laid eyes on you since your 21st birthday!" He exclaimed, his happy goofy grin as evident as ever. "Look at you, still as pretty as a picture! How you been?"

Maya recovered from her surprise long enough to at last greet the man whom she had always felt a wry fondness for, although at this particular moment, she was mentally cursing him for his God-awful timing!

"Happy New Year, Larry," she murmured, her eyes darting back towards Iris, who was discreetly stepping away from the two of them and headed back inside the temple. Sighing with resignation, she forced a friendly smile for her ex-boyfriend's friend and gently pulled out of his suffocating hug. "It's great to see you. I guess your art tour is finally over?"

"You bet!" Maya was treated to another big goofy grin. "I'm back for good now, baby! And where's a better place to be, than the very location that first inspired my artistic pursuits?"

"Yes, where better indeed?" The Master agreed. "Well, it's been great seeing you Larry, but it's getting late, and it's a good half hour walk back to the village, so I'm going to get moving. I'll see you later. And welcome back."

With that, she turned and walked away feeling both downtrodden and chagrined about her whole venture to the temple. Iris had not appeared to be lying, this was true, but she was uncertain how things would've turned out had it not been for Larry's all too perfectly timed interruption. It could've been her imagination, but she was almost positive that Iris had been struggling for a way to worm her way out of replying to the most important question of all, which had been the last time she had set eyes on Phoenix in the flesh.

 _Oh well. This was probably a big mistake. I don't know what I was thinking. What does it matter anymore, anyway?  
_

* * *

 ** _Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne_**  
 _Hazakura Temple_  
January 1, 2026, 9:20 PM

The minute he had ascertained Maya was out of sight, Larry ran back up the steps of the temple and cupped his hands around his mouth as he directed his shout towards the inner entrance.

"Hey, Iris! The coast is clear! You can come out now!"

Iris cast a furtive glance around as she timidly stepped back outside.

"She's finally gone!" The nun observed, heaving an enormous sigh of relief, before flashing a grateful smile at the artist. "Oh thank heavens! I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up at that moment Laurice! I owe you one!"

"I returned from Gumshoe's not too long ago, then I came up here to see you, not knowing you'd have company, so I admit, I kind of hung back in the shadows and was listening to you two for a bit. I didn't want to interrupt," Larry confessed, blushing slightly at having been eavesdropping. "I just chose that exact moment to make my presence known, because it seemed like things were getting pretty intense between the two of you!"

"How much did you hear?" Iris stared at the ground, her own cheeks reddening.

"Enough to know that Maya still hates your guts and holds you responsible for her breakup with Nick." Larry jammed his hands in his pockets, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "I mean, I don't know what to say about that… She's _engaged_ now! _Yeesh_! I'd have thought she would've gotten past it by now but I guess she's still holding onto that grudge…"

"Please, Laurice, don't say anything more," Iris pleaded, looking at him beseechingly. "I cannot bear to hear any sort of disparagement about my cousin. She and Feenie were together for very long time. I can understand her still being upset, engaged or not." She raised limpid eyes to meet compassionate brown ones. "I - I know better than anybody that regardless of how much time passes, Feenie is not an easy man to get over."

"Yeah, Nick's a lucky man to have such loyal devotion," Larry mumbled, not looking at her now. "Anyway, I just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year, Iris, and let you know that I'm back, and since Mystic Mildred is now shacked up in my former residence of Heavenly Hall, I'm staying up here at one of the guest cabins for an indeterminate amount of time."

"It's nice to have you back," she said kindly. "I look forward to hearing about the adventures on your art tour all over the world, Laurice."

"Oh, right." Larry walked over to the gigantic stone statue of Mystic Amy situated in the middle of the temple entrance, where he had been lurking in the shadows, and retrieved the canvas, approximately 8 x 10 in size, with a cloth over it, that he'd been hiding behind it. "I, um, I made this for you while I was away. I hope you like it."

"Um, that's so nice of you. You _really_ shouldn't have…" Iris winced inwardly as she recalled the last "artistic endeavor" of his, when he had tried to capture her essence as a cartoon-like flying stick figure over a bridge!

However, as she unwrapped the gift, her astonished eyes widened with surprised pleasure as she uncovered a beautiful portrait likeness of herself, in her shrine maiden garb, but without the hood on her head. Larry had captured her glossy black waves tumbling, long and loose, about her shoulders, and her intricately painted bright eyes and parted lips appeared so lifelike, it looked as if she were about to speak.

Larry was looking at her with nervous anticipation, and her eyes were round with amazement as she regarded him in awe.

" _My God_ , Larry…"

"Do you like it?" He asked shyly.

"I love it," she breathed. "Obviously you've come a long way over the years in honing your craft. Your mentor would be so proud of you."

"Thank you. It means so much to me to hear you say that." He swallowed hard. "I was counting the days until I could come back and give this to you in person, instead of just mailing it to you."

"It's a very flattering likeness." Her cheeks were pink. "I don't know if I am worthy of claiming to be as much of a beauty as you have portrayed me to be in this painting, but I am beyond humbled and grateful for it."

"Trust me, Iris, you're more than worthy," he said gruffly. "I could see your image so clearly in my mind while I was away, I didn't even need to look at a picture to paint it. That's how vividly I remembered every feature, every contour of that beautiful face of yours. It took me over two months to do, and about a thousand sketches and drafts, because I wanted it to be perfect." He jammed his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. "H- Happy Birthday, Iris."

"My goodness!" Her fingers flew to her lips in astonishment. "Y – You remembered that today was my birthday, after all this time? The only one who normally knows my birthday is Sister Bikini…and even _she_ forgot this year…what with the news of Maya's engagement and her advancing age and her back acting up tonight…"

"I never forget things that are important, Iris." His voice was uncharacteristically serious now. "I remembered _everything_ about you while I was away."

"Thank you so much Laurice. I don't know how I can ever thank you enough for this unexpected gesture of kindness."

"Well for one thing, please stop calling me that. I'm not on tour anymore, so I don't need to use my professional name. I would like it very much if you just call me Larry, because that's who I really am. Not even touring around the world could make me escape that underneath all the claim and fame, I'm still Larry Butz."

"I had no idea that you were trying to run away from him." She tilted her head to the side and eyed him quizzically. "Nor do I have any idea why you would. I like Larry Butz. I think he's a really nice guy."

"A nice guy who's always finished last with the ladies." He let out a bitter, humorless laugh. "Who's gotten dumped by every girlfriend he's ever had. And who's always fallen in love with the women he can't ever have." He looked her squarely in the eye. "Sometimes because they're not available, and other times because they're in love with my best friends."

"Are you referring to your crush on Franziska when you kept asking her to pose for your children's illustration book?" Iris asked in confusion. "I mean she's with Miles now, but surely you've gotten over that by now?"

"I wasn't talking about Franziska." Larry shook his head, his gaze never wavering from hers. "As you said, that was a crush, and nothing more. In my whole life, I've only _truly_ loved _once_."

Iris blinked as the meaning of his words sink in. If he wasn't talking about _Miles_ , did that mean that he was referring to…Phoenix? Could he possibly mean… _her_?

" _M - me_?" She whispered, her hand fluttering to her chest. "I remember you admitted to loving me before, but that was seven years ago…"

"I – I never stopped," he admitted, his expression tender but sad. "Nick isn't the only one who is hard to get over, Iris."

"B – but why _me_? I am not worthy of such affection!" She burst out, completely flummoxed. "I come from one of the most powerful psychic families on earth, and yet despite Sister Bikini's and Mystic Matilda's best training efforts this past year, I'm still the only existing, _useless_ Fey _without any spiritual power_! Moreover, this face of mine…is only a reminder that I am _the mirror image_ of a monstrously evil, serial killer twin sister, who although dead, _will never be forgotten_ by those who I care for. And your best friend was nearly killed because of me!"

"Number one," Larry replied evenly. "Rome wasn't built in one day, and these things may take time. Don't throw in the towel on your progress into the spiritual world just yet. It sounds like Bikini and Matilda haven't given up on you just yet, and neither should you. As for Nick, you were trying to protect him." He took a step closer so she could see the veracity in his eyes. "Spiritual power or no spiritual power, you are the _furthest_ thing from useless _to me_. Moreover, as for that visage you so loathe, whenever _I_ look at it, all I see is _you –_ the kindest woman I've ever met, who genuinely cares about people, and has the most beautiful face, but moreover, most beautiful _heart_ , I've ever known."

Iris stared deeply into Larry's big, puppy-dog brown orbs, and was touched by the sincerity and unmistakable love she saw there, a love she'd never dreamed she would ever see in another man's eyes, ever again. It made her want to open her own heart to him, and let him know how much his words meant to her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Larry just shook his head, and was already turning away from her.

"Forgive me, milady." He gave her one last, tortured glance, before dropping his gaze to the ground. "I shouldn't have said any of this. I broke the bro code once, when I expressed my feelings to you, before I knew that you were Nick's ex-girlfriend. Nevertheless, I was still guilty of the offence. It's even worse now, since I know not only your past with him, but that you're back with him again. Therefore, bearing my soul like this in such a manner, where in the past, may have been pardonable, is now completely inexcusable and unforgivable. A bro _never willingly goes after another bro's girl_ , Iris."

"Larry – _please_. Don't say that…" She protested weakly, but he shook his head and held up his hand.

"No, please. Stop. I don't need your pity, Iris." His face was morose as he began to slowly shuffle away, too lost in his self-pity to see the tears forming in her eyes. "Because as you told your cousin tonight, you're in love with my best friend. That's _all_ that really matters. It doesn't matter how much I love you, and how I never stopped." His voice broke slightly. "G – Good night, Iris. Sweet dreams."

Iris stared after his dejected, retreating form, feeling completely heavy-hearted. How she yearned to tell him how wrong he was, and how touched she was that such a kindhearted, talented, and _loving_ man carried a place for her in his heart, and that it _did_ matter how much he loved her. She wanted to cry out that her heart was open to maybe learning to love him back as well, if only things could be different for them.

But alas, they couldn't, because her hands were tied.

She'd made a binding promise to Feenie, and there was nothing she could do about it now, even if it called for sacrificing her own pursuit of happiness. She owed Phoenix Wright the world, and she had given him her _honor-bound word_. It was her _bond_ , and she would _die_ before she ever went back on it, even if that meant spending the rest of her days alone in that temple, yearning for a chance at a love that could never be.

"I'm sorry, Larry." She whispered, the tears that had been welling up in her eyes now trickling down her cheeks. "I'm so, so sorry."

* * *

 ** _Sting - Shape of My Heart_**

 ** _Bon Jovi - You Give Love a Bad Name  
_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 109**

 **Yanmegaman**

I am back with a vengeance buddy! And I'm happy that you also are looking forward to the continuation of crossfire I have had to switch writers because my copilot appears to be gone with the wind… But I have found another _very talented and very funny_ new copilot who's willing to help me see this thing through, and can really help this through!

Indeed this was a bit of a slower more narrative chapter – the last time we saw Nick he was sobbing in the shower and the readers were finding out at last one why he broke up with Maya – I wanted my readers to know what was going through his mind and where his head was that before I closed his arc of the story for now… Because Friday's chapter is finally a setup _to Apollo Justice!_

Also do u know that song Shape of My Heart? Not to be confused with backstreet boys of same name...it's a melancholic tune and the lyrics just seemed like they were made for this story... I like the fact that you caught that bit about the mysterious person at the end of the chapter but also want to thank you for not blurting it out! Great reader etiquette my friend :-)

 **ShadowSpark121**

Glad you liked the cliffhanger ending my dear… Even gladder that you kept _hanging_ on! :p

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

 _"I find myself wishing that Maya could see this, the agony that Phoenix finds himself sinking deeper and deeper."_

BUD! STOP BEING PSYCHIC! XD

Tell me where you write in your guess about who the mystery person was?

Loved your review especially in such a downer chapter. I do know the BSB song with the same name actually I just thought since Sting's version was literally about poker it was slightly better fitting however the lyrics for that song were also pretty good:

 ** _Lookin' back on the things I've done_**

 ** _I was tryin' to be someone_**

 ** _I played my part, kept you in the dark_**

 ** _Now let me show you the shape of my heart_**

 ** _Sadness is beautiful loneliness that's tragical_**

 ** _So help me I can't win this war, oh no_**

 ** _Touch me now don't bother if every second it makes me weaker_**

 ** _You can save me from the man I've become_**

Indeed I agree…still pretty dang fitting!

Now, I apologize if my absence previously worried you! Trust me, I have zero intention of not finishing this story – it is one of my major pet peeves on this site when people do that!

The only reason I took the hiatus was because _King of Pain_ took me _three_ days to write… I needed the mental break from the angst… Plus my girlfriend was really starting to crack down on me about finishing her birthday gift story – _Double DILF Doodies_ , which was the cause for the cause of the previous days lengthy author's note!- which is fair enough, as I started in November and didn't finish until _four_ months later!

I promise you Phoenix will be getting _a boot to the head_ to knock him out of his pity party soon enough – yes it's a justifiable but I realize it's very depressing I hope some of the humor in lightness in this chapter made up for it though!

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

You are _too_ adorable I swear! I am absolutely delighted to have made your day because your happy little short and sweet review totally made mine :-)

Yes even when he's wallowing in despair and self-pity, Phoenix does love Maya. Now in order for Longines to ditch Maya for John Armstrong however, he would first have to be like Phoenix in the first story and acknowledge that _denial_ is _more than just a river in Egypt!_

Also… We still have not confirmed whether or not pretty boy Adonis is actually… Gay or not gay! XD

(Feel free to place those bets though!)

 **chloemcg**

I hope you got my notes and that they are somewhat helpful regarding the birth of Bella… That was on your first chapter because I can review your latest chapter again unless I did as a guest :-)

Sometimes I think Phoenix is really _too_ nice therefore, I agree with you - he probably _would_ defend Kristoph after all he's done… After all in dual destinies it was implied that he would be defending Simon sister even though she _kidnapped his daughter_!

I am very interested my dear in hearing your theory as to why you think Kristoph did all this a.k.a. a deeper reason by all means if I like it I may even use it so feel free to fire away!

I know you really like Juniper - and she will be in this story as well, although admittedly not in as much of a starring role as she is in yours, mostly only because of the fact that I have such a full cast already and I don't know how you do it - it is very hard to juggle them all and keep track of everybody!

In case you missed my comments to my other reader next chapter does start into the Apollo Justice storyline we are finally there! Stay tuned Friday! :)


	111. The Mind Eraser Deviation

" _There's an opposite to déjà vu. They call it jamais vu. It's when you meet the same people or visit places, again and again, but each time is the first. Everybody is always a stranger. Nothing is ever familiar."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: Ever wonder WHY Ema hates that glimmerous fop so damn much? I give you...the roots of the antipathy! :p  
P.S For you non-retro music fans...the number one hit of 80's singer Corey Hart was "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night."_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Eleven:** **The Mind Eraser Deviation**

 _ **Ema Skye and Lana Skye**_ _  
The Borscht Bowl Club_  
April 17, 2019 10:00 PM

"I wish that pianist would _shut the holy hell up_ and seize his _horrendous caterwauling_ already!" Ema exclaimed, dramatically putting her hands over her ears. "I'm not drunk enough yet to block out that _lugubrious warbling!_ _Will he ever stop_?!"

"He hasn't ceased polluting our ears for the past 5 minutes, although it feels like _5 years_!" Lana agreed, wrinkling her nose in the direction of the blond piano player, who was presently emitting _unforgivably, god-awful butchering_ of "The Lady Is A Tramp" by Frank Sinatra. "He's not _bad_ musician, really… It's just…"

"It's just that his _vocal massacring_ is totally _harshing on the celebration buzz_ of my big sister's bachelorette party!"

"Come on, Ema, this is absolutely ridiculous!" Lana protested laughingly as the two women moved through the tavern. "How can you possibly claim that this is my _bachelorette_ _party,_ when due to the _currently incarcerated status of the future bridegroom_ , I have _no wedding date in sight_ , and have been only been engaged for approximately _24 hours_?"

"Quit your grousing!" Ema shot back with a grin, spotting a few of her sister's University girlfriends sitting in a corner at the table and waving at them as she and Lana made their way through the crowded bar. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to throw together this quickie stagette celebration _at the last minute_?!"

"And I appreciate it, _really_ , I _do_!" Lana insisted. "It just seems like _stagette_ is a crazy thing to refer to it as, all things considered…"

"Would it make you feel any better, Sis, if we just called it your ' _ **engagement**_ _party_ _before you ship off to Europe to begin extensive undercover Interpol trainin_ g'… for God knows _how long_?" Ema countered. "I still cannot _believe_ I came back from Europe to visit my _favorite sister,_ merely a _sennight_ _ago,_ only to have you be shipping out _not even a week after_! Had I known _that_ was going to happen, I would've ducked out of school sooner, so I could have had more time with you!"

"I'm sorry Ema," Lana sighed mournfully as they shuffled their way through the swarming masses towards the table. "But you know I _have_ to take this offer, as it was a stipulation of my parole. If I do this, and partake in the top-secret mission after my training, they will _completely expunge_ my criminal record after a decade. At the risk of sounding cliché, they made me an offer I just _couldn't_ refuse."

"What about Jake?" Ema's brow furrowed with concern. "What are you going to do if he gets paroled early while you're away on your undercover mission, which I am 100% positive is going to be _beyond life-threateningly dangerous_ , otherwise _anyone_ would be leaping at this golden opportunity!"

"Then I guess my cowboy will just have to wait for me, the way I promised I'd wait for him," Lana replied hollowly, a haunted look coming over her face at the mention of her beloved fiancé. "But don't you worry about me, little sister. I was a trained detective, after all, so am hardly a _stranger to danger_!"

"I know. You're right." Ema put a hand on her sister's shoulder then. "But Sis… I'm also allowed to express concern for the _only family I've got left_ , aren't I?"

"Ema Skye, don't you _dare_ make me cry at my own _bachelorette/engagement party_!" Tears filled Lana's eyes. "Don't you know that leaving _you, my baby,_ is the _hardest_ thing of all? If I didn't think you were going to be in good hands staying with Hope, I never would've taken this mission."

"Don't worry." Ema pulled her sister into a tight embrace and swallowed back the lump in her throat. "Your coroner friend has been an absolute angel. And I'm a big girl now. I'm going to finish my schooling, and become a forensic scientist, and make you so proud of me! Maybe someday, we'll be working alongside each other!"

"Absolutely nothing would bring me greater joy." Lana sniffled, wrapping her arms around the girl she'd raised as a daughter and hugging her fiercely. "No matter _what_ you do, Ema Skye, know that I will _always_ be proud of you."

Suddenly, a passerby jostled the siblings while trying to walk past them, and the teary-eyed sisters reluctantly separated and smiled sheepishly at one another.

"Man, we're a couple party poopers, huh?" The elder Skye sister attempted to joke while dabbing at her eyes.

"No kidding! This _tragic, abysmal mood_ calls for immediate upheaval, via mind erasing obliteration!" Ema declared, giving her sister a gentle shove towards the table. "I'm going to go get the first round you go enjoy yourself with your girls. How's a couple of _Mind Eraser_ shooters sound?"

"Throw in a couple of _G-String_ cocktails, and you got yourself a deal," Lana grinned. The younger Skye sibling arched an eyebrow at the name of the drink and she shrugged. " _What_? You _know_ Jake used to croon country songs to me while strumming at his acoustic guitar... _G_ was his favorite chord! It reminds me of him, OK?"

"Hey, no judgment here!" Ema put her hands to indicate her lack of intended offense. "I'll be right back with the drink that's apparently _named after a guitar string_ … _**not**_ the _butt floss_!"

Giggling, Lana strolled away as the petite brunette attempted to fight her way through the packed room towards the absolutely swarmed bartender. She stood there patiently in line, arms crossed and absently drumming her slender fingers against her forearm as she waited, until at last, she was the next person to be served.

Suddenly, without warning, just as Ema was about to step in front of the bartender, she felt herself being roughly jostled as a tall, flaxen haired man - wearing _sunglasses_ of all things, even though it was _nighttime and indoors_! – pushed past her and _butted right in front of her_ in the line, as though he Goddamn _owned_ the place! Without even looking around, he snapped his fingers arrogantly to get the server's attention.

"Two _Jägerbombs_ , _ja_?" He ordered brusquely, apparently blissfully unaware of what he had just done. "Just put on my tab."

"Right away, Mr. Gavin, right away!" The bartender replied quickly, already reaching for the requested liquor bottles, much to Ema's irritation. "Will that be all?"

"Um, _excuse me_?" Completely livid, Ema reached over, and tugged at the raisin colored sleeve of the _wannabe Corey Hart_. "You just _completely_ cut in front of me! _I_ was here first." Taking advantage of the intruder's momentarily startled state as he unconsciously took a step backward, she stepped forward, while purposefully keeping her back turned to the line jumper. She then solely addressed the man behind the bar, as though the blond man were not even present. After all, if _he_ wasn't going to even _pretend_ to acknowledge _her_ existence, why should _she_ do otherwise? "Two Mind Eraser shots and two G-String cocktails, please."

"Sorry, Miss." The bartender looked at her apologetically. "I didn't see you there. Er - do you mind if I take care of this lady first, Mr. Gavin?"

" _Mind_?!" Ema snapped. She tossed her long brown hair back over her shoulder and subjected the obnoxious customer to her best contemptuous scowl before turning back to the bartender. "I should _hope_ good manners would dictate that he wouldn't _at all mind_ being served _in the order in which he arrived_ , which was _right after me_!"

The bartender glanced nervously at the incensed brunette, and then back at the now amused-looking male patron, who had crossed his arms across his tanned, muscled chest, revealed by the top three opened buttons, and was flanked by a heavy-linked chain, from which dangled a huge silver _G_ pendant.

"Excuse me, Miss…" The bartender bent over and put his head down, lightly touching the sleeve of her lab coat, indicating her to lean closer to him. "A word, please?"

"Yes? What is it?" Ema was beyond exasperated now as she tilted her ear towards him. "May I get my drinks _sometime this century_ , please?"

"Don't you know _who that_ _ **is**_ _?"_ The bartender hissed in her ear. Seeing her blank stare as the response to the question, the young man's eyebrows nearly jumped into his hairline and his tone was incredulous now. "Have you never heard of the _internationally renowned rock band_ , The Gavinners?! This man is their _lead singer_ , Mr. Kla –"

"Don't worry about it, Christian," the blond man interjected smoothly. "Apparently the young _Fräulein_ was here before I was, so go ahead and serve her."

Christian appeared relieved at being granted "permission" and hurried about getting Ema's order. The supposed rock singer then pushed his dark sunglasses up into his chin-length, tousled waves and looked down at her irate face with a slight smirk playing upon his full lips.

"I honestly didn't see you there," he said offhandedly, in an unmistakably thick German accent. "So do you think you could quit glaring at me now, _Fräulein_?"

 _You're so full of_ _ **scheiße**_ _, your_ _ **eyes are brown**_ _!_ Ema thought indignantly, her admittedly short fuse reigniting at the _most graceless non-apology_ known to man! _The bloody_ _ **arschloch**_ _damn_ _ **near flattened my boob**_ _with his arm when shoving past me!_

"Is that supposed to be how the men apologize in Germany?" Ema demanded, putting her hands on her hips, and, hating how his leanly muscled frame towered over her by nearly a foot, drew herself up to her full 5'1. "Listen, _Stretch_ , I may be small, but I am no more _invisible_ than I am an _idiot_! You _deliberately_ shoved past me and you _damn well know it_! You obviously just weren't expecting me to _say_ anything, just because apparently you're in some little rock band or something!"

The smirk disappeared from the man's tanned face and he narrowed his blue eyes slightly.

" _Little rock band_?" He repeated disbelieving, as though she had just uttered blasphemy. "I beg your pardon, _Fräulein._ Don't you even know _who I am_?"

Ema could not believe the gall of this _audacious_ _**schwein**_ _!_ Regardless of _who_ this guy was - he could've been _Mick Jagger_ for all she cared! – _what_ the arrogant jerk was still _sorely_ lacking was _basic decorum and social etiquette!_ At this point, she couldn't have given a _rat's ass_ _**who**_ the hell he was! She didn't even give a damn about the fact that he was good-looking. Which she _supposed_ he was, in a _tanned, blond, Adonis_ , _man-pretty_ sort of way. **_If that_** was your thing. Which, of course, it most _certainly_ _**wasn't**_!

"Asking me if I even _care_ would've been the better question!" She retorted, reaching over and grabbing the drinks the bartender was now pushing towards her at the bar. "Regardless of _who_ the hell you think you are, _here in America,_ we _wait our turn in line_ amongst the other _mere mortals,_ regardless of our supposed celebrity status, or _inflated sense of self-importance_!"

Rather than looking annoyed, or even affected by her outburst, the man turned towards the bar for a split second to grab the two drinks he'd ordered as well, and then had the _nerve_ to cock a derisive, well-groomed brow at her instead, which only infuriated her even more.

"Are _all_ American girls is feisty as you, _Fräulein_?" He asked silkily, leaning down towards her so that she could catch a whiff of his woodsy aftershave. "Or is there something _about_ _me_ , _in particular,_ that seems to have gotten under your skin?"

Ema felt her face growing hot for some reason at his sudden nearness, and now that they were down at nearly face to face level, she could see the man's eyes were quite an electric blue, but not in the recurrent way the phrase 'electric' was used. Ema was a scientist, and thus had spent many hours in the lab swirling and concocting many variously-hued liquids in test tubes and knew all colors and the many different shades there were to them. To every shade, there were ten more shades abaft it, and this smug man's eyes were the perfect kind of electric blue for him. Striking yet soft. Not the electric shock that paralyzed you or crawled under your muscles, but the kind that made your blood dance. She felt her face growing even warmer.

" _Omigod_!" A girl suddenly squealed from behind the man. "It's really _you_! I can't believe it!" The next thing the scientist knew, a voluptuous ginger lurched herself at the singer from behind, sending him sprawling forward, _face-first,_ into the unsuspecting Ema's _previously abused_ _ **chest**_!

Ema shrieked, jostling the drinks in her hands so that they splashed all over her pristine white lab coat! Miraculously, the man managed to lift his arms in the air so she didn't wind up wearing _his_ drinks as well, but she was _completely drenched_ and _utterly fuming_ as, rather than apologizing, he turned around instead to stare at the blushing fan girl! The redhead who had caused the accident was now staring at the two of them with enormous, alarmed eyes, a hand clapped over her mouth in horror.

"I'm _so sorry_!" She gasped. "Somebody bumped into me, and I stumbled into you - it was an accident!"

"No harm done, _schöne frau_ ," the musician replied easily, flashing a toothy, megawatt smile, making him look like he was auditioning for toothpaste commercial, and made Ema even _more_ irked, and the fangirl to completely swoon.

"This is _such_ a thrill, you have _no_ idea!" She gushed, batting her heavily mascaraed lashes. "I'm your _biggest_ fan! Do you think you could give me your autograph?"

"I'd be delighted to. Do you have a pen?"

The spluttering and soaked forensic scientist just stood there, _with her blood boiling,_ at this entire exchange!

"You're even _more gorgeous_ in person, you know!" The fan girl fished into her purse for pen. "Oh dear! I don't seem to have anything to _write_ on!"

"That does complicate things somewhat..."

"In the meantime, you can make out the autograph to Candi. With an ' _i_ ' by the way," she cooed, and then gave saucy wink. "Again, I'm so sorry about the incident!"

"Think nothing of it _schöne frau!_ Now, where shall I sign?"

"How about _right here_?" Candi breathed, thrusting out her pneumatic chest, amply displayed in a sparkly tube top that looked as though it'd been spray-painted on! "You can write… _to clumsy little Candi_ … _I'll never forget how we met."_

"Ah…" The musician gulped and looked slightly uncomfortable. "Perhaps I can write on a surface where _all that writing_ …er, _won't be necessary_? After all, there's no use crying over _not yet spilt_ Jägerbombs _, ja?"_

"Might _I_ make a suggestion?" The ire in the forensic scientist student's voice was unmistakable as it became glaringly evident that the singer was _completely oblivious_ to what he had just done to Ema! "Perhaps we can _weep_ over _spattered_ _shooters_ and _dripped drinks,_ instead?"

The rocker spun around, appearing _extremely grateful_ for the reprieve from a _potentially awkward as hell_ situation! However, the relief on his face was immediately replaced by one of utter mortification as he took in her pink-splattered lab coat and cringed at her tightlipped, stormy eyed expression.

" _Achtung Baby_!" He gasped, looking genuinely contrite now. "Did I do _that?!"_

Ema's temper had now reached a fevered pitch, partially spawned, she was dimly aware, of the fact that this _boob-baring bimbo_ had gotten to be dubbed _pretty girl_ in German, whereas _she_ had merely been addressed as the more polite _Miss_ , and was hence first _completely_ _overlooked_ and now, to add insult to injury, _utterly ignored,_ up until _this moment_!

"Perhaps if _my_ assets were as _aptly displayed_ as Miss Candi's _golden globes_ over there, you would've _more clearly_ remembered giving me a _G-String shower_ when you launched, face-forward into _my_ chest?!" Ema shouted, her face red with fury. "You _klutzy, arrogant, superficial_ … _ **dummkopf**_!"

" _Fräulein_ , I'm terribly sorry." The musician flashed what he hoped was a charming grin as he forced himself to meet her Arctic gaze, feeling unexpectedly drawn into her eyes. The icy green generated the feeling of being pulled into a swirling ocean of frozen emotions. It was as if all the myriad shades of turquoise swirled together to form a whirlpool of apprehension. He could tell by her body language that she did not like him, and those flickering teal orbs confirmed his thoughts. However he'd never encountered a woman in his entire life that he _hadn't_ been able to beguile _as of yet_. "Is there _any way_ I could make this up to you… Perhaps tickets to my next concert?"

"Is this your idea of some kind of _bad joke_?!" Ema exploded. "On _what universe_ could you _possibly_ think going to see your second-rate, undoubtedly _lousy show_ for your band, that I've _never even heard of_ , would make me feel better about the fact that I am now _wearing_ my drinks! I mean, hello! _I'm earth! Have we met?!"_

As he was more accustomed to adoration from the opposite sex and not much else, the rock star was unfamiliar to being on the receiving end of such wrath from _anyone_ , _least of all,_ of the female persuasion! While the tiny brunette's fury was understandable, for some reason, he also found it somewhat endearing, and moreover, _intriguing_.

"You know _Fräulein_ , you're rather cute when you're mad," he grinned, attempting to further crank up the charm. "This certainly was not an intentional occurrence. I was bumped from behind and lost my balance… Can we not find _some way_ to put this behind us?" He leaned forward and lowered his voice an octave as he affixed her with his most sultry stare. "Perhaps I could further pique your interest if I were to offer you a more _private concert_ sometime, _ja_?"

Ema stared at him, her unmitigated rage temporarily subsiding as her lips parted in shock.

 _ **Unbelievable**_ _! Is this_ _ **glimmerous fop**_ _actually trying to now_ _ **hit**_ _on me?!_

"Are you for _real_?!" Her voice was shaking with barely suppressed anger as her fury doubled over. "Or do you merely have the emotional range of a w _atercress sandwich_ , you - you _glimmerous fop_!"

The man reeled back, as though she had physically struck him – which Ema had to admit she was _most_ tempted to do by this point! – But she at least had the satisfaction of seeing a hint of surprise and even, unless her mind was playing tricks on her, some _hurt_ , in the azure eyes at her response.

"Please forgive my grossly delayed apology, _Fräulein_ ," he responded, rather humbly. "Since you're obviously not a Gavinners fan, just disregard that offer, but at least allow me to replace your drinks."

Prior to the appearance of _the bimbo_ , Ema would've _considered_ taking him up on the drink offer, and even accepted his apology, but that was _before_ she saw what a _pompous, shallow, prick_ he was, and one who was easily swayed by _flash_ over _substance!_

"Just forget it!" She seethed through gritted teeth. "As for your _concert_ … _Private or otherwise_ … You _know_ _exactly where_ you can _shove that electric guitar_ of yours!"

Without waiting for an answer this time, she spun on her heel and stomped away back into the crowd, not realizing until she reached her sister's table that she was carrying two shooter and two drink glasses which, thanks to the collision with the clumsy clod/wannabe rock God, were now each only _a quarter full_!

Lana paused in the middle of her laughing conversation with her girlfriends and regarded her sister's newly decorated, pink-splotched lab coat, irate face, and nearly empty glasses with an expression of amused concern.

"Couldn't wait to get back here before you started quenching your thirst, Ema?" The future bride quipped. "What took you so long?"

Ema glowered at her sister, and Lana let out a gasp of dismay.

"Oh my gosh, Ema! What the _hell_ happened to your lab coat?!"

"A _glimmerous fop_ from some _wannabe boy band_ is what happened!" Ema scowled, slapping the glasses down onto the table with a groan. "His clumsy clod self bumped into me and made me spill my drinks – and then instead of _apologizing_ _right away_ , I had to stand there and endure him flirting with some _slutty_ , _red-headed groupie_! I'm so sorry to return empty-handed, Lana."

"Oh, for heavens sake, don't apologize!" Lana waved her hand dismissively. "Lissianna and I can go to the bar, honey. Why don't you hightail it to the bathroom and see if you can get those splotches off before they turn into permanent stains?"

"Good idea…" Ema's words faltered as a drop-dead gorgeous blonde waitress, who looked like a younger Pamela Anderson's doppelgänger (and whose _impressive bust_ put even _Candi's_ mammoth twin peaks to _shame_!) came by that moment, and placed four tall shot glasses on their table.

Ema stared at the buxom beauty.

 _Oh shit! I_ _ **think**_ _I_ _ **may**_ _be_ _ **a little gay**_ _now...!_

"Four Mind Eraser shooters for y'all!" The bombshell drawled with a sunny smile. "Enjoy!"

"Thanks, but we didn't order these," Lana stated, looking confused.

"Drink up! There's one for each of ya ladies. They're courtesy of some fella named Peter Stroker who just got engaged tonight to some Anita Lai dame," the waitress explained in her sultry Southern twang. "He's celebrating by buying a Mind Eraser shot for everyone in the bar tonight. _Cheers_!" And she sauntered away.

"I don't know about _you,_ but I know _I_ need one of these _desperately_!" Ema declared, and tossed back her shot without a moment's hesitation. "I wish I could _mind erase_ this _entire night_ already!"

"Cheer up, Ema," Lana coaxed, putting a cajoling hand on her sister's arm. "This is supposed to be a fun girl's night out! Don't let some klutzy idiot ruin it for you!"

"You're right, Sis." Ema sighed, and then beamed at Lana. "I am not gonna let that glimmerous fop completely ruin my mood and rain on your parade! I'm going to go head to the bathroom right now and see what I can do to salvage this coat!"

"You go do that, sweet girl! Come on, Lissi…Aurora can hold down the fort here at the table to make sure no one swipes it while we head over to the bar…" The rest of Lana's sentence suddenly died on her lips, and her pretty face turned ashen as she suddenly saw something over Ema's shoulder that made her eyes nearly bug out of her head.

"Actually I changed my mind." The elder Skye sibling quickly turned her head away and grabbed her purse. "Also, I've been _inspired_ to order my next cocktail! Lissi, would you mind getting the drinks? I'll have two _Red-Headed Sluts_! In the meantime, I'm going to go outside for a cigarette with Aurora, _right now_."

" _What the hell_?" Ema stared at her sister, completely thunderstruck. "Lana, you _don't smoke_!"

"It's a habit I picked up recently," her sister retorted flippantly, turning to grab Aurora by the arm and all but yanking her friend out of her seat. "It's something I tend to do when I'm drinking."

"Since _when_?!" Ema demanded.

"Since I _got out of prison,_ if you _must_ know!" Lana snapped. "Now this is _my_ party, and I will _have a bloody cigarette_ if I _want_ to! So _butt out_ , Ema!"

Ema blinked, completely stunned by her sister's harsh tone, but wisely said nothing. As Lana and Aurora headed towards the back exit to the outside patio, she turned to follow Lissianna towards the bar, which was also in the general direction of the bathroom.

That was when she spotted, in the far corner, on the other side of the bar, _Phoenix Wright, Dick Gumshoe, and Miles Edgeworth_! They were seated at a table for six, with two vacant seats that had two purses hanging from them, along with some other, lanky guy Ema didn't know, who had gravity-defying hair and a goatee. She felt a jolt of simultaneous astonishment and pleasure.

 _What a small world!_ She thought jubilantly. _I totally need to go pass by after I've cleaned up! I can't have the sexy Prosecutor Edgeworth seeing me look like such a complete slob! Wait - didn't Lana_ _ **see**_ _them too, since she was_ _ **facing**_ _in this direction?! Why wouldn't she want to go say hi to them?! After all, they're our friends!_

"Lana, wait!" Ema called to her sister's retreating form. "Didn't you see who was here at the bar? Detective Gumshoe, Phoenix Wright, and Miles Edgeworth! Aren't you going to go say hello to them, first?"

Lana halted, but only for a moment, and gave a strained smile.

"Oh, are they really? I _didn't even notice_!" She replied, her normally level voice sounding strangely high. "Yes well, that's very nice, but I'm sure I'll bump into Phoenix and, um, _Miles,_ a bit later on tonight. After all, it's still early, and I'm sure they're _not going anywhere_!"

Ema scrutinized her sister's inexplicably flustered face, which for the life of her; she couldn't comprehend in the _least_! After all, she and Lana owed Phoenix _everything,_ and the dreamy Prosecutor Edgeworth had been Lana's _subordinate,_ who had _worked under her for years,_ and was definitely _no stranger_ to either one of them!

"I'm off to have that cigarette now," Lana announced, turning back around and hastily rushing to follow Aurora outside. "You better take care of those stains before they set in, little sister!"

Ema shook her head with confusion as she headed towards the ladies' room, still completely flummoxed by her sister's bizarre behavior.

 _Why in God's name would my_ _ **non-smoking**_ _sister mysteriously prefer to give herself lung cancer rather than greet a couple of hunky as hell Ace Attorneys?!  
_

* * *

 _ **Ema Skye and Dick Gumshoe**_  
 _Criminal Affairs Department  
_ February 1, 2026 9:00 AM

"Welcome back to Los Angeles, pal!" Gumshoe rose from his desk when the sullen Ema entered and enfolded her into a warm embrace. "Look at you, all grown up now! It is such a pleasure to see you again after so long, Ema!" He released her and smiled broadly at the pensive-looking young lady he'd known as a bubbly teen. "Or would you rather I call you… _Detective Skye_?"

 _I wish you were calling me_ _ **Forensic Scientist, Ema Skye**_ _!_ She thought miserably, blinking back the tears of disappointment that were prickling behind her eyelids.

She hated herself for them, as she'd now had more than a year to get over the devastating news. Regardless, it still felt like a sucker punch every time she heard the title of the new job that her sister's influence had alternately gotten her instead as _the world's shittiest consolation prize._ It was little comfort to know that she had "come close, but no cigar" with regards to passing the final forensics examination, which had resulted in a _complete turnabout_ in her career path. As a result of her lousy fate, she'd spent nearly a year in New England, training for this new job which although had been _Lana's_ legacy, was _the furthest thing possible_ from what _Ema_ had actually desired to do with the rest of her life!

Los Angeles Police Detective. Otherwise known as the career she had _never_ wanted.

However, she supposed she should be grateful for the fact that as Gumshoe was Chief of police, she was at least working alongside an old and dear friend, one who she knew had pulled strings to get her into his particular precinct. Still, Ema was only human, and at times still couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with bitter resentment at the unfairness of her plight, even if it meant she was finally _back at home_.

 _Home sweet hell._

"It's great to see you too, Chief." She forced herself to smile at the kind man whom she'd adored as a teenager. "I guess you can call me whatever you want – after all, you're my boss now, right?"

"On paper, I suppose I technically am," Gumshoe chuckled good-naturedly, then his expression grew somber for a moment as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ema, I'm really sorry about the test. Believe me, I've been inquiring on your behalf on a regular basis! You have to know that I'd be _the first one_ to tell you to go take that blasted thing again _in a heartbeat_ if _we had a place for you._ Unfortunately there are absolutely _no free openings_ in the LAPD for another forensic scientist."

"Thanks for the update, Chief," Ema replied numbly, looking down at the floor. "I appreciate the sentiment, but it's OK, really." She swallowed hard against the sudden lump in her throat. "After all, you can't always get what you want, right?"

"Buck up, kiddo," he said quietly, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. "I know this wasn't your first choice, but _I_ for one, am delighted to have you not only on my team, but back here in the States, where you belong. And I'm sure not the only one who's eager to welcome you aboard on your first day. In fact, how about I introduce you to your "other boss"…that is, your _partner in crime_? Prosecutor Gavin actually made the trip down from the Prosecutor's Office specifically to have a meet and greet with you, but he just stepped out to the cafeteria to grab a coffee. He should be back any minute…"

"And here I am, Chief Gumshoe." An unknown, yet somehow, _eerily familiar_ man's tone suddenly was heard, coming from right behind Ema.

"Prosecutor Gavin, I'm glad you're here!" Gumshoe boomed, a broad grin on his face. "I'd like you to meet your new partner, Detective Ema Skye."

"Greetings, _Fräulein_ Detective." The German accented voice intoned pleasantly, causing an eerie sense of déjà vu to come over the LAPD's newest hire. She whirled around at the sound, her eyes widening in disbelief as she looked at the _instantly recognizable face_ of the man to whom she would now be a subordinate, her lips frozen open in a soundless gasp.

It was the same _glimmerous fop_ from seven years ago at The Borscht Bowl Club! While his flaxen hair was now worn in a long braid, and he'd swapped his violet shirt for a black one, and now wore a plum colored blazer over it, Ema would've known that _obnoxious, blingy, oversized silver G-pendant_ and _knowing, smarmy smirk_ _**anywhere**_!

The worst part of all was there it was _not even an_ _**iota**_ _ **of recognition**_ on that _irksome, self-satisfied mug_ of his _whatsoever_ as he smilingly extended a bronze, well-manicured hand towards the stupefied Detective, his cordial expression entirely indicating _**she**_ was naught but _a complete stranger_ to _**him**_!

"Detective Skye, I've heard so much about you." A blinding white smile, which Ema positively _itched_ to _slap right off that pretty-boy face_ of his! "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Ema felt her blood pressure already rising as she at last found her voice.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!"

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 110**

 **Yanmegaman**

I confess, as you're a man who has made it his mission to make fun of "that wriggling piece of plywood" and has compared her to a paper clip, (that I compared her to in chapter 99 via Franziska and her acerbic tongue), making _you_ of all people feel anything other than scathing dislike for the shrine maiden, it gives me great feeling of accomplishment as a writer, bud! Thank you!

Also, THIS: _Ace Attorney Investigations Maya Fey: Path of the Medium_ should be a crossover game with _Pearl Fey, Ace Detective: sleuthing and slapping people to the moon since 2008_! XD

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I honestly don't think Tiffany is a bad person and I wanted her to be able to make peace with Maya and vice versa. I also wanted to show that she could appreciate Phoenix's music… when it's not coming from his rear end! XD

Maya is my all-time favorite heroine in the history of video games and I really hope she did not come across as a bitch for her ruthless interrogation of her cousin! Bear in mind that you are the omniscient reader, but the spirit medium thinks that _this woman_ is the reason she is no longer with the love of her life, which just adds to the tragic irony that said woman is taking abuse from both her sister and cousin in order to keep the Kurain master alive!

I cannot wait to get to the final case in trials and tribulations. Luke Atmey is a complete clown ass of a villain, but after this case, I think you'll get to meet Jean Armstrong and then you finally get to bridge to the turnabout. Iris is very pretty as you will see but I feel like they could done more of her than just make her this overly saccharine Mary Sue character who cries all the time some really happy that you like my attempt to add depth to her character as well as Larry's - even though his _butting in_ couldn't have come at a worse time! I do think there is potential for Larry to actually be a really sweet guy when he is not making a _bumble Butz_ of himself falling for the wrong girl! Once you get to the last case, you'll find out why I chose to make him be in love with the lovely shrine maiden :-)

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

 _"I hope he (Longines) is gay!"_

I'm not gonna lie, that literally made me crack up, as it's not a sentence you normally hear every day! This story is literally going in chronological order of the ace attorney game's and will carry on just past dual destinies but definitely and before the 6th game. So we are going into Apollo Justice which starts in April 2026. We are literally Pre-Apollo justice right now in the timeline, and our favorite porn haired defense attorney makes his debut next week! I ask in advance you guys go easy on me because aside from his memorable cameo in _Double DILF Doodies_ and a few drabbles, I have never really written Apollo before, so I hope I don't get lambasted for not doing his character _justice_ while I find my groove with him! :-)

You're welcome for a great chapter sweetie!

 **Chloemcg**

I don't know if you know the song _shape of my heart_ but while hauntingly beautiful, it is not a love song, so only Nick's true only soulmate could possibly picked up on the underlying vibe. Ergo, Maya came _thisclose_ to the truth with this last chapter… And she literally had Iris _cornered_ until her goofy knight in shining armor came along and _Butz-ed_ in! Yes, that creepy Krissy really a piece of crap is he not? That's now not _one_ , but _two_ couples he is keeping apart! That man should really die of gonorrhea and burn in hell while Satan uses hot sauce for lube!

I love hearing reader theories and Gavin is definitely in the top 5 most despicable ace attorney characters ever so by all means regaled me with your details of why you think the psychotic sore loser would've done such a thing. Personally, I think Kristoph Gavin is a by-product of perhaps one too many hugs being given to him in childhood, where he should've in getting a slap instead! (I admittedly am from a generation of childhood corporal punishment - FYI we are talking a smack on the bottom not beating your kid with a belt!) I also feel that creepy German sausage is the byproduct of kids participation in sports team awards, which only celebrate mediocrity and do not teach a child how to deal with the concept of winning and losing early in life. Perhaps had this been the case, the diabolical fiend would've learned some valuable early life lessons!

I am delighted that you liked my hastily written Bella labor/birth scene notes and I am beyond flattered that you want to use it go ahead and do so with my full blessing :-)

 **DannyDragon**

 _Chiquita! Mi amiga música! ¡Mucho tiempo sin hablar! El gusto es mio!_ :-)

I am delighted that you know and like the song _Shape Of My Heart_ by Sting… It is one of his more obscure songs, but such a hauntingly beautiful melody and the lyrics are so perfect for this story it's almost like they were customized for Nick and his current plight! Maya really is his soulmate… Since you know the song, you know it's not actually a romantic song per se, yet she picked up on something being amiss, as it's definitely not a tune that a man who is happily in love would sing, and somehow KNEW that he was singing about _her_! J

Larry _is_ kinda cute… he just has _got_ to have the wo _rld's worst timing_ , seeing as how Maya was just about to find out the truth! His love for Iris, as you know from the 3rd game, is actually canon, and I do think under the right circumstance, with the right woman, he really _could_ be a devoted and faithful partner… But you know, he thinks Iris belongs to and is in love with his best friend! Thank Kristoph for that as well!

I think Tiffany is a blast I'm happy you enjoyed that chat! The poor girl is now as confused as a fart in a fan factory about whether or not Phoenix has a girlfriend after talking to Maya, but at least she's good for comic relief, which I thought my readers needed after the depressing chapter before this!

 **Thepudz**

Congratulations sweet boy! In this ace attorney world, I'm going to say it _does_ count - I say you add reading 3 long fan fictions as a major achievement on your job resume! XD

I am humbled by your praise, and very grateful for it especially coming from another writer whose work I thoroughly enjoy.

Shameless writer plug opportunity: this guy's got some serious writing chops guys. If you are a JusticeCykes fan… **Thepudz** is _da_ man!

And to answer your question about Nick and Maya's re-conciliation… Remember what Luke said… He hasn't exactly come fighting for her has he? Sure there are extenuating circumstances right now but the question is would Nick ever be a home worker even once Gavin is behind bars? ;)

 **Chapter 109**

 **Thepudz**

The good news is Maya suspects something isn't right. The bad news is… These two are like ships in the night who completely missed one another but of course their paths will cross… In the Apollo Justice _sometime_ in the storyline behind the scenes (of course!)

 **Chapter 108**

 **DannyDragon**

I am so happy that you approve of the advice that Luke gave his girlfriend which is to keep her mouth shut! I was really worried my readers would be mad at him for telling her that, but considering the reasons Nick broke up with Maya if she _had_ told her at this point it would've been nothing but a heartbreaking disaster!

Okay you are not the 1st reader to ask me about the flamboyant Frenchman hair heir that is Longines and his sexuality. Here's some facts/evidence to look at and let me know what your thoughts are:

1) he's either completely clueless… _and_ / _or_ _just not that into_ Jean Armstrong, despite the fact that even _Stevie Wonder_ could see he's madly in love with him

2) On the other hand, he made it pretty clear to Maya that he thinks _she's hot_ and would have no problem _getting it up_ for her to create an heir… Remember his famous words "nobody's _that_ gay!" :p

He is a bit of a billionaire playboy and a confirmed bachelor at this point. Therefore, the marriage would be an _open marriage_ in the sense that they are discrete in their indiscretions, but still have a joyful companionship and have dinner together. And Longines has made it clear he is perfectly _willing and capable_ of producing a legitimate heir so in _that_ sense it'd a traditional marriage…

 **Chapter 107**

 **thepudz**

I'm really impressed to have converted and Iris hater! This is not an easy thing to do is people cling to their hated characters the way the cling to their steadfast shippings… Like a drowning sailor clutching a buoy! So thank you very much! :-)

Considering the creepy German sausage was picturing Maya's corpse I think Phoenix did the right thing… It feels really good to have this out in the open and no longer have my wonderful readers see this global icon as _Nick the Dick!_ Seeing as how the new ace attorney 6 trailer shows that Phoenix is now in his mid-30s, has a daughter, employees _and_ an agency and still ran out without telling Apollo his whereabouts because he thought Maya was in danger… Obviously this man will do anything to keep that girl safe… Even if it means breaking her heart while totally obliterating _his own_ to smithereens :(

 _How_ will Nick get Maya back? The question is more _will_ he be able to? After all, Maya has stated she wanted to be a _June_ bride and as of next chapter, we are going to be in February 2026… ;)

 **Chapter 106**

 **thepudz**

I honestly think it's always in the same position Phoenix was in, I would've done the exact same thing. Better she be alive and hating him than dying for loving him.:(

 **Chapter 105**

 **thepudz**

It was cannon that Mia told Maya to take care Phoenix for her so I decided to even the odds with my flashback chapter Misty's funeral and have it that Phoenix promised his mentor that he would take care of Maya and protector as long as he was living. He's a man of his word -no matter what it costs him.

Give the guy a break he was unconscious in his ass just got little bit too relaxed! XD

 **Chapter 104**

 **thepudz**

 _Yes, Longines, Paris heard her saying yes. My response? No._

You must really be mad at Maya's engagement if you overlook the adorableness that was Pearl and Luke in that chapter, pal! Also I'm not gonna lie… I think I laughed for good minute straight at this particular review… XD

 **Chapter 103**

 **thepudz**

 _I may or may not have thrown my pillow across the room when I found out Maya was engaged to Longines. Jordan, why are you doing this to me... It hurts...Tissues away..._

I'm sorry sweetie but can you imagine what Nick went through when he was singing _Always_ and why he needed to swap his grape juice for wine that night?


	112. Fallen Heroes

_Looking for something_  
 _We can rely on_  
 _There's gotta be something better out there_  
 _Love and compassion_  
 _Their day is coming_  
 _All else are castles built in the air_  
 _And I wonder when we are ever gonna change_  
 _Living under the fear till nothing else remains_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred-Twelve: Fallen Heroes**

 _ **Thalassa Gramarye**_  
 _Acres of Love Orphanage  
_ August 8, 2005

He was so beautiful.

The young woman lightly traced her fingertips over her baby boy's perfect rosebud lips and round pink cheeks, trying to memorize his cherubic features. He was sleeping peacefully now, and although she would have loved to have seen his inquisitive brown eyes look up at her one last time, she didn't want to disturb him from his peaceful slumber.

Her infant son had such huge, expressive, constantly smiling orbs. They were such a unique colour, a mix of cinnamon and chestnut, with a ring of gold encircling inside his iris, adding another layer to the already luminous depths. So big and beautiful, so much emotion held inside. She was almost grateful for the fact that she didn't have to face those loving, magnificent eyes this final time, for they would have been her undoing.

Although the baby had just turned a year old the day before, the newly widowed teen found he _already_ had _quite_ the set of pipes on him – no doubts his cries would wake up all the other tots at the children's shelter, which was where she would be bidding adieu to her son for the last time.

Her heart was heavy with regret. A baby didn't deserve such a fate; not knowing who had brought him into this world, and wondering why his Mommy didn't want him.

He had no way of knowing Mommy had wanted him more than the air she breathed. But her choices had been cruelly snatched from her, just as her husband had.

The tears were coming again.

"Please forgive me, Apollo," she whispered, the warm, sorrowful droplets rolling down her cheeks and splashing onto the blue blanket that was wrapped around him. "I'm barely 18…what life can I provide for you with no husband, no money?"

She pressed one last kiss onto his sweet-smelling forehead before she turned away from the woman at the front, nearly blinded by her tears. She prayed to God that life would offer her sweet boy everything she couldn't right now: a place to belong, a family that would love and provide for him, and could give him a brighter, happier future, so he would grow up into a man she would be proud to call her son.

Someday, if the good Lord had any mercy on her, she would be reunited with him again. That bracelet she'd given him to remember her by would not only help him, but it would be proof of their bond. The one tangible tie that bound him to her.

 _Your father is gone, and mine won't let me keep you if I'm to go back performing for him, that selfish, heartless monster. I hope someday I can find it in my heart to forgive him for forcing me to make this choice, just as I hope someday, you will find it in yours to forgive me._

Her tears had dried now.

But Thalassa Gramarye's soul still wept.

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice and Clay Terran**_  
 _Acres of Love Orphanage_  
October 11, 2016 4:10 PM

"Hey Apollo, you feeling any better?" 12-year-old Clay burst into his best friend's room the moment he got back from school. He found his spiky-fringed friend sitting up in bed and appear to be hacking up a lung while attempting to snip something out of the newspaper spread out on his lap.

Apollo held up a hand, signaling the other boy to wait a moment. Then he reached for a drink of water from his bedside stand before rasping out his reply.

"I'm fine!" He croaked, before collapsing, downright winded, back against the pillows and smiling faintly as he reached out for the collection of notebooks and papers that Clay handed him, as he'd been kindly picking up Apollo's assignments and homework from his teachers while he had been home sick the last few days.

"You sound like one of Wanda's flea-bitten felines, _hacking up a fur ball_!" Clay joked, coming over and taking a seat at the foot of the bed, then protectively pulling up the neck of his turtleneck over his nose and mouth like a makeshift mask. "Do me a favor, and _cover that mouth of yours_! I don't need to catch your _nasty germ-burgers_ , man! I've never seen you this sick – and I sure don't want to have whatever it is you've got! Not when the school dance is next week!"

"I'm sure I'll be better by then!" Apollo wheezed, taking another sip of water, and then successfully clipping out the desired news article and carefully placing it on to his bedside table. "Have you decided who you're going to ask to be your date to the dance yet?"

"I'm still contemplating between _two lucky ladies_ ," the middle-school Casanova-in-training drawled, tapping his chin in mock contemplation, even though his dark eyes were glittering with amusement. "So far I've narrowed it down to Philippa Bird and Polly Graf. They're _both_ all kinds of cute, and they _both_ really seem to like me… Which is what makes this _so_ hard! Do I pick perky, girl next-door, blonde Betty Cooper, aka Ms. Bird, or the stylish, sophisticated, raven-haired Veronica Lodge, otherwise known as Ms. Graf? Dilemma, dilemma. Now I know how Archie Andrews feels!"

"I _wish_ I knew how it felt to be able to relate to the girl troubles of a comic book character!" Apollo attempted to laugh at his friend's cheeky wit, but unfortunately, due to the nasty flu bug that had had him knocked him flat on his ass, it sounded more like a death rattle. " _Must_ you be such a colossal flirt, Clay? There's only _so_ much of you to go around, after all! The way you've got all these the girls worked up and chasing after you, you're going to leave an endless trail of broken hearts behind in your wake before you even hit _high school_!"

"I do nothing in particular to encourage them, nor have I committed to _any_ of their requests to be their boyfriend!" Clay shrugged and flashed the same shit-eating grin that made all the middle school girls in their junior high become instantly smitten at first sight. "School is a place to study and make friends, and any _persons of interests_ are strictly for extracurricular activity only! A dance is a prime example of such a thing. Now, Boy Wonder, since you're the smart one of the two of us, help me make the wise decision about who shall be the Ginger Rogers to my Fred Astaire?"

"What makes you think I can be of any assistance here?" Apollo asked wryly. "As far as experience with the opposite sex goes, _you_ have already made out with half the girls in school, whereas _I_ have only kissed _two,_ and _both_ were during a game of spin the bottle at Lucinda Head's birthday party last week!"

"I'm asking you, Apollo, because _I'm_ the looks, and _you're_ the brains of our operation!" Clay informed him, a mischievous twinkle in his eye now. "By the way, said _scatter-brained girl from Alaska_ keeps persistently asking me about your well-being, you know. She wishes to convey to you that she really hopes you get well soon, and that _her dance card,_ thus far, remains open if you happen to still be looking for a date for the dance… _Assuming_ she doesn't succumb to the same dreaded _kissing disease_ she has convinced herself that _you_ are suffering from, and is still frightful you could have passed onto her?"

"Lucinda _is_ kind of cute, even if she _is_ all over the place," Apollo admitted, blushing slightly. "I've always had a soft spot for redheads! But please let her know, for the _gazillionth time_ , that I have _the flu_ and _not mononucleosis_ , and having kissed her last week, _if I did_ , by _now_ , she'd _know_!"

"It's a ridiculous rumor," Clay concurred. "There's no merit to it whatsoever, and I have no idea how it started at all! I mean, I'm your _bunkmate_ here – surely if you had such a contagious ailment, _I_ would have it by now as well!"

"No kidding!" Apollo frowned at the outlandish accusation. "I have no doubt we can thank your dumb crush, Polly Graf, for putting such an _idiotic_ idea into Lucinda's mind in the first place! _That_ should be an indicator to you right now about which girl you should be hanging out with, Clay! While I've always found Philippa Bird to be a rather _nasty, confrontational_ young lady, that loud-mouthed Polly Graf is nothing but _a persistent liar_! Lucinda should know by now that you can never believe _anything_ that _shit-disturbing windbag_ ever says!"

" _Look who's talking_ about being a _loudmouth_!" Clay quipped, causing him to be subjected to the mother of all withering glares. " _Kidding_! Regardless of the fact that this is the _world's most hilarious cas_ e of _the pot calling the kettle black_ , thank you kindly for that insightful pearl of wisdom, my good man!"

The pre-teen then looked over with curiosity at the news clipping his friend had put aside.

"What was it that you were just tearing of the newspaper… Or should I _even bother asking_?" A knowing smile played on his lips.

"Yep, it's another article about _him_!" Apollo plucked the article off the night table and waved it proudly, as though presenting a blue ribbon at the county fair, his eyes sparkling animatedly despite his sickly pallor. "This Phoenix Wright...he just keeps making the headlines, Clay! Just two months ago, he was in the papers because he won _his very first case_ , which was a murder trial defending his best friend, against alleged 'Rookie Killer' Winston Payne! He _totally mopped the floor_ with that clown!"

Apollo still remembered the date August 3, 2016, just as clearly as he recalled his awed amazement at the details of the story. It had been the court debut of the greenhorn defense attorney of Fey & Co. Law Offices, in the murder trial of Cindy Stone, an up-and-coming model, defending his childhood friend, Larry Butz. At first, the case had looked hopeless. Larry had had evidence and testimony stacked against him, yet Phoenix was able to turn everything around and pin the crime on the _hell toupee_ witness, Frank Sahwit, otherwise known as Frank _Dunnit_!

The spiky-haired man had managed to deliver his defense flawlessly, and with admirable confidence. That was when Apollo had been first exposed, both in the papers, and later, by TV reporters, to the detailed recap of the lawyer's would-be infamous bluffing tactics – an unorthodox, albeit slightly questionable, technique, but it was different and Apollo found it to be a fascinating blend of both cunningly inspired and charmingly offbeat. The young rookie had risen up the ranks and popularity charts, as well as posed as a common feature on the front page of various publications, affectionately dubbed by the media and public alike as 'The King of the Turnabout.'

"You have got a serious _man crush_ on this Phoenix Wright guy don't you, Apollo?" Clay teased, plucking the article from his friend's fingers and studying it with interest.

"Oh come on, don't make me sound like a _lame-ass fan boy_!" Apollo scowled, and then relaxed when he saw that his friend was merely yanking his chain, as usual! "The man just _inspires_ me, Clay! Barely a month after his first courtroom victory, Phoenix Wright was left to fend for himself when his mentor, the legendary Mia Fey, was tragically murdered! But despite that, he went and did it _again_ , this time as avenging his late mentor, while rescuing her baby sister, Maya, from execution due to false _sororicide_ allegation charges _and indicting_ the true killer! And his second triumph was over veteran prodigal prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth!"

"I've heard of him. Wright crushed Edgeworth's longstanding perfect winning streak too, didn't he?" Clay recollected. "I admit, _that_ was even _more_ impressive than beating that talking hairpiece, Payne."

"So can you blame me for being so enthusiastic about the guy? He's _everything_ I want to be, you know? Don't you remember how blown away _you_ were when we first visited the Cosmos Space Center and you met Solomon Starbuck?"

" _Touché_! Spoken like a true defense attorney in training indeed! So, shall I pin this to your bulletin board, along with the copious _other_ Phoenix Wright associated items you've already tacked on there?"

Apollo nodded, and the darker haired boy walked across the room, put a thumbtack through the paper and stuck it onto the board, which had various photos of Phoenix, some from newspapers, some printed from the Internet, news articles mentioning the up-and-coming Ace Attorney, and even the takeout menus of a local hamburger joint and Mr. Eldoon's noodle stand. Clay didn't bother asking about the restaurant items. He _really_ didn't want to knowabout the full depths of his friend's _fanboying_!

"Did you see that headline this time, Clay?" Apollo prompted eagerly. " _King of the Turnabout Strikes Again! Exonerates The Steel Samurai From Clutches of The Evil Magistrate!_ He's gone _Hollywood_ now, can you _believe_ it?! This man is _already_ his way to becoming a _legal legend_ just like his mentor, Mia Fey! And he's not even _that_ much older than _we_ are!"

"Pretty remarkable, having done all this, and he's only 24," Clay agreed. "Although I _still_ insist part of his allure for you is the fact that you _both_ appear to have _gravity defying_ spikes, although _his_ are in the back of his head, whereas _your_ horns are in the front! Tell me, if you ever met Phoenix Wright, would you ask him what hair products he uses to make his hair always look so _wind resistant_?"

"Very funny, wise ass!" Apollo hurled his pillow at his friend in mock anger, which Clay laughingly caught with ease. "Gosh, Clay…If I ever _met_ Phoenix Wright, I don't think I'd even be capable of _speech_! I would probably go into _cardiac arrest_!"

"Yep, _definitely_ a man crush, with a side of _possibly the world's most adorable hero worship_ ," Clay decided, his dark orbs brimming with barely suppressed mirth. "I've decided that I find it charming!"

"Call it whatever you want Clay, but _this man_ \- he makes me to want to be _just like him_ when I grow up! He's such a good guy that he takes a lot of his cases, _pro bono_ , because he doesn't do it _for the money_!" Apollo's face glowed as he spoke of the man he so revered. "He genuinely _cares_ about justice, and standing up for the little guy… you know… kind of like _the defender of the innocent,_ and a _champion against all bullies_! The world _needs_ more people like that! Moreover, _I_ want to become one of those people!"

"Not too many middle school kids have this kind of certainty about their life paths, this early in the game," Clay noted, appearing quite moved by his friend's impassioned speech. "But if Phoenix Wright is the man that has helped you already determine your destiny, Apollo, then I'm gonna be right by your side, cheering for you, _every step of the way_."

He flashed Apollo an indulgent smile and turned to leave the room.

"I'm gonna go tell Wanda that you're still too sick to help out with dinner preparation tonight, and am taking over your roster for you until you're better."

"That's so nice of you Clay, but I'm _fine_!" Apollo insisted, even as his thin body was suddenly seized by another bout of coughing. "I can't have our housemother think I'm shirking my duties, just because I have a little cold!"

" _A little cold_?" Clay laughed and shook his head. " _You,_ my friend, are walkinginfested _contagion of gross magnitude_ , and there's _no way_ I am letting your _germy self_ be within _500 yards_ near _any type of food_ that _I_ am ingesting! Can you imagine if I came down with whatever the heck it is you've got? It would be pretty hard to squelch the wacky _mono_ rumors at school _then_ , wouldn't it!"

Apollo hurled another pillow at Clay's retreating form, managing to make his mark this time right before the laughing future astronaut made it out the door.

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice and Clay Terran**_  
 _Acres of Love Orphanage_  
December 26, 2016 9:50 AM

" _Apollo_!" Wanda Round's shrill voice sounded at the door of the recreation room where the Phoenix fan and Clay had been watching television. "I need your help tidying up the place! The social services worker will be arriving here within an hour to inspect the premises and make sure that everything is kosher, so I need to ensure everything here is on the up and up!"

"But I _just_ managed to wrestle the TV away from the other kids, who've been hogging it for the past _fortnight_ watching Christmas specials!" Apollo turned to the orphanage housemother with his most beseeching puppy dog eyes. "Could this possibly wait maybe _ten or fifteen minutes_ , _please_?! This is the _first ever_ _televised_ trial of defense attorney Phoenix Wright of Wright  & Co. Law Offices! And it's _live_! He's squaring off against the legendary Manfred Von Karma, who has had a _forty year undefeated prosecution_ _record_ , in the case of the latter's adopted son, Miles Edgeworth, being on trial for a murder that occurred on Christmas Day!"

"Rules are rules, Apollo." Unmoved by his plea, Wanda Round waved her finger sternly at him, causing the loose flab from her upper arms to sway jiggle like a bowl full of jelly. "We have a _regularly scheduled roster_ for a _reason_ , and I keep this place in disciplined working order by making sure that chore schedule is followed _religiously_! Now, stop your bellyaching! You oughta know it is _your_ turn to help me with the housecleaning. No exceptions, as I have to treat everybody equally."

Apollo's disheartened countenance was gut-wrenching, and Clay immediately shot up off the sofa and affixed the housemother with his own pleading expression.

"Ms. Rounds, please _have a heart_! This attorney is his _idol_ and he's been following his entire career for some time now! _I'll_ go help you clean up, so can't you just let him watch this? It'd mean the world to him to see his hero in action! It's only the day after Noël; do you not still have even the _slightest trace_ of the Christmas spirit left within you to extend _some_ goodwill to your fellow men?"

Any other human being at this point would have felt at least _some_ ounce of compassion by now, and granted what was truly such a small favor, coming from not _one,_ but _two_ orphans in their care, but the persuasions were wholly wasted on the aptly named, _very round_ (but nowhere near _jolly_!) Wanda Rounds. The stoic spinster, who although well aware of Apollo's newfound dedication to both following law as his own path, as well as Phoenix Wright's illustrious career, could simply not fathom such determined devotion at such a young age. This was probably because, as she had constantly told her wards, in spite of being a college graduate and world traveler, _she_ had never quite _found herself_!

 _Or_ a _man_ , of _any sort_ , despite the sad fact that she was now pushing _50!_

Apollo bitterly surmised that Wanda's solo status was probably due to the fact that _the behemoth's_ only _devotion_ was to her _dozen shedding cats_ , (which swarmed around the place and constantly made him sneeze!), and her _incessant_ _bonbon consumption_! The gluttony for the sweets that helped maintain the fact that Wanda had _more rolls than a bakery_ was only rivaled by her addiction to sleazy daytime talk shows, all featuring degenerate people with _surprisingly greater rotund physiques_ than _herself_ , whose life paths consistently entailed spinning the _wheel of father_ in the incessant game of Who's the Daddy!

Entirely unmoved by both boys' words, Wanda shook her head, the action making the numerous jowls on her pudding-like face quiver like a Jell-O mould.

"Sorry Clay, I already had you take over his duties a few months ago, when he was sick, but like I said, _rules are rules_. And you boys should know by now that Ms. Bea Verhunt from Children's Services is even bigger stickler of order and rules than _I_ am. It won't do to have this place not be in proper order. Come on Apollo let's go." Seeing the crestfallen look on his face as he dismally rose from the sofa, her tone softened marginally. "Look Apollo, if the court case is _such_ a big deal, I'm certain they'll air it again in reruns later today, all right? And I'll make sure the TV is yours the rest of the day, post cleanup."

 _Re-runs?!_ Apollo silently screamed, feeling tears of disappointment burning his eyes. _This isn't one of your trashy soap operas, you heartless, nasty… Stay Puft Marshmallow Woman!_

"Sorry pal," Clay murmured as Apollo slunk past him. "Hell, I tried."

"Thanks anyway Clay," he mumbled miserably, then slunk out of the room in Wanda's thundering footsteps.

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice and Clay Terran**_  
 _Acres of Love Orphanage_  
December 29, 2016 12:30 PM

"How they hangin'?" Clay greeted his roommate cheerfully as he strolled into the boys' room, carrying a paper bag in his hands. "We missed you downstairs at lunch. Not that it was anything special – just tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, which Wanda had _no problem_ scarfing down _your_ share of, since you didn't make an appearance at the lunch table."

"I don't care. I'm not hungry." Apollo replied glumly from his desk, where he sat before three days' worth of newspapers, reading the press coverage of his idol's three-day trial, which he had been forced to miss.

The news articles gave great, in-depth detail of the televised trial, but Apollo was still inconsolable, as it certainly wasn't the same as actually _seeing and hearing_ his hero in action! _Especially_ since it'd turned out to be such an _explosive_ court case! Not only had Phoenix and his assistant, Maya Fey, solved the mysterious 15-year-old DL-6 case, but he'd also successfully _twice absolved_ his friend Miles Edgeworth, from _two_ murder charges! Not only that, but in doing so, Phoenix had shockingly revealed, then helped convict his old friend's adopted father, Manfred Von Karma as the diabolical mastermind behind _both_ situations!

When he had cruelly and unfairly been unable to catch the first day of the trial on television, Apollo had refused to be appeased by the fact that while it had _not_ rerun later that evening, as Wanda had suggested it might, the trial _had_ ended up being televised for the next couple of days afterward. But to him, viewing _days two and three,_ after missing the premier one, would've been the equivalent of watching the _second part of a trilogy_ before seeing the _first!_ Therefore _,_ he hadn't bothered whatsoever, and had instead holed himself up in his room, in a depressed and gloomy state, ever since.

"I'm sorry, Apollo." Clay eyed him sympathetically. "You're still pretty bummed about missing the trial, aren't you?"

"Well, do you _really_ blame me?" Apollo burst out. "It's just so _unjust_ , Clay! There is truly no _justice_ in this world – I don't ask for _much_ in life! And _this_ …it makes me feel like I'm just doomed to be this eternally _deprived underdog_ , who's never allowed just that _brief snapshot_ of happiness, which so many others take for granted, you know?"

"Buck up, cupcake." Clay walked over and lightly punched his friend in the arm. "Speaking of which, you're my best friend, and I _cannot_ have you withering away in despair while a New Year beckons us. Therefore, I managed to slip you an _actual cupcake_ away from Wanda's greedy paws, as well as an apple." He produced the two food items from the paper bag with a grand sweeping motion and set them down on the desk. "I'm sorry it's not much, but it's better than nothing. And dinner isn't until 5:00."

Apollo's stomach growled uncomfortably at the sight of the enormous chocolate frosted cupcake. While he didn't normally have much of a sweet tooth, it suddenly looked like the most scrumptious food in the entire world. And never before had a mere apple look so luscious.

"This was so great of you, Clay. Thank you." He demolished both items in record time and smiled at his _brother from another mother_. "You're the best."

"Save that sentiment for later!" Clay grinned. "Normally desert isn't so decadent in this joint, but those were specially delivered cupcakes from some gourmet bakery, courtesy of Children's Services, as a late Christmas/early New Year's gift. Apparently, the Iron Lady social worker was very impressed at the spotlessness of the house during her visit. You must've really channeled your rage that day with some serious elbow grease! Evidently, she had never seen the _toilets so clean_! You're really a natural with that cleaning brush, Apollo!"

"Thanks a heap, Clay," Apollo replied dryly. "I'm really sure that being a _shrewd toilet scrubber_ will _really_ help me down the line with my future career path! I'll ensure I put that on my job résumé!" He studied his friend, who was still grinning from ear to ear, and felt a slight twinge of suspicion. " _Hold it_! What did you mean by _'save that sentiment for later'_?"

"Nothing much," Clay responded innocently, his dark eyes dancing. "It's just that I didn't feel it would be right to accept my "best friend in the whole wide world" trophy over the simple delivery of a meager desert and piece of fruit to his justifiably desolate buddy. I figured I would more readily accept those words after you look at what's in the bag."

Apollo regarded his friend strangely as he reached for the proffered item and stuck his hand inside, pulling out three VHS tapes. Two of them were brand-new, but one of them actually had a label on it, which had been hastily crossed out with a sharpie marker and the words ' _Phoenix Wright: 1_ _st_ _Televised Trial Day One'_ were written over the previous title, which had read ' _Clay Terran's First Little League Game_ '.

"Clay…" Apollo felt his mouth go dry as he regarded the three tapes, the other two bearing the labels, ' _Phoenix Wright: 1_ _st_ _Televised Trial Day Two_ ' and ' _Phoenix Wright: 1_ _st_ _Televised Trial Day Three'_. "Is _this_ really what I _think_ it is?"

"Oh, do you mean is it _the fully recorded_ , _first-time televised, three-day trial of your legal idol_?" Clay asked breezily, his lips curling up into a smirk at Apollo's dumbfounded expression. "Otherwise known as your _Christmas gift_? Yeah, I _guess_ you could say it is … _exactly that_!"

"I – I can't believe you _did_ this!" Apollo stammered, feeling a lump growing in his throat. "Did you _really_ tape over _your own Little League game_?! That your late _mom_ must have recorded?!"

"Don't sweat it," Clay shrugged, smiling reassuringly and patting his friend in the shoulder. "The memory of my first Little League home run is always going to be in my heart, but seeing your reaction to _this_ is even _more_ priceless."

"B – but Clay…" Apollo felt the same stinging sensation behind his eyelids he'd that day with his housemother, only this time for a different reason. "H – How did you even manage to _do_ this?"

"When that _soulless manatee_ dragged you away from the TV the other day, I had to get creative, and fast, because I didn't have any blank tapes handy, and the trial was about to start! That one was the first one I found when I rushed back to our room. After that, I called Rhonda and managed to sweet talk her into giving me a couple of blank VHS tapes she had at her house, so that I could record the next couple of days."

Clay beamed proudly at his admittedly innovative actions.

"I can now add ' _knows how to program a VCR while the other kids can still watch their favorite shows on the TV_ ' to my list of job résumé skills, as surely as _you_ will be able to brag about _your_ mad toilet cleaning skills on _yours_!"

 _Ugh, out of all the girls in school, poor Clay had to go ask a favor from that overly_ _ **bawdy and busty femme fatale**_ _in training!? Big Rhonda's been panting after him since kindergarten! That's the_ _ **one**_ _girl in school he never tries to flirt with, from fear of actually_ _ **encouraging her too much**_ _! Rhonda Blokkenbek – that's a gal who has_ _ **been around**_ _!_

"I don't know what to say…" Apollo looked at his friend with eyes that were brimming with grateful tears. "I don't know how I am _ever_ going to thank you for this, Clay."

"Oh, _I_ do!" Clay laughed, shooting his friend an impish grin. "This favor I asked of the _eighth grade floozy_ who has _been around the block_ , if you _catch my drift_ , does _not_ come without a steep price! In exchange for this magnanimous gesture, I promised Rhonda that you and I would go ice-skating on a double date next weekend with her and her best friend, Honey, who thinks you're cute. I figure having the two of you there as our unofficial chaperones will be the only way I can keep that horny toad of a girl at bay!"

"I'll be too busy fending off _Honey's_ advances to be able to _willingly_ C-block _you_!" Apollo spluttered, feeling the blood draining out of his face. "Clay, I am so grateful for this, you have no idea, and God knows I owe you _big time_ but… _Honey Potts?!_ That the girl is a sweetie pie, but _she's a bit too loose with the boys,_ for _my_ liking! And possibly _more so_ than even _Rhonda_!"

"So I've heard!" Clay conceded. "But at least _now_ you can finally stop dragging your chin across the floor, and _I_ get to see my best friend be happy! Surely, it's a small price to pay for getting the chance to see your idol in action! I mean it's _one date_! It's not like we have to _marry_ them or anything!"

"B – but…"

"No _buts_ about it, or else I'm kicking _yours_ to the _moon_ if you try to back out of this, Justice!" Clay shook his head and held up his hand to halt any more protests his friend was about to make. "Now, I'm going to check if my Little League jockstrap miraculously _still fits_! Might I suggest _you_ invest in _some_ sort of _protective, makeshift chastity belt_ for our date as well? Because I'm pretty sure the _double trouble gals_ will get pretty _handy_ and _seize the opportunity_ to go all _octopus-styles_ on us, if the rumor mill about them is actually true!"

Apollo groaned and buried his head in his hands, his horns drooping.

 _I'm doomed! The things I do for my pursuit of justice…_

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice and Clay Terran**_  
 _Acres of Love Orphanage_  
August 7, 2018

From then on, Phoenix's subsequent trials were followed by success after success, and Apollo enthusiastically and loyally followed every single one. Despite Clay's knowledge of programming the VCR, Apollo would get so excited if he knew about a televised trial (which, since the career-ending one of Manfred Von Karma, _all_ of Phoenix's trials consecutively were!), that he would skip school on occasion just to watch the television coverage live. He was completely _star-struck_ , as well as _awestruck_ by the Ace Attorney's unwavering passion and dedication to justice! It was just so incredible to see the way the King of the Turnabout would always manage to turn even the most unfavorable cases around, make the impossible possible, and show that the underdog could emerge on top! He was truly a real life hero and the young boy couldn't help look up to him and shamelessly be his number one fan!

In addition, just when he thought he couldn't _possibly_ hold the man with any higher esteem than he already did, along came the trial with Shelly de Killer. There were many strange happenings during that case, the most prominent being Maya wasn't in her usual spot by his side, and Phoenix had seemed unusually tense throughout the trial. That had been when Apollo had realized that his hero had been willing to forego justice for friendship, and the young boy had learned that not everything was in black and white; the truth wasn't always pretty; the law had its limits; but trust went a long way. There was more to trials than winning and even though the lawyer had lost that case, because he knew his client was guilty, he had still seemed happy, and despite the loss, had still earned the name Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.

That had been when Apollo was convinced that his hero was even more _amazeballs_ than he could have ever _dreamed_. Short of meeting the man in person, he honestly thought he had reached the highest possible pinnacle of giddiness about anything and everything regarding the defense attorney.

It turned out he was wrong.

Today was Apollo's 14th birthday. Clay had recently gotten a part-time job selling Samurai dogs at the beach, and was going to treat him to burgers and a movie as his gift. Therefore, he was totally unprepared when, once they'd sat down in a booth at the very hamburger place that he knew Phoenix and his assistant frequently visited, (hence the menu pinned to his Phoenix Wright bulletin board), the spiky-horned teen was gobsmacked when his best friend suddenly produced a flat parcel from inside his inner jacket pocket.

"You didn't _have_ to get me _anything_ , Clay!" Apollo protested, although deeply touched by the gesture. "It's not like you make megabucks at your job! The food and the show was more than enough! You really shouldn't have!"

"Yeah, I _shouldn't_ have, but I _did_!" Clay flashed a cheeky grin and rubbed his nose. "We're going to be in high school this fall, and knowing _you_ , you probably already signed up for every available law course there possibly was! I thought maybe this would help you get a leg up so you would be at _the head of the class_."

Apollo eagerly opened the package and let out a wry chuckle at his friend's attempted rapier wit when he saw what the present was: a copy of a book that was entitled, _**Law School for Dummies**_ **.**

" _Thanks,_ bud!" He tossed a French fry across the table as Clay started laughing. "You _really_ shouldn't have!"

"I will have you know, mocking title aside, Mr. Justice," Clay began, with a miraculously straight face. "What you're holding in your hands is the straightforward guide to surviving and thriving in law school! It uses straight talk, sound advice, and gentle humor to help students sort through the swamp of coursework and focus on what's important-all while maintaining a life. It also offers rare insight on the law school experience for women, minorities, non-traditional, and non-Ivy League students."

"Wow, actually that sounds pretty terrific," Apollo acquiesced, flipping the book over and reading the details on the back. "I'm almost tempted to skip the movie and had straight home to crack right into this!"

"No way! I've been waiting for ages for the next installment in _The Steel Samurai_ movie series!" Clay took a long sip of his milkshake and then almost as an afterthought, added, "by the way, since you're examining every inch of that thing, you _may_ want to check out the inside cover while you're at it. That's actually where your _real_ present is."

"Huh?" Confused, Apollo flip to the back inside of the book, but saw nothing except a mini author biography. "I thought this _book_ _was_ my …" The rest of his words died in his throat as he flipped to the inside cover at the front of the book, and that was when he saw _it._

There, in barely legible, cursive writing in a manner that was typically associated with most doctors… And _lawyers,_ was the following inscription:

 _ **Happy Birthday, Apollo!**_

 _ **"Success is not attained by chance; you have to work in order to get it."  
Good luck in law school, and I hope to see you someday in court! You'll be fine!**_

 _ **Best wishes,  
Phoenix Wright**_

Apollo's jaw dropped open as he stared across the table at his best friend, who smiled smugly at his enthralled expression.

"I can finally stop lugging that blasted thing to work with me," Clay said casually, although he was beaming with pride. "I've been hauling it in my backpack every day for the past month, waiting for Mr. Wright and that _gluttonous, burger eating assistant of his_ , to _finally_ take a break from the usual _burger chow down_ at this joint, and _finally_ make a trip to the beach for some Samurai dogs! I was gonna start stalking him at Mr. Eldoon's noodle stand – _he's_ the one that gave me the inside tip about Maya's passion for street meat by the way, really nice guy! I was really getting nervous about whether or not I could arrange an "innocuous run-in" with Mr. Wright by the time your birthday rolled around, but I _at last_ got lucky _yesterday_ , because the adorable little pretzel-haired girl, who's always with them lately, had a sudden yen for one, so I had my chance to _carpe diem_!"

"I can't believe you actually _met_ him!" Apollo gasped, lovingly tracing his fingertips over the inscribed message, as though trying to convince himself that it was actually _real_. "What can you tell me about him? What's he like?"

Clay mulled over the question for a moment while adjusting the visor on his unruly hair while his friend sat there, breathless with anticipation.

"He's very sincere…and seems very nice," the dark-haired boy said at last, smiling at Apollo's captivated expression. "A lot more softer-spoken than he is on TV – for some reason I expected his tone to be at the same courtroom level, earsplitting decibel I've heard in his trials. However, when we spoke, his voice is actually quite pleasant, mid-range, without any distinctive accent. He seems surprisingly humble, considering his pseudo-celebrity status, and seemed _floored_ that someone actually wanted his _autograph_! He was only going to sign his name at first, because he didn't know what to say – he actually seemed pretty shy, too. But then his legal assistant/girlfriend – I _swear_ there is more going on with those two than just being mere coworkers! – Started giving him hell about being such a _stodgy old fart_ and started pressuring him to say something _cool_!"

He paused his anecdote for moment to take another long sip of his milkshake, much to Apollo's impatient chagrin.

The birthday boy forced himself to squelch his urge to shout at his friend _to hurry up and continue_ _already_ and focused on politely keeping mum while nodding encouragingly for him to go on.

"Did I mention Maya managed to yell at him through a mouthful of Samurai dog?" Clay cracked up at the memory. "Actually, it was Samurai _dogs_ … She was _double fisting_ _**two**_ of them at the time – Mr. Eldoon told me she can pack away more than an NFL linebacker – but she's so _tiny_ in person! I've no idea _where_ she puts it! Anyway, then the cute little girl, who calls him Mr. Nick, said that he should at least write _Happy Birthday_ since the book _was_ a birthday gift, and then Maya told him he should say something encouraging to a prospective future attorney, and then _I_ told him about your whole _Mr._ Fine thing…and _he_ came up with what quotation he thought would best inspire you, and _voilà_! Thus ends the story of how you have an autographed law book by the famous Phoenix Wright!" He finished the tale with a flourish, standing up from the booth and taking a mock bow at his gaping friend. "Please, hold the applause!"

There was a brief silence as the spiky-fringed teen absorbed all of this information, and stared at the boy who had been the only family he'd ever known, who had _twice_ made him happier than he had thought he'd ever be in his life, and found himself utterly speechless. Then, without thinking, and uncaring that they were in public, Apollo jumped out of his seat and wordlessly wrapped his arms around his best friend, hugging him so hard that poor Clay actually squealed that he was being suffocated. Apollo didn't care, however, and only held on tighter, taking advantage of the opportunity so he could bury his head against the taller boy's shoulder.

He would've died of embarrassment if anyone else in the restaurant had seen that he was crying.

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice and Clay Terran**_  
 _Acres of Love Orphanage_  
February 10, 2019 7:30 AM

"Wake up, Apollo!" Clay announced cheerfully, shaking his friend's formerly slumbering form until he reluctantly woke up.

"Wahhh?" Apollo sat up and grinded his bleary eyes with his fists. "Why are you up so early, Clay? You usually don't wake up for about another half hour!" He looked over at his alarm clock and scowled. "And _I_ wasn't due to wake up for another _15 minutes_!"

"You _snooze_ , you _lose_!" 15-year-old Clay's eyes were sparkling with eagerness. "Today we are _celebrating_ , and I cannot think of anyone else I would rather celebrate _with_!" He ripped the covers off the grumbling Apollo. "I suggest you get yourself together and dressed within about 20 minutes, because it's a _really_ long bus ride downtown during rush hour if you want to make it to the courthouse in time!"

" _Huh_?" Apollo's brain was barely registering what he was hearing. He had never really been a morning person. "Court? Why? What did you _do_?"

"Get yourself in the shower and wake yourself up!" Clay tugged at his arm. "Don't you want to make sure you're fully alert when we go see your idol in person?"

 _What? My idol?!_

Apollo shot up out of bed as though he had just been injected with about a dozen shots of espresso.

"We're going to see _Phoenix Wright?_ " He yelled excitedly, suddenly uncaring about sleep entirely. "Like, _in the flesh_?!"

" _In the spikes_! You bet your ass we are! I _finally_ was able to score us a couple of tickets to see his _live trial_ , in the actual courtroom gallery!" Clay boasted. "Like I said, this is a celebratory day for me, and who better to spend it with than my best friend?" He was already fully dressed and grabbing his visor off his night table.

Apollo was already pulling a sweater over his head with one hand and yanking down his pajama bottoms with another. He halted in his actions and looked at his friend quizzically.

"What are we celebrating, Clay? It's not your birthday – that was _last week_!"

"We are celebrating the fact that even though we've both known for a while now what we want to do with the rest of our lives, as of five minutes ago, I got a phone call to actually make me realize that I am _one step closer_ to making my dream of being an astronaut come true!" Clay was practically bouncing on his heels with ebullience. "I _just_ got the message that Solomon Starbuck from the Cosmos Space Center has accepted my application into the early mentorship space program!"

"That's mind-blowingly awesomesauce, Clay!" Apollo fist bumped his friend, utterly alert now. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"

"I'm happy for _myself_!" Clay laughed merrily. "Next week I take the first step towards the reality of becoming a spaceman, just like him! As you know, we've gotten to know Starbuck pretty well from our visits at the center and he really likes me! As a belated birthday gift, he told me he could get me tickets to _anything_ I wanted – exclusive VIP movie premiere tickets, sports games, theater… but I told him I wanted tickets to see Phoenix Wright live in the courtroom, and he managed to get us two spots in the gallery for _today's_ trial and took care of all the details!"

" _Do you mean to tell me_ …" Apollo stared at his friend in amazement. "That with _your_ one birthday gift wish, you got something that _I_ would want to do, instead of something that _you_ would want to do? You're... _a saint_! How can I _ever_ thank you for this?"

"Don't worry about it, bud." Clay shrugged and waved away the thanks, which Apollo should have anticipated would be his response, yet still, even after knowing him all this time, it remained _mind-boggling_ about what kind of _steadfast, selfless, mensch_ Clay Terran was.

"Starbuck is _my_ hero Apollo. It was written in the stars for me to meet him! And while I can't fast-forward the clock and put you through law school so you can work with Phoenix Wright as your mentor _already_ , I couldn't think of a better way to _further inspire_ the guy who I _know_ will one day take the legal world by storm!" Clay grinned and lightly punched his friend in the arm when he saw the look of intense emotion coming over Apollo's face as the magnitude of the gesture sunk in. "Hey, this no time for crying, Justice! You can weep your tears of gratitude to me later on the bus! The trial starts at 10:00, so we've got to get a move on!"

"I _still_ can't believe this!" Apollo swallowed back his overwhelmed tears and instead allowed his friend's emanating enthusiasm to rub off on him so that he too was feeling practically giddy with excitement. "I've been watching this trial on TV and so far, it's been _insane_! I mean, first _Miles Edgeworth_ was the defense attorney for this case, but _now_ it's Phoenix Wright?! This is going to be _off the charts_!"

"I know, _Wright_? Let's go, slowpoke!"

Apollo was dressed and washed up in record time, and the two boys all but flew out the doors to the bus stop, both soaring on wings of bliss.

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice and Clay Terran**_  
 _Trial Day 3, District Courtroom 7  
_ February 10, 2019 3:40 PM

 _OK… The defendant wasn't really Iris Hawthorne… But her dead sister Dahlia?! No wait... No not Dahlia… But Maya?!_

Apollo was literally on the edge of his seat and breathless with anticipation at all the unexpected twists and turns of this case – this was better than _any_ Phoenix Wright trial he'd ever seen on television by _far_! It made the Matterhorn at Disneyland seem like a _carousel_!

Even though he had watched his hero's trials on numerous occasions, the teen simply couldn't get enough of how his idol carried himself that day. Phoenix Wright was more than just confident; he was on fire, unstoppable, fearless. The way his jaw set in determination; eyes blazing with conviction and an inherent desperation to protect his client and dear assistant; raining objection after objection on his opponent; going against all odds and at such lengths to pursue the truth, uncaring of the consequences… It was a mysterious blend of professionalism and character, an untamed passion for order and justice, and Apollo relished it. He knew every tactic, saw every involuntary twitch, felt the intensity, and involuntarily shuddered.

It was uncommon for a defense attorney to win a case, let alone find the real perpetrator. However, in the end, that was exactly what happened, and Phoenix solved the Hazakura Temple mystery when the mysterious masked prosecutor, Godot, revealed his true identity.

As always, against all odds, the King of the Turnabout had won, and Apollo Justice had been fortunate enough to bask in his hero's triumph.

At the end, he was so overcome by the tumultuous, bittersweet emotions that had been evoked within him, both by the trial itself, and seeing his idol, live in action, that this time, he was unable to suppress them, and it was with silent gratitude that he accepted the handkerchief that Clay discreetly pressed against his knuckles so he could dry his eyes.

Today had been the happiest day of Apollo Justice's life.

* * *

 _Out of the ruins_  
 _Out from the wreckage_  
 _Can't make the same mistake this time_  
 _We are the children_  
 _The last generation_  
 _We are the ones they left behind_  
 _And I wonder when we are ever gonna change_  
 _Living under the fear, till nothing else remains_

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice**_  
 _Acres of Love Orphanage_  
April 19, 2019

As a child in an orphanage, void of parental affection and guidance, like most kids, Apollo grew up with tales of valor and bravery. He read and heard of many heroes up against extraordinary, seemingly unsurmountable challenges, victorious against all odds. The characters in his books were extraordinary men, destined for greatness, immortal; but they were only fairytales, and as he grew older and watched the happy faces of the other children being adopted, he ceased believing in them.

Then, on August 4, 2016, his 12-year-old self had had his bleak perspective in life do a complete turnabout when he'd randomly picked up the morning paper on the orphanage doorstep one fine day, and saw Phoenix Wright's photograph for the very first time. From then on, his whole universe changed.

April 19, 2019. This date would forever remain seared into his mind, as it was the day Apollo would remember that his whole world had altered yet again, but this time not for the better.

Today, Apollo had picked up the morning paper, still fresh from the exuberance of having seen his hero live in the courtroom two months prior, and had felt the world as he knew it, shatter into smithereens.

The man who he'd considered his idol had been accused of using forged evidence.

Mr. Phoenix Wright, the man who inspired his career life path, had gone from being referred to in the media as "Ace Attorney" to the "Forgin' Attorney."

Every news channel was identical.

 _"Phoenix Wright, the defendant's lawyer, has not yet released a statement to the press, but if he does our station will be the first to report it…"_

The headlines were all the same as well in their accusations.

 _ **"Phoenix Wright, or Phoenix Wrong?"**_

Apollo felt simultaneously dejected, heartsick, and numb. His mind felt as if lead were coursing through it instead of blood. His once sunny memories of Phoenix Wright now felt as if they were tarred; disfigured into something grotesque. Had the past three years of his life been an extensive waste of blind, misplaced faith? Completely meaningless?

He fell into a great despair and holed himself up in his room, in his bed and under the covers for the rest of the day, refusing to come down for meals or look at or speak to anyone, not even Clay. He simply wanted to be alone.

He didn't know what to believe; _whom_ to believe – or if he even _could_ believe in a Goddamn thing anymore.

He listlessly rose from his bed and walked across his darkened room, staring sightlessly at the Phoenix Wright shrine he'd been collecting over the years, posted over his desk. Half of him wanted to tear all of it into shreds; the other knew he'd indubitably fall apart if he did.

Apollo had always heard that crying was a healthy release, but had spent most of his life suppressing his tears. Now, at the sight his collective memorabilia of the three years devoted to his fallen hero, he felt the droplets beginning to fall, for the first time in a long time. They splashed onto the cheap plywood desktop in a rain-like pattern and soon created a small puddle of tiny watermarks on the shiny surface. He simply let them fall, not once raising a hand to stop them.

 _Most People think all lawyers are scum; that they're all soulless ambulance chasers who will do anything to win that not guilty verdict, no matter how unscrupulous the methods they use to do so. That was why I looked up to Phoenix Wright so much. I thought he was different. I thought_ _ **he made a difference**_ _. Giving up on him, on my faith and trust, for all he stood for, hurts more than a knife to the gut. Why were you so stupid and naïve, Apollo?_

The dark voice in his mind taunted him.

 _You thought Phoenix Wright was an honest lawyer, but isn't this just proof that such a thing doesn't exist? That you wanted to go into this profession absolutely blind, without knowing what it's_ _ **really**_ _all about?_ _ **Corruption. Lies. The quest for fame and the almighty dollar**_ _. Not_ _ **justice**_ _. Not_ _ **truth**_ _._ _ **Nobody**_ _gives a damn about those trite things._

 _That's not true!_ His heart cried back plaintively _._ _ **I**_ _care about those things! I wanted to be a lawyer for all the_ _ **right**_ _reasons! Not_ _ **all**_ _lawyers are bad!_

 _Name_ _ **one**_ _that isn't then,_ _ **Pollyana**_ _?_ The cruel inner voice jeered. _I dare you!_

" _Me_ ," he whispered fiercely, clenching his hands into fists and dropping them down onto the desk with a heavy, determined thud. "I _will_ become everything that I always looked up to _him_ for being – and _I will not_ compromise my _ethics_ or _morals,_ _**no matter what**_! I don't care if that means I remain the _sole_ _**honest**_ Ace Attorney on the face of this earth! Look out world – _here comes Justice!"_

* * *

 _So what do we do with our lives_  
 _We leave only a mark_  
 _Will our story shine like a light_  
 _Or end in the dark_  
 _Give it all or nothing_  
 _ **I'm going to give it all I've got.**_

* * *

 _ **Tina Turner - We Don't Need Another Hero**_


	113. Badd to the Bone

Chapter 113: Badd to the Bone

 _Rising up, back on the street  
Did my time, took my chances  
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet  
Just a man and his will to survive_

* * *

 _A/N: Last week was brutal for me guys – stupid life/health hiccups/having a day job because I married for love not money... XD_

 _You know **something is wrong** when I only post once in a week! Look for a three chapter week this week to balance things out if I am ever gonna get this story rolling!_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Thirteen:** **Badd to the Bone**

 ** _Kay Faraday and Shi-Long Lang_**  
 _Kubija Hotell-Loodusspaa, Borginia_  
November 12, 2025 3:20 AM

Agent Lang had never viewed himself as a particularly complex man. Overall, both in and out of the workplace, while no Nobel prize-worthy saint, he was hardly a right bastard or a ninnyhammer either. In fact, in spite of being generally loud, aggressive, and always determined to do things his own way (even defying other authority figures in the past in his dedication to chasing down his target) he thought the good at least balanced, if not entirely outweighed, the bad. After all, that very same strong-willed, tenacious nature also resulted in him sharing a strong bond of mutual loyalty and respect with all of his subordinates, making him fiercely protective of them, nearly to a fault. It was a fact he readily accepted and never regretted, even though he'd been burned for it previously – and still had the gunshot wound in his leg to prove it!

For all his adult life, the Wolfman had lived with the desire to keep the representation of the Lang family name one his late father would have been proud of, while revering the acumens of Lang Zi, such as: _"One should always know one's place in life."_ On occasion, he was known to add his own personal pearls of wisdom to adhere to and dispense to others as well: " _Never let the enemy know they have you on the run, and sometimes run when it isn't necessary –always best to keep them guessing."_

The Interpol Agent had also never been a man to admit willingly to fear. It was part of his creed, having been the leader of the pack for so long. For as long as he could remember, he'd prided himself on keeping a calm disposition, even if being reduced to a level that would induce paralysis in others. He was the Alpha male, remaining cautious and cool at all times, and even in the face of danger or adversity, still he'd smile and never quicken his pace. Neither panic nor fear were an option – he was Shi-Long Lang, and he would still remain ever steadfast, strong, and carry on as though nothing were wrong, and not a man in a thousand could ever spot his tension.

However, at that moment, with the recently acquired knowledge of the gruesome fate that had met Ku and his associates, the Wolfman's insides were seized in a grip of silent trepidation as he frantically punched in Tyrell Badd's number. Although an agnostic man, as he impatiently listened to the multiple rings on the line, he found himself actually _praying_ that his friend would answer his cell phone, so that he could be alerted to the potential danger that he and Lou Pole were in.

 _For the love of God, Badd! Pick up the damn phone!_

After what seemed like a million years, the detective finally answered.  
 ** _  
_**"Lang, make this quick!" He growled as a greeting. "I've got an emergency here!"

"I've got an even _bigger_ emergency!" Lang countered. "You know how Ku got shot today?"

"Yes, of course I do! That's why I'm here with Lou right now! We've got a flight risk, Lang, so make this quick!"

"They're _dead,_ Badd!" Lang hollered. " _All_ of Ku's associates: his bodyguards, friends, even his _servants_ … Looks like _nobody's_ been spared – they've _all been silenced_. We're talking snipers, mysterious poison blow darts to the neck, drowned in the river, drowned in their _own damn bathtubs!_ One of them, a fellow drug lord, perished today in a car bomb! Anyone who that fiend ever had any dealings with appears to have been a marked target. It's like someone's been putting a tracker on _each and every person_ that had ever known Wa Sing Ku!"

There was a long, drawn-out pause on the line as the other man absorbed this news, then the next thing Lang knew, there was a thud as the detective appeared to have dropped the phone, and he could hear Badd hollering to his associate in the distance.

" _Lou_!" He screamed. " _Wait! Stop!_ "

" _Badd_!" Lang shouted into the phone, his heart beginning to thump rapidly. "What's the matter? What's wrong? Can you hear me?!"

" _Noooooo_!"

That earsplitting scream was the last thing the Agent heard before a deafening boom sounded in the background, along with the sound of shattering glass.

Then the line went dead.

" _Badd_!"

Lang stood there, frozen in fright as waves of horror washed over him, his brain feeling like it'd been pickled in brine. He could not concentrate on anything else for the life of him.

For the very first time in his life, Shi-Long Lang was scared, the frightened feeling only compounded by the sudden eruption of grief, shock, and helplessness churning within him, threatening to consume his newly battered mind with the horrific realization of his dear friend's sudden, sickening fate.

A wave of panic began to wash over him. He could feel it, creating an unstoppable snowball in the pit of his stomach. The next step was his heart starting to beat harder and faster as adrenaline levels rose. His balls tried to crawl back up inside his body and his brain started to fire out destructive thoughts like a machine gun as he broke out into a sweat from head to toe. It felt as though his flesh had another hot layer of skin on the outside, like a bin bag, it moved over his body but couldn't release. The negative thoughts kept returning like waves on rocks. He began pacing irrationally. The arguments in his head got so fast and so disturbing that his brain seemed determined to shut down. The sweat that now fully covered his body had gone cold, and his heart felt now felt as though it were going to explode.

Barely conscious of what he was doing, Lang hurriedly dialed emergency services and barked the scenario, as well as Lou's address, to the dispatcher, before quickly hanging up and rushing through the door that adjoined his hotel suite with Kay's. The anxiety within him was building anew at the thought of how he was going to break the sudden news to the young woman about her beloved Uncle, when all this time she had been innocently, and obliviously, working on surveillance for him, unaware of the bomb that had just dropped on them all, both literally and figuratively!

He rushed into the room, and opened his mouth to speak, scanning his brain for the right words, but halted abruptly, as he came suddenly upon the young woman, swathed in an aura of profoundly heartbreaking distress and sorrow.

Sitting on the floor, next to her room desk, bearing all of her computer and surveillance equipment, next to a discarded, toppled chair, was Kay, curled up into a tiny ball, her knees drawn to her chest, and her head buried in her hands, her frame wracking with sobs.

Lang felt his stomach plummet to the floor as he silently cursed the paper-thin walls of the hotel, along with his own loud voice. She'd _heard_. She _already_ **_knew_**.

"Kay…" He whispered, feeling downright helpless about what to possibly say. He walked over and squatted down before her, placing a tentative hand on her shaking shoulder.

The young agent's head shot up at the sound of his voice, her haunted, bloodshot green eyes staring sightlessly before her, and her face drenched with tears.

"Kay, we need to get to the hospital. I already called the ambulance to get over there, so they are probably already at the scene… Let's not jump to the worst-case scenario – we can't lose hope just yet…"

She shook her head, her chin quivering uncontrollably, refusing to be placated by words they both knew were unlikely to be true.

" _Uncle Badd_!" She wept. "He was all I had _left_! I've known him since I was a l –little g –girl! _Whyyyy_?!"

Wordlessly, Lang pulled the weeping Yatagarasu against his chest, swallowing back the lump in his own throat. He had to stay strong. He couldn't break down along with her, even though his heart, too, was downright shattered.

For the longest time, Kay Faraday remained in the comforting embrace of Shi-Long Lang on that Borginian hotel room floor until her sobs finally subsided, even though the tears continued to silently flow, unchecked, down her cheeks and drip from her chin. She was too devastated to cry out or wail, so she just sat there, as still as a statue in his arms, while the magnitude and grief of her loss swept over her. There was nothing left, nobody left, no reason to move.

* * *

 _Borginia_  
November 25, 2025 10:00 AM

 ** _BLAZE OF GLORY! Billionaire playboy and lover perish in fiery plane crash!_**

 _Multi-billionaire Maximillian Banks, 33, and his main squeeze, Debbie Dallas, 35, have died after his small private jet plane crashed on an island off the east coast of Quebec._

 _Authorities said the real-life Tony Stark of Europe, along with his longtime lover, met their fiery doom when the plane crashed as it approached Iles-de-la-Madeleine Airport, amid heavy winds and snow, while visiting the province on their winter vacation._

 _Banks was as notorious for his collection of rare and imported artwork as he was renowned for being on the "high-end party scene" and was usually accompanied by Dallas, a fellow socialite and well-known "party girl."_

 _Officials with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada travelled to Havre aux Maisons Island in the Magdalen Islands to determine the cause of the crash._

 _The twin-engine turboprop plane had left Montreal's St Hubert Airport on Tuesday morning…_

* * *

"I _cannot_ believe this _hogwash_ actually made it to print in any sort of publication of any repute whatsoever!" The recently-deceased billionaire seethed. "It's like reading my _own bloody **obituary**_!"

Disgusted, Miles crumpled up the newspaper containing the ersatz news article, which had been the front-page headline of the morning paper and hurled it into the nearby wastebasket before shooting a lethal glare at the slightly smirking Lang, who was sitting across from him in the visitor's lounge of _Jõhvi Hospital._

"It _is_ sort of morbid to be reading about your alter ego's _fiery death,_ while keeping vigil to see if someone that we _absolutely adore_ will live to see another day," Lana admitted awkwardly, biting at her thumbnail. "While I don't exactly relish Interpol having so much fun with that bogus article, which refers to my _porn star named_ , party girl self as a _main squeeze,_ I suppose I _should_ be grateful for the creative liberties taken in _shaving nearly 5 years_ off my _actual_ age…"

"Is that your way of saying that I shouldn't quit my day job and take up being a journalist, Lana?" Lang grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"I'm saying that you have _one sick and twisted_ sense of humor, Wolfman and I cannot _believe_ the way Max and Debbie were described in that article!" She snapped. " _Blaze of Glory_?! Talk about your sick sensationalism and warped irony, unsuccessfully attempting to be passed off as _comedic written wit_! This article was supposed to be a posthumous, pseudo epitaph, not an _homage to Bon Jovi_! I realized the ends justify the means, but _still_ –"

"I apologize if you and Miles didn't appreciate the creative leeway taken by Interpol with that news release, but better we did _that_ and let whoever has gone on a killing spree think that you two are worm chow, rather than have you _actually_ join the heavenly ranks alongside Ku and the Klan," Lang reminded her, arching an eyebrow. "Or have you already forgotten that you were _both_ witnessed, _on several occasions,_ associating with the kingpin, and therefore were more than likely to be next in line on that _hit list_?"

"I suppose we _should_ be _thanking_ you then, for taking preemptive measures," Miles muttered darkly. "Which I suppose I _shall_ do, as soon as I get over that _most unflattering depiction_! Although, since we are on the topic of people associated with the late, _not so great,_ Ku, this bears another looming question. Amidst the latest tragedy that has befallen us, have you been keeping track of whatever happened to Li? I would imagine as his betrothed, she also potentially would have been an intended target?"

"No body has been recovered as of yet," the Agent replied dismissively, suddenly looking utterly drained. "At this point, it wouldn't be very far-fetched to assume that Li didn't have to suffer the _whole till death do us part_ thing for very long, nor did she have to wait until she was _actually married_ to the son of a bitch. I guess her status could best be explained right now as _still missing, presumed annoying_."

"Lang, you're an absolute _ghoul,_ " Lana glowered at him. "It's horrendously inappropriate that you're _wisecracking_ and making _terrible jokes_ when someone so near and dear to us has their life hanging in _complete limbo!"_

" _Not so fast_! I only made that last jibe based on the _perception feedback_ that _you_ and Miles gave me, Agent Skye!" The Interpol Agent put his hands up in a gesture of mock surrender.

Lana and Miles both looked away and blushed guiltily.

"Now, instead of attacking me for what the both of you believe to be my _lack of skill_ with _written verse_ , might I suggest a truce, and instead venture that we keep a positive front, at least for Kay's sake?" Lang suggested mildly. "As you know, she's been an absolute wreck for the past two weeks, even though we should be grateful that Detective Badd didn't have any flying shrapnel embedded in him, nor had any internal bleeding or blood on his brain, but merely suffered broken ribs and one ruptured eardrum…"

"Don't forget suffered a severe concussion from the impact of the blunt force trauma to his head from the explosion, which has resulted in him being in a coma for the last fortnight, from which we still don't know he will ever recover," Kay interjected bitterly, completely out of nowhere.

The trio jumped slightly in their seats, and flushed remorsefully at the fact that they had been so busy complaining and idly jabbering about frivolous matters, that they hadn't even noticed the dejected Agent rejoining the group. There was a tense silence as they fidgeted in their seats, all of them now uncertain of what to do or say to the gloomy Kay, whose eyes moved slower and were always more downcast, skimming the floor, rarely raising to eye level, since the incident. It was evident in her voice too, which was now quieter, with a meekness that wasn't usually part of her speech pattern, and it was heartbreaking to see her former, vibrant self be utterly vanquished, and reduced to a withered husk of what she'd been.

"Life is short, there are no guarantees." Lang ventured at last, attempting to go the philosophical route. "Lang Zi says: _'The passage of time is but a fleeting moment'_ …"

This proved to be a huge mistake, as Kay crossed her arms over her chest and subjected him to a ferocious glare.

"With all due respect, Agent Lang, will you please put a lid on it _with_ your _trite and pointless parables_?!" She shouted furiously at the shocked-looking Agent, her voice trembling with emotion. "I am _sick and tired_ of you constantly spewing off _nonsensical_ crap about what Lang-Zi says! _Nobody_ _gives a **damn**_ _about what Lang-Zi says_! Least of all, _at this moment_!"

Completely taken aback by the violent outburst, Lang's jaw dropped open, but he wisely remained quiet, and Lana and Miles both dropped their gazes to the floor, uncertain of how to react now, as it appeared the normally amiable Agent's nerves were beyond frayed. Finally, after the world's longest pregnant pause, Miles was the first to recover.

"Kay, my apologies if we seemed insensitive just now," he said quickly, rising from his seat and placing a hand on her shoulder as she slumped into the empty seat next to Lang. "I assure you, we are now fully focused on what's most important. What did the Doctor say? Has there been any change in his condition?"

The raven-haired brunette peeked up at him with red-rimmed eyes, and right away, he knew the answer before she even spoke. Miles felt a sharp pang at the anguish saw in her normally sunny face. Having known Kay since she had been a wayward, spunky child, it pained him to see her in such a state, for the sparkle of yesterday was extinguished. She was unhappy in a way he'd never seen before; such was the weight of her bereavement.

Sorrow was the new smile in his friend's eye now. Tears replaced the sunshine. Correspondingly, it hadn't escaped any of their minds that only nine months ago, within that same year, a previous heartbreak had already struck their group with the loss of Carol. Life was dark for them, with no ray of looming light in sight, for what seemed to be forever.

"First of all, Mr. Edgeworth, Agent Lang, I'm not a little girl anymore," Kay responded hollowly. "So none of you need to pretend like everything is copasetic for _my_ benefit, OK? I am an adult, and just like all of you, have already faced great loss in my life, so there's no need to pretend that history may _not_ repeat itself again. _It is what it is._ They've been doing everything they can for Uncle Badd, and while they keep saying that he's lucky to still be alive and not have any internal injuries or have lost or damaged any limbs or organs, they've also made it painfully clear that the longer he remains comatose, the lesser the likelihood is that he'll ever wake up again."

Her voice broke then.

"I don't know what I'm going to do if I lose him! I –I just love that old man so damn much! H –He's my _family_! He's _all I've got_!" With that, Kay buried her head in her hands and sobbed, rocking back in forth in her seat as she did so.

Lang swallowed hard and exchanged a concerned look with Miles as he placed his hand on her other shoulder while Lana blinked back tears. Tyrell Badd was more than a colleague to them – he was like a wise and loving father figure, a true and faithful friend, but moreover, the only family Kay Faraday had. On top of their worried and semi-grieving states, there were all greatly concerned about the mental and emotional impact the older man's potential passing would have on the young woman. They all had already observed the formidable Franziska Von Karma fall apart earlier that year, and thus far, Miles had still been unable to reach her to let her know about this latest tragic event. None of them had any idea how things would possibly progress, or what they could possibly do, should Kay go to pieces as well.

Miles Edgeworth was generally a man who most people considered the strong, silent type at best, and at worst, by those who did not know him well, was deemed aloof, cold, and dismissive. However, while the list of people whom he truly loved and cared about was a very short one, the distraught young woman next to him, who was weeping as though her heart would surely break, was definitely on that short list. Miles was generally not the emotionally expressive sort, preferring to be a problem solver and man of action, but the truth was that as far as women went, right alongside Franziska, and Maya Fey, Kay Faraday meant the world to him. There had been a time when he had realized the plucky young woman had meant so much to him that he (albeit, mercifully, for only a brief period!) had forsaken his prosecutor badge! Moreover, he realized this was _one time_ when he needed to offer comfort _with words_ , and _not give_ _a rat's ass_ about the _potential_ _consequences_ to his _cravat_!

Crouching down beside her, Miles gently tugged Kay's hands away from her face, so she had no choice but to look at him.

"I understand that while the rest of us care deeply for that man lying in that room, fighting for his life, that he means the most to _you_ , Kay." His normally unruffled tone was surprisingly tender. "Yet there is something that I really need you to understand now, which is how much _you_ mean to _us,_ and specifically, how much you mean to _me._ I was born an only child, but I wasn't much younger than you were when I was orphaned, and then suddenly given two wonderful young women, whom I grew to love as sisters. For the longest time, their love helped atone for the nightmare that was the monster who raised me."

Kay had stopped crying now, and was peering searchingly into his visage, obviously wondering where he was going with this. There was something solemn swimming in his eyes. Their stunning, grey depths held a truth that his face could not hide. The despairing chill that they conveyed made her feel heartbroken. She looked away; she couldn't bear it. What was usually strength now showed a despondency that mirrored her own, and what used to be firm resolve now showed naked woe. Miles had to stop and clear his throat before he was able to continue.

"Unfortunately, one of those young women got married and flew the nest very shortly after I arrived in their home. The other one, as you know, I later forfeited my _sibling status_ for in order to pursue what later became a different kind of love. Nonetheless, that sisterly void Franziska left behind when I gave her my heart was later filled when I met _you_ , Kay Faraday. I have known you since you were a feisty, cheeky child, and I've watched you blossom into this strong, capable, intelligent woman, whom I couldn't love more as my own sister, than if you were my own blood relative. That will never change, and I hope you understand that even if the worst-case scenario occurs here, that you won't _ever_ be alone, because _you_ are _my_ family."

Touched, but understandably equally astonished by the poignant words, as much as by their source, Kay's wide emerald eyes stared into Miles Edgeworth's face, and saw something she had hoped to see never again – a lone tear rolling down his cheek. Next to her, while she didn't see it, she could feel Agent Lang quickly wiping his eyes beside her, although in this case, she was uncertain if it was due to Badd, or the surprisingly moving words he had just heard! Silently, as though sensing the gruff man's need for comfort, Lana rose from her seat, and wrapped her arms around the Wolfman, who didn't put up any resistance.

Kay thought about what had happened.

 _Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see with a clearer view again._

Putting her hand on Miles' arm, she gave a small, watery smile, and mouthed the words, _I love you, too_. He smiled back, and in that moment, she knew everything was going to be all right.

Then, wordlessly, Miles held his arms open in invitation, and Kay flung himself into his embrace with a strangled sob. She buried his face into the crook of his neck and they remained there like that for a while, the Agent wracked with the force of unvoiced cries and Miles holding her, his heart aching for his dear friend.

"I hate to interrupt you all." Out of the blue, an unfamiliar voice sounded from above the heads of the embracing, teary-eyed foursome. "But I'm looking for a Miss Kay Faraday?"

Immediately, Miles and the Agents jerked into an upright position and looked worriedly at the young male doctor standing before them.

"I – I'm Kay Faraday." The Interpol Agent reflexively reached for Miles' hand as she spoke, who silently gave it a supportive squeeze in return. "D – Do you have an update on my Uncle?"

The doctor noticed her apprehensive expression and flashed a reassuring smile.

" _Someone_ up there likes your Uncle very much, young lady," he told her. "It's a miracle, considering his age and the intensity of that explosion, but Detective Badd just woke up, and is well on the road to recovery. Even though he's exhausted and groggy, he's still coherent. In fact, the first person he asked for was _you_. He's awake, if you'd like to go see him."

"Of _course_ I'd like to go see him!" Kay shrieked ecstatically, wrapping her jubilant arms around Miles' neck and then launching herself at first Lang, and then Lana. "We _all_ would!"

"Well, normally we say _family only_ …" The doctor frowned slightly, then faltered as Kay put her hands on her hips and stared him down in a manner not at all dissimilar to a cobra that was poised to strike.

"We are _all_ of us his family, Doctor," she declared, in a no-nonsense voice that Miles had never heard her use before. "Just because we are not _blood_ does not make us any less members of the same _pack_. I understand my Uncle might be tired, and we may not be able to stay long, but I am going to _insist_ that you allow his fellow kin, to whom my Uncle is very much a _brother_ and _father_ _figure,_ to see him as well! I swear to you that seeing _them_ will undeniably be most therapeutic for your patient, as surely as I swear that _I am The Great Thief Yatagarasu_!"

 _Ngh!_ Miles groaned inwardly and barely resisted the urge to face palm. _And she was doing so well until she threw in that **last** bit, too!_

* * *

Ultimately, it was undetermined whether it was the sight of the Wolfman _bearing his fangs_ at the doctor, or Kay's impassioned speech, which did the trick, but in the end, all four of them were cordially escorted to the patient room of one Detective Tyrell Badd.

The detective was sitting up in bed, his gaunt face as white as the bandages on his ear and head, but he smiled at the sight of them, and his arms were already extended towards Kay, who lurched at him with her usual exuberance, causing the burly man to grunt slightly in discomfort.

"Easy there, kid," he chuckled, the pain evident in his face even as he held her close and stroked her hair. "Are you trying to break these _remaining_ old ribs of mine?"

"You give us quite a scare, Pops," Lang said gruffly, although the sentiment on his face belied his words. Kay finally untangled herself from her Uncle, and the Agent took the detective's hand within both of his in a firm clasp. "Don't you dare go dying on us anytime soon, you hear?"

Badd attempted to laugh at the quip, but only ended up coughing slightly, even as he managed to wave weakly at the visibly relieved Lana and Miles. Exhausted, he fell back against the pillows and shut his eyes.

" _Fuck this shit_!" He rasped, reaching gratefully for the glass of water that Lana hurriedly handed him. "I'm getting too old for this!"

Miles smirked to himself. Despite the defeated-sounding words, _he_ very much took them as an indication that Badd was going to be _just fine._

"Well, nobody's going to blame you if you have no desire to jump back into the field anytime soon, if at all," Lang admitted, then quirked an eyebrow at his friend. "Somehow, though, I just can't see you being the type to spend the rest of his golden years just idly sitting on a beachfront property."

"Of course not!" Badd retorted smugly. "Have you _any_ idea what kind of a lousy salary we detectives make? What kind of pension plan did you think I was going be _getting_? I'd be lucky if I could afford one of those drinks with the tiny umbrellas, in a home that was big enough to have my own _balcony_ , never mind own _backyard, because that costs extra_!"

"I never dreamed _I'd_ be the one ever saying this," Miles inserted dryly. "But you just were brought back to life by some sort of _miracle_ , Detective Badd. Might I suggest talk about work be somewhat delayed for now?"

"I've been told my hearing was completely _shot_ in one ear," Badd deadpanned. "But I could've _sworn_ I just heard the _workaholic prosecutor,_ turned undercover agent, suggest that _work_ take a _backseat_ to something!"

"Indeed, I can assure you heard me correctly!" Miles crossed his arms and looked sternly at the amused-looking detective. "And I stand by my words!"

"He's right though," Lana cut in anxiously. "We should be thanking the Man upstairs that you're still with us, detective, and to _hell_ with everything else right now!"

"No way!" Badd shook his head stubbornly. "I nearly croaked protecting this valuable information that poor bastard Lou risked his own life getting to me, and even if _I_ am physically restrained from being able to do anything about it, isn't that what you _youngsters_ are here for?"

" _Information_?" Lang stared blankly at the other man. "What the _hell_ are you talking about, Badd?"

"Did _nobody_ check the inside zipped lining of my trench coat?" Badd demanded, attempting to sit up again but grunting from the discomfort in his ribs the action had caused. "I'm pretty sure that if _I_ survived that explosion, _Old Faithful_ did as well! Kay, honey, what did they do with my coat and belongings from that night?"

"Um… I think _most_ of them were somewhat _charred to a crisp_ …" Kay walked over to the small chest of drawers in the corner of the room, and began rummaging through it. "But whatever they _were_ able to salvage should be in here somewhere… _Boo-ya_!"

A moment later, she triumphantly waved the battered garment in the air. It had only further deteriorated since that fateful night, with black soot stains now accompanying the bullet holes and tears, but as her expert fingers deftly reached into the requested pocket, they retrieved a wondrously _intact_ sheet of paper, with handwritten scrawl upon it.

"Is _this_ what you meant, Uncle Badd?"

"Give it to Lang." The detective nodded as he coughed again. "This was the document that Ku always had on his person, which Lou managed to swipe off his body after the sniper attack. There's a bunch of notorious drug lords and smugglers across the globe on there! There's no way we can afford to _not_ look into these leads!"

"You're absolutely right!" Lang whistled in appreciation as he looked over the list of names and information on the paper. "We've been chasing some of these fiends for ages! This just might be the break we need!"

"Leave it to _you_ , detective," Lana smiled fondly as she shook her head. "To not only escape the clutches of death, but manage to potentially get us further in our investigations _within a heartbeat of a moment_ , than _we_ may have managed to achieve these last _seven years_!"

"Of _course_ I cheated death!" Badd flashed them a shit-eating grin. "Because _heaven doesn't want me_ and _hell's afraid I'll take over!_ "

"Because you're total _bad ass_ , Uncle Badd!" Kay crowed triumphantly, clasping her hands together over her head and beaming broadly. " _You're_ the reason they probably created that famous song that my dad used to always play when I was a kid!" With that, the elated Agent began dancing around the room and singing the lyrics to "Bad to the Bone."

 ** _On the day I was born_**  
 ** _The nurses all gathered 'round_**  
 ** _And they gazed in wide wonder_**  
 ** _At the joy they had found_**  
 ** _The head nurse spoke up_**  
 ** _Said "leave this one alone"_**  
 ** _She could tell right away_**  
 ** _That I was bad to the bone_**

 _Egad!_ Miles winced at the off-key warbling _. I fervently wish I could claim that whatever Kay lacks in singing capability, she more than atones for with enthusiasm, but I would_ be **_lying_**! _She sounds like a **frog in a mailbox**!_

"Enough!" Lang laughingly held up a hand before Kay could assault their ears with the second verse. "If _I_ promise not to quit my day job to become a _news reporter_ , Kay, _you_ need to swear to me that _you_ will do the same and not attempt to become any sort of _singer_! Stick with ninja stealth as your go-to skill, I beg of you!"

 _And I second that motion!_ Miles added silently.

"Lana and Miles!" Lang snapped his fingers in their direction then. "Now that we know that Detective Badd isn't going anywhere, we owe it to him to look into these names before this list _gets cold_! I want you both to go back to your hotel and start packing ASAP! Kay and I are going to research the whereabouts and identities of the people on this list, and will have instructions for you about where your next destinations will be within the hour. Chances are, you'd cover more ground if you made your investigative trips separately, as there's a lot of names on this list that need to be covered, prior to Miles heading over to the States as our ground asset for LeTouse, while Lana takes over in Europe, come springtime."

"You got it." Lana sprung forward and hugged Badd, being careful to do so in a gentler manner than his niece had.

"We're on it," Miles nodded, coming over to shake Badd's hand one last time before nodding at both Lang and Kay and swiftly exiting the room, Lana in tow.

The moment they were gone, Kay smiled brightly at the two men.

"I've got to call Gummy right away!" She squealed. "I've kept him in the loop about the circumstances, Uncle Badd, and he wanted to come over right away to see his beloved old mentor, but we convinced him not to leave his wife and kids for what may have been an undeterminable amount of time, until we knew what was going on with you! I'm positive he'll be on the next flight over tonight once he gets the great news!"

"I've missed that bumbler!" Badd said huskily, the affection in his eyes impossible to miss. "I can't believe he went from being my protégé, once upon a time, to the _Chief of Police_ now! How's _that_ for proof that _wonders will never cease_?"

"Gumshoe's been as worried sick about you as we all were," Lang informed him. "Even though you've been _out of sight_ for many years, it definitely doesn't mean that you've been _out of mind_ for that man. He was an absolute _wreck_ when we told him what happened to you."

"I can't wait to see the big lug again," Badd admitted. "He might be a bumbler, but he's got a heart of gold, that one. I've never forgotten him either."

"You know who _else_ loves you, Uncle Badd?" Kay was positively bouncing on her heels with glee now. "Raymond Shields! And you before you even ask, _yes_ , Katherine will be accompanying him when he comes to see you on the first train over tonight! He wouldn't dream of leaving her behind!"

"I can't wait to see Gregory Edgeworth's old partner and his lovely wife again! It's been a dog's age!"

"Lang Zi says: ' _True friends are bosom friends'_." Lang flashed an impish grin at Kay, who grinned right back. "I'm assuming you have no objections to _this_ quote?"

" _None whatsoever_! And _amen_ to that!" Suddenly, a pensive frown marred her forehead. "Er… I'm assuming that _you_ will be the one to ensure that _all_ necessary and relevant _related parties_ are made aware of the update on Uncle Badd's health, while _I_ begin investigating the names on that list for Lana and Mr. Edgeworth?"

"I'll make sure they're wholly aware of the latest circumstances," Lang answered guardedly. "And they'll probably be here within the hour, but undoubtedly long gone by the time Gumshoe arrives."

"You would think with Gummy coming up all the way from the States, that there could have been a big ol' reunion with _everybody_!" Kay lamented. "I know he'll be thrilled to see Mr. Shields and Katherine again, but I feel bad knowing that that Lana and Mr. Edgeworth won't be _the only blasts from the past_ the Chief _won't be reuniting with_!"

"I didn't set their terms and conditions, Kay," Lang sighed, closing his eyes. "It's a tragic situation, but my place is not to question _why_. My place is to _silently respect_ and _oblige_ their wishes…"

"And try _not to cry_."

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye_**  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
April 14, 2026 2:30 PM

Lana waited patiently outside the taxi as Miles paid the driver and, grabbing his suitcase, led the way up the walkway to the front door of the mansion as it sped off.

"The last five months have been a whirlwind, haven't they?" He remarked as he turned his key in the lock. "Although I think Lang will be pleased with the fruits of our labor. I'm cautiously optimistic that a few of the leads that I looked into may actually pan out into something."

"So am I with my own." Lana stepped into the foyer behind him. "Although, after nearly half the year spent all by my lonesome, I was happy that Lang let us be together to investigate that final lead in Zheng-Fa. Even though we had to run back and forth between there and Cohdopia, I'm pretty sure that Fu Manchu might be the answer to what we've been seeking for so long! Or at the very least, he's a steer in the right direction!"

"Well, it's out of our hands now," Miles shrugged, glancing around the strangely silent main hallway with a furrowed brow. "The onus of handling all the research material that we presented is now in the capable hands of Lang, Kay, and Badd. And Franziska, as well, I imagine, assuming anyone can get a hold of her."

"I know you were hoping she'd be here when you got back." Lana noted the frown on his face with a concerned expression. "But it's still in the middle of the workday, and didn't you say the last time you spoke to Helga, she'd indicated Franziska had gone back to work?"

"Speaking of Helga, I have no idea where _she_ is, either." Miles set down his bag. "Or were _any_ of the servants are. This house is as quiet as a mausoleum! Where on earth _is_ everybody, I wonder? I told her before we left Zheng-Fa that I'd be arriving home today."

" _Willkommen zuhause, Meister!"_ Unexpectedly, the old housekeeper swooped upon the duo, beaming with smiles at the sight of her master as she graciously inclined her head in greeting towards Lana. "It has been far too long! I hope you had a good journey?"

"All is well, Helga," Miles replied pleasantly. "I am most pleased to see that you're still here, because nine out of ten times, whenever I tried to ring the house this _past year,_ there has been no answer, which I confess left me quite confused, as well as concerned."

Helga abruptly stopped smiling and dropped her eyes as she began fidgeting with her white apron.

"It is mostly just my husband and myself who are here now, _Meister_ ," she mumbled, still not looking at him. "Please understand that in our advanced years, running an estate as large as this just by ourselves, makes it quite difficult to always get to the telephone in time. My sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you."

"It's just you … _and Hans_?" Miles echoed incredulously. "Since _when_? Under whose orders?"

" _Gnädige frau's_ orders," the maid informed him, looking increasingly uncomfortable. "Rest assured,Burkhart still comes once or twice a month to do the windows, of course! There are far too many of them, and many are much too high for my poor Hans to manage any longer, what with his back problems and such…"

" _Franziska_ gave the orders that only a mere _skeleton staff_ remain behind to maintain a huge manor like _this_ ?" Lana gasped, then clapped a hand over her mouth as both Helga and Miles both turned to stare at her, as though having forgotten her presence. "Um, sorry, it's none of my business, of course. I hate to interrupt all of this, Miles, but it was never my intention to remain here and be in your hair any longer than necessary."

The pretty brunette turned to Helga and smiled sweetly.

"You see, I had planned to continue my journey in our shared airport taxi to go to the residence of my old coroner friend, who now resides here in Germany. But, as soon as we got into the vehicle, my sister texted me with an urgent message, saying it was _imperative_ that I call her back _immediately_. Well, unfortunately, my cell phone chose that _exact_ moment to _completely_ die, and as luck would have it, Miles' battery was dead as well. Therefore, if it's not too much trouble, may I please use your telephone to call Ema?"

"Come with me!" Helga seemed all too eager to remove herself from her employer's prying gaze at that moment, and actually reached out to grab Lana by the hand as she all but dragged her towards the study off to the side. "I will be happy to answer any of your _remaining_ questions later, after I tend to your companion, _Meister_ Edgeworth _!"_ She called to Miles. "In the meantime, why don't you go freshen up in your chambers, and I will be up shortly to attend to any of your needs?"

Lana turned back to Miles. "I will call another taxi to come pick me up as soon as I'm done, and see myself out immediately after."

Miles couldn't help but feel a strange sense of foreboding rising within him as he climbed the stairs towards the upper level. Something fallacious was most _definitely_ underfoot. In all the years he had known Helga, he had _never_ known her to be so skittish and jumpy before, as though she were _hiding_ something from him. In addition, he had certainly never known her to _avoid_ answering a _direct question_!

As soon as he got upstairs to his bedroom, Miles dropped his suitcase by the door, and looked around the familiar room, which was as tastefully decorated and immaculate as it had been when he had last seen it eleven months ago. At first glance, nothing _appeared_ to be amiss.

All the same, there was still a nagging feeling in his gut, which he found impossible to ignore, and rather than linger in the bedroom, he immediately went into Franziska's adjoining study.

On top of the computer desk was a large stack of unopened mail, with both his and Franziska's names on them, and Miles listlessly flipped through the pile, noting nothing of particular interest, until he came across a glossy, embossed envelope. It was addressed to Mr. Miles Edgeworth and Miss Franziska Von Karma in elegant calligraphy and was unmistakably an _invitation_ of some sort.

Bewildered, Miles snatched the silver letter opener out of the top desk drawer and sliced it open, assuming that perhaps it was an invitation from Gumshoe and Maggey, inviting them to the baptism of their new baby son, Jeff.

 _How curious for them to use the color **lavender** for a christening event, considering it's a boy, rather than baby blue or even crème?_ He absently thought to himself. _Oh well, it's a beautiful, summery color regardless, and neither one of those two has ever been one to follow traditional mandate!_

The prosecutor pulled out the card, made from the same heavy paper stock as the envelope, and as he scanned the raised lettering written upon it, the normally serene eyes widened with utter stupefaction.

* * *

 _The pleasure of your company_  
 _is requested at the marriage of_  
 _Maya Uma Fey_  
 _to_  
 _Longines Deandre Crispin Beaugosse III_  
 _Tueday, the sixteenth of June_  
 _Two thousand and twenty-six_  
 _at 10 o'clock in the in the morning_

* * *

The invitation fluttered from his shaky fingers and fell unnoticed to the plush carpet.

 _Wedding?! **Maya**?!_ Miles' mind was reeling from shock. **_Wright's_** _Maya?!_ _The **same Maya** that has been in love with my best friend, **Phoenix Wright** , for nearly a **decade** now?! **That Maya**?! How can this be?! And **who the hell** is **Longines?!** I know I've been out of touch for some time, but I was only **undercover for a year**?! What **else** has changed since I've been gone?!_

The prosecutor stood there, blinking repeatedly for several moments before he staggered, as though in a daze, back into the bedroom, and this time, his vision landed on yet _another_ envelope. This one was of the plain white variety, carefully propped up against something on his night table, next to his bedside lamp. The front of the envelope simply read " _Miles_ " in his fiancée's familiar, elegant hand. He snatched it up and tore it open, not even caring to bother with a letter opener this time.

In spite of that, the written contents pierced his heart more excruciatingly than _any_ letter opener or sharp object on the planet ever could have.

* * *

 _Dear Miles,_

 _I have learned many lessons in life because of you, most of them during our time together. Nevertheless, as I write this letter to you, the one that most stands out in my mind is: " **life must appear on the forehead, although death is carried in the heart."**_

 _Sometimes, I'm terrified of my heart; of his constant hunger for whatever it is it wants. The way it stops and starts. For as long as I've known you, but especially over the last eight years, every heartbeat has belonged to you. That will never change. However in doing that, I've given you all, and now I am nothing, with nothing left to offer you._

 _I was looking for a good that was and that perhaps does not exist on earth. I no longer look for it, I do not expect it, I do not want it. So I am calmer._

 _The world is often a cruel and wretched place, Miles. In understanding that, this past year, I also have realized that I can no longer offer you what you need, or what you most greatly desire in this life, nor on this earth. Therefore, this is where I bid you adieu, and wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors._

 _William Shakespeare once wrote: "Journeys end in lovers meeting." Miles, you and I have not only met; together, we have laughed, cried and loved beyond my wildest dreams and fantasies in what has been the journey, and love, of a lifetime._

 _That notwithstanding, our journey has now come to an end._

 _I dedicate the words of the great Hispanic poet, Nino Bravo, to you with this final swan song:_

 ** _A Kiss and A Flower_**

 _I'll leave my land for you_

 _I'll leave my fields and I will go_

 _far from here._

 _Weeping, I'll cross the garden_

 _and with your memories, I will go_

 _far from here.  
 **_**_

 _By day I'll live thinking about your smiles_

 _by night the stars shall keep me company._

 _You will be like a light shining down on my path_

 _I go now, but I swear that tomorrow I'll be back.  
 **_**_

 _At the moment of leaving, a kiss and a flower_

 _an "I love you", a caress_

 _and a goodbye._

 _It's a scant luggage_

 _for such a long trip._

 _Sorrows weigh heavy in the heart.  
 **_**_

 _Beyond the sea, there'll be a place_

 _where the sun is brighter_

 _each morning._

 _My fate will be forged_

 _by the stones on the path.  
 **_**_

 _What is beloved to us_

 _will always be left behind._

 _I will look for a place for you_

 _where the heaven joins the sea_

 _far away from here._

 _With my hands and your love_

 _I will manage to find another dream,_

 _far away from here.  
 **_**_

 _By day I'll live thinking about your smiles_

 _by night the stars shall keep me company._

 _You will be like a light shining down on my path_

 _I go now, but I swear that tomorrow I'll be back.  
 **_**_

 _At the moment of leaving, a kiss and a flower_

 _an "I love you", a caress_

 _and a goodbye._

 _It's a scant luggage_

 _for such a long trip._

 _Sorrows weigh heavy in the heart.  
 **_**_

 _Beyond the sea, there'll be a place_

 _where the sun is brighter_

 _each morning_

 _My fate will be forged_

 _by the stones on the path._

 _What is beloved to us_

 _will always be left behind.  
 **_**_

 _I hope you'll forgive my use of several verses that were not written from my own mind. We neither of us have ever been particularly good at expressing ourselves with words – perhaps that was what made us kindred spirits at one point. However, while some of the more lyrical words that I have chosen to use may not have been originated from myself, know that they are meant with my whole heart._

 _Abschied, liebling._

 _Für immer Ihre Dame,_  
 _Franziska_

* * *

Miles stared at that sheet of paper in stunned disbelief, and even rubbed his eyes, as if willing the gut-wrenching words on it to change if he did so hard enough, but to no avail.

 ** _Farewell_** **_, Darling,_** _she hath written, and then **dared** to sign it **Forever your lady**. As if **that** cushions this **blindsiding, soul-crushing** , **blow**!_

Eight. Bloody. Years. All _obliterated_ , with just _one letter_. His hopes and dreams all entirely annihilated with the mere stroke of a pen.

It was _unbelievable_. _Surreal_. _Unfathomable_.

He tumbled backward onto the bed as his knees gave out beneath him, clutching the letter to his chest. His eyes fell upon the item that had been propping the letter upright, and saw an _undeniably familiar_ velvet jeweler's box, sitting atop the nightstand.

Miles didn't even need to look inside to know what lay within its contents.

The symbol of his love. Her betrothal ring.

His swift and sudden heartbreak was like a ravenous wolf clawing and gnashing at his chest, tearing its way to his trembling heart. It threatened to devour him, eat him whole, and leave nothing but scraps behind.

These were a weak man's thoughts, and Miles despised himself for allowing his battered mind to indulge in such a jejune manner.

 _Pull yourself together Miles Edgeworth!_ His logical mind attempted to lecture him sternly. _You have survived greater strife in your life that far surpasses this! Be strong! Refuse to be the canine's scraps that **cowardly** woman so callously left behind!_

Strengthened by this resolve, he did his best to ignore it. Taking a deep, shaky breath in an attempt to compose himself, he got off the bed and booted up the study computer, desperate to distract himself by sorting through his emails. However, after idly scrolling through a large mountain of messages, glimpsing at them without really seeing them, he found he had little appetite for it, just as he had little appetite for food or anything else at that moment. Mindlessly, his hand reached for the mouse and clicked on the internet browser's web history.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw the very last thing Franziska had viewed.

At the sight of it, a rush of tormenting memories resurfaced, and Miles' suppressed heartache resumed full force, like a red-hot coal placed in his chest. It glowed and burnt him at the same time, but it did not cool quickly like a coal in water, but instead throbbed and tortured him with its agonizing pain, and there was no relief to be found in sight.

Thus, the merciless wolf still tore away at him, shred by shred.

* * *

 _A/N: For the most AWESOME BADASS picture of Tyrell Badd EVER check this out:  
 **i dot imgur dot com slash OZZzW0q dot jpg**_

* * *

 ** _Survivor – Eye of the Tiger_**  
 ** _George Thorogood & The Destroyers – Bad to the Bone_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 112**

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Clay seemed like such a sweetheart...I have no doubt he was the rare ray of sunshine in Apollo's young life as a lonely orphan. And what a cutie...of _course_ he was bound to attract some unsavory sorts of females. ..glad you picked up on the punny names...miss _Round the Block and Back_ indeed!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I don't know if tickets to see Nick in court back in the day would have had a price tag on them or not or if free tickets but it's a first-come first-served sort of affair… I like to think that much like with game show audiences they selectively choose who was worthy to be in the gallery and it is entirely their discretion to reject you for little to no reason if you think you're gonna be a shit disturber! XD

Your last comment about once again becoming the man Nick used to be reminds me of a song by alternative Canadian rapper K-OS who sing a song called "The Man I Used to Be." Excellent lyrics even if you don't like the music and I feel pretty fitting so thank you for the inspiration for a future chapter, my dear friend! :-)

 **Yanmegaman**

I really like the fact that folks picked up on that _innocuous_ comment so readily! XD  
Remember Apollo is only twelve in this chapter and is subject to change his mind without notice… Although considering I share your thoughts about a certain someone as his love interest much like I did for a certain other someone being Nick's love interest… I will not entirely displayed your suspicions all right? LOL

This chapter really took a lot of thought into writing, so I greatly appreciate it being one your favorites, as bromances are not something that can be rushed! I do remember you said Polly was like you… Both you have the bracelets to prove it!;)

I remember how Apollo was so in awe when he finally met Nick in that first trial it was really painful to write him being doubtful of him, but it seemed like the most realistic angle to go with, so thanks for that seeing as how I'm still feeling out the character!

 **DannyDragon**

Stupid Capcom! They killed off Mia and Clay and yet Jean Armstrong got to live?! Grrrr

I have never seen the Mad Max movie that inspired that thunderdome song but I heard it's a good one! You are just so awesomesauce, you and your music taste! If you ever get any inspired songs either titles for chapters or lyrics that you feel would be fitting for my story by all means feel free to suggest them! :-)

I'm glad that despite being somewhat bittersweet, my attempted humor in the chapter still came across! I don't want to have totally depressed readers but sometimes my sorrow outweighs my wit, therefore I'm very happy you found this to be a funny chapter!

 **chloemcg**

Nothing gives a writer more joy in seeing multiple YAYS by her favorite Euro female reader! :-)

I really like Apollo. I think he's a baby faced cutie pie however I cannot see him having _ever_ been a ladies' man… But Clay was _such_ a cutie pie it was so much fun writing him as being a Lothario in training! LOL

I shamelessly stole from my own drabbles when I wrote the scene with Apollo's mom giving him up for adoption, some very glad you liked it! It is very curious how a beautiful healthy boy as an infant would not be adopted, I would've Capcom took that into consideration when they wrote that of his back story?

I still not decided who to put the adorable Mr. Justice with to be honest. I am amused and touched that you picked up on his little redhead comment but I know that my personal tastes have varied greatly since I was a preteen… I can tell you right now my husband is _not_ blonde haired blue-eyed! Quite the opposite actually! XD

I am absolutely going to incorporate the chords of steel workouts the closer he gets to becoming a lawyer thank you for that reminder. I absolutely loved your last chapter of your story, and sincerely look forward to your one shots! I have little doubt that you will do justice to the emotional experience of childbirth! :-)

 **thepudz**

You're lucky I am a humble lass, my dear friend, as I too had the biggest grin of my entire life being referred to as legendary! While I feel I am hardly worthy of such a compliment, I am delighted that you liked Apollo's hero worship of Nick and his friendship with Clay… Otherwise what would've been a Wrightworth part two if Capcom didn't suck harder than a Hoover! XD

As for JusticeCykes…I confirm and deny nothing! ;)

 **Chapter 111**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Lana is portrayed as a very stoic character in the one game we saw her in - but even if she wasn't being blackmailed by sadistic son of a bitch, I'd like to think that being a legendary duo detective would have made her normally have an overall calm disposition, therefore I am really happy you picked up on the fact that she lost her cool in such a manner – ironically due to the equally austere and cool, Miles Edgeworth! XD

Yes I suppose you could say they did _slightly_ more than work together… (hee!) At this point in the story that they were also sometime exes, something Miles' current knew naught about!

Ema hating Klavier (Kristoph look-alike but less creepy looking and more man pretty younger brother) is actually can in the Apollo Justice game. She genuinely sees him as an obnoxious glimmerous fop but also when she finds out about his part in getting Phoenix disbarred it only compounds her loathing. I decided to just make things funnier and have her go into working with him already hitting his guts of this _before_ she even finds that what he did to her dear friend that save her sister from the gallows! LOL

 **Ilet Moratar**

Given the vast age difference which I believe is thirteen or fourteen years between Lana and Ema, and the fact that Lana raised her sister after their parents died, I genuinely see Lana as more of her maternal than mere sister figure to Ema which is why like any mother in the animal kingdom she was willing to sacrifice herself to save her sister in _rise from the ashes._ It shows a lot of nobility of the character and I'm happy you enjoyed their dynamic, and beyond flattered that you compare it to Maya and Mia as well as Maya and Pearl. Franziska and Maya's newfound alliance is a joyous one to write and I hope to reunite those girls again very soon!

Indeed for now Ema hates Klavier … Will that hatred ever change into loves? I know that Klema is a very popular pairing but I'm gonna put that in the same ranks of the JusticeCykes query and say… _To be determined_! :-)

Stop rubbing in the fact that you saw Mick Jagger live - I am so jealous! LOL

I think Gavin is to pretty to ever join the ranks of a rock god like Mick Jagger I'd see him more of the Justin Bieber type! XD

 **Chapter 110**

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _"Well, Larry appeared at the right time to save Iris from a nervous breakdown."_

Very well put my friend, no doubt poor timid Iris was buckling under the interrogation pressure of newly mature but very ruthless Maya, who no doubt learned from the best, as she was the king of the turnabout's legal assistant!

Larry and Iris - I agree they could be very sweet together and I am delighted that you approve of their dynamic as I portrayed them …but _can_ they ever be together? _Si,_ s _erá possible._ However someone would have to kill Kristoph Gavin since his diabolical ass is keeping not one but two couples apart right now… ;)


	114. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

_The first time ever I saw your face  
_ _I thought the sun rose in your eyes  
_ _And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave  
_ _To the dark and the endless skies my love  
_ _To the dark and the endless skies_

* * *

 _A/N: Every love story has a beginning and middle...and only an ending when death do you part, in a perfect world...  
_ _Phaya got a courtship tale, and I promised my Fredgeworth fans the origins of theirs. It won't be as many chapters as Nick and Maya's, though. I hope you enjoy the beginning my take of how it all began...takes place right after the infamous DL-6 incident, Deb 28, 2001, when Gregory Edgeworth was killed..._

 _(next chapter up Friday! 3 chapter week...I am a woman of my word!) :D_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Fourteen:** **The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_ _  
_January 10, 2002

It was a trifling thought in hindsight, but the day that Manfred Von Karma first brought Miles Edgeworth home to his sprawling estate in Germany, Miles honestly felt like he was a character in a movie. Moreover, in this particular case, he very much felt like Dorothy from _The Wizard of Oz_ , right after the cyclone had dumped her off into the unfamiliar land of munchkins and talking scarecrows. Nearly crippled with jetlag and fatigue, his confused and still grieving mind was a mess of scattered and jumbled thoughts, although _had_ he been able to piece them together, he probably _would_ have been thinking something along the lines of: _Well Miles, I guess you're not in Los Angeles anymore._

He felt completely dazed and confused as his wide eyes took in his unfamiliar surroundings and assessed the enormous, palatial estate that was to be his new home. It completely dwarfed the Spanish-style, split-level home that he'd shared with his parents back in California – and _theirs_ had been considered one of the biggest houses on the block!

Although he was dressed in his best dark red matching blazer jacket and trousers, the nervous and self-conscious little boy still felt like a pauper who was entering the Winter Palace of the beautiful Snow Queen and her little silver-haired Princess when he first set eyes upon Wilhelmine and Franziska Von Karma.

Descending the long spiral staircase was a stunning vision of a woman, easily the most beautiful one Miles had ever seen in his life, a thought that belatedly made him traitorous towards his own mother, who had passed away when he was only five of a long illness. Carol Edgeworth had been a sweetly pretty woman, with shy, grayish-blue eyes and long auburn curls, but the ethereal beauty coming towards them, a soft smile on her rosebud lips, was in another league of femininity entirely.

Manfred Von Karma's wife was truly breathtaking. She swept down grandly, looking as though she were floating more than walking as she approached her husband and the nervous-looking child beside him at the foot of the stairs. Her figure was long and slim, and her silvery-blonde hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck. She wore a simple but elegant short-sleeved, button-down, shirtwaist dress, printed in a gorgeous pattern of pink roses and green leaves, with a fitted bodice and full skirt. The arms had large cuffs, rolled up, to expose toned, slender arms, which were currently holding a small, female toddler against her hip. The little girl was dressed in a black velvet dress with a white, tulle ruffled skirt, her long hair tied back with a satin ribbon, and on her tiny feet were black-strapped dressy shoes, even though it was mid-afternoon in the middle of the week.

He swallowed uncomfortably against the _frilly fluttery napkin thingie_ around his neck that Mr. Von Karma had insisted he wear with his suit, henceforth. Normally, the child only wore a bow tie whenever he'd had to wear suits before. However, the moment Manfred had swooped down and told Miles that he would now be living with him and his family in Europe, the prosecutor had affixed the suffocating accessory, which was a miniature version of the one he wore himself, onto Miles' neck. When he'd had complained that he was unable to breathe, the stern-faced man had sharply commanded that he best stop fidgeting with it, and that he would soon enough grow accustomed to the feeling of _constant asphyxiation!_

"This is _the boy_ ," Manfred said curtly, by way of introduction. "Miles Edgeworth, I present my wife, Wilhelmine, and my youngest daughter, Franziska. I also have an older daughter, Katharina. She's at school now, and you'll meet her later. She's going to be 14 soon, so she's not much older than you are. How old are you again? 11?"

"Um, I'm turning 10 in April, Sir." Miles cleared his throat nervously. "On April 10."

"How wonderful! Your first birthday with us when it's your _premier_ double-digit age," enthused Mrs. Von Karma, smiling benignly. "You're seven years older than Franziska here, who's three."

Miles started at the sound of her voice, which was as soft-spoken and melodious as her husband's was authoritative and cutting. She was as smooth as her husband was rough, as approachable as he was intimidating, and seemed to have a golden aura of warmth surrounding her, as opposed to the foreboding dark cloud that _was_ Manfred Von Karma. Before he could dwell on this though, the prosecutor spoke again, with a biting edge to his tone.

"Bah! It doesn't matter when your birthday is. We don't acknowledge birthdays in this household. It's a ridiculous sentiment to be celebrating merely being another year older, and that much closer to death," Manfred dismissed abruptly. "If you're going to be living in this household boy, you had better learn to adapt to the ways of the Von Karmas, and just treat it like any other regular day of the year."

"Manfred, have a _heart_ ," Wilhelmine pleaded, turning imploring, long lashed eyes to her impassive-looking husband. "He is but a _child_ , and it will be his _golden birthday_. Surely, we can make an exception for his first milestone with us?"

"This is _not_ up for discussion, Minna!" Manfred snapped. "I don't know where Helga is, so I'm going to leave it to _you_ to show the boy to his room. I have matters to attend to in my study. I will see you again at dinner." With that, he turned on his heel and stalked off.

Miles stood there, still absorbing what he had just heard, and fought back the urge to burst into tears. They didn't _celebrate birthdays_ in this house? But his father had _always_ gotten him something for his birthday! He'd insisted that Miles' mother would've wanted him to feel happy on this special day, even after she had passed, and so his birthdays had always been a happy event to be rejoiced. On his last birthday, Gregory Edgeworth had gifted his son with a brand-new bike, which he'd had to leave behind when he'd come here, along with his two best friends, Phoenix and Larry. He'd never even gotten to say goodbye to them…

Lost in his own despair, he didn't even notice Mrs. Von Karma moving closer to him, but he breathed in the sweet, comforting scent of her jasmine perfume as she lightly patted his cheek with her cool, soft fingers, leaning over and putting them at eye to eye level so he could see the sincerity in hers. His sad eyes locked onto unfamiliar gray ones. However, they weren't just a gray, that term was far too plain in comparison. Her eyes shimmered like the rare rays of light bouncing off pebbles on a cloudy day. They radiated with kindness and love and were absolutely magnificent.

Miles glanced over at the unspeaking toddler still in the woman's arms and dully noted that she bore the exact same jewel-like orbs as her mother. Not that he particularly cared. She was just a little kid; a _baby!_ He wondered if she was even _potty trained_ yet. He barely had experience with either girls or young children, and had no idea how to act towards her, whatsoever. If he was lucky, maybe she would just leave him alone if he ignored her. She was so… _small_! And the way that she kept staring at him, without saying anything, was so _weird!_ It was making him seriously uncomfortable. He jammed his hands in his pockets and shifted his attention back to Wilhelmine.

"Don't you worry about Manfred," the beautiful blonde woman assured him quietly, her gaze filled with determination and promise. "We'll see if we can sneak you in some birthday cake after he's gone from the house that day. I'll make sure our cook makes you anything your heart desires. She's a wonderful baker as well. What's your favorite cake, Miles?"

"B – Black forest." Miles felt a lump forming in his throat at this unexpected gesture of benevolence. "Thank you. T – that's really nice of you, Mrs. Von Karma."

"You're a young man of excellent taste, it seems. That's a German specialty, and it's Franziska's favorite as well! You'll fit right in here before you even know it!" She laughed then, a silvery, tinkly sound that made him want to smile in spite of his misery. "And think nothing of it! As far as I'm concerned, as of today, you are no different to me from my own daughters. While I know nothing can replace your father, I promise you, for the rest of my days, Miles, I will treat you like the son I never had."

Miles nodded hesitantly. Somehow, he could just _tell_ that the woman wasn't just saying these things for the sake of speaking; he sensed she genuinely _meant_ every word.

"In addition, I hope someday you'll grow to accept both Katharina and Franziska as your sisters, and all of us as your new family in due time. As such, you needn't be so formal, and should not be required to call me by the same name as my late mother-in-law, _Hildeberta_!"

The German woman wrinkled her pert nose in playful disdain, and this time Miles couldn't help but grin in response.

"How would you feel about calling me, _Minna_?" She prompted gently. "That's how my nearest and dearest address me."

"I would get in trouble with Mr. Von Karma if he ever heard that." Miles shook his head. "He told me I'm supposed to call you Mrs. Von Karma or _Mätresse_ _Von Karma._ "

"Surely not!" Minna looked appalled. "I will _absolutely not_ allow you to address me by the same title as our staff does! What was that _foolish fool_ of a man _thinking_?"

"It's all right," Miles replied hastily, not wanting to make any trouble. "My Dad told me that I shouldn't address my elders by their first names, anyway."

"As much as I do not wish to undermine the teachings of your father, I cannot have you feeling like a stranger in this house either, especially not with _me_." She tapped a long, graceful finger to her chin, lost in deep thought for a moment, and then smiled angelically at him. "How does _Madam Minna_ sound to you?"

The name had a lovely, but regal resonance to it, just like the woman herself.

"I think I'd like that…Madam Minna." Miles nodded and returned her luminous smile, then turned his head and saw that Franziska was still staring at him, her huge eyes bright with curiosity, and looked away awkwardly. "Um…you said she's three, right? Does she…talk?"

"Franziska? _Talk_?" Minna threw her head back and laughed heartily at the question. "She's a little bit shy around strangers, but she's actually quite a little chatterbox once she warms up to you. She mostly speaks German right now, but we have a lovely governess who comes in every morning and goes through English lessons with her, and she's taken to it like a duck to water, and is learning it rather quickly!"

She turned to the silent girl in her arms and pointed at Miles.

"Franziska, Miles is going to be your new big brother. _Großer Bruder_. Why don't you say hello to him and make him feel welcome?"

" _Nein, Mama_!" Franziska shook her head. " _Nicht große Bruder! Ich war zuerst hier!"_

"Franziska!" Minna chided gently as a slight frown creased her smooth forehead. " _Das ist nicht schön!"_

" _Ich war zuerst hier_!" Franziska insisted stubbornly. " _Deshalb ist er mein_ ** _Kleiner Bruder_** _! Und ich bin seine_ ** _Große Schwester_** _!"_

Miles was utterly flummoxed by this incomprehensible exchange, even as Minna's expression of discontent was slowly replaced by one of wry amusement.

"What's she saying?" He asked uncomfortably, when it appeared nobody was going to be offering him a translation.

"She said since _she_ was here first…" Minna began, but the toddler began squirming in her hold before her mother could finish the sentence.

" _Lass mich runter, Mama_!" Franziska commanded, turning pleading eyes to her mother. " _Bitte_?"

Without another word, Minna bent over and placed the little girl on the floor. Undaunted, and now free to roam as she pleased, Franziska stepped right up to Miles and pointed at him, staring up into his face with serious gray eyes.

" _Willkommen, Kleiner Bruder,_ Miles _,_ " she said in her birdlike twitter. " _Ich bin Franziska. Ihre neue_ ** _Große Schwester_** _._ "

"She said, _welcome, Little Brother Miles. I am Franziska_ ," Minna's eyes were dancing with barely suppressed laughter. " _Your new Big Sister_."

"Er, _danke_ , Franziska." Miles mumbled, using one of the few German words he knew.

Franziska placed one tiny hand up in the air, almost at hip level. Assuming she was trying to grasp for his hand, which she obviously couldn't reach, Miles began to lean forward and stretched out his fingers for what he assumed was a handshake.

Instead, to his confused astonishment, Franziska raised her other hand, and, slightly clutching the bottoms of her skirt in each tiny fist, raised each side ever so slightly and gracefully bent her knees with one foot in front of the other as she ever so slightly dipped her head at the same time.

It was the first time he had ever seen a girl curtsy in his entire life.

It was simultaneously humorous, out of place - yet somehow _fitting -_ and _endearing_ , all at the same time.

Acting entirely out of reflex, Miles raised his right arm, placed it across his chest, and lowered his torso and head, bowing right back in return.

"That was so sweet!" Minna beamed, looking back and forth at the two children, her face aglow. "Her governess is British, very old-fashioned, and appears to have been working with my little girl on her etiquette and social skills as well as her English. I don't quite how to say this, because girls don't normally _curtsy_ in today's day and age any more than boys _bow_ … yet _somehow_ , both movements appear to _suit_ _you_ _both,_ _ever so_ _well_! Miles Edgeworth, I daresay you were _born_ to be a gentleman of sorts."

"Perhaps. It only felt right to bow back in the presence of such a little _lady_. Maybe we should _both_ practice until it feels natural," Miles smiled back at Minna, then graciously inclined his head to the little girl as he searched through the recesses of his memory for the couple of other German words he knew. "What do you say, _meine dame?"  
_

* * *

 **April 16, 2005**

" _Ordnung_! _Nimm fünf!"_ The tall, hulking choreographer with the blond crew-cut clapped his hands impatiently.

" _Danke Gott_!" Katharina gasped breathlessly.

"Humph! _I_ of course, am perfectly happy to keep going, but …" Meinhard Knut narrowed his eyes reproachfully at his two dance pupils. "The two of _you drama queens_ are acting as if you will surely _drop dead_ from exhaustion if we do not take a break! So if you both _insist_ , I _suppose_ we can do that – _nein_ , Miles!"

The dance teacher stormed over to the corner of the makeshift dance studio that was set up in the recreation room of the Von Karma mansion, and snatched the bottle of water out of the teenage boy's hands.

"Do _not_ guzzle that water so heavily, you fool! You will get a cramp and be unable to resume _the dance_!"

 _You mean concentration torture camp, don't you_? Miles yearned to retort, but wisely refrained from comment, and instead made a point of demonstrating a visibly slowed down pace of which he was greedily chugging back the cold water from his bottle, once their _sadistic_ _drill sergeant_ of a dance instructor returned the precious liquid back to him. He tipped his head back, uncaring that some of it trickled down his sweat-drenched chest and onto his thin tank top, which clung to him in wet patches, unaware that a set of appreciative eyes were watching this from a distance away at the top of the stairs.

"Have mercy, Meinhard!" Katharina gasped, grabbing her towel and patting at her perspiring face. "Surely Miles and I need more than a mere _five minutes_ rest after such a grueling, nonstop set of dance steps for the past _hour straight_?"

 _Katharina what is wrong with you, you foolish fool of a girl?!_ Franziska peered down over the top of the railing and frowned at her sister with silent disapproval. _I cannot_ ** _believe_** _you're asking for a_ ** _longer_** _break from Miles' arms! I would never even_ ** _dream_** _of asking for rest if **I** were his dance partner! I would dance even with _**_a broken foot_** _to remain within his craved embrace!_

" _Dein Vater_ , Katharina, hired me to teach you children everything from Latin to Ballroom dance, because I am an award-winning dancer _and_ choreographer of the stage, _across the nation_!" Meinhard eyed her reproachfully. "He did _not_ hire me to have pity on an _undisciplined and unmotivated_ pupil who is _not_ willing to give me _110%_! While the two of you have _somewhat_ flourished under my guidance, neither have yet to truly _mastered_ the most _difficult dance of all!"_

Katharina's cheeks burned with angry humiliation at the reprimand, so Miles spoke up instead.

"You've got to be _kidding_ me!" He panted, raking a hand through his sweaty hair. "Katharina and I, at this point could probably _give lessons_ _ourselves,_ for that is how well we dance the Foxtrot, Waltz, Viennese Waltz _and_ Quickstep! What else could possibly be _left_?!"

"Don't you get arrogant with me!" The stern German man waved his finger critically. "You are nowhere _near_ ballroom instructor level, not until you fully master, _the tango_!" He walked over to the stereo in the corner of the room and switched the music to a pulsating Latin beat. " _Lass uns gehen!"_

Franziska watched, completely spellbound as her _groaning sister_ and her _growing handsomer with each passing year,_ Little Brother put their arms around each other, and began the initial frame, feeling simultaneous pangs of marvel and envy as they moved in flawless, synchronized rhythm.

Ever the perfect Von Karma, Katharina possessed slightly more graceful moves than even her expert tango partner in this particular dance, her movements so rapidly fluid that at one point, Miles actually stumbled trying to keep up.

" _Das hast Du aber schön gemacht_ , Katharina!" Miles chuckled ruefully. "I had best step up if I wish to keep up with you!"

"The tango is a _sensual_ dance, originated from the _streets of_ _Buenos Aires_!" Meinhard lectured, coming behind Miles and forcefully pushing him against the petite blonde girl so tightly that it was to the point where you could not have even slipped _a Euro banknote_ betwixt them! "There is not supposed to be _any space_ between _you and your partner's_ bodies! You must hold her _tighter and closer_ Miles, if you wish to move in proper, flowing motion."

Miles gulped and blushed slightly as he nervously pressed Katharina even closer to him, as instructed. She smiled encouragingly at him as the teacher nodded approvingly and clapped his hands.

" _Großartig!_ Here we go…and …two, three, four… _lunge_!"

This time, as though fueled by Meinhard's merciless tutorial, brother and sister now looked like nothing short of poetry in motion, performing the complex moves with such ease, it looked as though they had been performing together their whole lives.

 _They look **perfect** together,_ Franziska thought glumly. _**Why**_ _must my big sister be_ ** _so good_** _at dancing and_ ** _everything_** ** _she_** ** _does_** _? Her body looks like it was_ ** _meant_** _for his!_ ** _Humph_** _! Now that they are as molded together as Siamese twins are, I don't see her_ ** _now complaining_** _that she's_ ** _too tired_** _! Just look how_ ** _closely_** _he's holding her! Is that_ ** _really_** _necessary?!_

"Franziska!" Suddenly the young girl heard Helga's voice calling for her upstairs and froze, not wanting to be caught in the act of spying on Katharina and Miles. "Franziska, where are you? Arnulf is ready for your riding lesson!"

 _Ngh! Shut up Helga! You're going to get me_ ** _found out_** _! Then Miles will know how much time I've spent watching him and he's going to discover that I_ ** _may_** _have_ ** _slightly more than sisterly feelings_** _for him, and feel pity on me for being such a_ ** _foolish, fanciful child_** _, and_ ** _that_** _will be more humiliating than anything I think I could_ ** _ever bear_** _! Not to mention the_ ** _endless ribbing_** _Katharina would subject me to if she knew that the_ ** _alleged crush_** _she keeps teasing me about is actually_ ** _true_** _!_

With panther-like stealth she didn't even know she possessed, Franziska carefully turned around and silently crawled back up the remaining stairs on her hands and knees so as to make as little noise as possible, only rising back to her feet when she reached the door at the top, exited, and silently closed it behind her. She paused for a brief moment and finally expelled her bated breath before dashing to the kitchen and lifted her chin at the housekeeper.

" _Hallo_ , Helga, no need to shout so!" Her tone was brusque, as though _she_ had been the one waiting all along! "I am dressed and ready for my lesson, _danke_. I will go meet Arnulf at the stables now!"

Franziska dashed out the back door before the perceptive maid could ask where she had been up until that. She was slightly winded as she met up with the stable boy, who smiled pleasantly as he finished grooming Olaf, the beautiful chestnut gelding who had been her normal ride for the past year. The thoroughbred was all saddled up and ready for the usual canter around the massive grounds, but for some reason she hesitated.

Even though she was only seven, Franziska was already an accomplished rider, and her thrice-weekly lessons at this point were merely a formality. Within just months, she'd moved on to an actual horse, as unlike most little girls her age, _her_ riding skills had surpassed a mere pony _already_! She could even ride bareback, although had only managed to do that _once_ before Arnulf had caught her and squawked with horror that her father would have _his_ head, and _her_ _hide_ , should he ever find out what she had done!

Every night, before bed, when she said her prayers, as Mama always instructed her to do, it was always the same thing. It rang in her ears now.

 _"Dear God," She prayed every night. "Let me be something every minute of every hour of my life."_

The truth was that seeing her beloved sister locked in the arms of Miles, in his coveted embrace – albeit only for dancing purposes – had _spurned something_ inside her. Franziska wasn't a complete fool. She knew she was too young for him right now, and that there was nothing she could do, should he decide to turn his head towards her comely, _perfect_ older sister until she got older. However, at that moment, she desperately yearned to do _something_ to show that _she_ too, had impressive skills that were worthy of the Von Karma name, and also should be taken notice of!

Moreover, she certainly wasn't going to be able to boast about any of her equestrian skills by riding the _same, tired old horse_ as always! She _longed_ , no – _needed_ – something new. _Some sort of challenge_.

As she adjusted the chin strap of her helmet and adjusted her riding breeches, her determined gaze fell upon her father's latest acquisition, two stables down – a bravura gelding of lustrous ebony coat and mane.

"Arnulf, I've decided I'm not going to take Olaf out today," she announced, steeling her jaw. "I would like you to saddle up Thor for me instead."

"T – Thor?" The young groom stammered, staring at her with disbelief. "But he's a new arrival, Franziska, and is not properly trained yet. Only the most experienced rider can handle a horse so large. Your _brother_ has not even taken him out yet."

Hearing that only made Franziska further jut her chin. As much as her Little Brother caused tumultuous, inexplicable stirrings within her that she could not quite identify or understand, he also stirred her inner competitive nature as well, which she _could_ understand, _all too easily!_ She might be too young to best him on the dance floor just yet, but as much as he was a skilled horseman, she was positive that she was better. And she was going to _prove_ it!

"Explain to me why the size of the horse is a factor when the rider is an experienced one such as me?" Franziska inquired, already charging ahead to Thor's stable. She was too small to reach the saddles that were hanging up on the wall, but she was positive that if the groom refused to put one on the horse, she would just simply forge ahead and ride him bareback!

"Because he weighs over 1000 pounds!" Arnulf snapped, even as he helplessly watched her storm in, giving them no choice but to follow her. "Your small legs and heels shan't have any impact if you are to nudge him with them to try to guide him to your own will, can't you understand that?"

Franziska pushed a step stool up against the wall as her eyes landed upon the solution to this problem. Standing on her tiptoes, she grabbed the riding crop in one hand and flashed a triumphant smile.

"A horse of any size will surely respond to _this,_ " she pointed out, flicking her wrist expertly with the crop, delighted at how it whizzed through the air. She raised an eyebrow at the resigned-looking stable boy. "You _know_ I'm going to take him out whether you _allow_ me to or not! Tell you what; to ease your fears, you can even follow along with me on your own ride to keep watch of things. Regardless though, saddled up or not, _I am taking Thor out_ , and there's _nothing_ you can do to stop me!"

The poor groom moaned softly and dragged a hand down his face as he reluctantly threw a saddle onto the black horse.

"Just take him out for an easy trot to start," he bagged, his dark eyes darting nervously around, as though fearful that Manfred Von Karma would pop up out of nowhere, even though it was a Saturday afternoon and the prosecutor always spent his weekends at his gentleman's club. "Don't try to gallop or jump over any hurdles, _please_?"

Franziska wasn't listening. As she swung her leg onto the horse's back and skillfully grabbed the reins, she smiled reassuringly at the now terrified-looking young man.

"I promise you, I'll be fine, Arnulf," she assured him. Then, with a light tap of the crop, she and Thor were gone with the wind.

Totally disregarding Arnulf's instructions, Franziska used the riding crop as though she had been _born_ with it in her hand. She seamlessly mastered the ability to make the horse move at an ambling gait before progressing to a trot easily enough at her command, and soon the gelding had graduated to moving into a canter at a higher speed than she had _ever_ managed with Olaf! She could hear the groom coming up behind her on his own mount, shouting with appreciation and awe as he drew near.

" _Ausgezeichnet_ , Franziska!" He cried, his face wreathed with admiration. " _Ich bin so stolz auf Dich!_ I don't know how you've managed to make Thor look as easy as riding a pony, considering he's not yet fully trained, but you are a _complete natural equestrienne_! However did you do it?"

"Say hello to my little friend!" She replied, laughing giddily as she waved the crop in the air. "With _mein kleiner freund_ in my hand, I can make sure _anyone_ and _anything_ does my bidding!"

An hour later, flushed from her victory, Franziska rushed into the house, calling out her sister's name, forgetting the crop was still in her hand in her eager haste to boast about her latest triumph.

"Hans!" She called, nearly running over the butler in her quickened haste. " _Wo ist meine Schwester?"_

" _Im Erdgeschoss mit Ihrem Bruder im Studio_ ," he answered, then went back to watering the plants.

 _They're_ ** _still_** _dancing?_ Franziska thought with surprise, feeling envious that her sister was _still_ managing to snare so much time with Miles. _Usually their lessons are no more than 60 to 90 minutes?!_

Still, her excitement could not be curbed, and as she thundered down the stairs, this time not trying to hide her presence, she came upon the two teenagers with their arms locked around one another's, with her sister lecturing Miles about something called "spaghetti arms."

"I _am_ holding my frame!" Miles protested. "My arms are just exhausted from spinning and twirling you and bending you over them for nearly two hours straight!"

" _Schwester_!" Franziska cried, racing up to the two, and finding herself trotting around in a 360° turn trying to keep up with their movements as they insisted on continuing to dance in a circular steps, despite the evident absence of the dance instructor. "Miles! Guess what?"

"Franziska, can this not wait?" Katharina didn't even turn her head in her younger sibling's direction as she continued to maneuver her feet. "Do you not see that we are in the middle of something?"

Miles didn't even reply, but the younger girl could see a bead of sweat streaking down the side of his face as he focused on keeping up with his partner.

"Your feet must need a break!" Franziska insisted, lower lip beginning to protrude sulkily as she stopped trying to run in a circle alongside them in order to maintain conversation. It was making her dizzy!

She was starting to get mad. Her sister had had Miles' attention for at _least_ two hours now, and they got to dance three times a week together! All she was asking for was _a lousy minute_!

In a defining act of petulance, she stomped over to the stereo and powered off the music, immediately bringing the room to abrupt silence, causing Katharina to squawk with dismay.

"Franziska Von Karma! That was _most_ impudent!" The pretty blonde scowled. "just _what_ was so important that you would find the need to interrupt in such an unseemly manner? Don't you know that Miles and I have been working extra hard because Papa wants us to perform as his colleague's silver wedding anniversary party next week?"

Franziska was startled by the sharpness of her sister's tone. Usually Katharina was so indulgent and patient with her, but it seemed the strain of trying to achieve perfection for a dance performance intended to please their perfectionist father was beginning to take its toll on her nerves.

"I – I apologize, _Schwester_ ," she said meekly, feeling her eyes well up with tears. "I –I just wanted to tell you and Miles that I've broken in Thor today – all by myself. That's all."

Completely crestfallen, the little girl turned and started to head back up the stairs, but to her surprise, her Little Brother immediately halted.

"Franziska! Wait!"

"Miles! Why are you stopping?" Katharina demanded in annoyance, putting her hands on her hips.

"Katharina, I am so exhausted that I am beginning to see double at this point," he told his elder sibling. "I think we've done enough for today. If you want, we can squeeze in another couple of hours tomorrow before my fencing lesson. Don't you worry about that party. I am positive that we will give a riveting show."

He then turned to Franziska, who was halfway up the stairs. His long legs strode towards her, and he joined her on the step, looking at her with a smile of pride.

"Did you _really_ break in Thor?" He asked, visibly impressed.

Franziska nodded silently and dropped her eyes. Now that she had his attention at last, she felt uncharacteristically shy.

 _"Das ist aber toll!"_ Miles praised. "I'm sure that was no easy feat."

Aside from when they were lovingly given by her mother, compliments were rarer than unicorns in the Von Karma household. Franziska was so unaccustomed to praise from any other source that she found herself suddenly overwhelmed, and unable to speak.

"He's a very big horse but I managed," she finally managed to answer softly. "But I'm not going to tell you that it was easy, no. It was most definitely a challenge."

"Thor is an absolute hulking _beast_ , so I have no doubt he gave _you_ as much of a workout as your sister and I had!" Miles laughed, his tone taking on a slightly mischievous edge now. "Look at you, you're even more red-faced and sweaty than _we_ are!" He reached over and affectionately tousled her damp, silvery strands, and Franziska felt herself blushing to the roots of her hair, partly due to the approbation still evident on his face, and partly because she realized just how _dirty and smelly_ she must be having come straight from the stables! It embarrassed her, and she suddenly felt indignant for having such an inferior feeling overshadow her initial triumphant one!

 _Darn that foolish fool for making me feel this way! If a side of derision must accompany his wonderment, then I want_ **no** _part of it!_

"Don't you make fun of me, Miles Edgeworth!" Franziska screeched, and then, in a gesture of uncontrolled irritation, she reflexively cracked the riding crop on the bare skin of his arm, making him yelp, although more from surprise than pain, while Katharina gasped in shocked disbelief.

"Franziska Von Karma, what has gotten _into_ you?" She yelled, her gray eyes, identical to both her mother and sister's, flashing with fury. "Where would you get the idea to even do such a churlish thing? Is _this_ what all your years of decorum training with your English governess have resulted in? Apologize to Miles _immediately_ , unless you want me to tell Papa what a naughty little girl you're being!"

Franziska gulped. Her Mama would be sorely disappointed in her behavior, which was bad enough, but the idea of her father's wrathful reaction was too terrifying for words.

"I –I'm sorry," she whispered, looking up at Miles with fearful eyes.

"Don't worry about it," Miles replied easily. "It didn't really hurt. It's not like you were using _a whip_ or anything!" He turned to Katharina. "I'll see you here, same time tomorrow. I need to go take a shower and cool off!"

He then flashed one final teasing smile at Franziska. "I suggest your hot-headed self takes one too, _Pferd Mädchen_."

Grinning impishly, he then quickly booked it up the stairs before Franziska could give him another lash for that final parting wisecrack!

"I'll _get_ you for that!" She called after him, then turned to face her sister, whose annoyance appeared to have vanished and instead wore a knowing smirk on her face. "I cannot believe that foolish fool just called me _horse girl_!"

"Well, considering you _smell_ like _nothing_ but, I'm surprised he didn't think of something _worse_!" Katharina tittered softly, reaching over and pulling her sister into a quick hug. "I am so sorry I was short with you Franziska. I have been a complete tyrant with poor Miles, too, running him nearly ragged with dance practice because I am slightly stressed about meeting Papa's high expectations, but I should always try to take the time to cheer on my little sister for her admirable accomplishments. It sounds like quite the achievement you made with Thor! _Gut gemacht!"_

" _Danke_ , _Schwester."_ Franziska returned the embrace, then stepped back and shuffled her feet uncomfortably. "However, I'm very sorry for the way I acted, and for interrupting your practice. I didn't know you had a such a big show coming up."

" _Ich vergebe dir_. I think Miles was more than willing to forgive you as well, since your perfectly timed interruption gave him the reprieve he needed, before he passed out from exertion!" Katharina giggled. "Besides, I know you _very well_ , Franziska and I have very little doubt about what motivated you to act like such a little brat just now. You _do_ realize that there's nothing to be jealous of with Miles and myself, right? Unlike _you_ , _I_ see him as nothing more than my little brother. Plus, you seem to have forgotten that I already have a boyfriend!"

"Don't be foolish!" Franziska felt her cheeks turning red and felt a loss for words once again. "I – I was merely excited, and I wanted to show the both of you that I too, could excel at something, that's all."

"You wanted Miles' attention." It was a statement not question. "Franziska, I don't think he noticed, but _I_ saw you peeping at us earlier during our lesson. I know that you have… special feelings for him. It's perfectly normal. And for what it's worth I'm pretty sure he is completely oblivious to it. Boys can be _quite_ daft in that sense."

"Unlike _you_ , the ever-observant psychologist in training?" Franziska grinned, seeing no point in denying anything anymore. She knew her sister could be trusted to keep her little crush a secret.

"Well, I _am_ a Von Karma, after all!" Katharina snickered. "Do keep in mind that right now, the age difference between the two of you is quite vast, little one. Nevertheless, if you _do_ want some romantic advice to help you in your _later_ years, here's a hint – most boys don't like girls who _smell like horses all the time_."

"What nonsense!" Franziska huffed. "I refuse to give up my riding passion for _any_ foolish boy!"

"Nobody said you had to give up the things you love," Katharina advised, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her sister's ear. "But let's just say it may not hurt to be gracefully _light on your feet_ for when the day comes that a boy _sweeps you off them_." She left the room then, leaving her little sister to mull that one over.

That very night, Franziska Von Karma announced to her father that she wanted to commence taking ballroom dance lessons, post-haste!

* * *

 **December 20, 2007**

That day was what should have been Minna Von Karma's 39th birthday. Even if Franziska had not heard the servants murmuring sadly around her, she still would've known the date.

Earlier that evening, she had gotten a call from the emotional, teary Katharina, promising she'd be home the next night when her school let out for Christmas holidays. While that was a comforting notion, her beloved sister's absenteeism, coupled with her father's copious absence that particular night, undoubtedly spent, as usual, drowning his _alleged_ sorrows at his gentleman's club, was a double whammy.

Franziska knew it was all a farce. Manfred couldn't have appeared to care less that the most important person in her life was no longer with them. He hadn't said a word about that day's significance to his daughter, or even asked how she felt about facing Minna's very first birthday when she was no longer with them, nor inquired as to _what level of devastation_ she might be feeling. After all, Manfred paid no mind to birthdays. She wasn't even sure if he'd even remembered what day it was.

Therefore, it seemed her grief was hers to bear alone. She tried to keep a stiff upper lip in Manfred's presence, to let him think that she was being the strong, unflappable Von Karma he always commanded her to be, and refused to break down.

 _Big girls don't cry_ he'd repeatedly told her.

Those words had stuck with her. Consequently, ever since that fateful day when she had broken down upon finding out that Manfred was not the man she'd always thought he was, Franziska had not allowed herself to shed even a tear since.

Her mood and feelings towards her father had greatly soured since she had made that earth shattering discovery in his study several months ago, revealing the evidence of his infidelity to the woman that had been Franziska's whole world. It was unfortunate, the rarely present Manfred being all she had, as with Miles having been sent away to boarding school in England, and her sister no longer residing at the mansion, she often felt like a tiny pea rattling around a gigantic hollow watermelon shell in this enormous pile of bricks that for her, was now merely a house that no longer felt like a home.

Franziska struggled with her emotions for the man that she called Papa on a daily basis. She loved him, and she hated him. She wanted to please him, yet couldn't care what he thought of her. She thought he was a genius, but a hypocrite.

It was more than any nine-year-old should have ever had to deal with, and sleeplessness was the unfortunate result of it all, along with overwhelming feelings of loneliness and melancholy that never seemed to abate.

But by far, the worst was the insomnia. There were shadows underneath her eyes from her restless nights, which had only worsened since Minna's untimely passing, and this one night had been worse than most. She had thrashed and flailed about for hours, but to no avail. Once more, sleep completely evaded her.

Franziska tossed and turned but just couldn't find the right position. A lingering haze of sleep sat somewhere at the back of her mind but was too far away to reach, floating in the pool of her memories. Icy discomfort blossomed in her chest and made it difficult for her to breathe. Trying to make herself fall into slumber, she took as deep breaths as she could, but many just caught in her throat, like an chilly wind had blown down there that managed to freeze the air solid. At that moment, she knew this was going to be a long night.

 _I miss you so much, Mama! With you no longer here, sleep becomes a fleeting chore. I wrestle at nights with the dark and the light trying to find comfort from either side but most times I lose the fight. I have become content with my sleepless nights where I find comfort in my thoughts and memories of the past. Things seem clearer but only for a while as I fight to take control of the lethargy that creeps up and create night time horror during my sleepless hours. The dark consumes but sleep still eludes, it appears it has divorced itself from me. I'm sleepless at a time, when rest is all I need to refuel me to make it through one more day without you._

Choking back a sob, she swung her legs over the side of her bed, quietly opened her bedroom door, and crept downstairs. The servants were all in bed of course, and she didn't want to waken them, but she thought perhaps a cup of hot milk might soothe her back to sleep. Mama had always brought her up a mug before bedtime, and then sang softly at her bedside until her eyes drifted closed. Such a beautiful voice Minna had had, especially when she sang Franziska's favorite lullaby, _'Weißt du, wieviel Sternlein stehen.'_ Mama had sounded just like an angel, whose ranks she had now joined in heaven…

 _Stop torturing yourself like this Franziska! Just get your milk and go back to bed, where hopefully, sleep will finally release you from one of the most painfully depressing days of your entire life!_

As she tiptoed through the silent manor and towards the kitchen, she could have sworn that she heard a very faint sound in the distance. Franziska tilted her head towards it. It appeared to be coming from the music room. The door was closed, but the soft melody was achingly familiar. Creeping closer, she slowly turn the doorknob and found Miles seated at the piano, eyes closed, so lost in the song that he was playing that he didn't even notice he had an audience. When had he come home? Franziska had known he would be arriving that night for winter break, but had fallen asleep attempting to wait up for him A quick glance at the grandfather clock in the corner showed her that it was now 11:30.

 _He must've caught the late flight and arrived after I went to bed._

Miles hadn't bothered turning on the lights in the room, and Franziska couldn't help but stand in the doorway and just stare at the mesmerizing sight of him seated on the bench, illuminated by the silvery beam of light streaming in, which was quite bright that night due to the full moon. The calm song he was playing, the gentle movements of his fingers on the keys and the beautiful lighting offered a very serene sight. Despite her unwitting discovery about the distasteful affair that had transpired between Miles and Gretchen, there was no doubt that he had been a most apt music pupil. She leaned on the doorframe and allowed herself to smile a little bit; she had forgotten how much she'd loved to hear him play.

As Miles continue to play the hauntingly beautiful tune with precise expertise, Franziska felt a lump forming in her throat as she recognized the song that Minna used to sing to her on nights when she couldn't sleep, and sniffled slightly. She hadn't realized she had made any noise, but Miles still heard her. Startled, his eyes flew open and his hands fell limply from the keys, his face a mask of contrition as he spun around on his seat to face her.

"I'm so sorry, Franziska. I thought the sound was muted enough if I kept the door closed. I never intended to wake anyone."

"You – you didn't," she mumbled. "I – I could not sleep, so I came downstairs for some milk, and then I heard you. I apologize if I startled you. I never meant for you to stop playing. I – I love that song – _'Weißt du, wieviel Sternlein stehen._ In English, the title is ' _Do You Know How Many Stars Are_?' It's the one Mama used to sing to me most often."

"I know it very well." He smiled sadly. "When I first came here, I had many night terrors about my father. I would wake up screaming, and often crying. Your mother always seemed to sense when I was most distressed, and would often come to me in the middle of the night, and comfort me with this song, too. For me, she was singing the English version, because I didn't speak much German back then."

Miles patted the bench as he shifted slightly, indicating she should come sit next to him.

"I knew today was her birthday. And I guess I just wanted to play something that reminded me of happier times with her. I – I wanted something to remember her by today."

"Could you play it again for me?" Franziska hesitantly sat down next to him and smiled bashfully. "I always did love listening to you play."

"I will play it as many times as you like," he said kindly. "But only if you sing along while I do."

"I don't know." She ducked her head with uncertainty. "I don't have Mama's beautiful voice."

"Let _me_ be the judge of that. How about we sing together? I will sing the English lyrics right after you start the German ones, and it will be a singing round. I think Madam Minna would have liked that."

"OK." Franziska nodded hesitantly. "Let us begin."

Miles started the song from the beginning once more, and Franziska desperately fought back the tears mounting in her throat as she sang in her soft, childlike voice.

 _Weißt du, wieviel Kinder frühe_ _  
_ _stehn aus ihrem Bettlein auf,_ _  
_ _daß sie ohne Sorg und Mühe_ _  
_ _fröhlich sind im Tageslauf?_ _  
_ _Gott im Himmel hat an allen_ _  
_ _seine Lust, sein Wohlgefallen;_ _  
_ _kennt auch dich und hat dich lieb,_ _  
_ _kennt auch dich und hat dich lieb._ _  
_ _ **Wie Sie wissen, ich tun**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Wie Sie wissen, ich tun**_

Miles' warm, soothing baritone warmed Franziska's heart as he sang the English version. She had always loved his voice, but his time in England had given it a smoother, more polished edge, with just a hint of a British accent, which only enhanced his singing voice to her enchanted child ears.

 _Do you know how many children_  
 _Wake up early from their little beds,_  
 _Who are without worry and sorrow_  
 _And happy during the day?_  
 _God in Heaven has everybody's_  
 _Pleasure and welfare in mind;_  
 _He knows you, and loves you too,_  
 _He knows you, and loves you too._

When they finished, Miles turned to her with a puzzled glance.

"I'm afraid I didn't know the last two lines that you sang? Was there a part of the song that your mother edited out when she would sing it to me?"

"N – No." Franziska shook her head as she felt the hot stinging sensation prickling behind her eyes. "I just added that part right now, because we were singing the song…for my Mama. And I wanted her to know how much I still love her, even though she's not with me anymore." She swallowed hard. "The final line speaks of God, ' _ **kennt auch dich und hat dich lieb -**_ _'He knows you, and loves you too.'_ So the last two lines were directed from _me_ to _her,_ in case she can hear me. _**Wie Sie wissen, ich tun –**_ it – it means, ' _as you know I do'."_

Miles regarded her with empathetic eyes and placed his hand on hers.

"I'm sure she heard you. Just remember that she loved you very much, Franziska. And as long as you keep her in your heart, she will always be with you."

After all the months that she'd been trying to repress her tears, his simple words, spoken with such sincere compassion and sympathy, were Franziska's undoing. As much as she tried to hold it in, the agonized whimper came out like a strangled cry from her throat. The beads of water started falling down her cheeks, one after another, without a sign of stopping. The muffled sobs wracked against her chest.

"Let it out, _Große Schwester,"_ he whispered. "I can tell you've needed this."

"I – I shouldn't cry!" Her chin trembled as she regarded him with liquid silver eyes. "P – Papa said Big Girls don't cry!"

Wordlessly, Miles took her unresisting form in his arms, and for the first time in forever, she felt safe and her sadness disappeared like rain on summer earth. In Miles' embrace, she was cocooned better than any butterfly-to-be. The simple touch sent a wave of butterflies coursing through her veins, their fluttering wings easing the wretchedness that had settled inside her. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, feeling her calm down instantly at his touch. Gently, he rubbed the tears away with his fingers and started rocking back and forth. Now her tears had stopped, leaving only their tell-tale wet tracks down her face. Soon, wrapped in his warm embrace, the music room was filled with nothing but the soothing sounds of both of their own deep and even breaths.

"People don't cry because they're weak, Franziska," Miles murmured as he stroked her satiny hair. "It's because they've been strong for too long."

Franziska sniffled, and then did something she'd been yearning to do for the last six years, since the minute she'd first laid eyes on his gawky, gangly form standing in her front hallway. She drew back, and gently kissed Miles Edgeworth on the forehead, closing her eyes to savor the clean, crisp scent of his warm skin against her fleeting lips.

 _"Vielen Dank. Ich liebe dich, Kleiner Bruder."_

 _"Ich liebe dich auch, Große Schwester."  
_

 ** _Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face_**

* * *

 _A/N: The AA writer community isn't very large, so I know a few of my readers may have seen already hints dropped at the end of Yanmegaman's **Wright Family** **Christmas Story.** I am now very excited to announce that my long on-hiatus comedy (stand-alone FF), **Crossfire** , which I started last year with another writer (who has since retired from this site) is now being resumed! And this time my co-pilot is my friend, the aforementioned, very talented and **very funny** Mr. Punny Man himself, and the next chapter will be posted **shortly**! I hope you guys check it out!_

 ** _Crossfire:_** _**s/11424067/1/Crossfire-A-Jordan-Phoenix-6GunSally-Collaboration**_

 _What happens when courtroom rivals Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth decide to take their on-going battle...onto the (DATING) playing field? Sir Blue Knight and Sir Red Knight both fight for the heart of Fair Lady Fey...who will she choose? Only ONE of them will be victorious! Seriously - just messing around - NOT set as a jousting match!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 113**

 **SpiritsOfFire**

First of all I cannot tell you how nice it is to hear from a new reader, so thank you very much for taking the time to read and dropping me a line :-)

 _The course of true love never did run smooth…_

This story is indeed a crazy train but I'll do my best not to let it derail, and I really hope you'll fasten your seatbelt and stay with me for the ride!

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

Another new reader! Wow that really makes my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review, most appreciated.

The answer to what Franziska was looking at will be answered in the next chapter. And it's really good that you're questioning _why_ instead of just assuming that Franziska is a heartless bitch. Miles heart is broken but unlike his emo-headcase BFF…he doesn't tend to fall apart, get drunk and sing sad, thinly veiled the love songs in public… Stay tuned to find out exactly _how_ The Edgeworth handles a breakup… :-)

 **Ilet Moratar**

I honestly wasn't sure if you would still be speaking to me considering the diehard Franziska and Miles and you are! Whew! *wipes sweat off brow*

Badd is such a softy underneath that gruff exterior, and I did get a kick out of the fact that canon wise, Kay calls him Uncle Badd, who is _the epitome of **bad-assery**_! He is easily my favorite male character from the entire Miles Edgeworth games cast! I really appreciate you noticing the normally stoic Miles Edgeworth giving such a heartfelt speech to a woman who for once is not his wife! What _is_ it about the lovable and normally goofy Kay Faraday that makes hard man like Badd and Edgeworth turn into such mushy softies with her? :-)

The life and death of Nino Bravo seems like the personification of what tragedy and love poems are all about! However I cannot thank you enough for being the one to share that poem with me mi amiga dulce!

Kay is the character that makes up the seriousness of Investigations environment with her natural enthusiasm. Always I really liked the bind between her and Badd, which in himself is a great character. Also it strengthened the link with Miles, a dialogue that is worth millions like that you just wrote, when he explains how the filial love that he surrender before to Franziska, now is occupy by her. Everything seems now in its right place.

Miles is still reeling from this heartbreak, we shall see how well he handles this round of "unnecessary feelings" XD

 **DannyDragon**

 _Estoy bien ahora, muchas gracias mi amiga música! Infección en los senos estúpida! :(_

 _Sobre Franziska…el misterio se resuelve el viernes!_

I see you not only have an appreciation for awesome classic rock, but of normally hard ass prosecutors bearing their souls in hospital waiting rooms to weeping female Interpol agents who desperately need to be told that they are still loved! :-)

If Lang-Zi said it was a good chapter whom are to argue with his ever wise self?

I'm glad you appreciated the beautiful poetry, although 100% I agree with you Miles might be immune to the lyrical prose! Yeah the poor guy got hit with a double whammy… He already acknowledged that Maya is one of the three women in the world that means something to him, and he got sucker punched first with the news on the wedding invitation and then… The Letter.

 _"Life must be carried on the forehead, although death is carried on the heart"_ was a quote given to me by my very passionate and poetic Cuban girlfriend, so I cannot quote the source for you that she got it from but my interpretation of that is that life a.k.a. anything good that happens to you is seen exposed by everybody a.k.a. on your forehead, whereas death a.k.a. pain is hidden and only felt by yourself therefore not seen as readily by others, a.k.a. in the heart. I guess another way of summarizing the saying: _when you are happy, everybody knows you, but when you are sad nobody knows you._

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I am all better now sweet boy thank you very much for asking. Since you're a friend I like how you know that if I'm barely around on the site, either I've left the country or something is definitely not Wright!

I know this was a poignant chapter so I'm happy that my attempts at scattered humor throughout it were still appreciated! I had _way_ too much fun writing that fake plane crash story! LOL

For realz though – can you imagine anything more morbid than reading about your own pseudo-obituary?!

I did not yet revealed what it was that Franziska was looking at the affected Miles so deeply but you will not have very long to wait for the answer to that riddled because we will find out in Friday's chapter. Miles has been keeping a stiff upper lip for far too long… And you're right this breakup did affect him pretty badly to make them react in such a way…How will he cope? Methinks he needs his BFF… He and Nick can commiserate together about how they are both unlucky in love…

 **Chloemcg**

As horrible and sadistic as it sounds, I'm glad you picked up what I was trying to communicate with this chapter milady… (let's hear my female readers who appreciates the softer side of Edgy!) which is that Miles is indeed a gentleman (in magenta) who has such a beautiful heart underneath that icy exterior, he will let it come to light when the situation absolutely calls for it, like letting an old and dear friend know how much she means to him when she is at her darkest hour… Only to come home and have Franziska essentially toss into a CuisineArt and hit the purée button!

When you see Phoenix style breakup… I can confirm that Franziska did not leave Miles because his life was in danger. If you mean it did she have one helluva good reason for doing so… She definitely thought she did, because nowhere in that letter didn't say that she no longer loved him. She generally thought she was doing what was best for him because she thought she could no longer give him what he wants in life. _Food for thought_ … Food processor pun _absolutely_ intended! XD

Your outburst was so absolutely adorable with regards to the heartbreak in the last chapter I'm going to tell you some personal insider information about me…(Well… you and any of my readers who care to read these comments! LOL) underneath the goofy exterior in my writer comments and the overall angst that is turnabout everlasting… I am an honest to goodness diehard romantic ;)

 **Yanmegaman**

If Detective Badd were to ever go to hell he would make the devil himself quake in his own hooved boots! XD

You know I keep forgetting that Polly also survived a bomb explosion… And he did look pretty badass with that bandage… Too bad his father is dead in the canon it'd be so awesome if he was a toughie like Badd!

I felt really bad if any my readers were shocked with Franziska and Miles' breakup… Unlike with Nick and Maya which I know was completely out of the blue, this time around I did try to drop in a few hints such as Edgeworth not being able to reach her for the longest time every time he tried to call or email her… But bear with me pal… Everything is inching its way towards the climax of the story because we are officially in Apollo justice timeline now! Breakup Pearl and Luke?! No way am I farking with Feyt! These two crazy kids thirty have a continent in an ocean between them what other obstacle could I possibly throw at them and what kind of monster do you think I am? XD

 **thepudz**

You really should check out the chapter title song if you haven't already… It is so amazeballs! Glad you likey! We are about to see what happens when Miles Edgeworth suffers from a broken heart… If I go the fan service route of 60% of the Internet, he'll run sobbing into BFF Nick's arms…and commence unbuttoning his shirt… XD


	115. Time After Time

_Hello, can you hear me?  
I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be  
When we were younger and free  
I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet_

 _There's such a difference between us  
And a million miles_

 _Hello from the other side  
I must have called a thousand times  
To tell you I'm sorry for everything that I've done  
But when I call you never seem to be home  
Hello from the outside  
At least I can say that I've tried  
To tell you I'm sorry for breaking your heart  
But it don't matter. It clearly doesn't tear you apart anymore  
_

* * *

 _A/N: As I further delve into Fredgeworth's courtship backstory, I realize that since it stems 100% for my own imagination, I must be honest and confess that it is therefore so much harder to create than the one I did for Nick and Maya, as Miles and Franziska have essentially_ _ **zero cannon**_ _for me to work with! The good news, I have the third chapter I promised you guys this week. More good news… The perfect prosecutors I feel have a beautiful love story which is quite comparable to the one Phoenix and Maya have and I am hoping you all like it!_

 _The bad news is the mystery of what Miles was looking at shan't be solved until early next week simply because Miles and Franny have such an incredible and detailed story to tell, that this chapter got very long, and I had to cut it into several parts for length purposes. This is another longer read, as most of the chapters will be going forward, because I am in the heart of the story, but I hope my work continues to give you entertainment and in this case, some good weekend reading!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Fifteen:** **Time After Time**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth**_ _  
_ _Von Karma Estate, Germany_ _  
April 14, 2026_

Miles buried his head in his hands, lost in a wave of melancholy as bittersweet memories flooded his anguished mind.

 _Franziska_ , he despaired. _How has it come to this? The world is empty without your love. All this time that we've been apart, there was never a day that passed that you did not occupy my every thought. How I feared the distance would do us more harm than good while I was away all this time, given our fragile state when I left. I thought you understood! I believed you when you_ _ **said**_ _you supported my decision to go back! We both willingly_ _ **chose**_ _this, we_ _ **chose**_ _to separate for the good of the mission, but it hurt me every single day to have been without you. More than anything, I wished that we could be together, in the same dimension and time. This game has owned us for too long, meine dame. I am lost without you, so very lost. That must be what it means to be two halves, only with unity are we whole, only with unity are we found…  
_

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
February 13, 2009

" _Rührt_ Franziska!" Katharina laughingly chastised as she lightly rapped on her 11-year-old sister's rigid arm. " _I_ am supposed to be the male partner here; therefore, you must allow _me_ to lead you, and not the other way around. Move closer to me!"

"I _am_ relaxed!" Franziska scowled, shrugging and then releasing her shoulders in an effort to loosen them as she'd been commanded. "It's just very hard to get close enough to you or maneuver around that _enormous stomach_ of yours!"

"As if it is not already difficult enough for me to move about, given my condition, but _now_ I am forced to also contend with _your_ surly disposition?" Katharina teased. "You _know_ you must be acting like quite the raging hormonal pre-adolescent in order to be hearing this from the mouth of a hormonal woman who is _with child_!"

"I am neither _surly_ nor _hormonal_!" Franziska denied ardently. "You are simply not _leading_ me properly!"

"Because you will not relax your posture and _allow_ yourself to be led!" Katharina exclaimed, the good humor fading from her face and slowly being replaced by an expression of aggravation. "It is fine to demonstrate your impressive dancing lessons in action, little one, but just remember to leave your _inner_ _feminist_ on the _sidelines_ tonight with your partners! Remember, _he_ is the boss on the dance floor, if _nowhere else_!"

Franziska blew upward at her sweaty bangs in annoyance, before turning to the petite, sweet-faced, young girl standing off to the side of the studio, her blue eyes twinkling with mirth as she observed the sister's exchange.

"Adelaide, is there _no way_ I can convince _you_ to be my dance partner?" The silver-haired girl asked, finally giving up and dropping her hands from Katerina's shoulders in exasperation. "I really wanted to get some last-minute preparation of my steps tonight before we head out."

"I don't think my fragile ego could handle your criticism, Franziska," the younger Von Karma's friend shook her head. "If you're finding fault with _your sister_ , who has actually _taken lessons_ , I cannot imagine what you would think of _my_ completely amateur, _never before instructed_ , dancing footwork!"

"Humph!" Franziska folded her arms across her chest and sulked. "This is _quite_ the dilemma, as it is nigh impossible to practice my acquired dance skills, what with my partner being shaped like a _human beach ball_!"

"Anneliese, ignore your cranky _Tante_ Franziska," Katharina giggled, rubbing her protruding abdomen and directing her comment towards her seven-month pregnant belly. "It is not _your_ fault that my _gestational physique_ is causing her such _stress and angst_! She is merely morphing into even more of a _nitpicky perfectionist_ than even your _Großvater_ Manfred!"

The elder Von Karma then turned her smirking face towards her sibling's classmate. "I cannot say I blame you for refusing to be potential victim to her _ornery verbal lashes_ , Addie. There's no reason _your_ confidence should be blown to _smithereens,_ right before what is _supposed_ to be a _festive and romantic_ event!"

" _Well_ ," Addie coyly dropped her eyes. "I also promised my boyfriend, Élie, that I would save all my dances tonight for _him_ , exclusively."

 _It's so unfair_! Franziska thought grumpily. _At least my friend_ _ **knows**_ _she will have someone to dance with tonight!_ _ **I**_ _have to deal with the fact that I might be doing all this preparation for_ _ **naught**_ _! What if_ _ **nobody**_ _asks me to dance tonight? What would be the point of having all the capability, if I am not given the opportunity to demonstrate it? Oh, this is such a foolish thing to be doing! I cannot_ _ **believe**_ _I let Addie talk me into going to this_ _ **foolish, juvenile school event,**_ _when I_ _ **should**_ _instead be spending the evening studying my law books, if I intend to be a prosecutor in the next two years!_

"What's this I hear about romance?" A refined voice unexpectedly asked, its baritone reverberating through Franziska's bones as Miles strolled into the room at that moment. He smiled at the three females, before placing kisses on both of Katharina's cheeks in greeting and graciously bowing in his now customary manner at Addie, who pretended not to swoon at the chivalrous gesture, which suited to the debonair teenage law student all too well. "It's very nice to see you again Addie. Katharina, I cannot get over that _glow_ of yours – you look absolutely _radiant_."

" _Danke, Bruder,_ " the mama-to-be responded, returning the European-style exchange and beaming at him. "It is nice to hear that _one_ of my siblings thinks pregnancy actually _agrees_ with me, as opposed to comparing me with _large_ _inflatable_ and _spherical objects_!"

"So I heard." Miles snickered. "Although for the record, we should attempt to forgive Franziska's most unflattering description of your delicate condition, in light of her evidently _tense and distraught_ state."

"Miles Edgeworth!" Franziska flushed with shame at how much of her unbecoming behavior he may have been witnessed. "How long have you been standing in the shadows like a _Peeping Tom_ of sorts, rather than properly making your presence known to us, _you fool_?"

"Long enough to hear that my _Große Schwester_ appears more _anxious_ than _excited_ about attending her very first school dance." Miles arched a well-groomed eyebrow. "I apologize if my presence surprised you so, but I would have thought by now, you would know that I usually come visit during school half-term."

Franziska's cheeks further reddened. Indeed, she had been so frazzled about the evening's activities that it had wholly slipped her mind about when her Little Brother's next appearance at the mansion would be. Over the past few years, even though his legal studies had taken him out of the country, she was normally on top of keeping track of his holiday schedule, as she fervently looked forward his visits, as they were the highlighted moments of her life, _not_ that she would _ever_ let _him_ know that! The _smug expression_ Katharina was presently directing at her was bad enough already!

"I have better things to do with my time than memorize your traveling schedule, _Kleiner Bruder,_ " she replied hotly, hating whenever he had the upper hand. "But if you _must_ know, yes, I have finally let Addie talk me into attending one of the school dances this evening, and hence, wished to perfect my dance technique."

"It was a hard-earned victory, _finally_ convincing her to _pretend_ that she was _not_ _11 going on 21_ for once, and pretend to be her actual age for one evening with us _regular children_ ," Addie inserted with a wry smile, ignoring the look Franziska shot her. "So it will definitely be her _grand debut_ at an elementary school society occasion, and she wants everything to be perfect."

" _Naturally_ ," Miles responded with a knowing grin. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to have a mini dress rehearsal before the main event. So what appears to be the problem?"

"Franziska finds her sister's belly gets in the way whenever she tries to practice her dance steps with her," Addie answered, with the childlike candidness of a sixth grader. She shrugged helplessly at Miles. "Perhaps now that you're here, _you_ could take over as partner? Assuming of course, Katharina has no objections?"

"None whatsoever!" The pregnant blonde responded dryly. "Perhaps she will loosen up and be less of a stiff piece of plywood in _your_ arms, Miles, than she was in _mine_."

"I would be happy to experience the result of four years under my former dance instructor's _tyrannical tutelage_." Miles quirked an eyebrow playfully at Franziska, who was blushing furiously now. "Shall we dance then?"

The teasing cadence in his familiar tone made Franziska feel as though she'd been carried off to a world where sound was the power that could change everything wrong in the world. How she loved Miles' voice. How she loved _him_ , as much as her young and giving heart could possibly love a man who only saw her as nothing more than a child.

Therefore, the chance to be in his arms was something she craved more than the air she breathed. She squeaked and then flushed lightly when she realized Miles was still waiting for an answer.

"I _suppose_ you'll _have_ to do," she huffed, as though _she_ were doing _him_ a favor while she obediently placed her small hand in his, and her sister turned the music up on the stereo.

"I always _loved_ this song growing up!" Katharina gushed as "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper began to play. "I think it's such a beautiful, song, but it is also full of melancholy if you really listen to the lines."

"It is nice," Addie conceded. "But I don't know if I really understand what it all means."

"The lyrics pretty much describe two people that can't keep the same pace within their relationship," Katharina told her. "One character is essentially miles ahead while the other struggles to keep up."

"Oh, I see."

The two girls lapsed into silence then as they smilingly watched Miles effortlessly glide and lead the now fully relaxed Franziska about the studio floor in a smooth waltz. The dancers moved like water transformed by the music, flowing in graceful arcs, limbs in constant motion, painting a picture which sound alone could never achieve.

Despite being deliriously happy, Franziska was slightly embarrassed as she realized just _how much_ she was actually reveling being in Miles' arms for so long, for possibly the longest time _ever_ since she'd known him! She relished the warmth he emitted from every part of his body. It was as if the temperature at her waist where he had rested his left hand, and her other hand, which was clasped against his own, had gotten substantially _higher_ by one or two degrees! She also enjoyed feeling the hard muscles of his back as she rested her hand there, unable to resist ever so slightly trailing her palm up and down, while barely resisting the temptation to slide her hand to his abs to see if the _front_ of him was as equally _toned and firm_!

She was so lost in her thoughts that she stumbled slightly in her footsteps, but luckily, Miles caught her.

 _ **If you're lost you can look - and you will find me  
Time after time  
If you fall I will catch you - I'll be waiting  
Time after time**_

"Are you all right Franziska?"

"Of course I am, you fool!" She replied loftily, dropping her eyes as she felt her cheeks grow warm. "But _try_ to have _some courtesy_ , as my legs are nowhere _near_ as long as yours, so will you _slow down_? This is a _dance_ , not a _race_ , Little Brother!"

 _ **You said go slow -  
I fall behind  
The second hand unwinds**_

" _You said go slow,"_ Miles smiled as he obediently did as requested, shortening his strides, seemingly unaware that he was voicing the song lyrics playing simultaneously at that moment. " _I fall behind."_

When the song was over, Katharina and Addie both applauded enthusiastically, although Franziska was loath to let Miles go. When she reluctantly dropped his hand at last, she looked straight into his eyes, a deeply grateful and very soft look in her eyes, accompanied by a sweet smile upon her lips; a smile she rarely used.

" _Danke, Kleiner Bruder_ ," she whispered.

"My pleasure." He bowed grandly in return.

"I guess all it took was an actual _male_ to lead her! Good job, Miles!" Katharina praised. "Good job _both_ of you! I have no doubt that any boy that dances with you tonight, little one, is a very lucky one indeed!"

"I second that motion." Miles said kindly, then looked at his watch and frowned. "I'm glad that went well. I need to go get ready now, as I have plans this evening."

" _Plans_ , you say? On _Valentine's_ weekend?" Katharina grinned impishly. "This would not happen to be a _date_ per chance would it, _Bruder_?"

 _A_ _ **date**_ _?_ _With a_ _ **girl**_? Franziska's heart sank as her miserable eyes searched Miles' face, which was slowly turning pink under his older sister's scrutiny. _No! Please say no!_

"I don't know if I would quite call it a _date per se_ ," he mumbled uncomfortably. "It's just one of my peers at law school, who is also home visiting their family during the break. They proposed we get together for some sort of hot beverage and go over our study notes, in preparation for our upcoming tests, which commence when we return back to school."

"I _see_ ," Katharina derided, her eyes dancing with merriment at his obvious discomfort. "Does this _peer_ of yours have a _name_?"

 _Meine Gott! Let him say a_ _ **boy's**_ _name!_ Franziska silently prayed. _Please! Please!_ _ **Please**_ _!_

"Her name is Susan Liddy-Gates," Miles finally answered, after what seemed like the world's longest silence.

"What an _interesting_ name," the elder sibling commented, biting back a smirk. "It sounds like that of a _very aggressive woman lawyer_."

 _I think the name sounds_ _ **dumm und hässlich**_ _and like a woman that would have a most abominably belligerent disposition! Besides, it's_ _ **not even**_ _ **German**_ _!_

"I suppose you could say that is a fitting description for her," Miles chuckled ruefully. "She is indeed very _bellicose_ about everything she does, academically as well as in her personal life, seeing as how she is my _solitary_ competition for class valedictorian, and has insisted that _she_ be the one to come and fetch me tonight."

He glanced down at his watch again.

" _Ach nein!_ She will be here in less than half an hour! Susan is notoriously punctual, ergo; I cannot be tardy and keep her in wait! Excuse me ladies, but I must go prepare myself for the evening. Addie, Franziska enjoy the dance!" He bent over and kissed Katharina on the cheek one more time. " _Schwester_ , is always a pleasure to see you. My regards to Günther. _Auf Wiedersehen_!" And he bolted up the stairs.

"Franziska, we should get you ready as well. That _is_ why you _ordered_ me to come over, after all." Katharina turned to face her sister, who was staring forlornly at the staircase, looking absolutely heartsick. "You need to take a shower first before I can do your hair…" Her voice trailed off as she saw the desolate expression on the girl's face, and a compassionate look came to her eyes. "Oh, little one, don't be so downtrodden. You _heard_ him say he didn't even consider it to be a _date_."

"That's true!" Addie piped up encouragingly, no stranger to her friend's _not so secret_ crush. "And even if it _is_ a date, it's not like he's getting _married_!"

Franziska nodded unhappily, even as she fought back tears and put on her bravest Von Karma face.

"What foolishness is this that the two of you are speaking of?" She tossed back her hair and raised her chin proudly. " _Meine Kleiner Bruder's_ comings and goings are of no consequence to me in the least! Miles Edgeworth can date or wed _whomever he pleases_!" She forced a smile for her both their benefits and strode past their confused-looking faces towards the stairs. "Come along Addie, we have a dance to get ready for!"

* * *

 _ **Later That Evening…**_

 _Where_ _ **is**_ _he? That_ _ **schlampe**_ _in the tacky, lime green Mercedes picked him up way before we left for the dance, and it's now a_ _ **quarter after**_ _ **midnight**_ _!_ Franziska peered out her bedroom window, which faced the front entrance and driveway, for the umpteenth time. As silly as it was to be waiting up for Miles' return that night, she just couldn't help herself. She'd just had one of the _worst nights of her entire life_ , and nothing but the sight of her Little Brother's handsome face would possibly make her feel better.

She idly flipped through a few of her law books, trying to ignore the clock. Her father of course, was nowhere to be found. Not that it mattered, as she didn't want to face him with this mask of dejection that she was neither able to remove, nor explain. After all, how could a man with so much influence and power possibly comprehend that for once, the illustrious Von Karma name appeared to have _closed_ more doors, rather than _opened_ them, for his daughter that night? That it was a name that apparently struck _fear_ in the hearts of _every boy in school_ , making Franziska about as _approachable as a leper_.

At least, that was the excuse the sympathetic Adelaide had tried to mollify her with that night, even though she wasn't sure if that was the case, or if her friend had been merely trying to placate her. Franziska no longer knew what to think about _anything_ anymore.

Just then, she saw headlights in the driveway flashing through her window, and raced back to it, making sure she remained barely visible as she peeked behind the heavy curtain.

Miles had finally returned home.

As the car stopped in the long driveway, she saw the passenger door open and watched as he stepped out of the vehicle, but to her surprise, the same ( _bony and_ _ **way**_ _too scantily dressed for a mere study session!)_ girl who'd picked him up earlier in the evening exited the vehicle as well. As the _overly tall, flat as a board and scarecrow built_ Susan accompanied Miles to the front door and stood under the glaring porch light, the brunette once again gave Franziska confirmation that she was suffering from an incurable case of _Backpfeifengesicht_ syndrome!

Miles nodded politely at his companion, and then turned back towards the door, when Susan abruptly grabbed his face, then planted what looked like the _world's most sloppy, disgusting, kiss_ right on his unsuspecting lips!

Franziska's fingers positively _itched_ for her riding crop!

She drew back from the curtain and made a face, both jealous and _repulsed_ at the sight, unable to tell from this angled distance whether Miles was enjoying, or even _reciprocating_ , the kiss! When she dared peek from behind the drapes one more time, she saw that the horny _miststück_ was _still_ attempting to _chew Miles' face off_ , like some sort of grotesque, horror reenactment from _Silence of the Lambs_!

 _Ew! Yuck!_ _Is she training to be a_ _ **deep-sea scuba diver**_ _of some sort?! I haven't seen her come up for air yet! If I didn't already think she had_ _ **a face that should get a slap that whistles across the cheek**_ _before, I most certainly do now! Ngh!_ _ **Get off my Little Brother,**_ _you_ _ **horse-faced**_ _…_ _ **hure**_ _!_

After what seemed like a million years, Franziska was relieved to see that Miles was the one to break away from the embrace, nod his head once more, and then put his key into the front door. She stepped away from the window again and then waited impatiently, making sure that the overhead light in her room was on, so that he would know she was still awake when he finally came upstairs. _Finally_ , she heard a knock at her door.

Franziska quickly made sure that she was settled comfortably on her bed with a law textbook in her lap, which she attempted to appear entirely engrossed in.

"Come in!" She called, in as casual voice as she could muster.

Miles opened the door and stepped in, one hand conspicuously hidden behind his back.

"You are still awake?" He said with surprise. "I thought you would have been in bed ages ago."

"It is the weekend now, so why wouldn't I be up?" She replied offhandedly. "I am often awake at _least_ this late so I can study my books. I'm not a _child_ anymore, you know!"

"Apologies, _Große Schwester_ , for even _implying_ such a thing," he grinned. "I was going to sneak _this_ into your room to surprise you for when you arose in the morning, but since you're awake, I suppose I can just give it to you now, since it's now officially Valentine's Day."

"You got me a present?" Franziska sprung up from the bed, her earlier misery forgotten, and rushed over to him, bouncing on her heels with excitement, before realizing what she was doing, and attempted to affect a more neutral tone. "I mean, oh, did you have a surprise for me? How very thoughtful of you."

"Not so much of a present – just a mere token." Miles chuckled and reached behind his back, presenting a single, long-stemmed red rose to the completely stunned and elated Franziska. "Happy Valentine's Day, _Große Schwester_."

"T – thank you so much. It's beautiful." Her hand was shaking as she accepted the flower, the first one she had ever received in her whole life. "B – But why…?"

"I went to a café tonight with Susan, so that we could compare study notes. A flower vendor came into the place, obviously capitalizing on the fact that it was Valentine's Day weekend and asked me if I would care to buy a _pretty flower for my pretty lady friend_ , and since he put me on the spot like that in such a crowded and public place, I felt obligated to do so." Miles shrugged. "I figured since I was already exercising my magnanimous streak, I may as well kill two birds with one stone, and also get one for an even _prettier_ little lady."

" _Danke_ , Miles." Franziska felt her cheeks turning bright crimson at the compliment, undoubtedly the same shade as the velvet dress that she had worn to the dance, which she was still wearing. She took a sniff of the fragrant floral stem and smiled delightedly. "This is so thoughtful of you."

 _At least_ _ **somebody**_ _\- in all actuality, the_ _ **sole person**_ _whose opinion I even care about – thinks I am not completely repulsive! If only_ _ **he**_ _could have been there tonight with me…_

"It's the truth. I like the way Katharina did your hair tonight, braided and tied back with the velvet ribbon. It's quite fetching. However, I'm afraid I made a grievous error with the other rose recipient, as she seemed to have mistaken my intentions for being more than they actually were…" His voice trailed off and his features twisted into a slight grimace. "But that's neither here nor there…"

"No, please…I _really_ _want_ to hear more about your date," Franziska interjected quickly, a glimmer of hope flickering through her. "W- What do you mean about her _mistaking_ _your_ _intentions_?"

"It's nothing I really care to discuss with an 11-year-old!" Miles groaned, but then saw the glare in her eyes and put his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine! Fine! I shall tell you! Just restrain yourself from using that riding crop of yours, as I have been _assaulted_ enough by your gender this evening – in my _mouth_ area!"

" _Meine Gott!_ _Assault_? _Mouth_?" Franziska placed a shocked hand to her lips and did her best to appear innocent of this knowledge. "Do you mean to tell me that your date _hit_ you in the mouth?"

"That is _exactly_ what I am trying to tell you." Miles crossed his arms and scowled at the memory. "Indeed she did _hit me in the mouth_ in the most _unsolicited_ manner…with the _forceful pressure_ of _her own lips!"_

"That sounds most dreadful." Franziska put on her most innocuously confused expression, even though internally, she was _cheering with glee_. "I take that to mean that you did not _wish_ her to kiss you then?"

"I most certainly _did not_!" He frowned. "I had zero interest in Susan whatsoever, apart from academically, but I still should have realized that _her_ expectations for this evening went beyond merely studying together, especially since she showed up in a _Band-Aid sized,_ scarlet mini-dress for what was supposed to be _just coffee_."

"I _saw_!" Franziska blurted out, before she realized what she'd done. Miles regarded her quizzically, and she hastily attempted to retract her statement. "I mean, _I see_ what _you're saying_ , er, about perhaps her intentions being different than your own, based on what you're telling me."

"I cannot help it if I am somewhat old-fashioned, Franziska." Miles sighed. "While there are indubitably many members of my gender who would be flattered by such attentions, I generally prefer, as the man, to be the one to do the chasing, as opposed to being the _object_ of such _hot pursuit_."

"I don't think that sounds old-fashioned at all," she said quietly. "I think that sounds _really nice_. I – I wish more boys were like that."

"Speaking of boys, I apologize for going off about my own night, before I even asked about _yours_." Miles gave his head a shake, as though attempting to erase the reminiscences of his evening and smiled indulgently at her. "Tell me all about your first dance. How full was your dance card? Did you have to beat the boys off with a stick tonight?"

"I'd rather not talk about it." Franziska felt a lump forming in her throat as the horrid memories at the dance resurfaced and she shook her head. "It was a foolish, childish event I had no business going to. I should have just stayed home and read my law books."

"I know you want to be a prosecutor like Manfred and myself, Franziska, but someday, you will be happy to have had at least _some_ childhood memories to draw upon."

Franziska didn't answer, so it was now Miles' turned to look bewildered.

"Tell me why you would say such a thing?" He peered at her downcast face with concern. "Did something bad happen tonight?"

More silence from Franziska.

"Franziska, please talk to me." Miles placed a hand on her shoulder as his voice took on a protective tone now. "What happened at the dance? Was some lout mean to you or try to behave in an unseemly manner?"

"Just leave me be, Little Brother." She felt the humiliated tears forming in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to halt them. Throwing his hand off, she turned away so he couldn't see her face. "It – it's getting late. I'll see you in the morning."

Undeterred, Miles put a firm hand back on her shoulder and turned her around to face him.

That was when he saw liquid pools in the mesmerizing grey orbs, which he noticed at that moment, looked so identical to her beloved late mother's, it was almost painful to see. That was when Miles realized the answer to his query, without her even needing to say a word. The realization made a lump form in his own throat.

 _She went through all the trouble of getting dressed up like a princess, and made her sister do her hair, and even practiced dancing in preparation for her first ever school dance… only to have it undoubtedly be her last._ His hand curled reflexively into an angry fist. _She wasn't even given the chance_ _ **to**_ _dance. Because none of those_ _ **saukerl**_ _,_ _ **blind as bat**_ _boys in her class_ _ **asked**_ _her to dance!_

"What's wrong with those _dummkopf_ lads at your school?" He murmured, his face awash with sympathy. "How is it even possible that none of them asked the prettiest girl in the room to be their dance partner?"

"Please stop!" Franziska cried angrily. "Stop saying that I am pretty! Obviously I'm _not_ to boys _my own age_! The kids – they all think I'm stuck up, or think that I believe I'm better than them! They hate me because I'm smarter than them! Alternatively, they just flat out think I'm _ugly_! How else to explain the fact that not even _one_ of them wanted to dance with me tonight?"

Miles had his own theory about why such a travesty had occurred at the school, although he had no idea how to voice his speculations aloud. Nevertheless, he was positive that none of the boys' rejections had anything to do with finding his adopted sister lacking in any way, _appearance wise,_ with her fine dress and artfully made up, porcelain doll face. He already could clearly deduce that, as she teetered on the brink of womanhood, Franziska Von Karma was rapidly being turned by nature into the spitting image of the ethereal Minna Von Karma, save for having Manfred's hair.

Nonetheless, it was the fact that she also bore Manfred's _last name_ , and the imposing and fearful reputation that went with it, which had been her cross to bear tonight. What family in all of Germany _didn't_ know the illustrious Von Karma name, and all the lore that went along with it? What boy possibly _hadn't_ been warned about the identity of Franziska's father, and all of the power and influence he was privy to, which would allow him to crush _anybody_ like a bug, should they dared to even _look_ at his youngest daughter?

But how to explain _any_ of that to a devastated 11-year-old girl, whose tears were now trickling down her cheeks, all the while nearly wringing his own heart out in the process?

"Franziska, I need you to listen to me." Miles took her hands in his own and crouched down so that they were face-to-face. "At this point, I hope you understand that you _are_ a very precocious little girl. Right now, this means that yes, you _are_ smarter than most of the other children your own age, and that can intimidate a lot of them, because they cannot relate to such intellect and from someone their own age. In addition, don't ever let me hear you say that you are _ugly_ , _ever_ _again_. You are not just merely a pretty girl, but you are already on your way to being so incredibly beautiful when you get older, that most men may very well be too afraid to approach you, through no fault of your own, but due to _their_ own issues and insecurities. I know it sounds like a lot to take in right now, but I need you to try and remember that."

"H-how is that supposed to make me feel better?" Franziska wept, uncaring that the tears were freely flowing down her cheeks now. "I didn't _ask_ to be born smart or look like I do, so why am I being _punished_ for that? It's not fair! It just means I'm always going to be alone, with no friends, and no boy is ever going to want me! Am I supposed to pretend that I'm dumb and act foolish and giddy like all the other girls, just so the boys will like me?"

"That's not what it means that all," Miles told her, reaching into his pocket for handkerchief and handing it to her. "It means that Mother Nature has made it so that unlike other girls, who will need to kiss a thousand frogs before they finally find their Prince, all of _your_ inferior frogs will _automatically_ be weeded out _for_ you. This means that the _right Prince_ , who will be secure about himself and confident enough in his own abilities to _appreciate_ and _not_ be _overwhelmed_ by your intelligence and your beauty, will make a direct path to your door. He will _never_ ask you to change _anything_ about yourself, because he will like you, _just the way you are_ , and then he will sweep you off your feet, into his arms and take you to his castle, where both of you will live happily ever after."

"You really think so?" Franziska sniffled and looked at him hopefully. "You _really_ think someday, somewhere, a boy out there will like me, just for _me_?"

"Someday, Franziska Von Karma, I swear to you that one very lucky boy out there will _love_ you, and _everything_ about you," Miles promised, rising back up to his feet. He walked over to the stereo in the corner and turned it on, filling the room with soft music. He walked back to her and held out his hand. "Shall we dance?"

"W – What?" Franziska dabbed at her eyes with the handkerchief looked at him with confusion. "Dance?"

"It's Valentine's Day, and I just had _one of the most terrible evenings of my life_ , with an _overly amorous_ young woman who appeared to have _tentacles_ as opposed to _hands_! I'd like very much to _obliterate_ that recollection, as much as I'm sure you would like to wipe out a few of your own. And I cannot think of a better way to do so than to dance with _meine Große Schwester,_ who is a most wonderful dance partner _._ " He tilted his head to one side and an expectant smile played on his lips. "I humbly ask you to do me the honor of giving me this dance?"

"Time After Time" began to play on the radio, and he bowed grandly, while she reflexively curtsied back.

"Look, Franziska," Miles teased softly as she stepped into his arms and he led them into a waltz. "It must be _a sign_ of some sort - they're playing our song!"

"Foolish fool! You know there's no such thing as signs!" Regardless, Franziska still tittered at the quip, her earlier desolation completely forgotten now as she stared up at him.

 _ **Sometimes you picture me -  
I'm walking too far ahead  
You're calling to me, I can't hear  
What you've said -  
Then you say - go slow -  
I fall behind -  
The second hand unwinds**_

Suddenly, a dark thought crossed her mind as she contemplated the lyrics, and her face grew pensive.

"You'll be done law school and become a lawyer in just over a year, at the rate you're going," she noted, feeling a fresh wave of despair wash over her. "And _then_ you're probably going to move even further away, and be too far ahead of me to ever fall back so that I can catch up, and I'll be all alone. What am I supposed to do then?"

"Franziska, do you trust me?" Miles asked quietly.

After a brief moment's pause, she nodded.

 _ **If you're lost you can look - and you will find me  
Time after time  
If you fall I will catch you - I'll be waiting  
Time after time**_

"Then as much as you believe me when I tell you that someday your prince will come, and that _he_ will find _you_ , without _you_ needing to look for _him_ , I promise you that I will _never_ be too far ahead for you to catch up with me." His smoky eyes peered intently down into hers. "I give you my word that I will never stray too far away from you so that you won't be able to find me. I hope you believe me."

Franziska looked up into his handsome face and nodded again. She did believe him.

 _Miles Edgeworth is my anchor, and the only person in the world who gives me hope. Whenever the darkness begins to creep in, it is he who is my nascent sunlight that caresses my skin, baring promises of new dawn...a new hope of beginning.  
_

* * *

 **December 20, 2014**

"Anneliese, _why_ can't you just be a good girl and just nap already?" Franziska groaned, the impatience beginning to creep into her tone as her niece continued to run her ragged and spin around in circles like a miniature cyclone all around the room.

"Because, _Tante_ Franziska, I am _not tired_!" The little girl insisted, even as she rubbed her wide hazel eyes with her tiny fists and stamped her tiny foot on Franziska's bedroom carpet. "I want to go watch Christmas shows on TV!"

The teenage prosecutor moaned inwardly. Having babysat her young niece on numerous occasions now, she knew the signs of when the little girl was tiring, such as the overly bright eyes and random bouts of petulance disrupting her normally sunny disposition.

Of course, there was also the fact that Anneliese increased hyperactive level of activity had resulted in running her poor aunt absolutely _ragged_ for the past four hours, while her parents were out doing last minute Christmas shopping! Franziska had no idea how Katharina, who was ten years her senior, managed the energy to keep up with her daughter! At this point, if she actually managed to get her niece take a blasted nap, her aunt would more than likely be _joining_ her!

 _I blame those dummkopfs Hans and Helga_! Franziska fumed. _They have always been the spoiling, grandparent kind, and I just_ _ **know**_ _they went against my wishes and snuck her extra gingerbread cookies when I wasn't looking! The child is obviously on a boosted sugar level high!_

She was entirely left to her own devices with the little girl as well. Even though Miles was home for the holidays, he had been in another world, seeming distracted and closed off, barely looking at, or speaking to her, since arriving yesterday. He had briefly greeted Anneliese when he had come home from running some mysterious errand, but then he'd gone and holed himself up in his room, behaving very much in the manner he had during his _sullen teenage phase_.

His distant comportment pained her greatly, considering that her Little Brother was now _a grown man_! While Miles could be as guarded Franziska herself was with his emotions, particularly amongst strangers and in public, it was still so unlike him to completely shut her out in such a manner. It was especially complexing to her, since she felt that they had actually grown considerably closer when she had visited him in California during her summer vacation a couple of years ago. It had been right before she had passed the bar exam to become a prosecutor, when they had investigated Byrne Faraday's death together. What possibly could have occurred during these past few years, since he had become an American prosecutor, which would make his behavior do such complete turnabout?

"Anneliese, I _refuse_ to watch more television with you until you have at least taken some rest, or your mother will have my head!" Franziska exclaimed with frustration.

As it was, she had seen _Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer_ , _Frosty the Snowman_ and _The Grinch_ so many times already that she could actually _recite the dialogue from each movie, line by line_ , for that was how well she now knew them by heart! If she had to endure it _one more time that day,_ she knew she would _start screaming_!

She was resorted to one final motion by means of bartering for Anneliese's good behavior, and while she was reluctant about resorting to bribery, it seemed she had _no choice_.

"If you're a good little girl and take a nice little nap, I promise to give you some more of Helga's fresh-baked Christmas cookies!"

The sugary goodies would no doubt put her niece on yet another adrenaline rush, but by that time, hopefully her sister and her husband would be back, and it would be would be _their_ issue to contend with by then!

The little girl pondered the offer for a moment, and then shrugged and hopped onto Franziska's bed. "Fine, I'll lie down. But you have to read me a story first."

The prosecutor's mind went wild with panic. Of all the things her sister had packed into a bag for her daughter when she had dropped her off, including a change of clothes, some toys and holiday DVDs, _age-appropriate reading material_ had _not_ been amongst them whatsoever! The bookshelves in her bedroom now fully consisted of nothing but law textbooks and reference materials, as Franziska had long since gotten rid of all of her childhood books, a decision she was now mentally cursing herself for.

 _What on earth am I going to read to a five-year-old?!_ _Maybe I can read her a passage from one of my legal publications? Perchance, I can_ _ **bore**_ _her off to sleep?!_

"Sure, you just stay right there, and I will find a nice book to read." She reached over for the text on her night table and opened up to the bookmarked page she'd highlighted as she took a seat on the bed next to Anneliese, who eyed her with anticipation. "Look here's a section on, er, _family related matters_!"

Franziska cleared her throat and began reading.

"The age of consent in Germany is 14, as long as a person over the age of 21 does not exploit a 14- to 15-year-old person's lack of capacity for, um… _carnal_ self-determination, in which case a conviction of an individual over the age of 21 requires a complaint from the younger individual. Being over 21 and engaging in ah, _such relations_ with a minor of that age does not constitute an offense by itself. Otherwise the age of consent is _16_ …"

" _Tante_ Franziska, this is _so boring_!" Anneliese whined, jutting out her lower lip in a displeased manner not at all dissimilar to her aunt's! "I don't want to want to hear about some dumb, boring lawyer stuff! Don't you have any books for children?"

Franziska frantically wracked her brain, and then had a swift flash of inspiration. " _I_ don't, but your _Onkel_ Miles does! Have you heard of a wonderful children's writer named Robert Munsch?"

The flaxen-haired girl scrunched up her face in deep thought, and then nodded. "He wrote that book _The Paperbag Princess_ , right?"

"Yes, as well as many others. When he was a little boy, _Onkel_ Miles' favorite book was _Love You Forever,_ so for his Christmas gift a few years ago, I got him the entire, limited edition, Robert Munsch Collection. He might still have it in his room. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we borrowed it…"

"Yay!" Anneliese squealed excitedly, bouncing off the bed like a little rubber ball. She was already out the door before the words had barely left Franziska's lips. "I'm going to go ask _Onkel_ Miles _right now_!"

"Anneliese, wait!" The teenager called, rushing out the door after her niece, who was already down the hall and had flung open the bedroom door to Miles' bedroom, naturally, without even knocking. She caught up with Anneliese at the doorway of the room, and skidded to a shaky stop, and her breath got caught in her throat at the sight that greeted her.

Standing in the bedroom, his hair slicked back and wet from the shower, obviously having just emerged from his bathroom, was her Little Brother. Actually, make that her _not so little_ , in _any way, shape, or form,_ brother, as she had _never seen him before_ , save for in her _wildest teenage fantasies!_

Miles was wearing nothing but a small towel wrapped around his trim waist, along with a gobsmacked expression at the sight of the two girls, which she was certain mirrored her own – albeit for _completely_ _different reasons_!

Franziska swallowed hard as she stared at him achingly, knowing she should do the appropriate thing and avert her eyes, but found herself utterly helpless to pry her gaze away from the sight of his nearly bare, chiseled and rippled form. She'd always thought that Miles Edgeworth was the most perfect male specimen she had ever seen in her life, and now, thanks to her niece so unexpectedly barging in on him, she now had _irrefutable evidence_ of the claim!

He was beautifully made, with long, graceful bones and flat muscles that flowed smoothly from the curves of chest and shoulder to the slight concavities of belly and thigh. Since he was facing them, she couldn't see his broad back, although a part of her wished she could. The other very small part said she should get a hold of herself. She let out a shaky sigh and gave her head a firm shake to pull herself together.

"Miles, I am _so_ sorry!" Franziska gasped, clamping her hand down on her niece's shoulder as the full embarrassment to the scenario finally sunk in. "Anneliese just took off like a rocket, because she was so eager to ask you if she could borrow one of the children's books that I gave you for Christmas a little while ago…. I was trying to get her to take a nap, and I didn't have anything to read to her, because as you know, I foolishly gave away all my own children's books _ages_ ago when I became a prosecutor, never imagining I would ever have a need for them ever again… and we were hoping you wouldn't mind…assuming you still _have_ them here, and not at your place in Los Angeles… but of _course,_ we had no idea that you would be in _such a state_ …and I know she should've knocked…" Belatedly, she realized that she was rambling, and felt a heated blush rise to her cheeks. Also, she had yet to _stop staring_! "So, anyway, we shall be in my room while you… Get decent. That is, _get clothed_. Not that you're _indecent looking_ in the _least_! Not that I have anything to compare you to at all…"

"Franziska, relax, you're _babbling_!" Looking more exasperated than flustered now, Miles laughingly raised a hand, ducked back into his bathroom, and came out a split second later in a knee length bathrobe now, more modestly, although somewhat damply, dressed. He smiled indulgently at his niece, who obviously had _no idea_ what faux pas she had just done, and waved the two of them inside the room. "It's fine, really. These things have been known to happen when there's a little one afoot, and it's certainly nothing to get into an uproar about. You're welcome to try to find the books on my shelf. They are still in the same pristine condition they were in when you kindly give them to me." He waved towards the mahogany bookshelf against the far wall. "Help yourselves."

Anneliese certainly didn't need to be told twice, and was already scouring the shelves with eager eyes, trying to find the sought-after item, but Franziska scrutinized his expressionless face intently, grateful for the reprieve, but also somewhat suspicious. Miles Edgeworth had always been a private man, who jealously valued his privacy above all else, and had had zero qualms letting her know as such, on countless occasions, growing up! It was very uncharacteristic of him to be so placid in such an instance, and it made her feel slightly weary, as well as concerned.

She walked over to his bed, which he was now sitting on, staring blankly out his window, holding his cell phone in his hand while he idly stroked it with his fingertips.

 _I am officially worried now! This is_ _ **most**_ _peculiar! It is as though my not-so Little Brother has been body snatched by the pod people!_

"Little – _Miles_ ," Franziska corrected herself hastily. "It is not my intention to pry into your personal affairs, but I notice you have not quite been yourself since arriving, and it appears that there is some matter causing you some sort of great disturbance. It is most vexing to see you this way. You have been very kind to me in the past whenever something has been bothering me, so I just wanted to let you know that if you needed to talk, while I may not have any advice to give you, I will most certainly listen. _Da kannst du Gift drauf nehmen_."

"That's very charitable of you, Franziska, and I'm glad I could bet my life on it." Miles turned his head away from whatever he had been staring at, outside the window, and looked at her with vacant eyes. "All the same, I don't think discussing my private matters in the presence of a young child would be prudent at the moment…"

"Hurrah! I found the book!" Anneliese crowed, yanking down the entire box holding the collection from above her head, uncaring as they all clattered to the carpeted floor, which she promptly set her little bottom upon while she poured over them. "Look at all these pictures! He's even got _Mortimer_!"

Franziska swung her eyes over from her niece and smiled wryly at the now amused-looking Miles.

"I do believe we have been bought at least few good moments of distraction in _that_ domain…"

"Franziska…" Miles crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. "If I were to ship _something_ to the States via express post, do you think, at this time of the year, that Germany's mail system is reliable enough to place faith in that the package would arrive by Christmas?"

She was quite taken aback by the unexpected question, as had been the _last_ thing she had thought he would choose to bring up. _This_ was what had him all out of sorts? The pressing matter of whether or not he could trust the _Deutsche Post?_

"Yes, I imagine it would, as long is you've got it to them by end of business day today, although this late, you'd best keep your _daumen drücken_ ," she answered uncertainly. "What was it that was of such importance that you are trying to send?"

A lightbulb went off over her head at that moment, and understanding dawned on her as she remembered his earlier mysterious errand.

"Were you trying to send a last-minute gift to somebody back in California?" She attempted to squelch the immediate pang of jealousy rising within her as she asked the next question. "For somebody _special_ , I take it?"

"I really don't know how I feel about discussing such things with _you_ , either." Miles let out a humorless chuckle as he raked a hand through his wet hair. "I must _really_ be at my wit's end if I'm even _considering_ confiding my heartfelt secrets to a girl who is barely more than a child herself!"

"I am _hardly_ _a child_ anymore, I'll have you know!" Franziska put her hands on her hips and regarded him sternly. "It is most insulting that you still think of me to be _noch grün hinter den Ohren sein!_ I have also been working in the exact same field as you since I was 13, so obviously I have a greater mental capacity and maturity than most girls my age! If memory serves me correctly, I was only 11 when you felt comfortable enough to talk to me about your _oversexed_ classmate's _unwanted advances_!"

Miles remained stubbornly silent, and as she didn't have her whip handy, which she had recently upgraded to from her riding crop, she settled for giving him a jab to the arm instead.

" _In der Not frisst der Teufel Fliegen_ , Miles Edgeworth! Now cease acting as _Dumm wie Bohnenstro_ , you fool, and confide in your _Große Schwester_ already!"

"Perhaps I am being as _thick as a brick_ , and I acknowledge that _beggars can't be choosers_!" Miles rubbed his arm from the surprisingly sharp shot and glowered at her. "Per contra, it is hardly a sign of newfound maturity when you resort to _physically assaulting_ the very people you're attempting to have an adult conversation with!"

"You're being a completely foolish fool by holding everything in, and being a complete wet blanket during what is _supposed to be_ family Christmastime!" Franziska snapped irritably. "You're lucky I did not have my whip with me!"

"I wouldn't think it's very commendable to just whip people at random, either!"

"I swing, therefore I whip! That is my philosophy!"

They glared at each other for a moment, but finally Miles looked away and shook his head sheepishly.

"Stop glowering at me like that, I beg of you!" He protested laughingly. "Lest I be turned into stone!"

"So, _who is she_?" Franziska demanded, her heart beginning to hammer as she braced herself for the answer. She was silently praying that she was wrong about her theory as to what was troubling him so, and that it was something minor, like a work issue, instead. "Who is this woman that has you acting like The Grinch at this festive time of year when you're supposed to be with your family?"

"She's a new coworker," he finally admitted with a sigh, unaware of the tight constricting that formed within Franziska's chest at his answer. "I've just been tussling with whether or not it would be appropriate to send her a gift for Christmas. She certainly wouldn't be expecting one, as I didn't even leave her card at the office when some of the others at work exchanged them with each other. Yet I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps it would be completely harmful to let her know that even though _I_ am here, and _she_ is back there, that she still occupies my thoughts. Perhaps I am being overly sentimental because of the festive season, or just overthinking the whole thing. Ngh! _I just don't know…"_

Franziska died a little inside. Just when she had thought she was finally old enough to confess her feelings, and hope that Miles would _at last_ see her as more grown-up, it seemed that she was destined _never_ to catch up, as his heart was _already elsewhere_. The knowledge was excruciating, but she loved him so much that she decided to make good on her offer and give him the best, unbiased, _big sisterly advice_ she possibly could, regardless.

"Well if she works with you, obviously she must be a woman of _some intelligence_ , who would therefore be delighted to be the recipient of some sort of token of affection from a man like you," she finally managed to get out, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat. "Thusly, I am uncertain about what is hindering you from following through with your desired actions? You have _never_ been hesitant about _anything_ , Miles. Why would such be the case now?"

"It's a bit complicated, Franziska." Miles looked at his cell, as though contemplating whether to use it, but then ultimately decided against it, and quickly shoved it into his night table drawer and slammed it shut. "As much as this woman haunts my mind, and my every thought, I can't disregard that _she is a coworker_ , so getting involved with her goes against my work ethics and beliefs."

"Is it against office policy to date among colleagues?"

"Not really. I suppose it would be considered frowned upon in _this_ instance, though, since I _am_ her subordinate."

"Could the two of you not just practice discretion in the meantime then?" She ventured, nearly choking on the words even as she uttered them.

"It's not _just_ the fact that we work together, Franziska." Miles rose from the bed and began pacing the room like a restless tiger. "As much as I would be most pleased if I were the lone contender for her heart, it brings me great distress to even of acknowledge, never mind admit aloud, that such is _not_ the case, and that there is another contender who also vies for her affections."

"I still do not see what the problem is." Franziska took a deep breath, and looked him straight in the eye. "There is no woman with _half an eye_ , or with _blood in her veins,_ that could _ever_ choose another man over _you_ Miles Edgeworth. You are the greatest man I have ever known, and any woman alive would be so lucky to have you. You're a Prodigal Prosecutor with a perfect record, a genius logical mind, and a compassionate heart. What more could she possibly want?"

"Perhaps she does not have a preference for a man of refined tastes," he muttered darkly. "I get mixed messages, as she seems torn between me and one of those _rough around the edges,_ cowboy types."

"Then she is a fool and not worth it!" Franziska cried passionately, her heart overcoming her logic at that moment as the words spilled out. "Without even laying eyes on this other man, I already know that _there is no way_ he is as handsome than _you_ are! Truly believe me when I say this to you: Miles, you are not only the _greatest_ man I have ever known but the most _handsome_ man that I've ever known!"

There was an odd stillness in the room as Miles stared at her. Franziska felt her face flaming and dropped her gaze, but not before she saw the color rising to his cheeks as well at her outburst.

"I don't believe that I ever heard you say such a thing, or _anything,_ with regards to my physical appearance before." Miles jammed his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet awkwardly, obviously embarrassed and unaccustomed to such commentary. "That is very nice of you say so, however biased you might be, _Große Schwester."_

"This is most certainly _not_ the first time I have let you know how _gut aussehend_ you have become, _Kleiner Bruder_ ," she said softly. "You just weren't _listening_. How did you never notice the way my girlfriends, such as Addie, _despite being spoken for_ , would be reduced to blushing and giggling when within your presence? How have you never seen the admiring glances of all the women in the streets whenever we've been out together, over the years?"

 _How have you never seen the admiration in my own eyes?! Or the obvious longing in them, even as I tell you all of this this, which will only further propel you into this other mystery woman's arms?!_

"I guess I _have_ been too preoccupied with first my studies, and then my work, to pay mind to much else," Miles muttered, his eyes on the floor. He glanced up then and flashed her a half smile. "You have definitely given me a lot to think about, Franziska. A New Year is looming. Perhaps I should consider making a resolution to explore what else is out there for me, besides just my job. Thank you, Big Sister."

Up until that moment, the German expression _Jemanden ausnehmen wie eine weihnachtsgans,_ meaning _, to gut someone like a Christmas goose_ , had never made sense to Franziska, but upon hearing those words, that was _exactly_ the impact she felt! She could feel a stinging sensation building behind her eyes, and knew she had to get out of there before the tears burning behind them began to fall.

" _Sehr gut_." She forced herself to smile. "We cannot have you hating yourself for chances that you never took, which could otherwise _sich in den Arsch beißen!_ However, I do need to put Anneliese down for her nap now. I will return the books to you as soon as I'm done reading them to her. I shall see you later, Little Brother." Before he could respond, she quickly turned away from him, walked over to her niece, scooped her up into her arms, along with the books that she held in them, and quickly strode out of the room, all the while only thinking one thought in her mind:

 _Bitte, Gott don't let him see me cry this time, I beg of you! Don't let me make a fool of myself even more than I already have…_

 _ **Adele - Hello**_

 _ **Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 114**

 **DannyDragon**

Indeed the previous health pickup was a very minor one… In the past, I've had to go see an ear nose and throat specialist… He was a handsome a man who told me he was still single… Told me he'd been looking for love _in all the wrong places!_ XD

Thank you for saying that you liked my OC… Unlike her father who I see no redeeming qualities and whatsoever, Franziska does have actual humanity in her, plus I really needed to show where she not only got back from but also her good looks because her father… _Un feo bastardo! Me gustas demasiado, mi amiga de la música!_

 **chloemcg**

I really have one of my fellows from down under visualize a straightening iron being jammed down Manny's throat… As for Minna having to die… There have been some fanfiction that I've made it that Nosferatu was not a widower, merely divorced, but I'd like to think the absence of a biological mother at a young age is one of the many ties that bind between Franziska and Miles. Also something, something only the good die young…

One of the things that's really hard with these two is that the age difference is so vast that I have to work Franziska's age up to a hopefully acceptable one until I show the point were Miles actually starts reciprocating her feelings. Up until I get the genuine romance, it means a lot that my readers like the fluff, so thank you very much for the kind words as always milady!

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

These two are so absolutely adorable, and I'm happy you like them; they're so much fun to write so thanks so much and I am very happy decided to drop me a line, reviews are like little presents in my inbox! It means a lot that you like the Miles and Franziska back story, because there's not a whole lot in the videogame to go by, so this is just my writer's imagination gone wild, Miles therefore your praise is truly made my day! You _rock_! :-)

 **thepudz**

I can honestly tell you right now how much I really like writing Apollo, and as much as I was initially nervous about doing so, even though been writing her for some time, _Franziska_ is infinitely my hardest character to write! Therefore I'm really happy that you like my portrayal of the her younger self. The challenge is that generally people like Apollo, but there's so many mixed reactions to Franziska, because of the fact that she was portrayed as such a coldhearted bitch perfectionist in the game, and I have been trying to humanize her, while still keeping her in character, which has been very much the equivalent of walking a tightrope wire!

When you are picturing shoving her hair straightener down the diabolical Dracula prosecutor's throat am assuming it was turned on? LOL

there is few things that are a greater to hear then making someone who is a non-lover of a couple actually appreciate my portrayal of them so I want to sincerely thank you for letting me know I've made it easier for you to understand what I feel is the dynamic duo of Fredgeworth, who for the record is my 2nd OTP!

 **Yanmegaman**

I am so happy you did not get crippled by an angry horse my dear! They are indeed very beautiful intuitive and skittish creatures who can sense your fear and hesitation ergo horseback riding is not a hobby for the faint of heart! It's one of the reasons I'm so happy that horse didn't kill you because what would happen to my amazeballs _Crossfire_ copilot?! BTW, I am beyond delighted to have _outed_ you my friend! XD

I think I have to choose between the two of these guys about who was more emotionally constipated, it would have to be a draw. The thing that fascinates me about writing characters like Franziska and Miles is I think we all know people like that, in the sense that just because they're not very good at expressing their feelings, it does not mean that they don't feel them. I guess they just need to be with the right people to bring them out! :-)

 **Chapter 113**

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

 _"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Are they getting married?! (i went on school camp for about two weeks so i've missed a bit"_

I absolutely had to repost that last review because I was laughing so hard also because I haven't seen it a drawn out _No_ like that since Darth Vader… Wait we shall not speak of these things! Apologies for veering towards the dark side! XD

Yes sweetie the wedding is officially two months away in my story line, as we are now in April 2026 a.k.a. the year of Apollo justice. Like poor Miles I am so sorry you had such a rude awakening upon return, however stay tuned I hope!

 **Chapter 112**

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

Thank you so much! I absolutely adore the character of Clay… If I were not trying so hard to manipulate the actual Canon I would go the route that a wonderful writer on this site, EstelRaca, has gone where she actually made it that clay survived the stabbing attack in one of her fanfiction's, and did not die but was only grievously injured. That being said I want to see if I can squeeze Clay and Apollo in a couple of more related flashbacks, as we are going back to the horny-fringed lawyer and the creepy German sausage next week!


	116. Think of Me

_So take a look at me now_  
 _Well there's just an empty space_  
 _And there's nothing left here to remind me_  
 _Just the memory of your face_  
 _Take a look at me now_  
 _Well there's just an empty space_  
 _And you coming back to me is against the odds_  
 _And that's what I've got to face,_

 _How can you just walk away from me_  
 _When all I can do is watch you leave?_  
 _'Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain_  
 _And even shared the tears_  
 _You're the only one who really knew me at all  
_

* * *

 _A/N: My good friend, Ilet Moratar once asked me at what point Miles' feelings did a turnabout and he started to have feelings for Franny back? ;)_

 _This chapter is dedicated to her, and all Fredgeworth lovers out there!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Sixteen: Think of Me** _  
_

 _ **Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
April 14, 2026

It was the ultimate exercise in futility. His atrabilious state could not be abated, no matter how much he tried to sidetrack his brooding reflections.

 _Meine dame!_ Miles's heart cried silently. _If only you knew how I_ _ **loathe**_ _myself as I look back now! I am beyond lachrymose; I could weep an ocean of tears for the inadvertent pain and anguish I must have caused you, what with assaulting your poor, disheartened ears with my boorish, nonsensical,_ _ **bloviating**_ _about another woman! In my younger days, I was such a different man than I am now. Until you, I was a_ _ **contumacious, selfish, cur**_ _, completely swept away in a surge of_ _ **gratuitous concupiscence**_ _for someone who_ _ **merely got into my blood**_ _, but_ _ **never my actual**_ _ **heart**_ _or_ _ **mind.**_ _It was pure misguided blindness that made me mistake my_ _ **competitive**_ _,_ _ **predatory desire**_ _for Lana for_ _genuine caring and devotion._ _My regrettably accursed,_ _ **lust-fueled possessiveness**_ _kept me blind to the truth for far too long, and I unwittingly allowed myself to take temporary leave of my senses, unable to distinguish it from_ _ **true**_ _,_ _ **everlasting love –**_ _something I neither recognized, nor comprehended…_ _ **until you.**_

It was like trying to hold back a relentless tidal wave. The harder he tried to suppress the turbulent reminiscences of yesteryear which had led up to this point, the greater the rushing tide egregiously reemerged and inundated his memories, _forcefully drawing him backward beneath the surface of the water, trying to tow him into its depths._

 _Franziska, I fell for you harder than a slip on black ice. With you by my side, my life was as sweet as gingerbread, but now it's naught but a cookie-cutter hole, right in the centre. You walked out, and the aperture you left behind cannot be filled by any type of work or distractions. In your inimitable formidable way, you carved yourself a role right into my DNA and no matter how hard I try to remove it, it remains unchanged; not bigger, not smaller, not louder and never quieter. Even if I tried to work around it as though it were a ball of razor wire in my living room, it would still take superhuman effort to disregard it, and just a the slightest grazing will cut deeply. I know this is my fault; despite my promises to go slow, to fall back so you could catch up, in the end, it seems, I left you behind far too many times. And for_ _ **what**_ _? A pat on the back, a gold star? Nothing that matters at all anymore. Now I see how much you meant to me all along. Now that you aren't here to hold my hand, I see it for myself, what is really important in life, but alas, it appears I am historically doomed to unearth these revelations when it's too little, too late…  
_

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma  
**_ August 28, 2015 11:00 PM

It had been a very long, hectic day in the courtroom, and Franziska had decided to make it a somewhat early night. She was just about to doze off when the telephone in her bedroom rang.

 _Humph! What_ _ **schwachkopf**_ _could possibly be calling me at this hour?_

" _Hallo_?" She answered grumpily.

"Franziska it's me."

That _nitwit_ was none other than her _Kleiner Bruder_!

Disregarding the fact that she was normally delighted to hear from him, as she had not set eyes on him since the previous Christmas, Franziska reluctantly sat up, realizing as she glanced at her bedside clock, that in California, it was still early afternoon, and that he was only just past the middle of the workday.

"Miles Edgeworth, you foolish fool!" She grumbled. "How _dare_ you interrupt my beauty sleep! What are you doing calling me this late at night?"

"Apologies for the inconvenience, Big Sister," Miles returned blithely, not sounding particularly sorry at all. "It's a Friday night; I actually imagined that you might be out and about?"

Franziska scowled into the phone, taking great offense at what she took as a slight at her lack of social life. Well it was true that most 17-year-olds _would_ be out with their friends and mingling on the weekend, she was certainly no typical teenager, and after a nearly 12 hour workday, she was _certainly_ entitled to one good night's sleep, and without judgment from her out of _sight_ , but unfortunately never out of _mind_ , Little Brother!

"I _actually did_ have plans, which I _opted_ to forsake, if you must know!" She informed him loftily, not wanting him to think that she was an _old maid_ who had nothing better to do but work, and pine away for him, even though, pathetically, that _was_ _exactly_ the case! "But I had a tiring work day, which, as a fellow prosecutor, I am sure you can understand. Ergo, I rescheduled for Saturday. Now, kindly inform me as to the purpose of this phone call poste haste, so that I can go back to bed and actually be _refreshed and well rested_ for my weekend festivities on the morrow!"

"Well if you're busy tomorrow night, it will be a pity that I miss you then," he remarked mildly. "I had hoped that we could have dinner at the restaurant of your choosing, and perhaps compare American versus European courtroom stories."

Franziska blinked in surprise. Miles was coming to visit? Since _when_ did he make impromptu, _cross-continental_ _drop-ins_? Moreover, it wasn't even an official holiday! Whatever had brought _this_ on?

"Pray tell, to what do I owe the pleasure of your spontaneous arrival?" She asked, unable to keep the wariness out of her voice, and instinctively sensing a crisis.

Miles cleared his throat, the way he always did whenever he had to speak about a topic he wasn't entirely comfortable with.

"I have simply had a last-minute change of heart, and decided that I wish to be present at our brother-in-law's golden 30th birthday party, after all," he replied easily, as though expecting her to forget that he had already RSVP'd his inability to attend _months ago_. "I didn't want to risk waking up Katharina and Günther, so I was hoping _you_ could convey to them that I will indeed be joining the festivities on the 30th, as I plan on catching the redeye flight and being there by late afternoon or early evening tomorrow."

Franziska's heart leapt with initial excitement at the idea of seeing him again, but at the same time, her mind recoiled with a twinge of aggravation. How presumptuous to assume that she would not only _willingly_ be his _personal secretary_ , but that _she_ would have _nothing better to do on a Saturday night_ than welcome him with open arms, because _he_ had unexpectedly decided to _grace her with his presence_! Her feelings for him had admittedly not changed in the least, yet ever since the day of their fatefully telling conversation, she had henceforth resigned herself to the fact that the two of them were possibly never meant to be, what with his heart being in the hands of the mystery coworker he had mentioned to her. Therefore, seeing him again would be a mixed blessing, as it would only put her heart through the wringer _again_ when she had to bid him adieu, this time _knowing_ that he was going back to the arms of another woman.

"I'm sure everybody will be delighted to have you," she answered coolly. "Will Papa be joining us as well, then?"

There was a delayed pause on the line as Miles searched his mind for the best way to relay Manfred's reaction to the inquiry regarding his attendance at his son-in-law's party. Even two hours later, he still cringed slightly at the memory.

" _Himmel donner wetter!_ " His adopted father had shouted, the frustrated disgust in his voice starkly palpable, even over the phone. " _Of course_ I am not attending the party of that _verdammt schwachsinniger,_ _muttersöhnchen_ that my poor, foolishly naïve daughter married, Edgeworth! I can barely stomach _that plastic Ken doll pretty-boy,_ and it's enough I endure his _sniveling_ , _spineless_ , _simpering self_ once a year at Christmas, and even _that_ is too much! _Spinnst du oder was_? I thought you had more sense than to ask me questions to which the answer should be obvious to even _the mother of all_ _**dorftrottels**_ _!_ It appears I have overestimated you!"

 _Somehow, I am under the impression that telling Franziska her father nearly_ _ **ripped my head off**_ _at the slight_ _ **mention**_ _of the milestone party for his_ _ **damned, moronic, mama's boy**_ _son-in-law would_ _ **not**_ _be a wise move!_

"Unfortunately, your father regrets that he will be unable to attend, but sends his best wishes," Miles answered at last. "Anyhow, as you said, it's getting late over there, and far be it for me to disrupt your slumber more than I already have. So tell me, do _you_ want _me_ to make reservations at say, 8:00 PM at our usual restaurant tomorrow night, or should _I_?"

Franziska was _flat out livid_ now. She could not believe the _audacity_ of the arrogant man on the line! After all, he didn't know whether she was telling the truth or not about having plans the following evening, and yet, he _still_ was brazen enough to expect that just because _he_ would be around, that _she_ would be ready to _drop everything for him_ on a whim! Her heart was _not_ a toy, and she would _not_ be taken for granted by _any_ man, _not even Miles Edgeworth_ , who seemed quite overdue for an _exercise in humility_!

"I may already be gone from the house, depending on what time you arrive tomorrow." Her cadence was clipped. "Regardless, I shall pass on your message to my sister, and I will wish you a safe flight until then. Goodnight, Miles."

"Goodnight, Franziska," he chuckled, seemingly undaunted by her icy tone. "I shall see you _tomorrow_."

Infuriated now, Franziska slammed down the phone. Damn that blasted, foolish man! _Enough was enough_! It was time to teach Miles Edgeworth _a lesson_!

Reaching over to her cell phone on her night table, she sent out a quick text.

 _Addie, are you free for a quick moment? Call me._

Her friend called back right away.

"Franziska, I see you're still awake," Addie said warmly. "Élie, his cousin, and I were just about to head out to the club. Have you had a change of heart and decided to join us after all?"

"I'm afraid not, I really did have a crazy day at work, and am absolutely exhausted."

"Work, work, work, that's _all_ you do!" Her friend exclaimed. "As impressive as it is to have a friend who has managed to become a professional, while _I_ was still a schoolgirl, you _do_ know you _are still a teenager_ , don't you, Franziska? _Live_ a little once in a while! There's no court on the _weekends_!"

"Actually, that is why I called," Franziska told her. "Perchance, does the offer you made for going out with the three of you tomorrow night still stand? Because if so, I would very much like to join you and meet your boyfriend's glamorous Parisian cousin at last."

"Of course it's still on the table! I am so happy that you changed your mind, and that this show ticket needn't go to waste!" Addie sounded positively giddy. "I showed Pepé your photo by the way, and he thinks you're absolutely _beautiful_. He will be _over the moon_ at the idea of being your escort tomorrow night!"

"Well, I hope he doesn't see this outing as an _actual_ _date,_ per se, rather than just a group of friends getting together…" Franziska began, but then stopped herself, and a crafty smile suddenly crept over her face. "Er, actually, _I_ am very much looking forward to showing _him_ around town while he visits, as well. Tomorrow should be a lot of fun. Perhaps I can take him out for a quick bite to eat, _just_ _the two of us_ , before we meet up with you and Élie? Could you have him pick me up around 6:00?"

"Sounds good. I will let him know he's got a hot dinner date before we all attend the show tomorrow night!" Addie teased. "You may hear his _celebrated holler of joy_ all the way from your place! You know how expressive these French boys can be!"

"You are too drôle! Tell him to _look sharp_ as well, as I will be taking him to _the best restaurant in town_!"

 _I'll say it is! And I should know, too! After all, it_ _ **is**_ _the one I normally go to with my_ _ **Little Brother**_ **,** Franziska added silently, snickering to herself as she rang off a few moments later. _Oh, I'll be making reservations at our favorite eatery tomorrow night, Miles Edgeworth, but it will_ _ **not**_ _be with_ _ **you**_ _!  
_

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
August 29, 2015

It was quarter after five by the time Miles' taxi arrived at the Von Karma mansion. He was totally spent, having flown on an all-nighter immediately after a particularly grueling day at work, and airline food, as usual, left much to be desired, so he was particularly famished. He wondered what Franziska would say about bumping up their dinner reservation from 8 o'clock to perhaps 7 o'clock. After all, she had always been very practical and quick to dress for all occasions, not bothering to fuss too much with her hair or makeup, so he didn't imagine it would take her that much time to get ready, despite the short notice.

Work and his unpleasant telephone conversation with Manfred notwithstanding, yesterday had been a day he was very much hoping to _obliterate from his mind_! Therefore, Miles was also in the mood to consume a good stiff drink _or three_ that evening with his meal. He'd never been the type to drink alone, but Franziska was now old enough to consume beer at German establishments that served alcohol, so at least he would have some fellow companionship. He hoped she wouldn't mind allowing him this indulgence, or taking a taxi to and from their destination if need be, so neither one of them would be stuck driving while in any sort of altered state.

Miles exhaled tiredly as he hauled his suitcase and fatigued body up the long staircase to the bedrooms. He was genuinely looking forward to seeing his adopted sister after so long. She was very good company, intelligent and mature beyond her years, and always found a way to make him feel better about himself, which would be _most welcom_ e, particularly after the _beating_ his _ego_ had withstood the day before!

 _I would_ _ **never**_ _need to fight for_ _ **Franziska's**_ _affections with another man!_ He fumed, raking an agitated hand through his hair. _Nor would I_ _ **ever**_ _need to give an ultimatum to_ _ **her**_ _to finally make a decision between me_ _ **and said inferior individual,**_ _after idly dallying between the two of us for_ _ **nearly a year**_ _!_ _ **Franziska**_ _thinks that when it comes to me, that there is absolutely_ _ **no contest**_ _! Regardless of whether or not that is true, it still does warm the heart to know that there is at least_ _ **one female**_ _in the world who wouldn't take me for granted, and appreciates me as I am, and all that I have to offer! And not just_ _ **any**_ _female! A lovely, articulate, bright and ambitious young woman, that **any man**_ _would be fortunate enough to have! It's a shame that she's still only a girl, otherwise…_

Miles halted this alarming, _entirely out of the blue_ notion before it came to fruition, and cursed himself for it, regardless. Obviously, his flaming row with Lana yesterday over her _continuing indecisiveness_ between himself and Jake had rattled him _far worse_ than he had initially imagined, and this time away from her, and the entire situation, _had_ been _exactly_ what he'd needed! _What the hell_ was he doing, going _right out of the frying pan_ , and _into the fire_ like this, by letting his mind walk down such a treacherously dangerous and slippery slope?!

 _Otherwise_ _**what**_ _, Miles Edgeworth_? He frowned as a constricted sensation formed around his throat then, forcing him to jerk his cravat so that it loosened somewhat. _If she were_ _ **not**_ _just a girl, and_ _ **were**_ _indeed older, what_ _ **would**_ _you do about it? Manfred would_ _ **have your head**_ _for even_ _ **thinking**_ _such a thing, and if Franziska ever found out, you would earn a thousand lashes with that merciless whip of hers for even_ _ **allowing your mind**_ _to go on that path, like some sort of old,_ _ **perverse lecher**_ _! How_ _ **dare**_ _you go that mental route, even_ _ **briefly**_ _!_ _ **God's teeth!**_ _She is_ _ **your sister**_ _, just like Katharina, and_ _ **nothing else**_ **!** _Moreover, she simply sees you as her **Little Brother**_ _, who she is_ _ **much too young**_ _for, and who is_ _ **definitely old enough**_ _to know better!_

Miles was still muttering angrily to himself as he got to the top of the stairs. He saw that Franziska's bedroom door was open, and heard the faint strains of a familiar melody coming from the room. His curiosity got the better of him as he neared her chambers, assuming it was safe to pass by, since the door wasn't closed.

The normally cool and composed prosecutor was wholly unprepared for both the sight _and_ sound that greeted him, and he drew in a sharp inward breath.

The classic song playing on the stereo in the room was from Andrew Lloyd Webber's _Phantom of the Opera_ , "Think of Me," which Miles remembered had always been one of her favorite songs, despite his _own_ abhorrence for the _entire score_ of the wildly popular, albeit _puerile musical_! Nevertheless, it wasn't his aversion to Franziska's _choice of composition,_ which was making him _infinitely grateful_ that he'd loosened the pressure around his neck just a moment ago, but rather, the actual _vision_ of her, after being gone for so long, that was making him feel as if _the wind had been knocked out of his sails_!

Standing before her vanity mirror, skillfully applying lipstick to her full, pouty lips, humming along to the music, was a _brand-new, never before seen_ , Franziska Von Karma. _Somehow_ , during his time away in America, she had blossomed from the teenage girl he last recollected, into what he could only now describe as the most resplendent, striking… _drop dead gorgeous_ young woman he had _ever_ laid eyes upon, in _all_ of his 24 years, on God's green earth!

There had been a point in Miles' life when he had thought Franziska and Katharina's mother had been the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Now, before his amazed, _mesmerized_ eyes, he realized that in the time since he had last set eyes on her, Mother Nature had completed the final wave of her magic wand, resulting in his younger adopted sister now becoming the very essence of Minna Von Karma, reincarnated. All that was missing was the silvery- blonde hair.

His Big Sister looked like an enchanted Snow Queen, dressed in an outfit, which he dimly remembered from his niece's obsession with Disney's _Frozen,_ was nearly identical to that of Queen Elsa. Just like in the movie, when the heroine had morphed into the dazzling iconic outfit that was beloved and renowned worldwide, Franziska's transformation was equally as spellbinding, if not even _more_ so.

Her lithe curves were donned in a floor-length, celestial blue, strapless mermaid dress, made of satin silk, with glittery, all-over beading in swirling patterns adorning it. The gown was snug in the bust area, with a crystallized, waistband belt, where the bodice cinched in at her narrow waist. Over this, she wore a sheer, long-sleeved, overlay, composed of white lace and chiffon, decorated with shimmery snowflakes of Swarovski crystalline decal. The transparent garment draped slightly off both shoulders to the floor, leaving them beguiling bare, and the gown flared elegantly around her perfectly shaped legs – alluringly displayed with a thigh-high slit up the side. Sparkly ice-blue pumps and a matching evening clutch completed the look.

As the prosecutor stood there, completely frozen, in the doorway, Franziska looked up and caught his astounded reflection in her mirror, and spun around with a welcoming smile on her flawlessly made up, ethereal visage. Quickly turning off the stereo, she approached him gracefully, leaning forward to press her lips lightly against both his cheeks in customary European greeting, close enough for him to catch a whiff of her intoxicating perfume.

"Little Brother! How nice that you made it home in time, before I headed out," she said sweetly. "I was so afraid that I would miss you."

" _Miss me_?" Miles echoed blankly, gesturing at her outfit. "Whatever do you mean? Aren't you a just a tad too munificently dressed, just for dining with _me_ , at the _Reinstoff Rutz_?"

"But I'm _not_ just going to dinner," she corrected him, an excited twinkle in her stunningly made-up eyes. "I'm going to the _opera_! Well, _Phantom of the Opera_ , to be exact, which is why I was playing the music of my favorite stage production."

" _Phantom of the Opera_?" Miles repeated, dimly aware of the fact that he was beginning to sound _very much_ like a _parrot_! "But what about _our_ dinner plans?"

"Little Brother, you truly _never_ listen, _do_ you?" She tilted her head to the side and flashed him a coquettish smile. "Even in my semi-sleep deprived state last night, I _do_ vividly recollect when we spoke on the phone that I _clearly informed you_ I had other plans this evening. Have you forgotten _already_ , in your old age?"

"I – I believed you were just saying that to get a rise out of me," he admitted, feeling a slight blush creeping to his cheeks. "That's fine, then. I apologize for being presumptuous. I suppose I will just have Helga prepare something for me."

"She'd be delighted to. You know she loves waiting on you."

Miles knew he was ogling her, something he had never done before, but she looked so captivating...so incredibly _breathtaking,_ that you couldn't have _pried_ away his stare, even _with a crowbar_. As though sensing his lingering glance, Franziska quickly masked the knowing glint in her entrancing gray orbs and fluttered long eyelashes at him ingenuously. He hastily tore his gaze away and cleared his throat.

"So _Phantom of the Opera,_ you say?" He jammed his hands into his pockets. "I'm surprised you're so eager to see the performance so soon since the last time. I remember I took you to it for your birthday."

"So you did." She shrugged. "Although, the magic of the Phantom will _always prevail_ , for _me_ anyway, and I leapt at the chance to see it once more. As I said, it is my all-time _favorite_ musical."

"Yes, I am very well aware," he retorted dryly. "Afterwards, I keenly recall getting into the most heated debate with you about it. _You_ were moved to near tears, and said the Phantom was a tragic, romantic figure who was merely misunderstood; whereas _I_ countered that the Phantom, in spite of being a musical genius, was an evil predatory sort, for stalking and terrorizing the young, beguiling Christine in such a manner! I _also_ remember, as part of your defense, getting _several dozen lashes_ in retaliation for voicing my opposing point of view!"

"I acquiesce, that _was_ a very _childish_ and overly temperamental demonstration on my behalf," she acknowledged, this time with deliberate insouciance. "But time has passed, and people change, Miles. Surely, you cannot hold against me the immature and irrational behavior from my earlier days of youth?"

"Franziska, this was just _last year_!"

"So it was," she twittered gaily. "Thusly, maturity is not measured in moments of time, but in gained life experience and expanded knowledge that further enriches one's character. A lot can happen in a year or less."

 _ **I'll say**_! He thought sourly. _Within less than a year's time since our last visit, you have_ _ **miraculously changed**_ _from an_ _ **innocent, comely teenager**_ _into a_ _ **seductive enchantress,**_ _who should be_ _ **confined into a nunnery**_ _until_ _ **a minimum age of 30**_ _, due to the impure stirrings you would now inspire in_ _ **any**_ _ **lascivious male**_ _that sets eyes upon you!_

"So, with whom will you be seeing this show, which we neither of us can agree to disagree upon?" Miles cocked an inquisitive brow. "Adelaide, I presume?"

"Indeed, _we_ shall be attending with Addie and her boyfriend, Élie later tonight. However, prior to meeting up with them, I have dinner plans at _Reinstoff Rutz_. My date should be arriving very shortly to come get me," Franziska purred. "Since you're here, you can actually meet him if you wish."

" _Date_?!" Miles felt as though he'd been sucker punched, and didn't _care_ this time that he sounded like a _bloody Macaw_! She could very well _cram a cracker into his mouth_ and call him _Polly_ for all he cared, at that moment! And what did she mean by _we_?! "You have a… _date_? With _whom_?!"

"Why, with Élie's cousin, who is here from Paris," she replied innocently, although there was an unmistakable gleam in her eye. "We are all going out to celebrate Pepé's birthday tonight. I figured I would commence the festivities by taking him to that wonderful restaurant which you and I frequent so often whenever you are in town."

" _Pepé_?" His tone was dubious, as the uncomfortable sensation of mounting protectiveness and _something_ else, _which he refused to name_ , began brewing within him. "You have a date with an actual, real-life, _French stereotype_?"

"What do you mean by _that_ remark, Miles Edgeworth?!"

"Have you never seen an episode of _Looney Tunes_?" The incredulous words were tumbling from his lips as though he had no control of them, even as his voice rose. " _Pepé_?! Whatever is his last name? _Le Pew_?"

The moment the uncharacteristically juvenile words left his mouth, Miles swore a mental blue streak, hating the fact that he _sounded_ every bit as _petty and jealous_ as he was actually _feeling_! He thoroughly despised himself for it, fully knowing that it was as _incomprehensible_ as it was _inappropriate_! He had _zero right_ to either intervene or make any sort of _objection_ to _anything_ she did, nor could he even claim protective Little/Older Brother status as the reason that the hands in his pockets were now curled into _tightly clenched fists_. Franziska was nearly a grown woman now, and _looked every bit the part_! In addition, at 17, she had been _legal_ , by German law, for the past _year_. Of course, it would be _another year_ before she would be considered _an adult_ by _lawful standards_ in the States, where _he_ now resided, but that was _beside the point_ …wait, _why_ was his blasted mind veering in that direction _yet again_?!

"Do not be foolish, Miles Edgeworth!" Her tone was sharp as she glared at him. "For your information, I am _not_ going out with _an overly amorous cartoon character_ , so no, _you fool_ , that is _not_ his family name! If you _must_ know, his _full_ name is _Pepé Roni_!"

 _Pepé Roni_?! Miles stared at her speechlessly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

 _So it turns out my Big Sister is not going out on a date with a shamelessly persistent, lovesick_ _ **moufette,**_ _but is instead attending the performance with_ _ **a human**_ _ **pizza**_ _ **topping**_ _instead! I am unsure if this is_ _ **better**_ _or_ _ **worse**_ _! I also don't know why it bothers me so damn much! Nonetheless, it is inconsequential whether he is a_ _ **skunk**_ _or a_ _ **fatty**_ _,_ _ **nitrate-laden meat by-product**_ _! Regardless, this_ _ **still**_ _ **conclusively**_ _ **stinks**_ _!_

"Is this something sort of _joke_?" Miles eyed her stonily. "Is it fair conjecture then that _Monsieur Roni_ comes from a long family line of _affluent pizzeria owners_?"

"Don't be absurd! He is _French_ , not _Italian_! His father owns a large chain of successful Parisian _delicatessens_!"

"That is besides the point! For heaven's sake, Franziska, I thought you were trying to _stay away from_ _ **carbohydrates**_!"

"I _never_ made any proclamation of the sort!" She placed her hands on her hips, a dangerous warning glint in her eye that Miles was too blinded by jealousy at this point to pay heed to.

"You reached a stage-level of histrionics that one time you overindulged on pasta, and claimed you'd gained _half a pound_!" He snapped. "And you swore you would never let any sort of _carb_ pass through your lips, because you wailed that it would go _straight for your hips_ – just like _this French oaf_ _undoubtedly_ _will_ , as well!"

She recoiled as though he'd struck her, and in that moment, Miles realized that he had gone way too far. He didn't even know how to apologize for his unseemly words, for which he had neither excuse nor explanation for, but he _did_ know he was in trouble as her eyes narrowed into slits and she reached reflexively for her whip, then cursed as she realized that there was _no place for a holster_ on _a formal dress_!

Before he could react, the fuming Franziska snatched her sought-for weapon off her dresser and cracked it the air as she stared daggers at him.

"Just _who the hell_ do you think you are to be speaking to me in such a manner, Miles Edgeworth?!" Her gray eyes were sparking like large twin flints. "You have an incredible amount of _gall_ , making snap judgements about both the _virtue_ of _myself_ _and_ _the character_ of _this boy_ , whom you have never even met before! If you are acting in this childish manner simply because you wanted to have dinner with me, perhaps you should have had the courtesy to give me more than barely one night's notice! There was a chance I wouldn't have agreed to these plans if I had _genuinely believed_ that _I_ was the one you actually wanted to spend time with, instead of your obvious _fallback game plan_ , because your _first one_ didn't work out!"

Miles swallowed hard at the painful veracity of the words. "That's not true!"

"The _hell_ it isn't! Why are you _really_ here, Miles Edgeworth? Did your precious _colleague_ break your heart?" Franziska demanded harshly, still brandishing her whip threateningly. Even in her feminine gown, she _still_ looked ready and capable of doing some _serious_ _damage_! "Are you here to seek comfort in the arms of your loving family in your time of need? The _same_ _family_ to whom you _originally_ claimed you were _too busy with work_ , to come and visit for this milestone event?"

"Franziska, please, calm down, and listen to me –"

His words were cut off as the whip whizzed through the air, but for the first time, Miles was able to react early enough, and with absolutely no intention of doing anything other than disarming the enraged girl, he reached for the leather object at the last split-second, successfully wrapping it around his hand and giving it a sharp yank. Unfortunately, the temperamental teen also had equally zero inclination of releasing her prize possession, and in the ultimate act of grown-up tug-of-war, the only thing Miles was successful in pulling was the infuriated Franziska Von Karma, _right into his arms_!

The two prosecutors gasped in shock as she collided heavily into his chest. Reflexively, he reached out to catch her, and then held her tightly against him, expecting resistance, but finding none, and his chest heaving as he looked down into her wide eyes. Shocked by the action, the equally breathless teen stared up into his face, an expression of disbelief, and something he couldn't quite place, evident on her lovely face. Neither of them spoke nor moved for the longest time, and just stood there, staring searchingly at one another, with her surprisingly pliant body locked against his.

At that moment, the ludicrousness of the situation hit him, and his defenses collapsed, leaving him torn between the walled urge to laugh at her wonderful, courageous, outraged sense of feminine dignity, and the wilder urge to keep her in his arms, shove his hands into that mass of gleaming hair, and bury his lips in hers. Somehow, seemingly overnight, without his notice, his Big Sister had become as enticing as she could be sweet, and more sexually provocative, even though fully covered in that delectable, _clinging to her every feminine curve_ , evening gown, than any magnificently dressed, or _undressed_ , woman he had ever known.

 _The man who finally gets this_ _ **wild mare**_ _into his bed,_ _Pepé or otherwise, shall indeed be quite the fortunate bastard!_

The moment the libidinous musing went through his mind, guilt abruptly doused his pleasurable contemplation of her appealing assets, and shame ate away at his innards like acid. He had _no right_ to be mentally undressing her and thinking thoughts about her in bed with another man, or otherwise! _Especially_ considering his own debacle of a love life, which had yet to be resolved, what with him _continuously_ trying to force Lana to _make up her bloody mind_ and _at last_ make the choice between Jake and himself! In fact, it was only due to his eventual frustration with her inability to do so that had resulted in _this impromptu trip_!

 _There is a woman back in America, whom I have been trying make choose_ _ **me,**_ _over her other lover, and still, knowing there is the looming possibility of us finally_ _ **truly**_ _being together, I am now_ _ **here**_ _, suddenly filled with newfound desire for my Big Sister! I am, without doubt,_ _ **the**_ _most_ _ **fiendish, vile lecher**_ _to have_ _ **ever lived**_ _!_

There were no words to describe just _how_ filled with savage self-disgust Miles was to actually be _lusting_ after his adopted sister in such a manner. His attraction to her was _obscene_! Moreover, it was _insane_! If he'd ever tired of his bizarre love triangle and decided he wanted _diversion_ of any sort, he could have chosen from among some of the most beautiful women, _which Lana Skye_ _most definitely was ranked amongst_ , in Europe _and_ / _or_ Los Angeles! Sophisticated or naïve, witty or serious, outgoing or shy, blondes, brunettes and redheads, they were _willingly_ his for the taking. There was no reason _whatsoever_ to feel attraction to _this_ woman, who was entirely too young for him (and _still_ not even legal in his country of residence); no reason to react to her like some randy adolescent or aging libertine!

Her quiet voice jerked him from his self-reproach as his feelings of revulsion lingered.

"Whatever it is," she noted half seriously, gently beginning to pull away from his embrace and coughing slightly. "I don't think it has very long to live."

His gaze slid back to her face as he reluctantly dropped his arms. While he could tell she was still slightly annoyed with him, unexpectedly being in his arms somehow seemed to have lowered her temper from _boiling point_ to _mere simmer_ , and unless he was mistaken, he could have _sworn_ he saw a hint of _amusement_ on her face.

"I beg your pardon?" He muttered, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

"Whatever it is that you have been glaring at over my left shoulder for the last minute. I hope it has legs and can run very quickly."

Franziska had always had a selective sense of humor, often at the most unexpected times, and _this_ one was no exception! If he hadn't been so busy kicking himself, he would've laughed at the quip, which he knew was intended to be her gracious way of conveying exoneration for his earlier insolent comment.

Miles gave her brief, humorless smile. "My thoughts drifted. I apologize."

"Oh please, do not apologize!" Her eyes were positively _dancing_ now. "I am most pleased to know that it was not _I_ who brought upon that black scowl on your face."

Biting back an appreciative smile, he couldn't help but marvel that she could convey so many things without moving or speaking. She was innocence on the brink of womanhood, and outrageous daring, untampered by wisdom or hampered by caution. A vision of her gleaming hair spilling over his bare chest flashed through his mind then, and he abruptly shook it off.

"Have you finished staring at me?" She drawled, lifting her pert nose in the air.

Despite the sharp contrast to the stony hauteur of her stance and expression, she was still a glorious display to behold, and Miles was unable to resist the slight smile tugging of his lips.

"I was admiring you, actually."

She blinked in surprise, obviously not anticipating this response, and dropped her gaze to the floor, blushing gorgeously as she did so, and the realization dawned on him that the beautiful young woman had absolutely no idea of just how mesmerizing she was; just what a hypnotic effect she had on him.

"Y – You were _admiring_ me?"

Her obliviousness to her own allure only made her more compelling to him, which only made him hate himself even more.

"Absolutely I was," he deadpanned, a mischievous smirk now playing upon his lips as he attempted to restore the natural order between them. "With that dress, all I need now is to get you a blonde wig, and you could easily be the main heroine from _Frozen_! It is not every day that I get to meet a real life Disney Princess, after all."

"Are you trying to say that I look like a _cartoon character_ in this new gown, which cost me a small fortune earlier today?" Franziska looked as though she did not know whether to laugh or hit him.

"I am saying, Queen Elsa, is that you look positively _regal_ , and will no doubt be the _belle of the opera_." He gave a slight bow and then straightened, a mischievous glint in his eye as he heard Hans calling Franziska's name from downstairs. "I do believe that your chariot awaits now, Your Majesty."

"That will be Pepé." Franziska straightened her dress, and headed to the door, glancing back at him over her shoulder. "Did you want to come meet him?"

"No, it's fine. You go enjoy your evening. Do not fret about me." Miles forced himself to smile even wider. "I am actually quite tired from my flight and will probably just spend my evening resting these _weary, old man bones of mine,_ attempting to recover from the jet lag. It's just as well you and I did not go out for dinner. I highly doubt I would have been good company, anyway."

"At least you are honest, if naught else." She flashed him a cheeky grin, unaware of how attractive it made her. "Have a good evening, Little Brother. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good Night, Franziska." He watched as she turned and left the room, descending down the stairs as she met with her escort for the evening in the main foyer.

Pepé Roni had finally arrived.

Unable to resist the curious temptation, Miles cast a quick, cursory glimpse over the railing, and swallowed back a chuckle at the sight below.

 _Evidence of the young man being an_ _ **actual**_ _ **member**_ _of the_ _ **skunk**_ _family is highly probable!_ _Assuming that ghastly,_ _ **white-blond, frontal fringe**_ _, which contrasts quite garishly with the rest of his_ _ **faux-hawk, ebony hair**_ _, is anything to go by!_ He smirked pitilessly. _Still, Monsieur Moufette is most fortunate to be attending tonight's show with the most beautiful girl in Europe on his arm, even if she_ _ **does**_ _have_ _ **questionable taste**_ _in musical theater!_

Despite his antipathy about the songs in the musical, preferring more _actual_ , _classic operas_ such as _Carmen_ , as soon as he heard the front door downstairs shut behind Franziska and her date as they exited for the evening, Miles found himself wandering back into his adopted sister's room. He took a seat next to her desk and flipped the stereo back onto the song she'd been playing, "Think of Me."

Why were these very lyrics, which he'd always dismissed as trite, and jejune, suddenly resonating so heavily with him now?

 _[Christine:]_

 _ **Think of me  
think of me fondly,  
when we've said  
goodbye.  
Remember me  
once in a while  
please promise me  
you'll try.**_

 ** _When you find_**  
 ** _that, once_**  
 ** _again, you long_**  
 ** _to take your heart back_**  
 ** _and be free_**  
 ** _if you_**  
 ** _ever find_**  
 ** _a moment,_**  
 ** _spare a thought_**  
 ** _for me ..._**

 ** _We never said_**  
 ** _our love_**  
 ** _was evergreen,_**  
 ** _or as unchanging_**  
 ** _as the sea_**  
 ** _but if_**  
 ** _you can still_**  
 ** _remember,_**  
 ** _stop and think_**  
 ** _of me ..._**

 ** _Think of all the things_**  
 ** _we've shared and seen -_**  
 ** _don't think about the things_**  
 ** _which might have been ..._**

 ** _Think of me,_**  
 ** _think of me waking,_**  
 ** _silent and_**  
 ** _resigned._**

 ** _Imagine me,_**  
 ** _trying too hard_**  
 ** _to put you_**  
 ** _from my mind._**

 ** _Recall those days,_**  
 ** _look back_**  
 ** _on all those times,_**  
 ** _think of the things_**  
 ** _we'll never do_**  
 ** _there will_**  
 ** _never be_**  
 ** _a day, when_**  
 ** _I won't think_**  
 ** _of you ..._**

 _[Raoul:]_

 _ ** _Can it be?_  
Can it be Christine?**_

 _ **What a change!**_  
 _ **You're really**_  
 _ **not a bit**_  
 _ **the gawkish girl**_  
 _ **that once you were ...**_

 _ **She may**_  
 _ **not remember**_  
 _ **me, but**_  
 _ **I remember**_  
 _ **her ...**_

 _That_ was it, Miles realized. The male romantic lead…it was _his_ portion of the song lyrics, which were hitting so close to home with him now. The part where Raoul sang of the transformation about the _gawkish girl_ he'd once known, being _completely vanished without a trace_ as he now gazed upon her… _he_ could certainly relate to that, couldn't he? Talk about a literal case of _life_ imitating _art_ …

Miles sighed heavily and closed his eyes, lost in thought.

 _Oh, Franziska. I like to think back when we were but children. How shy and uncomfortable you were back then. With cheeks that always seemed flushed and curls that did a lively dance when you ran. How different you are now. All the softness of a child replaced by sharp edges and chiseled lines, and tantalizing curves. Oh, but a bit of softness does remain. Right there on your lips. That same supple dent above that Cupid's bow. The tender curve to your smile. If only you knew how simply taken I am with you._

* * *

 ** _Phil Collins - Against All Odds_**  
 ** _Phantom of the Opera - Think of Me_**

 _Guys you have to see Franny's dress Frozen by Sweet Little Vampire I hope my description did it justice!  
 **i dot imgur dot com slash A3WdAjS dot jpg**  
_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 115**

 **thepudz**

 _"I think it'd be every Edgeworth fangirls dream to see the man himself in nothing but a towel... Although I have to admit, you turned me gay for a little bit, I swear XD "_

I love every single one of my readers and will generally not do a review of the week, but this one was just too damn funny not to highlight! LMAO

I may take more credit for the fact that I temporarily made you gay at the delicious notion of Miles in nothing but a towel as opposed to making you feel sorry for Franziska, although both make me feel really good I am not going to lie! XD

I think Franziska is hot as hell and was absolutely adorable when she was younger, I genuinely think though that being a Von Karma would be double edge sword when it came to romantic interests for her even if she wasn't in love with Miles, which in my story, of course she is. Of course when you're eleven years old you not going to understand that your Dracula daddy scares off little boys and are just going to think that something is wrong with you, I like me at the sensitive side of Miles which I think Franziska is a little girl would have definitely brought out in him.

As for the Hannibal Lecter contender… I had way too much fun writing that part of the chapter! XD

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _"Who aspire to descend, not for laxity, but by instinct of the true elevation, which consists of sacrifice."_

My problem with all the beautiful poetry you give me my dear friend is trying to find room for it all! I think the greatest praise you have given me thus far though is comparing my geeky fanfiction to a work of classic literature like Lord of the rings and comparing it to that beautiful poem between the elf king and his wife. I am most humbled and grateful for such an cannot thank you enough except publicly to say _muchas gracias, mi amiga dulce siempre_!

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

It really means a lot to me when I'm told that I have made a chapter with Franziska and miles be funny because let's be honest the perfect prosecutors are not usually a comedic duo and I think that most of my funnier moments are ones between Nick and Maya! I hope you did enjoy this chapter those far it's been my favorite one to write for the normally stoic twosome! :-)

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_

As sad as it is to admit, my terrible Spanish (an inability to convey what was my minor ailment previously but it's nice to know I do not suffer alone and that you also feel my pain!) is still better than my German my dear friend for it is the latter of which I do not speak even a lick and therefore at the mercy of Google translator! I would like to apologize to you and any German speakers out there right now for my terrible German in my attempts to try to give authenticity to the inner dialogues and conversations of Franziska and her family!

I love Miles Edgeworth almost as much as Phoenix Wright and never wish to portray him as a pedophile in any way shape or form, so given the age gap between him and Franziska you're absolutely right his love for her would have definitely been like that of an older brother while she was younger and still crushing on him. This would've been the first chapter where he would've done a turnabout, but for you and anyone else who has not read Miles and Franziska's love story, _The Ties That Bind,_ because I am North American, as are the majority of my readers, I did ensure that even though 17 would've made Franziska legal in Germany, she was still 18 or 19 by the time I put them together in my story :-)

I'd like to think Franziska actually does have a jealous streak which is much more evident in the Miles Edgeworth games than in the Phoenix Wright games, so I had a lot of fun with that although I did try to give her a justifiable back story which was nearly as dramatic as poor Maya's, as to why she is the way she is.

I'm glad you liked Adelle for song choice… I really think her song _Hello_ might soon rival her previous hit Someone Like You for most gut-wrenching breakup song! Once again since you're my music friend I invite you (and anyone else!) to give me any song choice suggestions either as chapter titles or for lyrics the genre does not matter as I've even found some great ones in country which is not my thing at all!

I absolutely love hearing from you and I love your increasingly lengthy reviews, and while I will miss you if there is a point when you are unable to read and review, I will just look forward to hearing from you whenever you are free!

 **chloemcg**

I'm happy if I have made a nonbeliever of Franziska and Miles actually enjoy their love story high praise indeed my dear friend, as is citing me as one of your favorite authors considering the numerous amount of them on the site, I am deeply humbled and very thankful for it! :-)

Now onto your story for moment : seriously it's perfectly fine to give a reader the feels or make them want to cry, and you definitely do _not_ have to combine humor and tragedy in one chapter like _I_ am very fond of doing, but a mental reprieve for the audience can be needed at times after so much tension, so the only suggestion I can offer you is maybe a few chapters of everyone frolicking with bunnies and unicorns to counterbalance the gloom and doom! XD

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

This week we definitely will solve that mystery and I thank you (and everyone!) for your patience sweetie!

Franziska in canon does appear to have a bit of a jealous streak when it comes to Miles it is evident more in his games, what with her noticing the girls that notice him even when the comely but clueless prosecutor does not, at one point she got mad at him for a woman's undershirt that was left behind in a crime scene which belonged to…WENDY OLDBAG! GAH!

However, I've tried hard to make her jealousy come without reason and as she got older I did try to make it still have a noble underlying vibe attached to the unreturned love that it stems from, in this case giving love advice to Miles for another woman, even though it's tearing her apart… _Now_ you see why I say that Franziska is the hardest character for me to write? LOL

I absolutely had to throw in a mystery Lana throwback, the irony is that escaped me about how different her advice would've been had she known what was at the time!

I'm glad you found the part with her reading her knees the section about at what age you were legal in Germany humorous… You put your _dog_ to sleep?! Wow that is comedy _gold_! XD

 **Chapter 114**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Better late than never indeed my friend your reviews are always without exception worth waiting for much like anything good in life! :)

All you need is one good parent even if the other one _sucks n'stuff_ … I speak from personal experience and I'm going to leave it at that… But suffice to say that Minna's inner and outer beauty would've passed onto both her daughters, and is the reason that Franziska had even the slightest glimpses of humanity that we saw in the video games it sure cannot be from having Manfred as a father! I can only surmise that perhaps he was less of a monster while he was still climbing the career ladder, and perhaps was less hideous when he was younger? Or perhaps his wife wore love goggles as the truly good and pure of heart on earth tend to? ;p

Wait do Germans to arrange marriages?! Because that would just solve the riddle right there! LOL

 **Ilet Moratar**

All I can say is that I agree with you wholeheartedly …they are not blood related it is not incestuous my attempt at putting these two together is in no way thumbing my nose that anybody who's ever been adopted and reveres those relations as highly as though they were blood… This is speaking from somebody who tends to adopt all of her friends, and sees all her male friends as the brother she never had… and also has _never seen nor wishes to see/read_ Game Of Thrones, simply because I have heard that there is _actual incest_ in there between blood relatives, and I cannot be tongue-in-cheek about _incest being the game the whole family can play_! XD (wait, I just did!)

 _"Love from earliest childhood is a scarce done, but it is known that the higher the timeshare, the more intense the feeling becomes"_

As _you_ would know my darling Miles Edgeworth lover, a man like that comes about once-in-a-lifetime, so I probably pine and wait in vain for him as well! In the meantime I did make it that despite being a precocious beauty, the Von Karma name with a curse that to any other prospective suitors away from Franziska so that when nature finely balanced out the age difference between these two, they had a genuine shot at actual love!

 **Chapter 111**

 **Anonymous**

Thanks! I had way too much fun writing about the meeting of my favorite wannabe scientist and the fop! XD

I am over the moon excited about Ace Attorney 6, however right now all the information we have is for the Japanese release; I have no idea what details, if any, are going to be changed when it is localized for the English audiences so for right now, I am just going to leave those details untouched, and maybe weave a few of them into the story if it's still not completed by the time it gets released here. :-)


	117. I Only Want To Be With You

_Send her my love, memories remain  
Send her my love, roses never fade  
Send her my love_

 _The same hotel, the same old room  
I'm on the road again  
She needed so much more  
Than I could give  
We knew our love could not pretend  
Broken hearts can always mend._

 _Callin' out her name I'm dreamin'  
Reflections of a face I'm seein'  
It's her voice  
That keeps on haunting me  
_

* * *

 _A/N: Takes place right after **Turnabout Goodbyes**. Spoilers for case 1-4, as well as slight spoiler for 1-5 Rise From The Ashes.  
_

 _Next week we are right back to Nick and Apollo and the Fredgeworth arc ends this weekend. Enjoy. Lengthier read but perhaps now_ **Chapter 94** : **Like a Virgin** _will make more sense. This is the immediate before...and aftermath._

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Seventeen:** **I Only Want to Be With You**

 _ **Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany  
_ December 29, 2016

The tantalizing image of her nearly nude Little Brother, wearing nothing but that towel, was a memory that was forever seared into Franziska's memory, even if she had _tried_ to erase it from her mind, which of course, she had _zero_ inclination to do, whatsoever! Even now, the recollection of all that _hard and sinewy muscle,_ on such _delicious display,_ made her toes curl, and a get tingly feeling _all over!_ Since then, she had _definitely never_ been able to look at him the same way, _ever again!_

Now, two years later, she was fiercely hoping to make _history repeat itself_ , except _this_ time, _he_ would be the one getting _a sight to remember_!

Franziska hadn't seen Miles since the year before at Christmas. He had been somewhat guarded in her company, and had a difficult time _maintaining eye contact_ with her, or even _looking_ at her for more than a few seconds, before his gaze had darted away, almost _bashfully_. His behavior towards her had been thus altered, ever since the weekend he'd come down for Günther's birthday party, when he had seen her in that killer dress for _Phantom of the Opera._

Normally, she would've been bemused and hurt by his distant attitude, and taken it as a sign that he was trying to _shun_ her for some unknown reason, but Franziska was older and wiser now, and becoming increasingly aware of her feminine wiles, ergo, she was more _entertained_ than anything! Over the last year, she'd actually been taking heed to her _noticeable appeal_ with the opposite sex, and it seemed her _Little Brother_ was _no exception_!

After all, when it came to Miles Edgeworth, Franziska was an _expert_ on jealousy, having experienced it long enough now, so she'd _easily_ recognized the _telltale signs,_ like when he'd gotten all _huffy_ about her date with Pepé, who, _for the record_ , and contrary to Miles' insinuations, had been _nothing but a gentleman_! It had been _nearly painful_ turning down his advances that evening! While incredibly sweet, the besotted Frenchman could have never been a true contender for her affections however, even if her heart _hadn't_ already been with Miles! Franziska had discarded Pepé's suitor potential _mostly_ because of his _comical,_ _ **odorous mammal**_ _hair coloring, which made_ him _far_ _too open to ridicule_ for her to have _ever_ taken him seriously! Of course, there was _also_ the validity of Miles' jeers, which was that Frenchie actually _did_ have the _unfortunate first name of a Looney Tune cartoon character_ , _plus_ the _full moniker_ of _ **a pizza topping**_!

The whole _Frozen_ evening gown scenario had worked out even _better_ than Franziska could have hoped! Of course, it would've been the _ultimate_ _bonus_ had he still been awake when she returned, and seen her in all her splendor, but since she hadn't known _exactly_ what time Miles would be arriving at the house, her _actual_ initial plan had been to just look _absolutely stunning_ that evening, snare some cute boy's admiration, and hopefully make Miles realize that she _wouldn't always be at his beck and call_! She had been over the moon when the heavens had _smiled upon her_ that night, and he had not only _witnessed,_ but then _reacted,_ in the manner she'd _hoped_ , to both the _sight_ of Franziska in her _full glamazon mode_ , as well to the mere _idea_ of her being _out with another man_!

Miles' _unmitigated,_ and _unmistakable_ , adverse reaction had been _just_ the confidence boost the German prosecutor had needed, and she'd since been feeling a _just a trifle smug,_ knowing about the effect she'd had on her Little Brother. Certainly, he couldn't be _too devoted_ to this mystery woman in the States, to have been exuding _such extreme levels_ of _possessiveness_ and _indignation_ at the notion of his Big Sister going out on a date! Moreover, Franziska was nearly _positive_ she hadn't _imagined_ that admiring look in his eyes on opera night, at the sight of her, in all her finery.

The only caveat was that she'd been unable to catch him doing so again, even though she had worn an _equally fetching garment_ the next day at Günther's party. Unfortunately, Miles had appeared content to act as though the sparks that had flown between them the night before had merely been a figment of Franziska's imagination! He hadn't even looked twice at her since, _despite_ her fervent endeavors!

Embarrassingly enough, her blatant efforts had been _glaringly evident_ enough to be noticed by the observant, (and somewhat disapproving), Katharina. The elder Von Karma had shaken her head with dismay and told Franziska that her conduct that evening was _most inappropriate_ , what with first continually _accidentally_ brushing up against Miles, and then _borderline flirting_ with him _the entire evening_! Franziska, of course had hotly denied that she had _any idea_ what _foolishness_ Katharina was waffling about, and had tried to chalk up her _grossly misconstrued actions_ that night as a slight side effect to having consumed too many glasses of wine!

All the same, despite the party setback, and his mostly averted gaze at Christmas the previous year, Franziska refused to be daunted. She consoled herself with the fact that as he'd known her since she was a _toddler_ , Miles was still possibly struggling with her newfound womanhood, and the fact that at the time, she had been _almost_ _18_ , but _not quite yet_!

This year had been the first Christmas that Miles hadn't come home, much to her and Katharina's great concern. He had finally called Franziska earlier that morning, and curtly announced that he would _explain the circumstances surrounding his holiday absence_ later, and that he would be catching the red-eye and arriving that evening.

Franziska had hugged herself with glee at the thought of déjà vu recurring, and now that she was 18, saw no reason to hold _anything_ back! In anticipation for his arrival, she was spurred into action. Just like last time, she had plans, this time to attend Addie and Élie's engagement party. They'd be picking her up en route to the soirée, which give her _plenty of time_ to put her _preemptive plans_ into motion!

Miles had arrived at the house several hours ago, and had since holed himself up in his room, barely greeting his Big Sister or any of the servants, but Franziska had just shrugged off his surly disposition as exhaustion and jet lag.

Now, as she stepped out of the tub that evening, she readied herself for Phase 1 of operation: " _Show Irrefutable Evidence to Miles Edgeworth That I Am A Little Girl No longer!"_

 _AKA "I am indeed_ _ **every bit as much woman**_ _as that indecisive_ _ **schlampe**_ _you have a home!"_ She would then proceed to _show_ him, _firsthand_ , _just how much_ of a _grown_ _woman_ she now was!

"Little Brother!" Franziska called out the door of her bedroom, opening it just a crack. "The accursed tub in my bathroom is stuck _again_ and I can't seem to get it unclogged! Could you come in here?"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany  
_ December 29, 2016

All his _journey-bated_ self desperately yearned for, _more than anything else in the world,_ was _sleep_! Miles would have gladly _sold his soul_ for the opportunity to just sink into his soft, familiar bed and fall into a _blissful slumber_ , while trying to forget the _hellacious ordeal_ of the past few days!

Destiny, of course, had other plans.

As soon as he'd been released from the detention center that morning, Miles had booked the very first flight possible to Germany, needing to create as much distance as possible between himself, California, the courts… _and that blasted Phoenix Wright_!

He'd thought being charged unjustifiably for murder, and _then_ reliving the most _macabre experience of his life_ , only to discover that the man who'd raised him and that he'd looked up to for most of his life, had been _the cause of it all,_ was earth-shattering _enough_ for any _one man to contend with_!

Nevertheless, when it _rained_ , it freaking _poured!_

Miles was still struggling with the internal love-hate he felt for his _overly determined, too damn trusting for his own_ _good,_ childhood best friend, _first_ for reappearing in his life again without warning, and _then_ being the first person to strike down his _perfect courtroom record_! On _top of that,_ in the act of exonerating him, Phoenix had inadvertently forced Miles to relive the harrowing DL-6 incident, and all the _accompanying, repressed trauma_ , _all over again!_

It had been further overwhelming to fully grasp just _how much_ of an earnest, kind, and heroic man Phoenix had become; a defense attorney who believed in fairness and justice for all, with wholesome ideals, unrelenting faith in people, and a naïve, but genuine belief in the legal system.

Phoenix was now essentially _everything_ that _Miles_ had always strived to be when _he_ grew up, had the _devil_ that was _Manfred Von Karma_ and the fateful DL-6 case never transpired! He had made Miles question his _own_ morals, beliefs and values… while simultaneously dredging up _unnecessary feelings_ he'd _long been suppressing_ beneath his _android_ _surface_ , and resurfacing memories that he tried to keep dead and buried. It was _inconceivable_ how a person whom Miles had not seen in _15 years,_ had somehow, with his steadfast loyalty and irrepressible good-heartedness, unwittingly forced the stoic prosecutor to unsheathe his icy, stoic veneer, and managed to _get under his skin_ , in a way that _nobody_ , _not even_ _ **Lana**_ , had _ever_ managed to!

 _Lana_. The damn name now sounded like a curse, even in his mind.

The _axiomatic cherry_ on top of the _shit sundae_ , of course, was Lana Skye herself. As though sensing _the cosmic waves emitting throughout the universe_ , the very _moment_ Miles' feet had landed on German soil at the airport, out of the blue, his ex had called.

Miles didn't even bother with the standard greetings and salutations.

"Well, I must say that this is a most unanticipated surprise, albeit hardly a _welcome_ one." His cadence was clipped. "You are _definitely_ the last person I thought I would ever hear from again, _Chief Prosecutor Skye_."

On the other side of the world, there was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line as his former lover winced at the sound of his scathing tone.

"I'm so sorry, Miles…"

"I imagine you are, as you have _repeatedly_ already expressed as much," he said bitingly. "However, I am in neither in possession of the _temperament,_ nor the _time,_ to be dealing with this sort of hogwash, Chief Skye. If there is an _actual_ reason for this phone call, please speak your piece, although I suggest you keep it brief, as you have _precisely_ _two minutes_."

"Please, don't be like this," she pleaded. "You have every right to hate me…"

"While I thank you kindly for _allowing me as such_ , rest assured, _I don't think about you_ _**at all**_ ," he replied curtly. "I chose to _purge_ you from my _every waking thought,_ in the _same manner that you expunged me last week_ , when you at last made your choice between myself and Marshall. Your decision was only further _punctuated_ by your _visible lack of presence_ in the courtroom gallery. Does that ring a bell? When I stood trial and was not only _once_ , but _twice_ nearly _indicted for murder?_ Believe you me, _that in itself_ demonstrated, _far better than any words possibly could_ , where you wish your stance to be henceforth. It also was _glaringly evident_ that the phrase _stand by your man_ no longer exists in your particular, _feckless universe._ "

"Miles…"

"That's _Prosecutor Edgeworth_ to you now, Chief Skye."

" _Please_ forgive me if I made an erroneous judgment with my absence. You _must_ believe me when I tell you that it was _never_ intended to convey _a dismissal_ of _you_ , and all that you meant to me, in _any way_!" Lana cried helplessly. "I couldn't see how _any good_ could possibly come from being there, and figured that my presence would only complicates matters even further."

"It certainly wouldn't be _the first time_ that you made an _error in judgment,_ would it?" He asked silkily, fully aware he was being a complete son of a bitch, and _not giving a damn!_

"I – I honestly thought it would been hypocritical of me to have been there, as a potentially unnecessary distraction, and I believed perhaps we needed a smidgen of cooling-off time and space between us…"

"Your wish is my command. I am now here in Germany for the next fortnight to visit my family, as I attempt to put _everything_ from this _godforsaken year_ behind me," he retorted. "Is approximately _9000 miles_ of space sufficient enough for you?"

"Don't be like this, I _beg_ you." Lana sounded as though she were near tears now. "You _have_ to know that you meant a lot to me; you _must_ have if I was unable to make a decision for so long! I still care about you _so much_ , Miles. I – I even think a part of me actually _did_ lo –"

He refused to let her finish the sentence.

"You have _exactly_ 60 seconds remaining." Miles was thoroughly unmoved by the threat of waterworks. "If you wish to squander them _simpering and sniffling_ in an attempt to _unnecessarily_ soothe my ego, and ease your own conscience, so be it. Nevertheless, _you_ need to know that as soon as _this phone call terminates,_ you will _never_ speak to me again in the future, unless it is at the Prosecutor's Office, and _strictly work-related_. Is that _clearly understood_?"

"Perfectly." She sniffled and cleared her throat, as though trying to compose herself. "But I didn't call you _just_ to apologize, Miles. There's something that you need to know."

 _I_ _ **needed to know**_ _that the woman I_ _ **thought**_ _I_ _ **loved**_ _, whom I wasted_ _ **two years**_ _of my life on, would be by my side at my darkest hour!_ He brooded. _I also needed to know that I was partaking in a futile battle I obviously had no chance of_ _ **ever**_ _being victorious in! How could I have been so callow that I didn't see she was simply using me? Of course,_ _ **she**_ _could make the rebuttal that we were_ _ **using each other**_ _to a certain degree, although I wouldn't care to hear it! Not_ _ **now**_ _! Not after all I've just endured…_

"Go on then." Miles didn't even bother to disguise the ennui his voice. "30 seconds remaining to regale me with this information which I am _so desperately_ in need of."

"Miles –"

"25 remaining now…"

"Miles…I'm _late_ ," Lana blurted out. " _That_ was why I was calling you. I – I thought you had a right to know."

For perhaps a split second, his nettled state was suspended, the surprise protecting him, until it suddenly shattered, like explosive glass shards. A dull roar flooded Miles' ears in the next instant as the blood froze in his veins so abruptly, it seemed as though his heart had _literally stopped beating._

 _I guess this is what they would call_ _ **shock**_ _– something I imagined I'd be_ _ **immune**_ _to by this point! I can actually_ _ **feel**_ _my brain desperately scrambling to make sense of it, as it has momentarily seized an actual_ _ **inability to compute**_ _and is thus unable to comprehend what has just occurred._

Miles stood as gormless as a guppy, as if paralyzed from the neck up. When he finally spoke, his voice trailed slowly, as if unwilling to take flight.

" _H –How_ could this have happened?" He had to sink into a nearby seat in the airport lounge, as his legs threatened to give out beneath him. "You told me that you were _protected."_

"I _am_!" Lana wailed, openly crying now. "I mean – I _was_! It's just… things _happen…_ "

 _Damn right things happen!_ _ **Two bloody years**_ _happened! Two years of laughing and crying and consoling and_ _ **passion**_ _… All water under the bridge now, and probably best forgotten… Only to suddenly reemerge and_ _ **result in a bastard love child**_ _, which I'm not even sure is_ _ **mine**_ _!_

"We will discuss the matter _that a DNA test_ will be a _prerequisite_ before any part of _this_ conversation goes any further." Miles dragged together the rags of his composure. "So I'm just going to ask the more pressing question, which is, how soon until we _know for sure?_ "

"I – I went to get the blood work done today." Her voice was shaking. "I should know tomorrow or the day after."

"Have you discussed this with Marshall?" He demanded tersely. "Does he know that he is _also_ the fellow candidate in the running for being a father?"

"N – Not yet. I thought I would at least give you the courtesy of telling you first about the possibility."

The shell-shocked prosecutor knew this would have been the prime opportunity to ask her _how_ she was going to proceed if the results came back positive, and what she would tell her _cuckolded_ lover, if _anything_. Would _Miles_ get a reprieve if she planned to pass off the baby as Marshall's, relieving him of all responsibility? Alternatively, would she confess about her faithlessness and succumb them _both_ to a paternity test?

However, these were inquiries that his temporarily incapacitated mouth could not seem to form at the moment.

As though in a daze, Miles heard his unrecognizable voice making the command to be informed as soon as possible, before he hung up the phone and remained seated there, shaking his head in disbelief.

He felt as though he were in some _godawful nightmare_ from which he could not awaken! _These_ sort of things just didn't _happen_ to people like _him_ , who were always so _methodical_ and _careful_! He wasn't some imbecilic, reckless teenager who had irresponsibly overindulged in alcohol! He was _in his 20s,_ a High Prosecutor at the _height of his career_ , despite his recent courtroom setbacks, and he didn't know the first thing about fatherhood or children, or even if _either_ was something he had ever wanted for his future!

Sitting on his bed now, mulling over the dilemma for the umpteenth time, Miles couldn't, for the life of him, figure out what he would do in the worst-case scenario.

 _How can the same outcome mean so many different things for so many different people?_ He wondered, burying his still throbbing skull in his hands. _Surely, for Lana and Jake, this baby shall be a mixed blessing, but for_ _ **myself**_ _, it will signify the proverbial_ _ **end of my life, as I know it!  
**_

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany  
_ December 29, 2016

At that moment, Franziska called out to him about some plumbing emergency in her lavatory, shattering his reverie of _what-if,_ and dragging him back to the present.

Miles heaved a great sigh, uncertain if he was grateful or aggravated for the interruption. It sounded ridiculous, rushing all the way to Germany to escape a _Lana situation_ , _yet again,_ even though doing so meant seeing _Franziska_ , which was another _can of worms_ entirely! He was _still_ struggling with his inner turmoil of disquietude, caused as a result of his new-found attraction to his Big Sister the previous year.

Despite having been roped into a love triangle for so long, Miles himself had never been the type to _ever_ _be torn in two_ about _anything_ , work, women or otherwise! If anything, he suffered from _tunnel vision_ because of his tendency to have _singular focus_ on all matters, which could never be _diverted_ by _anything_! In fact, that was one of the things about him that often drove the tempestuous Franziska crazy; his ability to always stay unaffected and impassively calm, even when faced with adversity; his refusal to be ruffled by emotions, and just focusing _solely_ on problem-solving the situation at hand.

Therefore, his admitted lust-fueled jealousy about the idea of Franziska being with another man, all the while being in a relationship, such as it was, with Lana, was so _out of character_ for him that it _still_ boggled his mind, and had made him keep the _titillating teen_ at arm's length ever since!

At the moment, _said temptress_ was calling him to her bathroom.

It was no big deal, Miles convinced himself. He knew she had plans that evening, which she was now obviously getting ready for, so he would come and fix her bathtub issue – _avert his gaze_ as much as humanly probable – and then make as gracious a retreat as possible back to the solace of his chambers.

As the prosecutor entered the bathroom adjoining Franziska's bedroom, an _unexpectedly lovely_ sight awaited him. There, _in nothing but a towel_ wrapped around her fresh from the bath, _wet, glistening skin_ , stood Franziska. Her soft, ivory shoulders and shapely legs were delightfully exposed, as was essentially the rest of her flawless skin, and her damp silvery hair was tousled around her rosy face. Her full lips looked dewy from the steamy bath, and a curved into an awkward smile at the sight of him.

Franziska's heart skipped a beat at his direct gaze, and her pulse started beating way too fast. Her nerves tingled under his scrutiny, and she had to fight the urge to feign modesty and cover her breasts. Instead, she forced herself to keep her expression lofty and unfazed as she felt his eyes drinking in the sight of her. She anxiously wished his unreadable expression wasn't so guarded, and hoped that he _liked_ what he saw!

Miles felt his throat constricting as he stared at her with hungry eyes, all thoughts of Lana completely vanquished from his mind. During his more _impure contemplations_ since he had seen Franziska in that magical dress, he'd _not so idly_ wondered _what lay beneath it_. And now, the _answer_ to his speculation stood _only a foot away_ from him, on _nearly full, tantalizing display_! He let out a soundless whistle through his teeth and jerked his head away, unsure _which_ of the two of them was redder in the face!

"Should I give you a moment to get a robe?" He asked quickly, feigning interest in the still full bathtub and its rapidly dissipating bubbles. "I apologize …I didn't realize that you were not quite decent when I rushed in here."

"Well, better _you_ than _Hans_!" She shrugged, seemingly unaffected by the fact that only approximately _a few feet of terrycloth_ were _all_ that separated her lush, ripe physique from his eyes. "I would not want to give the poor man a _heart attack_! However, the servants have all retired or left for the evening, so _you_ were better than _nothing_!"

"Thanks _so much_ , Franziska," he returned dryly. "You are _far_ too kind!"

"I was in a rush to try to get ready for the party as I hurriedly stepped out of the tub, you see. I was already in my bedroom before I realized I didn't hear the tub draining." She blinked at him innocently as she shrugged her shoulders, the seemingly innocuous action causing her breasts to further press up against the clinging towel tucked around them. Miles quickly dropped his gaze. "You managed to arrive at the scene before I could _better cover myself_. Have you been _sprint training_ in your free time, Little Brother?"

" _Ngh_!" He found himself at a loss for words, and instead focused on pushing up his sleeves as he studied the bathwater. "I have to get used to how different the bathroom fixtures are here than they are in my Los Angeles condominium. If I remember correctly from the _last_ time this happened, your tub has a strange sort of built-in stopper, which likes to get _jammed_ on occasion…" He leaned over, dunked his hand into the water, and busied himself with unscrewing the cumbersome metal piece. In the meantime, Franziska shamelessly admired the way the thin material of his dress shirt strained across the muscles of his back as he yanked at the stopper.

 _Mein Gott, he gets even_ _ **tastier**_ _as the years go by!_ She bit her lip _. If only he'd stop being so stubborn and just admit that_ _ **he**_ _sees_ _ **me**_ _in the same manner now! After all, I am now_ _ **legally**_ _a grown woman! So_ _ **what's holding him back**_ _?!_

"There we go!" Miles announced triumphantly a moment later, having unscrewed the stopper, resulting in the bathwater now draining with complete ease. He arched an eyebrow at her. "The drain is also _undoubtedly clogged_ with _your hair_ , Franziska! Might I suggest a _hairnet_ next time you bathe?"

"Very funny!" She stuck her tongue at him, and then leaned forward, making sure that her chest _accidentally_ grazed against him as she placed a grateful kiss on his cheek, smiling smugly to herself as he blushed slightly. " _Danke_ , Little Brother. _Whatever_ would I do without you?"

" _Throw the baby out with the bathwater_ , I imagine," Miles replied wryly, stepping away from her and out of the bathroom within two strides. He made a noticeable point to keep his eyes diverted as he did so. "I am weary from the long flight Franziska, so I'm going to go lie down now. In case I'm asleep by the time you leave, I hope you have a great evening, and please convey my congratulations to your friends on their engagement." With that, he all but _raced_ out of there!

Franziska was only slightly bothered at his hasty exit. As far as she was concerned, Phase 1 of her plan had still been a partial success, as she had once again ascertained he wasn't anywhere near as _immune_ to her as he pretended to be, as he'd _eventually_ been _unable to disguise_ the _desire_ in his _eyes_! Oh, he was _aware_ of her, all right! He was still _amusingly and endearingly_ _**uncomfortable**_ with the idea of her womanhood, but _fully aware_ of it, nonetheless! She was pretty sure that as much as the memory of _him_ in _naught but a towel_ would linger in _her_ mind forever, so would the image _he_ had just been privy to, whether he _liked it or_ _ **not**_!

 _Although judging by the heated look I saw in those smoldering grey eyes_ , she giggled softly to herself. _He_ _ **liked it**_ _more than he cared to admit!  
_

* * *

 _The curve of Franziska's full, heaving bosom fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. She moaned his name in his ear as he trailed a burning path with his lips from her earlobe, down to her throat, and then dipped his tongue to run it along her…_

"Miles?"

His eyes flew open as he jerked up in bed like a marionette whose strings had just been yanked, feeling a slight sweat forming at his brow as his discombobulated mind realized that he'd been having _the mother of all erotic dreams_! As he rapidly blinked, he realized the sound of his name, which had just awoken him, had been uttered by _the very real-life, in the flesh woman_ who'd just _starred_ in his _X-rated fantasy dream sequence_ – and was currently standing _right at his bedside_!

" _Franziska_!" Miles croaked, his eyes wide as he felt a guilty flush staining up his cheeks, as though his naughty dream could be seen as a flashing screen across his forehead. "What the devil are you doing in my room?"

"That's _all_ you have to say to me?" She sulked, doing a quick turnaround so he could admire her in her evening apparel. "Have you _no_ manners at all? Shouldn't a gentleman always make a comment on a lady's appearance?"

He gulped. Franziska was his real-life fantasy come to life. Her flawlessly made-up silver eyes shone like twin moons. She wore a formfitting black evening dress that hugged her every curve, with built-in, black sequined band around her slender waist, and _plunging V-neckline_ , where the can't-miss, creamy swells of her breasts were temptingly displayed. The dress was sleeveless, with spaghetti straps and an open back, showing off the smooth, ivory skin of her spine, with crisscross straps. It was a thigh-high, silk dress under black, ankle-length, lace lining with long side slits, displaying her beautiful, toned legs.

Miles had never seen her look more exquisitely beautiful…or _maddeningly seductive_. He hated the way his body was reacting to her, especially _right now_ , with the looming possibility of _unplanned fatherhood_ and _illegitimate offspring_ hanging over his head like a machete! The distraction of _another femme fatale_ was what he needed as much as a _boot to the head_!

"Um…" He racked his mind to find some _appropriate_ words of appreciation that didn't entail divulging the fact that she was his _every waking dream come to life_ , but found none.

Franziska heaved a disappointed sigh at his lack of response, and then turned her back to him, while lifting up her satiny hair. "I wanted to wear Mama's pearls to the soirée tonight, but cannot manage the clasp by myself. Could you help me?"

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Miles reluctantly rose in the bed, thanking _all that was holy_ that _the telltale erection_ with which he had awoken up from his nap had _finally_ _subsided_! She tipped her head forward, which only resulted in her swelling buttocks lightly grazing the front of his body as she did so, and he felt himself stiffen and his breath catch once again. His normally deft fingers felt awkward and clumsy as he fiddled with the delicate clasp, and he felt her fidgeting impatiently at the delay. He could feel the warmth of her swan-like neck beneath his fingertips, and his head felt light from the seductive scent of her perfume.

At last, Miles managed to get the necklace on, but found he couldn't move his hands away quickly enough, his fingers lingering at the nape of her neck as though they had a mind of their own, even though his brain was screaming at him to _run_ , not _walk_ away from her, before something regrettable happened.

Franziska spun around before she could think. Suddenly, it wasn't her backside feeling his hardened muscles. Since he'd been standing so closely behind her, they were now flush against each other. Her breasts flattened against his hard chest, the lower halves of their bodies were shockingly aligned, and their thighs were touching. Their mouths were within inches of each other, and their breath mingled. It was crazy, but Franziska was sure she felt their hearts beating in rhythm. She began to tingle everywhere and held her breath.

Their gazes met and held and Miles became motionless, unable to mask the flagrant desire in his eyes any longer. It struck Franziska that she was seeing a dangerous side of him, the hunter sizing up the situation and preparing for action, _ready to pounce_. When his orbs fell to her mouth she began to tremble, but not from fear. A sliver of excitement shot through her. She held her breath in anticipation.

Then, as quick as it happened, it was over. Miles jerked away from her as though he'd been scorched, stepping back so abruptly that the mattress caught the back of his knees, and he tumbled back onto the bed.

Franziska _refused_ to let this opportunity go to waste. She stepped towards him, bending forward so that her _aptly displayed_ cleavage was at eye level to him, as she unflinchingly looked him right in the eye.

"That is the _second_ time tonight you have gallantly assisted me, Miles Edgeworth," she breathed in her most sultry tone. "How rude of me to have not yet _properly_ thanked you for all your help…" She put her lips close to his face, so they were practically grazing against his, but at the last split-second, Miles sharply turned his head, and pushed back at her shoulders, shaking his head violently as she stumbled back.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Miles' voice shook as he glowered at her.

"I – I …" Franziska was taken aback by the anger on his face. "I just…"

"I have been _through hell and back_ this past week, I am _sleep deprived and_ _jet lagged_ , and am in _no mood for your childish games_!" His grey eyes were as cold as ice. "So go play them elsewhere – or _just grow the hell up_ , Franziska!"

"I – I wasn't –" She was speechless at his quiet rage, even though he hadn't raised his voice. Nonetheless, his cold fury frightened her as much as it bewildered her.

"Is _this_ the way that you have been raised, Franziska Von Karma?" He demanded harshly. "To act like a _wanton_ with no dignity, and _dress_ the part as well?"

Franziska reeled back as though he'd slapped her. Never before had she ever seen him look at her with such outright _condemnation._ "Y – You think I am dressed _immodestly_?" Her hands self-consciously fluttered up to her cleavage, as though to shield herself from his scornful gaze. The misery was evident in her voice as she stammered out her words. "Y - You didn't say anything until now, b – but I was _hoping_ …I – I mean, I _thought_ that _maybe_ you would…"

"I chose to remain silent, as I was always taught that if I had _nothing nice to say_ , to _keep mum_ , as _I_ , at least, was raised to be a _gentleman_!" He snapped, turning his face away as though he could not even _stand_ the sight of her. " _Fine!_ If you _really_ want to know what I have to say about your ensemble – may I would suggest that you _have some decency_ and _cover yourself_? I saw _less bare skin_ when you were _only wearing your towel_! I _thought_ you were a _lady_ , Franziska, but for one reason or another, tonight you seem to be content to _dress_ _and_ _ **act**_ the part of nothing but a… _tramp_!"

Franziska felt her lip quiver as hot tears stung the back of her eyes, but she was too proud to let them fall in front to him. Never would she _ever_ let him know just how deeply his words had cut her, like a stab wound to the heart. How could she have so _grossly_ _misjudged_ the situation? She had been so _assured_ ever since the year prior that Miles regarded at her in a different light now, and _at the very least,_ was _attracted_ to her, now that it was _no longer illegal_ for him to be! Be that as it may, in the end, it didn't matter, as he appeared fiercely loyal to his partner back in the United States. Alternatively, for _whatever reason_ , he was contented to merely _devour_ her _with his eyes,_ while still keeping her at arm's length, but do _nothing_ about it, and continue to speak to her as though she were a _stranger_.

No, worse… a _tramp_. _That_ was what he'd said.

She died a little inside.

Miles Edgeworth, the man whom she'd loved nearly her whole life, more than anything in the world … _that_ was what he really thought of her? That she was a _tramp_? A woman of _loose morals_?! Had she not been so heartbroken at the idea, it would've been laughable. After all, she was _still a virgin,_ for the love of God! She had put so much _effort and care_ into her appearance for the last _hour_ , hoping she could show him how grown-up and how desirable she could look, and he _still_ thought of her as nothing more than a little girl playing dress up – playing _games_. All these years she had been pining for him, waiting for the second hand of the clock to allow her to catch up… All for _nothing_. Evidently, she had been mistaken. He _didn't_ want her after all. _He never had, and he never would._

Mercifully, at that exact moment, the doorbell rang. Her ride had arrived.

The loud chime below resonated throughout the excruciatingly silent room, and appeared to have the effect of snapping Miles out of his incensed mood. An immediate look of contrition came over his face as he saw the agony in her eyes.

"Franziska…" He reached out a hand towards her. "I never should have said that. I didn't mean…"

Franziska wildly shook her head as she blinked against the now burning, unshed tears. She _had_ to get out of there. She swallowed back the sob building in her throat, and with a wordless cry, turned and raced from the room.

"Franziska, wait!" Miles called frantically.

She didn't turn around, making it down the stairs and out the door, slamming it hard behind her by the time the pursuing Miles made it to the bottom of the stairway.

The prosecutor bit back a savage curse. He had _just_ reached the _newest pinnacle_ of self-loathing. What _demon_ had just possessed him? _How_ could he have _done_ that to her? Sure, her _timing_ _couldn't have been_ _**worse**_ , and maybe he hadn't been wrong to halt the kiss, consequently, but he also hadn't needed to _tear away every shred of her youthful pride and dignity_ in his attempts to thwart her advances, either!

Miles Edgeworth was no less a cold-hearted bastard than Manfred Von Karma.

 _Goddammit_! _What is_ _ **wrong**_ _with me?! I will never forget that look on her face for as long as I live! As God is my witness, I will apologize to Franziska if it's the last thing I do! I'll wait up for her if I have to, regardless of how late she gets in! Having left things the way they are, it's not as if I'll be able to get any more sleep, anyway …  
_

* * *

Franziska all but _leapt_ into the white limousine in the front driveway.

"Good evening, lovebirds!" She trilled, forcing a smile in greeting at Addie and Élie before leaning forward to kiss them both in greeting. "Thanks so much for coming to get me! Élie, you look positively _dashing_ in that black tuxedo! You could be a _Gentleman Ken_!"

Her blond friend chuckled at the bizarre compliment and beamed warmly at her. " _Merci beaucoup…je pense? Et vous êtes très belle ce soir, mon amie."_

" _Danke_ ," Franziska murmured, thankful for the kind words, which her battered ego so _desperately_ needed. She gratefully accepted the glass of celebratory champagne he poured from the ice bucket, which she downed in one swallow. It would be the first of the _many_ she would require in order to try to eradicate the excruciating scene at the house with Miles. As far as she was concerned, if _Miles Edgeworth didn't want her_ , come hell or high water, she _would_ find _some_ man who would – _that night_!

"I'm glad his eyes are _brown_ instead of _blue,_ if _that's_ what keeps him from being the obviously _gay half_ of an iconic toy couple, who are now broken up, if I'm not mistaken," Addie tittered, smiling lovingly at her fiancé. "Contrary to the popular 90's song "Barbie Girl" by Aqua, I really don't think _life in plastic_ _is fantastic!_ "

"You look so beautiful in that mauve strapless gown, Addie!" Franziska turned to look admiringly at her childhood friend. "I _love_ what your stylist did to your hair, with those curls bouncing around your shoulders like a golden halo. Just _look_ at you, you're positively _glowing!_ Being engaged must really agree with you!"

The blond couple regarded one another, identical smirks on their faces.

"Do you want to tell her or should I?" The Frenchman asked his fiancée, who giggled once more, and who, Franziska suddenly noticed, had not even _touched_ her champagne flute!

" _Glowing_ … _not drinking_ the bubbly that obviously came with the limo…" A sneaking suspicion suddenly dawned upon the prosecutor as her eyes lit up. " _Mein Gott_! Addie…are you _pregnant_?!"

"About 12 weeks," the tiny blonde blushingly affirmed, placing a protective hand over her stomach. "Though we haven't made that public knowledge yet, except to our dearest friends and family, so your discretion would be most appreciated, Franziska."

"Of _course_!" She exclaimed delightedly. "So do you know what you're having?"

"It's twins!" Élie announced proudly. "A boy _and_ a girl! We've already picked the names - Archer and Adelisa."

"Adelisa, that's so pretty!" Franziska exclaimed, and then halted as the realization dawned on her, and she bit back a laugh. "Wait… _Archer_? Your son's name is going to be _Archer Sterling_?"

"Sterling _is_ my last name." The future groom looked at her blankly, obviously not understanding the cause of mirth. "What of it?"

"Oh, nothing," Franziska replied hastily, pouring herself another glass of champagne. " _Nothing_ _at all!"  
_

 _What the heck is it with Elie having family members with cartoon character names?!_

"It's hard to believe that at one point, you and I were on the same path in life, Franziska," Addie remarked. "We're the same age, except now _I'm_ going to be _up to my wrists_ in _poopy diapers_ , while _you_ get the litigious, fascinating career path and take over the legal world by storm! If you weren't such a dear friend, I'd actually be a little bit jealous!"

"Don't be foolish, you fool of a girl!" Franziska swallowed against the lump in her throat that her friend's harmless words had unwittingly caused. "It is _I_ who should envy _you!_ _You_ not only look like a princess tonight, but have _already_ found your Prince Charming, and are on the path to _happily ever after_!"

" _Prince Charming_? I think I prefer _that_ title over _Ken_!" Élie joked, clinking his glass to hers. " _Santé_!"

"To finding your Prince!" Franziska smiled an overly bright as she raised her flute, trying to squash down the dull ache in her chest. "May the both of you have an eternal path of love everlasting, that _each and every one of us_ _should be so lucky_ if we someday find, as well!"

* * *

 _ **Later that evening…**_ **  
**

 _ **Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Adelaide and Élie's Engagement Party  
_ December 29, 2016

Franziska pulled her dress a little lower and pushed her bosom out a little further. She rumpled a hand through her hair frequently to draw attention to it. A few more cocktails later, she was ready to move with the music, hands in the air, body moving like an uncoiling rope, eyes on fire. The joy was like a shot of adrenaline to the heart and all at once, she was moving, at one with the music and with every crazy person dancing in the place.

 _Addie told me that there's going to be a band playing later, but I'm perfectly happy with whatever's playing on the stereo! This music is amazing! I can't believe they even have classic tunes like Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want to Be With You!"_

 _ **You stopped and smiled at me,**_  
 _ **I asked if you cared to dance,**_  
 _ **you fell into my open arms,**_  
 _ **I didn't stand a chance.**_

 _ **Now, listen, honey, I just want to be beside you everywhere.**_  
 _ **As long as we're together, honey, I don't care**_  
 _ **'Cause you started something, can't you see.**_  
 _ **Ever since we met you've had a hold on me.**_  
 _ **No matter what you do, I only want to be with you.**_

The prosecutor had lost count of how many drinks she'd consumed at this point. At the time, getting to the point where she was _shit-faced_ hadn't seemed like such a bad idea!

 _With each cocktail, it gets easier and easier to forget my earlier heartache. The jokes get funnier, I become a comedienne of epic proportions, and I can flirt with any boy who catches my eye tonight. I feel pretty, witty and cool, and am the belle of the dance floor!_

Suddenly, the music switched to a slower tempo, and like Noah's Ark, everybody turned into a _gruesome twosome_ as Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" began to play. Scowling, Franziska stomped off the dance floor and stood at the sidelines, crossing her arms as she stonily eyed the entranced, swaying couples, all lost in the spell of one another's arms.

 _ **Why**_ _can I not_ _ **ever**_ _seem to escape this_ _ **wretched**_ _tune?!_ Franziska thought peevishly as she grumpily listened to the song that was _always_ going to remind her of her Little Brother for the rest of her days. _It's not even romantic really… It's about a couple who is never going to be in synch with one another and one is always leaving the other behind! Humph! Is it any wonder why it happens to remind me of a_ _ **certain someone,**_ _who_ _ **shall remain nameless?!**_

 _ **Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick,**_  
 _ **And think of you**_  
 _ **Caught up in circles confusion -**_  
 _ **Is nothing new**_  
 _ **Flashback - warm nights -**_  
 _ **Almost left behind**_  
 _ **Suitcases of memories,**_  
 _ **Time after -  
**_

Franziska felt a wave of tears threatening to consume her. She couldn't stand to listen to the lyrics another moment. Mumbling her excuses as she pushed her way through the crowd, she distraughtly sought the bathrooms, eager for the chance to touch up her lipstick and compose herself. There was _no way_ she was going to have a _drunken breakdown_ at her best friend's engagement party!

 _Damn you, Miles Edgeworth!_ She squeezed her eyes shut against the barely suppressed tears. _Damn you to hell!_

After several moments, the urge to weep finally subsided, and she felt ready to go back to the party. She plucked another drink from the tray of a passing server and downed it in one gulp. She was ready to party again.

Just then, she heard live music beginning to play, and craned her neck over the crowded sea of heads as the popular 80's song "Boom Boom Boom (Let's Go Back To My Room)" by Paul Lekakis began to play from the raised platform stage in the corner of the room.

 _It seems the band has arrived at last. Élie_ _told me all these guys went to school with us back in the day, but damned if I_ _ **recognize my own hand**_ _in front of my face in_ _ **my**_ _current state!_

As Franziska threw herself onto the dance floor, shimmying her hips in time to the beat – it was a wonderful opportunity to show off her finely honed dancer skills – she looked up then and felt her mouth go dry at the sight of the band's lead singer.

 _An Aryan dream if there ever was one!_ A speculative smile curled on her lips. _Hmmm… He seems to be checking_ _ **me**_ _out too. I love the fact that he couldn't look_ _ **any less**_ _like_ _ **him**_ _if he_ _ **tried!**_

 _Him_. Franziska licked her lips speculatively, feeling every bit the desirable siren as she felt his heated stare all the way from the stage. _He_ was the one. _Tonight_. She must have him. She _would_ have him.

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany  
_ December 30, 2016 1:15 AM

 _Home sweet home._

Her breath was the underlying cause of the strong stench of alcohol that entered her nostrils, and her mouth was sore from the amount of liquor that she'd poured down her throat all night. The taxi driver had actually had to _escort_ her to the front door because Franziska felt as steady as a leaf in a storm.

The stairs she usually took two at a time now appeared as a _mountain_ , one to be negotiated on _all fours_. Her arms were placed flat down on the carpeted staircase as she crawled up, and with each push, her back end swayed like a horse under tranquilizer. Her head was spinning in a way that just made no sense. It was as though her house was put on a _carousel_ , slow at first, but gaining momentum…

Franziska swayed as she stood up at the top landing. Clutching the walls to steady herself, she staggered towards her room, only to nearly fall back down in an unbalanced attempt to walk into her dark bedroom, where she fervently sought the comfort of her bed to overtake the state of drunkenness and clumsily fumbled for the light switch.

She was barely in the door when she saw a girl with clownish make-up staring at her. Her hair was a mess and her cheeks were flushed red. Her lacy bra was exposed above the low-cut line of her dress, which appeared to have something spilt down the front. When Franziska took a step forward, so did the girl.

 _Who is the mysterious foolish girl who looks like an inebriated tramp and dares to invade my space!?_

Furious, Franziska attempted to swat the strange girl out of her way, and struck the mirror, hard. There was a loud cracking sound as a vertical line slowly formed down the middle, severing her reflection in the glass in half.

She stood before the looking glass of her vanity and stared at herself, or at least, the _distorted image of herself_. The mirror showed her the girl the rest of the world saw. It was _all_ they saw, yet somehow, it didn't seem _right_. Inside she was fireworks and rage, love and frustrations, ambition and fear. All _they_ saw was silver hair and the hardened, determined, metallic eyes. She was no longer the doe-eyed little girl she'd once been. Her characteristics had become harsher with age, her eyes were always glaring, and her stance was intimidating; like a person who was forced to grow up way too soon.

 _But I'm_ _ **not**_ _grown up. Not according to_ _ **him**_ _._ _ **He**_ _told me that I should grow up, and stop playing childish games…_

Franziska's face crumpled at the memory, and she sank down to the floor then, too devastated to even cry.

"Franziska?"

She jolted at the sound of her name coming from the doorway, and looked up, her semi-blurry eyes resting on Miles, who had strode into the room and was now standing above her, his face wreathed with concern. He crouched down in front of her and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder.

"I heard the glass break. Your mirror is broken. Did you hit it?"

She ignored him and just closed her eyes, hoping he would take the hint and just leave her in her drunken misery.

"Franziska, _please_! Let me see your hand." There was urgency in his voice now as he tugged at her resisting arm, trying to look at her palm.

"Go away!" She mumbled, turning her head away and swatting impotently at him with her free hand. He caught it, then grasped her other one, and turned both of them over, heaving a relieved sigh when he saw that neither one of them had been cut by the glass.

"Please get off the floor," Miles ordered gently, his eyes soft. " _Why_ are you on the floor?"

She remained silent and just sat curled up in a little ball, tucking her knees under her chin and dropping her head down upon them. Miles had never seen her like this before, and it was absolutely _gutting_ him.

"Just _go,_ Miles. Just go… like you _always_ do… Go…and leave me behind." She whispered brokenly. "This time, I'll stop trying to catch up to you. And I'm on the floor because there was no nearby _gutter_ for _tramps like me_ to roll around in."

" _Please_ forgive me for that, Franziska." Miles' heart lurched in his chest. He still could not _believe_ he had ever said such a thing to her. "There is _no excuse what_ soever for the way I acted towards you earlier, but you _have_ to know that it had _nothing_ to do with you. I _swear_ to you that it didn't! I'm so sorry."

"Fine, I forgive you," she muttered, still refusing to look at him. "But you should not be sorry. I _am_ a tramp. Who else but a _tramp_ would go and…" Her voice trailed off, and she buried her head in her hands.

Alarm bells ring through his head.

"Franziska, talk to me," he pleaded urgently, shaking her shoulder. "Did something happen tonight at that party?"

She looked up at him finally, with haunted, bloodshot eyes. Miles could tell that she had been drinking, that was evident, but more than anything, she just looked… _broken_.

That was when he knew. _Somehow_ , in _some_ way… He just… _knew_.

Gently, tenderly, as though handling a newborn, Miles wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tried to pull her to her feet. However, the moment she tried to take put a foot forward, she was as shaky as a baby taking its first steps, and nearly fell over, so without a moment's hesitation, he bent down and scooped her up under the knees, lifting her effortlessly up into his arms.

"Oh, Miles!" She wailed, burying her face in his shoulder. "I'm such a foolish, foolish, _fool_!"

" _Shhh_." He nuzzled his chin against top of her head. "It's OK. You're safe. I'm here now, and I am _never_ going to let anything happen to you, _ever again_."

Miles set her down the bed and sat down next to her. He reached for her hand, and this time, while she didn't return the gesture, she didn't resist.

"I know this might be very hard for you to answer," he began painfully. "But I _need_ you to be honest with me, Franziska. At that party…did _he_ …did _they_ … _force_ you…?"

"To _surrender my virtue_?" She asked dully, looking at him with deadened eyes as she yanked her hand away. "N – no." She shook her silvery head and turned her face away from him. "Nobody _took_ anything from me, Miles. I – _gave_ it him. _Willingly_. B – but…it was _so…so_ …" She couldn't even finish before she dissolved into tears.

Miles didn't need her to complete the unspeakable sentence, and while he had never been a violent man in his life, he knew that there would be no mercy if he ever laid eyes on the _hurensohn_ that had violated her. Consensual or not, he had a pretty good idea of what had happened to her at that party, without needing to hear the gory details. It was something _no woman_ should have _ever_ had to endure, and he wished with all his heart that he could _flog_ the _scheißkerl,_ until _no flesh remained on his bones!_

Franziska glanced down at her visible brassiere, which barely held in place her almost fully exposed breasts. In horror, she realized she probably _looked_ every bit the _dirty girl_ Konrad had referred to her as, and every bit the _tramp_ that Miles had told her she was, to have them flaunted like this and to have paraded her body about in such a manner! Drowning in shame and self-loathing, she yanked hard at the neckline of her dress, struggling to pull it higher up to better cover herself. Without thinking, Miles hastily unbuttoned his pajama top and draped the too-large item over her shoulders like a cape, which she clutched tightly closed with her clenched fist as she turned her violated body away.

He put a hand on her shoulder, gently trying to turn her resisting form towards him, but she recoiled, as though singed by his touch, and that haunted look returned to her face.

"Don't touch me!" She shrieked as she furiously shrugged his hand off. "I'll…I'll whip you to shreds if you do!" The substance of the threat was diminished by the muffled sobs that followed it and seemed to go on forever. It was like a dagger to his chest.

"Talk to me," he implored, dropping his hand reluctantly. "Please, just tell me what happened."

"I feel so ashamed, Miles!" She cried brokenly. "He – he made me feel so _cheap_! Like a filthy _hure_!"

"Don't feel ashamed," he whispered, his voice raw with emotion. "If anyone should be ashamed, it's the _saukerl_ who took your innocence and made you feel so badly. _You_ have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I –I don't know what I was _thinking_!" She choked. "Or _why_ I even did it!"

 ** _I_** _do._ Miles expelled a ragged breath as he lambasted himself for what he instinctively _knew_ had been his _own_ liability in this entire tragedy. **_I_** _**know** **why** you felt compelled to do it, Franziska, and I hope to God that someday, you'll forgive me for it._

With shattering remorse, he gathered her gently into his arms and shifted on the bed to lie beside her. Without a word, her resistance dissolved entirely, and she turned her face into his chest and wept. He lay there, holding her defiled body cradled against him, stroking the rumpled silk of her hair as he lashed himself with the tears that poured from her eyes and drenched his bare chest.

What had happened to her tonight _was_ partially his fault. Miles knew this even if she didn't. However, he also knew that he was willing to spend _the rest of his life_ making it up to her. Not because he felt like he _had_ to, but because he genuinely _wanted_ to.

As Miles held the sobbing Franziska in his arms, he felt such a surge of protective tenderness…and a nearly overwhelming, almost _insurmountable_ need to shield her, and take care of her. It was a feeling of pure surrender and selflessness, and unlike anything he'd ever felt in his entire life. Even with Lana, with whom he had been widely infatuated, it wasn't comparable. With his ex, he had always felt more of a predatory need to triumph over his rival, which had fueled his relentless and insatiable need to _conquer_ , to _own_ , to _possess_ her. It had all been a matter of _pride_.

With Franziska, there was none of that. It was so much simpler: He wanted her and she wanted him. _The end._

She had wanted him, and if _he_ weren't so damn stubborn and she wasn't so _damn young_ , he would've known it long ago. She wanted him, and now that it was legal in _both_ his countries of residence, Miles could now freely admit that he wanted Franziska more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. He wanted to fill her days with joy, and her nights with pleasure, until she loved him as much as he loved her.

 _Loved her?_

He scowled darkly at the thought and then with a long, derisive sigh, he at last admitted the verity to himself. In that moment, the truth hit him like a ton of bricks, which he sheepishly admitted he _should_ have acknowledged earlier that evening, and he _would_ have… had he not been _distracted_ by other _potential gloom and doom scenarios!_

Miles Edgeworth was in hopelessly, truly, madly, deeply in love with Franziska Von Karma.

After a quarter century, and more than enough meaningless encounters, he had fallen victim to an outrageously impertinent, gorgeous, girl-woman, who blithely incurred his displeasure, mocked him at every turn and flatly refused to yield to any sort of authority. Her smile warmed his heart and her touch heated his blood. She could enchant, amuse, and infuriate him, as no other woman had _ever_ been able to do, and he couldn't imagine his future without her at his side.

Having admitted all of that to himself, he was even more eager to tell her, to feast his eyes on her again and hold her in his arms in a more positive time, to hear her musical voice and know the exquisite sensation of her slender voluptuous body curved against his.

 _But the timing isn't right. It's not meant to be right now, not when she's already so shattered and so vulnerable. I could never take advantage for her in such a manner. For the love of God, I **still** haven't even told her and Katharina about Manfred yet! In the meantime, I just want to comfort her and take care of her; it's what any man would do for the woman he loves._

Franziska's tears had ceased by now. Rolling her onto her back, he leaned down over to her, and even though she had no need of air, she drew in a slight breath nonetheless at the undisguised tenderness on his handsome face. His fingers slid easily and familiarly through her hair, and his breath ran warm across her skin. Her eyelids closed for a moment, and her hands braced lightly against his shoulders as she looked up at him again with liquid silver eyes.

"I'm _never_ going to be so far ahead of you that you can't catch up with me, Franziska Von Karma," he vowed. "I made you that promise when you were a young girl, and I'm making it again to you now. I don't think I would _ever_ not want you to be by my side, in some way, _no matter_ _where_ I go."

Their eyes locked. Slate on silver. There was a peaceful stillness between them, without a need for words.

But then the moment was broken, as just then, Franziska's cell phone rang in her purse, shattering the silence, although Miles let out a rueful chuckle at her ringtone, which eventually subsided.

" _Time After Time_?" He queried, his expression now one of amusement, although he was glad that he wasn't the only one that had bittersweet memories associated with that song.

"Let's just say it holds sentimental meaning," Franziska blushed. "That is probably Addie calling. I ducked out of the party without saying goodbye and she is probably worried about me."

"Give her a call later," he dismissed. "Or _I_ can text her in a bit. You obviously consumed too much alcohol tonight, and all I care about is you getting a good night's slumber. I'll stay here with you until you fall asleep."

"But you said you were so tired earlier," she protested. " _You_ need the rest, too. You should go."

"And I'll get plenty of it as soon as _you_ doze off." He gave her mock-scowl, and she giggled slightly, making him realize how much he loved the sound of her laughter. "But in the meantime, Ms. Prosecutor, no matter what you say or do, you are _not_ getting rid of me, because I'm _not going anywhere_."

"Are you flexing your authority as my _actual_ Older Brother, Little Brother?" She derided.

"No, my _actual_ muscle," he growled, playfully baring his teeth, making her twitter once more. "Because I'm _bigger_ than you!"

"OK, you win _this_ time, but I'm _only_ going to listen to because I'm _still_ _slightly_ _tipsy_ ," she yawned drowsily, her eyes beginning to drift closed, even though she still managed to jut her chin ever so slightly to show her defiance. "Otherwise you _know_ I would _never_ let you tell me what to do, Miles Edgeworth!"

He brushed his fingers through her hair, silver silk slipping through his hands. His thumb brushed lightly across her cheekbone, a barely discernible touch. "You were always so stubborn," he said huskily, dipping his head down towards her. His lips briefly pressed against her forehead, and Franziska shivered slightly _,_ her hand unconsciously reaching up and grasping his hand tightly.

Miles drew away briefly, kissing her again softly, this time on the cheek. "You know that I know that you know that I know, that you need to rest, Franziska," he murmured. "Rest now, please. I beg of you, rest."

"I've changed my mind. Stay with me. _Please_ …" She whispered, her eyes still closed and too heavy to open. "Don't leave me."

"I'm not leaving you," he promised. "You have my word."

The last thing the German woman was aware of was the sweet and brief touch of his lips at her hairline, and his hand taking hers, until, a soft smile playing on her lips, she sank into an exhausted slumber in Miles Edgeworth's strong arms.

 _The power of love bestows responsibilities, but not rights. I have no right to your heart, but am blessed to love you with my own. I have no right to your time, but am honored to share moments. It is for me to do what is best for you, and not seek fulfillment of my own desires at an expense to your wellbeing. Just know that when you tell me of your hurt, I hurt too. How can I not? Anyone who abuses you is no friend of mine, and I owe them nothing, and only yearn to wreak vengeance upon their soul. It is for me to seek what would make you happy, what would be best for **your** soul. If equal love cannot be, let the more loving one be **me**._

With this as his final thought in mind, Miles felt his own eyes drifting shut soon afterwards, cradling her head against his chest.

It was the best night's sleep either one of them had ever had.

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth_**  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
April 14, 2026

Miles closed his eyes, a slight smile on his lips as he remembered that first night he'd slept with Franziska Von Karma in his arms. It was rather amusing that he been able to slumber so peacefully at the time, considering the potential threat of _unplanned fatherhood_ hanging over him! Suffice to say, embracing the love of his life had been the best sleep aid in the entire world, regardless of the strife that had been going on in his life at the time.

 _Thank God that baby scare wound up merely being a false alarm,_ he mused now. _It was not even two months after that, while I was letting Franziska be adjusted to the shell shock of what happened to her father, that the whole Bruce Goodman murder trial came about with Lana, and then I was gone from Franziska's life for a year after, unwittingly breaking my promise to her. I'm lucky she forgave me for that. I'm lucky that Lana and I are still friends after all that we've been through. I never did apologize to her for how hard I was on her after we parted, or even thank her for finally making what was obviously the right decision, in the end. How could I fault Lana for ultimately choosing the man that **she truly loved,** when for half the duration that **I** was with her, I was unknowingly in love with another woman, and therefore never gave Lana **my** entire heart either?_

For ten years, Franziska Von Karma had had his heart, even though both of them hadn't known it at the time. She had not only taught him how to _truly love_ , and to give another human being his heart, but she had made him want to be a person _worthy_ of hers.

 _We shared our vulnerabilities more readily than trading cards, interlocking our hearts as much as our fingers. You took root in me in a way I have never let another soul do, feeling that you were my shelter and I yours. The cruel hand of fate has seen fit to remove you from my side to a point where I don't know how far ahead you are, so how can I hope to follow? My love and my heart are broken beyond mortal repair. What is to fill the void you left behind? How cold the wind blows within it. I can only visit our places, listen to our songs, and lie on your side of the bed holding your pillow. I have to believe that you are out there, meine dame, and that someday, love will lead me back to you, and into your arms, and that we will fall in love all over again…_

 _ **Journey - Send Her My Love**_  
 _ **Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time**_  
 _ **Dusty Springfield - I Only Want To Be With You**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 116**

 **Ilet Moratar**

Proof that I actually do listen to my readers when they give me a good suggestion especially to possibly the biggest fan of Franziska and Miles that I ever known! You wanted to see how Mr. Edgeworth would be if he were ever made to be jealous now you have the answer absolutely hilarious and borderline offensive!

As you said the catalyst that the relationship needed brought to a head in this chapter. I hope you like the way I decided to go about Miles finally realizing how much he loves Franziska… I honestly think just like with Phoenix sometimes it takes a tragedy to makes one realize how much they mean to them. And you're very welcome I'm happy you enjoyed your dish!

 **thepudz**

The whip catching is totally Lang's move I am never going to take that away from him however in this case a figurative Miles could be nimble just once! Especially when it made for some really _really_ good romantic tension!

Did you see the picture? Franziska look so stunning in that _Frozen_ Elsa dress! A lot of my flashbacks for Edgeworth have been inspired by fan art, but also a lot of Maya's choice of outfits throughout the story when she's been wearing something other than her master robes have also been inspired by beautiful fan art how I wish I could draw! No offense to any Pepe's that are out there but I totally had a blast with that name am happy that it was funny too!

 **DannyDragon**

Hola mi amiga musica!

The anime is a Phoenix and Maya lover's dream! They are so adorkable! That seen in the second episode with a both bump their heads on the glass made me realize that they are so fated to be it's not even funny!

First of all, _on my own_ from _Les Miserables_ is absolutely beautiful and I'm in a work really hard to try to incorporate that in the story I love it! And absolutely that song _touch a touch of touch a touch me_ was from _Rocky horror picture show_ and I absolutely love musicals! So much that I pretty much turned the story into one! XD

It's really awesome when I get readers who recognize the songs in the titles as well as the lyrics!

Thank you for being so accommodating about my linguistic skills, as long as the comprehensible and not offending the native speakers out there I think I'm in a good place!

Also I cannot spoil what it was that Franziska was looking at your find out in the final for Fredgeworth chapter which I hope to have out this weekend however I _can_ tell you it had absolutely nothing to do with Lana!

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

I'm really happy you find these chapters funny that was entirely my intention I tried really hard to balance out some lighthearted fluff and humor in between all the angst! We all know from the game that Edgeworth can have a very acerbic tongue and I figured pertaining to woman he has feelings for …her date would know zero mercy! Especially when the material is basically handed to him… On a _pizza platter_! :p

 **Yanmegaman**

You WERE bad with Peppa Cinni punnyman! Make no mistake about that! I actually like phantom of the opera however Edgeworth strikes me as a man with very refined tastes who would turn his nose up at such a bastardized opera production hence the obnoxiousness… Which was only further compounded by his recently realize love interest going out with a pizza topping! XD

 **Chloemcg**

We have seen Edgeworth actually be jealous Canon wise… I honestly believe his earlier coldness towards Phoenix in the first game was due to some sort of jealousy, and in this chapter I briefly touched upon my theories as to why he behaved in such a way. I honestly think even though he loves them and that they are best friends that Phoenix represents the man that Edgeworth would've become if fate hadn't been such a bitch!

That being said since we know that Edgeworth's tongue could open a wine bottle, I decided to have some fun with that because I don't think he would be the bigger person if he ever got jealous pertaining to his love life! I'm glad you liked that whip tug-of-war who would've thought that a weapon used for such pain could be used to create a semi-steamy romantic tension moment? ;)

I think Nick would be an overprotective grandpa but I don't think he'd be sexist I think it would be equal regardless of male or female however I definitely see him being the kind of grandpa that would be very picky about who a little girl would date and would do a background check on the guy! Or make Edgeworth do it! LOL

Edgeworth did meet Trucy… they first met up in chapter 7 which was called severed ties (tearjerker chapter) but this was probably at some point last year so it's okay if it slipped your mind. It actually was sort of awkward but I hope my readers that the ending was cute as a little magician managed to touch his heart just like she does everybody else :-)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Perhaps Miles and Fran would've gotten together sooner had it not been for Manfred but given the age difference I highly doubt it. I was very careful to make sure that Franziska was legal in both countries before I put them together before he even acknowledged that his mild attraction was actual love. You are wonderfully talented writer with a knack for vivid description, so hearing your kudos for my ability to do so means a lot dear friend. _Frozen_ was totally overrated for the dress was absolutely magical I sent you the fan art you have to agree Franziska was gorgeous!

 **Chapter 115**

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

You are so absolutely adorable with your horror regarding Maya's wedding but I only just now realized that you were still talking about Nick and Maya's storyline arc on a Fredgeworth chapter! Hee!

I'm happy you liked it and we are back to Nick and Apollo… As of next week and as you know where there is Nick there will always be Maya… Not necessarily together but at least we're back to their arc! XD


	118. Heart of Steel

_Build a fire a thousand miles away  
To light my long way home  
I ride a comet  
My trail is long to stay  
Silence is a heavy stone  
I fight the world and take all they can give  
There are times my heart hangs low  
Born to walk against the wind  
Born to hear my name  
No matter where I stand I'm alone_

 _Stand and fight  
Live by your heart  
Always one more try  
I'm not afraid to die  
Stand and fight  
Say what you feel  
Born with a heart of steel_

 _Burn the bridge behind you  
Leave no retreat  
There's only one way home  
Those who laugh and crowd the path  
And cut each other's throats  
Will fall like melting snow  
They'll watch us rise with fire in our eyes  
They'll bow their heads  
Their hearts will hang low  
Then we'll laugh and they will kneel  
And know this heart of steel was  
Too hard to break  
Too hard to hold  
_

* * *

 _A/N: One very important thing I need to clarify guys, and sorry for any confusion, but Lana was_ _ **not actually pregnant**_ _. This was right before **Rise From The Ashes** , when things came to an ugly head and I guess being blackmailed by Damon Gant was finally getting to her stress levels, resulting in her monthly visitor being greatly delayed, but it indeed was a false alarm_ _ **, so no child was actually lost in this case!  
**_

 _Dedicated to mi amiga musica, **Danny Dragon** , who loves Les Miserables and great music as much as I do!_

 _Wrapping up the Fredgeworth arc was HUGE so this is a two parter, the later which will be released later good news, true to my word, back to Nick and Polly this week! Woot!_

 _Takes place right after **Rise From The Ashes** , case 1-5, ergo spoilers!_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Eighteen: Heart of Steel**

 _They say that God will never gives you more than you can handle._ He slammed his fist on his desk, putting his head in his hands. _Apparently, God thinks I am some sort of… badass!_

Alternatively, perhaps The Man Upstairs, just like everybody else, had been so completely fooled by his outwardly stoic, unflappable exterior that he believed Miles Edgeworth would be able to endure being put through _hell and back again_ , in a manner that would have brought even the mightiest of men to their knees!

God obviously also thought Miles could survive completely _unscathed_ from being not only raked among the roasting coals of the fiery pits, but _sodomized by a poker iron_ while been able to stare into _the bottomless abyss of Satan's black eyes_ , to boot, all within the mere duration of _two months_ , as though he were some sort of indestructible Demigod!

 _But I am not, nor have ever **strived** to be, **anything** of the sort! I am no demagogue nor frondeur, and have never aspired to be! I am merely a **man**. A **mortal** man, one who is rapidly crumbling under the weight of it all, and is nowhere **near** as infallible as the Lord deems me to be! I have lost my way. I have lost my faith. And **I can no longer endure!** I am lost, and in utmost despair, and everything and everyone I have ever revered, trusted or believed in has betrayed me. Now I am alone. More alone than I have ever felt since I lost my father._

The grief surged with every expelled breath, always reaching higher peaks, never sufficiently soothed by his long intakes of air.

 _F. Scott Fitzgerald put it best: "There's a loneliness that only exists in one's mind. The loneliest moment in someone's life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly."_

Miles had always known his aloof, distant disposition was a mixed blessing. Inasmuch as he knew he was thought by many as a tough nut to crack, so was he also considered to be a formidable courtroom adversary. His was a character that had been purposefully harnessed by Manfred, from the moment he'd insisted his adopted son take up the fine art of fencing.

He had been 13 when the German man had first introduced him to Wolfram, an imposing tower of muscle with countless "battle wounds," scarring his face, hands, and body. Henceforth, Manfred had informed his adopted son that fencing was to become a part of his daily education for the rest of his years in Germany. Miles had always been more of an intellectual than an athlete, save for dancing and horseback riding, and had been filled with trepidation in the beginning, but Manfred had left no room for negotiation.

"Pay heed to this as much as you do your law education, Edgeworth. Only then will you be adequately equipped and trained for the day you stand up in court and face your oppositions. You will practice this fine sport, which is a centuries old tradition in the Von Karma family, and you will uphold it and carry out that duty to the best of your capability by practicing daily. You shall also pay the same regard to Wolfram's instructions and teachings as you do my own. I trust you not to disappoint me."

Therefore, fencing became as much a part of his life as much as his legal studies. For an entire grueling hour, five days a week, Miles was the apt pupil of the ruthless German instructor, with a target nailed to the wall and the iron-cornered footlockers full of odd-looking armor. Occasionally, Manfred would silently observe his protégé's progress, and sometimes spar with Wolfram as well. In fascinated wonderment Miles would watch the two fully masked men, only several feet apart, parry and thrust. His mentor not only held his own but was always triumphant against his much younger and nimble opponent. It was a new dimension to the older man, which was no less awe-inspiring than watching him in action in the courtroom.

After three years, and miraculously, _zero cuts or scars,_ Miles fully grasped how the activity was applicable to his career. He learned how to face an opponent without flinching; how to exercise self-control and to employ misdirection even in the face of bodily fear; and always, _always_ to attack. To his surprise, he found that after a few weeks, he enjoyed fencing, even had a flair for it, once he learned that most duels were won and lost in the mind before the swords were even raised.

At the time, he had been grateful to be exposed to this additional source of strength. Now he realized that it'd just been yet _another_ method Manfred had employed in morphing him into being a carbon copy of _himself_ , and even less and less like his foe, Gregory Edgeworth. Miles felt positively sick to his stomach at the realization.

During that entire courtroom fiasco, two months ago, he was still contending with the revelation that his beloved father had lost his life at the _wretched hands_ of his revered mentor.

Now, _on top of that,_ he had seen the actual _black soul_ of Chief Damon Gant when his true colors had come to light.

 _Both_ men whom Miles had once looked up to had committed multiple heinous crimes: tampering with evidence, assault, forging evidence, and worst of all; _murder_.

He sighed in despair, running his fingers through his hair. What was he supposed to think now? On the witness stand, Gant had said they were _one and the same_.

" _You despise criminals. I can feel it. You and me... we're the same. If you want to take them on alone... you'll figure out what's needed!"_

Miles had molded himself to be like the duo for so long, that he was horrified by the possible validity in the harrowing claim. Would the day come when _he_ would also have such vastly diminished humanity, and ruthless nature, that he'd stoop to take another human life, motivated by nothing more than his own selfish desires? Up until now, the prosecutor had thought that he was pursuing the path of, and serving, _justice_ by emulating the two men, only now to discover it was all expertly woven lies, unraveled by his old friend and court rival, Phoenix Wright.

Gant was incarcerated now and would be put on death row, never to be a free man again. However, the terrifying possibility of just how much of both evil men's influence existed in him was still too chilling for it to be much more than a mild grim pleasure to acknowledge that he and Phoenix had achieved such a feat together.

The former police chief's words might have been the catalyst, but the yen to flee Los Angeles had been building slowly, but inexorably, since his own trial at Christmas. The initial relief upon realizing he hadn't killed his father had soon passed, and afterward, Miles had been hit by the full impact of the deception and betrayal that Manfred Von Karma had perpetrated.

Miles could still taste the bile rising in the back of his throat, and his fists clenched reflexively as he relived that moment it'd been revealed that his caretaker had been the actual cold-blooded _murderer of his father_ ; and that he'd manipulated Miles' life for _nearly two decades_ , all in the name of _petty revenge_. The painful revelation was as profound now, two months later, as it'd been that day in court.

Until then, he'd never consciously doubted his purpose, either as a prosecutor, or as Manfred Von Karma's chosen successor. Within months of Yanni Yogi's acquittal echoing within the courtroom all those years ago, Miles' thirst for vengeance against the man he had believed to be his father's killer, as well as his all-consuming hatred for Yogi's defense attorney, had been harbored, and further fueled into an all-consuming obsession, at the hands of the controlling and unscrupulous puppet master.

 _"Mark my words, Edgeworth,"_ Manfred had countlessly lectured. _"All suspects and witnesses lie, and you must be prepared to think along the lines of lowlifes like them in order to have a proper rebuttal. There are times when we have to use similar methods in order to trap the guilty, be they half-truths or selective evidence. The ends justify the means. Being the good guy will get you nowhere. Had the prosecutor for Yogi done his job properly, Robert Hammond and Yanni Yogi would never have been able to lie and deceive their way from due justice. You are my successor and you too, will have a perfect conviction record. I will not allow you to fail, and you shall not dissatisfy me."_

Miles had been taught so many dishonest tactics and had so much falsity drilled into him since childhood that he wasn't sure what to do anymore. Manfred Von Karma taught him to withhold information and evidence and do _whatever it took_ to receive a guilty verdict. Whether the defendant was guilty or innocent, he had been told that everyone was guilty until proven innocent (and they were never proven innocent until he had clashed with Wright) and that the verdict was the only thing that mattered. Losing was not an option in the Von Karma household. He had been instructed to eliminate the world's criminals, and with the belief "guilty until proven innocent," everyone was a potential criminal, guilty of some form of wrongdoing, that he as a prosecutor was required to cure the earth of.

Manfred's words went against everything Gregory Edgeworth had ever said to him.

" _Bring the mind into sharp focus and make it alert so that it can immediately intuit_ _ **truth**_ _, which is everywhere. The mind must be emancipated from old habits, prejudices, restrictive thought processes, and even ordinary thought itself."_ Gregory had always told his son. _"An attorney never lies. He can only use facts and evidence to prove his case, or he's no better than a criminal himself."_

As time went by, it became harder and harder for Miles to reconcile the two lessons to soothe his conscience, and to little avail. After all, hadn't _he himself_ lied on the witness stand when he'd claimed complete ignorance about his knowledge of what had happened that fateful night in the elevator? His recurring nightmares about the DL-6 incident were further indication that however ruthless it seemed, his mentor was right. It was hard to have belief in humanity where Miles Edgeworth was conclusive evidence that witnesses indeed, _did_ lie.

It was this dark secret, which endlessly tormented him, that he kept hidden within the depth of his very soul, and further fired him up to his targeted mission as a prosecutor to ensure that suspects were declared guilty and that the lies of defense attorneys were exposed and destroyed by any means necessary. He had gotten so caught up in his brainwashed beliefs that he'd actually begun to take _vain, conceited pride_ of his perfect courtroom record. He had basked in the reward that was his mentor's hard-earned praise; that satisfied smile and approving hand on his shoulder that showed the world Manfred's recognized pride for his protégé's successful endeavors.

It sickened him to this day at the realization that what he had mistaken for an admiring smile had not been in recognition for his achievements, but had actually been a smug, barely suppressed _smirk_ at the _naïve guilelessness_ of his enemy's son. The thought that his combined misplaced arrogance and barely repressed self-loathing had blinded him for so long was staggering and more painful than an actual gunshot wound.

What cruel hand of fate had decided that Miles Edgeworth, the sole offspring of the great, legendary and gifted defense attorney, Gregory Edgeworth, would fall victim and end up with not _one_ but _two_ role models of such moral turpitude? Moreover, each man was insidiously guilty of committing _two_ of the _seven deadly sins_ : **_Wrath and Greed_**.

Manfred Von Karma, his near lifelong mentor, had been so driven by the need for absolute perfection that he flew into a vengeance-fueled vendetta towards Miles' own father for threatening said perfection. He'd killed Gregory Edgeworth in cold blood, then taken in his only son to shape him into the opposite of _everything_ Gregory had ever stood for, as his ultimate, _take that_ triumph to humiliate the very legacy his fallen enemy.

Then there was Damon Gant, who'd gone to great lengths to rearrange the scene of Neil Marshall's death to frame Ema Skye, just to turn her older sister into his personal prosecutor puppet; even murdering Detective Goodman to keep his interference a secret. He was man motivated by his lust for greater power, even if it had meant betraying and manipulating his most trusting partner, the other half of the Legendary Duo, Lana Skye.

 _Lana_. Miles expelled a painful sigh.

The final blow of betrayal.

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye_**  
 _Detention Center_  
February 22, 2017

Miles had gone to see her immediately at the detention center after she had been sentenced.

"How could you do it to me, Lana?" He demanded, without preamble. "I understand you had very good reasons for everything you did; that you did all to protect Ema. What I _don't_ understand is _why_ you chose to _try to frame me_ for a crime I had _no hand in,_ by putting Goodman's corpse in the trunk of _my_ _car,_ rather than come to me for help."

Lana stared at him mournfully, sitting there on the other side of the glass, majestically stern, and a literal sight for sore eyes, even though his own smoky ones were filled with sharp judgment, and worst of all, _hurt_. She felt her eyes welling up.

"After the way things ended between us, you would still help me?" She replied hoarsely, her throat tightening up with barely repressed tears. " _You_ being a man of the law, who despises crime… What would you have done? Would you actually help me dispose of that freshly bleeding corpse?" She saw him wince slightly at the gory description and lifted her chin challengingly. "There you go. _I think not._ I know you better than that. You'd never let personal matters interfere with your professional integrity."

"I guess we'll never know now, will we?" He said flatly. "I cannot understand why you're acting like the wounded, discarded party here, Lana. _You_ made your decision _before_ all of this happened."

"And _you_ get to have the last laugh, don't you?" She saw the look of surprise on his face and smiled grimly. "Surely you put it together, based on the testimony and evidence that came to light in the trial, that Jake and I are no longer together? It seems the strain of being with someone as _cold and secretive_ as myself, near the end, was more than my cowboy could bear. Ironically, very shortly after _I_ chose to be with _him_ , _he_ chose to walk away from _me_ soon after. Now we're _both_ behind bars, and ultimately, I am as alone as I was when I first came into this world." She gave a mirthless laugh. "Perhaps it is no less than I deserve."

"I suppose if I _hadn't_ been _through the mill_ already, in more ways than one, I would say that I'm sorry for your loss. But I _was_ , ergo, I _didn't_ come here to attend your pity party," he snapped harshly. "I came here to know _why_. I _trusted_ you, and foolishly believed that against all odds, as my superior, _if naught else_ , you would _have my back_ , as I would have yours. Above all else, I tried to comfort you in your time of need, and therefore thought I was at least beyond a colleague. A _friend_ , if nothing else."

It was true. Lana knew a side of Miles Edgeworth that few ever had the pleasure of knowing; she'd seen him vulnerable and exposed, and it was what had drawn her to him, and that rarely seen softer side was what had kept her heart divided all this time. Once upon a time, she and the High Prosecutor had been as close as two people could be, without being bound by promises or titles. He had helped her find a part of herself that she was forced to abandon after the events of SL-9, helped her keep a trace of her former happiness and compassion, and thawed some of the ice that she'd been forced to build around her heart that had kept her distant from so many, for so long.

Lana felt her heart lurch as she saw the pained expression, barely concealed underneath the anger. Despite knowing why she'd done all she had, Miles still had every right to hate her. This wasn't even the first time he had been the recipient of the Judas Kiss. She knew this firsthand, the stories gifted to her by the very man himself. They were words she held in her heart much like a trophy, proud to have been entrusted with secrets he claimed to have never told another at the time. She didn't trust herself to speak. What could she possibly say to assuage his suffering, which _she_ had been a large part in causing?

Her silence was killing him, and he felt a sudden burst of helpless, distressed furor.

 _"Damn you_ , woman!" Miles crossed his arms across his broad chest and squeezed his eyes shut, as though he couldn't bear to set eyes upon her for another second. "I have given you my trust, my _secrets_ … I have confided in you about my _father,_ my _past,_ my _nightmares_ … and now I only have regret that I gave you so many things that I _cannot take back_! I did it all while foolishly thinking I could take you into my confidence, because I thought that we actually had _something worth mentioning_. Something _undefined_ , but nevertheless, _something special._ "

"We _did_." She whispered desperately, rapidly blinking back the tears now trembling from her lashes. "The fact that it was your car was nothing _personal_ , Miles. Not in the way you think! It had _nothing_ to do with _you_ , _or our past_ – you _have_ to believe me!"

"How can I?" His face was a mask of cold fury. "All these years I've known you, you never made me privy to this pain and torment that you've been carrying within you all this time, having been Gant's marionette. I _tried_ to be there for you, to console you, and in return _all you saw me as_ was a _witless fantoccini, dangling from invisible strings connected to your_ _fingers_ in this scripted, _twisted_ masquerade of yours! _You_ , the apparent _puppet-master of prosecutors_."

The words were sharp. Lana felt as though she'd swallowed a fistful of broken glass. Every shard coursed in deep pulses through her veins. She didn't expect to hear the sigh, the pained breath that came next, which she was surprised he allowed her to hear at all.

"I gave you _my all_ ," Miles said at last, his face now expressionless and back to his normal impassive icy veneer. "It may not have been much _,_ but it was all I _had_ , and _all that I knew_."

"I _know_ you did. Please know that you will _always_ have a place in my heart, for _the rest of my life_ , even if you loathe and despise me for the _rest of yours_. I'm so, so sorry Miles." The tears were now falling openly, small crystal beads that trailed down her cheeks to her neck, to her orange jumper clad chest. "For all that I have done, wittingly or unwittingly, to have caused you pain, there is _nobody_ that will ever hate me more than I do myself! All I ask is that somehow, _someday_ , you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

"I don't know if I can." Miles shook his head, and regarded her dispassionately. "The way I feel right now, _someday_ looks like perhaps the next month… _after_ _never_." He rose up from his seat then and turned his face away from her. "I've said all I need to say. Goodbye, Lana."

" _Please_ don't go like this," she begged. "I don't know when, _or if_ , I will ever see you again! Surely, you can't be so _cold_ and _unfeeling_ as to just leave things like _this_ between us?"

There was a terse silence between the former lovers as they stared into one another's eyes.

"I am the product of what _this world_ , and people _like you_ , have made me to be, Lana," he answered at last, and then walked away, leaving the weeping former Chief Prosecutor impotently calling after him.

Miles steeled himself against the heart wrenching sound of the muffled sobs, crying out his name, and forced himself to keep moving and not look back; to _never_ go back, and only _move_ _on_.

 _You aren't ever going back. You're moving forward without a person who meant a lot to you. You're moving forward and it feels like part of you is being ripped away; and there are some days when you will lie in bed, wishing you could run back in time and lie in her arms again. You're moving forward, and it hurts, because the more you walk, the further away she seems; the further away the memories dissipate, and it would be great, except you don't want to forget. Not now; not yet._

Sitting in his office now, Miles replayed the torturous scene at the detention center scene over and over in his mind, feeling as though he were being lashed by a merciless whip across as his flesh each time he did so.

 _I know for very long time afterward, I'm going to still hear your voice, even though I will not see you for many years, if at all. I remember the inane things you used to say, when I thought you were this helpless damsel in distress that I felt the chivalrous need the comfort. All those pretty words, what did they all mean in the end anyway?_

Miles forced himself to harden his heart as he mentally bid Lana Skye adieu in his mind, even though he felt his eyes stinging as he did so.

 _I_ _t pains me to no end to think that you purposefully hurt me with that refined look of innocence you have. You pulled the wool over my eyes for years, **alluding,** yet never **fully telling** me your tales of trauma and victimhood, so that I would feel a kinship with you. I was the leading man of all of your dramas, until I glimpsed the curtains and the stage lights. I spotted the repetition of your themes, of your script. Really, you should have diversified more._ _  
_

He let out a humorless bark of laughter.

 _Still you will haunt me in ways I can never explain, never shake. Does it really matter if I **now** recognize that it was not **actual love**? At the time, we **both** thought that **it** **was** , after all. I gave you my heart for free, but that shouldn't have made it **worthless**._ _It was **priceless**. There's a difference! Every time I'll see something that reminds me of you, I may wish there was someone to talk to, but you are too far gone. Gone for good, and that hurts too. The problem is I know that perhaps for the rest of my life, I will hold onto parts of you like I hold onto water, and you have parts of me which stained the ground as I walked away for the last time. Of course, it hurts; because I actually **cared**. I cared so much, and you said **you** cared too. That's the worst: when both of you care and somehow it still doesn't work. _

* * *

**_Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma_**  
 _Von Karma Estate_  
December 31, 2016

Then there had been Franziska to contend with. He'd waited a few days, after she'd recovered somewhat from the trauma of the party she had attended. Miles had been bracing himself for some sort of hysterical reaction, and even tears, eventually followed by grudging acceptance, as had been the case with Katharina, once he had divulged the truth about Manfred, during his last visit to Germany.

The prosecutor had recognized Franziska's precocious nature and intellect at a very early age, and as the years had passed, she began to show early signs of the prodigy that she would become. He'd always admired her indomitable spirit and had not been in the least surprised when she'd exceeded his own academic success to pass her bar exam at merely 13 years of age. As a woman of the law herself, he had expected after delivery of the news, some sort of acknowledgment that nobody was above the law, and that ultimately, her father was no exception.

However, what Miles had neither anticipated, _nor been prepared for_ , was the misdirected anger and sudden _blinders_ Franziska would put on pertaining to all Manfred matters the moment the information had sunk in. It seemed the younger Von Karma sibling was content to view her father, _the monster,_ as some sort of _martyr_ now that he was on death row.

" _Undankbar Schwein_!" She had screeched at him upon hearing the news. "My father was not a perfect man by any means, but he was a _genius_ and he _still raised you_! He gave you _the best of everything_ , and _this_ is how you _repay_ him?! By _biting the hand that fed you,_ and not only _besmirching his name_ publicly, but _sending him to his death_?"

Miles heaved a great sigh as he artfully dodged the flying sofa cushion, the nearest available weapon of choice that was handy for her at the time, and shook his head at her. "The only one guilty of duplicity, Franziska, is your father _. Not me_. I thought you would be better to hear this from me, rather than on some sort of international news station…"

"I don't want to hear _another word_!" She shrieked. "Papa was a man of many faults, I acknowledge that. Nevertheless, I refuse to stand idly by while _you_ try to shift the blame _entirely_ on to him for – "

"You just acknowledged that Manfred was a man who had faults, and was therefore not as perfect as one would've liked to think." Miles could hear his own frustration creeping into his normally reposeful cadence. "And yet you are content to _still_ turn a blind eye and try to deny his guilt? The man _murdered my_ – _"_

"Enough, Miles Edgeworth!" She took a step forward in anger, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "There is no need for you to sully my ears repeating his crimes, of which I am fully aware! But _you_! _You_ ….helped that _dastardly_ _fool_ , that _nobody,_ _humiliate_ my father in court! _You,_ without any recourse whatsoever, _betrayed_ the honor of this family, and threw away your reputation for – _that man_. That… bloody _Phoenix Wright_." She spat the name out as though it were blasphemy.

Miles stared at her in disbelief, confused by the abrupt redirection of her ire. "This is absolutely ludicrous, Franziska! Phoenix Wright is _not_ to blame for what happened to your father."

"The only thing that's ridiculous is the fact that I actually _trusted_ you!" She raged. "I am the biggest fool of all for ever doing so! Papa always said a true Von Karma _trusts no one_."

The irony of the situation was astounding. Miles would've actually laughed as he wasn't so thunderstruck and agonized at getting into this horrible fight, with the woman he had only recently realized he loved more than anything in the world. Unfortunately, he obviously would not be seeing eye-to-eye with her on this matter, and this undoubtedly would destroy any chance of anything transpiring between them, before it could even begin.

"After all is said and done, does your family name really mean that much to you, even now Franziska Von Karma?"

"You would _dare_ ask me such a thing?" She glared at him. " _You_ had your opportunity to avenge _your_ father, yet you would question _my_ desire to do the same?"

"You're channeling your rage at the wrong person," Miles insisted helplessly. "The only thing Phoenix Wright did was expose the truth, and make me realize that somewhere along the line, I not only lost my way as a prosecutor, but _as a man_."

"Get out of my sight, Miles Edgeworth." Her eyes hardened, and with a pang, he saw all traces of the vulnerable girl who had slept in his arms and gazed at him lovingly only two nights prior, completely vanish before his eyes. "I thought that I knew you, but apparently I was wrong. You have scorned me and my family with your wayward ways, and sacrificed _everything_ for someone you claimed was nothing but distant acquaintance from a lifetime ago. _I_ will restore the reputation of the Von Karma name. _You_ … you're no longer worthy of being my Little Brother."

"Franziska, I didn't come here to fight with you – that wasn't my intention."

"Then why are you _here_?" Her voice rose to a fevered pitch. "Was _this_ why you came up two nights ago? To deliver the crushing blow of this tragedy to me in person?"

"I wanted to see you. That's all." It sounded foolish to his own ears now, but it was the truth.

"And why should you imagine that I want to see _you_ , Miles Edgeworth, after you _ruined my father and shamed our family name_ and are talking like a fool? You've _thrown away everything_ that made you who you are! Do you expect me to tell you that _I_ forgive _you_ , that it's all a dream, that everything will be alright, just like I did when we were children?"

Miles looked away from her again and crossed his arms. "I expect nothing from you, Franziska. I never have. _I'm_ the one who has lost his way, and only _I_ can find it again."

"Do whatever you want – it is of no importance to me. I can think of no occasion that I would need to discuss you with anyone. _Be gone from me_ and do as you please, for I no longer _give a damn_!" Her gaze raked him scornfully. "After today, I no longer wish to see you in this house. Show yourself out." She stalked away before he could answer, her heels echoing loudly in the empty corridor.

Miles did not attempt to follow her, although he turned to watch her as she stormed out of the room, taking his heart with her. They had often fought as children, but they had also clung together in this house. Years of seclusion, surrounded by books of law and reminders of the legacy of the Von Karmas - yards of perfection measured in portraits along the walls and framed certificates of law. There was little they had not shared, but now there was a rift between them that he felt he had no hope of ever filling. He knew Franziska was fiery, and that in anger, she said words she was likely to regret afterward, but right now, to his battered, scarred heart and mind, he had no reason to believe she _hadn't_ meant every single word she'd uttered.

 _She's right. As familiar as the house and its occupants are, this is no longer my home. I don't belong here anymore._

* * *

In the aftermath of the encounter with Franziska, the grief and misery he had been fighting ever since had returned, bringing emptiness and a renewed sense of loss with it, which he had not felt so keenly since the night after his trial.

 _I feel like Rip van Winkle, as though I've been sleeping for the last 20 years, and it's all been a dream, from which I only awoke from that day in court, when I heard that scream again, which plagued my nightmares. Sometimes I wish I could have remained in slumber. Sometimes, even knowing what I do now, I would trade what I have now for what I had then - the security of it, the certainty, however false it was. That was what Manfred offered me, and what I held on to for all those years. It was the only way out of my nightmares, the only way to atone for what I had done._

Miles shut his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

 _Is this what it feels like to have nothing to live for?_

Images of Los Angeles crowded his mind – Gumshoe, Wright, Larry, the Skye sisters, the Prosecutor's Office, the District Court – people and places that he knew well two days ago. Now they felt vague and blurred, like someone else's memories that he'd merely read in a book. Now his only reality was the overwhelming desire to run, hide, and lose himself somehow, anywhere.

No matter which path he took it always came back to the hangman's noose at the center of the maze. There was only one way out.

 _No_. He _refused_ to take the yellow-bellied path and kill himself, tempting though it might have been, and despite knowing that others had taken their own lives for lesser reasons. He _couldn't_ , _wouldn't_ do that to the woman he loved, whose family was all gone and whose sister was off in another country. No matter how much Franziska hated him right now – he'd not even bothered trying to contact her since his last visit, knowing she would either ignore his messages or hang up on him – he would never leave her all alone like that.

He'd _promised_ Minna Von Karma he wouldn't.

A distant memory, from when he was 15, flashed through his mind then, of the angelic, ethereal woman, the only true maternal figure he'd ever known, just months before her tragic death.

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Wilhelmine Von Karma_**  
 _Von Karma Estate_  
2007

 _"My little girl really looks up to you, Miles," she had said to him in that melodious voice he'd so loved. "Katharina will be off and married soon, and my husband travels often, so you're really all she has._ _You know that, don't you?"_

 _"Yes, Madam Minna," he mumbled, acknowledging the veracity of the words, even though they confused him. He cared about Franziska very much, she was generally a good kid, but he couldn't understand why her mother was speaking in such a manner, as though already taking **herself** entirely out of the equation. Sure, Franziska had him as her Little Brother. But what about her mother?_

 _As though noting the questioning look in his eyes, Minna gave a rueful laugh and lifted a frail hand to brush back an errant strand of golden hair from her tired eyes._

 _"I love both my daughters, but Katharina is grown now, so my little Franziska is my world, for the rest of my days on this earth," she told him, flashing a beatific, reassuring smile. "Don't look so worried; it's just that we can never predict the future, can we, Miles? Come what may, could you be my good little boy, and just promise me that Franziska shall never be alone? Can I trust that you will always look after her, no matter what?"_

 _"I – I promise, Madam Minna," Miles nodded solemnly, although a flicker of anxiety went through him as he noted the look of undeniable relief, as well as **newfound peace** , in those expressive gray eyes. This had been no regular parental reassurance, of that he was certain. Somehow, he instinctively knew there was much more that belied her words than Minna was letting on. "You have my word."_

 _"You're such a **Süßer Junge** ," she murmured, leaning back on her pillow and shutting her eyes as she gently placed her hand against his cheek. " **Danke** , Miles. I hope someday, my little girl finds a good man, just like you. I also want you to know that no matter what, you, too will be carried in my heart, along with my girls. Always and always."_

* * *

Last but not least, Miles had to cope with the unexpected reemergence of Mr. Phoenix Wright, his childhood chum with whom he had lost all contact, back in his life! The man who had decided to become a lawyer because he knew doing so would reunite them in court one day. The _mensch_ of a defense attorney, with his earnest, puppy dog eyes, dredging up memories Miles had been content to leave buried. He'd spoken of unanswered letters that he had written to him over the years, letters which he'd never received. Yet another hidden truth Manfred had undoubtedly kept from him, soulless sonofabitch that he was.

 _Curse, you, Wright! You forced me to break down these walls, which, after all these years, were **vital** for my both my **self-preservation** and my very **sanity**! I **never** doubted myself **until** **you**! What am I supposed to do with myself now, now that you've opened the floodgates and made me **think** and **feel** and **reevaluate everything** in my life? I can't just continue going on as if **nothing** ever happened!_

Miles rubbed his now throbbing temples.

What _was_ it about Phoenix Wright that made him such a phenomenal Ace Attorney, one who had bested even the most veteran prosecutors? At this point, Miles fully acknowledged it was more than sheer beginner's luck.

 _The **truth** , Miles._ A voice in his head whispered. _I_ t sounded like his father's voice. _Aside from Phoenix Wright's unshakable belief in his clients until the bitter end, ultimately, all he cares about is **seeking the truth**._

Miles continued to brood.

 _Now, because of **you** , Wright, I know about all of the corruption and conspiracies, and the fact that I have **not** necessarily prosecuted **only the guilty** in the past! I think about the **blood on my hands** when I take into account many innocent people I may have sent to their deaths or to prison, all because my **overzealous nature** to try to rid this world of criminals **in the Von Karma way!** Simply resigning will not wipe the slate of my past sins, nor make my guilty conscience be clean. Who the hell **am** I anymore? Now that I finally have the truth, is it too late? _Who will absolve me now?_ **What** am I supposed to believe in, or even rely on anymore?!_

Miles lifted his head, struck with a flash of cognizance.

 _You can always rely on the **truth** , Miles._The voice said again. _Just like your father always told you to. Leave the "arrogant, stuck up jerk" you once were behind you, and find out what it **really** means to be a prosecutor, and what the term "justice is blind" truly is all about. Improve yourself and seek the truth, and transcend all your previous wrong ideals about aiming for a guilty verdict over the actual truth of matters. The Demon Prosecutor is dead. This is your chance to become a better man, one that Gregory Edgeworth would have been **proud to call his son**. A man who is not only worthy of loving Franziska Von Karma, but someday, becoming worthy of **her** love in return._

While he refused to take the coward's way out and actually end his life, by the same token, Miles knew he wouldn't have the courage to risk a confrontation, which would only vanquish his humility should anyone be notified of his departure. And the only way he could leave everything behind, so that he could focus on his newfound goals which his epiphany had brought about, would be to _discourage anyone_ from looking for him.

Before he lost his nerve, he shot up from his desk and began randomly stuffing items into his briefcase, before hastily penning his final swan song, leaving it right on top of his desk.

 _"Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death."_

It wasn't an outright lie. The Demon Prosecutor ceased to exist as far as he was concerned. He lifted his head and felt a slight smile playing upon his lips for the first time in forever as he exited the building, feeling a gigantic weight finally being lifted from his shoulders as he commenced the path of his self-redemption.

* * *

 _ **On My Own**_

 _ **Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Prosecutor's Office, Germany_  
June 20, 2017

Katharina Rudolph wondered if she would ever see her younger sister smile again. It had been nearly four months since the shocking news of their adopted brother's suicide. She had known how Franziska had felt about Miles, and had anticipated her to grieve just as much, if not more than she herself was, at the loss. But what really worried her, even more than the perpetual mourning state that her younger sibling was still in, was Franziska's unwavering air of _regret, guilt, and self-loathing,_ which seemed nowhere near abating.

"I know you loved him, little one," Katharina had said gently. "I did, as well. However, continuously lambasting yourself in such a manner, and _blaming_ yourself, is unhealthy. And it's not going to bring Miles back to us."

"You don't _understand_ , _Schwester_!" Franziska had wailed piteously. "The last time I saw him, it was just after Christmas and I said some _terrible_ things to him, which I _cannot take back_! It's too late for me to make amends to him now, don't you get it?"

"Well, I'm sure he knew not to take your words to heart. Miles was no stranger to your tempestuous ways." Overly familiar with her sister's fiery temper, Katharina's expression grew wary. "For that record, Franziska...what _did_ you say to him, exactly?"

"I told him to leave the house and never return," Franziska whispered, her tears soaking her sister's blouse as Katharina wrapped her arms around her. "I told him I didn't care what happened to him because I was so _angry_ about Papa!"

The blonde woman heaved a heavy sigh. "Miles knew you very well, Franziska. I'm sure he knew you didn't mean it."

"I never told him I _loved_ him!" Franziska wept. "Now he'll _never_ know! He _died_ thinking I despised him!"

And so the psychologist had just held her tightly, sighing soundlessly as she held the distraught, hysterical prosecutor in her arms for the rest of the night.

Despite Katharina's kind reassurances and soothing words, Franziska refused to be consoled. As the days went by, regret washed over her like the long slow waves on a shallow beach. Each wave was icy cold and sent shivers down her spine. How she longed to go back and take a different path, but now that was impossible. There was no way back. There was no way to make it right. The remorse would eat at her every day of her life. She envied the cobblestone ground she treaded on daily, so hard and lifeless, unable to feel the torments of life.

 _I hate myself for the way I left things between us the last time I saw him. I still think he was a foolish fool to take Phoenix Wright's side in what happened to Papa, but conclusively, **Miles** was not the one to blame, and I shall take my revenge on on that fool defence attorney in court tomorrow. **I** am the one guilty of the proverbial **killing of the messenger** and thus, lashed out at the only man I've ever loved, or ever **will** love, like a **possessed, deranged lunatic!**_

The guilt weighed heavily , not in her brain, but upon her chest. What she had done, she could not undo. She could make amends in subtle ways, but confession was out of the question, even to her priest. Only in her silent prayers, could she speak her heart to God and beg for His mercy. She didn't feel like she deserved the love of the Lord, but she clung to it, and hung the shreds of her sanity on it. She prayed that one day, she would feel removed from her sin of Wrath, washed clean of it, but the guilt was a stain on her conscience, an ugly scar. She had to believe in redemption and rebirth, she had to leave her deeds in the past and move on.

 _ **And now I'm all alone again nowhere to turn, no one to go to**_  
 _ **Without a home without a friend without a face to say hello to**_  
 _ **And now the night is near**_  
 _ **Now I can make believe he's here**_

Things had shifted in her life, and lately, it felt as though her office, her previous quantum of solace, had become suffocating. Nothing felt right, nor the same, anymore. Her one anchor of consistency in life, Miles Edgeworth, had been taken from her, by his own hand, it seemed, and it had shaken her world right down to its core. True, she had blamed him for always leaving her behind, even when they still had been kids, but he had lost all he had back then, and he had also been much older. In hindsight, it had probably been completely normal for him to have always been two steps ahead, and act in the manner that he had. Regardless, despite all these factors, the two of them had still managed to always been there for each other when life had been especially hard. He'd been a great Little Brother and person. Her most cherished companion. Now he was gone.

 _ **Sometimes I walk alone at night**_  
 _ **When everybody else is sleeping**_  
 _ **I think of him and then I'm happy**_  
 _ **With the company I'm keeping**_  
 _ **The city goes to bed**_  
 _ **And I can live inside my head**_

A small part of her held Miles Edgeworth responsible for her own misery, and that part of her was _furious_. For such a deep emotion to appear was a miracle, as she had felt nothing but grief for the past few months, and it gave her purpose. She wasn't going to just sit down and give up. Her life would continue without the man she loved because she, Franziska Von Karma, would _make it be so_! Now that she was all alone, with nothing but her father's teachings to hold onto, she _would_ remain strong somehow, and _she would prevail!_

 _ **In the rain the pavement shines like silver**_  
 _ **All the lights are misty in the river**_  
 _ **In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight**_  
 _ **And all I see is him and me forever and forever**_

Franziska threw herself head first into her work, the one part of her life that she had full control over, and completely immersed herself. In her office and in the courtroom, she could lose herself in the whirlwind world of law, and allow herself to forget about anything that might possibly plague her thoughts, and concentrate on doing what she did best. She pressured herself further to excel, not only because it was all she knew, but also because there was a part of her that believed it was the only thing she was good at. She was well aware that unlike Miles and her father, she was no genius, and this knowledge made her believe even more that she would fail should she ever stop doing what she had been taught to do so thoroughly.

 _"Excel at everything you do. Von Karma's are perfect by default."_ The lifelong mantra still resonated in her head, combined with the Von Karma motto: " _To be perfect in every way."_ Franziska had extremely high expectations for herself, and she expected no less from those surrounding her. She had always been praised for her hard work, which had validated everything she had learned, and encouraged her to go down the path she had chosen.

 ** _Chosen_ **_? Oh please, Franziska! Why must you keep lying to yourself, when there is nobody else around? You never **chose** this path, it was **chosen for you**! All these expectations you have heaped upon yourself have been ingrained into you since childhood, and you have readily accepted them, without question, because it's **all you've ever known**! You are ruthless, you are fearless, and you **make** people **respect** you out their **fear of you!**_

 _ **And I know it's only in my mind**_  
 _ **That I'm talking to myself and not to him**_  
 _ **And although I know that he is blind**_  
 _ **Still I say, there's a way for us**_

Nobody knew who she really was behind the domineering whip and mask of perfection behind the wall of flawless success she had built around her over the years. Nobody knew the scared, sensitive young woman that lay beneath the surface, with a hidden vulnerability she knew her opponents would prey upon, should they ever be privy to it. The only person that had known that part of her, and been her shoulder whenever she'd so needed to cry, had been Miles, who was now he was gone from this word, taking her heart with him.

 _ **I love him**_  
 _ **But when the night is over**_  
 _ **He is gone**_  
 _ **The river's just a river**_  
 _ **Without him**_  
 _ **The world around me changes**_  
 _ **The trees are bare and everywhere**_  
 _ **The streets are full of strangers**_

 _They say time heals all wounds. They're wrong. This pain will never cease. It has left a gaping, bloody hole in my heart, which if I'm lucky, I will learn to adapt to as time passes, and perhaps someday, I will be able to push it to the back of my mind. But it will still be there whenever I revisit it, and there shall remain, searing red and insufferably painful, until the day I die._

When she had first heard the news report, she had been at work, sitting at her desk, and a part of her had just assumed that it was one huge conspiracy theory, while the other half of her was screaming that the news was true and her Little Brother _had_ actually killed himself, which made no sense whatsoever! As the minutes crept by however, the shock had worn off, and devastation had kicked in, and she had done exactly what she was doing at this exact moment – crossed her arms on the desk, dropped her head onto it, and wept the same way she had when her Mama had died. She had sobbed like a child who had just been robbed of what mattered most in its life, and she had not even taken the time to check whether the office door was locked – it had not mattered – as she was filled with helpless despair and was beyond heartbroken.

 _ **I love him**_  
 _ **But every day I'm learning**_  
 _ **All my life**_  
 _ **I've only been pretending**_  
 _ **Without me**_  
 _ **His world would go on turning**_  
 _ **A world that's full of happiness**_  
 _ **That I have never known**_

Love was cruel and she felt like the most foolish of fools for having fallen into it, for it excruciatingly mauled and maimed at your innards until there was nothing left within. To have the man she'd loved snatched away from her, and by his own hand, was pure torture. It was nearly unfathomable that Miles' death could affect her as much as it did, and that one man's destruction could cause her own.

 _ **I love him**_  
 _ **I love him**_  
 _ **I love him**_  
 _ **But only on my own**_

She'd called in sick for the next two days, something that was unheard of for her, and just allowed herself to sleep around the clock. She'd even let Helga fawn and fuss over her, allowing the kindly maid to fix her as many calorie-laden meals as she could possibly digest, because she knew she needed to have a clear head and as much strength and health as possible to get through this. She would _not_ allow herself to spiral down that dark, treacherous path that had Miles had taken! The tender pampering of the household staff had been _just_ what she needed to return to work with a vengeance!

When she'd returned to work, Franziska had been like a woman possessed, taking on heavier and more intense caseloads, until she was working 12 to 14 hour days around the clock, finding the grueling duty was _just_ what she needed. A lot to do meant little time to think. When she had a spare moment, she found herself thinking of Miles. Once or twice, she saw a flash of magenta coming round the corner, and fooled herself into believing it would be him, returning, only to be crushed when it turned out to be somebody else. Each time when she realized that it wasn't only further sunk her into a deeper and deeper level of depression, so to compensate, she would work herself even harder to stop the pain from creeping up on her again. Work was more cathartic than she could have ever imagined, and she realized that loved her job nearly as much as she'd loved Miles.

Something sparked within her. It wasn't quite positivity or even joyful sanguinity, nor a new understanding or clearer perception of _why_ , or anything of the sort. It was a little flame of anger, and it gave her purpose. She wasn't going to just sit down and give up. Her life would continue without the man she loved because _she_ would damn well _make_ it! The epiphany startled her. Miles was gone. It was tragic, but true. But _she_ was still alive. She was alive, she was _Franziska Von Karma,_ and she needed to rejoin _the land of the living!_

After that, life improved slightly. Her hard work at the prosecutor's office was praised and recognized, and four months after Miles' demise, a case had at last come up in Los Angeles, which, when presented the opportunity, Franziska had _leapt_ at the chance to take!

The very next day, she would finally have her chance to prosecute _her first ever case_ in the United States, _against Phoenix Wright,_ the foolish fool who'd dared to sully the Von Karma name! Her thirst for revenge would finally be quenched, both on Miles for leaving her like this by defeating the man who had ruined his perfect record, as well against the man who had sent her father to death row!

 _Every dog has its day._

She had wanted to be recognized as being at the top of her profession, and she gotten it. She had wanted vengeance, and now it would be hers. Whenever Franziska Von Karma wanted something – she went and _got it_!

Alas, there was only _one_ thing she'd ever wanted that could _never be._

It was also the reason why, the night before her California courtroom debut, the German woman had dissolved into another bout of sobbing at her desk at the Los Angeles Prosecutor's Office; because _most of all_ , _more than anything in the world_ – Franziska wanted Miles back.

* * *

 ** _Manowar – Heart Of Steel Lyrics_**

 ** _Les Miserables - On My Own_**

 _A/N: y'all have **no idea** how much it pained me to, for the sake of Canon/continuity, regress Franziska's character back to the: "salvage family honor/ perfectionist **bitch** " that she was when we met her in the second game! Doing so meant essentially erasing the more vulnerable side of her that I have tried portraying, which **hopefully** , you guys have grown to like **somewhat**! Oh well, there will be more of that matured, slightly soft and but still **edgy** side of Franny when she makes her explosive appearance again! ;)_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 117**

 **Yanmegaman**

Love-struck fools indeed punny man! As comically astute as usual! :-)

I imagine the offspring of Lana Skye and Miles Edgeworth, whose poker player persona would be called _Cool Edge_ , would have a stoic poker face that would give even Phoenix Wright a run for his money circa poker shark playing days! XD

 **Batfreak2008**

As this is the first time I've heard from you, first of all thank you very much for favoriting the story and deciding to follow this crazy train, as well as dropping me a line. :-)

Now with regards to these relationships, I'm trying really hard to work with and manipulate the canon, and as of this chapter we are done with the flashbacks are right back in Apollo Justice. As Nick and Miles of the two leading men in the story I've also decided to play upon their bromance, and make it so that one of them is always going to end up rescuing the other, _one way or another_ , just like each of them were responsible for getting the other together with their partner…. The next month or so is going to be _very dramatic_ … TV shows have May sweeps… And so do I! ;)

 **SpiritsOfFire**

I'm really happy you like the story arc although I shall become a bit sad to see it end because the only thing I love more than romance is the courtship of it! Something to keep in mind before I answer your question which is: _that I am a diehard romantic!_

Now to answer your question about my two favorite couples: the reason Maya is not at Phoenix's side now is because I'm trying to stick to the Canon, and she was _nowhere to be found_ and barely heard of in Apollo Justice, nor was Miles…(damn you, CRAPcom!) But I love both Maya and Miles so much I gave them their own storyline, regardless. _However, you can only run parallel in universes for so long before your paths connect once again_ … Therefore, the very first loving pair who will be having a joyful reunion is… _Wrightworth_!

After _seven_ years apart, these two best friends will finally come face-to-face in what I hope is a very memorable, IN PERSON (not SKYPE!) reunion. And I hope you guys are as excited about it as I am look for the next week or two! :-)

 **DannyDragon**

I guess you and I are the only fans of the world's greatest secret agent cartoon here since you're the only one who caught the Sterling _Archer_ reference! LOL

I'm thinking Franziska being a fiery and very sexy woman cannot be entirely unaware of how much years… Otherwise, she wouldn't wear such a micro-mini to show off those legs to work! XD

I hope I didn't make her seduction scene too out of character, but keeping in mind she had zero experience with the opposite sex, lived a generally sheltered life, and was a naïve virgin until that night and couldn't understand the concept of _overkill_ any more than the poor thing could've ever know just how bad her timing was! As for Miles' suicide and I did cover it however briefly in this chapter because I really wanted to have my own take as to why Nick was so shocked when Miles came back from the dead in Justice For All, yet Franziska just seemed mildly annoyed and irate more than anything else! Therefore I decided to have some behind the scenes fun with that, and also demonstrate how different a man can be one he loves a woman versus only lusts for them… In the case of the former the libido will generally be put on hold! XD

Did you see the third episode of the animate when Maya was basically cool being in fawning all over Nick it was hard to tell who was swooning more between me and her! Creator Shu Tukami is part of the scripting for this cartoon, making it very much a Phoenix and Maya vibe even more so than in the game, so they _definitely_ know what they're doing! _Yay_!

 **Chloemcg**

 _"Edgeworth blows up at Franziska, Franziska gets taken advantage of **by some big meanie** …"_

This is in no way intended to sound condescending, but you're just too cute for words! I'm sure my creative readers who up until about a month ago are thinking of very creative ways to torture Phoenix for thinking he had purposely broken Maya's heart could think of much more colorful descriptions to describe that pig at the party, but big meanie was just so adorable, and still _very accurate_ nevertheless! :-)

Edgeworth appears to be in some phenomenal shape underneath that _magenta_ suit of his, and love makes you do crazy things he had no idea you were capable of, (*cough * Nick written down a heavy wooden door of the channeling chamber to the rescue Maya in Justice For All!) Therefore, I have little doubt he could kick the ass of the man that defiled his Big Sister, easy!

While we are on the topic of annihilation, no doubt Phoenix probably would verbally slaughter any guy who comes to meet his baby girl or her offspring, but as you've written a story even though he's a bit older now he's still a bit of a badass so I think you probably open up a can of _whoop-ass_ if need be as well! XD

these stories are hundred percent about suspending disbelief so considering everything else that has happened in your story including the fact that Phoenix **_did not_** _drive that blade through Matt's RAPIST GENITALS,_ so what's wrong with the judge still kickin? I find him a wonderful comical character, and you might just have gone bald at an early age or just been prematurely grey he didn't really have any wrinkles so who's to say he just didn't look older than he was? It would be awesome to see him make a cameo! You know it be really funny if Wendy Oldbag were SOMEHOW still alive as well and she somehow managed to save the day because she would kill anyone that try to hurt her edgy poo! LOL (machine gun grandma!)

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

 _No._

 _No Miles._

 _Bad._

Your short but sweet review still made me laugh my head off! It sounded like how one would reprimand a naughty puppy that had failed to be housebroken and was about to be smacked in the nose with a newspaper! XD

I know I made Miles a bit of a jerk in this chapter but he had pretty good reasons, considering on top of Lana he had just survived a double murder trial… I'm happy you liked the ending is that I made him redeemable! I LOVE fluff moments!

 **Ryszard**

Long time no hear! _Ich habe nie die Leere ersetzen für meine Favorit männlichen Leser aus Europa!_

I did not really watch Buffy all the way through the last time I was a viewer of that show Willow was dating Oz before she came out? So what pair was Twillow?

My favorite lines it was absolutely Sean Connery, followed by Roger Moore he had some really big shoes to fill coming right after The Bond, but I think he did a good job. Daniel Craig is a male butter face, I'm sorry his face and ears just bugged me! Never saw Dalton, but I just assumed he might've sucked since he only did one?

Pierce Brosnan was decent, but his lines were too corny for me to take seriously! I lost a bet with a boyfriend at the time and therefore had to endure watching _The World Is Not Enough_ with him, and wanted to run an anvil through my own skull when he was in bed with the Denis Richard's character Christmas Jones and murmured that _"I thought Christmas only comes once a year."_ Ugh! Gag me with a bulldozer!

I can tell you right now that I have slime to no desire to kill off any _beloved Ace Attorney_ characters. I'd like to think I have found alternative or potentially even better ways to create suspense and drama without resorting to that, (I've had readers beg me to kill off Mildew, who is a disposable OC, and I am wavering but _still_ hate killing of characters, even the ones that deserve it !) And it's probably one of my biggest pet peeves in fanfiction. Ergo, in the way that I hate incest, and will therefore _never_ portray _blood relatives_ (so no Apollo and Trucy!) having carnal relations in my stories, (Nick and Trucy aren't blood but that still counts BTW!) I will also likewise _not_ emulate the questionably popular writer of game of thrones, and kill off characters my readers love! :-)

 **thepudz**

 _JP, you have a string. The puppets you are controlling are called 'My Emotions.'_

I know you do me talked about this before and I realize the character was portrayed as a heinous bitch in the video games, which is why I've done my best to humanize her while attempting to be keeping her in character, which is been a very difficult balance by the way. Therefore if I have mages have feelings of sympathy for her whom you don't normally like, I shall give myself a pat on the back while saying thank you my friend! :-)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

The secret is finally out tomorrow! Thank you, and everyone for your patience, and I hope it isn't anti-climactic!

Thank you for such a beautifully summarized review that shows that you felt everything I wished to portray with this chapter dear friend.

I'm pretty sure Manfred died on death row as well, because they mention his passing I think in the second game or third game, where Nick acknowledges that Franziska lost her father not too long ago. Good riddance I say! You hit the nail on the head with the emotions the characters in this chapter; poor Franziska was indeed the victim of Miles' stress and frustrations, and this would probably be one of the few times Ms. _perfect_ prosecutor could not have had _worse_ timing, and therefore was so heartbroken by his harsh words afterward that she went out and felt inclined to _act_ the part of the tramp. I could not make myself stomach the scene of the big reveal to Fran and Kat about their father, so forgive my not including that extra angst here! I am glad this all wrapped up and made sense to my readers about why I made that brutal party chapter occur – so Miles could _finally_ be spurred into action and understand what true love vs. lust really is, and pull his genius _head_ out of his _posterior_! XD


	119. Twisted Sister

_A/N: Ever since I played the Maya kidnapping case, and also, as you guys know, covered it in great depth in the earlier chapters, it is bothered me to no great and why it appeared that Phoenix was absolutely flabbergasted upon Miles' zombie resurrection from the dead, whereas Franziska did not appear even remotely surprised and just completely annoyed! Therefore, I just **had** to utilize this chapter as a chance to put my own take as to why that was so!_

* * *

 _Would you know my name_  
 _If I saw you in heaven?_  
 _Would it be the same_  
 _If I saw you in heaven?_

 _I must be strong_  
 _And carry on,_  
 _'Cause I know I don't belong_  
 _Here in heaven._

 _Would you hold my hand_  
 _If I saw you in heaven?_  
 _Would you help me stand_  
 _If I saw you in heaven?_

 _I'll find my way_  
 _Through night and day,_  
 _'Cause I know I just can't stay_  
 _Here in heaven._

 _Time can bring you down,_  
 _Time can bend your knees._  
 _Time can break your heart,_  
 _Have you begging please, begging please._

 _Beyond the door,_  
 _There's peace I'm sure,_  
 _And I know there'll be no more_  
 _Tears in heaven._

 _Would you know my name_  
 _If I saw you in heaven?_  
 _Would it be the same_  
 _If I saw you in heaven?_

 _I must be strong_  
 _And carry on,_  
 _'Cause I know I don't belong_  
 _Here in heaven_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Nineteen:** **Twisted Sister**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_  
 _Gatewater Hotel, Presidential Suite_  
March 20, 2018

 _Franziska Von Karma what the hell you still doing here in America anyway? Accept a loss gracefully and just go home already!_ Her mind screamed at her. _They have no idea how to make a decent German dish in this godforsaken country! You call_ _ **this**_ _Kartoffelpuffer?!_

Grumpily, the German prosecutor pushed away her only half consumed room service dinner tray, bearing the most _scheisse_ excuse for a German dish she'd ever had, and flicked off the television set.

She very well knew the answer to the repeated question her wretched mind was taunting her with, albeit, not a _good_ one. After all, she hadn't had a case in three months against that accursed fool, Phoenix Wright, to whom she had humiliatingly lost to _twice_ now, thus obliterating her previous perfect record. The reason she was sticking around was because Franziska was _positive_ that the _third_ time would be the charm, and that sooner or later, if she was patient enough, she would have her final opportunity to bring that foolish fool of a man to his knees!

She was completely indifferent about Los Angeles. It was pretty and hot, if not a trifle smoggy, but being there, if anything, only depressed her even more, as she couldn't escape the fact that she was working out of the same building, and staying in the same city, where Miles had both worked and resided.

 _Miles_. She closed her eyes. She could still see his handsome face as clearly, as though it were yesterday, and felt the familiar tightness once again forming in her chest. Would the pain _ever_ stop?!

 _So many times this past year, before I fully accepted that you were really gone, while I would stop thinking that I saw your face in every crowd, I would still try to sense your presence and imagine that some sort of faint signal came through to me, in the matter of crackling on an old radio. Any way to feel or get a sense of you was good enough for me, some conformation that you were still out there somewhere. Sometimes, I'd reach my fingertips outward and feel them tingle, as though I could feel your touch somehow…_

Her reverie was interrupted at that moment by a loud knocking at her hotel room door.

 _OK, this is most unusual! If I were superhero, I would say that my_ _ **Spidey-sense**_ _was tingling at_ _ **the exact moment before**_ _that happened…_

Surprised, as she was not expecting anybody, especially at this late hour, and she hadn't ordered any search of room service, Franziska reflexively grabbed her whip from the coffee table. Then she threw on and belted her satiny robe over her slip silk nightie, and was about to answer the door, just as she heard another series of somewhat _impatient_ rapping, louder and more insistent than the first.

 _It's 11 o'clock on a weeknight!_ Franziska fumed, her fingers tightening around her weapon.

 _The bellboy has some serious nerve! I wonder what the devil he wants?! It had best be some sort of_ _ **free service**_ _\- ideally some sort of alcoholic beverage! The_ _ **one**_ _good thing about California is it appears they can make a_ _ **decent**_ _wine! Not as good as Germany, of course…_

" _Hold your horses!_ " She grumbled, flinging the door open with a scowl. "Just _what_ urgent matter has you banging on my door at this _ungodly_ – "

The words died on her lips, and her heart leapt high in her throat as she stared into a pair of beloved, _familiar_ , slate gray eyes. She would know those orbs anywhere. They had been plaguing her dreams for the past year.

Standing there, on the other side of the door, was Miles Edgeworth, as handsome as he had been the very the last time she'd seen him…and looking _very much alive_!

" _Mein Gott!"_ Franziska gasped as her lips parted in astonishment, her free hand, which had been clutching her lasso, fluttering up to clutch her chest, consequently dropping the weapon to the plush carpeted floor by her feet. She literally needed to brace her full weight on the doorknob with her other hand, so that she wouldn't faint from shock. "M – Miles? Is that _really_ you?"

" _Hallo_ , Franziska." He smiled tiredly, and his voice weary, as though he had come from a very long journey. "Won't you please invite me in?" Noticing she was still frozen in place, as though she'd been _poleaxed_ , he gave a slight bow, then carefully brushed past her into the suite, and gently reached behind her to shut the door.

The two prosecutors stared at each other for what seemed like ages. At last, Miles was the one to break the silence.

"It's been a long time, Big Sister," he ventured cautiously, as though chartering into unknown waters. "You look… quite well."

Franziska just continued to stare at him with rounded eyes. Uncertain of what to do next, Miles hesitantly leaned forward to give some sort of hug or European-style cheek exchange as a greeting, and that was when she suddenly sprang into action.

Her cheeks slowly turning pink with indignation and fury, Franziska recovered from her shock long enough to raise her whip-free hand, and attempt to crash it, full force, against the side of Miles Edgeworth's _too damn handsome for his own good, back from the dead_ , face!

He caught her hand in midair and held her wrist in a vice grip to prevent her from doing further damage.

"Is that any way to greet your Little Brother?" He asked quietly, with what Franziska considered maddening calm. She then went to pummel his broad chest with her free hand, which was clenched into a tiny fist, but he caught that one as well, so she was reduced to just glaring up at him, wild eyed, and teeth bared in a ferocious snarl.

"HOW DARE YOU!" She shrieked, thrashing so frantically to free her wrists from his strong hands, that Miles reluctantly released her, but made sure he back stepped far out of immediate danger zone, nevertheless.

Her chest was heaving as she glared at him murderously. "How DARE you come back after all this time and expect me to be OK? _I_ _look well_?! _That's_ all you have to say to me, _you_ … _Schwein_?! Did you just expect me to run into your arms and tell you how happy I am that you're back from the grave?!"

Miles raised his hands, palms up, in the universal gesture of surrender, and regarded her helplessly. "Would you be further enraged if I told you that _was_ the reaction I was somewhat hoping for, however unrealistic it may have been?"

Somehow, they had staggered into the living room, where Franziska picked up a nearby sofa cushion, and hurled it at him, as was tradition.

As was also tradition, Miles ducked just in time to dodge the flying weapon, which was his customary reflexive action to the tempestuous woman's habitual attempted _assault by plushy item_! Hell, he might as well put his defensive fencing moves to _some_ good use!

"Oh you _did,_ did you? Well, I am so sorry to disappoint you!" She hollered, her stormy eyes filled with tears of relief and rage. "Damn you, Miles Edgeworth! You _vanished_! You left _a suicide note_! Do you have _any idea_ what _hell_ you put me through, while you have been out gallivanting and enjoying yourself, _as exemplified by your tan_ , I have been lamenting and mourning the loss of you for _the past year_! I have cried myself to sleep _every single night_ since you've been gone! I thought you had _killed yourself!_ But you're obviously not dead, so WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? And don't even _think_ of giving me that whole, ' _ **I was thinking'**_ sort of _scheisse_ _,_ because I swear to GOD, _I will kill you_!"

Franziska had to stop to catch her breath and stood there, a fresh couch cushion in her hand, poised and ready to launch, as she awaited his answer. She was panting as though she had run a marathon and the burning tears in her eyes were now streaming down her face. The fire that had been burning inside her had run out of fuel. Shaking, she lifted her head to glower at the man who had caused her so much suffering.

"I deserved all that," he said quietly. "I cannot even imagine the amount of pain I put you through, and have no right to beg your forgiveness, even though there is nothing on earth that I want more. But you are also entitled to an explanation, although I fear you will make very good on your threat and attack me once more when you hear what I was up to, in actuality."

Franziska folded her arms across her chest as her eyes shot daggers at him.

"I will accept that scathing look of yours in the meantime, if that's what it takes to ensure you do not attempt to make my _alleged death_ become an _actual_ one," he said smoothly, with just a trace of mirth.

"Just shut up and tell me where the hell you have been!"

"I was traveling about Europe." The corner of his mouth twitched. _"Thinking."_

Franziskajust glared at him in response. Miles put his palms up again.

"You asked, I answered!"

"You are most fortunate I don't have my whip handy!" She gritted her teeth. "Thinking, you say? _For a year?_! About _what_ , pray tell?"

"Everything. My father's death, what it meant to be a prosecutor, and..." he hesitated for a moment. "How you and I have _more baggage_ _than an airport_ because of your father!"

Noting that she didn't even deny the charge, as cheeky as it had sounded, Miles hastily continued.

"Franziska, all I wanted was a chance to have a fresh start. After my father died, my subsequent living arrangements, although in a new, foreign country and culture, still did not allow me the opportunity to have an actual _normal_ life."

"Fair enough." Franziska curtly nodded her grudging agreement at the statement. "Go on."

"Even after I became a prosecutor," he continued. "Coming back to the States still did not allow me the opportunity to begin anew, because rather than making my own path in the judicial system, I picked up and _practiced_ , _the very old and very bad habits_ of my mentor, and was more obsessed with a perfect win record than actual justice. It was due to my ruthlessness, not my recognized success, which resulted in my nickname, which still haunts me to this day. _Demon Prosecutor."_

He let out a resigned sigh.

"The rumors, the barbed remarks, they kept following me, with my tainted reputation preceding me everywhere I went! At a time when I needed to clean the slate more than anything in the world, still I could not escape the chains of my past. So I took drastic measures."

"And lead me to believe that you took your own life," she said hollowly, sinking down like a ragdoll onto the sofa, still clutching the cushion to her chest.

"I didn't want to be found, Franziska. Not until I became a man worth _finding_. Not until _I found myself_ and the true meaning of what upholding the law, and being a prosecutor _truly_ meant to me."

Miles' face was earnest as he crouched down at her feet, his expression pleading with her to understand.

"I was not out there _sunbathing_ in Europe. I went from country to country, some of them more crooked and corrupt than my wildest imaginations, realizing that this world needs a prosecutor that incarcerates _true criminals_ , based on _evidence_ , and _not their egos_. For the rest of my days, I will never forget some of the nightmarish scenarios encountered during my travels."

A haunted look came into his eyes then, and Franziska lightly tugged at his hand, urging him to come sit on the sofa next to her.

"What kind of nightmarish things?" She prodded gently, when it appeared he was too lost in the terrible memories to speak.

"I went to many countries studying the judicial and court systems throughout all of Europe. In Greece I sat there and watched the trial of a 20-year-old _punk_ kid, whose father was some billionaire oil tycoon, walk away with a mere _two year sentence,_ on what was his _umpteenth_ drunk driving offense, the latest one which killed a grandfather and grandmother and their four-year-old twin granddaughters."

Miles buried his head in his hands.

"The defense actually tried to claim that being from such a wealthy background, the defendant was slightly crazy and out of touch with reality, and shouldn't be held accountable for his actions! This rascal had a record of previous offenses _a mile-long_ , Franziska! When he was 15, he drunkenly crashed his car right through the gym doors of his high school. When the officials called his father, that _hurensohn_ _had the gall_ tell them to _shut their mouths_ , or else he threatened to _buy the whole school_ and put them all out of jobs if they dared take things to a higher level."

He looked up from his hands and regarded her appalled face with distressed eyes.

" _Two lousy years_ , Franziska," he whispered brokenly. "That was _all_ the courts gave the scoundrel, for wiping out _four_ lives. Where is the justice for that family? _You_ tell me!"

"Oh, Miles…" Franziska swallowed hard at the pain in his eyes, but Miles still wasn't done his tales of international horror.

"I went to Poland. There was a woman, with bruises all over her arms and a black eye, who had just been released from the hospital, where her husband had nearly _beaten her to within an inch of her life,_ because he thought she had overcooked the cabbage rolls. All of this in front of their 5-year-old daughter."

Miles raked an agitated hand through his hair.

"The woman had a police report, a medical report, photos of the damage she had done to her body, along with her traumatized daughter's _recorded witness statement_ , read to the courts by the police officer who handled the case. _All of this evidence_ , yet the prosecutor still saw fit to ask for a reduced sentence, and the man walked away with a probationary _warning_. What _justness_ was served to that poor mother?"

Franziska was near tears again as she listened, but this time for an entirely different reason.

"I went to the Ukraine." Miles shook his head miserably. "A 17-year-old boy was the one on trial, because he had tried to defend the honor of his 14-year-old sister by some affluent businessman, who tried to rape her one night when they were coming home from a party. That _saukerl_ broke that young boy's leg and dislocated his arm, while only suffering a bloody nose himself for his vile actions, and yet _he_ wasn't the one on trial for assault! The prosecutor moved for dismissal! _This_ is the kind of filth that's out there in the world! These helpless, innocent people need someone on _their_ side, to try to protect them from _people like this_!"

His voice shook.

"They _need_ someone who cares about _the truth_ , and nothing else, _no matter what_!"

"I'm sorry, Miles." Franziska said sincerely, placing a hand on his arm. "That sounds absolutely awful. It must been quite disturbing to witness such terrible things happening to innocent people."

"No! I'm grateful that I _did_! I have lived a very sheltered life until now, and have been unable to see what's really out there in this world!" Miles hissed furiously. "And now that I have, I know what my path in life _should have been_ , and _will be_ , going forward. I couldn't have done that if I hadn't taken the time to get away from everything."

He paused and looked her straight in the eye.

"Regardless, the one thing I am most sorry for, is making you feel like you were all alone, mourning for a man who was nowhere near the pearly gates just yet. Forgive me, Franziska, I beg of you."

"I'm happy that you are alive, Miles." Her eyes were more saddened than angry, but were also filled with compassion. "Speaking of mourning, there _was_ a time that I desperately wished, more than anything, that you'd been by my side, and that was at Papa's funeral." Her gaze dropped to her lap. "He – he was executed while you were away. I – I thought you should know."

Miles saw the tears glistening in those mesmerizing silver orbs, and gave himself a thousand mental lashes for the fact that she'd had to mourn both him _and_ her father at the same time. He loved her so much! How was it that in trying to be a better man, and do the right thing, he kept unintentionally causing her more and more pain?

"Come here," he said gruffly, pulling her into his arms. "Your father was a legal legend, Franziska, and news of his passing _did_ make it all the way to Europe. I'm very sorry for your loss."

"You mean you _knew_?" She cried indignantly, attempting to wrench herself free from his embrace. "You _knew_ and you didn't even bother to attend, or find it prudent at that point to let me know that I still had _one_ more existing member of my family left?!"

"I thought it would be best if I stayed away." His countenance was morose as well as apologetic. "I didn't want to have my somewhat _infamous_ presence steal Manfred's thunder at his funeral. In addition, I felt as though I would be partaking in some sort of morbid _farce_ to be standing there, _pretending to be grieving_ , alongside the other _actual_ mourners, considering my newfound stance regarding your father, Franziska. The whole notion seemed grotesque to me. Although for what it's worth, I _did_ send flowers, even if I did so anonymously."

He looked at the woman in his arms with sincere eyes.

"I swear to you thoughts that you and Katharina were both in my thoughts." Her eyes softened then, and his tongue loosened dangerously. "E – Especially _you_ , though."

They stared at one another for several, breathless heartbeats, and Miles became _imminently_ aware then that _all she was_ _wearing_ on that nubile physique was a silky robe, the sash of which had loosed somewhat during their earlier struggle, and a chemise slip nightie underneath were the sole garments between her and his suddenly ravenous eyes, his starved touch. And the way she was gazing at him only heightened his awareness that she, too, was fully aware of the intimacy of their situation – and was no more adverse to it than _he_ was.

He saw the soft invitation in her eyes and in an unguarded moment of complete accord, it seemed right somehow, to respond. Tipping her chin up, he brought his lips to within an inch of hers and felt the gasp of her in-drawn breath, as at the same time, her body seemed to tense. Puzzled by her rather extreme reaction, he lifted his head and waited for what seemed a long time for her to open her eyes. When her long lashes fluttered up, she looked confused and expectant. As he gazed into those inviting silvery orbs, he slid an arm around her waist and touched his lips to her lobe. His warm breath in her ear sent shivers down her spine and she turned her face away from the cause, which brought her lush mouth into near contact with his. Her soft lips parted on a shaky breath, his noble intentions slipped his mind, and Miles' passions arrived unannounced and ended explosively, like detonating bombs.

Franziska knew the moment his arm tightened on her waist that she couldn't have been expecting this stormy rush of sensation that made her gasp and cling tighter to him or the frantic beating of her heart when his fingers shoved into the hair at her nape while her body seemed to want to meet and forge into his.

He felt her lean into him and fell helpless to it all as he lifted his head and stared down at her flushed face, stunned by his unprecedented reaction from this innocent girl-woman. He watched her lids open as she gazed into his eyes, both slightly annoyed with himself at his loss of control and distinctly amused by the fact that an untutored, slip of a girl was responsible for it.

All Miles' life, his preferences had ran towards passionate, experienced, sophisticated, women who knew both how to give and receive pleasure. The notion that he could be so violently aroused just at being in the mere embrace of a child woman was almost comical. On the other hand, she was showing herself to be an eager and willing _student_ during this intense moment in his arms, and there had been a hint of shyness, even now, although she remained locked in his embrace, steadily returning his gaze.

Miles' amusement vanished and he felt an unfamiliar ache in his chest. Without realizing what he was doing, he laid his fingers against her cheek, fingers playing with the incredible softness of it. Her whole body seemed to melt and burn and he loved the feeling, and at the same time, it made him feel guilty, uneasy, and uncertain. She was still so vulnerable, and he had caught her completely unaware by popping back into her life so unexpectedly – he didn't want to take shameless advantage of her in such an emotionally charged situation.

Helplessly enchanted, he put his fingers beneath her chin and tilted it up, forcing her to meet his gaze. Her full breasts were pressed against his chest, her hair was gliding over his hand, and that soft, full mouth positively invited a man's kiss. She was dangerous and subtly intoxicating, and he cursed the stirrings she caused within him, knowing she deserved his respect and his protection, not his lust. Intellectually, he knew that, but his brain seemed to be hypnotized by her smile and her voice, and his body was being ruled by an arousal that was becoming almost painful. Either she didn't understand that he was rigid, or she hadn't noticed… or she didn't mind.

Franziska had every intention of punishing Miles in some way, and still wasn't sure she'd fully forgiven him his deceit, especially regarding her father's funeral… until his hand touched her cheek. The acceleration of her heart rate had nothing to do with fear or anger, and everything to do with what her body really wanted. She couldn't look away, and instinctively knew after all this time, that he could read her like a book. His burning eyes were on her rapidly rising and falling chest, her breathing rate duly noted.

With a gentle finger, he reoriented her face so that he held their gazes, stealing the passion from her eyes in a way that only magnified the spark. There was no smile on his lips, only the hot intensity of his eyes that they both knew would be the start of the inferno to come.

She watched his gaze drop to her lips and felt her heartbeat triple. His hand curved around her nape, stroking it softly while his other hand drifted up and down her spine in endless caress, as his hand clamped tighter against the base her spine. She leaned towards him, letting her hand slide up the hard muscles of his chest, over his shoulders, arching her body as she brought him closer to her, and his arms went around her like iron bands, sending shivers of primitive sensations through her quaking body, and she clung tighter to him.

Miles lay her back on the sofa, gazing down at her, and then, something within him clicked.

 _I think it's as though everyone has a small place inside themselves, maybe, a private bit that they keep to themselves. It's like a little fortress, where the most private part of you lives - maybe it's your soul, maybe just that bit makes you yourself and not anyone else. You don't usually show that bit of yourself to anyone, usually, unless sometimes to someone that you love greatly._

With a mixture of disbelief and amusement, he gazed down at the exquisite young beauty who had not only managed to drug not just his senses, but his mind and heart as well.

 _That's just it_ , he realized. _I_ _ **love**_ _her._ _ **That's**_ _why I don't want to rush this. This still doesn't feel quite right. It doesn't feel like our time is right now just yet… Not what I haven't been fully honest with her._

As though sensing his hesitation, Franziska looked up at him quizzically. "What's wrong?"

"There's something really important that I want you to know, which I haven't divulged to you yet. I cannot have an eased conscience until I have fully purged myself to you," Miles admitted remorsefully. "I feel like there's something else that you need to know about my return back to Los Angeles." Taking a deep breath, he blurted out the words before he lost his nerve, fully knowing the risk he was about to take. "I've been keeping an eye on you for some time now. I was not only keeping tabs on your father's funeral, but on essentially all of your cases, and everything you've been up to since you've been here in America." She regarded him warily then and he heaved a deep sigh. "Franziska, you're not the first person to know that I'm not dead."

" _What_?!" She shot up from beneath him so quickly that the top of her head nearly butted against his chin, and Miles nearly bit his damn tongue off! " _I_ am _not_ the first person? Who _was_ then?" Her eyes flashed as they roam searchingly over his guilty looking face. "My sister?"

Silence from Miles. Franziska's voice rose with growing resentment. "Don't you _dare_ tell me it was _Phoenix Wright_!"

"It was Gumshoe, Franziska," Miles confessed, expelling a deep breath. "It was _I_ who secretly helped during the investigation of the Maximillion Galactica murder trial back in December. _I_ was the one who secretly called the good detective, swore him to secrecy, and directed him to do a surprise search of Acro's room, as well as advised him not to be too harsh with the poor man afterward."

The fire reignited and Franziska's eyes, only this time, not from passion but utter _fury_.

"That was the _second_ case that I lost against that fool, Phoenix Wright!" She seethed. "And it was the evidence that was found in that paraplegic's room that helped him triumph over me once more! Did you _not_ _know_ that I was the prosecutor of that case?" Miles looked away, his silence speaking volumes, and her voice rose. "You _knowingly_ betrayed me like this, Miles? It was _you_ who put helped put that _second_ proverbial _nail in my coffin_?! How could you _do_ such a thing to me?!"

"I had to do what I thought was right, Franziska!" Miles protested, although cringing inwardly at the contemptuous glare she shot him. "Wright's client was innocent! I just help steer them in the right direction to prove it, because that was _the truth_!"

"Your so-called _precious truth_ made me _lose my second consecutive case,_ you foolish fool!" She roared. "How _dare_ you?!"

"It's not about winning or losing, can't you see that, Franziska?" Miles cried. "It's about not sending the wrong man to death row! _This_ is why I was gone for a year! Having you _not_ been _listening to a bloody word_ I've been saying to you?!"

"I'm listening to you tell me that you _betrayed_ me yet again!" She screamed. "This is the _very last time_ you will _ever_ do so, do you hear me?! I forgave you for _playing dead_ , and _purposefully_ missing my father's funeral, leaving me to mourn by myself at a time when I could've used your support more than ever, but _now_ I hear that you double-crossed me, and helped make me look like a fool in court, before _that man,_ of all people!" Her face was puce with rage. "Miles Edgeworth, I _hate_ you!"

She went to launch a pillow at him again, but recurrently, Miles' reflexes were in top gear, and he grabbed the cushion while it was still in her hands. He desperately tried to wrestle the intended weapon out of her grip, but in a bizarre motion of _déjà vu_ from the year before with her whip, Franziska maintained a tenacious grip on the item. The end result was a quick game of tug-of-war, which neither one of them intended to lose, and both prosecutors toppling off the sofa and onto the carpet, with Miles inadvertently pinning the enraged Franziska Von Karma beneath him.

"Get off of me, damn you!" Almost crying from temper, Franziska raised a hand to slap him, but once again he caught it in midair, then grabbed her other hand, throwing her arms over her head as he pinned both her wrists down to the floor, while he stared down at her, his smoky gaze filled with intensity as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Will you please _calm down,_ you _crazy hellcat_!" He gasped, his chest heaving.

Franziska stilled in her struggles as she stared back at him unflinchingly. Her face was flushed and her chest was heaving gently. With each apprehensive breath she drew, her dark lashed eyes were wide with confusion and anger and desire, looking as though she wasn't certain what she wanted to do.

Desire roared through him. With one hand, he tucked a glossy lock hair behind her ear, and whispered "I _don't care who's wrong or right, I don't really want to fight no more_." He placed his other hand gently on her waist. For a few seconds, they just lay there, breathing heavily, without moving. He scrunched his hand up and grabbed a ball of her satiny robe in his tightened fist, his lips just millimeters away from her ear. He could feel her shiver every time he exhaled, eve as, with the last remaining shreds of his sanity; he frantically thought to himself, _this cannot happen._

Miles _knew_ he could take her right then, fast and furiously, right then and there. He also that it would be _crazed, angry, frantic lovemaking,_ easilythe most explosive, passionate most definitely the best sex of _both their lives_.

It was _déjà vu_ all right, but not the good kind.

Over two years ago, a gentlemanly young prosecutor had stepped into the office of another emotional woman, who had been weeping at the time and had sought merely to console her with his embrace, and offer her friendly comfort. What had started out as a noble intention had ended up with him essentially being _the other man_ in a wild, two-year affair, which had only hurt him and Lana both in the end - an affair that he _never_ should've gotten involved with in the first place!

 _Things happen._ _ **Passion**_ _happens. I could always argue that my attempts to comfort Lana led to our first passionate kiss that day in her office. Nonetheless, there's_ _ **no argument in the world**_ _to justify the fact that I made_ _ **frantic love to her**_ _,_ _ **right there on her desk**_ _,_ _ **just moments after**_ _! That was back during my Manfred influenced days, when I thought that all women were things I could conquer and possess, merely because I desired them, and that they were mine for the taking, even if they belonged to another man! Von Karma was a philandering bastard, and I should've known better than to use him for a role model in any way, especially my romantic life! Yet, here I am, a hair's breadth away from nearly having history repeat itself_ _ **again**_ _, and make the very same mistake with said philandering bastard's_ _ **daughter**_ _, who, unlike my ex, is_ _ **not**_ _a_ _ **woman of the world**_ _! She is young, inexperienced, and right now, emotionally vulnerable, confused, and_ _ **angry**_ _! She lost her virginity to a complete_ _ **cad**_ _the last time she was emotional and angry with me, and thus deserves to be wooed and made love - but_ _ **not**_ _when she has just been jolted from her senses, and shaken out of the norm. I can't do this to her. I_ _ **won't**_ _! I_ _ **love**_ _her too damned much._

Miles stared down at her regretfully, knowing that he wanted nothing more than for _it_ to happen. He felt Franziska stir beneath him, and her hand was reaching upward towards his face, not to slap this time, but to cup his cheek in her palm to turn his head, which had been bowed down in contemplation, to face her, so she could assess what was going on in his mind. He knew that if she looked in his eyes and they were this close, he was going to cave in and kiss her, and then he was going to make frenzied love to her, like some sort of _callous rake_ , right there on her hotel room floor!

As much as his _body_ didn't want to, he _knew_ he had to stop this from happening, _for both their sakes_. Slowly, he raised himself up in his arms, letting her robe fall out of his hand, but kept his open palm placed against her side. Franziska slowly turned her face toward his and Miles swallowed hard, knowing she was a split second away from facing him, and then it would be game over if he gazed into those come-hither eyes. He was going to _have_ to be a _complete bastard_ to put the brakes on this _steam engine_ , and he _had to do it_ _now_!

"So you _hate_ me, do you?" Miles murmured silkily, putting his lips down by her ear once again so that they nearly touched her ear lobe. She shivered from the warmth of his breath, and he forced his voice to harden. "Well, for the record, _I love you, too_ … BIG SISTER!"

With that, he pushed himself up and off the floor, then swiftly rose to his feet, already halfway across the room and headed to the door by the time the shocked and spluttering Franziska managed to get to her feet.

"What kind of twisted gamer you trying to play with me, Miles Edgeworth?" She shouted at his retreating back. "You know full well _you_ wanted this just as much as _I_ did! When are you going to cease being such a _pathetic coward_ and stop running away from me?"

Miles didn't turn around, just marched right up to the door, flung it open and glanced regretfully back at her enraged, bewildered face, and rapidly rising and falling chest one last time.

"Someday, you'll understand," he said simply, then bowed grandly. "Good Night, Big Sister."

Then he shut the door behind him.

Furiously, Franziska grabbed the closest nearby object to her with any weight, in this case, the porcelain vase holding fake flowers, which was sitting on top of her coffee table, and flung it at the door as hard as she could. It smashed into a million smithereens just as her face crumpled and she sank down onto the sofa in an angry flood of tears.

"I am NOT your sister, you _saukerl_!"

On the other side of the door, Miles leaned heavily back against the solid wood and closed his eyes, sighing soundlessly.

 _I'm sorry Franziska. It seems I cannot possess your soul without losing my own. And I'm not ready for that. Not just yet…_

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
April 14, 2026

Miles was still sitting at the computer desk in the study when he heard the footsteps behind him. He didn't even realize that he still had the webpage open to the very last page Franziska had been looking at, as he had been too busy listening to the music playing on the website, while his eyes remained closed as he'd taken his little stroll down memory lane. He couldn't bear to look at the images any longer, although truth be told, the looped song, with its poignant lyrics, that was playing in the background was gut-wrenching enough in itself.

" _Tears in Heaven,_ by Eric Clapton," Lana suddenly whispered from behind him, her voice thick with unshed tears. "Possibly the most tragically beautiful song about a parent losing their child that was ever created. It was the perfect song that the two of you chose for little Carol's Memorial website."

Miles' eyes snapped open as her voice shattered his moment of fool's paradise. He spun around in his chair to stare at his friend, whose eyes were bright and puffy; her face was streaked with tears. He'd completely forgotten that she was even in the house, and had assumed that she had left immediately after making her phone call.

Lana snuffle just then, and warning bells went off in his brain. Something was obviously very, very wrong.

"Lana what is it?" He asked quickly, rising from his seat and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Did something happen? You were going to call Ema... Is everything alright? Is _she_ alright?"

"Ema, she's fine." Lana shook her head miserably as liquid pools filled her beautiful eyes. "But no, everything's _not_ alright, Miles. That call was because she wanted to tell me about J – Jake." As she uttered the words, she burst into a fresh set of tears.

" _Marshall_?" Miles peered into her face with concern. "Lana, talk to me! What happened?"

"I chose to become betrothed to a hero, _that's_ what happened!" She sobbed. "There was a fight at the prison, and the jailhouse bullies were picking on one of the inmates for some stupid reason, so my gallant cowboy just _had_ to come _riding_ to the rescue, and stuck his neck out for him, and it caused a riot. He's not hurt, but because he was part of the ruckus, they are denying his parole, for which he was eligible, _this summer_!" She buried her face in her hands. "I haven't seen Jake in _seven years,_ Miles! We were _so close_ to finally being able to be together, only to have _this_ happen now!"

" _Oh no_!" He groaned, pulling her weeping form into his arms as her tears soaked his shoulder. "I am so sorry, Lana."

"It – it's so unfair!" She wailed. "Why does this sort of thing keep happening to us?!"

"Can he not appeal the decision?"

"Sure, he can damn well _try_ , but I'm not going to _hold my breath_! The same legal system that has kept Jake behind bars for such a minor misdemeanor, all these years, is hardly going to go easy on him! They've already thrown the book at him for being a former cop, one that's been incarcerated for stealing evidence, but moreover, _assaulting another cop!_ Surely, they will have no mercy with him now partaking in a _prison fight,_ even if it _was_ for _noble intentions_!"

In spite of the tragic circumstances, Miles couldn't help but smile grimly at the choice of words. _Nobel intentions falling flat? Can't say I'm a stranger to that, myself!_

"Not to sound overly nosy or judgmental, but what made you decide to look up the baby's memorial site?" Lana asked, sniffling slightly as she wiped her tears on her sleeve. "I mean, it seems like a pretty heartbreaking thing for you want to come home to…"

Miles swallowed painfully at the lump in his throat as he realized his friend had no idea about his own devastating news, in recent light of her own.

"Franziska – she's gone." He closed his eyes and shook his head, as though trying to block out the painful thought. "I came home and I found …a _Dear John_ letter. I have no idea about her whereabouts, so I tried to play detective and happened to click on her browser history. When I checked out last thing she looked at before she left, _that site for our daughter_ was what came up."

"Obviously, she was in a highly emotional and melancholic state at the time of her departure." Grateful for the momentary distraction from her own misery, Lana opened the browser history once more and clicked on the second to last tab. A window popped up to a video channel, which featured the Cyndi Lauper classic 80s ballad, "Time After Time."

"Wow, this song is a pretty sad one, as well," Lana observed, glancing over at Miles. "I wonder what it was that made Franziska so unhappy?"

"That song is more of a bittersweet one, than just a sad one, for the both of us," he explained wistfully. "When she was younger and just starting to learn how to dance, this was the song that we first danced to, which I once referred to as _our song_ , completely in jest. Later, after we got together, Franziska told me that the song always reminded her of me, even if at times, growing up, she felt that she would never keep up with me, because I'd always be a few steps ahead of her. Basically, it made her both happy and sad at the same time, even though I promised her that I would _never_ be so far ahead of her that she wouldn't be able to catch up to me."

"Hmm, so she was feeling nostalgic as well as somewhat saddened right before she left," the former detective mused. "Since you seem so thrown off course by this, I'm assuming you didn't see this coming? How were things between the two of you right before you had to leave?"

Miles shrugged helplessly. "Things were never quite the same after we lost Carol, despite my efforts to restore the intimacy back to our relationship, and right before I had to go, she allowed me _properly_ kiss her, for the first time _in months_. Moreover, _she kissed me back_! I actually, perhaps naively, had hope then that we could once more rekindle the romance and the passion when I returned." He laughed bitterly. "I even mentioned to her that perhaps we could discuss trying again for another baby when I came back. Talk about two people never being in harmony, or _even on the same page_! I have no idea _how long_ she felt this way...so _disconnected_ from me."

"Um..." Lana glimpsed at something in the web history, and gulped. Quickly, she closed the internet windows and turned around to face him with a strained smile. "Anyway, Miles, thanks for the me use your phone. I'm going to go call a taxi now and get out of your hair like I promised…"

"Lana what the _hell_ did you see in the web history that you are so obviously struggling not to tell me?" Miles narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

" _Nothing_!" She insisted, biting her thumb. "Look, you just got back from a long trip, and unfortunately came home to _quite a shock_. Miles, you really should get something to eat and get some rest and not worry about superfluous details such as _how long ago_ things were…"

"Let me look at that damn thing!" Brushing past her, the agitated man reopened the last two websites, the memorial site, along with the music video site. His own prosecutor logic had already deduced that Franziska had felt very forlorn and separated from him, as well as very blue and desolate right before she'd left. He couldn't fault her for anything. After all, he _had_ been gone for nearly a year, and perhaps it had just been too much for her this time. Maybe she had gotten fed up with constantly felt as though he was always leaving behind, and he _had_ been gone for quite some time…

That was when Miles saw it.

May 16, 2025.

A _year_.

Franziska had made the decision to leave him _almost a year ago_.

She'd evidently had one _figurative_ foot out the door, _about the same time_ that _he'd_ literally had one out the door as well - except _his_ been leaving _for work_ , not _her_! Yet still, she hadn't given him any indication of her intentions, when she'd had _ample opportunity_ to do so _in person_ , which he was certainly entitled to after _eight bloody years_!

Instead, she'd taken the _spineless, easy route_ with that _blasted letter_ instead! All the while, Miles hadn't even been gone for _three weeks_ at the time he'd jauntily set off on his journey, thinking that he'd had her blessing to do so the whole time, warming his heart and hopes with the memories of her sweet lips on his, and eagerly anticipating every single day until he could come home to her. He had been lovingly faithful, and completely lost without her, chattering like an animated chipmunk the entire duration to Lang, Lana and _anyone_ that cared to hear about his beautiful fiancée at home, to whose loving arms he couldn't wait to return!

However, during this _entire time_ , _Franziska_ had been several steps ahead, and out of reach, _this time around._ She had _coldly, deliberately, and heartlessly_ left him behind, in the most _cowardly_ way possible. After all the times _she_ had called _him_ a _coward_ in the past, this particular final blow cut like a knife.

Miles would have described his heartache like the music of a great orchestra. At times it was quiet and allowed him to function, at other times the violins would play and he would be sad, and at times, there was a flute playing, and he was able to remember her with fondness, that was rare though, and he enjoyed the moment. Right now, it would rise to a crescendo, and the anger would burst from his chest in a vicious shout of excruciating _anguish_.

"Miles?" Lana placed a hand on his arm, her sweet voice filled with concern. "Miles, are you OK?"

He turned to face her then, his heartache rapidly being replaced by the overly familiar feelings of _anger and betrayal_ , which seemed to be _synonymous_ to him regarding anything related to people with the name _Von Karma_. He could've laughed at the question. OK? Of course, he wasn't _OK_! He wasn't sure he would ever be _OK_ , ever again!

"Lana, do you believe in _signs_?" He asked abruptly. "As in perhaps certain _heuristic_ signs _from the universe_ , trying to tell you something, which you are either too blind, are too stubborn, to take immediate knowledge of?"

The Interpol agent placed her hands on either side of her former lover's face, and gazed sorrowfully up into his eyes so he could see the empathetic heartache within the teal depths, which he knew reflected his own.

"You mean, have I ever wondered sometimes _fate_ is trying to tell me just _throw in the towel? "_ She whispered dolefully. "That perhaps _,_ if I can't _be with the one I love_ , I should try to _love the one I'm with_?"

Miles nodded stiffly.

"Like right now, with us both finding out the devastating news about Jake and Franziska? Do you wonder if maybe all of this happened because it's some sort of _sign_ that may be _none of us_ are meant to be with the people we thought we were?" Lana's eyes were welling up again. "Yes, I do think it's time I paid heed to these...signs. I've tried to deny that there still something buried underneath it all between us, Miles, but you can't tell me that _you_ don't feel it too. Perhaps _that's_ why Franziska left you. Maybe she sensed something, which you and I have been trying too hard to ignore."

"I don't care to think about _what_ she was thinking anymore." He closed his eyes. "She's made her bloody choice! I just know that right now, I am too angry to think straight, and I wish I could hurt her back the way she has hurt me…"

"Don't get angry and vengeful." She brought his face down so that his forehead was resting against hers as she peered into his dejected eyes. "What has happened, has happened, life will go on, and eventually, you _will_ find peace. You could even choose to take this as a _sign_ , Miles. I know you said that you were thinking about trying to have another baby, and that the two of you have had heartache in that department in the past. Maybe... you and me… I don't know. Maybe _I_ could…"

"Stop." He cut in harshly. "I – I don't want to talk right now."

Limpid, long-lashed teal eyes gazed into slate grey ones. "So what _do_ you want to do then?"

"I don't know anything, anymore," he responded gruffly, "But I _do_ know that I absolutely, _without question_ , want to kiss you right now, Lana Skye. _Badly_."

He trailed his finger over her jaw and down her throat, his stare never unlocking from hers. As he leaned over her, she felt a heightened awareness of every part of her body that touched a part of his—the edge of his hip pressed to hers, his chest sliding against her own, his fingers tracing from her wrists to her forearms, to thread through her hair and tilt her head up, then framing her face. He held her in place, lips near her ear. When he kissed the sensitive spot, her breath shuddered at the familiar sensation and she closed her eyes. Her head swam, and she was drawing in short bursts of air as if she was surfacing every few seconds before diving deeper.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, and then slowly, ever so slowly, his lips began their descent down towards hers…

* * *

 _A/N (April 10, 2017)_

 _Dear Guest (Angel)_

 _I don't know if you've already gotten to this point in the story since your last reviews (thanks so much, they made my day!) but you kindly asked me about the links to Franziska and Lana in chapter 53. Here is are the repaired fan art links! :)_

 _Who's hotter? Lana  
_ _ **imgur dot com/DncaaNw**_

 _ ***by sulfoxides on Deviant Art**_

 _or Franny?_

 _ **imgur dot com/qX8Rkn3**_


	120. Bonds of Moirai

_Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death. I postpone death by living, by suffering, by error, by risking, by giving, by losing. Life is truly known only to those who suffer, lose, endure adversity and stumble from defeat to defeat.  
_

* * *

 _A/N: The part with Magnifi was done at the suggestion and aid of my awesome, funny and creative friend, and one of my most loyal readers on here, Ariastella. She's also a great writer and artist - check her out on Deviant Art as well as her accompanying short piece called "The Warden: Prison is a Punishment!" :)_

 _Are you guys as excited as I am? We are_ _ **officially in Apollo Justice timeline**_ _now ...so serious spoilers for Turnabout Trump/Turnabout Succession!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Twenty:** **Bonds of Moirai**

 _ **Magnifi Gramarye  
**_ _Hospital Room, Palliative Ward_  
April 13, 2019

As always, Valant had been too late. It had been almost a shame to disappoint him so, but after all, he had failed the test which his rival had passed with flying colors, as exemplified by the glaring bullet hole in the clown next to his bedside.

The old man smirked to himself. No matter, the deed was already done. Zak had already come and gone with the cherished magician trade secrets in his grasp, and would be the recipient of his father-in-law's will, and then, as would, subsequently, his offspring. The Gramarye secrets would continue within his bloodline, as tradition had always both ordained and intended . He beseeched to the powers that be that his granddaughter would someday bear her own progeny, and consequently continue the revered miracle techniques of Troupe Gramarye.

 _His granddaughter._ Magnifi frowned. His only beloved daughter's child…Trucy Hecate, the middle name given in honor of the Greek goddess of magic, which he was positive had been aptly bequeathed. The little girl was already showing great promise as an aspiring performer, and he was confident that she would find her way down her destined family path. With that train of thought, a blinding headache sharply and unexpectedly hit him then, along with the glaring brainwave, which he often tried to suppress, but had been coming to him more and more frequently in the two years since his terminal diagnosis. The truth was inescapable. Trucy was _not_ his only grandchild. She had a half-brother.

 _His grandson._ The child he had ruthlessly decreed should be denied their family name. That little boy, who would undoubtedly be a man soon by now, was out there somewhere in this world, as well. While it was too late for Magnify to remedy the wrong he had done by him, when he had mercilessly coerced Thalassa to abandon him, all he could do now with hope against hope that the hands of fate would correct his selfish wrongs. He prayed that someway, somehow, destiny would bring the siblings back together once more.

 _The ending of life is expected, we all live in this mortal plane. What I resent is death being longer and more painful than it needs to be. My body will self-destruct, day by day. The tumor will grow, spread, consume, and squash the very organs that work to sustain it. I've had a pretty good life, better than most, I don't need to hang on as a living ghoul; an "exit" pill would be kinder than all the attention from the hospice staff that lies ahead._ _My life from here on is these four walls, along with pain medication, until the day I die. I don't want it, not any of it. Last year I put down my Cocker Spaniel to save him from a painful end, so why can't I have the same? Perhaps if I scream and scream for pain medication I can get an overdose, slide out on a feather-lined cloud into the arms of the Almighty._

The doctors had told him he had a maximum of three more agonizing months to endure before he would finally meet his Maker. In the end, it wasn't dying that scared him so much as the pain. If he didn't wake up in the morning, he would know nothing of it. His affairs were in order; his successors were as provided for as they were ever going to be. He had already grieved for the loss of life he should have had with his loved ones months ago. He had cried until his eyes ran dry and his chest heaved violently. He had wanted to see his granddaughter grow to be a woman and perhaps even set eyes on his daughter's forsaken firstborn son, to see how he had turned out, to absolve his own conscience, had he been able to ascertain that the boy had turned out all right. However, that wasn't his kismet and Magnifi had accepted that the Lord had called him home well before he was ready to return.

 _Each contact with a human being is so rare, so precious, one should preserve it…_

Another sharp pain pierced his skull, more intolerable than the first, and with it came an even clearer image to his mind's eye. As time went on, they were becoming more and more crystal-clear, and he had recently acknowledged them for what they were… Psychic premonitions of things that were yet to come; events that would happen, only after his passing.

The more of them he envisioned, the more Magnifi came to love his grandchildren. However, at the same time, to his great umbrage, the more it also made him slowly realize the deeply seated and incurable faults of both his protégés. His end was drawing ever nearer and once he passed, the darkness would consume his family; his grandchildren caught in a vicious cycle of unhappiness where both would die on stage. It seemed that there was no hope for them...

Another blinding flash in his mind, this time a crystal-clear image, without any sound, that was so vivid he almost felt as though he could reach out and touch the shining star he could suddenly see in the corner of his vision. His heart filled with hope.

Magnifi saw a man; not a magician, but equally as gifted at performing miracles as he. The man wore a blue suit and loved with all his heart, always seemingly able to find more. He protected the defenseless and performed death-defying feats for those who carried a piece of his heart. In this man's future he could clearly see his grandchildren as two of those very lucky few who were carried within this sacred place, both of them equal recipients of this incredible man's fatherly love and devotion.

 _What was this now_? An odd little purple sprite woman who completed that man, with elfin features and laughing eyes. She was exuberant, silly and lighthearted, bringing smiles to the faces of everyone around her despite bearing a dark family history of her own. She loved her little cousin like a daughter, even though her treacherous aunt had attempted multiple times to have her put out of commission in order to have her own child usurp her place as their village chief. With this man and this woman watching over them as parental figures, his grandchildren could live long, joyous lives and would be well taken care of for the rest of their days.

So, what could Magnifi do other than begin his work? THIS would be his greatest performance! His most rewarding miracle! For it wouldn't be for inconsequential things like 'fame' or 'fortune' or 'glory' or some all-encompassing 'greater good.' No, it was all to make his grandchildren happy. And happy they would be, and blessed, all of them.

However, that couldn't happen while they were trapped with the Troupe. Zak was always going to leave them, eventually. Too much wanderlust... and passion for frivolous games. Would all hope be lost after all? The magician's heart sank.

 _Wait_! Another likeness loomed from the shadows, coming into the fray. A man in a top hat? He somehow discovered the Gramarye ties that bind and brought it all to light because he knew this mysterious man in the blue suit. This man had uncovered great mysteries in the past as well… Including solving the puzzle of an illusory town that was one big magic trick, which had been conjured into being all for the sake of one little flaxen haired girl; perhaps a tad excessive, but he could certainly appreciate the masterful work, especially from a man who isn't even a magician. In fact, he was a man of science and logic - a world-renowned _puzzle-solving archaeologist_? Perfect! Then, all he would need was a bit of a hint so then he could pass on the important message to this man in blue. The man's name … _Phoenix_ was it? Yes, Phoenix! What a wonderfully majestic and poetic name… A mythical bird that rose from its own ashes… As would this man, from any hardship that tried to leave him buried and forgotten in the dust…

 _Phoenix. You have my blessing, take care of them... Make sure to take care of yourself, too. It seems that the world still has_ _ **quite**_ _a lot in store for you..._

The pain that once burned like fire had faded away to an icy numbness. Black filled the edges of the old man's vision then as it jerked him back to reality, and the only thing was then conscious of was his own accelerating heartbeat. His breath came in ragged, shallow gasps. Seconds passed as he lay there in agonizing pain. Magnifi's eyes fell to the red nurse call button on his bedside. If he were to press it, he would have people soon swarming all over him, trying to help him, and trying to save him. Had the effort not been so unendurable, the magician would have laughed. Surely, they could tell that it was far too late for him to be saved, yet they were like children, naive to the darkness of the real world, something he had readily accepted long ago. Perhaps his excruciating, long drawn illness, which would cause his untimely demise, was a divine punishment; karmic retribution of some sort for the sins he had committed, but was too late to atone for.

Magnifi had long since stopped asking "Why me?" He had ceased raging at God. The man upstairs worked as fast as He could through scientists and doctors, the magician knew this. It just wasn't _fast enough for him_. Therefore, now that he had taken care of his affairs, the old man was now all set to go to Him. He was ready. Ready to leave behind him the despair and suffering he'd endured in the world. He would be exiting it soon enough and finally be able to leave all the pain behind him.

It was time for the final curtain call.

He closed his eyes. With that last premonition of what the future held for his descendants easing his mind, he knew he could die happily now.

These were the final thoughts of Magnifi Gramarye, _Master Perceptionist_ , as he pulled the trigger, and his fragile, human heart beat one last time.

* * *

 _ **Kristoph Gavin  
**_ 2019

Kristoph Gavin's long-standing hatred for Phoenix Wright had begun first by reputation before it accelerated into being a matter of principle. It was three years in the making, all which had come to a head in the April of 2019.

The initial cause of ire had been when the greenhorn attorney had first gone head-to-head in court with Winston Payne, and shamelessly defeated the Rookie Killer veteran prosecutor in the same manner of ease that one would crush a beetle under a steel-toed boot. Certainly, Winston Payne was a bumbling idiot at best, but it had been the spiky haired man's _first ever case_! And a murder trial to boot! Since when did defense attorneys successfully win such cases?!

Kristoph had been both annoyed and intrigued, but ultimately had dismissed it as beginner's luck and nothing else.

A few months later, another murder case made all the television news channels and newspaper headlines. The renowned defense attorney, Mia Fey, had been murdered, and apparently by none other than her own baby sister, Maya! No defense attorney worth his or her salt would take it on, as the press and the public were both positive of the teenager's guilt in the heinous crime, declaring it an open and shut case. Kristoph had only paid more than half a mind to the entire situation when it came to light that Phoenix Wright would be handling the defense. The blond man had enjoyed a perverse chuckle at the notion. What could the bumbling, wet behind the ears, attorney possibly gain, other than a humiliating defeat?! _Especially_ with the prodigal, undefeated High Prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth, who Kristoph had always respected and admired, being Wright's courtroom opposition?!

 _Phoenix Wright may have won his first case based on pure dumb luck_ , Kristoph convinced himself. _Nevertheless,_ _ **this**_ _time he is in_ _ **way**_ _over his head!_

The German man had been completely gobsmacked when, after actually somehow absolving his client from all murder chargers, only to wind up in the defendant's chair himself somehow, Phoenix Wright had done the _mother_ of all turnabouts and handed the esteemed Miles Edgeworth the first defeat of his illustrious legal career!

The same fickle press, who had first deemed Maya Fey, and then Phoenix himself of being guilty of their accused crimes, and had all but _sentenced them to death_ , were now hailing the young attorney! Kristoph felt positively _ill_ as the media inundated him with the outpouring of praise and glory being showered on the rookie attorney, now referring to Phoenix Wright, _ad nauseam_ , as the King of the Turnabout! His meteoric rise to fame completely eclipsed Kristoph's own minor acclaim as The Coolest Defense in the West! It was so unfair! _How_ had a _second rate_ attorney, a complete _lowlife_ from _nowhere_ , not only stolen his thunder, but then gained such an _undeserved_ reputation for legal brilliance?

Kristoph's fuming only intensified into full-blown rage as later that year, another legal bigwig he'd always revered, the legendary Manfred Von Karma, also toppled at the hands of Phoenix Wright, not only suffering his first courtroom loss, but being sent to death row for crimes he'd committed that the spiky haired man had uncovered from _15_ _years ago!_

Phoenix Wright was now seen as a _hero_ , _on_ _top of_ being considered _the best thing since_ _sliced bread_ to the legal world! It was flat out stomach turning _!_

To watch how the mighty had fallen at the hands of a newbie defense attorney was bad enough. But then, a year later, Phoenix Wright's courtroom brilliance soon began to ruin _Kristoph's own courtroom record_ , thanks to that _porcupine headed PRICK_ being the champion of getting his clients declared innocent via having the unsuspecting witnesses of their trials end up shouldering the blame! The end result was that the incensed German would be stuck with defending these guilty as sin clients, whose fates were already sealed by the time Kristoph got around to defending them!

Ken "Acro" Dingling, Richard Wellington, Furio Tigre…all their trials were a complete _joke_ – the German's defense arguments all a complete sham, which he had no hope in hell of ever winning! All of this resulted in only further intensifying his burning hatred for the blue attorney.

 _Now_ it had become _personal_!

 _Someday,_ Kristoph brooded darkly. _Somehow… I will claim my rightful place at the top of the pile, and nothing, not even God himself, will stand in my way!_

Kristoph was a patient man when he had to be. He knew his big chance would come soon enough, as surely as he knew that nothing would hinder his entitled and surely destined heralded spotlight in the legal world. He was consumed by the seductive allure of promised power, fame, and prestige – the three symbols of status that validated his own importance, as well as his reason for turning to the world of law. It was hard to make a recognized name for oneself when their much younger teenage sibling was a universally beloved household name, both as a Rock God, and now, at 17, as the youngest prosecutor in the state, but Kristoph was confident his enduring perseverance would pay off.

The answer to his prayers arrived one day in April, when a young girl named Trucy Gramarye had called the Gavin Law Offices, stating that her father Zak wanted Kristoph to come see him at the Detention Center.

Kristoph had felt his pulse quicken with excitement. Of course he had heard of the world-famous magician troupe, and the idea of potentially representing his first ever celebrity client, and getting all the fame that would go with it, was like a dream come true. He all but flew down to the Detention Center to see the incarcerated performer.

Kristoph listened intently while Zak explained his woeful tale of wrongful arrest and being the falsely accused suspect in the murder of his father-in-law, Magnifi. The pink hatted man told the attorney that prior to his mentor's passing, he had been given the inherited transferal of rights of the old man's legendary magic tricks. As Trucy watched the two men silently, Zak proceeded to show Kristoph the diary page he had been given showing all of the information he had just relayed to him.

"You've made the right decision in contacting me," Kristoph assured him smugly. "Rest assured that The Coolest Defense in the West will see to it that you walk away from the trial tomorrow as a free man."

"I'm very grateful for your willingness to defend me," Zak returned smoothly. "However, before we agree to anything, I wish to challenge you to a game of poker. Do you accept?"

Kristoph was absolutely floored at the outrageous proposal. He had never been the sort to engage in chance endeavors whatsoever. Moreover, while he had refined tastes and certainly had more than enough wealth to enjoy the better things in life, he had never been the type to squander or risk his money foolishly. He despised gambling, or anything where his luck was not a guaranteed sure thing, although he was somewhat acquainted with the preliminaries of poker and had a decent grasp on how to play. However, what he could _not_ grasp was how a man that was facing death row if convicted of the crime, which he insisted he was innocent of, could possibly wish to gamble at a time like _this_?

The magician saw the attorney's bemused, disapproving expression and laughed.

"Don't worry, we are not playing for money. There's so much more that can be determined from a simple poker game than mere dollars."

Kristoph shrugged mentally, and allowed the cards to be dealt. Immediately he saw that his hand was terrible, and folded right away, completely disgusted by what he saw as nothing more than a waste of time on such trivialities when he should have been investigating matters to better assist his client in court the next day!

"Okay fine, you won, I lost," he announced peevishly, glaring at the larger man. "Are you happy now? Now that you are assured that you are the more superior player of this menial little card game than I am, shall I go about my duties of putting together your defense for tomorrow's trial?"

"You're mistaken Mr. Gavin," Zak answered, a dark shadow crossing his face. "There's so much more that lies beneath the surface than just a game of cards. It is through poker that you can see the type of man a player really is. His entire character can be ascertained by his body language, his emotions, even his innermost thoughts can be revealed by something that is seen as a simple trivial game of chance. I have _seen your hand,_ _in more ways than_ one, shall we say?" He flashed a mystical smile then, as if to take the bite out of his previous words. "I am happy to have you as my defense counsel. Good day to you."

With that, he tipped his hat at Kristoph, and allowed himself to be led away by the bailiff, leaving Kristoph even more confused, and now somewhat irked, even though he wasn't quite sure why. Regardless of what he thought of Zak Gramarye, however, the man was his ticket to guaranteed acclaim and prestige, and unlike the magician, Kristoph Gavin did not believe in leaving things, including the fate of his clients, to mere chance.

He was whistling softly to himself as he headed off to go visit his old acquaintance, Drew Misham.

* * *

 _ **Kristoph Gavin**_  
 _Gavin Law Offices  
_ April 18, 2019

The evening before Zak's trial, Kristoph conceitedly ran his finger over the envelope holding the forged piece of evidence he had commissioned, with which he had ensured his victory. The icing on the cake was the discovery that he would be going up against Klavier, and his first ever prosecutor case in court the next day. The supercilious grin on the defense attorney's smug visage was unwavering at the notion as he rapturously daydreamed about how this famous trial would not only make him a legend of the legal world, but also give him the unsurpassed pleasure of showing off his superior lawyer skills against his empty headed, superficial baby brother.

 _I'm going to mop the floor with you, Klavier,_ he snickered to himself. _You'll wish you had stuck with caterwauling mind-numbing lyrics for your legions of teenyboppers and left the legal world to the big boys!_

The German man was so engrossed in his quixotic woolgathering that when the phone rang a moment later, at first he was positive that he had heard Zak incorrectly.

The son of a bitch had opted to _forego_ _his attorney services_ and was therefore informing him that he would _not_ be representing him in the trial the next day!

Shocked to his very core, Kristoph heard his meek voice numbly asking who would be taking his place as the magician's defense counsel, somehow already knowing the answer even before Zak told him his despised nemesis' name. He barely registered the piffle that the magician apologetically spewed right afterward, regarding his genuine belief about what kind of man was behind the poker cards, and _blah blah blah_. At this point Kristoph was too busy shaking with rage at the notion that he had once again fallen victim to that imbecile of a defense attorney! And over something as trite as a _freaking poker game_?!

There were no words to describe the raging hatred that threatened to consume him.

 _You'll pay for this Phoenix Wright. I don't just want to kill you, I want to put you in a pit and add the shovels of dirt slowly until your Goddamn mouth is full of muck. I want to hear your cries as the rocks rain down on you thicker than a hailstorm. Death would be too good for you, although that would almost be welcome at this point._ He grinned cruelly, his wild eyes wider than any sane person's should be. _I don't care if you have no idea what it is that you have just done, I don't want to hear it. Zak, you should have told me all that crap back when it could have made a difference! After_ _ **all**_ _the trouble I've gone through for you, sparing no expense whatsoever to ensure your freedom,_ _ **this**_ _is how you choose to betray me?! The two of you deserve everything I'm about to unleash upon you henceforth! Hatred is all that is left._ _All I am is hatred, all I am is rage and I'm going to ruin you. I'm going to see that you pay._ _What then? I have no idea. I don't care what's next, that's where I finish. I hope you're proud, this is all_ _ **your**_ _handiwork!  
_

* * *

 _ **Kristoph Gavin**_  
April 20, 2019

 _Revenge is a dish best served cold._ Kristoph rubbed his bony fingers together with glee. Phoenix Wright's fall from grace and exile from the legal world was the most poetic justice imaginable, and it was all he could do to keep from cackling with glee when The Bar Association panel demanded the helpless, pleading man's attorney badge and then proceeded to destroy it right before his devastated eyes.

In spite of the fact that he had made every move possible to ensure his bases were covered, what with the "special nail polish" and even more "exclusive stamp" he had gifted Vera Misham with, Kristoph knew he still had to be one step ahead of the game. He would be keeping _a very close eye_ on Phoenix Wright going forward, who was surely a man of _some intelligence_ to have lasted on his bumbling legal luck as long as he had and therefore, possibly have half a mind to deduce Kristoph's own conspired involvement in getting him stripped of his badge. Being the sole dissenter of the tribunal to vote against the action would not be enough. He would have to ensure that he never showed any sign of hostility towards Phoenix. He needed to maintain a respectable appearance to the world, after all, even if it meant _forging_ a friendship with the disgraced former attorney that he so loathed, spending copious amounts time visiting him in that dank hole in the wall bar where he assaulted everybody's ears with the god-awful _drivel_ he called _piano playing_!

While their feigned alliance was of course a complete ruse, the grim satisfaction the German man got by regularly seeing the great Phoenix Wright forced to make a living in that frigid Russian hovel, run by a couple of _cartoon-character like_ individuals as his bosses, was 100% genuine. It helped ease the blow to his still scarred ego! Admittedly, the second-rate former defense attorney, turned equally second-rate pianist, _did_ provide some intelligent and witty conversation, although Kristoph often fervently wished Wright's disheveled face showed some _sort_ indication of the pain and depression he was undoubtedly feeling, rather than the impassive, slightly smug countenance he always bore, which didn't suit his current plight in the least!

With the _forgin' attorney_ no longer around as his key rival, Kristoph's law firm prospered greatly, and he slowly, but surely, began to achieve the prestige he had so coveted. He hand selected, out of _hundreds_ of applicants from the Ivy University Law program, an understudy five years after Phoenix Wright's career defense attorney had met its untimely end, to commence working in his office upon graduation. The young man had a most unusual name, Apollo Justice, but the defense attorney sensed a genuine earnestness in the young student and was impressed by his determination and dedication to the law. Undoubtedly he had potential to be a great lawyer someday and Kristoph was happy to take him under his wing. There was little doubt in his mind that someday, Apollo had the makings to perhaps even be in the same ranks as Kristoph _himself_ as far as great attorneys in history went!

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice  
**_ _Gavin Law Offices_ **  
**April 17, 2026 1:15 PM

"Thanks for coming to meet me for lunch, Clay," Apollo said to his best friend as they neared the Gavin Law Offices. "It was nice to get out and enjoy some beautiful spring weather for a change. I've been up to my eyeballs in folders and paperwork."

"You're _still_ just a glorified desk jockey?!" Clay's animated dark eyes widened in surprise. "You've been working there a good few months now! You're telling me he _still_ hasn't let you work on an actual case in the courtroom?!"

"I guess Mr. Gavin doesn't think I'm ready yet." Apollo's spikes drooped dejectedly. "All I do is push paper and boring administrative stuff because Mr. Gavin is so busy with ongoing trials that he cannot be bothered to deal with these sorts of miscellaneous tasks!" He scowled and kicked a rock on the pavement in frustration. "I don't want to sound like an ungrateful brat, Clay; I _know_ it's a privilege to already be working for such an esteemed attorney straight out of law school – there's a bunch of kids from my graduating class who _still_ haven't found a job! However, I have to tell you this pussyfooting around…it _really stinks_! What's the point of graduating at the top of my class if I can't put my theory to practice and get a chance to point my finger in a _live courtroom_ and shout out _Objection_!"

"This really bites the big one indeed," Clay nodded solemnly, although his eyes were dancing with mischief. "To think of all the time spent waking up at the crack of dawn to practice your earsplitting _Chords of Steel_ may have been in vain! I think _that's_ what so greatly diminishes the fact that you have the coveted position of being assistant to the best defense attorney in Los Angeles! You know I really think the allure of emulating your former idol's finger-pointing and shouting was the real reason you decided to be a lawyer?"

" _Very funny_ , Space Man!" The fledgling defense attorney glowered at the young astronaut, then his shoulders slumped and a wistful look came across his baby-faced features. "Number one – Mr. Gavin wasn't always the best in the west, of whatever it is he claims to be! And number two…Phoenix Wright _never_ stopped being my idol! I still strive to one day be as great as he was! Do you know except for that Matt Engarde case, he trumped Mr. Gavin's winning record by a landslide with a perfect set of courtroom triumphs?"

" _Apollo_ …" Clay let out an exasperated sigh. "I know you had this fan boy level of hero worship for the guy back in the day, but I've seen _widows_ in less mourning than _you_ have been the last seven years! You have _got_ to move past this whole Phoenix Wright thing! As your best friend, I have to tell you it's _mondo depressing_ for me to watch and it _cannot_ be healthy for _you!_ You never knew the man, and _he_ never even knew of your existence! He's probably forgotten all about that book I got him to autograph for you a million years ago! In addition, no one knows _where_ the guy is, or _what_ he's doing… Or even if he's still –"

"Don't even _think_ of finishing that thought!" Apollo interrupted fiercely, his golden eyes ablaze. "I _know_ he's out there, Clay! He's going to come back with a vengeance and _totally_ clear his name! He's just waiting for the right moment, that's all! He'll return even _better_ than ever and everyone is going to call him The Comeback King!"

"You make quite the fervent defense, Mr. Justice. Phoenix Wright should be so lucky to ever have you as his counsel." The raven-haired boy eyed his friend sympathetically. "It's been seven years. Do you _really_ think he's ever going to come back after having disappeared for so long?"

"I do." Apollo jutted his chin stubbornly. "He'll rise from the ashes, Clay, you mark my words!"

"I'm sorry. I just hate the idea of anyone who you put so much faith in, disappointing you, " Clay said gently. "It's touching that you still have the memory of him on such a high pedestal, but do you honestly, in your _heart of hearts_ , believe that he's innocent?"

"I know it sounds crazy because he's like a celebrity that I never met, whose death I am lamenting," Apollo muttered, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "But from everything I saw and knew and read about him, Phoenix Wright was special. One-of-a-kind. He was this…epic, larger-than-life figure in court, yet still I sense he was also a gentle soul when out of the courtroom, whose loyalty and kindness was unsurpassable. At his core, _I just_ _know_ he's incapable of such foul misdeeds; he's as honest as they come!"

"After hearing your passionate plea on his behalf, I no longer know what I think about Phoenix Wright, Apollo." The boys had reached the office now, and Clay smilingly shook his head and gave his old friend a goodbye punch to the arm. "But I _do_ know that tonight after work, you and me are going to go out for a drink, and we are going to raise our glasses to your dreams! I am going to get us a couple of Dead Lawyer cocktails, and we shall have a celebratory toast to my best friend! _I just know_ he is going to _finally_ prove himself to his obviously _blind as a bat, completely bullheaded_ mentor, and thus receive his first big case, _really soon_ , and make a name for himself in legal history as _Apollo Justice, Ace Attorney_!"

"Thanks a lot, Clay." Despite his depression, Apollo flashed a rueful grin at his friend. "It means a lot to me that you're so confident in my abilities."

"And just what kind of best friend would I be if I _wasn't_?" Clay returned blithely, flashing his customary shit-eating grin. "The key thing is, do _you_ believe in _yourself?_ Obviously, _you_ know _you've_ got what it takes to be a Clarion of Revelations in the courtroom, so why not just ask your boss to give you a performance review to see where he thinks you're at?"

"That's not a bad idea." Apollo blushed slightly and scratched the back of his head in his typical endearing fashion. "Now why didn't _I_ think of that?"

"We're in big trouble now, aren't we?" Clay smirked, adjusting his visor. " _I_ was supposed to be the looks, and _you_ were supposed to be the brains, Apollo! It wouldn't be fair for me to be _both_! So smarten up, get those Chords of Steel ready, and go roar your own damn praises at that boss of yours!"

The quip earned the astronaut a final laughter-filled, parting shot to the arm before Apollo took a deep breath and strolled into the office, where he found Kristoph sitting at his mahogany desk, flipping through some case files, mumbling and nodding to himself.

The young man took a deep breath and quickly expelled it before he lost his nerve. "Mr. Gavin, Sir, might have a word of your time? Um, that is, may I please get a _moment of your time_ to have, er, _a word_?"

The blond man glanced up, looking most displeased at the interruption, but quirked a well-groomed brow at his employee and waved a manicured hand at the seat across from him.

"What's on your mind, Justice?" He steepled his long fingers together and looked down his nose and over his glasses at the now squirming defense attorney. "Is something troubling you?"

"Well, not exactly _troubling_ me _per se_ …" Apollo blushed and scratched his head nervously. "I mean, I _love_ working for you, Mr. Gavin, really I do! It's both an honor and a privilege! It's just that…um, I think I have been doing a really good job handling every administrative task you've given me, no matter how heavy the workload is, and I was just wondering… When you would think I would be ready to finally see the inside of a courtroom?"

"You mean to say you're sick of pushing paper, and you want to do the more fun stuff associated with being a lawyer now, do you?" Kristoph chuckled quietly as he studied his understudy's fervid expression. "The young Mr. Justice seeks to play in the big leagues now, does he?"

"Er… I don't think I would be _too_ terrible…" Apollo mumbled, his burning face undoubtedly matching his vest by now. "But you know, _you're_ the boss for a reason! Er, many of them, really! Ergo, if _you_ don't think I'm ready, maybe it's just best to try to forget that we have had this conversation in the first place?"

"I suppose I could give you my thoughts of your performance as an employee in a nutshell if you desire." Kristoph smiled thinly, and pushed glasses up his nose. "Would you like to get your performance review?"

"Um, sure." Apollo nervously laced and unlaced his fingers underneath the edge of Kristoph's desk as his boss reached into his drawer and pulled out a leather-covered notebook, flipping open to a page that looked as though it had _a lot_ of writing on it.

"Coming to work on time… _Perfect_. Attendance… _Perfect_." The defense attorney looked up from his notes to study his employee's visibly relieved face, and cocked a half smile. "Accuracy with reports… _Mostly_ _satisfactory._ "

Apollo felt his horns beginning to droop.

"Adherence to deadlines… _Passable_. Maintaining decent voice levels both indoors and in front of clients _… Needs work_."

Apollo felt himself begin to sweat drop. _What the hell was I thinking just accosting him like this and demanding to go to court already?!_ He silently screamed. _**Worst. Idea. Ever!**_

"Overall, considering you are a fresh graduate and I knew better than to expect any sort of _perfection_ as such…" Kristoph clapped the notebook shut and smiled proudly at his understudy. "Altogether, I'm quite impressed. You've certainly proven to be a valuable employee under my instruction thus far, and I agree that you should get a chance to prove yourself in court. Not _solo_ of course… I don't think you're quite ready for such, but under my guidance, I think we can _release you_ from the _shackles binding you to your desk_ with the next client we get. How does that sound?"

"That sounds incredible!" Apollo blurted out, before he could stop himself. He already knew his voice had gotten too loud for comfort when Kristoph cringed slightly and motioned with his hand for his protégé to lower his volume. "I promise I won't let you down Sir! And I'll work _really hard_ on my indoor voice, I promise!"

"I'm glad to see I have alleviated your concerns." Kristoph smiled thinly. "I'm actually quite certain of your capabilities as an attorney, Justice. You're smart, you're sharp, and while you've got your quirks, I have no doubt that you have what it takes to make me very proud to be your mentor, and that you will represent me and my firm very well in the near future."

* * *

 _ **Kristoph Gavin  
**_ _Gavin Law Offices_  
April 19, 2026 5:33 PM

Kristoph was just about to leave the office for the evening when the telephone rang.

"Hello?"

"Kristoph, it's me."

"Good evening, _Herr_ Wright. To what do I owe the pleasure of hearing from you… _Yet_ _again_?"

"It was just as I feared when I called you last. I've been arrested for the murder of Shadi Smith, and I need an attorney."

"I see. And when will I be defending you?"

" _You_ …?" A humorless chuckle on the line. "No, Kristoph, I don't believe I will be requesting your services in court. All these years of being a poker shark have decidedly made me a gambling man."

Kristoph felt as though his heart had stopped beating at that moment. _What the hell is that blasted man up to now?_

"Are you still there? I was under the impression that you had an understudy, I believe…?"

Kristoph's mind reeled. Every single time he had seen Phoenix Wright over the years it had always been on his adversary's own territory, _never_ his. And while he had made sure that _he_ had familiarized himself with _every single relevant detail_ of the disbarred attorney's _comings, goings and all relevant associations_ over the last seven years, _he_ hadn't _ever_ made the other man privy to any sort of information about himself, whatsoever! After all, what better way to ensure that he remained the _hunter_ rather than the _hunted,_ than to keep all his own dealings secret and held close to his chest?

"How have you become in possession of this information?" He demanded harshly.

He could almost hear the other man shrug on the other end of the line. "Let's just say I have my sources. If you'd be so gracious as to allow Mr. Justice to defend me in court on the day of the trial, I would be much obliged."

"You're calling rather late you know. It's a miracle that _I_ was still at the office." Kristoph said quickly, wondering how the damned degenerate knew the name of his employee! "Apollo has left for the day already …"

" _Oh_? _Is_ it after-hours?" A short, dry laugh. "They don't really let us have access to clocks or watches where I'm currently at. No matter, just to be safe, I have already taken the liberty of putting together my letter of request for Mr. Justice to be sent out tonight. I imagine you will receive it in the morning."

Kristoph found himself simultaneously growing more and more furious and perturbed. "You would forsake _my_ counsel for my _apprentice_?" He hissed. "Is this some sort of a twisted _joke_?"

"A Joker is a wild card in a poker playing deck. However, I am not anything of the sort in either the _literal_ or _figurative_ sense, although I suppose one could consider me to be fortune's _fool_ , considering this is my _third_ time being charged with murder." Another mirthless guffaw. "I tend to _not_ be a Joker when my life is on the line."

"Apollo Justice is a fresh out of law school _rookie_! While the young man is very bright and shows a lot of promise, he most certainly _is not_ ready to take the lead on a case, least of all _a murder trial_!" Kristoph's voice was barely above a strangled whisper. This threw _quite_ the monkey wrench in his game plan! What the devil had motivated Phoenix Wright to request _his_ _apprentice_ , of all people?!

"Thank you kindly for the warning, but I already signed and filed the request. Look out for it in your early morning mail at the office. You should receive it right before my trial commences...tomorrow morning."

" _Herr_ Wright, this is _not_ a poker game! This is _your very existence_ that you're gambling with," Kristoph tried one more time to appeal to the man's obviously _nonexistent_ logic. "You are _literally_ playing a game of chance _with your life._ The stakes here are higher than you can ever imagine!"

"I understand them better than you think, _dear friend_."

"Fine, have it _your_ way then! But don't expect anything _special_!"

Kristoph's final words were met with the sound of the dial tone in return. Just like the last time, Phoenix hung up before he could continue his argument. He slammed down the phone with an earsplitting clang and gritted his teeth.

 _That detestable hurensohn_ _ **dares**_ _to snub my benign offer of services to him in lieu of a rookie who hasn't even gotten his feet wet in the world of law! I had only wanted to get us both off the hook, and deal with Wright myself, but_ _ **fate**_ _has directed_ _ **this**_ _turn of events! Oh well, at least the only silver lining in all of this is that_ _ **constant thorn in my side**_ _will spend the rest of his years rotting in prison for my own offences, since I'm as sure as the day is long_ _that Justice is too much of a newbie to have the skills to declare his innocence! Even if my protégé heads the case, he's still going to be under_ _ **my**_ _guidance. Yes…the plan will still work…so what if there's a minor change?_

Kristoph was mentally going through his step-by-step plan for the following morning's trial. Everything that was going according to his plan, with only a couple of hitches. In this particular case, he supposed, with a touch of waspishness, that he could at least _pretend_ to talk to all related witnesses and get their testimonies beforehand, as per usual, to at least _somewhat_ give the appearance that he was going to do the best job he possibly could as the defense counsel! In _this_ case, though, he _wouldn't_ need to make the extra invested time or require bribery to secure the various applicable affidavits, but at least he could be relatively sure that by talking to the people involved in the following days court case, everybody's stories would be accurate! Ultimately, it was all about keeping up appearances; just because his plan was to send his client _up the river,_ it most definitely didn't mean it had to be to be _glaringly_ _obvious_ to all who witnessed it!

Humming to himself, and feeling slightly calmer now, Kristoph whipped out his mobile phone as he strolled out the door of his office, and began dialing a number.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Justice," he said smoothly. "Mr. Gavin here."

"S – Sir? I- Is everything OK?" The young man stammered, obviously flummoxed by the phone call. "Er, sorry, I wasn't expecting your call, since you've never rang me after hours before…"

"There's a first time for everything," Kristoph replied calmly. "It was only a few days ago that you requested your premier courtroom appearance, did you not? Your wish is my command. You have your first client case."

"A client… _Me_?" he asked uncertainly, although Kristoph could hear the excitement bubbling beneath the surface. "But are you sure…I'm _ready_ , Mr. Gavin?"

"I have complete confidence in you, Justice. You'll do fine."

"W- Wow! Thank you, Sir! This is great news! I'll come in bright and early tomorrow morning to start preparing!" Apollo was positively burbling with excitement, like a bowl of Rice Krispies cereal. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow morning."

" _T_ - _Tomorrow morning_?" Apollo croaked. "Sir, that would be asking a lot even from a veteran defense attorney like yourself! How can you expect a _novice_ like me to be able to handle a case that's been dropped into my lap at the _eleventh hour_?"

"You'll be fine," Kristoph returned dryly. "As sure as you're _Apollo Justice, you'll be fine_. I should know; I've heard you enough times, shouting ' _I'm Apollo Justice, and I'm fine!'_ while you practice to your Chords of Iron each morning before I get to the office!"

"Oops! Heh, heh! I try to do that when I'm alone at the office so as to spare your eardrums Sir!"

"That's quite considerate of you. Incidentally, I can still hear you coming down the hallway all the way from the elevator."

"Er, sorry Sir. And it's um, Chords of _Steel_ , not _Iron_ , sir." Apollo sounded embarrassed. "But if _you_ have faith in me, I'll do my very best, Mr. Gavin, Sir! So…what is our client's name?"

"It should be a familiar name to you, Justice," Kristoph smirked. "You will be defending Mr. Phoenix Wright in court tomorrow."

There was silence on the phone for the longest time, and the German man was just about to ask if his employee was still there when he suddenly heard a loud screech of euphoria on the line and literally had to hold the phone away from his poor, abused ear.

" _Holy freaking cow_! Are you _serious_?" Apollo gasped, breathless with excitement. " _The_ Mr. Phoenix Wright?"

"Yes, Justice, the one and only. He of forging attorney acclaim." Kristoph rolled his eyes disgustedly. _Why in bloody hell is everyone so hung up on that pathetic has-been, Phoenix Wright?!_ _He's been disbarred for even longer than he was an actual attorney, and he's never achieved half of what I have accomplished for the legal world!_ "I suppose things have taken quite a turn for the unexpected, _yet interesting_ , have they not?"

"I can't believe I _finally_ get to meet him!" Apollo sounded positively giddy. "I mean, worst circumstances _ever_ but…"

"Justice, have some dignity and calm down!" Kristoph ordered, the irritation evident in his voice. "The man has been accused of a crime I am sure he is innocent of, and your job is not to act like a starstruck fanboy, but as the _competent attorney_ I'm assured that you are, in order to get him that _not guilty verdict_ in court tomorrow! I presume my belief in you is not misplaced, and that you can be trusted with this matter?"

"Yes, Sir!" Apollo sounded slightly more subdued now. "I just don't understand though! Why would he choose _me_ and not _you_?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Kristoph responded tersely. "I have never mentioned it to you before, as I prefer to keep my personal matters private, but Phoenix Wright is actually a good friend of mine. I happen to have dined with him on the night of the murder, and I only imagine he thought that information would give the prosecution unnecessary material."

"If you say so, Sir!" Apollo sounded panicked now. He had mastered the art of panicking, complete with the ability to make his hair droop on command, like falling TV antenna. "I guess we have no time to waste then. I will be there bright and early tomorrow."

"Good. I'll see you in court tomorrow." Kristoph hung up the phone, trying to stifle the mounting feeling of apprehension and unease that he couldn't quite shake.

 _ **What**_ _is Phoenix Wright up to? Just what the_ _ **hell**_ _is going through that accursed man's mind?!  
_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _Detention Center_  
April 19, 2026 6:00 PM

"Hey, Pal." Gumshoe cleared his throat as he regarded his old friend sitting quietly inside the holding cell, looking completely drained. "How are you holding up?"

Phoenix shrugged noncommittally. "About as good as one could possibly be when he's in prison, I guess? Thanks for asking."

"You're not in _prison_ , Pal." The big man regarded the former defense attorney with saddened puppy dog brown eyes. "You haven't been convicted with anything yet. If I had _my_ way, you'd be out on bail until trial. I know you wouldn't be taking off anywhere! For the record, seeing you like this is absolutely _killing_ me."

"I know it is, Gumshoe." Phoenix smiled wanly. "Thank you though. I know there's only so much you can do, even as chief of police."

"Well, that would include making sure that you get your one phone call." Gumshoe's lips twitched slightly. "Which is why I'm here, actually."

"What are you talking about?" The big man was treated to a nonplussed indigo stare. "I've already _had_ my one phone call, not even _half an hour_ ago! Don't you remember that I already called my lawyer? I mean… _you're_ the one who escorted me to the phone!"

"You get _some_ perks having a friend who's police chief." A mysterious smile flickered across Gumshoe's face. "I _know_ that you already _made_ a phone call, Pal! I'm here to escort you to the telephone because you actually _have_ a call. As in, an incoming, _received_ one."

 _Since when are suspected criminals who are in jail – sorry,_ _ **detention centers**_ _! – Allowed to receive phone calls as though this is some sort of hotel?_ The baffled Phoenix wondered to himself as he hesitantly walked up to the phone and looked questioningly at the now smirking Gumshoe, who was watching him with now twinkling eyes.

"Who is it?" He asked his friend.

"I have _no_ idea." Gumshoe affected his most innocent expression. "Suppose you try picking up the phone and finding out for _yourself_?"

Phoenix gingerly lifted the receiver to his ear and cleared his throat.

"H – Hello?"

"Wright, you bloody _imbecile_!" The _unmistakably familiar_ voice on the phone barked. "What fine mess have you gotten yourself into _now?!"_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 119**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

First of all welcome back! Your absence is always noted and missed!

The second of all since I left that chapter ending wide open for interpretation and speculation, I want to let you know that I truly appreciate you giving me that extra level of trust (I would hope somewhat earned over half million words later!) and not jumping to conclusions or down my throat for the way I left it! Franziska Von Karma is the mother of all survivors, and you have not seen the last of her I would never leave things without being resolved, and the answer to all of this will make sense very soon! I would like to think that Miles has learned from his mistakes and how he is worth more than being the side dish/ male "mistress" in a relationship, because in this case you're right – it _would_ be regrettable and that's all it would be, a meaningless role in the hay if they did fall into bed! Keeping in mind that while he is an intelligent man who has now learned the difference between love and lust, he is heartbroken and feeling betrayed, because as you know, he has been loving Franny and staying loyal to her and thinking of nothing but her this entire time he's been away only… to find out that she _ran_ not _walked_ out the door the minute he left it! I never claimed nor do I wish to portray Miles Edgeworth as a saint of a man, any more than I want to make him any kind of deplorable _Gary Sue_ character; flaws would show great character growth and make the character more relatable, don't you think?

Canon wise, Miles had his flaws, like being a prat in court and being a stick up the bum sort; I'd think he can also be guilty of an impure thought or have temptation waved in front to him, but I think if he resisted it would be even better than a man that had never had such thoughts at all… Assuming of course that's what he does! ;)

Yes, Lana would still be cheating yet _again_ since as you pointed out, the act first, think later Jake Marshall is still in her life, and has not broken up with her, but is simply victim of the whole no good deed goes unpunished cruel hand of fate! It's okay to talk to the characters even if they can't hear you I imagine you're not the first one just as much as I would speculate it would be the equivalent of one man screaming at their sports teams while watching the game on their television set! Either way you have managed to make yourself even further endearing to me, which I didn't think was possible, so thank you very much for surprising me in such a manner my dear friend!

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

Did you mean she's a huge nerd because she knows about spidey sense? LOL  
Essentially that would make her more hot! If I were a guy I think I would totally love the idea of a chick being that hot and having some kind of geekiness to her! The idea of her being into fan fictions is hilarious... If I were to throw that in as a sideways gag which fandom do you think she would be into?

Miles does not love Lana ...I think it's just because he was pissed off at the betrayal of how long ago Franny left... and the fact that Lana was you know...THERE!

 **Thepudz**

It's a bit of a shame that we only saw Jake and not one case because I love the whole cowboy angle and he did strike me very much as someone that would be very emotional and in the case when he was totally desperado also be the kind who would act first and think later... but underneath it's just a really good guy, the same guy who would bend and break a few rules to see that his brother got posthumous justice would also be the type not to let someone being bullied for no reason if he could help it!

I'm so happy you thought that the big reveal was not anticlimactic I was really fearing that would be the case!

As for Miles and Franny and the chaos that was their courtship... I hope the backstory I created for them was satisfying but I also wanted to make it as different from Nick and Maya's possible, sticking to their characters as much as I could, because the circumstances are so different even though the love is equally _measure for measure_! (Yes I threw Shakespeare reference in there I'm a nerd AND geek, OK?) :p

 **DannyDragon**

Silly girl don't worry about your typos... English is my native tongue and I still make typos all the time yet I still hope my readers can understand what my intention is since I do use a microphone to be able to write these chapters as quickly as I do but when it comes back to editing my work and my comments it is very difficult to edit your own work!

Yes for _playing possum_ the way he did for so long Miles Edgeworth is very lucky the all he got was a pillow to the kisser instead of a boot to the head! Lol

Eric Clapton...glad you appreciate the song... I love that guy... possibly created the most depressing song about parental loss that there is it depresses ME and I don't even have any kids!

The sad thing is with Franny and Miles I know he's hurt her as well in the past but it's always been unintentional. .. and while she is more fiery ...I always try to show a sense of remorse because as much as it pains me to admit...I can relate to loving someone to the point of driven to madness! I have a bit of a temper as well and have had to grovel to my husband many times afterward for things I had said In the Heat of the Moment. *hangs head in shame*

I hope you can understand his reflex action and going from being sad to being angry given the betrayal of how long she's been planning her departure... and your English is still better than both my Spanish and German mi amiga musica!

 **Yanmegaman**

I don't know how you managed to throw in a Shakespeare reference without sounding like a pompous blowhard and managed to write a review that was so freaking funny on a tractor that had such a somber undertone at the end... but you did so kudos to you pal!

I'd like to think that Miles taking fencing lessons would have given him some awesome reflexes and I also think he's lucky that all he was dodging was a pillow rather than the vase that she aimed at the door and could have just as easily aimed at him... for C -blocking both of them yet again! And you know... Playing dead!

I love the idea of Manfred meeting his maker with cloven Hooves and not by a lethal injection or hanging but actually _death by Unga Bunga_ by being The Slammer slut with hot sauce being used as lube...while being TASERED by one of the guys named Bubba who he falsely got incarcerated... but officials still claiming he was subjected to Capital Punishment just for the sake of appearance! XD

 **Batfreak2008**

How can you not love Eric Clapton? I loved him with Cream but solo as well! Best Tunes... Layla both fast and slow version as well as cocaine!

 **allamanda29**

As the new reader I would like to thank you very much for taking the time to not only be reading and still being on this crazy train but taking the time to drop me a line. I most humbly thank you for your kind words of encouragement and do hope I hear from you again in the near future :-)

 **Chloemcg**

I'm not going to lie because I love these two so much... writing these fighting scenes has been really brutal... although I do hope I have maintained that there is a lot of love underneath that fire! It took Franny in my story just under a week to forgive Miles (the hotel scene was the night poor Maya was kidnapped) because I had did have him chase her down to the airport just like he did in the video game at the end of justice for all after the Matt trial... and in their love story it was also where I wrote their totally epic first kiss rated an 11 out of 10 on the hot scale if I do say so myself! ;)

A question for you just strictly going by Canon not even including the additional torture that I have done to these beloved Ace Attorney characters... Who do you think has had it worse Miles or Nick? Then I would ask you the same question in relation to this story most curious about your opinion since I know you also like torturing your characters! XD

 **Ilet Moratar**

Please still love me!

One of the biggest risks and worries I have had as a writer was writing Phoenix and Miles almost too similar, despite the fact that I tried to give Miles a more somber way of speech and a better vocabulary, so I wanted to show how Miles, being an alpha male, when faced with an identical situation to his best friend and being torn apart from the love of his life, would instead act differently.

Miles would feel the same sort of pain in his heart ...but unlike the more emotional Nick, I don't think he is not the type to weep in the shower or sing sad love songs in public on the piano. I feel his alpha male nature and overall aggressive persona, despite having mellowed over the years, would make him actually get angry too, especially considering the additional betrayal that this entire time he has been away, doing his investigations, and talking to Lana and everybody about how much he loves his fiancée... she in turn, basically left him the minute he left the door, after giving him her blessings to leave!

He is reacting irrationally and in anger, and I hope you can forgive him this moment of weakness for the betrayal, as these last couple of chapters have shown how the poor man has been ruthlessly betrayed at every turn, including by Von Karmas and including by Franny herself, what with her initial rage when she first found out about her father, which I thought was pretty canon, given her antipathy in the game towards Phoenix because of his part with Manfred.

 **Chapter 118**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Even without me throwing crazy Krissy threatening Maya and all the additional drama with Franziska/Lana at Miles, it's heartbreaking that this entire chapter was cannon except of course for the part where I made the duplicitous Lana Skye his former lover. I think as far as the fair undefined relationship went, he probably thought it was love right up until he realized he loved Franziska because up until then he only had flings and had nothing else to compare it to! And two years is a really long time to be with somebody, such as it was without it pulling at your heartstrings somewhat when it ends, and other tried very hard to show underneath that stoic exterior, absolutely right he is _not_ a bad guy! Miles Edgeworth has a heart of gold, and it's been beaten and bludgeoned to smithereens by everybody around him! Absolutely love the character and I'm happy you liked the way I did his breakdown although it's hard to see a character that you adore getting screwed over like this from the left right and center with no reprieve in sight! :(

To be fair there are some fantastic writers on the site, more often than not, often hidden among _the influx of attention-starved/window-licker troll fanfiction's_ , but quite a good few who I'm happy to call friends, nevertheless, I am the untouched and humbled that you take the time to read this tale which my adorkably geeky husband has told me now either surpasses or equal to the three volumes of Lord of the Rings! Here's a serious question for you bud… Who do you think has gotten bitten in the arse worse by the cruel hand of fate… Phoenix or Miles?

 **Chapter 117**

 **Ilet Moratar**

I love Miles Edgeworth so much... I'm so happy his terrible outburst could be forgiven by my readers, in light of the fact that it was not about him being immune to Franny's sexuality... just the terrible timing! After all he thought he'd gotten another woman pregnant and who but a complete Rogue will try to hook up with another woman in the middle of that?!

That being said writing that scene was very hard for me because these two are my second favorite OTP after Nick and Maya!


	121. Fortune's Fool

" _Everyone is special; every moment in our life is unique. However difficult or painful a situation may look at present, it soon becomes a memory and a special journey. Memories make us who we are, but it also starts declining with age. There are many ways to preserve these special moments so that we can cherish a story that's our own."  
_

* * *

 _A/N: I am so happy my readers enjoyed my portrayal of Apollo in the last chapter! He is a lot of fun to write, and I sense a genuine sweetness and earnestness, reminiscent of a very young Phoenix, underneath that snarkiness, but I was worried about how well I wrote him, given my previous lack of experience in utilizing his character before, so the supportive and appreciative feedback I got on the last chapter in particular means the world to me guys, thank you so much! :-)_

 _Also guys, please note that Nick and Maya's split was March 3, 2025 which will explain QUITE A BIT...also slight **AJ Turnabout Trump** spoilers. _

_Thanks for beta reading this and assuring me I'm not totally out to lunch for going with this angle Thepudz pal of mine hopefully y'all agree with him! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One:** **Fortune's Fool**

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _Wright Talent Agency  
_ January 9, 2025

" _What the hell_?" Phoenix jerked up in his bed, shaking his head with confusion at the colorful recollections of the strange dream he'd just awoken from. "Why did I have that crazy dream again?" He rubbed his bleary eyes with his fists, glanced over at the clock on his night table, and saw that it was only 4:00 AM. " _Why_ do I keep dreaming about that Apollo kid's _weird bangle_ over and over again? I don't know _what_ my mind is trying to tell me! I've already realized he's going to be the lawyer who helps clear my name! I _also_ know that he's going to be working for Kristoph Gavin when he graduates, but that's not going to be for another _year_! In the meantime, there's nothing for me to do but wait, just like I've been doing for the past _six freakin' years_! Therefore _,_ I've no earthly idea _what in Sam Hill_ my mind is trying to _tell_ me?!"

Grumbling to himself, he tried to punch his pillow back into shape and attempted to force himself back into blissful shut-eye.

 _I never cared about stupid accessories, on either men **or** women, in my entire life! So what is so goddamn special about that gold bracelet of Apollo's that my subconscious just won't let go of?!_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright's Journal**_  
March 6, 2025

 ** _The research notes and paraphernalia I showed Maya at Christmas, with regards to Apollo and my progress in regaining my badge, was not the full story. My journal of research is still incomplete, ergo, I couldn't very well include this notebook along with her package of accrued information._** **_However, now that Kristoph,_** _psychotic, stalker bastard_ **_that he is, left me with no choice but to abolish the love of my life, it would've been for naught anyway._**

 ** _I'm hoping resuming the composition of my thoughts shakes me out of this bleakness and funk I'm in. But with Maya no longer in my life, I really doubt it._**

 _I tried it, I couldn't find it_  
 _Now I just wanna get back to me_  
 _Back into the man I used to be_

 ** _That's just it. I_** _used **to be happy. Um, yeah, past tense. Sucks, I know. Still, maybe in a time to come, this ebon cloud of tribulation hanging over me will lift, and it'll help to write it all down and bring back some of the sunshine in my world. There was a point that I used to write - even though it was just reports about those dumb Samurai shows on the DVDs Maya got me for Christmas. I should start those again, just so that someday, there's a chance she'll somehow know I cared enough to keep my word, and completed them.**_

 _ **I don't really write anything more; I guess I couldn't really be bothered because it seemed scary, but mostly it seems even more ridiculous that it seems scary. So now I just have this paper, this stupid book of blank paper I'm supposed to pour my innermost thoughts and feelings into. And what the hell am I supposed to do with that? Feel happy?**_

 _ **Well, I –I don't.**_

 _ **It… it just sucks.**_

 ** _I'm still having those odd dreams about the young law student and his bracelet, and for some reason I have this inexplicably weird, gut feeling that there's something more to that gold accessory than meets the eye, which I don't think even the young man himself is fully mindful of just yet._**

 ** _On the topic of otherworldly powers, the guilt of using my young daughter to maintain my unbeatable winning poker streak eats away at my conscience on a daily basis, even though it's a necessary means in order to remain employed, and help keep us fed, clothed and sheltered._**

 ** _In addition to investigating my own situation, I've been trying to figure out Trucy's power, thus far, to no avail. Possibly, if I research the Gramarye family, I can find ways to help her, so she doesn't get such frequent bouts of cephalalgia from using her special talents anymore. Whenever we come home from poker tournaments, her headaches, probably as a result of having to utilize her keen perceptive abilities so intently, are increasing in frequency, along with the level of pain. They've graduated to full-blown migraines now, which often keep her up at night, while gnawing at my guilty soul and battered heart like rabid rats as I desperately do whatever I can to alleviate the agony of the only remaining light in my life._**

 _ **From what I can tell, Trucy's power is a genetic trait passed down by blood, but how can I help her control it so it won't hurt her so much anymore?**_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright's Journal**_  
April 28, 2025

 _ **Iris called me a couple of days ago to let me know about the Spanish Inquisition she was forced to endure for my sake at the hands of her prying little half-sister, who paid her an impromptu and unpleasant visit recently at Hazakura Temple. I hadn't counted on how astute little Pearls could be, and I cannot believe the sweet, innocent nun was actually able to lie convincingly, considering that ever-present magatama the teenage spirit medium**_ _always_ _**wears! Unlike Maya, I've never seen Pearls take her own off, so it's a miracle Iris got away with that bluff, probably by the skin of her teeth!**_

 ** _The goodhearted shrine maiden wanted me to come up and visit her, as she's very lonely up there at Eagle Mountain, but I had to remind her that while I'm grateful to her for fibbing on my account, as it's for a greater good, there's no point in exchanging Maya's safety for her own, and associating with me would undoubtedly put Iris's life in peril in the same manner my love's had been. Ditto with Pearl. Kristoph was not above stalking Kurain and its surrounding land before, and undoubtedly would not hesitate to do so again if any suspicious reason is given._**

 ** _That being said, being apart from Pearls hurts like a bitch, as she was the equivalent of Trucy in my heart. It kills me softly every day when I think of how much pain the breakup with Maya must have caused her, which only sends me on an even further downward spiral into desolation._**

 ** _I am trying to shake this ocean of blackness that's threatened to consume me since the breakup, if only for Trucy's sake, but I'm starting to feel it's an exercise in futility. I'm right back to the same catatonia I experienced when I first lost my badge. It's a queer sensation; too familiar yet too strange. I never know how to define it. I_** _want_ **_to smile, and laugh along with everyone, but something in me grabs my heart tight and crushes it to pieces. The brightness inside of me is engulfed by something dark. No, I would be wrong to say it is dark - it is_** _a hollow void_ ** _, nothing else. It's the pain that's too much to cope with, too hard to deal with, and so misunderstood. I can't escape it no matter how hard I try, because it follows me around like a black shadow that's on the inside, eating away at me. I cope by just shrinking away from everyone and everything, trying to just make it from one day to the next._**

 ** _I just don't feel there's any point to anything anymore. There is nothing left for me that bears any meaning whatsoever, save for my daughter. I haven't really kept in touch with anybody from my old life since Maya and I split, not even Gumshoe or Larry._** ** _Admittedly though, a lot of my reclusiveness is partially due my wounded pride, but moreover, my battered, listless élan vital. Avoiding is easier than elaborating. After all, how to possibly explain the_** _key_ _reason_ ** _ ** _for my distance?_**_ ****_That I've (semi) purposely made myself a stranger, because_ ****_I honestly think I'm doing my friends a favor by staying as far away from them as possible? Kristoph seems to be able to zero in and target anyone that is near and dear to me, and if he decided to put any of my best friends on his hit list because of their association with me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself._**

 ** _The one person whom I safely_** _could_ **_contact, because he's so far away, and actually_** _have_ **_tried to reach out to, is Edgeworth. Unfortunately, he's not replied to any of my emails, and appears to have fallen off the face of the earth since we last video-chatted with him and Franziska during the holidays. Oh well, even though Edgy's my best friend, he's probably busy with his Interpol investigations and the new baby._**

 ** _I received another email from Sir Layton today. This isn't the first time the good Professor has tried to reach me, and to my great shame, I confess to not being able to have the heart to maintain contact with him, to let him know how far from grace I have fallen since the last time our paths crossed. After all, Hershel Layton is a a world-renowned, knighted archaeologist, a beloved universal icon of utmost respect and esteem now more than ever._**

 ** _And_** _me_ ** _? What am_** _I_ ** _now ?_**

 ** _A second-rate pianist/poker shark who slums alongside underbelly of society? A worthless hobo bum who associates with criminals and dines weekly with latent psychopaths like Kristoph Gavin, in order to maintain our sick ruse of friendship?_**

 ** _The English gentleman told me that he'd gotten a message from the Kurain Master couple of days ago, indicating that she would be coming to Europe to visit him soon. Good for her. She's obviously moving on with her life and deserves to see the world around her, outside of that blasted, backwards village of hers. The kindly Brit also inquired if I would be joining Maya again this time?_** _ **How can I possibly tell him that she and I have** severed all ties **and furthermore** , **I can't even afford** a new pair of shoes **, despite the soles having worn off my sandals,** never mind plane tickets **?**_

 _ **ME, being able to jet off to Europe! Now**_ that's **a laugh, if I were still** capable of such **!**

 _ **At times, I wonder if I'll ever be able to laugh, ever again.**_

 _ **Honestly, most days, since Maya's been gone, it feels as though my soul is being trampled upon by feet in heavy boots, and even sunshine seems cold.**_ _ **I find myself standing on the brink of something I can't describe. The weight of everything seems to press down upon my shoulders and I struggle to take even a single step forward. It's too much. All of it. Yet somehow, out of naught but my love for my baby girl, I force myself to keep moving. But every step costs me. The nights grow more sleepless, the darkness grows murkier; the pain grows sharper; all of it seems to only grow in strength and I began to despair if things will ever get better.**_

 _Things that I said I wouldn't do, I did 'em_  
 _Secrets below the service of truth I hid 'em_  
 _This mankind is past, but can he erase_  
 _The tears of a million years is human race_  
 _Of animals, that taught to walk upright_  
 _Then slave all day and fall in a trance at night_  
 _Flowing the planet, trying to find missing links_  
 _Like the men we used to be and always suppose to think_

 ** _But I never speak a word of my inner turmoil. I most certainly I cannot burden my teenage daughter with my plight. Sometimes, I wonder if my feigned smile - the horribly fake smile- is ever seen through. Does anyone ever notice that sad, broken look in my eyes that I can see when I look in the mirror? I ponder if they see any sort of pulchritude, whereas I only see homeliness. And then I laugh, a bitter, sarcastic laugh, at myself. Nobody cares. No one notices. They never seem to, do they? Nobody can read my poker face._**

 _I walk the long path alone, my feet hurt_  
 _Lost some friends along the way, I did dirt_  
 _I went to church, I tried everything_  
 _From leaving my body, to watching the birds sing_  
 _For hours, so I could feel heavenly powers_  
 _Had been across the universe and inside of flowers_  
 _But what is it worth, I'm still just a man on the earth_

 _ **I've fought for years, even though it seems to be a losing battle. And so I continue to just march on…  
**_

* * *

 _ **Magnifi Gramarye and Helios Justice**_ _  
Heaven_  
May 6, 2025

"I must tell you, father-in-law dearest," Apollo's biological father turned to the old man seated next to him as they peered downward to the earthly scene before them. "I have had _six years_ to get used your presence up here with me, and I _still_ cannot believe the Lord actually allowed you to pass through the Pearly Gates, and didn't subject you to a lifetime of purgatory for putting your fate into your own hands when you placed that bullet to your head."

Magnifi expelled a heavy sigh and reluctantly tore his eyes away from the sight of his beloved, bedridden granddaughter, who was literally in tears from the migraine she was presently suffering from, while the lovingly attentive Phoenix attempted to soothe his daughter as he placed a cold washcloth over her forehead.

"God is most compassionate, and understood my quandary, Helios," he replied morosely. "As the time of my impending death drew nearer, my premonitions grew more and more vivid to me, and I _knew_ I was doing the right thing. I was always cognizant that Zak eventually would leave them, and what would have happened consequently had my Trucy been raised by someone familiar with the Gramarye family, and its heirlooms, considering my daughter always wore them. There's no doubt my granddaughter would've encountered her brother at some point, and Valant would've insisted Apollo had some latent talent in his blood, and then relentlessly trained the boy in the magical arts to the near breaking point! Under my remaining protégé's forceful command, I could envision _both_ of my dear grandchildren finally cracking under the pressure to be the _mesmerizing_ _miracle_ type of performers that their _parents_ were!"

The legendary magician shuddered at the thought as a haunted look came into his eyes.

"I could _clearly_ forecast their simultaneous, untimely stage deaths in a horrific, Houdini-style, flaming coffin escape trick gone wrong. It would have backfired and caused Apollo to be unable to escape in time, causing his death by asphyxiation, while his poor sister became charred to a crisp trying to save him…"

"The same way that _I_ died onstage," Helios recalled. "Thalassa herself nearly perished trying to rescue me, had Zak not stopped her from doing so."

" _Now_ do you understand?" Magnifi cried. "Helios, I so fervently prayed that someday, you could possibly at least _try_ to comprehend _why_ I did what I did, even if you were never able to truly _forgive_ me for the wrongs I made during my time on earth…"

"Please stop, Magnifi," Helios said gently. "There is no need to torture yourself any longer. God does not condemn you for your chosen actions, and neither do I. You have more than atoned for the wrong you had originally done my son by saving his life in the end, when you sacrificed your _own_ in such a manner. There's nothing left to forgive."

"It was the _one_ selfless act I chose to do in my life and I _don't regret a thing_ , Helios!" Magnifi choked out. "It was either _me_ or _them_! I was an old man and I had _already lived my life!_ I _did_ what I _had_ to do!"

"I know." The former Troupe Gramarye magician smiled softly as Trucy's pained eyes at last drifted into a relieved slumber as Phoenix tiptoed back to his room and crawled into his own bed. "Despite the series of unfortunate events that would commence in the aftermath of your death, I _do_ understand that your focus was entirely on your grandchildren, and _not_ the fugitive lifestyle Trucy's _cowardly snake of a father_ would then choose, which fated her to meet this wonderful man in blue."

"Phoenix Wright, the _noble, goldenhearted_ , **_fortune's fool_**!" Magnifi noted gruffly, shaking his head at the troubled-looking former attorney, who was tossing and turning in his sleep now, obviously having problems drowsing off. "Last Yuletide, when Phoenix informed that little purple sprite woman that _by blessed chance_ , he'd found his lawyer, I figured kismet would be working in my favor _at last_! My spirits soared when he finally revealed to his girlfriend how he'd discovered the greatness of Apollo, and witnessed the Clarion of Revelations in school trials! Alas, since then, absolutely _zero progress_ has been made to make my premonitions come into fruition! The man is no closer to regaining his badge, and putting my grandchildren into one another's paths, _now,_ than he was _six years ago_!"

"Methinks it wasn't quite enough that you managed to cosmically steer him towards Ivy University last autumn to make him discover my son's fledgling legal genius in the first place." The parental pride was unmistakable in Helios' voice even as he arched an eyebrow at the distraught older man. "Perhaps Phoenix Wright is in _further_ need of divine intervention? We know that he is able to see ghosts because Maya Fey is a spirit medium… Perhaps he has intrinsic sensitivity to the spirit world on his _own_ accord, however? I surmise it's about time that you get permission from Our Heavenly Father and perhaps pay Trucy's Daddy an _earthly visit_ in some manner?"

"I think you may be right." Magnifi thoughtfully stroked his mustache with his forefinger. "Helios, you're not only a compassionate man, but apparently a wise one as well! I'm sorry I was so foolishly disapproving of you when we were both alive! Although Shadi Enigmar may have been a more superior performer than you were onstage, he is _inferior,_ _in every way_ as a _father, man and human being_ , compared to you! I curse myself for the blindness of unable being to acknowledge this until it was too late!"

"I told you, I forgave you for everything a long time ago, Magnifi," Helios assured him. "I can only hope these positive traits of mine are inherited by my son! In the meantime, as you have decided to take my advice, you must now contemplate how to put it into execution."

"The key obstacle here is that Phoenix, in spite of his mystical capabilities, is still mortal, ergo there is only _so much_ I will be able to relay to him, being on the other side, and no longer of his world," Magnifi explained. "Nevertheless, I think I _may_ still have figured out how to give these _hands of fate_ just _a bit_ _of a further push_ indeed…"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _Wright Talent Agency  
_ May 6, 2025 9:15 AM

Phoenix felt as though he were in a daze as he mindlessly cleaned up the dishes. That morning had appeared no different than any other. He had woken up, prepared breakfast for his little girl, and sent her off to school with a kiss, just as he did every day. He had gone through all the motions as per usual, but this morning it was though he had been on autopilot, because while he _physically_ had been with his daughter, _mentally_ , he was somewhere else completely; his mind was still wrapped up with the divergent dream he'd risen from a few hours prior, more memorable and ingrained in his memory than any other he'd ever had in his whole life.

Last night he had dreamed of Trucy's late grandfather, the catalyst that had begun the wheel of fortune events seven years ago. It was most bizarre, as Phoenix had never even met the man, yet he had prominently seen Magnifi's intense face, and heard his earnest voice, as as if the old man had been standing right before him.

 _"The key to solving most of the Gramarye Family mysteries, though not our magician's tricks, can be found by looking into our eyes. The answer is in the Heirlooms. To further assist you in discovery upon this journey into the unknown, seek the aid of a gentleman friend whose trademark accessory never wavers from his person. You have my blessing. Take care of my grandchildren... **both** of them... Moreover, please, remember to take care of **yourself** , because as much as you seem to be in denial and unable to realize it, you would be leaving behind a small country of grieving hearts if you ever succumb to the darkness that often threatens to consume you."_

The passionate plea in the magician's voice was unmistakable.

 _"Find the truth, Phoenix. Slice through the darkness to find the Truth that lies hidden beneath. And if you do, you will also find that_ _ **fairies**_ _actually_ _ **do**_ _exist and that the one you deemed to be forever lost still awaits you with open arms and her soul bared. Remember Phoenix, just as the mythical bird for whom you are named possesses tears that can heal the most grievous physical or spiritual injuries, they are also known for their ability to always be able to_ _ **rise from the ashes**_ _... But_ _ **only**_ _... If they_ _ **choose**_ _to do so! Don't ever lose heart. It will be a long road for you all, filled with suffering and heartache, but despite feeling this seemingly endless sadness will never abate,_ _ **heed my words**_ _! On the wings of a majestic Phoenix and held aloft by the everlasting love of the Almighty, you_ _ **will**_ _make it..._ _ **all**_ _of you...and you_ _ **will**_ _find joy in your lives once again…"_

That was when he'd woken up.

The dream had left Phoenix curious, hopeful, and completely flummoxed with its nebulous message, which was subject to _so much_ _interpretation_!

 _'A gentleman friend whose trademark accessory never wavers from his person?'_ He thought to himself now, running an agitated hand through his spikes. _Who **else** could Magnifi have meant **besides** the cravat-wearing Edgeworth, who I've **tried** to contact now on several occasions, but he's never replied to me! So what am I supposed to do now?! _ He cast an imploring glance heavenward. _To whom were you trying to steer me towards, old man?! Riddle me **this** if nothing else!_

Almost as if responding to the plea, immediately the answer struck his mind in a flash of blinding light, propelling him towards his computer as though he had no control of his body. Phoenix flicked the monitor on, logged into his email account, and hastily went back to Layton's message from a week ago. _Accessory that never wavers… **gentleman…top hat**! **Bingo**!_

 **May 6, 2025**

 _ **Greetings Professor Layton,**_

 ** _I am most remiss in my reply to you, not only with this email, but in response to your numerous attempts to contact me over the years with your kindly inquiries about my overall well being. I plead your forgiveness for my silence, as you've undoubtedly since been made aware of my inauspicious situation. By this time, I imagine you've crossed paths with Maya on her visit to England, and discovered that alas, I was not by her side._**

 _ **I realize I have no business asking for your assistance after being out of touch for so long, but I hope your benign heart can find a way to pardon me my follies, as I beseechingly come to you with the ultimate puzzle that requires solving, and I can think of no better source to turn to than the master of puzzle solving!**_

 ** _I adopted a young girl six years ago, Trucy, whose last name is Gramarye. I learned that it was a French word meaning something along the lines of "study of magic or the occult". I am attempting to research the Gramarye family history, and am unable to find anything. I would appreciate_** _any_ ** _abetment in acquiring some more information of relevance, and would be happy to further explain matters to you if you could let me know a good time that we could perhaps speak about this in further detail? I am including my phone number in this email and hope that we can connect soon…_** _ **  
**_

* * *

 **June 21, 2025**

 _ **Good Day Mr. Wright,**_

 _ **Once again, do not worry about the expense of my phone bill with regards to the long-distance cost of calling to speak with you as frequently as I have these last few weeks. I assure you that while I am not a man of unsurpassed wealth, working as Chief Archaeologist for the Crown most certainly allows me the ability to connect and give aid to an old and dear friend! That's what a gentleman does!**_

 _ **It has been a great delight being back in touch after so long, and my pleasure with our regular correspondence is equally matched to my enthusiasm to have been assisting you with solving this curious puzzle brought to my attention last month. While I profess this mystery has been one of my most Herculean to date, I still welcomed the challenge and had little qualms taking the extra time to apply some creative thinking! A true gentleman leaves no puzzle unsolved!**_

 ** _Given the French origins of the Gramarye family, my research sent me to Catacombs of Paris. It was there where I encountered the most complex series of puzzles I'd ever encountered in all my years in archaeology. I assure you, they were no ordinary puzzles, either! These were cryptograms made by ancient scholars with a flair for trickery and a zest for mischief. With complex equations for chemical compounds, mythological theory, philosophy, constellations and other things that quite frankly give me quite the exhilarating blood rush through my veins! At last I stumbled upon_** **_a circular room with crumbling tablets framing the walls. The room itself was like an ancient chemistry lab with broken beakers and what appeared to resemble Bunsen Burners. The floor below me seemed to be a fully realized Star Chart._**

 ** _My attentions then turned to the wall tablets. Brilliant! French Alchemy Tablets that had never been searched for before… what better place to hide something like these than in the largest most labyrinthine grave site in France?_ ****_It took me a moment to realize that all the text seemed to be in a very clever hybrid dialect, meant specifically to misdirect, making me realize that I would need more time to decipher this particular code. Nonetheless, I stood by my motto that every puzzle has an answer!_**

 ** _After briefly scanning over the tablet, I paused when my eye caught a certain collection of characters that stood out more than the rest, some sort of ancient dialect from the catacombs. They appeared familiar, so I_ ****_immediately I contacted Dean Delmona, who was very intrigued by my discovery, and gave me the green light for my request to have the area excavated, with the tablets being brought to Gressenheller for research immediately._**

 ** _It was when as I was scrutinizing the familiar characters that I'd decided to copy into my journal that I was, quite literally, given the resolution. Most of these tablets were things like alchemical recipes and could be concocted by any aspiring Alchemist, but most can only be made by a Gramarye with "Eagle Eyes". Some even had illustrations, including of a few Gramarye descendants. One of my specialized artists was able to translate it into a modern-day portrait, which I've scanned and included with this email. The most curious thing of all was that even though my findings of the Scriptures are at least centuries old, there appeared to be a prophecy attached to some of the names that I encountered, which I was later able to translate into modern-day French:_**

" _Magnifi le Morts et Disparu."_

 _"Zak d'Abandon Volontaire.'"_

 _"Valant le Menteur.'"_

 _"Thalassa le Fou."_

 _En_ _fin,_

 _"Prenez soin d'eux, Phoenix, mon garçon."_

 _ **This translates into:**_

" _Magnifi the Dead and Gone."_

 _"Zak of Willful Abandonment."_

 _" Valant the Liar."_

 _"Thalassa the Fool."_

 _Finally_ _, at the bottom,_

 _"Take care of them, Phoenix my boy."_

 ** _It was almost as though I was_** _destined_ _**to discover this scribing! I'm hoping these will make some sense to you, although you may find a particular interest in the young woman with the caramel, braided hair of Gramarye ancestry in this commission portrait. Her name was Hera, and she was married to Zeus Gramarye. Pay close attention to the thick bangles on her wrist, which based on the photos I have seen of the young Mr. Justice, seem too peculiarly similar to be a mere coincidence?**_

 _ **I love the thrill of a good solution! As you know, I rather enjoy arriving at a well-earned elucidation, so please do let me know, dear friend, if there are any other puzzles that need solving!**_

 _ **Now that I have had the time to copy my findings and get everything translated for you, I am sending you everything I have unearthed. I hope it arrives in time for Trucy's birthday.**_

 _ **Please keep in touch Mr. Wright. I wish you nothing but the best, and I do hope my discoveries bear some of the answers you have been seeking.**_

 _ **Best wishes,**_  
 _ **Hershel Layton  
**_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright's Journal**_  
July 14, 2025

 ** _A parcel from England arrived today for my daughter's 15th birthday, just as the good Professor had promised. Within its contents was a book_** **_entitled "The Big Book of Gramarye Family Alchemy Recipes," along with a handwritten birthday card._**

 ** _So it appears my baby girl is descended from legit Alchemists… Who knew? How do you even bring that up in a conversation? Anyway, Hershel was able to translate the tablets he found, obviously, and one of them described the creation of some kind of ring or bracelet. It said that this band, or whatever, was designed to help an 'heir or heiress of the Eagle's Eye' to 'focus their sight' or something. Not quite sure about anything more specific, as the Professor said a lot of the ancient scripture was too damaged to get anything else out of it. Regardless, this was exactly what I was looking for and Sir Top Hat was even kind enough to send a photo of the tablet that was translated into a portrait, so at least I know what it looks like now._**

 _ **I was absolutely struck speechless when Trucy laid eyes on the commissioned image of her ancestor, Hera Gramarye. The very first words that popped out of her mouth?**_

 _"Oh my gosh, Daddy! She looks exactly like my mommy did! Mommy even had a bracelet just like the ones Hera is wearing in the portrait!"_

 _ **A** bracelet **Trucy said. As in plural; as in there were once** two **that Hera had in possession which had been passed onto the next of kin.**_ ** _It's_** _that **bracelet! The same one that's been plaguing my dreams and subconscious since I first set eyes on Apollo Justice!**_ _ **I can't believe that I didn't put two and two together before!**_

 _ **I realize Trucy has the gift of perception; the ability to know when somebody's being dishonest or hiding something, and that it comes from the Gramarye bloodline. The fact that this bracelet stems from her ancestral family and that brilliant young man whom I stumbled upon, also seemed to possess this otherworldly perceptive power, witnessed firsthand during his college courtroom trials … I just**_ _know_ _ **that Apollo bearing that exact same bracelet is**_ _no mere coincidence!_

 ** _According to the research, there were_** _two_ ** _Gramarye family bracelets that once existed, so the question of course is, where is the_** _other_ ** _one? If I can solve that riddle, along with what really happened to Trucy's mother in that stage accident, the rest of the pieces will fall into place. To my knowledge, when Helios died, Thalassa_** **_went back to her old Troupe without one of her family bracelets or this kid, if it exists. My question is, where did they go? More information is needed before I can come to any conclusions, but I suspect that if this possible older sibling of Trucy's is actually out there, then they most likely have the bracelet with them. I just need to find this kid and maybe, just maybe, I can give Trucy a little bit of her blood family back to her. Here's hoping..._**

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright's Journal**_  
April 15, 2026

 ** _So it seems Thalassa's abandoned, missing son is named Apollo Justice. Obviously there's a naming trend going on here… Hera and Zeus, Thalassa and Helios, and Trucy's middle name is Hecate, named after the Greek goddess of magic. My suspicions have been confirmed, and now I am all but certain of his identity and his inherited perception powers, which would be similar to my own daughter's, but am nearly positive he is unaware of._**

 ** _Unfortunately, I write this entry in the most dismal of spirits, which have naught to do with my previous depression._**

 _ **Kristoph Gavin's promising young defense attorney is none other than Trucy's long-lost half-brother! It is**_ _just my rotten luck!_ _ **Curse that**_ _periwinkle piss-head_ _**who not only cost me the love of my life, along with my badge, but got his hooks into the boy before I could put all the pieces together!**_

 ** _I can only imagine what that German madman is capable of, so there's no way I can make contact with his protégé now! With that four-eyed slimeball working in such close proximity to Apollo, I cannot risk making my identity known to the kid before it's time, for I know if I even_** _breathe_ **_wrong, Kristoph will undoubtedly threaten Apollo's very existence! I'll just have to stay away from the young man for the time being, for everybody's sake, much to my great chagrin!_**

 _ **I am fascinated by Trucy's brother.**_ _ **Fate seems very determined to make me like Mr. Justice! He truly is a Clarion of Revelations, possessing not only a keen capability to shatter glass with those pipes of his, but also shares the same ideals and values as both Mia and I!**_

 ** _I am positive_** _this **was the message Magnifi was trying to convey to me in that dream last year, so I'm confident that my path is sure to cross with Apollo's at some point in the near future. The question is when…?**_ _ **  
**_

* * *

 _ **Shadi Smith**_  
 _Underground Poker Circuit_  
April 16, 2026 2:05 AM

Shadi Smith unfortunately could not claim he was an undefeated player. His mentor had beaten him when he had first met the man, which had ignited the spark that Shadi had for the game. Since then, he'd lost many times, but was somehow secretly compelled to only fully entrust those who could defeat him at a game of poker. If someone lost and didn't put their full heart into it, then Shadi wanted nothing to do with that person. It was brutal, but true. It was how he rolled.

When he heard the rumors of a 7-year undefeated poker player, he was incensed – and intrigued. Such a thing could not be possible! _Inconceivable_!

 _Things happen for a reason_ , he thought to himself. _This fabled poker legend is apparently somewhere in the Los Angeles area, and as luck would have it, fortune has smiled upon me, since I need to be headed to that area for completely unrelated matters anyway!_

But first things first, since he was keeping an _ear to the ground_ , while remaining _hidden underground_ , there was nothing wrong with indulging in his greatest passion, at his favorite old seedy locale, even if the location itself left much to be desired.

It was a well-worn, inglorious tavern, often serving a cheap, simple selection of drinks to a regular clientele. You didn't come here for the drinks, you come here to eliminate sobriety. All of the regulars there had a smoker's voice and a hard look to them. If you went in there dressed nicely, you would get stared at and singled out, and it was a good idea to wear shoes that you wouldn't mind squashing some roaches in.

The bar curved into the dark, barely-lit room. Through the diamonds of lead window panes trickled the sallow light of streetlamps. The smell had changed over the years since the last time he had been there. Once it was of cigarette smoke only, the stench that clung to clothing, skin and furniture alike. Now the pungency was of smoke, stale beer and the body odor of the various sorts of addicts. There were establishments that were more like restaurants now - all clean with waiting staff. Not here. Not at _The Broken Stool_. It was always a den of debauchery, alcoholism, gaming, and the great unwashed of the town. It still was. Nobody went there with anything wholesome in mind. Regardless, the obscure watering hole was the perfect place for an underground poker tournament, where nobody knew your name or gave a damn to learn it. For the only thing that mattered were the chips and the thrill of chance.

The poker dealer was a cute blonde wearing a red bandanna, decorated with white dice, which sat atop her shoulder-length curls. Her brown eyes bore entirely too much eye makeup and while the cloying scent of her cheap perfume was an assault to his nostrils, the fragrance was still a welcome one which helped mask the fetid stench of the poker-playing patrons around her. Shadi sidled up to the card table and admired the way her petite but shapely form was showcased in her white dress blouse, unbuttoned just enough to give a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage, and fitted black dress pants and vest showed off her feminine curves.

She smirked at the muscular, snowy-suited man with the matching Deadman Top Hat.

"Texas Hold 'Em," she told him coolly, expertly dealing the cards to the players seated in front of her with lightning precision. "Are you in or out, Sport? If so, ante up now, or else you can just spend the last few minutes of the final game of the night ogling me if you prefer. No skin off my back either way."

"I am merely observing." Shadi shook his head. "I play for the thrill of victory, not for money."

"I call, Olga," the soggy hog in the stained wife-beater on Shadi's left declared.

"Then you're in the wrong neck of the woods, Buster!" She chuckled ruthlessly, showing off her winning hand to the fellow players at that moment, making three out of the four questionable-looking characters groan in their seats, while one of them cackled with glee as he grabbed his winning chips. She looked back up and arched an eyebrow at Shadi. "This ain't the place for chumps that have neither gumption nor money burning a hole in their pocket."

"Is that so?" Shadi's heavy brows knitted together in irritation. "I seem to remember back in the day that this was the place to go to for a heated, but friendly poker game. I take it such is not the case anymore?"

"Where in the world have _you_ been hiding the past 7 years?" She snapped her gum loudly. "This here stopped being a _friendly_ poker place _ages ago_ and the stakes are high, so you either go big, or go home! If you want to play the ol' _glory_ game, you'd be best testing your skills against the undefeated poker champion at on the other side of town. Although it's a good thing you _wouldn't_ be betting money against the Baron of Bluffing. You'd lose your _shirt_ _and_ your _pants_."

 _Undefeated poker champion? Glory poker?_ Shadi's ears perked right up as he at last on the information he'd been searching for.

"The Baron of Bluffing, you say? That's quite the nickname," he remarked casually, affixing his most charming smile. "I am most intrigued, Miss. But seeing as how you said this was the last game of the night, can I perhaps interest you in a drink, at another location more suited to such a lovely lady as yourself, where you can fill me in about this undefeated poker champion you speak of?"

"Sorry, Sport." She sniffed contemptuously as she began sweeping up the cards and chips and stacking them neatly on the table. "I never mix business with pleasure, plus am working a double shift at my daytime gig tomorrow. If you want to know more about the poker tournaments at The Borscht Bowl, just give them a call sometime tomorrow. I'm closing shop right about now. Catch ya later." With the blink of an eye she was gone, leaving a heavy trail of toxic perfume in her wake.

Shadi was undaunted, however. He gotten the information he was seeking. Sure, he was in town on important business, but _he_ had never claimed that he was the type to not mix business with pleasure, after all!

 _Quite the contrary!_ A portentous smirk slid across his tanned, weathered features. _What is it they say about killing two birds with one stone…?_

* * *

 _ **Olga Orly**_  
 _The Borscht Bowl Club_  
April 16, 2026 12:30 PM

"I not knowink why Boris makink us be open for lunchtime," Olga griped at Tyler, who was hauling a crate of wine bottles up the stairs into the bar. "Lookit! Here is deader than Macarena! This place no havink customers until night! Why we here? To decorate room?"

"You always complain about the same thing every time you have to work a double," the bartender shot back with a grin. "At least you'll be here for the evening rush tonight. And it's only for the rest of this week while Tiffany is visiting her parents back in Alabama."

"This suckink harder than Hoover!" Olga sulked. "Nobody here to try my borscht until nighttime. Not even be fresh then."

"What's the difference?" Tyler shrugged good-naturedly. "It's served cold anyway!" Just then the telephone at the bar rang, and he sighed. "Hey, Olga, could you get that for me please? My hands are full, and I still need to unload that truck in the back."

" _Da_. Why not?" She muttered. "At least I havink somethink to do!"

The blonde lifted the receiver to her ear, faux Russian accent in place.

" _Dobryj dyen,_ this is Borscht Bowl," she answered grumpily. "Olga speaking. How may I servink you?"

"This is a _remarkable_ coincidence," a deep voice on the other line drawled. "Olga also just _happened_ to be the name of this most _fetching_ card dealer I encountered last night. It greatly pained my heart when she refused to have a drink with me after the poker game though. However, she _did_ kindly let me know that _this_ was definitely the place to call if I wanted to test my wits against your _Baron of Bluffing_."

Olga gulped, and vowed to herself to never again consume so many shots of vodka during a late-night, card dealing shift _ever_ again, as it had obviously loosened her tongue dangerously! She knew all of the regulars by sight, if not by name, at The Broken Stool, and to her great chagrin, the overly chatty stranger she had encountered the night before had thrown off her groove and made her lower her guard, long enough to reveal pertinent personal information she always kept concealed.

She normally did her best to keep her double agent day and night life a secret from Boris and Natasha, who undoubtedly would not have appreciated her poker moonlighting. The Russian owners thought Olga was nothing more than a meek daytime waitress who could do a convincing Moscow brogue. The same rule applied with her nighttime poker customers – they didn't know where to find her during the day, and likewise, none of her dining clients at the restaurant knew the dive of ill repute where she was a nightly card shark dealer. And yet thanks to her _accursed big mouth_ , she had been found out about her dual life! This could _not_ be good!

"Who is this?" She demanded, momentarily forgetting to put on her phony Slavic inflection.

"Olga, what happened to that charming accent you answered the phone with?" The man chuckled. "If I didn't know better, I would think you could turn it _off and on_ at _will_!"

"What you want, you no goodnik?" She hissed, unconsciously slipping back into her Russian waitress dialect.

"Relax, lady, I have no desire to blow your double agent cover," the male voice assured her. "I am simply following your own advice and calling to inquire about when your next poker tournament is."

Olga smiled with relief. Good! She could get rid of him after all!

"Sorry, no more poker tournaments this week," she informed him smugly. "Trying coming next Thursday."

"I'm afraid that just won't do." The man's voice hardened. "I am only in town until tonight. Surely an exception can be made if I wish to play against your Baron of Bluffing poker champion later this evening?"

"The Baron is not here, and I no can speakink for him until he come," Olga explained with forced patience. "He coming in at 6 o'clock to play piano, but if he no playing poker game tonight, he playing music right until 2 o'clock in the morning."

"Surely I can make it _worth his while_ to let him play me for quick match, during his break, per chance?" The man refused to be swayed. "Money is no object."

"Why you not listening, Mister!" Frustration began to creep into Olga's voice. "Phoenix can no be playing with you in Hydeout because there being _no dealer workink_ here tonight!"

" _Phoenix_ , you said his name was? I _see_ …" The man's tone sounded startled for a moment, but then altered abruptly. "Yet I still don't see the problem, _Olga, my dear_." His tone was positively silky now. "Because there _is_ a dealer working there this evening. After all, last night, you _did_ indicate that _you're_ working a double shift. Therefore…there's still _you_."

Olga's heart began thumping wildly. "You no understanding!" She hissed into the phone, casting an anxious glance around her to see if Tyler was within earshot. " _Here_ I am only _waitress_!"

"Obviously, a waitress that doesn't make enough money at her day job if she needs to pull double duty as a nighttime poker dealer." The man's cadence was positively _coy_ now. "I can certainly sympathize with such a plight, and I _promise_ if you give me your _full cooperation_ , I will not only give you my guaranteed _silence_ about your moonlighting alter ego, but enough _Ruble_ to make it worth your while."

Olga was intrigued now, but still wary.

"Perhaps you and me can be talkink some business," she began doubtfully. "I have break in between shifts at 5:00 and I can meeting you somewhere. Except very important for you to know…Nobody is knowink that I am dealer here at _this_ place!"

"That's even better," the man's friendly tone took on a slightly steelier edge then. " _Perfect_ , actually. It means that _no one will ever suspect a thing_."

* * *

 _ **K-OS - The Man I Used to Be**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading! I will **always** take the time to reply to my wonderful readers, therefore you may need to scroll a bit here as this was a very well-received chapter, to get to your reply, which I **promise** you is there! :-)_

 _A/N: Once again, thank you, wonderful reader Ariastella, for your ideas and suggestions about how to tie in Magnifi's divine intervention and guidance, along with having the good Professor tie into the story of Phoenix's quest in solving the Apollo/Trucy mystery connection. Plus I really wanted to give those mystical Gramarye bracelets a bit of backstory (in an attempt to fill in some of the copious AJ plot holes!)_

 **Chapter 120**

 **chloemcg**

Upon reading your eloquent points, I do concede I may have tortured Edgeworth quite a bit more than Nick…and perhaps more than I should have, as when I explored his tragic back story that the canon already heaped upon him… I feel kind of bad with how I've treated our favorite prosecutor! It's amazeballs he didn't go down the Dahlia Hawthorne path!

I realize Apollo's actually had a pretty crappy life; there's another case right there where it's amazing he didn't wind up being a serial killer of some sort given his also tragic back story of being abandoned as an infant and then losing the only other family he'd ever known in his best friend! One can only wonder where he got his meliorism from; therefore I do find his dreaminess and idealistic streak to be even more endearing, and given how short his screen time was, I cannot believe how hard I have fallen totally in love with Clay! I'm delighted that you like my cheeky portrayal of him! Thank you :-)

I love making Edgeworth give Phoenix an earful whenever I can I'm glad you like it! LOL I honestly see them as brothers from other mothers, and while I know they are the same age I've always put Miles in the role of disapproving elders sibling, because Phoenix always seems to regress into the numnut younger one every time they share screen time! XD

After all the pain and angst milady I do look forward to happy rainbow of coming that you promised! :-)

 **thepudz**

 _"Hey, Kristoph? I have a couple of words for you. Fuck you. Also, fuck you. And did I mention? Oh yeah, fuck you. And also, one last thing. Fuck you."_

And the award for the reader review despite the copious amount of shameless profanity laced within it that made the writer left for a good minute straight goes to _you_ good man! XD

I am very wide open to putting Clay in wherever I can because indeed have an Apollo had a wonderful bromance, (while not quite as epic as Wrightworth to be fair the poor guy did get killed off!) and I'm going to see if I can squeeze him in one more time, however I am open between this timeline and dual destinies, _to any suggestions, however small_ from you, or any other readers, where can squeeze the delightful Clay in as an extra bit of sunshine into Apollo's otherwise tragically bleak life!

Edgeworth… I don't think he's ever been one for idle chitchat. His best friend has been charged with murder for the third time, and I don't think even cares that he probably has not spoken to Phoenix since Christmas of 2024 when the four couples were all on Skype together… (A.k.a. right before everything went to hell in a hand basket for all of them!) There is no "Hi, how do you do?" With that man… he is as a succinct as they come! Is that not part of his charm though?

Here's a hilarious thought… Poor Nick has spent the last seven years being nervous of Kristoph for knowing his every move, and that's with him living in the same city as his stalker! At this point if I were Nick I'd be crapping in my pants about how my best friend knows everything that's going on in my life when he's not even in the same country/continent! XD

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

In the game Apollo compared finally meeting his idol, Phoenix Wright, to getting cardiac arrest… Which is where I based a lot of his adorable fan boy actions on! LOL

I genuinely think that while Phoenix encourages his employees to develop and grow, and they in turn have the same reverence for him, as Apollo did with Kristoph in that he calls him Mr. Wright like he used to call the creepy German sausage Mr. Gavin, I also think Kristoph would be the type to hold Apollo back rather than let them flourish! I think it's because he's too arrogant to see Apollo was a better lawyer than him and he actually does not want anyone to surpass him – the most he would ever think Apollo could ever be was _maybe_ being as good as he was someday! Also I feel the office dynamic would be very stifling and overly formal when you refer to your employee by their last name, like Kristoph did, whereass Phoenix, even though he responds to Mr. Wright, doesn't address his employees as Apollo and Athena. You know, just because he's awesome that way! :-)

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Yes! Resolution is just around the corner!

Poor Phoenix and poor Edgeworth indeed! These two best friends need each other so bad right now and I plan to give them that support in the same way I did Franziska and Maya a few chapters back! Keeping in mind that Edgeworth has never been the emotional type, nurturing sort outwardly, so of course when he calls up his best friend he's going to cut to the chase and give him hell rather than be all, "oh dear, Wright, whatever is the matter?" :p

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

I genuinely like the idea of Franziska either willingly or unwillingly being me to read/watch Steel Samurai stuff… I have little doubt that Miles would've made her be his Nick as Maya did with him, be the unwitting subject to endure the geekdom alongside them! :P

Hee! Thank you very much I'm delighted you found Apollo being so adorkable as endearing to read as it was for me to write! I honestly see him as a younger Phoenix in a lot of ways although slightly more baby faced and wide-eyed about the world which is touching considering he's not had an easy life at all! No doubt he was screaming _holy flerking schnit_! Internally however given the formal aloof relationship he has of Kristoph Gavin as his boss he probably had to curb the edge to burst into excited expletive! XD

It reminds me of when _I_ met _my_ real life's liberty idol a couple years ago... I played it totally cool, quietly and calmly told him it was an honor and privilege to have met him, then smiled like a big dork in the picture with him… And then two seconds later I ran away screaming, and was probably heard by _every single person in the convention hall including said idol_ : **_"Oh my f*cking God I just met XXX!"_** LOL

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola dulce niña/mu amiga musica_

 _Magnifi era un gilipollas!_ However I'd like to think that right before he kicked the bucket by his own hand, he pulled the whole Hinduism angle and repented on his deathbed, which is tragic if you totally discard the fact that he forced his own grandson into a life of being an orphan and was probably a huge part of covering up his own daughter's alleged death! Grrr…

Alas it sounds like he was having a very painful and debilitating death near the end so yes, it is sad because he never got a chance to change his ways! However I am going to have some fun with how he continues to influence the lives of our favorite characters even posthumously, bearing in mind that if he hadn't killed himself the whole mess with Zak and Phoenix and Kristoph wouldn't have happened in the first place! Double Grrr…

I can see Apollo wanting to be with somebody as serious and straight man as he is, therefore I wanted to balance it out by making Clay be more lighthearted and fun loving! Nothing against people that like seeing Apollo with Juniper, but that is one of the reasons I cannot see the two of them as a couple - they are both too serious! _Dos personas tenso_ _juntos_ … _si se pone el carbon en sus culos, se haría un diamante en una semana! XD_

 _Muchas gracias_ for thinking that I portray the creepy German sausage and his further spiraling into insanity well - _él es el diablo, er verdad!_

Who doesn't love Gumshoe? Nobody I know or care to talk to… Wonderful guy but I really think he is by the books I can't see him bending or breaking any laws in this case, he probably bent a huge one are ready by allowing Phoenix to accept Edgy's phone call!

I have seen I have loved and I have laughed every single time I have watched the _Phoenix Wright boot to the head_ parody video on YouTube! LOL I have actually made the boot to the head reference several times in all my stories, but this is now only the second instance where one of my readers actually caught on and mentioned it!

Did you mean that I mentioned me having a temper like Franziska (it's gonna take quite a bit to pull this log out of the Fredgeworth fire considering the way things were left _pero soy una chica romántica_ _así que no pierda la esperanza_!)and have said many regrettable things in the _heat of the moment_? **Asia - Heat of the Moment** is indeed an 80's song (not a bad one but not a favorite of mine either) as well except this was _one_ instance where I was _not_ making a song reference in relation to this fan fiction which I've essentially first _unwittingly_ now _willingly_ have essentially turned into a mini musical! LOL

 **Yanmegaman**

This is so funny - first my darling reader from Mexico just called Krissy the devil and now _you_ are referring to him a Satan! I shall route it all out and concur wholeheartedly that he is indeed _Beelzebub!_ Also I don't know how you managed to make the creepy German sausage getting stuck with Nick's left over sound _simultaneously hilarious and dirty_ but indeed he has _not_ been enjoying _savoring Phoenix Wright's **sloppy seconds! XD**_

Who does _not_ like Clay? The poor guy died a hero in his whole existence was just to be a wonderful support for an overall likable Ace Attorney character who had nobody else in the world! To be honest people are more willing to accept a bromance between Apollo and Clay yet they're happy to not do so with Phoenix and Miles and more likely to want to see them _rapping on one another's microphones…_ Can't figure that one out for life me!?

Now as to why a smart guy like Apollo would not have picked up on the fact that his boss had cloven hooves inside his undoubtedly designer Italian leather loafers… Is dynamic with the blonde versus the one he has with Phoenix being his employer is very different. Kristoph is a very intimidating and imposing individual, and he likes it that way, and I can only surmise that he inspired no small amount of numinous; of overwhelming fearful fascination that possibly clouded his judgment, considering he was indeed fresh out of law school and landed a job at a prestigious law firm at a time when lawyer jobs are probably more scarce, so perhaps this was coupled with his naïveté and overwhelming gratitude? His rose-colored glasses never did fully crack until Phoenix let him down with the whole forged evidence thing after the trial… As much as I love Nick that with a well-deserved punch… If only poor Apollo knew that Nick is _unbreakable_ and that his fists of fury were the equivalent of a fart in a hurricane….

 **Ryszard**

 _Wie geht es Ihnen, guter Herr?_ I am very familiar with Modot's blog and wholeheartedly share the opinion of _if you don't like Maya Fey I don't like you_ and I _completely second the motion_ that the same rule would apply to Dick Gumshoe! He's such a lovable big lug with a heart of gold, so if you don't like him indeed, you are not human, you are a _humanoid!_

I am hopeful about gumshoe returning for the ace attorney 6 game although I think that weird singing Jesus guy is supposed to be the other detective along with Ema Skye… So I don't know… I'm very skeptical about Franziska though. In my mind it even if the keeper off-screen she's often happily shacked up with Edgeworth somewhere… Or with Adrian is that floats your boat! XD

I would very much like to pretend Apollo Justice never happened but then of course I would not have anything to write about for this many chapters if that were the case… :p

I honestly do think Capcom was on crack since it was to date their lowest selling game ever, and the Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney series if I am not mistaken is Capcom's tenth best-selling game of all time so that tells you something!

 _Meekkins, Manny and Gant will get Oldbag pregnant... Let's imagine she wasn't several centuries too old for a moment. Anyways, the kid will be annoying (Meekins and Oldbag), well dressed (Manny) in Prada (since Manny is the Devil), Evil (manny), chasing the poor old Edgey (Oldbag), deeply perverted (Gant...) and creepy (all). It will have clones. Who kill people. Now, thought AJ was hell? Battle the Hellspawn! Now, I need to get the mental image out of my brain... hopefully Capcom won't check the reviews..._

This sounds it could be a fantastic fan fiction, _favorit männlichen europäischen leser_! You even gave it the perfect name… _Battle the Hellspawn…Edgeworth's worst nightmare!_ I see you have taken a different spin and have thereby christened Damon Gant and not Kristoph Gavin as _der Teufel?_ Do you think they are equally matched on the sinner scale or is the former worse than the latter in your opinion?

 _Vielen Dank für Segen mich und meine Geschichte witziger Mann! :-)_

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I'm very happy that I managed to make you hate Kristoph Gavin hun, although I cannot take full credit, as Capcom has given me quite the despicable canon to work with! The speculation that Kristoph hatred may have stemmed from the fact that he may have wondered up with Phoenix is proverbial leftovers defending the guilty clients that he want up leaving behind when he declared his own innocent was my own speculation, however the pettiness and him seeing himself as above Phoenix as a defense attorney and thinking that our spiky haired protagonist was nothing but a second rate nobody is 100% canon of his petty and psychotic persona. He honestly thought that Zak Gramarye was going to be his ticket to prestige and start him in the legal world and felt that Phoenix had stolen that which was rightfully his and therefore decided that this was justifiable cause to ruin his life. Pretty weak I know but who says all villains have to make sense? Wait till you get to the case that has the infamous Dahlia Hawthorne in the third game!

I really wanted to show the dynamics of what two different types of bosses Phoenix and Kristoph are. While Apollo respectfully calls them both Mr. Wright and Mr. Gavin, Phoenix takes away some of the rigid formality and I C&S by addressing his employees by their first names whereas Kristoph always called Apollo by his surname, and was undoubtedly a very imposing if not flat-out daunting character to work for. The poor naïve boy had no idea that he was working for Satan himself, but he is definitely a young man of admirable morals and ethics and undoubtedly would've quit had he known exactly what he was working for!

You are 100% bang on, my astute friend, into regards, impressive since you have not played the game. Nick actually _did_ ask for Apollo and definitely had his reasons for doing so, as what better way to stick it to the man who screwed him over than to have his own apprentice fry him in court, although Kristoph's plan was definitely to use the his own protégé to the exact same thing back to Phoenix. I am delighted that you know and appreciate Greek mythology as the Greek named Thalassa, Trucy and Polly's mom was named after a primeval spirit of the sea, and in dual destinies game, Themis Academy continues the Japanese creators of session with all things Mediterranean as that name is a nod to a Greek Titaness :-)

I've decided to stop teasing my readers at this point with mystery phone calls and had hopefully left little doubt that the identity of the mystery caller was no other than Phoenix's long-lost heterosexual life partner, who despite being across the ocean seems to always know when his best friend is in trouble! XD

 **Chapter 119**

 **Eliete L. V**

 _Since I start to feel more comfortable... Can I send a good spell to Lana, so that before Miles kissed her, he sees her as Gumshoe, or something and stop in shock?_

Okay I will admit that was funny as hell! Now, with great pride I tell you that I have made quite a few readers do a turnabout in their dislike for Franziska Von Karma in this story, as well as made of readers who never would've considered Franziska and Miles as a couple actually root for them. Ergo, I can tell you that while you are no fan of Lana Skye because of her part in the Fredgeworth triangle, by the time this story is done I can guarantee you will probably hate her less! A bold claim to make I know… But you've been with me for over half a million words now it's all I can say is… _Confía en mí! ;)_

 **Chapter 118**

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _Muchas gracias, mi amiga dulce, de esta poderosa canción!_ I couldn't have found better song lyrics for Miles Edgeworth and all that he has endured if my life had depended on it, as I genuinely see him as well as the rune warrior, who falls and rises again. I can see why he is your favorite male character in the series, although I sorely wish a kinship with him was simply because you both have _such great hair! :_ D


	122. Ebbtide's Revenge

_After all you put me through,  
You think I'd despise you,  
But in the end I wanna thank you,  
'Cause you've made me that much stronger_

 _Well I, I thought I knew you, thinkin' that you were true  
Guess I, I couldn't trust called your bluff time is up  
'Cause I've had enough  
You were there by my side, always down for the ride  
But your joy ride just came down in flames 'cause your greed sold me out in shame_

 _After all of the stealing and cheating you probably think that I hold resentment for you  
But uh uh, oh no, you're wrong  
'Cause if it wasn't for all that you tried to do, I wouldn't know  
Just how capable I am to pull through  
So I wanna say thank you  
'Cause it_

 _Makes me that much stronger  
Makes me work a little bit harder  
It makes me that much wiser  
So thanks for making me a fighter  
Made me learn a little bit faster  
Made my skin a little bit thicker  
Makes me that much smarter  
So thanks for making me a fighter  
_

* * *

 _A/N:_ _Muchas gracias to mi amiga musica, DannyDragon for the song selection used for this chapter quote, which seems very fitting to me about how Nick would feel towards Kristoph after all he's endured because of that man! What do you all think?_

 _Also, as we are in Apollo Justice Timeline now, slight_ ** _AJ Turnabout Trump/Succession_** _spoilers.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two:** **Ebbtide's Revenge**

 _ **Kristoph Gavin  
**_ April 16, 2026

Kristoph Gavin didn't show up _at places_ so much as he liked to _make an entrance_. He was an extremely cocky man, and he knew it. In fact, he _exuded_ it. It was shamelessly exhibited in every way; the way he carried himself, the way that he walked and the way he talked, right down to the clothes that he wore. His presence commanded attention wherever he went, and it was evident he dressed to impress, from his limited-edition Patek Philippe watch to his handmade Italian leather loafers to his Vidal Sassoon haircut. He expected complete devotion from his comrades and, although he acted bored when they complimented him, he still demanded it and would brood if it weren't supplied in a constant drip-feed. He only kept sycophantic friends who revered and praised him, and lapped up all the words he spouted, knowing they were in the company of someone who was the epitome of legal genius.

In fact, that was one of the things he most liked about having Apollo Justice as an understudy – despite the slight intimidation he still had of his employer, the young man was like an overly enthusiastic puppy, always eager and willing to please, even to the point of nearly boot-licking degradation to meet his employer's high demands for a mere crumb token of praise in return. Some people would find this sort of devotion from their underlings nauseating, but the kid did it with such sincere earnestness that Kristoph had decided he actually found it quite charming.

Nevertheless, whenever he needed to, Kristoph Gavin was also capable of fading into complete obscurity whenever he so chose, with a ninja-like stealth and inimitable perception on the targets he was zeroing in, who were never aware of the fact that in background, silent and unnoticed, was a relentlessly lurking hunter that was stalking his prey.

 _After all, the more I know, the better I can devise the plans that I have in store…considering they've been_ _ **seven years**_ _in the making…_

Furtive shadowing was exactly what the blond man was doing at that very moment as he surveyed the pencil-necked reporter he had been tailing on and off for the last seven years, presently conversing in the near distance with a towering, muscular figure. The mystifying male was dressed head to toe in white, in a cheap-looking suit and Jaxon Deadman Top Hat, both which appeared as though they'd been purchased from a 70's thrift shop. The two men obliviously chattered away, incognizant of the predator in their midst.

The German man's lip curled with disdain at the tacky, tawdry portrait of a makeshift Vegas hustler the taller man presented in his second-rate garb. Kristoph had always looked down on the unfashionable as though they were sub-human – did Phoenix Wright even _own_ anything other than that ratty, hooded sweatshirt and shoddy jogging pants he _insisted_ on _constantly_ wearing?!

However, despite being adorned in apparel that was greatly altered from his customary magician's ensemble, the defense attorney would have recognized the unforgettable mug of Zak Gramarye _a_ _mile away._

On his face Kristoph wore sunglasses, but not the typical, trendy kind the residents of sunny Southern California normally wore, and which very few would currently be wearing, as it was now very late evening. No, these were more like something one would expect on the face of an astronaut, as they were utterly shiny, dark silver and seamless. They simply wrapped around his face from one side to another, perfect, as if only ever touched by a gloved hand. And like all shades, they hid the part of his face which he had always found easiest to read on others, so that anyone who would've happened to see him could have only taken note of his mouth, posture and his proprietary sense of personal space.

He was watching the exchange between the two men from his unseen and hidden post outside a coffee bar. The shadows and distance he needed to maintain made his job harder, surely, but as practiced as he was by now in such espionage, he had no problem whatsoever gathering enough Intel while looking engrossed in his newspaper.

At last, Brushel and Zak parted ways, and almost in the same manner he had in the courtroom seven years ago, the former magician appeared to then vanish from Kristoph's sight.

 _No matter. Zak can pull the disappearing act as much as he wants. He can_ _ **run**_ _, but he can't_ _ **hide**_ _! Not when his lanky little friend has constantly remained within my line of unwavering sight...much like he is now, the clueless_ _ **dummkopf**_ _that he is…_

As the unmindful newsman drew nearer, Kristoph's expression resembled one being made to endure a rank aroma. His gaze was unwavering and unabashed as it followed the journalist, seeming as though it was really focusing on something a couple of feet further away. Perhaps his naturally introspective nature led others to think he was merely engrossed in his own thoughts, despite all the while keeping an eagle eye observation on his surroundings. Regardless, he made no gesture of recognition, not even raising a hand or giving a nod as Brushel passed right by him, not even noticing Kristoph's presence.

 _What a completely inferior human being. Even the dumbest of animals can sense the danger of a predator in their midst!_

The reporter quickened his pace to the street corner and melted into the Los Angeles sidewalk crowds.

A smug smile tugged at the lawyer's lips. _Soon_. It would be _very soon_.

 _No one can keep dashing and dodging for eternity. Eventually they all have to stop and take a rest. And it's_ _ **long overdue**_ _for me to ensure that Zak Gramarye, at last, has his_ _ **eternal**_ _rest…  
_

* * *

 _ **Later that evening…**_

It was the perfect strategy. Kristoph had been methodically perfecting it for years, although Justice was smarter than he had initially anticipated. His spiky-fringed understudy was keenly self-assertive and perceptive when least expected, so while he was loath to admit it, he knew that his protégé would somehow figure it all out if he wasn't careful.

 _The deck has been stacked in my favor for some time now. Now I just await the fool Joker, who knows that_ _ **I'm**_ _the one who commissioned that forged diary page, to make his appearance at last. Shadi Enigmar has been a missing person for almost seven years now and will be declared legally dead on April 19th. He_ _ **must**_ _come out of hiding before that, otherwise, he loses the rights to any assets which he undoubtedly would want to bequeath to his only child. And when he does,_ _ **he dies.**_ _Consequently, Wright goes under further scrutiny, and Apollo's drive for the truth will serve as the perfect catalyst. It's perfect. I, of course, will take my "friend's" case, but as that degenerate's "guilt" becomes apparent, Apollo's conscience will triumph and he'll intervene. Phoenix Wright spends the rest of his worthless life rotting in jail before getting sent to the gallows, Justice gets credit, and I can use the entire affair as leverage over Justice's_ _ **every move**_ _._

The past seven years of knowing each player's every move had been what had finally allowed the German to reach this moment of _turnabout triumph_. And right on schedule, Zak had showed up, just like Kristoph had always known he would.

His gloating smile faded then as he jabbed at the numbers on his phone.

"This is Spark Brushel! Always in the loop to get the scoop!"

"Is that _seriously_ how you answer your phone, Brushel?" Kristoph's tone was dripping with scorn. "You sound absolutely ridiculous!"

"D – Do I know you?" The nerve-gratingly upbeat tenor suddenly sounded spooked. "Who is this? H – How did you get my number?"

"That matter is not of importance at the moment. As you so absurdly boast with your greeting, you're the man who always has the alleged scoop. Ergo, I'm going to make you now _put your money,_ _where your mouth is_."

"A – A journalist is always on the hunt for a new scoop, S – Sir!" The reporter stammered nervously. "How can I …help you?"

"Where can I find Zak Gramarye?" Kristoph demanded harshly. "And I know _much more_ than merely your _phone number,_ Brushel, so don't even _think_ about wasting my time with mendacities."

"News-hungry journalist confused by bizarre query of secretive caller. End quote."

"I _know_ you're not as doltish as you look, you _four-eyed weasel_ , so don't even _think_ of trying to play the phlegmatic ignoramus card with me." His voice was pure ice. "I've been watching _your every move_ for the last seven years and rest assured, I am _not_ a man who takes _kindly_ to those who _purposely_ _double-cross me_."

"Reporter has no earthly idea of what unknown voice is talking about!" Brushel cried. "Will state on record that he has not seen _any man_ bearing that name since he vanished! E- End quote!" With those as his final words, the shaken man abruptly ended the call, leaving Kristoph _beyond_ livid.

Slamming down the receiver with disgust, the defense attorney refused to be discouraged. He could _still_ put his intended motions into play, regardless of the reporter's lack of cooperation. After all, there was only _one other man_ besides the nuisance of a newsman who Zak would need to see before his deadline, and unfortunately for the man on the run, Kristoph was very, _very_ acquainted with _how and where_ to find him.

He was whistling cheerfully to himself as he grabbed his car keys. It was a quite a familiar song to him by now, sung by his absolutely favorite band from the 1980's, The Police.

 _I think it's about time I reiterated my_ _ **still yet to be fulfilled**_ _request by my favorite pianist._ A sinister grin crept over his angular features. _It only seems_ _ **fitting**_ _, after all…  
_

* * *

 _ **Kristoph Gavin and Phoenix Wright  
**_ _The Borscht Bowl Club  
_ April 17, 2026 11:30 PM

Kristoph was chuckling inwardly as he looked around the frozen hell-hole where his enemy was forced to make a living. Regardless of what day of the week it was, the bar always seemed to have the same folks, sitting in the same spots, even though he spotted a few anxious new faces, who undoubtedly were unfamiliar with the tavern's card-playing schedule, and the fact that since there wouldn't be another poker tournament until the following week, would therefore be soon leaving in disappointment upon discovery that there'd be no opportunity to feed their burning gambling addiction, since there was no poker match set for that night.

Well, not the _scheduled_ kind, anyway.

Without a doubt, Kristoph knew just _who_ would get to play Phoenix Wright's _final poker game_ , thus he'd need to ensure he made tracks as soon as he spotted the wandering traveler, who was sure to make his grand entrance soon enough.

* * *

Phoenix felt as though he were a condemned man, with no visible reprieve in near sight.

Ever since the breakup with Maya, he had been excruciatingly enduring what had now become weekly drop-ins at the bar with Kristoph Gavin, who came nearly every Thursday, without fail, to visit with him during his break. It was as though his nemesis now wanted to confirm Phoenix's unadulterated misery, ever since the day he had all but threatened Maya, and prompted him to sever all ties with her. Since then, Kristoph's "social calls" at the tavern had become increasingly frequent, as though the defense attorney gained _personal perverse pleasure_ from the reassurance that the deadened indigo eyes were now genuine, seeing as how the sole other light in his life had been extinguished.

 _Twice_ , that night _alone_ , Kristoph had gleefully mentioned the subject of Maya's upcoming nuptials, now only two months away, to the hair tycoon, then scrutinized Phoenix's well-practiced aloof visage for a reaction, seeming slightly chagrined when he found none. Meanwhile, the spiky-haired man had been silently thanking all that was holy for the validation that he had indeed, made the right decision when he'd broken up with the Kurain Master. Because of this necessitous, _gut-wrenching_ move, Maya Fey was now nothing but a conversation topic the sadistic German used to rub salt into Phoenix's wounds, yet no longer a perceived targeted threat.

Usually, very shortly after The Last Supper (or so each meal in his company felt like) Kristoph tended to then remove his ominous presence, and the pianist finally allowed himself to breathe once more, restoring order to his poor nerves, which were always to the point of being irreparably shot whenever the blond man was around.

Unfortunately, tonight was different. Despite having dined with him just over half an hour ago now, Kristoph had persevered in remaining at the bar, and had even relentlessly insisted that Phoenix perform "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, in spite of his protests that he didn't really know the song well enough to play it convincingly.

"Just _bluff_ your way through it then, _Herr_ Wright." Kristoph sneered. "Surely _that_ would be something you'd be _accustomed_ _to_ at this point? After all, it's not _that_ busy of a night, so there's only a _small handful_ of _inebriated patrons_ you would need to distract with that _songbird voice_ of yours when you _sing_ the lyrics, which I'm positive a man of your _extended musical repertoire_ would be familiar with."

Phoenix was in no mood whatsoever to sing, as he had scarcely done so since his soul-baring performance of "Shape of My Heart," on New Year's Day, which, ironically, was also a song by Sting, Kristoph's requested band's lead vocalist. Nonetheless, after his second protest, he thought the better of it and decided to play the eerie tune, as it gave him the opportunity to finally break away from the table and put some distance between himself and the shark-eyed defense attorney's unwavering, feral stare.

"I'm surprised you decided to extend your visit when it's already so late, Kristoph," he offered warily as he pushed his chair back from the table and reluctantly headed towards the piano. "Considering it's a work night and all…"

A spine-chilling grin in response. "Time flies when I am having fun I suppose. I am thoroughly enjoying the pleasure of your company _Herr_ Wright, and besides I needed to take a break from my work and hadn't had dinner yet. But what is a meal without a little after dinner music?"

 _If I didn't know better I would think he was purposely lingering around like a fetid stench of flatus,_ the disbarred defense attorney thought to himself. _I stopped trying to understand the methods to Kristoph madness a long time ago, and have just readily accepted my fate of perishing within these frozen walls for the rest of my days, with only my pretentious, counterfeit friend as my sole company._

It was these depressing thoughts that made Phoenix sing the clumsily-played song with unintentional fervor.

 _ **Every move you make  
Every vow you break  
Every smile you fake  
Every claim you stake  
I'll be watching you**_

 _ **Every move you make**_  
 _ **Every step you take**_  
 _ **I'll be watching you**_

 _ **I'll be watching you**_

 _ **(Every breath you take**_  
 _ **Every move you make**_  
 _ **Every bond you break)**_

 _ **I'll be watching you**_

 _ **(Every single day**_  
 _ **Every word you say**_  
 _ **Every game you play)**_

 _ **I'll be watching you**_

 _ **(Every move you make**_  
 _ **Every vow you break**_  
 _ **Every smile you fake)**_

 _ **I'll be watching you**_

 _ **(Every single day**_  
 _ **Every word you say) Ooh**_  
 _ **(Every claim you stake)**_

 _ **I'll be watching you**_

The spectacled man applauded loudly when Phoenix was done singing the _world' creepiest stalker song_ , as did the small handful of other customers in the tavern, much to his irritation in embarrassment.

"Bravo, _Herr_ Wright," Kristoph enthused with an oily grin. " _Bravo_! That was well worth the _long wait_ of repeated requests! Did I not _tell_ you that voice of yours would distract from the fact that it sounded like you were playing something along the lines of "Mary had a Little Lamb" for the most part?"

Stifling a nasty retort, Phoenix bit down so hard on his lower lip, he nearly tasted blood. He instead affixed his most ersatz smile in reaction to the jibe.

"You're _too kind_ , Kristoph," he replied through gritted teeth. "Now, I think I'll stick with melodies with which I am more acquainted for the next few hours, if that's alright with you."

"Quite alright indeed! You have appeased me already, so I shall no longer interfere with whatever you intend to regale our ears with for the rest of the night!"

"Mighty big of you." Feeling agitated, but refusing to give his adversary the satisfaction of seeing as such, Phoenix began to clink out a less melodious, but much more well-known, show tune refrain.

"By the way, I was hoping I would see Trucy tonight," Kristoph remarked casually. He had been prepared for a sickeningly sweet family reunion, but this worked out just as well. No excess eyewitnesses that he needed to worry about eliminating. He'd only spared the teenager all this time as _she_ was the lure to bring Zak back to town, and had anything happened to her before then, the intended events of this evening would never take place. "I know tonight isn't a poker night, but does she not often pop by to see her Daddy sometimes after finishing work at The Wonder Bar?"

Phoenix cringed inwardly at how in that short sentence, it had been conveyed that the dangerous man sitting in his usual spot right by the piano knew not only the schedule of the bar, but _that of his daughter_ , as well.

"Trucy was instructed to go straight home after work tonight." He said tersely. "She's got midterms coming up, so whatever free time she has is spent hitting the books. I need to ensure that my little girl works twice as hard as everybody else, being a working student, as she has less study time than other kids.

"You're such a _good_ Daddy." Kristoph commented, with such phony sweetness that Phoenix felt positively _ill_.

"Thanks, I try," he muttered, sharply shifting his focus back to the piano, clearly showing that the conversation regarding his daughter was _now over_.

A few moments passed and Phoenix couldn't help but note that the disingenuous blond had gone several moments without attempting further banal dialogue, and briefly swung his gaze over towards the table, to see that Kristoph's pale blue eyes were now constricted into nearly visible slits.

 _I just saw the_ _ **saukerl!**_ _He finally had the nerve to show his face!_ The German was literally seeing red as outside the window, he spotted the man who had _dared_ _**spurn**_ _ **him**_ for the _hobo bum pianist_ seated only five feet away from his table, nearly a decade ago. _There is no way_ _ **in hell**_ _he will be escaping again!_

Hastily, he threw his napkin down the table and shoved his chair back, unaware that his clenched hand around his wineglass made the disturbing skull image on the back of it all the more prominent.

"Leaving so soon, Kristoph?" Phoenix asked with feigned interest as he tried not to exhale in relief. "You _did_ say my playing wasn't _that_ bad, after all?"

"Yes, I'll be taking my leave now." Kristoph wasn't even looking at anything but his target as he grinded out his words. "Still have some work to do back at the office, which I have left unattended for far too long. I made my assistant finish some paperwork, and I need to file it tonight."

"Then I guess I'll go back to my piano." Phoenix ensured he kept his poker-face intact as he shrugged in response, even though inwardly, he was loudly cheering upon hearing this.

"To be honest, it's better when you _aren't_ playing." Keeping Zak within his peripheral vision the entire time, Kristoph couldn't resist one final parting shot. "This frigid culinary dungeon almost feels… comfortable."

"Say _what_?" The latter observation sounded so uncharacteristically _random_ that Phoenix literally stopped tickling the ivories, mid-song.

" _Gute Nacht_!" Kristoph hissed, then dashed off to follow Zak.

Shrugging, Phoenix smiled and waved goodbye as _the bane of his existence_ quickly dashed out of there _like a bat out of hell,_ in a sudden, questionable rush to immerse himself in inundating legal paperwork.

Grateful for the late hour, as it was best that as few people saw him as possible that night, the agitated attorney expeditiously exited the club, but not before making brief eye contact with Zak Gramarye, who'd been about to enter. For a split second, Kristoph was sure he saw a flicker of recognition on the white-suited man's face, but before the former magician could speak, the German swept right past him.

Blinking with surprise, Zak shook his head, as though uncertain of what he had just seen, and speedily entered the establishment. Kristoph stealthily crept over to the side window and watched as the ex-performer made a beeline towards the unsuspecting Phoenix, who was still _making noise pollution_ at the piano.

It was all going _exactly_ as _arranged._

 _ **Seven years**_ _in the making._ _ **Seven years**_ _of patiently watching and waiting, all about to pay off, as it shall be_ _ **me**_ _, not_ _ **you**_ _, Phoenix Wright, who hails their triumphant victory as the ultimate_ _ **"Master Baiter!"**_

He was cackling softly to himself as he crept back into the restaurant and down the secret passage to The Hydeout.

 _The time has come. This is the final "_ _ **Bloodbath."  
**_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Zak Gramarye  
**_ _The Borscht Bowl Club  
_ April 17, 2026 12:00 AM

Phoenix sighed as he pushed away his mostly untouched meal.

 _Two hours left in my shift. I wonder if we'll get any customers tonight? I doubt it though there's no poker tournaments until next Thursday unless someone decides to surprise me._

Without thinking he listlessly clanged at a few keys on the piano in the room, wondering if the few remaining customers in the bar would notice if he recycled the short but simple tune from the _Flintstones_ theme song.

"Ahem," a deep voice suddenly said from behind him. "Do you know who I am?"

Phoenix turned around and cocked an eyebrow at the brawny, goateed man, clad in a white _pimp_ polyester suit, with matching Deadman Top Hat.

" _Who I Am_? No… I am a man of a very limited repertoire which mostly consists of show tunes snippets. But if you _hum_ it, I can _play_ it!" He quirked a half smile at the unsmiling stranger. "Just kidding. I don't do requests."

"How about a different sort of request?" The man countered. "You see… I play cards."

"Oh…a customer." _**That**_ _kind of customer. Thanks for warning me, Boris! Trucy's not with me, because she knows there wasn't anything scheduled tonight…and this guy looks_ _ **shady**_ _. No matter, I'm sure my own acquired poker skills will suffice._ He plastered on a faux amiable smile. "I was _just_ hoping someone would come in and save me from a night at the keys."

"I think a true competition. I have heard The Borscht Bowl Club is the place for this. Now I see the rumor is true."

That was when Phoenix suddenly noticed the creepy-looking, bespectacled newsman, whose gawky frame had initially been obscured by the taller, muscular stranger. Presently, he was sitting off to the side, scribbling away on a notepad, paying the pair little attention and studiously ignoring them both.

"And _this_ is…? A friend of yours?"

"Don't mind me!" The scrawny geek with the sparse brush-cut squawked, flashing a toothy grin, which exposed an impressive set of pearly whites, giving him the appearance of an actor auditioning for a Colgate toothpaste commercial. "I'm just your friendly neighborhood newsman!"

"He will not be playing tonight," the stranger informed Phoenix. "When his business is finished, I shall send him home." He placed his hands on his hips and beamed arrogantly. "This competition will be between _us_. No others."

Phoenix raised his head and caught sight of Boris across the room, shooting him an inquisitive glance. The Russian man nodded his silent consent and went back to chatting with his cronies in the corner.

"They told me I would find you here. Don't worry about returning back to your piano. It took a little _persuasion_ , but Boris had zero qualms with turning the last couple of hours of your shift into an impromptu poker tournament."

 _Well, Boris_ _ **is**_ _the boss. Or so Natasha lets him believe anyway._ The pianist mentally shrugged. "I'll take you to the room."

"The Hydeout, yes." The man treated him to a toothy grin, which for some reason gave Phoenix the feeling of repulsion and _déjà vu_ simultaneously. "But before we go… Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shadi Smith."

"Oh and I'm Brushel!" Chimed in the seated pipsqueak, who reeked of freshmint tooth cleaner. "Spark Brushel! News reporter."

 _Charmed, I'm sure_ , Phoenix thought with cheerless amusement, then adjusted his beanie and inclined his head towards the men to follow him as he turned towards the dimly lit stairwell, casting an offhand glimpse over his shoulder. "By the way, I'm…"

" _No_ , Phoenix Wright!" The stranger's booming voice rose with disapproval, making the hairs on the back of Phoenix's neck stand on end as he pondered how this new, enigmatic challenger happened to be aware of his identity. "You must _always_ look a man _in the eye_ when you make your introductions." He beamed smugly at the pianist's thunderstruck expression. "You _still_ do not know who I am?"

Phoenix's searching eyes roved over the harsh lines on that now deviously smiling face. "Have we…met?" The words barely left his mouth when suddenly the realization hit him like a thunderbolt. He stared, utterly bug-eyed, at the person in front of him, the echoes of the long-ago trial still ringing in his head. " _Z... Zak Gramarye_!?" He whispered in awe.

"Yes," the man replied with a nod, looking quite proud of himself as he was finally recognized. "The reincarnation act of the century. Pity I have only an audience of one."

 _This_ _ **has**_ _to be a bad dream. In a sense, this guy ruined my life, after all... And... What about Trucy?_

Surveying the room, Zak noticed the petite blonde standing near the bar, and ordered her to prepare The Hydeout. Phoenix recognized her as Olga Orly, a waitress he hadn't seen much of since he had first been hired, as she normally worked in the daytime and hence, he didn't come across too often. Nodding in compliance to the command, she meekly agreed and scurried off without another word. Phoenix supposed he couldn't blame her; Zak was quite the imposing figure indeed, even as a _resurrected ghost!_

"It's _really_ you?" Phoenix whispered incredulously the moment the waitress was out of sight. "Zak Gramarye?"

"Now I am Shadi Smith," Zak corrected. "Remember this."

Phoenix released a long, shaky breath and shook his head in wonder. "How many years has it been now? Six?"

 _For me, every day has felt like it's been on auto replay, a repeat of the one before it, just like in the movie_ _ **Groundhog Day,**_ _ever since I lost my badge._ _ **That**_ _would be why I wasn't keeping track of the anniversary date of that fateful trial, because if I had I wouldn't have had the rug pulled out from under me like this!_

"In exactly three days from now, it will be seven." Zak murmured, a flicker of regret crossing his features. "I have caused you much inconvenience, I fear."

 _Gee, you_ _ **think**_ _?!_ It took all of Phoenix's self-control must not to haul off and deck the blasted man right in the kisser.

"Yeah," he muttered darkly. "You could say that."

"Is... she well?" The ex-magician asked hesitantly. "Trucy, I mean."

 _You gave up the right to ask about her seven years ago you selfish bastard!_ It was the response Phoenix _longed_ to give, but miraculously, held his tongue.

"She's fine," he retorted gruffly, thinking that was still more information than Zak _deserved_ to know. If the douchebag wanted to see proof of the claim, he could damn well go see Trucy for _himself_! "I've got her working already. Hope you don't mind."

"I hardly need express my gratitude, but you have it." Zak smiled faintly. "This is why I have come." A predatory expression came over his face then, along with a noticeable glint in his eye that Phoenix was all too accustomed to. He had seen that grim determination in the eyes of potential challengers countless times over the years; that smarmy arrogance of a gambler who believed he was _la_ _crème de la crème_ of the game and was a surefire winner, who couldn't fathom the concept of losing. "That, and to settle a matter of cards."

"By which you mean poker." Phoenix's face and tone were tranquil, even as a feeling of caginess began to creep over him, as unfortunately, he was more heedful than he cared to admit at handling competitors who approached him with _that_ look in their eyes.

* * *

" _Deal."_

 _The routine never changed. Each day was same shit, different pile._

 _The same actions, same moves, same dark and cold environment of the underground club room. Still, it was warmer here than it was upstairs, at least, that was what others told him. For him, it didn't make a difference. It was always cold wherever he went; but unlike the bar clientele who would drink in order to warm up, his only vice was grape juice._

 _The customers were different, sometimes, but the sight of their smug, condescending smirks were constant; the smell of their odorous perspiration, greed and desperation for glory unwavering. He supposed he liked that. Not really the competition, rather the predictability. Things had been changing so rapidly in his life, he appreciated the garden-variety routine, a welcome reprieve from the same nightmare of different faces he woke up to each and every day for the past seven years._

 _He got such a kick out of the presumptuous victor's arrogant flourish of throwing their cards down and crying: "Hah! Full house. Looks like your luck's finally run out."_  
 _… Or something to that variation._

" _Sorry." With a tip of his beanie and a well-placed smirk, he would then show his own hand to their aghast faces. "Straight flush. Better luck next time, Sir."_

 _There would be a moment of befuddled silence; the regular dealer, would contain her knowing giggles behind a pair of smirking, brightly painted lips; then, the accusations would start flying as the incensed losing player would morph into a frothing mouth, potty-mouthed, klazomaniac and let the fur fly._

" _Inconceivable!"_

" _Swindler!"_

" _Fakir!"_

" _Charlatan!"_

" _Scammer!"_

" _Card Shark!"_

" _Con Artist!"_

" _Crook!"_

 _It was usually a combination and minor variation of flung insults. They were among the_ _ **kinder**_ _slurs that the infuriated losers of the game would bellow at the constantly amused poker champion.  
_  
 _This would then be followed by the demand to search him. Phoenix would always willingly raise his arms while the infuriated customer searched him: his hoodie, inside his pockets, under his beanie._

 _Each and every time he indulged them, the unassuming, smug smile never budging from his face, which only made them madder._

 _From his position as the victor solely on the poker table but the underdog in life, this was his true triumph - the blow it brought to their egos. It brought them immense shame and frustration and it secretly gave him a rise knowing that he could turn the tables and humiliate them._

 _Finally, begrudging acceptance would kick in, the customer would throw their money onto the table with a curse, and he'd straighten his clothes and collect his earnings for the night.  
_

* * *

"I despise losing above all else," Zak went on. "And so, I have decided that I _will_ win tonight, _no matter what it takes_."

The diabolical smirk playing on the other man's thinly mustached lips was impossible to miss, and Phoenix's eyes narrowed as he guardedly assessed his opponent. This kind of arrogant confidence radiating from the man who claimed to be challenging only the _second_ person _in his entire life_ to whom he'd lost poker was both unsettling _and_ suspicious. It was the air of a man who had some sort of trick up his sleeve, except this time not of the _entertaining nor magical_ variety. Moreover, it was the aura of someone who didn't _give a rat's ass_ about the consequences. He had an intuitive hunch that there was a _definite correlation_ between Zak and the mysterious Five of Hearts he'd found in his pocket earlier.

Zak's expression suddenly shifted into one of utmost congeniality then. "Perhaps we should take this time to talk, before we play. I know you have much to ask me... and I, you."

Not knowing where to begin, Phoenix first inquired about the photo of the beautiful woman in the locket Trucy had showed him. The picture was in a locket which she had kept hidden all these years, but revealed after seeing the portrait of Hera in Layton's package. She'd said the image was of was her mother, who was now "gone." It was a subject that Zak obviously did not care to delve into, curtly replying that Trucy's mother was indeed _gone_ and there was nothing else Phoenix needed to know.

In the next moment, in an effort to shush him, Zak then proceeded to sucker-punch the spindly journalist when he piped up that Trucy's mother had been Magnifi Gramarye's only daughter.

The violent outburst shocked and appalled the pianist, but it was too late to save the now winded newsman, who was clutching his abused midsection, and for Phoenix to let Zak know that Brushel had merely relayed information that he _already_ knew about! Not knowing what else to do, he decided to feign shock about the reporter's outburst and let out a gasp, the authenticity of it more from the witnessing of the spur-of-the-moment assault that had taken place rather than the actual news.

"He'll be fine. But he talks too much," Zak dismissed, feigning obliviousness to the pained gasps of Brushel. "The conversation of Trucy's mother is now closed. Next topic?"

 _My long-awaited moment of jouska has finally arrived! After playing this hypothetical conversation in my head so many times over the years, I must make sure not to waste this opportunity to finally get the answers I've been seeking for the last seven years!_

Phoenix wracked his mind of where to begin, and finally ventured with, "perhaps it would be best to start from square one then, go back to when we very first met? If memory serves me correctly we competed that day, seven years ago, too?"

"Ah, yes." Zak smiled ruefully. "You must have been surprised! Called to the detention center out of the blue."

Phoenix eyed him levelly. "You choose your defense attorneys by playing poker." It was a statement, not a question.

Zak was the first to break eye contact and cast his gaze downward. "Some are hired, others fired. When you compete, you see a man's true nature." He looked back up at Phoenix and flashed a shit-eating grin then. "You know what I speak of. I _know_ that you do."

Immediately, Phoenix was aware that the other man was alluding to his daughter's uncanny, _built-in, lie-detector ability_. "Trucy's _power_?"

"Trucy?" The pride was evident in Zak's voice. "She is in a class of her own."

 _Her_ _ **and**_ _Apollo._ Phoenix wisely kept this knowledge to himself. If there was one thing this whole debacle with Zak had taught him, it was to never let your opponent know about _the ace up your sleeve_ too early in the game. To his irritation, all Zak proceeded to relay to him after that was information he already was cognizant of, as well, confirming that said _otherworldly talent_ was indeed a genetic trait, but it wasn't something he "told lightly to outsiders" and nothing Phoenix "needed to know about at this time."

Hidden in the deep pockets of his hoodie, Phoenix felt his hands clenching into furious fists even though he kept his outward expression unruffled as his mind recoiled with indignation.

 _Good thing I've already done my homework in_ _ **that**_ _regard!_ He fumed. _I became a father to that girl because of your **wayward** __**ass**_ _! According to_ _ **you**_ _, how much more of a_ _ **need to know**_ _am I_ _ **required**_ _to be, you_ _ **duplicitous son of a bitch**_ _!_

Unaware of Phoenix's adverse reaction, it was Zak who swiftly brought up the next subject then. "She's... 15 now?"

Phoenix nodded, seeing no point in reminding him that his daughter's Sweet 16 was three months away. "She's still trying her best to follow in your footsteps, you know," he said flatly, wondering if this information would fill the former magician with pride…or pain.

"I... see." Zak at least had the decency to have some guilt register on his face upon hearing this information. "When I planned my disappearing act, it was the thought of her alone that gave me pause."

The words were like a loud thunderclap in the otherwise silent room.

" _Wait_ …" Phoenix gaped at the older man in disbelief. "You were _planning_ on vanishing from the _get-go_? _Even_ if I'd managed to clear your name!?"

"Yes, and for that, I must apologize." Zak expelled a heavy sigh as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper which he handed to the still seething Phoenix, who accepted it gingerly. "However, I could not be found guilty that day... because of this."

The former attorney read the short handwritten message on the front and looked up at Zak with confusion.

"A transferal of rights," the wanderer explained. "You see the signature?"

The handwritten contract officially passed on the "secrets, staging and performance" of Magnifi Gramarye's magic to "the recipient named below". Right beneath that, all in what Phoenix presumed was Magnifi's handwriting, was Zak's name, followed by Magnifi's signature. What caught Phoenix's attention most, however, was the fact that the left edge of the paper was torn all the way down... like the page had been pulled out of a book. Seeing the questioning look in his eyes, Zak nodded and confirmed his suspicions.

"That damn scrap of paper lost me my attorney's badge!" This time Phoenix could not hide the ferocious glare he directed at Zak. "You could have told me this earlier! Like, _seven years_ earlier!"

"Once again, I must apologize." The regret on Zak's face appeared genuine. "It was all I could do to prepare for my escape from that courtroom. The greatest of Magnifi Gramarye's illusions are true art. As such, they are well protected... by this document." He gestured with the handwritten contract in his hand. "Only its bearer may perform his illusions on stage."

Phoenix closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath to compose his frayed nerves, as he was pretty sure where this conversation was headed.

"As the rightful heir to his art, I, too, wanted a rightful heir." Zak flashed a crooked grin. "I'm sure you know who I chose as my successor."

"Trucy." Phoenix refused to refer to his little girl as "your daughter" to the other man. As far as he was concerned, Trucy had become _solely his_ from the moment this cowardly snake had plotted his great escape.

"That is why I have risked all to come here tonight." Zak affirmed, then turned to the quiet as a mouse newsman. "Brushel."

"Sir!" Now recovered from his injury, the reporter scampered over and pulled out a piece of paper, which he lay on the table between Zak and Phoenix, pulling the ball-point from behind his ear and holding it out to the pianist. "Here you go!"

Phoenix hesitantly took the pen. "What's this?"

"A letter passing the rights I have inherited to Trucy," Zak explained, leaning forward to tap the bottom of the paper, where lines had been drawn out for three signatures. "I would have you sign here, as a witness."

That was when it became evident why Brushel was present. Even though Phoenix was no longer lawyer, the reporter was a certified notary and could provide the valid and necessary third signature on the legally binding document. It took only a minute for all three men to sign the document, officially passing Magnifi's tricks down to his granddaughter.

It also became clear that Zak was fully aware of the fact that after seven years of being missing a person was considered legally deceased, and would lose all rights as a living person after that, along with their possessions, which was the reason Trucy's _sperm-donor_ – _he was_ _ **not**_ _ **her father**_ _goddammit!_ – was now there.

"Well the prelude may have been longer than the attraction," Zak murmured as he placed down the pen. "Shall we begin our game?" Another devilish leer. "My final competition?"

" _Final_?" Phoenix echoed blankly. "Why?"

"I came out of hiding today to make this document legally binding. Once that is done I shall slip once more underground."

Phoenix blinked, uncertain he had heard him correctly.

"…Without seeing…" He nearly gagged on the word. _"Your daughter?"_ This was a _new low_ , even for a _contemptuous slug_ like _Zak_!

"It would be best if I did not." For a split second, _Daddy Dearest_ actually looked vulnerable. "Seven years ago, we played. Seven years ago, I lost." He cleared his throat then, and his voice hardened. "I already lost once to Magnifi. I do not care to lose to another. And I have heard that _you_ _never_ _lose._ "

"It's just a rumor," Phoenix lied quickly, the dread continuing to mount within him.

"Yes…" The former illusionist seem to like this answer and beamed widely. "For it is impossible to _never_ lose. Unless one has an ace up one's sleeve."

The steely glint in Zak's eye was downright alarming, and the uneasy feeling Phoenix had felt creeping up within him was now at maximum capacity.

"As the magician, it causes me no end of irritation." The affable smile was still in place, but the underlying intent was clearly perceptible as a dark shadow crossed over Zak's face. "To think a mere lawyer might be out there, pulling the wool over so many eyes…"

The unnerving rubatosis kicked in, full throttle.

"Hey…" Phoenix tried to speak lightly, although his heart was now thumping erratically in his chest. "I just signed your document for you. Maybe you can try _lightening_ up?"

 _Maybe I should volunteer to_ _ **shove a light bulb up his ass**_ _?_

"For my final competition," Zak stated with an air of finality. "I will destroy your perfect record, Phoenix Wright! _This_ … Will be my final performance! Consider yourself warned!"

The ex-illusionist then told Brushel he was free to leave, and when the gangly reporter eagerly offered to stick around for the "scoop" of the former magician's final game, rather than verbally negate the request, Zak casually, without warning or second thought, flat out treated the annoying man to a sharp _uppercut_ across the chin, sending him sprawling to the ground!

Phoenix witnessed this with mounting horror, even as Brushel nervously spluttered that he would now be making his leave. The moment he left, Zak turned back around and unflinchingly brushed his knuckles against his suit jacket, as though trying to remove a pesky piece of lint.

"I punch and I punch," he shrugged. "But still, it is not enough."

Phoenix just stared at him speechlessly. _I am so glad my little girl did not inherit this alarmingly sociopathic and violent behavior streak!_

"I'm sure Brushel meant no harm," he finally managed to utter. "And he's obviously very loyal to you. Why can't you be nicer to him?"

Another shrug. "Nice is a mask angry people wear to hide their inner assholes."

Phoenix gulped at how callous the larger man was about pain caused to others, as well as his seemingly overall lack of humanity, realizing at that moment that for all the times _he'd_ been accused of being a poker shark, he was the one now actually dealing with a _cold-blooded shark…_ in _every_ way possible, and not only limited to the poker variety.

His stomach sank.

 _I just_ _ **know**_ _that this is_ _ **not**_ _going to end well…  
_

* * *

 _ **Master Baiter**_

 **word type: poker slang**

 **Poker player who baits other poker players in a masterful manner.**

 **Usage:** **"I baited you masterfully, I must be a master baiter!"**

* * *

 _ **Christina Aguilera - Fighter**_

 _ **The Police - Every Breath You Take  
**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 117**

 **Anonymous Guest**

 _"I might have to steal some of the lines you used here in my own wedding! You're amazing! Keep it up!"_

I am rendered speechless about how my geeky Phoenix Wright fan girl self just felt like reading a story a year ago, and I've since gotten to chat with such incredible people from all over the world because of this wonderful little game...and had my work compared to that of literary geniuses like JK Rowling and Terry Pratchett and Tolkien (flattering but I truly don't feel like I'm worthy of such esteem!) But hand to heart, I got kind of teary-eyed reading this - that someone actually wanted to incorporate something I've written into their _actual life_ – which was literally a mind = blown moment for me. Thank you so much, and congratulations to you both! :)

 **Anonymous Guest**

 **Chapter 119**

 _"NO! NO! STOP IT MILES! STOP!"_

To guest: First- thanks so much for taking the time to read and review. I am greatly impressed by how much hilarity you manage to convey into such a short message! XD

We will find out what happened with Miles and Lana hopefully next week but I have a very special loving reunion planned before that! : )

 **Anonymous Guest**

 **Chapter 121**

 _"K-OS! I love K-OS!  
Both the singer and the state! Makes for interesting story work!  
You're amazing! Do keep this up!"_

I am delighted to hear my readers like the music I have chosen in this fan fic I have somehow turned into a musical of sorts! Lol

Am always open to suggestions as well! Thanks so much for the kind words!

 **Chapter 121**

 **Ryszard**

I saw that the recommendation reading had over 20K reviews? Am wondering if the author still makes the time to reply to their readers like I do? :p

Am intrigued. Will put on the to do list as well as the recommended viewing!

There is nothing in the world I would love more than to have Mia still be alive and for Apollo Justice -the game not the character, who I like !-have never happened!

Ah...Demon Grant...Krissy the Creepy German sausage and Black Dahlia (Lilith would have been a better name)... _egal, war sie Sie anrufen, alle aus der Hölle Waren sie!_

Now you may also have been blocking out Apollo Justice can't say I'd blame you I have to go back and look it up on the videos to make my notes for this story however remember that Olga was not actually Russian but simply impersonating one therefore it would be of no surprise that she would screw up something as simple as a temperature she serves her undoubtedly crappy dish but absolutely nobody wants to eat Kama which I'm assuming that's why he's always trying to peddle it! My God that is some warped spelling...would never know how to pronounce that! Is Russian among your many languages?

Will I do extras as in an epilogue? To do on a chorus this story would have to be finished which to be honest is over the halfway mark now which is very exciting and if there is a demand for one they're absolutely would be one I still owe my readers one for my DDD story!

We saw the lovely Adrian earlier in the story when Nick and Larry went on the hilarious bra shopping expedition 4 Trucy and got pegged as being gay lovers/transvestites! We will see her with a cameo a bit later in the story she is a great character and I have written her in the past in drabbles and in the other FF I mentioned but I already have such a full cast but I'm juggling because right after Nick's arc we go back to Ema and Klavier, and it's very hard to give these great characters fair "screen time."

And no offense to anyone who is into girl on girl action...I can see why people are into Franny and Adrian the same way I get the Nick and Miles thing even if it isn't my scene... but given the under ages Pearl and Trucy and the fact that I see them as more siblings at least in my story... that pairing is war of course it is still a marginally better then Apollo and Trucy... miraculously I have managed to dodge seeing any Phoenix and miraculously I have managed to dodge seeing any Phoenix and Trucy but I'm sure there are freaks out there...

 **Batfreak2008**

Thank you so much taking the time to let me know that you liked this, I was a bit nervous because of the whole otherworldly/heavenly arc. The journals were an attempt to try to validate Phoenix, who suffered so much character assassination at the hands of, in Apollo Justice I could just weep! Underneath that poker face he was still our Nick! :-)

 **DannyDragon**

 _Siempre estoy feliz de saber de usted…_ _como dice el dicho…_ _el tamaño no importa…_ **_de su mensaje!_** _XD_

 _Muchas gracias_ for feeling I have somewhat filling the void in what was in my opinion the worst game in the entire Ace Attorney series! I have no idea why Trucy would not feel that her mother is not alive still the only thing I can surmise is the fact that perhaps perception is different from psychic ESP? The most obvious solution would be if Maya had it been missing in action to have her or Pearl try to channel Thalassa, but that would of course _make sense!_

With regards to Maya… She went to Europe back in May last year but is back in town… Or is she? Where was the Kurain Master while her ex was being framed for his third murder?

Phoenix and Miles are grossly overdue a heart-to-heart/reunion which is coming up really soon and I hope you're as excited about it as I am… Poor Nick has no idea how much hell his best friend has gone through what with Franziska leaving him and that the baby is no longer… And in the meantime feels that his best friend has just been too busy or ignoring him when he needed him most, not knowing that Edgeworth has been deep undercover.

Another wonderful reader who appreciates the lyrics of K-OS! You have no idea how long I was planning on using those lyrics because there are so fitting for Phoenix! The music artist Canadian you know! :-)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I was really nervous about doing this arc given the otherworldly/heavenly angle but I am very blessed to have such amazing open-minded and supportive readers, including yourself! :-)

Have you seen or read the third Harry Potter book the Prisoner of Azkaban? In that book Hermione has created a spell that allows her to be in different places pretty much the same time so she's kind of like omnipresent and knows everything and that's how Nick came across in Apollo Justice.

The reason it's such an unusual angle I wanted to go with is because Phoenix just seems to be privy to all this information which he has really no inexplicable way of knowing, like the truth behind Trucy's mother or not being dead, her kinship with Apollo and the source of her powers… All of this is canon, as is the fact that Shadi Smith, a.k.a. Zak Gramarye who is Trucy's _biological sperm donor_ ( **I refuse to call him her father! He give up that right the minute he abandoned her!** ) really did hire Olga Orly (who really did pose as a timid waitress at the bar and then later transformed into a bandanna wearing card shark persona as a dealer) to be a plant in his fateful poker match with Phoenix. The son of a bitch honestly was planning on framing Phoenix for cheating…(Apollo Justice - the game where everybody tries to frame Phoenix for something and make him be seen as a gigantic unemotional, heartless douchebag who looks like a sexy albeit gay rapper, by millions of fans everywhere consequently!) Despite the fact that making Nick loses undefeated poker streak would have put him out of a job and therefore made it nearly impossible for him to keep financially providing the daughter that he has been raising because she was abandoned by him! Nice guy? **I'm glad he's dead, I really am!**

 **chloemcg**

I am delighted to see that you are fan of Sir Top Hat as I am as well! I hope this isn't too much of a spoiler to let you know that we will actually be seeing Professor Layton again and not just in written form :-)

There is little praise out there that is more esteemed than to hear from devoted fans of Ace Attorney that your work could be considered canon (especially seeing as how I went with such an out there angle!) or worthy Capcom, so thank you kindly milady!

I sincerely look forward to next update

 **SpiritsOfFire**

 _"Are you sure you're not the one who actually write the ace attorney game script? The character is so similar to the game."_

Now you went and ousted me! My secret identity is now public! Damn you, wonderful astute reader! XD

That accursed _gap_ … That _seven year itch_ was what prompted me to write this story, because it drove me absolutely insane! Sure Phoenix was still pretty young when all is said and done as he's only now in his early 30s, but nevertheless seven years… that's a very long time to sit and perish for a crime you've never done! The fan fiction started out as an explanation and apology to loyal fans everywhere for the slap in the face that was the Apollo Justice game!

With just a few lines you have given me the kind and encouraging validation which every nearly every fan fiction writer craves – that I've kept the protagonists in character, which is very hard to do considering in some cases how little I am given to work with! Thank you kindly dear reader! :-)

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

I'm really happy that there are still parts of this chapter which could be amusing and enjoyable considering the darkness of the journals but considering everything Phoenix was going through and in canon… And then topping off in my story that he lost Maya I cannot imagine he would've been a happy go lucky man! Always a pleasure to hear from you dear reader from down under!

 **Yanmegaman**

 _Well, one could say this chapter was very... Spirited._

And this is why if you and I were romantically involved…you would be My PUNNY Valentine! XD

Magnifi could be considered to be a _douchehole_ (hee!) Considering he knew what was going to happen if he killed himself, and that it would unwittingly ruin Nick's life, but given the choice between saving his grandchildren's lives and that of a man he didn't know we ultimately knew would triumph over all adversity and take care of them, I can't say I would not have done the same thing!

Also I was raised by a Hindu parent… We truly believe the matter how much you suck in life there is hope for you without your deathbed you repent! Not a free pass to be a _farking icehole_ in life, but I do hope I made the old man's repentance seemed genuine! And considering all me was a key factor for a lot of things in the wonderful crossover who better to help out our favorite defense attorney than the most awesome possible enthusiast ever? :-)

 **thepudz**

 _You're doing a good job of making me want to smash your head into a burning hot BBQ stand (The True Aussie Way.)_

Number one I love the imagery! May I suggest using _hot sauce_ as lube for the fokker? XD

I know Australians probably have it in them to have some serious _bad-assery_ that would make Detective Badd proud, seeing as how they live in a place that harbors the most dangerous and poisonous animals on earth which they must learn to peacefully coexist among! :p

Oh sweet boy to hear something could be considered canon is the highest praise indeed to a fan fiction writer who is trying to do nothing but manipulate the canon and make everything seem believable! :-)

I am going to ignore that pun about Sebastian (one punnyman friend is enough! LOL) Yes I know he had a hard life having a monster for father, but he still was nerve grating, including his unfortunate bowl cut hair! I cannot believe people actually pair him with the dynamic and stunning Kay Faraday! Gah!


	123. Bloodbath

_Well you know those times when you feel like  
There's a sign there on your back  
That says I don't mind if you kick me, seems like everybody has  
Things go from bad to worse  
You think it can't get worse than that  
And then they do_

 _You step off the straight and narrow  
And you don't know where you are  
Used the needle of your compass, to sew up your broken heart  
Ask directions from a genie in a bottle of jim beam  
And she lies to you  
That's when you learn the truth_

 _If you're goin' through hell keep on going  
Don't slow down if you're scared don't show it  
You might get out before the devil even knows you're there_

 _I've been deep down in that darkness  
I've been down to my last match  
Felt a hundred different demons breathin' fire down my back  
And I knew that if I stumbled I'd fall right into the trap  
That they were layin'_

 _But the good news is there's angels everywhere out on the street  
Holdin' out a hand to pull you back up on your feet  
The one's that you've been draggin' for so long  
You're on your knees might as well be prayin'  
Guess what I'm sayin'  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Three:** **Bloodbath**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Zak Gramarye**_  
 _The Hydeout_  
April 17, 2026 2:01 AM

When he had first started working at The Borscht Bowl Club, Phoenix had been grateful for the warmth of his tracksuit, although by now, he was accustomed to the Siberian atmosphere of the bar upstairs, where it was slightly colder than even the frigid temperature of the underground _Hydeout_. Regardless, it nonetheless took a few moments before the blissful numbness would kick in and the discomfort would be alleviated from his bare sandalled feet, which fortunately no longer turned blue from the cold.

That night however, his body temperature was the _last_ thing on his mind as he found himself reflecting back on the additional material he had extracted from the stern-faced competitor sitting across the table from him.

To his great consternation, even after several hours of conversing, the wandering traveler had yet to divulge any groundbreaking information that Phoenix had not already discovered for himself.

 _All Zak has established is that he **thinks** he spotted Kristoph Gavin tonight, who **may** or **may not** have seen him as well. He has also confirmed that Thalassa, Trucy's mother, was allegedly killed in a stage rehearsal accident with a bullet gone wrong, from either Zak or Valant's pistols. Zak admitted Apollo was a by-product of his wife's first marriage, which ended in her widowhood, and that both Trucy and Apollo inherited their powers from the maternal side of the Gramarye family. The irrefutable fact that they are indeed half siblings has been officially confirmed. Zak also insists that his wife is dead, but this is something that has yet to be concretely established, since the body was never found._

Phoenix eyed Zak dubiously at that moment.

 _And **until** it is **irrefutably confirmed** , I **cannot** determine Thalassa's presumed fate is the true reality or not... After all, if anybody wants me to rationalize my skepticism about how being **missing** doesn't necessarily mean that person is **dead** , lo and behold, I give you… **Exhibit A** : my present poker challenger! **Father of the Year** , in **very real** , **living** **flesh** , seated **not even a foot away**!_

Just like back in 2019, it all came down to an all-in, final hand. And, just like seven years ago, Phoenix was winning, this time taking the game _a lot more seriously_ than he had back then! The odds were stacked in his favor presently, undefeated streak notwithstanding. After all, this time around, he was a _much_ more viable contender, skilled at pitting not only his poker hand, but his _wits_ , to boot!

 _Currently **cynical pianist** versus **meandering traveler** , as opposed to **former naïve attorney** versus **crafty illusionist!**_

"Showdown time."

Perfected poker-faces intact, both men tossed down their hands onto the table at precisely the same second.

 _Ta_ - _Da_!

The existing smirk on Olga's crimson lips abruptly dissolved as they then parted into a startled gasp.

"Impossible!" She cried. "How can there be _two_ _full houses_ … But one hand has _two aces_ and the other has _three_ … _?!_ "

Phoenix shook his head in dismay. He wished he could have been more taken aback, but he just _wasn't_. If there was _one_ thing he had learned in _this racket_ , it was to _expect the unexpected_.

The defeated Zak's lips curled into a ferocious snarl of malcontent, identical to the countless ones Phoenix had seen with all of his losing opposition. He bit back a smirk as the burly man shot up from his seat and stormed around the table towards him.

"You dirty _cheat_!" Zak raged, waving his arms dramatically. "Check his pockets now!" He commanded Olga, nostrils flaring and eyes wild.

It was like déjà vu with every other subjugated card player Phoenix had ever encountered, so he knew the drill. He obligingly already had his arms up in the air as Olga's rapid-fire fingers roamed over him, searching every fold and pocket in his garments. At last, she halted in the process of fishing around in the nearly indiscernible side pockets of his black track-pants, a bewildered expression came into her widened eyes. Alarmed now, she then agitatedly dug around in his hoodie right afterwards, before looking up at Zak and shrugging helplessly. Phoenix bit back a knowing grin as the white-suited man glared at her.

"What the _hell_ are you doing, woman?" He snapped peevishly. "What's going on here?"

"It-It's _gone_!" Olga gulped, flushing guiltily as her round eyes swiveled back and forth between the two men. " _The card is gone_!"

"What the _fuck_ do you mean _it's gone_?" Her partner in crime roared, roughly shoving her aside and committing his own body search on the card game winner, who didn't move a muscle, remaining unstirring and, miraculously _straight-faced,_ the entire time.

Zak's eyes shot daggers at the now trembling Olga before turning to the deadpan poker champion, getting right up in his face, looking like a man possessed. " _What did you_ _ **do**_!?"

Phoenix neither blinked nor flinched as he uttered the repeated standard line he had been reciting for seven years. "You lose."

Tearing his enraged mug away from the victor's, Zak then unleashed his wrath on the petrified-looking blonde, who was quivering from head to toe.

" _You_!" He thundered, his visage twisted into a grotesque scowl of rage. "You _stupid, worthless bitch!_ Some ' _Quick-Fingered'_ con artist _you_ turned out to be!"

The following chain of events occurred at such a break-neck pace, Phoenix wasn't unable to do anything to stop it in time, because absolutely _nothing_ he had _ever_ encountered _in all his years of poker_ could have prepared him for what happened next.

In a mindless fit of rage, Zak grabbed the glass grape juice bottle that had been next to Phoenix's cards atop the table, sending the red deck of cards flying, and advanced upon the frightened young woman, who had nowhere to run in that tiny, subversive room. She instinctively began retreating away, only to find herself backed up against a wall as Zak ominously waved the heavy beverage container in his hand as he drew nearer. Olga let out a strangled screamed as she tried to dash out of the room, only to slip upon the glossy, scattered cards that had fallen to the ground, sending her sprawling to the floor. Before the ex-attorney could react, the dealer let out one final, terrorized shriek as the madman brandished the bottle threateningly above Olga's head, right before slamming the makeshift weapon down onto her skull, creating a sickening, cracking sound, which echoed loudly in the silent room, rendering the young woman immediately unconscious.

Phoenix startled like a deer in the woods, almost toppling as he took a large step backwards. He shouldn't have been as poleaxed as he was at the impromptu burst of viciousness, seeing as how the massive man had been relentlessly pummeling the admittedly annoying reporter earlier that night, but _this_ was something in _a different league_ altogether! _This_ had been a senseless act of savagery towards a helpless woman, and had seemed more _animalistic_ than actually _human_! He stared in horrified incredulity at the now panting and sweating Zak, whose rage seem to have subsided by then, and was now staring down in shock at the supine card dealer, as though _he_ even couldn't believe what he had done.

"What... Why did you do that!?" The pianist rasped as the now heaving former magician leaned heavily against the table. Although Phoenix didn't see any visible signs of bleeding, a quick, downward gander at Olga was unable to ascertain if she was even breathing, and he knew she was going to need medical attention right away. Unfortunately, they were in a deeply _underground_ _cellar_ room, otherwise known as a _frozen variation of hell,_ with absolutely _zero_ cell phone reception!

Zak couldn't even reply, his unblinking orbs the size of saucers as his tanned face became thoroughly ashen.

 _God dammit!_ Phoenix's widened with panic. _Is he going into_ _ **shock**_ _?! What am I going to do?!_

"Wait here!" He anxiously advised the dumbstruck Zak. "I'll get help!"

The ex-magician simply nodded disorientedly, and flopped back down into his chair as the pianist whizzed up the stairs towards the restaurant, taking the steps two a time in his haste, as his overwrought mind strained to come up with the best solution for this unanticipated _, unmitigated catastrophe_!

Zak was obviously more of a temperamental and unpredictable loose cannon than the former attorney ever could have imagined, and he wasn't sure if an ordinary pair of paramedics would be the right party to get involved with such an unstable creature. Moreover, he wasn't confident that the ambulance attendants would be properly trained to handle any sudden moves the _deranged lunatic_ might make while within reachable vicinity of that _dangerous juice bottle!_ That very same glass container also just happened to contain the card he and his co-conspirator had indubitably planted in Phoenix's pocket, not expecting that he'd have found it in time.

 _Yeesh, it appears all the years of jabbing my hands into my pockets and clutching my magatama when being around Kristoph was what ultimately saved my skin in the end!_

Quickly weighing his options, he decided that the police were probably his best bet. He spoke rapidly during the call, succinctly urging the cops to arrive as speedily as possible, not thinking that he had time to give additional particulars at that moment, but figuring he could provide them with the finer points of the occurrence when they arrived.

Like many other incidences in his life, this was a decision Phoenix would come to regret later.

However, at the time, it never occurred to him to shift his single focus onto anything other than the grievously battered Olga, and do whatever he could to rescue her from a potentially life-threatening injury.

After all, on that fateful night of April 17, 2026, how could Phoenix Wright have _possibly_ foreseen _the greatest imminent threat of all_ looming within the confines of the dank, underground room? How could he have _ever_ prophesized that _the biggest danger_ yet to come, would ultimately _not_ wind up being at the hands of Zak Gramarye himself?

* * *

 _ **Shadi Enigmar  
**_ _The Hydeout  
_ April 17, 2026 2:08 AM

Nobody had been more shocked by his crazed actions that night than Shadi Enigmar himself. The ex-illusionist had always been a man of rash actions; an act first, think later sort, but while he'd occasionally opted to use his fists, rather than his words, in the past, he had _never_ _before_ physically struck a woman in his entire life. Nevertheless, what was hardly unfathomable was the fact that it'd been the _devil's temptation_ which had driven him to such madness, as poker had long since been his foremost passion in life, taking precedence above all else.

It would be convoluted to discover what his friends thought of his obsession, because he never stayed in one place long enough to make any, but the people he'd played against even once could have easily confirmed his unwavering sense of pride about it. People did not know about Shadi's past, about where he came from, if he had any family, or even what his real name was – because surely it couldn't be Shadi Smith. However, what they quickly _did_ learn was his passionate love of poker. Almost any back alley club in the country that endorsed the game could have easily attested to that.

His poker addiction was such that he cared for absolutely nothing else in the world. He would lie, cheat and steal for it. Everything he'd once held dear fell by the wayside, his family, his friends, and even his career. He became someone else, someone that was now unrecognizable, even to himself and in addition, someone to be feared.

Even though Magnifi had been the one to introduce him to the game, Shadi's yen for it had surpassed even his mentor's. Thalassa had never understood it either, his gaming compulsion. One time she'd even asked him to explain the allure to her, in an effort to understand his compulsion. He'd beheld that beautiful face with his fierce gaze and said:

 _"Imagine a rat gnawing on your living flesh. Now imagine you had a magic stick to poke that rat away with in your hand, and if you poked that rat you would be filled with the most glorious feeling of contentment and warmth. Imagine using that stick would bring you to a level of happiness you had never achieved before, a personal nirvana that you never wanted to leave. Now imagine you are told not to use that stick and to let the rat keep on gnawing. That's my addiction, that's why all these therapies and groups will never work. You can detox me all you want but that rat is going to come back one day and when it does I'm going to be reaching for my magic stick. Nothing will stop me"._

It was this very addiction which had unmitigatedly consumed the remains of Shadi's soul, fully obliterating the loving husband and father he'd once been. That man was dead and gone, and replaced by one that Shadi, on some unconscious level, semi-ruefully acknowledged was beyond redemption.

This man, rather than see his only daughter one last time, the very one he'd shamelessly abandoned, had allowed himself to instead become irrevocably intoxicated by the alluring game of chance. He had given greater priority to the pursuit of the unequivocal adrenaline rush he'd get from this final opportunity to go against all odds, and finally triumph over the _one living man_ he'd been unable to conquer in the game of poker. It was entirely insignificant to him that doing so would entail ruining said undefeated champion's poker standing by indicting him for cheating, annihilating both his reputation and unbeaten streak. Shadi hadn't even been phased in the least when he had discovered that said man was Phoenix Wright, whose life he had already unwittingly destroyed, and had nevertheless been taking care of his daughter all these years.

Shadi hadn't given a second thought to the ramifications of his scheming, underhanded tactics. Nor had he given a damn knowing that in breaking Phoenix's winning streak and causing the loss of his very livelihood, the man would lose not only his job, but also the novelty of his undefeated poker champion reputation, and consequently, both he and Trucy would then be plunged into financial crisis. None of these concepts were paid any mind whatsoever, because _all_ he cared about was _winning_. It was inconsequential to him that Phoenix Wright and this undefeated, fabled poker champion were _one and the same_ ; couldn't even claim that he hadn't known who the man was when he had set eyes upon the ex-attorney seven years later.

None of these concepts were paid any mind whatsoever, because _all_ he cared about was _winning_. It was inconsequential to him that Phoenix Wright and this undefeated, fabled poker champion were _one and the same_ ; couldn't even claim that he hadn't known who the man was when he had set eyes upon the ex-attorney seven years later.

Yes, the scruffy-looking man was barely recognizable at present, with his slouched-over posture and dark stubble, his trademark spikes now hidden by that aqua beanie. The blue suit was gone, and his hands were constantly buried in the pockets of a fuzzy sweatshirt of muted color, which looked like it desperately needed a good wash, or perhaps had already seen too many washes. Nonetheless, Shadi had immediately recognized him at first sight.

However, while Phoenix was the very man whom Shadi had entrusted his daughter with, proving there was no such thing as an unbeatable poker champion was still _first_ on his priorities list. Poker was a passion that fueled his adrenaline rush, fired his blood; it was like a thirst that could never be quenched. It might even end up killing him one of these days, but he wasn't to know that.

 _All_ Shadi _knew_ was that he _would_ expose Phoenix Wright as a cheating fraud if it was _the last thing he'd do_!

The foreboding gaze of a bespectacled man lurking within the shadows prophesized that indeed, it very well would be...

* * *

 _ **Kristoph Gavin  
**_ _The Hydeout  
_ April 17, 2026 2:08 AM

Kristoph had followed his target all the way to the underground room where the iniquitous regulars of The Borscht Bowl Club had come for criminal purposes. He knew he could not hope to enter the room from the main entrance without being seen, so he'd circled around and hid in himself within the secret passageway that lay behind the bookshelf. There was a slight crevice in the mantelpiece which allowed him to observe Zak Gramarye and the events unfolding within The Hydeout without detection.

A petite blond woman, whom Kristoph didn't recognize, was the dealer. He silently observed the intense concentration on the faces of both the players, neither of them speaking, just intently staring at the cards in their hands. He noted Phoenix guzzling down his umpteenth grape juice, then set down the drained bottle, which had contained the pianist's beloved beverage of choice, but now only bore his fingerprints. The German leered to himself as he donned on his gloves, ready to pounce when the time was right.

"Showdown time."

Both men revealed their hands, and the dealer began squawking some sort of gibberish as first she, then Zak, began subjecting Phoenix to a police-style, full-body pat down, but apparently found _nothing_!

The next thing Kristoph knew, Zak flew into a rage, screeching first at the dealer, then at his opponent, who remained as cool as a cucumber. Within the blink of an eye, the incensed fugitive then clubbed the young woman over the head with the juice bottle, knocking her out cold. A second later, the rattled Phoenix scooted up the stairs.

Concealed within the secret passageway, the blond man began breathing heavily. Slouched over in his chair now, the bewildered-looking Zak cast a quick glance around him around, but saw nothing.

 _Showtime indeed. The_ _ **final curtain call**_ _!_

Pushing aside the bookshelf, Kristoph stepped out of the secret passageway.

"Hello, Zak," he greeted pleasantly, the placid smile on his face competently belying his intentions.

The big man spun around in his chair, eyes bulging and jaw dropping to the floor at the startling sight of the jilted defense attorney.

" _You_!" He huffed, puffing out his chest in a gesture of bravado, even though his eyes darted about apprehensively. "What are _you_ doing here?!"

"It's been a long time, _Zak_." Kristoph's smile grew even wider. "But luckily, I _never_ forget a face."

"What the _hell_ do you want, Gavin?"

"Such hostility! Would you prefer if I called you … _Slim Shadi_?"

"How did you find me?" Zak demanded, his voice rising. "And I _refuse_ to answer to the same moniker as some _overhyped, foul-mouthed, white rapper_ bearing _the same name_ as _rainbow chocolate covered candies_!"

"Or would you rather I call you _Mr. Smith_?" Kristoph gave his best, smarmy smile. "That _is_ the alias you're going by these days, is it not?"

"I think you should leave immediately." Zak glared at him menacingly. "I have neither any business, nor _anything,_ to say to the likes of _you_."

"No? That's _such_ a shame." Kristoph affixed his most crestfallen expression. "Because there is _so much_ that _I_ wanted to give _you,_ Mr. Gramarye. A small _token of my appreciation_ for the events that took place seven years ago. Consider this my _farewell_ gift."

"Get lost! I don't want _anything –"_

Before the thickset man could even finish the sentence, Kristoph snatched Phoenix's discarded empty grape juice bottle by the neck, wielded it like a club, and smashed it down, full force, over Zak Gramarye's gleaming, china bone pate.

" _Son of_ _ **argh**_ _…"_

These were the last words that Zak Gramarye wheezed out, as the heavy blow from the glass was sharp enough to cut flesh, as if it posed no resistance. Immediately, a fountain of red came from the wound, the ebb and flow in time with the ex-magician's terrified, rapidly fading heartbeat, killing the man all the faster.

As if he hadn't heard the final gurgle of agony, and without a flicker of remorse, Kristoph serenely remained standing there, in the exact same way one would be spectating a silent theatre production of no importance.

All the while, the sanguine fluid continued to soundlessly trickle to the cold, concrete floor.

 _Still, it drips silently. Fast, it runs in streams._ The German watched impassively as the life slowly drained out of the man he had _despised with a vengeanc_ e all these years. _Wet, it can soak things. Dry, it can stain things. With it, comes life. Without it, comes death. Poetic really, when you think of it._

He never moved at all until his mark slumped into his chair, his head tilted to the side as the blood droplets slowly trickled into a collective, claret pool, and Kristoph knew then that Zak Gramarye was no more. Thereafter, he moved carefully but expeditiously, taking one of the cards in the poker hands and slipping in a fifth ace that had been lying on the table. The ace had been splattered with the dead man's blood and he smirked at the ironic nature of the situation. With these minor alterations of the crime scene, Kristoph had just safeguarded that the murder of the longtime _pebble in his shoe_ would be impossible to trace back to him, ensuring that he could never be convicted of this offense, and would readily maintain his respectable, prestigious ranking in society, while history would repeat itself, and Phoenix Wright took the fall for his misdeed – _yet again_.

With dead calm, he then made the precise turn back to the same passage from which he had come, careful to close the bookshelf behind him, and marched on, never even a spot of blood on his high-polished shoes.

Everything had gone precisely as he'd conspired, and Kristoph Gavin had gotten his revenge at last.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _The Hydeout  
_ April 17, 2026 2:13 AM

 _People would lose their ever-loving minds and unleash their fury upon me **all the time** when I was a lawyer,_ _even when I hadn't even **done** anything_! The frantic Phoenix reminded himself as he shoved his phone back into his pocket and sprinted back down the stairs. _It's not like I **haven't** handled **insanely temperamental people** in the past – what with **whips, birdseed** and **scalding coffee** flying at me! While I didn't know how to diffuse their anger at a time, the point is I know I **am able** to deal with even **the most hostile** of situations! Therefore, I am sure I'll be able to think of **some way** to ensure Zak stays both calm, and **a tad** less maniacal until the police arrive…_

Once at the bottom of the steps, he tentatively opened the door.

"I made the call," he announced uneasily as he reentered the room. "The cops should be –"

The words died in his throat as his eyes encountered the horrendous scenario, resembling something out of a gory horror film, which awaited him.

His mind barely registered the spark of electrocution-style shock from the surreal murder scene, before the surge of adrenalin hit him. Phoenix was entirely on edge from this latest bizarre framing attempt, a covertly paranoid animal spurred into hypersensitivity. This, perhaps, was what then allowed him to observe the proceedings in meticulous detail. He was jolted by the dual realization that he was both in mortal peril, and that this was _exactly_ the kind of inconceivably cataclysmic event he'd been waiting for.

Peering downward, he saw that Olga had remained perfectly static, appearing as lifeless as a rock since he'd been gone. He wasn't too surprised, given the severe blunt force trauma she had suffered at the hands of that _hefty, bottle-wielding_ _nutcase_!

No, it wasn't the _card dealer's_ unconscious state that was now resulting in the rubatosis from earlier returning with a vengeance now, as once again, the pianist could not only _feel_ but actually _hear_ the accelerated pounding of his heartbeat. He didn't dare move, didn't dare even breathe. He remained completely frozen on the spot as his perturbed gaze finally took notice of the fact that _Olga_ was not the only _corpselike_ person in The Hydeout who appeared _dead to the world_!

Phoenix's mouth went dry as his eyes went to the other unmoving form in the room. He couldn't even try to _momentarily placate_ himself that perhaps Trucy's _biological sperm-donor_ was merely insentient, like the unfortunate blonde lying on the ground. Fortunately, or _unfortunately_ , all his years as a defense attorney had given Phoenix Wright an all-too-familiar ability to recognize _a stiff_ when he saw one.

And it was _because_ he had once been an attorney that his poor confused and startled brain was dimly able to register the fact that given these circumstances, he had _best_ be contacting one… _right about now!_

 _Luckily for me, my psychotic stalker, who was more than likely involved with getting me disbarred, yet insists on putting on a public front as my **alleged** **chum** , is also a narcissistic self-aggrandizer that prides himself on being **The Coolest Defense in the West.** _ Despite his attempt at mental flippancy, Phoenix's breathing was rapid and shallow as he climbed up the stairs again and began dialing the egomaniac's phone number. _Off the top of my head, I can't think of a better man to get the best possible job done! Perhaps I'll be fortunate enough to be given the Gavin **friends and family discount** for the sake of maintaining our utter **sham of a friendship**!_

Given the late hour, the pianist had assumed that his call would have awoken the lawyer from his slumber, but Kristoph sounded wide awake and alert when he answered the phone on the very first ring.

"Hello?"

"Kristoph. I seem to be in a bit of trouble," Phoenix said quickly, without preamble. "Right after you left, at the eleventh hour, I partook in a card game from a spontaneous, out of the blue challenger."

"What's this?" Kristoph inquired mildly. "Game not going well?"

"Something like that." Phoenix could feel his pulse pounding in his temples.

"That gentleman who challenged you…He turn out to be good?"

"He turned out to be _dead_." Phoenix gulped. "Someone hit him. _Hard_."

"You mean someone cracked that flawless, bone china pate?" The German drawled. "It…wasn't _you_ , was it?"

"Me? _Please_ ," Phoenix mocked, even as his stomach further knotted. "The cops should be here any minute. I'm in your hands…Should it come to that."

"A request like this demands a huge favor in return."

"Tell me what is it you need and I'll do it."

"In due time. For now, the facts."

Phoenix explained a condensed version of the situation downstairs as Kristoph listened intently. Finally, in a voice a smooth as silk, the lawyer finally spoke.

"Alright, that's all the relevant information I need for now, _Herr_ Wright. Here's what you need to do…"

When he returned back to the scene of the crime, Phoenix now let his scrutinizing gaze linger on the chaotic tableau before him, instinctively discerning that his premier glimpse of the unmoving man in the swivel chair had been accurate, and that Zak was _not_ simply _blacked out_. As though in slow motion, his horror-struck eyes came to rest upon Zak Gramarye. He was slumped in his chair, the abandoned bottle lying on the table beside him, his bald head shining from the other side of the room. And that was when Phoenix saw the blood.

The harrowing sight in that deafeningly silent room was so blatant, so grisly, that he literally staggered backwards upon initial sight of the red liquid on the floor. The color swirled in his mind, making him feel lightheaded as at the exact same time, his brain morphed into full mental acquisitiveness mode. His aghast stare followed the line, almost forcefully, as if it had a mind of its own. The red liquid was still flowing down to the floor. Every limb in his body screamed for him to run. He did not listen though, and stood with his feet planted firmly on the ground as he experienced the tiny shock tremors that shot through him for several moments before he was somehow able to command his legs to move across the room towards the indisputably departed man.

Feeling a sickening sense of déjà vu from when he had first stumbled upon his beloved mentor's body a decade ago, Phoenix's shaky fingertips brushed against the lifeless neck, in the futile hope of detecting a pulse, but finding none whatsoever.

 _Yup, he's as dead as a doornail, just as I thought._ His head begin spinning as the full dreadfulness of the situation sunk in. _The cops are on their way, and they're going to take one look at the state of disarray of this room, and at Olga's unconscious form, and **then** , as the cherry on top, they'll set eyes on Zak Gramarye, aka "Shadi Smith" and they're going think that **I'm** the fiend who was behind all of this!_ His orbs landed on the gleaming gold locket around the dead man's throat and another awful realization struck him. _Earlier tonight, Zak opened it up to show me that there's a photo of **Trucy** inside of there! If the police put two and two together and realize who he **truly** was…_

Phoenix's mental processes churned frenetically, as the hyper arousal of imminent mortality triggered such necessary feats of intellect. He'd be the prime suspect for the murder, that much was obvious. There'd even be 'motive', as Zak had just tried to frame him and was partly responsible for his fall from grace as a lawyer. It would be best not to let the victim's true identity get out, as it would establish an even greater motive. Shuddering at the thought, Phoenix acted swiftly, unlatching the dead man's locket and then fastening it around his own neck. _Nobody can prove that this_ _ **isn't**_ _mine. That_ _ **is,**_ _after all,_ _ **my**_ _daughter's photo in there!_

Having taken care of that obstacle, his attentions were then drawn back to the poker table. With the exception of the red deck of cards that had scattered to the floor and the abandoned bottle lying alongside it, there appeared to be nothing amiss from when he had left the room upon first sight. The chips were all in the same place, as was his full house, and also… _What was this?!_

His sharp eyes inspected Zak's final card hand. Bysome _inexplicable and mystifying means,_ in the _mere jiffy_ that he'd been upstairs trying to call for help, the _second_ Ace of Spades in his opponent's hand - the basis of Zak's apparent stratagem to _once more_ destroy Phoenix's reputation with assertions of cheating - had been _replaced_ by _a third king_.

Phoenix drew in a sharp breath, utterly flummoxed as to the mysterious reason somebody would have played _switcheroo_ with the cards. After all, everything would've gone according to plan for Zak and Olga if they had just left those five aces on the table to implicate Phoenix as the _cheating poker champion_ they were trying to assert that he was!

The irony of the situation was almost comical. Phoenix actually would've laughed at the lunacy of it all, had he not been so inherently scared to death about what this all meant for him.

 _The judicious extrapolation here, of course, is identical to nearly every murder trial I ever defended in court._ _This anonymous card swapper was the unknown_ _ **fourth**_ _, rather than_ _ **third**_ _, party, who in all likelihood was Zak's true murderer. They struck in that brief window period that I was out of the room and Olga was out like a light! But what reason could the culprit have possibly had to swap those cards? Could it be because…?_

The answer came to him in a flash.

 _That missing ace was crucial evidence at this crime scene! Zak bled like a stuck pig when he was killed, and hence must have hemorrhaged on that card upon the moment of impact! Hmmm... That means that Zak had his back to the table when he was murdered, and his killer must have been hiding in that little-known secret passage, lurking all this time, waiting for the right moment to strike. Back there, they undoubtedly would have been able to hear that we_ _ **both**_ _had_ _ **full houses**_ _and hence, the elusive fifth ace being traded for a king. I better search for more clues before the cops come and cuff me!_

Phoenix did another cursory inspection of the area. As his searching gaze roamed for telling clues he might have overlooked, for some reason that he wasn't quite sure of, _a seemingly offhand comment_ Kristoph had made during their short conversation returned and sharply rankled, although he couldn't put his finger just yet as to _why_ this was so. All the same, as he crept back over to the corpse, he found his hand moving on its own volition, as though somehow _compelled_ to do so. Without a second thought, he scooped up Zak's _paradoxically_ _named_ Deadman's Top Hat from the floor and placed it carefully atop his blood-encrusted forehead, so that at initial sight, it appeared as though the man was only sleeping.

 _OK, so upon further examination of this new card, this third king is from the blue deck?! But that deck is still neatly piled by the dealer's chair! Why would the killer ruffle through the cards in **that** deck rather than the ones on the floor?! Did the perpetrator not think to look to look down there?! That **has** to be it! At first peek, the poker table gives the impression that the poker match was played utilizing the cards in the blue deck! Obviously they were in too much of a hurry to pay much attention to smaller details, what with being too busy **committing homicide**!_

A soft, pained moan was heard from the corner of the room as Olga began to stir. Phoenix rushed over to her side while she struggled to sit up, clutching her head as she did so.

"Olga!" His brows were knitted with concern as he crouched over her. "Are you alright?"

The double-agent card dealer stared at him with glazed eyes, blinking dazedly for a few seconds before her eyes shifted to the other side of the room, and her free hand clapped over her parted lips, terror-stricken at the gruesome sight of Zak Gramarye slumped in the corner.

" _W- What the_ …? _I – Is_ _he_ …?" The shaken young woman could barely speak and looked near faint again.

"Don't waste your strength trying to talk," Phoenix advised, feeling completely drained now. "I called the police, who are on their way, probably with an ambulance. You were hit pretty hard and probably still need medical attention." He inclined his head in Zak's direction then turned back at her with a grim expression. "Mr. Smith wasn't as fortunate in surviving the blow to _his_ head."

"H – he's _dead_?!" Olga's eyes nearly bugged out of her skull as the meaning of his words registered. "B – But _how_? _Who_ …?"

"Those are very good questions." Phoenix dropped down to the floor and took a seat beside her, blearily leaning his head back against the wall as he closed his eyes. "I only wish I could give you equally good answers."

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _Detention Center_  
April 19, 2026 6:00 PM

By this point, Phoenix had thought he was beyond being astounded. After all, since he was now facing his third homicide trial, he didn't think there was anything on earth left that could possibly still floor him. _Surprise, surprise_ , he was wrong yet again.

However, to be fair, he couldn't have predicted who the caller on the other end line at the detention center was if his _life_ had depended on it!

"H – Hello?"

"Wright, you bloody _imbecile_!" The unmistakably familiar voice on the phone barked. "What fine mess have you gotten yourself into _now_?!"

" _E – Edgeworth_?" He croaked out in feeble response to the irate voice on the line.

 _Jeez, Edgy, have you_ _ **never**_ _heard of commencing a phone conversations with a simple_ _ **"hello, is it me you're looking for?"**_ Phoenix gawped into the receiver as he channeled his indignant inner Lionel Richie. _I'm starting to think he rather_ _ **enjoys**_ _starting off every phone call we've had in the last seven years with some sort of trademarked_ _ **edginess**_ _!_

" _Of course_ it's _me_ , you fool!" The prosecutor snapped. "Who _else_ would be calling you in the _hoosegow_ , where your _imbecilic self_ has now _thrice_ managed to end up? Rest assured, _I already know_ that you're facing yet _another_ spurious murder charge. Somehow, despite becoming _a reclusive mole_ of some sort these last seven years, you have _still_ managed to make international news!"

Edgeworth stopped to take a breath, and when he spoke again, the agitation in his tone had diminished somewhat.

"But that's neither here nor there right now. We don't have long, so give me the details that _weren't_ in the headlines. What is the time and date of your trial that I will be defending you at?"

In spite of the dire straits he knew he was in, Phoenix couldn't help but let out a semi-hysterical bark of laughter. Part of it stemmed from sheer relief at hearing that _venerated, ever-disapproving British accent_ _after_ _so long_ , and the other part was because of what he _fully_ grasped in that instant. In spite of the clipped tone and admonishing verbal spurs he'd just been succumbed to, Miles Edgeworth really, and truly, was the best friend he'd ever have in his whole, entire life.

"Have you lost your bloody mind, Wright?" Edgeworth did not sound in the least amused. "Do you not realize you are facing death row, _yet again_? What _in God's name_ is so funny?"

"I'm sorry, Edgeworth." Phoenix wiped his eyes, which had been brimming with mirth. "It's just that you are literally the _third_ legal eagle who's willing to defend me! Amazingly enough, I have not had any _shortage_ of defense attorneys, of any kind, which is _hilarious,_ because you'd think _no lawyer worth his salt_ would want to touch me, _or_ this case, with a _100-foot pole_! However, as much as I appreciate the offer, old friend, I must graciously decline your services."

"Are you sure that it was not _you_ who was _hit in the head_ with that grape juice bottle?" Edgeworth demanded. "Because I could have _sworn_ I just heard you reject the services of a _veteran attorney_ who has _successfully_ aided you with your defense in the past!"

"And I am forever in his debt for that," Phoenix said kindly, affecting a more somber tone now. "But honestly Edgeworth, I already have a defense attorney. I have selected a very competent attorney for my trial tomorrow. He is currently the understudy of Kristoph Gavin, and his name is Apollo Justice."

" _Apollo Justice_?" The prosecutor echoed uncomprehendingly. "What kind of _name_ is _that_? I've never heard of him."

"It's the _entirely fitting_ name of a newly graduated young man, from my own _alma mater_ ,who has the makings to be a great asset to the legal system. He also possesses _admirable_ , if not downright _enviable_ , morals and ethics," Phoenix declared. "And I am _very_ confident in his capabilities."

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you, Wright?!" Edgeworth sounded incredulous. "You _cannot_ choose a defense attorney simply because he's got _a catchy name_ that _just so happens_ to be _suited to his profession_ , or because he _graduated from the same university_ as you did!"

"It would be no less ridiculous than my last client choosing me to represent him because I beat him at poker!" Phoenix countered. "But for the record, _neither_ of those are the reasons I chose Apollo to represent me, although they _certainly_ were taken into consideration."

"You seriously mean to tell me that you're putting your fate in the hands of a _rookie attorney_?!"

"That's _exactly_ what I'm saying," Phoenix replied quietly. "You put your neck on the line for me _once_ already Edgeworth, and were fortunate enough to dodge the consequences for illicitly assuming the role of a defense attorney. You're a _prosecutor_ , and a damn good one, and I will _never_ have you risk jeopardizing that for my sake, _ever_ again. We both know that I am innocent of this alleged crime…" _If I **were** capable of random acts of violence or murder I would have clocked Zak at first sight and snuffed out Gavin the first time he threatened my Maya!_ "… and Apollo _will_ be able to prove it. You're just going to have to trust me on this one."

"I see you've only grown even _more_ stubborn over the years, you _thick-skulled fool_." Edgeworth heaved a resigned sigh as he realized this was one battle he wasn't going to win. "You said your trial is tomorrow?"

"First thing in the morning," Phoenix affirmed.

"Then I suppose the only other thing I can do, which I hope you _will_ agree to, is suggest you get a decent sleep tonight," Edgeworth said wearily. "You'll need it in order to have your remaining wits about you, _whatever is left of them_ , for court tomorrow."

"The mats in the holding cells at the detention center aren't exactly the most comfortable thing to get a good night's shuteye on," Phoenix deadpanned. "But I'll do my best to follow those instructions of yours."

"There's no paper-thin mat, Wright. You'll be sleeping in your own bed tonight."

" _W- What_?" Phoenix stammered. "What are you _saying_ , Edgeworth? How can I go home when my bail was set at _$500,000_?"

" _Because_ , you _foolish fool_ of a man…" Edgeworth's voice began to show the strain in his waning patience. He didn't even care that he was mimicking Franziska's idioms at this point. "Your bail has been _posted, in full._ "

It took a moment for the full weight of the words to sink in, but then it was only another split second before Phoenix felt the stinging sensation behind his eyes.

" _My God_ , Edgeworth." He swallowed hard against the lump beginning to form in his throat. "T-Thank you so much. I -I don't know what else to say. How can I _ever_ repay you for this?"

"You can _start_ by _not_ skipping the country, and thus leaving me _half a million dollars_ in the lurch, in the unlikely event that you decide to _bail_ _out_ on your _bail_ ," Edgeworth responded dryly. "I suppose you could then _continue_ the goodwill gesture by _somehow_ _not_ getting yourself _sentenced to the gallows_ tomorrow. It would surely ruin _the rest of my week_ should _that_ occur."

 _Evidently_ _ **I**_ _am not the only one who hasn't changed in seven years! You're_ _ **always**_ _going to be a_ _ **tsundere son of a gun**_ _aren't you, Miles Edgeworth?!_

"Well, we can't have _that_ happen, _can_ we?" Phoenix was grinning like an idiot now, and glanced over at Gumshoe, who was feigning interest in ruffling through some police reports, and attempting to appear as though he wasn't eavesdropping, although the big ear-to-ear grin on his broad face was a dead giveaway as he listened to the familiar bantering exchange of his two old friends. "Fret not, Edgeworth, I can hardly be a _flight risk,_ when I can't even afford to _take a taxi home_ from this place, never mind _a plane ticket_ out of here!"

"Thank you for your delightful reassurance!" The prosecutor's voice turned uncharacteristically soft then. "Don't worry about a cab, Wright. You can tell the station to add it to my tab, so that if you decide to flee the country, you will then owe me _half a million_ plus _fifty_ dollars!"

Gumshoe didn't even try to pretend he hadn't overheard _that_ one! Clapping a hand over his mouth to muffle his barely stifled laughter, the big man cocked an amused eyebrow at Phoenix.

"Tell him to leave that amount at _just_ the half million, Pal," he assured the spiky-haired man. "I can arrange a police escort to get you home to that sweet daughter of yours as soon as possible. Children are so precious, and you should savor every moment you get with them."

"I heard him. I'm glad to hear that matter has been resolved." Not knowing what else to say, as the conversation had drawn to a close, Edgeworth awkwardly cleared his throat. "Anyhow, it was good speaking to you again, Wright. Best of luck to you tomorrow. Please tell the Chief that I wish to speak to him once he arranges your transportation home."

"Thanks, Edgeworth." It was then Phoenix's turn to be at a loss of words for the man he owed the world to, yet hadn't laid eyes upon in so long. "Um, I guess I'll be seeing you around then? Er, I dunno _when_ that will be, but er, keep in touch, I guess?"

"Naturally." Edgeworth coughed. "I will hold for the Chief now."

"Hey, Meekins!" Gumshoe bellowed, directing his booming call down the hall. "Get in here!"

"Yes, Sir!" A moment later, the clumsy, overzealous, awkward young man appeared, attempting to salute the police chief, but only ended up jabbing himself in the eye instead. " _Owwwww_!" Painfully scrunching up the abused eyeball, he somehow managed to smile benignly at his superior. "How can I help you, Sir?"

Gumshoe sighed with barely disguised impatience and jerked his thumb towards Phoenix, who was trying to determine if hitchhiking home was a safer and more viable option than getting into any vehicle with this _overly excitable, bone-headed,_ _ **clod**_!

"Get the squad car and take my pal home once your _eyeball_ recovers, Meekins," Gumshoe commanded. "You may then resume your Meter Maid duties."

"Yes, Sir!" Meekins turned to Phoenix, and in the absence of his usual megaphone, somehow _still_ managed to sound as equally loud and annoying as ever. "Come with me, Mr. Wright, Sir!"

Phoenix shot his friend a pained look as Meekins marched to the exit door, which clearly said, _what the hell?!_

"We demoted him to court bailiff seven years ago, but were so short-staffed with the LAPD, we let him come back to the force because we needed some lackey willing to do the thankless, bottom rung duty of parking enforcement officer." The Chief shrugged. "He's not so bad once you get that megaphone away from him, which was a _key_ stipulation in letting him back on the force."

"Right. Well, thanks pal. See you." Phoenix flashed Gumshoe a strained but thankful smile as he waved goodbye to his friend and reluctantly followed Meekins, who'd somehow managed to trip over his own feet _twice_ en route to the door. "If I don't text you that I'm home within half an hour, _please_ send backup, because it probably means that Meekins crashed the squad car and I'm in need of medical attention." _Or that I've finally snapped and **killed** him_... _surely it would only count as a **minor misdemeanor** though?_

Gumshoe cracked up at the quip, and as soon as Phoenix had left, picked up the phone line, and found Edgeworth was still patiently waiting.

"Long time no speak! How you doing, Sir?"

"It is most kind of you to ask, but, unfortunately, now is not the time for exchanging pleasantries. We will have to save our catching up for another time." As always, Edgeworth cut right to the chase. "Chief, we need to discuss Wright's situation."

"What can I say?" Gumshoe scratched his head. "Bad luck follows that guy around like a nasty fart! Must be that chip in his shoulder that he's had since he got disbarred."

"This is _the most_ foolhardy thing he's ever done!" Edgeworth fumed. "I cannot _believe_ he vetoed _my_ services and plans to have this supposedly wondrous _boy-child_ defend him instead!" He refrained from breaking his best friend's confidence and telling the police chief that when he and Phoenix had last spoken about their shared suspicions regarding Kristoph Gavin, the disbarred attorney had confessed that his prime goal had been to find _a worthwhile defense attorney_ to retry the Gramarye case, _not_ defend him against criminal charges in a court of law! Surely _this_ couldn't be part of Wright's master plans?!

"Well, you can't really blame the guy for opting to have an _actual_ defense attorney defend him," Gumshoe responded carefully. "Yes, you are an excellent attorney, but you do come at the courtroom from a different perspective. Please, don't be too angry at Phoenix for this. I've heard of this Justice kid. He's absolutely brilliant, a prodigy of sorts, just like _you_ were."

" _Talent_ does not equal _experience_!" Edgeworth sounded exasperated. "This young man doesn't necessarily know all the tricks of the trade, and yet Wright is _entrusting his life_ to him!"

"Phoenix defended Maya when he was only just the young rookie," Gumshoe reminded him.

"She was an innocent teenager! Since losing his badge, Wright has garnered a reputation as an unsavory character, with a cocky attitude that borders on being anti-social, and the prosecution undoubtedly _will_ bring that up! A former attorney disbarred for forging evidence and now making his living by illegally gambling is _not_ an ideal person to defend."

Evidently the newspapers had dug up _all_ the dirt on the hobo pianist's activities at The Borscht Bowl Club.

"I know how much you care about him," Gumshoe said gently, noting the palpable worry under the veneer of agitation in the prosecutor's normally smooth baritone. "I do, too. But sometimes there is only so much you can do before you realize it's out of your hands. Why do you think _I_ didn't post the bail money for him? Because as chief of police, I wasn't _allowed_ to! It would have constituted as a conflict of interest."

"Well it's a good thing _I_ came along then, isn't it?" Edgeworth muttered.

"Phoenix asked you to trust him. Are you really _not_ going able to do that?"

"I _will_ trust him, because I _have no choice_!" Edgeworth heaved a gusty sigh. "That man was once a brilliant attorney, and I _need_ to believe he knows what he's doing. But we are in the Dark Age of Law, Gumshoe and _what I don't trust_ is _the court system_! There's no way I can just stand idly by and play the game of chance when it comes to Phoenix Wright facing the death penalty, for a crime I know he did not commit. There must be _something_ I can do!"

"Well, the case doesn't have a prosecutor yet…"

" _Eureka_!" Edgeworth's customarily composed tone sounded positively jubilant upon hearing this news. " _That's it!"_

" _What's_ 'it'?" Gumshoe asked doubtfully. "Don't tell me you're going to fly all the way back from Europe or wherever it is you've been, just to prosecute this case?"

"Of _course_ not, don't be a fool!" Edgeworth scoffed. "I know he's not the killer, but I certainly don't want to have a _capable_ prosecutor, least of all that _punk_ , Klavier Gavin, getting Wright a guilty verdict. I'm going to shamelessly use my clout with the Prosecutor's Office in this instance. Chief Gumshoe, could I kindly request that you carry through this request on my behalf and assign a _particular_ prosecutor to the trial tomorrow to square off against the _greenhorn_ Mr. Justice?"

"Sure, I'll to do whatever it takes to help our pal out!" Gumshoe agreed enthusiastically. "Which prosecutor did you have in mind, Sir?"

Upon hearing the name, the kindhearted police chief laughed for a good minute straight.

 _The legal newbie Apollo Justice will have_ _ **no problem**_ _ **whatsoever**_ _with getting Phoenix a_ _ **not-guilty**_ _verdict tomorrow!_ Gumshoe chuckled to himself _. You can bet your bottom dollar on it!  
_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright  
**_ April 19, 2026 6:45 PM _ **  
**_

Brooding in the back seat of the unmarked squad car, as Meekins carefully drove through the congested Los Angeles traffic, Phoenix silently mulled over his predicament. He was experiencing the ultimate _nodus tollens_ : the realization that the plot of his life didn't make sense to him anymore.

Like hail on a glass pane, the drumming of his nervous fingers was as relentless as it was loud. Each click of his nails against the glass window mimicked the tumultuous thudding of his heartbeat. His face, rigid with tension, belied his youthfulness. A glimpse at his reflection in the window confirmed that he seemed to have aged a decade in the past few hours.

For the umpteenth time, he mentally ran over every single instance from that fatal night, his memory sharpened to a nearly eidetic state as he could vividly see _each and every crime scene detail_ , forever etched into his memory, allowing him to instinctively deduce logical conclusions as clearly as though he were still present at The Hydeout. All the puzzle pieces he'd gathered still fell into the correct place… _Except for one_.

For some reason, as though on auto replay, that niggling, seemingly innocuous comment Kristoph had made still would not escape his mind

 _"You mean someone cracked that flawless bone china pate? It…wasn't you, was it?"_

In his mind's eye, he could once again see the remains of Zak Gramarye, his hat on the floor and his bleeding, bald head visible for the world to see. The only people to have seen Zak's chrome dome that night were Phoenix himself... and the ex-magician's killer. He hadn't worked out what bugged him about the question until that very instant, when it felt as though a light bulb had gone off over his head, right there in that police car.

 _Pate = the crown or top of the head. Shiny bald head = flawless bone china…._ _ **Jesus H. Christ**_ _! Son of a bitch!_ _ **Kristoph**_ _was the one who killed Zak!_

Phoenix cursed his occhiolism regarding something that should have been glaringly obvious. It was beyond disconcerting, made even more so by the knowledge that as the criminally accused, _his_ testimony regarding Kristoph's involvement in the events would be arduous to prove, and even more difficult to make the courts believe, especially coming from _Phoenix Wright,_ of forging attorney acclaim.

His nails were bitten down to the quick. He nibbled at their frayed, formed edges like a famished mouse, with butterflies in his stomach and his head buzzing with apprehension as he grasped that, given his past record, what with the forgery incident and the two previous murder charges, the court certainly wouldn't take his checkered history into light account, and undeniably want to make an "example" out of him.

 _Twice now I've been accused – then acquitted – of murder. I just hope third time's the charm._

Phoenix had never been more terrified his life. There was the very real and horrific possibility that the death penalty was quite probable.

 _The last seven years of trailing Kristoph in the futile irresolution of 'that' case hasn't really been living anyway. It's been entrapment in some kind of psychological purgatory, thwarting any hope of closure or life progression._

Having made the conscious decision that risking his life, such as it was, was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, he relaxed into a hypnagogic state. A muscle twitched involuntarily at the corner of his right eye and his mouth formed a determined grimace. Arms folded tightly across his broad chest, he tapped his foot furiously on the floor board and stared out the car window.

This final evening before _the day of reckoning_ would either see the dawn of his new life, or shatter his dreams in two. Instinct rendered feelings of petrification and entrapment; but was coupled with the conflicting revelation that _this_ was the _final_ and _sole_ opportunity of escape from the seemingly relentless bounds of fraud and non-closure which had hijacked his life – ensuring Kristoph Gavin got rightfully convicted for the murder.

 _My body lost its strength long ago. My mind shattered and the rest of me followed suit. Without the hatred I'd die, there isn't any part of me that feels anything else. Without it I'd be nothing, feel nothing, so why eat? Why sleep? Why continue to breathe? But I have the hate, my only companion in the wilderness we call existence. It is the fuel that keeps my heart pumping and brain ticking over. Revenge is coming. It's coming real soon._

* * *

 _ **Rodney Atkins - If You're Going Through Hell  
**_

* * *

 **Bloodbath: word type: poker slang /**

 **A disastrous day, or session, in poker. ;)  
**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 122**

 **Chloemcg**

Milady, I'm not sure if implication was intended to come across that you feel I have written Phoenix OOC in the way I'd written his internal reactions upon seeing Zak again, but as that was how it appeared to me, I shall respond accordingly.

While I'm in no way normally defensive by nature with my work, I _am_ very passionate in my defense of what I feel are my all time fave game character's emotions/his character, ergo I wholeheartedly stand by the way I tried to portray his inner monologue and sentiments in last chapter and in this tale, in general.

*gets on soap box and faces gallery/jury*

*ahem*

Ladies and Gents...when you meet the guy who not only RUINED your life, abandoned his own DAUGHTER, but on top of all that, only wants to see you so you can sign a contract and play poker, are you supposed to just be _alright_ with this guy?! Be a saint?! Nick never was meant to be and I always enhance the character flaws as well as assets to make them be relatable/believable. This may just be me being a bloodthirsty wrench, but I'd rip him a strip off the DB, BBQ it and then eat it like Canadian bacon! Of _course_ Phoenix would be furious with the guy! Just because he's mastered the poker face due to necessity, doesn't mean he no longer _feels_ emotions... _Wright_? I rest my case! :)

*steps off soap box and bows like the ham she is* :p

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

You said that you didn't play Apollo Justice... Otherwise known as the character assassination of otherwise universally beloved icon Phoenix Wright? I'm pretty much rehashing the game for you as close to canon as it possibly can without turning this into a video game script for these next few chapters (except trying to close the copious plot holes) so you can thank me later or for the copious amounts of time money and irritation I'm saving you! XD

In short... it's exactly as I've depicted in the sense that Kristoph really did ruin next life because he stole Zak away from him... along with the prestige he was envisioning for himself and that really was an asshole who abandoned his daughter and only came back after 7 years to give away the magician's rights and frame Nick for poker. Yuppers. ..

 **Thepudz**

A boot to the head is too good for Shadi! Can we possibly arrange for TWO barbecue grills upside the head for Kristoph and Zak? GHOST PEPPER hot sauce as lube? XD

Obviously Trucy shows none of the signs of violence psychosis as her daddy... do you think her throwing a knife at a subway and Dual Destinies was a fluke coincidence or hint at Future acts of violence?

p.s. thank you so much for that wonderful drabble that you wrote for me about Wrightworth, and Edgeworth's reaction to when Nick got incarcerated which was my inspiration for this chapter dear friend :-)

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

 _Mother Trucking Gavin_? Hee! I seriously have the most loyal and sidesplittingly hilarious readers on this site! I have another terrific one from a reader...CAMF! CREEPY ASS MOTHER...TRUCKER! XD

Seriously Brushel has to be the creepiest of all... too much for people looking better when they smile I'm going to have nightmares about that guy having had to research is aggravating dialogue all over again to write this...

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_ I know there's a really nice song by The Backstreet Boys also called Shape of My Heart but the chapter title/song Nick was mentally referencing in this chapter was indeed the hauntingly beautiful but less well-known known Melody by Sting. The police are classic and Every Breath You Take is a wonderful song ...but did you know that sting is horrified that has a beautiful voice tends to distract people and make them think that that is a love song because he knows what a creepy Stalker Song it is and is kind of horrified by it? Lol

Kristoph is indeed El Diablo and is a petty bitch obviously was given to many hugs and never learned the word no as a child since he's taking rejection this badly to the point of ruining a man's life... I blame the fact that he is a younger much more successful and cuter brother but he is trying to measure up to as part of the reason of the psychosis!

Most evil? Oh man... you could say Dahlia Hawthorne since her daddy issues let her to be a serial killer and want to try to destroy the life of a crybaby geek that loved her to the point of madness and near suicide... Manfred definitely looks the scariest given his resemblance to Dracula...but I'd say Damon Gant who makes me terrified of "swimming"...abused the hell out of power in his bloodthirsty quest for me... murdered and manipulated those closest to him...and call me question but I got really sick and sinking suspicion he may have been making Lana "do certain things" as well to ensure her silence if you catch my drift which I alluded to earlier in the story. (Ick)

Kristoph is possibly the most insane as he has the most calculating and suffers from I truly believe and narcissism and paranoia perhaps a paranoid schizophrenic on top of his psychosis.

Smith is the scum of the earth addict and Brushel is creepier that Sal Manella so no offense taken! He looks like the kind of guy that would be stroking your hair and then murder you in your sleep but smiling that creepy smile the entire time!

Sal would just sniff your panties drawer...OK just threw up in my mouth a bit... :|

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

While someone could argue that Manfred was more of a crime of passion and Gregory Edgeworth was second-degree murder and should be considered perhaps one of the lesser heinous crimes... it was his follow-up plan and everything he did to Miles what was making him a Mini-Me version and his reasons for it to actually make him so despicable... as if killing the guy wasn't bad enough he didn't want to incarcerate his son have done nothing but try to emulate and look up to him :(

You know as always you're wonderful of you got me thinking I just said to a previous reader that Damon Gant was the most evil since he terrorized and killed his own colleagues in his quest for power but now I'm thinking perhaps Manfred was the most diabolical of all when you think of all the innocent people that he must have sent to their deaths just for the sake of pursuing perfection! It was Miles realization of this that sent him running and my version anyway but it still sounds like that could have been a factor in the game among many others!

I'm not sure if you watch the anime but Miles really was pressed to be more of a bastard by Manfred as seen in the last episode which was only implied in the game itself since he was getting his adopted son about having lost to a rookie.

Shadi pathetic addict with a fragile ego but hardly a calculating genius. Much of his reasons for wanting to destroy the man who was raised his daughter in his life he's already ruined making a supreme douchebag but still not a criminal mastermind regardless I don't think anybody had any tears when Kristoph sent him southbound to meet his maker. Unless of course you want to argue that being murdered automatically puts you in a league of martyrdom and you therefore our Heaven bound but I really doubt it in this case!

I thank you for your kind words about my work. I am a geek with a passion that feels my pain but could never compare myself to such a classic literary genius that has billions of followers/movie lovers and his own dialect my dear friend :)

 **Ryszard**

 _Mein guter Mann,_ I will assume that your refusal to comment on this chapter is because of your aversion to Apollo Justice the game and _not_ to my writing? LOL for the sake of my frail artiste ego I'm going to assume this is so! XD

I wish I could skip this game too, I really do…but of course if I did, I wouldn't have had something that me out so much that I had to write a story about it in order to soothe my own broken heart and possibly those of millions of fans out there who felt the game was a slap in the face to anyone ever loved Phoenix Wright!

The Ace Attorney guys are all pretty gorgeous, personally I do think Phoenix and Miles are the most attractive ones as Simon looks like a sleep deprived compulsive smoker in a horror movie and Klavier is just too damn man pretty!

I would like to thank you kindly for making my relationship between Luke and Pearl literally have a 100% approval rating which is impossible to do and yet _go me_ for having done so! :p

It's because I see Pearl as a little girl, as a dual destinies she is still a minor, that refuse to write any love scenes with her and Luke beyond first-base, and even though I like the characters of Athena and Apollo and they are legal age, I can't see either one of them as sexual either, given how do adorkable and young people they are!

That being said, everyone is entitled to a little bit of love and romance in their lives!


	124. With Arms Wide Open

_A/N:_ _When you're a writer, especially one working on multiple projects like I am, on top of juggling personal life and family, taking the time to read_ _ **everything**_ _on this site becomes very_ _ **difficult**_ _, if not_ _ **downright impossible**_ _, as much as I'd like to. I understand a lot of my readers are also writers, and thus hopefully understand my situation._

 _I do understand everybody wants their work to be read, and every single one of my readers who've read my A/N/reader replies know I have never been above promoting other writers whose works I admire, which I will happily do on their behalf and have done so on more than one occasion._

 _That being said, if there is something you_ _ **absolutely want**_ _ **my**_ _ **opinion/critique on**_ _, please feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to take a look at it when I get a moment, because I'd very touched my opinion matters so much. If this is the case, it is how I prefer any request to read particular writer's works be done going forward._

 _Now as a reader, regardless of whether or not you're a writer, ideally when_ _you leave a review on a story, you're giving_ _ **them, the author**_ _, feedback on that chapter/story._ _ **You're**_ _giving_ _ **them**_ _kind words or critique. Understand that they work very hard on their stories, therefore their review board is_ _ **not**_ _a place where you should be giving them an advertisement_ _ **to your own story!**_

 _Every author browses FanFiction, and they_ _ **will**_ _spot your story._ _ **You don't need to advertise it**_ _on_ _ **another writer's board**_ _–_ _ **they will find it**_ _, and_ _ **read if it suits their fancy**_ _._ _Shameless self-promotion and self-aggrandizing_ _while "reviewing" reeks of_ _ **desperation, self-centeredness, and bad etiquette**_ _and_ _ **I n**_ _ **o any longer have the tolerance for it on my review board.**_ _Basically, if you're reviewing something,_ _ **REVIEW IT. Don't self-advertise.**_ _Your story will be read soon enough without shameless advertising!_

 _Whew! Now that I've gotten that out of the way...onto_ _a lighter note…sincere apologies for my delay in posting for this story, which is_ _ **my baby**_ _– I was trying to update my other two, sorely neglected collaborative works,_ _ **Crossfire**_ _and_ _ **Filling the Void,**_ _and while I don't know if certain changes in my life recently will allow me to post chapters as frequently as I used to, I will do my very best to update **at least weekly** and **never again on a monthly basis** for **Turnabout Everlasting** … For those of you who haven't given up on me and are still reading, thank you so much, you ROCK! Consider this chapter the calm before the storm… ;)_

* * *

 _"Life, like children, mistreats who fears - and respects and obeys those who face it." -_ José Martí

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Four: With Arms Wide Open**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Trucy Wright  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency  
_ April 20, 2026 8:15 AM

"Baby girl, I beg you…" Phoenix's loving voice was calm but slightly weary. " _Please_ , try to calm down…"

"I _can't_ lose _you_ too, Daddy!" Trucy wailed for the hundredth time that morning, her small hands clutching at his sweatshirt as though he were a life raft in a raging storm, gripping the material so tightly against her clenched fists that Phoenix actually felt the circulation in his arms becoming somewhat constricted. "I – I just _can't_!"

He closed his eyes against the stinging sensation building behind them and tried to soothe the hysterical teenager for the umpteenth time, as he had countlessly been doing since the night before, but to no avail. Trucy still refused to be consoled, and had been glued to his side ever since he had been driven home by Meekins, miraculously unscathed, from the police station the night before. The magician had been like a clinging vine the entire night, and had even insisted on sleeping with him, something she hadn't done since she was a little girl, and while Phoenix hadn't slept a wink, even in her restless slumber, his daughter had been whimpering in her obviously troubled sleep, alternating between snuggling against his shoulder and tightly gripping his pajama top the entire time, as though subconsciously terrified that if she were to let go, he would disappear.

Obviously, it was no surprise whatsoever that she hadn't taken the news of his murder charge very well. While Phoenix had anticipated his daughter to be as nervous and panicked and scared as _he_ inwardly was - but was trying his best _not_ to convey to her - he _had_ , perhaps somewhat naïvely, expected her anxiety to have _somewhat_ quelled overnight; had harbored somewhat vain hopes that his comforting efforts had actually been _partially_ effective.

Evidently they hadnt, based on the fact that the little magician was even _more_ hysterical now, on the morning of his trial, than she had been the night before. Try as he might, there was absolutely nothing Phoenix could say or do that was going to placate her!

Never before had he felt as hapless as he did then, as he held the sobbing teen in his arms and stroked her hair, his calming words falling on deaf ears as he unsuccessfully tried to quiet her.

"Y – You're all I've got left!" She wept, as her unending torrent of tears drenched his shoulder. "I love you so much, Daddy! What am I going to do without you?"

"Hey now," Phoenix said softly, lifting up her chin and gazing at her tear stained face with gentle eyes. "Don't talk about your old man as though he's got one foot in the grave, Truce! Like I've told you before, _nothing_ ' _s_ going to happen to me! And don't say that you haven't got anybody else. You know that Aunt Maggey and Uncle Gumshoe love you as much as they do their own sons, and will always be there for you…"

It was no use. Her brain had shut down. She was clammy and there was the glisten of a cold sweat. Her eyes were as wide as if someone was coming to deliver the fatal blow. Yet what she saw, no-one else could see. Trapped in her own fixation, a living nightmare for one, tailor made by her own brain to play on her deepest fears. There was a terrifying moment when he wondered if she'd actually broken down from the weight of this turmoil, but mercifully, she finally spoke.

"You wouldn't be _saying_ that if you actually _believed_ there wasn't risk about you being wrong that _nothing_ was going to happen!" Trucy finally cried, her entire body shaking with the force of her sobs. " _When_ are you going to stop _bluffing_ to me, Daddy? We _both_ know there is a _very good_ chance if you're found guilty for this murder, you're looking at facing _death_ _row_ , if not _prison for life_ , and the _latter_ is only if you're _lucky_!"

The ugly truth of her words hung suspended over father and daughter like a guillotine blade. There was absolutely nothing Phoenix could possibly say to refute them.

"Daddy, I'm _not_ a little girl anymore, and you've _got_ to stop trying to hide things from me!" Trucy's big, teary eyes suddenly turned accusing and defiant. "I _know_ who Shadi Smith was! I _know_ that you're going to be on trial today because the police think _you_ murdered _my biological father_!"

The unexpected allegation floored him, causing him to literally reel back, and fall heavily against the kitchen counter, which the pianist had been leaning back on as he held the distraught teen. His eyes were round as he stared at his daughter in shocked dismay at being confronted with the ugly truth, something which he wholly acknowledged she had every right to be aware of, but which he'd had zero intention of letting her know until a more appropriate time had come. And the night before, never mind _an hour before_ his court trial, most definitely hadn't qualified!

Trucy – she _knew_?! _Somehow_ , despite his efforts to conceal the matter regarding Shadi Smith's true identity, she _still_ knew that it had been her father, Zak Gramarye, who had been the murder victim? How was that even _possible_?! Phoenix had known for quite awhile now his daughter possessed some sort of mysterious, otherworldly, innate skill she'd inherited, which gave her the uncanny gift of perception, but since when had that morphed into full-blown _clairvoyance_?!

 _This makes me wonder what **other so-called secrets**_ _I've been fruitlessly trying to keep from her, which she actually_ _ **knows**_ _all about?!_

"You – you _know_?" He exhoed dazedly, completely dumbfounded. " _H – How_?"

It was a beyond ridiculous question. Considering the fact Trucy was entirely aware of this even more devastating news, on top of facing the fear of losing _him_ as well, Phoenix knew that rather than _questioning_ her, he should have been _consoling_ her, now for entirely different reasons! Regardless, somehow those were the first words to escape his gobsmacked lips.

Trucy shook her head and stared at him despairingly, despite the tears continuing to fall from her agonized blue orbs.

"I recognized that customized _locket_ you're wearing, Daddy," she whispered brokenly. "I remembered that my other Daddy used to wear it all the time. He had it especially handcrafted from some Italian jeweler friend of his right after I was born, and it's the only one like it in the world. I'd know it anywhere, just as I know there's only _one_ way _you_ could've ever gotten your hands on it."

Phoenix gulped, his fingers instinctively flying to the gold ornament around his neck, which he hadn't realized was presently visible, and had thought he'd managed to have kept hidden underneath his bulky sweatshirt.

"Tell me I'm wrong, Daddy." She met his gaze steadily. "Tell me right now that if you opened up that locket, there's _not_ going to be a picture of _me_ inside of it."

"I can't lie to you about something like that, Truce." Phoenix shook his head, then reached out and pulled her back into his arms. "I'm so sorry you had to find out like _this_. But you _do_ know I _never_ would've done anything to hurt your Daddy, don't you?"

"I'm as sure as the day is long that _my Daddy_ would never hurt a fly." Trucy's voice was muffled against his chest. "I'm as certain of that as I am that you had your own _very good reasons_ for taking that trademark piece of jewelry off of him." She peered up into his somber face with a morose expression. "I'll shed my tears for my other father later. Right now, _nothing_ matters to me more than _you_ , Daddy. Because you're more important to me than anything in the whole world, and I love _you_ more than I _ever_ loved Shadi Enigmar."

Phoenix was rocked to his core. He felt his eyes welling up at this unexpected proclamation. While the words were music to his ears, and a joy to behold for his battered heart and mind, he still hadn't been prepared for them, and found himself rendered speechless.

He had never known what selfless, parental love was until that fateful day in May, when he had summoned Trucy Enigmar into his office seven years ago. He had known kindness, but the negative influences in his life had outweighed the good until then. The happiest day of his life was when the adoption papers had been finalized and declared Phoenix was Trucy Wright's father, making it official that his daughter was really and truly _his_ , as close as law and love could make them. It had been the most perfect feeling he had ever known.

It swept through him once again, full force, as he wrapped her in his protective embrace, as though he'd never let her go.

Undaunted by his silence, Trucy earnestly continued.

"At this point, Daddy, you have been raising me as long as my other Daddy did. Without the compassion and love you gave me, I don't know what would have happened to me when my birth father decided to just up and leave me that fateful day. Growing up with a performer parent, life was never really stable. As magicians, we lived the lives of rolling stones, always moving from one place to another during my early childhood years. I never had a place to call my own. But then _you_ came along, with arms wide open, and found it in your big, kind heart to take me in, and become not only my new father, and my guardian, but a confidante and friend. _You_ _alone_ have been the sole rock in my life - an anchor point - to always keep me grounded, safe, and where I belong."

A fresh wave of tears flooded her eyes.

"Which is why I can't _bear_ the thought of losing you! We need to find a way to get you out of this mess! You have to think like a magician at times like this Daddy! Do you have some sort of plan- B style _trick_ up your sleeve?"

" _Trick_? Phoenix eyed her warily. "I don't know _what_ you're thinking, baby girl, but I'm telling you, _right now,_ that I'm _not_ about to stoop to any sort of _illegalities_ to get my name cleared!"

"But Daddy, _surely_ you have to have _some_ sort of _evidence_ to prove your innocence!" Trucy insisted. "Something that takes the finger of suspicion away from being directed at you and towards the real killer!"

"Trucy, the bad man I suspect is the true culprit behind your father's murder was foolish enough to make a slip of the tongue once already." Phoenix refrained from letting his daughter know that he had secretly recorded his phone call to Kristoph, thinking there was no point in upsetting or her getting her hopes up in case his plan failed. "I'm pretty sure I'll be able to trip him up into confessing once more." He attempted to smile reassuringly. "I know I've been out of the courts for some time, but there's still the heart of a lawyer lurking beneath this tracksuit of mine. Have faith in your old man."

"I can't just leave this to _faith_ , Daddy!" Suddenly Trucy's eyes lit up, and Phoenix spotted a calculating expression in them he wasn't sure he was entirely comfortable or familiar with. "If there was no _actual_ evidence available to prove that you're not the culprit here, it wouldn't _hurt_ to have a little bit of _insurance_ , just to be safe, would it?"

"Trucy Wright…" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the gleam in those suddenly determined cerulean orbs. " _Whatever_ it is you're even _thinking_ about planning, I want you to remove that thought from your mind immediately! You already saw what happened to me because of being framed over forged evidence, and you should know better than _anybody_ how just as I am incapable of committing murder, I'm _equally_ _as incapable_ of resorting to such a treacherous act, _the_ _very one_ which got me disbarred in the first place!"

"But Daddy – " She protested weakly, just as Phoenix's phone began to ring. Raising a hand to silence her momentarily, he quickly answered it.

"You're out front now? Okay Chief, I'll be out in a minute." Snapping the phone closed, Phoenix tucked it into his pocket and affixed his daughter with his most stern expression. "Uncle Gumshoe is here to take me to the courthouse. I want you to go to school like my good little girl and promise me you'll _annihilate_ any _crazy schemes_ you may be harboring, Trucy Wright, and that's an _order_! Do I make myself clear?"

Trucy's eyes welled up with tears again, this time of defeat, and her shoulders slumped, but she managed to nod, even though her gaze remained on the ground.

"Yes, Daddy," she mumbled, swallowing back the fresh set of histrionics threatening to erupt from her. "I promise."

"That's my girl." Phoenix flashed her a tender smile, then leaned down and pressed a kiss on top of her head. "Now, you better get ready for school, otherwise you're going to miss your bus! Just think happy, positive thoughts for me, and try not to worry too much, OK baby girl?"

Trucy nodded miserably, eyes still downcast.

"Don't look so sad." Phoenix forced himself to sound cheerful and optimistic as he lifted her chin up with his finger. "Just wish me good luck, and let Daddy see that beautiful smile of yours before he leaves."

Her lower lip began to quiver in response.

" _Please_ , Truce." Phoenix kept his plastered grin intact, even though he felt his heart was being torn to shreds little by little, realizing this could very well be the last time he'd be able to see his beautiful daughter without a thick, bulletproof glass separating them. "Can't you smile for Daddy?"

"I love you, Daddy." Trucy swallowed back the lump in her throat and treated him to a watery smile. "G – Good luck in court."

"I love you too, Truce. Thanks for the good luck wishes!" He gave her one last kiss on the forehead before grabbing his keys and heading downstairs. "Take care, baby girl."

The minute Trucy heard the office door downstairs slam shut behind him, she anxiously began pacing the kitchen back and forth like a caged panther, while she wrestled with her conscience. She had never before defied her father in the nearly 8 years she had known him, and yet that was _exactly_ what she was sorely tempted to do, in spite of her hasty promise to the contrary.

 _Go to school_?! She let out a humorless laugh. What a joke that was! As if she could just keep calm and carry on, and somehow concentrate on inane things such as Shakespeare and algebra, when _her father's life_ was on the line! She was almost insulted that he'd actually expected her to do such a thing in the first place, as though she were the same happy-go-lucky TOT he'd adopted who hadn't a care in the world!

 _I'm not a child anymore. I grew up many years ago. Life was never easy with my other Daddy after Mommy was gone, and as much as I enjoyed the performing life, at times, worrying about the safety of Daddy, fretting about whether or not he would suddenly vanish, due to an unfortunate accident, just like Mommy did was_ _ **utter**_ _ **hell**_ _._

She angrily scrubbed away at her fresh tears with her magician's cape.

 _And always traveling around like a bunch of vagabonds made me feel so lost and alone sometimes, because I could never be any place long enough to make or keep friends. Every time I saw a cut flower, I knew how it felt. It had no roots at all, nothing to anchor it to this world; yet was still expected to give its beauty, to flourish and warm the hearts of others. No-one can see my vulnerability; they cannot see the roots I lack. I paint the world with the vibrancy of my laughter, and my magic._

Trucy had never felt more conflicted in her entire life. She needed a sign of some sort if she was going to make up her mind and she needed it now.

" _Pearly_!" She gasped out loud as her levelheaded best friend suddenly sprang to her mind. She raced to the wall phone and frantically began dialing the spirit medium's number, listening impatiently as it rang and rang. "If I can let her know what's going on and get her opinion, and _she_ manages to talk me out of it, _then_ I'll be a good little girl and obey my Daddy like I said I would."

The phone rang half a dozen times before it went to voicemail. Unfazed, Trucy hung up. Hey, she'd _tried_! But this was most definitely _a_ _sign_ if she'd ever heard of one! The answer was crystal clear to her now.

"Forgive me, Daddy," she whispered out loud, clenching her gloved hands into little fists as a steely glint of resolution came to her eye. "I know what I have to do."

 _When I came here to live with my new Daddy, in so many ways, my life improved. He didn't have a lot of money, but he was a great man who cared, and made sure that I still had enough food and clothes._ _Being Phoenix Wright's daughter allowed me to look forward to the future and work hard in everything I did. He promised me_ _ **he**_ _would_ _ **never leave me**_ _the way my other Daddy did, and I believed him. It's very hard to mourn a man that just left me like a stray puppy on a stranger's doorstep, abandoning this burden he no longer wished to carry. My new Daddy vowed to be everything my other Daddy wasn't and gave me what he did not - security and unconditional love. I pray to the man upstairs to give me that strength, to help me funnel the love he's given me to my children someday. But right now, I need God to give me the courage to go through with this, and help make sure that my new Daddy is able to_ _ **keep**_ _his promise_ _ **to never leave me**_ _._

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 5**

 **Nina (guest)**

First of all thank you so much for reading and dropping me a sweet line to let me know how much you're enjoying this story in the trilogy. I simply didn't have an account for me to reply to a story have to wait this long into the story for me to express my appreciation. I'm happy that you enjoyed Nick's first glimpse into fatherhood. I absolutely love writing the dynamic would Trucy and Nick (aka DILF supreme!) There are three fluffy one shots that I extracted from the story and altered slightly in order to make them fit on my profile called the _Evolution of Sexy, The Cups Runneth Over_ , and _Potential_ _Murder Suspect_ if you wanted to get your fix of his adventures in fatherhood before the chapters actually come up in the story… :-)

 **Chapter 123**

 **Batfreak2008**

You know what, dear reader? I've had a couple of my loyal TE followers ask me who I thought the worst ace attorney villain was and while I have acknowledge perhaps Gant was just about the most despicable given his betrayal of those closest to and who worked for him, my personal most loathed one even more than Dahlia is Kristoph. His reasons for destroying the life of a man who did nothing but help people is absolutely heartbreaking and is the reason I cannot stand playing Apollo Justice... writing this upcoming court scene will be cathartic for me as this is been such an emotional experience for me having to relive it all in writing the story. When you write the character you get to know them better and either grow to love them or hate them all the more for example I didn't realize how fond I was of Apollo until I started writing him and consequently didn't realize how much I loathed and despise Kristoph Gavin until I started writing him as well. I hope you enjoyed my take on this climactic case! :-)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I really think Phoenix does have the makings of a great detective except for the fact that I've never seen him wear gloves _ever_! Therefore I wonder how much evidence is contaminated with his own fingerprints! XD

Phoenix as Edgeworth pointed out still makes headliners even though he's been underground for the last seven years so no doubt his ex-girlfriend has heard about this as well by now!

You really do seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to this story… We will find out Maya's reaction to all of this, as her story arc is coming up very soon… After all she's got a wedding around the corner!

 **Yanmegaman**

" _First off, I would like to second my Australian pal's offer to 'throw another Kristoph on the barbie!"_

I seriously have _the_ most _hilarious_ and _bloodthirsty_ readers on the planet! It wasn't that long ago that your ire was directed up for neck when he broke up with Maya so I am thankful that your vengeful fury has shifted to its _rightful_ place… On the _periwinkle pisshead_ known as _Krissy Gavin!_

You're absolutely right, you would almost feel sorry for Shadi being compared his dying moments to the _ineptly upright and erect_ white rapper! Almost but not quite, the is how his rapping nickname would've been _Grand Master Douche_! I love the fact that you got the alias for Eminem - he hasn't really done a whole lot lately to me can be as in-your-face as he was the early 2000'sand so wasn't sure how many of my readers would get the Slim Shadi(Shady) reference but _whoomp_ there's my wicked-ass punny man _always_ picks up on the name puns! XD

I'm thinking Phoenix was probably dealing with the trauma of unjustifiably being charged murder for the _third_ time and dealing with the aftermath of the psychotic abusiveness of Shadi's wrath, scoping the crime scene, and hiding any necessary evidence, like that locket, which would only further tie him to the victim, to have properly being in full whodunit mode until the eleventh hour… I figure he's just the same now as he was when he was in court … pulling answers _out of his as_ s at as the ultimate last-minute _turnabout,_ Wright?

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_

Mostly the AA characters are pretty likable therefore I have a lot of fine writing fiendish ones such a Shadi, Kristoph, and Mildew (yes she's still around!) Lurking in the background! XD

I think Apollo might be known locally for being an up-and-coming prodigy just like Miles was but seeing as how The Edgeworth has been in another continent for the last seven years, he may be unaware of the greatness of the Clarion of revelations! I'm glad you enjoyed the dynamic between Nick and Miles I love writing their old married couple banter… The bromance lives on even across _**the Miles**_ _!_

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

Yeah I can thank my reader _Aristella_ for the CAMF thing always glad to give my readers a laugh! ( _With_ me, not _at_ me, right?)

I try really hard to give a spoiler warning where applicable, but I also don't want to just rehash the damn games so I try really hard to get some behind the scenes stuff that wasn't covered in the worst Ace Attorney game ever made! Thank you very much the kind words my dear! :-)

 **thepudz**

I swear to God I think you and Yanmegaman must compare notes or be across the planet kindred spirits of some sort because you two generally tend to get a kick out of similar things in my chapters! In this case it was the whole Slim Shadi thing! I freaking love it! XD

Your violent little freak self with all about that BBQ but you draw the line at ghost pepper hot sauce lube for both the diabolical Kristoph and Shadi?! I guess everybody's got their limits, eh bud! LOL

 **chloemcg**

The first of all thank you very much for your kind review on chapter 3 of _Double DILF Doodies_.

If you felt bad for the kids because of Edgeworth blew his top, as the creator of the Satan spawn I've gotta say it was totally justifiable! LOL. Nevertheless am happy you were still able to get a good laugh! :-)

Back for _Turnabout Everlastin_ g: I'm delighted to a made your day milady wish away how pissed off Nick truly was at Zak despite his cool demeanor… We're even now it makes my day every time I hear from you!

And who doesn't love Gumshoe! I get the feeling the teddy bear would have to play referee though if ever there was a case where Edgeworth and Phoenix let the fur fly a bit too much!

It's funny Phoenix is basically a badass what was his unbreakable Wolverine style pain threshold, and yet his complete pacifist who has never really struck anybody except for Doug Swallow and Lotta Hart… _Interesting_ how in both cases, it was due to insulting the girl he loved… Except unlike Dolly for some reason his more than friendly affection for Maya isn't allegedly canon, but to me that was pretty good proof that there's something there that's more than meets the eye… You have given me something interesting to ponder to see if I can make that igniter were without making the poor guy the dreaded OOC. I mean he didn't go after Kristoph after he threatened Maya which is generally what makes lose his mind so I do wonder _what it would take?_

Hanging Mildew from big Ben! LOL! I seriously have got to have the most hilariously vengeful readers on this site! Hee! As for Maya (and unfortunately Mildred) we will be seeing her very soon… After all her wedding is only two months away now and her ex-boyfriend is on his third murder trial right? ;)

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

Phoenix realizing whodunit was the _ultimate last-minute turnabout_! I'd like to think that the realization came to him late because this way that vengeance and that furor that we saw in court in that fateful case would be at its most fresh better than having had him sit and mull on it for a long time you what I mean?

And yes Krissy is a CAMF indeed!

I was thinking the same thing when Shadi hit Olga I was like _okay DB, calm your tits!_

I will make sure that Olga's big swashbuckling reveal is included in the court case… I actually phone session quite charming and her outfit with a lot more fitting considering she was actually working with a whale at an aquarium… There was also Rogue in the crossover game as well! What is it with Capcom making females be pirates is that a fetish?!

 **Ilet Moratar**

I think it's great that you and your best friend have a similar dynamic to Wrightworth … If you can't be candid and blunt with your best friend who the hell can you be that way with, Wright? ;)

And absolutely Miles misses Franny… although generally speaking, when couples are together as long as they were sometimes not even that long, they not only start dressing alike and looking like but they start sounding alike as well! Consider they are both gorgeous this really wouldn't be a bad thing… Miles is pretty little girl… Lang made a habit of calling them pretty boy for reason…


	125. The Day of Reckoning

" _The truth wakes up once and never dies." ― José Martí **  
**_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five:** **The Day of Reckoning**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Dick Gumshoe**_ _  
Los Angeles District Courthouse_  
April 20, 2026 9:30 AM

"You've been awfully quiet, pal," the police Chief remarked, casting a sideways glance at his friend, who was idly staring out the passenger window, as he had been the entire hour-long ride through morning rush-hour to court, lost in contemplation. "How you holding up?"

"Sorry about that, Chief." Phoenix reluctantly tore his sightless gaze away from the glass, and tried to drag his thoughts back to the present, smiling wanly at the broad-shouldered man in the driver's seat. "I'm OK, I guess. I've just been… You know, thinking. I apologize that I haven't been very good commuting company."

The former Detective gave him a sympathetic smile as he carefully pulled into the crowded parking lot of the all too familiar building, which Phoenix hadn't set foot in for seven years. The familiar yet unsettling sensation of altschmerz washed over him. So much had changed for him, and yet he felt like things had still remained the same, and he wished he could shake the never ending feeling of weariness with the same old issues that he'd always had – the same boring flaws and anxieties that he'd been gnawing on for years. No matter. It would all come to a head today anyway.

"You have nothing to apologize for, pal." As the men exited the vehicle, Gumshoe placed a ham-sized palm on his shoulder. "Obviously you have a lot on your mind, I totally get it. I took the day off work just so I could be here, and I just want you to know that I'm here for you. Maggey and I both are. Heck, she'd be here right now if she didn't have to watch the baby. She sends her love and best wishes."

"There are no words to describe how grateful I am for you both." Phoenix smiled again for the other man's benefit, even though he felt the growing apprehension mounting within him as he stared at the ominous-looking flight of stairs leading up to the courthouse entrance behind him. "On that note, there's something that I wanted to tell you. Trucy was pretty shaken up about this whole thing, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"No doubt. You're that kid's world. She must be out of her mind with worry."

"She was, and probably still is." Phoenix awkwardly cleared his throat. "I tried to reassure her, of course, that I'd be fine, and told her to just go to school. I wanted her to try to take her mind off all this, and assure her that everything would work itself out. Not that it did much good."

He let out a short, dry laugh.

"The thing is though, we all know how dire the consequences are for me if things don't work out the way I tried to reassure my daughter they would. She was pretty hysterical at the thought of being all alone if she were to lose me, and I told her that you and Maggey would be there for her, in the unlikely event of that occurring. I'm sorry if it was presumptuous to have said such a thing, without having discussed it with you, but given the circumstances…"

"Phoenix, exactly _what_ do you think you need to be sorry for?" The uncharacteristic use of his first name startled the pianist, and he blinked in surprise as Gumshoe's solemn tone turned fiercely protective. "All you did was tell your daughter _the truth_. My wife and I couldn't love Trucy more than if she were _our_ _actual blood niece_. You _never_ need to worry about _anything_ concerning your little girl in _that_ regard, do you hear me?"

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve a friend like you." Phoenix swallowed a lump forming in his throat. "I'll thank you in my prayers for this, old friend."

Gumshoe's puppy dog brown eyes sparkled with emotion, and he looked away quickly, but not before the former attorney saw the tears glistening in them.

"Listen, pal, _all you need to worry_ about is going in there and _getting your name cleared_ , got it?" He coughed. "I mean, this conversation is _just_ for the sake of your peace of mind, because we _both_ know _nothing's_ going to happen to you, right?"

"Right." Phoenix felt some of the tension unfolding within him ease somewhat, as he acknowledged that despite the hardships that'd befallen him over the years, he was at least blessed to know his daughter had potential angels as her future guardians, should the hands of fate not turn in his favor today. "T-Thanks, Gumshoe. I kind of _hoped_ …and sort of _knew_ that'd be what you'd say, but it means a lot to have you _confirm it out loud_ , you know?"

"Enough of this crazy talk!" The big man clapped Phoenix on the back and gently shoved him in the direction of the stairs. "No more what-ifs! You go in there and you make sure justice is served today. I'm going to be in that gallery, and even though you may not be able to see me, know that I will be right there amongst the masses, rooting for you."

"It's good to know I have support, even if it is sight unseen." Phoenix adjusted his beanie and waved at the Chief one last time. "I've got a lawyer to go meet for the first time. Wish me luck."

"Good luck pal!" Gumshoe called, staring after his friend's retreating back until he disappeared from sight, then took a deep breath and headed towards the side entrance, intended for public spectators.

As he pushed his way through the throng, he was slightly astonished to see that there was hardly any seats remaining. It seemed despite being out of the headlines all these years, anything pertaining to Phoenix Wright was still considered newsworthy, and the capacity crowd this trial had drawn was certainly evidence of such. His sharp eyes scanned over the countless heads already seated in the gallery, searching for a vacancy, until he finally spotted one, almost near the very back, and off to the side. The location still gave the spectator clear view of the trial itself, while simultaneously keeping them completely concealed from the eyes of anybody within the courtroom.

* * *

"Excuse me, Miss, is this seat taken?" He asked a petite woman of indeterminable age, oddly dressed in a heavy cloak and hood.

The girl silently shook her head, her face mostly obscured by enormous dark sunglasses, which came halfway down her pale, oval face, and shifted slightly to make room for his wide frame.

As Gumshoe seated himself next to her, for some reason, he felt inclined to peer intently at the stranger beside him, and found his inner sleuthing skills were setting off an impossible to ignore, niggling sensation, somehow suggesting to him that perhaps the young lady wasn't such an unknown entity to him after all.

"I'm a police officer, so I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way, Miss…" He began gawkily, his brow furrowing as he goggled at the girl. "But… do I _know_ you? There's something kind of familiar about you, but I can't seem to put my finger on it..."

Rather than respond, a slightly mischievous smile played on the girl's rosy lips upon hearing the question, and she then slipped her over-sized shades down her nose just enough so that he could catch a glimpse of _very_ recognizable, twinkling azure eyes, belonging to none other than _Trucy Wright!_

"I suppose being around for _half my life_ qualifies you to say you _know_ me _somewhat,_ Uncle Gumshoe," she smirked, sliding the dark glasses back into place and playfully sticking out her tongue. "Although to _really_ know someone is actually quite _subjective_ , is it not?"

" _Trucy_?!" The startled police Chief gaped at his niece. "What on earth are _you_ doing here?! Didn't your father tell you to go to school?!"

"He did," Trucy admitted, not sounding in the least apologetic at having just been busted disobeying parental command. "Although I must say that was a _pretty unrealistic expectation_ of him to have! _As if_ I could ever be _anywhere_ but _at his side_ at a time like this, whether he knows it or not!"

"Your old man's going to be pretty mad at you for not minding his orders." Gumshoe let out a soundless sigh, knowing full well there was nothing he could do to dissuade her at this point since she was already there. "He's probably going to ground you _well into the next decade_ for sure! You _do_ know that, right?"

"Not if _you_ don't _tell_ him!" She replied cheerfully, flashing him a wink as she slipped on her shades again. "And I know that _no Uncle of mine_ would be a _lousy, dirty rat_ , not when we _both_ know that there's _nowhere else_ I should be at a time like other than _right_ _here_ , giving Daddy my loving support, just like _you_ are!"

Gumshoe groaned. Many blissful years of marriage had taught him one _invaluable, unwavering life lesson_ – _never_ argue with a woman, _regardless_ of how old she was! To do so was purely an act of lunacy, resulting in a loss of one's sanity _and_ an exercise in futility, seeing as how it would always escalate to a battle which the man could very rarely ever win!

"I guess it doesn't hurt for Phoenix to have as many allies in his corner as possible, especially at a time like this," he admitted, chuckling dolefully and putting an arm around the teen in a quick hug. "But if you end up getting busted, I'm going to claim that I that I had absolutely _no clue about anything_! Deal?"

Trucy smiled at her Uncle in that smug but sweet way all females tended to, when knowing they'd bested the other (male) party in a particular battle of wits.

"I have no _objections_ to your _cluelessness_ , Uncle Gumshoe," she giggled, resting her hooded head on his shoulder. " _None whatsoever."_

 _Besides, I love him too much to tell him that_ ** _claiming to have no clue_** _will be much_ ** _easier_** _and more_ ** _believable_** _than he actually thinks!  
_

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice and Kristoph Gavin**_ _  
District Court Defendant  
Lobby Number 3  
_April 20, 2026 9:37 AM

 _It's really hard to maintain your reputation as The Coolest Defense in the West when your bumbling assistant cannot even be bothered to show up for his first day of court on time!_ Kristoph inwardly fumed, barely resisting the urge to begin tapping his foot to indicate his steadily growing impatience.

His protégé was _late_ , granted only by seven minutes, but considering Justice had said he would be there at 9:30, and the trial started in half an hour, this was hardly a good sign. He briefly wondered if Justice, who'd been a bundle of nerves regarding the last minute case, had decided to chicken out at the eleventh hour.

No chance, he dismissed immediately. _No employee of **Kristoph Gavin's**_ dared ever be such a coward, and his assistant was too much of a people pleasing eager beaver to give into such weakness. More than likely the overwhelmed young man had staggered into the wrong courtroom or had gotten delayed in traffic. Either way he made mental note to give him a severe tongue lashing for his unprecedented tardiness when he finally did see him. Just as he was mentally rehearsing the lecture he would give the underlying, the German at last spotted the horny-fringed attorney rushing towards him, looking simultaneously winded and slightly faint. In an uncharacteristic moment of magnanimousness, the defense attorney decided to delay the reprimand and instead nodded curtly in greeting.

"Ah, good morning."

"Good morning, sir." Apollo quickly wiped his damp-looking palms off on his pants and flashed his boss a sickly grin.

"You look tense, Justice," Kristoph observed coolly, noting the younger man's twitching eye and damp forehead. "Wound up tight."

"W-Wound up, sir?" Apollo croaked. "No! I'm loose! I'm _fine_!"

"That screeching noise…Is that your voice?" Kristoph couldn't help but smirk. "I suppose it's to be expected. Your first trial, and it's a homicide. I guess "Justice" doesn't start small, eh?"

" _I'm fine_!" Apollo insisted, however unconvincingly. "I got up at 5:00 AM to do my "Chords of Steel" voice workout! I'm _fine_!"

Kristoph kept his fixed smile in place, which completely belied the fact that his own stomach was in knots, albeit for different reasons. Despite the fact that his ultimate goal was to get the proverbial pebble in his shoe, Phoenix Wright, locked up behind bars once and for all, the peremptory part of him still wanted his apprentice to _somewhat attempt_ to put up a good, strong front and at least _appear_ _competent_ , if not _confident,_ for his premier case representing Gavin Law Offices. Squawking like a parrot with laryngitis certainly did absolutely nothing to bolster the firm's image, any more than it did his own!

"Ah, that explains it." Kristoph decided to try to instill some confidence into the nerve-rattled young man to avoid his own embarrassment. "I did detect a certain rasping quality to your screech."

He pretended to ignore Apollo's subsequent coughing fit and continued.

"As you know, the client today is a good friend of mine. I wouldn't want you to let him down…if you get my drift."

"Drift gotten, sir!" Apollo cleared his throat and straightened himself up to his full height. "I-I'm all over that drift!"

Kristoph barely stifled a sigh as he ruefully acknowledged the conundrum he was facing. If his apprentice did _too_ good a job, it would result in his own criminal acts being brought to light, which would never do. But on the flip-side, if he were to disastrously nose-dive, Kristoph's revered status as a mentor and overall illustrious name in the legal community _would become mud_. It appeared his best bet for coming out of this on top with his stellar reputation intact was to have his understudy appear to make a valiant effort at his defense for their client, uncovering the actual "truth of his guilt" along the way, and in the end make a morally appropriate decision. It wasn't as though there was a whole lot Justice had to go on for defending his client, therefore he was pretty certain that despite a few glitches, his plan would still triumph in the end.

"As I told you before, I dined with him the night of the murder. We can't let this case fall through."

"Yes. Yes!" Apollo nodded earnestly. "I'm fine, sir!"

Kristoph nodded swiftly and turned to head into the courtroom. He'd done what he could with his employee as far as pep talks went. The rest would be up to him. However, he still felt compelled to bequeath one final pearl of wisdom.

"One more thing. Don't say you're fine so much. People might take you the wrong way. I'll be preparing our case. You might want to introduce yourself to the client." A sardonic grin. "It appears that you're not the _only_ one who was running late this morning."

The slight dig not go unnoticed by Apollo, whose horns drooped dejectedly. With that last comment, Kristoph left his assistant alone in the defendant's lobby so he could go over files.

* * *

Apollo stood there, letting his stomach tie itself in knots just as a man in a blue beanie and a hooded sweatshirt approached him.

At first, the defense attorney attempted to brush aside the nagging familiarity of the man – why did he seem so familiar even though he'd never seen him before? As the taller figure suddenly reached up to scratch at his hair beneath his hat, a familiar lock of spiky black hair popped out from under, which he hastily stuffed back into place as his impassive gaze met Apollo's at last, and _that_ was when he realized who this was.

He was finally face-to-face with his childhood idol.

 _This_ was Phoenix Wright – proud, successful hero of his time – dressed in old, worn-out hand-me-downs; unshaven; disposition careless; unconcerned of his appearance. There was a very laid-back, dismissive air to him now; the lively spark was gone from his dark blue eye, which now appeared dull and hazy from fatigue. The Phoenix Apollo was seeing now hovered between untouchable and a grave disappointment; it was worse than he feared: the ex-lawyer had not only fallen from grace, but appeared to have lost all will to climb back up. The longer he looked at Phoenix, the more he started to eat his own words he'd repeatedly uttered to Clay about said man's comeback, and the sadder it became to simply sit aside and watch the tragic nightmare further play out before his eyes.

A strange feeling of opia washed over him as he stared into the indecipherable indigo orbs. Apollo was experiencing what could only be described as the ambiguous intensity of looking someone in the eye, but it left him feeling simultaneously invasive and vulnerable. He didn't know why, but as he gazed into Phoenix's eyes, he saw immense pain behind the smirk slightly playing on the older man's lips. It didn't feel as if he was pretending though; rather, he did it because it was the only thing he knew. It was conflicting: Apollo felt like he was staring at both his idol and a total stranger. It was distinctly Phoenix, yet it wasn't.

Despite his casual appearance, which was a stark contrast to his own business attire, standing before his longtime hero at long last gave the shaky young man an undeniable sense of monachopsis nonetheless. It didn't make sense, this subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place. In fact, he was wholly aware that it was downright _ridiculous_ , as it was Phoenix Wright who was no longer a lawyer and Apollo _himself_ was, yet he still felt as though _he_ was the one who didn't belong in these courtroom surroundings, while Phoenix, although dressed like a hobo, seemed completely at ease, as if he had never left.

Phoenix silently studied the young attorney carefully, ignoring the greenhorn's initial jittery stammers.

So _this_ was Apollo Justice, in the flesh, at long last. Or rather, as the only son of the late, great magician, Thalassa Gramarye's first husband, Helios Giustizia de Illumios, Apollo Justice, née Giustizia de Illumios. _Giustizia_ was the Italian word for _Justice_ , which he surmised Thalassa had changed it to when she had given the boy up for adoption, as it was a much more mainstream not to mention easier name for American pronunciation and society.

His sharp eyes scanned over the slightly sweaty, twitchy, but good-looking, young man standing before him, searching for evidence of his Italian heritage and resemblance to his daughter, as her secret elder half- sibling.

Apollo Justice was of slight stature and build, no more than 5'5" beneath his red-vest business suit and white collar shirt, which contrasted nicely against his lightly tanned skin, which the pianist surmised the boy had inherited as part of his father's Mediterranean ancestry. He was sweetly baby-faced, just like Trucy, and had the same shade of brown hair as his sister, although his short hairdo was styled into two frontal spikes that stood above his high, prominent forehead, another trait he had undoubtedly inherited from Helios, along with his huge, wide-set eyes. The captivating orbs, while shaped identically, and as heartfelt and innocent as his daughter's, were similar but separate from his sibling's. Unlike Trucy's cerulean orbs, inherited from their mother, her brother's Bambi eyes were earthen brown, mixed with cinnamon cream, reminding the former attorney of old sepia photographs. As Apollo's nervous gaze met Phoenix's, there was a look of awed nervousness within them, mixed with the sincerity and uncertainty.

Apparently being in his presence made the young man feel slightly intimidated. It was touching, endearing, and amusing, all at the same time. He decided he liked Apollo at first sight, and instinctively knew he'd been right to place his faith in him. Whatever the newbie attorney lacked in experience or skill, he'd more than make up for in eager willingness. Of this, Phoenix was certain. It was do or die time now, and he was relying on the former.

"Morning." Phoenix saw no point in senseless frippery. "It's all up to you today."

The bluntness of the statement only earned him an expression of undeniable panic in return.

 _First trial: nervous!_ Apollo thought wildly, wishing he could steady his frantically hammering heartbeat. _Meeting_ _ **him**_ _:_ _ **cardiac arrest**_ _!_

Intuitively sensing the red attorney's discomfort, Phoenix forced himself to slightly curve up the corners of his lips as he graciously inclined his head towards the lawyer.

"So you're…"

"Fine! I-I'm fine!" Apollo rasped, sounding as though he were being strangled by his tie. Phoenix couldn't help but chuckle slightly with amusement and couldn't resist ribbing him ever so slightly.

 _Hey how many opportunities to have a good guffaw do I get nowadays, anyway?_

"Ah…Mr. Fine, is it?" He deadpanned. "I _do_ seem to remember you having an odd name."

Apollo's nerves were at a peak, and he seemed to sense he was already screwing things up majorly. Phoenix took pity on the younger man and flashed him a sympathetic look, as if to say "fret not, I was once in your shoes too."

"Um…are you sure you're okay? I mean, with me?" Apollo asked anxiously. "Mr. Gavin is a top-notch attorney. And he's your friend! So why…?" His words trailed off as Phoenix's expression turned mysterious.

"…you'll see."

Apollo sensed the portentous sentiment behind that statement and gulped. Phoenix caught the action, and his somber countenance turned reassuring.

"You can do it," he said kindly. "Be confident."

Apollo just kept stammering incoherent ramblings, about how sorry he was regarding Phoenix's current plight, until mercifully, the older man cut him off.

"It's time. Shall we?"

"Y-yes, sir," Apollo stuttered. Realizing that this was the first time he ever said those words to anyone other than his mentor, Apollo began to get a grip on his resolve as he entered the courtroom for the first time as a defense attorney.

 _OK. I need to focus. First trial, here comes Justice!  
_

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice and Kristoph Gavin  
**_ _District Court  
Courtroom No. 2_  
April 20, 2026 10:00 AM

At 10 o'clock, a very antsy Kristoph Gavin stood behind the defense bench next to a _very_ _sweaty_ Apollo Justice. The nail on chalkboard voiced prosecutor, Winston Payne, and the judge were both at their respective benches.

In contrast to his own apprehensive state, the German couldn't help but coldly note that the most relaxed looking person in the room was Phoenix himself. The fallen attorney looked as impassive and composed as ever as he waited for the trial to commence, in sharp contrast to Kristoph's own discomfiture, considering everything that was at stake. His apprentice wasn't doing anything to help matters, quickly embarrassing himself in front of the judge, causing the kindly old man to shake his head in his typical bewildered fashion.

"Ahem. Mr. Gavin?"

"Yes, Your Honor?"

"I was under the impression that you would be heading up this case…?"

"That _was_ my intention, yes," Kristoph responded dryly, but then wisely opted to soften his tone. "However…a defense attorney must always cede to his client's wishes. And my client specifically requested Mr. Justice."

"Well, of course he wants justice!" the judge replied, as if this were an obvious statement. "But to entrust his case to this greenhorn…Why? I do not exaggerate when I say that you're the best defense attorney in town, Mr. Gavin."

Kristoph couldn't help but preen slightly at having his ego stroked in such a satisfying manner.

As the drained and disheveled Phoenix then took the stand, there was a loud cacophony within the gallery as they took sight of him. The judge seemed genuinely unhappy to see the former attorney under such circumstances, although the prosecution appeared positively giddy.

"This is truly an unfortunate turn of events," the judge lamented. "I'm sorry we had to meet again under these circumstances. Long time no see, Mr. Wright."

"Let's put the past behind us, shall we?" Phoenix shrugged. "These days I'm merely Phoenix Wright, piano player."

"I won't speak of it further, then," the judge agreed amicably. "If the prosecution would be so kind as to explain the charges. Mr. Payne?"

"To think," squawked Mr. Payne. "I saw you enter this room a fresh attorney, and now I'll see you leave in chains."

"Ah, Winston Payne. Subtle as ever I see," Phoenix deadpanned.

"Ahem," Mr. Payne cleared his throat. "The crime occurred at the Borscht Bowl Club…a Russian restaurant. The defendant, Phoenix Wright, took the victim, a customer…and he hit him! Wham! On the head! Smack! Killed him cold!"

 _There's no need to be so dramatic, Payne._ Kristoph thought wryly as the prosecutor continued with his theatrical summary _._ _I think we get the point._

His gaze slid over to his apprentice, who was positively drenched in perspiration. Frowning slightly, as his motto was _never let them see you sweat_ , Kristoph attempted to offer him a few more pointers in an effort to ease him and explained the poker game. Then, in an effort to sound soothing, he abstractedly decided to use poetic verse in describing the "cards wreathed in blue flame" that the men used to play that fateful night.

Apollo nodded his understanding of everything Kristoph attempted to give him tutelage in, and then proceeded to press his client on nearly every succinct statement he gave, in an eerily identical fashion to the way Phoenix himself had done back in his defense attorney days with witnesses. Despite his visible nerves, the young lawyer aptly made enough of the correct inquiries to extract the fact that despite the underground nature of the poker game, it was still a legal competition, as no actual betting money changed hands. The blond man couldn't help but feel an unexpected sense of pride at his assistant's diligence. Perhaps this wouldn't turn out so badly after all.

"This competition you're talking about..." The judge said slowly. "I believe the court understands the nature of the game sufficiently."

"Th-That's right!" Apollo squeaked. "It was a simple game, after all!"

"Are you sure?" The judge asked.

"Huh?" The defense attorney stared at the robed man blankly.

"People are not murdered over "simple games", Mr. Justice."

 _Obviously,_ Kristoph smiled smugly to himself. _The judge has never before played Monopoly…_

"Defendant," the judge turned to Phoenix. "You were in the room the very moment the crime occurred, yet you claim no connection to the crime?"

At this, the defendant gave his customary smirk, the very one which Kristoph had come to genuinely loathe with every fiber of his being, as it exuded that incomprehensible smugness that made it look as though the disgraced other man was always one step ahead of the game.

"Now that's strange," Phoenix murmured.

"What's strange?" The judge looked baffled.

"I was testifying about the competition that night," Phoenix pointed out. "Asking me about the crime at this point is against the rules, Your Honor."

Now the judge looked completely dumbfounded. Apparently it had slipped his mind that the bedraggled-looking witness on the stand had once been a very prominent Ace Attorney. Phoenix quirked a half smile and raised a brow towards the defense bench.

"Of course," He drawled. "I expected to hear a cry of "Objection!" from the defense…"

Apollo looked completely aghast at this subtle as a Mack truck critique from his idol and Kristoph regarded him with grave concern, both for the sake of the young man's ego as well as the case outcome. He groaned inwardly.

 _This is going to be a long day indeed…_

"Don't despair yet, Justice," he smiled encouragingly.

"S-Sir?" Apollo stammered, still completely unraveled. Kristoph decided it was time for him to take the reins and turned his attention towards his adversary.

"Wright, there's something I'd like made clear. Namely, your connection to the case at hand. And I'd like to hear it from you."

Phoenix paused only for a split second, but it was long enough for the perceptive defense attorney to catch the gleam in his eye, and it caused a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach, and he cursed himself for having dismissed it as mere smug arrogance previously.

 _That hurensohn – he_ _ **knows**_ _!_ Kristoph realized, drawing in a sharp breath. _He knows full well who actually murdered "Shadi Smith" that night!_ He forced himself to take tranquil, even breaths. _No matter, though. There's nothing he can do about it! The fate of this rests on my protégé's rookie shoulders, after all. And I know my assistant will do right by me and unearth the lies, exposing this degenerate as the true murderer in an act of pure "justice."_

"Sure… Why not?" Phoenix shrugged nonchalantly.

"Very well," the judge said. "The defendant will amend his testimony."

"I plead silence regarding the murder." Phoenix said flatly. "But I will say I never touched the murder weapon."

"Objection!" Shouted Apollo. "So you say you didn't touch the murder weapon…this grape juice bottle?...Right?"

"So I said," Phoenix replied calmly.

"Something the matter, Mr. Justice?" The judge asked.

"Hee hee hee," Mr. Payne cackled gleefully. "Too bad our new defense attorney never learned how to play dumb."

"What's this, Mr. Payne?" The judge demanded.

"I examined the bottle in question," Mr. Payne told the court. "And it was _covered with the defendant's fingerprints_!"

The courtroom stirred excitedly.

"OBJECTION!" Apollo hollered at full decibel, right near his mentor's ear. Kristoph winced slightly

 _Note to self when resuming training of my assistant after all is said and done: Get him to learn the concept of an inside voice!_

"No need to shout, Mr. Justice!" The judge exclaimed. "I can hear you just fine!"

Apollo's face turned the same shade as his suit.

"Excess yelling can damage the judge's ears…and our case," Kristoph reprimanded mildly. His apprentice nodded, then continued.

"Any…Anyway! What's so strange about fingerprints on a bottle in a restaurant?" he demanded.

"Well, that's true," the judge conceded. "The prints alone don't prove he did it."

"Oh, they wouldn't prove a thing," Mr. Payne interjected. "If they were _normal_ fingerprints!"

"Huh!?" exclaimed Apollo.

"But the fingerprints on the murder weapon were upside-down!" Mr. Payne shouted.

"Upside down?" Apollo wondered. "What does that mean?"

"It means he was holding the bottle inverted!" Mr. Payne snarled. "And there can only be one reason for that…Yes. _To brain someone with the bottle_."

"Auuuuuuuuuuuugh! M-Mr. Gavin!" Apollo wailed, looking distraught. "I think things just took a turn for the worse!"

"Oh?" Kristoph was unfazed. "I see no problem, Mr. Justice."

"Huh?" he said blankly.

"The only thing that matters is the truth," the German stated firmly. "There's a good reason for everything. You'll see."

"Defendant!" The judge yelled. "Can you explain your fingerprints on this bottle to the court!?"

"I stand by my plea of silence regarding the murder..." Phoenix responded in a monotone, pulling his beanie down over his eyes so they were hidden from view. " _For now_."

"Hmm…not very cooperative, are you? This could hurt your case," The judge warned.

"I'm sure he's uncooperative because he's hiding something!" squealed Mr. Payne. "There must be some reason…"

"Objection!" Kristoph interjected. "Your Honor. You seem to have forgotten something."

"And what might that be, Mr. Gavin?"

"On the night of the crime," he said smoothly. "Who was it who reported the murder to the police?"

"Reported…?" The judge echoed.

"Well, that was the defendant, Mr. Wright," admitted Mr. Payne. "But still, that..."

"R-Really!?" The judge snapped.

"Erm, yes, well..." Mr. Payne looked as discombobulated as he sounded. "According to the case file…The murder was reported from the scene, by a call from the defendant's cell phone."

"Near the scene?" Asked Apollo.

"Let's take a look at the murder scene, shall we?" Mr. Payne pushed his glasses up his nose. "The victim was murdered in a small room in a basement two floors down from ground level. Of course, cell phones can't get reception so far down. The defendant used the stairs in this hallway to go above ground…The call came from the first floor of the restaurant."

"I see…" The judge sounded thoughtful. "And this is the phone that made the call?"

"The defendant could have just fled the scene of the crime if he so chose," Kristoph pointed out. "Yet, he fulfilled his duty as a citizen and reported it to the authorities. And you claim he is being "uncooperative?""

"Urk!" Was Mr. Payne's sole response.

"I think the prosecution has toyed with our client enough for the time being." The German declared.

"T-Toyed?" Mr. Payne stammered. "I assure you, no one is more serious about…"

"What was it you said?" Kristoph countered. "The defendant was "in the room the very moment that the crime occurred". How can you possibly know this?"

"That's a good question!" exclaimed the judge. "How indeed!"

"The answer is simple, Your Honor," Kristoph gave a knowing smirk. "The prosecution has a decisive witness."

"Hee hee hee," Mr. Payne chortled. "You're as good as they say you are."

Kristoph turned to his apprentice. "Everything up until now has been a warm-up, Justice. Are you ready?"

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 124**

 **Jenny (Guest)**

I'm really happy to hear, since my angsty story has made a few people reach for their hankies, or worse has had elements which have triggered a lot of things from their personal lives that weren't pleasant, that in this case I stirred a happy memory to draw off for one of my readers and that you drew a parallel with Phoenix and Trucy's wonderful bond to the one you were blessed to have with your own father! :-)

Also I'm very deeply touched that a real life Phoenix Wright...aka... defense attorney, has taken the time to read my story and leave such a lovely review so don't worry about being articulate dear girl! However if I'm the reason you're actually not doing anything lawful please don't sue me my intent is to draw delightful distraction but not to the point where work duty is actually shunned as hilarious as that may sound! XD

I'm happy like this part of the story I truly hated Apollo Justice the game not the character it had so many plot holes and wrong Phoenix's character on so many different levels but if it were not for that atrocious game I wouldn't have a chance to write this FF to try to make it Wright... :p

Thank you so much for reading and dropping me a line I do hope to hear from you again!

 **Feraligreater328**

Don't worry about not being a fan of the game AJ... I'll tell anybody that will listen I hate the game... even if it did give Phoenix a wonderful new legal assistant/ toilet scrubber... and give a much-needed blood tie (even if it's unknown to them as of yet) to his wonderful, doting little girl who lost her entire family! Trucy is a fascinating character to write I feel like he has not been explored enough either and other fan fiction or the game itself because I do think she could have a deeper and darker side to her underneath that constantly bubbly disposition of hers! Stay tuned... ;)

 **Ryszard**

 _Guter Herr_ hearing from you is like having a tasty dessert... a sweet indulgence I don't get to have very often... but I savor everything about it. First of all, I hope you are healthy, safe and dry given your last message regarding the excessive wetness in your region! Oh man, that almost sounded naughty although entirely unintentional...mostly... don't you wish it were the 1980s when flood pants were actually in style?

There are no words to describe how touched I am at your kind description of this fan fic both as a masterpiece and a novel. I'm even more touched that you're still around on this crazy train, really and I do acknowledge that Nick and Maya may never be Canon _(weil die Menschen verzweifelt Rauch Miles Nick's Bratwürste zu sehen)_

However, they've implied Phaya enough with the sixth game to keep me satisfied for now... you know, what with him taking off on his own practice _and_ daughter at the drop of a hat because he thought Maya was in trouble... I wish I could say this story would be done by the time Spirit of Justice comes to North America, but who are we kidding? That being said, one of my readers asked me if I would be including any of the final game (yes I do think it's going to be the last game) in this story so it won't become entirely obsolete or AU... and depending on the way the story line goes, I very well may include elements of it, so I can still claim canon manipulation of the Ace Attorney universe! :)

 **Ilet Moratar**

Latin men truly are underrated as the most romantic man in the entire world even more so than the Italians and French may I say and that's speaking as someone that is _medio italiano_! _Muchas gracias_ for providing me what the source of this wonderful quote _mi amiga dulce_!

Nick really did luck out in the daughter department as he found an angel that is willing to take care of him just as much as he takes care of her! I do love the character of Trucy a lot but while the game portrays her as this forever sunny teenager, I still think she would have gone through typical adolescent angst and there is no way she could have been as calm as she was in the game when the only parent she has left was facing death row! But you're right... with the love of such a devoted girl and his usual luck he absolutely cannot lose!

 _Te he echado mi amiga!_ Always a delight to hear from you!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Absolutely no offense taken dear boy as this chapter could easily be seen as a bridge or filler chapter as I myself did refer to it as the calm before the storm!

I really do love the fact that this point that you still have not played Apollo Justice because this means to get to genuinely be surprised at the turnabout of everything! The angle I'm going with about Trucy ultimately being the one to have a trick up her sleeve is something that's been a head canon of mine for some time but hopefully will be accepted by readers even who have played the game!

Capcom loves to make young girls seem all bubbly and sunny, with Kay, Maya, and Pearl and Nick's sweet daughter is definitely the brightest star in the sky; however, I realistically could not imagine her _not_ quaking at the idea of her beloved father facing death row any more than I could picture her _not genuinely loving Phoenix more_ than her own deadbeat biological father at this point!

All things considered I really do my best to be a woman of my word and will try hard to update this at least weekly, because we are past the halfway part of the story and I'd like to get it done before... I'd like to say before the localized AA6 game comes out here but more realistically by end of year... For more reasons than one…

 **Thepudz**

I am truly a sadistic person because I take equal as much pleasure as a writer to hear that I have not only on occasion made one of my favorite male readers and friends occasionally turn gay with my descriptions of both Nick and Miles topless in my stories but also tear up while reading them... Without butchering, raping or killing off any of the beloved characters! (No I am not taking a shot at you my violent little freak!) This was just my long-winded writer's way of saying I'm happy I could touch you so emotionally considering you're on the other side of the globe!

I'm glad that you accept my head canon about how it wasn't Nick the ultimately had an ace up his sleeve..; )

 **Batfreak2008**

I realized how much I like the character of Trucy having lost two parents and still managing to keep that pretty smile on her face throughout both games! Well of course my portrayal of her inner psyche was my own with no true evidence from the video game I can't imagine that living the life of basically a traveling Gypsy in a magician's true it could have been the most stable environment for a little girl have been growing up in - children need roots or some sort of ability to depend on people if not their surroundings and having Zak for a father she was unable to do either! I'd like to think that hunky new daddy Nick filled that void and cushioned the blow very nicely though!

Always a pleasure to hear from you thank you for still reading despite my delay!

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

To be honest I was really looking forward to writing more moments like this and I love my fluff even if this one had a dash of angst in it! Trucy is such a sweetheart was really had gotten a bum steer in life thanks to her no-goodnik daddy, so I hope the sympathy you feel for her in this chapter will continue and that you forgive her for what I'm about to make her do...

 **Yanmegaman**

I wrote this story as a way to apologize to all Phoenix fans who thought his character had been desecrated beyond repair in the steaming pile that was Apollo Justice! _No_ he is _not_ a heartless, soulless bastard with no conscience - his big, now battered, heart is secretly aching underneath that stoic demeanor and poker face! Yes, he _did_ seem to have distanced himself from his normal crowd of friends, but that was probably _because he had a creepy German sausage of a stalker_ for seven years (and that's CANON!)! And there is _no way_ that a man of such integrity and veracity would _ever_ forge evidence... but he is _not_ above _lying_ when it comes to protecting those he loved... I made him do it with Maya in my story, (he was willing to bluff and beyond for her sake in the JFA game as well!) but I have no doubt as a father, he would always look out for his child and take the heat for their actions. Regarding Trucy, it was an excellent point that you and I were discussing, which does frustrate me about the inconsistencies with Capcom... Since I truly believe Nick was lying or taking the heat about the ace, why _didn't_ **_Apollo's bracelet react_**? Then again, _why didn't next Nick's magatama ago_ off regarding his understudy's bizarre behavior when Clay died in Dual Destinies? And _why_ _didn't_ _Athena/Widget react to the lack of emotions with the Phantom_?!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

 _"You're finally updating this  
Praise the sky"_

I do apologize for my delayed updating and I'm so happy that you're still on board this crazy train as I do my damn best to updating more often going forward now that I've passed the reigns of my other two projects onto my capable and hilarious co-pilots!

That being said, dear reader, I must thank you for _the_ most amusing, succinct, and _to the point_ review… _ever_! XD

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_

I was hoping somebody would recognize Creed's wonderful classic rock anthem from at least two decades ago which I chose to be my last chapter song title! I love how you never disappoint me!

Trucy genuinely is the sweetest, happiest character in all of Ace Attorney, and it's so sad that her back story is still tragic, made all the more so by the fact that she smiles to hide her pain... Therefore, I felt the irrepressible need to throw in some of _that angst_ in there, because happy go lucky or not, she is _still a teenager_ after all, but moreover, one faced with _losing her sole remaining_ parent!

However, along with the sadness, I do hope I really did show the strength of Phoenix and Trucy's loving bond! Blood is thicker than water _mi culo!_

I really don't see Phoenix the way he was portrayed in Apollo Justice whatsoever I honestly believe, in spite of the way he was portrayed in that _pedazo de juego de mierda_ , that he was actually a good one to his baby girl. And it was hinted that he was an overprotective father to his baby girl. One of the things Phoenix was widely criticized for with his parenting skills was that he let an underage minor self-run around with a strange guy who he had just met, but it appears those critics of that decision of his seem to conveniently forget that at this point, Nick already knew who Apollo was to Trucy, and he actually was able to establish the young lawyer's character as trustworthy, probably because of _that ever-present magatama_ of his!

Therefore, in trying to be a good father, he wouldn't want Trucy to disrupt her life and would hope she would go to school, but I think we can all forgive her for obviously disobeying both his commands to do so, as well as stay out of it... The ends justified the means in the end... and I'd like to think that Maggey and Gumshoe were plan B for Phoenix, in the sense that if _anything_ _ever were_ to have happened to him, his daughter would have loving Guardians that would watch over her. Luckily, one of the few perks of having played that horrible game, you and I both know it didn't need to come to that!


	126. Misguided Perceptions

_A/N:_ _Yeesh! I **hate** covering trials! This took me forever to write and I know it's a longer read...the first AJ Trial was a doozy! But the good news is I thus far can keep my word about updating this story at least weekly, and also, the next chapter should completely wrap up the AJ Turnabout Trump Trial arc so we can get back to my story! I hope to have it up this weekend….fingers crossed! AJ Spoilers for first case FYI…_

* * *

 _"Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for it is a thing to be achieved."_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six:** **Misguided Perceptions**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Kristoph Gavin**_ _  
District Court_  
 _Courtroom No. 2_  
April 20, 2026

"Very well," the judge announced. "The prosecution may call its first witness to the stand!"

A small, meek-looking blonde slowly made her way up to the stand. An old-fashioned film camera hung from her neck. On top of that, she was adorned in a fuzzy winter hat and a cobalt blue coat with white fur trim, over which she wore a white apron. On her shaky hands, which were carefully balancing a tray bearing a domed serving bowl, she wore pink mittens. As her huge, terrified eyes looked out at the court, she immediately began trembling and sunk below the witness stand.

"The witness will state her name and profession," stated Mr. Payne.

"H-hold on just a moment!" The judge suddenly looked baffled. "Where's the witness?"

"I surmise that she has been frightened by the defense's demonic-looking horns," crowed Mr. Payne.

 _Wow, you've really lived up to your potential, rat-boy!_ Phoenix barely repressed an eye-roll at the rodent-faced, chrome domed prosecutor as he glanced sympathetically at Apollo, whose horns sagged dejectedly at this entire unprecedented and asinine onslaught regarding his hairdo. _At least the young man actually_ _ **has**_ _hair to style! Jealous much?_

"Have no fear!" The judge nobly declared. "If any horns point in your direction, the court will cut them off!"

"You…are…sure?" The witness squeaked.

"I swear it on my gavel!" The judge promised. "Please, come out."

"Isn't violence against hair a crime, Your Honor?" Apollo's horns drooped even further, like fallen radio antenna. Phoenix couldn't help but admire this uncanny ability of the attorney. Not even _his_ _own_ oft-remarked upon spikes could rise and fall on command in such a manner!

"Well, if you are sure it is OK…"

"Ahem," the judge cleared his throat. "Now, the prosecution…"

Just then, the witness whipped out her camera and took a photograph.

"W-W-Wait a minute!" The judge appeared flustered as the bright flashbulb went off in his face. "Would the prosecution care to explain the witness's…erm… _paraphernalia_?"

"Er…yes. She is a professional, Your Honor," Mr. Payne explained. "Those are merely the tools of her trade."

"And that would be…?"

"My name…is Olga Orly," the witness introduced herself at last.

 _Oh, really?_ Kristoph chortled to himself at the obviously fake as a three dollar bill Slavic accent, which, naturally, unlike the other gullible humanoids in the courtroom, hadn't fooled _him_ for minute! _If this dame here is_ _ **actually**_ _Russian, then_ _ **I**_ _am the pygmy Queen!_

"I am employed as waitress in Borscht Bowl Club restaurant," the witness went on.

"Then…why the camera?" The judge blinked, obviously still recovering from the blinding flash.

"Of course, it is my pride to serve borscht that is naming restaurant," Olga answered. "But I also perform—how is it said? _Other_ _service_."

 _Oh, I have_ _ **my own theories**_ _about what these "_ _ **other services**_ _" may possibly be, and which more than likely make up for your other shortcomings as a server,_ _ **I'm sure**_ _!_ Kristoph cynically sniggered to himself. _Pretty shifty though, seeing as how_ _ **Boris is a married man**_ _!_ _I wonder if Natasha is privy to this "_ _ **other service**_ _" Olga performs?_

"I take it one of these other services is taking the customer's pictures?" Asked the ever-unassuming judge, completely unaware of the defense attorney's lewd inner monologue.

"Dah, dah," Olga nodded. "Like, for example…this one."

As she spoke, she pulled a picture out of her coat pocket which depicted Phoenix on the night of the murder, seated at the piano bench, next to "Shadi Smith."

"Th-That's the defendant!?" The judge's eyes widened. He wasn't the only one who was caught unawares by the captured image.

Despite keeping his poker-faced intact, Phoenix was positively disconcerted at having been unsuspectingly caught on film in such a manner, as he had spent much of the last seven years trying to keep his wits about him at all times. After the nosy reporter, Spark Brushel, had left the premises, he'd foolishly assumed he and Zak had been alone in that room.

 _When on earth_ had the obviously _craftier then she appeared_ Olga taken that picture? And moreover, _why_ had she done such a thing?

"Indeed." Mr. Payne sounded more smug than usual. "On the night of the murder."

"Man in white hat…is one who has gone kaput," Olga confirmed staunchly.

"Indeed…" the judge murmured. "That _is_ the victim."

There was a lively stirring amongst the gallery at this announcement.

"Order! Order!" The judge pounded his gavel. "This is quite a piece of evidence to casually drop into our laps!"

"It is same way as I drop cold bowls of borscht on laps of customers…" Olga helpfully attempted to draw a parallel. " _Casually_."

 _This only further confirms my theory that they hired you for neither your English-speaking skills nor your serving grace_ , Kristoph added sardonically. _So the question of course is,_ _ **what**_ _the_ _ **hell**_ _reason_ _ **did**_ _they hire you for at that frigid, hole in the wall establishment then?!_

"Hmm…Then the court will _casually_ accept this new evidence." The judge determined.

"Now, witness, where were you at the time of the murder?" Inquired Mr. Payne.

"I was in room. The Hydeout, we call it."

"Excuse me?" Apollo asked dimly. " _The Hydeout_?"

"It is room where famous gangster _'Badgai'_ was arrested. Is room where murder took place," Olga said simply.

Upon hearing this, Apollo's miracle motion spikes somehow managed to simultaneously stiffen _and_ raise themselves _even_ _higher_ on his head as he visibly recoiled at this bombshell.

Kristoph barely resisted the urge to face palm at his employee's overly animated reflexive antics.

 _If I've told him_ _ **once**_ _, I've told him_ _ **a thousand times**_ _to always_ _ **keep his cool**_ _, at least_ _ **on the surface,**_ _no matter_ _ **how badly**_ _you're shaken up_ _ **internally**_ _!_ He silently screamed. _**When**_ _, in any of my teachings, have I_ _ **ever**_ _told Justice that it was alright for him to_ _ **completely lose**_ _his_ _ **visible composure**_ _and assume the expression of_ _ **an autistic monkey?!**_

Olga smiled winsomely as she snapped a photo of the younger defense attorney's comical expression.

"Your look of utter surprise…It is lovely," she tittered. "I will post by courtroom door later for you! Dah, dah, photos will be numbered, and you will write which ones you want copies of."

Apollo had quickly recovered from his look of shock, replaced by one of deep speculation as he pressed his index finger so hard against his forehead, Kristoph was certain he would leave a _permanent dent_ behind. Finally, he thumped both fists down onto the bench before him, like a primitive caveman, and eyed the waitress with a suspicious glint in his eye.

"Very well. Witness! You will testify to the court about that night's events." The judge commanded.

The witness began her testimony.

"That night, customer asked me to deal cards for game."

"It was cold…Both players with hats on, dah."

"The victim, he plays whole time with his hand on locket at his neck."

"Then, last hand is done! But something terrible has happened, dah!"

"That man flew at victim, and is strangling him to death!"

Phoenix ogled Olga in utter disbelief as the waitress finished speaking, but the blonde refused to meet his accusing gaze, and timidly slunk down once again behind the witness stand.

At this point, he knew he shouldn't have been surprised by _anything_ or _anyone_. Nonetheless, the sharp feeling of confusion and betrayal still stung him deeply at the unjust and glaring falseness of the testimony. _This_ was his thanks for trying to _save Olga's life,_ as he'd tried to act as quickly as humanly possible when Zak had unprecedentedly attacked her?!

He'd barely crossed paths with Olga at work prior to that fateful night, so he knew of no cause for her to despise him to the point of _perjury_. What _possible reason_ could the waitress have to try to try to frame him for the murder and lying about witnessing the crime, when she'd been knocked unconscious the entire time?

 _Evidently, she came to even sooner than I realized…_ The pianist gathered, the wheels in his brain frantically turning as he tried to establish the blonde's motives. _At this point I can only assume it was a combination of her being traumatized that Zak could've killed her after his outraged violent outburst that the scam didn't work? Obviously since he died shortly after assaulting her, there's a chance at Zak didn't pay her for her services that night so she's ticked off about being swindled out of whatever promised riches were owed to her and wants to make sure that I bear the brunt of her being slighted!_

His mind raced.

 _But I wonder if it's actually more than that… My magatama isn't going off, so she's not_ _ **willingly lying**_ _about this. Is it that she_ _ **genuinely**_ _seems to think I_ _ **was**_ _actually_ _ **strangling Zak**_ _? Could it be there's also a slight possibility that a small part of her mind has originally blocked out the part where she'd been assaulted?_

"Hmm…" The judge looked thoughtful. "Incidentally, who won the game?"

For some reason, the simple query made the blonde hesitate slightly, but fortunately for her, Mr. Payne quickly interjected.

"Isn't it _obvious_?" He snorted. "The winner was the victim…Mr. Smith!"

" _Objection_!" Shouted Apollo. "That's ridiculous!"

Four sets of stunned, questioning eyes turned to stare at the red attorney: Olga's, the judge's, the prosecutor's, even Phoenix's. The young man flushed under their scrutiny.

"Um, because…" Apollo cleared his throat and confidently pointed an accusing finger at Olga. " _Mr. Wright can't lose_!"

 _You've_ _ **got**_ _to be_ _ **kidding**_ _me!_ Kristoph groaned inwardly. _My apprentice has chosen_ _ **this exact moment**_ _to go_ _ **all Phoenix Wright fan bo**_ _ **y** on us?!_

A dead silence met his loyal outburst.

"Ahem. Justice?" Kristoph somehow managed to flash a serene smile in spite of his gritted teeth. "Maybe you can come up with a more _legitimate_ objection?"

" _But_!" Apollo protested. "He hadn't _lost_ in _seven years_!"

Kristoph barely stifled an exasperated sigh. He had no idea how to respond to this banality.

"Take it from me, kid," Mr. Payne inserted. "It happens. I didn't lose a case my first seven years as prosecutor, either."

 _You've certainly more than made up for lost time!_ Phoenix miraculously somehow kept a straight face upon hearing this. _You never were able to defeat me_ _ **once**_ _in all my years as an attorney!_

Unknown to the pianist, across the room at the defense bench, Kristoph was having similar musings himself.

 _Luckily I'm too big a man to point out the obvious glaring counterattack to that asinine defense!_ The German shook his head despairingly at the screechy prosecutor. _You_ _ **do**_ _realize, Payne, that you also haven't_ _ **won**_ _ **a case**_ _for your last seven years,_ _ **either**_ _, don't you?_

"Incidentally. I have some evidence here," Mr. Payne continued. "These are the poker chips as they lay the very moment of the crime. The hand and chips on this side belonged to the victim, Mr. Smith."

"Chips…you say?" The judge asked.

" _Dah_. Er…I mean, _yes_!" Mr. Payne corrected quickly. "Imagine that poker is war…Your hand is your army, and the chips are the spoils."

"I _know_ all about that!" The judge boasted. "After all, in my youth, I was known as…the _Poker Head of Courtroom No. 3_!"

Once again, Phoenix managed to keep a straight face, but only just barely. He cast a surreptitious gander at both members of the defense counsel, and while Kristoph's lips twitched ever so slightly, Apollo was flat-out shaking his head at the misnomer.

"Hmm…" the judge continued, blushing slightly as he realized his error. "Looking at this picture…it does seem that most of the chips are on the victim's side of the table. Very well. The defense may cross-examine the witness."

 _Cross-Examination_

"That night, customer asked me to deal cards for game."

"It was cold…Both players with hats on, dah."

"The victim, he plays whole time with his hand on locket at his neck."

"Then, last hand is done! But something terrible has happened, dah!"

"That man flew at victim, and is strangling him to death!"

" _Objection_!" cried Apollo. "Oh really? ' _Strangled'_ , you say. That's _odd_."

"Dah," Olga nodded earnestly. "Normal customers only choke on borscht."

"No." With surprising sureness in his voice, Apollo referenced the autopsy report in his hand. "I mean, this report shows that the victim died _of a blow to the head_!"

" _Aaack_!" The waitress screeched.

"Ms. Orly!" Apollo forcefully thudded his fists down the defense bench before affixing her with his signature courtroom pointer finger and an unblinking stare. " _Really_ now… _did you witness the crime!?"_

" _Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek_!" Was Olga's cowering response.

The courtroom buzzed excitedly.

Out in the gallery, his former Detective instincts in full throttle, Gumshoe's eyes narrowed suspiciously in the waitress's direction, while Trucy only looked panicked.

"She's _lying,_ Uncle Gumshoe!" The teen wailed, yanking at his sleeve as her unnerved eyes swiveled between the police Chief and the witness stand. "I _know_ she is! She's trying to _wrongfully accuse_ _Daddy_! _Why_ is that awful woman trying to put my Daddy in jail _for something he didn't do_?!"

" _Shhh_ …" Gumshoe placed an arm around the frantic girl in an effort to soothe her. "Calm down, sweetie, your Daddy has a very good lawyer. It will be alright."

 _I hope…_ He added silently.

Back in the courtroom, the judge appeared to be in deep thought.

"Hmm… Looking at the picture, it doesn't seem like he was hit. He's still wearing his hat and everything."

"Yet it is a fact that he was hit, Your Honor," replied Mr. Payne. "Here's a photo we took of the victim with his hat off during the investigation." The prosecutor then proceeded to present a postmortem picture of Shadi Smith.

Kristoph swallowed back a triumphant, gleeful cackle at the sight of his longtime nemesis's expression, forever frozen on his lifeless countenance, his enormous, bulbous bare skull gleaming beneath the gristly crimson stream trickling down his forehead.

"Well, that's quite shocking isn't it?" The judge's eyes were saucers upon seeing the photo. "This _head_ certainly _was_ hit."

"B-But…! I have seen it happen!" Olga insisted. "The defendant, he lunge at victim, his neck…"

Kristoph couldn't have been more elated by the woman's stubborn persistence that his enemy was the culprit. His protégé had put up a great defense thus far, but there was no refuting an eyewitness testimony. It looked as though Phoenix Wright was as good as declared guilty now. He turned his head to glimpse at Apollo, expecting the young man to appear apprehensive, as this realization surely must have struck _him_ as well. Instead, he found the red attorney to be standing there looking surprisingly composed as he crossed his arms and smirked knowingly at the waitress.

" _Justice_ ," The German cautioned warily. "I admire your enthusiasm, but perhaps you should think this one through more."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Apollo's confident expression switched into one of complete befuddlement as he gawked at his mentor. "I found a contradiction!"

"There's _one more thing_ in her testimony that…troubles me," Kristoph warned him quietly.

"What is it?" Apollo asked, his confused expression deepening.

"You'll see." Pursing his lips, Kristoph turned away from him then.

"Very well," the judge nodded. "It seems we should continue the cross-examination."

 _Cross-Examination continued._

"The victim, he plays whole time with hand on locket at his neck."

" _Objection_!" shouted Apollo, pressing his deeply contemplative pointer finger against his forehead once again.

"Mr. Apollo, would you care to explain what it is you're thinking so intensely about?" Demanded the judge.

"Recall, the testimony, Your Honor," Apollo explained. "The victim played with his ' _hand on locket at his neck_ ', I believe she said?"

"I hope you aren't about to raise an objection to the witness's grammar!" Mr. Payne piped up indignantly.

 _Mein Gott!_ Kristoph closed his eyes and pushed his glasses up with his finger as he blew out a disgusted breath. _You_ _ **do**_ _realize that people just_ _ **tolerate**_ _you, Payne?_ He then cast a suspicious glance at his underling. _**Please**_ _tell me **that** actually __**wasn't**_ _what you were objecting to, Justice…_

"No, but look at this photograph," Apollo pointed to the submitted evidence in the court record. "Do you _see_ a _locket_ on the _victim's_ neck?"

"Well done, Apollo." There was genuine admiration in Kristoph's voice. "I'm impressed. I knew you'd be able to handle this."

Actually, he _really_ hadn't known this at all! In all actuality, what the blond man was _really_ doing was grinding _his teeth_ about the fact that this trial had thus needlessly been dragged on even further, due to the _sudden, unanticipated, astuteness_ of his assistant, but he couldn't very well say _that_ out loud, _could_ he?

"B-but what does it mean?" Asked Apollo, still confused about the details of the mystery he'd unraveled.

"If we are to believe the witness's testimony as-is…" The judge began slowly. "Then the locket "disappeared" following the victim's death."

"Lockets don't just "disappear", Your Honor!" Apollo burst out, his pointer finger already jamming into his forehead.

"It's quite simple when you think about it," Kristoph explained patiently. "If the locket is gone, someone must have taken it off, no?"

"Taken it off…?" Apollo's eyes lit up as the realization suddenly dawned on him. "Wait, you don't mean…!"

 _I got it now._ Phoenix thought to himself, uncertain of whether or not to be relieved or agitated. _**That's**_ _why I couldn't see any psyche locks on Olga when she was claiming I strangled the victim. In her disoriented state, as she was regaining consciousness, she honestly thought she witnessed me strangling Zak when I was actually taking the locket off of him! Granted, it makes her seem less suspicious for suspecting me, but this certainly_ _ **does**_ _put me in_ _ **quite**_ _a spot now, as soon as the defense figures this out…_

"The defendant wasn't strangling the victim at all. He was taking off his locket!" Kristoph elaborated to the court. "Wouldn't that explain it?"

Phoenix cursed inwardly as he frantically wracked his mind for a feasible explanation regarding this _one glaring piece of evidence,_ which if discovered, would _undoubtedly tie him_ to the _true identity_ of the murder victim.

"Aah!" A look of understanding crossed the judge's face.

"Urk?" Mr. Payne uttered.

Phoenix's face was an unreadable mask as he waited patiently for what he knew was coming.

"Defendant!" The judge finally cut through the pregnant pause. "What do you have to say to this?"

Inexpressive indigo eyes steadily met the confused dark ones behind the judge's bench, and there was another tense silence.

"Say…" The old man began awkwardly.

"Yes?" Phoenix remained as cool as a cucumber.

"I just noticed this, but…" The judge's voice was distinctly uncomfortable now. " _You_ have _something_ hanging around _your_ neck, don't you?"

"Oh? You mean _this_?" Phoenix casually gestured towards the locket hanging around his neck. "Yes, it's a locket…with a photograph inside." A small smile played across his lips. "A photo…of my daughter."

A loud, collective gasp sounded across the gallery.

" _C-Come again_?" Stammered Apollo, ridiculous primate impersonation fully in place yet again, upon hearing what was obviously _astounding_ _news_ to him.

"Mr. Wright!" The judge's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. " _You_ have a _daughter_!?"

 _If I weren't on trial for murder and fighting for my life here_ , Phoenix thought wryly. _I_ _ **suppose**_ _a small part of me could be_ _ **somewhat affronted**_ _by the fact the concept of me having potentially mated and sired offspring is so positively_ _ **dumbfounding**_ _to people!_

"We confirmed it at the time of the arrest," Mr. Payne informed them. "The picture in the locket _is_ indeed Mr. Wright's daughter."

Apollo looked pensive, his famous thinking finger once again jabbing against his forehead.

"Well now," the judge seemed eager to change subjects. "If the results of this poker game led to the murder…Perhaps we should hear a bit more about the outcome of this game?"

"Further testimony won't really be necessary." Mr. Payne stated loftily. "It's clear that the defendant lost. _Badly_."

The witness beamed at Mr. Payne, apparently looking far too relieved at the potential reprieve for the judge's liking. He shook his head in dissent.

"Ms. Orly!" He barked. "You will testify to the court about the game played between the victim and the defendant!"

"D-Dah…" Olga mumbled, beginning to tremble once more, as if on command.

The blonde then testified about the game itself, and Apollo wasted no time quickly doing the math in his head and ascertaining the inaccuracies with regards to the _chip_ count.

Kristoph momentarily put aside the intended outcome of the case, and found himself smiling with genuine pride at how well his diligent student had obviously flourished under his keen tutelage. It also gave him great pleasure to see how _antsy_ and _perspiration drenched_ Mr. Payne was becoming as Apollo began to further pressure the waitress.

Olga was visibly rattled, but she managed to declare that there'd been cheating involved, and attested to such. As she did so, Apollo seemed to have his thinking cap on in high gear as he turned to his mentor.

"Um…Mr. Gavin?" He asked sheepishly. "What's a full house?"

Kristoph sighed. It really shouldn't have come as a surprise to him that his still _wet_ _behind the ears_ assistant didn't know the first thing about poker! After explaining to the boy about a full house, the Judge and Mr. Payne seemed to make it their personal missions to educate and further inundate Apollo with poker information throughout the cross examination, as well. By the time the three men were done schooling the red attorney, the poor, overwhelmed kid looked as though he wished he'd never asked about the damn game in the first place!

The blonde came across as credibly faint-hearted in her testimony, but of course, to a professional like Kristoph, who had a built-in radar for such malarkey, she was as transparent as a newly washed window. The waitress was so unconvincing in spinning her web of attempted deception as she spoke about _Phoenix's attempted cheating_ that even his greenhorn sidekick could sense it. At one point, Apollo actually leaned over and whispered in his boss's ear.

"Something's just not right here Mr. Gavin! I understand that I didn't know a whole lot about poker, and you had to basically dumb it down and explain it all to me in a brief nutshell, but there's _something_ that's amiss here! I just know it!"

"I support your theory, Justice," Kristoph murmured supportively. "And I agree with you wholeheartedly. Don't you worry, we'll expose her for the fraud she is!"

Olga continued with her ridiculous storytelling regarding the incorrect number of aces that had been present in the cards that night, until finally, the exasperated Kristoph requested examination of the cards themselves. Payne obliged, and Apollo asked to see the victim's hand. When he did, Kristoph did a double take.

 _What's this?! Most of these cards are_ _ **red**_ _?! Did I somehow … No, impossible! There is absolutely_ _ **no way**_ _that_ _ **I**_ _, of all people, could be so_ _ **careless…**_

Kristoph was jolted from his nerve-wracking train of thought as _Mr. I Have No Indoor_ _Voice_ _Justice_ suddenly let out a startled cry - once again _**right**_ _by his ear_!

"Your Honor! One of the backs _has a different color_!"

"Th-That's impossible!" Olga spluttered. "I put that card in Wright's hand…Ack!" Her face visibly paled as she clapped a mittened hand over her mouth.

 _Game over!_ Kristoph's lips curved upward into a cruel smile. _I've got you now, lady! How I'm going to_ _ **relish**_ _having you_ _ **pinned down**_ _like a_ _ **bug to a wall**_ _!_

"What was that, Ms. Orly?" He demanded harshly.

"No!" The waitress shrieked, her eyes round with dismay. "Ny-Nyet! Er, I merely said, eh…Dah, I have, eek!"

"Your Honor?" Kristoph turned to the judge

"M-Mr. Gavin, yes?"

"Tell me," the defense attorney asked smoothly. "What is the easiest way to cheat at poker?"

"To…cheat?" The judge echoed, with his customary look of confusion.

"I'll tell you," Kristoph smirked. "One merely needs a friend, a 'comrade', shall we say… _The dealer!"_

"Ah…Ah!" At last it appeared the judge finally comprehended the situation

"Wait…" Apollo's eyes lit up as he too, grasped the situation. "So you mean…This witness…Ms. Orly…"

"She's the cheater," Kristoph's tone was as cold and accusing as his glare which he now directed towards the witness. "A professional, I'd wager."

"Nyeeeeeeaaaargh!" Olga screeched in horror.

The courtroom gallery went into a mini uproar.

Seated amongst the spectators, Gumshoe flashed a reassuring smile at the magician sitting next to him, who up until that moment, had been gripping his hand so tightly throughout the trial, he'd actually wondered if he still had any circulation remaining within it!

"See? I _told_ you that your Daddy would be all right, kiddo!" He beamed at Trucy. "Apollo Justice is one _hell_ of a lawyer! Phoenix is in _very_ good hands!"

"It serves her right that they gave her enough rope to hang herself with!" Trucy crossed her arms across her chest and scowled at the visibly agitated witness. "Dirty, rotten, lying _cheat,_ trying to frame _my Daddy_ like that! Shame on her!"

"Order! Order!" The judge had to shout over the roaring din to make himself heard.

"Your Honor." Apollo consulted his notes. "Please recall the testimony we have _just heard_!"

 _"Th-That's impossible!" Olga had spluttered. "I put that card in Wright's hand…Ack!" Her face visibly paled as she clapped a mittened hand over her mouth._

"…Therefore!" Apollo yelled. "Ms. Olga Orly _conspired to cheat_ , _not with my client_ …but _with the victim_ , Mr. Shadi Smith!"

Kristoph smiled smugly as everything unfolded. This was working out almost better than he could have planned.

"Ooooooogh!" Olga let out a soft whimper.

"Whaaaaaaaaat!?" The stricken Mr. Payne recoiled sharply, looking as though he were about to faint from shock.

"Not only did she cheat…" Apollo glowered at the witness. "She cheated _poorly_! Therefore, it's not hard to imagine an altercation between her and the victim!"

"Whaaaaaaaaat!?" At this point the prosecutor had gone from _shocked_ to flat out _gobsmacked, unintelligibly blathering_ _ **idiot**_ _!_

"Wait!" The judge blinked. "You don't mean…The defense isn't accusing the witness, Ms. Olga Orly…are you?"

"… I most certainly am." Apollo's arm shot right out as he pointed his accusing finger at the quivering waitress. "The defense accuses the witness, Ms. Olga Orly, of _murder_!"

" _Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!"_ With this being the last sound that escaped her shaky lips, the waitress's face drained of all color then, and she collapsed into a dead faint.

* * *

"Mr. Payne," the judge inquired mildly, after the waitress's unconscious body was taken away, as though he hadn't seen a thing. He was clearly unfazed by the witnessed theatrics, which was _a cakewalk_ compared to all the countless shenanigans he had seen in his several decades behind the bench. " _Where_ is your witness, Ms. Olga Orly?"

"Erm," Mr. Payne sounded nervous. "It appears she has lost, eh, consciousness, Your Honor."

"Hmm…" The judge replied noncommittally. "Mr. Justice?"

"Your Honor?" Apollo held his breath.

"It seems you've presented a new possibility to the court," the judge affirmed. "One suggesting a connection between the witness and the victim, Mr. Smith."

"And that means…!?" Apollo was now breathless with anticipation.

"This court cannot pronounce a verdict for the defendant at this time!" The judge declared.

Kristoph began a last minute change of plans in his head.

 _While this isn't the outcome I was gearing or hoping for, all things considered, what do I care if some worthless waitress turned failed card shark dealer gets arrested and takes the fall for the crime that I committed? The bane of my existence, Zak Gramarye, is still dead, my protégé will win his first case for Gavin Law Offices,_ _ **I'm**_ _off the hook… And will have_ _ **literally gotten away with murder**_ _. It doesn't make a difference to me if I delay the inevitable punishment for Phoenix Wright_ _ **just a little bit longer**_ _. I can't say I haven't been enjoying myself immensely, pulling at the strings and playing puppet master with his pathetic existence…_

" _Nnk_! _What_?" Shrieked Mr. Payne, whose unhinged jaw had still yet to be scraped off the floor from its last dropping.

"I see no point in prolonging the trial this day." The judge pounded his gavel and affixed the prosecutor with his most withering stare. "The prosecution will need to make further inquiries…"

Apollo looked positively jubilant at this announcement, and Kristoph was nearly giddy with relief and glee himself...Right up until he heard a familiar, heart-sinking sound, which made the blood freeze in his veins.

 _"Objection!"_

Trucy's heart leapt in her chest, as did Gumshoe's. They both were all-too-familiar with that holler, and were the only ones in the courtroom who were _not_ surprised by the source of it.

Phoenix had once again resumed his place at the witness stand, that _loathsome, smug smile_ of his playing upon his lips. Kristoph's icy blue eyes shot daggers as he glared hatefully at the man.

"M – Mr. Wright?" Apollo stammered, looking bewildered.

Phoenix ignored him, and kept his head tilted down so that his face was hidden from the court, although his words were still heard loud and clear.

"You can't end the trial here, your Honor. Not yet."

 _Put a sock in it, Wright!_ Kristoph was positively seething although he made sure his outward countenance was fully composed.

"What nonsense is the defendant spewing now?" Mr. Payne was beyond flummoxed, as well as sweating buckets. Had Kristoph not been so shaken at this sudden turn of events, he would have offered _the_ _human_ _Wet-Nap_ of a man his handkerchief.

 _Or…a_ _ **mop**_ _…_

"Think. One of the cards has a different colored back." Phoenix's unwavering gaze studied the courtroom. "Don't you wonder what that means?"

" _Objection_!" Mr. Payne's shrill voice rang through the court. "Wh-what are you doing, Mr. Wright? Raising objections right when you're about to get off the hook? Ridiculous!"

 _Listen to_ _ **Mr. Ouchy**_ _, Wright._ Never before had Kristoph ever wished so hard that _looks_ _could_ _ **literally**_ _kill._ Had that been the case, his nemesis would've been shark bait by this point! _Best_ _ **quit while you're ahead**_ _, if you_ _ **know what's good for you**_ _…_ _Ekelhaft_ _! Why is the judge **grinning like an idiot** at all this?!_

"Mr. Payne…" The judge drawled, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, looking not at all displeased with this outcome. " _You_ of all people should know that Mr. Wright has a _talent_ … for the ridiculous!"

At hearing this, a smarmy smile flickered across Phoenix's lips, which he directed first at the judge… And then directly at _Kristoph_ , who was _completely fuming_ at this point! He felt his chest tightening into a knot, like a cramp, as the mounting rage within him began to build. Heaving breaths of incensed hatred where expelling from his lips in sharp, ragged pants.

Phoenix noticed the blond man's reaction, and his infuriating response was to smile even more broadly in return, threatening Kristoph's rapidly rising blood pressure to hit the roof right there and then!

The German's rage only further increased when the judge amiably agreed that perhaps it would be best to get to the bottom of things to ascertain what had actually transpired on that fateful night, and with a nod of his head, the former attorney went on to further elaborate about the two _red card decks_ that had been used and at some point, one of them had to have been swapped. After a while, he finally halted in his testimony and gazed directly into the eyes of the red attorney.

"I'd like to hear what Apollo thinks," he stated quietly. "When do _you_ think the cards were swapped?"

Apollo looked near faint with anxiety, and Kristoph could practically hear the gears shifting in his understudy's nubile young brain. The German man hoped, somewhat pitifully, he knew, that he'd overestimated the younger man's capabilities, and that he would get the answer wrong.

Kristoph had already morphed from cursing _Phoenix Wright_ six ways from Sunday, to calling _himself_ every name in the book for his carelessness! He _still_ couldn't believe his rotten luck!

 _How could I have been so damn stupid as to put the wrong color card back in the deck?!_

After what seemed like forever, and Kristoph was sure his heart was going to explode inside his chest, Apollo seemed to have come to his conclusion. His gaze was steady and sure as he answered his client's question.

"Perhaps it happened…after the murder?"

" _Objection_! That's ridiculous! What's the point of cheating after the hands have been shown? That's silly!" Mr. Payne looked as confused as a fart in a fan factory about how the rookie had come to that deduction.

" _Objection_!" Apollo countered. "Yes! But tell me…how do you swap cards during the game? I'd take silly over impossible."

 _Thatta boy, Apollo._ Phoenix grinned at him. _I knew you'd figure it out! I can see your confidence building with every passing minute! Although it seems_ _ **your mentor**_ _is less pleased with this than_ _ **I**_ _am…_

His amused gaze slid over to the slightly shaken Kristoph, who appeared distinctly uncomfortable, looking as though he desperately needed to _pass gas_!

 _Ah well, if that's the case,_ _ **let**_ _him suffer holding it in then!_ Phoenix chuckled ruthlessly to himself. _Although at this point, Kristoph would be doing the whole world a big favor if he actually did_ _ **spontaneously combust!**_

"Take it from me son," Mr. Payne addressed Apollo in an almost fatherly fashion. "There's _a lot_ of _silly_ in this world…"

 _I do believe your generation referred to these individuals as_ _ **The Gay,**_ _Winston._

At this point Phoenix was _having a blast,_ although he supposed he was somewhat grateful nobody could read his train of _somewhat_ juvenile and _completely_ _**undignified**_ thoughts!

"…but very little impossible."

The courtroom went into a standstill as everyone present mulled over the veracity of Winston Payne's surprisingly articulate statement…until Apollo dragged everybody back to reality.

"Oh? Even when the backs of the cards are a different color? If you pulled that during a game, you'd be caught in no time!"

The courtroom was buzzing like a swarm of bees. Kristoph was regarding his apprentice in an entirely different light now, amazed at how grossly he'd underestimated him. Apollo Justice was no longer a rookie attorney who was in over his head. He was an ingenuous, fledgling attorney well on the rise…who now posed a _very_ _genuine threat_.

Phoenix was totally having the time of his life! He knew he had the case in his hands at this point, and that he just needed to give just a bit of steering aid to help guide the wholly capable young man in the right direction.

"A simple, decisive question must be asked." The pianist cocked a half smile in Apollo's direction as he then posed the next loaded question. " _Who_ swapped a red card for a blue card?"

"Wh-who?" Apollo asked cautiously, his new-found confidence appearing to waiver somewhat. Kristoph's heartbeat quickened as a glimmer of hope surged through him. He _had_ to capitalize on that if he was going to sway the young man to think in his mentor's favor. And he had to do it _fast_.

Kristoph's throat was dry and his voice was hoarse as he stared beseechingly at his apprentice, silently begging him to alter his course of logic, although the German could already see it was an exercise in futility, as Apollo wasn't looking anywhere but into the reassuring eyes of Phoenix Wright for guidance now.

"The game and murder is over and done. The victim is dead. Only two remain in the room. _Alive,_ that is. The defendant, Phoenix Wright, and our witness, Olga Orly."

"The one who swapped the cards wasn't Mr. Wright, of course," Apollo determined, jutting his chin, much to Kristoph's great chagrin. "And, well, it doesn't seem like it could have been Olga Orly, either…"

"Wh-What are you suggesting then!?" The judge was baffled.

"That's hardly a logical conclusion, I'll admit," Kristoph told his employee. "However, as the defense, I think _it only makes sense_ for you to name _Ms. Orly_ at this point."

He was sorely hoping his stealthy manipulation of the circumstances and his lofty declaration of the culprit as _fact_ , rather than _speculation_ , would be accepted as such by his normally naïve protégé, but it seemed as though Apollo had cast all his self-doubts aside and was going to veer on the previously uncharted path of _purely_ _independent thought_ now.

"Yes, yes, I know!" Apollo dismissed, with more than a trace of belligerence. Kristoph's heart sank. "But…But _she_ was the one who dealt the cards, right? I…I just can't believe _she_ would make the mistake of swapping the wrong color card!"

"And if the card was swapped _during_ the game, it'd be _obvious_ …" the judge noted, to no one in particular.

"Heh," Phoenix chuckled mirthlessly. It was a loud and distinct sound that was clearly audible across the hushed courtroom. "Heh heh heh heh."

Apollo stared at his idol as though he'd acquired a second head. After all, Phoenix hadn't gotten off the hook for murder _just yet._ So what could _possibly_ be so darn funny?

Kristoph felt his spirits sink even further. Would his adversary _literally_ get the last laugh after all?

"Something you'd like to share with the court, Mr. Wright?" The judge asked, clearly as lost about the comedic cause as everybody else.

"Oh, my apologies, Your Honor," Phoenix responded with a devilish glint in his eye. "I was just thinking about how much _fun_ all this is."

" _Objection_!" Screamed Mr. Payne.

The high-pitched noise startled Kristoph with its intensity. Between his assistant and the screechy prosecutor, the latter of whom he'd momentarily _forgotten was even in the room_ , the German was certain his ears would _never_ fully recover from the abuse they had suffered after that day!

" _Fun_!?" Scoffed the reed-voiced prosecutor. "How about _confusing_!? I have _no ide_ a what the defense is claiming, Your Honor! If the one who swapped the cards wasn't the defendant, and it wasn't Ms. Orly…Then who was it!?"

"Er, yeah…" Apollo flushed slightly and awkwardly scratched the top of his head in an adorable fashion. "Well, that _is_ the question, isn't it?"

"Precisely," Phoenix deadpanned.

"Huh?" Apollo studied him blankly.

A mysterious smile flickered across the older man's stoic features.

"I believe we're about to see this case take…a new direction."

"A new direction?" Repeated the judge.

Phoenix nodded.

"We'll find that, indeed, after the murder…someone swapped one of the cards in the victim's hand." The ex-attorney raised his head then, and his intense eyes peered directly into Kristoph's, who for the first time in his life, was the first one to look away. "And that someone made _two critical mistakes_."

"I'm sure you're going to tell us that the first was swapping the wrong color card." Kristoph whispered thickly.

"Indeed I am." Phoenix smirked. "Because the one who did the swap didn't know the two colors of the cards being used. The other mistake…was the _number_ on the card."

"Right," Apollo bobbed his head in agreement. "The person replaced the fifth ace with a king."

"I'm sure whoever swapped it wasn't expecting there to be a fifth ace, after all. All they knew was that the game had been won with a full house. So they picked up a king from the table, and swapped it in."

" _Objection_!" Squealed Mr. Payne. "B-But! There's one problem! According to our case record this person doesn't exist!"

 _Well, he's here, right in this courtroom, and his goose is about to be cooked._ Kristoph swallowed hard _. Unless of course, I'm misreading Phoenix Wright, and there_ _ **isn't**_ _a_ _ **damn good reason**_ _he's wearing such a_ _ **despicably cocksure expression**_ _on that mug of his right now…_

"True," Phoenix drawled. "That, is, not until _now_. But you have to admit the possibility of a fourth person. Though it's more than a _possibility_. There _was_ someone else there that night at the scene of the crime."

"Wh-Whaaaaaaaaaat!?" Mr. Payne shrieked at another ear-splitting decibel.

Kristoph seriously wondered how the other man didn't have _laryngitis_ this point! He clenched his jaw as he stared across the room into Phoenix's composed gaze.

"I believe the judge spoke truthfully earlier." The defense attorney's voice was pure ice, even as he forced the ghost of a smile to flicker across his face. "You _do_ make trials… _ridiculous_ , Mr. Wright."

"That's my pal!" Gumshoe grinned in the gallery, lightly nudging Trucy in the ribs. "It's _what he does best_!"

The teenager only giggled softly in response, although her captivated gaze never wavered from her father.

"This trial has proceeded on one central assumption." The judge pounded his gavel, shaking his head. "Namely, that, at the time of the incident, there were only three people in the room."

"I believe this new evidence…" Phoenix smiled benignly at the judge. "Shall we say…overturns that assumption?"

"The _problem_ is that you chose to _conceal_ _this information from the court!"_ The judge sternly regarded the pianist, who responded with his best shit-eating grin in the old man's direction.

The exasperated judge looked like he didn't know whether or not to _smile back or whack the beanie wearing man over the_ head with his gavel!

"I suppose that is a problem, yes," Phoenix agreed blithely, neither appearing apologetic nor concerned with his faux pas.

"Very well!" The judge decreed. "Court is adjourned for a brief recess! Mr. Gavin, I'll see you in my chambers during this recess!"

"Certainly, Your Honor," Kristoph retorted stiffly.

"Very well!" The judge affirmed. "The trial will resume in twenty minutes!"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice  
**_ _District Court  
_ _Defendant Lobby No. 3  
_ April 20, 2026, 11:52 AM

During the recess, Apollo was beyond pumped. After all in his _first ever_ courtroom debut, he had not only managed to cast doubt on the prosecution's chain of events, but he instinctively knew he was close to uncovering _the actual truth!_

His enthusiasm took a backseat, however, as he then proceeded to curiously observe his mentor and defendant exchange words.

For _some incomprehensible reason_ , Mr. Gavin did _not_ seem nearly as pleased with the whole affair as his apprentice was!

Kristoph decided his best course of action to ensure his survival was to play completely dumb with his rival, and have a short but sweet discussion with the man who was stumbling dangerously close to his well-guarded secret.

"That was quite…unexpected, Mr. Wright," he ventured coolly, plastered phony smile set into place as he approached Phoenix. "To suddenly claim there was another person at the scene of the crime like that…I must ask…is it the truth?" He touched his glasses menacingly, an innocent but threatening gesture. He was most displeased that this time there was not even a remote flicker of unease in the dark blue depths that peered back at him impassively.

Phoenix was completely unfazed as he stared down his archenemy. Kristoph had ruined his life enough already, and the time had finally come for the tables to be turned. He'd already lost everything because of the fiend standing before him, and there was absolutely nothing else Kristoph Gavin could do to him now.

"Well now," he said with quiet intensity, meeting the other man's unwavering gaze steadily. "I'd think _you_ would know the answer to that?"

"Ah, being _mysterious_ are we?" Kristoph shook his head with mock dismay. "Sadly, I've no time for mysteries. I'd only ask that you leave the _defending_ to your _defense_ , in the future. Otherwise…I cannot _guarantee the outcome_."

Once again, if Phoenix had _gotten the picture_ , as intended by the _heavily laden words_ the defense attorney had just uttered, his expression belied no indication of such.

"I see you haven't mellowed out one bit, Kristoph," he chuckled, then turned his head away to adjust his beanie, as though the other man weren't even worth setting his eyes upon for another moment!

Thoroughly miffed at being dismissed in such a callous manner – hell, forget _miffed_ , Kristoph was just flat out _pissed_ now! – He abruptly turned towards his protégé, who had been eyeing the exchange between the two men with an expression of complete befuddlement on his weather-vane face.

"Justice," he said curtly.

"Y-Yes sir!" Apollo stammered.

"The judge has summoned me to his chambers, so carry on without me." With a final nod at his assistant and without even another glance in Phoenix's direction, Kristoph strode off towards the judge's chambers, leaving the two men alone in the lobby.

Apollo was still weirded out by the bizarre conversation he had been privy to unintentionally eavesdrop on, and was completely at a loss for words about what to say to his longtime hero. Mr. Gavin had told him that he and Mr. Wright were good friends… But based on what _he'd_ witnessed just now, it was _glaringly evident_ the two men couldn't _stand each other_! What the heck was going on here?!

Phoenix was the first one to break the awkward silence and gave the young man an affable grin.

"You did well, Apollo."

"Thanks…" Apollo smiled back uncertainly. "Um.. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Phoenix replied easily.

"That locket you wear..." Apollo looked away, trying to find the right words for what he was about to ask, and ultimately just blurted out the question that had been plaguing his mind. "Is that _really yours,_ Mr. Wright?"

 _I really do like this young man_ , Phoenix thought as he studied the defense attorney's earnest expression, which reminded him more and more of Trucy's the more he looked at him. The resemblance between the two half-siblings was really quite astonishing, at least to him. _The kid_ c _uts right to the chase, and has no guile whatsoever. Completely trustworthy. However, that still doesn't mean I'm about to lay all my cards on the table for him…_ _ **Just yet**_ **.**

"Ah, you're wondering about the victim's disappearing locket?" He inquired mildly. "Here, you can take a look at it. That's a picture of my daughter in there."

"I'm... just surprised to hear you _had_ a daughter." Apollo cast a cursory gander at the photo of the sweet faced moppet in a pink magician's hat inside, then quickly handed it back.

"Most people are," Phoenix replied glibly, although there was a mischievous twinkle in his eye that Apollo couldn't help but be curious about. "Perhaps you'll meet her one of these days."

Apollo looked startled at the statement, and Phoenix couldn't help but snicker to himself. He supposed it would appear strange for a client, who was on trial for murder, to be idly chatting about meeting other members of his family to his defense attorney, as though this was a social setting, considering they were supposed to have more businesslike relationship. Regardless, he just couldn't help himself! There was something so genuinely sweet about this kid. Apollo possessed an air of such unadulterated vulnerability that it just made you want to _hug him or adopt him_ or something.

"One more question…" Apollo began hesitantly. "The one who cheated that night... Was it _you_?"

The pianist studied the anxious look in those heartfelt hazel eyes, and realized two things immediately. First, Apollo Justice _desperately_ wanted the answer to his question to be _no_ … And second, this was undoubtedly _the very same boy_ whose friend had approached Phoenix, in another lifetime, and beseeched him to autograph his law book, citing that it was for his dear friend, _Apollo_ , who _completely idolized him_.

Although Phoenix was touched to know he was held in such high esteem, he was also slightly depressed by it. He _wasn't_ that man anymore, and he no longer deserved such reverence, not from Apollo or _anyone_ , if he _ever_ _really_ _had_. What good could be had for this young man with a promising future to remain clinging to the childhood hero worshiping of a disgraced ex-attorney?

"What do you think?" He asked quietly, looking directly into those anxious Bambi eyes.

"Huh?" Apollo appeared startled by the response, so Phoenix figured he needed to hammer his point home _just a bit more_.

"You know what happened seven years ago... What I did," he said flatly, poker face in full effect now. "It's not unreasonable for you to think I might cheat." _After all everybody else in the world did, right?_

"I-I _never_!" Apollo protested vehemently. "Honest! But..."

"Want to know something?" Phoenix decided the time had come to somewhat change topics now. "There's only one game where you can be dealt bad cards all night and still win. Poker."

"Eh...?" Bewildered hazel-brown orbs stared back at him.

"You see, poker is all about reading your opponent. In that way, it's a lot like a court case."

"Poker… is like trial law!?" Apollo's eyes widened as he digested this new information.

"Figure out what your opponent is thinking, and you win."

"Well, yeah, but that's harder than it sounds," Apollo admitted, ruefully acknowledging that he had no poker face whatsoever.

"I think not." The ex-attorney shook his head. "Try as they might to conceal it, _everyone_ reveals their true thoughts in the end. Their body language can become a valuable source of information."

"You're kidding!"

"That witness, for instance, Ms. Orly," the pianist elaborated. "She would touch the back of her neck during certain parts of her testimony. Did you notice?"

"Uh...No." The younger man blushed and shook his head.

"Words, habits, twitches...It's all information for the reading," Phoenix advised. " _That's_ the secret to winning."

Apollo simply goggled at him, trying to understand, but obviously failing.

"Someone taught me that once." Phoenix's voice grew uncharacteristically soft then, and he allowed the affection to show in his eyes as he looked fondly at his daughter's brother. "And now, I pass the secret on to you."

"B-But, I'm _not worthy_!" Apollo shook his head stubbornly. "I mean, there's _no way_ I'll ever pick up on these ' _signals'_ which you speak of."

Phoenix barely suppressed a sigh of impatience at the young man's obtuseness. He was honestly amazed that a _Gramarye descendant_ could be _this much_ in the dark about his mystical, otherworldly abilities. How it was that Trucy had clued into her own innate talents by such a young age, yet her much elder sibling had not?

At this point, Phoenix could hardly sit the boy down and tell him just _what_ he was truly capable of! And it wasn't as though Apollo was likely to believe such an outrageous claim from a man that was nothing more than a stranger to him anyway!

No, unfortunately at the moment, all he could do was give Apollo a few, well-placed hints, and keep his fingers crossed that he would figure out the rest, _somehow, some way_ , on his own.

"No. You can do it," he insisted gently, trying to convey as much as he possibly could with his eyes. "You just don't know it yet. _But you_ _will_. Soon."

Glancing down at his wristwatch, Phoenix realized his brief time to converse with his attorney was rapidly drawing to a close, as recess was going to end soon, so he tried to tie up the conversation as neatly as he could.

"Ah, almost forgot, one more thing," he said casually, intending for it to come across as a mere afterthought. "About this case...You should know, I haven't told _the truth_ to _anyone_ yet."

"Whaaaaaaaa-!?" Apollo's jaw dropped as he gaped at Phoenix in a stupefied manner which was nearly identical to Winston Payne's, although with his cute baby face, somehow it was a much more _charming_ , albeit more _amusing_ , look when worn by the red attorney!

"I have my reasons, of course," Phoenix added mysteriously, casting a cursory glance at that impossible-to-miss Gramarye heirloom bracelet the young man wore on his wrist. Apollo's gaze followed his, and he reflexively clapped his hand over the thick bangle. "All shall be revealed."

He affixed the spiky haired man with a level gaze, hoping to project the sincerity of his words with his expression.

"And Apollo... _I need you_ to be there, defending me." He decided it was time for _one final hint_. "I need your _power_."

"My, um, power?" The words only earned him another blank stare.

Phoenix sighed, more audibly this time. He had said all he possibly could. In all actuality, he'd probably said _too much_. Luckily, or perhaps _not so luckily_ , Apollo _still_ hadn't clued into the underlying message of anything he'd tried to discreetly convey.

"...It's time." A slight upturned curve hovered over the pianist's lips. It was only a slight gesture, and one he was no longer unaccustomed to making, but it was still a completely sincere smile which he directed at the somewhat awed-looking attorney. "The real trial begins now. Do your best, Apollo Justice. I _know_ you can do it."

* * *

 _A/N: I have some pretty cool news guys! I'm still a newbie to AA fandom and fan fiction in general, just over a year now, so MY MIND = BLOWN that this story is now officially, as of last chapter, THE number one, highest reviewed story in all of Ace Attorney fandom on this site of over 7K Phoenix Wright stories! I'm so grateful and amazed and overwhelmed! (Especially since it's um,_ _a heterosexual, non Yaoi/NaruMitsu_ _story! Lol) Thank you so much, dear readers! *wipes eyes* You guys are_ _amazing!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 125**

 **Thepudz**

No word of a lie here are the top seven games which have historically led to homicide (in no particular order and I can email you the source if you want)

1\. Monopoly

2\. Chess

3\. Yahtzee

4\. Phase 10

5\. Dungeons & Dragons

6\. Dominoes

7\. Battleship

There have been some really great fan fics which basically novelized Turnabout Trump trial, which show, as you know, Apollo's point of view. I really don't like covering trials but I thought this was a very pivotal case and decided to change it up a little bit and thought I would make it from Nick and Kristoph's previously unseen point of view. Also I'm really happy the Mr. Fine joke was actually caught by somebody it was obviously the game writer's way of showing the underneath that Stoic demeanor there was still trace of that trademark sarcastic Phoenix Wright sense of humor looming beneath the surface, which were very few and far between so I had to jump on that!

I'm glad you likey! :-)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

If you are already suffering through the Ron DeLite case, which in my opinion is the weakest one in Trials and Tribulations my friend, I'd say suck it up then trudge through because the last case is unbelievable, and such a satisfying way to end things and makes you feel so wonderful and nostalgic and pleased with the closure of things for the wonderfully beloved Ace Attorney gang… And then you get to Apollo Justice, where they just crap on every single thing in that game including most of the original beloved cast who is very conspicuously missing in action!

But I digress.

I absolutely love Dick Gumshoe and I'm really happy that you enjoyed his presence in this chapter as a beloved friend and Uncle Figure to Nick and Trucy. Also the big guy isn't as daft as we think if he's smart enough to know not to argue with a woman, right? LOL

Regarding the craptastic fourth game, yeah the one thing they got right was what a pain in the asked Winston Payne always has been and always will be!

I'm glad you're enjoying the journey to Kristoph Gavin's downfall because it won't necessarily be a short one; the trial is very lengthy and detailed and are so many great points I want to highlight from Nick and the psycho's point of view which was not seen in the game.

However, the dialogue will be canon as much as possible, for those who haven't yet played the game… With character emotions and reactions of course being my own creation.

Fasten your seat-belt this is not going to be a smooth ride! :-)

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

I really think that I enjoyed Turnabout Trump more than Turnabout Succession despite them being correlated. Maybe it's because the latter being the last case showed how many plot holes there actually were within the game… But I'm gonna do my best to make it as accurate and entertaining as I possibly can so therefore happy you liked part one as portrayed by me and I'm delighted that you like my works dear reader. Thank you. Always a pleasure to hear from you. :-)

 **SpiritsOfFire**

You will get no objection from me about Apollo Justice being one of the weakest Ace Attorney games (THE most in my opinion, but I digress!). Monopoly equals murder you would think the old judge he would know that! But it's also game that requires a lot of concentration and memory and we know the big guy is lacking in both departments there…XD

One very important disclaimer I'd like to make though: I am not a magician therefore there's _no way_ I could possibly make one of the weakest Ace Attorney games awesome by novelizing its trials. With the exception of a certain other couple of pivotal ones in AJ/DD…there won't be many. So while the relevant events of Apollo Justice will be highlighted in the story, I am not going to be covering every trial because to be honest, I thought the AJ ones sucked n'stuff, and I generally hate writing trials!

 **Batfreak2008**

It's gonna take me a couple of chapters easy to cover Turnabout Trump since it was such a pivotal case for Phoenix, and I promise you soon as it's over you going to see the return of a lot of the characters you mentioned… And even a few you haven't! The dialogue is pretty close to canon so while it's not from Apollo's point of view I can spare you the time and money by going through this case since you obviously don't mind being spoilered! :) (The story does go into Dual Destinies by the way)

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_

I share your thoughts on Apollo Justice not only for what they did to Phoenix but for the countless plot holes I'm desperately trying to fill! Turnabout Serenade I cannot believe my teeth that were still sharp because I was grinding them so much throughout it! Don't even get me started on my thoughts of Apollo and Trucy's mother who has still decided to keep them in the dark even though she since regained her memory! Grrr….

I really hope Gumshoe turns up in Spirit of Justice as well… Hopefully as police Chief at this point!

I love Maya and Miles … Their absence from the game was one of the reasons I was driven to write this story and I promise you'll be seeing them very soon!

 **Feraligreater328**

It means a lot to get such high praise on my work from a friend whose work I genuinely admire so thank you very much bud. Interesting thing you mentioning Trucy's sneakiness… Did you know that, according to the official art book, Trucy's hairstyle was designed asymmetrical for the very purpose of showing that she has two sides, an open-hearted, cute side and a mysterious, serious side? This never showed too much in the game, but I think this would have been part of it: Serious! Trucy is not above using forgery to reach her goals, as selfless as they might be. After all, it was her who pulled the Mr. Hat stunt in Turnabout Corner too...

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

I absolutely refuse to reinvent the wheel while I hate the storyline of Apollo Justice it is a compelling one so I will follow the courtroom drama to the letter and just hope my readers like the somewhat different approach I talk with the twist being from Phoenix and Kristoph's point of view this time around. I also wanted to delve more into Trucy's character ...she is so lovable and _forgivable_... Wright? ;)

 **Yanmegaman**

It is so funny that you mentioned Mario Party! While I did not see any documented cases of lost loves I have seen and heard of cases of lost friendships and there was something about that game that turned me into such a crappy sore loser... Evil Nintendo with their adorable characters!

Prepare yourselves guys... Here comes Justice!


	127. Turnabout Retribution

_A/N: This trial is longer than I thought and I couldn't make it any shorter unless I wanted to skip relevant details or any longer, else it'd rival the Bible in length! XD_

 _This is the **penultimate chapter** of the Turnabout Trump trial, and the next chapter, as God is my witness, **will be the last** , and **100% wrapped up and out this week...** so I can get back to the actual story! In the meantime, I really had a blast writing this, so I hope you guys equally enjoy reading the shenanigans! :)_

* * *

 _"The best people possess a feeling for justice, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed."  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Seven:** **Turnabout Retribution**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Kristoph Gavin**_  
 _District Court, Courtroom No. 2_  
April 20, 2026 12:14 PM

"Court will now reconvene." The judge pounded his gavel. "Has our witness, Ms. Olga Orly, recovered?"

"Y-Yes, Your Honor!" Mr. Payne was visibly discomposed. "Er, well, she's regained consciousness, anyway..." His voice trailed off uncertainly.

Apollo eyed the prosecutor inquisitively, and cast a sideways glance at his mentor, who was once again his normal cool, calm, and collected self, having used his brief time during the recess to compose himself once more. Kristoph was like a stealthy cobra targeting his prey, poised to strike, and ready to take advantage of _any oversight_ Olga made when she got back on the witness stand, to ensure _she_ took the fall for the crime. His _very life_ depended on it!

"Perhaps we can hear her version of the events again?" Kristoph's cadence was steady and even, betraying none of his earlier inner turmoil prior to the courtroom break.

"That's the thing," Mr. Payne squirmed. "You see, she's quite _fatigued_ , as you can imagine, having _unceremoniously passed out_ the way she did and all… "

"You're looking a bit fatigued yourself, Mr. Payne," the judge observed with concern, as the sweaty-faced older man's face looked more drawn and haggard than usual.

Kristoph couldn't have cared less about the questionable state of either Olga Orly or Winston Payne. As far as he was concerned, if _both_ the witness and prosecution were slightly ill-prepared, or off kilter, so much the better for him.

"Sadly, fatigue is insufficient grounds for refusing to testify…or prosecute," he stated coldly, infamous ruthlessness fully in play. "The defense would like to request that Ms. Orly take the stand."

"Very well." The judge nodded in agreement. "The witness will take the stand!"

Ms. Orly slunk her way up, shaking like a leaf in a wind storm.

"Perhaps you could repeat your name and profession," Kristoph requested politely.

Olga didn't reply, and merely cowered down beneath the witness stand, the uneasy clattering of her domed porcelain bowl only slightly superseded by the chattering of her teeth.

Unmoved, and completely indifferent to Olga's jumpy disposition, ultimately deciding it would be better to take advantage of her obviously frayed nerves, the blond man proceeded to steamroll ahead in his customary aggressive manner.

"Or perhaps you'd rather admit that you're a _poor liar_ , and a _poorer_ _ **loser**_?" He derided, affixing the terrified-looking woman with his most withering stare.

The scare tactic was the final straw that broke the camel's back, and just what had been needed to get the ball rolling.

Yet nobody, least of all Kristoph Gavin, could have _possibly_ foreseen what came next.

" _L – Loser_?" Olga spluttered in disbelief, gaping at the defense attorney just before something in her expression changed in the next instant.

With sudden dramatic showmanship, and a giggle that sounded more _cunning_ than _coy_ , the waitress yanked her woolen outfit off her body with an impressive flourish, revealing a tight-fitting black-and-white dealer's uniform underneath, complete with a red bow tie. Even her hat was gone and a bright red bandana with printed dice took its place. In a blink of an eye, the innocent young woman with soft rosy cheeks was completely gone, and in her place stood a deadly femme fatale, in fully confident, hand on hip pose, coupled with full, scarlet-red lips. Her formally shy, dark eyes were now twinkling with mischief as she gazed out at the courtroom.

Out in the gallery, a completely gobsmacked Dick Gumshoe's eyes nearly bugged out of his head at the dramatic change and turned to Trucy, who looked as astounded as he felt.

"In all my years of being a cop, I'll be the _first_ to admit, while I wasn't _always quick on the draw,_ I _did_ possess _some_ innate _sleuthing skills_ and akin _suspicion instincts_ where there was probable cause, when it _really_ counted!" Gumshoe exclaimed to the magician. "But _this_ dame here…" He jerked his chin in Olga's direction. " _This one_ flew _right past_ my radar! I _totally didn't see that one coming,_ did _you_?!"

"I _knew_ she was _lying_ before and _concealing_ _ **something**_ ," Trucy admitted, shaking her head. "But _no way_ could I have possibly figured out what she was hiding would be her _entire identity_! Don't feel too bad Uncle Gumshoe… _I_ don't have the keen ability to perceive the _secret alter egos_ of people either!"

Kristoph was completely taken aback at the waitress's impromptu transformation, but of course, managed to maintain his outward composure, unlike his protégé.

Apollo, on the other hand, was full-blown, unabashedly, _gawking_ at the now smirking blonde beauty, who was idly playing with a lock of her golden curls, alternating between tugging and winding it around her index finger.

The timid, Russian waitress had entirely been replaced, not only in _physical appearance,_ but in _persona_ as well, into that of a professional, slick, pro dealer. The new Olga, " _Quick Fingers_ ," Orly was devoid of any accent, as well as supremely cocky and confident. In fact, she seemed almost _boastful_ of the cheating scam she'd pulled with the victim.

She explained, with utmost confidence, that despite being out-conned by the defendant, which she attributed to nothing more than pure "dumb luck", the plan itself had been one of pure and simple elegance. It was during her explanation about the moment of the crime that Apollo's stupefied expression began to transform into one of deeper comprehension and wariness.

Kristoph cagily shifted his gaze over to his assistant, and took note of the fact that the red attorney was now rubbing his wrist, the one which bore his thick, gold bangle. He'd seen the young man do it on numerous occasions at the office, always out of the blue, and seemingly for no reason. The difference was that _this_ time, Apollo seemed _fully aware_ , albeit _anxious_ , of _something_ intangible.

" _Hold it_!" Apollo bellowed. "Wait…isn't that a little odd?"

"Wh-What's odd!?" Olga demanded, although her suddenly weary eyes belied the belligerence of her tone.

"You searched Mr. Wright, er, _thoroughly_ …and found _nothing_? Which means he _didn't_ _cheat_ …Which means – _he had no reason to strike the victim_!"

Olga attempted to remain her cool at this obvious contradiction, but continued to agitatedly squirm, her fingers reflexively stroking the back of her neck, as she had been doing during her testimony. Apollo eyed her skeptically.

The horn-fringed lawyer kept pressing the dealer on particular points regarding the moment of the crime. He pressed the witness so excessively, even _Kristoph_ had _no_ _inkling_ where Apollo was going with this! Finally, the red attorney seemed to arrive at his point.

"Ms. Orly…Perhaps you are unaware of this yourself…" Apollo folded his arms across his chest and gave the formerly _timid Russian waitress_ turned _female pirate dressed witness_ a knowing smirk. "Whenever you get to a certain part of your testimony, you touch the back of your neck with your left hand."

Olga's self-assured disposition began to waver. Kristoph was utterly _befuddled_ , a _most_ _unfamiliar_ sensation for him, and not one he _particularly liked_.

"What indeed, Justice?" The bemusement was evident in Kristoph's voice as he addressed his assistant. " _I_ certainly hadn't noticed anything of the sort."

Apollo flashed his boss what could only be described as a _cocky_ grin, as if to say " _don't worry, I've got this_ ," startling the blond man about exactly _where_ and _what_ this _abrupt certitude_ had stemmed from! Before he could say another word, though, his protégé was already elaborating in a surefire manner.

"When she says that part of the testimony, she's _subconsciously recalling something_. Her _body_ _reacts_ to the _memory_ , and she _touches her neck_! I'm _sure_ of it!"

Kristoph's eyes roved around the courtroom, observing the nonplussed expressions of everybody else around him at this _sudden turnabout_ … Save for _one person._

Phoenix had been idly fiddling with his locket this entire time, but seemed to feel the defense attorney's prying gaze upon him at that moment. Lifting his head, he caught Kristoph's stare, and flashed him _the mother of all shit-eating grins,_ which only further proceeded in _making his blood boil_!

The now enraged blond man turned back to his apprentice, ready to make an objection with regards to his own admitted incomprehension of things, when he saw that Apollo had already pulled out the picture of the deadly bottle.

"Whenever she talks about the moment of the crime, she touches her neck. And what reminds us more of that moment than this bottle, the murder weapon!" Apollo announced proudly.

Olga merely glared back defiantly at him in response.

"But something doesn't fit." Apollo's trusty thinking finger was back on his forehead. "If _you_ were only _the witness_ to the crime, _why_ would that make _you_ touch your neck, like _you're_ in pain? It was _Mr. Smith_ that was hit, not _you_!"

The witness was outright fidgeting now.

Winston Payne looked as lost as last year's Easter egg, although his ludicrous hairdo was nowhere _near_ as _comical_ as the expression on his face!

Phoenix barely swallowed back a chuckle at how the muddled look on Kristoph's face was _every bit as hilarious_ as the prosecutor's! It appeared his little chat with Apollo during the recess had had some effect after all! Evidently, the young man was _at last_ beginning to _subconsciously tap into_ his _inherited powers of perception_!

"Objection!" Squawked Mr. Payne. "This is a _cross-examination_ , _**not**_ a _cross-wild_ _ **conjecture**_! Th-The witness's…"habits"!? They're _completely irrelevant_!"

"Justice…I'll admit, I'm a bit confused myself," Kristoph admitted, looking none too pleased at having to admit such a thing. "This is certainly a… _unique_ cross-examination."

"I'll explain later!" Apollo dismissively waved aside his boss's confusion, unwavering brown stare solely focused on Olga. "Just, _trust_ me! Now's our _only_ chance to _break_ her!"

Kristoph gulped as those words sank in. _Trust me_ , Apollo had urged him. That was _easier said than done_! Not because his underling was _untrustworthy_ –far from it! In all actuality, the greenhorn's steadfast honesty and dedicated veracity were two of his most admirable traits as a lawyer, and the German had no doubt his little _champion of justice_ understudy would _indeed_ , have _an unflappable plan_ which _would_ successfully "break" the witness and uncover the truth.

Unfortunately, it _wouldn't_ be _the truth_ Kristoph had had _in mind_!

Olga was now noticeably flustered as she shakily claimed to never have lost sight of the defendant that night, but for every falsity that escaped her lips, the _now on a roll_ Apollo Justice was right there to combat it, this time counterattacking her lie by presenting Phoenix's cell phone.

"Ms. Orly!" Apollo's expression was fierce as he pointed his famous courtroom finger at her accusingly. "We have a record here that _clearly contradicts_ what you just said! It states that the _police_ _were alerted_ by a report… _from the defendant_! And we _know_ that the defendant _left the room, climbed the stairs…and made that phone call from the first floor of the Borscht Bowl Club!"_

" _Ack!"_ Olga tightened her grip on the now precariously wobbling dish in her unsteady hand, beginning to visibly sweat drop for the very first time.

 _Damn, this guy's_ _ **good**_ **!** Phoenix bit back a smile of appreciation, focusing on ensuring his poker face remained intact. _**Just how**_ _did she manage the_ _ **impossible**_ _feat of_ _ **keeping an eye on me**_ _while_ _ **being unconscious**_ _and when_ _ **I'd left the room**_ _?_ _ **That**_ _would be a_ _ **neat trick**_ _indeed! I can't_ _ **wait**_ _to hear her try to_ _ **wriggle her way**_ _ **out**_ _of_ _ **this**_ _one!_

" _So_!" Apollo thumped his fists on the table. "Explain how you _kept your eyes on the defendant_ …when he _left the room entirely_!"

 _You've got her against the ropes now, Apollo!_ It took all of Phoenix's willpower not to stand up and cheer for the Clarion of Revelations, whom he was most fortunate to have on _his_ side! _Time to go for the big KO!_ The former attorney turned his head to study the face of Kristoph Gavin, gauging the other man's reaction to his employee's shrewdness, and couldn't resist a slight smirk. _In the case of_ _ **your mentor**_ _, it looks like somebody_ _ **already**_ _gave him_ _ **the ultimate sucker punch**_ _…_ _ **Right in the kisser**_ _!_

" _Eeeeeek_!" Olga screamed in horror, releasing her wobbly grip on her borscht bowl and sending it flying in the air.

The courtroom went to complete and utter chaos at this revelation.

"This is better than any scripted courtroom drama I've ever seen on TV or in the movies!" Gumshoe grinned broadly at Phoenix's daughter. "All that's missing is the popcorn!"

"That Apollo guy is going to make sure that dirty dealer's lies disintegrate like cotton candy in the rain!" Trucy enthused, eyes sparkling as she reached into her magic panties and pulled out a small box of popcorn, grandly presenting it to the police Chief. "I hope you like extra butter, Uncle Gumshoe!"

Apollo remained as still as a statue, arms crossed resolutely over his chest while he stared down the conquered card dealer, her face now a mask of pleading desperation.

A hush fell across the courtroom.

Then, as Phoenix watched in total amazement, Olga folded like a bad hand of cards, her act of bravado completely vanquished now. She slumped in defeat on the witness stand, her formerly rebellious eyes now bearing a look of resignation.

"Wait!" She whispered pleadingly. "Enough already, _please_! I – I'll talk. I'll tell you the _real truth_ about what happened that night."

Apollo didn't answer, just remained staring at her, less hostile now, but still with grimly determined anticipation.

"The man who picked up a bottle and swung it that night…" Olga swallowed hard. "It – it _wasn't the defendant."_

 _Thank you, Olga_. Phoenix closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. _Thank you for doing the right thing in the end. Although I still can't fathom what took you so long to finally tell the truth, I'm just grateful that you did!_

"Smith grabbed the bottle from next to Wright…" The dealer continued unsteadily. "And he… _he hit me!"_

Olga's lips and body trembled as she recalled her own personal trauma from the events that'd transpired in the hideout, except this time, it was quite obvious it was no longer an act, but the completely genuine, reflexive reactions of a woman who was trying desperately to forget the entire harrowing experience of nearly being bludgeoned to death.

"When I came to…" Her voice broke slightly as she stared out at the court with frightened eyes.

"The victim was already dead…Is that it?" The judge probed gently.

"That's why I couldn't reveal who I really was!" Olga nodded miserably. "If it came out that I was in league with Smith, I'd be a suspect for sure!"

 _So she_ _ **didn't**_ _have_ _ **a personal vendetta**_ _against me,_ Phoenix realized, feeling ridiculously relieved that he actually had _one less enemy_ out there than he'd originally thought. _She was just trying to save herself from being in the defendant's chair, like I am right now!_

As though sensing his thoughts, the card dealer suddenly looked up and caught his gaze, and Phoenix saw the genuine remorse on her face, limpid orbs pleading his forgiveness for her treachery. He gave the slightest, surreptitious nod of assent in her direction, and visible tears of relief and gratitude filled her eyes for the reprieve.

Silence hovered over the courtroom like a heavy cloud in the wake of Olga's shocking confession.

Phoenix noticed that Apollo was just quietly studying the witness with an expression of combined sternness and sympathy, while Kristoph looked as though he'd _sucked on a lemon_ , and the sweaty Winston Payne continued his impersonation of being _a soggy hog_!

 _OK,_ _ **fine**_ _! Maybe_ _ **not**_ _a_ _ **hog**_ _,_ the pianist conceded wryly. _But_ _ **only**_ _because he's_ _ **too spindly**_ _to be one! Perhaps more of a_ _ **drowned rat**_ _?!_

"Well…" The Judge's face was thoughtful. "Where does this leave us?"

" _M-Madness_!" Cried Mr. Payne. "Th-This is _madness_! I'm _dreaming_! It must have been _me_ who was hit with a bottle and I'm _**imagining**_ _all of this_!"

 _At least_ _ **then**_ _you'd have an excuse for that_ _ **banshee wailing voice** of yours_! Kristoph winced at the shrillness of the other man's tone.

 _It wouldn't surprise me if that_ _ **had**_ _been the case!_ Phoenix bit his lip to keep from cracking up. _**Nobody**_ _would argue_ _ **against**_ _a case of_ _ **acquired brain**_ _damage in_ _ **your**_ _case, Payne!_

Kristoph watched as his case began to crumble like a dry biscuit – and all because of _that boy!_ What was with this newfound … _perceiving gimmick_ he now seem to possess!? Where had it come from?! With a sinking sensation in his stomach, he instinctively sensed it meant _nothing but_ _doom_ for him! Closing his eyes and shuddering slightly at the notion, his panicked mind frenetically attempted to grope for a way out of this _fresh hell_ he had suddenly found himself in, when the judge's voice brought him back to reality.

"It appears our prosecution is at his wit's end, and frankly, I can't blame him! Mr. Gavin, what do _you_ think about this turn of events?"

 _Oh, thank God!_ Kristoph expelled a long breath of relief. _The well-meaning, but ever_ _ **dimwitted**_ _judge appears to have finally given me a way_ _ **out**_ _of this mess with this innocuous query!_

Apollo regarded his mentor nervously, cringing at the sudden icy glare and poisonous tone with which he fired out his response.

"I believe that, as the defense in this case, we are compelled to call Ms. Orly a _'big, fat, liar'_!"

"Wh-Whaaaaat!?" Olga wailed plaintively, as Kristoph's reaction was exactly what she had been most dreading. " _No_! _Wait_! _I – I'm not_ …"

" _Three_ were in that room the night of the murder," Kristoph went on, relentlessly cutting off the dealer's frantic protests to her innocence. "The defendant, the victim, and _her_. … _And_ she has _a motive."_

"A motive?" Apollo asked blankly.

"Her plot foiled, the witness got into an argument with her client, Mr. Smith!" Kristoph explained exultantly, as though this explained everything. Olga's latest confession was indeed the answer to his prayers. "And the _denouement of that argument_ …was _murder_!"

" _What_!?" Olga broke out into a cold, nervous sweat at the accusation. "I _didn't_ …I'm no killer! _It's a trap_! Someone's trying to frame me!" There were panicked tears in her eyes as she stared beseechingly out at the courtroom, her desperate gaze landing on Phoenix, of all people, as she tried to convey her innocence.

The dealer's expression of genuine fear and helplessness was not lost on Apollo at all, and he frowned as he felt his bracelet once again tightening on his wrist. He now recognized it as the same twinge he had felt in the past whenever he had been skeptical about there being more than met the eye to something he had seen or heard… And with a start, he realized it tended to _happen_ _most often_ whenever _pertaining_ _to_ _his_ _mentor_ , and _particularly_ regarding this entire case!

With a sickening sensation filling him, the defense attorney realized his reservations regarding Kristoph Gavin throughout this trial hadn't been for naught. More than anything in the world, Apollo had yearned to have found a mentor – the very man who had given him his first shot at success – whom he could wholly _trust_ , even become the father figure he'd never had. Nevertheless, he now _knew_ , at that exact moment, as surely as he was certain of Olga's innocence of the crime, that his boss had it _an entirely different agenda_ for the trial that day, and that _justice_ was _the very last thing_ on it!

The courtroom was once again clamoring with the confused, excited mutterings of the gallery at this latest development.

"I don't know what to think now," Gumshoe murmured, taking a long sip of the accompanying soda that his niece had also fished out of her magic panties to wash down the popcorn. "I mean, it's one thing to be a _liar_ and a _con artist,_ but quite another to be a _killer_! I think she might be telling the truth this time!"

Trucy's perceptive gaze surveyed Olga's stricken face intently for another moment, before turning to her Uncle.

"She's _not_ lying _this_ time, Uncle Gumshoe," the magician assertively confirmed. " _I can tell_. And she's obviously not _fully a bad person_ for _finally_ telling the truth about my Daddy! I _know_ this woman isn't the murderer!" Her thoughtful eyes landed on the shark-eyed German then, and they narrowed suspiciously. "What I _don't_ know is why _that_ man seems so intent on _making the court believe_ that she _is_!"

The courtroom was still loudly buzzing as the viewers all speculated on the guilt of Olga Orly, when suddenly Phoenix once again reappeared on the witness stand, laughing mirthlessly, while eyeing Kristoph condescendingly, if he were an impoverished panhandler begging him for pity change.

That was when the veteran defense attorney knew he was _proverbially screwed_ in every sense of the word.

However, instead of lowering his head, he raised it high, a stony glare carved into his hate filled eyes. Fury blurred his sight, but he tightened his jaw and stared with loathing at his arch nemesis.

 _Nein! Fahr zur Hölle sie_ _ **saukerl**_ _!_

The commotion in the room came to halt as Phoenix Wright cut through the defense attorney's rancorous accusations with the actual truth.

"What tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive," he intoned mysteriously. "So _tangled_ , we _catch_ _ourselves_ in the process."

"M – _Mr. Wright_?!" The judge gaped at him. " _What_ –?"

Phoenix ignored him, his intense eyes now boring holes into Kristoph's as he uttered his next words.

"Such a _hasty conclusion_ ," he admonished, his light tone belying his piercing gaze. "It's not like you… _Kristoph Gavin_."

"What are you saying?" Kristoph countered defensively, his left eye beginning to twitch as his foe then proceeded to emit the very words he had been desperately trying to prevent and dance around all this time.

"Why not consider the _other_ possibility?" Phoenix arched a brow. "That there was _another person_ in the room at the time of the murder?"

Kristoph opened his mouth to refute such a cockamamie theory, but his words died on his lips as he saw his assistant was now leaning forward, fists resolutely perched on the bench before him as he somberly nodded his agreement with his idol's theory.

 _It is becoming more and more glaringly evident that I have_ _ **lost**_ _my loyal assistant as my ally_ _ **to**_ _ **you**_ _in this fight, Phoenix Wright!_ Kristoph's blood was beginning to simmer at his employee's unwitting duplicity _. But I'll be_ _ **damned**_ _if I_ _ **let you win this battle**_ _!_

"A single card was swapped into the victim's hand after the murder," Phoenix pointed out, with what Kristoph considered _maddening calm_. "And the one who swapped the card didn't know _two_ _colors_ of cards were being used. … _A fourth person_."

" _Objection_!" Shrieked Mr. Payne. "Hah, _this_ theory again! Your _"fourth person"_ doesn't _exist_!"

"Indeed." Phoenix was completely unaffected by the prosecutor's rebuttal. " _That's_ why I decided to bring this case… _to court._ You see, _here_ , there's _no escape_ , and _no chance_ for _deception_ …The _perfect pla_ ce to catch _the real criminal_."

 _Drop dead, Phoenix Wright._ Kristoph's hands were clenched into such tight fists, his nails cut into the flesh of his palms, but he was mindless to the pain. To _everything..._ except for the surging rage rapidly building within him. _I knew I should have just killed you when I had the chance!_

"The _r-real criminal_?" The judge echoed incredulously.

"And we're in luck." There was a wicked glint in Phoenix's eye as his gaze shifted back to Kristoph, whose stomach lurched with the pianist's next words. "A clue to the real criminal's identity was _kindly provided for u_ s. And _right at the beginning of the trial,_ no less."

 _Looks like it's time for me_ _ **eat my words**_ _._ Fear bubbled up in the German's chest, but he refused to let it show. _And I know_ _ **just**_ _ **which ones**_ _that hurensohn going to throw back in my face too…_

* * *

 _ **Flashback to the beginning of trial**_

 _"It is true that the defendant was engaged in a game of poker with the victim. Yet it was only that: a game in the purest sense," Kristoph announced grandly. "A competition, Your Honor."_

 _"A…competition?" Inquired Mr. Payne._

 _"Yes." The German nodded. "A test of wits, a silent clash of passions…Only the cards, their backs wreathed in blue flame, know its final outcome."_

 _ **End Flashback  
**_

* * *

Apollo had already begun to mentally put together the pieces of the puzzle from the moment Phoenix had commenced speaking. The foregone conclusion he'd arrived at was not one he had ever dreamed he'd be seeing, and was still a tough pill for him to swallow.

Which was _why_ he answered the way he did when the ex-attorney suddenly directed his next question at him.

"Apollo." Phoenix's voice was quiet but unyielding. "Perhaps _you_ know what I'm talking about?"

"Um, no, sorry," Apollo lied, feeling the sweat already forming at his temples as he raised his hand and awkwardly scratched at the top of his skull.

Never before had he felt more ethically and morally conflicted.

 _Kristoph is my boss, my mentor! He taught me everything I know! Without him I would've just been another penniless legal graduate looking for a job as a lawyer, just like half of my classmates still are!_

His heart cried with anguish.

 _But I can't ignore the fact that Mr. Gavin was with Mr. Wright that night! He was at that club,_ _ **and**_ _he made the mistake about the color of the cards being blue –_ _ **aloud**_ _– for_ _ **all**_ _the court to hear! I realize now what my bracelet has been trying to hint to_ _me **all along**_ _, and_ _ **all my**_ _ **life**_ _! It's trying to signify to me when I_ _ **can't**_ _and_ _ **shouldn't**_ _trust somebody! It's telling me what I've known, deep in my heart, ever since this trial began…that I can no longer trust Kristoph Gavin._

He swallowed back the lump forming in his throat _._

 _I would give_ _ **anything in the world**_ _right now for things to be different…_

Phoenix observed the visibly discomfited young man with knowing sympathy. He knew Apollo was lying about his ignorance, and a part of him almost felt terrible for what he was about to coerce the attorney to do. The pianist knew exactly how the kid felt – _he_ was certainly no stranger to finding out the inconvenient truth that the person you'd built up in your mind for the longest time was, disappointingly, _not_ the person you'd thought they were.

"Remember what I said," he prodded gently, peering searchingly into those gloomy Bambi eyes. "The fourth person who swapped the cards _made one critical error."_

Right before answering, Apollo risked taking a gander at Kristoph, who'd been glowering at the Phoenix with nothing short of unmistakable hatred, which had now graduated to _sheer, undeniable_ _loathing_. The pianist merely smirked and stared at Apollo expectantly, patiently awaiting his response.

"He or she wasn't considering the color on the back of the cards…" Apollo replied dully, pressing his finger against his forehead to make it look as though he were seriously contemplating the answer he'd known all along.

"Yes," Phoenix nodded. "But _how_ could such an _obvious mistake_ occur? The cards used for the last game were _red_. Yet, there is _one person_ _here_ , in our court…who thought those cards were _blue_." He flashed a small, encouraging smile. " _Well_ , Apollo? Think you can figure out who it was?"

 _Shut your damn mouth, Wright_! The ever-mounting fear was like a constant hammering to Kristoph's head at this point _. Stop trying to sway the boy, damn you!_

"I-It's not _me_ , I _swear_!" Mr. Payne was sweat-dropping profusely, a look of absolute terror on his face, as though he _genuinely_ thought he could be considered a suspect at this point.

"Who is this fourth person!?" The judge pounded his gavel.

"Let's hear what the defense has to say." Phoenix stared out at the courtroom. " _Who_ was it? _Who_ thought the cards used in the final game were blue?"

Gumshoe's jaw dropped as the awareness of just _who_ his friend was hinting at sunk in at that moment. Next to him, Trucy gasped and clutched his arm, the answer obviously dawning upon her at the exact same time.

Apollo took a slow, deep breath for courage, knowing it was too late for him to back down after all he had unearthed thus far. He _knew_ what the _right_ thing was to do, but that _sure as hell_ didn't make him _feel_ any better about it! His steady gaze met Phoenix's at last, allowing his childhood hero to see his resolve, however reluctant.

Kristoph scrutinized his protégé, pathetically attempting to utilize all his telepathic powers of persuasion to sway the young man into giving the incorrect answer. _Never before_ , with _every fiber of his being_ , had he so fervently yearned _for another man's failure_ as much as he did for Apollo Justice's in that very moment.

Apollo cleared his throat and spit out the answer before his nerves got the better of him.

"Kristoph Gavin."

 _A plague on both your houses!_ Kristoph seethed, shutting his eyes for a split second before directing his hateful glare, which he had hitherto reserved for Phoenix, and now affixing it onto his morose assistant. _You'll_ _ **pay**_ _for this treachery, Apollo Justice! Both_ _ **you**_ _and that_ _ **degenerate hero**_ _of yours will_ _ **rue this day**_ _! You can_ _ **bet your lives**_ _on it!_

"As I expected." Phoenix cocked his head and studied the red attorney with undisguised admiration. "Your eyes and ears are as sharp as your hair."

The facetiousness of the compliment notwithstanding, under different circumstances, _any_ sort of praise given to him from the great Phoenix Wright would have been music to Apollo's ears. However, now that the moment had finally come, he was unable to bask in it, as he'd never before felt so numbingly despondent.

"I-I was right?" Apollo asked quietly, although his face conveyed that he was still _desperately hoping_ he'd be told otherwise, despite ruefully acknowledging there was no possible _miraculous contradiction_ that would surface with regards to Kristoph's knowledge of the card backs.

Sensing Apollo's angst, Phoenix gazed at him compassionately for a split second, before turning his attentions back at his adversary.

"Well…Kristoph?" He prompted, noting the other man's sudden deathly pallor.

For once, Kristoph was at a loss for words. He knew he was cornered.

"Kristoph Gavin." Phoenix eyed him stonily. " _You_ were the fourth person that night."

Kristoph listened to Phoenix, Apollo, and the judge's voices in succession, with his assistant feebly protesting that it was natural for Kristoph to know what color the backs of the cards were since he had investigated the crime scene photos, and Phoenix coolly refuting the argument by stating the photos had only been black and white, with the actual colors only being known to the parties who had been present that night. Even as the German frantically wracked his mind for a way out, ultimately, he knew that like a wild animal trying to escape his predator, he'd finally been cornered, with no means of escape.

"Mr.…Gavin?" Apollo studied his employer anxiously, observing that the older man looked like he was going to be sick. "Are you alright?"

 _Shut your trap, you little two-faced_ _ **worm**_ _! Don't you_ _ **dare**_ _pretend to be concerned about me_ _ **now,**_ _when_ _ **you**_ _'_ _ **re**_ _the one who put my bloody_ _ **head in the noose!**_

"Mr.….Gavin?" The judge's eyes were the size of saucers as he regarded the defense attorney, whose previously white face was now making him resemble a doppelganger for Kermit the Frog! "Mr. Gavin! I-Is something the matter?"

 _Only_ _ **everything**_ _! Seven years of plotting and scheming and covering up my tracks,_ _ **by any means necessary**_ _… All of it about to come_ _ **crashing upon**_ _ **my head**_ _because of_ _ **one**_ _overly ambitious, self-righteous_ _ **little**_ _ **pipsqueak**_ _with an inflated and_ _ **sanctimonious**_ _sense of justice, and his_ _ **accursed,**_ _ **vengeful,**_ _ **fallen**_ _ **idol,**_ _who evidently is nowhere near as dumb as he looks!_

The blond man swallowed hard against the wave of nausea building within him before he was able to reply.

"Hm? N-no, nothing. Excuse me, it was just so…sudden," Kristoph murmured demurely before regarding his nemesis, searching that smug countenance for traces of mirth. "Wright. _You_ aren't _seriously_ accusing _me_ …are you?"

Much to Kristoph's great chagrin, however, Phoenix wasn't laughing. He took a very careful, hard look at the blond man and chose his words carefully.

"Oh, Kristoph?" The ex-attorney purred, who, while bearing zero traces of humor on his face, sounded very _much_ like the satisfied cat who had just eaten the cream. "You _know_ even _I'd_ never take a joke _this_ far."

" _Objection_!" Screamed Mr. Payne. "This has gone beyond _ridiculous_ , beyond _dumb_ …This is _insanity_! The _defendant_ accusing his _own defense attorney_ of _murder_?"

 _You tell them_ _ **Cue Ball**_ _! I guess Payne hasn't become_ _ **completely irrelevant**_ _to this trial after all! At least_ _ **someone**_ _here has_ _ **some common sense**_ _and knows better than to suspect_ _ **an upstanding lawyer at the top of his field,**_ _of unquestionable character,_ _ **especially**_ _when he's being accused by the likes of a_ _ **hobo bum lowlife**_ _like_ _ **you**_ _, Phoenix Wright!_

"I _assure_ you…" Phoenix flashed an impish grin at the aghast prosecutor. "I'm _quite_ sane."

"But what _possible connection_ could _Mr. Gavin_ have to _the victim_?" Rasped Mr. Payne.

"I wasn't aware that _I_ had a connection to Mr. Smith, either," responded the former Ace Attorney, raising a brow at the completely discombobulated prosecutor.

 _Touché, Arschloch._ Despite his contempt for the other man, Kristoph had to give credit where it was due for that brilliant refutation.

Phoenix went on to present the possibility that Kristoph may have had time to meet with the victim on the night of the murder.

Apollo couldn't take it anymore. He knew that there was only _one_ way to get to the bottom of all this.

"Mr. Wright! The defense would like to request that you testify for the court!" Apollo commanded forcefully, right in his mentor's ear, as was tradition.

 _Will you shut your_ _ **blathering pie hole**_ _, Justice_?! Kristoph gritted his teeth as he glowered at his protégé. _Haven't you_ _ **done enough**_ _already?!_

" _Objection_!"

This time, it wasn't the high-pitched squeal of Winston Payne that reverberated throughout the courtroom. Kristoph Gavin had found his second wind, and there was _no way in hell_ he was going down without a fight!

"The defense would like to do no such thing," he demurred coldly, his countenance unreadable.

Apollo stared, completely appalled, at the man he had once revered more than anyone. Within the blink of an eye, his mentor, whom he'd admired above all else, had suddenly transformed into an _evil, manipulative fiend_ who desperately was trying to _slither off on his belly_ and away from the _hands of justice!_

"Testimonies must relate to the case," Kristoph growled, sparks shooting out of his eyes, first at his apprentice, and then at the smug Phoenix. "How could _anything_ happening _before_ the game of poker be related?"

"I'm not sure I follow, Mr. Gavin." The judge shook his head.

"As I explained before, the defense believes that Ms. Orly…" Kristoph began his previous argument, but for once, the wayward the judge cut him off in his tracks.

"Am I to assume you speak for Mr. Justice in this?" The old man asked brusquely. "After all, _he_ is the defense, not _you_."

The humiliating truth behind the bluntly stated words was nearly his undoing. Kristoph felt bile rising in his throat. It was true… He _was_ only _co-counsel._ It was _Apollo_ who was the actually _lead defense_ in this case. That _no good, degenerate,_ _ **Phoenix Wright,**_ had made _sure_ of that!

 _Do the right thing, Apollo Justice!_ Kristoph felt the room around him beginning to spin. _After_ _ **all I've done for you**_ _, you_ _ **couldn't possibly betray me**_ _ **even more**_ _than you_ _ **already**_ _ **have**_ _, surely?! Have I taught you_ _ **nothing**_ _about_ _ **loyalty**_ _in all my teachings?!_

"Mr. Justice." The somber dark eyes behind the bench rested squarely on the nerve-rattled Apollo. "The matter of Mr. Wright's testimony is up to you. Does the court, in your opinion, need to hear Mr. Wright's testimony?"

Apollo squeezed his eyes shut against Kristoph's imploring gaze as he reflected on everything he had gone through in his life to have finally arrived here. From the time he had first turned to law because of his admiration for Phoenix Wright, to the day that he had set foot in the Gavin Law Offices as an employee, he realized his fate had been predetermined.

As the red attorney struggled with the biggest inner dilemma of his entire young life, his thoughts briefly drifted over to his best friend. There was a song that Clay had always played for him whenever he had been struggling through life and particularly during law school, and had threatened to just give up at times when it seemed like things were getting too tough.

* * *

 _ **Well, I won't back down  
No, I won't back down  
You can stand me up at the gates of hell  
But I won't back down**_

 _ **No, I'll stand my ground, won't be turned around**_  
 _ **And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down**_  
 _ **Gonna stand my ground and I won't back down**_

 _ **(I won't back down)**_  
 _ **Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out**_  
 _ **(I won't back down)**_  
 _ **Hey, I will stand my ground and I won't back down**_

 _ **Well, I know what's right, I got just one life**_  
 _ **In a world that keeps on pushin' me around**_  
 _ **But I'll stand my ground and I won't back down  
**_

* * *

He couldn't, _wouldn't_ back down! Not after everything he'd resolved to do. He _would_ get to _the truth_!

 _ **This**_ _was Mr. Wright's strategy! He was_ _ **planning**_ _this all along! And I_ _ **intend to see it through**_ _!_

Apollo banged his fists down on the defense bench.

"The defense would like to request that Mr. Wright testify for the court!"

There was a stirring in the gallery at this announcement.

"I gotta give kudos to this kid, for following through the way he did," Gumshoe praised, turning to the quiet magician beside him. "Going against his mentor like that… That couldn't have been an easy thing to do."

 _Now I know why Daddy always looked so uneasy whenever that creepy German came to visit him at the bar!_ Trucy thought, then looked up at her Uncle, her sky-colored orbs filled with indignation.

"Kristoph Gavin is _an evil man_ , and I'm _glad_ his employee turned the tables on him! I _hope_ they _send him up the river_!"

"If _anyone_ can turn this case around, it's your father," Gumshoe assured the fuming teenager, playfully ruffling her silky hair beneath her magician hat. "He doesn't need an attorney's badge in order to do t _hat,_ mark my words!"

" _Et tu_ , Justice?" Kristoph whispered shakily, his expression slightly pained as he stared at his assistant. " _You_ would betray _me_ , your teacher?" His voice was hoarse as he lowered his tone and whispered fiercely in the younger man's ear. "Out of the _hundreds of applicants_ to my law firm, _I_ chose to take a chance on _you_! And _this_ is how you repay me?!"

Apollo shook his head sadly, but he didn't even flinch, and his voice never wavered once.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gavin. This isn't about loyalty. This is about the truth!"

 _I'll get you for this Justice!_

"Very well," said the judge. "The defendant…Mr. Wright will take the stand, please."

Phoenix was quite composed as he gave his statement.

"That evening, Kristoph and I had dinner. We sat at the table in this photograph. Shadi Smith walked in five minutes after Kristoph left. When the "trap" failed, Smith hit the waitress. The girl was knocked out cold, and Smith was uncontrollable. I had to call the police. When I returned, he was dead, blood streaming from a cut on his forehead. That's when I made another phone call…To Defense Attorney Gavin."

"Mr. Gavin!" The judge exclaimed. "This confirms it! You _were_ at the Borscht Bowl Club the night of the murder!"

"I dine with him rather frequently. After all, we were _really good friends_ ," Phoenix drawled sardonically, unable to resist adding that slight little dig, and then smiling broadly at the scathing look it earned him from the visibly fuming German.

"A-And he talked to the defendant on the phone directly after the murder!?" Mr. Payne sounded incredulous.

"Quite against my will," Phoenix informed him archly. "After all, it was in a professional, not personal, capacity that I made the phone call, in this case it was because I had become involved in a murder. I thought I might be in need of a lawyer, so I figured, who better to call than The Coolest Defense in the West?"

Kristoph was sure at this point his teeth would be _worn down to mere_ nubs at _the rate he was grinding them_ , so incensed was he by the former attorney's _continuous sarcastic barbs_ which were _thinly veiled_ as _legitimate testimony_!

"You were planning this all along, weren't you, Wright?" Kristoph hissed. "Just because you wanted to drag me into your little murder trial…"

"The only thing I want…is _the truth_." Unlike the defense attorney's, Phoenix's voice was calm and level. "As I did _back then_ … _and_ _ **now**_."

 _You're a dead man, Wright._

"I thought my office was doing you a favor when we took on your defense," Kristoph retorted menacingly. "It appears that I was wrong."

 _Get used to it_. Phoenix shrugged apathetically at the words. _You can't be right all the time._

"Very well." The judge pounded his gavel. "The defense may cross-examine the witness."

" _Justice_!" Kristoph snapped

"S-Sir!" Apollo replied nervously.

" _He's_ lying, and _you're_ going to expose him," the blond man ordered.

"Uh…Understood, sir."

 _Mr. Gavin vs. Mr. Wright...This_ _ **can't**_ _end well!_ Apollo groaned inwardly. _**Why**_ _couldn't I have a_ _ **normal trial**_ _!? All this talk of_ _ **exposing everybody**_ _… Even **a flasher case**_ _would be more welcome than_ _ **this**_ _!_

Apollo decided to press Phoenix about the failed trap he spoke of.

"About this failed "trap"…This is the same "trap" that Ms. Olga Orly mentioned?"

"Yes…" Phoenix answered. "A harmless prank, in essence. It was by a quirk of fate that I happened to discover it…"

 _As usual, nothing but pure dumb luck!_ Kristoph muttered darkly to himself. _It brought_ _ **you**_ _a lifetime of undeserved success, and it brought_ _ **me**_ _a lifetime of misery! You_ _ **will**_ _pay for this Phoenix Wright… Even more than you already have! I swear it!_

"A "quirk"…?" Mr. Payne questioned.

"I happened to put my hand in my pocket…and found a card," Phoenix elaborated.

"The card _she_ planted!" Apollo crowed, with way too much enthusiasm for Kristoph's liking.

 _Excellent job of deduction, Captain Obvious!_ The German mentally jeered. _Shall we reward you with a gold star sticker?_

"Yes. I snuck a peek at it and found it was the Five of Hearts." A mystical smile crept over the pianist's visage then. "I had a ' _feeling'_ something might happen, so I disposed of the card…before the game."

" _Disposed_?" The judge repeated. "Where!?"

"There was an empty bottle of grape juice I had been drinking right beside me. I threw the card inside the bottle."

"An empty bottle of grape juice…" Mr. Payne echoed, furrowing his brow.

"The murder weapon!?" Apollo yelped.

"Yes. I rolled it up and shoved it in. The colored glass makes it hard to see."

"Hmm…" The judge murmured. "A battle of wits between the deceiver and the would-be deceived! That sounds like terrific drama…"

" _I'll_ say!" Agreed Gumshoe, out in the gallery, now munching on some licorice sticks that Trucy had provided. "This kid is _really_ something else! Today's courtroom drama could be called _'Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney!'_ What do you think, kiddo?"

"Hmmm…" Trucy thoughtfully mulled this over as she bit off both ends of her Twizzler and popped it into her soda can, using it as a makeshift straw. "I would think given the card angle, a more likely title should be ' _Turnabout Trump,'_ Uncle Gumshoe."

The judge pounded his gavel.

"Mr. Wright! The _"Poker Head of Courtroom No. 3"_ approves of this battle of wits!" The old man's merry eyes were actually twinkling now as he smiled down at Phoenix. "Please revise your testimony with this new information."

"Sure thing, Your Honor." Phoenix flashed the judge an impish grin, then continued with the revised testimony. "I discovered the "trap" during the game, _and disposed of the card in the bottle_. The girl was knocked out cold, and Smith was uncontrollable. I had to call the police. When I returned, he was dead, blood streaming from a cut on his forehead."

" _Objection_!" Yelled Apollo. "Mr. Wright… if I may?"

"Yes?" Phoenix blinked innocently.

"Take a look at this photograph of the crime scene." Apollo gestured to the item in his hand. "See the victim here? He's _wearing a_ _**hat**_. …" His voice trailed off, and his cheeks began to grow warm as Phoenix continued to regard the red attorney with a trace of a smile playing over his lips, as if to say…. _"go on…?"_

"Um…" Apollo felt his forehead beginning to perspire slightly and grow clammy as he awkwardly scratched the top of his head. "So… _ **I**_ _wouldn't think_ _**you**_ _could_ see _blood on his forehead_?"

 _Good job! Maybe there'll be redemption for you yet, Justice!_ Kristoph crowed silently. _Go and do a_ _ **complete turnabout**_ _against the_ _ **former King of the Turnabout**_ _and shove all his_ _ **sordid, filthy lies**_ _right back down his_ _ **permanently bluffing throat**_ _!_

 _Oh dear,_ Phoenix thought worriedly, noticing how unsure of himself Apollo appeared to be now that he'd potentially put his mentor's neck on the line. _I've_ _ **got**_ _to help him get that newfound confidence restored if he's going to help me ensure that justice is served today!_

"Good point," he responded in a neutral tone, while making sure he still treated the young man to a small, but reassuring smile, which he hoped conveyed the message: _relax,_ _ **you're fine**_ _!_

"Justice!" Kristoph snapped peevishly. "Next time you point out an inconsistency, put a little more "oomph" into it!"

 _Of course, seeing as how the poor greenhorn has_ _ **an egotistical megalomaniac**_ _as his boss, who basks in_ _ **receiving**_ _the praise of others, while_ _ **reluctant to bestow**_ _anything of the sort himself, yet is_ _ **quick to dish out criticisms**_ …Phoenix let out a silent sigh. _I may have my work cut out for me here ensuring that the young Mr. Justice still has any self-confidence left, since it's pretty evident that Kristoph Gavin is out for both_ _ **his**_ _ **blood,**_ _along with_ _ **mine**_ _!_

"Mr. Wright, can you explain this to the court?" The judge no longer looked tickled by this contradiction.

"Ah…I forgot to mention something," Phoenix said casually. " _I_ was the one who _put that hat on his head_."

Taking a page from Winston Payne's book, this time Apollo's shocked jaw hit the floor upon hearing this statement, at the _exact_ same time as the prosecutor's did!

" _You_ put the hat on _the dead man's head_?" The judge's voice was nearly unrecognizable, as it'd gotten so high pitched with incredulity.

"He wore it the entire poker game. After calling the police, when I returned to the scene, his head was in full view. Shining bright…Just like in this photograph."

"And…?" The judge prompted as the defendant paused in his statement then.

"I picked the hat up off the floor and put it on his head," Phoenix informed them, with almost deliberate insouciance, as though tampering with a crime scene was only a minor misdemeanor.

"Wh-Wh-Why'd you do a thing like that!?" Shrieked the flabbergasted Mr. Payne, who Kristoph had determined at this point had apparently decided that if he couldn't _go with_ _ **reason**_ , he would just _go with_ _ **volume**_!

"All I can say is…I'm sorry." Phoenix's face was sincere enough, despite the flippancy of his tone. "But that's _the only thing_ I touched at the crime scene."

"So…Ms. Orly didn't see it?" Apollo probed. " _It_ being the victim's ….er, his head."

"I'd think not. She was out cold. I believe I was the only one who witnessed his head."

"Ah, here we go again…" Kristoph heaved a melodramatic sigh and shook his head in mock despair.

"Mr. Gavin?" Apollo asked hesitantly.

"Ahem," the blond man cleared his throat, ignoring the quizzical look on his assistant's face. "Pardon. It just seems that our _"client"_ is determined to _lie_ his way through this case."

 _What the heck is going on here?!_ Apollo was completely flummoxed. _H –he's_ _ **still**_ _our client!_ _ **Isn't**_ _he?!_

"Hmm…" The judge furrowed his brow as he pounded his gavel. "In any case, please continue the cross-examination. I'm afraid decisive contradictions call for decisive evidence."

"Push him harder, Justice!" Kristoph barked, trying to ensure that it came across as more of a command than a cry of desperation. " _Break him_! It's just _you and the witness_ in the ring. _Go for the KO_!"

 _Ugh._ Apollo felt his horns beginning to droop at this latest conflicting order. _**Why**_ _do I get the feeling we're not on our client's side anymore?! Time for me to begin the cross examination… This is not going to be pleasant._

The red attorney pressed Phoenix on the disposal of Olga's planted card in the glass bottle.

"I've examined the bottle." Apollo nervously scratched his head, indicating he was uncomfortable with this confrontation. "And I don't see any card in here."

"Hmm? No?" Phoenix didn't seem at all fazed.

"Mr. Wright!?" The judge exclaimed dubiously. "Surely _that isn't_ _ **all**_ you have to say for yourself!?"

"I can't say that I know what happened to that card." Phoenix still didn't seem overly concerned about this particular discrepancy. "I _did_ put it in that bottle, however."

His client's blasé attitude was starting to become unnerving, rendering Apollo entirely speechless for the moment as he pondered how _any_ man could appear to be _this nonchalant_ when he was _still_ facing _first-degree murder charges_ , and consequently, _death row_!

"Perhaps a _fifth_ person came and took it out?" Kristoph scoffed, curling his lip with disdain. "Oh, and a _sixth_ person could've helped?"

 _You're_ _ **such**_ _a douchebag, Kristoph!_ Phoenix thought cheerfully, as delightfully colorful visions of strangling the German with his own tie briefly danced through his mind. _I am going to enjoy_ _ **frying**_ _you way more than I_ _ **ever could have dreamed**_ _!_

"Mr. Gavin!" The judge looked scandalized by the defense attorney's mockery. "Mr. Wright is _your_ _ **client**_!"

"…My apologies, Your Honor," Kristoph forced himself to sound repentant. "I have no idea what came over me just now."

"I won't have you disparaging _our_ investigation, either!" Mr. Payne scowled at Phoenix. "We _looked_ inside that bottle! And _there was_ _ **nothing**_!"

 _Please, tell me that I can at least trust_ _ **you**_ _, Mr. Wright, since_ _ **my own boss**_ _is now_ _ **questionable**_ _!_ Apollo stared pleadingly at his poker-faced client, desperately trying to read any sort of emotions that were lying beneath the stoic surface. _Are you hoodwinking us yet_ _ **again**_ _…? Or did the card just somehow…_ _ **disappear**_ _?!_

"I believe that's enough of that." Kristoph's voice was pure ice.

"Um, Mr. Gavin?" Apollo's head jerked up, completely startled by his boss's tone, but Kristoph ignored him and continued on his warpath.

"This witness's ' _testimony_ ' is more like a ' _travesty'._ It's riddled with lies." Phoenix didn't even blink at this onslaught, so the German pettily opted to throw in some more venom for good measure. "I'm beginning to see how you came to lose your attorney's badge seven years ago!"

 _You crafty, insidious, son of a bitch!_ Buried deep within the sweatshirt pockets, Phoenix's hands clenched into enraged fists as the sole indication that the hateful man's words had had any effect. His poker-face was fully in place as he responded to his nemesis in an unreadable, neutral cadence.

" _Well_." Phoenix slowly raised his head and affixed the defense attorney with a wicked grin. "You _certainly_ have _a unique way_ of treating your _clients_ , Kristoph! I _never knew_."

"I believe it was _you_ who threw _the first stone_ …?" The blond man retorted, a biting edge forming in his tone.

Apollo wisely chose this exact moment to intervene in what was surely to become a heated argument by loudly thumping his fists on the defense bench, then turning his pleading Bambi eyes towards Phoenix.

"Mr. Wright! If you intend to ever tell the truth about this case, it's _now or never_ …!"

"Don't be misled…" Phoenix replied evenly. "I haven't told _a single lie here_. When I noticed the "trap"…I put the card in the bottle to dispose of it. And when I put the hat on the victim's head…Let's just say I had _a reason_ for doing that as well."

"A…reason?" The judge echoed.

"That reason…is right here." Phoenix whipped out his self-proclaimed "dumb phone."

"Your… _cell phone_?" Apollo gasped.

"That night…Recall that I spoke with Defense Attorney Gavin after calling the police. Just in case, I recorded our conversation."

"What's this…?" The alarm began to creep in the Kristoph's voice once more.

"Now that we're all here, I see no reason why I shouldn't play it back for the court." Phoenix proceeded to play the recording for the courtroom right there and then.

* * *

 _"Hello?"_

 _"Kristoph. I seem to be in a bit of trouble," Phoenix said quickly._ _"_ _Right after you left, at the eleventh hour, I partook in a card game from a spontaneous, out of the blue challenger._ _"_

 _"What's this?" Kristoph inquired mildly. "Game not going well?"_

 _"_ _Something like that._ _"_

 _"That gentleman who challenged you_ _…_ _He turn out to be good?"_

 _"He turned out to be dead._ _"_ _Phoenix gulped._ _"_ _Someone hit him. Hard."_

 _"You mean someone cracked that flawless, bone china pate?_ _"_ _The German drawled._ _"_ _It_ _…_ _wasn't you, was it?"_

 _"Me? Please," Phoenix mocked._ _"The cops should be here any minute. I'm in your hands_ _…_ _Should it come to that."  
_

* * *

There was a hushed silence over the courtroom as everybody digested what they had just heard.

"That's my Daddy for you!" Out in the gallery, Trucy proudly beamed at Gumshoe. "I've _always_ told him he should always _think like a magician_ and have _an extra trick up his sleeve_!"

"Your father never fails to disappoint!" The Chief chuckled appreciatively.

"Bone china ' _plate_ _'_ …?" Apollo asked blankly.

"A kind of porcelain, very smooth and shiny," Phoenix informed him. "And not ' _plate_ ', but 'pate'. I believe he was referring to _a certain gentleman_ _'_ _s **balding forehead**_."

"Hmm…" Murmured the judge of _equally_ shiny, bald forehead. "The court appreciates the defendant's _discretion_ in _not_ indicating _my_ forehead."

"No problem, Your Honor." Phoenix cracked a half smile in the judge's direction.

"So, after Mr. Gavin ate dinner with you…" Apollo was in full-blown, index to the forehead discerning mode. "He left the Borscht Bowl Club?"

"Most certainly."

"Then…then _how_ did he _know_?" Apollo demanded. " _When_ did he see this _'bone china pate'_?"

"Yes…" Phoenix murmured softly, immensely pleased that the bright young man was _finally_ catching on. " _That_ was when I began to see my _good friend_ in _a different light_."

The rage building within Kristoph felt like a volcano erupting; fury sweeping off him like ferocious waves as the despised man continued to speak.

"Troubled, I returned to the crime scene," Phoenix continued. "And when I spotted Mr. Smith's head again, I knew exactly what was wrong."

The pianist ceased speaking then, and jutted his chin, so that there was no mistaking the full-blown accusation in his dark eyes as he stared unwaveringly at the veteran defense attorney.

"Well, Mr. Gavin. The stage has been set. Perhaps _you_ would like to explain this to the court? Exactly _how_ did you come by your privileged knowledge of the victim's head?"

"So, _this_ is your ' _reason_ _'_ , isn't it?" Kristoph's voice was nearly unrecognizable to his own ears at this point, as it had grown so high-pitched, it would've nearly put _Winston Payne_ _'_ _s_ to shame. "The reason _why_ you put the victim's hat back on."

"Your _point_ , Mr. Gavin?" The ennui in Phoenix's voice was hard to miss. "Care to call _a spade a spade_?"

 _Oh you_ _'_ _re just a **punny scheißkerl** __when you think you_ _'_ _ve got the upper hand, aren_ _'_ _t you?_

"It's come down to _this_ , has it…Phoenix Wright?" Kristoph was literally baring his teeth at this point, uncaring about maintaining his cool any longer.

A loud chorus of excited spectator voices spread like wildfire across the courtroom.

"Can you _believe_ this, pal?!" Gumshoe was completely floored. "It was _him_! Kristoph Gavin's the one who committed the murder!"

"And that horrible man is trying to pin it on my Daddy!" Trucy gasped. "I know Daddy presented that recorded phone call as his secret evidence to prove he wasn't the culprit, but what if it's _not enough proof_ to take the blame off him?! _Then_ what are we going to do?!"

"Order! I will have order!" The judge pounded his gavel. "Mr. Payne!"

"Y-Yes, Your Honor!" Mr. Payne was sweating buckets.

"I believe this court has been left with no other choice…Are you prepared to hear Defense Attorney Gavin's testimony?" The judge demanded.

"Eh?" Mr. Payne was visibly shaken by this latest turn of events. "Ah…Urk? Ahem! Well, as the prosecutor, I…"

"Very well!" The judge pounded his gavel while the flustered prosecutor spluttered unintelligible gibberish. "We'll break for ten minutes. After which Mr. Gavin will take the stand for a cross-examination! Are we all clear on that?"

" _Crystal_ clear, Your Honor," Kristoph managed to utter, grateful for the reprieve, because at that minute he felt as though he was going to be violently ill _immediately_.

"This will be the final recess for the day!" The judge declared, slamming his gavel down one last time before recess began at 2:32 PM as he summoned both Phoenix and Kristoph to his chambers.

The minute she heard that gavel come down, Trucy shot out of her seat like a lightning bolt.

"Hey pal, where are you going?" Gumshoe called after her as she raced towards the door, in search of the one person that could help her, who, as luck would have it, she knew would be by themselves right now.

"I'm just running to the bathroom, Uncle Gumshoe!" The magician called over her shoulder. "I'll be back before the recess is over!"

Trucy hated deceiving her beloved Uncle, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and she knew there was no way he would approve of her intended actions any more than her father would.

The moment she was out of the Chief's line of sight, the teen made a beeline in the opposite direction from the restrooms, and headed straight for the defendant lobby, a steely glint of determination in her eye.

 _Someday, I hope you_ _'_ _ll find it in your heart to understand, Daddy. I_ _'_ _m only doing this because you mean the world to me._

The time had come. Trucy Wright knew what she needed to do.

* * *

 ** _Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright  
_** _District Court  
_ _Defendant Lobby No. 3  
_ April 20, 2026 2:32 PM

Apollo anxiously paced the lobby floor, uncertain of what to do with himself now that he had been left to his own devices during the brief recess, as both Mr. Wright and Mr. Gavin had been summoned to the judge's chambers.

Today had just been one unexpected shocking twist after another, and he was _still_ reeling from the chain of unanticipated events, when suddenly, he felt a pair of eyes on him.

"...May I?" A stranger's voice asked quietly, from just directly behind him.

"Huh? What?" Apollo spun around, and came face to face with a girl, oddly dressed in a blue magician cape and top hat. She was very baby-faced, despite the fact that she appeared to be in her teens, and he supposed she would've been pretty, had she been smiling, but her expression was completely somber, doe eyes staring at him unblinkingly.

Trucy silently studied the young man whom her father had entrusted his life with, noting his open, honest visage as his big brown eyes stared at her in mystification, obviously surprised by her sudden presence. The magician could tell he was a very nice guy, but her perception _also_ told her that while he was indeed _trustworthy_ , he was _also_ still _very_ _new_ to the legal field, and his odds against a sly snake like Kristoph Gavin would be dicey at best. Her _Daddy_ might fully trust Apollo Justice's lawyer skills, but _she_ could not be so willing to gamble with something as important as her father's life – which was why the red attorney was about to become the latest (unknowing) participant to her own "Plan-B."

"Hello, sir." Trucy plastered on her best, engaging ' _stage_ _'_ smile. "Please, pick a card." She then proceeded to whip out a handful of playing cards, waving them under the startled lawyer's nose.

 _Wh-What's all this about?_ The girl obviously had zero intention of leaving until he did as she asked, and Apollo only obliged because her unwavering gaze was starting to get to him and his nerves were already shot after the whole courtroom drama!

"Uh... Is this one OK?" Without really looking, he plucked the card closest to him, which seem to be poking out slightly more than the rest of them.

"Excellent. I have a message for you." The puzzling girl's solemn blue eyes peered earnestly into his, as though trying to convey an underlying message beyond just the words she was speaking. "The last hand is about to be played. You'll need _a trump card_ to make it."

"A _trump_ card...?" Apollo was bewildered. It just looked like an ordinary playing card to him.

"The card you have chosen is _magical_." The girl informed him enigmatically, her voice laden with meaning. A ghost of a smile flickered across her lips. "Use it wisely, and the game is yours. That's all."

Apollo glanced down at the card in his hand, and his eyes widened as he realized exactly _what_ he was holding.

 _The missing fifth ace that Olga was talking about! Wait... This blotch of red...Is this_ ** _blood_** _?!_

"You have your trump card. Now it's up to _you_ to cut the deck and draw... _the truth_." The girl's tone suddenly changed from mysterious to earnest, and the pleading on her face was evident as she spoke again. "My father's fate is in _your_ hands. I _know_ you can do it!"

With those being her final parting words, as stealthily as she had appeared, the magician suddenly vanished, as if into thin air, leaving Apollo blinking with surprised confusion in her wake. Their peculiar exchange had been so brief that he would have thought he'd imagined it, had it not been for the telltale card he was still holding in his fingers.

"This _blood-stained card_...is my _trump_ card for finding the truth?" Apollo spoke the words aloud, in spite of being alone now, while his mind frantically replayed the last words the strange girl had spoken to him.

 _"_ _I **know** you can do __it!_ _"_

 _Why_ was this simple sentence ringing such an inexplicably déjà vu bell in his ears? _When_ had he heard those very words before, spoken with the _exact same intensity_? And _why_ did that girl look so _familiar_ to him? He was positive he had seen her _somewhere_ before – but _where_?!

Apollo's memory flashed back to the very last words of encouragement Phoenix Wright had bequeathed to him before they'd headed into the courtroom to commence his very first trial.

 _"_ _...It's time._ _"_ _A slight upturned curve hovered over the pianist_ _'_ _s lips. It was only a slight gesture, and one he was no longer unaccustomed to making, but it was still a completely sincere smile which he directed at the somewhat awed-looking attorney._ _"_ _The real trial begins now. Do your best, Apollo Justice. I **know** you __can do it._ _"_

That was when the attorney made the connection.

Same cryptic way of speaking.

Same enigmatic smile.

And lastly, _the exact same_ emphasis on their _selectively chosen,_ but _few spoken words_ , utilized to best get their intended point across.

A slightly amused smile tugged at Apollo Justice's lips.

 _Like father, like daughter._

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 126**

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Why not put Kristoph's insane mind in the gutter I figured? It was so much fun to do and portray his creepy ass as perverse as well as psychotic!

Also I really wanted to portray underneath that poker face he continuously wore in Apollo Justice he is still the same sarcastic and goofy Phoenix Wright that we all know and love! XD  
Nick is such a hottie it is so offensive that people are so shocked he may have sired offspring even though Trucy is adopted that is so not the point here!

And I honestly cannot fathom who Winston Payne always defeated for those glorious seven years... he did pride himself on being the "rookie killer" so obviously...they were really dumb/ wet behind the ears lawyers who didn't know any better because as we've seen every time he faces a lawyer with even a smattering of competence he falls apart like a house made of cards!

 **Thepudz**

I'm not going to lie I was really paranoid about how this chapter would be received because two things I fear as a writer is the dreaded OOC or almost worse my story reading like nothing more than a movie script of dialogue since I was pretty much a 100% going by the canon AJ game script!

Ergo I am delighted to hear you found it entertaining. There have been a small handful of fan fictions that have covered the Turnabout Trump trial and a couple have included the creepy German sausage's point of view but I don't think I've seen any of them include Phoenix's...(let alone Trucy's or Gummy's) so I did try to make this something that hasn't been done before... it means a lot that you thought I did it JUSTICE ;)

 **DannyDragon**

Hola mi amiga musica!

Muchas gracias for the kind words about how you feel my story has grown and not only in length! :p

When I look back at my early or chapters I cannot believe I was actually able to tell the story within about two to three thousand words... It is now a double or triple that on average as we get into the heart of the story!

Moreover I'm happy you think I am doing justice to filling in the numerous plot holes from the Apollo Justice game! I can certainly see the resemblance between Apollo and Trucy isn't it funny how the perception blessed siblings have yet to pick up on their bloodline connection?!

Nothing wrong with being a perfectionist just make sure you don't get to Franziska Von Karma on us! XD

Su Inglés es aún mejor que mi español... and is improving with every review! :)

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

I'm pretty surprised somebody didn't get through Turnabout Succession – it makes up for the other crappy cases IMO. It is the only other case which I thought was decent in AJ besides Turnabout Trump. .. although it's long of course, being the final one. If anything, I thought they would have thrown in the towel with Turnabout Serenade! I'm happy you have the game though, it does have its good moments ...and it introduces us to Trucy, who don't worry, I absolutely _adore_ and as you've seen from this chapter, I didn't do anything terrible to... At least I hope _you_ think so...?

 **Chapter 125**

 **Ryszard**

I'm glad you're keeping dry. I would hate for my favorite European male reader to be getting waterlogged! :)

I was trying to say _"smoking" Bratwürste_ ala Google translator but it seems I butchered the attempted euphemism! Perhaps if I'd said... weht Bratwürste? XD

Because I looked at the preview for the special download case regarding Ace Attorney 6 the judge said something along the lines of we'll see you in the last game in the English translation... so I thought that was the reason it would be the final game. Also thought so because the Layton series ended after 6 games so I thought they would just be doing first part of a Trilogy like they did with game and then the second part with 456...Having done some background investigation work (aka spoilers) with game 6 though I don't think they will be stopping after AA... otherwise Capcom is a bunch of very very bad people!

That being said though I am going to stop this particular story at Dual Destinies and probably not incorporate the six game after finding out what I have hopefully you and my other readers will still find this to be enjoyable and somewhat  
canon (ish) up until that point :-)

This Series has some really great gems for nicknames what with Gummy and Polly we will totally forget about Feenie because I am not at all a fan of Feenris...Gah!

I personally think my favorite nickname given to an Ace Attorney character it's probably tiger... The first time Apollo called Athena that I totally failed to see any validation in the Junipollo ship... ( you didn't see Apollo asking little miss Coughs Too Much if SHE were into bondage did you?!) XD

 **Yanmegaman**

Apollo Justice's stressed out face is probably the ugliest in the entire Ace Attorney series far surpassing Phoenix's and even Miles' former raging zombie! How they managed to morph such an adorable character to resemble a species that flings its own feces at people for amusement is beyond me! XD  
Also I figured Phoenix may be the nicest guy in the world but there was no way he was not getting off on watching his longtime enemy squirming like the contemptible slug he is... so I have to throw in some ridiculous dialogue in there as well which I'm happy you appreciated... I've always been hesitant about doing trials o feedback and support like this is so appreciated my friend!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I am absolutely no expert on writing trials whatsoever, and you will not be seeing many of them from me, either in the story or any of my works going forward. This is only the second trial that I've covered in this story, the first one being the Matt Engarde one in the Justice For All game, and even then I only gave snippets of dialogue and highlighted key parts. Since this was such a pivotal point in the story, I pretty much went verbatim, but had never before had a need to include the witness testimony. Therefore, I went along with the game script in the exact same way it shows you in the game because what the heck do I know, Wright? :-)

However, having taken your feedback into consideration, I will try to alter it slightly for better flow, but alas I am not attempting to reinvent the wheel by any means, but simply gave the point of view to characters that you do not get while playing Apollo Justice, which is Phoenix Wright and Kristoph Gavin.


	128. Tarnished Illusions

_**Phoenix  
**_

 _I cry for my old self  
mourn my foolish naïveté  
hold vigil for innocence lost  
the precious gold of wasted time  
spent  
with masked devils  
who made silent mockery  
and noisy sport  
of my essence  
my sorrow is fuel  
for righteous anger  
that flickers,  
catches  
then engulfs  
turning flesh  
into ashes  
folly  
into faded memory  
misstep  
into fertile fodder  
the smoldering earth  
nurtures  
a new breed  
imparts life  
to a proud golden flower  
that sprouts  
flame-tinged wings  
and takes flight  
_

* * *

 _A/N: The AJ first trial is finally over! Longer (weekend) read but I hope a satisfying one! Next week... a long-awaited reunion... ;)_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight:** **Tarnished Illusions**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Kristoph Gavin  
**_ _District Court  
_ _Courtroom No. 2  
_ April 20, 2026, 2:45 PM

"Court will now reconvene." The judge slammed down his gavel. "Defense Attorney Kristoph Gavin, will you please take the stand. Now then, if you would, Mr. Payne?"

"Y-Y-Yes, Your Honor!" Squawked the balbutient, dripping wet with perspiration prosecutor. His eyes settled upon the hubristic German anxiously. "Er, will Mr.…er, the witness, state his name and occupation?"

The turgid defense attorney's countenance was imperturbable, although his glacial eyes were bilious as they raked the cowering older man.

Phoenix barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his opponent's vile endeavors to appear _minatory_ , even at a time like this, with _his scrawny neck on the line_! Yet that was _exactly_ what Kristoph Gavin was attempting to do! His infamous, over-inflated ego was _still_ on _prominently lofty_ display, _despite_ his pendulous position, as he actually tried to come across as _intimidating_ to those who _dared_ be defamatory to his "prominence"!

 _Unfortunately, Gavin, thanks to you,_ _ **I've** __already been_ _ **to hell** __! I have_ _ **personally** __danced with the devil in the pale moonlight. Therefore, it will take_ _ **more** __than the likes of_ _ **you** __and that pernicious, serpentine glower of yours to get_ _ **me** __to back down!_

"Is this farce necessary, Your Honor?" The recalcitrance was evident in his intonation.

"Believe me, far stranger things have gone on in this courtroom," was the judge's sincere reply, for once demonstrating surprising acumen.

 _He says, without even a_ _ **trace**_ _of_ _ **intended**_ _ **comedic irony**_ _!_ Phoenix snickered to himself. _After all, the magister has witnessed a plethora of escapades, from the_ _ **everyday**_ _to the_ _ **eldritch,**_ _within his courtroom, including, but not limited to:_ _ **defendant suicide**_ _,_ _ **parrot cross-examination**_ _,_ _ **demons being exorcised**_ _, and a_ _ **roaring, talking carrot successfully**_ _ **impersonating a defense attorney**_ _! By now, the old man could literally be the proud originator of the, "been there, done that" T-shirt!_

"Fine," Kristoph let out a meretricious, long-suffering sigh, as though he were doing them all a huge favor. "I'll play along."

"First, there's _one thing_ we _need_ to have made _clear_." The judge subjected Kristoph to a penetrating stare. "How _did_ you know about the "secret" beneath this man's hat?"

"Forgive my curiosity, but what _is_ it about this fellow's _head_?" Kristoph feigned complete innocence. "Your Honor seems to have an _inordinate interest_ in it."

 _So_ _ **that's**_ _how you want to arrogate being privy to the knowledge of Zak Gramarye being_ _ **a chrome dome**_ _beneath his hat, you_ _ **wretched shit-weasel?!**_ Phoenix's hands clenched into infuriated fists within his pockets. _Just attempt to_ _ **bloviate**_ _your way out of this_ _ **,**_ _in hopes of confusing the kindhearted, but admittedly, dimwitted, old man, who_ _ **for once,**_ _is actually on the ball?_ _ **I don't think so**_ _!_

 _"Objection!"_

There was a flabbergasted silence in the courtroom at the irate cry – followed by all present spectator's disorientated series of _simultaneous jaw_ droppings!

In the next instant, right before everyone's _astounded eyes_ , long-ago Ace Attorney Phoenix Wright, _unceremoniously_ took Kristoph Gavin's newly vacated place beside Apollo Justice as the new courtroom defense council. It was quite the sight to behold; despite his casual garb, he still positively _radiated_ that famous confident virtuousness he'd possessed circa his King of the Turnabout glory days.

"I wouldn't call it _inordinate_ , Mr. Gavin." The defendant on the witness stand was treated to a trademarked shit-eating grin by his nemesis. It was quite evident that even after a long absence from it, Phoenix was completely at ease resuming his old position behind the bench.

"Way to go, pal!" Gumshoe's eyes twinkled with admiration at his friend's moxie. "Your father sure has _a steel pair_ _of_ _cojones_ , kiddo! I gotta give him that!"

 _It's as though he'd never left!_ Trucy's heart filled with joy. _**That's**_ _where my Daddy belongs!_

"M-Mr. Wright!" The staggered Apollo gawked at his idol.

" _What_ do you think _you're_ doing, Wright?" Kristoph strove hard to appear unaffected that the _defendant_ had now become the _defender_ of his own trial! However, his visibly unsteady fingers, which were sliding his spectacles up his nose, belied his underlying skittishness.

Phoenix ignored the enquiry. His former provoking grin had graduated into a full-blown, _megawatt smile_ , which he now directed at the still gaping red attorney next to him.

"Wow, things sure look different from the _other_ side." He observed with atypical cheerfulness. "You know what I mean, Apollo?"

The stupefied rookie was still confounded to a stunned silence at this abrupt turn of events, so with a slight shrug, Phoenix pressed ahead.

"Speaking of " _looking from the other side,_ " let's consider something for a second," he went on merrily. "The victim wore that hat _all_ night, _never_ _once_ taking it off, except for that _one_ time."

"That _one_ time..." Apollo finally found his voice again. "Being the _instant he was hit_!"

 _I am now officially being tried by Sonic the Hedgehog and his sidekick, Tails!_ Kristoph's enraged disbelief was steadily growing. _And it appears that absolutely_ _ **nobody**_ _is going to raise an_ _ **objection**_ _to the fact that only_ _ **one**_ _of them actually has their_ _ **attorney's badge**_ _!_

"When Mr. Wright returned from reporting the crime, the hat was lying on the floor." Apollo was right back in the swing of things as he consulted his notes. Evidently, Phoenix's reassuring presence abreast of him was just the confidence booster he'd needed! "Mr. Wright picked it up, and placed it on the victim's head…In other words, in order to have seen Mr. Smith's bald head…you would have had to be _at the scene of the crime_ …at the _time_ _of the crime_!"

"In other words, you'd have to be _the_ _real_ _killer_ …is what you're trying to say," Kristoph remarked mildly, once again pushing his glasses back up his nose, although this time in a more menacing manner.

 _ **Good for you**_ _Kristoph!_ Phoenix's customary smirk now fully back in play. _That_ _ **correct answer**_ _earns you…_ _ **A one-way ticket**_ _to the_ _ **solitary prison cell**_ _of_ _ **your choice**_ _!_

"Not bad, Apollo," the pianist commended, beaming at the rookie lawyer. "You're _really_ on top of things now!"

Blushing slightly with pride, Apollo found himself grinning right back as he basked in his hero's praise.

 _How sweet!_ Kristoph sneered. _They're having some sort of_ _ **moment**_ _! And obviously, these_ _ **dummkopfs**_ _are thinking that they've gained the upper hand! I almost_ _ **hate**_ _to_ _ **disappoint**_ _them… Or rather, I_ _ **would**_ _if I wasn't about to serve_ _ **both their heads on a silver platter… right about**_ _…_ _ **NOW**_ _!_

Downright flummoxed, Trucy gaped at Gumshoe as the onlookers around them began chattering excitedly at this unexpected upheaval.

"Don't tell me it's all over _already_?" The puzzled magician turned to her Uncle. "Did that horrible man just _confess_?!"

 _And did I give Apollo that_ _ **magical trump card**_ _all for_ _ **nothing**_ _?!_

"I wouldn't bet on it, pal." Gumshoe's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the haughty defense attorney on the stand. "I've seen _way_ too many of these trials, and I've _always_ prepared myself to _expect the unexpected_! There's _no way_ this _nasty piece of work_ here is going to throw in the towel _just yet_! _Trust me_ on this one!"

"Eh heh heh heh…"

Gumshoe's prediction proved to be bang-on as the room was precipitously filled with the sinister cackle of Kristoph Gavin's laughter.

"Mr. Gavin?" The judge studied the presumably disturbed man with concern, undoubtedly wondering how anyone who was now _the new defendant_ on trial for _murder_ was somehow managing to find _anything_ even _marginally humorous_!

"I'm afraid that I haven't been entirely honest with the court," Kristoph confessed with sham sincerity, his unpleasant leer broadening at how taken aback both the judge and Winston Payne were upon hearing this.

 _Every evasion of justice begins with a stab in the back._ _ **You** __started this Phoenix Wright, whether you know it or not! But I promise you,_ _ **I** __will_ _ **finish** __it! Moreover, I will relish_ _ **twisting** __the very_ _ **bloody dagger handle**_ _ **you** and my **duplicitous assistant** __tried to thrust betwixt_ _ **my** __shoulder blades!_

"Oh, I assure you…" Kristoph's smooth tone took on a note of regret. "I had the _noblest_ of intentions. I did it all to protect my client, Mr. Wright. Yet I'm afraid in the current situation, I see little reason to hide anything. Very well. Allow me to tell you the truth of what happened that night."

" _Finally_!" The judge pounded his gavel. "You may begin your testimony. Tell us…How were you involved in the events of that fateful night?"

"Although we only crossed paths briefly as I was exiting the restaurant, the rage I sensed exuding from the mysterious man that night troubled me…so I returned to the club. I went down to the basement and peeked in through the little window to the Hydeout. It must have been right after the murder took place. The victim was dead, as appeared in the photo. _A bald head, an unconscious girl_ …and _**Wright**_ , _wielding a bottle in his hand_. I sensed that was not the best place for me to be at the time, so I left. _That's_ when the call came from Wright."

"So…you _witnessed_ _the murder_!?" Mr. Payne prodded hopefully, obviously wishing this _convoluted mess of a trial_ had taken a simpler turn at last! His innocuous query only earned him a malevolent glare from the new defendant, causing the high-pitched prosecutor to recoil in fright as the spectacled man was _obliged_ to now divulge the _truth_ in _that_ respect!

"For better or worse," Kristoph sighed, as though in regret, and shook his head. "I _confess_ that I _missed_ the _actual moment_ of _the deed_."

"Mr. Gavin." The forlornness of his tone was not lost on the normally obtuse judge, who eyed the defense attorney warily. "May I remind you that _you_ are on _Mr. Wright's defense team_? Your testimony is clearly _disadvantageous_ to your client!"

 _Be still my bleeding heart!_ Kristoph jeered internally. _I have no patience whatsoever for such platitudinous commentary, you foolish old man! The yearning for retribution is like a rat gnawing at my soul, relentless, unceasing. It can only be stopped by the cold steel of a rat trap, a trap, which, thanks to my_ _ **Judas assistant**_ _,_ _ **I**_ _shall now be_ _ **forced**_ _ **to devise**_ _by_ _ **myself**_ _! No matter…_ _**Selbst ist der Mann**!_

"What else can I say?" He rebutted coolly. " _I'm_ standing on the witness stand, after all."

 _You've put up one hell of a good fight Phoenix Wright, but_ _ **my superior battle armor**_ _is good and ready! **Das Glück hilft dem Kühnen!** My sword is poised to aim and __**plunge straight through your heart**_ _with_ _ **no recourse whatsoever**_ _!_ _ **This**_ _is_ _the **final curtain call**_ _of this_ _ **risible dramatic farce**_ _you've made of this trial… And it_ _ **will**_ _be the archetypal_ _ **fight to the death**_ _!_ _ **One**_ _of us_ _ **will**_ _leave this courtroom_ _ **in chains**_ _… On the path towards his_ _ **inevitable demise**_ _… Otherwise known as_ _ **execution**_ _!_

"So you _are_ , Mr. Gavin," agreed Phoenix, with that bumptious beam of his that never failed to raise Kristoph's blood pressure. "Far be it for me to argue with _the obvious_."

The irritatingly self-assertive look on his nemesis's features made a flicker of fear course through Kristoph's bloodstream. Unlike the judge, _Phoenix_ didn't seem at all daunted by his damaging testimony whatsoever! Quite the _contrary_ , actually! The crafty lawyer mentally had his defense shield in place as he braced himself for the oncoming attack, working hard on ensuring his phizog was impassive as the hateful man spoke his next words.

"And you _had_ to testify as you just did." Phoenix's smug expression grew more prominent. "You _had_ to tell them you saw the scene of the crime through that little window. You _had to say that_ …because that was the _only_ probable _window of opportunity_."

Apollo stared speechlessly at his new co-counsel, obviously less taken aback by his mentor's damning statement and more so by the staunchness of his idol's.

 _Mr. Wright was_ _ **prepared**_ _for_ _ **this**_? The red attorney was floored _._ _ **How**_ _is that even_ _ **possible**_ _?! What the_ _ **heck**_ _is he up to_ _ **now**_ _? Also…_ _ **Why**_ _do I get the feeling that I'm only here as a_ _ **figurehead**_ _now as far as being_ _ **the actual defense attorney**_ _for this trial?!_

"Right, Apollo?" Phoenix pressed, tilting his head and beaming encouragingly at the silent younger man.

Apollo nodded hesitantly, still feeling as _useless as tits on a bull_ at that moment, even as he smiled weakly in response.

The judge appeared to be reading the horn-fringed attorney's mind as he pounded his gavel.

"Mr. Wright," he stated firmly. "The _defense_ should do the cross-examination, _not_ the _defendant_!"

"Apologies, Your Honor!" Phoenix smiled benignly and put his hands submissively behind his back, as if to silently convey, _I'll be a good boy and behave …for_ _ **now**_ _!_

The judge nodded and turned back to Apollo.

"Mr. Justice, are you prepared?"

"Yes, Your Honor…" Mumbled Apollo, once again sounding quite unsure of himself. _I still can't_ _ **believe**_ _I'm_ _ **going up against**_ _Mr. Gavin! This trial keeps getting_ _ **weirder and weirder**_ _…_

 _ **Of course**_ _Kristoph's going to be a smooth operator on the witness stand!_ Phoenix told himself. _He_ _ **has**_ _to be_ _ **as slippery as an eel**_ _if he wants to stand any chance at all! I've just got to_ _ **fully**_ _ **believe**_ _in this kid_ _ **with everything I've got**_ _! I need to trust that he's not only got what it takes to_ _ **catch a tiger by the toe**_ _, but that he_ _ **won't back down**_ _,_ _ **no matter what!**_

Phoenix was not disappointed. Indeed, Apollo did _not_ back down, whatsoever. He pressed everything, not pulling any punches during the cross-examination, just as Kristoph had taught him on so many previous occasions. Conversely, Kristoph didn't back down either. He was determined to remain unflappably cool and collected until the bitter end.

The spiky-banged lawyer decided to press on Kristoph's inventory of the parties he'd witnessed being present that night: _A bald head, an unconscious girl…and Wright, holding a bottle in his hand._

" _Hold it_!" Apollo's thinking index was pressed against his forehead as he mulled over that statement. "Those were _the_ _ **only**_ _three_ at the scene of the crime?"

"Yes," Kristoph replied simply. "As far as _I_ saw, at least."

"This means we're _back where we started_!" Mr. Payne was more than happy to seize this answer with gusto. "The killer was _the defendant, Phoenix Wright_! _Who else_ could it have been?"

 _You would love nothing more than for this to be all_ _ **neatly tied up**_ _with a_ _ **bow on top**_ _, wouldn't you, Payne?_ Phoenix raised his eyebrow at the lackluster prosecutor. _Unfortunately, despite all your years behind the legal bench, you_ _ **still**_ _cannot claim to be a heuristic man in the least!_ _ **How**_ _have you_ _ **still**_ _not learned:_ _ **no trial**_ _that_ _ **involves**_ _ **me**_ _is_ _ **ever**_ _ **quick and dirty!**_

As though somehow sensing the pianist's thoughts, Mr. Payne's mug turned apprehensive and his cadence took on a meek undertone.

"But why didn't you talk to the police?" The prosecutor inquired uncomfortably.

 _I can handle that inquiry no problem!_ Kristoph assumed his most trustworthy exterior. _That's an easy one for a_ _ **pro**_ _like myself!_

"Two reasons," the blond man answered smoothly. "First, I didn't actually witness the very moment of the crime. Second, _my office_ was _asked to defend Wright_." He saw Phoenix's eyes narrow then, and leered evilly at him. "Even _after_ seeing _what I had seen_ , I couldn't very well _abandon my_ _ **good**_ _ **friend**_ , could I?"

 _You know what they say about revenge._ Beneath his pokerfaced veneer, Phoenix forced himself to take deep, even breaths as he endured his foe's nerve-grating testimony. _I don't just serve it_ _ **cold.**_ _I go for_ _ **absolute zero**_ _. Zero compassion, zero warning, and absolutely zero second chances._

"Hmm…" the judge mused, but didn't get a chance to mull any further before Apollo intervened.

" _Objection_!" The newbie lawyer's index finger pointed accusingly at his boss. "There _must_ have been _someone else_ there at the moment of the crime!"

 _You're_ _ **next**_ _, Apollo Justice_! A misty crimson vapor clouded Kristoph's vision at this latest turn in his assistant's duplicity. His need for vengeance was like an abscess on both his the skin _and_ soul, and could only be cured by the _cruel, sharp, steel point of_ _ **revenge**_ – and was now directed away from Phoenix and towards his _ex-assistant,_ whom he'd so _grossly underestimated_ when he'd taken him under his wing! _As fond as I have been of you,_ _I have positively_ _ **no qualms**_ _about_ _ **snuffing out**_ _your disloyal, ungrateful behind…_ _ **immediately**_ _after_ _ **I wipe out**_ _that_ _ **fallen hero**_ _of yours first, just to make you_ _ **suffer**_ _all the more!_

" _Justice_." Kristoph forced a tight smile over his gritted teeth. "I _just said_ I saw _no one_. Not _a soul."_

"B-But, that goes against what Mr. Wright said!" Apollo protested stubbornly, obviously taking the word of his idol to be as good as gospel.

 _Keep it up, Justice._ A roaring sensation began flooding the German's ears. _At the rate_ _ **you're**_ _going, I may change my mind and_ _ **take care**_ _of_ _ **you**_ _first!_

"Ah, yes," Kristoph deadpanned. "This mysterious "fourth person"…who would conveniently be the " _real killer_ ," I suppose."

"Glad to see we agree, Mr. Gavin." A smug smile played on Phoenix's lips as he nodded in mendacious agreement, compelling Kristoph to mentally count to ten to calm his rising temper as he hatefully glowered at the other man.

 _ **Leck mich am arsch** , Phoenix Wright!_

"Let me pose a question, then." Kristoph affixed his adversary with his most withering glare. "Tell me. What possible reason did the "real killer" have to swap cards in the victim's hand?"

Phoenix's mien never wavered, although Apollo was slightly flustered by the off-putting query. Kristoph's lips stretched into a vicious smile at the newbie's obvious uneasiness.

"Hmm?" He prompted ruthlessly, his attentions now focused on his discomfited protégé. "Perhaps _you_ can show us _a reason_ why such a thing would be necessary?"

 _How can I show something I can't find myself?!_ Apollo felt anxiety rising within him, for once getting no security from Phoenix's attempted reassuring gaze.

"Remember, Apollo," Phoenix reminded him gently. "The card that was swapped out was _the_ _fifth ace…"_

"The fifth ace." Apollo gave a jerky, puppet's nod. " _Right_."

"Well, Mr. Justice?" The judge urged. "The question of why the killer would swap out a card has been raised. Can you point to a reason?"

 _Despite his fulsome efforts,_ _ **no,**_ _the callow little imp_ _ **cannot**_ _, Your Honor!_ You couldn't have wiped off the triumphing sneer from Kristoph's smarmy frontage with a bleach-soaked sponge. _Victory is mine!_

Apollo's heart was hammering in his ribs. The card the mysterious magician girl had given him during the recess now felt as though it were _searing a hole_ in his pocket. He gulped.

 _It's now or never!_

"The defense would like to present evidence to the court…Evidence showing the reason _why_ a card was _swapped out!"_

 ** _So ein Misthaufen!_** Kristoph's Arcadian façade began to crumble at this notion which was bearing _no logical grounds_ whatsoever! _What_ _ **pile of crap**_ _is he spewing_ _ **now**_ _?!_

"Then go ahead and point out your reason, Mr. Justice," the judge commanded. " _Why_ did the killer take the fifth ace?"

" _Take that!"_ With a dramatic flourish, Apollo whipped out a card and presented it to the court, his hand trembling slightly.

 _Holy Harry Houdini, good thing I gave that to him in time!_ Out in the gallery, Trucy silently exhaled a sigh of relief. _I_ _ **knew**_ _that would come in handy as_ _ **the ultimate trump card**_ _!_

 _ **Hast du ein Wahn oder was?**!_ _There is_ _ **no way in hell**_ _that can be real, and Justice bloody well_ _ **knows**_ _it!_ Kristoph felt the blood freeze in his veins. He _recognized_ that card alright. Had seen it – and _disposed_ of it – _personally_. But _how_ did his apprentice have in his possession?! It was implausible!

"My reason is…uh… _This_!" Apollo sounded like he was slowly regaining his previous confidence now.

 _What the hell?!_ Phoenix was beyond mystified, and blinked twice, sure that his eyes were playing tricks on him. _**Where**_ _and_ _ **when**_ _that Apollo get_ _ **that**_ _?! And_ _ **why**_ _didn't he mention it to me until now?!_ _ **That's a fake**_ _! The kid is in serious danger! If anybody figures it out, he'll suffer the same fate as I did and I know Apollo doesn't deserve this! Not so early in his career! Not when he's_ _ **innocent**_ _!_

"Is that _an…ace_?" Mr. Payne was obviously as clueless as ever.

"Why…Why, it's got _blood_ on it!" The judge's eyes were the size of silver dollars. "Right _next_ to the _spade_!"

 _"Wh-Whaaaat!?"_ The shocking fright was like a knife to the gut, sharply twisting and causing the horrified Kristoph to emit _a bloodcurdling scream_ that rivaled anything that had _ever_ been released from Winston Payne's mouth!

"This is _insane_!" Gasped Mr. Payne. " _Why_ wasn't _I_ told about this!? _Why_!?"

"Could…this be…!?" The judge was utterly gobsmacked. "Could _this_ be _the missing fifth ace_!?"

The courtroom was an absolute uproar over this latest evidence.

"I can't _believe_ this!" Gumshoe exclaimed, his startled gaze shifting over to his _incomprehensibly_ – and _somewhat_ _suspiciously_ – _unsurprised_ niece! "What a twist _this_ is! It's like something out of an _M. Night_ _Shyamalan_ movie!"

"I _know_ , right?" Trucy bequeathed an angelic smile and chose _that very moment_ to conjure a small box from her magic panties, quickly popping a candy into her mouth to mask her jubilance. "Care for some chocolate covered almonds, Uncle Gumshoe?"

"Things are _nuts enough_ in this courtroom!" Gumshoe guffawed, already distracted away from the mystery card. "Got any chocolate covered _raisins_?"

" _In-Inconceivable!"_ Kristoph spluttered, nearly foaming at the mouth in his baffled rage. " _How_ could you… _What_ are _you_ doing _with that card!?"_

"Um, well, that's the thing…" Apollo began awkwardly, uncertain how to answer. He had no idea what his boss was getting so distraught about. After all it was _just_ a _fishy card_ from _some fishy girl_ … _wasn't_ it?

 _Apollo has no idea just what a loaded pistol he's holding!_ _But_ _ **I**_ _do_! The revelation came to Phoenix in a flash. His pulse was frenziedly racing as he recollected the tearful conversation he'd had with his hysterical daughter earlier that morning.

* * *

 _ **Flashback to Wright Talent Agency earlier that morning...**_

" _You have to think like a magician at times like this Daddy! Do you have some sort of plan- B style_ _ **trick**_ _up your sleeve?"_

" _ **Trick**_ _?" Phoenix eyed her warily. "I don't know_ _ **what**_ _you're thinking, baby girl, but I'm telling you,_ _ **right now**_ _, that I'm not about to stoop to any sort of_ _ **illegalities**_ _to get my name cleared!"_

 _The pianist clearly remembered begging his daughter to have faith in him, and not to worry, just as he vividly recalled her response._

" _I can't just leave this to_ _ **faith**_ _, Daddy!" Suddenly Trucy's eyes lit up, and Phoenix spotted a calculating expression in them he wasn't sure he was entirely comfortable or familiar with. "If there was no_ _ **actual**_ _evidence available to prove that you're not the culprit here, it wouldn't_ _ **hurt**_ _to have a little bit of_ _ **insurance**_ _, just to be safe, would it?"_

" _Trucy Wright…" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the gleam in those suddenly determined blue orbs. "_ _ **Whatever**_ _it is you're even_ _ **thinking**_ _about planning, I want you to remove that thought from your mind immediately! You already saw what happened to me because of being framed over forged evidence, and you should know better than_ _ **anybody**_ _how just as I am incapable of committing murder, I'm_ _ **equally**_ _ **as incapable**_ _of resorting to such a treacherous act_ , _**the**_ _ **very one**_ _which got me disbarred in the first place!"_

 _ **End Flashback  
**_

* * *

 _Trucy._ Phoenix sighed and briefly closed his eyes as waves of disappointment at his daughter's blatant disregard of his authority washed over him, which were immediately replaced by an even more overwhelming sense of protectiveness and resolve _. I'll worry about_ _ **grounding you into the next century**_ _later for disobeying me in such an outright manner! I know your heart was in the right place, and there's_ _ **no way in hell**_ _that you_ _will ever be indicted for this naughty misdeed, baby girl! Not as long as_ _ **I**_ _live and breathe!_

"Oh, that card? It's mine," Phoenix lied blithely, in as casual a voice as he could muster. "That is, I picked it up at the Borscht Bowl Club that night after the murder had occurred. I gave it to my daughter. _Cards_ are her _stock and trade_ , after all."

" _Objection_!" What had begun as a mere contortion within Kristoph's stomach became an inescapable, suffering sensation of being smothered by an icy, invisible hand. The mounting terror, which had been lying dormant, returned full throttle then, eroding both his resolution and sanity. " _N…No! Impossible_! _Unacceptable_! The court can't accept this evidence! It's a _fraud_!"

" _A fraud_?" Phoenix repeated innocently. "How can you be so sure?"

" _Wh…What?"_ Kristoph's cool was 100% annihilated, and he was flat out _snarling_ now.

"I would think the _only_ person who could claim it was _a fraud_ would be the one who took the _real_ card from the crime scene," the pianist commented idly. " _The_ _real killer_!"

The roaring in Kristoph's ears was now _deafening_. His internal fight against the urge to begin shrieking hysterically lasted just long enough to sustain him for the _next_ horror the hobo bum produced for him.

"Allow me to elaborate," Phoenix continued. "What if _this trace of blood_ was _the reason?"_

"The reason for…?" Mr. Payne was already resuming his human WetNap impersonation.

"For the killer to take the card from the scene of the crime." Phoenix was purring like the cat who had _finally_ caught the mouse. "Would _that_ be reason enough?"

"Where are you going with this?" The judge demanded.

Phoenix elucidated about how a trickle of blood had run from the victim's forehead onto the floor at the moment of the crime, and onto one of cards, his hat having fallen off his head at the moment of impact. The killer, the former attorney asserted, had taken the incriminating card _to hide the blood_.

" _Objection_!" Kristoph barked. His frantic eyes popped open so hard he couldn't have blinked if he'd _tried_ , all the while barely resisting the urge to _flee_ from that courtroom as fast as his legs could carry him! " _R-Regardless_! That evidence is _non-permissible_!"

" _Oh_?" Phoenix flashed a chilling leer that nearly stopped the defense attorney's heart.

"Wright!" Kristoph pleaded, his audible desperation growing more and more evident. " _Regardless_ of how you _wasted the last seven years_ , you _used_ _to be_ a _lawyer_! You _know_ what a _serious crime_ it is to _conceal evidence_!"

"Oh, we can discuss the finer points of our legal system later," Phoenix dismissed cheerfully. "What's important _now_ is that I've _answered your question_."

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Kristoph rasped.

"You wanted to know _why_ the killer would've taken a card from the crime scene," Phoenix shrugged. "And now, I've told you. That _one drop of blood_ would have been _decisive evidence_ , you see."

" _Objection_!" Kristoph was officially caught in his worst nightmare now, one that _no amount_ of _screaming_ could save him from! "Th-This is… _baseless conjectu_ re! _Baseless_!"

 **" _Objection_!"**

The courtroom froze in a tense silence. That cry of rebuttal from the defense bench rang loud and clear in everybody's ears. But it hadn't come from Apollo.

"Oh, I _assure_ you…" Phoenix was in full courtroom lawyer mode now as his unyielding finger pointed at Kristoph. "It's _quite_ _based_ indeed!"

At that moment, his opponent emanated such a formidable aura that Kristoph realized, with a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach, that it didn't matter _whether or not_ Phoenix Wright still had his legal badge. _Old habits died hard_ , and underneath that cheap tracksuit, the man was every bit the infallible Ace Attorney he'd always been.

" _Wh-What!?"_ The defendant stood there helplessly on the witness stand, nauseous, bug-eyed, and heart racing as his _grossly underestimated_ rival stepped up his tirade.

"It's _amazing_ , really." There was a calculating remorselessness in the midnight blue orbs that Kristoph had _never_ _dreamed_ he'd _ever_ see. "How _a single drop of blood_ on _a single card_ can lead us…to _the truth_. It's quite simple." He turned to the quiet rookie lawyer beside him. "Well, Apollo?"

"Y-Yes!?" The greenhorn stammered, unsure of what to make of any of this.

"Try picturing the scene of the crime in your head," Phoenix commanded.

The former lawyer proceeded to present a diagram to the court, showing the presumed positions of the witness, victim (who'd been found facing the table), and killer, in swivel chairs. There was a cupboard where the killer was believed to be standing. The issue of course, was that any blood falling from the body should have landed on the table _before_ him, and _not_ on the scattered cards on the floor _behind_ him. It would indicate that at the time of the murder, Shadi Smith had been facing _away_ from the table, yet _mysteriously_ , his chair had been turned around to be _facing_ it again when Phoenix had stumbled across the body.

Winston Payne appeared to be at his wits end as he weakly argued about why the victim would be turning to face the wall, which was a solid cupboard. The astute Apollo ascertained that in order for the killer to be standing where the cupboard behind the victim had been, it would've _had to mean that at the moment of the crime, the cupboard wasn't there!_

Kristoph could literally feel the breath choking in his lungs and leaving his body dry heaving, desperately trying to rid himself away from this _hellacious nightmare_ as the judge then ordered the bailiff to send a team to the crime scene, to ascertain whether or not The Hydeout _was_ in possession of a _moving cupboard_ , as the defense team claimed.

"Oh, Your Honor?" Phoenix added, in a _poisonously sweet voice_ he was undoubtedly emulating from _Kristoph himself._ "There's _one more thing_ your men should search for…"

The flaxen-haired man's jaw clenched in an effort to keep it motionless over his chattering teeth, dropping the jaw so as to breathe in more oxygen in preparation for what was to come.

What _came_ was Phoenix Wright _happily_ providing _even more rope to hang his foe with._

The beaming pianist gaily requested that the judge _also_ have the investigation team _ascertain_ _**whether or not**_ _a_ _mere observer_ claiming to be peering into the room _from the small outside window_ would _still be able to see_ what was happening… _If the moving cupboard had been pushed to the side_ and therefore, _obstructing the view from the glass_!

In the meantime, Phoenix skillfully guided Apollo to examine The Hydeout diagram, asking the greenhorn to identify the contradiction and point it out to the court.

Although visibly shaking with trepidation, Apollo scrupulously went over each and every inch of the evidence, until at last, he forcefully thumped his fists on the bench.

"Um, about this cupboard…Are we all OK with assuming it was moved?"

"Sure," Phoenix replied easily. "Why not?"

"Well, if it was, _something_ _ **really**_ _doesn't fit_!" Apollo asserted, jabbing his finger against the page. "The cupboard would _completely cover up the window to the stairs_!"

Comprehension finally dawned on the judge's frontage.

The enraged red veil which had been clouding Kristoph's vision previously was now immediately replaced by frosty darkness. It was accompanied by another tremor of dread washing over him, like bony icicle fingers sending chills up and down his spine. But it wasn't a chill of impassioned hatred this time. It was a chill of _overwhelming, undeniable, gut-wrenching_ _**fear**_ _._

"That's right!" Apollo cried. "Someone standing outside wouldn't be able to see in…" The famous courtroom finger was once again pointed right at his mentor. "Someone like… _Mr. Gavin!"_

" _Wh-What!?"_ Kristoph's arms had been folded over his chest defiantly, and were now involuntarily clutching at his suit sleeves in a death grip as his guise began to contort with rage. " _What_ did you say?"

" _Oh dear_ …" Phoenix mocked, feigning concern. "Is the _"Coolest Defense in the West"_ losing his cool?"

The enraged hatred was festering within Kristoph like a septic wound, and the only effective antibiotic would be _cold, hard_ _avengement_. He would bare this grudge until he died or took reprisal, _whichever came first!_

"Don't expect me to play along with your little game, Wright," he grinded out through gritted teeth.

"It's only a game until _someone gets killed_ , Mr. Gavin," Phoenix drawled, mouth twitching in a cunning grimace. "And _someone_ was…while _the window_ to that room _was blocked by a cupboard."_

 _ **Wärme bringt Leben, Kälte Tod. Bedenke, dass du sterben** **must** , Phoenix Wright!_

"So, Mr. Gavin," Phoenix's orbs were fiery with intensity as he again subjected Kristoph to his courtroom pointer finger. "Perhaps you'd like to _explain to the court_ …exactly _where_ did you witness the crime scene from?"

Kristoph remained frozen on the witness stand, at a complete loss for words for the first time in his entire life. Luckily, he was _saved by the bell_ in the form of the meandering courtroom bailiff making an impromptu arrival.

"Excuse me, Your Honor!" The bailiff interrupted.

" _Order_!" The judge yelled, banging his gavel. "This is a court of law and I _will_ _have order_!"

"We…We just now received word from our investigative team at The Borscht Bowl Club," the bailiff announced nervously. "They've examined the cupboard in the Hydeout, Your Honor! It turns out there _is_ a _secret passage_ behind it!"

"Whaaaaat!?" The judge nearly fell off his chair in shock.

"Ah, yes." Phoenix smirked. "I believe I mentioned something of the sort before…"

He went on to explain about the secret passage connected to the restaurant above, and had been used back in the day when underworld bosses would be fleeing from the cops… Just as the killer had.

"In other words…" Apollo affixed his mentor with a steely glare. "The _only_ place our witness could have seen the victim's bald head…was from _inside the Hydeout_! …Well, Mr. Gavin?"

 _ **Der Weg zur Hölle ist mit guten Vorsätzen gepflastert** , you little __**backstabber**_ _!_ Kristoph seethed. _**You're**_ _a_ _ **dead man**_ _walking_ _ **too**_ _, you just don't_ _ **know**_ _it yet!_

"Hmm…" the judge pondered. "Dare I ask what _really_ happened that night?"

"Actually, I think we can probably figure it out ourselves at this point," Apollo responded. "That night, for whatever reason…Our killer had a date with Mr. Smith. A date with destiny! There he crouched, hidden in the secret passageway behind the cupboard, holding his breath, waiting for just the right moment. Then the chance came…and he took it! Ms. Olga Orly was out cold, struck by Mr. Smith, but _his_ time was _soon to come_. Mr. Wright went upstairs to call the cops, leaving Mr. Smith alone in the Hydeout with the unconscious dealer. Then our killer stepped out from the secret passage and into the Hydeout."

"The victim must have heard the cupboard sliding aside," Phoenix added. "He wheeled around in his chair, looked, and… _thunk_. After the deed was done, the criminal must have seen the blood on the card. He would have, of course, realized that he needed to destroy the evidence. That _single spot of blood_ told the whole story of the crime."

"Too bad he didn't linger any longer in the Hydeout that night!" Apollo gloated. " _If_ he _had_ , he might have noticed _the cards on the floor_ …And the fact that _they were all_ _ **red**_ _!"_

There was complete pandemonium in the courtroom as the formerly accusing eyes in the gallery that had been turned on Phoenix Wright as the culprit were now glaring at Kristoph Gavin.

The shamefaced German lowered his head, recoiling at the judgmental stares from the very people that had always gazed upon him with reverence and admiration. He visibly wilted at the sight of their disgusted glares, all conveying they now saw the renowned defense attorney as nothing more than a _loathsome, contemptible_ _**criminal**_.

 _ **Besser arm in Ehren als reich in Schanden.** I realize this now. Perhaps…this is what Phoenix Wright has always known._

"That's right, Daddy!" Trucy crowed, raising her arms in the air victoriously. " _Once_ an Ace Attorney, _always_ an Ace Attorney!"

"See that, pal?" In the next instant, the magician and Gumshoe simultaneously jumped out of their seats and exchanged a high five. "Your Daddy doesn't _need a lousy badge_ to do a _complete turnabout_ after all!"

"Well." The judge pounded his gavel thrice. "It seems this trial…has taken yet another turn." He shook his head sorrowfully at Kristoph. "I'm truly, truly sorry I had to see this day come, Mr. Gavin."

The alarm had now morphed into panic. It started out as thin cellophane, something Kristoph's fingers could pierce breathing holes in. In another minute the panic became a horror, a deluge of ice water surrounding his every limb, creeping higher until it passed his mouth and nose. That's when the full-blown attack became absolute, shutting his body down as fast as punching a biochemical reset button.

"Mr. Gavin…?" Apollo said tentatively, noticing his boss had turned a most _putrid_ shade of _verdant_.

 _What do_ _ **you**_ _want, Benedict Arnold?!_ Kristoph was literally dry heaving at this point as he frenetically wracked his brain for some sort of escape clause.

"Mr. Payne!" The judge snapped.

"Yeeeearrrk!?" Sweat-dropped Mr. Payne. "Ahem. Yes, Your Honor?"

"The prosecution will continue its investigation!" Declared the judge. "As for Mr. Phoenix Wright, the defendant, he is hereby cleared of all suspicion!"

Mr. Payne recoiled in shock.

The judge somberly turned to Kristoph.

"Believe me when I say I don't believe this is happening, Mr. Gavin. But I'm afraid circumstances call for me to issue a warrant for your arrest. Immediately."

"Thank heavens it's all over…" Trucy sighed, but Gumshoe seemed troubled.

"I think we may have celebrated _a bit too soon_ , pal." The police Chief's brows knitted with concern as he surveyed the unyielding witness. "That sure _isn't_ the mug of _a defeated man_ I'm seeing over here…"

The big man was not mistaken, as within the next moment, a loud, indignant cry filled the courtroom.

" _Objection_!" Kristoph shouted wrathfully, having miraculously gotten his second wind as a last-minute plan germinated within his mind. "Oh, no need to _apologize_. I rather _enjoyed_ myself. It's not every day you get to witness _a legendary attorney's_ _**dirty tactics**_ _firsthand_ …"

"Your _point_ , Mr. Gavin?" Phoenix was beyond incensed. _Jesus Christ, the tenacious son of a bitch just doesn't know when to quit,_ _ **does**_ _he?!_

"Frankly, Your Honor, I'm _shocked_!" Kristoph played the air of outraged dignity card. " _Shocked_ that a person _of your caliber_ would be taken in by such a _low-grade parlor trick_!"

"Erm…Excuse me?" The judge was utterly lost, as was tradition.

 ** _Die beste Verteidigung ist der Angriff._**

"The defendant is "cleared of all suspicion"…?" Kristoph growled, his virtuous façade now vanquished. "This is hardly the time for jokes, Your Honor. Mr. Wright hasn't proven anyone's guilt or innocence here. What he has done is use illegal evidence to pin the blame on someone else! And not just anyone else, but _me_ , his _own defense attorney_!"

"Illegal evidence?" The judge echoed vacuously.

" _Objection_!" Phoenix interjected. "Let me ask you, Mr. Gavin…Is there still any reason, at present, to suspect me of wrongdoing?"

 _This is my last chance_. Kristoph thought distraughtly. _I still have_ _ **one final card**_ _of my own to play…_

"How do you intend to explain away the fingerprints on the murder weapon?" He countered. "And not just _any_ fingerprints. Am I right, Mr. Payne?"

"Er, a-actually, yes," stuttered Mr. Payne. "The fingerprints on the bottle were, erm, upside down."

"The court and this case demand an explanation!" Kristoph ordered. "I can only think of one reason a person would hold a bottle upside-down…And that is to hit someone with the bottom of the bottle. Well?"

"Perhaps the defense would care to enlighten the court?" The judge turned to Apollo. "What evidence do you have to explain why the fingerprints on the bottle are upside-down?"

Kristoph smiled arrogantly to mask his quaking innards, all the while hoping against hope that the rookie would finally choke and splutter like a dying engine on the fumes of defeat at last, but alas, it was for naught.

Once again, he had sorely undervalued what an unstoppable force to be reckoned with the combined team of Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice were together.

With the former attorney's coaxing guidance, Apollo was able to figure out that the reason Phoenix's upside down fingerprints were on that bottle was because the grape juice had been on the floor next to him, and that his fingers had naturally picked it up that way when he had lifted it to his lips… _By the neck of the bottle!_ The photo of Phoenix sitting by the piano next to Shadi Smith with the grape juice bottle down by his feet was all the evidence that was required to prove his theory.

It was _then_ that the German realized at that point that you may as well have _stuck a fork in him_ , because _he was_ _ **done**_!

 ** _Man sieht am Ende wohl, Wie man es loben soll._**

Unfortunately, it seemed his agony would not be over so quickly, as the deplorable fiend that was Phoenix Wright had _yet_ to present the _final nail_ for his _coffin_!

It turned out that the pianist had requested an additional investigation from the judge, not _only_ to check _about the secret passage_ , but _also to retrieve the bottles from under the piano_ at the Borscht Bowl Club!

Upon Phoenix's prodding, the diligent Apollo examined _one particular bottle_ , and gasped as he pulled out the _proverbial Five of Hearts_ playing card… The _very same card_ Phoenix had found planted on his person by Olga Orly, which he had _disposed of before the game_!

"Didn't I tell you Apollo, _that bottle_ would _solve this case once and for all_?" Phoenix flashed the saucer-eyed newbie a cheeky grin. "The Five of Hearts... _This_ is the card!"

 _The thoughts are accelerating inside my head. I want them to slow so I can breathe, but they won't._ The trepidation began coursing through Kristoph's veins. _My breaths come in gasps and I feel like I will black out. My heart is hammering inside my chest like it belongs to a rabbit running for its skin._ _The room spins and I yearn to squat on the floor and try to make everything slow down to something my brain and body can cope with…_

"The bottles _were swapped_." Phoenix's powerful vocalization was more strident than even Apollo's Chords of Steel had ever allowed him to be as he dealt the _finishing, victorious thrust_ to his foe. "And the _only_ _one_ who could have done that was _the fourth_ person in the club that night…" His indigo orbs were burning with _uncontestable loathing_ as he pointed his famous courtroom finger at Kristoph for the final time. "Was _you_ , Mr. Kristoph Gavin!"

The silence in the courtroom following Phoenix Wright's irrefutable final accusation was _downright deafening._

Trucy hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath up until that point, until she felt Gumshoe softly shake her by the shoulder, forcing her to release the pent-up air in her lungs as she anxiously awaited the outcome of her father's declaration.

In the immediate aftermath, all of Kristoph's unbridled distresses came tumbling out, unchecked by his brain. He was in some kind of mental free-fall, unable to analyze things or assess risk. Phoenix's biting words bounced off him like hard rain, and he was trapped by the former Ace Attorney's cold, unrelenting stare, unblinking and defiant.

 _Have a nice_ _ **life**_ _…_ _ **sentence**_ _, Gavin, you supercilious, conniving,_ _ **murdering**_ _rat-bastard!_

There was a distant, faraway haze in Kristoph's eyes as he took a small a few steps backwards, bumping slightly into the judge's bench behind the witness stand, as though he hadn't been expecting it. His head rolled with the impact of his enemy's allegation, his icy blue orbs now glazed over. His breathing seemed all wrong as he began to gasp as if there wasn't enough oxygen in the room.

Apollo cast a timorous glance at his employer, and felt slightly spooked at what he saw in place of his superior's normally stoical countenance.

Kristoph Gavin's crazed orbs beheld something Apollo had _never fathomed seeing_ on an _actual person_! It was something he'd only witnessed in horses' eyes whenever he and Clay had gone to visit his best friend's grandparents on the ranch as youths. It was how the freshly untamed stallions initially were when they were brought in for training; _unhinged_ , _feral_ , downright _wild_ , not even knowing what _people_ were.

 _That identical_ _ **cornered**_ _look…that_ _of a_ _ **crazed**_ _,_ _ **wild animal**_ _…it doesn't belong on his phizog. Or_ _ **any**_ _ **human being's**_ _face!_ Apollo swallowed the remorseful lump in his throat, knowing he had contributed to his boss's untimely downfall. _It both saddens and scares me. Mr. Gavin's always been so cool, calm and collected. Imperturbable, the one who always knows what to do. Never did I ever imagine the day would come when I would be seeing my mentor helplessly bent over double, hands on his knees, as though struggling to regulate his breathing…._

Kristoph felt his ribs heaving, as if bound by ropes, straining to inflate his lungs. His head was a carousel of fears spinning out of control, each one pushing his mind into blackness. He wanted to run; he needed to freeze. Sounds that he knew were near still felt away, as though he were no longer in the body that remained, standing but unmoving, as if thoroughly paralyzed, on that witness stand.

 _ **How**_ _could this happen to_ _ **me**_ _of all people?!_ He silently screamed. _How could I have_ _ **possibly**_ _have been foiled by the likes of a complete_ _ **schwachkopf**_ _like Apollo Justice and his equally_ _**schwachsinniger**_ _hero, Phoenix Wright?! Mein Gott…Apollo…_ _ **jemandem hörner aufsetzen,**_ _for crying out loud!_

 _I never thought I would ever revel in another man's misery with such unabashed, uncontained_ _ **ecstasy**_ , the ex-attorney reflected, unable to control the triumphant smirk curving his lips upward at the defeated, lost deer in headlights look on Kristoph's visage. _Does that make me_ _ **a bad guy**_ _in the end? Or does it simply make me_ _ **human**_ _?_

"That'll be all, Your Honor," Phoenix concluded, his beam only widening at the hostile, baleful sparks Kristoph's hate-filled orbs were shooting in his direction, incensed cerulean eyes wider than any sane person's should be. "I too, have _enjoyed this dance_ , my _friend_."

That was when Kristoph Gavin completely lost his famous cool, composure, and _any and all_ _**semblance of control**_. Like a deranged and primitive caveman, his fists of fury thundered down upon the witness stand as he let out a roar of such ear-splitting rage, it barely seemed _human_.

Apollo, Mr. Payne and the judge all seemed overwhelmed at the ferocious display, while the peaceful Phoenix remained entirely unaffected, still wearing that shit-eating grin.

After the pugnacious breakdown had subsided, the German's intonation came out, thin and distant.

"Is this your idea of _revenge_ , Phoenix Wright?"

" _Revenge_?" The judge was taken aback.

"Revenge for the events that took away your attorney's badge seven years ago?" Kristoph was literally trembling with the force of his unconstrained wrath.

 _Was that a confession?_ Phoenix wondered idly, his fingers tightly gripping around his ever present magatama in his sweatshirt pocket. _Or just purely rhetorical contemplation beneath the raging insanity?_

"My past is like my logic," the ex-attorney replied calmly, watching his antagonist dispassionately. "Straight and true. Nothing's changed. All I did was point the finger of _justice_ in the proper direction." He cracked a sideways grin at the still-shaken Apollo, who could only manage a sickly grin in response.

"Fine." Kristoph smiled tightly. "I'm _glad_ we could have this _little tête-à-tête_ , Wright."

The sinister fiend was so lost in his odious thoughts towards his enemy that the judge's response was distorted, a blur amongst his thoughts as time seemed to slow to a crawl until the old man ordered the defense attorney to be taken out of the courtroom. That was when Kristoph mentally snapped again.

 _You are the_ _ **bane of my existence**_ _, Phoenix Wright! **Die großen Fische fressen die kleinen!** This isn't over, you __**kackfass**_ _!_ _ **Not**_ _by a_ _ **long shot…**_

The bailiff dragged Kristoph away, to wait in a separate chamber, and would be given his sentence following the conclusion of the trial. By that point the depleted man was officially too drained to even bother struggling. He could only stare into the empty space into a future that had never seemed more bleak, hopeless, and desperate. His career, his future, his hopes and dreams…everything was gone.

 ** _Man muß die Dinge nehmnen, wie sie kommen._**

All his successes, his fears and ambitions, they now belonged to a distant past. He had been drained of all emotion, cold and empty like the darkness of his future prison cell.

 _It's finally over. Justice has been served at last._ Phoenix released a long-waited breath of reprieved liberation and closed his eyes against the stinging sensation behind his lids. _Praise and thanks to the good Lord, it's really, and truly, over._

Back in the gallery, the elated but emotional Trucy had collapsed, sobbing with sheer relief, into Gumshoe's arms while he held her tightly, his own eyes slightly misty with happy tears for his dear friend as well.

"It's really over, Uncle Gumshoe," the teen whispered, gazing up at him with shining, teary eyes. "My – my Daddy isn't going to be taken away from me!"

"As if that were ever _really_ a concern!" Gumshoe laughed, lightly tapping her on the nose. "Have faith in your old man, will you, kiddo? I bet you two have a lot of celebrating to do tonight!"

 _Oh great Merlin's beard!_ Trucy realized in horror as her Uncle's words hit home. _Tonight … Gah! Daddy doesn't even know that I'm_ _ **here**_ _! Well he_ _ **might**_ _know_ _ **now**_ _, since he totally_ _ **took one for the team**_ _when it came to_ _ **that card**_ _Apollo presented! He's not stupid… I'm sure he figured out where it came from, and that I'm not in school like I'm supposed to be! As much as I hope he'll be so happy about being a free man that he'll_ _ **forget**_ _about the fact that I_ _ **disobeyed**_ _him… Do I_ _ **really**_ _want take that risk?!_

"Um, _sure_ we will, but it'll have to be _after_ I'm done _work_!" She trilled, pulling out of Gumshoe's arms with a sunny smile. "In fact, I'd better head on over _now_ if I don't want to be late!"

" _Uh-huh_ …" The Chief shot her knowing _look_. "It will be rush-hour now as its end of workday, so how about I give you a lift over to The Wonder Bar as soon as the judge announces his verdict?"

Back in the courtroom, Mr. Payne announced that Kristoph had confessed everything, and that additional investigation would need to be done to ascertain "the traveler" Shadi Smith's, true identity as well as his mysterious connection to Kristoph Gavin.

"Very good." The judge turned away from the prosecutor, his dark eyes twinkling as he beamed down at his favorite former defense attorney. "It's been seven years Mr. Wright, but I'm glad to see that you still haven't lost your touch."

"Thank you, Your Honor." Phoenix gave the kindly old man a genuine smile, then chuckled ruefully. "Kristoph Gavin was a man of _much significance_ to me… both as a _friend_... and a lawyer."

 _In more ways than anyone will ever know, and none that I'm choosing to further elaborate on in this courtroom…_

"He was extremely talented, to be sure." The judge lamented sadly. "Such a waste."

" _ **A waste"**_ _…Sure, let's go with_ _ **that**_ _, shall we? It might be too soon for me to start spewing parables such as…_ _ **"And God's Justice be done…"**_

"I needed two things before I could confront him: the first was a place where no injustice would be tolerated... This courtroom. The second was a man who would tolerate _no injustice_..." Phoenix turned away from the judge then, his gentle eyes falling on the still awestruck greenhorn. "In other words, a defense attorney. _You_ , Apollo."

"Me...?" Apollo blushed adorably at having been singled out by his icon in such a manner.

"A dark time is coming for our legal system," Phoenix intoned mysteriously, his gaze never leaving Apollo's. "A _twisting of justice_ brought on by our very own court system. _We_ _have to set it right."_

"Mr. Wright..." Apollo appeared slightly overwhelmed by all this.

"Our work lies ahead of us..." Phoenix treated his 'sidekick' to his most disarming smile. "And I, for one, am looking forward to it."

"Well, this seems as good a time as any to announce my verdict!" The judge announced jovially. "The court finds the defendant, Mr. Phoenix Wright…NOT GUILTY! Court is now adjourned!"

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice_**  
 _District Court,  
Defendant Lobby No. 3_  
April 20, 2026 4:28 PM

As Phoenix followed him outside into the lobby, he noticed Apollo appeared to be more pensive than celebratory about his very first courtroom victory. He supposed it made sense, considering the poor kid had just watched his mentor be _hauled off in handcuffs_ , and was _partially responsible_ for it, even if _Phoenix himself_ had been the _underlying cause_ of the _whole effect_!

The lawyer's visage was downright _glum_ , and now that they were alone together at last, the former attorney found himself a loss for words about how to make things better. What _could_ one possibly say to the boy whom he'd essentially _been stalkin_ g since his university days for the last couple of years, and who had _literally_ just _saved his life_?

"Thanks, Apollo," he said sincerely. "You came through, just like I thought you would."

"You're welcome, Mr. Wright." Apollo's cheeks reddened, and he awkwardly scratched his head in that typical endearing fashion. "Ultimately though, I'm pretty sure _I_ didn't _do a thing_ in there! It was _you_ who cornered Mr. Gav… The killer!"

Now it was _Phoenix_ _'_ _s_ turn to have flushed cheeks at the offhand remark, a not-so-subtle reminder that he _had_ essentially _monopolized_ almost all of the defense time behind the bench, and essentially just _lawyered by proxy,_ as _he_ _'_ _d_ essentially defended _himself_!

"I couldn't have done it myself," he insisted warmly. "It was _you,_ Apollo. _Your_ innate sense of… _things awry_ , which really sealed the deal in the end. _You_ sensed it today, didn't you? Your _ability?_ "

Apollo just regarded him in confusion, and Phoenix explained, without giving too much away, that the red attorney possessed a sensitivity that even he _himself_ lacked, which he assured the rookie he'd come to understand soon enough.

The greenhorn asked the $64,000 question, which was _why_ Kristoph Gavin would've committed murder, to which Phoenix simply responded that perhaps someday, Apollo would learn the answer to that, and heavily hinted that _his locket_ would be the key to all of it.

"Huh? Oh, that reminds me, I met the girl whose picture is in your locket," Apollo recollected then. "Your... daughter, right?"

 _Dammit!_ Phoenix cursed inwardly. _So it **was** Trucy who gave him that bloody ace card! It_ _'_ _s one thing to have **suspected** as much, but **another** to have just had it **confirmed**! That girl is in **so much trouble** when I get my hands on her! But first, I_ _'_ _ve got to **extensively cover her tracks** so her **secret elder brother** never finds out how **deceptively sneaky** his well-intentioned little sister can be, and starts to resent her **right out of the gate**! _

"That's right. She's my daughter," Phoenix responded monotonously, his friendliness vanishing within the next instant. "You know, you were right about this locket." The statement only earned him a blank stare, so he continued with his own self-character assassination. "I took this off his neck the night he died. But it appears like our little swindling "Russian" _devotchka_ saw me."

He shrugged offhandedly as Apollo's eyes widened with incredulity.

"So the truth is, this locket really _did_ belong to him."

"Wait! But that's _perjury_!" Apollo gasped in dismay. "You _testified_! You _said_ that locket was _yours_!"

"I said no such thing, actually." Phoenix's full pokerface was in effect, sardonic eyebrow arched at the lawyer's aghast expression. "I merely said that it was "a locket" with my daughter's picture inside. A _subtle_ distinction, but a _distinction_ none the less. And it's _the truth_."

Apollo's features transformed from bewilderment to one of reluctant admiration, which only frustrated Phoenix even more. He didn't _want_ , nor did he _deserve_ , this young man's reverence! Especially not since the whole point of his confession had been to **_teach_** Mr. Innocent Wide-Eyed Bambi Eyes _just how easy it was to twist the truth without actually lying_! And you didn't even have to be _a_ _lawyer_ to do it!

The red attorney, of course, then wanted to know why the victim would've been wearing a picture of Trucy around his neck, to which Phoenix gamely replied that sometimes the path to the truth wasn't always the best one.

"Give it time," the pianist told him kindly. "It'll come to you eventually. You have a ways to go after all, as you're still just getting started with your career."

"Speaking of which …" Apollo's horns drooped dejectedly. "I may be out of a job. I work for Gavin Law Offices, after all. I mean, I _was_ …"

"How about coming to work for me?" Phoenix suggested. He couldn't imagine a better way for Trucy and Apollo to get to know each other better, in hopes that perhaps they would someday _sense_ their shared blood ties, what with their mutual perception abilities.

"Eh!? You mean... at the Wright & Co. Law Offices!?" Apollo's eyes lit up like stars. _Wait till I tell Clay about **this**!_ "I mean... there's not a single attorney in my generation that doesn't know it!"

Even though Phoenix was touched by the greenhorn's fervent eagerness, he was also slightly chagrined by it. While he had anticipated some minor gratitude for the offer, he certainly hadn't expected the kid to act as though he'd _won the lottery_ at the concept of working with his _newly law-breaking_ teenage magician daughter, and a _disbarred ex-attorne_ y! Or perhaps Apollo had _forgotten_ about the _latter situation_ with his hasty acceptance?

"I can't imagine _that_ to be true," the former attorney replied humbly. "But… You know that it's not called Wright  & Co. Law Offices anymore, right? We're now the Wright Talent Agency. My daughter, as you know, is a magician...and as I testified earlier in court… I'm now just a piano player."

"Wait…" Apollo frowned as Phoenix's blunt reminder of his current circumstances slightly hosed down his burning enthusiasm. "But didn't you...You're not a..."

"Oh, I turned in my badge, yes." Phoenix succinctly answered the query the Apollo was too polite to ask. "I'm not an attorney anymore."

"Have you ever thought about coming back to the courts?"

"I'm... not qualified to stand in a court of law, I'm afraid." Once again, Phoenix was wholly telling the truth, albeit not one he was going to fully disclose to Apollo, or _anybody_ , just yet.

After all, _how_ could he possibly be an officer of the court again, when not only was his name still unclear of forgery, but he had a daughter with a tendency to sacrifice _legality_ over _legitimacy_? As her sole caregiver, it was _his_ responsibility to get her issues sorted first, so she would be saved, and had a chance for a brighter future before he could focus on his own life and ambitions again.

Plus, at the moment, Trucy was also currently still deeply tangled in the heirloom issues of Troupe Gramarye. He was her father and she needed his protection. The world of the Gramayres was one of intrigues, betrayal and lies, and one where everyone had no choice but to keep hidden trump cards to prevail. As long as Phoenix was still entangled in this mess, he knew he'd have to be resorted to trickery and even occasional lies. In that state, not only was it best for Apollo not to trust him, he also wouldn't trust _himself_ in court!

Apollo was eyeing him wearily now, obviously trying to understand what that cryptic sentence meant, so Phoenix determined _a gentle tap_ just wouldn't suffice, and opted to go with _the full sledgehammer_.

"Didn't you notice in today's trial?" Phoenix assumed his best smug countenance, the one he knew had driven Kristoph Gavin to near madness in the courtroom that day. "There was a single piece of _forged evidence._ _"_

 _"Forged evidence!?"_ Apollo paled, seeming as though he were going to be sick. "Wh-What are you talking about!?"

"I'm talking about evidence that shouldn't have existed. A naughty magician's trick." Phoenix didn't even flinch as Apollo presented him with the bloody ace, nodding his confirmation that the attorney had been right to be suspicious about that piece of evidence. "That card couldn't have been found at the crime scene. Why? Because the killer took it with him when he left. Leaving the wrong card in its place... luckily for us."

He dropped his chin then, causing his beanie brimmed to hide his eyes. Despite the fact that he'd perfected his indifferent countenance over the years, if the perceptive Apollo were to scrutinize his idol's features, he might possibly get clued into the fact that Phoenix was subjecting him to _the ultimate snow job._

"My verdict was already handed down... seven years ago."

 _Which is why I don_ _'_ _t care what happens to me if they figure it out. I **already** have **one forgery** I didn't commit on my record. Better that have **another one** there than to lose Trucy, or get Apollo into trouble for presenting forged evidence. The kid deserves to know that the evidence was fake, and learn never to just accept evidence from anywhere again without double checking. This is going to be a **tough love, crash course** in education, all to protect my daughter, while protecting Apollo as well in the process, even though he_ _'_ _s going to **hate my guts** when I_ _'_ _m done. Better **me** than **his sister**. And sometimes, you need to be a bit disillusioned to make the right decisions in life. _

"Then... You _really_...?" Apollo whispered faintly, not wanting to believe his ears.

 _I need to **pound** this into his **thick, Pollyanna skull!** This kid is never going to find his own style and his own path if he keeps clinging to the illusions of **the man I used to be**. I need him to **stop** being a **Phoenix Wright fan boy** , and cease viewing both **me and this corrupt legal system** of ours, consequently, in any sort of **idealistic light**. Doing that means I'm __going to have to show him **the darkness** first. Sometimes, you have to be cruel to be kind. This greenhorn is exactly the same kindhearted, na_ _ï_ _ve champion of justice that **I** used to be **once upon a time.** He's __got what it takes to change things for the better for the legal system_ _–_ _hell, **for the** **world**! But he's __got to learn some valuable, but harsh, life lessons first._

"Yes." A heartless sneer formed on Phoenix's smooth visage and he leaned forward, orbs bearing straight into Apollo's. " ** _I_** _forged this car_ d. One look at the crime scene should've _told you_ it _wasn't real._ "

"But... But you can't do something like that and call yourself an attorney!" Apollo was aghast.

"Who's calling themselves an attorney, Apollo?" Phoenix taunted, his eyes cold. "Didn't _I just tell you_ that I _turned in_ my _badge_?"

"So it's _true_!" Apollo's welling eyes narrowed as Phoenix continued to goad him with his smarmy expression, obviously uncaring about the fact that he had just utterly _devastated_ the boy who'd admired him above anything in the whole world. The angry betrayal began hissing through his body like an unfamiliar toxin as his _rose-colored glasses_ regarding the man he'd idolized since his adolescent days _finally **shattered**_. "The _rumors_ that I kept on _denying_ , and _never wanted to believe_ … are actually _true_!"

"None of that matters much now, does it?" Phoenix cocked an eyebrow while shrugging dismissively. He appeared to be either oblivious or just taciturnly uncaring to the fact that Apollo's eyes were now literally red from withholding his burning tears as his mounting anger finally consumed him, engulfing his morality and destroying the boundaries of his loyalty, screeching a demanded release in the form of _unwanted violence_. "What's done is done. No use crying over spilt milk."

" _Nnngh...Grrrraarrrgh!_ _"_ That was the breaking point of Apollo Justice's patience. At that moment, the young man was blinded by a five-course serving of rage that tasted bitter, yet surprisingly _satisfying_ , as he _hauled off and punched_ his former hero, Phoenix Wright, _right_ in his _lying, unsuspecting, smirking_ **_kisser_**!

Phoenix barely staggered from the unexpected blow, although a slight red mark was already forming against one tanned, chiseled, stubbly cheekbone.

"It's your story from here on out, Apollo." He tilted his head down, so once again the red attorney could not see his mien, although his cadence was calm and level. "Perhaps I can help you turn the next page..."

Apollo felt absolutely miserable, as though he were still about to burst into tears. He'd gotten _no gratification whatsoeve_ r from the fact that he had just _struck another human being_ , the _first_ time he had ever done such a thing in his entire life. And _of all people_ , it'd been _Phoenix Wright_ – the _reason_ he'd become _a lawyer_ in the _first place_! –irrespective that he'd _surely_ _deserved_ it – whom he had just _squarely sucker-punched_ **_in the face_**!

Without warning, the ex-attorney simply _smiled_ then, and handed Apollo his office card, calmly telling him to drop by whenever he wished, if he so chose.

"Mr. Wright..." The young man choked, his voice thick with unshed tears. "I – I –"

 _Don_ _'_ _t look so sad, Apollo. We are not enemies. We are just hostile to each other because of our different views and opinions for now._

"Oh, about your uppercut... Try yelling, _"Take that!"_ next time. I find it packs _a little more **punch**_." Phoenix then flashed Apollo one final shit-eating grin, revealing he bore zero hard feelings about being _unceremoniously decked_. "And Apollo, thanks for today. I had a good time."

With those as his final parting words, Phoenix turned and left the courthouse, leaving a bewildered, enlightened and heartbroken Apollo Justice in his wake.

 _Take care, kid. I_ _'_ _m sure someday, our paths will be destined to cross again.  
_

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright  
_** _Wright Talent Agency  
_ April 20, 2026 6:00 PM

"Now I _truly_ know the meaning of _hollow, worthless victory_ ," Phoenix dragged his fatigued body into his apartment and sagged down on the sofa on the lower level of the agency. "I just spent the last _hour_ on public transit, during noisy and polluted rush-hour, because Gumshoe, who I thought was going to drive me home, seemed to have _conveniently disappeared_! Therefore, I had the last sixty minutes or so to mull over the fact that I am, if naught else, at least a free man, who was not wrongfully incarcerated, and I should be happy that I helped put the rightful bad guy in jail where he belongs."

He groaned and yanked his beanie down over his eyes in an effort to block out the whole rotten world.

"But at _what cost_ , exactly? How am I any better off than I was seven years ago when I lost my badge? On the _same_ day that I managed to be found not guilty of homicide, I _also_ managed to find out that my lovable, well-meaning daughter is unwittingly _a_ _law-breaking outlaw_ in the making. On top of that, the sweetest, kindest young man I've ever met in my entire life, whom I've unwittingly rendered jobless in my quest for justice, who once thought the world of me, now _despises me_ with _every fiber_ of _his being_! _Good times indeed_!"

"Seven years later, _I_ can see you still have the _same atrocious fashion sense_ **_now_** that you did back **_then_**!" A _very familiar_ voice mocked suddenly, from the above vicinity of Phoenix's head. "For the record, I can ascertain just _how_ volatile the nature of hatred you have inspired within this young man, if that _charming_ _red bruise_ along your jawline is anything to go by! I would also like to state, in an effort to soothe your apparently frazzled mind, that Trucy is still a _minor_ , and therefore exempt from being _tried as an adult_ and would probably only get a slap on the wrists for her mystifying _misdeeds_."

 _Amazement_ didn't quite cover it. Phoenix felt as if someone had just taken his long ago **_extinguished_** _spark_ _of wonder_ , _reignited_ it, and then _poured on kerosene_!

After having just endured _the day from hell_ , the sound of that _cherished cadence_ was _music_ to _Phoenix_ _'_ _s ears_. It was like a burst of sunshine forming in his eardrums, as his hat was still covering his eyes when he first heard it so he couldn't immediately see the source.

The exaltedness he displayed on the outside couldn't _even come close_ to adequately reflecting what he felt _glimmering within_ ; it was like every neuron of his brain was trying to fire in both directions at once – the best kind of paralysis – which meant it took another second or two for the new information to sink it, even though it _was right before his eyes_ , _larger than life_ , and staring down at him with that _ever-indomitable_ , _trademarked smirk._

"After all this time, you _really_ should be rest assured that _I_ would _never_ allow _any court in the world_ to lay a hand on your absolute _gem of a daughter_." There was a twinkle of amusement in those venerated eyes Phoenix had so _desperately missed_. "Surely you're not _that_ much of a _fool_ … _are_ you, _Wright_?"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix – Poem by Kisha Solomon**_

Translations:

 _Selbst ist der Mann._  
Translation: If you want a thing done right, do it yourself.

 _Leck mich am arsch_  
Translation: Lick my ass!

 _Das Glück hilft dem Kühnen!_  
Translation: Luck helps the audacious.

 _So ein Misthaufen!_  
Translation: So a dunghill

 _Hast du ein Wahn oder was?_  
Translatuon: Do you have a delusion or what

 _Wärme bringt Leben, Kälte Tod._  
Translation: Warmth brings life, coldness death.

 _Bedenke, dass du sterben musst._  
Translation: Remember that you are going to die.

 _Der Weg zur Hölle ist mit guten Vorsätzen gepflastert_  
Translation: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

 _Besser arm in Ehren als reich in Schanden._  
A good name is better than riches

 _Die beste Verteidigung ist der Angriff._  
Translation: Attack is the best form of defense.

 _Man sieht am Ende wohl, Wie man es loben soll._  
Translation: The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

 _jemandem hörner aufsetzen_  
Translation: You have horns on your head!

 _schwachkopf_  
Translation: dimwit

 _schwachsinniger_  
Translation: feebleminded

 _Die großen Fische fressen die kleinen!_  
Translation: The big fish eat the little!

 _kackfass_  
Translation: platter of shit

 _Man muß die Dinge nehmnen, wie sie kommen._  
Translation: One must accept things as they come.

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 127**

 **DannyDragon**

It's nice to have somebody tell me that they understand the horrible things Kristoph is thinking about Phoenix in German! I'm glad I got that Wright! XD

I think most of us have a little bit of OCD it just makes us really good at what we do since we care so much about details... You have no idea how many times I will go over it after I have posted to look for any last minute typos or spelling errors I may have made even punctuation errors... it means you would get along perfectly with Apollo who I think is a bit of an OCD character among his many quirks!

I am glad you enjoyed Trucy's perceptions can actions along with gumshoe point of view did you ever watch the show The Muppets... Do you remember the two grumpy judges who were always giving their unsolicited their two cents? I was picturing the little magician and her uncle mindlessly munching on snacks and giving similar commentary (although much less snarky) on all the drama surrounding them in that courtroom! LOL

P.S. _mi amiga musica_ it does not surprise me in the least that your awesome self would both know and appreciate Tom Petty! :-)

 **ThePudz**

It is so great to get positive feedback on something I admittedly I'm not used to doing and I was worried if I was doing well because I didn't want this just coming across as a rehashing of the game so thank you very much dear friend! Also it is giving me such perverse pleasure to make the creepy German sausage baste in his own juices on the BARBIE!

I _object_ to you finding my last reply to you _unacceptable_ and find your protesting to be most _objectionable_! Oh please you know that I know that you know that I know that you love my puns! XD

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Thank you very much! Since I'm such a rookie at writing trials I am delighted you found this entertaining enough to want to have snack food even if your hands would not allow you! It's the thought that counts! The intensity is about to go up a tenfold in the final chapter episode!:)

 **Yanmegaman**

You have to admit AA courtroom drama rivals most TV shows and movies all that's missing is the munchies! I had such a blast writing Trucy and Gummy's noshing antics! XD

No doubt treats would make jury duty more bearable thank God I haven't gotten suckered into that yet!

As much as I'd have loved to prolong the creepy German sausage's comeuppance it is with bittersweet pleasure I wrap up this tension trial...I'm very happy you liked my portrayal of Polly's inner dilemma here he must have been so torn the poor guy! Thanks pal! :)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Yes in trying to pin his crimes on Olga, Kristoph is truly the lowest of the low but at this point you truly cannot put anything past him! Revenge is a dish best served cold indeed I'm sure after seven years that smarmy son of a bitch did not see his retribution coming with the vengeance that it is hurtling him towards!

I had so much fun writing Trucy and Gumshoe in the gallery you have no idea! I realize this was a tense chapter, so they were I think the much-needed comic relief! I think Gumshoe was trying to desperately forget about the questionable/semi harrowing of source the yummy snacks had come from and instead just focused on the fact that he had some great snacks to go with the dramatic entertainment! XD

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your previous constructive feedback on my first trial chapter on how to make my coverage of the trials flow better and am most pleased that the suggestions have consequently made for the trial to be more enjoyable to my dear readers such as yourself, my friend! :-)

 **Batfreak2008**

I hope you and the rest of my readers are happy with the web portrayed the conclusion to this trial.

What a delightful way to describe the chapter… _Magical_ you said dear reader? Tee hee! How flattering and _fitting_ … Considering a _magician_ played a very big parts of the next series of events indeed… ;)

 **Legionary Prime**

I know this story is a lengthy read and I'm always so touched and pleased when I have a new reader on board, and even more so when they take the time to give me their feedback… Especially since just the other day you told me you were only on chapter 36!

Edgeworth is a very complex character to write and so is Franziska, but I figured who better to match for the perfect prosecutors than _each other_? It would take a very strong man to put up with a firecracker like Franny but the same time only a woman who has already earned Miles' hard-earned trust very early in life could possibly ever hope to gain his heart - she had the home advantage from the tender age of _three_! XD

I'm happy like this pairing as they are my second OTP, only behind Phaya!

With regards to the coverage of Justice for all, an admitted lengthy arc in the middle of the story, thanks for sticking around for it. Indeed, it was longer than I intended, but please bear with me while I explain my rationale for it.

The purpose of it was because when I first started writing this trilogy, with _Not a Girl Not Yet a Woman,_ it was just a simple love story where I wanted to put Nick and Maya together… Never possibly dreaming that my first-ever fan fiction would get such amazing reader feedback the way it did, which prompted the second story, being Miles and Franziska's courtship… which finally brings everything to a head in this last story of the trilogy, where I decided that since both duo's stories essentially began with the two couples already being established, I wanted to delve further into their romances, and give them the back story and courtship that I thought they deserved.

The Justice for All game, in my opinion was where you could really see the _turnabout_ with Phoenix and Maya's dynamic. It seemed, to me, that their love story began from there (even canon-wise), and I wanted to explore the behind the scenes of it. I felt like Phoenix's concern for Maya when she got charged for murder during the case with the spirit channeling was beyond mere lawyer/client sympathy, as was the fact that she prompted him to actually _raise his hand on a woman_ (even if it _was_ just Lotta Hart! LOL) and the fact that he would arrest his own ethics and morals to have sent an innocent woman to jail and have a murderer walk free just to ensure Maya's safety.

So while it may have been a lengthy read, and a rehash of the games for some, I wanted the readers to see my more in-depth portrayal of just _how long_ Phoenix had truly loved Maya for by the time they broke up, so they could really appreciate, when they finally discovered _why_ he broke up with her, just _how much_ , and how _selflessly_ , a man can truly love a woman.

Also, while JFA is considered by most fans as the weakest in the original trilogy series, to me it also showed the development of other relationships beyond just Phoenix and Maya's. It also showed the new and improved Miles Edgeworth coming back from the dead and establishing an actual friendship with Phoenix beyond just being his courtroom rival, and showed how he had morphed from the demon prosecutor into a good man with a soul.

Finally, the airport scene with Franziska crying at the end of Justice for All seem to be a wasted opportunity by Capcom to further delve into Fredgeworth's relationship, so I decided it was a great place to also show where Miles and Franziska's love story began. :)

This story is past the halfway mark of being done, and apologies for any confusion, but when I said the next chapter is the last, I meant the last _trial_ chapter! However, I hope to have the _story_ done by or before the end of the year … Still a lofty goal, but I've already determined that at this point, it would be nigh impossible to get it done by the time the 6th Ace Attorney game comes out in the West this September! In the meantime, I thank you for and welcome your feedback and I hope you stay on this crazy train until then to see what happens!


	129. The Wind Beneath My Wings

_A/N: This is dedicated to my sweet friend **ThePudz** who may get a kick out of my OC…and to my clairvoyant friend and fellow writer **The Freelancer Seal** , which answers something he asked a few chapters back. This is shorter than the others have been as I'm working on the reunion chapter which will be out this week...but to spare you all another monster whopper like last chapter, I cut it up due to length. :)  
_

* * *

 _If you're lonely  
_ _And need a friend  
_ _And troubles seem like  
_ _They never end  
_ _Just remember  
_ _To keep the faith  
_ _And love will be there  
_ _To light the way_

 _Anytime you need a friend  
I will be here  
You'll never be alone again  
So don't you fear  
Even if you're miles away  
I'm by your side  
So don't you ever be lonely  
Love will make it alright_

 _When the shadows are closing in  
And your spirit diminishing  
Just remember  
You're not alone  
And love will be there  
To guide you home_

 _If you just believe in me  
I will love you endlessly  
Take my hand  
Take me into your heart  
I'll be there forever baby  
I won't let go  
I'll never let go_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Nine:** **The Wind Beneath My Wings**

 _ **Maya Fey and Pearl Fey**_ _  
Darwin, Australia_  
April 21, 2026 8:30 AM

Maya released an exhausted sigh as she leaned back against the passenger seat of the car, reveling in the coldness of the air conditioning. While she was accustomed to warm weather, having lived in southern California her entire life, Nitmiluk National Park, where she and Pearl had been training for the past seven days, situated in the Northern Territory of Australia, was an _entirely different realm_ altogether! Although it was still early morning, it was _already_ close to _**92°F**_! The two spirit mediums had begun _wilting_ the moment they had left the comparatively refreshing 39 foot high Edith Falls, which was located nearly 300 km outside of Darwin, the closest major city to it.

Pearl and Maya had truly appreciated the stunning outdoor scenery of the land down under. Nevertheless, both Feys were still immensely relieved to finally be heading back home and to civilization, with _electricity and cell phone towers,_ after being in _the middle of nowhere_ for what had felt like _forever_!

"Those waterfalls were absolutely beautiful, Dylan," Pearl gushed to their Outback companion from the backseat, her eyes shining as she took in the breathtaking natural beauty they were speeding past on the long three-hour journey back towards the airport. "Thank you so much for being our tour guide this past week!"

"It's always a pleasure to keep the company of lovely ladies in my line of duty," Dylan replied sunnily, smiling at Pearl in the rear view mirror. "I can't believe how tanned you both have gotten just this past week, compared to when you first arrived!"

"Too bad I can't keep this bronze glow until my wedding in June," Maya lamented with a rueful laugh. "There's not enough sunlight in mountain-laden Kurain to let me keep my _skin souvenir_ , so I'll definitely be back to being _Casper the Friendly Ghost_ long before I walk down the aisle!"

"You and me _both_!" Pearl piped up, also a fellow member of the Fey family pale gene. "Although our village may not have as much _sun_ , it _at least_ has _flushing toilets_ and _showers_!"

" _Pearly_!" Maya flushed deeply at how much of a _spoiled princess_ the teen sounded like, but Dylan just chortled good-naturedly.

"Mystic Maya and I aren't exactly city girls, you see," Pearl continued to prattle on. "We actually live in a distant village, but we _have_ grown quite accustomed to at least having _cell phone reception_ , _satellite TV_ and life's other little luxuries in spite of being up there in the boonies!"

 _And_ _ **this**_ _is why most countries hate us Americans!_ Maya moaned softly. _Hush your mouth, child! We were here testing out Australian potential for being a_ _ **spiritual training retreat,**_ _not a_ _ **luxe vacation!**_

"I deal with a lot of spoiled _tourist_ _princesses_ in my line of work," the teenage boy admitted. "So even though you two aren't accustomed to basically living off the land, I'm very grateful you were still both such good sports upon discovering the only luxury items we had all week were _bug repellent, soap_ and _toilet paper!"_

The Master's shoulder's sagged in relief that their amiable guide had shown no offence to Pearl's ramblings.

"Canned food cooked over a campfire, sleeping in tents… bathing in the stream…this _definitely_ was the closest Pearly and I have come to "roughing it" in some time," Maya confessed laughingly. "The last time I've been _this_ far _off the beaten path_ from society was the fortnight I spent in a secluded retreat atop Mount Koya in Japan seven years ago!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, the Kurain Master sharply bit her lip, as a flood of painful memories suddenly filled her mind. As much as she yearned to forget, she was fully conscious of the fact that _this_ very _past week_ , _seven years ago_ , her remote training location had kept her out of touch with _anything_ related to the rest of the world _back then_ , as well! Consequently, she'd had _no clue_ that Phoenix had been disbarred, and had only gotten the _rude awakening_ when she had finally gotten arrived back in Los Angeles.

 _But that was **then**_ _,_ she tried to assure herself, once again trying to ignore the impromptu knot once again resurfacing in her gut, which had been getting harder and harder to ignore ever since their arrival in Australia. _This is_ ** _now_** _. My fate stopping being entwined with Phoenix Wright's over_ ** _a year ago_** _! I can't possibly go on living the rest of my life this way, and assume that_ ** _every time I'm cut off from civilization,_** _some_ ** _god-awful threat or danger_** _is going to happen to him!_

A sudden mental image of Phoenix, caught in some sort of _atrocious peril_ , even more vivid and disturbing then all the ones preceding it, flashed through Maya's mind, causing a shortness of breath in her lungs. She literally had to force herself to take in several long, calming intakes of air before her thudding heartbeat gradually subsided.

 _I am being absolutely ridiculous! This overly hot weather must be affecting my psyche in more ways than one, and hence, my sixth sense must be getting soft, because these Australian waterfalls apparently just weren't cold enough to enhance our spiritual powers! Yes, that's all it is! I'm obviously just mistaking_ ** _paranoid_** _imaginings of worst-case scenarios for_ ** _psychic visions_** _! Regardless, I am going to be_ ** _a married woman_** _in_ ** _less than two months_** _and have absolutely no business thinking along these lines anymore! Nick belongs to_ ** _Iris_** _now, Maya Fey! When are you going to finally accept the fact that_ ** _Phoenix Wright_** _is_ ** _no longer your concern_** _!_

A lump formed in her throat.

 _Easier said than done. I can't help it… I still miss him so much. He was more than just my lover, he was_ ** _my best friend_** _._

Pearl seemed to be reading her mind, as it appeared the anniversary date of his misfortune hadn't escaped her mind either. Looking uncomfortable, she bit her thumb and looked away upon hearing Maya's blurted out words, staring morosely out her window.

There was an awkward silence in the car.

As though sensing something was awry, Dylan attempted to restore things to their happy order and fill the sudden void.

"We still have a ways to go before we get to the airport, ladies," he announced cheerfully, turning on the radio. "Perhaps some music to help pass the time until then? Thankfully satellite radio seems to work even out here in the sticks!"

The harmonious Mariah Carey ballad, "Any Time You Need a Friend" began to play.

* * *

 _ **If you're lonely  
And need a friend  
And troubles seem like  
They never end  
Just remember  
To keep the faith  
And love will be there  
To light the way**_

 _ **Anytime you need a friend**_  
 _ **I will be here**_  
 _ **You'll never be alone again**_  
 _ **So don't you fear**_  
 _ **Even if you're miles away**_  
 _ **I'm by your side**_  
 _ **So don't you ever be lonely**_  
 _ **Love will make it alright  
**_

* * *

A wave of tears flooded Maya's eyes at the poignant lyrics, which were bit too close to the heart for her at the moment, and she quickly changed the channel, cutting it off mid-song.

 _Here's hoping the next melody playing will have nothing to do with the protagonist telling her_ ** _love interest_** _that anytime_ ** _he_** _may_ ** _need a friend_** _,_ ** _she_** _will be there_ ** _unconditionally_** _for him!_

The melodious sound of the classic tune, "That's What Friends Are For" filled the car next.

* * *

 _ **And I never thought I'd feel this way  
And as far as I'm concerned  
I'm glad I got the chance to say  
That I do believe, I love you**_

 ** _And if I should ever go away_**  
 ** _Well, then close your eyes and try_**  
 ** _To feel the way we do today_**  
 ** _And then if you can remember_**

 ** _Keep smiling, keep shining_**  
 ** _Knowing you can always count on me, for sure_**  
 ** _That's what friends are for_**  
 ** _For good times and bad times_**  
 ** _I'll be on your side forever more_**  
 ** _That's what friends are for_**

 ** _Well, you came in loving me_**  
 ** _And now there's so much more I see_**  
 ** _And so by the way_**  
 ** _I thank you_**

 ** _Oh and then for the times when we're apart_**  
 ** _Well, then close your eyes and know_**  
 ** _The words are coming from my heart_**  
 ** _And then if you can remember_**

 ** _Keep smiling and keep shining_**  
 ** _Knowing you can always count on me, for sure_**  
 ** _That's what friends are for_**  
 ** _In good times and bad times_**  
 ** _I'll be on your side forever more_**  
 ** _That's what friends are for  
_**

* * *

 _Lord help me!_ ** _Two_** _in a row?! Is this some sort of sick, twisted joke?! Is the universe trying to give me some sort of_ ** _subliminal message_** _, or just_ ** _torture_** _me about the fact that I'll_ ** _forever be mourning_** _the loss of the man that_ ** _I once thanked God for_** _, who was_ ** _the wind beneath my wings_** _?!_

Maya choked back the inexplicable sob forming in her chest and abruptly turned the knob to power the radio off, her lips trembling. She was in _no mood_ to be reminded about _the loving power of friendship_ at that particular moment, not considering the _nostalgic_ and _melancholic_ train of thought she had just been in!

The park ranger turned and studied her with concern.

"I guess you aren't a fan of either Mariah Carey _or_ Stevie Wonder and Dionne Warwick?" He joked in his charming Aussie accent, trying to lighten the mood. "Did you know the latter original song was sung by Rod Stewart in 1982, but only became popular when _those two_ _soulful_ _singers_ did the remake, alongside Gladys Knight and Elton John, three years later?"

"Dionne and her niece, the late, great Whitney Houston, seem to have that in common, rebooting an existing song and then having it become iconic." Maya treated the boy to a grateful smile for the light rapport as she reached into her bag and put on her sunglasses, hoping to mask the torment that was undoubtedly still evident in her eyes. "Did you know that Whitney's smash hit, "I Will Always Love You," was originally sung by Dolly Parton, but only became a hit when _she_ sang it?"

"Actually I _did_ ," he grinned, sensing he'd found a safe conversation topic, as he turned the radio back onto another station. "Whenever I'm not out touring in the Outback, I'm a bit of a music buff, really. Here's hoping _third time's the charm_!"

The vehicle was then flooded with the more uplifting, and _strangely fitting_ , given their _surroundings_ , 80's song by Men at Work, "Land Down Under."

 _Hurrah! This is **just** what_ _I needed! I will totally ignore the fact that I hate this inane tune! At least it isn't a lovey-dovey schmoopy song!_

"You would get along famously with my fiancé," Maya told the Australian. "He's really into the music scene as well. I think he has about 50,000 songs just on his iPod alone!"

* * *

 _ **Buying bread from a man in Brussels  
He was six foot four and full of muscle  
I said, "Do you speak my language?"  
He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich  
**_

* * *

Pearl wrinkled her button nose at the song's mention of the abhorrent, _foul-smelling, poo-looking_ sandwich spread that was so beloved to Australians, which Dylan had insisted on eating for breakfast every morning. The spirit medium had dramatically pinched her nose each time, claiming that the Vegemite _stench_ would keep away the _dingoes_ and _other dangerous wildlife_ he'd been assigned to protect them from _far better_ than _**any**_ _spray repellents or rifles_ ever could!

"I'm going to miss you and your beautiful country very much," the normally gracious teen informed Dylan solemnly. "But I'm not going to miss _that_ nasty stuff at all! If I'd been given the choice between _eating Vegemite_ and _facing_ _a rabid kangaroo,_ I _gladly_ still would've taken my chances with the big ol' hoppy creature, _any_ day!"

" _Pearly_!" Maya admonished lightly. "That's not polite!"

"No worries, Maya," Dylan chuckled. "It's an acquired taste, Pearl! Much like AFL, which is Australia's own version of football, which I profess to also being a big fan of!"

"Thanks for indulging my little girl and her occasional _runaway tongue_!" Maya flashed him a wry grin. "I appreciate your _tolerance and maturity_ , Dylan, especially being the same age as Pearly yourself! You remind me of Longines in more ways than one in _that_ sense – she seemed to have forgotten _her basic decorum_ and was a real handful with _him_ initially, too! My poor fiancé had to exercise quite a _saintly amount of patience_ with her as well!"

"Hey! I wasn't _that_ bad!" Pearl protested, blushing slightly. "I admit I may not have been _overly fuzzy_ towards Longines in the beginning but I admit he's since sort of grown on me, _somewhat_."

 _Like a_ ** _wart_** _!_ She added silently, but wisely kept her peace.

"You actually remind me a bit of Longines, looks-wise, Dylan." Maya reached back into her purse and popped a stick of gum into her mouth, missing the horrified look her statement brought to Pearl's face. "You both have the same beautiful blue eyes."

"Oh my God he _so_ does _not_!" Pearl gasped indignantly, as though their tour guide had just been gravely insulted. Their new friend was most definitely _worlds apart_ from Maya's _man-pretty_ betrothed! Just _how badly_ had the Australian sun affected her cousin's brain?! Dylan wasn't your _garden variety uggo_ ** _in the least_**! He was a _total cutie_ , and certainly worthy of greater praise than what he had just been given! "Mystic Maya, you're comparing _apples_ to _oranges_! If _anything_ , Dylan, you remind me of _my boyfriend_ , Luke."

"You mean your city-slicker, _nonathletic,_ _gentleman in training_ , who has _dark brown eyes_?" Maya teased. " _That_ Luke?"

"It's the accent, I think," Pearl smiled sheepishly. "My boyfriend is from England, so hearing you talk reminds me of him quite a bit. Er, you know... the Australian accent that's _sort of_ British but not really…" She sighed dreamily as she thought of Luke's handsome face.

Just _one week_ without communicating with him had felt like _eons_ , and while she couldn't lie and say she was _eagerly anticipating_ her cousin's pending nuptials, the _sole upshot_ was definitely the fact that it meant seeing her boyfriend again. Luke was coming down to LA for the big event, and she could _hardly wait_ , as she hadn't seen him since New Year's.

"I've been compared to _worse_ ," Dylan replied affably, not at all daunted by any of this somewhat offbeat comparison of him to people he'd neither before known nor seen. "I figure, being correlated to any man that's worthy of _your_ heart Pearl, or _yours,_ Maya, can't be all too terrible!"

"You really _are_ terrific," Pearl gushed, leaning forward in her seat and putting her face between Maya and Dylan's and beaming prettily at him.

Maya raised an eyebrow at her. _Need I remind her that she's got a boyfriend?!_

"You're just so _laid-back_ and _easy-going_!" Pearl trilled. "It's too bad that you live so far away, because you'd be _perfect_ for my best friend Trucy! I really think you two would be _totally compatible_! Her birthday is in a few months… She's a friendly and outgoing Gemini, and you'd just love her!"

 _Dylan lives thousands of miles away and probably doesn't care about_ ** _astrological compatibility,_** _my little Cupid!_ Maya groaned inwardly, barely resisting the urge to face palm with embarrassment at Pearl's effusiveness. However, the tour guide's response surprised her.

"A Gemini? Me too!" He grinned back. "Is Trucy as pretty as _you_ are? _That_ might be enough to prompt me to pay the States a visit in the near future!"

"She's _beautiful_!" Pearl gushed, already in matchmaking mode. "She's got big blue eyes just like you, and she's really not so much just my _friend;_ she's more like _family_. For the longest time, she was more like my _sis_ –" she caught herself just in time and looked uneasily at Maya, coughing slightly with discomfort at what she had nearly said. "Um, I mean, she's like my _cousin_."

The near slip-up was not lost on Maya, who forced herself to smile over the painful lurch in her heart it had unwittingly caused, and she was supremely grateful for the dark shades that masked her pained expression.

"You have our emails, Dylan. Pearly and I would be delighted to keep in touch. Perhaps she can send you Trucy's email address so that you two might get better acquainted…" She said stiffly. "Pearly will do so as soon as we finally get to a place that allows us to have cell phone signal."

"I will _definitely_ remain in correspondence with you great gals! And by the way, we are now approaching Darwin International Airport, departures gate!" Dylan announced. "You should have cell phone service right about now."

"Thank you so much Dylan, for everything!" Maya smiled warmly as she grabbed her wheeled suitcase, stifling a giggle as Pearl made a point of pressing a friendly goodbye kiss on the blushing teenage boy's face before grabbing her own baggage and joining her cousin.

"So long, _mate_!" Pearl called, waving at the tour guide until he had driven out of sight, before turning back to her cousin with a puzzled look. "You know, the entire time we've been here, I haven't actually heard _any_ Australians use the term ' _G'day Mate'!"_

"I think it's just your stereotypical presumed local lingo," Maya shrugged as she powered on her cell and impatiently waited for it to get a signal. "Sort of like how everyone assumes that Canadians always say ' _eh_ ' at the end of every sentence."

Pearl had her cell out as well, and was already dialing into her voicemail as they headed towards the baggage check.

"What is _with_ this bizarre text message from Longines?" The Kurain Master muttered distractedly, as she tried her weave her way through the crowded terminal without bumping into anybody. " _Let me know your schedule ASAP when you get back in town so I know when you're free to meet up with the wedding planner?!"_ She frowned at her phone screen. " _ **What**_ _**wedding planner?!**_ We were _supposed_ to have a _small, no-fuss, intimate_ ceremony at _Hazakura Temple_ and _Sister Bikini_ actually went to the trouble of getting _ordained online_ so she could _officiate_!"

Thoroughly confused and annoyed, Maya tucked her phone away and was just about to go check-in their luggage, as they had reached the front of the baggage lineup, when she glanced over at Pearl and saw that her cousin's face was as white as a sheet, despite her new tan.

"Pearly, what is it?" She asked in alarm, putting a hand on the dazed teen's shoulder. "What's the matter?"

"I – I just listened to a voice message that I got from Trucy," Pearl whispered shakily, staring at Maya with distraught gray eyes. "It – it's about Mr. Nick!"

* * *

 _ **Anytime You Need A Friend - Mariah Carey**_

 _ **Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Gladys Knight - That's What Friends Are For**_  
 _ **Men at Work - Land Down Under**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 127**

 **Feraligreater328**

" _OH MY GOD! 126-128 WERE SO GOOD! THIS WAS AWESOME!  
FUCK KRISTOPH! XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD  
Seriously thought, itwasreally good love! i lvoe your writng!"_

It is with a combined mixture of amusement and pleasure that I read this review… I think I'm going to have a review highlight with every chapter you know for ones that are exceptionally hilarious or insightful this one definitely wins for the latter! XD

The most honest people in this world our children and drunk people! Therefore Sasha I figure if you're going to tell me at any point you hated my work, it would be when you are completely _pissed_ as you British folk would say, so therefore thank you very much for taking the time to still read while on vacation in the country of Capcom's headquarters! :-)

 **Chapter 128**

 **Guest**

I'm really happy that you like the fact that the story does not focus on trials directly (but even more so that you liked the changeup!)

While I am elated that my readers like my trial coverage, following canon and script dialog is a lot of researching, and kind of draining, therefore they will not be a whole lot of them, and any other trials in the Ace Attorney series will be covered the way I've previously, done by focusing on all the more important bits in between.

Thank you for taking the time to read and review dear guest! :-)

 **Feraligreater328**

Like I said to your lovely wife I am very thankful and appreciative that you're taking the time to read what is rapidly turning into a novel which I think is now officially longer than the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy to read. I do hope you stalk Capcom headquarters for me! XD

I am always hesitant when writing a new character, especially with a popular character like Apollo, because my worst fear as a writer is being accused of writing such beloved universal icons the dreaded OOC! Writing Winston Payne was definitely a blast – he really is a comical character beneath the annoying screech – and I'm happy my readers seem to enjoy the Gumshoe and Trucy commentary from the peanut gallery! Gavin is officially behind bars… It is with great pride that I thank you for saying that make you hate more in this last couple chapters that I did in the last 127! Many thanks, sweet boy! :-)

Prepare yourself for some serious _Wrightworth bromance next chapter_! They are hands down my _favorite nonromantic relationship_ to write in all of Ace Attorney!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

My darling _psychic_ friend who claims he has never played Apollo Justice… Have you secretly started playing and not been telling me?! Since you haven't played the game… I shall stick with just thinking you're psychic!

Indeed, while Kristoph did get poetic _Justice_ being beaten by the dream defense team of Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice, I hope I am not spoiling too much for you by telling you that Turnabout Trump was indeed only the first case in the game… And unfortunately the creepy German sausage rears his ugly head _once more_ … But I think you will be very happy with the events that unfold when he does!

I think Phoenix is too dumbfounded by his unexpected visitor right now to be focusing on disciplining his law-breaking but well-meaning daughter! LOL. Edgeworth has a very distinct and articulate manner speaking, which I try very hard to emulate when I write him, and it usually gives away his identity at all times… That, and he is the _only_ person who addresses Phoenix as "Wright!" (The hysterical and whining Kristoph Gavin during this court trial notwithstanding!)

In this chapter I answered a question you asked some time ago, which was where was Maya when Phoenix was on trial for murder _yet again_! I hope the readers liked my take on her absence, (as she was also conspicuously absent in the game for this life turning event for Phoenix) which was she was _literally halfway across the world and cut off from all technology_ … I'm more interested in what you guys think of her reaction next chapter, and what it might mean for her and Phoenix… Sure Kristoph is incarcerated now, so you would think they could automatically be together now, but keep in mind how badly she was hurt, and the fact that she is _engaged to be married in less than two months now…_

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

No worries about your forgetting to previously review I am just delighted that you're still reading! I honestly think shit-eating grin is my favorite smile to write… And I absolutely agree that is the best term to describe Phoenix in all of Apollo Justice! :-)

 **Yanmegaman**

 _Mmmm, yes, scream more Kristoph. Your anguish sustains me._

I _had_ to highlight that quote… it was too awesome not to bud! XD

This entire story was not only an attempt to fill the void for a lot of the plot holes in this game but also to try to clear the bad name Capcom gave Phoenix by making people think that he was a forger! I'm very happy that my readers seem to accept my workaround head canon, because I generally don't think it was feasible for him to do so, for the reasons you and I have discussed previously.

I was given a fantastic base script in the game to build the tension for this trial, and it means a lot to me, as a fellow writer whose work I enjoy immensely, that you appreciated the angle that I went with, especially since you know how hesitant I was about writing trials in the first place! Thank you so much. :-)

 **thepudz**

Such joy I got when the CAMF got BARBIED!

I'm really glad thus far my readers are accepting of my head canon that Nick wasn't the one behind that...it's my way of trying to _Wright_ the _Wrongful_ character assassination Capcom did to him in AJ...While in my story I allowed him to go home to his daughter the night before the trial...in the game he was presumably _held in jail overnight_. _When_ would he have stashed the card and _where_? He'd probably have been police searched and even the incompetent Ace Attorney cops would have noticed if he had any _bleeding cuts!_

Also… Indeed... _Enter The Edgeworth_! I hope you enjoy the resuming of the bromance next chapter!

 **DannyDragon**

Why does it not surprise me that mi amiga musica who always picks up on my musical references would've also picked up on the Sonic videogame reference as well? XD

The one thing I love about the Ace Attorney cast is that with the exception of a couple of characters that are bit too Mary Sue for my liking (*cough cough Iris!) The entire cast is delightfully flawed… Which makes them infinitely more human relatable and lovable in my opinion, and that is how I've tried very hard to portray them! Yes Franziska has more baggage than an airport carousel, and Apollo seems to have some sort of OCD and Larry also has more issues than a newsstand… But I'd like to think at this point Maggey's goddess of misfortune luck has changed since I've made her happily married to Gumshoe with two beautiful children… But I don't think Phoenix and Maya will ever stop being impulsive and headstrong, which is why they are my both my OTP and favorite characters in general… those dorks are so alike! LOL

Now that Kristoph is behind bars where he belongs, perhaps Phoenix is surprise visitor can help him get over his hollow courtroom victory? The poor guy deserves some happiness …Wright? ;)

 **Batfreak2008**

Your guess was correct my dear it is with great joy to reunite my two favorite attorneys and lifelong BFF's! I hope you will enjoy their reunion next chapter which was way too long in the making! I appreciate your kind words very much. I Hope I can keep writing as well, although I know this fanfic is gonna be a very tough act to follow, as Turnabout Everlasting is undoubtedly not only my baby, but my most well-received story. That being said… I hope **they** don't get dragged here either … ***crosses fingers, eyes, toes and legs!*** XD


	130. Lean On Me

_Sometimes in our lives_  
 _We all have pain, we all have sorrow_  
 _But if we are wise_  
 _We know that there's always tomorrow_

 _Lean on me when you're not strong_  
 _And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on_  
 _For it won't be long_  
 _'Til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on_

 _Please, swallow your pride_  
 _If I have things you need to borrow_  
 _For no one can fill those of your needs_  
 _That you won't let show_

 _You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand_  
 _We all need somebody to lean on_  
 _I just might have a problem that you'll understand_  
 _We all need somebody to lean on_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Thirty:** **Lean on Me**

 _ **Maya Fey and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Darwin International Airport  
_ April 21, 2026 9:00 AM

The shocking news about her former lover resulted in Maya's frazzled nerves jumping together simultaneously, and all in different directions.

Completely reduced to a zombie-like stupor at Pearl's bombshell, the Kurain Master was barely cognizant of stumbling forward in the lineup to check their luggage, her lips barely forming the words to answer the baggage agent's questions. While the woman punched the necessary information into her computer, the shaken spirit medium turned panicked eyes back to the teen.

"Are you _sure_ you didn't misunderstand Trucy's message about Nick, _somehow_ , Pearly?"

Even as she asked the unnecessary question, in her building anxiety, she constructed elaborate rationalizations for why everything would turn out alright, while the still nagging voice in the back of her mind cautioned of nothing but _impending doom ahead_ the entire time.

"I mean… _Clearly_ there must be some sort of misunderstanding or _crossed_ _communication_ _wires_ here? This simply _cannot_ be _possible_!"

Pearl shook her head, and could see her own growing tension mirrored in her cousin's face.

"I can play it for you again, Mystic Maya, but the voicemail Trucy left me was _impossible_ to misunderstand! Mr. Nick has been charged _with first-degree murder_ and she left me that message while heading out the door to the courthouse trial." Her doe orbs were wide with fear and worry. "Sh – she knows how much I cared about him, and thought maybe I'd want to know. Then she promised to _call me back_ and let me know what happened… But that's _the only_ _message_ she's left so far."

"Well then _you_ call _her_ back! You can't just _hang around waiting on_ _ **her**_ when it comes to something as _catastrophic_ as _this_!" Maya could hear the mounting hysteria in her voice as she barked the command at the shaken spirit medium while frenziedly groping in her bag for her cell. "I'm going to call Gumshoe! Of all people, surely the _Chief_ would know what's going on!"

Her heart hammering wildly, she listened as the phone at the police precinct rang about a dozen times on the other end with no answer before getting voicemail.

Biting back a savage curse, she tossed the cell back into her purse and stared anxiously at Pearl, who had her own phone clamped to her ear, and felt her heart plummeting down to her feet when her cousin shook her head, obviously not having had any luck reaching Phoenix's daughter.

"What are we going to _do_ , Mystic Maya?" Frightened tears sprang to Pearl's eyes. " _Disaster_ is happening back home while we're _literally_ stuck on the _opposite side of the world!_ I feel so – _scared_! And – and _helpless_!"

 _You and me_ _ **both**_ _!_ Maya thought wildly, but forced herself to take deep, calming breaths and focused on remaining placid for both their sakes. She could still barely _fathom_ how this was the _second_ _time_ something of this _calamitous magnitude_ had struck her _fortune's fool_ ex-boyfriend, and _yet again_ , it'd been while _she_ had been _cut off from all communication_ and _located on the other half of the universe_! What were the odds?!

No matter what had transpired between Maya and Phoenix, and regardless of how hurt and betrayed she'd been by the fallout of the relationship, he'd done _nothing_ _ **terrible**_ _enough_ to deserve _this!_ She also instinctively _knew,_ _ **without question**_ _,_ the man she'd now known for a decade was innocent of the charge. Phoenix Wright, no matter how far from grace he had fallen since his disbarment, would _never even hurt a fly_! Hell, he couldn't even _stab a French fry_ _with a plastic fork_! That was why the big dork had preferred to eat them _with his fingers_!

" _Somebody_ has to pick up _eventually_! We'll just have to _keep on trying to call_!" Maya stated firmly as they headed towards the indicated departure lounge for their flight. She flopped down into a chair and was already reaching for her cell once more. "At this point, I'm so _desperate_ , I'll even call _Iris_ at Hazakura Temple! _She_ obviously would be in the know about what's going on with _her boyfriend!_ "

"And our flight doesn't take off till noon." Pearl's fingers rapidly flew over the buttons on her Android as she typed out an urgent text to Trucy. "So we have _three hours_ to try and get some answers…"

Just then, a pleasant Australian male voice was heard over the airport speaker system, and both mediums froze in disbelief.

"Flight 1354 Virgin Australia to Los Angeles International Airport is now boarding at gate 13B. Will all first-class passengers please proceed to the boarding gate for the 10:00 AM departure."

"You've _got_ to be kidding _me_!" Maya shrieked, uncaring about the several curious heads that peered in her direction. Jumping out of her seat, she stormed over to the agent standing by the entrance to their homebound plane, her cell clutched in a death grip. " _How_ can the flight be boarding _already_?! It wasn't supposed to take off until _noon_!"

"Our pilot was making good time, therefore the flight was early, Madam," the woman replied politely, in what Maya considered a _maddeningly composed_ voice. " _This_ is why passengers are always advised to arrive at the airport _three hours prior_ to all international flights."

" _B – But_ …" Maya was completely floored.

"Mystic Maya?" Pearl asked timidly. "The announcement said first-class passengers need to start boarding the plane. Um, that's _us_ , isn't it?"

"Yes, Pearly, that would be us!" Maya answered impatiently. "But I still have to _try_ to make _one last call…"_

"Madam, if you and your companion have first-class tickets for this flight, we kindly request that you please proceed to board right _now_ ," the agent instructed, in a no-nonsense tone. She gestured prepensely at the iPhone Maya was still gripping tightly in her hand. "And please _turn off_ your cell phone _immediately_ before boarding the plane."

"Come on, Mystic Maya," Pearl said in a small voice, lightly tugging at her cousin's sleeve. "We have to get going."

"Madam, if you're not going to board yet, would you please have the courtesy to at least _step aside_?" The politeness in the agent's voice was beginning to sound strained now. "You're holding up the queue for all the other first-class boarding passengers."

"Just _one more second!_ " Maya begged the now visibly unimpressed-looking woman, stepping aside from the gate so that the other passengers, who'd been lining up behind her, could pass by and board the plane. " _Please_! I _have_ to make this one phone call, it's _literally_ a matter of _life or death_!"

Her fingers were already dialing Gumshoe once more, this time trying his cell phone. Once again, she got voicemail after about half a dozen rings. Shrinking slightly under the agent's impatient glower, the panicked spirit medium spoke as quickly as she could, her heart thudding against her ribs that she did so.

"Gumshoe, it's Maya…"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency  
_ April 20, 2026 6:00 PM

Astonished midnight blue orbs stared up into serene steel grey ones for several moments before Phoenix at last found his voice, incapable of masking the wonderment within it as he addressed the smirking man standing before his seated form on the sofa.

" _Ed –Edgeworth?"_

"Wright." Edgeworth nodded coolly and took a delicate sip from the teacup in his hand as his observant eyes assessed his childhood friend, who somehow looked both young and old at the same time; hunched over posture, same ratty sweat suit, tired lines around his unsmiling mouth. The most heartbreaking thing to see was that underneath the despised beanie, those eyes, formerly filled with bright vitality and unending optimism, although presently reflecting amazement by the prosecutor's unexpected presence, were now forlorn, lonely and distant, like a waterfall, causing a wave of benevolence to wash over him on his friend's behalf.

More than anything, Edgeworth wished his reticent self knew how to properly convey his supportive compassion, as well as the fact that he shared Phoenix's obvious beatitude at finally being reunited, after so long. As his mind searched for a way to let this fact to be known, the gobsmacked former attorney croaked out his name yet again.

"Edgeworth!"

 _Never mind, the moment of attempted sentiment has passed in lieu of habitual, and much more_ _ **comfortable**_ _, regalement!_

"Well, it has now _been_ firmly established that we _still_ _remember_ one another's _names_ , seven years later."

The prosecutor's expression was as halcyon as ever, although a hint of amusement now laced his wry tone.

"I can also safely observe, _hobo chic gear_ _**notwithstanding**_ , Wright, that while you appear to be well enough after all this time, you certainly seem to be _less exuberant_ than I would envision a man who has escaped death row, _for_ _the third time,_ would be! In this instance, I _know_ I am not being excessively presuming, since I witnessed you lamenting, _out loud_ , your list of _woes_ , as opposed to your _blessings_ , just a moment ago. Tell me, how long have you had the _idiosyncratic habit_ of _talking to yourself_?"

The recently acquitted defendant ignored the mocking query and shook his head, as if to clear it. He was _still_ so exceedingly _astounded_ at the unanticipated sight of his best friend _in the flesh,_ at long last, and found he simply couldn't stop _goggling_ at the other man, almost afraid to believe that he was _actually real_ and not some sort of _mirage!_

Whereas Phoenix knew _he_ looked like hell, having paid little heed to his appearance over the years, Miles Edgeworth didn't appear to have aged _whatsoever_ since they'd last parted ways. He was still as impeccably groomed as always, with not even a single, stray charcoal hair out of place. The trademark, ever-pristine, magenta suit was in check as well, with the only variance being that the black buttons on the matching colored vest now displayed a double row of gold colored ones instead, which only made the debonair man appear even more refined.

Upon closer inspection though, the intuitive pianist could see some signs of slight disturbance on his friend's normally composed countenance. The urbane Edgeworth's comely face was still as aristocratic as ever, but his mouth now had a tired, slightly downward slant, and there were slight shadows beneath his eyes, as though suggesting lack of sleep. Phoenix also couldn't help note that the familiar, cool gray orbs presently appeared more guarded than usual, as though the other man was making extra effort to keep his tightly reined-in emotions even more shuttered than the norm.

"How did you get into my house?" He blurted out.

"I can't _believe_ you've _forgotten_." Edgeworth folded his arms across his broad chest. "You gave me an emergency key years ago. Don't you remember?"

"I _did_?" Phoenix gawped in surprise. "When?!"

"No, you didn't, you _naïve_ _fool_." The magenta clad man's lips twitched slightly, as though to hide a smile. "It's nice to see that _some things never change_ , Wright. On top of said _atrocious fashion sense_ , I can tell you're still as _gullible_ as ever to boot!"

Phoenix's visage morphed into its characteristic scowl at this _typical Edgeworth jibe_ , and the prosecutor emitted a soft chuckle. He'd never been able to resist an opportunity to rib his best friend, and the former defense attorney _always_ made it _so damn easy_!

"Relax, Wright. I assure you I neither scaled the building walls to break in through a window, nor did I require the utilization of my latent lock-picking skills. Trucy let me in." Another ghost of a smile. "Or rather, I _assume_ that the _whirlwind of blue_ that _whizzed_ by me nearly an hour ago was your _magical_ daughter, anyway…"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Trucy Wright**_  
 _Wright Talent Agency_  
April 20, 2026 5:15 PM

After leaving the courthouse, Gumshoe's car was only a few blocks away from The Wonder Bar when Trucy suddenly let out a gasp of dismay.

" _Oh no_!" She wailed. "In my haste to get to court this morning, I totally forgot an important magic prop at home! I hate to inconvenience you, Uncle Gumshoe, but could you _please_ stop by the apartment _really quickly_ , so I can run upstairs and get it? I _promise_ I won't even be a minute!"

"No problem, pal." The amiable Chief immediately pulled an impromptu U-turn back towards the direction of the Wright Talent Agency. "Obviously, you had a lot on your mind earlier today."

"I'm _so sorry_ about this, Uncle Gumshoe!"

"These things happen! Don't worry about it." He pulled up in front of the main entrance. "Go on upstairs, kiddo. I'll wait right here. By the way, what magician prop did you forget, anyway?"

"My _wand_! I'll be back before you can say _Alakazam_!"

Trucy sprinted through the doors and up the stairs. She cursed her absentmindedness as she tore the office upside down in search of the coveted item.

 _How could I be such a forgetful airhead?!_ She berated herself, props flying haphazardly in the air and being strewn about as she continued her frenzied hunt. _What kind of ditzy magician forgets her wand?! I thought I'd packed everything I would need for today… sodas, Twizzlers, popcorn, chocolate covered_ _ **almonds**_ _and chocolate covered_ _ **raisins**_ _… My trick deck of cards, that_ _ **Trump Card of decisive evidence**_ _that got Daddy off the hook…for Criss Angel's sake, I even packed_ _ **ice coffee**_ _to keep me and Uncle Gumshoe alert, just in case the trial_ _ **dragged on**_ _longer than expected! But I_ _ **forgot my signature prop**_ _?!_

The thought of her father made her bite her lip nervously as she glanced up at the clock on the wall. That was one confrontation she was not looking forward to whatsoever!

 _Speaking of Daddy, he's probably on his way home,_ _ **on the bus**_ _right about now… And is probably none too pleased about that, since Uncle Gumshoe was supposed to be_ _ **his**_ _ride, and instead wound up being_ _ **my getaway car**_ _!_

" _Abracadabra_!" She crowed triumphantly as she finally found what she was looking for. It had been hidden under the plate of floating spaghetti, where she had last left it. Heaving a sigh of relief, the harried magician raced to the front door and sharply yanked it open, almost toppling over a handsome, well-built man, wearing a _frilly, fluttery napkin thingy_ around his neck, just as he was about to knock.

" _Ngh_!" Edgeworth grunted as he almost knocked the teenager off her feet and nearly fell forward, but managed to catch himself on the doorframe at the last split-second.

" _Holy David Copperfield_!" Trucy squealed in shock, a white gloved hand flying to her mouth.

They both straightened up, and Trucy shamefacedly smiled at the strange man, who, upon second glance, looked _vaguely familiar_ to her, and appeared not to be such a _stranger_ after all! Howbeit, in her hastened state, she could not immediately place where she knew him from.

"My sincere apologies about the near mishap, Sir," she apologized quickly. "If you're here on business regarding the need of a magician, I'm afraid at the moment, I _literally_ have a foot out the door as you can see… although if you're looking for _pianist_ , my Daddy isn't here right now either, but he should be back _really_ shortly…" _Ergo, I need to make sure I am_ _ **long gone**_ _before the time he returns! I'm in no rush to_ _ **face the music**_ _regarding my_ _ **noncompliance**_ _!_ "So it's entirely up to you whether or not you want to come back later, or wait here for him…"

"I _am_ here to see your father," the man replied in a genteel baritone, with just a trace of British inflection. "Although my visit here is entirely _personal_ , not at all business in nature."

Forgetting her hurry, a frown of concentration marred the teen's smooth forehead as she stared at the man in front of her while she wracked her memory. The man smiled indulgently.

"You've grown so much since I saw you last." The man's smoky eyes met Trucy's, and a flicker of warmth flashed through them. "It has been a long time since we first met, although you were very young at the time, so I wouldn't expect you to necessarily remember me."

 _That voice…_ Her mind went back to seven years ago. _I could never forget_ _ **that voice…  
**_

* * *

 ** _Flashback to Wright Talent Agency  
_** ** _May 6, 2019..._**

 _"Trucy, can you do me a favor?"_

 _She nodded._

 _"Be a good little girl for Phoenix, OK? And please take very good care of him."_

 _"You care a lot about my Daddy don't you? You're not a client, are you?"_

 _"No," Miles mumbled, his voice tinged with sadness. "I'm an attorney that worked with your Daddy. I…was a friend of his. I wanted to make sure you looked after him really well, because your Daddy…has a lot of people that care about him, very much."_

 _ **End Flashback  
**_

* * *

" _Mr. Miles_!" A beam of recognition brightened up the magician's sweet face. "I know you! You're Daddy's attorney friend! You came here when he first adopted me!"

"Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, pleased to make your re-acquaintance, Trucy." The visitor gave his customary bow, and treated the girl to another one of his rare, genuine smiles. "I do believe I shall take you up on that offer to wait for your father to return."

Trucy faltered slightly with her enthusiasm as the man's _full title_ sunk in, and her eyes widened in alarm.

 _Prosecutor_ Miles Edgeworth, he'd said?! _Gah_!

"Yes…I _totally_ remember you now! It's _really_ nice seeing you again!" Trucy began rambling quickly, her pulse racing with apprehension, for now _ **more**_ _reasons than_ _ **one**_! "I'm sorry I can't stick around longer and play catch up with you, but I've got to get to work, although I certainly hope to visit with you in the near future! Also, I _swear_ to you I did _just_ as you asked and have been _a very good girl_ for my Daddy…" _For the_ _ **most**_ _part anyway, this_ _ **one**_ _little act of_ _ **disobedience**_ _notwithstanding!_ "And I have taken _very_ good care of him, just like I told you I would!"

The petite teen bounced up on her toes to reach up and plant a kiss on the surprised Miles Edgeworth's cheek then, giving him her most winsome smile as she did so, and the rest of her words tumbling out of her mouth in a rush, not even allowing him a chance to respond.

"Feel free to make yourself at home, Mr. Miles! _Our_ house is _your_ house! Please excuse the mess I just made! Oh, and if you want any refreshments, our kitchen is upstairs. Help yourself to whatever you want in the fridge, and our coffee is on the counter, although it's only the instant stuff. However, if you prefer a _spot of tea_ , we have some teabags in the far right cabinet above the stove, along with a very nice teapot! One more thing… No matter _what_ you hear about today's trial, _please_ don't _prosecute_ my Daddy, he's innocent in _**every way**_! Wow, will you look at the time! I've _really_ got to go now – my ride's waiting for me! _Bye_!"

With those as her parting words, Trucy sprinted out of there so fast she nearly left smoke trails in her wake, not even pausing to shut the door behind her as she left a completely flummoxed Edgeworth standing there by the front door.

As the magician hurried down the hall and down the stairs, a small niggling reminder that could not be suppressed gnawed away at the recesses of her memory. There was a _vitally important thing_ she was supposed to do… _Somebody_ _significant_ that she was intended to call about _something_ _ **really**_ _ **imperative**_ …but _who_? About _what_? _For the life of her_ , in her current frazzled and rushed state, she couldn't figure out the answer to this _elusive riddle_!

 _Oh well, if it's_ _ **that important**_ _, it'll certainly_ _ **come back to me**_ _ **later**_ _! Right now, I just gotta make sure I get the_ _ **heck**_ _outta here_ _ **before Daddy gets back**_ _, and since I am going to be_ _ **working**_ _, I don't need to_ _ **worry**_ _ **about answering**_ _any_ _ **angry phone calls**_ _from_ _ **even angrier fathers…**_ _and_ _ **anybody else**_ _in the meantime can just_ _ **wait**_ _till I'm_ _ **done my shift**_ _! Putting cell phone on_ _ **silent mode**_ _…right about…_ _ **now**_ _!_

Back at the agency, Edgeworth blinked dazedly, trying to digest exactly what had transpired in those last few moments of _whirling cyclone conversation_!

 _What in_ _ **God's name**_ _was_ _ **that**_ _all about?!  
_

* * *

"So Trucy let you in, and told you to help yourself to some sort of _hot beverage_?" Phoenix stared at Edgeworth uncomprehendingly as his friend completed telling the tale. " _Right_ before she dashed out of here like _a bat out of hell_?!"

"Yes she did." Edgeworth sipped pleasurably at his cup. "Mmm. Quite nice. Much better than the Earl Grey they insist on giving you on commercial airlines. That swill tastes like dirty dishwater."

"We have _tea_?!" Phoenix exclaimed disbelievingly. "Since _when_?!"

"I can see which one of you _evidently_ doesn't do _the grocery shopping_ around here," Edgeworth took another sip. "Although I must admit, your daughter does have _exquisite_ taste. Orange pekoe is one of my favorites. I confess that while I was waiting for your return, I did make an _entire teapot_ of it."

"We have a _teapot_?!"

"I can also see which one of you _isn't_ in charge of the _cooking_ , either," the prosecutor observed dryly. "Thank goodness at least _one_ of you is competent and knowledgeable in the kitchen."

"Hey, for your kind information, I happen to make _killer blueberry muffins_!" Phoenix protested defensively. "But anyway, we're getting off track here! Around what time was it that you arrived here at the agency and bumped into Trucy?"

"I believe it was approximately quarter after five that I encountered the delightful Miss Wright. She's grown into quite a lovely young woman." Edgeworth flashed a wry grin. "It was a shame she couldn't visit with me a tad longer, but she seemed to be in quite _a frenetic haste_ to get to work."

"At _5:15_?" The former attorney scoffed. "Oh _please_! She doesn't even start until _7:00_!"

"Nevertheless, I have seen _Olympic gold marathon medalists_ with _slower footwork_ than your daughter, in her mad urgency to rush out to her ride." Edgeworth snickered. "A cursory glance outside the window confirmed for me that her driver was none other than a certain _former scruffy detective_ , who didn't even notice me _passing right by his vehicle_ on my way upstairs to the agency. I see the good man is _as perspicacious as always_."

"So _Gumshoe's_ the one who was responsible for _aiding and abetting_ my little _outlaw in training_!" The pianist muttered under his breath. " _That_ explains _why_ I had to take the _bus_ home!"

"Was Gumshoe supposed to be your ride home from the courthouse, but ultimately _shunted you_ for Trucy?" The prosecutor smirked. "Not very _forthcoming_ of him, was it? For what it's worth, if he were still under _my authority_ , I would _absolutely cut his salary_ on your behalf for this _gross misdeed."_

Phoenix had to crack a smile at that one.

"Your daughter, _diligent little employee_ that she is, was not only concerned with getting to work on time, but whether or not _I_ was going to _prosecute you_ regarding _certain particular details_ that might have occurred _during the trial_ ," the magenta clad man deadpanned. "Logic would dictate there's definitely a correlation between this ' _Outlaw_ ' behavior you spoke of, Trucy _imploring_ with me not to hold _you_ responsible for it, _and_ her desperate need to be _out of here_ prior to _your_ arrival. Would you care to elaborate on this, Wright?"

"It _depends_!" Phoenix yanked his beanie over his eyes. "How much do you know already?"

"Well, I still had quite a bit of time to pass until you got here, so I patiently waited approximately 20 minutes for Gumshoe to drop your daughter off to work, before I decided to ring him and say _hello_ ," the prosecutor drawled. "He gave me the lowdown on Gavin's breakdown and subsequent confession, all of which came to a head due to _a certain piece of decisive evidence_ in the form of _a bloody Ace_ _card,_ produced by your defense attorney."

Phoenix let out a loud moan of despair.

"Is it safe assumption that this _trump card_ was not completely _legitimate evidence?"_ Edgeworth regarded him meaningfully. "Might we even go as far as to say that it was… _Forged_?"

"Please do not use that _blasted_ _word_!" Phoenix dragged a hand down his face. "I _told_ her not to do it! Hell, I even told her _not_ to be _at the trial in the first place_ , and just be a good little girl and _go to school_! But _did_ my rebellious teenager obey my commands? _Of course not_! She wouldn't be _my daughter_ if she actually _listened_ now, _would she_?!"

"Don't worry, Wright." The jollity in Edgeworth's voice was unmistakable now. "I meant what I said about not letting any court in the world lay a hand on your daughter if it had ever come to that. Regardless, since Gavin already confessed to the murder, the _questionable evidence_ is no longer of any relevance. And now it's too late to do anything about it. The only person who could have contested it was Winston Payne, who obviously _did not_ , because he _always_ _ **has**_ _ **been**_ , and _always_ _ **will be**_ , a complete _bumbling buffoon_!"

"No kidding!" Phoenix let out a rueful chuckle. "Boy, did Apollo and I ever get lucky that we had that _screechy voiced, walking hairpiece, dunderhead_ as the prosecution!"

"Yes…" Edgeworth purposely lifted his teacup to his lips at that moment to hide his knowing smirk. "Very _lucky_ indeed."

Although there was no change in the prosecutor's tone or expression, over 20 years of knowing the man was enough to make Phoenix regard his friend suspiciously at that statement, scrutinizing those unreadable features, until at last, the truth dawned on him.

 _No matter how much time has passed, Edgeworth is still the same guy who was my best friend as a kid. Always looking out for me. I_ _ **know**_ _he's the one that had Payne assigned to my case, even though he'll never admit it!_ Phoenix realized. _He's a_ _ **man of action**_ _, but_ _ **few words**_ _. That's_ _ **just**_ _ **him**_ _. Even as kids, if I was upset or sad, he'd just offer me a Coke and a spot on his couch. Then we'd play video games until our fingers blistered. When I was ready, we'd talk about it. He always listened without judgment and never commented until I'd poured my heart out. Then he would put down his Coke, look me in the eye and give me advice like the brother I never had. Even as adults, he's never mocked unless I needed a good kick in the butt. And he's never told a soul even a hint of what we've ever discussed. He's forever been my safe confidant for secrets; a one of a kind, true friend._ _ **Always has been, always will be.**_

"But that's not the reason I'm here." Edgeworth set down his teacup on the coffee table and took a seat beside Phoenix on the couch. "While I am aware that I have been out of touch for a while due to the nature of my undercover operations overseas, I still tried my best to stay up-to-date, as best I could, about the things that were very important. Even while away, I became aware of not only your _third_ false murder charge, but of other _monumental events,_ such as baby Jeff Gumshoe's baptism, to which I received an invitation. Both of these were surprises, albeit _only the latter_ a pleasant one! Conversely, there were no words to describe exactly _what element of surprise_ I experienced by _yet another invitation_ received at my German residence. And _that_ is what I am hoping _you_ can help shed further light on."

Phoenix knew what was coming, and was mentally bracing himself for the moment of impact, but vainly attempted to bluff his way around the matter at hand for as long as he could, as was tradition.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about _._ "

He purposely dropped his chin so only the brim of his beanie was visible to that prying gaze. For some reason, try as he might, Miles Edgeworth was one of the few people in the world who he couldn't completely fool with his poker face.

"It sounds like you've gotten all the information you need out of just talking to Gumshoe. I'll tell you right now that I have sort of been out of touch with most of the old gang for the past year or so. Therefore, I may not be the best person to go to for the latest information of what everyone's been up to."

"Wright don't even think about trying to play _the daft card_ with _me_!" The prosecutor snapped. "You know that I know that you know that I know what I'm bloody well referring to!" He affixed his friend with a steely eyed glare. "I admit to having been gone some time now, but the last time I was live video chatting with you and Maya Fey, I was given absolutely no reason to believe that a mere _year_ later, I'd be receiving an invitation to the nuptials of my dear spirit medium friend… To a man who is obviously _not_ _ **you**_!"

"Why is it you insist on asking me questions that you obviously already know the answer to?" Phoenix countered, still not looking at him. "Maya is engaged to be married to somebody else because she and I aren't together anymore. Obviously, this would be indicative that we split up, despite the loving couple front we presented when we last Skyped with you! So what _more_ do you _want from my life_?"

"What about an _explanation_?" Edgeworth demanded. "Or something I'm not quite sure you're comfortable giving any more, Wright! How about the Goddamn _truth_? What the _hell_ happened with you two?!"

"Exactly what is it you want to hear?" Phoenix asked tiredly, finally lifting his head and viewing the other man with deadened eyes. "It's hard to tell someone that things don't always end up the way you thought they would, but what can you do? _These things happen_. In the end, we just didn't work out, OK? It sucks, but I've accepted it and moved on. You can understand that, can't you?"

For a split second Edgeworth hesitated, and it was his turn to look away, as if trying to collect his wits. But just as Phoenix thought that his friend was mercifully going to _make like a_ _ **hot potato**_ _and_ _ **drop it,**_ the other man spoke again, his tone less accusing this time, but equally as intense.

"Yes I _can_ understand very well _that these things happen_ ," he said quietly. "More than you can ever know. Nevertheless, _you_ should understand something as well. We've known each other a very long time, and hence, _you're_ one of the few people in the world who is _quite privy_ to the fact that _I am_ _ **just**_ _as stubborn as you are_ , Wright! Ergo, I'm _not going anywhere_ until you tell me what _really_ happened!"

The pianist turned his head away once more, and the prosecutor felt the slight sting of rejection by his friend's refusal to confide in him. Phoenix always been an open book, and as much as Edgeworth had razzed his friend repeatedly in the past for always wearing his heart on his sleeve and being _an emotional head case_ , it was still preferable to this cold, detached, _tsundere_ persona that had now consumed the ex-attorney's identity. It made him yearn for the man Phoenix Wright had once been, the man who had never, until now, changed from being the dedicated, heartfelt, trusting boy Edgeworth had once known him to be.

 _Because I was raised by a single father who worked long hours, I was often over your house when we were kids. It was a warm, safe haven for me. Your mother and father were always so welcoming and kind, and I loved getting a firsthand glimpse into what a normal and loving family was like whenever I was over there. No doubt your parents were what your kindness stemmed from. Not once was I ever made to feel unwelcome or hurried out the door. I was a precocious, studious but shy child, who never fit in with the other kids, and until you, never really had any friends to call my own. You reached out a hand of friendship to a lonely, motherless little boy and filled his childhood world with your special brand of charm and magic._

He swallowed back the lump in his throat.

 _Then we got separated for fifteen years, and I later found out you'd been writing to me all that time; had never given up on me, even though it appeared I'd been ignoring you for years, because Manfred never gave me your letters. For all you knew, I had just moved on and never given you a second thought. But then we came face to face again as adults, and never once were you mad, either about the unanswered correspondence, or when it seemed I didn't remember you at first. You were just happy to see me again, mensch that you still were._

Edgeworth briefly shut his eyes, lost in treasured childhood memories.

 _Wright, even as a grown man, you remained_ the _same tenacious, steadfast …ever earnest…_ _ **you**_ _. Always easy with honest advice, but carefully phrased not to cause harm. Always still so quick to reach out your hand in friendship to me once more, proving you hadn't changed since we were kids, even though at first,_ _ **I**_ _was nothing like the little boy_ _ **you'd**_ _once known. Nonetheless, you never gave up on me. You just kept persisting and wearing down my defenses, until I finally admitted how much I had missed you, and how much you'd come to mean to me. Now, you and I… we are at a point that even if I live an ocean away, if you ever need me, I'll be there, in mind, body and soul. Just call._

He felt a tightening in his chest which ached with sympathy for this man, who had done so much for him and those in need. Who had somehow strayed from his path of justice, and now seemed so helplessly lost.

 _You did more than save me on the defendant stand, Phoenix Wright. You saved my_ _ **soul**_ _from_ _ **eternal darkness**_ _. And because of that, there is_ _ **nothing**_ _I won't ever do for you. Let_ _ **me**_ _be there for_ _ **you**_ _, the way_ _ **you**_ _were for_ _ **me**_ _. The way you've_ _ **always**_ _been there for_ _ **everybody**_ _that needed a heroic champion to stand by their side, until the cruel hand of fate intervened in your life seven years ago, and made you a shadow of who you used to be. But it doesn't matter, because just as_ _ **you**_ _always believed in_ _ **me**_ _, it's now my turn._ _ **I**_ _need to believe that great man I once knew still lives within you. I need to try to bring him back to me. But_ _ **how**_ _?_

Silence from Phoenix. He looked as if the muscles of his face had gone on strike. Everything about it was slack and it gave him the aura of one who would insist on spurning each and every one of his best friend's well-meaning attempts to strike up a conversation. Even his shoulders drooped and as he fell back against the couch cushions like a sack of potatoes, refusing to make eye contact with the prosecutor, as he stared sullenly into space.

 _Goddammit Wright! I beg you to please cease this_ _ **unsuitable, aloof façade**_ _you're masquerading behind and go back to being the_ _ **hot-blooded, overly passionate, basket case**_ _I've always known and loved! As much as I badgered you relentlessly about your unchecked reign of your emotions, I never_ _ **actually**_ _wanted you to turn into_ _ **me**_ _!_

"You know Wright, while my work is the result of my return to the States, my investigations don't officially resume until later this summer. Subsequently, I have _absolutely nothing better to do_ in the meantime, than just _sit here patiently_ and sip this resplendent tea while I wait for you to regale me with your side of the story."

The pianist eyed him dispassionately, but said nothing.

 _It seems desperate times call for desperate measures._

"I'm a patient man when need be, and playing the waiting game will not be of _any inconvenience_ to me in the least. As a matter of fact, I would _welcome_ the opportunity to further _visit_ with that delightful daughter of yours in the meantime as an additional bonus!" Edgeworth smiled benevolently and propped his feet up on the coffee table. "Shall I get comfortable then?"

"It's none of your damn business, Edgeworth," Phoenix growled.

"Very well, Wright. You have left me with _no choice_. I suppose since _you_ refuse to tell me what transpired between you and Maya, the _only_ _other_ _ **alternative**_ I have is to ask _the fair maiden herself_." The prosecutor pulled out his phone. "So, what's it going to be?"

"You wouldn't _dare_." Phoenix glared at him contemptuously. "I _know_ you're bluffing."

"Now, now Wright, we both know _bluffing_ was always _your_ area of expertise. Far be for _me_ to try to usurp the title away from the _Baron of Bluffing_."

Edgeworth's voice hardened.

"I assure you, _I don't bluff_. If you weren't being so bloody _thick-skulled_ right now, you would _already know that_! I believe I still have Maya's number on speed-dial, unless it's changed within the last year, which I'm going to assume it has not." His finger hovered over the keys on his phone. "The choice is yours."

"You _presumptuous, busy bodied, meddlesome_ _**bastard**_." The pokerfaced mask was already beginning to crack.

"Why thank you! I do my _best_." A disarming grin. "Shall I take this to mean you've made up your mind to remain notoriously _tight-lipped_ then?"

More petulant silence.

"So be it then." Undaunted, Edgeworth pressed down on the speed dial button.

" _Hold it!"_ Phoenix cried out. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes were cast down in a defeated gaze, his icy pretense completely vanquished. "Fine, you win. I'll talk."

He released a shaky breath.

"But for the record, Edgeworth, you are a _still_ a _manipulative, nosy, over-meddling_ _**bastard**_ with _zero respect for boundaries_!"

 _Arigato, Mr. Roboto! I shall try not to let my_ _ **triumphant glee**_ _at finally having cracked that_ _ **poker-faced veneer**_ _be too obvious!_

"All in a day's work." Edgeworth smiled smugly. "Proceed. I'm all ears."

So Phoenix told him. He explained the entire convoluted series of unfortunate events which had forced him to live a lie for the past year because his _psychotic German stalker_ had left him with _no other choice_! His voice was lifeless as he rehashed the entire lurid tale, although the expression in his eyes was one of undisguised suffering and anguish as he relayed how he'd had to tell Maya he was leaving her for Iris, and how the shrine maiden had been forced to play along and lie to both Maya and Pearl, further straining her own ties with them consequently, all for the greater good of keeping her loyal promise to assist him with saving her impetuous cousin's life.

Edgeworth listened quietly, without interruption, just nodding his comprehension as his friend released the pent up floodgates, until finally, Phoenix was spent, and fell back blearily against the sofa cushions, drained from releasing the weight of his long-suppressed confession. Finally, the ashen-haired man spoke.

"So now what, Wright?"

"What do you mean, _now what_? You think I have any earthly idea? I just wish someone would tell me, like, ' _This is how the rest of your life should look'_."

Phoenix caught his friend's sympathetic gaze and laughed hollowly.

"I'm fine. I'm really good, actually, and sometimes feeling really good all the time feels really bad. But I'm on a journey. It's my journey and I'm OK. So please, Edgeworth, _don't pity me_."

"It's not pity, my friend. It's _empathy_. It's _commiseration_. It's the genuine sadness felt by someone on behalf of the person closest to them, who has just told one of the most _gut-wrenching_ stories of _love and selflessness_ known to man."

"Don't make me out to be some sort of martyr," Phoenix shook his head and buried his face in his hands, but not before the prosecutor saw his tormented expression. "I only did what _any_ man, who made a promise to his revered dead mentor many moons ago, and who loved a woman _so damn much_ that he'd been _driven to near madness_ , would've done."

"You did all that, even though surely the _heartbreak_ you thus endured was _no less than a hurrican_ e, and the devastation was absolute. Stop undermining yourself, Wright."

Edgeworth placed a hand on his friend's rigid shoulder.

"You did a noble thing, and you need to believe that someday the universe will reward you for such a saintly act. I know from your position it might be hard to be the optimistic man you once used to be, so I'm going to be the positive one in your stead. I'm going to not only believe in you, but now be shamelessly sentimental enough _for_ _ **both**_ _you and me_ with my beliefs. _"_

"Your beliefs?" Phoenix repeated dully.

"Yes. I honestly believe that there are more dreams to come for you, my friend. Sunshine on rainy days, laughter and fulfillment. Perhaps just not right now, but in days to come. I believe you are not only deserving of, but I also _wish_ you, happiness, joy and love. I've always wanted the same for both you and Maya. The two of you always were at your best when you were together."

The normally austere man crossed his arms.

"Therefore, I don't understand what's stopping you from running to Maya, _right now_ , and telling the truth, now that the threat to her life has been omitted and Gavin is behind bars."

"Perhaps it is _my_ turn to accuse you of playing _the daft card_?" Phoenix lifted his head from his hands, his pained expression fading and replaced by one of incredulity. "As evidenced by the _wedding invitation_ that you previously referenced, old friend, Maya has _moved on_. She is _getting married_ , in less than two months, _to another man_. Obviously, _I_ am her _past_ and _he_ is her _future_." His voice shook slightly. "Sh – she doesn't love me anymore."

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Dick Gumshoe  
**_ April 20, 2026 5:35 PM

"Hello?"

"Greetings, Gumshoe. I hope this is a fitting time for us to perhaps have a little catch up chat?"

" _Mr. Edgeworth? Sir?_ Is that really _you_?"

"None other."

"You sound so clear this time! I don't hear any long-distance crackle at all! Where are you calling from now?"

"Approximately 20 minutes away from The Wonder Bar at the Wright Talent Agency," the prosecutor responded casually.

"You mean you're back in town?! Since _when_?"

"About an hour or so ago. I'm assuming, unless I've miscalculated Los Angeles traffic, by now you have completed your task of _driving the getaway car_ and Trucy is safely at work?"

"I'm not even going to ask _how_ you knew that, Sir," Gumshoe replied sheepishly. "Yes she's gone to work. I was just about to pull out of the parking lot, but of course I'd be happy to chat with my _favorite prosecutor_!" A quick pause. "Er, don't tell Ms. Von Karma I said that, OK?"

"My lips are zipped," Edgeworth said dryly, ignoring the slight sting his friend had unintentionally caused by mentioning his former lover's name. "Also Gumshoe, as you are Chief of police and no longer my subordinate, you no longer need to address me in such a formal manner."

"I guess that's true. But I can't help it! Old habits die hard!"

"Indeed. Would you mind giving me a rundown on the fate of our dear mutual chum and the court trial today?"

Gumshoe gave his friend a brief but thorough synopsis of the dramatic courtroom antics that had transpired earlier in the day, unable to conceal his stupefaction about the last minute "surprise evidence" sprung on by the defense counsel, nor his satisfied grim amusement as he described Kristoph Gavin's breakdown and the magnificent way Phoenix had confronted, and then extracted the truth out of him, all the while essentially _playing no-badge, defense attorney for_ _ **himself**_.

Edgeworth could already deduce that the card's validation was fishy at best, but wisely kept this to himself as the Chief went on to discuss a new topic of interest.

"I just finished listening to my voicemail right before you called," Gumshoe told him hesitantly. "It was from _Maya_. I knew she and Pearl were away on business in Australia for the past week or so, but somehow they found out about Phoenix's court case, but not the actual outcome."

"Oh dear. I imagine she was quite concerned?"

" _Concerned_? I don't know if that's _quite_ the word I'd use for the _full-blown histrionics_ in the voicemail she left me! Word for word, her exact message was: ' _Gumshoe. It's Maya. What the hell happened to_ _ **my Nick**_ _?! I'm going crazy here! I_ _ **need**_ _to know! I'm getting on a plane to come home right now but_ _ **please message me or call me**_ _the_ _ **second**_ _you get this!'_

Gumshoe coughed awkwardly.

"I figured after all they'd been through together, Maya would still care about Phoenix's well-being, but I sure wasn't expecting… _that_."

"I confess that I am slightly taken aback by her extreme reaction to the news as well." Edgeworth admitted.

"I'm not quite sure _what_ to make of it, Sir!" Gumshoe exclaimed helplessly. "I was always rooting for those two, and the way she sounded in that message, I can't help but wonder… I mean, I know she's getting married and all, and Longines does seem like a great guy, from the few times I've met him, but…do you think it's possible she still loves Phoenix? She literally referred to him as _**my Nick**_!"

"I can't deny the possibility…" Edgeworth began hesitantly, but Gumshoe cut him off before he could continue.

"So if Maya _is_ still in love with Phoenix, she has _no business_ getting married to this other guy!" The former Detective cried. "Irrespective of how Phoenix even feels, you _can't_ go into a _marriage_ _**half-assed**_! It will only end up in a _disaster_! It just ain't right! Shouldn't we say something?"

"I don't think there's enough evidence for us to get involved, to be honest," Edgeworth sighed. "While it's easy to jump to the conclusion that Maya's reaction was that of a woman still desperately in love with her ex-boyfriend, it just isn't sufficient enough evidence to actually _ruin somebody's upcoming wedding_! She and Wright have always been identical in the sense that they're both _very emotional_ , _**act first, think later**_ , kind of people."

"But _Sir_ …"

"We also don't know how she actually feels about this Longines fellow… It's fair to assume she must love him _somewhat_ if she chose to unite herself with him for the rest of her life. As for her calling him _my Nick…_ We can't entirely rule out the possibility that, as _you_ said, _old habits die hard_."

"So you're saying we should stand back and not do _a damn thing_ while one of our dearest friends possibly makes a huge mistake?" Gumshoe asked dubiously. "You _really_ believe that doing _nothing_ is our best course of action right now?"

"No Gumshoe. What I believe is that there are times in life when you have to let the chips fall where they do, come what may. I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes… good things fall apart, so better things can fall together."

* * *

Edgeworth stared at the morose man next to him while the heft of his conscience weighed heavily upon his soul. Had he done the right thing by persuading Gumshoe to remain silent about Maya? At the time it'd seemed like a sound choice; the last thing he wanted to do was destroy everybody's lives based on _mindless conjuncture_. Maya had suffered enough hardship in her life. And as much as his loyalty lay first and foremost with Phoenix above all else in this instance, he couldn't deny the fact that Maya meant a lot to him, as well.

Never before had he felt so torn.

"Don't you _get_ _it,_ Edgeworth?" Phoenix's eyes were red as he stared powerlessly at his friend. "It doesn't _matter_ that Gavin is in jail! Ultimately, _nothing_ has really changed! I'm _still_ a disgraced, disbarred defense attorney and _she_ is still the prestigious Master who was always urged by her village and probably _by everybody around her_ to do better than me! I've never wanted anything but the best for her, and now she's found herself a _billionaire_ who can give her everything her heart desires, whereas _I_ still am…and apparently, _eternally doomed to be_ …just…a hapless _nobody_."

"So this is it? _This_ is how it's going to end for you? You're just going to curl up like a trapped onshore shrimp and _die_ , Wright?" Never before had Edgeworth felt so helpless and frustrated. "Just going to _give up_? On _everything_? You used to be a _fighter_! You fought for _everybody_ that you believed in! Why can't you do that for _yourself_?!"

Phoenix didn't answer.

"Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me that this _newly restrained disposition_ of yours simply means that you're revving yourself up and getting ready for the next step of battle."

"No. Don't mistake my calm for a readiness to take on more, to deal with more. Perhaps once it was. But not anymore." Bleak indigo eyes stared sightlessly at him. "Now it is only exhaustion, quiet and subdued, always hoping for an eventual respite from this _never-ending shit-storm_ that is now _my entire life."_

"Dammit Wright! Listen to me! If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. _There are no limits_. There are only _plateaus_ , and you must not stay there, you must go _beyond_ them."

Edgeworth placed his hand back on Phoenix's shoulder again and shook it gently, fervently wishing he could rattle that indomitable, justice-seeking spirit back into the defeated man.

"Let your past failures serve as an illustration of your motivation point, there you will succeed. Life's battles don't always go to the strongest or fastest people, but to the ones _who think they can._ Do not pray _for an easy life_ , pray _for the strength to endure a difficult one_. Remember that courage injures the strong ones who have no wisdom, but it _motivates the brave ones_ , _to always win_. Never give up on _yourself_ , for then, you will _never give up on_ **_others_**. I _cannot_ , _will not_ , allow you to stop fighting! _Not you._ Not after all you've done for everybody around you."

" _Why_ are you _doing_ this to me?" Phoenix shouted suddenly, shaking his friend's hand off his shoulder, looking as though he were near tears now. " _Why_ do you insist on _beating a dead horse_ , Edgeworth? There are times in life when you've got _no choice_ but to give up on somebody! That time is _now_! Why can't you just _let me be_?!"

"For the reason that _you mean too damn much to me_!" Edgeworth yelled back, his calmness completely shattered as he found himself raising his voice with each passing word. "I will _never_ stop believing in you, Wright, do you hear me? _Never_! Why? Because there's _something of you in_ _my DNA_ and it probably codes for all of _my_ best features!"

He inhaled a deep breath for courage, not even caring anymore that his voice was trembling slightly.

"I only have to think of our childhood days to steal your smile and feel your warmth spreading though my weary heart. I only have to close my eyes to see us on our old street, you in your blue jeans and me in my good short pants I was all set to ruin. Do you remember the mud pies and the wars we waged on the ants? Do you remember Mrs. Butz and her half burnt biscuits we ate as though they were going out of style? Do you recall laughing at the back of class until our sides felt as if they'd break?"

Edgeworth had to stop to take in a long, ragged breath before he allowed himself to continue.

"Can't you see…you are _not a_ ** _nobody_** because… _there is_ ** _nobody_** _better than_ ** _you_**! I could meet a million fabulous people, all of them with interesting lives and philanthropic deeds, and _not one of them could replace you_. You are _one of a kind_ , Phoenix Wright. You were a hero to the world around you. _Justice_ needs you. _I_ need you. And if you actually think I'm going to let you throw that all away because you have chosen to just give up, then you're an even bigger fool that I ever thought you were!"

A flicker of hope glimmered in his heart, and then, a muscle twitched beside the ex-attorney's mouth at his friend's impassioned speech, the most wholehearted and meaningful one he had ever heard in his entire existence. He had never before seen Edgeworth so unraveled, and it touched him more than he could ever say that it had been because of _him_. Phoenix mulled all this over for another moment, then flashed his best friend a hesitant smile.

Edgeworth saw the old, familiar spark reigniting in his eyes and stepped up his argument.

"So let's get you _off your duff_ , climb off your _personal train to pity town_ , and _work on getting your damn badge back_!" Flushed slightly from his emboldened oration, Edgeworth coughed slightly and attempted to resume his conventional stoic exterior. "Or need I actually have to resort to giving you a matching mark on _the other side_ of that mug of yours in order to make my point and _spur you into action?_ _"_

"Gah!" Phoenix raised his hands up protectively in front of his face. "Don't you think I've suffered _enough abuse_ today already, _Mike Tyson_?!"

The prosecutor chortled grimly.

"For the love of God, Wright, _why_ is that whenever I see you lately, it appears _somebody_ has been resorted to unleashing mindless violence upon your person?"

"Last time it was _you_!" Phoenix looked as though he didn't know whether to laugh or cry now.

"Your point _being_?" Edgeworth derided, the beguilement evident in his voice now. "How _do_ you manage to spurn such volatile reactions in people, anyway?"

"What can I say?" Phoenix shrugged, although his own eyes were twinkling with mirth as well. "It's a gift."

He sobered for a moment then, and regarded his friend was anxious but hopeful eyes.

"Now that you're back, do you honestly think I'm no longer fighting a losing battle? Do you _genuinely believe_ you can help me clear my name so I can get my badge back?"

"I _really_ do." Edgeworth nodded somberly. "As much as I _believe in you_ , I truly have faith that if we put _our conjoined efforts_ into this, we can manage to right the wrong that was done to you."

"Game on! You _win_ , Edgeworth!" Phoenix smirked and put up his hands in mock surrender. "Well, maybe _not in the courtroom_ against me, but _this round_ can definitely go down on _your_ _victory record_!"

"You are _going to pay_ next time we square off in court for _that_ cheeky remark," the prosecutor warned him, although the twinkle in his eyes belied his attempted ominous words.

"Guess that means you're going to have to work _extra hard_ to help me get my badge back then!" Phoenix quipped, suddenly feeling as though an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He wanted to jump up and cheer about the exhilaration of finally having his best friend back in his life; about having such an incredible ally by his side again.

However, as happy as he was at the moment, there was _something_ that was still left unsaid, and he couldn't properly rejoice until he got to the bottom of it.

Something…such as _the truth_ behind his best friend being back in LA in the first place.

" _My_ turn to be making the demands now, Edgeworth." Phoenix suddenly sprang up from the couch and stared down to his startled-looking friend.

" _Demands_?" The prosecutor cocked an eyebrow. "About _what_ , pray tell?"

"Let's start with _the real reason_ why you came back here to the States, _by your own admission_ , **_months_** **_ahead_** of your _regularly scheduled program_?" Phoenix crossed his arms over his chest and subjected Edgeworth to his most penetrating stare. "I don't need to have _my attorney_ _'_ _s badge_ to see _the glaring contradiction_ here!"

"What baseless conjecture are you spewing _now_?" Edgeworth huffed. "I have no idea what nonsense you're prattling about!"

" _Objection_! We both know I'm _Wright_ – in _more ways than one_!"

The prosecutor groaned at the shameless pun, but Phoenix didn't allow him another word in edgewise as he pushed forward in his relentless cross-examination.

"Spill it, Edgeworth! What are you doing here _now_ , when you have _a wife and baby_ back home? As much as you're an ambitious career man, I _know_ for a fact that you value your _loved_ ones **even _more_** **!** **"** Phoenix pointed his finger, courtroom style, right at him. "I want _the truth_ … And I want it _now_!"

* * *

 ** _Bill Withers - Lean on Me_**

* * *

 _A/N: Some relationships, even non-romantic ones, are so epic that they need to be split in two because they're too amazing to squish into one chapter. I hope you enjoyed the Wrightworth reunion as much as I loved Wrighting it! Coming up next...The Edgy side of the story...aka Wrightworth Reunion Part 2. :)_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Legionary Prime**

I thank you for your review. Just a reminder, Phoenix wasn't the one who forged the ace. It was Trucy and her "naughty magician's trick." :)

And you're very welcome for getting back to you on your questions. Nothing brings me greater pleasure than corresponding of my readers, and I will always make the time to do so!

Maya Fey should never leave town and be out of communication from the rest of the world, because whenever she does really bad things happen! XD

While her being in Australia and Japan was my own creation to explain her absence from the game when Phoenix was charged with murder and disbarred, it does appear that there's a correlation of disasters tending to occur whenever she's not around!

In this chapter we finally get to see Maya's reaction to _the news_ … As well as the conflicting conclusions from both Gumshoe and Edgeworth regarding it! Who do _you_ think was right in their assessment? Let me know your thoughts!

 **thepudz (Guest)**

Wahoo! It only took me nearly 10 times as many chapters to surpass the fanfic of knob-gobbery to get to this 800 review mark! Go me! XD

Also thank you for the kind kudos sweetie you're amazing. :)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

First of all I commend you for your excellent musical taste while thanking you for noticing the song choice in the title of the chapter! :-)

Maya is engaged to a living, breathing Ken doll who may or may not have better hair than she does... but sometimes the evil, taunting radio triggers memories of not only a love long ago lost but that of a (canon) partnership and friendship which became universally iconic in a video game and now anime...the fair maiden's BFF Sir Blue Knight as it were. Maya's already lost and been through so much...now THOSE tormenting songs HAVE to be playing when she knows recent dates marked the wretched 7 year anniversary of Nick's badge loss...The poor girl is only human after all!

I cannot imagine Phoenix Wright being an easy man to get OVER after you've been UNDER ...(*sorry my inner Mae West* reared its saucy head for a minute) I digress! XD

Reading too much into things, my dear psychic friend? Perhaps, like Maya, you should pay more attention to your gut instincts? Or perhaps you ARE overthinking it ...I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out? ;)

 **Feraligreater328**

Indeed dear sake lover, I decided after the fast-paced drama and lengthy chapters regarding the Periwinkle Pisshead's trial my readers could use a shorter and somewhat fluffier chapter!

"Log-Knees" I will never cease my amusement how you crazy kids butcher the hell out of the hair heir's name! LOL.

I'm so happy that the nearly blink and you'll miss it moment of potential pending groomzilla was caught on by the reader is in light of the other cliffhanger regarding Phoenix!

Oh dear could this possibly mean that the wedding of Maya's non- dreams may turn into a gaudy petting zoo/cirque du soliel infused, 3-ring circus?! :p

 **Thepudz**

It's the accent! He reminded Pearl of her soul mate! She's allowed to swoon! But her heart belongs to Luke. I did have a lot of fun with the character of Dylan though since OC characters of the only ones I get free reign to do with as I please without being accused of the dreaded writer OOC! Glad you liked him!

One of the underlying themes of this story is most definitely out of sight does not mean out of mind!

Phoenix Wright would definitely be a hard man to obliterate from one's memory not only because how long him and Maya were together but because he truly was her best friend.

I wanted to emphasize a lot on what an incredible friendship Phoenix has had with people because of the upcoming chapter with him and Miles and also to put into perspective the depth of the relationship he had with Maya, even though it makes it more devastating that the poor girl is still mourning the loss of not only the love of her life but the best friend she had ever had.

The powerful track by Mariah Carey has a kind of a gospel feel it really shows what a songbird she is. It's really old so I'm happy that you liked it as wasn't sure how many people would know it.

But it was a perfect blend of friendship and romance within it aka Phaya! And I've always really loved the iconic That's What Friends Are For song and I was thinking about using it for Phoenix and Miles but it still sounded a trifle mushy to me...and I didn't want to get accused of having Wrightworth homoerotic undertones when I strictly write them as being the ultimate bromance! XD

 **ChilledKitsune**

It's ironic that Phoenix said: "what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive" during the trial because unfortunately because of how complex his noble lie was regarding leaving Maya for Iris. Good call about how/why this ruse will continue to go on... the plot has thickened considerably! Nick is very well aware of some potential holes in his initial plan but rest assured he will have his bases covered and you will have to keep reading to find out why these two star-crossed lovers were not immediately reunited in this chapter!

But answering your first question about the phone call and Trucy... She's not a jerk it was literally a case of rushed carelessness and not malice that made her unintentionally give her best friend a mini heart attack on the other side of the world (where she absolutely did not know Pearl was

Also I don't think I've ever heard from you before so as you are a new reader thank you very much for taking the time to read and drop me a line much appreciated. :)

 **DannyDragon**

I'm happy Pearl came across as adorable and not as a spoiled princess complaining about roughing it in The Great Outdoors! It's one thing to sit under a cold waterfall that's another thing to have that be your sole bathing source!

Of course I had to mention Luke we will all see him again wedding!

You may have recognized OC Dylan's name (which you can tell I'm very fond of!) and sort of British accent being recycled...he was first spotted as Maya's temporary crush in Crossfire...same accent, different surroundings. His true complexity is how he can be a temporary potential rival for Lady Fey's heart at a video arcade and piss off 2 Ace Attorney Ace attorneys in the process while also being an Australian Outback tour guide simultaneously! XD

The Mariah Carey song is a bit more obscure than the other two 80's anthems ( _y estoy muy feliz mi amiga musica apreciarlos_!) I think it's from her Music Box album which is quite old by now but not quite yet a classic and may even be ahead of your time because that Diva has been around for a while now but I felt despite being a tad obscure compared to most of my song selections, it perfectly captured the elusive and beautiful combination of love and friendship Phaya had and has a soul-lifting gospel sound that I really think an old soul like you with a passion for music might really appreciate. I look forward to your thoughts on it. :)

To have "more baggage then an Airport" means that you have a lot of complex issues, mental or emotional, which might hold you back in certain aspects of your life and make it hard for you to express yourself like other people can do very easily. For example the fact that Miles is emotionally constipated (very reserved with showing emotions) could have a lot to do with the dl-6 incident and being raised by a monster... the latter is one of the contributing factors I created also for Franny and have attributed any normalcy (as well as her beauty!) of her character to her sainted mother! ( _debido a que el hombre era muy feo_!) :p

 _Siempre es un placer escuchar de usted dulce chica! Que ver siguiente capítulo!_

 **Yanmegaman**

Stay away from Vegemite dude! I am not joking when I described it as possibly being more lethal (at least to your nostrils) than many of the dangerous creatures that harbor in the land down under!

At this point I don't think Maya wants to acknowledge that she may still have a psychic connection to a man that she thinks cast her aside like yesterday's garbage so it's easier to dismiss it as paranoia.

However while I have capitalized on the fact that Phaya still seem to have that special connective bond despite being split, the fact also remains, even canon wise, that two of the worst things that could have possibly happened to Phoenix, the disbarment and the murder trial, occurred when Maya wasn't there! Coincidence? I think not! That woman should NEVER leave town!

I think the reason the Fey girls like foreign men has to be attributed to sexy accents my dear friend ... I personally am a sucker for them as well! And let's face it British and Australian accents are very pleasing to the ear!

I think Luke Triton could have recited the Gettysburg address in Pig Latin and Pearl still would have fallen for him harder than a ton of bricks! :)

Besides didn't you know women initially fall for with what they HERE whereas men fall in love with what they SEE? This is why women tend to wear makeup...and why men...LIE! (Like cheap rugs!) XD

 **The SkyiesTheLimit**

One cliffhanger answer coming right up! And done! :)

I couldn't resist paying some homage to your beautiful country which I have been fortunate enough to visit (although I was not privy to hear "G'day Mate" any more than Pearl and Maya were! Maybe we all went to the wrong places?) XD

Thanks for clarifying that mystery for me, Mate! ;)

 **Forgreatcoffee**

I'm glad somebody else caught on to that wedding planner bit, because for a wedding that she doesn't particularly claim to be the one of her childhood fantasies, Maya really WAS planning on having a relatively low-key event... but should now prepare for some serious groomzilla action!

Also as far as I know, the whole "G'day mate" was made even more universally popular by Crocodile Dundee, and my Australian friends indeed I have confirmed that it is normally used essentially for the amusement of tourists, but not as popular local lingo as people would think. I know I myself NEVER heard it when I went there!

Maya has always undershot her psychic powers compared to Pearl, possibly because of freaking Morgan giving her an inferiority complex, but it's highly possible that her latent talents may very well include Clairvoyance...or perhaps it's just when it comes to that unbreakable bond she has with Phoenix, broken up or not?

 **SpiritsOfFire**

I don't know if things have changed since I visited the land down under myself but having been to Brisbane and Sydney and having relatives that live Down Under along with friends ...all of whom have told me they've never heard it actually being used nor did I hear it during my time there. Perhaps me and the Feys were traveling in the wrong areas. Although I hope but my apparent Canadian inaccuracy of Australian lingo will not retract your enjoyment of the story.

 **Chapter 128**

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Indeed the creepy German sausage definitely suffers not only from megalomania but delusions of grandeur! There are no words to describe how much I enjoyed writing Bitchtoff's pissy hissy fit! XD

So I'm not the only one who noticed that the judge pretty much let Phoenix's disbarred self pretty much run that trial and be his own defense by proxy (poor Polly!) because ultimately I don't think Udgey was impartial; he really didn't want to put Phoenix away and was obviously really hoping he wouldn't get convicted, because the fact that he genuinely seems to like Nick's UNBREAKABLE arse (again poor Apollo... I have little doubt that sucker punch hurt HIM, both physically and emotionally, more than it did Wolverine!)  
and that wry judgey affection seems pretty canon so I had to throw that in there! :)

I think you could safely bet your next South American blend that you're probably right about who his unexpected visitor was... you've always been a very astute man Señor Java!;)


	131. Don't Stand So Close To Me

_A/N: When I said the Wrightworth reunion would be two chapters I forgot about the cliffhanger with Edgy and Lana...which is addressed here, and then back to the hunky Ace Attorneys to wrap up next chapter...as is tradition I had to split up the chapters due to length! Good news...three chapter week, next one will be up Friday!_

 _This is dedicated the the mother of all Fredgeworth lovers, and my good friend (and music recommend chiquita for this chapter!) mi amiga dulce,_ **Ilet Moratar** _who is **finally** speaking to me again after the way I left things dangling with Skyeworth last time you saw them! XD_

* * *

 _I would invent a universe for you today  
If she was not already my star  
and I would dearly love you  
if not for her._

 _You're the sweet company  
But in your painted red, beguiling smile  
It is only her honeyed smile that I see_

 _You're the sweet temptation,  
testing my strength and will  
the force that pushes me  
to be unfaithful,_

 _Do not,  
I love only her,  
My universe is she  
nothing more_

 _You're the adventure, laughter, tenderness  
All that I experienced with you  
while she was in solitude waiting,  
wishing for time to finally unite us._

 _You're the butterfly flying among the roses  
that is the foundation of my home  
you're butterfly flying among the roses  
and she is the foundation of my home._

 _I was lost in silence when I was with you  
Trying not to think a lot about her  
While I kept my current my eyes on you,  
Yet I would still be seeing her in my mind_

 _Don't feel my resistance was an act of cowardice  
There are some things in life  
that are only for only two,  
only two._

 _Lies are not compatible  
With something as transparent, beautiful and fragile  
As real love_

 _No,  
I love only her,  
My universe is she  
nothing more_

 _You're the butterfly flying among the roses  
that is the foundation of my home  
you're the butterfly flying among the roses  
and she is the foundation of my home.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Thirty-One:** **Don't Stand So Close To Me**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency  
_ April 20, 2026

Had the scene been set in Japan, the terse silence following Phoenix's judicious question could have easily be referred to _Showdown in Little Tokyo._

However, since the two best friends _weren't_ in the land of the rising sun, but in Los Angeles, the militant eyeball to eyeball stance between the two men could have more accurately been described as _Stare Down in Japalifornia,_ as determined navy blue orbs locked against unyielding gun-metal grey ones.

The pianist mimicked Edgeworth's defiant stance of folding his arms across his chest as the two men continued their _mutually unblinking stand-off_ , with the cravat crusader of justice _still_ maintaining his obstinate stance and refusing to break the strained pause that had followed the former defense attorney's _seemingly unobjectionable_ query about what had _really_ brought him back home to LA.

Meanwhile, the former King of the Turnabout was steadily _fuming_ about the other man's _pig-headed tenacity_!

 _Un-be-_ _ **freakin**_ _-lievable! I always knew the blasted man could be as stubborn as I am when he chooses to be – we're_ _ **two of a kind**_ _that way – but_ _ **this**_ _is ridiculous!_ _ **Something's**_ _ **got to give**_ _, and most of the time, it's_ _ **me!**_ _Nevertheless, there's_ _ **no way in hell**_ _I'm giving up on finding out the truth_ _ **this**_ _time! Friendship is supposed to be_ _ **a two-way street,**_ _all about give-and-take! Obviously, there is a gross imbalance in our alliance if Edgeworth thinks this bond consists of_ _ **him**_ _being allowed to ask all the **invasive questions**_ _he pleases, while_ _ **I'm**_ _obliged to answer them,_ _ **regardless of how painful it is**_ _! Yet when the tables get turned, apparently_ _ **he's**_ _authorized to_ _ **clam up**_ _whenever_ _ **he**_ _sees fit to do so! No way! Not so fast! This time…I call…_ _**umbrage!**_

"I don't have work tonight, and it'll be _quite a while_ before my daughter is due back home from The Wonder Bar," he loftily informed the _mulish man in magenta_. "Just as you said _you_ had _all the time in the world_ to wait for me to come around, and profess the real deal about what was going on, _I_ can _just as easily_ tell _you_ that since being disbarred and losing Maya… _I have_ _ **no life**_! Ergo _I_ , too, can _just_ as easily remain here and play the waiting game _all_ _night_ if need be, until you decide to confess _what_ actually brought you back home, _ahead of schedule_ , even though it meant _leaving your family behind_!"

Edgeworth merely eyed him mutely, arms crossed, one finger tapping in customary grand gesture of impatience for another good few moments.

Meanwhile, the poker champion was awaiting his companion's reaction with bated breath, wondering if he was really going to call his bluff and _actually_ _subject_ _him_ to a whole night of a _stalemate stare down_!

Eventually though, the other man shook his head and let out a rueful chuckle.

 _I see you're still as maddeningly, and admirably, as tenacious as ever, Wright. Luckily for you, I've decided I find it endearing._

"Say it again, Wright."

" _What_?!" Phoenix gaped at him in confusion.

"What you just said to me a few minutes ago," Edgeworth smirked. "I'm not sure I heard you properly, so please repeat that last statement again… But only the first part."

Still bewildered, and with considerably less conviction, as well as minus the pointed courtroom finger this time, the former defense attorney haltingly repeated the initial part of his query.

"I want the truth!"

" _You can't handle the truth!"_

This time, it was Phoenix's turn to a groan.

"You've _got_ to be _kidding_ me, Edgeworth! I know _I'm_ pretty bad with the puns at times, like the one I always make pertaining to my last name, but _seriously_? You _finally_ respond to me, and it's with a _freakin line'_ from a _Jack Nicholson_ 90's flick?!"

" _You're_ the one who commenced the usual lawyer _theatrics_ during this interrogation," Edgeworth shrugged. "Consequently _, I_ presumed that _I, too,_ could roll with the punches and enhance said _iconic cinema scene_ by utilizing the rest of the famous dialogue from the all-star courtroom drama."

"I don't know _why_ I had to _resort to interrogation tactics_ just to get you to _answer a mere question_ in the first place!" Phoenix treated the prosecutor to his best withering stare. "After all, due to the ferocity of _your_ _relentless haranguing_ methods, I _poured out my goddamn_ _ **soul**_ to you, Edgeworth! _Turnabout is fair play_! Now start talking!"

"If you expect the world to be fair with you because _you_ are fair, you're fooling yourself, Wright. That's like expecting _the_ _lion_ not to eat _you_ because _you_ didn't eat _him_."

The other man's mocking tone only made Phoenix even more frustrated, as well as slightly hurt.

"I learned the hard way, a long time ago, that the world is not a fair place, and I no longer expect it to be one," he replied quietly. "But I _do_ expect equally _fair_ treatment from the man who is supposed to be my best friend, with whom _I'd_ presumed there were no boundaries, and hence, believed we could tell one another _anything_ and _everything_."

"It's none of your damn business, Wright!" The former Demon Prosecutor bristled, with the unintentional irony of mimicking the pianist's own previous retort to invasive inquiry.

"Don't you dare try throwing my own lines back at _me_!" The Baron of Bluffing countered. "Get your _own_ scriptwriter, damn it! There's a _surplus of them_ desirous of catching a break in this town!"

Edgeworth didn't bother replying to this, and his ongoing and insufferable recalcitrance only further intensified the sharp pang of being rebuked in such a manner, accompanied by utter bemusement. Despite the fact that the prosecutor's visage currently resembled one of the stone faces of Mount Rushmore, Phoenix also could clearly see that beneath the surface, those hardened twin flints were desperately trying to mask the obvious pain and hidden trauma within them.

 _I know you've been through hell in your life, Edgeworth. But against all odds, you never let it break you. You just kept right on persevering. Like myself, you were always a pursuer of truth and justice. A true fighter. Hell –_ _ **you**_ _were in the law game even longer than_ _ **me**_ _, so while_ _ **I**_ _was a mere_ _ **fighter**_ _,_ _ **you**_ _were a full-blown, legal crusade_ _ **warrior**_ _! Nonetheless, even actual men of war take off their armor once in a while, and still you stand on guard, even_ _ **off**_ _the battlefield. I see glimpses of the man underneath that armor - but then you insist on covering it up, in order to shield your true self from me._

Phoenix couldn't squelch the pang he experienced at being shut out in such a manner.

 _To see you hide in such a manner, when conversely,_ _ **I**_ _have fully trusted_ _ **you**_ _enough to allow myself to share_ _ **all that I am**_ _ **,**_ _is a beyond gut-wrenching wound in my soul. Trying to connect with you right now feels like journeying toward a mirage and I despair that this desert will_ _ **never end!**_ _How can I assist with your plight, just as you just aided me with my own? Edgeworth, you and I are_ _ **childhood**_ _ **best** **friends** who are __**supposed**_ _to be **bound** by __**trust**_ _, which is so foundational to_ _ **all**_ _human relationships. Dear friend, what can I possibly say or do to that will allow you to_ _ **put your trust in me**_ _, and unload this burden of sorrowfulness which you are obviously harboring within?_

"Edgeworth, why won't you confide in _me_ , the same way _you_ coerced _me_ to confide in _you_?"

The prosecutor continued to keep mum, so Phoenix couldn't resist one final stab at ridiculousness.

"You should know by now that you can entrust me with _anything_! Hell, according to _you_ , I'm part of that rare, elusive lot of _A Few Good Men_ out there!"

The prosecutor's stoical expression wavered ever so slightly at the one-liner, into an almost smile. Nevertheless, he continued to remain silent, abstracted, with his eyes full of inquietude, and wandering with perpetual restlessness.

Phoenix had reached the end of his rope. There was no creative tactic of his own that he could think of at the moment to pry open that _inveterate mouth_ which seemed it was going to remain _tightly_ _sealed_! It was time for a good old-fashioned case of tit-for-tat.

"Maya and I shared a lot of the same contact information, having been together so long, you know," he said casually, causing the other man's lids to unexpectedly narrow in suspicion at the abrupt change in conversation topics. "I believe that would also include _Franziska_ 's phone number and email address amongst it. Perhaps I can go the _roundabout_ way of retrieving _sought-after information_ by simply _asking the future Mrs. Edgeworth_ how _she_ feels about her _petulant_ _husband_ being halfway across the world, while _she_ is left behind with your baby daughter?"

The baiting statement seemed to be just the push that had been needed to get a reaction out of the charcoal-haired man, who leapt to his feet off the sofa, courtroom finger already extended in ready position.

" _Objection_!"

" _Overruled_!" Phoenix glared at the prosecutor. "On exactly _what_ grounds are you actually _having the gall_ to make an objection, you _freaking hypocrite_? The fact that _I_ used the _very same antics_ that _you_ did to coax a response out of _me_?!"

"I was hoping to come up with _some_ sort of _non-hypocritical_ syllogism while I was objecting, Wright." Edgeworth looked somewhat chastened by the response. "Alas, I didn't."

"I didn't _think_ so." Phoenix was smirking as he stood in his familiar akimbo courtroom pose. "So does this mean you're _at last_ ready to break your _vow of silence_ and answer my question, or am I likelier to get a more accurate response by contacting your _better half_?"

"I admire the sentiment behind your _zeloso_ approach, if nothing else, my well-meaning, _ultracrepidarian_ friend." In spite of the twinge of amusement gleaming in the normally inscrutable orbs at his friend's earnestness to help, Edgeworth's cadence was completely wooden.

Before the perplexed pianist could demand the meaning of those _pretentious sounding words_ or insist Edgeworth immediately cease speaking _like a walking Poindexter dictionary_ , the prosecutor closed his eyes and let out a torpid sigh.

"It is with great regret that I say this to you, Wright: if I _truly believed_ you would actually be _able_ to _reach_ Franziska Von Karma, or that she would _actually reply_ to any attempted contact from _you_ , of all people, I would actually tell you to _go ahead and try_ , with _my full blessing_. Though as _I_ have _no inkling of her whereabouts_ , myself, I'd say that point is _moot_."

His previous _smart alecky vibe_ now fully vanquished, the now anxious Phoenix scrutinized the other man's grim face, wondering if he hadn't misunderstood what he'd just heard.

"I find myself quite perplexed by what you're implying," he began slowly. "In the past, you've repeatedly accused me of being _daft_ , therefore, I'm sincerely hoping such is the case once more, and that I've wrongfully interpreted what you're trying to tell me."

"Exactly what is it you think that you're misunderstanding?" His dialogue partner's voice was brittle as glass.

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounded very much like you were saying you didn't know _where_ or _how_ to get a hold of your fiancée."

"That is _exactly_ what I'm trying to tell you." Edgeworth's arms were still folded tightly across his chest, but his head was turned to the side as he spoke in a brusque tone, while purposefully avoiding eye contact with the completely thunderstruck pianist. "My countless efforts to reach Franziska this past year were all exercises in futility. I exhausted every possible option in trying to connect with her; even tried to call her sister, but to no avail. I was unable to touch base with her during the whole _near year_ I was undercover."

"Franziska has been missing _for a year_?!" Phoenix's eyes widened in shock. "Then why do you sound so _blasé_?! Shouldn't _you_ – _we_?! – Be _worried_?"

"Believe you me, I was filled with the _greatest sense of unease_ ," Edgeworth replied flatly. "That sensation _quickly abated,_ however, when I returned to my home in Germany a week ago, and discovered she was no longer residing there, and evidently hadn't been for _almost a year._ "

"Say _what_?!" The ex-attorney was completely floored. "You've got to be _joking_ , Edgeworth!"

"Wright, you should know by now that as much as I'm no bluffer, I've _never_ been _a joker_ of _any sort_ , either."

Although the prosecutor never raised his voice, his hardened eyes were now devoid of any emotion.

"Allow me to make it _clearer_ so that you fully _understand_ what I'm trying to convey to you, Wright." The slate orbs were twin chips of ice. "It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that _Franziska Von Karma is gone_. Her impromptu decision to _conveniently disappear_ from the home we shared together during my absence was not only _unexpected,_ but also _the last thing in the world_ I ever could have a wanted _._ Unfortunately, as _determined by_ _her browser history_ , her mind was long since made up on the matter, ergo my own personal viewpoint mattered naught to her _in_ _the_ _least_."

"You seriously didn't see this coming? Before you left for your top-secret assignment, are you sure you didn't give her any reason to think that perhaps this was something that _you_ wanted at all?"

"Not in the least. With foolish naïveté I'd assumed my farewell exchange with her was _the sweetest sorrow_ known to man and that I would return home to her loving arms, not an empty house. I assure you, I was _downright blindsided_ by all of this." Edgeworth let out a harsh, mirthless laugh. "I assure you, her unprecedented severing of our ties was a choice _**entirely**_ _of her own volition_. This was evidenced by not only _her betrothal ring_ left at my bedside, but also _clearly stated_ in the accompanying _Dear John_ letter, with no _forwarding address or phone number."_

"I still can't believe this!" Phoenix flopped back down on the couch. The weight of this mind-blowing owing news a bit too much for him to digest while remaining standing. "A _letter_?!"

"You heard me." Edgeworth clenched his jaw. "After all was said and done, I wasn't deserving enough to get even _a courtesy phone call_ or a _clean, in-person break_ , which I most certainly thought I would be entitled to after _eight bloody years._ "

 _Eight damn years together… And in the end, Franziska opted for the most_ _ **lowdown, sneaky, cowardly way possible**_ _to end things with the dedicated swain who loved her enough to want to spend_ _ **the rest of his life with her.**_ _Not even a proper, face-to-face breakup…but_ _ **slithering off**_ _and leaving him nothing more than a_ _ **lousy letter**_ _?_!

Phoenix's shock had subsided by now, and was replaced by righteous indignation on his best friend's behalf.

 _Miles Edgeworth deserved better than such callousness! Franziska Von Karma, it is with neither uncertainty nor unsurpassed magnitude, that I can safely dub thee as_ _ **the**_ _most completely spurious, iniquitous, cold-hearted_ _ **bitch alive**_ _! Not that I can_ _ **say**_ _that_ _ **out loud**_ _, of course, though I sure the hell can_ _ **think**_ _it! The_ _ **last time**_ _I called her that, I was subjected to a_ _ **swift uppercut**_ _, and I have_ _ **zero desire**_ _to have history repeat itself by catching_ _ **his fist**_ _with_ _ **my face**_ _, seeing as how_ _ **Edgeworth**_ _packs a_ _ **bigger punch**_ _than_ _ **Apollo**_ _, and I've already suffered enough physical assault today! Still…the poor guy! No wonder he looks so withdrawn and exhausted!_

"So is that why you decided to get out of the country early and just come back home?" Phoenix asked sympathetically. "Because it was too painful to stay in that empty house you shared together?"

"Indeed, that was most definitely _one_ of the reasons…" Edgeworth answered in a saturnine manner, jamming his hands into his pockets and staring down at the ground.

 _Among…_ _ **other things**_ **…  
**

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye  
**_ _Von Karma Estate, Germany  
_ April 14, 2026

"I don't care to think about _what_ she was thinking anymore." He squeezed his stinging eyes shut. "Franziska Von Karma has _made_ her bloody choice! All I know is that that right now, I am too angry to think straight, and I wish I could hurt her back the same way she hurt me…"

"There's no need to be spiteful or vengeful, Miles." She brought his face down so that his forehead was resting against hers as she peered into his dejected eyes. "What has happened, has happened, and life will go on. Trust that eventually, you _will_ find peace, and even choose to take _this_ as a major _sign_. I know you said that you were thinking about trying to have another baby, and that the two of you have had heartache in that department in the past. Maybe... you and me… I don't know. Maybe _I_ could…"

"Stop." He cut in harshly. "I – I don't want to talk right now."

Limpid, long-lashed teal eyes gazed into slate grey ones. "So what _do_ you want to do then?"

"I don't know anything, anymore," he responded gruffly, "But I _do_ know that I absolutely, _without question_ , want to kiss you right now, Lana Skye. _Very badly_."

He trailed his finger over her jaw and down her throat, his stare never unlocking from hers. As he leaned over her, she felt a heightened awareness of every part of her body that touched a part of his—the edge of his hip pressed to hers, his chest sliding against her own, his fingers tracing from her wrists to her forearms, to thread through her hair and tilt her head up, then framing her face. He held her in place, lips near her ear. When he kissed the sensitive spot, her breath shuddered at the familiar sensation and she closed her eyes. Her head swam, and she was drawing in short bursts of air as if she was surfacing every few seconds before diving deeper.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured, and then slowly, ever so slowly, his lips began their descent down towards hers…but just as he could feel the warmth of her breath, he pulled back, out of nowhere, and stared searchingly into her eyes.

Lana froze, her welling eyes snapping open as she gazed up at him, uncomprehending about what was going on. Miles wore the strangest expression – his countenance no longer _covetous_ , but now outright _turgid_. It seemed as if he had stopped respiring altogether as he studied those eyes, still filled with tears, but it was as though he weren't actually _seeing_ her, but looking right _through_ her.

It was no longer watery, almond-shaped, turquoise eyes that he was seeing anymore. Instead, all he could see in their place were beloved, wide-set, silvery orbs, with swirls of glittering onyx and tinges of blue at the edges. Expressive, lively, loving eyes, with a shining radiance, always reflecting the pure and sincere emotions, from _fiery rage_ to _raging passion_ that their owner would show, even when she didn't always _want_ to show it. The eyes of belonging to a woman who'd barely shed tears for _anybody_ , except for _him_ , because of how deeply she'd loved him, even though a part of Miles had died inside each time he'd had to see her cry.

It was the sight of Lana Skye's tears which had ultimately halted him. That heartrending sadness – that _love_ shimmering in them – _none_ of it was for him, or even _because_ of him. Had _never been_. They were for another man, the true keeper of her heart, which only been given to Miles in the past, and offered again just now – on _rental_. It would only be for a brief spell, in a mindless moment of desolation, just like in the past, making him yet again _the second-best_ man in a torrid affair he realized he no longer wanted to resume, because eventually, they'd both come to their senses and the shameful regret would consume them both.

To tread down the slippery slope of the past this time around would not only be for all the wrong reasons, it would be actually even _worse_ if he were to retread it _now,_ because _this time_ , he _knew_ his own heart wouldn't be fully invested either, but like hers, would only be _settling_ for what was readily available; a temporary Band-Aid approach to thwart the heartache they were both feeling.

Despite his initial reflex to want to mindlessly rebound in his ex's arms in a spiteful gesture towards _**his**_ _former betrothed_ , he knew _Lana's_ lover, at least, shouldn't have to suffer unfaithfulness again, regardless of whether or not he found out about it. Jake Marshall a good man and a hero, whose incarceration had been extended because of such meritorious antics, and he deserved better than to be cheated on yet again by the woman who was now his _current betrothed_.

"What is it?" She asked, her heart skipping a beat. He was studying her. Taking in every line of her face from her jaw to her cheekbone to her flyaway hair.

For an infinitesimal moment, Lana froze. She had no idea what to do with herself. No idea where to put her hands or whether to move her lips or how to even breathe.

Miles reached over and ran his hand gently over her hair, brushing an errant lock back behind her ear, the way a parent would to a child, his eyes doleful as he shook his head at her.

" _This_ ," he said softly. "I can't do this. _We_ can't do this. You can understand _why_ it would be a grave mistake, can't you?"

The brunette mutely, dumbly, breathlessly nodded comprehension, even as waves of remorse and confusion tore at her heart.

"You're right. It would have been a colossal mistake and not only was I unthinkingly foolish in my woebegone state, I'm also being very selfish – sobbing in your arms about Jake being denied parole, when _you_ are suffering your own unanticipated situation of Franziska's disappearance." Lana wiped her eyes and peeked up at him uncertainly through her lashes. "So let's forget about _me_. How are _you_ feeling right now, Miles?"

"I'm as well as one would expect." His cadence was clipped, his expression guarded. "As well as one _could_ be, coming home to these circumstances, anyway. Thank you for asking."

Lana frowned. While as polite and perfunctory as ever, she still felt he hadn't really answered her question.

"By asking how you were doing, I suppose I meant, are you going to be _alright_?" She blurted out. "I mean, is there anything I can do for you at all…?"

The Interpol agent regretted the latter question the second it left her mouth. She wasn't sure if it was proper at this point to ask that sort of question anymore; considering what had nearly just transpired between them, did she even _have the right_ , to be offering help, when she had nearly just _compounded the problem_ for them _both_?

"I'm a grown man, Lana." Miles replied evenly. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes," he replied.

 _No_! He silently screamed. _I don't know when the hell I'll be_ _ **fine**_ _, ever again!_

"That's good."

 _This conversation is knocking the wind out of me._ She thought dismally. _Why does it leave me so empty? We nearly just wound up falling back into bed together, and now we're resorted to making_ _ **small talk**_ _. Chit chatting is for strangers and we knew each other inside out._ _ **Knew**_ _. Past tense. I guess that's why._

Miles gave her a slight smile. It was the same awkward smile she'd seen him give the homeless on the street, right before he tossed them some spare change.

Suddenly she was aching with sympathy for her former lover. She wanted to take him in her arms and kiss him and comfort him and be comforted by him and weep for both their plights, all at the same time. Her mind and heart were a kaleidoscope of whirling emotions. She loved Jake. She was devastated about this latest setback. Yet she still felt so _drawn_ to this man who she couldn't seem to fully shake from her system…and it made sense, yet it didn't. The uncertainty of it all was overwhelming.

"What are you going to do with yourself now, Miles?"

"I have no idea." He sounded weary. "Eat something eventually? Try to rest? Drown my sorrows in spirits? I can't really think straight right now, Lana."

"It's scary, isn't it? Amidst all this tragedy, not knowing what's going to happen next? At least, it is for me." Lana swallowed back another desolate sob mounting in her chest. "You never seem afraid of anything, though, Miles. I mean, _phobias_ notwithstanding – you always seem like nothing really fazes you. How can you always be so _strong_? So _fearless_?"

"You're giving me way too much credit, Lana." His inflection was gruff now, dismissive, as though her questions irked him. "I am human like everyone else. We're all afraid of something."

"Really?" She challenged. "I'm not sure I buy that, Miles Edgeworth. Tell me, what's your _greatest fear?"_

"Lana, please!" His voice rose barely an octave, but his frustration was evident now. He crossed his arms and looked away. "I can't do this right now…I don't want to talk. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me, blathering on like this," she mumbled, awkwardly placing a hand on his shoulder. He stiffened, but didn't pull away. Feeling slightly emboldened then, she leaned up and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek, her gaze lingering on his. "I know I should go…but I have to ask you…when you took me in your arms a moment ago…was it _only_ because you were lost in the moment and weren't thinking? Or did a part of you still… _want to_?"

"I don't know." He jammed his hands in his pockets. "It's difficult for me to see someone I care about in tears, so at first it was comfort. But when it was for the second time…I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a moment of combined temptation…and perhaps even nostalgia and sentiment that's never fully shaken." He met her level gaze and then looked away. "You meant a lot to me at one point Lana. We share an unignorable history. Because of that, I suppose I will always have a soft spot for you, in some way."

"We were good though," she whispered, teal orbs still transfixed on his. "Weren't we?"

"Yes. We were."

" _Why_ then? Why did things end the way they did? I can't help but wonder sometimes, Miles! I know it was so long ago, and we were much younger then but sometimes, when things like _this_ happen, at times, I wonder if I made the right –"

"Stop," he cut in. "As you said, we were younger, more reckless, more foolish. But then…we grew up."

She sighed.

"I never asked for that."

"No one ever asks to grow up." He sounded tired. "It just happens."

"I know it might be crazy to ask you this right now…for me to even _think_ of this right now…but…do _you_ think, if things were different… we could ever go back to the way things were?"

"I don't think it would be the same." He shook his head. "We can't pick up where we left off. And after _this_ …I'm almost grateful the next sting operation phase will have us apart for some time. I don't think I'd be able to just easily leap back into the same kind of friendship with you."

"No, I suppose not."

Lana was silent for a moment, then regarded him with misty eyes.

"Thanks for being there for me tonight," she said finally. "I appreciate it so much."

"Think nothing of it. It's the least I can do for a _damsel in distress_." Miles bowed slightly. "History tends to repeat itself with you, Lana Skye. Whenever I see your tears, I always feel inclined to _soak them upon my shoulder_."

He cracked a half smile then.

"Despite my constant repeating past events, however, I suppose we are both fortunate that this time, the sight of your weeping didn't result in … _compounding my follies_."

 _He's already speaking about us as a long gone historical event_ , she realized, and fought back a sniffle. _Why is this so hard?!_

"I won't see you again, will I?"

"I don't know."

She flashed him a doleful smile.

"I'll remember you though. With great fondness. I'll remember _us_."

"I know. As will I."

"Despite how everything turned out in the end, I'd like to think that a part of me would still – feel the way that I did about you - that it wasn't based on some coincidence of place and time."

"I don't regret you," he told her sincerely. "I don't care how it ended. I don't care about your worst. I remember how it began and how happy it made me at one point. I won't _ever_ regret you, Lana Skye."

Past tense. It was a dismissal if the former detective had ever heard one. As much as she'd anticipated it, it still stung. She turned towards the door then, but cast a final, forlorn glance over her shoulder.

"So this is it?" Lana bit her lip. "This is how it ends? With me leaving like this?"

"What else is there to say?"

"It's funny, because _I'm_ the one _physically_ going, but it feels as though _you're_ the one who's actually _leaving_. And it hurts. _A lot_."

"I don't know any other way," he said quietly. " _Can_ you ever leave someone without hurting them?"

"Maybe some things aren't supposed to last." She offered a small, consolation smile. "Maybe they mean more that way. But the truth is, _this…_ all of this, had to be worth _something_. _Right_?"

His face was back in its unreadable mask, and she felt a crazed need to seek some sort of validation from him before she left, possibly never to see him again, and there was desperation in her voice as she stared at him beseechingly.

"Miles… _please_. Tell me I'm not _the only one_ with this on my mind."

"You're still upset right now," he answered tonelessly, his visage still implacable. "But trust me on this, Lana. You made the right choice. It's not _me_ you really want."

The old line ' _You deserve someone better than me'_ in this case was not just a cop-out. Lana deserved someone who would love her and take care of her, and Miles knew he never would. Maybe there'd once been a time he _thought_ he could have…but now he knew better.

"Stop saying that! This isn't about _me_. I know what I wanted when I was in your arms just now, Miles Edgeworth! I wanted _you_." Her voice broke. She realized she was holding onto the doorknob in a grip so tight, her knuckles were white. She swallowed and released the cold metal. "This is about _you_. Don't push it off on me."

More silence, broken by the tick-tock-tick-tock of the corner grandfather clock, while he stared at her and she stared at him as a lone tear trickled down her cheek. To his great shame, Miles was the first drop his gaze.

"Fine. Maybe it is best if we have some space right now. It's obvious you have nothing more to say. If you want me to go, then I'm going to go," she finally choked out.

"It's not about what I _want_ , Lana, please try to understand that." His expression was pained as he finally spoke. "I don't _want_ you to go! But you _have_ to. If you don't, we'll both regret it, just as we did in the past. The longer you stay here, the harder this will be for both of us. This won't get any easier."

It seemed as if that day could have gone in so many directions, like a spider web shooting out toward endless possibilities. Whenever you made a choice, especially one you'd been resisting, it always affected everything else, some in big ways, like a tremor beneath your feet, others in so tiny a shift you hardly noticed a change at all. But the choice had been made, and it would change everything.

Perhaps somewhere there was a ripple, a bit of a jump, some small, barely noticeable shift in the universe, but Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye didn't feel any of it right then. With heaviness in both their hearts, they only felt the world continue to go on, just as it always had, all around them.

Without another word, she let the door close behind her, leaving him alone in bittersweet silence.

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth**_ _  
Von Karma Estate, Germany_  
April 20, 2026 3:30 AM

Shortly after his phone call to both Phoenix and Gumshoe regarding his best friend's trial, and after having Hendricks book him the red-eye flight back to Los Angeles later that morning, which would have him arriving by early evening, Miles trudged back to his room. He flipped on the stereo, and let the music of Jose Luis Perales attempt to soothe his soul.

Miles closed his eyes as he listened to the lyrics of "Tentación," reflexively translating them into English verse in his mind, although being fluent in Spanish, he understood the Latin crooner's lyrics all too well. They felt like a dagger to the heart, as this particular song summarized his situation with Lana since their reunion over a year ago, and how he'd felt, especially that last night he'd seen her.

He hated how the song was a little too close to home for his liking. It was probably also ludicrous to feel that if he'd ensnared himself into the _honeyed perfume_ of Lana's temptress "butterfly wings," he would have been betraying, even _cheapening_ , his love with Franziska. Yet ultimately, that was how he'd felt, and the reason why he'd opted not to succumb to the temptation of his former paramour, in the end.

" _Tentación_ ," he mused aloud. "Or ' _Temptation'_ as it were. No matter what language you use to describe it, it summarizes it all perfectly."

 _What Lana and I had_ , _it wasn't love_. Miles grasped this at last. _It was fire in the blood, primal lust and wild infatuation, but not_ _ **love**_ _._

Love, true love, had been what he'd had with Franziska.

The singer was now singing about the very definition of _love_ in the equally fitting song now playing called ' _El Amor_.' While more powerful in the crooner's native Spanish, of course, the translated lyrics still packed a powerful punch.

* * *

 _ **Love is a drop of water in a glass**_  
 _ **It's a long walk without speaking**_  
 _ **It's a fruit for two**_  
 _ **Love is a space where is no place**_  
 _ **For other thing than not be love**_  
 _ **It's between you and me**_

 _ **Love is mourn when it tells us goodbye**_  
 _ **Love is dream hear a song**_  
 _ **Love is putting the heart to pray**_  
 _ **It's you forgive me and I to understand you**_

 _ **Love is to stop the time on a clock**_  
 _ **Is find a place where to hear your voice**_  
 _ **Love is to create a world between the two**_  
 _ **It's you forgive me and I to understand you**_

 _ **Love is a mouth with flavor honey**_  
 _ **It's a rain in the afternoon**_  
 _ **It's an umbrella for two**_  
 _ **Love is a space where is no place**_  
 _ **For other thing than not be love**_  
 _ **It's between you and me**_

 _ **Love is mourn when it tells us goodbye**_  
 _ **Love is dream hear a song**_  
 _ **Love is putting the heart to pray**_  
 _ **It's you forgive me and I to understand you**_

 _ **Love is to stop the time on a clock**_  
 _ **Is find a place where to hear your voice**_  
 _ **Love is to create a world between the two**_  
 _ **It's you forgive me and I to understand you...  
**_

* * *

It was right after listening to those poetic lyrics that Miles had collected his thoughts and written one final letter to Lana, still burning a hole in his suit jacket pocket, already stamped with the address of her coroner friend, Hope Wells, with whom she was staying with in Germany. He still hadn't sent it, due to the absolute _finality_ of what he'd penned within. Because once Lana received that letter, there _truly_ would be no going back for them, _ever_.

 _ **Dear Lana,**_

 _ **I ask for your pardon as you read this, because there was once a time that I gave you grief for not giving me the proper farewell I thought I deserved, after all that you and I had been through. Yet here I am, guilty of great hypocrisy myself, because by the time you get this letter, it will be my turn to have left without giving you a final parting in person, as I**_ _**have decided to leave Europe and head to the States much earlier than our sting operation dictated.**_

 _ **There was so much left unsaid when I saw you last. As you know, I'm not a man of many words, and when I do speak, I choose to think carefully before I utter anything aloud. I've been thinking a lot about you and I, and how things were left between us, and I wish to finally address them, now that we've had some time apart to think it through.**_

 _ **Lana, I swear there was a time that I thought you were the kind of destruction I wouldn't mind falling in love with. But the problem was that every minute we were together, I felt as though I was wandering in the dark through a strange house, groping for a light switch. And then, whenever I found one and turned it on, the bulb was dead.**_

 _ **You were so wild and unpredictable, and I liked that about you. Sometimes the things you said and did were surprising. Sometimes they disturbed me. But ultimately, you were exciting, and that's what I liked most. You were so many, many things, but you were never once boring. I thought you were, and still are, a wonder. You're beautiful. You're mature. You were, I admit, when we first met, vastly more experienced than I was. That's what threw me. I was thrown. Forgive me.**_

 _ **The truth of the matter is, however, that when we were lovers, you tore me apart faster than I could put myself back together.**_

 _ **Back then, I'd lie in bed at 5:00 AM, wondering if we were simultaneously thinking about each other, but neither of us knew it. In my mind, I hoped you were missing me because we left too many things unsaid, because I never got to really wrap my arms around your neck and kiss your face and say I was thankful for everything I ever felt for you.**_

 _ **In my mind we were walking alongside the pavement on opposite sides of the road and you were so close, but not close enough. I would want to call out your name, but you had your arm around the waist of somebody else. In my mind you were running, I could see the blur, the flash of your person running towards me. But, when you arrived, I was not the one whose face you were touching. I was not the one whose air you were breathing.**_

 _ **The man was Jake Marshall. It was always Marshall. Deep down, I think I always knew that. Knew that I was never the one for you. The truth is, you left me behind a long time ago, way before you made the choice of Jake over me.**_

 _ **You made the right decision.**_

 _ **We both committed a tremendous sin, and thus we should have ended our immoral, though titillating, tryst immediately. But we didn't. While I don't regret my time with you, I also don't regret not going down that path once more.**_

 _ **Remember this: There's a reason why one buries the memories of what used to be deep within, in places thought never to be sought out again. Nostalgia is the enemy.**_ _**Don't let it dig up old memories and lie to you all over again.**_

 _ **The last time we were together, you asked me my greatest fear. And now I tell you: to be forgotten. But not just that. To be forgotten by a person who I could never forget.**_

 _ **As much as you promised to never forget me, I swear I will neither forget nor ever regret you, Lana Skye.**_

 _ **So, as sad as this day is for me, as I am losing a part of myself with the loss of you, it is really just the beginning for me. We both deserve much better than what the other could possibly offer. I don't believe in settling for, nor accepting, the philosophy: "if you can't be with the one you love, love the one that you're with."**_

 _ **You and I are worth much more than to be a convenient warm body for the other's enjoyment while our hearts lie elsewhere.**_

 _ **Now that the brash foolishness of youth is behind me, I know I deserve much better.**_

 _ **If the day comes that love ever does find me again, I want everything this time around, with nobody there to distract our affections, and someone that I cannot only love, but someone whose heart does not already belong to another, and who can return my love one hundred and ten percent.**_

 _ **I have made mistakes in my life, but I am not a man unworthy of being the sole keeper of one's heart, and not second-best to anyone. I feel at the very least, I deserve that much in life.**_

 _ **It's not just about me. It's about what you're going to want, what you need, what you deserve. You're the other half of his soul. Marshall is never going to get over you. And no matter how much you hope that you will, you'll never get over him. Had you and I tried to go back to what we used to be, you were going to wake up one day and realize what you'd done, and regret the time you wasted apart from him for the rest of your life. The day will come when Jake Marshall is a free man, and when that day comes, I wish nothing but happiness and love everlasting for you both.**_

 _ **I want to now give you what I couldn't give you when we were face-to-face in my home that day – a chance to bid you one final adieu.**_

 _ **I wish you the very best in your future, and I want to thank you for all that I have learned about emotions, about relationships, about life, all because of you.**_

 _ **Regards,  
Miles Edgeworth**_

* * *

And even now, knowing what he knew, even realizing the glaring, almost _obscene_ , distinctions between the carnal concupiscence he'd felt for Lana versus his passionate love for Franziska, Miles wasn't sure if he was ready to say such a final good-bye to Lana Skye. _Not_ _just_ _yet_ …

Nonetheless, letter or no letter, he _had_ to get out of Germany. Out of this mansion. This cold, ostentatious manor of painful memories, within which he rattled about like a lonely, forgotten marble on a deserted ship, lost at sea.

 _I have to get out of here. Lana was right about one thing – we do need space._ _ **I**_ _need_ _ **time**_ _and_ _ **space**_ _. I need to think, to gather my bearings, to collect my thoughts. However, I can't do it here._ _And I certainly can't risk running into Lana again until I do – not after all this. Maybe that makes me a coward. So be it. But I can't stay here another minute._ He expelled gusty sigh. _Because the truth is, being here brings me nostalgia. Being here reminds me too much of_ _ **you**_ _, Franziska Von Karma. You, and all we had, and all we've lost._

He let out a humorless laugh. He could run away, back to LA, where later that night, he would be reunited with his best friend at long last – _although_ _hopefully not through the thick pane of prison glass!_ – But it didn't matter _where_ he went, or how far he traveled to escape the painful memories.

The ghost of his ex-fiancée wasn't found in any sort of physical, tangible location. Franziska had gone beyond just _getting into his blood_ and stirring his loins. The memory of her would always be imbedded within him regardless of wherever he went.

 _The truth is, meine dame, you are here in my_ _ **heart**_ _; and there you shall forever remain_ , _constantly, irrepressibly right_ _ **here**_ _…_. _even now, in spite of everything, in spite of the fact that I am now a shadow of the man I once was, such is my sorrow since you've been gone.  
My heartbreak is grief that comes in waves, grueling, stealing appetite and sleep alike. It is a shard in my guts that never leaves, though perhaps in time the edges will dull. It feels like death just the same as bereavement and in quiet moments it chokes the breath from my body and short circuits my mind. What was once whole is shattered; where once there was peace is now emptiness, echoes of a love I put my __**all**_ _into – all the caring, affection and love I had to give. I always did my best for you, but your absence now speaks of how inadequate it was for you in the end. Now this is all that is left of me: once a proud and strong soul, now just fragments on the floor, scared that the next wind will blow them away…_

* * *

 _ **José Luis Perales - chapter quote song- Tentación**_ ** _(_** _ **Temptation) - slightly modified for clarity - from the English translation**_

 _ **José Luis Perales -El Amor (Love)**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 _Mind = blown by the incredible response from the last Wrightworth chapter… Therefore, you might need to scroll a little bit to get to my response to you, but I promise it's there…my readers know I will **always** take the time to reply! See you next chapter!_

 **Chapter 129**

 **Ilet Moratar**

Right now I'm leaving it up to my readers to decide whether or not Maya is still in love with Nick or if she just had a reflex action to blurt out and call him "My Nick" in a moment of unthinking panic... But rest assured when it comes to Longines ... Pearl will never love anybody the way she loves Phoenix as a father figure... She tolerates this man who is marrying basically her adopted mother but she always wanted a father and now she's getting a second Mommy! Poor kid! XD  
( third if you count Armstrong as part of the package deal from hell!)

 **Chapter 130**

 **Ilet Moratar**

I really think a lot of us have or need to have that one good friend will always be brutally bluntly honest and give you the boot to the head that you need to get your ass in gear and that is genuinely how I see Miles Edgeworth as the best friend of Phoenix Wright! Male bonding is very rarely written in a non-romantic sense in fan fiction so I like the fact that in that sense my different approach is still appreciated by my readers.

Even though they are the same age I really think Edgeworth sees himself as the older brother figure to his more reckless and sometimes overly hot-blooded younger brother but I also think Phoenix wouldn't have it any other way...

I really think that Phoenix and Miles is the only relationship (platonic of course not Yaoi! Perish the thought! Their hearts belong to Maya and Franziska even if not together!) Where Miles has an equal. He likes Gumshoe (glad you liked their exchange I love that big lug! ) but Gummy will always seem like his subordinate even though he no longer is in my story, and he thinks Larry is an idiot! Lol

Miles can do the thinking and the logic in Phoenix can do all the feeling for them both... Keeping in mind that Miles is probably a bottler of emotions Phoenix can probably also cry enough for the both of them! The next chapter after this might be a tearjerker because miles will have to finally come clean about what really brought him back to Los Angeles.

 **Thepudz**

It is so great to hear from a guy that I did the beauty of their relationship Justice without having it be perceived as homo erotica! XD  
We will see the aftermath of that My Nick in a couple of chapters dear friend...

 **Feraligreater328**

It really means a lot to see that the majority of my readers appreciated the Wrightworth reunion for what it was, which was two childhood best friends, one who is emotionally constipated and the other one who is an emo head case, "coming together" again after so long... but not in that way! LOL

I believe that Miles would be a sucker with little girls despite acting like he's all awkward around children and I thought what better way to show how humane the stoic Edgeworth can be then show that rare smiling warmth with the adorable magician? :)

Aha! So you caught the "My Nick" part last chapter eh? ;)

As we speak Maya is still going to walk down that aisle... and as Gumshoe said... going into it half-assed... I'd like to think that he has gotten a bit smarter with age and you can count on him being a very reliable source of help to Edgeworth as they try to help Phoenix get his life back together!

To be completely honest writing about Edgeworth once again having to relive the loss of Carol is not something I'm really looking forward to writing myself which is why I gave their leaders a bit of a fluffier friendship intro and more romantic relationship drama based chapter to read this time around... as well as giving some closure at last regarding the Lana and Miles arc.

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Turnabout Everlasting is a love story and I while I absolutely adore writing romantic relationships in this fan fiction I do honestly think that Phoenix and Miles is my all-time favorite non-romantic relationship to write.

Indeed their Bromance is so deep it is often perceived/written/drawn as Yaoi/homoerotic (hey Different Strokes for different folks, no judgment here) However while I do not give spoilers away very often I can tell you all right now it is not going to go down THAT road because I truly see these gorgeous guys as romantic and _straight_ leading men... who right now aren't so lucky in love so they need to lean on one another.

I really appreciate the kind words and the fact that you are enjoying the story. Thank you. :)

 **Yanmegaman**

I actually had to look up those references in your review OTAKU punny man! XD

I figured being a prodigal prosecutor at the tender age of 20 means the Edgeworth must be some sort of Genius or some type A overachieving Keener Poindexter ... But I figure having a vast vocabulary as well as would go with that territory along with acquired wisdom, considering all he has gone through in his life would have given him Yoda-like knowledge with of course more eloquence!

Hey if Phoenix Wright can bluff Miles Edgeworth can pull wisdom out of his probably delightful-looking posterior!

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Yes I would like it to be firmly established that the adorable magician is not a jerk she was literally trying to get the hell out of Dodge and calling Pearl simply eluded her at the time because she was trying to get away from the house before angry daddy came home!

Maya need vacation? You don't know the half of it! That girl needs to prepare herself for some unexpected and crazy changes to be coming her way regarding this not so small affair wedding! XD

Phoenix and Miles are truly similar but separate... they both feel things very deeply they have to express them differently but I do agree in the end they can be very stubborn which is probably one of the reasons they are always butting heads and why I try to write the results of them being in the same room as a combination of exasperation, humor and a whole lot of _heterosexual_ man love!

I will shamelessly tell you right now that your "turnabout is fair play! now start talking" line from your review was too delicious not to use in this chapter I hope you approve Señor Java! :)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I tried very hard to make this chapter be the male parallel of Daughters of Destiny which was the chapter of Maya and Franny bonding and ultimately being just what the other needed to properly heal and move on with their lives. I am delighted to see that you think Miles was just what Phoenix needed as well! It was exactly the angle I was going for! :)

"Brothers-in-arms" I absolutely love that term as both of these men have been fighting terrible battles both within and externally in their lives and it's a great way to describe the fact that I really think each sees the other as his brother from another mother! Of course being the clown-ass that I am would probably refer to the Ace Attorney best buds as one another as heterosexual life partner! XD

Kristoph Gavin is indeed a sneaky and crafty son of a bitch and pulling the truth out of him will be like pulling teeth but look who he's up against the unbeatable and Unstoppable Justice Warriors Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth with Apollo Justice as their little sidekick... you know once he gets over the fury and betrayal that caused him to punch his childhood idol in the first place! They're going to take him down for sure! Gavin's ass is grass and they're the lawnmowers!

Maya made a very telling slip when her panicked arse blurted out "My Nick"... at least according to Gumshoe. Edgeworth doesn't necessarily agree and talked his pal into keeping his mouth shut about that little slip up... Who do you think was right? Let me know!

Next chapter is at Edgeworth's full confession... I suggest you have some tissues handy...

 **ChilledKitsune**

It's interesting how you brought up Iris... You would think she would be dying to repair the Great Rift between her half-sister and her cousin which has been created because she has gone along with Phoenix's well-intentioned lie... but do you really think it's going to be that simple?

Absolutely Edgeworth is going to be giving Phoenix the swift kick in the rear or _Boot to the Head_ however you want to call it... he already gave him one in the last chapter but this is Phoenix Wright were talking about I promise you he'll be giving him a few more before he finally gets his act together... But what are best friends for?! It is definitely not going to be a one-way Street however because while Phoenix doesn't have Edgeworth power connections and money he will definitely be what Miles has been needing as well...

I don't know if you have followed the entire trilogy but it was Phoenix and Maya who are the reason Franny and Miles got together in the first place! ;)

 **Chocolaterox (Guest)**

Such a pleasure to hear from you my punny guest! Are you trying to give Yanmegaman a run for his money? :p

I was seriously sweat dropping over the trial coverage so you have truly made my day when you say you appreciated the angle I went with, showing the point of view of Phoenix and the psycho! Well Gavin is still a despicable character it was entertaining trying to get into his Twisted psyche and humanizing him somewhere instead of making him a one-dimensional villain and I really wanted to show under his unreadable Poker Face in Apollo Justice Phoenix is still the _Wrighteous_ man we all love! :)

I am also pleased that my attempted comedy with Phoenix the buffoon which he always morphs into around Edgeworth and Edgy the straight man came across in between the touching moments because that was always my goal... but sometimes it gets lost in the mushiness that is their beautiful bromance!

 **Batfreak2008**

Edgeworth is Yoda just a hundred times hotter and more eloquent! I'd like to think the side effect of a character who has possibly suffered more than almost all the Ace Attorney characters combined (at this point he might be tied with Maya) Is indispensable advice from the acquired wisdom having had such a hard life.

Yeah they're both absolutely gorgeous and have amazing chemistry so I can see the appeal and wanting to pair of these two romantically but they're just amazing romantic leading men in my opinion and I just can't do it!

However I will have a lot of fun with them in this story now that they're back together... in the _heterosexual life partner_ sense of course! :)

 **DannyDragon**

I like to think that instead of swearing Trucy just mentally replaces the words with famous Wizards and magicians including in her inner monologue! I'm glad you called and appreciated those references and poor Phoenix keeps getting punched! Edgeworth is going to be dubbed Mike Tyson and Apollo can be Muhammad Ali only because I think the latter was shorter... XD

My God I had to get Gumshoe from beneath the thumb of Miles Edgeworth as his boss in my story ... They cut his salary so many times at this point I think the poor man would have had to PAY to go to work! :p

Tsundere Miles Edgeworth is the way I have always tried to portray him... but it also makes him a lot harder to write as my own personality is more similar to Phoenix in that I'm more expressive with my emotions but I learned a long time ago as I am a Phoenix Wright in a world surrounded by emotionally constipated Miles Edgeworth's in my personal life... Just because people can't express their emotions the way an emo headcase like me and Nick can doesn't mean they don't FEEL them!

What I love about both these guys ...I think they truly love each other and their loved ones with all their hearts but they express it differently ...what I love about both those guys and I think they truly love with all their hearts they express it differently... Nick will do actions that occasionally get him killed if he weren't Wolverine like running across a Burning Bridge... But I've also made him more expressive with his emotions in that while he can't play the piano too well he can sing and have romantic gestures that way and loves to hug and be affectionate and can speak his heart.

Miles is is more less talk action...( and the kinds that he does don't put his life in jeopardy!)... Get a on a private jet, get Nick his badge back, give Nick and Maya his Love Shack...XD

I love pointing out their differences because when I put them together they balance each other out so well like a teeter totter!

I am unfamiliar with the term _anillo al dedo, mi amiga musica… por favor explique?_


	132. I'll Stand By You

_A/N: Wrightworth reunion concludes with this chapter. Thanks to my pals Thepudz and Yanmegaman for beta reading this chapter for me...apparently I need to warn y'all this is an angsty one..._

 _Longish one...Enjoy some weekend reading! :)_

* * *

 _When you're down and troubled,  
And you need some love and care,  
And nothing, nothing is going right  
Close your eyes and think of me,  
And soon I will be there  
To brighten up even your darkest night._

 _You just call out my name  
And you know wherever I am  
I'll come running to see you again  
Winter, spring, summer or fall  
All you have to do is call  
And I'll be there  
You've got a friend_

 _If the sky above you grows dark and full of clouds  
And that old north wind begins to blow  
Keep your head together and call my name out loud  
Soon you'll hear me knocking at your door_

 _You just call out my name  
And you know wherever I am  
I'll come running, running, yeah, yeah, to see you again  
Winter, spring, summer or fall  
All you have to do is call  
And I'll be there  
And I'll be there, yes I will._

 _Now, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend  
When people can be so cold?  
They'll hurt you, yes, and desert you  
And take your soul if you let them,  
Oh, but don't you let them_

 _You've got a friend  
Ain't it good to know, you've got a friend?  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Two:** **I'll Stand By You**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Wright Talent Agency_  
April 20, 2026 7:30 PM

"I can certainly appreciate that, how a large, empty _house_ can no longer feel like a _home_ ," Phoenix commiserated. "I imagine _I_ wouldn't want to be rattling around like a pea in a watermelon shell, either, and all things considered, I don't blame you for wanting to get the hell out of that presumably ginormous mansion of memories, and as far away from Germany as possible."

The atrabilious prosecutor didn't reply to the statement, but instead shuffled his feet, visibly discomfited, while continuing to avert his gaze from the perceptive ex-lawyer's scrutiny, which only further bolstered his instinctive theory that simply getting away from the residence he'd shared with his fiancée wasn't the _only_ reason Miles Edgeworth had hightailed it back to LA.

"Like I said, I _wouldn't blame you_ … If it was _the only factor_ which made you return to Los Angeles." The pianist searchingly studied his best friend's guarded countenance. "But _was_ that _the case_?"

" _Fine_ , Wright! You got me." Edgeworth heaved a melodramatic sigh. "There actually was _one_ other reason."

" _Oh_?" Phoenix blinked in surprise. He hadn't really expected his tight-lipped friend to be willing to open up _this_ quickly! "Go on then…?"

"Naturally there was also the fact that I had _you_ to consider!" The magenta clad man tapped his temple. "Since your _wayward self_ keeps getting arrested for murder every _5 to 7 years or so_ , of _course_ I had to come back! I imagined you would end up being in need of my assistance, _one way or another._ " He smirked. " _Obviously_ , I was correct with my initial supposition."

Phoenix barely stifled a scream of aggravation as he momentarily contemplated acquiring his _fourth_ homicide charge, which would feature the ironic, record-breaking aspect of occurring _on the very same day_ he'd been acquitted of _murder charge number three_! The nature of the crime of course, would be the fact that he'd _throttled_ his _smarmy, wisecracking, childhood best friend with his own cravat!_

"You _know_ you don't have to be an android with _me_ , don't you? It's not like _I'm_ a stranger to having my heart broken, either! It's downright perturbing how you're acting so dismissive about this whole thing with Franziska," he observed with concern. "The two of you were together a very long time – hell, even longer than Maya and I were! You're allowed to _be a little bit upset_ about things ending, especially _the way they did_ …I mean, you guys were _engaged_ and had a _child_ together for Chrissakes…"

"Perhaps _I_ prefer not to dwell on the things I cannot change, and merely wish to _keep calm and carry on_ with my life!" Edgeworth snapped, cutting him right off mid-sentence. "Not _everybody_ is an _emotional basket case_ like _you are_ , Wright!"

The card shark shrunk back slightly under his friend's scathing glare. Edgeworth's temper was a slowly filling glass. There was no problem, no outward sign of fury, until the liquid reached the top, then all bets were off. If you were smart you ran for cover.

Nevertheless, he couldn't squelch the persisting hunch he'd just said _something_ which had been _some sort_ of trigger to have made his normally placid friend react the way he just had, and sensed he was _a hair's breadth_ away from getting the other man to release the pent-up emotions he was obviously bottling up.

 _But what could it have_ _ **possibly**_ _been?_ The former defense attorney wondered. _What I would give right now to have Trucy or Apollo's gift of perception! As it is right now, he's got **two gigantic psyche locks** over him right now, with the chains rattling so loudly and distractedly, I can barely keep my thoughts together! My stupid magatama is useless at times like this! All it does is tell me that someone is keeping secrets! I already __**know**_ _he's keeping secrets! The question is_ _ **what**_ _is he_ _ **hiding**_ _from me?!_

The spiky haired man had never considered himself to be an overly invasive or nosy person. However, he'd always cared deeply about his nearest and dearest, and his gut instincts were _wildly alerting_ _him_ that his best friend was like a _ticking time bomb_ ready to detonate at any minute at the _slightest trigger_! Regardless of the fact that the results would be potentially _explosive_ , it was an outcome that was _very much needed_. It was beyond unhealthy to be harboring everything inside like this. He could speak from personal experience about how much freer _he'd_ felt since spilling his own guts earlier that evening.

"You know, Edgeworth," he ventured cautiously. "The miracle of humans is our ability to ensure that everything; every heartbreak, every hurt, given enough time and care, becomes okay in the end. No matter how much this might hurt right now, time really does heal all wounds, eventually."

"Spare me the _vapid platitudes_ , Wright!" The charcoal-haired man's glower only intensified _a tenfold_ at the well-intended words. "As _you_ initially proclaimed, regarding your own failed romance, things _just didn't work out_. Obviously, something in our relationship was awry, and I _so aberrantly failed_ Franziska that she felt she couldn't speak to me about it, and thus determined leaving was not only the easier, but the better way to go about things."

He turned his head away so that his long bangs partially obscured his profile, so Phoenix was no longer able to see his expression.

"All her life, Franziska has always felt that I left her behind. I guess this last time away from her was one time too many, and she feared I would be gone for too long this time. She was afraid of being left again, so she did the leaving."

Phoenix was filled with dismay at this _very telling sentence,_ one he was positive the prosecutor had _unwittingly_ shared with him as it showed the _glaring, underlying reasoning_ behind his saturnine disposition.

 _I don't believe this! Edgeworth's actually blaming **himself** for this?! I have no idea what happened, but absolutely **nothing** he is capable of doing ever could have **possibly** deserved what Franziska did tell him! Not a goddamn thing!_

He frantically wracked his brain as he tried to think of a way to make his friend see how psychologically damaging and erroneous his _self-loathing, self-blaming game_ was, without getting _his head bitten off again_!

 _I have no idea how to proceed here to make him open up to me the way **I** did with **him**. Edgeworth and I are __**similar**_ _but_ _ **separate**_ _–_ _ **I**_ _tend to express myself more, whereas_ _ **he**_ _doesn't_ _ **say much**_ _, but whenever he_ _ **does**_ _, you_ _ **want**_ _to hear it! I don't possess his keen ability to_ ** _speak_** _in such a way that others love to_ _ **listen**_ _to me… But perhaps, I can try to_ ** _listen_** _in such a way that others love to_ _ **speak**_ _to me._

Lost in contemplative thoughts, he attempted to drown out the sudden _deafening silence_ and walked over to the small stereo Trucy had purchased for the office. The sound system was one of those high-tech models, with a five CD changer and digital radio, plus remote. Having never been a mechanical person in his entire life, Phoenix tended not to fiddle with it too much, but at that point he was desperately hoping some background noise would fill this _beyond awkward void_!

"Let's put on some music in the meantime, shall we?" He offered with false bonhomie as he pressed a button to turn on the radio.

Immediately, the small room was filled with the pulsating beat of "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO.

* * *

 _ **Girl look at that body  
Girl look at that body  
Girl look at that body  
I work out**_

 _ **When I walk in the spot, this is what I see  
Everybody stops and they staring at me  
I got passion in my pants  
And I ain't afraid to show it (show it, show it, show it)**_

 _ **I'm sexy and I know it…  
**_

* * *

Edgeworth snapped out of his taciturn woolgathering and scowled in the direction of the stereo before directing it at the beanie wearing man. The _last_ thing in the world he need, in his disquieted mental state, was a tune reminding him of his _other ex!_ It was the same _cretinous song choice_ Jilly and Carlos, their makeover artists, had decided to play that night, when he had first realized he'd still had conflicting and unresolved feelings for the newly transformed glamazon that was _Lana Skye_ , turned _**Debbie Dallas**_ , who'd be his _undercover partner_ for the next year!

Also, the word _sexy_ would give him the _heebie-jeebies_ for _all eternity_ , due to his former _geriatric stalker_ , who, with _his_ dreadful misfortune, was undoubtedly, _somehow still_ _ **alive**_! Despite not having laid eyes on Wendy Oldbag in nearly a decade, infinitely _seared into his skull_ was that _nails on blackboard_ cooing of: _"My sexy-wexy Edgy-Poo!"_

" _Cease_ that appalling noise _immediately_!" He commanded, uncaring that Phoenix _literally jumped_ at the unexpected volume of his pitch. "Is this _drivel_ what the youth of today actually consider to be _music?!"_

"I personally thought the song was _kind of catchy_ , since I have a teenage daughter, and _this_ is the kind of stuff she plays all the time," Phoenix replied helplessly as he stabbed at another button on the remote, hoping it would change the channel, lest he become this evening's _homicide_ _victim_ , rather than _perpetrator_ , if the _stink eye_ the prosecutor was presently shooting at him was an accurate indication of _things to come_!

The melodious intoning of Celine Dion's "The Power of Love," began to play, and the Baron of Bluffing relaxed slightly.

* * *

 _ **'Cause I am your lady**_

 _ **And you are my man  
Whenever you reach for me  
I'll do all that I can**_

 _ **We're heading for something  
Somewhere I've never been  
Sometimes I am frightened  
But I'm ready to learn  
Of the power of love…  
**_

* * *

 _ **This**_ _song should be OK to play in the background_! _It's nice and calming and may alleviate Edgeworth's noticeably frayed nerves…_

On the other side of the room, Edgeworth was still _utterly_ _gobsmacked_ by how deeply he would be affected by something as simple as a song!

Up until Franziska, he'd always dismissed those who placed unnecessary sentiments attached to impersonalized lyrics as silly and emotionally immature – a notion that had forever changed after falling in love with his former betrothed.

That change in concept was now accompanied by the great wave of woeful suffering and endless abyss of suppressed torture which were undoubtedly in store for him if he allowed the continued playing of _the very song_ he'd proposed to Franziska with, atop his condominium rooftop, with a live string quartet in the background…

"Change the channel," he rasped, shutting his eyes so his friend couldn't see the anguish in them. " _Please,_ Wright… turn on something else. _Anything_ _else_."

Phoenix hastily obliged, his apprehension only mounting at the visible tremor in the normally unflustered man's voice. At this point, he was quite _petrified_ of putting on _anything_ , as he was now down to the proverbial _two strikes_ with _Miles Edgeworth, the music critic_! Since his luck playing DJ for his friend was _dissipating so abysmally_ , he decided to forgo changing stations at this point and figured his best bet would probably be to turn the accursed stereo _off_ , since background melody only appeared to be further _disturbing_ , rather than _relaxing_ his friend.

His clumsy fingers fumbled over the bounteous remote keys, trying to figure out the power button, and swore inwardly as he only resulted in turning up the volume even louder! _Why_ his daughter had insisted on getting _a deluxe model_ with _copious rainbow buttons_ and equally confusing _multi-bells and whistles_ was beyond him! For heaven sake, he _still_ hadn't learned how to change his cell ring tone from the _Steel Samurai_ theme! As he continued with his ongoing technology struggle, the pianist continued trying to solve the mystery of his earlier sentence, which he was positive held _the key_ to getting his best friend to finally confide in him.

Two things happened in the next instant. Unfortunately, while the non-tech savvy ex-lawyer _still_ hadn't figured out how to power off, he _did_ manage to change stations, onto another, _hopefully_ _less aggravating_ song! Plus, he'd _finally_ figured out what had caused the prosecutor to react as he had!

" _The two of you were together a very long time, hell even longer than me and Maya were!_ _You're allowed to_ _ **be a little bit upset**_ _about things ending, especially_ _ **the way they did**_ _…I mean, y_ _ou guys were_ _ **engaged**_ _and had a_ _ **child**_ _together for Chrissakes…"_

 _ **Got it**_ _!_ Phoenix barely resisted the triumphant urge to snap his fingers. _I_ _ **just**_ _grasped why he got so upset! And I'm totally cursing and judging myself for not having recognized the contributing vagaries of his mood change until_ _ **now**_ _! How_ _ **dense**_ _can I get?!_

Ignoring the sweet-sounding music, still without lyrics, softly playing in the milieu, Phoenix walked over and placed a consoling hand on the other man's arm, his visage etched with genuine contrition.

"I know I've been trying to push you into a tête-à-tête with me about your split with Franziska, thinking I could empathize, because of what happened with me and Maya," he began apologetically. "But _obviously_ , I'm the absolute _imbecile_ you always say I am, because I failed to apprehend just how _uniquely tragic_ your situation comparatively is!"

Edgeworth studied him warily, as though bracing himself for his wellmeant friend's undoubtedly _tendentious_ impending inference on the situation, while only dimly aware the backdrop melody was now beginning to play a tune by Daughtry, a band he didn't know, which the DJ had said was called "Gone Too Soon."

" _Uniquely trag_ ic?" He echoed, visibly disconcerted, while becoming more and more aware of the poignant lyrics the ex-American Idol contender was beginning to croon.

 _ **Today could have been the day,  
That you blow out your candles,  
Make a wish as you close your eyes.**_

"I feel like such a _chowder head_!" The _kindhearted_ , but _clueless_ Phoenix was presently exclaiming, unaware of the agonized expression his friend wore as the next verse played. "Our situations are _nowhere near_ similar!"

 _ **Today could have been the day,  
Everybody was laughing,  
Instead I just sit here and cry,  
**_

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth  
**_ _Konigsfeld im Schwarzwald, God's Acre Cemetery, Germany  
_ April 20, 2026

The night had come and gone without unconsciousness for even a moment.

Miles awoke at the crack of dawn from a nearly nonexistent slumber. Even though he was back in the home he'd grown up in, he couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of hiraeth; an inescapable homesickness for a home to which he could not return as it no longer existed. This was coupled with the overpowering yearning, nostalgia and grief for the lost places of his past, which often threatened to consume him, making any sort of restful sleep downright impossible.

 _Waking up is no longer the pleasure it was. There is a fleeting moment upon awakening when I think I'm whole again, but then it evaporates faster than summer rain off the burnt earth. My lids, drooping and leaden with sleep, snap open as if I'd been woken by the dulcet warmness of Franziska's body next to mine, only to look over and see the big empty space across this gigantic lonely bed, reminding me that I am all alone._

In seconds, he was down the stairs and pulling on his shoes, grabbing his suitcase, stepping outside and embracing the cool spring air, without even a jacket before getting into the waiting car out front, with the solemn Hans at the wheel. Without speaking, the manservant headed towards the first of the two destinations for his Master. Words were unnecessary. The German man knew where he was supposed to go.

Miles squeezed his eyes shut and fought back the burning sensation behind them as the Mercedes pulled into the gates of the graveyard and Hans opened the passenger door for him to exit, then proceeded to patiently await his return.

He marched quickly to the intended location. He only had a short while to visit with his little angel, and give her both her belated Christmas and birthday gifts, and blow her a Christmas and birthday kiss.

On February 15, Carol Von Karma-Edgeworth would have been a year old. In his hands were a tiny, pink, terry cloth bunny, along with a mini-brown teddy with a Santa hat. He'd been away when the holiday had passed, so he had two gifts to lay down at Carol's graveside.

His tiny, perfect, Carol, now joining his mother and father, along with Minna Von Karma, in heaven. She'd had the most beautiful, pearlescent, almost translucent skin, and his entire index fingertip had been her entire hand size, which he'd held so tightly, refusing to let go until at last the nurse had taken her away for the final time…

Perhaps after this, he would settle into her memories for another year, content to be silent, invisible. By the time he was at the small marble tombstone, he had no memory of the arduous journey of how he'd gotten there. As his wet orbs settled on the text of the tiny gravestone, his chest constricted, and breathing became difficult as he placed the bear and bunny on the morning dew grass. The tribulation surged with every expelled breath, always reaching higher peaks, never sufficiently soothed by his long intakes of the damp spring air. Helpless tears began to spill onto the newly growing meadow as his misty gaze fell from bloom to bloom.

 _Gone too soon. I would have given you all I had, and loved you like no other._

He crouched down before the tombstone, his voice trembling with grief as he spoke.

"Forgive me, my angel, for missing both Christmas and your birthday, because I was away. Know that I was thinking of you the whole time, and never forgot you. I'm leaving two presents for here for you, so you know you were still in my heart, even though my body was in another country."

He bit his tongue, trying to hold the heavy droplets threatening to leave his stinging eyes.

"Your Daddy can't stay very long this time, because he has to get on a plane now, and leave again. I don't know when I'll be able to come back to visit you again Carol, but no matter where I go, _not a single day_ will go by that I won't think of you, because I'll always carry you in my heart, every day, for the rest of my life. Rest in peace, my sweet angel. Daddy loves you _so very much_."

He slowly rose to his feet, then placed a kiss against his two fingertips and pressed them onto the gravestone. And that was when he couldn't hold the waterworks back any longer.

First, a single bead escaped from his eye. He could feel the warmth, sliding down his cheek, and rolling off his chin. Then another, and another, until his eyes flooded with them, coming like a rainfall and wetting the cold, damp earth beneath his feet. Sniffing every ten seconds, they fell, and fell, and he finally just let them fall, until at last they subsided.

With a shaky hand, he blew one last, salty kiss... then he cast his eyes to the Lord.

Miles needed His love more than ever now.

"Dear God, please take care of my sweet baby girl."

* * *

 _ **Who would you be?  
What would you look like,  
When you looked at me for the very first time?  
Today could have been the next day of the rest of your life…**_

"How could I _possibly_ think _I_ could _connect_ to what _you're_ going through?" Phoenix continued mindlessly, unconversant to everything except lambasting himself for his own obtuseness. "You didn't only come home to find out that your _wife_ disappeared on you without a trace! _Obviously_ , Franziska would have taken _your daughter_ with her, so you're dealing with the _double mysterious loss_ of wondering about the whereabouts of both your _wife_ _**and**_ _your baby,_ right?"

 _ **Not a day goes by,  
That I don't think of you,  
I'm always asking why this crazy world had to lose,  
Such a ray of light we never knew,  
Gone too soon, yeah.**_

"Yes…" Edgeworth managed to utter faintly, even as the lump began forming in his throat. "That's it. I–I've been w-wondering where my b-baby is…"

Phoenix's head jerked up as he heard the tremor in that habitually unruffled cadence, and saw the prosecutor's lips starting to quiver slightly, then shifted his horrified gaze to the stereo, as though finally hearing the gut-wrenching lyrics for the first time.

 _Gone too soon…The baby… Oh my Lord…what have I_ _ **done**_ _?!_

The ex-Ace Attorney could feel the blood draining from his mien as he stared, in mounting horror, at the other man, as it _fully sank in_ as to _exactly_ what had happened! The words were stuck in his constricted throat.

 _Please,_ _ **please**_ _forgive me, Edgeworth! I didn't know! Couldn't possible have fathomed …until_ _ **this very second**_ _…and here I've been_ _ **pushing**_ _you to_ _ **lean on me**_ _!_ _How could I been so_ _ **stupidly presumptuous**_ _and thought to_ _arrogate_ _I could_ _ **possibly**_ _relate_ _to something of this magnitude?!_

The prosecutor saw the comprehension dawning on his friend's ghostly visage, and attempted to smile reassuringly at him, but failed miserably, as the pianist could see the inexorable agony on Edgeworth's face, as clear as day now _._

 _He puts on a fake smile to hide his pain from his friends. The reason he does this is so he doesn't worry them. However, the torment is becoming too unbearable. It hurts him now to even fake a smile. I can_ _ **see**_ _it…_

 _ **Would you have been president  
Or a painter, an author, or sing like your mother?  
One thing is evident,  
Would've given all I had,  
Would've loved you like no other.**_

There were absolutely no words to describe how Edgeworth felt at that moment, listening to the oblivious prattling of his best friend with one ear while concurrently having to endure the _shot to the heart_ lyrics in the background. The prickling sensation behind his eyelids intensified, as did the unwavering sensation of erlebnisse.

 _This experience I'm currently enduring, both steeply and through, and am presently_ _ **living**_ _and not just_ _ **merely feeling**_ _could simply be described as "sad." Yet that word sounds so childish, like something flimsy, something one should be able to cast off with a happy reflection or the smile of a friend. Nevertheless, "sad" is nothing of the sort. It sits inside like the germ seed of depression, just waiting for the right conditions to grow, to send out roots to choke the hope out of your soul. It is the trough in which we struggle to return to the peak, always afraid that this time the rungs will be too slippery, too far apart or simply not there at all. I will the world to dissolve around me, just to melt away, yet I can still feel the steadily creeping, insufferable pain that feels as though my heart is been torn from my body, shred by shred..._

Edgeworth snapped inside then, like brittle glass, and felt the excruciatingly sharp, jagged pieces tearing away at his innards. The color left his cheeks, and he was so overcome with agony at that moment, he could barely speak.

"T –Turn it _off,_ Wright. _Please_ …" he whispered hoarsely, barely able to make his lips form the words as his body began to shake violently. "I'm _begging_ you. Just…t–turn it _off_ …"

 _ **Who would you be,  
What would you look like,  
Would you have my smile and her eyes?  
Today could have been the next day of the rest of your life.**_

The prosecutor was barely cognizant of Phoenix desperately stabbing every single button of the blasted remote, his growing alarm and dismay only mounting with each passing moment of his friend's visible anguish.

Edgeworth was completely broken now, shattered really, robbed early of the tape and glue necessary to put his soul back together. His subjugated heart, poorly stapled shut, was beating hard but without purpose, his skin stretched across his aching muscles like a worn canvas, as he visibly tried not to break down, all the while, his poor, battered mind was like a lost man at sea, desperate and starving for some reason to live.

A single tear slid from those ash-grey eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until soon, a steady stream of droplets flowed its way down the prosecutor's pale cheeks, releasing the wretchedness and sorrow pent up inside of him all this time, yet still he did not make a sound.

 _ **Not a day goes by,  
That I don't think of you,  
I'm always asking why this crazy world had to lose,  
Such a ray of light we never knew,  
Gone too soon, yeah.**_

Phoenix at last stormed over to the stereo, reached down for the plug in the wall outlet, and yanked it right out, effectively filling the room with nothing but the noiseless sounds of the devastated attorney's barely suppressed snuffling.

The austere man's silent weeping was worse than any hysterical fit of crying Phoenix had ever seen. His normally calm eyes welled up with a sorrow no good man should ever possess. They showed his soul, aged by years of compounded tragedy after tragedy, with little reprieve, and forever tormented by a past which could not be undone. The silence of his cry was eerie, as if he'd been coerced to learn how to suffer in silent solitude.

What would it take to mend a soul as damaged as his? Who would even _try_?

 _When my body felt like a cage, Miles Edgeworth,_ _ **you**_ _unlocked me with only the power of your caring words, and opened a door I didn't know was there._ _ **You**_ _took out the pain and made it bearable by still seeing beneath the mask to the person I truly am. No matter what, you stood by me, firm, reassuring, and kind. And for that reason alone, I am a bird in the sky, able to sing once more. You've helped so many people._ _ **Why**_ _must_ _ **you**_ _suffer so?_

The wave of gratitude, compassion and overwhelming sympathy for the selfless, magnanimous, yet utterly _broken_ man standing before him was nearly Phoenix's own undoing. It took all the inner strength he possessed to forcibly fight back the empathetic tears building within his own eyes.

 _Six years ago, when the love of my life was in the hospital and on near death's door, Pearl channeled Mia Fey to come and console me, and just held me in her arms while I sobbed like an infant in her soothing arms in that hospital waiting room, until there were no more tears left._ _It is now_ _ **my**_ _turn to take that act of benevolent kindness and pay it forward. Let me be there for you now, dear friend. Allow me to be your comfort and your strength, the way you've been for me. The way you've_ _ **always**_ _been for me._

Wordlessly, Phoenix held his arms open in invitation and stepped towards the prosecutor.

"What on _earth_ are you doing, Wright?" Edgeworth stared at him with watery, red eyes, chest heaving with barely stifled sobs, reflexively shrinking back slightly.

"Something I've wanted to do from the _moment_ I saw your _tsundere_ _ass_ standing in front me for the first time, after _seven long years_ apart." Phoenix was undaunted as he continued to move towards the stricken man. "I am going to _hug_ _my best friend_ , whether he _wants_ me _to_ or _not_ , and I don't _give a_ _damn_ if he's _too proud or stubborn_ to acknowledge this is _exactly_ what he _needs_ right now, _every bit_ as much as _I_ do."

After only a split second hesitation, with a strangled sob, Miles Edgeworth flung himself into Phoenix Wright's comforting embrace. He buried his phizog into the crook of the pianist's neck and they stood there like that for a while, the prosecutor wracked with the velocity of his long repressed, unvoiced whimpers. The former attorney just stood there and let him cry and silently held him, his own heart positively aching for his best friend.

Brick by brick, the stoic man's defensive walls came tumbling down as he broke down completely then, uncaring of who saw. The sobs punched through, ripping through his muscles, bones, and guts. He pressed his forehead against his best friend's shoulder and cried his heart out. He was downright hollow, his life crumbled in his fingertips. The poker champion remained standing there, patting and rubbing the weeping man's shoulder, reaching into his hollowness and replacing it with all the comforting warmth the prosecutor had so desperately needed.

"Miles, you are so brave and quiet, people tend to forget that you are suffering," the spiky-haired man murmured. "You put up such a good front, that sometimes, _I've_ been guilty of being fooled by your act, myself. I understand why you do it. You don't tell people you're _not_ alright, because it's hard watching them not know what to do. So instead, _you_ end up comforting _them_ , even though the one who needs comforting is _you_. It's alright to cry sometimes, old friend."

"I hate this!" Edgeworth's voice shook with the force of his sobs. "H-hate having you see me be so _pitiful_ and _weak_ …"

"People don't cry because they are weak," Phoenix soothed. "It's because they've been strong for far too long. Tears are words the heart can't express, Edgy. It's OK."

Upon hearing this, the lawyer's silent weeping now turned both ferocious and noisy. He blinked briny tears from bloodshot eyes, his thick lashes stuck together in clumps. The tears made wet tracks down his cheeks and dripped from his stubbled, wobbling chin, down his red mottled skin to his open quivering lips. His hands opened and closed, rhythmically clenching as if there could be some violent solution to his suffering if only he could find it, until finally he just clutched his friend's baggy sweatshirt, twisting the material in his scrunching fists as though he'd never let go.

"Let it all out." The beanie-wearing man raised a hand and stroked the other man's back softly, as though he were a small child, and felt the heaving and shaking through the prosecutor's suit jacket. "I promise you'll feel better if you just get it all out of your system."

"You shouldn't have to see me like this…"

"Don't be ashamed to cry. Let me see you through this, because I've seen the dark side too. Just remember when you're feeling all alone, you'll won't ever be on your own. I'll be there for you and I'm not _going anywhere_ , I swear to you. Even in your darkest hour, I'll _never_ desert you. As matter of fact, you're _stuck_ with me, you hear me? You have _one lifelong friend_ , Miles Edgeworth, _right here_ , who is going stand by you, _no matter what_."

"I know that. I think I've _always_ known that about you. It was just too much for me at the time, when you started spewing all these clichés about _time healing all wounds_ ," Edgeworth whispered brokenly. "I thought: 'I don't need to hear this sort of _trite gibberish_ right now!' I figured the next thing you were going to say was: 'there were _other fish in the sea'_. And if you _had_ said that, I would have said _: 'fuck you! She was_ _ **my**_ _sea!_ "

The magenta clad man's eyes were red, puffy and still streaming as he lifted his head briefly, and his friend reached into his sweatshirt pocket and extracted a clean, but slightly crumpled tissue, gently pressing it against Edgeworth's knuckles.

"I loved her so much, Wright." The attorney blew his nose. "Loving her was the easiest thing I did. Even when it was hard, it was easy. Loving her was like _breathing_. I know _you_ weren't a big fan of Franziska's, which is wholly understandable, considering your tumultuous past with her…"

"I generally am not a big fan of _anyone_ that _ass-fucks_ _my best friend_ _ **in the**_ _ **heart**_." Phoenix spoke in a measured voice. "But it doesn't matter what _I_ think. What matters is _you_ loved her. This isn't about _me_ now, it's about _you_. You're crying for _your_ loss." He swallowed hard as he grasped yet again just _how much_ his dear comrade had actually lost. " _Both_ of them. Miles, there are no words that can possibly express my condolences to you for your heartbreaking loss. I'm so sorry. About your daughter. About Franziska. About everything you've endured."

"All I am is sadness now, every other emotion pushed from my being. Where there was love, the light, laughter, is now an aching hollowness." Edgeworth's voice was muffled as he buried his head against the poker player's shoulder. "I was faithful, truthful and full of more love for her than you can ever understand. I have been soft, kind and gentle - yet apparently all that is negated, because in the end, it doesn't even matter. Ultimately, Franziska _didn't love me enough_ to _even say goodbye_. I guess after losing Carol… Our relationship just wasn't strong enough to handle it. Our love ultimately couldn't endure, couldn't handle that kind of grief, without it tearing us apart."

Phoenix silently wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close, gently rubbing his arm as Edgeworth sunk into his side, appreciative of the humble gesture. The simple, caring touch made the room seem cozier somehow, and his future within its walls seeming a little less bleak, and he didn't want to leave. In his best friend's comforting arms, it felt as if all his dispiriting sufferance –mental and physical – went away –– and that he'd found a safe haven from the cruel world.

"I can't even begin to imagine how much heartbreak you must be undergoing right now. I wish I could do more for you than just be a shoulder to cry on. Just know that whenever you do need anything, don't look any further than me. I may not be able to dispense the same kind of wisdom or advice that you do, but I'll always be here to at least just listen to you whenever you need an ear."

"When I cry, it's never a trickle and it never starts in my eyes." Edgeworth walked over to the sofa and sat down, grabbing a handful of Kleenex from the box on the coffee table and dabbing at his eyes as he offered his friend a small, grateful smile. "It begins as a feeling in my chest and a sadness in my brain. The leaking water is only a blessed release, it's one way my body chooses to cope and I guess it's a way to communicate too, whether I want to or not."

"That's perfectly fine." The pianist came over to sit beside him. "And whenever you need to release, I want you to _promise_ _me_ that you'll call me. Call me at 4 AM. Wake me up. I don't care, I just want to hear your voice. Tell me about the bad dream you had, tell me why you can't fall asleep. Tell me why you prefer to talk at night, or why the words only come spilling from your mouth when you think no one is listening. I'm _right here_."

He reached over and patted the other man on the shoulder, treating him to a reassuring smile as he did so.

"I will _always_ listen to you when your shoulders feel heavy; I will hear your words when you feel so crushingly small. I will sit with you in silence when you are slumped against your pillow. I know your sadness may seem overwhelming at times. I know it can even be devastating and destructive. I know you may feel powerless and redundant. So call on me, even at the most ungodly hours. Don't sit there and wallow on your own. You're my best friend in the world, Miles Edgeworth. Talk to me, _because I care_."

"For as long as I've known you, even though I know we're the same age, I felt as though it was just natural for me to assume the _elder_ , maybe even _wiser_ , brother role between the two of us," Edgeworth admitted gruffly. "So as touched as I am by your kindness and your willingness to help me get through all of this, it's still going to be rather difficult for me to accept it, or even express my gratitude, because I'm not as emotionally expressive as you are."

He looked away with embarrassment and his cheeks turned slightly pink.

"As much as _I_ have mocked you for being an emotional head case, Wright, _you_ have had equally as much justification for referring to me as some sort of _unfeeling robot_ by comparison. It's something that I'm unable to deny. A lot of it could be due to my upbringing, and some of it may just very well be _genetics_. My father was a lot like I am, the strong, silent type."

The charcoal-haired man paused for a moment, as if trying to collect his thoughts.

"In Dad's case, it probably was a generational thing of men back then, being a bit somber on the outside and keeping feelings bottled up on the inside. Or perhaps it was because Gregory Edgeworth worked so hard at maintaining the dignity of his legal office. Nonetheless, despite his outward sternness, he was a very loving father to me. Manfred, on the other hand, always told me that _a real man_ never cried, and was even more of a _soulless automaton_ that you occasionally accuse _me_ of being."

"I'm often surprised that you and Franziska possess _any_ humanity whatsoever, having both been raised by that monster," Phoenix stated bluntly. "It's like a miracle that either one of you have _any_ kind of _heart_! Considering what Manfred did to you, Edgeworth, you would've had _complete free pass_ to be some kind of _psycho_ , or _lowlife criminal with a chip in his shoulder_ or _even_ _a serial killer_!"

"I suppose I'd have been most blessed to have a best friend who was _a_ _defense attorney,_ should I have stumbled _down the dark path_ you have _so nobly_ given me your _compassionate consent_ to have pursued!" Edgeworth cocked an eyebrow at his now blushing friend, who undoubtedly had just realized he had accidentally put his foot in his mouth… _yet again_!

"I'm not saying it would have been _OK_ for you to turn out that way!" Phoenix amended hastily, feeling his cheeks burning. "I'm just saying it would've been somewhat _understandable_!"

"My own mother died at a very young age, but throughout most of my formative years, and until I was 16, Franziska's mother, Minna Von Karma, was as close to an angel on earth as you could possibly get." Edgeworth smiled sadly. "She instilled a lot of kindness and decent morality within me. I can attribute a lot to my humanity to her."

"If she was responsible in any part of raising you, God bless her soul. She did a great job," Phoenix said kindly. His friend smiled ruefully at the compliment, then shook his head.

"I'm no more a saint than you are, Wright. Before I became the man that you know today, I too, have done some things in my life that I'm not very proud of." A long sigh. "Just before I came back over here from Europe, I came very close to indulging in a sinful moment of _temptation_."

The pointed emphasis on the last word in the sentence left the former lawyer no doubt this time as to what was being implied.

"You're still being too hard on yourself. The point is you _did_ manage to resist said _temptation_! Since Maya and I split up, I've had my _own_ moment of near _sinful_ _indiscretion_ , however it wasn't my _conscience_ which ultimately rescued me from _temptation._ " The pianist felt his cheeks reddening. "Certain other… _humiliating external factors_ are what kept _me_ from making a tremendous mistake!"

" _Oh_? Do tell?" Edgeworth eyed him curiously, and the other man groaned with embarrassment.

"Ah, let's save _that_ conversation for another time, shall we?"

"I shall _definitely_ remember to _interrogate_ you more about _said humiliating external factors_ later." There was glimmer of amusement in the prosecutor's granite orbs. "Although it appears we have diverted from our original conversation. I want to convey to you that I am not ungrateful or purposely try to shun any advice that you give me, my friend. It's just that I've grown rather accustomed to _giving,_ as opposed to _,_ _getting_ advice. I shouldn't have snapped at you the way I did when you said that it's in us, as humans, to recover from heartbreak in due time. It was really very encouraging to hear that I will not always feel this way; that someday, I may experience vorfreude once more."

"Trust me, the day _will_ come when you will once again experience the joyful, intense anticipation that comes with imagining future pleasures," Phoenix said gently. "I _promise_ you that."

" _You_ have had a lot longer to get over the misery of losing the love of your life. Consequently, it may not be fair to ask, but... _how_ have you gone about getting past this? I know you well enough to acknowledge the dolor is still there with you, but the fact that you can even _shower_ and _get out of bed_ is a huge achievement, and certainly more than _I'd_ even felt like doing since I realized Franziska was gone. What's your secret, Wright?"

Phoenix let out a self-effacing chuckle.

"It's not so much that I've _gotten over_ Maya as much as _the piercing misery_ has dwindled down to a _dull numbness._ I'll spare you the embarrassing details about how I drank myself into a stupor when I found out my ex was engaged, and all the times I bawled like a baby in the shower when I was sure Trucy couldn't hear me."

He flashed a wry grin at his friend's sympathetic expression.

"The key thing is not to _bottle up anything_ anymore and just allow yourself to _feel_. Sit on your own for a while. Sit on a park bench. Breathe a couple of times. Stop trying to _forget_ and _remember_ instead. Close your eyes and remember her voice calling your name. Remember the way she held your hands between errors. Remember her lips and kisses; the silky feeling of her hair between your fingers; the feeling of her breath on your skin. Remember her laugh; that time you said something that she found hilarious and you couldn't stop smiling about it afterwards. _Remember, remember_ and _keep on remembering_."

"I don't think you give yourself enough credit for your eloquence, Wright." The magenta suited man's brow furrowed as he contemplated his friend's words. "That is actually pretty great advice. I spent this past week trying _not_ to remember Franziska… And _other people_ from my past, _who shall remain nameless for now_ … because it's just been too damn hard and too bloody painful."

"You can't be a crapehanger and run away from your past forever. Eventually you have to _force yourself_ to tackle the pain – just tackle it head on. It's no different from any other obstacle you've overcome before," Phoenix counseled. "Remember until the memories make you dizzy, _because they will_ , and they will drive you _half insane_ until you are curled up under the sheets in dire pain. And you will have nightmares for at least three months afterwards, but then they _will_ stop."

"I had nightmares for _years_ about the earthquake that ultimately resulted in my father losing his life." Edgeworth closed his eyes and crossed his arms protectively across his chest, as though trying to hug himself. "It seems my life is going to be a series of nightmares, in one form or another, whether I like it or not."

"I'm here for you, though. You won't have to contend with this nightmare alone," Phoenix promised. "When you get shot, you must remove the bullet with sterilized tweezers and it's the most harrowing sensation there is. But if you don't do it, if you leave the bullet embedded in your skin, it will cause infection and it won't go away. The truth is, you can't heal without first experiencing a great deal of inner torture. Get rid of your bullet. That's how you'll get over her."

"So you think I should let her go, and move on?"

"Do _you_ want to let her go?"

"I still love her. I don't think I do. Not yet."

"There are times in life when people must know when not to let go. Balloons are designed to teach small children this."

"While your advice is sound, your _allegories_ are god-awful, Wright! Stick with _plain speaking_. It suits you much better."

"To be honest, I think that _not having closure_ is the worst thing ever." The former attorney looked thoughtful. "You should to try to seek her out to at least get _that_ , if nothing more, if that's what you really want. You two have so much left unsaid… And your situation is much different than mine. There's no _third party involved_ – that you know of – keeping _you_ from trying to search for _your_ ex. Either go find Franziska and see if you can work it out, or seek her out her to get some answers. No matter what your intentions or endgame may be… I say go after her."

"Should I just disregard all the advice about _bullet extraction_ and getting over her then?"

"No. You can't _keep that bullet inside_ _you if you wish to heal_. _Face the pain, head on_. Don't _stifle_ it, but _overcome_ it," Phoenix advised. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Living never wore one out so much as the effort not to live. You just do it. You _make_ yourself to get up. You _make_ yourself to put one foot before the other, and God damn it, you refuse to let it get to you. You fight. You cry. You curse. Then you go about the business of living. That's how I've done it. There's no other way."

A slight smirk played over the pianist's lips.

"Oh yeah, and _then_ remember you _work for Interpol_ and have access to _resources_ most of us _mere mortals_ do not!"

"You're absolutely right." The attorney mulled this over. "I don't know _why_ it didn't occur to me that one of my best friends is The Great Thief, Yatagarasu, and an invaluable source for tracking down information! Perhaps I can start with approaching both Kay and Agent Lang to assist with my quest for my _runaway fiancée_."

" _There's_ that fighting spirit of the man I'm proud to call _my heterosexual life partner_!" Phoenix cheered, gently punching his friend in the arm.

"Good grief, Wright!" Edgeworth stared at him incredulously. "Whatever _possessed_ you to come up with such a _ridiculous_ term?"

"I heard Trucy refer to Pearl that way once, but it also suits _us_ quite well methinks!" Phoenix pulled off his beanie and playfully tugged it down on the other man's head. "About as well as my _hat_ does! You should consider wearing more blue, Edgeworth. It _really_ brings out those _peepers_ of yours _!"_

"Get this horrendous thing off me!" The unamused prosecutor yanked the offending accessory off of his perfectly groomed head and fastidiously attempted to smooth his hair back into place. "I cannot _believe_ that somebody hasn't put _that grotty thing_ out of its misery and killed it with fire!"

"At ease, good man! My _kid_ gave that to me!" Phoenix snickered, putting the hat back on. He was feeling considerably jovial about the part he'd played in his friend's metanoia, realizing the prosecutor was apparently no longer as downtrodden, since he was _already_ morphing back into his _usual_ , _tight-assed self_! "Would you prefer if I referred to us as _brothers-in-arms_ instead?"

"No." The prosecutor crossed his arms and try to stifle an exasperated smile at the other man's ludicrousness. "I would most certainly _not_."

"My _brother from another mother_?" The ex-attorney's eyes were twinkling with mischief.

"I cannot _believe_ two supposedly grown men are actually having such _asinine_ conversation!" Edgeworth groaned. "Wright, you and I do not need to be _defined_ in any way!"

"Oh lighten up, Edgy! I was just having fun! You are _way_ too uptight!"

"And _you_ are absolutely _ridiculous_!"

The two men glared at each other for a split second, and then both cracked up at the exact same time.

"I suppose I should be grateful that pesky propagandist, Lotta Hart, isn't here to witness us _bickering like an old married couple_ ," the grey-eyed man chuckled. "She would undoubtedly come up with some sort of bunkum in an attempt sell the "scoop" of our _alleged romance_ to all the tabloids!"

"I reckon the southern she-devil would've had better material if she'd captured a photo of you in my arms just now, and would use _that_ to further her proof about _our secret chains of love_ that bind us together!" Phoenix guffawed. "And she'd probably Photoshop the picture of our hug and make it look like were _making out or something_ before she tried to put us in the headlines! I can just see it now… They would call us… _Wrightworth_!"

"Ngh!" The cravat-wearing man blushed furiously at the reminder of his uncharacteristic need to be hugged. "This nonsensical joke has gone a bit too far! No _depraved, twisted fiend_ would _seriously_ want to see a couple of _boring law men_ in _any sort of embrace_ or _relish_ the thought of the two of us together as an _actual couple_!"

"I think you're wrong!" Phoenix shot back with a wicked grin. "Think of all the Miles Edgeworth fan girls out there who'd probably _swoon_ at the idea… and probably _draw fan art_ about it! _Especially_ with the whole angle of us being childhood best friends… They would _entirely misconstrue_ the closeness of our _bromance_ and would look for _any_ _indication whatsoever_ that there was _more_ to it than friendship! They won't even _care_ that I actually _had a girlfriend_ in college and would insist _Iris_ _was just a phase_! There are some hard-core _Yaoi loving-ladies_ out there who would positively _eat that stuff up with a spoon_!"

"Gah! Shut-up, Wright!"

"It wouldn't _just_ be them drawing pictures of us, either! They would probably write _fan inspired fictional romance stories_ about our _burning, passionate love_ as well!" Phoenix was thoroughly enjoying himself now, and his friend's indignant discomfort just made it all the more hilarious to him! "There's also the fact that you're kind of _man pretty_ , Edgy, so there's probably some _fellas_ out there who'd also enjoy the idea of you totally _being gay_ for me as well!"

" _Objection_!" The prosecutor shouted. "Why would _I_ have to be the one that was gay for you? They could _just_ _as easily_ claim that _you're_ the one harboring an _unspoken infatuation_ for _me_!"

"Nah, no one would believe that _I'm_ gay! I dress like a hobo and I'm too scruffy!" Phoenix smiled smugly. " _You're_ the _prissy, overly fussy_ one who's always impeccably groomed, and insists on wearing that _pink suit!"_

"It's not _pink_!" The man _of questionably colored suit_ seethed. "It's _magenta_!"

"And then there's the additional _evidence_ of that _frilly, fluttery napkin thingy_ you wear around your neck…"

"It's called a _cravat_ , you _Philistine_!"

"There is also the fact that you _chartered a private jet_ for me," the pianist laughingly reminded his now fuming friend. "And didn't you once say… _'Thanks to you, I am saddled with unnecessary feelings'?_ Or _something_ to that effect?"

"That idiot Butz told me you were on _death's door,_ when all you had was a _cold_! I _should_ have sent _you_ the _bloody jet bill_!"

"Oh come on, Edgy, _how_ exactly did you think _I_ was going to pay for that?" Phoenix drawled. "With _my_ _good looks_?"

"Ngh! Also, I do believe the full completed sentence was: ' _Thanks to you, I am saddled with unnecessary feelings. Unease and uncertainty. They only serve to get in my way'._ " The irked lawyer looked daggers at the mocking pianist. "That was back in the day when I was under Manfred's influence, and accustomed to _suppressing any and all kind of emotion!_ It had _nothing_ to do with _harboring romantic feelings_ for you!"

" _Objection_! _You_ also _bent the law_ and became a defense attorney as a personal favor for _me_!"

"And _you_ apparently _shaped your entire career path_ and _wanted to become a lawyer_ because of _me_!"

There was a brief moment of silence as both men glared at each other for a moment… until the _sheer lunacy_ of it all kicked in. A split-second later, at the exact same time, both men were literally bending over and clutching their sides as they doubled over and roared with hysterical laughter, for a good _five minutes straight,_ until tears spilled from their eyes.

"Oh, Wright!" Edgeworth gasped, wiping the tears of mirth away from his cheeks. "I don't know how to thank you! I have needed that _desperately_ , you have _no idea_!"

"The pleasure was all mine!" Phoenix beamed at his friend. "What do you say to a change of scenery? Wanna get out here and grab something to eat?"

"That would be marvelous. The food on the airplane was unequivocally abominable, so I am absolutely _famished_ , and I know this splendid steak and seafood restaurant, LA Prime…" Edgeworth frowned as he took in his friend's hobo gear. "It's a bit of a more… _upscale_ sort of establishment though…Do you own anything a bit dressier than that ratty sweat suit?"

"I might have some khakis I can throw on, buried in the back of my closet." The ex-attorney shrugged at his friend's aghast expression at the term _khakis_. "And I guess I can throw on the Polo shirt Trucy got me for my last birthday – oh wait – I think that's the one with the pudding stain that never quite washed out…"

" _Good God_!" The charcoal-haired man looked appalled at this proposed fashion blasphemy. "Can you not just put on your old blue suit?!"

"I've had nothing to do with my free time except jog and workout since I've been disbarred, so I've muscled up a bit over the years – _noticeably_ _so,_ according to my daughter's teachers, _as you know!_ – so my old blue suit would be too tight and probably doesn't fit right anymore." Phoenix flashed a disarming grin. "With _my_ luck, I'd probably _split my pants_ _open_ , right in the middle of dinner."

"Stop your _bromidic blathering_!" The prosecutor moaned in defeat. "Perhaps they can seat us at _a dark corner table_. But _at least_ leave that wretched, _manky_ beanie at home!"

"Your wish is my command," the pianist replied easily as he hung up his hat on the coat rack by the front door. "I think I know the restaurant you're talking about. It's located atop the Westin Bonaventura Hotel, right?"

"That's the one."

"Isn't it up on the 35th floor - so you'd need _an elevator_ to get up? What about your _phobia_?"

"There are _stairs_ ," Edgeworth responded loftily as the two men exited the apartment. "I think in preparation for an indulgent steak dinner, a healthy trek up the steps will be more than enough preemptive exercise to further get some of this lingering agitation out of my system, while preparing myself for the calorie laden feast."

" _Walk_ up 35 flights? Forget that! _I'm_ taking the lift and will _meet you_ up there for this rather _steep_ feast!" Phoenix smiled innocently. " _You're_ buying, right?"

"As is tradition," the prosecutor replied wryly, straightening out his suit jacket. His Patrician features turned pensive as his hand brushed over the inside lining. The letter to Lana was still there in the suit pocket.

Phoenix's wise words suddenly resurfaced to his mind.

 _"There are times in life when people must know **when not** to let go. Balloons are designed to teach small children this."_

At the time, Edgeworth had dismissed the words as _banal prosaism_ , but now that he'd had time to think with a clearer head, the full weight of the meaning had brought along an even greater awareness.

 _Perhaps it wasn't such a terrible metaphor after all. There are **also** times when people must know **when to** let go. The time has finally come for me to **release that balloon** …_

"Er, we can call a cab downstairs, Wright. But before we do, I need to stop by the mailbox at the corner…"

* * *

 ** _Dick Gumshoe and Maggey Gumshoe  
_** _Empire Bellagio, Los Angeles  
_ _Gumshoe's Condo Suit 707  
_ April 21, 2026 11:30 AM

"I'm just going to try calling her back one last time," Gumshoe told his wife as he frowned at his cell. "Then I'm going to head out to work."

"You've been trying since last night, with no luck," Maggey noted as she bounced baby Jeff on her hip, a concerned frown flickering across her features. "I hope she's alright."

"She sounded worried sick about Phoenix in her voicemail, and told me to call her back as soon as possible." He hit the redial button for the umpteenth time. "I don't know why she hasn't picked up yet…"

"Hello?"

"Hey!" The big man was startled to get an answer, as he hadn't really expected to make a connection this time either. "Hello! Maya! Is that you?"

"Gumshoe! Thank God we finally connected!" Maya sounded absolutely frantic. "I've been losing my mind! My flight from Darwin was supposed to have landed 90 minutes ago, but then it was stuck in a holding pattern over Los Angeles, and it took forever to get through customs and baggage!"

She stopped to catch her breath.

"Pearly and I have been stuck on that goddamned aircraft for 16 ½ hours! And then I couldn't even call you from the plane because the on-board satellite phones weren't working due to solar activity! It was just Murphy's Law!"

"That sounds like pretty rough luck, pal," Gumshoe clucked sympathetically. "I'm so sorry that I missed your call yesterday, but I wasn't at the station, and then when you called my cell, I was driving."

"So why wasn't your Bluetooth connected to your car?!" Maya shrieked.

"I don't know heads or tails about that sort of stuff, pal, sorry! I recently got a new phone that supposed to be Bluetooth compatible, and that darn Meekins was supposed to hook it up to my car, but hasn't gotten around to it yet…"

"Forget that nincompoop!" The spirit medium snapped peevishly. "I just stepped outside at the airport, and was about to hop into a taxi to go see Nick right before you called... because I was losing my mind wondering what the hell was going on!"

"Well I can tell you now that –"

"Hang on! What the heck –"

Suddenly the call went muted, with the confused Gumshoe remaining on the line for what felt like ages, before Maya finally returned to the call, only this time her tone was completely different, almost like another person's altogether.

"My apologies for the delay," the Kurain Master's tone was abnormally and eerily calm, and nearly unrecognizable now. "I do believe you were about to let me know the latest information about the situation I was inquiring about?"

"Maya?" The Chief asked uncertainly, wondering if his friend had been body snatched in the last two minutes! "What's going on? Is everything OK? Why do you sound so weird?"

"I'm fine." Maya's voice was nearly icy with its unusual formality. "Could you please just relay the facts pertaining to the issue?"

"Um, Phoenix is fine, Maya," Gumshoe answered tentatively, still utterly bewildered by this strange turn of events. "It turns out Kristoph Gavin was the actual murderer, trying to frame him for Shadi Smith's death. Gavin's behind bars, and Phoenix is a free man."

"That is most fortunate to hear," Maya responded coolly, as though they were discussing the weather. "Thank you kindly for keeping me apprised about the matter. I'm afraid I have to go now. I will contact you shortly when I'm settled back at my home."

"Er, sure, Pal, but are you sure –" Gumshoe stopped talking as he realized that Maya had promptly disconnected the call. Utterly flummoxed, the former Detective blinked with bewilderment, then turned to stare at his expectant wife.

"What on earth was that all about?" Maggey asked, looking as mystified as her husband felt. "You told me she was all flipped out with concern about Phoenix – but then she just did a complete turnabout and sounded like she couldn't have cared less!"

"I don't know what to think!" Gumshoe raked a restless hand through his dark hair. "She literally did a 180 on me! Do you suppose the scorching Australian sun fried her brain somehow?!"

"Don't be silly, Dick!" Maggey admonished, giggling slightly. "I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for the abrupt shift in her behavior."

"You mean her bipolar mood swing?!" Gumshoe shook his head. "I guess Mr. Edgeworth was right, and I really did misjudge her reaction. I thought I knew Maya well enough by now to be able to read her, but obviously, I was wrong."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Maybe we're both overthinking this too much."

"Maybe." He dragged a hand down his mug. "Honey, I have a confession to make."

"What's that, sweetie?"

"Eight glorious years of wedlock and two beautiful children with the woman of my dreams later…" Gumshoe let out a loud groan. "And I realize that _in spite of all this_ , I _still_ don't understand you women… _at all_!"

"And you never will, sweetie." Maggey smirked and placed a kiss upon her frazzled husband's cheek. "I think we gals actually prefer it that way!"

* * *

 ** _Lady Gaga – (Chapter Quote Song) You've Got a Friend_**

 ** _LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It  
Celion Dion - The Power of Love  
Daughtry - Gone Too Soon_** _  
_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 131**

 **Ilet Moratar**

Phoenix's loyalty is a hundred percent with Edgeworth and being a man it's probably blind although Edgeworth did allude to the topic of Lana when he mentioned his resisted temptation in this chapter and you can safely assume that both men will discuss their brushes with temptation and sin over their steak and seafood dinner... after hearing the humiliating circumstances which saved Nick from his temptation you can safely also assume that Miles will probably confiscate his one because bad things happen when Phoenix drinks! XD

These two have the ultimate bromance but they are easily more like brothers to me the way they antagonize each other ... both in the game and in my story, just as you said! In my other story Double DILF Doodies that I wrote for you even their children said they argue like an old married couple which is a dynamic I never tired of writing for them and I hope my readers enjoyed it this chapter!

Lana never meant to be a home wrecker... she is just very confused given the unfortunate circumstances with Jake I would start thinking maybe it was a sign we weren't meant to be together either! I mean even if I were married to (my other husband Johnny Depp)... If Miles Edgeworth we're standing before me I would probably be a little bit confused as well with where my heart should lie... (don't worry I know he belongs to Franny!) :p

I am so pleased that I made my all-time favorite miles and Franny lover happy once more... And once again...as I said before...tener confianza en mí, mi amiga dulce!

P.S. I did absolutely see the aforementioned heartbreaking episode of Outlander season 2 episode 7 I emailed you about that but much like a lot of aspects of the story how I chose to write the character portrayed as in this chapter and their emotions was heavily based on the genius of the writer who gave us Jamie Fraser!

 **ThePudz**

I'm sorry this chapter was so depressing dear friend. I really wanted to emphasize just how much of a highly heightened emotional state, the tsundere yet magnanimous Miles Edgeworth was by the time he got to see Phoenix…. Essentially an emotional Time Bomb about to go off… it was only earlier that morning he wrote that letter to Lana and as you know, also went to go see his daughter while still reeling from the loss of losing the love of his life the way he did… and even then he couldn't break down because he had to console his best friend first! :(

For all his emotional repression I truly believe Miles Edgeworth is one of the most noble and selfless characters in all of Ace Attorney. I am touched and yet feel guilty that I made my dear friend so sad but I want to give you a heads-up that as much as this steamy story may have had my readers reaching for tissues for more "pleasant reasons" in the past... you may definitely need them for the upcoming chapter... For different reasons now... XD

Something good happen to him? He already has that... it's called being reunited with his best friend Phoenix Wright! ;)

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

I know it was a few chapters ago...so here's the refresher. Yes for reasons of Miles and the readers still don't know, Franziska left Miles. It was about twelve chapters ago but in the timeline of the story about a week ago.

The scene with Lana was a brief recap from chapter 119 Twisted Sister when Miles came back after his undercover operations to an empty mansion and found out that Franny had left him a year ago, so basically less than a month after he was gone.

So on top of the fact that after 8 years the love of his life left him nothing more than a letter and her engagement ring behind, his extra heartbreak was that she had one foot out the door for some time; it wasn't because she got tired of waiting for him to come back, which was why he reflexively wanted to be spiteful and hook up with Lana, but in the end, he was too big a man and loved Franny too much despite what she did to him to go ahead and do it. :(

 **DannyDragon**

I am delighted to hear that you knew of the artist and the song choice that my lovely Cuban friend suggested! I had to take some liberties with the translation for "Temptation" but it was a direct translation for "El Amor".

"Anillo al dedo"...Muy bien mi amiga musica! Comprendo! I like this phrase! :)

I think the closest English expression to this would be "fit him like a glove" or " that dress fit her like a second skin."

Spanish is such a gorgeous language unfortunately I'm going to have to wait until Athena's multilingual European raised self gets introduced before I can start having my characters randomly start speaking Spanish!

And it can't be Phoenix the poor guy even canon-wise trips over his own tongue speaking English! LOL

While I've decided to make the renaissance man that is Miles Edgeworth be fluent in the language, because in California there was a lot of Spanish speaking people and I believe it is the second language in the States, the only time he ever speaks another language is German and that was when he was trying to be all cute with Franziska. :(

Right now Miles is still doing his part being the land asset on the American side upcoming for the sting operation so I don't think Miles has time now or later (being Chief prosecutor) how to write a book I figure if he was going to pen his Memoirs or write his Pearls of Wisdom with a Twist of psychology analysis it would have been perhaps when he was a precocious overachieving child ...maybe by the age of 10! :p

If he were to do it now it would probably be ghostwritten by his loyal Butler Hendricks! XD

I don't know whether or not to be happy or said that I managed to write a chapter for Miles that was even more solemn and sad than his suicide chapter! The problem is when you feel things rate deeply but can't show them as I think you actually experience the emotions even stronger because you're not expressing them or letting them out which is why the poor guy basically fell apart in this chapter. :(

Never be afraid to express your emotions my dear you have the advantage of letting it out in that beautiful native tongue of yours, so everything will sound more poetic anyway! :)

 **DanyDragon (Guest)**

Very perceptive mi amiga musica! The song by the police don't stand so close to me is about Temptation which was the theme from the last chapter however the lyrics were not fitting because everything sounds so much prettier in Spanish it's me using that wonderful song recommended by my Latina girlfriend and also because Lana was not Miles' forbidden student like in the song!

Miles is my favorite character in the entire game second only to Phoenix Wright, so I am delighted if I can make my readers love him just as much/see him in the same portrayal as I do try to write him as... y muchas gracias for telling me you appreciate him more because of that letter which took me a hundred years to write just make sure I got his tone of voice right! I'm telling you the man is hard to write for me!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Alas, my psychic friend, if you think Phoenix felt regretful about pushing Edgeworth in the last chapter can you imagine what he felt like in this one when the whole tragic tale came tumbling out? However, as you said it was way too much for any one man to be being alone and once the floodgates were opened Edgeworth can finally begin healing with his best friend at his side.

Also it's interesting you brought up the letter which was finally put to rest in this chapter as well as has the whole Lana and Miles story angle because you're absolutely right it was never love with the two of them although I'm sure at the time miles thought that he did.

My whole point of the Lana and Miles angle was initially for the purpose of a triangle but ultimately it was to show that if he had not met Lana Skye he wouldn't have recognized what true love really was.

But for the record even though her romantic arc with Miles is over we will still be seeing the lovely Miss Skye again and the Interpol agents again!

As for Franny breaking Miles heart I promise you that will not be a plot hole... we will find out more about the mystery of her soon enough. In the meantime he and his best friend can console one another as unfortunately right now these two hunks are pretty unlucky in love...

 **allamanda29**

I have about two dozen pages of chapter outlines and notes for this whole story and I do have an endgame in mind so I'm not just making up each chapter - this is a very well planned out in advance story with a concrete beginning middle and end … And not a fly by the seat of my pants as I go FF… I swear! :p

I'd say the story is a little bit past the halfway mark and my ultimate goal is to have it finished by or before the end of the year. Initially it was going to be by or before Ace Attorney 6 but with me having crazy hours at my job now I know that isn't feasible!

Always a pleasure to hear from you I'm so pleased you enjoyed my story and I do hope to hear from you again soon my dear. Thank you!

 **Chapter 110**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr**

Carlin sweetie long time no speak I always a pleasure to hear from you! Don't ever worry about being behind some people actually have lives off this site obviously I am not one of them but I am always so happy to hear from my readers especially one who leave such a kind and thoughtful detailed reviews such as yourself!

Loved this gem of yours: "I also believe a part of Phoenix still has a small spark for Iris, but he had a raging inferno for Maya."

Don't ever worry about being behind I have done replies to guess we're only on chapter 7 who just stumbled upon my story now! Better late than pregnant! I mean ...never! :p

Let's compare tall dark and handsome champion of Justice who, if you have seen Ace Attorney 6 fan art is deliciously sculpted beneath that blue suit... (you see some sweet pecs in that orange v-neck shirt! It was so nice to see that my head canon that Phoenix is all buff underneath that suit proving to be true!) Versus... a walking talking Ken doll which is what Maya is currently engaged to an absolutely I would agree that Phoenix would be a hard guy to get over!

The same could be said for Iris , since Nick was her first as well I think a part of her will always love him, but her heart is definitely open to be moving on... because Larry (who is actually cute in AA6 design even though his artist outfit is still ridiculous! Lol) was so pathetic and sincere in his declaration of unrequited love for her that it was actually touching!

Yes, he really does love her, indeed, she is way different than all the rest... Except you know the poor girl's hands are tied because she's bound to a promise she made and because Kristoph is still looming at large and is still very much a threat at this point.

Yes you can thank the creepy German sausage for being responsible for not only one but two relationships not being possible in my story!

I hope they gave him the chair I really do... do they even still use the electric chair for capital punishment?!

 **Chapter 112**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr**

The character of Clay definitely gave Apollo a lot more depth and I truly believe that these two could have had a Phoenix and Miles epic Bromance if the poor guy hadn't gotten killed! :(

Therefore I'm going to try to squeeze his adorable self in whenever I can to show glimpses of how incredible he was! Apparently the fact that Phoenix was Apollo's Idol is Canon so I decided to play upon that and I had so much fun writing this chapter!

Younger Apollo must have been such a sweetie before the snark kicked in! But I definitely wanted to show the roots of his quest for justice because while I don't love him QUITE as much as Nick, he's a pretty close second (third if you count Miles!) and I wanted to give him a cute backstory I'm so glad you liked it!

 **Chapter 113**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr**

I absolutely love the character of Kay Faraday however the story has such a full cast it's very hard for me to give everybody equal screen time for lack of better wording! However you will definitely see her and her uncle (LOVEEEEE detective Badd -ass!) again!

I agree...I think love turns you into a kind of person if you're with the right one...ah Franny... we have seen in the games that Miles is a man of few words and more action and will ultimately do anything for those he cares about that is within and sometimes even beyond his means...

I think he feels as deeply as anybody it's just his upbringing by that German monster Manfred might make it hard for him to express them.

I can't imagine any emotion expression was encouraged in that household which certainly explains his daughter who only seems to emote anger and nothing else in the games but I have tried to flesh out into a more three-dimensional character in my story! (Not an easy task btw!)

I don't think Miles will become that mushy for just anybody... but if you have played both of those games of his, Kay meant a lot to him. They are more than just an assistant and mentor I really think he took her under his wing as a daughter or even little sister because he cared enough about her to give up his badge for her.

Mind you, he got lucky and it was only for a few DAYS (not 7 years like poor Nick!) but he wouldn't do that for just ANYBODY, which is why I thought of that speech could be fitting and not totally out of character for Mr. (Normally) Tsundere! :p

I promise all your questions about Franny will be answered I do my very best not to leave any dangling threads or plot holes... Just have to keep reading! ;)

 **Chapter 121**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr**

I welcome you back With Arms Wide Open! I wanted to delve deeper into Nick's character in Apollo Justice which was desecrated by Capcom... which if you're playing the game right now he will agree is totally out of character from the champion of Justice we fell in love with! ( I would love to hear your thoughts on the game either as you go or when you're done... You'll find it's full of plot holes which I'm going to attempt to fill in the story!)

I don't think he was poker-faced and reclusive by choice it definitely would have been for the greater good of protecting his loved ones because we all know he will do anything to protect those he loves.

I think there wasn't greater purpose for all of it and I'm not the only fan to have the theory that he steered clear of everybody including Maya because of what a danger Kristoph actually was.

I of course took his stalking to an extreme by including the Maya angle but it is Canon that he was stalking that creepy journalist as well as Vera and her father and Phoenix...Zak was not so coincidentally murdered shortly after coming back into touch with Spark Brushel. Yikes!

 **Chapter 122**

 **Who Doesn't Like Reading Grrr**

Never apologize for being busy and having a life sweet girl. I'm just happy you still take the time to read and drop me a line to let me know you like what you're reading!


	133. I'll Run So Far Away

_A/N:_ _Stupid job/stupid me for marrying for love and not money and hence needing to work a demanding new job that restricts my ability to write as much as I used to… :p_

 _Am so humbly honored my dear mate/ loyal reader/awesomesauce writer, ThePudz, cared enough to make this amazing_ _photo montage/voice over video for Turnabout Everlasting! Check it out!_ _  
_ _ **vimeo dot com/user54393646/turnabouteverlasting  
**_

* * *

" _There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications, and just go for it."  
_

* * *

 _ **Mildred Latrine  
**_ _Kurain Village  
_ April 13, 2026 9:15 AM

"I hope you and Mystic Pearl have a wonderful trip, Mystic Maya." Mildred affixed her most virtuous smile as she walked with the two spirit mediums out of the village entrance towards their waiting taxi. "I hope you don't get too _badly baked_ from those heat rays in Australia! After all, in two months, you're supposed be a _blushing_ _bride_ , not a _broiled_ one!"

"Thank you for your concern, Mystic Mildred, though rest assured, both Pearly and I shall be slathered with sunblock _up the_ _ **wazoo**_." Maya smiled tightly as she stepped into the cab. "I trust that wedding provisions in both Kurain Village and Hazakura Temple are running smoothly?"

"Sister Bikini has been most helpful in assisting with all the preparations, wherever her poor, aching old back will allow!" Mildred clucked with an attempted show of sympathy. "Luckily, I've had the ever-willing Sister Iris and dear _Harry Butz_ taking up the slack since the beginning of the year. He has been most, _supererogatory_ ; quite the eager beaver to go above and beyond the call of duty and gladly assisting the dear girl out there in the mountains. In fact, he's been quite the miracle worker in helping diffuse some of the cyclone of madness which has ensnared this village as your big day draws ever near!"

"Yes he's been most altruistic indeed," the Master acknowledged, deciding not to waste her breath correcting the spiteful she-devil's _purposeful_ mispronunciation of her old friend's first name for the _bajillionth time_! "He's even offered to do a bride and groom portrait of us, and will be our official sketch artist at the ceremony."

The village leader saw no point in adding how Larry had both _tearfully_ and _repeatedly_ asked her if she was, _beyond any reasonable doubt_ , absolutely, _100% sure_ of the plunge she was about to take, _every single week_ since becoming aware of her engagement! In fact, he had only ceased expressing his genuine concern just two nights before, when he'd mournfully told her that _no matter what_ had transpired between her and Phoenix, he loved them _both_ _equally_ , and as a gesture of his neutral position of friendship, hoped that she would accept the humble gift of his wedding artist services at no cost, an unexpectedly kind and generous offer which Maya had emotionally and wholeheartedly accepted.

"They certainly have been spending _a lot of time together_ , the artist and the fair shrine maiden," Mildred remarked, her countenance a portrait of picture-perfect innocence. "It would almost be a _note of concern_ , really, if one _didn't know better_ , and wasn't already aware her heart already lies _with a certain ex-attorney_! I just hope Mr. Wright isn't at all the _jealous sort –"_

"No, he isn't. At least, not that I was aware of," Maya replied coldly, cutting the other woman off mid-sentence, while desperately trying to control her mounting temper, as she knew _exactly_ in what direction this _intentionally barbed_ conversation of _Everybody Loves Iris_ was heading! " _Nor am I aware_ of exactly _how_ the relevance of Phoenix Wright's unquestioning, naïve nature, _misplaced or not_ , is _in any way related_ to my upcoming nuptials?"

"Every man should be so trusting!" The old woman's beady eyes widened with feigned earnestness. "Especially with Mr. Wright living _a two hour trip_ away from Hazakura Temple all the way down in the city, and hence, nowhere near able to visit as often as I'm sure he would like, whereas _Mr. Butz_ lives _just a few meters_ away from the temple in the cabins! I mean no offense, of course, but in the meantime, one _can't help but wonder_ how Sister Iris's beau really feels about his current lover be _the sole recipient_ of another _attentive_ young man's _undivided daily attentions!_ There's also the fact that the two are in such _constant, close pro_ ximity to boot! One _might_ _almost_ _worry_ the good nun's affections could potentially do a _complete turnabout_ in _said artist's favor_ in his stead!"

 _Mildew is nowhere near as good an actress as she thinks!_ Maya fumed inwardly. _That poisonous faux-sweetness she's injecting into her tone absolutely does nothing to belie the sly,_ _ **fire-breathing reptilian**_ _that she_ _ **always has been**_ _and_ _ **always will be,**_ _beneath the surface! She's got_ _ **some nerve**_ _, trying to get a rise out of me by bringing up the whole subject of Nick and Iris_ _ **now**_ _, with my_ _ **wedding**_ _just around the corner – and to the man that_ _ **she**_ _fixed me up with to top it all off_!

By some miracle, the bride-to-be forced herself to conjure up a lighthearted laugh and focused on emulating the same mellifluous expression and tone that the loathsome elder was exuding.

"It is most impressive, Mystic Mildred, how your talents are not only limited to being capable of _lending a hand_ to _myself, Pearl_ and _Sister Bikini_ as our _ever diligent assistant_ , what with running the village and cabins, and wedding organization, but _now_ also giving such _astute insight_ into matters of the heart!" Maya flashed a dulcet smile at her adversary. "May I be so bold as to inquire whether such _perceptible wisdom_ was garnered through _age_ or _first-hand experience_ or perchance, _a mixture of both_?"

A barely stifled, _most unladylike snort_ escaped from Pearl upon hearing the thinly veiled dig at the geriatric spinster's _lifelong_ _celibate_ _and_ _virginal_ status, which she quickly attempted to disguise as a cough. The teen turned her head away to look out the taxi window in order to escape the withering glare the impromptu outburst earned her from the Dragon Lady, who for once, had no idea how to respond to such a question, as her area of expertise was limited to knowing _how to dish it out_ but not _how to take it_!

Gritting her teeth, she somehow managed to maintain her placid outward comportment, even though she was fuming at having been bested in such a manner by the _sassy, insolent whelp_! The time had apparently come to change the subject.

"Rest assured, I personally will be making sure Eagle Mountain and all the surrounding area of Kurain will be _fit for royalty_ by the time your _blessed happy day_ comes to be!" She cooed. "Don't you worry about a thing! You just _leave everything to_ _ **me**_! As always, I'll ascertain your beloved village keeps from burning to the ground in your absence, Mystic Maya!"

 _Such a_ _ **fine**_ _choice statement indeed, coming from the Dragon Lady herself!_ _From_ _ **causing**_ _fires to now_ _ **thwarting**_ _them… funny how the fire breathing_ _ **she-thing**_ _has morphed into the blaze preventing, Smokey the Bear!_ Maya thought sourly, even as her phony smile at the hated woman only widened. _It's like leaving a fox to guard the hen house! If she truly wants to prevent any flame or smoke left in her wake, she should be giving serious thought to jamming a_ _ **fire extinguisher**_ _up her_ _ **ziggy**_ _rather than the_ _ **wawa brush**_ _Pearly volunteered_ _ **to shove up there**_ _6 years ago!_

" _Hee_!"

As though reading her cousin's mind, a loud (albeit this time, _snort-free_!) giggle once again emitted from the teenage girl, this time at the village elder's ironically chosen words of reassurance. Immediately, Pearl clapped a hand over her mouth as Maya shot her a look of parental disapproval, even though her own eyes were twinkling with barely suppressed mirth at the silently exchanged inside joke.

Sensing that she was once again the cause of unspoken ridicule, although this time uncertain as to exactly _what_ had triggered it, Mildred's plastered grin also grew in size, until she felt her cheeks beginning to ache from the strain.

"Well then, I shan't keep you another moment, lest you miss your plane! You ladies must get going if you're going to make your flight! Have a safe trip to the land down under, ladies!"

The old woman continued waving until the taxi had finally driven and was long out of sight before she allowed her facial muscles to relax into their customary haughty grimace.

"My _list of talents_ also entails organizing _memorials_ where there is no actual body present, in the _hopeful event_ that _a rabid dingo_ rips _both_ of your cackling, bony asses into shreds!" She added darkly. "Even _a venomous snake bite_ would suffice!"

 _Becoming dinner to Jaws or a ravenous, wild canine! If only I could be so lucky!_ Mildred scowled. _Having Maya Fey perish via the jaws of a Great White shark or falling victim to one of the other countless deadly, poisonous species residing in Australia would certainly solve the unmitigated impending disaster looming ahead for me, due to this accursed event I have somehow orchestrated!  
_

* * *

 _ **Flashback One Year Ago…**_

 _ **Mildred Latrine and Mystic Matilda**_  
 _Kurain Village_

"Just _what_ are you trying to imply, Mystic Matilda?" Mildred demanded tersely.

"I wasn't _implying_ anything!" Matilda snapped. "I'm flat out _saying_ it! There is _no way_ Mystic Maya will _ever_ agree to some sort of _sham of a marriage_ to this man! Surely, you're putting me on here – you absolutely _cannot_ be this completely daft or blind! If you allow this to happen, Kurain will yet _again_ be the _laughingstock_ of the nation! We both know that Longines Beaugosse is _queerer than a three-dollar bill!"_

"He is _not_ gay!" Mildred denied hotly, feeling her face burn with embarrassment and anger. "He's just… _French_!"

Matilda just stared at her dubiously.

"He's also in the hair industry…so he's just _colorful_ , that's all!" Mildred continued, warming to her defense argument and actually beginning to _believe_ her own words now. "You know how that _metrosexual_ craze has allowed men to be a tad more effeminate nowadays! How else can you explain the makeup for men and the _man purses_ they now make?"

"Is _that_ how you plan to explain the fact that Mr. Beaugosse was _sporting both_ of those things tonight?" Matilda arched a derisive eyebrow. "The man had longer lashes than _I_ do!"

"I refuse to partake in this slander another moment!" Mildred declared, assuming her most sanctimonious tone. "I truly trust the belief of our esteemed, _world-famous, professional matchmaker_ that this match would not only be a suitable one for our Master, but a fruitful one for our village!"

"You can't sacrifice Mystic Maya into a loveless marriage where _forces of nature_ dictate she can never be _wholly compatible_ with the mate she's been offered, just for the better of the village!" Matilda exclaimed in incredulity. "That isn't right!"

 _ **End Flashback  
**_

* * *

 _ **Mildred Latrine  
**_ _Kurain Village  
_ April 13, 2026

 _Curse you, Matilda! Goddammit! How I hate when that blasted, sanctimonious, self-righteous woman is right!_ _**Why**_ _is she_ _ **always**_ _right?!_ _ **I'm**_ _supposed to be the_ _ **older and wiser**_ _one, for the love of the saints!_

Mildred was officially panicking now as she thought about how her rival and sole opposition on the Elder Council would undoubtedly gloat about her downfall regarding this entire ordeal – right after Maya kicked her out on her _penniless keister_! Or possibly _before_. She wasn't sure _which_ would be _worse_ on the humiliation scale!

 _You hear that Dr. Frankenstein?_ She thought dourly. _You're not the_ _ **only**_ _one who_ _ **created a monster!**_ _Like a ticking time bomb about to detonate at any given moment, this wedding is going to result in_ _ **nothing but calamity**_ _when Longines Beaugosse's_ _expediently_ _ **fabulous self**_ _not so much_ _ **comes out of**_ _that closet, but expeditiously and gloriously_ _ **riding out**_ _… on a sparkly Barbie-pink Harley Davidson motorcycle with rainbow tassels, and his_ _ **enamored pouf**_ _of an assistant seated alongside him in the sidecar!_

She moaned and buried her head in her hands.

 _Assuming Maya and Longines don't proceed to tie the knot_ _ **around each other's throats**_ _post-ceremony, there_ _ **will**_ _undoubtedly be a_ _ **non-contested**_ _motion for this_ _ **heirless marriage**_ _to be swiftly_ _ **annulled**_ _shortly after, if not_ _ **on,**_ _their honeymoon!_

What had she ever done to deserve this?!

 _This union will undoubtedly be_ _ **annulled**_ _in_ _ **the best case scenario**_ _, or end in the_ _ **world's most bitter and public divorce**_ _in history, due to the fact that it was_ _ **never consummated**_ _! And it will all be because of the increasingly_ _**effeminate and flamboyant**_ _by the day,_ _ **still yet to be ousted**_ _, bridegroom, who_ _is blatantly_ _ **gayer than Richard Simmons singing a duet with Elton John in a Bath House! Gah!**_

All she had ever wanted was what was best for Kurain, and it was now all about to blow up right in her face!

 _ **The entire elder council**_ _will not only_ _ **blame**_ _ **me**_ _for the whole sordid debacle which will, yet again, make our village a global laughingstock, but the Master will undoubtedly_ _ **demand my head on a platter**_ _! I've_ _ **got**_ _to_ _ **get the hell out of here**_ _! My days in Kurain are dangerously numbered!_

The getaway countdown had begun. California was right next to the Mexican border. The elder had already been secretly practicing her Spanish. Having Maya install cable TV all those years ago had been worthwhile after all.

However, Mildred had quickly learned that the phrases being screamed by the writhing and flailing Spanish actresses on the risqué Latin soap operas, while heaving their butts up and down in the air, wouldn't be of much use!

 _"¡Vamonos!_ _¡Vamonos! Rapido! Rapido! Culo! Culo!"_

 _Clearly, making money as a Latina porn star_ _or blue movie actress_ _was not_ _a viable moneymaking option for her!_

 _"¿Qué pasa, buen Señor?" She ventured aloud. "I am el fugitivo!"_

 _In order to leave, I need money – and_ _ **lots of it!**_ _But how?! The Master despises me as much as I do her, so there's no way in hell I could possibly resume my former privileges of_ _ **skimming inconspicuous dollars**_ _from surplus proceeds_ _ **now,**_ _especially since that_ _ **wretched Fey bitch**_ _cut off all my access to the village accounts! Even worse, she put that_ _ **henwit**_ _, Sister Bikini, in charge of_ _ **all**_ _the cabin books when she threw me out of my cabin in the village, and out on my ear, forcing me to reside in that_ _ **unfit for human life hell shack**_ _that is incongruously called_ _ **Heavenly Hall!**_

The irony that more than anything in the world, Mildred Latrine now wished to _halt_ the very marriage _she_ herself and orchestrated and manipulated into fruition was a fact which had not escaped her.

However, from her past experience, she knew calling and appealing to the future groom, and somehow _imploring_ with him and/or perhaps _appealing to his better judgment,_ would be a complete exercise in futility!

Ever since the last time her appalled eyes had seen that Longines' Rapunzel-style, flaxen locks were _no longer hair extensions_ but _the actual length of his real hair_ now, Mildred had desperately been trying to reach out to the jet-setting billionaire, thinking by this point, _pride be damned_ , she most certainly would _not_ be above _flat out throwing herself at his mercy_ in a last-ditch effort to _save her heinie_ from the _inevitable fire pit_ that she knew awaited her.

Alas, it was all for naught. Trying to get a hold of Longines was like reaching for the moon! Each and every time her frantic phone calls had been answered by his _cream-puff watchdog_ assistant, Jean Armstrong, who seemed to take _profane pleasure_ in loftily reminding Mildred that as a groom to be, his globetrotting employer was busier than ever, but she could leave a message if she so chose!

After that, the old woman had left _copious_ urgent and frantic messages with Armstrong, and on Longines' personal cell phone, but to no avail. _Not a single one of them_ had been returned in the last six months, and each time she'd spotted the billionaire during his Kurain visits, he had been all aflutter and caught up in the whirlwind of wedding excitement, too giddily excited to give her more than a breezy apology for not returning her last call and always promising that he would "catch up with her later." He also, to her great irritation, forever had Armstrong proverbially glued up his rear end – _balls to taint_! Therefore, between the _Pink Stay Puft Marshmallow Man_ and Maya always flacked at his side, being able to speak to him privately _downright_ _impossible_!

The elder had no inkling _what_ had _possessed_ Maya to actually agree to what was painfully and evidently _an utter and total_ _sham_ of a marriage – while the detestable Master was many things, _surely_ blind wasn't one of them?!

 _Is it possible Maya is so blindingly besotted with Longines she can't see the_ _ **flamingly obvious**_? Mildred wondered. _And is_ _ **he**_ _so_ _ **deeply confined within that closet of his**_ _that_ _ **he**_ _believes_ _ **he's**_ _in love with_ _ **her**_ _?! Is there actually a possibility that they are_ _ **both**_ _completely clueless to the fact that the bride, as well as her betrothed…_ _ **both prefer men?!**_

She'd had the _Gay or European_ battle with herself so many times that by now her head was positively _spinning_! Mildred despised detested being wrong about anything, but she also knew when to finally confess to her follies. Although she had argued with Matilda how the Frenchman's ostentation and epicene ways were simply attributed to the flamboyancy of his occupational field, at the time desperately hoping that there had been _some_ validity to her claim, it was now time to admit she'd been fighting a losing battle.

The last vain hope of Longines being at least _somewhat_ interest in the fairer sex, however, had _withered and died_ the moment she had gotten wind of the fact that the groom-to-be was not only planning on wearing _a lavender silk tuxedo_ but also flying in world-famous, celebrity makeup artist Bobbi Brown for the nuptials – not to work on only the _bride_ …but _himself_ as well!

 _That_ had been the straw that broke the camel's back, and when Mildred _knew_ , beyond _a shadow of a doubt_ , that her _goose was cooked!_ It was time to get the _hell_ out of Dodge if she wished to escape the glittery debris of the _gynandrous explosion_!

As she made her way back towards the cabins, the wheels in her brain frantically churned while she tried to formulate some sort of viable action plan.

Steeling her jaw with grim determination, she made her way to the main lodge, and, quickly noting Sister Bikini's absence, decided to try to call Longines' cell for the umpteenth time. To her surprise, instead of getting the blond man's voicemail as she had expected, it was Armstrong who picked up the phone.

"Z'is iz _Douce-Amère,_ how may I tease zee sweet taste buds of yours?"

"It's a pleasure to speak to you again, Jean." Mildred cringed at the completely inappropriate greeting, but forced herself to sound as congenial as possible. "Did I dial the wrong number? I had thought this cell belonged to Longines."

"Monsieur Beaugosse has left me in charge of his phone, as well as tending to his business affairs, while he goes to his tuxedo fitting and tends to some other matters, and the busy bee doesn't wish to be interrupted." The normally cheery man sounded distracted but firm as he made this blatant point to the persistent woman. " _C'est_ truly a vision to behold - a _fantabulous_ _Coco Bruce_ original design! I am currently trying to juggle many things at my restaurant while tending to my personal assistant duties, so I'm afraid I cannot chat for long. 'ow can I help you?"

"Well, I was hoping…"

Suddenly another phone line rang in the background.

"Ooh that's Longines right now!" His voice suddenly brightened as though by magic. " _Un moment s'il vous plait!"_

Mildred could hear Armstrong talking in the background.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Longines? I don't _care_ how busy you are! With the wedding being this close, you _cannot_ cancel the aerial fitness session that is your Antigravity Yoga Class!" He scolded into the phone. "Not if you want to get _down_ _one more dress size_ and fit that _bonne derriere_ of yours into your tuxedo! Regrettably, I'm too swamped with trying to figure out the best dishes to prepare for your upcoming celebration feast to be able to join you this time…. Much to my great chagrin!"

 _My goodness!_ Mildred raised her pencil thin eyebrows upon hearing the other man speak in normal and sentences, and _without_ the ridiculously overplayed and badly butchered French accentuation. _That accent of his really comes and goes at will,_ _ **doesn't**_ _it?_

"Yes, I know I'm best man, and I agree, I _should_ be _bending over backwards_ for you but it's just _impossible_ this time! Trust me, _mon beau ami,_ fewer things in life would bring me greater joy than being witness to the _poetry in motion vision_ of you suspending yourself in a variety of gravity-defying poses mid-air, using nothing but your own strength and a long, hanging fabric!"

Armstrong let out a dramatic sigh.

"However if you're going to have me cater the food for the wedding, unless you have found a way to _clone_ _me_ to be in two places at once, I am unfortunately indisposed and stuck here at the restaurant like a lonely girl! My sous chef is in the process of quitting even as we speak, that _ungrateful swine_ that is _Pierre_ …"

"I told you, for the bazillionth time, my name is _Peter_!" An angry male voice shouted in the background. "Stop trying to make everything _French,_ you _wannabe Parisian, pho_ ny… _cream-filled_ _ **éclair**_!"

"How could you do this to me after all we've been through!" Armstrong wailed, too distraught to even bother putting the fake accent back on. "How could you just leave me the way?!"

"I just got hired _yesterday_!" Peter snapped. "And I'm already _sick_ of you constantly _eye-banging_ _my_ _ass_! I don't care if it _is_ aptly displayed in these _disgusting booty shorts_ you forced me to wear!"

Mildred couldn't help but wince as she heard the door heavily slamming in the background.

"And _another_ one bites the dust!" Armstrong sulkily reported to Longines. "I may not be able to handle the _contumacious_ help of mine, but I _can_ crack my whip with _you_ Monsieur Bridegroom! You _will_ go to that yoga class! No excuses! And I don't want to have to remind you _again_ to make sure you ingest your two glasses of alkalized water with apple cider vinegar! A groom must be _detoxed and svelte_ for his big day!"

He listened to whatever Longines said in response, then continued his drill sergeant mode.

"As soon as you're done with the yoga, I want you to promise you'll let me know your whereabouts in LA so I can have Lance Francis hand-deliver your post workout breakfast. _No_ I'm _not_ going to change it up! It's going to be the same smoothie of blended alkalized water, activated almonds, maca, blueberries, stevia, coconut kefir, and two organic, range-free, hardboiled eggs! You can indulge and let yourself go _after_ you're a married man! Alright, talk to you soon. _Toodles_!"

He sounded chipper but still distracted as he picked up the phone again to speak to Mildred, who had a crafty, Grinch-worthy grin on her face as she realized that she had been going about things _all wrong_! The unwitting eavesdropping on this last _very telling conversation_ had given her _quite_ an _idea_.

A wonderful, _awful_ idea…

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

I was positively giddy from the incredible feedback I got from my beloved readers who love Wrightworth as much as I do and were touched by Miles eventually meltdown while being amused by my fourth-wall DEADPOOLING! XD

You might need to scroll a little bit to get to my response to your amongst the other bromance fans but I promise it's there...my readers know I will always take the time to reply! See you next chapter!

 **Chapter 130**

 **Luffy**

You have no idea just how much I looking forward to the reunion of my two favorite leading men! Miles Edgeworth was exactly what Phoenix Wright needed to get off his self-pitying cu/o and prove how he is aptly named after the mythical bird that will always rise from the ashes no matter what strife he endures! The Japanese really do know how to do a great friendship if nothing else - it makes me take a brief reprieve from cursing them for not making a lot of our beloved romantic relationships in this story canon! *cough* Phayal *cough* Fredgeworthl

Wrightworth's friendship (on top of them both being muy caliente) has everything you need to make it turn into a romance if that is your preference. While I am not into that sort of scene, I can certainly understand the allure, but it is wonderful to have readers that sure my sentiments and appreciate my desire to delve deeper into their friendship and all the accompanying emotions, and portray it in a romance if that is your preference. While l am not into that sort of scene,( can certainly understand the allure, but it is wonderful to have readers that sure my sentiments and appreciate my desire to delve deeper into their friendship and all the accompanying emotions, and portray h' n a way that really shows the depth of them( Whenever I haven moment to get through outlander which is the top of my to-do lists I will definitely check out the movie you mentioned that your mentioned to me( I know you're busy girl so don't worry about not being able to review in a while… I definitely a appreciate you taking the time to drop me a line regardless!

mucho amor y besos para ti hermana pequeña!

 **Chapter 132**

 **Review of the Week Part 1 Yanmegaman**

Considering the emotional roller coaster Mat was this chapter I would like to thank you for the fact that you made me literally do a spit take when I first read this! LOL

You were not the only one. question Maya's mental ...Rave done such an unexpected Turnabout...1'm glad that even in your skewered mental state that you are able to make out the humor of two totally hot men, are often seen as gay who are absolutely not gay (at least, NOT in THIS story!) XD

 **Review of the Week Part 2 (sober) Yanmegaman**

Never apologize for your drunken hilarity I don't think I've ever laughed that hard at a review ever until I saw THIS one.

THAT'S when I realized that this actually is just YOU no alcohol required!

I am an unkillable badass hilarious superhero who has no problem killing when it's justified...and my fave one! (Besides the equally awesome Canadian unbreakable badass Wolverine... and not just because he's played by Hugh Jackman!)  
I will take that as the highest praise ever!

Hail Wrightworth savage when done fourth wall breaking comedic styles!

 **DannyDragon**

Of course mi amiga musica not only appreciated the song title chapters and recognize them but provided me some wonderful suggestions of her own so keep an eye out for them in the next chapter and ones thereafter! :)  
Glad you approved!

Your birthday is Feb 15?!

I'm so sorry for any sad connotations associated with your special day...you're one of my fave readers! Does that mean last year was your golden birthday? That's a major celebration for girls in your beautiful country no? Here it's sweet 16 for las chiquitas!

Excellent point you made...if Franny (and Nick for that matter!) Can forgive Miles for playing dead HE should be able to forgive them ANYTHING! BUT...will he be able to use those famous Edgeworth resources and actually find his runaway fiancée...that is the question!

I'm glad no Miles x Lana fans are giving me merda for him finally saying hasta luego to her...he deserves more than to second best!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

That was a very good guess! Next chapter you shall see if you're Wright! ;)

According to my friend punny man being Canadian + fourth wall breaking would make me akin or actually being DEADPOOL! Poor Miles he really has no idea about how he truly does create such frothing desire amongst the female masses when they picture being the centre of him and a certain sexy spiky haired man um...having turnabout SWORD play instead of FAIR play? XD

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

When to admit this chapter was very hard for me to write because of the emotions involved with Edgeworth talking about losing his daughter at last I did try balance out the sadness with some humor infused Throughout the chapter I'm very happy that I was successful in my endeavours so I didn't have a whole bunch of overly depressed readers! As much as I can tell you this chapter was difficult to write there are no words to describe how much fun I had poking fun at the Phoenix and Miles shippers out there I just can't help myself I had to lighten it up because of the dreariness of the chapter and what better way to do it than that? :p

As poor Maya can attest chapters of the radio can be such an evil bitch! XD  
I had many amusing (bipolar?!) and some accurate guesses as to what the deal was with the sudden turnabout of the Master... accurate guess which one you were my ever psychic friend? Not bad from a guy who like poor Gummy says he doesn't understand women!;)

 **TheSoCoolWriter**

The only other chapters that depressed even ME to write (the only other two were Unbreak My Heart and King of Pain!) was this one which I was delaying as long as I could as I knew writing about the Carol reveal would be hard. Sorry for the feels my dear I shared them with you FWIW!

I think the ruffles in Edgy's cravat would straighten out by themselves if he knew of what sort of deviant acts he's seen committing with Nick in FF! XD

 **YODA review of the week**

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _If you have the will and enough mettle, you can go ahead and do not be afraid to look back. I say all this because it is precisely what is spoken in your story, good friendship usually get you out of the deepest hole, the iron will to believe in love, gives you strength to continue._

Indeed, a true friend is the most priceless yet free gift one can ever give themselves... While simultaneously being the most precious and rare. I have never seen a friendship like Phoenix and Miles and any videogame and I mentally compare them to Joey and Chandler from friends. Yes Ross was there too but seriously we all know he was just an afterthought! XD

I noticed most cultures Latin, Europeans even Indians have no problem expressing themselves effusively in same-sex friendships, and in general! It seems to be North Americans who see any kind of affection between the same sex as being more romantic sense, which is most unfortunate because I see nothing wrong with expressing love with any sense platonically or otherwise, I my., despite having been raised North American am a complete hugger indication cobbler with my can girt.. whom I see sisters, but whom many men without doubt would .e as a prelude. an X-rated movie where they ever to see this in action!.

Poor Miles, In spite of being a champion and seeker of the truth, I don't think he was ready for the terrible truth of the deviant acts the imaginative minds of those on the Internet have created for him in Phoenix both in writing and in art... Things which I agree with you I would so much more rather seeing him do with Franziska! LOL

Because of this, I have been compared to several literary geniuses, (and while I am humbly touched I still feel am unworthy of such praise!) from Terry Patchett to JK Rowling, and now Diana. The creative genius that gave me Jamie Fraser and outlander is very high praise indeed and she knows how to tug at the heartstrings and portrayal well the grief of losing a child. I truly do think that now that Miles has been able to unleash some of the burden of his loss by crying on his best friend's shoulder, he might be in a better state of mind when he finally does encounter Fran to at least understand just how shattered she must have been losing a second child.

Gumshoe is the furthest thing from Don Juan DeMarco… but I think even the famous ladies man would have been confused at Maya's sudden shift in behavior! Let me know next chapter if your guess was right!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

According to my friend punny man being Canadian + fourth wall breaking would make me akin or actually being DEADPOOLi Poor Miles he really has no idea about how he truly does create such frothing desire amongst the female masses when they picture being the centre of him and a certain sexy spiky haired man um...having turnabout SWORD play instead of FAIR play? XD

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

The lovely Maya Fey definitely surprise you at times, eh? You would think after all she's been through, that she would have a better reign on her emotions... Although now that you've read about the circumstances of what made her head spin in such a manner can you really blame her for frontin'? XD

I'm so happy that the humor still came across despite the poignancy of Edgy's meltdown... Crying is therapeutic for the soul ...but so is having your best friend, the clown ass, remind you of just how many people out there want to see you two be so much more than friends! LOL


	134. Watching You Watch Him

_There is no greater pain than this; not a cut of a jagged-edged dagger nor the fire of the dragon's breath. Nothing burns in your heart like the emptiness of losing something, someone, before you have truly learned of its value.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Four:** **Watching You Watch Him**

 ** _Maya Fey and Pearl Fey_** _  
LAX – Los Angeles International Airport_  
April 21, 2026 11:30 AM

Maya sprinted like a marathoner, temporarily leaving Pearl with the task of lugging their wheeled baggage through customs and practically _running_ more than _walking_ through the crowds, ignoring the angry mutterings of the people she _nearly ran_ over in her quest to rush towards the exit doors of the airport terminal, with the teenage spirit medium hurriedly mumbling apologies as she followed the cleared path left in the Master's wake.

 _Nick_! She thought wildly, hurrying as quickly as her sandaled feet would carry her. _I need to find out what happened to Nick! I'll take the first cab I see to the Wright Talent Agency, in hopes of best case scenario trial outcome … And then it's off to the police station if for some reason – **God forbid!** – he's not at home …_

Her fingers were jumping rhythmically, as if in spasm, as she went to stab at the redial button of her cell, ignoring the blinking light, which indicated that she had voice messages, and cast a desperate eye about her for an idling taxicab.

The ever observant Pearl had already spotted a taxi pulling up to the curb, and was already racing towards it. The driver had just stepped out and was reaching for their bags. Just as Maya was about to call Gumshoe once more, the phone rang in her hand, startling her slightly. She quickly clapped it against her ear.

"Hello?!"

 _"Hey_!" Gumshoe's familiar booming baritone " _Hello_! _Maya_! Is that you?"

"Gumshoe! Thank _God_ we finally connected!" Maya was absolutely frantic as she halted in front of the waiting vehicle, slightly winded from her unaccustomed sprinting. "I've been _losing my mind!_ My flight from Darwin was supposed to have landed _90 minutes ago_ , but then it was stuck in a holding pattern over Los Angeles, and it took _forever_ to get through customs and baggage!"

She stopped to catch her breath.

"Pearly and I have been _stuck_ on that goddamned aircraft for 16 ½ hours! And _then_ I couldn't even call you from the plane because the on-board satellite phones weren't working due to solar activity! It was just _Murphy's Law!"_

"That sounds like pretty rough luck, pal," Gumshoe clucked sympathetically. "I'm so sorry that I missed your call yesterday, but I wasn't at the station, and then when you called my cell, I was driving."

"So why wasn't your Bluetooth connected to your car?!" Maya shrieked, uncaring of the fact that she sounded like a relentless shrew and momentarily forgetting that the police Chief was nearly as inept as her ex-boyfriend when it came to technology.

 _"What's up with this **Twatter** you teens are all about?" Gumshoe had once infamously asked the presently **Twittering** Pearl and Trucy. "And what the **heck** is a **hashtag**?! It sounds like something my parents would've been smoking back in the 70's!"_

"I don't know heads or tails about that sort of stuff, pal, sorry!" Gumshoe apologized sheepishly. "I recently got a new phone that's supposed to be Bluetooth compatible, and that darn Meekins was _supposed_ to hook it up to my car, but hasn't gotten around to it yet…"

"Forget that nincompoop!" The spirit medium snapped peevishly. "I _just_ stepped outside at the airport, and was about to hop into a taxi to go see Nick _right_ before you called... because I was _losing my mind_ wondering what the hell was going on!"

"Well I can tell you now that –"

" _Pearl_! Yoo-hoo!" A voice suddenly called out, seeming to come from a large black limousine which had was parked _right behind_ the taxi, the unexpected sound resulting in the poor teenager leaping in the air as if a firecracker had gone off.

" _Maya_! Over Here!"

Blinking with bafflement, the Master spun around at the sound of the voice.

"Hang on! _What the heck_ –"

She had just barely managed to hit the mute button on her phone before turning around… and with a stunned gasp, found herself _face-to-face_ with none other than… _her fiancé_!

"Welcome home, _Babykins_!" Before she could even respond Maya was suddenly engulfed by the surprisingly effusive blond man. "I've missed you so much!"

Maya's face fell faster than a corpse in cement boots. In that instant her skin became greyed, and her mouth hung with lips slightly parted and her eyes were as wide as they could stretch. She didn't know what was more astonishing; Longines' usage of the never before used, _beyond corny nickname_ , or the fact that she was still wrapped tightly in his arms! What had gotten into the man?!

Her shock and bewilderment were not misplaced. Despite the warm closeness of their friendship, for as long as she had known her fiancé, all of their embraces had been mere perfunctory gestures, mandated by social etiquette and, well… _colder than day old oatmeal!_ Their courtship was one filled with much mutual affection but very little physical contact, ergo their hugs were typically short where, in any other circumstances between _any_ other betrothed couple, they would normally be long and soft rather than formal and rigid, and immediately ending as abruptly as they had begun. In short, Longines Beaugosse's hugs had all the soothing qualities of a _traffic warden_ and j _ust as much sex appeal_!

"I can tell you're surprised to see me!" Longines continued as he finally released her, seeming not notice his wide-eyed fiancée had yet to have spoken. He brushed imaginary dirt from his dress-shirt and pants, giving her the opportunity let her face fall with gravity again.

 ** _Surprised_** _?! Try completely **poleaxed**_ **!** Maya thought, numbly allowing her future groom to steer both her and Pearl away from the taxi while the driver obligingly wheeled their luggage over to the waiting limousine. The hair heir nudged the Feys towards the luxury vehicle, both mediums feeling as though they were in a daze.

"I was probably being silly, worrying so much, but coupled with the fact your flight was supposed to be here 90 minutes ago, and then I didn't get a reply to my other texts and voice messages regarding the wedding planning…" Longines continued to prattle on merrily. "I just _had_ to make sure you are right and see you with my own eyes! So the three of us thought we would come here and make sure everything was alright and get a head start on these last-minute wedding planning details!"

"The _three_ of you?" Maya echoed blankly. "Last minute… _huh_?!"

As Longines flung open the door of the limousine to usher the Feys inside, the Kurain Master at last caught a glimpse of just _who else_ had accompanied her fiancé on the trip to the airport, and her heart jumped high in her throat.

Seated against the plush leather interior, looking like two villains out of a _very bad mobster movie_ , both sporting identical smirking expressions, were Jean Armstrong… _and The Dragon Lady herself!_

 _Mildew?!_ Maya's gobsmacked brain had stopped working like some sort of emergency shutdown. _What **in the name of God** is she doing here?!_

Pearl had already gotten into the vehicle, her doe orbs widening with alarm at the unanticipated sight of her cousin's nemesis, and she shrank back against her seat, while her frenetic gaze looked pointedly at the still-muted phone, forgotten but still clenched in Maya's hand.

 _Yikes! I forgot that I left Gumshoe on hold!_ She realized with horror. _And I **still** have no idea what the hell happened to Nick! How I supposed to find out with these three right here, staring at me?!_

From somewhere deep within her, the shaken Maya Fey managed to draw upon all of her inner composure and long-harbored acting skills as she slipped into a poker-faced mask that would've made Phoenix Wright proud! Holding up a finger to signal to the others that she was still on a phone call, with one foot inside the limo, she slightly turned her head away, acutely aware of the fact that she was still under intense scrutiny, _especially by her enemy_ , and pressed the button to resume the phone call, all the while ensuring that both her countenance and voice were now unreadable.

"My apologies for the delay." Her tone was now steadily calm and belied any of the earlier agitation she had exhibited earlier. "I do believe you were about to let me know the latest information about the situation I was inquiring about?"

" _Maya_?" The Chief asked uncertainly, undoubtedly wondering if his friend had been _body snatched_ in the last _two minutes_! "What's going on? Is everything OK? Why do you sound so weird?"

"I'm fine." Painfully aware of the suspicious narrowing of Mildew's sharp eyes as she continued to stare intently at her, Maya's Oscar-worthy skills went up a notch, her voice now nearly icy with formality, as she desperately hoped to appear on a business call. "Could you please just relay the facts pertaining to the issue?"

"Um, Phoenix is fine, Maya," Gumshoe answered tentatively, his tone conveying that he was entirely bewildered by this strange turn of events. "It turns out Kristoph Gavin was the actual murderer, trying to frame him for Shadi Smith's death. Gavin's behind bars, and Phoenix is a free man."

The immediate lightness in the Master's heart upon hearing this joyous news was an unexpected reflex that she was unable to control, although she was still very careful to ensure her comportment was impassive when she spoke.

"That is most fortunate to hear," Maya responded coolly, appearing to anybody that was listening that they were discussing something as mundane as the weather. "Thank you kindly for keeping me apprised about the matter. I'm afraid I have to go now. I will contact you shortly when I'm settled back at my home."

"Er, sure, Pal, but are you sure –"

Not allowing her friend the chance to complete his sentence, Maya speedily ended the call, flashing a weak smile at her unwanted companions as she did so.

"Jean…hello," she murmured, flashing as amiable a smile as she could muster to Longines' assistant. "This is a _most_ …pleasant welcome home…ah, _surprise_ indeed! I know you're best man, so that explains _your_ presence…but I confess to being most perplexed as to what _you're_ doing here, Mystic Mildred?"

The indignant glower Pearl was shamelessly casting in the old woman's direction indicated _she_ was just as eager to know _the exact same thing!_

"Where have _you_ been, girlfriend?" Armstrong emitted a high-pitched titter as he batted his eyelashes at the Master.

 _I **believe** where I have been is in **the boonies** of the Australian Outback – aka **literally** the other side of the planet, **in the middle of freakin' nowhere**! _

"Didn't you _know_?" Armstrong trilled gaily. "Millie here is my _home girl!"_

Pearl's eyes nearly bugged at her head at this revelation, while Longines merely chuckled indulgently and smiled fondly at his assistant.

"Isn't that right, Millie old girl?" The pink clad man prompted, giving the scrawny Dragon Lady a playful punch with his meaty shoulder, causing her to be forcefully jolted against the door of the limousine, and smushing her face against the tinted glass window from the unintended power of the impact!

Mildred cringed slightly – both at having been _lurched so painfully_ , as well as at the a _trocious nickname_! – but flashed a _Cheshire cat grin_ at Armstrong before directing it towards Maya, the sight making the spirit medium's skin absolutely _crawl_ as she seriously pondered whether or not she and her unsuspecting cousin had stumbled into some sort of _twilight zone style_ alternate universe!

" _Jeanie_ and I have _bonded_ recently," Mildew abided, her sickeningly sweet smile only widening and increasing the sharp, gnawing sensation forming in Maya's gut. "He appeared to be getting a little bit overwhelmed with the wedding preparations and as you know, since I am _such_ a good assistant, I decided to offer the benefit of my services to him, seeing as Sister Bikini, Sister Iris and dear Harry Butz have such good reign on things back in Kurain! It give me such great pleasure to offer my aid where it was most needed!"

"Millie here has been the _best_ thing to happen to a girl since _the invention of_ _pantyhose_!" Armstrong enthused, wrapping a brawny arm around the village elder's bony, narrow shoulders with such effusiveness, Maya was _positive_ she heard the loathsome woman's brittle bones _creak_ slightly from the gesture! The unintentional battering of her nemesis would've been quite comical indeed, had she not been recoiling inwardly from all of this!

 _Let me get this **straight** , you overblown cream puff… If you'll **pardon the expression**!_ The village leader was nearly stupefied with disbelief. _In the mere **week** I was gone, apparently **the entire universe** decided to **shift itself** into **another dimension** where my wayward ex-boyfriend got charged for murder for the **third** time around… and suddenly **She-Thing One** and **She-Thing Two** are suddenly **bosom buddies**?! Be that as it may, why would **Longines** even allow this?! He knows how much I hate Mildew, and always took my side against any battles I've had with her in the past! So what in Sam Hill is going on here?!_

* * *

 ** _Mildred Latrine and Jean Armstrong_**  
 _Douce-Amère_  
April 13, 2026 12:21 PM

 _I suppose it was nice of Armstrong to offer to pay the cost of the cab fare down from the village for our "just girls" lunch that I suggested we have today, since that **evil fiend** of a Master cut me off from access to all Kurain's funds, leaving me penniless_ _and stranded up there!_ Mildred grumbled to herself as she exited the taxi, instructing the driver, as directed the assistant, to put the bill onto the Beaugosse company tab and walked into the restaurant.

 _Douce-Amère_ looked like more of an English tea place than a French café. Inside, the interior was warm and cheery, with bright lights and colorful walls. The décor entailed terracotta, rustic tiled floors, slow-turning ceiling fans, wall to wall large windows, and Monet prints framed on the walls. The finishing touches of small crystal vases of pink carnation flowers on each glass top, round table, which mostly just seated two people designed to "enhance and encourage intimate conversation." At the glass-fronted counter was an array of cream cakes and pastries, all with English sounding names, and of course there were the obligatory scones and crumpets.

It was upon said glass counter that Mildred found the flamboyant faux Frenchman in a fit of histrionics, his head bent down and resting against his arms, while his bare, tree trunk-sized shoulders shook with heavy sobs.

" _Pourquoi_ must all zee bad things happen to little ol', _unsuspecting_ _moi_?!" He wept bitterly. "First my poor _soufflé_ refuses to _rise_ … And then a dozen attempts later, it eez, along w'iz my _sensitive but temperamental assistant,_ on zee verge of _collapse_!"

"I'm neither _sensitive nor collapsing,_ just _straight_ and _fleeing immediately_ from your _untoward advances_ , you _vile, oversexed,_ _pink pastry puff!_ I'm like, totally gone!" Another voice hollered. "Dude, I've never felt so _cheap_ in my _whole_ _life_!"

" _Phil-eeeep!"_ Armstrong screeched in an alarming falsetto as the infuriated looking blonde man stormed into the room from the back. "Z'is just cannot _be_!"

Both men were still unaware of Mildred's presence as Armstrong gazed beseechingly with bloodshot red eyes at the fuming, twenty-something _Philipe_ , who was in a fitted white T-shirt across his sculpted torso, along with the _tiniest_ pair of _Daisy Duke,_ black booty shorts the village elder had ever seen anybody wear in her entire life, _including_ on the Spanish porno channel! The blond's long, wavy locks flew around his infuriated tanned face as he rapidly grabbed his belongings from behind the counter and shoved them into his work bag, ignoring the other man's pleas.

" _Please_ don't go!"

"Screw this! I am _so_ outta here, pervy dude!" The California surfer hunk glared at the man in pink. "That's like, the _third_ time those grubby mitts of yours have 'accidentally' _grazed_ _my_ _ass_ – that _last_ _wholesome squeeze_ actually gave me a _wedgey_! It's bad enough I let you talk me into wearing these _girly shorts_ for a uniform, but _then_ you try to treat me like some piece of _man meat_ , you _depraved freak_! No way am I sticking around for _this_ shit, man!"

" _Phil-eeeep_ , you _bitch_! 'Ow can you do z'is to moi after all I 'ave done for you!" Armstrong whimpered. "I hired you as my pastry chef when _nobody y_ else would take a chance on you, and yet you _still_ so heartlessly wish to leave poor moi like this! And after all we've been through together?!"

"What we have _been through together_ is called _sexual harassment_!" The man snapped. "With _me_ as the unfortunate victim!"

"What about all our _quiet, quality times_ together!" In his antsy state, the restaurateur was beginning to do his disturbingly familiar torso wiggle, although this time out of _agitation_ rather than an ill-placed attempt to appear _alluring_!

"Being _accidentally_ locked in the freezer with you and you offering to _cuddle for warmth_ does _not_ count!" The shaggy haired surfer-looking guy raged. "And for the _trillionth_ and _final_ time, my name is _Philip_! Stop trying to make us all _French_! We _told_ you we were born and raised in LA, dude!"

"Did all our time together truly mean _rien pour vouz_?!" Armstrong wailed. "You're no better than that unreliable twin of yours!" "I gave you my all and showed you all z'at I knew, and zeez is how you repay moi!"

"You just hired me and Peter _yesterday_! I should've left when _he_ did – at least my bro was only subjected to shameless ogling but not victim to _bad-touch_!" Philip yelled. "I should've listened to my gut instinct and known something wasn't right when you hired the both of us, despite having no experience, because it looked like we would be ' _double zee pleasure'_!"

The aggravated newest ex-employee of _Douce-Amère_ stormed up to the thunderstruck Mildred, still standing by the door.

"You get your _choice_ of positions lady, since this _hard-up dude_ is down _one sous chef_ and now, _one pastry chef_ too!" The blond announced to the gobsmacked old woman, treating the devastated Armstrong to one final, contemptuous glare. " _You_ might even be safe from those _wandering paws_ and _prying eyeballs_ of his, since I don't think _you_ have _the equipment_ Mr. _Horny Toad_ here is looking for!" Philip eyed the black kimono-clad elder up-and-down contemplatively. "I mean, it's hard to tell underneath that weird getup you're wearing, but you're still _some_ sort of _chick_ , right?"

"Why, I _never_!" Aghast at the insolent rudeness of the question, Mildred could only gasp with outrage, unable to think of a response.

"I'm going to have to _cut_ myself out of these things!" Philip muttered disgustedly, gesturing towards his spray-painted on shorts as he stalked – with as much dignity the too-tight pants would muster. However, they were so binding, he ended up only being able to manage an angry _shuffle_ past the infuriated elder, and towards the door. "And by the way, _lose_ that _phony French accent_! You keep pretending you're an _éclair_ but you're nothing more than an … _huge, cream-stuffed, over-glazed_ , _Krispy Kreme_ , **_American_** **_donut_**!"

"Take z'at back! _Get out_ , you _meanie_!" Armstrong sobbed as the door slammed shut behind the other man, before collapsing against the counter in another fit of tears. He lifted his tear drenched face and looked miserably at Mildred, his French inflection once again vanquished.

"That is the _fifth_ sous chef and forth pastry chef I have lost _this_ month alone!" His jowls quivered. I give _all_ I have to _give_ ; I _give_ till it _hurts_ and _bend over backwards_ for these boys, trying to teach them how to be Master Chefs, but _always_ they end up on _running away_! What did I do to deserve such a disloyalty?!"

"Um...er..."

" _When_ will I ever have _a golden boy_ to call my _own_?!" He resumed sobbing. "When will I ever be loved?! Is it my fate to die alone?! Am I really _so unlovable_?"

Mildred couldn't abide to see a man cry. Weak. Pathetic. Loser. She took her disgusted eyes off Jean Armstrong as he crumpled. How could he expect _anyone_ to love him when he wore his heart on his sleeve like a goddamn, Victorian era femme? He was essentially a _weeping little girl_ in _big boy pants_! No balls! None whatsoever! She let her eyes flick briefly back to his reddened face, her impassive expression just the same as her father's had been the day mother died.

However, seeing such a big, fully grown man crumble in such a manner was such a _sad sight_ that it almost made Mildred change her plans. Almost, but not quite.

 ** _I'm_** _fine! There is unequivocally no problem with me! Is it really so wrong to hate those who try to understand me – or contest me? What is the point of trying? I am merely doing what I please. I have managed to live to this ripe old age without needing or wanting any sort to love. I have neither time nor capability nor desire to even try to love any of these inferior idiots the world has provided that surround me. These ninnies may try to simply just disregard me as being cold-hearted, self-serving and emotionless. Such hackneyed drivel!_

In the background, Armstrong continued to snivel loudly.

 _Shut up with the pitiful waterworks, you **ridiculous** excuse for man! Can't you see I'm **plotting** here?!_

A light bulb went off in Mildred's brain. Thinking back to the insolent pup who had scurried off like a bat out of hell, in hindsight she realized that he had indeed resembled a younger version of none other than ... _Longines_! And hadn't the irate Phil mentioned he'd had a _twin brother?_! She would _bet her bottom dollar_ that the two men had been _identical_ blonds – as had undoubtedly been _all_ of Armstrong's _previously groped_ ex-employees! The wannabe Parisian definitely _had a type_ , and it was becoming very _glaringly obvious_ , from his last telling sentence, as to _what_ was really going on here!

The poor, besotted fool was desperately trying _to **fill** – or **Phil** in this case! – the void_ with _any_ sort of _similar form_ to his handsome, golden, and very beloved employer, even willing to settle for the _poor man's version_ of one Longines Beaugosse!

Initially, she'd thought she would enlist the phony Frenchman in using his powers of persuasion to convince Longines to halt the nuptials, but now she had an even _better_ idea.

 _I have emotions, just like everyone else - **they** are just too stupid to see it! If they knew about my actions and motives about all this, they would probably dub me heartless. These overly sentimental fools! Should I have heart for those who I have hurt to get where I am? Does that really make me **manipulative**? Just because I merely grasp opportunity when given, and nothing less – that I have more ambition than those pitiful souls who many accept so little, when they could have more? They would deem me a **liar** \- isn't that what we all are? Simply biting our tongues, like little children, to keep the truth hidden? They might even think I'm a **narcissist**. Why must the world be resentful of my care for my reputation and influence? **Sociopath**. That's my personal favorite! Why does the world fear those who lead the path of society? Better to be a leader than a follower is it not?_

Jean Armstrong was a man who was _desperately in love_ , and _exploiting_ that love was exactly what was going to help Mildred further her scheme - and even than she had previously anticipated! Because even though his was apparently _unrequited_ love – Armstrong was still a man who, whether he _knew_ it or not, had the CEO billionaire wrapped around his finger, and could obviously make Longines Beaugosse do _whatever_ he commanded him to!

 _Sure, you could call me "selfish" but I see it more as "honest." Nobody truly **wants** to give away the things they may need in the future. No one really **strives** to give up their day off to volunteer at a soup kitchen. They may need to do it to have that "good person" badge, but I just don't give a damn, not the way they want me to, anyway. **I** didn't create this world. **I** didn't make all the bad choices that lead the homeless to their life on the streets! **They** did that **themselves**! **I** didn't make the education system become the shot-gun approach that it is. **I** didn't design the low-income housing system or raise the cost of energy and food. There are thousands of starving mouths in every block of this city, let alone on earth – should I forgo and starve so that I can buy them rice and lentils? They aren't my problem. I didn't decide that society would judge people based on how much in taxes they could contribute._

 _Fine_ , Armstrong could make the hair heir do _anything_ ...with perhaps the exception of _that_ , but Mildred certainly had no intention of venturing into _that_ **_nightmarish_** _danger zone_! _Perish the thought!_

"What you must _think_ of me now!" Armstrong cried. "You must think I'm the most pathetic human being alive to let you see me like this! I hate to have you think less of me because of this!"

 _Ergo, I'm not taking on the guilt either. I am a not a bad person! I have been very good with all my hard work for the greater good of this village and its residents and the elders – therefore I **deserved** that money that I was pocketing since I was working so hard for **zero** pay – it was a **good and deserved** as if it were **mine**! I **worked** for it – **lying cheating and manipulating still counts as work**! – No one **gave** it to me! I'm not a trust-fund baby. And now that things are probably not going to work out my favor, any money that comes my way while I make my escape strategy is will unapologetically be mine as well! Nobody's going to miss it, and I can take some pride in the acknowledgments that I'll still have to work very hard for this **getaway money** , and if I'm going to be damned for the methods I need to use to get it, then so be it! I'll tell the Devil you all said **hello** when I get **back to where I'm from**!_

Mildred took a moment to give pause to her inner musings, a determined glint in her eye.

 _The only ones who say I'm callous are the bleeding hearts and do-gooder losers that just don't cut it. Those dumb wasters need to learn that it's a dog eat dog in this world, winner takes all. I just don't give a crap. I'm not callous, I'm ambitious. Anyone who says otherwise just jealous! Now, I do believe I have a very important **role of a lifetime** I have to act out!_

She turned to regard Armstrong, so obviously anxious for commiseration and for her not to judge him, sincerity pouring from every feature. His eyes were red-rimmed and watery, his face slack and his lips sagging, listless. He cast his eyes down instead of meeting her gaze in what appeared to be shyness, or shame. Mildred awkwardly patted him on the shoulder and murmured sympathetically, all the while turning her head to the side and rolling her eyes as he wept. She positively despised such overt displays of emotion!

No matter, though; she knew ultimately her patience would pay off in the end. This time, there would be no mistakes made and nothing but pure confirmation that she was on 100% on his side, blanketing his better judgement. She'd had many, _many_ years to perfect this façade and soon enough, this pink _cream pouf_ would be her ticket to strutting away with the money she needed to escape the wrath of Kurain when this mess all fell apart.

"Think _less_ of you dear boy?" She cooed, compassion etched on her every pore. "Such a thing is _nigh impossible,_ I assure you!"

The look imminent relief on the man's face was impossible to miss, and she smirked to herself at how the big idiot had completely missed the dual innuendo of her words.

Mildred could read him like a book. The smile - anxious - he was eager to please. Underneath the ill-fitting and inappropriately provocative clothes, his body posture was quite awkward. Evidently, he'd do whatever she asked and then be embarrassed. She'd be his best friend for as long as it took to fill her pockets even if it meant doing all the she'd hate and he'd love, after which he would be eating out of the palm of her hand like an eager puppy, thinking he had found a true ally. And up until the wedding came around, she would indeed stick around to be his servant if need be, or the _best friend_ he'd ever had, she really didn't care which. Because once this whole mess of blown over, this pathetic crybaby wouldn't even get a goodbye; she'd just be gone with her cash, without even a backwards glance.

"I'm sure Longines would think otherwise if he saw me acting in such a manner! That man never loses his cool, and is always so poised and professional and elegant…"

 _OK I **get** it! You love him off! Enough already! Your passion is beginning is affecting my **gag reflex!**_

Mildred studied the man's teary, bloodshot eyes, and tried to picture him properly dressed, with better coiffed hair and more suitable attire. While the flamboyant personality could not be altered, she supposed Jean Armstrong, if worked on, wouldn't be _too_ bad look at really, although could certainly benefit from _do-over_ and better fitting clothing! For a moment she contemplated a tactful way to make this observation, but then decided to let it pass. His love life is truly of no concern to her.

Until that miraculous _glamour makeover fairy_ arrived however, while he was still an outrageous _screaming queen_ of a man who was a bit dumpy around the stomach, Armstrong was nonetheless, _hopelessly devoted_ to those he loved, and maybe _some_ man, _someday,_ would possibly find that _touching!_ Besides, considering her speculated theory about the future groom's sexual orientation, perhaps the pitiful pipe-dream of someday landing his heart _at some point_ wasn't _too_ outlandish of a fantasy.

After all, _stranger_ _things_ had happened, including, but not limited, to the fact that Maya had _actually agreed_ to this complete charade of a wedding in the first place!

"My _lips_ are _sealed_! Your boss shall never hear a word from me about this," Mildred swore, deciding the time had come to take reins of the situation. "Perhaps the problem is that you been _giving too much_ and _bending over_ , whichever way, ah, for the _wrong people_."

She swallowed back the snicker creeping up in her throat at _that_ mental image, and then stifled by the bile that quickly replaced it at the harrowing thought!

"How am I ever going to cater the wedding if I can't keep the help longer than five minutes?! There is only so much a girl can do on her own!" Armstrong wept. "C'est impossible!"

"Obviously your overwrought nerves and this calamity of assistants leaving a smoky trail behind them is _a sign_ , Jean, can't you _see_ that?" Mildred placed a placating hand on his arm. "Do you _really_ want to be _here,_ sweating over some big, hot stove, while Longines is _stranded by himself right now_ at that the tuxedo fitting?! We both know what you _really_ want to be is a by his side, because you're his best man and _that's_ where you belong!"

"We can't always get what we want though." Armstrong sighed mournfully. "Longines thought me catering the event it would be great promotion for my restaurant, which as you see, just like the last one, it has absolutely _no_ customers whatsoever! Perhaps I am ill-fated as a restaurateur! I seem to fail at _everything_ I do! I'm just a big failure at _everything_!"

His eyes welled up again.

"You are _not_ a failure at all, _precious boy_!" Mildred simpered, injecting as much conviction into her voice as she could. "Your talents have simply been misdirected and misplaced! What you should be doing is proving to Longines just what a devoted and capable assistant you are by helping him out with every step of the wedding and ensuring he gets the one of his heart truly has been set on!"

"There's not really anything for me to do!" Armstrong sniffled. "Maya wanted a small, simple wedding at Hazakura Temple, with a tiny number of guests and me to create just a simple catered, buffet lunch with no reception. Apparently she even has her own dress already picked, and is going to have her friend Sasha to her hair…"

" _Small? Simple_?" Mildred repeated the words as though they were blasphemy. " _Inconceivable_! Do you really think that that's what _Longines_ wants?!"

"But it's what his _fiancée_ wants…" Armstrong sounded hopeful but hesitant. "And he is loyal to making _her_ happy…"

"Longines Beaugosse has been a man of great benevolence and charitable endeavors, and has _always_ puts others before himself!" She argued persistently. "Surely, a man of his affluence and celebrity deserves _recognition_ and a worthy grand, splashy affair that is _seen by the world_ , with no expense spared! A wedding that would rival that of even Prince William and Princess Kate! It would bring great spotlight to _your_ business, Beaugosse Enterprises, as well as Kurain... _and_ everybody would benefit from such a grand affair!"

The old woman placed an arm around Armstrong's brawny shoulder and waved her hand in the distance as if trying to make him picture what she was envisioning.

"It will be a wedding _fit for a king_! I can see it now! Aerial acrobats… A world-famous band… Sumptuous food and designer detailing… Fireworks… Something that rivals everything you see in all those wedding magazine!"

"But what about Maya?" He persisted anxiously. "It's _her_ wedding too!"

" _Forget about Maya!_ That entitled _Princess_ become very _spoiled and full of herself_ since becoming the Master, and thus become _much_ too accustomed to having everything her own way for far too long!"

Mildred lifted her chin defiantly.

"For heaven's sake - the Master and your employer got engaged at _the Eiffel Tower in Paris_! How can we possibly allow _the proposal_ be more _grandeur_ than the _wedding itself_! A marriage is about _compromise and selflessness_ …yet _she_ has been nothing but a _selfish brat_ during this whole engagement, insisting on being the one calling all the shots, even if it means ignoring her _selfless_ betrothed's latent desires, _for_ _far too long_! It is time for her to let her future husband to no longer _suffer in silence_ but be able to _bask in the glory_ of the _celebration he deserves_!"

"He _does_ deserve nothing but the best…" Armstrong began slowly, his eyes began to sparkle with excitement, as they always did whenever his employer was mentioned.

"It will be magnificent… and your boss will be the happiest man on earth!" Mildred declared. "I am positive once Maya realizes a splashy affair will be bringing such great joy to her celebrity bridegroom – and tons of recognition and spotlight to her village – shall have no choice but to go along – er, I mean, _be basking in the joy_ of it all, as well!"

The elder swallowed back a cackle of glee at this last _bald-faced lie_ , knowing _full well_ what the Master's _actual_ reaction would be… But as she was on the other side of the world right now, it would be too late for her to do anything!

"It sounds absolutely _fantabulous_!" Armstrong clapped his hands with delight, his earlier self-pity and misery completely abolished. "I am _sure_ Maya will see the big picture eventually! After all shouldn't a bride _want_ see her man happy?"

"I'm pretty sure that since you're able to convince Longines to take a break from his busy CEO schedule to do _aerial yoga_ , it will be a piece of cake to persuade him that this is ultimately something a man of his caliber is justifies and having! After all, he'll only be getting married _once_!"

"Well, I _did_ manage to convince him that the Australian _crunning_ craze was totally _passé_ and to switch to _dangling in the air_ in bun-hugging yoga pants for a better workout instead!" Armstrong tittered, putting a finger to his lips and winked coquettishly as the old woman felt her stomach churn at the mere notion! "Trust moi, as much as the idea of Longines f _ace down, sweet cheeks up in the air_ did made my insides lurch quiver and knees tremble…"

 _In a similar manner to the way this **over sharing information** is making **my** **innards quiver** and **me** **tremble** on the verge of **outright nausea** I would imagine…_

"What can I say? He is… _quite_ the vision..." Armstrong leered provocatively, and Mildred tried her hardest not to _gag_ at the _mental_ visions this sudden burst of unprecedented ardor had sent her mind spiraling in!

"Well I'm sure he would be delighted to hear _your_ visions for planning this elaborate festive occasion! The wedding is just around the corner, so you need to get right on the preparations as soon as you convince him that his upcoming nuptials should be so much more than the _hole in corner affair_ his _shortsighted fiancée_ initially wanted!"

A spurious beam spread across her face as Armstrong now appeared to eagerly be eating up every _load of crock_ line she was feeding him, in big, greedy gulps! She fought the urge to take a bow as she gave the closing argument.

"Just imagine how _grateful and tickled pink_ Longines will be to know that _you_ , his best man and _darling chum,_ were the one to give him the _wedding of his dreams_ – and make his heart be filled with such delight – by making them come true! I'm sure there'll be no words to _express his gratitude_ towards you…"

She let the rest of her words trail off in the full meaning – and _possibility_ – of them sink in.

A big ear to ear grin danced across Armstrong's features, but then his shoulders drooped suddenly.

"But the wedding is just around the corner there's just _so much to do!"_ He moaned. "I can't possibly spread myself _so thin_ , what with running this restaurant and being best man and throwing his bachelor party and wedding planning… There's no way I could possibly do all that by myself!"

"And so you shall not need to!" Mildred assumed her most benign expression. "That's what _I'm_ here for! _You_ take care of all the small, _fun_ details, like clothing and flowers and favors... and all the boring, arduous ones…" _and the most expensive ones!_ – "that are the most time-consuming, like choosing the caterers and outdoor décor and the guest list and invites… can all be left to little ol' _me!_ "

"Really, Millie?" He eyed her hopefully, as if hesitant to believe in such noble altruism. "You'd really do all that for me?"

"What else are _girlfriends_ for… _Jeanie_?" Mildred batted her lashes at him. "You don't worry _your pretty little head_ about a _thing_ from this day onward! _Your_ main job is to do what you do best, and coax the future groom to get behind this arrangement! And then you _just leave everything_ else to _me_!"

"This is so exciting!" Armstrong clasped his hands against his chest. "Millie, despite that dreary black ensemble you insist on wearing everywhere, that kimono of yours is surely hiding the wings of an _absolute angel_!"

"From this day, consider me your _steadfast assistant_ – and the _last_ one you'll _ever need_!" She promised, then smirked. "However, I am agreeing to this – on _one_ condition!"

"What's that, Millie girl? _Anything_ you want, you've _got_ it! I _owe_ you big time!"

"Don't even _think_ about asking me to put on a pair of those _black booty shorts_!"

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 133**

 **Guest**

 _"Everybody loves Iris." Ha, that's a joke of the century._

It was very much intended to be so dear guest! LOL. Put yourself in Maya's shoes here as far as she knows her beautiful cousin is the reason Nick dumped her and how the Dragon lady is insinuating that yet another man has become bewitched by her feminine wiles?! At this point the Master Kurain is wondering if the shrine maiden has beer flavored nipples or something?!

 **Forgreatcoffee**

 _"Gayer than Richard Simmons singing a duet with Elton John in a Bath House!"_ _I started reading it. I laughed. I got to the end. I choked on my coffee... Bravo._

It seems that line was the pullout quote from the last chapter and I'm glad it amused my readers as much in reading it is I did in writing it! LOL

That being said I'm very sorry for the visions I put into your head of Mildew as a porn star… Although if it makes you feel any better she got a case of Turnabout and attribution by being made queasy by the visions of Armstrong _sprouting a chubby_ for Longines doing aerial yoga/crunning! XD

The Dragon Lady with Grinchy grin has returned everybody die for your fire extinguishers and flameproof vests… I swear the latter was _not_ a gay/Armstrong joke! :p

 **Eveshowrtc (Guest)**

I don't think I've had the pleasure of hearing from you yet and there are no words to describe how much it means that you've taken the time to read and review! It means a lot to me – particularly the kind words regarding Edgeworth's back story with the Von Karma's since I didn't really have a whole lot of canon to go by! It also means a lot that you take the time to read the other prequel's in this series… People like you keep me writing thanks so much! Also… Referring to my teacup session and resulting work as actual literature is mind blowing and I offer you my humble gratitude, dear reader.

P.S. Ku may be gone…but his storyline isn't! ;)

 **Yanmegaman**

For some reason I always picture Mildred resembling Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove with the same crafty diabolical grin as the Grinch before his heart grew three sizes that day! XD

Yes that Dragon lady has every intention of _turning tail_ and running but not before leaving some disaster in her wake… The other Disney character she could just as easily be is DESPICABLE ME! :p

 **thepudz**

First of all mate thank you for telling me that the chapter was messed up and not loading I do still try very hard to take the time to update and write as much as my new lifestyle allows and the idea of putting all that work into a chapter that nobody has read because fanfiction site is being a DB would have sucked harder than Mildew! XD

Maya has yet to unleash her inner beast because she refuses to let Mildred allow her to make her lose her temper but always remember there's only so much a girl can take… She may very well SHOOT the SHE DEVIL _into the sun!_

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_ _Si la dama dragón está de vuelta!_

Daughtry's awesomesauce! Love that guy!

Nothing brings me greater joy than knowing my readers unanimously seem to hate Mildred latrine otherwise known as the Dragon Lady! She's not homophobic but you have to admit she does make a really good internal gay joke or two! I'm glad he appreciated the humor behind the Spanish porn dialogue and the " _Gayer than Richard Simmons singing a duet with Elton John in a Bath House_!" line! XD

However I have purposely Longines' sexuality obscure for the most part and so far everything is speculation… Which is probably what Armstrong hasn't made a move - obviously he's not shy about making advances onto zee 'andsome boys! :p

Indeed, as are 90% of chapters also song titles – _I'll Run So Far Away_ is a slight variation from the famous 80s band Flock of Seagulls and their smash hit "I Ran So Far Away!" Kudos to you for taking note of music that existed decades before you were born – includeing the Queen reference…by the _reina rosa Armstrong!_

 _p.s. ¿Usted cogió el título de la canción del capítulo?_

 **ChilledKitsune**

One of the things I try very hard not to do is make my characters be unfaithful, although I have been evil in the past and have allowed my readers to _think_ that at some point both Phoenix and Miles were cheating on their partners! In _this_ case IF Iris and Larry becoming all cozy - or so the Dragon lady's evil, dirty mind likes to allude to!- is _one_ thing…whether or not it's true we shall find out… The reader knows is not cheating any more than it would've been cheating if Phoenix had hooked up with Tiffany since he and Iris are not really together! But you're absolutely right; Maya would definitely think they were both being disloyal to Phoenix if she were to stumble upon them at this point… But considering she thinks Nick left her _for_ Iris, the question of course is would she _really_ flip out …or when she think _Turnabout Karma is fair play?;)_

 **chloemcg**

Welcome back milady you have been missed! We are in the heart of the Apollo Justice storyline and I don't know if you read Kristoph's trial where Apollo was a total boss and he and Phoenix tag teamed the creepy German sausage into basically having a nervous breakdown the witness stand… Also the Edgeworth is back and they had an incredible reunion which had of my readers both laughing and crying… And Maya's wedding is two months away! Oh and Franziska left Miles for reasons we don't know about just yet.

I think that about catches you up to speed!

What hasn't changed… Maya is still in the dark about Kristoph, Larry the teddy bear is still hanging around in Kurain with Iris but we don't know in what capacity romantic or otherwise because the detestable Mildew (who is as loathsome as ever!) likes to play with people's minds and make them believe things whether true or not! Hope you're back for a long stay on the crazy train! :)

 **Feraligreater328**

I really enjoy writing this sociopathic which because the Ace Attorney cast is so delightfully flawed but mostly lovable even characters that used to be garbage can now be seen in a different light, as in, apparently I have made Larry and Iris likable for example!

However, do not look for character development with Mildew she was and still is a piece of garbage and as she is basically Yzma with the Grinchy smile… Both your wife _and_ Maya should be afraid… Be very, _very_ afraid… :p

 **SpiritsOfFire**

 _"having turnabout SWORD play instead of FAIR play? " Damn, i nearly choke on my drink!_

I suppose that should be future warning free for you to _swallow_? At least…before reading my replies? XD

Never forget the sleeping Dragon, dear reader! The beast is once again unleashed… prepare for fiery mayhem….poor Maya (who if she wasn't going to be so caught up in extinguishing the flames of vengeance from her nemesis _could_ probably break those psyche locks - _if_ she tried! –at this point!)

 **ChloboShoka**

 **TE Chapter 133**

First of all I don't think I've had the pleasure of hearing from you before so thank you very much for reading and taking the time to leave such a lovely review! My very dear friend from Down Under made that moving video montage Nick and Maya photos totally honest and he did do a wonderful job it means a lot that you took the time to view it as well. I see that you have written some Ace Attorney work as well and I look forward to checking it out! I'm glad to have another passenger on this crazy train see you next chapter! :-)

 **The Cups Runneth Over**

 **ChloboShoka**

It means a lot to me that you took the time to review this particular one shot; it was my personal favorite, although the least reviewed out of the three of them, but for some reason, the idea of Nick and Larry being considered to be gay lovers while innocently shopping for a training bra for his teenage daughter was just so torturous and hilarious to me! I love Phoenix Wright so much I've no idea why I get such sick pleasure out of torturing him the way I do! I'm glad you thought so too! Thank you! :)

 **Potential Murder Suspect**

 **ChloboShoka**

What could be worse the nature's fury? I thought to myself…and then it hit me… Dueling Cyclones! And what could possibly make it worse than Larry Butz! XD

 **The Evolution of Sexy**

 **ChloboShoka**

I don't Miles Edgeworth is considered more classically handsome of the two of them but Nick is just so damn sexy in his only gotten more so as the games have progressed with technology and also in fan art! I had to do my first ever appreciation of Mr. Wright especially during his beanie Feenie days! DILF indeed! ;)

 **Little Legalities**

 **ChloboShoka**

I am touched by your kind words for my travels which were so much fun to write and I'll partially to my very talented copilot Feraligreater328 – he wrote all the Fradrian arcs! :)

It is very hard to end the story properly I'm delighted you liked the way the drabbles ended –although seeing all the other writers who have since been doing them does make my heart yearned to do more of my own!

 **I Would Break Every Law For You**

 **ChloboShoka**

 _I'm sure Maya would do the same for Phoenix_

*wicked grin* anyhow…moving on…

This entire trilogy started out because of the positive reader feedback and views to the silly song thing which I love dearly to this day and still get the lyrics to in my head whenever Bruno Mars _Grenade_ plays! XD


	135. What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

_If you wake up and don't want to smile_  
 _If it take just a little while_  
 _Open your eyes and look at the day_  
 _You'll see things in a different way_

 _Don't stop thinking about tomorrow_  
 _Don't stop, it'll soon be here_  
 _It'll be, better than before,_  
 _Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone_

 _Why not think about times to come_  
 _And not about the things that you've done_  
 _If your life was bad to you_  
 _Just think what tomorrow will do_

 _Don't stop thinking about tomorrow_  
 _Don't stop, it'll soon be here_  
 _It'll be, better than before,_  
 _Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone_

 _All I want is to see you smile_  
 _If it takes just a little while_  
 _I know you don't believe that it's true_  
 _I never meant any harm to you_

 _Don't stop thinking about tomorrow_  
 _Don't stop, it'll soon be here_  
 _It'll be, better than before,_  
 _Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone_

 _Don't stop thinking about tomorrow_  
 _Don't stop, it'll soon be here_  
 _It'll be, better than before,_  
 _Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone_

 _Ooh, don't you look back_  
 _Ooh, don't you look back_  
 _Ooh, don't you look back_  
 _Ooh, don't you look back_

* * *

 _Woot! I can maintain at least the weekly updates despite the life changes! Look for the Maya pre-wedding arc to wrap up next chapter which should be early next week! :)  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Five:** **What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger**

 _ **Maya Fey  
**_ _Glamour Closet LA_  
April 21, 2026

" _Ouch_!"

"I'm _so_ sorry, Miss Fey!" Féfé, the wafer-thin shop seamstress of _Glamour Closet LA_ apologized for the third time in the last four minutes. "Just give me _one_ more moment and allow me to secure these last few buttons…"

The village leader bit back an angry curse. After being _repeatedly_ _**poked and jabbed**_ with the _razor-sharp pins_ required for her to fold up the _zillionth_ wedding gown she had tried on in the boutique in the _hour and a half,_ she was sure that if she were drink water at this point, she'd _spring a leak_! Even after the impromptu hemming, her torture with this latest number she was being forced to try on _still_ wasn't over! The woman currently standing behind her had been saying "just one more moment" for _at least_ the last half minute or so, as her quick fingers attempted to affix the seemingly endless row of intricate buttons down the back of the bridal dress Maya was currently wearing.

 _ **How**_ _has my life come to this?!_ The Kurain Master inwardly screamed, catching Pearl's sympathetic, but weary face in the mirror while she inwardly counted to 10 to curb her growing temper. _Seriously,_ _ **what the**_ _ **shit**_ _are me and my poor little girl, both starved and equally_ _ **still**_ _jet-lagged from our Australian flight, even_ _ **doing**_ _in this so-called exclusive bridal boutique?! We should be passed out in the comfort of our own beds already, as we've gone_ _ **nearly 24 hours**_ _without any sleep or real food! We were both too riled up and nervous about Nick to either eat or sleep during the flight and just want to sink into blissful slumber! It's unfathomable that we were forced to endure being practically_ _ **kidnapped**_ _via limo, and then_ _ **dragged against our wills**_ _all around Los Angeles to snooty, overpriced eateries to sample unpalatable wedding menus_ _ **for half the day...**_ _and now are being subjected to **this**!_

There _had_ to be a sympathetic God up there somewhere, who'd hopefully decided both girls suffered enough that day – Pearl was practically falling asleep while still standing up as she leaned back against the wall of the dressing room! Maya prayed silently to whatever forces might be listening that _this fourth and final_ time would be the charm, as the sleep-deprived, overwrought Master was now at her _wit's end_!

After an entire _coerced afternoon_ of tasting overpriced, baby-food sized portions of foods neither Fey was neither familiar with nor could _pronounce_ for the wedding venue, the sudden _Groomzilla, Diabolical Dragon Lady_ _**turned**_ _**Wedding Planner**_ and _Best Man from Hell_ had decided the cousins hadn't had _enough surprises_ to contend with, nor been subjected to _enough punishment,_ since abruptly accosting them, unawares, at the airport! Hence, the dress shopping torture, which had begun right after the _not so fine_ dining had ended!

Apparently the _bride herself_ got _no_ say in her own attire whatsoever, any more than she'd had regarding one bit of this _mayhem_! She was grossly outnumbered 3 to 1 (despite being Maid of Honor, it had been made painfully clear that _Pearl's_ vote didn't count any more than Maya's did), with the traitorous Longines and Armstrong completely siding with her nemesis, who had _"taken the liberty of clearing the Kurain leader's schedule"_ that day, so Maya couldn't even use her Master's duties as an excuse to get out of this _hellacious situation_!

Ergo, in an astoundingly horrific twist of fate which proved there truly _was no God_ , it appeared said Dragon Lady was not only _the impromptu wedding planner_ but the _final wedding dress decider_! The relentless old woman, despite subjecting the exhausted Maya to dozens upon dozens of designer gowns, (each more exclusory and expensive than the next!) for the entire latter half of the afternoon at three other exclusive, upscale LA bridal boutiques, had nevertheless remained unsatisfied and ignored Maya's protests that she was pretty much dead on her feet at this point.

It had taken all of her strength to hold back the urge to be _taking the liberty_ of _hauling off_ and _decking_ the Dragon Lady _right in the kisser_!

The all afternoon had now turned into evening, and as none of the gown selections at _Le Marriage Couture, La Soie Bridal_ or _L'ezu_ had satisfied the overbearing and demanding Mildew's critical mandate of saying _yes to the dress -_ which she _**herself** _ wouldn't even be _**wearing**! - _ it was now onto ( _hopefully)_ lucky bridal store _number_ _four_!

It was now after 6:00, and here was the petered out Maya at this appointment-only, Beverly Hills atelier. _Glamour Closet LA_ , was the place where Longines' dear designer friend worked, and was the most sought-after wedding gown shop in all of Los Angeles. Not that she cared for the privilege of being there - by now, she was wanting nothing more than a burger and her pillow and was willing to settle for a _burlap sack_ as a gown at this point!

When Mildred had first called to find out when they could come to this last shop, the woman with the haughtiest voice in the world on the other end of the phone had told Maya's sudden wedding planner: "Porfirio doesn't ever see clients until seven months out from the wedding. He's concerned brides might change their mind, and he doesn't have the time to remake dresses."

"The wedding is in _two months_!" Mildred had exclaimed. "And we were _told_ to advise you folks that the client is -"

" _And_ it's _appointment_ only," the woman told her loftily, cutting the elder off mid-sentence. "Porfirio is the most desirous designer for weddings in town - _and_ he's got a four-month waiting list."

"But this is the fiancée of _Longines Beaugosse_!"

Apparently _those_ had been the magic words, as suddenly there _miraculously_ appeared to be an opening at 6:00 PM that evening, and they'd be waited on by _the designer himself,_ and why hadn't they just _said_ they were associated with " _darling Longines"_ in the _first place_?!"

 _And that's how I, Maya Fey, of suffocated appetite, and now bated/binded breath, have now ended up here, with not only the insufferable Mildred Latrine to contend with, but also anorexic-looking shop assistants, with their noses so high in the air, you can't even see their eyes! This_ _ **particularly snooty one**_ _working on me right now could probably_ _ **balance a ball**_ _on her nose and then clap her flippers in exchange for a fish reward, to the delight of the viewing audience at Sea World!_

It was like a dream in that place. Raw silk corsets and mountains of soft Italian tulle hugged size-00 mannequins. Dreamy French lace headpieces matched perfectly with the whimsical hand-stitched petticoats. Deco hair pins and emerald-cut drop earrings set off delicately embroidered sweetheart necklines. Gowns with everything from sheer illusion detailing and fitted bustiers to sleek mermaid silhouettes in silk Mikado, Chantilly lace, and organza.

And then the sour-faced blonde, aka She of Hollow Cheekbones, Féfé, had handed Maya a pair of white gloves — and told her _not to touch a thing_ until she had them on.

In spite of being subjected to this sort of insulting and rude behavior, evidently this truly was _the most coveted place_ around for aspirant brides to consult about for an expertly-fitted, élite, custom creation from heralded European designer, and Longines' dear old friend, darling of the _avante garde_ fashion world, _Porfirio_ , née _Basil Pepper_ , from Verdunia.

After countless times of correcting Maya's mispronunciation of his name, the exasperated, over-tanned, platinum faux-hawked clothing magnate had finally instructed her that she, like his _other dear chums_ , simply call him _Pepper_. His irritation had been hard to miss, and Maya had been slightly mortified for seeming so gauche.

 _Yeesh! Sorry for giving your name the same pronunciation of a certain filled French choux pastry ball, with a typically sweet and moist cream filling, but right now, to my_ _ **woozy with hunger**_ _ears, your name really did sound like_ _ **profiterole**_ _to me! Of course, this is **possibly** because, I'm beyond famished from barely being allowed to eat at the menu tastings, as Mildew the Wedding Planner from the Fiery Pits of Abaddon lectured me about keeping my figure, and my sudden Groomzilla dared back up the notion since he, too, is on some absurd wedding diet!_

" _Ouch_!" Maya squealed again as the seamstress gave another tug in the fabric, digging into her waist. Another profuse apology ensued, followed by the timid suggestion that she hold her breath.

 _Hold my breath? Sure, no problem! I **already** can't freakin' breathe in this damn thing anyway! Maybe I can get lucky and **pass out** from self-suffocation, and **finally** put myself out of this misery! Then I can also finally be able to cease apologizing to the judgy-looking assistants for having **curves** because, as they've pointed out several times already, " **my hips are really interfering with the line of this current $80,000 dress**!"_

This last contemptuous, piercing barb was uttered by _**Stabitha**_ _Christie_ shop assistant of the _even sharper_ pins! It was fine for _Féfé_ to talk! Despite her own slim build, _even_ _Maya herself_ looked like a candidate for Sea World when compared to the blonde waif!

Of course, the Master noted sullenly, this was because Féfé had the _flat-chested build of_ _an emaciated 13-year-old boy_ and the kind of cheekbones _the increasingly disgruntled_ Maya could only achieve by sucking in her cheeks as far as they would go! Doing so only gave the end result of giving her comical _puckered goldfish lips,_ which only made Pearl snicker, and the Dragon Lady to glower at both girls disapprovingly and chastise the village leader for such "unseemly, childish antics" that were "beneath a bride-to-be of such dignified stature."

Had all the breath not presently been stolen from her lungs with the cinching of the built-in corset of the binding dress, Maya would have readily retorted that _fortunately_ for Mildew, it was _also_ _"beneath her"_ to toss the sudden _Miss Manners of Bridal Etiquette_ _**off**_ of Dusky Bridge and _**into**_ the raging Eagle River – but only because the treacherous churning waters had historically _twice_ proven already to bear _survivors_!

She swathed in layers of silk, wired undergarments, and petticoats that were to give her wedding gown its distinct lines. This frou-frou current number was complete with a 25-foot cathedral train, which was threatening to swallow her tiny frame _whole_! She could feel droplets of sweat forming from the weight of the heavy fabric beneath the hot store lights.

The designer was now hovering at her side, softly emitting troubled murmurs at the prospect of her _daring_ to be perspiring like some sort of unspeakable _heathen!_

"Alright Féfé … chop-chop! The buttons. The _buttons_!" He ordered, clapping his hands in a brisk staccato. "Quickly please! We haven't got all day! The bride looks ready to _wilt_ already!"

As the harried seamstress continued in her hasty fastening of the elaborate rows of buttons in the back, Maya met Porfirio's gaze in the mirror. He flashed her a synthetic smile.

She expertly returned it, using her now finely crafted acting skills to suppress her reflexive shudder when she saw the gleaming _gold space_ between his front teeth, which was apparently considered _fashionable_.

 _I'm still trying to digest the fact that I'm taking fashion advice from_ _this_ **_ridiculous faux pas of a man,_** _whose garish style sense makes even the normally outré_ ** _Longines_** _look conservative by comparison! The outfit he has on is positively_ ** _clownish_** _– am I_ ** _seriously_** _taking advice from a guy who's sporting more makeup than_ ** _I_** _ever have in my entire life, who's also wearing_ ** _white culottes with a black hand-print on the crotch_** _, and a_ ** _fitted, hot pink, long-sleeved, mesh shirt with cutout shoulders?!_** ** _This_** _man is going to lecture_ ** _me_** _on the height of wedding fashion?!_

"This one's _perfect,_ Porfirio!" Mildred enthused delightedly, not even flinching as she peered at the price tag, which was easily in the _high_ 5-digit range, and _the_ most high-priced gown Maya had tried on that day. "I think we have a _winner_!"

 _It surreal how the fate of my wedding attire is being decided by geriatric spinster who dresses like **Morticia Addams** and resembles __**Yzma**_ _from_ _ **The Emperor's New Groove!**_ _Too bad I couldn't get her to_ _ **"pull the lever!"**_ _on this entire operation!_

"The young lady does look rather _ravishing_ in my latest creation, doesn't she?" Porfirio bragged shamelessly. "I can even almost ignore _those_ _hips_ of hers and believe she _might_ actually be able to do it _justice_!" He hugged himself with glee. "It also comes in your choice of white smoke, magnolia, Isabelline, ghost-white, baby- powder, anti-flash white, and glitter white."

"Magnolia," Mildred decided cheerily. "The groom's late mother was a Southern Bell from Louisiana, and the magnolia is the state flower, so it will be a nice homage to pay to her."

 _Apparently Porfirio's been able to spin Mildew's head into truly believing he **knows** what he's doing, and that __**this monstrosity**_ _is the perfect gown to represent the alleged prestigious Master of Kurain village on her wedding day! **Unbelievable**!_

Mildred had already reached for the designer's cell phone and was happily yapping to Longines about the alleged revelation that was this gown.

"We've finally found the _perfect_ dress, Longines!" The old woman gushed excitedly. "Fit for a princess, this opulent wedding ball gown features a smooth sweetheart bodice, a figure-flattering fitted bodice and shoulder straps with hand-sewn Diamante beading, with silky Pearl Mikado gracefully stitched in, giving way to a dreamy and romantic skirt of layers and layers of ethereal tulle with voluminous, organza skirt. The detachable beaded belt accentuates the waist, the back zips up under sparkling crystal buttons. Beaded lace appliques, horsehair trimmed hem, and chapel length train…. I _assure_ you it will be worth _every penny!"_

 _Is she actually talking about the **same** dress I'm wearing? Is she seeing something that **I** can't see?! Or am I just too drained and indifferent about this whole thing at this point, and therefore completely blind to its supposed charm?_

Maya's sleep-deprived eyes roved over the failed contraption that somehow passed as a "dress" in polite society. To her sullen eyes, _the garish ball gown_ she was being enforced to wear _wished_ to be _a wedding gown,_ but could only ever aspire to be a rejected _prom dress_. The dress had a tubular bodice, low waist, and a floor length, gathered skirt, and shirt-type sleeves with flared lace over them. The front bore a low U-shaped neckline, and finished with a fine chiffon veil that had embroidered edges. A curtain of ruffles cascaded down the skirt, producing the awe-inspiring illusion that the wearer was, in fact, a drape rather than an actual person. Gaudy and outlandish, the minty cream color (aka "the _new_ _white_ alternative" Porfirio had declared) that marred the too-shiny silk " _of honeydew"_ color looked as though it was the _bastard children of Kermit's love affair with Mint Ice Cream_ , _**hold the chocolate chips**_! Miss Piggy would have been so jealous!

But, Maya had to admit shrewdly, the dress served her purpose well. She could _easily_ sneak into the _clown convention at midnight_ , and then, and _only then,_ clad in her ghastly dress, would she finally _enact her revenge_ on the _Circus King!_

She sighed silently as she resigned herself to her fate.

 _Such is the wedding industry. It's frothy, and seductive, and indulgently beautiful to everyone but me. And it makes you believe that every delicate little detail it has to offer will actually make your special day more memorable and perfect — until you find yourself wearing Minnie Mouse gloves, holding your breath as you struggle to comprehend how the extra zero found its way onto the price-tag of the poufy, silky number you were about to try on._

Then the truth hit her, like an overpriced, rented crystal chandelier:

 _Maya, somehow against your will and better judgment, you've been sucked in, and you're becoming as pretentious as the worst parts of the industry itself! And why is this the case? Because The Dragon Lady somehow managed to manipulate things so that_ _ **she's got you over a barrel**_ _and so you_ _ **had no choice**_ _! Because_ _ **if**_ _you'd actually_ _ **had the choice,**_ _you would_ _ **chucked**_ _ **her**_ _ **into a barrel**_ _, and_ _ **heaved it,**_ _ **right over Niagara Falls!**_

* * *

 _ **Mildred Latrine and Longines Beaugosse**_  
 _Beaugosse Incorporated Headquarters  
_ April 14, 2026 2:22 PM

"Today's your lucky day boss man!" Armstrong announced as he and Mildred burst into the office of the unsuspecting CEO, who was busy hammering away at this computer as his assistant and the village elder spring upon him. "Have we got big news for you!"

"Better make it quick." The blond man didn't even look up from his screen. "I have a conference call with Singapore in 15 minutes."

"Longines you're smart and savvy businessman!" Mildew trilled, ignoring the time warning. "How would you feel if I told you despite not having _one red cent_ to my _own_ name, I'm about make sure your pockets remain as lined as ever, and even more so after this wedding?"

"How so? I'm certainly not relying on monetary gifts from the guests to augment my wallet," Longines responded distractedly. "All guests have already been instructed in lieu of gifts to donate to any of the lists of me and Maya's favorite charities that was enclosed with the wedding invites."

"No matter!" Mildew's confident smirk only deepened. "Despite this fact, and the fact that my village is one of _zero independent wealth_ is about to be something that works _greatly_ in your favor!

" _Zero wealth_?" Longines questioned, raising a quizzical golden eyebrow. "As far as I knew, Maya is a very wealthy young woman and I'd assumed that Kurain was the source of said prosperity?

" _Surely thou jest_!" Mildred let out an odious cackle, which sounded more like a death rattle. "Kurain has _no profit nor money_ _of its own_ whatsoever! The reason Mystic Maya is worth a small fortune is because of the posthumous royalties from the children's books and wise investments made by acclaimed children's book illustrator and author, the late Misty Fey. Her mother was world renowned for her works under the pseudonym Elise Deauxnim. Mystic Maya's wealth is entirely her own. The village entirely run out of the generosity of her own heart and pocketbook."

"I assumed the village made its money with channelings though?" Longines was puzzled.

"It scarcely covers the property tax of the surrounding land itself and barely allows us to break even! We are entirely at the mercy of the Master herself to keep us afloat and rely heavily on promotion and word-of-mouth!"

"I wasn't aware that Kurain had a shortage or was in want for anything whatsoever?"

"Mystic Maya is most generous and she keeps us afloat, but for the longest time, we were struggling! All that negative publicity years ago from the DL-6 incident nearly destroyed us all! Donations sort of dried up after that like water in the desert." Mildred coughed. "With the exception of your most _generous_ father of course."

"Of _course_ …" The billionaire's brows knitted together in confusion, undoubtedly wondering where his fiancée's adversary was going with this.

"Our village has further blossomed and has been thriving since you've come into our lives Longines! You've been nothing short of a blessing with the exposure we have gotten being entwined with the illustrious Beaugosse name!" Mildred clasped her hands her chest and assumed her most grateful expression. "So I decided the time has come for me to attempt to _return the fav_ or! We are _so_ _eternally grateful_!"

"Er…you're welcome?"

"While I could _never_ in a dozen lifetimes ever expect to be able to repay this goodwill with _monetary_ means, I do have the capability to offer you a solution on how to save you a fortune which is wedding will undoubtedly cost you!" Her crafty grin widened. "As I'm sure you are aware, charitable donations can always be used for tax break under almost any circumstances, it's like a free gift from The Tax Man to the wealthy and elite!"

Longines' perplexed expression had now shifted from the old woman to his assistant, who was beaming from ear to ear, as if he understood exactly where this conversation was heading.

 _Well, that makes_ _ **one**_ _of us!_ Thought the bewildered billionaire. _If Jean trusts her perhaps I've misjudged her and she's not as bad as Maya's said she is?!_

"Jeanie here has come upon the realization that you have been cutting corners trying to keep this wedding modest as per your blushing bride's wishes, but while that's very noble is also very shortsighted!" Mildred declared. "A man of _your_ means and stature deserves a wedding of recognition that's fit for royalty!"

"I always _did_ dream of slightly more splashy festivities than what my fiancée ultimately decided on," Longines hedged cautiously. "But it really wasn't _that_ big deal to compromise for something smaller if it's what made Maya happy…"

"Maya absolutely _adores_ you and obviously has no idea as to what _your true desires_ actually have been all this time!" Armstrong declared. "Millie here _swore_ so! Moreover my home girl here has made me realize that your fiancée is ever the savvy businesswoman and would in due course appreciate the grand scheme of how a more grandeur affair could possibly mean for both you!"

"Longines, not only are Jean and I determined for you to have the wedding of _your_ dreams, but it is ultimately the dream of your _dear best man_ here to surely to help give it you, as he feels it's what you _deserve_ … Can't you see the _realm of possibility_ that lies with this all? And no need to hold back!"

Mildred's beady dark eyes gleamed with enthusiasm.

"Even if you decide to have the most extravagant, resplendent wedding that money can buy, it needn't _cost you a_ _ **fortune**_ , because _I_ have found a way for you to be able to write off the majority of the wedding costs and _save_ yourself a _ton of money_!"

Longines' ears perked up at this. In spite of his prior misgivings about the old woman. Above all, he was a man of business, and paid more in taxes on an annual basis, than the Gross Domestic Product of most _Third World nations!_

"I have it _all_ figured out! Any services _you_ pay for out of your _own_ accounts will be _grossly taxed_ , but did you know in America, you can actually _write off a big chunk of your wedding expenses_ such as _catering and décor_?" Mildred beamed exultantly. " _And_ you can write off pretty much _everything_ pertaining to the nuptials…if you had the expenses _paid via charitable mean_ s? Such as if the wedding bills were all paid by _a nonprofit corporation_ … like _Kurain Village?_ Whatever the wedding costs would be, all you have to do is _pay the funds to Kurain_ as a _donation_ , and hence, you get to skip the taxes!"

"Basically, Millie here lets you know how much everything costs, then _you_ write her a check to cover it, hence making the money turn into a charitable donation, and then _she_ in turn, would pay the vendors and supplier with the checks from her not-for-profit organization which is Kurain Village!" Armstrong finished triumphantly. "The only thing _you_ would need to pay for would be the dress and the rings…."

"The platinum rings have already been purchased," Longines said slowly, his eyes beginning to brighten with interest. Although a very generous philanthropist and humanitarian, like most tycoons, the only thing he loved more than _making_ money of course was _saving_ it! "I found myself initially predisposed to being skeptical about this meeting Mystic Mildred although now I am quite warming to this entire notion indeed!"

"The best part is you can even write off _the dress_!" Armstrong crowed excitedly. "Isn't that a _pip_?!"

"How so?" Longines was confused. "Maya made it clear she already _had_ a wedding dress."

" _Forget_ her old dress! It won't _hold a candle_ compared to the _to die for_ wedding gown she's going to get, done by some _fabulous_ name brand dressmaker!" The flamboyant Chef clapped his hands delightedly. "What girl _wouldn't_ want _a brand-new_ dress of her dreams and feel like a princess on her big day! And not just _any_ dress! A luxe designer model, which, in the act of wearing it would make her feel look like _royalty_ in the process, and also give major publicity not only to the designer himself, but to _Beaugosse Incorporated_ and the village itself!"

"It would be a win-win situation for all!" Mildred added eagerly. "She won't be able to resist!"

"But how would splashing the funds for an expensive new wedding dress allow _me_ to write it off?" Longines was struggling to comprehend all this. "It all sounds good so far but I'm lost about that part?"

"The dress represents the _height_ of philanthropy!" The village elder decreed. "We'll auction off the dress after the wedding and donate the proceeds to charity!"

"Can you imagine the publicity and the news that would be stirred as the headlines got wind of what the famous Master of Kurain, bride to Longines Beaugosse wore at her nuptials in Kurain Village? Like Christian Dior? Or Vera Wang?" Armstrong's cheeks were pink with pleasure. "People would pay an absolute fortune to get their hands on it! And all the proceeds would go to the charity of your choice, making the money from the dress be the ultimate tax write off! I bet it would fetch more in the auction than you even paid for it!"

"Surely there must be some charities that are held dearest to _your_ heart, Longines?" Mildred asked slyly. "Perhaps you could even donate it _in your beloved future bride's_ _ **name**_? If you're stumped for ideas, believe you me, _I_ happen to know _how to pitch this,_ so the good Master will be _guaranteed_ to go along with the game plan!"

"Are you _sure_ Millie?" Armstrong asked anxiously.

"We don't want to _upset_ my future bride!" Longines looked worried. "We just want her to come around to seeing our side of things…"

"Trust me, gentleman." A sinister smile crept over Mildred's crepe paper cheeks. "I plan on making Mystic Maya _an offer she can't refuse_!"

 _Because she won't have_ _ **any other choice!**_

 _ **Fleetwood Mac - Don't Stop**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 133**

 **The Freelancer Seal**

Your reviews are always worth the wait my friend the working boy!:)

Dusky Bridge is not going to be taking anymore victims...at least not in my story! But Mildew won't be in jail because I have better plans for her! :p

Thing about the hair heir...it still is TBD if he's gay or European...er, flamboyant. All this is pure conjecture on her part ...Longines DID tell Maya he thinks she's hot and that NOBODY is that gay! XD

 **Chapter 134**

 **The Freelancer Seal**

I am patting myself on the back for making my readers feel queasy for my Jean portrayal! XD  
So sorry/not sorry! Lol

Karma is a bitch but can also be slow dear friend...

Nick and Maya still have a spark? Guess we won't know until they come face to face again Wright?;)

 **Chapter 134**

 **Review of the week**

 **Yanmegaman**

 _WELP DRUNK RWEVIEW TIME_ _  
_ _Mildred, youj wicked witch of the...LATRIEN! How anyone can buy you r bs is beyond me. I cant even im agine how I;d react to a suerfer dude serving me pastries. Probably ca;l the cream puffs 'radical!'_ _  
_ _Oh god! As if m y stomach wasn't in enough distres s, now ytou put the mental image of Yzma II in booty short s in my head!_

Are you trying to win review of the week most consecutive weeks running? LMFAO  
Don't you know like a scavenger Dragon Lady preys on the weak minded, lovestruck and vulnerable...they're the best victims to BS!  
Sorry if I ruined your buzz...  
Yzma in booty shorts is a thought that is SCARY beyond all reason! :p

 **SoberYanmegaman (Guest)**

"The only thing I like floating in my beer is my liver." Norm from Cheers.

My readers seem to like my chapter quotes plus you also seem to be...CHEERY lately with your reviews punny man so I thought that was a fitting opening! :p

Yeah she's el Diablo alright...taking advantage first of a vulnerable, grieving billionaire who'd just lost his dad and now exploiting the gullible Jean's love for said hair heir! Never let that shrew see any weakness because she WILL prey upon it...you see why Maya did such an about face when she saw her in that limo! Imagine if Mildew even suspected Maya had even an ounce of compassion for her disgraced ex?!

 **ThePudz**

I had so much fun making Mildew more diabolical than ever while writing Jean as a drama queen! A fool for love is he and a gullible one...am glad his heartache could still be amusing mate!:)

 **SpiritsOfFire**

You and legionary prime are still tied for being the two readers who guessed what was up with the Master's sudden turnabout! But I decided to throw the whole trouble comes in threes angle with Mildew and the cream puff in da mix because I can't let self become too predictable! :p

Jean the drama queen is a blast to write ...almost as much as the evil fire breather! I hope you got at least some amusement between the cringing...Poor Maya indeed...this marriage is leading up to three rings...engagement ring, wedding ring...and SUFFERING!

 **Chloemcg**

Yeah Mildew is all about the Benjamins baby...even though SHE herself is morally bankrupt!  
Indeed it seems like Maya isn't the only one who needs rescuing here...but after reading more about the groom this chapter here...do you still think he's in need of his own knight? :p

Nope Maya still thinks Nick is with Iris...she wanted to rush to his side even though she still thinks this...draw your own conclusions about why! ;)

Miles urged Nick to tell Maya the truth now that Kristoph is in jail but Nick hasn't told her the truth because her engagement to a Ken doll billionaire is international news and he thinks Maya's moved on. Whether or not that's the case is something you need to stay on the crazy train to find out! :)

 **Eveshowrtc (Guest)**

First of all I'm delighted someone actually reads and appreciates the chapter quotes and musical chapter references! Thank you! It's an eclectic choice of music taste I have mostly rock of all ages and retro but I do love the Beatles...I paid them a nod in the Phaya Gatewater flashback in the chapter In My Life but fellow music lover and reader DannyDragon also recommended a couple of others to maybe use and I definitely shall pay them homage once more! I love reader suggestions for songs/chapter quotes so please feel free to regale me with them! :)

Yes Yzma's (yes from Emperor's New Groove, it's how I envision the Dragon Lady!) despicable reputation precedes her...and unlike Mildew, indeed Matilda and Longines don't have a reputation for sucking harder than a Hoover! Don't look for any redemption with the she-devil she's just rotten to the core feel free to hate her! XD

I know many of my readers first liked Longines somewhat...then thought him gay/closeted...would love to hear your feedback after this chapter?

Funny you mentioned Matilda. ..she will be reappearing very soon.. ;)

 **DannyDragon**

I don't know what's next after this story although it might be tough act to follow – mind still blown by how much unbelievable love and support from readers… I would always be worried that any other works would pale in comparison that makes sense?

It seems my readers are unanimous in being creeped out by the overly amorous phony Frenchman! XD

I'm happy you enjoyed the scene with Philip the surfer dude as he gave a chance to really show how desperate to his unrefuted love for Longines has gotten since he is trying to PHIL the void in any way possible even with Longines look-alikes… Apparently all blonde haired blue-eyed people look-alike kind of like seagulls or pigeons? LOL

Longines was back in this chapter… As clueless and confused as ever for the most part… I'm glad your liking the drama there is much more of it to come!

 **Feraligreater328**

Kidnapped? More like accosted and Shanghaid and forced to do shit against her will... this entire chapter series of unfortunate events was against both her and Pearl's will...does that count as such? :p


	136. Something Wicked This Way Comes

_I cannot take this anymore_  
 _Saying everything I've said before_  
 _All these words they make no sense_  
 _I find bliss in ignorance_  
 _Less I hear the less you'll say_  
 _You'll find that out anyway_

 _Just like before..._

 _Everything you say to me_  
 _Takes me one step closer to the edge_  
 _And I'm about to break_  
 _I need a little room to breathe_  
 _Cause I'm one step closer to the edge_  
 _I'm about to break_

 _I find the answers aren't so clear_  
 _Wish I could find a way to disappear_  
 _All these thoughts they make no sense_  
 _I find bliss in ignorance_  
 _Nothing seems to go away_  
 _Over and over again_

 _Just like before..._

 _Everything you say to me_  
 _Takes me one step closer to the edge_  
 _And I'm about to break_  
 _I need a little room to breathe_  
 _Cause I'm one step closer to the edge_  
 _And I'm about to break_

 _Shut up when I'm talking to you_  
 _Shut up, shut up, shut up_  
 _Shut up when I'm talking to you_  
 _Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up_

 _I'm about to BREAK_

 _Everything you say to me_  
 _Takes me one step closer to the edge_  
 _And I'm about to break_  
 _I need a little room to breathe_  
 _Cause I'm one step closer to the edge_  
 _And I'm about to break_

* * *

 _A/N: The Maya pre-wedding hijinks arc is officially done for now – heads up as this is a story closer it's a slightly longer, but I hope enjoyable read! Next chapter…a touch of much needed romance! ;)_

 _Thanks to wonderful reader Ariastella once more for lending a hand, with some florist 411 in this chapter!_

 _She's written a wonderful additional component to TE -_ ** _The Warden, Prison is a Punishment,_** _check it out!_

 _Also thanks for the_ ** _Coldplay_** _suggestion,_ ** _Eveshowrtc_** **,** _I hope you like how I worked it in here (didn't forget_ ** _you_** _, mi amiga musica, look out for you music suggestion next chapter!) :)_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Thirty Five:** **Something Wicked This Way Comes**

 _ **Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse**_  
 _La Gloutonnerie Grenouille_  
April 21, 2026 12:15 PM

In the year she'd known him, Maya had known Longines to be rarely impulsive, save for their whirlwind trip to Europe last Christmas holidays when he had proposed to her.

From the moment she and Pearl had gotten into the limo at the airport, he'd blithely announced there'd been some changes to the wedding plans, and he was _really_ excited about them, with that effervescent, gamine grin of his. It was so contagious that for a split second, Maya had been too busy being dazzled by the familiar charm behind that radiant smile, and hence hadn't felt the immediate apprehension she normally would have upon hearing such unexpected news.

She'd felt the palpable excitement radiating from him, stronger than a hundred watt bulb, and been quite endeared by it. It was one of the things she genuinely liked about her fiancé – his indomitable and pure, unstoppable energy. Who needed Prozac when they had Longines Beaugosse?

His eyebrows were raised and he'd started speaking more animatedly than he had in ages. All Maya could pick out from the jumble of words was 'wedding planner', 'florists' and 'catering.' He was literally bouncing up and down on his seat like a giddy child and rubbing his hands. It was only when he'd stopped prattling about their agenda of wedding preparation that the trepidation had sunk in at last; that village leader had returned from _the other side of the planet_ to discover that _Mildew_ would be occupying Maya's nearly _every waking moment_ for the next _8 weeks_ , _from_ _that day forward,_ _until their nuptials_ … because _The Dragon Lady_ was going to be their aforementioned _wedding planner_!

Between the lack of food and sleep, and then the _jarring_ news of this latest _sledgehammer that had befallen her_ , there was zero thinking going on in Maya's head. She couldn't even operate on a level of fake enthusiasm to the news, even for Longines's benefit!

Nonetheless, when Longines had first declared to his unwitting ' _hostages_ ' that the first stop for today's whirlwind wedding planning would first be to an acclaimed bakery, then menu tasting, the bleary-eyed and beyond starved Maya and Pearl had actually mustered some enthusiasm, in spite of still being shell-shocked at essentially having been _shanghaied_! The Feys actually found themselves somewhat looking forward to the anticipated lavish feast, having become accustomed to such luxuries whenever dining with the indulgent, extravagant hair heir.

The troop wandered into the charming bakery, _For Heavens Cakes_ , where the owner, Kingsley, was the typical California Barbie, resembling someone who'd _never eaten a day in her life_ , despite being surrounded by decadent desserts.

" _Longine! Jeanie!"_ She greeted both Longines and Armstrong by name, with an air kiss on both cheeks. "It's been _far_ too long!"

"Darling girl, it's been _ages_! I'd like you to meet my blushing bride-to-be, Maya Fey, her cousin Pearl, and Mildred, our wedding planner." Longines smilingly presented his bedraggled-looking fiancée to the chic, Chanel-suited blonde, who smiled politely at Maya, and graciously inclined her head towards the teen and village elder. "Thanks so much for squeezing us in at the last minute! Do you remember our chat about wanting something simple, but _different,_ for a wedding cake?"

"We want to be on the _cutting edge of trendy_ as far as cakes go!" Armstrong put in. "The groom here has been on a stringent diet, and even though he can finally let loose _somewhat_ on his wedding day, most of the guests are also on low-carb diets, and we can't have any of them _completely_ busting out their fine clothing with something that's _too_ rich, you know?"

"How do you feel about a cheesecake?" Kingsley offered pleasantly. "And a personalized groom cake then, just for Longine here, as his _own_ personal reward for all that hard work and dieting?"

At the mention of the decadent dessert, which was one of her favorites, Maya's stomach began growling uncontrollably and felt herself perking up somewhat. She _adored_ cheesecake – who _didn't_? The idea of being able to sample some at the moment sounded positively _heavenly_!

"I _love_ cheesecake!" She enthused. "What flavors will we be trying? Do you have chocolate or even strawberry as an option?"

There was an uncomfortable, pregnant pause as Armstrong, Longines and Kingsley all stared at her as though she'd acquired a second head. At last, the blonde let out a tinkly laugh.

"Oh, Longines isn't she _adorable_?" The bakery owner cooed, smiling patronizingly at the perplexed raven-haired brunette. "She _actually_ thought we meant the _preposterously, sugary sweet, calorie laden_ sort of cheesecake!"

"Um, is there _another_ kind I don't know about?" Maya asked awkwardly.

"Girl, you are so _funny_!" Armstrong twittered, waving his hand at her. "When we said _cheesecake_ , we literally meant _a cake_ made out of several wheels of _actual_ _cheese_!"

"They're _all the rage_ in Southern California right now, especially with everybody shunning sugar and carbs," Kingsley added with a condescending smile. "Many companies sell cheese wedding cakes, but those _canaille_ are not _cheesemongers_ like we are, and therefore do _not_ have the expertise or the range _we_ do. Longines here knows to expect _nothing but the best_ of my bakery, as we are more than capable of catering to _any and all_ of his desires, just like in the past."

"I really wish we had time for you and Pearl to _actually_ _sample_ some of the wonderful things Kingsley here is capable of, Maya!" Armstrong gushed. "But basically, we are just here to make a quick order. We hate to love you and leave you like this sweetie, but the limo's still running! So after a quick peruse through the catalog, we're fluttering off to our first menu tasting!"

Both Pearl and Maya's faces fell in dejected unison at this announcement. _What_ was the point of being at a wedding _bakery_ if you weren't even going to _try_ anything?!

"I'm thinking _this_ model would be best for what Jean told me about for your needs." Whipping out her iPad, Kingsley focused her sole attentions on Longines and Armstrong, as though none of the women were present. "For decoration, I'm envisioning a wedding cake of amber, gold and forest green… grapes, figs, flowers or simple sashes as decoration seem to work best…"

"I _really_ like _this_ model here!" Mildred butted in, squeezing herself between the two men and tapping her talon on the glass screen tablet. _"I'm_ thinking we should have a _statement-making, deluxe model_ with _at least seven_ various selections of cheese…"

"I _like_ the way you think!" Kingsley readily agreed. "How do you feel about Petit Langres, Tunworth, Colston Bassett Stilton, Smoked Worcester, Cornish Yarg, and Lincolnshire Poacher for a nice blend of different cheese flavors?"

"Kingsley, that sounds absolutely _fabulous_!" Armstrong squealed delightedly. "But for the non-cheese connoisseurs, just make sure you have those _precious_ tasting notes and labels for the cake, so guests can _understand_ and _appreciate_ what they are eating, OK?"

" _Brilliant_ idea!" Mildred put in. "The cake is there to be _eaten_ , after all, not just to be _looked_ at, so it'd encourage people to tuck in and enjoy – even if that costs _extra_!"

"And I believe I'd be quite partial to a Champagne topping, layer of cream, finest Stilton, mild milky Yarg, a fruity cheddar and a smoky twist!" Longines decided. Looking over, he finally noticed the drained-looking spirit mediums standing, completely ignored, in the corner of the shop, and proceeded to speedily browse through the online catalog for his groom cake, quickly settling on something called _The Sultan's Golden Cake_ , and waved the Feys over to come take a gander at his groom cake selection.

Maya had to admit it looked superbly wonderful. The cake was made of figs, pears, apricot, and quince that were then put into a Jamaican Rum and soaked for two years. To finish, the cake would be topped with French Polynesia vanilla bean, caramel, black truffles, and a 24 carat gold leaf. In bold lettering, it was written that the cake took about 72-hours to make, and once it was ready to be served, would be placed inside a sterling silver cake box with a golden seal. However, the $1500 cake was usually only made by request: usually for a wedding, celebration, or for a sultan himself!

Or in this case, for a hair tycoon, who wanted nothing _but the best_ for his upcoming nuptials.

Longines barely glanced at the paperwork as he signed his name and made his instructions for both cakes before ushering them all out of the bakery and into the ready limo.

As relieved as she was to be getting a chance to eat at last, Maya couldn't help but feel disappointed by the whole experience. As much as she appreciated how her wedding wasn't too far away, and that things would be moving at a rapid pace as far as vendors went, she still felt _slightly gypped_ out of what she'd reckoned would be _one_ of the more _fun_ things out of the whole experience - experimental sampling of _sweet, yummy cake_! It was greatly disappointing how it'd turned out she wasn't even going to have _that_ at her wedding – as the _cheesecake_ was going to be a literal _cheesecake_! As it was, she wasn't too much of a _cheesemonger_ herself, except for on her burgers, but it looked she wasn't going to have any say in the matter at all.

But anyhow, at least _now_ she'd finally get to eat! At this point, she figured pretty much _anything_ would be welcomed into the starved caverns of her empty stomach, so was to the spirit medium's _great chagrin_ when the limousine pulled up to a restaurant named _La Gloutonnerie Grenouille._ Although the name sounded lovely in French, it translated as _**The Gluttonous Frog**_ in English! Maya was immediately reminded of her nightmarish ordeal with French cuisine in Cannes, and found her appetite immediately vanquishing somewhat.

The head chef and owner, Jean-Luc Ricard, greeted Longines and Armstrong by name and made a big show of visibly greeting each man with the customary European greeting of an air kiss on both cheeks, before ushering the party of five to their seats, while servers in impeccably starched black and white uniforms rushed over menus of their tasting options for the upcoming nuptials.

Almost more than the food it served, the restaurant prided itself on its large varieties of drinking water, and shamelessly capitalized on the relatively new fear that tap water was far from drinkable with their _20-option water tasting menu_. From the new and lofty-sounding _Beverly Hills 90H20,_ to classics like Perrier, to totally exotic and unheard of brands like Spanish Vichy Catalan, one could truly drink it all.

Despite the fact that money was of relatively no concern to her, and even less so to her wealthy betrothed, Maya's eyes still nearly bugged out of her head as she glanced at the menu and realized some of the bottles of water were upwards of _$45,_ and all were handpicked by _"water sommelier"_ (whatever the heck _that_ was!)Martin Riese. Claiming to have been certified by the German Mineral Water Association, Riese had discovered some of the springs from which water were taken and then delivered to the overzealous customers of LA.

"But only after Riese added 'his own mixture of vitamins and minerals' to it!" Armstrong put a hand to his lips to smoother a coquettish giggle. "Am I the _only_ one who thinks that sounds _a little X-rated_?"

They were instructed to first cleanse their palates with a concoction the French restaurateur informed them was named _Beverly Hills 90H20 -_ a relative steal which was only $16 a bottle compared to some of the others. The clear liquid, served in individually numbered, diamond-like glass bottles, just looked like ordinary water to Maya's untrained eyes, and she barely suppressed an eye-roll when Longines immediately insisted on ordering 300 bottles, despite being quickly informed of just what a _fine treat_ she was about to be drinking.

" _Fantastique_ _choix_ , _mon cher ami!_ _Cette eau_ eez a limited edition, inspired by zee crafting of champagne and fine spirits, a team of fine dining experts, including zee world's foremost water sommelier, Martin Riese," Jean-Luc droned. "C'est le world's first _Sommelier-Crafted Water_. Pristine spring water from zee Northern California Mountains eez crafted w'iz a perfect balance of natural minerals, resulting in a 7.5 pH alkalinity and a silky smooth, incredibly crisp and exceptionally fresh taste profile. These extraordinarily unique characteristics make _Beverly Hills 90H20_ zee first ever water to perfectly pair w'iz fine foods, wines, and spirits. It eez considered zee 'champagne of waters'."

By this point, Maya couldn't have cared less if she'd be drinking water _straight from the restaurant bathroom toilets_ , as she was absolutely famished and lightheaded from lack of food! Even worse was Jean-Luc telling them the proposed sample catering menu was from the restaurant's "experimental cuisine" selection and would ergo, be another _10 to 15 minutes_ wait!

The spirit medium didn't think her poor growling stomach would be able to hold out much longer, any more than her _temperament_ would! She was now beyond irritable with this pretentious bullshit and was about ready to gnaw off _her own hand_ at this point!

 _Haute, or experimental cuisine, if done right, is amazing, but there's was a fine line between innovative and_ _ **irritating**_ _! This snooty restaurant's cocktail menu includes martinis flavored with Mongolian rocks soaked in vermouth for 12 hours, which pretty much defined pretension. Unless your name is Muffy and you've been patronizing this French bistro since your days at Chapin to eat crab salad and hobnob with the friends you summer with in Biarritz, chances are you've encountered the snobbish staff. Oh yes, you're so_ _ **precious**_ _with the old-school food products lining the shelves, your single menu, and your floral decorated china. It's all a tad too much, though, n'est-ce pas?_

After what seemed like forever, the first four courses were brought out to taste: the outlandishly priced and aptly named "House Made $1000 Omelette" which was a six-egg frittata topped with lobster claws and 10 ounces of Sevruga caviar, and something called the Fleur Burger, made from Kobe beef, foie gras, truffles, and cradled in the womb of a warm brioche truffle bun. Alongside this were strange-looking Ocoto-Pops ( _literally_ _a piece of_ _ **roast octopus**_ _on a_ _ **stick**_!) and imported Waygu beef slivers.

Maya bypassed the translucent, thinly-cut meat and questionable sea creatures, and immediately lunged for her burger. She'd just swallowed the first delectable mouthful and was reaching for her fork to next spear into the outlandishly overpriced omelette when Mildew suddenly reached across the table and deftly _snatched both her plates away_ , curtly instructing the server beside their table "that will be _all_ for the bride-to-be, please and thank you!"

The old crone smirked and nodded at Pearl, who'd protectively placed her hands around her own plate and was glaring defiantly at the waiter, as though _daring_ him to take hers away!

"Don't worry, Mystic Pearl, this doesn't apply to _you_ at all," Mildred assured her. "Not only are _you_ as thin as a rail, but _you're_ still a _growing girl_ who needs her nourishment. However, in your _cousin's_ case, the _only_ way _she_ can grow is _sideways,_ if we aren't careful!"

Maya hastily shoved the precious remaining forkful of egg into her mouth while she stared daggers at the old woman, chewing and swallowing as rapidly as possible before she unleashed her outrage.

Nobody, but _nobody_ , came between Maya Fey and her food and _lived to tell about_ _it_!

"Of all the _nerve_!" Sparks were flying out of her mocha eyes. "Who do you think you are?! How _dare_ you practically snatch the food _from my mouth_!"

"Everybody knows the _first_ bite tastes the _best,"_ Mildred responded primly, completely unfazed by the visible ire on the spirit medium's face. " _One_ bite should suffice to let the restaurant know whether or not it's a dish you wish to have catered at your wedding. This is a _tasting_ Mystic Maya, not a _food orgy_! There will be _dozens_ more courses for you to indulge in, but you _must_ curb your gluttonous ways and assume a more _birdlike_ appetite from here on, since you have a wedding dress to be fitting into!"

The village elder flashed a poisonously sweet smile in response to the baleful glare Maya shot her.

"One would think you hadn't seen food in _ages,_ Mystic Maya. Did they not feed you on the plane trip back from Australia?"

 _Drop dead Mildew! The fact that neither me or Pearly could stomach a bite of that_ _ **barely recognizable slop**_ _airlines try to pass off as_ _ **food**_ _because we were so worked up about Nick is absolutely not pertinent here, you heinous, irksome, meddling…_ _ **Medusa**_ _!_

"Listen up, lady!" Maya snapped. "You may have somehow talked _Longines_ into thinking that just because you've arranged a few conferences and gatherings in Kurain that you're some sort of _legitimate Miss Manners/wedding planner_ …"

"I indeed can claim expertise on both matters. For your kind information, I have long since educated the younger acolytes on their decorum in the village, _and_ have diligently studied countless bridal magazines and etiquette books, as well as extensively done research online," Mildred informed her coolly.

The old woman conveniently neglected to mention that it was the discovery of said internet that Maya had had installed years ago, which had given inspired the creativity of how to use Kurain as a non-profit organization, as well as any other related information she'd need for her escape plans. She lifted her chin haughtily as she continued.

"I am _more_ than qualified for the role and am offering my services for _zero cost_ , thus _saving_ Longines _a bundle_! Moreover, of course, my past experiences of successfully organizing Kurain-related soirées and events over the years makes me the ideal candidate! And what _is_ a _wedding_ but _one big party_ , really?"

"Millie the Miracle Worker!" Armstrong crowed. "I'd have been _très_ lost little girl without her creative vision and willing hand amidst all this pandemonium!"

"Be that as it may..." Maya clenched her jaw. "That still has _nothing_ to do with my choice of bridal attire! I tried on my wedding dress before I went to Australia, where if anything, the stifling heat made me _lose_ a few pounds, so I haven't _gained an ounce_! Ergo, Mom's dress should still fit me _just fine_."

"You couldn't possibly be _serious_ about be wearing _**that**_ _old thing_!" Mildred looked positively horrified at the idea. "A prestigious village leader wearing outdated _hand-me-downs_ at her own nuptials? _Inconceivable_! The reason we can't have you getting _too bloated_ at the tastings this afternoon because immediately afterward, we're taking you shopping for a _new_ wedding dress!"

" _Old thing_?" Maya faltered, the devastation coursing through her system and not allowing her to think of anything else to say at the insulting description _the old battle-axe_ had just utilized for her late mother's revered wedding gown. "N – New dress?! Wh –What are you _saying_?"

"Millie girl _told_ me all about _that_ dress!" Longines clapped a scandalized hand to his cheek. "Apparently it's totally the _wrong color_ and it's not even _white_! It's _cosmic latte!"_

" _Sacre bleu, c'est impossible! Non, non, non!"_ Sing-songed Armstrong, briefly forgetting that he was trying to drop the phony French accent Phil had so ridiculed him on. "It would be the mother of all _faux-pas_ for a bride be adorned in something that's no longer fashionable!"

 _Shut your blathering cake hole, you_ _**flibbertigibbet cream puff**_ _! There's_ _ **no way in hell**_ _I'm taking wardrobe advice from the biggest walking, talking_ _ **Fashion Don't**_ _I've ever encountered in my entire life!_

"I've never even shown _any_ of you my dress!" Maya's former shock was slowly abating and being replaced by swirling wrath as she glowered first at Armstrong then at the old woman. "How _dare_ you make such unfounded assumptions?!"

"Millie told us _all_ about it!" Armstrong insisted. "Anything other than _white_ just _won't go_ with the décor _at all_ , especially since Longines will be in _lavender_!"

"A bride should _complement_ her groom and wedding adornments, not purposely _clash_ with it because of nothing but her own childish, stubborn refusal to have everything be her own way!" Mildred sniffed contemptuously. "And it is _out of the question_ for a woman of your stature to be wed in such a garment! It is much too hopelessly dated and antiquated by today's standards!"

 _Your_ _ **face**_ _is much too_ _ **hopelessly dated and antiquated**_ _by today's standards!_ Maya screamed back silently, feeling her face growing steadily warm with aggravation.

"Not only would it look helplessly outmoded if worn today, but I can also _personally_ vouch Mystic Misty's gown is neither appropriate nor symbolizing _purity_ in color whatsoever! Also, _for your kind information_ , Mystic Maya, _I_ saw it on the _last_ _ **impure**_ _, pregnant bride_ who wore it, because I also happened to have been present for Mystic Misty's wedding!"

Pearl's doe eyes widened, as this unexpected announcement that Misty Fey had been pregnant with Mia at her nuptials was obviously a previously unknown newsflash to her.

 _Of_ _ **course**_ _you were there, you_ _ **dried-up old fossil**_ _!_ Maya felt as though her tongue would have _permanent teeth marks_ on it from how hard she was biting back that scathing retort, as she was so infuriated by the impromptu airing of her family's _dirty laundry_ in front of Armstrong and Longines. _You undoubtedly were also there to witness_ _ **Moses parting the Red Sea**_ _!_

"I don't even know what color _cosmic latte_ is," the Master grinded out through gritted teeth. "But that dress, if _anything_ , is perhaps _pearl_ or _ivory_ in color, at best, and is certainly _close enough_ to _white_ to be _more than s_ uitable for a bride to wear!"

"While it is most _quaint_ of you to insist on being _true to form_ and not wishing to _false advertise_ by wearing the _unpolluted color of pure white,_ which is to symbolize of _innocence and chastity_ of the traditional blushing bride…" Mildred sneered at the furious blush forming on Maya's face at the dig about her _impure status._ "Nevertheless, your fiancée here wishes to willingly turn a blind eye to the _irony_ of _you_ wearing the _color of an actual_ _ **maiden**_ …

Now completely old enough to understand all matters of this demeaning conversation, Pearl's own cheeks turned pink as her eyes dropped to her own lap in mortification on her beloved cousin's behalf.

The Dragon Lady appeared entirely unfazed that Maya looked ready to explode at this point, and her vile grin only widened at Maya's slight flinch at the crude reminder to all parties present about her _tainted bridal status._ Mildred raised a bony hand to hush the interruption the despaired-looking Longines was about to make to this verbal onslaught on his fiancée and flashed a nasty smile.

"Longines is gladly willing to get you _any_ dress of your choosing, just so long as it's on the _wide scale of white in color,"_ Mildred announced primly. "A marriage is all about sacrifice and compromise, after all. _He_ is willing to endure the _knowing snickers_ of the congregation at the sight of you _in white dress and veil_ if _you_ are willing to _do the same,_ Mystic Maya…"

Pearl rolled up her sleeve, ready to pop the antagonistic woman _right in the kisser_ , but Maya clenched her cousin's ready arm, all the while trying to fight the urge to burst into tears as the certain lyrics of one of her favorite poignant songs began dancing through her head.

 _ **The lights go out and I can't be saved**_  
 _ **Tides that I tried to swim against**_  
 _ **Have brought me down upon my knees**_  
 _ **Oh I beg, I beg and plead…**_

 _Oh Goddammit! I don't_ _ **want**_ _to wear any_ _ **other**_ _dress!_ She wailed internally. _I wanted to wear my_ _ **mother's**_ _dress!_

"I was kind of hoping you would show more ebullience about having a new dress honey." Longines peered into her miserable face with concern. "You can certainly pick the style and cut of your choosing for the dress! It will be the most top-of-the-line gown money can buy, considering we're hoping to auction off the dress afterward, and have the proceeds go to the _Widow and Orphan International Charity House…"_

 _ **Come out of things unsaid**_  
 _ **Shoot an apple off my head**_  
 _ **And a trouble that can't be named…**_

"It was _Millie's_ idea to have the auctioned off earnings of the dress go to _that_ particular charity!" Armstrong chimed in merrily, clapping his hands. "My girl Millie told us the tragic tale of how you and Mia grew up as an orphans after you lost your father, and had to be raised by your big sister when your mother left, Maya. Plus, as you know, Longines lost _his_ mother an early age as well, and the poor dear was essentially raised by nannies while his father, the mogul, was busy running the business."

His cheery smile faded as he ultimately paused long enough to drink in Maya's aghast expression and suddenly looked perturbed by her lack of enthusiasm.

"When Millie suggested _this specific charity_ , Longines and I hoped since it was an organization dear to _both_ your hearts that you would be all _gung-ho_ about this!"

"Of _course_ she's excited, Jeanie! You're so _silly_!" Mildred purred, unable to mask the victorious look in her eye at the tears of resignation sparkling in Maya's eyes. "Do you _really_ think Mystic Maya was going to _snatch away_ the money from the helpless and hungry mouths of widows and orphans all around the world, considering the tragic plight _both_ she _and_ her betrothed have _personally_ known? Did you imagine she would be _heartless_ enough _to forfeit_ the opportunity to give up the garnered _tens of thousands_ this deserving and worthwhile charity would get from the proceeds of the auctioned gown worn by the illustrious Kurain Master on her wedding day, not to mention the priceless publicity it would give Kurain and Longines's business, too boot?"

Of _course_ Maya couldn't do such a thing! Mildew's plan had made _sure_ of that! What kind of woman would take from the mouths of the destitute, parentless children of the world, when she _herself_ had been one?!

Never before had she felt so trapped, as though time were running out and the walls were closing in on her.

 _ **Confusion never stops…  
Closing walls and ticking clocks …**_

The spirit medium felt the despair growing within her as she acknowledged, with mounting dismay, just how foolishly she'd underestimated what a _truly calculating and conniving_ adversary Mildred Latrine could be. Her nemesis had at last found a way to completely undermine the bride's wishes, by striking while the iron was hot in her absence. It was the ultimate cunning move, the way she'd completely gone _over Maya's head_ , by appealing to the altruistic nature of the softhearted _groom_ and getting him to side with her devious self, and _then_ sealing the deal by forming an alliance with his _sycophant assis_ tant on top of that!

Aside from hoping a grander affair would bring more spotlight to Kurain, the Master had no inkling what her enemy's agenda was to _now_ be worming herself into being in the midst of all the wedding operations, at the eleventh hour, as up until now, Mildew had appeared content to be the unnoticed assistant in the background. But whatever it was, Maya _knew_ couldn't be anything _good_.

Nevertheless, this was a battle the Master knew she had no hope of winning. The Dragon Lady had truly backed her into an inescapable corner this time. Maya felt like a helpless marionette, with the diabolical woman gleefully pulling the puppeteer strings.

She also knew her protests would fall on deaf ears, seeing as how she couldn't even claim that all this extravagance would be an unnecessary waste of money to dish out, _for merely_ _ **one**_ _day_. It would be an exercise in futility to point out how the obscene amount of funds being doled out would be enough to _feed a family in Guatemala for the next decad_ e, since her fiancé's _bottomless bank account_ would be paying for every expense, not her own!

Moreover, it truly seemed to be Longines's true heart's desire to have a lavish and splashy affair, with his bride dressed to the nines in top designer gear just as the groom would! Obviously, he'd been squashing his own wishes all this time to appease her wishes for a smaller-scale of events, but leave it to _Mildew_ to have unleashed that untapped Pandora's Box within him, and his pushy, besotted, eager to please assistant had evidently _leapt_ at the chance to cater to his employer's every whim, even though it'd ultimately meant Misty Fey's wedding dress _be damned_!

 _ **Come out upon my seas.**_  
 _ **Cursed missed opportunities.**_  
 _ **Am I a part of the cure?**_  
 _ **Or am I part of the disease?**_

So no, Maya _couldn't_ see any way out of wearing a brand-new dress she _didn't_ _want_. All she could do was inwardly _seethe_.

 _José_ _Martí once said that 'life on earth is hand-to-hand mortal combat . . . between the law of love and the law of hate.' So how about I add some_ _ **purple and blue**_ _to the black kimono of yours, Mildew?! How is it instead of_ _ **mellowing**_ _with age, you've only become_ _ **even more**_ _of a_ _ **bitch**_ _?! I don't know! How_ _ **did**_ _you get Longines to bow to your every whim?! Maybe you bitched at him till he caved, was that it? That's all you appear to be good for these days. Huh? Used your bitch-fu on him? Mildew the Mistress of bitching, that's what they should call you! Seriously, five ancient sages of bitchdom all gathered together one day on the peaks of Mount Bitch to proclaim your birth. And a hundred years later, when all the bitch stars had aligned, you were born and made everybody's life around you a living hell because you are_ _ **such**_ _a_ _ **bitch**_ _!_

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Jean Armstrong**_  
 _La Vache et Le Cuisinier_  
April 21, 2026 1:10 PM

"So what did you think of the food at the first place?" Longines prompted to the silent Maya en route to the second eatery. The spirit medium was leaning back against the headrest of her limo seat, with her eyes closed, having not uttered a word since the dropping of the _dress bomb_ at the previous restaurant. She was afraid that if she had opened her mouth to speak after that, she would have begun screaming and _never, ever stopped_!

Reluctantly, Maya opened her eyes and stared into her fiancé's earnest visage. Something about the sincerity she saw there made her feel somewhat less rotten. She knew he wasn't her enemy, nor purposely trying to upset her in the least, and was in fact was doing his best to at least _pretend_ to make her feel like she was actually _part_ of this _circus_ the wedding was rapidly becoming, for which she supposed she should be grateful. After all it was hardly _his_ fault Mildew was a _wicked fiend_!

"Well from the _two bites_ I managed to get in…" She fixed a pointed glare in in the direction of her foe, who smiled back innocently and resumed conversing with Armstrong, while Pearl silently scowled in their general direction. "I think it was fine, but nothing particularly _wow-worthy,_ to be honest."

"I _knew_ you had a more refined palate than you let on!" He smiled, reaching out to pat her hand. "I personally thought the caviar on that omelette was a bit too much, myself! I really think you'll be happy with the second place we're going to. In fact, the chef there, Gaston, is an old friend of mine."

" _Pardonnez-moi_?!"Armstrong literally halted mid-conversation with Mildred and stared at his boss with a horrified expression. " _What_ was the name of the chef you just said?"

"Gaston. Gaston LaBouche." Longines furrowed his brow at his assistant's visibly pale face. "He was a renowned French chef with a successful chain of restaurants in Paris, but a few years ago, decided to set up a place here in Los Angeles. In fact we're pulling up in front of it right now. It's called …"

" _La Vache et Le Cuisinier."_ Armstrong finished with a haughty snort. "I am _very_ familiar with this friend of yours, Longines! Suffice to say it is very _fitting_ for him to name his restaurant _The Cow and The Cook._ I suppose that _le cochon_ would have been _too crass and too avid_ a description of the cook!"

" _The pig_ …?" Longines burst out laughing at the quip. "Oh Jean, you're too much! While I admit Gaston has some _extra meat on his bones_ , regardless, he's still quite the jovial fellow! And you know what they say: _Never trust a skinny chef_!"

"You shouldn't trust Monsieur _LaDouche_ _regardless_!" Jean muttered sulkily under his breath as the troop exited the limo and headed into the second tasting venue. "All he does is unsuspectingly rip your _cœur_ out of your chest while it is _still beating_ , then tosses it to _sauté_ onto the frying pan with a side of _les oignons_!"

The restaurant's interior was reminiscent of Versailles, with crystal chandeliers, antique mirrors and stunning, large bay windows overlooking the bustling streets of the city. Unlike the last restaurant, where they'd had to wait for their tasting menu, everything was already prepared and ready for them immediately upon arrival at their table, serving all the dishes in all at once.

As soon as they were seated, multiple waiters in tuxedos began to grovel at their feet and rushed numerous pre-appetizers, pre-pre-appetizers, post-desserts, and post-post dessert chocolates, the size of a penny, to them on silver platters as they sipped overpriced champagne cocktails with ice cubes that were tiny globes containing frozen pink flowers.

" _Bienvenue mes amis!"_ A voice boomed. " _Bienvenue à ma place!"_

Gaston himself greeted them congenially as the platters were placed in front of them, enthusiastically kissing both Longines and Maya on the cheeks and beaming happily at Mildred and Pearl. The smile on his broad face immediately dissipated, however, as his eyes fell upon the hardened countenance of Armstrong. With a dismissive sniff, the rotund restaurateur simply adjusted his white chef hat and eyeballed the pink-clad man coldly.

" _Jean_." The chef nodded formally, his friendly countenance completely vanished.

" _Gaston_ ," Armstrong retorted icily, tossing back the remains of his Mimosa in one gulp.

Maya looked back and forth between the two men, warily wondering just what type of catastrophe they were undoubtedly soon due for! If it came down to a literal _Battle of the Bulge_ , she had no idea which one of the two heavyweight drama queens – _and obviously bitter exes_! – would win!

Shaking her head, she returned her attentions back to the colorful variety of food placed in front of her.

 _Oh well, at least Mildew doesn't need to bother playing food Nazi with me at_ _ **this**_ _particular place, which takes the terms_ _ **sample-size**_ _to the_ _ **extreme**_ _! Each menu morsel takes the_ _**gourmet experience**_ _to a_ _ **whole new level**_ _, as each overpriced food item is no bigger than the size of my_ _ **thumb**_ _!_

If possible, it was all _amuse-bouche_ to Maya's hungry innards, merely _teasing_ her taste buds but not quite _satisfying_ them! Even though presented with over a dozen different food options, she found she was still craving _something of more substance,_ despite being presented with the following variety of delectable dishes:

* * *

 **Small Dishes**

 _· Soup Shiitake mushrooms_  
 _· Fluke/Flounder_  
 _· Madai (Red sea bream fish)_  
 _· Oyster (taken out of the shell and put in a pickle by including lemon)_  
 _· Yuba/Tofu skin_  
 _· Squid_  
 _· Suzuki sea bass_  
 _· Kanpachi/Greater Amber Jack (Japanese yellowtail fish)_  
 _· Shima-Aji (Striped Horsemackerel)_  
 _· Sea urchins_  
 _· Sardines served on a potato chip_  
 _· Crab_  
 _· Langoustine (Norway Lobster)_  
 _· Octopus_  
 _· Cod_  
 _· Sturgeon/ Caviar_  
 _· Foie gras (including soup with small pieces of foie gras)_

 **Slightly Larger Dishes**

 _· Scallop_  
 _· Turbot (North Atlantic flatfish)_  
 _· Rouget (two species of goatfish, Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus)_  
 _· Lobster (served with veal ravioli and foie gras)_  
 _· Wagyu Beef served with a truffle sauce_  
 _· Andante Dairy's Cheese_  
 _· Sorbet of fromage frais served with strawberries and gold_

* * *

"Was everything to everyone's palate pleasure?" Gaston inquired as the service began to clear the dishes, smiling hopefully at Longines. "Zee Wagyu Beef served w'iz a truffle sauce was my personal creation z'at I _especially_ wanted you to try!"

" _Non_! It was more _spoiled_ than a _hog_ in a _hamburger mud pit_!" Armstrong muttered darkly, not loud enough for the chef to hear, but at a decibel which still caused Pearl to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from snickering at the other man's indescribable bitchiness!

 _Please don't say_ _ **hamburger**_ _!_ Maya's poor stomach was still growling from hunger. _I would give my right arm for big, juicy, good old-fashioned_ _ **burger**_ _over all this shi-shi- frou-frou undersized highfalutin crap right about now!_

" _Tout était parfait, mon ami."_ Longines smiled reassuringly as he took his last bite of the dish in question. "The beef was _exquisite_."

"Terrific," Maya offered, confused that the expectant smile on the Parisian's face was rapidly fading.

"Excellent." Mildred nodded.

"Um…yummy?" Pearl offered timidly.

The petty Armstrong, of course, choose to remain silent, although it didn't escape Maya's attention that he'd still polished off _every scrap_ placed in front of him.

Rather than look pleased, though, Gaston's round face crumpled at the comments, as though he'd been mortally wounded.

" _Lies_! All lies!" The Frenchman wailed theatrically, his jowls trembling. "You all _hated_ it! Zee entire menu was _merde_! Just _admit_ it!"

"What on earth would make you such a thing, Gaston?" Longines looked stupefied by the unexpected explosive reaction. "The beef… _everything_ , really – was _superb_!"

"You cannot fool me!" Gaston cried. "I watched your faces. None of you got _zee look_."

" _The look_?" The bewildered blonde man echoed. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"Zee look zat every chef knows and _dreams_ about!" The chef cried. "Zee look of _total instant, sublime, unparalleled plaisir_ …zee look that my last lover put on my face _once_."

"Er…" Longines was at a loss for words. "Um…that's nice?"

" _Nice_?" Gaston barked back. "I said _once_! He and I were together for over _2 years_!"

"It was more than _once_ and you _know_ it, you _bitch_!" Armstrong grumbled, but nobody heard him as the chef was already gearing up for _act two_ of _European chef melodrama_.

" _La douleur_! Zee _pain_!" Gaston clutched his chest dramatically. "I shall go _weep_ into my _soufflé_ now, as I have _failed_ _mon cher ami_ for his wedding menu, oh-so-terribly!"

There was an awkward silence at the table, with nobody knowing what to say to placate _the biggest drama queen_ any them had encountered since _Jean Armstrong_ himself!

" _C'est dommage_! _Plus de chance_ next time!" Armstrong inserted cattily, the supercilious smile on his face indicating he was enjoying his ex's self-lambasting. "I guess this just means you'll have to try harder in the future, Gaston! _C'est la vie!"_

Gaston's eyes narrowed at the unmistakable _jubilance_ in his former lover's tone.

" _Don't reward bad behavior. Be nice to people who deserve it_. Zat was always my life motto." Gaston curled his lip at Longines's assistant. " _Mais bien sûr_ – I shall consequently not be afraid to eject _zee trash_ when it comes in my door!"

" _Qui vous appellent poubelle?!"_ Armstrong put his hands on his ample hips and literally bared his teeth as he growled back in return.

"Ah Jean…" The disdain in Gaston's voice was as clear as day. "Even after all this time, I can see that still, _tu parles français comme une vache espagnole!"_

There was another shocked silence of the table as Armstrong's face turned puce with anger.

"Um, I'm sure Gaston didn't _literally_ mean you speak French like a Spanish cow!" Longines intervened quickly, sensing a catastrophe about to develop. "Perhaps he just meant that your accent needs a bit of work, Jean?"

Armstrong ignored his boss, jumping out of his chair so quickly that it knocked over to the floor. He was already commencing his infamous, disturbing torso wiggle, even as he shot a death glare as his former lover.

"As if _you_ are in _any_ position to call _anyone_ a _**cow**_ of any sort, _vouz pourceau_! And _I_ can see still that _t'as une tête a faire sauter les plaques d'egouts!"_ Armstrong screamed, trying to lunge at the other man against the miraculously swift Longines's tight, restraining grip on him, uncaring that the other diners the restaurant were now staring in complete disbelief at the man in pink who'd just told the owner he _had a face that would blow off manhole covers_!

" _Vous êtes une pomme de terre avec le visage d'un cochon d'inde!"_ Gaston roared in return, as two waiters magically materialized at that moment and began dragging the enraged chef back to the kitchen, having had the pleasure of getting in the last word and telling his ex _that he was a potato with the face of a guinea pi_ g!

" _Salope_!" Armstrong screeched as Longines literally _dragged_ him, kicking and screaming, out the door. " _Je te pisse en zig-zags à la raie du cul!"_

"Let's go ladies!" Longines grunted against the strain of holding back the infuriated phony Frenchman. "When my assistant starts screaming: _I piss in zig-zags on your arse crack_ , I think it's high time we made our _grand sortie_ , don't you?"

Maya didn't know whether to laugh or cry, nor bothered arguing as Mildred crisply announced, in her most _unimpressed_ voice, that the men could continue with the sampling of menus/wedding plans at _their_ _leisure_ , but _she_ would be taking the Feys dress shopping from there on!

 _I don't even give a damn what I wear this point – Mildew can call the shots on this blasted gown I never wanted, for all I care!_ The Kurain Master groaned silently as she raced, red-faced, from the restaurant with all the dumbstruck diners staring after them. _All I know is that wedding dress shopping couldn't_ _ **possibly**_ _be as_ _ **humiliatingly painful**_ _an experience as_ _ **this**_ _was!_

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse**_  
 _Beaugosse Limousine_  
April 21, 2026 6:45 PM

 _You think I'd be getting used to being wrong about everything by this point_!

The disgruntled, _battered-ego_ and _bodily bruised_ Kurain Master grumbled to herself as she exhaustedly flopped down across from her fiancé into the waiting limousine.

 _If possible, the whole gown shopping experience was more harrowing than the restaurant one itself! Yet all afternoon, as I was nearly_ _ **tucked in to within an inch of breathing**_ _and_ _ **practically stabbed death with hemming needles**_ _, I was made to feel like a member of the_ _ **bovine community**_ _as I endured the degradation of defending both_ _ **my hips**_ _and_ _**my weight!**_ _Those judgmental twiggy shop assistants made me feel like a gigantic_ _ **moo machine**_ _! As an unabashed burger lover, I never dreamed the day would come that I'd actually_ _ **sympathize**_ _with_ _ **cows**_ _!_

The moment the Feys and Mildred had seated themselves into the luxury car, Longines began to regale her with details of his own experiences that afternoon with Armstrong pertaining to the wedding planning. The positively drained spirit medium attempted to fix her most sympathetic expression on her fiancé continued to bloviate.

 _Apparently, the over-the-top wedding snobbery doesn't end with dress shopping! As our day draws closer, I've learned that in the world of weddings, tradition dictates the guest-to-bridesmaids ratio (50:1), while emerging conventions dictate the expected fee for merely cancelling an appointment in the fanciest bridal boutiques is up to $175!_

"We started off budgeting for an intimate affair at the local gardens and, _like frogs in boiling water_ , we didn't notice how far gone we were until it was almost too late!" Longines exclaimed. "Case in point: Do-it-ourselves flowers turned into buy-cheaply-at-the-local-store flowers. Which turned into a serious, lengthy conversation with a "floral styling consultant" who charged a flat fee of $7,000!"

" _Not including the_ _ **actual flowers**_!" Armstrong huffed with disgust, already reaching for his ever-present iPad. "So Longines and I said _forget this!_ We're just going to check out online florists and select the flowers _ourselves_!"

"After all, just because I'm billionaire doesn't mean I need to be _ridiculous_ with my money!" Longines declared, taking the tablet from his assistant and quickly flipping through some floral images. "Maya, what color blooms are you thinking for the wedding?"

Surprised she was actually being asked her opinion for once, as he'd been content to dismiss her thoughts thus far as bagatelle, the spirit medium blinked for several seconds before hesitantly offering the suggestion of Lily of the Valley or perhaps lavender or purple orchids.

"Interesting choices, sweetie," Longines murmured distractedly, still scrolling through the website. "A Lily of the Valley signifies a promise of happiness, and purple orchids represent royalty, respect, admiration, and dignity."

 _How the heck does he know all this flower information by heart?!_ Maya wondered in disbelief. _I was thinking that of those two particular ones because the former are beautiful and I just love all shades of purple!_

"I _do not_ give my imprimatur about with those flowers! Those floral choices are _much_ too _common_ for an auspicious, resplendent such as _this_!" Mildred argued. "I propose more eye-catching and authentic arrangements that are more _meaningful_ to the Kurain Master's Japanese ancestry! In fact, we should utilize the money saved by refusing to pay for some _frivolous floral consultant_ and instead consider _importing_ some violet _Sumire, Sakurasou, Sakura_ and _Kosumosu_ from Japan…"

"I _love_ the way you think Millie girl!" Armstrong gushed. "I think there should be homage paid to both the bride _and_ groom's heritages! Longines, your mom and dad were born in France, _non_? Why not consider using their national flower, which is the _Iris_?"

 _You've_ _ **got**_ _to be_ _ **shitting**_ _me!_ Maya's jaw dropped open in enraged disbelief. _As if having_ _ **one**_ _Iris around isn't bad enough, this_ _ **pink pouf**_ _here actually has the audacity to suggest_ _ **my wedding**_ _be decorated with the flower bearing the same name as my_ _ **loathsome cousin**_ _\- who my ex-boyfriend_ _ **left me for?!**_

Before she could protest such her aversion to such an insensitive suggestion, Mildred flashed Maya sly smirk, as though reading her thoughts, then smiled sweetly at Longines and Armstrong.

"What a _magnificent_ idea!" She purred. "Irises, in general, signify not only _mediumship_ , but spiritual communication, and a connection to the divine! They are _perfect_ flower for Spirit Mediums!"

As though Maya hadn't even spoken, Longines enthusiastically agreed with this idea and was already looking at the next arrangement of flowers on the screen for the reception hall.

"Hmm... I don't know... You _could_ be right about that, Mildred" The billionaire stroked his chin thoughtfully as he tapped at the glass screen. "I would want to pay some sort of tribute to my parents, and I mean, yes, lavender orchids are exotic and pretty and symbolize fertility and everything, but do they _really_ say _wedding_ to you?"

Before Maya could even reply, he snapped his fingers and let out a gasp.

"Ohmygoodness! I just had I most _faboo_ idea! I'm _totally_ thinking _baby pink peach blossoms_!"

" _Pink_?" Maya echoed faintly, feeling her heart sink as she realized that once again, her opinion even on something as trivial as _wedding flowers_ was going to be completely disregarded.

"Of course! It'd be totally perfect for the wedding!" The spirit medium was treated to a dazzling megawatt smile. "After all, you _are_ the _Pink Princess_ , _aren't_ you?"

 _Not on_ _ **purpose**_ _! And while I may not be_ _ **adverse**_ _to pink, it still isn't at all my favorite color! I_ _like_ _ **purple**_ _Goddammit! But_ _ **not**_ _as a flower named after_ _ **the home wrecking hussy**_ _that_ _ **stole**_ _Nick away from me!_

"Yes! I'm calling my florist friend right now!" Longines trilled, cell phone already clamped to his ear. "Hello? Ivy, _sweetie_! It's _Longine_! I need a shipment of _50,000 pink peach blossoms_ ready for June 16, 2026 ... Yes, entire branches of them! Also I'll be in touch with you soon about some purple and lavender flowers from Japan that I'd like to have imported as well as some Iris flowers from France! Price is no object! Uh-huh! Thank you!"

As he ended the call, the excited light in the cerulean eyes faded slightly as he noticed his betrothed's tight-lipped expression.

"Maya sweetie what's the problem? We're still getting purple flowers for you – and moreover, from the country of your roots of origin! Why don't you look _happier_?"

The Kurain leader was too _livid_ to even speak at that moment, and found herself mentally counting to ten to keep from exploding at that precise moment!

Just then, a look of understanding dawned on her fiancé's face.

"I am _such_ a dope!" Longines emitted a small laugh as he comically smacked himself in the forehead with the heel of his palm. "I _totally_ understand why you're so upset! Shame on me! I have been a _very_ bad fiancé!"

 _Oh thank God!_ Maya felt some of her tension melting at the contrite expression on his handsome face. _So he's not totally self-absorbed and clueless! He finally gets it!_

"How _self-centered_ of me to have been _prattling on_ about _trivial_ floral arrangements when _you've_ had the _daunting_ task of finding the center attraction – the _perfect wedding dress_!" Longines exclaimed. "How short-sighted am I?! Forgive me, _please_ , Maya! It's your turn to ply me with details now and tell me all about how the gown shopping excursion went tonight?"

Maya let out a soundless, long-suffering sigh. Her fiancé really wasn't a bad guy, just an utterly obtuse one. Seriously, like most men, he _truly_ had _no clue whatsoever_!

"After a series of _misses_ , I suppose the last shop was _eventually_ a _hit_ ," she replied hollowly. "Your famous friend, Porfirio, had some pretty nice gowns, and managed to squeeze me in for a fitting. Mystic Mildred decided we'd take that one model she mentioned to you on the phone, and he told me since you're _such a dear friend to him,_ he'll try _really_ hard to get his best seamstresses on the immediate _daunting task_ of getting together _all_ _the extra material_ he'll need to make _a size 4_ within the tight timeline, since the sample sizes I was stuffing myself into all afternoon were all _size 2_!"

"There's no need to worry your fiancée about whether or not you'll have your dress ready in time, Mystic Maya," Mildred informed her crisply. "The designer won't need to bother _custom creating_ your gown whatsoever. I took the liberty of ordering the dress in Magnolia white, _right off the rack,_ and he's going to have it shipped over from his Sacramento warehouse. Your first bridal fitting for it will be within a fortnight, _guaranteed_."

" _Guaranteed_?" Maya gawked at her. "But he made _such_ a big deal out of saying how he was the most sought-after designer in town and he couldn't possibly ensure such a miracle! However did _you_ manage to get him to promise to have the dress, in _my_ _size_ , in time for the wedding when he's so busy?"

"Simple." The Dragon Lady replied smugly folding her arms across her chest. "I ordered it _in a size 2_ , which he has in _abundance_ , and _I_ was the one who had to promise _him_ you'd fit into it _in exactly 2 weeks_. Effective tomorrow, Mystic Maya, you are to commence the _exact_ same wedding diet your hard-working fiancée has been on for the past 6 months!"

"That's a _great_ idea, Mildred!" Longines clapped his hands. "We can be each other's diet buddy, and _motivate_ each other, Maya! We'll be in the _best shape of our lives_ for the nuptials!"

" _D-diet_?" Maya stammered, her head starting to spin. " _Two-weeks_?!"

Mildred consulted her notebook and shoved the page bearing the new meal plan at the bride-to-be, unaware that Maya's temper was nearing its breaking point as she scanned the world's most _absurdly stringent, unspeakable and pretentious_ _diet_ _since_ _**Atkins**_!

* * *

 **Pre-Morning:**

 _Two, glasses of alkalised water with apple cider vinegar, then a smoothie of blended alkalised viater, organic spirulina, activated almonds, maca, blueberries, stevia, coconut kefir, and two organic, free-range eggs._

 **Breakfast 8.30 AM**

 _Sprouted millet, sorghum, chia and buckwheat bread, with liver pate, avocado, cultured vegetables, plus ginger and liquorice root tea._

 **Lunch 12.30pm**

 _Fresh fish, sautéed kole and broccoli, spinach and avocado salad, cultured vegies._

 **Snack 3:00 PM**

 _Activated almonds, coconut chips, cacao nibs, plus green too._

 **Dinner 6.30 PM**

 _Emu meatballs, sautéed vegies, cultured vegetables, plus a cup of ginger and liquorice root teas_

 **Snack 8.30 PM**

 _A homemade coconut, carob, blueberry, goji and stevia muffin, and a chamomile lea._

* * *

"I hope you enjoyed your burgers in Australia, Mystic Maya." Mildred was oblivious to the dangerous warning glint within the Master's dark orbs. "I have already instructed the chef in Kurain to cease making all burgers and fatty foods that are not on this menu, _posthaste_! You shall be following this cleansing eating plan _to a T_ , unless you want to burst through the seams of that _charity_ wedding gown!"

 _That_ _ **does**_ _it!_ _ **That's**_ _the straw that broke the camel's back!_

Every violated phrase was like gasoline to it, but these final words were the fueling spark that finally ignited the wrath which had been building up like burning molten lava within her.

The Master had _withstood_ the indignities Mildew had hurled at her about Misty's _scandalous,_ _not-so-blushing_ bridal history and how Maya's vanquished virginity would be tarnishing her _own_ bridal status. She had _endured_ the torturous wedding gown fittings for a dress she didn't even want when she'd cruelly been denied wearing her own beloved mother's dress. She had _kept her mouth shut_ while her fiancé and his minions had decided to make the floral scheme _pink_ and have flowers with the name of her despised cousin … But _now_ she wouldn't even be able to have _burgers_?! To _hell_ with _that_! Enough was _enough_!

The Master's curled up fists began to shake as she felt her blood pressure skyrocketing, until her entire body was quaking with rage as her blood boiled over.

Recognizing the warning signs of her cousin about to _erupt like a volcano_ , Pearl instinctively covered her ears and ducked her head.

Maya clenched her jaw, a vein bulging in her head as she snapped her head up and subjected a lethal glare at the irksome triad seated across from her in the limousine: Armstrong Longines, and Mildew – _especially Mildew_. One hand fisted, digging nails into her skin until it turned white, forearm and bicep forming a tense 45 degree angle at her side.

Not even thinking, she acted on pure instinct. Quick as lightning, her other arm shot out towards the offending trio, pointer finger outstretched in an all-too-familiar declaration of protest and accusation. Eyes blazing like twin onyx infernos, the fury fueling them was matched only by the resounding strike of her voice. Like a clap of thunder, the sound bounced off the walls of the backseat space, causing it to echo threateningly.

" _OBJECTION_!"

Longines, Mildew and Armstrong all froze in place, a lead weight in the pits of their stomachs at the deafening, almost ethereal reverb that assaulted their auditory appendages, their eyes the size of saucers.

"Longines there is only _so far_ I can be _pushed to the edge_ before I finally _snap_!" Her voice was shaking with fury. "And I have been known to endure _a lot_ for people I care about, but I have _officially_ reached the end of my rope, do you hear me?! I have agreed to _everything_ you have said because this was _your dream_ , and you have been so good to both me and my little girl since I have known you. Be that as it may, what you're asking for requires a _saintly_ amount of patience and tolerance that I _never_ proclaimed to have, and I shamelessly confess to having zero desire to being a doormat! I _refuse_ to go along with these _shenanigans_ for another minute!"

Hurt and angry tears filled her eyes.

"You just – _accosted_ us right after a draining business trip on the other side of the planet, not caring to even letting us unwind, then proceeded to _inconsiderately_ drag us around town, like a couple of rag dolls, _undermining my every input_ while making me bend to _your_ every whim! How could you do that to me?! Do my feelings mean so little to you in the end? Are you nothing but another _heartless, selfish billionaire_ after all?!"

"Maya, _please_ don't say such things!" Longines's eyes were wide with shock and dismay. "I had no idea…"

"It's _my_ wedding too!" A tear of frustration rolled down her face. "Or have you _forgotten_ entirely that this isn't a _one-man-show_? Can't you see how _miserable_ you're making me? Realize how _alienated_ all this is making me feel? Or do you just not _care_ about anything but your _own_ desires, so long as you have a _Stepford trophy wife_ on your arm at the end of the day?!"

"Sweet lady, forgive me." Longines saw the droplet rolling down her angry, rosy cheek, and with surprising tenderness, reached up and wiped it away with his thumb. "Forgive this foolish man for being temporarily _blindsided_ by all the _glitz and glamour of a dream wedding_ and momentarily forgetting that at the end of the day, _nothing_ means more to me than _you_."

Her lips parted to speak again, but he pressed a gentle finger to her lips, silencing her.

"It didn't occurred to me how these impromptu commands have made you suffer so, and it breaks my heart that you were willing to endure all of this _… for me_. Up until this moment, I never realized just what a fortunate man I truly am, to have such a noble-hearted, selfless woman as my future wife. I give you my word, going forward, I'll _never_ again take you for granted, nor take advantage of your kindness, and that all decisions from here on shall be discussed and made together, _my fiery femme_."

Pearl's heart sank down to her shoes as she noted the wonderment and admiration in the blond man's adoring orbs as he gazed at her stupefied cousin, the same way one would look at the beauty of the sunset over the mountainous horizon.

"I feel this _strange sensation_ creeping up in my chest..." Longines murmured, clasping his hands against his heart in his typically exaggerated, dramatic manner.

 _It's like watching_ _ **a comet rapidly orbiting towards the earth**_ _!_ The teen realized with panic. _I need to_ _ **stop it now**_ _before_ _ **disaster**_ _strikes!_

"It's probably _heartburn_!" Pearl offered quickly, reaching into her purse for a roll of pastel, chalky Tums and smiling angelically as she held the roll of round tablets out. " _Antacid_?"

Armstrong barely swallowed back a high-pitched giggle at this, which he quickly attempted to mask as a series of sneezes.

Mildew just eyed Pearl stonily.

Maya was too befuddled by the bizarre proclamation to notice anything but the tenderness in the profound blue eyes boring into hers.

Oblivious to everything but his fiancée, Longines continued to stare Maya like a lovesick schoolboy, in _exactly the same way_ , Pearl noticed, with a terrible feeling of _dread_ rising within her, which _Luke_ gazed at _her_.

"And I feel this unfamiliar sensation of butterflies in my stomach..." the billionaire cooed, making the sensation in Pearl's _own_ stomach rapidly morph into impending _nausea_!

"It's probably _gas_!" At this point the spirit medium had ceased trying to be polite or tactful and would have moved _heaven and earth_ to avert the _impending disaster_ she sensed about to happen! She frenetically dug into her purse for another bottle and smiled benignly as she waved it under the hair heir's nose. " _Beano_?"

Maya barely choked back a horrified laugh as her head swiveled to abruptly to gawk at her cousin and her _ready-disposal_ of _embarrassing pharmaceutical aids_ she'd packed for the Outback trip.

 _Seriously?! Did my little girl just offer my fiancé_ _ **anti-flatulence**_ _pills?!_

Unmindful to everything around him, Longines was now clutching his heart as he swooned.

"And now, I feel this _fire_ _searing_ within my chest..."

 _Ewww! I know_ _ **that**_ _look too! Like a_ _ **ravenous dog**_ _salivating over a juicy bone!_ _ **That's**_ _the way Uncle Larry looks at..._ _ **everybody!**_

"Sounds like could be a _heart attack_!" Pearl noted with as much concern as she could muster, in order to disguise the growing alarm in her voice as she desperately held out her cell phone. " _Ambulance_?"

Longines ignored thus offer as well and lunged at Maya, grandly sliding over in his seat and yanking her against his chest until they were nose to nose.

 _Mayday! This is worse than a train wreck!_ Pearl's eyes widened in horror. _**Somebody**_ _do_ _ **something**_ _!_

"Longines perhaps you've had a few too many _rum ball samples_ and _mimosas_ during those menu tastings..." Armstrong interjected desperately, obviously as dismayed at what was transpiring before him as _Pearl_ was, if not _more_ so!

"Such _fire_! Such _burning passion_! And soon it's going to be _all mine_!" Longines breathed against Maya's incredulous, wide eyed face. "Did _anyone_ ever tell you how intoxicatingly _beautiful_ you are when you're angry, my hotheaded beauty?"

 _What in the_ _ **world**_? Mildew's thin, veiny hand flew to her bony chest. _Does this mean he's not gay after all – just…European?! Did I go through the trouble of making this getaway plan for nothing?! Bah, who cares, too late to call them off now – no way am I gambling my future on the bridegroom's sudden turnabout of heterosexuality which may or may not flop back to indeterminable!_

Pearl felt her heart almost literally stand still as Longines stared into his fiancée's confused wide eyes.

"I never realized until this very instant how you set me _ablaze_ with that _fiery_ temper of yours!" The billionaire proclaimed with an ardor Maya had never seen before. "You have _invaded my mind_ and _flooded my senses_ with your very _essence_ , Maya Fey!"

And with that, the spellbound, (and _possibly_ _tipsy_ ) Longines Beaugosse proceeded to plant a big, wet, open-mouthed _smooch_ , right on the unsuspecting Kurain Master's lips.

Maya was too stunned to even reciprocate the gesture. While the sensation of the warm, insistent lips pressed against her own wasn't a completely _unpleasant_ sensation, it appeared so _unseemly_ to have their _first kiss_ be in front of _so many witnesses_ , and was the first time _any_ sort of beyond platonic physical interaction had _ever_ transpired between the two of them – _ever_!

It was also most certainly the first time _any_ man _other than_ _Phoenix Wright_ had ever placed his lips on _any part of her body_.

The delayed realization of that _second_ factor resulted in the hot tears of confusion stinging the back of her eyes. Fortunately for her, by the time her fiancé pulled back from his crushing embrace, her damp, red orbs appeared to be interpreted as a sign of happy bridal emotion on her part, as though she'd been completely _moved_ by her betrothed's swooping gesture, rather than feeling like her head was swarming over mystification about this sudden turnabout.

She wasn't the only one whose eyes weren't completely dry in that limousine. Only Mildew maintained her impassive, haughty countenance. Armstrong looked as though _he_ were about to burst into tears as well – _albeit for entirely_ _ **different**_ _reas_ ons! – and the heartsick Pearl was rapidly blinking back her own disconsolate tears as well.

Suddenly the teen felt her phone vibrate in her purse. It was an email from her best friend... _Finally_!

The message had been sent during the day, around noon, but for some reason, her telecom carrier had delayed sending the email right until that very moment.

 _ **Hey Pearly! I am so sorry I totally forgot about calling you back to let you know about my Daddy! Don't worry, he's fine, and Phoenix Wright is a complete free bird now…**_

 _Great_! Pearl thought sourly, momentarily forgetting her misery about the _harrowing_ scene she'd just witnessed. _**Now**_ _she tells me!_

The adults were now discussing some ludicrous details about the wedding.

Longines was now sulking about his fiancée's refusal to allow a _Cirque du S_ oleil sort of performance at the reception _plus_ the fact that Maya was now _desperately_ trying to rationalize the impracticality of _riding an elephant down the aisle_ , explaining how the village's _mountainous air_ would be _terrible_ for the creature, not to mention the _mess_ it could potentially leave in its wake, _in more ways_ than _one_!

 _What a_ _ **crappy**_ _way to start off a marriage indeed_ …Pearl thought darkly, with uncustomary waspishness.

Armstrong was trying to appeal to the fact that the blond was _not Hindu_ and the customary accompanying turban normally worn by elephant-riding Indian bridegrooms would more than likely ruin his _perfect coiffure_!

Both the assistant and Maya completely sided with Mildew's negation of Longines's alternative suggestions of _riding in on a snow white Bengal tiger_ or walking down the aisle with _two_ of the _endangered wild beasts_ _on leashes_ , citing it would be not only _impractical_ but nearly _impossible_! The old woman wisely and hastily offered the possibility of the groom riding in on a decorated _white horse_ instead, as an equally showy but less hazardous, and _PETA-friendly_ alternative!

Heaving a disgusted sigh, Pearl turned back to Trucy's email.

 _ **So that creepy German, "a friend" of Daddy's all this time, was the real killer who tried to frame him! He was this shark-eyed man with a very dark aura, whom I never liked! He gave me the heebie-jeebies and Daddy was always so tense whenever he was around! I never understood why they were friends in the first place! Anyway, that nasty defense attorney Kristoph Gavin, who I'm sure I've mentioned to you over the years... he's behind bars where he belongs!**_

"I really don't see what's wrong with wanting _a petting zoo_!" Longines cried indignantly. "On top of being _adorable_ , any baby goats that are there will be great for _consuming any excess weeds or vines_ that you want to get rid of, in a _safe and environmentally-sound manner_!"

Biting back an angry mutter at the latest Groomzilla efforts to obliterate poor Maya's desire for simpler, low-key nuptials and thus turning everything into an indisputably _gaudy, three-ring circus_ instead, Pearl returned her attentions back to the message.

* * *

 _ **Unfortunately, for reasons I can't get into right now (but will explain next time I see you – but may not be for a while!) I'm surely going to be grounded for life based on the text message I got from Daddy this morning!**_

 _ **It said: "Trucy Hecate Wright...I know where you work. You can't hide forever. You'll have to come home eventually ..."**_

 _ **Holy Siegfried and Roy am I in big trouble!**_

 _ **Maybe I'll just tell you next time we chat, assuming he doesn't suspend my Skype/phone privileges whenever I do return home!**_

 _ **Anyway, I swear I wasn't ignoring your calls or messages. I had my phone on silent mode since I went to work last night and then had to rush to school this morning. I didn't even go home – I crashed at my friend Jinxie's house - remember her from my birthday party? She says "hi".**_

 _ **This means I also didn't have a change of clothes, so here's a selfie of me having to wear one of her kimonos! Good thing we're the same size! Everyone keeps asking us if we're trying to be twins! They're so silly! I mean Jinxie Tenma is pretty and all… but hello?! Do I look Asian to you?!**_

 _ **Anyway I'm really sorry that I probably had you worried sick! PLEASE still love me bestie, BFF, heterosexual life partner of mine! I'm risking detention if the teacher busts me sneaking this message to you in class, so that counts for something right?!**_

 _ **OK, I love you, bye-bye!  
Trucy**_

* * *

It was nearly 7:00 PM now. Trucy would be working at The Wonder Bar at the moment, so being able to talk to her now was out of the question, even if Pearl _wasn't_ surrounded at the moment!

Sighing soundlessly, the relieved but still _slightly_ annoyed spirit medium turned her attentions back to the adults.

"We don't need to make all of our decisions now," Longines was telling Mildred and Armstrong, his arm draped possessively around Maya's shoulders. "After all, I know _I_ wouldn't care for Maya making such huge, executive decisions without _my_ input as I've been doing to her, so I shall not proceed to make _any more_ until I have calmly and rationally discussed them with her."

He affectionately placed a loud kiss on the Kurain leader's still-flushed cheek.

"After, of course, when the poor thing has had a chance to have _a proper mea_ l and _a good night's rest_! The diet is _completely optional_ , of course, although if _you_ can think of a _better_ way to fit into a gown _two sizes down_ in _two weeks_ , sweetie, _do_ let me know! I'm sick of this stringent meal plan already myself!"

Maya smiled uncomfortably and merely nodded her acquiescence, still unsure of how this sudden turnabout in her fiancé's behavior made her feel. What did all of this _mean_? Did he actually have _feelings_ for her after all? Did he intend for their marriage to be a _real_ one and no longer one of mere convenience? Did _she_ want any of that? _She_ had no clue _what_ to think anymore! It was all happening like a whirlwind, and she didn't know how to handle it!

It was too much, too soon, too fast…

 _What do_ _ **I**_ _want? I_ _ **thought**_ _I knew. Now I don't know_ _ **anything**_ _anymore._

Maya shut her eyes and focused on taking deep, calming breaths to restore her accelerated heart rate back to a normal pace.

 _Some days I need love._

 _Some days I need sex._

 _Some days I don't need shit from anyone._

 _Some days I want to save the world._

 _Some days I can do nothing but watch it burn._

 _Some days I feel so alive._

 _Some days I barely survive…_

* * *

 _ **Linkin Park - One Step Closer (opening chapter quote)  
Coldplay - Clocks**_

 _A/N: Thanks to wonderful reader Ariastella once more, for lending a hand with some florist 411 in this chapter! She's written some wonderful additional components to TE - The Warden, Prison is a Punishment! Check it out!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 134**

 **Ilet Moratar**

Indeed Jean Armstrong is a very nauseating character and evidently you were not the first reader ready to lose her lunch with my vivid description his "Pauf"-iness! But evidently this means I probably also wrote him right so I'm not apologizing! :p

I wish I could tell you that you would need to take an anti-nausea pill again because Jean would no longer be in the story but he plays a pretty integral part of this next story arc and plot line… Which I hope you still enjoy because you have to admit the man is comic _gold_ \- a living breathing joke if there ever was one! LOL

 **Chapter 135**

 **Ilet Moratar**

Poor Maya is indeed caught in a spider's web… A web of lies and half-truths and deceit. She could've potentially been happy somewhat had it not been for the Dragon lady's interference here since she genuinely does have affection for Longines and the two of them are good friends but unfortunately he has fallen victim to the same web she has but is completely unaware of it. Can she survive this? Number one thing about Maya Fey and why I love her – the woman has survived canon wise being charged for murder _three_ times, being kidnapped, nearly starved to death and nearly murdered by Nick's psychotic ex-girlfriend – not to mention me nearly killing her via frozen boulder in this story – that girl is pretty bad ass! Stay tuned! :)

 **Eveshowrtc**

There are no words to describe the joy I feel that you not only have similar music taste but that you refer to this fan fiction as literature, dear reader!

Glad to see them not the only key states in mind when it comes to Ace Attorney! Cindy Stone's murder was noted in the form that I'm in online, with the fitting punny yet awful mock newspaper headlined an article accompanying it " _Cindy Gets Stoned_!"

Holy cow, do you guys realize its 2016 and we're _literally_ living in the Ace Attorney timeline now, circa game one!?

I know the character Colias Palaeno from the Miles game very well kinda thought he was an underwhelming character to be honest but if you want to go by the overly tanned blonde haired blue-eyed vibe I'd like to think my character Longines was a slightly better looking version of him! His appearance is definitely flamboyant to be construed as gay, although after this chapter hopefully you decided a bit more with you like him or not… And whether or not he is indeed a man who does not prefer the fairer sex or Mildew panicked for nothing it turns out this could be real marriage after all… :p

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

 _Ding dong the witch_ is dead, despite my love of putting songs into the story as well as a chapter titles, is probably not be one that is featured in TE, as I do try to stray from gristly character debts of much as possible… Although given how much may readers hate Mildew might make an exception! LOL

I'm glad that although acknowledging you will never have to deal with the plight of being Maya Fey or being a woman in general when it comes to weddings, you can still sympathize with the poor girl. Yes indeed, when you're saying your prayers later, you can thank God that you were born as _the gender with outdoor plumbing_ for more reasons than one! Aside from getting to _write your name in snow_ , you'll never know the pain of wedding dress shopping or a corset! And when your big day comes, as groom, all _you_ have to do is _show up_! Unless you turn into a semi - Groomzilla like Longines then… I don't know! XD

You hit the nail on the head Mildew's plan is to rob them blind but keeping in mind the wedding is two months away and she's not a _complete_ idiot and know she can get away with completely failing to pay the bill because there would still be enough time to be found out and have the vendors be complaining about lack of payment if she were to do that. Instead her game plan is going to consist of padding the numbers and skimming off the top the way she did with cabin rental accessories -there's no coincidence that she finally made Maya settle for an $80K dress and you can bet your bottom dollar that Longines will be getting a bill for over $100K and be none the wiser! ;)

As for Phoenix and Maya… It's sort of hard to forget your first love, even if at this point you still do think he left you for your cousin! Edgeworth _tried_ to get Nick to run to Maya now that he's not on trial for murder anymore, but the poor guy he thinks his ex is getting married to a man that _she loves..._ And after reading this chapter, one might find it safe to assume that at the very least… Said man she's marrying actually seems to love _her_ , anyway… ;)

 **chloemcg**

Good Day Milady. My birthday was yesterday and I've managed to get three days off as a mini vacation so it has been, as you adorably put it, a jolly good time indeed! :)

Don't give Mildew too much credit – I don't think The Dragon Lady has paid too much mind to Maya's ex whatsoever, except when it comes to strategically taunting her about the fact that _he's_ the reason she is not going to be a virginal bride! XD

The wicked one's entire reason for being at this point is to have her own pockets and she happens to make Maya's life miserable the entire process, so _much the better_!

Maya is a pretty terrific person, so she really doesn't have a lot of skeletons she can be blackmailed about (especially with Phoenix the longer being in her life!) Instead, Mildew managed to sucker punch her in the bread basket, not by blackmailing her, but appealing to both her and Longines' philanthropic natures… pretty crafty, when you think of it! What kind of woman, (or man!) especially one who grew up parentless, would ever take money from widows and orphans, right?

And now is absolutely not wrong to want to hurt an OC few things bring me greater pleasure than to know my readers can have such reactions provoked in them by character that I created from the depths of my diabolical mind!

As for Nick… At this point he still doesn't know the Pink Princess actually needs to be rescued… and who would tell him…? ;)

 **DannyDragon**

Wedding dresses are the new hell, didn't you know? At this point Maya probably wants to strangle either herself, or Mildew, with that cathedral veil! :p

I really tried hard to make Longines appear to be still be a likable character he genuinely does care a lot about Maya in the honestly is just a bit of a foppish man who wouldn't have minded having a bit more of a splashy affair for his wedding, which Mildew had no problem manipulating him into admitting!

While there is a new nightmare mi amiga musica… Yzma from the Emperor's New Groove dating Kristoph Gavin… Indeed they are _made from the same wo_ od (I hopefully have proven at this point that you don't need to _kill someone_ in order to be an evil, despicable character!) Just toss Dahlia Hawthorne into the mix and you literally have the threesome from hell! XD

I am always touched when my readers check out my other works! I look forward to your feedback! :)

 **Feraligreater328**

I'm delighted to make two of my favorite people affirm they did the right thing on their wedding day by skipping all the fancy BS and just wearing a T-shirt and existing dress! Too much pretension gives one a nosebleed!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Bill Gates is worth roughly $78.5 billion, and gives _a lot_ of that away to charity. Longines, who I've decided to make _ever-so-slightly poorer_ than that, is also a multi-billionaire, and with the country of Tuvalu having a GDP of a mere _32 million_ , could easily pay more than that in taxes…hence his philanthropy! :)

Engagement rings, wedding rings… _suffering_ …poor Maya is really feeling the weight of the last legendary ring of marriage right about now!

 **Thepudz**

 _... The hell kind of name is Féfé?_

It's pronounced "Fee-Fee" but only because I thought Muffy was too obnoxious! XD

Wedding dresses reuses medieval torture device is historically didn't you know? The same could also be said for waist-cinching undergarments traditionally made of _whalebone_ … Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean put it perfectly:

 _"You want to know pain? Try wearing a corset!"_

We can't deck Mildew _just yet_ … Although it is nice to see that Pearl was good and ready to do so and has graduated from slapping to punching as she's grown older and stronger? :p

 **Ryszard**

 _Willkommen zurück Ich habe dich vermisst!_

Of course I remember you! Not too many readers write to me in European languages (just English this time? LOL) and still hold the title of favorite European male reader!

I do hope you're able to give me your thoughts as you play catch up with the last few chapters and I also wanted to sincerely thank you for reminding me about the upcoming Phoenix and Maya! As much as I love the anime I _hate_ the fact that they ruined that and made the storyline start in April just because the show did… Ace Attorney readers have known for _15 years_ that September 5 is Phoenix and Maya day!

I absolutely will not only have my _own_ one-shot in commemoration of this wonderful event since we are now officially in 2016 and Ace Attorney timeline, but will be working on a collaborative one with my two favorite FF boys, the talented ThePudz and Yanmegan!

 _Als mein Dank_ for the reminder - Keep an eye out for both as well as the fact that I'm dedicating my individual one to you for reminding me about paying homage to my favorite OTP! :)

 **Yanmegaman**

 _Ah yes. Maya's greatest foe; the Circus King! His diabolical army has wrought destruction all across the land! Ah, yet another truly fantastic chapter! So, the pre-wedding arc will be over soon? Does that mean we could possibly be seeing more of the 'King of Being Fine' soon! Can't wait!_

I have no idea _how_ you managed to convey, with a few short sentences, material that is more hilarious than most of my comedic chapters combined but… Seriously bud, you da man! :)

I wonder if Moe the Clown who now runs the Berry Circus would qualify as the Circus King or just _King of Pain_ because that's what _you're_ in when suffering his unfunny jokes? XD

We're still in the Apollo Justice timeline and will absolutely be seeing more of Polly soon enough, but first I have to write everybody's teeth the sugary fluffiness of next chapter!


	137. How Will I Know

_There's a boy I know, he's the one I dream of  
Looks into my eyes, takes me to the clouds above, mm mm  
Oh I lose control, can't seem to get enough, uh huh  
When I wake from dreaming, tell me is it really love, ooo_

 _How will I know (Don't trust your feelings)  
How will I know  
How will I know (Love can be deceiving)  
How will I know  
How will I know if he really loves me_

 _I say a prayer with every heart beat  
I fall in love whenever we meet  
I'm asking you what you know about these things  
How will I know if he's thinking of me  
I try to phone but I'm too shy (can't speak)  
Falling in love is so bitter sweet  
This love is strong why do I feel weak_

 _Oh, wake me, I'm shaking, wish I had you near me now, uh huh  
Said there's no mistaking, what I feel is really love, ooo tell me_

 _How will I know (Don't trust your feelings)  
How will I know  
How will I know (Love can be deceiving)  
How will I know…  
_

* * *

 _A/N: I hope you all enjoy this this prelude to fluffiness which continues next chapter later this week..._ _plus...I am super-stoked to announce me and the talented duo of Yanmegman and ThePudz are working on a one-shot collaboration in commemoration of **Phoenix and Maya Day** , which is September 5, 2016! Keep an eye out for " **Say Hello to Yesterday** " :)_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven:** **How Will I Know**

 _ **Iris Hawthorne and Sister Bikini**_  
 _Hazakura Temple_  
February 14, 2026 6:45 AM

 _Focus, Iris!_ The shrine maiden groaned and mentally berated herself for the umpteenth time as she hit _another_ off-note on the black and white keys. _Clear your mind of all distractions and just_ _ **concentrate**_ _on the music and disregard what_ _ **that dream**_ _must have meant!_

Furious with her psyche for the _inappropriate trances_ her subconscious had somehow been allowing – now the _fourth week in a row! –_ she'd risen from her restless sleep at dawn and attempted to take a stab at her musician skills in efforts to forget the _reoccurring visions_ that had been haunting her slumber for the _twelfth night in a row_!

Her graceful fingers were poised over the ivories of the ancient upright piano in the main hall of Hazakura Temple at the moment, where she'd been trying, with _zero success_ thus far, to perfect "The Wedding March" for the past hour, while fruitlessly trying to squelch memories of that _vivid dream,_ which _still_ made her cheeks redden when she remembered its illicit nature!

Alas, both efforts were exercises in futility.

 _Every single time_ she'd tried to get past the first few bars of the musical piece that brides traditionally walked down the aisle to, she found her mind drifting and wandering away from the tune, replaced with wistful thoughts she had _no business thinking,_ and found herself unconsciously playing not _wedding_ , but _love_ songs _._ Moreover _,_ tunes having _nothing_ to do with her cousin's upcoming nuptials and all to do with her _own_ unattainable, latent desires, which were getting increasingly difficult to ignore or dismiss as mere _fleeting flights of fancy_ , and _naught_ else!

"Oh for _heaven's sake_! It was _another lifetime ago_ that you had your college music lessons, so it's high time to dust off these _out-of-tune fingers_ and _perfect_ your rusty pianist skills, Iris Hawthorne!" She muttered to herself disgustedly. "Maya's hardly going to appreciate this attempted peace offering of playing her entrance music if you don't get this _right_! She is only going to end up _hating_ you _, even_ _ **more**_ than she _already_ _does,_ if you can't even do _this_ much for her, and ultimately end up _ruining her ceremony_ by screwing up her aisle debut! So get your act together already!"

Lifting her chin with determination, the nun once again resumed the ceremonial melody. Despite her best intentions, however, she once more found her brain aimlessly veering towards other _forbidden territories_ while her fingers began to move, as though having a mind of their own, playing a familiar song. It was one she remembered from her days posing as Dahlia, when she'd been dating Phoenix.

Almost against her own volition, and without even realizing it, Iris didn't realize she'd actually begun singing along the arduous lyrics of "Love Somebody" by Maroon 5.

* * *

 _ **I know your insides are feeling so hollow  
And it's a hard pill for you to swallow, yeah  
But if I fall for you, I'll never recover  
If I fall for you, I'll never be the same**_

 _ **I really wanna love somebody  
I really wanna dance the night away  
I know we're only half way there  
But you can take me all the way, if you take me all the way  
I really wanna touch somebody  
I think about you every single day  
I know we're only half way there  
But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way**_

 _ **You're such a hard act for me to follow  
Love me today don't leave me tomorrow, yeah  
But if I fall for you, I'll never recover  
If I fall for you, I'll never be the same**_

 _ **I really wanna love somebody  
I really wanna dance the night away  
I know we're only half way there  
But take me all the way, if you can take me all the way  
I really wanna touch somebody  
I think about you every single day  
I know we're only half way there  
But you can take me all the way, if you can take me all the way…  
**_

* * *

Iris was so engrossed in the harmony that she didn't even hear her adopted mother's polite cough behind her, until Sister Bikini tapped her shoulder and was practically _on top of her_ , making the shrine maiden nearly leap off the piano bench in fright.

" _Gah_!"

"Oh my goodness!" The tiny nun's plump hand clutched her ample bosom, a look of genuine dismay on her rosy cheeks as she placed a hand on her daughter's arm. "I didn't mean to startle you so, dear girl! Do forgive me."

Iris flushed remorsefully as she realized she'd just been caught in the act of practising music which had _zilch_ to do with her cousin's upcoming nuptials. She loathed the idea of her darling second mother thinking she was wasting time lollygagging on the piano, when there was so much that still had to be done to prepare for Maya's wedding, which the good sister would be officiating.

"Don't be silly. There's _nothing_ to forgive. If anything, _I_ should be apologizing to you, Sister Bikini. I never intended to wake you, considering I kept you up so late the other night with my piano playing at such _ungodly hours_!"

"At least this time it was actually _you_ playing, and you weren't _sleepwalking_ due to _sleep channeling_ _yet_ _**again**_ , and hammering out _Beethoven's 5_ _th_ _Symphony_!" The jovial nun let out a booming laugh. "Fewer things are _more harrowing_ than stumbling awake in the middle of the night and seeing your daughter tickling the ivories, _still in her own original form_ , yet somehow miraculously having channeled _only the hands_ of a long dead German composer! Wa ha ha ho ho ho!"

"I'm so sorry about that." The raven-haired brunette hung her head in shame. "I know you and Mystic Matilda have been doing your best to tap into what you both believe are my _latent spiritual powers_ , but it's been a year now, and I really think you two should just _give up on me_! I am simply unable to _control_ _the actions_ of the spirits that take over my body, any more than I can control _who_ the spirits _are_!"

Her eyes swam with tears of frustration and embarrassment.

"I'm _supposed_ to be channeling one of _our own dearly departed relatives_ , or at _least_ somebody that I actually _intended_ to! But I simply _cannot_ , ergo, because of _me_ , you and Mystic Matilda have been forced to carry around that cumbersome _spirit severing stick_ , just in case I _once more_ happen to _randomly channel_ Martin Luther King again! I hate myself for being such a terrible burden to you both…"

"Don't be so hard at yourself, sweet girl." Sister Bikini gave her cheek a consoling, maternal pat. "Number one, this handy severing stick _doubles up quite well_ as a walking stick for me in my old age, so it's no burden at all, any more than _you_ are! And number two, both Matilda and I _thoroughly enjoyed_ hearing the full rendition of the blessed late reverend's famous "I Have a Dream" speech!"

The nun's good-natured, patient disposition somehow only made Iris feel worse.

"Be that as it may, it _still_ doesn't change the fact that as of yet, I am unable to control my powers, _such as they were_!" Iris sniffled miserably. "I know the two of you had _a very important mission_ to train me for in the first place, but thus far, I've been unable to assist you with it… because I'm nothing more than _a complete_ ly _disappointing_ _failure_!"

"Rome wasn't built in one day," Sister Bikini counselled sagaciously. "These things take time, my child. You had many years of repressing your abilities because of your subconscious fear of allowing yourself _to lose full control of your body_ and _freeing your mind_ _and soul_ to allow entrance to the spirit world. This was _on top of a lifetime_ of being told you had _no spiritual powers_ , merely because _your mother and sister_ didn't! And neither of those _vile creatures_ did a blasted thing to suppress your innate paranoia about somehow inadvertently channeling an evil entity!"

"That's true," Iris admitted. "If a medium as powerful as Mystic Misty couldn't control my sister's evil spirit, after all, what chance would _I_ have?"

"Dahlia was more of a monstrous _demon_ than a mere _spirit_ , long since banished to the depths of Hades, where she can never harm anyone here on earth again," the good nun promised her daughter. "Now that we have managed to squash these forebodings of yours, I can assure you, the fact you're even able to channel _whatsoever_ is _great headway indeed_ , believe you me!"

"If you _say_ so. " Iris remained a tad uncertain as she dabbed at her watery eyes. "The two of you have been so unbelievably supportive and kind ...I just don't want let either one of you down! It seems to be _all_ that I do to people I care for…"

"We _both_ know that's not true! You really need to give yourself a break, my child. I don't want you to be needlessly _lambasting_ yourself over your late bloomer skills with spirit channeling, any more than I want you to castigate yourself about your temporary inability to focus on the music you want to play for Mystic Maya's wedding!"

Sister Bikini decided the time had come to change the subject, as she knew that if she allowed her daughter to continue spiralling down this despairing path, she might never be able to return back from it.

"I can't say I'm overly familiar with that little ditty I just heard you playing, as I'm not all in the loop with the music of you young folks, despite hearing what you occasionally play on the radio in your room when you _think_ I've gone to bed," she said innocently. "But it sounded quite nice - albeit rather _poignant_ , considering it _is_ Valentine's Day! And you _do_ have a beau _whom you love,_ down in the city, _do you not_?"

"It is Valentine's Day _already_?" Iris squirmed uncomfortably at the knowing look in those wise old eyes. "I tend to lose track of the days, being all the way up here in the mountains, you know."

"It's been some time since I've seen that handsome boyfriend of yours," Sister Bikini pointedly remarked. "Did the two of you have anything planned for today? Is he _finally_ going to pay you a visit?"

"Feenie works nights at the bar on weekends, and being a single father, is quite busy, and hence, is scant of free time." Iris looked away, hating to lie to the most important person in her life, but having no choice but to do so. "As it is, I've been so preoccupied trying to get Eagle Mountain and the guest cabins ready for the wedding, _I_ haven't even been paying attention to things like this either! I'm sure he'll give me a call later today, when he's got the chance."

"I _see_ …" The elderly nun didn't even bother trying to hide the scepticism in her voice. "Was _Phoenix_ the one you were practising that _lovely song_ for just now, which I _happened_ to overhear?"

Iris felt a heady blush mounting on her cheeks.

"Or was the _other_ tune I heard you playing the night before last dedicated to your beloved? Do you remember which one?" The smirking nun prompted. "It was shortly after that _delightful Mr. Butz_ had left from having dinner with us, after helping you carry all those piles of wood for the fireplaces in the guest cabins."

"I – I thought you'd gone to bed," Iris mumbled, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her! She knew _very well_ which song Sister Bikini – whom she'd _sworn_ had gone to bed! – was referring to. It was the classic Whitney Houston tune, "How Will I Know."

The lyrics were about the female protagonist trying to discern if the boy she liked would ever like her back. The late songbird's classic hit tune was another song Iris remembered from her days masquerading as Feenie's "Dollie," yet Phoenix Wright was _not_ the man who'd inspired her to resume playing the piano once more. _Feenie_ wasn't the one who occupied her every waking thought; hadn't been since that fateful New Year's Eve after Maya's confrontation with her, which had had nearly led to the disaster of her secret promise to her ex-lover being revealed, had it not been for the gallant intervention of her artist saviour.

It was Larry, of course, that was the reason Iris was no longer able to focus on her tasks at hand, including _the most_ _ **menial**_ _ones like playing the piano_ _for a_ _ **simple ceremonial tune**_! Ever since her wonderful birthday portrait had been presented to her back in January, along with his emotional declaration of love, which he'd also made quite clear he had _no_ _intention_ of further pursuing, nor imagining would _ever_ be reciprocated, she hadn't been able to get the artist out of her mind.

She had been seeing him more and more often as the wedding drew nearer, as with Sister Bikini's advanced age and ailing back, the elderly nun was unable to do many of the chores required for regular maintenance and upkeep, as well as the additional tasks required during high tourist season in the cabins. These duties had only multiplied as Mystic Mildred had plied Iris with more and more things that needed to be done, often making her repeat the daily cleaning of the guest lodges until they had passed the elder's _white glove inspection!_ She would've wept several buckets of overwhelmed tears by now, had it not been for Larry's ever willing helping hand. She didn't know _what_ she would have done without him, with his crazy jokes and magnetic charm and infallible, constant smile.

It was said _contagious_ _smile_ that'd made her realize something about Larry; when he wasn't trying to _lay it on thick with the phoney womanizer schmaltz_ , underneath that goofy grin was the mug of a _very_ , _very cute_ guy indeed!

While not as classically handsome as Miles Edgeworth, nor in possession of the roguishly masculine sexiness the presently beanie-wearing Phoenix Wright had, Larry Butz still radiated a certain alluring aura that was all his own. In fact, the more Iris saw Larry, the cuter he seemed. She couldn't believe she'd never noticed that until now!

The artist had even swapped his everyday gear from his customary pink sweater with the monkey emblem and orange beret. Now he sported a pink beret and yellow blazer, patterned with pink hearts, over a black dress shirt and white tie. While the jacket itself was only slightly less garish than the sweater, and resembled something out of Elton John's closet, for some reason, the new look _suited_ him _quite well_ , although Iris was too shy and tongue tied around him to be able to voice these observations! And even if she _had_ been able to speak her _daily multiplying_ , innermost, harboured affections, at this point, she wasn't sure if it would've even _mattered_ anymore.

Although always pleasant and cordial, Larry had kept her at arm's length since his besotted confession, one which she was beginning to wonder if she had _outright_ _imagined_ , or he had _flat-out forgotten_ – or even more awful, _regretted_ even bringing to light, since he'd held her in nothing but friendly terms ever since! Perhaps he'd even given up on her entirely, since as far as _he_ knew, she was once again the girlfriend of his childhood best friend, and saw no point in carrying the torch for a woman he could never have.

How Iris yearned to tell him _the truth_! To let him know that as time went by, as she got to know him better, it was becoming more and more hopelessly apparent to her Larry's feelings _weren't unrequited_! With each passing day, _more than anything in the world_ , the nun wished she could cast everything aside and selfishly _plead_ with him not to give up on her … to swear that perhaps... _someday,_ _somehow_...there would be a chance for the two of them to be together, and _please_ not move on...or worse, _just up and leave_ one day and take her heart with him!

Assuming it wasn't already too late. It probably already was. After all, Larry was a sophisticated city slicker and universally-renowned artist, who'd had _dozens_ of _model-type_ girlfriends – it was a _miracle_ at all that a _plain shrine maiden in shapeless garbs,_ like herself, had _ever_ caught his attentions in the _first_ _place_!

But with her vow to Phoenix hanging over her head like a guillotine blade, what hope did she have of even trying to keep Larry's attentions, _without_ coming across as a _two-timing harlot_?!

"I guess I remembered Valentine's Day was looming and I was in a romantic mood thinking about Feenie – on _both_ occasions," Iris fibbed, in response to Sister Bikini's query, completely forgetting she had just pretended to feign ignorance about today's date. Obviously the _lying_ skill, when she wasn't playing stand-in girlfriend for her murderous twin sister, was one that had skipped her entirely!

"Of _course_." Sister Bikini gave a sly smile "For _Feenie_! How _silly_ of me not to have realized such a thing! Well, _regardless_ of what date is on the calendar, _time wise_ , it is still soon going to be _time for the most important meal of the day_! Why don't you head to the cabins and invite Larry over for breakfast? There's a lot of work to be done today, and I know he'll be _ever the eager beaver_ to help out! We can't have him laboring for us and running around an empty stomach!"

"That sounds like a great idea!" Iris agreed quickly, eager to get away from the nun's scrutinizing gaze. "I'll go let him know I'll have breakfast ready in about half an hour."

"Considering it's Cupid's special day, you shall not get _any judgement from me_ if you decide to make _heart-shaped pancakes_!" Sister Bikini called after the mortified shrine maiden as she dashed away from the temple and towards the cabins, her cheeks flaming.

* * *

 _ **Iris Hawthorne and Larry Butz  
**_ _Eagle Mountain Cabins  
_ February 14, 2026 7:00 AM

Iris paused outside of Larry's lodging, taking a deep, collective breath in an attempt to quell the nervous butterflies fluttering in her stomach. To her surprise, she heard soft music playing, along with the soft murmurings of an unfamiliar song, coming from within the cabin. Hating herself for being so nosy, she pressed her ear against the door to listen.

* * *

 _ **And I'd give up forever to touch you  
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
And I don't wanna go home right now**_

 _ **And all I can taste is this moment  
And all I can breathe is your life  
When sooner or later it's over  
I just don't wanna miss you tonight**_

 _ **And I don't want the world to see me  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am**_

 _ **And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming  
Or the moment of truth in your lies  
When everything feels like the movies  
Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive**_

 _ **And I don't want the world to see me  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am**_

 _ **And I don't want the world to see me  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am...  
**_

* * *

The song was unknown to her, and while there was some stumbling and fumbling of a few off-key notes coming from the unknown instrument being played, the voice of the singer was soft but sweet, with an undeniable sincerity emitting from it which made it pleasant to the ear, regardless. Iris closed her eyes as she listened, and didn't realize how intently she'd been leaning forward to do so, until she accidentally stumbled forward against the heavy wooden door, her unbalanced form landing against it with a _heavy_ _thud_ , as opposed to the _gentle knock_ she'd initially intended!

" _Hey_!" The music from inside immediately halted as the occupant's deep voice called out. "Is someone there?"

"Um, it's just me," she answered timidly, struggling to peel herself off the door.

Iris was completely unprepared for the suddenness of the door flinging open in the next instant before she'd fully composed herself, resulting in the shrine maiden nearly _literally_ _falling at the feet_ of Larry Butz! She nearly lurched forward so fast, she undoubtedly would have _face-planted onto the ground_ if the artist hadn't caught her. He didn't let go of her right away either.

"I'm _so_ sorry!" She gasped, feeling the heat flooding her face at the unexpected sensation of being in his arms, however briefly, as she gently pulled away from his warm hold, hoping he wouldn't notice that she was trembling. "I um...did you have the radio playing?"

"Not at all. What makes you say _that_?" He flashed an adorable, embarrassed grin and scratched his head, and that was when Iris noticed the strange, smallish string instrument dangling from the fingertips of his free hand. "Wait - don't tell me you heard me fiddling me around on my lute?"

"Is _that_ what that is?" She eyed the strange object dubiously.

"Yeah, a little something I picked up on my art tour in Greece. I've been teaching myself to play a bit but I'm still rusty working on this one particular piece. The lute is all the rage there with the locals..." His voice trailed off as he eyed her questioningly. "How long were you standing outside before you decided to use _your entire body_ to knock at my door?"

"Not long _at all!_ Only for a few _seconds_. I only heard the last few bars of whatever you were playing." Iris ducked her head so he couldn't tell by her guilty expression just _how_ long she'd been eavesdropping, despite the teasing note in his voice, which indicated he was nowhere near annoyed at the privacy breach! "Er, let's try this again from scratch, shall we? Um, good day, Larry."

"Top of the morning to you, Iris. Having you _literally_ drop in on me was a most _pleasant_ _surprise_ to find at my door, first thing in the morning," he joked, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "I didn't think my vocals were capable of summoning _angels_ to fall from heaven and onto my doorstep, but I think that's a sign I should consider my future path as a _singing lutist_!"

Iris ignored the playful jesting – she was officially too tongue-tied to muster any sort of response! – and focused instead on his mischievously twinkling orbs. How she cherished staring into those expressive brown eyes, which always shone like new growth on the boughs of the trees, free of moss, bright, and ever-youthful, even after all these years.

"Good morning, Larry. I came to ask if you'd like to join Sister Bikini and me for breakfast in about half an hour?" She asked shyly, shuffling her feet awkwardly. "We'd both love to have you. Um – over to _eat_ , I mean!"

"Fewer things would make me happier than enjoying a home-cooked meal with two beautiful women," he grinned impishly, causing her return the gesture, in spite of her bashfulness. Almost more than Larry's eyes, she adored that contagious smile. The way his lips lifted upward. The way his one dimple crinkled. The way his teeth were perfectly aligned. The warm glow his happiness gave her.

 _His smile is a ray of sunshine, and I am a sunburn._

Iris had been so busy basking in the warmth of said smile that for a moment she hadn't realized, until she saw the expectant look Larry was giving her, that she'd failed to reply to something he'd asked.

"I'm sorry?" She said brightly, fighting back another urge to blush like a schoolgirl and silently cursing herself for it. "Apologies, Larry. I must've spaced out there for a moment."

"I was asking how the channeling training was going?" He queried. "I ran into Mystic Matilda the other day, and she asked me if I had any _aspirin_ around, because you had _quite the headache_ from the beating you'd gotten with the spirit severing stick, as you had somehow channeled _Albert Einstein_ , and were speaking in non-stop _German_?!"

"It's a work in progress." She felt her cheeks turning pink. "For some reason, Mystic Matilda and Sister Bikini _refuse_ to throw in the towel with me, even though I keep _pleading_ with them to _do_ _just that_! At this rate, the village will soon run out of their meager supply of headache pain medication, and it will be _all_ _my fault_!"

"I'm sure their faith in your capabilities isn't totally misplaced." Larry chuckled. "Bikini and Matilda, they've been around a lot longer than you and I, so I'm going to trust they know what they're talking about. I know this whole spirit channeling thing is still new and kinda scary but don't be afraid to let yourself go, and just _embrace_ it! A wise man once said: _The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science._ "

Iris just stared at him blankly, unsure of how to respond.

"That's actually a quote from Albert Einstein." This time it was Larry's turn to blush as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Sorry. I probably sounded like a big _Nerdicus Maximus_ there for a second, huh."

"No, _not at all_!" The nun shook her head vehemently. "I just didn't recognize the line… Living up here in the remote mountains, I profess to be _helplessly unschooled_ and _unknowledgeable_ about a lot of things, outside of life in this village."

 _Not at all like the sophisticated women I'm sure you're used to!_ Iris added silently, with great chagrin. _He must think I'm just some hopeless, small-town,_ _ **hillbilly**_ _hick!_

"You _really_ need to cut yourself some slack," he replied kindly, shaking his head. "But anyway, you sure don't have to be some sort of _cosmopolitan sophisticate_ to cook the amazing meals _you_ do! I'd love to join you guys. Just let me get freshened up, and I'll see you ladies at the breakfast table shortly."

He shut the door then, and as Iris turned away, a luminous smile lit up her face. Larry always knew _just_ what to say to make her feel better about herself.

She was humming softly to the tune of "How Will I Know" as she began to head back to the temple, when suddenly, the door of Heavenly Hall, the shack a few doors down from Larry's cabin, flung open, and Mystic Mildred appeared in the doorway, her beady eyes narrowed at the sight of the beaming shrine maiden.

"Aren't _we_ all merry this morning, Sister Iris." Her thin lips pursed with disapproval. "I didn't realize the sight of another man _other than your lover_ could bring such _pep_ to a maiden's step! Tell me something, is Mr. Wright aware he may have _competition_ for your hand?"

Iris's heart went into a tailspin. Obviously, the old woman had spotted her brief interaction with Larry and had seen something in their exchange which she felt contradicted those of a woman whose boyfriend was two hours away in the city! The shrine maiden didn't think she'd behaved in any particularly inappropriate fashion, but the expression on the elder's face told her that evidently, _she_ had witnessed otherwise.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Mystic Mildred," Iris replied politely, dropping her gaze. "I'm not sure you're aware, but Larry has been of great assistance to Sister Bikini and I in prepping the area for Mystic Maya's upcoming wedding. Therefore, in return, we figured the _least_ we could do was offer him a hot meal by way of thanks for his kindness. We are friends, nothing more. I have not been disloyal to Feenie in the least, nor do I intend to be."

"I _would_ hope that you were a better _spirit medium_ than a _liar_ , if I didn't know _better_!" Mildred sneered. "Truly, it is _no consequence_ to _me_ that you appear to be every bit the legendary _fair-weather, femme fatale_ your twin sister was with men!"

Before Iris could protest her innocence to such a baseless allegation, the wretched old woman continued on her warpath.

"What _is_ of great distress is hearing how you seem to have inherited _the unfortunate family trait_ of being every bit as _useless as a one-legged man at an arse kicking contest_ when it comes to spirit channeling!" Mildred's lip curled in disgust. "I keep telling Bikini and Matilda not to bother with you anymore, yet they _insist_ you're not a lost cause! _I_ am _less easy_ to convince of your alleged aptitude. Your name may be _Hawthorne_ , but in the end, you're still a _Fey_ at heart."

Iris drew in a sharp breath, unable to think of a retort to such unprecedented malice. But Mildred still wasn't finished.

"In spite of your mother's ambitions, you branch Feys still ended up being a worthless lot, _each and every one of you_! Such a disgrace, with only young _Pearl_ being the sole competent one of the whole family, having been a gifted channeler since she could _walk_! It's a good thing _one_ of Morgan's _three_ daughters ended up being _something_ to take _pride_ in, and is _more_ _than_ _just a pretty face_ , _unlike her eldest_ , who has _nothing_ better to offer Kurain, other than _the batting of her eyelashes_ at _any male within proximity_!"

Apparently the village elder had _bat-like_ hearing, and had overheard the entire exchange with Larry, including Iris's humiliating confession to what an _abysmal_ spirit medium she was, especially compared to her baby half-sister!

Iris blinked back the hot tears stinging her eyes at the cruel words, and muttered her excuses about having to get back to Sister Bikini, before dashing away from the shack as fast as her legs would carry her, her heart aching at the veracity of the onslaught.

Mildred was right. She _was_ nothing more than a pretty face – and bore the identical visage of an malevolent twin whose legacy would never be eclipsed in its infamy _no matter_ _what_ Iris did to rise above it! In all her years on earth, she'd still never achieved _one damn thing_ to be proud of! What was she _thinking_?! She should just give up on _everything_ \- Larry, her spiritual studies, even trying to make amends with Maya. She couldn't even master a simple song on the piano...

Also, Iris realized with dismay, a short time later, as she scraped the charred remains of her breakfast attempts into the garbage bin out back, she couldn't even be counted on for her _cooking_ _skills_ Larry had just praised her for! In the end, when she'd gotten back to the temple, she'd been so upset by Mildred's verbal attack that she'd unwittingly burnt _both_ the bacon and eggs she'd attempted to make for breakfast, forcing the three of them to dine on nothing more than day-old scones, fruit and tea for their morning meal!

Mumbling something barely tangible, once finished her mostly untouched plate, she'd excused herself from the breakfast table and ran out back in a flood of tears. Darn it! It _was_ true - she couldn't do _anything_ right! What was the use of even _trying_?!

Iris's breakfast had cured Larry's hunger. In fact, the idea of ever eating again made his stomach churn. Regardless, he had reassured Sister Bikini he'd go comfort her daughter and instructed the elderly nun – who was probably starved from the _meagre meal_ she'd had to make do with! – to go rest in the meantime.

He immediately followed the stricken shrine maiden following her hasty retreat, and headed to the back of the temple, where there was an open field. He was partway there when he saw her off to the left, sitting on the hillside, her arms wrapped around her knees, her forehead resting atop them. Even with her hair shining like silken ebony in the sun, she looked like a picture of heartbreaking dejection. He started to turn away and leave her to moody privacy; then, with a sigh, he changed his mind and started down the hill toward her.

A few yards away, he realized her shoulders were shaking with sobs, and his brow furrowed with concern. Obviously, there was no point in pretending the meal had been good, so he injected a note of amusement into his tone as he approached her.

"I applaud your _efforts_ in _new wave cuisine_ , if nothing else. I do believe _charred_ or even _blackened chicken_ is actually a gourmet menu item in some places."

Iris started violently at the sound of his baritone. Snapping her head up, she stared off to the left, keeping her tear-streaked face averted from him.

"Did you want something?"

"Dessert?" Larry suggested wryly, leaning slightly forward, trying to see her face. He thought he saw a morose smile touch her lips, and he added, "I thought we could whip up a batch of cream and put it on a biscuit. Afterwards, we can take whatever is left, mix it with the leftover eggs, and use it to patch the roofs of the cabins."

A teary giggle escaped her, and she drew a shaky breath but still refused to look at him.

"I'm surprised you're being so pleasant about it. I – I thought you'd just dismiss me as a pathetic failure."

"Over a little thing like a foiled breakfast? Hardly! After all, there's no sense crying over burnt bacon," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I wasn't crying over _that_ ," she said, feeling sheepish and bewildered. A snowy handkerchief appeared before her face, and Iris accepted it, dabbing at her wet cheeks.

"Then why were you crying?" He was struggling to understand this mystifying woman.

She gazed straight ahead, her eyes focused on the surrounding hills, the handkerchief clenched in her hand.

"I was crying for my own ineptitude, and for my inability to control my life," she admitted.

The word "ineptitude" startled Larry, and it occurred to him that for the unschooled girl Iris made herself out to be, she had an exceptionally fine vocabulary. She glanced up at him then, and he found himself gazing into a pair of limped doe eyes, the deep brown of the winter trees at twilight. With tears still sparkling on her long, sooty lashes, her silky hair tied back in a girlish bow, she was a picture of alluring innocence and intoxicating sensuality. Larry jerked his gaze from the sudden tightness of her garment across her full bust as she leaned over.

"I'm going to cut some wood so we'll have it for a fire tonight." He spoke abruptly. "Later, I'm going to do some fishing for our supper. But before all that, come meet me at my cabin in about an hour – I have a surprise for you."

Startled by his sudden brusqueness, Iris nodded and stood up, dimly aware that he did not offer his hand to assist her.

Larry in the meantime, was rushing off to return to his room, hoping his expression didn't convey his conflicting emotions for this weeping angel he couldn't seem to shake from his system. He _had_ to make a hasty exit before he did something foolish, like gathering her in his arms and kissing away the tears of this same _forbidden fruit_ for whom he'd spent the last _six weeks_ attempting to perfect the song she luckily hadn't heard him practising in his room earlier, the Goo-Goo Dolls smash hit song... named " _Iris_."

Alone on the fields, Iris's tears had resumed full force as she realized at last how she'd _never_ be able to tell Larry what the _real underlying reason_ was for crying her heart out. It was because Mildred's taunts had rung a bell of truth in her which she could no longer deny.

She was weeping with shame for her lack of will and with fear for a love she could no longer control.

* * *

 ** _Whitney Houston – (Chapter Quote) How Will I Know  
Maroon 5 - Love Somebody  
The Goo-Goo Dolls – Iris (Thank Danny Dragon – aka mi amiga musica!)_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 136**

 **Review of the Week** **\- hey look for once it's NOT Yanmegaman/drunk one/drunken Yanmegaman one! XD**

 **Eveshowrtc**

 _I am making this second review separate because this is a very bold statement that I am going to make, in my opinion, and I feel that it needs to stand on its own. I consider you, thepudz and Yanmegaman the "Legendary Ace Attorney FanFiction Trio". Or, if you want to pertain to the games a little more, "FanFiction's Yatagarasu." I know it doesn't fit this story at all, but where else was I going to state it? I wanted to share my opinion, and this was the best place to put it._

It's funny you mentioned my two other fave AA writers on here in this beyond uplifting second review you kindly took the time to write, dear reader, as both are very good friends of mine, on and off this site. As the Kay Faraday of the trio, on behalf of my two humbled friends of the Yatagarasu, thank you with all our hearts. Readers like you are the reason we write! Look out for a special 9/5 one-shot we are working on together to commemorate Phoenix and Maya day!

 **Eveshowrtc**

Great minds think alike! Another music loving reader asked for Fix You but I wanted to see if I could specifically give YOU your Coldplay fix with another hopefully fitting song! Am so pleased you still liked it though, and look out for Fix You next chapter! :)

DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN – er, don't mess with Maya Fey when it comes to her burgers! If Mildew isn't careful, she's the next spirit that will need channeling! XD

I'm glad you liked the bit with Pearl trying to dismiss all Longines's longings as medical ailments for which she had the cure – I'm five so the Beano bit was my personal fave! LOL

I love both Elton John and Pink Floyd a lot – any specific songs you had in mind?

 **DannyDragon**

I hope you caught your Goo-Goo Dolls song pick here mi amiga musica! I do love full-filling reader song requests – I feel like a writer/DJ! :)

You would need to be a saint not to blow your top with that wicked bruja Mildew, am I Wright? :p

I'm happy it came across that Longines is not a bad guy here – just a sweet gullible guy caught up in this tangled weave of deception of The Dragon Lady!

 **chloemcg**

 _I hope Maya kicks Mildew in the face and uses her spine to floss her teeth!_

That was delightfully harrowing imagery indeed! Remind me never to get on your bad side OK milady? :p

Never apologize for hating Mildew – after this chapter you can add Iris to that list of folks who'd yearn to unleash such colorful vengeance upon her! Maya's rage was a long-time coming!

Longines...well... AA6 Maya is so beautiful – surely she's hot enough to make even a gay man change his mind...assuming he's not gay after all...just flamboyant?! XD

Haven't forgotten about Fredgeworth – but right now it's a race to the aisle as Maya's wedding draws nearer and Nick thus far is posing no objections...

My birthday was awesome! Bonus: My two male buddies of the Yatagarasu dedicated an awesome chapter of their awesome AU FF to me! If you haven't already, check out the amazeballs Tales of Attornia! :)

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Turnabout Not Gay just European/or just turned on by hot, angry chicks is the presumed reference, dear reader? Maya IS hot – have you SEEN the new game artwork?! ;)

 **thepudz**

I think Longines is questioning his _own_ sexuality right about now – is Maya his female exception – or the _norm_?! But don't all guys have a soft spot for hot chicks blowing their top – hence the allure of cat fights? :p

Gay or not gay? Stay tuned... ;)

Water sommeliers are actually a thing by the rich and weird mate – couldn't make this shizz up if I tried! XD

 **Yanmegaman**

Every single pretentious thing you saw on that menu was researched and VERY real I swear! I drew the line at edible balloons or liquid nitrogen tasting as _nobody_ wants to picture Armstrong sucking _anything_ in attempts at consumption or envision the Dragon Lady with smoke coming out of her nostrils!

Rich people are eccentric dear boy, not WEIRD! That's for us common folks! :p

Longines's unforeseen kiss didn't just leave poor Maya confused...behold my wonderful bewildered readers! XD

 **Feraligreater328**

Do me and the fiery femme that is Maya Fey have similar personalities? I plead the fifth! * **angelic smile** *

I love describing the lifestyles of the shi-shi frou-frou and their snobby food! I mean the $1000 omlet is a REAL thing as is the 90210h water – are you guys old enough to catch the not-so-obscure Aaron Spelling reference? :p

I'm glad you liked the two cutie pie BFF's exchange – man I love writing platonic bonds and the AA world is chock full of them!

See ya next chapter!

 **BoredZero**

Why hasn't Maya kicked Mildew to the curb? Simple – she's not a heartless bitch to leave an old woman destitute - otherwise we wouldn't love her so much! Also, she can't run that village alone and it was established in the past The Dragon Lady does keep the village running since her Master duties make her and Pearl travel so much. Of course...keep in mind Maya has no idea just what the conniving shrew has been up to in her absence either... _yet_!

I don't believe I've had the pleasure of hearing from you before so thanks so much for taking the time to read and drop me a line! :)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

 _Longines sudden shift was a big surprise. I mean, I figured he'd book the first trip to Brokeback Mountain when it became available. Either he isn't as gay as I thought or Maya is one extraordinary woman._

Had to put this in quotes as I laughed till I nearly cried at the film reference. Is it really so far-fetched Maya Fey is so hot she could make a gay man change his mind? Or was it all those mimosas Armstrong was hoping? XD

While Longines's sexuality is up for debate I'm glad what's not is the fact that he isn't the villain here at all – he's Mildew's victim of manipulations as much as Maya is.

Maya was a dead, malnourished woman (and will be even more so if Mildew had her way!) walking in this chapter...any wonder she lost her shit?! How dare someone try to take away her BURGERS! She's THE BURGER QUEEN!

Armstrong the ever gag-worthy drama queen (I hope you laughed _somewhat_ between the pangs of revulsion!) and Gaston's French was translated as much as possible to appear natural in the sentences that followed it but please email me to fill in any blanks – he first referred to his ex as a pig, then mumbled that he'd ripped his heart out of his chest then sauteed it. _Salope_ means bitch! XD

We will find out in about 3-4 chapters what the fallout was from Trucy's well-meaning forgery when Nick gets his hands on her! A grounding may not be entirely out of the question! :p

I know how busy you have been with your own new job and trying to write, so it means a lot you've taken the time to leave such a wonderful and thoughtful review.

 **Ilet Moratar**

What can I say? Am delighted you like the Jose reference. My readers inspire me greatly - music wise, their input, ideas, or even with their submitted quotes. You my friend, throughout this story have done all the above! :)

I had WAY too much fun coming up with funny French names and sentences this chapter – please let me know what mama cita Zullin says when she gets to this part – assuming she's still reading TE? Is my Cuban "book club" still going strong? :p

Poor Maya- she's already so tiny – this diet will make her as sickly skinny as a dance/13 year old boy and remove all traces of bust/hips/femininity...then no doubt even ARMSTRONG will desire her and fight with Ricky Martin for her! XD

Alas, Longines, or Ricky, as you call him – _I_ never DID say he was gay! I have left it up to my readers to decide why he originally wanted an open marriage- was it so he could freely pursue those bearing MANGO...or just because he's content to remain a billionaire playboy (which Miles was only emulating being during his sting!) even while wed? ;)

As for Nick...he still thinks this a marriage of love! He would never steal another man's wife...especially when this chapter makes one wonder if Longines loves Maya after all...?

 **Forgreatcoffee**

This chapter was so long and had so many details I feared some more obscure jokes would get lost in the shuffle. Thanks for proving me wrong and catching the geek reference with (only the _skin-flute_ player), Jean-Luc RICARD, and the bitch/BEANO rant! My pal Yanmegaman had a blast with that bitch rant as well! I so enjoyed making Maya see red at last and erupt like Mount Vesuvius!

Cheese _and_ coffee? Regardless of how succulent the imported stuff is...that's as bizzarre as the overpriced water pimp, which, like everything else in this chapter, is VERY real, I swear! After all, this IS LA! XD

I will never cease making a comic punching bag of Jean Armstrong. Glad you liked the battle of the bulge with "La Douche!" Thank you, Capcom! LOL

Are you invited Mr. Coffee? Will you risk giving up your anonymity to attend the nuptials of Maya the future swizzle stick - if she follows this insane diet! - all the way from coffee mongering in South America? Place your bets now...Longines Beaugosse – GAY OR EUROPEAN?


	138. I Think We're Alone Now

_When you try your best, but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want, but not what you need  
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse  
And the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone, but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse?_

 _Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

 _And high up above or down below  
When you're too in love to let it go  
But if you never try you'll never know  
Just what you're worth_

 _Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

 _Tears stream down your face  
When you lose something you cannot replace  
Tears stream down your face and I  
Tears stream down your face  
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes  
Tears stream down your face and I_

 _Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you  
_

* * *

 _A/N: DannyDragon and Eveshowrtc – here's your requested Coldplay!_

 _I am so happy at how open-minded and embracing my readers have been about the very under appreciated pairing of Larry and Iris… I've been told I have even converted some former Iris_ _ **haters**_ _into_ _ **lovers**_ _after last chapter… Prepare to get some cavities from this one now… It fuels my soul to know I'm not the only appreciator of a good old-fashioned romance! :)  
_

* * *

 ** **Chapter One Hundred-Thirty Eight: I Think We're Alone Now****

 ** _ **Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne  
**_** _ _Eagle Mountain Cabins  
__ February 14, 2026 8:20 AM

Iris was beyond mortified to be twenty minutes late by the time she met up with Larry at his cabin an hour later as instructed. She felt absolutely awful about her uncharacteristic tardiness. Even worse was rather than look annoyed, she found Larry standing outside his cabin looking around with a little lost boy expression on his adorable mug. Poor guy! Had he been worried she was going to stand him up?

"You can stop looking so vexed now, Mr. Worrywart," she teased softly, as she approached him from the side and tapped him on the arm, her pulse quickening at the way his eyes lit up at the sight of her. "I made it safe and sound."

"I confess to having been __a tad concerned__ , guilty as charged!" He flushed slightly, hoping the tongue-in-cheek note in his tone masked his imminent relief that she'd still showed up - especially considering his curt exit from the temple. "You're usually Little Miss Efficiency and __punctual to a fault__ , after all."

"I'm so sorry, Larry," she apologized profusely, hating how she was responsible for the worry in his eyes, which was rapidly fading and morphing into undisguised veneration at the sight of her, now clad in a long-sleeved, ankle-length floral dress, as opposed to her shine maiden garments. "Try as I might, I couldn't get that dreadful grease stain from this morning's breakfast disaster out of my habit! I had no choice after cleaning up the kitchen mess but to change my outfit and Sister Bikini __insisted__ I wear something "a bit more festive than usual" because it's Valentine's Day. I hope you didn't mind too much that you had to wait over a quarter of an hour for me?"

The question seemed to amuse him and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Not at all," he replied with exaggerated formality. "When it comes to your shrine maiden temple duties, I want you to please take all the time you need."

The grateful look on her visage at the reprieve was evident, and it occurred to him that __she'd__ been more worried about having upset him than __**he'd**__ _ _actually__ __been worried__ about her slight tardiness. Silly girl! Did he mind waiting __a lousy quarter hour__ or so for her? Not at all.

He'd been waiting __years__ for her.

"All that matters is that you're here now, Iris. Are you feeling any better?" He tried to peer into her sudden downcast face. "You were as blue as a bathing beauty in the North Pole when I saw you last."

Iris nodded, still unable to tear her eyes away from the ground to meet his prying gaze, for fear he'd be able to read her thoughts like a book if he saw her expression. She was embarrassed he'd caught her in the undignified act of __the waterworks__ earlier, while still slightly overwhelmed by the realization of her feelings for him, which had finally dawned upon her during her weeping session. She was extremely self-conscious about the possibility of her eyes remaining a tad red, and her countenance was surely still was blotchy and puffy, despite splashing cold water on it.

Moreover, she hated the idea of being the subject of __pity__ , especially to a man she hadn't felt so strongly for since… Phoenix.

"I'm __fine__ ," she assured him, trying to keep her voice from quivering as she met his kind eyes. "I have no idea __why__ I overreacted in such a pitiful manner over something as __trite__ as a burnt breakfast and I'm truly sorry. In fact, I'd be most grateful if we could both try to __forget__ it ever happened! I also __give you my word__ that I shall do my very best not to mess up that fish you promised to catch us for dinner later..."

"Iris, there's __nothing__ __**pitiful**__ about you, so __stop__ __knocking yourself__ like this!" Larry's tone was firm, despite the gentleness in his expression. "If anything I feel like __I__ owe __you__ an apology!"

" _ _Apology__?" Iris drew back, startled. "Whatever for?"

"For being such a __daft dope!__ " He sighed resignedly. " _ _Right__ after I asked you why you were so upset earlier, I figured out what may have gotten you so emotional in the first place. Forgive me for being so __oblivious__ and not figuring it out sooner!"

"Figured it out?" She asked hesitantly, nervously wondering if he'd seen past her attempted guile and __actually__ ascertained that it was her newly discovered, and utterly __helpless__ , infatuation which had been the underlying result of her overly emotional antics. "I don't understand…"

"Well __yeah__!" It was his turn to drop his eyes then. "It's Valentine's Day, and you're stuck up here in the mountains with __me__ instead of being with __the man you__ __love__! It must be a total bummer! You're probably missing Nick like crazy, aren't you?"

" _ _Feenie__?" Iris blinked, then let out a soundless sigh of her own.

Phoenix, as dear as he was to her, and always would be, hadn't crossed her mind in the __slightest__! As much as she should have been thankful for the excuse, as it allowed her to harbour her secret feelings for the artist standing before her, she wasn't - not __in the least__! If anything, her heart positively __ached__ that the man who was actually __the true keeper of her heart__ believed it lay with another, and there was __absolutely__ __nothing__ she could do to set him straight, without betraying the ex who had done so much for her! The whole scenario was beyond __gut-wrenching__.

"Yeah, I guess Nick is still __Feenie__ to you, huh?" He muttered glumly and kicked at a pebble on the ground. "You're probably bummed out that it's __me__ you're cooking today's meals for, when it should be for the love of your life, right? I get it. Nick was your __first__ love! You've loved him since…heck, since you weren't much older than a __kid__!"

Iris felt tears trembling on her lashes once more. Phoenix may have been her __first__ love - but he certainly wasn't her __last__. In the cruelest twist of fate imaginable, __the only man__ whom she wanted to be with until she drew her last breath was now __standing before her__ while staring dejectedly at the ground as he spoke his __completely erroneous theories__ , with what she desperately yearned was __actual despondency__ in his tenor, as opposed to the much more likely, __somber inference,__ in light of her sorrow.

"Childhood romances always seem so real, so enduring, when we are separated from the object of our affection," she said softly, turning her head away. "But usually, when we return, we find that our dreams and memories quite surpassed reality."

Larry looked astounded at the defeat in her cadence.

"Is everything alright with you and Nick, Iris?"

"Distance is hard. I've not seen him in some time," she answered truthfully. "I'm not quite sure __what__ to tell you. At times I feel Feenie and I may be growing apart; that __all__ we have in common anymore is __our shared__ __past__ , but naught else."

"That's rough, Iris. But I'm sure you're wrong and are just misreading things!" Larry insisted. "Nick's no fool – despite the absence right now, there's __no way in hell__ he'd let a __gem__ __like you__ go! It's understandable that you're so emotional; it's because you're missing him so much! I mean, you two go __way back__... but just keep the faith. I'm __sure__ you guys can work it out."

"I wish I shared your confidence. Sometimes certain things just happen - to the wrong people, at the wrong time." Iris knew she was saying too much, that she was dangerously close to revealing the secret she'd given her oath to keep, but being around this man made her lose all logic and reason. She forced herself to meet his sympathetic gaze and felt her mouth go dry. "Soon, you discover that in matters of the heart, memories are much kinder than reality."

"That sounds pretty cynical," he observed. "Not at all what I'd ever picture coming from __you__."

"Oh?" She regarded him strangely. "Whatever __did__ you picture? About __me__ , I mean?"

"I'd always thought you were more of a romantic and believer of true love, I guess?" He shrugged. "I guess I was wrong. But hey, what the heck do __I__ know about love, right? If life were a romantic comedy, I would be the guy on a date with the girl when the male lead makes his grand gesture that wins her back!"

Iris heard the morose undertone beneath the attempted flippancy and felt even more terrible. The last thing she'd ever wanted to do was depress this warm-hearted, happy-go-lucky man, and drag him down __the black hole of despair__ alongside her!

If only she could admit to Larry __just how accurately__ he'd had her pegged!

Lying in bed every night, for as long as she could remember, Iris would alter the plots of the romance novels she secretly read in her room after dark. She'd alter and personalize the dialogue, and even the situations and locales to suit herself, but she never, __ever__ , changed her imaginary hero. He and he alone remained ever constant, and she knew every detail about him, because she had designed him herself: He was kind and wise and patient and witty. He was tall and handsome too, with soft, thick hair she could run her fingers through, and eyes that would sparkle just for her, which could be seductive or piercing or sparkle with humor. He would love to laugh with her, and she would tell him amusing anecdotes to make him do it. He would love to read, and he would be more knowledgeable than she and perhaps a bit more worldly. But not too worldly or proud or sophisticated. She hated arrogance and stuffiness and she particularly disliked being arbitrarily ordered about - she knew she wouldn't be able to abide such a superior male attitude from a husband.

The artist was back to having a staring contest with the ground again, and with his current mood, Iris realized, __she__ was going to have to make her own opening. Lifting her eyes to his enigmatic golden ones, she spoke quietly.

"Lawrence Butz, have you ever wanted something very badly - something that was within your grasp - and yet you were afraid to reach out for it?"

Stupefied by her grave question and her use of his full name, Larry tried to ignore the jealousy which had been eating at him while thinking about __what a lucky bugger__ Phoenix Wright was to have the heart of this angel as he absorbed the query.

"No," he said, scrupulously keeping the curtness from his voice as he gazed down at her alluring face. "Why do you ask? Is there something you want?"

Her gaze fell from his, and she nodded at his black shirtfront.

"What is it you want?" He prodded.

 _ _You!__ Her heart silently cried out for her to say, but didn't dare. Even if keeping her vow to Phoenix meant Maya and Pearl hated her for the rest of her life and Larry eventually moved onto some other fortunate female more worthy of his time and affections, it was no matter. She was honor bound to keep her word.

Even if doing so meant costing her own happiness and her last chance at love everlasting.

"I want...I want to know what this __surprise__ was that you had in store for me!" She lied glibly, grateful for the reprieve he'd unwittingly given her and coquettishly batting eyelashes at him in a slightly exaggerated manner. "Assuming that offer still stands, of course?"

"But of course, milady!" He grinned, his mood lifting at her benign smile. "Be honest though…was that __really__ what you were going to say?"

"Quite certain." She affixed her most angelic expression.

"You're __quite certain__ you aren't __lying__ to me?" He asked in a voice of mock severity.

"I would __never__ lie to you," Iris replied gravely, but then realized that by withholding the truth from him, she was, in effect, deceiving him, which in turn, amounted to little less than lying outright. The thought greatly aggrieved her, and she lapsed into guilty silence as she allowed Larry to tug her by the hand then, towards the forest path, insisting her "surprise" would be down that trail.

Larry knew something was bothering her, and as they walked through the forest in companionable silence through the woods, her unintentional deception was disturbing her with increasing frequency, but he never dreamed __he__ was even remotely the cause of her silences or preoccupation.

He often needed to remind himself that Iris Hawthorne was a __spoken-for woman__ , and not since the day he'd professed his feelings had he permitted himself to __harbour__ _ _the slightest hope__ of even __a remote chance__ for him as a contender for her heart. After all, what woman would __ever__ choose __him,__ the goofy Larry Butz, over former legal legend, Phoenix Wright?

In the first place, he couldn't bear the thought of ruining things for his dear childhood friend who'd already suffered enough in life – Larry had __already breached__ _ _the bro code__ by knowingly declaring his love for his pal's girlfriend! He __had__ to try to convince himself that Iris was off-limits, __just his friend__ , and __nothing more__. Nevertheless, at times, when she talked about her sadness regarding her romance with his best friend, and seemed to be missing him so desperately, it took __all__ of the artist's __self-control__ not to take her in his arms and __implore__ with Iris that if she couldn't **_**be**_** _ _with the one she loved__ , let her __love__ __the one__ __she was__ **_**with**_**! __He__ could love enough for them __both__ – he'd been __doing it long enough__ already!

"It's a beautiful morning to be taking a stroll through the woods with such a __delightfully honest lady__ by my side!" He jokingly tried to break the silence which had gone from companionable to questionable. "Did you know that you're very relaxing company?"

"Thank you." Iris wasn't sure how particularly pleased she was to hear that while __she__ found __him__ to be __**electrifying**__ , __he__ found __her…__ ** _ **relaxing**_**! "I'll try not to __put you to sleep__ before we get to this mystery location."

"You can put me to sleep __after__ we get there," he teased. "You seemed so stressed out with all this wedding prepping, so I wanted to give you the best __serenity experience__ possible."

"Oh, is that so?" Iris's heart slammed into her rib cage. "What I meant was, I hope I'm not __boring__ you."

"Believe me, you haven't __ever__ bored me." His tone was decidedly reassuring. "As a matter of fact, this is something I've wanted to do ever this whole wedding madness hit us in Eagle Mountain, as we've been __running ourselves ragged__ ever since!"

He parted the lowered arbor branches partially obscuring their path, and her breath caught in her throat at the sight that greeted them, taking in the denuded trees and that stark freshness that only the crispest morning of the season can bring.

The lookout revealed the watercolour blue mountains and brilliant gold and orange hues bled like fire in the east over the rivers and beyond the village. The first slither of the sun peeked over the skyline in a radiant, white form. Gradually it raised, a defined circle in a vibrant backdrop from behind. The rivers were liquid gold and silver. As the sun fully revealed itself from behind the gossamer clouds, they could see the silver roofs of the log cabins below. It seemed to swell, losing its focus and spreading in contrast to Iris's contracting pupils. An easy breeze picked up and lifted to her vantage point, caressing her face and softly blowing loose strands of her hair. Her problems all seemed so far away from her now, she lost in the awe of everything.

The early morning, yellow shining sun had started rising from the ground. It filled the sky with mighty colours of red and splashed the clouds with endless rays of pink. It was bright and mesmerising as it inviting them to stare, deep into the horizon. The landscape was every vivid colour, every one of them as fresh as a new painting straight from Rome. The brilliant greens banished every dark thought and the sky lifted the eye in a way that brought the villagers to admire the strands of drifting white cloud. The trees were deep with late spring foliage and the flowers rioted in the jubilant way that only the most divine of blooms can.

In that land of virescent composition lay a disc of brightest blue. Like a mirror on the wall it was oval and flat, the surface forever guarded from the winds by the crown of lush hills around. At the edge the land met and carried right on as a perfect reflection. Looking up into the sky and down into the water was just the same.

Iris exhaled with relief when she stepped forward. The air felt fresh and new; a gentle breeze caressed her skin as she watched as ribbons of golden sunlight spilled into the forest. A deep sense of serenity overcame her as she stared in rapture at the expanse of blue that lay before her. Rays of lights danced delicately across the water, birthed from the afternoon sun that both limited her sight and made the view all the more beautiful.

This morning's sunrise was a breathtaking display of radiant colors. Bright streaks of red, pink, and orange slowly overcame the dark blue and purple of the twilight sky. The sky resembled a prism; all the colors blended perfectly into each other. The sun itself was just peeking out of the horizon, and its brilliant rays already shined brightly and began to warm the air. She marveled at the glistening reflection of the sun on the lake and a thrilling feeling of awe swept over her.

As an artist, Larry saw the world as it was, his eyes taking in more details than the average person. He saw a beautiful array of colors and shapes, ideas and formulas, voids and space, love and fear. It was all a canvas that left just enough space for everyone to paint their own story, their own lives in the whites of the world. Some painted out and off the canvas onto the walls if they dared and other painted in a smaller area than provided. And then there were those who ran their strokes over and into the lives of many others either ruining their work or creating something simultaneously beautiful. He was a true artist, one who saw the world for how it was supposed to be seen; with an open heart, mind, body, soul. He judged none and nothing. It was all the same to him; parts of life that were each equal and necessary, the art of the world.

As much as he loved painting people's portraits, there was an extra excitement he felt when he saw the view - already seeing it as a watercolor instead of the moving waves and distant fishing boats out in the horizon. The sun was a radiant, all-watching eye, its light creeping into every corner, bathing the whole world in a warm glow on this paradise outside of Eagle Mountain, with its grassy, forest green hills looming over the mountainous drive and endless expanse of turquoise wonder, shimmering a liquid gold, stretched towards the distant horizon.

Under blue and sunlit skies, the view was wondrous to behold, for the lake teemed with life. To the chorus of birdsong from the surrounding green bushes, and the sound of carp sucking amongst the flowering lily-pads, mother duck, watchful for the predatory pike, scooped the surface for food, with her young trailing behind like a row of bobbing corks. Dab chicks and coots fed in the safe haven of the reed-beds, whilst flashing green and blue dragonflies hovered above.

It was truly a slice of secluded paradise.

For this reason, Larry came to this spot each morning, to lose himself in the solace of silent beauty, and for the longest time, had wanted nothing more than to share his private haven with her. He studied her with bated breath as he awaited her reaction.

It made his heart soar.

The fascination of their surroundings still paled in comparison to the look of __jubilant rapture__ on Iris's features, which nearly shredded the last remains of his self-control as he fought back the urge to kiss those lush, slightly parted lips of hers. He could tell she was captivated by the wonder of nature, but just as much, he was equally enchanted by __her__ , and the delight lighting up her exquisite face, warming both his heart and soul.

"It's so… __picturesque__ …" Her joyous eyes were still drinking it all in, and lit up like stars. "Simply __magnificent__."

 _ _The lake is the finest of mirrors, never showing exactly what is above, but converting it to an image so beautifully smudged and broken.__ Larry smiled indulgently at her almost child-like delight _ _. The weeping willow, the clouds above, all become a Monet – all free for the looking. Sure, it is transient, changing by the day, but that's what makes it all the more precious. I can walk here every day and always it will be both different and the same.__ __My spirits are buoyant that she appreciates this incredible panorama – and moreover, that I could share a part of my world with her.__

While the artist never ceased being mesmerized by the splendor of this view as well, he was even more enthralled by the ethereal beauty standing by his side.

 _ _Iris, you are the sky and the clouds; you are the gentle river and the birds that sing. I feel you in the air, long for your touch, recall you in a way that sends electricity to spark my mind, body and soul. You are medicine; you are light; you are laughter and hope. I slipped my heart into your pocket some time ago and there it will stay, safe and sound, even if you never know it.__

"I never knew such a place existed," Iris breathed, her face glowing. "Thank you so much for showing me this gorgeous place, Larry. It's __just__ what I needed."

That was when she noticed the easel and brushes and paints setup, and off to the side of the lake shore.

"How __wonderful__!" She enthused, clapping her hands like an excited little girl. "Were you going to capture this glorious paradise as a painting?"

"Nope." He smiled mysteriously. " _ _You__ are."

" _ _M- me__?" She gasped, her hand fluttering nervously to her chest, as though he'd just suggested __sky-diving__. "Don't be silly! I'm no artist! I can't paint!"

"That's where you're wrong." He shook his head. "You __are__ an artist – you've forgotten that music is part of the arts, milady. But I fear your inner artiste may have been getting burnt out from the tension of prepping the cabins and attempting to reactivate your latent pianist skills for Maya's wedding – and the more challenging __Mendelssohn__ version, not even the simple __Wagner__ one, to boot! This is __on top of__ trying master the art of __spirit channeling__! So I brought you __here__ , not only to __release your burdens__ , but more importantly, to soothe your soul. Most of all, I want to prove to you that __with an open heart and mind__ , __any__ skill can be learned, and that you've been selling yourself much too short, by dubbing yourself __a failure__ who can't do anything right!"

"B – but –!"

He waved the lute in his hand and pointed it at her, silencing her protest.

"This Valentine's Day, Iris Hawthorne, you and I are going to __trade places__! __I__ shall be the __musician__ , and __you__ shall be the __artist__! __Together__ , we will tap into __hidden talents__ we didn't know we possessed, and parts of ourselves we've never known possible! You and I are literally going to make __beautiful music__ and __creative magic__ __together__!"

"I don't know about this..." she said uncertainly as he practically tugged her resisting form to the canvas. "Couldn't I at least get __a sketch book__ to do __a rough draft__ of this first?"

"You're over thinking all of this way too much." He lightly began to strum at the lute, filling their surrounding area with the sweet sound of the tune she'd heard him practising earlier, this time with nearly zero stumbling of the notes. "Just let your mind roam free of all thoughts and __allow your spirit__ to guide you, in order to __take what you see__ and __project your vision__ with the paint. This isn't art class, and there's no critical teacher who will judge or grade your efforts, I promise."

"But you're a __professional__ artist who does this for a __living__!" She objected, even as her fingers closed, almost of their own volition, over a large paintbrush. "I can't hold a candle to what __you__ do! I'll just mess this up, just like I do __everything__ else!"

"It __kills__ me, how hard you are on yourself." His eyes were pained as they peered searchingly into hers. "Tell me something, Iris. Do you love yourself? At __all__?"

The unexpected question rendered her speechless.

 _ _Yes. Oh how I want to say yes. Nowadays, when I look in the mirror I no longer have the urge to cry that I share the face of demonic entity of a twin. I want to say yes, I do love myself. Because, well, when someone says something mean, it doesn't take me all day to get over it anymore. Because sometimes - most of the time, when I have negative thoughts, I am able to counteract them. Larry, you alone have already made me forget Mildred's cruel words from just an hour ago, just by basking in the blissful presence that is you.__

 _ _Did__ she love herself?

 _ _And when I do something clumsy, or say something stupid, I laugh because I know I'll never be defined by a single action, a single mistake. I laugh because sometimes it's healthy to laugh at yourself.__ ** _ **You**_** _ _taught me that, Larry. You and__ ** _ **that**_** ** _ **constant smile**_** _ _...I can't stop staring at that smile. The one that makes me think you look so happy to be alive, so I should be too, just because I'm with you.__

She closed her eyes and further mulled over the question. To err was human after all, wasn't that the saying?

 _ _The truth is yes, sure, I love myself. But that doesn't mean I always__ ** _ **like**_** _the way I am. And yes, okay, I love myself, but that doesn't mean I always treat myself right. And yes, yes of course I love myself, but sometimes we do destructive things in the name of love, and sometimes we don't treat our loved ones well, and hide things for them in the name of love –_ ** _ **a different kind of love**_** _– for another. And sometimes we hurt them, because we are only human and here's the only certain part of this whole reply: I am only human. I make mistakes, for I am_ ** _ **only human.**_** _I need to remember that._

Larry had begun to quietly sing the lyrics to "Iris" in the background.

* * *

 **__And I'd give up forever to touch you  
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
And I don't wanna go home right now__**

* * *

Her heart began to swell with pride.

 _ _But then I remember the fact that I still have this thought at the back of my mind that I will never be intelligent or capable enough to achieve everything that I want to achieve, that I will never fullfill my purpose in life, whatever that may be; that I will never be enough of this or that I will always be too much of that. I remember and then I feel a little sick. If you asked me for a black and white answer for whether I loved myself, I'd say yes. Because I do love myself a whole lot more than I did a year ago. Because__ ** _ **you**_** _ _, Larry Butz,__ ** _ **you**_** _ _make me sometimes believe that I could__ ** _ **maybe be someone worth loving**_** _ _.__

However, that was an answer she could never admit to him out loud.

"I – I __like__ myself...I __guess__." She finally spoke, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. "I – I like the way I feel whenever I'm with you – someone so kind, who thinks that maybe I'm not as bad as I think, and can almost convince me it's true."

"Then believe this: under the sun, we're __all__ the __same__ ," he stated firmly, leaving no more room for rebuttal. "I can believe enough in you and what you're capable of, until the day comes that you finally see __yourself__ the way __others__ see you, Iris. Until you finally believe in __yourself__. I'm not asking you to morph into Picasso in one day. All I'm asking if for you to __try__ to embrace something new, for __me__ , as __I__ have, for __you__. Just this __once__."

"For __me__?" Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Is __that__ why you started playing the lute?"

"It's the reason the first song I taught myself to play was __this__ one." His eyes bored into hers as he began strumming again. "This song...it's called __Iris__."

"I – I'm __speechless__." She was so touched she could barely speak. "I – I don't know what to say."

"Embracing music was something that my Iris – er, __my good friend__ , __Iris__ , inspired me to do." He stared deeply into her eyes. "Do you think for once, you could allow yourself to let __me__ inspire __you__?"

"I __will__ try, Larry. I promise you," she whispered, incredibly moved not only to have motivated such talent, but at how much __faith__ this wonderful man had in her. "For __you__ , I will."

Their eyes locked on one another as a moment of tranquil stillness rose between them. After a few breathless moments, however, terrified that he'd see her heart in her eyes, Iris was the one, to her great shame, who looked away first.

Seeing the hesitation on her face, almost as if to cajole her along, with an encouraging smile, Larry continued strumming the song he was now singing along to.

* * *

 **__And all I can taste is this moment__  
 _ _And all I can breathe is your life__  
 _ _When sooner or later it's over__  
 _ _I just don't wanna miss you tonight__**

* * *

Feeling a lump forming in her throat at the poignant words, the shrine maiden shut her eyes again, fearing he'd see the rush of emotion in them, and just focused on Larry's lyrics to "Iris," feeling emboldened at being given an unobtrusive melody in the fray to compose her thoughts to. She stretched her hand to the sky.

* * *

 **__And I don't want the world to see me__  
 _ _'Cause I don't think that they'd understand__  
 _ _When everything's made to be broken__  
 _ _I just want you to know who I am…__**

* * *

 _ _Under the sun we are all the same,__ she reminded herself, and let the soft amber glow of the sunrise pour through her fingers and onto her upturned face. The sun itself had risen higher in the sky. She thought about the bustling people in the city who would be awake now. Road sweepers and early morning factory workers hurrying through the streets. Every one of them was too busy to savor the persimmon sky or the rays that radiated from the golden orb, which was as pretty as any fresco.

Almost as though in a trance, she began to glide the brush in sure, smooth gliding motions over the canvas as Larry, smiling at the new-found look of serenity on her visage, continued to play.

It was a different song now, not as polished as the one called "Iris", which he'd perfected, but still as charming, and immediately recognizable. It was by Daniel Powter, "Crazy All My Life." With this playful, uplifting – __fitting for Larry Butz in every way__! – song about a __self-proclaimed, besotted lunatic__ playing in the background, Iris began to paint.

* * *

 **__Well something got me shaking__  
 _ _My mind was racing pacing the room__  
 _ _I don't know but I think I fell to pieces__  
 _ _The moment that I first saw you__  
 _ _Now it's true__**

 **__I thought I could get over it__  
 _ _Brushed you off my shoulder but now__  
 _ _I'm a mess__  
 _ _Every day is worse and the hurt is always bringing me down__  
 _ _Help me__**

 **__'Cause I don't know if I can take it__  
 _ _I'm so tired of trying to fake it__  
 _ _Tell me you know__  
 _ _That I've been crazy all my life__**

 **__I try to be cool but I want more__  
 _ _Now I'm standing right here at your front door__  
 _ _I need to know__  
 _ _That I've been crazy all my life__  
 _ _Crazy all my life__**

* * *

The nun felt freer and more full of life than she'd ever dreamed. Slowly, but surely, her efforts of portraying the breathtaking vision before her began to materialize in her efforts.

* * *

 **__Well tell me you can help me__  
 _ _I'm nothing but a shell of a man__  
 _ _Baby please the only time I'm right__  
 _ _Is when I am by your side understand?__  
 _ _Can't you see?__**

 **__Baby it's irrational__  
 _ _Maybe I'm a natural freak__  
 _ _All I know is love can make you stupid__  
 _ _And you are just a song on repeat__  
 _ _Help me…__**

* * *

Larry knew he had no business playing a __borderline__ , but not __outright__ , love song to a woman whose heart lay elsewhere, but she just looked so damn beautiful as she focused so intently on that painting, gently biting her full lower lip and thoughtfully tilting her head to the side as she scrutinized her work, that he fell hopelessly more in love with her with every passing moment. He just couldn't help himself.

* * *

 **__'Cause I don't know if I can take it__  
 _ _I'm so tired of trying to fake it__  
 _ _Tell me you know__  
 _ _That I've been crazy all my life__**

 **__I try to be cool but I want more__  
 _ _Now I'm standing right here at your front door__  
 _ _I need to know__  
 _ _That I've been crazy all my life__  
 _ _Crazy all my life__  
 _ _My life, my life__  
 _ _Whoa__**

 **__Maybe you're just a fool like me__  
 _ _And you're feeling crazy too__  
 _ _Maybe we're just two fools you see__  
 _ _Maybe we found we've been crazy all our life…__**

* * *

 _ _When my hand moves over the canvass it's almost like my mind is directing it without me, odd perhaps, but that's the way it is. My hand moves instinctively to the right spot, building a new picture, often one I have never seen before. In these fantastical worlds I see reflections of my own mind, the way I think, but there is something else there too. I don't know what, perhaps I just imagine it, but when I paint I feel closest to our creator and it gives me a peace and mental calmness I cannot find another way. Is this the same giddy rush Larry felt when he created one of his masterful works?__

At last, it appeared Iris was done, and she ceased putting the paint brush against the canvas and cupped her chin in one hand as she analyzed her results.

As Larry set down his lute, he noticed the expression on her countenance was no longer one of __concentration__ , but __displeasure__ , and he immediately came over to see what he could do to remove that frown marring her lovely features.

"What's wrong?" He asked, coming up behind her.

"It's __still__ not __done__! It still isn't quite __right__!" She cried in exasperation, still not turning around, her attentions on her __outstanding__ artwork. "Yet I can't seem to __put my finger__ on __what__ it is! I'm so frustrated! Do you see how the sun right now is threatening to dip behind the horizon, firstly cascading a prime bombardment of colors that fling over the sky with alacrity, with the receding blue and oranges simultaneously battling the blackness and pushing it away with its arms?"

The artist studied the viewpoint of landscape she was scowling at to get better perspective. The sun was shining on the lake below, shimmering its deep depths. The resplendent glow scintillated and beamed: such was the legacy of the sun.

Simply put, Iris was trying to capture the sun's radiance as it cascaded down the water and was getting agitated by her inability to do so.

Larry was equally as endeared by her artist-speak as by the realization that as an artist, __they were their__ ** _ **own**_** _ _worst critic.__ To __his__ critical eye, she had captured the scenery brilliantly, with a deft skill that nearly rivaled his own, but he knew better than to try to tell her otherwise. Her newly awoken passion was exactly what he'd intended, but __now__ he had to __attempt to quell__ the __reflexive, self-nitpicking__ that would be customary of her to arise, right afterwards... being the __adorable little perfectionist__ that she was!

"You need to take a deep breath and relax that frayed mind of yours," he soothed, taking her hand from behind in his with his large, masculine one, oblivious to her startled gasp at the feeling of his heated skin against hers. "You don't want the rays to overpower, but instead, __complement__ this masterful work you've created. Now, all you need is a __gentle touch__ and __a small stroke__ , just like __this__ …"

He carefully guided Iris's tiny hand with his own across the canvas, the act unintentionally causing her shoulder blades to be pressed back against his firm chest, and her heart pounded wildly as she became acutely aware of the spicy scent of his aftershave and his warm breath against her ear, reveling in the sensation of his nearness much more than she should have!

She daringly and ever so slightly, not quite willing yet to break the blissfulness of his close proximity, tilted her head upward, so she could make out his transfixed, attentive expression he fixated on the finishing touches.

The intense look of concentration on his features was something she'd never seen before. Having only been privy in the past to view only __the end result__ of his work, rather than seeing him __in the act of__ , it was almost like artwork itself to see the __artist in action__.

With his eyes somewhat narrowed in focus, his jaw slightly clenched and his lips pursed together, Larry in artist mode was truly a sight to behold, and something Iris found she was enjoying very much, even though he was so engrossed at the moment in his passion, he seemed to have forgotten her presence entirely! Therefore, he was __completely unaware__ how she was appreciating __every line and curve__ of his face, which was growing more fascinating and beloved by the moment.

Sister Bikini had once joked that Larry Butz was "diamond in the rough," and Iris knew what she meant. But to __her__ , he was simply a __diamond__. The rest of the world could be as rough as it desired but it never affected him, he shone with inner beauty all the same. She guessed that was part of why she'd fallen for him. It was that sparkle of his, which nothing and nobody could ever take away.

Iris was still studying the mobile line of his lips when they quirked suddenly, as if amusement was lurking there. Her gaze shot up, and to her utter horror, she discovered that his amber eyes had shifted down onto her. She pulled away, fully turning around to face him, torn between laughing at his dry observation and blushing because she hadn't fooled him in the least. She did neither, and a fiery blush heated her cheeks at having been caught in the act of so unabashedly staring at him.

"I hope you like the painting now…" he said tentatively, looking away from her admiring gaze and shuffling his feet awkwardly.

She __did__ like it, actually. She __loved__ it, really. His masterful finishing skills had truly given her a piece of work that was something to be proud of, yet the now forgotten painting was __not__ what presently had her so completely captivated.

Feeling her stare still on him, Larry jerked his view away from the scenery, and self-consciously regarded the shrine maiden, who remained ogling him with an odd, contemplative expression, as though unable to look away from him.

"What's up?" He nervously scratched his head. He unsure of what to make of her intent stare and wondered if he had __visible__ boogers up his nose or __a bird had crapped on his head__ or something, as __no other woman__ had ever remained so fixated on him for so long. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" she asked softly, before she could stop herself.

Larry blinked, not sure he'd heard her right. That was literally the __last__ thing in the world he'd expected to hear her say! A slow, boyish blush spread across his features as he struggled not to turn crimson at the compliment, but failing miserably as the heat rose to his cheeks.

 _ _Usually__ ** _ **I'm**_** _ _the one making ladies blush,__ ** _ **not vice versa**_** _ _! She's really got a hold on me!__

"What would you think if I told you no?" He finally managed to get out, in what he hoped was a normal tone.

Iris tittered. "I'd think you were trying to appear modest."

He'd have thought she was kidding, were it not for that earnest expression in those lustrous eyes. No, she was __dead serious,__ bless her heart.

"Then what am I supposed to do now?" he teased, opting for the comedic route, to mask how overwhelmed with emotion by her words. "I'm open to advice on my decorum, milady."

"I __suppose__ you should try to look a little flustered and embarrassed by the flattery!" She declared with a mock scowl.

"I don't fluster or embarrass very easily!" He joked. "I'm __shameless__ , remember?"

"Be __serious__!" She playfully slapped at his shoulder, attempting to sound chastising. " _ _Have__ you ever been told that before?"

"Be __serious__? __Me__? That's like asking __a fish to ride a bicycle__!" He skillfully evaded the question. "By the way, has anyone ever told you that __you__ have incredibly beautiful eyes?"

" _ _Yes__!" She giggled. "By the way, Mr. Butz, you're nowhere near as slick as you think! You're aware I __do__ realize that you're __deliberately prevaricating__ , don't you?"

"And that you're extremely well-spoken, too?" he continued, ignoring her remark.

"We aren't singing __my__ praises here, are we?" She affected a tone of feigned indignation. "You __do__ realize a __true__ gentleman would at least __try__ to accept a compliment from a lady, with __some__ degree of graciousness, especially when it's been given so __freely__!"

She was so endearing, so utterly __adorable__ , it practically __hurt__! Larry's heart nearly __ached__ with how much he loved her at that moment.

"Perhaps the praise given by the fair lady left me so taken aback, that I have no words sufficient enough to provide an adequate response." His expression was intense as he stared deeply into her eyes. "Because __said lady__ is of such __breathtaking beauty herself,__ she often renders even a wisecracking clown such as me to become helplessly, completely __speechless__."

She couldn't find her voice. Her cheeks flushed hot, and her stomach was heavy as her heart pounded in her throat, threatening to break out. She couldn't look at him for another moment, because if she did, she knew that she would ruin everything by declaring her emotions, right there and then, and dropped her gaze.

This time, Larry wouldn't let her.

"Not __this__ time, Missy!" Firmly, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he turned her face up to his, forcing her to look into his laughing eyes. "If I'm so beautiful, why won't you look at me anymore?"

"That was a silly thing for me to tell you," Iris apologized with quiet dignity. "And..."

"It was definitely a gross exaggeration." As if sensing her sudden discomfort, and not wanting to add to it, he smilingly took his hand away from her chin. "But I liked it. Thank you for the kind words, Iris."

"You're welcome," she mumbled, her cheeks still pink. "I – I meant every word of it."

"I know you did. And by the way, in case you're honestly interested," he added, his voice turning husky. "I have heard __many__ women over the years use such similar words of admiration to describe Edgy and Nick – both __to their faces__ as well as __behind__ __their__ __**clueless of their own charm**__ __backs__! But no, never to __me__."

There was no way to mask the emotion in his voice as he told her this humbling detail, and it was impossible to determine if there was more joy in __his__ heart to have finally heard the words, or in __hers__ for having uttered them. Larry had to swallow hard before he could trust himself to continue.

"You're definitely the first woman to ever see me in such a light, Iris." He then gave her a genuinely sweet smile, with just the right touch of shyness. " _ _Nobody__ has __ever__ told me that before. Not until __you__."

An unexpected warmth rushed through her. Still feeling a little foolish over her confidences, Iris glanced up at him with an embarrassed smile, then turned back to the scenic view behind them.

"What is the most beautiful place you've ever seen?"

Dragging his gaze from the splendor of the landscape, Larry tenderly gazed down at the enchanting beauty standing beside him.

"Any place," he said huskily, "where __you__ are."

She stared up at him and this time, when he met her steady gaze with his own smiling one, found she couldn't make herself look away.

 _ _I look at you with those tender eyes and the little upwards curl of your smile, and I see the sun and the sea and the whole world beaming back at me. And I love you. In that moment, I knew I loved you.__

* * *

 _ **(Chapter Quote) Coldplay -Fix You**_

 _ **Goo Goo Dolls - Iris**_

 _ **Daniel Powter - Crazy All My Life**_

* * *

 _A/N: if you want a good laugh and presumably are not easily offended which I'm assuming you're not otherwise would not be reading this fan fiction with all of its punny names and borderline terrible jokes which most of you find funny - God bless you all! Check out You Tube and look up this: **Klavier: Gay or European?**_

 ** _Then swap_** _Klavier **for**_ **Longines** ** _and you'll see why keep I making that joke gay or European gag! XD_**

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 137**

 ***REVIEW OF THE WEEK***

 **Anonymous**

I remember I got a little bit misty eyed when you said you are considering using some of the words from I Only Want To Be With You chapter 117 in your wedding but my mind is even more blown to know I could I have had anything to do with such a momentous event in somebody's life! Congratulations and God bless to your husband! What a beautiful mix the two of you will have should you decide to have children! My husband and I are also an interracial couple – love sees no color! :)

Mendelssohn's version is the one the nun was working on as the other is much more simplistic and I don't want to portray Iris as that blame of a musician if she couldn't even handle the more basic Wagner version! The former does sound pretty nice on a piano nevertheless I actually went and checked out YouTube just to be sure it could be done Justice on eighty-eight keys!

Despite everything I never wanted Longines to be portrayed as the bad guy here so I am very happy he comes across as a sweetheart I intended him to be! He is inadvertently breaking some sort of law the question is who is ass it's going to bite in the end the poor unsuspecting naïve billionaire or THE WRETCHED ONE!

I am delighted to see how people are willing to have an open mind about some of my more nonconventional pairings in the story and decided the fact that Larry really seemed to be in love with her in the third game as my basis for this pairing :-)

Larry is actually kind of cute in the Ace Attorney six artwork which is what I base his new outfit on so much the better if you can actually picture the outfit and his mannerisms though I have been working really hard on my descriptive writing!

It is a great pleasure to hear from you and I certainly hope to do so again! Thank you so much for taking the time for such a wonderful review it warmed my heart!

 **Feraligreater328**

I had no idea that my speech to text was going to call Iris _virus!_ XD

I only see her in that light when she's paired with Nick other than that I'm pretty neutral about the character herself and I guess she had it rough going to prison and everything… she is a delicate flowers with delicate features so I imagine prison must've been hell for her!

I'm glad to know you appreciate a good love story and I certainly hope you think Larry and Iris fit that bill after this chapter!

 **BoredZero**

Thank you for the kind words dear reader!

Unfortunately I already have a poll for my tag team efforts with Yanmegaman called "Crossfire" about whether or not the fair maiden Fey should be with Sir red Knight or Sir blue Knight and I think you can only have one poll at a time in your profile if I'm not mistaken, otherwise I would totally be placing the poll on my profile: **_Longines Beaugosse… Gay or European? :p_**

 **Eveshowrtc**

I cannot reiterate how much I love hearing from my readers but especially their music and idea" suggestions!

Those are some fantastic Pink Floyd and Elton John tunes you suggested definitely going to see what I can do there! Don't leave your iPad in your grandfather's car. That's one of my rules.

I am delighted to know that you have heard the beautiful song by the late great Whitney Houston (RIP) who was probably my favorite female singer in existence, God rest her soul! I hope you liked it and never apologize for talking to me about music seeing as how my nerdy self has turned this fan fiction into a mini musical! :)

I hope you're able to salvage your iPad!

Some cows are meant to give sour milk no matter how sweet the grass they've been fed on. Mildew is one of those cows. Well maybe not a cow but only because she's too spindly to be one! XD

You pretty much just sealed the deal for something I have been discussing with my two favorite boys for some time. My favorite European male reader actually mentioned Phoenix and Maya day – Sept 5 - coming up and asked if I would be doing anything to commemorate the occasion since 2016 is the year of the actual Ace Attorney timeline in the original game. I decided to do my own one-shot but I figured this was as good a time as any to see if I could pair up with the dynamic duo. Yanmegaman has written with me, _Crossfire_ , and the awesome AU _Tales of Attornia_ with ThePudz (yeah he's kinda easy that way! LOL) so I figured the next step was going to be a group collaboration! :)

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _It is seen that Mildred has a serious ailment of "nobablefusy" (Not Be Able to Fuck syndrome). Many women seniors suffer from this disease, but the worst is not the suffering, but they seek to end the happiness of others because they are not able to find their own._

I'm not going to lie if I hadn't just had somebody make my day by saying that my geeky self's writing helped influence most important day of their life _a.k.a. their wedding_ this would've easily been review of the week because laughing so hard I could barely breathe! Only you my funny Cuban friend would come up with a comedic gold term for a miserable geriatric spinster _whose cherry is rotted and has fruit flies_! LOL

It really makes me happy that the bond between Larry and Iris is believable! Both will be very faithful and loving partners and despite their flaws have shown to be very loyal to those they care about. Besides I really think Larry with the right woman could put his womanizing ways behind him… Reformed rakes make the best partners didn't you know? ;)

We have not forgotten about Miles and his currently lackluster love life I promise! It has been put in the back burner but I have not turned off the stove!

 **Yanmegaman**

It would be equal parts hilarious and **50 shades of wrong** if I were to make Hitler jokes and have Iris summon him from the fiery pits of Abaddon in this _teen rated_ fan fiction dude! I've already pushed the envelope quite a bit with some of the content in the story but I think that would push me over the edge and off the site because some things are still sacred after all! That being said…

 _"Sister Bikini and Mystic Matilda beating her with a stick, all the while she is flinging anti-semitic slurs in German all over the place... Yes, I am insane."_

Yes, yes you are! That explains our friendship! I'd rather you be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring!

Considering how much you hate Iris I am delighted that I brought her life and you no longer see her as the despised "sentient piece of plywood!" *wipes eyes*

I truly think I have most hilarious readers in this entire fandom if not all of cyberspace!

 **thepudz**

I do believe this is couple number _three_ that I've converted you with is it not, mate? Fredgeworth…Feyt…and Larris is lucky three! As long as I haven't confronted you into crossing the street with some of the fan art you and I have exchanged… You _did_ once say my description of Miles in a towel in previous chapters temperately made you gay (or European!) XD

Yes that's right fuck you Dragon lady! Fuck you in the ear!

 **chloemcg**

Why does Mildred have to ruin everything milady? As best put my sidesplitting reader:

 _"It is seen that Mildred has a serious ailment of "nobablefusy" (Not Be Able to Fuck syndrome). Many women seniors suffer from this disease, but the worst is not the suffering, but they seek to end the happiness of others because they are not able to find their own."_

 _"My rage is all for the meanie Mildred...I hope an dragon comes into the fic and eats her, it would be a ironic and very, very, very funny (considering her nickname is "dragon lady") way to go."_

Yes Iris is attempting to atone for her sins but she's been punished quite enough at this point, in between having the man she loves thinking she loves another and having her sister and cousin hater guts and now having to deal with the fuming breath of The Dragon Lady a.k.a. the _meanie_ as you so adorably call her! XD

We'll find out next chapter why Nick is a free man but Iris still hasn't gone running into Larry's arms… Alas the course of true love never did run smooth!

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_

Admittedly Larry and Iris have both been losers in love so what better way to find them happiness or miracles than to put them together?

It is high praise indeed if I make a bland character like Iris be likable -and more so than in the genius created games! Moreover…people are rooting for her to be happy and in love! You really made my day, _muchas gracias!_

 **ChloboShoka**

I really do get a kick out of reader saying that they like my song choices considering how eclectic and all over the place they are! Also Sister Bikini – aka adopted, pint-sized mama - is such an adorable and underrated character - I _have_ to throw her in there whenever I can, and I do think her influence in raising Iris is a case of nurture versus nature since both she and her demon spawn twain did come from the same satanic mother! Thank you!


	139. Catch Me I'm Falling

_Saying I love you  
_ _Is not the words I want to hear from you  
_ _It's not that I want you  
_ _Not to say, but if you only knew  
_ _How easy it would be to show me how you feel  
_ _More than words is all you have to do to make it real  
_ _Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me  
_ _'Cause I'd already know_

 _What would you do if my heart was torn in two  
_ _More than words to show you feel  
_ _That your love for me is real  
_ _What would you say if I took those words away  
_ _Then you couldn't make things new  
_ _Just by saying I love you_

 _More than words_

 _Now that I've tried to talk to you and make you understand  
_ _All you have to do is close your eyes  
_ _And just reach out your hands and touch me  
_ _Hold me close don't ever let me go  
_ _More than words is all I ever needed you to show  
_ _Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me  
_ _'Cause I'd already know_

 _What would you do if my heart was torn in two  
_ _More than words to show you feel  
_ _That your love for me is real  
_ _What would you say if I took those words away  
_ _Then you couldn't make things new  
_ _Just by saying I love you_

 _More than words  
_

* * *

 _A/N: The last Larris chapter was a flashback to Valentine's Day, and was still_ _ **before**_ _Phoenix's fateful trial which ultimately incarcerated Kristoph Gavin. For the next few chapters, and as always throughout the story, I cannot emphasize how important it is to please take note of the dates/times as they will be very relevant to the story, plus I tend to go back and forth a lot in the timeline. Of course, any questions or if I've made things unwittingly confusing, just ask/let me know! :)_

 _So we are now back in_ _ **present day which is April 22**_ _,_ _ **2026**_ _, aka_ _ **two day**_ _s after Nick's trial (April 20), and_ _ **one day**_ _after Maya's arrival back from Australia, (April 21) and the wedding shopping excursion from hell! Miss Fey's nuptials are now under two months away…and the next time we see her will be at the ceremony._

 _The Larris arc is over as of next chapter and up Monday (again, split due to length)_

 _I hope you enjoy this weekend read!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Nine:** **Catch Me, I'm Falling**

 _ **Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne  
**_ _Eagle Mountain Lake Area_  
April 22, 2026

Whenever Larry and Iris were together, she continued to love him without reservation or guile, and as she grew more certain of _his_ love, she became more confident and more enchanting to him.

They were back at that magical lake where he'd taken her for Valentine's Day, sitting side by side on the grass. She was resting her satiny head, which smelled like lavender wildflowers, on his shoulder as they watched the diamond-like glint of the sun on the rippling water.

On this particular occasion, despite the tranquil setting, he would at moments turn inexplicably grim. Each time he did so, she kept teasing him or nuzzling him, but to no avail. When these ploys failed, she presented him with a single wildflower from the bush beside her that she'd plucked from, and playfully stuck it behind his ear.

"Shall I have to resort to buying you a _jewel_ to make you smile, Lawrence?" She joked, maintaining her status as the only woman to have ever addressed him by his full name. "I understand that is how it's done when a lover begins to act distracted."

To Iris's surprise, her remark made him suddenly snatch her into his arms in a suffocating embrace.

"I am not losing interest in you, if that's what you're suggesting," he promised her. " _Never_ think that for a minute, my beautiful Iris."

Iris leaned back in his arms, surprised by the unwarranted force of his declaration, and continued to smile contentedly. Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead, and she shifted slightly so that she was seated in his lap, her luminous eyes full of emotion.

"Do you _really_ have to go on another world art tour?" She asked forlornly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her scented head in his neck. "It seems as though it were only _yesterday_ that you got here to Eagle Mountain."

"My agent _insists_ I leave the day after tomorrow," he told her reluctantly. "However, this time, I shouldn't be gone as long as the last."

"I'll miss you," she said quietly, but there was no trace of resentment in her voice or attempt to guilt him about leaving, keeping that steadfast integrity that he particularly admired about her.

He didn't _want_ to leave though. If only she'd _ask_ him not to go. Her wish was his every command – if only she'd exercise her unspoken right to actually _make_ it.

"Not," he whispered, kissing the side of her mouth, "as much as I'll miss you."

She sighed, then wrapped her legs around his waist, placing her dewy lips right by his lobe, and whispered just one word in his ear, so softly he wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly at first.

" _Stay_."

The simple plea startled him, and made his spirits soar, as though bearing wings. It was the first thing she'd ever asked of him, somehow managing to convey such an infinite amount of love and longing, with just that _one, simple word_.

God help him, he loved her more than any words could ever say.

 _This is your cue to kiss her, Larry,_ he thought to himself. _Wrap your fingers in her hair; press your fingertips against her neck, just enough to feel her pulse, the gentle throb of her heart beating, knowing every heartbeat belongs to you. She won't always be this vulnerable, this open. Right now her trust is in the palm of your hand. This is your cue to pull her closer._

She placed a gentle thumb on his bottom lip and breathed.

"Stay, stay, stay" she whispered. "Stay...for _me_."

"For _you_ , Iris Elizabeth Hawthorne, I'll do _anything_ your heart desires..." he whispered back fiercely, cradling her glowing face in his hands and drawing her mouth up to meet his...

* * *

 _ **Larry Butz and Miles Edgeworth  
**_ April 22, 2026 9:50 AM

 _Ka-ching! Cha-ching!_

The sharp clang of a cash register ring coming from his phone jostled the artist awake, just before Larry managed to place his aching mouth against _the sweetest lips_ this side of heaven.

 _ **Money, get back  
**_ _ **I'm all right Jack keep your hands off of my stack  
**_ _ **Money, it's a hit  
**_ _ **Don't give me that do goody good bullshit…**_

He swore a blue streak and reflexively clamped his pillow against his ears in an attempt to muffle out the rest of the song lyrics blaring from his cell phone, which he'd forgotten to put in silent mode before he'd passed out. It was bad enough that he loved and respected Iris so damn much that unlike with _any other woman he'd_ _ **ever**_ _known_ , his _blasted_ _**Boy Scout**_ _subconscious_ couldn't even conjure up fantasies beyond the _Disney_ variety with her! But _now_ , it appeared that life was going to be _such a bitch_ , it wasn't even going to let him _kiss_ the woman of his dreams… _In_ his dreams?!

 _ **Money, it's a crime  
**_ _ **Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie  
**_ _ **Money, so they say  
**_ _ **Is the root of all evil today…**_

The loud ring tone had shocked him so unexpectedly from his slumber that it resulted in him somersaulting from his bed! The gasping artist landed, _ass over tea-kettle_ , in a tangled heap of sheets on his floor, while his floundering hand groped onto his night table for his cell.

Drowsily, he managed to clamp his hand onto the phone before it stopped chiming the Pink Floyd tune.

" _Mrrrmph_ ," he grunted by way of greeting. Mornings were simply _not_ his thing, especially not after barely four hours sleep! Not even Iris's compelling presence could soothe his sore, aching muscles from his long, laborious days these past few months.

"Good morning, Larry." A deep voice with the slightest influx of British intonation greeted him.

"Morning," mumbled the artist, trying to grind the sleep out of his eyes with his fists.

"Did I wake you?" The polished baritone sounded immediately contrite. "My apologies – I hope you won't be too incited with me for unintentionally rising you from your slumber."

" _Inside_ _ **what**_ _now_?" Larry grumbled drowsily. " _Who_ are you?"

"Is this one of your _non-humorous_ _attempts_ at _ill-timed jesting_ by suggesting my cadence is unrecognizable?" The voice sounded slightly clipped now, with borderline impatience. "Or have I _really_ been gone _that_ long?"

Something in Larry's mind suddenly clicked as he _at last_ recognized who his mystery caller was. _Of course!_ To _whom_ _else_ would he have given the ringtone of Pink Floyd's "Money"... other than to Mr. Prosecutor _Moneybag_ s himself?

" _Edgy_?" He rasped, now wide-awake and sitting up swiftly. "Is that really _you_?!"

"Indeed, it is I." Larry could actually picture the magenta-clad man giving his customary debonair bow in greeting. "Hmmm...I'm not sure if it's _my_ reception or _yours_ that is questionable, but you don't sound very clear at the moment. Are we on a bad signal?"

"No, that would be _my_ end." Larry staggered toward the front door of his cabin. "Hang on a second, I'm gonna try stepping outside to see if that helps. Even though there's a cell tower in Kurain that we share the signal with, the village is still about a good 20 to 30 minutes trek away, so it's a lot more patchy up here in the mountains. Wow, stranger! Long time, no speak! When did you get back in town?"

"I arrived the night before last. Wait – you're up in the _mountains_? Edgeworth asked abruptly. "As in _Eagle Mountain_? _What_ are you doing up _there_?"

"I've been up here since the New Year, staying in the cabins near Sister Bikini and Iris," Larry replied awkwardly, now fully alert and feeling slightly perturbed at the sharpness in his friend's tone. "I offered my artist services for Maya's wedding."

" _Maya's wedding?! Iris_?!" Edgeworth thundered incredulously. " _What in God's name_ are you doing cavorting with _both_ of your best friend's _exes_ , Larry Butz?!"

* * *

 _ **Sister Bikini and Iris Hawthorne  
**_ _Hazakura Temple_  
April 22, 2026 9:55 AM

Iris slept in that morning. Normally, she'd have been up at the crack of dawn, eager to spend every waking moment possible with Larry and collaborating on the cabin preparations and decorating for the upcoming wedding. However, she'd gone to bed at _nearly dawn_ and was very much feeling the ill-effects of little sleep, despite hitting the hay in _a most euphoric state_ and a dreamy smile on her lips.

After all, the reason she was so utterly exhausted was due to a late night star-gazing excursion from the night before with Larry, enjoying the meteor shower which had brightened up the jewel-lit, inky-velvet sky. Together they'd blissfully lain back on the flowery field, enjoying the breathtaking spectacle for hours, as well as talking and laughing till her sides had hurt, until nearly sunrise.

Her warm and fuzzy feelings, however, had been somewhat dampened by the phone call she'd just received from Phoenix a few moments ago. Normally, speaking to her ex was a rare, albeit _pleasant_ , exchange, but this time, it had left her so overwhelmingly saturnine and lachrymose, she'd felt as though _a black cloud of doom_ had literally formed over her head!

Iris was still was so overcome by her latest all-consuming feelings of hopelessness and despair that by the time she joined Sister Bikini in the main temple hall, she was initially convinced that in her drained and helpless state, her exhausted ears _surely_ must have misunderstood the message her adopted mother conveyed to her.

"What do you _mean_ you're _no longer officiating the ceremony_?" Iris stared, agog, at the tiny woman, positive she'd somehow heard incorrectly. "Why on earth _not_? _Especially_ after all the trouble you went through in getting ordained?"

"Mystic Maya seemed very distraught when she informed me of the news this morning, which she hastily assured me had _not at all_ been _her_ decision," the nun replied with a shrug. "But as his future wife, she can hardly go against Longines's wishes for a different officiant."

"And you're not _at all_ distressed or feeling slighted by this sudden arrangement?" She still couldn't _believe_ such momentous decision had been made nearly so last-minute.

"Not at _all_!" Sister Bikini replied cheerfully. "If anything, _Mystic_ _Maya_ was more distraught about this than _I_ was! In truth, I only would have performed the ceremony as a favor to the darling girl – I'm actually _thrilled_ to take be able to sit and relax as _just a guest_ now, instead of experiencing the nerve-racking, stressful responsibilities of officiating, and standing up at the altar, with all eyes on me! Evidently, her fiancé has decided on _quite a few_ last minute changes to the wedding. He now wishes to fly in, from Italy, the priest who baptized him a baby. Who am I to deny the bridegroom his sentimental wishes to have his wedding take place in beautiful Kurain, and have his desired minister of choice?"

"The ceremony will now be in _Kurain_? Not even up here in the mountains?" Iris was beyond stupefied at this turn of events. "I suppose that means all the weddings guests from out of town will be staying in the village then, instead of in the guest cabins? Oh dear, I feel _terrible_ now at how much I've imposed upon poor Larry all this time by having him needlessly assist me with the preparations for those _dozens_ of lodgings…"

"No need to lament about your fruitful labors going to waste!" Sister Bikini let out a booming laugh. "Longines is not only moving _the altar location_ from Eagle Mountain to Kurain, but will need to ensure a large enough venue for the _suddenly expanded guest count,_ therefore _,_ those cabins _will_ still be needed, _trust me_! I know for a fact there isn't enough guest accommodations in the village to house all these extra invitees, so you needn't fret all that hard work, _and extra time you and Larry have spent together,_ was _entirely_ _for naught_!"

The old woman punctuated this last sentence by flashing her daughter a sly smile and wink. Normally the knowing gesture never failed to make Iris blush, but at the moment she was too distraught to play the bashful maiden card, as another awful realization dawned upon her.

"Wait – what about my playing "The Wedding March" as my gift to Mystic Maya when she came down the aisle?" She was completely chagrined, as it appeared her peace offering to her estranged cousin had gone right down the tubes. "Is _that_ a no-go as well now?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry, Iris. I know how hard you've been practicing the tickling of those ivories, but I think Longines is looking into the LA Philharmonic to play the ceremonial arrangement, and some new-age, band called _The Pink Tacos_ to be playing at the reception."

" _The Pink Tacos_?" Iris echoed in disbelief. "What a _bizarre_ name! Why in the world would the groom choose a band with a name like _that_?!"

"It was the best man's choice apparently – Jean really likes pink things I guess? He opted for _them_ because his first choice, _The Shockers_ weren't available, whatever _that_ name means, hoh hoh hoh!" The nun smiled sympathetically as she saw the lugubrious expression in Iris's eyes. "Don't look so blue, dear girl. I'm sure by the time the nuptials take place and Mystic Maya is a married woman, all this animosity between you two will have blown over, and there will be dozens of other opportunities for the two of you to bury the hatchet."

 _Maya bury the hatchet? Probably_ _ **in my back**_ _if she thought she could get away with it!_ Iris thought miserably, as her dreams of making amends vanished in a puff of smoke. This, coupled with the semi-devastating phone call from her ex, was just _all_ she needed to make an already _bad_ _day_ even _worse_! It seemed _this_ was _the proverbial second strike_ in her seemingly endless streak of bad luck...what _else_ could possibly go wrong?!

"Well, Larry and I have a bunch of cabins to not only ensure are spic and span, but also have festively decorative surroundings," she sighed resignedly, already heading towards her friend's lodging with feet that felt like lead. "I'll probably be back in time for lunch. Are you alright with the leftover stew from last night?"

"You crazy kids have fun and take all the time you need to get things done!" Sister Bikini insisted, smilingly making a shooing motion with her hands. "Don't worry about me at all! Mystic Matilda is coming by for lunch, and we have _much to discuss_ , so I will be in good company. Between the two of us _old ladies_ , I'm sure we can rustle something up for ourselves and we can _all_ enjoy that lovely stew for dinner tonight, so you needn't fret about cooking this evening at all." Her dark eyes twinkled impishly. "I will ensure we have enough supper _for three –_ _just in case_ that charming young man wishes t _o break bread with us."_

The "charming young man" in question had had _yet_ to miss _one dinner_ with them since he'd settled up there, and Sister Bikini _knew_ _it_! The nun just simply couldn't _resist_ ribbing her daughter, and was about _as subtle as a Mack truck_!

Iris felt the customary heat already rising to her face, right on command, as she quickly scurried off without bothering to reply, eager to meet up with the only person in the world who made her believe that maybe, just _maybe_...there could _someday_ be a rainbow looming over the horizon of this dark thundercloud that had become her entire existence.

* * *

 _ **Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne  
**_ _Eagle Mountain Cabins  
_ April 22, 2026 10:00 AM

" _Edgy_!" Larry whimpered, cringing as he held the phone away from his poor, abused ear, as his childhood friend _still_ hadn't ceased in lambasting him for his _duplicity and irredeemable error_ of _fraternizing himself_ so closely with Phoenix's past lovers!. "Would you _please_ stop yelling at me and just let me explain?!"

"No I _will not_!" Edgeworth was inveterately fuming, pausing briefly to let some air back into his starved lungs as he rallied himself for round two of his lecture of why Larry was possibly _the worst friend ever_! "I was hoping you would have become more cultured having traveled the world on your art tour, perhaps even had some _growth and maturity_ over the years! Regardless, I see I was wrong to have even given you _that much_ benefit of the doubt!"

"I don't understand why you're so mad at me, considering the circumstances of their breakup! It's not like I'm _trying_ to be the bad guy here by saying _yes_ to the wedding invitation!" Larry cried plaintively. "Surely _you_ received an invitation too, since _you're_ supposedly a good friend of Maya's, as well?!"

"An invitation which _I_ have since politely _declined_ via RSVP, because as much as I'm fond of the girl, _my_ loyalty lies first and foremost with Wright! _Yours_ should be no different, either!"

"But it's not like I'm attending the nuptials of the wicked witch who broke _Nick's_ heart!" Larry protested helplessly. "It was _him_ who dumped _her,_ remember?!"

"That's _beside_ _the_ _point_!" Edgeworth snapped. "You being present for Maya Fey's wedding, never mind _living_ within the same quarters as Iris, breaks an insurmountable and inexcusable number of violations of _The Bro Code!"_

Larry didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the prosecutor's _convenient reference_ to the _unofficial guide of rules and regulations to male friendships_ , something neither he nor Edgeworth had even known _existed,_ until that fateful night at The Borscht Bowl Club, when they'd all conspired to get Phoenix and Maya together in the first place, seven years ago.

"But Edgy, _both_ Nick and Maya are my friends! You couldn't _possibly_ expect me to _choose_ between them, could you?!"

"Do I expect your loyalties to ultimately be with _Wright,_ considering _he_ was your friend first, in the grand scheme of things?" Edgeworth demanded sanctimoniously. "You better _believe_ I do!"

"And I respect that, really. But, er, I just have _one_ question…" Larry interjected meekly, scratching his head in confusion. "I don't understand what you meant earlier when you said I was cavorting with _both_ of my _best friend's exes_? Last time I checked, _Maya_ was his only ex-girlfriend, right? I mean _Iris_ is Nick's _current_ _love_ , not _his_ _former!_ I mean, was that a mistake on your part, or is there something that I've been kept out of the loop on?"

There was a terse silence on the phone as Edgeworth muttered something unintelligible under his breath. If Larry hadn't been so certain that his normally articulate and gentlemanly friend was so averse to using unnecessary profanity, he could've _sworn_ it was a daisy chain of expletives that would've made _a sailor blush_!

"I misspoke in that particular with regard," the prosecutor conceded grudgingly. "But that's neither here nor there! It's actually _even_ more indecorous in fact, for you to be spending _so much time_ with the _current lady_ in our friend's life, seeing as how _Wright_ is stuck down in the city, two hours away, playing single father, and cannot make it up there as often as I _assume he would… desire to be_."

"I already _promised_ Maya that I would be her official wedding artist!" Larry informed Edgeworth, his shattered confidence returning somewhat as he instinctively sensed he had somehow gained the upper hand in this reprimand. "As much as I applaud your loyalty to Nick, and understand your stance about deeming _me_ to be disloyal by my very presence here, surely you wouldn't expect me to _break my word_ to Maya? The bride is now counting on me to be doing the sketches and portrait to capture her big day! She didn't even _ask_ for my services - I _offered_ them!"

 _How does he expect me to recant my offer now, totally out of the blue?_ He wondered sullenly. _Tell her, "Sorry Maya, but my self-righteous old pal suddenly felt a need to plague at my **already** guilty conscience?!" _

He _had_ to inform Edgeworth that not only he was proposing _the unthinkable_ but _impossible_ in the name of _friendly fealty!_ Backing out now would not only mean letting _the bride down_ , but _on top of_ _that_ , would be leaving a poor old nun and a delicate shrine maiden to their own devices in the daunting task of setting up for this momentous affair! Just as he was about to explain this, the prosecutor snarled contemptuously as he stepped up his attack.

"Your _very existence_ being a _contradiction_ , I'm not sure if you can grasp the validity of my argument against this most heinous breach of loyalty or not!" Edgeworth sounded as though he were speaking through gritted teeth. "Alas, let me make it easier, so that even _you_ can comprehend it!"

Larry winced at the scathing words. The collectively calm Edgeworth sounded _beyond steamed!_ If he didn't know better, he would've sworn his friend had _much more that was bothering him_ other than what he perceived to be the artist's _misplaced devotion_.

"Phoenix Wright has been our childhood friend since elementary school and that man has bailed you out of countless messes over the years, including keeping you from being indicted for murder, while expecting, and _getting_ , absolutely _nothing_ in return from you!" Edgeworth unleashed his full wrathful tirade. "Your allegiance shouldn't even be a matter of questioning, Larry! That man has _always_ looked out for you and been steadfast by your side at all times…yet _this_ is how you repay his _unwavering loyalty_?"

Larry reeled back at the ferocity of this closing argument.

 _I have no worthwhile retort to that whatsoever,_ he realized, completely crestfallen as the weight of the other man's words sank in. _What could I possibly say in my own defense? Perhaps I really_ _ **am**_ _a blight on the face of humanity, as Edgy once said. I guess I truly can't do_ _ **anything**_ _right. In attempting to be a good friend for Maya, and a Good Samaritan with Sister Bikini and Iris, I_ _ **still**_ _end up doing_ _ **everything**_ _wrong and upsetting or betraying_ _ **somebody**_ _ **else**_ _! When something smells, it's probably the Butz, right? Well maybe I'm doomed to_ _ **forever stink**_ _and_ _ **never**_ _rise above my name! So why do I even bother_ _ **trying**_ _to become a better man?_

Iris was rounding the corner as she approached Larry's cabin, just in time to see her usually loquacious friend now slumped dejectedly against the door frame, his head bowed as if in submission, like a chastened puppy being scolded for peeing on the floor.

A frown of concern crossed the shrine maiden's face as she slowly approached him, noting that his normally jocund expression seemed _pained_ as he mutely listened to whatever abuse the other party was heaping upon him, without any interruption.

"And let me tell you _something_ _else_ , Larry Butz!" The strangely familiar voice on the other end of the line was barking, so loud that Iris could actually hear it, as loud and clear as though she were on the phone herself. "It doesn't matter whether or not _Wright_ tells you that it's acceptable for you to be at that wedding, because we both know he _always_ tries to take the high road and put others before himself, something _you_ fail to do at _every given turn_!"

Larry shoulders drooped, and his gaze was downcast as he nodded his wordless agreement to this completely _cruel and unfair tongue_ _lashing_ he was allowing himself to be succumbed to! Iris recognized Edgeworth's voice immediately, and it didn't take a legal genius like the prosecutor himself to ascertain exactly _what_ he was presently berating Iris's darling friend for!

Filled with righteous indignation on his behalf, as Larry Butz was one of _the most kind and noble men_ she had ever known, she reacted without thinking, and deftly snatched the phone away from his ear, cradling it into her hand and giving the artist's shoulder a consoling pat as she then directed her attentions to the irate caller.

"Mr. Edgeworth is that _you_?" She cooed, in her most saccharine voice. "This is a _most_ unexpected surprise! Feenie told me you'd been out of the country for the longest time, and I imagine you were calling Larry to let him know that you were back?"

There was a dumbfounded silence on the line, and Iris could practically hear the gears in the man's brain turning as he wracked to register who this mystery lady on the line was, as being in utter confoundment at having been _unceremoniously_ _interrupted_ in mid-rant!

"It's Iris, Mr. Edgeworth," the shrine maiden continued in her most syrupy tone, the one she had perfected years ago while playing the role of her man-eater twin sister. "Sorry to interrupt your _little reunification chat_ , but I never _did_ get a chance to properly express my gratitude for your assistance in getting my parole granted last year. I am so eternally grateful to you and forever in your debt."

"Iris, er, hello." The prosecutor coughed awkwardly as he attempted to switch his previous severe timbre, which he had reserved exclusively for Larry, into one more sangfroid. "It was my pleasure, and think nothing of it. If anything, I only wish I hadn't been out of the country at the time, so I could have leaned on the motion to have gotten you released sooner."

Larry was staring at his heroic angel with an amazed look of wonder on his face. Iris flashed him a little wink and returned her attentions back to the lawyer.

"Well, it certainly has been nice catching up, and I'm sure Larry would love to have you pay a visit sometime! Be sure to pop in on me, too whenever you do, so that you and I can also have a _proper reunion,_ as soon as you're settled!" She trilled, ensuring her speech was as lilting as possible, doing her best to mask how _irked_ she was at the attorney for having upset the man she loved. "Welcome back! I hate to be the bad guy and cut this short, but I'm sure dear Larry mentioned all the _backbreaking labor_ that's been involved in helping prep for this wedding, and _times a wasting_!"

"Ahem, he _did_ mention he was going to be Maya's wedding artist," Edgeworth ventured hesitantly. "But I don't think he said anything about his services being required elsewhere."

"Larry is much too _modest_ to be boasting just how _invaluable_ a lifeline he has been up here in these penurious temple surroundings!" Iris emitted a tinkly laugh. "Sister Bikini and I would _absolutely lost_ without him, considering it's just _little ol' me_ up here! Also, I don't know if you recall, but the good Sister suffers from terrible back pain, poor dear, and it's only worsened with her advancing years. Ergo, Larry just been _such_ a lifesaver! Aren't _you_ _lucky_ to have such a selfless and helpful man to call your _friend_?"

"Ah, well," Edgeworth sounded extremely uncomfortable now, much to Iris's great relish. "Yes, I suppose I am…"

"Wow, will you _look_ at the time!" Iris interrupted, injecting as much sunshine into her cadence as possible. "Like I said, I _hate_ to cut this short, but we have a _really_ busy workday ahead of us! It's been a pleasure hearing from you again Mr. Edgeworth! Hope to talk to you soon! Ta-ta!"

With that, she hung up the phone, her bravado fading as she suddenly realized just _what_ a _presumptuous_ and _obtrusive_ thing she had just done, by taking over like some sort of _meddling, emasculating Buttinsky_ , and hence acting as though _a grown man_ couldn't even of his own battles! What had she even been _thinking_?

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself meet Larry's eyes, unable to read his current expression, and wanted to _sink right into the mucky, damp spring mud_ that squished between her shoes and _simply_ _vanish into it_ , such was her shame at her _unseemly behavior_!

 _A good soul on earth hurts very much. It was those wounded, soulful eyes that made me intervene. That still doesn't make it right though. I shouldn't have stuck my nose in where it didn't belong._

"I am so sorry about that Larry," she mumbled, quickly slapping the phone back into his hand, her cheeks flaming. "I – I shouldn't have meddled like that. I don't know what came over me."

Larry stared at this wingless seraph standing humbly before him, and his mind was _blown_ that she felt a need to be _apologetic_ for her behavior! He _still_ couldn't believe this avenging angel had done something that _nobody_ since _Phoenix,_ during his murder trial of Cindy Stone, had done ever since – actually _defended_ him! – and in the most _endearing, effective and inoffensive_ way possible! The sting of Edgeworth's words was slowly fading, and he let out a quiet chortle as he recalled hearing the prosecutor stumble and stammer for words while speaking to Larry's _self-appointed defense attorney_! Iris may have actually missed her calling in the legal field – after all, it wasn't every day the prodigal prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, was left _floundering like a fish out of w_ ater!

"It pained me to see you be spoken to in such a manner," she continued. "It didn't seem fair – or right – for a man that you call _friend_ to be treating you like a whipping boy! Even though it was none of my business, I just couldn't help myself! Nonetheless, I once again most sincerely apologize for overstepping my boundaries."

In that moment, Larry realized that not only did he love her, he could tell the _universe_ loved her too. More than others. She was different, so enchanting, yet so humble. After all, you'd be foolish not to notice the way the sunshine played in her hair, turning it into gleaming obsidian silk that tumbled around her exquisite ivory visage, which was still downcast. Here she thought he was angered or affronted by her intervention, when in actuality, all he could think about was the soft texture of her lips and the way his love for her bloomed inside him like a single ray of moonlight shining through inky night clouds, across an otherwise pitch black ocean.

"Edgy – he was angry, angrier than I've ever known him to be in all the years I've known him," he informed her wearily. "He's normally not like this. Something _else_ is bugging him – I can just _tell_. That's probably why I didn't put up more of a fight. Also, there _was_ some validity to his words, harsh though they were. They say nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent, but for some reason, the stuff he was saying was really getting to me. Perhaps because what he said was true. I _have_ been a very _self-centered_ and unthinking man of rash decisions in the past. Maybe I really _am_ a bad friend and am being disloyal to Nick by attending his ex-girlfriend's wedding – and probably _suck, even more,_ for actively _assisting_ with it! Here I thought I was doing the right and gentlemanly thing all this time…but I guess I was wrong."

He laughed bitterly and scuffed the ground with his shoe.

"Imagine that, _me_ be wrong about something, huh? It sure wouldn't be the first time. I just can't seem to keep out of trouble – or keep from somehow upsetting the people I care for." He jabbed his hands in his pockets. "Either way, I'm sorry you had to witness me cowering like a cornered mouse and _him_ being such a judgmental jackass! And I thank you for acting like I'm somebody worth defending."

"Because you _are_!" She cried passionately. "Mr. Edgeworth was wrong to have said such cruel things to such a good man, with such a sensitive, poetic soul. You gave my cousin your word you'd be there for her wedding, and you've been helping out a helpless old nun and myself all out of the goodness of your heart. You are _not_ a bad friend, at all, Larry Butz! You are a _great_ friend, and even _better_ person! You _care_ about people! You do whatever you can to be there for them. But you can't _please everybody_ or _see eye to eye_ with _everyone_ _all the time!_ If I'd been you, I'd have flat out told that mean old bully: _I'm not in this world to live up to_ _ **your**_ _expectations and you're not in this world to live up to_ _ **mine**_ _!"_

Her dark eyes flashed as she continued her impassioned speech, unaware of how beautiful and virtuous she looked as she did so.

"All you can do in this life is absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own! _Always_ be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it. _You are Larry Butz_ and _that's_ good enough for _me_! I wouldn't want it _any other way_ and _I_ _wouldn't change **one damn thing** about you!_ "

There was an odd silence between them following her uncharacteristic outburst, and then Larry let out an elated shout of laughter, startling the nun. Then, unable to help himself, he quickly kissed her on the nose, his eyes dancing with restored humor and vibrancy, uncaring that the action made her blush to the roots of her hair.

"Thank you, d _efense attorney_ turned _motivational speaker_ , Iris Hawthorne!" His formerly dismal expression was now filled with endearment. "Thank you for rescuing me from the dastardly Edgy and restoring my faith in myself, which was tragically faltering until _you_ came along. I am forever in your debt for picking me up when I was down, milady."

His expression was tender as he gently brushed an errant lock of hair off her face and smiled indulgently.

"I know you came here to fetch me to get on stringing up those decorative lights and paper lanterns, so just let me get dressed, and I'll meet you at by the gardens in about 5-10 minutes, OK?"

"Sounds good. I have some work to do on the flowerbeds anyway." Iris shyly touched her nose, which still felt warm from the brush of his lips as she headed off. She knew that she may have made an error in allowing him to taken such liberties with a woman that was _supposedly off the market_ , but he'd been _so cute_ in expressing his gratitude…and she loved him _so very much_ , that it'd just felt so _right_ at the moment!

Nevertheless, she could _not_ let herself get carried away like that with him _ever_ again!

Not considering what Phoenix had just told her…

* * *

 _A/N: This chapter was dedicated to former Iris haters turned recent converts, and to my two favorite fan-fic writing fellas, Yanmegaman and ThePudz for their input on this final Larris courtship arc. Also, thanks to reader Eveshowrtc for his musical suggestion in this chapter!_

* * *

 _ **Extreme - More Than Words (chapter quote)**_

 _ **Pink Floyd - Money  
**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 137**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Beauty and the Butz! Loves it! LOL

Humor and alliteration rolled into one!

The character is not much more than comedy gold, both for my own purposes I my stories, as well, and compared to his two pals the hot as hell Ace Attorneys it must have STUNK being the Butz, who was very much the womanizer/underachiever. But I think he's salvageable ever since I saw how cuter he is in the AA6 and appears to have found his niche as he still is an artist so there may be hope for him in the loser department as well! XD

Larry's main crime is being guilty He loves- too much, too soon – but perhaps to the wrong women. He's clingy and needy – but I feel like Iris would be too, so hence a match made in heaven! :)

 _"And as for Iris, she's like tomato sauce. It takes a lot of seasonings to add any flavor, but I'd say you're doing a great job adding flavor to an otherwise-bland character."_

The funniest and most apt description of Iris since Yanmegaman called her a "wriggling piece of plywood!" I swear I the funniest readers in this entire fandom!

That being said, the game creators made her a Mary Sue character and I can't change that about her – but she also very sweet so I strive to make her give my readers diabetes! I mean nobody but a saint would agree to help out Nick if it means alienating her from the only family she has – she probably thinks Dahlia and Kristoph are just misunderstood! :p

These two will have a comparatively slow build to Phaya as they are essentially strangers from long ago who only knew one another a short time and are just now getting to know each other. However, I hope Phaya's romance isn't less revered because it did involve them having relations. Sex and romance are not exclusive – they can be beautifully coincided and I certainly hope I gave that to them (and Fredgeworth!) – they can be beautifully coincided and I while it may have seemed like Nick and Maya rushed their romance, unlike Larris, they were _best friends, colleagues_ and Maya and Pearl even _lived_ with him – so if anything they had some _pretty extended foreplay – emotional and verbal_ \- all those years before they _physically consummated_ their love which is how most people in love choose to express it. I hope it hence isn't comparatively seen as cheapened/less real or nothing more than physical or lust. Theirs was very much a genuine but passionate sort of love, without which this story wouldn't exist! :)

 **Chapter 138**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Proof that miracles exist sweet boy – I made you like Larry but moreover I've evidently made readers like IRIS! XD

Mildew is just a miserable hag. She doesn't have a reason for being except making life shitty for all those around her. Iris to her just reminds her of all the pretty girls that effortlessly got all the boys who ignored her ugly arse all her spinster life!

There are fewer pains in life more intense than the person you love not loving you back because they love another, but this after all a love story – the course of true love never did run smooth! Well for Magshoe it does but they're a happily married couple and that gets boring after a while that's why they're tertiary characters! :p

Next chapter, we find out why Kristoph is behind bars and Larris still isn't a thing.

 **chloemcg**

I am such a die-hard romantic milady I rejoice when I my readers embrace the love as well! Especially if it's a pairing that one wouldn't normally ship- high praise indeed and I thank you kindly for it! :)

I'm jealous of how sweet and romantic these AA guys can be as well! My husband's idea of a 7-course meal is a hot-dog and a six-pack! XD

I keep thinking if he reads this FF he may get some inspiration! ::p

I am playing that demo already and am over the moon about the game! I hope in between plays of when the real game actually comes out in a fortnight, my readers still take the odd break

 **DannyDragon**

As I said to another reader with the Ace Attorney 6 game coming out soon I will be happy to take what I can get by ways of reviews but moreover I'm just happy to know I still have readers after over a year now on this crazy train! Larry and Iris's fate is to be determined since Phoenix unintentionally became a _Beaver_ - _dam_ – pun _not_ intended! – In their romance this chapter! Always a pleasure to hear from you regardless of how long the review _mi amiga musica_!

 **Feraligreater328**

It was very touching to know the loyalty this new and unlikely pairing has instilled in my readers (as tragic as _Phaya_ you say?! Now _that's_ tragedy!) but I know you're one of the (few) readers I personally encountered that has _always_ liked "the frail" Miss Iris! I _did_ promise you that she would get some future happiness… I mean… _eventually_ once Maya gets married… _Maybe_! (Because I'm _kind of evil_ that way!) Bwah-hahahaha!

 **Eveshowrtc**

Hail iPad salvation without which I could not hear from one of my newest and most delightful readers!

I hope this isn't too much of a spoiler but if you've seen the artwork for Ace Attorney six Larry is still an artist so I'd like to think the poetic soul I've tried to give them here consequently will remain in the next game! If not I can simply do what Phoenix does best and is bluff my way around it! :p

I envy you the view you must be getting living in the sunshine state, which I have been fortunate enough to have visited when I went to Disney World a few years back! So considering you are blessed to see so much of the sun, it's very flattering I was able to portray its beauty in a setting you could actually envision with just my words! :)

I have done my best to pay homage to the wonderful Pink Floyd and your song request in this chapter I hope you approve! (keep an eye out for your other tune and Elton John in the next coupe of chapters!) :-)

 **allamanda29**

It is always so nice to hear not only of romantic coupling appreciation from my dear readers such as yourself, but also appreciation for the music which have tried to make surround them in this story! I have always loved that song by The Goo Goo Dolls but considering _Iris_ is never mentioned once, till a reader suggested it, I had no idea _that_ was the name of the song! Also note that I'm always open to reader suggestions and song ideas!

 **Yanmegaman**

You can add the Larry and Iris cavity inducing dentist bill to the one you originally claimed I gave you with my Pearl X Luke chapters! LOL

It is very challenging trying to keep Iris in character while still giving her traces of a personality but considering how much you hated her I am delighted that you of all people like her even _somewhat_ now!

 **thepudz**

I know that you like Coldplay my musical mate from down under so I appreciate the song kudos from you in particular! Also few things are greater praise in a geekdom like ours than to get people to actually break the stubborn as a mule preferences and actually keep an open mind and like your suggested pairings so I thank you kindly for that! Three for three now I've given you couple influences if I am not mistaken? ;)


	140. All The Man I Need

_I used to cry myself to sleep at night_  
 _But that was all before he came_  
 _I thought love had to hurt to turn out right_  
 _But now he's here_  
 _It's not the same, it's not the same_

 _He fills me up_  
 _He gives me love_  
 _More love than I've ever seen_  
 _He's all I've got,_  
 _He's all I've got in this world_  
 _But he's all the man that I need_

 _And in the morning when I kiss his eyes_  
 _He takes me down and rocks me slow_  
 _And in the evening when the moon is high_  
 _He holds me close and won't let go_  
 _He won't let go_

 _He fills me up_  
 _He gives me love_  
 _More love than I've ever seen_  
 _He's all I've got,_  
 _He's all I've got in this world_  
 _But he's all the man that I need  
_

* * *

 _AN: Wow- Edgy may be the fan favorite but my readers were 100% Team Larry in the loyal BFF wedding battle! Thanks for the input guys! But try not to think too badly of Miles…he just lost his fiancée and sobbed over her and his baby in Nick's arms but is still raw…hence anyone slighting his BFF, however unintentional, is due for a severe tongue lashing!_

 _The Larris arc is over for now, so as usual, chapter closing arcs are longer reads…but I hope you enjoy!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Forty: All The Man I Need**

 ** _Larry Butz_**  
 _Eagle Mountain Cabins_  
April 22, 2026 10:15 AM

The very first thing Larry did after Iris left was shuck off his pajama bottoms and jump into a pair of trousers. He held his cell phone wedged between his ear and shoulder while he hopped with first one foot, then the other, trying to quickly get the pants on as he attempted to call Phoenix and find out, _once and for all_ what his best course of action should be regarding Maya's wedding. As much as he respected Edgeworth and his ability to randomly quote his undoubtedly on-hand copy of _The **Guy-ble,**_ he needed to hear it _straight from the horse's mouth_!

Unfortunately, his luck was identical to _every other time_ he'd previously tried to contact his old friend – it went straight to voicemail, which, based on the song recorded on it, the artist surmised _Trucy_ must have been the one to put on it, since he knew _Nick_ remained as _technologically illiterate as a rock!_

The lyrics-free, haunting tune of melodic piano chords was very well suited to the mysteriously brooding, beanie-wearing pianist Phoenix had morphed into since being disbarred. The song on the voicemail was as lacking in words as the terse, spiky-haired former lawyer himself.

Being a lover of Pink Floyd himself, Larry immediately recognized the band's purely instrumental soundtrack, "The Great Gig in the Sky." The recording didn't even end with Phoenix's voice, or even an automated one, instructing to leave a message. Instead, an abrupt beep at the end of the song was the signal indicating that the caller now speak their piece.

"Nick, it's Larry!" He grunted into the phone as he quickly brushed his teeth. "This is only the _billionth_ time I've called you this year, and I know from the papers that your trial was yesterday. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume despite the haunting melody on your voicemail, which morbidly suggests _the great afterlife,_ that you're not _a dead man walking,_ nor are you in the slammer?"

He paused for a second to rinse his mouth out in the sink.

"I figured it wasn't too bad a guess that you got off scot-free. I mean, otherwise it would've been the _first_ thing Edgy told me when he called me this morning, instead of telling me that _I'm essentially an ass_ – pun not intended! – for going to Maya's wedding!"

Larry let out depressed sigh at the memory and continued.

"Not only _that,_ but Edgy was also busting my chops for being in such close proximity with Iris! I never intended to be spending more time with your girl than _you_ are, Nick, but _somebody's_ got to help her and that poor old nun out with the prepping! Dude, why won't you call me?! All I need is to _hear the word from you_ that you're not cool with _anything_ about of this situation and I'll remedy it! But right now, what with you not having seen your girlfriend _since last year_ from what she's told me, and _your inability to even pick up the phone and return a simple phone call_ , I'm just about fed up with you, anyway! As far as _I'm_ concerned, _the only one_ being an ass here right now, Phoenix Wright, is _you_!"

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Iris Hawthorne  
_** April 22, 2026 9:15 AM

"Iris!" Sister Bikini called from the main hall. "Wake up, sleepyhead! You have a phone call!"

Iris jolted awake, astounded that she had actually slept so late, and quickly rushed out to the phone in the temple hallway. As she lifted the receiver to her ear and heard the voice on the other on the line, she was incredibly grateful the head nun had left her to some privacy, and therefore wouldn't be privy to hearing any of the following conversation.

"Hey, Iris, it's me." Phoenix sounded pleasant enough as he greeted her, yet his voice radiated the exact same somnolence she herself was experiencing. "How are you?"

With a start, her groggy mind belatedly realized that her ex's murder trial, which she'd read about in the newspaper, had been the day before. Ergo, since he was actually able to call her, things obviously had gone well!

" _Feenie_!" She gasped delightedly. "I am so happy to hear from you! Forget about _me_ , how are _you_ faring?"

"Fair to middling, I suppose." There was a slight smile in his voice beneath the strain. "I mean, I'm neither going to prison nor going to be executed, so I guess that's a good thing, right? Walking the green mile in my stead, however, is the solemn fate awaiting the man who tried to frame me for his own devilish misdeeds. The real killer was none other than the tetched Kristoph Gavin."

" _Kristoph Gavin_?! The famed _defense attorney_?!" Iris was thunderstruck to hear this. "You're _kidding_!"

"It's a long story," he chuckled tiredly. "I hope you've got a few moments."

"For _you_ , I have all the time in the world," she promised him. "Tell me _all_ about it!"

Iris eagerly listened to the unbelievably dramatic turn of events which had occurred at the trial, along with its verdict. When Phoenix was done speaking, there was a strange silence on the line, and it appeared as though neither of them wanted to bring up the _proverbial_ _pink elephant in the room_. Since it appeared her former lover wasn't in any _mad_ _haste_ to address the issue, the shrine maiden decided to take the bull by the horns herself.

"Kristoph Gavin - _he_ was the man who was a threat to Maya's life, wasn't he?" She asked hesitantly. Phoenix had never disclosed the name of his nemesis, but it wasn't too difficult to piece the puzzle together now.

" _Affirmative_ ," was the laconic response.

"My understanding, based on what you just told me right now, is that he's now going to be behind bars for the rest of his life," Iris deduced. "This is _great_ news! Er… _isn't_ it? Now that she's no longer in danger, what does this finally mean…for… _you know_ …?"

Her earnest curiosity about the matter was not in the least bit intended to come across as self-serving. Iris genuinely adored Phoenix, and wanted nothing more than for him to be happy. Consequently, as far as she could see, with that awful German man spending the rest of his life rotting in prison until his eventual execution, there was no reason for her ex _not_ to go pursue his heart's desire, which in this case, was _her cousin!_ Also, seeing as how Pearl and Maya were the only family she had besides Sister Bikini, Iris was fervently hoping Phoenix would tell her she could now be free to make amends with the two of them.

Her well-intended question was met with dead silence on the other end of the line.

Feeling confused by this, yet strangely emboldened, the shrine maiden finished the hanging query which Phoenix seemed strangely reluctant to answer.

"What does this all mean for _you and Maya,_ now, Feenie _?_ "

"The _only_ thing that's changed with this outcome is that I am no longer under threat of capital punishment for a crime that I never committed. Unfortunately, regarding me and Maya, absolutely _nothing_ has changed," Phoenix replied tenebrously. "She's moved on and is getting married to another man, and that's the end of that."

Iris frowned into the receiver. _This_ wasn't the answer she had been anticipating _at all_!

"Yes she's getting married, but despising _both of us_ because she thinks that _you_ left her for _me_ ," the nun reminded him anxiously. "I'm not trying to _condone_ or even _persuade_ you to go and try to break up a betrothal, Feenie. Nevertheless, Maya is going into a marriage with unfounded resentment in her heart towards you…" **_and_** _towards **me** , which I was desperately hoping to fix now that the issue of her safety is out of the way!_..."Can it _really_ be _right_ to let her start a _new_ life, while carrying such a heavy burden from her _old_ one?"

"And what would you have me do to counteract that, Iris?" He asked flatly.

She bit her lip apprehensively. "Well, I'm pretty sure if you simply _told_ my cousin the truth about _why_ you ended things with her, Maya would come _running to you_ in an attempt to smooth things over…"

"That's _exactly_ what I'm trying to avoid, Iris." Phoenix's lassitude over the matter was clearly palpable, even over the phone. "I've caused that girl enough strife and grief already. She shouldn't be focusing on her _past_ anymore, which is _all I am_ now. This Longines guy, _he_ is her future, and _that's all that matters_. Unlike _my hobo self_ , this _billionaire_ she's getting hitched to can give her _everything_ her heart desires."

"But _Feenie_ …" she protested, but he cut her off.

"Maya is probably under enough stress with her wedding just around the corner. _That_ should be her sole focus, along with her new life and bright future lying ahead of her – _not_ lamenting or feeling guilty about the way things were left between us. She shouldn't need to worry about _feeling obligated_ to make things right with me so she can go into this marriage with a free conscience. Ultimately, that's not what's important anymore. It's for the best if she doesn't pay me another thought."

"So you're _never_ going to tell her the truth?" Iris inquired morosely, an icy cold hand wrapping around her heart at the thought of Maya and Pearl carrying their loathing for her to their graves. "You're just going to let this rift _remain_ between the two of you… _for good_?"

"Of course not." He let out a humorless snort. "I'm not so completely discourteous that I've forgotten _your_ _own_ hardship amidst all this!"

Thinking of Larry, Iris sighed silently. Phoenix didn't know the _half_ of it!

"There are no words to describe how disheartened I am about the sacrifice I asked you to make, Iris. I hope you know that I am eternally indebted to you for all the affliction you've endured on my behalf, throughout this whole calamity." His suddenly tremulous tone was impossible to miss now. "But I beg you, _please_ , don't hate me for requesting _one last favor."_

"What is it?" She asked cautiously, unwilling to immediately agree to anything at this point and ensnare herself into a _new_ binding agreement, as she hadn't even been released from her _old_ one just yet!

"It's just as you said - you weren't trying to encourage me to attempt to break up their engagement. It would be an exercise in futility, anyway, as Maya has willingly promised herself to another, and I have no desire to try to interfere with that, nor cause her any sort of confusion or botheration whatsoever. I _know_ she's happy with this man. I- I've seen the photos in the all the papers and tabloids."

"Oh, _Feenie_ …" She murmured sympathetically, her heart breaking at how much he must have been suffering by being forced to endure the inescapable details of the _happy_ _media darlings_ for the past year. "I'm _so_ sorry."

"Moreover, no matter how far from grace I've fallen, I most definitely could never be so immoral as to try to pursue _a married woman_ , one who actually belongs to another man, to break her marital vows on my behalf." His voice broke then. "After all, Maya _must_ love Longines if she agreed to spend _the rest of her life_ with him."

Iris couldn't refute this as a possibility, so she remained silent.

" _That's_ why I can't have her finding out why I ended things. Not before she's actually an official married woman. Because while I am not of so little integrity to indulge in _an extramarital affair_ …I –I can't trust myself to see her before then, for I am _only a man_ , and most definitely _no saint_."

Iris's heart ached as she realized that he now sounded near tears.

"No good can come of it if I should see Maya before she walks down the aisle; if she comes running to me, trying to patch up our friendship, or because finding out the truth makes her feel _duty-bound_ towards me, or suddenly _get an attack of cold feet_... I just _can't_ risk being the one responsible for creating such havoc and upheaval for her."

"I know you're trying to be noble here, Feenie but Maya does have a right –"

" _Iris_ ," Phoenix whispered brokenly. "It is to my great shame to tell you this: should I lay eyes on Maya Fey _before she's a married woman_ , I'd would be too selfish, and lack the moral fiber to actually let her go through with her wedding – even though her heart now belongs to another. It wouldn't matter to me, because I _still_ would try to persuade her to remain by my side, even though doing so would mean _ruining her life and reputation_ , knowing I can offer her _nothing_ , while this man can _offer her the world._ I _cannot_ do that to her! I love her too damn much! If she were to come to me now, I _know_ that I just wouldn't have the strength to let her go, _again._ "

"I understand," she told him sadly. "My heart breaks for you, Feenie, and I wish I could do more to help you, but I _do_ understand, I honestly do."

"Please forgive me, dear friend, for being a weak man, and for asking you to bear the unnecessary cold shoulder from your family _just a bit longer_ , for my sake." This time there was no disguising his profound anguish. "Ultimately, all I'm asking you for is _two more months of silence_. I've even written a letter to Maya, confessing everything in the meantime, which I will send off in the post, right after she says _I do,_ so it will give your story validation when you finally run to her to repair this mess I've made for you. _Two more months_ of living this burden of a lie, Iris. That's _all_ I'll ever ask of you. _I swear it_."

Never before had the shrine maiden had felt so divided, or so numb. The small, selfish part of her wanted to wail and cry about how unfair all of this was to her, not only for having to have strained relations with her relatives, but also keeping the man whom _she_ loved at arm's length for _another grueling two months_ , which would _feel like an eternity_!

Yet it simply wasn't in her to be so self-seeking and think of only _herself_ at a time like this. She knew _firsthand_ what it was like to not only lose someone you loved, but to then _watch them love another_. Luckily, destiny had bestowed favor onto her, allowing her a tentative, second chance with Larry.

Furthermore, if the fates smiled upon Iris for once, and the artist somehow _didn't_ decide to give up and move on between now and Maya's wedding, there was _a small chance_ that perhaps the she and Larry could be together after that.

Whereas once _Maya_ walked in the aisle and became _Mrs. Longines Beaugosse_ , her cousin would be _pounding the final nail in the coffin_ for her and Phoenix Wright _forever_ , resigning Iris's dear old friend to nothing but a life of shattered hopes, vanquished dreams, and everlasting loneliness.

The shrine maiden didn't have the heart to do what most other women would have in her position: _relentlessly shriek at the top of her lungs_ at Phoenix Wright and inform him that _irrespective_ of what misfortune had fallen upon him, he _had no right_ to so inconsiderately be asking _her_ for _any further sort of lagniappe_! Goddammit, she _already_ had gone _above and beyond_ the call of duty as far as _friendly exes_ went by this point, and ergo, she no longer _owed_ him _a blasted thing_ anymore!

However, Iris knew she could _never_ do such a thing, and while she was no longer _in love_ with Phoenix, the sentimental part of her that would _always love_ him and be grateful for all he had done for her, the part that ached with sympathy for his plight, could never allow her to refuse him this one last request.

In the meantime, she and Larry would have to be put on hold – _along with all temptations_! – if she hoped to have a prayer of success in fulfilling this **_very last_** _Feenie obligation!_

* * *

 ** _Larry Butz_**  
 _Eagle Mountain Cabins  
_ April 22, 2026 10:20 AM

Larry hurriedly finished washing up and grabbed the tools he was going to need for that day's chores. He'd taken a tad longer to gather his bearings than anticipated, and hoped Iris hadn't already started the strenuous task of hanging up the decorative outdoor lights. The only object they had in their possession to reach high areas was a rickety old wooden ladder that had definitely seen better days. He definitely didn't want her putting herself in any sort of precarious situation or climbing anything, in light of her recent injury.

The reminder of this only further irritated him, and his newly reinstated aggravation with the Edgeworth situation was what caused him to pick up the phone one final time and leave yet another short, but blistering, message on Phoenix's voicemail.

"You know Nick, I get it, we're all busy. Heck, _I_ work with my hands too, so I'm even willing to be understanding if you were to claim that _your fingers are too worn-out_ from _playing the piano all week_ to _dial the phone_ and _call **me** back_!"

The sarcasm was positively dripping from the artist's tongue.

"But I really _don't_ comprehend how you can be so apathetic about even contacting _your own girlfriend_! Did you know that she _twisted her ankle_ about a week ago? Even if circumstances may have kept you from visiting her and seeing _firsthand_ if she was OK, I hope you _at least_ _gave **the woman that loves you** a call_! Otherwise, even at the risk of sounding like every bit the jerk _you're_ being right now with your _continual dismissive silence,_ I'm going to _call you out_ and _just flat out tell you_ : a gem like Iris is _too damn good_ for the likes _you,_ Phoenix Wright! You don't deserve such an _angel_! There, I _said_ it! So _take that!_ "

* * *

 ** _Flashback..._**

 ** _Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne_**  
 _Eagle Mountain Cabins_  
April 14, 2026 8:15 PM

"Iris, I really wish you wouldn't be so stubborn and just give me that basket of linens!" Larry grunted under the mass of his own pile of dirty laundry. It was a most generous offer of him to take on her load as well, seeing as how the basket of soiled linens he himself was heaving was piled so high, he could barely see the path in front of him. "At least _put down half_ and make a double trip so you don't break your back! These are as _heavy as hell_!"

"Larry, your hands are full enough _already_!" Iris insisted obstinately, even as she staggered with the weight of the basket of freshly laundered towels and bed sheets as the two headed into the next cabin to spruce it up. "We always use the thicker wool and flannel bed coverings for the winter season, when it's colder, but I'm only holding new cotton ones, as the wedding is going to be in the summer, which is much lighter compared to the winter bundle you're carrying! I may be a _sylph_ but I'm _wiry_ , and I can manage just _fine_! Don't worry – _oof_!"

The words had no sooner left her mouth when suddenly the heel of her sandal got caught on one of the throw rugs in the room, making her lose her balance and go hurtling towards the ground.

Time seemed to slow down when one was falling. In the seconds it took her to hit the floor, she knew it was going to hurt.

While losing her footing, she simultaneously sent the basket flying in the air in an explosion of white fabrics. Fortunately, the wooden floors had been freshly swept and mopped the day before, so all the scattered bedding and towels hadn't landed on a dirty surface and thus would not need to be re-laundered.

"Iris!" Larry immediately dropped his own load of bedding and came rushing over to her, trying to unearth the shrine maiden from beneath the mountain of towels and sheets that covered her. "Iris are you alright?"

"I'm OK!" She lied, flipping a towel off her head and trying not to wince as she attempted to untangle herself out of the mangled pretzel position she had fallen into. Her poor left ankle had gotten caught beneath her, and it cried out in protest as she attempted to pull herself up against the bedpost. With an aggrieved grunt, she flopped back down with a muffled cry and attempted to smile weakly to mask the embarrassed pain. God she was _an idiot_! "Er, I'll _live_ , anyway…"

"You're a lousy liar, you know that?" He grated in angry concern as he squatted down on his haunches and peered anxiously at her. "There was no need to try to be _Supergirl_ and deal with a load so massive, all at once! _What_ did you think you were _doing_!?"

Bracing herself on her forearms, Iris lifted her chagrined gaze from Larry's shoes to his face.

"Auditioning for the circus?" She attempted to joke, hoping he wouldn't say _I told you so_ about having been carrying more than she could handle. "And for an encore, I usually fall off a burning bridge!"

"A feat that's only survivable if you're Phoenix Wright!" A guffaw sounded from the artist as he took her firmly by the shoulders and helped her to her feet, lifting her slightly so she could sit on the bed while he remained crouched down, noticing her cringing at the faintly red-looking ankle.

"That was quite a spill you took," he noted, adding worriedly, "Can you walk?"

"For _miles_ ," Iris assured him unsteadily. Every muscle in her body was protesting, and her left ankle was throbbing painfully. "It looks worse than it feels, _honestly_!"

Larry saw through her attempted bravado, obviously not wanting to be any sort of albatross to him. She evidently was more embarrassed about being a bother to him than actually being concerned for her own well-being, which was such an _Iris_ thing to do, and he smilingly shook his head. _What_ was he going to do this _mulish maiden_?

"It doesn't feel swollen," he commented, bending his head toward her ankle. "Does it hurt at all?"

"Very little." Her cheeks turned pink as he gently flexed it, determining that mercifully, nothing appeared to be broken. "Though not nearly as much as my dignity."

"I have some emergency treatment training." He was already reaching for the first aid kit from the night table equipped in all the cabins. "Fortunately, it seems like it might just have been twisted, not even sprained, so it should heal just fine, as long as you don't overdo it and _listen to me_ this time, missy!"

"Oh thank heavens!" She sighed in relief, wiggling her toes more comfortably as he wrapped the bandage around her ankle. "I can't believe I'm such a klutz! I'm _beyond_ mortified!"

"All that matters is that you weren't seriously hurt." There was a grin in his voice which matched his eyes as he looked up at her flushed face. "As long as you keep it elevated and iced once you get back in the temple, by tomorrow your ankle _and_ your _dignity_ will probably be fine."

"Whatever you say, Dr. Butz!" She giggled, and he felt the familiar stirring in his chest at the musical sound.

 _There's something in the way she smiles and laughs at my jokes… it's like live balladry to witness, and absolutely lyrical to hear, and it's my hands down favorite sound in the whole wide world._

From his crouching position, he cupped her heel in his left hand and reached over to pick up her sandal with his right. He loved to touch her - never in a sexual way, never anywhere other than her face, her hands, or in this case, that obsidian hair that fell in tousled locks around her blushing cheeks, which he reached up and brushed aside in such a gentle sweep, she almost thought she'd dreamt it.

Just as he was about to slip the sandal onto her foot, he glanced up at her, and his teasing smile sent Iris's pulse racing as he asked, "Isn't there some fairy tale about a man who searches for the woman whose foot fits into a glass slipper?"

She nodded, her eyes bright. "Cinderella."

"What happens to me if this slipper fits?"

 _I_ _become your Princess, and you whisk me off to your castle and the two of us live happily ever after!_ _That_ was what she yearned to say to him, but didn't dare. He must think her a total fool for not listening, and _now_ was _not_ the time play _fairy tale fantasy_!

To be fair, Larry was neither regarding her, nor _treating_ her as if he thought she was nothing more than _a clumsy clod_! Instead, he was being therapeutic and charming and take charge, all at the same time, and she just _knew_ with him tending to her injury, she was in capable hands.

 _His warmth seeps into my being and he comforts me without ever opening his mouth. Given the opportunity, I'd melt into him like ice-cream on a warm porcelain bowl, like I **belonged** next to him; like **he** belonged next to **me**. Each day, before we part ways for the night, the ache to be in his arms begins anew. I want to kiss him and tell him all of my secrets. I want to say I'd been waiting for this feeling for a long time. I…I want him to **love** me._

Larry continued to gaze up at her with amused anticipation for a response to his quip, momentarily interrupting her ardent reverie, and she wracked her mind for a suitably appropriate response.

"I turn you into a handsome frog," she jibed in return. To her respite, her _voice_ sounded normal. It was further relief to turn away from him for a moment so she could gather her bearings and try to focus on _anything_ except for the _tingles_ shooting through her body at the touch of his warm fingers against her skin, as he continued to adjust the bandage.

"Such flippancy!" He chortled. "I'd foolishly assumed you were the type of girl who _liked_ fairy tales!"

"I did," she admitted. "I guess I _still_ do. Just not _that_ one."

"Why's that? With all this extra chore-load, I thought the _punctilious Mystic Mildred_ perfectly fit the role of _wicked step-mother_ in your Cinderella story!"

She tittered softly at this, but then shook her head.

"In all actuality, despite all the additional cleaning I've been doing as of late, I've never been partial to the story of _Cinderella_ ," Iris admitted. "I felt better connected to _Rapunzel_ , because her secluded tower was as remote from the rest of the world as Eagle Mountain is to _me_. I like how in the end, the Prince rescued her from that solace and loneliness."

" _Do_ you now?" He pulled back as he finished handiwork and gazed meaningfully at her for a long time, until she had no choice but to raise her eyes again and stare back. "Rapunzel had a long, _flaxen_ mane if I recall. I never _did_ understand why the Princess always had to have shining _blonde_ hair in fairy tales. I've always been quite partial to _dark-haired brunettes_ , personally _._ "

Iris's breath caught in her throat at these words, and found herself hopelessly lost in those emotive amber orbs, which stared deeply into her soul.

All this time later, Larry was still _positively mesmerized_ every time he encountered those hypnotic twin jewels of hers.

 _When the golden sunlight hits her eyes at the perfect angle, they sparkle like a dark orange topaz, my birthstone. Under the sun, they glimmer like a topaz, but under the moon, shining directly overhead and now and streaming through the window, lighting everything virtually to daylight brightness, they twinkle like black garnet. Those eyes that never gave me more than a glance all those years ago, are now **burning into mine** , as though asking an unspoken question which neither of us have the nerve to ask…_

The intense expression in his eyes was impossible to miss this time, and Iris felt as though she were drowning in a pool of warm, golden honey. Her heart fluttered at what this could possibly mean – if she _dared to even dream_ it meant that _perhaps_ …Larry wasn't entirely over her yet.

 _Well. That was unexpected. I mean, there's kind of been a vibe. But I've never been good at reading these things. It's too easy to confuse friendship with something more. Especially when you're looking for it. His eyes search mine, and I have no idea what he's thinking. Maybe he's wondering the same thing, about me…_

"I guess you can let me go now." She shifted her foot out of reach, hoping to at least liberate his actual _physical_ hold on her, if nothing else.

"Do I _have_ to?" He asked playfully, slowly releasing her ankle, as though reluctant to do so.

"No." Her throat ached, as though tears were going to start. She _craved_ his touch, more than the air she breathed. But why put herself needlessly in temptation's path? "But, um, my foot's all wrapped up, and I think I'll be alright now, thank you."

"Dr. Butz to the rescue!" He kidded. "Available for house calls 24/7!"

Iris nodded mutely, her dark hair falling into her face so he couldn't see her wistful expression. Frowning, at her inexplicable temperament change, Larry attempted to lighten the mood once more.

"Anyway, back to fairy tales! Tell me how the story goes after the dashing Prince arrives at the tower of the beautiful Princess, milady?" The jocoserious question was coupled with a shy smile. "What happens after he rescues her from the tower?"

Her pulse was racing so fast she could barely breathe as her lips formed the words.

"She rescues him right back."

 ** _End Flashback..._**

* * *

 ** _Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne_**  
 _Eagle Mountain Cabins_  
April 22, 2026 10:20 AM

 _The beautiful Princess just wants to be rescued from her turret, otherwise known as Hazakura Temple, yet her Prince Charming is content to play the role of the **willfully blind** and_ **_clueless fool_** _and simply leave her pining away!_

Thoroughly vexed now by the situation, in spite of his _own exhilarating memories_ attached to it, the artist hung up the cell. He was still grumbling to himself in annoyance as he flung open the door to his cabin, a large piece of plywood under one arm, a pail of red paint in one hand, and a hand saw in the other. As part of the setup for the wedding, he was going to make wooden signs, with painted arrows, navigating the guests in the direction of the ceremony. As the wedding wasn't exactly getting _further_ away, he figured now would be as good a time to start as any.

Exiting his cabin, he saw Iris standing off to the side several yards away, resembling some sort of garden fairy as she leaned over the flower beds in the surrounding fields. Beside her was a large plot in the damp earth the two of them had dug up. They'd put soil and compost upon it, planning to plant a flower bed. Unfortunately, the night before, there'd been an unexpected torrential downpour. This meant they would now have to wait until the designated planting ground had dried up somewhat before being able to sow anything at all, as it was now essentially _a shallow wading pool_ of mucky manure!

Oblivious to his presence, the shrine maiden was bending over a bed of California Poppies and Hyacinth, her eyes aglow with pleasure as she lovingly ran her fingertips over the petals.

"There now," she said to the flowers in an encouraging tone, "you have food and air. You'll be very happy and pretty in no time."

"Are you talking to the _flowers?_ " Larry asked from behind her, setting down his supplies on the dewy grass by the dugout.

Iris started and turned around on an embarrassed laugh.

"They like it when I talk to them." Knowing how peculiar that sounded, she reinforced it by adding, "our gardener used to say all living things need affection, and that includes flowers."

Turning back to the garden, she shoveled the last of the compost around the flowers, then she stood up and brushed off her hands.

"I hope you don't mind." She nodded toward the garden. "I know we're supposed to be working on the garden together, but we need to wait until that _mud hole_ over there – don't get too close to it lest you sink in! – dries up somewhat! In the meantime, the flowers couldn't breathe with so many weeds choking them. They were crying out for a little room and sustenance."

An indescribable expression flashed across his face. "You _heard_ them?"

"Of course not!" Iris twittered. "But I _did_ take the liberty of fixing a special meal – well, compost, actually, – for them. It will help them out quite a bit for now, and if I'm diligent with tending to them, I think they'll be much happier and even more blossoming by the time the wedding rolls around…"

She trailed off, belatedly noticing the worried gander he gave the flowers when she mentioned fixing them "a meal."

"You needn't appear as if you expect them to collapse at my feet," she admonished, laughing. "They'll fare far better with their meal than we did with ours _that infamous morning_! I am no cuisine expert of course, but the meals you've been having with Sister Bikini and I have at least been _edible_ , have they not? I mean, that _one incident_ with the charred bacon and eggs notwithstanding, I am a _much_ better gardener than I am a cook – at least…of _breakfast_ foods anyway!"

Iris awkwardly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and halted in her blathering as she realized Larry hadn't said a word since she'd begun her flower babbling, and ducked her head self-consciously.

"Sorry, I just feel so at one with nature especially in the spring time, and I just love gardening," she explained apologetically. "That doesn't mean I have to bore you to death rambling about my perennials."

"I can't believe after all this time, you think I could _ever_ be bored being in your presence." Feeling mildly emboldened by their flirty exchange earlier, Larry took a step forward and playfully tapped her on the nose, wishing he had another excuse to kiss it again, even though the same becoming blush arose to her cheeks all the same. "I admire your dedication to creating beautiful things to surround us with."

In truth, he admired _everything_ about her, from the way the breeze blew her hair to the soft lilt to her voice. To him, she appeared to be some kind of nymph amongst the blossoms, completely at one with her natural surroundings. Even though she was every bit a true lady, she was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and work hard or get sweaty – even right now, she was absentmindedly brushing excess soil off her delicate hands – without caring about how dirty they got. The respect he held for her was like a fine wine – it became stronger with age, more mature, more robust. Iris Hawthorne was unfailingly kind, never complained, and she always put others first and herself last. No matter how knackered she was, even after a hard day's work in the sun, she was never short or grumpy with him. His approbation for her was as deep-seated and long lasting as the garden she'd planted.

"Start talking, milady." He grinned down at her, adoring how her color heightened at his propinquity. "I'm listening – the topic of your choice, heedless of what it is. I remain your captive audience."

"G- great! We can um, _work_ , while we talk then!" Iris backed away a step out of his reach, averting her gaze. "There's just so much to _do_ , you know, though _I'm_ willing to multitask if _you_ are."

He strode forward, suddenly puzzled by her skittishness, as if afraid he would _bite_ her! What was going on here?!

Iris took another step backward, exclaiming, "I mean, there are so _many_ interesting topics for conversation, are there not?"

"Are there?" He moved forward again reflexively, this time not doubting that being in his immediate proximity was suddenly making her very uncomfortable, and wondering _what_ he'd done in the last _quarter of an hour_ to warrant this mystifying behavior. "Shall I remain _within ear-shot_ while you speak, or will you _bellow_ at me across the fields, in hopes the wind carries your voice?"

"Let's try that out and see if it works!" She exclaimed, taking two paces back this time. Snatching at the first topic she could think of, she pointed to the hyacinth growing beside her. "Um, so you want me to keep talking about flowers? Aren't they just lovely?"

" _Lovely_ ," he agreed, noticing a smudge of dirt on her cheek. Without thinking, he reached for her shoulder, intending to draw her forward to brush it off, but Iris jumped back so swiftly, his fingers merely grazed the fabric of her garment. " _Everything_ here is."

"Well, er, check out these _lovely hyacinths_ , specifically." Her voice wavered slightly.

"Absolutely _fascinating_." His unfathomable eyes locked onto those bashful, _but oh-so-beckoning_ , widened orbs, his gentlemanly resolve nearly unraveling. "The _take my breath away_ variety."

"Hyacinths," she babbled with frantic determination as he began stalking her step for step, half agitated, half amused by her antics, past the planted pansies and lilies, "are part of genus Hyacinthus, although the cultivated variety, which we have here, is commonly called the Dutch hyacinth, which is part of H. orientalis – "

"Do go on," he prodded, having closed the distance between them and closing a gentle, firm hand on her shoulder so she couldn't pull away this time, while he at last managed to swipe the smudge off her pale cheek, letting his fingertips linger on her heated skin.

Iris nervously licked her lips, then placed her hand over his, presumably to remove it from the side of her face, but instead let her soft fingers rest atop his for a moment. She let out a quiet sigh as she briefly closed her eyes, as though reveling in the moment, before shaking her head fiercely, breaking the spell, and drawing back so abruptly, he had no choice but to release her. She stood trembling before him, even though he was merely standing close, but not touching her anymore.

"Well, there is a mythological background to hyacinths that you may find more interesting than the flower itself," she continued fiercely, her breathing somewhat uneven now.

An indescribable expression of disbelief, amusement, and fascination suddenly seemed to flicker across his face.

"You see, the hyacinth is actually named for a handsome Spartan youth-Hyacinthus-who was loved by Apollo and by Zephyrus, god of the west zephyr. One day Zephyrus was teaching Hyacinthus to throw the discus, and he accidentally killed him. It is said that Hyacinthus's blood caused a flower to spring up, and each petal was inscribed with the Greek exclamation of sorrow. The flower that sprang up would have been the iris or larkspur, not the modern hyacinth, but that is how it earned its name."

" _Spell-binding_ ," he teased softly, unable to tear his fervid gaze away from hers now if his _life_ had depended on it. "Positively riveting, _in every way_ imaginable."

Iris knew he was referring to _her_ and not the history of the hyacinth. The air around them crackled with electricity. He wasn't even trying to hide his blatant flirtations or mask his touches as accidental anymore – and considering their banter last week about princesses and fairy tales, and _especially_ after their _familiar exchange_ earlier, she couldn't quite blame him!

Regardless, she'd given Phoenix _her word!_ Iris reminded herself sternly. Therefore, she _had_ to keep her will strong, for _just another lousy couple of months_ , no matter how _sorely tempted_ she was to act upon this _now smoldering, **irrefutable spark**_ between them!

He glanced at her parted lips, then studied her quietly.

The two stared at each other for several long moments, and though she commanded herself to move further out of his reach, her legs refused to budge.

 _His eyes, they're full of something. Something I haven't seen before. A wanting. A longing. A craving. And he's right there – so close I can feel the heat of his body. My stomach tumbles to my knees, heart fluttering. And it's happening. That moment. That pull between us, drawing me in. Only this time I can't find anything to hold me back; there's nothing stopping me…_

"Iris, I – " he began, moving forward just as she whispered, "Larry, I wanted to tell you –"

"Well now, isn't this the _coziest mosaic_ I've _ever_ seen?" A prickly voice intervened then, just as the two were inches away from one another, _completely_ _annihilating_ the intimate mood.

Larry and Iris simultaneously jumped apart at the voice, like a couple of guilty teenagers.

"If you're quite done regaling the young man with the tedious details about the history of botanicals, Sister Iris," the unmistakable voice continued acidly, "perhaps you could actually make yourself _useful_ and do something _other_ than what you do best, which is _decorate_ , and not merely with your oh-so _beguiling presence,_ _for a change_!"

Iris swallowed hard and turned around to face the reproving countenance of Mildred, standing over by the dug-out floral plot. The elder's arms were crossed rigidly over her bony chest as she studied the duo in the manner of a disdainful zelatrix, obviously having witnessed the entire exchange.

"Good day, Mystic Mildred," the ingénue began haltingly. "It's a beautiful morning is it not?"

"Absolutely it is," the harridan scorned. "As pretty as those _ridiculous flowers_ and Lord knows _what_ _other frivolous bedecking trivialities_ you've been _wasting God knows how much time_ tending to! After all, it's not as though we have _cabins to be cleaned_ and _a surrounding area to be spruced up_ , which carry far more importance, _do we_?"

"I – I'm sorry," the nun hung her head at the jobation. "We got to a late start this morning, but I assure you, we _will_ have those lights put up on the surrounding cabin posts, as well as hang up the paper lanterns, by end of day today…"

" _Hold it_!" Larry cut in mid-apology, before Iris could needlessly express anymore contrition to this _wretched battle axe_! " _First_ , the wedding is _two months away_ and I'm sure at least _some_ of the guests will be _aesthetes_ who'll find the beautiful outdoor scenery most desirous, so I'd hardly refer to Iris's _green thumb_ as something _trivial_! And _second_ , we've already done the maintenance and _sprucing up_ on over two dozen cabins already! I'd have thought on the whole _xenial front_ , we were nearly _done_!"

"What _is_ it with you _whelps_ from the city intervening into matters that are none of your concern?" Mildred turned up her nose with a contemptuous sniff. "I do believe I suffered similar irksome qualities when dealing with _Mr. Phoenix Wright_ back in the day in _his_ valiant attempts to be Mystic Maya's _yolk-mate_."

Iris's cheeks reddened at the mention of her former beau's name.

"You _do_ remember that fallen lawyer, _don't you_ , Sister Iris?" Mildred taunted. "The same man who is _now_ _supposedly_ _your_ _lover_ , whom you seem to have forgotten while you are doing your polemic little mating dance here with your _yoke-devil_ , AKA _the poor man's Pablo Picasso_?"

Larry simply stared at the _wretched She-Thing_ in utter disbelief.

 _Let me guess… You're the first-person your family born without a tail, right?_

Encouraged by Larry's presence, and completely rattled by what could possibly transpired between them had the old woman not come along when she had, Iris suddenly found her long-suppressed courage and squared her shoulders.

"Once again Mystic Mildred, these accusations are not only heavily unjust but borderline _slanderous_ at this point. As I've made clear in the past, Larry is my _friend_ , nothing more, nothing less. And he's right about the cabins – surely with the wedding now being in Kurain, we have cleaned and polished up more than enough already?"

"I'm not sure if Sister Bikini properly relayed just how much the wedding guest list has expanded," Mildred told her coldly, not seeming _at all_ impressed by the shrine maiden's unaccustomed vociferousness. "These festivities will no longer be a hole in corner affair, but will be the type of celebration a _celebrity multibillionaire_ deserves! I'm going to need _each and every single one of those cabins_ to be _tended to, aired out, cleaned up_ , and be presentable guest accommodations."

"You _cannot_ be serious!" Larry visibly paled upon hearing this. "But there's about _100_ cabins!"

" _110_ , last time I checked," Mildred cackled. "Better get cracking and hope that the elbow grease required to tidy up gives _those spindly arms_ of yours a decent enough workout, seeing as how unfortunately, _you're_ the only muscle we have appear to rely upon!"

" _Why you_ …" Larry gritted his teeth at the unprecedented insult, but Iris placed a calming hand on his arm and straightened herself up to her full height.

"I'm afraid Larry and I are hesitant to perform a command of this colossal magnitude without first speaking to the bride herself for validation." She jutted her chin. "These lodges each hold quarters to fit _at least_ _a family of four_ , not even _counting_ the _accommodations in the village_! To maximize our cabin occupancy would mean a guest count of _over four hundred_! I doubt my cousin even knows _that many people_!"

"Such insolence! Need I remind you, Sister Iris, that it was _me_ who ran this village _almost single-handedly_ after your mother got herself incarcerated for her overly ambitious, Lady Macbeth-style efforts?" The Dragon Lady sneered. "Ergo, _I've_ had the contact information for _almost every single patron_ whom we've done channeling for over the years, along with access to Mystic Maya's client list!"

 _I'm trying to see things from your point of view but I can't seem to get my head that far up my ass!_ Larry's eyes shot daggers at the crotchety old crone.

"You've got some _serious nerve_ , lady!" He snapped. "Unsanctioned rifling through Maya's contacts is one _hell_ of a privacy breach!"

"Oh _please_!" Mildred scoffed. "Since _I'm_ the one entrusted with running Kurain whenever Mystic Maya is away on her business travels, I had _completely authorized_ access to the address books! Ergo, I've _taken the liberty_ of suggesting _a few_ additional patrons as invitees to Longines. The groom is certainly a man of many countless social circles _himself_ , hence the _vast_ additional accommodation requirements."

Next to him, the round-eyed Iris was still gaping Mildred, who just smiled smugly.

"So you see, there is _no need_ for you to burden the bride with your sudden recalcitrance, for it is on _the groom's_ authority that I am making this command! Is that _understood_?"

"B – but – " Iris's mind reeled at the notion that she and Larry would _literally_ have to be working from _dusk till dawn_ from this day forward in order to meet this latest unforeseen expectation! The only way she could console herself was knowing that the additional revenue from the cabin rentals would be quite prosperous to Eagle Mountain and the village, assuming neither of them _broke their back_ nor had their overworked _muscles completely seize_ between now and then!

"But _what_? _Did I stutter_?" Mildred's beady eyes raked over the shrine maiden contemptuously. "I'm a busy woman and I have neither _the time nor the crayons_ to explain this to someone who is _dumber than snake mittens_! I've no inkling on how to _further_ simplify things for your better comprehension, Sister Iris. Mystic Ami help you, am I to take it that you are not only as _beneficial as an ashtray on a motorcycle_ when it comes to spirit channeling, but you're now _incapable_ of even _comprehending_ , never mind _actually_ _following_ , direct orders?"

 _I'd slap you, but **shit** stains! _ Larry's anger had now reached the boiling point. _Also, I suppose you pass for **something** that counts as a **woman,** plus you're as **old as balls** , so the violence **might** be frowned upon! I guess I'll need to use my words instead…_

" _Objection_! You best _watch your mouth_!" He snapped, glaring at the old woman as Iris visibly recoiled from the insult. "Where do you get off talking to her like that? _Who_ do you think you _are,_ anyway?"

" _I'm_ the woman who is _the_ _official wedding planner_ for the _Master of Kurain_ and longtime village elder, so I suggest _quelling_ that vociferous nature of yours, Mr. Butz!" Mildred pointed an ossified finger at the incensed artist. "As long as you're residing on Mystic Maya's land, I suggest you get that _rear in gear_ , and _shut your trap_! Sister Iris knows that she was in the wrong to be disobeying higher command, hence why _she_ is at least intelligent enough to no longer be putting up an argument. She's good for knowing her place, if _good_ for _nothing else_!"

Iris sniffled and blinked back tears, while the normally good-natured Larry felt his blood pressure rapidly rising.

"Why you miserable old –" He made a move to lunge himself at the elder, but Iris clamped a firm hand down on his arm and shook her head, then mutely walked towards the jumble of lights over by the corner shed, attempting to unravel them.

Smirking triumphantly, Mildred folded her arms over her chest and maintained her rigid stance next to the mucky dugout, watching as the fuming Larry silently stomped over to the watery mud hole to retrieve his saw and plywood from the ground.

"The youth of today really need to learn some respect!" The Dragon Lady decreed. "It's not as if the _ornamental shrine maiden_ can actually be a _puckerfist_ about any other achievement in her life besides her beauty, which isn't even her _own attainment_ , since she was _born_ with that comely visage! Hence, she does _naught_ but use those feminine wiles to _flaunt herself and shamelessly simper_ whenever there's a man around!"

Iris's head jerked up in shock at this latest verbal assault, the tangled fairy-light wires falling limply from her hands as tears filled her beautiful eyes, yet didn't emit a peep in response to the cruel barbs.

"Feel free to _correct_ me if I'm wrong, Sister Iris," Mildred cooed, with such mock sweetness the shrine maiden felt as though she were going to be _ill_. "What accomplishments _do_ you have to be thrasonical about, hmmm? Exactly _what_ have you actually done in your life to be proud of, other being _the least talented_ member in a family of world-renowned psychics, and bearing a prison record, from when you temporarily joined your mother behind bars?"

A growl sounded in the artist's throat. Larry Butz had had _enough_! Nobody, but _nobody_ , was going to insult woman he loved and get away with it for another minute!

Without thinking, he made a big show of "losing his grip" on the plywood in his hands, as though staggering under the weight of it. The artist made a quick dash to prevent it from falling onto the muddy pond, catching the long wooden plank with both hands and then holding it at a horizontal angle before tucking it under one arm, placing the other one atop it for stability.

"Dang it! I seemed to have misplaced my saw!" In a scene reminiscent of a Three Stooges skit, Larry bent over to retrieve the "newly discovered" cutting tool lying on the wet grass by the muddy flower bed. "Oh, wait – _there_ it is!"

As he reached down to grab the saw, the back of the protruding plywood swung from behind him – and _smack_ into the unsuspecting Dragon Lady.

" _Ahhhh_!" The petrified woman yelped, her arms flailing about her like windmills as she attempted to regain her balance, but to no avail. Her wooden thong sandal slid on the wet mucky ground beneath her feet, and she fell backward with a _resounding splash_ into the wading pool of _manure and mud_ behind her! Filthy water droplets splattered onto her face and hair as she landed _right on her backside_ , spluttering with rage as the gritty muck soaked her entire kimono-clad body to the skin.

"Oh my goodness!" Iris's eyes widened as she clapped a hand over her mouth at the sight of her antagonist, wildly flailing about in the foul-smelling plot of murky water, appearing as though she _desperately wanted to laugh_ but knowing she _really_ _shouldn't_! "Mystic Mildred, are you alright?!"

"You _bumbling, boneheaded_ _baboon_!" Mildred screeched at an earsplitting decibel, sparks flying out of her eyes as she glared hatefully at Larry, who was feigning innocence. "Look what you've _done_!"

"Oops! I'm _really_ sorry about that, Mystic Mildred!" Larry did his best to appear apologetic. "I guess these weak, _spindly arms_ of mine just couldn't handle that _heavy old board_!"

"Get me out of this _filth_ immediately!" The old woman demanded, clenching her bony hands into fists as she pounded at the muck beneath her. "The stench is _killing_ me!"

 _Not fast enough, unfortunately…_

"Oh, did you need a hand?" Larry offered gallantly, reaching out to the fallen woman, who vainly attempted to grab his extended fingers to pull herself up, but the artist kept "losing his grip" on her slimy, muddy arm, so that she kept half-rising, and then _repeatedly_ falling back into the foul mixture over and over again!

"Phew!" He plugged his nose with one hand and waved the other about dramatically. "In _this_ case, something smells – and it's _not_ The Butz! Yowzaa! That stuff _stinks to the high heavens_! Reeks of a…fetid… _latrine_ , methinks!"

Iris literally had to bite down on her lip to keep from erupting into uncontrollable laughter. She'd never loved her _clownish knight in paint-speckled armor_ more than she did at that very moment!

"Mystic Mildred, let me help you!" The shrine maiden said quickly, finally composing herself, then dropping the wires and rushing over to the two, but Larry held up a hand to halt her.

"Stay away, Iris!" He warned, trying to keep a straight face. "You're wearing the same flimsy sandals Mildred is, and we can't have you _both_ falling in! If _you_ let yourself get dirty, it would take _quite a while_ to get all _that foul manure odor_ off of you, and it would be _such a waste of valuable time_ , seeing as how you and I evidently have _nearly 100 cabins_ to clean out in the _next eight weeks_!" He flashed a jaunty wink at the nun, who didn't seem _too regretful_ about having to withdraw her offer of assistance as she stepped away. "We'll get right on that as soon as I help out _this_ – ah – _damsel in distress_!"

Larry smiled benignly at the beyond infuriated Mildred, who practically had _steam_ coming out of her ears!

"Since _my puny arms_ just aren't _strong_ enough to heave you out, Mystic Mildred, I'm going to give you the _end of the plywood_ to grab onto while I pull you out!" He instructed, passing her the shard-filled wooden plank. "Careful – _watch out for splinters!"_

After several comically failed endeavors of using the wooden piece to rescue the village elder from the muddy pool, Larry was at last successful in being able to pull the old woman out.

"You _pea-brained, waste of space, useless_ _cretin_!" Mildred waved a mud-speckled fist at Larry. "I'll have your _worthless hide_ for this!"

Larry shrugged internally at the name-calling. _Hell, I've been called worse things by better people._

"Hey! I _said_ I was sorry!" He mournfully shook his head. "You'd think all these months of _arduous labor_ woulda given me _some_ muscle, huh?"

"Harry Butz, I want your _good-for-nothing backside_ **_out_** _**of here**_ by _nightfall_!" The elder shouted, her face puce with fury. "Pack your bags _this instant_!"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Mystic Mildred," Iris interjected sweetly, batting her eyelashes in an exaggerated _simpering_ manner. "With all due respect, this is _Mystic Maya's_ land, as _you_ indicated. Therefore, it would have to be _my cousin_ who orders Larry's ejection from her property."

"I really don't think she'd be doing that either," Larry added, barely suppressing a grin. "Seeing as how _I'm_ the bride's _official sketch artist_ for the wedding and all…"

"I'll _get_ you for this, you no-good _scoundrel_!" There was a hilarious clopping sound of Mildred's mucky feet stomping away from the amused pair. "You will _rue_ the day you messed with Mildred Latrine!"

"Good luck _washing the smell of your last name off_!" Larry called after her merrily, the laughter bubbling up in his throat. "I do believe Iris and I used a combination of both _sheep_ **_and_** _cow_ manure…"

The minute the elder was gone, the artist doubled over, clasping his sides and cracking up so hard that tears fell down his cheeks. Iris eventually joined in, and the two laughed until both their stomachs were hurting and needed to clutch each other for support.

"Oh Larry!" Iris giggled, wiping her eyes. "I _know_ you did that on purpose for _me_! You're _my hero_! I wish _I'd_ been able to do something like that! I can't explain the effect that horrible woman has on me - but she's just so nasty, I seem to lose my voice whenever it's most needed! Ultimately, I'm just too much of a coward to handle a bully like her!"

"You're not a coward," Larry assured her gently. "You're simply too goodhearted and kind to know how to deal with _the belly-crawling likes of her_! And you simply worry to great excess – and well in advance – about the possible consequences of anything you do, unlike me!"

He shrugged helplessly.

"We're polar opposites that way, Iris, I just saw her being so horrid to you and I just _reacted_ _without_ _thinking_! I _need_ someone like _you_ around me to balance things out and keep me level!"

"Goodhearted and kind, you say…" Iris mumbled, looking dejected. "These are hardly traits to be _proud of_ or _brag about,_ just like Mildred said. She _really_ knows exactly how to get to me. I don't _need_ to be reminded, on a regular basis, just _how useless I am_ , especially when compared to the spiritually gifted family tree I come from."

"Now listen here, Iris Hawthorne!" Larry took her by the shoulders and looked her square in the eye. " _Never_ let a miserable old hag like her get to you! _She_ is going to _die alone_ and it will be an event _rejoiced_ by everybody in the state of California! She's simply _spewing crap_ because that's _all_ she is – _and smells like_ – _literally_ and _figuratively_!"

"True." Iris cracked a slight smile at that one. "But she's right about me, though."

"No she isn't! She's just a hateful old hag!" He insisted. "Listen to me – we're all ugly to someone, fake to someone, stuck up to someone, ain't shit to someone, a loser to someone, a bitch to someone…but who the hell cares? Aren't _you_ the one told me that we can't please everybody all the time?"

"Well, yes, _but_ -"

"So _you_ do what _I_ do!" He saw the doubt remaining in her eyes, and lifted her downcast face in his hands. "Do your thing, make your money, pay your bills, take care of you and your family, and don't worry about what someone else thinks! You hear me?"

"OK," she whispered, clutching his hands, which were still cradling her face, and smiling tentatively.

"Thatta girl!" He praised, smiling encouragingly.

Iris clenched her jaw resolutely. "To _prove_ I'm indeed capable of doing simple requirements, I am going to go put up those decorations … _right now!"_

With that, she returned back to the lights.

Grinning happily that he'd put her back into a better mindset, Larry went about sawing the wood he would need for the direction signs, and the rest of the morning flew right by. At around 4:00, he couldn't help but marvel at what an incredible job Iris had done decorating the surrounding cabin outdoor area.

She'd strung fairy string lights along the rungs of the pergolas, and icicle lights dangled on the sides, which added a magical touch. The shrine maiden was currently attempting to lean over to hang up one last colorful Chinese paper lantern on the wire above her head, while standing on the top rung of the precarious wooden ladder, which she'd _insisted_ on climbing, despite Larry's protests. He watched nervously from below as he held the ladder steadily as he could while she stubbornly attempted to place the lantern at a spot that was slightly out of her reach.

 _I must **really** love this woman_! He thought to himself, shaking his head. _I'm standing **right beneath her** while she's in a long dress, and I haven't **once** tried to **peek up her skirt**!_

He was so wrapped up in marveling how his entire persona had done a complete turnabout because of this angel that he initially failed to see the _oncoming catastrophe_ above him.

Instead of climbing back down and having the artist adjust the ladder and then re-climb it in order to be closer to her intended targeted area, the resolute nun was instead opting to balance herself _on her one bad ankle_ and make a last-ditch effort to just stretch over _one last time_ while the creaky ladder teetered precariously.

"Iris, _stop_! Don't do that!" Larry cried in alarm as he saw her hobbling dangerously from the unfamiliar weight distribution onto her _still not fully healed_ ankle. "Just come back down and I'll move this closer…"

" _Eek_!"

His warning was too late. Unable to hold herself up on the injured ankle, there was a horrifying scream and a moment when Larry's heart jumped high in his throat as he released his grip on the bottom of the ladder and raced forward, arms outstretched, just in time to catch the terrified, shrieking shrine maiden as she fell off the 10 foot ladder….And landed, fireman style, right into Larry Butz's _misleadingly strong_ , readily waiting _, not at all puny_ , arms.

He grunted slightly from the unexpected force of the plummeting object which was Iris Hawthorne, but then started laughing out of sheer relief now that he'd actually caught her safely, and decided to savor the moment of holding the woman he loved, just for a few more moments.

" _My goodness_!" Iris gasped breathlessly, raising a trembling hand to his cheek. "I can't believe how clumsy I am! What was I thinking?! Oh, Larry- thank you so much! But… are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

He shook his head silently, his tender gaze transfixed on hers, and she felt her face heat up and her stomach slowly do a flip at the look in his eyes. He made no move whatsoever to put her down, but pulled her even closer.

It felt so good; it couldn't have been wrong.

Iris also made no move to be _set_ down. Cradled in the arms of the man she loved, she genuinely believed, with every fiber of her being, that as long as they were together, _everything else_ would _fall_ into place…in _every_ sense of the word.

 _All I can hear was the pounding of my heart against his. All I can think about is him, and how much I want this, and how incredibly lucky I am to get it, and how tightly I want to hold onto it. This is what I wanted. This **man**. This **life**. This **me**. I am never getting my old life back, and I don't care. I am happy. I am safe. I am right where I want to be. He's all the man I need._

"You can't blame gravity for falling in love!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, throwing her head back and howling uproariously, both from partial relief and the sheer exhilaration of the moment, loving the way he threw his head back and laughed at her witticism. "That's a quote from Albert Einstein, by the way."

"Way to go, _Milady Braniac_!" He smilingly touched his forehead to hers so she could see the flecks of gold sparkling in his beautiful eyes. "So…this seems to be the only way I can get women to _fall_ for me, huh?"

"Very funny, you silly boy! Just know that I'm no longer _afraid of falling_ , knowing I have _you_ to catch me!" Unable to help herself, she impulsively kissed him on the cheek, all the while her heart singing the words she would have moved heaven and earth to say aloud at that moment.

 _Gravity isn't responsible for loving you, Larry Butz, because I think I fell for you many, many lifetimes ago…_

* * *

 _AN: next up..._

 _Life as a reluctant Ace Detective FOPPING sucks…scientifically speaking._

 _Also…a surprisingly reunion or two… ;)  
_

* * *

 ** _Whitney Houston – All The Man I Need_**

 ** _Pink Floyd - The Great Gig in the Sky  
_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 139**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Say what you will about Iris but she's loyal to those she loves to a near fault, and she does love Larry a lot. But I have to try to keep her in character and not let her lose her shit like her fiery cousin Maya would – or start slapping people like baby sister Pearl would!

Now that you know Nick's deal, I hope you don't hate him too much. He tries to do the Wright thing, poor guy! Glad to drive my articulate pal to the dictionary! XD

 **Sanderson141**

I don't know that until three as my fandom's are very limited, but what system is it for? I love my readers and want them to enjoy the story with minimal confusion so I'm happy to clarify where I can! Also I don't believe I've had the pleasure of hearing from you before so thank you very much for taking the time to read and review and I do hope I will hear from you again in the future!

 **chloemcg**

Alas, poor Phoenix thinks Maya has moved on and doesn't love him anymore. I feel like when Nick's mind is made up it takes _a miracle_ to get him to change it despite the countdown to her wedding…

I try to be punny on occasion and where applicable with my chapter song title choices! I'd like to think a good couple can pick one another up the matter how low they fall Larry was indeed picked up from the darkest pit of moral doubt and despair by Iris when's he'd fallen… In this chapter was his turn to catch her when she fell… Literally! LOL

Hopefully Miles can be forgiven for being a bit of a jackass, he's still not in his right mind, poor guy… but I really want to explore this whole dynamic because you have to admit on paper, it sounds bad. A guy not only going to his best friend's ex-girlfriend's wedding but being all of close and personal with the girl who supposedly his current girlfriend but is in all actuality another one of his ex-girlfriends! I don't know when I'll be able to finish that game but I'm ready on the countdown nine days of the today guys!

I cannot promise that Mildew is going to get voted off a cliff but I was thinking of you is probably the reader that hates her the most, when I dished out to a small bit of retribution in this chapter I hope you approved! XD

 **Eveshowrtc**

I managed to squeeze in the other Pink Floyd request! I hope you approve! Look for Elton in the next couple chapter…LOVE him!

I sincerely apologize for getting your gender inaccurately dear reader for what it's worth I am terrible at this Danny Dragon my other dear friend who always talks to me about music and song selection is actually a female and I called her _Señor_! Gah!

It means so much to me that you like the Larry and Iris angle and that you took the extra time to reread it it's been a lot of fun to write to either in writing so much angst stuff that I've forgotten how much I love good old-fashioned fluffy romance!

I love writing Miles Edgeworth but I'm going to be honest when he said the lines _your existence being a contradiction_ and _being a blight on the face of humanity_ these horribly stinging barbs are not my own creation they're actually canon and lines he said - and I think both were to Larry! - in the Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth games! It's a good thing they have found so many other ways to make Edgeworth likable because he will cut you to shreds with that tongue of his! I agree Larry probably didn't deserve that abuse… but right now all Miles is thinking of is how Nick picked him up when he was down (the loss of Franziska and his recent cemetery visits our big factors here which Larry did intuitively pick up on an it's why he allowed his friend to be a complete jackass – Miles never loses his cool so when he does you know something's not right!) and he feels Nick deserves all the loyalty and love and respect in the world and sees Larry defecting on that by attending Maya's wedding, meanwhile we know that's not the case at all! Edgy is much more a softy than one would think he does have one other reason for not going to Maya's wedding that has nothing to do with his loyalty for Phoenix will find out what is in the upcoming chapters!

 **thepudz**

You may now go to the dentist and get those cavities filled my dear friend! I'm glad you think Larry and Iris are cute and I hope you enjoyed this closing arc. I am astounded by how pretty much all my readers were team Larry if there were any on team Edgeworth I haven't heard about it but welcome it! I love hearing from you guys! :)


	141. Short Dick Man

_A/N: I decided to hold off on the writing and indulge myself in Ace Attorney 6, under the assumption, of course, that most of my readers would be too busy playing as well to be reading FFs, but hopefully you've given your fingers or break from the seriously awesome game and will be able to give this a read in between!_

 _I haven't posted since August for this story, however I did post twice last week in honor of September 5 which is Phoenix and Maya day… In case you missed it I had the pleasure of working with two wonderful writers **Yanmegaman and The Pudz** , on the triad collaboration called **Say Hello To Yesterday** and my own personal contribution for Phaya called **My Life Would Suck Without You.** :)_

 _Ema is a terrific and underrated character that I have missed writing! The last time we saw her was back in February, Chapter 111: The Mind Eraser Deviation, when readers discovered the origins of her hatred for certain blond rock God, and then she had just found out who her prosecution partner was going to be… None other than said glimmerous fop! XD_

 _I hope you enjoy this next story arc because Ema and Klavier are going to be very imperative to the story line for both the main heroes, Nick and Miles!_

 _We are now flashing back to just before Valentine's Day 2026, a week into her new role as Klavier's subordinate._

* * *

 _"Todo es hermoso y constante,  
Todo es música y razón,  
Y todo, como el diamante,  
Antes que luz es carbón."_

 _-José Martí-_

 ** _English Translation:_**

 _"Everything is beautiful and constant,  
Everything is music and reason,  
And all, like diamond,  
Before light, is coal."_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Forty One: Short Dick Man**

 _ **Ema Skye  
**_ _Europe_ _ **  
**_September 2024

Until the day she died, there was one unforgettable day which would remain permanently seared into Ema Skye's memory: the fateful day she had gotten the results back from her doomed forensics exam. She would never forget the gut-lurching feeling of dismay; as though her innards had just gotten wet cement pumped into them, when she saw the close, but no cigar, failing mark etched in cruel, crimson ink on top of the stark white page.

She slid her exam results back into their small brown envelope with fumbling fingers and leaden eyes. She could hear the excited chatter of her friends outside, comparing results, discussing which potential companies and career paths they were headed for. Rearranging her face into something which she hoped was nonchalant and casual looking, she sauntered through the throng.

"I haven't opened them yet," she chirped and then turned to walk briskly down the lane, away from the school, away from her old life, and into a bleak future full of uncertainty and doubt.

The morning had broken like the sweet melody of a blackbird, full of promise, freshness and newness to come. Now it sat like a cold cup of black, bottomless coffee…as dark as the depths of her crippling despair...

* * *

 ** _Ema Skye  
_** _Criminal Affairs Department  
_ February 7, 2026 9:00 PM

 _Life as the world's most reluctant homicide detective FOPPING sucks… Scientifically speaking!_

This was the thought that had constantly coursed through Ema Skye's mind in the past week – _at least a dozen times a day_! – Since she had begun her undesirable career as homicide Detective for the LAPD, under the _equally unenviable subordination_ of a particular glimmerous fop (something she had _yet_ to call him to his _face_!) a.k.a. one _Herr_ Klavier Gavin.

Despite having her old friend Dick Gumshoe as her immediate superior, not even the brawny man's kindness could save her from the inescapable irascibility of constantly having to work under such an _immature, patronizing peacock,_ who apparently prided himself on being some sort of a _ladies man_ and amused himself by attempting to _beguile_ her with his charm, via insincere flattery and shamelessly blatant flirtations, which she deftly rebuked at every turn.

Ema shook her head to clear it. Thinking about her loathsome boss always made her feel as though spiders had invaded her mind and spun a thousand webs; her every thought seemed to get caught up in another until nothing made sense. Obviously it was because he was so irritating _to her senses_ that her blood pressure _regularly went sky-high_ and therefore made it impossible for her to concentrate on anything but the annoyance. Amongst the other qualities that she found insufferable about Klavier was that he was also intolerably bossy and condescending. She just _knew_ that if she were a forensics expert, he wouldn't talk to her the way he did, always with that _ridiculously smug, knowing grin_ plastered across his _overly tan, pretty-boy face,_ which her fingers constantly _itched_ to _slap off!_

She cursed her luck – not only did she fail the stupid exam but, as a result, she'd had to get stuck with _him_ as a boss!

The brunette snorted. _Prosecutor Gavin_. What an inane title.

It was beyond ludicrous. Whoever heard of a _prosecutor_ who was _rock star_? It was positively _absurd_. What had she _ever_ done to deserve having man who was _even prettier_ than _she_ was – and who obviously _knew_ it! – _for_ a boss?! To top it off, he had that ridiculous _Elsa_ from Disney's _Frozen_ platinum braided hairdo, coupled with all those _gaudy and blingy rings_ and that _stupid G-chain_ he wore around his neck! He was _definitely_ more _rock star_ than _prosecutor,_ and yet somehow still had _the gall_ to claim the latter was his real passion! Just who did he think he was fooling?!

 _He should stick to singing and leave prosecuting to the likes of Mr. Edgeworth_ , Ema thought, practically swooning at the thought of the dashing prosecutor. Now _there_ was a man she could get on board with! That chiseled face, those intense eyes and that silver hair… a small shiver ran down her spine. Of course, looks aside, the debonair Miles Edgeworth was a prodigal genius – he was smart, cool (in a way Klavier could _never_ be) and he basically _emanated_ power.

When Ema had decided to join law enforcement, she had comforted herself with the thought that she would be seeing Mr. Edgeworth practically every day – only to have another item added to her crushing list of disappointments. Gumshoe had informed her that her _teenage dream_ was still overseas on a top-secret Interpol assignment (possibly alongside her _beyond lucky_ big sister!) and wasn't due to return back to America until at least _summer_!

Then… to add _insult to injury_ she'd come face to face with _Klavier Gavin_ … or rather, _face to chain!_

Ema scowled as she remembered her first day at work, and her subsequent encounter with Klavier; of course, with _her_ luck, she had ended up colliding with him as the stupid chain around his neck bumped painfully against her forehead, prompting him to smirkingly inquire if she was alright, with barely concealed mirth. Ever since then, all she'd wanted to do was take that damn obnoxiously blinding pendant and _throttle_ him with the gleaming chain attached to it! Someday, she was sure she would. It would even be worth her subsequent arrest – at least it would mean she wouldn't need to deal with his _tight_ _leather pants wearing **arsch**_ behind the prosecutor's bench anymore!

She hated almost everything about the German man. Most of all, she hated the fact that while she could dismiss _him_ as a person, she could _not_ dismiss his capabilities in the courtroom. She knew in order to have become a prosecutor at the age of 17, he must have had more than good looks and luck going for him. In spite of being a chauvinist and womanizer, he was admittedly the most comprehensive attorney Ema had ever encountered, spending endless exhaustive hours in research and preparation. Every feasible angle was covered, every tiny detail examined and re-examined. It wasn't just the ladies and the fan girls that adored him; his clients loved him and so did the jury. He oozed an effortless charisma, and whenever he spoke, he _owned_ the courtroom, holding everyone's rapt attention.

Ultimately, it was impossible to begrudge Klavier his skilled dedication to the law - Ema grudgingly conceded to even marginally admiring him for such - but it sure as hell didn't mean she had actually _like_ him! There was no law dictating she had to even remotely _stomach_ him, despite acknowledging that the man surely had talent beyond merely singing in some _boy band_ she had never heard of until then, and speaking in a lilting German accent he could turn on and off _at will!_

Regardless of his professional pros alongside his glaring list of cons, dealing 8 hours a day – _sometimes more_ – with someone she felt such contempt for, in a job she could barely abide, was terrible for her morale. In fact, in all of her years, the constantly frustrated wannabe forensic scientist couldn't remember a point in her life when she had _ever_ felt so low – _lower than the rent on a burning building!_

 _Not only am I a **failed scientist** , but evidently I **fail** to be **memorable** , either!_

It only furthered her disdain of the Gavinners front man that with each passing day, it became more and more clear to her that truly, Klavier apparently had _no idea_ who she was! Clearly his feckless memory simply wouldn't allow any recollection of what to _him_ was obviously _a most forgettable encounter_ of their not-so historical initial meeting at The Borscht Bowl Club another lifetime ago! In fact, the ever-toothy prosecutor seemed _genuinely bewildered_ by her overt hostility and icy demeanor towards him, even going as far as to placating her to _smile_ every once in a while on a regular basis – to which Ema's disgusted response was simply to pelt him with her bottomless supply of Snackoos until he reluctantly left her vicinity.

 _Thank heavens for Snackoos… Since I barely drink and refuse to abuse any sort of other recreational stronger substance, they truly are not only my sole vice in life but also my salvation._

Aside from Snackoos, and her two cats, Schrödinger and Hawking, the chocolate snacks were her only constant companion. On top of being constantly unsatisfied and desolate about her plight, Ema had never felt more dejected or lonelier in her entire life.

She had no friends other than Gumshoe at work, and seeing how in love he and Maggey still were, all these years later, while heartwarming, still left her feeling forlorn at the same time. And forget Meekins - although the klutzy, hapless bumbler was harmless enough, he still was not someone she could tolerate off the clock, unless she was getting _paid_ for it!

The cherry on the proverbial Shit Sundae was that the two people she had most looked up to _both_ seemed to taken indefinite leave from her life for an undetermined amount of time! Her big sister was now essentially unreachable until God knew _when_ while on her undoubtedly dangerous, _top-secret undercover Interpol assignment,_ and Phoenix Wright had allegedly _fallen off the face of the earth,_ having not returned _a single one_ of her phone calls since she had arrived back in Los Angeles.

This particular rejection had stung more than words could say, as Ema had missed the defense attorney terribly over the years, and had been so delighted when he'd kept in touch with her while she had been away in Europe. In fact, one of the few highlights in her life about coming back to the States had been her eager anticipation of reuniting with her old friend, to whom she and Lana would forever be grateful to for his assistance in exposing the truth about the real killer in the murder that nearly ruined the Skye sisters' lives.

Ema had been beyond reverential by Phoenix's ability to turn things around, even when the odds were against him. The respect and admiration she held for that man knew absolutely no bounds. Although she remembered the Ace Attorney being unconventionally attractive, her respect and affection for him, (perhaps less due to their age difference and more to do with her schoolgirl crush on Miles Edgeworth at the time!) had never surpassed that of merely an awestruck teen who'd been mesmerized by the miraculous 180's the King of the Turnabout had been capable of in the courtroom. It defied all science!

But while it simply didn't make any sense to her, it'd left a lasting impression on her soul nonetheless. She was determined to become a forensic investigator even more after that, further bolstered during her studies abroad to master the trade, so that she could someday be of use to Phoenix in future cases.

Instead, she'd returned home, not only to find that the man whom she had adored as a young girl appeared to be avoiding her like the plague, but to discover that because there was no available positions in forensics, she was going to be placed in the homicide department, where the listlessly dull and boring work wouldn't allow her to show off the mad science skills she'd learned, with the rare exception of the occasional fingerprinting here or luminol testing there.

Between the unfulfillment in both her professional and personal life, the detective's one other solace was music. Whenever she was stuck in her office and nobody was around, or at late ungodly hours after everybody had gone home, Ema Skye would shake her money-maker like there was no tomorrow and loudly sing along as she blasted the radio tunes

Today had been a beyond exhausting day, and as the drained Detective was finally getting ready to wrap up, the music station she was listening to started to play Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine."

Her customary grumpy expression vanished, and her eyes lit up. Ema absolutely adored the Canadian singer and had especially fond memories associated with her songs, particularly due to seeing the country star live in concert, which Lana had taken her to for her 13th birthday.

Despite Ema's inability to personally relate to the lyrics, since she hadn't ever had any sort of love life to speak of, the saucy, semi-tongue-in-cheek tune about what the singer was looking for in her ideal partner never failed to bring a smile to her face. Taking advantage of the fact that she was all alone in the office, the detective grabbed one of her display test tubes from the scientist glass beaker set upon her desk, holding it as a mike while she began to sing along to the lyrics.

* * *

 ** _This is what a woman wants..._**

 ** _Any man of mine better be proud of me_**  
 ** _Even when I'm ugly he still better love me_**  
 ** _And I can be late for a date that's fine_**  
 ** _But he better be on time_**

 ** _Any man of mine'll say it fits just right_**  
 ** _When last year's dress is just a little too tight_**  
 ** _And anything I do or say better be okay_**  
 ** _When I have a bad hair day_**

* * *

Feeling slightly giddy now, partially from over-tiredness and in part due to the happy reminiscences she had associated with the performer, Ema began to dance around the office, belting her heart out with everything she had.

* * *

 ** _And if I change my mind_**  
 ** _A million times_**  
 ** _I wanna hear him say_**  
 ** _Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I like it that way_**

 ** _Any man of mine better walk the line_**  
 ** _Better show me a teasin' squeezin' pleasin' kinda time_**  
 ** _I need a man who knows, how the story goes_**  
 ** _He's gotta be a heartbeatin' fine treatin'_**  
 ** _Breathtakin' earthquakin' kind_**  
 ** _Any man of mine_**

 ** _Well any man of mine better disagree_**  
 ** _When I say another woman's lookin' better than me_**  
 ** _And when I cook him dinner and I burn it black_**  
 ** _He better say, mmmm, I like it like that yeah_**

* * *

She undid the half topknot atop of her head and tossed her newly freed, glossy chestnut mane about as she continued to sing, spinning around with her back to the door and pointing her finger at the rear facing window in her office as though it were her audience, while her free hand still held the science prop as a microphone.

* * *

 ** _And if I changed my mind_**  
 ** _A million times_**  
 ** _I wanna hear him say_**  
 ** _Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I like it that way_**

 ** _Any man of mine better walk the line_**  
 ** _Better show me a teasin' squeezin' pleasin' kinda time_**  
 ** _I need a man who knows, how the story goes_**  
 ** _He's gotta be a heartbeatin' fine treatin'_**  
 ** _Breathtakin' earthquakin' kind…_**

* * *

 _"Bravoruf, Fräulein Detective!"_ An unexpectedly familiar tone sounded behind her just then, coupled with enthusiastic clapping. " _Das ist ja wirklich ganz toll!"_

With a cry of horror, as she recognized the voice immediately, Ema whirled around, nearly dropping the glass object from her hand and met the twinkling eyes of none other than Klavier Gavin, whose approaching footsteps she'd obviously failed to hear over the blaring music. She had no idea how long he'd been there to witness her impromptu performance, nor did she know how sincere the bestowed compliment was, but at that point, she was too _mortified_ to care!

Cheeks burning, she stalked over to the radio, powering it off before directing stormy teal orbs towards the amused blue ones of the prosecutor.

"No need to stop on my account," he teased, his eyes dancing with merriment. "I was actually quite enjoying the show!"

"Do you normally make it your regular habit to _spy_ on your subordinates and catch them unawares?" She demanded hotly, reflexively reaching a hand up to smooth back her hair. Like him or hate him, the ever immaculately groomed Klavier Gavin was definitely a man who made a a woman feel self-conscious about her appearance. "What the heck are you doing here, anyway?"

"I was coming to drop off the hairdresser homicide file - the Tillie Dyes case - which you requested earlier today," he responded, completely ignoring her initial angry outburst. "I apologize for not bringing it sooner, but I was working late on a couple of other cases as well."

He held out the manila folder in question, which she quickly grabbed out of his hand and turned around to place on her desk, still too flustered to thank him at the moment. Even though she didn't particularly care what he thought about her, being caught acting in such undignified manner by a man who constantly loved getting under her skin and ribbing her was unnerving. Undoubtedly he already thought she was nothing more than a _cranky-pants, science obsessed nerd-girl_ , but now she had just given him damning evidence that she was an utter and total _dork_ in every other way as well! She hated giving him further ammo!

Klavier was still staring at her, and Ema felt her cheeks reddening even further. The man simply had a way of regarding you that either made you feel like you were the most important person in the world, as he tended to do with his doting fans, or making you feel like a _completely_ _inferior specimen_ , all within the blink of an eye.

What was particularly rattling her at the present was that she'd been expecting to see the _latter_ expression on his face after witnessing her solo karaoke session, and instead saw something which she could only describe as… _appreciative_?!

"Well it's a lucky thing you still caught me here, since I was _just_ leaving," she said tightly, grabbing her bag. "I'm surprised _you_ of all people are working this late on a weekend – I'd imagine you woulda had several _hot dates_ lined up."

"Business before pleasure, _Fräulein Detective_." He fell in stride with her as she exited the office and headed towards the precinct doors. "Work will _always_ come before play… And I've made it my motto to resist _all_ temptation that tries to sway me otherwise."

He cocked an eyebrow at her as she reflexively reached for her ever present bag of Snackoos.

"Although I suppose _some_ of us are more disciplined than _others_ at doing so…"

Ema barely resisted the urge to pelt him _right in his smirking kisser_ with one of her delectable snacks.

"Given the weekend bus schedules in Los Angeles, I won't be home for almost another hour," she replied through gritted teeth. "Ergo, these Snackoos will have to tide me over until I can make myself some dinner. _Not_ that _my alleged temptations_ are any of _your_ business, Prosecutor Gavin!"

"You're taking the bus? At _this_ late hour?" His forehead furrowed in concern. "What happened to your car?"

"Wow, we're both invasive _and_ nosy tonight, aren't we?" Without casting him an even further glance, Ema began walking towards the bus stop. "For your kind information, my car is in the shop. It's going to cost me $1000 to get it fixed, which is actually a lot of money when you're on a rookie Detective's salary. I won't be able to get it back until next week, when we're paid again."

"Did Chief Gumshoe not allow you the use of one of the unmarked cruisers in the meantime?"

"Of course he did. He told that numskull Meekins to leave me the keys before he left for the night… But said imbecilic moron forgot to do so! Hence, me having to patiently await my personal stretch limo, which seats 70!"

"I see."

Not bothering to check if he was still following her, the fatigued Detective heaved a gusty sigh and flopped down on the metal bench inside the glass shelter, then looked up with a start as she heard the unmistakable strains of Billy Ocean's "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car," along with a loud car horn beeping "Guilty Love" right beside the bus stop.

It was Klavier, who had given his motorcycle a break for the evening, and was grinning at her from the inside of his _garishly purple_ Mercedes convertible.

* * *

 ** _Hey (hey) you (you), get into my car_**  
 ** _Who me?_**  
 ** _Yes you, get into my car_**  
 ** _Wooooooooooooooh. Wah! Yeah!_**

* * *

"What in the _world_?" Ema gaped at him as he began singing along to the classic 80's tune.

* * *

 ** _Who's that lady_**  
 ** _Coming down the road_**  
 ** _Who's that lady_**  
 ** _Who's that woman_**  
 ** _Walking through my door_**  
 ** _What's the score?_**

 ** _I'll be the sun_**  
 ** _Shining on you_**  
 ** _Hey Cinderella_**  
 ** _Step in your shoe_**  
 ** _I'll be your non-stop lover_**  
 ** _Get it while you can_**  
 ** _Your non-stop miracle_**  
 _ **I'm your man…** _

* * *

"There is _no way_ I am letting you take the bus home at this hour," Klavier stated firmly when she continued to gawk at him. "So just like Mr. Ocean commands in the song… _Get outta my dreams …Get into my car!"_

 ** _No way_** _am I letting him drive me home!_ Ema petulantly crossed her arms over her chest _. There is no worse feeling in the world than being indebted to someone you can't stand, so I **refuse** to partake in such an agreement!_

"As _charmed_ as I am by the offer … _And_ the music…" She shook her head. "I think I'd prefer to take my risks with the _potentially strange weirdos_ on public transit rather than put you out."

"I hate to pull rank, when all I was intending to do was be a chivalrous gentleman," Klavier drawled, his gleaming smile remaining intact, although his now voice showing the strains of his patience. "But when you _insist_ on being as stubborn as a mule, you leave me with no other choice! I am your superior _Fräulein_ _Detective,_ and once again, I'm going to _tell_ you – in a non-singing version this time! – to _get into my car_!"

Unimpressed by his bossy tone, Ema scowled in response and crossed her legs, remaining defiantly glued to the bench.

"Detective Skye that was an _order_ , _not_ a _request_!"

Surprised by the sudden sharpness of his tone, Ema dumbly obliged, uncertain of what to say next as he mutely pulled away from the corner, no longer smiling nor speaking.

"It's after-hours, you know. Technically, I don't _have_ to listen to what you tell me to do!" She informed him loftily, after a few uncomfortable moments of non-conversation had lapsed and she could no longer bear the silence. "I just decided that it'd just be _easier_ than remaining at the curb and arguing with you all night!"

" _Mein Gott_ , woman, you are _maddening_! Has anybody ever told you that before?" He finally turned to look at her, still not smiling, but this time a flicker of humor in his eyes. "I have had opponents _in the courtroom_ who were less combative!"

"I don't see what's so maddening about not wanting to be a charity case!" Ema began fidgeting with the radio. "Or simply not wanting to be seen in this overly flashy, aubergine, presumed _boudoir on wheels_!"

"I truly wish I _were_ as promiscuous as you make me out to be, _Fräulein_ _Detective_!" Klavier chuckled. "Clearly you are not a fan of German automotives, _ja_?"

"I've always believed men who had a need to drive _ostentatious vehicles_ were always _compensating for something._ " Ema jutted her chin as she continued searching for a music station she liked – all of Klavier's preset channels were set to heavy metal and hard rock ones. "Give me the _manly man_ in a good, old-fashioned, _pickup_ _truck_ **_any day_**!"

" _Compensating for something_?" He echoed incredulously, stupefied by the admittedly cheeky gall of her insinuation, just as the ultimate _case in point_ song by 20 Fingers came blasting out of the audio speakers.

* * *

 ** _Don't want no short dick man_**  
 ** _Don't want no short dick man_**

 ** _Iny weeny teeny weeny_**  
 ** _Shriveled little short dick man_**

 ** _Don't want,Don't want,Don't want,_**  
 ** _Don't want,Don't want,Don't want,_**  
 ** _Don't want,Don't want,Don't want,_**  
 ** _Don't want,Don't want,Don't want,_**  
 ** _Don't want,Don't want,Don't want,_**

 ** _What in the world is that fucking thing?_**  
 ** _Do you need some tweezers to put that little thing away_**  
 ** _That has got to be the smallest dick_**  
 ** _I have ever seen in my whole life_**

 ** _Get the fuck outta here…_**

* * *

With a growl of irritation, Klavier deftly snapped off the song, once again filling the convertible with terse silence.

"If I didn't know better, I would've thought you had _planned_ that emasculating song to punctuate your point!" He clenched his jaw as Ema nearly doubled over at his outraged expression. "I cannot _believe_ you were actually content to listen to such _offensive drivel_ which was passing itself off as _music_!"

"It's not _my_ fault you took my words to be a _slight_ at certain parts of the male anatomy!" Ema wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. "It was completely subject to interpretation… For all you knew I could have been talking about _compensating_ for an inner _inferiority complex_!"

"Given the status of our working relationship, and the fact that I _attempt_ to be a gentleman when in the presence of a lady, I shan't waste my breath trying to _refute your unspoken allegations_ of what we both know you _really_ were implying, which was only made undoubtedly clearer by that _wretched tune_ , in spite of your protests to the contrary!"

They stopped at a red light and he turned to glower in her direction.

"Given the short span of our acquaintanceship, _Fräulein Detective,_ I must ask you once more, to _please_ enlighten me what I _possibly_ could have _ever_ done to instill _such rapt contempt_ that you'd feel a need to toss a slur, however indirect, at my manhood?"

Although slightly embarrassed by her completely immature and _below the belt ribbing_ , both _literally_ and _figuratively_ , her battered ego over the other man's continued ignorance about their forgettable past meeting would not allow her to feel anything more than half apologetic about his obviously hurt feelings.

"I suppose I took the joke a little bit too far, and I'm sorry." She turned her head away from his probing stare. "As for what you've ever done with regards to my contempt charge…"

"Did I run over your goldfish?" He burst out with exasperation, slapping his hand on the steering wheel. "Or accidentally pour sugar in your gas tank? _Why_ do you despise me so _Fräulein Detective_?"

 _I suppose screaming "because you're not Mr. Edgeworth!" Would be too unfair? Dammit, this confrontation_ _is just too much for me after a 14 hour day! If he doesn't remember me among his legions of other females who have trounced his path, I sure as hell am not going to be the one to remind him!_

Without her realizing it, Klavier had actually turned down her street and was now parked in front of her loft, completely startling the Detective, who faced him now, with round eyes.

"H –How did you know where I live? I didn't even tell you my address…"

Klavier shrugged, his annoyed expression vanishing as he took in the endearingly dumbfounded look on her face.

"What can I tell you? I'm a _thorough prosecutor, ja?_ I make a point of knowing where all the cute girls in in town live."

"Holy Toledo, Batman!" Ema's thunderstruck disposition was immediately replaced by one of indignation. "You may be act like you're a man of the law but underneath it all you're nothing more than a...a...creepy... _stalker_!"

" _Fräulein Detective,_ don't be ridiculous!" He was taken aback by her irked countenance. "I'm your boss, so of _course_ I would want to know where you reside, but only for security purposes in the unlikely event of any sort of emergency – "

" _Stalker_!" She refused to let him finish the sentence and was already climbing out of the car in a huff, too staggered by his unexpected knowledge of her home location to even bother thanking him.

" _Achtung baby!_ You _do_ test my patience, woman!" Klavier let out an agitated groan, but couldn't resist adding one final comment as she was about to flounce into the building. "Er, just one more thing, _Fräulein Detective?_ "

"What is it?" She snapped, reluctantly pausing mid-stride and facing him once more. "Make it quick, I have a hot date with my two cats and a TV dinner!"

"While I am uncertain if _your_ specific wish list for a perfect man is as _extensive and demanding_ as _Fräulein Twain's_ …" He flashed her a shit-eating grin and a flirtatious wink. "I felt inclined to let you know that despite the tousled mane and flushed cheeks which were the result of the vigor from your _delightful_ singing performance, you aren't at all having anything _near_ a _bad hair day_!"

" _W – What_?" Ema stammered, her jaw dropping open, unsure if she'd heard him correctly, or if she had mistaken the slight twinge, however minuscule, of actual _sincerity_ in the compliment this time.

" _Auf Wiedersehen_!" With those parting words, Klavier Gavin peeled away from the curb, leaving a confused and perturbed Ema Skye silently staring after him.

* * *

 _ **Shania Twain - Any Man of Mine**_

 _ **Billy Ocean - Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car**_

 _ **20 Fingers - Short Dick Man**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

* * *

 **Chapter 139**

 **DannyDragon**

What an interesting point you have brought up _mi amiga musica!_ While Larry and Iris are not officially together at this point, technically, dating your best friend's ex _would_ be a direct violation of the Bro Code, wouldn't it? How would Nick react? How would EDGY?! He's made enough at Larry just for going to Maya's wedding! Guess you'll have to keep reading to find out, Wright? ;)

* * *

 **Ilet Moratar**

Let the record show that when Miles is good he is the best friend you'll ever have in your life... but when he is bad even if it still do two factors which are beyond his control... even his greatest shipper on the entire planet cannot condone his behavior! My readers were a hundred percent in agreement that Edgeworth was way too hard on poor Larry who was only trying to do the right thing not trying to be disloyal to Nick and if the prosecutor wasn't so mentally and emotionally scarred right now he would realize that!

It's very interesting you said that you like when Miles holds his tongue with a woman; he is normally very mellow with Franny and usually keeps his thoughts to himself since she has much more fiery than he is but I am speaking of course in the figurative sense because you have read those steamy scenes when they are together... He does not hold back his tongue or anything else with that woman in the literal sense! ;)

* * *

 **Yanmegaman**

I guess it'd been awhile since I wrote some romance and I hope I didn't go too overboard with Larris sweetness...I only meant to give my readers cavities not full-blown insulin dependency! LOL.

Well for what it's worth, the Klema arc of the story should reset your blood-sugar levels because they're definitely more sour than sweet!

I love that my readers could embrace this unlikely pairing of Beauty and The Butz! Thanks a lot pal! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 140  
**

* * *

 ** _Review of the Week_**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

" _[Larry's] respect for her by not looking up her skirt, as he mentioned. I mean for Larry Butz, that's quite a step forward towards maturity."_

It's fascinating how the exact same occurrence can have such different reactions from different readers. I thought it was pretty Justified as well to yell at somebody for being an evidently negligent boyfriend who never visits or barely calls because girlfriend especially when she has suffered an injury... but of course there are some people who think that Larry is being inappropriate with Iris and that Miles was justified in yelling at him for breaking the bro code!

I'm also very intrigued by the fact that you do agree Phoenix as being noble and sacrificing because he loves Maya so much! I have a dear friend whose daughter, perhaps because she is fierier and more used to a more tangible evidence of love, thanks that if you truly loved my eye he would fight for her but I'll ask that's not always the way a love story goes as you and I both know!

I am delighted that Mildred finally getting to smell like her last name was the intended left I got out of my beloved readers! I can't promise you I'll kill her off but isn't it fun just to picture it? Lol

* * *

 **Ilet Moratar**

The Larris arc had so much unexpected love and support from my readers for this admittedly unconventional pairing perhaps my most unconventional pairing since Luke and Pearl but it has made me deliriously happy to know that they are rooting for these lovebirds who I have been accused of giving them diabetes and cavities due to the sweetness of this romance! :p

Choking on your food from the saccharine goodness of the pairing is a first to hear though!

Do they have crocodiles in California? Surely it would spit her bony culo right back out because the woman is pure poison although I'm glad her landing in muddy merda amused you so! :p

Larry is slowly but surely growing up I really think I would keep him grounded and makes him look for something beyond his usual superficial models - although she is very beautiful she is not flighty or flaky in the least and I think that's what he needs. Moreover I have tried very much to portray her as a lady not a tramp... despite what Mildew keeps taunting her to be and therefore he treats her accordingly with not even trying to make a move on her or even look up her dress. Perhaps all he needed was somebody took for once loved him back I have tried very hard to make it seem as though Larry Butz is ultimately a good man and friend, who could actually be a man worth loving... it brings me no end of joy inside that my readers seem to agree!

* * *

 **Batfreak2008**

You have no idea how difficult it was trying to make the goofy _ne'er-do-well_ Larry Butz and the _pretty but bland_ _as cold potatoes_ Iris Hawthorne appear to be likeable… I thought I already had my work cut out for me trying to make _Franziska Von Karma_ less of a bitch! Thank you for being a reader who appreciates romance however unexpected and unlikely the source!

* * *

 **DannyDragon**

Larry was a failed womanizer because I don't think he was ever the love them and leave them type since it seems the women would always be the ones to leave him which makes me wonder... _él es muy mala en la cama_...? XD

Sometimes all it takes is the love of a good woman to make him reform and I'd like to think former rakes, _even the failed ones_ , could potentially make the best partners!

* * *

 **Mr Coffee**

This seems to be a reoccurring theme of Phoenix only sporadically answering his phone in the story it's interesting you picked up on it and the fact that nothing good seems to happen from it!

I'm not very good at slapstick humor so I'm happy that mildew falling into a pile of the stuff that normally comes out of her mouth along with the laundry seeing gone bad I missed you so much and came off exactly as I hoped!

One of my readers told me if they like the fact that I make my characters have multi talents and interests aside from their occupations which is why I decided Iris could have been a Pianist when she was impersonating her twin being an art major in school and you're absolutely right I figure even with the internet now up there there's not a whole lot for her to do except study flowers and be one with nature she seems like a very earthy and ethereal beauty the picture she looks very much like a garden nymph among them!

I'm not quite sure what to do with mildew well I'm sure a lot of my readers would Rejoice over her death as much as the state of California undoubtedly would I'm wondering if dying alone in her own pathetic pitch of misery would be sufficient.

Funny u mentioned her voice cracking glass...another reader said she's so nasty it's like she slept on a bed of broken glass!

Nah it's me ... I'll find some way to torture her I promise!

* * *

 **ThePudz**

The course of true love never did run smooth...sorry for the feels attack the selfless Nick gave you!

punny enthusiast I am I couldn't resist Larry joking about this is the only way women will fall for him...if only he knew how wrong he was!

Yes mildew is a complete bitch that's why I threw her ass into the muddy shit that she undoubtedly belongs in! XD

* * *

 **Chloemcg**

Edgeworth is a wonderful character who definitely deserve some peace after all he hasn't ordered both in canon and in my story... he will eventually find it surely but right now he does have to help his best friend clean up this latest mess of his life and ascertain whether or not he's made a huge mistake but not telling Phoenix about the whole "what happened to my Nick?!" slip of the tongue that Maya had!

I'm glad you haven't written him off as a complete jerk it's Indy because he was not in his right mind that he gave Larry a piece of his mind for his deemed disloyalty and breaking the bro code!

Also I'm delighted you enjoyed Mildew's _shitty_ comeuppance! Lol

I seriously was thinking of you as you're possibly my most vocal reader with your hatred for my OC.

As sad as it is that Nick is going the selfless and noble route...I've always found that just like in an Ace Attorney game eventually the truth does come out one way or another even if it's not from the direct horse's mouth in a matter of speaking...Wright? ;)

* * *

 **Eveshowrtc**

I am touched and blown away by your memory answer attention to detail dear reader...to remember the Fey sisters dishing out Mildew's first punishment 100 chapters ago is indeed the intended parallel and I love when she's made to eat her own words although she doesn't seem to ever learn from them!

Please let me know when u actually play the games...they are too awesome not to be enjoyed firsthand and pun not intended I feel the play-through do them no justice pun semi intended!

 _Sir Reginald Kenneth Hercules Dwight_ coming to you soon...what Zeplin are you thinking?

* * *

 **Eveshowrtc - _Replies from Say Hello to Yesterday_**

 ** _Chapter 1 - Jordan Phoenix_**

 _The Buildup of the Plan_ can tell you how daunting it was to write the first chapter knowing it was what was going to determine whether or not readers kept reading and gave my following two talented writers a chance? Since you did read all 3 I am delighted to know I was successful - also means the world to me that you keep referring to the geek stuff that I write, solo or not, as literature! With all my heart I, the Kay Faraday of the Yatagarasu wholeheartedly thank you!

 ** _Chapter 2 – Amazed – Yanmegaman_**

 _The Buildup of the Plan_

 _Chapter 2: The Execution of the Plan_

 _Chapter 3: The Results of the Plan_

With names like that, you make our little story sound like an Oceans heist movie! XD

Am so glad you enjoyed it! And don't fret about not having a lot to say -we were much the same as we read each other's work, as we were each so blown away!

 ** _Chapter 3 – Can't Help Falling In Love – ThePudz_**

Thank you very much for the amazing kind words, they mean so much to me! It's always a joy when someone compares your writing to the games, so thank you so much for that comment! Another Yatagarasu story with us? Hmmm... All I can say is that it is a maybe…  
Thanks for reading!

* * *

 **ChilledKitsune**

Every reader is entitled to not only their opinion - so no I will not disregard your thoughts even if different from the majority. Whether you love or hate my work, it obviously still left some sort of impression on you, so as a writer, what else can I hope for?

Having never seen HIMYM notwithstanding, while it seems most of my readers thought Miles was too hard on Larry, I do realize, _on paper,_ going to your best friend's ex-girlfriend's wedding is probably a bad thing and Bro Code violation. However, keep in mind that Miles is not mad at Larry for going and hanging out with Iris, but for just going to the wedding itself. But as you said, Larry at this point is one of Maya's best friends.

In this case, when leaving that disgruntled voicemail, Larry did not say or even intend to imply that he was going to be making a move on Iris – he gave his best friend hell because he thinks Phoenix been ignoring his doting and loyal GF. Remember, how Larry feels about Iris is beside the point. The key point is Larry does not know Feenris is _not actually together,_ and that in actuality, Phoenix he begged for Iris to be silent for two more months because he does trust himself to see Maya until she is a married woman.

While it may be true but Maya wouldn't care about laws or Nick's disgraced reputation, he doesn't really have a game plan at this point – he nobly feels the billionaire would be better for Maya more than he is, and also, as far as Nick knows, Maya still she hates him.

With Larris, I tried very hard to create a couple out of a couple of characters that are notover popular but didn't really have controversy, because in reality, Iris and Nick are _not_ together despite the bro code violation of Larry going to the wedding. However, I cannot appease everybody, and it's most unfortunate if you have been suffering through the Larry and Iris arc. It is now over, and I do hope you continue to read this next arc involving our favorite reluctant detective and a certain glimmerous fop!


	142. Can't Touch This

_Mr. Big Stuff  
Who do you think you are?  
Mr. Big Stuff  
You're never gonna get my love_

 _Now, because you wear all those fancy clothes (oh yeah)  
And have a big, fine car, oh yes you do now,  
Do you think I can afford to give you my love? (oh yeah)  
You think you're higher than every star above_

 _Mr. Big Stuff  
Who do you think you are?  
Mr. Big Stuff  
You're never gonna get my love_

 _Now, I know all the girls I've seen you with  
I know you broke their hearts one after another now, bit by bit  
You made 'em cry, many poor girls cry  
When they tried to keep you happy, they just tried to keep you satisfied_

 _Mr. Big Stuff, tell me, tell me  
Who do you think you are?  
Mr. Big Stuff  
You're never gonna get my love_

 _I'd rather give my love to a poor guy that has a love that's true (oh yeah)  
Than to be fooled around and get hurt by you  
'Cause when I give my love, I want love in return (oh yeah)  
Now, I know this is a lesson, Mr. Big Stuff, you haven't learned_

 _Mr. Big Stuff, tell me  
Who do you think you are?  
Mr. Big Stuff  
You're never gonna get my love  
Mr. Big Stuff  
You're never gonna break my heart  
Mr. Big Stuff  
You're never gonna make me cry_

* * *

 _Holy Toledo! 1000 reviews! **Mind = blown**! I wish I could hug each and every one of you to express my thanks for your support and time! I am filled with so much joy and gratitude...you guys are amazing...especially for still taking the time to still read with the awesome new game out...with all my heart...thank you so much!_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Forty Two: Can't Touch This**

 ** _Ema Skye and Klavier Gavin_**  
 _Criminal Affairs Department_  
February 14, 2026 8:00 AM

Klavier's unprecedented coy observation about her hair had resulted in a _very perplexed -_ and no longer _quite_ as cantankerous - Detective Ema Skye. In fact, the LAPD's newest hire, much to her great shame, had actually been making additional efforts to ensure her tresses looked their best at all times ever since, all the while trying to squelch the depressing knowledge that no matter _what_ she did with it, it would _never_ be as lustrous as _his_ pretty-boy, flaxen locks.

Ever since Klavier had driven her home four days ago, Ema had taken a step back to reconsider her _possibly iniquitous_ reactions to her boss, who'd continued exuding nothing but congeniality to her, despite her chronically bitchy attitude and _indirect insulting of his manhood_! Although she'd had _nothing_ to do with the _perfectly timed_ "Short Dick Man" deciding to play at _that exact second_ , she _perhaps_ _could_ _have_ at least tried to contain her _hysterical laughter_ over his reaction ... _just a notch!_

Perhaps she _should_ take it _all_ down a notch, _period_. All this hostility couldn't possibly be good for her mind – although _scientifically improbable_ , she was paranoid her chronic barely suppressed rage was going to wind up giving her a _brain aneurysm_!

Therefore, the Detective had been doing her very best to stop acting so contrary around Klavier at every given moment, taking to heart the wise old adage that _holding a grudge was like allowing someone to live rent-free in your head!_

To strengthen this resolve, she thus vigorously attempted to find something – _anything_! – _nice_ to think about the " _glimmerous fop", regardless_ of how trite or insignificant.

The unflattering nickname she'd mentally dubbed him 7 years ago was something she had _still_ _somehow_ refrained from calling him – _a personal victory_ thus far! If she could do _that_ , she _should_ also be capable of remaining _unhostile_ and professional whenever in his proximity.

Filled with this new-found determination – after all it _was_ her 25th birthday today and what better way to begin the quarter-century mark then with some grown-up resolutions? – Ema was filled with utmost doggedness as soon as she got to her desk that morning.

The very first thing she did was make a list of things about Klavier Gavin which didn't _completely_ suck. The plan was to draw upon it whenever about to _blow her top_ by being within his immediate vicinity – _an admittedly regular occurrence_ – which, scientifically speaking, could _not_ be good for her blood pressure, and _no man on earth_ was worth having _a coronary arrest - especially_ not before she even turned _30_!

The list of Klavier's good attributes was presently _a very short one_ , but still better than _nothing!_ Besides _,_ she had to start _somewhere_ , right?

* * *

 _1\. Despite the fact that the fop is **way** too cocky for his own good, he's quite nice and gracious to his legions of fans - who are undoubtedly **why** he walks around thinking he's the King of the World, since these skanky fan girls swoon and scream every time they see him and he eats it up with a spoon! Meanwhile, the egomaniac doesn't **do a damn thing to stop it** when they trample over my crime scenes and instead just **beams benignly,** as though this is just par for course for being a rock God…oh shit... this is supposed to be a **nice** list…er, OK…_

 _2\. I guess he can afford to flash those pearly whites so much because Klavier Gavin does indeed possess… really nice teeth. **Literally** a million-dollar, gleaming white smile that would put Hollywood stars to shame. They're probably bonded and professionally bleached a monthly basis and he's always **baring them at me like he's auditioning for a goddamn toothpaste commercial** … Wait this was posted a list of things I **don't** hate about him..._

 _3\. Fine - the fop has immaculate grooming – he certainly wears enough of that spicy, woodsy aftershave to assault my nostrils from even 10-feet away..._

 _4\. To my immediate knowledge, **he's** never before practiced cannibalism...although his **rabid fan girls** swear that **the fop is** " **yummy** **enough to eat!"** Ugh, gag me with a bulldozer..._

 _5\. I've never seen him **pick his nose.**.. or have **a bout of flatus** around me…does that count as one or two attributes? OK… this isn't **so** hard…_

* * *

Leaning back in her chair, she pushed her pink sunglasses on top of her head as she studied the list in her hand, then smirked to herself.

* * *

 _6\. Yesterday he stole my pink sunglasses, making, for the **umpteenth**_ **_time_** _his **ridiculously unfunny** standard joke about how it must be nice "seeing the world through rose-colored glasses" except this time, he actually put them on… Then looked so incredibly stupid that I actually ended up laughing… **with** him not **at** him this time…_

 _7\. I concede he's got **somewhat** of a sense of humor even when I'm totally mocking him for being a **groupie loving man whore!** He was singing Foreigner's "Dirty White Boy" the other day, and not only laughed but **denied nothing** when I snarkily told him it "must **pay to advertise** …"_

* * *

Ema thoughtfully tapped the pen against her teeth, lost in thought as she struggled for another item to add to the list, when suddenly there was a knock at her door, and the object of her written musings materialized in the frame, holding what appeared to be two dozen, long-stemmed pink roses in his hands.

" _Guten Morgen,_ _Fräulein Detective,_ " he greeted her pleasantly.

"Good morning, Prosecutor Gavin," she returned, equally as cordially. "I take it you're here to pick up the Tillie Dyes case file?"

"I am, but I also have a special delivery for you." He came forward to place the crystal vase of beautiful blooms on her desk. "The delivery man just dropped these off. At first, I tried to tell him that he must have the wrong address, since the card is addressed to _My Sharona,_ but he _insisted_ this was the right place…"

"I'll take that!" Ema said quickly, her eyes lighting up with joy as she practically snatched the flowers out of his hands and eagerly opened the envelope. "These are _definitely_ for me!"

"It's Valentine's Day. It appears you have an admirer," he observed, in what he hoped was a completely neutral tone. "Although is he truly a _serious suitor_ if he cannot address you by your proper name?"

"It _is_ my name," she confessed, her cheeks flushed pink with pleasure at the message in the enclosed card, which had her idol, Madam Curie, on the cover. "But only _one_ person in the entire world calls me that."

Klavier watched as she read the card, feeling an inexplicable stab of envy at the person who'd caused that ethereal face to brighten up like a light bulb, desperately wishing to know the sender's identity, but uncertain how to solve this mystery without seeming overly invasive.

* * *

 ** _Baby Sister,_**

 ** _On this very special day, I thank God for giving me the best friend of my life. The most cute and beautiful present that I have always wished for is you. You mean the world to me. In the puzzle of my life, you're the most important piece. My life would an incomplete, unfulfilled jigsaw without you!_**

 ** _My dear baby sister, thank you for being the most kindhearted and loving sibling a girl could ever wish for. You have always shared your joys, happiness, jealousy, surprises, anger and heart's desires_** **_with me. I am happy to say that it is you whose companionship that deserves a grand treatment on her special day. I wish nothing more than for all your hopes and dreams to come true. You have always added sweetness to my life, for without you, I feel nothing. The caring and sharing that we've had together is unforgettable and beyond compare._**

 ** _I wish you a superb future ahead, with no worries, and only sublime happiness. I also pray to God that all your upcoming days be full of sheer joy. I hope you enjoy this very special day with all your dear ones, who adore you as much as I do._**

 ** _Today, I am very proud to wish you a Happy 25_** _ **th** **Birthday, Ema Sharona Skye, and even though I can't be with you today, I carry you in my heart, always. I love you my darling sister.**_

 ** _All My Love,_**  
 ** _Lana Heaven Leigh Skye_**

* * *

Ema finished reading the message and blinked back emotional tears. Although there was no return address on the envelope, as she obviously couldn't be privy to Lana's whereabouts, somewhere out there in the world, her big sister had still managed to fill her heart with so much love, even across the miles, on her birthday, easing some of the recent loneliness in a way only a beloved sibling could. She probably would've dissolved into waterworks right then and there, had it not been for the inquisitive-looking blond man standing before her.

"Are you alright _Fräulein Detective_?"

"I'm fine." She tried to keep her voice steady as she hastily tucked the card away. "It was just a very poignant message, that's all."

"Are you feeling particularly sentimental because it's Valentine's Day?" He inquired, hating himself for sounding as though he were prying, but knowing full well that was _exactly_ what he was still doing. "Or was it due to the contents of the card itself?"

"There's _nothing_ to feel sentimental over on the _Hallmark Holiday_!" Ema huffed, the disdain evident in her voice. "It's nothing more than a _cash grab_ by the flower and chocolate industry, specifically designed to make those who are single feel _completely unworthy and dismal! At the same time,_ it ensures those who _are_ coupled feel unnecessary pressure to shell out excessive funds to commemorate this supposedly romantic day – but which is historically _so bloody and violent in origin_ it is actually _anything **but**!"_

"So the flowers were _not_ sent to you as a Valentine's Day gift then?" Klavier confirmed, desperately hoping the answer was _yes_ but not _quite_ knowing _why_.

" _No,_ _Herr_ Busybody," she replied dryly, finally deciding to put him out of his misery. "They were sent to me by _my sister,_ because as _my_ luck would have it, this _faux day of romance_ also happens to be my birthday."

" _Today_ is your birthday?" His eyes widened with surprise, while simultaneous _relief_ flooded through him upon hearing the loving message written in the card had been from a _relative_ and _not_ an _overly eager admirer._ Taking a quick gander at the roses in the vase, he saw that they were actually _25_ of them, not the two dozen he'd originally thought. "I had no idea."

"Why would you?" She shrugged. "It's not like I'm going to make a big deal out of it, and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't broadcast it to everybody in the office. I like keeping things low-key and I hate when people fuss over my birthday – not that they really do anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's always _kinda stunk_ , having a birthday on a holiday, even a _completely banal one like Valentine's Day,_ because most people are too busy thinking about their romantic significant other to take heed about my day of birth."

"That is most unfair." Klavier shook his head. " _Everybody_ should at least have _somewhat_ of a fuss made over them on their _birthday_! What are your plans tonight?"

Ema flushed slightly at the sudden reminder that she had _nothing_ more than a hot date with Netflix and a pint of ice cream as her game plan for the evening.

"Not a damn thing," she answered stiffly, hating to admit just how pathetically lacking her social life was - to probably the _biggest_ **_social_** **_butterfly_** she knew! "I'm probably just going to go grab some takeout, then head home to watch _The Big Bang Theory_ marathon."

"Absolutely not! _Nobody_ should be alone _today,_ of all days," he declared. "If you have no plans tonight, then do allow _me_ the pleasure of taking you out, _Fräulein Detective._ "

Ema blinked, uncertain if she'd heard him correctly. Then she felt her face turning hot, realizing she'd just been subjected to an offer of _a pity date_ by her boss, because she had _stupidly_ confirmed she was _pathetically single_ and _friendless_ , not only on Valentine's Day, but on her _milestone birthday,_ as well!

"I don't think that would be appropriate." She looked away. "But thanks anyway, Prosecutor Gavin."

"Might I ask _what_ you feel is so _inappropriate_ about two colleagues grabbing a couple of drinks after a long day at work?" He appeared confused by the immediate rejection, something he obviously had yet to experience by anybody of the female persuasion.

"You don't think people's tongues would be wagging by the notion of _you and me_ going out together...especially on _Cupid Day_?" Ema stared at the blond as though he were completely daft. "They would think it was a… _a date_ or something!"

Chief Gumshoe, in particular, would have a _heyday_ if he ever found out about Klavier's suggested proposal. The big man seemed to get a kick out of her constant irate nature around the prosecutor, completely disregarding her insistence that she found the German to be abhorrent and that "the lady doth protest too much."

The big lug continually insisted that _hate_ was _equally as passionate_ as _love,_ incensing the Detective so much that at times, she flat-out wanted to _punch_ _him_ in the _very same desired way_ she often yearned to do with the fop! Only the fact that the big man was her _only friend_ , and _actual immediate supervisor_ , coupled with the fact that he was _built like a tank_ and she'd _undoubtedly break her fist_ if it came into contact with any part of his body, kept her in check!

"So let them talk." Klavier flashed her wicked grin. "After all, it's not as though we would be _giving_ them _something to talk about_ , _ja_?"

"I _don't_ need a _sympathy Valentine date_ from my boss, OK?" Ema burst out, completely infuriated that he'd made her come out and admit the true reason for her negation. "Besides, I'm sure _your hot date_ – or _dates_ – tonight, would be _heartbroken_ by having you cancel with them at the eleventh hour, especially on _my_ account!"

"So _that's_ what this is all about!" He looked thoughtful. "How about this then? We go out straight after work, and to the _most crowded_ , _unromantic_ pub in town. We'll enjoy a couple of _beers,_ rather than the more perceived _mood enhancing_ wine… in an environment that's _so noisy,_ we can't possibly hear one another speak! Forget about today being _Valentine's Day_ , and just see it as a boss wanting to buy a drink for his subordinate, because it's her _birthday_."

Ema studied him for a long moment, trying to ascertain if there was some sort of ulterior motive at play, or worse, signs that this was all _one big joke_ , but saw nothing reflected in the azure depths staring back at her other than sincerity. At last, she shook her head, letting out a rueful laugh.

 _I suppose grabbing a quick drink with my foppish boss on my birthday is still a better alternative than going home, **hugging my knees and pitifully weeping** about how I've made it to the quarter-century mark all by my lonesome!_

"You just aren't going to take _no_ for an answer, are you?"

"I _never_ have!" Klavier grinned impishly. "You can't win trials by being a _quitter!_ I tend to maintain my perseverance, both _in and out_ of the courtroom!"

He headed towards the door, glancing back at her over her shoulder.

"So I'll be back at six tonight for our _non-date_ , birthday date, _ja_?"

" _On the dot_ ," she nodded, biting back a smile. "Because since this is _totally not_ a _date_ , I don't need to go home and change, so shall be going to our _totally non-romantic_ location still wearing my work clothes and _lab coat_!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way. I look forward to tonight, _Fräulein Detective._ " He smirked, turning around and playing his air guitar. "Or should I say… _My Sharona_?"

" _Gah_! Put a _sock_ in it!" Ema blushed furiously upon hearing her childhood moniker being uttered by anybody other than Lana. "My sister - who was fortunate enough to be the firstborn and be given the much more _glorious_ set of middle names, which sound like _Lana Heavenly Skye,_ came up with the nickname because my parents were obsessed with the group, The Knack! She used to _torture_ me when I was younger, claiming whenever you said my name really fast – it sounded like their hit song: _Ema Sharona_ … _My Sharona_."

She glowered at the amused prosecutor.

"Lana is also _the only person_ who has ever been allowed to address me by that name…and _live_."

" _Achtung baby_! No need to deliver death threats!" Klavier chuckled and raised his hands in a _no offense_ manner. "I better leave now while I can, before I _unwittingly annoy you again_ and make you change your mind about tonight!"

He left with these parting words, but not before she heard the telltale sounds of him loudly singing on his way out the door.

* * *

 ** _Ooh, my little pretty one, my pretty one_**  
 ** _When you gonna give me some time, Sharona_**  
 ** _Ooh, you make my motor run, my motor run_**  
 ** _Got it coming off o' the line, Sharona_**

 ** _Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind_**  
 ** _I always get it up, for the touch of the younger kind_**  
 ** _My, my, my, aye-aye, whoa!_**  
 ** _M-m-m-my Sharona_**

* * *

 ** _Unwittingly annoy_** _, my ass! That man sets out to **deliberately incite** me – this is probably his sick idea of payback because of the whole " **compensating for something"** comment and my reaction to the subsequent song immediately afterward! He's purposely going to antagonize me with the **Achilles' heel** that is my **stupid middle name** because he **knows** it's going to push all my buttons!_

"I _heard_ that, you… _insensitive…provoking…irksome… **dummkopf**_!" Ema shouted ferociously, already regretting her decision not to stick to her guns and refuse his offer. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that for some _implausible explanati_ on, she'd allowed herself to be swayed into agreeing to spend time with _the glimmerous fop_ who _grated on her last nerve_ … _after-office hours_! What the _hell_ had she been _thinking_?! "I'm changing my mind about tonight!"

" _Too late_!" She heard Klavier laughingly respond from down the hall before continuing his impromptu serenade:

* * *

 ** _Come a little closer, huh, a-will ya, huh?_**  
 ** _Close enough to look in my eyes, Sharona_**  
 ** _Keeping it a mystery, it gets to me_**  
 ** _Running down the length of my thigh, Sharona_**

 ** _Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind_**  
 ** _I always get it up, for the touch of the younger kind_**  
 ** _My, my, my, aye-aye, whoa!_**  
 ** _M-m-m-my Sharona_**  
 ** _M-m-m-my Sharona..._**

* * *

"I _super_ hate you, Klavier Gavin!" Ema growled, knowing he could no longer hear her and feeling _the familiar twitching_ in her left eye starting, despite her vow to henceforth keep a cooler temperament. Rummaging for her abandoned list, she furiously began scrawling the next item for the prosecutor's list of attributions, pressing down with her pen so hard, she nearly tore a hole in the paper:

 _8\. Whenever I am having an unexpected attack of **misplaced good-will** or want to cry, Klavier Gavin is the world's best antidote to ensure any flood of **unexpected sadness** or **lapse in better judgment** is **immediately** replaced with a much easier to handle – albeit mentally detrimental! – and even **stronger sense of a homicidal rage instead!** _

* * *

**_Ema Skye and Klavier Gavin_**  
 _The Surly Wench Pub_  
February 14, 2026 8:05PM

True to his word about taking the reluctant detective to a place so boisterous and unromantic, you could have landed a helicopter and it would have gone undetected, _The Surly Wench Pub_ was exactly all that and more.

Ema was _positive_ Klavier had chosen the place as a _slight dig_ at her personally, due to her _normally truculent disposition_ , but that notwithstanding, the crowded karaoke bar was just what the doctor ordered. It had hundreds of conversations buzzing about them in loud voices, all of them competing with the rock music that dominated the atmosphere which most of the warbling patrons at the microphone were opting to perform. The crowd was young, mostly students from the nearby universities.

By now, Ema had already downed a few beers, and found herself actually swaying on her stool, for more reasons than just the consumed alcohol, to the current song being crooned, which was "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You."

* * *

 ** _You're just too good to be true._**  
 ** _Can't take my eyes off you._**  
 ** _You'd be like heaven to touch._**  
 ** _I wanna hold you so much._**  
 ** _At long last love has arrived._**  
 ** _And I thank God I'm alive._**  
 ** _You're just too good to be true._**  
 ** _Can't take my eyes off you._**

 ** _Pardon the way that I stare._**  
 ** _There's nothing else to compare._**  
 ** _The sight of you leaves me weak._**  
 ** _There are no words left to speak._**  
 ** _But if you feel like I feel._**  
 ** _Please let me know that it's real._**  
 ** _You're just too good to be true._**  
 ** _Can't take my eyes off you…_**

* * *

Klavier couldn't help but notice how adorable Ema looked as she closed her eyes dreamily and slightly rocked back and forth in her seat in time to the music. She genuinely seemed to be enjoying herself, and he was happy he'd brought her there, even though, in spite of the three beers he'd already bought her, he _still_ hadn't been able to persuade her to go up and perform! This was much to his to his great chagrin, because as a musician, he could honestly testify, from his impromptu voyeurism of her solo performance, that the girl had _quite_ the impressive set of pipes, which was _why_ he'd brought her to the karaoke bar in the first place!

Nevertheless, singing or not aside, simply being there with Ema Skye was proving to be quite fun. He wasn't quite sure if her relaxed and contented mood was due to the alcohol, or because, as promised, they were in such a loud environment, he truly _couldn't_ speak much to her, therefore was unable to _grind her gears_ , which he sheepishly acknowledged he did on a regular basis, however _unintentional_ it was… _most_ of the time! Other times, he found just couldn't help himself from riling her up – the tiny firecracker was so _feisty_ and _spirited_ it actually was _adorable_ whenever she got mad!

Right now he was completely endeared by the fact that for a woman who'd been scoffing the romance of Valentine's Day, she seemed completely in tune with the current romantic ballad.

"So it seems you have a soft spot after all, _ja_?" He teased, an impish twinkle in his eye. "Or is it the effect of this song in particular?"

"Normally I'm _not_ _at all_ into the usual sappy stuff that make most women swoon." She reddened slightly at having been busted acting like a _typical girl._ "That includes chick literature, romantic comedies, and overly schmoopy love songs! However, _this_ song was my parents' wedding song, and I cannot tell you how many times Lana and I replayed the part on the video of their first dance over and over again growing up." She sighed dreamily. "Heaven and Lee Skye – now _their_ love… _that_ was true romance."

"Your mother and father had wonderful names. So your older sister Lana was given _both_ their first names as her middle names?"

"Yes, they wanted someone who was a part of _both_ of them, because they thought Sis was their only chance at having a family," Ema explained. "After Lana was born, my mother was told that she wouldn't be able to have any more children. But then lo and behold, _13 years later_ , Mom and Dad went to a revival concert of The Knack… and apparently had _a lot of fun."_ She blushed. "Er, _exactly_ _9 months_ afterward, they had _me_ , their _surprise miracle baby_!"

"You're the gift that _kept on givin_ g, _ja_?" He responded playfully. "I guess this also explains the _real_ _origins_ behind _your_ middle name."

"Which I'm going to implore with you, for the _final_ time, to _please_ stop tormenting me about!" She regarded him pleadingly. "This could just be the beers talking, but I am _actually_ starting to find you _tolerable!_ Do you _really_ want to rock that boat?"

"Not at all," he replied easily, genuinely loathe to do _anything_ to ever change this _nearly friendly_ vibe she was now treating him to. "Sorry, I didn't think it would bother you _that_ much, _Fräulein Detective_. Truly, it's a great song, by a great group, but I can see now how it would be embarrassing now that you've told me – ah – _the conception_ of the story."

Ema flashed him a relieved smile for this, which he couldn't help but return, thinking how cute she was when she wasn't scowling murderously at him!

The DJ called Klavier's name at that moment, and he gave Ema a jaunty wink as he headed towards the stage and grabbed the mike, speaking loudly over the cheering crowd, all who immediately recognized the Gavinners front man in their midst.

"My lovely companion this evening is celebrating her birthday tonight," the German announced into the microphone. "She seems to get a real kick whenever I sing songs by Foreigner. Since she appreciates my rendition of 'Dirty White Boy' so much, I hope she likes _this_ particular song as well."

With that, he commenced singing one of Ema's all-time favorite songs by the classic band, entitled "Say You Will."

* * *

 ** _Say you will, say you won't_**  
 ** _Make up your mind tonight_**  
 ** _Say you do, say you don't_**  
 ** _Wanna be mine_**

 ** _Say you will, say you won't_**  
 ** _Make up your mind this time_**  
 ** _Say you will, say you won't_**  
 ** _Be mine tonight_**

 ** _I can't sleep I keep dreaming I'm losing you_**  
 ** _Feel so alone in the night, scared to open my eyes_**  
 ** _I'm in too deep, I'm in over my head this time_**  
 ** _Can't get you out of my mind no matter how hard I try_**  
 ** _So won't you_**

 ** _Say you will, say you won't_**  
 ** _Make up your mind tonight_**  
 ** _Say you do, say you won't_**  
 ** _Be my guiding light_**

 ** _Say you will, say you won't_**  
 ** _Make up your mind this time_**  
 ** _Say you do, say you do_**  
 ** _You wanna be mine_**

 ** _I get the feeling I've never been here before_**  
 ** _'Cause no one I've known's ever moved me the way_**  
 ** _that you do_**  
 ** _And I know this is the real thing_**  
 ** _It's all I've been searching for_**  
 ** _I've put it all on the line now I'm hoping you feel_**  
 ** _that way too_**  
 ** _(And if you do) why don't you_**

 ** _Say you will, say you won't_**  
 ** _Make up your mind tonight_**  
 ** _Say you do, say you don't_**  
 ** _Wanna be mine_**  
 ** _Now will you_**  
 ** _Say you will, you say you won't_**  
 ** _Make up your mind this time_**  
 ** _Say you will, say you will_**  
 ** _You'll be mine tonight…_**

* * *

The song was touching – heartfelt but not overly sappy. It was the first time Ema had seen Klavier perform. Even at the risk of seeming like one of the Gavinner fan girls she mocked constantly…truly, the singer's riveting voice – the _aura_ he presented on stage…it was nothing short of… _majestic_.

 _Klavier's golden-throated vocals are smooth and clear - quiet, yet powerful. Soothing, in a way. I know you don't normally call a guy's voice beautiful, but **his** truly is. I can **almost** believe he's singing these words to **me** because he **means** them – as though he's honestly been infatuated with me **for real** and is honestly **beseeching**_ **_me_** _to be **his**. That voice – it's the promise of tomorrow. It is achingly beautiful, and I wish that he would never, ever stop…._

She stood up, applauding along with the enthusiastic crowd as the song ended, and smiled warmly when he returned to the table, thanking him for the song dedication.

"I'm so glad you liked it!" He took a huge swig of his drink. "So tell me, are you having fun, birthday girl?"

"I actually _am_ ," she admitted shyly. "This place is _great_!"

"So is the company." Klavier spoke the words before he could stop himself, and then with a jolt, realized this literally _wasn't_ one of the flattering lines he'd grown accustomed to giving women over the years - it was the actual _truth,_ and it floored him.

He _genuinely_ _liked_ Ema Skye – could even admit he was starting to think the lyrics he'd sang could very well be _applicable_ to the comely woman by his side. Hers was a natural beauty, in no need of artifice, and he'd been savoring the sensation of gazing admiringly at her when she was too wrapped up in their surroundings to notice.

 _Ema is really a unique kind of woman. Aside from being witty and intelligent, she's completely unlike any other woman I've ever met before in my life._

For one thing, he couldn't help but appreciate how she _didn't_ fawn and fuss over him like every other female he'd ever encountered did. As much as he loved and appreciated all his fans, to be treated like just a regular person was quite a welcome change from the shrieking fan girls who clamored to touch his sleeve, or _any other part of him_ they could grab – then scream to their friends, _"Omigod, I just touched his arm!"_

Klavier didn't quite have it in him to shoo away the adoring masses the way Ema did, and the Detective _repeatedly_ made it evident she had _zero qualms_ getting rid of the hordes who showed up at the most inopportune times - such as _at investigative crime scenes_!

It had turned into a typical clockwork style banter which he'd come to appreciate for its offbeat humor, as it was _exactly the same thing_ each and every time:

" _Prosecutor Gavin! For the millionth freaking time: get your **wannabe groupies** away from my crime scene this instant!" She'd screech at him, chipmunk cheeks puffed out in annoyance._

" _Is this your way of admitting you don't like sharing me with other women, and might actually be jealous of the attention I give them, Fräulein Detective?" He'd deride in return, barely smothering back his laughter at the spark of annoyance in her eyes. "You wouldn't need to shout at me if you'd just **admit** that was the case!"_

 _"I'M NOT JEALOUS!" She'd yell indignantly, before proceeding to pelt him with her never-ending supply of Snackoos and then storming off in the opposite direction, and on more occasions than one, destroying the crime scene she'd been so desperately trying to preserve in the process!_

Ema tilted her head and scrutinized his earnest expression as she mulled over his words. Perhaps the beer had made her more forgiving than she would normally have been, but at that minute, she couldn't deny she was somewhat affected by the charming spell of Klavier Gavin.

When he was staring at her like this, as though she were the only girl in the world, she could _almost_ let herself believe the veracity of his words – that he really _was_ enjoying her company. Moreover, she could let herself buy into the fact that he could _genuinely_ be a nice guy, whom she could _perhaps_ forgive for _overlooking_ her and not recalling their meeting all those years ago when he'd been a more pompous teen idol. Perhaps he really _had_ matured with age, and was now just a regular, hard-working prosecutor who honestly _did_ want to simply get along with his subordinate, and allow them to have a pleasant working relationship…

"I'll bet you that you say that to _all_ the girls!" Ema appeared to be slightly bashful, but pleased by the comment about being great company. "Being the _smooth as silk, sweet talker_ that you are!"

"I _meant_ it!" He insisted. "I'm having a fantastic time with you here. I'm hoping by the end of tonight, any ill will you've ever felt towards me, for whatever reason, will be completely behind us."

"I'll _think_ about it!" Ema smiled coyly, unaware of how beguiling she looked as she did so. "But first, I guess you _do_ deserve to know that the initial _reason_ I –"

"Klavier Gavin! Omigod, it's _you_! It's really _you_!" A high-pitched shriek suddenly sounded from behind the duo. "I can't believe _just_ as my night shift started, I get to have _you_ as a customer! All the other waitresses are going to be _so totally be jealous_!"

Spinning around in his stool, Klavier mentally cursed the ill-timed disruption as he came face-to-face with a pretty, busty redhead, wearing a sexy bar-wench uniform. It consisted of a skintight, lace up bustier, over a low cut, short sleeved white blouse, which pushed her ample, tanned cleavage _practically under her chin_ , and a flared black skirt, with a white frilly apron tied around her narrow waist.

" _Guten abend_." In spite of his annoyance at the disruption, force of habit made the prosecutor flash the waitress his trademark rock star greeting smile, which of course, only made her swoon even more. He took her proffered hand and placed a kiss upon it. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all _mine_ , Mr. Gavin!" The waitress breathed, her eyes like stars, and the startled Ema suddenly realized this girl was _the very same one_ from The Borscht Bowl Club 7 years ago, who'd accidentally caused Klavier to spell his drinks all over her! "I can't _believe_ we're meeting yet _again_!"

" _Again_?" A frown of concentration marred Klavier's brow. "Have we met before?"

 _Well of course, **I'm** the only one who's going to recognize little **Miss Candi with an "i"!**_ Ema thought with wry amusement as the sycophantic waitress indiscreetly adjusted her sizable bosom in her tight corset so that they further pushed up. _Sorry honey, no matter how much you flaunt those spectacular hooters of yours, you're just another big-tittied face in the crowd at the end of the day. This guy is a rock star, with apparently the **memory of a sieve**! After all, if he's seen **one** set of **boobs** flashed in his face, he's seen them **all**! Klavier's had so many girls constantly falling all over him, he couldn't **possibly**_ **_remember_** _any **one**_ **_particular bimbo_** _from the rest of them…_

" _Ages_ ago, at the Russian bar, The Borscht Bowl Club." Candi fluttered her heavily made up lashes. "I don't expect you to remember little ol' me, but meeting you that night was the _biggest thrill of my life!"_

" _The Borscht Bowl Club?"_ Klavier murmured as he wracked his mind. "It's been quite a while since I have been there…"

"Maybe it's best you don't remember!" Candi giggled coquettishly and placed a hand on his arm. "I probably shouldn't remind you of the clumsy girl who made you spill your drinks and then asked you to _sign her chest_."

Klavier lanced down at _the chest in question_ , and at least had the decency to _blush_ slightly before, to Ema's enraged eyes, his eyes lit up with recollection as he snapped his fingers.

"Of _course_ I remember you, _schöne frau_!" He exclaimed, looking incredibly proud of himself. "It's always nice to see – er – _visages_ that I recognize! _Candi_ , right?"

"OMG! I can't believe you remember _my_ face out of the _tons_ you see!" Candi twittered giddily. "Never mind my _name_!"

"I _always_ do my best to remember the _schöne damen_ who appreciate my craft." Klavier's effortless charm was practically oozing out of every pore. "You and I had _quite_ the _run in, ja_?"

"I'll _never_ forget how nice you were about the whole thing, Mr. Gavin!" The redhead simpered. "You simply laughed off the whole thing and said: _there's no use crying over not yet spilt Jägerbombs, ja?_ "

 _I don't **believe** this!_ Ema's blood was rapidly beginning to boil. _He can remember the **name** of **the random redheaded slut** who caused him to **drench my lab** coat 7 years ago, but he **can't** recollect even the **face** of the poor girl he ended up soaking? Was it because **my**_ **_assets –_** _of more **modest** proportions! – **weren't** on apt display that night?_

A small part of her knew she was slightly overreacting, but all a sudden it was all just too much! After years of being in the shadow of a drop-dead gorgeous older sister who looked like a Victoria's Secret model, and then being _overlooked_ , if not flat out _dismissed_ as a _science nerd_ by every male she'd encountered in her entire life, _this_ was the final straw. She couldn't believe she'd fallen for Klavier's insincere words and phony flattery, as in that split second she realized the glimmerous fop truly _was_ the _shallow, arrogant, superficial **arschloch**_ she had initially pegged him out to be all these years ago, an opinion from which she _never_ should've strayed!

"If memory serves me correctly Mr. Gavin…" Candi hadn't even once glanced in Ema's direction, as she was entirely focused on the blond rock star. "You never _did_ get around _fulfilling_ my _specific autograph request_?"

"Ah... I ... _didn't_? Klavier asked awkwardly, his face turning red.

"You surely did _not_ , Mr. Rock Star. I was _so_ disappointed!" The waitress waved a pen under the prosecutor's pinkened face and lifted up her chest to nearly eye level. "Shall we try to _remedy_ that now?"

"Er, I …" Klavier looked extremely uncomfortable and stared helplessly at Ema, as if in hopes of rescue.

The Detective, however, was having none of it, and merely glared right back at him, her resentment continuing to grow.

"Next up on the microphone!" The DJ's booming voice cut in over the speakers at that exact moment. "Ema Skye!"

"Oh, go right ahead and just _sign_...you _schwein_!" Ema hissed, her eyes shooting daggers at the oblivious attorney as she shucked off her lab coat. She was suddenly _insanely_ _hot_ now, due to both her consumed beers as well her _simmering_ , _ready to erupt_ _fury_. "It's pretty obvious that _Candi_ here at least, _has got what it takes_ to jog that faulty memory of yours!"

" _Fräulein_ _Detective,_ what have I done _now?_ " Klavier cried haplessly, his attention for the waitress completely vanished now as the tiny brunette stormed away towards the stage.

"Keep jogging that _defective_ _memory,_ you _glimmerous fop_!" She snarled, whirling around so he could see the fire in her eyes – along with a questionable… _hurt_? "Hopefully… _off a cliff_!"

His eyes widened at the slur as a jolt from the past jarred at the recesses of his hazy memory.

 ** _What_** _did she just call me?!_

Ema was up at the mike now.

"I _was_ going to cover Whitney Houston's 'I Want to Dance With Somebody' tonight," she told audience. "However, _unanticipated circumstances_ have led me to believe _this_ _particular_ Shania Twain tune will be more _aptly_ _fitting_. This is dedicated to _my_ companion this evening. _He_ knows who he is."

Then she began to sing, the raw anger within her only giving more passionate edginess to the biting tune, "That Don't Impress Me Much."

* * *

 ** _I've known a few guys who thought they were pretty smart_**  
 ** _But you've got being right down to an art_**  
 ** _You think you're a genius-you drive me up the wall_**  
 ** _You're a regular original, a know-it-all_**  
 ** _Oh-oo-oh, you think you're special_**  
 ** _Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something else_**

 ** _Okay, so you're a rocket scientist_**  
 ** _That don't impress me much_**  
 ** _So you got the brain but have you got the touch_**  
 ** _Don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright_**  
 ** _But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night_**  
 ** _That don't impress me much_**

 ** _I never knew a guy who carried a mirror in his pocket_**  
 ** _And a comb up his sleeve-just in case_**  
 ** _And all that extra hold gel in your hair oughtta lock it_**  
 ** _'Cause Heaven forbid it should fall outta place_**

 ** _Oh-oo-oh, you think you're special_**  
 ** _Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something else…_**

* * *

Klavier gaped at the lush curves of Detective Ema Skye, in her full, lab coat free, _fetching_ performer glory, standing on that spotlighted stage, while the words _glimmerous fop_ rang over and over again in his mind.

 _Achtung baby! I know who she is **now**! It's just she's all grown up now…I didn't recognize just **how much** Mother Nature had transformed that formerly coltish physique since our last meeting – and it's always been covered by that ill-fitting white coat!_

He cursed himself for not having clued in earlier. No _wonder_ Ema had despised him so!

 _After all, it was due to **me** – and to a lesser degree, **Candi!** – that her pristine white lab coat got soiled that night!_

Klavier now _clearly_ remembered the cute yet incensed brunette from the Russian bar all those years ago; fully grasped her being grievously insulted about how he'd recollected the voluptuous waitress before he'd recalled _her._ But _damned_ if, _unlike_ the unchanged Candi, who was still as statuesque as he remembered, _Ema Skye_ hadn't _blossomed dramatically_ over the years!

Though the satchel full of science equipment was as much of a giveaway of Ema's scientific passion as it had been all those years ago, he hadn't even noticed it. Her body was transformed from its slender frame of 18 to that of a curvaceous 25-year-old. Her angular face had softened into classically sculpted features, yet her hair was the same — partly tied back pragmatically, but cascading over her shoulders in a tantalizingly fashion. Her mouth was softer and fuller, her skin even more luminous than he recalled. His appreciative eyes swept every bare inch of it — her toned, bare shoulders in that sleeveless blouse, the back of her hands, the length of her neck and the smooth, trim legs clad in tight pants.

As a teen, Ema Skye had been merely cute. But as a grown woman... she was an _absolute_ _beauty._

Unfortunately, she was a beauty who held him in _utmost contempt,_ for which he couldn't even blame her. He could feel that ire reaching out to him as she continued singing the seemingly _personalized scathing lyrics_ , each verse feeling like a razor-sharp dart piercing his ego.

As well as his heart.

* * *

 ** _Okay, so you're Brad Pitt_**  
 ** _That don't impress me much_**  
 ** _So you got the looks but have you got the touch_**  
 ** _Don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright_**  
 ** _But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night_**  
 ** _That don't impress me much_**

 ** _You're one of those guys who likes to shine his machine_**  
 ** _You make me take off my shoes before you let me get in_**  
 ** _I can't believe you kiss your car good night_**  
 ** _C'mon baby tell me-you must be jokin', right!_**

 ** _Oh-oo-oh, you think you're special_**  
 ** _Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something else_**

 ** _Okay, so you've got a car_**  
 ** _That don't impress me much_**  
 ** _So you got the moves but have you got the touch_**  
 ** _Don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright_**  
 ** _But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night…_**

 ** _That don't impress me much_**  
 ** _You think you're cool but have you got the touch_**  
 ** _Don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright_**  
 ** _But that won't keep me warm on the long, cold, lonely night_**  
 ** _That don't impress me much_**

 ** _Okay, so what do you think you're Elvis or something..._**  
 ** _Oo-Oh-Oh_**  
 ** _That don't impress me much!_**

 ** _Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-No_**  
 ** _Alright! Alright!_**

 ** _You're Tarzan!_**  
 ** _Captain Kirk maybe._**  
 ** _John Wayne._**  
 ** _Whatever!_**  
 ** _That don't impress me much!_**

* * *

It would take one _helluva_ lot of groveling to get Ema to ever forgive him for a _screw-up_ of _this_ magnitude.

" _Mein Gott!"_ Klavier groaned aloud as he slapped his forehead with the heel of his palm. " _Professional hookers_ shall be spending _less time on their knees_ than _I_ will need to...what with the amount of _groveling_ I'll have to do from this day onward!"

* * *

 ** _Klavier Gavin_**  
February 16, 2026 - April 20, 2026

Klavier worked as hard as he could with attempting to placate the tight-lipped, stormy-eyed detective after that night, but Ema's stony countenance and even more hardened resolve to keep disliking him remained unwavering, in spite of his efforts to make amends.

She obstinately _refused_ to accept his apologies, and was even more disbelieving of his attempted explanation that his delayed recognition was because she now _legitimately_ looked _that_ much more different than she had that fateful night at the Russian bar. She didn't even crack a smile when he told her that it'd been her unceremonious reiteration of his nickname, "glimmerous fop" which had jogged his memory! Naturally, he certainly wasn't stupid enough to inform her that it'd simultaneously been the first time sight of those ripe, _very grown up,_ womanly curves under that lab coat which had not only stirred his _memories_ but his _senses_ as well!

In fact, the more Ema appeared to detest him, the more Klavier found himself growing all the more determined to win her over – or at the very _least_ , win her forgiveness and friendship, if not her heart. He knew she thought he was nothing more than a shallow, pretentious, _flaky_ show-off – all charges he couldn't deny or blame her for – but at the very _least_ he was hoping to thaw her out even _somewhat_ , as she'd begun to the night of her birthday, until Candi's _worst timing in the world_ reappearance!

In efforts to express his remorse for being remiss in recalling the most _enthralling, brilliant, stubborn_ , _fiery_ woman he'd _ever_ met, Klavier had done everything humanly possible to atone, but to no avail.

In desperation, he'd even tried buying her different flavors of her beloved Snackoos, specially imported from Europe in flavors that weren't even available in America. All these efforts had earned him was a continual pelting with her (he couldn't help but notice!) _domestic_ brand of snack, while shouting: " _I **cannot** be bought, no matter how sweet the treat, you glimmerous fop!"_

Since that fateful day of her birthday, Klavier had hereby been christened from Prosecutor Gavin to "glimmerous fop"... some days more tersely than others, although he tried to soothe his ego by attempting to joke that while Ema said _glimmerous_ she really meant _glamorous_.

His most crushing rebuke had to be the Monday after the bar, after she had refused to take his calls and had stormed out immediately after her performance. He'd showed up at the police station at her lunch hour. Knowing she didn't like overly mushy music, but recognizing that she still appreciated _meaningful_ lyrics, he'd started singing George Harrison's "I've Got My Mind Set On You."

* * *

 ** _I got my mind set on you_**  
 ** _Set on you_**

 ** _But it's gonna take money_**  
 ** _A whole lot of spending money_**  
 ** _It's gonna take plenty of money_**  
 ** _To do it right child_**

 ** _It's gonna take time_**  
 ** _A whole lot of precious time_**  
 ** _It's gonna take patience and time, um_**  
 ** _To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it_**  
 ** _To do it right child_**

 ** _I got my mind set on you_**  
 ** _I got my mind set on you_**  
 ** _I got my mind set on you_**  
 ** _I got my mind set on you_**

 ** _And this time I know it's for real_**  
 ** _The feelings that I feel_**  
 ** _I know if I put my mind to it_**  
 ** _I know that I really can do it…_**

* * *

Ema had been sitting under a tree behind the precinct, looking over some papers in her lap and munching Snackoos when he'd showed up and commenced his impromptu performance. After he was done, she'd mutely stared at him in utter disbelief, as though more _annoyed_ than _enraptured_ this time by his choice of song.

Then, without another word, she had gathered her things, stood up, and stormed back into the building, leaving the heartsick prosecutor in her wake.

This was a sensation which had only _magnified_ when he'd returned to his office, and found Neneh Cherry's "Buffalo Stance" on his voice mail, while cringing as he listened to the barbed lyrics, which may as well have been sung by the Detective herself.

* * *

 ** _Gigolo, Huh, sukka?_**  
 ** _Gigolo. Gigolo, Huh, sukka?_**

 ** _Who's looking good today?_**  
 ** _Who's looking good in every way?_**  
 ** _No style rookie_**  
 ** _You better watch don't mess with me_**

 ** _No moneyman can win my love_**  
 ** _It's sweetness that I'm thinking of…_**

* * *

And so it went on. By the time April rolled around, Klavier was positive his _figuratively groveling_ self barely had any skin remaining on his knees! Just as he was about to throw in the towel entirely and resign himself to the fate that his subordinate was going to _hold him_ in _utmost_ _contempt_ for the rest of their days his luck did a complete turnabout.

He'd never forget the date for the rest of his days.

April 20, 2026.

Phoenix Wright's trial for the murder of Shadi Smith.

* * *

 ** _Ema Skye and Klavier Gavin_**  
 _Criminal Affairs Department_  
April 22, 2026 5:01 PM

As was tradition, Klavier had been in the gallery to silently cheer Kristoph on during his defense trial. Obviously, considering who the defendant was in said case, _this_ specific trial was not to be missed. He'd ensured he sat, undetected, right at the back, so not even Trucy and Gumshoe had noticed his presence in the crowd. He'd worn sunglasses to mask his famous face, and a hat over his signature standout blond mane, so as not to draw attention to himself.

The moment the ground-breaking, unforeseen verdict was announced, the agonized prosecutor had staggered out of the courtroom in a daze while clutching his burning chest, feeling as though a house had fallen on him while he tried to absorb the shocking turn of events which had just transpired.

Two days later, he was faring no better at all, and was like a zombie, there at work only in body, but in neither mind nor spirit.

At the end of the day, when Ema knocked quietly on the door of the shattered prosecutor's office and entered, she found the completely devastated Klavier slumped over at his desk, head buried in his hands. He barely glanced up as she entered the room, not quite sure what to expect or what new abuse she would dish out at him, and frantically wondering how he'd handle it in his current morose state if she did.

Instead, he peered up into those normally icy, turquoise eyes, only to find them now glittering with compassion.

"You look like hell, fop," Ema stated simply, by way of greeting. "Knowing _you_ , you haven't eaten or slept since that trial. This won't do at all. I can't have my investigative partner _withering away_ , so while I can't do much to help you get a better slumber, I _am_ taking you out for dinner so you don't _waste away on me_ completely. Let's go."

Klavier gawked at her with round eyes, not sure he'd heard correctly, and she tapped her foot impatiently, coming around the other side of his desk and pulling at his arm with surprising strength.

"Let's go, Prosecutor Gavin – I'm starved. There's no way I can take you out to some fancy schmancy restaurant on a Detective's salary, but I _am_ in a magnanimous enough mood to let you take your pick between Eldoon's Noodle Stand and The Burger Queen."

Dumbly, he followed her out the door, completely incapable of arguing that he had no appetite, and she flashed a wry grin over her shoulder.

"We'll take _my_ car. I know you brought in your motorcycle today, but there's _no way_ I'm getting on that _deathtrap,_ fop _!_ There's being _nice_ and then there's just being _insane_!"

Half an hour later, they were seated at a booth of the fast food restaurant. Ema tucked hungrily into her burger, and the still astounded prosecutor found himself actually able to eat more than he had in days; half a milkshake and a half an order of fries, all the while wondering what had brought this abrupt turnabout in her persona.

As though reading his mind, the pretty brunette caught his perplexed expression and laughed.

"Stop looking as though you're waiting for the other shoe to drop!" Ema teased, reaching across the table and stealing one of his French fries, having completely demolished her own. "No, I have _not_ been body snatched, and you needn't worry about me whipping you with any _sizzling hot, fried potatoes_ or anything of the sort!"

She giggled softly at his thunderstruck expression.

"I've decided to let bygones be bygones, and just accept the fact that _like most men_ , you have a penchant for remembering _pneumatic_ _females_ before _less endowed_ , _irate_ _ones."_

"That's not true! I - "

She halted his protest and put her hand in the air.

"That doesn't matter anymore. I'm simply going to let it go and move on."

"Trust me, I am delighted to no longer be used for target practice, either _physically_ or _verbally_ , _Fräulein Detective_ ," he finally managed to utter, cursing his fate that she had finally come around, even marginally, but he was still too heartbroken over the recent discovery of his brother's diabolical doings to fully enjoy it. "But after trying to convey my apologies for any wrongdoings these past few months, I must wonder exactly _what_ method I employed to have _finally_ swayed you."

"Nothing you _did_ per _se_." Ema grinned cheekily. "Although I must admit, the constant serenading, flowers, apology singing telegram, and snack delivery was amusing, _somewhat touching_... but ultimately, unnecessary."

"You mean I could have given my wallet _and_ vocal cords a break, because you would've come around eventually?" Klavier couldn't help but laugh at her pluck, in spite of his misery. "Still, I refuse to believe the additional flavored Snackoos didn't help _sweeten the pot_ even _somewhat_!"

"Like I've indicated before – via song _and_ gestures – it's never been about _money_ or material things with me!" She shook her head. "No, ultimately, I decided to cut you some slack, because I know the pain of what it's like to almost lose a sibling. There was a time Lana stuck out her neck for me and was willing to take the fall for murder _she_ never committed. I could've lost the only family I have, and I'll _never_ forget that harrowing experience. I guess I want to pay it forward, the universe righting itself somewhat, in the sense that I can now be filled with insurmountable reprieve that my dear friend didn't wind up paying the price for a crime he didn't commit!"

"Herr Wright was indeed innocent and it was Kristoph who perpetrated the crime." Klavier's voice was hollow. "Thus, justly, _Mein bruder_ will do the time for it."

"No matter how bad it was for me and Lana, I understand how in _your_ case, the circumstances are _much_ worse." Her expressive orbs were brimming with sympathy. "While I'm happily relieved about Mr. Wright, I am also truly sorry about your brother, Prosecutor Gavin."

" _Danke_ , _Fräulein Detective_ ," he said quietly, touched by her words but uncertain of what else to say. "I had no idea you had a personal stake in the trial yourself. I knew Gumshoe was friends with the defendant, but I hadn't realized that _you_ were as well."

"It's still really hard for me to talk about that case so many years ago, which nearly destroyed both me and my sister's lives." Ema's eyes clouded over at memory. "Sometimes, I _still_ have nightmares about the monster who, if he'd had _his_ way, would've taken my only sister away from me and _literally_ gotten away with murder."

She caught his searching gaze and cleared her throat, obviously uncomfortable about the turn in conversation from Klavier to her.

"But while I am reluctant to divulge too much information about the man who nearly _ruined_ Lana's life, I have _no_ _qualms_ telling you about the love and respect I have for the man who _saved_ it, as he was the defense attorney in her trial. And that man was Phoenix Wright."

Upon hearing the name, Klavier, who'd finally decided to take a bite of his burger, nearly choked. Taking a long swallow of his drink, he stared with growing dismay at his companion while he absorbed the shocking news, suddenly feeling his stomach drop to his feet as a new realization slowly dawned over him.

Oblivious to his reaction, Ema continued to prattle on, the affection in her voice undisguised now as she reminisced about her old friend, while the knot of guilt and trepidation only continued to mount within the blond man.

"I was just thinking of Mr. Wright again today, because of the latest case we're currently working on."

"You're referring to the Gil T. Azelle upcoming trial, _ja_?" He was eager to change the subject and away from Ema's hero. "What is it that reminded you of your friend?"

"There's a lot of similarities between the case of _this_ particular defendant, who allegedly shoved his lover, Jacqueline Hyde, off the roof of the hotel they were staying at, and a case that Mr. Wright had, shortly after he helped me and Lana out," she explained. "He actually defended Chief Gumshoe's wife, who was then Maggey Byrde, except she was accused of pushing the victim, also her then lover, _off of a cliff_."

"And _Herr_ Wright got her off the hook?" Klavier asked, unable to contain the reflexive prosecutor cynicism from his tone.

"Of _course_ he did!" She told him proudly. "Mr. Wright was _wholly undefeated_ except for _the one time,_ when he lost _on purpose_! Besides, Maggey was _innocent_!"

She caught the skeptical look on his face and eyed him curiously.

"You don't seriously think Chief Gumshoe would've married a _murderer_ do you? And Mr. Wright was a true believer of fighting for justice and saving innocent people! He _only_ defended those that he truly believed were not guilty, and always _proved_ them to be in the end!"

"That's just…great…" Klavier replied faintly, as the world continued to spin around him.

"Mr. Wright's defense was just _brilliant_ for that trial!" Ema gushed. "Lana told me all about it; he not only got a confession from the real murderer, but he uncovered an underground crime chain all at once."

"Two birds…one stone, _ja_?" Klavier managed to get out, feeling increasingly ill with every passing moment.

"And, some people claim he had _amnesia_ during the trial." She continued happily, her eyes sparkling. "There's _never_ been another lawyer like him. He was the King of the Turnabout, fighting his way right to the very end, and having unwavering belief in his clients!"

"He sounds like a real _mensch_ …" Klavier mumbled, now wishing he'd opted for noodles instead of the greasy food, as the oily fare was now creating a queasy sensation within his guts. "It's a shame you haven't been able to rekindle your friendship with this… _paragon_ of a man."

"I've been trying _desperately_ to get in touch with Mr. Wright since I got back into town, but zero luck! It's been a real bummer, because he always has, and _always will_ , mean so much to me and Lana." Ema smiled fondly. "I only just now just found out that he'd gotten disbarred, so I decided to cease bombarding him with my calls and messages for now."

"You were away when that happened, _ja_?" Klavier held his breath, waiting for her to elaborate on what _else_ she had discovered, but instead, Ema just looked dejected.

"Yes, I was in Europe when it happened. I was beyond distressed when Chief Gumshoe told me the news, because I was recently venting to him about how I hadn't been able to reach Mr. Wright, and it was explained that he sort of turned into a _mole_ shortly after his disbarring. In fact, the Chief himself hasn't seen or heard from him much either for this past year or so."

"It's a shame that he's pushing away his friends," Klavier offered weakly, at a loss of what else to say.

"It's all _such BS_!" Suddenly she looked angry. "There is _no way_ _in hell_ the Mr. Wright that I knew could _ever_ have done the terrible thing he was accused of!"

"But you knew him so long ago – as a young teenager…and people change, _ja_?" Klavier felt his mouth go dry. "And the evidence against him certainly was _damning_ …"

"The evidence was _a load of crap_! I'm going to get to the bottom of this! And I _still_ call _bullshit_!" Ema fumed. "Anyway, ever since the murder trial, I've decided to let Mr. Wright lie low and have eased off on my contact attempts somewhat, figuring he may want be left alone to absorb everything that's happened for a little while."

"That's probably a good idea." Klavier tried not to expel a breath of relief upon hearing this. "The poor man is probably still shaken by the events, and possibly will be for _quite some time_."

"Well, he can't hide forever!" Ema declared. "It's on my to-do list to see that man again, give him the world's biggest hug, and tell him that Detective Skye is on his side! I'm not going to stop believing in him nor will I give up on him! I will _most definitely_ get together with him again! I can be pretty dogged and persistent when I need to be!"

 _Achtung baby! That's **exactly** what I'm afraid of!_ The rock God moaned softly to himself. Ema _obviously_ had _no clue_ about _Klavier's_ own part in Phoenix Wright's disbarment, because there was _no way in God's name_ she would still be sitting there, happily chattering and eating fries with him if she did – she'd be _whipping_ them at him in rapid-fire succession, along with a _slew of verbal insults_!

In the meantime, all the prosecutor could do was fervently hope that the proverbial _hammer **wouldn't** fall_ – he'd lucked out _so far_ with Ema being kept in the dark about the disbarring – perhaps his good fortune could continue just a bit longer.

He flashed the detective a sickly smile, all the while thinking that his _archetypal nearly skinless knees_ might now be best suited for _kneeling down_...and _desperately praying_ Ema would remain unsuccessful in her endeavors in reaching Phoenix, and that the disbarred attorney would remain out of touch – at least until _he_ figured out how easy it would be to get _reassigned to the other side of the planet_ in the meantime, because Ema Skye would undoubtedly be _out for his blood_ if she ever found out!

 _Mein Gott!_ Klavier gulped as he felt the rapidly falling sands of the hour glass beginning to pour down over his head. _I am officially a **Dead Man Walking.**..._

* * *

 ** _Jean Knight (chapter quote song) - Mr. Big Stuff_**  
 ** _The Knack- My Sharona_**  
 ** _Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - Can't Keep My Eyes Off Of You_**  
 ** _Foreigner- Say You Will_**  
 ** _Shania Twain- That Don't Impress Me Much_**  
 ** _Neneh Cherry- Buffalo Stance_**  
 ** _George Harrison - I've Got My Mind Set On You_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 126**

 **thebutz**

I don't think I've had the pleasure from hearing from you until now also first of all thank you for reading and reviewing!

The trial was hard and long – almost a week to cover the whole arc - but I felt I needed to include it as it was such a pivotal point during Phoenix's the sparring and I know people tend to compare them to the games, so I had to do a lot of research going back and forth with the dialogue trying to novelize everyone's emotions and expressions while trying to keep all the verbiage close enough to the game but still interesting without seeming like just a rehash of the games… But since I was trying to stick close to the source material instead of just having innovation free-for-all like I do with the rest of the story! I am delighted that you liked it though considering how hellacious it was to write! Much appreciated! :)

 **Chapter 141**

 **Eveshowrtc** **– Review of the Week –**

 _"You've got 1,000 reviews now!"_

Thank you so much for being my one thousandth review! I truly have no words to express how humbled and grateful I am for having such incredible readers like yourself, but I'm glad that since you're still reading you can at least read my personalized thanks to you – my 1000th reviewer! :)

No arguments whatsoever the Ema was being too harsh on Gavin – after all the guy's a rock star and has women throwing themselves at him all the time! This story to the best of my ability is based on canon wherever applicable I don't know what you think of Apollo Justice if you ever get around to playing it hits usually considered the least favorite out of the entire series because of Phoenix's disbarring but Ema really does hate the prosecutor in the series and actually calls him a glimmerous fop. My only creativity to add to the antipathy was giving them the back story about the bar (and I tried to give her more character insight to the demon-like insecurities that being forgotten had stirred within her!) but don't worry - as of next chapter she shall have more reasons, which I hope you think are more _legitimate_ , (and if not mistaken this reason was confirmed in Apollo Justice as actual canon unless it's just _my head ca_ non interfering and trying to make it reality! Lol) to hate Klavier's guts! :p

Chapter 144 or 145 – Look out for Sir Elton! :)

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _"After all, the hatred to love no more than a step."_

Very well and politically port and definitely not untrue! But…bear in mind dear friend Ema _still_ has no idea about Klavier's role in the disbarment of her beloved old friend… Don't be looking for her to be loving him anytime soon… ;)

20 Fingers is the singers who did Short Dick Man and yes it's a real song! XD

After reading this chapter right now Klavier Gavin is going to be buying himself a protective cup for fear that even though he was a gentleman and opted not to disprove Ema's theory about his _mango_ as if she gets her hands on it ….it will only be to make mango _juice!_ XD

 **DannyDragon**

I'm very grateful for feedback particularly when I'm covering a new twosome or character of not familiar with writing, and as always get a big kick out of you appreciating my song choices! I hope you liked the ones I had for this chapter over half a dozen to choose from mi amiga muscia! :)

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Klema is very underrated and barely seen anymore so I hope you like the angle I go with along with seeing how they interact with both Phoenix and Miles I cannot emphasize how huge the two of them are to their storyline! Thanks for still reading! :)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Nothing should ever be taken literally including songs about women with evil sense of humor making fun of man for having TIC TACS! XD

It just seemed too good an opportunity to resist and I thought these two are going to have a very antagonistic relationship so why not kick it off with some music wars?

Your mind is not in the gutter… At least not in this instance! LOL

Canon wise Ema actually did have a crush on Miles Edgeworth so the _whole get on board with_ comment could easily have been taken as tongue-in-cheek as the chapter title for 141! :p

I feel like the kind of ruined Ema's character just like they did Phoenix's in Apollo Justice – I fell in love with her in RFTA as a giddy happy teen that just wanted to make the world a better place with the help of science, but unfortunately I played Apollo Justice before Rise From The Ashes where we first met her, so I disliked her before I fell in love/sympathy for her… And got to realize what a tragedy it is that fate and Capcom squashed her lifelong dream! Thanks for sucking Capcom! First the AJ character disintegration of Phoenix Wright and then Ema Skye, who as you said to me does seem to have perpetual PMS but still appear to be cute somehow!

Is true that Klavier is the lesser of two evils, but I can see how she would find him obnoxious and decided to give them a unique back story which is just to be a double whammy of reason for her to dislike him when she finally finds out what we as the reader already know which was his part in Phoenix's disbarment! When she does….The Snackoos _and_ the fur will be flying!

I hope you enjoy the bumpy ride of Klema!

 **chloemcg**

I can see how the chapter would make a reader raise an eyebrow milady you certainly were not the only one! But considering how lovey-dovey most of the chapter titles have been in this story – and certainly for the entire Larry and Iris arc - I couldn't justify having another one for these two considering how antagonistic the relationship is and I'm trying very hard to stick to the vibe they actually have in the Apollo Justice videogame! :)

You're not the first reader of mine to actually see Ema as a love interest for prosecutor Elsa I only just started case number four and so far I can't stand him but I've been told he will grow on me by the end of the game! I hope this is the case - I started out hating Princess miniskirt and now I think a kind of like her as I see her as Franziska Junior!

Next chapter and you will definitely see Snackoos _and sparks_ things flying between these two! :p

I will be sure to check out your work when I get a chance as I really do appreciate what a loyal and kind reader you are.

I am very excited about where the story is that right now look for a couple of surprising reunions to be coming up in the next I'm going to say 3-4 chapters!

 **Yanmegaman**

Thanks for the kind words and comedic appreciation! If you like music last chapter, punny man I hope you got a kick out of this one… Is it too late to change Turnabout Everlasting in Turnabout Musical? XD


	143. What I Like About You

_I don't know why  
But when I look in your eyes  
I felt something that seems so right  
You've got yours I've got mine  
I think I'm losing my mind  
'Cause I shouldn't feel this way_

 _Catch me, I'm falling for you  
And I don't know what to do_

 _How can something so wrong  
Feel so right all along  
Catch me, I'm falling for you  
How can time be so wrong?  
For love to come along  
Catch me, I'm falling for you_

 _How can love let it go  
When it has no place to go  
And I can't go along pretending  
That love is in here to stay  
Catch me I'm falling for you_

 _If I could just walk away  
Without you from day to day  
I would die just thinking of you  
I think that we'll never be  
More than friends, you and me  
But why do I feel this way_

 _Catch me, I'm falling for you  
And I don't know what to do_

 _How can something so wrong  
Feel so right all along  
Catch me, I'm falling for you  
How can time be so wrong?  
For love to come along  
Catch me, I'm falling for you_

 _Maybe someday I'll see  
Why love did this to me  
'Cause I can't go along, pretending  
That love is in here to stay  
Catch me, I'm falling for you  
Catch me, I'm falling for you_

 _And is it wrong for me to feel this way  
'Cause I don't know what to do without you  
I'm falling for you  
Catch me, I'm falling for you_

 _How can something so wrong  
Feel so right all along  
Catch me, I'm falling for you_

* * *

 _A/N: some important notes guys with this chapter and for the next Phoenix arc ...please pay attention to the dates as there is going to be a lot of flashbacks and back and forth. A couple of things to keep handy in mind:_

 _Nick's disbarment was April 19, 2019._

 _His murder trial of Shadi Smith was April 20, 2026_

 _Maya's wedding is June 16, 2026 at 10:00 AM_

 _As always feel free to message me if anything is not clear or you have any questions! Enjoy a couple of unexpected encounters and reunions this chapter!_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Forty-Three:** **What I Like About You**

 _ **Ema Skye and Klavier Gavin  
**_ April 23, 2026 –June 14, 2026

In spite of Klavier's heartache over Kristoph's incarceration, from the day Ema had taken him out for consolation dinner at The Burger Queen, the dynamic between the two of them had changed drastically, and he was overjoyed by how her previous hostility towards him had completely vanquished.

It actually appeared as though a tentative, somewhat fragile, bond of friendship had sprung between them when they'd commiserated over their siblings together. Their new-found dynamic, although peppered with the occasional zingers and bantering, usually ended with laughter, and lately had even begun to veer into the _flirtatious_ variety, although his besotted self may have just been wishfully imagining _that_ part!

Although Ema continued to call him _fop,_ this time it was always said more in jest than anything else, and more often than not followed by a slight giggle or hint of a smile, and not completely without some iota of wry affection. She always made him crack up with her mock turn downs to his half- playful, half-serious declarations of romantic affliction, which greatly helped ease the pain of what had happened with his brother, and they had even taken to grabbing lunch together or having a coffee after work on a twice weekly basis, and he found these to be the highlights of his work day.

Scratch that - the highlights of his _life_.

Her silvery laugh was infectious, and he usually found himself joining in, even if the brunt of the joke was usually _him_! It didn't bother him anymore whenever she'd poke fun at him – it was always playful, and never in a mean-spirited fashion, and it was just what he needed. Considering after Kristoph's sentence, Klavier had never dreamed he'd ever _smile_ , let alone _laugh_ again, Ema was like a welcome ray of sunshine on even the cloudiest of days.

For one week in May, he'd had to go to San Francisco for a prosecutor convention, but although he had been at the conference physically, _mentally,_ his thoughts had been back in Los Angeles, all involving a certain captivating _Fräulein Detective_ the entire time. He was so eager to get back to her that the following Monday, before heading to his own work place, he first dropped by the police station, wanting to surprise his subordinate at her office.

Ema's sleeves were rolled up and a frown of concentration was on her face when he got to her door. The science-enthusiast was so engrossed in her paperwork she didn't even notice her boss silently admiring how adorable she looked while she mumbled and nodded to herself until he at last cleared his throat.

" _Guten Morgen, Fräulein Detective._ "

"Prosecutor Gavin!" Her head jerked up with a start, and although her tone was professionally cordial, Ema was unable to mask the reflexive sparkle that came to her beautiful eyes at the sight of him. "Welcome back!"

"I didn't think you'd even realized my absence!" He casually leaned against the door frame and hooked a thumb over his belt loop. "Does that mean you've missed me?"

"With _every bullet_ so far!" She evaded smoothly – but not smoothly enough, because he chuckled knowingly.

"Thus far, you have _yet_ to use me for target practice with anything other than those chocolate snacks of yours – and I have no desire to be promoted to an upgraded choice of ammunition!"

"Well, I would've answered that I've missed you with _every Snackoo so far_ , except I've actually _made my mark_ on pretty much every occasion!" Ema smirked. "It's not too hard to make accurate target of that _overly inflated head_ of yours, Mr. _Did You Miss Me Even Though I Was Only Gone for One Week_ Gavin!"

"Ah, so you _did_ notice the length of my absence!" He was grinning like an idiot as her cheeks heightened in color at her slip of tongue. "I shall take your response as an affirmative, _ja_?"

"Is your rock star ego in _that_ much need of bolstering today?" Ema countered lightly.

" _Ja_ , of course! _I_ have zero qualms confessing that although I was in Northern California in _body,_ my _thoughts_ kept drifting _elsewhere_ ," he answered shamelessly, enjoying the sight of her pale skin turning rosier at the unmistakable implication.

"Really?" She mumbled, reflexively reaching for her bag of Snackoos and averting her gaze. "Why's that?"

"Because my wayward mind kept continually straying to mental images of a beautiful 25-year-old detective, who I can't seem to get out of my mind."

"That's too bad," Ema replied blithely, trying unsuccessfully to maintain an unaffected cadence. "You really should be focusing on your attorney duties and not allow yourself to keep being so distracted."

"It is indeed a crying shame," he teased, relishing how endearing she was as she rapidly began to gnaw at her chocolate snacks like a chipmunk on steroids, while her cheeks were graduating from pink to red with every passing moment. "She's like a thorn in my side, and a blister on my heel. She also has the eyes of an angel, a rapier wit that drugs my mind, the vocabulary of an English professor and a tongue like a scalpel."

"Ever still the incorrigible flirt, I see!" Cursing herself for blushing like a schoolgirl in his presence, Ema still couldn't help but laugh at the blatant flattery laced within the backhanded compliment. "Er, thanks…I think?"

" _Bitte, Fräulein Detective_ ," he winked, turning to head out the door. "I just wanted to say _hallo_ before got to the office, before I unwittingly do something to thwart this delightful exchange and I become the recipient of a Snackoo attack."

"Then I shall bid you adieu right now, Prosecutor Gavin!" Ema laughingly tossed a Snackoo in his direction, purposely missing by several inches. "Off with you! Be gone, before you find _some_ way to provoke me, either with your twisted sense of humor or just by being such _an insatiable flirt_!"

" _Auf Wiedersehen, schöne frau!_ " Unable to resist one final parting shot, which he knew would rattle her, Klavier flashed her a wicked grin. "I shall pray for the day when you _finally_ realize that I do not say these pleasantries, which you wrongly deem to be meaningless flirtation, for anything _other_ than what should be the most _blatantly_ _obvious reason_."

" _Blatantly obvious reason_?" She echoed blankly, her brows drawn together in a perplexed fashion. "And whatever would _that_ be?"

" _Scientifically speaking_ , Detective Skye...I'd have thought you'd have already deduced the foregone conclusion: it's because _I_ _actually_ _like_ _you_."

With that, Klavier promptly exited, not even giving the flustered brunette the chance to respond, but not before seeing the embarrassed, but radiant smile that was stretched across her face, which could have easily put the even the brightest sun rays to shame.

 _I wish I were a bolder man,_ the prosecutor lamented to himself as he hopped on his motorcycle. A warming sensation flooded his senses as he recalled that beatific smile of hers from his confession, which she'd had neither the experience nor guile to mask. _Because_ _ **if**_ _I were – or if I knew how you_ _ **truly**_ _felt about me, Ema Skye, I'd profess an even greater truth - that for the first time in my life, what I'm feeling in my heart goes far beyond merely_ _ **liking**_ _..._

* * *

 _ **Klavier Gavin**_  
 _Prosecutor's Office_  
June 14, 2026

Klavier was enjoying his _flirtationship_ with Ema so much her almost forgot he was enjoying naught more than borrowed time with her. The reminder had hit him earlier that day, when she'd brought up Phoenix yet again, this time because they had bumped into Angel Starr during lunch break the other day.

The ex-detective and former lunch-lady, now a Private Investigator, had flashed a knowing smirk and wink when Ema had introduced her boss to the older woman, much to the embarrassment of both Klavier and the detective.

The sight of the seeing the _man-eater_ blonde who had been a crucial witness in Lana Skye's case had been yet another sharp reminder to him about how Ema still didn't know the _entire_ truth about the ex-attorney's disbarring - which Gumshoe, for one reason or another, had opted not to divulge to her. The knowledge made the blond man feel as uncertain and discomfited now, 7 years later, as he had the very last time he'd set his own eyes on the spiky-haired man, shortly after his badge had been taken away...

* * *

 _ **Klavier Gavin and Phoenix Wright**_  
 _Wright & Co. Law Offices_  
May 4, 2019 12:05 PM

Klavier pulled his motorcycle up in front of the Wright & Co. Law Offices building, and removed his helmet. He knew that the man who'd once worked there would not welcome his presence, but his niggling conscience, and moreover, his nagging concern about the ex-lawyer's state of being couldn't allow him to at least ascertain with his own eyes that Phoenix Wright was still of sound mind. His reason for questioning was simple: since losing his badge, the former King of the Turnabout simply wasn't behaving as a disbarred attorney would be expected - there was nothing typical about his consequent actions, and it had completely thrown the teenage prosecutor for a loop.

It just didn't make sense.

When the proverbial ax had fallen, Phoenix Wright had meekly accepted his penance and not even bothered dragging his feet or filing an appeal about the decision about his fate, nor had he made any effort to defend himself during that fateful trial. He'd made a minimal defense during his hearing with the Bar Association Review Board; his sole response to the overbearing reporters who wanted to know what could drive a moral man like Phoenix Wright to forge evidence was a quiet, "No comment."

The only legal action, which Klavier had become privy to, and only by chance, was that Phoenix was presently in the process of adopting the abandoned Trucy Enigmar, and attempting to be as low-key about it as possible.

As angry as the blond man was that his first trial had been ruined by the whole forging fiasco, and that the illustrious Phoenix Wright had tried to cheat his way to victory, he still wasn't by nature a cruel person. After all, law had been the other man's life, and his one-time courtroom rival would be undoubtedly devastated. Klavier was genuinely concerned about the former defense attorney's overall safety.

Also, lurking beneath the simmering ire was another, even more burning sensation which the German could no longer ignore, yet couldn't quite explain, as it made even less sense than Phoenix's atypical action: the persistently gnawing feeling of _uncertainty._ Moreover, the accompanying, nagging sense of _guilt,_ and a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach that he'd made an _irrevocable mistake._ Klavier could not allow himself to move on until he'd found some way to put his mind at rest, and the only person who could ease his mind about either of these subjects was Phoenix Wright.

Hence, his present impromptu drop-in on the man who would possibly greet him with a fist to the face the moment he saw the rock star at his door. Even as he stood outside there – noting the placard now bore the name Wright Talent Agency on it – he found himself still trying to summon up the courage to knock, and cursed himself for being intimidated by the very man he'd torn to pieces in court.

 _But I didn't just tear him to pieces merely in court. I shattered his life. But he_ _ **deserved** __it, surely?! Phoenix Wright made a mistake borne of arrogance – albeit, well-earned arrogance! His bluffing got the best of him! He_ _ **needed** __to be brought down a few pegs! So if that's the case, **why** do I feel so **awful**?!_

Giving his head a firm shake, Klavier lifted his chin and knocked firmly on the door.

The man who answered was a far cry from the formidable attorney in his trademark blue suit whom Klavier last recalled. In his place was an unshaven man wearing an aqua beanie and jogging suit, who simply stared at his unwelcome visitor with surprising calm, and not even a trace of malice.

"Prosecutor Gavin." Phoenix's stoic-countenance gave zero indication of his thoughts. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I simply wish to have a word with you. May I come in, _Herr_ Wright?"

Phoenix studied the younger man, now with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. Then, after a moment of thought, he stepped aside to allow the prosecutor entrance and cut right to the chase, crossing his arms over his broad chest and staring at the blond man expectantly.

"Alright. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Klavier stared him straight in the eye, fighting down his mounting discomfort as he saw tired, weary, but gentle orbs gazing intently back at him – not at all the angry or shifty eyes of a guilty criminal.

"All circumstances pointed you to being guilty of forging that evidence, _Herr_ Wright," he said at last, and was the first to look away from the stare down. "I'm almost certain that I agree with the decision of the Board."

"I notice you said _almost?"_ Phoenix arched a brow. "Are you here to get the rest of the confirmation you seek, in order to sleep soundly once more? Because truth be told, Prosecutor Gavin, _you_ look more ill-rested than _I_ am."

Klavier was slightly taken aback by the former lawyer's candor, and flinched slightly. Was he _that_ easy to read? Or were the slight shadow under his eyes a dead giveaway? He decided to level with the older man, regardless.

"I won't lie to you – that slight doubt within me still disturbs me greatly, and is indeed what brought me here. I need to hear the truth – and I need it straight from the horse's mouth." He sucked in a deep breath and expelled it quickly. " _Herr_ Wright – _was_ it you who ordered that forgery?"

The indigo eyes that locked on his held not even a hint of hesitation or guilt within them.

"No."

"Then why haven't you tried to defend yourself?"

"Because I can't prove it."

"I just don't get you at all." Klavier shook his head despairingly. "If you're truly not guilty, as you claim, _why_ are you just rolling over and _playing dead?_ Why aren't you fighting to get back that life of yours – which was destroyed? How can you just let that happen?! If _anyone_ in the world can defend – and prove! - their innocence, it should be _you_!"

Phoenix let out a humorless chuckle.

"It seems you misunderstood me, Mr. Gavin. I do stand by my innocence. However, I am unable to prove it just yet."

"I'm completely lost here."

"You're sorely mistaken if you actually think I'm just going to sit back and _play dead_ when my world has come crashing down on me, Mr. Gavin." Phoenix eyed him coolly. "I am indeed in the process of investigating the truth about what happened, and have even made some progress. However, it won't be an overnight job. If I foolishly speak up too soon, before I have conclusive evidence to support my claims, it's all over. As things stand, at least I still have the option to speak and be listened to."

"You're investigating this incident still?" Klavier's mind was boggled at how badly he'd underestimated the ex-lawyer.

"Make no mistake – my battle has only just begun." The steely determination in Phoenix's voice was impossible to miss. "I _swore_ to myself that I would uncover the root of _all_ this – everything from Magnifi Gramarye's death, to the _true_ commissioner of that forged evidence – if it's _the last thing I ever did_. Even if no one else ever finds out the truth, _I_ have to."

"I see." The prosecutor dropped his gaze, swallowing hard. "Well, that answers my second concern."

"And what would that be?" Phoenix drawled, obviously enjoying his visitor's discomfort.

"I feared for your mental state, _Herr_ Wright." Klavier awkwardly jabbed his hands in his pockets and looked down. "I feared that the shock of all this ...devastation might result in you becoming be a danger to yourself and needed to ensure you hadn't, nor were likely, to harm yourself."

"How incredibly thoughtful of you."

The German's cheeks reddened – he didn't even need to lift his gaze to note Phoenix's mocking expression – the derision was evident in his tone as he continued to speak, unable to hide the laughter bubbling beneath the surface.

"I'm in the process of becoming a father to a helpless, orphaned child – she alone is my reason for being, and the light that will keep me from even contemplating taking my own life – not that the thought ever crossed my mind in the first place. So you may ease your conscience - in _that_ respect, anyway."

"That's quite a relief to hear, _Herr_ Wright," Klavier replied honestly, his eyes still on the ground.

"Tell me something." Midnight blue orbs peered into the still downcast azure ones. "When you came here, you said you were _almost_ certain of my guilt. Where does that certainty presently lie after speaking to me?"

The young prosecutor looked up at last, his expression conflicted.

"I – I'm _somewhat_ certain now."

"I see. I'm sorry I couldn't help you with assuaging _all_ of your not so reasonable doubts."

There was something distastefully mocking in the dark-haired man's last statement – tinged with unmistakable triumph. Although Klavier was taller in stature, there was something about being in the presence of Phoenix Wright that made him feel comparatively – _small_. And not just in height. It was a strange, most uncomfortable sensation, and he found himself gritting his teeth.

"It was my second concern that was more important to me anyway," Klavier said at last, uncaring about the abruptness of his tone.

"There are no words to describe how touched I am, Prosecutor Gavin."

"I suppose I have taken up enough of your time, _Herr_ Wright," the blond man sighed, turning to the door. "Thank you for being so gracious with your time. I'll see myself out."

" _Hold it._ "

The firm courtroom command froze him in his tracks and his eyes widened with surprise as he faced the anticipative-looking Phoenix.

" _Ja_ , _Herr_ Wright?"

"My best – er, my esteemed former colleague, Miles Edgeworth, once told me that as prosecutor, his creed is to _seek the truth,_ _above all else_." Phoenix met the German's eyes steadily. "Do _you_ share this belief as well?"

Klavier didn't even hesitate.

"Nothing matters to me more."

"Then tell me something...If I were to provide you with enough evidence to make you seriously question whether I forged that evidence or not, would you hear me out?"

Klavier nodded firmly.

"If you could show me enough evidence of your innocence, _Herr_ Wright, I would even go so far as to _advocate_ for you. I'm not in this for the glory – I get enough acclaim from my music career. All I care about is the truth as well. Especially about this case."

"Good to know, Mr. Gavin." Phoenix flashed him a wry grin. "I trust you will still stand by this vow, even if ultimately it's _an inconvenient truth_ that unravels?"

"I am a man of my word." Klavier nodded swiftly. "And I am prepared to face the consequences of whatever the truth may hold."

"I shall bid you farewell now. But I'm sure our paths will cross again in the future."

"Take care of yourself. Thank you for the chat," Klavier replied, and was gone.

The disgraced attorney stared at the door, a slight smile still playing on his lips.

"Even if it means facing an inconvenient truth, you'd ultimately _still_ be my advocate, would you, Klavier Gavin?" Phoenix said softly, clutching his ever-present magatama in his pocket. "I shall ensure I hold you to that promise."

* * *

 _ **Klavier Gavin**_  
 _Prosecutor's Office_  
June 14, 2026 5:15 PM

 _Seven years ago, I promised Phoenix Wright I'd support him if he could prove the truth of his innocence - no matter what it costs me,_ the prosecutor thought to himself, raking a tanned hand through his hair. _I meant it – but I also haven't heard a peep from the man ever since! And there's no use in trying to reach him myself to follow up – the man once more seems to have fallen off the face of the earth and won't even return the calls of his friends – let alone the likes of_ _ **me**_ _!_

The Gavinners leading man was so deep in thought he didn't even notice Ema was standing right before his desk until she literally waved her hand in front of his face.

"Earth to fop!" She giggled when he continued to remain silent. "Come in, fop!"

"Huh?" Startled at being shaken from his reverie, Klavier blinked as he was dragged back from to the present, and met the Detective's amused eyes, noticing for the hundredth time what a fetching sight she was as her lips curved into a smile. "When did you get here?"

"Wow, you're lost in space, aren't you?" She grinned impishly and popped a Snackoo into her mouth. "I almost hate to have to drag you back to earth, but I'm done for the day, and I just wanted you to know I need to push our post work coffee/case review to tomorrow if that's cool."

"That's fine, I'll try to forgive you _this_ time," he joked. "Although if I may inquire what other pressing matters have caused you to forsake me and cause a darkness to fall on the highlight of my day, which was java with my favorite _Fräulein Detective?"_

"Flattery will get you nowhere," she laughed, tossing a Snackoo at him. "It's just...there's something I've been putting off for some time now, and I really want to nip it in the bud, and I won't be able to give my full attentions to this homicide case until I do."

"I'm only pulling your leg. You do what you have to do. I'm just jealous of whatever, or _whomever_ , has your attentions tonight." Klavier rose from his seat and came to stand before her.

"I've been unsuccessful in my efforts in this one endeavor, and I've decided I can no longer have this be!" She declared. "I'm just going to show right up and announce I will no longer be ignored for another moment!"

"Good for you! You and I...we have that in common," he murmured, barely taking heed to what she might be referencing and instead focusing on the tiny smudge of chocolate on her lush lips. "And it's a most commendable trait you have indeed – _we both go after what we want,_ no matter what...hold on a moment, you've got something on your face..."

Without being conscious of what he was doing, Klavier moved his thumb from her chin to her lower lip wiping away the smear, while rubbing lightly against its inviting fullness. He finally realized what he was doing and stopped.

Ema stiffened at the unfamiliar sensation of his fingers against her skin, and felt her pulse quicken, uncertain of how to react to the intimate gesture, knowing it was inappropriate but not entirely despising the tingling sensation his touch caused within her. She saw his jaw tighten and then, without warning, Klavier suddenly realized how close he'd been standing to her, and blinked, as though equally as surprised by his actions as she was.

Her heart pounding, Ema quickly drew back and drew a shuddering breath, sensing he'd been on the verge of kissing her, and had just decided not to do it at the last split second. After the last shattering minutes, she no longer knew what was right or wrong anymore, only that she'd never before experienced anything like this before with anyone, and not entirely sure what it meant or that she could be so compelled by someone who she'd felt such animosity for only a few months ago.

Klavier crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, and his expression was turning neutral and professional once more. Not certain what she was going to say or even what she wanted, Ema whispered a single, shaky breath, filled with confusion and a plea for understanding, her green eyes searching his.

"Prosecutor Gavin -"

Klavier stared searchingly into her lovely, bewildered face, knowing he couldn't go through with expressing his emotions with this untold truth lying between them, _like the pink elephant in the room_ , and resorted to the haughty exterior he knew drove her insane.

" _Ja_ , _Fräulein Detective_?" He responded with a questioning lift of his brows.

"I -" she began, uncomfortably aware of the knowing look in his eyes.

" _Ja_?" he prompted, adopting his smug rock star smile.

"I don't know - exactly," she admitted. All she knew for certain was that, just a few minutes ago, she wasn't sure she would have refused if he'd drawn her into his arms.

"You know, if you _wanted_ to be kissed..." he raised a brow and smirked. "All you have to do is put your lips on mine."

"W – What!" Ema stared at him in disbelief, not sure what to make of this unexpected relapse in _galling_ behavior. The _nerve_ of him – _he'd_ been the one to have made the first move like that and then made it seem it'd all been what _she'd_ wanted!

"You heard me."

Ema stamped her foot, not sure if he was jesting with her, and not even caring at that moment, as she was so aggravated and confused by the bizarre sudden shift in his behavior... from _amorous_ to _audacious_ in less than 60 seconds!

"Of all the _arrogant, presumptuous_... _conceited!"_ She whipped a handful of Snackoos as she glared at him. "I did _nothing_ to provoke that most unwanted contact just now! So if you think that _I_ wanted _any_ sort of physical... _touch_ from you, you _Narcissist_ , you have another thought coming! Don't flatter yourself! I'll see you tomorrow – provided you and that _Mount Everest sized ego_ of yours can fit through the door!"

He shook his head in mild rebuke, clearly amused by her outburst as she turned to storm out of the office.

"Spare me the maidenly protests!" He called after her, still chuckling. "If you're suddenly as curious as _I_ am to find out if I can get you as _hot and bothered_ with the _touch_ of my lips as I seem to by merely having you _hear_ what comes out of them… _"_

His own suggestion startled Klavier, although having made it, he saw no great harm in exchanging a few kisses if that had been what _she_ wanted. However, he couldn't allow _himself_ to make any sort of move until she knew the truth about his role in Phoenix Wright's downfall. He'd been about to tell her tonight, but now that she'd canceled their plans, it'd have to wait until tomorrow. He felt terrible that he'd been forced to act so abominably to push her away, in order to remain an honest gentleman, even if he'd had to unwillingly light her fire by doing so, but it couldn't be helped. When the right time finally did come, and he took Ema Skye into his arms at last, it would be with no secrets or lies between them.

Besides, his little firecracker seemed to enjoy their friendship too much to allow this little mini display of temper to cause permanent rift between them. As disgusted with him as she was right now, he was fairly certain her angry tirade, in the manner of all ever since the trial, would be like clouds passing in front of the sun. She hadn't since bore any grudges against him - and surely _this tim_ e would be no different.

 _The fiery femme will simmer down tomorrow, and things will be back to normal, even after I tell her the truth_ , he assured himself. _Surely no harm can come from my confession being delayed_ _ **just one more day?**_

Confidence would have been the very last thing on the planet the prosecutor would have been experiencing had he actually known exactly _where_ the still confused and flustered, but _very determined_ Ema was heading to at that very moment.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Spago Restaurant, Los Angeles_  
April 2026

Ever since Edgeworth's return to LA, he and Phoenix had been meeting once or twice a week for lunch or dinner. In true best friend fashion, the prosecutor did his best to arrange his busy schedule when meeting for dinner to include Trucy whenever he could – which he graciously always covered for both Wrights, always without question or complaint – to coincide with the nights she wasn't working. The teen absolutely adored her Uncle Miles, and not even the austere man was immune to her magical charms. Trucy saw the prosecutor as a brand new audience to try her latest tricks on, which her father knew his friend truly got a kick out of, and the recently brokenhearted man actually emitted more than a few appreciative chuckles at her antics.

The sole _possible_ time when Edgeworth _may_ not have been the biggest fan of magic was the one time Trucy had dared mess with his most beloved accessory. This had been a couple of nights after Phoenix's trial, back in April.

"It's _fabulous_ to see that you're secure enough in your masculinity to be rocking _that_ shade of pink, Edgeworth," Phoenix remarked as the waitress served their entrees and barely contained her giggles when delivering the slate-haired man his filet mignon.

"For the _final_ time, Wright!" Edgeworth snapped peevishly. "How many times need I tell your _gauche_ self that my suit isn't _pink_ , it's _magenta_!"

"Who said I was talking about your _suit_?" The pianist smirked, gesturing towards the other man's frilly cravat – which was now a _baby pink_ in color!

" _Egad_!" Edgeworth yanked at the offending fabric as though it were on fire, his eyes round with indignation. "How long have I been wearing a contraption that resembles _circus cotton candy_?!"

"I wouldn't say _cotton candy pink_ per se," Phoenix deadpanned. "According to my former art student eye, I reckon that within the last split-second, it's graduated now to more of a _hot-pink_."

" _Gah_!" Edgeworth jerked unsuccessfully at the neck auxiliary in an effort to remove it, as though it were suddenly asphyxiating him.

"Yup, _definitely_ Barbie girl hue!" The pianist decided, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "About the same color of your _face_ , right about now, Edgeworth…"

"Shut up, Wright!" The prosecutor's eyes widened with panic. ""How long has this been going on?!"

"Oh, the moment appetizers – er, _just a few moments_ or so!" Phoenix amended quickly, when it appeared the magenta-clad man was about ready to explode into a _conniption_ of unadulterated rage!

" _Wright_!" Edgeworth glared menacingly at the still snickering ex-attorney. "I _demand_ you change my cravat back to its pristine white state, _post-haste_!"

" _Objection_! Why do you naturally assume that _I'm_ the guilty party here, _Mr. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Cravat_?"

"Well _somebody_ is going to pay for making me look so completely ludicrous and undignified in a public domain…"

"Whatever are you _talking_ about, Uncle Miles?" Trucy innocently batted her lashes. "Your _frilly fluttery napkin thingie_ looks plenty _white_ to me!"

" _What_ the - " Glancing down once more, the flabbergasted lawyer's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets as he saw the offending material he was gripping in his hand was once again snowy colored and spotless. " _How_ did...?! I could have _sworn_ …"

"I think _both_ of you gentlemen are seeing things," the teen informed them sweetly, flashing a surreptitious wink at her father before turning her angelic smile towards her uncle. "How about we all just relax and enjoy this wonderful supper now?"

With that, she resumed eating her pasta once more, as though absolutely nothing had happened, leaving Phoenix still chortling softly and the flummoxed prosecutor wondering if the time truly _had_ come for him to _finally_ _get glasses_ , just as Franziska had always jokingly told him to! Either that, or the extra salty-special from Eldoon's Noodles he'd finally tried at lunchtime, as per Phoenix's glowing recommendation, was having delayed adverse effects on him!

 _Ngh! I've_ _ **got**_ _to stop eating at those cheap restaurants…_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _Wright Talent Agency  
_ June 14, 2026 5:45 PM

The knock at the front door startled the ex-attorney, jolting him from his intense concentration from the reports he'd so diligently been working on, a project which he had been devoting himself to a more frequent basis ever sense his _not guilty_ verdict.

 _Now who the heck could_ _ **that**_ _be? Larry is up in the mountains prepping for the big event the day after tomorrow, Gumshoe's evidently given up on me, and that couldn't possibly be Edgeworth… Haven't seen or heard from_ _ **him**_ _in over a month for reasons that I don't feel like mulling over this very moment…_

Considering how antisocial he had been since losing his badge, company was not something he had very often, especially since his split with his former lover. Therefore, since he'd been disbarred, Phoenix could count on the fingers of _one hand_ how many visitors had come to his door ever since: Larry, Edgeworth, Maggey and, in another lifetime, Maya and Pearls. However, he certainly wasn't expecting any of them this evening – and not especially anyone from the Fey clan!

 _Am I being arrested for something else now_? He wondered grimly as he pushed back his chair from the desk and walked over to the door. _Good grief don't tell me now, two months later, they've discovered my daughter's naughty magician's trick with that_ _ **bloodied Ace card**_ _?!_

As he peered through the peephole, the very first thing he saw was a glimpse of a top-not and a familiar hairstyle, and his heart stopped in his chest, as he was certain that he _must_ be seeing things!

After all, considering it _was_ two nights before his ex-girlfriend's wedding, and he had at last decided to fulfill his long ago promise to do complete reports on the entire _Steel Samurai_ , and all its variations, DVD series (what _else_ was he going to do to kill time on the nights he was off of work and his daughter was at The Wonder Bar?!), there was a very high chance that as he was presently suffering from an incurable case of _Maya on the mind_ , he was therefore also _wishfully hallucinating_!

Barely breathing now, Phoenix flung open the door.

The very first sensations that hit him were simultaneous feelings of relief and disappointment, as the long flowing tresses he had spotted were pretty caramel shade, not the obsidian tresses that haunted his dreams every night.

Standing on the other side was a beloved blast from his past – in the form of his dear old friend, Ema Skye.

" _E – Ema_!" He croaked, his previous reactions subsiding into feelings of stunned delight, mingled with guilt, knowing he had been shunning all of her repeated attempts to contact him the last few months. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Mr. Wright!" She lurched into his arms, embracing him warmly, nearly knocking him off his feet with her effusiveness. "It's so good to see you again!"

Phoenix reflexively returned the hug, not realizing until that very moment just how much he'd missed her.

"It's great to see you too, Ema." He replied honestly, a grin tugging at his lips as he saw how grown-up she now looked compared to the last time he had seen her. "It's been far too long."

"For you and me both!" She drew back and playfully wagged a disapproving finger in his face. "So riddle me this, Buster! If it's so _great_ to see me, why have you been hiding from me for these last couple of months? I was starting to feel like a _stalker_!"

Phoenix felt the heat rising in his cheeks at the completely justified complaint, even though her pretty face showed no evidence of any hard feelings at his admitted ducking and dodging, just genuine happiness at finally being reunited with him.

"Well..." He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck as he scrambled for an explanation for being inexcusably remiss in returning any of her calls. "It's a long story…"

"And I want to hear _all_ about it – over our reunion dinner!" She treated him to an impish grin, which was still reminiscent from her bubbly teenage years. "You and I have a lot of catching up to do Mr. Wright… And don't even think about trying to make some sort of excuse because I _refuse_ to take no for an answer!"

 _ **Tony Gonzaga - Catch Me I'm Falling**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 40**

 _Guest : "Hendricks is best husabundo"_

I know may take you a while to get this response dear guest but thank you very much for taking the time to read and review Hendricks appears that as far to be my readers favorite OC that they have encountered in all my works, and he is a wonderful man to have as an ally or as you put it, a _husbando_! If you're a fan of the witty, c*ck blocking Butler he has a starring role in my other short story called _Double DILF Doodies_! :)

 **Chapter 142**

 **chloemcg**

Your wish is my command milady! Phoenix and Miles had a brief cameo in this chapter and a starring role in the next one upcoming…this next arc is all Nick… and the next time we see Maya she'll be in a wedding dress!

Klavier I'd like to think ultimately has good morals, which is why he didn't try to entangle himself with Ema romantically with her still not knowing the truth. However, no good deed goes unpunished perhaps…? ;)

I'm still stuck on case four and by stock I mean I keep falling asleep! I think Ace Attorney 7 is going to be out by the time I get past this rather dull, in my honest opinion, case where I can see who the perpetrator is a mile away and the defendant reminds me too much of a certain fox boy from Apollo Justice WISHING would get declared guilty already!

I will totally check out your fic this week - it's the least I can do for such a wonderful supportive reader :)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Next chapter you guys will find out whether or not Phoenix is going to tell Ema the truth about Klavier's involvement - after all for some reason Gumshoe kept his mouth shut the question is whether or not Phoenix will be as tightlipped as well?

If he _does_ spill the beans start placing your bets now as to what her reaction will be!

I cannot wait until you get to game six, because Ema doesn't even look like Maya anymore to me! In fact that was something I stopped seeing even after _Apollo Justice;_ she definitely has her own brand of beauty now, and I can certainly see how rock star who's got girls falling at his feet all the time could find her bewitching!

Klavier is not a bad guy- his biggest fault was being naïve and trusting his brother too much but ultimately he did allow his personal feelings to get in the way of better judgment - he completely missed the key opportunity to be checking the committed evidence and taking any stock into the word of a man who was admittedly _an actual forger_! Sure he's not as bad as Von Karma but is lack of being evil truly the mark of a good man?

Whatever bad thing Klavier did he got it back a tenfold seeing as how within the same game as brother got incarcerated and so did his best friend as well as losing his band… Let me know when you get to Turnabout Academy you'll find another hardship has befallen the fop too!

Yep karma has paid him back a tenfold! Even so… I so love torturing my characters so don't count on the blonde rock God being an exception to the rule! :p

And I'm happy you love the oldies as much that I do!

 **Eveshowrtc**

 _"If no one said this already: Turnabout Everlasting is the only Ace Attorney FanFiction on this website with at least 1,000 reviews. It's a very interesting statistic."_

I have to tell you, as long as I'm not the one boasting but I'm only quoting the information given to me by a wonderful reader it doesn't count as bragging, Wright! That being said I had to post that awesome bit of information because it made me giddy!

I am so happy that you like my choice of songs and I absolutely love journey in fact I saw them live in concert a couple of months ago when they came to my city.

The GOP – hey I like that! XD

Since you can relate to Ema not having much of a social life I'm wondering if it's because you also are a science nerd of some sort?

I'm happy you liked the way I portrayed the characters last chapter I'm still getting used to writing these two, and I was worried how people would take Ema's reaction but I'm happy it seemed fitting and justified!

 _Will_ Ema find out the truth next chapter? And if she does, what do you think her reaction will be? Let me know if you are right in either or both senses!

I always try very hard to delve deeper into the character and it does make me sad that Capcom did not take the opportunity to really show how much he must've suffered long is only brother we probably looked up to was a monster. That alone would have been enough penance for him for his unwitting misdeeds - within a couple of losing his band _and_ his best friend I'd say Klavier has more than paid for his unintentional sins!

I think I'm actually able to stick to my schedule of having your Elton music in chapter 145 it's going to be called _Broken Wings_ so keep an eye out for it!

 **Ilet Moratar**

Denial is more than just a river in Egypt is that we are trying to say my friend? XD

No doubt it probably sounds prettier in Spanish as pretty much everything does! If Phoenix does spill the beans before the fop gets a chance to, one way or another _some_ sort of attention to Klavier's mango would be brought into play! XD

 **Feraligreater328**

Thank you very much for your support of Klema! Not every love can be love at first sight although it is perhaps the most romantic notion ever and I was happy to do something different with these two! It's funny how on the surface are complete opposites but when it comes to siblings and tragedy they actually do have quite a bit in common! You won't need to wait much longer… next chapter Ema's reaction… _maybe_! XD

 **Yanmegaman**

Klavier is a good guy who just got cursed with a shitty sibling. You're right on top of losing his band and brother and best friend Dual Destinies give him another sucker punch to the gullet I think Capcom is more pissed at Klavier than I was! XD

Considering how he feels about Ema right now, it would just be the icing on the cruel karma cake if he lost the woman he's falling for because he tried to be noble this chapter, wouldn't it?

 **thepudz**

My other music man I'm happy appreciated the tunes from last chapter a.k.a. Turnabout Musical! I'm going to give Klavier kudos for being a performer and managing to keep smiling through Apollo Justice considering he went through hell… Maybe that is a creed to the all performers for magicians to musicians adhere to?

I know if you'd be able to declare him dead considering the end of this chapter or perhaps just…. _missing_? (a few body parts?) XD

 **Chaos Lord Roscoso**

First of all I don't think I've had the pleasure of hearing from you before thus far, so thank you so much for taking time to read and review. Indeed Apollo is a hair's breadth away from joining the soon to become Wright Anything Agency! It's going to be a crazy ride between now and then so fast your seatbelts and I hope to hear from you again soon!:)


	144. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

_**Vestida de Blanco by Rocío Dúrcal  
(English Translation: Dressed in white)**_

 _I'm getting married  
Dressed in white,  
And at the church  
I want to reserve a seat_

 _So you can attend  
As my guest,  
And right by your side,  
You see me go by._

 _You will realize  
This little woman,  
Is full of bliss  
On her way to the altar,_

 _To the hand of a man  
Who gives me his name,  
You denied it to me,  
You will regret it._

 _When time goes by,  
When you remember me,  
When at night  
You feel alone._

 _You will sob silently,  
You will sob internally,  
Keeping appearances,  
Wanting to hide._

 _And, it will be too late,  
There will be no return,  
This same night  
You will have lost me._

 _I'm getting married  
Dressed in white,  
It will hurt you so,  
And you will repent._

* * *

 _AN: I'm wrapping up the Klema arc so this is a longer read guys! Thanks to Ilet Moratar for her song selection and translations this chapter! This chapter is dedicated to my home boys Yanmegaman and thePudz. They know why! :p_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Forty-Four: Hit Me With Your Best Shot**

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
Wright Talent Agency  
June 14, 2026 5:55 PM

Clad only in towel wrapped around his waist, the still slightly damp Phoenix studied his wardrobe critically, having told Ema to make herself a cup of coffee while he took a quick shower and shaved, as his disheveled, unshaven state had not been fit for going out _dumpster diving_ , never mind an impromptu dinner out with a pretty detective.

Even still, as he scrutinized his scant, rather sorry-looking collection of clothes inside, he hoped Ema opted for a place with _dim_ lighting, so as not to draw too much attention to his hobo self!

With a wistful sigh, he noted the now estranged, but still familiar suit buried in the back. Briefly, he contemplated dusting it off and trying it on to see if it still fit over his frame, which had grown substantially more muscled over the years, since he'd last worn it.

But even if it did fit, he probably wouldn't want to wear it anymore. He rather liked the obscurity his joggers and beanie gave him – it better suited his desire to be unnoticeable, anonymous. In that blue suit, he'd be too recognizable. In his bum gear, it was easier to bury the man he'd _been_ beneath the all-too-real charade of what he was _becoming_.

He shoved the suit to the far corner of the closet and tried to stop torturing himself by remembering how dapper it used to look with his shiny badge, bright gold, like the sun, on the lapel.

His hand moved slowly, drawing all his other clothes away from the suit, but not quite touching it, as though the fabric could scorch his flesh, which was absolutely _ridiculous_ but he couldn't stop the instinctive reaction any more than he could make his hands stop shaking, or tear his eyes away from the outfit that Ema had probably anticipated when she'd unexpectedly dropped in on him.

Or maybe she _hadn't_ expected it. There hadn't been any shock or disappointment when he'd answered his door, a husk of the man he'd once been. No, there had been nothing but joy and affection on that lovely visage of hers - the one that he'd so feared would remind him too much of Maya if he were to see it again, which was why he'd shamelessly been disregarding her calls until then...

 _Maya_. Getting married the day after tomorrow and starting a new life. Putting the final nail in the Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey coffin forever.

The aching pang in his heart was still as fresh as if the torment had been yesterday.

 _Jesus Christ. It still hurts so damn much! It's been more than a year since I had to give up the love of my life. The loss of my badge didn't even gut me as much as losing her! When will it ever stop? When will time finally dull it all down to a more manageable, comfortably numb state?_

"Damn it, Phoenix!" He gave his head a firm shake, allowing the old, familiar surge of white-hot anger to course through his veins in efforts to thwart the self-pity. "Enough with the pathetic melancholy and sorrow! Get a grip and pull yourself together!"

 _Even if I've lost Maya, me and Edgeworth still managed to talk in great detail about revamping the courts to make way for the jurist system- he's going to use his influential connections to see what he can do to make it a reality. Assuming, of course, I didn't screw things up beyond all repair with him last month! I can only pray he's not_ _ **still**_ _too pissed at me to want to help my sorry behind out anymore! But I can't let myself think so dismally – I have made_ _ **some**_ _progress! I've at least managed to get that sonofabitch Gavin behind bars, maybe not for all the crimes he's committed, but at least he shouldn't be able to commit more. And I'm going to meet a friend, one who despite my shunning for the past couple of months, still hasn't given up on me, which is more than I probably deserve! So I just need to pick a damn outfit and_ _ **haul ass!**_

Sheer curiosity and an overwhelming sense of nostalgia overcame him, prompting Phoenix to try and fit his broad shoulders into the old suit jacket, only to find he could no longer even get it beyond his muscled forearms without the threat of splitting the garment in two. And forget the pants! Just stretching the fabric over his athletically built thighs, he could see trying to squeeze into them would only make the trousers burst at the seams, in a manner not unlike _The Incredible Hulk_.

Who was he kidding anyway?

 _Just because a cat done had her kittens in the oven, it still don't make them biscuits!_ Phoenix moaned inwardly at his train of thoughts as he realized the Southern Belle Tiffany's musings appeared to have rubbed off on him in the past seven years he'd been working alongside her.

Translation: even if the suit _had_ fit, and he'd _looked_ the part of the lawyer he'd once been, it still wouldn't change the harsh reality that much like a a child playing dress up, he'd only be feigning the role, because Phoenix _wasn't_ an Ace Attorney anymore, and he'd be fooling no one, least of all, himself.

It was probably for the best if he just wore his regular bum gear and his beanie, which proudly sported the pin Ema had once given him, so she'd know that even though he'd been out of touch for a spell, she'd still been dear to him. After all, the hobo gear was as much a part of his new look as the rest was, after all—proof to himself and everyone else that he hadn't completely forgotten or abandoned where he came from, though it seemed sometimes best to pretend as though he had.

OK, he _really_ had to quit thinking such elegiac thoughts and not be a complete downer on what was supposed to be a happy reunion! He adored Ema – in many ways, she reminded him of Maya. In spite of the differences in their spiritual versus science beliefs, the two delightfully eccentric women could easily be described as a _nefelibata;_ onewho lived in the clouds of their own imagination and dreams, and not obeying the conventions of society. Although similar but separate, both had such a refreshing outlook on life, which could only be cathartic to his own world-weary, stale ones.

 _A night out with Ema Skye is most definitely what my morose, miserable arse needs!_ He acknowledged. _Tonight will undoubtedly be_ _ **gezellig**_ ; _just a relaxing, enjoyable evening of togetherness with a dear friend after_ _ **way**_ _too long of a separation!_

Grabbing his meager wallet, Phoenix hurriedly dressed and ran a comb through his wet hair as he dashed out the door meet up with his surprise dinner date, an expectant, content smile on his lips.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Ema Skye**_  
 _Salchichas Sabrosas Restaurante, LA_  
June 14, 2016 6:15 PM

Ema had known before arriving that night her old friend was no longer a lawyer. Had mentally prepared herself for the fact that he might look different after nearly a decade. But even though half an hour had passed since she'd first laid eyes on him seven years later, it was still a shock to her system to see this new Phoenix.

She knew what he had lost. It wasn't just a badge — it was an identity.

The Detective barely recognized this man before her, with the slumped over posture and hobo garb, consisting of joggers and a sweatshirt that seemed to need good wash. Or perhaps it'd already seen too many washes, the colors muted, the fabric having taken on the fuzzy, comfortably worn-in look of constant wear.

But it was more than the clothes that made the man, it was what lay below the surface which aggrieved her beyond words. Phoenix barely bore a trace of the courtroom champion he'd previously been; was now more somber, less smiling...more... _contemplative_.

Beneath that pokerface there was shadowed lassitude in those midnight blue eyes, like the depths of oceans beholding dark secrets no one dared venture into. His formerly upright shoulders were now slouched, as if in perpetual burden. His hands were always hidden from sight and buried in the pockets of his sweatshirt, as though reluctant to be seen if he could no longer use them for finger-pointing and courtroom desk slapping.

Once they were seated, Ema continued to marvel at her companion sitting across the table; the Ace Attorney in the blue suit she'd once known was a far cry from the scruffy-looking man now scrutinizing the menu items with a furrowed brow, obviously mulling over the prices of the admittedly semi-upscale Mexican restaurant she'd chosen for their dining venue that night.

Finances for him were obviously strained, and the detective felt a stab of guilt as she realized the unnecessary concern she saw in that weary visage about how he could manage to pay for that night's bill. She'd have mentioned dinner would gladly be on her – had it not been for that fact that she was still distracted by the drastic changes in her friend since she'd seen him last.

Occasionally, a lazy grin would flash across his features as he listened to something amusing she'd said, but the shuttered expression never left his countenance. And when she gazed at him again and he caught her staring, he turned into a different person, managing to fake a smile that concealed the pain buried deep inside his heart. Yet those dark orbs remained unreadable and hardened, like nothing in this world could possibly soften them.

It made her heart weep for her dear friend, yet Ema knew there was nothing she could say; no magic wand she could wave to right the wrong that had been done to him, to take away that barely suppressed, doleful look in his eyes.

That notwithstanding, it wasn't as if Phoenix looked _unhealthy_ , or even _bad_ per say – in fact, not even the bulky sweats could hide the muscular physique hidden beneath them, and he looked more tanned than she last recalled. Also, with the cap covering his famous – albeit, _distracting_ spikes, she could now focus on that handsome, familiar mien more clearly.

Now that he'd shaved away the stubble that'd been covering the still youthful face beneath, she could now see traces of the vibrant, attractive man she'd once known – just minus the effervescent energy she'd always associated with Phoenix Wright. It appeared to have been dulled by time, into a more surface calm veneer – not that it made him any less enjoyable company.

The realization relaxed her somewhat, and she beamed. Sure, Phoenix had changed, but they were out at for a friendly, long overdue, catch-up dinner, not out solving crimes, and if you couldn't wear comfortable clothes to a meal with old friends, _where_ could you wear them?

"It's nice to see you smiling again," he noted, glancing at her over the top of his menu. "I will take that to mean that the stupor of my initial appearance has _finally_ worn off?"

Ema smiled at him sheepishly. There was something about him that made her feel like a teenager over again – perhaps compounded by the fact that on the surface level, Phoenix didn't appear to have aged much at all!

She couldn't help but note the slight hint of unease in the question and in his overall discomfited disposition, as though he'd already resigned himself to the fact that she, like everyone else, believed the nasty rumors about him.

 _Silly man! There's not a chance in hell I'd believe any of that crap! Initially, before he shaved, that stubble was a tad disorienting, but there was no forgetting that distinctly spiky hair and those compassionate eyes that'd looked into mine as a young girl, assuring me I could trust him and that everything was going to be OK. This is the formidable opponent who exposed Manfred von Karma, who fought to declare his own client guilty after finding out he had hired an assassin. Phoenix Wright was the hero responsible for saving me and my sister. If not for him and Prosecutor Edgeworth, Lana would be dead for a crime she didn't commit and I would have spent the last years even more alone than I'd already been. He's_ _ **still**_ _that same, great man underneath it all – the one I believed in then, and who I'll never stop believing in, even now._

"I'm getting used to it, but I think I kind of dig the _scruffy but sexy_ vibe you're rocking, Mr. Wright!" She grinned impishly and popped a salsa laden tortilla chip into her mouth from the platter that had been placed before them. "It's getting accustomed to my new, never wanted, _flatfoot_ career that I still can't claim I'm fully behind just yet!"

He laughed at her quip, a surprised, pleased sound, and his smile actually seemed to touch his eyes for the first time.

"Detective Ema Skye – the _gumshoe_ route being your consolation prize for not passing the forensics test."

"My _consolation_ was supposed to be getting to work on a regular basis with Prosecutor Edgeworth!" She griped, popping another tortilla into her mouth. "Unfortunately, when I first got back to town, I was told he was still overseas, and now that he's back, I've only seen him once or twice!"

The topic of the prosecutor caused Phoenix's face, for the briefest of moments, to become devoid of all expression. Then he smiled again, that enigmatic one which may or may not have indicated legitimate pleasure, and briskly changed the subject.

"Hey, whether this was your first career choice or not, being a homicide Detective still better pays than the _pianist_ racket, I'd assume?"

"Just barely." She grimaced. "This place, while nice, isn't _too_ steep though, and was highly recommended in reviews. Actually it was _personally_ suggested to me by Prosecutor Edgeworth. I told him it'd been hard to find great Mexican cuisine in Europe, so he recommended this place to me, and mentioned he'd been here for lunch last month."

"Did he?" Phoenix asked, in as noncommittal voice as possible. "That's…nice."

"Yes, but he didn't say _with whom_. I told him I was trying to hunt you down, and perhaps grab a bite out to eat with you. Upon hearing _your name_ , however, for some strange reason, he abruptly pulled an about-face and muttered something about prepping himself for the arrival of some undercover Interpol agent arriving next month. Basically, he dismissed me." She peered searchingly into the pianist's suddenly downcast face. "Did something go awry with you two? Or was his sudden turnabout merely a coincidence?"

"Oh, you know Edgeworth," Phoenix forced a smile. "Always a workaholic… Mr. Strong But Silent type, you know? He's never really been a man of too many words…"

"It was just so _weird_ , how he ceased being his usual well-mannered and articulate self the moment I mentioned you! He just started mumbling something incoherent and it left me completely confused, considering you two are supposed to be best friends and I would've assumed if you'd been in touch with _anybody_ all this time, it would've been _him_?"

Before Phoenix could come up with a convincing lie to reassure Ema that her perception of Edgeworth's apparent, and _very genuine_ displeasure at the mention of his name had been _all in her imagination_ , at that exact moment, the mariachi band, which had been setting up in the corner, suddenly began to play.

The fib died in mid-formation on his lips, and the present scene immediately faded away in a haze as vivid memories ran through his mind of exactly _whom_ prosecutor Miles Edgeworth had dined with, at this very establishment, in the previous month...

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Salchichas Sabrosas Restaurante, LA_  
May 1, 2026 12:30 PM

"This is a really nice place," Phoenix remarked as he speared a bite of enchilada onto his fork. "I've never been here before, even though it's only a ten minute walk from my place. The food here is great, although I'm gonna be honest, the _name_ kind of threw me off at first."

"How so?" Edgeworth raised an inquisitive brow as he took a bite of his corn and chorizo stuffed Poblanos, covered with green Chile-cheese sauce. "I'd informed you it meant _tasty sausages_."

"I know you kindly translated the name of the restaurant for my strictly Anglophone self." Phoenix awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "But for a brief, horrifying moment… it sounded like you were taking me to _a gay bar_!"

Edgeworth nearly choked on his food and took a long swig of water before staring at his friend in utter dubiousness. His glass was immediately refilled by the overly eager young busboy who'd been lingering around their table. He'd apparently recognized the two famous Ace Attorneys from the media and had been all but fawning and _fan-boying_ over the both of them, either oblivious or uncaring of the fact Phoenix was no longer in ownership of his badge.

"Wright, you ignorant fool!" The prosecutor glowered at the blushing poker champion. "This restaurant is aptly named due to the pride they take in their specialty chorizo dishes! What in _heaven's name_ would make you think _I_ would even think of taking you to such a place – and on my _work lunch break_ yet?!"

"I don't know!" Phoenix shrugged haplessly. "I figured you and I had finally reached such a low point in our love lives that maybe…"

"You assumed _our shared heartbreak_ was going to make _me_ be the one to lead us astray from the path of heterosexuality?" Edgeworth arms were crossed over his chest, irate forefinger already tapping against his arm in obvious displeasure. "Wright, if I didn't know that you had been out of touch with him for some time now, I would assume the buffoonery of Larry Butz had rubbed off on you!"

" _Please_ don't be mad at me!" Phoenix pleaded. "I'm sorry, OK? I don't know what I was thinking – I'm going to blame sleep depravity and having the world's _grouchiest_ , _grounded_ teenage daughter to contend with _immediately_ after the whole trial fiasco! It's bad enough Truce thinks I'm a _monster_ for revoking her Skype privileges, on top of not being allowed to go anywhere but school and work for another week because of _that stunt_ she pulled!"

"I guess she had to come home and face the music eventually?"

"She managed to avoid coming home for two whole nights before I was able to punish her! Apparently, _my_ literally pulling the plug on her internet use put me in official Meanie Daddy League! That took me a few additional days, post grounding, to finally figure out, and only after unwittingly unplugging _every other device in the house_ in attempting to do so! Anyway, I've also hereby been dubbed _a murderer of true love_ , because I've put the kybosh on her newly budding relationship."

Phoenix heaved a long-suffering sigh.

"Apparently, up until then, she'd been non-stop messaging some Down Under tour guide named _Dylan_ , whom _Pearls_ decided to introduce her to…"

"Trucy is having an _online romance_ with some random bloke, on _the other side of the world_?" Edgeworth's annoyance immediately halted as he instantly morphed into Protective Uncle Mode. "Give me his last name and I'll run a criminal and background search on him, posthaste!"

"Dylan Sian or something, I think." Phoenix chuckled appreciatively. "It was bad enough Trucy didn't remember Klavier or his part in what became my final fateful court case all those years ago and then, to my great chagrin, since became a die-hard _Gavinners_ fan girl! But at least the rock star crush was _teenage pipe dream_! _This_ kid is her age, so it wouldn't be a case of _jail bait_!"

Edgeworth couldn't help but smirk as the frustrated Phoenix groaned loudly before continuing his trials of fatherhood.

"And after talking to this guy, my daughter, walks around speaking in this crazy Australian accent that refuses to shake off for at least the next few _hours_ …It's every dad's worst nightmare come true! I suppose I should thank my lucky stars he's on the other side of the planet... but _still_!"

"It could be worse," Edgeworth offered, not knowing what else to say to offer comfort in this unfamiliar scenario. "The lad could be _local_ and she could be actually trying to sneak out for illicit rendezvous with him against your wishes, instead of just trying to have secret online chatter with him."

"It could _always_ be worse!" The ex-attorney buried his head in his hands. "Every time I think that I've reached the end of my rope, I find there's _always_ something around the corner that is most definitely and plausibly _worse!"_

The spiky haired man dragged a hand down his weathered face.

"Anyway, I know you have a lot on your mind as well, Edgeworth, but _please_ cut me some slack! I don't need to have _another_ friend who thinks I stink! As it is right now, on the topic of our artist friend, he is currently most aggravated with me and has only just _now_ finally ceased in leaving me nasty messages telling me what a negligent and heartless boyfriend he thinks I am for not calling or visiting Iris more often! So first Larry was mad at me for allegedly _sucking_ , and has since stopped calling me altogether. _Now_ he's probably mad at me for not caring enough to return his calls!"

"Butz still doesn't know the truth about you and Iris, does he?" Edgeworth frowned.

"No. To be fair, he _did_ call and ask me repeatedly if I minded him being up there and attending Maya's wedding. I've been dodging his calls, as well as any from Gumshoe, because I just can't _stand_ hearing about my ex's nuptials anymore! I just want to bury my head in the sand and just have it be over with so I can get on with my miserable life! Besides, who am I to dictate what anyone does about anything? What right do I have to make such demands of anybody?"

"I think you're being far too lenient in that particular regard, Wright." The prosecutor waved his finger. "I didn't want to bring this up last week at dinner because Trucy was with us…"

"I really appreciate how you've been indulging my daughter, as well as myself, with your meal generosity. I know she's grounded, but a growing girl still has to _eat,_ right?" Phoenix flashed a shit-eating grin. "And what kind of monster would I be to keep her from her Uncle Miles?"

"I'm very fond of the young lady myself, don't even mention it." There was a look of disapproval in the suddenly stern grey eyes. "However, your suddenly rebellious teenage daughter isn't the point I wish to address at the moment, Wright. With regards to the whole Butz situation, I don't understand why you haven't taken the bull by the horns and told him how unseemly it is for him to actually be attending your ex-girlfriend's wedding, never mind being in such close proximity to your _other_ ex-girlfriend - whom he thinks is your _current_ one! I actually rang and informed him how inappropriate I found his actions."

" _You_ had a conversation with Larry about this?" Phoenix's eyes widened incredulously. "And _you_ took it upon yourself to give him your firm, Miles Edgeworth, _personalized stamp of disapproval_?"

"I'm not quite sure if by your tone means you are displeased with my addressing the situation, or with the fact that you are indeed unhappy with Larry being at Maya's wedding, yet are far too passive to say so."

Phoenix stared at him in disbelief.

"This is less about me being passive, and more about me not trying to play God with everybody's lives, Edgeworth!" He exclaimed. "Of course I'm not happy about the situation, but I _do_ understand! Maya is his friend as well, and I know Larry isn't purposely trying to be a disloyal friend by attending her nuptials, any more than he is trying to be traitorous by offering his helpful assistance to Iris and Sister Bikini with the preparations!"

"I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree on this one." Edgeworth eyes were cold. "I believe _loyalty_ should come before being a Good Samaritan in certain matters. I know that _I_ would not be on board should _either_ of _you_ decide to attend Franziska's nuptials to another man, in light of everything that's transpired between her and I."

"Look Edgeworth, I know your loyalty to me is why you chose not to go to Maya's wedding, and I _do_ appreciate it, but you can't be all sanctimonious and judgmental to everybody who doesn't act the way you do!" Phoenix argued. "That's neither right nor fair!"

" _Life_ isn't fair or right!" The prosecutor snapped, his normally calm voice raising an octave. "I don't need to hear that reminder from you! I am damn well aware enough of that myself!"

Before Phoenix could reply, the mariachi band began to sing a beautiful Latin ballad.

* * *

 _ **Querida,**_  
 _ **Cada momento de mi vida**_  
 _ **Yo pienso en ti más cada día**_  
 _ **Mira mi soledad**_  
 _ **Mira mi soledad**_  
 _ **Que no me sienta nada bien**_  
 _ **Oh ven ya**_

* * *

Edgeworth's jaw hardened, and Phoenix instinctively sensed it was due to more than just the present conversation they were having. Of course, barely speaking a lick of Spanish, he had no idea what the words meant, but they appeared to have struck a chord in the other man, as his formally cold eyes were now icy twin flints.

"The song is called _Querida_ by Juan Gabriel," the prosecutor said tightly in response to his friend's unasked question. "It means _dear one_."

"It's a heartbreaking love song," announced the hovering busboy, swooping in, from completely out of nowhere, at their table once again. A helpful smile lit up his face as he brushed his shaggy brown hair off his forehead. "I'd be delighted to translate the lyrics for you so you can understand them, Mr. Wright."

"Oh…" Phoenix was taken aback by the unexpected offer, and uncertain of how to respond, but figured it wouldn't hurt to know what was causing his best friend to suddenly go from looking _peeved_ to downright _pained_. "Er, sure, thanks... young man?"

"My name is Jesse, Mr. Wright. It's so amazing to meet a legal legend like you in person! I'm such a fan of yours!"

"Um, thanks Jesse," he responded awkwardly. "Although you _do_ realize I'm no longer an attorney, don't you?"

"Oh please! I never believed that _merda_ the media was saying about you!" Jesse scoffed, his bluish-gray eyes sparkling with admiration. "You have _no idea_ what a thrill and honor it is to have you and _The_ Miles Edgeworth here in our humble establishment!"

Phoenix smiled politely and mumbled his thanks, while Edgeworth appeared most unamused by the interruption and began drumming his fingers on the table in a grumpy manner.

Smiling eagerly, the undaunted staff member began his unprecedented translation of the first verse.

* * *

 _Dear one,_  
 _Every moment of my life,_  
 _I think of you every day_  
 _Look at my loneliness,_  
 _Look at my loneliness,_  
 _It doesn't suit me at all,_  
 _ohh come back now.  
_

* * *

"I seeeee…." Phoenix felt his heart sink as Edgeworth glared at both him and the restaurant employee, now fully grasping how the poignancy of such lyrics could be disturbing to his recently brokenhearted friend. "Erm…"

Not giving him a chance to refuse, Jesse quickly interpreted as the song went on, making Phoenix's own heart be pierced right alongside Edgeworth's, as the verses struck particularly close to home for _him_ , as well.

* * *

 _ **Querida,**_  
 _ **No me ha sanado bien la herida**_  
 _ **Te extraño y lloro todavía**_  
 _ **Mira mi soledad**_  
 _ **Mira mi soledad**_  
 _ **Que no me sienta nada bien**_  
 _ **Oh ven ya**_

 _Dear one,_  
 _my wound has not healed yet_  
 _I miss you and still cry for you_  
 _Look at my loneliness_  
 _Look at my loneliness_  
 _it doesn't suit me at all, oh come back now_

 _ **Querida,**_  
 _ **Piensa en mi solo un momento y ven**_  
 _ **Te da cuenta de que el tiempo es cruel**_  
 _ **Y lo he pasado yo sin ti**_  
 _ **Oh ven ya, ah ah**_

 _Dear one,_  
 _think of me just for a moment and come_  
 _realize how cruel is time_  
 _and I have passed it without you...oh, come now…ah, ah_

 _ **Querida,**_  
 _ **Hazlo por quien más quieras tú**_  
 _ **Yo quiero ver de nuevo luz**_  
 _ **En toda mi casa**_

 _Dear one,_  
 _do it for whoever you love the most_  
 _I want to see the light again_  
 _in my whole house_

 _ **Oh oh querida,**_  
 _ **Ven a mi que estoy sufriendo**_  
 _ **Ven a mi que estoy muriendo**_  
 _ **En esta soledad**_  
 _ **En esta soledad**_  
 _ **Que no me sienta nada bien**_  
 _ **Ven**_

 _Oh, Oh dear one,_  
 _come to me, I'm suffering_  
 _come to me, I'm dying_  
 _in this loneliness_  
 _in this loneliness_  
 _that doesn't suit me at all...come_

 _ **Querida,**_  
 _ **Por lo que quieras tu más ven**_  
 _ **Más compasión de mi tu ten**_  
 _ **Mira mi soledad**_  
 _ **Mira mi soledad**_  
 _ **Que no me sienta nada bien**_

 _Dear one,_  
 _for whatever you love the most, come!_  
 _have more compassion of me_  
 _look at my loneliness_  
 _look at my loneliness_  
 _it doesn't suit me at all_

 _ **Querida,**_  
 _ **Querida,**_  
 _ **Dime cuando tú**_  
 _ **Dime cuando tú**_  
 _ **Dime cuando tú vas a volver allá**_  
 _ **Dime cuando tú**_  
 _ **Dime cuando tú**_ **  
** _ **Dime cuando tú vas a volver**_

 _Dear one_ _  
Dear one  
Tell me when  
_ _Tell me when_ _  
_ _are you coming back, yeah_ _  
_ _Tell me when_ _  
_ _tell me when_ _  
_ _Tell me when you're coming back_

 _ **Querida**_ _  
_ _ **Querida,**_ _  
_ _ **Dime cuando tú**_ _  
_ _ **Dime cuando tú**_ _  
_ _ **Dime cuando tú vas a volver allá**_ _  
_ _ **Dime cuando tú**_ _  
_ _ **Dime cuando tú**_ _  
_ _ **Dime cuando tú vas a volver**_

 _Dear one…_ _  
_ _Dear one,_ _  
_ _Tell me when_ _  
_ _tell me when_ _  
_ _are you coming back, yeah_ _  
_ _Tell me when_ _  
_ _Tell me when_ _  
_ _tell me when you're coming back_

 _ **Allá, allá tú**_ _  
_ _ **Ven a mi soledad, tú**_ _  
_ _ **Yo no puedo ni me quiero olvidar, ah ooh**_ _  
_ _ **Dime cuando tú, hey tú**_ _  
_ _ **Dime cuando tú, hey tú**_

 _Come to my solitude_ _  
_ _I can't and I don't want to forget,_ _  
_ _hey you, tell me when_ _  
_ _hey you, tell me when_ _  
_ _Tell me when you're coming back_

* * *

There was a loud round of applause from the other patrons in the restaurant when the song was over, and Phoenix was at a loss for words as Jesse smiled at him hopefully, and rather than leave, continued to remain by the tableside.

"It sounds much more powerful in Spanish," he told the forlorn former defense attorney, who was still digesting the gut-wrenching lyrics he'd just been forced to endure. "I hope I helped somewhat."

 _Sure you did!_ Phoenix thought wretchedly. _Ignorance could have been bliss, but since you_ _ **insisted**_ _I understand the music that was being performed,_ _ **I'm**_ _now officially as a miserable and depressed as Edgeworth obviously is! And if you're thinking you're going to_ _ **get a tip**_ _for adding to that misery kid, you are sadly mistaken!_

"Well, if there's nothing else I can do for you folks," Jesse continued awkwardly, finally taking note of the tightlipped glare he was receiving from the prosecutor. "I guess I'll be going now…"

"Just the bill please." Edgeworth answered tersely. "And that will be all, _por favor y gracias_."

As Jesse left, the prosecutor gestured to Phoenix's only half-finished plate, which was identical to his own barely partially completed remains.

"It appears I am not the only one who lost my appetite."

"I guess you could say that," Phoenix replied uncomfortably. "I'd hate to waste such good food though… Do you think this place does doggie bags?"

"Are you _serious_?" Edgeworth eyed him in disgust. "This is a nice place, and that would be most _uncouth_! Must you actually _act_ the part of the hobo bum you _resemble_?"

"Well that was a low blow!" Phoenix slammed his hands on the table, courtroom style, and glowered right back. "Sorry if I don't have a whole lot of dispensable income to just throw down the drain, what with being a single father on a shoestring budget! I understand how that song may have been depressing, but it wasn't exactly easy for _me_ to listen to either! You're not the only one dealing with heartache and loss, Edgeworth! Nor does it give you free pass to act like a pompous, snooty … _ass hat_!"

"This isn't just about the bloody song!" Edgeworth snapped, slamming his own hands down on the table. "This is about my best friend acting like a complete doormat, and appearing to think that _I'm_ the bad guy and the one at fault for trying to show him my alliance regarding his ex's wedding! And forgive me for not being in the highest spirits when my battered heart was _just_ raked over the coals, as I was coerced into listening to possibly the most tragic love song on earth, which, rest assured, sounds _much_ more sorrowful in Spanish and has just made me decide that I absolutely abhor this place!"

"Whether I speak the language or not, that song rubbed _my_ heart raw, too you know! And as for this suddenly detestable restaurant, need I remind you that _you're_ the one who picked it?!"

"You fool! That's _beside_ the point, which, as usual, you seemed to have missed entirely!"

"Oh, I _totally_ get your point! And this isn't about me being ungrateful for your loyalty Edgeworth! It's about the fact that you always acts like a bully whenever people don't see things your way!"

"Why must you be so _lackadaisical_ about everything?" Edgeworth was gripping the corners of the table so hard now, his knuckles were white, as along with his newly awakened torment, his repressed guilt about keeping silent with regards to Maya's outburst to Gumshoe began rearing its ugly head. "You used to be a _fighter_ Phoenix Wright! You were never afraid to take a chance no matter how slim the odds! You used to take on cases that appeared you had no chance in hell of winning! What happened to you?"

" _Life_ happened to me!" Phoenix shouted, uncaring that all eyes in the restaurant were now on the two men. "I'm every bit as much of a victim of life's cruel unjustness as you are and I'm no longer willing to be a gambling man with my life anymore!"

"How can you be so accepting with how things are going? Your good friends are attending the nuptials of your former lover, whom you still love desperately! And now that the threat which caused you to end things with her is safely behind bars, you are _still_ going to just sit back and allow this wedding to happen, rather than run after her and _fight_ for her, taking even the slightest of chances that she might still love you back!"

It was the closest he could get to encouraging Phoenix to _get off his duff_ without giving him false hope about Maya's perceived reaction. As frustrated and angry as the prosecutor was, he was fervently hoping that his harsh words would spurn his best friend into action, but instead, Phoenix now looked even more irate.

"I'm _trying_ to do the right thing and not interfere with Maya's new life, Edgeworth! There's no evidence that she has not _completely moved on_ with this man she's going to marry!"

"What a fine example you are, Wright, allowing the love of your life to run to another man's arms! You may as well have _gift wrapped_ and _put a bow on top of her_ , along with a card, citing your best wishes for the happy couple, because you practically _gave_ her to Beaugosse on a silver platter!"

"Such great advice you give, Mr. Know All About Love! For whatever reasons, _you_ were no more successful than _I_ was in keeping the woman you loved by your side, so stop being such a bloody hypocrite! Have _you_ been using your resources to track down your fiancée, so _you_ can run and fight for _her_ as you're telling me to do, and prove that you _practice_ what you _preach_?"

"Lang and Kay have hit a dead end for now, if you must know! But yes, they _are_ still searching for Franziska's whereabouts, but unlike myself, _you_ actually know where Maya is, which is merely two hours away, instead of some unknown location out there in the world!" Sparks were flying out of Edgeworth's eyes. "Your so-called nobility is nothing more than yellow-bellied _cowardice,_ because you're too damn afraid to take risks anymore!"

There was a tense silence as Phoenix recoiled at the sharp onslaught. His indigo orbs had turned very, very dark as he finally spoke, a jagged edge to his voice.

"Miles Edgeworth, you have always been a judgemental and domineering control freak, but as your best friend, I have learned to accept that among your shortcomings, just as you claimed to have accepted _mine_." The pianist's infuriated eyes never left his friend's face. "However, you have absolutely no damn right barking commands about what you think others should be doing because _you_ think it's best and then thundering down on them when you find you can't dictate everybody's lives…just because _you recently lost control over_ _ **your own**_ _!_ "

Edgeworth sucked in a deep breath at the harsh words, then slammed his fist on the table.

"That _does_ it!" Reaching into his wallet, the incensed prosecutor slapped a twenty dollar bill down on the table and glowered at the other man. "Far be it for _me_ to try to take control of _anything_ you do any more in this _out-of-control roller coaster_ which has now become your entire existence Phoenix Wright! In fact, who the hell am I to play God and determine how you pay for this meal? From here on, you're on your own. If you ever decide to pull that stubborn, thick skull out of your posterior, give me a call. Until then, I simply wish you a good day."

With that, he stood up and stormed away from the table.

Glancing down, Phoenix realized that his friend hadn't left enough funds to cover the entire meal, and cried after him.

"Hey, Edgeworth wait! You didn't leave enough to cover the check!"

"I left enough to cover _my_ half!" Edgeworth yelled back.

"B – But, I haven't got any money!"

"I suppose you have to _take control_ of your situation then, won't you, Wright?" Edgeworth gave one final smirk over his shoulder as he stomped to the door. "You're a musician, this place has a live band… I suppose you'll have to _sing for your supper_ , won't you?"

"But it's _lunchtime_!" Phoenix cried helplessly to the other man's retreating back, then looked up with alarm as Jesse reappeared at the table at that moment.

"I, um, brought the bill," the busboy smiled weakly. "It didn't seem appropriate to bring it until now…"

"Yeah, thanks…" Phoenix flashed him a sickly grin. "So… Tell me… Does this place do their dishes _manually_ or with an automatic dishwasher?"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Ema Skye**_  
 _Salchichas Sabrosas Restaurante, LA_  
June 14, 2016 6:20 PM

 _That was beyond humiliating! I had dish-panned hands for a goddamn week afterwards!_ Phoenix grumbled to himself. _Still, that was over a month ago, so there's a very low chance of any staff here remembering me tonight …_

The band had begun to play a tune that sounded slightly more upbeat than the one the last time he'd heard them, and he expelled a breath of relief. At least he didn't need to create _newly_ desolate memories tonight. As for anyone recalling him as the broke-ass bum who couldn't pay his bill from his last visit…

 _At least we're here for_ _ **dinner**_ _and not_ _ **lunch**_ _this time! There's probably a slim to none chance of even having the same employees be here at night… Least of all that pesky, Spanish translating busybody! If the band is playing yet another sad song tonight, I have no need to know what the lyrics mean this time!_

" _Bienvenido_! _Buena noches, Señor y Señora_." A strangely familiar voice greeted them at that moment, and to Phoenix's utter dismay, the waiter was none other than… _Jesse_ , the Song Interpreting Bus Boy! "May I take your order?"

 _Are you freaking kidding me?! Is it any wonder I no longer strive to be a gambling man?!_ _What are the goddamn odds?!_ He slumped in his seat. _Maybe if I'm lucky, Jesse won't remember me as the other half of the dramatically loud pair of dueling diners who made an embarrassing scene last month and probably made the customers think we were having a petty lovers' quarrel…_

Phoenix attempted to hide his face behind the menu, disguising his voice as best as he could while mumbling his order, which was the cheapest thing on there he could afford, as he could not _presumptuously_ assume that Ema would be footing the bill!

"Um, I'll have the cheese quesadillas please."

"Those are only available on the children's menu, aged 10 and under, _Señor_ ," Jesse replied politely.

"Er…" Phoenix slumped further in his seat. "Is that a problem? I'm really not too hungry tonight…"

"Mr. Wright?" Ema sounded concerned as she reached across the table and pulled down his menu, her green eyes puzzled. "What's going on here? And why are you trying to talk with a weird Brooklyn accent?"

"Mr. Wright!" Jesse bellowed, with such a loud enthusiasm that surely the residents of both California and Mexico probably heard him. "Didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon! I didn't recognize your voice! It sounded like you had a cold!"

"Hi Jesse." Phoenix smiled feebly. "Er, I thought you were a busboy. I didn't know you waited on tables, too."

"I got promoted last week!" The waiter announced proudly. "Not that I was aspiring to move on up in the restaurant world, of course. But until my videographer business takes off, this gig pays the bills in the meantime."

The young man grinned impishly at the red-faced pianist.

"I meant to praise, you on the great job you did with the dishes last time! They've never been so shiny and clean, _ever_!" Jesse winked. "In case there's a problem with the bill again, we have an entire stack tonight with _your name_ right on it!"

"Thanks… All the toilet scrubbing I do must come in handy," Phoenix mumbled, feeling his face turning even redder as Ema bit back a horrified giggle. "Um, if you just give me a moment, I'll pick something else if I can't get the quesadillas…" He frantically poured over the appetizers listing, looking for the cheapest item on there.

"Pick whatever you want Mr. Wright," Ema interjected. "Don't worry about it, dinner's on me."

Exhaling in relief, Phoenix ordered the chimichangas, just as the band began to play, this time with a female vocalist joining him.

* * *

 _ **Yo voy a casarme**_  
 _ **Vestida de blanco,**_  
 _ **Y en la iglesia un banco**_  
 _ **Quiero reservar.**_

 _ **Para que tú vengas**_  
 _ **Como mi invitado,**_  
 _ **Y bien a tu lad,**_  
 _ **Me mires pasar.**_

* * *

"That's Eliete, the international Latina superstar!" Jesse informed him, pointing to the pretty, tanned songbird who was now crooning. "We're re so lucky to get her to make a special guest appearance tonight! The song she's singing is called _Vestida de Blanco_ by Rocío Dúrcal. It means "Dressed in White."

* * *

 _ **Vas a darte cuenta**_  
 _ **Que esa mujercita,**_  
 _ **Va llena de dicha**_  
 _ **Camino al altar,**_

 _ **Del brazo de un hombre**_  
 _ **Que le da su nombre,**_  
 _ **Tú se lo negaste,**_  
 _ **Te arrepentirás.**_

* * *

" _Dressed in White_?" Phoenix echoed, feeling his stomach sliding down to his feet. He didn't need to be able to speak or understand Spanish to comprehend what _this_ particular song, with its misleadingly upbeat tempo, was all about!

* * *

 _ **Yo voy a casarme**_  
 _ **Vestida de blanco,**_  
 _ **Va a dolerte tanto,**_  
 _ **Te arrepentirás.**_

 _ **Cuando pase el tiempo,**_  
 _ **Cuando me recuerdes,**_  
 _ **Cuando por las noche**_  
 _ **Sientas soledad.**_

* * *

"It's about a woman who is walking down the altar, happily skipping down the aisle, while mentally _sticking it_ to her former lover, gloating about how she wished she'd saved him a seat in the congregation to see her getting married, dressed in white, so her ex could regret and repent for all the grief he's caused her, and for denying ever taking her hand in marriage for himself," Jesse explained cheerfully, oblivious to the excruciating affect to the heart his unintentionally daggered words were having on the former lawyer, whose mouth had gone dry. "If you want, I can translate the verses for you like I did last time…"

* * *

 _ **Lloraras bajito,**_  
 _ **Lloraras por dentro**_  
 _ **Guardando apariencias,**_  
 _ **Queriendo ocultar.**_

 _ **Y será muy tarde,**_  
 _ **Ya no habrá regreso,**_  
 _ **Esta misma noche**_  
 _ **Me vas a perder.**_

* * *

"That's quite all right!" Ema said quickly, treating the waiter to a strained smile as she caught the anguished look in her friend's eyes, which he hadn't been quick enough to hide. "Er, I speak fluent Spanish from all my time in Europe, including Spain, so I'd be happy to help my companion with any comprehension aid he may require." She passed the menu back to the server. "I'll have the beef tacos, please."

* * *

 _ **Del brazo de un hombre**_  
 _ **Que me da su nombre,**_  
 _ **Tú me lo negaste**_  
 _ **Y te va a doler.**_

 _ **Yo voy a casarme**_  
 _ **Vestita de blanco,**_  
 _ **Va ha dolerte tanto,**_  
 _ **Te arrepentirás...**_

* * *

The moment Jesse left, she turned to Phoenix, whose poker-faced mask was back in place, her eyes shining with sympathy.

"You should've mentioned you had unpleasant memories here, Mr. Wright!" She lamented, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry to have brought you to this place, especially _tonight_ of all nights, with that song being played in the background!"

"Tonight of all nights?" Phoenix adjusted the brim of his beanie so Ema could no longer see his expression. "Whatever do you mean by that?"

"Mr. Wright look at me." The Detective reached across the table and placed her hand on his. "You don't need to put on a front with me. I haven't been out of the loop that much since I got back. I know Maya's wedding is right around the corner."

"Indeed, my former legal assistant is tying the knot the day after tomorrow," he responded curtly, reflexively pulling back his hand and jabbing into his pocket. "I suppose _you_ caught wind of it since both she and her betrothed are international media darlings?"

"Yes," Ema admitted, peering searchingly into the shuttered expression. "But I also know that Maya Fey was much more to you than merely your former employee, Mr. Wright, so I wish you'd drop the act with me already."

Phoenix stared at her, unaccustomed to this sort of candor.

"What are you talking about, Ema?"

"Seven years ago at The Borscht Bowl Club, Lana and I were there that night, remember?" She prompted gently. "It was the night the two of you first got together. I actually met Maya myself."

"I'd totally forgotten…" He murmured, yanking off his beanie and raking a hand through his hair. "That night was such a blur to me, I guess I still have it in my mind that I last saw you nine years ago rather seven years prior, at Maya's birthday party."

"I bumped into both her and Franziska in the bathroom and helped Maya fix her eye makeup - not that she needed it!" Ema smiled kindly. "I clearly recollect that she was very, very beautiful."

"Yes, she was." He was unable to contain the wistfulness in his voice any longer. "Still is."

"Not to sound conceited, but there was a point when I believe you thought I looked a lot like her…" Ema chose her words carefully. "I finally realized that may have been one of the reasons you were ducking and dodging me, because you thought seeing me would be a distressing reminder of your ex."

Phoenix gaped at her, astounded at how perceptive the formerly giddy teenager had become over the years.

"I'm wondering… Is still as hard as you thought it would be, seeing me, Mr. Wright?" She asked sadly. "Do I still painfully resemble Maya that much, even now?"

The pianist studied the earnest expression on that comely visage across from him, taking in that topknot; those rose-tinted glasses perched on her head; that white lab coat; and finally, the detective's ID that hung in place of those badges with the funny faces.

All these years later, he still remembered everything clearly: her penchant for science, how excitable she was, her eagerness and determination for answers, her love for her sister, her dreams, her smile… But she was a grown woman now; taller; tied to the force; her features sharper; lovely. He remembered helping her once upon a time, remembered how she would cling onto his side as a child, noted down his every word like they were from God; and wondered where all those years went. When she'd been 16, Ema Skye _had_ looked a lot like Maya to him, but in adulthood, he realized it simply wasn't the case anymore.

"No," he replied truthfully. "There was a time when you did. When I first met you, Maya was gone for a while, and I was missing her dreadfully, and you helped fill that particular void in my life, which I will always be grateful for. But now that I'm seeing you as a young woman, I can honestly say you've grown into a unique beauty that is entirely your own. It was cowardly of me to have been avoiding you for as long as I was Ema. I hope you can forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive. I could never be so petty about such a thing, especially when you're one of the few friends that I have, other than Chief Gumshoe! Good friends are hard to come by you know!"

"Yes they are! And guys like me don't just grow on trees!" He relaxed somewhat then. "I can't believe such a charming and intelligent young woman like you is in want for company though. You haven't made any friends on the force? Or at the prosecutor's office?"

"The prosecutor that I come across with most often is the one I've been partnered with, Klavier Gavin." Remembering his obnoxious, arrogant behavior after their near embrace before she'd left the office only fueled her ire, and a scowl twisted her pretty features. "I don't know if I'm meant to be friends with someone like _him_ , to be honest. He's a decent prosecutor and he's nice enough, but sometimes I feel like he cares more about his image than getting a case solved. He seems to enjoy annoying me and has very little respect for my control of a crime scene... _and_ is an _incorrigible flirt_ and _man wh_ ore!"

Her eyes suddenly turned stormy.

"On top of all of that, he seems to think that just like all his other legions of fan girls, I too, should fall at his feet just because he's a gorgeous golden boy rock God! He – he thinks his _flatulence_ smells like _roses_!"

"Scientifically speaking, _roses_ is improbable." Phoenix's smile – the fake one Ema was beginning to hate, faded away again, and he studied her with now wary eyes at the mention of the prosecutor. "Although a decade ago, the French invented a pill which makes your flatus smell like chocolate. They call it Father Christmas."

"Sounds like something the fop would be all over!" Ema let out a mirthless laugh – she was still sorely irked at the prosecutor. "I hope it's a _suppository_!"

Phoenix's expression wavered ever so slightly, transforming into his strange half-familiar smile, the one that didn't quite light his whole face, and rested his head on one upturned palm.

"It seems he left quite an impression on you," he noted quietly. "Klavier Gavin was the very last prosecutor I faced in court before I got disbarred. It sounds like he hasn't changed a whole lot since then."

"I'm so angry about that Mr. Wright!" Ema cried, pounding an impotent fist on the table. "I _know_ you! I _know_ you didn't commit any forgery! You never could've resorted to such lowly tactics! If you had desired to when you were helping out Lana and I, you could have done so even then, yet you _didn't_!"

This hadn't been what she'd studied for and strived for - a broken legal system and a Phoenix Wright she barely recognized. The helpless fury in her voice was palpable as she went on.

"You were, _and still are_ , one of the greatest men I've ever known, and I _hate_ that this has happened to you! It's not _fair_!"

"It means a lot to me that your faith in me never wavered, even though it's been such a long time that we've been apart." Her passionate outburst touched him, yet saddened him at the same time. "I never wanted you to lose that _meliorism_ of yours – your unshakable belief that the world gets better; the belief that humans can improve the world. I'll never forget your eager enthusiasm and your unstoppable drive as a teenager. I know this job isn't your ideal one, but please don't get discouraged or stop trying to fulfill those dreams, Ema. Whether it's as Detective or forensic scientist we _need_ people like you - hard-working dedicated confident people like you, working in the justice system."

He let out a rueful chuckle.

"I used to be the same way, idealistic and hopefully, just like you, once upon a time. Now I feel like I suffer from a case of _acatalepsy_ more than anything else in my jaded old age. The sheer impossibility of comprehending the universe; the belief that human knowledge can never have true certainty."

"What I'm absolutely _certain_ of, and don't even need to scientifically have evidence for, is the fact that somebody must have set you up - or just flat out framed you!" Ema declared, her hands balling into little fists. "I _swear_ I'm going to make that bastard pay for this!"

"Don't be too hard on him. Your boss wasn't the one who actually took my badge away," Phoenix said tiredly. "Someone else is responsible for that. Klavier thought he was doing the right and lawful thing. I probably would have done the same if I were in his position."

Ema felt her stomach do a somersault upon hearing these words, and her jaw dropped open.

" _Wh – What_ did you just say?"

"You sounded positively stupefied by this revelation." Now it was Phoenix's turn to look concerned as he watched the blood visibly drain from his friend's face. "I'm a little lost here… Ema _how_ exactly did you come to find out about my disbarring?"

"Chief Gumshoe told me, after I had complained to him that I couldn't reach you and I was wondering if you had fallen off the face of the earth." She sounded as though she were in a daze as she spoke, even as waves of fury and betrayal washed over her. "But he wouldn't say any more. Possibly because he didn't want me to have any antipathy towards my boss – who, if I'm understanding you correctly, was the one who had a hand in you losing your badge."

"Well….in a manner of speaking…" Phoenix went on to elaborate about that final fateful court case and the surprise witness, Drew Misham, who had proverbially put the defense attorney's head in the noose with his damning testimony about the forged diary page. "I can't blame Gumshoe for not wanting you to purposefully work in a hostile work environment."

"How can you tell me this so calmly, knowing that I work for a man that you have every reason to _despise_?"

Her hands twitched and she could feel a vein pulsing in her forehead.

"Moreover, how can you expect me _not_ to feel the same way about the very man who didn't even bother with a thoroughly proper investigation about the so-called damning substantiation against you, _then_ instead took _everything_ at face value, along with the testimony of an _admitted_ _forger_... and used that _bullshit_ evidence to convict you?!"

"Klavier's already been punished enough, what with his brother being incarcerated at the hands of his own protégé, just two months ago." Phoenix sighed. "He's got the weight of the world on his shoulders and is trapped in a hell that neither of us can possibly imagine. How can I wish hate or punishment on a man who technically committed no crime?"

The brunette gawked disbelievingly at Phoenix, unable to believe how forgiving the man was, how big his heart was. Upon finding out who the involved parties were in his disbarment, Ema had sworn to loathe the _dastardly fiend_ for all eternity. Yet here was real victim, defending the _sonofabitch_ and telling her to have compassion for him. Well, Phoenix Wright was definitely a bigger person than _she_ was!

And here she'd thought that _lying, two-faced, phony_ of a glimmerous fop's initial forgetting of their first encounter at the Russian bar had been the worst sin he'd committed!

All these months, her friendship with Klavier had been built on the foundation of lies and half-truths. She had foolishly believed there was actual _sincerity_ in his declarations of affections and his wild flirtations while he'd been trying to _woo_ her, even after finding out how dear she held the former defense attorney he'd _ruthlessly_ sabotaged!

The blasted _schwein_ had not only refrained from confessing the truth, but _still_ tried to basically seduce her, _knowing_ what he did - while keeping silent of his misdeeds, this entire time!

The thought that she'd ever let him _lay a finger_ on her, never mind come close to _kissing_ her, made Ema feel sick to her own stomach. Hate and rage burned in her heart so deep that it was ingrained in the tissue.

"Ema?" Phoenix placed a hand on her arm. "Are you alright? I'm sorry to have been the one to let the cat out of the bag; I can see it was quite a shock to your system. It was never my intention to taint your vision of your boss. I honestly thought you knew."

The stress of the evening made her snap and she yanked out a packet of Snackoos from her bag and began to munch on them ferociously, trying to distract herself from her thoughts by focusing all her energy into reducing the snacks to less than crumbs inside her mouth, even though they tasted like nothing but sawdust.

"There's nothing for you apologize for Mr. Wright!" She declared furiously. " _I_ owe _you_ an apology for bringing us to _this_ restaurant instead of taking you to that authentic medieval fare place across town instead!"

"It's just as well you didn't." He tried to speak lightly, having no idea what he could possibly say to calm down the incensed Detective. "I can't be out too late tonight anyway, since I have to be at work for 9:00 at this new gig I picked up as a pianist for extra cash. It's this Indochine pasta joint, Alden Tae's."

"Well I'm gonna have to take you there for a true Middle Ages style feast the next time we get together." Her eyes were blazing. "I've heard they have a semi-authentic gift shop on the premises… Apparently I'm going to be needing to pick up one of those _little sticks with the ball bearing the sharp spikes around it_ for when I go into the office tomorrow…"

* * *

 _ **Dick Gumshoe and Ema Skye**_  
 _Criminal Affairs Department_  
June 15, 2026 8:30 AM

The police Chief didn't know what hit him the next morning when the door to his office was suddenly thrown open with a clang, revealing an infuriated Detective Ema Skye, who slammed her hands on his desk without preamble, chest heaving and eyes sparking.

"Chief Gumshoe I have a bone to pick with you!" Ema announced, her intense gaze boring into his. "You and I are supposed to be good friends...so I want to know _why_ you actively chose to withhold such a vital piece of truth from me, as if I were some sort of _child_ rather than a grown woman!"

"What are you talking about Pal?" The big man asked nervously, never one who knew how to handle irate females. "What truth did I withhold?"

" _How_ could you have tried to protect that glimmerous fop?" She demanded. "The man responsible for our dear mutual friend Phoenix Wright losing his badge! That was a vital piece of information you left out when you told me about his disbarring a few months ago!"

"S – Sorry Pal!" Gumshoe stammered, shrinking back against his seat under her withering glare. "I didn't want you to have animosity towards your superior in a job you already hated! And the two of you seemed like you were actually starting to _like_ each other…"

" _Like_ Prosecutor Gavin?" She laughed harshly. "I _tolerated_ him out of sympathy for what happened with his brother, but mark my words ...when I _get my hands on him_ …"

At that moment, Gumshoe's cell phone rang, and he saw that it was Maggey calling. Talk about being saved by the bell!

"That's the wife, Detective Skye." He was already inching out the door, smiling uncomfortably as he did so. "She probably just wants to go over some last-minute stuff for me to pick up on my way home for the big event. Maya's wedding is tomorrow, and our eldest son is ring boy and all… Sit tight, I'll be right back."

He ducked into an empty cubicle across the hall, leaving the fuming Ema behind, and had only been chatting about picking up the boys' suits from the dry cleaners for about a minute when suddenly there was a _horrible thud_ sound in his office… Along with a loud yelp of _excruciating_ pain!

" _Guten Morgen, Fräulein Detective_! I just came to drop off a file to the Chief on my way to work – wait, why are you holding that lamp in your hands like a baseball bat? _Ow_!"

"You lying, _fopping arschloch_! I _know_ what you did!"

Gumshoe felt alarm rising within him as he heard a ferociously loud cracking sound, almost as though _wood_ was splintering.

"What did I _do_?!" Klavier cried plaintively. " _Ouch_! My eye! _Fräulein_ _Detective_ what's gotten into you?"

" _Fop off_! Don't you _Fräulein Detective_ me!"

CRASH!

"Honey I gotta go!" The Chief said quickly. "I may have a potential _homicide in process_ I need to intervene on immediately!"

Throwing his phone into his pocket, he raced back into his office, just in time to see Klavier cowering behind the desk as Ema advanced on him menacingly, one tanned hand clamped against his eye.

" _Achtung baby! Not the face_!" The German screamed despairingly. "I'm in the arts!"

"Well I'll just have to break your _hand_ then, won't I! Say _Auf Wiedersehen_ to your air guitar career, you glimmerous fop!"

" _Hilfe_! She's out of control!" Klavier ran to cower behind Gumshoe, both men managing to duck just in time as the globe sitting on the Chief's desk went flying over their heads and smashed into the wall behind them, before shattering into smithereens.

" _Fop_ you!"

Gumshoe quickly grabbed the tiny little firecracker by the arms from behind, lifting her off the ground while she kicked her feet in the air and screamed obscenities in a combination of English and German at the distraught prosecutor.

"Chief put me down!" She thrashed wildly in his arms. "He _deserves_ it for what he did to Mr. Wright!"

"I am not letting you go until you calm down Detective!"

Despite her small stature, Ema was deceptively strong, especially when enraged. In spite of being held up in the air with her arms locked by her sides, she still managed to get in one last kick at her target, resulting in Klavier Gavin falling to the floor, moaning and writhing in agony.

 _Ouch_! The Chief winced in sympathy. _I hope Prosecutor Gavin wasn't planning on having children…_

"That one was for _lying_ to me!" Ema shouted, uncaring about the fact that she had potentially just made her superior _a eunuch_! "Not to mention trying to seduce me, while hiding the truth from me all this time!"

Gumshoe could barely keep a grip on the struggling female in his arms much longer. He needed backup – NOW!

" _Meekins_!" He bellowed. "Get your ass in here pronto! I need you!"

"You like singing pretty songs, fop?" Ema's face was red with fury as she continued to struggle. "How's _this_ for a song for you to remember me by? _When you see my face, Hope it gives you hell,_ _ **Hope it gives you hell**_ _!"_

 _A/N: This chapter was inspired by the works of the talented EstelRaca whose fan fictions never cease to tug my heartstrings!_

* * *

 _ **Rocío Dúrcal - Vestida de Blanco (Dressed in White - translated lyrics and edited for clarity in chapter quote)  
Juan Gabriel - Querida**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 141**

 **ChloboShoka**

I am finally on the final SOJ case and yet to start it but so far indeed it's been a roller-coaster of emotions – I've had my readers tell me this FF has given them a similar sensation of ups and downs – I hope though that none of them have sore digits! XD

I had a blast writing Klema and what could be simmering beneath – there's more of that chemistry/sexual tension mounting in the next chapter! :)

 **DannyDragon**

 _"I've never seen him pick his nose... or have a bout of flatus around me…does that count as one or two attributes? OK… this isn't so hard…"_

I am glad you got a kick out of that list _mi amiga musica_! I know not the scientific term for nose picking just farto mucho hence why flatus is all I had! LOL

Ema Sharona is such an underrated character – I love her so much in SOJ! And who couldn't love that tune and it's suggestive undertones and catchy beat? Her parents Heaven and Lee were undoubtedly acting out the song the night they conceived her at that Knack concert! :p

The future for Klema is stormy indeed... funny with a side of sad...after all TE IS a love story...

 **Chapter 143**

 **REVIEW OF THE WEEK**

 **(obviously drunk) Yanmegaman**

" _Sead fop walknig! dead fop wlkaing! Klaevir, hpoe you wenrt planning to to gte lucky antyime sooon. or lving. becaues you dead son"_

Kudos for even being coherent enough to get those names or words close to comprehensive pal! Dead...pretty close...how strong is Meekins if that tank that is Gummy can't even hold back that little firecracker? I may let the fop live...possibly as a vasectomy victim from the way I left things.. XD

 **DannyDragon**

Well...yes the creepy German sausage is in jail but ...his brother who indeed had it rough already, _almost_ had Ema...the future doesn't look too friendly as you see what she now thinks of him and his seduction attempts now Nick accidentally let that cat is out of the bag!

 **Chaos Lord Roscoso**

I'd like to think this story is 70% done by now but it always depends on chapter length – this one was longer as I am closing the Klema arc and we are purely back to Nick and Maya...and Apollo is back in the chapter after next! :)

Excellent noting of the AA dates dear reader...turnabout corner IS literally around the corner...

Forgreatcoffee

Yes the fop can be noble! I wanted to make him less despicable and give him some depth - he did go along with the whole jurist thing so he was somewhat cooperative right?  
If Ema hears you mocking her middle name prepare to be snackooed!  
Well read the next chapter and let me know if you think the fop is kicking himself for his missed opportunity harder than... ;)

 **Eveshowrtc**

You are so awesome and insightful and have fabulous taste in music – I hope more people get the pleasure of socializing with you as much as I do in cyberspace! :)

Yes the fop was a mondo DB to Nick in the games but in the end, against Polly in that last trial, you saw the genuine dismay and regret on his face as the ugly truth came tumbling out...I do think he has a conscience and would never wish harm on anyone! He's just too nice! I hope him seeing Nick was believable and seen as me fleshing out the character not making him too OOC!(every FF writer's nightmare!)

Salty and Sour with a side of HOT SAUCE was Ema to the fop when the truth came out – can you blame her though?! I can't imagine how duped I'd feel if I found out someone who'd been trying to charm the pants off me was responsible for such atrocity against a dear friend – and kept mum about it!

You're the second reader to know turnabout corner is around the corner...look out for some novelization of one of the biggest events in it to come up...also...lemme know when you play the game!

Can't wait to hear your Zepplin request...here comes Elton next!

Funny you mentioned the scientist – it's what thepudz used in our Yatagarasu work, _Say Hello To Yesterday!_ It indeed would be fitting here too! Great minds think alike! :)

 **chloemcg**

On final case of SOJ still not started yet but I am so stoked! Turnabout Time Traveller is out tomorrow! Woot!

I want to make Klavier as glaringly different as his despicable big brother as possible – how fitting that Apollo, Kristoph's own assistant sent him to jail, and then his baby sibling helped bring the final truth to light!

I think Nick was just snide enough to make Klavier feel lower than pond scum too! LOL

Glas you liked it! Ema does know the truth now...um...she took it as well as one would expect...the truth will always come out... I leave no lies unravel in this tale! You think this sighting of Nick was sad? Prepare the hankies for the next chapter! :(

Looking forward to seeing your aforementioned one-shot milady...on _your_ wall...where it belongs. :)

 **thepudz**

There are light bulbs less screwed than the fop right about now! I'm glad people seem to like him not sucking so much he didn't feel bad about what he did to Nick – who made sure he felt even worse as he was in pure passive/aggressive AJ mode! XD

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

My psychic friend – you are _always_ articulate! Edgy knew it wasn't Nick who made him a Barbie girl – but who can get mad at that adorable – GROUNDED magician? XD (you wanted to know what her fallout was for her naughty card trick – 2 weeks sentence with no internet is death for any teen!)

I loved when you said you felt the electric moment when Klema nearly kissed – these two have fabulous chemistry and I loved exploring it further!

Ugly you say? Well if being a recently practically vasectomized man counts as ugly...yes things were pretty much so when Ema found out the truth (nope Nick wasn't about to keep mum even if his spilling was accidental!) at last! I gotta stick with the canon after all...and in the games...Ema HATES him! It's almost a shame since he was trying to be noble and NOT kiss Ema while the truth wasn't out and he did care enough to check up on Nick – and as you said his list of woes to come didn't just end with losing his only brother... :(

And Nick was the perfect mix I feel of polite and passive aggressive! Glad you agreed with how I wrote that scene! :)

About Nick's love life...um...prepare for the feels for next chapter. _  
_  
 **Ilet Moratar**

Yeah either the fop overestimated his own charm or his frienship bond with Ema. She LIKED him but she LOVES Phoenix...and is indebted to him and that undid anything she felt for him.

KO...yup. Right to the mango...it's only juice now! XD

Miles is definitely more forgiving than Franny – I can't see her whipping Trucy but possibly Nick for laughing at the girly/Barbie pink "frilly fluttery napkin thingie!" :p

 **Feraligreater328**

I do enjoy writing the fop – and torturing him for what he unwittingly did to Nick is cathartic for me! XD

You wanted Ema's reaction bud – quite explosive, scientifically speaking... :p

 **SpiritsOfFire**

I'd like to think Klavier seems like a good guy overall...I wanted to make him worthy of Ema who is quickly becoming up there to Maya for me in lovability...he's just guilty of blind trust in the wrong peeo – him and Nick aren't so different are they?

I hope Ema's reaction was worth the wait! :p

It means a lot that even though you've gotten busy with life and school, you take the time to read and drop me a line, thank yo so much! :)


	145. Since I Lost You

_It seems in a moment, your whole world can shatter_  
 _Like morning dreams they just disappear_  
 _Like dust in your hand falling to the floor_  
 _How can life ever be the same_

 _'Cause my heart is broken in pieces_  
 _Yes my heart is broken in pieces_  
 _Since you've been gone_

 _It's all too easy to take so much for granted_  
 _But it's so hard to find the words to say_  
 _Like a castle in the sand the water takes away_  
 _How can life ever be the same_

 _'Cause my heart is broken in pieces_  
 _Yes my heart is broken in pieces_  
 _Since I've lost you_

 _Ooh now you'll never see_  
 _Ooh now you'll never know_  
 _All the things I planned for you_  
 _Things for you and me_

 _I held your hand so tightly_  
 _That I couldn't let it go_  
 _Now how can life ever be the same_

 _'Cause my heart is broken in pieces_  
 _Yes my heart is broken in pieces_  
 _Since you've been gone_

* * *

 _A/N: I haven't heard such hilarious reader feedback on a chapter since the Wrightworth reunion! It seems most of you got a kick out of Klavier being possibly castrated by Ema's boot to the groin! XD_

 _I never dreamed the day would come when I'd have to write reader replies related to the junk of a fictional male character in a completely non-sexual manner and in a non-love scene entailed chapter!_

 _Christ I love you guys! Best readers in cyberspace EVER! LOL_

 _I'm stoked to have some more time now to get this story going – this arc is pure Phoenix and Maya guys...the wedding is around the corner...and this will be a two chapter week! :)  
_

 _This chapter is dedicated to_ **Eveshowrtc...** _I hope you enjoy your Elton!_

 _Guys I love getting reader music requests...don't be afraid to let me be your FF DJ! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Forty Five:** **Since I Lost You**

 ** _ _ **Phoenix Wright**__**  
 _ _Wright Talent Agency__  
June 14, 2026 7:50 PM

The dinner with Ema had been a bittersweet experience.

On the upshot, Phoenix had been genuinely glad to have dear his old friend back, who he felt foolish for having been avoiding all this time, as she no longer painfully resembled his ex, as he'd initially feared. This had made him all the more happy to play catch-up. It had been uplifting for his morale to know that even though he'd found himself now astray – albeit mostly due to his own hand – from all his other old friends, steadfast Detective Skye would always have his back and had never stopped believing in him or his innocence. This was more comforting to his battered mind and wounded soul than any words could ever convey, something he intuitively sensed she'd known.

On the flip side, however, he was most chagrined to see that his unintentional slip of the tongue about Klavier had not only ignited Ema's fuse, but an inexplicable flash of pained betrayal in her eyes as well, which she hadn't been quick enough to hide. The knowledge that Phoenix was somehow responsible for causing such upset to someone he adored had made him feel even __worse__ than that heart-wrenching tune about the bride in a white dress being performed by the live mariachi band! In hindsight, he was eternally grateful he hadn't fully comprehended the words, __in spite of Jesse's repeated offers__!

The brunette's matchless fury hadn't quelled whatsoever after the newfound revelation about her boss, with regards to Phoenix's disbarring, making the pianist weary of being victim of the __not-so-metaphorical__ "killing the messenger" phrase, considering her present state of mind!

Ergo, the moment dinner had been consumed, rather than linger over coffee or dessert, as soon as Ema had paid the bill, he'd muttered some excuses about needing to run a quick errand before heading to his new pianist job, and it would be quicker for him to just zip over by foot instead of making her drive around in frenzied nighttime LA traffic, and had ducked out of the restaurant after giving his friend a quick hug, promising to keep in touch and meet up again in the very near future.

Then he'd headed home, wanting some time to himself to unwind from the emotional upheaval of the evening prior to commencing his premier moonlighting pianist shift at Alden Tae's. Phoenix was half speculating/half hoping the place was either full of tone-deaf patrons, or folks of unsophisticated musical palette who wouldn't mind his pitifully limited musical repertoire of movie themes and show tunes! After all, in the past 7 years, the only songs he'd taught himself to play in completion were: "She's Like The Wind" by Patrick Swayze, "Faithfully" by Journey, "Shape of My Heart" by Sting and of course the song that had started it all, "Grenade" by Bruno Mars.

He'd never performed any of those melodies ever again, save for the melody of the "Grenade" song (minus the personalized lyrics for, "I Would Break Every Law For You" of course).

All these tunes he'd played were inspired by the love of his life, who in less than 48 hours, would belong to another man, and begin the next chapter of a brand new love story, effectively closing the book on the Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey tale forever.

It was with a heavy heart that Phoenix Wright found himself with as he trudged into his empty home and flopped down at his desk, pulling out his slightly battered looking notebook, now mostly full with his completed reports of __The Pink Princess/Steel Samurai__ DVD series Maya had given him for Christmas 2024. He only had a couple of more episodes to go before his long ago promise to his former lover would be complete. He planned on sending it to her as a belated peace offering that he'd kept his word to her against all odds, and she would get it shortly after arriving back from her honeymoon.

But first and foremost, Maya would receive his letter. The very one he had promised Iris he would write, which would finally bring the truth of everything to light, once and for all.

Rummaging around in his bottom drawer, where it was hidden behind several old law files which he had never bothered filing away, Phoenix pulled out his journal, into which he had tucked away the half finished note baring his soul to a woman who, the day after tomorrow, would become Mrs. Longines Beaugosse.

Although he had fibbed to Ema about running an errand as an escape clause, he still would've needed to duck out early, as he genuinely __had__ needed to come home before heading out to the Indochine pasta joint, for he absolutely needed to finish that letter __tonight__.

Because it would be __this__ evening that Phoenix, at long last, sent Maya's long deserved explanation in the mail.

Trucy was at work that night, meaning he was in a completely silent household, which he'd initially thought would be welcomed, given his present state of mind, yet found the exact opposite to be true. In fact, for some reason, the ticking of the wall clock, in the dead stillness of the place, was making his already frayed nerves feel even __more__ shot! Without thinking, he reached for the stereo remote next to him and flicked it on, welcoming the soothing sound of music filling the room as he reflected on what to pen to the woman he'd never stopped loving.

Maya Fey…love of his life, and the centre heart of what he had now come to think of as the __Fey Triad__ , all who'd helped shape the man that he was today.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against his chair, his mind awash with fond memories.

* * *

The Fey triad had sheltered him, bathing him in its light and making him the strongest man he could be. It was because of their unity and faith in him that he had grown and matured and learnt what he had. And when his badge was taken away, when he had lost his purpose, it was Maya and Pearls and their belief in his innocence that had prevented a complete breakdown. It had been their support, albeit from the reclusive village of Kurain, which had given him the strength to keep his head high, to continue to show his face in public.

It had all started with Mia Fey.

Once upon a time, there had been a beautiful, courageous woman, with a heart of gold and a boundless supply of tolerance and trust, which was only matched by her passion for the law and justice. This saintly legal legend had taken a weak-willed, frail-minded, __pathetic crybaby__ of an art student under her well-manicured wing as her legal protégé, and awakened in him the inspiration to become the kind of man he had never even dreamed he could ever be.

Until Mia had come along, Phoenix ruefully acknowledged to have been a naïve, overly trusting sort… The type who had foolishly proffered his loyalty to people who were undeserving, like Dahlia Hawthorne, or just given it blindly to wayward souls like Larry Butz. It was chalked up to the simple fact that Phoenix had been foolishly sentimental to time, attempting to justify standing by his cumbersome friend, the unfortunate troublemaker, due how long he'd known him, even though Larry had repeatedly and thoughtlessly inconvenienced all those around him over the years more times than he could count!

Yet in spite of Phoenix's questionable taste in friends __and__ love interests, Mia __nevertheless__ had maintained enough faith in him to stand by his side. She'd remained as patient and encouraging as she'd been first in training him, and then as she allowed him to defend Larry at his trial, despite her own reasonable doubts about her understudy's capabilities!

His mentor's unequivocally bestowed belief in him had been what had helped change his mindset, and the way Phoenix regarded scenarios, as well as people. Mia had been the one who'd taught him to turn around his way of viewing things; to think outside the box, and not be married to his initial way of looking at situations, because a simpler solution could just be around the corner…

It had meant the world to him that in spite of his shaky beginning, Mia Fey had been confident enough to even tell her little sister that she believed Phoenix to be a legal genius, in spite of his greenhorn status, as it had proven her confidence in his capabilities, most of which had yet been unseen. She had seen brightness and unlimited potential in him, whereas up until then, others like Larry had seen him as a __pushover__ , and Dahlia had seen him as not only a __doormat__ but an utter __simpleton!__

Under Mia's protective wing, he had blossomed and grown, until she had been snatched away from him all too soon, leaving her devastated subordinate with no choice but to carry on her legacy, with the same values she had instilled in him, while never allowing his feelings to rise to the surface for anybody to easily pick up on them, which he'd learned long ago to control, at least __somewhat__.

 _ _I've gotten a bit__ _ ** _ **too**_**_ _ _good at not showing my emotions since I lost my badge, apparently. Now everyone just thinks I'm nothing more than some unfeeling, cold-hearted son of a bitch!__ He chuckled mercilessly to himself. __Nobody can read__ _ ** _ **this**_**_ _ _poker face!__

Mia, Maya...and lastly, there was Pearl.

Even now, merely thinking about the youngest Fey child he'd once known and loved as a daughter – whom he'd __never__ ceased seeing in such a way, although she would no longer have any reason to believe him - still brought a soft to his lips.

Little Pearl had been the epitome of innocence, like a physical representation of the unjustly condemned of the world who needed someone to stand up for them and protect them and defend them. Her wide eyes and sweet little smile never failed to tug his heartstrings. Her consistent faith in him as well as loyalty and love for Maya had endeared her to him permanently and he'd taken it upon himself to look out for her as well.

The most heartwarming thing about the pint-sized spirit medium had been that in spite of calling him "Mr. Nick", he'd sensed she had loved him as a father every bit as much as he'd loved her as a daughter.

He hadn't even really minded whenever she would slap him whenever she thought he had somehow wronged Mystic Maya – whom the precocious child had instinctively known was his "Special Someone" __long__ before even he and Maya had drawn that same conclusion! Heck, __somebody__ had had to smack sense into him every once in a while, and Miles Edgeworth had had __a day job__ , after all!

Pearl's virtuousness and unwavering belief in his goodness was all the incentive he'd ever needed to persevere through each and every trial, maintaining the steadfast morality and honesty Mia had already enforced in him.

 _ _I know I probably broke your heart when I broke up with Maya, Pearls.__ Phoenix shut his now stinging eyes. _ _I hope someday you're able to find it in your heart to forgive me. If only you knew that__ _ ** _ **you**_**_ _ _were the reason I thought I could be a father to another child.__

Yes, what Mia had started, Pearl Fey had completed. Pearl … and a magical little girl with a cherubic face and mischievous smile, who'd reminded him very much of the family of females he'd loved with all his heart.

Mia had created Phoenix Wright, the attorney, Maya and Pearls had helped him persevere through it all and Trucy… Well, Trucy Enigmar had transformed him, infused a wisdom and maturity in him that he didn't know he could have found otherwise.

 _ _It is the role of the parent to be the "rock" for their child, but never the other way around. Children may be "anchors," their needs and love keeping their parent grounded, but that is where the lines are drawn. When parents lean on children, unless the child has grown into a mature adult, damage is caused. It is not the natural order for support to go be given from child to adult, though their love may indeed be a kind of invisible healer. Children should not be weighed down with the worries of adults; concerns such as global warming they have no hand in and no way to cure. Children are the angels we tether by being stable. When parents are truly "grownups," children can enjoy childhood, growing to be joyous and loving; they are then ready to be good parents themselves having learnt from good examples. I haven't always led the greatest one, but I did the best I could. And for the record, Trucy sure as heck wasn't grateful the one time I__ _ ** _ **really**_**_ _ _put my foot down and__ _ ** _ **made an example**_**_ _ _out of her misbehavior! In fact, I do believe that infamous card trick of hers was what earned me the title of "Meanie Daddy"…  
__

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Trucy Wright  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency  
_ April 22, 2026

The day of reckoning had finally come, and Trucy could not stay away from her home any longer. She was presently having a staredown with the linoleum kitchen floor, hoping to conceal her chastened expression under the brim of her hat as the normally soft-spoken Phoenix unleashed his ire regarding her courtroom card trick.

"Trucy Hecate Wright, I want to know what the hell you were even __thinking__?!" The former defence attorney's face was red with ferocity. "Of all the __reckless, disobedient, illegal__ shenanigans to possibly have pulled… Not even __including__ the fact that you __deliberately defied__ me and were __at the courthouse in the first place__ , considering I __specifically__ told you __to go to school__!"

The magician shrank back against the wall. Never before had she seen her father so angry.

"Daddy, I'm sorry I disobeyed you!" She wailed helplessly. "But __come on__! You didn't really expect me __not__ to be there for you, considering the seriousness of the charges you were facing!"

"What I __expected__ was for the daughter whom I have been raising for nearly the last eight years to __respect__ me enough to __mind my words__ when given a specific order!" Phoenix bit out harshly. "I also would've expected her to not be __a teenage delinquent in the making__ by committing such an __insidious__ act of illegality! __Forging evidence__ , Truce? Seriously?! Of __all__ things?! Considering what happened to __me__?!"

"But Daddy – "

"But Daddy __nothing__!" Phoenix raised his voice. "Did you ever stop to consider what the consequences could've been to the both of us if you had been caught?! That kind young man that stuck his neck out to defend me could've lost __his__ badge as well, not to mention the fact that __your__ underage minor self could've done some time in juvenile hall… And they would've forgone a __hanging__ with me and probably just sent me straight to the electric chair!"

Trucy swallowed hard, trembling slightly at the biting tone. She knew she had made things worse by playing dodge ball with her father's texts and calls and staying out of the house the last couple of nights, but she never could have anticipated this level of fury, __two days later!__ She'd also fervently hoped that the joy of Prosecutor Edgeworth's surprise visit would have softened him somewhat - but evidently, not __enough__!

"That __didn't__ happen though, right?" She finally managed, staring at his irate face pleadingly. "Everyone seemed to believe it was real…"

"Yes, they did. By some grace of God, for the first time in ages, luck was on our side that Kristoph confessed to the crime and didn't speak of what he did with the real card, which he more than likely destroyed, nor did he further contest the validity of the evidence being forged."

The pianist threw his beanie on the kitchen table in agitation and began pacing the room.

"The other small bit of fortune that smiled upon us that day was the fact that we had that __pipsqueak nincompoop__ , Winston Payne, assigned as the prosecutor of the case, and that he was too much of an __incompetent nimrod__ to demand testing on that bloody Ace, after-the-fact…"

There was no need for Trucy to know what hand Miles Edgeworth had played in orchestrating __that__ miraculous coincidence on Phoenix's behalf!

"It wouldn't have mattered if he had or hadn't, Daddy," Trucy said quietly. "I may have made a reckless move, but I'm not completely careless or thoughtless in my actions. I assure you __nobody's__ ever going to know the truth about the card."

The teen's surprising confidence, even in the face of heated reprimand, startled Phoenix, the confusion evident in his voice as he asked the question.

"Nobody's ever going to know?" He echoed blankly. "How can you be so sure?"

"It's been too long to test for DNA, and the sample was too small for them to do any kind of conclusive testing, considering Kristoph Gavin confessed already. And even if they __did__ decide to use their resources and ordered what would be __unnecessary__ and __quite expensive testing,__ they would still find out that the blood type was the same as my biological father's." Trucy sniffled. "I looked into __all__ of this from the moment you got arrested. So please, forgive me for saying this, Daddy, but I __just can't__ trust the court system. I needed to make sure that nothing happened to you – you've endured enough hardship in your life already, __because of me!"__

The fact that his daughter was dubious about the very same judicial system which had betrayed him didn't disturb Phoenix as much as what she had just revealed.

"Because of __you__?" Phoenix repeated, forgetting his anger and halting his agitated strides, coming to an abrupt stop right before the sniffling magician. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Daddy, I owe you __the world__ ," Trucy whispered, steering imploringly into his bewildered expression. "Not only am I the biological child of the man that destroyed your life, who you have could easily left to rot in foster care but instead decided to raise as your own, but I'm also the __reason__ you lost your badge."

Her voice shook with barely suppressed tears.

"It's __my__ fault you got disbarred! If __I__ hadn't given you that stupid piece of paper, none of these horrible things would've happened to you! It's all __my__ fault you had everything taken away from you... followed by the burden of raising me on top of that…"

Phoenix was blown away at the words, wondering where he had gone wrong. His daughter was the greatest thing that ever happened to him. He told her every single day how much he loved her. How could she possibly think that he blamed her for __anything__ , or that she had been an encumbrance in any way, when she had been pulling her equal weight in the household including financially since she had been eight years old?

"Truce, you may have been the one to give me that diary page – but __I'm__ the foolish one who just __presented__ it without a second thought! I've never blamed you for that all!"

"That's very nice of you to say Daddy, but even if that's the case, you still sacrificed __everything__ for me!" Tears were rolling down her cheeks now. "You've never gotten married or tried to have children of your own! You put your __entire life__ on hold just because of __me__!"

Never before, up until that moment, had Phoenix known just how much guilt and self-loathing his normally bubbly and happy daughter carried within her. Underneath that constantly beaming visage was a scarred heart and pained soul she was always trying to mask while she continued to be bouncy and merry and appear to have the joy of life within her which could not be tamed. To discover it had been a façade all this time was like a stab to the heart.

 _ _With what little means I've had, I have always done my best to be there for her, shelter her, comfort her. There is nothing I wouldn't do to keep her safe from harm, but I cannot protect her forever. I can only be there when she falls and stand well back while she reaches for the stars.__

He couldn't remember a moment when he __hadn't__ loved being Trucy Wright's father. Sometimes they would be simply out walking together on a sunny day, and he would silently admire what a budding beauty she was blossoming into. The girl was like a snapshot out of time. He would see her chestnut hair blowing in the spring breeze, her youthful face turned toward the sun. In that cobalt magician hat and cape, which she had long ago swapped her pink one for (and he had always deemed to be a loyal nod towards Phoenix's former blue-suited glory) Trucy was definitely one of a kind. Some would say she was just a regular teenage girl or merely another magician in training, but to __him__ , she was the world itself, and without her, he would not have been able to even enjoy a simple flower or the rising sun.

"Baby girl…" His voice softened, his exasperation completely diminished now as he sought the words to comfort the broken teenager now openly weeping into her hands. "You know you're the best thing that ever happened to me, right? I have never resented or held you responsible in the least for my altered path in life. I no longer even blame the prosecutor that helped seal my fate. Please stop blaming yourself like this. It's tearing me apart."

"I can't help it!" She wept, raising her tear stained face up to him. "After all you've done for me, there was __no way__ I could let you risk losing your freedom and your __life__ above everything else! I couldn't lose both my daddies in one swoop! I couldn't let __you__ leave me, too! __Everybody__ always leaves me!"

"Oh, baby girl." He stepped towards the girl and pulled her into his arms. "I'm not going __anywhere__ , I promise it!"

"Everyone is __always__ leaving me!" Trucy's body shook with sobs as she buried her head against him. "Mommy left me, then Grandpa, and Uncle Valant, and Daddy..."

"I'm so sorry." Phoenix stroked her silky tresses while his daughter soaked his sweatshirt with her anguished tears. "I only lost my badge…but you have suffered even more than I have. You've lost so much more in your young life than I ever did."

"I always hoped someday to see my biological father again." Trucy pressed her wet face against his shoulder. "Just __one__ more time! But I didn't even get to say goodbye to him because that horrible German man made Daddy Zak…go away… and then it seemed like I was going to lose __you__ too! I didn't want to be all alone!"

"I have tried so hard to fill the void he left behind." Phoenix murmured, his heart aching. "I'm so sorry I couldn't give you a Mommy and a family to help make up for the one you lost. I've tried so hard to be a mother and father to you, baby girl. I – I'm sorry if it wasn't enough."

His voice broke then.

"I was a young bachelor when I met you, and didn't know the first thing about being a father. I know I didn't have much to give you Truce, but I did the best I could. I really did."

"Not __enough__?!" Trucy reluctantly pulled away from the comforting shelter of his arms and stared up at him in disbelief. "Daddy, you can't be serious?!"

"A precious gem like you must have faced so much backlash, from kids, their parents, bullies, even teachers, because you're the daughter of a disgraced forging attorney – and _then_ I became a suspected murderer, to boot." Phoenix sunk down into a chair at the kitchen table and dropped his distressed head in his hands. "If __anyone__ has had to endure hardship because of another, it was __you!__ Because of __me__ , you could never hold you head up in pride."

"Daddy, no!" She rushed up to him, attempting to pry his hands away from his face so she could look at him. "That's not true! Listen to me! In the wild storm that was my life, in the wind that howled, __you__ were the gentle centre. And so I come to rest at your side. Sure, I could see the watchers that disapprove and the judgement they felt so entitled to. I wonder what they would have me do - lift the world in one arm? Push back the tide with only my mind? Because what they expect is equally impossible."

She perched herself on his lap, just as she had countless times as a little girl, and kissed his stubbly cheek.

"Every person needs a harbour, a secure attachment of love - for without one we are in such pain, so lost, shutting down. Then life becomes a torture we are expected to endure, surviving, not living. Were it not for you, Daddy, there would be no relief, no emotional morphine. You're both my Daddy _and_ my Mommy. You are my hero and my heroine, and the only family I've needed or will ever need! I am so proud to be your daughter – for every reason that is pure and right. You are safety and love, an anchor I hold onto, that I tether myself to because I want to. So to hell with those watchers who've always had plenty, who have never felt the brutal sting of dismissal or abandonment, the kind that shatters all emotional bonds. Such is a life sentence of loneliness and pain they have never known. I tell those jerks to take their narrow-minded opinions and judgements and _just shove it_!"

Phoenix laughed at the end of the heartwarming speech as he felt the ache in his chest slowly subsiding at the loving words of reassurance he hadn't even realized he'd so desperately needed to hear.

 _ _A daughter is a precious gift, just as precious as any son. She is a wonder just as great, a person in her own right. She is not a vessel for family pride, but a person born equal to men. She is entitled to make as many mistakes as any other and still be a full recipient of family love. She is not property to be coveted, she is a sacred being under God, a blessing in full measure, as are we all.__

"You are the greatest kid in the world, you know that?" The pianist chuckled and gave his daughter a hug. "If you ever stop being a miracle working magician, Trucy Wright, you should consider being a speech writer instead. You've actually convinced your old man that despite not being able to give you everything money could buy, you still didn't feel as though you were lacking for much being raised by me."

"You took in a scared and lonely little girl who was left behind like a stray puppy on your doorstep, something few others would have done in the same situation." Trucy smiled adoringly at him. "You could have just left me as a ward of the state, and at the mercy of the foster care system, but you never did that. Instead you gave me warmth, consistent love and patience. That is why I adore you so much, why my nature trusted you before my mind could too. In time, I have mostly healed, because affection is real help. You're not perfect by any means, but I never __wanted__ you to be! You are irreverent, funny, real as hell and perfect with your idiosyncrasies. I am bound and free, flying and grounded, laughing and genuinely happy, and all because of __you__. As a magician, I perform illusions that people perceive as miraculous, but perhaps it is __you__ that performs the true miracles, Daddy."

Her shoulders slumped then, and she suddenly looked dejected all over again.

"I though I was helping you when I gave you that piece of paper, just as I thought I was helping you with that bloody ace, but it seemed like it was just a fluke that my second attempt at doing a good deed actually didn't fail this time! Seems I'm always going to end up disappointing you or failing you, Daddy. Why do you even bother with me?"

The ex-attorney lovingly patted the magician's wet cheek.

"Trucy, I've known you nearly half your life now. I've watched you grow from a tiny tot into an incredible young woman. I know you, the real one inside, not the one you show the world. You have a contagious smile and infectious energy that brings happiness to everyone who comes across your path. You're no more perfect than I am, but believe me when I say the good far outweighs the bad."

"But I get frustrated and emotional! I get angry, I forget what you said and I mess up all over again."

Phoenix held her gaze and smiled tenderly.

"Trucy, I am your father, I love you unconditionally, and that will never change. You are human like the rest of us and you make mistakes. You will continue to make them too, as do I. But what's so special about you is that you own them, feel the hurt and force the pain to make you better so that you light up the lives of everyone around you the way you light up mine."

The teen snuffled slightly and buried her head in his neck while he marveled at this incredible young woman, now teetering on the brink of womanhood, that he'd raised.

"Baby girl, it is my honor to be your parent. When you came along, my world changed and filled with love for you, my precious child. It is for me to defend you, to care, to help you mature into who you were born to be - not a small version of myself, but your own self."

The poker champion hugged her close, and she nuzzled against his chin.

"It is my God given duty to protect you from harm, yet it is your right to take your own reigns and judge your own risks as soon as you are able. I pray that my care of you leaves you able to be autonomous, to have control of your own life, able to fully love and care for those blessed to share life with you. I hope so. Just know my love for you is unconditional, and eternal, that it will always be in the ether to comfort your heart should you ever have need. You are the internal light of my life, Trucy Wright. You are my daughter, and I am your father, and I love you with all my heart. Don't you ever forget that."

"Oh Daddy!" Trucy cried as a fresh wave of tears overcame her, this time ones of joyful emotion. She wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I'm so sorry I was a bad girl and didn't listen to you! I didn't mean to break the law! I love you so much!"

Father and daughter remained nestled together in silence for several moments, enjoying the precious bond they shared.

"I forgive you, Truce," he murmured. "I have no doubt your intentions were only to secure my safety, even if you did pull an illegal naughty magician's trick to do it."

Phoenix rocked the teen gently in his arms as he cradled her on his lap, and she rested her satiny head against his chest, his heart so filled with love at that moment, he thought it would burst.

"Just one more thing, Trucy."

"Yes, Daddy?"

"You're still grounded for the next two weeks."

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _  
Wright Talent Agency_  
June 14, 2026 8:00 PM

Alone now in the office, Phoenix laughed out loud as he recalled the look of stupefied indignation in Trucy's expressive eyes when she'd discovered that as much as her father loved and forgave her well-intended trespasses, she was __still__ going to be punished for them! He was positive even the neighbors __three floors down__ had heard her plaintive yowl of protest.

Ah, Trucy. His little angel and hellion rolled into one. But he would always love her, regardless of what role she played.

 _ _My daughter is an eagle. My daughter is a fish swimming up river. My daughter is young lioness on the prairies. I used to think of her as a flower waiting to bloom, or a delicate spring leaf, but she is so much more. She has her own wings, her own propulsion and her own inner strength. It isn't that she has shed her vulnerabilities, as I know where they all are, but she has her own future to stride toward. It's time for me to adapt, to no longer walk each path in front of her unless she asks me to. Instead I need to let her travel alone, making sure she knows where to find me.__

His spirits still bolstered somewhat at the poignant memory with his daughter, Phoenix turned back to the partially completed letter, lost in thought about what to write next, just as the music playing on the radio suddenly caught his attention.

It was Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues."

* * *

 _ **Don't wish it away  
Don't look at it like it's forever  
Between you and me I could honestly say  
That things can only get better**_

 _ **And while I'm away**_  
 _ **Dust out the demons inside**_  
 _ **And it won't be long before you and me run**_  
 _ **To the place in our hearts where we hide**_

 _ **And I guess that's why they call it the blues**_  
 _ **Time on my hands could be time spent with you**_  
 _ **Laughing like children, living like lovers**_  
 _ **Rolling like thunder under the covers**_  
 _ **And I guess that's why they call it the blues**_

 _ **Just stare into space**_  
 _ **Picture my face in your hands**_  
 _ **Live for each second without hesitation**_  
 _ **And never forget I'm your man**_

 _ **Wait on me girl  
Cry in the night if it helps  
But more than ever I simply love you  
More than I love life itself**_

 _ **And I guess that's why they call it the blues**_  
 _ **Time on my hands could be time spent with you**_  
 _ **Laughing like children, living like lovers**_  
 _ **Rolling like thunder under the covers**_  
 _ **And I guess that's why they call it the blues…  
**_

* * *

 _ _Good grief!__ The spiky-haired man slammed his pen down onto his desk and glared at the speakers that were still blaring the lyrics which were a bit too close to home for his liking. Normally the Knighted Englishman was one of his favourite musicians, but in the grand manner of life having a cruel sense of humor, it seemed Phoenix was destined to be tortured by depressing music, plagued by it not only in __restaurants__ but in his own __home__ as well! __Can't I catch a break from musical hell, just__ _ ** _ **once**_**_ _ _?!__

Normally, the pianist had nothing but happy memories, now bittersweet, of the British performer, whose works Maya had absolutely adored as well. Thanks to her childlike enthusiasm for cartoons, children shows, and all things Disney, Phoenix knew every single lyric to __The Lion King__ soundtrack, especially "The Circle of Life" and "Can You Feel The Love Tonight."

He could still hear his ex's cheery voice, gaily singing along with Timon and Pumba in his mind as she twirled laughingly around the room.

 _ _Oh Maya__. He left out a wistful sigh. __The day after tomorrow, you're going to be a married woman. I wonder what you're up to right now…  
__

* * *

 ** _ _ **Maya Fey**__**  
 _ _Fey Manor__  
June 14, 2026 8:00 PM

It had been a mistake deciding to play Elton John in her current melancholic mood.

In less than 48 hours, she was going to be Mrs. Beaugosse. The prestigious wife of a celebrity billionaire. Maya should have been celebrating at the suggested Jack and Jill party Longines had wanted them to have together. She had stubbornly vetoed the offer, also refusing to bother having a bachelorette party, yet insisted her fiancé enjoy his own stag party with his male friends that night. She had reassured her future husband that she would be perfectly fine enjoying some peace and solitude on her penultimate night in her home as a maiden, and simply spend the evening relaxing in blissful contemplation of their new life looming just over the horizon.

So Longines was out partying at his bachelor party that night, while Maya remained holed up in her room, laying on her bed and staring at the ceiling, lost in agonizing nostalgia while listening to the heart-rending lyrics of a musician she normally adored, and lamenting about how every verse seem to remind her of her ex-boyfriend.

 _More than anything, I yearn to say that I no longer think of Nick, but it would all be a lie. How I wish I could call him and start a stupid conversation the way we used to do. How I long to ask him something ridiculous, like does he like cats, like what does he think of my favourite colour purple... like **does he still love me**? Did he **ever**? Did he ever **really love me at all**? How I want to sit on his bed and rest my head on his chest and listen to the sound of his heartbeat. Or sit on the floor of his room and let him kiss me and let him kiss me and let him kiss me until I'm breathless. Oh, how I wish to go back to the beginning, to the first fateful day when he approached me – I wish I'd been able to just up and leave so he'd never told me his name and I'd never told him mine._

* * *

 _ **I can't light no more of your darkness**_  
 _ **All my pictures seem to fade to black and white**_  
 _ **I'm growing tired and time stands still before me**_  
 _ **Frozen here on the ladder of my life**_

* * *

Maya had never been the type to be impacted deeply by music before, but this particular song struck a chord within her heart she hadn't even known existed up until then.

 _In the end, I couldn't make you happy, Nick. You must deal with your own pain and find a way out of it. Apparently our love lost the vibrant colors it once had...your pain at times was too taxing on me and ultimately, our love could not continue to grow, therefore I'm stuck in this nowhere place and can't go forward and refuse to go back. I didn't ever want to want to give you up, but where am I suppose to go now? What choice did you leave me?_

"Maybe," she said aloud, looking heavenward and thoughtfully tapping her chin with her finger. "I'm just being influenced by the glumness of this song because I was so sad that he hurt me. Maybe I'm still sad because I was convinced he wouldn't. Maybe I'm sad just because I'm a _sad, emo headcase_ , or maybe it's because I've lost something I gave away so willingly, that now I'll never get back. Maybe I'm sad because I lost a part of myself when I lost him."

* * *

 _ **Too late to save myself from falling**_  
 _ **I took a chance and changed your way of life**_  
 _ **But you misread my meaning when I met you**_  
 _ **Closed the door and left me blinded by the light**_

* * *

 _I'm already there and there's no going back from the pain I feel from losing you – falling off the proverbial ladder which you would insist was a stepladder. I changed you by being in your life just as you changed me. We all get something out of our relationships - they make us changed, whether it's good or bad, they make us evolve because we always take something away and leave something behind with that person. Misread meanings - that's tricky because it's individual, but sometimes we all will hold back when we are in an exciting relationship and may not share our true intentions for whatever the reason. You may pretend to be someone you are not to hold onto that person, then if you fall in love, you realize you should have just been yourself and avoided the entire situation. But not knowing how the other person may feel…you're still lost. Kicked out the door and reality is the light; hits you in the face like the night headlights on a fast, out of control approaching vehicle, zipping towards you. You don't expect the impact, and even if you get out of way in time, you still and feel as though you've been run over anyway._

Maya got up from her bed walked over to her window, steering sightlessly up at the starlit sky, looking to the universe to give her some sort of sign, some sort of assurance that these tumultuous emotions she was feeling, this close to her wedding day, were normal, and expected, and completely OK. She heard the quivering in her voice as she continued to muse aloud.

"Even now, I can admit it – Nick was so easy to love. He made me safe. When he held my hand, it was like I were flying. When he kissed my face, I felt like I could fly. He made crossing the road feel like an adventure; with his hand on the small of my back. He laughed at things easily, he was soft, gentle, kind. He understood when I was quiet, and when I was loud. He listened. He listened to my words, and he listened to my silence. _'Come here,'_ he would say, with his arms open wide, and without hesitation, I would always go. _'Stay,'_ he would beg, and I would stay and I would stay and I would stay."

* * *

 _ **Don't let the sun go down on me**_  
 _ **Although I searched myself, it's always someone else I see**_  
 _ **I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free**_  
 _ **But losing everything is like the sun going down on me**_

* * *

 _Letting the sun go down on me is putting me in darkness, an empty void-black hole. Searching oneself, but seeing someone else-self-deception-someone you really don't want to be-or rather be. Fragment of your life to wander free. I think this is one of the most beautiful lines because it is telling the person that they are willing to let them be who they are, regardless-whatever their "dark side" is, they will accept it, but only a fragment, because too much of it would bring them too much pain since the love is deep._

Maya gave her head a firm shake, trying to shake these forlorn thoughts from her mind, which had no damn business being there two nights before her wedding to another man, and she desperately wished there was somebody she could confide to about the sudden kaleidoscope her mind had suddenly become.

* * *

 _ **I can't find the right romantic line**_  
 _ **But see me once and see the way I feel**_  
 _ **Don't discard me just because you think I mean you harm**_  
 _ **But these cuts I have they need love to help them heal**_

* * *

 _I'll never find the words to tell you what you mean to me; to bring you back. But all you'd ever have to do was look at my face and see the love and pain. So many times, I'd feel like saying, "don't mistreat me because you don't want my advice, which you refuse to accept." The last line is amazing and so perfect as a finale: You need to love me because I'm in pain too, from my own past hardships, and my cuts need healing as much as yours, **so don't be so freakin' selfish!** Love is about all of it-joy, pain, passion, rejection, anger, lust, raw wounds that can't be mended and searching for that soul mate. If you find them it's never easy, but you learn that no matter what-you will make it last throughout all of it. At least, I think that's Elton's message...anyway, just my take on it…_

The unexpected knock at her door startled her out of her reverie, and she hurriedly shut off the sorrowful song before flinging the door open to find Mystic Matilda standing there, an artfully engraved wooden box in her hands, and a serene expression on her face.

"I hope you didn't turn Elton John off on my account," the village elder smiled. "He's long since been a favorite of mine, although I must say that was a pretty moony musical track for bride to be playing when she's supposed be getting married the day after tomorrow."

"I was playing his greatest hits CD, and that song happened to be on there, and despite it's somewhat gloomy vibe, I decided to let it play. It wasn't necessarily a reflection of _my_ current state of mind whatsoever." Maya knew she sounded defensive, even to her own ears, and she cursed herself for sounding so unnecessarily defiant to one of the few elders who had actually shown her an ounce of kindness since she had become Master. "Anyhow, I must say this is a most pleasant, although unanticipated visit. What brings you here at this late hour?"

"I figured you would have enough things on your mind to worry about the actual night before the wedding, so I wanted to give you what I hoped would be your something blue and something old tonight," Matilda explained, placing the treasury, made of a gorgeous rich walnut, into Maya's hands. "Assuming of course, you don't already have something?"

The older woman caught the blank expression on the future bride's face and eyed her quizzically.

"You do have _something old,_ and _something new_ , _something borrowed,_ and _something blue,_ do you not, Mystic Maya?"  
 **  
**Maya was completely caught unaware by the question, as innocuous as it was, and bit her lip as she contemplated it.

"I was going to wear my mother's wedding dress, so that could have been my something old, but that idea got…axed," she muttered, not without a trace of bitterness. "So as far as the bridal check list goes, my wedding dresses is new, and Sister Bikini is lending me a pair of satin gloves as my something borrowed, but I guess I'm still wanting for the something blue and something old."

"Well it's a good thing I got here when I did then. The items in the pyxis itself were requested to be delivered to you by the good Sister herself, but as you know, her ailing back makes it difficult for her to make the trek all the way down from Hazakura Temple especially on these cool nights, so she sent me instead," Matilda explained. "The case itself and one of the items in it is actually courtesy of Mystic Mia, while the other piece in there is bequeathed by Mystic Misty."

"Mom? Sis?" Maya blinked in curiosity as she slowly lifted the lid, her eyes widening with surprise as a she realized that it was also a music box, and immediately recognized the hauntingly beautiful melody as it began to play, reminiscent of a lullaby Mia used to sing to her as a young girl. "How did Sister Bikini have anything left of theirs in her possession? I'd assumed that I had inherited everything from their estates when they passed?"

The question had come out as slightly rude, which had not been her intention, but rather than appear affronted by it, Mystic Matilda only smiled more broadly, after only the briefest moment of hesitation.

"It was requested that these items specifically be given to you for your wedding day," the elder answered carefully, looking away before Maya could scrutinize her expression. "I'd love to see you try them on, if you don't mind."

Inside the satin lined chest was a magnificent bracelet, comprised of natural freshwater white pearls and a floral mother of pearl clasp, which Matilda explained had once belonged to Mia. Maya admired its delicate prettiness, which looked as though it were made for her wrist.

However, it was the second item, an exquisite sapphire and diamond halo ring, which took her breath away. Crafted in lustrous white gold, the ring featured an oval-cut sapphire gemstone in the centre and 28 round-cut, buttercup-set diamonds shimmering along the band. It fit perfectly on the ring finger of Maya's right hand, as Matilda tilted her head to the side and studied the Master's expression while she admired her new adornments.

"That ring belonged to Mystic Misty. It was given to her by your father when they were betrothed," the elder told Maya. "It was her engagement ring. I know she would be very happy to have you wearing something that was so precious to her on your special day."

"I love it." Tears of emotion sprung as Maya trailed her fingertips over the stones. "I love both of them. These pieces of jewelry - they're all I have left of my mother and sister. I _never_ want to take them off."

"There's a note in the jewelry box as well," Matilda added gently, noting the younger woman's welling eyes. "It's from Mystic Mia. She always intended it to go with this bracelet. I don't wish to intrude on your privacy when you read it though, so I shall wish you a good night and see you in the morning. Till the morrow, Mystic Maya."

"Good night, Mystic Matilda." Maya offered the elder a watery smile. "I was feeling sentimental, and a little bit alone tonight, for some reason. Also, I was dreadfully missing people who were very dear to me and are no longer in my life. I thank you so very much for giving me these at the perfect time."

"I understand." There was a compassionate look in Matilda's dark orbs. "It's a bittersweet experience, getting married, yet having such a commemorative occasion looming ahead without your loved ones being present. But just know that they are always watching over you, my dear, and as long as you carry them in your heart, they are never truly gone."

With the music box still playing in the background, Maya carefully unfolded the piece of paper hidden in the top, satin-lined drawer, noting with confusion that rather than looking slightly aged, as her beloved sibling had been gone for a decade now, both the ink and the paper of the letter itself looked as if it had only been written _recently_ , despite immediately recognizing the authenticity of Mia's elegant penmanship. She raised her head again to inquire about this inexplicable mystery, but saw her doorway was empty now. Matilda was gone.

Sinking down to her bed, the Kurain leader read Mia's final message to her. It was as incredibly touching as it was slightly eerie, as though her sister had somehow prophesied that she would no longer be on earth by the time Maya got this letter.

* * *

 _ **My beautiful baby sister,**_

 _ **I remember how you used to love the lullaby I used to sing to you as I rocked you to sleep in my arms every night.**_

 _ **Even though I know you'll be a grown woman now by the time you read this, I hope you still appreciate the sentiment of these lyrics, because as you listen to the music within the box I had made especially for you, you'll always remember that I'm always with you, and never feel like you're truly alone.**_

 _ **"Message"**_

 _While you're in trouble, I've made this "message"_  
 _sent to you suddenly in the deep night._  
 _It's okay even if it's just sometimes, as I said,_  
 _I'll always be by your side._  
 _Even if it's unbearable, even when full of regret,_  
 _while you give a sigh, still try to move forward._  
 _And if you believe in your future,_  
 _even when your heart won't go, don't forget._  
 _After the tears have passed, give a smile._  
 _Even on days when you're lost and have stood still,_  
 _feel beloved as when I'd want to hug you._  
 _Tomorrow is surely waiting for you, so don't give up._  
 _Bit-by-bit, draw closer toward your dream,_  
 _and let's watch the light together._

 _ **No matter how old you get, Maya Fey, I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.**_

 ** _All my love,_  
** _ **Mia**_

* * *

The noisy sobs echoed through the empty house, prompting the concerned Pearl, who'd been coming down the hallway, to immediately rush to her cousin's room, stopping just by the door, which was still open. Peeking in, she spotted the Master of Kurain lying face down on her bed, her body shaking with the force of her weeping, and a sheet of paper clenched in her hand in a grip so tight, it appeared she would never let it go.

The sight of the most important person in her life shedding such heartbroken tears right before what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, was nearly the teen's own undoing. Never before had Pearl felt more morose or helpless. Channelling Mia was out of the question - Maya had repeatedly refuted the offer to have her sister be there at her nuptials, saying that she refused to disturb Mia's eternal slumber, although the teen had her own suspicions of the true, underlying reason her guardian didn't want her big sister present at this particular point in her life.

Therefore, as much as Pearl knew something wasn't right when a bride was crying herself to sleep right before her own wedding, she also knew there was absolutely nothing she could do about it either.

It was the worst feeling in the world.

As tears of sympathy filled her own eyes, the spirit medium quietly pulled the door shut, allowing the room's occupant her entitled privacy and tiptoed away with a heavy heart, instinctively knowing it was best for Maya not to know that she had seen her.

* * *

 _ **Genesis - Since I Lost You (Chapter qoute)  
**_ _ **Elton John - I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues  
**_ _ **Elton John - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me  
**_ _ **Rachel Rhodes/Rei Yasuda - Message (English Translation from Gyakuten Saiban Anime Ending 2016 Season 1)**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 144**

 ***Review of the week***

 **Eveshowrtc**  
Yeah I'm 5 ...I love making flatus funnies...how great is it my readers think it's a gas! The fact that you knew about this fart pill makes you _so_ freakin' awesome sauce! Apparently I need to fire my husband from fact checking – it was indeed invented by the French – but the Germans surely could benefit from sweet smelling flatus too, _ja_? Regardless, thanks for being my _fart fact_ checker, I've since gladly attributed the correct creators of sweet creating flatus their due diligence! XD

And I am delighted my gay bar joke about "tasty sausage" which sounds so much prettier in Spanish as does nearly everything, didn't get lost in the shuffle with everything else!

I simply wanted a way to draw attention to Nick's newly muscled physique from AJ onward and hence it being the excuse for needing a new suit to go with his new superman curl...he's too buff for that old thing, yo!

I love expanding on AA relationships beyond romance...in AJ if I'm not mistaken it was alluded that Ema hates the fop for what he did to Nick...so I thought why not build on it and show why he meant so much to her in the first place? Ema is so great and underused...and such a beauty in AA6. My husband has a crush on her that nearly rivals mine on Nick which is saying a lot seeing as how I've spent 1.5 years of life Wrighting about him! XD

Yup, Trucy got 2 weeks of grounding for that card trick plus being cut off from her cyber BF Dylan whom Pearl hooked her up with, so Nick had to go into Meanie Daddy mode. But Miles is such a softy under that lofty exterior – I can so see him being a sucker for little girls – look how loving he was with Kay! :)

I'm glad it wasn't a one-sided fight – as much as these two men are loved by me, it's because they are so similar but separate – and bring out the best and worst in one another at times. Both of them were not in the wrong...but am assuming most of my readers wished Nick would run after Maya which is all Miles wanted him to do but noooo Nick is in AJ ass mode! Besides...hard to run after your ex with a bum ankle... :p

As for your Jesse origin theory...you're so astute Ima just say you're Wright as usual ;)

Phoenix doing a Brooklyn accent was because his imposter Furio the Tiger sounded like a New York mobster ...and Jesse was indeed intended to be some comic relief for what I know was a tense chapter. Glad he did his job!

Men and women are so different...Nick has been yelled at enough (justifiably for most part though!) by Miles enough I figured he needed a comforting friend this time. The poor guy is an emo-head case more so than usual, already with Maya's wedding around the corner!

Alas, as I am for the most part manipulating the canon, I had to make Ema start hating the fop and of course, turn the insult into comical cursing! Look for more explosions between Klema...such as they are now, anyway!

Yeah Gummy for doing his job but...how strong is Enraged Ema if the tank man can't hold her? I guess Meekins was his go-to because he's so easy to spare in case he gets killed in the crossfire? XD

Please never apologize for your reviews...you're my review of the week on a regular basis for a reason...whenever Yanmegaman isn't drunk that is! ;p

 **Ilet Moratar**

That mango is a bloody pulp thanks to the hard boots of the furious Detective!

I am so grateful to you once again for the wonderful song selections everything sounds so much more beautiful in Spanish does it not?

Writing Phoenix as being the jerk that Capcom made him in Apollo Justice was very hard for me and I only just reunited these two just have Phoenix push Miles away for trying to help him get off his rear end and run after Maya! Don't worry these two are brothers from other mothers who always forgive one another... Miles will be back faster than you could say _Objection_!

And now this is Phoenix Wright he is fortunes fool... of course you would have to suffer the indignity of not only having the same mocking busboy one month later but also having to listen to not one but two tragic songs to rub salt in his wounds! Will there ever be light at the end of the tunnel for the poor man?

 **Luffy**

I hope you got the version I sent your mom with the pictures of Phoenix actually and nothing but that towel! Definitely got my creative juices flowing shall we say...lucky Lester! ;)

I am so delighted you found the humor with tasty sausages! Lol

When I was looking up potentially funny names for a Mexican restaurant that one just jumped out at me I thought it would be a great way to add to the comedy of my previous chapters showing the two best friends where Phoenix was knocking everybody who thought that they were a gay couple! He meant no offense but having a grumpy grounded teenage daughter as well as the stress of my upcoming wedding and lack of sleep must really be getting to the poor guy!

 _Dios Mio_ ….jail over not paying a meal! _Gah_! Praise the Lord I always have my own money! I cannot do that to Phoenix can you imagine what would be done with that beautiful behind of his if I sent him to prison... dishpan hands was the worst torture I could do to him as I have already made him suffer enough in my story!

Your mother told me that I have chosen two things that she is not good at hairdressing and singing which even makes it funnier than the concept of Edgeworth having cotton in his ears if he were to actually hear her sing! XD

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Now that the reviewon the site is fixed I was so excited about posting the closing arc to Klema – probably my most dramatic one I awhile! XD

You were the only one to ask about Trucy's aftermath for her trial trickery, and now you know! I love Edgy being protective Uncle Miles – I have a head canon he's a secret softy with kids, especially little girls! :)

And absolutely as is tradition of most my chapters, it was named after a famous song, in this case yes the indelible Pat Benetar – nice catch bud!

It's OK if you found Jesse's resurfacing against the odds amusing – it was indeed me trying to lighten up what was a very tense and dramatic chapter indeed! Nick is not allowed to be ignorant to his BFF's pain despite not speaking or understanding Spanish – that meddling busboy was there to ensure besties who suffer together STAY together! XD

I'm glad Ema's assault potentially rendering the fop sterile came across as comical as I intended! Nah, no stilettos needed – she's too practical a flatfoot for those – but what are spike heels compared to rage and betrayal? She probably thinks he was just trying to butter her up with the seduction route so she wouldn't freak out when she found out her potential love interest screwed over her darling pal, Phoenix! She may have _liked_ the fop but she _loves_ Phoenix – he's not only her hero but her friend, one of the few the poor girl has with Edgy being so distant!

I have tried very hard to portray these law buddies as similar but separate – they have a lot in common – loyalty to those they love, as well as the law – but still so different. Edgy is a more calm and harder to ruffle (cravat notwithstanding!) and less talk, more action, and shows less emotion as he tends to think _before_ he acts. Nick is way more emotionally driven and an _act_ first, _think_ later man, except for in AJ, when we had no idea WHAT he was thinking under that poker-faced veneer.

The old Nick would have fought for Maya I think...but he's so badly damaged now...sure he's cried it all out more than Edgeworth has over his loss but...I am aware that in this instance, Nick was being every bit the passive, stubborn jerk his best friend accused him of being by not questioning anything and trying to be noble.

Would Maya be mad at him for not telling her sooner? I don't know...her ex thinks she's moved on from him and is happy with said presumable gay betrothed...wouldn't she be more pissed that he was presumptuous enough to assume after all this time has passed, it would even matter? I've been married almost 3 years now and I was beyond irked at the gall of an ex calling me up to let me know his dog died...why was so arrogant he'd even think this was relevant for me to care to know anymore? I guess we won't know how the bride will react since she's going down that alter without knowing a damn thing about her ex's silence, valor...or vehicle involved accident...

 **Chaos Lord Roscoso**

Hmmm...well I _did_ tell my readers to take heed of dates...and I see _you_ have gone above and beyond that and also taken note of the AA timeline! Nice! Nick got hit by that car about 9 PM June 14...very shortly after dinner with Ema. Hmm...and _Turnabout Corner_ commenced with Apollo back on the scene with Trucy on June 15 in the morning...yet be some _remarkable_ _coincidence_ , Maya is set to wed at 10 AM June 16... Surely these dates are all not correlated or have any  
significance to the plot? ;)

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

The fact that you're still a loyal reader after all this time means the world to me so I may forgive you for not reviewing sweetie! XD

Man you're too cute!

Yup, Maya gets married June 16 at 10:00 AM...

 _Achtung Baby_! The fop possible can't have little foppers now...thanks to Ema's scientifically strategically placed foot! Damn and he was _thisclose_ to wooing her!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

I think the fop is lucky Ema didn't make good on her spiky ball – aka m _edieval flail -_ gut instinct for choice of weapon and went for putting her _dukes_ and _feet_ up instead! Well maybe not so lucky considering _where_ her aim landed...* _ouch_!*

The big day is nearly here...as we saw, Nick has thrown in the towel and was just about to mail that fateful letter ...only to be fortune's fool and have his good intentions be thwarted yet again! So if that note isn't en route to Maya...how will she ever find out the truth?!

 **Yanmegaman**

Jesse seems to be a popular name in FF lately... almost as much as Dylan! XD

" _WELCOME ONE AND ALL, TO FOP RUMBLE 6! I THIS CORNER, THE MAD SCIENTIST DETECTIVE HERSELF, EMA 'SNACKOO' SKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYE!_

 _AND IN THIS CORNER, THE ROCKSTAR PROSECUTOR HIMSELF, KLAVIER 'FOP FINGERS' GAVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!"_

Fop Rumble 6! LMAO. Crikey you KILL ME! I hope your money was on the mad scientist! LOL

Hey the fop never wanted kids anyway Wright? Free vasectomy?

Gotta love matchmaker Pearl – she just wants her BFF to have a special someone just like she does!

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Phoenix was completely unintentional in letting the cat of the bag...but also, how could he have ever known how it would devastate poor Ema who probably feels duped on top of infuriated as it brings all Klavier's sincerity into question! Rage – can give you the strength of many men! The lamp and the cojones! Expect a shiner too since he was clutching his eye! LOL

Nick's a lean, mean fighting machine...his poor wallet indeed just got lean! Also, Nick being  
fortune's fool jokes aside first with busboy from hell and the tunes...music can make everything more powerful or poignant...heartache is universal language. Edgy and Nick both need hugs. Miles just needs to punch something – luckily not his BFF this time! Am sure despite the fight, they are still pals...like a boomerang, they will always come back!

Also don't worry – as per this chapter...whether you want to call him lucky or unlucky, Nick is still unbreakable! :p

 **thepudz**

I love how people get a kick out my OC's! Glad you liked Jesse...he _will_ be back!

Also, this chapter has brought up the topic of male no-no places more than I ever could have dreamed seeing as how TE isn't supposed to be _that_ kind of story! XD

 _Fop you, fop off_ and you _fopping_ arschloch! Can you tell I just didn't give a fop and just rolled with it here? LOL

It was so hard making Nick be in pure AJ ass mode as he is pushing away everyone he loves...don't worry though - he's gone for now but not for good...Edgy and Nick have a bond more unbreakable than even Nick himself is...he's always in the loop when his best friend the imbecile is in trouble...who else is going to send Phoenix flowers in the hospital? :p

Tearing apart about Phaya? Let me know what you think of _this_ chapter then! I did warn readers to have the tissues handy!

 **Feraligreater328**

Ema has always struck me as little firecracker even though she is supposed to be methodical and logical and scientifically minded, so I had a blast making her spontaneously combust all over Klavier Gavin! I don't mind him at all but it was pretty cathartic watching him at least suffer _somewhat_ for his hand in Phoenix's disbarment however unwitting it was!

Also if you play the fifth game (which I am in the last case) I hadn't realized just how accurately I wrote to Ema's unwavering loyalty to Phoenix! She makes that _pretty damn clear_ during her courtroom debut, which only made me feel happier about the bond I tried to portray between her and Nick in the dinner scene!

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_ I am delighted that you enjoyed the Spanish songs in the last chapter I love all my readers in your language is so beautiful for expressing matters of the heart, and it brings me pleasure to pay homage to my loyal Spanish readers, for some whom English is a second language, and still take the trouble to read my story!

Phoenix is possibly one of, if not _the_ noblest character and the most selfless and all of Ace Attorney, so he really does think he's doing the right thing by running Maya have a better life! Klavier was just as much a victim of Kristoph duplicity as everybody else but of course Ema has no way of knowing that which is why he may have no _cojones_ when we see him next! XD

Ema is a wonderful character which I'm happy to see more utilized in the 6th AA game, and I love that my readers liked the interaction with Phoenix! I strive to explore the depths of nonromantic relationships in this story, and since my readers enjoyed the exchange so much between these two, will most definitely try to do more similar exchanges of platonic bonding in the story! :)


	146. Broken Wings

_I never knew  
I never knew that everything was falling through  
That everyone I knew was waiting on a cue  
To turn and run when all I needed was the truth  
But that's how it's got to be  
It's coming down to nothing more than apathy  
I'd rather run the other way than stay and see  
The smoke and who's still standing when it clears_

 _Everyone knows I'm in  
Over my head  
Over my head  
With eight seconds left in overtime  
She's on your mind  
She's on your mind_

 _Let's rearrange  
I wish you were a stranger I could disengage  
Just say that we agree and then never change  
Soften a bit until we all just get along  
But that's disregard  
Find another friend and you discard  
As you lose the argument in a cable car  
Hanging above as the canyon comes between_

 _Everyone knows I'm in  
Over my head  
Over my head  
With eight seconds left in overtime  
She's on your mind  
She's on your mind_

 _And suddenly I become a part of your past  
I'm becoming the part that don't last  
I'm losing you and it's effortless  
Without a sound we lose sight of the ground  
In the throw around  
Never thought that you wanted to bring it down  
I won't let it go down till we torch it ourselves_

* * *

 _A/N: This chapter goes out to mi Hermana Maya, aka Luffy, my fellow ultimate Phaya shipper (please still love me after this chapter!), and also my über astute reader, TheFreelancerSeal. Enjoy your music requests my dear friend. They were wonderful even if I had to look a couple up. Know that as much as this story is a highlight of your week to read, hearing your kind and thoughtful reviews is a highlight of mine! :)_

 _As promised, it's a two chapter week! Um, according to my two_ _ **totally manly**_ _beta readers who shall remain nameless...*coughs* I'm supposed to warn my readers they may need a tissue for this chapter... happy weekend reading!_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Forty Six:** **Broken Wings**

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _Wright Talent Agency_  
June 14, 2026 8:05 PM

 _ **Baby, don't understand**_  
 _ **Why we can't just hold on to each other's hands**_  
 _ **This time might be the last, I fear**_  
 _ **Unless I make it all too clear**_  
 _ **I need you so, ohh**_

 _ **Take these broken wings**_  
 _ **And learn to fly again**_  
 _ **Learn to live so free**_  
 _ **When we hear the voices sing**_  
 _ **The book of love will open up and let us in**_  
 _ **Take these broken wings**_

 _ **Baby, I think tonight**_  
 _ **We can take what was wrong and make it right, mmm**_  
 _ **Baby, it's all I know**_  
 _ **That you're half of the flesh**_  
 _ **And blood that makes me whole**_  
 _ **I need you so**_

 _ **So take these broken wings**_  
 _ **And learn to fly again**_  
 _ **Learn to live so free**_  
 _ **And when we hear the voices sing**_  
 _ **The book of love will open up and let us in**_

 _ **Take these broken wings**_  
 _ **You've got to learn to fly**_  
 _ **Learn to live and love so free**_  
 _ **And when we hear the voices sing**_  
 _ **The book of love will open up and let us in, yeah, yeah**_

 _ **Let us in**_  
 _ **Let us in…**_

* * *

The atrabilious and saturnine Phoenix treated the stereo to a scathing glare as he randomly hit another button on the remote, in hopes to change the radio station from the present, _merciless_ one, which had just decided to _ruthlessly antagonize_ him, first with the previous heartrending Elton John track, and _now_ the famous Mister Mister tune.

Loud rock music filled the room from the new channel he'd selected, so he turned his mind away from the mindless lyrics and blaring tempo of the present tune, deciding to take a quick break from Maya's nearly completed letter so he could spill his guts out to his journal, something he hadn't done in some time.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright's Journal  
**_ June 14, 2026

 _ **The famous 80's love song, "Broken Wings" which of course is playing at**_ _this precise moment_ _ **and designed by the galaxy, no doubt, to further torture me, has made me suddenly reflect on the very last time**_ _this_ _ **Phoenix's**_ _own broken wings_ _ **allowed him to soar high and proud, and take flight. That would probably have been the last time Maya and I were together and happy: Valentine's Day, 2025 at Edgeworth's Love Shack. I still remember it as clearly was it were yesterday…**_

 _Despite the fact that she'd practically_ _ **worn me down to a nub**_ _, the ever frisky and energetic Maya had woken up in the middle of the night after we'd passed out around midnight, partially because she felt like frolicking again, but in the very unlikely event of me not_ _ **rising**_ _to the occasion, she would have settled for engaging in some pillow talk._

 _She climbed on top of me and started vigorously tickling my ribs until I finally woke up. At 4:00 AM._

 _I opened one languid eye and there she was, hovering over me, skin to skin, wriggling her fingers all over my body and lightly nipping at me to get me to stir awake._

 _Rather than be annoyed at her for disturbing my slumber, all I could do was think about how adorable my little minx was, and how madly I loved her. She was wearing that duvet like a cape, with her tousled bed head poking out as she naughtily grinned down at me, her lusty gaze filled with the passionate amorousness that was always there in her eyes whenever she looked at me._

 _She loved me back; she really did._

 _With a playful growl, I flipped her over, pinned her down and tickled her back relentlessly, until she was shrieking with pure, unadulterated mirth. I will never forget how it was the happiest I'd felt in my entire life – and it wasn't just because our little tickle fight led to another sweaty, back-scratching swaining session right afterward._

 _No, it was simply because it was just…_ _ **her**_ _. Simply being with her in that moment. Witnessing her head thrown back, eyes swimming with tears of ebullience as peals of silvery laughter escaped her lips, being in the throes of pure unadulterated happiness, knowing I was the one responsible...it was the most halcyon feeling in the world._

 _Maya Fey being sublimely happy was so contagious, it made_ _ **you**_ _feel the exact same way. There was something in the way she smiled and twittered, and it was honestly such poetry, watching her laugh. It was like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders every time she threw her head back and her eyes crinkled and it was just such complete_ _ **rasasvada**_ _; the taste of bliss in the absence of all thoughts._

" _I've been in love with you for so long," I told her sometime later. She was curled up into my arms as we basked in euphoric afterglow, while I engaged in my typical pleasure of tender cafuné. Six years together, I still could never tire of running my fingers through those glorious, onyx locks._

 _"How long?" She propped herself up on my torso, staring drowsily at me with those sensual, albeit sleep-filled, topaz orbs, which always made me feel like I was as hopelessly lost as the first time I ever gazed into them._

 _I chuckled as her tired lids began to droop then. She dropped her head back onto my bare chest, inky satiny tresses spilling all over it, placing a gentle goodnight kiss there right before she did so. It seemed my insatiable vixen was down for the count at last._

" _So long," I whispered softly to her nearly slumbering form, as if trying to pervade her dreams, wishing I could hold onto her forever. "I can't remember what_ _ **not**_ _loving you feels like. I can't even imagine it."_

* * *

 _ **My mind is like a relentless treadmill, and in the manner of all music that I seem to encounter, it is determined to taunt me in every way imaginable, in a manner I cannot control, because for every sweet memory of Maya that my heart attempts to conjure, likewise, my wretched mind insists on taking me back to that fateful date of March 3, 2025.**_

 _ **The night I was forced to tell Maya that I no longer loved her and was leaving her for Iris.**_

 _ **To this day, I have no idea how I pulled it off. I sounded way more confidently convincing than I truly felt. Inside, I felt like crying, and the sight of her tears nearly unraveled me at the seams. I felt like screaming at her to get a grip because this was tearing us apart, while at the same time, I yearned to be sitting on the ground and holding her and kissing her better. It was so unfair that I had to do this to her - shatter her big, beautiful heart beyond all repair while she kept screaming how much she still loved me, even as I kept hammering it home that it no longer mattered .**_

 _ **What's worse? Breaking someone's heart or having your heart broken?**_

 _ **I say it's breaking the heart of someone you love. Because then you break two hearts in one.**_

 _ **Wasn't love enough? Could it ever be enough? That's what I wanted to ask her. Did love exist objectively? Or did it only exist subjectively?**_

 _ **Looking back now, I can't help but wonder: the entire time we were together, did Maya know I loved her more than the air I breathed? Not through words, not through actions…but did she simply just…**_ _ **know**_ _ **? With every fiber of her being, was she sure of it? And if she was, does it even matter anymore?**_

 _ **What I need is a way out of this eternal koyaanisqatsi; nature…hell – my entire life! – has become so unbalanced that there's no other choice than for me to seek a new path.**_

* * *

 _In a way, I need a change_  
 _From this burnout scene_  
 _Another time, another town_  
 _Another everything_  
 _But it's always back to you_

* * *

 _ **Jesus Christ, I must be a masochist. Why do I insist on tormenting myself like this?**_

* * *

 _Stumble out, in the night_  
 _From the pouring rain_  
 _Made the block, sat and thought_  
 _There's more I need_  
 _It's always back to you_

* * *

 _ **The woman is getting married**_ _the day after tomorrow_ _ **, goddammit! Why can't I just let it go and move on with my life, the way Maya has?**_

* * *

 _But I'm good without ya_  
 _Yeah, I'm good without you_  
 _Yeah, yeah, yeah_

* * *

 _ **Come on, Phoenix! Just who do you think you're fooling?**_

* * *

 _Give it up, give it up, baby  
Give it up, give it up, now_

* * *

 _ **I am fooling absolutely no one, that's who. I could tell myself that bullshit lie over and over again, in hopes I'd finally believe it to be true, but even if I could somehow persuade someone else that I'm doing just fine, there's no way in hell I can convince myself that I ever have been, nor ever will actually be good without Maya Fey.**_

 _ **Ha! That's a joke!**_

 _ **Well, not really a joke. Because it isn't. I can't even claim that anything about this is even remotely funny, even with my newly acquired darker sense of humor. In truth, giving up the love of my life is just about the most woebegone thing I could think of.**_

 _ **Most days I'm so despondent, I can barely get the will to get out of bed. I can't recall the last time I truly experienced sophrosyne; a healthy state of mind, characterized by self-control, moderation and deep awareness of one's true self, resulting in true happiness.**_

* * *

 _How many times can I break till I shatter?  
Over the line can't define what I'm after…_

* * *

 _ **For want of a badge. For want of love that was lost. For want of my old life back.**_

* * *

 _Give me a break let me make my own pattern_  
 _All that it takes is some time but I'm shattered_  
 _All that I feel is the realness I'm faking_  
 _Taking my time but it's time that I'm wasting…_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _  
Wright Talent Agency  
_ June 14, 2026 8:35 PM

 _ **Time is a valuable thing**_  
 _ **Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings**_  
 _ **Watch it count down to the end of the day**_  
 _ **The clock ticks life away…**_

* * *

Phoenix's head jerked up with a start as he stared first at the stereo, now eerily playing a dysthymic song regarding _time_ , and then glanced at the wall clock, which indicated that he now had less than _half an hour_ to get to his new pianist gig.

* * *

 _ **It's so unreal**_  
 _ **Didn't look out below**_  
 _ **Watch the time go right out the window**_  
 _ **Trying to hold on, but you didn't even know**_  
 _ **Wasted it all just to watch you go**_  
 _ **I kept everything inside**_  
 _ **And even though I tried, it all fell apart**_  
 _ **What it meant to me**_  
 _ **Will eventually be a memory of a time when…**_

* * *

"Jesus H. Christ! I'm going to be late for work!"

* * *

 _ **I tried so hard**_  
 _ **And got so far**_  
 _ **But in the end**_  
 _ **It doesn't even matter**_  
 _ **I had to fall**_  
 _ **To lose it all**_  
 _ **But in the end**_  
 _ **It doesn't even matter**_

* * *

Somehow he had managed to block out the music in the background, then gotten so engrossed in his journal entry, as he'd figured he had enough time to do so since he'd practically finished Maya's letter, that everything else had faded away.

* * *

 _ **One thing, I don't know why**_  
 _ **It doesn't even matter how hard you try**_  
 _ **Keep that in mind**_  
 _ **I designed this rhyme**_  
 _ **To remind myself how**_  
 _ **I tried so hard**_

* * *

Ultimately, his zealousness to purge himself via diary entry hadn't been the wisest move, since his primary goal had been to absolve his guilt by finalizing and sending off that _blasted confessional note_!

* * *

 _ **Things aren't the way they were before**_  
 _ **You wouldn't even recognize me anymore**_  
 _ **Not that you knew me back then**_  
 _ **But it all comes back to me in the end**_  
 _ **You kept everything inside**_  
 _ **And even though I tried, it all fell apart**_  
 _ **What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when**_

* * *

"Oh _shut the holy hell up_ , Linkin Park!" Phoenix snarled at the stereo as he hurriedly grabbed his ballpoint and quickly began jotting down his final thoughts on the declaration document turned unintended _billets-doux_ , not even trying to censor or hold back the pent-up ardor within him any longer. There simply wasn't enough time! Besides, it wasn't as though he was renowned for his eloquent writing skills anyway. What did it matter anymore, anyway?

* * *

 _ **I tried so hard**_  
 _ **And got so far**_  
 _ **But in the end**_  
 _ **It doesn't even matter**_  
 _ **I had to fall**_  
 _ **To lose it all**_  
 _ **But in the end**_  
 _ **It doesn't even matter**_

* * *

"And _finished_!" He crowed triumphantly, slamming his pen back down on the desk and shoving the letter into the envelope he'd thankfully had the foresight to have stamped and pre-addressed to Maya's Kurain address. If he had timed this right, he still had _just_ enough time to make it to at the mailbox en route to Alden Tae's, where he'd make it _exactly_ at 9:00 at this rate – if he _jogged_! It was already _quarter to_ _nine_!

* * *

 _ **I've put my trust in you**_  
 _ **Pushed as far as I can go**_  
 _ **For all this**_  
 _ **There's only one thing you should know**_  
 _ **I've put my trust in you**_  
 _ **Pushed as far as I can go**_  
 _ **For all this**_  
 _ **There's only one thing you should know**_

* * *

Grabbing his keys and jacket, Phoenix hastily rushed to the door, patting the inner pocket of his sweatshirt to ensure the letter was there. In his mad frenzy to leave the apartment in time, he forgot to turn off the radio, so the last strains of the song rankled in his ears as he slammed the door shut behind him and sprinted down the hallway.

 _ **I tried so hard**_  
 _ **And got so far**_  
 _ **But in the end**_  
 _ **It doesn't even matter**_  
 _ **I had to fall**_  
 _ **To lose it all**_  
 _ **But in the end**_  
 _ **It doesn't even matter…**_

* * *

 _ **Mia Fey**_ _  
Heaven_  
2016 – 2026

 _In heaven we are wrapped in God's perfect love. We are whole, we are healthy and we are together with those we love. After death we walk hand in hand with Him on pristine sands as clear waves lap at our bare feet. His forgiveness is perfect, complete. He takes away the sins of our lives, washing them away into the gentle tide. He answers every question, lifts away all the burdens of our life. When we are ready our loved ones appear on the beach ahead, all traces of judgment gone._

Since her ascent to heaven, Mia Fey knew nothing of time, either in her everlasting paradise or even how much had passed in the world, as it was not something measured beyond the Pearly Gates. Her eternal activities consisted of enjoying the company of her nearest and dearest, who'd joined her in the afterlife, and staring down, sometimes with fondness, other times with lachrymose, at her loved ones below.

She'd smile down at her dear Diego, in his guise as Godot, globe-trotting across The Americas, still on his quest for the perfect coffee blend, and blow a kiss down to him every so often, knowing he would feel it as a fluttering flower petal in the breeze on his face.

She looked upon her darling Pearly and beloved Maya, each growing even lovelier as the years went by, watching both their moments of joy, as well as their sadness. She could also take note of both Fey allies and adversaries amongst the duo in that village, but mercifully, had had no reason to intervene, as save for the one time her baby sister had been hospitalized, neither of her relatives had ever been in life-threatening danger.

Also, unknownst to her relatives, within the surroundings lands of Kurain existed living, wingless angels on earth, just waiting for the right opportunity to rescue the Fey girls from their present hardships when the perfect moment arose.

Last, but certainly not least, Mia could gaze down at her former protégé, often with a smile of wry amusement at his antics, particularly his floundering moments of fatherhood, and ruefully acknowledged that in the afterlife, Phoenix, more than anyone else, seem to ensure that her second career as his guardian angel was _nearly a full-time job_!

Of course, the man she fondly gazed down upon now was almost unrecognizable from the pink sweater wearing, overly emotional art student with the penchant for garrulity, whom she'd first encountered. Forever vanquished was that sense of vibrant energy and wide, starry eyes of a dreamer that had been slightly too jejune for his age.

Now...Phoenix looked so…old.

He appeared much older than the mere early-30's he must be now. It was still a shock to her system to realize that her formally younger understudy was now older than Mia had been when she died.

She had always thought Phoenix someday maturing would be a great thing. He'd been so eternally grateful to her for saving him from the gallows on false murder charges that he'd decided to completely turn his life around and change his major to law, desiring to follow in Mia's footsteps, because she had inspired him so much.

There had been something beneath the wimpy, crybaby exterior which Mia had sensed instinctively, and wouldn't allow her to dismiss him. In fact, she'd decided she found the naïve, somewhat adorkable gamine boy, with his heart of gold, unspoiled soul and wide-eyed, untainted view of the world was actually quite charming. Moreover, she saw great promise in him.

Despite her initial misgivings, and perhaps because she'd been so dispirited and lonely since Diego had lapsed into his coma, Mia had agreed to be the spiky-haired student's mentor. She reflected that if he only hosed down the overly burning enthusiasm and got a better reign of his constantly unchecked emotions, when Phoenix Wright grew up, he could indeed have the makings to be an infallible Ace Attorney.

She had been delighted to see that her gut instincts hadn't led her astray. The King of the Turnabout (or Turnabout Terror as his foes would call him) was already in the making from his very first trial. Mia wasn't even going to claim Phoenix had secured victory in defending Larry Butz only because his opposition had been _that mental midget_ , Winston Payne the alleged Rookie Killer. It was genuinely because of his outside the box thinking, keen instincts, and razor-sharp mind, and this was _well before_ he had been bestowed Maya's magatama!

Then her time in the world had been cut unexpectedly short.

In the afterlife, with Maya by his side, the spectral former lawyer had proudly seen her understudy flourish with an unbroken stream of victoriousness as a champion of justice in his constant quest for the truth. Although he still needed Mia's guidance on occasion, Phoenix was well on his way to becoming a legal legend.

However, despite his victories over acclaimed, long-standing prosecutors such as Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma, Phoenix was still very young, almost childlike with his continued earnestness and almost too kind nature. Mia had hoped having the vivacious trampoline that was Maya to keep an eye on would be good for him, as it would give him no choice but to be the grown-up in the situation.

Then her baby sister had gotten kidnapped due to that bastard Matt Engarde.

That was when Mia had witnessed Phoenix growing up almost overnight, as he became impromptu guardian to little Pearl and the hero whose sole mission in life was to save Maya. It was also when Mia realized, even before the man _himself_ had, just how much he had come to love her sister. There was absolutely _nothing_ he wouldn't have done for her, from going nearly broke feeding her insatiable burger appetite to accusing an innocent person of murder to contemplating letting an _actual murderer_ go free if it meant saving Maya's life. He'd always ultimately done the right thing, and Mia had been rest assured her soul could be fully at peace, knowing as long as Phoenix and Maya had one another to lean on, each was in good hands.

Still, Mia could see the battle scars beneath the justice champion's veneer. Had seen the righteous indignation in those flashing eyes upon discovering what his wannabe imposter, Furio Tigre, had done to Viola Cadaverini. _Inexcusable_ , he'd declared sanctimoniously, the anguish in those animated eyes as clear as day. The two things Phoenix Wright could never abide: poisoning and betrayal.

It was all because of that two-faced She-Devil who had taken Diego away from her. Although he had survived her murderous attempt, Phoenix was still the victim of the aftermath. The _duplicitous, malevolent bitch_ had taken that football field sized heart of his and blown it to smithereens, leaving behind a tender wound which had never fully healed. In fact, Mia couldn't help but surmise if Phoenix's understandable mistrust in women due to the whole Hawthorne twins debacle was part of the reason he had been so slow to confess his feelings to her sister and get together with Maya in the first place!

The Hazakura Temple case had created _two absolute giv_ ens for Mia from her omniscient viewpoint in the heavens above.

Number one, if she had _suspected_ Phoenix was in love with her sister after nearly sacrificing his conscience and morals during Maya's kidnapping, that mad love was now _irrefutably diaphanous_! There was no other conclusion to draw as she watched her former employee risk his own life and literally _run across a burning bridge_ in an effort to save her sister, forgetting not only the fact that he was _**not**_ _an actual superhero_ (although understandably was now seen as _Maya's_ hero!) but his nearly _crippling fear of heights_ as well!

Number two, although Phoenix had endured a lot of painful punishment and abuse in his life up until the whole Dusky Bridge incident, he was still _mortal_ , and there was no way _any_ man would be able to survive the horrific scene unveiling beneath Mia's horror-struck eyes.

"AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Mia had almost been too traumatized to react quickly enough, so ghastly was the sight of the man who'd come to mean the world to both her sister and little cousin, plummeting off that fiery bridge into the swirling rapids of Eagle River beneath him.

 _Phoenix! NO! It's not his time yet!_

She didn't even need to consult with God on this one; she immediately intervened.

Without another moment's hesitation, Mia Fey dove right into that treacherous river after Phoenix, frantically searching for her former student as she surfaced, panic coursing through her as she saw him being swept by the turbulent waters.

Her plenary powers were what allowed her to close the distance between them in record time, grabbing him before his head went under the tow, urgently scouring for a shallow area to bring him over to. She tried to pull him with her to safety, noting with mounting dread that his body felt as cold as the icy water they were both drenched in, and as she lay him safely on a bed of rocks away from the current, she felt his head burning up, indicating that he already had a raging fever. Already she could tell his pulse was beginning to slow down as he began to lose consciousness.

 _No_! Mia thought despairingly. _I didn't just save him from drowning only to lose him to hypothermia or pneumonia!_ She cast her desperate eyes heavenward, having a quick mental chat with the Man Upstairs, imploring with Him to please spare the life of the lawyer she'd just taken it upon herself to come and save, because Maya and Pearl needed him so badly, and because so many innocent people depended on him.

Fortunately, God was merciful on Phoenix's soul that day, and Mia expelled a sigh of relief as he mumbled something incoherently, then began thrashing violently in her arms as the burbling grew louder.

" _Maya._ "

Mia's heart lurched. Her assistant _would_ survive this! He simply _had_ to… Because she was fairly certain Maya loved Phoenix just as much as he obviously loved her.

"Maya is going to be fine," she whispered to his barely conscious form, holding him closer. "Relax, Phoenix. You need to save your strength for her, OK?"

Mia stayed with her friend until she heard the sirens come, and she physically witnessed the paramedics from the ambulance, which had pulled over onto the other side of the river, take him away to the hospital.

Only then did she begin her ascent back to the heavens.

On April 19, 2019, Mia Fey cried ghostly tears, not for the first time, as she saw the man whose life she'd saved had ultimately still died when his badge had cruelly been stripped away.

That was when she realized that Phoenix not only _looked_ , but _sounded_ too old for his age.

The disbarment had killed him. Had killed _her_ Phoenix, _her_ beloved student, _her_ protégé, _her_ friend… gone forever.

Those formerly innocent orbs, too young for his age, were gone for good, aged within an instant. In that flash, his eyes became those of an old man.

Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney was dead. He had been replaced by a man she no longer recognized, Phoenix Wright, phony pianist and poker shark, with the haunted, shadowed eyes and inscrutable countenance.

The only solace Mia had found watching over Phoenix and Maya all these years had been that they'd had one another to lean on in spite of the hardships which had befallen both of them. Their split had left Mia beyond devastated, as she'd helplessly watched the vicious hand of fate take her sister away from very man Mia had once teased would someday be her brother-in-law.

Phoenix without Maya was no longer _living_ – merely _existing_. He'd not only risked his vitality for her sister on multiple occasions, but now he had nobly sacrificed his own _happiness_ just so Maya could _have her life spared_ ; and all because of a jealous, vindictive German _monster_.

 _How many hellacious trials and tribulations can one good man possibly have to endure in order to have his strength of will tested?_ Her heart cried out. _What harm has he ever done to deserve such agony and perpetual, gut-wrenching misery? Where is the justice for Phoenix Wright in this cruel and unjust world?_

Seven years later, Mia's soul still wept in mourning for Phoenix Wright, who had died more than once in his life and didn't appear would ever again rise from the ashes; for the man who within a short lifespan, had been three separate people: the kid in pink, the lawyer in blue, and the hobo in grey.

It was almost impossible for her to now fathom how she'd ever thought he'd seemed young for his age.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_  
 _People Park_  
June 14, 2026 8:57 PM

The lone individual wandered out of the People Park front entrance, hands deep in the pockets of his baggy hoodie. The night was especially dark on this barely lit street, and quiet, save for the distant swooshes of vehicles down the major streets of the sprawling city, so the figure didn't hesitate walking straight out into the middle of the road. The avenue was rarely used by larger traffic, and had a very low speed limit, as it was shared by pedestrians and vehicles; it wasn't particularly dangerous for the average walker to drop their guard this way.

 _I'm actually making good time! As soon as I get across the street, I'm only a few more minutes away from the restaurant! I think I'm going to make_ _it! And perfect, there's a mailbox right there on the other side of the road! I just want to give this one last read…_

With the paper clutched in his hand, he squinted under the one dim streetlight above as he tried to make out the last words he'd rapidly scrawled before his pell-mell dash out the door, hoping they would be legible to Maya's eyes.

 _Oh well, she's had nearly a decade to get used to my terrible handwriting…_

An engine roared somewhere ahead, and he paused, glancing up curiously from the note still in his grasp, trying to ignore the hairs on the back of his neck, which had inexplicably raised.

 _That can't be something on_ _ **this**_ _street_! He told himself. _So then…why does it sound so close_?

Suddenly, a pair of lights appeared around the corner ahead. Stealing one final glimpse at the page before quickly shoving the letter back into his sweatshirt pocket, he raised a hand to his face, out of pure instinct, to shield his eyes from the unexpected glare of the headlights in the otherwise dark surroundings. There was no time to react in any other way before there was a squeal of tires and the lights weaved away for a split second as Phoenix Wright became Fortune's Fool yet again.

The pernicious crash seemed to take forever; as adrenaline coursed through his system, he already could see there was no hope.

The universe must have kept flickering its figurative light switch, because his vision kept flashing from bitter darkness to blinding white light. His body hit the hood of the car and a startled scream tore from his throat, his lungs contracting with such force, he was afraid they would fold into themselves. His torso and head smashed up against the windshield while his arms and legs were flailing, searching for somewhere to hold and stop the forward movement of his body.

He saw the spots in the corners of his vision, making his head feel like the only thing inside of it was static. A buzzing noise filled his ears, and it seemed as though hours had passed as he alternated between the sensations of fading and waking, and fading and waking.

Then suddenly, everything became light, and he was soaring through the air, his body almost limp from the impact that occurred nanoseconds before. The concrete path splashed as he thudded against it, feeling cold and sticky wetness on his cheek, and the rattling of metal faded around him as the all-consuming roar of the engine squealed behind him... before vanishing into the night.

* * *

 _ **Mia Fey**_  
 _Heaven_  
June 14, 2026

" _Even when the battle is over and the bonds that connect us are severed... We always return...Time and time again."_

Partially due to her spiritual powers, Mia continued to have an exceptionally close connection to her family from the afterlife. However, since Misty's passing, she'd since only been successfully channeled by Pearl, not her sister… as far as immediate family channeling went.

The last instance she'd seen Phoenix, aside from when Maya had been in ICU, had been at her mother's funeral, when he'd professed his love for Mia's little sister and sworn to his mentor that he'd protect her for the rest of his life.

Both times, right before parting, Mia had said what she always did when bidding him adieu: "I'm sure we'll meet again, someday, Phoenix."

While the farewell was intended to be ambiguous, as Mia had no way of knowing _when_ her paths would again cross with a mortal, it certainly hadn't been intended to be an _invitation_! Much like your car mechanic or family doctor, ideally, the dead should _not_ be people one visited with on a regular basis!

That being said, in spite of not having spiritual ability, and being male, Phoenix was nonetheless, an honorary Fey. His still existing photo, alongside Pearl's, as Maya's represented Pillars of Strength in her Master talisman was proof of such! Ergo, Mia had maintained a connected bond to her former employee which rivalled the one she still had with her sister and cousin. It was that same connection between them which had resulted in Phoenix hearing Mia's voice in the courtroom.

Time was relatively irrelevant in the afterlife, but despite being able to watch over his every move from above, Mia hadn't had contact with Phoenix for many years. However, this was hardly cause for concern, as it was unlikely the highly proficient living still required the assistance of the dearly departed.

Therefore, it was with unanticipated stupefaction when Mia suddenly got the alarming impression she was being summoned. It wasn't at all the type of intense signals she got when professionally channeled, but a scintilla of static indication, one that any other entity that was unfamiliar with channeling would have disregarded completely.

Fortuitously, Mia Fey wasn't just _anybody_. Focusing all her concentration on the world below her, she focused her quorate psychic powers into zeroing in on the source of the cry for help.

That was when she spotted him – at the exact same moment she _felt_ him.

" _Phoenix_!" She gasped, a chilling sensation creeping over her. Her dear friend Phoenix… _Maya's_ Phoenix…was in mortal peril. The fact that his own life was in such propinquity to the spirit world, she theorized, must be how he had managed to call her at all.

The ex-attorney's signal, however faint it was becoming, was strong enough to allow Mia's powers to expedite her return to the human world. One of the few benefits of being dead was a disconnection from the timeline constraints of mortals, and the ghost impeded her re-entry to earth based on her perceptions, in order to adequately comprehend the harrowing scene.

The scrofulous Phoenix, it appeared, had just been victim of a hit and run, only remaining among the living due to the fact that at the moment of impact, he miraculously had managed to clutch at the car's side vision mirror, wrenching it off and sending him hurtling through the air.

She thanked Ami Fey and all that was holy that she'd managed to get a hold of Phoenix in time, otherwise disaster would surely have occurred had she arrived even a split-second later.

It was Mia's spectral control of real-world physics and a strong enough connection to the victim which had allowed her to haul her friend away just in time to prevent a deadly collision, allowing her spiritual form to drift and continue his airborne sail, rather than dropping him from a fatal height. Their flight continued in a sizeable arc for 30 feet, upon which Mia detected an imminent collision with a telephone pole, which her physical-world influences could not control. She fervently hoped and prayed she'd managed to reduce Phoenix's accident to a hospitalization, rather than a fatality.

The moment of impact left Phoenix only partially cognizant and feeling rather disorientated, even before he sustained the presumable head trauma from the phone pole, which had him drifting in and out of consciousness.

 _I suddenly hate inertia._ _I must have a concussion. Or already be dead. How else to explain the fact that I can't seem to move, yet I'm seeing a beautiful angel, with tears in her eyes, bathed in a luminous golden light?_

He was fleetingly aware of the strange, metallic taste in his mouth, but couldn't figure out what it was. At times his eyelids fluttered and he thought he must be at home in bed because it was so dark. Then why the cold and the sound of rain on pavement? Why the blue flicker, the sound of sirens? Was it the police?

 _Also, why the pain, God? Why so much pain?_

His body convulsed then, and he flailed wildly in Mia's grasp, struggling to move his uncooperative leaden body, only to be rewarded with more searing throbbing all over. It was more unbearable than anything he'd ever imagined, and at that moment, he would have moved mountains in order to stop the excruciation threatening to consume him.

 _My pain is the sole thing keeping me alive. It's the only thing I can feel anymore…but I don't want to bear this agony any longer…fuck this shit. I just want to close my eyes and just make it stop for good…_

"Stay strong, Phoenix. Fight that white light. So many people still love you and need you, badge or no badge," Mia whispered, half-hoping he could hear her metanoia, and half-praying he could not, because of what it would signify if he _was_ able hear her voice, in otherworldly spirit form. "Meditate on love, carry it in your heart, let it be the power that keeps you safe and well, and He will guide you through. You're a survivor Phoenix Wright. Stay with me! I'm _begging_ you!"

For a fleeting instant, Phoenix's eyes flashed open, viewing the figure above him, not human, but human form. An angel, surely? It was not reflecting a radiant light, but actually _emanating_ it, literally glowing from within.

Languorous indigo orbs met liquid amber jewels that were filled with both love and lament.

" _Mia_!" He breathed in wonder, before collapsing into unconsciousness, immediately severing her evanescent, wraithlike connection to him and wrenching her back to the Twilight Realm.

* * *

 _ **Trucy Wright**_  
 _Hickfield Clinic_  
June 14, 2026 11:15 PM

The hospital corridor was stuffy and the air had an undertone of bleach. The walls were magnolia and scraped in places from the hundreds of trolleys that had bumped into them. The pictures on the walls were cheap benign prints of uplifting scenes and above the double doors were large plastic signs with the areas of the hospital that lay ahead.

Trucy hated hospitals. They only meant sickness and death, they smelled weird, and the odd noises and beeping of the various machines always skeeved her out.

The hallway leading to the ICU had as much personality as the rest of the hospital. The floor was slate color and the walls dove grey. The ceiling was made from those polystyrene squares laid on a grid-like frame. The light was too bright for her eyes, and after the darkening gloom outside, she found it abrasive, enough perhaps to bring on one of her migraines.

She was so agitated and restless, she hadn't been able to sit still since her arrival over 30 minutes ago and had practically worn a groove pacing the hallway outside Phoenix's room in a restless, leonine manner, not at all unlike a caged lion.

There were commercial prints on the wall, tasteful in the dull kind of way. This place certainly wasn't run by risk-takers and the teen guessed she should find comfort in that. Above every door was a large plastic sign, dark with white lettering- no fancy fonts, just bold and all-caps. It was so new and spotless she felt like the whole building must have just gotten beamed here from some place where dirt was outlawed. Her eyes fell to the bright flowers in her hand, their dampness seeping through her magician gloves.

 _Not that it matters. It's worth it. Daddy's going to need some colour in here. Whenever the heck they let me see him, that is!_ She cast her teary eyes heavenward. _Please God, let my Daddy be OK… He's all I have left in this world…don't let him leave me!_

The magician shook her head sharply. No! She mustn't allow let herself think bleak thoughts like this! What she needed right now was to talk to _somebody_ , or she was just going to _lose her ever loving mind_!

In spite of the late hour, the first-person Trucy thought to call was Pearl. At the very least, she knew her best friend would care to know about her father's accident. And if by some miracle, the spirit medium happened to still be awake at this late hour, the sound of her voice would be most welcome.

The fact that Pearl would unlikely be around, what with being Maid of Honor for Maya's nuptials the next morning, as well as her boyfriend arriving from overseas that night completely eluded the overwrought teen at that moment.

Unfortunately, Trucy didn't quite know what sort of update to give her. As she frenziedly dialed Pearl's cell phone, and unfortunately, got the answering machine, the magician quickly relayed what limited information she had been given in the last hour since being informed of Phoenix's hit-and-run.

"Hey Pearly, it's me," she said quickly, trying to keep her voice level so as not to cause further alarm – but failing miserably. "I know this is going to sound shocking and unexpected, but…Daddy got hit by a car tonight. It was a hit-and-run, and he's in intensive care right now. He's alive, but I still haven't gotten an update from the staff yet as to the severity of his condition…"

"Miss Wright?"

Surprised to hear her name being called, Trucy abruptly hung up the phone mid-message, making a mental note to leave Pearl a follow-up voicemail once she was updated on her father's situation, so the poor girl wouldn't worry herself sick, like she had the _last_ time, when Phoenix had been arrested for murder!

 _Oops_! Trucy thought guiltily. _I feel horrible that I freaked poor Pearly out like that– I know how much she cares about Daddy as well! But I will_ _ **not**_ _be such an airhead for the_ _ **second time!**_ _I swear on my missing Magic Panties that I will totally call her back_ _ **this**_ _time!_

The nurse who came out of the room smiled kindly at the anxious magician, who hadn't stopped frantically pacing the hallway.

"You can go in and see your father now. He's still unconscious, and we're going to keep him here overnight for monitoring, just to ensure there's no internal bleeding, but it looks like he's going to be just fine. It's just a sprained ankle. Not even a concussion - which is a _miracle_ , considering the force of the impact he suffered! He's a _very_ lucky man."

"Thanks so much!" Trucy exclaimed, bouncing on her heels, her customary bright smile back in place, sending a silent note of thanks to the Man upstairs. "I'm so happy Daddy's going to be OK!"

"I see you brought some forms of entertainment for him already," the nurse noted, taking in the keyboard Trucy had under one arm, along with her father's notebook, which she always saw him scribbling in when he thought she wasn't looking. It even had sword-wielding _Steel Samurai_ doodles that suspiciously resembled Uncle Miles, and _Pink Princess_ sketches that looked an awful lot like his former assistant, Maya Fey! "I'm sure he'll appreciate those very much when he wakes up."

"Well, Daddy needs to keep his fingers from getting rusty just as much as he needs his _think pad_!" The magician beamed. "He writes _and_ sketches in it!"

Bouncing into the quarters her father was in, Trucy immediately understood why people took flowers to hospital rooms.

 _Despite our technological lives, there is something in our natures that requires natural beauty as part of the healing process. We aren't robots, we aren't "units" to be fixed; Daddy isn't here for a quick oil and filter change. In their efforts not to offend they've succeeded with a décor that in no way can be seen as inspiring or lifting the spirit. I know hospitals are on a budget but is a cheerier shade of paint really that much more?_

Phoenix's hospital room was as perfunctory as Trucy would've suspected, save for the small TV and DVD player by the narrow bed. The room had an undertone of bleach and the walls were simply cream, not peeling or dirty, just cream, and no decoration at all save the limp curtain that separated his bed from the other empty one in here. The floor was perhaps once the kind of green that reminded people of spring-time and hope, but it'd faded so much that the hue was insipid. At the far end were windows in brown metal frames, only operable at the top, and stands for intravenous drips and monitors. At the door were dispensers for rubber gloves, hand sanitizer and soap.

 _These items only reinforce my fear of germs, they are so ubiquitous here that cleaning is mandatory every time a doorway is passed or a patient is touched. What happens if the nurses forget, or not wash properly? Then what? Do the patients get sicker?_

Swallowing back her ridiculous phobia of hospitals – after all, her grandfather had _died_ in one – Trucy cautiously approached her father's bed, letting out a small sigh of relief when she saw he appeared to be resting peacefully. Leaning forward, she pressed a light kiss on his surprisingly clean-shaven cheek, grateful she hadn't woken him.

"I'll be back first thing in the morning," she promised him, placing the items she had brought with her on his bedside table. "I'm so happy that you're going to be alright, Daddy. I love you so much."

She quickly went about the task of straightening out the items in the night table, trying to make room for Phoenix's toiletries, which she had also brought from home. As she carefully shifted over her father's sweatshirt, which had been placed into the bottom drawer amongst his other belongings, she spied a white piece of paper sticking out of the pocket.

Casting a furtive glance at her father's sleeping form, Trucy was unable to resist sneaking a peep at what appeared to be a letter, addressed to Maya Fey, Pearl's cousin, who she knew to have been Phoenix's former assistant.

 _OK, just like the time I was nosy and went through Daddy's night table at Christmas, I will_ _ **totally**_ _admit that I'm more Snoopy than the dog from The Peanuts! I'm just going to take a_ _ **quick peek**_ _at it and then I'll_ _ **put it right back**_ _…._

Phoenix began to stir in his sleep, and rolled over on his side.

Trucy jumped slightly, and reflexively tucked the note into her cape, then darted out of the room, blowing her father one last kiss as she looked back contritely over her shoulder, silently promising to stealthily return the letter to its proper place first thing in morning.

Once she was outside the hospital, she plopped down on the bench at the deserted bus stop, thankful that the next one would be arriving in just a few minutes.

 _First thing I'm going to do when I get close to home is grab something to eat! I literally got in from work tonight, washed out my Magic Panties, hung them outside to dry, and immediately afterward, some_ _ **mystery pervert**_ _ **stole**_ _them! Then, the minute I got back home from my futile_ _ **wild goose chase,**_ _I got the call from the hospital that my father got hit by a car!_

She tapped a gloved finger to her chin.

 _Hmmm…I wonder if Mr. Eldoon's noodle stand is still open at this hour? Anyway, first things first, I wonder what Daddy wrote in his note…_

Carefully unfolding the paper once she'd removed it from the envelope, Trucy began to read the message Phoenix had intended to send to Maya Fey…the very same woman, she remembered, whose photo had been in the mystery locket she'd found in her father's drawer, and the original owner, she suspected, of the infinity ring which had accompanied it.

The first few mellifluous sentences on the page immediately made tears spring to her eyes, followed by the overwhelming sense of maudlin, causing her previous appetite to become ash on the ground as the teen continued to read, at last solving the mystery of her father's lugubrious disposition and general lassitude for the past year.

Once Trucy had finished, the urge to weep immediately flooded over her on behalf of the forlorn, meritorious man who had written this beautiful, luculent love letter, and also for the forsaken, ill-starred lover he'd had to leave behind, who had equivalently lost as much as he had, due to this whole tragic canard.

In-between the floods pouring from her eyes, the force of her sorrow caused an aching pang in her heart. Having realized this irremediable plight only compounded the weight of her conscience, which rested heavily upon Trucy's soul, for despite being armed with this prescience, she could see absolutely no propitious solution.

 _I'm so, so sorry, Daddy._ Large, hot teardrops of sympathy spilled over onto her cheeks. _I wish I knew what to do…  
_

* * *

 ** _My love,_**

 ** _I know I have no right to call you that anymore, but that's what you've never ceased being to me, so forgive me just this once for overstepping my boundaries and addressing a now married woman with my old over familiarity. It's what I've always called you before and although time has since made us strangers, it's what you shall remain as in my heart._**

 ** _In my journal, I do my best to write to you every day. It keeps you close to me. God, I miss you so. You plague my mind every waking hour of my life. I wish I'd never met you. No – I don't mean that! What good would my life be without my precious memories of you to make me smile?_**

 ** _I keep wondering if you're happy. I want you to be. I want you to have a glorious life. That's why I couldn't say the things I knew you wanted to hear the very last time we were together. I was afraid if I did, you'd wait for me for years. I knew you wanted me to say I loved you. Not saying that to you was the only unselfish thing I did in the six years of bliss we were together, and I now I regret even that._**

 ** _I love you, Maya Fey. Christ, I love you so much._**

 ** _I'd give up all my life to have one year with you. Six months. Three. Anything._**

 ** _You stole my heart from nearly the very start, my love. But you gave me your heart, too. You never had to tell me; I know you did - I could see it in your eyes every time you looked at me._**

 ** _I don't regret the loss of my badge anymore, or rage at the injustice of the years I've spent as a disbarred, forging attorney and a pariah of society. Now, my only regret is that I can't have you. You're young, vibrant and so full of the irrepressible joie de vivre – as well as everything a man could dream of. I know you'll forget about me quickly and go on with your own life as you walk down that aisle and towards a man who can give you the world and everything your heart could ever desire…so much more than I could have offered you. Being a good wife to him …that's exactly what you should do. It's what you must do. I want you to do that, Maya._**

 ** _That's such a lousy lie. What I really want is to see you again, to hold you in my arms, to make love to you over and over again until I've filled you so completely that there's no room left inside of you for anyone but me, ever. I never thought of physical intimacy as 'making love' until you. You never knew that, but it's true._**

 ** _The time has finally come for you to know the truth about why I had to end things with you that fateful night last March. Remembering the pain and the tears in your eyes, sometimes I still break down, knowing I was the cause. It kills me now just as much as it did then. The day I made you walk away, you took away the very heart of me._**

 ** _Do you remember all the times that I alluded to the fact there was danger lurking for both of us when I was investigating my disbarment? Well, that danger was named Kristoph Gavin. He was stalking you and everybody I ever held dear to me this entire time, and wouldn't have been above eliminating anybody who was a threat to him, just to hurt me. It was when he finally threatened you that I realized you could never be safe if you were associated with me. I knew you would fight to try to stay with me, even if it meant risking your own life. I couldn't allow such a thing. At your mother's funeral I promised Mia that I would protect you with my dying breath, and it's a promise that I had to keep._**

 ** _Which is why I begged Iris to lie on my behalf that I was leaving you for her._**

 ** _Please don't be angry with your cousin for her unwilling hand in this deception, Maya. It was gutting her all this time, knowing how much you and Pearls must've hated her, when all Iris did was nobly sacrifice the only family she had left, in order to save the life of her cousin. Now we can come clean with the truth, with Gavin safely behind bars where he belongs, and you about to embark on the brighter future you deserve._**

 ** _If there had been any other way to do things, and if I could turn back time and change them, I would. But there was no other way. I chose to have you be alive and hating me rather than die for loving me._**

 ** _I wish I had time to write you a better letter or that I'd kept one of the others I've written so I could send that instead. They were all much more coherent than this one. I won't send another letter to you, so don't watch for one. Letters will make me just hope and dream, and if I don't stop doing that, I will die of wanting you._**

 ** _There was never anybody else Maya. It was you, and only you. It's always been you. There isn't one person in the world that I want more than I want you. You've a place in my heart no one else could ever have._**

 ** _I remember the entire time we were together, thinking "I pray our love is sempiternal. I hope we last forever. But if we don't, this is how I want you to remember me…"_**

 ** _I want you to remember me holding you curled up against my body, listening to the sound of your heartbeat and tracing maps across your skin. Remember me laughing at your jokes, even the really out there ones like the one about stepladders vs. ladders and your insistence that I needed to stop judging things based on narrow-minded cultural assumptions._**

 ** _Remember us laughing hysterically for absolutely no reason at all, and remember me wiping your tears because I unwittingly made you so sad, neither of us thought you'd recover. Remember me brave, that time I held your hand in the hospital, when I thought I was going to lose you; remember me scared and gentle and delicate and breakable - only for you though, only for you._**

 ** _Remember me happy, and all the ridiculous ways I tried to get your attention before you knew how much I loved you. Remember the way I was too stubborn to talk to you and how absolutely insane it drove the both of us. Remember all the firsts and how they were so delightful, we went back for seconds and thirds and fourths. Remember the songs you couldn't stop listening to and the childish dreams you allowed yourself about the future. If it's any consolation, I allowed myself to have them too._**

 ** _If it comes to it, I don't want you to remember the ending. Remember the beginning. Remember the first time you knew._**

 ** _In case you ever foolishly forget: I am never not thinking of you. Although I haven't set eyes on you since the day we parted, I've seen that breathtaking face of yours in all the newspapers since your engagement. It's been a bittersweet experience for me, to have something tangible to show how you've grown even more heartbreakingly beautiful since I saw you last. But even if I hadn't seen those photos, that visage will haunt my dreams for the rest of the days of my life. Your face is my heart, Maya Fey, and the love of you is my soul._**

 ** _I love you, Maya Fey. I loved you that final night I was forced to bid you farewell in Kurain. I love you now, I will love you until I die, and if there's a life after that, I'll love you then._**

 ** _Forever yours, faithfully_**  
 ** _Nick_**

* * *

 ** _The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car) Chapter Quote  
O.A.R. - Shattered (Turn the Car Around)  
Mister Mister - Broken Wings  
Linkin Park - In The End_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 145**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **SpiritsOfFire**

 _"Damn, onion cutting ninjas in this chapter.  
Anyway, somebody should drag Phoenix out of his lazy ass and tell the truth already. Heck, I'm personally going to do it if nobody does."_

My faithful reader, while your previous reviews are normally short and sweet just like this one, your last one was just too awesomesauce to not bring to the attention of others!

 _Onions and ninjas!? XD_

I would feel terrible if you had to contend with this bizarre and hilarious combination yet again this chapter! I usually try not to do too depressing chapters back to back but seeing as how Capcom decided to have Phoenix get hit by a car what choice did I have?

Well after you read this chapter you can see how Phoenix might have a hard time doing anything what with being in the hospital right now… Although your personal offer to do it might be taken into consideration! :p

 **chloemcg**

I thank you sincerely for being so understanding but please note that I have taken the time since to have read your work - from one author to another, keep it up, you got you got some pretty good writing chops yourself there milady! :)

I am such a huge sucker for Nick in DILF mode! Also Nick was in such a dark place when he lost his badge I truly believe with all my heart he would've gone to a very dark place and it not been for that magical little girl!

First things first, I need to handle the Phoenix and Maya storyline since they are the main characters here, but I swear I have not forgotten about Fredgeworth!

 _"Phoenix is running out of time and needs to decide whether to be Maya's knight in shining armor or to be a cowardly courtroom jester...who needs a giant boot to the head."_

OK that was just too awesome for me not to make a direct quote for! LOL

Nick and Miles are going to need each other right now more than anything and I need to men that rift because as much as most of my readers would love to see Nick being Maya's knight in shining armor right now let's be frank – he's acting more like a _jerk in tinfoil!_ XD

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Alden Tae's is actually taken from Turnabout Corner it's one _well done_ pun I can't take credit for! XD

You have no idea how difficult it is to write my all-time favorite videogame hero as a massive jerk wad, however _Tahust Inmee_ (when you get to Spirit of Justice you'll understand that reference, as well is why you just heard the collective groan of all my readers assuming of course that they read my responses to other readers like yourself and not just their own! LOL) there was a particular reason why wanted to keep Phoenix as distant and isolated from everybody as he was in the game in my story… It will be all that much more _impactful_ shall we say? However with my attempt to keep him believably canon I'm happy you think that given him depth and that you like what I've done with him he is truly a fascinating character, and in Apollo Justice he was at his most complex, because as you see from Dual Destinies on word he's pretty much back to his old sweet, simple self, just little bit wiser and just a whole lot hotter!

It brings me great pleasure that I can make a mellow lad like yourself feel enough emotion to be near tears and yell at a fictional character at all, never mind in the same chapter!

Yes Trucy obviously has a lot of harbored guilt about Daddy losing his badge and Phoenix obviously would have inferiority complex thinking he's not the greatest father figure in the world, but I think it's the fact that he has these flaws that make in such an incredible character and father. Also like how you appreciated the intended humor in that despite comforting his beloved daughter, he still had the backbone to tell her she still was grounded for her shenanigans!

Yes if you know the Ace Attorney timeline, astute reader (who I'm glad picked up on the _huge_ hint about the age of the ink/paper on that not-so old Mia letter!) you would know that I purposely used Turnabout Corner's actual occurrences in the storyline so yes the poor guy got smacked by 2 tons of steel while attempting to mail that letter.

Of course Maya can't forget about Phoenix; as much as he is unbreakable he is also unforgettable. You never forget your first, and he was her first _everything_. I don't often give away spoilers but I _will_ tell you this much… Mia and Misty Fey are so sacred …as are any relics left behind by then… I _promise_ you I will not let Mildew get her slimy hands on that heirloom jewelry! She would definitely make a killing trying to pawn them it in order to make her finalized getaway plans!

I have no problem saying this to you privately between us and as well as publicly that as much it brings me great joy to hear that reading my story is a highlight of your week such is a highlight to mine hearing your kind and thoughtful reviews.

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

As far as the bride to be knows, Iris is still the reason Phoenix left her, which is why the shrine maiden and poor Larry still be together as Phoenix made her promise to keep mum until Maya was safely married, as he didn't trust himself to see her until then. Now that you've read the letter and grasp just how powerful his love for her still, can you really blame him?

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _"Let us strive to achieve serenity to accept the inevitable things, the value of change things we can and the wisdom to distinguish one from another."_

I think the hardest part of being Phoenix Wright, both in the games as well as in my story, is that he often is subject to a lot of circumstances which appear to be inevitable or an act of fate, and he's got no choice but to adapt to it.

There are some situations of course, that he _can_ change, but his own ethics and morals or even just fear is what keeps him from doing so. You could argue that he _could_ go running after Maya, but I think it's his deep-rooted fear of not knowing whether or not it would be an exercise in futility, as he believes she has moved on, which keep him from doing so. The poor man has been through enough already, and now that he's been hit by a car…I don't know if he'd be able to handle Maya rejecting him on top of that – gives new meaning of insult to injury! – even though you, as the reader are pretty sure that wouldn't be the case!

Even though Nick has had a sort of superhero vibe, due to his unbreakable ability, and I have jokingly called him Wolverine, I really wanted to portray a character as close to the games as possible, but give him more depth and show that he _is_ flawed, he _does_ make mistakes. I also wished to show that as much as a parent, he has unconditional love for his child, that very same child would love him equally as unconditionally, even with all of his flaws.

And I think Trucy actually seeing this flawed human being go through so much pain and strife just makes her appreciate his strength and _him_ , as both a person and a father even more. At last Trucy's suspicions have been confirmed and she knows but Maya… unfortunately she also knows why her father's sorrow has been so palpable this past year… And the angel that she is, she can feel that sorrow enough to weep for him. She wants to do _something_ to help but what can she do when the love of his life is getting married in less than forty-eight hours?

 **Chaos Lord Roscoso**

 _*cough* timeline/SL correlation coincidence*cough*_

There is indeed a method to my madness… thank you for recognizing it! Also if you have already taken an educated guess how it might go down, I thank you very much for not blurting out! ;)

 **Thepudz**

Dear masculine beta reader – er I mean, I mean dear _mate_ of mine! I sincerely apologize for the cost of your pillow! I hope it wasn't of the feathered variety as those are terrible to get drenched! I did suggest a box of Kleenex for this chapter but I may have forgotten to told you to get a waterproof pillowcase as well in preparation for which I apologize and will be awaiting my bill in the mail! XD

My readers seem to like what I write about more than just romantic relationships, therefore I really wanted to delve into family bonds, hence more Nick and Trucy and the Fey sisters.  
I think Nick would definitely have an inferiority complex being a disgraced attorney and the ramifications it would potentially have raising his poor guilt ridden daughter, who was feeling lower than the rent on a burning building already for the fact that he lost his badge in the first place! I definitely think these hidden pains on both sides were issues that needed to come to light so they could heal one another, but I also needed have Phoenix have some backbone and have there be some consequences to Trucy for being such a naughty little forging magician!

 **Legionary Prime**

I am absolutely delighted that I still have you as a reader, and I am so happy that once you got back online you decided to drop me a line, dear reader! Thank you! I absolutely love writing and giving greater depth to platonic and nonromantic relationships in the Ace Attorney world and I was thrilled to see how much my readers liked seeing Phoenix interact with both Ema and slightly battered Klavier (the Klema arc was a blast to Wright, nice to see you got as much a _kick_ out of it as the mad wannabe scientist did! LOL) the latter whom you saw again this chapter!

This arc is pure Nick and Maya… which means you _will_ be seeing Maya dressed in white…start placing those speculation bets now…you'll find out if they were Wright or wrong sooner than you think! ;)

 **Yanmegaman**

I like to think these two star-crossed lovers, despite being in separate ways, worlds apart, are still parallel to one another… The question of whether or not these paths will ever intersect is something you only find out if you keep reading! :p

Is seeing the sweet, abandoned issue Trucy sobbing in her equally broken father's arms that _all_ it takes to break you, pal? For some reason I thought _you_ were more unbreakable… I shall come along with a broom to your front door to sweep your shattered remains after _this_ chapter then! My Cinderella cleaning bill of course will have small fee to pay for travel time over the border of our respective countries, since I am already indebted to pay the bill for a soaked pillowcase and possibly pillow! XD

 **Eveshowrtc**

One chapter of Broken Wings coming right up to your inbox…and delivered! Coming right up, your two enigmatic song choices by a not so obscure band next chapter! No more two month waiting list for you!

I was always planning to have next letter be included last chapter, but in case you missed the memo I'm a pretty wordy gal, and I figure with my average chapters being 7K to 10K words henceforth (and probably not being any shorter from now on, seeing as how I'm in the heart of the story), for me to have put these two together would've made my dear reader sit through about a 20K word chapter which I just can't do to them, because unlike me I'm pretty sure _they_ have lives! XD

Hence, why Since I Lost You preceded this chapter.

It's funny how you mentioned parallels between the two main leading characters because that is exactly the lives they are living right now and I thank you kindly for giving me such perfect song selection to so beautifully portray that! All hail Sir Elton! :-)

While Turnabout Everlasting is indeed a love story I am quite flattered you don't see it as _typical_ (hopefully also not his clichéd, predictable and boring) as I've tried to keep it interesting for my readers but not totally breaking than in the process (my two male betas notwithstanding!) XD

 _"I think I may have witnessed you channeling your inner Shakespeare in this section. Barring old English words and phrases, the content was most definitely befitting our legendary Englishman. Thou art a valorous writer."_

This was such highly bestowed esteem… I was so incredibly humbled by that I actually had to quote it before expressing my gratitude: _methinks lest I not worthy of such undeserved praise. I within this wall of flesh, there is a soul that counts thee its creditor kindly._ _Thee art most kind to sayeth so._

What's this? Chapter 66 should have been _69_ you say? *blinks innocently* _Your meaning escapes me what thee mean, but methinks thee may beest a most impish good sir! :p_


	147. Keep The Faith

_Mother mother tell your children  
That their time has just begun  
I have suffered for my anger  
There are wars that can't be won_

 _Father father please believe me  
I am laying down my guns  
I am broken like an arrow  
Forgive me  
Forgive your wayward son_

 _Everybody needs somebody to love  
(mother, mother)  
Everybody needs somebody to hate  
(please believe me)  
Everybody's bitching  
'cause they can't get enough  
And it's hard to hold on  
When there's no one to lean on_

 _Faith: you know you're gonna live thru the rain  
Lord you got to keep the faith  
Faith: don't let your love turn to hate  
Right now we got to  
Keep the faith  
Keep the faith  
Keep the faith  
Lord we got to keep the faith_

 _Tell me baby when I hurt you  
Do you keep it all inside  
Do you tell me al's forgiven  
And just hide behind your pride_

 _Everybody needs somebody to love  
(mother, father)  
Everybody needs somebody to hate  
(please don't leave me)  
Everybody's bleeding  
'cause the times are tough  
Well it's hard to be strong  
When there's no one to dream on_

 _Faith: you know you're gonna live thru the rain  
Lord you got to keep the faith  
Now you know is not too late  
Oh you got to keep the faith  
Faith: don't let your love turn to hate  
Right now we got to  
Keep the faith  
Keep the faith  
Keep the faith  
Lord we got to keep the faith_

 _Walking in the footsteps  
Of society's lies  
I don't like what I see no more  
Sometimes I wish that I was blind  
Sometimes I wait forever_

 _To stand out in the rain  
So no one sees me cryin'  
Trying to wash away the pain  
Mother father_

 _There's things I've done I can't erase  
Every night we fall from grace_

 _It's hard with the world in yours face  
Trying to hold on, trying to hold on_

 _Faith: you know you're gonna live thru the rain  
Lord you got to keep the faith  
Faith: don't let your love turn to hate  
Right now we got to keep the faith  
Faith: now it's not too late  
Try to hold on, trying to hold on  
Keep the faith_

* * *

 _A/N: Hey guys! I have a brand new poll on my profile - cast your vote on Maya's fiance!_ ** _Longines Beaugosse: Gay or European/Flamboyant?_**

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Forty-Seven: Keep The Faith**

 ** _Phoenix Wright  
_** _Hickfield Clinic  
_ June 15, 2026 8:00 AM

To Phoenix's pain-lacerated, medication-induced brain, the enigmatic world of miraculous, life-saving hospitals, with their mechanical, often robot-like staff and mysterious resuscitating equipment was the equivalent of being on a planet with little gravity. His mind simply couldn't grasp the mechanisms of how it worked, nor could he be at ease in surroundings of such unfamiliarity from the norm, in a place that was not only where he had now _twice_ nearly faced death, but also was the very last place on earth he wanted to be.

What was he _doing_ here anyway? Flashbacks and fragmented memories from the night before, like assorted jigsaw puzzle pieces, fuzzily resurfaced, but he couldn't seem to piece anything together to form a proper picture. Just how serious was his condition for him to have been _hospitalized_? He couldn't figure it out, because aside from a little bit of tenderness in his skull and a slight discomfort in his ankle, which had now settled to a dull throb compared to the _searing all over body agony_ he hazily recollected from last night, he felt _perfectly fine_.

As he was lying back in his bed, contemplating how much trouble or pain he'd risk being in if he were to swing his legs over the side right now and attempt to get up, a pretty young nurse walked in. She had a short black bob-cut under her white nurse cap, and an overly solemn countenance. She paused by the sink to wash her hands, seeming to be lost entirely in worrying thoughts before she turned to him, her face softening into a shy, gentle smile as she admiringly set dark doe eyes on her newest ward for the first time.

Despite his sloppy attire, the patient appeared to be in his early 30's, and was handsome; darkly alluring; a strange and slightly awkward combination between the bad boy and sleazy guy-next-door type. It was almost impossible to tell the sort of body he had beneath the ill-fitting baggy T-shirt and loose joggers, but he had a finely chiseled jaw; sharp, attractive features; well defined cheekbones, soft-looking full lips and remarkably unlined, lightly tanned skin, which surprised her, because it didn't seem to suit his careless appearance and slight one day's stubble.

In fact, his entire _face_ didn't suit his disheveled outfit. Not that it looked _bad_ per se; rather, it seemed to betray his otherwise comely visage, like a geisha who was forced out of her kimono and into common everyday garbs. The only other thing the nurse couldn't grasp was that ridiculous-looking beanie on the guy's head, which read _'PaPa'_. She certainly hoped it was all part of the design, otherwise its implications were just _borderline disturbing_. Then again, it wasn't any of her business. Overall, there was a sad beauty about him; an underlying gentle meekness originating from his tentative body language and bashful, hesitant smile, as he saw she was still studying him.

Slightly embarrassed to have been caught in the unprofessional act of unabashedly ogling him, the nurse hurriedly introduced herself as Karin Jenson, and nervously began babbling how she was still getting used to working at The Hickfield Clinic, as she'd finally decided to remove herself from the proverbial thumb of her stifling grandmother, hospital director Bonnie Young.

"I heard you suffered quite the blow to the head! Trust me, I can certainly relate to _head trauma_!" She joked nervously, feeling her cheeks warming as he continued to regard her quizzically, as though she were mad. "When I opted to no longer work under grandmother at The Dye-Young Clinic, where I recently transferred from, I not only escaped her oppressive nature but the _chronic thwonks to the head_ of her constantly abusive cane! It's amazing I haven't had any _long-term_ damage to _my_ noggin!"

Phoenix smiled awkwardly but didn't appear to know how to respond, making Karin realize perhaps her gran had done more damage to her skull than she'd initially thought, seeing as how she was _endlessly prattling_ like a _numskull_ , instead of the professional RN she was! Not to mention blushing like a schoolgirl too, just because her patient happened to be a _hunk_!

Also, she belatedly acknowledged that perhaps it was in poor taste to make head trauma jokes to a man who'd only recently _soared 30-feet_ and _crashed head-first_ into a _telephone pole_!

"Anyway, enough about me!" Karin exclaimed, before hastily asking Phoenix if he remembered what had brought him to the hospital the night before. She listened to his confused mumblings about barely having any recollection of anything while taking his pulse, feeling his skin and pinching his nail beds of his fingers and toes. Occasionally she would ask a pointed question but other than that the chatter was no different to when the pianist went to get his morning paper from the news vendor at the stand as morphed into pure professional mode.

The nurse fussed with the call-bed, tying it around the bed-frame in his reach and tidied around the bed as she gave him a brief summary. She raised the head of the bed, saying that breakfast was coming soon and then she was gone. Po-faced again, washing hands, and writing on a folder outside the door.

 _So this is my only_ _ **semi**_ _-automaton nurse du jour, huh?_ _I think I rather preferred her in adorably nervous chatterbox mode!_ Phoenix sighed and rolled toward his bedside table, feeling a surge of gratitude upon spotting his notebook, which he surmised his thoughtful daughter had brought last night when he had been admitted. _Oh well. I've had worse. At least this one tried to be nice!_

Phoenix spent several moments amusing himself by completing the _Pink Princess_ and _Steel Samurai_ drawings he'd begun of both Maya and Edgeworth. It was something he'd been secretly doing off and on for the past seven years while honing his latent art skills from school. He found it oddly cathartic, sketching two of his favorite people in the entire world as the two fictional action heroes they so loved. At last, he ran out of further artistic inspiration, after he'd nearly laughed himself silly by doodling the diabolical Kristoph Gavin as The Evil Magistrate getting speared by the children's action hero.

He figured since he had done his drawings for the day and fueled his creative soul in that sense, he may as well finish his reports for Maya, since he had quite a bit of time to kill. A quick glance to the other side of his bed showed that Trucy had also _somehow_ hauled in every single children's action show he owned, since there was a huge pile of DVDs next to the television set in his bedroom.

 _That's strange...there's_ _ **an awful lot**_ _of them here, most which I don't recognize from my home collection...did I really have_ _ **that**_ _many of them compiling over the years?!_

He honestly couldn't recall his ex's gifts stockpiling _this_ large of a DVD accumulation over the years, but considering the state of his injury-infused, drug-riddled mind, Phoenix figured his memory was capricious at best and shrugged mentally.

Where to begin? He had quite the selection to choose from. Frowning, he reached for the one at the top of the stack, momentarily oblivious to the sheet of paper that been perched atop it, which went fluttering to the ground, unnoticed.

 _The Steel Samurai, The Nickel Samurai, The Pink Princess, The Zappy Samurai: Electric Bugaboo…_

Every single one of these lighthearted episodes would be an agonizing reminder of his former lover, who in 24 hours from now, would be a blushing bride.

Try as he might to _not_ be wistful about the fact that _he_ would not be the groom awaiting Maya at the other side of the altar, his treacherous mind insisted on tormenting him with delightful daydreams based on _could-have-beens_ of yesteryear.

Closing his eyes, Phoenix allowed himself to just briefly indulge himself in the impossible dream.

Just the slightest nudge from his imagination and he was soaring amongst the clouds, off into a world of fantasy. His daydreams were almost as wild as his night dreams, his creativity seamlessly sewing together different aspects of his subconscious. The party in his brain was wild enough to make even a _Monty Python_ seam bland and predictable. He sometimes wished he could offer the others a window into his mind, then they would be able to join him in his flights of the fanciful and the ridiculous. Were he ever to harness it, to write it down, he would be hailed as a creative genius.

But for now he was that pitiful ex-boyfriend who couldn't seem to let it go and move on from his unfeasible flights of fancy when what he _should_ have been doing was focusing on his recovery.

Or his reports. _Anything_ to kill some time and distract his newly wounded broken heart and battered mind, so he could forget what day it was. Perhaps he could focus on his other artistic skills.

 _OK I see Trucy brought my keyboard as well. Maybe I can practice that little ditty I was working on…_

Casting a cautious glance at the door, then around the room, to ensure there was nobody there, Phoenix began quietly singing along the lyrics as he began his rusty but still recognizable rendition of the 3 Doors Down song.

* * *

 _ **A hundred days have made me older**_  
 _ **Since the last time that I saw your pretty face**_  
 _ **A thousand lies have made me colder**_  
 _ **And I don't think I can look at this the same**_

 _ **But all the miles that separate**_  
 _ **Disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face**_

 _ **I'm here without you, baby**_  
 _ **But you're still on my lonely mind**_  
 _ **I think about you, baby**_  
 _ **And I dream about you all the time**_  
 _ **I'm here without you, baby**_

 _ **But you're still with me in my dreams**_  
 _ **And tonight it's only you and me, yeah...**_

 _ **The miles just keep rollin'**_  
 _ **As the people leave their way to say hello**_  
 _ **I've heard this life is overrated**_  
 _ **But I hope that it gets better as we go, oh, yeah, yeah…**_

* * *

The startling, unforeseen sound of the _Steel Samurai_ ringtone coming from his phone at first made him think his daydreams about Maya had become so surreal, he was _literally_ hearing things, including _the one thing_ that would always remind him of her the most.

Blinking with surprise, Phoenix set aside his instrument and answered the cell stashed in his night table drawer just before it stopped ringing.

"Hello?"

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice**_  
 _Apollo's Apartment_  
June 15, 2026 8:25 AM

" _As long as we draw breath, the Wheel of Fate turns...Spinning big crimes and little crimes together. And when the Wheel stops...You die."_

As he always did when mentally strained and unable to think properly, Apollo pulled out his violin, _Melodia della Luce di Stelle_ – Melody of the Star Light; second of only two things that he'd been left with by his family.

The instrument was very finely crafted. The unknown wood was made mostly faded cream color, with marbling of amber-colored chestnut, and though polished, there was something about the material itself that seemed to faintly shimmer if the light hit it just right. Even the strings were strange. Unlike the wood, the strings almost always shimmered under brightness, regardless of the lighting. They gave of the faintest of blue hues, but became more obvious in the moonlight. Starting at the neck, the strings were the color of the midday sky and as they went down, they darkened, at some point even reaching a lovely shade of sapphire, until at the base they were a deep and beautiful midnight, and the sheen was spread out more so that the mass of threads would give the appearance of a star-filled sky.

Engraved in the wood on the front was the constellation for Libra, the lines forming the ropes that held up the scales framing the sound-hollowed area. The brighter stars were a slightly larger 6-point bevel stars, while the not-as-bright-but-still-very-bright stars were slightly smaller 5-point and 4-point bevel stars. On the back of _Luce di Stelle_ was the constellation for Virgo; its design going along the same fashion.

The starry designs on the inherited instrument had been what had initially sparked his interest in astronomy, leading to him meeting Clay in school. Of course, they'd been interested in totally different fields of the subject. Apollo himself was more enthused by the lore and mythos behind it all, whereas the darker-haired boy had cared more for the erudition knowledge, which made sense, considering his dream of becoming an astronaut.

They'd start out just being interested in the stars together, then as they grew older and figured out what they wanted to do with their lives, Clay wanted to know more about the actual science of space. Meanwhile, since law had nothing to do with astronomy, Apollo was free to enjoy the more romantic and mythological interest of the stars.

Presently, as adults, the stars were little more than the source of a few playful fights between the pair. However, once middle school and social hierarchies and cliques began to form around things like interests and popularity, things changed. Or at least, they did for a bit.

One day, Apollo and Clay had gotten into an explosive fight over whether astronomy was "stupid or not." It'd lasted only a week, but they had truly been genuinely pissed at each other and refused to speak that whole time. They'd even separately joined extracurricular activities, the band and astronomy club, in which they became preeminent members, but it was only a week apart before the separated brothers from other mothers had started missing each other.

Apollo had zero regrets with the events that had occurred. _Dumbass status quo needed a good kick in the pants anyway._

He may have been a band geek, but he'd been scrappy as hell. He'd busted the noses of quite a few bullies, his own and of those he'd seen picking on defenseless kids who were unable to stick up for themselves. It had ended up with countless visits to the principal's office, but he wouldn't have had it any other way. It'd been a small price to pay really, now that he looked back at it.

Now that he was older, Apollo found whenever he couldn't quite cope with his tumultuous emotions, he found it was more productive to let his hands do the talking in a different way now, and inspire the calming solace within him that his Chords Of Steel could not. Ergo, he'd let his violin soothe him, allowing the music he'd play to reveal to him his own inner quarrels. He started off putting out a few somber notes, and the melody would soon unravel itself into something more haunting and sorrowful.

Over the years, whenever he was feeling out of sorts, conflicted or particularly stressed, his go-to song to play was "Ghost Lullaby" by Angela Miller.

In that moment, he closed his eyes; no longer needing the guidance of sight for his now expert fingers to play. A faded image appeared in his mind.

 _A crib with bars that seemed to extend far past the norm, perhaps all the way to the ceiling. The long strokes of the strings seemed to emphasize a feeling of isolation…_

Christ, he was feeling so desperately lonely and lost, even more so since that fateful trial!

Behind the crib were fast-moving scenes that were much too blurred for him to fully comprehend their true meaning, yet despite this, he felt a plethora of emotions mixing together. Low and mournful was the song being played. It echoed against the hollow pit deep in his chest, and as the tempo picked up, a fire blazed in Apollo's heart. It was a sad sort of rage with undertones of inadequacy from ghosts of memories past.

 _Why_ was it that he'd never been good enough? No matter how hard he tried to find a family, it had never worked out. From what he'd been told, there'd actually been numerous attempts to adopt him when he was still an infant and even on into his elementary years, but each time something happened. It was either his unbelievably loud voice or something about his bracelet and eyes. People were _afraid_ of him. That knowledge more than _stung_ ; it freaking _hurt like freaking hell!_

Like it was _his_ fault that his strange, mystical bracelet could be removed by nobody but himself? Or that his eyes "flashed like gold-amber flames" at times when it was least expected? Of course, he knew now that this hadn't simply been the ravings of crazy people and it actually happened whenever his bracelet squeezed his wrist. All his life, previous caretakers used to nervously complain about Apollo's eyes, which only briefly _flashed_ that strange amber-gold color on a sporadic, albeit, _alarming_ basis. It had sounded so ridiculously far-fetched that he'd simply scoffed and figured it was only a trick of the light, so he'd simply ignored the assertions.

He'd finally realized this frequently cited trepidation had actually been valid, not long after getting home from the Shadi Smith murder case. God, his wrist had _hurt_ afterward; his _eyes_ had even been sore; all his senses were screaming at him to point out all the countless inconsistencies during that trial, although at the time he'd had no idea about the physical manifestations his perceptions gave his outward appearance. That fateful day, thanks to a conveniently placed mirrored surface and a sleazy shyster of a landlord named Uben Hadd, he'd at last realized the justification of the accusations.

The duplicitous borderline _slumlord_ of both sketchy name _and_ character had _dared_ to proclaim he'd never received Apollo's apartment rent for the month of May! However, in the act of catching the filthy lie in action, Apollo had caught something out of the corner of his eye, reflected in the _swindling sonofabitch's_ dark sunglasses.

As he confronted the lying fiend on his deception attempt, he'd found himself staring into a pair of glowing amber suns, their light almost _supernatural_ in appearance. Gobsmacked, he was silenced as the orbs slowly dimmed back down into their regular hazel brown color as the horrified Hadd had shakily choked that he _must have been mistaken_ , and that Apollo _could take his sweet time_ paying the June's rent if need be! Then he'd fled like a bat out of hell, mumbling something barely coherent along the lines of: " _Dear God, save me from that demon horned creature with the eyes of Satan!_ "

 _I guess I should be grateful for that extended rental reprieve my_ _ **allegedly terrifying**_ _ **eyes**_ _gave that_ _suddenly religious nincompoop_! The horn-fringed young man lamented to himself now. _Considering I'm jobless and have no earthly idea how I'm going to make this month's rent… and we're already_ _ **halfway**_ _through it…_

He was sharply jolted out of his reverie by the sound of his best friend's voice drifting from the kitchen.

"Hey Apollo, you got anything to eat?" Clay asked, his head already buried within the confines of the depressingly near empty refrigerator. "Yeesh! Not even a crumb to feed a mouse! When are you going to buy some _chow_?" The astronaut slammed the door shut with a grunt of disappointment and then began scavenging the kitchen cupboards. "Jeez! Dude, you trying to give Old Mother Hubbard's bare cupboards a run for their money?"

 _Goddammit Clay! Way to throw off my groove, all because you couldn't keep mum just for_ _ **five lousy minutes**_ _for me to find my inner sanctum!_

"Number one, I haven't had a job in two months, so the next time I want to eat, I'll probably need to visit _the food bank_ since edible fare _costs extra!_ " Apollo scowled at the visibly amused spaceman over the top of his violin, severely irked at being disturbed from his attempted musical immersion. "And number two, when are you ever going to put a lid on that bottomless pit that is your stomach? We _just_ went out for breakfast _half an hour ago_! Remember, _you_ paid, because _my_ sorry behind is so broke, at this point I probably would have to _save up to be poor_?!"

"I should've followed your example and had the ham and cheese omelette instead of that stack of pancakes – carbs tend to go right through me," Clay acknowledged ruefully, having gone back for a second scourge in the fridge and triumphantly holding up a slightly dried up looking apple. He scrutinized it for a moment, then shrugged, polished it on his shirt, and bit into it. "Can I help it if I'm a growing boy?"

"We're 22, Clay," Apollo informed him wryly. "We're _both_ done growing – keep eating like this and eventually that metabolism of yours _will_ catch up to you, and the only way you'll be increasing in size is _sideways_!" He shook his head despairingly as his friend rummaged back in his cupboards and pulled out a packet of animal crackers. " _Hold it_! That was going to be my _lunch_!"

"Sorry man! Don't worry, I'll give you a couple of bucks so you can go and buy some real groceries," Clay offered through a mouthful of cookies, grinning sheepishly. "This job situation, or rather, _lack thereof_ , isn't going to solve itself you know. You can't keep living on your savings forever! How's the job hunt going?"

"About as well as you could expect," Apollo groaned, giving up on resuming his violin playing and flopping down next to his friend on the couch. "No law office in town wants to hire a rookie lawyer whose _sole_ trial experience included putting _his own boss's head_ in the noose! It doesn't help at all that the law office I worked for was run by the now _nefarious_ Kristoph Gavin! My name may as well be _mud_!"

"Total bummer, dude." Clay rubbed his bandaged nose. "I can tell you're still feeling the aftereffects of that whole case."

"It was...an eye-opening experience I won't be forgetting anytime soon." Apollo looked away. "And that's putting it mildly."

"I can imagine." Clay faced his friend, his mocha eyes sympathetic. "But I wish you would stop keeping everything in and just _talk_ to me. Was it _really_ that bad, finally getting to meet your idol, Phoenix Wright?"

 _Bad? You mean_ _ **before**_ _or_ _ **after**_ _I gave his deceitfully_ _ **deserving**_ _mug an uppercut, and he_ _ **barely even staggered**_ _from the impact, making it seem as though it were the equivalent of a_ _ **fly being brushed off by a horse's tail**_ _? And then all he did was calmly and unaffectedly just tell me next time, hit him harder?!_

Apollo swallowed back the lump in his throat brought on by the painful memory, still unwilling to divulge one of the most shattering disappointments of his entire life, not even to the person he was closest to in the world.

"It's hard to explain Clay." There was a contemplative frown on his face as he struggled to find the right words. "I don't know how to say it. Mr. Wright… Let's just say he's not exactly what I hoped for."

"Well, seven years really changes a man, Apollo," Clay answered matter-of-factly. "Not to mention, a single moment was all it took for him to lose everything he'd worked so hard to achieve. You said you'd wait forever, right? Just give him time to climb back up again."

Apollo ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He didn't expect anyone to understand what he was going through; the conflicting emotions swirling in his chest.

 _Clay_ wasn't the one to see Phoenix Wright since his fall from grace; hadn't been there to first-hand witness that unassuming smile curled around his lips, and an unshakable darkness looming behind a pair of midnight blue eyes that no longer sparkled, but were hollow and clearly longed for a past as distant and impossible as a dream. It was that very same inscrutable smile the former lawyer had maintained when he'd shattered Apollo's rose colored glasses in one fell swoop, without even blinking.

The glazed over eyes and empty smile of his former idol continued to haunt the rookie attorney well into his unconscious. There was barely any trace of his hero left and whatever remained was hardly enough to be chalked up even as cautious optimism or anything hopeful in the slightest.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Phoenix Wright– the _old_ Phoenix – the justice champion from the media who had signed his autograph in the book Clay had given him for his birthday. Yet that memory seemed more like a mirage and just seeing what his long-time idol had become, a mere shell of his former self, made Apollo wonder if the Ace Attorney he'd idolized as a young boy had even existed, or merely been a figment of his imagination. His hero was getting further and further away from him, and the pain of Phoenix's sorry state, coupled with the lingering ache he'd caused Apollo since that trial, continued to make him feel as morose and lost as a lone ship adrift at sea.

"That's the problem – I don't think he _wants_ to climb back up! Heck, I don't even know what he does or what he's _been doing_ for a living!" The agitated attorney slammed his fist onto the coffee table; shaking his head. "I don't know, Clay… I don't know if I can go on believing in someone who obviously doesn't even believe in _himself_ , or what he once stood for."

 _What else am my supposed to think, considering he shamelessly told me, without a hint of remorse whatsoever, that he_ _ **used forged evidence?!**_

Clay fell silent, unsure of what to make of his friend's cynical disposition. Hearing Apollo talk like this; giving up on his idol after years of persistent devotion – it was like the universe had flipped onto its vertical axis and everything was upside down. The abrupt turnaround was almost preposterous.

In the past, he'd lectured the Phoenix Wright fanboy, time and time again, about the dangers of such blind faith and near worship of a man he didn't truly know. But now that Apollo actually appeared to have taken heed to his well-intended advice, Clay felt absolutely miserable, and more than anything in the world, longed to eat his own words in light of his best friend's sorrow.

"Hey, don't say that," he admonished mildly as he reached out to squeeze Apollo's arm. "You know, meeting your idol is pretty awesome. Not many people get to do that for their whole lives!"

The brunet remembered the unceremonious elation he'd felt when Kristoph Gavin had told him _the_ Phoenix Wright had specifically asked for _his_ legalrepresentation at that trial – and how incredible it'd felt to know someone he'd revered so much had such strong belief in his rookie capabilities. A small smile played upon his lips at the memory.

Seeing his friend had brightened somewhat, Clay pushed on.

"When Phoenix Wright first got disbarred, you told me that more than anything in the world, you wanted to believe in his innocence - and I bet you all the stars in the galaxy you were one of the few out there who gave him that benefit of the doubt! I don't quite know what happened to make you suddenly be so pessimistic, but I wish there was something I could say to make you turnaround your way of thinking and give him at least _some_ of that unconditional trust again."

Apollo stared at his friend sadly, his momentary recollected happiness deflating like a balloon. If only Clay _knew_ …

"I saw the trial on TV Apollo," Clay's expression was earnest. "I have reason to believe your skewered outlook on your idol has something to do with that _sudden piece of evidence_ that you won the trial with, which seemed to have come out of _nowhere_. I can't help but wonder if this new skepticism has anything to do with your questioning of its validity or origins."

Astounded, Apollo gaped at his friend with wide eyes, completely in awe at just how well Clay Terran knew him.

"Look, there's a few things I've learned in life, Apollo," Clay said gently. "There are always _two_ sides to every story, and some things aren't always what they _seem,_ so _cannot_ just be taken at face value. You're an attorney, and a good one. But you're not _judge and jury._ I want you to think, _really and truly think,_ about what it must be like being Phoenix Wright, a man who up until two months ago, you believed in your heart of hearts, was an innocent man, of great ethics and morals who was wrongfully accused."

"But Clay…" Apollo protested. "You don't understand –"

The other man raised a hand, halting the interruption.

"Hear me out. My point is: imagine living seven whole years in darkness. Nowhere to run. No one to trust. Out of options, save the will to survive, because _survival_ is your _only_ option." Clay looked him straight in the eye. "Sometimes good people do questionable things. It doesn't always make them excusable, but it might be for different reasons than you think. And you have to wonder if _you_ were ever in their position, if you wouldn't have done the same thing."

Apollo closed his eyes and mulled this over. _Had_ he been too hard on his old hero? _Was_ there more to that bloody Ace than Mr. Wright had let on? Like the fact he'd only decided to confess to being the perpetrator when Apollo had informed him he'd gotten it from a mysterious magician, who just _happened_ to be the former lawyer's _daughter_?

"That man needs support, Apollo. _Your_ support. You just need to continue believing in him, so he will find the strength and confidence to believe in himself again. Don't give up."

Apollo had never felt so torn. He wanted to consider that there could be some validity to Clay's words. He really and truly did. However, he couldn't help but fear his explosive reaction at the time had ruined things beyond repair.

"But – what good will that do _now_ , after how things were left between Mr. Wright and I?" He asked miserably. "He offered me a job _once_ , but surely it no longer stands? What if I've burned that bridge for forever?"

"Then it just wasn't meant to be! But don't jump to the worst-case conclusion just yet!" Clay urged. "Find out if that proposal still stands to work for Phoenix Wright and for the love of God, cast aside your doubts and take the damn job offer if it does!"

"Well, if you say so..." Apollo began hesitantly. "I _think_ I still have his card somewhere..."

"Then call the man! Only because you can't use your good looks to pay your bills!" Clay flashed a cheeky grin, the same one that _still_ made girls' hearts flutter. "After all you're not _me_!"

"Put aside my doubts?" Apollo scratched his head uncertainly. "I dunno man…"

"Stop being such a pessimist and have faith that your circumstances _will_ turn themselves around! Just don't _give up_ on your legal aspirations because of this _one_ setback!" Clay punched a fist into his palm. "Apollo, you are _the_ most doggedly persistent and resourceful person I've ever known, and no matter _what_ happens, no matter _how_ bleak things might look for you right now, I need you to keep on believing that you're going to be _fine_!"

Apollo nodded slowly, feeling a thin ray of hope slowly emerging within him as he looked into that dear face, which was beaming encouragingly at him.

"Say it, Apollo!" The visor-wearing man shouted, making the lawyer jump slightly upon hearing the unanticipated loud outburst. "You're _fine_!"

"OK!" The corners of his mouth slowly inched upward, and for the first time in ages, Apollo almost felt like his old self again. He stood up, clenched his fists in determination and shouted at the top of his lungs. "Because my name's Apollo Justice and _I'm fine_!"

" _That's_ the frog-mouthed Apollo I know and love!" Clay rubbed his nose and smiled. "In _four-stereo decibel_ , _full living color_! Glad to have you back!"

"You know you're the amazeballs, right Clay?" Apollo beamed at his friend, suddenly feeling a million times better.

" _You_ know you're just saying that because it's _true_ , right?" Clay smirked back, his impish eyes dancing.

Their moment of shared joviality was temporarily interrupted as the attorney's cell began to ring.

"I wonder who that could be?"

"Maybe it's fate!" Clay joked. "The call of destiny!"

The astronaut watched as his friend picked up the phone and noted his smiling expression suddenly turn into one of complete shock as Apollo heard the voice on the other end of the line, his jaw completely dropping open as he stammered a largely garbled series of "ahhs" and "ums" and "sure" for a couple of minutes before hanging up.

"What was _that_ all about?" Clay wanted to know, noting the other man's still wide eyes. "Who was that who just called?"

Still in a daze, Apollo flopped back against the sofa cushions.

" _That_ …was fate."

* * *

 _ **Bon Jovi- Keep the Faith (chapter quote)  
3 Doors Down - Here Without You**_

 _A/N: Thanks for the awesome violin description and the notion of Polly's demon glowing eyes, Ariastella!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 145**

 **DannyDragon**

I love Wrighting Trucy, period, but _especially_ with Nick, as I feel during his AJ years she was the only thing to pierce that poker-faced armor and let him still have a shred of his former humanity.

These two are up there for me with Fire Emblem's Chrom and Lucina for awesomesauce DILF/daughter video game pairing!

After playing Ace Attorney 6 I agree Maya's personality is still as goofy and fun-loving as ever, however keep in mind that even canon wise she's basically been looking after Pearl since Morgan's incarceration and only being a decade older than her and Phoenix himself is only 18 years old and Trucy which make Maya 11 years the magician's Senior. I guess I never really thought about the age differences being so minimal because my husband's parents had him very young and are therefore only 16 years older than me, and I've always see them as revered parental figures regardless.

Also (I hope this isn't considered a spoiler) but seeing the way Maya comforted Princess Rayfa after the 3rd case with that nurturing, loving tone and expression struck me as proof her being very maternal. Plus Trucy, even though as a teenager now, and almost out of her teens, strikes me as still pretty young for her age, in the sense that she is also a very youthful-acting character; very cutesy and silly I think she'd want to have a fun parent like that. At least, I know _I_ would! But I unabashedly confess to having a complete Lady Boner for Maya Fey, so perhaps I'm biased! XD

 **Chapter 146**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **Rdrtrandom dude**

First of all I don't think I've had the pleasure of hearing from you yet dear reader, so thank you very much for taking the time to read and drop me a line.

I decided to highlight your particular review this time around because you asked the question that I'm sure a few of my other readers have not only thought themselves but quite a few have actually asked me: _will this canon faithful, albeit manipulated, fan fiction include Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice?_

When I first started writing the story, I had only intended to take it up to Dual Destinies as the news of the sixth Ace Attorney games still hadn't come out yet. Now that it has (and I have played it and loved it), I can tell you right now that probably after the Dual Destinies mark, this story will probably have to stray away from the canon of the video games because Spirit of Justice, aside from having a way to convoluted plot for me to incorporate all the elements of into this fan fiction, has unfortunately undone a lot of things which are in the story, including the fact that Maya has been away and sight unseen for some time, when we know that's not the case in this story.

That being said, according to my meticulous adherence thus far to the Ace Attorney timeline, Phoenix apparently returned from Europe April 17 2027 with Athena by his side… I will definitely have her introduction to the story coincide with that as best as I can. :)

That being said there are certain components I can still we then near the end of the story if there's enough reader demand for it, but will more than likely be doing is including sort of a TE story notice when it gets to that point which pretty much will say: _"OK no longer adhering to Capcom story guidelines and now do my own thing… Hope you're still reading regardless!"_

In short this fan fiction writer will most _definitely_ be taking liberty with the canon around the Dual Destinies mark, but seeing as how I'm still in Apollo Justice timeline that's going to be some ways away!

 **DannyDragon**

Hola _mi amiga musica_! I'm very happy you liked the music which up until it was suggested was unknown to me in the case of a couple of them (Broken Wings and In The End notwithstanding!)

This is why I love getting reader song requests! It exposes me and the rest of my readers to some pretty fantastic tunes that would've otherwise gone undiscovered! :)

Phoenix tends to jot down the definition of his expanded vocabulary terms in his journal (I figured with little else to do with his time he'd become better read and eloquent, (hence that letter!) but apologies for any confusion dear reader!

 **koyaanisqatsi** : _nature…or your entire life has become so unbalanced that there's no other choice than e to seek a new path._

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Woot! Sometimes I wonder if music that is considered to be pop cultural phenomenon in North America, where I presently reside, will still translate well and be known to my international readers such as yourself. Therefore, I am _delighted_ that the majority of them not only knew the Linkin Park song that I chose for despaired Phoenix's plight, but actually seemed to like it and found it to be fitting! :-)

Trucy is about to pull the biggest stunt of her young magician life next chapter with regards to that letter… We shall see whether or not it will result in new Mommy material… Or _murder_ material with _her_ being the unwitting victim! ;)

 **chloemcg**

You're welcome for reading your work milady. You are definitely to be praised for your fluffy writing skills particularly for your 1 shots. :-)

I think you might be surprised to want that giving Phoenix the boot to the head he most definitely needs but I hope you approve! I can tell you right now since I'm doing my best to stick to source material up to this point in the story it probably won't be poly-not because I don't think he's capable of doing so, (you favorite characters back this chapter! I totally thought of you!) But because he's too busy wrapping his head around the fact that he's now _working_ for a man he vowed to despise and mistrust the rest of his life, as well as his daughter who seems equally as bizarre to Mr. Straight Man! XD

Fasten your seatbelt for this next Phoenix and Maya arc; it's going to have more twists and turns than the Matterhorn at Disney! ;)

 **JaDe In NighT**

First of all I don't believe I have had the pleasure of hearing from you yet dear reader, so thank you very much for taking the time to drop me a line. :-)

Really good speculation that _if_ Maya actually knew Nick hospitalized, she would _absolutely_ go visit him in hospital.

Here's the problem: Maya's wedding is the day after tomorrow (pretty much next day) at this point, and no matter how great the US Postal Service prides itself on being, I think it would be slim to none chance that it would reach her in time if Trucy were to MAIL that letter! If only there were _some other way_ for Maya to find out about that letter… ;)

 **thepudz**

Another Linkin Park lover – and an international one! I'd hate to be selecting an obscure song choice for what was supposed to be such a pivotal chapter! :-)

I know how much you love the little magician mate, and believe you me I too adore Trucy, so I am very sorry of have to had her crying _two_ back to back chapters in a row, although for what it's worth, it's been about a good couple of months since we saw her shed tears in the actual story timeline…

I spent a lot of time fussing over getting the verbiage just right for Nick's letter, because the last thing I wanted to do was make it at all similar to Miles Edgeworth's to Lana, as my biggest fear as a fan fiction writer is making these two similar, but separate, dynamic characters too identical!

I have tried very hard to make _some_ sunshine and rainbows amongst the gloominess of this angst filled tale, but I thank you very much for reiterating the fact that this story _is_ indeed about possibly darkest point in Nick's life, which was the disbarment. Therefore when I try to brighten things up with a ray of light, I hope it's perceived positively and _not as overly superfluous_ , and by the same token, is not disliked for its occasional heavy content and emotional moments of darkness because it's sort of par for course. Also, _I_ didn't take away his badge! Stupid Capcom! LOL

For the hundredth time, I don't SUCK! ACHOO! XD

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Work sucks and stuff! I think we should all just rob a bank and call it a day! XD

Excellent song choices dear friend it seems my readers enjoyed them as much as I did, despite the two of them being obscure to myself. :)

I am _so damn happy_ you picked up on the fact that Phoenix actually was wanting to throw in the towel for a brief moment there when he got hit. I really wanted to convey the fact that he _is_ indeed mortal, getting hit by a car _is_ going to _freaking hurt_ , and that it was indeed divine intervention that _once again_ saved him! I know there was a lot going on between Mia's spectral visit and her own thoughts and dialogues simultaneously running alongside Phoenix's, which was coupled with his excruciating agony at the moment of impact by the car!

However, I was still desperately hoping it was evident (but was paranoid that the bleaker underlying premise may have gotten lost in the shuffle!) that he _was_ pretty much close to dying and wanting to give into that white light until Mia's intercession, and reminding him that other people love and need him whether or not he still has a badge, and who need some more than his poor daughter?

You want Mia to keep saving Phoenix's life _and_ be the one to save the day at the wedding by yelling _objection_? Do you not think that poor dead woman deserves to get some rest? XD

Trucy is a fascinating character who I've had so much fun writing. I'm happy you like my attempted in depth portrayal of her as more than just a cute kid that bounces! Agreed – Capcom could've been given _so_ much more depth! Once you get to Spirit of Justice, she does have her own case, where they _do_ develop her a bit further, and in my case, it just made me love her even more! :)

One of the reasons for Trucy was crying was she realizes just how hopeless this tragic situation seems to be! Phoenix was going to mail that letter on the night of the 14th, fully prepared and expecting it to be received long after his ex was a married woman, who is getting married on the 16th. The magician knows Maya needs to find out about that letter, but it's _way_ too late for her to mail it as the wedding is pretty much _tomorrow by now_ …

And sadly as far as I know her magic panties, ironically, given to her by Maya in my story, are really good at making things _materialize_ but not in another portal type of way, although that would be a hilarious notion!

Now _how on earth_ can Trucy try to ensure the bride-to-be finds out how much her Daddy still loves her, if she's not able to use the US Post… ? :p

 **Eveshowrtc**

Always a pleasure to hear from you dear reader and know my music man is still with me even when keeping things short and sweet (hey sometimes reviews like that still make review the week - ask SpiritsofFire! LOL). In short, I very much intended this chapter to be ending with the suspenseful cliffhanger and it makes me very happy you feel it was well-written except for a lot of effort into it. :-)

We're going to find out really soon just what a certain naughty magician is going to do with her newfound knowledge… I hope you approve! ;)

 **Yanmegaman**

 _"someone you still care deeply for was hit by a car just before your wedding to a man who may have kissed a girl, but it's questionable if he liked it!"_

As a hilarious as that line was, let's give credit where credit is due; I am a completely heterosexual, happily married female,, and believe me if the absolutely breathtaking grown-up Maya Fey were to have her lips on mine, I _guarantee_ you that even _I_ would like it! (something, something lady boner!) Even a man of questionable heterosexuality like Longines (I say questionable as I am leaving up to my readers to decide; you _have_ voted in the **poll on my profile** , have you not pal?) Would like it! XD

I think we can all agree that Maya is _not_ a heartless bitch, and if she were to _miraculously_ receive that letter in the post before her wedding, and finds out that the love of her life had been hospitalized, she would _absolutely_ go visit him in hospital! The problem of course is… It's too late for her to get it in the mail at this point…so what now? ;)


	148. Say A Little Prayer

_Throw your doubt away_  
 _And come fly with me_  
 _For a day believe_  
 _You live in a dream_

 _Let magic take your breath away_  
 _Let me show you anything's possible_

 _Breathe in, close your eyes and_  
 _You'll see what you've been missing_

 _Make a wish and maybe you'll be lucky_  
 _Make a wish and maybe you'll - find that you've got it all_

 _There's so much to see, and there's so much to learn, oh there's so much waiting_

 _Don't be afraid_  
 _Cause I'm here with you, and we're gonna go_  
 _Far away for a spell, to where magic dwells_  
 _Oh you're gonna see that I am not your typical, ordinary girl, no sir_  
 _I will change your world_  
 _It's just my specialty, I'll show you life's true melody_  
 _And soon you'll be singing just like me right to the tune of miracles_

 _There's so much to see, and there's so much to learn, oh there's so much waiting_

 _Nothing's what it appears to be_  
 _So don't judge anything by what you see_  
 _You've got to reach beyond what you know, and give everything a chance_  
 _There's a world of wonders waiting, it won't disappoint you, promise you you'll love it here_  
 _You'll never want to leave this place and go back to the ordinary_  
 _Just see for yourself - honey right here, you know you've got it all_  
 _(Magic is what you need!)_

 _Let's...go!_

 _Have some faith_  
 _You've got to leave disbelief behind_  
 _You have to open your heart and mind_  
 _You've got to know, it's time to let go_

 _Take my hand_  
 _Come with me_  
 _Be amazed... you'll never see this anywhere else!_

 _Throw your doubt away_  
 _And come fly with me_  
 _For a day believe_  
 _You live in a dream_

 _Let magic take your breath away_  
 _Let me show you anything's possible_

 _Breathe in, close your eyes and_  
 _You'll see what you've been missing_

 _Make a wish and maybe you'll be lucky_  
 _Make a wish and maybe you'll - find that you've got it all here_

 _Throw your doubt away today_  
 _Come and fly with me today_  
 _Say the magic word today_

 _(Just take a chance for me!)_  
 _Let's soar through the sky, all the rules we'll defy_  
 _And I swear I'll dazzle you_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Forty-Eight:** **Say a Little Prayer**

 _ **Trucy Wright  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency  
_ June 15, 2026 8:45 AM

Even though she was generally a very cheerful and optimistic person for the most part, there were times when Trucy gloomily wondered if the universe was conspiring against _her_ , her _father_ or just _anybody_ with any sort of affiliation with either one of them whenever catastrophe hit!

In the midst of this newly discovered tragedy involving Maya Fey, the distraught teen had also _completely_ forgotten to call back her best friend with the latest update on her father's condition. To make matters worse, the saintly patient Pearl was undoubtedly _waiting_ for Trucy to call back as promised, so the magician could inform her that Phoenix was apparently going to be just fine.

 _Dammit Pearly! Why didn't you forget what I said about calling you and just call me back anyway?! I am a completely forgetful ditz with borderline ADD! Did you_ _ **just**_ _meet_ _me_?!

Therefore, due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, at the present time, poor Pearl Fey was _still_ under the impression that Phoenix's health could potentially still be in mortal peril, because the last thing she'd heard was that he'd been hit by a car and was in intensive care!

Unfortunately, the spirit medium's frayed nerves had been the _last_ thing on Trucy's devastated mind, which was still flooded with overwhelming pathos for the selfless man who'd loved and raised her for the better half her life.

The discovery of her father's letter, which she had read and reread at least a hundred times the night before, had left her so powerless and hapless about how to remedy the tragic situation regarding Phoenix's love life that she'd barely slept a wink last night.

The scenario seemed completely hopeless.

The wedding was in _just over 24 hours_ from now, so sending the love letter in the post wasn't even a viable option, as there was _no way in hell_ it would get there in time! Based on what Trucy had gathered from her father's forlorn message, coupled with the fact that he'd _waited until the penultimate night before the nuptials_ to mail it, it was obvious he'd never intended for Maya to get the note prior to getting married. The fact that _she'd_ intercepted letter was a _fluke_ stroke of fate, but even if the magician herself were to have it _same or next day express couriered_ , there was still _no guarantee_ that Maya would read her mail before her ceremony, because what bride-to-be would be _pouring over her post_ the morning she was supposed to walk down the aisle?!

Every time the teen had closed her eyes, she'd been haunted by nightmares involving Phoenix, Maya, an evil looking witch, a blond demon and other unspeakable Netherworld beasts, cackling and leaping out from underground infernos and creating flaming barriers for the two star-crossed lovers as they tried futilely tried to run into one another's arms. Throughout this harrowing scene, all Trucy could do in the background was impotently scream for her Daddy as he got engulfed by the fiery blazes with his fingers desperately still reaching out for the woman he loved…

Each instance had resulted in her waking up shaking and in a cold sweat. She'd finally managed to shut her eyes just after 4:30 in the morning, only to be jolted awake by her father's phone call from the hospital at 8:45!

Without any preamble, a thankfully very _recovered_ - _sounding_ Phoenix swiftly informed his daughter about Eldoon's mysterious, vanishing noodle stand and that she could expect to see a _Mr. Apollo Justice_ arriving at their home within the next _half hour or less_!

 _Holy Harry Houdini! A_ _ **boy**_ _is coming here and I still haven't even dressed, or ingested the approximate half a dozen cups of coffee I'll need to ensure my coherency today… or most of all… formulated a game plan as to how I'm going to_ _ **sneak this love letter**_ _back into Daddy's room before he_ _ **notices**_ _it's_ _ **missing**_ _!_

Moreover, her father then went on say he expected to see _them both_ at the hospital _immediately_ after Apollo's arrival, and had then commenced on briefly giving her an outline of the proposal he had for the young attorney, and his take on what he believed were possibly correlated events from last night: her stolen Magic Panties (which Trucy had managed to let him know about as soon as she got a word in edgewise), his hit-and-run, and now the missing noodle stand.

Her mind swimming with this inundation of newly acquired information on top of everything else, the now frantic Trucy gave a gasp of dismay as she looked up at the clock and hastily cut the conversation short.

"Gotta run and shower now, Daddy!" She was already leaping out of bed. "Take care! I love you! See you soon!"

Her exhausted, sleep-deprived body contrasted sharply against her racing pulse, while her mind continue to niggle at her, as though there was something she was forgetting, but couldn't quite place her finger on…

 _Oh my goodness, thank heavens school's out for the summer! I would be a complete zombie if I actually had to be up for class after almost zero sleep, what with all of this stress and sorrow plaguing my mind!_

Trucy was finally dressed and chugging back her third cup of coffee when she suddenly remembered _Pearl_! Groaning, she raced back to her room to grab her cell phone. Sure enough, as her lousy luck would have had it, she saw the two missed calls from the spirit medium while she had been showering, and repentantly listened to her friend's anxious voicemails.

Message 1 at 8:50 AM: _"Trucy, it's Pearly! I'm so sorry I missed your call but I haven't been able to get near my phone what with Luke arriving late last night, and all this wedding stuff… What happened to Mr. Nick?! Are you OK?! I've been sitting here waiting by the phone…you said you were going to call me back and I still haven't heard from you, and I'm really worried… Please call me!"_

Trucy clapped a hand to her forehead and moaned as she noted how the poor girl sounded nearly frantic with worry.

 _For the love of Criss Angel, I am_ _ **the**_ _biggest jerk in_ _ **37**_ _states_ _ **and**_ _Mexico! How could this possibly happen_ _ **twice**_ _in_ _ **two months**_ _now is beyond me!_

Message 2 at 8:55 AM: " _Trucy where are you?! Please try to call me back before 9:30 as I need to go out with Luke to run some last minute errands for tomorrow. I'm going to need to leave my phone at home to charge it, because I had it turned on all last night, when it was already near dead, waiting for your call. I didn't want to miss you, so I didn't power off to save the battery. But I was so scared about your father and distracted by everything else going on up here that I forgot to plug it in! I tried to call the hospital myself earlier but they won't disclose any information to me over the phone! Is Mr. Nick going to be alright?!"_

Glancing up at the office clock, Trucy saw that it was 9:10 now. At least she would hopefully be able to catch Pearl before she headed out. She crossed her fingers as she quickly dialed the spirit medium's phone number. Luckily, this time her friend answered.

"Pearly, it's me!" The words came tumbling out of her mouth in a rush. "I'm sooooo sorry! _Please_ still love me!"

"Trucy!" Pearl cried, without prelude. "What happened to Mr. Nick?! Is he going to be all right?! I've nearly been going out of my mind!"

The magician cringed at the minor note of hysteria in the normally soft-spoken and polite spirit medium's voice.

 _Golly Siegfried and Roy, I_ _ **suck**_ _! I_ _ **suckity suck**_ _! I've seen and heard the stories from Pearly and Uncle Gumshoe over the years of what a sweet little family Pearly and Maya were with Daddy back in the day! That photo in the locket of the three of them proves as much! Daddy was practically a father figure to Pearly at one point, so_ _ **of course**_ _she's practically mad with anxiety about his accident! She probably loved him almost as much as Maya did…_

Suddenly a light bulb went off over Trucy's head, and a speculative smile crept across her innocent features. In that split instant, the mischievous magician realized that _she_ was every bit as much of a gambler as Zak Gramarye had been! Except in this case the stakes were so much higher, as she had her beloved adopted father's entire existence, his whole life's happiness, on the line.

And his daughter, with her angst-filled heart and slumber-robbed mind, having exhausted _every other possible solution_ , was about to put _everything_ at stake, by betting the odds that _another_ young teenage girl's still existing, _unequivocal parental love_ for Phoenix, which _had never wavered_ , would ultimately be what would save the day.

There was _no_ other option at this 11th hour, for Apollo was on his way over _any minute now_ , and after this, the situation would be completely out of her hands. The Cupid scheming magician could only _pray_ that Pearl would be able to someday forgive her for the undue distress of what Trucy was about to do to her – _**intentionally,**_ _this time_! – and that by passing the relay baton to her unknowing, unsuspecting teammate, it'd all work in the way she was banking on.

 _Oh please God!_ Trucy silently prayed to whatever divine powers may have been listening. _**Please**_ _let this work out the way it's supposed to! Also, please don't let me give poor Pearly_ _ **a heart-attack**_ _in the process…_

It was too much of a risk to simply _tell_ Pearl about the letter. Without _tangible_ proof of it in her hands, even in emailed photograph form, there was zero guarantee Maya wouldn't question the note's authenticity. Plus, there was the chance that her skeptical best friend would also doubt the legitimacy surrounding the _hearsay evidence_ of Phoenix's _alleged_ ardor. The worst case scenario was Pearl wouldn't think the letter alone was substantial enough to bring to her cousin's attention right before the wedding, and even if she did, there were too many _what-ifs_ involved to make Trucy fear the note alone wouldn't be sufficient to _spur things into action._

However, seeing how treasured "Mr. Nick" still was to Pearl, his _vitality_ being in _potential jeopardy…that_ was a whole other thing _entirely_ …

"Like I said, Daddy got hit by a car last night." The well-intentioned teen tried to inject as much nervous trembling into her tone as humanly possible, as though she still _genuinely_ feared Phoenix's life was hanging in the balance. "Pearly…I'm so scared. He's still in the hospital, and he's alive… _but_ –"

" _But_?" Pearl shouted plaintively, sounding as though she were going to burst into tears now. "But _what_ , Trucy?! _Tell_ me!"

At that moment, there was a loud, impatient knock at the door, followed by another, and the magician halted in mid-speech, a triumphant gleam in her eye at the impeccably timed interruption.

"Dang it, _David Copperfield_!" Trucy announced abruptly, her cadence laced with very authentic-sounding regret as she rushed to answer the door. "Someone's at the door, Pearly! I gotta go! _Byee_!"

With that, she hung up the phone.

200 kilometers away, in the remote village of Kurain, the panic-stricken Pearl Fey turned to her boyfriend, still clutching the phone so tightly in her hand, her knuckles, along with her face, were visibly white.

The British youth's brows were knitted with loving concern at the sight of his girlfriend's thunderstruck expression.

"Pearl, love, what's going on?" Luke asked quickly. "What did Trucy say about Mr. Wright?"

Pearl's lips quivered as she repeated the ominous sounding, yet _maddeningly_ _ambiguous_ message, raising watery grey orbs to stare beseechingly into worried coffee-brown ones.

"Oh, Luke!" The spirit medium wailed helplessly, burying her face into his shoulder. "I feel like I'm going crazy here! I – I'm having a complete crisis of conscience! What am I going to _do_?!"

Back in Los Angeles, at that moment, a _silently praying on all that was holy_ Trucy Wright was flinging open the agency door, and discovered a completely flummoxed Apollo Justice standing on the other side.

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency  
_ June 15, 2026 9:12 AM

 _As much as I acknowledge that I have been proverbially screwed, financially, and in every sense of the word since_ _ **that**_ _trial, I still cannot_ _ **believe**_ _I let Clay talk me into coming here!_ Apollo lamented as he knocked on to what he assumed was the portal to the legendary Wright  & Co. Law Offices, too lost in his heightened sense of apprehension to notice the actual placard now read Wright Talent Agency. _Even when I hit rock bottom I told myself I'd never come here, ever! Ugh, I_ _ **really**_ _need to_ _ **stop trembling**_ _already! I'm going to blame it on that fourth cup of coffee I had with breakfast…_

The door flung open, revealing a petite teenage girl in a blue hat and cape, who was practically bouncing on her heels with excitement at the sight of him. She looked strangely familiar to Apollo, although his astounded gaze was too busy soaking in his bizarre surroundings, with its haphazard, random paraphernalia scattered everywhere! The place looked more like a wannabe Harry Potter/magician's bomb had exploded, rather than a law office of _any_ sort, and he wondered if he had somehow ended up at the wrong place by mistake.

"Hello there!" The girl chirped, ushering him inside with a flourish. "You've found the Wright place! Welcome!"

"Huh? Uh…Ah…" he stammered, as his round eyes continued taking in everything around him.

Trucy ruefully noted the baby-faced lawyer's shell-shocked expression, while she struggled to come to terms with the fact that she was nose-to-nose with the very same individual she had risked potentially ruining with her unthinking zealousness to save her father not too long ago! She'd never dreamed that she would ever see him again, and judging by those overwhelmed Bambi eyes of his, _he_ felt the exact same way! The fact that he _looked_ as ill at ease as she _felt_ actually made her feel slightly better, and she used this as a reason to crank up her performer charm a few notches, in an attempt to make him feel more relaxed.

"Let's begin the interview, shall we?" Trucy continued cheerily. "First things first, any special talents?"

" _Talents_?" Apollo regarded her as though she'd acquired a second head. "Well… I guess… _defending_?"

A wicked grin flickered across the magician's visage. This one seemed _really_ uptight, so she was _definitely_ going to have to loosen him up a little! It seemed she'd need to totally start from scratch and act as though she'd never seen him before, even if that meant having to introduce herself properly and give him a little bit of back story about the location to which he'd been summoned.

And of course, _yanking his chain_ , _just a_ _ **little**_ _bit!_

Apollo was apparently at a loss for words as Trucy goaded him about his inability to "defend on command" and determined that his talent would need some "jazzing up" if he was going to be a professional for their talent agency, lest they end up with people laughing _at_ them rather than _with_ them!

The dubious expression on his face when she blithely informed him their agency didn't see it as a problem in the least that "Phoenix Wright, Pianist Extra Ordinaire" couldn't _really_ play the piano was downright _comical_. Her urge to giggle only increased at his terse reply to her pointing out how there were many _magicians_ who couldn't do _magic,_ after all!

"At least you're optimistic." Apollo shook his head. "I'll give you _that_."

While he had kept his composure for the most part, Trucy couldn't help but feel sorry for the obviously _poleaxed_ poor fellow, who'd thought he would be arriving at The Wright  & Co. Law Offices, explaining that he had gotten a call from Phoenix just that morning and had assumed to be meeting the person in charge. It was only when Trucy introduced herself as the Wright Talent Agency professional magician and CEO that a flicker of recognition dawned upon Apollo's childlike countenance.

Trucy's insides shuddered slightly as she read his face. Oh, he _remembered_ her all right!

It was _definitely_ time to change tactics and move on from that one little _past_ instance and quell any sneaking suspicions he might have with regards to that card trick she'd subjected him to!

"Hey, what's that?" She feigned wide-eyed innocence as she pointed to the shiny gold pin on the lapel of his red vest.

"Oh this?" Apollo smiled slightly and held it up for closer inspection, a note of pride in his voice now. "This is my defense badge."

"Ah, I've seen one of those before!" Trucy's blue orbs were alight with mischief. "That's an attorney's badge. It looks just like the one Daddy used to have. Now if I take this badge...And do this, and _this_..." She waved her hand. "See! It's gone!"

"H-Hey!" Apollo's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull in alarm. "My _badge_! What'd you _do_ with my _badge_!?"

"No need to worry!" Trucy barely bit back a titter. This guy was _way_ too easy to rib! She could almost forget about her troubles momentarily because getting under the overly straight-laced lawyer's skin was _such_ fun! "Just look in your pocket!"

"Huh!" Apollo frantically groped at all the inner linings of his red-suited ensemble, much to Trucy's mirth. "No way... My pocket? Hey! This _isn't_ my _badge_! It's a _flyer_ for your _agency_!"

Fearing he was going to burst into overwhelmed tears of confusion, Trucy relented and smiled angelically as she waved a gloved hand and presented the coveted item back to its owner.

"And here's your badge. You can have it back now."

Apollo glowered at her.

 _That's the last time I let her touch anything of mine. Period!_

Trying to distract his mounting agitation, he cast a cursory glance around the office, his gaze finally landing on an old, round-framed photograph of a young Magnifi Gramarye in his glory days.

"An old, sepia-tinted photo of a man in a silk top hat?"

"That's my favorite magician!" Trucy declared proudly, gesturing at her grandfather's picture. "I want to be just like him someday!"

"Sure, nice... Guess it's good to have a role model," Apollo mumbled under his breath, but she still heard him. "Even if he's gotta be _well over 100_."

"How _rude_!" Trucy scowled, putting her fists on her hips in indignation. _Mr. Snarky_ was going to _pay_ for that _wisecrack_!

Undaunted, Apollo stared warily at the strange split box by the wall that Trucy used for her Zig-Zag sawing trick.

"I've seen that on TV," he commented. "Why's it just sitting in your office? Isn't this one of those boxes for cutting people in half?"

"It's a little too big for me, you see." Trucy winked. "You know I'm always on the hunt for a magician's assistant… My old ones seem to keep _disappearing_ somehow… But it looks like it'd fit _you_ just perfectly!"

"Ah…" Apollo cleared his throat uncomfortably, his horns drooping in what she surmised was _ever-so-slight terror_!

She beamed sunnily in an attempt to mollify him.

"But in the meantime, I'm just using it as furniture. It adds a nice touch, don't you think?"

"Um…sure. So you're his, er... you're Phoenix Wright's daughter?"

"That's right! After Daddy quit law seven years ago, I promised I would keep him fed!" She twittered slightly. "So I'm kind of _his_ _**sugar daddy**_! Get it?"

"No."

Apollo didn't seem at all impressed by the attempted joke, and Trucy barely stifled a pained sigh that such a young man could be _such_ a _stick in the mud_! It seemed she was totally going to pull out all the stops, as Apollo was going to need _a lot_ of loosening up!

Otherwise known as _razzing_ the heck out of him!

"I'm in charge of this whole office, too," she boasted, tipping the brim of her hat. "Pretty amazing for a young lass of 15, wouldn't you agree!?"

" _F-Fifteen_?!" _That_ got a reaction out of him! "Uh, how old is Mr. Wright?"

The staggered look on Apollo's face was _priceless_! Trucy _briefly_ contemplated putting him out of his misery and explaining the fact that she was adopted, and hadn't been a high school accident on her father's behalf, but what _fun_ would _that_ have been?

Besides, he deserved to stew _just_ a little bit longer for that off-the-cuff remark about her grandfather!

"Daddy?" She smiled sweetly. "Oh, he's 33 this year."

"I'm sure there's a good explanation." Apollo attempted to pick his jaw up off the ground _._

… _I hope…_

Trucy continued to bounce lightly on her heels in obvious anticipation for him to carry on the conversation as Apollo awkwardly searched for a way to bring up the _other_ pink elephant in the room.

"Um, about Mr. Wright giving up law," he began hesitantly. "It was because of that _incident_ seven years ago, wasn't it...?"

In her _second_ best thespian performance du jour, Trucy opted to play the bewildered, naïve card as the best option for now, in response to his inevitable, albeit uncomfortable question. If her father wanted to get into the nitty-gritty about the situation, that was _his_ call to make, _not_ hers!

The teen theatrically clapped a hand against her mouth and widened her eyes in shocked confusion.

"Eh?" She gasped. "You _know_ about that!?"

"Not the gory details," he admitted, scratching his head. "I remember the news, though. It was a big deal."

"So I hear," she returned breezily, flipping back her hair in an effort to appear causal. "But I was too young to understand what was going on. I'll ask Daddy about it next time I get a chance."

"Daddy, right... That reminds me. About Mr. Wright..." Apollo's voice trailed off uncertainly. "Like I said, he was the one who gave me a call this morning to come in…"

"Daddy's not here right now." Trucy's shoulders drooped dejectedly as she cast her gaze to the floor. This time her reaction, in light of the reminder of her father's narrow brush with death, was completely genuine. "He's in the hospital."

"The hospital?!" Apollo gawked at her, indicating Phoenix hadn't let on to the young man as to his whereabouts when he'd rung him earlier.

"Yeah. He's on strict bed rest until he gets better."

"Which hospital is Mr. Wright in?" Apollo was already striding to the door. "I'll pay him a visit."

"The Hickfield Clinic. It's quite close."

"Right." He threw the door open and was already out in the hall by the time Trucy had grabbed her bag. "Well, I'll be going now. And I'll, uh... give this showbiz gig some thought, OK?"

"Wait, I'll go with you!" Trucy called, already running after him.

 _It's amazing how a little guy with such short legs can walk so dang fast!_

* * *

 _ **Apollo Justice and Phoenix Wright  
**_ _Hickfield Clinic  
_ June 15, 2026 9:45 AM

When Trucy and Apollo got to Phoenix's room, the magician internally thanked her lucky stars that her father wasn't present, and even better, she saw his sweatshirt was still tucked away in his night table drawer, where she had last seen it.

It was also to Trucy's great fortune that immediately after their arrival, her companion failed to notice her espionage, as upon entry, the gaping Apollo was momentarily distracted by the snaggle-toothed, pink-haired _, freak of human nature_ who greeted him, spouting a nightmare-inducing mug which rivaled those of the demons plaguing Trucy's horrific reveries the previous night!

Ergo, the dumbstruck young man failed to notice the teenager swiftly tucking the absconded love letter back into its original location, before spinning around and coming face-to-face with the creeper himself, barely stifling the _petrified scream_ that had arisen in her throat!

"Oh, hiya there, Trucy." The deranged looking lunatic, who had just introduced himself to the lawyer as Doctor Hickfield, scatched at his various body parts as he leered at the magician, who reflexively shrank back behind Apollo. "Cute as ever! Eh he he."

"Good morning Doctor." Trucy forced a fake smile at the creeper from her safe position behind the red attorney's back, grateful that Apollo made no move to cease being her human shield. "Er, is this my Daddy's room?"

Apollo fought back the urge to vomit in his own mouth as the freak suggestively raised his hands, and begin making lewd finger tweaking gestures towards the teenager, who was still attempting to hide behind him.

"Oh yah. 'Cept he's gone for a mornin' checkup. Be back soon. How're you, Miss Trucy? Got any places you'd like... _examined_? Eh heh..."

Apollo inexplicably, yet instinctively, felt his protective impulses kicking in for this young girl whom he'd only _just_ met. This fact seemed wholly irrelevant as he pushed her further behind him with one hand, while his free one curled into a fist, almost silently _daring_ the suspicious-looking cretin, who was all but _licking his chops_ while ogling Trucy, to even _try_ taking another step forward!

 _If this pedophile, whacko freak show is a Doctor, then I am Attila the Hun! And if he lays one hand on Trucy,_ _ **I'm**_ _going to be the one needing a defense lawyer!_

"Oh, _Doctor_..." Phoenix's unruffled voice broke in suddenly. "The nurse was looking for you."

The macabre creature shifted his lascivious grin towards the former defense attorney, who had just hobbled into the room. Phoenix was wearing the same beanie and hobo outfit Apollo had last seen on him, with the exception of the missing sweatshirt, and his one arm was presently around the shoulders of the dark-haired young nurse who he was using as a human crutch.

"Why, if it isn't the Daddy o' the cutest lil' thing in town!" The phony doctor now directed his lewd gaze to Karin Jenson. "Hrm. Hrmm. Guess I'll be off then. Eh he? Hey _Nursey Nurse_ – I hope _you're_ the one in charge of my _sponge-bath_ this afternoon! Heh, heh. Later, Trucy."

The nurse shivered slightly at the notion of having to wash _any_ part of that _monstrosity_ , but dutifully assisted Phoenix to his bed, and seeming gravely reluctant to _let go_ of him, while she made a big fuss out of fluffing his pillows and straightening out his bed.

"I'm fine now, Nurse Jenson," he assured the pretty brunette, waving at Trucy and Apollo over the shoulder of the fastidious nurse, who hadn't even taken notice of either of them, as she was too busy fussing over her patient.

"I've told you, you can call me _Karin_ ," she insisted playfully, waving her finger at him in mock disapproval. "Now you make sure you stay off that ankle and keep it elevated, Mr. Wright! We need to ensure the swelling goes down before we can get you a proper bandage for it!"

"I swear I could've made my way back here, just been fine, without your escorting, but I promise to take heed to your words." Phoenix nodded solemnly, looking slightly amused by her zeal.

"You best not be a _bad_ patient and disobey my orders!" The nurse lectured. "I know you _think_ you're all better already, and want to go running around, but you _must_ obey doctor's orders! Better safe than sorry! A pound of prevention is worth an ounce of cure! That's my motto!"

"I promise to be a good little boy," Phoenix promised with a straight face as he eased himself more comfortably back on the bed. "You have my word… _Karin_."

"You _best_ make sure to use that call button to fetch me if you need _anything_ , and don't try to be getting out of that bed for _any_ reason other than going to the bathroom!" Karin smiled coyly. "If you're _a bad boy_ and don't obey my commands, I _may_ just have to _tie you up_ to those bed railings!"

Apollo's eyes nearly bugged out of his head upon hearing this _not-so accidental double entendre_ , and coughed slightly to remind _Nurse Naughty_ of him and Trucy's presence. Karin whirled around in surprise upon hearing him, her cheeks turning crimson at the sight of the two visitors, then hastily mumbled something about being back later to check on her patient and made a rapid exit.

Phoenix chuckled softly, pausing in the act of grabbing his hoodie from his night table and putting it back on to return the embrace of the slightly traumatized Trucy, who'd wrapped her arms around him in a huge hug. Propped up against his _very attentive nurse_ in the doorway, he'd silently witnessed the whole exchange between the secret siblings and the _walking aberration_ , and diligently noted how innately protective Apollo had just been of his half-sister. At least he knew his daughter would be in good hands if left in the greenhorn attorney's care, since his tender ankle indicated _he_ was in no position to doing anything of the sort for the next little while.

 _Also, I know_ _ **firsthand**_ _that little Scrappy Doo isn't afraid to throw a punch if need be!_

"Wow, what an odd bird that guy was," Apollo ventured cautiously, uncertain how to greet the obviously injured man whom he'd perpetrated physical violence against the last time he'd laid eyes on him.

However, if Trucy's father bore him any grudges from the first and only time they'd met, the horn-fringed lawyer saw no indication of it on that shuttered, but slightly smiling, visage.

"Good morning," Phoenix smiled pleasantly. "Didn't expect you so soon, Apollo."

Trucy chose that exact moment to notice how despite Karin's best efforts, her father's bed, and the room itself, were in complete disarray.

"Daddy!" The teen clucked her tongue at him in condemnation. "Look how messy this is! You're just hopeless without me, aren't you?"

 _Yikes_! Apollo barely stepped out of the way in time before he was steamrolled by the determined _tidying_ _machine_ which had suddenly become Trucy Wright. _She's attempting to clean up! Look out!_

In a small frenzy, the magician commenced organizing and straightening up all the scattered items surrounding her father's bedside, looking like a blue hurricane-like blur as she did so.

"Ah ha ha. You got me." Phoenix smiled sheepishly at the nonplussed red attorney. "What can I say? I was raised in a barn. Try not to let word get out, Apollo. If you don't mind."

Apollo barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

 _Yeah, it might ruin your illustrious career pretending to play the piano!_

"What's that on TV?" The defense attorney asked, in an attempt to change the subject from Phoenix's slobbery. "Looks like some sort of action hero show..."

"Oh, I know that one! That's the _Sniffling Samurai_!" Trucy crowed excitedly. "His "Booger Flick" attack is a big hit with the grade school crowd!"

 _Ew! That's disgusting!_

The grossed-out Apollo stared speechlessly, first at Trucy, then at the unaffected faux pianist.

"Er, I had no idea you liked this kind of stuff, Mr. Wright," he said at last.

"Well, what else is there to do when you're stuck in bed? You heard Nurse Ratchet – I am to remain _completely bedridden_ until further notice." Phoenix shrugged. "Besides, the episodes will just keep piling up if I don't keep up, you know? And now's the only time I get to watch and write up my reports."

"Your reports?" Apollo stared at him blankly.

"It's a long story," Phoenix flashed his customary enigmatic smile. "Like a lot of things, actually."

Apollo paused, waiting for the other man to continue on the topic, but he didn't. Bewildered as to why the former lawyer had brought up a subject he obviously had no intention of further elaborating on, he pressed ahead with inquiring about details of the accident. While it was utterly creepy to hear the older man speak so nonchalantly about an incident which could've easily claimed his life, sounding as indifferent as if he'd simply _acquired a hangnail_ , Apollo couldn't help but think that Phoenix Wright truly _was_ as lucky as everyone seemed to say he was. In spite of his mixed feelings about the man, he had to admit, it _was_ pretty mind-blowingly _badass_ how he'd merely suffered a sprained ankle after such a gruesome accident.

The attorney was going to cite being utterly taken aback by Phoenix's lack of injuries as the blaming factor for the brief moment of ineptness on his own part, when he then inquired about how a man as young as his former idol could have a daughter Trucy's age.

"She's so _big_!" Apollo exclaimed, which only earned him a withering glare from the obviously affronted magician in response. "Er, sorry that came out wrong. I mean, not _fat_ , but, er, you know what I mean…"

Trucy continued to glower at the now red-faced attorney, but Phoenix simply smiled knowingly and decided to put the young man out of his misery.

"It's all right Apollo. I know what you meant. But for the record Trucy is still a child."

" _Daddy_!" Trucy huffed, as though she had just been grievously insulted. "How many times do I have to remind you that I'm _not_ a child anymore!"

"But you'll always be Daddy's little baby girl to _me_ , Trucy." A flicker of warmth flashed over Phoenix's face as he smiled fondly at his daughter, before turning back to Apollo with his typical poker-faced mask. "Oh, there's something you should know about Trucy."

"She's a magician, right? She already told me."

"Not a mere stage magician… She's a _genius_." Phoenix proclaimed proudly.

"Tee hee!" Trucy giggled modestly and smiled lovingly at her father. "Aw, Daddy!"

"You'll soon come to appreciate her talent, Apollo," Phoenix told him, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

"You know, you could just _tell_ me things instead of insinuating them, right?" Apollo was beginning to get irked with all these incomplete thoughts and hints. "Why did you contact me anyway? What could the Wright Talent Agency want with me?"

"No need to get prickly now." Phoenix looked entertained at the spiky-fringed man's irate expression.

"Hey, I didn't _ask_ to be dragged in like this!" Apollo snapped, momentarily forgetting his earlier promise to Clay to approach his fallen hero with an open mind and heart full of compassion.

"Huh?" Trucy blinked in confusion. "But didn't you come into the office of your own free will?"

"Well, yeah, of course!" Apollo yearned to pound a fist against his forehead in frustration. "The exact words conveyed to me when I was called early this morning were: _'Help! We're in big trouble here at the office! Big!'_ So _naturally_ I came right away! I thought someone was _dying_!"

 _I was envisioning a life or death situation with Mr. Wright!_ _ **Not**_ _coming in here and needing to fend off the advances upon his daughter from Doctor Bad Touch, then witnessing him comfortably sitting and watching children's DVD shows, with_ _ **only a sprained an**_ _ **kle**_ _, while enjoying the flirtations of attractive nurses!_

The ex-attorney turned to his daughter, and the two exchanged a surreptitious wink, which the lawyer fortunately missed.

"So you don't think _this_ is big trouble?" Phoenix inquired calmly, unfazed by the outburst. "My talent agency represents only _two_ people... and _one_ of them is in the hospital."

"That's right, Daddy!" Trucy's face crumpled, right on cue. "How are we going to pay this month's _rent_!? And the _groceries_!?"

"Yeah... That's the problem with such a tight operation," Phoenix remarked mildly, as though they were discussing the weather and not his precarious finances. "It's a symbiotic relationship. When one of us falls, the other, too, must fall, I'm afraid."

"Hey!" Apollo stared at the other man in disbelief. "This isn't exactly a suitable conversation to be having with a 15-year-old kid!"

Phoenix ignored him and affected a saddened expression. "In any case, if Apollo here can't help you, you have to transfer to a new school, baby girl. _Again_."

" _No_!" Trucy looked miserably down at the floor, still in role, and fighting back a snicker. "I _can't_! I only just made friends… Starting over was so hard after that whole bully incident with Drew Peacock at my last school…"

Suddenly her head jerked up, her eyes shooting daggers at the flummoxed red attorney as her gloved hands turned into tiny fists, which Apollo fervently hoped were _not_ going to be _turned in his general direction!_

" _Darn you_!" The magician erupted furiously. "How could you do this to me...to _us_ , Polly?!"

"Huh? What? Now it's _my_ fault?" Apollo was too taken aback by the teenager's sudden shift in mood to even protest about the fact that within the last split-second, he'd gone from having the _powerful name of a Greek God_ to now being christened with _the moniker of a parrot_ – which he'd _never_ _agreed_ to being called!

Phoenix decided to ease up on the double-team guilt tripping and smiled at the rattled young man.

"On that note, how about you come work for us? I've got the perfect client for you already lined up."

Unable to help himself, Apollo's hazel eyes lit up with excitement. Could this _possibly_ mean he would actually get to _do his job_ and _defend_ someone in court?!

"Alright." He sighed, hoping he wouldn't regret this decision. "I'll hear what you have to say."

"You got him, Daddy!" Trucy cheered. "Hook, line, and sinker!"

"Ah ha. Now it's time to reel him in!"

Apollo looked back and forth at the conspiring grins of both father and daughter, and felt his horns beginning to droop.

 _It's official: I'm scared._

In spite of his misgivings, he took the map Phoenix handed him while he reiterated the circumstances surrounding his accident, and concluded his anecdote by smilingly wishing the red attorney good luck, saying that Apollo Justice now had a client – _Phoenix Wright, hit-and-run victim_ , and that the lawyer's mission was to find the guy who had knocked him into the telephone pole.

"Whoa, hold on!" Apollo stared at him incredulously. "You're _kidding_ me, right?! I'm a _defense_ attorney, _not_ a detective!"

"Don't worry," Phoenix deadpanned. "Once you've _found_ the guy, I intend to _sue_ him!"

Apollo gaped at him in disbelief, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

 _We've really got to get this poor guy a pillow for the floor, so his jaw has a soft landing every time it falls down upon it!_ Trucy quietly sniggered to herself in the corner. _Obviously Daddy's enjoying messing with him as much as_ _ **I**_ _was!_

"And _then_ ," Phoenix continued with a shit-eating grin. "You can _stick it to him_ in court!"

"This is totally ridiculous and an _utter_ waste of my time!" Apollo threw his hands in the air disgustedly and spun around on his heel, ready to storm out the door. "I'm not a _prosecutor,_ either! I'm sorry but…This is too crazy, even for _me_! Forget you guys! I'm going _home_!"

Trucy sobered instantly and cast an uneasy glance at her father. It appeared they had finally gone _a bit too far_ with their relentless ribbing of the young man. Phoenix flashed his daughter a reassuring smile and called out to Apollo just as he got to the doorway.

"Hey! Don't get so worked up! It was just a _joke_!"

Reluctantly, Apollo turned around and faced both father and daughter, the former still with an impish twinkle in his eyes, and the latter with a placating smile on her face.

"Oh, Daddy!" She heaved an exasperated sigh and shook her head. "Sorry, Apollo. He just loves jokes, you know. Even the ones that aren't very funny!"

Apollo scowled. He wasn't sure _who_ he was more disgusted with, the fiendish Mr. Wright of twisted sense of humor acclaim, or _himself_ for not having left already!

"Your real client should be stopping by the office any time now," Phoenix informed him, his expression once again serious. "Although I _do_ hope you'll look into my accident too. As well as that one other incident of Trucy's."

" _Incident_?" Apollo echoed, sliding his confused gaze over to the expectant-looking magician. "What incident?"

"Well…umm…" Trucy took a deep breath, then blew it out. "Someone stole a pair of my panties."

If Phoenix's dumb phone hadn't been from the Jurassic era, and actually had a working camera phone, he would've snapped a shot of the completely gobsmacked expression on the young man's visage upon hearing the foundation garment word! It took all of his self-control to keep a straight face while Apollo's mouth opened and closed, like a fish out of water, for several moments.

 _Now that there,_ _ **that's**_ _the kind of face lifelong memories are made out of!_

" _Panties_?!" Apollo finally croaked. "Erm, so they were, um, stolen, your, er…"

"My _panties_ , yes!" Trucy stamped her foot. "I was alone in the office last night. I had hung my panties out the window there to dry...when a thief came and took them! My favorite panties! I ran after him. ' _Give those back!" I shouted. "Wait!'_ But I lost him! The freak who stole my panties!"

 _Please stop saying_ _ **panties**_ _!_ Apollo felt his horns drooping again. _I will do_ _ **anything in the world**_ _right now just to make your_ _ **15-year-old self**_ _stop saying the word_ _ **panties**_ _! It – It just seems_ _ **so wrong**_ _on_ _ **so many different levels!**_

"Do your best to find this fiendish _panties_ snatching pervert, Apollo, will you please?" Phoenix drawled, trying not to enjoy the embarrassed young man's discomfort _too_ much, but chortling to himself silently as the red attorney's face began to slowly match his vest. "Understand that they're not just any _normal_ panties! They're Trucy's special _Magic Panties_ , you see."

"Oh, I see. Well…erm, I'll try my best." Apollo cleared his throat. "Trucy, I promise to do everything in my power to help you find your magical…. _underwear_."

"Not _underwear_!" Trucy corrected him with a frown. " _Panties_! My _Magic Panties_!"

"Right," he mumbled, quite certain that by this point, you could've _roasted frankfurters_ against his blazing cheeks. "I will do everything I can to help you find your, er…you know what."

A devilish glint flickered in Trucy's eyes.

"Polly…" She asked benignly. "Do you have a problem with the word _panties_?"

"Don't be silly!" He denied hotly, while he felt his blush creeping from his face down to his neck. "It's just that I don't see a _need_ to keep repeating… _that word_ … over and over again!"

"You barely even said it _once_ and even then you _whispered_ it! They're a normal part of every female wardrobe!" Her cerulean orbs were now dancing with merriment. "Oh my goodness, Polly, you are such a _prude_!"

"I am _not_!"

"Yes you _are_!" Trucy pranced around him as Apollo tried to stalk past her out the door, after curtly bidding adieu to Phoenix. "If you're _not_ , then prove it! Say _panties_!"

"Will you _stop_ saying _that word_ over and over again already?!"

"Are you _kidding_? I couldn't _stop_ now even if I _tried_!" Phoenix could hear the laughter in his daughter's voice as she quickly blew him a kiss goodbye, then chased after Apollo down the hall. "Come on, Polly! Just say it already! What's in a word?"

" _No_! I don't wanna!"

" _Panties! Panties! Panties! Panties! Panties_!"

"Ngh! Stop it!"

Phoenix let out his first shout of genuine laughter in what seemed like ages. Trucy was just too much! Apollo _definitely_ was going to have his hands full with his little sister's merciless teasing, that was for sure! He almost felt sorry for the young man for what he was being subjected to that day, and undoubtedly would be forced to endure, _for the rest of his days!_

 _Those two are siblings already!_ He smilingly leaned his head back against his pillow. _They just don't know it yet!_

 _ **Adrisaurus - Child of Magic**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 146**

 **Luffy**

If you are a lover of Nick and Maya their story has tragedy even from the very moment they first met. Therefore I felt I needed to encompass it when trying to write a love story! Thank you for not hating me for the tears I have major shed reading the story! No Phoenix is basically Wolverine _he cannot die_ and I can promise you one thing –spoiler for this story and every single story I Wright – **I will _never_ kill off Phoenix Wright**! To do so would not only kill you, but would kill _me_ with sadness I have a hard enough time writing emotional scenes were Nick is sad/crying without reaching for the tissue myself!

I think at this point I have mastered the fine art of finding other ways to torture my poor characters and move them along with my readers to tears without needing to resort to such dramatic (often unnecessary!) tactics!

 _"Why men do not realize how important it's for a woman they feed her soul with beautiful words and tenderness? Only for that letter, I'm so happy that I could believe that Nick wrote it to me."_

You are not alone in having a wonderful husband who shares Phoenix's nobility and altruism but not necessarily that romantic valor which most women find swoon worthy! Do men this romantic like this (the Nick's and Jamie's and even Miles – you read his marriage proposal to Franny in their story!) really exist thought? Or is there a reason we call this a work of fiction?!

 **Chapter 147**

 ***review of the week***

 **TheFreelancerSeal** (the psychic)

I'm very happy you like the way I weave lyrics into this tale, as I could not stop putting music into the story even if I tried! Not when I still have a couple of reader request to still fill out -I may not always use them as immediately as I have recently but I will do my best to utilize them!

 _"I wonder if there's some significance to that sheet of paper that floated away. Given your tendency to have relatively minor details be significant, I'm inclined to think so. But I digress."_

Again with the keen perception! :-)

That drifting piece of paper last chapter was almost a blink and you'll miss it detail but just like the _new age ink_ Maya's spotted in Mia's letter, but I assure you I never mention anything without relevance in this story!

Unfortunately Phoenix has nothing but time on his hands right now although thinking is probably the last thing on earth he wants to do considering it is Maya's wedding the next day! Thankfully he's on some pretty hard-core pain medication which hopefully will help numb his inner pain although I doubt it!

I would like to think that having two performers as his biological parents, and we know at least his mother is a musician*, that Apollo would be musically inclined! In fact given those chords of steel, I might make it that he can belt it out even better than Klavier at some point in the story! XD

I needed to make it to the Apollo had _some_ reasonable doubt about Phoenix's culpability with the whole bloody ace fiasco, which is the only reason he let clay talk him into accepting the job offer. I really can't see how he would've gone ahead and taken up working for the man who he _genuinely_ believed had forged evidence otherwise!

 _(*cough* SOJ minor spoiler - so was his Daddy *)_

 **Yanmegaman**

I wish Capcom would it make Apollo so annoying (uptight, essentially afraid of his own shadow like in SOJ) so I could just fully love him and sympathize with him because he truly is a tragic character! And he is such a cutie pie have no doubt he must've been a beautiful baby/kid so the idea of him being unwanted truly is tragic!

It is going to be a very high profile wedding indeed… What did you think of Trucy's method of madness? While she may have taken that letter out of the equation to fit her spur of the moment solution here's a hint: don't rule it out entirely! ;)

 **Forgreatcoffee**

It's really interesting how you used the term "fated" Señor Java, because a lot of events in this story are literally an act of fate, if not in the Ace Attorney world in general. Sure I've made it that Nick was checking Polly and his lawyer abilities out for good couple of years in my story before they met, however, the odds of brother and sister ever reuniting in this huge world of ours with no lead whatsoever are pretty much nonexistent, so it very much say I agree with you wholeheartedly!

Clay is basically a blank slate; all we know that him and Apollo were best friends and that he was a big cutie so of course that meant they had to kill them off! However I do agree he must've been wonderful person because Apollo strikes me as very hot-blooded and easily angered the former is what makes him sort of a younger (shorter) Phoenix… So it does seem that without the calming influence of somebody he never would've agreed to come work for him ever again after their explosive parting after Nick's murder trial.

Nick being oblivious? Whatever are you referring to? Could it be that piece of paper that fluttered to the ground unnoticed? ;)

As for the names of all these kiddie DVDs… Hundred percent canon - not making a single one of them!

 **Ilet Moratar**

I have in my mind that Nick might've been _good_ but not _great_ as an artist and I especially don't think he was putting any particular meticulous detail in drawing his nemesis as The Evil Magistrate! I'd like to think ultimately he would've been a starving artist if he had relied on his skills to keep him fed and therefore made the wise choice by becoming an Ace Attorney!

Luffy's drawing skills cannot be any worse than mine - I basically ended up drawing a smiling pineapple attempting to draw Phoenix's spikes!

 **JaDe In NighT**

When you're inquiring about Kayworth, meaning Miles x Kay in my drabbles? Unfortunately, I had to pull the plug on that project.

You called it! We see Trucy's magic at work in this very chapter… My readers will find out in the next chapter to whether or not her gamble paid off and of course we will have the spectacular re-entry of _The Edgeworth_! Phoenix is so adorkably clueless without his logical BFF (these two brothers in every way that matters and no way will I let them keep this rift forever!) and now he's on pain meds with a bum ankle - his brain and reflexes may be slower than usual! :)

 **Rdrtrandom dude**

Stupid Capcom! These two cuties could easily been the next generation of Wrightworth! Minus the old married couple bickering I think! Perhaps because they are in completely different occupational fields so there's not that ridiculous sense of rivalry! I am sticking to the canon pretty closely when it comes to dates for both Apollo Justice and Dual Destinies; it's what happens in between those dates with there are no cases, that's 100% me, attempting to entertain wonderful and loyal readers like yourself! :)

 **Chloemcg**

Did you mean Layton being related to Sherlock? I like that theory very much and could totally get behind it! Could you think could be a descendent of the great and very underrated Watson? Jude Law is delicious in that role and one of the few men who can actually make me drool while rocking a mustache!

I'm really happy you like the idea of Apollo playing the violin I'd like to think that in spite of his loudness he would play a delicate instrument like this and it seemed as good since I already have Nick and Iris on the piano and Larry on the lute! I have a head canon that all the Ace Attorney characters have musical/dancing/singing abilities I don't know why! All except for the Payne brothers I think they sound dying cats! XD

I'm happy you liked the comedy in the last chapter - this chapter and the previous one where my way of making it up to my readers for the back-to-back angst of _Since I Lost You_ and _Broken Wings._

I like using Disney World as the universal amusement park of roller coaster parallels however feel free to insert any twisting roller coaster you know of to describe the lightning speed and sharp (unexpected!) turns of the upcoming story arc! :)


	149. Dream On

_Every time when I look in the mirror  
All these lines on my face getting clearer  
The past is gone  
It went by, like dusk to dawn  
Isn't that the way  
Everybody's got the dues in life to pay_

 _I know nobody knows  
Where it comes and where it goes  
I know it's everybody sin  
You got to lose to know how to win_

 _Half my life  
Is books, written pages  
Live and learn from fools and  
From sages  
You know it's true, oh  
All these feelings come back to you_

 _Sing with me, sing for the years  
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears  
Sing with me, just for today  
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away_

 _Yeah, sing with me, sing for the year  
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear  
Sing with me, just for today  
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away_

 _Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream until your dreams come true  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream until your dreams come true_

* * *

 _A/N:_ _ **Eveshowrtc**_ _I hope you're still reading this – enjoy your requested Zepplin!_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Forty Nine:** **Dream On**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Klavier Gavin**_  
 _Hickfield Clinic_  
June 16, 2026 12:05 PM

The strong pain medications Karin had administered to heal the throbbing pain in his ankle packed a meaner punch than Mike Tyson, and Phoenix had been unconscious for the better part of his hospital stay. The only times he'd been able to stay awake yesterday, when he'd first arisen, had been when Trucy and Apollo had come by to keep him in the loop of their investigations in the case of the Wocky Kitaki murder trial/missing noodle stand/panties snatching pervert.

There was also the matter of the former lawyer having to help solve the immediate, baffling puzzle of how to make a _certain grumpy female detective_ actually start _conversing_ with them instead of just ignoring their questions and pelting them with her never-ending supply of Snackoos!

Each time, he'd had to fight to stay alert during the siblings' multiple visits throughout the day, while they'd updated him on their progress of the three stumper cases he'd put the young defense attorney in charge of solving, with his eager beaver daughter tagging alongside as the investigative 'assistant.'

That afternoon, Phoenix woke up from a hazy, drug-induced sleep to a vaguely known, yet somehow unfamiliar, harmony near his ear. He stirred slightly, but remained prostrate, keeping his eyes closed as he tried to place the melodious resonance, all the while wondering if he was awake or in slumber still.

Or was he possibly _dead_? Was this literal "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" heavenly sound something he was hearing as part of the afterlife?

" _I'd rather die in honor than live with shame and dishonor." Poetic thought, but right now, I ruefully acknowledge that had I_ _ **actually**_ _died from that hit and run – which I have determined is proof that "divine intervention"_ _ **does**_ _exist! – my name would remain in besmirched infamy. And with my reputation thus tarnished, the end result would've indeed been dying with dishonor and lies still tainting my legacy, the stigmatic stain which would forever haunt my daughter. For_ _ **Trucy's**_ _sake_ , _alone, I'm grateful I survived. I not only get to remain her father, but it also means I still have another day, and another chance to try to right all the wrongs from the past seven years._

So no, he wasn't dead. But he _was_ literally hearing an angel singing. Perhaps he was just dreaming.

* * *

 _ **How do I,**_  
 _ **Get through one night without you?**_  
 _ **If I had to live without you,**_  
 _ **What kind of life would that be?**_  
 _ **Oh, I...**_

* * *

The angel's voice rolled over him in sorrowful waves. Swells of power seemed to rise up in her golden throat, and he was unable to tell if it was the words that came from her, or the beauty of the song itself.

* * *

 _ **I need you in my arms, need you to hold,**_  
 _ **You're my world, my heart, my soul,**_  
 _ **If you ever leave,**_  
 _ **Baby you would take away everything good in my life,**_  
 _ **And tell me now…**_

* * *

 _My friends could tell me I have a nice voice, but I would never believe them again._ _ **This**_ _here…_ _ **this**_ _is…an enchanted, dare I even say, a most_ _ **heavenly**_ _sound, unlike anything I've ever heard in my life._

* * *

 _ **How do I live without you?**_  
 _ **I want to know,**_  
 _ **How do I breathe without you?**_  
 _ **If you ever go,**_  
 _ **How do I ever, ever survive?**_  
 _ **How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?**_

* * *

If Phoenix _was_ indeed dreaming, he never, _ever_ wanted to wake up. The melody of the song, and moreover, the hauntingly beautiful voice singing it, even in _a cappella_ , was so filled with heartfelt emotion and poignancy, that he felt a slight stinging sensation behind his closed lids as he listened to the romantic lyrics.

* * *

 _ **Without you,**_  
 _ **There'd be no sun in my sky,**_  
 _ **There would be no love in my life,**_  
 _ **There'd be no world left for me**_

* * *

That _intonation_. That mesmerizing, hypnotic _cadence_. Phoenix _knew_ it. Had been fantasizing about it for the past year during all his days and been beleaguered by it in his dreams every night.

* * *

 _ **And I,**_  
 _ **Baby I don't know what I would do,**_  
 _ **I'd be lost if I lost you,**_  
 _ **If you ever leave,**_  
 _ **Baby you would take away everything real in my life,**_  
 _ **And tell me now,**_

* * *

But unlike the unabashedly loud, warbling solo performance he'd heard resonating from the confines of Edgeworth's bathtub in Christmas past, the vocals of _this_ particular lark sounded like a different person entirely, yet he'd still know that voice anywhere. _Maya_.

* * *

 _ **How do I live without you?**_  
 _ **I want to know,**_  
 _ **How do I breathe without you?**_  
 _ **If you ever go,**_  
 _ **How do I ever, ever survive?**_  
 _ **How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?**_

* * *

But that couldn't be possible. His former lover was getting married today and had forgotten all about him, just like he'd forced her to. Maya _hated_ him, because he'd broken her heart for the final time when he'd told her he was in love with Iris, and had reinforced her odium by throwing her locket and ring back at him, followed by her resonant slap across his face, which had echoed in the still of the night, before vanishing from his life forever.

Therefore, Phoenix knew he _had_ to be dreaming. The silvery sound he was hearing at his hospital bedside could _not,_ in any fathomable way, be _his_ Maya Fey.

* * *

 _ **Please tell me baby,**_  
 _ **How do I go on?**_  
 _ **If you ever leave,**_  
 _ **Baby you would take away everything,**_  
 _ **I need you with me,**_  
 _ **Baby don't you know that you're everything,**_  
 _ **Good in my life?**_  
 _ **And tell me now,**_

* * *

Besides, he'd known Maya for 10 years. She couldn't really sing…not like _this_ …or _could_ she? And _singing_ was most definitely what this songbird was accomplishing. Sweet-sounding and lyrical, it put Phoenix's previously acclaimed crooning voice, and even that of the original artist whose song she was singing, to utter shame.

His beloved Maya – at least the one he was hearing in this wonderful, most _lifelike_ dream – was a most glorious songbird, something he'd never previously envisioned about her. It made him wistfully ponder what other, if any, mystery talents that she might possess, which he'd been mindless of when they'd been together.

* * *

 _ **How do I live without you,**_  
 _ **I want to know,**_  
 _ **How do I breathe without you?**_  
 _ **If you ever go,**_  
 _ **How do I ever, ever survive?**_  
 _ **How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?**_  
 _ **How do I live without you?**_  
 _ **How do I live without you baby?**_

* * *

Phoenix was afraid to open his eyes, for fear the singing would halt. He was even more terrified that if he even remotely moved an inch, this mellifluous lark would disappear. He couldn't possibly bear that.

And so he simply kept his eyes closed, and let Maya's voice soothe him back to a delightful slumber.

He wasn't sure how long he dozed for again, but when he stirred again, he heard the strumming of a guitar, playing an unmistakably eerily, yet familiar tune, by his bedside. He tilted his head towards the melodic sound, recognizing the instrumental piece as one by Led Zeppelin, although he couldn't place the name, and for a moment, he inwardly panicked.

 _Oh sweet Jesus, don't tell me I'm_ _ **not**_ _dreaming, and even worse, am now actually_ _ **hearing**_ _"Tangerine"! It's the day of my ex-girlfriend's wedding, and I don't need to hear the_ _ **tormenting**_ _,_ _ **fresh hell**_ _of those 81 words to only further rub salt into the gaping lesions of my soul!_

He stiffened as he braced himself for the oncoming lyrics, which he knew by heart.

* * *

 _ **Measuring a summer's day, I only finds it slips away to grey,  
The hours, they bring me pain.**_

 _ **Tangerine, Tangerine, Living reflection from a dream;  
I was her love, she was my queen, And now a thousand years between.**_

 _ **Thinking how it used to be, Does she still remember times like these?  
To think of us again? And I do.**_

 _ **Tangerine, Tangerine, Living reflection from a dream;  
I was her love, she was my queen, And now a thousand years between.**_

* * *

Phoenix relaxed somewhat as he realized that he'd been mistaken; the reflective and relaxed expert chords being played were similar, but separate, from the short but sweet tune, which would have been way too emotive for his freshly wounded heart on the day of his former lover's nuptials. He couldn't quite place this particular melody at all, but he would have recognized it being a Led Zeppelin cover anytime.

His lids fluttered open, and the vision that greeted him was so utterly unexpected that he literally squinched them shut and rubbed his eyes with his fists, positive that the morphine given to him for pain relief was causing hallucinations. After all, he'd previously thought he'd heard a halo bearing entity, and these blessed winged beings of the Twilight Realm _were_ conventionally _blond_ , weren't they?

 _But aren't these holy cherubs also generally_ _ **female**_ _? Of course, the golden presence I'm presently regarding is certainly_ _ **pretty**_ _, like a_ _ **girl**_ _..._

" _Herr_ Wright." The deep, masculine voice now unmistakably heard was most definitely _not_ Maya's.

So he _had_ been dreaming after all.

Stifling a sigh of disappointment, Phoenix reluctantly opened his eyes and struggled to sit up.

Klavier Gavin was standing there before him, and his acoustic guitar, which he'd obviously been plucking at, was placed on the visitor's chair, down by the foot of the bed.

"Mr. Gavin." There was a surprised grin on Phoenix's face at the sight of the flaxen-braided rock God/prosecutor. "This is most unexpected."

"I thought I'd soften the shock of my unforeseen presence with some _get well music_ by my favorite British rock band."

"Led Zeppelin. I knew the group, but I couldn't place the name of that particular track."

" _Bron-Yr-Aur_." Klavier shuffled his feet awkwardly. "The name in Welsh means _Golden Beast._ It was a reference to the gleaming sun off a cottage in Wales of the same name. I was hoping you'd appreciate a fittingly soothing piece, in light of …er, everything that's transpired."

"Very nice indeed. I um, _thought_ I'd heard actual _singing_ while I sleeping, but I guess the riffs from your live guitar were mingling with my subconscious," Phoenix murmured faintly. "Er, how are you?"

The prosecutor bore a _Get Well Soon_ card and a bottle of grape juice, one that looked to be quite expensive.

"I am quite well." He set the card and bottle down on a side table. "Better than _you_ , it appears."

"Don't let the huge bandage fool you." Phoenix chortled slightly. "It's just a sprained ankle."

"I am most skeptical about the fact that you would be admitted these last couple of days for something as minor as a sprained ankle, _Herr_ Wright." The rock star raised an eyebrow as he saw the floral bouquet from Trucy and the larger one from Gumshoe and Maggey, which had arrived that morning. "I'm happy to see you have no shortage of well-wishers, although it's also inconceivable to me that they would have sent you flowers over such a minor issue?"

"Oh, that's because of the _circumstances_ that led me to be here with said ailment." Phoenix smirked as the rock god pulled a chair up next to his bed.

"So I heard from _Fräulein_ , er _Detective_ Skye," Klavier nodded. "I'll have you know, _Herr_ Wright, that I very nearly ended up _joining_ you in this hospital, if that _hellcat_ had had her way! It took no less than _two_ police officers, one of whom was _Chief Gumshoe_ , to pry her off of me!"

"You don't say! _Whatever_ for?" While his visage was the epitome of pure innocence, Phoenix had a good idea where this line of conversation was headed, and would allow it to continue; he was enjoying the prelude too much to fill in the blanks himself.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman who hath her hero wronged." Klavier grimaced at the memory. "If the other men had not so quickly intervened, I imagine she would have been successful in her throttling endeavors when we discussed you."

 _Thatta girl_ , _Ema_!

The spiky-haired man barely resisted a mocking guffaw, and managed to somehow keep a straight face. The tiny brunette had been an excitable, even giddy teenager when Phoenix had known her, but he'd seen glimpses of how that _feistiness_ could be quickly morphed into _ferociousness_ even back then, and he almost pitied the other man for having been at the receiving end of it. _Almost_ , but not quite.

"There is no excuse for violence, however noble the intentions though," Phoenix mused thoughtfully. "So I take it you had her arrested and charged with assault then?"

" _Mein Gott_!" The blond man looked horrified at the accusation. "Whatever do you take me for, _Herr_ Wright?"

Phoenix raised a brow, the look on his face undoubtedly stating: _are you_ _ **absolutely**_ _sure you want me answer such a_ _ **loaded**_ _question?_

"That is, do you think so little of me that I would actually incarcerate the woman I lo - I _love to work_ _with_?" Klavier amended hastily, flushing slightly as he saw the pianist's derisive expression. "That was a _rhetorical_ question by the way!"

"It certainly wasn't baseless conjecture on my behalf," Phoenix said simply. "I know how important it is for you to expose people who you've deemed to have done wrongdoing."

The prosecutor reddened at the heavy implication behind the innocuous sounding words and shifted nervously in his seat.

"Apparently, she did some investigating as to your current state," he stated uncomfortably. "And discovered the incident that you were disbarred over."

"I see."

"For reasons that had been unclear to me, she's never really been a fan of mine," the German mumbled. "Also, despite being my subordinate, she takes great relish in contemptuously dubbing me a _glimmerous fop,_ making all my efforts to befriend her nil. However typical it is for your underlings to be _icily civil_ with you is _one_ thing, but it's quite another when they _rebuke_ your _every effort_ at courtesy and simply – _loathe_ you so headily, and in such an _undisguised_ fashion."

"That's quite the claim," Phoenix commented idly. "Are you positively certain she actually _hates_ you so thusly?"

"Unequivocally," Klavier replied miserably. "Any chance I ever had with her, er, _had in_ _befriending_ _her_ , at all, have been completely vanquished after this whole series of unfortunate events came to pass."

Phoenix wanted to be sympathetic, he _really_ did; it had always been in his nature. However, it was impossible for him to feel anything but a small gleam of satisfied pleasure upon hearing that the prosecutor who'd unwittingly set into play the devastating chain of life-altering circumstances which had cost him the love of his life was now facing similar pains of his own with Ema. The former lawyer was no fool; he could plainly see that this was more than a case of mere professional-based grumblings of insubordination.

But while he _wasn't_ too big of a man not to internally _somewhat_ _revel_ in the prosecutor's heartache and misery, he _was_ too big a man to actually say out loud: " _well, how do you like_ _ **them**_ _apples, Arschloch_?!"

He _could_ certainly _think_ it, though!

Klavier seemed grateful when Phoenix didn't take the opportunity to gloat at his plight, which the other man was most entitled to do.

"Detective Skye spared me none of the gory details of your accident. Despite how _dearly_ she holds _you_ ," he added with a touch of wistful envy. "She appears to find the particulars _absolutely_ _fascinating_ – _scientifically speaking_ , of course! Were you _really_ thrown 30 feet?"

"You bet," Phoenix affirmed smugly. "I also went head-first into a telephone pole, you know."

" _Achtung_ , baby!" Klavier winced. "So all the legendary tales of your divine luck were not exaggerated! It's a miracle you're still alive, _ja_?"

"What can I say? I'm a badass." In spite of Phoenix's dry tone, a hint of pride laced his words. " _Scientifically speaking_ , though, neither medicine nor Doctor Hickfield evidently believe in luck of any sort, and therefore, want to ensure that I have no internal injuries that are hiding. Hence, my reluctant admission here."

As his visitor cringed at the mention of the doctor, Phoenix snickered.

"The _real_ doctor, not the pink-haired pervert who dresses like one." There was a moment of silence, and then he looked the younger man straight in the eye. "So did you come here to shower me with your get well wishes, or is there anything in particular I can do for you?"

"Both," Klavier returned staunchly. "Do you remember our last conversation, _Herr_ Wright? Seven years ago?"

"I hit my head, remember?" Phoenix responded with a shit-eating grin. "So you'll have to beg my pardon, Mr. Gavin. _Do_ refresh my memory."

 _He remembers damn well!_ Klavier grumbled to himself, his eye twitching involuntarily from repressed frustration, but nevertheless, opted to humor the hospitalized hobo.

"I was in the gallery for your murder trial two months ago. I never miss one of Kristoph's courtroom appearances if I can help it, although I had no idea that _you_ were the defendant in my brother's case this time."

Phoenix didn't speak, but merely lifted his brows at the mention of his nemesis.

"After your acquittal, I acquired the records of the trial, _all_ of them." Klavier took a deep breath before continuing. "I also obtained Kristoph's own records of the time he had represented you."

The German had expected an explosive reaction from the former defense attorney at this disclosure; that was privileged information, and the prosecutor had no business looking at those records without a damn good reason, but Phoenix only nodded.

" _And_?" He prompted.

"I am now exacerbated with doubt vis-à-vis your guilt in the forgery scandal, _Herr_ Wright."

"Whatever brought that about?" Phoenix queried mildly.

"It's a gut feeling. I can't quite explain it," Klavier said slowly. "But I also can't ignore it. I was hoping I could see the evidence you've gathered over these seven years. I presume there is surely quite a bit by now, _ja_?"

"I have nothing at all conclusive, Mr. Gavin."

"Nevertheless, I want the _truth_." Klavier's azure eyes were almost pleading. " _Now_ , more than ever… I _need_ the truth."

 _You can't handle the truth_!

The disbarred attorney scrutinized the blond man silently with a combination of curiosity and suspicion for several moments until finally, he spoke.

"If the good doctor won't release me tomorrow, I plan on signing myself out against medical advice. Stop by the office after the trial. I'll give you a copy of most of the file."

" _All_ of it?"

"I tend to keep _my cards_ close to my chest at all times, and I can't very well show you _my entire hand_ before I'm ready to _call_ , now can I?"

" _Danke_ , _Herr_ Wright." The prosecutor moaned quietly at the intentional poker pun, then rose from his seat and graciously inclined his head at the other man. "I shall see you on the morrow."

"Definitely. Good luck tomorrow, Mr. Gavin," Phoenix flashed that wicked grin. "You'll need it."

"Whatever for?"

"Your opponent, Apollo Justice... is a genius." Phoenix tilted his head. "Or did you _not_ realize that by watching my trial?"

"Sorry, I didn't get a chance to evaluate _his_ performance." Klavier cocked a half-smile. " _You_ didn't really give him a chance to provide one."

Phoenix threw back his head and laughed wholeheartedly for the first time in forever.

"Well, _you_ most definitely will get your golden opportunity tomorrow, won't you?"

"Indeed. Get well soon, _Herr_ Wright."

Phoenix was still smiling slightly as he lay back on the pillows. Maybe, if he were lucky, he could fall back into that wonderful dream again - the one where he heard that angelic voice softly crooning about an endless love, which, although had only lasted for a season in his life, would remain etched into his heart and soul for a lifetime.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice**_  
 _Hickfield Clinic_  
June 16, 2026 12:15 PM

Phoenix drowsily closed his eyes as Klavier exited the room, but then jerked awake when he heard his daughter's happy squeal as she hugged him. Apollo was at her side. He returned the effusive embrace and looked over Trucy's shoulder at the pensive horn-haired defense attorney.

Resigned to the fact that sleep didn't appear to be in the cards for him, the patient swung his legs over the bed and carefully rose to his feet, hobbling ever so slightly as he moved to stand before the young man. He noted that Apollo was eyeing him with the same determined, intense look he'd had on his face then Phoenix had last seen him at the courthouse two months ago; when he'd been told that his former idol had made him unknowingly present forged evidence.

It was the _exact_ same expression Apollo had worn right before he'd punched Phoenix squarely into his undeniable deserving face.

The spiky-haired man hesitantly took a step backward so that the bed was directly behind him. If Apollo decided to unleash his inner Mohamed Ali again, he wasn't sure his precarious ankle would be able to withstand the impact to keep him upright this time, and he didn't want to aggravate any of his injuries more than necessary.

"Ah the prodigal attorney returns!" Phoenix greeted him warmly. "Welcome Apollo. I heard you did well in the trial today. Here to discuss something? I could use a little diversion…"

"Mr. Wright!" Apollo's Chords of Steel were in full effect. "Tell me what happened seven years ago. _Please_! I want to know. I _need_ to know!"

 _What is it with young lawyers demanding the truth from me today? Did_ _ **A Few Good Men**_ _play in a re-run on the boob tube last night? I certainly wouldn't know, since I don't have cable on this hospital TV – because_ _ **that**_ _costs_ _ **extra**_ _! Good thing I have all those DVDs to kill time!_

"I see we're in a zone of _no preamble_ _required_ already." Phoenix didn't even blink. "You certainly didn't waste any time getting to the point."

Apollo didn't say anything, just continued to study him with an earnest expression, so Phoenix gave him the condensed version of the famous trial of the "magnificent genius" which had made all the headlines. He closed by summarizing that he was defeated by the 17-year-old newcomer prosecutor, Klavier Gavin, and in shame left law forever. That was all.

"That's _all_?" Apollo protested. "How could that be _all_?!"

"What do you mean?" Phoenix's typical deadpan mien was in full effect.

"What about what they were saying on the news about the forged evidence?!" Apollo cried plaintively. "They said you _forged evidence_ and had your badge _stripped_ from you!"

Seven years ago, if he'd been asked this question, especially by somebody who he knew at one point had held him in high esteem, Phoenix would've been devastated to have fallen so far from grace in their eyes. But he had become deadened inside over the years and learned to harden his heart against almost everyone and anything.

 _You can never force somebody to be loyal to you. I learned that a long time ago._

Phoenix had already _been_ to _hell and back_. He no longer feared the judgement of any living creature, nor the consequences of what they thought of him.

 _If you care about what people think about you, you will end up being their slave. Reject and pull your own rope._

"Tell me, how does it feel?" The ex-defense attorney's steely eyes bore mercilessly into the younger man's stricken ones. "How does it feel to stand here before Phoenix Wright, the Forgin' Attorney himself?"

"H-how does it feel?" Apollo stared back, completely slack-jawed. He desperately didn't want to believe it was true; Mr. Wright had been his idol since he was a teenager! But how could he overlook what had happened at his first trial?

 _Tell me it isn't true!_ The anguished hazel eyes stared at Phoenix imploringly. _Please!_

The pianist let out a bark of mirthless laughter at the distressed look on Apollo's face. Discovering that his former hero indeed wasn't what he'd cracked up to be might sting a little, but the young attorney would get over it and ultimately be alright; he was a trooper. Just like Phoenix himself had been.

 _A man born with the energy of the new sun, will always struggle to make dreams come true._

"I don't see you jumping to my defense on this one…Maybe I did forge evidence, maybe I didn't. It doesn't really matter now, does it?" He asked quietly, gazing steadily at the defense attorney with an inscrutable expression.

"B-But… Detective Skye hinted that _Prosecutor Gavin_ was partially to blame for what happened to you!" Apollo exclaimed. "She _hates his guts_ because of it!"

"I'm not an attorney anymore," Phoenix declared flatly. "That's the only truth you need to know."

The case was closed, and Apollo knew it. He blinked back unexpected tears of agitation. His turmoil of emotions were interrupted as Trucy suddenly let out a loud outraged cry of indignation.

"Aaaah! Daddy!" The magician wailed, having just noticed the rogue bottle of grape juice Klavier had so thoughtfully brought; and so foolishly left out in clear display. "You snuck some grape juice in again!? The doctor said you weren't supposed to drink that here!"

"Trucy." Phoenix's voice was calm. "Look at the label."

"Oh. Deep Sea Mineral Water. That's fine, I guess."

"I switched the labels." Phoenix shot Apollo a surreptitious wink while his daughter busied herself clanking away at the electric keyboard by his bedside. "Don't tell Trucy, OK?"

 _What can I say?_ Apollo shrugged helplessly. _The man loves his grape juice!_

"Anything else?" Phoenix inquired mildly, noting the lawyer's silence. It was obviously a dismissal, but still, Apollo lingered for another moment.

"Well actually, there _are_ a couple more things," Apollo admitted sheepishly as his sharp eyes scanned the room.

He'd meant to probe a bit more the other day, but had figured it would be impolite or irrelevant. After his _last_ line of invasive questioning though, he figured the topics of the keyboard and DVD shows inundating the room were pretty safe topics. He peered over at the instrument his partner in crime was still merrily tapping at, in an attempt to play an off-key version of Queen's "It's a Kind of Magic."

"A child-size, mini electric piano?"

"Gotta practice." Phoenix shrugged. "Wouldn't want my fingers to get stiff. A pro always keeps his weapon close at hand. Shall I play you a tune?"

"Uh... no thanks."

"Ah, how unfortunate." The pianist sighed with melodramatic lament. "I so rarely get a chance to play."

At that exact moment, the comely Nurse Jenson breezed in, a tray of the presumed _slop_ the hospital passed off as food in her hands.

 _Mr. Wright's nurse does special lunch delivery?_ Apollo was amazed at how conscientious the caretaker was in going _above_ and _beyond_ the call of duty. _Don't they have orderlies or candy stripers especially for those more menial tasks?!_

The defense attorney's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline as he spotted a _scrumptious_ smelling dish of fettuccine alfredo, with chicken breast strips and crumbled bacon.

 _That looks suspiciously homemade!_ Apollo noted fastidiously. _No way was_ _ **that**_ _delectable dish prepared in the hospital kitchen!_

"How's my favorite patient doing?" Karin cooed, setting down the tray and smiling beguilingly at Phoenix, as completely unmindful to Trucy and Apollo as she'd been the day before. "I notice you haven't really been eating the last few days. I can't say I really blame you, really, hospital fare being what it is!"

"The ache in my ankle truly curbs the hunger," Phoenix admitted, flashing her a friendly smile and eyeing the food on the tray appreciatively. "Although I suppose if I actually _ate_ something to go along with my pain meds, they wouldn't keep _knocking me out cold_ the way they do! What do you have there, Karin? It looks pretty good."

"I didn't want you _wasting_ away on me, so I thought I would dish up something I conjured up with my own two little hands…" Karin's voice trailed off suggestively and she winked. "I was hoping to _tease_ your taste buds with something that would better _whet your appetite…"_

Apollo was torn between being equal parts _entertained_ and _envious_ by this _wholly inappropriate_ nurse/patient exchange, noticing Trucy was still tinkering with her father's keyboard and seemed completely unmindful of everything going on.

 _Who would've known the scruffy, dark and brooding hobo vibe was attractive to women_? The baby-faced lawyer idly stroked his clean-shaven jaw. _I wonder if_ _ **I**_ _should try growing facial hair? The problem is, I really_ _ **can't**_ _! It always winds up looking sparsely-sprouting_ _ **chin pubes!**_

Usually one to be completely clueless when being flirted with by members of the opposite sex, even the normally daft Phoenix wasn't completely blind to the innuendo this time, and at least had the decency to blush.

"Ha-ha. Well, since you put so much care into making this _yourself_ , Karin, I _promise_ you I will most definitely give it a try."

"My mother didn't name me _Carin' Karin_ for nothing!" She tittered. "We can't have all those _tight and toned_ areas turning to _skin_ and _bones!_ "

Phoenix's cheeks further reddened, which only seemed to titillate the nurse even more. She batted her eyelashes coquettishly.

"No need to be so shy!" She waved her finger at him. "Your _muscles_ need fuel to keep up their maintenance, just like _you_ do, Mr. Wright."

"I suppose what's good for the gander is good for the goose." Phoenix scratched the back of his neck uneasily, while trying to steer away the conversation topics from his _physical assets_. "If I'm allowed to call _you_ by your first name Karin, I do invite you to do the same."

"Well, _Phoenix_ …" Karin drawled, seeming to enjoy how flustered he was getting. "My _personal_ _diagnosis_ of your fitness levels was purely based on those _strong calves_ of yours that I was privy to when I was putting on the bandage on your poor ankle earlier this morning. It's all I had to go by, since heaven knows that you like keeping that _physique of yours_ well-hidden beneath those _shapeless sweats_ , and you _refuse_ to be _a good patient_ and wear your hospital gown."

"Yeah, I'm not going to be doing that. Those little nightgowns don't _close up_ in the back … And there's a _draft_ in here." Phoenix chuckled uncomfortably as the nurse leaned over him and began fluffing his pillow, putting him at eye level with her bosom. "I don't want to be catching a cold on top of everything else."

"I'll have to make sure the water's nice and warm for your _sponge bath_ this evening," she purred. "And then I'll _finally_ get to solve the mystery of whether or not my _preliminary_ _analysis_ of _what lies beneath_ that baggy attire was _justified_."

"Um… I thought you told me earlier this morning that you're going to be done this afternoon at _3:00_ , Karin," Phoenix smiled nervously as he cast a glance at the amused Apollo and oblivious Trucy, who luckily was still distracted at the keyboard. "I'd assumed I would be attended to tonight by Nurse Bertha. Er, you know, the larger, older lady with the short grey crew cut and eye patch."

Apollo barely suppressed a shudder. He'd seen the militant-looking woman, in all her unsmiling, copiously tattooed, _rolling pin arms_ glory! She was about twice _his_ size and resembled more of a _prison warden_ than any sort of health practitioner!

 _Also, that She-Hulk_ _ **still**_ _had more facial hair than_ _ **I**_ _do…which I guess is equal parts_ _ **scary**_ _and_ _ **insulting!**_

"The hospital is incredibly short-staffed, and was in need for a few of us to work some overtime tonight, so I _gladly_ volunteered my services to work a double." Karin's voice was dripping with honey. "Besides, that Amazonian Beast Woman is no Florence Nightingale! Some of my patients have said that since she's so accustomed to treating prisoners at the Berlin penitentiary hospital, she's got a rather _brusque_ and _rough_ touch…"

 _Although undoubtedly, a much more_ _ **professional**_ _demeanor!_ Apollo added silently. _**This**_ _is why they really should have cameras in patient rooms! If Mr. Wright ever wanted to file a sexual harassment suit against this hospital, I would be a glorified witness!_

He was beginning to feel slightly sorry for the pianist, who was obviously trying to maintain his composure as he tried to put the brakes on this steamroller, but the defense attorney could see Phoenix already had visible beads of sweat forming around the edges of his beanie, due to Nurse Naughty's _unseemly_ _close_ proximity.

"….wouldn't you prefer _my_ much more… _Carin'_ and _gentler_ ministrations instead?" Karin flashed a sultry smile as she waggled her fingers in front of Phoenix's face, almost brushing his flushed cheeks with her fingertips. "These are indeed _hands that heal_ when laid upon my patients. I give an excellent _scrub a dub-dub_ , you know."

"Ha-ha. Er, sounds good." Phoenix treated her to a sickly grin, at a loss for what else to say. "Um…I should get to that surely delicious lunch while it's still hot, and stop _neglecting my visitors here_ …"

Karin blinked, as if finally seeming to notice the other two parties in the room, and smiled guiltily, the startled expression on her pretty face very openly saying: _when did you guys get here_?!

 _Indeed it is I, Apollo Justice, The Invisible Man, who has suddenly managed to materialize at last!_ The lawyer thought dryly, arching a brow pointedly at the flustered nurse. _At long last sighted here with my equally incognito sidekick, The Perdu Panties Performer!_

The nurse was just in the midst of straightening out the items on the other bedside table, which bore all the DVDs, when something seemed to catch her eye.

"Wait, what's _this_ here?"

Apollo couldn't help but silently snicker as the former defense attorney attempted to be a gentleman and look away while the health caregiver made a big show of _bending over at the waist_ so that her backside was facing him. It was nigh impossible to miss how her fitted uniform strained against her buttocks while she _slowly_ reached down to retrieve the item she'd spotted.

" _Urethra_!" Karin crowed victoriously, waving a white piece of paper in the air. She conspicuously presented it to Phoenix facedown, as if to demonstrate the proof she hadn't tried to read it before giving it to the rightful owner. "Look what I've found!"

 _Gah_! Apollo stared at her, agog _. Regardless of whether or not that was an_ _ **oversight**_ _in exclamation on her behalf, I honestly am_ _ **judging**_ _the second-rate, two-bit college that allowed this woman to become a registered nurse!_

"What's this?" Phoenix reached for what was evidently a note, appearing bewildered. "I've never seen it before."

"I reckon it was part of your care package!" Karin flashed her gleaming set of pearly whites. "Which is _so_ adorably sweet by the way!"

" _Package_?" A pensive line marred the patient's forehead as he halted in the act of reading whatever was on the page as he gaped at the nurse. " _What_ package?"

 **CLANG! CLACK! CLANK!**

At that moment there was a reverberating clunking sound in the hallway, and an unmistakable, resounding clash of metal, as though a trolley of bedpans and other metallic items had all went crashing into something at the same time! Trucy visibly jumped, and Apollo winced at the clamorous, ear-splitting noise, which sounded as though it were never going to end!

However, both Phoenix and Karin remained unfazed, neither appearing to have noticed the outside commotion. He just continued to stare at her in perplexity, while the brunette laughed heartily in response to his baffled query, as though he'd just told her the funniest joke in the world.

"Why those DVDs right here, silly! They were couriered by some to the hospital front desk at the start of my shift yesterday morning, around 7:30 AM, and were wrapped in _newspaper_ , of all things, not even the properly required parcel wrap, bonded with about 1000 pounds of cellophane tape! You would have given yourself a _hernia_ trying to remove it all! So _I_ took the liberty of cutting off the tape, unwrapping the bundle and placing the contents atop your table there. I guess that paper got misplaced in the shuffle."

"I guess so," Phoenix mumbled, glancing over at his daughter, who had finally ceased playing on the keyboard and beamed sunnily at him in response. "I thought these DVDs were from our home collection that _you_ brought in the night I got admitted, Truce."

"Daddy, you really _are_ silly!" Trucy giggled, shaking her head. "The only thing I brought were those flowers, your notebook, keyboard and toiletries. How could I possibly have hauled a stack of DVDs that _big_ with me on the _bus_?"

"I thought that was kind of strange myself," the pianist admitted, grinning sheepishly. "I suppose I wasn't thinking too clearly at the time."

He then cast his eyes back down at the paper in his hand, and abruptly, all traces of humor immediately died on his face; Apollo could've sworn the older man's face actually turned a few shades paler. However before he could actually determine this, Phoenix cleared his throat uncomfortably, and then, as though realizing he had three sets of eyes on him, his confused, startled expression was quickly replaced by his usual pokerface as he quickly stuffed the note into his sweatshirt pocket, and out of sight.

"I guess I'd better be off and let you enjoy your company, _Phoenix_." Karin began sashaying out of the room, flashing the once again poker-faced man one final flirty wink over her shoulder. "The next time I see you, _good-lookin'_ , it'll be _bath time_."

"Yes, looking forward to it," Phoenix answered absently, while jabbing both his hands deeper into his pockets. "See you then."

The moment the nurse had left the room, Apollo walked over to the pile of assorted DVDs, which for some reason, held his interest much more, now that he knew they were a gift, albeit still a _questionable one_ to give a fully grown man in the hospital!

"It's quite the extensive collection isn't it?" Phoenix attempted to laugh halfheartedly, as though trying to mask the embarrassment of the earlier scenario. "There's some I've never even heard of!"

Apollo glanced back over his shoulder at the older man, giving him a look of reassurance which indicated he was fully aware the ex-lawyer was _in no way_ responsible for the nurse's inappropriate conduct.

 _It's not like Mr. Wright really did anything to deliberately encourage that sort of indecorous behavior, although for his sake, I hope she didn't take him saying "sounds good" or "looking forward to it" regarding her sponge bath skills as intended_ _ **enticement**_ _! Of course, Mr. Wright's polite but distracted words notwithstanding, it's not like he really did anything to_ _ **discourage**_ _that man-eater either!_

Apollo pressed his index against his forehead as he mulled this over.

 _However, I suppose that would've been as pointless and futile as trying to hold back the oncoming tide; at the rate_ _ **she**_ _was going… the determined Nurse Naughty gives the term_ _ **bedside service**_ _a whole new meaning!_

The lawyer turned his attention to the TV shows.

"A swaying, spiraling stack of DVD cases. _The Steel Samurai, The Nickel Samurai, The Pink Princess, The Zappy Samurai: Electric Bugaboo…"_ He looked questioningly at the patient. "They're all children's action hero shows _.._? _"_

"This 'kid' I know sent them to me." Phoenix shrugged nonchalantly, his stoic countenance as unreadable as ever. "It'll add quite a bit to my existing home collection."

"Huh. Like a niece or nephew?"

"Something like that." The ex-attorney spoke with deliberate insouciance, but Apollo thought he'd noted a twinge of sadness in the words as well. Not that he was going to pry. He'd done enough of that for one day.

 _Funny, Mr. Wright doesn't seem the type that kids would like?! But seeing as how they were a_ _ **gift**_ _, I guess I can take some solace in knowing he's not being frivolous with his meagre funds, since his daughter mentioned just yesterday that she's worried about how the two of them are going to manage this month's_ _ **rent**_ _!_

"Quite the collection," he remarked casually. "This kid's parents must be really generous with their allowance."

A terse silence met the lawyer's comment, with Phoenix levelly meeting Apollo's inquiring stare with a challenging lift of his brows, even though he continued to say nothing in return.

"Was there anything else you wanted to know?" The ex-attorney asked pointedly at last, after it'd become glaringly apparent he had no intention of responding to Apollo's not-so-subtle inquiry about the secret gift giver. "If not, I really do need to get back to doing those reports that I mentioned to you the last time you visited."

"About those … Apollo ventured hesitantly. "You're still not going to elaborate to me on what the deal is with those reports, are you?"

Phoenix eyed him almost dispassionately for the longest moment before he finally spoke again, in a voice completely devoid of all emotion.

"I think it's best if we kept things strictly on a need-to-know basis for now."

Apollo bristled at the laconic response, then abruptly averted his gaze so his hurt wouldn't show at the curt dismissal. If _that_ was the way Mr. Wright wanted things to be, so be it! The red attorney had had enough of half-truths and unanswered questions for the day, anyway.

 _Fine,_ _ **be**_ _that way then! Damn this blasted enigmatic man and his mysterious riddles! I'm out of here!_

The spiky-fringed man muttered his excuses about needing to make his leave and exited the room abruptly, not even bothering with a goodbye this time, with Trucy in tow.

The moment the door closed behind the attorney and magician, the curtains on the other side of Phoenix's bed suddenly were jerked aside with such brute force, he thought they were going to be _wrenched_ from the hooks on the ceiling rail! The next thing he knew, from behind the drapes, as though in a scene from _Hamlet_ , out leapt the _very last person on earth_ he thought he'd ever see again!

The surprise visitor's visage was _downright homicidal-looking_ as they wielded the floral bouquet in their hand like it was a baseball bat, although the slight triumphal glint in those familiar eyes indicated the unexpected guest was nonetheless basking in the satisfaction of seeing the ex-attorney's jaw dropping to the floor and reflectively shrinking back as the person advanced on him with slow, deliberate menace, nostrils flaring, eyes sparking, and looking as though _steam_ were literally coming out of their ears!

Phoenix's stunned, saucer-sized orbs and flabbergasted state barely allowed his lips to form the words.

" _M-Maya_?"

" _You scruffy_ _ **, two-timing**_ _,_ _ **sleazy-ass**_ _, turd-fondling, rambling dick badger, son of a bitch_!"

 _ **Aerosmith - Dream On (chapter quote)  
**_ _ **Leanne Rimes - How Do I Live  
**_ _ **Led Zeppelin - Bron-Yr-Aur  
**_ _ **Led Zeplin – Tangerine**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 147**

 **Anonymous (whom I hereby dub Blushing Bride)**

I have found my wonderful readers seem to enjoy my warped sense of humor of physical violence upon the Ace Attorney characters but only when it's really funny like Trucy giving a spinning kick to Larry in the gut, or in this case as opposed to a boot to the head, a boot to the crotch! XD

Wrightworth might possibly be my favorite bromance in all of the media, followed closely by Joey and Chandler from _Friends_ and Fred and Barney from the _Flintstones_. It was very difficult writing these two having yet another argument, especially since there make up reunion was so sweet, but I needed to make sure Phoenix had hit rock bottom yet again before he rises from the ashes. Plus I will definitely be playing with the canon as much as possible, at least up to Dual Destinies, and as you see from this chapter, it was _not_ a coincidence that Maya's wedding was set to occur _exactly_ when Turnabout Corner happened!

While I never intended to turn this fan fiction into a mini musical, that is exactly what has turned out being, so that it seems fitting to make my head canon come to life in a manner speaking, since I genuinely believe that the main Ace Attorney cast all has some sort of musical or singing talent except for the screechy Payne brothers who undoubtedly sound like dying cats! :p

Music is indeed a big part of my life. I've been a poetry/songwriter, both my lark mom and grandfather sang for the church, and according to my friends, I seem to have inherited the gift of song (between you and me, I think they are merely being all too kind!) while my husband is thriving on the electric keyboard and is slowly mastering _Journey_ in the manner that Nick has! :)

Or maybe I just like music so much because I keep being surrounded by people of eccentric starved, artistic souls? XD

 **DannyDragon**

Awesome that you recognized who Apollo's mystery caller was! And Phoenix's unnamed caller of course was Mr. Eldoon of the missing noodle stand! It was mentioned that Clay was definitely the one who talked Apollo to working for Nick, but considering how uptight Apollo is, I really wanted his best friend to at least be a more fun-loving, lighthearted type. I'm very happy you like my portrayal of dear Clay. I'm going to try to see if I can squeeze in some more of Clapollo bromance one or two more times before we get to Dual Destinies!

 **Chapter** **148**

 **Forgreatcoffee**

I hate to compare Trucy to her birth father in any way but in the sense that she is indeed taking a huge gamble and Zak lived off the thrill of chance I thought it was a fair enough parallel to draw!

Also she only sucks when it sounds funny and adorable in inner monologue... everyone knows that Zak sucked harder than a Hoover in every sense of the word! XD

That pretty nurse will be selling her soul to change ships with somebody when it becomes her turn to do that sponge bath trust me! LOL

Polly came around eventually... It was pretty obvious in Spirit of Justice just how much he had grown to love Trucy, even if he still never did get that proverbial stick removed from his keister!

I'm 5! The panties gag still kills me! :p

 **Yanmegaman**

I'm thinking that just as Pearl is rearing her slapping hand in Trucy's general direction for giving her a heart attack, the magician can pull a quick disappearing act to spare herself! XD

I've decided that I like the idea of both Trucy and Clay both razzing the hell out of poor straight man Apollo! And the idea of him cringing at the word _panties_ was too good an opportunity to miss out on!

Horn Head is a lot of fun to write interacting with other characters, except with Phoenix, where it is always bittersweet throughout the entire Apollo Justice timeline. I can't wait to get to Dual Destinies we can see some more of that boss and mentor bond!

 **DannyDragon**

It has been a bittersweet experience for me to be playing this game and rewriting parts of the story. Apollo really has a tragic back story, so I like to make his interactions with the other characters silly and fun so thank you very much for telling me that you like the sibling interactions! :)

I think Pearl being such a doll is proof that Maya's actually a great maternal figure, and definitely a case of nurture outweighing nature, considering how _hermana_ _mala_ Dahlia turned out and considering _su madre es loca!_

Even though Maya is now grown woman, I can understand your previous comment about her initially not seeming like the motherly type as she's still very much _tonto y_ _inmaduro!_ But I think that's what I love the most about her, she keeps that youthful spirit no matter how tragic circumstances surrounding her. Personality wise, I think I can relate most to Maya. I've been known to smile even when things around me go _al infierno_ , because we are similar, not so much in looks (we both have dark hair and eyes but _I_ would grow third butt cheek if I ate hamburgers the way she does!) but personality wise –I also have a pretty goofy sense of humor, and I always bust _los cojones de mi marido_ in a very similar manner that she keeps doing with Phoenix! XD

 _Cuanto más cálidos siempre, mi amiga musical!_

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I have played a roller coaster making video game myself it was a very old _Sims_ making amusement park game :)

If I ever wanted to torture Kristoph Gavin I would lock him in chains to a bed and let that pink haired pervert have his way with him! If I ever wanted to torture Apollo's prude ass, I would lock him in a room and have him be showered with girls panties! :p

I don't think I ever played a video game with such complex and in-depth personalities like Ace Attorney. They made it pretty clear Maya has kept that smile on her face during strife for the sake of Pearl, even when she was weeping inside, therefore I cannot imagine someone with such a tragic back story like Trucy could not have some sadness beneath that sunny smile as well! I truly believe she may have felt some guilt about what happened to Nick for her unwilling hand in it, and I do believe that she would use her magical talents for perhaps not the most scrupulous purposes if it would help her loved ones! I think it makes her look better-rounded that way because she's too fantastic of a character to be portrayed as a Mary Sue and who the hell wants to read about that?

 _"I have to grin along with Trucy when she put her diabolical, yet very touching plan, into action. I have to say, that is incredibly sneaky, worrying Pearl that way, in the hopes that she'll run right to Maya with the news. Of course, if that does happen, and Maya goes to visit Phoenix, I imagine she'll be ready to kill him, finding out he's barely got a scratch on him."_

Disclaimer: I would like to make it publicly known right now that even though you and I are friends off the site, you are _not_ given sneak peek previews of my chapters beforehand and are literally just psychic! LOL

That being said, as he saw at the end of this chapter Maya _absolutely_ wants to _kill Phoenix_ , but you'll have to wait until next chapter to see if it's merely for the reason of simply being unscathed from such a horrible accident. Place your bets now on whether or not he _still_ will be when she's done with him! XD

Look out for another one of your song requests to be fulfilled next chapter!

 **JaDe In NighT**

Apollo is such a straight man he desperately needs to be surrounded by fun-loving characters like Athena and Clay and Trucy! It appears you are right about Trucy's gamble… Although will find out next chapter how that _may_ not have been such a good thing after all… The Edgeworth will be making his much-anticipated appearance _very_ soon!

 **chloemcg**

It really makes me happy that my readers like the interactions that I've put in between the supernaturally gifted siblings - the two of him together truly are magic and I'm happy that you like the way of portrayed them.

Hospitals really aren't fun are they? I hope you never get an overly _handy_ caregiver like poor Phoenix has had to endure, first with the pink haired freak and now Nurse Tart!

Sherlock and Watson, peas and carrots, peanut butter and jelly… I would like to think that Clay was to Apollo what Phoenix and Miles are to one another, which makes it all the more tragic and makes me all the more determined to squeeze in a couple of more bromance sessions between them before DD timeline! And nothing against prosecutor sad monk in game six, but I just can't see him and Polly having the same kind of dynamic, since him and Apollo are very much both straight men who don't seem to really have senses of humor!

In my story I have made Phoenix an orphan (so he fits right into the rest of the Ace Attorney cast!) Because I honestly cannot believe that any parents out there would let their son suffer the way he has after having been disbarred! If Mommy and Daddy Wright are alive, they're _the worst parents ever_! I do remember it was declared that he was an only child though.

Look out for more Luke and Pearl next chapter!

 **Chaos Lord Roscoso**

Are you a gambling man? Place your bet right now about what could possibly hurt the unbreakable Phoenix Wright more…. Getting hit by a car, or being _bludgeoned_ by that bouquet Maya is wielding in her hands? XD

 **thepudz**

I love sexually harassing Phoenix in case you haven't noticed and Nurse Naughty was too good an opportunity not to utilize! I figured since I torture Apollo with panties the previous chapter it was definitely next turn in this one! XD

I think the second case of game six where Apollo is defending Trucy is single-handedly the one time I have loved him the most! There is something so endearing about this baby faced little man being like a white knight for his baby sister, who he doesn't even _know_ is his sister because Capcom sucks n'stuff!

I'm glad you enjoyed that hint of Feyt in that crazy chapter…they're back in the next one!


	150. I Have Nothing

_Share my life, take me for what I am  
'Cause I'll never change all my colors for you  
Take my love, I'll never ask for too much  
Just all that you are and everything that you do_

 _I don't really need to look very much further  
I don't wanna have to go where you don't follow  
I won't hold it back again, this passion inside  
Can't run from myself  
There's nowhere to hide_

 _Don't make me close one more door  
I don't wanna hurt anymore  
Stay in my arms if you dare  
Or must I imagine you there  
Don't walk away from me...  
I have nothing, nothing, nothing  
If I don't have you, you, you, you, you._

 _You see through right to the heart of me  
You break down my walls with the strength of your love  
I never knew love like I've known it with you  
Will a memory survive, one I can hold on to_

 _I don't really need to look very much further  
I don't wanna have to go where you don't follow  
I won't hold it back again, this passion inside  
I can't run from myself  
There's nowhere to hide  
Your love I'll remember forever_

 _Don't make me close one more door  
I don't wanna hurt anymore  
Stay in my arms if you dare  
Or must I imagine you there  
Don't walk away from me...  
I have nothing, nothing, nothing..._

 _Don't make me close one more door  
I don't wanna hurt anymore  
Stay in my arms if you dare  
Or must I imagine you there  
Don't walk away from me, no.  
Don't walk away from me  
Don't you dare walk away from me  
I have nothing, nothing, nothing  
If I don't have you, you,  
If I don't have you, oh, ooh, ooh._

* * *

 _A/N: You know, how I'm always telling you guys to pay attention to the dates? In this case, take note of the following dates and times:_

• _Nick got hit by that car June 14, 2026 around 9 PM._

• _At around 11:00 PM, that same night of the accident, Trucy left an incomplete voice message to Pearl telling her Phoenix had been hit by a car and was not hospital, but then got distracted when the nurse called her to come into the room to see her father, and then she stumbled across Nick's letter and distractedly forgot to call her best friend back at night until the next morning._

• _Phoenix received a mysterious pile of DVDs in his hospital room which arrived around 7:30 in the morning on June 15 – along with an attached letter – DVD sender and note writer still TBD_

• _Maya's wedding was set to take place June 16, 2026 at 10 AM._

• _This chapter will be flashing back to everything that happened after Trucy hung up the phone with Pearl after purposely letting her think her father was still at death's door on the morning of June 15, and will lead up to the sequential order of events leading up the wedding._

 _Enjoy this longer read (the wedding hijinks and Phaya's explosive reunion continue next week!) into the weekend! Keep the FEYT! ;)_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Fifty:** **I Have Nothing**

 _ **Pearl Fey and Luke Triton  
**_ _Fey Manor  
_ June 15, 2026 9:12 AM

After ending the phone call with Trucy, overwhelmed tears of fear and panic sprung to Pearl's eyes as she buried her head against her boyfriend's shoulder.

"I feel so helpless, Luke!" She whimpered. "Mr. Nick can't _die_! I don't know _what_ I'll do if he does! And Mystic Maya _still_ has no idea he's even _in the hospital_!"

" _Shhh_. Take it easy, love." Luke spoke soothingly in an effort to calm the distraught spirit medium as he held her close. "It'll be alright. I promise."

The teenage boy attempted to pacify the girl in his arms and gently rubbed her back in an effort to ease her, hoping he _sounded_ more confident than he actually _felt_ about the stressful, downright _maddening_ situation! It seemed unfathomable that in spite of receiving not _one_ but _two_ phone calls from Trucy, neither he nor Pearl, _even now_ , could ascertain if the man his girlfriend adored as a father figure was going to _live_ or not! Moreover, the duo had no clue of exactly _to whom_ they should make aware of Phoenix's potentially _precarious vital state_ …if at _all_!

Next to him, on the carpet, Feyt seemed to pick up on the tension in the lad, whose side the puppy not left from the time Luke had arrived at the manor, and whimpered softly, standing up on his tiny hind legs and pawing at the English youth's pant leg. Smiling indulgently, Layton's former apprentice reached down and scooped their four-legged son up into his arms. Feyt wagged his tail, lapped quickly at his father's cheek, then immediately began nudging the overwrought Pearl's arm with his black button nose, and when she raised her teary face to look down at him, he leapt into her arms and began licking her chin, making her giggle in spite of her nerve-wracked state.

"You are _just_ what mommy needed, you little angel!" She cooed, lifting Feyt up to face level and nuzzling her nose against his, before cradling him back against her chest and turning her attentions back to his daddy. "It's official. It is _impossible_ to be upset or depressed when our son is in vicinity, which I suppose was _exactly_ what you had in mind when you gave him to me."

"Indubitably it was! Our son gets his infallible charm from his _biological_ father, you know. Don't you remember how it was love at first sight when _you_ met Constantine?" Luke chuckled, gently scratching the white bundle of fur behind his fluffy ear. "I'm happy Feyt had the desired effect of getting you to calm down somewhat, so we can now focus on solving this most perplexing riddle regarding Mr. Wright."

"I know you and the professor believe _every puzzle has a solution_ , but I just can't see what it could _possibly_ be in this case!" Pearl bit her thumb anxiously. "What am I going to _do_ , Luke?"

"You mean what are _we_ going to do?" He corrected, pressing a light kiss on her forehead, which garnered him an adoring smile in return. "You are _not_ alone in this plight, Pearl. We are in this _together_ , and between the two of us, I'm sure we can figure something out."

 _Because no puzzle - or dilemma - can stop Layton's ex-apprentice!_

"I don't want to be the one responsible for ruining Mystic Maya's wedding by telling her about this!" The spirit medium began pacing her bedroom agitatedly. "But on the other hand, if I choose to keep quiet, and something happens to Mr. Nick, despite everything that's happened between them, she'll _never_ forgive me!"

Luke knew this was his cue to assure his girlfriend she was wrong about Maya's presumed reaction and how the elder Fey would probably be very forgiving about the silence regarding Phoenix's hospitalization, should Pearl choose that route. Nevertheless, he had never been one to lie to anybody ever, least of all to the girl he loved with all his heart. Besides, that magatama of hers pretty much guaranteed he'd never be able to keep secrets from her, even if he _wanted_ to!

On top of that, based on everything he'd heard thus far, with regards to Maya's recent less than overjoyed reactions about her soon-to-be bridal status, there was little doubt in his mind the Kurain Master _would_ be furious with her cousin for such an act of deception, no matter how noble her intentions were.

"We mustn't allow ourselves to be consumed with negative thoughts," he said at last. "Let's consider the best case scenario, and just pray and have faith that Mr. Wright will make a full recovery from his injuries, whatever they are. For all we know, he has arisen and is presently enjoying that care package of delightful television shows you and I had express couriered to him early yesterday morning, before Trucy called you back. I'm sure it will warm his heart knowing, in spite of everything that's happened, how much you still care about him, enough to have sent him such a thoughtful get well gift bundle, which I'm sure can only be therapeutic overall and might even _expedite_ his healing..."

"Um, yeah, about that parcel, Luke…" Pearl stopped pacing and dropped her gaze, uncertain how he was going to take the news she was about to tell him. "Assuming the power of positive thinking _does_ mean that Mr. Nick is watching all those DVDs, which Mystic Maya had bought for him _ages_ ago and had since stored away, because she never got a chance to send them to him before they split up, there's something you need to know."

Immediately the British youth could see the heavy chains and red lock slamming into place right before her guilty-looking face.

" _Pearl_ …" Luke eyed her warily, noting the spirit medium's slowly reddening cheeks. "Out with it already! You aren't the _only_ one with a magatama! What did you _do_?"

"Mr. Nick doesn't know the package was from _me and you_ , Luke!" She blurted out, blushing furiously. "At the last minute, when you weren't looking, I slipped a note inside, pretending it was from Mystic Maya, and basically told him that she still loved him and wanted him back."

"You _didn't_!" Luke forcefully clapped a perturbed hand over his forehead. "What were you _thinking_?"

"I was _desperate_!" Pearl cried. "It just _seemed_ like a good idea at the time! And I'm almost positive Mr. Nick isn't _actually_ with Iris, at least not anymore! Also, if he'd been seeing anybody ever since, Trucy would've mentioned it to me! I told you how I heard my cousin sobbing in her room last night, which is hardly _typical joyful bride_ behavior! So if _he's_ still single, and I'm positive Mystic Maya still loves him, what was so wrong with giving him a little push in the right direction?"

"If you've been right in both cases, and Phoenix and Maya _have_ still loved one another all this time, without the other knowing it, I suppose _technically_ nothing…"

"You _see_?" She interrupted, smiling with relief. "Ergo, there _wasn't_ _anything wrong_ with what I did…"

Luke held up a hand, cutting off her mid-sentence before continuing, unable to mask the audible groan in his voice.

"Apparently you're forgetting the whole _illegality of you forging a letter in somebody else's name_!" He shook his head disapprovingly. "Pearl, did it never _occur_ to you that Mr. Wright would recognize _your_ particular manner of speech pattern being _nothing_ like Maya's , having known the both of you for so long?"

 _Not to mention the fact that he would know upon_ _ **immediate sight**_ _that it wasn't his ex's handwriting?! I guess now that the deed is done, it would hardly be prudent to take this particular opportunity to remind my girlfriend that she still has the barely legible chicken scratch of an elementary schooler!_

"I already thought of _that_ part!" She gnawed at her lower lip in consternation. "I've never written a: ' _I want you back in my life because that's where you belong'_ love letter before, so I didn't even _try_ to write the sort of language Mystic Maya might have used! I simply wrote out the lyrics to a love song to get my message across and then…"

Her voice trailed off and her shoulders slumped as Luke arched an eyebrow, waiting for her to finish the sentence and finally realize the grievous error of her actions.

"…I _sort of_ scribbled Mystic Maya's name at the bottom," Pearl finished in a whisper. "You're right – I _absolutely_ acted without thinking, Luke. I should've told you about my stupid plan, but I guess I knew you'd disapprove and didn't want you to try to talk me out of it. I'm so sorry."

The teenage girl resumed her downward glance once more. She was filled with both embarrassment and regret for her impulsive activities, and was afraid to see her boyfriend's reaction now that she'd confessed. She hated the idea of having Luke be disenchanted with her, in any way, shape or form.

"There's no use crying over spilt milk." He let out a small sigh, and held out his arms. "Your heart was in the right place, love. I just hope the end result _doesn't_ _blow up in our faces_! Come here, my little die-hard romantic."

Pearl eagerly rushed back into his hold, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and savoring the sensation of hearing his heartbeat as she rested her head against his chest. How fortunate she was to have this wise, kind, levelheaded boy to love her unconditionally, and try to balance things out and keep her grounded whenever her _overly_ _impetuous_ actions got a little bit out of hand. It was a crime that they couldn't be together like this more often, but the other alternative, which was _not_ having him _at all_ , was beyond unthinkable.

She loved Luke Triton with every fiber of her being.

 _Sometimes your nearness takes my breath away; and all the things I want to say can find no voice. Then, in silence, I can only hope my eyes will speak my heart._ _If I know what love is, it is because of you._ _How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard._

"So tell me something, Miss Attempted Matchmaker." Luke's wry tone had taken on a slightly teasing note now. "Exactly what love song did you write down in that letter as a valiant effort to stir Mr. Wright into action?"

" _I Have Nothing_." Pearl peered up at him and grinned sheepishly. "By Whitney Houston. I guess I was inspired to try to use a romantic song as part of the whole attempted persuasion, because I know Mr. Nick plays the piano, so _he's_ around melodies all the time. And I heard Mystic Maya playing Elton John the other night in her room before I spotted her crying her eyes out, so obviously music does affect _her_ to a certain degree. I was hoping the lyrics could properly convey, in this instance, what mere words could not."

"I know that tune quite well. It was a sound selection indeed." He gently tapped her nose and couldn't help but grin back, she was so darn adorable. "The route you were taking, trying to use music to invoke latent emotions within these two, wasn't necessarily that awful of a notion, actually. In fact, if you _still_ wish to pursue this route, but _with Maya_ this time, I think I have an idea."

"You do?" She asked hopefully as he strode across the room towards her computer and began quickly tapping away at the keyboard, evidently searching for something on the internet. "What is it?"

"Don't worry, leave this one to me!" Luke winked at her. " If the poignant lyrics of the late, great Ms. Houston's were to light a suppressed fire in Mr. Wright's heart…it seems equally fitting that we carefully select _just_ the right music to have a similar effect on your cousin _while she's walking down the aisle_."

"OK then…" her voice trailed off uncertainly.

" _This_ is my answer!" He snapped his fingers triumphantly and pointed to the screen. "See what you think of this!"

Pearl's eyes lit up as she peeked over his shoulder to view the lengthy list of greatest hits by Whitney Houston he was perusing.

"I'm sure I could find the sheet music to any kind of music online to give the orchestra, which would help conjure up old memories in the altar-bound bride and hopefully give her second thoughts. This way, ultimately it would be _Maya's_ decision if she decided to change her mind and _you_ wouldn't have to be the guilty party who ruined the wedding."

"That's a _great_ idea!" She enthused. "I had decided on the powerhouse diva because I figured _any_ of her work would be geared to tug at the heartstrings! To be honest, it was kind of hard to choose _just the right_ one! Plus, there are just so many other incredible great singers out there who've sung some real tearjerkers ballads– _oh wow_! Whitney sure sang a lot of _really_ sad love songs didn't she? The one I wrote out in the letter depressed even _me_ a little bit, and _I've_ never been happier in my entire life!"

Luke turned and studied her lovely, glowing visage and endearingly buoyant expression. He knew Pearl hadn't had it easy growing up, and would've thoroughly comprehended if this had turned her hardened, cynical and bitter about the cruel unfairness of the world. Yet somehow, she'd maintained her unparalleled sweetness and almost childlike innocence, nevertheless. Amongst the many things he loved most about his girlfriend was her persistence and unwavering fairytale belief in _true love,_ and wanting nothing less than that for her cherished guardian. Even though she had acted without thinking, ultimately, her heart was always in the right place. How blessed he was she'd chosen to give that big, beautiful heart of hers to _him_.

 _When I first saw you, you took my breath away. When you first talked to me, I lost my ability to think... When you told me that night at the Eiffel Tower how every dream you'd ever had in your life had come true, I couldn't even respond. When you touched me, I got shivers all through my body. And when we first kissed, I felt as though I was walking on air. They say you only fall in love once, but that can't be true...because every time I look at you, I fall in love all over again._

Wordlessly, he reached out and pulled her to him, cupping her delicate chin in his hands as he stared deeply into those mesmerizing gray orbs.

"What could be better in this world," he murmured huskily, moving forward so that his lips hovered only inches away from hers. "Than hearing all these heart wrenching love songs out there, and knowing absolutely _none_ of them are about _us_?"

There was a moment of intense stillness following his claim, and Pearl's breath caught in her throat as she gazed into those beloved dark orbs, knowing he could see her heart in her eyes. She had no suitable response to such a declaration.

It wasn't needed.

They both knew it was coming. She met his loving gaze with her own identical one before he pulled her face closer and their lips met.

Locked in Luke's tender embrace, Pearl felt as though she'd floated away in her dreams. It was magic, the way his lips connected with hers. His mouth was so warm, the caress of his lips softer and sweeter than anything she ever could have imagined; every word uttered by him would always leave her weakened and even deeper in love than before. These were the memories she cherished most.

"I love you, you _equally incurable romantic_!" The rapturously giddy Pearl giggled when they finally drew apart. It was a sound Luke hadn't heard in person in a thousand years and it was a sound he would wait another thousand to hear. He leaned close so that once more, their breaths were mingling, and kissed her again. Short and sweet.

"I love you," he whispered. "I love you."

* * *

 _ **Luke Triton and Jean Armstrong**_ _  
Fey Manor  
_ June 15, 2026 3:15 PM

 _I_ _ **must**_ _love that girl!_ Luke thought to himself a few hours later, after he and Pearl had returned back to the house from taking care of that morning's errands and knocking gingerly on the bedroom door _. How else can you explain me willingly submitting myself to the undoubted oncoming horror I shall be forced to endure within the next instant? I feel like I may as well have_ _ **doused myself with barbecue sauce**_ _and willingly walked into a den of_ _ **ravenous lions**_ _who have_ _ **not eaten a morsel**_ _in_ _ **months**_ _!_

The door swung open, revealing a creature _far more predatory_ than _any feline carnivore_ , whose jubilant eyes raked over the apprehensive British youth as though he were indeed a slab of tasty, juicy meat.

" _English Muffin_!"

The familiar, high-pitched squeal from the youth's worst nightmares hadn't changed at all since Luke's _last_ harrowing encounter with him back in December.

"Luke! When did _vous_ get in town? Z'is eez such a _pleasurable_ surprise!" The owner of the _nails on chalkboard_ phony French accent clasped his hands together in delight. "I see _votre petite copine_ has loosened zee reins and let your _fine behind_ roam freely for a spell?"

The young man barely fought back the urge to cringe while he was forcibly succumbed to Jean Armstrong's sloppy wet kisses on both cheeks as a way of greeting.

"Good day. It's nice to see you again, Jean." He forced himself to smile. "I arrived late last night, after everyone had gone to bed, and then Pearl and I had to take care of some last-minute wedding details this morning."

"That girl _must_ be a naïve soul, letting _a fine fox_ like _vous_ be roaming around _zee henhouse_ ...z'at eez otherwise known as an _all-female village_ , all by your lonesome!" Armstrong leered at Luke appreciatively. "She may as well 'av _lathered votre bonne derriere up_ _with baby oil_ and hurled _vous_ over zee wall of a _prison yard_!"

 _And thus I now have the **newest** Jean Armstrong induced nightmare that shall plague my dreams tonight! _ The teenage boy recoiled slightly, trying to quell the nausea sparked by the traumatizing image painted for him. _If I knock up the entire household by hollering out in the middle of the night, it will be because I was dreaming that **Armstrong** **himself** was there to **eagerly catch me** as I was catapulted over said prison wall!_

"Ha-ha. Yes, my girlfriend and I have a very open, honest, _monogamous_ relationship." Luke somehow managed to laugh politely in response to the skin-crawling commentary. "Built entirely on _love and trust."_

"Well, you _do_ 'av a very honest, _trustworthy_ visage, _mon beau ami_ ," Armstrong conceded, fluttering his lashes in what he undoubtedly deemed to be a coquettish fashion. "Plus as fine-mannered as ever I see!"

 _As you'd expect from a gentleman in training!_ Luke boasted internally, knowing how proud Layton would have been to hear the compliment.

"Zee _délicieux_ innocence of _young_ , _nubile_ _garçons_! Eez all part of your allure, _non_?" Armstrong gushed. "Not to mention you're _still_ _as gorgeous as ever_! _You are_ _living_ in z'at dapper news cap of yours! Have _vous_ grown taller last time we met?"

"Possibly," the teen replied in as cordial a tone as he could muster. "Father said he didn't stop growing until he was 21, so I have another two years or so to continue sprouting like a beanstalk!"

" _Zut_! _Excuse moi_ , _pour_ _mon_ _boorish_ manners!" Armstrong stepped aside from the doorway and attempted to usher the boy into his chambers. " _Regardez moi_ , jabbering away w'iz you standing out z'er in zee hallway when I haven't even invited you _in mon boudoir_!"

 _Oh bloody hell!_ Luke's eyes widened in alarm. _I'm just not cut out for this!_

Truly, he loved his girlfriend more than anything in the world, and when it came to helping the Feys, his eternal motto was _: Luke Triton, at your service_!

That being said, despite his creed, there was still _no way in God's name_ he was _ever_ going anywhere _alone_ with this _freakishly_ _barmy pouf_ , especially into an empty room with a _door_ that could easily _be closed_ and there'd be _no witnesses_!

"That's quite all right. I really can't fanny around today at all," he said quickly, hoping to convey as courteously as possible that this visit into the _gaping maw of Hades_ was going to be a _very short one!_ "Pearl got called away by Mystic Matilda to help out with some additional touches to the decorating in the main courtyard, but she shan't be very long at all. In fact, I'm meeting her in _exactly_ a quarter hour, to have a go at assisting with her maid of honor speech."

"Z'at eez _très_ nice of _vous_." Armstrong sniffed, trying futilely not to appear affronted at the obvious rebuke. " _Mais oui_ , I'm sure your posh, finishing touches will add a divine touch of class zee Brits are so renowned for."

"I shall do my best." It was definitely _give me strength_ time now. "I was actually hoping to talk to _you_ about arranging something special for the bride and groom in tomorrow's ceremony."

" _Oh_?" Armstrong blinked. "But Longines eez getting his final tuxedo fitting done in zee city right now, not be back to zee village until _ce soir_. And Maya eez gone all day, and won't return until tomorrow morning, so I'm not quite sure what you were planning, considering we can't get their permission."

"Maya's going to be gone _all day_ today?" Luke was taken aback by this unanticipated outcome. "But why wouldn't we just be able to give her a ring if we needed to get her consent for something?"

"The blushing bride-to-be eez at an _upscale_ luxury spa _de-stressing and relaxing_ on her final eve as a maiden. She will be getting pampered head-to-toe with élite, high-end bridal beauty rituals fit for a queen!" Armstrong sounded more than a trifle envious. "This includes a detoxing mud bath and _tightening_ _seaweed body wrap_ to ensure z'at all her dieting wasn't in vain and she fits into z'at killer dress. Beauty eez pain, _non_?"

"I guess so. But how long can all this cracking tranquility and indulgence _possibly_ take?"

"It eez an all-day retreat, in a Zen, _stress-free, phone-free_ environment. It was a bridal gift from the groom. Z'is getaway ensured, Longines _et_ _moi_ can stay up here at Fey Manor, yet still be long gone and at the altar by the time Maya gets back tomorrow morning, right before the ceremony. Z'is way, we also didn't 'av to risk zee _bad luck of zee bride and groom seeing each other zee night before zee wedding_ superstition."

" _Smashing_." Luke managed to get out, his mind reeling from this information. "How incredibly… kind and generous of Longines."

"It makes practical sense in zee grand scheme of things, _n'est-ce pas_?" Armstrong shrugged. "As Maya eez already down in Los Angeles, where her hairdresser and makeup artist reside, right after zee spa, she will be primed, dolled up, and ready by zee time she arrives back to zee village, and need only put on her dress. Besides, zee whole spa retreat was darling _Millie girl's_ idea! She eez _zee best, non_?"

 _Millie_? Luke's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He knew that nickname was in reference to Mystic Mildred! _Why doesn't it surprise me that The Dragon Lady had something to do with the fact that the bride has basically been_ _ **shanghaied**_ _until her wedding?_

From everything he knew about the dodgy village elder, both from Pearl and Maya herself, he found it hard to believe it was a _mere coincidence_ the bride had been shunted off, possibly against her better wishes, to a _remote location_ with _zero ability_ to have contact with the outside world until _essentially the moment she was about to walk down the aisle!_

 _Translation:_ Even if Pearl _had_ opted to relay the information regarding Maya's ex-boyfriend being in the hospital, this unexpected change in circumstances _110% put the kibosh_ on being able to squeeze in even a word with Maya before the wedding… about Phoenix, or _anything at all,_ since the next time anybody would essentially get to see the bride would be _at the altar_!

"Yes Millie, er, Mystic Mildred is quite… _lovely_." The English boy agreed, then decided to cut straight to the chase. "It's actually blinding that the bride and groom aren't here, Jean. I really wanted this to be a surprise for both of them, and I reckoned the best man was best to approach about my idea."

"Oooh!" Armstrong clapped his hands enthusiastically. "This is _everything_! I _do_ _take gusto_ in the idea of _springing the_ _unexpected_ on Longines! He positively _lives_ for surprises!"

"I heard you fellows had his bachelor party last night," Luke ventured casually. "Dog's bollocks of a time, I take it?"

"It was _totally_ a night to remember...even though _none_ of us can remember all that _much_!" Armstrong smirked. "We're all _still_ recovering from it!"

"Ah, jolly good to hear! Anyway, I thought perhaps a meaningful theme from that night could be incorporated as a more _personalized_ touch for the music as opposed to a plain old boring Wedding March."

"Z'at night was absolutely _fabulous_!" The flamboyant man in pink excitedly began doing his disturbing torso wiggle at the memory. "We all went to Sin City and checked out z'is marvelous drag queen show and _partied like it was 199_ 9 to zee music of all zee great divas…Cher, Barbra Streisand, Lady Ga-Ga…Whitney Houston…"

He then whipped out his cell phone and eagerly began showing Luke photos of what could only be described as a _rip-roaring good time_ of an obviously very drunk Longines and Armstrong on stage, alongside the celebrity impersonator singers in outrageously skimpy outfits, and pancake makeup so thick, it looked like you could have scraped it off with a butter knife! Both the groom and best man wore a hot pink feathered boa wrapped around their necks and appeared to be doing what looked like _the can-can_!

"Z'er are _other_ pictures capturing our _debauchery_ z'at night as well!" Armstrong tittered, abruptly putting his phone away with a conspiratorial wink. " _Do whatever you want to me_ , but wild horses – even a _mighty stallion like yourself_ – cannot drag z'at classified information out of _moi_! My _lips_ shall remain _zipped_! You know what z'ey say, _whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!"_

Luke tried to squelch the disturbing mental images as to _exactly_ what levels of _hedonistic_ _depravity_ might have occurred that night, while silently thanking his lucky stars _he'd_ been spared the coercion of partaking in any of it, having _mercifully_ _been overseas at the time_!

"Everyone's entitled to their privacy! You needn't fret about _me_ prying! Pray tell, is there any _particular diva_ whose music Longines is particularly fond of? Barbara Streisand, mayhap?"

"Babs _was_ the go-to for show queens, _back in the day_ , but now she is _so_ _old school_!" Armstrong waved his hand dismissively. " _Hello_! Longines is _31_ not _100_! What's next, you're going to ask if he's into _Judy Garland_?!"

 _Oops! Looks like I've botched that one! I don't know what to say now…_

"Um, sorry for being so gormless." Luke nervously adjusted the brim of his cap. "I didn't intend to be offensively stereotypical… But you _did_ mention that you were having _camp it up festivities_ alongside _female impersonators_ after all…"

" _Drag queens_!" Armstrong corrected him with a loud guffaw. "Lighten up, _butter buns_!"

 _Enough already with the "cheeky" yet_ _ **scarring**_ _compliments on how attractively callipygous you find my posterior!_ Luke silently screamed. _I_ _ **get**_ _it! You think I have a finely shaped rear end!_

"I was only _yanking your chain_!" The cream puff went on. "Now, _my_ diva of choice would _totally_ be Lady Gaga! But… eez not _my_ wedding…so _anywhore_ ….the groom flat out _idolizes_ Whitney Houston! Z'at picture you saw of him and I shimmying on stage was when z'ey were performing "I Wanna Dance with Somebody!" He began to wiggle and shake with more rapid enthusiasm as inspiration hit him. "This is giving me _life!_ My dear Longines would simply _die_ of _joy_ if Maya were to walk down zee aisle to z'at song!"

To Luke's horror, the brawny man suddenly grabbed him by the arm and began twirling him about the hallway while warbling a terrible off key version of the famous song.

 _ **Somebody who somebody who... somebody who loves me,  
Somebody who somebody who... to hold me in his arms.  
I need a man who'll take a chance,  
On a love that burns hot enough to last.  
So when the night falls,  
My lonely heart calls…**_

The Brit flashed a sickly grin as he miraculously pried himself free from Armstrong's tentacle-like clutches, noticing the mustached man's eyes were now watering with emotion. But despite the faux Frenchman obviously being _a borderline basket case_ about the man he loved marrying another woman tomorrow, what really mattered was that Luke and Pearl had the best man's support to proceed with their plan.

 _That's a relief! The Professor's former apprentice saves the day!_

"Brilliant! I know the song quite well. The Los Angeles Philharmonic are the most top-rated orchestra in California, and I am certain there's no classic song that would be beyond their musical repertoire. I have no problem getting Ms. Houston's music for them, as I imagine they may be too busy to do so, being the 11th hour and all. I just need _you_ to actually make the official order to make this last-minute switch before the ceremony. Considering _you_ are Longines's best man, I'm sure there'll be no problem."

"This one's as good as solved!" Armstrong waved his hand. " _Piece of cake!"_

 _Blimey_! Luke thought indignantly. _Those are_ _ **my**_ _lines he just stole! Er, well_ _ **were**_ _a couple of them, back in the day, anyway_ ….

"Omigod, I cannot wait till this wedding is over and done with so I can go back to eating sinfully delicious _cake_ and _pastry_ and _carbs_ again!"

The flamboyant phony Parisian prattled on, his French accent fading as he grew more animated.

"Longines has made sure that _I've_ been _suffering right alongside him_ and Maya on this ridiculous, stringent diet, because he wanted to ensure we _all_ fit into our wedding attire! Aside from wanting to have memorable pictures of the big day himself, there's always the possibility that a wedding of _this_ caliber may actually have members of the media present, and if these photos become public, we all better look razzle-dazzle, right?"

"The _media_?" Luke asked blankly.

Being from England, where freedom of the press was nowhere near as rampant as it was in the States, he was still getting used to the fact that most celebrity events ultimately ended up being a media circus, but he'd had no reason to think that tomorrow's nuptials would be one as well!

"Yes, those snoopy shutterbugs tend to pop up _wherever_ Longines happens to be, whether we like it or not!" Armstrong rolled his eyes. "How do you think pictures of their engagement became public before his publicist even had a chance to leak the news? No press was invited to _this_ event of course…"

"Phew, that's a relief!"

"You would _think_ so…but still, one or two _persistent pesky_ paparazzi somehow _always_ manage to sneak in!"

"I see. Well, it's ace that you're on board with this planned surprise, Jean. Now if you'll excuse me please, I must carry on now."

"Oh, leaving so soon?" Armstrong looked crestfallen. "My _shamefully gluttonous self_ somehow overindulged in some sinfully sumptuous croquembouche… Among other _no-no temptations_ at the stag party, _tee hee_! I was hoping you'd maybe help me _squeeze into my girdle_ so I could make sure I still fit into my tuxedo…"

 _Geronimo! That's my exit prompt! I thankfully got all loose ends tied up, and not a moment too soon! My work here is done… and I'm_ _ **out of here**_ _!_

"Good Heavens!" Luke's voice sounded unnaturally high as he made a big show of looking at his wristwatch and emitting a dramatic gasp. " _Wow_ , will you _look_ at the time! I need to chivvy along and leg it back to Pearl! I'm to be quite engaged, as on top of everything else, I must hunt down the musical sheets for Whitney Houston to present to the orchestra tomorrow. Cheerio!"

With that, he spun on his heel and _fled_ like a bat out of hell!

" _I Wanna Dance With Somebody_ would be the first choice!" Armstrong called after his retreating back. "Or _Saving All My Love For You_!"

Luke was in such a haste to get away that he didn't even bother mentioning the fact that the _latter_ song was about _a forlorn woma_ n having a _torrid love affair_ with a _married_ man!

 _I._ _Don't. Want. To. Know. Truly… I **really** don't want to know! Feets, don't fail me now!_

* * *

 _ **The Animal Whisperer and Other Creatures/Species  
**_ _Kurain Village, Courtyard_ _ **  
**_June 16, 2026 8:00 AM

 _Crikey! This orchestra set up is going to be huge!_

Luke anxiously eyed the vast ensemble setup which the Philharmonic stage crew had finished at last in the courtyard _._

 _And this is going to take me a little longer than I anticipated, as there's a vast variety of instruments and so many different performers for each section! Timpani, first and second violins, violas, cellos, basses, floats, oboes, clarinets, harp…_

His sole attentions until late last night had been on finding the perfect musical score. He'd even ensured there was enough copies for all the orchestra members (he'd made over 100 as there were about two dozen instrumental sections, just to be safe), thinking he'd adequately budgeted enough time to perform what he had believed would be the _entire_ gist of his pre-wedding assisting duties.

Ergo, he'd had been wholly unprepared for the setback Mildred sprung upon him.

The dapperly suited – and hat-free – English lad was hurriedly trying to distribute the new sheets onto the music stands (the musicians would be bringing along their own instruments) when he heard the wretched old biddy hollering out to him.

"You there! _Boy_! Get over here!"

Luke paused and glanced with dismay at the _dozens_ of more rows of stands that needed to be filled, having only set down a handful, before that _jarring_ voice, which could _probably shatter windows,_ had screeched for his attention, before reluctantly turning around.

The ever-dour Mildred was standing with crossed arms at the entrance of the aisle, dressed as though she were going to a _funeral_ instead of a _wedding_ , in her customary black kimono, which she hadn't even bothered swapping for the occasion. She also hadn't bothered changing her typical countenance, which, as always, appeared as though she had just sucked on a bitter lemon.

"Would you be speaking to _me_ , Madam?" Luke queried in what he hoped was a civil tone, in spite of his gritted teeth at having been addressed in such an unseemly manner. "How may I be of service?"

"We are running behind schedule!" Mildred groused, pressing her pencil-thin lips so tightly together, they nearly disappeared. "Apparently there was some horrible accident on the freeway this morning down in Los Angeles, so the bride has been delayed in arriving for at _least_ another half hour, and these ridiculously extravagant bombonieres have only arrived _now_! And _then,_ the _pimply_ , _pencil-necked, lazy-ass_ teenage driver who delivered them had the _gall_ to tell me that he couldn't stick around to set them up, because he was already running so behind schedule! Mystic Ami have mercy! _Why_ must everything happen to _me_?!"

" _Ridiculously extravagant_?" He echoed in confusion, glimpsing at the stacks of oversize boxes which had been unceremoniously dumped at the irate geriatric crow's feet. " _Bombonieres_?"

"Yes, you _daft_ , _ignorant crumpet_!" She snapped peevishly. "It's what we call the _wedding favors_ here in _North_ _America_! I didn't realize there'd be _this_ much of a language barrier between our countries! How the hell do you and Mystic Pearl communicate? _Sock puppets_ , I'd imagine."

Luke was taken aback at such outright, unaccustomed discourtesy, and merely gaped at Mildred in disbelief as she continued her mini tantrum.

"Despite my efforts to make that squanderer of a groom not be needlessly spending his money like it was water, his _overly_ _munificent_ self still _insisted_ on shelling out $500,000 on these gift bags!"

Her pruned mug twisted into a grimace.

"Within this box are over 400 – _one for each guest, not even per couple_! – of _the_ most lavish goody bags known to man for the guests, most of whom I doubt are even _worthy_ , or will know _what to do_ with such _florid overindulgence_! Each package contains a $500 bottle of Bollinger champagne, $200 _Creme de la Mer_ skin products, handmade souvenir trinkets with Mystic Maya and Longines's initials etched in Swarovski crystals, bottles of scents from local perfumeries, and $250 vouchers for treatments at the Regent Beverly Wilshire spa where this evening's reception will be taking place!"

Luke blinked. He was beyond astounded as it truly dawned on him just how _out of his league_ the elite and wealthy social circle his girlfriend's cousin was marrying into _truly_ was! Being the son of Clark and Brenda Triton, his family had been considered upper-middle-class by England standards, as his father was both a Doctor of Archaeology _and_ mayor of Misthallery, yet apparently _his_ country's standards for weddings would be considered _penurious_ in comparison! He couldn't _believe_ the list of ostentatious items he had just heard about!

 _Crikey! Americans truly are over the top with everything they do! Whatever happened to simple and heartfelt wedding favors?_ He wondered dazedly. _Back in Britain, the last three weddings I went to gave out personalized bags of sweets, potpourri, and scented soaps!_

"This sounds like quite the pickle you're in," he commented politely, once he'd finally found his voice again. "Again, I ask you how I might be of assistance."

"Are you a _defect_?" Mildred shrieked. "Isn't it _obvious_? I need to have these bags of favors set up on those tables _this instant_! I need to go supervise the rest of the village to ensure everything is in order, so _I_ can't do it! So stop meddling around with whatever you were doing with the orchestra set up and _get to it_!"

With that, the crotchety hag stormed away in a huff, leaving the flabbergasted teen staring after her. He looked helplessly at the piles of boxes, then at his wristwatch, and then at the _still to be dispersed_ musical score pages still in his hand and moaned. It was now 8:10! How on earth was he going to do two jobs at the same time? As obnoxious as the barbed-tongued Mildred had been with her ungracious demands (Luke was absolutely positive the heinous _she-thing_ slept on a bed of broken glass on a nightly basis!) he absolutely adored Maya, and knew the job needed to get done, regardless.

However, if he didn't get the new music set up for when the orchestra arrived, which would be _any time now_ , the arrangements he and his girlfriend had so carefully preplanned would be _an utter bust_!

Recruiting Pearl for help was out of the question, as his girlfriend had already informed him she'd be a busy bee taking care of some top-secret mission to at least ensure her cousin wasn't _totally_ miserable on her wedding day, and that as Maid of Honor, she would " _see to it that at least **one** of Mystic Maya's initial wishes gets granted this day!"_

Whatever _that_ meant!

" _Dedeviled harridan_ from the depths of _Abaddon_!" He dragged a hand down his face. "How can I possibly get all these tasks done within such a ridiculously short time span?! I can't let Pearl down! This is _bloody bullocks_!"

"It's an absolutely _fabulous_ and sunny day in LA, so why do you look _bluer than a bathing beauty at the North Pole_?" A man's voice suddenly exclaimed from just behind him. "Why so down, _sweetie_?"

"Yeah! A wedding is not a time to be either _sad_ or _mad_!" A perky female voice chimed in. "Don't worry, be happy! A smile is just a frown, turned upside down!"

Luke's head jerked up, and he spun around to find an attractive, _colorful_ pair, both in their early to mid-20's, grinning at him.

The young woman was a fresh-faced beauty, with long golden curls and twinkling blue eyes. She wore a glittery red leotard, trimmed with gold sequins, with matching red gloves and boots. Her alongside companion had long, _gravity-defying,_ bubblegum pink hair and two red stars painted on his cheek. He also wore, if _it was humanly possible_ , even _more_ makeup than the drag queens in the photos Armstrong had succumbed Luke to the day before! Additionally, he appeared to have robbed the wardrobe of the outré Longines himself, as his tall, lean build was decked out in a hot-pink, cropped leather jacket, zipper worn opened to expose his toned abs, and matching skinny leather pants.

"Top of the morning to you," the teenage boy greeted them pleasantly. "Sorry, er, I didn't realize I had company… Are you two wedding guests? I'm afraid you're a little bit early, as the nuptials don't actually start until 10 o'clock…"

"Silly boy! We're _performers_ , not guests!" The woman tittered, gesturing to the two rhesus macaques, both wearing small blue hats, perched by her feet. "We're here early to get set up and let the monkeys get a feel for the place. Although I would certainly _hope_ , given our long history of knowing the bride, we'd be invited to at least _dine_ at the reception! Working with animals sure works up a girl's appetite!"

"Tell me about it, sweetie!" The man agreed, treating her to a loving smile. "I never before truly grasped just how much more difficult it is being an animal trainer than a magician, until you _swung_ me into the act with you two years ago."

"What can I say, Maxy? You have _natural animal instincts_!" The blonde twittered, then turned to Luke with an extended hand and dazzling smile. "Apologies, where are my manners? We're from The Big Berry circus. My name is Regina Berry, and this is my husband, Max Galactica."

"Luke Triton." He shook their hands. "I'm an old friend of Maya's, and Pearl's boyfriend. It's very nice to meet you both."

"I can't believe little Pearl is old enough to have a boyfriend now!" Regina beamed, bouncing slightly on her heels. "It's been _far_ too long since I've seen her! The last time she saw me perform, I was still handling Money the Monkey!"

The Brit decided he liked the friendly, albeit eccentric twosome, right out of the gate.

"Actually, I _do_ think I remember Pearl mentioning how much she loved both of your acts as a young girl. Which one of these little troublemakers is the famous _Money_ , who was attracted to all shiny things, including Mr. Wright's attorney's badge?"

"Money is retired now, and has since had offspring," Regina told him. "Say hello to Desse and Jylan, his two sons, who are luckily a bit less of a handful for me to deal with!"

Luke greeted the two grinning primates, who lifted their hats and waved back at him in return before placing them back on their heads.

"Mr. Beaugosse hired us to keep the guests entertained today, but my fabulous wife is also going to be an escort for him when he comes down the aisle," Max chortled. "See, the groom was _pretty miffed_ that he wouldn't be able to walk down the aisle with a tiger on a leash, given how temperamental they can be to somebody who's not trained with wild creatures! Therefore, _Regina_ will be leading the path down the aisle with our tiger, Regent. He's in a cage in the truck parked out back."

 _Monkeys? Tiger? Magician?_! Luke stared at Max and Regina, trying very hard not to laugh at what a _spectacle_ these nuptials were going to be, even _without_ the presence of paparazzi to capture it!

 _Longines doesn't need to worry about this turning into a_ _ **media**_ _circus!_ He chuckled to himself. _It looks like Groomzilla has made sure it's going to be a_ _ **different**_ _type of circus entirely! The_ _ **three-ring**_ _variety_!

"So now that we're all friends, what was troubling you earlier, Luke?" Regina asked. "And is there anything we can do to help?"

At that moment, that gold tiara worn by the baby-faced blonde may as well have been a _halo_. Luke felt a spark of hope ignite within him.

"I'm supposed to be in two places at once, with minimal time," he explained, quickly giving the two a rundown of his tasks. "I'd really appreciate an extra set of hands."

"Max can help distribute the musical sheets," Regina offered. "I'd love to help you set up the gift table, but my hands are tied, because even though the monkeys are trained, somebody needs to keep an eye on them at all times…"

Her words trailed off as she watched the _animal whisperer_ crouch down to nearly eye level with the performance animals, and appeared to be having _a conversation_ with them! A moment later, Luke stood back up and beamed at the trainer as the two primates scampered off.

"Desse is going to go help Max distribute the musical sheets onto the stands," he informed the dumbfound Regina. "Jylan is going to help you and I set up the wedding favors on the table. I figure with _five_ sets of hands on deck, we should be able to pull this off without a hitch!"

"Wh – What? H – How?" The normally bubbly girl was thoroughly gobsmacked at what she'd just witnessed. "How in the world did you get them to respond to your immediate _vocal_ instructions? It takes _months_ of training just to get them to follow hand signals and basic command words!"

"I'll explain while we're unpacking." Luke winked, reaching around her and grabbing a box. "I'll ensure you and Max receive some _extra_ swag bags for all your troubles!"

* * *

 _ **Luke Triton and Pearl Fey  
**_ _Fey Manor_ _ **  
**_June 16, 2026 8:25 AM

With the aid of the Big Berry circus crew, Luke managed to get both tasks done in record time. Max had taken over with helping his wife conclude the table set up, with both monkeys eagerly assisting, and had kindly told the youth to go check up on Pearl to see if she needed a hand with anything.

Luke was whistling cheerfully to himself as he headed towards his girlfriend's bedroom, only to find that she wasn't there.

Just then, he heard a muffled curse coming from Maya's chambers, which was right beside Pearl's.

Concerned, he cautiously pushed the door open, and found his tiny girlfriend sitting on top of the bed, almost up to her eyeballs in honeydew colored chiffon and satin. She greeted him with a wave, as the thumb from her other hand was in her mouth.

"Remind me to tell Mystic Maya we need to buy thimbles! I just _pricked_ myself on that stupid needle!"

She ceased suction on her injured thumb and pulled the sewing needle through what Luke could only surmise was the bodice of the bride's dress!

"Grrr! Also why couldn't they simply let her wear _normal white_ so I could have a _matching spool_?! Who the heck has _honeydew colored threading_?!"

"Pearl what in God's name are you doing with Maya's wedding gown?" Luke stared, slack-jawed, at the angel that _used_ to be his inamorata. "You're going to _ruin_ it, and that thing not only costs as much as a _house in England_ , but it's supposed to be auctioned off for charity!"

"I am not _ruining_ it!" The maid of honor subjected her beau to a withering look as she continued her hastened task. "These stitches will come out with no problem, _afterward_! It's supposed to fit a woman who is a size _two_ , but should the new owner of this dress be _bonier_ than _that_ , I won't need to do anything to it again at all!"

" _This_ was the mystery task you've been occupied with all morning?" His tone was incredulous. "Tightening the stitches of that dress so Maya won't fit into it?"

"Exactly!" Pearl replied cheerfully, obviously undaunted by his tone. "Mystic Maya has been absolutely dejected about everything regarding this wedding, and _all_ she ever wanted was to get married in her mother's wedding dress! But that mean old witch Mildew somehow convinced the groom and best man that Mystic Misty's dress – which is hanging in the closet by the way – was _all_ _wrong_! Those _meanies_ ganged-up, bullied and overran _everything_ Mystic Maya wanted, and have turned this entire event into a tacky…gaudy… _circus_!"

 _ **Literally**_! Luke sighed silently. _I can't argue with her on that!_

"Well, _I'm_ going to make sure my cousin gets at least _one_ of her wishes on her big day, and doesn't get stuck wearing this _foul atrocity_ of a wedding gown! Incidentally, _because_ she won't be able to wear it, it'll be _unworn_ _**and**_ _brand spanking new_ and will probably fetch even _more_ money at a charity auction because of that!"

She smiled proudly and held up the altered bodice for his inspection.

"In fact, Mystic Maya getting stuck in that traffic jam on the way up from the city was a blessing in disguise! I've been doing this for over an hour now, and with that impromptu delay, still managed to get this done in time!"

Luke had to admit, his _meddlesome but well-meaning_ girlfriend had _quite_ a set of nimble fingers! Unless you were an industry professional or used _a magnifying glass_ , it was nearly impossible to see the additional fine stitches she had added into the gown.

"I would never have been able to tell anything had been done to it," he admitted as she carefully hung the garment back into its bag in the closet. "You did an excellent job of undetectable sabotage, love."

He grinned wryly at his co-conspirator and shook his head.

" _Forging signatures_ and now willful _destruction of personal property_ of higher value than most people's salaries!" Luke joked, his dark eyes dancing. "Whatever happened to the sweet, innocent girl I fell in love with?"

"Don't even _go_ there, Luke Triton!" Pearl mock scowled, pulling his head down to hers so he could see the barely suppressed laughter sparkling in her beautiful eyes. "You're _every bit_ as guilty as I am! The _orchestra obstruction_ was entirely _your_ brainchild, so you're in _way_ too deep to start judging me now!"

"I was such good, honest, law-abiding, _churchgoing_ chap once upon a time!" Luke tried to seem despondent, but failed horribly, not even bothering to contain his snickering as he continued his spiel. "Until I was corrupted by a wicked, unlawful temptress, disguised by doe eyes and an angelic smile. Alas, I'd always been hoping a love like ours would be _everlasting_ , but _not_ in criminal _infamy_!"

"Hey!" She protested, giggling maniacally. "Even the lawless of the land can find love if they seek it out!"

"Indeed, but it wasn't quite what I'd initially foreseen for _us_!" He kissed the tip of her nose. "I was hoping more along the lines of Romeo and Juliet, _not_ Bonnie and Clyde!"

"We go together, _ride or die_!"

* * *

 ** _Pearl Fey_**  
 _Kurain Village, Courtyard  
_ June 16, 2026 10:00 AM

 _They say to expect the unexpected_ …

Pearl tightly gripped her nosegay in her sweaty palms and slowly began her descent down to the aisle towards Longines and Armstrong at the altar. She smiled at how adorable little Gordy Gumshoe was as the ring bearer, and waved discreetly at the dressed to the nines Gumshoe and Maggey sitting amidst the congregation, the latter bouncing the gurgling and cooing baby Jeff on her lap.

 _Unfortunately, the one thing Luke and I definitely didn't account for, in all our scheming, was **Porfirio** deciding to show up to see the **live debut** of his "masterpiece creation!" Nor did we foresee both him **and** The Dragon Lady wanting to be present when I was unsuccessfully attempting to help Mystic Maya get into that colossal monstrosity of a dress!_

The spirit medium focused very hard on keeping a solemn countenance as she remembered the nightmarish scenario in her cousin's room a few moments ago…

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey and Pearl Fey_**  
 _Fey Manor, Meditation Room_  
June 16, 2026 9:53 AM

"There we go." The flamboyant fusspot, clad in a flashy, powder-blue, slim-fit tuxedo over black pants, matching bowtie and cummerbund, gave Maya's silk encased arm a little pat. "The bodice is all fastened now. Now we just have to gather the train and the bustle…"

For Pearl, time had stood absolutely still, as in the next instant, a loud, clattering sound, reminiscent _of corn popping_ suddenly erupted in the silent dressing room, as the buttons on Maya's bodice all simultaneously popped open and suddenly gave way without warning!

It was difficult to ascertain _whose_ distressed cry was more shrill, _Mildew's_ or the _designer's_ , as they collectively burst into horrified squeak and both dropped to the floor, attempting to gather the tiny fallen buttons, while the rest continued to cascade down the bride's back in an avalanche of minty-green pearls.

"Mystic Maya, how the _hell_ could this have happened?" Mildred demanded, glaring ferociously at the astonished bride, who was _visibly more sylph-like_ than she'd _ever_ been in her entire life! "Have you been _cheating_ on your diet?"

"I _demand_ an explanation!" Porfirio wailed plaintively, still pathetically attempting to scoop up the buttons from his kneeling position on the floor. "Didn't you just get yourself shrunk down in a seaweed wrap only yesterday?"

"For your kind information, _yes_ I _did_ succumb to that _beyond vile-stench of a treatment_ , which not only assaulted my nostrils, but made my skin _itch_!" Maya fumed, putting her hands on her slender hips. "And _no_ , I will have you know I absolutely _did not_ stray from my diet, Mystic Mildred! How _could_ I? _You've_ personally been watching me like a hawk _and_ you made the burger Chef feed me _vegan burgers_ for the last two months, remember?"

"Can we argue about who's to blame for this _unforeseen_ fashion emergency _later_?" Pearl interjected sweetly, already reaching into the closet for the alternative wedding gown. "I suggest you and Porfirio go take your seats now, Mystic Mildred, as the bride and I are now due to make an appearance in _five_ minutes. In light of this catastrophe, it looks like we'll have _no other choice_ but to go with Mystic Misty's dress, instead."

The teen pointedly ignored the squawk of horror the old woman gave upon hearing this, as though the spirit medium had just uttered _blasphemy,_ and clenched her teeth.

"Go on! Move along, you two!" Pearl commanded. "This gown is a much simpler make than the other one, so there's no need for _too many cooks in the kitchen_! _I_ am the maid of honor and _I_ will help my cousin get into her attire. We'll see you both once we're at the altar."

With that, she all but _shoved_ the outraged pair out of the room and beamed innocently at the perplexed but relieved-looking bride, who was already shimmying into the new outfit and seeming slightly happier than Pearl had seen her look in months.

" _Such_ a shame about that other gown! Some things just aren't meant to be, _are_ they, Mystic Maya?" The brunette winked at Maya in the mirror as she quickly began fastening the buttons in the back of the garment. "Just _lucky_ how you _already_ had your hair and makeup done by the time you got back to the manor, huh?"

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey and Pearl Fey_** _  
Kurain Village, Courtyard  
_ June 16, 2026 10:00 AM

As she tightly held the bridal bouquet in her artfully French manicured hands, which were twinged with perspiration, Maya would have described the dread she felt advancing towards that aisle as a slowly approaching train.

 _Like any beautiful nightmare, it doesn't matter where you run, because it keeps on coming, just the same. As time runs out, your feet become heavier until they are set in concrete on the tracks. And then all you can do is wait to be destroyed, wait to be nothing more than blood and bone fragments._

She was a clammy, jittery, nervous wreck. Her heart ran with legs like a runner, and she could feel the perfectly shadowed eyebrows on her skillfully made-up face, frowning in trepidation on her damp forehead. Gumshoe's kind, familiar face could be seen from the front row of seats, smiling supportively at her, yet she still felt herself getting overwhelmed, and dropped her gaze back to the overpriced, _overdone_ florals in her vice grip instead. An oversized, colonial bouquet of Johanna Hill roses, valley lilies, showers of Sweet Alyssum and other unidentified imports, tied with satin streamers. The flowers seemed to carry an otherworldly trance, slowly propelling her forward on the short journey towards the aisle that her mind was inwardly screaming at her not to make. She gulped. It was nearly time. The flowers would end the bride's life as she knew it.

Maya was barely mindful of the orchestra playing a hauntingly beautiful tune, which she couldn't quite recognize at first, but immediately gathered it wasn't the traditional Wedding March. Before she could put her finger on which artist's music the Philharmonic Orchestra was playing however, the noise became fully drowned out within the next instant.

WHOP WHOP WHOP!

 _What in the world?!_

Casting her gaze skyward, the Kurain Master saw the loud roaring sound was coming from overhead. It was ultimately overpowering the sound of _anything_ else happening, including the _music_ to which she was supposed walked down the aisle!

WHUMPA-WHUMPA-WHUMPA-WHUMPA!

 _Just my luck!_ Maya sighed resignedly. _I can't even have a normal procession on my wedding day. Oh well, no sense in dragging my feet any longer. I've made my bed, so I may as well lie in it!_

From her place at the side of the altar, across from Armstrong, who was next to Longines, Pearl was chagrined to see her cousin continue coming towards her, uncaring of the fact that her bridal procession was _fully_ being drowned out by the pesky black helicopter hovering in the air above them! It was a discreetly black, single-engine aircraft, with a figure in dark glasses and helmet hunched over the controls, its blades beating the air, with huge yellow and red lettering on the side reading _ET!_

 _Entertainment Tonight?!_ Pearl's jaw dropped. _The celebrity news program?! Crap! It's the damn TV show snoops_!

 _Curse these media vultures! They must've gotten wind of the wedding somehow!_ Luke fathomed, his stomach dropping as he saw Maya was now practically in front of Longines. _Goddammit! They're ruining **everything**!_

The orchestra had continued to play, although it was in _complete vain,_ as both bride and groom, along with the rest of the congregation, were entirely incapable of hearing the specially selected melody he and Pearl had chosen, due to the fact that the blades beating the air had much the same effect _as a small tornado_ on the grassy ground cover below it. Maya affixed her phoniest smile in place as she stepped in front of Longines, altogether unmindful that their plan had just gone up in smoke!

 _NOOOOOOO!_ Pearl's heart sank into her satiny shoes. _Mystic Maya didn't even get to hear the song! We went through all that trouble for **nothing**! It can't happen this way! It just **can't!**_

The maid of honor blinked back frustrated tears as the furry-faced cleric began the service.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today as we join this man, and this woman, in holy matrimony…"

Pearl's brain was going in a million different directions, all at lightning speed. She wasn't even listening to the rest of the words the minister was droning. All she could think of was Mr. Nick, the one she _knew_ , in the deepest depths of her soul, Maya still loved.

The same man who was _potentially dying_ in the hospital at this moment, and the _love of his life_ had no earthly idea about it.

 _Regardless of whether or not he's with Iris –which I'm going to go on a limb and assume he's **not,** because I can see her sitting, not at his bedside, but right there in the congregation! – **Mystic Maya** has **always** been the love of Mr. Nick's life! Hence, she has every right to know about this! I tried choreographing things so that it'd ultimately be **her** decision to make, but **fate** won't seem to allow that!_

Her blurry eyes sought out Luke's handsome face amongst the others in the massive congregation, silently conveying her mystified angst to him. He studied the ground for a moment, then squared his shoulders, steeled his jaw, and nodded reassuringly at her as he mouthed the very words she needed more than anything in the world in that instant.

 _I love you._

That was when Pearl knew what she _had_ to do. Moreover, she knew she _would_ be able to do it, no matter what a huge gamble it was going to be, because her beloved Luke was by her side, giving her the strength she desperately needed. Luke was what _every_ woman deserved from the man in her life, someone to forever be there. Supporting her. Encouraging her. Loving her.

Maya deserved nothing less than the same.

 _It's been said that there's one word that will free us from the weight and the pain of life. That word is **love**. I believe that with all my heart. That doesn't mean it hasn't been, or won't ever be, hard. It just means that I've found a stillness and courage in myself being with you, Luke Triton. **You** make me brave. **You** have given me the strength to now finally do what I've always known, deep down, was the **right** thing was to do._

"…Into this union, Maya and Longines now come to be joined," the vicar announced, rattling Pearl out of her reverie. "If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, speak now, or else forever hold your peace…"

Pearl didn't even blink as her lips parted, completely unaware of the fact that the chopper was now gone, or that her bouquet had fallen from her shaky fingers. Taking a deep breath, she mustered up every ounce of fortitude she possessed. Clenching both her fists and eyes as tightly closed as she could, she let forth a raucous cry that would have rivaled even that of the legendary Mia Fey.

 ** _"OBJECTION!"_**

 ** _Whitney Houston - I Have Nothing (chapter quote)_**

 ** _Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 148**

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Better late than never, and I appreciate you taking the extra time to leave me the second review dear reader! We found out at the end of this chapter that Trucy's plan did indeed work… We'll see how much closer she is to Maya being her new Mommy next chapter though… :p

 **Chapter 149**

 **Yanmegaman *review of the week* (only because I was ROTFL reading it!)**

 _"Joke 1: "In breaking news, former defense attorney, Phoenix Wright, was found dead in his hospital room this last night. Though odd, findings seem to suggest he was beaten to death with a bouquet of flowers. Police are still looking into the incident."_

 _Joke 2: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND here it is, folks! The match you've been waiting for! In this corner, the feisty medium with alot of spirit, Maya 'The Master' FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!_

 _And in this corner, the Baron of Bluffing and the Comeback King himself, Phoenix 'Turd Fondler' WRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!_

 _All bets are off, folks!"_

I have no adequate response to this pal. Really and truly, just give up your day job and do standup - I will be there front row and center, because you freaking _kill_ me!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Never apologize for having a life, dear reader. I am just happy and grateful this far along on the crazy train that my readers are still with me!

I will tell you right now with the somewhat red face I have done quite a few things in this story which might borderline the teen rating, but at least I give a disclaimer for when it happened, although ironically gratuitous swearing has not been something I have tried to implement too often! XD

I think eventually Ema may come around to actually eating any Snackoos Klavier plies her with in an attempt to get her affection in the near future, but right now should more than likely use them as a weapon against him!

I'm glad you like the Trucy and Apollo interactions I will definitely try to incorporate more of the magical siblings whenever possible. I totally agree fanfiction's exist as a wonderful tool to help fill in the what-ifs?

 **chloemcg**

It's Phoenix Wright! He keeps surviving near-death experiences which make him the world's luckiest or unluckiest man alive, so why wouldn't being reunited with love of his life not be included amongst his death cheating experiences? XD

I can tell you right now that the love letter did not come into play yet, because unlike Phoenix, who is either a mutant or descendent of Wolverine, Maya _is_ only human after all… And what woman who loves a man is desperately as she looked Phoenix at one point could've resisted such a billet-doux? ;)

I know you love Luke and Pearl, and hope you enjoyed the big heaping dose of Feyt you got of the little matchmaking schemers this chapter.

Um… I can't really comment just yet about the fop and Ema… The only good news is from this point onward she can only start hating him… _less_?

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Your wish is granted dear friend – it's a two chapter week to take you into the weekend!

I mentioned this to another reader as I'm going to say to you, it's fascinating how there can be such differing opinions on the exact same scenario. Something Klavier got what he deserved with Ema, even though he very well wasn't at fault and was a pawn of Kristoph's, while you feel Phoenix was pretty cold about his lack of sympathy towards the forlorn fop.

However, astute one, I am glad you did notice that Nick _is_ in jerk Apollo Justice mode, (can I tell you yet again how _hard_ it is to write him like this?!) and although the prosecutor had no idea it was the wedding day of the love of his life the following day, it possibly could have been another factor with why the former defense attorney may have been the best person to go to for sympathy _right about now_ about losing the one you love! Let's give Nick _some_ props for at least not goading _out loud_ … Even though the usual Phoenix we know has his thoughts written across his face like a weathervane, I can guarantee you that unless he _wants_ you to see emotion on his face in Apollo Justice, you'll never have any idea what he's thinking because of that poker face of his!

The secret of my own personal spin regarding the DVD collection was covered in this chapter, but whether or not Phoenix was dreaming about Maya's actual presence when he heard that song being sung or if it was those evil medications making his mind conjure up very lifelike images and sound is something we will find out next chapter! ;)

I hate the game Apollo Justice with a passion. With the only exception of meeting Trucy and Apollo who are the cutest videogame siblings I've ever seen, equally tied with Mario and Luigi, I really don't intend to cover a whole lot of investigation or trials in general but specifically not in this game although I realize I probably need to cover Kristoph's final nail in the coffin and subsequent freak out!

Here's a thought for you whose scarier predator Nurse Good Touch or Fake Doctor Bad Touch? Either way I agree a Taser would probably be a welcome gift instead of flowers right now! XD

 _"I can see the headlines now - Blushing Bride Arrested…._ _This might be the greatest bout since Ali fought Frazier in Manila."_

"Living on a Prayer" is a fantastic song… And when I hope to use at some point in the story! Of course it will be Phoenix's train of thought when he encounters his ex-lover who I can tell you right now _is_ in a wedding dress! Place your money right now about who wins this match!

p.s. This chapter got long so had to split it - another one of your songs shall be the one following this! :)

 **Ilet Moratar**

Have you seen the movie A League of Their Own about female baseball players during the second world war? Great movie, and no doubt when Maya gets through with Phoenix with that floral baseball bat, Cuba and possibly any other country, would be welcoming her to join their team as their batter to guarantee their series win! XD

 **Chaos Lord Roscoso**

It is never a bad idea to put your money on a fighting Fey – while Phoenix has endured a lot of physical pain in his life, when it comes to having a tortured existence Maya is pretty bad ass in her own right as well! I promise next chapter we will be back at Maya side of things, as the prelude of what brought her to Phoenix's hospital room got rather lengthy, which is why I had to cut off this chapter where I did. Although it's a lengthier trip than anticipated to the destination I hope you're enjoying the ride!

 **Rdrtrandom dude**

And here we have the extensive prelude to what led to Maya being at Nick's bedside. You'll find out more detail as to why the reunion was more _explosive_ than the emotive next chapter, as well as what it truly was that prompted her besides that well-placed _objection!_

 **JaDe In NighT**

Well Phoenix will extend his stay at the hospital , can't wait for The Edgeworth reappearing that glorious man

 **thepudz**

It's fascinating how my readers can have such differing opinions on the exact same outcome. As the author I have to try to stay neutral about whether or not Klavier deserved the outcome of what shall now be known as Boot to the Groin, as some of my other readers think he has suffered enough. Of course me being sadistic person that I am, I'm just might drag his heart through the ringer a wee bit longer because I'm evil that way! MUAHHAHAH!

I love that people enjoy the magical siblings I want to try to put in as many interactions with Apollo and Trucy as possible!

Um…flirting with Karin…yeah that's not going to ease the wallops of the makeshift floral bat. AT ALL. Yikes!

 **Batfreak2008**

I'm glad you like Led Zeppelin. I try very hard to play musical DJ whenever I can for my wonderful readers. Since you're such a music fan, as I noticed your author's notes in your Ace Attorney and Batman crossover, which I am loving by the way, feel free to submit your own requests as well! :-)

 **Feraligreater328**

Thank you very much for the kind words of encouragement, I am very touched the bartender and hairdresser enjoyed it so much!


	151. Run To You

_A/N: This is longer weekend read that I hope you find enjoyable! **TheFreeLancerSeal,** as promised, here's your song. Prepare for a roller coaster at the nuptials in this Phaya chapter guys!_

* * *

 _I know there's something in the wake of your smile.  
I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yea.  
You've built a love but that love falls apart.  
Your little piece of heaven turns too dark._

 _Listen to your heart  
when he's calling for you.  
Listen to your heart  
there's nothing else you can do.  
I don't know where you're going  
and I don't know why,  
but listen to your heart  
before you tell him goodbye._

 _Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile.  
The precious moments are all lost in the tide, yea.  
They're swept away and nothing is what it seems,  
the feeling of belonging to your dreams._

 _Listen to your heart  
when he's calling for you.  
Listen to your heart  
there's nothing else you can do.  
I don't know where you're going  
and I don't know why,  
but listen to your heart  
before you tell him goodbye._

 _And there are voices  
that want to be heard.  
So much to mention  
but you can't find the words.  
The scent of magic,  
the beauty that's been  
when love was wilder than the wind._

 _Listen to your heart  
when he's calling for you.  
Listen to your heart  
there's nothing else you can do.  
I don't know where you're going  
and I don't know why,  
but listen to your heart  
before you tell him goodbye._

 _Listen to your heart  
when he's calling for you.  
Listen to your heart  
there's nothing else you can do.  
I don't know where you're going  
and I don't know why,  
but listen to your heart  
before you tell him goodbye_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Fifty One:** **Run to You**

 _ **Maya Fey and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Kurain Village, Courtyard_  
June 16, 2026 10:00 AM

The hushed aftermath of the imbroglio caused by Pearl's paroxysm could only be described as deafening. The spirit medium stood there trembling like a leaf, her defiance now downright vanquished as she felt hundreds of astounded and accusing eyes upon her.

 _I know tensing against the shaking of my limbs is useless, yet I do it instinctively, trying to suppress for a few more moments what I know I cannot. I need to drink in the reticence to counteract the fear that threatens to engulf me._

Pearl had expected her cousin to crumple, wail or dissolve into tears, but she did none of those things. She frenetically scanned Maya's countenance for her reaction to the terse quiescence hanging in the air, much like the suspended moment before a falling glass shattered on the ground.

A myriad of expressions crossed the visibly discombobulated bride's mien as she goggled in repudiation at the young girl she'd had been raising as a daughter for half the teen's life now – until the ineffable disappointment immediately following the aftermath would not allow the Kurain Master to suffer in taciturnity any longer, and she at last found her voice.

" _Pearl Sakura Fey!_ What in Mystic Ami's name has gotten into you _?_!"

A chill ran through the teen's spine as she heard Maya's unbridled yell of ferocity, in a pitch she'd fervently hoped she'd _never_ hear again – _ever_. Despite the sunny, summery weather, the sound made her violently shudder as if a freezing arctic wind had swept over her. Her blood ran cold and a bead of sweat dripped down her temple. She stood there helplessly cemented on the spot, not knowing what to do and too scared to even think.

"Just what kind of _maugre stunt_ are you trying to pull here, missy?" Maya demanded harshly, her cheeks flushed pink with confused umbrage at the girl's audacity. "What grounds could you feasibly have for trying to bring this wedding to a screeching halt by screaming _objection_ of all things?!"

Pearl shrank back under her guardian's withering stare.

"This is no small matter, so indeed, _I_ require further elucidation as well." Reverend Paesano regarded the girl sternly, a look made all the more intense with his scraggly, bushy birds' nests eyebrows over piercing dark eyes. "Bringing a wedding to a standstill is hardly a meritorious act, young lady. What possible reason did you have for your actions?"

In lieu of the typical nervous butterflies in the stomach which most people experienced whenever their nerves were shot, Pearl Fey was experiencing giant flapping birds within her own insides, and her courage nearly failed her. A quick glance at her boyfriend's sympathetic expression however, strengthened some of her resolve, as she wildly groped for a viable explanation, wondering if it wasn't too late to stick with the original plan A somehow.

"It – It's just t-that Luke and I work so hard together to surprise you with a personalized orchestra bridal procession, Mystic Maya!" She stammered, pretending not to notice Luke face-palming out of the corner of her eye at her moment of cowardice, while clasping onto the cheerfully oblivious, Feyt, who was elegantly dressed in a pint-size black puppy tuxedo, tiny pink tongue happily wagging, blissfully unaware of what was going on around him. "And then the stupid paparazzi helicopter had to go and _ruin_ everything!"

Maya's infuriated eyes widened incredulously.

"Do you mean to tell me…" She began slowly, in an _awful_ voice which Pearl was certain she would be hearing in her nightmares for _months_ to come. "That you stopped my wedding because I didn't get to hear the _music_ you planned for when I came down the aisle?"

Pearl gulped.

Seated next to Luke, Regina and Max were trying to contain both Desse and Jylan. The primates were becoming noticeably obstreperous, innately sensing the tension in the air, which further heightened the spirit medium's trepidation.

"You only get married _once_!" The maid of honor cried at last. " _Please_ just indulge me this one time, Mystic Maya!"

Armstrong's phizog was twisted in a _most unbecoming moue_ , as beside him, Longines heaved an exasperated sigh and shook his head, while Maya closed her eyes and mentally counted to ten.

"If it really means _that_ much to you…" she began warily, but never got a chance to finish her sentence as her cousin seized the momentary reprieve with gusto and frantically turned to the absolutely impassive looking conductor.

"Hey – Maestro! _Hit it_!" Pearl exclaimed, waving her arms.

A recalcitrant laconism met her command as the haughty looking man merely eyed her stonily.

"Hey what gives?" The teen raised her voice an octave. "Could you guys please play _that song_ again so my cousin can actually _hear_ it this time?!"

"I am the _conductor_ of the _Los Angeles Philharmonic_ ," the band leader informed Pearl loftily, in the snootiest, most obnoxious British inflection she had _ever_ heard, which made even Armstrong's faux French accent seem authentic by comparison. "I am not some _two-bit_ _DJ_ at some… _bantam_ _nightclub_ , nor am I a _myrmidon_ who takes instructions from _polemically misbehaving_ little girls!"

"I am _not_ a little girl!" Pearl indignantly stomped her foot, fully unmindful of her boyfriend quickly murmuring to Jylan and Desse in the background. "I am going to be _17-years old_ this fall I will have you know!"

"Enough of your pell-mell shenanigans, you _yobbish little hoyden_!" Mildred declared with a contemptuous sniff, attempting to regain control of the situation. "Mystic Pearl, I am appalled by your _blatant solecism_! This is supposed to be a _wedding_ , not some sort of _rigmarole, three-ring circus!"_

Perched on Luke's lap, the normally benign Feyt growled menacingly upon hearing the slight against his mommy, and bared his teeth in the direction of the village elder.

"I guess you were right all along, sweetie," Max muttered to Regina in a stage whisper as he glowered at the old woman, whom both performers immediately decided they _loathed_ at first sight. "I guess animals _can_ sense evil!"

At that exact second, the stealthy Big Berry monkeys, unnoticed by their owners, had crept up behind the conductor, with Desse perched on Jylan's shoulders – with the former then proceeding to reach up and yank the _ratty brown toupee_ right off the unsuspecting man's pate!

The jaws of the flummoxed congregation all fell to the ground in unison at this unforeseen commotion.

" _Nghrk_!" The sputtering, undignified _chrome dome_ squawked with horror, making a mad grab to snatch the hairpiece back from the red-handed monkey, who had jumped off his brother's shoulders and promptly tossed it over to his sibling, while the disgraced man was subjected to being the _proverbial monkey_ _**in the middle**_ … Of two guffawing, _actual_ _monkeys_! "Bloody hell! Stop that, you sodding, mangy filthy beasts! Give it back!"

Maya and Longines viewed this with their hands clapped over their mouths, looking as though they weren't sure whether to laugh or cry at this admittedly comic spectacle!

"You watch your mouth, mister!" Regina shot up out of her seat and subjected the bald man to a ferocious glare. "Those are our _star performance monkeys_ you are insulting, and I will have you know they are neither _filthy_ nor _mangy_!"

"That's right!" Max piped up, putting his hands on his hips. "The only thing that's _mangy_ here was that _nasty_ wig they're handling right now! Desse probably mistook the blasted thing for a missing piece of fur from his _brother's rear end_!"

"You've got some bloody cheek!" The conductor momentarily paused in his futile attempts to retrieve the hairpiece from the still too quick monkeys and dramatically clasped a hand to his chest. "That's bleedin' bollocks, I say! I'll have you know that is a _top-of-the-line_ product which was _perfectly blended_ in with the rest of my hair, until these _abominable hellions_ decided to play hanky-panky and publicly let out my _secret_!"

Both circus performers merely snorted derisively at this proclaim in response, and even the monkeys appeared to be snickering.

 _Oh give over!_ Luke rolled his eyes but somehow kept his jaw clamped shut, although he was internally shaking with laughter. _**Stevie Wonder**_ _could tell it's a rug!_

"I can certainly command both of them to return your property good sir, with no procrustean action required." The English youth spoke calmly, tightening his grip on the still yapping puppy in his arms, who was still attempting to lunge at Mildew. "All you have to do is kindly play the bride's aisle music once more, just as my lady friend so politely requested."

"Go ahead! Anything to get _on with the show_ , relatively speaking, I guess." Armstrong didn't even attempt to mask his giggles as he waved his hand, nodding his consent, and beamed at the bride and groom. "The English Muffin _did_ get my permission for the surprise musical change in the first place, so it's just as well that everybody hears it. Longines, I know you are going to _love_ it!"

Letting out a relieved sigh, Luke signaled to the monkeys, and with a snarl, the conductor snatched the proffered, and now somewhat gnarly looking toupee back from the still cackling Jylan. The monkey _turned ham_ bowed grandly at the infuriated man as he presented it back to the owner, then at the congregation, who burst into a smattering of applause before joining Desse over by the still hooting Max and Regina. The humiliated maestro clamped it back atop his dome, not even caring that it was _hilariously askew_ now, and ignored the susurration and slight titters of the both the congregation _and_ orchestra as he waved his hands in signal for the musicians to begin.

The lyrical introductory melody of the Whitney Houston song began to play, and Maya tilted her chin up as she listened, a slight smile of anticipation on her lips.

Longines apparently recognized the tune, and was also smiling, although he wore a quizzical expression as he turned to Armstrong.

"That's Whitney Houston! But Jean… whatever made you choose _this_ song?"

" _I didn't!_ That's neither "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" or "Saving All My Love" like we discussed, English Muffin!" Armstrong put his hands on his hips and zeroed in his accusing gaze on Luke. "What gives, Sweet Cheeks?"

The teen couple ignored both men and anxiously studied Maya's visage with mutually bated breath as they awaited her reaction. To their great chagrin however, there was absolutely none.

There wasn't even a flicker of recognition on the bride's pretty face as she flashed a hesitant, appreciative smile at the two co-conspirators.

"This is absolutely lovely, kids," she said pleasantly, still looking slightly puzzled. "I'm afraid I don't recognize the song though…"

Pearl felt her heart freeze in her chest at the same time Luke felt as though he were being internally asphyxiated, as the duo realized at the exact same moment they had grossly overestimated Maya's musical knowledge, particularly with orchestra covers.

Sitting in the congregation between Sister Bikini and Mystic Matilda, Iris, who, thanks to her months of perfecting her (ultimately unrequired) pianist skills, was _more_ than familiar with the melody that was playing at the moment. She'd found the late singer's music to have been quite fitting for her circumstances since falling for Larry, and felt her heart ache on behalf of her deflated and demoralized half-sister and her boyfriend. The shrine maiden had no doubt what the well-meaning two had been trying to achieve, and exactly which emotions they'd been attempting to stir within the bride by utilizing _this_ particular musical choice.

"You don't _know_ the song, Mystic Maya?" Pearl wailed plaintively, as tears of disappointment welled in her eyes. "B-But I thought… I mean, I was _hoping_ …"

"I'm sorry, sweet girl, I don't." Maya appeared both disquieted and confused by the crestfallen expression of the now sniffling teen. "I _love_ it though! It's so pretty…"

"Sister Bikini, _quick_!" Iris hissed in the elderly nun's ear. "Do you have a paper and pen in your purse?"

The perplexed old woman dumbly handed over the requested items from her bag, observing as her daughter fanatically began scribbling.

"What's going on?" Matilda questioned, leaning over.

"I have no idea…" Sister Bikini began, the words dying in her throat as in the next instant, an event entirely more unforeseen than even the toupee thieving occurred.

"Maya! Girl, you don't know my song?" A loudly unknown, yet _unmistakably sonorous_ voice suddenly rang out from within the congregation. "Maybe it would help jog your memory if I _sang_ it for you then!"

A collective gasp was heard from every person in the courtyard, because standing there between Sister Bikini and Mystic Matilda, wearing Iris's shrine maiden garb, was none other than the late diva herself – _Whitney Houston_!

Not at all daunted by the hundreds of eyes upon her, the stunning song bird came out into the middle of the aisle, and began singing along the lyrics to the song, which the altogether dumbfounded orchestra had somehow managed to keep playing, in spite of their utter shock. After all, they were the most revered professional orchestra in California _for a reason_!

"I totally need to take a picture of this absolutely fabulous moment!" Max stood up with his cell amongst the other members of the congregation, who were already filming and taking pictures of the reincarnated diva. "Nobody's ever going to believe us otherwise!"

"Forget _photos_!" Regina was already standing on her chair, ready phone in hand. "I'm _so_ filming this!"

* * *

 _ **Didn't we almost have it all**_ **  
** _ **When love was all we had worth giving?**_ **  
** _ **The ride with you was worth the fall my friend**_ **  
** _ **Loving you makes life worth living**_ **  
** _ **Didn't we almost have it all**_ **  
** _ **The nights we held on till the morning**_ **  
** _ **You know you'll never love that way again**_ **  
** _ **Didn't we almost have it all**_

* * *

" _Didn't We Almost Have It All_?" Maya's eyes were round as her hand fluttered to her throat, more so by the powerful lyrics than by the unambiguously astonishing fact that her supposedly _no spiritual power bearing_ cousin had somehow managed to channel a long dead singer! "I _do_ know this song! But Pearly, why did you…?"

"It's _Mr. Nick_!" Tears rolled down Pearl's face as the truth finally spilled out of her. "I wanted you to hear a song to make you remember him because I didn't want you to _panic_ when I told you what I've known now since yesterday Mystic Maya! He – he's been in an accident and is in the _hospital_!" She brushed the droplets off her cheeks and stared beseechingly at her thoroughly gobsmacked cousin. "Trucy called me and told me. He's alive for now, _but_ …"

" _This_ was why you halted the ceremony and manipulated the orchestra?" Mildred's sharp, piercing voice cut in as she stared daggers at Pearl. "What makes you think Mystic Maya, who was set to marry the blond knight of her dreams, even gives a _rat's patootie_ about that good for nothing, disgraced, forging attorney anymore? Mr. Wright is _Sister Iris's_ cross to bear now, _not_ the bride's!"

" _Nick_!" Maya's lips could barely form the word as her mind reeled. "Nick's been hurt?!"

Whitney continued to sing the poignant, absolutely _angst-filled song_ about lost love while the Master listened, rocking back and forth on her heels as her heart and her wounded pride commenced a devastating tug-of-war within her.

 _The Dragon Lady is right, Maya_! Her mind screamed at her. _Phoenix Wright is_ _ **not**_ _your problem anymore! That man left you for your cousin, remember?_

The bride had never felt so lost or torn in her whole life. A lump formed in her throat as the protective armor she'd had over heart for the past year now began weakening. An overpowering mythical phoenix's talons ruthlessly began clawing away her defenses, forcing her to face the truth she could no longer deny, even though she was standing at the altar in a white dress on her wedding day to another man.

Maya Fey had never, ever stopped loving Phoenix Wright.

* * *

 _ **The way you used to touch me felt so fine**_ **  
** _ **We kept our hearts together down the line**_ **  
** _ **A moment in the soul can last forever**_ **  
** _ **Comfort and keep us**_ **  
** _ **Help me bring the feeling back again**_

* * *

Maya remained frozen in place, unshed liquid pooling within her orbs while six years of whirlwind memories begun flashing through her mind like a kaleidoscope…

* * *

 _It was April 17, 2019. Her milestone 21st birthday, when she'd finally realized Phoenix had always been a man of_ _ **action**_ _rather than words. She'd been so petulantly aggrieved with him for not complimenting her new red dress…completely overlooked every other way he'd proved his undying love over the years…right up until he declared it_ _ **publicly**_ _and sang "I Would Break Every Law For You" to the Bruno Mars tune of "Grenade" at The Borscht Bowl Club…_

Maya was all but sobbing now, uncaring if she ruined her new makeup.

 _A silly red dress. I've been acting like a spoiled, entitled brat just because he didn't compliment me on my stupid new dress. And why? Because_ _ **that**_ _was how I was nonsensically gauging his love for me? How could I have been so damn stupid, so blind, not to have noticed he's been saying I love you,_ _ **with his actions**_ _,_ _ **for the past four years**_ _?_

In her mind's eye, Maya could now clearly see each and every way Phoenix had shown how much he loved her over the years. Every single burger, on a daily basis, even though at times he'd only had enough money for just her food, so _he'd_ gone without. Every single children's Samurai show and movie he'd sat through and taken her to, without any real griping, even when he'd been exhausted from work, just because it made her happy. Fan conventions. Day trips, with her and Pearly, to amusement parks, zoos, shopping malls. Always on his tab, which she'd always greedily taken. Always without genuine complaint. Not to mention all the times he had kept her out of prison, and then saved her life, the last attempt of which had nearly cost him his.

 _My body feels afire_  
 _Being near you it just fans the flames_  
 _You are my heart's true desire_  
 _Why is it you can't see it, Maya baby?_

Maya's eyes were still closed against her unending tears. She was conscious of someone handing her some napkins to wipe them away, which she did silently, even as her heart kept screaming in response to the lyrics.

 _I_ _ **do**_ _see it now, Nick, I do! I swear I do! I_ _ **swear**_ _to you on my mother and sister's graves that I will doubt the morning sun will rise before I ever doubt your love again!_

* * *

 _It doesn't matter whether or not he's with me as my lover anymore_. The sensation of the repressed tears behind her stinging eyelids prompted Maya to close them tightly so nobody would see her conflicted expression. _I would never want anything to ever happen to him. Not after all he's done for me. For my_ _ **family**_ _._

Maya's lips remained closed, but they were quivering as her tormented heart finally won over the battle with her mind, and she succumbed to the inundation of bittersweet memories flooding her senses.

* * *

 ** _Didn't we almost have it all_**  
 ** _When love was all we had worth giving?_**  
 ** _The ride with you was worth the fall my friend_**  
 ** _Loving you makes life worth living_**  
 ** _Didn't we almost have it all_**  
 ** _The nights we held on till the morning_**  
 ** _You know you'll never love that way again_**  
 ** _Didn't we almost have it all_**

* * *

 _Jan 25, 2020. The day of her Master of Kurain ceremony, when Phoenix's train had come late, and she'd thought he was going to let her down and not show…but then she'd turned around and there he was, just as he'd promised would…_

Triggered from naught but sheer relief, she started to laugh at her foolishness, but it got caught in her throat at the sight of Nick's beatific smile in the sunlight.

 _Every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see the look in your eyes._

Her heart no longer filled with pain or uncertainty, she lifted her shining gaze to look at his sculptured, clean-shaven face, with the golden hues of early morning rays upon it, and thought that even with the silly hat Trucy had given him, he was still so handsome. Moreover, in spite of what the world might think, he was still a pursuer of the truth in all things, a trust-worthy, reliable man who kept his word. The man she loved.

She still felt wonderful, but no longer in a giggly way. She wanted Nick's arms around her again. She wanted to know what his lips felt like again after all this time. She just plain wanted. Him.

Phoenix's smile, too, faded and within a couple of quick strides, he closed the open space between them, and then he was holding her, pulling her to him. She looked up into his beautiful sapphire eyes, feeling giddy with joy.

"Thank you Nick," she whispered. "Thank you for being here for me when I needed you most."

Maya didn't know how she could have ever doubted him. But nothing else mattered now. She was where she belonged, with Phoenix's warm, firm arms around her shoulders and her hands around his back, feeling his muscles shifting under his clean-smelling hooded sweat shirt. Her lips parted as she leaned towards him.

Toward this kiss.

This soft, sweet, so-worth-the-wait kiss.

* * *

 _ **Didn't we have the best of times**_ **  
** _ **When love was young and new**_ **  
** _ **Couldn't we reach inside and find**_ **  
** _ **The love of me and you**_ **  
** _ **We'll never lose it again**_ **  
** _ **Cause once you know what love is, you'll never let it end**_

* * *

Maya's resistances were entirely annihilated now. A sob emerged from her chest as the first tear streaked down her artfully made-up face.

* * *

 _She'd nearly died 6 years ago trying to push herself in that Special Training Course, to prove her Master worthiness…and was in a coma for three days…nearly seeing that proverbial white light…when she'd heard his plea to come back to her._

"Forgive me, Maya. I'm sorry I pushed you away after I got disbarred – and how I've kept you at arm's length since, all because of my underlying thought that I wasn't good enough for you, that you would reject me, the hobo bum that I became. How could I have underestimated you that way? I was so stupid not to realize that you're the hope that moves me to courage again."

Phoenix's voice trembled with emotion.

"I realize that you would never reject me. Even now, with a whole village against you, telling you to sever ties with me, you still prove your steadfast loyalty is always to me. It's me who's been keeping us apart. I swear, I thought it was for a greater good…not because I didn't want you by my side. Never that. You're a part of me. When it comes to loving you, you're my only reason, you're my only truth."

A tear rolled down his face as he softly stoked her pale cheek.

"I'm so sorry I didn't fight harder to keep you by my side where you belonged, where you were happiest. I will try to move heaven and earth to make sure we can be together more often, if only you come back to me. You told me that day in Kurain, that you needed me, too. And Maya, I need you! Like water, like breath, like rain!"

He pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Pearls is here with me now, and she needs you and loves you as much as I do. Please come back Maya, for the _both_ of us."

"We love you Mystic Maya," Pearl whispered, clutching her cousin's hand.

"Nick..." murmured Maya sleepily. "Pearly…"

Her eyelids slowly slid open and her disorientated eyes taking in the sight of the people who mattered the most to her in the world.

 _Just when she'd nearly gone over to the Twilight Realm, she'd heard Nick's voice, keeping her from passing over the dark side of the abyss._

 _ **Nick's love had brought her back to him.**_

 _ **Nick's love gave her life.**_

 _ **Loving him made life worth living.**_

* * *

 _ **Didn't we almost have it all**_ **  
** _ **The night we held on till the morning**_ **  
** _ **You know you'll never love that way again**_ **  
** _ **Didn't we almost have it all…**_

* * *

" _Nick_!" The histrionic scream was wrenched from her throat in a piercing sound that echoed amongst the trees. "I've got to get to Nick!"

Maya's eyes popped open. Her chest heaving, she stared sightlessly at the concerned groom, and then at her hopeful cousin, who quickly placed a hand on the tremulous bride's arm to steady her.

"Mystic Maya?"

" _Nick_!" Maya turned to Longines, her heart pounding in her ears, not even caring if her babbling made any sense. "I'm sorry, but it's my daughter's sister's – er, _cousin's_ – father! I have to go see if he's all right!"

"Er, um…sure?" The balbutient groom was unsure of what else to say – or if it'd even have mattered at this point.

"I swear I'll be back!" Maya promised, lifting up her skirts as she bolted from the altar, haphazardly tossing her bouquet at Maggey, who was seated next to Gordy, as she grabbed Gumshoe by the arm. "Come on! What are you waiting for? I need to get to my Nick!"

Longines winced slightly but nodded bravely.

"You do what you need to do Maya," he called gloomily after the woman in white who was already dragging the police Chief towards the exit.

" _Hold it_!" A unison of voices rang out as the still too stunned to react assembly remained in stupefied silence. "Wait for us!"

Gumshoe and Maya paused just at the end of the aisle as Pearl, Maggey and Luke raced after the two, the Chief's wife huffing slightly from the weight of holding baby Jeff in one arm and the massive armload of flowers in the other while attempting to sprint.

"We should come along as well!" Luke insisted.

"Yeah I wanna see Phoenix too!" Maggey chimed in.

"If anybody is going it's going to be _me_!" Pearl announced, passing her nosegay to her partner. "Mr. Nick is the only father I've ever known or ever _will_ know, Mystic Maya, and I'm _not_ taking _no_ for an answer!"

Longines flinched slightly.

" _Ouch_!" Armstrong also cringed on the groom's behalf and awkwardly patted his friend on the arm. "Small Fry can be _totally_ _brutal_ at times!"

"But what about _us_?" The British lad wanted to know. "I haven't seen Mr. Wright in almost 10 years!"

"Honey you should stay here," Gumshoe advised his wife. "I can drive faster if there's no kids in the car, and there's no way I can fit you, me, _and_ the kids, as well as Pearl and Maya, in the car. We'll just go make sure Phoenix is OK, and will be back before you know it."

"I guess so," Maggey agreed with a melodramatic sigh, giving her husband a pointed look, and biting back a smile as he smirked in response. "Give Phoenix my love and tell him _I hope he gets well soon._ "

"Will do!" The Chief winked.

Maggey pulled him in for a kiss, ensuring the teens were preoccupied and waiting until Maya had raced ahead to the parking lot before murmuring in his ear.

"Dick, we both know Phoenix is perfectly _fine_ ," she reminded him with mock admonishment. "Ema told us, _remember_? We sent him flowers?! I don't suppose it _occurred_ to you to let Maya know about that?"

" _Did_ we?" The big man affected his most innocent expression. "I guess that factor ultimately _slipped my mind_ , what with all the commotion between the monkeys and the reincarnated singer and the Runaway Bride!"

"Luke, I need you to stay here too," Pearl told him, having heard none of the Gumshoe's conversation. " _Somebody_ needs to keep those animals under control, and you're obviously better at it than Regina and Max! Most of all, I _especially_ need you to keep an eye on The Dragon Lady for us. _Don't let her out of your sight for minute_. I have very little doubt that _she_ may have had her own underhanded reasons for ensuring nobody could get to Mystic Maya up until right before the wedding!"

"Got it." Luke nodded amicably, his narrowed eyes already zoning in on the supercilious village elder, who appeared to be one of the few people to have recovered from being _staggered_ and now just looked flat out _steamed!_ "You can count on me, love!"

"I know I can." Pearl dropped a swift kiss on Feyt's head, pecked her beau on the cheek, and dashed after Maya, Gumshoe in tow. "Hold down the fort!"

Seated amongst the flock, Sister Bikini and Mystic Matilda watched while Iris as Whitney remained fully in performance mode. The songbird had now launched into "Run to You" that, as luck would have had it, the Philharmonic actually knew, and were merrily playing along for the impromptu show.

"Um, _Whitney_ is _really_ getting into the swing of things!" Matilda uneasily whispered into the nun's ear. "And even though things didn't go as we planned, the bride still took the hint and is off like a shot! But her job is done now! Shouldn't one of us grab the spirit severing stick and bring Iris back to us?"

"And ruin a perfectly good concert which the guests are all immensely enjoying? Wa ha ha ho ho ho!" Sister Bikini's belly shook with hearty laughter. "Perish the thought, Matilda! Can't you see the woman is in her absolute _element_?"

"But this is the longest she's ever channeled – and the _first_ time she's ever been able to channel with _intended_ _succor_!" Matilda held up the discarded note Iris had dropped the moment she had transformed into the singer. " _This_ proves that unlike with Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King, our Iris actually _intended_ to channel the dearly departed diva!"

The note simply read: _"Ms. Houston, I swear everything will be explained later! Right now, the bride, Maya, needs to hear you sing 'Didn't We Almost Have It All' along with the orchestra! You will be blessed in our prayers for this. For the sake of true love,_ _ **please**_ _do us a favor and honor us with your divine voice!"_

"What do you know, it seems after all the work we've done with her over the year, Iris can perform _focused channeling_ when _under extreme pressure_?" Sister Bikini commented idly as she smiled proudly at her daughter, who continued to belt her heart out for the mesmerized crowd. "I say we just let the diva do her thing! There can hardly be a wedding when the _bride_ is gone, and between Whitney Houston, and The Big Berry circus performers, this congregation's going to need _some_ form of entertainment until Maya returns."

"True. I guess you're right…" Matilda agreed doubtfully, and wisely kept the rest of her skeptical thoughts to herself: _…_ _ **If**_ _she comes back at all!_

The last words Gumshoe, Maya and Pearl heard as they swiftly exited the venue almost sounded as though they were being personally prompted to keep moving by the songbird herself, vanquishing any lingering doubts any of them may have had about their impulsive actions.

* * *

 _ **Each day, each day I play the role**_ **  
** _ **Of someone always in control**_ **  
** _ **But at night I come home and turn the key**_ **  
** _ **There's nobody there, no one cares for me**_ **  
** _ **What's the sense of trying hard to find your dreams**_ **  
** _ **Without someone to share it with**_ **  
** _ **Tell me what does it mean?**_ **  
** _ **I wanna run to you (oooh)**_

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey**_  
 _Hickfield Clinic Parking Lot_  
June 16, 2026 12:00 PM

"It sure comes in handy traveling with an officer of the law when you're in a rush!" Pearl was positively chipper as the former detective pulled into the crowded hospital parking lot. "I can't believe how fast you got us down here, Uncle Gumshoe!"

"What can I say, I know a lot of shortcuts!" The Chief boasted proudly. "Besides, if I had actually attempted to drive the speed limit, I get the feeling your cousin would've snagged the wheel away and just taken over _herself_!"

Maya didn't even bother denying this unmistakably accurate proclamation. Instead, she remained silent, as she had for the duration of the 90 minute car ride. Her stomach was in a twisted series knots as she mentally played out this impromptu reunion she was about to have with her former lover, whose physical state was as equally unknown as what his reaction would be upon seeing _her_ , not his actual girlfriend by his bedside. Assuming he was even _conscious_!

She'd gone over the envisioned picture a million times in her mind already during the trip, each more exceedingly absurd and outlandish than the next.

" _Hey Nick! Long time no see! I was just wedding dress shopping and happened to be in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd pop in and see how you were doing!"_

" _Yo, Nick! I'll bet you're wondering what the heck_ _ **I'm**_ _doing here instead of_ _ **Iris**_ _! I'm actually here in her stead because she's busy channeling a long dead superstar right now but she sends her love, which I insisted on giving you in person because_ _ **that's**_ _the way I_ _ **roll**_ _!"_

 _"Nick, I never stopped loving you. I know that even though you're supposed to be with Iris, she's not seen you in ages, which means you aren't even making_ _ **half**_ _the effort that you were with_ _ **me**_ _! What gives? I need to know if_ _ **she**_ _really is the one for you, or if there's_ _ **any chance at all**_ _you might still feel_ _ **even an inkling**_ _for me of what I 've never stopped feeling for you all this time…"_

Granted, the last rehearsed scenario was probably the most pathetic and unlikely, but certainly _more_ _bizarre_ occurrences had transpired: Toupee juggling monkeys, resurrected divas by late bloomer spirit channelers, a size 2 wedding dress which mysteriously no longer fit her, despite the fact that by glancing in the mirror, she could ascertain she'd never been thinner in all her life…

"What is taking you so long to find a _freakin_ parking spot?" Maya demanded agitatedly of her friend as he circled the lot for the umpteenth time with zero success, whilst her mounting tension only grew further. "Don't you police folks have designated parking spots in the front?!"

"Sure, when we're in a _marked cruiser_!" A hint of frustration crept into Gumshoe's voice as he spotted what he'd deemed an empty spot was actually occupied by a _motorcycle_! "Since it's my day off and I'm driving a regular civilian car, I need to park in _regular civilian parking_ , Maya!"

"Hey look!" Pearl squealed excitedly. "I think that car's leaving!"

"Great job, Pal!"

The police Chief eagerly pulled forward, noting Maya impatiently drumming her fingers against on the dashboard, and attempted to do a reverse park into the vacated space as quickly as possible. In his haste, the end result of his harried efforts resulted in a sickening crunch as his Dodge Charger backed right up into a gleaming white BMW!

" _Ngh_!" The big oaf groaned, burying his head in his hands. "Curse my rotten luck!"

 _ **And**_ _your rotten_ _ **driving**_ _, which I see hasn't improved at all over the years!_ Maya fumed silently.

"Oh no!" Pearl gasped in dismay. "You totally knocked the left side of the fender off that car, Uncle Gumshoe!"

" _Why_ did it have to be an expensive _German_ model?" Gumshoe buried his head in his hands. "Why couldn't I have just hit one of those stupid electronic hybrids? It would've folded in two like an accordion and done no damage to my bumper whatsoever!"

Leaping out of the car, he saw that save for a small scrape, absolutely no damage had been done to the rear end of his car.

"Oh thank heavens! Hurrah for American cars – there's barely a graze!" He expelled a thankful breath. "Maggey would've _killed_ me!"

"Can I leave you to sort this out with the unfortunate owner of the impacted vehicle?" Maya asked curtly, her waning patience now finally obliterated. "I just want to run in and determine Nick is alright."

"I'll come too!" Pearl said eagerly, but her guardian held up her hand.

"No, I need to go on my own this time." Her dark eyes were pleading. "Pearly, please… I just need a few moments _alone_ with Nick. I shouldn't be very long at all. You can come up and see him as soon as I'm done, OK?"

"I understand Mystic Maya." The teen bit her thumb and nodded. "Whatever you say."

"Thank you, sweet girl. Gumshoe, I don't know what the protocol is for these things, since I don't drive," Maya said quickly. "Um, would you mind spotting me a couple of dollars so I can maybe grab Nick something from the gift shop? I only have my phone, but didn't bring my purse with me, and I would hate to show up empty-handed."

"No problem, Pal." The Chief distractedly handed her a few crumpled bills as he reached for his cell. "It's not like I can go anywhere until the owner of this vehicle comes out and we exchange information, anyway."

"Thanks! See you soon!" Maya was already dashing across the lot towards the entrance doors. "I'll be right back!"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Hickfield Clinic_  
June 16, 2026 12:45 PM

Maya was starting to feel claustrophobic, and her fingers were beginning to get scratched from the sharp thorns on the bouquet of flowers she'd hastily purchased from the lobby gift shop and was now gripping in her hands.

When she'd arrived into Phoenix's room _half an hour ago_ , he'd been fast asleep, looking as cherubic as always, despite the two-day growth of stubble on his square jawline, and that _horrible_ hobo hat on his head. He was breathing steadily, and aside from the large bandage on the ankle of his propped up leg, appeared to have no other injuries, save for a small bruise on his cheek. She didn't see any sort of scary-looking or unidentifiable life support machines, hence his life didn't appear to be in any sort of imminent danger she could take note of.

Rather than be agitated that she'd run out on her own nuptials only to discover his situation wasn't in as much dire straits as she'd feared, Maya was so immensely grateful, she'd literally wept a few silent tears of sheer relief.

Because in spite of everything that had transpired between them, regardless of the fact that she had given him her body, heart and soul, and he'd ultimately discarded them in favor of her cousin, Phoenix Wright would forever be the love of her life. No flamboyant, fair-haired Frenchman fiancé, who she suspected was ready to come flying out of the closet _any day now_ , could ever change that!

What if Phoenix had actually _died_? Maya could live with the agony that he was alive and happy with Iris, because even though he was apart from her, he was still _living_. She never had, nor ever would, wish him any ill-will or harm. They had been through too much together for that.

How would she have been able to _live_ if Phoenix was ever gone from this world? Life would be even bleaker than it already was. A part of _her_ was only existing because _he_ , her soul mate, although not by her side, was prevailing as well.

That was just it. If he was suddenly gone, she _wouldn't_ be able to survive.

The tender love song came pouring out of her lips as if on their own volition. It was an aching, almost bittersweet love song, one of her favorites, and seemed to perfectly summarize how she felt about a life without Phoenix in it, as well as exemplifying the mundane existence she'd been enduring since that fateful day he had shattered her heart into a million pieces.

The spirit medium poured her heart into the lyrics, uncaring that he was asleep and couldn't hear her. She had no idea how she sounded; most of her singing was done in the showers at home, or in most cases, while under the frigid Kurain waterfalls. How else was she supposed to pass the time while cascades of freezing water washed over her during the eternal quest for spiritual enlightenment?

When Pearl had been younger, at times she'd sang to her at bedtime, and her cousin had dreamily told her she sounded as pretty as a lark, but her little girl loved her so unconditionally, Maya wasn't sure she was an _objective_ critic.

* * *

 _ **How do I live without you,**_ **  
** _ **I want to know,**_ **  
** _ **How do I breathe without you?**_ **  
** _ **If you ever go,**_ **  
** _ **How do I ever, ever survive?**_ **  
** _ **How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?**_ **  
** _ **How do I live without you?**_ **  
** _ **How do I live without you baby?**_

* * *

Maya had tearily just finished the last verse of the song when she suddenly heard footsteps coming to the room. Trucy? Edgeworth?

 _Holy shit snacks! I am in no right state of mind to be explaining my weeping, flower-laden presence at Nick's bedside!_ _ **Especially**_ _seeing as how Trucy's never had any previous knowledge of my existence! And as much as I'd love to see_ _Mr. Edgeworth, I would fare no better for an unplanned_ _ **reunion**_ _than I would for what would undoubtedly be the mother of all awkward_ _ **introductions**_ _!_

Without even thinking twice, Maya hurriedly ducked behind the side curtain, her heart thumping so loudly, she was positive the visitor would be able to hear it.

 _Dammit! I hope whoever arrived won't be here long! With my luck, I'll probably manage to_ _ **sneeze or fart**_ _or somehow give myself away!_

A strange man's voice, with an unmistakable German enunciation, was heard in the room. As the media coverage had confirmed Kristoph's incarceration two months ago, the village leader surmised this must be Klavier. Her speculation was confirmed when she heard the other man mention he'd been present at Phoenix's murder trial, where Kristoph had been the defense council.

Maya recoiled as she listened to her former beau nonchalantly recount the grisly details of his accident.

 _Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Nick_ _ **how**_ _are you still_ _ **alive**_ _?!_

Subsequently, she recollected this was the _same badass_ who'd fallen off an 80 foot high burning bridge, been hit over the head with a fire extinguisher, _and_ consumed a poisonous glass and metal necklace! And then he'd _miraculously_ survived it all, with merely a cold, temporary amnesia and a hysterical case of sissy-style weeping! Assuming, of course, that Mia hadn't been exaggerating about the _last_ one!

 _Are you a descendant of Wolverine and somehow inherited his regenerative powers? Are you rocking some lower-level, yet still stronger than mere human_ _ **Adamantium bones**_ _?! Yup, it's official – this near death experience confirms it! Someone call the X-Men, because my ex is a freakin'_ _ **mutant**_ _!_

Thenceforth he'd also had scalding coffee thrown in his mien, shocked by a 600,000 volt stun gun, whipped till he passed out, _and_ physically assaulted by a homicidal maniac! No doubt if Phoenix were ever stabbed with a Shichishito, like poor Misty Fey had been, he'd most likely stumble away slightly, pop an aspirin for the pain, and shrug it off as a ' _flesh wound_!'

Maya then had to bite her cheeks to keep from laughing as Klavier went on whine about how Ema, now Detective Skye, hated his guts because of his part in getting Phoenix disbarred. It was evident by his cadence that the poor man was truly heartbroken about this, as he appeared to be hopelessly in love with the pretty brunette, whom the Kurain Master fondly recalled had treated her with nothing but friendly kindness when they'd met a lifetime ago.

She also barely suppressed a titter that Klavier had no inkling where Ema's loathing of him stemmed from. Did he _really not recall_ bumping into her and spilling her drinks all over her pristine white lab coat at the bar, which would have stained had she and Franziska not advised how to speedily treat them in time? And then have the audacity to actually try to _hit on her_ afterward?

Maya felt a spark of hope fill her when Klavier asserted that he was now uncertain of Phoenix's guilt. Maybe the prosecutor could help clear his name! She felt the stirrings of joy fill her heart at the thought of her ex regaining back the life he'd loved before it was so cruelly snatched away, then cursed her weakness and stupidity for feeling such emotions on behalf of a man who had sworn to love her for the rest of his life, then had cast her aside like she was yesterday's trash.

 _OK the fact that I ran out on my own wedding and am currently hiding like a stalker in my former lover's room makes it undeniably irrefutable that I am every bit_ _ **the foolish, fool-hearted, fool of a girl**_ _a certain whip-wielder would proclaim me to be if she knew of this! Hell, I_ _ **know**_ _she would have_ _ **a heyday**_ _if she knew! Jeez, Franziska,_ _ **there's**_ _somebody that appears to have fallen off the face of the earth…she hasn't returned any of my messages since she told me she was going back to work! I wonder what the heck happened there…_

For the love of God, weren't they two men done gabbing _yet_?

Maya had just wanted to offer Phoenix her get well wishes and then she had to boot, scoot and boogey out of there! Gumshoe was waiting, and she had a _wedding_ to get back to, with an anticipating minister who'd had zero qualms with letting them know he was charging them by the _hour_! At least, that had been what the text Longines had sent her had indicated. Oh well, what was the point of marrying a billionaire if he couldn't handle a few unexpected additional costs?

 _Oh balls! Now I totally need to go_ _ **pee**_ _!_

With a sigh of relief, she at last heard Klavier bid Phoenix adieu, but just as she was about to come out from hiding, a bubbly girl's speech was heard, along with a booming male tone.

 _Man, is that guy ever_ _ **loud**_ _! Does he have no concept of what an_ _ **inside**_ _voice is?!_

Goddammit, _they_ were all nattering now, _too_? Today just _wasn't_ her day! Maya bit her lip in helpless vexation and desperately tried not to think of those gallons of waterfalls. Oh _crap_ , now that was _all_ she could think of! She crossed her legs and swallowed back an aggravated moan. _Why_ was everyone so relentlessly _chatty_ today?!

She listened with rapt dubiety as Phoenix first attempted to bluff about the reason for his non-attorney status to Apollo – so _this_ was the now graduated law student whom her ex had been tailing for some time – citing he'd quit because of the shame of being bested by a  
17-year -old rookie prosecutor.

 _Seriously Nick?_ Maya frowned disapprovingly. _To the young man who saved your ass from death row, this is the_ _ **cockamamie bullshit**_ _tale you come up with? You entrusted him with your life! You can trust him to be running all around town investigating potentially dangerous situations with your underage daughter, but not with the_ _ **truth**_ _? Why can't you tell the poor kid what truly happened? He deserves that much!_

"Tell me, how does it feel?" She suddenly heard Phoenix ask Apollo, in a lifeless tone she'd never heard before. "How does it feel to stand here before Phoenix Wright, the Forgin' Attorney himself?"

Who _was_ this _alien_ speaking in such an apathetic manner? Why did he now appear to be merely a shadow of somebody that she used to know?

 _Oh Nick, what's happened to you?_ Maya's heart ached. _Does Iris bring no joy to your life at all? You sound as resigned as a man who's actually_ _ **on**_ _death row, instead of one who just recently_ _ **dodged**_ _it!_ _ **AGAIN**_ _!_

"I don't see you jumping to my defense on this one," Phoenix continued in that same laconic tone. "Maybe I did forge evidence, maybe I didn't. It doesn't really matter now, does it?"

"B-But… Detective Skye hinted that _Prosecutor Gavin_ was partially to blame for what happened to you!" Apollo exclaimed. "She _hates his guts_ because of it!"

"I'm not an attorney anymore," Phoenix declared flatly. "That's the only truth you need to know."

Maya bit her lip so hard it nearly bled. Fresh tears filled her eyes.

 _Nick, you can't let him think such horrible things about you! It's obvious this young man thought the world of you and doesn't want to believe all these lies! What's with this "I am whatever you say I am" lassitude? Fight back! Tell Apollo you're innocent!_

As if hearing _that_ wasn't painful enough, the next thing she heard felt like a dagger to the heart, as a high-pitched feminine intonation announced its presence in the next instant.

Evidently, Phoenix's female nurse, fearing her _favorite patient_ would be wasting away existing on hospital slop, had brought a special _homemade_ dish, in hopes it would better _whet his appetite!_

 _OK, easy there, Nurse Tart_! Maya scowled, hating herself for the sudden surge of jealousy beginning to course within her, which she knew she had no business feeling. _I'm sure Iris wouldn't be too appreciative of this! I know Nick's as sexy as hell, but nevertheless, he is_ _ **off the market!**_

"Ha-ha. Well, since you put so much care into making this yourself, Karin, I promise you I will most definitely give it a try."

 _ **Karin**_ _, is it_? Maya gritted her teeth. _How cozy! Nick's only been here for two nights and they're already on a first name basis!_

Maya's vitriol was only further sparked when her _equally overly familiar_ ex-boyfriend, for some reason or other, decided to incite this _disgusting, unseemly_ mating dance and told "Carin Karin" to address _him_ by _his_ first name as well!

Her blood pressure began rising even further, along with indignation on her cousin's behalf as she was forced to listen to Karin coo over Phoenix's _shapely calves_ and speculate aloud about what kind of body he was hiding underneath his baggy attire! Next, she announced that she'd be working a double shift and that some petrifying Amazon with an eyepatch would not be giving him that night's sponge bath – it'd be given by _Nurse Good Touch_ herself!

With steam practically blowing out of her ears, Maya waited for Phoenix to politely veto the offer and insist on _somebody more professional_ to be running their hands over his wet, naked body for " _scrub a dub-dub"_ that evening! Instead, to her enraged disbelief, she heard him say:

"Heh heh. Er, sounds good. Um…I should get to that surely delicious lunch while it's still hot, and stop _neglecting my visitors here_ …"

 _ **Sounds good?!**_ _Grrr! You vile, incorrigible man-whore, encouraging that hoochie mama! Nick, we both know what that harlot_ _ **really**_ _wants is to_ _ **use your body**_ _as a_ _ **loofah sponge**_ _and_ _ **your abs**_ _as a_ _ **washboard**_ _!_

Tucked into the bust of her gown, Maya's cell, on vibrate mode, buzzed suddenly, drawing her attention away for a moment from the conversation on the other side of the drapes, although she half heard _the bimbo_ exclaim: " _Urethra_!"

It was a text from Longines: _**Everything OK with your ex?**_

Maya typed back quickly _ **: Yes, he's fine**_. _**I forgot that Nick is painstakingly unbreakable!**_

She quickly tucked away the phone, feeling it go off again, just as a tremendous crash sounded in the hallway!

 **CLANG! CLACK! CLANK!**

The endless clatter echoed throughout the outside corridor, prompting Maya to clamp her hands over her ears, and therefore unable to hear anything on the other side of the curtain the entire time. By the time the noise had died down, she was able to tune back in just in time to hear Trucy speaking.

"…hauled a stack of DVDs that _big_ with me on the _bus_!"

"I thought that was kind of strange myself!" Phoenix responded, making the eavesdropping visitor wish she could understand the context of what he was talking about. "I suppose I wasn't thinking too clearly at the time."

"I guess I'd better be off and let you enjoy your company, _Phoenix_." Karin purred. "The next time I see you, _good-lookin'_ , it'll be _bath time_."

If Maya had felt her head was going to _explode_ with the other woman's previous flirtations, this last one made her feel as though she had _lava,_ rather than blood, pumping at her veins! This theory continued to manifest itself to a fever pitch when she heard her _slime ball Casanova_ ex's response, which was _unequivocally inappropriate_ for a man who was spoken for!

"Yes, looking forward to it," Phoenix answered. "See you then."

 _You philandering, fart-knocking, dipshit, dick McNugget!_ Maya's hands curled up into fists of fury. _Only a lecherous rogue would embolden another woman like this, when his own faithful girlfriend is merely two hours away!_

The moment the nurse was gone, Apollo appeared to be checking out the DVDs surrounding Phoenix's bedside, which the spirit medium had only briefly glanced at when she'd entered the room, but hadn't had a chance to scrutinize before Klavier had entered. However, she logically assumed these must be the shows Trucy had just mentioned bringing in from the stash Maya had given her ex over the years.

"A swaying, spiraling stack of DVD cases. _The Steel Samurai, The Nickel Samurai, The Pink Princess, The Zappy Samurai: Electric Bugaboo…_ They're all children's action hero shows _.._? _"_

Maya's heart went into a tailspin as she heard Phoenix's nonchalant reply.

"This 'kid' I know sent them to me."

The rest of his response wasn't heard, as Maya's phone buzzed yet again. Not that it mattered. At this point, the Kurain Master had clenched the flower stems in her hands so hard, she pricked her fingertip on a thorn and barely suppressed a whimper of pain as it started to bleed. But that sting was nothing compared to the agony in her heart.

She wasn't even worth mentioning by name?! _A kid?_ Not even an old friend, or an old assistant, but _a freaking kid_? _That was all she'd ever been to him_? Except those times when she'd been _grown up enough_ to be a _warm and willing body_ for him! Maya felt bile rising in her throat and wondered if she was going to be sick. She'd lost her virginity, and her heart, to a callous, _heartless, soulless bastard_ , one she didn't even recognize any more. She'd never have even known the voice speaking was _her Nick_ , had she not just seen him on the other side of that curtain.

"Huh. Like a niece or nephew?"

"Something like that."

Maya's hand clenched into a fist at her side, nails digging into her palms, and felt her lips curling into a snarl as she seethed. She was no longer _sad_ – now she was just good, old-fashioned _mad_!

No, wait. To hell with _mad_. Maya was downright _homicidal_ in her wrath! The night she'd thrown a martini into Phoenix's stupid, smarmy mug was _nothing_ in comparison to the incensed rage now coursing through her veins!

Glancing down at her phone, she saw the last two texts from her fiancé.

 _ **Glad he's OK. When can we expect you back hun?**_

A nefarious smirk crept over her features as she purposely keyed in her fully loaded yet short and sweet reply back.

 _ **I bought him a bouquet of flowers. I'm going to let him have it right now!**_

The minute the Runaway Bride heard the door close behind Apollo and Trucy, she leapt out from behind the curtain and wielded her floral bouquet like it was a baseball bat, basking in the satisfaction of seeing Phoenix's stunned, saucer-sized eyes and thunderstruck expression at the sight of her.

"M-Maya?" He stammered, reeling back slightly. At this point he was positive that the heavy-duty meds he was on were making him hallucinate. What _else_ could possibly explicate dreaming he'd heard Maya's beatific singing voice – only to have her _apparate_ like some sort of heavenly creature, right before his eyes shortly afterward?

Except for that teensy weensy factor that the _allegedly celestial vision_ in front of him looked _anything_ _ **but**_ _angelic_ ; she looked downright _murderous_!

" _You scruffy_ _ **, two-timing**_ _,_ _ **sleazy-ass**_ _, turd-fondling, rambling dick badger, son of a bitch_!" Maya screeched at an earsplitting decibel, just before she winded up her makeshift weapon and beaned the flabbergasted pianist right in the kisser! "How _could_ you!"

Phoenix teetered as he felt the heavy bunch of flowers hit his cheek, but didn't fall. By some miracle he _somehow_ remained standing on his feet, except now he felt as though he were seeing double! His former lover had a _mean swing_ to her, despite her diminutive stature. Also – unless he was losing his mind and literally going overboard with the whole _angel_ theme – she appeared to be wearing _white_!

 _As in a bridal gown!? Also, OW! Since when did roses become weapons of mass destruction?! Gah! I think she scratched me with a_ _ **thorn**_ _! And I think it may have been on_ _ **purpose**_ _!_

" _Maya_?! What the heck's gotten into you? _Ouch_!" The disbarred attorney raised his hands over his head. He was only semi-successful in his endeavors to thwart the rapid succession of blows his suddenly _deranged lunatic of an ex-girlfriend_ insisted on bombarding upon his recently injured sinciput! "Christ! Do florists no longer remove the pricks from flowers anymore?!"

"The only _prick_ here, Phoenix Wright, is _you_!" She shrieked, a small frenzy of white silk blurring around him in a rapid succession of whumps to his _poor, incapacitated skull_ with the now nearly _decapitated_ roses. "Don't you _dare_ try to bluff your way out of this one! I _heard_ you! I heard _every single thi_ ng you said just now you… _lying, Judas, rat_ _bastard!"_

" _Hold it_!" He gasped, at last having no choice but to charge right at her by tackling her around the waist, effectively grasping her forearms, restraining them by her sides, and pinning her back against the wall so that she could no longer raise her hand to assault him with her floral bat. "Maya – what's going on here?! Why are you so mad at me? More than that… What in God's name are you doing here… _in a wedding dress_?!"

As Maya struggled against his gentle yet firmly subduing hold, her eyes flamed with ferocity at such an obtuse query, and now that she had finally ceased hitting him, Phoenix's poor drug addled, sleep deprived mind registered something at last.

His bewildered gaze roved over her angrily flashing mocha eyes and flushed cheeks that were red with ferocity. Even though she still looked infuriated and ready to _kill_ him at a moment's notice, his poor battered heart still couldn't help but register the fact that dressed up in her bridal attire, with her hair swept up off her ethereal, perfectly made up visage, he'd never seen her look more breathtaking. Maya Fey had always been an exquisite beauty, but when riled up and hot and bothered like this, even without knowing the reason, she was downright _spellbinding_ , if not somewhat _terrifying_!

"Wait… _How_ are you even here right now? Aren't you supposed be getting married today?!"

"I _was_ about to get married!" Maya continued squirming against his grip so incessantly that Phoenix had no choice but to finally release her, but cautiously took a few steps backward on his precarious ankle so he was no longer within swinging reach. "I was all set to walk down the altar to wed a gorgeous multibillionaire who could give me _everything_ money could buy! I was going to _move on with my life_ , just the way you _told_ me to when _you left me_ a year ago!"

Her words shook with emotion and her lips quavered.

"But then Pearly told me you'd been an accident, and were in the hospital! She wasn't sure if you were going to live or die…and I just _had_ to…" her voice broke then, and she couldn't go on.

Phoenix couldn't believe his ears! Maya had been all set to get married, yet on her own accord, through no influence from _him_ , had rushed to his sick bed, because she'd thought his life was in peril. A small glimmer of hope flickered through him. Could that _possibly_ still mean…?

 _No, I can't get my hopes up!_ He told himself firmly. _Maya may have come here because she was worried about me, but that still doesn't explain why she also nearly tried to make me her_ _ **next channeling client**_ _a mere few moments ago!_

"Maya I don't know what to say!" Phoenix cried helplessly, wanting to somehow comfort the visibly distraught woman he loved with all his heart, but unsure she'd even allow him to come _near_ her without striking him again. "What do you want to hear? I'm sorry I'm not dying like you thought I was? I feel terrible that you made the trip down for nothing? What can I do to make you stop being so mad at me?"

"Don't you play dumb with me!" She stormed, hurling the bouquet at him. It hit him square in the kisser, grazed the same injured cheek one more time – albeit with less impact this time – before sailing harmlessly onto the floor. "Imagine what a chump I felt like when I got here! I was _out of my mind with worry_ , thinking you were on death's door! Instead I come here to see your Man of Steel self with barely a scrape, enjoying DVDs, home cooked food and getting preferential luxury treatment from Nurse Tart nurse…and _encouraging_ her _disgustingly lewd_ behavior!"

" _Nurse Tart_?" He repeated, nonplussed. "You mean _Karin_?!"

"I see you're on a cozy mutual _first name basis_ with yet another lascivious… blonde bimbo!" Maya snapped, guessing the hair color at random. "I feel like I got stuck in a time machine and ended up circa _2019 at The Borscht Bowl Club_ again with _Booberella_!"

"Karin's not blonde, nor is she a bimbo!" He protested lamely. "She's a registered healthcare provider and she's got _black_ hair, just like you!"

 _Seriously?!_ Maya seethed. _That's all he's got to say for himself?! He's gonna try to play the dumb,_ _ **innocent**_ _card here, even after he got busted in the act of blatantly flirting back with that shameless hussy!_

"Don't even bother trying to play daft with _me_ , Nick!" The Kurain leader regretted immediately wasting her ammunition and tossing her bouquet at her ex instead of keeping it in her hands for another series of _batting_ and using his thick _skull_ as the ball! "Or are you _purposely_ trying to miss the point entirely, by pussyfooting about the _actual charge_ , so you won't have to admit how iniquitous your actions were?!"

Phoenix blinked in confusion. He hadn't acted in any particular way with Karin that'd make her think they had anything beyond a nurse/patient relationship somehow, _had_ he? So what in the hell was Maya getting so worked up about?

"How hard did you hit your head in that accident Nick?" Maya shouted. "Did you fail to realize your unfitting conduct when you were telling her that you were _looking forward_ to her _special sponge bath_? You know, when she finally gets privy to what goods lie underneath your shapeless sweatshirt?!"

He merely gawked in response, so she continued in her ruthless tirade, not even pausing for answers.

"Or is Karin having _black_ hair your lame way of justifying your behavior? You certainly have a _type_ don't you? Did she effectively _fill the void_ and allow you to _completely_ forget about Iris?!"

" _Iris_?" He echoed blankly. "What's _she_ got to do with anything?!"

"Yes _Iris_! Sweet, _forgettable_ Iris!" She yelled. "My _cousin!_ The one who you _left_ me for! The woman you're supposed to love and be faithful to, and therefore not be playing _rub a dub dub_ , _fun time scrub_ with _Nurse Good Touch_!"

 _Of course!_ Phoenix groaned to himself. _Maya still thinks I'm with Iris! And she thinks I've been unfaithful because I didn't dissuade my nurse's flirtations as much as a man who's spoken for probably should've! I was distracted at the time by that phony letter which was allegedly from Maya when I was replying to Karin about bath time! But nevertheless –_ _ **I**_ _know I'm single! Heck,_ _ **she's**_ _the one wearing a wedding dress, yet still acting like_ _ **my**_ _jealous possessive lover here – even though I technically did nothing wrong! I'm sick of_ _ **always**_ _being accused of_ _ **shit I haven't done**_ _! My ex has got a huge TAKE THAT coming right at her!_

"Just because I don't tell every flirtatious woman who comes within my immediate vicinity to _fuck off,_ because that would make _you_ happy, it doesn't mean I'm either a _two-timer_ or _two-faced_ , Maya Fey!" The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them.

An iron curtain of dead air followed his exclamation, which was such a turnabout in his character, it felt like a sucker punch to Maya's gut, due to the underlying meaning.

 _ **Who**_ _is this poker-faced intruder occupying the body of the man I once deemed to be my soul mate, whom I've been suffering without all this time?_ _Although I believe it's much more than just "suffering"._ She thought achingly, still recoiling from what she'd heard. _It was a plethora of shattered bones, burning flesh, and cracked skulls. In other words, it was pain and painful. Heavy, the air seemed to be as the agonizingly long as days drew on. The wants and needs to shed a tear but feeling nausea by the thought. If I lost my sight would I not see the same darkness? If I lost everyone near me would I still recognize no one? And for what? To be reminded that I would have loved you all my life. I would've_ _ **died**_ _for you._

Nobody was more blown away by the licentious blather that had just left his mouth than Phoenix himself, who couldn't believe he'd allowed his latent inner defense attorney to come along and _defend_ his falsely accused actions –in the most ridiculous, _borderline despicable_ way possible! – and wished more than anything in the world he could take back what he'd said.

Apparently, Maya was thinking along the same lines about his vagaries, for she kept staring at him with undisguised nihilism.

 _You were so zoetic to me once, I would have ran to the edges of the universe if only to bring you back a star. A star that you would look at every night and think "I love you, Maya." But now that will never happen and I can never go to being that same forlorn girl in love; that heart sore and vulnerable girl. Because the person you are_ _ **now**_ _, Phoenix Wright, this foreigner impersonating the man I once loved…he's no longer worth any of it._

"Is this what you've _always_ been like, Nick?" Maya asked despairingly, the fight now drained out of her. The vigor had subsided, and now she was simply resigned. "Were you like this while _I_ wasn't around either, all _laissez faire, devil may care_ , only playing the loyalty card whenever I _was_ present, because that's what _I_ would have wanted?"

Phoenix was affronted she'd actually necessitated asking such a scurrilous question, but it was overpowered by the self-loathing he felt. He'd been so busy defending himself against unjust, false charges that he hadn't even bothered thinking about _how_ his defense strategy could cost him an even bigger penalty by doing so. Because it was glaring evident his ex-lover had already accepted his unthinking, blurted spiel as verisimilitude.

He must've kept mum too long for Maya's liking, because once again she wouldn't allow him to speak, just stared at him, lachrymose orbs now just filled with lamenting pain, not anger. The fight had fully drained out of her.

"Your flippant attitude towards the woman for whom you forfeited six happy years together makes me ponder how faithful, how genuine, you were truly were with _me_ when we were together, Nick." Maya shook her head lugubriously, her voice thick with unshed tears. "Obviously, I spent this past year mourning the loss of a man who no longer exists, or perhaps never did at all, except in my mind. Who _are_ you? I don't even know you anymore! I –I wonder if I ever really did."

Her devastating words shocked him into speechless silence, his chest feeling as though a hole had been ripped right through it.

 _Maya, you look at me like a stranger, yet worse. Instead of the fragile soul you loved for so long, you see an enemy. Mostly it's because you've misinterpreted my motives, and mixed it with frustrations that don't belong to me, came at me with verbal bullets. Only one I love so much could be my assassin. It takes an inside job to attack one so resilient to emotional injury. That is my heartbreak, to know you are the tool of my greatest pain, my love. I could be hurt in any way by another and still bounce right back, but you... but you... can do far worse with just a few small words, without even knowing it._

Phoenix gaped at her, agog and at a total loss for how to respond. His mouth foolishly opened and closed like a fish out of water, yet no sound came out, even though his heart was crying out the words he couldn't seem to let himself to say.

 _My love, I never sought to hurt you. It's as if all that love became pain, pain became fear and the fear sowed hatred strong enough to break us. Maybe that's the way things go, a strong hate to break a strong love, to erect walls, to protect the self. That can't be us though, it can't be the end to our story. Can we find a fragment of the love we shared? A seed that might grow into a new relationship - a friendship to heal us both. I still see who_ _ **you**_ _are, know the person you were to me. I know you hurt and I'm sorry, truly; yet there has to be a part of you that knows_ _ **I**_ _hurt also, because breaking your heart destroyed me. If only I could find the words to soften this anger you feel right now, perhaps I can take down some of these walls you've built, one brick at a time._

"Maya," he finally croaked out. "You're wrong. Please, let me explain…"

"It wouldn't be the first time I was wrong about something. I think I've rather gotten used to it by now," Maya whispered brokenly. "I've been a shell of myself without you all this time. I thought you were this great guy, who'd just been given an underserved raw deal in life which caused a string of unfortunate bad luck, who I'd always prayed would turn things around. Badge or no badge though, it didn't matter to me. I loved _you_. There was a time when I loved you so much I would have given up my _life_ for you, Nick."

She shook her head sorrowfully, glossy orbs now filled with nothing but pain and regret.

"The quondam Nick _I_ knew was this kind, virtuous, compassionate soul, who'd always make mistakes, but always tried to atone for them. Now in his place stands this uncaring, unfeeling, blasé stranger, who tries to sweep everything under a rug, or bullshit his way out of it. Is _that_ who you've become now? Or is it who you've _always_ been, but I was just too much of a callow ingénue to see it?"

"Stop talking like this!" He vehemently shook his head. "Listen, about Karin, I need you to know…"

"It doesn't matter," Maya replied dully, cutting him off. "Why should you care what _I_ think anyway? Who am _I_ to you anymore, right?"

She pushed herself away from the wall, which she'd been leaning back on for support, and slowly shuffled towards the door.

"Take care, Nick. Get well soon. I hope you figure things out, about what you want, and what's important to you. Also, even if Iris _was_ the reason you left me, I still think my cousin deserves better than this."

"Maya, there's something I _need_ you to see! Stop interrupting me every time I open my mouth and just _listen_ to me!" Phoenix cried, grabbing her wrist as she attempted to brush past him. "I've got something I _have_ to _show_ you!"

He desperately reached into his sweatshirt pocket, searching for the letter he had written to show her, which would carefully and thoroughly explain things so much better than _he_ ever possibly could aloud, because sordid tenuity was the result each time he _opened his stupid mouth_ , and he only kept pushing her further and further away.

 _WTF? The letter isn't there?!_

"Let go of me, Nick!" The feeling of his strong fingers on her bare wrist was more than she could handle at that moment. It just brought back all her fiery ire once more, along with the painful reminder that even if the man before her was now an unrecognizable, _coldhearted snake_ , her quisling heart still insisted she loved him, against all odds. "Get your damn paws off me _this instant_!"

His sole focus had been on reaching in his pocket, while trying to contain the now struggling Maya with his one free hand, therefore Phoenix wasn't looking where he was stepping. He haphazardly caught his foot on the wheel of the rolling tray by his bedside, which in his woozy state, made his one good foot slide right out from underneath him.

His bum ankle couldn't allow him to support all of his own weight, along with Maya's additional one, upon it. The end result was Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey collapsing back into a hospital bed in a conjoined heap. The now wild-eyed bride fell on top of him with a thud, with the front of her body plastered against his. Both former flames were of stertorous breath as penetrating indigo orbs stared into startled topaz ones, their faces merely inches apart.

The titillation of once more being in such intimate proximity of the lover she'd been yearning for all this time was nearly her undoing. Maya knew Phoenix was still slightly injured, which _had_ to be why _his_ reflexes were surely so slow in trying to arise and push her off of him.

However, _she_ had no excuse _whatsoever_ for briefly reveling in the ardor of his heady, masculine scent. Basking in his warm breath against her neck. Savoring those beloved, intense pavonine blue eyes now boring into hers, bearing an expression that was slightly reminiscent of the Nick she'd once known, and thought she'd love until the day she died.

"Maya," Phoenix whispered hoarsely, his heart beating wildly against hers as he reached up to cup her cheek. "Maya, I…"

The feeling of his heated palm against her face felt like a branding iron, and she jolted sharply at the taboo sensation. What the _hell_ had happened to all her pride and self-respect? _How_ dare enjoy her former swain's touch, his propinquity, _hearing_ what she had? Especially while _fully_ knowing he was not only Iris's paramour, but an _ornery, feckless son of a bitch_ , with zero concept of loyalty, or love, and for whom Maya had been nothing more than a _child_ at the end of the day?!

"Don't touch me!" She jumped off of him as though she'd been scorched, her eyes blurring with outraged tears. "I – I just can't take it! I can't _stand_ what I turn into whenever it comes to you anymore, Nick!"

She had already raced to the door by the time the flustered Phoenix was able to get the strength to sit back up on the bed as he stared at her haplessly, both his ankle _and_ heart twinging as he saw, even across the room, the gut-wrenching sight of the two liquid beads rolling down her cheeks.

"Since you've been gone, all I am is sadness, every other emotion pushed from my being. Where there was the love, the light, the laughter is an aching hollowness!"

Another drop fell from each eye, but still, she held her head high like a queen.

"Once you were my sunshine, the one for whom I lit from the inside. I used to feel a frisson of love even if my thoughts turned your way for only a moment. The image of your visage once conjured my smile; I would yearn to dive into your eyes. I would have done anything you asked, given you whatever you wished for! But in the end, it was all for naught, because you've obviously never seen the woman I _became_ , and been blinded by the _girl_ I was when I met you! If all I am is a _kid_ to you, why the hell didn't you just _keep_ seeing me that way? Or why didn't you flat out tell me that that's _all_ I was ever going to be to you!"

"A – _kid_?" Phoenix attempted to push himself off the bed, but his injured ankle wouldn't allow him to go more than a few feet. Panting, he leaned down on one knee and stared at her imploringly as the horrible realization of the situation finally kicked in. "Maya, no, wait! I know now what you _thought_ you heard, but you're _wrong_!"

"I'm wrong about everything! I guess I'm just not _grown up_ enough to know better!" She cried, spinning on her heel. "So be it! As much as I know how easily you disregard the women in your life as present lovers, I'm also painfully aware of where _I_ stand as a former one! I _know_ what you really think of me now, so _to hell with you_! Now that I know the truth, it will be that much easier for me to _finally_ get over you!"

"Maya –!" He frenziedly reached into his other pocket, and found, to his amazement, his own missing letter, with Pearl's enclosed DVD one, along with it, _both_ jammed into it!

 _Are you freaking_ _ **shitting**_ _me?!_ _ **Now**_ _I find the blasted thing? How the hell did it get into that other pocket?!_

"You can't hurt me anymore," she said defiantly, giving him one final glare from the doorway. "Though the loss of you was once was my nightmare, I can breathe once more. From this day forward, I wash my hands of you completely, because I no longer care for you _at all_ anymore, Phoenix Wright!"

With that, she flicked her hair and walked away from him with as much yare and regal dignity as she had the last time they had set eyes on one another in Kurain.

Before he could see the full force of the tears now emptying down her face.

Right up until then, anyone would have been fooled by the bounce in her step. But inside, her heart sank like a stone in the river, and she couldn't help but wonder if this is what _not caring_ truly felt like.

 _This heartbreak feels cold. It feels like concrete drying in my chest. This heartbreak was again unexpected, as they always are - top of the world one minute and cut down the next. To know how worthless my love was to you is the knife that sets me free, cuts the mooring rope and finally allows the discovery for panacea. I'll be better off this way, adrift from your shore, safer. There are only so many times you can break this heart of mine, Nick. One day, I know it'll heal all wrong. It will heal… with you on the_ _ **outside**_ _._

 _ **Roxette - Listen To Your Heart (Chapter Quote)  
Whitney Houston - Didn't We Almost Have It All  
Whitney Houston - Run To You  
Leann Rimes - How Do I**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 149**

 **DannyDragon**

I can't help it I love that line from A Few Good Men... so much that this is my second time using it except this time Phoenix is the one not being the recipient of it! The fact that somebody of your generation knows the line " _you can't handle the truth!"_ the shows it is definitely one of the more iconic quotes in cinematic history!

Maya is always going to be mean Pink Princess/ The Steel Samurai for Phoenix... that was even covered again in game 6 that he associates it with her... I have no doubts it was Capcom's pathetic nod to her in Apollo Justice when she was otherwise shamefully missing!

Klavier... it seems his _cojones_ were not the only battered casualty of the explosive aftermath with Ema...his heart was perhaps even more so! You gotta feel bad for the guy don't you?

I'm glad you like the musical choices _mi_ _amiga_ _musica_ and as always feel free to send them along and let me be your fan fiction music DJ! :-)

 **Chapter 150**

 **chloemcg *review of the week***

Yeah decided to change it up this time with ROW despite the fact that my ever hilarious friend left me one which I did translate below, I picked the review of milady as it allows me the opportunity to happily share some trivia I have wanted to let my readers know for quite some time. Don't worry about the Junipollo invite dear girl, no harm, no foul. In fact, if you could please advise me about how to become part of these communities that would be fantastic I really want to be part of a particular Phaya one!

 **Also… thanks for mentioning the voting in my poll … For those of you who have not already, at the top of my profile cast your vote and decide the fate of Maya's fiancé: Longines Beaugosse: Gay or Flamboyant/European?**

I'm glad you agree that Pearl would not be above forging a letter and totally not understanding the legal implications of it unless someone like her levelheaded boyfriend pointed out to her! After all this is the same girl who could've given Phoenix pneumonia by subjecting him to special course at Hazakura Temple, in spite of already being in the hospital from falling in that water and having never endured such subarctic temperatures in his entire life, and who booked the honeymoon suite on presumably Phoenix's credit card at the Gatewater Hotel!

Of course little Feyt is going to be the heartwarming scene stealer anytime I write him look at who his Daddy was! I turned into a puddle whenever Constantine came on screen during crossover, despite the fact he kept munching on my favorite videogame hero! XD

Pearl represents to me with a lot of young girls are: an idealist and the believer of true love and fairytales - therefore I am so overjoyed at how well received the unlikely pairing of her and Luke Triton has been as your own personal knight in shining armor. It is a breath of fresh air to write fluffy, pure, innocent romance after all the angst that was Nick and Maya these last few chapters. I have a very good friend who is close to Feyt in both age and dynamic in their relationship so between my love for Disney and my buddy I forever have inspiration for this kind of fluff that readers like you seem to love so much :-)

I find a sidesplitting how you find Armstrong hilarious, as do I, (perhaps because we are female and we are totally not his type?! LOL), whereas my male readers need to hold back their _lunch_ as much as we barely hold back our _laughter!_ In the defense of Armstrong, the fan art I have seen of grown-up Luke no longer has him being a bobble head whose neck is too thin to hold it up, but a very attractive young man, therefore the perfect suitor for the ethereal beauty Pearl has grown into. :)

While it was actually was Pearl who did the objecting, although it's interesting that you did bring up Iris, considering what a huge role she played in this chapter! So you are not totally off there at all and may have been perhaps drinking from the same psychic potion my pal/fellow writer _TheFreeLancerSeal_ has been sipping from throughout the story!

 _"I can't wait to see Mildew get angry and then get mowed down by Maya and then hopefully get drop kicked over the other side of Dusky Bridge to her doom or she goes through a good old courtroom fashioned break down...before being executed. Mwahahahahaha! (Evil maniacal laughter)"_ _  
_  
Since you have my day by referring to my OC villainess in the past to Dolores Umbridge, the brainchild of literary genius JK Rowling, I thought I would share some trivia with you about the character who you've creatively have killed off in your mind about 100 times in your reviews, to my merriment each time! XD

 **I set out creating the character of Mildred Latrine because of how much I flipping hate that insufferable dip sh*t, backassed twaddle f*ck, Wocky Kitaki!**

The character of obnoxious wannabe gangster/spoiled brat Wocky Kitaki is in my top five most hated Ace Attorney characters despite not being a villain. People asked me why he was up there with Kristoph, Manfred, Morgan and Thalassa (yup she's in there as of game 6 Dahlia got bumped for her I can get into why if you want to know, but I'd reckon it's obvious).

Fox boy represents to me everything that's wrong with a lot of the younger generation of entitled, self-absorbed, ungrateful spoiled brats of today, who even though given a second chance after his brush with death, given his heart condition, was still the _exact same intolerable, little turd fondler_ he always was and proved he has **_no redemption in him whatsoever_**.

Enter the creation of Mildred Latrine, who also has never killed anybody and is probably too cowardly to do so. However, given how despite not having any blood on her hands (she is however, _a murderer of love_ by proxy since she was a big hand in why Phoenix and Maya were apart for a good little while and he couldn't come up to Kurain, and the sole reason Maya is presently in a wedding dress) is despised by my readers, despite finding her occasionally comical. I am happy I was able to live out my frustration for an actual canon character and create one who allows me to prove the point _that you don't need to kill someone to be a truly heinous human being and be hated! BWAHAHAHAHA!_

 **(God I hope he was inebriated) Yanmegaman**

 _"Amya wut r doing? hy aren% you ruzh8ng t9 pho3nix"d bedside!? Oh right, causm yoj:re Mrrying a man s9 doep in the closet he fuond NARN9A_ _  
 _GO be wkt yoru s0ecial someno3 alraefy"__

Translation for those who aren't fluent in drunk speak/avid troll fic readers (Crikey still can't fathom that there's ENTIRE FF's of these eyesores out there?!): _"Maya, what are you doing? Why aren't you rushing to Phoenix's bedside!? Oh right, cause you're marrying a man so deep in the closet he found Narnia! Go be with your special someone already!"_

Number one pal...you kill me. Number two...based on this chapter Maya agrees with you about Longines!

 **Eveshowrtc**

I'm just happy that you're reading and therefore know that I honor your Led Zeppelin request! It was a pleasure to hear from you I look forward to hearing from you again. Indeed, love can move mountains so can also definitely give you the strength to do things you wouldn't normally do... Like make a soft-spoken, mild-mannered spirit medium just halt her beloved cousin's wedding! :)

 **Ilet Moratar**

I don't think Maya would want to be around when Nick is taking care of nature calls either... there should be some mistake in every relationship and I think that should definitely be one of them! XD

You have mentioned the parallel to the Outlander couple before I hate the fact that I still haven't finished season 2 but plan to do so soon the fact that you know about them is it through the books or the series? I'm just wondering if I need to wait till season 3 to meet Jamie and Claire's beautiful daughter of if you know her because you're an Avid Reader of the literary genius of the Outlander series and I am very touched to an any way have anything I've written be compared to her work! Thank you very much my dear friend!

You gotta love Feyt! They're my AA Disney couple! :)

 **JaDe In NighT**

Although I did not care at all for Turnabout Big Top...the anime give such amazing character depth to all the characters I normally despised ... Including Max and Regina the former whom I thought was such a better fit for her as a partner than a... wooden puppet! XD

The paparazzi sucks I still hold them responsible for Princess Diana! Thank God for Plan B and a boyfriend that talks to animals!

 **Rdrtrandom dude**

I have so much fun writing such a deliciously horrible character that is so cruel to most of the readers loved characters! Mean to LUKE! HOW DARE SHE! :p

A reader of mine once offhandedly remarked that Mildew struck him as a Disney villain and that she is so over-the-top horrible it's almost comical which is where I got the idea that she literally looks like Yzma incarnate from The Emperor's New Groove! XD

If you can find some way for me to work " _pull the lever_!" into the story let me know!

 **Thepudz**

Ah my Disney duo... with their furry four-legged son whose little cameo with extra fluff on top I hope you appreciated! :-)

It has been refreshing to write fluff and romance after The Angst Fest my readers had had to endure a few chapters back!

I tried really hard to make Luke be the gentleman Layton was training him to be. I think he would have made the professor proud don't you? After all he kept his temper and his manners intact despite being treated so shabbily by Mildew who nobody is safe from whatsoever!

 _"Choke on a di*ck Mildew!"_

Upon whom would you wish such a fate good sir? ;p

I mean this is _the Dragon Lady_ a woman so decrepit and spindly she could probably hang-glide _on a Dorito_! _I_ wouldn't coitus her with _somebody else's_ genitals! XD

I hope you enjoyed the aftermath of little Pearl's objection!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

In the AJ videogame that _kid_ line bothered me like you would not believe. I understand Phoenix was very closed off and perhaps didn't want to tell Apollo his business, but considering canon wise, at the very least Maya is his best friend other than Edgeworth, who isn't even given a _mention_ that I know of, it just made me grind my teeth and made me decide to put my own little twist on it for the sake of the story… Don't you love canon manipulation? ;)

So technically yes, in TE, Maya was still the one who would have bought the DVDs, but in this case, _didn't_ send him – that would've been her ever romanticist, well-meaning meddlesome little cousin. Phoenix did actually quickly glance at the letter, which was why Apollo saw his face change for a split second before he went back to his poker face, because he saw that it was a love letter, immediately thought it was from his ex-girlfriend, but then quickly realized it wasn't her handwriting, just like Luke told Pearl would be the case!

I'm really happy you like the way I write Luke. Since he is unheard of from the age of 10 onward in any of the games, although I certainly hope he makes a cameo in the latest Layton game coming out which has the good professor's daughter (Katriel, I think?) as the main protagonist, I tried just sticking to the basic facts we were given about him from childhood. I figured he'd be very bright and precocious, shamelessly utilize the fact that he can speak to animals that fits in so well with the other supernatural capabilities of the Ace Attorney crowd, have a bit of more common sense and logic than most, which I felt was a perfect contrast to Pearl being the impractical dreamer, and above all be a gentleman.

Any other 19-year-old his age (they've been together a just over a year now, he was 18 when him and Pearl got together) would have told Mildew _up your ziggy with a Wawa brush_ but I wanted to show a great opportunity of how him being a gentleman is not only with his adorable girlfriend, but with anybody he encounters. That would also explain why he endured the otherwise insufferable flirtations of Jean Armstrong! Luke while still technically a teenager, _is_ legal age (still not old enough to drink in the States though!) although it wouldn't matter how old he was, because my warped sense of humor comedic attempts aside, the way that putrid pastry puff behaves towards him _should_ be still illegal and regardless, is still wrong on so many different levels - even though I hope you still got _somewhat_ of a kick out of it!

I had a puppy I had to give up, so hugs to you about your sweet poochie, writing Feyt is a bittersweet experience for me as well, but I couldn't think of a better way to pay homage to Constantine, who stole my heart in the crossover game! Yes animals can always instinctively sense we need them, and in this chapter _can_ also sense evil! XD

You do phenomenal memory. Mildred acting like she's disgusted with the groom throwing around his money is comical considering she's swindling him by skimming off the top of the bills, however in this case it was genuine because he have to admit those _are_ pretty overly lavish swags just for guests, most of whom I are probably doesn't even know! Also, her lip curling was possibly because she either doesn't know of the stuff (she's hardly cosmopolitan having lived in the village for her life) or know what to do with it, but will probably still attempt to grab an armful pawn them on Ebay! XD

Say what you want about Mildred Latrine, but that witch is no idiot. Unlike her ex-boyfriend, Maya is _not_ very good with her poker face and her misery is probably obvious to anybody with half an eye, which is probably why The Dragon Lady was the one to suggest to the groom that Maya should _get away from it all_ the night before her wedding… Because even though she has ulterior motives about getting the hell out of dodge, her diabolical escape plan won't work unless she ensures her enemy actually _gets_ married! And what better way to ensure this than to have the bride _cut off from all people_ who could possibly try to dissuade her (like Pearl) and then have Maya directly deposited back home with just enough time to walk down the altar - when Mildew _thought_ it would be too late for her to run?

The greatest thing about having Pearl in your corner is that nobody would ever suspect a thing from her! She's got that innocent, angelic, doe-eyed act _down pat!_

Yeah right now Maya pretty much feels like she's walking _the green mile_ more than the _aisle_ … I've only been married once so I can't say I'm an expert on the subject but I'm pretty sure the bride is not supposed to be thinking anything along the lines of _I've made my bed so I may as well lie in it!_

Good news! Maya was still a single woman when she ran to Phoenix! Bad news because he's _Phoenix_ he still managed to screw up the golden opportunity to make everything right again! It appears in order to pull the ultimate Turnabout, Nick is going to need some help from outside sources to fix this mess… Any guesses on who or how? ;)

 **Danny Dragon**

Luke Triton is just as iconic a video game character as the rest of the Ace Attorney once so it means a lot to me that you like my portrayal of him more than the actual little boy in the Layton series. About to be fair teenagers are so much easier to work with because they're older and have more depth than just the cheeky little bugger who could talk to animals in the video games! XD

The fan art has made him very cute so I always picture him and pretty teenage Pearl being the cutest couple in the planet!

Pearl is normally portrayed as a feisty but soft-spoken character so she must have been winded from screaming that objection! Although I'd like to think Luke's love was what gave her the courage to do it! :-)

Don't feel too sorry for Longines just yet because as quickly as she got there... Maya has turned right around and is coming back to the aisle! And Nick has a bad ankle how can he possibly chase after her quickly enough to stop her?! ;)

 **napoleon32**

Greetings and salutations back!

First of all, dear reader, as I've never had the pleasure of hearing from you before, I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to not only read this much longer than ever planned fanfiction, but take the time to review, never mind create an account just so you could!

Ok I need to talk to my buddy _FreelanceSeal_ I think he's been secretly passing around the psychic potion to my readers, since he's usually really good at surmising what's going to happen next, and you just hit the nail on the head perfectly!

Absolutely little Pearl needed some help here (indeed she is far too much of a lady to be caught all checking out Luke's delectable bum, which is why she probably does that as discreetly as she put in those sabotaging stitches in the dress!) beyond merely being a Phaya shipper, especially since she doesn't have _the tangible proof_ of Nick's love in her hand right now! What do you know! Iris can channel under pressure! She not only grow spying she grew some mad spirit medium skills at the 11th hour! Who knew?

Armstrong's obsession with zee 'andsome young garcons is either comical or cringe worthy, I know! I just can't help myself though the character is so campy and exploitable! Also possibly the most annoying character ever created by Capcom not to meet an untimely demise! XD

I assure you I have not forgotten about Fran either! I need the two Ace Attorney to help each other out with their love lives, and I promise after this Phaya arc, storyline does shift right back to Franziska and Miles… Once the latter attempts to help his _bumbling buffoon of a best friend_ attempt to fix this latest mess! But can even The Edgeworth perform a miracle of _this_ required magnitude?! :p


	152. You'll Be In My Heart

_Come stop your crying  
It will be alright  
Just take my hand  
And hold it tight_

 _I will protect you  
From all around you  
I will be here  
Don't you cry_

 _For one so small,  
You seem so strong  
My arms will hold you,  
Keep you safe and warm  
This bond between us  
Can't be broken  
I will be here  
Don't you cry_

 _'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more  
You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart  
Always_

 _Why can't they understand the way we feel  
They just don't trust what they can't explain  
I know we're different, but deep inside us  
We're not that different at all_

 _And you'll be in my heart  
Yes you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more_

 _Don't listen to them  
'Cause what do they know  
We need each other, to have, to hold  
They'll see in time, I know_

 _When destiny calls you, you must be strong  
I may not be with you  
But you got to hold on  
They'll see in time, I know  
We'll show them together_

 _'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Believe me you'll be in my heart  
I'll be there from this day on  
Now and forever more_

 _You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart  
Always_

 _Always I'll be with you  
I'll be there for you always  
Always and always_

 _Just look over your shoulder  
Just look over your shoulder  
Just look over your shoulder  
I'll be there  
Always_

* * *

 _A/N: This chapter is basically the "Aftershock" or "Aftermath" of Phaya's explosive reunion last chapter. Of course...I'd already used the former for my chapter 3 title and the latter just isn't catchy for what I wanted to portray. I hope you guys enjoy this multi-reunion, lighter (hopefully!) read!_

* * *

 **Chapter One** **Hundred Fifty Two:** **You'll Be In My Heart**

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _  
Hickfield Clinic_  
June 16, 2026 1:00 PM

" _Maya_!" Phoenix hollered desperately, swallowing back the discomfort in his damaged ankle as he limped towards the door. "Wait! Come back!"

He knew it was an exercise in futility; knew that his ex-girlfriend had probably sprinted the moment she had left his room much faster than he would ever be able to catch up, even if he'd been at his best, never mind in his currently injured state. However, he'd hate himself even more than he _already_ did if he didn't at least _try_ to right the terrible wrong he had just committed against the woman he loved.

The ex-attorney had no idea how much of a head start Maya had gotten when she had torn out of his room, nor was he aware of how much pointless time he'd spent pathetically attempting to drag _his sorry excuse of an ankle_ to the exit. Nevertheless, he had nearly reached the door when he suddenly heard the brisk, determined click-clack of steps heading in the room's direction.

 _Women's_ footsteps.

 _Gah! Don't tell me it's Karin_! Phoenix cringed, thinking at this point, his _overly friendly_ nurse would be the very last person in the world he needed to see right about now! _Of all the rotten luck! That woman has caused me enough grief already!_

The spiky-haired man was not prepared for the sight that greeted him in the next instant. It was an attractive, shapely brunette all right… and although in similar sounding heels which had mimicked the other woman's footfall, _this_ person was _not_ wearing a uniform.

Instead, his unexpected visitor wore a fierce expression of such unmitigated rage, it rivaled even that of the recently vacated, formerly bouquet wielding bride herself, who had insisted on using it as an effective weapon against his recently maltreated (and still slightly stinging) kisser!

As the astounded Phoenix met very familiar, and extremely ferocious eyes at last, he almost fainted on the spot.

 _No. I'm seeing things. It's got to be the meds! There's no way it could_ _ **possibly**_ _be…_

He was so taken aback upon discovering his new guest's identity that he was unable to react in time to halt the oncoming ambush coming his way – yet again.

She'd normally prided herself on being a pacifist and levelheaded person. However, _these_ particular circumstances had resulted in nothing but _100% exterminated patience_ and a flaring temper which could not be controlled as rage boiled throughout her body. She barely had a chance to think about her actions. The only thought running through her head was: _you irredeemably stupid, selfish, black-hearted,_ _ **ass hat!**_

She pursed her lips, raised her hand back, and threw it forward as hard as she could, whipping it across the startled man's completely unprepared mug. The loud crack of skin contacting skin reverberated off the walls. Vibrations of stinging pain started in her palm and spread all the way to her fingertips. Her palm was bright red, the same rosy mark that matched the one on Phoenix's face. His head sharply rolled to the side from the force of the blow, before finally coming back to meet her fiery gaze. He stared at her with her widened eyes as his hand slowly made it to his inflamed cheek.

She should've felt some kind of remorse, but she didn't. Not one organ in her body could produce guilt for her actions, or for the wounded, bewildered, puppy dog eyes now staring back at her.

"Jesus H. Christ, what _is_ it with you Fey women abusing me today?" He cried accusingly. "Do you mind telling me what the _hell_ did I do to deserve that _five across the eyes_ … _Chief_?!"

* * *

 _ **Pearl Fey and Dick Gumshoe**_ _  
Hickfield Clinic Parking Lot_  
June 16, 2026 12:56 PM

"I _know_ Mystic Maya told me she wanted to be alone with Mr. Nick before I went to go see him." Pearl nervously bit her thumb as she glanced worriedly at the police Chief. "But she's been gone for almost _an hour_ now, Uncle Gumshoe! Should I go check on her?"

"You can if you want, pal. Heaven knows _I_ can't leave this spot due to this whole bumper blunder."

The big man distractedly cast a hopeful gander around the lot and towards the entrance doors to see if the owner of the damaged BMW seemed likely to appear, while he frantically shot off a text to his wife to keep her abreast of the situation.

"Although, if Maya's been gone this long, it could be a good sign that things went beyond the simple get well wishes. Isn't that what we both ultimately hoped would happen?"

"Of _course_ it was! And by the way, I suppose I should be thankful _someone_ finally let me know he's only got a sprained ankle by the way!" Pearl muttered darkly, shooting him a baleful scowl. "Thanks to the cryptic messages my best friend has been leaving me regarding Mr. Nick's condition, I've only been dying _1000 different heart attacks_ for the last two days worrying about him!"

"Sorry pal," Gumshoe grinned sheepishly and tucked away his phone. "I'm as completely on board _operation get those two crazy kids together_ as you and Trucy are! I have no doubt _that's_ why she left you such ambiguous voicemails. It certainly isn't because she's intentionally sadistic, any more than _I_ am! But I knew there was no way Maya would've left in such a panic to rush his bedside if I'd let her know Phoenix was perfectly fine!"

"What do you think is taking her so long?" The maid of honor wondered, idly jotting down some important notations into her cell phone, in case they would need to be referenced later, which she _intuitively_ sensed that they would be! "So you really think this is a good sign?"

"Well it would mean he hasn't subjected your cousin to his familiar game of ducking and dodging as he has with me, Larry and Mr. Edgeworth, like I mentioned to you earlier," Gumshoe sighed. "I really thought that after his court trial that Phoenix and I had finally reconnected, after him being out of touch for so long. Before that, I hadn't heard from him in almost a year – perhaps not so coincidentally after he and your cousin broke up. But after he got acquitted, I guess he just didn't want to have anything to do with anybody associated with Maya's wedding. Either that, or he was just paranoid about hearing us talk about the painful subject, and wanted to avoid it, because he just went right back to being an underground mole nobody could reach after that."

"I guess this means he wasn't too happy about you and Mr. Larry going to the wedding," Pearl surmised thoughtfully as she continued tapping down some information into her cell phone. "But since Mr. Eh-ji-worth declined his invitation, I wonder why _he_ and Mr. Nick aren't talking?"

"I wish I could tell you, pal." Gumshoe shrugged. "Mr. Edgeworth can be every bit the man of few words Phoenix has turned into since he lost his badge. And it's not like he out right confided in me that the two of them _weren't_ talking since he got back to town. It wasn't so much what he _said_ to me per se. It was more of what he _didn't_ say…. Like the way he would keep changing the subject whenever I asked if he'd heard from Mr. Recluse, or he would specifically ask me how _Trucy_ was doing without mentioning her father. Stuff like that."

"It doesn't make sense, since _he_ broke up with Mystic Maya, allegedly for Iris! So why would he be so bothered about my cousin's wedding, to the point where he would be evading anybody involved with it?" Frustration began to creep into Pearl's voice at this particular unsolved mystery. "It just doesn't make sense!"

"Your guess is as good as mine. I wonder if we'll ever find out the truth about that whole thing…"

His words were cut off as he and Pearl glanced up then and saw Maya racing out of the main entrance doors, tears streaming down her cheeks as she frantically appeared to be scanning around, as though forgetting where she was in her distracted, emotional state.

"Hey, pal!" Gumshoe called, waving his hands. "Over here!"

Maya's watery eyes swiveled in his direction, the expression on her tear-stained face turning incredulous as she saw he was still stuck in the parking lot. She stared at him questioningly for a split second, and as he raised his hands helplessly to indicate he was _still_ unable to leave, the bride abruptly turned away.

Then she simply waved down the nearest taxi parked in the lineup of idling vehicles, hopped right in, and _sped off_ as though the _hounds of hell_ were on her tail!

"What the heck?!" The Chief gasped in disbelief. "Did Maya just take off without even bothering to wait for us?"

"I'm calling her right now!" Pearl was already dialing her cousin's number. "Hello?! Mystic Maya! Why did you just leave it like that?! What happened? Are you OK?!"

She listened with an aggrieved expression for a split second to the garbled reply on the other end, and then the call abruptly ended. The spirit medium steeled her jaw as she met her uncle's anxious gaze.

"Where is she going, pal?" His thick brows were knitted with worry. "What's going on here?"

"The bride is going back to Kurain." Pearl replied tightly, her concern rapidly obliterating and being replaced by indignation. "Her exact words were: ' _I can't stay down here another moment. I can't risk that bastard coming down to find me. It's totally over now – he's broken my heart for the last time. He never cared about me. You guys can meet me back at the village. I have a wedding to get to.'_ She managed this mostly incoherent conversation in between _crying her heart out_ , by the way!"

The spirit medium spun around on her heel, reflexively shoved her sleeve up her arm, and brusquely began making purposeful strides towards the entrance doors.

"Hey pal! Where do you think _you're_ going now?" Gumshoe called after her. "What is this, the case of the _disappearing Feys_?! You know I can't even come with you since I have to wait around for this guy!"

"Stay right here! I'll be back before you know it, Uncle Gumshoe," the ordinarily dulcet sounding teen tersely responded over her shoulder. "I waited and held up _my_ end of the bargain – Mystic Maya's gone, so it's now _my_ turn to pay Mr. Nick _a friendly little visit_!"

Having caught the infuriated sparks flying out of the fuming Pearl's normally serene eyes before she'd stormed off, the Chief let out a distressed moan and quickly shot off another text to Maggey.

 _ **Maya will probably get back there before we do! It's a long story, and I don't know all the details yet honey… But even though Phoenix has only been hospitalized for MINOR injuries, I get the feeling he'll be EXTENDING his stay here really, REALLY soon…**_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Mia Fey**_ _  
Hickfield Clinic_  
June 16, 2026 1:00 PM

Mia couldn't remember the last time she had actually paid her loved ones an earthly visit via channeling. This was not to say that she had not been summoned prior to that day in the recent past. At least, she _assumed_ it was recent. It wasn't as if there were _calendars_ in heaven or anything!

However, this _was_ the first time she'd ever made an otherworldly visit where she hadn't needed to be told _what_ had occurred or _why_ she had been summoned!

Therefore, she had absolutely no problems whatsoever in letting Phoenix Wright know _exactly_ why she had just subjected him to the _mother of all backhands_!

"Don't you _dare_ 'Chief' me!" She snarled, her hand curling up into a fist. "Are you seriously going to look me in the eye and ask me _what_ _you did_ to deserve that apparently _way overdue_ whack? I saw _everything_ from my omniscient Jumbo Tron screen in the heavenly skies! You're lucky I didn't revert back to _beating you over the head_ with that _atrocious beanie_ of yours I see you still _insist_ on wearing! With the way I'm feeling towards you right now, I would load it up with _marbles first!_ "

He instinctively began backing up back into the room as she advanced on him menacingly, her pretty face still contorted into an ominous glare.

"Sorry! It was a reflex action! Have _mercy…_ _Mia_!" Phoenix gulped and protectively clapped his hands over his tender cranium, which hadn't yet stopped smarting from Maya's attacks. "I have a head injury! At the rate I'm going today, it may _never_ fully recover!"

"It's only because of _me_ that _all_ you have is a minor injury to that thick skull of yours!" Mia couldn't resist giving him an additional shot to the shoulder. "I have rescued _your sorry behind_ from the clutches of death _twice_ now, and _this_ is my reward? You breaking my baby sister's heart, _yet again_?"

Phoenix cringed and reeled backward slightly, more from the bilious words than the actual physical jab, which although had packed impressive force, still hurt considerably less than Mia's initial opening attack. He didn't know which staggering news had him more blown away; the fact that his ex-boss appeared to have some sort of sagacious knowledge of what had occurred on earth without needing to be told, which had _never_ transpired before, or the fact that _she_ was the one responsible for the fact he hadn't joined her in the heavenly gates – on more than one occasion!

"If you're going to insist on hitting me, can you please leave my poor noggin alone?" He pleaded. "Maybe just _kick me in the butt_?"

"Don't _tempt me_ , Phoenix Wright!" Mia's nostrils were literally flaring with temper. She slammed the door shut behind her and continued stomping towards her former protégé, forcing him to back up until he was finally sitting back down on the hospital bed while she stood, arms akimbo, glowering down at him. "It's taking all my willpower not to resort to _stomping on your foot_ like I used to behind the defense bench back in the day whenever you were _this_ much of a _moron_!"

" _Please_ don't! Did I mention I have a _sprained ankle_ , too?" He gestured pitifully towards his bandaged ankle. "For what it's worth, Mia, you _did_ manage to give _smack-down_ to the same side of my face Maya also managed to bludgeon with a _thorny_ bouquet of what I imagine used to be some sort of... roses." He waved his hand at the strewn petals and colorful floral heads, minus their stems, scattered on the floor. "Or they could've been mums….I can't tell anymore!"

"Some Romeo _you_ were!" She snorted. "I'm guessing you never gave Maya flowers too often if you can't tell the difference between _mums_ and _roses_!"

"Well pardon me for only knowing like, maybe _three_ different types of flowers!" He protested lamely. "But that's beside the point…"

"Yes the _points_ are all in your hair… you _porcupine headed prick_!" Mia grumbled, which almost made the pianist smile, as it was reminiscent of something Maya had called him once… many moons ago. He quickly ducked his head before the dearly departed could see the flicker of sad amusement on his face and shrunk back at the scornful look she gave him.

"H – How do you know what just happened?" He stammered. "Normally you need to have a note written to you to keep you up to speed, and I know you're not in Maya's body, you're in Pearl's. And _she_ was nowhere around when the incident occurred…"

"The Man upstairs has given me _frequent flyer miles_ privileges!" Mia informed him acerbically. "Apparently since I saved you from joining me in the Twilight Realm on _two_ occasions now, our benevolent Father decided my _third_ visit to you would allow the fulfillment of my request to retain my memories of _all events that I've been gazing down upon today_! So I know _everything_ that just happened between you and Maya, Phoenix – you…you… _imbecilic, hobo bum, dipstick_!"

"Guilty as charged." Phoenix bowed his head in ignominy, then risked peeking up at her to quickly ask his second question. "Um… Did you really save my life… _twice_?"

"A decision I continue debating whether or not to _regret_!" She grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. "Yes, _I'm_ the one who intervened _both_ times when you would have otherwise been rendered _plant food_ ; when you fell off the burning bridge, and this hit-and-run."

"Wow." Phoenix awkwardly scratched the back of his head, flashing a grateful, embarrassed grin. "I never would have had the foggiest notion about being the blessed recipient of such a miracles! Um, thanks Mia."

"You seriously had _no idea_ that you might have been the recipient of some sort of _divine intervention_?" Mia stared at him in disbelief. "How in Sam Hill did you think you otherwise survived these situations, which would've killed _anyone else_?! Did you think you were _invincible_ or something?!"

"Um…I –I guess I've been too grateful for _being_ alive that I've never really given much thought as to _how_ I still am." His voice trailed off as he flushed with embarrassment. "So I dunno… _maybe_?"

" _Unbelievable_! You seriously thought all this time that you were _unbreakable_ , didn't you, _Superman_?" Mia shook her head at him in disgust. " _How_ , in the name of all that is holy, could you have been such an _unmatched genius_ in the _courtroom_...and _such_ an incredible _Ace Idiot_ the moment you stepped _outside of it_?"

"Er, I _practice_?" Phoenix had been so relieved his old mentor seemed to have simmered down from _full-blown r_ age to _seething contempt_ that he spoke without thinking, not unusual for him, and was rewarded with a look which could've bored holes through a wall. "Oops. Bad joke. I'm sorry."

"Yes, you most certainly _are_ ," she grumbled in sarcastic agreement, then expelled a long breath and closed her eyes. " _Grrr_! I'm trying _really_ hard to steer this towards a proper tête-à-tête with you, and to get this anger out of my system, Phoenix, but you're not making it very easy by being such a _voluble dunderhead_! I've never been a violent person, yet all I want to do right now is just _slap you silly_ for the endless banality coming out of that _blathering pie hol_ e of yours!"

"I _know_!" He replied miserably. "I'm _terrible_ with words, Mia! You know that! I don't know what to say! Just know there's nothing you can possibly say or do to lambaste me so I can hate myself more than I already do! Forgive me."

"Oh, Phoenix." Her expression softened slightly as she saw the genuine lugubriousness in his eyes. "It's not _my_ forgiveness that's required here, nor _me_ who you ought to be apologizing to."

The legal legend came and sat down next to him on the bed, patting him consolingly on the back as she saw he was fighting back tears.

" _How_ could you let Maya run out of here like that, after saying what you said?" Mia asked softly, now sounding more genuinely puzzled than provoked. "Why didn't you just apologize immediately for the whole mishap and slip of tongue?"

"I have no excuse! I –I'm not in my right mind, Mia." The poker shark buried his head in his hands. "And it's not just the heavy-duty medications and tranquilizers I've been on. I – I haven't been anything even close to the man who you used to know since Maya and I split up."

"You and my sister were so good for each other," she lamented sadly. "Obviously, Maya never stopped loving _you_ , Phoenix, otherwise she wouldn't never ran out on her own wedding day! This could have been the perfect opportunity for you to patch things up!"

"Don't you think I realize that?" Phoenix cried, his face a mask of anguish. "Don't you think I've been kicking myself _over and over_ _again_ from the moment I let her slip through my fingers and rush out that door? For the _second_ time in my life, I've had to endure the agony of knowing I've broken Maya's heart! And all because my injudicious, careless words, made her question _everything_ she ever meant to me! I – I'm nothing but a low-life, no-good … _shit heel_!"

Mia didn't even bother arguing with him on that one. She truly was done with the jobation of her old understudy, knowing from experience there truly was nothing she could possibly say or do to him that would be worse than the mental lashes and abuse he was capable of heaping upon himself.

"Maya accused you of being unfaithful to Iris because you weren't really thwarting your overly flirtatious nurse's advances," she said quietly, studying his morose features. "How did you go from being a _defense attorney_ into an _overly defensive ex-attorney,_ Phoenix? What I don't understand is _why_ , rather than _flat-out denying the baseless allegations,_ you instead chose to unnecessarily _defend your actions_!"

"It sounds even worse when _you_ say it!" He yanked off his hat and raked an agitated hand through his spikes. "Although I suppose…that was the point?"

Rather than reply, Mia only continued to gaze at him with mute reprobation, and his cheeks turned pink.

"I suppose you won't allow the plea of me simply being every bit the _Ace Idiot_ you accused me of being as acceptable defense, will you?" Phoenix mumbled. "The truth is, I thought Maya was coming at me simply under the air of outraged dignity on her cousin's behalf for my objectionable, allegedly womanizing ways! I was so damn fed up at that point of always being blamed for stuff I hadn't done that I –I inexcusably took it out on your sister."

He turned away, shamefaced, while she continued to just stare at him silently.

"It _never_ occurred to me to seriously think Maya rushed down to my side because she _loved_ me," Phoenix's voice was hollow. "I hoped it and I wished it, but I never let myself believe it was the case. It also never occurred to me that an ascendant Master could be marrying this celebrity, golden-boy billionaire and somehow possibly continue loving a big, fat _nobody_ ….a socially outcast pariah, like _me_."

Mia's heart lurched with pity. There really had been no point in reproaching Phoenix for anything. His own nonexistent sense of self-esteem, coupled with his feelings of unworthiness when it came to her sister, obviously hadn't changed from the last time she had spoken to him. And his depression and self-loathing were far more deeply entrenched in him enough already without any extra help being required. Therefore, she remained quiet as he went on with his tale of woe.

"When she came at me, questioning my supposed _seraglio_ , as well as my moral turpitude and misconduct when it came to Karin, I honestly thought she was reprimanding me just in general feminine indignation, and partially on behalf of her cousin. I figured Maya would no longer detest Iris anymore, since she had obviously moved on and was set to wed!"

Phoenix continued to speak, his words still directed to the ground.

"It was completely misconstrued, and I was just so frustrated Maya wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise and had basically convicted me without a trial, just like…well, _you know_. I digress. Anyway, it was an idiotic reflex action on my behalf to attempt to justify my behavior, never dreaming in a million years that doing so would lead her to begin doubting everything regarding _us,_ from when _we_ were together as a consequence!"

He slapped his forehead with his palm in chagrin.

"It wasn't until she'd run off in a flood of tears, taking my heart with her, that I realized the truth when it was too little, too late – that your benign sister had run to me, not on behalf of Iris, or mere friendly concern, but because she'd managed to find it in that big beautiful heart of hers to somehow, someway, still love my _completely_ _undeserving and unworthy_ _ass_!"

Phoenix grinded his eyes with the heels of his palms, but his shoulders were shaking, and that was when Mia realized he was now silently sorrowing.

"And now it's too late, Mia. Maya hates me more than ever. She's probably halfway back to Kurain now, set to marry another man, believing I never truly loved her, and never knowing how far from the truth that is!"

" _Why_ did you let her believe that you were still with Iris?" Mia halted for a moment as a revelation dawned on her just then, and she leaned forward to get a glimpse of his downcast profile. "You're _not_ , are you?"

" _No_!" He choked, turning watery, red-rimmed indigo orbs towards kindhearted amber ones. "I never was! I – lied to her about that, Mia. I lied to her about _everything_!"

" _What_?!" She gasped, clapping a hand to her cheek in shock. "What in God's name are you _saying_ , Phoenix?! For God's sakes, _why_ would you have ever done such a crazy thing?!"

And so Phoenix told Mia what had happened. For the first time in ages, he gave a voice to all the emotions bottled up inside of him. All the events that he'd kept a secret...he held nothing back. The conversation ended with Mia holding the disbarred attorney while he let it all out, cradling him in her arms like a little boy, just as she had six years ago in the hospital waiting room when Maya had been in ICU.

"Killing me softly is how I feel when I see a grown man cry." She blinked back her own tears of sympathy. "Don't cry just yet. A lawyer can't cry until it's over, remember? Maya still loves you, Phoenix. This was all just a horrible misunderstanding, but there's still hope for you two. You can't give up already."

"I did what I had to do, even if it meant your sister would be alive and hating me, rather than have her die for loving me," he whispered brokenly. "It just kills me that she'll never know how _everything_ I've ever done is because I loved her so damn much."

"You poor, sweet boy," she whispered, rocking him back and forth as if he were a baby while his tears soaked the puffy sleeves of Pearl's maid of honor gown, uncaring of the fact Phoenix was now older than she was. Underneath that scrofulous, atrabilious, reticent exterior, he was still that same gamine with the heart of gold she'd first met. "Maya is more blessed than she or anybody could've ever realized to have somebody who loved her so deeply, he would've endured so much self-afflicted agony for her; that he would willingly sacrifice _his own happiness_ in exchange for her safety."

"I vowed to you I'd protect Maya with my life, Mia. She's _everything_ to me." His shaky voice was muffled against her shoulder as the tears continued to fall. "If nothing else, at least you know I kept that promise."

Reaching into his pocket, Phoenix showed his friend first Pearl's forged letter in Maya's name, explaining the whole "kid" misunderstanding in more detail, before hesitantly passing her his own tragically soul-baring letter which he'd penned. Mia's expression grew more forlorn as she read it with a hand clamped over her mouth to muffle her barely suppressed sobs, and when she handed it back to him, her eyes were filled with tears.

"Please, forgive me for ever saying, even in a moment of ignorance, that I regretted saving your life. But only for your everlasting valor that my Maya is still alive and well, and there are no words to convey my eternal love and gratitude to you for it, dear friend. My soul is at peace, knowing you've never ceased being Maya's hero, even when she hasn't known it."

Mia reached under his hat and softly stroked his spikes in a soothing manner as his sobs finally abated.

"How can you keep saying that you're _nothing_ , Phoenix Wright? Even without your attorney badge, you've still got the _badge of a fighter_ on your noble heart and a more spirited sense of courage which is unsurpassed by _anyone_ I've ever known! Moreover, while you have the pockets of a peasant, you bear the honorable soul of a poet. _Nobody_ will ever love Maya the way you do! In fact, I can honestly say, with all my heart, that I don't think any man has ever, _ever_ loved a woman as much as you love my little sister."

"I'm no martyr, Mia." Phoenix ducked his head bashfully at the lavish, unaccustomed praise. "I just did what any man who truly loves a woman with all his heart and soul would have done."

The humbled former attorney gratefully accepted the tissue she discreetly passed him with one hand to wipe his eyes while he composed himself. He then chuckled ruefully when she returned a moment later with a washcloth she'd swiped from a trolley in the hall, wrapped around some frozen ice cubes she'd gotten from the nearby water dispenser.

"I'm sorry I hit you." She pressed the makeshift icepack against his battered cheek. "That was uncalled-for on my behalf."

"Don't be." He smiled dolefully as he continued to hold the cooling package against his face. "Regardless how well intended my intentions were for breaking up with your sister, I committed an unpardonable sin with her just now, and obviously needed _somebody_ to try to beat some sense into me."

"Thank you for confiding in me," Mia said kindly. "This is the last piece of the puzzle which needed solving. I can understand now why you've completely ostracized yourself from your friends again. The first time was to protect those you cared for from that deranged, psychopathic stalker, and the second, more polemic time around was because it was too painful to associate with anybody who kept bringing up my sister's wedding."

"Um, I only told you about my reclusive actions and motives leading up to Kristoph. I never mentioned my recently self-imposed exile to no-man's land, so how do you know about _that_?" He goggled at her in surprise. "My admittedly cowardly and unjustifiable disappearing act with my friends isn't a _present day_ thing. I thought you only were able to retain your memories of all that you been seeing from _today_ only?"

"I know. You can thank new-age technology for me being in the loop on that one!"

Mia flashed a cheeky grin as she held up Pearl's cell phone, showing detailed notes typed on the screen, which the spirit medium had been diligently jotting down in lieu of the pen and paper note that was traditionally left behind for the spectral guest to be brought up to speed regarding earthly activities.

"As you can see, my little cousin, like most teens, is an avid typist! Also, my latent lawyer document scanning skills still allow me to be one _helluva_ a fast reader, from the trip in the elevator to your room, to get caught up about what else has been going on leading up to the wedding."

"Ah, Pearls. That kid is really something else, what with her never-ending matchmaking and calling upon spiritual plenary to assist in her deed," Phoenix laughingly shook his head with reluctant admiration. "She's the original _Phaya shipper_ , even though I must have broken her heart in the end when I split with Maya."

"I have very little doubt about that thing true. After all, you were the only father figure she ever knew."

"I'm sure she despises me as much as Maya now does," he speculated sadly. "Somehow I've lost my way – lost sight of who I really am, and failed everyone who's ever meant anything to me. I have no clue how to get back on the right path, Mia! I just don't know what to do anymore."

"You need to stop being so lackadaisical about everything for starters, and become master of your own fate!" Mia lectured, putting her hand on his shoulder and giving it a firm shake, as though trying to jostle him from the self-pitying spiral he was looming towards. "Never be like a flag, dependent on the capricious breeze for its direction. Be the captain of your own ship; chart a course and navigate with determination in choppy waters and fine. You alone are the master of your own destiny and responsible for the keeping of your humanity in the harshness of life. Do that and, no matter what happens, you will be proud of who you are."

"Master of my own destiny." Phoenix repeated thoughtfully, as snippets of Edgeworth saying similar wise words to him flashed back in his mind. "Hmmm…."

Mia interrupted his train of thought by lightly nudging him in the ribs and looking at him pointedly.

"You can mull over my sage advice about no longer having to be fortune's fool _later_! Right now, let's get back to your immediate situation. You've got a bad ankle, and a wedding you need to stop in its tracks, ASAP, Phoenix! How do you plan to go about doing _that_?"

"It's going to take a freaking _miracle_!" He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "I have no idea how I'm going to be saved from this _latest_ tumultuous mess I've gotten myself into!"

"Stop being so dramatic!" She admonished. "You're the _hero_ in this story Phoenix. You don't _need_ to be _saved_."

He blinked as those meaningful words sunk in, grateful for the new light in which to view things, yet fearful of getting his hopes up at the same time.

"Nevertheless, even heroes _need a hand_ every once in a while. Ergo, I _do_ have a few ideas…" Mia thoughtfully tapped a finger to her chin as she quickly typed down a few notes into the cell phone for Pearl's knowledge. "And I get the feeling you haven't seen the last of me just yet! However before I turn you back to your favorite _slap-happy_ spirit medium, you need to promise me more one thing."

"Just name it and it's yours." He agreed immediately, his face wreathed with the customary earnestness of the old, beloved Phoenix she'd once known. "Anything you want, you've got it."

" _When_ , not _if_ , you manage to do the ultimate turnabout and resolve this mess with my sister, Phoenix Wright…." She friskily snatched the beanie off his head and affectionately tousled his hair for old-time sake. "I need your utmost, solemn word… That you'll invite me to the wedding."

"You can count on it. And thank you for still believing in my ability to turn things around… _Chief_." He held out his arms, and Mia stepped forward, enveloping him in a warm hug as she rested her head on his shoulder. "It means the world to me."

" _You_ mean to the world to us Feys, Phoenix." Mia smiled lovingly at him. "Each and every one of us love you no matter what, because regardless if you're a lawyer or not, you'll always be the greatest man we've ever known… even if you _are_ an occasional bumbler with permanent _foot in mouth_ disease! Stick with letter writing from now on, you _adorkable_ _nincompoop_!"

Her beautiful brown eyes were twinkling impishly as she smirked at him, and with that, she lightly smacked him upside the head with his beanie, which had still been in her hand, one last time for good measure, giggling mischievously as he yelped and made a move to grab it back.

"Hey, cut that out!"

Phoenix reached for the hat and yanked it back over his spikes just as Mia's statuesque figure faded away, and he found himself staring down at the sylph form of Pearl Fey in her stead.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Pearl Fey**_ _  
Hickfield Clinic_  
June 16, 2026 1:20 PM

The teenage spirit medium blinked her doe gray orbs, somewhat disoriented from the channeling, and seemed astonished to find herself _hugging_ the very man she had fervently wanted to be _hitting_ instead when she'd stomped into the hospital from the parking lot!

Her sharp, inquisitive eyes took in the somewhat reduced swelling on his cheek, and a wry smile tugged at her lips as Phoenix warily took a step back, uncertain of what sort of reception he was going to be getting from the youngest member of the Fey clan.

"It's been a while, Pearls," he ventured cautiously. "I've really missed you."

Pearl ignored the greeting and instead scrutinized his face for signs of injury, as her palm still bore a slightly stinging sensation, and found the corresponding handprint on the side of his face.

"Jeez, that looks painful," she remarked innocently, pointing to his marked visage. "Did _I_ do that?"

"Technically, _yes_ , but _no_ ," he grinned, in spite of himself. "That would be the handprint of my former boss you're currently admiring right now, Pearls. Nice job there, calling out the big guns to first take a crack at me before _you_ could."

"Mystic Maya was in tears when she left here, and I know it was _your_ fault, _one way or another,_ Mr. Nick!" She growled unapologetically. "I figured Mystic Mia could get the point across much more effectively than _I_ could!"

"Don't sell yourself short there," he responded playfully. "Even back when you were a little girl, you were able to do some serious damage every time you wanted me to repent for any perceived wrongdoings against your cousin!"

"You _deserved_ it every time, you know!" She put her hands on her hips, apparently in no jocund mood. "However, I'm still pretty sure _my_ slapping power has probably diminished with time. You can thank Luke for that – being with an English gentleman has definitely had a more calming influence on me."

"More than just about anybody, I've always been cognizant of protective you are of Maya, Pearls," Phoenix sighed, his voice heavy with resignation. "And you're right, I acted very foolishly with your cousin and I hurt her very badly. I deserved everything Mia dished out at me and more. In fact, I know Maya isn't the only one I've hurt with my actions."

The pianist squatted down slightly so he and the petite teen were at eye level.

"Even though it wasn't on purpose, Pearls, I know I've caused _you_ great pain, as well. I wouldn't blame you if you still wanted to hit me." He tilted his chin slightly and pointed to his good side, which had not been maimed by a Fey female as of yet. "Go ahead, hit me with your best shot."

"You better believe you did!" She snarled. "Believe me, you don't need to ask _me_ twice!"

Pearl glared at him and rolled up her sleeve, her incensed gaze never once wavering from his remorseful one. Her lips began to tremble slightly, then finally, faltered mid-action, dropping her hand just before it came into contact with his visage, and her face crumpled.

"I – I can't do it!" She cried as her eyes began welling up. "I can't just hit you _on command_! That's not the way this works!"

"Don't I deserve it though?" He remained crouched down before her. "After all, I hurt you, didn't I?"

"Yes you did! You hurt me so bad, Mr. Nick!" Her eyes were brimming deeper and deeper with tears as her voice broke. "But I can't just go ahead and try to hurt you back the same way even though you tore me and Mystic Maya apart when you left us!"

"And why not?" He prompted.

"Because I still love you too much!" With that confession, Pearl Fey buried her face in her hands and began to cry.

Phoenix remained frozen as he haplessly watched the girl he'd loved as a daughter for over half her life fall apart, right before his woeful eyes. The last time he had seen that cherubic face so drenched with tears had been when Maya had been kidnapped. It had nearly killed him back then, and it was positively gutting him now, knowing that _he'd_ been the cause of it.

But this time, unlike with Maya, he reacted much more swiftly, as though he'd somehow been prepared for this confrontation. He didn't hesitate even for a moment in his actions, and simply drew the sobbing teenager into his arms, clasping her head against his shoulder while she cried her heart out.

"Why did you leave us, Mr. Nick?" She sobbed, drenching his sweatshirt with her tears. "What did we do to make you stop loving us?"

"Pearls, that's not true!" Phoenix insisted, hugging her even more tightly, desperately trying to convey his love with his actions, as words always seemed to get in the way! "Please, don't cry. You're breaking my heart."

Pearl remained inconsolable as her body shook with sobs, and the torrent of tears seemed to be never ending.

At a loss of what else to do, Phoenix began rocking her in his arms and softly singing a tune he'd long thought he'd forgotten, as it'd been in another lifetime.

* * *

 _ **Come stop your crying**_  
 _ **It will be alright**_  
 _ **Just take my hand**_  
 _ **And hold it tight…**_

* * *

Pearl was still weeping slightly, but her sobs had now been reduced to snuffles as she seemed to listening to the strangely familiar song buried in the recesses of her memory, which she couldn't quite put her finger on. Encouraged, Phoenix continued to murmur the song in her ear as he soothingly rubbed her back.

* * *

 _Flashback …_

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Pearl Fey**_  
 _Wright & Co. Law Offices_  
March 21, 2018 3:00 AM

The shrill scream the middle of the night jolted Phoenix out of bed from his restless slumber. He rushed into Maya's room across the hall to find the little girl curled up into a ball and blubbering into her pillow, which she had clutched against her chest.

"Pearls, what is it?" Immediately Phoenix sat down beside her on the bed and gently stroked her silky hair. "What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare!" She wept, springing into his arms and clinging to him for dear life. "I dreamt that horrible man who took Mystic Maya away said he'd gotten rid of her and I was next and…" She couldn't even continue as her words were interrupted by a fresh flood of tears.

"Calm down," he soothed, holding her tightly as her tiny body shook with sobs. "Nobody is going to hurt Maya, Pearls. We'll get her back! And nobody will _ever_ hurt you, alright? You have my word!"

"Really?" Pearl hiccupped slightly and buried her head against his chest. "You won't let anything bad happen to her, Mr. Nick?"

"I promise," he vowed. "I'm never going to let anything happen to _either_ _one_ of you."

"I'm so scared, Mr. Nick!" She wept, nearly wringing his heart out with her tears. "What if that bad man comes back?"

" _Shhh_. It's OK, Pearl's. I'm here now. Nobody's going to hurt you. Try and get some sleep."

"I _can't!_ " She cried hysterically. "Every time I close my eyes, I see that bad man again!"

In a burst of inspiration, a song from a Disney movie the three of them had recently all watched together on TV suddenly rang to mind, and without thinking, Phoenix began singing the very song Tarzan's adopted mother had sung to pacify him.

* * *

 _ **Come stop your crying**_  
 _ **It will be alright**_  
 _ **Just take my hand**_  
 _ **And hold it tight**_

 _ **I will protect you**_  
 _ **From all around you**_  
 _ **I will be here**_  
 _ **Don't you cry**_

* * *

Pearl's sobs had subsided somewhat, and she appeared to be calming slightly. Expelling a relieved breath, Phoenix continued to croon the comforting lyrics to the drowsy child in his arms.

* * *

 _ **For one so small,**_  
 _ **You seem so strong**_  
 _ **My arms will hold you,**_  
 _ **Keep you safe and warm**_  
 _ **This bond between us**_  
 _ **Can't be broken**_  
 _ **I will be here**_  
 _ **Don't you cry…**_

 _ **'Cause you'll be in my heart**_  
 _ **Yes, you'll be in my heart**_  
 _ **From this day on**_  
 _ **Now and forever more**_  
 _ **You'll be in my heart**_  
 _ **No matter what they say**_  
 _ **You'll be here in my heart**_  
 _ **Always…**_

 _End Flashback_

* * *

Pearl had stopped crying by now, but still remained in his warm embrace, as memories from nearly a decade ago swarmed in her mind. Phoenix's reassuring hug and lulling voice were just as effective now as they'd been back then, during one of the worst times of both their lives. And in spite of the fact that Maya's kidnapping had meant enduring his _own_ nightmarish ordeal, the kindhearted man had still ensured a motherless young girl, terrified of losing the sole remaining family she had left, had felt as comforted and secure as possible.

Just like a father would have done for his actual child.

Her childhood recollections resurfaced as she vividly recalled just how much she'd loved him then.

The pianist was still singing the lyrics to "You'll Be In My Heart."

* * *

 _ **Why can't they understand the way we feel**_  
 _ **They just don't trust what they can't explain**_  
 _ **I know we're different, but deep inside us**_  
 _ **We're not that different at all**_

 _ **And you'll be in my heart**_  
 _ **Yes you'll be in my heart**_  
 _ **From this day on**_  
 _ **Now and forever more…**_

* * *

"I remember you sang me that song when I had a nightmare. It was the night Mystic Maya was taken away." She pulled away from his hold and stared up at Phoenix's fond expression with misty eyes. "You stayed with me all night, didn't you?"

"I did." He affirmed with a tender smile. "I let you fall asleep in my arms for most of the night, just in case you woke up again and needed me."

"I can't believe you did that for me." Her voice shook with emotion. "Th- that was so nice of you, Mr. Nick."

"Actually, I stayed with you for both nights," he told her. "The second night I just stayed in your room until you fell sleep, after I sang that song to you as a sort of lullaby. Then I slept on the corner armchair so I wouldn't wake you up if I stirred. I finally crept back to my own room close to dawn each time."

"You must've been so tired the next day, and probably lost enough sleep already the entire time Mystic Maya was gone." Pearl gaped at him in astonishment. "And yet you still took the time to be there for _me_?"

"It was no big deal, Pearls," Phoenix said quietly. "Any man would have done that for a child he'd come to love like his own daughter."

The words hung, suspended in the air for a brief moment, before they sunk down upon her like a warm blanket, wrapping her up in its tender, nurturing embrace and slowly healing the battered heart of the young girl with it.

"You really _did_ love me?" Pearl asked hopefully as she felt the tears building again. "Like a _real_ father, Mr. Nick?"

"I never stopped," Phoenix said softly. "When I fell in love with your cousin, I already knew you were part of a package deal. Usually when someone grows up thinking about their future partner, "the instant family" isn't part of the plan. As I hope you know, my experience was different. When you came into my life, you were 8 years old, and I actually couldn't wait to have you as part of my family. I never faked my enthusiasm. I loved every minute of those years you, me and Maya were a family together, Pearls."

"Sometimes I felt like I got in the way," Pearl admitted, hanging her head. "Like, maybe you and Mystic Maya would've gotten together sooner if I hadn't been there as an additional burden."

"You were _never_ a burden, Pearls," he stated firmly. "Nor were you ever seen as an add-on or additional responsibility. You were the adopted daughter of the woman I loved, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I knew you were someone special from the start, and I have always claimed you in my heart as my daughter. Moreover, _you_ chose to love _me,_ too. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for giving me the gift of fatherhood even before I became Trucy's legal father."

"You _really_ see me that way?" She swallowed back another sob building within her chest, but this was one was of barely constrained joy as the last year of pain and misery slowly, ever so slowly, began diminishing. "You love me like you love Trucy?"

"Sweetie, I want to tell you something I wish I'd told you long ago. It was solely because of those magical years _you_ let me be like your father that I even _allowed_ myself to think I would be able to handle adopting a little girl."

Phoenix brushed a stray strand of hair off her face as he continued regarding her with loving eyes.

"Trucy is my daughter in every sense of the word, as close as law and love can make us. But _you_ , Pearl Fey… _you_ were the one who I loved _first_. No matter what happens between me and Maya, you will always be there as the first daughter of my heart. My wish for you is that you know how much you are loved. And I want you to know how much you've changed me and my heart as a man and as a father."

With a wordless cry Pearl raced into Phoenix's outstretched arms, tears of happiness spilling from her eyes. He held her close and continued to speak from his heart, smiling down into the angelic, tear-stained face beaming up at him.

"I know your life hasn't been easy, Pearls. You fear losing the love in your life, fear being abandoned and misunderstood. There's a lot of fear in you actually, mostly manifesting as anxiety and pain. You find the world around you confusing. You know things are messed up and you don't know what to do about it. You feel powerless to make a difference. Don't say anything, you don't have to. I can tell from your face that it's true. That's why you came to see me, isn't it? Of course it is, and I'll gladly help undo the damage of this last year of heartache and misunderstanding."

"I just don't understand why you left us if you love me so much, though?" She bit her thumb, Bambi eyes regarding him with a baffled expression. "Don't you still love Mystic Maya?"

"More than the air I breathe," Phoenix replied simply, wishing it had been as easy for him to confess this to the woman he loved rather than just to her daughter. "I love her more than words can describe and nothing will ever change that. I _never_ stopped loving her either, Pearls."

"Then why…?"

"Pearls, I can give you all the major details later. For now, what you need to know is that there was a very evil man who wanted to hurt Maya in order to get to me. Your cousin would never have left me if I told her it was dangerous to be with me, so I needed to lie to her about being with Iris so I could ensure her safety. Yours as well."

His eyes were pleading for her understanding.

"I have no guarantee that monster wouldn't have come after _you_ , as well, if he knew how much you meant to me too. You _have_ to believe me when I tell you that leaving you and Maya behind was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my _whole life_."

The weight and sorrow from the past year had now completely lifted from her shoulders, and the radiant smile aimed at Phoenix now would've put the sun to shame.

"I _do_ believe you. Never in my life have I seen God's hand so obviously at work as the day you first walked into our lives. You filled a hole in our family that we were trying so hard to pretend wasn't there. Never in my life have I been as thankful for someone as I am for you."

She kissed him on his stubbly cheek, her eyes shining with daughterly affection.

"Thank you for loving Mystic Maya so selflessly that you did everything you could to keep her safe, even though doing so subjected you to so much misery as a result. Thank you for being the father I never had, that you didn't have to be for me, but _chose_ to be. Most of all, thank you for loving me so much. Just know that no matter what happens, I love you, too, Mr. Nick."

Phoenix placed a light, fatherly kiss onto the beaming girl's forehead, then looked down at his watch and groaned in frustration.

"As lucky as I am to have your love and support, Pearls, I somehow get the feeling convincing _Maya_ of my love will prove to be _slightly_ more difficult, though! Not to mention the fact that I'm in a time crunch to be able to relay that message to her, since she's gotten about _a half hour head start_ ahead of us!"

He cast a furtive glance at the cell in the spirit medium's hand.

"Did Mia leave behind any sort of suggestions or any kind of game plan for you on that phone?"

"Um, yes, actually." Glancing down at her screen, Pearl immediately began following the first set of instructions with her nimble teenage fingers. "OK, step one, _done_!"

"Which was…?"

"I just texted Uncle Gumshoe and told him a workaround situation if he's still stranded in the parking lot, but to just hurry up and follow Mystic Maya back to Kurain," Pearl elaborated. "I told him I'd explain later, but he needs to _stall that weddin_ g and it's actually better if I'm not with him. He can find some sort of excuse to make for my absence, but Mystic Maya can hardly get married until I get there, since _I'm_ the maid of honor!"

"I don't even want to know about _what_ circumstances would lead Gumshoe to be stranded in the parking lot in the first place!" Phoenix said dryly. "Knowing that man, I can certainly hazard my own guess though! What's next on the list?"

Pearl showed him what was on the screen, and Phoenix grinned knowingly.

"I _figured_ as much! I like the way Mia thinks! I was going to do that anyway, but before I do this next step…" There was a wicked glint in his eye. "Can you do me _one_ more quick favor, Pearls?"

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth_**  
 _High Prosecutor's Office_  
June 16, 2026 1:25 PM

Miles Edgeworth was having a non-eventful day at the office, much like nearly every one he'd had since returning to town. He supposed that was an annoying side effect of showing up for work _three months prior_ than anticipated, as more often than not, it meant absolutely zero cases were assigned to you, as you hadn't even been expected to be back in the country until _later in the summertime_!

The prosecutor was sipping his tea and brooding over what move to next play in his makeshift game with the magenta and cobalt piece chess set on his coffee table when the phone rang. He smirked when he saw the caller ID which _still_ read: _Phoenix Wright, Idiot Attorney_.

"It's been a while," the charcoal-haired man intoned sardonically by way of greeting. "I was wondering how much longer you were going to hold out before I heard from you again."

"Sorry about that!" An unknown feminine tone, which most definitely was _not_ his best friend's, despite the fact that the call was coming from Phoenix's phone number, tittered coyly. "I _know_ it's been nearly a dog's age since we last spoke, but I had to wait until my feet were once again on _terrain_ rather than _clouds_ before I could _reach out and_ _touch you_ , Miles! Somehow, I was under the impression you would have refused _a collect call from_ _heaven_ because you wouldn't want to pay the charges!"

" _Ngh_!" Edgeworth nearly did a spit take on his tea, and just barely managed to catch the steaming liquid dribbling down his chin before it soiled his pristine cravat. "This isn't – it can't be?!"

"Yet indeed it _is_!" The woman's voice sing-songed gaily. "It is I, Mia Fey! Back on friendly earthen soil yet again!"

" _Miss Fey_?" He echoed incredulously, his eyes nearly bugging out of his skull. " _The defense attorney_?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten your _first ever_ courtroom opponent already?" She trilled. "I'd prided myself on being a _wee_ bit more _unforgettable_ than that! Is your memory fading with age, _Miles_? Because I could've _sworn_ the last time we spoke, we'd agreed to be on a _first name basis_ and I'd asked you to call me _Mia!_ "

"Apologies…Mia. Er, hello." The flustered man tried desperately to regain his composure. "Just to make sure we're on the same page, this is still the _same_ Mia Fey who last time I checked, had been deceased now for a decade?"

"That would be _me_!" She told him cheerfully, obviously enjoying herself immensely. "I'm only here to pay a short visit, and can't extend my stay, unfortunately, which is why we're having a quick game of catch-up over the phone, instead of in person!"

"And you're still dead…I mean, _departed_?" He corrected quickly, cursing himself for yet again being subjected to this awkward situation. "Is that correct?"

" _Dead Lawyer_ talking!" She affirmed with sham solemnity. "Not just a bar drink anymore!"

"Ah, alright …" His voice trailed off adroitly. "Well, um, just as last time…my condolences then."

"Why, thank you, good sir!" Mia chirped, sounding as though she were fighting back laughter. "Still as _polished and refined_ as ever after all this time! Don't ever change! Anyway, it's been really nice attaining your sympathies _yet again_ , Miles! I really should skedaddle, so I'll pass the phone to Phoenix now."

The line was quiet for a quick moment as Edgeworth heard the _mostly dead, but obviously not really_ Mia Fey howling uproariously in the background.

"Thanks, Phoenix! That truly was _just_ as much fun as I thought it was going to be!"

The prosecutor already had his famous irate forefinger tapping against one arm by the time his friend came on the phone.

"Hey, Edgeworth."

"You have a sick sense of humor, Wright," Edgeworth said curtly, not at all amused.

" _Sorry_!" Phoenix chuckled, not sounding overly apologetic in the least. "As Mia said, the dead don't get too many opportunities to have fun anymore!"

"I'm sure. I was wondering when I'd hear from you again. I trust the Hickfield staff is treating you accordingly?"

"Yes, they're great… _HOLD IT_!" Phoenix sounded indignant. "Do you mean to tell me, you _knew_ I was in the hospital, and _still_ didn't bother calling me _or_ visiting me? Were you really planning on holding onto this grudge for _this_ long?"

"You sell me _way_ too short, Wright," Edgeworth derided, pleased to have regained the upper hand. "Obviously, based on fact that I was aware you were admitted in the hospital, but hadn't paid you a call or visit _as of yet,_ should _also_ have been indicative it's _because_ I was privy to the information that you were not at all severely injured, save for a minor head injury and sprained ankle."

"How do you _always_ know _everything_?!" The former defense attorney demanded disbelievingly. "They don't disclose that kind information over the phone!"

"To _me_ they do," the prosecutor informed him smugly, taking another pleasurable sip of his tea. "I do hope you have been in good care under the watch of Nurse Benson."

"How did you get a hold of _that_ information?" Phoenix sounded perplexed. "Do you have my room bugged or something?"

"I have my sources," Edgeworth replied mysteriously, a slight smile playing on his lips as he realized just how much he had missed this ridiculous sort of banter with his best friend. "None of whom I shall disclose at _this_ precise moment, however! So tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure of what started out as the world's most _ill-humored_ prank phone call, and instead ended up with finally hearing from my all-time favorite courtroom rival?"

"Would it make you happy if I were to actually say the words _out loud_?" Phoenix asked succinctly, already sounding as though he'd resigned himself to the answer.

"It would certainly help speed things along if we got it out of the way," the debonair man replied blithely. "I'm a patient man. I can wait till you're ready."

"I'm ready now," Phoenix sighed resolutely. "Let's start this call from scratch, shall we?"

"As you like it. Proceed with ' _the call we both know is way overdue'_ , take two."

" _Ring, ring_."

"High Prosecutor's Office, Miles Edgeworth speaking."

"Hi. It's me."

"Good Day, Wright," Edgeworth deadpanned. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"Edgeworth, I wanted to let you know – I finally pulled my head out of my ass."

 _ **Phil Collins - You'll Be In My Heart**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 151**

 **TheFreelancerSeal *Review of the Week***

Considering how lengthy my chapters have gotten lately dear friend, I am delighted whenever my readers take the time to read someone's never mind twice! I know I cram a lot of detail into these chapters I've chosen the highlight your thoughts for many reasons, with one of them being simply because I am obsessed with the adorable Constantine, so by proxy, his offspring, Feyt – loved that you happen to have caught the moment of Luke and Pearl's four-legged tuxedoed "son" having the innate animal instinct _to sense evil_ when he was yapping and snarling at The Dragon Lady! XD

I am getting a kick out of this _objection_ yelling thing and have somehow managed to make the entire main cast do so at some point including Larry and Maggey! I figured the normally benign and soft-spoken Pearl was way overdue for hers! She's absolutely not a brat at all like you said, however her actions however justified were still mortifying for Maya, both as her parental figure and the bride, whose wedding had just been jolted by the _very catchphrase_ which her ex-boyfriend is so renowned for! Gah!

I'm also happy you enjoyed my monkeying around! I don't think anybody has ever convincingly been able to pull off a toupee! William Shatner being the arrogant ass hat he is (and the great shame of Canada before Justin Bieber came along!) Was infamous for his glaringly conspicuous hairpiece which always reminded me of a primate's posterior - hence the monkeying around hijinks of the Big Berry performers! :p

I have a lot of affinity with songs that are classic but I'd say my hands-down female singer was definitely Whitney Houston whose songs you may have recognized quite a bit in this story (and other works) When I did my both September 5 tribute to Phoenix and Maya – _My Life Would Suck Without You_ and triad collab with Yanpudz say _Hello To Yesterday_ –I also used the great, late diva's incredible songs "I Will Always Love You" and "Run To You". While I try not to reuse too many of my songs, I couldn't think of a better one to describe Maya's actions for the last chapter then the latter!

The poignancy of her bittersweet memories with Phoenix were probably somewhat ruined by the dastardly fiend that is coldhearted The Dragon Lady who obviously doesn't know when to keep her obnoxious $0.02 to herself, but who also undoubtedly would indeed dance on Phoenix's grave if he actually had died! After all, he is a big monkey wrench in her entire operation "force Maya to marry possibly gay billionaire" (at least he is according to the majority of reader votes in my profile poll… You _have_ voted haven't you?)!

Longines has known Maya for a year which is more than enough time to know that the Kurain Master is very headstrong when she needs to be... and good luck, short of forcibly kidnapping her like before her wedding to the spa, or tying her down, in getting her to do something or not do something when she has her mind set to it! Therefore he obviously wasn't happy about graciously allowing her to go but just know that regardless of his reaction she would've done anyway! Good thing he had the ever willing to console Armstrong there with an undoubtedly pink, lacy handkerchief to dry any tears in the meantime! XD

It's long been a standing joke that Nick is a genius in the courtroom and a complete bumble butt when _out_ of it – which as of game six you'll see is even more glaringly evident as well as the fact that Edgeworth is all too happy to keep pointing this out to him! LOL

Therefore, to the surprise of I am assuming nobody… Of course Nick screwed up what should have been the perfect opportunity to reunite with the love of his life! Hell she was already in the wedding dress they could have eloped at City Hall!

It never occurred to me to actually make the car the clumsy Gumshoe hit would be Klavier's but that is _hilarious_! I think I've done enough to the poor guy already on top of what canon has already done to him, plus I made him have a purple Mercedes already… So know the second car will not belong to the fop… But he does have another method of transportation indeed… Look out for it next chapter ;)

 **Feraligreater328**

I am very happy that you're having a speedy recovery pal. Although Maya has been missing Phoenix, her actual feelings and whether or not she's actually still in love with the man himself were not confirmed until this chapter, so yes the signs and suspicions my readers have probably had all along have been correct. Sasha is going to have a mini cameo pretty soon – keep an eye out for it!

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _"Like I said, you should add the thorny flowers attack to the list of accidents and traumas that Phoenix has received and survived."_

Phoenix is lucky Maya didn't give him a _boot to the head_ for his obnoxious behavior! However that being said you gonna feel somewhat bad for a guy not only for the scratches but by the fact that he was being beamed in the head by an infuriated ex-girlfriend… When he already had a (canon!) head injury! Yes Mia may have saved his life so he is a blessed chosen one of divine intervention to a certain degree in my story… _but_ for surviving Maya's attack and _then Mia's_ as well as being tazered and eating poison (to name only a few) Phoenix Wright can still be counted as somewhat unbreakable entirely on his own accord!

I know it was a commonplace stereotype with the whole sexy nurse, I need to thank my friend ThePudz for the suggestion to actually have her play a more important role as being the catalyst which made Maya go so berserk! It also of course with my readers know that there was a reason I made her so lascivious in the first place! ;)

 _Ngh_! Perish the thought of Maya actually walking in that _rub a dub dub sexy sponge bath_! I think she would've strangled both Nick _and_ Karin with the sheet! XD

 **chloemcg**

Thank you so much for the community input milady I'm now officially part of the _Phoenix and Maya: A Match Made In Heaven Community!_

I know I have purposely left it semi-ambiguous about how the bride truly feels about her ex till now. But I figured after everything her Nick has been through, I would leave the big revelation to come out in a most melodramatic way and will they liked it are loved it the Phaya reunion was pretty damn dramatic!

As horrid as it was, the cause and effect of Nick's lashing out and misleading Maya was further elaborated on in this chapter. While it is not excusable, I truly hope it is at least understandable somewhat now. I did not bring Phoenix all this way to develop as a character and try to redeem him for what Capcom did to him in Apollo Justice to make my readers start hating him again!

Do not rule out that letter just yet! Things have the weirdest way of turning up in this story and letters are definitely a central theme in Turnabout Everlasting whether they're from Mia, Phoenix, Pearl, Layton, Miles, or Franziska.

I promise you after this Nick and Maya wedding arc the shift will entirely focus back to Fredgeworth. I do miss writing them, just know I have not forgotten about my other OTP couple of this tale!

I had completely forgotten about the equally abominable Wocky counterpart that was Lance Amano from the first Miles game… possibly because it bored me so much and the only redeeming thing about it was Kay and the awesome Detective Badd! How either one of those obnoxious spoiled brats – "bratty-Mcbrat vulpine" or _pig-faced smelly fathead_ (I know it wasn't actually said that Lance smelled but I figure with all the hair products he needed for that horrible hairdo of his he can't stink too pretty!) could've gotten an attractive girlfriend is beyond me! Always I forgot it was because of the _bulge in both their pants_ ….their _wallets_ of course! XD

 _"Maybe she should die by having the "Avadakadavra" spell thrown at her, and then she gets beaten to a pulp by the hilariously frivolous Jean Armstrong and then she gets thrown out into a cold waterfall and then forced to stand under it before being fed to a group of wild and rabie-infected foxes and wolves. Needs to be hung, drawn and quartered while being set to the flames to make everyone happy!"_

How would I kill Mildred Latrine? Her fate is still up in the air, from but hilarious list of suggestions above, the idea of the coldhearted The Dragon Lady freezing her bony butt off definitely seems to have extra appeal for some reason! XD

I might do something for short and sweet Christmas involving Luke and Pearl if I have the opportunity and the time, because I am blown away get again how much my readers love this adorable Disney-like couple, and will definitely see if there's enough interest for their own fanfiction after this story gets wrapped up!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Spirits of fire… you must share the same capability of otherworldly skills… Excellent call, because who else _but a spirit_ could possibly hope to restore order to this chaos that Phoenix and his _permanent foot in mouth disease?!_ And who better than the long overdue Mia Fey? :-)

From the fan art I have seen of these two they are pretty cute together! I figured as annoying as Max was in Turnabout Big Top, he _still_ had to be a better life partner for Regina than a _ventriloquist puppet_! And those "got wood?" Jokes would get old really fast! XD

My reverence for Ms. Houston knows no bounds and I will shamelessly use her work wherever I see fit! However, at this point I _may_ just about be done as I have utilized pretty much all of her greatest hits in this story alone! I'm glad you liked it though there will never be another performer like her, _ever_! _Take that_ Mariah Carey!

 **JaDe In NighT**

Someone suggested spiritual intervention would be needed to fix this tragic comedy of errors that has become Phoenix's love life and you suggested The Edgeworth! I figure… why not both? That nincompoop needs all the help he can get!

 **(NOT) Sober PudzyWudzy**

 _Tgat relstblr mimint wen u wait fir nick and may ti get bck tigethr snd yhry fckin dont. giddmit, jp. u r brkin me also, whitnwy hoston id in dis chap. i lub it_

Um…one translation coming up folks!

 _*cough* Now that I'm not drunk and not publicly humiliating myself, here's a translation...  
"That relatable moment when you want Nick and Maya to get back together and they fucking don't. Goddammit JP. You are breaking me.  
Also, Whitney Houston is in this chapter. I lub it."_

 **Thepudz/** **Sober PudzyWudzy**

I must give props to Yanmegaman for actually being able to type coherently when under the influence of alcohol! _You_ mate, are completely cut off from the keyboard next time you choose to dip yourself into the sauce! XD

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for the terrific suggestion to make the nurse more of an important character instead of just background comedic relief like I did with the unnamed orchestra conductor of the Philharmonic, which triggered me to realize that the Ace Attorney world actually _has_ _a canon caregiver_! Of course Karin Jensen from Miles 2 game was nowhere near the naughty nurse I made her to be but it does add a nice touch when I'm playing around with characters that are actually existent and readers can actually reference in the Ace Attorney world!

I apologize for breaking you and will enclose the crazy glue along with the new pillow cover that you ruined a few chapters ago with your tears! However, here's something to keep in mind though after everything Nick and Maya has been through throughout this story would you as a reader truly have not been let down somewhat if I had made their reunion be _in a hospital room_ … _with that pink haired pervert probably peaking at them?_ :p

 **Rdrtrandom dude**

I'm still trying to figure out how to incorporate " _pull the lever_!" For Yzma incarnate! LOL as creative as I can be, I think I'm going to have to err on the side of nigh impossible!

We found out both Pearl's (and Mia's!) reaction to what a complete mess of things Phoenix made with his runaway tongue this chapter! I realized "Run To You" may have been a sad read so I do hope this lighter and more fun chapter was more enjoyable for my readers!

The events going forward will probably be in sequence with flashes in time being no more than a few hours or minutes like they were in this chapter.

I'm going to be giving my own take of how Phoenix came about everything leading up to the events of Turnabout Succession… As well my own spin as the outside influences who probably helped him become successful in his endeavors! :)

 **Batfreak2008**

I have been told by readers, particularly my _male_ ones, to my great touched merriment (if I have any _female_ readers out there who have cried during Turnabout Everlasting they certainly don't let me know! so therefore I cannot apologize to them!) that there has been everything from _onions, and ninjas with onions and pepper spray_ running abundantly for my last few chapters! I'm sorry for all the feels dear reader (hey you _killed Robin_! LOL) hopefully we found this chapter to be a lighter and more fun, dry-eyed read.

 **napoleon32**

Chekov's gun… Nice parallel! Yeah, I always try to give hints to my readers, even in the smallest trite seeming most details, about forthcoming events so hopefully nothing _completely blindsides_ them when the big reveal happens… Of course there _are_ still some things which they may not see coming but what fun would it be for me to reveal that now right? ;)

Iris has been told she is useless and made to feel like she is nothing for not having spiritual powers on top of having the horrible fate of being forced to share a face with a _succubus she devil_ … Therefore I decided to have fun with her latent late bloomer powers and have some fun with her capabilities! It's my way of trying to make it up to her by showing her she can be very useful… And lyrical when need be! :p

Aha! Am delighted you noticed amongst all the heartbreak and dead singer resurrection that Gumshoe is still the big lovable bumbler who can't drive! Ironically as police Chief's job is supposed to be nothing more than a desk job he just still manages to screw up in his down time! XD

 _"This makes me wonder if this ties into the conversation Apollo, Trucy, and Phoenix have before Alita Tiala's testimony the next morning where Trucy demands a new mommy (again). Did Pearl make her privy to what happened after she and Apollo left?"_

You know, I wasn't planning to cover too much of the (personally loathed) Apollo Justice game however since I'm having such a blast with the canon manipulation and this is such a fun premise to play around with, I very well just might have that be the case! After all, even though the well-meaning Trucy unwittingly screwed up with putting Nick's love letter in the wrong pocket and totally screwing up his golden opportunity to show it to Maya, we can certainly hope Pearl has gotten over her ire of being purposely misled and given to 1000 heart attacks by her BFF and decide to be kind enough to let her best friend know that her endeavors to get Maya to Nick's bedside _did_ work… _somewhat_ ….?

Nick has nowhere to _run_ because he has a bum ankle! And in a small hospital room there was also nowhere for him to _hide_ when he had a _furious resurrected dead_ mentor _literally_ slapping sense into him which we all know was way overdue! Next chapter, yet another bromantic reunion! :)


	153. Now or Never

_Sometimes the hole you left hurts my heart_  
 _So bad it cuts through the deepest parts of me_  
 _And fills up my mouth with the words that cry_  
 _How I'm still trying to stay inside_

 _Hearts break and hands wait_  
 _To make us grow fonder_  
 _Then our eyes cry and souls sigh_  
 _So that we know that it hurts_

 _Our hearts break and hands wait_  
 _To make us grow fonder_  
 _Then our eyes cry and souls sigh_  
 _So that we know that it hurts_

 _Every now and then my memories ache_  
 _With the empty ideas of the ones we'd made, yeah_  
 _But as time goes on and my age gets older_  
 _I love the ones I know, they're enough to picture the rest_

* * *

 _A longer read, as this next Phaya/wedding arc will be, but I hope a worthwhile one - WRIGHTWORTH palooza! :)_

 _This is dedicated to my pal and talented FF writer, **ThePudz** for all his help and feedback. This will probably be a two chapter week with the next chapter coming out this weekend, and this arc wrapping up hopefully next week!_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Fifty Three:** **Now or Never**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth  
**_ _Hickfield Clinic_ _ **  
**_June 16, 2026 1:27 PM

"Say it again, Wright."

"Oh for crying out loud!" The former King of the Turnabout wrenched off his beanie and ran a hand through his hair in vexation. "Counselor, we _both_ know you heard me perfectly the _first_ time I said it!"

" _Did_ I?" Edgeworth's intonation barely concealed his amusement behind his sham of innocence. "Perhaps hearing your _grossly delayed_ moment of discovered _orenda_ after so long simply confounded my ears –"

"Is it not possible _at all_ for you stop _showing off_ your extensive linguistics for once, and just speak _English_ like a normal human being, _Mr. Walking Dictionary_?!" The pianist snapped peevishly, in no mood for a vocabulary lesson but knowing he was about to get one anyway.

"The meaning of the word," the undaunted wordsmith continued, as though his dialogue partner hadn't spoken, "is that you've _at last_ tapped into your own _mystical force, which is present in all people. It has finally empowered you to want to effect change in your life_. Ergo, erring on the side of caution, I would be most obliged if you could just repeat _that last sentence_. Strictly for the record, of course."

' _For the record'_ _ **my foot**_ _! You are enjoying my eating crow_ _ **far too immensely,**_ _you ruthless, vengeful,_ _ **prig**_ _!_

Mindful of Pearl's apprehensive eyes on him, Phoenix barely bit back an aggravated curse, realizing that his intended harmless prank with Mia was now going to cost him _a pound of flesh_ in retribution by the _vindictive_ barrister.

"Is my consuming of _humble pie_ not nearly enough satisfaction for you already, you _sadistic, smug, spiteful –"_

"Guilty as charged!" Edgeworth interrupted goadingly. "Yet _despite_ my list of alleged follies, _you_ nevertheless opted to ring _me_ , presumably with desiderata for an act of _Firgun_ regarding your quandary, did you not?"

 _ **Firgun**_ _. Sheesh!_ _ **That**_ _word I actually_ _ **knew**_ _, you pompous, pretentious Poindexter! Yes, reaching out to you in hopes of_ _ **attaining your assistance to my good fortune with naught more than a purely generous heart**_ _is a decision I'm_ _ **already**_ _beginning to regret!_ Phoenix fumed. _But what other choice do I have? That's right –_ _ **absolutely none**_ _! Which is why I must acquiesce to this humiliating whimsy, and indulge him this torment!_

"The last time you and I were together, you stated for me not to call you until I _pulled my head out of my ass_." The ex-defense attorney gritted his teeth. "Hence, the reason why I am essentially _subjecting_ _myself_ to what will undoubtedly be a lifetime of your exalted, never-ending triumphant reminder of that time _when_ _ **you**_ _were_ _ **right,**_ _and_ _ **I**_ _was_ _ **wrong!**_ "

"I shall have you know I _never_ used such a _crass_ term," he of ever-lofty exterior corrected primly. "My _exact_ verbatim words were: ' _if you ever decide to pull that stubborn, thick skull out of your posterior, give me a call.'_ However, I shall accept the _quaint paraphrasing_. Also, being the _magnanimous_ _compatriot_ I am, I will also refrain from tauntingly inquiring about _exactly how much pain_ was experienced by the _spikes on that porcupine head of yours,_ during its _extraction from_ _ **where the sun does not shine?**_ _"_

"Less painful _than this conversation_ , let me tell you!" Phoenix scowled as he heard the sadistic man's self-satisfied chuckle on the other end of the line. "Advise me when you're _fully_ done relishing this moment, so I can get on to my request, _please and thanks_."

"Feel free to now proceed with your entreaty," the wunderkind prosecutor persuaded. "I promise you I am now wholly done with my gaiety."

 _For_ _ **now**_ _, you mean!_ The pianist grumbled silently. _I know you_ _ **way**_ _too well!_

"I need a lift to Kurain because I've got a wedding to stop, ASAP!"

"It would be my pleasure to play your _wedding crashers_ counterpart, but isn't it a little too late for this valiant undertaking? Did Maya not already wed earlier this morning?"

"She was _supposed_ to, yes. However, unexpected circumstances arose, which I will get into later, and she left my hospital room not too long ago, and is only headed back to the village _now_. In fact, as I stand here, letting precious moments to fly by as you endlessly harangue me, Maya has now had an approximate 30 _-minutes head start_!"

"That does complicate matters indeed." Edgeworth now sounded genuinely contrite. "I had no idea how badly time was of the essence here! Why didn't you just _say_ _so_ in the _first_ place, Wright?"

 _Are you_ _ **freaking**_ _shitting me? I will_ _ **end**_ _you, Miles Edgeworth!_

Pearl's sweet visage was wreathed with disquietude as she spotted the pacifist's sudden atypical murderous expression, and he forced himself to take a deep breath to curb his temper.

 _Keep calm and carry-on, Phoenix!_ The poker champ cautioned himself, knowing he was now dangerously close to blowing a fuse. _No matter how justifiable it would be in this case to commit_ _ **asphyxiation via cravat**_ _, homicide is still illegal in California!_

"I would imagine this factor _does_ put us at a disadvantage, yes," he finally bit out, while mentally counting to ten. "However, nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say! I'll never forgive myself I don't at least _try_ to go after the woman I love. Besides, I've been in that flashy red sports car of yours. I'm sure it can have quite a powerful zip to it if you put the pedal to the metal!"

"Regardless of what speeding violations I will apparently need to make, it's an _Alfa Romeo_ , not _an airplane_!" The prosecutor reminded him dryly. "Kurain is easily a 90 minute trip, and that's with _zero_ traffic! By the time I come and fetch you from the hospital and we get en route, it will be the heart of rush-hour, permitting me to only go as fast as the fellow driving in front of me."

Phoenix's heart froze in his chest.

"So you're telling me the situation is completely hopeless and I shouldn't even bother?"

"I'm saying in order for you to get there afore the _runaway bride_ , you'd need to _fly_ there at this point!"

There was a brief pause, and then the next few words came out in rapid-fire succession.

"I'm assuming that astute gem, Trucy, would have packed a toiletry kit for you when you got admitted, so get yourself clean-shaven and tidy your hair, posthaste! Moreover, for the love of God, _leave that manky beanie behind_! After all, you're attempting to win back the woman of your dreams from a _pristine_ , _pretty boy_ _billionaire_! If I leave right now, I can be there in about 20 minutes. I'll see you then."

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth  
**_ _Hickfield Clinic_ _ **  
**_June 16, 2026 1:50 PM

Phoenix was freshly shaved by the time his consociate arrived, although Pearl was still fussing with his spikes when the prosecutor made his glorified entrance in the room, dressed in his usual claret business attire and a garment bag draped over one arm.

"It's no use, Mr. Nick!" The teen vainly tried, for the umpteenth time, to flatten the pesky stray wisp of hair which kept flopping down onto the pianist's forehead in an endearing Superman curl. "No matter how much gel I use, I can't seem to get that stray piece to stay slicked back with the rest of your hair!"

"Never mind his coiffure, Pearl. Apparently that _renegade lock_ is as _inveterate_ as its _owner_." The prosecutor treated the spirit medium to one of his rare, luculent smiles in greeting, then directed a smarmy grin at his comrade. "Wright has much greater matters to tend to pertaining to his appearance."

"Hey, I'm shaved, styled, and even spritzed on some _cologne_ for good measure!" Phoenix shrugged helplessly at the thinly veiled, critical once-over he received. "What _more_ do you want from my life?"

The new visitor held up the item he was carrying, showing that it was an actual suit bag, which he tossed into Phoenix's arms.

"My invite inclusion indicated the outdoor nuptials would only be a _semiformal_ , not a black tie affair, so while there's no need for a tuxedo, there's still no way you can attend a wedding dressed in that _hobo garb_! Get moving!"

Phoenix was already ducking behind the curtain and donning the bestowed black suit and white shirt. Edgeworth had been a tad more athletically built than he was in the past, but as his own muscled frame had developed over the years, making his own blue suit an impossibility to wear now, the beautifully tailored accoutrements actually fit him quite nicely.

"You really do think of _everything_ , don't you?" He slid into the accompanying wingtips with ease, as mercifully, both men wore the same shoe size. "It never would've occurred to me to think about changing my outfit!"

"I suspected as much," was the smug retort. "Luckily for you, _I_ usually tend to do the thinking for the _both_ of us, anyway."

"Ha-ha! Hey, this really fits well! I can't believe you just happened to have an extra suit _and_ loafers at your office!"

"It never hurts to be prepared for impromptu social events. There are times when I need to attend the occasional formal after-hours function, and my magenta ensemble simply won't do, whereas a black suit is the equivalent of _the little black dress_ every woman evidently has in her wardrobe that's suitable for anything. Fortunately, my work ensemble _will_ suffice for this wedding I RSVP'd no to, yet somehow shall _still_ be attending."

"Well, guys?" Phoenix straightened out his tie and stepped out from behind the curtain with a flourish, then did a little twirl. "How do I look?"

"Omigosh, Mr. Nick!" Pearl's eyes lit up like stars as she clasped her hands against her cheeks. "You look _so_ _handsome_!" Earnest gray orbs swung over to the silent prosecutor, whose arms were crossed over his broad chest. "Don't _you_ think so too, Mr. Eh-ji-worth?"

The unprepared Edgeworth cleared his throat, obviously more accustomed to shelling out sarcastic barbs than bequeathing any sort of appreciating commentary.

"Ah… _yes_ , of course. It's been a while since I've seen you in anything but those ratty joggers and hoodie, Wright, so this is undeniably a much needed improvement." A small smile of approbation flickered across the stoic visage. "Which I _suppose_ is a good thing, seeing as how it's _already_ unseemly enough for me to be showing up at a wedding to which I'd initially declined, never mind if I'd attended with my _plus one_ wearing that _decrepit_ sweat suit."

"Your _plus one_?" Phoenix echoed blankly, shuffling his feet awkwardly at the unaccustomed compliments on his appearance, however backhanded one of them had been! "What the heck? This isn't a _date_! You _do_ realize saying stuff like that isn't doing a damn thing to squash the rabid fantasies of all those online Wrightworth fan girls, don't you?!"

"Don't flatter yourself, you imbecile! The only way I could get away with gatecrashing a private function of this magnitude is because the invitation _was_ addressed to myself and _Franziska_ , so technically, I _am_ allowed to attend with a secondary guest on my arm," Edgeworth smirked. "Despite being _the ugliest woman on earth_ , Wright, I shall profess that you _do_ clean up quite well."

"High praise indeed, my good man!" Phoenix grinned, flexing his shoulders inside his suit jacket. "I'd forgotten what wearing one of these felt like!"

"Wasn't this _nice_ of Mr. Eh-ji-worth?" Pearl urged, beaming at them with childlike delight. "Only your best pal in the whole world would have rushed to your side like this, Mr. Nick! Have you even _thanked_ him yet for being so kind and generous?"

Phoenix groaned inwardly at being subjected to the enhanced etiquette his surrogate daughter appeared to have acquired since dating an English gentleman, and both childhood chums' cheeks reddened slightly at this pointed decorum reminder.

"Er, that isn't necessitous," Edgeworth coughed. "I'm aware Wright is grateful for my assistance in this matter without him being required to –"

"No, she's 100% right." Despite the heightened color in his cheeks, the sincerity was evident in Phoenix's voice as he looked his gallant rescuer squarely in the eye. "I'm indebted to you once more, my friend. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for doing this for me, despite churlishly spurning your repeated offers of assistance in the past."

Never comfortable when any sort of emotions were expressed, the prosecutor jabbed his hands in his pockets and turned even more crimson.

"Think nothing of it," he answered gruffly. "It's what friends do. You'd do the same for me, surely."

"It's been a while since you've seen each other, too, _hasn't it_?" Pearl prompted doggedly, glancing back and forth between the flustered males. "Every time _I_ see Trucy, I give her a _big hug_ , even if I saw her just _one week_ prior! Why don't _you two_ hug each other too, and say how much you've missed each other?"

"Pearls, guys don't do that sort of thing!" Phoenix protested with embarrassment as at the exact same time Edgeworth interposed with "truly, there's no need for such unnecessary enterprises!"

"Best buddies shouldn't _ever_ take each other for granted!" Pearl glowered at both men and rolled up her sleeve menacingly. "I'm sure _Mr. Nick_ has been as super lonely without you, as _you've_ been without him, Mr. Eh-ji-worth! After all, you're his _heterosexual life partner_ in the exact same way _his daughter_ is to _me_! Now, the two of you better _hug_ and say _something nice_ to each other, or else I'm going to get _really mad_!"

At this implied threat from the angelic-looking adolescent, the magenta-suited man twitchily ran his finger along the inside lining of his cravat while the black-suited man heavily gulped.

Between his car accident, then subsequent encounters with Mia _and_ Maya, within the last _two days alone,_ Phoenix had already endured enough physical assailment _to last a lifetime_! Therefore, caving into the dictated command was scarcely a hardship, nor was it something he was adamantly opposed to. For one, a patented Pearl Fey slap would still be scads more excruciating than even meeting the resistance of his emotionally constipated best friend and for another, in all actuality, he was quite mindful he owed Miles Edgeworth the world…and more.

 _He really_ _ **is**_ _my brother in arms – or as Pearls said, my 'heterosexual life partner' – and having him back in my life is a greater joy than I can ever express with words. I lost him once. I won't lose him again._

When Phoenix raised his eyes to meet Edgeworth's, he saw a fleeting weariness in the sangfroid grey depths, along with a trace of wry amusement, resignation…and a hint of comity he wasn't quick enough to mask before the lawyer dropped his gaze, unwilling to risk rejection. It was only there for an instant, but it was more than enough.

 _I_ _ **do**_ _need Edgeworth, and I hope he needs me. When I try to speak, my voice falters into unintelligible croaks. I want to tell him he's my best friend in the world and I love him, but I don't think he'll believe me and I'm afraid it will sound hollow. So it looks like I'll have to_ _ **show**_ _rather than_ _ **tell**_ _._

Phoenix felt the flicker of synergy exchange between them as he allowed the veracity to be shown on his own formerly shuttered countenance, his gaze steady so his friend could see there was there was no judgement in his eyes, only heartfelt amity, unconcealed affection and unwavering gratitude.

 _Looks like Wright really has missed me as much I've missed him. I could never admit it him, but Lord knows I'm like a sailor lost at sea without him. Even if neither of us get the nerve to ever say the words aloud, I swear this is_ _ **the last time**_ _I will ever let this man willingly be gone from my life._

The debonair counselor's austere visage altered to reveal a scintilla of the unreserved smile Phoenix never saw too often as he came over in fast, easy strides, taking the pianist's offered hand in his two, shaking and squeezing. In the next moment, the two old friends were in an embrace neither ever wanted to end. The hug wordlessly indicated to the other all they'd needed to say, and that everything would be alright.

"I've missed you, Edgeworth," the spiky-haired man mumbled when they finally drew apart.

"I know, Wright," the prosecutor chuckled almost inaudibly, amethyst orbs still reflecting momentary warmth even as his typical smirk slid back into place. "That's why I'm here now."

"Well, I _did_ ask you guys to say _something_ nice to each other!" Pearl sighed melodramatically at this mini, yet meaningful exchange, even though she was beaming from ear to ear. "I'll take what I can get!"

"We should really get moving." The logical zealot said brusquely, grateful to bring things back to normal as he ushered the other two towards the door. "We have a wedding to crash!"

"Can I just up and leave the hospital like that?" Phoenix fretted. "I haven't even signed myself out yet, or been given a final checkup by anybody!"

"Don't worry about it," Edgeworth assured him as they headed down the hall towards the stair and elevators. "I've taken the liberty of resolving things with Karin about your early release, prior to room arrival."

"How in the world did you swing _that_?"

"I have been previously acquainted with Nurse Jenson from many years ago. She has been most informative to me about your prognosis, including how pleased she was with your progress since admittance. She was most willing to be helpful when it came to her _favorite patient_."

The cravat-sporting man pressed the up button on the elevator, then turned towards the stairwell.

"Take the lift up to the roof, and I'll meet you up there in 10 minutes or less."

"The _roof_?" Phoenix repeated incredulously just as Pearl blurted out "this hospital is _23 floors_ high and it'll take you _forever_ to climb those stairs! I thought we were in a rush!"

"Yes _the roof_ ," Edgeworth responded impatiently, tapping his foot as he waited for the lift to come down. "It's where _our ride_ is located! Pearl, my office is on the 12th floor, and I live in the penthouse of my condo, so I'm quite accustomed to taking stairs within record time."

"But – "

"Excuse me," a voice interrupted the three of them, out of the blue. The trio jolted as they spotted a man in painter's uniform putting up a sign in front of the stair doors. "I'm sorry, Sir, but the south stairwell here is presently being painted. You have to go all the way to the north end of the building to get to the rooftop. Otherwise, you'll need to take the elevator."

"The _elevator_?" The prosecutor paled visibly at the notion, as he hadn't confronted his phobia of lifts since the DL-6 incident. "Um, _how far exactly_ is that north stairwell?"

"Christ Almighty! There is no time for this lunacy!" Phoenix's expression was pleading. "Maya has been gone now _for almost an hour_ , and we can't be wasting more time while you hunt for alternative exits in this enormous hospital due to your paranoia of elevators!"

The lift had come down now and as the door slid open, Phoenix and Pearl got on, but the teenage girl held the doors open as they stared at the recalcitrant attorney, who obstinately remained outside in the hallway, his eyes wide with panic, much like a trapped animal in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.

"I – I called Gumshoe!" He rasped frantically. "The Chief and Maya are both stuck in a traffic jam due to some god-awful accident on the freeway heading up to the village! It will be _at least_ _another_ _hour_ or so until either of them make it up there! We have a little bit more time than you two think!"

"We can't take that sort of gamble!" Phoenix cried. "Edgeworth, I'm flat out _begging_ you! Get on this elevator! It's an _emergency_!"

The charcoal-haired truth-seeker felt the terror beginning, like a cluster of spark plugs in his abdomen. Tension grew in his mien and limbs as his mind replayed the last nightmarish time he'd been trapped in a lift as a child. His breathing became more rapid and shallow.

 _In these minutes prior to my personal hurricane, I at last understand the escape mentality of the drug addict, the alcoholic. How I wish I also could be dependent on substances at this moment._ _ **Anything**_ _to stop the primal surge to flee…_

"Take my hand… _Miles_." With beseeching eyes, Phoenix held out his hand cajolingly. "You can do this! _Please try_. That's all I ask. Trust me to get you through this…and just _try_."

Edgeworth could feel the breath catch in his throat as he took the spiky-haired man's hand. Phoenix gently tugged him inside while the teen pushed the "roof" button and the doors closed.

 _Too late to back out now…_

The lawyer swallowed and put his back to the wall, grabbing the railing with both hands. He watched the numbers count up and wondered how they appeared to go so slowly, yet still seemed to be going so fast. His legs were shaking. He couldn't feel his knees. He couldn't breathe.

Suddenly Phoenix put a reassuring arm around his shoulders.

"Don't think about it," he coaxed urgently. "If you just solely try not to focus on the fact that you're in an elevator, it won't bother you. _Look at_ _me_!"

The turbulent prosecutor turned away from the angry digital 4 that'd only flashed to 5 and stared blindly into the pianist's familiar orbs, trying to not cave into the choking sensation threatening to overcome him.

"I can't—" Edgeworth panted. His frenzied ticker palpated in his chest, pounding, banging, trying to get out. He lurched forward, every second barley escaping death, and he felt as though his blood was on fire. His limbs were moving on their own. He was disconnected from everything but the ever-present sound of his drumming heart.

"Yes you _can_." Phoenix insisted, keeping his firm hold around the other man's shoulders. "So just lean on me if you have to, and take deep breaths."

"Let go of me!" Edgeworth tried to jerk away from him and reach for the emergency stop.

" _Relax_." Phoenix tried to sound comforting, but had no idea if he was being successful in his efforts whatsoever. All he could do was pray his friend wouldn't pass out, as he was almost entirely supporting the lawyer's weight, which was no easy feat for an injured man with a bad ankle. "It's going to be alright. _I promise_."

The claustrophobic whimpered pitifully. He was dizzy now and he felt his stomach lurch. His vision blurred and the red blob in his sight resolved itself into the number eight before he lost focus again. He continued to fight weakly at Phoenix's grip—even though the pianist's hold on him was probably the only thing keeping him standing. Darkness started to crowd his vision. Was the lift going to break down?

"It's flashing! It's going to—"

"We're almost there, nothing's wrong."

"I _can't_ —" Edgeworth panted. He was shaking all over now and his hands tingled as though they'd fallen asleep. He couldn't move—couldn't control them. The car lurched and he gagged and tugged at his cravat while Pearl nervously bit her thumb and eyed the two of them solicitously.

"We'll get through this together," Phoenix murmured soothingly. "It means the world to me that you're facing your fear for _my_ sake, dear friend. Just remember, it's _all in your mind_. Fear is shackles, fear is a knife in the gut slowly twisted, fear is a constant hammer on the head. Yet fear also evaporates like water under an early summer sun. When fear comes, walk with confidence right past, because like the monsters of children's nightmares, _fear is an illusion_."

The agoraphobic squeezed his eyes shut and focused on Phoenix's speech as he sagged against him.

 _Fear is an illusion. I can do this. I can_ _ **do**_ _this…_

After what seemed like an eternity, the ding sounded at long last. The doors slid open and the barrister bolted out, bracing his hands against his knees as he bent over, trying to focus on calming his breathing so his accelerated heartbeat could finally resume back to normal.

"Mr. Eh-ji-worth?" Pearl placed a hand on his arm, her distressed face peering up into his, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw the color restoring to his ghostly visage. "Are you OK?"

He straightened up and gulped in a few more breaths before looking down into the spirit medium's anxious orbs and nodding.

"I can't believe I made it through that." He shook his head in wonder before turning towards Phoenix. "Wright, don't you even _think_ of asking me for another favor like that, _ever_ _again_!"

"Way to go Edgy! You faced your phobia! That was no small feat you know!" The ex-defense attorney clapped him on the black and grinned broadly. "That being said, you have my solemn word that I shan't be cashing in nor requesting any favors anytime soon after something like this…"

His words died in his throat in the next instant as he then noticed exactly _what_ was awaiting them at the top of that roof.

" _Jesus H. Christ_!" Phoenix croaked, his jaw hitting his chest as he took in the _gaudy purple color_ and the sparkling silver _G_ emblazoned on the side door of the enormous airliner gleaming in the sunlight. "What in the world is that… _thing_?"

"You mean _our ride_?" Edgeworth cocked a brow as his courtroom rival's alarmed orbs further widened to the size of golf balls. "This apparatus is how I managed to get to you so quickly in Los Angeles traffic, and is our surefire ticket to beat the bride's onset to Kurain!"

"Wow! This is _so_ cool!" Pearl crowed giddily, oblivious to her father figure's ashen countenance. "I've never been in a helicopter before!"

"Mr. Wright, Miss Fey, your chariot awaits, courtesy of _Herr_ Klavier Gavin." The lawyer bowed grandly. "He was most keen to get back in the good graces of a certain _grumpy female detective,_ who essentially volunteered its use _on his behalf_! Of course, I also helped persuade _the junior prosecutor_ by advising him if he wished to continue keeping it parked atop our office rooftop, he'd better be cooperative! Thusly, I hereby bring to you, in Detective Skye's own words…the _Fop Copter_!"

Pearl had already scrambled inside, and the aviator cocked a brow at the frozen in place card shark, who still hadn't moved a muscle.

 _Oh_ _ **hell**_ _to the_ _ **no**_ _!_ Phoenix's mind raced in disbelief. _There is no freaking way I am getting on that…_ _ **death trap**_ _!_

"As was pointed out, this is an emergency, and we _are_ in a rush," the flier drawled, inclining his head towards the waiting chopper. "We're ready _any_ _ **day**_ _now_."

The pianist's mouth ran dry and his stomach turned in an inhospitable way. He felt as if his brain were full of static, either firing off a million unhelpful thoughts at once, or offering nothing at all.

"I can declare to you it's quite safe with me behind the controls," Edgeworth informed him. "I acquired my pilot license during my self-reflection year abroad."

 _Of_ _ **course**_ _you did,_ _ **Mr. Perfect Prosecutor**_ _!_ Phoenix thought wildly. _What_ _ **can't**_ _your over-achieving ass do?! For an encore, I suppose you'll learn to speak fluent Khurainese, hang-glide in the Himalayas, and discover the cure for Incuritis, all without even breaking a sweat!_

"That's not it." He could barely move his rigid lips to form the words. "My legs feel light and every part of my body has already started feeling weak… And I haven't even gotten _in_ the accursed thing! I thought we'd be _driving_ down to Kurain, _not_ chartering the friendly skies!"

"Bloody hell! I'd forgotten about your acrophobia." The navigator sounded exasperated. "Nevertheless, you can't remain standing here all day! Not making a decision means forgoing an opportunity! There's no other alternative! You'll need to _face your fear_ , just as _I_ did!"

"I _can't_!" His feet remained cemented in place. "You _know_ how I am with heights!"

"Mr. Nick!" Pearl wailed plaintively. "You _have_ to! I need you! _Mystic Maya_ needs you!"

"I'm sorry, Pearls." He shook his head regretfully. "I wish I could, but I –"

"Try turning around your way of thinking!" Edgeworth proposed, his tone now emboldening. "Attempt to view riding in this helicopter less as being forced to tackle your phobia, and more as a _numinous_ experience. Yes, it's fearful…yet fascinating, and it also encompasses the feeling of being overwhelmed, but still inspired."

 _ **I used to think that I could not go on  
And life was nothing but an awful song  
But now I know the meaning of true love  
I'm leaning on the everlasting arms**_

Phoenix felt his resolve weakening as he mulled this over, while snippets of the motivational song he'd loved as a teen raced through his brain.

 _ **If I can see it, then I can do it  
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it**_

As though reading his mind, the prodigal genius continued building his case as he clamored at the fearful man, his mounting frustration evident.

"Wright, you have more far moxie than you give yourself credit for! I _know_ you have it in you to do this! You've _never_ been afraid to take risks before, so why are you starting now? You were an _art major_ in school, yet to become reunited with _me_ , you decided to do a complete turnabout and pursue _a legal path_ instead!"

"Changing my career life choice is a far cry from _risking my life_!"

"For God's sake, stop rebutting everything I'm saying, you _ornery_ … _obdurate fool_!"

"I'm sorry you went through all this trouble for nothing Edgeworth, but I– I _cannot_ do this!"

" _Phoenix_ , heed my words: Life is a test of courage. It's only worth it if you can learn to withstand your most trying times and remain stable, steady, simple and strong in different places and spaces."

Edgeworth leaned out of the cockpit, bracing himself with one arm as he reached out his other hand to his best friend, intense slate orbs boring into petrified cobalt ones.

"If you _still_ can't muster the force within you to get into this chopper for _my_ sake, then _do it for_ _**Maya**_ _**Fey**_ , whom you love so much you've _broken down heavy wooden doors_ and _ran across an 80 foot high burning bridge_! With _superhuman proportions_ for the past decade, you've moved mountains to save this woman so she could remain alive and by your side! And now that you're at the final frontier, are you ultimately going to let all those heroic endeavors be for naught? You'd willingly lose the love of your life, merely because you allowed your phobia to triumph, and prohibit you from getting onto a flying vehicle… navigated by a man you claim to have placed _unconditionally_ _faith and trust in_?"

 _ **I believe I can fly  
I believe I can touch the sky  
I think about it every night and day  
Spread my wings and fly away  
I believe I can soar  
I see me running through that open door  
I believe I can fly**_

The ex-defense attorney squeezed his lids shut as waves of shame washed over him at his cowardice, along with the underlying emotions triggered by Edgeworth's articulate syllogism wrestling within him, until in the end, he realized his sole choice wasn't really a _choice_ at all. It was a goddamn _given_.

 _ **See I was on the verge of breaking down  
Sometimes silence can seem so loud  
There are miracles in life I must achieve  
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh**_

In the end, all that mattered was Phoenix Wright unequivocally loved Maya Fey more than the air he breathed, and he unconditionally entrusted Miles Edgeworth with his very life. It was now or never.

 _ **If I can see it, then I can be it  
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it**_

"Fine!" He choked. "You –you _win_! I – I'm coming on!"

 _ **Hey, cause I believe in me, oh  
If I can see it, then I can do it  
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it…**_

Fighting back nausea, the trembling Phoenix hazarded his way towards the helicopter, his shaking hand shamelessly gripping the prosecutor's extended one with all his might as he climbed in.

Fastened comfortably in the back seat, headphone with microphone already in place, the obviously excited and beaming Pearl encouragingly flashed him a thumbs up sign.

He returned the gesture with noticeably less enthusiasm, but still managed to afford the teen with a sickly grin as the pilot prepared for takeoff.

"Warning, it's going to be a little bit chilly up here." The aeronaut's calm voice was heard in Phoenix's headset after they'd finally reached the desired level of altitude. "Make sure your earpiece is in the proper position if you wish to communicate. Otherwise, you won't be able to hear anything over these choppy blades."

"Got it!" Pearl chirped in response, practically bouncing in her seat as her wide eyes took in the breathtaking sky view of the city beneath them. "Wow, this is _so_ incredible!"

"We're making good time," Edgeworth remarked after a while had passed, not seeming to notice his frontal passenger had yet to utter a single sound. "We'll get there before Maya and Gumshoe, without a hitch."

"Mystic Mia instructed me to tell Uncle Gumshoe to call for some sort of backup to replace him in the hospital lot, so _he_ could finally take off," Pearl told the flyer. "When you called, did he mention _which_ officer ended up getting stuck waiting for the BMW owner in his stead?"

"I do believe Meekins was given the undignified duty of being stand-in," the aviatrix sniggered. "I couldn't have thought of a more _viable or qualified_ contender to be tasked with doing _nothing at all_! It _is_ what he does _better_ than anyone I've ever known!"

As the teen smothered back her giggles at the quip, the flier turned towards the mute acrophobic for a split second, and trepidation coursed through his system as he noted his passenger's eyes were tightly shut, and his breath was coming out in jagged rasps.

" _Wright_!" Edgeworth hollered in alarm. "Are you alright?!"

"Define _alright_ ," Phoenix muttered, reluctant to speak due to his irrational fear it'd _rock the chopper_ somehow. "If it constitutes feeling queasy and like I'm going to violently puke my guts out any given second… Then yes, I'm _fine_."

"Dear Lord, you're turning _green_!" The helmsman noted, fervently trying to keep his eyes forward but unable to mask the foreboding in his tone. "I can't do anything while we're up here since I need to focus on flying this blasted thing! Pearl, check back there to see if Gavin has any airsick bags stashed somewhere!"

"Mr. Nick hang in there, _please_!" Pearl begged as she rummaged around the back seat area. "Mr. Eh-ji-worth, how much further are we from Kurain?"

"If I upsurge the speed from 100 knots to 155 knots, which takes us from 185 KM per hour to 286 KM per hour, I can cover the remaining 164 KM in 34 minutes instead of 53!" The aviator glanced over at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle doppelgänger who'd replaced his childhood buddy. "But I don't know if Wright will be able to handle the increased speed if he's already feeling sick!"

"I'll live… _somehow_." The pianist clutched his stomach as his head rolled to the side. "You do what you have to do, Edgeworth."

"Mr. Nick, I think I found something you can vomit into," Pearl offered desperately, waving a bag in his face. "Would getting sick make you feel better?"

"I don't think nausea is my problem anymore, sweetie." He made the horrific mistake of glimpsing down from their elevated level at the ground far, far below, and immediately felt lightheaded. His voice came out thin and distant. "I think the problem is there's not enough _air_ to breathe up here…"

" _Air_?!" Pearl gasped, noticing the pianist's mien had just drastically changed from verdant to pallid. "Are you going to pass out?! Or do you _literally_ feel like you can't breathe?!"

"Can't breathe…but look, _you're_ still managing…so it's only me? But, no, it didn't, that's... not... right..." Phoenix was breathing all wrong, beginning to wheeze like there truly was not enough oxygen in the air. "How'm I 'posed to breathe with _no air_?"

"Stay with me, Wright!" The aviatrix shouted, contemplating if he should land and tend to the other man as his voice shook slightly with fear. "I can't tend to you _and_ fly this bloody thing at the same time! Don't you _dare_ fade on me! I already have a missing ex-fiancée even experts can't seem to locate, so I've no idea if _she's_ dead or alive anymore… But I _cannot_ lose my best friend again, after I _just_ got him back!"

"You focus on those controls, Miles," a feminine cadence instructed firmly. "I'll make sure my ex-protégé gets through this."

* * *

 _ **Mia Fey and Wrightworth**_  
 _Fop Copter, LA Skies_  
June 16, 2026

" _Ngh_!" The pilot nearly jumped out of his seat as he shifted his view ever so slightly, and saw _Mia Fey_ leaning forward, an angelic but amused smile on her comely visage in response to his jumpy reaction. " _Good God_ , woman! Don't _do_ that! Can't you see I'm driving a motorized, airborne vehicle?! _Why_ do you insist on always catching me unawares by popping up out of the blue like this?!"

"Because it's so much more _fun_ that way," Mia replied sweetly, giving the disgruntled attorney's shoulder a consoling pat. "My spiritually gifted little cousin can channel at the drop of a hat, you know. Pearly was obviously worried sick about Phoenix, and figured I could possibly do more to help our phobic flyer than _she_ could. So _you_ relax and navigate this thing, while _I_ tend to my old protégé."

She leaned forward and firmly patted the traumatized man's cheeks until his eyes flew open, morphing into the size of saucers at the unexpected sight of his former employer.

" _Mia_!"

"Yes, it's me, again, Phoenix. Didn't I tell you that you hadn't seen the last of me yet?" Her lilting resonance was both harmonious and soothing to his poor, frayed nerves. "You're having a panic attack, but I swear to you, you're going to be _fine_. I want you to focus on nothing except my voice, do you understand?"

He nodded mutely, and felt one hand lightly stroking the back of his head in a maternal fashion as his gaze remained locked on her gentle eyes, feeling the air once again circulating within his body as his ragged breathing slowly began to go back to normal.

"Your acrophobic yet courageous, self is very high in the sky right now. Therefore, much like I used to say to you when I was alive, _don't look down_." The buxom beauty tittered and pointed to her ochre orbs, which were sparkling with jollity. "Look _right_ here. And _nowhere_ _but_ _here_!"

Phoenix blushed furiously at the teasing entendre, however mildly it'd been put, yet found himself effectively tranquil as he focused entirely on Mia's calming presence, which slowly but surely seem to be taking his mind away from the fact he was over 10,000 feet in the air, attempting to overcome his greatest phobia for the love of his life.

"It's OK to feel fear sometimes," Mia counseled. "Fear is part of being human, Phoenix. It's the precursor to bravery. We need it; it wakes us up to what needs to be done. So feel it, own it, and let it ignite your thoughts."

He bobbed his head again, feeling both his previous regurgitation and inner quaking slowly abating. He could now bask in the pleasure of being in the company of two people he absolutely adored, who'd essentially moved _heaven and earth_ to aid him on his quest.

 _Although every nerve in my body is tingling, I feel in control, thus far._ Opening his eyes to the allaying sun, Phoenix gazed at the clouds, brilliant white against the blue. While he could still hear each of his inhalations, slightly raspy like when he'd had the flu, he knew was really going to make it. Thanks to his guardian angel, he was going to be OK.

Seeing that her ex-apprentice had calmed down somewhat, the legal legend gave his hand a gentle squeeze, keeping it in her warm clasp before shifting her body slightly and aiming her next words at the pilot.

"Miles, you've been such a mensch for these estranged lovebirds, I want to do something for _you_ in return," she said kindly. "I heard you pondering whether Franziska was still a part of the mortal world or not. I wanted to give you, at the very least, the comforting knowledge your former betrothed is _not_ part of the Twilight Realm. Wherever she is, it's still somewhere on earth."

" _Danke Gott_." Edgeworth expelled a relieved breath, and briefly glanced over at her with undisguised gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, Mia."

"It's the least I can do for my favorite secret softy prosecutor," she joked. "As a matter of fact, I'm going to go one step beyond and do you one more favor regarding Franziska. I'll see if I can determine her whereabouts… On _one_ condition only."

"Name it," the lawyer replied automatically. "Whatever it is within my power, it's yours. Just _please_ tell me where she is."

"There's not much I can ask you for that goes above what you've _already_ done for my baby sister and future brother-in-law – _assuming_ he doesn't _screw things up again_!" Mia winked at her flushed former employee over her shoulder. "All I want is for you to admit the real truth to your _brother from another mother_ about why you _really_ turned down Maya's wedding invite."

"The _truth_?" The spiky haired man was confused. "I don't understand what you mean, Chief! Edgeworth basically explained he didn't think it would be appropriate, as my closest confidant, to attend my ex-girlfriend's wedding. It was simply a case of loyalty on his behalf… What _else_ could it have possibly been?"

"What else _indeed_?" Mia turned back to her former legal adversary and grinned impishly. "Is that _really_ the story you stuck with, Miles? That your loyalty to your BFF was the _solitary_ reason you were opting to decline attending Maya's wedding?"

"Certainly you can understand how unseemly it'd be to attend her nuptials," Edgeworth replied stiffly, his rigid hands on the controls as he refused to meet her prying gaze. "It was nothing personal against Maya whatsoever…"

"Oh, but it _was_ personal, wasn't it, you _tsundere_ son of a gun?" She pressed insistently. "As much as I'd never doubt your allegiance to Phoenix, especially with you braving your own phobia of elevators for his sake, it wasn't merely your _love_ for _him_ which kept you from watching this train wreck of a wedding from transpiring with your own eyes. It's because you didn't want to witness my sister make what _you innately knew_ was a huge mistake. It'd have been too painful for you, because it's so hard for you to observe people you care about make terrible decisions, isn't it, Miles?"

"I don't understand what the purpose of this conversation is, Mia." Edgeworth clenched his jaw. "It's no secret I'm obviously very fond of Maya, as she has shown unparalleled faithfulness to me in the past, as well as to my childhood companion."

"Is it _truly_ so hard for you to admit you actually _love_ my sister, in the manner you do my former understudy, you _big cinnamon roll_?" Mia playfully cuffed him in the shoulder, careful to ensure the impact didn't affect his maneuvering of the controls. " _That's_ why you didn't want to stand by and watch her marrying the wrong man! However, you didn't want to let Phoenix know about your misgivings, in case it fruitlessly got his hopes up, and you didn't want to be wrong because you had _no logical evidence_ for feeling the way you instinctively did."

"I hope you're gaining some satisfaction by unmasking my obviously failed attempts to keep a guarded panoply over my heart, Mia." Edgeworth's cadence was languorous yet resigned. "You'll have to pardon me for being this way, as my heart has been broken quite badly, on multiple occasions in my lifetime."

"Miles, you're a very good man, and I am genuinely sorry to hear such a thing," she susurrated sympathetically. "Nonetheless, there is _nobody_ in this chopper who will _ever_ break your heart, but can only benefit from knowing how deeply you hold them within _yours_ , you adorable, emotionally constipated, legal eagle!"

Edgeworth's cheeks reddened endearingly, and Phoenix barely bit back a snicker as Mia gaily went on with her exposé.

"I simply wanted you to admit this aloud now, Miles, so Phoenix would know, certain actions notwithstanding, you've _always_ been a Phaya advocate. In other words, it's my otherworldly attempt to make you stubborn Ace Attorneys further strengthen your _bromantic bond_!"

"Thanks, Chief," the baron of bluffing said gauchely. "And, um… Thanks for caring more than you let on sometimes, Edgeworth. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome." In spite of the succinct reply, the pilot's tone had lightened considerably. "Wright, you should know by now, better than anybody, that just because someone has difficulty _expressing_ their feelings, it doesn't mean they don't _feel_ them."

"We've _always_ known that about you, Miles!" Mia was positively cheery now. "I must profess, it's quite endearing how all these years later, you're _still_ vainly attempting to maintain that façade! Now, I'm going to enlighten you about my Franziska vision."

"Please do." Edgeworth cleared his throat uncomfortably as he stared ahead in the distance. "After all, I _did_ maintain _my_ end of the bargain in giving you the information _you_ were seeking."

"I'd say pry more than gave, but yes, of course!" She agreed amiably. "A deal _is_ a deal! Well, from what I could ascertain, looking down from above today, I could only see a beautiful waterfall… and a woman with shades and platinum hair, adoring the wondrous nature, sitting on a boulder and appreciating a fruity cocktail."

"I see." The steely edge had returned to his tone. "Pray tell, can you see if she's alone or... if there's other people... er, _men_ around her, enjoying the vision... of … _nature_?"

"Hold it!" Mia closed her eyes as she scanned the recesses of her memory. "There was also a tanned muscular man with _a big banana_ in his hand, approaching her and offering her his… fruit. Which, um…she eagerly bit into….oh wow it was actually more like something out of a naughty skin flick than anything else…"

The aeronaut gripped the controls so hard his knuckles turned white.

" _Edgeworth_?" Phoenix ventured worriedly when another few tense moments went by and his mate hadn't uttered a peep. "Mia, can you _please_ say something to him? I think he's going into shock or something!"

" _Oops_!" Mia gave Edgeworth's shoulder a gentle shake to indicate her raillery before dissolving into fits of laughter. "Oooh, sorry. I was wrong! That actually _wasn't_ Franziska, so forgive my blunder! There was _a lot of German wo_ men in that tropical paradise, so I couldn't easily distinguish one from another!"

Phoenix couldn't help but crack up as well, although the baleful glare Edgeworth cast could have easily struck them _both_ down in one sweep if looks could kill!

"The dearly departed certainly don't lose their twisted sense if hilarity, do they?" The pilot asked tightly.

"No, not really." Mia wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes. "However, I do _officially_ now declare us to be _even,_ for the time your _Bratworth_ behind referred to me as a _bimbo_ during our first and only courtroom trial, Edgy!"

"Fair enough. It was completely inexcusable behavior on my behalf during my fledgling legal days," he replied humbly. "Please forgive me, Mia."

"We were designed to love and to be loved, to reach our dreams to unleash our potentials but not remain in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another, Miles." Mia smilingly waved her hand in dismissal. "In short, as much as we dead don't lose our sense of humor, we also don't usually hold grudges! Forgiveness granted!"

"I must thank you, not only you for being so gracious, warped sense of payback humor aside, but for helping us get through this flight, Mia." Edgeworth flashed a friendly smile. "That's Kurain village down there coming up! We are about to land!"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
**_ _Kurain Village  
_ June 16, 2026 3:15 PM

Sneaking into Kurain would be easier than anticipated, the former defense attorney noted as the trio stepped away from the chopper, which Edgeworth had landed a few hundred meters from the main road. There wasn't a soul in sight as he and his friends walked towards the main village entrance, but they could hear mellifluous live orchestra music playing in the distance, effectively drowning out any sounds that may have been made from the helicopter blades.

"Are you _sure_ you're OK, Mr. Nick?" The spirit medium's smooth forehead was furrowed with worry as Phoenix brushed off his suit. "That tumble looked mighty uncomfortable!"

"Fret not, he's survived much more excruciating catastrophes than _face planting_ onto the meadow in his _imbecilic haste to exit the chopper_ , Pearl!" Edgeworth inserted sardonically. "Wright, you're most fortunate you didn't sully or stain my ensemble, which you conveniently seem to have forgotten was a _loan,_ and not a _gift_!"

 _Oh put a sock in it Edgeworth!_ Phoenix glared. _I would've paid for the dry cleaning!_

"I swear I'm fine, Pearls." He pointedly ignored his acerbic mate and scratched his head, giving the teen an embarrassed smile. "The only thing that suffered was my _dignity_ , due to the propelling of that unexpectedly heavy wind from the _Fop Copter_ rotors!"

"Next time, try paying attention when somebody's trying to warn your foolish self!" Edgeworth barked. "You never would've ended up _eating grass_ in the first place if you'd simply taken my advice about waiting for the rotors to slow down before _rushing_ to disembark off the helicopter!"

 _I'm surprised the mighty gust_ _ **of hot air coming out of your mouth**_ _isn't knocking me off my feet_ _ **again**_ _!_ Phoenix grumbled silently. _My nerves are shot enough already, Mr. Know It All! Can't you cut me some slack and spare me the customary "I told you so" spiel already?!_

Ensuring that guests were lead in the right direction, the triad were greeted with the sight of a hand-drawn sign on a rustic chalkboard, propped on an easel, which read: _Welcome to the nuptials of Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse! Please follow the path._ An arrow was drawn under the words, pointing to the long trail leading into the village which was lined with festive lanterns. Edgeworth, Pearl and Phoenix were the only ones to be walking along the trail, as everyone else was either presumably either seated for the ceremony or running around making last-minute preparations.

Phoenix shot an idle glance at the altar set up as they hurried past it. Tied strips of shiny colorful ribbons from tree branches created a whimsical backdrop to the proceedings, as did the decorative ceramic ornaments, shaped like magatamas, paired with strings of beads, which hung from the tree branches. Bright pink and white rose petals lined the aisle and whimsical topiaries with lush bouquets of roses served as altar décor, as did a large vined arch, adorned with multi-colored blossoms. Pastel flowers in vessels were tied with lavender ribbon to the metal chairs that were covered with velvet square cushions, upon which the guests were seated.

Edgeworth had opted to stay behind and attempt to blend in with the congregation to avoid suspicion, while Phoenix and Pearl bypassed the festivity area as they scurried towards The Winding Way.

As a strange man in the matriarchal setting, Phoenix was quick to voice his consternations about the liability if caught entering _maiden chambers_ , which Pearl promptly dissuaded.

"No worries, Mr. Nick. Since you're with _me_ , nobody will bother you!" She assured him. "And that's assuming they even _recognize_ you! It's been forever since you last came up here, and you look so different now that you're all dressed up!"

"Is the sight of me in a suit really _so transforming_ from my bum gear that you honestly think everyone forgot _these_?" Phoenix ruefully gestured to his famous spikes. "They _do_ tend to make me stick out like a sore thumb, either in a crowd, _or in memory_ you know!"

"So what if they remember you?" Pearl shrugged. "They'll just think _I_ invited you to the wedding. Which, in a way, I guess I sort of did! I can claim to the Elders you were being a gentleman and escorting me to the dressing room before you go take your seat with the other guests, should anyone ask."

"Sure…if you think _that_ would be a better option than claiming I'm Edgeworth's last-minute wedding date!"

She took Phoenix's hand and pulled him down the familiar path, which luckily, was void of any other bystanders.

"We have to hurry! The ceremony has been _tentatively_ rescheduled for 4:00 PM! Aunt Maggey texted and let me know Mystic Maya _just_ got here and Uncle Gumshoe has only been here stalling things for the last quarter hour or so!"

 _Gumshoe's only been here attempting to prevaricate for the last 15 minutes?_ Phoenix was astonished. _I wonder what tactics he's been using?_ _And the bride only arrived_ _ **now**_ _? That must've been some serious balls to the wall traffic, considering Maya and Gumshoe both had such a head start on us_! _But at least_ _ **we**_ _made it here before the wedding-redux!_

The Winding Way linked the Side Room and the Meditation Room to Fey Manor. It consisted of a sheltered wooden walkway with a small garden beside it, containing of a small lamp and traditional Japanese-style decorations. Once they reached the end of the foot path, the young spirit medium stopped and turned to Phoenix.

"I need to freshen up my hair and makeup now. My changing quarters are in the Side Room, which is along the way to the bridal changing room. Mystic Maya will be getting ready in the Meditation Room." Pearl bit her thumb and studied him nervously. "Please try to make things right with your Special Someone, Mr. Nick. I don't want my cousin to marry that _weird…prancing man_ , any more than _Mystic Maya_ probably does! Good luck!"

With those as her last words, she pecked him on the cheek, then headed off to her room, leaving him alone to gather his bearings before taking a deep breath and entering Maya's dressing room, which was unlocked.

The bride-to-be was staring forlornly out the side window. Surprisingly, she was wearing a silky, kimono-style dressing gown instead of her wedding attire, which was draped on a hanger and hanging on a wall hook. It appeared to be a different, _fussier_ , _fluffier_ version of the dress she'd he'd seen her in earlier, but he didn't pay much mind to it, instead focusing on the woman herself. Even from across the room, Phoenix could see from her profile that her hair and makeup were still artfully and flawlessly done, bearing no evidence of the harried altercation from earlier. He entered the room and silently shut the door behind him, yet Maya still appeared unaware of his presence. He approached quietly, afraid he would startle her.

"Maya, are you okay?" Phoenix loosened his tie, unease creasing his brow as he viewed her body slumped at the window with a hand to her eyes. She didn't move, and the tightness in his gut increased. What was going here? He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. " _Maya_?"

"Oh!" She whirled around, staggering against the sill with a hand to her chest. "Nick! _What_ in the world– _how_ did you – _why_ are you…?"

He clutched her arm to steady her, and the color drained from her cheeks. Softening his hold, he absently grazed her skin with his thumb, then ducked his head and smiled, eyes tender as he surveyed her silently.

Maya gaped at her former lover, still trying to recover from the shock of his unanticipated presence, considering how things had been left between them at the hospital. She cursed her traitorous, racing heart for her fawning thoughts at the sight of his beautiful visage again, in his resplendent, dark-suited glory. _Damn **him**_ for being so speciously handsome! _Damn_ **_her_** quisling _heart **and** body_ for allowing the _all too vivid_ recollection of her intimate familiarity of the muscled physique lying beneath Phoenix's formal wear, and the prurient feel of it pressed against her just _earlier_ _that day_.

 _My wedding to **another man** is supposed to be in less than an hour, whenever Pearly gets back – remind self to kill Gumshoe for leaving my daughter behind in LA once I hear **that** excuse! Knowing I am spitting distance from the aisle, all it takes is the appearance of Nick to undo all my rationale. All I want to do at the sight of my duplicitous former flame is move right into his immediate vicinity and tell him I **still** love him, that I would do anything for him, that **he's** the one I want, flaws and all. But I can't. Before the words even form in my mouth or I throw myself into his arms, where speech would be impossible, my heart is racing. I'm too **apprehensive**. It's the bane of my life. So maybe my fear's a good thing, perhaps it's saving me from trouble and acting on my impulses, because all things considered…knowing what I know about Nick now…my heart **has** to be wrong… **doesn't** **it**?_

"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." Phoenix's quiet voice broke the silence at last. "Are you all right?"

Maya nodded stiffly, her gaze glued to the massive hand on her arm as she remembered how those warm fingers had caressed her cheek, while she had been plastered atop his hard body, with not even an inch of space between them, and _barely_ resisted his attempt to draw her lips to his own…mere hours ago.

Worry wrinkled the bridge of his nose and he braced both palms on her shoulders, convinced something was wrong. Her visage was white and her breathing labored, and he could swear he felt a hint of a tremble.

"No, I can feel it. Something's bothering you. I don't need my magatama to tell me that!" He gently pressed his hand to her forehead. "Are you sick?"

She jerked back from his hold and backed up against the window, arms crossed and hugging her waist. "No!" she said too quickly to suit him, clearly avoiding his eyes. "I mean maybe a little dizzy, but nothing serious. It's pre-wedding jitters, is all. I just needed these last few moments to myself. . ."

He shifted, suddenly perturbed her shaken disposition was due to _him_. He plunged his hands in his pockets and assuaged his tone.

"I know you weren't expecting me to be here, especially after earlier today, but I _had_ to see you, one last time, before some lucky man makes an honest woman out of you." Phoenix scratched the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "But I never wanted to catch you so off-guard that you'd literally be _near faint_ right before your wedding! I'm worried about you, Maya. You don't look well at all."

She blinked at him, unsure of how to respond to this.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, you look _beautiful_ ," he added hastily. "But _still_!"

Maya's breath caught in her throat.

"Maya. . . is it _me_?" Phoenix swallowed hard, hating that being around him now made her this visibly jittery and uncomfortably tense. "Should I – go?"

His soft lips stretched into a tentative smile that didn't quite reach his indigo eyes. They were lit with sadness, and the forced expression of the contrary on his mouth, would have looked comical to her if it didn't make her heart feel heavy. For a few moments, she simply stared at him, almost sure his expression mirrored her own. It broke her heart.

 _No, Nick, I **don't** want you to leave! I never wanted to turn into a random image that floated in the pool of your memory. I have no desire to be the smile that squeezed your chest somewhere far away. I don't want you to go. I want your smile to stay. I want **you** to stay, no matter how inappropriate or insane that may be!_

She shook her head, gaze bonded to the floor. "No, Nick, really, please, I just need to—"

He nudged her chin up with his thumb, and her lips parted with a sharp intake of breath. And then he saw it. The gentle rise and fall of her chest, the delicate rose in her cheeks, the skittish look in her eyes, flitting to his lips and then quickly away. Comprehension suddenly oozed through him like heated honey coursing through his veins. _Could it be_? Was it possible that despite her rage earlier that day, and now shaken exterior, **_Maya_** was still as moved by limerence as he was? Was she as aware of, and as affected by him, as _he_ was of **_her_**? Of Phoenix Wright, the leper from her past? The thought sent warm ripples of shock through his body, thinning the air in his lungs.

The air of heightened tension between the two was so thick, you could have cut it with a knife.

An intense moment of _mamihlapinatapai_ passed between the former lovers. It was a look shared by two people, each wishing the other would initiate something they both equally desired, but which neither wanted, nor was sure of how to begin.

His gaze gentled, taking in the vulnerability in her eyes, the fear in her expression, and all he wanted to do was hold her, reassure her. And moreover, at long last, fix things with her.

 _I'm terrible with **words**! They only get in the way. Maybe this time, I can allow my **actions** do the talking instead…_

As if under a spell, his gaze was drawn to her lips, parted and full, and the sound of her shallow breathing filled him with a fierce, concupiscent longing.

"Oh, Maya," he breathed, no power over the pull he was suddenly feeling. In slow motion, he bent toward her, closing his eyes to caress her mouth with his own. A weak gasp escaped her as she stiffened, but he couldn't relent. The taste of her lips was far more than he bargained for, and he drew her close with a groan of surrender. With a fierce hold, he cupped the back of her neck and kissed her deeply, gently, possessive in his touch. His fingers twined in her hair, desperate to explore.

And then all at once, beyond his comprehension, her body melded to his with an answering moan, and he was shocked when her mouth rivaled his with equal demand, her fingers threading through his hair. Desire licked through him, searing his body… and then his conscience. With a heated shudder, he gripped her arms and pulled back, his breathing ragged as he held her at bay.

"We can't do this." Phoenix dropped his hold and exhaled, gouging shaky fingers through his disheveled hair. His gaze returned, capturing hers, and riddled with regret. "Believe me, Maya, as much as I want to, I've learned the hard way that if I give into my urges and indulge with you ever again, with things being as they are now between us... I'll never be able to let you go again. I should have never started this, and I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

 _Forgive him?_ Maya stared at him through glazed eyes, her pulse still pumping in her veins at a ludicrous rate. She had tried to convince herself that she was over him, that she couldn't stand the sight of him, had never wanted this, and now here she was, about to walk down the aisle, with another man's taste on her lips, while still tingling from his touch and desperate for more. Addicted to the Baron of Bluffing. The very thought inflamed both fury and desire at the same time, muddling her mind. Dear Lord, she was minutes away from _her own wedding_ , and was torn between welding her lips to her former lover's, and slapping him silly.

With a tight press of her mouth, she opted for the second option, and smacked him clean across his completely unprepared face.

His jaw dropped a full inch, complemented nicely by a slash of red across his cheek.

Maya's chest was heaving, but at least this time, it wasn't from his touch. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists at her side, not all that sure she wouldn't slap him again.

"You despicable… libidinous… _wannabe Lothario_! Have you no shame? I am about to be a married woman! And you…you're with _my cousin_! Show some restraint, you _lecherous, spurious bastard_!" The look her dark eyes cast in his direction was livid, even as she took a step back from him. "So help me, Phoenix Wright, if you _ever_ touch me again, you will be _the sorriest person alive_!"

Phoenix slowly rubbed his cheek with the side of his hand, exercising his jaw as if to make sure it still worked. His eyes glinted like dark blue glass, sharp and destructive. Even so, the swaggering smile of old, the one he used whenever he was playing cards, eased across his phizog. He bent forward, his tall frame looming over her like a bad omen, and his voice held that cocky edge, so redolent of his poker shark days.

"What's the matter, Maya?" He asked silkily. "Does my _touch_ make you nervous?"

The heat in her cheeks went straight to her temper.

" _Nervous_? Around _you_? Hardly!" She iced him with a cold, haughty gaze. "You can dress up in a suit all you like, Phoenix Wright, but you're still the scummy, disgraced _forgin' attorney_. A low-life, _ne'er-do-well, nobody_. The _degenerate hobo bum,_ phony pianist turned shady poker player in a dive bar amongst the other like riffraff, who _fittingly_ befriends the underbelly wastrels and criminals of society!"

Maya knew her words hit their mark when a red blotch crawled up the back of his neck like a rash gone awry. A nerve pulsed in his temple, but his smile never wavered despite the steel edge of his jaw. One dark brow jagged high in challenge.

"Is that a fact? Well then, how about a little experiment? Kind of like the last time I held you in my arms?" Phoenix leaned close, his sonorous voice as imposing as his hardened orbs. "What do you bet I can make you melt now the way I did then?"

She tried to shove him out of the way. "I've got a wedding to get to. Get away from me."

Phoenix had been stunned, not so much by the force of the blow, but by the _cause_ of it. Here he'd been about to confess to her how Iris had been all a lie, and that he'd never stopped loving her, and he'd done it all to protect her. But ultimately, what did it matter, when Maya Fey was no different than the rest of the world who viewed him as plebian scum since he'd been disbarred, and thought he was equivalent of the dirt under her feet? When she not only contemptibly deemed him to be _from the underbelly of society,_ but now flat out loathed his touch?

Well the hell with it all then! She'd assaulted him for the final time. If Maya's Zoilean opinion truly was that he was a complete bastard _and_ son of a bitch, he may as well _act_ the part! He reacted without thinking, advancing upon her, step for step, while she backed away from him, until her retracting steps ended with nothing but the wall behind her.

"Not yet," Phoenix whispered, blocking her in with a push to the wall. His voice, like the dominance of his hold, was a force to be reckoned with. "You've always been fiery, Maya Fey, and I have repeatedly withstood it in the past, but this is the _last_ time I will do so. You can turn your nose up at me all you want, and pretend you share the same view of me as those narrow-minded hags of the village, along with the rest of the damn world when it comes to me, but we both know that slap wasn't so much about an innocent kiss. . ."

He bent close, his eyes on fire and the scent of grape juice and musky spice hot against her skin.

"As much as it was about how it _made you feel._ "

His words seemed to vibrate through her, low and thick in the air. She shuddered, and the force of his savage look trapped all protest in her throat.

"Compared to you presently, _Leader of Kurain_ , I may very well now be deemed as riffraff, something vulgar and crude. Well, welcome to my world, _Master Fey_. And, please, let me show you how we do things _in the underground_. Because if I'm going to take _yet another beating_ from you, you can bet your bottom dollar on two things for sure. _One_ , I'm going to get my money's worth."

A dangerous smile surfaced as his gaze focused on her lips and her heart hammered in her ribs.

"And _two_. . ." His mouth hovered mere inches above hers while his voice trailed to a rough undertone. "I'm gonna make you _real_ nervous in the process."

In a catch of her breath, he took her mouth in a fierce, demanding kiss. A faint moan escaped her lips and all resistance fled, burned away by the heat of his touch, leaving her weak and wanting. His mouth roamed at will, no longer gentle as he devoured her, ravenous against the smooth curve of her throat, the sensitive flesh of her ear. With a guttural groan, he jerked her close with powerful arms, consuming her mouth with a kiss surely driven by the sheer will to ravage.

And then in a frantic beat of her heart, Phoenix pushed her away. She gasped, numb, as she thudded back against the wall. His chest was heaving and his eyes were hard, focusing on her with cool disregard.

"There. Now that makes _two_ of the sorriest people alive."

He reached into his pocket and slapped his magatama heavily down on the side table, the sharp clank of the sacred charm reverberating in the silent room.

"Looks like I won't be needing _this_ anymore."

With that, he strode towards the door, flung it open and turned to face her, rubbing his mouth with the side of his hand.

"Better run off to your ceremony, _Master Fey_ , and to the shielding embrace of your would-be husband. God knows what other objectionable and unsavory characters may be looming about that you may need protecting from."

Phoenix spun on his heel and stalked out of the room, slamming the door hard behind him before she could see the tears in his eyes.

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey_**  
 _Fey Manor_  
June 16, 2026 3:25 PM

With shaking hands, Maya reached for the mystic stone her ex had curtly discarded, clasping it tightly against her chest, which was shaking with suppressed sobs.

In the next instant, out of the blue, an uncontrollable sentient perception overcame her with the force of an inundating wave. It left her feeling like an enervated ship, awash in the spiraling undercurrent of swarming images in her mind's eye, making her bated breath get painfully trapped in her lungs.

 _None_ of these unfamiliar kaleidoscopic emotions…these psychedelic reflections …these jumbled polychromatic recollections, were her own.

This experienced zeitgeist was purely Phoenix Wright's.

Squeezing her eyes shut in concentration, Maya felt her extrasensory powers fighting against separation from her psyche, the automatic instinct to preserve herself above all else to keep her from drowning in these fragmented sensations of another soul… ululates of sorrow… overwhelming maudlin, lugubrious, helplessness. She felt the elastic recoil of her sixth sense fight to protect her from the deluge. She had to strain to push it entirely away; it took all of her focus.

Maya spluttered in shock as her intuitive resources at last dredged up the paroxysm of agonized reminiscences she was privy to intuiting at that moment, letting them flood her senses as she hefted the protective shield right out of her mind.

That was she saw them – the crystal-clear memories Phoenix had been experiencing over the past six years. It was like viewing a movie reel on high-speed as the imageries whizzed by, and her mind had to slow down the depictions to a freeze frame in order to linger on the details of the unadulterated misery, devastation and despair he'd endured.

Some of the memories were not clear—dim memories, seen through enervated eyes and heard through dim ears: their breakup… the faux placid smile he'd been wearing since their split … the sound of her voice through the darkness of his faltering consciousness when he'd heard her singing at his hospital bedside…his torment when he'd discovered her engagement… the preciously guarded promise ring and locket he'd given her, still in his night table … his trembling palm cupping her cheek earlier that afternoon…

The older, now poignant memories which had been so blissful at the time were perfectly recalled: his sublime expression when she'd first said she loved him…the first time they'd kissed… that first night they'd made love… the prideful elation when she'd accepted that infinity ring…

All these unrestrained, innermost impressions from the depths of Phoenix's soul…They were all of _her_. Not a single one was of Iris. And from what she could make out from the most recent vibes…there wasn't even _an ounce of_ happiness amongst any of them – only despair, loneliness and heartbreak.

With a spluttering, strangled rasp, Maya's overwrought psychic powers lost their grip on the struggling weight of holding her own cognizance away from herself, and it sprung back like stressed elastic, protecting her thoughts once again and leaving her with nothing but her own tumultuous emotions behind.

Her eyes snapped open, and then the bride was dimly aware of her immediate surroundings once more as she stared haplessly at the door Phoenix had stormed out of moments ago, while she struggled to make sense of what had just transpired within her as she'd gripped his forsaken magatama.

 _What the **hell** did Pearly do to that thing when she charged it with her spiritual energy? _ Her mystified heart cried out. _Why was I able to see, to experience all of Nick's thoughts and emotions and memories as though I'd been there right alongside him? Why has he been so miserable all this time and experiencing no joy in his life when **he's** the one who left **me**?! What does this all mean? I don't understand!_

The shattered Master stifled back a cry of agony as she recalled his incensed expression when Phoenix had finally exited her life for the very last time, her body still quivering from his rage. Closing her eyes against her tears, she sagged against the wall, too stunned to move and too shaken to care. She pressed a trembling hand to her mouth, her lips swollen from the taste of him. She was doomed, Maya realized, and the thought shivered through her like a cold chill. She desperately loved and still wanted a man who had broken her heart, and the very notion weakened her at the knees. She grappled for her bridal clutch, pulled out a handkerchief, and held it against her wet cheeks.

Right before he'd left, Phoenix had called her one of the sorriest people alive.

And God help her, that's _exactly_ what she was.

* * *

 ** _Adele - Now and Then (chapter quote)_**

 ** _R. Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly_**

 _A/N: Also thanks Ariastella for the sentient magatama angle!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 150**

 **Joeclone**

I've tried to make it so that at least most of the main cast gets their shot at saying OBJECTION at least once! Heck if I could allow Maggey and Larry the golden opportunity sweet little Pearl definitely deserved her turn up at bat!

I keep forgetting that Max Galactica had a hick name! His character was nerve grating in the videogame that the animated such a great job fleshing out almost everybody's character that Mr. pink here was no exception and I figured he'd still be a better husband than that wooden puppet or his master!

I absolutely adore Luke and I'm glad you like my portrayal as well. I hope we get to see him a bit more grown-up in the new professor Layton game featuring his daughter, if not I am strictly going by fan art that he is turned out to be quite a little cutie pie and more than worthy of the adorable spirit medium. They truly are my AA-Disney couple – their names spell Feyt! :)

 **Chapter 151**

 **Joeclone**

Maya is very emotional and not thinking, but I have noticed in the video games that's just the way she is, which is why I've continued her portrayal in such a manner… The perfect match to the identical _act first, think later_ emo head case which is also Phoenix Wright! XD

To be fair Maya has no idea those DVDs were new – unfortunately the clamor outside with the metal equipment prevented her from hearing that a mysterious package of DVDs had only arrived _today_ in Nick's room, therefore she thinks it's the ones she'd already sent him and hence took that _kid_ comment to heart never dreaming in a millionaire as he was actually talking about Pearl!) Because when this game started out, she _was_ a kid when she met Nick (17 years old to his 24!) And he treated her accordingly. So hopefully it's understandable why that comment rankled so much. It wasn't so much the kid comment as thinking that he had been as dismissive towards their own relationship as she thinks he's being with Iris regarding fidelity and other women… You'll find out a bit more insight about why Phoenix reacted the way he did as well in the next chapter.

 **DannyDragon**

 _Listen to your heart_ was another fantastic reader song request and I will definitely look into the ones that you sent me I of course know Halo by Beyoncé but will need to look up the other ones that you've given me a surefire winners in the past so I'm not too worried!

I find it very interesting how different readers perceived Maya's anger; some would say overreacting and overemotional, some say her reaction was tragic and heartbreaking (and that Nick is a d*ck!) but either way since she is so tiny I imagine she is quite the adorable little firecracker, like you said! :-)

That being said I don't think Nick was anywhere near as amused or endeared being at the receiving end of her wrath as my readers were! This entire arc is pure Nick and Maya and will continue into next week although this is going to be a two chapter week – look for the wedding hijinks to come to its climax in the next couple of chapters!

 **Chapter 152**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **napoleon32**

I think no matter how tough somebody is, a hybrid of Wolverine/Superman capabilities and surviving painful and near-death situations… at the end of the day don't we all need a hug?

Is not hilarious how it takes a whole team including the dearly departed, to try to get the star-crossed lovers together?

Gumshoe stalling tactics weren't required for very long, since he didn't beat Maya's there by much, although it's amazing he was able to beat her there at all, no doubt with the same wayward driving skills which caused him to have an accident in the first place!

The important thing was that Nick made it back before the wedding continued! Maya ended up saving herself by further stalling things by needing some time to herself before walking down the aisle again which should've been good news for Phoenix to intercept her alone if he was anyone but… Phoenix!

Yes Phoenix got his boot to the head from his mentor, which got entirely undone when Maya slept in one time too many, although hopefully with this magatama giving her fragments of the truth at last she's gotten her wake-up call! Will she be able to put the pieces together in time though since Phoenix appears to have been the one to have done the walking this time?

You're absolutely right about Maya having both too big of a heart and clouded judgment since she does seem to be a very emotional and reactive character both in the anime and the video games. In the very first chapter Phoenix acknowledges that Maya unlike the Feys who use it for good like Mia and Pearl, or for ill like Margaret and Dahlia, has no guile. Therefore her beautiful heart will not allow her to be any sort of schemer. It could be what Phoenix liked about Iris as well actually have no problem with her kind heart of the character, I just prefer Maya with Nick and hopefully my readers enjoyed the shrine maiden's arc with Larry!

I honestly believe that the reason Pearl is such a Phaya shipper issues always wanted Nick's to adopt her as she sees him as a father figure. Reuniting and finally healing the final broken piece of her heart which luckily Luke has done for the most part was a joy for me to write and I'm happy you enjoyed it as well. I have such a soft spot for Nick in DILF mode whether it's with Trucy or Pearl!

You are absolutely _right_ (pun not intended) that Edgeworth was wasting away without his best friend _and_ Franny. I'm sure him and Phoenix can survive without their partners or each other but not _both_! Such a fate is too cruel for a man who's equally as iconic and beloved a character as Phoenix is! Pearl must've sensed how forlorn the men had been without each other to which is why I thought it would be cute to make her have another reunion and show each other even without words how much they mean to one another.

 **Joeclone**

Edgeworth! Pearl! Mia! Phoenix! All the players are at the field of a Phoenix may need to pull some kind of miraculous Turnabout out of his posterior to make up for his latest club… This would be his third strike with Maya wouldn't it? Assuming you count the breakup… if you _don't_ he's had _two_ ….either way doesn't look too good does it? ;)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Unfortunately you see in this chapter that when Maya slaps Phoenix perhaps one times too many it has the adverse reaction as when Mia slaps him – all the wonderful work that has been done in getting him to have some sense slapped into him just makes him revert back to being the Apollo Justice Phoenix that most of us can't stand that I had spent this entire story trying to redeem!

In Nick's defense he did try to go with action since we have seen him fall flat on his face in more ways than one every time he opens his mouth! He was able to show not need to tell his love for both Edgeworth and Pearl with his actions, however it seems going with no words and strictly going for the action of hug and kiss with Maya Fey considering how toxic he's left things between the may not have been the best way to go!

The wedding did get rescheduled and Maya did make it back pretty much the same time as Nick and Pearl did with The Edgeworth, but I did emphasize that the time was tentative because Maya would not allow the wedding to actually go on without Pearl, so even though Gumshoe the bumbler ultimately didn't need to stall as long as they thought he would, ultimately The Dragon Lady is powerless if Maya's got her claws out when it comes to her surrogate daughter being present at her nuptials, even if it is to the man of her non-dreams!

I used to sing that song to my nieces and nephews when they were small I grew up loving Phil Collins and I have had that song in mind for Nick and Pearl's reunion ever since I had to break the poor things heart when him and Maya broke up. Seriously to date _most depressing chapter_ I have personally written.

Edgeworth's role is always going to be best friend ball breaker and savior! Hopefully he will also have the role of being part of what I hope is an enjoyable comic duo as I truly love writing these two hottie best friends in full bantering bromance mode! :-)

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Señor Java...

As hilarious and cringe-worthy... as the image of those spikes coming out of Phoenix's rear end is ...I'm going to assume that they're still very soft to the touch as he does not deserve to have a torn rectum on top of the other injuries he has sustained at the hands of those Fey girls!

Yes you can just imagine what state Maya was in if she willingly left her little girl alone to Gumshoe's devices but I myself have been that crazy and upset in the past and I know she just wasn't thinking about anything but escape!

Last but not least it seems a slap will suffice where even a punch from his best friend back in the past did not! Your kitten indeed makes everything better even though Phoenix is older than her now she is his surrogate mother figure eternally, because after getting sense left into him the poor man did need to have a good cry to get it all out of his system which is something he simply would not be able to do even with Miles! (Nope he will NEVER get used to the whole Spirit channeling because what fun would that be?!)

 **chloemcg**

I think we can mostly agree that Phoenix in Daddy mode whether it's to Trucy or Pearl or his many other orphans he seems to keep adopting along the way, is the sweetest thing since chocolate!

Also I'm delighted you like Phil Collins tune! Disney's _Tarzan_ is probably my favorite sound track of all tied with _The Lion King_!

You've probably guessed that Nick and Maya are my OTP therefore I really do appreciate you helping me figure out how to get into that community _Phoenix and Maya: A Match Made In Heaven._

I absolutely love both Mia and Miles Edgeworth I hope you enjoyed seeing them this chapter, but of course Mia will definitely bust Nick's balls but still hug him and let him cry which is not something he can easily do with The Edgeworth. It's why I ultimately decided to let her be the one to literally slap some sense into him!

Miles and Franziska are the next story arc as soon as this wedding storyline gets wrapped up –look for that to happen next week, when we find out who ends up getting married to whom!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

I figure if you play a game about psychics, you eventually get some of the skills rubbed off on you!

Gumshoe is always going to be a clumsy lug I think that's part of his appeal! I have tried to upgrade his character to be a father and Uncle to the teenage girls but will never change in being a big oaf! That would be no fun at all!

Divine intervention indeed was needed for this ace idiot who doesn't seem to realize yet Maya is his immune to his courtroom tactics in and out of court!

Contrary to how much I have put them through the wringer in this story, I absolutely love Phoenix, which is why I had Mia spare him spare him a shot to his injured had or foot! Also I decided to give him some dignity and not have her kick him in the butt as hilarious as the notion was to me because I'm _five_! XD **  
**  
This chapter goes out to all my lovers of the Wrightworth banter bromance! I actually at the very end did cover the whole arc about Mia and Edgeworth's first and only fateful trial, which hopefully shed some light about why she is so mischievous when it comes to Miles! With Phoenix she still in maternal mentor mode, she such an incredible character that I'd like to believe she can have more than one facet to her, don't you?

We will find out about the fateful outcome of who will be getting married next week – stay tuned!

 **Ilet Moratar**  
I am so happy you enjoyed the sweetness of Phoenix and Pearl's reunion. I have been mentally working on Nick and Pearl's their reuniting ever since I wrote the one chapter in this entire story which depressed even me to write which was her heartbreak at the Phaya breakup in ch 78- Unbreak My Heart.

I felt so bad for what I did actually came up with the idea of her and Luke is a spur of the moment decision to atone my sin, and now they seem to be the most beloved couple of my readers with a 100% approval rating!

Showing Nick and pure DILF mode is so much joy for me! And in the anime it shows that Mia was not above using physical force when needed whenever Nick was an idiot, hence the putting the butt kicking on the table! Mia had some fire to her and Diego was Latino if not mistaken therefore I'd like to think they had a fiery relationship where she would definitely have a keep her hands off my man mentality if it ever warranted it. I think it would be very unlikely though since Mia to me was the most beautiful and sexy Ace Attorney character out there to date, and in online polls I have taken has only been tied with Athena! What more could a man want or need to look elsewhere if he had that in his life?

Miles does have a sense of humor when it comes to Phoenix and busting his balls, however I've made it that he gets flustered with Mia I don't know if it's because she's a _drop-dead_ gorgeous woman and is not used to bantering with them, or because he still getting used to the fact that he is talking to a _dead woman!_

 **JaDe In NighT**

I was thinking about your request since you enjoyed seeing Miles in Mia's brief interactions in this story and especially the last chapter I hope you did enjoy their banter in the Fop Copter! I shall never cease the puns afterlife or otherwise this is an Ace Attorney story dammit! XD


	154. Dude Looks Like A Lady!

_Listen boy  
I don't want to see you let a good thing  
Slip away_

 _You know I don't like watching  
Anybody make the same mistakes  
I made_

 _She's a real nice girl  
And she's always there for you  
But a nice girl wouldn't tell you what you should do_

 _Listen boy  
I'm sure that you think you got it all  
Under control_

 _You don't want somebody telling you  
The way to stay in someone's soul_

 _You're a big boy now  
You'll never let her go  
But that's just the kind of thing  
She ought to know_

 _Tell her about it  
Tell her everything you feel  
Give her every reason to accept  
That you're for real_

 _Tell her about it  
Tell her all your crazy dreams  
Let her know you need her  
Let her know how much she means_

 _Listen boy  
It's not automatically a certain guarantee  
To insure yourself  
You've got to provide communication constantly_

 _When you love someone  
You're always insecure  
And there's only one good way  
To reassure_

 _Tell her about it  
Let her know how much you care  
When she can't be with you  
Tell her you wish you were there_

 _Tell her about it  
Every day before you leave  
Pay her some attention  
Give her something to believe_

 _'Cause now and then  
She'll get to worrying  
Just because you haven't spoken  
For so long  
Though you may not have done anything  
Will that be a consolation when she's gone_

 _Listen boy  
It's good information from a man  
Who's made mistakes_

 _Just a word or two that she gets from you  
Could be the difference that it makes_

 _She's a trusting soul  
She's put her trust in you  
But a girl like that won't tell you  
What you should do_

 _Tell her about it  
Tell her everything you feel  
Give her every reason  
To accept that you're for real_

 _Tell her about it  
Tell her all your crazy dreams  
Let her know you need her  
Let her know how much she means_

 _Tell her about it  
Tell her how you feel right now  
Tell her about it  
The girl don't want to wait too long  
You got to tell her about it  
Tell her now and you won't go wrong  
You got to tell her about it  
Before it gets too late  
You got to tell her about it  
You know the girl don't want  
To wait, you got to  
Tell her about it_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Four: Dude Looks Like A Lady!**

 _ **Maya Fey**_  
 _Meditation Room, Fey Manor_  
June 16, 2026 3:45 PM

Like most brides, the Kurain Master was not wearing a watch with her wedding attire.

Therefore, Maya had zero clue whatsoever how many agonizing minutes had passed while she'd remained immure in that room, sobbing on the floor in a devastated, crumpled heap after Phoenix's dramatic definitive exit, both out the door and out of her life.

 _When Nick first left me, I saw myself as a glass figurine – perfect to the eye, yet fragile underneath. Since he used his words as weapons, I was ground to the finest of dust - still glass, yet vulnerable to any gust. While at times the pain was still raw, I took pride in the fact that even though I thought he'd done his worst, I'd somehow still prevailed, managing to sparkle even in the dimmest midwinter light, believing I couldn't be broken anymore. I thought after that,_ _ **absolutely nothing**_ _could ever bring me to such a state again, where I was smashed to smithereens, beyond all repair._

Maya straightened herself up as she drew one final deep, shuddering breath.

 _Nonetheless, with the insight given to me by this sacred jewel, and being able to experience the misery Nick's endured all this time, even though_ _ **he**_ _was the one to leave_ _ **me**_ _behind… I seem to have regressed to an even_ _ **sorrier**_ _state_ _ **now**_ _than I was back_ _ **then**_ _!_

She gripped her former lover's magatama in her hand so tightly, she was sure it'd imprint its curved shape permanently into her palm.

 _Knowing how much the one you love has suffered, even_ _ **without understanding the full cause or meaning behind it**_ _, is far worse than any sort of pain you will_ _ **ever**_ _feel for yourself, for here I am, right back where I was almost a year and a half ago, my heart shattered into fragments more numerous than the stars. I could see my ex-boyfriend's memories and still relive all my own. I realize memories can be hard to forget and painful to remember; that those who hate us now once loved us._

She swallowed back the painful lump in her throat.

 _ **Ex-boyfriend**_ _. The word alone is enough to make me choke. In my dreams, we were married, then came the babies... Now Phoenix Wright is my ex... and I'm supposed to be_ _ **OK**_ _with that?! Well I'm not! I want him back. He loved me once, how can that just go away? How can love evaporate so fast?_

Dabbing at her wet eyes with her handkerchief one more time, Maya rushed towards the door, her heart pounding with the force of her newfound determination.

 _No! That's not true! When Nick first broke up with me, perhaps at the time I could've believed such was the case, but that_ _ **belies everythin**_ _g I just became privy to from that gemstone! I_ _ **saw**_ _it all with my own eyes! Though I_ _ **don't**_ _understand_ _ **why**_ _he left me when it's so obvious_ _ **he**_ _ **still loves me**_ _! – It was evident in his visions and I_ _ **felt in his kiss**_ _! – There is_ _ **one thing**_ _that_ _ **I**_ _ **do**_ _ **know**_ _now, which I should've realized some time ago._

The Master had no idea how much of a head start Phoenix had gotten when he'd stormed out of the room, or how much time had lapsed since he'd literally given her _the final kiss off._ Nor did she have any idea how fast she could run in her satiny bridal kitten heels, but she figured her ex-boyfriend couldn't have gotten too far ahead with that bad ankle of his.

 _Nick and I have **got** to stop running away from each other like cowards! There's no way I can leave things the way they are between us, not with him believing I actually **meant** those horrible, cruel slurs I slung at him! I need to pull myself together – I need to go **after** him!_

Her mind and body racing with her latest, impregnable resolve, Maya flung open the door and lunged outside into the hallway…only to run smack into the unsuspecting _avante garde_ fashion mogul, Porfirio, née Basil Pepper, himself!

The unprepared Verdunian designer was so caught off-guard, he bounced back like a rubber ball from the impact, and would have undoubtedly landed on his bony backside had it not been for the presence of _Mildred_ , who'd had been right behind him, effectively breaking his fall. The village elder comically became splattered against the wall and despite the obvious featherweight of the waifish man, dramatically expelled a heavy wheeze as her skeletal hands fluttered to her throat, tongue hanging out for good measure, as though she'd been grievously injured from the impact.

" _Hayyy_! Looking for _me_ , baby doll?" The lanky man put his hands on Maya's shoulders with surprising strength and steered her firmly back towards her dressing room. "No need to fret, my pet! I _told_ you I'd come find you! There's no need for you to be rushing about in such a manner, and getting all _flustered and sweaty_ before I try to get you into your divine, masterpiece wedding gown!"

Porfirio clucked his tongue with disapproval as he took in her blotched, mottled skin and puffy eyes.

"OMG girlfriend! Look at you, you're a god-awful mess!"

"Why the smeared _snake eyes_ , Mystic Maya?" Mildred's beady eyeballs narrowed suspiciously at the red-rimmed orbs of her nemesis. "What have you been up to? _How_ did you ruin your bridal makeup?"

"Don't be _silly_!" The designer twittered. " _I_ know exactly what's been going on here!"

The dumbstruck village leader was rendered speechless at this entire exchange, while wondering in her distraught state if she actually still had the strength to bulldoze right through these _pesky pawns_ and knock them aside like bowling pins if she timed it just right!

" _Do_ you now?" The village elder countered meanly. " _You_ have an prime explanation for why the blushing future bride now looks like the _bastardized, bedraggled love child_ of a blowfish and a raccoon?!"

 _Says the woman who looks_ _ **so scary beyond all reason**_ _that she_ _ **petrified the crap**_ _out of the Latrine her surname is designated after!_ Maya seethed inwardly. _I'd like to kick your tits off, or at least punch you in the teeth, but both would only be an_ _ **improvement**_ _!_

" _Mnh-hnhmmm_! No need to _throw shade_ Millie girl! Isn't it _obvious_? The bride was simply emotional about bidding adieu to her maiden days!" The cluelessly presumptuous Porfirio continued shoving the tiny, flummoxed spirit medium towards the Meditation Room. "Luckily, I'm a _Renaissance man_ , ergo am a non-practicing makeup artist, as well as top-notch designer! I have some emergency backup coloring stashed right here! This surface damage is no worse than if you were a scratched car in need of touch up paint. I'll have you fixed up in a jiffy!"

"B- But I – I…" Maya sputtered helplessly, unable to break free from his tenacious grip as she was shoved down onto a stool back in the room as the determined fashion magnate reached into his man-purse, whipping out several colorful cosmetic pots, paints and makeup brushes. His unrelenting hand remained clamped on her shoulder, leaving her no choice but to stay seated and subjected to the deft ministrations being done to her visage as he began patting and dabbing at the bride's blotchy, tear-stained countenance.

Like some sort of spindly bouncer, Mildred folded her arms over her chest, pursed her lips and stood right next to the two as some sort of well-placed, human force field, as though sensing the Master would try to make a run for it otherwise.

" _Werk! Super_! That pretty face is now as _good as new_!" Porfirio announced proudly after a few minutes, already reaching for the grandiose frou-frou gown which was hanging on the wall. "Chop, chop! Time's a wastin'! Girl, let's get you out of that dressing gown and into this über fabulous ensemble!"

Porfirio spun Maya around as though she were nothing more than a department store mannequin, jerked the hated garment over her head, and nimbly began fastening up the endless row of buttons in the back, which he'd managed to adroitly sew back in place during her prolonged absence in LA.

As was tradition, the merciless hand of fate had intervened in the worst way possible, and against her will, Maya was trapped yet again. Her soul wept.

 _It's too late. Nick's probably long gone by now. Now I'll never get the chance to tell let him know how sorry I am…_

Oblivious to the betrothed's spiritless, woebegone dejections, Porfirio continued chattering away like an animated chipmunk to the unsmiling Mildred, whose hawkish gaze never once strayed from the woman in white.

"I can't _believe_ we managed to pull this log out the fire, Millie!" The peacockish stylist tittered. "I genuinely thought the earlier dress disaster was _the worst thing_ that could happen to this _cray-cray_ circus of a wedding! But when _that_ preposterous bumbler of a police Chief went and pulled his _own_ outrageous stunt! OMG! I honestly believed there wouldn't be a ceremony _at all_ …"

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _ **Maya Fey and Dick Gumshoe**_  
 _Kurain Village_  
June 16, 2026 3:10 PM

The despondent and empty-pocketed Maya exited the taxi, instructing the driver to bill her later for the cost of the trip up from the city, and slowly dragged her feet along the main path towards the ceremonial setup, feeling as though she were about to attend her own _funeral_ instead of _nuptials_ , while her merciless mind replayed those final moments at the hospital.

 _I gave you my life, and I never take back a gift, for in this life honesty and integrity mean so much. The word I gave you was my bond, not because I feel chained, but because I honor you and love you more than everything that I am. So when you act like what I gave was ultimately nothing, I am hurt in a way that cuts to the core of who I am. The hurt is a spider web, intricate, yet strong. I know in time it will pass, and the sun will regain its warmth, but the joy from my heart is gone. I cannot cry, cannot grieve for you any longer, Nick, for_ _ **you**_ _stole_ _ **yourself**_ _away; it was_ _ **you**_ _who took the love I offered and locked it back inside that cage you call a body. I was never going to do what Dahlia did to you... ever. But now you'll never know, never find out what we could have been, and neither will I._

She idly wondered if she'd managed to beat Pearl and the Chief back home, or if they were only a few moments behind. Naturally, they would have immediately headed back towards Kurain as soon as they'd seen her fleeing in the cab…right?

 _They_ _ **have**_ _to be close to Kurain by now! I know since he's a cop, he can't just take off or merely leave a note for the unlucky driver of the BMW, but surely_ _ **not even Gumshoe**_ _could possibly be so unfortunate that he's_ _ **still**_ _waiting for the driver to come out all these hours later,_ _ **could**_ _he?!_

The affianced woman blinked back fresh tears as her mind, like an evil treadmill, propelled her right back to the heartrending moment of revelation once more, when Phoenix had unwittingly made it clear that Maya had spent the past year in mourning, and six years together with a man, who in the end, simply hadn't given a damn.

 _I don't know what I am really missing. Do I miss_ _ **you**_ _or I miss_ _ **what I was**_ _with you? As much as I'd like to glibly dismiss all you meant to me, the fact remains that the bounce in my being and the spark in my eyes looks like it was a part of previous lifetime. I don't know if this is a nightmare or that was the dream. All I wish right now is you'd wake me up and say it was all a nightmare, Nick. You being you and me being me was a perfect equation, now there is no balance as you are not at the other end of the equalization for me. They say I've changed, and I have to agree, as my reactions to situations is now totally different from what they used to be. I didn't know carrying on would be such a burden to shoulder for all my life. Sometimes I feel like in order to drop the burden, I'd need to walk right back to where I started, only to realize you will again not be there to start with._

The downtrodden spirit medium had just reached the courtyard entrance, and was craning her neck to see if she could spot Luke or Maggey, to inquire if they knew anything about Gumshoe and Pearl's whereabouts, when she was unexpectedly accosted by both Porfirio and Mildred.

"Sound the bells and handcuff this damsel before she takes off yet again! _The runaway bride_ has finally returned!" The designer cachinnated heartily at his own quip as he clapped his hands excitedly. " _Gurl_ , I have got _the_ most _fantabulous_ news!"

" _Oh_?" Maya pointedly ignored her adversary and directed listless eyes towards the beaming costumier, her curiosity briefly outweighing her despair. "And what would _that_ be?"

"Number one, I need to _pronto_ fire the _puerile ditz_ who ended up shipping your dress in _honeydew_ instead of the original _magnolia_ requested as a tribute to the groom's Southern Belle of a mother!" The designer began apologetically, but Mildred cut him off.

"No need to fuss over _platitudinous_ _semantics_ , Porfirio!" The former Nazi for _untainted virginal white bridal gowns_ dismissed with a sniff. "I have already written the check for that spectacular piece of workmanship you created, therefore it _will_ be worn as was agreed upon in order to finalize all transactions! Even in the supposedly wrong shade, your masterpiece was _still_ closer to pure white than the _putrid, antiquated, cosmic latte horror_ Mystic Maya was about to wear this morning in its stead!"

Maya's sadness was immediately obliterated, and a veil of crimson clouded her vision as she stared daggers at her enemy for this unprecedented besmirching, _yet again_ , of Misty Fey's wedding gown, which she was _still_ wearing at that moment!

"My frayed nerves from this morning presently remain somewhat shot," she ground out through gritted teeth. "So it is with most phenomenal self-restraint I relinquish to you _my final warning_ in merely _verbal_ format, Mystic Mildred: that shall be _the very last_ denigrating commentary you make about my beloved mother's wedding dress within my presence! _Is that_ _understood_?"

Mildred gulped in fear, belatedly realizing she'd gone too far, but fortunately for the old hag, Porfirio quickly stepped in front of her and put a well-manicured, placating hand on Maya's arm.

"As _quaint_ as this dress surely is, Maya," he simpered, "what matters is because you were gone for so long, we were able to _fix the dress_! With the fastidious Millie here being my tailoring assistant, she and I were able to remedy the blunder done by the yet to be identified – _but sure to be terminated!_ – _henwit_ on my alteration staff! I have no idea _how or why_ they made the impromptu decision to turn your size 2 wedding gown into almost a size 0 with that additional stitching, but we've managed to remove all of it, with zero damage done to the garment, as well as sew the buttons back on! The Porfirio creation, fit for a queen, is now ready to be donned on by the prestigious Master herself! It's once again in _pristine condition_ and hanging up in your dressing room!"

Maya's heart sank at this news. The _sole_ upshot of entering this travesty of a marriage had been the fact that she would've been able to have taken a sentimental piece of her old life with her, due to the _unfortunate circumstances_ of the meretricious designer gown inexplicably no longer fitting her, thus freeing her to wear Misty's gown down the aisle. _Now_ it appeared she wouldn't even be allowed to have _that_ small triumph anymore!

 _Oh well._ She thought with glum resignation. _If I'm going to be the Queen of Misery on this hellacious day, I may as well go in all the way up to my neck, right? I mean, seriously, this wedding is an accursed, unmitigated disaster before it's even happened! What_ _ **else**_ _can go possibly go wrong?!_

"Let's go to your change room, Mystic Maya," Mildred commanded briskly, somehow sensing she had regained the upper hand. "Porfirio and I shall both assist you with donning your bridal attire and get this wedding back on track, posthaste!"

" _Hold it_!" Frowning, Maya attempted to hose down the overzealous harridan's burning enthusiasm to drag her to the altar before she could even catch her breath! "Hold on just _one_ _cotton picking minute_! I _refuse_ to resume walking down _that green_ _mile_ – er, I mean, _that aisle_ – until I _know_ all relevant parties are present and accounted for! _Are_ they?"

" _Meaning_?" Porfirio appeared taken aback by the unanticipated assertiveness. "Every single member of the now _surely restless_ wedding guests, _including_ the entertainment _and_ the orchestra, have faithfully remained here since your departure this morning, Maya! Millie is right, let's get you in that dress and get you married already!"

" _Not without my daughter_!" Maya affixed piercing dark eyes on the old woman, knowing without doubt that at the very least, _Mildew_ , if not the designer, had known _exactly_ to _whom_ she'd been referring yet the old bag had remained _suspiciously silent_ to the query. "Is _Pearly_ back as of yet? I could hardly get married without my little girl being present! After all, she _is_ the maid of honor!"

"Ah, yes. _Of course._ My heartfelt regrets for the oversight," Porfirio apologized sincerely. "The police Chief arrived about 15 minutes ago before you did, and since Pearl left here with him, I imagine she would've come back when _he_ did. She's probably milling about _somewhere_ amongst the congregation…"

"Um, actually she _isn't_ ," a booming voice interrupted the trio suddenly.

The astonished Maya whirled around and found herself face-to-face with a sheepish-looking Gumshoe.

"Little Missy still isn't here, pal," the ex-detective told his friend. " _I_ can confirm this, since I got here about a quarter hour ago. However, Pearl didn't come up with me."

"You can't be _serious_!" Maya goggled at him in disbelief. "Gumshoe, do you mean to _actually_ tell me _you left my little girl behind_ in Los Angeles and came up here _without her_?!"

Although he was nearly thrice the petite woman's size, the brawny man couldn't help but swallow anxiously as he saw a twitch beginning in her left eye upon hearing this news. Also, although he'd been instructed to use Pearl's absence as a stalling tactic, he _still_ hadn't come up with a feasible explanation for it!

"It's kind of a long story, Maya…" He scratched his head awkwardly as he groped frantically for an excuse.

"We don't have time to hear the asinine anecdotes of your negligence, you _over-sized buffoon_!" Mildred interpolated, unintentionally coming to the Chief's rescue. "I'm not getting any younger you know! The clock is ticking! Let's just get on with it while it's _still daylight_ , regardless of whether or not that _balky_ , _rebellious_ _hoyden_ is present and pay no mind as to _why_ she isn't! Mystic Maya, if you need a maid of honor, I _myself_ would be _more than willing_ to step up to the role!"

Maya reeled sharply around upon hearing this _outrageous_ offer, gawking at her foe incredulously as her composure entirely unraveled in that instant.

"Have _you_ stand in the place _of my Pearly_ by my side as _my maid of honor_?" She bit out, so infuriated by now at The Dragon Lady's audacity that her voice was quaking with rage. "Mystic Mildred, here is a short list of things I would do before that ever were to occur: I would rather shave off a homeless man's beard and use it as my own personal shower loofah. I would instead drink for a week from the septic tank of a dysentery suffering 700 pound man. I would sooner suck the snot out of a gorilla's nose until the back of his head caves in…"

Mildred scowled darkly, ignoring the barely disguised snort of laughter from both Porfirio and Gumshoe.

"I would rather get stuck in an elevator for an inordinately long period of time, with _Donald Trump,_ while being forced to listen to Barry Manilow tunes and having my tonsils removed _with a rusty spoon_..." Maya ended, her chest heaving violently. "Before I would even _consider_ having the likes of _you_ take part of my wedding as my lady in waiting in _my daughter's_ place!"

Gumshoe was now doubled over with laughter, unable to withhold his mirth for another minute. Beside him, Porfirio was struggling to breathe, laughing so hard, no sound came out as he waved and clapped his hands in the manner of a retarded seal.

"Stop it, pal! You're gonna _kill_ me!" The big man sniggered, finally pulling himself together and clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Er, I mean, I hope not _literally,_ when I tell you how Pearl's absence notwithstanding, there is _one_ more _teensy weensy_ problem with getting this show on the road, even if she _were_ here."

"You don't _say_?" Sarcasm was practically dripping off Maya's tongue at this point, she was so livid. "Oh gee, and everything was going _so swimmingly_ up until this point, too!"

Gumshoe cringed, but nervously continued.

"Er, you see pal…" he faltered. "It's kind of hard to have a ceremony, when the actual _wedding_ _rings_ are _sort of..._ **_missing_** …"

" _Missing_?" Maya's voice had gotten so unnaturally high at this point, it sounded unrecognizable, even to her own ears. " _How_ in God's name are the wedding bands _missing_?! Gordy was the ring bearer, and they were safely in his care when Pearly and I left with you this morning!"

"And they _still_ were safe in his care!" The Chief said hastily, his cheeks reddening. "My big guy is _the_ _most_ _responsible_ six and a half year old in the world! But when I got back here to meet up with him, Maggey and Jeff, my wife had to go change the baby, plus Gordy had to go to the bathroom, an act which requires him to use _both hands_. Therefore, he gave the rings to his mother for safekeeping. Naturally, I didn't want my wife having to juggle those expensive pieces of jewelry _on top of_ the responsibility of taking both our boys to go potty! So, er... _I_ volunteered to take them off her hands and guard the rings in the meantime."

 _Uh-oh._ A sickening sensation formed in Maya's stomach. _This is_ _ **not**_ _going to end well…_

"I was just sitting there in the congregation, minding my own business, admiring how _bright and shiny_ those bands were." Gumshoe's face was growing noticeably redder by the minute. "Out of the blue, one of the Big Berry monkeys came up to me and wanted to take a closer look at the rings. I stretched out my palm, so Desse could admire them, when he suddenly snatched them right out of my hand and took off with them!"

" _Desse_?" Mildred shouted at him. "You _bubbleheaded schlemiel_! You gave those platinum wedding bands to _the very same_ trouble-making, flea-bitten primate who decided to play _hot potato_ with the _conductor's wig?!_ "

"They're _both_ wearing identical blue hats!" Gumshoe protested pitifully. "It's not like either one of them has an identifying birthmark or anything so I could tell them _apart_ !"

"Nonetheless, you _did_ know they're both the _offspring_ of Money the Monkey!" Maya reminded him, slowly beginning to rub her temples. "You know… The _same monkey_ who liked _bright, shiny_ _objects_ and _took off_ with _Nick's attorney badge_?!"

"Yeah, I remembered that... _afterward_ ," Gumshoe admitted, shame-faced. " _Good news_ though! The reason I said the rings were _missing_ and not _lost_ is right now, as we speak, Max is attempting to climb up one of the trees after Desse, which he scrambled up in an attempt to hide. The problem is, we need to wait for the magician to frisk the monkey once he _finally_ gets up there – those leather pants of Galactica's aren't exactly the most ideal tree climbing gear – and tries to wrestle the rings away from him, and _then_ climb back down."

"If I could _pull the lever_ on this hackneyed, overdrawn, story already, _along with the story-teller_ , I would do it in the blink of an eye!" Mildred muttered disgustedly, but nobody heard her.

"Then, um, Max has to go up the _other_ tree, where _Jylan_ has stationed himself. Because, see...the little buggers played a game of _monkey in the middle_ with _me_ between while they tossed the ring boxes back and forth...and I just I lost track of which one of them had the rings amidst the confusion..."

"You mean your _dimwitted_ self was _outwitted_ by simian cretins who fling their own feces at one another for fun!" Mildred sneered. "How _unsurprising_ to hear such a revelation!"

Gumshoe ignored her. "Consequently, we're not sure _which_ rascal actually has the rings…"

"I cannot _believe_ I'm entertaining this beyond _absurd_ conversation…" Maya continued to rub her now throbbing temples. "But since there are _two_ monkeys, and _two_ circus performers, could time _not_ be saved with Max climbing the one tree after Desse, while Regina climbed after Jylan?"

"That's an _excellent_ question, pal!" The Chief nodded earnestly. "And Regina _absolutely_ would've done so, except for the small little fact that _she's_ the _only_ one who can contain Regent, who is getting kind of restless since he was performing tricks all morning to entertain the congregation. It seems we missed quite the show! Do you know that Luke somehow managed to put a _raccoon_ inside that tiger's mouth, and it came out _unscathed_? And apparently Feyt's been doing handstands on his head... the tiger, not the raccoon. Also, Whitney did _a whole concert_ up until maybe half an hour ago, with the Philharmonic actually knowing _every single song_ she sang, and performing right along with her!"

"Where _is_ Luke?!" Maya interrupted. "Wouldn't the most obvious solution be for _the animal whisperer_ to simply instruct Desse and Jylan to return the rings, hence ending all this _monkey_ _business_?!"

"I don't know where Luke is." The big man shrugged. "Maggey says she saw him maybe five to ten minutes before I got there, but nobody knows where he went since."

"Let's recap all of this, to ensure I understand this entire calamity which has become my wedding." Maya was now practically rubbing a hole into her temples. "Gumshoe, you _single-handedly_ have _misplaced_ _ **both**_ _wedding bands_ , along with _my_ _daughter_ … and _now_ you cannot tell me where _my daughter's boyfriend_ is, as the icing on the cake! Did I _miss_ _anything_?"

"Um, no… You're pretty much up to speed now, pal." He chuckled weakly. "I _do_ have some good news though! Right before I came up to you, Pearl texted me and Maggey, and said she's on her way back and should be here sometime soon!"

"Well, let's thank God for small miracles then, shall we?" Maya abruptly turned on her heel and began stomping towards Fey Manor. Gumshoe had to begin sprinting to keep up with her.

"I'll meet you at the house before the wedding starts to help you into your dress!" Porfirio called after her, but the bride barely even heard him, as she was directing her next question at the police Chief.

"Do you reckon Pearly will be back by 4 o'clock?"

"I think so, if not sooner."

"Then the ceremony will resume at 4 PM, assuming Pearly returns by then. If she comes back _before_ then, I shall still require the extra time to try to gather my wits and pull myself together, so I'd appreciate some _solitude, with no interruptions,_ in the meantime."

She cast her friend a sideways glance.

"If Pearly is _still_ not back by then, I don't care; the guests can surely suck it up and wait a bit longer, as they have already been languishing _this_ long – a little bit extra time won't hurt them! Because even at the risk of seeming like a Bridezilla, no matter how much Mildred _grunts, snorts fire, or roars_ in protest, I am _not_ getting married without my little girl here, and that's _final_!"

 _End Flashback_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Kurain Village  
_ June 16, 2026 _,_ 3:55 PM

Phoenix's nostrils engulfed the delicate hint of vanilla in the air, always reminiscent of Maya's scent, and with it his brain flooded with pictures of that ethereal face, as lovely as the first day he'd seen her, and the last time they'd been happy together; her eyes had been twinkling with laughter, her teeth glistening as she smiled. So much time had passed since then, and since he'd foolishly castoff his most lasting, tangible reminiscence item of hers in a fit of unthinking temper, all he'd now have left of her was the occasional fleeting memory. That final explosive encounter would be the last time he'd ever lay eyes on the love of his life. He'd now officially forfeited the sound of her voice and the touch of her skin, forever. His chest ached as he thought of what he'd lost. Nobody had ever replaced Maya Fey, and no one ever would.

The former defense attorney had just made it to the entrance of the courtyard when he heard a familiar female voice calling out to him.

" _Feenie_?" An expression of delighted surprise lit up the caller's intonation. "I can't believe you're really here!"

He turned and gazed into the late afternoon sun. There stood Iris, as picturesque as ever, wearing a slightly more fetching version of her customary shrine maiden garb. Although she looked slightly tired and worn out, she was smiling brightly as she strode towards him.

"Hi, Iris." Phoenix allowed her to embrace him, and stiffly returned the gesture, more as a result of his Maya-fueled inner turmoil than his lack of affection for his first love. "Long time no see."

"I just saw Mr. Edgeworth, and he told me the two of you had come here to halt the wedding!" Iris's doe orbs sparkled with hopeful excitement. "You look so handsome in that suit! Have you managed to intercept Maya yet?" The light in her eyes faded as she saw his morose expression, and immediately, her face fell. "Oh no! Feenie, what happened?"

He shook his head, feeling his chest tightening as he recalled his excruciating final encounter with his former lover. Fumbling into his breast pocket, he double checked to ensure he wasn't accidentally holding Pearl's forgery, and that he beheld his letter for Maya in his hand, which was in his other pocket, and placed the page in the shrine maiden's hand, curling her fingers around it.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is I _tried_ , and I _failed_. Until you give Maya that note, despite my best efforts, she still thinks you're with me. A promise is a promise though. Here's the letter I vowed to you I would write, now yours to do with it as you wish. Although it failed to clear _my_ name with my ex, at the very least, it should eradicate all culpability involved with your name, and restore things to proper order with your cousin."

"So what are you going to do now?" Iris asked sadly, clutching the paper tightly in her grasp. "You're going to give up just like that? After you've come so far?"

"Some things just aren't meant to be. In life, there are things we don't want to happen which we still have to nevertheless accept," he intoned woodenly. "Things we don't want to know, but have to learn, and people we can't live without, but still have to let go."

"I'm so sorry. I did everything I could to help." Tears of sympathy glistened in her eyes. "I – I even managed to spirit channel, you know. I successfully channeled Whitney Houston for the last five hours or so."

"I know you did, Iris," he said kindly. "And I will always adore you for it – wait _what_?!"

"I've been working on harnessing my latent powers with Sister Bikini and Mystic Matilda ever since I was released from prison." The nun rubbed the back of her skull and winced. "Unfortunately, I didn't predict the diva having such a penchant for the Bollinger champagne that's in those guest goody bags, which she managed to consume _quite a bit of_ during her performance! I'm not sure if _that's_ the reason for my present headache, or if it's due to the _blunt force_ Mystic Matilda must've needed with the spirit severing stick to finally release Ms. Houston from my body! Apparently, she was in her element, and was quite reluctant to leave!"

"I can't believe you did that! Truly, you are an angel among us, Iris Hawthorne. While it's wonderful you've tapped into your dormant psychic skills, I'm still sorry that you had to suffer until the very end on my account!" Now it was Phoenix's turn to be sympathetic, and he gently tugged her back into his arms for another hug, this one of heartfelt gratitude. "I will never forget all that you endured for me, and all your efforts to try to help me. Thank you, dear friend."

He glanced down at his watch and sighed heavily.

"You better take your seat with the congregation. I need to go find Edgeworth and get out of here before the wedding starts. It's almost time, and I really don't think I could handle seeing it through. I hope you understand that I'm going to take my leave now. Take care, Iris."

"You take care, too, Feenie." She lightly kissed him on the cheek. "Please stay in touch."

"I'll try. See you, Iris."

The poker champion hobbled back to where his best friend stood, at the back of the congregation. He shook his head at the man's questioning glance.

"It's no use, Edgeworth. Maya hates me. She thinks I'm scum. I didn't even have a chance to tell her it was all a lie. She's going to marry this other guy whether I want her to or not." Phoenix angrily wiped a stray tear from his eye and kicked at a small rock on the ground.

 _Sorry Chief, a lawyer only cries when it's all over? Well the fat lady hath sung!_

Edgeworth crossed his arms and looked stonily at his friend.

"Did you actually try to _talk_ to her Wright? Are you telling me you were unsuccessful _despite_ confessing your sins and admitting to your _justifiable_ lies?"

Phoenix flushed under the intense scrutiny.

"I tried to…make her see that she still had feelings for me, and that calling off this wedding would be entirely her idea because of that. But she's just content to _continually_ let me know how much she hates me. And _keep on_ assaulting me!" He ruefully gestured towards his left cheek, still baring the slight scratches from the floral bouquet Maya had wielded at him earlier, and then to his right one, which still bore the recently acquired palm print. "At least now I have matching sided battle wounds."

"Buck up, Wright. Remember to put on a smile during the worst of times. Mia would have been proud of you for that, at least."

"I know she would have." The former defense attorney attempted to smile, but found he simply couldn't make it last for longer than a split second. "Let's just go."

For the first time, Phoenix noticed his comrade was still standing alone…Pearl was nowhere in sight.

"By the way, where's Pearls? I thought she would have rejoined you by now?"

"I guess there was no time for her to come back before the ceremony, so I imagine she's attending to the bride, maybe? Or still getting prepared? I'm assuming Pearl was the one who cleared the pathway for you, so you were able to accost the future Mrs. Beaugosse in her dressing room?"

Edgeworth smirked and tapped his finger against his arm.

"Nevertheless, Wright, I think you should man up and at least stay for the ceremony. You broke the young lady's heart, no matter how noble your intentions for doing so were. Alas, you may as well reap what you sow and see the results of this whole mess you've unwittingly caused. I don't mean to be heartless, but you know that I know that you know that I know that there wouldn't even _be_ a wedding today if you hadn't told her that you were in love with Iris!"

"I couldn't let anything happen to her, Edgeworth!" Phoenix shrugged helplessly. "We both knew what a real threat Kristoph Gavin posed!"

"Once that murderous fiend was behind bars, you should have confessed your ruse, Wright like I advised you to! But no, _you_ decided to be a man of _eximious valour_ and let her be because you didn't want to interfere with her betrothal to that _flouncy, dandy_ , _popinjay_ of a man! You were given a second chance to turn things around whenyou realized how much Maya _still_ loved you when _she left her own wedding_ to rush to your bedside, yet you managed to louse up _that_ golden opportunity anyway, as well as lose her, _again_! _Then_ I _somehow_ managed the _mirific feat_ of flying _your sorry behind_ here _before_ the ceremony, so you could right things with her, yet you _still_ managed to foul things up _anew_!"

Edgeworth's grey eyes were stormy as they glared at his childhood chum, who shrunk back from the angry sparks shooting off the normally cool and collected man as he continued in his tirade.

"After _everything_ you've put that poor woman through Wright – _every bloody thing_! – _You_ still tried to make _her_ be the one to admit _she_ still loved _you_? I have little doubt as to what your methods probably were too, Mr. Not-So-Irresistible!"

The Ace Attorney smiled smugly at the accuracy of his deducted logic when Phoenix's cheeks turned crimson.

"I'd recognize that righteous indignant slap imprint anywhere, as the mark of an outraged, virtuous woman _thwarting a lecherous rogue's advances_ , only minutes before her nuptials! We are right back to where we were seven years ago, Wright. Is it that you've regressed to the same clueless idiot you were that fateful night at the Russian bar, or have you just merely ceased to evolve with the acquired _wisdom_ that's supposed to come with age?"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Phoenix wanted to know.

"Meaning, when you've done something wrong, _admit it_ and _be sorry_! No one in history has ever _choked to death_ from swallowing his _pride_! I shall spare singing you the words to Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It" as we are pressed for time and simply summarize the all-too-fitting song by telling you this: You _cannot_ outwit fate by standing on the sidelines placing little side bets about the outcome of life. Either you wade in, and _risk everything_ you have to play the game, or you don't play at all. And if you don't play, you can't win."

"I tried to play!" Phoenix cried impotently. "And I failed! Three strikes, and I'm out, Edgeworth! What's the use? I've been benched for good!"

"No, you tried to dissemble while trying to get back in Maya's good graces, yet still not owning up to your follies in full, by attempting to _justify_ your actions and _defend_ them, rather than confessing your sins and pleading for her forgiveness!"

Phoenix swallowed at the humbling, daunting task he had been evading all this time, and Edgeworth stepped up his attack.

"I _curse_ the _ignoramus morosoph_ who decided to popularize the phrase: _love means never having to say you're sorry_!" The prosecutor exploded in a fit of unconditional wrath. "Love means _always_ needing to admit you're sorry! _Pride_ is one of the seven deadly sins for good reason! You never lose by _loving;_ you always lose by _holding back_."

"Edgeworth, you just don't understand. I –"

"No Wright. It is you _who_ doesn't understand! Heed my words, for the final time: _there is_ _no room_ _for neither pride nor ego when it comes to love_. Cease your diddling immediately and realize at this point, you shall bear no other alternative _but to_ _**grovel**_. You will have to be naught but irrefutably diaphanous as you lay your heart on the line. In all probability, you will lose every scrap of dignity in the process. However, in the end, if you should be so lucky, and the fates don't deny you your _umpteenth_ chance, while you may no longer have your pride, but you will have _her_."

Phoenix's gaze remained downcast as he mulled over these last words of his much-deserved tongue-lash. His entire approach with Maya had been the wrong one, he knew this now. He'd _always_ been more _galvanic,_ as opposed to _level-headed_ , whenever it came to that woman! Their similar hot-blooded, spirited and passionate nature had been the underlying theme of their relationship for as long as he'd known her, so it was little surprise that putting the two of them together in such extenuating circumstances had created spontaneous combustion!

Looking back, the spiky-haired man realized he should have entered his ex's dressing room _on his knees_ – pride be _damned_! – waving Pearl's forged letter in his hand as a flag of truce, while professing all his well-meaning lies and sins to the love of his life, and _begging_ her not to tie herself down in a _loveless_ , and, based on the exterior of the would-be groom, whose attire alone made it _flamingly obvious_ he wasn't _any_ sort of _Beau Brummel_ , **_sexless_ ** marriage to another man. In hindsight, he cursed his stupidity for making an ill-timed, and unseemly pass at her as the _only thing_ he'd apologized for, when he should have been begging her forgiveness for so much more!

Had he gotten so caught up in lying and deceiving these past few years in the poker underground that he'd forgotten who he'd used to be? The man who stood behind veracity above all else? Was that why he hadn't confessed all his deceptions thus? Or was his best friend right, and he'd truly _become_ every bit the _truculent, bumptious, canaille_ he'd strived so hard _not_ to be? A _daft, porcupine-headed_ _prick_ who'd reacted in according fashion to the well-placed, and not at all unprecedented, verbal onslaught the provoked bride had flung at him? His ardent lashing out in retaliation had been solely because the barbs had wounded his pride, which had taken enough of a beating the past seven years, and caused him to behave _every bit_ like the _bastard_ Maya had accused him of being!

"Do you truly feel, in spite all this, I have a chance?" He queried hopefully. "You _really_ think she might actually _still_ love me and doesn't _seriously_ believe I'm nothing but ... _a hobo bum?_ "

"You pitiful _fool_ of a man!" Edgeworth exploded, uncaring that he was now parroting his former fiancée's idioms. "If Maya _didn't love you_ , she wouldn't have even _let you into her room_! Never mind taken the time _to insult you_ or _let you kiss her_ , even briefly!"

He caught the black-suited man's surprised expression and gave a mock bow.

"Your art of bluffing has rubbed off on me, Wright. I was merely speculating what transpired betwixt you two just now, and your expression just proved me correct. You really don't have as good a poker-face as you think you do. At least, not with me." The magenta-clad crossed his arms. "Her actions and words were not that of a woman no longer in love, as her morning runaway bride incident proved, but those of a woman desperate to inflict as much pain back at you as you have upon her. To be honest I'm surprised she stopped at just _one_ slap!"

Phoenix groaned and rubbed his hand over his phizog. "Edgeworth, we have a whole chopper ride home during which you can chastise me to your heart's content! Right now, I don't need a reprimand. I need your help."

"And you shall get it, Wright." A smirk flickered across the prosecutor's mien. "After all the time has at last arrived for the denouement of this production. What kind of _deuteragonist_ in this Greek _dramedy of errors_ would I be if I _didn't_ lend you my unhindered succor? Although by now, you should be very well aware that a lecture on your _everlasting foolery_ is the personal cost you must pay in order to garner said assistance!"

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright_**  
 _Kurain Village, Courtyard_  
June 16, 2026 4:00 PM

Sitting next to Edgeworth in the back, in the last row of chairs behind Gumshoe and Maggey, Phoenix couldn't help but smile dolefully at the sight of little Gordy Gumshoe, adorable as ever in his black formal ring-bearer outfit and purple tie, solemnly walking down the aisle with utmost care as he held the satiny pillow carrying the wedding bands upon it.

Behind the ring bearer strode Pearl, the maid of honor. Despite her somewhat disconsolate expression, she was still as pretty as a picture snatched from a wedding magazine in her gown of frills, ribbons and lace. Her long, light brown hair was out of its customary double-looped pretzel, her shoes were satin and her caramel hair fell in perfect ringlets around her saddened visage. Her acolyte robes had been swapped for a floor-length gown of pink net, with the bodice gathered into a high neckline edged with rose velvet ribbon. Four bows of the rose velvet accentuated the high waistline and edged the full puffed sleeves. Her fair skin was protected from the June sun by a large picture hat of horse-hair braid, banded with rose velvet ribbon. In her hands, the teenage girl carried an intricate, colonial bouquet laden with of aubergine, lavender and violet flowers Phoenix couldn't even begin to identify – he only knew of no more than _three_! – but he surmised they were roses and sweet peas. The former lawyer only recognized the different shades of purple because of his time as an art major in school who'd taken color theory as part of the course. _**Floral Knowledge 101** _ had _not_ been a part of the curriculum!

At the front-center of the aisle stood the stocky, frizzy-bearded minister in a black Amish-looking hat and curled side tendrils. He reminded the pianist of Rabbi Tuckman in the Mel Brooks film _Robin Hood: Men in Tights_. The cleric appeared to be impatient, idly tapping the thick prayer book against his thigh with one hand while his free one idly twirled the front of his wiry beard, giving it a curly pig tail appearance.

Now that he was properly seated and not rushing past, Phoenix at last had the chance to more closely examine the person beside the minister. He could only presume the specimen he was gaping at to be the groom, although the _man-pretty_ party in question was so effeminate-looking, he could have easily been standing on the bride's side of the altar, next to Pearls, _as one of the bridesmaids_!

Tall and slim in stature, the man had shoulder-length platinum hair that would have put _both_ Tiffany and Klavier's to shame - _and_ was inconceivably prettier than the two other blonds as well! The long, thick strands tumbling past his shoulders, much like those of the comely waitress, was carefully set in waves. He was wearing a pale lavender tuxedo with a matching frilly shirt of the same color, and his huge sky blue eyes appeared to be enhanced by – no wait, it was impossible – _eyeliner_?! And was that _mascara_ he was wearing or were his lashes just that impossibly long? A pale purple silk top hat completed the gaudy look.

 _Nope, I am **not** losing my mind. _ The card shark stared dubiously. _The groom just raised his hand to scratch his nose… **good grief** he really **is** wearing **lilac male polish**!_

The bridegroom smiled broadly, and appeared to be mugging for someone in the slight distance. Phoenix followed the direction of the gleaming-white grin, and saw Larry, on a stool near the back of the congregation on the far side of them, with his paints and easel set up, tongue protruding to the side of his mouth in concentration as he appeared to be sketching the bridegroom in great detail with a charcoal.

Next to the groom stood a familiar, husky figure of a man, with enormous muscular arms, a mop of short, tightly coiffed honey-colored curls, rosy pink cheeks, and a small moustache that looked like a piece of elbow macaroni on each side of his upper lip. He was dressed in a baby-pink tuxedo, and in his mouth held a red rose. The stem was clamped tightly between his teeth in order to control the gasping sobs emitting from his chest, which he was unable to conceal.

For a moment, the pianist actually had to blink and rub his eyes, but the garish vision was still there. It had taken him a moment to recognize the maudlin man without his customary pink chef hat and apron. No, his eyes weren't deceiving him – it actually _was_ the horrible she-man chef of the unspeakable French cuisine restaurant, Très Bien, Monsieur Jean Armstrong!

Phoenix's jaw dropped, and he felt sweat forming at his temples. _This_ was what he had driven Maya to when he'd thought he was selflessly setting her free to be better off without him? To lead a life as the _beard_ of a metrosexual, _if not full-blown homosexual_ , flamboyant femme of a man and his gender-confused, obviously besotted, sidekick?!

"Holy freakin' hell!" He rasped into Edgeworth's ear, uncaring if anyone else overheard. "That…that _dude looks like a lady_!"

" _Which one_ , Wright?" Edgeworth hissed back in a stage whisper, pointedly ignoring the dirty looks a few of the nearby Elders shot them, as well as the slight titter of the Gumshoes. "I'd assume the fancy pants best man and groom could be _coxcomb brothers_ , _or even sisters_ , as it were, if I weren't so convinced that they weren't _not-so undercover_ lovers!" He turned to his best friend with a scowl. "Don't you _dare_ make jokes about my so-called feminine choice of suit color or cravat again, _ever_!"

Phoenix buried his head in his hands and fought the urge to join Armstrong in an identical bout of hysterical weeping.

 _Maya, this is all my fault! I made you turn to this…this… **mincing fop** because I broke your heart so badly. Good Lord, what have I done?!_

Suddenly, the bridal march music sounded from the orchestra, and the congregation all rose as Maya at last appeared and slowly made her way down the aisle, a large cascading bouquet, a more elaborate version of Pearl's mixed purple bunch, in her hands.

Porfirio's creation was at last revealed.

Maya's raven hair, styled in a twisted, braided updo, was partially obscured by her intricately designed floor-length veil, which was attached to an amethyst tiara on her head. When the sunlight hit the lace, it shimmered a phosphorescent pattern of white butterflies that looked as if they were about to rise up and flutter away. That was the only good thing about her entire ensemble. The slightly mint confection she wore could only be described as the _epitome of all frou-frou_ numbers. There was too simply much satiny dress, too much lace, too much _everything_ for the petite Kurain Master, who was barely over five feet tall. Awash in the cloud of frills, the bustled gown, which had a huge hoop skirt and 25-foot train, looked like it weighed a ton, and appeared to be swallowing her whole. The congregation all watched, silently, as the bereaved looking bride trudged down the aisle, eyes straight ahead and never straying to glance to the guests seated on either side, resembling a walking wedding cake.

At last, the Master reached the altar and stood before her blond bridegroom, who was smiling broadly, as though he were auditioning for a toothpaste commercial, which only made it appear more forced than anything else. In comparison, the bride's exquisitely, artfully painted mask was as somber as that of a condemned criminal attending her own execution. Pearl's gaze remained downcast, and the best man, for his part, appeared to have ceased, for the moment, in his crying, which had been reduced to almost comical little mewls and hiccups.

The atmosphere up at the altar was more like that of a funeral than a wedding. Even the minister sounded like he was speaking with forced joviality as he began to speak, in a bizarre accent that sounded partly Italian, and partly Brooklyn Jew.

 _Jumping Jehoshaphat, he even **sounds** like Mel Brooks from that dang movie!_

"A wedding is that occasion when a man and woman publicly proclaim their love and declare their commitment to one another. By its very nature it is both a solemn and a happy event. For some of you gathered here, this ceremony will prompt a flood of personal memories, for others of you it will set in motion dreams and aspirations. For all of us it will be a sharing in a most intimate and love-filled moment in the lives of Maya Fey and Longines Diandre Crispin Beaugosse."

"You forgot _the Third_ , silly!" Tittered the groom, waving his wrist at the Minister, who rolled his eyes comically and chuckled before apologizing and repeating the full name along with the corrected version.

 _Long in Ass_? _There were **two more** in line before him?_ Phoenix thought frantically, barely suppressing the histrionics threatening to consume him. _Good Lord, how did Maya manage to find a guy whose subsequent names are even gayer than the next? Bogus is indeed accurate…it indeed totally **bogus** that this man is seriously continuing the ruse of wanting to be married to a **woman**!_

"What kind of name is _Deandra_ anyway?" He muttered to Edgeworth. "Isn't that a _girl's_ name? Wouldn't _that_ fact, coupled with the last name being _Bogus,_ be _some sort of clue_ that this sham of a marriage may not be completely legally binding, if both parties aren't of the opposite sex!?"

"Wright, you imbecile! If you kept up with the laws, you'd know that gay marriage has been legal in the United States for the past _11 years_!" Edgeworth snapped agitatedly, barely bothering to keep his voice down. He too, was feeling the strain of the events unfolding, and it was beginning to create cracks in his normally coolheaded demeanor. "But for the record, it's _Deandre_ , not _Deandra_ , which is French for _manly_. And it's _Beaugosse_ , not Bogus! It's also French, and it means _handsome boy_."

"I take it his parents were _going for irony_?" Phoenix thoughtfully tapped his chin, his tone was laced with sarcastic amusement. "I mean, he's more man-pretty, or even prettier _girl,_ than handsome boy, don't you think?"

 _I still can't believe Maya agreed to tie herself down to a guy who is even prettier than **her** , even if he does have the most glorious mane I've ever seen! Oh shit, does that make it sound like I'm disloyally dethroning Maya of **her** most fabulous hair title? Or do I just sound even gayer than a bag full of unicorns covered with glitter and tied up with rainbows for even **thinking** that?!_

"Perhaps the surname _Bellefille_ was already taken?" His friend derided. "Although I will accede that naming a son " _manly, handsome boy"_ strikes me as his parents trying a _tad_ too hard to strive for his masculinity. Although, I'm certain they couldn't have anticipated that _this_ would be the final outcome of him!"

 _You mean him winding up gayer than a stack of strawberry flapjacks and a tree full of parrots combined?_

"So then I shouldn't even _touch_ the easily butchered first name of _Long in Ass_ and the way too stereotypically gay middle name of _Crispin_?"

Overhearing this latest exchange between the two men behind him, Gumshoe, whose head never once swiveled around back to look at his friends, actually let out a loud snort of laughter, which he quickly attempted to mask as a cough. Maggey slunk further down in her chair in embarrassment, trying to shy away from the entire exchange as she hid herself with her wedding program.

There was no time to answer Phoenix's ridiculously inappropriate last question as at that moment, the minister began to perorate.

"Into this union Maya and Longines now come to be joined." The cleric grinned broadly. "Now, logically, I shouldn't ask this question again after what happened earlier today, but it's part of the scripture!" The entire congregation snickered, except for Pearl, who blushed furiously and lifted up her nosegay to hide her face.

Sitting in the congregation back in her previously occupied chair between Sister Bikini and Matilda, Iris clenched Phoenix's letter in her hand and stared down at it in utter misery. It was absolutely gut-wrenching to read, and she hoped any casual observers who saw the tears in her eyes would chalk it up to typical wedding emotionalism.

 _So much love. So much loss. So much wasted time._

A single tear rolled down her cheek at the idea of the loveless marriage which awaited her poor cousin, along with the life of devastating loneliness her ex-boyfriend now faced.

 _If only I could make one last endeavor to help these two! No matter how badly things went down between Feenie and the bride prior to the ceremony, I would **bet my lif** e on the fact that if Maya had only **seen this letter,** there's no way she would've gone through the wedding! I just **know** it!_

Reverend Paesano continued to speak.

"If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, speak now, or else forever hold your peace…"

Phoenix's throat was suddenly dryer than the Sahara. He opened his mouth to interject, but no sound came out. He felt Edgeworth sharply elbow him in the ribs, but all that achieved in mustering out of him was a cough even louder than the police Chief's previous one. This time, the entire congregation turned their heads to look into the direction of where the sound had come from. Hastily, he ducked behind Gumshoe, grateful for the man's obscuring broad frame, and quickly held up a wedding program, effectively hiding his face.

"Maya and Longines, by your presence here you are already making public your intention to marry. So that your integrity of purpose may be made clear to those of us present, would you each respond to these questions?"

The minster turned to the groom with a strained smile.

"Longines, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?"

"I _so_ totally will!" Longines twittered gaily.

Armstrong bit his fist in order to stifle a whimper.

"Maya, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live?"

The bride remained dead silent.

"Go on, Reverend Paesano," Mystic Mildred urged impatiently from her seat in the front row. " _Go on_!"

"I _can't_ 'go on' until the bride herself responds," the holy man replied dryly. "I'm no ventriloquist either, lady!" The cleric regarded Maya with concern as he bowed his head down towards her and uttered, _sotto voce_ , "You know, it's technically _not_ too late to bail _again_ , Miss. You've done it already _once_ before…"

"Reverend Paesano!" Mystic Mildred's voice took on a tinge of desperation now. "What she _means_ is –"

" _Maya_ has to speak from her _own free will_." The Reverend stated firmly, shaking his head. "Sorry, I can't proceed otherwise."

It was at in moment that Phoenix found his voice at last.

" ** _Objection!"_**

 ** _Billy Joel -Tell Her About It_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 152**

 **DannyDragon**

Hola!

This was my favorite Nick and Pearl moment to Wright after showing the poor girl's devastation to the Phaya split sometime ago. I'm happy you enjoyed the reconciliation moment between the adorable spirit medium and her surrogate DILF! :)

Mia always struck me as someone that seemed wise beyond her years even when alive so why not have the AA cast benefit from her psych/Slaps 101 (she was known to stamp on Nick's foot in the anime so it's probably where Pearl picked up hee technique from!) even from the Twilight Realm! :)

After all, _somebody_ had to smack some sense into Phoenix, right?!

The Fredgeworth storyline is right after the wedding hijinks come to the climax and finale! Ema and Klavier also play a huge part of that arc!

I hope you enjoy your Billy Joel song request chapter 154 _mi_ _amiga musica_!

 **Chapter 153**

 ***HE DA MAN!***

 **Thepudz**

 _"Alright, we've got some of the best WrightWorth bromance in FF history right here. Every single author should take note, even if you ship them, THIS is how you write them. Perfectly spot on!"_

Considering Wrightworth is probably the most popular tearing in the entire fandom of the Ace Attorney I had to highlight your kind praise last chapter mate… you really know how to make a girl feel good even from 20,000 miles away! Huzzah! :-)

I figure trying to make sure Phoenix didn't do something dumb while she was his mentor we wouldn't have been given too many opportunities to see the late great Mia Fey having a sense of humor, but we know at the very least she had an acerbic wit, what with _her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard comment_ about Dahlia and boldly announcing that the P on Feenie's sweater **_did not stand for Phoenix!_ ** XD

Unfortunately with me trying to stay true to canon in the sense that Mia is unfortunately gone but not forgotten I can only write her sparingly so enjoyment of her is sort of like a decadent dessert you don't want to overindulge too often otherwise it won't be as satisfying!

If I wasn't good to reunite these crazy kids in an anonymous hospital room I sure as hell wasn't gonna do it with no witnesses around at Fey Manor either! However I will forgive you for not mentioning the end of the chapter and I will look forward to your bill in the mail for those ruined pillowcases… :p

I want to thank you wholeheartedly again for helping me out with the acrophobia angle sweet boy, along with all the other assistance you gave me with this chapter and the story since you've taken over as my beta reader! You're DEBESTE!

 **Batfreak2008**

I want to thank you sincerely for the completely semi-random yet utterly hilarious review you adorable… RANDO! :p

Considering we all now know the outcome of that election I am delighted my dear neighbor to the south to have done anything to have distracting you from the fact that the world will never be the same again…

Did you know South Park had to change their plot for the latest episode because they didn't think Trump would win?

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

Hello dear girl from down under I am so happy you are still reading this crazy train! Although I always prefer my readers succumb to happiness rather than sadness in the unlikely event of their demise while reading the story, I'm going to beg you to have neither occur otherwise you're going to miss the climax of the whole Nick and Maya arc coming to you next chapter! ;)

 **Joeclone**

Indeed there needs to be some sort of divine assistance to get these crazy kids together if it is the holy mother who gives them enlightenment then so be it! I have my own heterosexual life partner/BFF childhood and over the years we have drawn strength from one another in the same way that these Ace Attorneys do! So I thought who better to be a source of strength and support during these times then Nick for Miles and vice versa! Also I'm in love with that Superman curl his he just looks so adorable! So yeah Phoenix kissing Maya like that the second time around was basically his way of giving her the ultimate _kiss off_. Was that cold? Possibly although how many times can he have someone hit you before you finally lose your mind… And also keep in mind that he has spent seven years being seen as the dregs of society… I can guarantee you having Maya call him the _forging attorney_ probably hurt 10 times more than any blow she gave him that day, flowers or no flowers.

 **napoleon32**

 _"If Fredgeworth suffers from emotional constipation, Phaya suffers from emotional diarrhea."_

I think for the fourth of them should make a gift exchange of good old-fashioned Metamucil fiber and bananas! Can I tell you right now that line had me laughing for a good _near minute straight?_

Maya won't seem to let the poor guy talk, (admittedly something which is not his strong suit!) and she does need a boot to the head as much as he does at this point!

 ** _"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."_** **~Ingrid Bergman**

Well Nick tried that…but it blew up in his face.

It is really easy to blame Phoenix for him and Maya's fights, but I have always tried to make it be a shared blame thing, to a certain degree, for their _major_ fights and let's face it, this one was _the worst one of all_! I know what Maya said to him was pretty bad; it would've had to be for me to even partially to justify Nick using those wonderful lips of his of _punishment_ instead of _pleasure_ after all! At this point I think locking them into the channeling chamber so they could have a screaming match might be the best thing since these two are really quickly to _take flight_ after _fight_ … Except this time it was _Phoenix_ did the walking.

I am happy you enjoyed Wrightworth's second reunion – the idea Phoenix being the world's ugliest woman and still ending up being Miles's _plus one_ was just too hilarious for me not to throw in there! The Edgeworth is also skill that fencing from his Manfred von Karma days… Who knows whether latent skills he has being the Renaissance man that he is in my mind he is also fluent in Spanish as well as German just because California so close to south of the border …you know, the one that a certain someone whose name rhymes with STUMP wants to build a wall around? XD

Poor Edgeworth… you can understand him giving Phoenix an earful after he moved heaven and earth and faced his worst fear in order to get these dopes together… With all for nothing?! At least Mia was able to tell him that Franny is alive… I promise will find out where she is pretty soon as their arc is coming up as soon as the wedding shenanigans and yes that includes Mildew, are done!

 **Yanmegaman**

 _Helifopter_ was my secondary choice but ultimately Fop Copter just rolled off the tongue better! XD

You're 100% right: _"Master Wright, do try to direct the projectile spewing from your mouth away from me."_ That is totally what Hendriks the C-blocking Butler would say if he were the pilot. Just add the term "Please, you are wrinkling my fur" summer before or after in the most scathing and snooty British tone you can imagine! LOL

Mia is so much fun to write! I figure the dead don't get too many opportunities to have fun and the adorable Edgeworth is so uptight he's just a prime contender to be the brunt of it! And let's face it Miles was a complete DB circa _Bratworth_ days he had to pay for that bimbo comment! XD

I'm sorry I broke you again at this point crazy glue isn't doing much as it?

 **SpiritsOfFire**

There is a reason why so many Ace Attorney fans love to pair the two hottie Ace Attorneys together; their Bromance and back story not to mention their indelible chemistry is irresistible and can easily be taken for romantic however I am too much of a fan girls for both of them to not allow the ladies of the Ace Attorney world to enjoy all that courtroom fire and rapier wit! Wrightworth at least makes more sense to me than some of the other male pairings in the Ace Attorney world but I will leave those thoughts to myself or you can PM me if you want to hear them! Pearl didn't need to encourage too hard- these two love each other so much it's not even funny, it's just that they both stubborn as hell too, which is why they will always butting heads however in this story that is _all_ they will **_ever be butting_**! XD

I figure Fredgeworth has had enough to deal with without me adding yet another party to the mix now that the triangle with Lana is over! But keeping in mind that The Edgeworth never sweats or gets riled up by anything (gun held to his back doesn't even twitch! puppy dangling from his cravat doesn't even blink!) it is a lot of fun getting him riled up! Don't you just love Mia? :p

Unfortunately Maya found out the truth and this time it was Phoenix to do the walking first… There _is_ going to be a wedding next chapter stay tuned to find out who's that is! ;)

Thank you for the kind words about my writing dear reader. Moreover, thanks for still reading!

 **chloemcg**

Phoenix really can't win can he? He tries to talk: open mouth, insert foot, swallow down laces! He tries to be more action than words since showing his love physically by hugging both Pearl and Edgeworth seem to work… He tries the action was Maya and gets another palm to the face! We can't condone him for being a jerk but how many times you hit someone before they _finally_ snap, Wright? And even then I wouldn't let him lay a hand on the bride because he's not _that_ far fallen from grace… He just decided to _kiss_ her senseless as her punishment – dammit why Nick, er, I mean, why can't more _men_ get mad like _that_?! :p

One of my readers gave me this horrific but sidesplitting potential retribution for Mildew was diabolical misdeeds: how about we see her be sat on by Grossberg and suffer the full wrath of his hemorrhoids? XD

As touched as I am that you enjoy the endearing way I write Pearl, don't sell yourself short; you're very good at writing fluff and Pearl is such an adorable character even though she's a grown-up now that she sort of writes herself! my personal pick for favorite piece of fluff you've written would have to be the discovery of Pess :)

I told you not to rule out that letter! There was a reason for it…. ;)

 _Shrek_ is pure comedy genie is so high praise indeed thank you very much! Interesting… You're my second reader to mention _The Book of Life_ in conjunction to the story – what's it about in a nutshell and would I like it or as a kind of dark?

What else are best friends for than to dry each other's tears and help each other face to fears? You know you're really close to somebody we aren't afraid to let your vulnerability? Miles truly is a guardian angel on earth for Phoenix – the Fredgeworth arc is right after the wedding hijinks are done!

 **JaDe In NighT**

Thank you so much for recognizing there is a method to the madness my dear patient reader! The course of true love never did run smooth (were not for romantic drama I would have nothing to Wright about!) and as much as I would not let my readers after almost a year, have Nick and Maya reunite in a hospital room, I also couldn't let that happen in a secluded bridal change room at Fey Manor!

Indeed things always have to get worse before they get better ….e more lyrical prose _it is always darkest before the dawn…_

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

There's a reason most people of The Edgeworth! Miles is possibly one of the noblest characters in all of Ace Attorney (you will see more evidence of that you play _Spirit of Justice)_ however there is also reason Phoenix keeps referring to his best friend as a _smarmy/smug/self-satisfied prig_! Because while Edgeworth will do anything for his brother in arms, from flying the fop copter to facing his phobia, he also has _no problem rubbing it in_ when you _done goofed_! And let's face it this the _mother of all goofs_ that Phoenix has committed having blown his second chance to try to redeem himself! Let's give Nick some credit for least eating said crow with _some aplomb_ while keeping down _his more colorful description of said prig_ on the phone, with his surrogate daughter intently listening in the background! XD

When Phoenix ran across the burning bridge, it's exactly like what you said, he wasn't thinking (Not unusual for Mr. act first think later of course!) This was a case of him literally making a conscious decision with no adrenaline or fear of Maya's life as a factor! Of course, you could always argue she would die of celibacy/loneliness/heartache being married to Longines, but still, t'is a _different_ type of death compared to the fact that back then, he honestly thought her life was in _literal peril_ during Trials and Tribulations!

Now as much as Mia has a wicked sense of humor, she's not a liar. It would've been a definite less hilarity if Franziska was actually with another man. I honestly can't see her settling for a hamburger after she had the filet mignon that was The Edgeworth regardless the size of his _banana hammock_ (sorry, had to indulge my inner fan girl there for a moment – he is my secondary crush after Phoenix, which is probably why he is the other male lead in the story!) XD

Besides there's no way I would've wrapped up the Lana Skye triangle if I was going to start up another one for Fredgeworth. I figure these two have had enough issues to deal with without me doing _that_ to them again!

Your idea of Mildew offering to be made of honor in Pearl's place was so hilarious I actually decided to implement it so thank you very much for that! Of course she's getting antsy that's why she made the offer however she really underestimated how much Maya loves her little girl… I'm happy to say that in this case Pearl made a gamble and it paid off! There is no way Maya would get married even to a man she knows she doesn't really want to wed, without her only living family there!

As you saw in this chapter, the magic of the magatama that connected her to Nick's memories was enough to make her attempt to run after him… But it's like you said the entire universe seems to want to keep them apart because she got accosted by both Porfirio and The Dragon Lady herself! I suppose Phoenix wouldn't keep getting pushed away if Maya stopped hitting him but then there wouldn't be any drama to keep readers intrigued, Wright? Something, something, the course of true love never did run smooth… And as I said to milady… Do not rule out that letter… They play an important factor in this story for good reason ;)

 **Ilet Moratar**

With all my heart I hope that Trump will not undo all the good that President Obama has done to bring your countries close together. I know it has been many decades for both Cuba and America have reached the point where they were finally at and I am so grateful my readers took the time to still read my story considering I posted it on election night, never mind that you would even think of comparing the potential devastation of such a thing to Nick and Maya especially since you're a diehard Fredgeworth lover! High praise indeed _mi amiga dulce_!

I also didn't think it would be possible for you like Miles, even more at least not until Francisca came back in the picture, but alas who cannot love tsundere yet heart of gold man that is The Edgeworth? (If they don't and I have no idea why they're reading the story since he is a secondary male lead!) At this point even though Pearl is magical in her ability to bond people together at this point if she knew what had just happened with Nick and Maya she would probably just resort to flat-out slapping him both! And nobody would blame her!

For the record Pearly will not need to _force_ Franziska to marry Miles! According to fan polls Edgeworth is the most handsome man in the Ace Attorney universe… Surely there would be no need for coercion just a matter of getting a hold of that woman wherever she is hiding!

It's really interesting is depends on how you want to look at it when it comes to phobias I had to do some research by talking to some friends who suffered from similar phobias to get a realistic hopefully, reaction when you are either claustrophobic or acrophobic, and one could argue that Miles's elevator trip only was 30 seconds whereas Nick's was _over half an hour_ … Ultimately though I think when it comes to _trauma by proxy_ I would give it to Miles. Watching Nick not being able to breathe while they were 10,000 feet in the air not knowing that Mia was coming to the rescue, and knowing he couldn't do anything except navigate and possibly wouldn't be able to land in time I had to have been beyond horrifying! As for Mia's lap even though I always write her as being his mentor and seeing him in a more maternal way… To just take a moment still say lucky Nick? LOL

I would like to thank you wholeheartedly for your warped sense of humor with the scenarios you portrayed Mia teasing Miles with! I decided it would be too cruel for her to pretend to have a vision of Maya dragging Longines to the bath with a _take that_ mentality that Nick wouldn't be _the only one_ who could have enjoyment of bathing by the opposite gender… But I did laugh myself silly at the thought!

Phoenix is going to need more than some sort of bath scum remover to get those words to be obliterated… He's going to need a miracle!

The funneling technique you speak of is enjoyable by many fraternity boys but with beer instead of coffee! Oh dear, you would waste the wonderful Cuban coffee to school Phoenix on his stupidness!? Perhaps it is your shared Latin blood with the java loving Godot that makes you want to use this hot beverage of the form of punishment although admittedly deserved!

 **Forgreatcoffee**

I decided to capitalize on the fact that despite being drop-dead gorgeous the otherwise bookworm intellectual Poindexter that is Miles Edgeworth may tend to get flustered around beautiful women, and let's face it who was more beautiful than your kitten? :)

In the online forums I have seen she gets tied with Athena Sykes - but cannot be surpassed. I'm thinking it's those famous Fey twins! XD

Also I really do believe Mia would've kept her sense of humor even in the afterlife - also Bratworth had to pay for his bimbo comment **somehow** right? At least he was gentlemen enough to say mea culpa and apologize at last!

Miles has no problem letting you know you suck and he would always enjoy the times when he gets to be right about something I guess he try to compensate for the fact that he is literally beaten Phoenix **once** in their entire courtroom history and that was because Nick pretty much threw the case! So I decided to let him have this! Besides as much as he rakes you over the coals he will still show up for you in a Fop Copter and faces phobias for you (I love showing off the bromance these two guys have!) not to mention making sure you don't look like a hobo bum when you crashing your ex-girlfriend's wedding and risk being thrown off said bridge by the horrified elders! Keeping in mind suit or no suit they still hate him!

Phoenix is literally on strike three now… He's got one final chance to get it right the considering he's one who did the walking this time… You may need to prepare that coffee pot…or do you? ;)


	155. Objection!

_A/N: Not much to say here except enjoy your weekend read of the chapter I'm dedicating to The Pudz, Yanmegaman and TheFreelancerSeal (they know why). Also – despite being Canadian…am_ _ **not apologizing**_ _for the_ _ **title**_ _! Hey, you KNEW it was coming! XD_

* * *

 _"From every human being there rises a light that reaches straight to heaven. And when two souls that are destined to be together find each other, their streams of light flow together, and a single brighter light goes forth from their united being. And when these two people are connected at both the heart and soul, it doesn't matter what you do, or who you are or where you live; there are no boundaries or barriers if two people are destined to be together."_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Five: Objection!**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
**_ _Kurain Village  
_ June 16, 2026 _,_ 4:05 PM

" _ **Objection**_!"

" _Objection_!"

"OBJECTION!"

The trademarked exclamation of the ex-defense attorney resounded at a decibel which made all the birds in the neighboring tree branches concurrently take hastened flight, and his clamorous baritone echoed loudly within the ears of the entire stunned congregation.

Simultaneously alongside… _two_ _**female**_ _ones_?!

"Who _else_ just shouted _**OBJECTION**_?" Phoenix cast a perplexed glance about him from his standing position, arm extended and in full-blown, finger pointing mode, his former challenging expression now changing into one of utter bewilderment at the face of the continuing dazed silence of the masses.

" _Oh là là_! Such _raw, masculine virility_ all w'iz just _one_ word!" Armstrong commenced his nausea- inducing, feverous torso wiggle. "I 'ave la shivers!"

Phoenix swallowed back his bile at the _all-too memorable_ sight of the wriggling faux Frenchman and called out again. "Er, am I going crazy here? Did _nobody_ else just hear that?!"

" _Excusez-moi,_ _monsieur 'andsome lawyer homme_!" Armstrong prattled cheerily. " _Non! Moi aussi_! I _absolument_ 'eard it too! Hellooooo…who _else_ yelled _Objection_?" The wannabe Pink Lady called out, clapping his hands and barely able to conceal his glee.

"Don't look at _me_!" Shrugged Reverend Paesano, shaking his head and stretching out his arms, palms up, in a gesture of complete innocence. "I just finished telling _that_ _pushy crone_ , who's now giving me _stink-eye_ over there…" he jutted his bushy chin in the affronted Mildred's direction, "that _throwing my voice_ isn't among my list of thrasonical attributes!"

" _Crone_?" Bleated the tendentious elder, twin coals narrowed into serpentine slits in the holy man's direction as she clutched her bony, heaving chest. "Why, I _never_!"

The Reverend ignored her and undauntedly continued.

"I can fanfaronade about doing countless weddings, funerals, baptisms – including Longines's here –and even _painless circumcisions_ …all _that jazz_ , no problem! But making my voice sound like a _woman's_? Not unless I were being _castrated_ , which is a totally new ballpark entirely! That fella from The Bee Gees though, I don't know how _he_ did it! I blame the tight pants personally…"

" _Objection_!" A recognizable woman's voice interrupted abruptly. " _Irrelevant_ , and somewhat _inappropriate_ bloviating, _Padre_!"

" _Hold it_!" Phoenix craned his neck over the strepent din of the throng, trying to locate the source. "I _know_ I heard it _this_ time!"

" _Objection_!" Another unidentified feminine intonation declared, equally as loudly. " _No daughter of mine_ is going to enter this absolute _sham_ of a marriage if _I_ have anything to do with it!"

Following the direction of the voices, the bride's bamboozled vision at last realized the sources from which they came, and the oversized bouquet in her hands dropped from shock.

" _M-Mia?_ _M-mom?"_ Maya cast a frantic, bemused glance to her right, where her daughter remained standing in her formal gown, still in her own body. "Pearly, you're still _you_ …"

Her voice trailed off in confusion as she looked back at the smiling figures of Mia and Misty Fey, both beloved and departed, _yet somehow standing right before her very eyes_ in the first row next to _Mystic Matilda!_

"So then… _wh-who's_ channeling _Sis_?" She blinked in astonishment, sure she was somehow hallucinating, yet the beaming forms of her late mother and sister remained. "And…whose body is hosting _Mom_?"

"I'm being channeled by Iris, Maya," Mia replied tenderly, her amber orbs glowing with love. "She's been working very hard with Sister Bikini to tap into her spiritual powers, and just like this morning with her impromptu concert performance, our cousin's timing couldn't be any better!"

That was when, for the first time, Maya realized that unlike her usual toffee colored tresses, which she maintained when being channeled by Pearl, her older sister presently had _raven black hair_ , similar to her own. Also, the legal legend's body wasn't on its customary _X-rated display_ in her young cousin's acolyte attire, for Iris had been wearing her loose-flowing nun's habit, which although form-fitting on Mia's robust physique, still covered her with comparative modesty _for once_!

" _Ir –Iris_?!" Maya stammered, feeling slightly lightheaded now and swaying slightly on her heels as Pearl hastily placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. " _S-Sister Bikini_?"

"The good sister is the one channeling _me_ , dear daughter." Misty Fey spoke up from her standing position in order to be heard and seen by all 400 stupefied guests. "I'd always _dreamed_ of someday seeing my baby girl get married… but _not_ _like_ _**this**_ _!"_

"I _demand_ an immediate cease to this garrulousness of _impudence and persiflage_ on this most sacred occasion, which is supposed to be steeped in reverent Fey tradition!" Screamed the sanctimonious Dragon Lady, her left eye beginning to visibly twitch. "This is a _wedding_ , not a _circus_!"

At this affronting comment, Regent the Tiger, who had been balancing the still tuxedoed Feyt peacefully on his head, let out a loud roar, and both Jylan and Desse began vociferously chittering, as though in protest, while Max and Regina hurriedly attempted to quiet them.

Oblivious to the irony of her statement or the mini commotion she'd caused, Mildred directed an infuriated, gnarled index at the bride, her despotic nature rapidly coming into the fray despite her shrouding efforts to appear as a henotic zelatrix.

"I decree an end to these shenanigans! This isn't some sort of vapid, melodramatic soap opera! Only on such jejune drivel would the _adulterated_ heroine be such a _feeble-minded, sappy_ … _ninny_! Mystic Maya, I _implore_ you! A woman of your esteemed stature should at least _attempt_ to have _some_ dignity!"

" _Dignity_?" Misty arched a derisive brow. "Exactly _what_ are you implying here?"

" _That degenerate_ ," the old woman spat, pointing at Phoenix, who'd remained standing by his seat and out in the aisle, "has been promised to Sister Iris! How can a woman of the Master's prestige and ascendancy possibly lower herself to arrogate this no-good, meretricious bum of _his_ caliber?! And from the arms of her own _kinswoman_ nevertheless?!"

Phoenix felt his face turning red from shame and anger to be publicly deprecated in such a manner, and in front of so many strangers! His face flushed even further as he saw the oddly _familiar-looking_ videographer on the premises he'd spotted earlier, who _was still recording_ _every single moment_ of this humiliating, disparaging debacle! Before he could utter a word in his defense, however, his former mentor beat him to the punch, unfortunately, not _literally_.

"Just shut the hell up, _Mildew_!" The enkindled Mia's pretty face twisted into a snarl. "As usual, _you decrepit battle-axe_ , your miserable, flibbertigibbet self continues spouting off _nonsensical, vociferous feculence_ , despite the fact that you don't have a _goddammed clue_ what you're senselessly yapping about!"

"My name is _Mildred_ , you _obscenely, oversized… pneumatic_ … _ **bimbo**_ _!_ And no, I will _do no such thing_!" The Dragon Lady cunningly switched to playing the euphuistic village elder card. "This auspicious marriage was going to help Kurain prosper and thrive due to the altruistic affluence of Monsieur Beaugosse! And now our Master seems keen to _desecrate_ all our recent prosperity and recuperation… and for _what_?! Naught more than her unabashed, inexplicable _lust_ for this _good-for-nothing_ , _disgraced_ _hooligan?_ This _socially outcast pariah_ that is _Phoenix Wright,_ of _ill-reputed, disbarred lawyer_ acclaim? Do we allow Mystic Maya and the Forging Attorney to marry, sullying the reputation of Kurain Village forever, or do we stop this once and for all?"

"My fellow elders, this is _not_ your decision to make," Misty began, her emollient voice quiet but full of power. "This council has not acted properly for many years. When my daughter was named as the new Master, you abused your powers by threatening and harrying her into concurring with _your_ desires for Kurian. Whoever you choose to fall in love with is an important decision of yours alone, ergo, Maya's choice of spouse, arguably, is the greatest decision of her life! As such, I feel you all should abstain from thrusting your biased and antiquated opinions down her throat. It is not the council's role to control the Master's personal life, no matter how much certain people wish it were so."

" _Codswallop_!" Mildred shrieked, her eyeballs nearly bugging out of her head. "You have been dead and gone for _seven_ years now Mystic Misty! You know nothing of which you speak! Which _malicious miscreant_ has been feeding you all this lurid bunkum about the ongoings of our village since your departure from this earth?!"

"That would be _me_!" A third erudite voice rose above the rabble.

Everyone's head's jerked up in the direction of the sound, and saw Matilda rising from her seat, her dark orbs boring holes into the thunderstruck Dragon Lady's.

" _Mystic Matilda_?!" Mildred could barely utter the words, she was so dumbfounded at this revelation. " _You_?! _You_ would betray the village in such an unprecedented, nefarious manner?"

"I have done _no_ such thing!" Matilda retorted sacrosanctly. "I had zero intention, nor did I actually play Judas in any manner that would affect the well-being of _Kurain_. The only thing that I did was attempt to put a stop to _your_ dastardly doings Mystic Mildred, and hence, have no apologies for my actions whatsoever!"

"Whenever did this occur?!" Mildred demanded harshly. " _Why_ would you do such a thing?"

"That very day you made it clear _you_ fully planned to pursue the starkly unsuitable match between Mr. Beaugosse and Mystic Maya, _I_ made the conscious decision to immediately seek the assistance of Sister Bikini to advise on how to thwart your devious intentions!" Matilda informed her loftily, her face a mask of acrimony. "It was my _co-conspirator's_ afflatus to wisely enlist Mystic Misty and Mystic Mia for their advice on how to deal with this _sham of a marriage_ you attempted to coerce the Master into, under the apocryphal of it being to ameliorate Kurain! The good sister and I have both been keeping them abreast of this despicable situation you have put our village leader into under the ruse of tradition and sacred custom, and the maltreatment she has been enduring at the hands of the council all these years!"

"And _that's_ how we know what's been going on in this village, you _Zoilean barracuda_!" Mia fumed, glaring hatefully at Mildred. "We know _everything_!"

"For the past year, Mia and I have been holding many a colloquy session with the shrine maiden, Mystic Matilda and Sister Bikini. The latter two alternated who'd channel Mia and myself to keep us in the loop about what's been going on in the village," Misty confirmed. "Although thus far, neither one of us have been channeled by Sister Iris, since she was still undergoing intense training of her fledgling latent powers up until now."

"You and _Bikini_?" Mildred sounded as though she was being strangulated by her magatama chain. " _You're_ the ones who've been in cahoots with the Feys, and training Sister Iris all this time to learn how to channel, just so you could arbitrate the wedding?!"

"How _else_ could Mystic Mia possibly have written that loving message for her little sister, right before I bequeathed it to her two nights ago? It was accompanied by an heirloom jewelry box containing the sentimental bridal ornaments she and her mother intended for Mystic Maya. They'd always desired for her to be bedecked in her inherited finery for her ceremony, despite the fact that _none_ of us would have ever allowed it to _happen_!"

Matilda smirked at her rival's vilifying scowl.

"Indeed, it's been the two of us who have the lorthews for Sister Iris all this time. It was all part of our master plan so that she could learn to channel either the late Master's sister or mother, for _exactly the right moment_ to put a stop to this train wreck of a wedding! Admittedly, we've had our obstacles training the neophyte shrine maiden for a spell, what with her exceptional but _random_ capacities for resurrecting famous deceased persons! It was an uphill battle getting her to _channel on command_ this past year, as she was such a late bloomer with her spiritual powers. Nonetheless, the determined paragon was eager to lend a hand in our strategies to rescue her cousin from this mess. She continued to persevere, and hence, accordingly proved earlier today that when that girl puts her mind to something, _as well as her heart and soul,_ Sister Iris has enhanced psychic powers worthy of any Fey family member!"

"Ergo, here I am, back from the grave, Mystic Mildred, trying to save my daughter from the fiery pits of Abaddon that you have made not only her _life,_ but intended to make her _future_ , as well." Misty's dark gaze was unwavering upon the puce-faced spinster, undisguised animus etched on her every feature. "It was no surprise to me whatsoever, being the Morgan supporter you were, that you'd be every bit the scathing _bête noire_ to my poor daughter which you still were back when _I_ was village leader!"

"How _dare_ you!" The interim pedant clutched her chest, which was rapidly rising and falling in rancorous fury. "How _dare_ you have the gall to simply show up here at the most inopportune time and promptly undo all the hard work I've been putting in since you left here as a disgrace!"

"My mother was _exonerated_ , you _withered_ , _draconic_ , _hatchet-faced…_ _ **hag**_!" Mia yelled, lunging at the older woman, only to have Edgeworth, who'd stealthily been making his way up the aisle since she and Misty's eldritch appearance, spring forward and hold her back, but not without some difficulty. "And I am _not_ a _bimbo_!"

"Calm yourself, daughter," Misty interjected smoothly, once again resuming her dulcet tone for her first born. "You're going to give the poor young woman whose body you are borrowing a broken blood vessel, if not a full blown heart attack! Now, Mystic Mildew, er, Mildred, I did _not_ leave my position only to have my daughters befallen into deprivation because they were forced to inherit the title and all the unnecessary malarkey and corruption that accompanies it! There are unequivocally _zero_ Kurain laws which dictate the leader has to obey the wishes of those around her. Your elder council was only required to run things in my absence until a new Master was selected. One has been in place now for the past seven years. So the time has come for you to either step aside, or you will be removed from your esteemed position of adviser, post-haste! Is that understood?"

"I feel that the council should indeed vote on this matter," Mildred argued, but without much conviction now. Misty's words had visibly shaken the haughty woman to the core, even though she remained balefully glaring at both the former Master and Mia. "This is not solely a matter of the Master's _personal_ life, since it affects us _all_ if she's to be aligning herself with _canaille_ like Mr. Wright, who bears a debased reputation of falsification! It does _not_ reflect well on Kurain Village, and may harm the recovery we are currently making, and we've only been acting in a manner that would be most beneficial to all of us a whole."

" _Up your ziggy with a wa-wa brush_ , Mildew!" The dyspeptic Mia cut in wrathfully, sparks flying out of her eyes. "There is naught but pure verisimilitude in what Mystic Matilda has been relaying to us and you damn well know it! You guys _have_ just been bullying my poor little sister into agreeing with your self-serving and archaic ways and _I_ am sick and tired of it!"

She turned to Maya then, her eyes sparkling with tears of sympathy and remorse.

"I had no idea how horrid they would be to you, and what indescribable acts they would try to force upon you, all for the supposed so-called good of Kurain! I couldn't possibly have foreseen what a nightmare you'd have to contend with when I took off to become a lawyer, leaving you no choice but to take over the Master position, Maya. My heart weeps for all the suffering you have endured, getting stuck with this position which wasn't even _your_ initial birthright, and that I know you never wanted. Please forgive me for my unwitting part in your sorrows."

"Sis, don't be ridiculous!" Maya felt the tears welling up. "There's nothing to forgive! You were trying to help clear Mom's good name…"

"It is only because of your former beau here that said goal was achieved," Misty inserted, smiling warmly at Phoenix, whose cheeks turned pink once more, but this time with bashful pride. "I never had the chance to thank you for that, so I shall do so now. With all my heart, please accept my everlasting gratitude and esteem to you, Mr. Wright, for all you've done for me, my family name, and both my daughters."

" _F-For your d-daughters?_ " The balbutient Mildred feigned an air of indignation at the unjust allegations being flung at her. "Fine, the hobo bum may very well have done _one_ _or_ _two_ eleemosynary acts of gallantry back when he was a lawyer! Be that as it may, _I'll be_ _cogswoggled_ if I allow these unsubstantiated accusations against me! I would like to remind everybody that ultimately, _I_ didn't _push_ Mystic Maya into this arranged marriage! _She_ agreed to it, on her _own_ accord!"

"And _this_ was the best you could do for her?" Misty raised an eyebrow, looking disdainfully at Longines, who shrank back slightly. "You weren't thinking of Maya's best interests when you picked this… _fancy_ _man_ , Mystic Mildred. You only cared about _avarice_ ; his influences and clout and wealth when you made this match! You never even gave her a _chance_ to be with a man that she could _ever_ possibly love, or who could ever love _her_ – through no fault of my daughter's of course! The main reason this marriage was doomed from the start was because _you_ chose a _blatant Nancy_ as a husband for her, who would undoubtedly only have been happy with my daughter had her name been _…_ _ **Lance**_ _or…_ _ **Gaylord**_!"

" _Zut alors!_ " Armstrong crossed his arms across and assumed his customary petulant moue. "My name eez neither _Lance_ nor zee equally abominable _Gaylord_!"

Nobody paid attention, as all onlookers' observations were upon the steely-eyed Misty Fey, whose never-straying, icy stare could have frozen a _less reptilian_ nemesis cold in their tracks, and at Mildred Latrine, who was flapping and floundering like a fish out of water.

"Regardless of what your perception is of his sexual orientation – I still did _not_ hold a gun to Mystic Maya's head to agree to these nuptials! Incidentally, Longines is _not_ a _pouf_ , he is simply a tad _effeminate…_ he is _French_ , ah…a hairdresser industrialist and, er… _European_! _"_ The old bag insisted desperately. "Men of this modern day and age have since wholly embraced their _sensitive_ sides and distinctive, unorthodox appearance! They are simply secure enough in their masculinity to brave their own desired…however _flamboyant_ , fashion sense, I'll have you know! There is _zilch_ hard-core proof that this man was unwilling to marry Mystic Maya and sire her with an heir!"

"With a _turkey baster_ maybe!" Mia sniggered contemptuously, causing Longines to cower behind Armstrong. "Or _maybe_ if he had enough drinks in him to float the Titanic, and was incessantly fantasizing about _Hugh Jackman_!"

"Excuse me, Miss Thang, but I prefer _Johnny Depp_!" Longines sassed huffily behind Armstrong's back, before realizing what he'd said and turning crimson as Misty, Mia, Maya and Phoenix all turned to gape at him in disbelief. The mortified billionaire again slunk behind the muscular chef and buried his blond head against his best man's shoulder. "OMG, that busty broad is just _so_ brutal!"

" _Mnh-hnhmmm_ , _way_ harsh in throwing that shade!" Armstrong agreed sympathetically, reaching over his shoulder and taking his employer's hand in his own. "Girlfriend is just such a _major_ _meanie_!"

"As I was _saying_!" Mildred raged, as if they all hadn't just bore witness to the groom as he'd come _riding of the closet on a pink Harley with glittery, rainbow tassel_ s. "Longines's sexual preferences aside, Mystic Maya _willingly_ agreed to this marriage when that _traitorous philanderer_ over there unceremoniously dumped her for Sister Iris, and broke her heart! That was the _only_ reason this wedding was about to happen in the first place!"

" _Objection_!" Mia bellowed, directing her courtroom finger at the loathsome woman. "Here and now, I'm going to halt that baseless conjecture, before it becomes _full-blown perjury_ , right in its tracks, _once and for all!"_

Phoenix opened his mouth to speak as well, but Mia held up her hand, effectively stopping him, so he obligingly shut his mouth and let her proceed. In the greatest crusade of his life, where his entire life's happiness was at stake in the battle for Maya's heart, he appeared to have not _one_ , but _two_ defense attorneys who had his back! Moreover, they were guaranteed to be even better Ace Attorneys at defending his good name than _he_ had ever been!

After all, _was_ there _anyone_ who did more damage to his own case than _Phoenix Wright himself did_ , whenever he opened his mouth _anywhere_ or _anytime_ _outside_ of _the_ _courtroom_?! It would be amazing to actually be on the _receiving_ end of such champion defending, and from such a formidable tag team _literally_ sent from the heavens! He was suddenly grateful for the taped footage they would have of this whole episode, and belatedly realized the videographer was none other than the meddling busboy from that Mexican restaurant, _Jesse,_ who was murmuring his own rendition of events into his microphone the entire time, as though narrating for an audience.

"It's me, Jesse Ventura, flying my first major gig solo at _Jess/Desserts Productions_ because my boss Divine Desserts took off to cover some Hilton/ Kardashian engagement party! This here is the most sizzling scoop of the century! It's the celebrity wedding between the Master of Kurain, Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse, _hair heir extraordinaire_!" The _busboy_ turned _waiter_ turned _cameraman_ mumbled into his headset microphone. "I've got the insider view on the hottest star-studded love triangle ever since _Brangelina_! The mystically reincarnated Whitney Houston concert and circus performances have long since halted, but _the main spectacle_ is _still_ ongoing! The Runaway Bride hath returned! Now her sister and mother have somehow been resurrected from the Twilight Realm, and are going to plead their case for the bride's erstwhile lover, former Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright, who has crashed the wedding with his signature _Objection_ just moments ago! Stay tuned folks…this is more dramatic than Shakespeare theatre!"

"Yeah, about that issue regarding Sister Iris…" Mia smiled smugly at the aghast elder as she flicked her hair out of her eyes. "Your evidence against Phoenix in that regard has been deemed _inadmissible_! Therefore…the judge declared it… _Overruled_!"

" _Wh-What? What? What_?" Mildred stammered. "What the devil is going here?!"

"I have the note intended for my sister, supposed to be received _after_ she was married to Longines, which should have been sent two nights ago, when Phoenix got hit by that car," the legal legend announced, cocking a knowing half-smile as she waved the sheet of paper in the air like a flag and began to read. "Listen up, Maya. If _this_ doesn't melt you into a puddle of goo, then I swear you've got _ice water_ instead of _blood_ pumping in those veins!"

Phoenix shouldn't have been startled that his _billets-doux_ was now in Mia's hand, seeing as how he had given it to _Iris_ only minutes ago. However, he'd never dreamed the words intended for his former lover's eyes, exposing his bared heart and soul, would ever be read aloud, and in front of hundreds of strangers!

Feeling self-conscious and vulnerable, his downcast gaze never strayed from the ground as he anxiously listened to his ineffable emotions pour out from his old boss's lips, chancing just one quick glimpse up at the altar to gauge Maya's reaction, noticing his ex-girlfriend had tilted her head to the side, a curious and mystified expression on her visage as she listened intently.

* * *

" _My love. I know I have no right to call you that anymore, but that's what you've never ceased being to me, so forgive me just this once for overstepping my boundaries and addressing a now married woman with my old over familiarity. It's what I've always called you before and although time has since made us strangers, it's what you shall remain as in my heart…"_

While in a state of breathless rapture, Maya remained rooted on the spot as she heard her sister's mellifluous voice orating Phoenix's heartfelt prose.

" _In my journal, I do my best to write to you every day. It keeps you close to me. God, I miss you so. You plague my mind every waking hour of my life. I wish I'd never met you. No – I don't mean that! What good would my life be without my precious memories of you to make me smile?"_

The letter read like epeolatry, the libretti leaping out at the bride's ears, as though actually coming to life.

" _I keep wondering if you're happy. I want you to be. I want you to have a glorious life. That's why I couldn't say the things I knew you wanted to hear the very last time we were together. I was afraid if I did, you'd wait for me for years. I knew you wanted me to say I loved you. Not saying that to you was the only unselfish thing I did in the six years of bliss we were together, and I now I regret even that. I love you, Maya Fey. Christ, I love you so much. I'd give up all my life to have one year with you. Six months. Three. Anything. You stole my heart from nearly the very start, my love. But you gave me your heart, too. You never had to tell me; I know you did - I could see it in your eyes every time you looked at me..."_

The text being read aloud held a vice-like grip on Maya's mind, its poignant reality began to distort her own, challenging the previous agonized facts of her existence, bringing her into a newly transported, oscillating realm where even her sense of self was up for grabs.

 _"…Being a good wife to him …that's exactly what you should do. It's what you must do. I want you to do that, Maya. That's such a lousy lie. What I really want is to see you again, to hold you in my arms, to make love to you over and over again until I've filled you so completely that there's no room left inside of you for anyone but me, ever. I never thought of physical intimacy as 'making love' until you. You never knew that, but it's true. The time has finally come for you to know the truth about why I had to end things with you that fateful night last March. Remembering the pain and the tears in your eyes, sometimes I still break down, knowing I was the cause. It kills me now just as much as it did then. The day I made you walk away, you took away the very heart of me…"_

Maya's entire state of being was entirely engrossed, absorbed, almost in a trance as Mia went on reading the poet verses which flooded her senses.

"… _I_ _knew you would fight to try to stay with me, even if it meant risking your own life. I couldn't allow such a thing. At your mother's funeral I promised Mia that I would protect you with my dying breath, and it's a promise that I had to keep. Which is why I begged Iris to lie on my behalf that I was leaving you for her. Please don't be angry with your cousin for her unwilling hand in this deception, Maya. It was gutting her all this time, knowing how much you and Pearls must've hated her, when all Iris did was nobly sacrifice the only family she had left, in order to save the life of her cousin. Now we can come clean with the truth, with Gavin safely behind bars where he belongs, and you about to embark on the brighter future you deserve…"_

Hearing the aching, long sought-for truth after so long, Maya felt the first stirring of tears pricking at her eyelids, knowing she was about to breakdown any moment now.

 _"If there had been any other way to do things, and if I could turn back time and change them, I would. But there was no other way. I chose to have you be alive and hating me rather than die for loving me_. _I wish I had time to write you a better letter or that I'd kept one of the others I've written so I could send that instead. They were all much more coherent than this one. I won't send another letter to you, so don't watch for one. Letters will make me just hope and dream, and if I don't stop doing that, I will die of wanting you."_

 _If we hear not just with our ears, but with our hearts, we can care and not scare._ Maya felt the wall of defenses around her own heart rapidly crumbling down. _With the truth_ _,_ _at last_ _, w_ _e can heal and bring ointment to invisible wounds in the hope they can be reduced to scars and fade in time._

 _"_ _There was never anybody else Maya. It was you, and only you. It's always been you. There isn't one person in the world that I want more than I want you. You've a place in my heart no one else could ever have. I remember the entire time we were together, thinking 'I pray our love is sempiternal. I hope we last forever. But if we don't, this is how I want you to remember me'…"_

Phoenix's words of love slowly began to mend the shattered remains of her heart back together, bit by bit, filling her with an inner glowing light of soothing tranquility unlike anything she had ever known.

 _"I want you to remember me holding you curled up against my body, listening to the sound of your heartbeat and tracing maps across your skin. Remember me laughing at your jokes, even the really out there ones like the one about stepladders vs. ladders and your insistence that I needed to stop judging things based on narrow-minded cultural assumptions. Remember us laughing hysterically for absolutely no reason at all, and remember me wiping your tears because I unwittingly made you so sad, neither of us thought you'd recover. Remember me brave, that time I held your hand in the hospital, when I thought I was going to lose you; remember me scared and gentle and delicate and breakable - only for you though, only for you. Remember me happy, and all the ridiculous ways I tried to get your attention before you knew how much I loved you."_

In in her mind's eye, all the visions Maya now recalled seeing with Phoenix's magatama slowly began to be linked together like a puzzle, piece by piece. She felt herself being transported to that other level of spiritual reality, where both their souls were fused as one, and she was with him again, and all the voices within were aligned, so that the only voice she heard now was his.

 _"Remember the way I was too stubborn to talk to you and how absolutely insane it drove the both of us. Remember all the firsts and how they were so delightful, we went back for seconds and thirds and fourths. Remember the songs you couldn't stop listening to and the childish dreams you allowed yourself about the future. If it's any consolation, I allowed myself to have them too. If it comes to it, I don't want you to remember the ending. Remember the beginning. Remember the first time you knew."_

Maya's vision began to blur as the liquid pools began to form. Phoenix had not only _loved_ her, but better than that, he _chose_ her, day after day. _Choice_ : that was the thing. He'd selflessly _chosen_ a life of willing solitude and suffering if it'd ensured her safety. _Because he'd loved her that much_.

" _In case you ever foolishly forget: I am never not thinking of you. Although I haven't set eyes on you since the day we parted, I've seen that breathtaking face of yours in all the newspapers since your engagement. It's been a bittersweet experience for me, to have something tangible to show how you've grown even more heartbreakingly beautiful since I saw you last. But even if I hadn't seen those photos, that visage will haunt my dreams for the rest of the days of my life. Your face is my heart, Maya Fey, and the love of you is my soul."_

The happiness slowly coursing within, like a warm glow seeping through her, and was infectious. It started as a tingle in her fingers and toes, much like the feelings of stress, misery, confusion and anxiety that had been manifesting and multiplying leading up the wedding, but now, instead of tumultuous, it was tingly. She felt it pass through her like a warm ocean wave, washing away the agony and heartache of the past year, leaving her cleansed and refreshed internally. As the wave faded, she savored the memory of its gentle touch. The feeling was a blissful evocation of times she and Phoenix had spent together, simply talking, laughing and making silly jokes. It had been the best time of her life, and she'd cherished every minute.

" _I love you, Maya Fey. I loved you that final night I was forced to bid you farewell in Kurain. I love you now, I will love you until I die, and if there's a life after that, I'll love you then. Forever yours, faithfully, Nick."_

* * *

As Mia finished reading the letter, there wasn't a dry eye in the place. She paid no mind to the sniffles and quiet sobs from the wedding guests – _male **and** females alike_! – and tactfully pretended not to notice the comical honking sound Gumshoe emitted all the way from the back as he raucously blew his nose.

 _"Take that!"_ She flashed Mildred a smarmy grin _. "_ There is _no man on earth_ who's better for Maya _than Phoenix Wright_ , because _no other man_ will _ever_ love her the way _he does_ , and _always will_! _Well_ , Dragon Lady? What do you have to say for yourself _now_?!"

"I – um, we all thought…" The harpy stuttered uncomfortably, her eye now in full-twitch mode. Unlike everyone else present, while she appeared nowhere near _moved_ by the letter, Mildred now certainly looked as though she'd be _violently ill_ at the heaping dose of _humble pie_ she'd just been served! "What else could we have possibly believed all things considered…?"

"It's like I told you, you _chthonian wyvern_!" Mia goaded with a laugh. "As is tradition, you knew not of what you speak, so you should have shut that every flapping trap of yours! _Everything_ you thought you knew about this kind, noble hearted man standing here who you've been slandering all this time – hell, what _everyone_ , even _myself_ up until today believed!– was _nothing but lies_ , Mildew. _All lies_. Phoenix was never in love with Iris, although perhaps a decade ago he convinced himself that he was when he thought she was her homicidal maniac of a twin sister. As you heard from that letter, he only lied and told Maya that in order to protect her _life_ because he didn't want to put her in danger of that murderous bastard, Kristoph Gavin, who had made a threat against her!"

The buxom beauty flashed a shit-eating grin, first at the gobsmacked expression on the detestable Elder's mug, then at the happy relieved countenances of her sister and Phoenix, gleeful to _finally_ have _that_ obstacle cleared at last.

"Phoenix has another letter, Maya, but I shall allow _Pearly_ to explain everything to you _later_ about _her,_ not _you_ being _the actual kid_ in question you overheard him speaking of earlier," Mia winked at the sheepish Pearl, who hid her red face behind her bouquet. "But more importantly, in case you're wondering, baby sister, it was just your lousy luck that the _one_ day you went to confront Iris to see if Phoenix's claim was true, it just so happened, much like how he strategically planned on the night he broke up with you, to be the _one_ time you didn't have your magatama on, so you had no way to determine our cousin was lying about the two of them being together."

"I knew Iris was hiding something," Pearl confessed, her cheeks flaming. "I went to see her shortly after Mr. Nick split up with Mystic Maya, and I could see her psyche locks. Gosh, I feel so awful! I need to tell her how sorry I am! All she ever did was try to protect Mystic Maya, and I was so _mean_ to her!"

"It's alright, dear girl," Matilda said gently. "You can tell her later. But just so you know, she understood why you felt that way, and never held any ill-will towards you. Iris really does care for you, Mystic Pearl, and would like to try to be your big sister…if you'll let her."

"I'd like that very much," Pearl sniffled and nodded, then looked into Maya's eyes pleadingly. "Even back then, I knew something wasn't right, but I couldn't _prove_ it, so I left it alone. It was also the reason I never confronted Mr. Nick about it, either, and didn't try to _slap_ some _sense_ into him!"

The teen shot an impish grin at Phoenix, who gave her a thankful one right back, before she turned back her apologetic mien to the bride. "It's also why I couldn't tell _you,_ Mystic Maya. You were so sad and broken up about Mr. Nick, I wouldn't have wanted to get your hopes up without any sort of proof. I'm so sorry."

"Why is everyone apologizing to me?" Maya was half laughing, half crying. "I've been so miserable because of all these lies, deceptions and half-truths which made me feel like I was being buried alive all this time…now, thanks to Mom and Sis and God knows who else, this been the most liberating, happy day _ever_!"

"I believe you have a longer list of _earth angels_ to thank for today than you may think, Maya, but amongst them, make sure you give some credit to the wonderful women whose bodies are hosting us," Mia grinned triumphantly and crossed her arms over her chest. "We couldn't have brought all this to light without their help."

"The truth will always set you free, dear daughter," Misty told Maya, her eyes shining with love as she gazed upon her youngest child. "You've grown into such a fine and beautiful young woman, even in that _garish monstrosity_ of a dress, which I'm _sure_ you had _no say_ in choosing!"

The former Kurain Master chuckled and shook her head ruefully at Mildred's affronted sniff before directing her prideful gaze at Maya.

"It brings joy to my heart to see that all the sacrifices I've made have all been worthwhile. I am so proud of you, baby girl. I know you have been, and will continue to be, a wonderful Master. An even _better_ one now, without all these heavy chains and restrictions weighing you down."

As she finished speaking Misty stared pointedly at Mildred, who cringed and cowered away like a bug pinned to the wall. The fight had truly vanished from her now that she'd been bested, and all of her manipulations and attempts at dominance had been blown out of the water.

"Since that evil man who tried to frame you has been incarcerated, I know it's only a matter of time before you can prove your innocence with regards to the forgery and clear your name in that matter as well, my dear protégé," the elder Fey sibling predicted with a winsome smile at her old employee. "But in the meantime, now that Mom and I have laid out all the groundwork for you, I do believe there's some words my baby sister needs to hear from you. So without further ado, the stage is all yours now, Phoenix!"

With that, Mia and Misty both gave him a thumbs up and nodded encouragingly.

Maya finally turned her eyes fully towards the spiky-haired man who had stolen her heart a decade ago, and looked at him with all the unreserved love and elation in her heart.

"Phoenix Wright." Her mocha orbs shone with barely suppressed tears. "I do believe the floor is finally open for the people to hear the grounds of your _objection_?"

"I have a million things to talk to you about. All I want in this world is you. I want to see you and talk. I want the two of us to begin everything from the beginning." Phoenix's determined eyes never left Maya's as he strode purposefully up to the middle of the aisle and gazed beseechingly at the bride. "I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. I'm a changed man now because of _you_ , Maya Fey! I have abandoned my stubbornness and foolery and therefore free myself from everything that has been pressing down on me. So I am no longer ashamed to face you."

" _Great fires of Hades_!" Mildred shrieked in disgust, staring daggers at the pianist. "What the hell are _you_ doing now, spiky boy?! Even if you have the soul of a poet, you still have the pockets of a pauper _and_ a sullied reputation that still isn't worth mentioning for Pete's sake! Didn't you get hospitalized?! Why can't you just _die_?!"

Phoenix flat-out disregarded the wretched old biddy and continued striding up the altar towards Maya.

"These past seven years, we've been driving ourselves mad, wondering 'where does it all lead? 'What will become of us?' These were our young questions, and young answers are now revealed. It leads to _each other_. We become _ourselves_. And I know now what I should have known then. There will _always_ be us."

Unable to hold back the floodgates any longer, the pent-up tears of relief and joy were now streaming down Maya's cheeks.

"The friendship I have had in my heart for you over time has ripened into a deeper feeling, a feeling more beautiful, more pure, and more sacred. Dare I name it you? Alas, it is love which makes me so bold!" Phoenix blurted out, rushing forward while the courage and adrenaline was still in him. "What I went through, happened. Who I was, existed. I needed my past and I needed my mistakes to get me where I am now. It has made me a better man, loving you … it has made me wiser, and forthright, and brighter."

Maya never tore her gaze away from her former lover's handsome, earnest face, the unmasked ardency in those sapphire orbs nearly taking her breath away as he ascended on her, for only in those eyes of love could she find infinity.

"I used to want a great many things before, and to be angry that I did not have them, so I suppressed my longings and tried to settle for less so that theoretically, I was satisfied. I flattered myself that I had limited my wants. But I was subject to irritation; I used to have morbid sterile hateful fits of hunger, of desire. Now I _truly_ am satisfied, because I can't think of anything that would fulfill my greatest heart's desire better than you. We were written in the stars, my love, all that separated us, was time, the time it took to read the map which was placed within our hearts, to find our way back to one another."

"Mystic Ami, give me strength!" Swooned Mildred, dramatically falling onto a nearby acolyte's shoulder while holding a hand to her head and glowering hatefully at the spiky-haired man. " _Die_ , you damned barbed head! _Just_ _die_!"

"I thought an hour ago that I loved you more than any man has ever loved a woman, but a half hour after that I knew that what I felt before was nothing compared to what I felt then. But ten minutes after that, I understood that my previous love was a puddle compared to the high seas before a storm!"

Phoenix moved with further determination up the aisle so he could see Maya's beautiful, glistening twin jewels. A couple of acolytes tried to block his path, but were quickly pulled aside and out of his path by Edgeworth and Gumshoe.

"I sought for love, but love ran away from me. I sought my soul, but my soul I couldn't see. Then I sought _you_ , and I found all three. Maya, _you_ pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever! I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you broke it, when I forced you to turn away from me a year ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have seemed, weak and foolish I have been, but never inconstant!" Phoenix continued desperately, until he was no more than a yard in front of Maya, chest heaving, his visage an earnest mask of love and hope. "Let our story begin from this moment on! Maya Uma Fey, love of my life, woman of my dreams…will you take me, Phoenix Gryphon Wright, to be your husband?"

"I _will_!" Maya shouted, yanking off her cumbersome tiara and veil and tossing them to the ground as she lifted up her skirts in preparation for launch.

"Ha! There it is! You all _heard_ it!" Mildred crowed triumphantly, recovering from her sudden attack of the vapors. "Reverend Paesano, you heard the bride! She said _I will_!"

The flummoxed minister gawked at her and put out his arms in helpless surrender. "But to _who_?!"

"I-I'm sorry Longines." Maya turned one last anguished glance back at her silent fiancé. "I simply can't go on living a lie….any more than _you_ should be."

With that, she ran and all but leapt into Phoenix's waiting arms, laughing breathlessly as he spun her around and around. He bent back her head across his arm and kissed her, softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made her cling to him as the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world. His insistent mouth was parting her shaking lips, sending wild tremors along her nerves, evoking from her sensations she had never known she was capable of feeling.

Her brain barely registered anything of their surroundings as his other hand came up to grab the back of her neck, but once his lips were on hers, everything else faded away, and she melted against him, every square inch of her body dissolving into his. Her fingers gripped his hair, pulling him closer. Her veins throbbed and her blood raced as she clutched at his shoulders, a swimming giddiness overtaking her, and she kissed him with everything she had in her.

As the kiss deepened, they held each other tighter, so she didn't know if the pounding heartbeat she felt was hers or his. She gasped and drew his breath, tasted him on her lips and her tongue. He caressed her, then his fingers were buried in her hair, loosening her updo braid. She wound her arms around his neck, pulled him to her, deepening their kiss. He couldn't be closer. Or close enough. Phoenix stroked her arms, his hands trailed down her sides to her hips and lingered there before cupping her face, his exquisite lips never leaving hers. They kissed until her knees trembled and she became light-headed. It was wonderful. It was intoxicating. And it was totally intense to the point that her mind was reeling out of control as they kissed like they had never kissed afore. Never before had Phoenix kissed her like he would treasure and memorize her lips forever, and she never wanted the moment to end.

When they at last parted, they stared at each other in dazed silence, as though neither of them could quite grasp what just happened, the feel of the kiss still lingering like a stamp on her lips. She put a hand to her heart to calm the thudding sensation.

He looked at her, bashfully, and said, "Wow," and then she laughed and said "you kiss by the book," and pulled him back toward her.

They were about to be lost in another searing, mindless embrace when they suddenly heard a scattering of whistled applause behind them, and the two lovers turned towards their impromptu audience, embarrassed at the unsubtle reminder that they were indeed, _not alone_.

Luke, who was standing beside Edgeworth, was still enthusiastically clapping. The slightly more distinguished prosecutor had his arms folded over his chest, but shot his best friend a surreptitious wink and discreet thumbs up. Mia, Misty, Maggey and Pearl were all enthusiastically applauding _and_ cheering, and Gumshoe had two fingers in his mouth as he let out one final festive whistle.

"Get a room, you two!" Pearl laughed, although her previously clapping hands were now clasping her cheeks in delight, the gesture making her nosegay fall to the ground, entirely forgotten and mercifully, no longer required, then throwing her arms around Luke in an elated, celebratory hug.

"Well, on that note, I'm going to take my leave now," Misty announced then, smiling adoringly at her daughter one final time. "My work here is done, and my baby girl is no longer going to be strong-armed into a marriage with a man who is more of a woman than _she_ is! I am over the moon that she's now with her _true_ soul mate, a life partner who'll be able to _ensure_ there are grandchildren!" She ignored the simultaneous blush on both Phoenix and Maya's faces at _that_ statement. " _Master_ Maya Fey, I must bid you farewell for now. Never forget that I'm forever watching over you. And _always_ remember just how much I love you."

"I love you too, Mom." Maya swallowed back the lump in her throat as Misty Fey's form disappeared, leaving a smiling, but somewhat exhausted Sister Bikini behind in her wake.

"I'm also going to go now, too, since you two crazy kids have made up, Maya." Mia informed them, blowing her sister a kiss. "Today was Iris's first time ever channeling me, and she's been doing it most of the day, so I can't leave her too drained. Make sure you let her know what a big help she was. Know I love you and Phoenix both very much, and am so happy that I made the right decision when I left you in his capable care. Next time I visit, it'll probably be on _you_ , Pearly," she added with a playful wink. "I'm glad now that you're 16, your robes fit me just a _wee_ bit better now!"

"We love you too Mia," Phoenix and Maya chorused while Pearl grinned broadly and waved goodbye as Mia's form drifted away, leaving a slightly dazed but otherwise unharmed Iris seated there in her stead.

"This is all so beautiful!" Longines wiped at his eyes with a lacy hanky that Armstrong handed him. He blew his nose loudly, making a loud trumpeting sound that actually made poor, still stupefied and only semi-coherent Iris jump, startled. "I don't even care that this wedding set me back five million dollars and I got left at the altar!"

"Oy! Hello there! Remember _me_?!" The minister hollered in exasperation, even though his lips were twitching to hide a smile of relief as well. In spite of everything, he was relieved to not have been forced to perform a marriage ceremony that could only have ended in bitter divorce before the ink on the license had even completely dried, if not immediate _annulment_ due to lack of marital consummation! "Is there _anybody_ getting married here today?!"

"Um…." Phoenix looked at Maya, and Maya looked at Phoenix, both thinking the exact same thoughts.

 _Technically_ they knew they could get married right there and then. Maya was already in the dress. Phoenix was in a suit.

But it would have been all _wrong_. Save for Luke, Edgeworth and the Gumshoes, all these guests were friends and associates of _Longines_ , not _theirs_. Layton wasn't there, or Apollo…and mostly, _Trucy_ wasn't there, which would have been inexcusable. Plus, there was the pesky little fact that he also didn't even have _a ring_ handy…

"I've been here since _morning_!" Revered Paesano exclaimed. "I've had this wedding called off not once now, but _twice!_ Regardless of whether or not there's a wedding to perform, I'd like to inform you that I am _still_ owed my fee _and_ I get paid by _the hour!_ I'd like to still _earn_ my pay somehow, though. Is there _nobody_ here that wants to get married?!"

"Marry _me!_ You know that I love you, and I am sick of living a lie!" Armstrong put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest in vexation. "We can be _legal_ life mates and I won't have to be your secret mistress anymore, because now you're a free bird! _Marry me_ , Longines Diandre Crispin Beaugosse the Third! _Right here, right now_!"

Before the jilted groom could answer, a loud cry could be heard across the field.

"No, marry _me_!"

The entire congregation turned their heads to see the source of this newest unexpected proposal. There was literally a 400 person simultaneous jaw-drop when they laid their sights on who it was, because _none_ of them had seen _that_ one coming in million years!

* * *

 _A/N: There are no words to express my love and gratitude to all my wonderful and patient readers who have waited a year now for that inevitable reunion! I hope it was worthy the wait! I told you guys I'm a die-hard romantic, didn't I? ;)_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 153**

 **DannyDragon**

I honestly couldn't think of a better way to show the power of the Wrightworth friendship than to show how these two men adore each other enough to conquer and face their greatest fears! I'm glad I was able to make you laugh since I know it's been a very emotional roller coaster trying to get Nick to the wedding! Nick getting hit by the car was definitely a blessing in disguise because it's what sent Maya running to his side and what finally made him fluids the fact that she never stop loving him therefore he knows he now has something worth running after! Nick has never been the type take advantage of anything – Mia or otherwise! –it's what makes us often want to kill him when it makes him dense, but I think it's what makes us love him as it shows his nobility matter how far he has fallen from grace! :-)

Also I'm happy you liked seeing Pearl in action here I've been dying to reunite her and Phoenix for ages!

 **Chapter 154**

 **Feraligreater328**

Considering I know how hectic your life have been and the fact that you have twin girls on top of that it means a lot to me they still take the time to read this crazy train never mind having to read the entire Turnabout Lawful Love trilogy itself again! I am deeply touched that it was still as effective second time around stirring its emotions! And as a writer whose work I respect and admire very much it means the world to me that you think so highly of my skills dear friend. Thank you so much!

 **Batfreak2008**

You know it's written in the stars for you to be together when the Heavens and Earth literally are moved and come together just so you can reunite! Bless Edgeworth and Mia... But also Iris who has obviously prove she is more than just a pretty face, along with those other angels on Earth that Mia alluded to a few chapters ago in the form of Mystic Matilda and Sister Bikini! :)

Let the record show that Phoenix need the combination of maternal Mentor love with a side dose of logical tough love in order to _git er done_!

I hope you enjoyed the reunion of the star-crossed lovers!

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

I don't know how you can project so much adorableness in the short and sweet review like that but I thank you for it from the bottom of my heart to know that you still care about the story and I hope you were screaming just as much as finally seeing these two crazy kids back together after so long! :)

 **thepudz**

You already billed me for your ruined pillow cases but I refuse to pay for the repair bill of your entire room you hilariously spastic, wonderful reader you! XD

Your wish is my command...welcome back Phaya! Hopefully it was worth the past year of turmoil! :)

 **Yanmegaman**

I hope nobody is seriously knocking Maya for being unfaithful to her fiancé...by "sucking face with her ex"... technically _Nick_ kissed _her_! It's only natural to kiss him back I mean have you seen _Nick_ lately?  
Mr. Buff n Stuff coming at her in a black suit?! _You_ would make out with him too admit it! XD

You know the phrase _not my circus not my monkeys?_  
You know who can't say that? Max or Regina! LOL  
I am sure the former was cursing both those troublemakers for the chafing he must have gotten from climbing the trees in those leather pants!

I know it's been a roller-coaster this arc and I want to thank you kindly for sticking around despite the (emotional) upheaval from all the twists and loops! Now that the wedding/Phaya has reached its climax I hope you've enjoyed the Crazy Train and found it to be a worthwhile ride!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

I figured after the angst my readers have endured they deserve to have some crazy hijinks at this wedding which has basically become a circus! And of course I had to include the dressing down a Phoenix Wright by best friend Miles Edgeworth just not in the _literal_ sense! ;)

I confess to the fact that I was feeling absolutely ridiculous last chapter and therefore I decided the incredulous Phoenix's inner monologue would be where I unleashed all be completely un-politically correct things my readers possibly have been thinking all along but were possibly too polite to say in the reviews! While I have had a reader refer to Maya's betrothed as _Log in Knees_ nobody is actually mentioned what else his name could be mistaken for if you were deciding to be less charitable! :p

French is such a wonderful language; it's allowed me to have a lot of fun with everything from food to restaurant names to insults in this story, along with delicious irony because what is truly more ironic then naming a man who is the prettiest (technical) non-woman on the planet: **_Longines_** ( _Long in Ass_ ) **_Diandre_** ( _Manly_ ) **_Crispin_** ( _too stereo-typically gay for words – I have never met a straight one in my life_!) **_Beaugosse_ ** ( _handsome boy)…_ Only because as Edgeworth said, (the more accurate) **_Belle Fille_** ( _beautiful girl!)_ was already taken! XD

 **chloemcg**

Thank you very much for telling me about _The Book of Life_ it sounds absolutely wonderful! Will definitely check it out now especially with the love triangle bit you said!

I do enjoy your fluff! I was initially drawn to your Labyrinthia yeah story which I hope you someday continue!

What else are best friends for but to fly your emergency helicopters to rescue the love of your life from a loveless and sexless marriage to a man who is even prettier than she is, and give you crap for sucking harder than a Hoover while being more clueless than the judge himself? :p

This was a totally a wedding of flukes… While Gumshoe leaving Pearl behind to stall the wedding _was_ intentional the ring stealing monkeys further adding to the delay was _100% unintentional_ which is what makes that man even more lovable the big buffoon!

I always knew this wedding wasn't going to happen, therefore the professor would definitely right up there with Miles voicing not only his disapproval of Phoenix's antics but of the entire travesty of the wedding in the first place! Ultimately I didn't have Layton be there because as the archaeologist for the Crown, he couldn't/didn't want to get the time off, and he _really_ didn't want to be there to see Maya make what he obviously knew was going to be huge mistake, which is why Luke is there representing for the both of the Brits! You will definitely be seeing the great Layton again very soon and he will _totally_ be there for not one but _two_ huge events in this story! :-)

It's funny that you mention a monkey scratches to the face with Mildew… There _will_ be some more primate play next chapter! XD

While he didn't get down on his knees, Nick definitely was groveling just _really_ poetically (I hope?!) … Maya gave her approval enough to reunite with him hopefully you enjoyed the reunion as well!

 **Joeclone**

The Yzma references from Emperor's New Groove were subtle this time but am glad you caught the nod to _Ms. Scary Beyond All Reason_! Even though her moment of _pull the lever_ was not witnessed by anybody else it was purely for the merriment of my readers! XD

The good news is Gumshoe the hilarious bumble butt managed to be a useful bumbler and effectively stall the wedding so Maya did get whisked to the altar the minute she got back! Who would have thought the mischievous traits of Money the shiny loving Monkey father would have been passed on to his sons?

I've decided Iris just might be if not overly so, the nicest and most sympathetic character in Ace Attorney! I'm happy you picked up on her emotionalism regarding her poor cousin and ex-boyfriend situation which is definitely what fueled the channeling of Mia to finally bring that letter to light like it should always have been! I did tell my readers not to rule out that letter there was no way I could not bring it into The Fray!

I don't know if you're familiar with Mel Brooks as Rabbi Zuckerman from _Robin Hood Men in Tights_ (side-splitting, must see comedy!) which is shamelessly what the no-nonsense Reverend Paesono was based off, butt yes he was the final delay the suddenly dry mouth Phoenix needed in order to gather his wits and scream out the OBJECTION of his life! :)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

There was a reason I purposely did not describe anything about the wedding; I waited until the reader could experience it through Nick's eyes. I didn't want to risk redundancy with my descriptions, and that would include the décor, and of course, the first look at the attire of the flamboyant groom and best man!

I figured my readers had endured enough seriousness during this entire Phaya angle so I decided to have a slightly more lighthearted chapter and accompanying title! I love my Aerosmith! :-)

One cannot annul the marriage simply because the groom it is of questionable sexual orientation; however if it leads to lack of marital consummation absolutely that can occur! Now you know for sure that would've been the case with Longines since Armstrong pretty much outed him with his declaration of love and his own marriage proposal! Looks like the bride wasn't the _only_ one who had _loose lips_ during this engagement. Of course the patrol the groom apparently was much looser with his _hips_ than merely his _lips…_ OK I'll stop there with the imagery just in case you're eating while reading this! XD

With the return of Misty Fey at long last, and realizing that Matilda has been working with her all along alongside Sister Bikini, Mildew has been for the most part, _annihilated_! Prepare for the final to come next few chapters!

Nope, Edgeworth's advice came at the perfect time as did his decision to force Phoenix to stay for the ceremony and not just slink away, and most definitely it was not too late for Phoenix to realize the true wisdom of his best friend's advice: _that there can be no pride allowed to take precedence when it comes to true love!_

For once I hope you get to enjoy being wrong with your speculations dear friend and I can only say this to you so cheekily because you _are_ my friend: I really wanted to show that even if fate seems like it's against you as was the case with Maya wanting to run after Phoenix and then getting obstructed by Porfirio and Mildew, in the end when two people are meant to be together, like these two are, _nothing_ can keep him apart, dear pessimistic one, a.k.a. he of little faith! Did I not keep telling you, despite my sadistic need to torture my readers with angst, that ultimately at the end of the day I'm a diehard romantic? ;)

I hope you enjoyed this long overdue reunion as much as I enjoyed Wrighting it!

 **napoleon32**

You know things are actually really bad when _a holy man_ is telling you that it's not too late to run! Better a canceled wedding than a bitter divorce after all!

I cracked up at the _weenie Feenie_ I really did! In the end Phoenix's reluctance to stop the wedding was initially my attempts to make him seem noble, because his _heart_ was always in the right place even if his _head_ isn't, but once he realized that Maya still loved him… good grief what a _two-time bumble butt_ eh? XD

I think Nick needs to be pinned to a wall in order to perform as an literally be on a spinal penalty some people work really well under pressure maybe it's just the lawyer in him that he literally needed to flub twice in order to get it right!

….

Or it could simply be that after having these two lovebirds apart for so long, there was no way I could let their reunion be an anticlimactic one in a secluded hospital room or dressing room!

If Phoenix had actually screwed up his third and final chance to think Edgeworth would've possibly shoved him of the helicopter! LOL

Let's take a tally of how many people were required to make this figure reunion finally happen : _Sister Bikini_ and _Mystic Matilda_ , (who were never going to let that wedding happen!) and therefore were tapping into the channeling abilities for just the perfect moment with _Iris_ all the while seeking out the advice and keeping both _Mia_ and _Misty_ in the loop about the atrocities being done to Maya in that village, the adorable schemers _Pearl_ and _Luke_ and bumbling _Gumshoe_ doing everything they could to delay the ceremony (I can now tell you that there was no way I could let Misty's sacred bridal gown _actually_ be worn to a wedding I had no intention of ever letting happen!) And then finally in the end _Phoenix Wright_ and _Maya Fey_ themselves… Thanks to _Miles Edgeworth_ best friend extraordinaire! That's **8** people (10 if you count Nick and Maya) who have always been team Phaya even when every odd was stacked against him! :)

They say it takes a village to raise a child also takes a village to get these two dorks back together! LOL

And the _billet-doux_ finally makes its much delayed appearance! I kept saying don't forget about that letter! Giving it to Iris was possibly the most fluke/lucky/wise move Nick has ever made and that was without him knowing she was going to use it as the fuel to finally allow her to channel Mia! Just as Luke predicted, all it took was one look for Nick to have always known that letter was written by Pearl not his ex, but poor guy never imagined that in _accurately_ telling Apollo how the package accompanied was sent by _some kid_ , it would have ever exploded in his face the way it did! But now we got that misunderstanding out of the way as well!

Loved the _Mystery Science Theater_ reference in there! Very fitting considering Edgeworth has been teased by Phoenix quite often for being an automaton/robot! XD

Nice use of _alexithymia_ \- the _very_ word I have used to describe both Franziska and Miles and very aptly used here by yourself as well!

It is very accurate what Mia said to Edgeworth –it is so hard for him to watch people he cares about making mistakes, especially when he's powerless to stop it, which is a huge factor was why he didn't want to go to Maya's wedding (although of course there _was_ a loyalty to Phoenix as well). In this case he knew that Phoenix _could_ learn from his and Franziska's own mistakes and that was why he was doing everything he could to remedy them even if meant _punching his BFF in the soul for his foolishness_ –it must've been such a bittersweet yet cathartic experience for the poor guy knowing that Phaya could be salvaged whereas so far, Fredgeworth could not, largely due to the wisdom Miles has now acquired which he was able to pass onto Nick. Can't comment on how he took that letter Franny left him but… ( _psst! Their storyline is next!)_

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _Si, es verdad mi amiga dulce_ , **HOW TO STOP A WEDDING** very well would've been an apt title for this chapter but that wouldn't have been a song title which I decided to make my mission to have most might chapters be whenever possible! :)

I'm glad you understood exactly were Maya was at last chapter. I felt a need to explain how already messed up poor Maya's head was when she arrived at the village immediately after the fight with Nick hospital, not that it excuses some of her admittedly less than angelic behavior with her ex! However, it does shed some further light on her shattered nerves by the time Phoenix finally came to her dressing room, since it was after she also had the altercation with her nemesis in the designer regarding her dress, not to mention the stress Gumshoe added with his monkey business! LOL

I will always know of Cary Elwes to be a hilarious Robin, but first and foremost he stole my heart as Wesley in _The Princess Bride_! Your ex look like _that_?! Wow-za!

The lovably bumbling Phoenix will _always_ be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire – it's just the way he roles but you have to admit his life is never boring! However you know that he will always do the right thing in the end despite his flaws and when he finally speaks from his heart, not his mouth he's been known to make miracles happen, and hopefully a few of my readers to swoon as much of Maya did – male _and_ female! :p

I'm going to list now the things my readers have billed me for throughout this crazy train that is _Turnabout Everlasting_ : crazy glue (because I have broken them), tear stained pillowcases, and now apparently I owe you a new pair of pants because of the brief moment of _un-politically incorrect_ moment between the Ace Attorneys when they got a good look at the groom to be who is prettier than the bride!

It's hilarious how you see how Edgeworth's _wine_ colored suit as very different from anything _rosy_ yet another one of my readers said that since Phoenix was an artist he actually is accurate in his color knowledge description that magenta is a form of pink!

I think from Dual Destinies onward the artists made the Chief prosecutor's suit more _red_ ; however in the original trilogy it definitely counted as more _magenta_ , therefore I am having a blast with that ongoing BFF gag suit no matter how old it gets – let's face it, Phoenix gives Miles _a lot of material_ to bust his chops over, whereas all Nick has in return is Edgeworth's suit and the cravat; let's let the defense attorney have _that_ much shall we? XD

I had way too much fun mocking Mr. _Not so aptly named "Manly Handsome Boy!"_ Assuming Ema ever lets the fop near her again without a boot to the head or groin, " _Albert Yarini! The rooster, (aka COCK) the king of women_ is for sure off the table!

Nick's pipes aren't just for singing – am sure they heard that passionate **objection** to the heavens – so loud it called Misty and Mia to descend down from it!


	156. I Think I Wanna Marry You

_A/N: Happy New Year dear readers! Hope you had a wonderful holiday season and thanks in advance to those loyal folks who are still reading! I took a break from the TE story but have still been pretty busy with my writing on several other projects!_

 _The other projects I worked on since TE last chapter were:_

 _ **Filling The Void -**_ _One of the reasons for the TE hiatus was of course vacation and the Christmas holidays, but also due my attempts to finish writing this FF again, as it's nearing the tale end, which had been grossly neglected for half a year, and due to personal family matters with my copilot, I will now be flying solo on! If I have any TE readers out there who have been enjoying my AU sexual comedy of errors, I will get back to it later this month or so, (won't be another 6 again before we find out what happens next, I promise!  
_

 _ **Turnabout Honor or Love - a Yatagarasu collaboration**_ _with the talented FF writers,_ _ **thepudz Yanmegaman**_ _(one-shot)_

 _ **All I Want For Christmas Is You**_ _by_ _ **thepudz**_ _– I guest authored_ _ **Chapter 5 – Santas, Samurais, and Simian**_ _in my mate's delightfully fluffy holiday drabbles (check it out it out if you haven't already –_ _ **Yanmegaman**_ _man wrote the hilarious_ _ **Chapter 8 – The Steel Samurai Saves Christmas!)**_

 _ **The Greatest Gift of All (one shot)**_ _– my birthday gift to DL-6 birthday baby Yanmegaman which was also part of the NaruMayo Secret Santa gift exchange on Tumblr. This fluffy holiday piece can be read as stand-alone, or as the prequel to my FF_ _ **Double DILF Doodies**_

 _I have missed you all so much that I am posting this despite the irksome stats being down as of Jan 1…which means unless you drop me a line to let me know what you think of my latest chapter, I'll have no idea if anyone read the blasted thing! What a crappy way to start 2017 on this site, although I'm a big enough geek to let everyone know that we are now in the second game a.k.a. Justice For All timeline and Ace Attorney world! :-)_

 _I left my readers hopefully on a high note with Nick and Maya's reunion last time, and this chapter will at last solve the mystery of who cried out that marriage proposal at the end of_ _ **Chapter 155: Objection!**_

* * *

" _I only wish to be the fountain of love from which you drink, every drop promising eternal passion. If a kiss was a raindrop, I'd send you a shower. If a hug was a second, I'd send you an hour. If a smile was water I'd send you the sea. If you needed love, I'd send you me."_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Six:** **I Think I Wanna Marry You**

 _ **Phoenix Wright, Maya Fey, Miles Edgeworth and Mystery Proposer**_  
 _Kurain Village, Courtyard  
_ June 16, 2026 _,_ 4:25 PM

There was a rustling in the otherwise still courtyard following the plaintive cry, and only slight, bewildered murmurings as the entire congregation of 400 people craned their necks, trying to ascertain the source of the impromptu marriage proposal.

"Who the heck shouted _'no, marry me!'_ just now?" Asserted Reverend Paesano, sounding both perplexed and yet slightly hopeful. "Whoever it was, _do_ let me know if you're _serious_! A man of the cloth deserves to know if he's actually going to get to _earn his keep here_ and _perform a wedding_ , instead of just being paid to _stand here and look pretty_ , which I've been doing since _morning_! I mean, I know we're essentially much a _capitalist_ _society_ by now, but _come on!_ I can't be expected to _honestly_ rejoice in the _concept of money for nothing_!"

"Zut alors! Eez everyone hard of hearing?!" Armstrong sulked in the background. " _I_ just proposed to Longines!"

"It most definitely was a _male_ voice…" Edgeworth muttered to himself, as though the corpulent best man hadn't even spoken, tapping his finger against his arm in contemplation. "And I have _a sinking feeling_ about the fact that it sounded curiously _familiar_... _hold it_! No! It can't possibly be…!"

" _Non mais allo quoi!"_ Armstrong piped up indignantly. "Z'at would have been _moi_ , _monsieur autre beau homme en rose_!"

 _Oh, them be fighting words there, you bumptious flibbertigibbet!_ Phoenix barely bit back a snigger. _Ce n'est pas **pink**_! _C'est **magenta!** But zee faux Frenchman probably wouldn't know the correct français word for it anyway!_

In the meanwhile, both Phoenix and his magenta-clad friend heard another voice mumbling from behind them. Their accusing glowers landed on Jesse Ventura, the unexpected busboy/turned waiter/turned videographer _from hell! Unbelievably,_ the indecorous young man was _still_ _filming_ _**and**_ _narrating_ this newest turn of events, all the while droning his latest narrations to an imaginary audience.

"It's me, Jesse Ventura, again, at Jess/Desserts Productions! The celebrity scoop of the century has now taken an _unexpected turnabout_ as the Longines Beaugosse and Maya Fey wedding came to a screeching halt! In an explosion of cinematic worthy romantic intrigue, The Runaway Bride's estranged previous paramour, ex-Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright, posed the _objection of his lifetime_ and brought the nuptials to an absolute standstill! However, neither he nor the Master of Kurain, who shared a passionate reunion that was _so steamy_ , it nearly fogged up my camera lens, seem to be keen to tie the knot!"

The legal legends both bore censorious expressions, and their eyes narrowed dangerously at the meddlesome, impromptu Spanish song translator from the Mexican restaurant as he went on with his monologue bloviation.

"This reluctance to solidify their resumed relationship is in spite of having the opportunity to do so _handed to them on a silver platter_ by the ever fervent Reverend Paesano, the wise-cracking cleric lookalike played by Mel Brooks from the hit comedy flick, _Robin Hood, Men in Tights!_ To only further add to the thrilling drama, yet _another_ mysterious marriage proposal has emerged from the stupefied congregation just now! But _from whom_ is what remains to be seen! Will yet _another_ person emerge as the alternate _kickie-wickie_ from this latest calamity…? "

" _Objection_! I _demand_ you cease your cockamamie shenanigans _posthaste_ , you overly _garrulous gamin_!" The prosecutor snapped, startling the cameraman with his biting tone and nearly making Jesse drop his camcorder in shock. "Young man, are you so deliberately obtuse that you fail to grasp how this is neither _the time_ nor _the place_ to be _filming_?! Likewise I _demand_ to know just to _whom_ you're even speaking to in the first place!"

"Um…sorry, Mr. Edgeworth!" Jesse gulped. "Er…I'm still getting a feel for this whole solo video guy racket, and thought I'd assist with the chronicle aspect of this material, to what perchance would be desired by _someone_ as a kinda, sorta … _commemorative footage_?"?

"Is this your idea of some sort of _tasteless joke_?!" Edgeworth stared daggers at the visibly flustered videographer. "Mr. Ventura, at this point, I hereby declare that _you_ have far surpassed even _Larry Butz_ as the urchin with _the_ most _ill-begotten_ timing _in the history of_ –"

"Relax, Edgeworth!" Phoenix placed a placating hand on the disgruntled lawyer's arm. "We can chastise Jesse for his unseemly and ill-timed narrative _later_! Right now, the mystery still remains about just _who_ hollered that _second_ marriage proposal after Armstrong's?"

" _Wa ha ha ho ho ho!"_

Sister Bikini, now completely recuperated from her channeling, seemed to have regained her boisterous disposition as she let out her trademarked booming laugh.

"Well, the only twosome within immediate proximity would be _these_ two teenage lovebirds, _right here_!" The tiny nun gestured at the blushing Pearl and her boyfriend while giving the confounded British lad a playful wink. "Mayhap it was _you_ who made that matrimonial proposition, Luke? After all, both of you kids are certainly dressed formally enough for the occasion!"

"What?! Me and Luke?! Get _married_?!" Pearl squeaked, clapping an astonished hand to her mouth. "Um, _hello_! I am only _16-years-old_! And this is _California_ , not _Kentucky_!"

" _Blimey_!" Luke exclaimed before he could stop himself. "Utterly preposterous! Of _course_ it wasn't _me_!"

" _Preposterous_?!" Pearl squealed, this time with infuriation. " _Why_ would you say such a thing, Luke?! You made it sound as if the _very_ _idea_ was utter _rubbish_!"

"Pearl, this is hardly the time to bite your arm off about such matters!" Luke's pink cheeks were now flaming scarlet. "Have you forgotten that _you_ entirely dismissed the very notion just now?"

"Only because I'm too young right now, _not_ because I _never_ intend for it to happen!" Pearl glowered at him as she rolled up her sleeve menacingly. "Lucas Gabriel Triton! Do you mean to tell me you've _never_ even _thought_ about us getting married…like, _ever_?!"

 _Looks like I've botched that one!_ Luke recoiled at the heated glint in his sweetheart's normally serene eyes. _I never expected her to be having a wobbler over something like this! I don't know what to say!_

Barely resisting the urge to face palm, Layton's former apprentice glanced helplessly at Phoenix, whose arms were wrapped snugly around Maya's waist. The spiky-haired man wore a knowing expression even though he flashed a sympathetic smile over the top of his girlfriend's head, and Luke wildly pondered _how_ Maya's lover had somehow withstood a _decade_ of the infamous Fey temper, _relatively unscathed_! The English youth's eyes slid over to Maya for some sort of reprieve, and shrunk back at the smirk the village leader wore on her visage as she addressed him from her cozily snuggled position against the pianist's chest.

"I do believe the question warrants a response, Luke!" The former bride's eyes twinkled with mischief. "I myself am most eager to hear for myself exactly _what your intentions_ _are_ towards my daughter?"

"Erm…" The teenage boy ran a finger inside the collar of his shirt, suddenly feeling as though he were suffocating from the tightness of his necktie. "I…um…"

" _Sacre bleu!"_ Armstrong was getting even more peeved by the moment, fists digging into his ample hips while his lips began to quiver dramatically, the rose he'd miraculously managed to keep clenched in his teeth bobbing with every agitated breath. "Eez z'er _nobody_ 'ere who wishes to pay mind z'at _I_ just made _my own heartfelt proposal_ to zee groom?!"

"It was _me_!"

Having finally shoved his way to the front aisle from the back of the large, bustling throng, where his painter's easel had been set up, the somewhat winded Larry Butz raced up to the front altar at last. Panting slightly, he dropped onto one knee before the flabbergasted Iris, still seated in the front row. He bowed his head and clasped the open-mouthed shrine maiden's hand in his own as he stared beseechingly into her eyes with his own pleading topaz ones.

"My beautiful Iris, my bounty is as boundless as the sea, and my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite!" The artist announced dramatically, without hesitation or pausing for breath. "There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and _you_ are one of the lights, the _light of all lights_ , and if you'll have me, Iris Hawthorne, I want you to be my wife!"

There was a collective gasp of disbelief from the congregation, while Iris simply stared down into Larry's longing face in wide-eyed, dumfounded silence.

"Marry me, Iris!" Larry pleaded. One hand remained tightly clutching hers, while with his free one, he yanked off his beret and clasped it against his chest. "Either give me your hand, or end it now, and put us both out of our misery!"

Phoenix, Maya, Luke, Pearl, Longines and Armstrong simply gaped at him, speechless. Edgeworth, however, was the first to recover from their collective gobsmacked state as he drew in a sharp breath.

"Oh Larry," Iris breathed at last, her luminous orbs never leaving his. "Of course I –"

Her response was cut off by the incredulous logical genius.

" _What the shit_ , Butz?!" The prosecutor's atypical use of even the mildest profanity was proof that even _he_ didn't know what to make of this latest turn of events. "Where is all this coming from?! Have you _officially_ lost what is _left_ of your mind?!"

"I'm sorry, Edgy, but this is one thing it seems we'll never see eye-to-eye on." The artist's cadence and countenance were uncharacteristically solemn and unwavering as he levelly met those stern grey eyes. "As painful as that may be, it is a cross I'm prepared to bear, regardless."

Larry rose from his kneeling position and stood up, but pulled the bride's cousin to her feet and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he faced his two childhood friends. Iris's bashful gaze remained on the ground, but she made no move to pull free from his hold. The children's illustrator took a deep breath and looked Phoenix straight in the eye.

"In addition, I'm even sorrier for how unexpected this is to _you_ , Nick. I realize I'm breaking The Bro Code _yet again_ , first with agreeing to be the artist for your one ex's wedding, and now declaring my love for the _other_ girlfriend from your past. I can only plead for your forgiveness for this unpardonable sin. But _this_ thing with Iris…it was bigger than _both_ of us."

Larry's expression was earnest as he continued to address the staggered pianist.

"Believe me when I assert that I _never_ made one single, untoward advance towards her this entire time I've been up at Eagle Mountain. After all, I, along with everyone else, thought you'd left Maya so you and Iris could be together. On my honor, I swear to you that even though I've loved her with all my heart for _seven long years_ , I _never_ actively pursued the woman who I thought belonged to my best friend."

Larry's eyes swam with lamenting tears of regret and guilt, which for once, were completely sincere, even as Phoenix silently continued to stare at him with an unreadable expression.

"Nick, you have no idea how hard I've been trying to fight how I feel about Iris for some time now, even though deep in my heart, I _know_ she loves me, too. At last, I get the reason _she's_ been holding back from _me_ , as well. Her unwavering loyalty to those she cares about, and her kindhearted tendency to _always_ put others before herself, also forever causes her to be putting her _own_ wants on the backburner. I now understand it was all because she altruistically promised to go along with your ruse, all in order to protect Maya, even though it would cause Iris strained ties with her own family. Discovering how she was willing to put her own happiness on hold, because of that big, beautiful heart of hers, only makes me love her even _more_."

Maya felt her own throat constricting with tears as she listened to this additional addendum to the heartbreaking tale of utter selflessness on her cousin's behalf. While she was now aware, after hearing Phoenix's letter, of the fact that Iris had endured unjustified scathing ire from both Pearl and herself by agreeing to his well-intended ploy to keep her from danger, until right then, she'd had no idea _just how much_ of _her own happiness_ Iris had forsaken in the process as well. The shrine maiden had even been willing to keep away from Larry, just to ensure her cousin's safety, and there was no question for Maya about how large an additional sacrifice this had been, because she could easily see that Iris loved Larry back just as much as he loved her. It was written all over her downcast face, as clear as day.

"Iris," she choked, gently freeing herself from Phoenix's embrace and walking towards the timid shrine maiden, her arms outstretched. "Is this _true_? Were you _really_ willing to give up your own happiness, just for _my_ sake? Even after the way I treated you?"

Limpid doe eyes met watery mocha ones, and Iris nodded at last, clasping Maya's proffered hands in her own.

"For such a long time, I've yearned to make amends, knowing I've caused you so much pain in the past, Maya," she uttered tearily. "You and Feenie both. I did what I _had_ to do, because it was the very _least_ I could do! I owe him so much, and you – you're the _leader_ of this village! So many people depend on you and need you. On top of that, you're my baby sister's guardian. Pearl's already lost her mother – I couldn't let her lose another. Above all else, you're both my _flesh and blood_. I only hope maybe now, we can all put all this behind us and start anew…"

" _Iris_!" The hysterical Pearl interrupted, rushing past Maya and wrapping her arms around her sister's waist while she sobbed against her chest. "Iris, I'm so, so sorry! I didn't know! I said such horrible things to you! _Please_ forgive me!"

"It's OK, Pearl," the benign nun soothed, wrapping her arms around her younger sibling while tears slipped down her cheeks and into the teen's hair. "You didn't know. There's nothing to forgive."

"I'm sorry too, Iris," Maya said humbly. "Please accept _my_ heartfelt apology as well. You're a wonderful, compassionate, beautiful person, both inside _and_ out. Because of that, and your past with Nick, I guess I've always felt threatened by you, and deep down, was paranoid he'd someday recall how much he'd loved you once, and feel like _I_ fell short in comparison."

"What Feenie and I had is long in the _past_ , Maya. _You're_ his _future_ now," Iris assured her. "We've _both_ since moved on. You _have_ to know that."

"I do. I should have had more faith in Nick's love. I – I should have had more faith in _you_. Forgive me, cousin," Maya begged. "Can we start over again, from this day forward? I beg you to pardon both me and Pearly our unknowing follies."

"I would have felt the same way in either of your shoes," Iris insisted, even as the happy, relieved droplets continued to flow down her face. "Believe me, Pearl, Maya…there's _nothing_ to forgive. The past is the past. None of this matters anymore. I – I just want us to be family from here on now."

Maya's eyes flooded over, and her heart swelled with love and admiration for this benevolent angel she was so blessed to call her kinswoman. Before she knew it, she was hugging Iris tightly from the side in a tight embrace while Pearl continued weeping on her sister's other shoulder, clinging to her sibling as though she'd never let her go. Both Fey's tears dripped from their cheeks onto the shrine maiden's robes while the sobbing Iris's arms tightly encircled both her sister and cousin, making all three of them forget their surroundings and just bask in the deep seeded bond which had now been planted, never to be uprooted ever again.

"Larry, Iris, I'm sorry too," Phoenix spoke at last, his voice thick with emotion. "I had no idea just how big an additional sacrifice I was unwittingly subjecting Iris to when I begged to her to continue to go along with this subterfuge until the wedding date. Believe me when I say this, Larry…There's no need to apologize to me for _anything_. Love does not measure qualities, nor sets any standards. Love _happens_. Iris is a very easy woman to love, but my time with her has passed. You're a lucky man to have won her heart, and I wholeheartedly wish for _you_ to make _her_ as happy as she once made me. Not that you really need it, but from the bottom of my heart, you have my blessing, _both_ of you."

"You're _really_ sure about that, Nick?" Larry asked hesitantly, his eyes bright with hope. "After all, I know now, more than ever, that _you're_ pretty much on par with Iris in the _mensch_ department…"

"I _really_ mean it." Phoenix met his gaze steadily and extended his hand to his friend, who clasped it firmly as the two men exchanged a warm smile. "When the right chance to love comes in hand, you _cannot_ let it go, for it might be the last chance you would've been waiting for and when it's gone, you will never see it again. Far be it for me to even _think_ of trying to stand in the way of two people who were meant to be. Besides, even while attempting to use it in my own defense that one time, I'd always thought _The Bro Code_ was ridiculous, anyway! Hell, the first time I mentioned it, Edgeworth thought I'd made the whole thing up!"

Edgeworth cleared his throat awkwardly and jabbed his hands in his pockets.

"I – I may have said some unfair things to you, Larry," he said gruffly. "As of late, I profess to having had my _own_ , personal prejudices in that farcical Bro Code department, and regretfully admit that I have indeed, to a certain degree, been guilty of taking it out on both you and Wright, most undeservedly…"

"Edgy! Come here you big softie!"

The prosecutor's words were cut off as Larry lurched himself at the slate-haired man, wrapping his arms around him in a crushing embrace.

"Larry what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" The stoic barrister demanded, his face rapidly becoming the color of his suit. "Unhand me, you fool!"

"I _knew_ it!" Larry whooped, squeezing the austere attorney even tighter. "You're not a stodgy, cold, unfeeling robot after all! You really _do_ care, Edgy!"

The alexithymia martyr scowled at the once again embracing Phoenix and Maya, who were both were snickering audibly at this whole exchange.

"Stop this at once!" Edgeworth was blushing to the roots of his hair now. "Larry, let go this instant! You're making a fool of both me _and_ yourself with such undignified actions!"

"Not until you say you love me!" Larry was grinning like an idiot. "Admit it Edgy! You _lurve_ me!"

" _Ngh_!" Edgeworth grunted, fruitlessly attempting to dislodge himself before sighing in defeat. " _If_ I acquiesce to this nonsense, will you allow me breathe again?!"

The goateed man turned on his most pleading puppy-dog expression, and the prosecutor let out a groan of surrender.

"Larry Butz, you are _the mother_ of all fools, and a constant pain in my… _neck_!" Edgeworth grumbled. "Nevertheless…you've been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and thus, you've _grown_ on me… _like a wart_ …so you _always_ will be. You – you mean a lot to me. And I …I guess I do genuinely care about you…"

"This couldn't have been easy for him for say," Maya giggled in Phoenix's ear. "Coming from someone as emotionally constipated as Edgy, this was _actually touching_!"

" _Good enough_!" Larry announced cheerfully, abruptly releasing his friend and then throwing his arms in a side hug around Phoenix, who chuckled good-naturedly and freed one arm from his lover long enough to clap him indulgently on the back. "I already know _Nick_ loves me! He doesn't even need to say it!"

"More than words, Larry. More than words." Phoenix's tone was laced with beguilement as he shook his head ruefully, then dropped his chin back atop its resting spot on Maya's head. "You have _no_ idea."

The cleric coughed loudly, jolting everybody around him, as up until that moment, they'd been momentarily unmindful of his presence.

"It has been most moving to be watching everyone apologize to one another about _everything,_ including, but not limited, to _World War II,_ and thus establish that you lot all positively _adore_ each other, to the ends of the earth!" Reverend Paesano inserted wryly. "Feasibly, will we be able to carry on now? Will at least _one_ _set_ of you love-infused folks allow me bind them into blissful matrimony already?"

"The vicar may be a subtle as a Mack truck, but he makes a valid query!" Maya beamed at her cousin. "As a matter of fact, Reverend Paesano, it appears we're going to have a wedding today, after all! Iris, I'd be most honored if you would wear my wedding dress."

She glanced down at the tiny bodice of her unwanted gown, and studied the other woman's equally petite figure.

"You and I are exactly the same height, so length is no issue. Moreover, whereas _I've_ had to whittle down _on the diet from hell_ to fit into this thing, it appears as though the arduous task of all that cabin maintenance these past few months has resulted in _you_ being able wear it just as perfectly as well!"

"But Maya, _I_ surely am not worthy to wear such finery!" Iris protested as she blushed modestly. "This was a _designer_ bridal gown designed for the prestigious Master of Kurain, and I am naught but a mere shrine maiden of Hazakura Temple! Also, there is the matter of the fact that _I_ have neither been styled nor primped for the occasion, and don't even have any jewelry to wear in an attempt to do that garment any sort of justice…"

"I disagree, wholeheartedly," Larry interjected lovingly. "Iris, you needn't _ever_ worry about your appearance, because true beauty springs from the heart and dwells in the eyes. You are a rare gem to behold, milady, who unknowingly dazzles all those around with your loveliness. There are but a select few women who need no jewels to make them sparkle, and _you,_ without doubt _,_ are one of them."

"Very aptly, and surprisingly _poetically_ , put Larry!" Maya tittered. "Cousin, I cannot think of a lovelier, nobler nor grander lady to don this dress, which is so brand, spanking new, it has only been worn for less than an _hour_! You are one in a million, so it's only fitting that you wear a half $1 million wedding gown!"

* * *

" _Objection_!" Porfirio interposed, his jaw slack eyes the size of saucers as he waved a shaky pointer finger at the Master.

Everyone turned to stare at the thunderstruck designer, who looked equally surprised at the words that had just escaped his lips.

"Whoops! I guess I've been hoping to get the opportunity to yell that power word out since _everybody else_ was! Surprisingly satisfying for any occasion!" The designer flushed slightly at their scrutiny, but then composed himself once more as he turned to Maya. " _Gurl_! _Wherever_ did you come up with such a grossly inflated price tag for that gown?!"

" _I'm_ the one who told Maya that number." Longines appeared puzzled at his friend's strange reaction. "And it's because it's the figure _Mildred_ gave _me_ to write the check for, to make out to _you,_ Pepper! She claimed the gown would fetch at least $1 million, a.k.a. double its price, when it was auctioned off for charity, which was all a part of her plan to help bring spotlight to benefit both Kurain Village and Beaugosse Enterprises!"

"But Longines, that's _inconceivable_!" Porfirio protested. "I gave you the _friends and family discount_ on that gown, given the long-standing nature of our friendship! I only charged you for the _material_ and not the workmanship on the dress, since it was off the rack! The cost to you was only $ _100,000_!"

" _What_?!" Now it was Longines's turn to have his jaw drop to his chest. "That _can't_ be! Where the in the world could the extra $400,000 have come from?"

"And more _importantly_ …" Maya's eyes narrowed suspiciously, then instinctively pivoted in the direction of Mildred, who shrank back slightly. "Where has it _gone_?"

"I have an even _better_ question!" Luke added, reaching into his pocket and waving what appeared to be a printed out sheet of paper in his hand. "Which is, _why_ these guest favor _swag bags_ were being sold for a $2000 _starting bid_ on eBay? Also, _why_ there are _800_ of them up for grabs, when there's only _400_ wedding guests?"

"Luke!" Pearl stared at her boyfriend, agog. " _Where_ did you find this information?"

"You instructed me not to take my eyes off _that woman_ when you and Maya rushed down to the city with the Chief earlier, so I didn't let her out of my sight." Luke jerked his head at the Dragon Lady. "Shortly before you and Mr. Gumshoe returned, she slipped away for a spell, so I naturally followed her. When the coast was clear, I snuck into her chambers. There I saw that she had left herself logged in to her eBay account on her computer, along with several more boxes filled with the additional _bombonieres_ , which must've been delivered to her personal quarters and _not_ set up on the table alongside the ones me and the Berry Circus folks set up before the ceremony!"

"That doesn't make any logical sense!" Longines exclaimed. "Why would there be such a surplus of the favors? And why would she be hoarding them?!"

"This is highly suspicious behavior, most _undeniably_ ," Edgeworth agreed, directing an icy glare in the direction of the old harridan, who discreetly had begun inching away during this conversation with a look of panic in her eyes. "It's one thing to order a little bit extra in case of surprise uninvited guests, but the inflation on these numbers, both on the bridal attire _and_ bombonieres, are not only _ludicrous_ … I daresay they are downright _criminal,_ and most _definitely_ require further scrutiny!"

Knowing she was cornered, Mildred attempted to make one final grasp at straws. Straightening up, she affected an air of outraged dignity in an attempt to deflect from her own misdeeds.

"You have a lot of nerve, snooping in my personal quarters, you bratty, nosy little _crumpet_!" She snarled at Luke and then jutted her chin haughtily at Edgeworth. "And _you_ , pretty boy with the frills! _You're_ no better! How _dare_ you have the _gall_ to question an _esteemed elder's_ actions or character? You cast all these senseless doubts on an innocent old woman, who has only had this village's best interests at heart, yet I see zero opposing objections being made about a genteel bred shrine maiden tying the knot to a _womanizing rake_ of that _rogue_ Larry Butz's magnitude!"

"Just what in Mystic Ami's name are you going on about _now,_ Mildred?" Matilda demanded, her dark eyes shooting off angry sparks at her adversary. "Do we need to add _slander_ to your list of transgressions on top of everything else?"

"I _second_ the motion!" Sister Bikini nodded industriously. "Mr. Butz is a fine, upstanding young man who adores my daughter, and I would be _delighted_ to have him as a son-in-law!"

"How typically naïve of you two simpletons to not have done your homework on this _meandering_ _Casanova_ , who you're so quick to welcome into your clan with such open arms!" Mildred sneered. "I have taken the liberty have looked into all on goings of the man also known as Laurice Deauxnim, as he is an artist of some worldwide acclaim. His character history proves he is little more than a _hound dog_ of cover girls! Why, he was even once on trial for the _murder_ of one of his model girlfriends! He has been known to shamelessly and _undiscernibly_ , pursue celebrities, socialites and women of all shapes and sizes – some even _married_ or _spoken for_! His countless and ruthless skirt chasing and tawdry liaisons, both in his American _and_ Europe tours, have been captured in the _local news_! In fact, some of this man whore's rendezvous have made _international headlines_ on the Internet, along with the fact that absolutely _none_ of these have lasted more than a fortnight!"

" _No_! These are all lies! They _can't_ be true!"

Sister Bikini clapped a hand to her chest, looking appalled. The poor dear stared at the red-faced Larry, who simply stood there with his head bowed in submission, averting his gaze from her accusing eyes while Iris turned pale upon hearing all this venom about the man she loved.

"Stop being a fool, Bikini! I speak nothing but the truth!" Mildew gloated, practically cackling with glee. "See how the scoundrel stands there looking guilty against my accusations, but saying _nothing_ in return? Notice he has not uttered _even a peep_ in his own defense?"

The aghast nun turned her distressed eyes onto Larry, her expression pleading with him to tell her a different tale that refuted Mildred's vile accusations.

"Larry, please tell me there is no validation to anything this horrid woman has just said!" Sister Bikini cried. "Say it isn't so!"

"Alas, I cannot lie about the man I have been, good lady." Larry confessed, shaking his head dejectedly. "While there is of course, gross exaggeration with all rumors and media headlines, my unsuccessful track record with women is not something that can be denied. My two best friends stand at my side, both of them men who have had been renowned in the legal field, and not even _they_ can defend my previous deplorable convictions, nor my lackluster romantic résumé. It is not something I am proud of in the least, but neither is it something which I can claim to have never existed."

"So it's _true_ then?" Sister Bikini probed, her expression crestfallen. "You _are_ the man Mystic Mildred just described as an _unspeakable cad, vile libertine,_ and _despoiler of innocents_?"

"I'm all that and more," Larry replied grimly, his lips twitching slightly into an amused smirk. "I have been a _seeker_ of love immeasurable times, and have had my heart broken nearly every single time in the process. But _never_ before did I know what true love _actually_ was, before I met your daughter, Sister. That was when I knew I needed to modify my old ways to become a man worthy of her, for she captured my heart completely. To fall in love is a legendary action that doesn't need any explanation."

Iris swallowed hard as she heard these words, and felt such a strong wave of love for the man next to her that it nearly took her breath away. Larry wasn't trying to be a coward or attempting to cover up the man he'd been in the past. He was courageously owning up to everything he'd once been, and showing everyone present that he was now a changed man. Because of _her_.

"I cannot deny the man I used to be," Larry continued, staring hard at Mildred. "Nonetheless, I _can_ expose the fact that it's purely _venomous hatred_ and _attempted deflection_ , and not _unadulterated concern_ for Iris's well-being, which have prompted this wretched harpy to try to cast light upon _my_ past misdemeanors. Having a need to love – or in this case, _pretending_ to love – without having a _heart_ that loves, is nothing but hatred. If you weren't so loathsome, I would _pity_ you, Mildew, for that is _all_ you will _ever_ know in your _miserable, lonely, degenerate_ life."

The artist's words cut so deeply that not even the unflappable Dragon Lady was quick enough to mask the slight flinching effect they caused within her. Lifting his chin, Larry turned and flashed Iris's adopted mother his most shit-eating grin as he saw her nod of approbation.

"I can also assure you, Sister Bikini…reformed rakes often make the best husbands!"

The artist then turned his tender gaze back to Iris, letting her see the unmasked love in his eyes as he spoke again.

"Milady, I did not come to love for joy alone. We fell in love as it was dictated by nature and so shall we abide by it as we live in the universe that desires love and not hatred. And I will never have wanderlust, for I have _seen_ , firsthand, what else is out there in the world. 7 billion smiles… but _yours_ is my favorite, Iris. I only yearn to make a life, and home, with _you_. And _only_ you."

Iris's eyes filled with happy tears. "You truly do mean that, don't you?"

"From my heart to yours," he replied simply.

"Tell me, Lawrence Butz." Her gaze met his searchingly. " _Where_ is your home?"

Reaching forward, he cupped her cheek in his palm and stroked her face softly with his thumb. "Wherever _you_ are."

"Dare I really believe," Iris whispered, placing her hand over his and pressing her cheek into his palm. "That after all the women you have known and loved, that _I_ can ever be enough for you? To keep you satisfied for a lifetime?"

"You have _everything_ ," Larry swore, tracing her lips with the tip of his thumb. "That I will _ever_ want, Iris. Light of my life. Keeper of my soul. Fire of my nights…"

" _Oh la vache!"_ Armstrong shrieked suddenly, interrupting the romantic spell and making everyone jump slightly with his ear-piercing screech. "Z'at eez _it_! I 'av 'ad _enough_!"

* * *

The pink tuxedoed man was obviously uncaring that he had interrupted the couple's romantic moment, his face still twisted into a petulant moue as Larry and Iris reluctantly broke apart.

The chagrined Mildred realized her plan to distract from her swindling efforts by airing Larry's dirty laundry had been foiled, so the cunning spinster had begun creeping away stealthily, as all eyes were now swiveled back to the irate best man, who was stamping his foot like a recalcitrant child having a tantrum.

" _Bon sang! Fais chier!"_ The cream pouf wailed woefully, already in incensed, torso wriggling mode. "I will _not_ be ignored for a moment longer! Why does nobody 'ere give _un_ _putain de merde_ z'at _I_ also made a proposal?! To z'ee _groom_ , who is z'ee keeper of _my_ heart?!"

"I recant my previous statement about both _Butz_ and _Jesse_ having the worst timing I've ever seen!" Edgeworth stated icily, subjecting the drama queen to a withering glare. "It is grossly evident how _certain_ _entitled_ parties present are obviously incapable of grasping the fact that the expression _all the world's a stage_ does _not_ designate them _sole_ spotlight! This is neither the time nor place to be discussing _multiple_ marriage proposals –"

The ever-observant prosecutor cut himself off mid-tongue lash to Armstrong as he spotted Mildew's attempted escape from the corner of his eye.

" _Not_ when there is potential criminal activity afoot and the suspected perpetrator herself is attempting to flee the premises! Gumshoe! Detain that woman, posthaste!"

The crafty village elder was almost at the exit route, and Luke could see the burly police Chief had the daunting task of shoving his way through the huge crowd in order to reach her, which he would never be able to do in time! Immediately, he snapped his fingers to get the attentions of the Berry Circus monkeys, who had been idly sitting by Max and Regina.

"Desse! Jylan!" The animal whisperer commanded. "Stop that woman _immediately!_ Use _any means necessary_!"

Being of much smaller stature, and speedier then any human, the primates reached Mildred within seconds, with Desse managing to trip the old woman by wrapping his tail around her ankles, causing her to fall backward with a heavy thud on her rear end and sending her purse sailing to the ground. The surprisingly swift senior citizen quickly recovered from the fall, and was scrambling to get back on her feet when Jylan seized the golden opportunity to halt her mid-action with the most powerful weapon at his disposal. With a toothy leer, the monkey lifted his tail and turned his rear end in the battle-axe's direction.

Then Jylan the Big Berry Circus primate, spawn of the famed Money the Monkey, _let it rip_ with everything he had.

 _THPPTPHTPHPHHPH!_

" _Gahhhhhhh_!"

Mildred screamed in horror from the putrid fumes, the stench so sickening that she literally fell back to the ground, clutching both hands to her nose in futile efforts to protect it from the miasmal blast of flatulence Jylan just emitted in her general direction.

"That foul beast just _broke wind_ right in my _face_!"

Everybody was too astounded to even react to this latest catastrophe, although Maya had a hand clapped over her mouth in a vain attempt to mask her horrified laughter at the sight of her arch nemesis being subjected to such degrading atrocities.

Mildred's relapse back to the ground had the desired effect of Gumshoe managing to catch up to the culprit at last, clamping a ham sized fist around her spindly wrist in a vice grip while the chittering monkeys went racing back to Luke, with Desse handing the British lad the old woman's confiscated purse with a flourish as he bowed grandly.

"Good job boys!" Luke praised, already rummaging within the contents of the bag. "Chief Gumshoe, Mr. Edgeworth!" He triumphantly waved what appeared to be a ledger, an open dated airline ticket to the Cayman Islands, and a bank book in the air. "I think I just found some more vital evidence of criminal activity!"

"Excellent work there, pal!" Gumshoe hauled Mildred back to her feet and began dragging her handcuffed hand back down the aisle towards the rest of the congregation. "Don't worry about _this_ one now, she's not going anywhere!"

The big man beamed broadly at Larry and Iris.

"Now, I _do_ believe, before they were _rudely interrupted –"_ The chief looked pointed at Armstrong, who simply crossed his arms huffily and sulked. "That these two crazy kids were in the final act of this romantic presentation, to which we're all the privy, and captivated, live audience! Intermission is over everyone! Now that we've gotten the matter of detaining the suspected embezzler taken care of … The show must go on!"

"While I _still_ cannot believe I'm about to say this…I shall nevertheless proceed to say: the stage is all yours once more, Larry." Edgeworth smirked and shook his head. "Please continue. Might I suggest however, that you take it from the top? _Less_ drama this time, and perhaps _more_ heartfelt emotion?"

Larry was already on back on bended knee at Iris's feet before the prosecutor had even finished the sentence.

* * *

"Milady, I am just an ordinary man, but I have an extraordinary heart. I am also a man who possesses great vulnerability, and am easily hurt, so please don't break it in two. Once again, I humbly ask you to give me your hand in matrimony, my beautiful Iris."

He took her hand in his both own as he stared up at her imploringly.

"I don't promise you riches, I don't promise you the suburban house and a picket fence. I plan to spend my days trying to make this a more beauteous world with my art, and while I cannot guarantee you a life of splendor with it, I _can_ offer you comfort and stability. Furthermore, I promise to love you faithfully for the rest of our lives, and I mean the kind of love that puts you before anyone else, the kind of love that would face down the devil himself to protect you. For better or worse, for richer or poorer…will you marry me?"

The corners of Iris's beautiful dark orbs lustered happiness in soft twinkles, reflecting the joyous light which made her eyes copper against caramel as she finally heard, without interruption, the words she'd been wishing to hear for so long. Her voice shook as she responded.

"Larry, when you returned to Hazakura Temple all these years later, even though I had gotten my freedom once again, my life as I knew it lay in tattered remains around me, as though devastated by a hurricane, as everything which once held me in place had been ripped away. I was raw, hurting and fragile, yet you were so caring, and offered such endless divine patience, no matter what. You have changed my world as I know it for the better. I used to be ashamed of who I was, and now I am proud. My world once was black, and now it is bright. I used to walk with my head bent, and now I stand up tall. I used to have dreams. But now I have hope. All because of _you_."

The shrine maiden's eyes glazed with a liquid that revealed pure blissfulness, which glistered inside the almonds, circumscribed by her wet, eye-lined lashes as she continued to speak her heart.

"Larry, the love you showed was a new thing to me. Although I'd given it to others, I'd never felt it poured over me like a salve as with you. I'd been aware of my love for you only for a short while, but in those precious moments, in those times you picked me up and set me back in my feet, it magnified. At times I feared the love burned too hot, that it'd consume me, and I felt I must quiet the flames, and bring them to a warmth that could be sustained. The fuel of new romance should only be affection, caring, and love - never the fear of being alone. With you by my side, I have grown stronger, and no longer have such fears. Together, you and I can create a better foundation, a footing that can last."

Iris's lips were trembling as she leaned down and pulled Larry to his feet, staring deeply into his eyes as she finally said the words he'd been aching to hear.

"I love you with all my heart, Lawrence Butz." She rested her cool palm against his cheek. "And there is _nothing_ in this world that would bring me more joy than to be your wife."

Larry would have been lying if he'd claimed to have had no expectations. He'd imagined kissing this ethereal beauty countless times in the past, in a hundred different places and positions. But in that instant, he wasn't doing anything but beholding the captivating essence of the woman herself; the way her luminous eyes shone with ardor; the feel of the skin on her inner wrist; the size of her hand against his face, and most of all, the smiling shape of her lush lips when she commented, without guile, about returning his love for her.

He loved everything about her – and it was beyond her pulchritude. Her kindheartedness to have been willing to put her own heart's desires aside, her protective nature of her loved ones, and her steadfast willingness to always helping others first. Most of all, he loved her overwhelming sense of humility, in that she'd seriously questioned if she would ever be enough to satisfy him.

Larry wanted to spend the rest of his life telling to her that she was everything he'd ever dreamed of wanting. Above all, he wanted to _prove_ it to her. Today, tomorrow, the next day. But right now, more than anything else, he wanted to at last learn what those exquisite rosebud lips tasted like.

 _Before you kiss someone for the first time, just wait. Take a second to look at them. They are so new, so unfamiliar. Right now you don't know how they taste, how their hands will press against your skin, how they'll breathe. You won't see them like this again. Look at them wanting - the apprehension in their eyes. They don't know either. In their mind you are uncharted territory. Isn't that special? Keep it. That's how you'll never lose them. Every so often afterwards, look at them through these eyes. Don't lose that wonder. Don't lose the spark._

With Iris Hawthorne, Larry Butz knew he never, ever would.

"Iris, as much as you have given me credit for my forbearance with you, I no longer possess any sort of divine patience." His voice was raw. "My heart is aflame, and my lips are now burning. Since I first looked at you, I have been running from every corner of this earth and sky, wanting to kiss you."

With a groan, he pulled the woman of his dreams into his arms and lowered his face to hers, and at last, their lips met, the moment they had both dreamed of for so long.

Larry's kiss stole the words Iris didn't need to say. In that silence, all of their secrets were laid bare, all of their passions and the spark of love that existed between them. In that moment, in his love, she was strong. One kiss, and she had the courage to do anything at all, as long as the man she loved remained by her side forever.

He placed his hand on her waist and drew her closer, deepening the kiss. She kissed him with all the aching longing that being this close to him evoked; she kissed him in all the ways he had ever dreamed of kissing her, feeling faint with joy when he began to kiss her back, his mouth moving with fierce tenderness, then opening with fiery demand over hers, until their breaths were mingled gasps, and they were straining to one another, until they heard the Reverend clear his throat behind them.

" _Oy_!" The holy man chortled. "Save something for the honeymoon, you two! You're about to start a forest fire here!"

Though both Larry and Iris were blushing furiously at the reminder that they'd just had their first kiss in front of hundreds of witnesses, she gave a breathless laugh as they parted. She saw his eyes sparkle and his lips curve up into a smile and she couldn't help but smile back. The kiss had obliterated every thought.

"Now that you've said all those other things, Larry," she whispered unsteadily as his lips remained hovering just inches above hers, "do you think you could possibly say _I love you,_ and say _my_ name as you do so this time? No man has ever said they loved _me_ …O-only Dollie, w-when I was her. I've been waiting to hear you say those very words, with my name, since you began and—"

"I love you, Iris Elizabeth Hawthorne," Larry said fiercely, the words sounding like music to her ears. "I love you," he whispered softly, burying his face in her hair. "I love you," he groaned, kissing her lips again. "I love you, I love you."

* * *

 _A/N: This is going to be a_ _ **two-chapter week**_ _I need to get the ball on this thing rolling again!_

 _If you have been enjoying the works of me and my homeboys **thepudz** and **Yanmegaman** , keep an eye out, just in time for Valentine's Day, for the next Yatagarasu group project, **Timeless Love** , a series of romantic AA drabbles/one-shots of your fave AA characters throughout the various ages – all set in chronological order of the official Ace Attorney timeline. We are open – but cannot promise all! – Pairing requests, so if you have a couple request, feel free to PM any one of us! :)_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 154**

 **DannyDragon**

I hope you had a wonderful Navidad! _Feliz Año Nuevo mi amiga musica!_

I try my very best to use as many of my readers songs as possible and I was delighted to use your wonderful Billy Joel's selection with its very fitting lyrics as Miles desperately tried to talk some sense into his thick skull best friend! XD

 **JaDe In NighT**

I saw it firsthand when he was trying to talk sense into Phoenix every time he did something dumb in Ace Attorney 6 – I'd like to think at this point Miles Edgeworth is like a younger and hotter Yoda with Moves Like Jagger in trying to dispel advice to those around in this case his _clueless but he's lucky he's cute_ BFF!

Luckily for the ever fortunate/unfortunate Phoenix depending on how you look at it, it did pay to follow The Edgeworth's advice!

 **Chapter 155**

 **Guest**

 _"ive been following this story for... How long? Well, I know I was here when Nick and Maya broke up. You've destroyed me with this story so many times, but finally, you've made me happy. this may be the only time you hear from me, pretty shy, but this is the best chapter ever and I love this entire story."_

My adorable shy reader who I unfortunately cannot reply to via personal message, I am delighted that you are happy once more and apologize with all my heart for all the angst I have caused you leading up to Phaya's long-overdue reunion which I hope you found to be worth it in the end! I also hope to make your heart sing some more with their even more overdue romantic private reunion coming up soon! :-)

Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to drop me a line! Happy New Year!

 ***Review of the Week***

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _Mi hermana…_ You're probably my most tried-and-true female reader and have picked me up greatly when I have had lackluster reviews which have had me questioning why I bother putting so much effort into this story! Your passionate words, often comical but always to the point are what makes me want to spotlight such a loyal reader and friend this time!

A mother's love is eternal and Mia was like Maya's mother pretty much so even death would not keep them from trying to save that poor girl from a fate worse than death – in this case a sexless loveless marriage to "Ricky Martin!" (If nothing else you must commend Longines on his taste in men Johnny Depp is so damn beautiful that even _men_ have crushes on him including my husband! LOL)

I see you're familiar with the Rev. who I was parodying from _Robin Hood Men In Tights_ movie who was an expert in circumcision which he probably would've preferred to do then go ahead with this ceremony! At least now with no wedding he can keep his man bits where they belong as nature intended! You know wedding is going right down the tubes when the best man is crying, the maid of honor is crying, the bride's cousin is crying and the Rev. is trying to talk the bride out of it and encourages her to run away again! :p

 _"Beautiful and touching statement from Phoenix. I do not know how you manage to make them better and better. I think at this point, you have already achieved what you proposed. Phoenix and Miles are equally intense in releasing their emotions when they are under pressure, but each in their own way. The interests are well differentiated, as well as the degree of maturity and experience of the relationships. Phoenix was able to restore faith in love to a girl who knew him as a virgin and loved him from innocence to maturity."_

That line was pure poetry. It summarizes Phaya so perfectly, and warms my heart to know and that even with this language barrier which you often worry about to excessively because her English is still better than my Spanish, this message still comes across in my work! Thank you dear friend.

 _"In the case of Miles, if he manages to take up the thread of his own, he must restore confidence, not to a young girl, but to a woman who was about to be wife and mother twice. If Phoenix had to fight the possibility of another man married to Maya, Miles will have to deal with the possibility of another man to offer more security to Franziska."_

Miles will have to jump over a few barrels and through a few hoops regarding his situation with Franziska but I can promise you one thing I'm done with trying goals with my two main couples… I try to keep them however faced with temptation to remain monogamous. It doesn't mean Miles will be paranoid about another man though considering his reaction of almost crashing the plane when Mia made her terrible teasing "vision!" XD

Indeed Fredgeworth and Phaya have equally intense relationships – similar but separate. It makes me happy that you can perfectly summarize these distinctions as my biggest fear as a writer has always been making Nick and Miles too identical and that they are both gorgeous and have similar values and believe in justice, but the way they handle themselves on up personal level of tried very hard to keep them different. Because it's like you said, Franziska and Miles were a bit further along in their relationship than Phaya, in that they were engaged and cohabitating, and she was more like a wife then girlfriend. Also, she lost her chance at motherhood not once, but twice, so when he does encounter her, he may still have demons of the past to contend with.

Pearl and Trucy…. Both those angels have so much love in those beautiful hearts (with nobody to give it to accept to their adopted mother and father up until now) and have known so much sorrow and loss at such young ages… would probably spoil any offspring of Phoenix and Maya with so much love that even grandparents would pale in comparison!

 **Feraligreater328**

Excellent guess about the mysterious proposal being the desperate, unwilling to concede defeat Dragon Lady making a last-ditch proposal, but not correct. I hope however, you aren't too disappointed!

I adore the wife and while am loathe to make her or any of my readers cry I am at least glad THIS time it was surely happy tears and hope this long overdue Phaya reconcile was worth the wait! Happy New Year to you both!

 **DannyDragon**

Letters have definitely been a reoccurring theme in this story from the breakup letters between Fredgeworth and Skyeworth to the beyond the grave one Mia wrote to Maya before her wedding. But of course the most relevant one of all was the one that Nick wrote to Maya (I am so touched that you thought it was beautiful!) never dreaming she would not be married by the time she read it! I'm so happy to see that you still taken the time to read the story which I know is quite lengthy. It has been a crazy journey but I hope you found it to be worth the wait and just know that while Nick and Maya are back together the crazy journey is not over just yet! Larris and Phaya…That's two couples who are together as they belong – _three_ if you count Longines's new partner which should be a surprise to nobody! LOL

 **Ryszard**

 _Frohes neues Jahr! Kurz und bündig ist kein Problem– Ich bin so froh, dass Sie immer noch lesen!_

When you said Manny do you mean we thought somebody had channeled Manfred Von Karma's ghost to have been proposing at the halted nuptials? That will certainly would've been an interesting twist! I hope you were still surprised – and not to unpleasantly! – By the outcome!

I know there was actually a Canadian judge, who was the brother of the original judge in Trials and Tribulations. I'm from Ontario but some of the more stereotypical Canadian terms like _double-double_ for coffee, (two creams, two sugars) and _eh_? Are pretty national although certain regions such as the East Coast might sound a bit different when they're saying certain words because of the accent! It was never said whereabouts in Germany the Von Karma's are from nor did I specify it in the story but since I threw Maya in Berlin when she was visiting Franziska, I would've assumed that the Von Karma's were sophisticated City Slickers? The only thing I know about Bavaria is Bavarian cream and the fact that it was where a couple of callers were from on the show _Frasier_ in the early seasons!

 _Ich sehe, Sie sind so zufällig wie eh und je!_ Loves it!

 **Luffy**

I hope your plumbing issues are a thing of the past darling girl!

Mia Fey is in my top five favorite Ace Attorney characters I see her as a sexier, younger Yoda with her wisdom and love that she shares with both Phoenix and Maya who both view her as a maternal figure! I'm happy you liked the surprise of Misty… She will be back one more time in this story! ;)

It seems Nick only does not trip over his own tongue when he is speaking from his heart – this was the case with his reunion with both Pearl and Miles (I promise you I will never separate these two best friends again or your mother might murder me!) And also when he has time to sit and composes thoughts like with that letter! He does have some Romeo capabilities he just not as smooth as The Edgeworth… But who is really? LOL

Nick and Maya will have the beautiful special and _private_ reunion they are long overdue, but first to see Maya at last to make a relevant sacrifice for Phoenix in the name of love since he has risked and sacrificed so much for her both in canon and in this story!

The suffering for these two was done although there still another half of a story that needs to be told before they get to toothbrush sharing cohabitation! Remember Phoenix is still disbarred and Maya is still Master of Kurain and living up there!

 **Yanmegaman**

 ** _'Longines Diandre Crispin Beaugosse the Third'!_**

You mean _two_ other flamboyant mincing fops with the same name existed before him? XD

I decided the Phoenix performs best under pressure not only in court like you see in the games but also in his personal life. The man literally had to be on his third strike and up against the ropes before he finally got it Wright but boy _did he ever_! I hope Phaya's long overdue reunion was worth the wait!

I hope you're enjoying the videographer/bus boy/waiter from hell a.k.a. Jesse Ventura! LOL  
Kardashian and Hilton affair! Wait till you see what Phoenix's proverbial thorn in the side gets to film next as the mother of all scoops! TMZ has a huge _take that_ coming to them! ;)

It's very rare I don't get a laugh out loud review from you punny man, but in this case considering it was intended to be a romantic reunion, I found your view to be very touching and sweet and I thank you wholeheartedly for being such a good friend and loyal reader.

 **JaDe In NighT**

 _"What the hell is happening now , this dramtic wedding is ramping dramatic points like no tomorrow"_

I want to let you know that you have literally mastered the fine art which not even I have achieved as a writer of leaving a short but sweet review constantly which still makes the writer feel terrific. It's always more creative than the simple umbrella " _good job_ " which is always appreciated, but also allows me know that you actually read the chapter and enjoyed it! Thank you very much of a very Happy New Year to you!

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

 _"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG YAYYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY IT FINALLY HAPPENED. I'VE BEING WAITING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN SINCE CHAPTER 74 (i think) THAT WAS THE CUTEST SHIT I'VE EVER SEEN."_

Happy New Year darling girl! I'm afraid you are mistaken-because that review was possibly the cutest shit I've ever seen! That and you actually knowing the exact chapter when these two star-crossed lovers split up! I'm delighted to reward such a loyal reader with so much happiness with this reunion, and I hope to hear from you again soon it's always such a pleasure! :-)

 **SpiritsOfFire**

 _"I see you are dropping a hint of Phoenix and Miles here and then, should we expecting a... different and new story?"_

As much as I do not knock people that see these two gorgeous Ace Attorneys in a romantic light, Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth are only going to be shift as brothers in any of my works and make such fantastic heterosexual although occasionally bumbling romantic leading men for Maya and Franziska that the closest you will ever see to these two _sword fighting_ in the other sense is if you check out me and Yanmegaman's story _Crossfire_ where Sir blue Knight and Sir red Knight actually have a medieval joust! XD

I had way too much fun thinking of different ways to mock Longines who I actually do like (he is not a bad guy he just wasn't the one for Maya!) And Mildew in this chapter (whom I loathe!) Gotta love my thesaurus – but I also have to sincerely thank you dear reader for taking the time to let me know that wasn't the sole impression I left on you with this chapter, which I wholly admit I put a lot of blood sweat and tears into to make worthwhile for loyal readers like yourself who have been following since the get-go! :D

I have made Phoenix to a lot of things which my readers have thought were unforgivable at the time in this story… The two getting married without his beloved daughter there would be _completely inexcusable_! And Luke is there without Layton – it would just be blasphemy overall!

I was actually happy to know your other gases some things you can speculate and probably even guess accurately in this story by don't want to come across as _too_ predictable! I hope you were happy with who ended up walking down the aisle in the end! :-)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Happy New Year dear friend I hope you have gotten some more sleep over the holidays!

I also confess in spite of being a professed die-hard romantic, to also being very evil as a writer when I ask questions such as " _will he be able to fix it?"_ It is completely intended to try to throw the reader off course so I can make the impact of what I have planned all that much more so! Sorry about that I just can't let myself become too predictable otherwise what fun would that be! :-)

Phoenix is fantastic when speaking from the heart and has made some of his most powerful persuasions in court when Sir Blue Knight is up against such a fiery beast no matter how sharp his sword, let's not dismiss the diabolical Dragon lady for what she is, which is a formidable contender he needed all the backups he could get and who better than Mia and Misty Fey to provide the defensive shields? He was on his third strike he could not afford to screw this up! :-)

 _"I also admit that when she was yelling at Phoenix to die, I found myself thinking, "you first, lady." Lol_ "

Only the good die young dear boy! There's a reason the infamous saying "no rest for the wicked!" exists! I still haven't decided whether or not and I'm going to kill this nasty hag off but I promise you at least she will be _wishing_ she were dead when I'm done with her! _Bwahahahaha_!

Matilda was smart; as much as she was hoping that good will triumph over evil, she knew she was going to need to bring in _the big guns_ for this one, given Mildew's clout, history and status with the Elder Council- sometimes you can't meet your foe dead on – you've got to tackle them from a different angle and take them out at the knees!

Phoenix and Maya belong together but there's no way I could let them get married without his daughter there and the rest of their dear friends present! Also I figured with the speech he was giving his next marriage proposal might pale in comparison, therefore I thought of tacking on the "marry me" on at the end so when he finally does give Maya back her ring, he can simply toss it utter and say " _take that_!" XD

Phaya I'd like to think would be a PDA couple since they are always holding each other and Maya's always grabbing him by the hand but I draw the line at them _performing_ in front of an audience, never mind with a rolling camera in the background! There's going to be plenty of time for that and plenty of that when they have their own private reunion coming up soon! Jesse may have some scruples but we know Lotta Hart would _does not_ and would not hesitate to leak that sort of footage to the press! Maybe Phaya can do the whole camera thing to spice up their marriage after a few years! :p

That being said, in my story _Double DILF Doodies_ where both Fredgeworth and Phaya are married with children, there is an infamous scene where the unsuspecting Phoenix stumbles across the proverbial night table… And realize is compared to the kinky prosecutor's him and Maya's own proclivities pale far in comparison! XD

I tried very hard to make it clear that Longines was never intended to be a bad guy and as a friend and brother just not as a lover he really did love Maya, any man would! Very, _very_ touched that you would put Mildred Latrine in the same sentence as an iconic bad guy like Lord Voldemort, although I had another wonderful reader also make my day by comparing Mildew to Dolores Umbrige! Any sort of comparison to the literary genius that is JK Rowling is enough to give me the warm fuzzies!

Truth be known you Jack went and Johnny Depp are like apples and oranges; one is more classically handsome with a timeless beauteous charm and grace, one is a more ruggedly handsome hunk of man meat; both are in my top five so I had to shamelessly throw that in there! LOL

Fox Boy, for reasons I have expressly declared over and over again in my reader replies, is an irredeemable turn faunal or who needs to fall off a cliff and in my top five most hated Ace Attorney characters despite not being a villain therefore he will not be making an significant appearance in this story I don't care if that's giving away a spoiler of any kind!

I'm very happy no one was able to guess who the secret proposal was! I hope you're happy with the outcome! I'm going to stick Stickler of panty snatcher claim exactly where he belongs which is in _Apollo Justice_ as the mother of all perverts second only to Dr. Hotti and definitely up there with Sal Manella, but otherwise forgotten! I did it pair him with Athena in the group project I did with Yanmegaman and ThePudz _Say Hello to Yesterday_ but that was full of purposeful crack pairings which just won't do in a tale which I always intended to be love story! That being said I do have someone special planned for _The Courtroom Révolutionnaire_ when she finally makes her appearance in this story… I hope you all will approve! ;)

You're most welcome wonderful reader, for being proven wrong! :)

 **Joeclone**

 _"BEST. TITLE. EVER. BEST. RESOLUTION. EVER! BEST! CHAPTER! EEEEEVVEEEEEERRRRRRR!"_

I'm glad nobody was busting my chops too much about picking such an obvious chapter title!

Misty Fey is such a wonderful and underutilized character I had to pay her homage and show that not even in death would a mother allow such a blasphemy for her child who she sacrificed her life for! She will be back by the way one more time and I hope you are smiling and find her resurfacing moment to be just as memorable!

As for the elder Fey sibling, you _always_ know she's going to be back when you least expect it in my readers seem to love it when she does! Is there anyone out there who does _not_ love Mia Fey?! :-)

 _"I swear I've been pronouncing it Long-jeens, forgot to mention that last chapter."_

I have readers who have been pronouncing his name as " _Log-nees_ " and I'm sure Phoenix wasn't the only one to purposely butcher Longines (pronounced " _Lon-gin-ess_ ") as " _Long-in-ass_!" So no worries! Tee hee!

I like to think that Phoenix is capable of surprising people, in this case pulling the proverbial log out of the fire just in time since he was on strike three, with that unanticipated proposal!

I hope you were not disappointed by the mystery proposal resolution!

A very happy new year to your dear reader, thank you so much for your adorable enthusiasm in your review I've been grinning like an idiot ever since!

 **napoleon32**

Happy New Year to you! I am delighted to have made your weekend my friend!

I have been dying to spring that letter for the longest time I'm happy my readers feel I got it Wright! Phoenix is so hot-blooded and over the top I figured his final resolution to this horrendous mass had to be equally fitting for said _cheesy, lovesick dope_! XD

 _Maya and Pearl owe Iris a dinner, a mani-pedi, and a girls' night of her choice, at least. After she wakes up in about 2 days!_

Indeed, it took a village to get these two dopes together but I can promise you now that's how they're going to remain for the rest of the story (I don't do multi-breakups - plus I think my readers would actually show up at my door with pitchforks if I did! LOL) but Iris does deserve a special honorable mention for her particular role in all of this, right up there with Edgeworth!

I hope you found Maya's way of expressing their thanks to her dear cousin to be equally fitting to a spa day! It pays to do good deeds when your wealthy famous cousin has so much money and influence to enable her to express her love and gratitude in such a grand or fashion is not?

I'm very happy you liked the return of Misty Fey it's been building up for some time, and the reason I didn't do the mother daughter hug unfortunately was because I wanted Maya's launch from the altar to be straight into Nick's arms, and it would have anticlimactic if she had first run to Misty's – but the dearly departed matriarch _will_ be back and I promise you won't be disappointed! :)

I'm going to assume the Fey girls are so feisty partly because their father may have been, despite Misty being the contrary, or perhaps out of necessity, due to dealing with these diabolical elders and the strife that life handed them both! That being said I wouldn't have them any other way – one of the reasons I love Phoenix and Maya so much as I feel she would always keep him on his toes and keep them from getting complacent and since he has to keep up with her!

 _"That damned busboy keeps showing up to cluelessly torment Phoenix, lol. Even when things go right for Nick, they go wrong. And now his beautiful but intended to be private letter to Maya could be on the airwaves in the evening. Once a butt monkey, always a butt monkey._ "

I thought Apollo was the office butt monkey?! I'm glad that Jesse's small cameo was not lost amongst all the other flurry of activity in this chapter! I never intended him to be such an antagonist to poor Phoenix but now I just realize how hilarious it is!

 _"Mia the insult thesaurus strikes again to put Mildew in her place (I'm convinced she spends a good amount of her time in the afterlife thinking up more and more outrageous insults and new ways to torment Edgeworth). Athough Mildred got one in calling her pneumatic. I guess if Ga'ran can call Rayfa flat in a canon game, an OC can point out Mia's twins. Don't feel bad about becoming a lawyer, Mia. The old bitties would bully Maya with or without you. And you're not a bimbo, you're immensely smart and you only had eyes for Diego even if you could have any man you wanted."_

Moment of silence for the over-the-top sexiness of the unmatched canon hotness which was Miego. Sigh. Mia was pretty close to perfect; sometimes I think they killed her off so she wouldn't become a dreaded Mary Sue… Drop-dead gorgeous, killer rack, brains _and_ a heart of gold if she took in the whimpering cry baby that was Phoenix Wright under her wing as her protégé! I figure she amuses herself in the afterlife thinking up good insults for The Dragon Lady, and ways to torture Edgeworth!

 _"I'd feel bad for Longines, but he seems to be ok with the results. He didn't come out of the closet so much as prance out."_

I have no reply to this. Absolutely none. You just have to know that I spend _at least_ a good half a minute to minute straight laughing my butt off that every single one of your reviews! This last one was no exception! XD

 _"Things we need soon: A Larris get together…"_

Done my psychic friend. You stop talking to TheFreelancerSeal and swiping his premonition juice! :p

 _"A "Trucy meets Maya" scene…"_

This _will_ happen and it will be _very_ memorable I promise!

 _"Mildew's final comeuppance…"_

I definitely have some creative karma up my sleeve for this harridan.

 _"Apollo fully entering the circle of trust…"_

I enjoy your head canon very much about how when Trucy finally confessed to Apollo that she was the one who forged the bloody ace he wasn't surprised. I had already created Clay putting that seed of doubt into his head in my story so it won't be totally a surprise when he does find out –and he _will_ because it is canon and that Apollo did look up to Phoenix (and you can see him adorably mimicking his poses in the official gaming art), as an idol and I would like it to be with his restored faith and untainted trust!

 _"and a Phaya *ahem* reuniting. Get busy, lol jk"_

 _Magical_ Phoenix and Maya long overdue private reunion coming up very soon!

 **chloemcg**

 _"BEST. CHAPTER. EVEEEEER! :D  
I LOVED THIS ALL, I LOVED MILDEW GET HER RETURIBUTION AND I KNEW THAT LETTER WOULD COME THROUGH FOR US ALL IN THE END! WHOOP, PHOENIX AND MAYA ARE BACK TOGETHER! THIS WAS SO SWEET AND AWESOME AND COOL AND RADICAL AND BEAUTIFUL, I WANT TO HUG YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE AS AWESOME AS THIS CHAPTER!"_

Happy New Year! _The Book of Life_ was amazeballs and I am once again humbled that you would compare my story to such a beautiful movie! Thank you!

Please never apologize or curb your enthusiasm milady; it makes you all the more endearing and makes me all the more chipper as a writer reviews are kind of like our paychecks that we get when our readers feel a job was well done and I'm delayed I did not disappoint!

 _"You have seriously done a fantastic job with this, Mia and Misty introvening was just so wicked cool and Phoenix was so poetically romantic in his apology. ;)"_

I know my readers love Mia but the positive feedback on Misty makes me feel regretful I haven't given her any spotlight up until now! Also being a diehard romantic I had to make Phoenix's reparations be worthwhile and worthy of sweeping a girl off her feet… If Maya was going to leave the altar _twice_ I had to ensure what the stories here when was running towards was going to be worth it and I'm delighted you thought it was!

Right now we are in the _Apollo Justice_ Timeline but since I hate that game, and this story was intended to be the behind the scenes of Maya and Miles, the next storyline is going to be going back to Fredgeworth, and changing the location of the story to another continent you might be a bit familiar with! :-)

That being said, Apollo is a very imperative part of the story and his lack of presence was a factor of why Phoenix decided he couldn't get married to Maya right then and there, and his storyline and involvement with these characters will definitely be very important (after I take care of Miles and Franziska and) and of course going into Dual Destinies… Because without Boy Wonder there would've been no jury system to clear Nick's name!

I hope you're were pleased with the mystery proposal!

 **thepudz**

 _"IS THIS FOR REAL LIFE  
IS THIS JUST FANTASY  
CAUGHT IN LANDSLIDE  
NO ESCAPE FROM REALITY  
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAH! I HAVE WAITED SO MANY GODDAMN CHAPTERS FOR THIS MOMENT AND I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER BEEN HAPPIER IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!  
COME HERE, AUTHOR, LET ME KISS YOU, YOU DESERVE ALL THE LOVE.  
PHOENIX AND MAYA FINALLY KNOW HOW ACTUALLY LOVE, THIS IS A MIRACLE."_

I wanted to leave people with the holiday season and spirit of miracles and a story on a high note and it seems like I've achieve that with your review my friend! I assure you this was no fantasy… It was completely for real Phaya forever… No more breakups!

I had to show everybody the entire adorkable review what with the quote of Bohemian Rhapsody by one of my favorite bands and my darling mate's penchant for typing in all to express his enthusiasm! XD

Happy New Year mate you're the best! XO

 **Eveshowrtc**

If nothing else, as a writer it nice to know this last chapter left you impressed with my vast use of insults for The Dragon Lady- I needed a thesaurus for this one. Thanks for still reading.


	157. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

_Looking in your eyes I see a paradise  
This world that I've found  
Is too good to be true  
Standing here beside you  
Want so much to give you  
This love in my heart that I'm feeling for you_

 _Let 'em say we're crazy, I don't care about that  
Put your hand in my hand baby  
Don't ever look back  
Let the world around us just fall apart  
Baby we can make it if we're heart to heart_

 _And we can build this dream together  
Standing strong forever  
Nothing's gonna stop us now  
And if this world runs out of lovers  
We'll still have each other  
Nothing's gonna stop us  
Nothing's gonna stop us now_

 _I'm so glad I found you  
I'm not gonna lose you  
Whatever it takes I will stay here with you  
Take it to the good times  
See it through the bad times  
Whatever it takes is what I'm gonna do_

 _Let 'em say we're crazy, what do they know  
Put your arms around me baby  
Don't ever let go  
Let the world around us just fall apart  
Baby we can make it if we're heart to heart_

 _And we can build this dream together  
Standing strong forever  
Nothing's gonna stop us now  
And if this world runs out of lovers  
We'll still have each other  
Nothing's gonna stop us  
Nothing's gonna stop us_

 _Ooh, all that I need is you  
All that I ever need  
And all that I want to do  
Is hold you forever, ever and ever, hey_

 _And we can build this dream together  
Standing strong forever  
Nothing's gonna stop us now  
And if this world runs out of lovers  
We'll still have each other  
Nothing's gonna stop us  
Nothing's gonna stop us, whoa  
Nothing's gonna stop us now, oh no_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Fifty Seven:** **Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now**

 _ **Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne** **  
**Kurain Village, Courtyard_  
June 16, 2026, 5:00 PM

Following his latest declaration, when Larry kissed his to-be wife once more, this time nobody prompted the new lovers to restrain, because in truth, no one present honestly wished for the tender embrace to end before the time was right. Witnessing the shrine maiden and the artist in each other's arms, their fledgling yet everlasting love surrounding them in a glowing golden aura, was not only heartwarming but made such a romantic picture it was borderline swoon-worthy.

There were no longer any restraints or lines between the children's illustrator and the woman he loved, and the future groom was basking in this newfound knowledge. From the moment he'd presented Iris with that birthday portrait and she'd set those thankful, luminous orbs on him, Larry realized he'd since been walking towards _this_ , towards _her_ – towards _this moment_ , which he'd been aching for, despite not having set _his_ eyes upon her in seven long years.

When Iris had beseeched him to say her name, coupled with the ardor-laced words he'd been aching to say for so long, he could no longer hold back the tide of fervor bursting within him, so he'd brushed away her tears, lifted her chin, cupped that exquisite visage in his hands, and kissed her even more deeply than he had before.

This time, when their lips met, Iris melted into him. All of her fire and fever became his. And all of his patience and sincerity become hers. For so long they'd had only unbridled yearning and torturous, lingering glances between them, yet so much left unspoken. The time had finally arrived for the universe to right itself, and it only made sense that the very man whom they'd both sworn fealty to, who'd unwittingly kept them divided, had ultimately brought them together by finally allowing the truth to come out and set them all free.

On paper, the couple admittedly didn't make much sense. Beauty and the Butz. The virtuous woman and the former womanizer. As separate entities, the duo might have been as different as night and day, black and white, and right and wrong.

But together, Iris Hawthorne and Larry Butz created two sides of a whole.

Together, they balanced.

Together forever, they belonged.

When Iris kissed Larry, her dulcet passions were boundless, and unlike any other he'd ever experienced. She put one hand on the side of his face to cradle his cheek while with the other, she wound her fingers in his hair to pull him close, and somehow, just with these innocent touches, she made his mouth open, his eyes close, and his breath come faster and faster until he felt dizzy and nearly light-headed with exhilaration.

 _At this moment she's kissing me, I swear to God, the edges of my body melt and I become part of her. One sweet touch of those lips, and I forget my own name._

Iris wasn't sure who was breathing for who, but Larry's mouth tasted like warm honey. She had no idea how long their second embrace lasted, but in the end, although cupping her face, it still felt like he'd pulled away too soon, and when she finally let go of him, she missed him already.

" _Sweet Jesus_ ," he breathed, out of breath, his gaze still locked on hers. "I'm sorry, but we've waited for that for far, _far_ too long."

"I know." The words caught in her throat. "But it was worth it. _You_ were worth it, my darling."

With hearts in both their eyes, they continued to gaze at one another, and for once, Iris wasn't feeling at all anxious or worried about what Larry was thinking. She was just deliriously happy, held in his loving stare, buoyed up in a warm, bright place where the two of them seemed to be the only ones who existed in the world.

" _You_ were worth _every_ exquisite, aching moment we've shared, milady," he swore, taking her hands in his as he stared into her shining orbs. "The hours I've spent with you, I looked upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain singing to it. You, and you alone, make me feel I'm alive. Other men have said to have seen angels, but _I_ have seen _you_ , my beautiful Iris. And you are enough. Forever and always."

"This is _magnificent_!" The Reverend's bushy beard was bouncing around his broad mug as he beamed at the two lovers, startling them slightly with his boisterous timbre. "You crazy kids have no idea how happy you've made an old cleric by allowing him to earn his keep and unite you in the holy sanctity of marriage! It doesn't even matter that it's not for the original two people I got hired for! I'm just happy that _someone_ is getting hitched, and that _this_ time, there won't be any more _interruptions_..."

He cast a pointed glance at Armstrong, who simply pursed his lips but opted to mutely fume.

"… And that pertaining to _this_ particular union, _nobody_ will have any _objections_ …"

"Um, _objection_?" A timid voice spoke suddenly.

There was a loud, collective groan amongst the congregation, and the holy man's bushy eyebrows drew together in irritation as he scanned the crowd to find the source who had _dared_ speak against him! His piercing stare landed on the blushing, guilty-looking Jesse, whose hands tightly gripped his video camera, but were shaking with such trepidation, his recording equipment was visibly rattling in his grip.

The videographer cringed in preparation for the onslaught of inevitable disapproval and ire. It came all at once like an inundating tidal wave…and _not_ only from the vicar himself!

" _Oy vey_! Obviously, I spoke to soon! I just wanted to have a _wedding_ , not a _circus_!" The Reverend clapped a frustrated hand to his weathered forehead and shrugged at The Big Berry Circus crew. " _No offense_!"

The cleric then eyed the baby-faced camera man with a livid expression.

"Tell me, boy. Are you _circumcised_?"

" _W – What?!"_ Jesse stammered, his jaw slack at the outrageous query.

"Because it can be _arranged_!" There was a wicked gleam in the minister's eye as he made a scissor motion with his fingers. " _Really quick_! Plus, I even have a well-worn shoe for you to _bite_ on!"

The young man appeared as though he were about to faint at the traumatizing imagery.

"Never mind, you _schmuck_!" The old man let out a mirthless chuckle even while continuing to shoot daggers at the camera man. " _Why_ did I even mention it?! I brought this on _myself_! It was my _own_ _glitch_! _Of course,_ I'd be _jinxing_ everything by _daring to dream_ aloud that I could actually _do my job_! I blame _nobody_ but _myself_ for this one, folks!"

"Not _you_ again!" Edgeworth thundered, trademark glare already in place. "Does your _audacity_ bear _no bounds,_ Mr. Ventura?!"

"Can I just declare that idiom has lost _any_ and _all_ meaning by this point?" The front row seated Phoenix grumbled, looking flat out pained. " _Et tu_ , Jesse? First _Pepper_ sorely abusing my signature phrase, and now _you_?! What the heck for?!"

"You can't just pose an _objection_ as a _question_ , Jesse!" Maya called out from her comfortably nestled position on her boyfriend's lap. Unlike the men, she sounded more amused than annoyed. "You have to _own_ that shizz! Throw some _pointer_ _finger_ and _arm_ _power_ in there, and say it with _authority_!"

"What the _hell,_ pal?!" Another male voice boomed, just as a petrified female voice squawked, " _Ack_!"

The police chief had unthinkingly thrown his meaty arm forward while attempting to cast a protesting finger in Jesse's direction, momentarily forgetting he'd had Mildew's handcuffed hand within his grasp! The burly man had nearly _flung_ the Dragon Lady forward _by a good foot_ before realizing his oversight, quickly hauling her back to the ground beside him with an abrupt jerk as she clutched her scrawny chest and sucked in deep, ragged breaths.

"Gumshoe, as tempting though it may send that wretched harpy _straight to the moon_ …" A smirk played on Edgeworth's lips. "Please remember that we need to keep her alive – _at least_ until questioning!"

"My bad, sir!" The Chief blushed furiously. "Er, sorry ma'am!"

" _See_ Jesse? _That's_ how you make an _objection_!" The former bride snickered at the still gasping old woman's flushed face from her moment of nearly being airborne. "Just like _that_ – _flying fart victim_ optional!"

Jylan tittered and gave a toothy grin of pride, as though comprehending the reference. Mildred glowered hatefully at both the wisecracking Master and the monkey as though she wished a plague upon them both!

"B –But there was a _reason_ …" Jesse offered feebly, his knees knocking together now. "I –"

"Out with it then!" The Reverend commanded harshly. "Don't make me get out the _knife_!"

"I never wanted to rain on anyone's parade! Those two are cuter than every internet cat video combined!" Jesse placed his hands protectively over his groin while flashing the nonplussed Larry and Iris an apologetic smile. "It's just… they don't have a _marriage license,_ so it couldn't be _legally binding_ to marry them, even if you crossed out _Longines and Maya's_ names and wrote _Larry and Iris_ over it!"

An overall dead silence followed these words, and Larry and Iris's faces both fell in simultaneously disappointment. The camera man swallowed hard.

"Um, _could_ it?"

Edgeworth's arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were closed, as if in deep thought.

" _Feh_!" The Reverend moaned theatrically and buried his head in his hands. "And an even bigger _oy vey_! The _schmuck_ is right! It looks like I'm not getting anybody espoused after all! _Why_ did I even get out of bed today?!"

The cravat-wearing man cleared his throat and assumed his best take-charge expression.

"Pardon me, Reverend, but precisely _when_ are you due to leave Los Angeles?"

"Tomorrow at noon, I'm on a flight back to Rome," the cleric sighed in defeat. "I need to be at the airport by 10:00, at the latest."

"That's fine," the prosecutor nodded swiftly. "My office is only twenty minutes away from LAX. Just swing by at 9:00 to sign the license. I'll have it prepared for you with no waiting time. Larry, Iris, I shall need you there too, obviously."

"Wow, Edgy, you'd really do that for us?" Larry perked up instantly. "Thanks! You're the _best_!"

"Think nothing of it." Edgeworth's cheeks turned pink as the giddy Iris kissed him effusively on the cheek and murmured her thanks. "It's the least I could do, considering how I've treated you as of late. Er, Gumshoe, I need you there as well, to sign off as the other witness."

"Don't bother the Chief, Edgeworth." Phoenix spoke up. "I'd be happy to be the secondary witness to make this blessed union official."

He beamed at Larry and Iris.

"Besides, the Prosecutor's office is right by the courthouse, and tomorrow is the second day of the Wocky Kitaki murder trial. I should at least go wish Apollo good luck, and give my daughter an update as to what's been going on, in case she swings by the hospital and is alarmed that I'm no longer there!"

"Don't worry about Trucy, Mr. Nick!" Pearl gaily waved her cell phone in the air. "I've been keeping her apprised on the whole situation! But I can tell her to _act_ _surprised_ , if you want!"

"Erm, no, that's fine. Thanks, Pearls."

"This is _perfect_!" Maya clapped her hands. "Iris, Larry pack your bags, because tomorrow morning, you guys are going to catch the midday flight to Rome, along with the Reverend! I'm giving you our plane tickets and all-expense paid package honeymoon to Italy! Two weeks of pasta and sunshine await you both!"

"Maya, _no_!" Iris shook her head stubbornly. "This is too much! You're already offering me your priceless gown – I won't take advantage of your generosity in such a manner! I _cannot_ accept this!"

"Cousin, I _implore_ you to let me do this!" The Master's face was pleading. "After all you've done for Nick and I, please allow me the chance to _try_ to repay your infinite kindness _somehow_!"

"Well…if you _insist_ …" Iris nodded hesitantly, then smiled shyly at the village leader. "Thank you, Maya."

" _Woot_!" Larry cheered, picking up his betrothed and spinning her around as she laughed breathlessly. " _Euro-Trip!_ I've only been to Florence and Tuscany during my overseas art tours, but never to _Rome_! _Viva Italia_!"

"Marriage license, _check_! Honeymoon, _check_!" The Reverend was grinning from ear to ear as he pointed at Phoenix and Maya. "Hey, Runaway Bride, whenever you're ready to _relinquish custody of your other half's lap_ and play dress switcheroo, let me know! I've got a wedding to perform!"

" _Mazel Tov_!" Maya jumped to her feet. "I can't wait to get out of this _convoluted_ _contraption_ – it weighs a _ton_!"

"I'm just grateful that it was merely on account on the _dress_ and _nothing_ _else_!" Phoenix grimaced and rubbed his newly evacuated thighs to return circulation back to them. "There is absolutely _no_ polite way to ask the love of your life if she's gained a ton of weight since you saw her last; not without fear of getting a _boot to the head_!"

"You'd best remember your own wisdom in _that_ regard, Wright!" Edgeworth growled in his ear. "Forget the _assault_ – a recent study has found that women who carry little extra weight still tend to _live_ longer… than _the men_ who _mention it_!"

"Normally you _would_ be subject to a _bouquet to the head –_ _ **again**_ _! –_ for that saucy quip, Old Man!" Maya treated her lover to a devilish grin. "But seeing as how I had to _starve_ myself to fit into that blasted thing, rest assured it was indeed, _the gown_ which was causing your lap such distress, and _not_ because I'm a _fatty boom-ba_ underneath these layered swaths of silk and crinoline!"

Phoenix shot her a relieved grin, and her eyes held an impish twinkle as she leaned down and throatily whispered in his ear.

"A little later tonight, you'll have _prime opportunity_ to _discover for yourself_ if this dress was hiding _anything extra for you to grab,_ Nick _."_

The speechless ex-lawyer felt a surge of heat flash through his body while he digested what he'd just heard, and as the Master gave him a quick peck on the lips before straightening back up, there was a naughty glint in her dark orbs as she caught his hungry gaze. Maya merely flashed Phoenix a sultry wink in response before jauntily linking arms with her cousin.

"Let's get you attired, Miss Blushing Bride!"

"I'll come help!" Pearl offered excitedly. "It's definitely a two-person job getting in and out of that thing!"

"I'd like that very much, Pearl." Iris smiled lovingly at her sibling. "Since you're already dressed for the occasion anyway, I would be delighted if my baby sister were to agree to be my maid of honor."

"As if you had to _ask_!" The teen was bouncing on her heels in excitement. "I'd _love_ to!"

The new bride-to-be turned to her cousin.

"And nothing would make me happier than to have you as my bridesmaid, Maya."

"You got it!" The village leader clasped her hands together and nodded effusively. "Since I don't need to worry about my own hair or makeup, I can focus on sprucing up the bride – not that she needs a whole lot of help there!"

"You Fey gals have eternally been a bunch of natural beauties, with _zero_ effort required to be the _belles of any ball_ they attend!" Larry declared, never once taking his eyes off his striking future wife, who blushed gorgeously in response. "I'm a _very_ lucky man!"

"This is _so_ great!" Pearl bubbled, hugging Iris tightly. "I get to be maid of honor for my _big sister's wedding_! One that I actually _want_ to see happen!"

There was a terse silence following her words as both Longines and Armstrong reflexively recoiled.

" _Oh, zat eez cold_!" Armstrong clapped a sympathetic hand on his friend's back. "Small Fry remains ruthlessly brutal till zee bitter end, _non_?"

Keeping a placid grin on her face the entire time, Maya wisely took this opportunity to tug Iris's arm and begin sashaying in the direction of Fey Manor.

Meanwhile, Pearl lingered back, anxiously biting her thumb and wondering how to atone for her insensitive remark. Eventually, she slowly made her way over to the jilted groom and awkwardly patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry if that sounded rude, Longines. I want to let you know I never really hated you. It was never about who you _were_ – but who you _weren't_ – which was Mr. Nick. You're a wonderful man, but Mystic Maya wasn't meant to be your Special Someone."

"I realize that, Pearl," he replied gently. "But thank you, anyway."

At a loss for words, Pearl cast a quick glance over her shoulder at her boyfriend, who smiled tenderly at her. Returning the gesture, her cheeks were slightly pink as she once again faced the blond man.

"But…maybe _Mr. Armstrong_ is? He looks at you like Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick have always looked at each other. And – and the same way _Luke_ looks at _me_."

Giving the billionaire's shoulder one last squeeze, the spirit medium bounded off after her sister and cousin, leaving the thunderstruck hair heir in her wake as he absorbed what she'd uttered.

* * *

 ** _Longines Beaugosse and Jean Armstrong_**  
 _Kurain Village, Courtyard  
_ June 16, 2026 _,_ 5:15 PM

Longines slowly turned towards Armstrong, whose expression was forlorn as he restlessly began plucking the petals off the rose he'd had in his teeth while mumbling, " _he loves me, he loves me_ _not,_ " under his breath.

"Is it _true_ , Jean?" The blond prodded. "What Pearl just said?"

The cream pouf purposely avoided his employer's scrutinizing gaze.

"Answer me, please!" Longines attempted to examine the other man's downcast face. "Do you _really_ have those kinds of feelings for me?"

" _Mon Dieu!"_ Armstrong wailed, his chin wobbling. "Longines, _how_ can you be ask me such a question?! Did you not _hear_ me propose to you?"

"Um, even _I_ heard him, pal!" Gumshoe offered helpfully, never one to grasp the concept of a rhetorical question. "And I was all the way at the _back,_ trying to restrain _Madam Flight Risk_ here!"

To emphasize his point, he waved the handcuffed Mildred's hand in the air, but once again, underestimated his own strength, as he unwittingly jerked the spindly old crone off her feet and nearly yanked her skeletal shoulder from its socket, not even realizing what he'd done until he heard her yelp of pain.

" _Gah_! _Why me? Why me? Why me? Why..._?!" The Dragon Lady grimaced at the big man as he hurriedly set her back down with a plunk and rubbed her sore arm. " _Why_ have I been left in the custody of a _really big, stupid, shaved ape?!"_

" _Oops_! I don't know why I keep forgetting that you're _attached_ to me!" Gumshoe shrugged sheepishly. "But I can't exactly affix the other handcuff bracelet onto one of these chairs, since they're the folding kind which you could easily lift up and slide out of!"

"I have an idea, Chief!" Regina piped up. "It'd be a foolproof solution which ensures your little fugitive doesn't go _anywhere,_ so you can just relax and enjoy the wedding!"

"Go _on_?" Gumshoe was all ears. "I'm listening!"

"All we need is Luke to instruct a _certain party present_ to not let the old battle-axe out of sight!" Max chimed in. "Mildred is _guaranteed_ to remain on her best behavior!"

"It would be my utmost _pleasure_ to assist!" The British lad gave the visibly paling Dragon Lady to his most impudent grin. "Allow me a few moments with the _new chaperone_ to see if he's up for the task!"

A moment later, the animal whisperer had certified that the _new criminal guard_ had been _explicitly instructed_ to be on alert if Yzma's doppelganger so much as _twitched an inch!_ Then, to everyone's merriment, the quaking Mildred Latrine was _securely handcuffed_ to the chain leash of _Regent the Tiger!_

Gumshoe deposited the Dragon Lady to be seated in the front row beside the large cat, who lay sprawled in the aisle next to Max and Regina.

Luke smiled innocently at the village elder.

"I hope you don't make any _sudden movements_ , Madam," the English youth advised with mock sweetness. "Regent hasn't eaten in a few hours, so he gets a trifle _ornery_ when he gets _hungry_."

"I'll sue you for this, you bratty little crumpet!" Mildred shrieked, waving her bony fist. "You cannot _do_ to this to me!"

Regent sat up and emitted a deafening roar that nearly knocked the old woman off her chair as he bared his large teeth at her.

"On second thought, let's let _bygones be bygones!_ " She said quickly, an anxious smile on her face while attempting to placate the jungle cat. "Nice kitty! You wouldn't want to eat _me_ anyway! I'm like _the Chinese food_ of fresh kill and you'd be hungry less than an hour later! I'm all _bones_ , no _meat_ whatsoever!"

Barely stifling an ungentlemanly snort, Luke flashed a grinning thumbs up at Armstrong and Longines.

"Back to _you_ , gentlemen!"

Longines nodded and turned back to his best man.

"What were you saying before we got interrupted, Jean?"

"I guess this is my _karma_ for interrupting the other two lovebirds earlier!" Armstrong sulked tearily, not even bothering with the phony French accent anymore. "My _own_ proposal, after getting lost in the shuffle to that _romantic usurper_ Larry Butz, has _now_ been _overshadowed_ by the antics of a _wayward_ _wyvern_ , and _then_ a _ferocious_ _feline_!"

"Never mind _that_!" Longines exclaimed. " _All_ that's important right now is knowing if you were _serious_ with that marriage proposition?"

"How can you be so _willfully blind_?" Armstrong began to do his torso wiggle in nervous agitation. "Isn't it _obvious_ that I would bend over _backwards for you_?!"

There was a loud male snort from the masses, along with an loud " _phrasing_!" followed by a pained grunt of " _Oof_!" as Gumshoe's wife sharply elbowed her tactless husband in the ribs.

 _Don't be so hard on him, Maggey_! Phoenix bit his lip to swallow back his own derisive laughter. _To be honest, that was a harrowing mental image_ _ **I**_ _could've lived without_ _ **myself**_ ** _!_**

" _Wow_ , Jean! I – I am _speechless_." The former bridegroom was obviously trying to absorb all of this, while attempting to drown out the distractions around him. "I've had several people, including _Maya_ , mention that you've been harboring latent feelings for me over the years, but it's been kinda hard to tell for sure, since you're such an _outré_ and flamboyant sort!"

"What does _that_ have to do with _anything_?!" Armstrong shrieked, while denying nothing.

"You're an _incorrigible flirt_! You hit on _everyone_ , including _Luke_!"

Pearl's boyfriend turned positively _green_ at the reminder while barely suppressing a shudder.

"Not to mention how you've always _proudly_ proclaimed to be _a coquettish girl_ who is fond of all _zee handsome men!_ "

"I only expressed _quaint admiration_ for the _callipygous nature_ of the English Muffin!" The best man's jowls quivered dramatically. "Yet you _still failed to notice_ how _all_ the hired help at my restaurant has been sexy, blue-eyed, blond hunks, just like _you_?! My preference should have been glaringly _obvious_!"

"Not to _me_!" Longines helplessly turned his palms up in the air. "I've _never_ been the presumptuous sort! I just thought you had a _type_!"

" _You're_ my type!" Armstrong wailed plaintively. "How about the fact that _I kiss you_ every New Year's Eve at midnight?"

"You're _always drunk_ when you do it! I figured it was just your little tradition, _not_ your way of letting your secret desires be known!" Longines protested lamely. "As far as _I_ knew, you were simply being… _French!_ "

"The only thing I want to _French,_ for the rest of my life _,_ is _you_!" Armstrong stamped his foot. "My heart beats for none other than _you_ , Longines! _No one else_! For the love of the saints, do you _not_ remember me singing that emotional karaoke rendition of Whitney Houston's ' _I Will Always Love You'_ at your bachelor party in Vegas?"

"Traditionally, you get drunk and moved to tears by your own performances to _anything_ by Whitney Houston!" Longines reminded him. "Besides, I thought you were singing it to _Porfirio_!"

" _Oh please_!" Porfirio dismissed with a wave of his wrist while letting out a haughty sniff. "Longines, I prefer _bears_ of the _genuine_ , non _faux Frenchman_ variety, _merci beaucoup_!"

The designer treated Armstrong to a catty sneer as he wriggled his forefinger at the best man.

"Besides, I am already spoken for! _Mon nouveau beau_ , Gaston, is not only _the jealous type_ who doesn't like to share, but he's given me some pretty bad reviews about _vouz_ _a la_ _boudoir_ , Jean! No offense of course, _mon cher ami!_ "

" _Humph_! Brace yourself, bitch! Gaston is _the biggest tramp_ since Chaplin!" Armstrong warned. "He is not only an _over-hyped,_ _**and**_ _oversized_ chef … he is also both a heart-breaker _and_ a liar!"

" _Don't go there!"_ The designer contemptuously turned his nose up in the air. "Although Gaston is terribly butch – I think he gets it from his mother – he remains a man of _very_ refined taste! He basically prefers men with _style_ , which is like _the clap!_ You've either got it or you haven't. And _I've_ got it! _The end_!"

"Suit yourself! I no longer care about _zat salope_ anyway!" Armstrong eyeballed the billionaire yearningly. "It no longer matters what _connerie_ my grossly _petit_ _dans le pantalon_ ex-beau says about me! Longines Diandre Crispin Beaugosse the Third, _you_ are the only man I've ever loved or ever _will_ love! Look deep in your heart, _mon beau amour_ , and you'll realize that _you_ love _me_ too!"

The man in pink grasped the startled blond man by the shoulders and looked him right in the eye as his tone grew bolder.

"They say _if you want to know if he loves you so, it's in his kiss!_ Well I'm _sober_ this time…so _take that_!"

 _Seriously_? Phoenix face palmed at the exact same time as Edgeworth, who was seated beside him. _Is_ _ **everyone**_ _here going to bust out the best of Ace Attorney, courtroom styles?!_

"Is _nothing_ sacred anymore, Wright?!" The prosecutor grumbled in his best friend's ear. "Mark my words, if someone dares to bellow _Eureka_ next, I'm _exiting the premises,_ post haste!"

Before the ex-defense attorney could reply, Jean Armstrong grabbed the stunned Longines Beaugosse by the lapels and kissed him fully on the mouth as everyone in the crowd just gaped in flabbergasted wonder.

Longines had recovered from his shock long enough to not only _return_ the kiss, but make _no move whatsoever_ to escape the other man's clutches. It was quite evident, at last, exactly _which way_ Maya's former betrothed swung by way of sexual preference!

"Well! This is… _unexpectedly moving_ ," Maggey murmured in Gumshoe's ear, at a loss for words. "It takes a lot of guts to do what Armstrong just did!"

Longines had now bent the best man backward ever so slightly, while Armstrong enthusiastically wrapped his arms around the taller groom's neck and lifted his leg in the air behind him in the classic feminine pose while the two remained fused in lip lock.

"Um, are they going to take a lull and _breathe_ anytime soon?" The Chief pondered after a few more discomfiting moments had passed. "I mean, they're _really_ going at it up there – longer than Larris, _and_ Phaya _combined_!"

"Good grief!" Phoenix hissed in Edgeworth's ear, half in distaste, and half in awe. "I can't believe these two are _still_ in a clinch! I haven't seen this sort of _face-eating_ since _Silence of the Lambs_!"

"Easy there, fellas! Unless you're _both_ professional scuba divers, please come up for _air_ sometime!" Reverend Paesano had the misfortune of having _up close observation_ to this now _beyond awkward_ spectacle. "Otherwise, I'm going to be performing not only a _wedding_ today … but a _double funeral_! And _that_ costs _extra_!"

Longines finally set the wobbly-kneed Armstrong back on his feet and drew back, a huge smile on his handsome face.

"Jean Armstrong, I've been hiding how I feel all this time, due to my steadfast policy to _never_ dip my pen in the company ink," he chuckled. "Therefore, the very first thing I'd like to do is _sack_ you."

"Oh _come_ _on_ , guys! In front of _all these people_?" Larry interjected in horror. "Like the good vicar said to me and Iris, _save something for the honeymoon_! You can't do _that_ kinda stuff _in public_! Besides, there are _children_ here!"

"Larry, _please_ shut-up, you're embarrassing yourself!" Phoenix pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "That's _not_ what he meant!"

" _Sacking_ someone means _firing_ them, you fool!" Edgeworth added, frowning at his artist friend. "Something you would think a man who's had _more jobs_ than _girlfriends_ would be _all too familiar with_ by now!"

" _Whoops_! Um, carry on guys!"

"So now that you've _fired_ me, Mr. Big Boss Man," Armstrong purred, as though nobody had spoken. "What does that mean for _us_?"

"It means there's no longer a conflict of interest if I want to run off on a romantic, week-long expedition to Curaçao with my former subordinate!" Longines shot him to a lascivious leer. "While it's not our place to get married today, _mon amour_ , there's no saying we can't enjoy our _honeymoon_ first!"

" _Oh la la_! Nothing's gonna stop us now!" Armstrong tittered girlishly while putting a finger to his chin and raising his leg in the air behind him again. He leaned in for another kiss. "I _love_ the way you think, you _naughty_ boy!"

Fortunately, for the previously scarred eyes of everybody present, the throng were spared the sight of a secondary _deep-sea diving, tonsil hockey_ session by a sudden rustling from the shrubberies.

"Git yer big ol' Bullwinkle head out of my way there, dang it!" A familiar female twang squawked indignantly. "Yer colossal noggin made me miss the _slurping_ money shot of the billionaire and his _new_ squeeze sucking face!"

Everybody froze as the afro-sporting, She-Devil from the South, Lotta Hart, emerged from the bushes. As was tradition, her ever-present, obscenely long, telescopic photo lens camera was strapped around her neck. All parties were so astounded by the nosy shutterbug's impromptu appearance, they didn't even notice that Jesse had discreetly commenced filming again – although _this_ time, he wisely _wasn't_ narrating as he did so!

" _Lotta Hart!_ " Edgeworth shot out of his seat and frowned at the wannabe journalist. " _What_ in the world are _you_ doing here?! You _do_ realize this is _private_ property?"

"I do declare, them be mighty good questions!" The frizzy haired woman attempted a charming grin. "Although _I_ reckon I oughta be asking _you_ what kind of fancy celebrity soirée takes place without a _photographer_ present?"

"A _private_ affair which was _not open_ to the _general public!_ How did you even find out about this event, Lotta?" Phoenix wanted to know.

"I have my sources!" Lotta scratched her head. "Who shall remain nameless!"

Jesse coughed, and all gazes swung over to the red-faced videographer.

"Er, Lotta has always been my role model," the young man mumbled, casting an embarrassed glance at the unwanted paparazzi. "I've always admired her perseverance and nose for the news, so when I got this gig, I _may_ have mentioned to her that I'd scored my big break into video journalism…"

" _Lotta_ is your idol?!" The spiky-haired man eyed Jesse in disbelief. "Are you _kidding me_?!"

" _Dude_! You _really_ need to get out more!" Larry groaned. "This woman is nothing but trouble!"

" _Blimey_!" Luke eyed Jesse accusingly. "Are _you_ theone who leaked the news about Maya's wedding to the celebrity shows and caused that noisy _Entertainment Tonight_ helicopter to be hovering overhead earlier?!"

"No way, man!" The camera man shook his head vehemently. "I just mentioned it to Lotta because she tempted me with the offer of sharing everything she knows about the industry if I told her what my assignment was today! _I_ wouldn't even know how to get in touch with those TV people!"

Everyone's heads swiveled in the direction of Mildred.

" _What_?!" The Dragon Lady jutted her chin defiantly. "It was great exposure for Kurain _and_ Beaugosse Enterprises!"

"Jeez, is _privacy_ a dirty word around here?! You've got your _nerve_ , Mildew!" Larry subjected her to a filthy look. " _Some_ people need a kiss on the neck! _From a crocodile!"_

"For the record, those entertainment stations pay _really good money_ for those kind of _tips_!" Mildred retorted defiantly. "I was going to _most_ of use it to benefit the village!"

Regent sat up and licked his chops at her lofty tone, and the harridan, remembering she was tethered to a _man-eating beast_ , shrank meekly back against her seat.

"Er, perhaps in hindsight, it wasn't the best idea after all?"

" _Unbelievable_!" Phoenix muttered disgustedly. "And here _I've_ spent the last seven years, _like a mole,_ trying to _dodge_ the media…"

"While _granny_ there is _proof_ that _dinosaurs once roamed the earth_ , yawl should know, in the news racket, the _right_ scoop can make you richer'n Croesus!" Lotta divulged. "Usually I'm busier than a cat covering crap on a marble floor when hankerin' for scoops, and even willing to spend $50-$100 for a hot tip like this! However, this young fella here was happier than ol' Blue layin' on the porch chewin' on a big ol' catfish head to spill to me! All he asked for in exchange was some cheap Mexican takeout from Taco Bell!"

" _Taco Bell_?!" Phoenix and Edgeworth shouted in disbelieving unison as they gawked at the camera man.

"Sorry! I'm a struggling videographer!" Jesse shrugged helplessly as both best friends continued to stare at him dubiously. "I'm so _poor_ , I can't afford to _pay attention_! Ergo, will _blab_ for _food_! Besides, with Larry and Iris getting married, don't you think they'd _want_ to have both video _and_ photo footage?!"

"Well, I'm fixin' to fetch some good shots now that I'm _finally_ up here alongside you folks!" Lotta made a face at Gumshoe, who just scowled right back. "I didn't manage to get many memento pictures of them two fruitcakes expressing their love, what with that _moose-size_ police Chief blocking all my good shots!"

"Lotta Hart, I see you're as _unscrupulous_ as ever, and even worse, are taking in unsuspecting protégés to follow you on your intrusive, meddlesome path! First Nicole Swift, now _this_ gullible gamin to boot! But it's just as well you didn't get any photos worth publishing!" Edgeworth informed her darkly. "While _Jesse_ is here on hired business, _you_ are _trespassing_ on Maya Fey's _private property_! This means any photos you _would've_ taken and tried to get published would be grounds for an _immediate_ lawsuit!"

The magenta clad man's voice turned ominous, and Lotta shrank back at his glower.

"Just so you know, Miss Fabricating Witness of the Yesteryear, I _personally_ would take great delight in suing the pants off _both_ you _menaces to society_ , to the point where you would _never_ be able to afford a new camera _ever_ again and _Taco Hell_ would be considered _extravagant fine dining_ by your newfound pauper standards!"

The prosecutor then directed himself at Jesse, and arched an unamused brow as he realized the camera man was _still_ filming. The videographer hastily turned off the camcorder and flashed the prosecutor a sickly grin as the unyielding steel eyes zeroed in on him.

"Young man, I can only blame you so much for your choice in heroes, but you shan't be exempt from litigation if you do not heed my words! Everything I said to your mentor still goes _double_ for _you_ in case you were contemplating selling any of this video footage to _TMZ_ or whatever tawdry news station you were thinking of! By the time I'd be through with _you_ , you'd need to go back to busing _and_ waiting tables, along with _singing mariachi songs for your supper_ , for the rest of your life!"

" _Relax_ Mr. Scary Lawyer!" Lotta whined. "I _told_ you I wasn't able to shoot anything! Nevertheless, if so desired, I'm here for the takin' if anyone wants me as a shutterbug!"

She then assumed her most congenial tone and beamed winsomely at Longines and Armstrong.

"Congratulations on making the Dutch Caribbean island your vacation spot of choice! Yawl two can tie the knot down there, _no problem_! Them folks are pretty open-minded and sweet to the prancing, _light in the loafer_ s sorts like _yew_! Also, I hear it's hotter'n a goat's butt in a pepper patch there – yawl can have a romantic wedding on the beach wearing _nothing but your Speedos_ if that's your bag! Or even _nothing at all_!"

" _That_ was a mental image I could've lived just fine without, thank you!" Larry muttered under his breath, and this time neither Phoenix nor Edgeworth bothered to shush him, since _they_ both shared _the exact same thought_!

"Hey, there is no need to get hitched in another country!" Reverend Paesano offered enthusiastically. "Same-sex marriage is legal here in the United States and I am a _modern_ man of the cloth! I'm sure this prosecutor could easily get a marriage license by tomorrow morning for you tow as well if you wanted me to perform the ceremony! I would make it a _two-for-one_ special!"

"That would be _fabulous_!" Armstrong squealed jubilantly, already in fully enthused, torso wriggling mode. "After all, we're already dressed for the occasion, lover! _Allons-y!"_

In stark contrast to the pink tuxedoed man's elation, Longines, however, looked outright _anguished_. His partner finally ceased doing his disturbing solo jiggle once he realized _he_ was the only one happily shaking his groove thang!

" _Mon petit chou-fleur?"_ Armstrong placed a hand on the billionaire's shoulder. "Whatever is the matter?"

"I can't marry you today, Jean," Longines replied miserably. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? _Pourquoi_?" The mustached man's smile faded as he studied his lover with concern. "I understand we don't have the marriage license right now, but surely that _beau homme en rose_ can acquire it for us as readily as he can for his friends…"

"You don't _understand_!" The distraught blond man cried. "I meant that I can't marry you… _at all!"_

" _What_?! How can you say such a thing?" Armstrong's face fell. "Say it ain't so! Do you not love me?"

"Of _course_ I do!" Longines's azure eyes were filled with pain. "You _know_ I do! However, it's _one_ thing for me to _publicly_ come out and admit I'm in love with _another man_! But for me to then _marry_ a same-sex partner – _knowing_ I refused to follow my father's _last wishes_ – is _quite another_! To do so, all the while being aware of how much Jemarkus Pepper Estaban Beaugosse disapproved _of our kind of people_ on top of that – I may as well be _spitting on his grave_!"

"But _Longines_!" Armstrong's face crumpled. "I've always _dreamed_ of you _legally being my man_ and _branding each other's man hand_ so we could show the world that _I'm yours_ , and _you're mine_!"

Edgeworth had been grimacing at the former best man throughout this latest exchange, as it was the _second_ time the phony Frenchman had referred to him as _the handsome man_ … _**in pink**_ _!_ Intending to utilize the same withering tone with the Armstrong that he did whenever _Phoenix_ made the same inaccurate proclamation about the prosecutor's suit color, his customary exasperated proclamation of, _"it's not pink! It's magenta_!" had _just_ been on the tip of his tongue.

However, the blond's dismal explanation about why he could not make an honest man out of the pink puff, immediately following the color misnomer, had halted the lawyer dead in his tracks.

"Do you mean to say that your late father was _Jemarkus_ Beaugosse?" The attorney asked abruptly, his mind going into overdrive as to why that name seemed so strangely familiar. "Owner of North Star Telecom Corporations?"

"Yes, along with several businesses. Father was quite the tycoon," Longines answered gloomily. "He loaned me the initial start-up money for _You Blo Me_. He was also the former Governor of Utah, where I was raised. I gather you've heard of him, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Not only have I _heard_ of the man, I _met_ him on many occasions! Manfred Von Karma, the man who raised me, owned shares in your father's telecom company, and took me to a few Beaugosse stockholder meetings during my teenage years," Edgeworth told the billionaire. "Later, when I became a High Prosecutor, and Mr. Beaugosse was still actively in politics, there were several soirées at the California Governor's Mansion, where he'd be in attendance. He was famous for both his social graces and indelible charisma."

"He was also an _über_ conservative and the most _homophobic_ man I've ever known!" Longines's tone was bitter.

" _Conservative_? _Really_?" Lotta snorted. "But didn't he die _choking to death on a sequined pastie_ he had _orally removed_ from an _exotic dancer_?!"

Edgeworth ignored this and peered intently into Longines's face as he drove his next words home.

"Is that so? That's quite contradictory to the Jemarkus Beaugosse who was not only a renowned philanthropist, but an avid great _supporter_ of gay rights, and an annual San Francisco Gay Pride Parade _attendee_!"

" _No_! That _can't_ be true!" Longines's jaw hit the floor. "You _must_ be mistaken!"

"Your father was a most unforgettable character, so I assure you, this is no fallacy my behalf! Ergo, I'm most curious about how you'd ever gotten the impression he would've been disapproving of your sexuality, or wished you to embark on a path so vastly opposite of your lifestyle choice, Mr. Beaugosse?"

"Because father told me _himself_ that he wanted me to get married and produce an heir when he was channeled for me!" Longines blurted out tearfully. "These were his very last wishes for his only son and it's breaking my heart that I can't fulfill them! I must be _such_ a disappointment – he must be spinning in his grave at how I turned out!"

" _Jemarkus Beaugosse_ you say?" Matilda spoke up, furrowing her brow as she searched the recesses of her memory. "Mr. Beaugosse, as secondary lead of the Elder Council of Kurain, I have been privy to our extensive history of channelings, and that name does _not_ ring a bell whatsoever! Believe you me, I have the memory of an elephant! In fact, I am _positive_ that even if I were to _double check_ the books, there would be no record of our village _ever_ doing the channeling for anybody by that name."

"Something isn't right then!" Longines insisted. "Mildred _told_ me about my family's history with Kurain! About how when my mother unexpectedly died in a yoga levitating accident, my father came to seek closure with her via spirit channeling with one of your mediums! And how as a way to express his gratitude for your help, he became a generous benefactor to Kurain, which is why that only partially completed statue of him was being built at the time, when I came here for his channeling a year ago…"

" _Statue? Benefactor_?" The gobsmacked Matilda echoed, then narrowed her eyes at the tiger-bonded Mildred, who looked as though she wished she could disappear. "This is an _outrage_! Mildred Latrine, I've been in _**forests**_ _less shady than you_!"

"What is it?" Longines asked uneasily, as the normally serene Matilda now looked downright _murderous_. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry to say, Mr. Beaugosse, that the only flourishing my village has historically had has been due to the generosity of the Fey family, and spirit channeling sessions, which have greatly increased since Mystic Maya has become head of Kurain!"

Matilda took a deep, calming breath to steady her nerves, then cast him a sympathetic gaze.

"We have _never_ had any third-party benefactors, and the only _statue_ that has ever existed in Kurain was _the atrocious one_ Mystic Mildew attempted to _make of herself_ in her attempts to usurp the Master's position when our village leader was briefly hospitalized six years ago! It is with deepest regret to inform you that you have been _incongruously_ _duped_ by a schemer whose only _Mastery_ is in _manipulation_ , of the most _sordid_ kind!"

"I – I can't _believe_ this!" Longines was trembling from head to toe. "But I _heard_ my father's voice when Mildred channeled him! Mind you, he sounded like he had _a really bad cold_ at the time…"

" _Mildred_?" Sister Bikini let out one of her customary booming laughs, but this one lacked mirth entirely. " _Inconceivable_ , Mr. Beaugosse! That woman suffers the same fate as her former fallen idol Morgan Fey! She has _zero_ spiritual powers whatsoever, and is _completely unable to channel_!"

"It's _official_! Those who can't _do..._ _bitch_!" Larry's eyes were blazing as he directed them at the now cowering old hag. "After all the times you raked my poor Iris over the coals for _her_ supposed lack of spiritual powers, it turns out that _you_ have _none_ – so you _faked it_ with this poor guy?! I can't freakin' _believe_ you, Mildew! Is your conscience broken?! If _Jiminy Cricket_ were here, he'd _puke in his hat_!"

"Hmmm, thus far, we have plausible charges of _embezzlement, theft_ , and now _confirmed_ _fraud_ to lay against you, madam," Edgeworth remarked idly, a steely glint in his eye as he cocked a brow at Mildred. "The staggering evidence against you just keeps _mounting_ , doesn't it?"

"Diabolical fiends like Mystic Mildred, Mystic Morgan, and her other satanic offspring, Dahlia Hawthorne all have _one_ _other_ trait in common, besides being the putrid embodiment of _pure evil!"_ Matilda added with relish as she noted Mildred's mug had turned puce at having her worst secret exposed. "Since they need to always be in control of every situation, which they seek to twist and manipulate to their own ends, they refuse to relinquish any control of their minds or blackened souls, which would free their bodies for the spirit to take over!"

"That's right!" Longines recalled suddenly, putting a thoughtful hand to his head. "Now that you mention it, I don't recollect Mildred's body transforming form at all, in the way Sister Bikini's and Iris's did when they were channeling earlier! The only thing that changed was that Mildred's voice just suddenly got a whole lot deeper while she was _supposedly_ informing me of Father's last wishes!"

"Mr. Beaugosse, could you please show me a picture of your father?" Matilda requested, a determined look on her face as she reached for Longines's phone, where he'd pulled up the patriarch's photo as requested. "I'm sure we can clear up this mystifying matter right here and now! Sister Bikini, would you mind doing the honors and be up for one last round of channeling?"

"Sure! My body's still warmed up from earlier!" The tiny nun laughed. "Now that I have the _name_ of the spirit I'll be resurrecting, all I need now is to see the photographed face of the late, great Jemarkus Beaugosse!"

"Normally _I_ would _welcome_ being the one to bring the proof of my adversary's duplicity to light!"

Matilda flashed a goading smile at her rapidly blanching nemesis, who looked ready to vomit at any minute.

"But that would mean I'd be missing out on seeing the downfall of my bitter rival _firsthand_! Mr. Ventura, please resume your filming! I'm sure Larry and Iris would _love_ to have this all commemorated for their own private viewing pleasure to go along with the rest of their wedding video!"

"You bet your ass we would!" Larry rubbed his hands together gleefully and shot Mildred a devilish grin. "We'll make sure to _pause_ on all the _good_ parts, too!"

" _Curse you,_ Matilda!" Mildred screeched, then clapped her arms protectively over her head as her outburst sparked another blaring roar from Regent.

"Best footage _ever_!" Jesse crowed, already in his element as he captured every moment.

Sister Bikini's body shimmered slightly, and then her form slowly transformed into the muscled frame of the departed Jemarkus Pepper Estaban Beaugosse, down to the immaculately groomed, wavy brown hair and presently bewildered golden orbs.

" _Father_!" Longines cried softly, his eyes filling with tears. "I can't believe you're here!"

" _Son_?" The older man blinked in confusion as he took in his surroundings. "Is that _you_? Where am I?"

"Forgive us for disrupting your eternal slumber. You're being channeled by a spirit medium, Mr. Beaugosse, and we don't have much time," Matilda elaborated quickly. "Your poor son was about to make a drastic, life-altering mistake because he thought they were _your_ final wishes for him. We'd hoped to give the two of you some closure at last." She nodded at the billionaire. "Go ahead, Longines."

"Father there is something I need to tell you, which I have been hiding for far too long. Something I know you won't approve of – but I cannot go on living a lie any longer." Longines swallowed painfully. "I wanted you to know … that while I've identified as bisexual for sometime now … I've finally made my final preference. I – I'm _gay_."

"And I had sex with your mother," Jemarkus deadpanned. "Was there anything _else_?"

"I beg your pardon _?!"_ The stupefied hair heir gasped. "Didn't you _hear_ me? I mean, I like _men_!"

"Sorry, I thought we'd switched to just saying things that were _stupidly obvious_." The former Utah governor let out a jovial laugh. "Son, did you expect this to be a _newsflash_ for me? I've known you were gay ever since you were three years old! You'd pick wildflowers and put them in your mother's hair – as well as your _own_! Not to mention how you got kicked out of _boy scouts_ for giving all the other kids haircuts!"

"I –I just can't believe you're taking this all _in stride_!" Longines spluttered. "I mean, I thought you hated the gays!"

"Where would you get such a crazy idea?" Jemarkus demanded. "If you hadn't severed all contact from me right after you launched your salons, you'd have known I was an avid supporter of gay rights! I even went to that San Francisco gay pride parade every year, hoping to somehow bump into you, but to no avail!"

"I – I distanced myself because I thought you would be ashamed to know your only son wasn't the strapping ladies' man his father was!" Longines confessed sorrowfully. "Right after I'd opened up my first salon, I remember I was 20, and it was the summer of 2015. The gay pride parade was on TV! And your exact words were _: "turn that off, boy! Nobody wants to see that shit! It just ain't right!"_

"You poor, misled, _foolish_ boy!" Jemarkus said gruffly, before reaching out and pulling his son into tight hug. "When I was alive, there were only _three_ things I judged you for: not signaling while driving, how you treated wait staff at restaurants, and the way you placed the total paper roll – it's _over_ , not _under_ , dammit!"

"B - But then why did you…"

"I swear to you son, three things I _never_ judged anybody for: _sexuality, religion or race_ ," the elder Beaugosse assured his son. "I didn't mean that you should turn off the TV because those _gays_ were on! It's because so many of them were prancing around _naked_ and practically _fornicating_ in public! Having pride doesn't mean they still can't have some _decency_! They should hide their swinging, dangly bits behind closed doors!"

Tears of relief flooded Longines's eyes, as if to wash away the past decade of resentment, hurt and misery.

"I would have said the _exact same thing_ even if it were naked _women_ doing their _Eve_ in the _Garden of Eden_ impersonation! Utah was a very conservative and biblical state at the time, Longines, so your old man was a bit old-school with his beliefs! In _my_ day, sex wasn't supposed to be a broadcast spectacle for _either_ gender! It's supposed to be a private matter between _you_ , and _whoever you're_ _ **doing it to**_!"

The blond let out a slight titter upon hearing this, and the older man smiled at him benevolently.

"Longines, I kept tabs on all your admirable charitable and humanitarian endeavors over the years. You took my small business loan and amassed an even wealthier empire than even my own! You're not only kind-hearted, but a brilliant businessman, and on top of that, I can see you still have your mother's beautiful face. What man _wouldn't_ be proud to call you his son? You have my blessing to be _whatever_ you want to be, and _love_ _whomever_ _you wish_. I'm only sorry that you thought differently, even for a moment."

"That means so much to me, Father," Longines choked. "I love you."

"I love you too, son. And I'm very proud of you." Jemarkus patted his son's hand. "That being said, I wouldn't be entirely _against_ you siring a Beaugosse heir, even it's by more _unconventional_ means - some sort of _scientific test tube baby_ , or other!"

This time both Longines and Armstrong sniggered, and Jemarkus winked at the man in pink.

"Promise you'll take good care of my boy?"

The cream puff nodded. "You have my word."

"Then that's all a man could ever want for his offspring! So long, son! See you on the other side!" Jemarkus was smiling broadly as his form slowly faded away, leaving the exhausted-looking Sister Bikini once again seated in his place.

"And there you have it!" Matilda beamed at Longines. "I hope this cleared the air for you at last!"

"That was _incredible_!" Lotta crowed. "I er, took the liberty of taking some great photos of the whole event too, even though nobody asked me to! In case, you know, yawl wanted some stills to go with the video stuff!"

"And _I_ captured _every minute_ of it!" Jesse confirmed.

"Thank you, everyone." Longines wiped his watery eyes. "I needed that closure so badly! Sister Bikini, with all my heart, I have no idea how to thank you for the priceless gift you just gave me."

Suddenly, a sunny smile lit up his face.

"Actually, _yes_ I do! I want to make sure your wonderful daughter and future son-in-law have the best that money can buy on their special day! Larry, take these."

Longines took the wedding bands from Armstrong's breast pocket, where they had been held once Gordy had delivered them on the pillow, and handed them to the awestruck artist.

"I'm not sure if they'll fit, but you two can surely make better use of them than I can now! Also, I want you and Iris to take over our reception at the Regent Beverly Wilshire this evening."

He turned to the congregation, a mixture of his own friends and associates as well as Maya's, and treated them to a megawatt smile.

"After all, _a party's a party_ , right folks? And there's _still_ a marriage that's being celebrated, as well as another true love that has been found!"

The mogul winked at Armstrong, who batted his eyelashes in return as he giggled coquettishly.

"I have no words for all that you've given us today, Longines," Larry said humbly. "This is so generous. Thank you so much!"

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth  
_** _Kurain Village, Courtyard  
_ June 16, 2026 _,_ 5:30 PM

"All's well and end's well, it seems!" Phoenix announced cheerfully. "Everyone wound up where they belonged in the end! I ended up with Maya, Longines ended up with Armstrong, Larry ended up with Iris, and _The Dragon Lady_ , once Edgeworth gets through with her…" he pointed at Mildred. " _Will end up behind bars_ where she belongs!"

"Truer words have never been spoken, Wright." Edgeworth subjected the mopish Mildred to his trademark glare. "As it stands right now, Chief Gumshoe and I have _more_ than enough reasonable cause to detain you in custody for at least 24 hours for questioning, Madam. And don't think, _even for a moment_ , that you shall be released on some sort of technicality! I want you to know that I will make it _my personal mission_ to ensure you spend the rest of your miserable life in prison!"

"Aren't you supposed to be some sort of big important High Prosecutor?!" Mildred snapped. "Don't you and _that big, clumsy oaf_ have better things to do than chase your tail around and try to put helpless little old ladies in prison?"

 _Helpless?! Ha! She's about as helpless a cobra caught by the tail!_ Phoenix thought with wry amusement.

"Said _oafish_ Police Chief _may_ have other matters to give priority to, indeed." Edgeworth smiled smugly. "But for the record, _I_ showed up for work _three months ahead of schedule,_ and for another month, have _zero_ cases on file! Therefore I have _absolutely nothing better to do_! Bonus, I thoroughly _enjoy_ paperwork; _almost_ as much as I enjoy telling you that, in spite of not having his badge right now, I _also_ have a most excellent investigative partner to help me further dig into the matter. What do you say, Wright?"

"That _disgraced hooligan_ is going to help you bring me down?" Mildew scoffed, unable to resist getting in one final dig. " _Spare me!_ I hope you realize, Mr. Wright, that even though you're back with Mystic Maya, absolutely _nothing_ has changed! She is _still_ a prestigious Master, and _you_ are _still_ a socially outcast pariah who is _far_ beneath a woman of her stature! If she wasn't so lust fueled, she'd _remain_ _abstained_ from being publicly associated with a man whose _name is mud_!"

Phoenix flinched inwardly at the harsh veracity behind the viper's well-placed barb, but his poker face was completely intact as he arched an eyebrow at the prosecutor.

"Well, being the _degenerate_ , _meretricious bum_ that I am, I've been making a living as a lowlife card shark _who only works nights_ since becoming the forgin' attorney," he drawled, a shit-eating grin fixed on his face which he directed right at the fuming Mildred. "Which means that my _days are completely free_! For once, I take great _pride_ in the fact that _I have no life_! My friend, _nothing_ would give _me greater pleasure_ than to help you get the evidence you need to lock up this fire-breathing wyvern... and _throw away the key_!"

"Excellent! It'll be quite a pip, being investigative partners again!" Edgeworth let out a satisfied chuckle, then graciously inclined his head at Luke. "I must commend _you_ as well, for your own sleuthing in this matter, Mr. Triton."

"Thank you! I _did_ learn from the most brilliant archaeologist in the business, Sir!" Luke replied proudly. "Also, it was my Pearl who astutely reminded me not to let that _jade_ out of my sight!"

" _You bratty, snot-nosed crumpet_!" Mildred screamed hatefully at the puffed-up British lad. "I should have _known_ it was _your pesky little girlfriend_ who put you up to snooping around in my room, instead of minding your own bloody business! You _both_ did this to me! I had everything figured out to a T! I had it all planned out so perfectly! And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!"

"You're quite welcome, Dragon Lady! It was all in a day's work!" Luke gave the _mother_ of all cheeky grins to the _scary beyond all reason_ harridan, who was once again quavering at the roaring jaws of Regent due to her explosive tantrum. " _Layton's apprentice strikes again_!"

 ** _Jefferson Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now_**

 _A/N: Romantic Larris nuptials and an unforgettable, event-filled wedding reception are coming up next week folks!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 156**

 _I seriously have the best readers in the entire Ace Attorney fandom! Not only do they love bromances, fluff and a good old-fashioned romance, but they get a kick out of boot to the crotch...And simian flatus! I was howling as I was reading the reviews for last **gas** of chapter... Probably not a good idea for a woman suffering from bronchitis, but it was worth it, as laughter truly is the best medicine!_

 **Guest (aka Lovely Bride) *Review of the Week***

It is always such a pleasure hear from you and know you're still reading! Also, I have been known to unintentionally leave errors in my work even after meticulous editing so I would be the last person in the world to judge one of my favorite readers for something of the sort in their ever uplifting reviews!

Armstrong is a hilarious and campy character to work with! I had to throw in his ridiculous objections so the readers wouldn't forget amidst all the Larry and Iris romance that there was a second proposal to take heed to which was addressed at last in this chapter!

I have tried my very best to keep Iris in character yet still make her interesting (not easy to do lemme tell you!) since Capcom was content to portray her as a pretty but bland Mary Sue character! That being said her canon and kind heartedness and forgiving nature was what I figured would make her be forgiving of her future groom's not so perfect past! If she could feel pity for her psychotic twin sister surely she could not hold Larry's womanizing past against him!

I am so happy you liked the romantic dialogue between this adorable and underrated couple and would have deemed it to be worthy for your own real-life nuptials! Mind = blown to this day that you found my one Fredgeworth chapter to be worthy for your actual vows. I wish you a very Happy New Year and hope with all my heart married life is treating you well!

Miles and Phoenix are an unstoppable duo when paired together even if Nick doesn't have his badge right now... it was a blast to write their exhilarating tag teaming against the Diabolical Dragon Lady and I hope you enjoyed it as she finally will be getting what's coming to her!

This was a much more light-hearted chapter than the previous one I hope you enjoyed it as it is admittedly difficult to top monkey farts! XD

 **Feraligreater328**

I did read your adorable Steven Universe fanfic and greatly appreciated my shout out even though I'm very unfamiliar with the fandom! I hope your better half enjoys her shout-out in the upcoming couple chapters!

I know how much you like Iris and I still remember you asking me many chapters ago to give her a deserved happy ending... and while I know you like her with Phoenix, ( I can't really blame you there that hunk just have chemistry with everybody which is why fans can't seem to agree on who he should be with!) I hope you can still find love for Larris as I gave the kind shrine maiden happily ever after with her clownish night in paint speckled armor!

I bring this second chapter to you at the tail end of the week, delayed, given my bronchitis, but I try very hard to keep my word to loyal readers like yourself and I hope you enjoyed the second installment of this " _jackpot" 2 chapter week!_

 **Yanmegaman**

As one of my other delightful readers pointed out, Edgey is extra edgy right now and really needs his Franny back... although his inner cinnamon roll made him make peace with Larry and even make a grand gesture to atone for being so hard on the poor guy previously, I can't even imagine what it must be like bringing your best friend to a wedding that he's supposed to _crash_... and then _still_ having to endure the bittersweet experience of witnessing _another_ one!

Also, pity Miles and the entire congregation having to witness the secondary, sloppy smoochie Love Fest between Armstrong and Longines to boot! Poor Jesse was just caught in the crossfire of all that ire, while being subjected to that famous scathing Miles Edgeworth ire... although surely the kid idolizing the irksome Lotta Hart didn't win him too many favors with Phoenix either!

Larris could have been canon...if Larry was a better letter writer! I cannot reiterate how hard it was to make Iris a more multi-dimensional character while attempting to keep her in canon! It's been right up there with making Franny likeable! XD

As you pointed out, Iris was the sole woman who did not outright turn Larry down! I think she was just stunned by his unexpected ardor as up until then the only other man that loved her kept calling her by her sister's name, and the proclamation of his devotion was a love letter that sounded more like blackmail! The artist should have taken notes from his best friend...Go to Phoenix for love letter 101, am I Wright?

I'm glad you enjoyed the monkey flatulence although I throw the line at poo flinging... I decided the threat of Regent the Tiger picking his teeth what the Bony Elder and all , the shade being thrown at her would be funny enough! I hope you agree!

 **Ryszard**

 _Ich weiß immer, dass du es bist!_ Let's just say you have a very trademarked flare for speaking which is unlike any other reader I have encountered so far! ;)

Beh'leeb Inmee when I tell you that this many chapters in, if I still have my readers wondering what's happening I am a happy camper because it means I still haven't gotten too predictable as long as my confusing doesn't leave you wondering what's going on after the fact!

Udgey is definitely an unforgettable character (although obviously more lenient than his Canadian brother since he actually scared to take away Franziska's whip !) and he will have a cameo once more in this story are literally twice more I've not decided if I want to cover the final trial for the creepy German sausage or not (shall I refer to him as creepy German bratwurst and assume he is from Bavaria and that he drives a BMW after all that trivia you gave me? LOL)

I always thought that His Honor's name would be Judge Chambers… Also that men who are bald who were turtlenecks looked like walking sticks of roll-on deodorant, but I digress.

Mildew's punishment will surpass the horrors of the circus animal kingdom (although that was quite fun!) And you will see her a little bit later in the story. I'd say this story is between 65 and 70% done but considering life in between I'm going to guess it will take me six months to a year to get this thing done unless I do a complete Turnabout and managed to get it done sooner but I doubt it!

 **thepudz**

Even Disney duos like Feyt will have the occasional squabbles when well-meaning and normally eloquent British lads trained by the father of all gentlemen will suffer foot-in-mouth syndrome! I hope you enjoy the aftermath coming up from Luke's little blender! I love that kid but I'm definitely going to have some fun with him for this incident! And this time there will be no bitchy phony Frenchman demanding his own spotlight to rescue him! _Bwahahahaha_!

I am almost sad although ecstatic at how much love the unconventional pairing of Larry X Iris has gotten because their storyline is drawing to a rapid close! Remember happy couples are boring, and once they're together their screen time dwindles, and they will be on the everlasting happy couple back burner along with Dick Gumshoe and Maggey Gumshoe! But like Magshoe, Larris will not be gone forever however, and you will definitely see them again at some very special moments upcoming in the story!

All hail Jylan the scene-stealing fart monkey! XD

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Would you believe me if I told you that keeping Phoenix and Maya separate, especially after playing Spirit of Justice, when it's so obvious to my Phaya shipping eyes how in love with her Phoenix is (hello?! Left his daughter and agency for her?!) hurt _me_ as much it hurt my readers? Now that they are back together again, I wouldn't separate these two soulmates for all the tea in China!

Having said that though, Phaya will still be around, as they need to assist someone very dear with a very special task, but will be more in the background now (minimally as cavity inducing snuggle bunnies like they have been these last couple chapters for the resumed Larris arc), amongst other happily ever after couples like Larris and Magshoe, as the story is now shifting towards the Fredgeworth arc again.

Phoenix and Maya's dates and relationships are connected to every single person in this tale, ergo the reunited lovebirds will never be completely "off-screen", since this is essentially _their_ story! :)

 **SkyiesTheLimit**

I am so happy you liked the Fey family hug! I normally have been apologizing to my readers for any tears they have shed reading the story but in this case I know they were happy ones because the story has nowhere to go but up from here for the most part! I do love writing about bonds between the characters beyond just the romantic! Don't you just love happy family reunions to wonderful people who deserve it? As always, thank you so much for reading my dear!

 **napoleon32**

Truly I can tell you that you are most definitely not the only one to see the irony of the former womanizer being the one to get married first item of the childhood trio of friends. Once Miles gets past the stinging of having to witness a wedding in light of the aftermath of what recently happened with Franziska, I'm sure it would have been a slight blow to his pride being so competitive in nature, that the walking disaster that is Larry Butz was the first to be altar bound!

The Dragon Lady is a Master C-blocker – and was the primary reason Maya ended up in the hospital earlier in the story and Phoenix probably had it ingrained in his head that he wasn't good enough for her – look for _that_ angle to come up and be completely abolished pretty soon by the way! ;)

Of course the wretched she-thing was also the reason that Maya almost ended up in a loveless and sexless marriage, so of course she had tried to thwart Larris from coming into fruition all this time and try to drag Larry's past misdeeds into light in order to deflect from her own! She really underestimated how much Iris loved Larry, who is probably the only man to truly love _her_ since Phoenix _never_ said _I love you Iris_ but _I love you Dollie!_ I truly believe the Butz is a good guy was only been looking for love in all the wrong places, and will not be a philandering bastard.

Hurray for bonds! I'm happy you enjoyed the Fey girls reuniting! It's so sad how all Iris felt she had was Bikini, and Pearl and Maya have felt all _they_ had was each other for kin, when there was this lovely kind woman who loved both of them so much she sacrificed her own happiness for them all this time! And now they have a brother-in-law as part of the package! While the Larris arc is winding to a close, they will join the ranks of Magshoe and Feyt in the happy back burner couples pile and we will next see them at some very important milestones in the story!

Luke is 19 years old, and as wise and gentlemanly as he is, he still going to be a bumbling teenage boy at times and this marriage flub seemed to be a great opportunity to prove it! Him and Pearl are meant to be together forever, they have a (four-legged!) son together after all – but he's going to need to be trained in the fine art of _yes dear_ really soon! (and he _will_! Hehe!)

Also look for Jesse to actually make very himself useful, coming _very_ soon!

Armstrong's ridiculous over-the-top antics are permanent but that phony French accent comes and goes at will! While he was almost piteous with his seemingly unrequited love, Longines was never really a bad guy, and I thought he deserved some love after getting left at the altar… _twice_!

Near the end, I decided to make Jean drop _zee_ French entirely because to be honest it's really _a pain in the arse_ to write him this way! My spellcheck doesn't care for _z'is or z'at_! _Pas de tout!_

 _"Mildred's embezzlement scheme has come crashing down on her head and now she has an angry police chief and the former Demon Prosecutor, who she went out of her way to insult, breathing down her neck after a primate expels gas in her face (of course Maya would laugh at that because she is a five year-old like me). I would not want to be in her shoes at the moments, and not just because of the overwhelming stench of foot fungus that permeates from them."_

Again _way_ too funny not to quote directly! LOL

Mildew of fetid foot fungal acclaim (hee!) is really can have the book thrown at her with no remorse the whatsoever what with Phoenix having despised for all this time and now the slighted Gumshoe and Edgeworth joining the ranks of people with the authority to make the rest of her miserable life a living hell!

Believe me, with Lotta Hart being high on Phoenix's list of people he barely tolerates, Jesse idolizing her and being the reason for her existence up in Kurain doesn't rank him too high in Nick's book either anymore and he probably would _not_ have called off the snapping turtle that was Miles Edgeworth if she had surfaced sooner!

Miles is a mess without his soulmate indeed. While he has made amends with both his best friend's for his erratic behavior as of late (minus the formal apology for the most part as this is still The Edgeworth here!) and even made some wonderful atonement with helping Larry and Iris make their marriage legal and getting Phaya back together. What a great guy! Don't worry, Edgy's time _is_ coming soon…(*cough* 2-3 chapters plus we find out one _longtime_ unsolved mystery!) Along with a much needed change of venue and new adventures!

 **CzarThwomp**

 _"Let's all give a round of applause for Jylan, a true hero; the primate who has done what we've all wanted to do for the longest time and fart on Mildew- engulfing her in a stench that is only a mere fraction as foul as her noxious personality!"_

OK that was just too damn funny not to quote directly! As always funny boy, your reviews are real _gas!_

 _"I really enjoyed the chemistry between Iris and Larry. Normally, I don't ship that nun with anyone on account of her personality often coming off as dry as a saltine in the middle of the Sahara Desert; but with how you depict her relationship with Larry, I can picture and support it."_

You are definitely in the league of Yanmegaman for hilarious ways to mention Iris's canon wriggling piece of plywood personality, as I don't think Capcom knows what to do with beautiful vivacious women… It seems the pretty yet placid females are supposed to be considered love interests? Maybe it's a Japanese cultural thing?!

That being said, I've decided I actually don't mind the shrine maiden and she's grown on me while I've been writing her – I just don't want to see her with Phoenix because he belongs with Maya… _the end!_ Larry really did seem to love her in Trials  & Tribulations and it was very disappointing that they never explored that further since she never really did reject him, she was just taken aback by his terrible love letter writing! XD

Larry as a wing man if Phoenix were single now… possibly. Wouldn't _anything_ smell like roses compared to the Butz? :p

Statistically though, if you want to go picking up chicks, you should go with a female friend, because people will assume the two of you are together, and apparently desperate non-self-respecting women tend to flock towards men who are perceived to be taken, as psychologically, it's been proven that they determine if he's good enough for the female at his side, he must be good enough for _them_! Another way to do so is simply wear a wedding ring even if you're not married, a tactic that is so successful that even made a crappy Adam Sandler movie about it a little while back!

I don't know if _I_ still would've picked crybaby college Phoenix over Larry Butz… I'm obsessed with Phoenix Wright, and I still for the life of me can't fathom how any self-respecting woman could've liked him back then when he was more of a woman than I could ever be! As Mia famously said…that "P" doesn't stand for "Phoenix!" XD

 **Joeclone**

I hope by the time you read this chapter will gotten some good rest so that you can enjoy this lighter read hun!

Boo-ya for remaining unpredictable going on two years later! Mystic Ami help me – I've been writing this thing for _two years_ as of May… holy crap I'm a geek! XD

I hope it was a pleasant unexpected surprise with the Larry and Iris surprise wedding!

Also it's official I love anybody who appreciates a good old-fashioned fart gag! I'm glad you like the blast of gas in the Dragon Lady's face!

Jean Armstrong is such a drama queen! Hee! I had to throw in the odd interjection from the cream puff to remind my readers amidst the romance with the shrine maiden and the former Playboy that there was another marriage proposal that had occurred after Nick and Maya reunited!

Poor Jesse! He probably didn't win any brownie points with Phoenix either by making the ever irksome Lotta Hart his mentor! But the camera came in pretty handy in the end since he was able to capture some delicious evidence of Mildew's eventual downfall! Mr. Ventura will be back next chapter as he will be needed to get some really groundbreaking footage captured! ;)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I will never get tired of hearing that this story is the highlight of your week dear friend. I'm doubly delighted to be able to do so twice by giving my readers the second chapter I promised some even though it's at the tail end of said week!

Considering your Mr. Premonition Juice I am not sorry you did not foresee the proposal as you have predicted enough in my story already! LOL

First of all, hurrah for simian farts! I am grinning like an idiot that nobody has accused me of lowbrow humor with the flatus gag and just enjoyed the fact that _life literally stinks_ for a character who has made most of the beloved cast of this story so miserable throughout the story!

Being an incurable romantic I can't help but think that if a man underneath it all is a good person and not a _complete_ slime ball (as I need to believe Larry actually is otherwise the noble Phoenix and Miles probably would have nothing to do with some!) The love of a good woman can make him a man worth loving. Also none of the three stooges would typically be considered ladies' men and have been known to stumble over their speech unless it is in written verse (except for the artist of course his love letters just sound like blackmail!) Or when spoken from the heart, which is what his proposal was. I'm happy you liked it and that I could make Larry Butz be a believable romantic which was a fear I had when I initially decided to pair the clownish character with the soft-spoken shrine maiden!

One of my readers made the great suggestion once that Iris get a spa retreat for going above and beyond to not only save her cousin's life, but pretty much moving the heavens and earth (and probably draining her poor body of any excess energy her husband might command on their wedding night!) in trying to reunite the star-crossed lovers, Phoenix and Maya!

I instead chose to let the beautiful nun get married in a priceless wedding gown and have the honeymoon of her dreams with the love of her life to reward her kindness. Maya and Pearl have always only had each other for the longest time as family, and now that the whole triangle with Iris, Phoenix and Maya has been abolished, I can't think of any reason why they wouldn't adore and fully embrace Iris as their kinswoman! I really did love writing their little mini reunion scene as well, as well as showing that both Maya and Pearl have no problem admitting when they are wrong and humbling themselves accordingly when needed!

I absolutely love every single interaction I've ever seen between Miles and Larry which are too few and far between in the Ace Attorney trilogy but you get to see more of if you ever play or even watch a video play through of the Miles investigation games. Larry is the perfect comical bumbler to Edgeworth's permanent straight man routine, and I'm happy you caught that with the silly hug between them. Edgeworth in the games is way harder on Larry – although justifiably so – than he is on Phoenix, but we all know underneath that stoic exterior the prosecutor has a heart of gold, it takes a lot to rattle him. Hearing his childhood friend propose to his best friend ex-girlfriend out of the seeming blue would definitely do it though!

 _"Too bad Phoenix didn't have his license back already. I'd love the sight of her eating a big pile of crow and ask him to defend her. He wouldn't touch that case with a 39 and 1/2 foot pole."_

You're absolutely right! The Dragon Lady would probably be up there with Matt Engarde and Kristoph Gavin with people that Phoenix would never defend in a million years even if you did have his badge back! Also, I enjoyed that pole line immensely Mr. Grinch! I'm going to have to use it somehow in my story for when it comes to the point of deciding The Dragon Lady's fate!

 _Phoenix and Maya are probably going to get busy reuniting. Larry and Iris get to tie the knot…_

Phoenix and Maya will have absolutely has beautiful private reunion coming up in the next chapter or so, because now that we had a wedding you know what comes next… No not the _honeymoon_ you naughty boy, (hehe that's for Longines and Armstrong!) but the _Larris_ _wedding reception_ – keep an open eye for Jesse again to actually be filming some incredible footage that people _want_ him to be filming!

The Fredgeworth arc is coming up in a couple of chapters, and look for some your favorite characters to be joining Miles on his quest to search for the love of his life… And for a complete change of location!

 **Ilet Moratar**

While Pearl has mellowed with age and could not find in her heart to slap Phoenix because she still loved him too much, even when he prompted her to, saying that she has become less violence due to the calming influence of her gentleman boyfriend, underneath it all she's still very much the same Pearl from the comic book that we know and love – personality is formed in childhood and there is no way hers could have done such a complete Turnabout that she would not still be feisty when the situation arises!

I think by now Luke is very aware that the full-blooded female Fey gene in runs rampant in that family and as Pearl's sleeve was already ominous sleeve being shoved up in slap preparation, I think it's fair for the poor guy to have deduced that indeed it he would've been in for a round of his _girlfriend boxing his ears_ for daring to shatter her fairytale allusions of the two of him living in holy matrimony in the future, however unintentionally he did so – after all as mature as Luke is, he's _still_ a teenager and is only 19 at this point!

This topic will come up again in the next chapter or so, as I have a cruel need to torment the adorable British lad, first by Armstrong hitting on him to the point where he wants to weep, and now I'm going to make him squirm some more on the topic of marriage, all in the name of amusing my readers!

It's funny that you mentioned circumcision seeing as how poor Jesse was the brunt of that joke by the incensed Reverend when the pesky cameraman dared make an objection about the wedding when it's _all_ the cleric wants to happen so that he can feel useful! He did offer to do the wedding for Ricky Martin and Armstrong as well but being the New Age couple that they are they decided to have the honeymoon before the nuptials! Whether or not they will tie the knot while in tropical Paradise remains to be seen! Also I will leave it up to my readers to decide between Jean Armstrong and Longines Beaugosse which one of him is more likely take the wife's role as the billionaire is prettier and yet Armstrong still seems to be the more effeminate regardless! XD

It's interesting that my second reader to mention how after a year or so of courtship Larry has managed to beat both his best friends to the altar! He will be sure not to screw up his marriage because him and everybody present knows that he hit the jackpot with Iris, who is not only beautiful but compassionate, to not only his past female fumbling fiascoes, but his occasional verbal blunders… Yet I don't think even _she_ could tolerate him calling out the wrong name at the altar! Have you seen the TV show _Friends_ when Ross was set to marry Emily and instead set _I take thee Rachael_ – his ex-girlfriend?! The aftermath was not pretty!

I'm sure it was very hard for Miles to have to watch a wedding take place considering what happened with him and Franziska, and the fact that he thought the only purpose for his presence there would be to stop Maya's wedding, not have to endure another! Thankfully he has that stoic countenance to mask the pangs in his heart but don't worry his storyline with Franziska is just around the corner!

 **chloemcg**

Santa was very sweet to me milady! I enjoyed a tropical Christmas in Cuba with not one but two Ace Attorney themed cakes (Nick was delicious and his spikes went down smoother than you'd think while my husband enjoyed gobbling both Franny and Maya!) and the Book of Life was wonderful always know that I'm open to movie suggestions as well as some suggestions!

That being said I have an upcoming project with my two favorite fellows for Valentine's Day called Timeless Love... which will follow the Ace Attorney timeline and allow multi pairings for many characters... I really loved your Godot piece BTW... and thought I would ask you if you had any particular favorite pairings that you wanted to see in a Valentine's sort of drabble/one-shot?

Torturing Mildew is so much fun! Although I have been enjoying my five-year-old revenge tactics - tossing her into manure and suffering from both animal flatulence and threat of feline consumption - in the end the Dragon Lady is a criminal and there's no escaping the long arm of the law especially with two Ace Attorneys on her case!

Mildred's embezzling scheme was trying to skim off the top of the wedding costs by falsely inflating the prices and quantities of everything associated with the ceremony is Kurain was listed as a not-for-profit organization so that means the unsuspecting billionaire was giving her whatever money she asked for well she wrote the checks to pay for the vendors.

So she claimed Maya's dress cost half a million bucks instead of the mere $100,000 it actually did so she paid the designer the $100K then was set to pocket the remaining $400,000 in an offshore Cayman Islands bank account, a place which was once infamous for such sort of illegal activity and money laundering!

It was the same with the swag bags for the favors...They were about $1250 each in value but there was only 400 guests. Mildew claimed the wedding favors cost $2K each ( which was how much she was trying to pawn them off for on eBay, greedy witch that she is!) So she could order another 400 of them and sell them for-profit!

I will never break up Luke and Pearl, but in the end Luke is still a teenage boy and if recent memory serves me correctly with a good pal of mine who shall remain nameless, (*cough*) even the most articulate of them are known to accidental foot in mouth syndrome, so I'm glad you enjoyed the adorable spitfire spirit medium yelling at her English muffin... I promise that incident will rear its comical I had once again in the next chapter or two! XD

I admit to being totally neurotic about my writing in certain aspects ... Like the fact that it often takes me 2 hours to edit a chapter not including its writing time , and the fact that I really hate repeating the same words over and over again in a chapter, so sometimes I can be overzealous with my zeal for my thesaurus, although I certainly hope my attempt at expanding my vocabulary doesn't send my dear readers running to the dictionary too much or worse take away their enjoyment of the story!

That being said I am delighted to give my wonderful readers another dash of romance with Larris following Phaya's reunion and that you liked it!

This storyline with Larry and Iris and their reunion of Nick and Maya will be wrapped up and a couple of chapters and then it's over to the sexiest prosecutor in the series and his hunt for his awesomely violent beautiful princess! He'll have some help of course I'm his quest, as there is a certain duo that owes him the world right about now! ;)

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Iris Butz. I just realized I gave the lovely num with the pretty name (Iris Elizabeth and Dahlia Lilith - truly that femme fatale was born to be evil!) the moniker of not one but two body parts now that she's married to the love of her life... I keep forgetting that Iris is part of the eye and not just a flower!

Luckily for Larry Iris has decided to forgive his demons as surely as she has been forgiven for hers and hopefully they can finally rest now. She may share her twin's face but not her heart. These two are a match made in heaven even if her kinswoman was from, and now burns in hell!

In the end the kind shrine maiden proved she's nothing like Dahlia as well as showing she's more than just a pretty face so it's okay to root for her happiness and still hate her twin! the two can remain separate entities!

You're my second reader to mention poo throwing and rejoicing in fart monkey moment! The offer to throw hot coffee is always wide open although would you really want to waste the good stuff on the greedy Dragon Lady who should have quit while she was ahead and has gone from skimming to flat-out embezzling? She's going to have enough shit to deal with soon enough... keep reading to find out if I mean that literally or figuratively!

I'm glad you liked the Reverend and his continued _schtick_ in this chapter! I was so channeling Mel Brook's Rabbi from _Men in Tights!_

Um don't worry about Armstrong Longines seems to have found a most effective way to shut up that cream puff ... By sticking his tongue (and surely other things on that honeymoon!) in his mouth! Hee!


	158. From This Moment

_A/N: The reception chapter comes out by or before mid next week folks - had to split up the final Larris arc due to length! Enjoy some wedding romance this weekend! :)_

* * *

 _(I do swear that I'll always be there  
I'd give anything and everything and I will always care  
Through weakness and strength  
Happiness and sorrow  
For better, for worse  
I will love you with every beat of my heart)_

 _From this moment life has begun  
From this moment you are the one  
Right beside you is where I belong  
From this moment on_

 _From this moment I have been blessed  
I live only for your happiness  
And for your love I'd give my last breath  
From this moment on_

 _I give my hand to you with all my heart  
Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start  
You and I will never be apart  
My dreams came true because of you_

 _From this moment as long as I live  
I will love you, I promise you this  
There is nothing I wouldn't give  
From this moment on_

 _You're the reason I believe in love  
And you're the answer to my prayers from up above  
All we need is just the two of us  
My dreams came true because of you_

 _From this moment as long as I live  
I will love you, I promise you this  
There is nothing I wouldn't give  
From this moment  
I will love you as long as I live  
From this moment on_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Eight:** **From This Moment**

 _ **Larry Butz and The Ace Attorneys  
**_ _Kurain Village, Courtyard  
_ June 16, 2026 _,_ 5:45 PM

"Larry Butz, I _demand_ you to cease fiddling with your tie _immediately_!" Edgeworth's eyebrows were knitted together in frustration. "Seeing as how I _just_ straightened it… _again_!"

"But you made it too tight, Edgy! It's hard for me to breathe now!" Larry whined as he fidgeted with his necktie for the umpteenth time and pointed to his neck. "It hurts my _Larry's Apple_!"

" _Larry_!" Phoenix groaned, clapping a hand to his face. "For the _last_ time, it's _not_ named after _each individual man_!"

"It's just typical groom jitters that are making you feel like the proverbial _tying the knot_ is _literally_ _around_ _your throat_!" Reverend Paesano laughingly reassured the bridegroom. "I've seen it a million times!"

"Of _course_ I'm a bundle of nerves, standing here at the altar, on the biggest day of my life!" Larry reflected humbly. "I _still_ can't believe I got so lucky, and that a perfect angel like _Iris_ agreed to marry a wisecracking clown ass like _me_!"

Edgeworth arched a laconic brow at the smirking Phoenix upon hearing this, making sure the groom didn't see the gesture, but the prosecutor's unspoken agreement was evident: _Yes…Neither can **I**!_

"Come to think of it, the girls have been gone an _awfully long time_!" Suddenly, the artist's eyes turned panicky. "What if my beloved had a _change of heart_ , and decided to made a _run_ for it?!"

"Don't worry about that!" Phoenix joked. "Edgeworth has the keys to the helicopter, and neither Maya nor Iris can drive, nor can Pearls, even if they attempted to hotwire a car!"

Larry broke out into a cold sweat and clenched his fists beneath his chin, while the magenta-clad man barely suppressed an eye roll at such theatrics. Undaunted, the ex-defense lawyer continued his good-natured jesting.

"Historically, _Pearls_ is the only one who's ever had the stamina to _run_ all the way down to the city! I imagine your betrothed would be too pooped from channeling all day to even _think_ about attempting such a feat!"

"Fear not, my good man!" Reverend Paesano's dark eyes twinkled with mirth. "I've personally ensured that _all exits are secured_! I've already had to contend with a _two-time_ _Runaway Bride_ and _refuse_ to have another! _Third_ time's the charm, after all!"

"So you all _do_ think it's true! That given the opportunity, milady knows she could do better and _would_ leave me high and dry at the altar, if she _could_!" The emo head-case looked ready to turn on the waterworks at any second. "Which means Iris is only marrying me because she has no escape! Therefore it's like an unspoken _coercion_!"

" _Runaway Bride:_ _Emotional Meltdown at the Altar_ , the _sequel_!" The video-rolling Jesse muttered in an undertone to the sniggering Lotta, who was already snapping pictures of all this in her new designated role of last-minute wedding photographer. "We'll call it: _This Time It's the **Groom's** Turn!"_

Oblivious to the fact this was all being captured on still and motion film, the lamenting Larry continued to throw his own pity party.

"I _knew_ she was too good for a luckless loser in love like me! _Boo-hoo_!"

Out of nowhere, the artist's habitual floodgates opened, while his chin began to wobble uncontrollably. Longines, seated in the front row next to Armstrong, kindly reached into his breast pocket and pressed a monogrammed silk handkerchief against the watery-eyed groom's knuckles.

" _Oy vey_!" The amused cleric exclaimed as he goggled Larry with rapt fascination. "That's the _first_ time I've ever seen _a grown man_ be able to summon tears, _unprovoked_ and _on command_ , out of thin air!"

There was a loud trumpeting sound as Larry blew his nose into the presumably expensive, proffered cloth. Phoenix stifled a snicker as Longines discreetly shook his head at the groom's attempt to return it back to him.

" _However_ does he _do_ that?!" The Reverend wondered, his bushy brows nearly vanishing into his hairline. "Just _weeps on cue_?! Does he _practice_ or something?"

"It's a _gift_!" Larry blubbered, mopping his drenched cheeks. "I _told_ her I have a fragile heart! I can't help it if I _love_ too much! _Wah_! My beautiful Iris! _Why_ did you do this to me?! I thought you _loved_ _meeeee_!"

Edgeworth shot a reprimanding scowl at both the holy man and his best friend for their ill-timed comedy routine and inappropriate commentary, and affected his most authoritative tone.

"Larry, stop working yourself into a conniption over _unwarranted conjuncture_!" The slate-haired man lectured sternly. "The ladies have barely been gone for _half an hour,_ as no doubt the Feys are trying to spruce up the bride to look her most fetching for this momentous event! In the meantime, _you_ are getting yourself worked up over naught more than speculation, brought on by your own usual tomfoolery! If Iris had opted for the _fleeing fiancée_ route, she would have done so _immediately_ after your thoroughly _out of the blue, fly by the seat of your pants, marriage proposal_!"

Phoenix bit back a snort at this backhanded attempt at comfort, but it seemed to have _actually_ _worked_ , as the groom had already turned back to him.

"Nick, you're absolutely _sure_ you're OK with this whole thing?" Larry queried anxiously. "I mean, you were amiable enough about me marrying your ex-girlfriend, but now I can't help but be paranoid that it was _a bit much_ asking you to be _my best man,_ to boot!"

"For the _hundredth_ time, Larry!" Phoenix expelled an exasperated breath. "I not only _support_ this marriage, I _endorse_ it fully! I _swear_ to you on all that is holy – I am truly, madly, deeply in love with Maya now, and I'm neither carrying a torch for your future wife, nor any kind of resentment towards _either_ one of you!"

The groom blushed while scratching the back of his neck and sticking his tongue out to the side.

"Sorry! It's just that I've never been the most fortunate guy in the world when it comes to these things, so I just wanted to double check I'm not taking any bad _ju-ju_ into this marriage!" Larry acknowledged awkwardly. "This small, nagging part of my mind won't let me believe that _for once,_ everything is going so smoothly! I just don't want you to feel obligated, Nick. I'm sure Edgy wouldn't mind switching places with you if you'd rather be only be a groomsman instead…"

" _Edgy_ was not anticipating _another_ wedding when he hauled Wright down here to halt the nuptials between Maya and Beaugosse in the first place!" Edgeworth interjected sardonically from his standing position next to Phoenix. "Considering I gave the wedding crasher my _best wedding_ suit, you _are_ lucky, Larry! Lucky that I even _agreed_ to be part of the impromptu wedding party in the first place!"

" _Admit_ _it_ , Edgy!" Larry was positively chipper now as he gave a thumbs up sign. "You just couldn't resist these _puppy dog eyes_ of mine, you big ol' cinnamon roll!"

The tsundere prosecutor glared in response to such an undignified description.

"Hey buddy, how about you simply chalk this up as a rare moment in life, where _the nice guy_ gets _the nice girl,_ and stop looking the universe's _gift-horse in the mouth_ , OK?" The pianist intervened quickly. "Just accept this bout of good karma which has come your way, along with the fact that your two childhood chums are paragons!"

"I have no _objections_ to this _accurate assumption_ whatsoever!" The groom replied cheerfully, finally relaxing his rigid shoulders. "There's no one else I'd want by my side right now than _both_ of my best pals – even if the wedding party won't all be in _matching-hued apparel_ , like _Edgy_ would have undoubtedly wanted!"

"Oh yes, Butz is _very_ lucky _indeed_." Edgeworth muttered darkly under his breath, while Phoenix discreetly putting a hand on his best friend's arm, giving it a gentle pat to calm him down. "He has _no idea_ …"

Larry of course, was blissfully unaware of the fact that the cravat-wearing man agreeing to partake in a wedding party where the groomsmen weren't all colored coordinated was the _least_ of his grumblings. Not wanting to rain on anyone's parade, the prosecutor had opted to swallow back his own aversion to nuptials, and only after the briefest hesitation, had dutifully agreed to be a groomsman on his childhood friend's special day.

To anybody _except_ his closest confidante, even though he was merely wearing his signature work outfit instead of something more formal, the ever debonair Miles Edgeworth appeared to be every bit the picturesque, dignified usher; with his impeccably pressed suit, immaculately groomed hair, and composed patrician features.

Phoenix, on the other hand, knew Edgeworth well enough to worriedly observe the slight clenching of his jaw and flicker of tumultuous emotion in his slate eyes.

 ** _Watching_** _a wedding take place, never mind **participating** in one, must be utter **hell** for Edgy!_ The poker champ winced sympathetically. _He's really gone above and beyond the call of friendship duty for **both** Larry and I today. I just hope this latest good deed of his doesn't make him finally **snap like a twig**! Even if he hadn't just recently been ditched by the love of his life, I'm sure he never dreamed in a million years, that out of the three of us, **Larry Butz,** would be the **first** to get to the altar! Forget the pain in his **heart** – **that** must've not only been a blow to his **lofty pride** , but made Edgeworth ponder if the entire world had turned itself upside down!_

Phoenix kept his benign best man grin plastered in place, grateful that he was standing as a buffer between his two buddies, lest the prosecutor suddenly lose his customary cool and unleash his inner turmoil on the unsuspecting Larry – _again_!

The ex-Ace Attorney couldn't help but worry that the emotionally charged Edgeworth was a ticking time bomb, ready to fly off the handle at the slightest provocation, and sent a mental prayer to the heavens that there'd be no catastrophe he'd need to thwart as a result, and everything would go swimmingly this time.

As the Reverend had said, third time had to be the charm, right?

 _Hurry up, Iris!_ He urged silently. _Maya, Pearls, let's get this show on the road! What's taking you all so long?!_

* * *

 _ **Iris Hawthorne and The Fey Girls**_ _  
Meditation Room, Fey Manor  
_ June 16, 2026 _,_ 5:45 PM

"I can't believe how nervous I am!" Iris let out a slight titter as her relatives quickly fastened up the last of the intricate buttons on the back of the wedding gown. "I have no idea how to quell these butterflies in my stomach!"

"You not having second thoughts, are you, cousin?" Maya asked idly, although already knowing the answer as she carefully placed the glittery tiara upon the bride's elaborately curled updo. "Time for the veil now!"

A flicker of unease crossed the shrine maiden's comely visage at the mere notion of cold feet. She patiently remained unmoving as the village leader carefully arranged the headpiece on top of her hair while she continued with her apprehensive ramblings.

"Of course not! But – I can't help but wonder if maybe _Larry_ is! I honestly don't hold his, ah… _colorful romantic history_ against him, yet in comparison, _my own_ is _comparatively lackluster_! I've only known _one_ other man in my entire life… What if, despite his reassurances, I'm _not_ enough to satisfy him for the rest of our days?"

" _I've_ never known anyone _but_ Nick," Maya admitted shyly, but then a mischievous glint flickered in her orbs a split-second later. "It's never been an issue though, because fortunately for him, whatever I _lacked_ in experienced skill, I _totally_ made up for in _extreme curiosity_!"

All three girls cracked up at the lighthearted quip, but then another pensive frown marred Iris's smooth forehead.

"What if Mildred was right about Larry's checkered past, and it means he's ultimately _not_ ready to forfeit his scoundrel ways, because he hasn't _sown all his wild oats_?" She fretted. "What if he has _already_ decided to make a run for it, even as we speak?"

" _Bah_! Forget all the evil jadery, cousin! You mustn't let that wicked witch put any lingering doubt in your mind as you enter this new, exciting chapter of your life!" Maya insisted passionately. "It'd be like letting the wretched Dragon Lady _win_!"

"Yeah, and besides, Larry wouldn't _dare_!" Pearl narrowed her eyes as she menacingly shoved up the sleeve of her gown. "It may have been a long time ago, but _I've_ actually made the trip down to Los Angeles with nothing more than _two feet and a heartbeat_! There's _nowhere_ that man would be able to run where _I_ couldn't catch him – and _slap him to the_ moon once I did!"

The teen's fierce expression melted away as she took a step back to admire the resplendent Iris in her full bridal attire.

"In all seriousness though, I think we _all_ know Larry's not going _anywhere_ , though," the spirit medium added softly. "I'm telling you – that man gazes at you the same way Mr. Nick and Luke look at Mystic Maya and me!"

"In the identical lovesick puppy manner that Armstrong has always gawped at Longines – and hopefully, at long last, _vice versa_!" Maya affirmed with a wry grin. "Trust me, The Butz isn't _that_ stupid! He _knows_ he hit _the jackpot_ with you!"

"My future brother in law – I never _fathomed_ the day would come when I'd claim I was _legitimately excited_ about Larry Butz joining our family! – just needs to take _one look_ at you in this ensemble to fall in love with you all over again." Pearl's eyes shone with admiration. "I – I can't get over how lovely you look…Sis."

A misty sheen came to the bride's artfully made-up orbs at her younger sibling's word choice.

" _I_ never dreamed the day would come when you'd address me like that, Pearl." Iris blinked back emotional tears. "You have no idea how much it means to me."

"It feels so natural already." Pearl sniffled and squeezed her hand. "I do love you, Sis."

"I love you too, Pearl." Iris's voice shook. "So very much."

Maya watched this exchange with a slight lump forming in her throat, then wiped a stray tear from her eye and beamed brightly.

"OK, girls, I hate to be the one to make us _lose that loving feeling_ , but – _no more tears_! I think we've almost _literally cried a river_ between the three of us, _today_ alone!" She let out a little laugh. "This is a very blissful day for our family, and if we keep venturing down this path, we're all are going to need to redo our melted makeup… _again!_ And I think those poor guys have been waiting long enough already, don't you? Knowing Larry, he's probably having his _own mini-meltdown_ already!"

"Fair enough. I believe I'm ready now – well, as I _ready_ as I'll _ever_ be, anyway!" Iris tightly clutched the enormous bridal bouquet in her hands, stood up, and did a little twirl. "How do I look, ladies?"

"I'm _seriously_ having a hard time wrapping my head around the circumstances under which you managed to fit into that _itty-bitty little dress_!" The former bride shook her head in mock despair. "Hopefully, a sinfully carb-laden fortnight in Italy will restore whatever curves you consequently lost!"

Maya flashed a playful wink.

"Au contraire to Nick's fake grousing about my dress adding so-called additional weight on his lap earlier, _real_ men claim that _meat is for men_ , and _bones are for dogs_! I can't wait to see you a bit more filled out again, Iris! _I_ had to starve myself to get into that blasted thing, but in _your_ case, it's obvious the Dragon Lady was _a wretchedly sadistic slave driver_ with you and Larry to get all those cabins ready!"

"Larry _did_ compare the harridan to the wicked stepmother from _Cinderella_!" Iris conceded ruefully. "However, I informed him I _much_ preferred the story of _Rapunzel_. That's how I feel right now – as though I'm being rescued from a life of isolated seclusion, by marrying the man of my dreams!"

The enthusiastic sparkle in Maya's eyes rivaled that of the glittering sapphire gemstones at the bride's ears and throat, which she'd loaned her cousin as both her _something borrowed_ and _something blue,_ while her admiring gaze swept over the bride.

"You really _do_ look like a beautiful princess from a storybook," the Master acknowledged affectionately. "In the end, what's important is Mildew _didn't_ succeed in ensuring _either one_ _of us_ ended up living a miserable, degenerate life, like the one _she's_ going to keep having!"

"With Mr. Nick _and_ Mr. Eh-ji-worth both taking the role of _St. George_ as the _dual_ Dragon slayers!" Pearl added gleefully. "Iris, this really is a happy ending for _all_ of us! Mystic Maya and I get a new brother, and _you_ get to be the beautiful Princess who lives _happily ever after_ with her Prince!"

"I _still_ can't believe this is really happening!" Iris's shining eyes glistened as she quickly grabbed both her sister and cousin into one final group hug. "It all feels like a _fairytale_ come true!"

"Fairy tales are more than true, cousin." Maya's mocha eyes glimmered with resolve. "Not because they tell us that _dragons exist_ , but because they tell us that _dragons can be_ _beaten_."

* * *

 _ **Wedding Congregation  
**_ _Kurain Village, Courtyard  
_ June 16, 2026 _,_ 6:00 PM

Even though he was in front of the congregation, and up at the altar this time, instead of seated in the back at his artist easel, Larry couldn't help but feel a familiar sensation of déjà vu as the Philharmonic once again began to play. This time the melody was the orchestra version of "From This Moment," announcing to the guests that the bridal party was about to begin their processional walk down the aisle.

 _I've been waiting_ _ **for**_ _"this moment" my whole life!_ He thought, practically bouncing on his heels in eager anticipation, of the bride and her ladies in waiting to make their way towards the altar. _I can't believe I had any ridiculous trepidations whatsoever about this angel who I know was meant for me. I can't wait to marry the heck out her!_

The ring bearer, Gordy Gumshoe came first, gleaming wedding bands perched atop the satiny pillow in his hands. His cherubic little face was solemn as he carefully made his way to the altar and handed the cushion to Phoenix. Then he grinned and took his seat in the front row next to his parents and Luke. The Brit was holding the still tuxedoed Feyt in his lap, tail wagging in eager anticipation, as though sensing his Mommy would be appearing soon.

Maya arrived next, a more modest version of Pearl's colonial bouquet, in its various shades of purple, within her hands. The oversized nosegay had evidently been divided from the maid of honor's, so the improvised bridesmaid could also carry florals for her altar-bound stride.

Phoenix had been aware that his lover would obviously no longer be wearing her bridal gown when she next emerged, and that Maya would've consequently needed to find a change of outfit which would hopefully be both suitable for a last-minute attendant, _and_ complementary to Pearl's rose pink gown. He had _not_ been prepared however, for the mesmerizing vision the Kurain leader made as she came down the aisle.

The spirit medium had kept her glorious ebony tresses hanging down and loose down her back, no longer in its previously braided updo, which Phoenix vividly recalled undoing earlier when he'd buried his roving hands into her hair and his lips against hers. He'd never seen the floor-length, organza ball gown she was presently wearing, but it shouldn't have surprised him Maya had opted for a lilac shade, as purple was her signature color. The dress was strapless, with a sweetheart neckline and cascading ruffled skirt, which bore diamond rhinestones and crystals sewn onto it as well as the jewel embellished, ruched bodice. Her flawlessly made-up visage no longer bore the morose expression she'd had when walking down the aisle as a bride, but was now transformed into one of beatific serenity.

As the Master drew closer to the altar and saw her boyfriend's admiring stare, a sunny, upward tilt of her mouth formed as their gazes locked, and for one an exhilarating heartbeat, the air around them crackled with electricity, and the reunited duo found themselves utterly lost in one another's loving eyes.

Phoenix's countenance couldn't have showcased his hopeless enchantment any more than if _he'd_ been the groom himself, nor could his transfixed gaze on Maya been pried away even with a crowbar. He had never seen the love of his life look more beautiful than she did at that moment.

 _Maya Fey's special smile, which she reserves just for me, makes all my surroundings come to a halt – and then brings back a million memories in a mere split second – while making me feel just a bit more human; it's like it has the power to pierce through all the bad in my life and I can feel like all is well again. It makes me feel happy about being alive, knowing she's all I'll ever need._

Maya continued beaming merrily as her eyes scanned over the smiling faces of her dear friends in the masses: Longines, who was resting his head against Armstrong's shoulder, Sister Bikini, Matilda, the Gumshoes, The Big Berry Circus crew…then her expression momentarily turned into one of shock as she spotted her _arch-enemy, handcuffed to Regent the Tiger_!

Her startled orbs switched over to Luke, who simply winked and flashed a cheeky grin. Biting back a burst of triumphant laughter, the village leader's countenance broke into _the mother of all shit-eating grins_ in the fuming Mildred's direction, and she sassily gave the English youth a _blatant, couldn't be missed_ thumbs up, due to the fire-breathing wyvern having at last, been extinguished.

As Pearl slowly made her way down the aisle next, this time it was Luke's turn to admire just how pretty in pink his girlfriend was at that moment. He could fully bask in the happy glow on her ethereal visage this time around, as instead of resembling the picture of dejection like before, the teen was beaming brightly as she glided down the aisle. As the teen took her place beside Maya at the altar, her eyes finally met the loving ones of her beau.

The first endearing action the maid of honor did was give a delighted wave to Feyt, who was in full giddy puppy, tail wagging mode at the sight of his Mommy, before her expression softened and shifted to her son's father. Luke could see the tender look in her eyes as she treated him to a demure, sweet smile, making the lad feel every bit as besotted as the day he'd met her.

 _Pearl Fey's smile shines like the stars in the sky, with no bright city lights to dim them. It's as if the sun opened its eager light to shine about her, and that precious dimple, which crinkles, skips a beat, and only brightens its effect on that precious, ethereal visage. No one has_ _ **ever**_ _regarded me this way in my whole life, and for the rest of my days, there's nobody else on earth who I'll wish ever would! It's like, even if I could have had anyone, I would have still chosen_ _ **her**_ _. She will always be at the top of every single list. I would choose her each and every time, because I know this girl is_ _ **the one**_ _for me._

Just as Pearl and Luke had at last torn their mutual lovesick gazes away from one another, there was a slight rustling in the assembly, and everyone rose from their seats.

The bride had arrived at last.

Iris swept in grandly on the arm of Sister Bikini, blushing modestly as all heads turned towards the enchanting vision in the overly fussy dress, which on Maya, had looked like a ball and chain to be dragged on her tiny frame. However, although identical in stature to her cousin, the bride's glowing face superseded anything ostentatious about the gown itself. If anything, it only enhanced the stunning beauty of the exquisite woman, who even with the veil partially covering her visage, emanated a golden aura of bliss. She currently appeared _floating_ gracefully up the aisle, lustrous orbs fixated onto the shining, devoted ones of man she loved the entire time.

Larry was blinded to everything but the sight of the enchanting fairytale princess slowly making her way towards him.

 _As soon as Iris smiled at me just now, the deep curve on her lips made the world stop around her, while simultaneously whisking away all my fears like a bunch of fruit-flies caught in a heavy gust of wind. Excitement rushes through my veins as I see the matching joy flare in her eyes, which I know mirrors my own. Even if the universe around me started collapsing, my heart would not get crushed, so long as I was gazing at you, my beautiful Iris._

The shrine maiden and her adopted mother were halfway up the aisle when without warning, Phoenix, after casting a questioning glance at Maya, as though seeking an answer from her eyes, and finally finding what he was searching for when she smilingly gave the tiniest, surreptitious nod of her head, stepped down from the altar and met up with the two approaching women. Bowing ever so slightly at the surprised bride and nun, the ex-lawyer extended his arm to Iris, a hint of a cordial smile on his lips as he then graciously inclined his head towards the elderly nun, seeking an unspoken validation.

A look of understanding came over Sister Bikini's visage, replaced by huge grin of approval as she nodded jauntily, then discreetly hurried ahead and tucked herself away into the seat next to Matilda in the front row.

Iris hesitated only a split-second, but then a warm smile lit up her entire countenance as it dawned upon her exactly what her former love had just silently asked permission to do. Her luminous orbs were filled with sentimental tears at the genial gesture as she placed her tiny hand on Phoenix's proffered arm, allowing him to escort her the rest of the way up to the altar, towards the beaming, and now fully relieved-looking Larry, who carefully lifted the veil back from her face and smiled at her lovingly.

"Who gives this woman to this man?" The delighted Reverend Paesano asked the spiky-haired man.

" _I_ do," Phoenix replied somberly, placing Iris's hand into Larry's before flashing a disarming smile at the couple. He then resumed his position beside Edgeworth once more, at last showing the final proof, without another word needing to be spoken, that this union had his whole-hearted blessing.

Maya's eyes had been on her lover the entire time, and there was nothing but wholehearted reverence in her smitten gaze as her lips formed the words without emitting a sound _: I love you._

There was no masking the devoted message in those sapphire orbs even before Phoenix silently mouthed them right back.

* * *

 _ **Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne  
**_ _Kurain Village, Courtyard  
_ June 16, 2026 _,_ 6:05 PM

"Family and Friends of Lawrence Achilles Butz and Iris Elizabeth Hawthorne – welcome to their surprise wedding ceremony this evening in the village of Kurain," began Reverend Paesano, without preamble. "In this remote rural community, we take ourselves out of the usual routines of daily living to witness a unique moment in the lives of Lawrence and Iris. Today they join their lives in the union of marriage. While this joining together today came as a pleasant but unexpected surprise, so it is that Lawrence and Iris present themselves to be married today…surrounded by the people they love the most."

Edgeworth jabbed his hands in his pockets. In spite of himself, he couldn't help but note, with a slight pang, that even the most illuminating of candles paled in comparison to the glow the couple seemed to emanate as their shining gazes remained locked on one another.

 _I hate to admit it, but they truly are cuter than any baby animal videos on the Internet,_ he mused, trying to squelch the wave of nostalgia building within him as he remembered the last time a certain woman had stared at _him_ with her heart and her eyes, in the very manner Iris currently was with her betrothed. _I am truly happy for these two. I_ _ **want**_ _them to make it. There's so much hope and excitement in store for them, just as Franziska and I had, once upon a time…_

* * *

 _Flashback  
_  
 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma**_ _  
Los Angeles  
_ April 16, 2019

Miles paused for a moment to swallow the lump in his throat and looked down for a moment as if to gather his thoughts, and when he looked into her eyes again, Franziska saw they were glistening with tears.

"I ask you, Franziska Von Karma, to please do me the great honor of being my wife?"

Tears of happiness fell from her eyes, and onto the squirming puppy still nestled in her lap. She gently lifted Pess up to her face and pressed a gentle kiss onto her daughter's furry head before carefully lowering her to the ground, blinking furiously as she wiped away the droplets.

Then she took Miles's chin between her hands and looked into his handsome, loving face, knowing without any shadow of a doubt that it was the one she wanted to wake up to every morning, and grow old beside, every single day, for the rest of her life.

"I love you," she said tenderly, pulling back to smile into his eyes. "I love everything about you. Your ambition and drive, your integrity, your devotion to friends and family, even if they aren't blood related. I love your sense of humor and how incredibly fantastic you are in the boudoir. I just love _you_ , period. It would be my honor to marry such a beatific and tenderhearted gentleman, Miles Edgeworth," she whispered before giving him a kiss of tender sweetness.

Miles gently took her hand and placed the ring on her finger, noting how perfectly it fit her. It was as made for her as she was for him…

 _End Flashback_

* * *

"We come now to the words Lawrence and Iris want to hear the most today…the words that take them across the threshold from being their whirlwind, _hour-long_ engagement to being married," the cleric continued. "A marriage, as most of us understand it, is a voluntary and full commitment. It is made in the deepest sense to the exclusion of all others, and it is entered into with the desire and hope that it will last for life. Before you declare your vows to one another, I want to hear you confirm that it is indeed your intention to be married today."

The holy man turned to the radiant bride.

"Iris, do you come here freely and without reservation, to give yourself to Lawrence in marriage? If so, answer "I do."

"I do." Iris nodded, her eyes sparkling.

The vicar then faced Larry.

"Lawrence, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to Iris in marriage? If so, answer "I do."

"I do."

"Iris, please give your bouquet to Pearl."

The maid of honor bounced up and took the extended flowers from her sister's hands before returning back to her spot beside Maya.

"Lawrence and Iris, having heard that it is your intention to be married to each other, I now ask you to declare your marriage vows. Please face each other and hold hands. Now repeat after me, Iris…"

"Excuse me, Reverend," Iris cut in hesitantly. "May I make a request, please?"

"Of course my dear! Heck, you're the star of the show today! Your every wish is my command!" The bushy-bearded man grinned at Larry. "Keep that mantra in mind, Lawrence! Take it from me, I've been happily married for 45 years! _Happy_ _**Wife**_ means _Happy_ _ **Life**_!"

The guests all tittered slightly at this and murmured their agreement, and Iris ducked her head bashfully before she went on.

"I know this is slightly unexpected, and that there are conventional, scripted vows to be said, but given the rather _unconventional_ nature of our entire whirlwind courtship, is alright if I say my _own_ vows instead?" The bride asked timidly. "I haven't written anything down, but I was hoping to maybe just – speak straight from the heart?"

"Fine by me!" The Reverend let out a booming laugh. "I've been here since 9:00 in the morning – so _anything_ that makes an old man's life easier, I can absolutely get behind! I'm just thankful to have gotten things rolling while it was still daylight out! That's a long time for me to be standing on my poor bunions, let me tell you!"

Reverend Paesano raised a bird's nest eyebrow at Larry.

"I know that marriage proposal of yours – actually, _both_ of them! – were spur of the moment, unrehearsed material, Lawrence. Are you up for the whole _what's good for the goose is good for the gander_ shtick here with the oaths, or did you want to go with traditional script for reciting your part of the vows?"

"There's only one thing I need to do, in order to find the right things to say, Reverend." Larry's adoring eyes never left Iris's as he spoke. "And that's simply gaze into that beautiful face the entire time. Thereafter, speaking from _my_ _heart_ to _hers_ shall come as natural as breathing."

"I'll take that as a _yes_ to also saying your own declarations then, husband to be!" The vicar grinned in admiration at the groom. "You know, if the artist racket doesn't work out, you could always make a killing as a script writer for wannabe Romeos, let me tell you!"

The Reverend smiled indulgently at Iris and waved his hand, prompting her to commence her vows.

"I, Iris, choose you, Lawrence, to be no other than yourself. Even before you asked me for my hand, I was yours, and I am devoted to you in every way. I marry you with no hesitation or doubt, and my commitment to you is absolute. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I don't yet know, I give you my hand."

The bride's cadence trembled slightly as she began, but then grew bolder, more confident, with each passing moment.

"There is little to say that you haven't already heard, and little to give that is not already freely given. There is no perfect lover, we are all flawed, but knowing those flaws and still loving with all your heart creates perfect love. I will never look further than you, my darling. If my heart is a flower waiting to bloom, your love is the only sunshine it needs. Your love is my valour, my virtue, and you are the very best thing about me. You and I, we were born to spark together, born to run the same course. I marry you with no hesitation or doubt, and my commitment to you is absolute. I give you my love. I give you myself. I am proud to be your wife and to join my life with yours."

There was some sniffling amongst the masses after Iris finished her moving speech, and even the Reverend had to clear his throat before turning expectantly to Larry, whose eyes were slightly misty, indicating he'd nearly been moved to tears. Swallowing hard, the groom nodded his head, signifying he was now ready to speak his piece.

"Milady, I, Lawrence, am the happiest man on this earth that you have given me your hand. I see these vows not as promises but as privileges. I get to respect you as a person, a partner, and an equal for the rest of our lives."

Just like the bride, the groom's voice shook a tad at first, but then he lifted his chin and spoke with more vigor.

"I promise to choose you every day, to love you in word and deed, to do the hard work of making now into forever and always. To honor the divinity in you, of you, and around you. What I possess in this world, I give to you. I will keep you and hold you, comfort and tend you, protect you and shelter you, for all the days of my life, my beautiful Iris."

Iris delicately dabbed at her eyes with her finger, but Sister Bikini was outright bawling into her handkerchief by the time Larry had completed his vows.

They weren't alone in their reactions, as all present seemed to seize this joyous moment as a golden opportunity to wipe at their watery eyes, for the deeply entrenched love between the newlyweds appeared to have a poignant effect on every single one of the guests.

"I don't understand why everybody cries at weddings!" Gumshoe snuffled in Maggey's ear even as he dabbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. Feeling sentimental, he moved his brawny arm over and pulled his beloved wife closer to him. "It's supposed to be a _joyful_ event! Look at those megawatt beams on both their faces!"

"The _groom_ always smiles proudly because he's convinced he's _accomplished_ _something quite wonderful!_ " Maggey giggled, affectionately squeezing her husband's hand, which was wrapped around her shoulder, and patting at her own streaming eyes with her handkerchief. "The _bride_ smiles because _she's_ been able to _convince_ him of it!"

"That was _beautiful_ ," Reverend Paesano's voice was gruff, as though trying to mask how affected he'd been by the vows himself. "The two of you could be the next Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning if you ever wanted to go the poetry route! Just saying!"

He jutted his chin at Phoenix.

"Your wedding ring are the outward and visible sign of the inward and invisible bond which already unites you two hearts in love. I ask the best man to give Iris's ring to Lawrence."

Obediently, Phoenix presented the ring to Larry and stepped back.

"Lawrence, place the ring on Iris's finger and repeat after me…. I give you this ring. Wear it with love and joy. As this ring has no end, my love is also forever."

Larry did as directed and slid the gifted platinum band onto his bride's slender finger. It was a perfect fit. The cleric nodded and turned to Phoenix again.

"Best man, now please give Lawrence's ring to Iris."

With a benevolent smile, Phoenix once again stepped forward and presented Iris with the second ring, then stepped backward again.

"Iris, place the ring on Lawrence's finger and repeat after me….With this ring, I marry you. Wear this ring forever, as a sign of my love."

Iris obligingly repeated the words and slipped the band onto Larry's ring finger. Luckily, both the hair heir and artist bore long, tapered digits that were identical in size. It was also a perfect fit.

"May the wedding rings you exchanged today remind you always that you are surrounded by enduring love!" Reverend Paesano announced with a broad grin. "Iris and Lawrence, I offer these good wishes to you on this special day: May your life together be blessed with prosperity and good health and may you cherish the home and family you will create together. Now by the power vested in me, by the State of California, it is my honor and delight to declare you husband and wife! Your wedding ceremony is over; it is time to celebrate! Lawrence, you may now kiss the bride…"

Before the holy man had even completed the sentence, Larry was already reaching for his wife.

Iris felt the gentlest tug. Her head tipped back and she felt the first brush of her new husband's lips brushing against hers. It was a whisper of a touch, so tentative, the sensation so light, she wasn't sure she'd felt it at all. Before she knew what she was doing she reached up into it. He sucked in a breath and pulled back, just the slightest bit, his passionate gaze searching hers.

 _There's this place in me where your fingerprints still rest, your kisses still linger, and your whispers softly echo. It's the place where a part of you will be a part of me, for the rest of my life._

Heat bloomed in her cheeks. Her wide-open heart drummed in her chest. A semblance of realization; that they were at last, man and wife, started to creep back into her mind. Then all thoughts flew right out into the blazing evening sunset. Because the groom gathered her hair, gathered her face, gathered all of her to him, and then claimed his bride's lips with such aching tenderness that the rest of the world completely disappeared.

It was just Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne, forever united, in that one perfect, exquisite moment.

 _ **Shania Twain & Bryan White- From This Moment**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 156**

 **DannyDragon**

I know how diehard fans can be when it comes to their shipping with this particular fandom, so it means a lot to me if I have broaden your horizons to embrace Larry and Iris as a couple _mi amiga musica!_

Excellent choice of words Larry was indeed a womanizer but since he was the one who kept getting dumped and heartbroken in the end he was a _failed womanizer_ indeed! It's funny you mentioned it being hard that he was marrying his best friend's ex-lover as this is something that did get tackled (I hope to reader satisfaction!) in this chapter!

I love Luke Triton too – but I like to torture him as well along with the rest of the Ace Attorney cast one way or another as well because I am evil! XD

Therefore, having him be tormented by the late great Mia Fey was so much fun! At least now the Fey clan can rest easy knowing that the young gentleman still has the most honorable intentions towards Pearl!

 **Chapter 157**

 **Joeclone *Review of the Week***

 _But come on everyone, you can never, NEVER, NEEVVEEERRRR overuse the Ace Attorney mantras!_

 _Objection!_

 _Hold it!_

 _Take that!_

 _Eureka!_

 _Not so fast!_

 _Silence!_

 _Gotcha!_

 _Got it!_

 _Welcome!_

 _Such Insolence!_

 _That's enough!_

 _Overruled!_

 _Satorha imaoman domo semashi detashi nuketare gaseo sonoka!_

No you really can't get enough of the Ace Attorney catchphrases can you? That's why I abused him so much these last couple chapters and have made pretty much every character in this story get a chance feel _objection_! This was too adorable not to quote!

Very well put dear reader this was totally an interim chapter and I am delighted to have written the highlight of your fanfic reading day!

Next chapter is going to be Maya making the ultimate sacrifice for Nick and a private long-awaited reunion, as well as the discovery of a very long-awaited mystery as we go into the Fredgeworth arc! :)

Apollo Justice game graphics and color absolutely beautiful in high definition as is hot hobo Nick! _Hubba Hubba! ;)_

I'm going to take this opportunity right now and say that I am not a yaoi girl and apologies to you in any other readers who were cringing during the Armstrong and Longines kiss!

Knowing that Jean is quite the cross to bear, with **_his horrible cooking, disturbing body motions, and butchering of the French language_ ** (thanks Czarthwomp! LOL) and _nobody_ wants to see him get jiggy with it, I tried to make it as campy and over the top as possible leaning more towards comedy since Armstrong is basically a giant girl, right down to his mannerisms, but it had to be done to tie up the billionaire's story arc to get closure at last!

I'm very happy to hear that you did like Longines. I never intended him to be an unlikable character, since he was merely a victim of the dastardly Dragon lady as much as Maya was! Will she suffer a fate as bad as Doctor Wily? I guarantee you _she_ will think so! :p

Because Jesse's boss Devine Desserts, the photographer of _Jess Desserts_ , had to bail at the last minute for a Hilton/Kardashian affair, the Larry and Iris wedding would have been missing someone to take pictures, so enter Lotta! And as long as Jesse hasn't been narrating the nuptials while filming it, the newlyweds will be delighted to have everything captured on film of their special day including the acquired proof of Mildew's spirit channeling fraud!

I'm glad you liked the romance of Larris's smooching and hope you enjoyed their send-off! They now sail off into the happily ever after of _LongArm, Magshoe, Phaya and Feyt!_

You will see the real reason for Jesse's attendance as of next chapter – while I cannot promise that Nick or Miles will ever end up truly liking him, there is a very prominent character in this story who will be very grateful for his presence! :)

 **AceAttoeney01**

First of all I don't pleasure of hearing from you yet, so thank you very much for reading and dropping me a line! I'm happy that you enjoyed the chapter! Also deepest appreciation for pointing out my oversight I like to keep my couples monogamous and Larry genuinely loves Iris, and that is who he will be with forever saying he ended up with Maya was a side effect of the fact that I wrote this for my sickbed and completely missed that error! :)

 **SpiritsOfFire**

The final trial of Apollo Justice will be covered since Apollo was the one who helped clear Phoenix's good name! I hope you will find it satisfying since I mentioned when I covered the Kristoph Gavin trial how much I despise covering trials! But absolutely before that is going to be the long anticipated Fredgeworth arc where almost everybody's fates will be colliding! _For the most part_ it's pure uphill swing from here! I hope you enjoyed the much lighter and comedic read going forward dear reader!

 **thepudz**

 _"i can officially say that im a big supporter of Longines and Armstrong and would love to see future fics and fanart of them. I can also officially say that every word I have just spoken before this statement was a lie. I can also say this chapter was amazing. And I can say those previous words were fact."_

I can honestly say that you have perfected the fine art of a short and sweet review with a dose of comedy despite the review being merely 59 words! Kudos to you mate for managing to make sarcasm and praise pretty much within the same breath! Don't worry, LongArm is long gone! XD

 **Yanmegaman**

 _"Now, let's see who this monster REALLY is!... Mildred Latrine?"_

Woot! My pal knows Scooby Doo too!

I'm glad nobody has accused me of cruel and unusual punishment what with first gassing the Dragon Lady and then making her subject to the clumsy Gumshoe shenanigans! LOL

Arby's is Canadian! That probably costs extra! I wonder if the fact that he such a cheap date would be appealing to Lotta who strikes me as being very tightfisted with her dollars although content to spend others' money! Could this be a match made in heaven? ;)

 **Ilet Moratar**

Inasmuch as another reader pointed out that Larry Butz is a failed womanizer Miles Edgeworth is equally a failed meanie, because everybody (including the long departed Mia!) knows he's a not so secret cinnamon roll beneath his lofty exterior! You are not alone the forever sexy debonair prosecutor whets the appetite of many and heaven knows some of the smoldering fan art of him has certainly increased my own sweet tooth, as much as your review has! We have here sweet reserves, cheesecake, and a cake with two well drink mixed milks which I'm going to take as milkshakes! LOL

There is short and then there is _lackluster_ (which you've never done!) when it comes to reviews, some of which in the past have been so damaging to my morale I have wondered why I keep on writing! I will never fault you, my longtime loyal reader and friend – to have given me a review that is short and sweet – I'm just delighted that my story was still able to warm your heart no matter what's going on in your life, and that people still take the time out of their busy schedule to continue to read this and drop me a line! Since you're also my sister from another sister, I am more predisposition to forgive _you_ more than most _mi hermana dulce!_

 **napoleon32**

Edgeworth to the rescue definitely seems to be an ongoing theme in this story but it is never my intention to try to make the ultimate bromance seem one-sided Nick will have a chance to repay Miles for all his kindness coming soon!

My favorite thing about Miles Edgeworth is the fact that he never tries to shake the tsundere vibe even though he's been outed countlessly as a cinnamon roll! Even in Spirit of Justice he was trying to act all professional in aloof when facing Phoenix in court meanwhile he had just flown own everybody over by private jet _yet again_ to West Asia! One of the things I love about him though is that he can turn it on and off at will in exactly the same way he did in the games! God help you if you ever get on his bad side and Mildred Latrine is 100% on his bad side!

It takes a lot to make Phoenix hate your guts but the Dragon lady has managed to achieve that with gusto! Don't expect anything with the worst-case scenario for her heinous crimes when she has _two_ Ace Attorneys cranking up the heat and breathing fire down her neck!

Throughout Apollo Justice up until Dual Destinies I'm gonna do my best to stick with canon manipulation according to the trial dates and timelines, so absolutely Nick was being the tie that binds Larry and Iris in legal matrimony and was already in the area when he popped in on Apollo during Fox boy's trial!

I don't know if you played all six games the Layton series, but playing investigative partner to the professor of archaeology has not been without its own dangers to Luke's own life… Even the most poisonous and deadly of animals by comparison would seem like much tamer occupation despite his proven sleuthing skills! In next chapter we find out why that was exactly the reason he decided to pursue a path with creatures generally of the more four-legged variety!

Pearl is always going to be little matchmaker! Look for that to come up a couple more times in the story hopefully you'll be on board with her endeavors!

The nauseating pink pouf and his handsome prince shall now be officially off-screen although the happy couple may be back later in the story for a couple of occasions in background roles/mentioning!

The fact that the lovely shrine maiden would potentially have a name which entails not one but _two_ body parts when getting married to the Butz will be later addressed … Thus far am thinking if the Fey gals get to keep their maiden names there is no reason Iris should suffer a different fate!

 **chloemcg**

 _Huzzah_! I was so worried that I was dating myself by using the somewhat old-school Scooby Doo reference since I know a lot of my readers are young but it _didn't_ go over _everybody's_ head so _wahoo_!

Love is love – Armstrong isn't an easy person to deal with. As one of my hilarious readers put, Czarthwomp, put it, he's a " ** _pink-cladded, pseudo French, cringe-flavored cream puff who butchers the French language!"_** Still ** _,_** I don't think anyone will ever love Longines so devotedly and the hair heir was never a bad guy – I enjoyed letting him make a dramatic James Bond exit with his new lover!

I've had way too much fun with the Big Berry circus animals and I love putting Mildew between a rock and a hard place – handcuffed to Gumshoe she keeps getting abused and airborne and nearly having her arm ripped from its socket, handcuffed to a fierce man eating beast she needs to comply and not even dream of trying to escape or he'll be picking his teeth with her thanks to the animal whisperer that is Luke Triton! I'm gonna have some fun with him next chapter; hopefully you'll enjoy seeing the truth come out behind his intentions towards Pearl even though it may be under some seriously discomfiting initial circumstances!

Feyt and his parents will be back in a couple of cameos during the Fredgeworth arc. I refused to make those sweet little teeth of his bite Mildew's bony ass – that woman is _poison_ , and would be torn apart in general population in the clink! What a lovely thought! Tee hee!

Apollo isn't forgotten – he's holding down the fort with Trucy right before the final AJ trial where he'll resume his large role of clearing Nick's name.

 _"Aww, thanks! Believe it or not, I had been working on that Godot fic since before just Halloween but I had been having trouble writing it because of writers block and other stuff. I'm seriously glad that you liked it, though, actually it makes me so happy that hearing you say how you feel about my work makes me feel as though I'm getting a celebrity's seal of approval or something."_

 _Celebrity approval?_ *blushes furiously* No, not even! I'm just a geek with too much time on her hands! You flatter me, but you do have some good writing chops milady! It's my pleasure to point that out in between writing bursts! :)

Feyt is a given for me and the boys' upcoming project Timeless Love! I am gonna see if I can implement some of those ideas you had for them in this story, actually…they were that cute!

ThePudz loves Ema and Prosecutor Sad Monk so you will definitely see them in our romantic drabbles called _Timeless Love_ and we three loved the idea of interspecies fluff between Taka and Rifle! Look for that to have your name on it!

 **CzarThwomp**

Even though he is no longer the demon prosecutor, years of tutelage under the diabolical Manfred Von Karma and his finger snaps would make even the boldest of men eventually crack, and I can't see the Dragon Lady being any exception! Although now being a completely reformed man of impeccable repute and professional disposition, you do _not_ want to be on Miles Edgeworth bad side! He's going to throw the book at her, and Phoenix is going to enjoy every minute of helping be the one to take her down! Nowadays white-collar crime like hers suffers much more punitive ramifications than even murder! Granted since she has not killed anyone she probably can't get the death penalty but I'm going to make sure that she _wishes_ she had!

It is Nick's turn to help out his best friend, and as much as he and Maya were what helped Franny and Miles together in the first place, Phaya will definitely play hand in the Franziska investigation!

Poor Phoenix! I'm going to let his battered and bludgeoned had recovered somewhat before a subject him to any other kind of violence at least for now!

 _"I enjoyed this chapter and feel that it served as a good conclusion to Longines' arc. At first, he may have been the flamboyant billionaire that we didn't want; but by the end he became the flamboyant billionaire that we needed, for only he can contain **the pink-cladded, pseudo French, cringe-flavored cream puff** known as Jean Armstrong and keep him from terrorizing the masses with **his horrible cooking, disturbing body motions, and butchering of the French language.** Great job as always!"_

Oh Lord, I let out the loudest laugh when I read this! Thank God my bronchitis is cured, else I'd think you were trying to kill me, first with your stories and then your reviews! XD

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Since I wrote the last chapter for my sickbed it was especially uplifting to hear from my readers and your reviews always brighten my day dear friend!

Reverend Paesano has been there since before 10 o'clock in the morning it is now 6 o'clock! You better bet your bottom dollar he is going to get paid by the hour for this! He deserved every bit of that much-deserved bows he was tossing back at the wedding reception!

I think no matter how brazen a man is during his womanizing days I think love does strange things to people in this case turns Larry into a gentleman who had Iris on such a high pedestal I don't think he would've had the nerve to actually propose either if circumstances had been different in the wedding had actually gone through between Maya and Longines.

As much as I'm enjoying giving other beloved Ace Attorney characters a time to shine, ultimately this is Phoenix and Maya's story so you are hundred percent Wright; nobody's really going to be happy until the main couple of the story finds the way back to each other after that it's just going to be a wonderful reverse domino effect where everything can only go uphill! :-)

Although on a lesser creepy scale than Jean Armstrong, I am very aware that Lotta Hart is not exactly a beloved Ace Attorney character! She is loud, pushy and annoying and trying to write her southern style speak feels like I am writing a foreign language! However she does have a camera and every wedding deserves a photographer! Since Jesse's copilot flaked on him, somebody needed to capture photographic footage of this crazy train wedding, even if she can't sell the footage to the media!

In a game of catch a _Dragon_ by the toe… if she hollers, _don't_ let her go that was the foolproof game plan in having Regent the Tiger babysit The Dragon Lady! I am having way too much fun showing off Luke's animal whisperer skills!

Mildred could give Gru from _Despicable Me_ a run for his money! She took advantage of the fact that he was not only grieving his father's recent passing when she pounced on him with her reprehensible manipulative plot, but then it turns out Longines was estranged from his father on top of everything else, which only made it more heartbreaking to know that all he was trying to do was please his father, even postmortem, because he truly believed it was what Jemarkus had really wanted. While you can't go to prison for being a bitch, Edgeworth can certainly make it so that she has no hope for parole including but not limited to:

 ** _Petty theft. Money laundering. Embezzling. Grand Larceny. Fraud. Conspiracy to commit fraud. Conspiracy for embezzlement. Conspiracy for grand larceny._** ** _Business directory fraud. Charitable publication scam._** ** _Exploiting assets and information. Fake invoice scams. False accounting._** ** _Payment fraud._** **_Receipt fraud._**

Yeah, she's not going _anywhere_ anytime soon!

 **Juusan13**

As a new reader, it not only means a lot to me that you've taken the time to catch up to this lengthy tale, but even more so that you feel it was not time unwisely invested! Made my day! Also am thrilled if after 150 chapters your only "complaint" was reply length. (such as it was, since it was done so politely and endearingly I have no problem addressing it later!)

Oh my goodness I am totally outing just how big of a geek I am by letting you know about the _dozens_ of pages of partially written scenes and story outlines for this fanfiction which is going to be two years old as of the spring! For the most part, the fates of all these characters have been decided and planned, with the occasional impromptu decisions tossed in, like the pairing of Luke and Pearl. Writing her heartbreak after Phoenix and Maya broke up depressed even _me_ so I decided to make it up to her by giving the poor thing her own Prince Charming – I'm delighted you like them together! Hear that folks? _Another_ passenger aboard the magical Feyt train! CHOO! CHOO!

I'm really happy people can still enjoy the concept of Ema and Klavier considering a lot of people jumped ship and now ship her with prosecutor Elsa because of Spirit of Justice! While it is admittedly my possible most unlikely non-canon pairing, I do enjoy exploring just how deep the roots of her anger and antipathy towards the fop go, and this will definitely not be an easily won battle for Klavier! Ema is not about to fall at his feet anytime soon – _if at_ _all_! :p

Now, I was quite surprised to hear that my reader responses made you think and even _hope_ it initially would be of the chapter, which I have often been paranoid about being too long, especially because they have increased so much in length as the story has progressed from my beginning chapters – it's a safe bet that going forward, the average chapter will be between 7K to 10K words!

Whenever I post my chapters it is always _without_ the additional reader responses so what you're getting in the word count if you're an email subscriber is _only_ the length of _the chapter itself_ because replies can be very lengthy, depending on the chapter. For example Chapter 157 "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" was 10,000 words by itself. But with my replies (to 156 "I Think I Wanna Marry You") it ended up being about _15,000_ which I'd imagine would make most readers _panic_ if they saw that in their inbox, because I assume that everybody who's NOT ME generally has a life, and would hence have a hard time trying to make the time to read something if it were _too_ lengthy! :p

That being said, thank heavens for download devices!

For most of my other stories I _do_ tend to reply individually to my reviewers, but with this FF, given the volume, that is _absolutely impossible,_ when coupled with the fact that it takes an average of eight hours to write a chapter of about 10,000 words, and the fact that I need to eat and sleep and take care of my family somewhere in between there! :)

As much as I love hearing from my readers the time it would take for me to _individually_ respond would cut greatly into my writing time, which is precious few as it is; this story used to be updated 2-3 used a week, and now with changes in my life, it's all I can do to make it minimum weekly.

Ergo, I take roughly about an hour to reply to my readers and I try as back as best as I can to make whatever time that they've invested in writing to me worth it with a hopefully worthwhile response. Of course reply-all like this is my only way of replying to guest reviewers who deserve to be acknowledged as well, but there are some other very loyal, long-time, readers such milady _Chloemcg,_ who I cannot PM, and can only respond to in public review format, who are known to write wonderful, in-depth, feel-good reviews which they have taken the time to write in great detail, and deserve much more than to get a response beyond a simple _"Thanks for reading."_

I figure most of my readers don't read my replies to other readers and I most definitely wouldn't expect them to – again I assume everyone else actually has a life! – but I hope they at least scroll to their own name to see my reply to them!

Welcome to the wacky AA fandom dear reader, and welcome to the crazy train that is _Turnabout Everlasting_! Thank you so much for taking the time to drop me a line!


	159. I Believe I Can Fly

_A/N: Size matters guys! Well with story-length anyway! XD_

 _This is a short in-between chapter as it took me forever just to get the gang out of Kurain and it was getting looong! Reception will be up this weekend/early next week._

 _Alas, dear readers (and to the anonymous guest who criticized my way of writing but didn't even leave a name so I might address them for their observation) it appears it my efforts to write a story that touches your hearts, someone out there chose to let me know there was a massive over usage of both my alternate word for eyes as well as "purple prose" way of writing. The irony that they chose a flowery phrase to criticize my apparent overt flowery style of writing did not escape me, but merely made me_ _ **roll my orbs!**_ _XD_

 _Hey, you can't win 'em all! Am I Wright?_

 _This is dedicated to milady Chloemcg. She'll know why! ;)_

* * *

 _In desperate love, we always invent the characters of our partners, demanding they be what we need of them, and then feeling devastated when they refuse to perform the role we created in the first place._

 _Such a love can never flourish, for when you are with the one right partner, the story changes: Love me without fear. Trust me without wondering. Love me without restrictions. Want me without demand. Accept me how I am._

 _A love like that, will be eternal._

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Fifty Nine: I Believe I Can Fly** **  
**  
 ** _Miles Edgeworth, Phaya, Magshoe and Feyt  
_** _Kurain Village, Courtyard  
_ June 16, 2026 _,_ 6:30 PM

Post ceremony, the congregation had begun milling about, giving their congratulations to the happy couple and socializing a bit before making their way towards the exit, the majority of them headed to the reception down in the city that evening.

After having taken some portraits with the bridal party, the newlyweds were currently taking some post ceremonial couple photos and video footage with Lotta and Jesse, and now Luke and Pearl, who was carrying Feyt, went to join Phoenix and Maya, who were standing by Edgeworth and the Gumshoes by the parking lot.

"That was _such_ a beautiful ceremony!" Pearl gushed. "It was just so _romantic_ , wasn't it Luke?"

Like most teenage boys, the youth had no idea how to express the correct words in these situations, and merely shuffled awkwardly.

" _Quite_!" Luke readily agreed. His girlfriend shot him a withering stare for such a succinct response and he smiled weakly. "Um, Iris is a lovely bride!"

"No argument there!" Gumshoe agreed, his arm draped around his wife's shoulders. "She's almost as beautiful bride as _you_ were, honey," he added, leaning down to drop a kiss on Maggey's forehead, who blushed prettily in response.

"Up until today, I hadn't realized that both you _and_ Larry were such sweet talkers, pal!" Phoenix chuckled, tousling the hair of the drowsy-eyed Gordy, who was leaning his head against his father's leg, obviously tapped out from the long day.

"He's got his moments," Maggey affirmed, her brown orbs twinkling as she shifted the sleeping baby Jeff to her other hip. "I suppose weddings bring out the hidden romantic in all of us, don't they? If I'm not mistaken, I could've sworn I saw a hint of emotion even on _your_ face, Mr. Edgeworth!"

The prosecutor looked slightly flustered to have been outed for showing something as _unnecessary as feelings._

"It was a very moving ceremony indeed." Edgeworth cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Although at this point in my life, I've certainly been to enough weddings to have been one of the _few_ guests who _didn't_ require the use of a _handkerchief_ to wipe at their streaming eyes! Which was just as well, since _Wright_ stole _mine_!"

"What can I say?" Phoenix shrugged unabashedly as he slung an arm around Maya's waist. "Turns out I'm a sucker for weddings! Sue me!"

The best man flashed his fellow groomsman a wicked grin.

"Although I'm pretty sure Maggey is not completely wrong about even your _android_ self being affected, my friend! I _also_ saw you swiping a finger at your eye during Larry and Iris's vows when you thought no one was watching!"

"Perhaps your _own_ watery orbs were _blurring_ things, Wright!" The slate-haired man responded loftily, even though his cheeks reddened slightly. "I merely had _something in my eye_!"

"Yeah, I _know_!" Phoenix shot back smugly. "It's called _a tear_! Don't worry Edgeworth, _one_ single drop won't make you _rust_!"

" _Ngh_! Shut-up, Wright!"

"Cease fire, fellas! The last thing we need to have is a wedding… and then a _funeral_!" Maya laughingly stepped in between the two men and placed a hand on each of their chests. "Anyway, I guess once the bride and groom are done snapping pictures, we'll all head down to Los Angeles for the wedding reception at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. Longines has already cleared things with them, so they know not to expect tonight's celebrations to be for Mr. and Mrs. Beaugosse!"

"I'm pretty excited!" Gumshoe grinned. "I think the last time I dusted off my dancing shoes was at my _own_ wedding reception, many moons ago!"

"I must say Maya, you and Longines are most fortunate the invitees were all so gracious about the sudden change of circumstances," Edgeworth remarked idly. "Seeing as how the flight and travel arrangements they made, not to mention the _gifts_ they purchased, ended up being not for the two of _you_ but for a couple of _complete strangers_!"

"There are _some_ perks to the two of us socializing in such _affluent_ and _elite_ circles, Miles!" Maya replied cheerfully. "Not only are most of the guests going to be attending the reception tonight, but the majority of them have informed Longines and I they're perfectly fine with the newlyweds getting the presents that were originally intended for us! Most of them are _richer than God_ and therefore will not begrudge us anything – the forsaken gifts, _or_ the money it cost them to come here!"

"Plus the majority of them are die-hard romantics," Longines inserted, coming up from behind the group, Armstrong in tow. "They were just so happy that today, Maya and I aligned ourselves with our true life partners, regardless of the circumstances. Also, they were so touched by Larry and Iris's nuptials that they couldn't have dreamed of grumbling about the impromptu plan change!"

"But just to be safe, _mon petit chou fleur,_ thoughtful love cake that he is _,_ made Max and Regina go fetch the rest of the stash of Millie's stolen swag bags, and is bequeathing an extra one for each of the guests – one to keep, and one that they can pawn to recoup their expenses, if they so wish!" Armstrong smiled adoringly at Longines. "After all, those extra bombonieres have already been paid for – they may as well be put to good use!"

WHOP WHOP WHOP!

The familiar loud noise from overhead caused everyone except Phoenix and Edgeworth to gasp in dismay as they spotted yet another black helicopter hovering directly above them in the sky just then, which appeared to be _descending_ upon them!

"Don't tell me it's the pesky media _again_!" Maya clapped her hands over her ears to drown out the roar of the chopper blades as the aircraft circled lower. "Those vultures sure are determined! They could even give the tenacious _Lotta_ a run for her money! _Damn you_ for alerting them, Dragon Lady!"

WHUMPA-WHUMPA-WHUMPA-WHUMPA!

"The Dragon Lady's list of villainous crimes, for which she is accountable, the great Mr. Edgeworth has assured me will be brought to further light within a fortnight, when I return to LA, as in the meanwhile, he and Mr. Wright will be doing their investigations," Longines informed the startled group, reaching into his breast pocket and slipping on a pair of aviator shades. "But while there are many things to curse Mildred Latrine for, _this_ particular airliner isn't one of them, because _this_ ride's _mine_!"

The billionaire treated his lover to a roguish grin as a rope ladder suddenly fell down in front of them, and he clamped his hand onto it.

"Or should I say, _our_ ride, Jean – to my private jet! It's set to take us on our pre-wedding honeymoon to _Curaçao_! Don't worry about not having a bag packed – it's a _clothing optional_ vacation we're going on, _mon amour_!"

"Oh you little _devil_!" Armstrong tittered girlishly, slinging his arms around Longines's shoulders as the hair heir grabbed him around the waist and lifted a leg in the air behind him as the ladder slowing began pulling the two skyward. "You really know how to _sweep a girl off her feet_! Tee hee! _TTFN_ folks!"

"Yes, _Ta-ta For Now_!" Longines's megawatt Hollywood smile gleamed in the lingering rays of the evening sunset as the two men began their James Bond-style exit. "All the best to you! I know our paths will cross again in the future! A fond farewell to you all!"

The circle of friends sighed in relief when the loud chopper at last left the premises, omitting the deafening, windy roar and restoring their hearing back to normal.

"I thought the former groom making his _entrance_ coming down the aisle following Regent was a big enough splash, but boy, does that man sure knows how to make one helluva _exit_ , as well!" Gumshoe chuckled. "But in the end, he really was a good guy. I'm happy for those two. Everyone deserves love in the end."

The big man cocked his head in the direction of the now tiger-free but still cuffed Mildred, who Max and Regina had deposited back to the Chief's hands just then, with Regent, Jylan and Desse at their sides. He arched a brow at conniving crone.

"Except _you_ , Dragon Lady. Because you just – _suck_!"

Everyone snickered at his candid commentary, while the handcuffed hag simply scowled in response.

"Max and I need to drop these guys off back at the circus before we can head down to the reception, so we're heading out now," Regina told them sunnily. "It was so nice of you to include the entertainment staff in the festivities Maya!"

"Are you kidding? It's the _least_ I can do! We owe you guys so much! If it wasn't for you two and your animals, today would've been a huge disaster!" Maya smiled warmly at the couple. "See you guys at the Regent Beverly Wilshire!"

As the Big Berry Circus crew left, the others slowly made their way towards to the parking area as well, with Gumshoe dragging the sullen Mildred behind him.

"Jylan was definitely the unsung hero today for stopping this attempted fugitive from escaping justice!" The " _shaved ape"_ acknowledged. "But on that note, we really need to figure out how we're all getting down there. Maggey and I will be a bit late, as not only do we need to escort a _particular fiend_ to their holding cell, but we also have to drop the boys off at my wife's sister's place for the evening. It's pretty close to both their bed times. If any of you guys need a lift, although I already have four in my car, I can squeeze in a fifth no problem, if I just do some seating rearranging."

He wiggled his bushy brows mischievously at the Dragon Lady.

"We'll just toss Madam Flight-Risk into the trunk alongside my _sweaty gym shoes_!"

"I've already been fumigated by that _foul simian_ beast and nearly had my arm dislocated on two separate occasions at the hands of this over-sized baboon!" Mildred muttered darkly. "I suppose, at this point, _suffocation_ would be almost welcome!"

"Don't _tempt_ us!" Luke retorted with a cheeky grin, passing Feyt over to Gumshoe. "I'll be going in the chopper with Mr. Edgeworth, but I don't think this little guy would share my enthusiasm for the friendly skies! Besides, while he's no Regent, our son can still play watchdog with your prisoner on your trip down to the city!"

" _This_ puny little thing?" The village elder scoffed as she let out a derisive cackle. "What's _he_ going to do, aside from _annoying_ me with his ear-grating yipping noises for the entire trip down?"

As though understanding he had just been disparaged, Feyt sat up on the Chief's arm and snarled at Mildred, proving once again, that animals truly could sense evil!

"Oh did I hurt your itty, bitty feelings, you little mutt?" Yzma's clone waggled her shackled bony fingers tauntingly in Feyt's face. "What are you going to do about it, hmmm?"

Constantine's infuriated offspring lunged forward and proved that Phoenix wasn't the only victim of the family canine chompers, as without warning, he sharply snapped his teeth down onto Mildew's extended, skeletal index. _Hard_.

The agonized shriek The Dragon Lady emitted pierced the ears of everyone present, and they all let out a unanimous gasp of shock.

 _"Gaaaaaaaack!"_

The staggered circle of friends barely stifled back their horrified laughter then, as in the next instant, Feyt and Mildew decided to do a live enactment of every _dog versus man_ comedic cartoons scene ever known.

" _Owwwwww! He bit me! The little mongrel bit me!"_ Mildred screamed, hysterically waving her hand to free herself from the puppy's jaw, which, to everybody's morbid fascination, remained firmly clamped on his new chew toy, despite the frantic waving of her arm. "Don't just stand there with your mouths gaping, you _slack-jawed simpletons_! Somebody _do_ something!"

Swallowing back a snort, Gumshoe, paying no mind to being gentle nor careful in loosening the old woman's entrapped digit from the source, simply pulled the puppy back with a sharp yank. Luckily for Mildred, the action gave Feyt no choice but to let go, leaving the gasping harridan with a nearly skinned, bright red finger, bearing visible teeth marks upon it.

"Argh! I probably have _rabies_ now!" Mildew glared hatefully at the puppy, who simply growled back defiantly. "That creature is as much of a _menace_ at his meddling parents are!"

"Calm yourself, madam!" Luke said huffily, biting back a smirk. "You're _barely_ even bleeding. 'Tis nothing but a _flesh_ wound!"

"FYI, Feyt has all his shots! If anything, my puppy probably has _cooties_ now!" Pearl snapped, grabbing Feyt from the Chief's arms and hugging him protectively against her chest. She dropped a kiss on his furry white head, cooing softly as he began happily wagging his tail. "Serves you right, you _mean old witch!_ Good boy, Feyt! _Good boy_!"

"Normally dog bites are subject to investigation and possible removal of the canine from his parents' custody, especially if the injured victim seeks more dire ramifications," Gumshoe informed Luke and Pearl solemnly, but then turned on his most innocent smile. "But that's assuming that there was an actual _witness_ of the incident! _I_ didn't see a thing!"

"A dog bite? On _my_ property?" Maya assumed her most angelic expression. " _What_ dog bite? _I_ didn't _see_ or _hear_ a thing! _Nobody_ did! _Did_ you, guys?"

A collective knowing smirk was exchanged by the group as everyone shook their heads.

"A _pox_ on you all!" Mildred stamped her foot, nostrils flaring at Luke and Pearl. "I'll _get_ you! _And_ _your_ _little dog, too_!"

"Ugh, someone get that she-thing a _muzzle_ already!" Maya grimaced. "I'm starting to get a _headache_!"

" _Me too_!" There was an evil glint in Phoenix's eye as he looked over at his best friend. "Edgeworth, just how badly did you want back that handkerchief of yours?"

"I'm willing to forsake it for some peace and quiet!" Edgeworth smirked, immediately reading the ex-defense attorney's mind as he waved the hanky at Maya. "I shall allow the esteemed village leader the honors!"

A few moments later, the infuriated Dragon Lady's fire had been extinguished, with the prosecutor's cotton cloth now stuffed into her mouth like a gag, which Maya had ensured was knotted around her head as tight as possible.

"Much better!" The spirit medium announced with satisfaction, then turned her back on her nemesis with a dismissive toss of her head and faced the chopper pilot with a bright smile. "Now, back to the topic of how we're all getting down to the city! I, of course am going in that helicopter with you, Miles! I've never been in one before, and it'll be so romantic, don't you think, Nick?"

Phoenix visibly paled as he remembered his tumultuous journey to Kurain and gave his girlfriend a sickly grin before staring pleadingly at Gumshoe, whose vehicle they'd now approached.

"Er, how serious was that offer to stuff Mildew into your trunk so I could squeeze in there with you guys?"

"Are you _serious_?" Maya sulked, folding her arms over her chest. "You would rather be in a _crammed_ _car_ than on an _exciting_ _chopper ride_ with your girlfriend? What is _wrong_ with you, Old Man?"

"I gather you've forgotten Wright's deathly fear of heights, Maya?" Edgeworth asked dryly. "He loved you enough to try conquering it for your sake in our hurried voyage to halt you at the altar, but he nearly passed out in the process, had it not been for the sudden appearance of your benign sister to pacify him."

"Besides Maya, it's only a _four seater_ helicopter!" Phoenix said desperately, sweat starting to form on his brow at the idea of being in the _not so friendly skies_ once again. "There would be no place for you to sit with Luke and Pearl also coming along!"

"Oh stop being such a scaredy-cat, Nick! I'll just save a seat by sitting on your lap, while soothing your frayed nerves just as well as my sister surely did!" Maya declared, then narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Now that I'm not in that ridiculously heavy bridal gown, I'm sure you'll have no _objections_ to my weight _this_ time around… _will_ you?"

Phoenix wisely chose not to touch this _loaded topic_ with a 39 ½ foot pole, but luckily, Edgeworth intervened on his behalf.

"I can't say I'm overjoyed with the idea of flying a helicopter that's overcapacity," the magenta-clad man frowned. "I know the newlyweds will probably get a ride down with Jesse and Lotta, but I'm not sure if they've left already, so I may not have a choice. However, Pearl is much more petite than you are Maya. Would it not make more sense for her to double up with Luke, and allow you to have your own seat?"

"Mr. Nick will be _fine_ holding Mystic Maya!" Pearl lifted her chin haughtily, her tone leaving no room for argument as she passed Feyt back to Gumshoe. "My _non-wedding enthusiast_ _boyfriend_ can keep you company upfront, Mr. Eh-ji-worth! I plan on sitting in the back with the Special Someones – where all the _love_ is!"

" _Blast it,_ Pearl!" Luke clapped a hand to his face. "You're not seriously _still_ cross with me about this whole wedding hullaballoo, are you?"

The teen simply made a "humph!" sound as she turned on her heel and stalked away from the parking lot, heading towards the other end, where the helicopter was.

There was an awkward silence following her dramatic exit, and Luke's face burned with embarrassment and regret while he moaned inwardly about how he was going to atone for what a mess he'd unwittingly made of things.

Finally, Gumshoe spoke, addressing the pianist with his query.

"So pal, what's the final answer? You coming with me or going skyward?"

The spiky-haired man stared at the scratch on the otherwise polished chrome bumper from the earlier scuffle with the BMW and felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he suddenly realized _who_ would driving back to LA! Despite being one of his closest friends, the accident-prone Gumshoe was also infamous for historically being Mr. Magoo behind the wheel of a car! The rear mark made it appear those infamous skills were still very much intact!

"Er, is that dent… _new_?"

"A small collision in the hospital lot earlier," the Chief confessed sheepishly, scratching his head. "Nothing a little touch up paint won't hide in the meantime! The other guy with the Beemer had it much worse! Huh. Makes me wonder how long poor Meekins was out there waiting for him to come out…"

Phoenix's mind raced as he thought of his transport options. In the evenings, the trains came only hourly, and it would take two hours to get down to the city, not to mention then taking a cab to the ballroom, and it was getting late as it was!

It seemed his choice was really no choice at all.

Suddenly the concept of being thousands of feet in the air again didn't seem so terrifying a concept anymore…in comparison to _the alternative_!

"Hey, I need to conquer that acrophobia of mine someday, and there's no time like the present, with the love of my life by my side!" The poker champ gulped and quickly grabbed Maya's hand. "Gumshoe, Maggey…see you down at the reception! Maya, Luke, Edgeworth…to the _Fop Copter!"_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 158**

 **chloemcg *Review of the Week***

 _"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! That wedding was just so beautiful! Larry and Iris are now a unit and are so stupefyingly cute that I'm not entirely sure how much cuter they can be as a couple."_

It is very hard for me to ascertain what is more adorable between you and this review but with your creating of a new "shipping" between Mildew and Regent the Tiger a.k.a. the Dragon lady and jungle cat which shall hereby be known as "Driger" I'm going to make it an even 50-50 split! It's amazing how the man-eater restrained from picking his teeth with her and left all her limbs intact! XD

 _"Phoenix and Maya are so sweet, I feel bad for Edgeworth and Franziska because they are so cute, Luke and Pearly and little Feyt are just adorable, Longuise and Armstrong are unique but cool at the same time and Mildred and Regent are so far my fave couple of all...but not for the reason you'd think, of course."  
_  
I'm glad the little bits of Feyt and Phaya sweetness didn't get totally buried behind the sugary fluff of Larris! Also _LongArm_ as a couple is a lot more fun for me to write when they are simply being cozy in the background and I don't need to make my spell check in my word document become a haze of red as it desperately tries to correct my butchering of language, as it doesn't recognize his horrible wannabe French _"z'is" et "z'at"_ way speaking!

Edgeworth is definitely due to get a _best friend of the year_ award to go with his surely dusty by now _king of prosecutor's award_ for not only agreeing to witness this wedding but partake in it when his wounds are obviously still so fresh, although luckily our sweet cinnamon roll has perfected a stoic visage to rival even Nick's poker face, so his pain would've been completely unnoticeable to anybody but his intuitive and sensitive best friend!

My darling Edgeworth he has suffered so much in life unfortunately has been pouring salt in his wound as he is now surrounded by happy couples, so can you blame him if he's being a little bit of a devil when giving the groom "advice?" XD

His storyline is next, and I hope you enjoy what I have planned for our favorite prosecutor!

Iris and Larry are in their 30s now so they will most definitely be hopping on the Butz baby making train! I do promise however to spare you guys the chapters containing Larry's bare Butz/the conception of said children, one of whom you _know_ I'm going name _Harry_! :p

Me and my boys all love our fluff, so prepare the insulin injections and keep your dentist on speed dial for the end doubtful diabetes and cavities you will get with _Timeless Love!_ I am so happy to get such enthusiastic reader feedback already, and few things in life bring the greater joy than writing with my two talented buds!

 **Juusan13**

I do love the small tightknit Ace Attorney community and support most of the writers give each other on this site. The majority of them even have the etiquette to not only give reviews as a good practice in order to receive them but also take the time to thank wonderful readers like yourself…otherwise who are you Wrighting for?

Often I reflect on the fact that my work would go probably unnoticed in a bigger community like HP, Pokemon, etc. and am so grateful for AA being the way it is – smallish, tight-knit and mostly filled with really nice people. :)

I am so appreciative you can see how much love I put into this story, thank you so much! It's embarrassing that you know just how well thought and planned these chapters are, as per my last geek confession reply to you! I try to inject some realism into the story in my attempts to make readers see what I envision in my mind, and be as outrageous as possible where I can, like when doing research in describing Maya's dress diet ( _it's real_!)and the fact that water sommeliers are actually a thing! Rich people are weird, man! XD

The AA cast, both in canon, and in my story, have mostly suffered quite a lot, so I try to let the universe reward them for their kindness and good hearts in some way. In this case, I noted both Iris and Maya are the same height (5'1) and probably similar build – so the shrine maiden was always intended to say _yes to the dress_! Iris did jail time in the games and in the story sacrificed ties with her family to protect them, so I'd always intended her to be rewarded with her clownish knight in paint-speckled armor, who really did seem to love her in T  &T and it's a shame Larris was never further perused.

I absolutely will be covering Dual Destinies and then depending on the way the story goes I was see whether or not I can fit elements of Spirit of Justice although seeing as how that game's story undid a whole lot of _this_ one it's really doubtful – although if there's a high enough reader demand for it, I'm going to see what I can work with!

I can understand you perfectly don't worry about lack of spaces in your reviews or comprehension due to language barrier making you unable to express yourself to me, (to my great wonder and amazement apparently I have a handful of readers for whom English is not their first language who still take the time to read the story, which blows my mind!) I'm just delighted to hear from my readers regardless!

I would look forward very much to seeing what you come with if you decide to do AA and hope to be able to repay the kindness and encouragement you have expressed to me in your reviews, dear reader. :)

 **AceAttoeney01**

Alas despite my greatest efforts to edit, it is often very difficult to oversee your own work and make it completely typo free, my astute reader! Thank you for being my willing extra set of eyes, for letting me know that you're still enjoying my story this far in, and most of all thank you for reading! :-)

 **SpiritsOfFire**

I'm glad you liked the wedding! It really is wonderful to write romance after all the angst! Consider the rest of the story reader reward for all they have endured in the tragedy department up until now, the few breaks of fluff in between notwithstanding!

Considering how possible it is to put two or more people who were Ace Attorney fans in the same room and have them all agree on every single one of their ships, I figure that the videogame companies know what they are doing with the relentless ship teasing dance they tend to do in almost all their games (Jill and Chris fans of resident evil share our pain!) Because they know it keeps fans hopeful and writing fanfiction/drawing fan art!

The Edgeworth arc comes at you full throttle in the next couple chapters. If anybody is deserving of being rewarded in this story for their good deeds, it has to be prosecutor/best friend of the year Miles Edgeworth! It will be a buildup, as it includes quite a few key players of the cast joining Miles in his search for Franny, but I'm very excited about it and I hope you enjoy it!

 **Legionary Prime**

I'm delighted that you are still reading it means a lot! You came back just in time to see the Phaya lovebirds reunite and the second pair of destined souls unite themselves for eternity!

Another person who got the Scooby Doo reference! Woot!

Dual Destinies is absolutely coming up as I'm very excited about introducing Athena to the agency once Phoenix is back on his feet again. I have a really cool idea for introducing her to the story which I hope my readers like!

 **thepudz**

I always thought the same thing as Gumshoe regarding why people always cry at weddings... until my actual wedding day when to everybody's surprise my spouse did not seem to shed a tear and yet I was the one with watery orbs at the altar! XD

I was really happy to have a romantic event to remind the readers of just how cute the Gumshoes are together in their Married with Children bliss!

I'd like to think that perhaps the Butz is the same as Phoenix (a genius in court and an adorkable Ace Numnut out of it!) while not normally articulate it is amazing what speaking from the heart can do to a man!

Be sure to include the invoice for the insulin along with the pillow case for your previously ruined pillowcase! I'm happy that you liked my fluff Lord FLUFFYKINS!

 **napoleon32**

I have no idea what was going through my partner's mind when we wed, only my own, so it's nice to have it confirmed I got Larry's inner musings right!

Also I am delighted that you liked Phoenix giving Iris away and didn't think it was strange or worse, that he'd overstepped boundaries! I am well aware that this lovely group of AA characters is somewhat incestuous with the pairings I created, in that Nick's ex-lover is not only his future wife's cousin but now his other best friend is _married_ to her (Talk about keeping it in the family! LOL) and that despite Nick's reassurance to the groom that he was perfectly fine with that, it still seemed up until that moment Larry still wasn't fully convinced, until Nick pretty much handed Iris to him on a silver platter! Phoenix Wright still seems to be the king not only of the Turnabout but grand gestures!

Iris has not been seen or even heard of since Trials and Tribulations, which is my favorite game but considering the sibling abuse Iris endured at the hands of Satan Spawn/ Captain Crazy Lady, she would probably welcome Pearl with open arms, as I imagined Maya would as well, since they have no other close blood family (I'm not sure exactly were Sister Bikini falls in the Fey family line!) A lot of people I know refer to their big sister as Sis, and I do remember that's what Maya called Mia, which is undoubtedly why she was having a "nearby onion cutting reaction" herself during that poignant moment between Pearl and the bride. I'm glad you liked it, as the beautiful but bland Iris indeed has a heart of gold and deserves love and a family like everyone else! :-)

I figure even if you don't watch something you at least know about it, and Edgeworth literally seems to know about _everything –_ in this case the rapidly increasing popularity of adorable animal videos, which another reader suggested could be the influence of the adorable Kay Faraday – but I wholly embrace your head canon (as well as your many other wonderful ones!) that Miles Edgeworth watches cat videos! (And possibly ones of puppies because of Pess!) XD

 _"PS: Jinkies! "Let's split up, gang! Shaggy, you and Scooby check out the dreary basement where the monster is sure to be hiding. Daphne, Velma, and I will blunder around upstairs until Velma finds something useful."_

I wish I could get out Scooby snacks to all my readers who actually caught that ridiculous Scooby Doo reference last chapter! This particular one made me laugh for a good half minute, as most interviews _Doo_ , dear reader! :p

 _Somewhere in Australia, a certain kangaroo is hopping mad over that purposeful cartoon pun of mine! Hee!_

 **Yanmegaman**

 _"When I started reading this story so long ago, never once did I think I would come out caring about the Butz and the cardboard cutout that is Iris. But here I am, practically wishing I'd been invited to this lovely affair!"_

Considering that your gross aversion to the shrine maiden to the point for it is written on your actual profile wall, I am delighted that I could make you be rooting for her for her, never mind anyone she's partnered with! High praise indeed my friend and thank you very much!

I decided to give my readers a break from lengthy chapter (and also again now as it took me 3K words just to get them out of Kurain!) and also because I knew the reception was going to be the closing one for the Larris arc, therefore the reception is going to be a long ass one! Also I love the fact that it's my _male_ readers were such suckers for good old-fashioned romantic wedding! :p

I'm thinking Longines is a billionaire and all his friends are rich privileged 1% folks as well, so there just be happy to see their friend happy and still got to see a romantic union! Plus they get an extra swag bag to either keep or sell once they raided Mildew's secret stash to help absorb costs! XD

 **Ilet Moratar**

I'm always at my happiness when I can lift the spirits of my readers _mi hermana dulce!_

I like the idea of how as an artist Larry has always been an appreciator of beauty, but he finally found himself somebody that was not of vapid beautiful model but a beautiful person on the inside as well, hence why he was such a nervous dork on his own wedding day! He cannot be vulgar with Iris she's too pure and innocent, recall which was climbing the ladder he was unable to even look up her dress even though it would be a free show! XD

I always do enjoy the wonderful Latin poetry and song lyrics that you regale me with for most of your reviews, I only plead with you not to quiz me to remember them all as you did at Christmas! XD

It is high praise indeed if such a beautiful poetry comes to mind when reading my humble work of geek fiction!

Almost more fitting than the wonderful poem that you quoted by Rubén Martínez Villena was this:

 _García Márquez's work: "Of Love and other Demons". The poor man, how difficult it is to get accustomed to the normal reactions of his human nature._

Miles has been putting on the brave stoic countenance for so long in spite of all the strife he has encountered that I don't think he even knows what normal reactions are anymore! Will all this poor man's hardships and misery do a Turnabout? Stay tuned! ;)

 **CzarThwomp**

 _Not done sowing his wild oats? Iris, you have nothing to worry about. Larry would first have to actually get into a girl's field before he could even start sowing._

You are not my first reader to make the implication that perhaps the Butz was still in his original cellophane wrap! XD

He was more than anything a failed rather than heartless womanizer, and more often than not was the one who got dumped! The only thing that sucks was his penchant for even chasing after married women like Desiree in the third game and then _again_ in game six… Which is yet another reason I feel like I will be able to implement too much of S O.J. into this story! Hello regression of character much?!

In the end though, the Butz just wants to be loved, he's just been looking for in all the wrong places. A toaster him for finally finding a beautiful woman who has more than the depth of a Frisbee!

Pearl may have claimed to Phoenix that she has mellowed with age due to Luke's gentleman influence, but there's a big difference between slapping her father figure for a past hurt, versus sending her new brother-in-law _straight to the moon_ , Terminator styles if he were to ditch her sister at the altar! Those Fey fists of fury would be back tenfold!

 _"I never pegged Edgeworth as the kind of guy to watch baby animal videos on the internet, especially with a fiancé like Franziska to tell him how foolish it is. I guess Kay managed to wear him down over the years by sneaking into his office every few days and downloading them onto his computer."_

I can see Kay Faraday doing something like this initially as a prank not realizing that as Miles is a secret cinnamon roll when it comes to animals since he actually has a dog, and therefore on his own accord, the new head canon is that he secretly watches both cat and dog videos what he thinks no one is watching much like the Steel Samurai TV show! :p

I figure Catherine turned Larry down because she was saving herself for Uncle Ray! I did a throw a line many chapters ago about how those two are happily married now, as Raymond Shields is one of the greatest and underutilized characters in the Ace Attorney universe! And also because… He was sending himself for Iris! There are some people that have shipped Franziska with Larry and have done it very well in their stories… If I didn't put her with Miles I would put Franny with Lang, as he is the only other type of alpha male that could handle such a whip happy formidable woman!

 **Joeclone**

 _"The icing on a weekly romantic fluff cake!"_

I absolutely love the description, and I thank you wholeheartedly! I really did enjoy writing out the newlyweds personalized vows, and what better way to wrap up their story than to show that they have the full blessing of the man who is the reason that they got together and even met, then unwittingly kept them apart, but then in the end was responsible for bringing them back together again by having Phoenix give her away?

 _I'm glad you made Phoenix realize the pain Edgey has to be going through, most readers wouldn't catch that, myself included had you not have earlier mentioned it in your replies. Speaking of which the Franziska flashback made me gasp. I said, "Time. It's time."_

Yeah I figure one of the things Nick and Miles have in common in this story – up until now they both had shattered love lives – and in canon, is aside from being courtroom geniuses, Nick's Apollo Justice stoic visage can only be rivaled by Miles's own. That man is so used to masking his pain at this point only a man whose known him for over 20 years can still see it. I have known many people my life who keep a stiff upper lip for the most part just like Miles Edgeworth, but I have learned from them and about the character of Miles himself, that just because people cannot _show_ their feelings doesn't mean they don't _feel_ them. Having to actually be witness and then partake in a wedding so shortly after getting dumped by the love of his life must've been agonizing!

The time has come indeed. Fasten yourself for crazy train of its own occurred as we soon go back into Edgy's storyline which includes a change of venue unresolved smuggling storylines, and a few old faces which readers may have forgotten about resurrecting! :-)

I just love writing about family and friendship bonds! I'm so happy you liked it! Since Maya used to call her beloved Mia "Sis" as well, there was more than one reason for her emotional state when she saw Pearl calling Iris that. That poor woman has earned that and more, hopefully my readers feel I have rewarded her best way for all her magnanimous good deeds!

Scooby snack for you for getting the reference! Wahoo! Am grinning like an idiot, just as much as I was being the only reader who picked up on the Achilles being Larry's middle name! It was even so much of a nod to him continuing the Ace Attorney tradition of Greek God names as my wanting to give him another body part for a name! But now that he is married he is surely no longer to be…considered a _heel_! XD

 **Feraligreater328**

It is so great to hear that my readers appreciate a good old-fashioned romance! I get misty-eyed just looking at me and my partner's old wedding photos, and I think I get almost as teary-eyed just like I did at the actual altar at the ceremony, so I can definitely relate to the emotions that ran rampant for you and your friend rampant when watching your wedding videos! Although I'm very delighted to know that I also made you laugh during the tears since I tried very hard to throw in some comedy lest I get dragged away by the schmaltz police! LOL

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I know you said you probably wouldn't be giving me prompt reviews anymore because of your schedule, but in your case I'll take what I can get, and I hope the story will still give you the mood boost as it always has in the past as you adjust to your new changes in life.

I think these poor characters have gone through enough drama (aside from Edgeworth but only because I haven't settled his storyline yet!) So I'm happy that you appreciate the slightly slower change of pace into just a simple romance and fluff on the side!

Hee! Referring to Larry as the George Costanza of the Ace Attorney world is hilarious since Larry himself has referred to himself at the loser living in the loser shack! I know this story has been very tragic in many moments but I refuse to kill off Iris either by licking a stamp or having anything else horrible to happen to her! Tragedy is done they will now sail off into the sunset alongside Maggey and Gumshoe and Pearl and Luke and Nick and Maya on the happy couple Love Boat!

 _The wedding was just wonderful. The custom vows were just great, and it makes me wish someone would do a reading of this entire piece just because of how epic it would sound. I'd volunteer, but my voice sounds terrible on tape. You've really accomplished something great with this story, and it's not even over yet._

I should probably ask my darling friend who created the video montage for Turnabout Everlasting if he would be up for such a project - that Australian accent just clinches it and he's got a voice that could melt butter! LOL

Let's see if you're right about Edgeworth wanting to drown his sorrows in booze – you reckon he'll use Hendricks as his customized taxi if so?

Some people will have their…memorable moments at the reception but I can't promise if one of them is Larry! I _did_ promise to spare my readers the conception scenes of him and Iris's future offspring but now am tempted to mention that he _does_ wear boxer shorts with hearts on them - _just because_ you put that image in my head! XD


	160. Forever Your Girl

_A/N: As we speak right now Larry and Iris are in my top four OTP's – Phaya, Fredgeworth, Feyt and Larris. Proof of this preference of mine can be seen by the fabulous new fan art I have as a profile picture, and therefore as one of my favorite couples I wanted to give them a proper wedding reception which includes most of the associated activity with the ceremony after-party, including speeches! Once again size matters ...the reception will be finished next chapter, and then the newlywed sail off into the sunset! I have greatly missed my readers (stupid health/life!) and I hope things calmed down enough now so I can resume regular updates, so without further ado on with the story!_

* * *

 _Hey baby, just remember I'm forever your girl._  
 _Baby, forever, and ever and ever, you know I am._

 _Baby, pick your head up, (head up)_  
 _come on and look me in the face,_  
 _'cause I can tell that something is bringin' you down._  
 _(Why are you down?)_  
 _Is it the rumor that another boy wants to take your place?_  
 _(I hear he's after your heart.)_  
 _Have you been hearin' the stories?_  
 _They're goin' around._  
 _(All of my friends are talkin'.)_  
 _Baby, just remember I gave you my heart,_  
 _ain't no-one gonna tear us apart._  
 _He can promise the moon and the stars above,_  
 _even if he promised me the world;_

 _Just remember I'm forever your girl._  
 _He could promise the world._  
 _Just remember, I'm forever your girl._

 _Honey, listen to me,_  
 _Your love is all I need._  
 _You should know that I don't need nothin'_  
 _That money can buy._  
 _So if a boy were to come along_  
 _And try to make me leave you,_  
 _(Girl, I'd go out of my mind.)_  
 _There'd be no reason to worry,_  
 _I'm tellin' you why._  
 _(I need to hear that you really love me.)_  
 _Baby, don't you know that I love you,_  
 _And I'd never put nobody above you._  
 _He could promise the moon and the stars above,_  
 _Even if he promised me the world._

 _Just remember I'm forever your girl._  
 _He could promise the world._  
 _Just remember, I'm forever your girl._  
 _I'm forever your baby._

 _Just remember I'm forever your girl._  
 _He could promise the world._  
 _Just remember, I'm forever your girl._  
 _When the mountains crumble in to the sea,_  
 _that's the day someone will come between you and me._  
 _Baby, just remember I gave you my heart,_  
 _ain't no-one gonna tear us apart._  
 _Baby, he could promise me diamonds,_  
 _even in he promised me pearls;_  
 _honey, you know I ain't lyin',_  
 _listen as I tell it to the world._

 _Just remember I'm forever your girl._  
 _He could promise the world._  
 _Just remember, I'm forever your girl._

 _Girl you know I love you,_  
 _And I always will._  
 _If we live till forever,_  
 _I'll be lovin' you still._  
 _just remember I'm forever your girl._  
 _He could promise the world._  
 _Just remember, I'm forever your girl._  
 _I'm forever your baby,_  
 _I'm forever your girl._

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Sixty:** **Forever Your Girl**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth, Phaya and Feyt**_  
 _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 7:30 PM

 _Love is truly a wondrous thing!_ Phoenix marveled to himself. _It can not only move mountains, but can allow even the most acrophobic man, such as myself, to get so lost in the illuminating eyes of his gorgeous, recently reunited lover, that he can literally overlook that he's a harrowing_ _ **10, 000 feet**_ _in the air!_

The former defense attorney gingerly stretched his legs once more as he stepped out of the taxicab which had brought the five of them to the famous LA hotel, after Edgeworth had dropped off the Fop Copter back at the Prosecutor's Office. Hoping nobody would notice, he vigorously rubbed his hands up and down his thighs to recommence feeling in them once more, as they had gone slightly numb from holding Maya in his lap for the duration of the flight from Kurain.

 _Love also allows me to temporarily forget losing nearly all circulation in my legs from holding said beauty on my lap for the entire 45 minutes flight! Even with Porfirio's gaudy ostentatious creation no longer on her to prove, as it originally suggested, that Maya was apparently_ _ **not**_ _carrying an additional_ _ **30 or 40 pounds**_ _on her frame, she's still no_ _ **bag of feathers,**_ _either! Or maybe I just need to go back to biking everywhere?!_

The Beverly Wilshire Hotel was truly a sight to behold. The outside view from the hotel overlooked the ritzy Rodeo Drive, as well as the sparkling city lights of Beverly Hills and beyond, infusing the five of them with a distinct sense of glamour and luxuriousness.

The pianist hadn't fully grasped just _how_ grandeur the venue initially intended for Maya's wedding reception would be until the group of them entered the premises. The indoor spaces exuded a grand elegance, accented by rich wood, marble, crown mouldings and French crystal, causing Pearl and Luke to openly gape at the lavishness of their surroundings.

Howbeit, once they'd entered The Ballroom, it was _Phoenix's_ turn to do the gawking, as he was not only unaccustomed to such finery, but wholly unprepared for the sight that greeted him, Maya, Edgeworth and the teens as they entered the enormous location of the soirée.

The impressively decorated stateroom was a formal venue with 21-foot columns, beveled mirrors and a marble balustrade surrounding the parameters, which also featured a large permanent dance floor. The abstract Oceana carpet was a key highlight, creating style from the bottom up. Matching the ocean curves were large Italian-crystal chandeliers, flavescent fabric wall panels, crown mouldings and large beveled floor-to-ceiling mirrors on silk-paneled walls. Decorative crystal wall sconces framed the room, and added a romantic glow to the evening ambience. A formal stage with velvet curtains accommodated the five-piece band, which was set up and playing an orchestral version of "At Last" by Etta James, with the area in front of the raised platform affording each dinner table a clear view of the performance.

"I can't believe how resplendent the place is!" Luke shook his head in awe. "Back in Europe we have castles of course, but… _this_ just takes the biscuit!"

"It's easily the most fabulous hotel I've ever seen!" The starry-eyed Pearl clasped her hands to her cheeks as she took in their surroundings. "And here I thought _the Gatewater Hotel_ was fancy!"

"Gatewater?" Maya snickered. " _Please_! This film place of _Pretty Woman_ makes that old pile of bricks look like a cheap motel in a bad horror movie, don't you think, Nick?"

While Phoenix shared the opinion that Gatewater by far paled in comparison to their current surrounding, he couldn't help but wince at his girlfriend's candid observation, yet obvious _approbation_ for _this_ opulent lifestyle, which he knew would _never_ be within _his_ reach!

 _What's also beyond depressing is that a room at just the_ _ **Gatewater,**_ _forget_ _ **this hotel**_ _, was barely within my budget when I was_ _ **an Ace Attorney**_ _, never mind_ _ **now,**_ _as a_ _ **seedy card shark**_ _!_

Before the poker champion could lamely echo that he shared the same admiring sentiments regarding the place, the village leader was already squealing over the large banner that was hanging down from overhead.

" _Wow_ will you look at that! I guess you really _do_ get what you pay for! These people are _totally_ on the ball, considering they had almost zilch notice about the sudden change in newlywed couple!"

The friends all snickered as they looked up and saw that the words which had previously read _'Congratulations_ _Maya and Longines!'_ on it had been hastily scribbled out with a black marker, and now read _'Congratulations Iris and Lawrence!'_

"The person who made that last-minute alteration _definitely_ couldn't have been an acrophobic _like_ you, Nick!" Maya tittered, still staring up at the sign. "That ceiling is easily a good 30 feet high! Can you imagine the height of the _ladder_ they must've needed to get all the way up there?!"

"There is no wall to lean a climbing apparatus against, since the placard is hanging down from the _center_ beam, so it's very unlikely that they used a _ladder_ , Maya!" Phoenix reflexively corrected her. "More than likely, they would've required a _stepladder_ to do the job!"

" _Why_ are you still so narrow-minded, Old Man?" Maya shrieked back, as was tradition. "Didn't my sister teach you to _think outside the box_?!"

Phoenix groaned. "Maya, I swear, sometimes you –"

" _Surely thou jest_?" Edgeworth face palmed. "Are you two _seriously_ going to continuously have this _cockamamie debate_ for the rest of your lives?!"

"Perhaps we should stake claim of a table?" Luke quickly intervened, ever the peace-loving gentleman. "Shall I assume we get premiere dibs, since no one else had arrived just yet?"

Since they were literally the first guests to get there, the Feys dropped their evening clutches at the front, closest to the sweetheart table which had been set up for the newlyweds, which was as superbly decorated as the rest of the space.

Each round reception table, paired with gold chiavari chairs, were white linen covered and adorned with ivory or blush linens. Gold chargers and matching colored candlesticks, low and tall arrangements of blush roses and white hydrangea centerpieces, as well as blush and gold accents, completed the elegant look.

Edgeworth's discerning steel gaze swept over the sophisticated place settings and gleaming tableware.

"The dining décor alone is quite impressive." The urbane gentleman's sharp eyes zeroed in on the intricately detailed glass vases holding the decadent florals. "If I'm not mistaken, these are genuine crystal, René Lalique 'Ibis' Vases, which are directly imported from France. I've seen their _entry_ price range go as high as four digits _apiece_."

 _Lord have mercy_! Phoenix's jaw dropped to his chest upon hearing such an outlandish price for what, to _him_ , had appeared to be a _simple glass_ flower container! _The cost of these vases for 400 dinner guests would be at_ _ **least several years' annual salary**_ _back when I was a lawyer!_

Unaware of how overwhelmed he'd just made his best friend with his speculative commentary, Edgeworth's well-manicured fingers were now trailing over one of the forks.

"This particular quartz _jardiniere_ model is easily about $7500 starting price! Also, these settings are comprised of no ordinary stainless steel hotel flatware. This is _genuine sterling silver_ cutlery with actual 10 karat _gold_ inlaid! Between the crystal designer for Cartier vases and the dining utensils, it's hard to tell _which_ would've had a more grandiose price tag. I can't even fathom how much each place setting would have been. Longines was most definitely a man of cultivated tastes indeed."

 _If the cultured_ _ **Miles Edgeworth**_ _can't even figure out the nosebleed_ _price tags of the flatware, which seems like it's best_ _ **suited for royalty**_ _not_ _ **regular folk**_ _, I'm going to assume that_ _ **one setting alone**_ _would cost more than I would make in a_ _ **lifetime**_ _as a pianist!_ Phoenix contemplated miserably. _I couldn't even claim to have ever been able to afford such superfluity, even on a smaller scale, badge or no badge! Heck, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Maya willingly gave up a life of this kind of luxury for_ _ **me**_ _!_

"There's _refined_ , and then there's outright _ridiculous_ , which my former fiancé rarely was with his wealth!" Maya waved her hand dismissively. "The most Groomzilla stunt he tried was actually imagining he could get _President Schwarzenegger_ to attend, and primarily wanted _The Pope_ to officiate! As for purchases, the only extravagant thing he had a direct hand in requesting was the 50,000 pink peach blossoms, most of which I see have been used in decorating this hotel lobby and reception hall!"

"It _was_ also rather nice see the Japanese imported floral arrangements as homage to the Fey ancestry," Luke commented. "Plus, all those iris flowers were a nice touch, considering who the _bride_ turned out to be!"

"True," Maya agreed. "Things happen for a reason! Also, the splashiest thing I've ever seen Longines blow his money on was that summoned helicopter for when he made his grand exit. The outrageous vases and tableware were more than likely _Mildew's_ doing, in her attempt to fleece as much coin out of the poor guy as possible, so that she could skim more off the top!"

"Can I reiterate how I cannot _wait_ to help you _uncover_ and then _expose_ that diabolical fiend's shady crimes, Edgeworth?" Phoenix muttered darkly to his friend, who simply cracked a half smile and nodded in response.

"Neither can _I_! And I'll help you Ace investigators out any way I can!" Maya grinned. "But anyway, one of the things I genuinely liked about Longines was although he has more money than he'll ever be able to spend, he's always been pretty down to earth overall, and was never been one to frivolously throw it around on such insignificant _shi-shi frou-frou_ details such as _this_!"

Hearing this made Phoenix feel somewhat placated about his circumstances, despite knowing that compared to the hair heir, he still fell pitifully short by comparison as any sort of provider for the woman he loved.

 _That's my girl!_ _At the end of the day, Maya doesn't care about superficial splendor despite moving in more elite circles and now being a woman of great wealth herself! She's still the same, low-key burger lover she's always been…_

"People generally don't care about silly stuff like wedding _décor_! But they'll always remember the _food_!" Maya eyes lit up as she spotted the small hors d'oeuvres buffet next to the bar. "Is that a _Belgian_ chocolate _and_ cheese fountain I see over there? Oooh…and I think I spotted some crab and lobster stuffed mushrooms, too! Hot diggity! _Come to mama!_ "

"I fancy a bite as well! That nosh all looks so positively scrummy!"

The burger queen took off like lightning towards the elaborate spread of appetizers, with Luke, man of equally hearty appetite, dashing off alongside her.

 _And…I'm back to feeling pathetic yet again!_

Phoenix's shoulders slumped despairingly as Mildred's poisonous last words about how nothing had changed, and how he'd remained nothing more than a disgraced pariah who was far beneath the prestigious Kurain Master came back to haunt him again.

 _Indulgent seafood appetizers and imported desserts…_ _ **two**_ _ **more**_ _things that I can't afford!_

"Maya!" He called after the gluttonous Master, who, like the English lad, was already loading up her plate as though she'd just suffered through a famine. "It's pretty late now, and I'm sure dinner is going to served as soon as the other guests get here, which will probably be in less than an half an hour! Are you sure you want to spoil your appetite already?!"

"Gimme a break, Nick!" Maya scowled at him through a mouthful of smoked salmon mousse. "I've barely eaten in _two months_ trying to ensure I fit into that blasted wedding gown, and I plan to make sure that I _never_ fit into that damn thing, or any other _size two_ garment, _ever_ again! Besides, since _when_ am _I_ ever incapable of clearing a plate?!"

"She's got a point there, Mr. Nick!" Pearl clapped a hand over her mouth to smother a giggle. "Also, you seem to have forgotten that _Luke's_ no stranger to _packing it away_ , either! By the way, I sure hope none of the congregation's _lactose intolerant_ , since the wedding cake is multi-tiers of _actual cheese,_ as well!"

"If a lot of the guests _do_ have gastrointestinal problems due to the dining menu, it'll make for a type of _musical_ experience that's _far different_ from the kind the _band_ could provide!" Phoenix quipped, grinning in spite of himself at the thought. "It's a good thing that at least _neither_ _the_ _bride nor groom_ have digestive dairy issues to worry about on their wedding night!"

"I'd have thought having a both a fromage wedding cake _and_ fountain may have been dairy overkill too," the teen admitted, twittering at his joke. "But watching those two _go to town_ at that buffet has me thinking that dipping some broccoli florets into a cheese cascade would be pretty yummy right about now!"

"Pearly, get over here and try this thing! Forget _veggies_! They have _meatballs, croissants_ and _mini taquitos_ you can dip, too!" Maya was already filling up her second plate. "The little sign says that this is _Beaufort D'ete_ cheese! It's the _Prince of Gruyères!_ I fell in love with it in France, and this stuff normally costs $45 a pound!"

As Pearl eagerly made her way over to join her boyfriend and cousin, the chess enthusiast inserted his own wry commentary before the spiky-haired man could mentally resume his _pauper pity-party_.

"Speaking of _Mexican_ fodder," Edgeworth drawled. "I realize the musical group is called _The Pink Tacos_ , and is also an attempt at cheeky euphemism. Nevertheless, don't you think it's _in slightly poor taste_ that they have _a rose-colored tortilla shell_ as their band's emblem, emblazoned both on the stage flag _and_ on their drum set?"

"Just a _tad_ ," Phoenix agreed with a smirk just as the band changed their music from purely instrumental to a lyrical number. "They were undoubtedly hired by Armstrong, although they're surprisingly decent, all things considered. Hey, I think this is a Cyndi Lauper song they're playing now."

All traces of amusement vanished from the logical genius's face as he recognized the cover made famous by the 80's icon.

It was "Time After Time."

A wave of nostalgia washed over the slate-haired man as he listened to the bittersweet song which had always reminded him of Franziska, who'd always feared someday, he would be so far away from her that she'd never be able to catch up…and so ultimately had decided to change the tides and have _him_ be the one who was left behind. He clenched his jaw.

"I'm going to get a drink," he announced curtly to the surprised Baron of Bluffing as he stalked towards the unattended bar. "I think a strong double dose of _Abe's Tropical Night in Hell_ would be most fitting right about now. With the emphasis being on the _from hell_ part!"

" _Already_? Come on! The band's not _that_ objectionable!" The clueless pianist called after his friend as he hastily followed him. "Besides, you need to wait! The bartender isn't here yet!"

"I'll mix it _myself_!" Edgeworth retorted grumpily, already grabbing a tumbler. "When I took that year off, I obtained my bartender's certification at the same time I acquired my helicopter license."

"Perhaps it'd be a much shorter list if you told us the list of things you _can't_ do, Renaissance Man!" Phoenix joked, reaching for the mixed cocktail glass which had just graciously been poured for him. "Wow! This stuff's sweeter than what I normally drink, but it's not half bad! Is this _chocolate_ liqueur I'm tasting?"

"Banana and chocolate liqueur, along with vodka and grenadine syrup," Edgeworth affirmed, pouring himself a double dose of the concoction into his own glass and downing half of it in one gulp. "I'm going to need more than a few of these if I'm going to make it through this evening, Wright!"

* * *

 **Main Courses**

 _ **Carpaccio of Maldivian long line caught yellow fin tuna**_ _  
Fanning an island of Rio Grande Valley avocado crème fraiche,  
topped with young coconut, with splash of Goan lime, coriander  
and sprinkled with toasted organic sesame seeds _

**OR**

 _ **Pacific Ocean black cod fillet  
**_ _Hand-glazed with a Japanese tamari and Manuka honey reduction.  
Delicately balanced on a sumptuous organic pearl barley risotto,  
hand in hand with a delightful English courgette flower beignet, teriyaki jus_

 **OR**

 _ **Roasted fillet of Australian Kobe beef  
**_ _Nestling in a Kent garden pea puree,  
temptingly accompanied by a succulent spinach and onion compote,  
to die for, triple-cooked Mans Piper chips and Indonesian long pepper sauce_

 **Dessert**

 _ **Hereford organic blackcurrant soufflé  
**_ _Snuggled up with a swirl of Kentish apple and sorrel sorbet,  
Kentish apple blossoms perched on top, with crunchy  
Turkish hazelnut crumble_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 9:15 PM

The evening meal was superlative, although as pretentious as one could have expected for a billionaire wedding reception. The calligraphy menu, each individually hand-written and laid next to each dinner plate, informed the guests of their gourmet fare. An hour or so later, the remaining guests had all arrived and were feasting on the decadent meal, which was undoubtedly the most sumptuous Phoenix had ever tasted in his entire life. He'd opted to have the beef, having never been an avid seafood lover, despite the snooty know-it-all Miles Edgeworth nitpicking the idiocy behind the term " _Australian_ Kobe Beef!"

" _Who_ hired these _insipid_ menu writers? Why bastardize cuisine _authenticity_ in favor of _affectation_?" The legal legend had complained while refilling his seemingly bottomless chalice of wine, his tongue getting progressively looser with every glass. "Did they _ride_ the cattle from _Japan_ , which, incidentally, is the _only_ _true place of Kobe beef_ , and _through the Outback_ prior to slaughtering, in order to _justify_ giving the beef dish its _philistine_ name?!"

"Hey, as far as _I'm_ concerned, it doesn't matter _what_ they call it or _where_ it came from!" Gumshoe, who'd also opted for the beef, merrily savored his last bite. "All that matters is where it's _going_ , which is right in my tummy, and that it was _delicious_!"

 _Good ol' Gumshoe! Good to see money hasn't changed him in the least!_

The spiky-haired man grinned at the Chief, pleased to note that in spite of having amassed wealth for many years now, the former detective was still the same down-to-earth, delightfully _unsophisticated_ big lug he'd always been.

In spite of the fact that earlier on, Phoenix had been bristling at the unintended triggering factors around him, which had only further fueled his own feelings of inadequacy due to his comparatively abysmal shortcomings, he was in a better mind-set now. He was honestly enjoying both the meal and the company immensely, and was finally beginning to unwind from the crazy day. The free-flowing wine at the table, coupled with the cocktails he had enjoyed with Edgeworth prior to dinner, had relaxed him enough to put all his misgivings about his dubious future aside, and for now, he could actually say he was having a good time.

The Pink Tacos, in spite of their _highly unsuitable_ name, were actually a very talented band. All evening, they'd been playing the perfect blend of romantic cover ballads, along with soulful instrumental tunes. The spiky-haired man was seated between Maya and Edgeworth, with Pearl and Luke (who was holding Feyt in his lap and discreetly feeding him bites of his beef) Sister Bikini (who was pretending not to notice), Matilda, Gumshoe and Maggey, and Max and Regina rounding out the table, and everyone was merrily chatting and laughing.

"I still don't know where you put all that food away, Maya!" Maggey shook her head ruefully. "I had to pretty much _starve_ myself this past half year in order to get back into pre-baby Jeff shape and fit into this outfit, and I needed to wear Spanx under this strapless gown regardless! And yet _you_ were still diving into the appetizers when we got here, _and_ somehow managed to polish off all _four_ courses?!"

"You even put _me_ to shame, Maya!" Luke snickered. "The good professor always used to rib _me_ about being a _walking human dustbin_ – I don't know _what_ he would say upon seeing _you_ in action tonight, since you ate like a bird in England!"

"That's because Mystic Maya couldn't find the palette for _blood sausage_ or _steak and kidney pie_!" Pearl wrinkled her nose. "Can't say I blame her there!"

"The legendary Fey _six stomachs_ prevail!" Maya boasted proudly, patting her flat stomach. "Nick always told me my metabolism would catch up to me one of these days if I kept being such a glutton, but so far, so good! Still a size four – or at least, I _will_ be back up to it after tonight! I'm on a mission to gain back those two dress sizes I was forced to lose!"

"If _I_ ate like you all the time, Maya, I'd bust the seams of my circus costume!" Regina griped cheerfully. "Luckily, being an animal trainer for a living doubles as a workout, so I can afford to indulge on occasional rich dishes like this without worrying too much about my husband having _more of me to love_!"

"It is most impressive how you've managed to have the opposite woe of most women _and_ men, you lucky girl!" Max's eyes danced with jollity. " _I_ need to watch what I eat most times if I'm going to keep from breaking those flying cables of mine or want to keep baring these abs! If you weren't so awesomesauce, sweetie, I'd _totally_ hate you!"

"What's _really_ most impressive is how she managed to sweet-talk the serving staff into giving her _all three dishes_!" Phoenix chuckled. "Considering it wasn't _supposed_ to be a four course meal, but the choice of _one_ main, plus the dessert!"

"I just told them if having the beef, the tuna _and_ the cod costs extra, to just put it on Longines's bill! I'm sure he won't mind!" Maya smiled innocently, then winked at her boyfriend. "And luckily, Nick thinks having a _lusty appetite_ is _sexy_!"

"I figure, why not let her go nuts?" Phoenix shrugged good-naturedly. "As long as _I'm_ not paying it, _nothing_ is too good for my Maya!"

Everyone burst out laughing at his witticism until a horrible thought hit him as soon his own chortling had subsided.

 _Wait! Why am_ _ **I**_ _laughing?! As long as she's with me, this will be the_ _ **only**_ _time Maya is going to get to such fine dining, unless it's on_ _ **her**_ _dime, since at this point in my life, I would need to save up_ _ **a week's paycheck**_ _to even support her former_ _ **burger**_ _ **habit!**_

Before he could fully slide down the slippery slope of lamenting his plight, and inability to support the lifestyle it appeared his lover had now become accustomed to, Maya was already wiping her hands off on her linen napkin and hauling him up by the arm.

"The band is still on break, so while everybody else is still finishing off their dinner, we might as well _carpe diem_! Come on Nick, speech time!"

" _Speech_?! _What_ _speech_?!" He goggled at his girlfriend, uncertain that he'd heard her properly. "What the heck are you talking about, Maya?"

"You were best man at my cousin's wedding, Nick," she explained patiently. "This customarily means that you, along with Pearly, as maid of honor, need to say a few kind words of congratulations up at the podium for the happy newlyweds!"

"Are you _serious_?" Phoenix felt himself beginning to sweat drop. "This wedding was thrown together at the 11th hour! I don't have any sort of speech prepared!"

"I haven't gotten anything either, Mystic Maya." Pearl bit her thumb and regarded her cousin shyly. "I don't mind saying a few words, but would you mind taking over the maid of honor speech on my behalf? I get very nervous with public speaking, and I don't want to ruin my big sister's wedding because of my nerves!"

"Of course Pearly," Maya replied kindly. "I've actually put together some thoughts, as I was using the time in between courses to look up some speech pointers online and jot down notes with my cell phone. Nick, why didn't _you_ do that?"

"Number one, I don't think my archaic dumb phone even has _data_!" Phoenix retorted, still feeling slightly queasy at the whole notion. "I'm lucky I even have _solitaire_ on this ancient thing! And number two, since this sudden duty of mine was sprung on me as _unexpectedly as the ceremony itself_ , I couldn't have possibly had the foresight to have attempted to do said mobile web research! And number three…"

"You're too technologically incompetent to even _know_ how to do such a thing!" The ever direct Edgeworth inserted dryly. "Stop dragging your feet and just go up there and _wing_ _it_ , Wright! It's what you do _best_!"

"Edgeworth!" Phoenix hissed into his best friend's ear, affecting his most beseeching voice. "You're a much more articulate speaker than I am! Can't _you_ go up in my place?"

" _Negative_!" Was slate-haired man's heartless reply as he drained the last droplets out of his ever-present bottle of Merlot into his wineglass and sipped at it pleasurably. "I could never support shirking your duty as a best man, especially when _I_ was merely a groomsman for a wedding which I _also_ had no preparation for whatsoever, including with my attire! Besides, I'm hardly in the right mindset to be a barrel of laughs in such an environment, in case you have already forgotten?"

Phoenix moaned inwardly. He _had_ briefly overlooked the prosecutor's own inner turmoil, and how enduring the awkwardness surrounding the impromptu occasion had to be _just_ as discomfiting for the normally stoic man, as it was for _himself_ , if not _more_ so!

"Can't you at least give me a few pointers about what is expected for me to say?" He implored pitifully. "Anything at all?!"

"Certainly!" Edgeworth raised his voice so that it was audible by the entire table then as he lifted his goblet in a mock toast. "Love: a single word, a wispy thing, a word no bigger or longer than an edge. That's what it is: an edge; a razor. It draws up through the center of your life, cutting everything in two. Before and after. The rest of the world falls away on either side."

There was a dead silence at the table as everybody else, completely unaware of the circumstances surrounding the thinly-veiled jocoserious barb, eyed their normally debonair, eloquent friend in disbelief.

Phoenix gawked at the other man in open-mouthed dismay. While nowhere as articulate or socially skilled as the magenta-suited man, even _he_ knew that absolutely _**no part**_ of that _utterance_ could be usable for anything in his sudden obligatory speech, unless his goal was to cause _spontaneous, combustive upheaval_! He also realized that the copious amounts of alcohol in his friend's system had dangerously loosened his tongue, and consequently, putting Miles Edgeworth in front of a microphone would not be a wise idea _at all!_

From somewhere within himself the best man managed to conjure up a light laugh, as if to make it appear that his friend _had_ only been jesting, forcing a smile on his face as he rose from his seat.

"Ha-ha, good one Edgeworth! Never mind then, I'll be fine. Er, I'll think of _something,_ I'm sure! I tend to do my best when put on the spot in situations like this. Well, for the _most_ part, anyway…"

Still shooting one last, dubious glance at Edgeworth, Maya followed Pearl up to the podium, waving her hand in a beckoning motion for her boyfriend to follow her.

"Let's go Nick! No point in trying to delay the inevitable! Worst case scenario…just picture everyone in the audience is naked! It works every time! Just keep your view off Reverend Paesano, because that'd be too _gross_ – and possibly _sacrilege,_ what with him being _a holy man_ and all!"

"Make it good, Wright!" Edgeworth gave him a mock salute, seeming to enjoy his friend's obvious stage fright. "Yours is the first speech of the night, and shall set mood for the entire evening! And be sure to mention how the happy couple has skipped _one_ of the _five proverbial rings_ during their whirlwind courtship!"

" _Five_ rings?" The unassuming Luke asked blankly. "What do you mean?"

"Always remember the _five rings of matrimony_ , good lad!" The former demon prosecutor was practically snarling in his drink as he voiced his _ever-so-slightly_ slurred answer. "The engagement ring, the wedding ring…but let us not forget _the_ _inevitable_ _**suffering**_ , the _**torturing**_ and the _**enduring**_!"

 _It's a good thing Pearls isn't here to see how my never one to mince words companion's insensitive commentary on the sanctity of marriage has just made her apparent "wedding aversion" beau turned_ _ **50 Shades of Pale**_ _! I'm going to take this as my cue to hightail it up to the microphone and get away from the newest wave of deafening silence my tipsy best friend has stirred at the formerly happy table!_

Phoenix practically bolted up to the microphone at the podium beside Pearl and Maya and lightly tapped at it to ensure the sound was on.

"Testing. Testing, one, two, three…"

The speakers noisily echoed his shaky voice at a high pitch through the room, causing some of the guests literally stop dining and conversing and cover their ears at the earsplitting sound. The former King of the Turnabout flinched at the embarrassing blunder, finding only marginal comfort in the sympathetic smile he got from Pearl and the gentle squeeze of his hand his girlfriend gave him.

He felt the color mounting to his cheeks and flashed the room an embarrassed smile. He was also fully aware of the ever present Jesse, who had, _naturally_ , caught his faux pas on video, as the videographer and Lotta were front and center, already in picture snapping and filming mode.

Seated at their sweetheart table in the front centre of the room next to the the stage, both Larry and Iris treated him to an encouraging smile. Clearing his throat, the best man commenced the _biggest fly by the seat of his pants_ moment of his life since his impromptu pianist debut for Maya at The Borscht Bowl club back in 2019, when he'd played "I Will Break Every Law For You."

"Hi. Sorry about that folks." Phoenix smiled weakly as he wildly pondered where to begin. "Ah, good evening ladies and gentlemen. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Phoenix Wright. I'm Larry's childhood friend and also his best man. My role today is, er as unexpected, as the wedding itself! This means, I didn't have time to have a speech prepared, so I'm going to do traditionally what I do best…"

"You mean you're going to _bluff_ your way through this?" Larry wisecracked, to the unanimous merriment of the guests.

"Ha-ha! Um, no…" Phoenix scratched the back of the neck in an endearing fashion. "Ah, OK I'm going to do what I've been known to historically do _second-best_! I'm going to pull something out of thin air and _hope_ … _**for**_ _the_ _best_!"

There was another roar from the invitees, which made the pianist relax somewhat as he went on.

"I have never been a best man before, and I am not renowned for my speech writing, although I'll give this my all…such as it were. It was a great honor to be asked by Larry to be his best man on this important day in his life. Larry and I have done many things together during our almost life-long friendship. Over the years we've built go-carts together, rode our bikes together, tried to chat up girls together – note the word " _tried_ " there!"

Another appreciative laugh from the crowd.

"Like all friends, we've certainly had our ups as well as our downs. I remember back to times when a petty argument would arise from nowhere. Then Larry would call me ' _barbed head'_ , and I'd call him _'smelly Butz'_. And then it would spiral out of all proportion and we'd each end up running home in tears. But sure enough, the next day, Larry would drop by my house and we'd make up, as all good friends do, no matter how old. Our friendship has been through its share of ups and downs, but we'll _always_ be friends."

Phoenix shot the newlyweds a winsome smile.

"Before I finish, I'd like to ask Larry and Iris to participate in this little speech now. Iris if I can ask you to place your hand flat on the table, yes, palm down dear..."

Hesitantly, Iris obeyed the instructions, a confused smile on her lovely face. The speaker beamed broadly, then turned to the groom.

"Right, Larry, if you would please place your hand directly on top of Iris, yes, just like that. There we go! Now Larry, I want you to make the most of this moment…"

Phoenix waited for dramatic effect, his legendary courtroom theatrics in full effect.

"…Because it's the _last time_ you'll have _the upper hand_!"

The best man paused as everyone cracked up, especially the bride and groom, feeling his confidence mounting as he rounded the bend.

"In seriousness though, Iris and Larry have begun a truly wonderful life together. Today's ceremony sealed together two spirits that have already begun traveling the path of two becoming one, in a lifetime of love. Love is not obsession or desperation. Love is passion, yes, but it is a silent one. Love is trust. It has no expectations. It is trusting the Divine. It is trusting in Love's own power. There is no control or manipulation attached to it. Love is energy, and energy must move all the time. Expansion, creation, beauty, friendship, all is Love. Love is simple, yet a miracle."

Phoenix took a deep breath as he thought about the closing words to wrap-up his unplanned, but totally wholehearted oration.

"I offer my own blessings to you both, my friends, for a continued happy journey down that path, in a long, prosperous, and happy life together. And I'm honored and proud to stand here today, and ask all of you to raise a glass to him and to his lovely bride, Iris. May you be friends to each other as only lovers can, and may you love each other as only best friends can! Congratulations!"

He was smiling bashfully as he received a round of hearty applause when he was done, and blushed as Maya leaned forward to peck him on the cheek before taking his hand and stepping back, giving the chance for Pearl to step up to the microphone.

* * *

"Wow, thanks for paving the way for me, Mr. Nick! You did a great job!"

The teen beamed at Phoenix and gave him a thumbs up, then faced the guests with a demure smile.

"I'm not sure what to say here. I'm Pearl Fey, Iris's little sister, the maid of honor. I never knew Larry very well before he courted Sis, so I can't tell you guys a bunch of horrible _before and after_ stories of him…but I _can_ tell you that I think he was _meant_ for my sister! He's a true romantic and I _love_ the way he proposed to her! He's adventurous, spontaneous, enthusiastic, and has a spice for life. For as long as I've known him, he's always been easy going, interesting, easy to talk to, and he fits so well into our family – he's just like the brother I never had!"

Pearl hadn't planned on gushing, but her hands automatically had flown to her cheeks, and she was beaming like a ray of sunshine as she wrapped up.

"I wish Larry and Iris years and years of happiness, joy and love, even more than they've experienced today, surrounded by their friends and family. Anyone who could be half as happy as this couple is would be happy all the days of their life, with happiness to spare. Larry, welcome to the family. Sis, I love you! Congratulations!"

The spirit medium blushed as there was another warm round of clapping, then she stepped back and allowed Maya to take over next, although unlike Phoenix and Pearl, there was no timidity or hesitation on the Master's face as she cheerfully addressed the masses.

* * *

"Thank you, Pearly, and moreover, thank you Nick. I agree, you _did_ give a great speech, despite it being _completely improvised_ , and even though _I_ have the techy skills to have done a bit of online research to compose my thoughts, that memorable homily is still going to be a tough act to follow!"

Maya was bubblier than a bottle of champagne.

"As the best man said, we have gathered to honor the wedding of Larry and Iris. I don't get all dressed up for just _anyone_ , but when two people who are so in love tell me to put on my fancy clothes, _this_ is what happens. They say love is blind, but I don't know if I believe that. _Everyone_ _within a twenty mile radius_ of lovebirds can clearly see the ridiculous amounts of love between the two of you. Men may be from Mars and women may be from Venus, but Larry, Iris…you are so in love it astounds the entire universe!"

The invitees tittered at the wit of the gregarious village leader, who thanks to her line of work, was perfectly at home publicly speaking.

"Cousin, not only are you the epitome of kindness and selflessness, you're obviously persistent in your endeavors, but never overbearing or ruthless. Furthermore, you've always maintained your ladylike composure, with inimitable class and grace that is equal to any nobility or sovereign, which I've always both admired and envied. Iris, I am so proud to have you as my family, and as much as you have protected me, I too feel protective of you, even though now I see that beneath your gentle demeanor, you never really needed a hand to hold, because you are strong and courageous and can hold your own in this world."

Maya's eyes filled with tears of emotion as she looked at cousin, who gave her a loving, slightly teary smile in return.

"For those of you who don't know my incredible cousin, allow me to regale you. Although she can easily stand by herself, her heart yearns for more than the self-sufficiency she has achieved. Her enjoyment of heart-oneness is greater than her need for heart-safety. Her bliss in communion is greater than her need for deliberate communication. Her living art is to be free, surrendered open as her true power, the flow of infinite love."

Phoenix stood back with silent pride as the woman he loved did what she did best – captivated anybody and everybody around her. The guests were leaning forward in their chairs now, all intently listening to her speak with expectant smiles of delight.

"Now as Mrs. Butz, I am sure Iris will only grow stronger, and I have no doubt that she will be a wonderful wife to her husband. I only recently have become privy to just _how_ loyal and loving a kinswoman Iris been over the years, but as my family, I can say that I couldn't, in good conscience, have let her marry anyone who didn't deserve her. But _you_ , Larry Butz, have proven that you _more_ than deserve my cousin's hand."

Larry looked deeply touched by the homage being paid to him and his wife, and smiled genially, just as Maya's grin turned mischievous.

"Cousin Larry, on your wedding day, I'd like to remind you that while you can't _buy happiness_ – a luxury home and a few sports cars on the driveway could _totally help_!"

The crowd all laughed at the gag, but Phoenix felt the smile on his lips fading slightly as he realized _he_ was in zero position to provide _either_ of those things to the woman he wished to someday marry!

"I'm only kidding! Anyway, Larry for you, along with my best wishes, I also have some advices for the future," Maya went on gaily. "Number one: She is always right. Number two: She _always_ needs some new clothes or jewelry which are fitting for any occasion…along with a good bottle of imported vino…"

 _Ouch!_ Phoenix cringed inwardly even though he was certain – or rather, _praying_! –Maya was still only joking. _If_ _ **that's**_ _what it takes to truly keep a wife happy,_ _ **my**_ _broke ass is shit out of luck!_

"…Number three: for a happily married life, check advice number _one_ again!"

Maya still wasn't done.

"Let me add that the groom looks quite handsome today, and it is a real pleasure to welcome Larry into our family. He's come such a long way from when I first met him, when he wasn't more than a reckless scoundrel who couldn't even hold down a steady job _or_ girlfriend, and always needed Nick to bail him out of trouble! But look at how far he's come now! He's a renowned, respectable artist of worldwide acclaim who _anyone_ would be proud to join together with, and it is with great pride that we now embrace him as the newest part of the Fey clan!"

 _How times have changed!_ Phoenix winced inwardly, his feelings of despair slowly resurfacing. _Now_ _ **Larry's**_ _the respectable artist, and_ _ **I'm**_ _the borderline criminal loser hobo who wouldn't do members of this esteemed family_ _ **any favors**_ _by associating with or aligning themselves with me!_

Maya continued to chirp on, unaware of the dagger she'd just unwittingly pierced in her lover's heart – yet again.

"Larry not only has a genuine heart of gold, he is sweet and caring. He's also proven to be not only quite the gentleman, but he's still got that great sense of humor I've known and loved for ages! We know he's _made_ for us, and we hope _we're_ made for him! He and my cousin are a perfect fit. Larry to you, I would like to say that Iris is definitely at her happiest when she is standing by your side. The two of you didn't need to waste unnecessary extra time delaying the inevitable – you _both_ knew it was right for you make your union official for some time now – and just _went_ for it! In fact, I am inspired by a movie quote which I believe perfectly describes the love you guys share: _When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with a person, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible_."

 _Keep twisting that knife my love._ Phoenix shut his eyes. _Larry and Iris… Married after_ _ **six months**_ _of courtship…whereas_ _ **we**_ _are nowhere near altar-bound, despite being together for_ _ **six years**_ _…but who's counting, right?_

The spirit medium was drawing to a close now, and lifted the wine glass in her hand as she beamed at the newlyweds.

"These two people have committed themselves to one another today, and I know I consider myself a fortunate person to have been honored by being included in their wedding day. This is truly an occasion to celebrate, so let's raise our glasses and toast to a life full of love, and toast to Mr. and Mrs. Butz!"

Maya's speech resulted in another round of applause, but even though Phoenix joined in the clapping, which his lover richly deserved for her wonderful proclamations, his heart was no longer into it as his mind continued to replay the same unhappy treadmill of _tortures of poisonous past_.

All he could think about was the words of the Dragon Lady coming back to haunt him about he was _still_ a big fat _nobody_. Between that and seeing Maya's enthused reactions to the opulence of the reception hall, and _now_ hearing her speech, _then_ witnessing just _how at home_ his girlfriend seemed to be in all this splendor – he'd dare say she even _preferred_ it! –it only made him even more dejected.

Phoenix affixed the placid grin he'd perfected over the years and kept it in place as they returned to their table, smiling his thanks as their friends all effusively complimented him and the Feys on their moving and warmhearted speeches. He didn't need to worry much about how his sincere his reactions were, thankfully, as it was now the bride and groom's turns to speak at the podium.

* * *

 _ **Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne**_  
 _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 9:40 PM

Larry had an arm wrapped around his smiling wife's shoulders as he smilingly spoke into the microphone.

"Good evening everyone. I planned to do a very short speech today, but someone reminded me that this would be the only opportunity that I would have with my wife and mother-in-law in the same room and not get interrupted… so this may take some time! Nonetheless, I promise to maintain a fine balance – my testimonial today shall be like a mini skirt – long enough to cover the essentials, and short enough to hold your attention!"

Even Edgeworth had to crack a smile at that zinger while around the room, the invitees all hooted.

 _"_ Same old Butz, married or not," he muttered in Phoenix's ear, although he now sounded more full of wry affection rather than sounding like he was merely full of _piss and vinegar!_ "But I suppose we neither of us would have it any other way!"

Phoenix could only muster a slight smile in response, too lost in his own personal torment now to pay mind to much else as the groom went on.

"Most people on their wedding day describe it as the happiest day of their lives. That worries me, because it implies that as from tomorrow, there's a lifelong decline ahead, so I'm making the most of today. However, I'm so happy today that even days less happy would still be blissful."

The groom was grinning from ear to ear.

"Apart from my wife, there are two other beautiful ladies here whom I'd like to mention. Firstly, I would like to say thank you to the bridal attendants, my new cousin and sister-in-law, Maya and Pearl Fey. You both look amazeballs. It wouldn't have been the same without you two helping my Iris through today. I am so happy to call you family now."

Pearl and Maya smiled happily to be acknowledged in such a gracious manner and blew the bride and groom a kiss.

"Sister Bikini, I want to let you know that I have received: one daughter, in perfect, mint condition, fully guaranteed, fully warranted. Comes complete with all extras. As per my new cousin Maya's advice, I'll ensure to keep her topped up with expensive clothing, jewelry, and fine wine."

The Fey girls snickered along with all the others in the room, except for Phoenix, who felt the reminder of that specific part of Maya's speech as yet another twist of the blade in his heart, and was already pouring himself a glass of white wine, since Edgeworth had apparently consumed all the red!

"In all seriousness, though, I'd like to now pay homage to my new mother in law, Sister Bikini. I thank you not only for your constant hospitality and your kindness, but for also giving me your kind, loving daughter, Iris. I want to thank you for taking me into this family, as it really has meant a lot to me. Most importantly, thank you for raising such an angelic and beautiful woman. I promise you, I'll take good care of her."

Sister Bikini was openly weeping joyful tears at the touching words into her linen napkin, which she waved at Larry briefly while blowing the newlyweds multiple kisses, before resuming her happy sobbing while Matilda wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Larry smiled awkwardly, but then continued.

"Mystic Matilda, your contribution of unlocking my wife's mystical talents and aiding her spiritual journey to help form who she is today has been nothing short of amazing. I'd also like to thank you for all you've done."

Matilda smiled and waved with her free hand, then reached for another napkin to give the bride's mother, who'd soaked through her own already with her waterworks.

"Nick and Edgy, I also want thank my childhood best friends who've put up with me for all these years, helped me enormously over the ages, and have seen me through thick and thin. Mainly thick, if I'm being honest, yet you've both been there for me when I've needed you. On top of that, you've given me a wonderful start in life, with your gracious help and support of this marriage, and I'm very fortunate and proud to have you not only as my groomsmen but as the brothers I've never had."

Phoenix was momentarily shaken from his morose state to actually be touched by this unexpected acknowledgement, and the smiles of appreciation which he and the equally surprised Edgeworth directed at the groom were genuine. Larry then winked at his best man, Butz style.

"Also Nick, thanks for what you said in your speech… but more importantly for what you didn't say! I appreciate the kind words! Hope $20 was enough!"

This time, the pianist chuckled along with everyone else.

 _Edgeworth was right! Married or not, he's still the same ol' Larry Butz!_

"Finally, I'd like to thank all of you for coming today. It is amazing to feel all this love and friendship. Thank you for your good wishes and for joining us in our celebration, which I know wasn't even intended for us! Also thank you for your gifts, which you're kindly letting us keep, even though we aren't the original recipients! I am sure all of these will help us in our new life together, so much appreciated!"

The artist's tone turned rife with meaning in the next instant.

"For those of you who don't know, we men do have visions of our wedding day when we are younger. They may not be the same as you women's dreams, about dresses and big churches, but nevertheless we do have dreams. When I was younger, my dream was to marry a picturesque woman, and be happy for the rest of our lives, have a family and to have a nice home. This is what I wanted from a marriage. When I met Iris, I knew that she was different. She made me laugh in different ways, and the feeling of happiness I get when I am around her cannot be described. My wife is more than I could ever have hoped for. Wow, I called Iris my wife. Feels weird, but I have a lifetime for it to grow on me. I absolutely cannot wait to grow old with this woman! I love you milady."

Larry gazed at his wife with undying adoration as he spoke his last words.

"Finally, I would like to thank my wife – I think I'm going to enjoy getting used to saying that! – for agreeing to marry me and for making me the happiest man in the world! I think you'll agree that she looks absolutely gorgeous today, and when she walked up the aisle, not for the first time, she took my breath away. I am absolutely delighted to be able stand here today with Iris. I never knew what was missing in my life before I met her. Iris has been a source of friendship, support and love.

They say you don't marry someone you can live with – you marry the person who you can't live without and I think that sums us up perfectly. If I had to single out one thing about why I love Iris so much, it would be the fact that she makes me happier than I ever dreamed I could be. And I intend to spend the rest of my life making sure that the reverse is also true. Now, could you all please raise your glasses to my wife, the woman I love, my beautiful Iris!"

" _Cheers_!" The guests all cried as they lifted their glasses, and, even louder than before, burst into ovation as Larry planted a loud kiss on the giggling bride's cheek. Blushing gorgeously, Iris came up to the podium next, still holding her husband's hand as she gazed out at her guests.

* * *

"Every little girl dreams of her wedding day…a day of love and magic that will leave its imprint in her heart forever. Today, I have my fairytale, but its magnificence is beyond anything I could have imagined. I could live the rest of my life in this moment, surrounded by my friends and family and never want for anything more."

Iris's mellifluous voice was positively mesmerizing as she spoke with her signature eloquence.

"And who else could have created such perfection but my guardian angels? Pearl, Maya and Feenie. Your love flows through my veins, your spirits fills my heart and your knowledge guides me towards success. There are no words adequate enough to say _thank you_ , to you three for everything you've done. Instead I'll say _I love you_ … _all_ _of you_ , completely, unconditionally and forever. You are my blessing, my axis… my _everything_."

Hearing such heartfelt sweetness made Phoenix feel somewhat less rotten for a moment, and he joined Maya and Pearl in smiling warmly at the bride for her kind sentiments. He genuinely adored Iris, and it meant a lot to know she held a special place for him in her heart as well.

"To my mother, Sister Bikini…Who could have asked for better? You have been my foundation throughout my life. You celebrated my successes and quadrupled my happiness, but when life attacked me, you all closed ranks around me and took the brunt of the blows yourself. We are bound together by ties of love and blood and every day that passes only makes those bonds stronger. My pillar of strength, thank you for loving me. I love you so much."

Sister Bikini had barely recovered from Larry's speech, but her daughter's words only set off another round of Niagara Falls. She didn't even look up from wiping her newly streaming eyes as she blindly accepted all ten napkins all handed simultaneously handed to her in the next instant, and emitted a comical honking sound as she blew her nose and mouthed back, _I love you, baby_.

"A special thanks for their kindness and generosity to Mr. Edgeworth and Mystic Matilda, and to the absent, but not forgotten, Longines Beaugosse, who bequeathed us this grand venue so Lawrence and I could celebrate our love with you all. Esteemed guests, you have travelled from far and wide, sacrificing your time to share this day with us even though it was intended for another duo! Thank you for honoring us with your presence. With your blessings and goodwill, I am sure the road ahead is paved with happiness. May God bless you and keep you safe on your journey back home."

A radiant smile lit up Iris's face as she turned to regard Larry.

"Ultimately, my biggest thank you today goes to my new husband for loving me and for marrying me. To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage, and I have grown so much in both areas because of him. Lawrence, you're the perfect man: adorable, intelligent, funny, ambitious, kind and sensitive. Those of you who know my husband well, especially those of you who have seen his works, know that as a talented artist with a fragile but humble ego, he thrives on praise and positive feedback."

The bride's tone took on a playful inflection.

"So to start our marriage as I mean to go on, with plenty of praise and positive feedback, here are the top five things I love about you.

Number one: You can do anything. From patching up those log cabins to handyman work, to fishing, to emergency ankle treatment, you are a more multi-talented than you give yourself credit for.

Number two: You're unfailingly honest and you can't lie, even when confronted with the ugly truths, like about the man you used to be. You admit to what you've been, and only emphasize how you're now better.

Number three: You're strikingly insightful. In fact, I think you're wiser than you think! When I've told you my problems or issues, you can instantly see the best solution on how to cope and life me up when I'm down. It's like having a professional mentor on hand who can coach me through any difficult situation!

Number four: This one is quite short and sweet. I love hearing you laugh. It's the best sound in the world.

Number five: Your ability to make everything in life funnier – and more fun. You brighten up my life with not only your laughter, but you make me laugh more than anyone I've ever known, my clownish knight in paint-speckled armor! I love you with all my heart."

Larry looked as though he were going to burst into elated tears any moment. Iris lifted her hand and placed it against his cheek as she brought it home.

"My darling, I so look forward to life with you. You have given me so much to be thankful for. I could not have asked for a better husband. You are the centre of my world and the light in my life. I will stand beside you and for you, no matter what life sends our way. Today, before all these witnesses, we united our soul, two halves of a perfect whole. I would now like to end with proposing a toast to my wonderful husband, who is amazing in so many different ways. Would you all please stand and raise your glasses, to Lawrence!"

In the next instant, in the applause that followed, it was hard to tell if the thunderous ovation was because the raucous guests were enthusiastically following the orders of the bride to toast her groom, or just a reflection of the delight shared in general as Larry then pulled his wife into his arms, eager to express his love without a need for words. He dipped her back over his arm and closed his eyes as their lips brushed lightly, hesitating as he realized that they had a captive audience watching them yet again, even though her eyes were silently urging him to complete the act.

"If you ask me to kiss you for real, milady, I gladly will," he whispered, his breath warm against her ear.

The clinking of the spoons against glasses from the guests indicated there would be no objections if they were to do so.

"Kiss me, Larry," she breathed, already closing her eyes.

He did, and Iris was completely lost.

It was the kind of kiss that inspired stars to climb into the sky and light up the world. The kind that took forever and no time at all, and everyone present actually felt blessed to be a witness of what true, everlasting love looked like.

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright_** _**and Maya Fey**  
The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_June 16, 2026 10:00 PM

It was like a bucket of ice water to the face when the magic moment abruptly cut short by a _rowdy, nasally twang_ , which was suddenly heard in the next instant, interrupting the happy couple's moment of perfection. The blaring sound was equally as jarring to the guests as it was to the actual lovers themselves, as Lotta Hart's loud hickish drawl rang out over the din from the band platform, where the band had set up again.

"Alright! Alright! That there's enough already! Cool your jets before someone turns the dang _hose_ on yew two!"

The walking feather duster was standing center stage, an uncomfortable-looking Jesse right beside her. The blushing young man waved feebly at the crowd but remained silent.

"We _get_ it! _Larris_ , yer two being two peas in a pod!" Lotta put her hands on her hips. "We ain't lost sight that it just dills yer pickle to be playing tonsil hockey all night! But while witnessing y'all two spit swappin' has _most_ of these folks grinnin' like a possum eatin' a sweet tater, _I'd_ like to remind ya that there are still _single depressed people_ here who might need a reprieve from seeing the dang _prelude to the baby Butz making_ y'all are fixin to do later, no doubt till the cows come home!"

The guests fell into shocked silence while Larry and Iris blushed and reluctantly separated. Phoenix was too confounded to do more than simply remain goggle-eyed at the galling audacity of the photographer and videographer, while Edgeworth muttered disgustedly under his breath and downed his umpteenth glass of wine.

Maya had actually begun booing at the stage, which the shameless southerner pointedly ignored.

"Don't get your bowels in an uproar, yer kidneys in a downpour, and yer liver in a jar folks! I ain't no fool – If I had my druthers, I'd druther y'all would want to get on with the shindig instead of listening to me yammerin! And I'd be mighty happy to oblige, as traditionally after the speeches, the happy couple has their first dance. As y'all can see, _most_ of The Pink Tacos have reconvened from their break – but the fellas are still waitin' on their _dang son of an onion **bassist**_ , who is _missing their G string!"_

There was a dumbfounded stillness amongst the masses as the _dual innuendo_ term sunk in, and Jesse blushed furiously as he leaned into the microphone, attempting to clarify.

"Er, she's not talking about _his_ type of _underwear_ , guys! What she means, is the bass guitarist, who is also the leader singer, broke the G string for his _guitar_ , during last set!" The cameraman amended quickly. "Therefore the couple's first dance has to be delayed, but in the meantime, against my better judgment, and only under the promise of getting _Arby's_ **_as well as_** _Taco Bell_ – I guess you could say I'm _literally singing_ for my _supper_! – Ms. Hart and I are going to be your entertainment for the next performance, which it turns out shan't require the missing in action instrument…"

Lotta yanked the microphone away.

"Small world that is, I used to go to college with these fellers before they hit it big, and I've always wanted to perform for a crowd! I used to be their roadie before I went and became a journalist! So, Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, Ima sing a retro classic for y'all until that bass is fixed, with my videographer sidekick taking over backup male vocals!"

She winked at Jesse, who flashed a sickly grin in response.

"This modest fella claims he couldn't carry a tune if he had a bucket with a lid on it, but luckily, he don't need to belt out too many lyrics for this little ditty! I'd also like to take the chance to say this is the swankiest scene I've ever been to! Talk about shittin' in high cotton!"

Lotta then fixed her prying eyes on Maya and her lips curved into a nasty smirk.

"Maya girl, I hope you don't think I'm too big for my britches with these next words. Fer the record, I admit that I had me some of this here mighty fine wine while I was shutter buggin, so chances are Ima feel like a can of mashed arseholes in the morning, while _yew_ will be madder than a wet hen by what Ima say…"

The pianist felt his mouth go dry in dreadful anticipation, and without even turning his head, wordlessly extended his wine glass towards Edgeworth. The prosecutor mutely poured his friend's chalice to the brim before promptly refilling his own drained one.

"Girl, you are as fine as frogs hair, and as sweet as Cleopatra's wine, so I ain't gonna _flat out say_ I reckon ya _only got one oar in the water_ for giving up the billionaire who coulda provided ya with a _lifetime_ of this luxe grub that'd make yer tongue slap yer brains out!"

Lotta scratched at her fro and smiled dopily.

"Sure blondie was _light in the loafers_ , but he was also so dang rich he could buy a new boat when he gets the other one wet! It _must_ be love, not just somethin' ya did in a fever, to give _all_ _this_ up for your spiky-haired fella! I'm just sayin'! I mean, ya, he's _hotter than a pepper sprout_ but we all know he couldn't buy a hummingbird on a string for a nickel. …"

Maya let out an outraged gasp.

 _It's like a train wreck from hell!_ Phoenix squeezed his eyes closed as waves of humiliation washed over him. _But even if I **look** away, I can't **un-hear** the loathsome words, which although totally inappropriate and impudent, are nothing but the **truth**!_

"…so I reckon he's _swingin' some serious pipe_ then?" Lotta leered at the mortified Phoenix before turning to Maya again with a wink. "Hey, it takes _moola_ to ride the train and drink likker, so fo' sho' I ain't gonna have the coin to ever be in high falootin' place like this here again! Good thing yew got yer own fortune if ya ever wanna splurge again! OK, I'm done jawin'! Hit, it guys!"

The band struck up the music as they began to play the song, which although familiar, was still the last thing on the scarred mind of the ex-lawyer, who felt as though he'd been sucker-punched as he was once again catapulted into the same despaired state of unworthiness he'd been in earlier.

"That woman is nothing more than a crass, drunken heathen Wright! Pay her no mind," Edgeworth murmured in his ear as he clapped a supportive hand on the card shark's shoulder while he rose from his seat. "If it helps at all, since both the cameraman _and_ photographer are on stage, there was nobody recording any of that _asinine blathering_ , which will forgotten by everyone in the morning..."

 ** _Baby, just remember I gave you my heart,  
_ _ain't no-one gonna tear us apart.  
_ _He can promise the moon and the stars above,  
_ _even if he promised me the world  
_ _Just remember I'm forever your girl._**

 ** _He could promise the world.  
_ _Just remember, I'm forever your girl…_**

Lotta was now caterwauling the lyrics with all she had, obviously figuring what she didn't have in talent, she could atone for with volume!

The attorney glared in the direction of the stage as Jesse shakily chimed in at the male parts of "Forever Your Girl."

"At least the videographer's voice is more bearable than the _squealing pig in a vacuum cleaner_ that is the lead singer – not that it says much!" Edgeworth grimaced. "Perhaps the fact that there will be no recorded commemoration of either that harpy's preceding drivel, or _this_ _croaking assault_ to my ears, is finally some _sort_ of _blessing_ for us! But in the meantime, as there are no earplugs in sight and we are now out of wine, I shall go attempt to dull the rest of my senses at the bar!"

Phoenix remained unmoving in his seat, his head spinning. He was mortified, frozen to the spot. He felt traumatized. He couldn't believe such a thing had happened, and in front of everybody, too! His mind kept replaying the cruel words, which muted the murmurs of sympathy from the others at the table, along with the _ironic lyrics_ , which was about a woman assuring her _less than auspicious_ swain how only his love, not his slender wallet, mattered to her!

To be fair, _had all the other events **prior** to it not occurred_ , the song would have been _music to his ears_!

 _Well, fine, maybe not quite **music** , considering the seagull who's singing, but the sappiness would have been **somewhat** **comforting**_!

But the series of unfortunate events _had_ transpired. Ergo, the song solely felt like coarse sea salt being rubbed into his newly re-opened raw, festering wounds.

 ** _Baby, just remember I gave you my heart,  
_ _ain't no-one gonna tear us apart.  
_ _Baby, he could promise me diamonds,  
_ _even if he promised me pearls…_**

"Nick?" Maya's voice was soft in his ear. "I hope you're not taking any of what that ridiculous cotton-candy haired cretin' said to heart! She's just a jealous spinster in the making, who's going to _die alone_ and in poverty, hopefully choking on a _fast-food churro_! But at least the _song itself_ isn't _too bad_ – it's just _badly_ _sung_! You _do_ know that _is_ how I actually feel about you, don't you? That I'm forever your girl?"

Dull midnight blue eyes met loving mocha ones, but Phoenix could only half concentrate on the comforting words his girlfriend was saying. All he could think about was how as much as he knew Maya loved him, she had _literally_ forsaken a man who _could_ have given her _the actual world_ – _along with diamonds and pearls_ – which her words and actions seemed to imply she wasn't against enjoying; it just meant she'd have to buy them _on her own dime_ since _he_ couldn't even afford a pot to piss in!

 _And for **what**? A man who can barely support **himself** , never mind **her**? Who's not only so broke, he couldn't jump over a nickel to save a dime? Whose name, unlike **Larry's** , is still associated with scandal and disgrace? There's nothing Mildew and the Southern She-Devil said that isn't true. **Nothing's changed!** Sure I can be with Maya now without her life being in peril, but at what cost?! So her name can be dragged in the mud along with mine?! _

Phoenix shot up out of his chair, unable to bear Maya's earnest face for another minute.

"I need to go to the bathroom, my love," he lied numbly, purposely averting his gaze. "Excuse me."

Without even turning his head, he made an immediate beeline to the bar, which was now being tended by a staff member, and found Edgeworth there, emptying out the contents of his tumbler and swirling the rest with ice so he could toss back the final drops when they melted.

Phoenix jerked his thumb towards the lawyer as he gestured to the bartender.

"I'll have what _he's_ having."

"A _Night in Hell_?" The server asked, evidently referring to the drink Edgeworth had made them earlier.

"You don't know the _half_ of it," Phoenix mumbled, slumping back against the counter and dragging a hand down his face, uncaring that he'd purposely misunderstood the question.

Edgeworth's lips twitched to fight back a smirk as he jutted his chin at the mixologist.

"Better make that a _double_ , good man. As a matter of fact…make it _two_!"

 _ **Paula Abdul - Forever Your Girl**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 156**

 **ReBirth-Syndrome chapter 156 . 3h ago**

Welcome to the Larry and Iris – aka Larris – ship! Please enjoy some wedding cheesecake and champagne at their memorable reception before they sail off into the sunset on the happy couple love cruise along the likes of Gumshoe and Maggey, Pearl and Luke, and now Nick and Maya! Also I don't believe I've had the pleasure of hearing from you yet, so thank you very much for taking the time to drop me a line and also thank you so much for reading! :-)

 **Chapter 157**

 **DannyDragon**

 _Porque te amo tambien mi amiga musica, te perdonaré! XD_

It seems my female readers have less of an aversion to the creepy phony Frenchman that my male ones do, to my great amusement! I also think he and Longines rock together because everybody deserves love… Except for Mildew because she just… _sucks_! (A notion which is seconded by canon Ace Attorney character in a couple of chapters! LOL)

Also I'm happy to see that amidst the cast of such colorful canon characters that my ridiculous cameramen original character Jesse still has lines that stand out, including ones lamenting about his broke state as a struggling videographer! Yes he is so broke he cannot afford to pay attention, and so shortsighted he cannot aspire for better role models than Lotta Hart! :p

 **Chapter 158**

 **DannyDragon.**

I'm going to have a very high bill from my readers after all is said and done when it comes to the expenses for filling their cavities and insulin for the diabetes which they have gotten from reading this last story arc with Larry and Iris!

It's been a while since we've heard from Franziska, and Miles keeps such a poker face that we tend to forget how much pain he's in unless of course he's forced to endure being a groomsman in a wedding two months after getting dumped by the love of his life! I'm glad you liked this chapter fasten your seatbelts the reception is coming up which means another crazy ride! :)

 **Chapter 159**

 **The Freelancer Seal *Review of the Week***

Your insightful reviews are always worth waiting for my friend! Also I am very thankful that none of my readers gave me a hard time about shooting out a shorty!

Poor Luke keeps digging his own graves with every passing moment at this point is completely obliterated that tender moment when him and Pearl were gazing at each other lovingly with his perceived lack luster response to the Larris wedding! First battle you say? Didn't you know that you can never win a battle with a woman _ever_? And that anything you say about your current argument is only to be used as ammunition for your next argument?! XD

 _"Even though we haven't gotten to see just how Phoenix and Maya will address the past few years yet, I like that they're still together. As Maya said, this would have been a complete disaster had the wedding proceeded as planned. She'd be miserable, Phoenix would be miserable. Armstrong probably would have jumped off a bridge (ok, two out of three negatives) and Mildew would have gotten away with millions."_

OK once I was done laughing at the Armstrong editorial (I almost feel sorry for the overly dramatic creampuff as he has been so merrily disparaged by my male readers – one of said he would miss the phony Frenchman as much of a cold sore!) I can say that Longines might pop up as a background character or in passing but his story arc is indeed done although if you do see him again he will be fully clothed, but Armstrong will probably be at his side since the two of the last time we saw of them were joined at the lip – er the hip! XD

I'm glad to know that you're happy Nick and Maya are still together because this is their story and I want my readers to look for him because I truly feel that Phoenix and Maya were the couple that never should have _not_ been together! I've tried to show that due to their former friendship which they had for years before becoming lovers that they were very compatible despite their initial differences, and would have been a happy loving couple throughout the whole story had it not been for the creepy German sausage… Which would also lead to a very boring story because Maggey and Gumshoe have been happily together the entire time and no one seems to notice! LOL

There is some ground that Phaya have to cover before they fall back into bed together such as why/how Maya was able to see all his thoughts in that magatama, and now that the truth is out about why he left her what she can do to show her loyalty to him and actually be a part of him getting back on his feet. Miles Edgeworth has long thought to have been a big part in Phoenix reclaiming his badge, but I really believe that the prestige and influence of the Kurain Master definitely couldn't have hurt Phoenix either, and I'm going to try to bring that into play.

Now when you say _tough for them to be together again_ as in the biblical sense, if by _tough_ you mean that after over a year with no action Maya would be pretty much a _vacuum sealed again_ it might be tough if Phoenix were to not proceed with gentle and tender precaution and instead were to be _a rough rider_ … Which I've tried really hard to show he isn't! I hope I put that delicately enough… I do realize I have younger readers out there!

That being said even though these last few chapters have shown the main couple of the story being somewhat background characters while others take the foreground, I'm happy you have picked up on the little loving gestures of Phaya in the meantime, like the fact that they're very touchy-feely couple. I guess that would be one of the side effects of them being such an (overly) emotional duo – they have zero qualms with showing how much they love each other through PDA, but I will never make it be to a point where it's grotesque or inappropriate ala LongArm's display! XD

I just can't stop with the Scooby Doo Grinch and Wizard of Oz references! After all I was dealing with The Wicked Witch/Dragon Lady! It's funny that you mentioned the press… You'd given me an interesting angle to go with here! Thank you very much for that extra thought! If anything, exposing the one bad egg in the village shows a trustworthy Kurain actually is, plus the fact that they legitimately helped out a forlorn philanthropist billionaire with a heart of gold surely can't be a bad thing for publicity!

I promise you Phoenix and Maya will be dancing upright and fully clothed at what I hope will be a fun and romantic wedding reception before they do the nekkid horizontal mambo! (she's lost weight so he'd gotta make sure he's gentle with her surely – although she's pretty durable – I tried so hard not to give these to a dynamic of man of steel versus woman of Kleenex!) I have always figured that since Phoenix is such a great singer, he wouldn't be much of a dancer, plus the anime further portrayed his character which was already established in the video games, as being adorably clumsy physically as well as verbally! Ergo, methinks that would be more Miles domain.

The emotionally charged Miles Edgeworth will indeed get to dance at the wedding next chapter… I hope my readers appreciate his dance partner! ;)

Potential names for the Larry Butz offspring now include but are not limited to: Ivanna, Harry, Anita, and Seymour! I'm really leaning towards his lovely wife keeping her maiden name – surely the stigma of being a Hawthorne cannot be worse than the scorn of being named after two body parts… IRIS BUTZ?!

 **Jack (guest)**

Thanks for clarifying which chapter you meant so now I can reply accordingly! First of all, I don't think I've had the pleasure of hearing from you before, so thank you kindly for taking the time to not only read but drop me a line and let me know you're a fan of fop copters and trial coverages! I hope you didn't meant actual _trials_ as in the Turnabout Trump one! While I know I will have to cover Succession to stay true to the canon manipulation I freaking hate doing court trials! They are so time consuming (the last one took three days to write!) and you're stuck with AJ game dialogue! If you did mean trials in the figurative not literal sense…hehe fasten your seatbelt for the crazy train! :)

 **JaDe In NighT**

I'm glad you're still reading, and that you liked the romantic drama surrounding the Phaya/LongArm couples along with the surprise Larris wedding. We see Larry and Iris's romantic honeymoon night and bid them adieu the chapter after next...I loved them too much to say goodbye just yet!

Edgy's resumed storyline is coming up in a couple chapters...Saved the most _explosive_ bit for last! **;)**

 **Ilet Moratar**

I have given Miles and Franny a very dramatic courtship and relationship... One cannot simply leap into what surely would no need to be every bit be dramatic reunion that Phoenix and Maya had when they finally lay eyes on each other once again! I hope my readers will savor their wedding cake as I try to give them a satisfying worthwhile story for my other leading pair of star-crossed lovers, _mi hermana impaciente! :p_

A rabid Dragon Lady! Wouldn't THAT be a boot to the head! If you have never seen the size of the needles which are required to treat humans for rabies, look it up and then giggle maniacally as I just did at the idea of that miserable _bruja_ being stabbed with several of them! Tee hee!

 _"If Luke is going to go on Fop Copter, he better must use a good parachute. If he fails to persuade Pearls that he's ready to fulfill her dream in a few years, he will most likely end up falling to earth from the skies."_

At the rate poor Luke is going right now with putting his foot in his mouth, he would probably have the parachute thrown at him as he was forcefully thrown out of the helicopter, only to realize...

" _Crikey! This isn't a bloody parachute! It's a knapsack! Geronimo!"_

The only thing that would make this wedding be more of a musical was if I had made that cake made of cheese be ingested by a bride and groom who were lactose intolerant! The _culo_ trumpets resulting from this would surely be music to neither of their ears or noses, surely? XD

 **Yanmegaman**

Mildew was basically naught more than a cartoon villain and her punishments were hence of equal caliber! The next time we see The Dragon Lady we'll find out what fate awaits her beyond animal retribution! XD

Klavier is to Fop Copter as Longines is to ... HELE-LONG! Now shall I make you upchuck your Arby's and say..."Lucky Armstrong?" :p

 **Thepudz**

I am totally a dog person too mate! Cats make me sneeze! (Insert inappropriate allergic to "another way to call a cat a kitten" joke here) XD

 **Chloemcg**

You're so welcome milady!

The guys and I are very grateful not only for how wonderful and loyal a reader you've been for most of our works, but for our group projects and we appreciate it a lot! :)

I wish I could create more moments when the friends are all just together and bantering and carefree like they were in this chapter, as the Ace Attorney gang all have such fantastic chemistry I feel like these chapters just write _themselves_!

I was hesitant about making Constantine's offspring be vicious because I've tried to make him seem like such a loving and cuddly puppy what animals can sense evil and as Gumshoe said ...Mildred just _sucks_! XD

Well the old battle-axe wouldn't last five seconds in general population that's for sure! We shall discover her Feyt in a few chapters as her downfall planning is the lead into Edgey's next storyline!

 **Joeclone**

I was sincerely hoping this would be the one time my readers could condone a dog bite! That She-Lizard should have known better than to ever torment _any_ male about his size! XD (sorry, it was _right_ there!)

I would like to think of the Jim Carrey bastardization of the beloved Dr. Seuss classic the same way my husband likes to think of the Star Wars Christmas Special...It. DIDN'T. Happen!

Poor Luke! Even the most articulately trained English gentleman can fall victim to perpetual boyfriend foot in mouth syndrome! Someone needs to explain to the poor guy that his die-hard romantic GF comes from a village of tragic marriages so she needs his love and reassurance more than ever!

I'd be most amused and flattered for any connects you make to this story at all my dear loyal and endearing reader! :)

 **napoleon32**

Maya showed she can be soothing and nurturing and not just mocking with the then bratty Princess in SOJ – turned out she can Mia worthy in that department again for her poor traumatized BF as he braved the friendly skies! Maybe she swiped a few of the swag bags containing champagne to help ease things? :p

Perhaps the marriage advising Reverend should have also told Luke some wisdom too: that nodding and smiling would be his best bet for a happy life even if Pearl is still not his wife when the lady is mad at you! The poor guy... they had that warm and fuzzy eye-gazing moment when she was up at the altar and she was almost over his initial slip of the tongue too!

At this point Luke probably thought his normally sweet girlfriend was only suffering from wedding fever and doesn't know the history of marriages and their tragic endings in that Village as an explanation as to why Pearl gets so prickly about these things. _Somebody's_ going to need do some damage control quickly! But _who_ could it be? ;)

 _"Farewell, Armstrong. I'll miss you as much as a cold sore."_

That was just funny as hell! You SLAY me... 20 equal an even better degree then Phoenix and Miles will with the Dragon Lady! XD

Excellent memory to one of the funniest moments in the Ace Attorney history with Kay Faraday using Miles's precious cravat as a tissue! If Phoenix _had_ done that, I suppose it would have been up to my readers to decide if that was even funnier or way too gross if it had been used as the same thing to get Mildew with! Hee!

I did remember your wonderful head canon you shared about the twins and I hope you like the angle I went with! :)

Indeed would have been wonderfully gruesome if that sweet puppy was a Doberman instead of a Bichon Frise, although I think the pint size of the Dragon Lady's attacker who bested her in the end was the ultimate insult to injury! What can I say just like his father, it seems like Feyt has a _Napoleon_ complex? (see what I did there?) :p

 **SpiritsOfFire**

I wanted to make sure that The Dragon Lady was stripped of all her dignity before her freedom followed suit! I hope you enjoyed Pearl and Luke's son taking a bite _out of crime! :)_

Pearl could rival an entire Dallas Cowgirl pro cheering squad with her brand of ship cheering! She knows true everlasting love when she sees it, so therefore if she's backing you up you know it's the real deal!

Capcom is more of a tease than a nearly but not quite 18 year old girl bending over in cut off shorts in front of a man who has just been sprung from prison after a ten-year sentence! XD

I know in canon, Miles seems to be rescuing Phoenix a lot, most notably in games 3, 5 + 6 which is why I was so grateful when he thanked Phoenix for his help at the end of Dual Destinies... as it shows their friendship is not only one sided.

I definitely do not want it to be this way in my story either, and will do my very best to show both Phoenix and Maya returning the steady stream of helpful kindness our favorite prosecutor has always shown his friends (as he searches for his lost love), even though it usually comes with a side of biting sarcasm! :p

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola de nuevo mi amiga musica!_

I'm so happy to see that you are now caught up with the story and _Feliz año Nuevo!_

We will find out the aftermath of the Dragon Lady really soon as it ties into Miles's storyline upcoming, which of course will eventually involve him and Franziska coming face to face once more… Just like with Nick and Maya be prepared for an explosive reunion! Thank you so much for still reading this year promises to be even better than last so far – both for me and the story! :-)


	161. Danger Zone

_A/N: This whacky reception got split up because of length, this is part one – part two coming at you hopefully this week! Happy Valentine's Day to you all…the gift of love, a series of romantic one-shots set in order of the AA timeline, from me, ThePudz and Yanmegaman,_ _ **"Timeless Love"**_ _comes out tomorrow! If you haven't requested your pairings yet, do so now to any one of us! :)_

* * *

 _Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never ever the same, and those are the ones we love. Love is the emblem of eternity: it confounds all notion of time: effaces all memory of a beginning, all fear of an end._

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Sixty-One:** **Danger Zone**

 _ **Phoenix Wright**_ _ **and Miles Edgeworth**_ _  
_ _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_ _  
_June 16, 2026 10:15 PM

"You _are_ what you _drink_!" The now _officially_ tipsy Phoenix announced with a slight hiccup as he leaned back heavily against the bar, where he and the magenta-clad lawyer beside him had remained stationed for the past quarter hour.

" _How_ you're drinking a cocktail with such a _ludicrous name_ is beyond me, Wright ," the prosecutor said wryly, still swirling the contents of his own not quite consumed, less undignified-named concoction. "Considering you were initially looking for something other than _A Night in Hell_ to be new vespertide commemoration?"

"Once again, I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill that first drink request, considering _I'm_ the one who mentioned it!" The bartender inserted apologetically. "I swear it wasn't because of delayed embarrassment due to the _corny_ and _inappropriate_ name! It was _honestly_ because of my shortage on amaretto – the ladies seem to have _all_ simultaneously stumbled upon the discovery that mixing it with OJ tastes _just_ like Jolly Rancher candy!"

"No problem! _You're_ not the pervert who named your first suggestion the _Three Legged Monkey_!"

The pianist smiled benevolently at the mixologist, then tossed back the remains of his glass and flashed Edgeworth a dopey grin as he raised his empty tumbler in a mock salute.

"I humbly asked the nice bartender what cocktails could be seen as a _nod to primates,_ so I could raise a glass to Jylan, the _true_ unsung hero of the evening, for taking Mildew down a few pegs via _justice by flatus_! Failing that, I assure you that my back up drink is _still_ rather fitting, as this entire evening since we got here feels like it's been nothing more than _A Slow Comfortable Screw_... _ **You**_ , Phoenix Wright!"

"As much as I can sympathize with how your self-esteem has taken a beating tonight, I _adamantly_ insist Maya did so _entirely_ by _accident_ ," the prosecutor told him firmly. "That woman loves you _just_ as madly as _you_ do her! While we all know that despicable, frizzy-haired _quidnunc_ is utterly _déclassé, boorish_ and her merciless rancor was probably fueled by petty jealousy, by the same token, I'd bet my _prized tea set collection_ it was _never_ your girlfriend's intent to slight **_you_** whatsoever when she was singing _praises_ for the _Butz_ during her speech!"

Phoenix up until then had neither voiced aloud his reasons for suffering the ruthless battering his pride had endured thus far, nor the fact that _said bludgeoned ego_ was precisely the reason why he was currently drowning his sorrows along with his obviously still heartbroken former courtroom rival at the bar. He shook his head ruefully at his _brother from another mother's_ unwavering intuitiveness to whatever he was feeling.

 _Yes, it's true, Lotta Hart **is** nothing more than a trouble-making gossip, and I **shouldn't** have let her get to me like this! Also, **this** is why Miles Edgeworth will forever be the best friend I'll ever have in my entire life!_ _I really can get through **anything** with him by my side – heck, I'd be content to just remain here at the bar with him for the rest of the damn night!_

The two childhood comrades stood side-by-side in companionable silence for a moment, with their muscular arms folded across their broad chests, blissfully unaware of what a becoming portrait the two of them presented together. Both tall, dark and handsome, and equally dressed smartly, similar yet separate in appearance and stature, which simultaneously contrasted _and_ complemented one another so beautifully, they were catching many the admiring glances from most of the single _and_ attached women in the room.

"I suppose I should congratulate you for making it through your first _Earthquake_ completely _unscathed,_ my friend!" Phoenix said at last as Edgeworth drained his tumbler.

"Actually, it's my second _Tremblement de Terre_ this evening, but who's counting?" Edgeworth smirked and signaled to the bartender for another absinthe and cognac mixture. "Either way, I'm _all shook up!"_

The two men shared a semi-drunken guffaw, as though the prosecutor had just made the funniest joke in the world.

" _There_ you are, pal!" A loud male voice boomed suddenly. "You've been gone for ages! Your gal pal was about to send out a search party!"

The two men jolted at the sight of the police Chief's wide frame towering over them, a relieved smile on his face.

"I've hardly been _hiding_ , Gumshoe!" The poker champ flushed guiltily. "I've been standing _here_ this whole time!"

"Yes, after telling _Maya_ you were going to the _bathroom_!" The big man waved a finger at his friend in mock disapproval. "She sent me to come after you, since she was afraid you may have _fallen in_ – or worse, _left_ without her!"

"I'm sorry she was worried." Phoenix shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "I could hardly tell her that I just felt the sudden need to – keep Edgeworth company! Er, you know, since _he_ was technically my original _plus one_ for this whole shindig!"

" _Excellent_ ploy, using _me_ as your sordid excuse for bailing on your date, Sir _Baron of Bluffing_!" The prosecutor muttered under his breath, then smiled crookedly at Gumshoe. "And what can we order for _you_ , kind sir?"

"Nothing more for me, thanks. I'm driving tonight. I finished off my sole glass of champagne as part of the toast to the newlyweds when they had their first dance! "From This Moment" is such a beautiful song, and after suffering through Lotta's previous warbling, _ear-bleeding, croak-fest_ , it couldn't have come _soon enough_!"

Gumshoe wriggled his animated brows at the bibacious duo,before looking pointedly at the normally staid prosecutor.

"Although to be honest Mr. Edgeworth, it looks like _you've_ had enough already!"

Before the surly lawyer could respond, the speakers began blaring the famous Beyoncé track, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", signaling that the bride was preparing to toss her bouquet.

Back at the table, as the sole unmarried ladies there (since Sister Bikini and Matilda had politely declined joining the rest of the single ladies already forming up), Maya and Pearl eagerly rose from their seats.

" _One_ of us is catching that bouquet tonight, Pearly!" Maya declared firmly. "We _deserve_ a little bit of good luck, after all we've endured en route to this event! I am totally prepared to pack a _Pink Princess punch_ to anyone who dares get in our way!"

"Good luck Maya – you keep your eyes on that prize!" The happily married Regina beamed sunnily. "You too, Pearl!"

"I _definitely_ wouldn't mind catching it!" Pearl batted her lashes at her boyfriend, towards whom she'd obviously thawed out. "Wouldn't that be _fun_ , Luke?"

The poor English lad had just taken a large bite of dessert, foraged from the recently brought out late-night junk-food stand, and as he was too polite to speak with his mouth full – not that he would have known _how_ to respond to the loaded question anyway! – merely smiled uncertainly in response.

His girlfriend, of course, took this as yet _another_ example of his _lack of wedding enthusiasm_ , and simply stormed away, while sniffing a haughty " _humph_!" for emphasis.

Max sympathetically eyed the youth, who of course, had managed to swallow _a split-second too late_ as he stared with dismay at Pearl's retreating back.

"That was super… _awkward_! I've heard how you've been digging your own grave with your better half the entire evening, sweetie! All I can say is… _yikes_! Good luck finding your way out of _this_ one!"

Luke could only emit a loud groan in reply as he slumped defeatedly in his seat.

"I remember Franziska nearly steamrolled you at _my_ wedding in her efforts to ensure _she_ was the one who caught the wedding bouquet, Maya!" Maggey giggled. "But you've toughened up a lot since then – and Pearl can give one of her _patented slaps_ to anyone who tries to gyp either of you girls out those flowers!"

"I know I oughta be shutterbuggin' this here event, but I've been a spinster for a coon's age, and I ain't a spring chicken no more!" Lotta asserted to Jesse. "I do declare! Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then, so ain't no way Ima let an opportunity that's _as scarce as hen's teeth_ to turn around my luck pass me by!"

The photographer unceremoniously yanked her camera strap off her neck and draped it on the startled videographer's arm.

" _Hey_! What the –"

"Just make sure _yew_ keep filmin' _no matter what_ , ya hear?"

Pushing up her sleeves, her hawk eyes zeroed in on the scattering gaggle of females forming up all in front of Iris, who was on the stage.

"This is gonna be as easy as sliding off a greasy log backward. _Gangway_! Here comes a whole _Lotta_ _**southern she-muscle**_ , jezebels!"

With that, the rambunctious redhead proceeded to steamroll into the large gathering of fervent, single women gamboling to the dance floor, shamelessly elbowing the outraged would-be bouquet-catchers infiltrating her path to ensure _she_ was front and center, leaving the camera man standing there with an expensive SLR camera dangling from one hand, his video camera in the other, and a pained, helpless expression.

The Chief's wife sighed and was already rising from her chair, intending to relieve the flummoxed Jesse from the impossible double camera duty.

"Well, I can't leave the poor kid _double fisting_!" She joked to the others. "Since my husband _has yet_ to return from tracking down the two missing BFFs, I suppose that leaves _me_ with no choice but to be impromptu paparazzo for this event if Larry and Iris want to have pictures!"

Maggey's gaze narrowed as she spotted the _pushy, afro-haired wretch_ amongst the throng, vividly recalling the hurt she'd seen in Phoenix's eyes when the bawdy journalist had spewed her malice.

"Hey, Maya?" She placed a halting hand on the spirit medium's arm just as she was about to follow Pearl, a mean little smile on her normally innocent face.

"What's up, Magpie?"

"If that _snake in the grass_ attempts to thwart either one of you girls' efforts out there, give her a patented _Maggey kick_ while you're at it…for _me_ , would you please?"

" _Git outta ma way_ , ya harlots!" Lotta was literally _elbowing_ an outraged female guest in her immediate vicinity while forcibly bumping another affronted one away with her hip. "That bouquet is _mine_!"

" _Without fail_ , the proverbial bridal bouquet toss, while never _intending_ to bring out alarming _procrustean_ female tendencies, _nevertheless_ seems to do so, at _every_ wedding I've ever been to, for reasons most unfathomable," Edgeworth remarked idly. "The sheathed claws tend to come out in even the most _mild-mannered of ladies_!"

"I know you can't possibly mean _Lotta_ , sir!" Gumshoe nearly snorted his soda. " _That_ particular _lady_ is a _tramp_!"

* * *

 _ **Lotta Hart and Maya Fey**_  
 _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_ _  
_June 16, 2026 10:20 PM

Maya gritted her teeth upon witnessing Lotta's brazen shenanigans, noticing that her tiny daughter, who'd been harmlessly standing at the frontal sidelines, had just _barely_ managed to duck in time from one of the journalist's sharp jabs, and had almost bumped into the nearby table of late-night snacks from which Luke had just been enjoying.

The decadent junk-food buffet bore all of the Kurain leader's personally selected favorite savory snacks: burger sliders and fries, hot dogs, corn dogs, pizza, Chinese noodles in mini takeout boxes, mini tacos, soft pretzels, mini ramekins of mac 'n cheese, nachos, and mini grilled cheese sandwiches.

 _Hubba, hubba! Somebody pinch me! My mouth is positively watering at the sight of that spread, which I'm going to dive into **headfirst,** right afterward! There's even a **dessert** food orgy right beside that heavenly smorgasbord! Oh myyyyy! Ice cream cones, popsicles, donuts or donut holes, mini milkshakes, milk and cookies, s'mores, root beer floats, churros…Woot! Since I can't decide amongst the whole lot, and have never been the discriminating type, I'm just going to have to help myself to **one** of **each**! But, **first things first** …_

With a determined glint in her eye, the Master stalked up to the front and positioned herself firmly in between Lotta and Pearl, ensuring the petite teen was safely out of harm's way from the overzealous hillbilly, and raised her arms in anticipation, accidentally-on-purpose ensuring that her elbow whacked aside Lotta's outstretched limbs as Iris turned her back to the group and prepared to toss the bouquet.

"Ready ladies?" The bride called. " _1…2…3!"_

There was a lot of excited crying out and shrieking as all the eager women clamored to get the airborne floral bunch, but the belliferous Lotta purposely jumped high to ensure the coveted flowers landed into her own greedy paws, just as Pearl's sweet face fell in disappointment. Maya balefully clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes at the shit-disturbing interloper.

 _Oh no you don't, you_ _ **Disco-Stu haired,**_ _worm-ridden, snot-flicking, sphincter gurgler!_ _ **Take that!**_

Regrettably for the she-devil, Maya Fey was every bit as _devious_ as Lotta Hart was _doughty_ , and, uncaring that both Maggey and Jesse were capturing _every single moment on camera_ , the spirit medium strategically stuck out her foot to land in her rival's path just as she landed back down on the floor from her elevated leap. The end result was the bellowing Lotta tripping haphazardly over Maya's Jimmy Choo stiletto, and her illicitly gained flowers sailing in the air once more.

Meanwhile, the group of women, who _should_ have been able to break the rapidly descending fall (most of whom Lotta had assaulted during her bouquet-grabbing efforts) all _conveniently_ bounded out of the way, resulting in there being _no blockade whatsoever_ between the toppling journalist and impending disaster.

In the interim, doing a spectacular springing curvet of her own, that was worthy of any professional women's volleyball league, Maya then bunted the flying bouquet right at Pearl. The teenager caught the coveted florals and squealed elatedly as she clutched it to her chest.

" _That's_ my girl!" Phoenix cheered, momentarily forgetting his misery as admiration for his feisty girlfriend coursed through him. "Way to go, Maya!"

"And that's _my_ wife, catching every glorious moment on film!" Gumshoe reminded them proudly. "I'm sure Larry and Iris will be savoring _that_ particular moment, _over and over_ again, for years to come!"

This whole time, almost as if in slow motion, Lotta continued stumbling backward, with nothing behind her to break her fall, with the exception of that sumptuous junk food buffet, overflowing with greasy, late-night munchies.

Including the imported cheese fountain from earlier on.

" _Dagnabbit_! Somebody _hellllllllp_!"

Lotta let out one final squawk, just before her ass flew back into the table. The force should have sufficiently stopped her rapidly careening path, but, as though starring in a live, slapstick comedy scene, the photographer proved to be as graceful as _a sledgehammer in a knife fight_! It appeared her _kismet retribution_ wasn't _quite_ over, as her heel then proceeded to somehow _skid_ on some fallen, stray French fries on the floor!

Her limbs seemed to be in some kind of dispute with her brain as to which direction they should go in, as one leg went in one direction and the other leg went somewhere else entirely. Her arms flailed like a windmill as she struggled to stay upright, but to no avail. The screaming woman went from falling _backwards_ to rapidly plummeting _downward_ , and her bushy head hurtling right into the edge of the table.

Everyone gasped at the sight, and braced themselves for impact, expecting there to be a sickening cracking sound of skull meeting wood.

As it turned out, no such thing occurred. Luckily, due to the sheer _capacity_ of her hair, the voluminous bush acted like a springy cushion, so the thump easily bounced her upward, _just enough_ to fall back, semi-comfortably, onto her backside, whilst _fortunately_ leaving the rest of the fare on the jostled table relatively unscathed.

 _Unfortunately_ , to everybody's horrified amusement and shock, the same clash _also_ resulted in Lotta Hart's _trademark_ _afro_ completely becoming dislodged from her head! The fluffy _hairpiece_ landed smack into the base of the fountain of cheese, leaving behind the _utterly unrecognizable_ …and _beyond mortified_ journalist, who appeared to be _nearly bald_ beneath her _enormous wig_ , as she was now sporting an army-style _buzz-cut_!

This entire time, the tenacious Jesse had _continued_ filming!

"Now, there's a dose of _instant karma_ if I ever saw it!" Edgeworth noted, unable to mask the smug satisfaction from his tone as Phoenix and Gumshoe burst into unabashed fits of laughter, which was now roaring throughout the room.

" _Lotta_!" Jesse shouted in disbelief, as though forgetting his camera was still rolling, while Maggey gleefully zoomed in to take photos of the shorn southerner. "What the heck happened to your _hair_?! Did you need to shave it because you had _head lice_ or something?!"

He scratched his head nervously.

"Um, should _I_ be worried, since you came here in _my_ van and all…?"

"I have a suggestion, pals!" Gumshoe wiped his streaming eyes. "For _once_ , let's _not_ begrudge the videographer for his incessant need to _narrate everything_ , and having that pesky camera filming _the most inopportune moments_!"

"Are you _kidding_?" Phoenix wheezed. "That kid may be my _new hero_! I'm going to have to ask Iris and Larry to make me a _copy_ of that tape!"

"Git that dad-blasted camera outta ma face, ya _cretin_!" Lotta shouted, glaring at Jesse. "It ain't _my_ fault I was forced to pretend I was a recruit when I sneaked into an army base last week, seeking out a scoop! But in order to avoid military prison, I had to go along and let 'em _shear me_ like a sheep!"

" _Whew_! That's good to know!" Jesse heaved a thankful sigh. "I was worried you might have been susceptible to catching those nasty critters!"

"There ain't no critters, ya dumb peckerwood! The _wig_ was because that dimwit, _blind as a bat, one-eyed varmint_ went a bit too hog wild with the dang shaver!" Lotta hollered furiously, shaking her fist at the camera man. "Now turn that camera off this instant, _boy_!"

"But, but… _you_ told me to keep filming, _no matter what_?" The young man protested feebly, making no move to halt the rolling camera, although now beginning to sweat nervously.

"Well, yer _also_ my _protégé_! I _command_ yew to turn that blasted thing off and erase everything yew just filmed, before I _cut yer tail_!"

" _Objection_!" A voice cried out of the blue, effectively silencing everything.

Everybody turned to stare at the normally soft-spoken Iris, who was still up on the stage, in full finger-pointing, courtroom glory pose.

"Jesse Ventura, you are to pay Lotta _no mind_ in the least!" The bride ordered sternly. "You _keep filming_ until _me_ or _my husband_ say otherwise, is that clear?"

" _Hells bells_ , woman! Yew best _respect my authority_!" Lotta seethed, glowering at the shrine maiden. " _I_ am that fella's _mentor_ , _darn tootin!"_

" _I_ am the bride, and this is _my_ wedding, you _horrendous_ _hellion_!" Iris put her hands on her hips and shot Lotta a death glare that would have made even Dahlia Hawthorne tremble, effectively silencing the spooning, loudmouthed woman. " _Which_ , need I mention, you _gatecrashed_ , and were only allowed to stay because you offered to take over the vacated position of _photographer_! I will not tolerate any more melodramatics out of you… _ya hear_? You've caused enough commotion and upset today as it is!"

Lotta appeared to visibly wilt as everyone in the room eyed her accusingly.

"Now, there's no use crying over spilled milk – or in this case, your hair getting in the _cheese,_ probably because you downed too much _wine_!" Iris continued ruthlessly, still fired up from the woman's earlier antics against her loved ones. "Just _call it a wash,_ because there's no way your wig will ever get _the stench_ of French cheese, _washed out_! Ergo, _too bad, so sad_ , it's now a glorified feather duster! I don't want to hear another _whine or peep out of you_ about it, and don't even _think_ of trying to _bill us_ for it later! Serves you right! If you wish to be paid for this job, it needs to be _done in full_. Therefore, I kindly suggest you _get up, shut up_ , and continue your picture taking duties. Otherwise, I insist you _skedaddle_ this instant!"

The Fey girls' jaws dropped open at their kinswoman's unexpected wrath. Obviously, Iris had been as infuriated by Lotta's onslaught towards Phoenix and Maya as _they_ had been!

Blushing furiously at having been taken to task in such a public manner, Lotta slowly rose to her feet, making a big show of rubbing her sore rear end, and cast a beseeching glance at the bride, who was exchanging a wink at the smirking Maya and Pearl.

"Don't gimme the _total_ short end of the stick here! Can't I _at least_ be afforded the dignity of covering my head?" The subdued journalist asked meekly, sullenly taking her camera out of the snickering Maggey's hand. "Like with a _do-rag_ or somethin'?"

"I am _not_ offering her my cravat!" Edgeworth grumbled to Phoenix and Gumshoe. "Don't even _think_ of volunteering it!"

"I wouldn't even _dream_ of it!" Phoenix smiled innocuously while the Chief barely stifled back a derisive snort.

"Um, here you go, Lotta." Jesse walked to the closest table and handed the _newly outed baldy_ the sole linen napkin left behind, as the rest had been cleared with the dinner plates. "Er, it'd fallen to floor, and it's only a _tad_ dirty, as it has this _red lipstick print_ on it… but if you fold it the _other way_ , it _should_ suffice as a makeshift _bandanna!_ I mean, without all that puffy hair, your head doesn't look _too_ big anymore…"

"Lawd have mercy, just shut yer Yankee trap already!" Lotta snapped peevishly, her head indeed looking _comically_ smaller now, as she snatched the proffered item from the videographer's hand, and with a grimace, tied it around her head, the shiny cloth making her resemble a well-dressed pirate. "I just _hate yew_!"

"No, you _don't_!" Jesse – who'd _still_ been filming all the while! – replied insipidly, with a disarming grin. "You just _think_ you do!"

"I _know_ I do!" Lotta stamped her foot. "Now quit yer yappin and get ready for the dang garter toss!"

* * *

 _ **Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne**_  
 _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_ _  
_June 16, 2026 10:21 PM

In the next instant, Larry had come onto the stage, and the speakers were now blaring "Lay Your Hands on Me" by Bon Jovi, and a band member of The Pink Tacos had brought a chair out for Iris. As she sank down on it, the pink-faced bride began giggling uncontrollably when Larry got down on his hands and knees, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at his wife as he went to lift up the hem of her skirt.

 _ **If you're ready, I'm willing and able  
Help me lay my cards out on the table  
You're mine and I'm yours for the taking  
Right now the rules we made are meant for breaking**_

"I don't _think_ so!" The lead singer boomed, grabbing the groom's hands and slapping him behind his back as though he were about to be handcuffed. "Even though the saucy song says _lay your hands on me_ , you have to dive for that garter and pull it off using _nothing but your teeth_ , Mr. Butz! Are you man enough to handle it?"

 _ **What you get ain't always what you see  
But satisfaction's guaranteed  
They say what you give is always what you need  
So if you want me to lay my hands on you**_

The guests all hooted and hollered encouragement as Larry chuckled and shrugged good-naturedly.

"Sticking my head up my gorgeous wife's skirt – what a _trying fate_ I've been subjected to!" The groom deadpanned, even though his eyes were dancing with mirth. "It'll be _an arduous task_ for sure, hey, _somebody's_ gotta do it!"

 _ **Lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me,  
Lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me,  
Lay your hands on me…**_

He flashed Iris a shit-eating grin, and then, without further preamble, his hands still behind his back, Larry slid his head up the inside of the bride's leg, his body practically hidden beneath the many heavy layers of silk and crinoline, with only his kneeling legs and shoes visible to the onlookers.

Iris let out a loud peal of laughter as she felt the slightly ticklish sensation of Larry's goatee brushing against her bare calf, but then her breath caught in her throat as she felt the intimate brush of his lips just above her leg, on her knee, in a quick, _almost_ naughty kiss. Despite it being a chaste, not even _erotic_ body part, she could feel her cheeks reddening as she fully grasped the intimacy of this act, and bit her lip hard, willing herself from blushing further while quelling her lusty thoughts about those warm lips on her body…later that night.

 _Jesus H. Christ on a Popsicle stick! This is_ _ **as hot as hell**_ _! In more ways than_ _ **one**_ _! And it's not just because my sexy wife is so_ _ **smokin'**_ _!_

On the other hand, _Larry's_ thoughts were surprisingly _not_ of the sexual variety as he tried to fumble for the lacy garter on his wife's satiny thigh, in what seemed to be _pitch darkness,_ due to the dimly lit stage, coupled with the copious layers of heavy material he'd ducked under! As much as he'd admittedly dreamed of the day he'd finally be able to "lay his hands"…or in this case, his _lips_ , against Iris's silky skin, at the moment, it felt as though it were at _least_ _30 degrees Celsius_ beneath that skirt! He could feel the tremble of her leg as it brushed against his face, and wondered if it was due to nervousness, or if his demure bride was _actually_ getting _hot and bothered_ by his propinquity!

 _Oh baby! If I wasn't a leg man_ _ **before**_ _, I sure am_ _ **now**_ _! Note to self, explore the tantalizing possibility that these smooth stems might be an erogenous zone later tonight -_ _ **privately!**_ _But right now, I'd better focus on getting this thing off of her, before I_ _ **suffocate**_ _under here!_

At last, his mouth found what was searching for, and with a triumphant cry, he slid his head back out, amidst a loud roar of enthused applause, arms raised in the air victoriously and the lacy garter clamped between his grinning teeth while Iris clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter.

"OK, all you sexy bachelors!" The singer flashed a disarming grin at the masses as the song "Danger Zone" began to play. "Get your Butz onto that dance floor! It's time for the garter toss!"

* * *

 _ **Dick Gumshoe and Wrightworth  
**_ _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_ _  
_June 16, 2026 10:30 PM

By the time Pearl and Maya returned from their quick detour from the ladies room post-bouquet toss, and were headed back to their table, Luke was already making his way towards the dance floor. Once there, he couldn't help but be confounded that, unlike with the bouquet throw, there was absolutely _no other men_ present for the catching of the garter! He could only surmise that the scads of women who'd crowded for the flower toss were there unescorted.

Glancing around the room in confusion, his gaze landed on both Phoenix and Edgeworth, standing beside Gumshoe by the bartender, both with their feet firmly planted on the floor, arms crossed, and _making no move to join him_ , despite his pleading expression!

 _Blimey! This cannot be happening!_ The British youth thought wildly. _How can I_ _ **possibly**_ _be the only male at this wedding, whose willing to put himself through this?!_

" _I'd_ join you if I _could_!" Jesse apologized, who was filming from the sidelines, as though reading Luke's mind. "But _somebody_ had to video this, and I'm the only one who knows how to use this hi-tech camera! Besides, after what happened with the flower toss, I'm taking it _as a sign_ that having hired staff participate in guest events might be cursed somehow! With my luck, I'd probably somehow _split my pants in the back_ so everyone could see my _Dragon Ball Z_ boxers! Although, I suppose that _still_ wouldn't be as bad as what happened to Lotta…"

"Sweet merciful jumping Jesus on a jet ski! And I reckoned _I_ was the socially clueless weirdo who never knew when to quit flapping my gums!" Lotta lowered her camera and grimaced at the videographer. "Can't ya quit lettin' yer mouth overload yer dang tail, ya dang Yankee?!"

"Gee willikers, Lotta! If I'm going to learn anything from you, can't _you_ just _speak_ _normal_ _English_?" Jesse whined. "I can't understand _half_ the stuff you've been saying!"

"Of all the _cottin' pickin' nerve_! I'm from the _heart of the heartland_ and tawk English the same as everyone else!" She huffed, shooting him a filthy look. "It _means_ : shut yer dang trap, boy, before I fly off the handle and slap ya so hard, when ya quit rollin,' yer _clothes'll_ be outta style!"

Wisely, Jesse hastily shut his cake hole.

Back at the bar, Gumshoe cast a quizzical look at his friends, neither whom had budged from their firmly planted position at the bar.

"Awesome! They're playing the theme from _Top Gun_! Hey pals, aren't the two of you going to go out there and keep Luke company?"

Edgeworth's expression darkened.

"Ah yes, the _bouquet brawl_ is done, so now it's time for the _much tamer by comparison,_ but _equally disparaging,_ garter toss! The event which spotlights all the _willing_ _**and**_ _reluctant_ bachelors alike, supposedly to put _them_ in _danger_ of becoming part of the next archetypal _ball and chain_." The prosecutor he jutted his chin at his best friend. "Wright, why don't _you_ go? Last time I checked, there was no ring on _your_ finger!"

Phoenix hesitated. He knew he was being _ludicrous_ , seeing as how he'd _proposed_ to Maya earlier that day, in front of _hundreds of witnesses_! However, that'd been _before_ circumstances decided to remind him how he was in _no position_ to take care of _anyone else!_ Consequently _,_ he was hardly in the mood to join in any sort of festivity, given that he felt _lower_ than a _serpent in snowshoes!_

"Pearls caught the flowers, so shouldn't we at least ensure her _boyfriend_ catches the garter?" The spiky-haired man protested weakly. "This way it's _guaranteed_ he will, if he's the sole contender!"

"And _I'm_ simply not in the mood," Edgeworth added curtly.

" _Hold it_!" The Chief thundered all of a sudden, pointing an accusing index finger at the two astonished men. "You two are being totally _self-centered_ and _ridiculous_! I'm a married man, otherwise _I_ would go up there! I don't know what's going on with you two _party poopers_ , but I _do_ know that this is the _wedding_ of your childhood friend, and _both_ of you need to be out there, in _body,_ if not in _spirit_!"

The big man's customary amiable disposition had entirely vanished as he stared darkly at the two recalcitrant men. Both friends shrank back slightly, even the normally haughty Edgeworth, as he noted the stormy look of disapproval on his former subordinate's face.

"Now, go get yourselves out on that dance floor! I don't care if it's _by choice_ , or _against your wills_ , but you two are _going out there_ , whether you _like_ _it_ _or not_! I'm ain't fooling around!" Gumshoe's brows drew together to demonstrate his vexation. "So, what's it going to be, guys?"

Phoenix and Edgeworth gaped at the normally benign big lug, astonished by his atypical ferocious tone, while realizing, for the first time in all the years they'd known him, just _how_ _much_ _bigger_ than them the normally _teddy bear_ former detective _truly_ was! If it ever came down to any sort of _physical_ battle, it was _glaringly ev_ ident _who_ would emerge victorious!

Especially since at that moment, said teddy bear was _baring his teeth_ at them, in a manner not totally unlike _Jaws_!

Apparently, the two chums had remained silent _a bit too long_ for the Chief's liking. With surprising swiftness for a man _who was built like a tank_ , he reached down and, as though he were a strict mother cat grabbing _two cantankerous kittens by the scruff of the neck_ , seized Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth by the back of their collars, before either could even react! He then _forcibly_ _hauled_ both onto the dance floor, depositing them, with a grand flourish, at the feet of the visibly relieved Luke Triton.

Luke smiled gratefully at Gumshoe, his jubilance evident at no longer being all by his lonesome. Edgeworth just looked chastened but annoyed, though he sensibly kept his peace. Phoenix just continued to gawk incredulously at the Chief, _still_ not believing what'd just transpired!

"By the way, pals, I shouldn't have to remind you that Jesse and Lotta have been _capturing_ _every single moment of this_! Maybe next time, you'll _behave_ yourselves and act more like team players!"

Gumshoe scratched his head and then treated them to a sheepish grin, as though _he_ couldn't believe what he'd just done either!

"Sorry about that, guys! I _hate_ using strong arm tactics, unless it's with Gordy, when he won't obey Maggey and me! Heh, heh. Um, good luck to you all!"

With that, the Chief waved at his friends, then turned and went back to the table.

"Everybody ready?" Larry called out, holding the garter against his thumb and forefinger like a slingshot with one eye closed, as though preparing to launch, while the music continued to play in the background. He shot the trio a goofy grin. "On the count of three!"

Edgeworth took a huge step backward, so that he was standing a good foot and a half behind Luke, who was beside Phoenix. The spiky-haired man still hadn't moved a muscle since he'd _literally_ been _put into his place_ by Gumshoe. He was almost afraid of the large man's _potential wrath_ if he were even _slightly construed_ to be not following orders!

" _1…2…3!"_

The slate-haired man saw the lacy material flying directly at him, even though he was _furthest_ from the triad _and_ had his hands jabbed in his pockets! He inwardly cursed his rotten luck.

 _There is no way I'm letting that thing come at me! It's bad enough we were pretty much_ _ **dragged by the ear**_ _out here, and our misbehaving antics have forever been immortalized on film! I've had to endure being_ _ **at**_ _a wedding, and_ _ **then**_ _being_ _ **in**_ _one! I couldn't handle being declared_ _ **the next lucky groom**_ _on top of it all! I can't! I simply…_ _ **can't**_ _._

Despite not being traditionally athletic, or sports oriented, the prosecutor's reflexes, perhaps from all his years of fencing while living with Manfred, were still second to none when it came right down to it. At the last split-second, just before the sailing item practically hit him in the face, the cravat wearing man quickly flicked his wrist, and sent it in the direction of Luke, who'd turned around to see where the garter had been flying. It bounced off the astonished boy's kisser, then landed right on the sleeve of his suit jacket.

"It looks like we have the next _future groom_ in our midst, ladies and gentlemen!" The vocalist cried, having missed the lawyer's last-minute sleight of hand. "Congratulations to the _gentleman_ _in the navy suit!_ "

There was an enthusiastic round of applause from all the guests, and Edgeworth joined in the clapping, grateful to have narrowly averted disaster. Phoenix, who'd seen the whole thing, merely arched an eyebrow at his best friend, but said nothing, and just cocked a half smile.

Luke just remained standing there with his mouth hanging open.

"It's customary for the recipient of the garter toss, as well as the _lucky gal who caught the bouquet_ , to enjoy a dance together!" The musical performer grinned at the thunderstruck Englishman. "Could we get the little lady who caught the bouquet to come up here and dance with this handsome young man?"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
**_ _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_ _  
_June 16, 2026 10:34 PM

"So _this_ is where you've been hiding all night, Nick?!"

Phoenix jumped guiltily at the reproachful note in his girlfriend's tone, as the Master had finally cornered him and Edgeworth at their resumed station by the bar, where they'd both immediately hightailed it post garter toss. Maya's hands were on her hips, her dark eyes staring reprovingly into his as the attorney cleverly chose _that very instant_ to excuse himself and head to the bathroom, leaving the two lovers alone.

The pianist shot his fuming partner a sickly grin.

"Don't be silly, Maya! How can I _hide_ _anywhere_ with these _spikes of mine_ , which make me _stick out like a sore thumb_ , no matter where I go? I'm only _incognito_ when I cover them up with that beanie you so fervidly hate!" He joked, attempting to deflect away from the underlying seriousness of the question. "I merely thought to keep Edgeworth company, since he's the only one here without a date, and figured he might be kind of lonely!"

"Don't even think of trying to bluff with _me_ , buster!" Maya pursed her lips. "We both know you've been playing duck _and dodge_ with me ever since Lotta opened her _fat trap_ earlier tonight! And come to think of it, you've seemed _totally off_ ever since we got to this reception hall! What's going on here? Are you _mad_ at me or something?"

"Of _course_ not!" Phoenix answered automatically, this time with utmost sincerity. Maya was his _world_ , his everything. _Mad_ at her was the _last_ thing he was. _Confused_ and _skeptical_ about the kind of future he could offer her, due to the lifestyle he thought she was now accustomed to, _yes_. Feeling very bleak about his own nonexistent status in society, _ditto_. But _definitely_ not _mad_ at her! "I'm sorry you feel I've been avoiding you, my love."

"If you're _not_ mad at me, then _please_ tell me what _has_ been bothering you!" She implored, putting a hand on his arm. "Are you upset I didn't try harder to catch the bridal bouquet and tossed it to Pearly instead? It's a given that you and me are _endgame_ , Nick – you proved as much earlier today! But you _know_ what a big romantic my little girl is, and that it would've meant the world to _her_ to snag those flowers!"

"I _do_ know that," he assured her. "And I would've done the same thing in your position. I've never seen anybody's face light up like Pearls' did when she had those coveted florals in her arms!"

"I'm so glad you understand that, and didn't see my actions as some sort of _rejection_ when I didn't try to keep them for _myself_!" The respite was audible in Maya's voice as she leaned forward to kiss him lingeringly on the lips. "It's _adorable_ how _Luke_ was the one to catch that garter, don't you think? It's like a _sign_ _from above_ that those kids were _destined_ to be together forever!"

* * *

 _ **Pearl Fey and Luke Triton  
**_ _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_ _  
_June 16, 2026 10:35 PM _  
_

There was a chorus of endeared _awesssss_ from many of the guests, who were aware that Luke and Pearl were a couple. The spirit medium excitedly made her way up to the dance floor, an eager smile on her pretty face just as the band began to play.

 _ **They say it's a river, that circles the Earth  
A beam of light shinin' to the edge of the universe  
It conquers all  
It changes everything…**_

Luke finally snapped out of his stupefied state and found his voice.

 _ **They say it's a blessing  
They say it's a gift  
They say it's a miracle and I believe that it is  
It conquers all  
But it's a mystery**_

The hapless young man realized he'd been left to his own devices as both the pianist and prosecutor took that moment as their cue to swiftly exit the dance floor, and looked helplessly around him for sight of Edgeworth and Phoenix. They caught his eye from the bar, but both simply shrugged and smiled back angelically.

"This isn't right!" Luke asserted, shaking his head vehemently, " _I_ didn't catch the garter! It _wasn't_ _me_!"

Thoroughly, chagrined, he gulped as he noticed the stricken look in his girlfriend's eyes, realizing with a sinking sensation in his stomach, that like nearly everyone else, _she_ thought he'd caught the garter as well, and now was simply being _balky_ about it!

Pearl had just taken her beau's hand, about to lead him into dance, but upon hearing these words of perceived rejection, a wave of hurt, along with all the resentment and fury, which had been building for the last few hours, bubbled up inside the spirit medium's chest.

It was painfully obvious where she stood with him now. This boy, whom she'd loved for a year now, with all her heart, didn't want a future with her. He obviously found the notion so distasteful that he was _publicly_ willing to demonstrate to _everybody watching_ how he couldn't even _bear the_ _idea_! In fact, he was now so desperate to avoid any sort of upcoming matrimonial allusion, that he trying to back out of even the _vaguest_ of all commitments, not wanting to even admit he'd _caught the bridal garter_!

 _ **Love breaks your heart  
Love takes no less than everything  
Love makes it hard…**_

"Pearl, you don't understand!" Luke insisted desperately, seeing the pain in her expressive orbs. "There's been a _mistake_!"

Realizing all eyes were on them, he then spoke in a more hushed tone, while attempting to take her in his arms and lead her rigid form into two-step, but her feet appeared to be unyielding.

"As much as I'd _love_ to finally have my first dance with my girlfriend, the circumstances just aren't right! You should actually be dancing with –"

 _ **In this world we've created  
In this place that we live  
In a blink of an eye, baby, the darkness slips in  
Love lights the world  
Unites the lovers for eternity**_

Something inside the normally dulcet teen snapped just been, and tears of embarrassment and anger filled her eyes. She didn't even want to hear him finish the sentence.

"I've had _enough_ of you and your anti-wedding self, Luke Triton!" She cried, sparks flying out her eyes. "How could you _do_ this to me, and _in front of everybody_?!"

 _ **Love brakes the chain  
Love aches for everyone of us  
Love takes the tears of pain, and it turns it in  
To the beauty that remains**_

"I haven't _done_ anything!" Luke was taken aback. "I'm only trying to tell you the _truth_! I – he – Mr. Edgeworth… _darn i_ t! We need to go find him afterwards! I promise you, _he_ can sort this all out…"

" _Why_ did you have to make such a big deal out of this?!" Pearl could feel two hot, angry teardrops rolling down her cheeks. "I know most boys are commitment phobic to some extent, but _you_ – you just _take the cake_!"

 _ **Look at this place  
It was paradise, but now it's dying  
I'll pray for love**_  
 _ **I'll take my chances that it's not too late**_

"Pearl, please! Don't let's fight!" He begged. "Just dance with me – everyone's staring at us!"

"I don't care!" She yanked herself out of his arms. "In fact, you know what? I don't want to dance with you anymore, _at all!"_

"Love, don't do this!" Luke tried to put a mollifying hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off angrily. "After this dance, we'll talk about this! I _swear_ , I can _explain_!"

"Explain _what_? How you've been wasting _a whole year_ of my time, yet you haven't given _any_ thought to us _beyond_ that?" Pearl stamped her foot. "You – you _suck_ , Luke Triton! I can't even _look_ at you right now!"

With that, the incensed teen spun around on her heel and stomped off, leaving the gobsmacked Luke alone on the dance floor and staring forlornly after her, as the poignant song lyrics surrounded him, piercing both his ears and his heart like daggers.

 _ **Love breaks your heart  
Love takes no less than everything  
Love makes it hard  
**_ _ **And it fades away so easily…**_

* * *

 _ **Pearl Fey and Maya Fey**_  
 _Ladies Room, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_ _  
_June 16, 2026 10:40 PM

Pearl knew her matchless fury _must_ have grown mellower with age. It was _the sole reason,_ she told herself, as she raced from the dance floor, _why_ she hadn't given her _lying_ , _commitment-phobic, too damn handsome for his own good_ boyfriend one of her patented _Pearl Fey slaps,_ for so _publicly breaking her heart!_

Supremely embarrassed that she'd caused a mini scene, the spirit medium had fled to the place where most people sought solace whenever they had tears to shed: the bathroom. Once inside, she slumped back against the wall, buried her face in her hands, and wept bitterly.

Back inside the reception hall, Maya had seen Pearl run off in tears, and was utterly bewildered as to what'd occurred between her daughter and her beau. However, like any concerned parent, she quickly gave chase, almost neck and neck with Luke, who'd also run after the distraught teenage girl. She caught up with the troubled youth outside the ladies restroom, where he obviously couldn't follow her, and placed a hand on one of his slumped shoulders.

"Luke! What just happened?"

"It's all just one big, _awful_ misunderstanding, Maya!" Luke clapped a distressed hand against his forehead. "Your cousin reckoned my reluctance to accept credit for intercepting the garter was my roundabout way of dragging my feet about us ever getting married!"

"You _denied_ catching the garter?" The Master echoed blankly. "Considering how prickly Pearly has been towards you the entire evening regarding that touchy subject, _why_ would you do such a churlish thing?" _  
_  
"Because I genuinely _didn't_!" His voice rose in frustration. " _Mr. Edgeworth_ was set to catch the bloody thing, when he suddenly _flicked it_ at _me_ last second!"

" _Miles_ was the one who was supposed to catch it?!" Maya's eyes widened. "He's engaged to one of my closest friends – at least, he _was_ , last time I checked! – so it would've made _sense_ for him to catch the garter! Yet he ensured it was _you_ who did? _Why_ would he do that?"

"I have _no_ idea why he did such a thing!" Luke said despondently. "Any more than I can understand why he _and_ Mr. Wright _both_ left me in the lurch on the dance floor, before I could try to explain things to Pearl…"

" _Nick_ witnessed this?" Maya's voice rose slightly in indignation. "And yet he never said _a word_ to contradict my naive _gushing_ about how it seemed _fated_ that you crazy kids caught the bouquet _and_ the garter…"

"Maya, it doesn't matter _who_ caught _what_ or _why_!" Luke interrupted, sounding completely heartbroken. "What _matters_ is I love your cousin _dearly_ , and I am _miserable_ she seems to be questioning my intentions towards her! Obviously, _I_ can't go in there after her, so could _you_ perhaps convince her to come out so the two of us can talk about this?"

"I'll do my best," the village leader promised. "Pearly can be really stubborn at times, and she's very hurt and confused right now. But I know the two of you can work this out. The key thing is _communication_! Nick and I almost lost each other once because of crossed wires."

"Six years together means you must have been doing _something_ right, though."

"The trick is to be even more resolute than your partner and _refuse_ to budge, even when they try to dodge talking!" The Master advised. "At _some_ point, you _have_ to stop running. Admittedly, this is a work in progress for Nick and I both, but _dodging_ conversation… I _swear_ my daughter and boyfriend are _maddeningly_ _identical_ that way!"

She gave the young man's shoulder a reassuring pat, then went inside the bathroom, where she found Pearl angrily scrubbing at her blotchy, tear-stained face with a paper towel.

"Pearly," Maya said gently, wrapping her arm around the girl's shoulders. "Luke is outside. He wants to talk this out. Will you give him a chance to explain?"

"I don't want to talk to him right now, Mystic Maya!" Pearl raged, as a fresh wave of tears flooded her eyes. "I'm still too mad at him!"

"I understand that. But take it from _me_ , sweet girl, as much as you can't hide in here forever, you also can't avoid talking to your partner either." Maya gently patted the teen's damp cheek, her voice slightly teasing now. "I feel like I've fallen back into a time machine, from seven years ago on my 21st birthday, except this time, _you're_ _me_ , and _I'm_ playing the role of Franziska, _minus the whip,_ who's trying to talk sense into my/your _foolish_ head!"

Pearl's shoulders drooped, knowing full well the incident her guardian was referring to, but was still too morose to see the attempted humor in the situation, so she remained stubbornly silent.

Maya attempted to switch tactics, although she wasn't about to relay the whole garter story until she first talked to Phoenix.

"Honey, I realize regarding this whole marriage thing, the odds have been stacked against Luke all night, from one ill-starred set of circumstances to another, but please don't convict that poor boy based purely on circumstantial evidence! For the record though, as much as I _am_ rooting for you kids to be together for the long haul, you _are_ only _16 years old…_ "

"I'm _17_ this fall!" Pearl corrected automatically, her lower lip protruding slightly in customary petulant teenage fashion. "This isn't just about what Luke _said_ Mystic Maya! It's about what he _didn't_ say!"

"What _didn't_ he say?" Maya prodded softly.

"How should _I_ know?!" Pearl exclaimed with irritation. "He _didn't_ _say_ _it_!"

Maya barely repressed an eye roll. Had _she_ been this impossible when she'd been Pearl's age? She wondered. If so, given that the two feisty Feys were _blood related_ , and apparently similar in more ways than one, she was definitely going to have her work cut out for her in raising her headstrong little girl into adulthood!

 _Womanhood...Oh dear Lord, I just had another thought! And it's so_ _ **harrowing**_ _, I don't even know if I can say the words out loud…_

"Pearly, if you don't want to have an open and honest conversation with your boyfriend right now, I do hope you _at least_ feel you can always have one with _me_ ," the Master chose her words carefully. "However, um, is there _any particular reason_ why it's so important for you to know whether or not Luke is going to marry you?"

She tried not to make her downward glance at the teen's slender waistline _too obvious_ , but failed miserably. Pearl followed Maya's eyes, then let out an insulted gasp as she realized what was being implied.

"Mystic Maya!" Her hand flew to her mouth. "Are you _seriously_ asking me –"

"Well, I don't know what _else_ to think!" Maya threw her hands up in the air, palms up, in the universal _no offense_ gesture. "When a young girl is so obsessed with the idea of wedlock to her _equally young_ boyfriend, as her parental figure, I can't help but worry if it's because of certain unplanned circumstances that may have occurred! Like, perhaps due to the fact that she may have, er, _rocked the casbah_ with him…?"

" _Rocked the casbah_?" Pearl repeated, her face puzzled. "Is that some kind of _new dance move_ I don't know about? I mean, we've never even slow danced together yet, and I'm not even old enough yet to go clubbing in _Europe_ , never mind here in the States…"

"Mystic Ami, _give me strength_!" Maya puffed out her cheeks in agitation. "What I'm _trying_ to ask you, that is…oh _hell_ , just tell me already! Pearly, are you _pregnant_?"

" _Gah_!" Pearl's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull, and she looked mortally wounded. " _Mystic Maya_! I'll have you know Luke Triton has _never_ been anything but a _perfect gentleman_ with me … _in every way_! I may be furious with him for being _commitment phobic,_ but he's no _cad_!"

" _Oh_ _thank sweet and merciful God_!" Maya literally fell back against the wall with the sheer force of her relief. "I mean, if you ever want to talk about anything like that, you should know you always can! Nonetheless, I have to admit I'm _beyond relieved_!"

"Can we _please_ change topics, now that we've established I'm _not_ having Luke's illegitimate love child?" Despite her lofty tone, Pearls cheeks were pink. "Seriously, I'll even talk about _stickers_!"

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, but you're my little girl, Pearly," Maya said tenderly. "Of _course_ I'm going to try to look out for you."

"Thanks Mystic Maya." Pearl let out a sigh. "I totally get everything you're saying, but right now the only thing I want you _look out for_ is the _whereabouts_ _of my boyfriend_! Could you stick your head outside and let me know if the coast is clear?"

"Pearly…"

"Please do this for me. I know I'm not ready to talk to him just yet. I'm afraid he'll merely be telling me things he thinks I _want_ to hear, which may _not even be true_ , in order to placate me for the time being!" Pearl scowled. "You know how Luke is, ever the polite and proper Englishman, who doesn't ever want to make a public scene!"

"As you wish, sweet girl. Regardless, I still hope you take heed to my words."

Maya gave the girl a swift hug, then peeked her head outside the door, and saw Luke was still faithfully stationed outside, although a few yards down so one wouldn't have been able to see him when upon immediately exiting. The boy's posture was slouched, and his head was hanging, looking like the perfect picture of dejection.

"Um, he's still out there…"

"Whatever." Pearl had speedily been texting something on her phone, which was still in her hand. "You go back to your Special Someone and enjoy the party. I'll come out when I'm ready."

"No problem. I should get back to Nick anyway. I sort of ran out on him when I saw you rush in here, without really explaining where I was going!"

As soon as her cousin had left, Pearl stared at herself in the mirror, then straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. She hoped what she was about to do what wouldn't come back to _bite her in the bum_ , but since she didn't have _an invisibility cloak_ handy, and there was only _one_ exit door, there was no other way to avoid facing her boyfriend.

 _Except one._

Luke heard the door to the restroom swing open, and rapidly rushed over, figuring that accosting his girlfriend before she made another run for it would be the only way he could attempt to smooth things out between them.

"Pearl, I'm so happy you finally came out!" His words spilled out in a rush before he even set eyes on his sweetheart. "There's so much I want to say to you…"

He dropped his gaze, busily trying to compose his thoughts while examining the plush carpeting at his feet. When he looked up into her face at last – or, at least, where he _thought_ her face would have been! – the words immediately died in his throat.

Because his shocked eyes were _not_ levelly peering into Pearl's big, gray orbs…but at a set of _larger,_ albeit _equally round,_ yet _entirely different_ body parts of the female anatomy!

Luke's jaw hit the ground as he stared wordlessly into the visage of a breathtaking lady, wearing Pearl's same maid of honor gown, who, up until earlier that day, when he'd gotten a quick glimpse of her, he'd only known by _reputation_! The exquisite face of the statuesque brunette, to whom he'd never been formally introduced, was wreathed with both kindness and affection.

"And _I'm_ positive that I'll want to hear _every single thing_ you intended to say to my darling baby cousin!" The woman drawled, her melodious voice rich with merriment. "Starting with _your_ _intentions_ towards her, Mr. Luke Triton! But first and foremost, I'm going to tell _you_ the same thing I did to _Phoenix_ earlier this evening…."

The beauty tucked a finger under his chin, forcing his mouth closed, while lifting his head so that his flabbergasted chestnut eyes stared into amber ones, which were sparkling with amusement while she spoke her next laughing words.

"Don't _look down_! Look _right here_!"

 _ **Bon Jovi- Lay Your Hands On Me  
**_ _ **Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone  
**_ _ **Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight**_ **_\- Love Is_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 155**

 **Jove's Boy**

It's funny how I'm completely inpatient in my personal life but have managed to prevail pertaining to this story! Thank you so much for your kind words about my _staying power_ ability with such a long story! Turnabout Everlasting is the _Viagra_ of Ace Attorney fan fictions! XD

I am delighted that you're almost caught up as it seems like just yesterday you told me you had started reading! It makes me very happy that you thought the big buildup was worth it after keeping Nick and Maya apart for so long, however at this point there is only going to be one more case (a forgettable guitar one!) before Nick gets his badge back, so I figured the time had come!

I've decided when I wrote her that I no longer hate Iris, I just don't see her as a love interest for Phoenix because too much time has passed and too much damage has been done… Plus you know I shamelessly ship him with Maya! (Yay you jumped ship for me! Welcome to the SS. Phaya!) But it's great that my readers like what I've done with the shrine maiden, or decided to give a pair of _Fey-sized cojones_ on the side - but I ensure she uses them sparingly!

I see you play the 999 series too! Stop being so awesome dammit!

I do a lot of cross references in it is awesome when readers notice them what with the Emperor's New Groove and Shakespeare. While you're probably right that Juliet probably had not known any lips before Romeo, considering she was only 14 to his 17, I've also made it that Maya had never known anyone's lips but Phoenix's… And she _definitely_ knows what she likes! Sometimes when you have the right set of combined lips, there is no need to compare to another… Wright? ;)

Let me know if you are able to guess with that proposal was for next chapter! _Pssst! No one else did!_

 **Chapter 159**

 **Luffy**

I have had reviews that have made me question why the hell I do this sort of thing ( _for free!)_ With either of their intended snideness, criticism, or overall lackluster reactions, but then I get readers like you, who make _everything_ worthwhile! It never occurred to me to speculate about the potential personal life attached to my anonymous critic, but I did get a roaring laugh from your " _cowardly, subnormal stupid and pathetic no romantic virgin bastard" diagnosis!_ XD

 _Te amo siempre mi hermanita! Y gracias!_

 **Chapter 160**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **Jove's Boy**

 _Eureka_ indeed! You realize that you managed to read _over 1 million words_ in just a couple of months, which is astonishing considering I know you have a day job! Thank you so much dear reader!

Larris is one of my top four pairings of course they get a salute!

It's funny how you mentioned Lotta versus Apollo and chords of steel! Whenever me and my fellow fans have discussed loud as we always compare him to Robin, and then we speculate that everybody in the state of Japalifornia would be privy to hearing if the world's loudest couple ever copulated! LOL

When it comes to the Bush bitch, I'm going to go with Apollo, as surely as I felt like telling the irksome Geiru Toneido to _Blo Me_ because I hated case for of Spirit of Justice so much! April May was very _Pink_ so why can't _Tacos_ be as well? :p

My readers deserve some cavities and hypoglycemia after enduring the angst of this story thus far, so consider the second part of TE to be lots of fun and lighthearted action and romance for the most part!

I think Larry would definitely straighten up now that he's finally found a good woman but I did have fun showing that beneath that all he is _still_ Larry - just a _lighter_ version that's hopefully more bearable now! That being said, Larry is the one character in this story who I did not give any type of letter writing to! He should stick with his lewd jokes and surprisingly decent artwork! XD

I had zero intention of ever breaking up Phoenix and Maya again, but we all know that they have not traveled a smooth road, and she's going to have to be pretty diligent in helping Phoenix overcome his insecurities, the question of course is how since as we speak she still has no idea exactly _what_ is bothering her boyfriend!

We will see _Mildung_ (God you KILL ME!) At least once more as readers find out that I've decided her fate is going to be! It will tie up her story line as we slowly ease into Miles's again.

Yes it was Maggey who gave Gumshoe the new trenchcoat, which he does forgo for these formal occasions but still for sentimental reasons! I do hope you go through with your adorable little spinoff idea about Gordy Gumshoe drabbles! The concept has me giddy!

 **Lightning The Raptor**

First of all, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of hearing from you before so I'd like to say thank you very much for reading and taking the time to drop me a line! I hope this chapter was one of enjoyment as well, and I also hope to hear from you again in the future! :-)

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica_! You knew Paula Abdul! I love you more now!

We get one or two more cameos of the Dragon Lady suffering! I don't think at this point she could even afford to buy a life at the market and matter how cheap since Edgeworth undoubtedly has frozen over foreign bank accounts and she has been left without a red cent to her name since her embezzling scheme was thwarted!

Maya definitely has those six stomachs intact despite being older now but keep in mind that she was pretty much starve to on that disgusting diet she was on to fit into that dress – does anyone really grasp how _tiny_ a size 2 _is_ , especially in a wedding dress size which is traditionally smaller make than regular by at least 1-4 sizes! She deserves to stuff her face! LOL

There will be a lots of drama for Mr. Edgeworth coming up don't you worry! Rest assured I have not forgotten everybody's favorite prosecutor's angst, or the fact that he is a secondary male lead of the story! No spoilers whatsoever I promise!

Also, welcome to the Larris bandwagon! May you never leave!

 **CzarThwomp**

The mental image you have given me about Trucy and Maya, the dueling bottomless pits, fighting over the last Pop Tart had me howling! I love Larry and Iris too much to let intoxicated Edgeworth ruined their nuptials, but I do hope you enjoy some of his sideline better dialogue, and the way his grumpy drunken ass was dealt with this chapter!

Poor Luke… If this latest incident didn't send him running on a plane back to London, you would think he must be in it for the long haul or at least he really does love Pearl! We'll find out what his intentions really are when he gets cross-examined by in my opinion the sexiest defense attorney who ever lived!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

 _Mama Mia!_ It's going to take quite a bit of effort – possibly more than one Fey – to get Nick and Edgy's spirits back up, especially since they have been immersing themselves so much…in um, _spirits!_ XD

I am always happy to make anyone appreciate Larry since I know he can be seen as an annoying character! I also love the fact that Phoenix is completely a fly by the seat of his pants kind of lawyer and pianist and best man speaker! It only makes him even more delightfully contrasting to his best friend… Really needs to be cut off soon before disaster ensues…

 **Yanmegaman**

I hope you appreciated the karmic retribution which came toward said southern asshole, and even though they only had a cameo in this chapter I do hope I reinforce the fact that the Larris sweethearts really are meant to be in every way! :-)

 **Joeclone**

I shamelessly research since I know nothing about how the 1% of the population live, since I married for love and not money! XD

Longines pretty much has a bottomless wallet, so he won't really feel the cost of the extravagant reception, most of which was Mildew's doing, but she was definitely stopped before any of those deep pocket riches lined her own!

 _"Phoenix is just way too hard on himself. He should have just let the bad words flow like a river over a stone and ignored them, no matter how truthful they may have been."_

That was so poetically phrased! I must once again tell you how much I enjoy not only your reviews but since I have been privy to seeing your written work, must praise your written skills as well. I really hope you publish soon!

There's a reason why they say the truth hurts… Also keep in mind there is _one other person_ who attacked his pride earlier today which is going to come up in the next chapter… And those bad words are going to be harder to wash away… And it's because of them that he is subconsciously lambasting himself for his plight.

I'm glad you liked his speech though I've never been a best man before so just like Nick, I completely winged that whole speech part for everybody!

Luke in the Layton games is always hungry, so has been known to be almost as gluttonous as Maya although I think she still wins if there was ever an eating competition!

Pearl is such a diehard romantic! The only thing that could've made her even more giddy would've been if it were Nick and Maya's wedding she had just witnessed!

Edgy will always be a class act (and I'm guessing that a man with such a prestigious wine collection like the one he has is probably a wine connoisseur, if not a wino, plus growing up in Europe they tend to have wine with dinner quite often, so he probably has built up quite a tolerance that way!) and doesn't unravel to easily, even when drowning his sorrows in his own self-pity, which was another reason I didn't wanna have him make a fool of himself doing a drunken potentially, hurtful speech. His dance partner was hinted at end of this chapter. I hope you like. ;)

 _"LARRIS YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE COUPLE OF THE YEAR AWARD! CONGRATULATIONS!"_

Another aboard the _Larris_ train! _Choo Choo!_

 **JaDe In NighT**

The EdgeCopter! I love the name! It's soooo….Edgy! I think I might make him by one at some point just so I can name that! LOL

I just had hilarious alternative universe thought were Miles Edgeworth sunk so low he do to become a bartender at the same tavern as his pianist hobo best friend! I don't know how the chess champion would do in such a people position however seeing as how he sort of antisocial introvert, and seems to get frustrated listening to the stories of drunks/idiots even when they're his friends, which is the plight of every bartender alive! XD

Hopefully Phoenix will get thicker skin once he gets his badge back, and I hope like who I've decided to make Edgeworth's dance partner! ;)

 **chloemcg**

Phoenix is having second thoughts about a lot of things, but it definitely would never be Maya. There is no way I would break these guys up again, that doesn't mean that they don't have a few wrinkles to still iron out despite their memorable reunion! It's always the cute couples that get into the little spats! Isn't it great that when your faith in you have a falling out with your lover, you always get help from the other side when you need it? LOL

Mildew marry Hades?! Why? What'd _he_ ever do to deserve such a heinous fate! XD  
She's already going to feel the burn of 1000 hot pokers once Phoenix and Miles are done with her!

I'm glad you like Luke and Pearl's little four-legged son! It was because I loved his Daddy so much that I have to give him offspring! I am also delighted I have managed to combine hilarious and depressing with the drunken Edgeworth!

I hope you got a kick out of the shenanigans at this reception is much as you did last chapter!

And a very Happy Valentine's Day to you milady!

 **thepudz**

 _Never would I think that reading would make me deaf. Then I read Lotta singing. Now I think the impossible has been achieved._

What would be your diagnosis of Lotta Hart singing? Would you say more of a squealing pig in a vacuum cleaner or more of a frog in a mailbox?

 _In all seriousness, fluffiness was at an all time high here with this Larris and I LOOOVE it. But... Well, fuck you Lotta! You made my Nick feel bad! I think imma shave that goddamn mop off her head..._

Stop being psychic and drinking from _TheFreelancerSeal's_ premonition potion!

Why you didn't get to shave her head I hope you liked what karma dished out to Lotta nevertheless! :p

 **Jack**

Sorry I am SO bad with song names! I didn't even know the song I used for the Goo-Goo Dolls recommended by one of my readers was called _Iris…_ All this time about it was called _I Don't Want The World To See Me!_ I actually do know now that I've listened to it, _Apollo Justice - A New Chapter of Trials_ -it's amazeballs! Ace Attorney music is very soothing for the soul on long car rides and doing housework! Thanks for reading!

 **napoleon32**

Phoenix Wright: Insecure Pianist tends to forget important details when he's depressed including the fact that Maya, who indeed love them unconditionally, doesn't give a flying fig about money (of which she does have plenty of her own!) and offered to run away with him!

Edgeworth the Renaissance man/bartender surprised nobody I see, any more than the fact that he is a cranky and mopey drunk! I do hope however that you found him to at least be amusing as a drunk, as I love Miles Edgeworth too much to ever make him appear unlikable!

Let's hear it for Maya Fey spirit medium and ToastMaster extraordinaire!

And welcome to the SS Larris my friend!

 **Ilet Moratar**

My mind is blown that actually saw such famous designer acclaimed glassware when I went to the house of friendship with you at Christmas time!

Yay another one on the Larris train! May their love be everlasting like that of Pedro and Catalina!

 _Landing on the ground_ is a pretty funny band name but I still think _pink tacos_ is slightly more obscenely funny!

This is one of the few times Miles's ever said no to Phoenix when he begs him to save his skin, but just like a Phoenix rises from the ashes he still managed to pull off a pretty good speech I hope! It's just as well that Miles didn't give a speech he's much too grumpy of a drunk to a given one that would've been good and not hurtful!

I'm happy you caught the fact that Pearl gushing was still indeed an indirect _take that_ to her apparently marriage phobic boyfriend!

Miles has friends that love him will never let them get too out of line even if it takes a firm hand! He is lucky Gumshoe didn't drag him by the ear!

Will definitely give that song to listen to, _mi hermana dulce_! How you inspire me with your wonderful music and art and poetry!

 **Kylink**

The Pink Tacos played only because The Shockers were not available! I will now leave that imagery to my impressionable young readers who _don't_ know what the latter means to scream in horror as one of my other friends did when they found out! XD

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I certainly hope you are better by now… The flu sucks and stuff!

I have never been able to surround myself with luxury like the other uppercrust sort in life, although I also _have_ been fortunate enough to have been to some great hotels in my life as well, it was a small combination of research and experience which allowed me to give my wonderful readers the descriptions they seem to have enjoyed, to my great delight! :-)

I had a blast writing that pretentious menu seriously I think I got a nosebleed just writing it I had no idea _food_ could be stuck up and pretentious and tell I stumbled across the term _Australian Kobe beef_! XD

I am so happy you liked the speeches! Being the complete tool that I am, I somehow deleted my own bridal speech, although my husband still has his own, so I was literally starting from scratch when writing the one from Iris to her husband!

Don't worry, you will not have to endure Lotta as long as Armstrong! Also her karma came much quicker, because unlike the annoying phony Frenchman, who was only nerve grating but actually not a bad person, that southern she devil is pure _piss and vinegar,_ made somehow bearable in the anime but very much earned the slap Phoenix gave her in the video games!

Phoenix is always known he could never provide Maya with the Longines sort of lifestyle even as a lawyer, I think it's because she has unwittingly given him the impression that this is the lifestyle she favors that he has sunk down into the depths of despair once more definitely not helped by the fact that he had been imported on him and a double dose in the form of both Mildew and Lotta… But like I said to another reader there was one other person who rub salt and his wounds earlier today which is truly the catalyst behind his gloomy disposition.

It's true, Pearl and Maya are a package deal it was one thing for him to provide for them before Trucy came along but now the poor guy would have to deal with a house full of females all who presumably have monster appetites during certain times of the month! Heck you read the Pardon My Sobbing chapter! XD

Never doubt Phaya… Phoenix and Maya can get through _anything!_ They have withstood everything from kidnapping to burning bridges The Dragon Lady's to creepy German sausages…If _that's_ not The Power of Love I don't know _what_ is!

However in a case where there is potentially not one but two Fey romances in peril, sometimes a little extra helping hand from the Twilight Realm might be required! ;)


	162. With A Little Help From My Friends

_A/N: To atone for my not-so-dear GERMY husband giving me the flu and thus delaying my entire writing schedule!_

 _Shout out to my amazeballs readers (and great FF Wrighters!)_ _ **Jove's Boy**_ _for his new cavity inducing_ _"Gordy Gumshoe Goodness"_ _based on my Magshoe OC's eldest son, Gordy! Also thanks_ _ **Geodude96**_ _for the song suggestion used in this chapter quote! :)_

* * *

 _Oh carry me, would you carry me?_ _  
_ _Hold me and touch my hand._ _  
_ _Oh carry me, would you carry me?_ _  
_ _Take my footprints from the sand._

 _As time goes by, we search for joy_ _  
_ _And the weight of our burden grows_ _  
_ _As darkness falls and twilight calls_ _  
_ _It's our faith that will carry us through._

 _As companions fall, we try to stay tall_ _  
_ _And we lean on each other in love_ _  
_ _It's through sorrow and pain that grace is gained_ _  
_ _And through prayers, hearts grow strong._

 _On the other side of the great divide_ _  
_ _We'll be strong and we'll stand on our own._ _  
_ _There'll be no pain, and joy will reign_ _  
_ _And together we'll make tracks in the sand._

 _But until then, we'll stand as friends_ _  
_ _And we'll all sing together for fun._ _  
_ _Through the darkness of night, we'll all shed light_ _  
_ _And together we will sing as one_.

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Two:** **With A Little Help From My Friends**

 _ **Phaya and Miles Edgeworth**_ **  
** _Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 10:45 PM

" _Ahh ha ha_!"

"Shut up, Edgeworth!"

"Forgive me, Wright!" Edgeworth wheezed, bracing one hand against the bar to support himself as he doubled over. "But to hear that your lover just garrulously asked that poor, innocent girl if she and her _gentleman friend_ have been engaging in _vigorous coitus…"_

"Miles, you are being unbelievably _inconsiderate and immature_ right now!" Maya puffed out her cheeks, which were flaming with embarrassment and anger as she shot daggers at the still-howling prosecutor. "You cease that tasteless snorting _this instant_!"

Her indignation only served to make the normally stoic Ace Attorney chortle even harder.

" _Nick_!" The necromancer stamped her foot. "Make the Demon Prosecutor _stop it already_!"

" _Bwahaha!"_

"God, you are a total _ass_ when you're drinking, you know that?" Phoenix glowered at his undaunted best friend, who continued to cackle. "I think I liked you better as a _grumpy_ drunk!"

" _Ahahah_!"

The magenta-clad man erupted into another fit of laughter, which he'd been doing for the past _five minutes straight_ , ever since Maya had returned from the ladies room and told the courtroom rivals what had transpired with Pearl.

"Cut it out, you _meanie_!" The Master scowled. "It's not _that_ funny!"

"Like _hell_ it isn't!" Edgeworth dabbed at his eyes, which were streaming tears of mirth, with his cravat, while he slapped at his knee with his free hand. "I cannot _believe_ neither Wright nor you are unable to see the _hilarity_ of asking your surely _mortified_ adolescent daughter if she was _enceinte_ …"

"I didn't ask Pearly if she was _in sand_!" The infuriated spirit medium shrieked, clearly not comprehending the French term for _up the duff!_ "I asked her if she was _pregnant_!"

"I was trying to be _discreet_ , Maya!" Edgeworth's drunken merriment had subsided now to somewhat less uproarious guffaws. "Would you rather I'd actually stated that I cannot fathom the _awkwardness_ dear, innocent Pearl must have suffered when her guardian _then_ proceeded to inquire if she was _in the family_ _way_ …"

"Grrr! _Shut up_ , Miles! You wouldn't be laughing so hard if it were _your_ daughter who made you think you were going to be a _grandparent_ before you even turned _30_!"

The provoked village leader spun around to recruit her boyfriend's assistance, then narrowed her eyes dangerously upon seeing that even _Phoenix_ had let out an impromptu snigger at his friend's last quip.

" _Nick_! You insensitive… _jerk face_!"

Flushing slightly at having been busted for his improper reaction, and in an attempt to escape Edgeworth's smirk and Maya's withering stare, the pianist quickly turned to the bartender, who'd chosen that second to present the spiky-haired man his requested "surprise me" combination.

"That's quite good!" The flustered Phoenix tossed back half the drink in one gulp. "What's in this divine concoction?"

"A combination of equal parts strawberry tequila and Irish cream liquor, sir," the bartender told him. "It's called a _Pearl Necklace_."

" _Gah_!"

The horrified poker champ had just taken a second swig, and nearly gagged at hearing the _beyond_ _inappropriate_ mixture name, hacking so violently that eventually, _Edgeworth_ had to be the one to mercifully thump him on the back, since Maya had cried umbrage towards _both_ men and didn't seem to care at that moment if either of them had _choked to death_ on laughter _or_ drinks!

" _Pearl necklace_?" A fourth voice chimed in. "Well, that's _one_ to prevent becoming _with child_!"

The startled trio glanced up and saw the forever ill-timed camera man and his ever-present video camera. He smiled sheepishly as his unpropitious joke made him newest subject to the death glare Maya shot him.

"Jesse Ventura, if I find out you actually recorded _any_ of my private conversation with these two _louts_ concerning _my little girl's virtue_ , I swear to Mystic Ami _you_ will be the next spirit that needs _channeling_!" She threatened. "What the heck are you doing here, anyway? And where's your Mouth of the South sidekick?"

Jesse appeared downright terrified, as at that moment, the tiny but incensed woman seemed fully capable of committing most _grievous bodily harm_ upon his person, despite being only half his size.

"I _swear_ I didn't record anything you guys were saying!" The videographer swore. "And Lotta is taking group table shots of all the guests, while I go around filming everyone's good wishes, and perhaps some fun love or marital advice for the newlyweds."

Upon hearing this, Maya's irate expression immediately melted away, like cotton candy in the rain, and she clasped her hands together with delight.

"Oh, what an _über_ _cute_ idea!" Jesse was treated to a blindingly white smile as the now sunny Master faced the camera. "I'm ready whenever you are! Nick, get over here!"

The surprised Phoenix found himself being hauled against his inamorata's side while Jesse focused his shot to now include the couple, nodding encouragingly at them to begin.

Hating to be put on the spot in such a manner, the card shark smiled weakly at the camera as he wrapped an arm around Maya's waist, wracking his brain for something worthwhile to say which would be forever captured on film… that he hadn't _already_ articulated in his best man speech! He jolted slightly as he felt his girlfriend elbow him in the side, indicating she wanted him to speak first.

"I'm afraid I gave you guys the finest I had to offer during my public oration!" Phoenix joked gauchely as he scrambled for inspiration. "However, knowing that you already have my best material forever encapsulated on earlier footage, Larry and Iris I have only this left to say to you: People say that real love must go through many tests. And I wish you from all my heart to stand these tests and keep the love till the end. Congratulations!"

He felt a surge of relief wash over him as Jesse gave a thumbs up sign and then zeroed in on the beaming spirit medium, smiling indulgently as his lover rested her satiny head against his shoulder while she spoke into the camera.

"Cousin…Larry…They say that a good beginning makes a good ending and today is going to be a very exciting day – the beginning of your family life." Maya was back to her normal vivacious self. "And I believe that your love story is going to have a happy end. Or, as the love of my life said earlier, _no end at all,_ because true love stories never have endings. Congratulations on your wedding, beloved bride and groom!"

"That was great, guys!" Jesse enthused, turning off the camera and then quizzically regarding the sullen prosecutor, who'd began inching away the moment the videographer had started filming. "Hey, where are _you_ going, Mr. Edgeworth? Aren't you going to give some sort of _marital advice_ or _well wishes_ to Larry and Iris?"

"I am hardly an expert on matters of the heart, nor am I in a particularly congratulatory mood at this instant," Edgeworth dismissed, his former jovial mood completely dissipated now as he grabbed his tumbler from the bar. "I'm going back to the table now – try to catch me later, perhaps when I come back for _next_ round!"

* * *

 _ **Mia Fey and Luke Triton  
**_ _Ladies Room, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 10:47 PM

Pretending not to notice that her thunderstruck companion still hadn't uttered a peep, Mia blithely scrolled through the text messages on Pearl's cell.

"My family is _really_ taking advantage of the fact that I get to retain my memories of all events I've been witnessing from the heavens today," she remarked sunnily. "However, the only one who was privy to the information is Phoenix, hence the ah _…detailed notation_ Pearly left me on her phone about how much she _thinks you stink_ , and why she channeled me in the first place, Mr. Triton! Oh my! Pearly certainly was… _colorful_ in describing what happened between you two wasn't she! I wonder where and when such a _sweet, polite girl_ could have learned such… _creative_ yet _profane_ terminology!"

Luke dropped his gaze to the ground in shame as the buxom beauty tittered merrily at whatever was written on the small screen of the device in her hand.

"OK, I get the gist, as indecorously put as it was! Hee! Ah, here's a few text messages she's exchanged with Trucy today. Hmmm… I may as well kill a few birds with one stone while I'm here, so bear with me a moment while I send a set of instructions to the little magician, which will be beneficial to my sister and her reunited lover a bit later, once I help straighten out a few loose ends with those crazy kids! But first things first…you and Pearly!"

The legal legend stuck out her hand to the dumbfounded English lad and treated him to her most engaging smile.

"It appears you're at a disadvantage here, since _I_ obviously know who _you_ are, yet I know we still haven't been formally introduced." Another wicked grin. "I'm Mia Fey, Maya's sister, Pearly's cousin, and Phoenix's old boss. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Luke."

Luke simply continued to gape at the gorgeous woman in Pearl's pink dress who stood before him, remaining entirely incapable of speech, as he was so utterly thunderstruck by this first-time witnessing of his girlfriend's mind-blowing spiritual powers.

" _Cat got your tongue_ , Luke?" Mia tilted her head to the side, topaz orbs twinkling mischievously. "I _know_ you're capable of speaking! After all, I've been watching you from my omniscient _jumbotron_ in the sky, _opening mouth and inserting foot_ the entire night with my cousin…or would she technically be more my _niece_ at this point, since she's essentially Maya's daughter?"

Luke opened his mouth to speak, yet the normally articulate youth only managed to make a strangled guttural sound which sounded like a _feline choking on a hairball_!

Thoroughly humiliated, he raised his head as he finally caught his breath and saw Mia was studying him with a surprisingly straight face, as though accustomed to this profound effect she unwittingly had on every man she encountered.

 _Heaven help me!_ The exasperated former defense attorney groaned inwardly. _I need this kid to open up_ _ **somehow**_ _if I hope to have a much-needed heartfelt tête-à-tête! Perhaps we need a change of scenery from this_ _ **deafeningly silent**_ _hallway?_

"While our present location is probably better suited for a private pow-wow compared to that noisy soirée atmosphere, I guess the air _is_ pretty dry out here, isn't it?" Mia offered, with as much sympathy as she could muster. "I'm feeling a tad parched, myself, and we have _so_ much chatting to do! Perhaps we should go wet our whistles first?"

The teen nodded dumbly, falling in step as they turned to head back into the ballroom and made a beeline for the bar.

"It's been ages since I had a drink!" The head-turning bombshell remarked to the mute Luke as they made their way through the bustling reception hall. "I wonder if they make piña coladas here…it was my favorite, and also because I figure ordering a _Dead Lawyer_ cocktail would be a _tad_ too _morbid_ , don't you?"

Luke only managed a sickly grin in response, and she flashed him a wink before smiling benignly at the bartender and leaning forward to whisper something into the server's ear, before turning back to her companion.

"Although considering I'm borrowing _Pearly's_ body, I guess it would be more _prudent_ and _fitting_ that regardless of what I order, I make it a _virgin_ drink, wouldn't you say?"

A strangled sound emerged from his throat, and Mia finally took pity on the poor kid and gave him a commiserative pat on the hand, even though the teasing lilt was evident in her tone.

"I meant because my cousin is a _minor_ , ergo not old enough to consume _alcohol_ , Luke! What were _you_ thinking, you _naughty_ _bloke_?" There was a devilish glint in her eye. "If you're going to maintain your _gentleman status_ here, I strongly suggest you get your _head out of the gutter,_ immediately!"

Luke found his voice at last.

"Pardon me, Madam." He flashed a cheeky grin. "With all due respect, I must respond to this statement with my own rebuttal!"

" _Oh_?"

"Riddle me this: whilst _my_ mind was in the gutter, how was it that _you_ knew exactly what I was supposedly reckoning, hmmm?"

Mia blinked with surprise at the unexpected sassy rebuttal to her relentless ball busting, and then let out a silvery peal of laughter, with Luke joining right in, the ice between them finally broken.

"Look, _it speaks_! And not a moment too soon! I was starting to feel like some sort of _Shakespearean actress_ , doomed to be performing voluble _monologues_ all night!" Her amused expression morphed into one of veneration. "It's nice to see that famous British wit come into play _at last_!"

"Please accept my humble apologies for the gross delay in becoming your worthy dialogue partner, fair lady," he replied gallantly. "Believe me when I tell you that the pleasure in making your acquaintance, at long last, is all mine."

Luke made a slight, chivalrous bow in formal greeting, a disarming smile on his lips. He then reached for the soda he'd just been poured and with a flourish, waved his hand towards the ballroom's vestibule.

"Now that we have the necessary liquid reinforcements, we should return to our previous milieu, as it would offer you better privacy to commence your _interrogation_ pertaining to my _intentions_ towards your _most_ _virtuous_ cousin/niece."

"Such a dapper fellow indeed, so politely yet fearlessly _cutting right to the chase_! Colour me _impressed_!" Mia declared admiringly. "Luke Triton, _I like you already_!"

* * *

 _ **Max Galactica and Regina Berry  
**_ _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 10:52 PM

"Greetings, esteemed wedding guests!" Jesse boomed as he swept down upon Phoenix and Maya's table, camcorder in hand. "I've already recorded the bridesmaid and best man's well-wishes …"

Taking note of the thunderous expression on Edgeworth's countenance upon noticing him, the videographer gulped, then wisely opted not to pry if the prosecutor was ready to say his bit just yet and smiled hopefully at the others.

"So, um, is there _anyone else_ who'd now like to give their congratulations and/or marital advice to the newlyweds?"

"Get over here, cameraman!" Regina was well-nigh bouncing in her seat. "Max and I want to go next!"

The bubbly blonde wrapped an arm around her beaming husband's shoulder as she waved at the camera.

"A great marriage is not when the 'perfect couple' comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences. So, congratulations, Larry!" The Big Berry heiress chirped. "You have found that one special person you want to _annoy_ for the rest of your life! And congratulation, Iris, on your promotion from " _When will you marry_?" to " _When are you going have babies_? Tee hee! I kid! Advice for the bride: _don't expect your husband will change after marriage_! And… over to _you_ , Maxie!"

Max smiled adoringly at his wife before facing the lens.

"To the groom: _don't expect your wife_ _ **won't**_ _change!"_ The magician joked. "But seriously, a successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Both of you will change over time, and you'll have to keep falling in love with the new person in front of you. Exciting because of the new, and comfortable because of the old – what more could you ask for?"

Regina effusively kissed Max on the cheek, then waved at the camera again.

"Three simple words "I love you" will never be enough. Never stop showing your love to each other, and never stop loving each other! Good luck to you both!"

"Larry, Iris…Marriage…when to the _right_ person, is incredible." Max gave one of his wife's springy golden curls an affectionate tweak. "It's able to make people experience things they thought they would never experience and learn things they thought they would never know. So sweeties, congratulations on your wedding, and wishing you both a lifetime of love!"

* * *

 _ **Mia Fey and Luke Triton  
**_ _Vestibule, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 10:53 PM

The unlikely duo parked themselves onto the plush couch out in the hallway near the restrooms.

"These settees are so much more comfortable than the table chairs," Luke remarked. "Plus I can actually _hear myself think_ out here!"

"Well, you may as well get comfortable, _laddy_ , because there's _a lot of ground_ that needs to be covered before I let you get back to Pearly," Mia warned him playfully. "Let's take this from the top, shall we? First things first, I know I don't need ascertain if my baby sister is going to be a grandma, since you already assured me there's no cause for concern there…"

" _None whatsoever_ , I assure you!" Luke interrupted hastily, his cheeks burning. "I have nothing but utmost love and respect for Pearl – and have been _naught but a gentleman_ for this entire courtship!"

"Duly noted!" Mia grinned. "But if I'm not mistaken, the reason Pearly was so upset was that you seemed to be hesitant in declaring if this _wooing_ of yours was just for the _short term_ , or the _long haul?"_

"You're not mistaken, Mia." His cheeks flamed. "That's _exactly_ what it was! At first, I'd assumed Pearl had just succumbed to a little bit of _wedding fever_ , and wasn't actually _serious_ in her perusal of my intentions! _Cor_ _blimey_! How daft am I to have forgotten just what a _die-hard romantic_ that girl is? Bloody hell, when we first met in Europe, one of our preliminary dates was to an actual _castle_!"

"You took Pearly to a _real_ castle? That's so romantic!" She praised. "Although you have to realize that only must have unleashed _every fairy tale fantasy_ she'd ever had about Phoenix and Maya _a tenfold_ , as it made her envision _you_ as her _own_ Prince Charming from that day forward!"

"Most young girls harbor such inclinations, I'm quite aware of this. However, this wedding seems to have unleashed some sort of _Pandora's Box_ – this unspoken _obsession_ within her, and I have no idea where it manifested from!"

Luke stared at her helplessly.

"I thought Maya and Mr. Wright reconciling would only strengthen Pearl's previously shaken belief in true love conquering all, and feel more secure in _our_ relationship, but it seems like Larry and Iris tying the knot had just the _opposite_ effect, and I don't know what to do!"

"Yes, the majority of ingénues _do_ daydream of a handsome prince who'll sweep them off their feet someday, and your girlfriend is no exception. Maya and I would be the _first_ to acknowledge Pearly's always had somewhat _unrealistic_ flights of fancy when it comes to romance."

Mia took a sip of her _virgin_ piña colada.

"That's probably why she was such a Phaya shipper right out of the gate! Phoenix and Maya getting together would have finally given her the complete family she's always wanted, and the father she's never had. The Fey families have never really existed as the traditional _nuclear_ sort, you see. You've been to Kurain, surely? Have you never noticed it's an _all-woman village_? It's certainly _not_ on purpose, _believe_ me!"

"I figured there was _some_ sort of history there," he admitted. "But Pearl never really got into it a whole lot – and I felt it would have been unseemly to pry. All I know is that the Fey psychic gene is purely female, and it made the men feel alienated, to the point where they eventually left, and that was what happened with Pearl's own father."

"There's a whole darker story that comes along with our family tree, including, but not limited to, Misty and Morgan Fey," she sighed. "While I don't have time to get into all that right now, it's _imperative_ you find out the whole story, so you can _truly_ grasp the root of all this, Luke. You deserve to know all about the Fey history – the good, the bad, _and_ the ugly."

Mia stared at him unflinchingly.

"They key thing you need apprehend is that Pearly's relationship idealizations, and putting marriage on such a high pedestal, stems from _100% lack of actual real life example_. It's probably why Pearly's always envisioned Phoenix as Maya's real life _knight in shining armor_. Seeing the Special Someones living happily ever after would have been enough of a joyful dream come true for her, one she'd probably never dared ever wish for _herself_ , until _you_ came along, Luke."

"I know Pearl sees me as her prince, and as I told her, I am _no_ prince, if not _hers_." He blushed furiously when Mia made an endeared cooing sound. "I _meant_ _it_ when I said that _she_ made _me_ believe in fairytales! I _loved_ that she viewed me as such, because to _me_ , she's this delicate, beautiful princess I just want to cherish and protect for all time."

Luke suddenly realized he had bared his soul, something he was not accustomed to doing, to a woman he had known for all of _15 minutes_ , and suddenly feigned an extreme interest in tracing the patterns on the carpet with the toe of his dress shoe.

"For _all time_ , you say? So you _have_ thought about the two of you being together forever?" Mia peered into his pink, downcast visage. "Luke, I'll concede that Pearly making you feel pinned to a wall all day and seeming to expect your _teenage self_ to publicly blurt out some sort of matrimonial intent was naïve, maybe even unfair. Nonetheless, why couldn't you _at least_ have let her know you really _do_ wish to stick around for keeps? It may have been enough to placate her and avoid all this misunderstanding and heartache."

"Because I'm painfully aware of how much Pearl revered Mr. Wright and Maya's relationship!" He burst out, clenching his glass so tightly, Mia feared he'd break it. "I met her shortly after they split up last year, and she was beyond _shattered_ by it. I already knew that I loved her, even then, and I was _utterly gutted_ to see such this precious, fairy angel be so dejected – her idealistic hopes and dreams all smashed to smithereens, along with her heart."

"Sensitive people like Maya and Pearly love too much, give too much and hurt too much. But they have the kindest hearts."

"Pearl's big, lovely heart is what I fell in love with," Luke confessed, without guile. "That, and those expressive, luminous gray eyes. They're my favorite stars, and the sight of those mesmerizing orbs filled with lachrymose nearly _broke_ me! That day in Scotland, I swore to myself that I'd rather _suffer the most agonizing tortures known to man_ than see tears in those eyes, _ever_ again! Therefore, I'll be damned if _I'm_ ever the one, even unwittingly, who _raises her hopes_ and then _crushes them!_ "

Mia was astonished at the rife frustration and anguish in the youth's genteel voice, but held her breath, afraid that if she spoke now, he would stop talking, so she merely nodded encouragingly for him to continue.

"Pearl and I are so similar…but separate," he reflected, " _She's_ the dreamer, whereas _I_ am the more of the realist sort, but we've always manage to balance each other out. I can't help it if I'm a more pragmatic individual. I blame my nature and upbringing and spending my formative years with a brilliant, world renowned professor of archaeology! In the end, I didn't want to raise her expectations about our future until I knew I could make her a _tangible_ promise that it was _really_ going to happen."

Luke's gaze remained downcast, almost as though forgetting he wasn't alone, as he paused to collect his thoughts.

"So you see, _this_ is why I was planning on waiting until I next saw Pearl in person, at Christmastime, when I expected to have some _legitimate_ news for her about my intentions, so it wouldn't sound like a pipe dream, which is the way I felt it would come across _now_ , what with us being _oceans apart_ and not even being able to legally remain in this country!"

"It all makes perfect sense, Luke," Mia soothed. "Moreover, I absolutely adore you for loving my cousin so much you risked her ire to sequentially protect that fragile heart of hers, considering she's already known so much hardship and disappointment in her young life. I promise you I won't divulge any information to Pearl if you prefer me not to, but I _am_ hoping you can at least tell _me_ what this forthcoming news would be about?"

"Right now, I'm majoring in Linguistics and minoring in Archaeology. I'm also Sir Layton's teaching assistant at Gressenheller University," Luke explained. "Despite our differences, I immediately sensed an affinity in her, due to her otherworldly capability of necromancy, whereas _I_ was born with the uncanny _superpower_ , if you will, to be able to communicate with animals."

"You're the _Animal Whisperer_ , and Pearly's a spirit medium…how positively _adorable_!" The brunette exclaimed enthusiastically. "You really are _perfect_ for each other! The two of you should open up your own business…like _pet séances_ or something, so people could talk to their deceased Fluffy or Rover, and _you_ could be their spirit interpreter!"

Luke chuckled at the absurd notion, uncertain if she was serious or kidding, but decided not to dwell on the matter and pressed forward.

"I've _always_ known Pearl was The One for me, but it's hardly practical to make plans for our future when we're presently living in different countries _and_ continents! Ergo, I've been looking into transferring my Gressenheller credits to the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA. I plan on becoming a zoologist, specializing in husbandry, in hopes of helping preserve some endangered species."

"The controlled cultivation, management, and production of animals? Wow, that's a quite an ambitious, but estimably noble career path, Luke."

"Thank you. I'd been hoping to at least have some news concerning the status of my student visa by year end, but emigrating is no rapid process, even with a famous knighted professor pulling some strings to help expedite the paperwork! Henceforth, I am _entirely_ at the _mercy_ _of_ _the British government's schedule_ to finalize the details which would allow me to immigrate here to the States. On top of everything else, I need to find an appropriate assistant replacement for me at the University, which is _another_ lengthy procedure in itself!"

He stared at her beseechingly.

"Mia, _now_ can you understand _why_ I didn't want to say anything, until things were more substantial and finalized?"

"Of course I understand, sweet boy," she said kindly. "Luke, you've proven to not only a bright young man, with a maturity that belies his ears, but a very _level-headed_ one, as well. My starry-eyed cousin _needs_ someone like you in her life, who'll keep her grounded, and I wish you nothing but the best of luck with your endeavors to ensure that distance will no longer keep you twitter pated kids apart! I just _know_ it'll work out, because in the end, in spite of all your differences, I _know_ you and Pearly are meant to be."

Mia's twinkling orbs were filled with affection as she beamed at him.

"You two are truly soulmates, and so blessed to have found each other. Hold onto this togetherness, this friendship, this great love that brought you together. I pray to God for everlasting happiness for my darling Princess Pearl and her handsome prince, and I hope you're the ones from the story which quotes "Happily Ever After".

Being so impulsively, yet lovingly, blessed resulted in Luke flushing red with bashful pleasure, and as Mia leaned forward and lightly kissed him on the cheek, she tried not to giggle as his mien turned even more scarlet.

"Pearly is such a lucky girl to have you, Lucas Gabriel Triton. Don't you worry about having to spill the beans too soon in order to fix things with her, alright? I swear I'll leave her a _very reassuring message_ – but without giving _anything_ away, until you're ready to tell her everything yourself."

"I really appreciate you being so compassionate and understanding Mia," he said shyly. "I was afraid that perhaps you'd want to _box my ears_ for hurting Pearl, however unintentionally."

"Not at all! You're a great guy who has obviously thought things out thoroughly, and thus deserved to be _heard_ _out_ , not _judged_. Also, I try very hard to _use my words_ and never resort to violence, except in _extenuating circumstances_." Mia's lips twitched as she recalled her _smack-down_ with her sister's lover at the hospital earlier that day. "Besides, don't you know that we Fey girls save our outbursts of physical anger _strictly_ for _Phoenix_?"

"Ha-ha! Well nevertheless, I'm very happy you support my decision not to be making grandeur avowals and pretty promises to my girlfriend, considering that I am presently nothing but a penniless student living thousands of miles across the globe, who can't offer Pearl much of anything at this point!"

At that moment, Phoenix had just exited the reception hall en route to the men's room. He recovered quickly from stupefaction at the sight of _Mia_ (of all people!) sitting beside Layton's former apprentice, which quickly changed back to his previous languor as in the next split second, he heard Luke's innocuous statement, which was only a sharp reminder about his own latent glum thoughts regarding his future with Maya. Swallowing hard, he attempted to do an about-face and tried to zip past his friends, in no mood to be social in his current bleak mood.

However, it was too late, as they'd already seen him.

Furthermore, the ever observant Mia had caught the lugubrious look that'd crossed her former protégé's features at Luke's last words, and was not only astute enough to immediately know the reason, but was vividly reminded about the _other_ task she needed to take care of during this impromptu earthly visit.

"Good evening Phoenix," she called out in her most honeyed cadence. "Weren't you going to even stop and say hello to your favorite ex-boss… and potential _someday son-in-law_?"

Swearing inwardly at having been spotted, the ex-lawyer made his way over and smiled gawkily at the two.

"Hey, Luke. Hello again, Mia. Er, long time no see, heh, heh."

"I know! It's been _hours_ since you saw me last! I've missed you so, but obviously the feeling wasn't _mutual,_ since you just tried to dodge past!" She affected an air of mock sadness. "Seriously, though Phoenix, can you _really_ ever get enough of your favorite future sister-in-law?"

"Not at all. This is surely a most pleasant unexpected surprise." Phoenix felt his face warming as he leaned down to accept the kiss on the cheek Mia offered him in greeting.

" _Is_ it? Your blatant attempts to slip past me _incognito_ make think otherwise. Did I perhaps overstay my welcome with you earlier today?"

Phoenix's cheeks were now burning. Despite his best efforts, the woman had _always_ been able to see right through him, even at times like now, when unburdening his heavy heart was the _last_ thing he was in the mood for. As much as he adored Maya's sister, he _hated_ her unfailing perceptiveness, and also wished Mia wouldn't always be such a terrible teaser whenever she saw him lately!

"It's nothing like that, Chief! It's just that I've had quite a few at the bar tonight, and now I _really_ need to go to the bathroom – I was going to say _hi_ on my way back, honest!"

"A _few_ , he says! I've seen you and Miles in action at the bar, making that poor bartender _earn his wages_ tonight, you little _lush bunny_! I'm surprised you didn't _break the seal_ sooner!" Mia arched a perfectly shaped brow. "Did you have the courtesy of letting Maya know you weren't going to be gone for half the evening, _this_ time around?"

Phoenix pretended not to notice how Luke was obviously fighting back laughter at this whole exchange, while silently cursing that he'd briefly forgotten Mia was able to retain the memories of everything she'd witnessed on earth from up above that day.

"Of _course_ I did." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "It's just…I _legitimately_ have to go answer the call of nature this time! Could you please excuse me for a second?"

"By all means, _go ahead_!" She smiled innocently, then turned to the amused teenager. "Luke, head on back to your table, and ask Sister Bikini and Matilda to give you the lowdown on the evil history of Kurain Master Usurper attempts, and why marriages have been doomed in that village! While you're at it, ensure my sister knows I'm here, but that I'll catch up to _her_ later. In the interim, she needs to ascertain Miles has company. He's not doing too well, and since I'm taking Maya's date _hostage_ for a spell, I don't want my favorite _prosecutie_ left alone for too long in his current state. You may also want to warn my baby sis that the dear _cinnamon roll_ might turn slightly _salty_ at some point tonight…so in the meantime, until I sort things out, tell her to keep him _away_ from the _bar_!"

"You can count on me, Mia!" Luke smiled and nodded, then waved at the adults before merrily jaunting back to the reception hall, just as Mia flashed her old assistant an impish grin.

"You do what you need to do my friend. I'll be _right here_ _waiting_ when you return, for which you'll have _zero_ choice, since there's no window in the bathrooms to escape from – _just in case_ you were intending another pathetic attempt to evade me!"

" _Never_!" Protested the card shark, who'd indeed been contemplating _exactly_ that! "I'll be right out!"

"And I'll be _waiting_!" Mia sing-songed in a syrupy lilt. "We _dead folks_ tend to have _all the time in the world,_ you know! Go on now, Phoenix. Just bear in mind – there's only _one way_ out of that john… And I don't think can _hold your breath long enough_!"

Letting out a barely audible moan of resignation, Phoenix nodded and went to seek temporary solace in the men's room, knowing Mia was going to pull the truth behind his gloomy disposition out of him as soon as he got back to her, whether he _liked it or not_!

* * *

 _ **Reverend Paesano**_  
 _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 11:00 PM

" _Shalom_ , Jesse."

"How you doing, Reverend?" The videographer greeted the minister, who was enjoying his well-earned third glass of bourbon and schmoozing amicably with Sister Bikini and Mystic Matilda while sitting in Phoenix's recently vacated seat at the table. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"It's nice for an old man finally sit down after being on his feet for 10 hours straight!" Reverend Paesano chortled gaily as he sipped from his tumbler. "Luckily, this fancy joint serves some high-quality amber, to make the stress on my poor bunions _worthwhile_!"

"Well, since you're in good spirits, and no longer want to _circumcise_ me…" Jesse's tone was light although he was still inwardly cringing at _that_ particular memory. "How about we take advantage and have you dish out some wise marital advice for the newlyweds?"

"I'd be delighted to bestow some counsel based on 45 years of wedded bliss! Larry, Iris: Marriages are like fingerprints; each one is different and each one is beautiful. But marriage goes in waves. You've got to be patient. People bail and give up on their marriages way too early. They just don't put the work and the effort into it. You've got to suck up your ego a lot of times, because that can be a big downfall. You'll just have to stick it out through the tough times, to get to the wave of good times."

The bushy bearded cleric beamed at the camera.

"Listen to me – being all _schmaltzy_! I sound like a stodgy old fart! Now for something more contemporary: Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. Lawrence, one piece of advice for a successful marriage if you wish to _zie ga zink_ : _Keep her happy_! To achieve this, two things are necessary. First, let her _think_ she's having her own way. And second, _let her have it_! You've got to set the ground rules and establish _who the boss is_ : Then _do everything_ _ **she**_ _says_!"

"It's worked this long for _me_!" Gumshoe snickered in Maggey's ear. She shushed him, all the while giggling madly as the vicar continued.

"Never forget that a man can be the _head_ of the house, but a woman is the _neck,_ and she _may turn the head_ in _any direction she wants_! In short: _To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the loving cup, whenever you're wrong, admit it; whenever you're right, shut up!"_

Jesse was snickering as he filmed this, as was everyone at the table – except Edgeworth. The stone-faced lawyer was pretending to be listening to something Sister Bikini was prattling in his ear, but was really just attempting to crush the ice in his mostly drained tumbler with his straw, in attempts to extend the amount of liquid he could consume.

Draining the last of the drink, the prosecutor was about to rise from his seat and head back to the bar when he was accosted by Maya, who'd just been relayed the frantic whisperings of the recently reconvened Luke. Jutting her chin determinedly, the Master firmly grabbed Edgeworth's hand and dragged him to the dance floor.

Unaware of all the rigmarole around him, the oblivious holy man raised his glass at the camera as he brought it home.

"Dear groom, look at your amazing bride – she is just lighting up with joy! Now, _shayner_ bride, look at your handsome groom – he can't even express his feelings. Try to keep your faces that happy forever. Congratulations on your wedding, Lawrence and Iris! Also thanks for letting me do my job – _finally_! _Mazel tov_!"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Mia Fey  
**_ _Vestibule, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 11:05 PM

"Soooo…." Mia drawled as she patted the space on the couch beside her, indicating that the resigned pianist should sit. "I sense that you're neither in a congenial nor overly loquacious mindset, Phoenix. Care to elaborate?"

Wearing an unabashedly languorous expression, Phoenix acquiesced and sank down on the cushion.

"Even if I said _no_ , it wouldn't make a lick of difference to you, would it, _Madame Attorney_?"

" _None whatsoever_!" She replied cheerfully. "I plan on cross-examining you until you _crack_! Don't even think of trying to be mendacious with me, Phoenix! I have no idea _how_ you've managed to fool anybody with that so-called poker face of yours these last seven years, but you can't with _me_. It's as clear as day that something is bothering you, and I would like to know _exactly_ what it is."

The spiky-haired man obdurately opted to be taciturn, so Mia tried a different tactic.

"Talk to me, Phoenix! Why are you _sitting there with a long face_? And don't even think of giving me some smart aleck reply about how your face _won't get any shorter if you stood up_! What gives?"

His gaze remained downcast, and a wave of impatience coursed through her and trickled into her intonation due to his continued tight-lipped defiance.

"Earlier today, I witnessed _a small village's collaborated efforts_ at reconciling you with Maya. Up until now, _I'd_ been priding _myself_ on my starring role in assisting with said reunion!" She raised her voice a notch. "A reunification which, by the way, you commemorated by _sticking your tongue halfway down my baby sister's throat_! Why is it that very _same_ _tongue_ is conveniently acting as though it's _tied_ when I'm trying to get a straight answer out of you, _a mere few hours later,_ buster?"

Lugubrious pavonine eyes met disquieted copper ones, and her tone softened, all jesting overtures now vanquished.

"I'm not trying to hold to you here against your will because I'm trying to be an overbearing lawyer, or your meddlesome sister-in-law. It's because I care about you so much, Phoenix. I _saw_ the look on your face when you heard what Luke said, about not being able to offer Pearl anything right now at this point in his life. You looked as though you'd just been mortally wounded. I want to know why?"

"Because a 19-year-old teenage boy has more common sense than _I_ do!" Phoenix could barely choke out the words. "Luke was willing to risk a _brief interlude of despair_ with his girlfriend if it meant sparing her a _lifetime of heartache_ by plying her ears with pretty words that had no substance! This kid is self-aware enough to realize he has no business talking about a future he can't provide for Pearls just yet, and yet here's _me_ , giving your sister a promise ring when I don't even have two nickels to rub together. The fact that Maya _whipped it back in my face_ last year is beside the point!"

Mia was torn between sympathy and frustration at how thin-skinned and insecure her normally resilient and self-reliant friend had become despite her pep talk with him earlier.

"Be fair! Whatever happened between you two back then was because a series of unfortunate lies, which have since been brought to light –"

"As the icing on the cake," he continued fiercely, as though she hadn't spoken. "Like the romantic, but never pragmatic, man that I am, my _foolish self_ goes and proposes to that same woman before _hundreds of witnesses_ , with total disregard of the fact that ultimately _, Mildew was right_! Maya is _still_ _a prestigious Master_ , and I remain socially outcast pariah who is far beneath a woman of her stature! _Suit or no suit_ , it's like putting _lipstick on a pig_ ; it doesn't change the fact that I am a scummy, disgraced _forgin' attorney!"_

"Phoenix, _why_ are you rehashing all this again?" Mia was taken aback by the crude way he spoke of himself. "None of this is relevant – Maya loves _you no matter what_!"

"Your sister is just as impractical as I am!" His tone was bitter. "When the dust all clears, she'll realize we both should have taken a page out of Luke's book. She's going to be forced to come crashing back down to earth when it finally hits her that nothing's changed for me – I _still_ have no money to speak of! I'm a man who can barely provide for _one_ daughter, never mind another one, plus _a wife!_ Luke has his whole bright future ahead of him, whereas _I have_ no bright light at the end of _my_ tunnel, seven years later – just a series of glaring spotlights tonight to remind me that I can never maintain this luxe lifestyle that Maya grown accustomed to!"

"You think _this_ is the life she wants?" Mia's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Phoenix, you _have_ to know that _none_ of this _obscene extravagance_ was your girlfriend's design nor her choosing, except that junk food buffet – especially those sliders – they have _Maya_ written all over them! I don't even think Longines had a hand in too much of this opulence – it was pure Mildew!"

Phoenix only nodded.

"But all that notwithstanding, my sister forever remains the low-key Burger Queen you fell in love with! Who gives a crap about the venom spewed by some crotchety, decrepit _Cryptkeeper_ , or the hateful ramblings of a _heinous,_ _wig-wearing frogmouth,_ who wouldn't know class if it bit her in the _hillbilly ass_? As far as I'm concerned, you seem to be getting yourself all worked up over the insignificant slurs of degenerate losers – aka _nobody worth mentioning!"_

"Your _sister_ isn't _nobody_ , Mia!" Phoenix's voice shook with emotion. "She's my _world_. And…these promulgations about me weren't just slung by Lotta and Mildew. _Maya_ herself gave me a sharp reminder of what I really am: _a_ _degenerate hobo bum,_ _phony pianist turned shady poker player in a dive bar amongst the other like riffraff_."

" _Maya_ said these things to you?" Mia sucked in a sharp breath. "When was this? At the hospital when she ran out in tears after you'd upset her? Surely you can't hold that against her…"

"I love her, Mia. I'm not holding anything against her." He shook his head. "I'm just stating the fact that these _inconsequential people_ didn't say anything about me that your sister _didn't already say to my face_ earlier today. It was in her dressing room, right before the wedding, when I struck out with her for the _second_ time."

Feeling slightly queasy, the legal legend shut her eyes for a moment as her mind rapidly went over the _many_ occurrences she'd witnessed from her viewpoint in the heavens above that day. In light of the happy turnabout with the two lovers, she'd nearly forgotten all heartbreaking instances that'd occurred prior to their reunion – which was presently _impossible_ to forget! Waves of remorse and guilt began to eat away at her as in her mind's eye, she could now clearly recall the stinging barbs her incensed sister had subjected Phoenix to, and this had been _after_ she'd bequeathed his _second_ slap of the day at the hands of a Fey female!

She was now at a loss of what to say, seeing as how her sister had been the underlying catalyst of Phoenix's latest feelings of misery and self-loathing.

" _Goddammit,_ Maya _!"_ Mia cursed under her breath, then cast an apologetic skyward glance. "Oops! _Sorry_!"

Clearing her throat, she turned her remorseful gaze to the sorrowful Phoenix, unsure if it was even in her place to apologize on behalf of her all too fiery, _act-first, think later_ sister's behalf! Maya's runaway tongue and quick-fire palm were Fey traits, she ruefully acknowledged, that'd been shared with _Mia herself_ on occasion!

"Deep down, you _have_ to know Maya didn't mean those awful things, Phoenix," she said at last. "She was still hurt and believed all these terrible untruths about you – which need I remind you – you told her _yourself_!"

"Fair enough. But it doesn't erase that even though the threat of Children's Services and a homicidal psychopath have been taken off the table as barriers between us, the fact remains that Maya has chosen to align herself with a disgraced man who remains far beneath her." His voice was hollow. "Nothing's changed – we _still_ need to be in hiding about being together! Otherwise, her name will be dragged through the mud along with mine if it becomes known she's associating with me, _in any way_. What will become of Kurain's recently restored name and her esteemed reputation then?"

The sharp words fell like a heavy katana, slicing mercilessly into the tension hanging over them, leaving her feeling overwhelmingly hapless and discouraged.

 _Mystic Ami have mercy, but I can't do this with him anymore!_ _I feel like I'm playing a never ending game of bowling, where things beyond my control keep knocking him down like a set of pins, but this time, I can't be the one to pick them up again! As much as I've tried to be reassuring that there is no better man for my sister, due to the character virtues Phoenix possesses, which are more significant to Maya than either reputation or wallet size, it won't do any good now._

Mia's head felt as though it were going to explode.

 _The damage is too deep, due to the underlying cause of this latest setback. Not only am I unable to fix things this time, as hard as it's going to be, I also can't let him cry in my arms like I have before. It won't solve anything. All I can do is try to prevent him from further spiraling down this dark, lamenting path._ _ **I'm**_ _not the one who can make it right this time. But I know_ _ **who**_ _is._

"Phoenix, I need you to do something for me right now," she said abruptly.

"What is it?" He asked wearily.

"I need you to go fetch my _razor-tongued_ sister now, and then remain by Miles's side for the rest of the night."

Phoenix had been bracing himself to have to make some sort of finagled promise, and therefore it took a moment for the words to properly register.

"Anything you want, you know I'll always do – wait, _what_? Miles?!"

"You heard me. I still have a lot that needs to be done, and while _you_ seem to have let it slip your mind, _I_ am quite cognizant that I'm here on _limited_ time, in the _borrowed_ _body_ of the very distraught young girl who channeled me."

Mia's voice was firm and no nonsense.

"I still need to ensure Pearly and Luke patch things up. As much as I love you and my sister, I can't baby you anymore, because these lingering unresolved issues cannot be dispelled by me this time. There's somebody who needs my assistance even more than you and Maya right now, and that's your best friend. Miles may act all hard and lofty, but we both know he's only human, and a big softy underneath that façade! He's presently dealing with an overwhelming amount of emotional upheaval, and he's doing it _all alone_ , whereas at the end of the day, unless you do something _irrevocably idiotic_ , Phoenix, _you'll_ have my sister's undying love for the rest of your days. And _that_ is why you're now at the bottom of my priority list."

The poker shark felt the stinging rebuke of the eye-opening reprimand about his self-involved behavior, gently put as it was. A wave of ignominy washed over him as he realized that rather than comforting his tormented best friend while he'd attempted to numb himself into an alcoholic stupor, Phoenix had simply joined the pity party with his _own_ woes, which, now that they'd been pointed out, _far paled by comparison_ to Edgeworth's.

"You've made your point, Mia," he said humbly. "I'm just sorry that you had to shame me somewhat in order to see things in a different light. I'll go get Maya now."

"Thank you." Mia leaned over and gave him a hug. "I'm sorry that I had to give you a little bit of tough love this time, but it's because with my sister by your side, I _know_ that you're going to be _fine,_ Phoenix. Think not that you can _direct the course of love_ , for _love_ , if it finds you worthy, _directs your course_."

 _ **Buddy Wasisname**_ _ ** & The Other Fellers – Carry Me**_

* * *

 _A/N:_ _Timeless Love_ , _my collaboration of love one shots set within the course of the AA timeline, along with ThePudz and Yanmegaman, is out! If you haven't already gotten your pairing requests in, or checked it out, do so here_! **_s/12327478/1/Timeless-Love-By-the-YanpudzJP-Yatagarasu_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 ** _The last chapter was filled with a lot of uncharacteristically angry people due to a lot of people…sucking! And none of it in the fun sense! :p_**

 **Chapter 161**

 **Guest  
** _"LOL! 'Are you pregnant?!' As much as this story makes me cry it also makes me laugh so hard! Good work JordanPhoenix!"_

There's a reason why I tell my readers to hang tight on the crazy train as I've been told as much as my story can make people laugh it has had its tear-jerker moments! I apologize for the latter and I'm delighted to hear the former was the case for you last chapter dear reader! The story is mostly uphill from now on so prepare now for mostly tears of laughter!

 ***Review of the Week***

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I want to know exactly _how many_ of my readers you are sharing your stash of premonition juice with! LOL

Yes the still heartbroken Edgeworth was indeed getting royally plastered and probably would've been a falling down mess had Mama Mia not intervened! But never overlook the power of logic and his gigantic…vocabulary. He canon-wise appears to be the most articulate of all the AA cast, so I like to keep him that way, because after all, he's still _The Edgeworth_!

That being said, I'm sure he was enjoying having his best friend join him as an honored guest to his no longer solo pity party, and I'm delighted that you got a kick out of Poppa bear Gumshoe giving _them_ a swift kick in the rear and dragging their recalcitrant Butz onto the dance floor to catch the garter! :p

I figure my readers had waited long enough waiting for Mildew to _get her_ s, so I tried to ensure cue-ball Southern she-devil got her own comeuppance _the chapter after_ she shredded Phoenix's already damaged ego to smithereens… Although I guess that might've still been slow karma by my readers, considering the ire she must have inspired in them for causing so much turmoil amongst the beloved Ace Attorney characters!

I'm sure Maya was torn between wanting to strangle her boyfriend for both lying to her about going to the bathroom and making her think he had fallen in when he was getting tipsy at the bar, and keeping mum about the garter toss. No doubt next chapter, any annoyance she felt at Nick last chapter or this will morph into feelings of absolute horror when Mia bluntly reminds how much pain she instilled in her boyfriend earlier, hurting him in a way that neither Gavin brother could even achieve. It's like he said to himself when she ran from him at the hospital when her words came at him like verbal bullets: _Only one I love so much could be my assassin. It takes an inside job to attack one so resilient to emotional injury. That is my heartbreak, to know you are the tool of my greatest pain, my love. I could be hurt in any way by another and still bounce right back, but you... but you... can do far worse with just a few small words, without even knowing it._

Then of course, once he got over the hospital physical and verbal abuse, she then cut him to pieces in her dressing room some more – and Mildew, Lotta and the overall reception just amplified that still stinging wound that he subconsciously never got over.

Feyt having their first real fight hopefully showed they _are_ in it for the long haul now that we're aware of Luke's true intentions towards her, and he finally understands what was driving her own wedding fever for them, even though they're both only teenagers. Obviously it _wasn't_ _pregnancy hormones_ … Can't say it I envied Maya having to have _that_ kind of conversation with her (luckily still chaste and pure) little girl!

Luke Triton is a gentleman in every way, would _never_ purposely look at a woman's… _Other round body parts_ besides her _eyes_ , but I had to have some fun with that, as he has never been formally introduced to his girlfriend's cousin/aunt! I imagine that meeting was very intimidating for the poor kid, and I needed to call the eldest Fey sibling back because she had more things to fix other than Luke and Pearl's romance – she now has to advise her little sister how to fix the mess she hadn't even realized she'd made with Phoenix, and also has to get Miles off his pity train and snap him back into action!

As for the criticism I got last chapter, I love you for giving me your kind reassurance my friend. In response, all I can say is….

I hate to disappoint anybody who may have missed my previous author's notes were I have repeatedly cited that I _loathe_ doing courtroom scenes, ergo this story will _not_ be covering any of the AJ trials, save for the last one, and it's unlikely going to be AA in-depth as Turnabout Trump. While Apollo _is_ an important character in this tale, throughout the AJ timeline and pretty much throughout this whole FF, this is primarily a _Phaya_ tale, although I try to give all the characters a storyline of their own and during DD/post Fredgeworth SL, Polly _does_ get a larger arc.

While 99% of my readers seem to love Larris, there _was_ the one reader that didn't, and had no issues relaying how the two being an item was a breach of _the bro code_ since Iris _is_ Nick's ex! Alas, I obviously I cannot please everybody who reads this story, and I'm wondering if perhaps, I falsely advertised _Turnabout Everlasting_ , in that it seems my readers never should have actually expected there to be a _wedding_ in a fanfiction which I have shamelessly and unapologetically touted over and over again as a _love story._

 **CzarThwomp**

 _"Good going, Edgey! Thanks of you, Luke's going to be receiving a one-way trip back to London via Fey Slap Airlines. On the bright side, if Luke survives the ordeal, he can join Layton and Paolo's Failed Love Club, where he can solve puzzles while learning how to assume the identities of others and run underwater_."

First things first a Jolly Rancher drink (aka almond liquor and OJ) I believe is called an Amaretto Sour and I do think that is how Athena deals with her loudmouth coworker/love interest (depending who you ask).

Secondly I think I howled for a good half minutes straight at this review. As much as I tried to make my readers sympathetic to why Miles did what he did (how much more can the poor guy possibly endure?!) He did indeed thrown under the bus doing what he did and even worse made Phoenix an unwitting accomplice since he wasn't going to rat out his best friend!

Godot in this story was released from prison and has been touring South America and sending Phoenix various exotic coffee blends in his Eternal Quest for the perfect cup of java ( while making Nick a free member of the coffee of the exotic and overpriced bag of coffee bean of the month club!) Otherwise I'm pretty sure he would be joining his girlfriend shouting his _puzzling_ lingo of _Coffeenese (God you kill me!)_ inLuke's dressing down which is not to be confused with _the other type of dressing down_ which would include him saying "this reminds me of a puzzle" before he... _found_ _the solution (_ in his pants _!) XD_

 ** _Shameless plug for my loyal reader and hilarious writer Thwomp you guys – if you think this guy's reviews are funny, read his FF stuff if you haven't already especially Wizard of Groz and Pick Your Poison! He makes me ROTFL every time he types something!_**

 **Jove's Boy**

I was so excited to read your upcoming drabbles about her bumbler hubby and her eldest offspring Gordy, and now that I've read, I am _loving_ your Gordy Gumshoe FF! I feel so honored to have inspired a spinoff with my story!

Hehe you noticed the Maggey kick reference eh? Good! It was a small nod to the reminder given to me by my wonderful new reader!

Even the best-trained gentleman in the world is going to trip over his own tongue when it comes to the topic of weddings, not just because he's a teenager but just because he's a _guy_! XD

I absolutely adore Luke Triton but since he is usually such a perfect gentleman I couldn't resist getting him some mini torture getting into his first argument with his girlfriend! Also again am touched at any Shakespeare/literature parallel this tale brings my readers!

Despite the _Supporting_ _Cast_ (you like that reference, Mr. Playwright?) all having their own storylines, this is _Nick's_ story and when we get to the final frontier to get his name clear, I'm going to include as much detail from his point of view as possible including where he's going to be during the final fateful trial and including his confrontation with securing evidence for the creepy German sausage!

I _love_ , more than any other non-romantic pairing, writing Wrightworth! I've known my own heterosexual life partner since school days, and we are like the female Nick and Miles and can read one another like a book! I draw upon our own bond, such as joking around about people shipping us as a couple, when I write these two hunky best friends!

Phoenix is a very expressive character (while not so much in Apollo Justice) and I truly do think the two people he would never be able to fool/hide anything from despite that poker face are Mia and Miles! Both those two legal legends are very no-nonsense and very _persuasive,_ which is why I needed to have the former make another Earthly visit to help clean up the messy state everyone's now in!

I could think of nobody better to cross-examine Luke Triton and find out his intentions towards Pearl... now all that's left is cluing in Maya how she done goofed and thereby resolving the Phaya rift which Maya didn't even realize was existing, and _finally_ snap Miles even somewhat out of his self-pitying drunk fest! How can _any_ man be sorrowful when taking the hottest female in the AA franchise for a spin on that dance floor? I know _I_ couldn't resist Mia Fey, and _I'm a straight girl!_ :p

Omg you finished _Double_ _DILF Doodies!_ Out of all the comedies and non-series related stories I have ever written it is most dear to my heart since it does include not only a spotlight on the Wrightworth bromance but their bumbling parenting skills with their hellion offspring! Hee!

Longines of both _You-Blo-Me_ and _Come-Blo-Me_ acclaim would give a friends and family discount to anybody associated with his favorite former fiancée... except that Lotta Hart qualifies as neither and upon hearing what a pain in the ass she has always been to all of the Ace Attorney characters would probably charge her _double_! :p

 **Ilet Moratar**

It's a sign of some maturity that Pearl did not slap Luke already... and she also turned down the golden opportunity to slap Phoenix when he asked her to at the hospital. Indeed Pearl falls into the Fey female genes romantic character women, AKA very passionate, I don't think you can have one without the other. It would take a strong man to handle any of them, which is why Mia had Diego, and why I can't think of anybody for the feisty Maya besides Phoenix... he had a three-year head start before anyone else ever would!

Unfortunately even though there are spirit mediums in the Ace Attorney world, there are no crystal balls therefore there is no way for poor Miles to know what his future holds. The readers know he obviously will come across Franziska's path once again… And I've warned them with explosive outcomes… But as far as _he_ knows the woman is gone for good, the poor guy!

It's funny that you mentioned how bullshit the bouquet toss is I completely agree with you as a teenager I cut my older sister does bridal bouquet and SHE either cursed me or the act of catching it did because I was amongst the last in my circle of friends and family to get married! Oh well at least I can say I didn't settle! XD

 **Chloemcg**

Shameless spoiler milady...I will _never_ break up Feyt. They are too precious. And I have the most adorable little storyline for them upcoming which I hope will give you cavities! But that doesn't mean I couldn't give them their first ever fight after being together just over a year now – next chapter y'all can squee at the cuteness of them making up! :)

Even the most well trained English gentlemen have occasional foot-in-mouth moments in this case for Luke, whenever the subject of matrimony was broached, because while he is mature and loves Pearl, he is _still_ only 19! At least now we know the gentleman has honorable intentions, he just was hesitant about making promises he is worried he won't be able to keep just yet! What a good guy – isn't Pearl lucky?

Maya _was_ pretty annoyed that Phoenix kept mum about Miles throwing poor Luke under the bus with the garter toss, (secrets almost destroyed them once!) but he didn't really have a choice this time, because letting his GF would have to make him betray his confidence to Edgeworth regarding the whole Franny thing and who needs to dredge all that at a wedding? (Also we all know by now Nick can keep secrets _very well_! *cough* Trucy/Polly!)

However, despite her added annoyance this chapter at Nick's ill-timed laugh with Edgy being a bit of a drunken ass, I can't let her be mad at the poor guy for too long after all they have been through! If anything, now that Mia the magnificent came back to fix everything once and for all, it's surprising _Phoenix_ wasn't too mad at Maya, considering the barbs she flung at him in her moment of anger, which was the underlying catalyst for his bleak mood all night!

I'm glad you enjoyed drunken Nick- he and Edgy are so much fun to write when they've had a few! Tiny little bubbly Maya being an angry she-wolf is a hilarious notion, but I can honestly say I don't think I made Nick too drunk to not be able to play dodgeball if she decided to use another makeshift weapon against him, which is how he tends to cope – just literally _ducking and dodging_ everything that comes at him! But, luckily for him she wasn't _that_ mad!

Those pairings are no problem! You got it! Look out for them in future _Timeless Love_ chapters!

 **JaDe In NighT**

Hehe Edgy is Fred Astaire... his dance Carnival always be filled with ladies craving to take him for a spin on the Dance Floor regardless of the occasion, and he is definitely suave and cool enough to warrant his own EdgeCopter for sure!

It's both a curse and blessing to feel things so deeply. Pearl is super psychic and a tender hearted romantic who may have just been bitten a bit too hard by wedding fever but in the end what girl doesn't want the assurance that the prince who swept her off her feet and literally took her to a castle and made her believe in fairy tales to be with her happily ever after?

Phoenix has always been an emo head case even in canon (luckily for him most of us have decided we find it charming and endearing!)

But unfortunately the same thing that makes him so kind and sensitive to everyone around him (aside from that otherworldly connection I gave him and Maya with her being able to see/feel his thoughts and emotions via magatama, canon wise, I also think he might have some ESP abilities himself what with his using that mystical gemstone and hearing Mia's voice!) Also makes him get hurt when someone he holds so dear slights him. Remember how hard he took it when Edgeworth played dead in _Justice For All_?

 **napoleon32**

Scrupulously honest indeed! Layton shoulda pulled that boy aside during his gentleman lessons and explain that sometimes _keeping your mouth shut_ (AKA withholding the truth when it comes to upsetting a lady) isn't quite the same as lying; not if it keeps you from being subjected to patented slaps from various Fey family members! Luke is a gently reared Englishman though, not unbreakable like Phoenix, so I don't know if he could handle a Pearl/Mia back hand if it had come down to it!

Weddings can either bring out the best or worst in people as it made the teddy bear Gumshoe have to exercise some man muscle with two very recalcitrant Ace Attorneys and then made an angelic, virtuous teenager be questioned about the status of her uterus! XD

Iris has been criticized buy a lot of fans as being too much of a Mary Sue, (not untrue) which would mean the mild-mannered shrine maiden is very unlikely to lose her temper... Unless you are hurting her loved ones (as her regrettable alliance to her psychotic twin sister shows) she does have loyalty to people she cares about; in this case for her dear cousin and old friend!

Despite not being a villain, I do think the loudmouth Southerner is one of the nerve-grating Ace Attorney characters that would have made even the sainted Mother Teresa homicidal or at least contemplative! You do _not_ get in the way of Maya Feyand her food! I honestly think that she would have lost her head never mind her hair (am glad you liked her comeuppance!) if she had wiped out the junk food spread! :p

Ah the new gent that is Larry...Aka Hot Lips Hannigan... (I will like you even more than I already do if you got that reference! his beautiful Blushing Bride turn into a tomato with just a kiss on the kneecap! I'd like to think he was feeling more than seeing under that dark tent of a dress, but he's married now so it's totally okay and as you saw, completely encouraged!

Nick will never betray his word or a confidence ( isn't that why the magical sibling still don't know they're related?) and in this case he kept his mouth shut so he wouldn't have to betray his best friend in explaining his reasons for bunting that garter at Luke, even though I'm sure he knew it would get him potentially once more in the path of some Fey slaps, because as you said, Maya doesn't know what happened.

I cannot comment on whether or not Maya was responsible for Franny leaving just yet but you're right she was the last person to have seen her before she vanished. I've been mentioning Fran's name more and more in each passing chapter though ;)

Maya has been Pearl's sister/ guardian for so long now in the game... I think her wonderful and loving chat with then bratty princess in Spirit of Justice proved Tom just how maternal she can be... I really think she is a good mom to Pearl but I don't think as accepting as she would have been if it were the case, she would have been overjoyed if her a little girl made her be a GRANDMA when she's not even 30! Hey would that make her a GILF? XD

I am going to do my very best to ensure you get your crack/TE fix at least weekly my friend! :)

 **Joeclone**

I figure in a case where not one but _two_ Fey romances might be in jeopardy, the big guns were needed in this case the legendary Mia Fey.

There was recently an online poll about who the nicest Ace Attorney characters of all time were, and Gummy won, but the meek and very mild-mannered Iris (she who doesn't even hate her diabolical serial killer twin sister!) ranked very high on that list, too. It just goes to show how annoying the southern she devil can be to make a _nun_ actually raise her voice! LOL

I think Phoenix has been bluffing his way through everything in life at this point, so surely they could bluff his way to fake sobriety? XD

Also he was _tipsy_ but nowhere near as _drunk_ as Edgeworth, both who would've gotten much worse had Mama Mia not shown up! He may have been miffed at first but who can resist the charms of such a wise and otherworldly beauty, especially being spun around by her on the dance floor?

Princess Pearl not only got to see a fairytale come to life but probably thought catching those flowers would be a future Segway to her own! I imagine she was very heartbroken when she thought Luke the cinnamon roll turned newfound _sucky_ boyfriend had put a kibosh on those dreams!

I'm glad you liked the garter fishing moment, even though it was _Iris_ who was all hot and bothered in the _figurative_ sense and _Larry_ was in the _literal_ , though in the end I had to show that marriage or not he's always going to be the Butz!

PM me, or email me and I'd be happy to help in any way I can so you can publish, and more people can "hear your voice". Your TMNT loving voice! I love those guys! :)

Also, your Su X Ryu request for _Timeless Love_ will be filled but probably as the finale/flashback. Hope that's cool I totally love them too!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

While Lotta is nowhere near a villain like Mildew, she is _still_ one of the most aggravating non-villain characters in Ace Attorney, so I enjoy giving her the comeuppance she deserved! She would definitely stick out like a sore thumb on any military base because much like Mia's…girls… You could see _that Afro_ from space, as well! :p

No judgment or objections to "looking down" and noticing Mia's assets - for you **_can see them from space –_** though of the obscene proportions in the anime! XD

Feyt is end game, but I had to give them a very real, serious, but thankfully fixable solution to their fight because Pearl is such a starry-eyed romantic that for any other young man, it would be daunting! Regardless, Luke no longer "sucks" and I needed an excuse to call in the big guns (no that's not a euphemism _Fey twins_ , which, along with the owner of the duo, were _drool worthy_ ) as I needed to Segway into Mile's SL and the jurist system which I believe he must have helped Nick with!

The irony that Mia is always coming to the rescue despite now being younger then Phoenix and Miles and the same age as Maya has not been lost on me, but I feel because she was so revered nobody would really give her any sass, lest she played the dreaded " _respect me, I'm **dead,** damn you!"_ card! XD

 **Brock's Geodude**

Holy cow I can't believe you're caught up! Wasn't it just last week you were on chapter 41?!

I know TE is a time investment read and it means a lot to me that you stuck it out even through all the angst! I am very touched, and also delighted to tell you that from here on the story is mostly an uphill swing of light-hearted fun, romance and adventure! :)

Welcome to the crazy train and thanks so much for reading!

 **Yanmegaman**

Jesse the busboy turned comic relief video guy is growing on me...like a wart! LOL  
Luckily my readers seem to get a kick out of him as much as they do BALD LOTTA! XD  
In the end I couldn't make Mia backhand the little English Muffin! But will PEARL be as benign?

 **thepudz**

The question of Pearl's virtue making for comic relief - and proposing Maya be a grandma before she's 30 was suggested by a Tumblr reader and was too damn funny not to do, am glad you liked it! For all the times I've made you cry with TE, I'm thrilled to make my mate literally LOL now!  
Was I trying to piss off my Roo with that line! No I wasn't! You just think I was! XD

 **kirbyfan1996**

I'd roughly say this wedding is going to be going on for at least another ten chapters...But may be pushing it… so that's a lot of cringing that you're going to be doing if you do opt to keep reading henceforth...Nah just messing with you!

Or _am_ I….?


	163. Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You

_A/N:_ _This is a longer chapter (it could have been split in two for a two chapter week but I really wanted to end the Larris wedding) and hence, it took forever to write, but the wedding reception is finally over! This should make for some good weekend reading, as this is the unofficial arc closer, with some romantic moments afterward, and then Miles's new arc begins! Yay!_

 _Much thanks to Jove's Boy for the Gary Go song suggestion and Ariastella for the Mystic Ami rant!_

* * *

 _If I had to live my life without you near me  
The days would all be empty  
The nights would seem so long  
With you I see forever oh so clearly  
I might have been in love before  
But it never felt this strong_

 _Our dreams are young and we both know  
They'll take us where we want to go  
Hold me now, touch me now  
I don't want to live without you_

 _Nothing's gonna change my love for you  
You ought to know by now how much I love you  
One thing you can be sure of  
I'll never ask for more than your love_

 _Nothing's gonna change my love for you  
You ought to know by now how much I love you  
The world may change my whole life through  
But nothing's gonna change my love for you_

 _If the road ahead is not so easy  
Our love will lead the way for us  
Like a guiding star  
I'll be there for you if you should need me  
You don't have to change a thing  
I love you just the way you are_

 _So come with me and share the view  
I'll help you see forever too  
Hold me now, touch me now  
I don't want to live without you_

 _Nothing's gonna change my love for you  
You ought to know by now how much I love you  
One thing you can be sure of  
I'll never ask for more than your love_

 _Nothing's gonna change my love for you  
You ought to know by now how much I love you  
The world may change my whole life through  
But nothing's gonna change my love for you_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred-Sixty Three:** **Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You**

 _ **Sister Bikini and Mystic Matilda**_  
 _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 11:20 PM

"I now have the esteemed Mystic Matilda, head of village elder council, who was pretty much one of the fairy godmothers in making tonight's fairytale wedding a reality, and Sister Bikini," Jesse pointed the camcorder at the two distinguished matriarchs. "Your turns to give Larris their well-wishes!"

Matilda smiled into the camera.

"Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one. All the best on your wedding day! Wishing you both a beautiful life as husband and wife. May your years together be full of love, joy and blessings!"

"Wonderful! Over to you, mother of the bride!"

Matilda reflexively handed her companion a tissue in preparation, and Sister Bikini dabbed at her once again welling eyes as she sniffled with emotion, then flashed a watery smile at the camera.

"To my darling daughter and husband! Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth for the other. Now there is no more loneliness, for each of you will be companion for the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. Go now to your dwelling place to begin the days of your life together. May your days together be good and long upon the earth! All my love to you both!"

The sweet nun just barely managed to get her loving well wishes out before she erupted into another round of happily blubbering on Matilda's shoulder.

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey and Mia Fey  
**_ _Vestibule, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_ _ **  
**_June 16, 2026 11:23 PM

Spotting the younger Fey approaching her, Mia rose from the hall couch and felt her eager anticipation expressed as the slightest curve at her mouth's corner morphed into a delighted smile upon seeing her _no-longer_ _little_ sister again after so long, this time not downtrodden and in a cumbersome bridal gown at the altar, but now appearing as a stunning vision with a graceful stride, the skirt of her lilac strapless evening number swishing around her legs with every step.

The sight of her baby girl, all grown up, resplendent and dressed to the nines, made a glow of satisfied pride course within the legal legend as she noted the dignified aura Maya exhibited while promenading towards the brunette. She radiated an indelible, regal confidence, worn in a light raise of the eyebrow above quizzical, joyful dark orbs as they rested upon her elder sibling at last, beaming a smile so bright, it would have put the sun to shame.

 _My Maya…she's always had an inner happiness, one utterly independent of the outside world. Her actual,_ _ **genuine**_ _smile – not the one she uses to mask her pain – it's like it bursts from within, instead of being worn like an obligation in the way others often do. May that be something about her that will_ _ **never, ever change!**_

Maya's heart came to a full gallop at the sight of the beloved, unexpected figure standing only a few yards away from her now. It was as if she'd had won the lottery, but _better_!

 _I can't believe it! I'm not dreaming!_ _**Sis**_ _is here! She's_ _ **really here!**_

The spirit medium's eyebrows arched towards the sky, her mouth huge and raised into an ear-to-ear grin of surprised glee. Even the sparking diamond rhinestones and crystals on her gown couldn't outshine her smile, and her steps had a bounce to them as she bounded into her sister's outstretched, waiting arms. In the seconds that followed, she could feel Mia's arms tightly squeezing around her waist, and her own reciprocating. No longer was the elder sibling merely the fleeting angel that'd assisted in thwarting the nuptials earlier, who'd then vanished before the Master could even reach out and touch her; this time, Sis was warm, fragranced and soft, and Maya yearned to make the moment last forever.

" _Sis_!" The village leader cried elatedly, burying her head against Mia's shoulder as a single tear rolled down her face. "I've missed you so much!"

"You saw me just a few hours ago, silly girl." Mia lifted Maya's chin and gently stroked her cheek in a maternal fashion. "Honey, you've no idea how uplifting it is to see you smiling again, after mournfully gazing down upon your perpetual heavy-hearted state for so long."

"I _know_ I saw you earlier, but I never got to _hold_ you!" Maya sniffled through her happy tears, which always tended to surface whenever she and her sister were reunited. "Nor did I get a chance to even _thank you_ for what you and Mom did for me earlier, saving me from going into a doomed marriage! My _mysterion_ beau merely told me that _someone_ wanted to talk to me privately outside in the hallway, then jetted off to see Miles. He didn't tell me anything else, so I wasn't sure what to expect, or when I'd ever be able to express my gratitude for all you've done. I can't believe you're _still_ looking out for me, even from beyond the grave."

Mia noted her sister's voice was trembling with emotion, and as much as _she_ was rejoicing in this reunion as well, she couldn't allow time to be wasted by holding a weeping sibling in her arms any more than she'd been able to indulge her _Ace Idiot_ , future brother-in-law! It was high time to take the reins on this metanoia that she fervently needed to have with Maya, before she could move onto the _rest_ of her prerequisite duties!

"You're lucky it was just _me and mom_ with our short and sweet _objection_ , and not Fey Clan founder Mystic Ami who'd brought things to a halt!" She teased Maya, attempting to lighten the mood. "I can only imagine how long-winded things would've gotten if the inventor of the Kurain Channeling Technique was the intervening party! Her refusal to bestow her imprimatur to that godforsaken union would have been _epic_!"

The elder sibling then cleared her throat and dissembled her best censure-laden air and resonance.

" _Nay_! Good women of Kurain, lend me your ears, for I shall _not_ allow this travesty! I do _not_ bless the Master's nuptials to this _nouveau riche,_ as the end result would be our order falling into utter _extinction_! Lady Mistress Maya Fey has already found her match and _he_ has loved, worked and sacrificed his all for the sake of her well-being for _far_ longer than _any_ of you have! Even now, he has been protecting her by suffering a life of solitude through the constant watchful eye of a mad man! Their union has been foretold in the codex of destiny, which entwines the fates of the _Ao-fushichou_ and his _Senjo-hime_! This _hair boy_ may be a _fanshi_ _Kujaku_ but he is no _Ao-fushichou_ to speak of!"

Maya's jaw first hit the floor at Mia's eldritch ability to speak of their clan eschatology with such flawless hauteur, but a slit-second later, her staggered state was replaced by one of utmost merriment.

" _Oh my stars_ , Sis!" Her poignant tears were now replaced by ones of mirth as she doubled over. "Did you _seriously_ just refer to Nick, me and Longines as the _blue phoenix_ , his _fairy princess_ …and a _fancy peacock –_ in _Japanese_?!"

Mia was now officially on a roll, never breaking character for a second. She held up her hand to pause any further interlude.

"Silence! The purpose of the Elders Council is to _advise_ , not to rule, thus reducing the title of Master or Mistress to little more than a _figurehead_! Therefore, our sacred leader has nary cause nor need for advisement from materfamilias who continue to believe in apocryphal tales and bear antiquated ideals! Mindless harridans, who are more concerned with _digging their heels into the dirt_ rather than _moving on_ with the times and _going forward_ with their lives!"

The brunette's amber orbs were twinkling with mischief whilst she continued her mock diatribe.

"I know you've all been taught to believe that men are altogether nigh worthless, devoid of reason, and should not be taught how to harness their spiritual powers, even if they're highly gifted. Well, in life, I had only ever known men who sought something from me, whether I gave it freely or not. Such is _not_ the case here with the _Ao-fushichou!_ This man, _he_ will never falter in loving and protecting Mystic Maya, and has sworn an _oath_ to do so! I warn you _now_ , traditions are _only_ that, something to help honor and remember the past, basic general guidelines. Do _not_ treat them as some form of gospel or strict rulebook which you cannot deviate from, as that will _only_ lead to stagnation! I decree a new palimpsest is in order to move forward and bring us into the 21st century, or by Holy Mother, _Kurain shall_ _fall_!"

The last line was so over the top and melodramatic that by the time Mia was done, even _she_ could no longer withhold her own twittering, and the two sisters fell into one another's arms, giggling maniacally for several moments.

"Gosh, Sis, you _kill_ me!" Maya gasped, wiping her eyes when the two broke apart at last. "I didn't think I'd laugh again so soon! I thought was _all guffawed out_ from witnessing Miles being the world's most reluctant dance partner tonight – but thanks for proving me wrong!"

"Oh?" Mia raised a quizzical brow. "I take this to mean Luke passed on my instructions for you to keep the surly, and _slurry_ , prosecutor occupied on the dance floor – and _away_ from the bar?"

"Yes, he gave me those exact instructions," Maya affirmed. "Although at the time, I had no idea _why_! Yet he looked so earnest, I figured I'd just oblige rather than give him a hard time and ask unnecessary questions. The poor guy's endured enough tonight with Pearly."

"He's a great kid." Mia's voice was laced with affection. "And such a little gentleman, too! Aside from the initial few embarrassing seconds when he was leaning down towards where he _thought_ _Pearly's face_ would be– it's a good thing this gown has such a modest-cut neckline, so my modesty isn't threatening to spill out as usual! – Luke didn't make _any_ unseemly straying of _eye contact_! Not even _once_!"

"Hee! _No_ peeking at the Fey twins _whatsoever_? That _is_ mighty impressive!" Maya tittered. "Layton's greatest achievement is molding that boy to be every bit the British gent he _himself_ is; one anybody would be proud to call his apprentice!"

Mia smiled fondly as her sister carried on.

"Such a chivalrous lad! I'd already danced two turns with the _loopy lawyer_ before we switched partners with Iris and Larry. Then Luke ever-so-gallantly saved Miles from Sister Bikini's _bone-crushing clutches_! The good nun, who's always harbored a crush on a certain handsome prosecutor, insisted on _clinging to him like a vine_ for the next _three dances in a row!_ His face was the same shade of wine as his suit! Nonetheless, I'm uncertain if it was due to _embarrassment_ by her effusive attentions, or the fact that such a diminutive woman was somehow clinging to him _so tightly_ , I fear he may have been in dire _need of oxygen_!"

The former defense attorney was flat out cracking up now as she pictured this hilariously described tableau.

"I have to give Edgy credit. Despite all his faults – including _inappropriate moments of laughter_! – and even in his _questionably dour_ state, he remained in _somewhat_ customary debonair, genteel mode. It seems not even _Miles_ _Edgeworth_ would be truculent enough to be slighting that tiny ball of sunshine, lest the sweet lady start bawling _once more!_ I don't think he could have _bared_ to have history repeat itself by having yet _another_ female blowing their nose on his cravat!"

"Gah! The humanity! Poor Edgy!" Mia sniggered, clapping a hand over her mouth. "So who's watching over him now?"

"Miles was in the less suffocating hold of Matilda by the time Nick came in and told me to come out here, but I have no idea who's playing the current Ginger Rogers to his Fred Astaire!"

"I'm amazed he's not tripping over his feet, considering how many he's put away," Mia murmured to herself. "I shall have to check up on him before I give Pearly back over to Luke. Luckily, I've managed to figure out things between the two."

She caught her sister's look of confusion and smiled indulgently.

"Oh that's right, I forgot! _Phoenix_ was the only one who knew of my specially bequeathed privileges on this date! It seems the Man Upstairs foresaw how much my services would be required, so I've been given the ability to retain the memories of everything I've been looking down upon from the heavens today. That includes noticing how drunk my favorite cinnamon roll has been getting tonight, and the little lover's quarrel Pearly and Luke had earlier."

A slight smirk played upon Mia's lips.

"That's also how I was able to determine that you weren't going to be a GILF before the age of 30! Hee! Honestly though, Maya! As much as I appreciate how the fear of becoming a grandma was a legitimate concern – whatever were you _thinking_ , asking the poor girl such a mortifying question?! Were you _trying_ to make little Pearly _die_ _of embarrassment_?!"

"Come _on_ , Sis!" Maya whined, a rosy tint coming to her cheeks at the memory. "What _else_ was I supposed to think when my 16-year-old daughter was suddenly so obsessed with having her teenage boyfriend practically swear _a blood oath_ that he was going to marry her?!"

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing Pearly opted to evade her boyfriend for just a little bit longer, and decided to call upon me! I guess she was hoping _I_ could attempt to sort things out for them, while determining what Luke's intentions truly were."

"Ah, so you _were_ able get to the bottom of all this teen soap opera drama?"

Mia nodded and gave her sister a brief synopsis of the conversation with Luke, swearing Maya to secrecy about divulging any information to Pearl before the English lad was able to do so himself.

"Look at you, legal legend _and_ love counselor extraordinaire!" Maya praised, then stopped as a slight scowl marred her features. "Since you seem to be everybody's confidant tonight, I assume you talked to Nick as well? Were you able to ascertain what _bug is up his butt_ , and _why_ he's been acting strangely ever since we got here?"

"I'm glad you asked! This brings me to the _perfect_ intro as we now venture into the _other_ little task I need to take care of before I can go to Miles!" Mia broodingly tapped her thumbnail against her teeth. "I'll need to make this quick, as I'm not sure how long I can trust Phoenix to keep Miles away from the bar – or even remain at this party! – given the poor guy's current state."

" _Poor guy_?" Maya was hopelessly lost. "Edgy is another unsolved mystery! What's his damage? You told me his actions of _throwing Luke under the bus_ by tossing the garter at the unsuspecting kid was the prime catalyst for the big blow-up with Pearly! Said action, along with his entire miserable disposition tonight, still makes no sense _at all_! The man is engaged to one of my closest friends – at least he _was_ , last time I checked! What gives?!"

Mia's countenance abruptly changed from contemplative to outright _condemning_ as she treated the flummoxed spirit medium to a baleful stare.

"Maya, I say this as your sister who loves you more than anything in the world," she began firmly, her stern gaze never wavering from the Master's suddenly wary one. "But Miles Edgeworth's love life is absolutely _none of your damn business_! _You_ my dear, have bigger fish to fry! Moreover, I certainly hope you have some space left in those _six stomachs_ of yours, because you have a lot of crow to eat!"

Maya was taken aback by the unanticipated words, as well as the unmistakable disapproval in her sister's normally dulcet cadence.

"Good grief, you honestly have _no clue_ , do you?" Mia sighed, shaking her head. "Maya, I want you to think back to the events of this evening, including, but not limited to when you got to this reception hall. Are you really unable to pinpoint what might've caused Phoenix's change of mood?"

The spirit medium looked upward as she wracked her brain, tapping her index finger against her chin as she did so.

"Nick _did_ initially seem blown away by how lavish this place is, I guess. I didn't really think twice about it because since losing his badge, he hasn't exactly been rolling in the dough! Ergo, I know he hasn't been traveling in the same kind of wealthy social circles I've been, but I didn't think he'd be _intimidated_ by it all! I just assumed he was a little bit uncomfortable being in such unfamiliar surroundings…"

Mia remained silent and nodded encouragingly, as though coaxing Maya to continue her train of thought. Suddenly, the Master snapped her fingers, and her eyes lit up, as though a lightbulb had just gone up over her head.

"Wait! I also seem to recall he looked pretty upset when _Lotta the Loudmouth_ decided to rub his face in the fact that this was a swanky affair and I'd never be able to grow accustomed to such splendor because Nick is so broke! _That's_ _it_! I can understand how it would've been embarrassing to have his lack of stature pointed out in such a debasing public manner! Nevertheless, that walking Brilo-pad is nothing more than a gate-crashing Philistine herself, so I've no idea why he'd even care what _she_ thinks…"

The buxom beauty had had enough of the village leader's obtuseness.

" _Dammit,_ Maya!" The brunette snapped, startling the smaller girl. "Don't you _get_ it? Lotta Hart was just the _cherry_ on top of the _craptastic sundae_ that's been mounting for the poor guy all day! As I reflect back to his actions, I can also guarantee you that _Mildew's_ final two cents played a factor as well! Recall how right before Luke exposed her to everybody, she just _had_ to sling _one final barb_ at your beau on how _nothing's_ truly changed, and how Phoenix is _still_ a nobody compared to _you_ …"

" _Curse_ that piece of human excrement!" Maya seethed, puffing out her cheeks. " _How_ can that _abominable_ Dragon Lady, who's going to spend the rest of her remaining years rotting in a prison cell, _still_ continue causing such negative impact in my life?! I swear to God, when I get my hands on her scrawny neck –"

" _Hold it!"_ Mia exploded wrathfully. "Just – _stop,_ already! I can't _take_ it anymore! _Neither_ Mildred Latrine nor Lotta Hart were the cause of this latest blow to Phoenix's already non-existent self-esteem, you oblivious … _nincompoop_! For your kind information, the _true_ catalyst to this unwitting calamity to your relationship – the one who said the ugliest words – is none other than _you_ , Maya Uma Fey!"

Maya reeled back as though she'd been slapped as Mia stepped up her argument.

"One of the things to love most about Phoenix is that despite all the hardship he's endured, he has a heart of _gold_. However gold is not a hard material; it can easily be melted, reshaped, and broken apart. And his heart was smashed into smithereens when _you_ loftily informed him that suit or no suit, _he's naught more than a disgraced degenerate!_ "

The Master's eyes widened in disbelief as the harsh reality sunk in, and she shook her head vehemently.

"No," she whispered, her dismay evident as the repressed pre-ceremony memories from her dressing room began flooding her mind. "That _can't_ be! Nick has _never_ been the thin-skinned type – he's always been such a tough cookie, against all odds! Plus, I honestly thought we'd kissed and made up! I'd reckoned he ultimately _knew_ I didn't _mean_ any of the terrible insults I'd said, when I was churlishly trying to hurt him back the way _he_ hurt _me_!"

"It's _because_ he loves you so much that _you_ wield the power to hurt him the _most_ , Maya! You and Phoenix have always been fiery and hot-blooded – both as a couple, and as individuals. It seemed so fitting when you two fell in love and took your friendship to the next level, slipping briskly into a fervent intimacy from which you never recovered. Intimacy creates understanding and understanding creates love. The two of you have always shared a very passionate love, so I have no doubt you believed he made you immortal with a kiss, and that searing embrace would've erased all pains, doubts and uncertainties betwixt you, just like in the past."

Mia's matter of fact tone turned more solemn.

"The problem which can often occur when there's that much passion, Maya – and _trust me_ , as I was with a _muy caliente_ Latino for a very long time! – is at times, we mistake _sex_ for _romance_. Guys are taught that pushing a girl up against a wall is romance. _Sex_ is easy; you can do it with anyone, or even by _yourself_. What I'm talking about is _romance_. Romance, for most people is what they do when they want something. But _sacred love_ is a function of _giving,_ not _taking_. Romance is a sacred way of giving love. The conditionality of most love is that romance stops if the response we get is not what we expect. But sacred love is about _giving_ , not giving _to_ _get_ , giving _to love_."

The subdued Maya nodded slowly as Mia continued.

"For the vast majority of lovers, romance fluctuates. Sacred Love simply means appreciation. We know there are two sides to every coin, and with sacred love, we _see_ both, yet focus on the positive. This way, we are treating people as we wish them to become, rather than focusing on the negative and wishing them to change. _Romance_ is when someone you love walks into a room and they take your breath away. Romance is when two people are dancing and they fit together perfectly. Romance is when two people are walking next to each other and all of a sudden they find themselves holding hands, and they don't know how that happened. _Romance_ is the underlying foundation of all scared, _everlasting love_."

"What are you trying to _say_?" Tears trembled on the edge of Maya's lashes, her distress evident. "Are you claiming all Nick and I have is a purely sexual relationship, with zero substance?"

"No sweetie, not at all. I _know_ what you and Phoenix have is every bit as real as what Diego and I had! You two are so much like _we_ were! I love how you guys have allowed yourselves to be wild and crazy and drunk with love, for I believe if you are _too careful_ , love will not find you!"

"I can't say we weren't guarded at first, though," Maya admitted shyly. "After all, we were at a stalemate for _years_ , pining for and loving one another, but being too afraid to take a risk. Therefore, we just sat around languishing in wait for the other to make the first move."

"The point is you both _finally_ took that chance, Maya. To say that one waits a lifetime for their soulmate to come around is a paradox! People eventually get sick of waiting, take a chance on someone, and by the art of commitment become soulmates, which takes a _lifetime_ to perfect. But the art of perfecting your union doesn't always mean smooth sailing. Remember that it doesn't lessen the depth of your love if you need to weather storms together. Love, _real_ love, like the one you two share, is _always_ chaotic at some point. You lose control; you lose perspective. You lose the ability to protect yourself. The greater the love, the greater the chaos. It's a given and that's the secret."

Mia's voice gentled as she saw her sibling's welling orbs.

"Don't you _dare_ start crying again! You'll _flood_ the damn place and there's no Noah's Ark in sight!" She ribbed softly. "Heaven knows Sister Bikini alone has created enough of a Niagara Falls effect tonight to challenge even the _Hoover Dam_! I know this may have been hard to hear, Maya, that you could have unintentionally broken the heart of the one you love the most, but you need to know: The quality of your _love_ is the quality of your _life_. And at times, even those who love you can cause you pain, whether they mean to or not. Pain is a part of life."

Maya sniffled slightly but bravely nodded her understanding as Mia pressed on.

"At times it's a big part, and other times, it isn't, but either way, it's a part of the big puzzle, the deep music, the great game. Pain does two things: It teaches you, and tells you that you're alive. Then it passes away and leaves you changed. Sometimes it leaves you wiser, sometimes it leaves you stronger. Either way, pain leaves its mark, and everything important that will ever happen to you in life is going to involve it in one degree or another. The truth is _everyone's_ going to hurt you; you just need to find the ones worth suffering for."

"Nick _is_ worth it! _All_ of it!" Maya cried. "Surely he must know _that_ much at least?"

"He _does_ know it, Maya. And Phoenix decided a long time ago _you_ were worth all the pain, as well," Mia reassured her. "He isn't holding any of this against you, but being a _tough cookie_ doesn't mean he can't feel the occasional sting of that _forked tongue_ of yours, missy! Love doesn't necessarily make you immune to pain, nor does it ever exclude you from needing to apologize if you ever cause it."

"We just have to own up to when we've hurt one another, talk it out, and ask for forgiveness, not just sweep everything under a euphoric rug of carnal bliss, right?" Maya's cheeks colored slightly. "Is _that_ what you're getting at, Sis?"

"That's _exactly_ it. Sometimes, two souls are created together and in love before they're born, and you must have faith things will _always_ work themselves out, because you and Phoenix _are_ true soul mates. Souls recognize each other by the way they _feel_ , but nobody's lives just _magically_ _fit together_. Fitting together is something you _work_ at. It's something you make happen – because you love each other."

"I think I get it now," Maya said slowly. "I'm just trying to _absorb_ all this! After all, Sis, you and I have always tried to live by the motto: _s_ _ticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you_ …"

" _Silly words_ cause trills because they're ludicrous and funny. _Happy words_ paint endless smiles and swallow troubles whole. _Thoughtful words_ are thus because they make the day feel sunny. But _hurtful words_ are such that pierce the heart and weigh the soul."

Mia's eyes were somber as they peered into her sister's stricken visage.

"What a terrible thing it is to wound someone you really care for and to do it so unconsciously. You never know how long your words will stay in someone's mind, even after you've forgotten you spoke them."

"I confess to being guilty of buying into the naïve notion that love could heal _all_ wounds," Maya's lips trembled. "Nick has been unbreakable enough to _survive_ so many physical atrocities, ones which would've _killed_ any other mortal! I guess I couldn't fathom that mere words could have such a negative profound affect."

"Unless you _believe_ them. Then, words can destroy you."

Mia's expression was fervid and pleading for Maya to grasp the weight of the message she was conveying.

"That whole adage about words not mattering is a _lie_! What we _say_ matters _greatly_. The unkind things we communicate can soil even the best of relationships; despite with the deepest of regrets…what lingers is a stain of hurt that may fade, but will never truly go away. The wounding words we say are like feathers released in a harsh wind, once said; we will never get them back."

"So tell me what I'm supposed to do to fix this then?" Maya stifled a sob, such was the weight of her repentance. "I'm in absolute _agony_ knowing I've caused Nick so much pain, especially after all he continues to do for me! Tell me how to remedy this, Sis!"

"I don't know," Mia said sadly. "As much as you and I have tried to repeatedly assure Phoenix he's still the same beloved man of valor he's always been despite his fall from grace, he'll continue to be filled with self-loathing and deem himself unworthy as long as he's without his badge."

"But you're _Mia the Mirific_!" Maya cried in panic. "You _always_ come along and miraculously make everything better! You can't just tell me my relationship is in a shambles and then not give me sage advice on how to _fix_ it!"

"I'm hardly meritorious for such a title, little sister," Mia replied with a blend of wryness and vexation. "Give me a break! I'm _dead_ , not _Yoda_! I can somewhat figure out _what_ you have to do, but no idea _how_ you're going to do it!"

"Throw a girl a bone, Sis!" Maya pleaded. "What is it I need to do to _right_ the _wrong_ I've done?"

"I think we've been going about this all wrong." Mia closed her eyes in deliberation. "I don't think there's _anything_ we can say to convince Phoenix he remains a man of significance, despite his lowered rank in society. What we need to do is turnaround our way of thinking: if we can't make your boyfriend believe he's still a worthy individual, both as a person and your lover, then what you'd have to do is find a way to _show_ , not _tell_ him, that being an alleged forgin' attorney, and allying yourself with him, is _entirely inconsequential_ to you, in any way, shape or form!"

"Ugh! I have no _inkling_ how to do such a thing!" Maya moaned. "I mean, Nick's seen me defend him and tell off Mildew and the elders whenever they've disparaged him! He knows I don't care about his lack of funds! Hell, I've offered to grab the girls and run away with him!"

"I'm afraid that just like I told Phoenix earlier, I can't stand here and mull things over with you any longer Maya," Mia susurrated regretfully. "I'm needed elsewhere now. My purpose for summoning you to me was to bring things to light, so you could go about fixing them _yourself_. After all, you're a grown woman now. Heck, you're old enough to have almost been a _grandma_!"

The elder Fey giggled slightly at Maya's yelp of indignation, then smoothed back a stray strand of onyx hair from her sister's forehead, an angelic smile on her face.

"My darling sister, I know that in the end, you and Phoenix will work things out. I'm only cutting things short because it's getting late. I'm only here on borrowed time – it's not that I'm trying to ignore your dilemma, nor trying to undermine how much you both mean to me. Know I'll forever be watching over you, and my dream is for you to be happy, even if I'm not able to be walking by your side."

Mia's unending love was the sea, and Maya felt every wave. Despite the explicit order not to cry, the Kurain leader's face was drenched as she whimpered slightly and buried her head in her sister's shoulder and clung to her tightly.

"Oh, Sis!" Maya wailed plaintively, her voice shaking with emotion. "No matter what, you _always_ know the right thing to say! Thank you for everything! I –I love you so much!"

Mia stroked the Master's raven head softly for a few moments before she gently pulled away.

"And I'll _always_ love you, Maya." The legal legend smiled lovingly. "Now, let's get back to that party. I have reason to doubt your lover's ability to have kept Miles away from this bar for _this_ long – unless Phoenix has taken it upon _himself_ to be that cinnamon roll's next dance partner! But if he _wasn't_ successful in thwarting the prosecutie, I have no doubt _heads will roll_ once Edgy approaches the bartender, and he's going to get mighty _salty_ …"

" _Salty_? Why do you say that?" Maya snickered at the notion of the two courtroom rivals swaying in each other's arms on the dance floor. "What could _possibly_ make Miles even _crustier_ than he already is?"

"How about realizing he's been reduced to nothing stronger than _grape juice_ for the rest of the night?"

"Oh! That was probably a good call…but how do _you_ know about this, Sis?"

"Simple." Mia smiled smugly. " _Who_ do you think was the one who cut him off – right before she stepped outside to counsel Luke?"

"You _didn't_!" Maya clapped a hand over her mouth to smother back her laughter. "Edgy is going to _totally_ _freak_!"

The village leader followed Mia back into the ballroom. She then watched as the brunette gestured to _The Pink Tacos_ guitarist on stage and whispered something into his ear, before trailing her sister towards the bar, where they spotted Phoenix and Edgeworth. The magenta-clad man was impatiently shrugging off his spiky haired companion's futile efforts to join him on the dance floor.

"Come on, Edgeworth!" Phoenix wheedled anxiously, perturbed that his friend had finally run out of dance partners. "If you could boogey with _Larry_ , you should have no problem doing so with _me_ , too! I _promise_ not to step on your toes!"

"I'm _through_ with being Mr. Congeniality!" Edgeworth fumed. "It should suffice that I not only danced with Regina, Maggey _and_ the elders, but also succumbed to the pressure of dancing with the bride and _then_ _the_ _groom_! It's like there was a _conspiracy_ amongst you lot – every time a song ended and I tried to wet my parched throat, someone _new_ would accost me and beg me to dance with them!"

Phoenix gulped. He was amazed how, despite having enough alcohol in him to _float battleships_ , Edgeworth had been astute enough to discern his friends' conjoined ploy to keep him away from the booze!

"And, for the record, Wright, I only indulged in _"shaking my groove thang_ " with Butz to "Celebration" because it was _fast number_!"

" _But_ –"

"No Butz! I am giving my aching, abused feet a rest, as I am sick and tired of unwillingly being steered about like the _Titanic_!" Edgeworth barked. "And I _refuse_ to fuel any _Wrightworth_ rumors by allowing myself to be seen swaying in your arms while dodging your two left feet, to what is presently _a love song_! Bartender, give me another, and make it a _double_!"

Mia and Maya had just closed in on the bar when they heard the lawyer's thunderous bellow, even over the loud band music.

"What the _hell_ do you mean, _I'm cut off_?!"

* * *

 _ **Dick Gumshoe and Maggey Gumshoe**_ _  
The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 11:43 PM

"Here we have two dear family friends of the groom, Dick Gumshoe, and his lovely wife, Maggey!" Jesse beamed from behind the camera. "What does this long happily married couple have to say to the newlyweds? Care to go first, Chief?"

"Of course! Larry, remember _never_ to laugh at your wife's choices, because _you_ are _one_ of them! Also, _both_ of you need to grasp that marriage is a relationship in which one person is _always right_ , and the other is... _a husband!"_

Gumshoe flashed a shit-eating grin at the camera as Maggey snickered beside him.

"Also, if at first time you don't succeed - _try doing it the way your wife told you_! However, if you _didn't_ follow these instructions, then the five magic words for a successful marriage will always be: _I'm sorry, it's my fault_! Last but not least: keep your _fights clean_ and the _sex… dirty_!"

"That was _awesomesauce_!" Jesse was nearly snorting with mirth. "Over to _you_ , Mrs. Gumshoe!"

Maggey gave a mock salute and faced the camcorder.

"Iris, know that husbands are _the best_ people to share secrets with… because they _never_ _remember anything_!"

The pert brunette playfully stuck out her tongue at the camera.

"I kid, of course! Now, I'm going to be _serious_! _Love is a vessel that contains both security and adventure, and commitment offers one of the great luxuries of life:_ _time_ _. Marriage is not the end of_ _romance_ _, it is the_ _beginning_ _!_ So don't ever worry things will get boring after getting married, as nothing could be farther from the truth! Marriage brings with it its own special brand of romance, and it grows and transforms over time. All the best to you, Larry and Iris!"

"Pals, you were _meant to be_ , just like me and my Maggey!" Gumshoe added cheerily, pressing a gentle kiss on the blushing Maggey's forehead as he beamed at the lens. "May your love be strong and bright, may your life be filled with light, may all your dreams come true, and wishing all the best things in life for you two!"

* * *

 _ **Mia Fey and Miles Edgeworth  
**_ _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 16, 2026 11:44 PM

"I'll _sue_ you! I'll sue the pants off the whole _lot_ of you at this blasted establishment!" Edgeworth roared, glaring menacingly at the man behind the bar while ignoring Phoenix's _fruitless_ attempts to calm him down. "I have danced off most of my previous buzz, and I _command_ another _Earthquake_ , posthaste! I also demand to know under _whose_ authority you have to terminate my consumption of alcohol?!"

"I'm terribly sorry, sir." The apologetic bartender withered slightly at the attorney's hostility. "But the brunette in the pink maid of honor dress gave me _explicit_ _instructions,_ just over an hour ago. She decreed you'd had enough, and that I was _not_ , under any circumstances, to give you any more alcoholic beverages…"

"How _dare_ you! Do you even know who I am? I am High Prosecutor _, Miles Edgeworth_!" The infuriated lawyer hollered. "What kind of cockamamie excuse for a bartender are you to be taking orders from a mere slip of a teen, who is not even old enough to drink alcohol herself?!"

"I beg your pardon Mr. Edgeworth, but the vision in pink was _no girl_ and indeed _all woman_. She also had quite in air of authoritative allure to her which _no man alive_ would be able to resist – not even _me_ , and I'm _gay_!" The mixologist raised a shaking finger as he pointed behind the two men. "Er, that's _her_ , right there!"

"I don't give a damn if she had noble intentions and is practically _your_ _daughter_ , Wright!" Edgeworth glowered as he spun around to confront the female whom he'd naturally assumed would be Pearl. "She has grossly overstepped her boundaries and will get a _severe tongue lashing_ , I swear it! Young lady, you have quite a bit of explaining to do…"

The words died in his throat as he came face to face with a thoroughly entertained Maya…standing next to none other than the _smugly smiling Mia!_

" _Mia Fey_!" The prosecutor face-palmed. "I should have _known_! _How_ is it you're able to continue toying with me so ruthlessly, even from beyond the grave?!"

"Because you need another drink like you need a _hole in the head_ , Mr. High Prosecutor," Mia replied sweetly, before winking at her sister. "Looks like I got here just in time! I _told_ you he'd be _salty_ , Maya!"

The Kurain leader was too busy giggling helplessly against Phoenix's shoulder at the outraged but defeated look on Edgeworth's face to even respond.

At that moment, Jesse popped up out of nowhere, as was tradition. Ignoring the death glare he was receiving, the persistent videographer poked the camcorder almost right into Edgeworth's scowling mug.

"Mr. Edgeworth, you've dodged me long enough!" The determined cameraman declared. "I've recorded everyone's well-wishes but _yours_ …" his eyes widened as they settled on the bombshell in the pink gown. "…and _this_ mysterious beauty's! How would the two of you like to give the newlyweds your well-wishes… together?"

"We'd _love_ it!" Mia planted herself right next to the unsmiling attorney. "Larry, Iris…Everyone around you must be handing out advice along with their wedding gifts. Here's one worth remembering: _Don't fret too much about any advice given!"_

The busty vixen beamed benignly at the camera.

"This day has been one of joy, when two hearts and lives were united, when two separate people became one family. Treasure the vows that you recited today. Hide them deep, deep in your hearts. This will be your refuge when faced with life's unexpected storms. May you be blessed as your family grows and may your love endure to the end of time. Hearty congratulations on your big day!"

"Wow, that was just perfect! Totally _amazeballs_!" Jesse gushed, unable to hide the besotted note in his voice as he all but swooned at Mia. Clearing his throat, he turned to the stony-faced lawyer. "Er, your turn now, sir?"

Edgeworth coolly eyed the camera.

"Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion, it is not the desire to mate every second minute of the day, and it is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every cranny of your body. No, don't blush, I am telling you some truths. That is just being "in love", which _any_ fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident."

Deafening silence followed this unconventional testimonial to love. For once, even _Jesse_ was rendered speechless. Phoenix, Maya, and even the bartender gawked at the prosecutor, unsure of what an appropriate action would be following such a statement!

Mia reacted the fastest. Making sure that the camera was only shooting her and the prosecutor from the waist up, the irate former defense attorney decided to mimic her previous fail proof method with Phoenix every time _he_ had said something stupid in the courtroom. Without prelude, she stomped down on the prosecutor's foot with the kitten heel of her pump. _Hard_.

Edgeworth gasped in startled pain and turned to glare at the incensed Fey sister, only to have her grab him by the cravat, almost as though drawing him down for a kiss, but instead hissing ferociously in his ear.

"Listen here you _miserable, ornery curmudgeon!_ I have tried to remain sympathetic to your predicament, but _enough is enough_! It's one thing for you to do your _Oscar the Grouch_ impersonation _off-screen_ , but this is my _dear cousin's wedding video_ , and you have exactly _three_ _seconds_ to say something _nice and less prickly_ as your message, before I _literally strangle you to death_ with that cravat, and have you join me in the after-life!"

The prosecutor sucked in a deep breath. He was usually accustomed to being the one _dishing out_ disciplinary measures, not being the _recipient_ of them, but wisely opted to obey the threatening directive. He jutted his chin at Jesse, signaling he had more to say as he smiled thinly at the camera.

"All in all, they say a good beginning makes a good ending and today was a very exciting day – the beginning of your family life. Being a member of a family is a great pleasure, but also a big responsibility. But I believe you'll both cope with your new duties perfectly. Enjoy family harmony in full. Congratulations, Larry and Iris!"

"Perfect!" Jesse gave a thumbs up. "Thanks a lot!"

The moment the videographer had left, Mia arched a brow at the irate Edgeworth, looking not in the least contrite for her actions.

"Now, was that so hard? It's unfathomable how you seem unable to behave with some level of decorum, simply because you're now having to face the rest of this reception _sober_!"

"Mia, I'd think with the information you became privy to on our flight to Kurain, _you_ at least would sympathize with my need to indulge," the slate haired man said tightly, refusing to return the devilish smile she gave him. "After all, this is a wedding, and what's a more ameliorate way to celebrate than with some quality spirits?"

"I can think of an even _better_ way to cut loose," the former head of Fey  & Co. Law Offices responded, grabbing him by the hand as the band began to play an upbeat song. "And that's _dance_! Come shake your moneymaker with me, Miles Edgeworth! I refuse to have anyone but a man with _moves like Jagger_ as my partner!"

Without preamble, and with surprising strength, the determined Fey continued to tug the grumbling lawyer towards the dance floor. As Mia stepped on and began swinging her hips in graceful rhythm to "Wonderful" by Gary Go, the grumpy man continued to stand on the outskirts and just stare at her defiantly, his arms folded across his chest.

"Come on! I _specifically_ requested this tune for _you_!" Mia smiled cajolingly and yanked him onto the floor with her. "The last time I danced was over a _decade_ ago with Diego, at Marvin Grossberg's birthday party! I need a man who can show me some updated moves in case _mine_ have gotten stale! Show me what you've got, _twinkle toes_!"

Edgeworth remained frozen in place, his hands limp in hers as he listened to the words of the song that had apparently been chosen for him.

 ** _The person that you were has died  
You've lost the sparkle in your eyes  
You fell for life into its traps  
Now you wanna bridge the gaps  
Now you wanna bridge the gaps  
Now you want that person back_**

Mia forcibly raised his arm while extending her own out and spun herself in a delicate circle, her rose skirt billowing around her shapely legs, before grasping both his hands again and attempting to lead his rigid form into a rapid two-step in time to the beat.

It was at that moment that Edgeworth's long-suppressed _happy feet_ kicked into high gear. Without a word, he seamlessly switched the positions of their clasped hands and grinned down wickedly at his dance partner.

 ** _And all your ammunition's gone  
Run out of fuel to carry on  
You don't know what you wanna do  
Cause what you want does not want you  
If what you want does not want you  
And you've got no pull to pull you through_**

"There's no way _I_ am going to be led by _you_ , Mia Fey! On the dance floor, at the very least, is where _the man_ will always take the lead! Let me see what _you've_ got, you _maddening woman_!"

Mia laughingly gazed up into his face, which now wore a smile of grim determination while his smoky eyes glimmered with reluctant approbation.

"Lead on, Miles Edgeworth!"

 ** _If what you've lost cannot be found  
And the weight of the world weighs you down  
No longer with the will to fly  
You stop to let it pass you by  
Don't stop to let it pass you by  
You've gotta look yourself in the eye_**

The music spun around them, lifting away gravity. She couldn't count how many times the two of them laughed breathlessly while their heels clicked over the ballroom floor as they continued to dance and spin. The other guests all stopped their own dancing and formed a circle around them so they could admire the two lawyers' professional caliber performance.

Edgeworth ruefully acknowledged that it was _literally_ _impossible_ to be angry or sullen while listening to such uplifting lyrics, which Mia for whatever reason, had chosen to direct at _him_. He watched as her long, caramel hair spun out and bounced more with each move and beat, while marveling at how well her moves complemented his, even after being out of practice so long.

 _The bartender was right. There's no man alive who could resist the enthralling charms of this woman. This is perfect. This is dancing and art coming to life. Strong, pointed moves don't matter here. All that matters is the person in front of me. I haven't danced like this in_ _ **years**_ _! This…_ _ **this**_ _is what I think I sorely needed!  
_  
Mia used to love things like this, the pressure of a strong hand on her back and the feeling of her small agile feet gliding along the floor. She had always felt like a small bird learning how to fly, flailing around and finally taking off with outstretched wings and wind swept feathers. And the genuine smile on Edgeworth's face as he led her about was the greatest gift of all.

 ** _Say "I am"  
Say "I am"  
Say "I am wonderful"  
Oh you are_**

"This song is how _we_ _all_ see _you_ , Miles!" She shouted in his ear over the loud beat. "For who you are…for all you do for your friends, despite feeling down! You are simply… _wonderful_!"

 _ **Cause we are all miracles**  
 **Wrapped up in chemicals**  
 **We are incredible**  
 **Don't take it for granted, no**  
 **We are all miracles**  
 **Oh we are**  
_

Edgeworth knew he shouldn't have been surprised by the proclamation, but he was. _Pleasantly so_. Knowing that a woman he held in such high esteem, both professionally and personally, thought so greatly of him almost melted some of the ice around his heart.

 ** _Say "I am"  
Say "I am"  
Say "I am wonderful"  
Oh you are_**

The song was drawing to a close, and he decided to wrap things up with a grand flourish, taking Mia's hand and extending his arm to spin her away before quickly pulling her back against him, then smoothly dipping her back against his arm, much to the enthusiastic whistling and ovation from the onlookers.

 ** _Don't take it for granted, no  
We are all miracles  
Wrapped up, yeah we're wrapped up  
Oh we are wonderful_**

The crowd was still applauding as the band launched into a slow number, and she gazed up at him questioningly as he pulled her back into an upright position but kept his hold on her.

"May I have the honor of another dance, good lady?" He asked grandly, while noting her cheeks were pink with slight exertion but raised into a broad grin as she nodded. "I promise to take it easier on you this time!"

"Hey! I think I held my own pretty well, _considering_!" Mia tittered as they fell into an easy waltz. "Thanks for indulging me, Miles. For a minute there, I was worried I was going to have play the whole _you can't say no to a dead woman_ hand!"

"Surely thou jest?" Edgeworth cocked a good-humored brow. "That would have been a pretty _low_ trump card to play, madam!"

"But it's the only one I've got!" She retorted shamelessly. "Works _every time_ , too! Even on those who pretend to be heartless, like _you_!"

"What makes you think it's all a façade and not legitimate?" His smile faded slightly. "Why are you so determined to believe I'm more than the uncaring, aloof man I show the world I am?"

"If I made it my creed to always believe in my _clients_ , I can certainly believe in my _friends_ ," she replied quietly. "I know you better than you think, Miles. Your acts of kindness towards your loved ones speaks volumes, more than any curt utterings attempting to disguise them. I know that you're even more _wonderful,_ because after all you've been through in your life, you _could_ easily be heartless, yet you're _not_. I also know that those who appear to be heartless… once _cared_ _too much."_

Edgeworth cleared his throat, appreciative yet overwhelmed with how well she knew him, in spite of having spent limited time together.

"Is there anything else you know?" He asked tightly, in an effort to mask his emotion.

"I know you've been miserable tonight because you're lonely. And that loneliest people are the kindest, the saddest people smile the brightest, and the most damaged people are the wisest. All because they do not wish to see anyone else suffer the way they do." She peered up into his shuttered visage. "Look, I'm _deceased_ , not a _telepathist_! If I'm wrong, then tell me so, and I'll shut right up, Miles. You have my word."

"I _am_ lonely," he conceded. "But it's nothing new. I've been like that since I was young. There was a time the pain had ultimately taken hold, sucked me into a black hole and convinced me that disappearing from this earth would be best for me, so I vanished for a year. I've accepted that perhaps I am a person that needs to be lonely."

"I can empathize with the pain of losing your soul mate." Lucent amber orbs met lachrymose steel ones. "Sometimes you end up never speaking to someone who meant the world to you. And that's okay. You cope and you survive. Take all the time you need to heal emotionally. Moving on doesn't take a day. It takes a lot of little steps to be able to break free of your broken self. Don't let your losses keep you back from new gains."

"What new gains do you speak of?" He asked guardedly.

"The capacity to be _alone_ is the capacity to _love_ ," she counseled. "It may look paradoxical to you, but it is not. It is an existential truth: only those people who are capable of being alone are capable of love, of sharing, of going into the deepest core of the other person—without possessing the other, without becoming dependent on the other, without reducing the other to a thing, and without becoming addicted to the other."

Edgeworth shut his eyes as a wave of melancholy washed over him, and his tenor was filled with languor as he spoke.

"Mia, this is very kind of you, attempting to placate my heartache with these purple proses. Even so, with all due respect, I'm afraid telling me, even in lyrical verse, how _someday_ my heart will go on just won't suffice. I'm sorry, but that's just how I feel right now."

"Fair enough. This isn't a half hour TV sitcom, and I can't solve everyone's quandaries in a half hour episode, minus commercial breaks." Mia looked him right in the eye. "It's fine if you feel less vulnerable by going back to being _en garde_ with me, Miles. Being guarded is fine. Taking calculated risks is fine. But when you have been doing it for too long, you no longer get anywhere new. At some point you have to break your rules, the rules that have kept you safe all your life. And make new ones that will make you alive."

"Break rules? You've lost me, Mia. I am a man who upholds the law _and_ rules alike. I don't believe in breaking either one. It goes against my creed."

"Your greatest need is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters your mind. You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you _can_ cultivate. If you want to control things in your life, work on controlling your mind. In most cases, that's the only thing you should be trying to control. Right now, _logical genius_ , you need to lean on your friends – specifically Phoenix and Maya – and utilize that _control freak_ nature to make new rules in our judicial system."

"What are you saying?" He drew back slightly and studied her sedulous face in confusion. "New rules? Judicial system?"

"While I _don't_ have the cure for your heartbreak Miles, I _do_ know what it's like to lose the love of your life. Diego was lost to me even before I died, which is why I threw myself headfirst into investigating Redd White. There's nothing like hard work to be the best distraction of all," Mia insisted passionately. "I know you and Phoenix are going to be investigating Mildew, but he needs you for more than _just_ that. He won't be able to get his badge back without you, and _both_ of you need my sister. As Master, Maya has a lot of influential and political connections, because a lot of _your_ prior contacts have become stale after being out of the country for so long."

Edgeworth nodded, listening with great intent as she further expanded.

"The Dark Age of the Law is upon us now, and there's much that needs to be done in order to remedy this. First of all, I want you to know that something is amiss in the prosecutor's office. There is much corruption, and it goes far back longer than you'd think, which is why Redd White was able to bribe his way out of every misdeed for so long! He only got caught when he got his own hands dirty."

"I see. Please continue."

"Furthermore, former prosecutor Simon Blackquill sits on death row as we speak, and all my instincts tell me he's innocent of the crime he's been convicted of! Also, the Chief Justice, who I knew back when I was an attorney, has a deathly ill teenage son, that I knew as a boy. I can feel the faint signal of his soul on the cusp of the Twilight Realm. I'm also having premonitions about how this particular information will lead you to the path you'll need to follow, as it'll correlate to the matter you've been trailing all this time. And it will happen _very soon._ "

Mia's voice took on a more light-hearted inflection.

"I do hope that passport of yours is still updated, Miles! My _Spidey sense_ is telling me that not only will you be heading overseas again in the near future, but that perhaps the court systems implemented in Europe…need closer inspection? They don't have just one judge for their trials, do they?"

"No, they operate via the jurist system." A thoughtful frown creased his brow. "I comprehensively studied that legal system, and its vast effectiveness, during my travels eight years ago. Are you alluding that we may need to implement the jurist system here, in order to combat this Dark Age?"

"I'm saying that Phoenix needs to look at _every_ option out there, even ones not available here. Additionally, he needs _you_ to be his investigative partner for more than just putting away the Dragon Lady," she informed him. "In the meantime, allow yourself to lean on your friends for comfort, especially your best friend. Logically, friendship is essentially unnecessary, like philosophy or art. It has no _survival_ value; yet it is one of those things which give _value to survival_."

"You know it's not easy for me to lean on people, Mia. It never has been."

"I want you to _really_ grasp what you have with Phoenix – this brother from another mother who would do _anything_ for you, Miles. I watched you two together today – you standing by him and trying to help him reunite with Maya, and then him in turn being your constant companion while you attempted to drown your sorrows tonight. Now I _fully_ comprehended the beauty of your rare bond. Tonight, I realized what a true friend was. Someone who would always love you –the imperfect you, the confused you, the wrong you – because _that_ is what friends are supposed to do."

Edgeworth swallowed heavily, feeling the credence of the comforting words in his heart, while his mind began racing with all the legal paths and possibilities she'd presented.

"I need to go now," Mia said regretfully as the song ended, already reaching into Pearl's clutch and quickly typing out a hasty text for her cousin to read. "I pray you take heed to what I've told you, Miles."

"Yes, thank you Mia. You have my word that I shall do just that," he told her sincerely. "You've given me a lot of tantalizing distractions to ponder for some time. I profess, in light of all these matters that I now need to focus on, the desirous effect of my broken heart taking a temporary back seat is the end result."

"I'm glad I could do _that_ much for you, after all you've done for my loved ones. In the end, I care deeply about your well-being. Also, I like you very much, Miles."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Mia peered up into his eyes with an expression of combined sympathy and caring.

"You're truly a wonderful man, and my sister and Phoenix are so blessed to have you on their side. You have my eternal reverence, for you are a man of more greatness and strength than you realize. Someone like you, who's been brutally broken, but still has the courage to be gentle to others, deserves a love deeper than the ocean itself. And I pray for the day that you _do_ find love, even within the depths of your sadness, because once you do, there's no looking back."

Edgeworth stared down into Mia Fey's affectionate visage, and found himself at a loss for words to convey what was in his heart, which had completely thawed out in that instant.

"It's rare to meet someone with a mind just as beautiful as their face," he said softly, taking the hand which had been resting on his shoulder and holding it in both of his. "But it's _me_ who's the fortunate one, for _I_ have known _you_ , _Mia_. Nothing against Wright, but had you lived, I know that it would have been _yourself_ , not _him_ , who would have been my most historically formidable courtroom rival."

"I should _hope_ Phoenix remains your greatest courtroom rival, Miles Edgeworth!" Mia's eyes twinkled impishly as she kissed him on the cheek. "After all, _who_ do you think taught him _everything_ he knows?"

"Do I have _you_ to blame for his shameless bluffing as well?" Edgeworth chuckled, but Mia never heard him, as in the next instant, her body shimmered slightly, and then he found himself holding the petite waifish form of Pearl Fey in his arms.

" _Pearl_!" Edgeworth gasped, still unused to seeing the channeling technique in entirety. "You're back!"

"Hi Mr. Eh-ji-worth!" Pearl smiled up at him uncertainly. "Um, look, we're… almost dancing?"

The prosecutor glanced down at their rigid, unmoving feet amongst the other dancers around them and chuckled slightly as he slowly led them into a two-step.

"I'm sure your boyfriend is most eager to have you back, Pearl," he said warmly. "But before I turn you over to Luke again, you _do_ owe me a dance. After all, _I_ was the one who actually caught that garter!"

* * *

 ** _Pearl Fey and Luke Triton  
_** _Vestibule, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel **  
**_June 17, 2026 12:00 AM

"Thanks for agreeing to come out here and speak to me," Luke began cautiously. "I was afraid it was going to be difficult, tearing you from the clutches of a handsome prosecutor when I cut in on you and Mr. Edgeworth earlier, but thanks for proving me wrong!"

"He told me he _was_ the one who actually caught the garter, so knowing you weren't lying to me earlier, I realized that I couldn't keep running from you forever," Pearl acknowledged sheepishly, dropping her gaze. "I um, am really sorry for springing Mystic Mia on you like that though. I hope all went well with her?"

"The fair lady was quite happy to have me carry on as your continued suitor." He grinned at the memory of the feisty brunette, who reminded him so much of his girlfriend, for more reasons than just their similar coloring. "Although…what's more important is knowing if that's what _you_ still want?"

"You can't be serious! I _never_ wanted to _break up_ with you, Luke!" She exclaimed with exasperation. "I was just _mad_ at you!"

"I wasn't sure what to think! When you left the dance floor you made it sound as though you thought I'd been wasting the past year of your life." He chose his words carefully. "While you were channeling your cousin, I spoke not only to her, but also to Sister Bikini, Matilda, and even Maya to get some further insight on why this whole marriage thing is so important to you. I think I have a better grasp about why you are so desperately in need of that extra reassurance. I'm terribly sorry that at the time, I dismissed it as simple wedding fever and was unable to give it to you."

"Luke, I know you love me," Pearl said seriously. "It's just that, I looked at my sister, and my cousin, and their Special Someone's…and something just got triggered. It's hard to explain. Although Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick aren't married yet, he made it clear that he intends to make her his wife someday! I can't help but wish I knew for sure that _I_ was going to get the same happy ending! Because all I've ever known is broken homes and disastrous marriages."

"I understand. But both those couples are also much older than we are, and I felt like if I told you I wanted to marry you _right now,_ it would sound like some sort of pipe dream." Luke's expression was pleading for her to understand. "Marriage does not guarantee you will be together forever – it's only _paper_. It takes love, respect, trust, understanding, friendship, and faith in your relationship to make it last. I believe we _do_ have that, Pearl. Don't _you_?"

"I think so…" she said slowly. "I hear what you're saying. I guess I just wish I had something more…I dunno, _guaranteed_ , more permanent to hold onto, that's all. I love you – I do – but I am afraid of making that love too important. Because as long as I'm _here_ , and you're in _England_ , you're always going to leave me…We can't deny it."

"Wait for me," he begged, wishing he could tell her more, but knowing he couldn't just yet. "I'll be back. I _swear_ I'll come back for you."

A heavy stillness followed his pledge.

In his expression, Luke knew there was a mixture of apprehension and fear, because he'd heard horror stories about distance and how it destroyed people; that love did not last when entire oceans separated two individuals, no matter how tightly they held each other and promised to try.

"Did Mia leave you any sort of message on your cell?" He asked hopefully, unable to bear the agonizing silence any longer. "Have you checked it?"

She shook her head, her satiny waves swishing about her shoulders.

"Not yet…"

Pearl hesitantly reached into her purse and withdrew her phone. Mia's unread text to her was the first thing on the screen. Aware of her beau's watchful eyes on her, she opened the message, and immediately felt her heart take flight.

 ** _Dear Pearl. Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction –and in this case… forward, into the endless horizon. As much as you trust me as your kinswoman, I can swear on my own grave that you can put your full trust and faith in Luke Triton. You'll never need to look anywhere else for your Special Someone. You have a place in his heart no one else could ever have. Believe me, sweet girl, he's The One. And he's not going anywhere._**

Pearl wordlessly let the mobile fall back into her bag and dropped her head, shutting her lids until she felt the stinging sensation behind them subside at last.

Luke still hadn't pried his eyes from her downcast visage. He desperately tried to scrutinize her unreadable expression, and he felt as though his heart was in a cold vice as the silence went on. She continued to leave his view of her face obstructed as she looked at the ground, her hair falling on either side of her face in a silky toffee curtain.

After what seemed like agonizing eons had passed, Pearl finally lifted her head, and his gaze was met by resilience and gentleness, and he saw her lips curve into a loving smile.

 _This girl. Her smile could brighten the darkest corner. Her eyes, full of mysteries that have yet to be solved. Every time she's around people, they are left wanting more long after she's gone. But this girl…She gives too much. She cares too much. She cares about others more than herself. Her wellbeing is never at the top of her list, but it doesn't matter. This girl bottles up her feelings until it all explodes like a bottle of soda. But no one would ever suspect it. Because, this girl. **This Pearl**. Boy, is she something. She's such a lovely storm, wrapped up in a hurricane. And I wouldn't have it any other way._

"You don't need to ask me to wait," she said softly, "If I could, I would cross entire galaxies for you, and the oceans are nothing compared to galaxies."

Pearl swallowed back the tears building in her throat and raised limpid doe eyes to meet his dark ones.

"Luke, as much as I try to be soft-spoken and well-mannered most times, I know I have also inherited not only the legendary Fey mystical powers, but a dark side as well. I'm awfully difficult. I get too emotional. I have a temper. But I do know when I love someone, and I've loved you ever since I can remember."

His heart soared at the words, and his voice was hoarse as he spoke.

"Pearl, in my life, I was so used to cold hearts around me, that when I met yours, burning, alive, I jumped into your fires. You are beguiling and mysterious and enchanting. I love you. You're beautiful, intelligent, and virtuous, and that's the rarest known combination."

Luke's tone turned husky as he pulled her into his arms.

"Pearl, there are stars in your dark side brighter than the sun. You have opened the doors of my heart to a whole new world. You have me. Until every last star in the galaxy dies, _you have me_."

His fingers stroked her neckline, and the sensation inside her grew warmer and spread out from her chest, down through her body, out along her arms and legs, to the tips of her being and she felt as though she would burst into flames if he didn't kiss her there and then. She reached up for his neck, and as he pulled her up by her waist onto her tiptoes, she started to feel breathless in a new and fascinating way.

Then she kissed him until the sky seemed to fade out and all her smiles and tears had vanished in an ecstasy of eternal seconds as the space around them evaporated.

His lips were hot and soft against hers – still tentative, and after a moment, he pulled back far enough to stare deeply into her shining eyes.

"Luke, you're all that I'm thinking of, no matter where I am. You're all that I've ever known, and when you smile, on my face, all I see is a glow. You turned my life around, you picked me up when I was down. I thank God every day for sending me your love."

She raised a hand to his face and caressed his cheek.

"I cherish every touch, every word, and every hug. And though for now, I can't be with you every night, know my heart is by your side. I love you so much."

"I am so grateful for you, Pearl. I will never find another lover sweeter than you, and I will never find another lover more precious than you." He held her tightly against him. "When we're apart, I miss you, body and soul, so strong that it takes my breath away. I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand the days until I'm in your arms again. I don't know why you have to be so far away, but I know that this much is true: we'll make it through. Because you love me, and God help me, I love you. I hope I love you all my life. I'll never know what the future brings. But I know you're here with me now. We'll manage the miles apart together, because I know it won't be forever. And I hope with all my heart, that you are the one I share my life with."

This time, it was more of a thought than a feeling, a soft heat that began at her mouth and unfurled through the rest of her. One of his hands slid behind her neck and drew her nearer, lips parted. He bent down towards her, and when their mouths met again for the second time, something like magic ignited, and the kiss deepened.

What had begun as love at first sight had become love everlasting: a feeling unknown, unhoped for, unexpected – in so far as it could be a matter of conscious awareness. It took entire possession of them, and they both understood, with joyous amazement, that this was for life.

* * *

 ** _Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne  
_** _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel **  
**_June 17, 2026 12:24 AM

The wedding cheesecake – _made of literal cheese –_ had been cut and served ages ago. Slowly but surely, the massive crowd of invitees was thinning out, as everyone seemed reluctant to leave such a swinging shindig. Larry had made the last of the rounds of mingling with his guests, and now he had no idea what protocol dictated. All he knew was that he was dead tired, and now, more than anything, just wanted to have his gorgeous bride to himself at last.

So the groom approached the one person who was the most versed in propriety than anyone he knew, and approached the magenta-clad man just as he drained the last of what appeared to be only fizzy water with lemon.

"Hey, Edgy!" The groom greeted his friend, who'd just risen from his seat. "You're better at this etiquette stuff than me! I think it's late enough to play the last dance and then leave, don't you?"

"I'm glad I caught you, Larry. I've already bid your lovely wife adieu, and made my rounds, so I was just about to make leave. However, _you_ appear to be more in a rush to exit than even _I_ am." Edgeworth's tone was rich with amusement. "In a hurry to start your honeymoon?"

"You wouldn't _believe_ the kind of hurry I'm in!" Larry joked. Reaching out, he shook Edgeworth's hand in a heartfelt clasp, but he didn't thank his friend for the years of unflagging friendship where there were many favors. His gratitude was too deep for that, and they both understood it. A flicker of warmth flashed in the prosecutor's eyes, then he gave a slight bow and swiftly headed towards the exit.

Pausing to ask the lead singer to play a particular song, Larry went to retrieve his wife. The bride had been dancing with the best man, whom she abandoned with gratifying speed. Phoenix chuckled and graciously inclined his head at the newlyweds as he left the dance floor, while Iris came into her husband's arms and smiled into his eyes.

"It's about time you came to get me," she told him softly.

"Ready to leave?" He asked her as the current song came to an end.

Iris was dying to go away with him and be alone together. She nodded and started to move away, but he shook his head and smiled mysteriously.

"After the next song."

" _What_ song?" She asked in the silence, just as he smiled, and then the introductory music of the requested tune began.

" _This_ one," Larry said meaningfully as the sweet lyrics began to play "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You." He took his wife in his arms and the lovebirds began to move in time to the romantic melody.

Iris's dark orbs shone like stars as she fell under the spell of his inviting smile within seconds. Oblivious to the crowd who was turning to watch them, she moved closer to him, her body matching the subtle movement of his while he slid his hands around her waist, holding her closer.

 ** _So come with me and share the view  
I'll help you see forever too  
Hold me now, touch me now  
I don't want to live without you…_**

"Do you like the song, milady?" Larry's eyes were filled with love as he gazed down at his ethereal new bride. "I wish I could sing the lyrics to you, to emphasize how nothing will ever change my love for you, but I wouldn't want to ruin a perfect love song, or this romantic moment, by letting you know so early in the game that you married a man who's got the singing voice of a seagull!"

"I absolutely _adore_ this song, darling." Iris's lips curved up into a coy smile. "And I feel the exact same way about you. But do you want to know what I'd love even more than being in your arms on the dance floor?"

"What's that?" He asked tenderly.

"Being in your arms…." Her voice was heavy with intent. "With perhaps… not so many witnesses afoot?"

"Are you trying to hint it's high time the guests of honor leave their own shindig?" He teased. "Shall we began making our way towards the honeymoon suite which, on top of this reception hall, a certain altruistic billionaire has also kindly bequeathed to us?"

The sensual smile he received in response was the only answer he needed. Lifting Iris's hand to his lips, Larry pressed a kiss upon it.

"If we sneak out now before the song is done, nobody will even notice."

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
_** _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel  
_ June 17, 2026 12:25 AM

 ** _Nothing's gonna change my love for you  
_** ** _You ought to know by now how much I love you  
_** ** _One thing you can be sure of  
_** ** _I'll never ask for more than your love…_**

"This really is a beautiful song," Maya remarked as she swayed dreamily in Phoenix's arms amidst the remaining entwined couples on the dance floor. "I know Larry picked it out as a message to convey to his bride, but you really should know that's how _I_ feel about _you_ , too, Nick."

Phoenix didn't reply, merely smiled and pulled her closer, which worried her somewhat, since her lover was no stranger to the power of music and using it to express words of the heart.

While her enlightening conversation with her sister earlier that evening had clued her into the fact that the two of them would need to have a much-needed chat about what was troubling him, she still had no idea how she was going to remedy the situation.

She couldn't help but curse her own dimwittedness for not noticing his discontent much earlier that evening, as she had been too wrapped up with the festivities to pay mind to the fact that since Phoenix had lost his badge, the spiky-haired man had perfected the art of wearing a happy face (something Maya had perfected herself had many years ago) and no longer had an easily readable visage like a weathervane.

It was a sharp reminder that her beau had _very much_ remained the same _eccedentesiast_ he'd been even before they'd separated last year; had joined the ranks of both Maya and Edgeworth as someone who hid their pain and misery behind a fake smile.

 ** _Nothing's gonna change my love for you  
_** ** _You ought to know by now how much I love you  
_** ** _The world may change my whole life through  
_** ** _But nothing's gonna change my love for you…_**

"Thanks for rescuing my lonely self by coming to fetch me for this dance." Maya attempted to change tactics and lighten her boyfriend's obvious subdued disposition. "Sister Bikini and Mystic Matilda are getting tired and weren't conversing much anymore, and were only awake because someone needed to hold onto Feyt while his newly schmoopy parents –who you couldn't now separate with a crowbar! – and the Gumshoes cut a rug on the dancefloor, where Max and Regina have also remained _all night_! Those circus folk sure have stamina!"

Phoenix only continued to smile indulgently, yet remained silent. Maya desperately kept babbling, knowing it was probably no use, as he was completely closed off from her now, but knew she had to at least _try_ to get him to open up.

"I'm not quite sure what message Sis left behind for Pearly after she was channeled, but it seemed to have righted things between her and Luke once again! Which is a relief, because the adorable Disney duo are too damn sweet to ever be at odds!"

He murmured noncommittally in agreement, leaving Maya no choice but to continue what now felt like a monologue.

" _Anyway_ , in a nutshell, thanks for rescuing me, as I was sitting all by my lonesome at the table while you were dancing with Iris, because _Miles_ also snuck out like a thief in the night without even saying goodbye!"

"He's not the only one." Phoenix spoke at last, although his fixated smile couldn't quite mask his slightly strained tone. "It seems the newlyweds couldn't even wait till the song was over before making their own hasty retreat! But as for Edgeworth, he kept telling me he was going to leave and mumbling how he needed to be up early to have the marriage license ready for Larry and Iris tomorrow morning. I think he knew if he tried to say goodbye to us, we would've attempted to extend his presence and he just wasn't having any of it. The poor man was absolutely miserable tonight, and more than a little drunk."

"I knew _something_ wasn't right with him," Maya admitted. "But I wasn't about to pry. I'm not quite sure if you're sworn to some sort of best friend secrecy oath, but… did his _surlier than normal_ disposition have anything to do with the fact that I haven't heard from Franziska in over a year, despite my efforts to reach her?"

"Something like that," he sighed. "It's a long and rather depressing story, and I'd really rather not get into it right now. However, I think Edgeworth may have had the right idea about ducking out early. I think we should follow the bride and groom's example and call it a night Maya."

"You want to leave _already_?" Her heart sank, but she attempted to lighten up the situation with a joke. "But it's only half past midnight, _Cinderfella_! You've already surpassed the fear of turning into a _pumpkin_!"

"I have to be up early too, in order to be at the prosecutor's office for 9:00 tomorrow morning, Maya." Phoenix averted his gaze. "After all, I did promise to be there as a witness to sign the marriage license, before I head down to the courthouse to see Trucy and Apollo."

"But it's our first night together after a million years, Old Man! I was so looking forward to spending some solo time with you, since I have no responsibilities to worry about, what with the Gumshoes kindly offering to let Sister Bikini, Matilda and the kids spend the night at their place. Why are you being such a party pooper?"

Maya had stopped dancing and her bewildered eyes now stared searchingly into the shuttered indigo orbs.

"Nick, what's going on here? Why are you being this way? You still love me, don't you?"

The pokerface wavered for a moment, but the reassuring look in his eyes was unmistakable even before he answered.

"You should know that by now, my heart is ever at your service, my love," he stated simply, the sincerity evident in his tone. "Never doubt this."

Maya tightly gripped his shoulders, almost as if fearing that, in spite of his assuring words, if she released him now, he'd be taken away from her again.

"And just like the song says, nothing's gonna change _my_ love for _you_ , Nick! You oughta know by now how much I love you! The world may change my whole life through, but _nothing's_ gonna change my love for you!"

"I know that, Maya. But just as our _love_ will never change, _nothing else_ has changed for me either!" Phoenix cried, his mask shattering so she could see the long-suppressed anguish in his eyes. "It's just as Mildred said to me tonight: you're _still_ a prestigious Master, and _I_ am _still_ a socially outcast pariah who is _far_ beneath a woman of your stature!"

 _Mildew_. Maya shut her eyes and mentally subjected The Dragon Lady to the eternal fires of Abaddon for making such havoc in her life. But she could curse _Yzma incarnate's_ existence later.

Right now, she had a boyfriend who was a flight risk, and as much as she believed in Phoenix and their love, she had a sickening paranoia that if she didn't do something drastic, now, things were about to get much worse.

"Nick, what more can I do to convince you all I want in this world is _you_?" She cried frantically, feeling at her wit's end. "How can I prove that all I want is _your lips bruising mine_ and _your fingers between my thighs?_!"

In the meantime, Jesse was presently filming the nearby Luke and Pearl's well-wishes on the dance floor.

"You kids are the last ones to give their well-wishes tonight!" The videographer informed them cheerily. "So let's make it memorable!"

Never once letting go of his tiny girlfriend, Luke kept his arms wrapped possessively around her waist as he smiled at the camcorder.

"Larry, Iris…today is a beginning of your new life as husband and wife, and I wish that this life is full of happiness and joy, and may it never end! Cheers!"

Pearl was positively glowing as she waved at the camera from the shelter of Luke's embrace.

"To my big sister and new brother in law: Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry. Today two souls of yours have turned into one. Wishing you joy and lots of fun! Have a magical married life!"

"Good stuff!" Jesse smiled and gave a thumbs up as he shut off the camera. "OK, I guess that's a wrap…"

Suddenly Maya had a brainstorm as she recalled Mia's advice about her situation.

 _If we can't make your boyfriend believe that he's still a worthy individual, both as a person and your lover, then what you'd have to do is find a way to **show** , not **tell** him, that him being an alleged forgin' attorney, and allying yourself with him, is **entirely inconsequential** to you, in any way, shape or form!_

" _Hold it!"_ The Master shouted, pointing her finger at the videographer. "Jesse, don't you _dare_ move! I have plans that pertain to Nick and I, and that includes the use of that camcorder!"

Everyone turned to stare at the now crimson pianist and spirit medium, both who were completely red-faced as Jesse coughed awkwardly and muttered: " _Phrasing_!"

"Um, _objection_?" The poker champ called out weakly, blushing to the roots of his hair. "Video camera?! My love, what on _earth_ are you planning, and _why_ do _I_ not get any say in this!?"

Maya ignored her boyfriend and was already rushing towards the band, frenziedly whispering into the ear of the lead singer before he smilingly nodded and reached down a hand to pull her up onto the stage as everyone that had remained present – easily still a few hundred guests – looked on curiously.

Phoenix just remained frozen on the dance floor as waves of dread washed over him.

 _Bejabbers and consarn!_ He moaned softly to himself as he buried his head in his hands. _What in thunderation is that crazy girlfriend of mine up to **now**?!_

 ** _George Benson - Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You  
_** ** _Gary Go - Wonderful_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 161**

 **DannyDragon**

Luke is too logical to think that maybe it was FEYT he caught that garter! LOL

Too damn honest for his own good…he's lucky Pearl didn't slap him upside his dense nincompoop head! XD

 _"By the other way I love how you write every character and keep their personality and essence, is just amazing with all the characters in this series_."

 _Muchas gracias!_ I try very hard to keep everyone in character while expanding a bit more on their personalities and dialogue – which means their conversation is going to be lengthier than in the games, but am glad you like my _verboso_ character expansion!  
 _  
El gusto es mi siempre mi amiga musica!_

 **Chapter 162**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **CzarThwomp**

 _"Professor Hershel Layton, subtly c*ckblocking like a gentleman since 2007. If he can't have love because of his girlfriend dying in a time machine-related incident, then he'll be damned if his apprentice can. Though it is good to see that things are finally looking up for the lad. He deserves a cookie after all his troubles._

They say laughter is the best medicine, and I think I have fully recovered from my flu bug 100% just based on the laughter inspired alone by your review! Whoever would've thought that training a little boy to be a gentleman would ultimately end up cock blocking him the (unwound) future?

 _Speaking of which, Mia shouldn't have put all her eggs in the basket of Phoenix not trying to flee by burrowing into the toilet. All of those years of doggedly cleaning the toilet was leading up to this day; and had Phoenix not been so down, he would have been running through the sewers to freedom before Mia could even say "boo"._

Good Lord this reminded me of the time I read your _Wizard of Groz_ moment when you had Phoenix rising up to save the day via the commode! XD

The clammed up Miles Edgeworth _will_ speak if the right instrument is used to pry his shell open, which Phoenix has been able to do in the past, although this time he passed the toothpicks to Mia… although to be fair this time she did have the advantage of the prosecutor having digested way too much truth serum a.k.a. alcohol. There's a reason they say the most honest people in the world our children and drunks! LOL

My favorite male comedy writer (am assuming you're a guy…unless you're a female, in which case you must share the crown with the side-splitting _VickyVicarious_!) your review was so damn funny I am literally posting as much they possibly can for my readers can get a kick out of your writing style as much as I do as you are not only quite welcomed for the previous plug (not that I think it would make any difference to readers preferences but nevertheless if I like your work I have no problem letting the world know!)

 **Yanmegaman**

While this wedding did not have photo booths it didn't have moments that will be forever captured by an unforgettable videographer and photographer duo! Lol

And they did have an open bar which was taken advantage of by most of the guests including the two Ace attorneys despite not having a keg …for Mia having to dispense all that couples therapy with no alcohol in her because she is too responsible to let her underage cousin's body consume it! :p

It's a good thing Jesse was present to immortalize all the shenanigans, but he will be capturing the most memorable moment of all another chapter after next! :)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Pearl and Luke might have the occasional squabbles but unless readers have suggestions, I can't picture than having another flaming row like this one they are simply too adorable! Off-screen of course, I'm sure the all too honest Mr. Triton will have many incidences of opening mouth and inserting foot, for which it cannot always be guaranteed that Pearl will refrain from her newly acquired maturity of not slapping! XD

Maya has always been very abrupt with her changing of the emotions even in the video games, and I have tried to write her as such accordingly – one moment you see her teary-eyed sprite or she's upset by something, and the next minute it's clasped hands against chest and bright sunny smile!

To prevent a hangover I have never gone the aspirin route (bad on tummy!) but instead have downed two glass of water with a couple of Advil – and then if that still didn't work the best remedy is bacon and eggs or something greasy (oh my God I hope I don't have underage readers were taking notes here but I know _you_ are legal and hopefully people don't be review responses that are not addressed to them! :p

Mia was obviously some sort of saint to have taken the whimpering sniveling crybaby that was Feenie under her well-manicured wing as her protégé, but yes even saints turned angels run out of patience and in this case she was absolutely right about how Miles needed help more than Phoenix himself did, just as you were right Mr. psychic juice drinker about how she had to give Maya a good talking to about how your words cannot be unheard once they have left your lips! Phoenix will be leaning on Maya at least in the literal sense as he staggers out of that party… But first he has to get over what the hell she's got planned by jumping up on that stage and grabbing that microphone?! ;)

 _"Once again, great job. And to the suckers, well, tell them to bite you. XD. If they can't appreciate how well-crafted this story is, well, they don't deserve a second thought."_

I can't please everyone, but I still do my best to acknowledge anybody that has taken the time to read and drop me a line, and I will accept criticism – but it doesn't mean, however, that I need to actually necessarily _take_ the "advice" that is given to me, regardless of it's worded politely or not… Wright? :)

 **Ilet Moratar**

Having the cool prosecutor lose rein of his tongue and composure has been great fun to write, and Miles Edgeworth laughing is rarer than a unicorn and even in fan art is hard to find ones where he is actually smiling and not doing his customary smirk. I imagine when he _does_ smile, it would probably eclipse the sun as it would be such a beauteous but rare occurrence not all would gather around to see even with protective visionary equipment required!

I'm glad you caught the French word for pregnant! Indeed the word _enceinte_ to the foreign ear like Maya's, does sound like "in sand"! Imagine it going up your culo – uncomfortable much? :p

Jesse is such a delightful dork I love even if he does have the worst timing both with the presence of his video camera and his attempted jokes! Readers will finally see the genuine purpose beyond the comic relief of this hopefully memorable OC, in the chapter after next, as the _Darwin Award seeking recipient_ will be a great aid in this particular part of the Phoenix and Maya storyline!

Even though Mia is officially younger than everybody except Pearl and Luke at this point, I have always seen her as this maternal figure towards Phoenix (and in general!), which is possibly why I tend to make him regress to being almost like a little boy (or teen) needing his mother to weep in her arms, but I had to make her put her foot down this one time, as things do get lively when she is around and Miles Edgeworth is the one character I wish she had had more screen time with in the games, as each of the legendary geniuses who would've had at the courtroom battles if they had continued, and I feel they would have challenged each other and brought out the best in one another! Also, is there anybody who doesn't love Mia Fey? Nobody that I care to talk to! LOL

In this case Mia genuinely loves Miles by association, as she has seen all he has done for the people she adores in this case Phoenix and Maya, so I couldn't think of anybody better to have him get his groove back even momentarily!

 **chloemcg**

 _Wow, Mia's basically the motherly guru of this fic._

I would like to think if Mia is a motherly guru that would make her epic Hall of Fame MILF! :p

I've tried my best to keep Maya and character and she is very much a lovable act first think later type, what with jumping into the fire in the crossover, and even speaking out of turn in court so I didn't think it would be too far-fetched that she would be the one to unwittingly break Phoenix's heart without realizing it – and now it will be her turn to eat crow… But how can she possibly turn things around the way big sister suggested? ;)

I am so happy you enjoyed the Luke and Mia interaction, just like she loves Miles via proxy for all he has done for her dear sister and future brother-in-law (unless Phoenix irrevocably screws up!) She would also be predisposition to love Luke just because he loves Pearl so much and I did my very best to show that loving nature being shown to the poor distraught little gentleman!

I hope you enjoyed Feyt's reunion! I love this Disney-duo!

Miles is a not so secret cinnamon roll ( _everyone_ knows he's a big sweetie I wish she would drop the lofty exterior are ready!) But since Mia cut him off she was right in determining he would be turning _salty_ (aka _surly_! Lol) pretty soon so yes that is why I highlighted those terms! Mia does come from a line of psychics with great spiritual powers however in this case since she only had divine assistance in retaining her memories tonight, so she is trying to convey is much as possible while she is here on earth today, I'd like to think that there might be some clairvoyance in there as well. Maya had that ESP ability herself in the very first chapter of this story, as after sharing a passionate night with Phoenix, she had no reason to think there was anything but sunny skies ahead and yet instinctively knew there was going to be gloom and doom in the future! In this case I'd love the idea of making her be the one to steer Miles in the right direction with how to end the dark age of the law while mingling in the canon events of the upcoming Turnabout Serenade!

I'm going to keep the adorable suggestion in mind about Franny and Miles reunion of than being tied together… After all part two of this series which is the Fredgeworth love story, is called _The Ties That Bind!_ Tee hee!

Btw, do you have a different Tumlbr handle other than the one I've seen with this same name? Been tagging you but also haven't seen it updated much…just wondering…also I adore your art!

 **Joeclone**

The Nintendo (bait and) Switch you say? I hope you weren't one of the many of the crazy people who decided to lick the cartridges which were inflicted with a bitter taste to dissuade children and animals from ingesting them! LOL

Actually as much as you say you fell for said bait, you actually went too far off as the very lucky Miles Edgeworth got to dance with not one but two beautiful Fey sisters in the end! For Mia it was no chore – I don't think any of my Latin readers are going to object to the stereotype that most of them are (nurture/nature or both?!) amazing dancers! – and I feel like the elder sibling having dated the Latino Diego Armando would've definitely had to be quick on her feet to keep up with him on the dance floor!

Luke Triton the gentlemen with the best intentions brought out by the legendary Mia turned you not in the afterlife! As much as Feyt is end game, I do realize how young these characters are and feel it would be very unrealistic to suddenly have them get engaged or married at this particular point in the timeline.

Don't feel stupid about getting sidelined by Phoenix; while this is ultimately his story Miles Edgeworth is the secondary lead, although because he keeps to himself so much, it's often easy to miss his pain but Mia does have the advantage of the omniscient point of view from the skies, plus she did find out a little bit in the helicopter ride to Kurain about him and Franziska, which she accurately surmised would've been the cause for his drinking! No wonder she cut him off!

I'm happy you're enjoying the character of Jesse! The character makes a cameo mention in my Christmas one shot _The Greatest Gift of All_ (as he is recollected by Phoenix!) Recording the well wishes is only part one of his good deeds as I attempt to turn around this goofy OC of mine! We will find out the true purpose for him being here in chapter 165! :)

 **thepudz**

Therapist not = THE RAPIST! XD

You're absolutely right mate, being married to a TORE ASS, I know a lot about the hardness of men! Or was it sorting out hard men? :p

I'm happy you and my other readers seem to be enjoying Jesse, let's hope the other Ace Attorney cast warm-up to him since at press time, Phoenix finds him barely tolerable and Edgeworth still wants to kill him although in Jesse's defense Edgeworth doesn't really like too many people - especially in his current state!

Huh, so you want to strike a pose for video man? Huh…maybe I should send Mr. Ventura to the outback to shoot some _kangaroos_? :p

 **Feraligreater328**

Dude! You can't die on me! It would ruin the rest of my week if you did! So I'm glad you're not!  
Miles is almost perfect in that he is always so cool calm and collected writing him as a grumpy turned borderline sloppy drunk with a warped sense of humor was exhilarating and I'm glad you enjoyed it!  
I'd like to think of Mia Fey as the sexiest reincarnation of Yoda humanly possible! I'm also happy you appreciated the very unlikely character interaction of Luke Triton with her but I figure he needed some maternal wisdom as much as Phoenix did and I like to think the characters' lives have been enriched since they were touched by an Angel!

 **JaDe In NighT**

As much as you may _hate_ cliffhangers, I _wub_ you… and all my readers, since they keep you coming back and reviewing! :)

Communication is so important… In this case we nowise Luke wasn't communicating his intentions, it's always for a noble cause with Phoenix and Miles and now Luke to keep secrets from the women they love but sometimes an ounce of prevention can mean a pound of cure, Wright?!

 **napoleon32**

It was pretty tricky trying to write a resolution to Luke and Pearl's dispute without giving away too much of his plans which he divulged only to Mia, but I hope the end result was enjoyable and gave everybody cavities the way I intended to!

Pearl swearing is something I would pay money to see! It would be hilarious if she did swear the way Rayfa did: _"pig-faced smelly fathead!"_ Even if she was more profane than that, she had every reason to think her boyfriend was a " _stupid dunderhead"_ up until then! XD

I couldn't think of a better person than Mia to point out the error of Maya's runaway tongue! I love her impetuous nature as it's very similar to my own, but _words can hurt_ even if there said in anger, and I've made it very clear in this story that the Kurain Master is the only person that truly has the power to hurt Phoenix and it's something she needs to be aware of - these two are a couple of emo head cases ( _with verbal diarrhea_ as you said!) who deserve each other, but I can't always make Phoenix having to be the one to eat humble pie!

Mia was thinking along the same lines as you which is why pretty much the first thing she did was cut him off at the bar and why she gave warning that Miles's the cinnamon roll might be turning salty soon! Indeed Phoenix will be fine once he talks to Maya (this chapter was the be unofficial final closing of the Phaya arc before we go back into Miles's, with their private heart-to-heart taking place after next chapter) but Miles needed a little bit more handholding (enter Mia!) than I think he could comfortably receive from his best friend – I figure it's just a guy thing! He didn't want to start those Wrightworth fan girl rumors if he was seen openly sobbing in Phoenix's arms at a wedding reception/publicly! :p

 **Feraligreater328**

Dude! You can't die on me! It would ruin the rest of my week if you did! So I'm glad you're not!

Miles is almost perfect in that he is always so cool calm and collected writing him as a grumpy turned borderline sloppy drunk with a warped sense of humor was exhilarating and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

I'd like to think of Mia Fey as the sexiest reincarnation of Yoda humanly possible! I'm also happy you appreciated the very unlikely character interaction of Luke Triton with her but I figure he needed some maternal wisdom as much as Phoenix did and I like to think the characters' lives have been enriched since they were touched by an Angel!

 **Brock's Geodude**

I actually liked Lotta Hart in the anime very much, much like with Turnabout Big Top and Wendy Oldbag, and Cody Hackins, they managed to make both the case and the otherwise irredeemably heinous characters somewhat likable!

With the walking feather duster however, in the video games I can't find anything good to say about her and while I do not condone violence against women in any way shape or form, it's one of the few times I am not going to judge a man, in this case Phoenix, for slapping her loudmouth! I only judge him for not doing it sooner! The Ace Attorney cast is very likable so it was hard trying to find someone who people would cheer to see put in their place so at least Lotta was useful for that – and helping bring things to a head with Phoenix's latest bout of insecurity.

Now, onto the rest of your review. As much as you are certainly entitled to voice your opinion, I am also entitled to my own which is this: I really don't think it's fair for you to be repeating something in a review which was already said, and politely addressed privately, yet again, especially 162 chapters in. I've never made it a secret that I am wordy- and you've acknowledged that while I am wordy, I'm not long-winded. But I can certainly reiterate the gist of our previous conversation and add a few more notations as I now again acknowledge your public opinion about my lengthy dialogues.

Written language is always going to sound different and more structured spoken dialogue- as there's no body language or inflection to go on. Ergo, in my attempts to flesh out these universally renowned and beloved characters, this also means attempting dialogue for them that might be longer than what we are accustomed to in the actual video games themselves. Also, not only are these characters older than most of my readers, so their language may be more cultivated and structured, but canon-wise, they are generally well-spoken, intelligent professionals, most whom I'd imagine would be more articulate than most in the way they speak, and use more than short sentences used in Capcom dialogue.

Since this is a love story, I confess do tend to romanticize the way the characters speak, especially Nick and Miles, while trying hard not to make them OOC... to sacrifice "realism"/ "regular guy speak" for swoon-worthy.

This is a website where every writer has their own different creative at of storytelling, I suppose I love the English language too much to want to butcher it in the manner of troll fics. I have acknowledged your point of view now not only privately but publicly. I hope it's not something that will need to be redundant going forward. This is the style in which I've chose to write, and if it interferes with your enjoyment of the story that is most unfortunate. Thank you for reading.


	164. All My Life

_A/N:_ _Effective March 13, 2017: I have deleted my account from the cancer that was Tumblr_ _ **. TheJordanPhoenix** has_ _been deactivated yet magically has been reposting things since the termination date. Fascinating isn't it? Just a heads up if anyone was following me and if you any of you are following this imposter, know it ain't me! This is awesome I feel like a celebrity I'm actually getting wannabe duplicators! LOL_

 _So here's the Larris swan song…chapter rating PG-13 because…married people stuff?_

* * *

 _For all those times you stood by me  
For all the truth that you made me see  
For all the joy you brought to my life  
For all the wrong that you made right  
For every dream you made come true  
For all the love I found in you  
I'll be forever thankful baby  
You're the one who held me up  
Never let me fall  
You're the one who saw me through, through it all_

 _You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cuz you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me_

 _You gave me wings and made me fly  
You touched my hand I could touch the sky  
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me  
You said no star was out of reach  
You stood by me and I stood tall  
I had your love I had it all  
I'm grateful for each day you gave me  
Maybe I don't know that much  
But I know this much is true  
I was blessed because I was loved by you_

 _You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'coz you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me_

 _You were always there for me  
The tender wind that carried me  
A light in the dark shining your love into my life  
You've been my inspiration  
Through the lies you were the truth  
My world is a better place because of you_

 _You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cuz you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me_

 _I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Four:** **All My Life**

 _ **Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne**_  
 _Honeymoon Suite, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_  
June 17, 2026 1:11 AM

Feeling rejuvenated from his much-needed shower, the new groom wrapped a towel around his waist and smilingly left a trail of steam behind him as he exited the opulent honeymoon suite bathroom. An excited smile of anticipation played upon his lips at the thought of finally getting to be alone with his new blushing bride. The demure shrine maiden had bashfully declined his playful offer to join her husband in the deep sunken marble tub, graciously insisting Larry be the first to freshen up, and that in the meantime, she'd prefer some unwinding solitude within their chambers.

In between her multiple necromancy endeavors and then being a gracious newlywed hostess at their last minute reception, he couldn't help but wonder if his wife would be too frayed for any other _just_ _married_ activities. He _still_ couldn't believe she hadn't passed out against him by the last dance of the night, if not sooner!

Larry had heard in the past that for many couples, it wasn't uncommon for them to _not_ actually consummate their marriage on their first night together, as they were simply too worn out from the festivities. Up until then, having churlishly applauded himself on his unsurpassed vigor, he'd always dismissed _any_ excuse to not _pounce_ at the golden opportunity for the first-time frolic with one's new spouse as _unfathomably lame_. Post all-night dancing while _vertically_ _upright,_ in one another's arms, how could you _not_ wish to eagerly _seal the deal_ of your union like a _real_ man should...with some _horizontal_ _Mambo_?

As far as Larry had been concerned, marital relations were not only culturally and religiously _expected_... but _encouraged_!

 _It's unbelievable how all it takes is the love of a good woman to make a formerly Neanderthal man, even one with **a lifetime of**_ _such bassackward, chauvinistic ways of thinking, do such a complete turnabout, now that it's **his own actual**_ _wedding night!_

Presently remembering Iris's lovely, but slightly tired, smile by the end of the night, the children's illustrator couldn't help but wonder if their first time together as man and wife would be delayed until the next morning.

After all, spending the entire morning and afternoon composing portrait sketches, in his role as wedding artist, of a now _defunct_ betrothed duo, coupled with the flurry of their nuptials, _he_ was absolutely spent _himself_! Therefore, his poor _Iris_ would understandably be even _more_ exhausted, what with the flurry of channeling _all day_ , first while performing a full Whitney Houston concert, and _then_ resurrecting her late cousin – not to mention the unexpected additional hectic activities associated with their whirlwind wedding on top of that!

Despite the fact that Iris had undergone the entire day with zero complaint, with her customary beatific smile on her lips, he certainly didn't want to wear her out on their first night together, as they had an entire _lifetime_ at their disposal to get to know one another on an intimate level. The newly evolved Larry was determined to let his bride know he'd be completely understanding if she opted for a rain-check, and that he would be quite content to bask in the simple delight of holding her sleeping form in his arms all night, should that be her choosing.

As he entered the bedroom, he found Iris with her back to him, standing in front of her hastily packed valise on the sofa, her head bowed and her shoulders drooped slightly.

"Iris?" He spoke her name quietly from the bathroom doorway, not wanting to startle her. "Is everything alright?"

His wife appeared to be so lost in thought that she didn't even hear him, not even seeming to notice his presence until he came up behind her and placed his hand on her arm, a feeling of unease coming over him as he heard her sniffle.

"Milady?" His concern mounted as he saw liquid pooling in her lovely eyes when she finally glimpsed at him. "What's the matter?"

Glancing down, he realized she was holding a framed photograph her hands. It was one of herself and Dahlia, arms wrapped around one another's shoulders, looking as though they were in their college years, with the redheaded Hawthorne sister twirling a lock of Iris's obsidian hair around her finger, the serene smile on her lips identical to her twin's.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, placing the picture back into her suitcase and turning around to face him. "I was hoping that I would've gathered my bearings by the time you had finished bathing, as it seemed to be a prime opportunity for me to collect my thoughts, and hopefully bid my old life adieu. It - It's something that I've done, each morning and night, ever since Dahlia Lilith passed away. But I didn't want you to see me like this."

Larry was too astonished at the first time hearing of his Satanic late sister-in-law's _aptly fitting_ middle name to even make the immediate required claim that since he was now her husband, his wife shouldn't feel a need to hide anything from him, ever again.

 _Lilith, the demonic succubus of the underworld in both the Torah and the Bible!_ He thought in disbelief. _Yet Morgan chose to bequeath her other daughter with the fairer and_ _ **heavenly**_ _middle name, Elizabeth, associated with monarchs and nobility?! Yeesh, right out of the gate, Dahlia didn't have a prayer! That demon spawn twin of my wife's was just_ _ **destined**_ _to be born with a pointy tail!_

"Whatever it is you need to do, I hope you know you don't have to keep it a secret, or ever fear any sort of judgement from me," he said at last, cupping her cheek in his hand as he attempted to make her smile. "Although hopefully at the very least, you can tell your husband why you have tears in your eyes _on your wedding night_ – which I can't even claim are those of _disappointment_ , since I _just_ got here!"

She twittered slightly at his attempted jesting, and smiled ruefully.

"This is the only picture I have of us together, which Dollie set up with that infamous camera of hers, where my sister appeared to be genuinely smiling. It was before the whole Melissa Foster court case. I've kept it on my nightstand ever since, and in the morning and before bed, I've always kneeled and said two prayers in front of it." Her soft voice quivered. "First, that somehow, someway, Dahlia's soul can find redemption. And second, that she never be allowed to be free until that happens."

The forlorn expression in her eyes felt like a stab to his own heart, and he wordlessly gathered her close, as if trying to absorb some of her pain.

"I've always felt like a stranger with my own face … because my sister and I _shared_ that face." Iris's voice was muffled against him. "It's taken me so long to get used to the fact that I bore the same visage as a _monster_. I've tried so hard in my life to be the furthest thing possible from my sister, and right all the wrongs that she did in her life, even though I made a bigger mess of things in the past while trying to do so."

She buried her head against his chest.

"Dahlia knew how much I had grown to love Feenie. And she used to mock me for it, saying I was a fool to love a man that didn't even know who I really was, because he didn't love _me_ – he loved _her_. His _Dollie_. She'd mercilessly taunt me, about how I could stand the fact that every time he said _I love you Dollie_ , it would be _her_ face he would always see, not _mine_. _Never mine."_

"Your sister was beyond cruel to say such things, Iris." Larry felt a tightness in his chest building at her obvious sorrow. "But Dahlia's gone now. She can't hurt you, or anyone else, anymore, or ever again. You need to put all those terrible past things she said to you out of your mind."

"It's so _hard_!" Iris choked. "How can I forget how she used to torment me that _no man_ would _ever_ see _my_ face whenever they looked at me, because _hers_ would be the only one that would remain in their memory, for better or worse."

She stared up at him with limpid eyes, still sparkling with tears.

"When I first realized I was falling in love with you, there were times when I wondered how _you_ could bear seeing this visage of mine, knowing I looked exactly like that _lusus_ _naturae_! Yet I still desperately wished and hoped and prayed that I could somehow make you forget the resemblance, even though few others ever did…"

Larry placed a finger against her lips to silence her anguish.

"Iris, I've told you this before, and I'll say it again and again, for the rest of my life, until you finally believe me. _All_ I have ever seen when I look at you is _you_. You and that big, benevolent heart of yours. _That's_ what I fell in love with. I don't look at this comely visage, and see the face of a demon. I see the face of an _angel_."

"You _really_ mean that, don't you?" She asked hopefully, a hesitant smile on her lips upon hearing his words of reassurance. "That when you look at this face, all you see is _me_?"

Her lustrous brown jewels shone brightly, reflecting the warmth of the softly lit room. They were such a unique color, a mix of light and dark hues. Those beloved doe eyes smiled constantly whenever they gazed at him. The perfectly applied bridal eye makeup rimmed those beauteous orbs, making them stand out so much more. They stared up at him now, so wide and trusting, so much emotion held inside their depths.

 _The size of those luminous orbs gives them a sense of innocence and purity. This is the part of her where you can see all the buried kindness eclipsed behind the saturated color of fine, exquisite mahogany. You can see the goodness in her eyes, which tells you that no matter what she does, their intention will never carry any hint of malevolence or malignity whatsoever. The kindness may not be necessarily be shown or exposed, but if you look closely, you can reveal all the mysteries hidden within. Everything from the surface of the stolen specks in sunlight, to the abyss in the abysmal depths of dusky, auburn. Those deep, mesmerizing beds…they're a big part of why I fell for her in the first place. Iris is so self-effacing that she could never understand neither the inner nor outer beauty she is made of, because she doesn't see herself as I do, as_ _ **anyone**_ _does. It's one of the millions of reasons I love her so much._

"Looking at you has been my favorite pastime from the moment I laid eyes upon you," Larry said solemnly, looking straight into her eyes. "Especially dear to me are those deep pools of dark-cinnamon swirls, which hold the depth and heaviness of one thousand untold stories. All the while, they simultaneously hold the sweetness of saccharine chocolate, mixed with the bitterness of strong coffee. They consist of so much raw emotion, and if you observe closely, they will reveal the exact thoughts that crosses the marvels of your mind, and mysteries I long to uncover. I also know that same mind beholds many tragic memories, which I plan to spend all my life replacing with happier ones, filled with love and laughter."

He gently wiped a stray droplet away from her cheek with his thumb.

"For the rest of my days, Iris, I will move heaven and earth to ensure that you never shed another sad tear in your life."

"Until you, I always felt like I was Rapunzel, locked away in lonely isolation at the temple." A loving smile was now on her lips, although the turbulent emotions remained in her eyes. "I still thank God every day that you managed to love me, even when there was a time I didn't think I would ever love _myself,_ because I didn't think there was anything worth loving."

"It didn't help that you also had the evil Dragon Lady reinforcing those self-doubts, which your _wretched twin_ had already placed in your mind, while seizing every opportunity to diminish your self-worth, to boot!"

Larry's tone was savage as he drew her back against him, wishing he could undo her tragic past, while mentally subjecting both Dahlia Hawthorne and Mildred Latrine to an eternity in the flaming pits of Abaddon for the damage they had caused the woman he loved.

"But _you_ get the last laugh, because you've proven _both_ those hellions wrong haven't you, Iris?" He reminded her encouragingly. "You _are_ more than just pretty face. Not only have you demonstrated being as spiritually gifted as the rest of your family, you've gone a long way with atoning for the harm your sister caused them. First, you helped out Nick. Right after that, you halted Maya's wedding by initially channeling Whitney, and _then_ Mia! So to hell with every person who has ever put you down! You've shown the fallacies of their hateful venom, in more ways than one!"

She treated him to a modest smile, and tentatively nodded her agreement, then swallowed hard.

"Larry," Iris said softly, her eyes shining with adoration even though her voice was threaded with tears. "When Mildred asked about my accomplishments in life, I wish I had known how you felt about me back then. Even now, as you list my virtues and talents, you've forgotten to mention the most important achievement of all. And it's – it's so splendid that it compensates for my lack of all the others."

Larry smiled lovingly at her, although bewildered by the emotion that still clogged her voice. "What splendid accomplishment is that, milady?"

Her shoulders hunched forward and began to shake. "I made you _love_ me," she whispered tearily. "Somehow, some way, I actually _made you **love me**_."

A fresh surge of tenderness swept through him at her sweetness and her candor, and he wrapped his arms tightly, protectively around her, smiling with joyous contentment. He had realized within minutes of meeting her that she was rare; he had known within hours that she was everything he'd ever wanted. Passionate and gentle, intelligent, sensitive, and witty. He loved all of her qualities, but he hadn't discovered the one he particularly admired until much later, and that was her courage. He was so proud of the courage that had enabled her to repeatedly confront adversity and adversaries - even when the adversary was her own demons.

There were no words in the world that could be of any comparative worth to such a poignant avowal, or express the profound pride evoked within him. So Larry focused instead on putting all the ardor he had within him into the fiercely passionate kiss he gave his wife in that next instant.

All the love that had been accumulating through the lonely years of her life was in that kiss, and all her past miseries were vanquished thereafter as she succumbed to the sweetness of his embrace; Larry felt it in the soft lips parting willingly for his searching tongue, the delicate hands sliding through the hair at his nape. With unselfish ardor she offered it all to him, and he took it hungrily, feeling it moving from her to him, then flowing through his veins and mingling with his until the shared blissfulness of it was shattering.

Drawing back to catch his breath, and cradling her face in his hands, Larry had a chance to finally grasp what she was wearing, and his breath caught in his throat. His bride was clad in a low-cut dressing gown made entirely of white lace, as fragile as a spider's web, with shadowy glimpses of skin offered up to his view, from the tops of her breasts, all the way down to her ankles. She was the haunting temptress of every male's dreams … ethereal, inviting, not quite naked, but not quite covered. A siren. An angel.

Iris saw the banked fires candle in his golden orbs as they drifted over her, and although she was not entirely chaste in reality, it had nevertheless been over a decade since she had been alone with a man, and she stood there feeling awkward and helplessly aware of her lack of carnal knowledge.

She lifted her hands to her hair, still in its pinned updo, her cheeks turning rosy.

"I should take my hair down, shouldn't I?"

Larry watched her breasts threaten to spill over the low, square-cut bodice of the lace gown, touched but confused by her modesty, and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'll do it," he said gently, already reaching for the first pin.

She backed up a half step. "No really, if you prefer that I do it, I will."

"Iris, what's wrong?" He tugged her back into his arms. "What's bothering you?"

"I feel as unschooled as a virgin," she whispered helplessly. "I'd like to know how to please you." He looked as though he were struggling to keep a straight face and her cheeks further reddened as her voice turned imploring. "Oh please, don't laugh! Don't…"

Larry stared down at the temptress in his arms and very reverently whispered, "Good God."

She was serious. She was glorious, and sensual, and sweet and courageous. And she was _very_ serious. So much so that he had distinct feeling that a wrong answer or reaction could hurt her beyond belief.

"I wasn't laughing, milady." He took her hand and led her to the bed, sitting down and dragging her down onto his lap. "I think perhaps the time has come to put your mind at rest, as I feel I might know the root of this underlying angst of yours."

"I know you said a lot of those stories Mildred mentioned tonight from your past were grossly exaggerated, yet I can't help but feel inadequate nonetheless!" She admitted miserably. "How many women have you known, Larry? Just tell me now! 30? 40?"

* * *

 _ **Flashback to earlier that evening at reception...**_

 _ **Larry Butz, Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_ _  
_June 16, 2026

"Jesse has already recorded our well-wishes, but Edgeworth and I decided to give our old buddy some additional marital advice off the record, just amongst us men," Phoenix began without preamble, his words slurring slightly. "Tonight is your wedding night, and you know, Larry, as I recall from our slumber parties, you're very _restless in bed_. Therefore, it's important that you pay attention not to get _tangled up in the sheets_ and fall out of bed at the most _crucial_ time, if you _catch my drift_!"

Larry was so taken aback from such uncharacteristic locker-room style speaking from the ex-attorney that he could only gape at him in astonishment.

Phoenix arched a derisive brow. "Also, be careful in the dark, lest you _confuse the place_ where certain things are to be…placed…"

Larry let out a plaintive wail.

"Nick, _dude_! Why you trying to mess with my game when I'm already nervous?! If you continue to keep talking like this, I won't be able to consummate my marriage!"

"Don't worry about that, Larry," Edgeworth deadpanned as he lifted a slightly shaky hand in a mock toast, with what was obviously not his first drink of the night. "I'm sure that wasn't Wright's intention. Allow _me_ to reassure you, in the unlikely event that happens to be the case…"

Larry looked hopefully at the prosecutor.

"It most definitely won't be _Wright's_ fault!" The attorney smiled wryly. "For it shall be _me_ who _may_ decide make the ill-timed phone call at the very moment _the main event_ is going to take place!"

" _Ack_!" Larry's eyes flooded with his customary tears, this time of terror. "Is _this_ why you did a complete turnabout and decided to help us get married, Edgy?! Just for the purpose of finally getting _revenge_ for the _one_ time _I_ called _you_ at dawn?!"

Edgeworth merely smirked in response but denied nothing.

" _Wah_!" Larry's chin trembled. "Edgy, _have a heart_! Think of my poor Iris, you big _meanie_!"

"The constant loud, _c-blocking_ hotel room phone ringing off the hook would definitely be more of a libido lowerer than any performance anxiety _I_ may have just given the groom," Phoenix noted with a shit-eating grin. "Ugh, that would be terrible! It would ruin the mood for _anyone_ , heh, heh."

"You guys are a couple of _bastards_!" The groom whined, stamping his foot. "To actually want to sabotage our first time…"

"Say _what_?!" Phoenix looked startled, then let out a bark of laughter. "Did we hear him right, Edgeworth?! Or did our former womanizing pal just say _our first time_?"

"Indeed," Edgeworth drawled. "It seems it's not always _the last will be the first in_ every case! Am I wrong, or is there more _rolls than footage_ in your "extensive experience" with women, Larry?"

"NO!" Larry cried. "I'm not a _virgin_! I meant ... I meant to be together for the first time ...for _Iris and me_! Because I've _respected_ her so far! You know, unlike the others…"

"Hmmm, I'm beginning to have my doubts," Phoenix said skeptically. "Could it _be_ that our friend the man-whore has not _broken the cellophane_ yet and is possibly still in his _original_ packaging?"

"Maybe you should whip out that mystical gemstone of yours and see if there's any _visible_ _psycho locks_ , Wright!" Edgeworth flashed a wicked grin. "Judging by the trembling of this witness's voice in this testimony, he's lying about _something_! Is this actually a case of the groom being the last of us to _break said cellophane paper_ , as you said? At the very least, it seems he's not divulging the whole truth about his alleged countless female conquests…"

"We are _so_ not having this conversation!" Larry began backing away from the mischievous twosome before breaking into a full sprint, away from the snickering men. "You two are just the _worst_! I'm _outta here_!"

 ** _End Flashback_**

* * *

Larry let out a loud shout of laughter at the outrageous question, not even trying to contain it this time. Catching sight of her flummoxed and adorably indignant expression, however, effectively sobered him immediately.

" _30? 40_?" He wiped away the tears of mirth from his eyes. "Milady, how you flatter me in your belief I could be capable of such conquests! Try dropping the _0_ from these numbers, and with it, all further mentions of my past roguish ways from your mind this moment onward, I _beg_ of you!"

" _Single_ digits of lovers is what you're claiming then?!" Her eyes widened with confused skepticism. "So the rumors of you being a nefarious skirt-chaser…they're _all_ false then?"

"Oh I was definitely a _chaser_ ," he affirmed, the smothered guffaw in his tone evident once more. "I just wasn't very good at _catching_ these shallow model types! And the few that I did manage to _wear down_ never wanted nothing more than a short-term rental. None of these women were looking to me for the love of a lifetime, which was what I was truly craving, but also something I never found, until _you_. _You_ , Iris, have made me finally realize why it never worked out with anybody else."

As Larry spoke, he carefully pulled out the countless bobby pins which held her long ebony hair in its elaborate coiffure, his gaze unmistakably admiring as it fell in a silken gleam around her shoulders, like the sea at night, against her ivory skin.

"It doesn't matter what little I had _before_ you, wife of mine," he promised, smiling into her relieved face. "Because _you_ have everything I will _ever_ want, for the rest of my life."

He sealed this vow with a kiss.

His lips felt so gentle so warm, she felt her hands begin to slide up his chest and encircle his neck, as the kiss began to grow heavy. Larry's hand slid off her face and tightened around her waist. Iris continued kissing him hungrily, wanting more. She felt herself being pushed backward towards the mattress, his body pressing against hers. Their lips moved in perfect sync as the kiss went on, becoming more passionate by the second. For the first time in forever, Iris's mind was locked into the present, and her all her past worries evaporated like a summer shower onto a hot car.

Larry's usual mode of hurrying from one thing to the next was suspended, as he had no wish for the kiss to end. Drunk on endorphins, his only desire was to touch her, to move his hands under her smooth wispy layers and feel her perfect softness. In moments, the soft caress had become more firm, and as he savored her lips, the quickening of her breath soon matched his own. A kiss like this was a beginning, a promise of much more to come.

Iris drew an uneven breath and waited as his fingers trailed down to the frog-closure of her bodice, and he waited for her to decide whether she wished to open it or wanted him to do it for her. To his infinite delight, she solved the problem by sliding both her hands around his neck and pressing her barely covered breasts to his bare chest. She wanted him to open it, he realized, but didn't want to ask. He had the complicated closing opened in seconds, and as he leaned her back on the bed, Larry felt in charge again, in territory where his experience with the opposite sex, however exaggerated, was of value to them both.

He shifted her back down onto the bed so that her head was on the pillows and he stretched out beside her. She turned in his arms and touched for tongue to his nipple, tightening her lips around it, and she felt his fingers sinking slowly into her hair as he gave her free use of his body, knowing he was going to die before this was over. He had moved her to the bed because it was more comfortable and gave him freer access to the rest of her. He'd not expected her to do what she was doing to him. Desire was exploding through his body and he swallowed, clutching her more tightly as she brushed her fingers up and down his chest and kissed it, while with her other hand, her fingers trailed over his bared torso.

Unable to endure anymore, he rolled her onto her back, unfastened the rest of her bodice and pushed the lace aside with his fingers, then closed his eyes and drew a steadying breath. The negligée had no fastenings underneath, and the whole thing was open. He didn't know how he'd failed to notice that. He didn't know why he hadn't expected it, except that he knew it had been a gift from Maya.

All the times Larry had been around Iris, working alongside one another from dusk till dawn, she'd always been wearing her shapeless shrine maiden garments and he'd thought he'd seen more of her than he'd ever hoped to see. But even the cumbersome wedding gown, while slightly more figure-flattering, which she'd donned earlier, had given him no indication whatsoever as to what lay beneath.

Consequently, up until now, the groom had never been privy to the fact that his wife had perfectly shaped, toned legs and graceful hips, and a tiny waist and gorgeous breasts. His genteel intentions to postpone marital consummation until the following morning had gone out the window, but his newfound plan for a leisurely night of lovemaking took another battering as his body surged with alarming urgency.

Iris swallowed, watching him leaning up on his elbow while he studied her, then closing his eyes, and her heart sank. Feeling it was better to know about her imperfections so she could either disguise them or hide them, she asked unsteadily, "what's wrong with me?"

"What's _wrong_ with you?" He tore his eyes away from the flawless beauty of her, his voice hoarse as he slid a hand around her waist and pulled her closer. "What's wrong with you is that you have a beautiful body, Iris. It's meant to be worshiped and enjoyed. I need to remind myself to hold back, because _I'd_ never want to disappoint _you_ , even though the mere sight of you is driving me to near madness, because you are perfect and exquisite and I want you so damn much."

She had never been seduced by words before, had never known their sweet wanton power. The words were as seductive as the kiss that followed it… Along with his hastily discarded towel as it hit the floor.

He leaned down to capture her lips with his own, his tongue penetrating her moistness; his mouth sucked her tongue into his. He kissed her until she was achy, breathless and clinging to him.

Their lips parted and clasped onto one another once again with more pressure. Larry's hands roamed over every inch of her bare skin. Their kiss grew greedier, her mouth locking tighter. The heat flowing throughout her body began to grow as she felt his hand slide down to cup one full breast in his hand, feeling her quickened heartbeat at the unfamiliar sensation of his touch. Reluctantly, Iris removed her lips from Larry's, leaning frailly back against the pillows so she could catch her breath. Her eyes leisurely began to open, eyelids relaxed as she slowly sucked in a quaking breath and stared up into his tender gaze.

Drawing him down to her, she rested her forehead upon his, and her hand slipped back onto his bare skinned chest while she breathed into his ear. "I love you."

Larry's slow breath emanated the same words. Their lips captured once more before letting go.

She arched against him, reaching for him. "I want to touch you."

He moved slightly to grant her access, and her hands eased down his lean, toned physique, over his flat belly, and then trailed even lower, adoring him with her touch. He jolted. She felt his breath stop, and something deep inside her bloomed, making her caresses even bolder.

It took a while for him to find himself again.

"I want all of you tonight, Larry." Iris emitted, in voice she nearly didn't recognize as her own. "Everything you've got to give me."

His heart went wild as he drew her closer and up against him. "As you wish."

The splendor of her femininity lay bare beneath him, the sweet scent of her filling his head as he positioning himself over his wife. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the palm, then it carried downward, acquainting her with the dimension, the power and strength, of his desire for her, before joining them together at last.

Iris rocked beneath him, sensing his reticence. Even in the midst of his need, she felt the tenderness in his restraint, and it brought tears to her eyes. But the sensation of his fullness was like a hot wire against her nerve ends. He would give her what she needed. She was sure of it. The certainty gave her the freedom to take.

" _Iris_ ," he muttered hoarsely. She kissed him, an open-mouthed invitation that he took. Every movement was pulling at her, dragging her closer. Every shift gave a breathtaking hint of mindless rapture that seemed to grow with each second. She shuddered and clutched his shoulders for strength, losing herself with each thrust of his tongue against hers. They stroked each other to a primal beat. Gently. Thoughtfully. Thoroughly. With each impelling movement of their bodies in perfectly blended, harmonious rhythm.

The air around them crackled as their storm of passion threatened to bring them down.

After several moments, she lifted her mouth from his and made the most exquisite sounds he'd ever heard. He felt her quivering beneath him, and he knew he wouldn't be far behind. Her breath was choppy; her flushed breasts rose and fell with each shallow pant. "You don't have to wait on me, darling."

He looked surprised, then smiled tenderly. "Yes I do."

"No, really. You don't have to do that for me."

"I'm not," he said hoarsely. "I'm doing it for _me_."

Iris gave a joyful little gasp when he slid his splayed hands beneath her hips. He rubbed his face against her bosom, once, twice, letting her feel his cheeks, chin, nose, and lips against them. She slid her fingers through his hair, needing something to hold on to. She felt his intimate caresses on her flesh within in her blood, his need in her heart.

He mastered her mouth and her body, murmuring words lovingly in her ear the whole time, until she was nearly weeping as she reached the pinnacle of pleasure, which flooded over her like a tidal wave, a solid wall of incredible gratification that took her past the point of return. Ripples of ecstasy flooded through her, changing her, making her indelibly his at last.

Distantly, Larry heard her cries, and they touched him as nothing ever had. He moved onto his side, taking Iris with him, still a part of her. He felt the first rush and jerked. His blood roared through his veins like wildfire, burning and stinging. He buried his face in her shoulder and muffled his shout. Then, surrendering to the longest, hottest release of his life, he joined his wife in a world where he'd never been.

* * *

Sometime later, his bride's hair spilling over his naked chest like a rumpled satin waterfall, Larry lifted a trembling hand to smooth it off her face, feeling humbled and blessed by her sweetness and unselfish ardor as he stared at the sleeping beauty in his arms, his heart so filled with love he thought it would surely burst.

Several minutes later, Iris stirred in his arms, and he tipped her chin up so that he could gaze into her eyes. "Have I ever told you, my magnificent wife, that you take my breath away?"

She started to shake her head, then suddenly remembered that he'd told her she was a woman of breathtaking beauty once before, on Valentine's Day, when she'd told him that _he_ was the beautiful one. It had also been the very day she'd realized how seemingly hopelessly in love with him she'd fallen, and the recollection brought nostalgic tears to her eyes.

"Yes, I do recall you saying that to me." She brushed her fingers over his smooth shoulder, because she couldn't seem to stop touching him. "You told me that when we were together –"

"At my secluded paradise area by the lake, when I made you paint," he finished for her, recalling the occasion as well. In reply she had chided him for acting so ungentlemanly to her obviously heartfelt compliment, Larry remembered, regretting all the time they had lost since then…the days and nights she could have been in his arms as she was now.

"Do you know how I spent the rest of the afternoon after you we parted ways?" he asked softly. When she shook her head, he smiled wryly. "I spent it pleasurably wishing for a night like tonight. At the time, of course, I never could have imagined, in my wildest dreams or fantasies, it would _ever_ happen!"

He paused to draw the sheet up over her back so she wouldn't be chilled, then he continued in the same quiet voice.

"I wanted you so badly that day that I actually _ached_ as I remembered the radiance of your smile when you said I was beautiful, and the warmth of your skin when I put my hand over yours, as I helped you paint the sunset on the canvas of your masterpiece. Although," he added dryly, "my _heart_ throbbing for you, brought on from seven years of loving you prior, hadn't been joined by such _physical_ longing until then! It became my normal state these last six months, when I'd see the ethereal woman of my dreams every day, all the while thinking she belonged to my best friend, so I'd gotten quite accustomed to it!"

"Oh Larry!" She groaned despairingly, fully prepared to lament all the time they'd lost, but he silenced her with a kiss.

"In fact, I can't help but now wonder if I'll _miss_ it!" He added teasingly when she eyed him blankly.

"What do you mean?" Iris asked, realizing that he was perfectly serious despite his light tone.

"The agony of unfulfilled desire," he explained, brushing a kiss on her forehead, "brought on by wanting you."

" _Wanting_ me?" She burst out, rearing up so abruptly that she nearly overturned him as she leaned up on an elbow, absently clutching the sheet to her chest. "I mean, as in _desiring_ me? To do, um, what we just did?"

"I'd like to think of what we just did as making love. After all, it _is_ the 21st century!" He lightly tapped her nose. "I'd hope it'd no longer be deemed to be an act of merely performing one's _marital duty."_

"It most definitely was no _binding chore_ ," she acknowledged shyly, although still astonished that any man could have _ever_ desired her to a point where it literally caused him physical pain. "So, now that your daydreams have, er, become a reality, was it … everything you'd hoped it could be?"

Her swan-like modest need to ask such a question was the most adorable thing in the world. Larry barely resisted the urge to pinch himself to prove she was real.

"You have _no_ idea, milady, just how much you've surpassed every possible fantasy I could have ever envisioned." His lips quirked in a half smile. "More than words could ever say."

A rosy blush stained her fair cheeks, and despite her effort to sound severe, her eyes were lit with laughter. "Yet on Valentine's Day, I asked if there was something you'd ever wanted very badly, and you said _no_ …"

"I _totally_ lied!" He told her cheerfully, laughing as she playfully swatted him in the arm. "But I _also_ recall, I posed the same question back at _you_ , and _you_ gave me an _equally glib response_!"

"I guess we're _both_ a couple of liars, who were simply _made_ for each other then?" She asked sheepishly. "I mean, it's pretty obvious, _now_ what we _both_ wanted back _then_ , but wouldn't have dared utter aloud!"

"You mean my everlasting love and desire for you? Which, by the way, I rejoice in knowing was not wholly one-sided," he agreed, tenderly brushing his knuckles over her flushed cheek.

"If I had known all this," she said with a rueful smile, "I'm certain I would have asked for additional concessions when I accepted your marriage proposal."

That startled him – the thought that she would have tried to drive a harder bargain if she'd realized exactly how much and what sort of power she really held.

"What kind of additional concessions?" He asked warily.

She put her cheek against his shoulder, her arms curving around him. "A shorter betrothal," she whispered. "A shorter courtship, and a shorter ceremony."

Considering they had been engaged and then married within _barely more than an hour_ , this declaration sent a sharp jolt through him, as he realized _exactly_ what was being implied, and _what_ she wished had transpired sooner between them, subsequently.

"I had no idea I had married such a wanton," Larry chuckled as he traced his finger along the elegant curve of her jaw. "Now, I insist you get some sleep, milady. We've had an incredibly long day and an even longer night, and we still have to be up early tomorrow to sign the marriage license at Edgy's office, immediately followed by a long plane ride to Italy! However, all of my gentlemanly restraint and concern for your rest is going to be thrown out the window if you _insist_ on continuing to view me the way you are right now."

"In what way would _that_ be?" Iris coquettishly fluttered her long eyelashes at him, but the coy smile that accompanied it revealed much more than she could ever hope to conceal. "Are you trying to insinuate this bed was going to be put to another use… _again_?"

"I wasn't insinuating, I was flat-out _saying_ it!"

Obediently, she closed her eyes and snuggled in his arms. Her fingertips lifted up to lightly brush the hair from his temple; a few minutes later, they slipped down his shoulder to his chest. Larry felt his body's instant response, and tried to control the amounting passion which Iris was inadvertently igniting with her sleepy caresses. When her hand drifted down the planes of his stomach, he caught it and held it firmly in his own to prevent its further dissent. He thought he heard her smothered giggle as she turned in apparent sleep and her lips touched his ear.

Leaning back, he gazed suspiciously into her face. She was wide awake, her eyes aglow with love.

In one quick, smooth motion, Larry rolled Iris over onto her back and pressed her into the pillows, his body half covering hers.

"Forgive me, husband of mine, but I'm not in the least bit sleepy," his wife declared, looking like an innocent goddess with her softly tousled hair spilling over her shoulders despite the naughty sparkle in her orbs. "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep, because reality is finally better than your dreams."

"You're absolutely _certain_ you don't want to sleep?" Larry brushed his fingertips over her cheek, marveling at her vivid beauty, even though there was a knowing glint in his eye. "Then what _would_ you like to do, milady?"

In answer, Iris blinked innocently at him and blushed, then quickly hid her overheated face against his shoulder.

"I _suppose_ we could do _that_ , even if this means sleep will be non-existent for either of us tonight, and Edgy undoubtedly will notice that our eyes will be _barely opened slits_ as we sign the paperwork!" He was laughing as he shifted her on top of him and wrapped his arms around her. "Although don't say I didn't _warn_ you!"

"Don't worry, darling." Her blush had vanished entirely as she treated him to her most vixenish grin. "I won't."

Something stirred in him at the transformation of this _shrinking violet_ turned _seductress nymph_ , who somehow, miraculously, fate had determined would be _his,_ for the rest of his life.

Iris Elizabeth Hawthorne, now Butz. His _wife_. She was everything he'd ever dreamed she could be and more.

Once again, he was overwhelmed by just how lucky a man he truly was.

The amusement fled from Larry's face and with a groan he pulled her roughly against his chest, crushing her to him. "My beautiful Iris," he whispered hoarsely, burying his face in her fragrant hair. "I love you."

Iris melted against him, molding her curves to the rigid contours of his body, offering her lips down to his in a fierce, devouring kiss, then she took his face between both her hands. Leaning back slightly, her melting chocolate eyes gazing deeply into his amber ones, his wife replied in a shaky voice, "I think, Lawrence Butz, I love you more."

 _ **Celine Dion - Because You Loved Me**_

* * *

 _AN: Thanks to great readers, FF writers and friends,_ _ **Napoleon32**_ _for the Iris/Dahlia head canon and **Ilet Moratar** for her hilarious __**Wrightworth**_ _ball-busting of the Butz!_

 _I hope you enjoyed Larris's final send off. Next chapter we find out what shenanigans Maya has in store with that video camera, and then off to Miles Edgeworth land! Despite his surly disposition I'm sure for certain readers this will still be one of the happiest places on earth! XD_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 162**

 **DannyDragon**

 _Buenas tardes mi amiga musica!_

I very much like to picture the elder Fey sibling as being the guardian angel of everybody that she either loved or loved by proxy because of how good they are to people she loves in the case of Miles and Luke. Even though Luke is a gentlemen I'm sure he was pretty awestruck to be in the presence of such a _mama cita!_

I had a lot of fun with Phoenix and Miles these last few chapters in attempting to show their bonding, even though Edgeworth was drunk but hopefully hilarious! I honestly do think Phoenix would not only give his best friend his blessings to be of his ex, Maya or no Maya, but I like to show his selfless nature as much as possible, despite him being a flawed character, especially during Apollo Justice. I hope you enjoyed him giving the bride away as well! :-)

 **Chapter 163**

 ***REVIEW OF THE WEEK***

 **Jove's Boy**

 _Whoa, whoa, whoa!_ Hold the phone! Are you seriously telling me that fanfics exist where a guy who is a try to jump a girl's bones is written as being supposedly homosexual instead of just a gentleman?! How unbelievably presumptuous and arrogant in life OR art... I'd never be that way! My partner was very well behaved during our courtship, and it is one of the things that I can brag about because I was treated like a _lady_ , _not a tramp!_ That being said, if a man had ever turned down my advances prior to me getting hitched, I would never assume it was because he was gay, I would just assumed maybe he didn't have a thing for an occasionally bawdy girl with a semi-warped sense of humor! Who also, due to her geekdom, would admittedly leave him for a hunky fictional videogame defense attorney if he were an actual real person, at the drop of a hat! XD

Cheers to you my friend! To the Luke Tritons and Jove's Boys of the world who were raised to be gentleman and are more than just about The Sex! I salute you!

The Gumshoes are where I wish all the rest of the AA characters could be, because in my mind, they are long since together and happily married! I could totally see them being counselors whenever a couple is in a crisis, and giving out amusing marital advice. But…you are correct; I think they would be appropriate enough to not mention such tidbits like " _keep the fights clean, and the sex dirty"_ in front of their young son!

I am a completely heterosexual female and I don't know if _I_ could resist Mia Fey's charms, so I think _Kryce_ , one-man band or not (hilarious imagery by the way!) would still cave into pretty much anything she asked as well! :p

I hate Star Wars although my other half makes me endure his constant references to it and Star Trek… What did you think of another reader's suggestion that Mia is more Obi-Wan than Yoda, even though she insists her fine wine aged self is _not_ the answer to all questions… just _dead!_ And for the record, if Miles had continued playing hard to get she would've remorselessly used that _dead woman_ trump card _no problem!_ Remember _this_ is the woman who taught Phoenix _everything_ he knows!

I am probably going to need to read some more Athena stories or talk to other fanfiction writers who have written her more than I have in the past to make sure I do Widget some _Justice!_ The picture you painted about Athena breaking in and using nifty little device to pinpoint Phoenix's mood change for Maya to ascertain was _sidesplitting_! Hee!

I'd like to think that Miego was a fair parallel to draw to the equally beautiful couple that is Phaya, who although are slightly more dorky than _their_ sexy selves were! Nick and Maya do need to learn from others' mistakes so they don't have an equally tragic ending, but in the end I do believe that these two are soul mates just like the former.

I'd like to think Mia would never practice what she doesn't preach, and she did distract herself from losing the love of her life by channeling all the energy into hard work to take down her enemy… It was a constructive and excellent distraction in times of strife, like Miles is going through although we all know he's not going to forget Franny in the meantime or stop looking for her but hopefully he'll be too busy trying to help Phoenix and change the legal system to be attempting to drink himself into a stupor again!

We're rapidly approaching the timeline of Turnabout Succession, Turnabout Serenade, and the Dark Age of the Law indeed… It's interesting how you mentioned that Manfred von Karma was a major player in setting up those events… But if he ever finished playing Miles one into a lot of fans seems to think there was a couple of _other_ characters who may have contributed to things equally if not worse than Nosferatu himself… let me know what you think!

I can't wait to see how you work in parts of the _Turnabout Everlasting_ into _Gordy Gumshoe Goodness!_

 **Guest**

 _"EXTRA, EXTRA! DISNEY COUPLE "FEYT" REUNITES AFTER DIVINE INTERVENTION! READ ALL ABOUT IT!"_

Yup, the legal legend had a lot of work cut out for her – like fixing the hands of Feyt without giving Luke away! A tough feat but Mia the Mirific still managed!

I think the Almighty was going to give Mia the special privilege until she could make like The Lone Ranger and say "my work here is done." :p

Maya is an ageless beauty and no doubt had she lived Mia would be a forever young and gorgeous as Nick is (still not a grey hair in sight, which only fuels my Wolverine theory!) so they'd look the same age for some time! :)

History repeating itself? I had a reader inquire if Maya's proving herself included karaoke…but there's no such machine in sight at this swanky soirée! ;)

I am so glad you enjoyed Miles and Mia's dance! If there were two characters I wish had had more screen time, it's those two! She would have been Miles's ultimate challenge in court and they could have been great friends, once she got over him calling her a _bimbo_! (Bratworth was such a jerk!)

Iris's vixen side, from over a decade of repressed nun life has sprung up indeed. She's very pretty… and I think she could be quite the kitten her cousin was with the right man!

Do you write for AA fandom too? I am happy to help in any way I can, and wish I could read your stuff and say such lovely, motivating things back to you, dear reader. We are our own worst critic, and am sure your inadequacies are simply just that! Keep smiling, keep writing, and as always thanks for reading!

 **JaDe In NighT**

 _"Karaokee_!?"

Hehe. Always straight and to the point with you eh? We shall find out why Maya grabbed that microphone next chapter! :-)

 **thepudz**

Hugs and squishes all around to the whole AA cast – from the adorable s'mores duo to the dismal prosecutor!

I've never seen a strong person with an easy past. Miles is no exception. I love Mia and Miles so much I want them to as big a part of Nick's comeback and clearing his name as possible. I am delighted to make AJ game improved in any way I can! Heck it's what made me Wright this whole fanfic! :)

 **Yanmegaman**

The only thing better than Mia charging for love advice would be if the brunette bombshell had actually opened up the kissing booth! Phoenix would've been set for life if she had given him the proceeds from that!

We will find up exactly why Jesse's camcorder was requested by Maya next chapter! ;)

 **Brock's Geodude**

Thank you very much for your words of kind encouragement. I realized this is a lengthy story and a makes me very happy to know that subjective writing style notwithstanding, you still enjoy my work enough to be loyal reader. Much appreciated.

 **Ilet Moratar**

Ace Attorney is full of many unjust deaths but Mia's (I know it's always bittersweet whenever I have her visit) definitely takes the cake for me as she is in my top five favorite characters. I figure there's enough canon tragedy in the Ace Attorney universe which is why I generally am not known to kill off characters in my stories. Also, I realize most of my story has been angst till now but ultimately, everybody knows life sucks so why not make people happy with some fluffy romance which is what this chapter was full of? :-)

I absolutely will enter the Dual Destinies era and will see if I'm going to bother including any elements of Spirit of Justice since it does undo most of my story for the most part! Miles will definitely not forget Franziska nor was Mia even thinking he could however to be idle is the worst thing in the world especially when suffering heart ache she was simply offering him a prime opportunity to use that genius logical brain of his to distract himself which he will definitely be doing and I'm very excited about the storyline that I have planned for him! I hope you are too! I refuse to give away any further spoilers regarding Fredgeworth – even to you, _mi hermana dulce! ;p_

Maya _rape_ Nick? LMAO. While he's upset with her right now, he still loves her…and what hot blooded male wouldn't have his (mango) juices stirred by those naught things she just uttered in her frustration that she wants him to do to her? So can one rape…the _willing_? _That_ is the question!

 **napoleon32**

Maya is predictable in that she is generally unpredictable; I think it's one of the things I find most charming about her! While she is very beautiful, (and in my head canon of these two as a couple very sexy!) Her somewhat inappropriate exclamation near the end of the chapter about her wish list of what she would like Phoenix is due to her was said more in exasperation than an attempt at eroticism! It was a blink and you'll miss it line, but I am glad somebody caught it! XD

Although the spirit medium is my favorite heroine in the history of video games, I try very hard to show that she also is flawed, and she _always_ speaks and acts before she thinks, therefore mama bear Mia had to give her a little talking to, but it was all for the greater good!

Mia never intended to make Miles forget the love of his life (you're right he absolutely won't!) but she was just letting him know where he is desperately needed as a means to distract him with something constructive to focus on in the meantime, because obviously when he's idle, he does very bad things like attempt to drink himself blind! Can you imagine if she hadn't cut him off?

 _"My sweet little smores kissed and made up. The separation will be tough, but they'll be alright."_

This was just too adorable not to quote directly! I'm happy you enjoyed the Luke and Pearl's reunion… He thinks he's not going to see her again until Christmas but Feyt can be a funny thing… ;)

Larry get "lucky?" hee! I have not heard that phrase in ages but forget lucky after the wedding night he had he probably thinks he won the jackpot, and the sky is full of rainbows! Iris has not had a lover since Phoenix so that's over a decade of pent-up passion that got unleashed on the poor guy!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Maya is a hot _fox and a_ _half_! In my opinion while the legendary Fey twins might make Mia more of a sexpot, I think her beauty is equal and possibly even rivals relate older sister's at this point but of course that this could be my girl crush on Maya Fey talking which knows it zero bounds! We will find out whether or not Phaya has " _blown it"_ yet again next chapter! ;)

I want to try to put in the nonromantic bonding is much as possible in this story and equally tied to writing Phoenix and Miles is brotherly bond is definitely the Fey sisters. It's funny that you mentioned Mia's untimely demise as well, as another reader said the exact same thing in her review for this chapter. Great minds think alike and I think anyone who reads my story is pretty great indeed! :D

Mia is family so she's the best one to rake Maya over the coals for her unthinking words as Nick is still too much of a mensch, even in AJ era, to tell off the woman he loves and would rather suffer in silence.

Words can indeed hurt a lot…if you care what that person thinks, as is the case with Nick and Maya.

On a side note, at this point in my life, perhaps writing FF has given me such a thick skin that I often wonder if _desensitized_ is the case with me or I'm just a sociopath because not much anyone can say to me or about me fazes me anymore? XD

I never wanted to paint my girl Maya in a irredeemably bad light – while she done goofed, she's arguably suffered more than anyone in the AA world even without this story, and in light of all the poison/dragons/ tragedy around her, it's amazing she's not a serial killer and still has a heart at all!

Passion in new love always starts out as fireworks like the fourth of July, but if you're lucky, it will then turn into an everlasting love which feels more like… Thanksgiving. :p

I cannot think of any other incident except maybe another birthday party where I can get Miles that drunk and hilariously indignant again! Can you imagine the demon prosecutor wrath for little Pearl would've faced?! Gah!

Very well put that love _is_ a choice and the secret to keep the eternal is to keep choosing that same person over and over again, as lasting marriages remain so when it's all about falling in love repeatedly with that same person. However, a wedding video was NOT the place for Miles to make such a flippant observation, however accurate it was, to a newlywed couple as a message, hence him getting a kitten heel to the foot with a death threat to match!

When I think of unlikely duo's that would have some crazy steam together, I think that Lang and Franziska, and Miles in Mia at the very least would have some crazy chemistry even if it wasn't long-term! I never intended my readers to think I was trying to ship Mia with anybody (because she still belongs to Diego/Godot in my mind), but given the difference in their personalities and the fact that there were both legal geniuses who are also incredibly great-looking, I had a lot of fun writing Miles and Mia together! You are not the only one to entertain amusing thoughts about the two doing a different type of dance had things been different!

Your comment about Miles and Phoenix feeling like they were hit by a sledgehammer has inspired me to have some fun with that when we see these two best friends together again!

Magshoe exemplifies happily wedded bliss, so I had to throw that scene in there and I'm very happy you liked Luke and Pearl's reunion! Luke is officially my teenage dream BF – where was his gentleman self when _I_ was in high school?

It's interesting how you mentioned Maya bursting into song… My readers all seem to be of similar thought this chapter as another reader did mention about history repeating itself with Maya rapping on that microphone the way Phoenix did with her all those years ago! We shall find out next chapter! :p

 **Feraligreater328**

I'll never forget how hard I laughed when they had that tiny nun stand on a milk crate in order to testify in court! Plus that laugh of hers… I love Sister Bikini, and I can imagine as Iris was her only companion up at Hazakura Temple for so long she would be very emotional thing goodbye to her daughter in her wedding message, even though after their honeymoon I do plan on having the lovebirds continue residing up there in the mountains! We can't leave that sweet little thing alone!

The Fey sisters are so much fun to write… They are only rivaled by Trucy and Apollo in cuteness and fun to write, but the magical sibling's banter is much more playful than Mia and Maya, since Trucy is so content to tease her stick in the mud secret half-brother to near tears the word panties! LOL

I wish Miles and Mia could have spent more time together. They had such a rocky first time in court together, and they really could have bonded over the horror of witnessing Fawles' death and could have been inspirations and challenges to one another in the courtroom! Also, they're both crazy hot and would have possibly had some tension fueling the fire – but that's another ball game entirely!

Who doesn't love Disney style romance amidst all this tragedy in the story! I love writing Feyt – and am happy my readers know I could never be sadistic enough to eve split up these little s'mores! I have a head canon that Miles is a not-so-secret softy with especially young girls, and loves being Uncle Miles to both Trucy and Pearl, so I'm glad and enjoyed you caught that cute interaction with him and Pearls, however brief!

Jesse is tied with drunk Miles for most fun to write! I love how much my readers enjoy the antics of my wacky OC, and it's funny AF to make the prissy prosecutor nearly come to the point he could have sullied his pristine cravat had Mia not cut him off!

I thought of you the entire time I was writing Iris! I know you're a Feenris lover, so it means a lot you enjoy the alternate happy ending I gave her with Larry! She's a nice girl whose made some bad choices due to misplaced faith in the wrong people, but everyone deserves love in the end!

 **CzarThwomp**

 _"In my personal opinion, Mia's more like Obi-wan than Yoda since we get to see her starting out as a rookie whose mentor was stripped from her before becoming skilled and starting to teach a her own student before being murdered."_

This was _too_ funny! We herby dub Her Hotness as ….YOBI-WAN! XD

I'm thinking Diego would have been balancing that coffee cup against his lips and sipping it hands free, as surely the weight of Fey twins, no matter how slender Mia was otherwise, would have required a two hand balancing act when he lifted and spun her around during those Latin dances I'm sure they did in abundance? Hehe you _kill_ me!

Edgy the Grouch! Haha! The idea of him actually trying to sue the hotel staff for cutting him off and actually using the infamous line of _"do you even know who I am?!"_ Was too irresistible not to use! I love Miles so much, I don't know _why_ I keep making him so delightfully undignified for so long! But having it so Mr. Cool Calm and Collected got crustier than a pizza while drinking was so much fun to write, it makes me grin like an idiot to know my readers enjoyed it – and considering how much you make me laugh with your work, it is particularly heartwarming to know I could make Mr. funny man _himself_ crack up! :D

I think despite the fact that I made him wealthy in this story, considering I've also made that Gumshoe loves his trench coats he probably still eat Ramen noodles out of habit because he has developed a genuine palette for that!

 _"On a side note, while Phoenix and Edgeworth may think that their situations are bad, they should take solace in the fact that they aren't Apollo who spent this day listening to Wocky testify in court and plunging down the rabbit hole of nightmares that is Wesley Stickler's panty fetish."_

This was just too funny not to quote! Honestly considering the last time we saw Apollo he was being tortured by his secret half-sister shouting _panties panties panties,_ he probably wanted to stick a pin into his eardrums after the panty fiend that was the Wesley Stickler case just that he would never have to hear that accursed word again! LOL

I'm glad you enjoyed Feyt's sendoff, and that you enjoyed Larry and Iris's final chapter as well.

We find out Maya's _camcorder caper_ next chapter!

 **chloemcg**

I am so excited that you're going to write a Feyt fic! I'm not on this site of a whole lot like I used to be, so you have my full blessing and permission, if I have not checked it out, to actually let me know when you post it! The world needs more of this Disney duo, who may end being reunited sooner than Xmas, like Luke thinks!

Regarding Tumblr, there are indeed one or two users on website two I saw with the exact same user name as you have here…if they are _not_ you, milady, you might want to look into whether or not you're being impersonated. Such is the case with me right now …. Funny how I'm still posting from an account I deleted?

I'd like to think having a romantic boyfriend like Phoenix who may have the pockets of a pauper right now but the soul poet may have inspired Maya to try to follow suit with her attempts to soothe his battered pride… What she has up her sleeve is going to be revealed next chapter I hope it's worth the wait!


	165. Everything I Do, I Do It For You

_AN: So this is a longer read like chapter 163 was - as this is the official end to the Phaya/Larris wedding arc. Hope you guys enjoy some weekend reading, as_ _this took me **three days to write** and still may not be typo free as I am beat! While I'm sorry in advance for that, I am unapologetic about this chapter being 100% Phoenix and Maya fluff that comes with a PG-13 steam rating, so viewer discretion is advised for anyone who isn't comfortable with couples who are madly in love expressing that love! :p_

* * *

 _There were nights when the wind was so cold  
That my body froze in bed  
If I just listened to it  
Right outside the window_

 _There were days when the sun was so cruel  
That all the tears turned to dust  
And I just knew my eyes were  
Drying up forever_

 _I finished crying in the instant that you left  
And I can't remember where or when or how  
And I banished every memory you and I had ever made_

 _But when you touch me like this  
And you hold me like that  
I just have to admit  
That it's all coming back to me  
When I touch you like this  
And I hold you like that  
It's so hard to believe but  
It's all coming back to me  
(It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now)_

 _There were moments of gold  
And there were flashes of light  
There were things I'd never do again  
But then they'd always seemed right  
There were nights of endless pleasure  
It was more than any laws allow  
Baby Baby_

 _If I kiss you like this  
And if you whisper like that  
It was lost long ago  
But it's all coming back to me  
If you want me like this  
And if you need me like that  
It was dead long ago  
But it's all coming back to me  
It's so hard to resist  
And it's all coming back to me  
I can barely recall  
But it's all coming back to me now  
But it's all coming back_

 _There were those empty threats and hollow lies  
And whenever you tried to hurt me  
I just hurt you even worse  
And so much deeper_

 _There were hours that just went on for days  
When alone at last we'd count up all the chances  
That were lost to us forever_

 _But you were history with the slamming of the door  
And I made myself so strong again somehow  
And I never wasted any of my time on you since then_

 _But if I touch you like this  
And if you kiss me like that  
It was so long ago  
But it's all coming back to me  
If you touch me like this  
And if I kiss you like that  
It was gone with the wind  
But it's all coming back to me  
(It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now)_

 _There were moments of gold  
And there were flashes of light  
There were things we'd never do again  
But then they'd always seemed right  
There were nights of endless pleasure  
It was more than all your laws allow  
Baby, Baby, Baby_

 _When you touch me like this  
And when you hold me like that  
It was gone with the wind  
But it's all coming back to me  
When you see me like this  
And when I see you like that  
Then we see what we want to see  
All coming back to me  
The flesh and the fantasies  
All coming back to me  
I can barely recall  
But it's all coming back to me now_

 _If you forgive me all this  
If I forgive you all that  
We forgive and forget  
And it's all coming back to me  
When you see me like this  
And when I see you like that  
We see just what we want to see  
All coming back to me  
The flesh and the fantasies  
All coming back to me  
I can barely recall but it's all coming back to me now_

 _(It's all coming back to me now)  
And when you kiss me like this  
(It's all coming back to me now)  
And when I touch you like that  
(It's all coming back to me now)  
If you do it like this  
(It's all coming back to me now)_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Five:** **Everything I Do, I Do It For You**

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _The Ballroom, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_  
June 17, 2026 12:29 AM

"Jesse, roll that camera!" Maya commanded to the videographer as she grabbed the stage microphone. "Lotta, feel free to take as many shots as you please!"

As the camera man and photographer assumed their positions right in front on her on the floor, along with the swarms of guests who were curious to see what the plucky spirit medium had up her sleeve, Maya peered out at the sea of faces and noted with relief that Larry and Iris had left for the night. The _last_ thing the village leader had ever wanted to do was try to upstage her cousin's wedding!

Edgeworth had left, but the rest of her dear ones: Max, Regina, Sister Bikini, (who'd finally stopped crying at this point) Matilda (who was holding Feyt), Luke, Pearl, Gumshoe, Maggey were still there…as was her completely _beet-faced_ boyfriend, who remained frozen amongst their friends on the dance floor, but appeared to be frantically wishing he were _anywhere_ else!

"And Nick, baby…" Maya blew him a kiss. "Wait till you see what's in store for _you_!"

Phoenix had a sinking suspicion that he was going to want to _drown himself_ in liquor when all was said and done, but merely flashed his girlfriend a sickly grin in response. Then he quickly shot a hopeful smile across the room at the bartender, who simply smiled innocently and shook his head in silent refusal.

Apparently, _Edgeworth_ hadn't been the _only_ _one_ Mia had instructed the mixologist to cut off!

The pianist's earlier buzz had long since abated, and he now had the sudden urge to swear long and eloquently as he staggered back to his table and poured himself a glass of ice water from the silver pitcher and downed half of it in one gulp.

Maya smiled faintly at Phoenix's low-key theatrics, dying to right the wrong she'd done her lover that day, but uncertain how to do it. Unlike with her unofficial Maid of Honor speech, _this time,_ she'd done no preemptive research or preparation whatsoever!

Of course, she wasn't aware of exactly _where_ or _how_ to look up tips on: **How to Publicly Apologize to Your Lover When You've Been An Ace Asshat to Him and Need to Prove to Him That You Will Always Stand By Him Without Actually Resorting to Serenading Him With The Song "Stand By Me!"**

Scanning the room, Maya spotted Phoenix, who was now standing near the back of the crowd, his arms crossed over his chest as he flinched in readiness. She had no doubt it was obviously to mask the flicker of embarrassment which had come across his face when she'd unceremoniously announced needing _the video camera_!

 _Oh well, here goes nothing! Guess it's officially_ _ **my**_ _turn to pull something out of my butt and call it a bluff!_

"Hi," she began inanely. "You're all probably wondering what I'm doing here."

The Master searched for a face in the throng with _some_ warmth, but instead, all she saw was hundreds of curious eyes staring back at her.

"I'm here today…" Maya trailed off, her voice strangled with tension and fear.

She glanced out into the crowd and saw Pearl standing beside Luke. The teen's eyes shone with unconditional love as she nodded encouragingly at her guardian, and Maya's strength returned.

"I'm here today to talk about something that's important to me," the Kurain leader announced with a proud tilt of her chin. "I want to commence by discussing a thing or two about life. Life cannot be taught to you or coached, it can only be experienced. Emotions are always smarter than logic. We fail to know this as we are conditioned to fear the things that we cannot control."

When Maya had begun speaking, the pianist's first reaction was surprise that she was so poised in front of what was easily at least a good two to three hundred people with what, unlike her speech for the newlyweds, was obviously unprepared material. Entranced, he listened intently as she went on.

"There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications, and just go for it. That's why I'm up here right now, despite _logically knowing_ the stakes for what I'm about to do here. Regardless, I am about to make the biggest gamble of my life. My village elders will probably hold me in contempt for the actions I'm about to embark on, but who am I kidding? _Most_ of them already do! Present company _excluded_ , of course!"

Maya winked at Sister Bikini and Matilda, who both smiled back indulgently.

"Guess what? I really don't care! I have learned that you can't live your life to suit other people. The last time I tried to bend over backwards to people's expectations, it _damn near killed me_! The harder you try, the more restrictions they'll put on you just for the fun of seeing you jump through their hoops. I'm done. I'm no circus tiger - no offense, you guys!"

She grinned impishly at the beaming Max and Regina.

"If there's another thing I've learned in life, is that sometimes bad things happen that you can't control. I know this better than anyone. It is also possible to make no mistakes and still fail. Such is life. Here's one thing I need everyone to understand though – not only do I _not_ do this for the money, but I don't _need_ the money. As many of you probably know, my late mother, Misty Fey was also world renowned children's author and illustrator, Elise Deauxnim. As her sole heir, I not only amassed great land wealth, but her publishing lifetime royalties. I am no Longines Beaugosse…I'm not richer than God, but I will reiterate that I don't do what I do for need of money. I do it to help people in their time of need. They turn to me because I am a trusted spirit channeling champion."

She give a sunny smile as she came to her next point.

"The late, great Mohammed Ali said: " _Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill_."

Phoenix bit back a reluctant smile at Maya's surprising knowledge of legendary boxer quotes, but a moment later, her next words made his brows draw together in a perplexed frown as he wondered where she was going with this.

"Phoenix Wright was also once a champion – a virtually _undefeated courtroom champion_. He was acclaimed for being a defender of the people- because of his unbending will, his tenacity for turnabout, and his unwavering belief in his clients. He was exactly like me – not in his profession for the money, but because of his desire to help the defenseless, and his vision for justice. His sole will was to help the people of this world, costs be damned. People trusted him with their lives the way they trust my village to resurrect the lives of their dearly departed to give them the closure they desperately need. He was a hero and inspiration to so many. _Including me."_

The poker champ couldn't take his eyes off Maya's anguished face and plaintive vocal intonation, his heart beginning to hammer in deep, aching beats.

"Then the unthinkable happened to that heroic courtroom champion. And these past seven years, I could only helplessly stand by and watch as society snubbed him for illegalities I know he never committed. Even worse, my loyal alliance with him was forced to be clandestine, because others – including Mr. Wright himself! – feared the _ascendancy_ of my Master name and reputation would dragged through the mud along with his."

Phoenix closed his eyes, caught between torment and tenderness over what he was seeing – her agonized face and her soft voice as she pleaded his innocence.

"How could _anybody_ possibly want to see a man who was unjustly accused of forgery remain disbarred? I don't know how the Bar Association Review Board ever convicted him of this, but I do know he's no more capable of deceitful corruptibility or cheap tricks than _I_ am. If he had been anything but the indisputable King of the Turnabout whose track record was founded on anything but real talent, grit and belief in my innocence, I would not be standing here now as a free woman."

He was overcome with admiration at how Maya maintained her dignified poise while scrupulously avoiding saying anything even remotely incriminating that could be used against him.

"I'm here today to say I don't _give a damn_ about what anyone thinks anymore! I am not only committed to believing in this man's innocence, but I will shamelessly use my considerable resources and influences to help clear his name to prove it! I shall do so freely and publicly, and feel no ignominy, not only because this man has repeatedly saved me from execution by proving me innocent of erroneous charges, like he has for so many others, but because: _I love him._ Moreover, I trust him, and I have unrelenting faith in him."

Phoenix watched her hesitate for a moment, then she lifted her eyes to the cameras, smiled softly, and spoke her next words without a hint of guile.

"After all, what is love without _faith_? I believe _faith_ is part of what makes us human. It is a basic attitude of trust that always goes beyond the available evidence, but without which we would do nothing great. Without faith in one another we could not risk the vulnerability of love. Without faith in the intelligibility of the universe we would not do science. Without faith in our fellow citizens we would not have a free society. Without faith in the unknown, I wouldn't have my illustrious lineage occupation! People come to me with nothing _but blind faith_ that I can help them. Mind you, _my faith_ , my trust in this man is _not_ blind. He's _earned_ it. And he has it for life."

 _When she started going down this path, I panicked and wondered if this entire speech was going to be dismissed as the inane ramblings of a besotted woman who was blindly in love…_

"I was there when Mr. Wright was on top of the world. I shall be by his side when he's fallen. And I will remain there when this Phoenix rises from the ashes again."

… _But instead, all I saw and heard was dignity and courageousness…the things I've always loved about her. Maya's the real deal. She's real, and she's_ _ **mine**_ _, and she's just broadcasted that she's always loved me, even when I had nothing to offer her except a life in hiding with a public disgrace._

"Having a soft heart in a cruel world is courage, not weakness. Phoenix Wright is man with such a heart. I fell in love with his courage, his sincerity, and his flaming self-respect. And it's these things I believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicion that he isn't all he should be. I love him, and that's the beginning and end of everything. There's just some people this world that you can love and love and love no matter what. I love and am grateful for everything on this changing, burning Earth, but I am most grateful to _you_ , Nick. If they're gonna hang you for loving me, they'd best be tying two nooses to that tree. What we have done, we did together, and if our love is a capital offence; I'm ready."

A stupefied silence filled the room as she concluded, but Maya didn't even pause to gauge the reactions of the assembly. Instead, she nodded at Jesse and Lotta, whose cameras were still poised for action.

"Consider these next words to be my _wholehearted consent_ to send _all_ the footage from my impromptu 'performance' to _any and all_ media connections you both may have. My _only_ caveat is you _must_ include _this_ _encore_ with it! After all – seven years ago, Nick publicly won _me_ over with his silvery vocal talents. Let's hope _I_ have the same luck!"

She winked at the still thunderstruck crowd, then turned and smilingly snapped her fingers at The Pink Tacos.

" _Hit it_ , fellas!"

 _Wait, what?_ _**Encore?!**_ Phoenix, along with everyone present, was still reeling from his lover's passionate, magnificent public outcry on his behalf. _There's_ _ **more**_ _?! Maya's going to_ _ **sing**_ _? Since when does she sing?!_

Without further ado, Maya leaned into the microphone, eyes closed in concentration as she began to serenade them with vocals which sounded as though they'd descended from heaven.

* * *

 _ **Know all about, yeah, 'bout your reputation  
**_ _ **And now it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
**_ _ **But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
**_ _ **Every time that I'm where you are**_

* * *

Her voice was perfect harmony and grace. Her hand went to her heart, and her head rose as she belted out the notes.

* * *

 _ **You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
Oh, I know I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much**_

* * *

A haunting sense of déjà vu washed over Phoenix as his ears immediately recognized the soprano lark who'd sung by his bedside.

* * *

 _ **Loving you, that isn't really something I should do  
Shouldn't wanna spend my time with you, yeah  
Well, I should try to be strong but baby, you're the right kind of wrong  
Yeah, baby, you're the right kind of wrong**_

* * *

He shut his eyes as Maya's sweet choral enveloped him and permeated his very being.

* * *

 _ **Might be a mistake, a mistake I'm makin'  
But what you're givin' I am happy to be takin'  
'Cause no one's ever made me feel the way I feel  
When I'm in your arms**_

* * *

 _Music is what feelings sound like…_

* * *

 _ **They say you're something I should do without  
They don't know what goes on when the lights go out  
There's no way to explain  
All the pleasure is worth all the pain**_

* * *

Phoenix's cheeks warmed a tad as a few people hooted slightly at this particularly revealing point in the song, while the incorrigible Maya flashed a _very telling_ , saucy wink in his direction.

* * *

 _ **Loving you, that isn't really something I should do  
Shouldn't wanna spend my time with you, yeah  
Well, I should try to be strong but baby, you're the right kind of wrong  
Yeah, baby, you're the right kind of wrong**_

* * *

… _And it's made my girlfriend feel the need to lyrically decree just_ _ **how**_ _I've managed to make it all_ _ **worth her while**_ _! Boy, those lewd media mongrels are going to have a_ _ **field day**_ _with_ _ **that**_ _!_

* * *

 _ **I should try to run but I just can't seem to  
'Cause every time I run you're the one I run to  
Can't do without what you do to me  
I don't care if I'm in too deep, yeah**_

* * *

The divulging lyrics swam through Phoenix's cerebral cortex like a wakeful dream, the notes relaxing him, enabling the sweet song notes to call to his entire being.

* * *

 _ **Know all about, yeah, 'bout your reputation  
And now it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time that I'm where you are**_

* * *

The ex-defense attorney blissfully closed his eyes again so he could fully absorb the melodious crooning of the angel on the stage.

* * *

 _ **You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
Oh, I know I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much, yeah**_

* * *

 _It doesn't matter how revealing these lyrics are – she chose a great song to punctuate that speech, even though some in the crowd might think it's merely an exorbitant tune from a chick flick! But music could never be something superfluous to_ _ **me**_ _, it is soul medicine delivered in the most divine way._

* * *

 _ **Loving you, yeah, that isn't really something I should do  
I shouldn't wanna spend my time with you, yeah  
Well, I should try to be strong, I should try to be strong  
But baby you're the right kind of wrong  
(Right kind of wrong)**_

* * *

 _Never before have I ever felt such sublime blessedness at having my own personal history repeat itself in such a manner. She already won me over with that_ _ **speech**_ _but after this song… Maya baby, here I am, signed, sealed, delivered…I'm yours!_

* * *

 _ **Baby, you're the right kind of wrong  
Baby, you're the right kind of wrong  
Yeah, baby, you're the right kind of wrong**_

* * *

As the band wrapped up the final chords, Maya lifted her chin, stepped back from the microphone, squared her shoulders and gallantly raised her virtuous face to the masses expectantly.

Pride exploded in Phoenix's battered being, because, somehow, despite humbling herself and denouncing her nearly royal standing in society in the name of love, Maya still managed to stand as proudly—as defiantly—as if she were a queen.

In the next instant, a thunderous applause broke out across the room, and the beaming spirit medium made a big show of bowing grandly, even lifting the skirts of her long gown in a mock curtsy as she blew a kiss to her adoring new fans. But as soon as she straightened up again, she seemed to forget the rest of the room and lifted her clear, truthful eyes to scan the room, frenziedly seeking her lover's face for his reaction.

Phoenix just stared at her, not moving or speaking, although she could see the muscle working on one side of his jaw. For one horrible moment, Maya worried she'd gone too far, and that in her act of trying to prove about how nothing in the world mattered to her but him, regardless of his profession, she had irreparably embarrassed him and lost him forever.

He began moving his way through the crowd to come closer to the stage, and that was when Maya could clearly make out his face at last – the amused gleam in his beautiful eyes, the faint quirk of a smile dawning on his lips.

And then she realized he was holding out his hand for hers.

Maya began rushing forward through the crowd, walking fast then running ... Running into the arms that were opening wide to her.

Tears of joy and relief sprang to her eyes as she finally reached him and laid her hand in his palm, feeling his fingers engulf hers in their warm strength, closing tightly on her hand, and then abruptly yanking her forward into strong arms that gripped her as though he'd never let her go.

Phoenix wrapped his arms around her with stunning force, his hand cradling her radiant face against his chest, shielding her from their audience as he bent his head and buried his face in her neck as she slid her hands around his shoulders, her face buried against his chest, holding him fiercely to her.

"Dick, Maya is _incredible_ ," Maggey choked, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "That woman loves him so much that she doesn't give a damn that many people will think she's a fool for still wanting Phoenix even after all his fall from grace. She doesn't care that in doing this public alliance, there's a risk her name will be mud. All that matters to her is that he loves her."

"I know," Gumshoe replied softly, gazing into his wife's misty eyes. "I recognize the feeling."

"So that was no dream at the Hickfield Clinic earlier this afternoon!" Phoenix blurted out as he raised his head and gawked at her flushed, triumphant face. " _You_ were the golden-throated songbird crooning _How Do I Live_ at my hospital bedside when you thought I was unconscious, weren't you?"

Mindless to everyone around them, Maya flashed an impish grin.

"I guess now we're even, Nick! I was lurking there in the crowd for your New Year's debut of _Shape of My Heart_ , which I think we both know was your cloaked love song for me!" She laughingly gave a playful shrug as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "And hey, what can I say? What's good for the goose is good for the gander, right? Besides, I _love_ Leann Rimes!"

Shaking his head in wonder, Phoenix turned slightly so he was blocking her from view with his shoulders, then he turned her face up to his, uncaring of the fact that this entire time, Jesse's camera continued to keep rolling.

"You're absolutely crazy, you know that? You _wonderful_ , crazy, woman/child, zany girl _of my dreams._ How I _love_ you!" He whispered fiercely, right before he seized her mouth in a smoldering kiss, and Maya was blissfully lost to everything else.

 _I become the very air; I am full of stars. I am the soaring spaces between the spires of the raised ceiling, the solemn breath the chimneys, a whispered prayer upon coastal breeze. I am silence, and I am music, one clear transcendent chord rising toward heaven. I think I would have risen bodily into the sky but for the anchor of his hand in my hair and his round, soft, perfect mouth._

The flash of several raised guest cameras, along with Lotta's, exploded somewhere, followed by another and another. Someone started to clap, and the clapping became bursting applause, and the applause was joined with laughter, and still the kiss went on.

Maya didn't notice. She was kissing him back, melting against him, utterly oblivious to all of it… The cheering, the clapping, the laughter, the white flashes from raised cameras.

Because, unabashedly, for the world to see, she was where she belonged...in Phoenix Wright's arms. Which meant she was already halfway to paradise.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey**_  
 _Presidential Suite, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel_  
June 17, 2026 1:00 AM

"I know we've had it rough, but in the end, we were still so lucky, Nick." Maya's eyes were rapidly welling. "Through the sediments of tragedy and despair that initially would bind us, and then keep following us over the years, still we managed to find our way to each other. We saw each other, we loved each other… but then it got taken away."

"I know." His voice was a raw mixture of languor and wonder. "Nevertheless, some mystical powers that be, which are bigger than both of us, somehow, _someway_ , kept bringing you back to me. For that alone, I am the luckiest man alive. I - I know that may sound like an overused term, perhaps even trite, but I have never been very good at talking outside of court. Whenever I try to express the emotions whirling in my soul, all too often, my throat tightens, blocking me from saying anything properly. Try as I might, I am not always the best with words…"

He shut his eyes as a wave of emotion came over him, unable to continue.

"Neither am I, Nick. It's one thing when I'm giving a speech or a lecture on spirit channeling, but it's another when it's one-on-one. Even _the Master herself_ has been known to say either not enough to suffice for what the occasion is called for, or say _too much_ while in the heat of anger, and then live to regret it."

Her tone was laced with lament.

"That's why I knew a simple apology just wouldn't be enough for the pain I caused you with what I said to you in my dressing room, Nick. I'm so, so sorry for that. I hope to God you know know I didn't mean it! Tonight was a real wakeup call in realizing I may have done something truly irremediable. I recognized I'd have to try to _show_ _you,_ not _tell you_ how remorseful I was. That if my slurs made you wrongfully feel _I_ am amongst those who see you as the inferior specimen _you_ can't stop feeling that you are, I had to prove to you that it mattered naught to me."

The aching regret he heard in her voice made his eyes snap open in surprise and he tipped his chin down, staring at her.

"We live and breathe words. I now see that words can hurt…but can also nurture, heal…and reveal more than one could ever imagine. I remember how, even though I wasn't school educated, I used to love discovering things about the world as I got older – and not just entertaining myself with samurai comics! By _reading actual books_. When I'd be isolated on a training retreat, in my downtime, it was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them. It made me really feel akin with my mother, and her wonderful children's books. It made me think perhaps I should write more, myself, even if just a journal. To give myself strength. To be more in touch with things that I'm normally not. To explore all the things I'm afraid of."

Maya paused for a moment as she gathered her thoughts, then regarded him with her heart in her eyes.

"Hearing, and then later, _reading_ the words in your love letter, and seeing what you wrote, how you were lonely sometimes and afraid, but always brave; the way you saw the world, its colors and textures and sounds – I _felt_ every bit of it within my soul. I saw – I _felt_ – the way you _thought_ , hoped, felt, and dreamt. I felt I was dreaming and thinking and feeling _with you_. I dreamed what you dreamed, wanted what you wanted –and then I realized that truly I just wanted _you_."

She tilted her head up and he gazed down into her luculent eyes as he processed everything she'd just said. She wanted him to kiss her, it was written all over her earnest face.

"No," he said tightly, closing his eyes again while his heart, which had been latently aching from her barbs up until then, slowly, oh-so-slowly began to mend. "I – I can't just yet."

She rubbed her cheek against his chest, and his stubborn defenses began to crumble while his dormant sense of self-worth began resurfacing. And even though his brain was screaming that there were still the scant residues of doubt remaining, his voice seemed to have a will of its own.

"Take off that damn ring you're wearing," he commanded at last.

"Why?" She whispered.

"Because I'll be _damned_ if I'll make love to you while you're wearing another man's ring!"

A knuckle-crushing, 5-carat, heart-shaped pink diamond, appraised at 1.5 million dollars, bounced unceremoniously onto the coffee table without even another thought.

"Maya Fey." Phoenix's voice came out and a half laugh/half groan. "You're the only woman in the world who'd do that to such a diamond!"

"I'm the only woman in the world for you."

He closed his eyes and his hand was already curving around her nape, his fingers sliding into her hair, tilting her face up. Opening his eyes, he gazed down at her, remembering the cold emptiness and months of hell that had been his life without her, and saw the tear trembling at the corner of her eyelid.

"I know you are," he whispered and bending his head, he touched his tongue to the salty tear.

"I love you."

"You know how I feel about you." He kissed another tear away. "You know how much I love you. Everything I've ever done, everything I _do_ , I do it only for you. You know I would do whatever I could to not only keep you safe, but take away your pains, don't you?"

She nodded, never pulling her gaze from his, even for a second.

"I needed that from you too, Maya. So bad. I never realized just how desperately I needed to know _you_ loved _me_ like that, too." His voice shook with emotion. "So when you made that promulgation tonight, for the whole _world_ to see, uncaring about what the risk or ramifications of what such a thing could do to you, because you were trying to prove how much I meant to you…"

His voice broke slightly, and he was too overwhelmed to even go on. But Maya understood. She always instinctively managed to be in tune with what he was feeling, whenever he was too overcome to express what was in his soul.

Her expression grew soft and her eyes filled with compassion. She laced their fingers together and placed them over their hearts, stroking her thumb against his hand, as with her free one, she soothingly reached up and caressed the soft spikes in his hair in a calming motion, silently conveying her heart to his without another word needing to be spoken.

The overpowering phenomenon of love and comfort rushed through him, and he let out long, shuddering sigh as he leaned his head back into her palm, unable to keep his eyes open.

"Open your eyes, Nick," she whispered, moving her hand from the back of his head to stroke his cheek, her eyes soft and filled with undying love. "Look at me."

Phoenix tipped his head forward again and stared into Maya's mesmerizing visage, just inches from his. It was the easiest thing he'd ever been asked to do, because she was the most beautiful, exquisite creature he'd ever set eyes on.

Her tiny hands were reaching for his now, and he clasped both in a firm hold. She caught her breath as she felt the warmth of his heated skin as they touched, souls entwined and hearts aflutter. She gently lowered her lover's hands so that she could get a better look at his mien, then closed his fingers over the magatama in his palm, the very one he'd abandoned in her dressing room, whispering that she was returning something which rightfully belonged to him.

Pearl had elucidated what'd happened with Phoenix's gemstone earlier. When charging the sacred charm, the spirit medium had put a little bit of her soul in there, as she was the one who'd used her own spiritual energy to do so. Then the magatama's powers had used a bit of _his_ soul, which she'd needed to be able to enter to see psyche locks. However, he'd also been using his _own_ perception to a certain degree. Ultimately, the reason it automatically absorbed part of his spiritual energy was because he was an honorary Fey – not just Maya's other pillar of strength whose photo was in her Master's talisman, but her kindred spirit as well.

 _"You can only sense memories associated with yourself, Mystic Maya, but the reason you could see his memories so clearly, like a movie, is because Mr. Nick's your soulmate,"_ Pearl had explained merrily. _"If someone equally important to him, like_ _ **Trucy,**_ _were to touch it, she_ _ **might**_ _sense recollections associated with her, but all she'd probably feel were emotions like warmth and love. Since she doesn't have our type of spiritual power, the experience would only be minor, and be hard to pin down. It'd just feel like a warm glow of contentment."_ _  
_  
Despite the fact that Maya had tried to explain to Phoenix what she'd experienced with the mystical gemstone – the vibe of his emotions churning within her, the lonely chaos she'd briefly sampled earlier in her dressing room and how it'd partially stemmed from the anomaly that in spite of being _male_ , he had his _own_ set of spiritual powers – she knew he still didn't quite _comprehend_ the whole Fey esoterica.

After all, how _could_ he?

The Kurain leader herself had _zero_ feasible explanation for Phoenix's mystifying capacity with the magatama that seemed to go beyond merely seeing psyche locks, as Miles had been able to do when he'd borrowed it that one time. Her lover truly had his own inexplicable sense of psychic powers – the visions of seeing spirits and hearing Mia's voice was unheard of for anyone who wasn't from the Fey line.

Cautiously, Maya lifted her gaze and lost herself in those orbs. Her heart pounded painfully, making it difficult for her to breathe. For the first time, she was afraid of what she was going to do. What if she couldn't bring him into her spiritual world? What if she made things worse? She had to at least _try_.

 _Because what if I_ _ **can**_ _make things_ _ **better**_ _? What if I'm able to show him what's in_ _ **my**_ _soul, so he can at last see for himself how we're not just connected by_ _ **heart**_ _, but also on a_ _ **spiritually, otherworldly level**_ _…and he will then hopefully never have doubts about me, about_ _ **us**_ _, ever again._

All she could focus on was the wonderful, feather-light impression of Phoenix's fingers on hers. Every touch, every twitch felt like fire and sent little jolts of excitement through her skin. It caused her to shudder in want and anticipation; she couldn't breathe, couldn't think straight.

Even though she'd had a decade to feast her eyes on him, she still couldn't get enough. The man simply radiated an allure of tentative gentleness that never ceased to make Maya stop and stare. He was so incredibly handsome – at least, to _her_. In spite of all he'd endured, she could still make out that distinct boyish charm about him, that sweet and earnest air he continued to exude when around her, which he'd had as a young attorney. Even though he was now in his early 30's, and had developed some telltale smirk lines, Phoenix honestly could have passed for late 20's – _30_ , max.

She was lost in a bewitched trance as she took in every feature of his visage; of those, sultry, yet soft features: those kind sapphire eyes; the jagged line of his brow, his squared jawline, that sexy stubble; those delectable full lips of Phoenix Wright.

 _Her_ Nick. Phoenix was both an open book and an enigma: Maya noticed that there was an increasing vulnerability and dependency about him when they were together. Especially now.

Sweet, lovable, a little naive and honest – _this_ was the Nick she loved. This was the Nick who'd had spent all these years hiding away in the glazed, lonely eyes of a hobo. Maya couldn't even fathom how much hell he'd endured, especially for the past year they'd been apart. He'd had to be strong for Trucy, force his biggest smile, and pretend everything was alright. Miles had still been away, so while at least _she'd_ had Pearl and Longines to dry her tears, Phoenix hadn't really had anyone.

 _Nick, you, of all people, deserve a happy ending. Despite everything that happened to you, you aren't bitter. You aren't cold. You've just retreated a little and been shy, and that's okay._

Desire flooded through her. A desire to help him…but also so much more. To be with him, love him, and take away his chaos. To make everything in his world okay again.

Maya stared into Phoenix's wide, limpid eyes, which were filled with longing, and felt his world collapse and rebuild itself around them, like an imago that housed the sacred vision of an eternal present – no regrets, no consequences; only the warmth of two souls. Years of repressed pain and loneliness begged for salvation; they called out to her and more than anything, she wanted to protect this man, shield him from the storm and the shadows of his own self-loathing.

 _You can do this, Maya,_ she assured herself _. You need to feel your man's trustable presence before you will open your heart and body without guard. It's a step-by-step process of learning. He learns to be more present, you learn to be more open if this is going to work._

"Don't look away again." She took his hands and placed them on her magatama, her gaze never leaving his. "I want you to be able to not only hear my next words, but _sense_ what's in my heart, in my _soul_ , while you touch this mystical gemstone, that's as much a part of me as _you_ are, Nick. Even if you can't see the same projections I could, I want you to _feel_ everything I'm about to tell you."

He nodded his silent agreement.

"The first time you kissed me?" Maya whispered. "That moment when your lips touched mine? You stole a piece of my heart that night."

 _You stole a piece of mine, too._

"The first time you told me you loved me, on my 21st birthday, because you weren't ready to tell me you loved me up until then? Those words stole another piece of my heart."

 _But I did love you. I loved you long before I had the guts to let you know. I loved you so damn much._

Phoenix opened his palm and pressed it flat against her chest, feeling Maya's everlasting love with every heartbeat. But it was more than that – he could literally _sense_ what she was feeling – like radiation waves swarming his psyche?!

"Remember the time I was kidnapped? When I was all alone in that wine cellar and I drew that picture of you? During what I thought might be my last moments on earth…that was when I came to terms with how much you meant to me. I wanted to cry because I needed you there with me so badly. I knew in those darkest moments, while thinking of you, as that brightest light in my life, that I'd fallen hopelessly in love with you. That I would _always_ love you, no matter what."

His mind whirled with confusion as reverberations from this declaration penetrated his consciousness. Maya's love was there, of course, but this was something _different_ he was undergoing. Something unfamiliar, which went beyond anything he'd ever experienced before.

 _What is this?_ _What's happening?_

It was like an uncontrollable perceptive sensitivity of sensations flooding over him like a deluge. All of Maya's emotions… _love_ …but also serenity, and unadulterated _happiness_. That was also nothing new – despite the strife they'd both endured over the years, the two had always managed to experience gladness with one another. What was new was the absence of anything else…no remorse. No regrets. Just a tranquil feeling of a soul utterly at peace.

In a flash, Phoenix suddenly understood what was happening, and that he was _sensing_ all of Maya's emotions and memories because they were being projected to him through the gemstone.

 _It's because the_ _ **mind**_ _remembers the_ _ **words**_ _, but the_ _ **heart**_ _remembers how it_ _ **feels**_ _. A mind will forget, but the heart never will. I'm actually experiencing,_ _ **firsthand**_ _, everything that's in her heart and soul right now._

"That Christmas, when you gave me the promise ring…knowing everything it represented…that was when I truly felt our love was ageless, eternal, and unceasing. That it was _aeonian_. It was even bigger than when you gave me my locket…because now I was in love with the way you loved me. When you wrapped your arms around me and held me, and promised me how with that ring, you were promising _yourself_ with it… _that_ was when I really _knew_ , Nick. I fully grasped that no matter what happened with my life, _you_ were my home. You stole the biggest piece of my heart that day."

 _I didn't steal it, my love. You gave it to me._ _You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I've ever known, and that is an understatement._

"Right now, I know you can feel what's in my heart and what's in my _soul,_ can't you Nick? This _orenda_ – the mystical force present in all people. It is your power to do things, and affect the world, or effect change in your own life."

Her face was just inches from his.

"Keep your eyes open, Nick," Maya whispered. He did as she said and somehow opened his eyes again, staring directly into hers. "I need you to keep them open. Look into my eyes, and you will see just what you mean to me, as I give you the very last piece of my heart."

 _This moment. Right now. It's worth every ounce of pain I've ever had to endure._

"What I experienced with your letter was like a less intense version of when I touched your magatama this evening. Mark my words, Nick, when it comes to you, from this day on, I _never again_ will have a moment's doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely. You are my dearest one. My reason for life."

She took his hand, which was still resting over her heart over the magatama, and squeezed it hard.

"Everything I've ever said to you: about how nothing's changed for me since you lost your badge, how all that matters is _you_ , how I have no regrets, nor reservations about you, about _us_ – I _know_ you're sensing it all for yourself as I speak. You believe me when I say I have zero trepidations or second thoughts _now_ , don't you?"

In that very instant, Phoenix literally felt the last lingering apprehensions regarding the love of his life vanquishing like a puff of smoke, even before she spoke her last words.

"I'm glad you finally acknowledge what I've been trying to tell you for so long. I love you, Phoenix Wright, and that's the beginning and end of everything."

* * *

Phoenix shut his eyes. He couldn't find the right words just yet. His heart was too full.

 _Maya Fey, your unwavering love and compassion was the bridge, it just took time to trust my weight to it. All these years, you've extended your hand and stayed while I showed you the scars, the mess, the fear. You let me come close, let me hide, let me return without shame. Every time I thought you'd had enough, I was met with only patience which I never felt I'd earned._

He swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.

 _I never wanted to be this way; I have pride. I needed to be seen as strong, though I haven't been and am still so far from achieving. While true healing takes time, and there are no magic wands for deep pain, there is something about you completely giving yourself to me like this that makes my heart burn all the brighter and ignites my soul; that's not a common gift, my love - yet it is yours, and you have managed to do the impossible. My heart tells me this is the best and greatest feeling I have ever had._

His hands were trembling as he reached into his trouser pocket for the velvet case Max had pressed into his palm at the reception.

"I never realized how deeply I'd been craving this undisputable reassurance, until you finally give it to me tonight. And now that I have it, I only have one thing to say to you, my love."

His fingers clicked open the jeweler's box, revealing the heart-shaped pendant and promise ring inside. He held up the first token of his commitment, noticing the halcyon smile on her face at the realization he'd kept it this whole time.

"While this heart doesn't have the same twinkle as those baubles you were wearing around your throat tonight, Maya, now that you've removed them, I think that beautiful, swan-like neck of yours seems a bit too bare for my liking. Would – would you wear this again?"

Maya was already lifting up her hair out of the way and turning around so Phoenix could once again put on the chain which she had essentially never taken off, beaming more brightly than the sun as she did so. It wasn't the gift that made her smile. It was the proof that he'd never stopped thinking of her, all throughout that agonizing period they'd been apart.

She lovingly ran her fingers over the gold braided necklace the locket was dangling from, relishing the familiar feeling of the cool metal against her collarbone once again as her shining gaze met his.

"How did you know to bring that tonight?"

"I _didn't_!" He chuckled, unspeakable exultation coursing through him at the sight of her elated smile. "Max Galactica presented it to me before we left the ballroom, but wouldn't give me any details because he claimed a _magician could never reveal his secrets_. The last time I saw it either one of these symbols of my love, they were sitting in my night table at home, where I _thought_ I was the only one who knew of its existence."

"Obviously you thought _wrong_!" Maya giggled. "The _real_ mystery would be how your Sherlock Holmes snoop of a daughter managed to sneak it to him without either one of us noticing! Obviously she's been in cahoots with Pearly tonight since she knew exactly where to have the items delivered!"

"I'm assuming your jewelry was carted right along with my _overnight bag,_ bearing my toiletries and customary sweats – which were last seen in my room at The Hickfield Clinic! I noticed my luggage _happened_ to already be in the closet next to _yours_ while you were changing out of your dress," he informed her with a wry smile. "The question of course, is if we have your _sister_ to thank for keeping my meddlesome but mirific daughter in the loop, or your _daughter_?"

"Does it even matter?" Maya flashed a cheeky grin. "It all goes under the umbrella of those aforementioned _powers that be_ acting in our favor to make sure things always work out for us in the end!"

All traces of humor vanished from her face as she saw the somber intensity in his orbs as he held up the promise ring between his thumb and forefinger and her eyes widened as she noticed it for the first time.

"I can't believe it," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "I thought I'd never see that ring again, after I hurled it at you that night…"

"I caught it." Phoenix's voice was raw. "I – I was risking you questioning my motives by making such a telling gesture but I just couldn't imagine losing it into the dark shadows of the night from hell. Despite everything, I couldn't bear the thought of this ring being lost forever – it was torturous enough having to deal with thinking that I'd lost you forever. And though I had little choice about the one, at least I could choose about the other. I kept it, my love, because I thought it was all I'd ever have left of you."

Misty dark blue orbs met lachrymose mocha ones as he gently brushed his knuckles against her cheek.

"You are everything I never even knew I always wanted, Maya. Somebody with a sharp intellect and a heart from hell. Somebody with eyes like star fire and a mouth with a kiss like a bottomless well. You are all that and more – everything I could have ever dreamed of in a life partner, along with something else that I didn't even realize I'd so imperatively needed. Someone who would love me, even when I did not know how to love myself."

" _Nick_ …" Maya swallowed back the sob building in her chest as he dropped to one knee on the carpet and took her hand.

"My love, I wish I had done everything on earth with you. I want to know you moved and breathed in the same world with me. You made me realize that I would rather be with you in hell than without you in heaven. Night and day, you are the one. Only you beneath the moon and under the sun."

His tenor was textured with emotion as he gazed up at her beseechingly.

"You did something for me I couldn't do for myself. You loved me for who I am. You could do anything you wanted with me and I would let you. You could ask anything of me and I'd break myself trying to make you happy. I belong to you, irrevocably and unequivocally. I am blown away by how happy you make me. Thank you for being there for me when I've been stupid enough to think I'd rather be alone. But just know that I did not fall in love with you out of boredom or loneliness or impulse. I loved you because the desire for you was stronger than any happiness. I love you, Maya Fey, because I have _literally_ seen your soul."

She was breathing heavily, not looking at him. She was feeling ecstasy. Her soul was flooded with happiness. She had never anticipated that the utterance of love would produce such a powerful effect on her. Yet she remained unable to speak.

Phoenix was still staring up into her eyes as he tentatively pressed the ring against the third finger of her left hand.

"I know you used to wear this around your neck on a chain, but that necklace is presently broken. Do you think there's any way to convince you to wear this symbol of my promise to you… on your _actual finger_ now, for all the world to see?"

Maya nodded silently, tears of joy spilling down her cheeks as he slipped the infinity shaped gemstone ring onto her finger, which was still a perfect fit. Then she reached down and helped him back to his feet, and stood smiling at him with her heart in her eyes, clasping his hand in hers, a mischievous smile now playing on her lips.

"Such a beautiful prose, worthy of poets, to convince me to wear your ring again, Mr. _Not Good With Words_ … _ **as if**_!" The Master began in a jocoserious lilt as she tipped her head to the side questioningly. "Yet it brings me to the query of why we always _'fall'_ in love. One falls down steps, off ladders, into rivers and down mountains. If love is so wonderful, why don't we _soar in love_ or _climb in love_?"

Phoenix blinked, uncertain he'd heard correctly at first, then threw his head back and let out a shout of laughter at her infallible, rapier wit, even during his attempt at romantic moments like this. He buried his face in his palms to muffle his derisive snorts, while encouraged, Maya continued, her cadence taking on a less jesting overture now.

"While I agree in the smallest to this age-old question, I wouldn't have it any other way." She took his face in her hands and looked at him with adoring orbs. "Nick, you have made me feel in ways I never knew existed. Tidal wave emotions and avalanche explosions. You have lit tempers in me, yes, but also ignited passions unlike any I could have ever fathomed. Above all, you taught me how to fly, with no wings and heavy gravity."

His mirth faded as he saw the unmasked glowing love in her eyes while she tenderly spoke the next words.

"What I'm trying to say to you is: _Phoenix Wright,_ _I'm forever yours. Faithfully_."

Her sentimental echo of his own initial ring declaration filled both their hearts with cherished memories…and a burst of ardor. Phoenix was positive he was absolutely going to lose his ever-loving mind if he didn't kiss her right then and there.

" _Maya_." His voice was a husky whisper, and suddenly his eyes were smoldering as he reached out his hand. "Come here."

Of its own accord Maya's hand lifted, his fingers closed around it, and suddenly she was hauled forward as arms like steel bands encircled her without another word.

 _I love that you are taller, that I can reach up and let my arms hang softly about your neck, resting on those strong shoulders._

Locked in his strong embrace, Maya melted against him, savoring the deliciousness of his propinquity.

 _In that closeness, we are still in our hearts and in this perfumed garden of ours, we are natural and free; the chaos of the world no longer exists. Your scent intoxicates; your gentle smile my salvation. I see the tilt of your head as you draw in for the kiss and my own tilts upward. After that always comes the heady bliss of feeling your emotions in your lips, always so full of love. There is something unique in all the world about our kisses, and it is that we love one another down to our souls - a sacred bridge between two minds, two hearts, two souls, and two bodies._

All her thoughts were obliterated in the next instant as Phoenix's warm, searching mouth descended on hers. Parted lips, tender and insistent, stroked hers, molding and shaping them to fit his, and then the kiss deepened abruptly while his hands tightened on her back and shoulders, caressing and possessive.

A soft moan interrupted the silence, but Maya didn't know the sound came from her; she was reaching up, her hands grasping broad shoulders, clinging to them for support in a world that had suddenly become exquisitely erotic, where nothing mattered except the body and mouth locked hungrily to hers.

When he finally dragged his mouth from hers, Phoenix kept his arms around her, and Maya laid her cheek against his crisp white shirt, feeling his lips brush the hair atop her head as she tried to steady the rapid thudding of her wildly beating heart which she could feel matched his own.

As she raised her head and her blazing dark eyes met his scorching cobalt ones, she knew she wasn't the only one feeling as though her body had been set aflame from that searing embrace.

Phoenix treated her to a wicked grin.

"As much as I appreciate you keeping this on to prevent me from being improperly _distracted_ while we had this much needed _heart-to-heart_ ," he murmured. "It still seems like one of us is a _wee_ bit overdressed…"

 _And I am now quite in favor of a_ _ **part-to-part**_ _!_ Maya added silently, already trembling with anticipation as he reached for her.

* * *

He drew back slightly and, with painstaking deliberation, as though relishing how he was torturing her with his slow, methodical actions, untied the sash on her robe, revealing the wispy sweet nothings she wore beneath.

Maya was too lost under the hypnotic miasma of his burning indigo gaze to speak.

"You're exquisite, my love."

He reached over and touched his finger very delicately to the edge of one of her bra straps, by her collarbone, but instead of pushing it down and off her shoulder as she thought he would, he ran his finger slowly along then upper edge of her brassiere in front and then traced it all the way down around the bottom. Maya breathlessly watched his face while he did this. It seemed more intimate than kissing him had. By the time he'd finished outlining the whole thing, he'd barely touched her and yet she was so turned on her knees felt wobbly.

Phoenix's gaze was filled with intensity as he slowly slipped the dressing gown from her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor. He ran his hands down the length of her arms, his fingers entwining with hers. Then he crossed their hands behind her as he kissed her long and deep, pressed so tightly against her, it practically stole the breath from her lungs.

As soon as he released her hands, she lifted them to eagerly rake them through his midnight hair. He feathered kisses down her neck to her collarbone, and her breath caught in her throat. He smiled against her skin, acutely aware that this was her sweet spot. She felt his hands unclasping her bra, adding it to the pile at her feet. He bent his head and left a trail of kisses across the top of her bosom, his hands traveling up to cup them gently, the touch of his heated fingertips on her body nearly making her come out of her skin.

She lunged at him then, pressing feverish kisses against his fervent lips as the two staggered together across the room while she struggled to remove his shirt.

"Maya, don't rip this thing, _please_!" He protested with a laugh, already unfastening the final remaining few buttons on the clothing article before she flat out _tore_ it off of him! "This, along with the _suit_ , are a limited edition _loan_ , not a _gift_ , courtesy of the exclusive Miles Edgeworth collection!"

He vigilantly stripped off the garment and tossed it onto the adjacent sofa, and as she finally took the first sight of Phoenix shirtless in _forever_ , Maya found her knees shaking again as she ravenously eyed his supple build.

That firm, velveteen flesh appeared as impossibly smooth as she remembered. Every inch of her lover appeared delicate to the touch; yet those tight muscles, she noted, as she raked her eyes over his chiseled bare torso, were nothing short of formidable. _Gorgeous_. Michelangelo himself couldn't have molded a finer specimen. It was astounding: seven years had passed, yet Phoenix managed to keep looking so _divine_ , even though this could be Maya's own lusty bias talking!

Nevertheless, she couldn't curb the growing admiration or longing building within her as she took in every fine contour and muscle, her eyes burning invisible marks of ownership upon his golden, unblemished flesh. It beckoned her like a siren and she was powerless to resist its song.

Despite all the countless times she'd seen her beau undressed, she still found herself unable to peel her ravenous gaze away from the flawless curve of a tanned neck…that glorious collarbone…those delicious pink nipples that were straining for her nibbling attentions… that trail down to the gap between that smooth, sculpted chest. She wanted to massage those washboard abs with her tongue, then dip her fingers past that adorable belly button and continue giving him a tongue bath. Then she wanted to reach around him around and trace her fingers over the fine arch of his lower back and stroke his perky ass while her lips went down the happy trail low on his tummy. She planned to take that trail as far as she could…

All her senses were stirred as she breathed in Phoenix's musky cologne and shuddered in pleasure. His masculine scent was intoxicating. She wanted to bathe in it, drown in it, fall straight through until he didn't know which way was up and down.

He noticed her staring and blushed shyly. "What are you staring at?"

" _You_ , Nick." Maya stepped up to him and brushed a stray lock of hair off his forehead. "You're so damn beautiful."

"No, my love." She felt his hot breath tickle her ear as he bent down to nuzzle it. " _You're_ the beautiful one in this room."

It was her turn to flush slightly. _Beautiful_? No one had ever called her that and made her _believe_ it before. It made her feel like she was _all woman_. Like a wanton seductress who was overcome with love and yearning to feel more of this passionate man, and explore every part of him. She ran her fingertips lightly across his chest, then lower onto his flat stomach, loving the feeling of his muscles rippling from the gesture, and he let out a blissful groan.

They stood just inches apart, and she bashfully realized her scantily clad, perhaps _too_ slender from bridal diet body was being scrutinized. She tried to cross her arms over her breasts but he caught them, holding them out to the sides so he could continue to let his eyes roam over her nearly nude figure.

While Maya was a tad thinner from when they'd last been together, she'd still managed to keep those lush, feminine curves he'd always loved. Her obvious, but unnecessary modesty about her magnificent figure only aroused him further.

 _My love, you're a temptress, and you don't even know it. Slender hips, tiny waist, flat stomach, and those shapely legs – legs that were made to wrap around a man's waist. You stand there in nothing but silky undergarments which hug and compliment every curve they're nestled in, folding your arms over your chest like that just brings more of my attentions to those pert breasts, as if taunting me to feel their fullness in my hands, to taste their sweetness with my tongue until you're begging for me to take you._

She saw the covetous flames in his gaze as he eyed her hungrily, and the color heightened in her cheeks, but this time with pride, knowing she could still bring out that look of unmistakable concupiscence after all these years.

Phoenix took his time and continued to admire his lover's beauty, visible even in the low lighting: the defined cheekbones, the pout of her mouth, her large, expressive eyes. He lifted her chin and brought their lips together. It was the kiss of an ardent lover, communicating with his mouth that he wanted her. He pressed his tall body against her petite one, his fingers tangling in her glorious obsidian mane.

"Beautiful," he breathed again, returning his hands to her body as she placed her palms on his hard chest, lingering for a few moments before going south to his abs, biting her lip as he shivered from her touch, before allowing her fingertips to slip down into the waistband of his suit pants.

He shook his head.

"You first," he insisted. He began walking her backward toward the bed and their hands and kisses became urgent again. Maya knew she only had seconds left before she was going to be powerless, and since _she_ was already down to just her panties, she wanted _him_ significantly more naked than he was now.

She turned the tables at the last moment so he was the one with his back to the mattress, pushing him backwards onto it then quickly tugging at him until his pelvis was towards the edge of the bed, squatting down to her haunches so that her face was level to it.

Then she reached down, deftly snapping open his button and unzipping him before he knew what she was doing. Sitting up, his eyes widened as she slipped one hand inside, found what she was looking for, and gave him a gentle but insistent squeeze.

" _Maya_ . . . " he moaned, buying her a few more seconds, which was all she needed.

She slithered his trousers down his legs. He gave in, kicking off his shoes and allowing her to continue to slide them off. She knelt in front of him before he could stop her, and as she finished removing them, she chanced a quick look up. He was staring down at her with such an expression of lust and want, it almost made her reel back on her heels.

His black boxer-briefs were molded to his physique if they were made to be there. She could see his excitement underneath, her fingertips lightly fluttering and massaging him through the fabric with one hand while with her other, she ran her nails up the insides of his thighs.

She smirked up at him as he gasped from the touch, running her hands up along his firm bottom before grasping the back of his boxers firmly. Phoenix quivered in anticipation, knowing what was coming.

Maya shimmied her way back up, dipping her head and placing searing, open-mouthed kisses down his neck, stopping to nip, lick and suck on the pulse point.

Phoenix felt like he was drowning in a cloud of euphoria, uncaring about any telltale marks he'd have afterward. He _wanted_ to be claimed by her, _ached_ to feel those lips and teeth scrape every inch of his flesh. He tightened his grip on the duvet, twisting the fabric tightly in his fists as she leaned over and worked her way down his torso, leaving feathery kisses across his taut abdominals while slowly working her way south.

"You know I won't last if you do this!" He rasped. "Please, don't test my restraint, Maya. It's been far too long…"

Maya pulled back slightly, placing both palms on him and giving a few teasing strokes.

"Who was talking about _testing_ anything?" She asked innocently, then gave his inner thigh a playful flick of her tongue while a tremor went through him.

"My love, what are you _doing_ to me?" He moaned quietly, tracing his fingers lovingly around her face.

"Stop moving those sexy lips of yours, Nick," she purred. "And leave all things _mouth-related_ to _me_ …"

Without further preamble, she yanked downward and divested him of the underwear entirely. Then she closed her fist over him, and as he gasped again, she swiftly replaced her questing hands with her mouth.

At the first touch of her tongue, he bucked up from the bed so violently, Maya had to use both hands to hold him down, a devilish glint in her eye.

"No, Nick, you aren't going anywhere," she admonished him, then bent her head again.

"Oh, _God_ , Maya. . . Jesus," he groaned, his fingers winding in her hair. The feel of her hot breath against him was almost his undoing. Her hands gripped his hips, angling him so that he was completely vulnerable to whatever she wished to do to him.

Hearing that beloved voice in the throes of lust was a heavenly sound. Maya smiled inwardly. This was exactly where she'd wanted him; every impressive, granite-hard, spectacular inch of him. Pleasing him like this after so long would be nothing short of heaven.

Phoenix drew in a sharp breath of ecstasy from her virtuoso techniques, falling back helplessly against the mattress as she went on to give him what he knew was going to be _the_ most earth-shattering explosion he'd ever experienced in his entire life.

 _Oh, sweet lord._

He threw back his head and moaned – loud, long and sensual. The sound went straight to her core, and Maya desperately fought down the urge to speed things along as the sounds piqued her own excitement, while she continued her titillating actions.

One of the things that she'd always loved about Nick was how even in the act of _receiving_ gratification, he could make a simple act of expressing his pleasure be so damn sexy. She couldn't get enough of him, his responsiveness. It was teasing, hedonic, a sight for the eyes and all her senses.

As Maya's divine lip service began ascending to its fevered peak, bringing him closer and closer to the edge, Phoenix began to tremble and moan beneath the expertise of her skilled attentions. She continued work him to the point of crazed delirium, and then at last, his head fell back against the mattress, and he cried out her name over and over until he was completely and utterly spent.

Or so she _thought_ he was!

* * *

Which was why Maya was so surprised when she suddenly found herself being lifted effortlessly from her kneeling position on the carpet and landing on her back upon the bed with such force, that pillows were thrown all over the room, while he practically tore off her panties in the process.

Lying down beside her, propped up on one elbow, Phoenix laid his other hand upon her and leaned over her. His hands were surprisingly gentle, given the avidity in his eyes, as he traced the lines of her collarbone and ribs, curved over the swell of her bosom, and trailed onto her stomach.

Her heart beat faster and faster as his face came down towards her own, his lips a breath apart, long lashes dusting his flushed cheeks, their hot, shallow breaths mingling. His unsated fervor for her was evident. He wanted more, and so did she.

A soft moan escaped her as she tilted her lips upward, and he closed his eyes as those dewy petals came in closer proximity to his.

Phoenix brushed his lips over hers for several moments, his mouth tormenting and enticing hers, his tongue sliding up on her lips, licking at the crease. When her lips parted, he deepened the kiss. Their breath mingled as their tongues stroked against one another's. She was gasping when he drew his mouth from hers and began to kiss his way down her neck, taking special care to linger over the delicate skin at the base where it met her shoulder.

Although she initially felt as shy and awkward as she had the first night she'd been confronted with his bold sexuality and gently coaxing expertise, Maya closed her eyes and let the dream began. Only this time, it was a reality, and it far surpassed any fantasy she'd ever had.

She moaned inwardly with a combination of awakening arousal and reoccurring inhibition and slid her trembling hands onto his firm chest while his hand shifted endlessly down her sides, her legs, sliding with provoking indolence upward towards her chest, coming within tantalizingly propinquity of her rapidly rising and falling bosom, but still not touching. His thumbs slid downward, playing over her ribs and grazing her hipbones before gripping her hips and leaving a trail of heated kisses down her stomach. She sucked in a breath as his tongue dipped into her bellybutton and swirled around.

Just when she thought she would die from the aching need, he shifted back up, drove his tongue into her mouth, and his hands finally took possession of the heaving mounds that had been yearning for his touch. As his skilled fingers teased and fondled the erogenous area, the cry Maya had been suppressing erupted, and at the same moment her restraint broke. Her body rose and pressed against his and she ran her hands feverishly down the bunched muscles of his arms, welcoming the invasion of his tongue, giving him hers, rolling with him onto her side.

He tore his mouth from hers and she moaned in protest at the loss, then shivered in delight as he kissed her ear, sliding his lips down her neck before finally making their way to her bosom, the libidinous licks and nips of his heated lips on the sensitive flesh driving Maya to a wild frenzy. His exploring and tormenting fingers continued roving over every inch of her flesh, making her arch against his intimately caressing hand. Her fevered moans while she writhed against him were music to his ears.

He shifted on top of her, his hips insistent, his lips tender against the curve of her neck and cheek as his legs wedged between hers, and that was when Phoenix knew the exact moment she relinquished herself to him entirely. He felt the straining of her bowed back abating, and her legs relaxing, then parting for him against his nudging thigh.

The nostalgic sweetness of her well-remembered surrender sent salacity raging uncontrollably through him. It made his heart thunder and every inch of him throb, until even his limbs began to tremble as his mouth claimed hers again, his tongue tangling with hers, withdrawing and plunging deep. And then he stopped.

Cradling her face between his palms, he whispered hoarsely, "look at me."

Somehow, Maya managed to surface from her sensual daze; she forced her lids open and stared up into his scorching sapphire gaze, the flames in her dark orbs reflecting her own need.

Along with so much unrestrained love and intense passion that it nearly took his breath away.

Gone was his hazy aspirations of prolonging this unbelievable, momentous joining; all that mattered was being a part of her again. The veins in his arms stood out as he held himself above her, his eyes clenched shut, easing himself forward slowly and carefully, fighting the overpowering need to bury himself full-length into her incredible warmth, to devour her with his hands and mouth.

His control began to slip as she undulated her hips in frantic rhythm with his and slid her hands over his shoulders while chanting his name over and over again. But it was when he opened his eyes and looked down at her that Phoenix was hopelessly lost.

This was no longer a figment of his fevered imagination – the girl he'd loved for so long was the woman in his arms; the beautiful visage that'd haunted his dreams was inches from his, flushed with desire, shining ebony hair spilling over his pillow as they moved as one.

Maya been willing to endure the hollow emptiness of a sexless marriage, because in spite of the fact that he'd broken her heart, however noble his intentions, she had never wanted another man's touch on her skin, ever again. Because for the rest of her life, she had always wanted to belong to _him,_ and _only_ him.

The realization was overpoweringly poignant, and even then Phoenix might have been able to continue his slow and steady rhythm, if Maya hadn't chosen that moment to run her fingers through the spikes at his nape, press herself up to him, and whisper, " _Please, Nick_."

The exquisite sweetness of his name on her lips and the stirring shift of her body reaching for his tore a silent groan from him. He covered her lips with his, and with infinite gentleness, began to rock with her, first with slow depth, but then steadily increasing the tempo of his ministrations, until she was thrashing wildly beneath him.

Her fingernails bit into to his back and buttocks, clutching him to her, while the passionate raging inside her built along with his own. They were reaching together for it… Finding it in the same moment, exploding together than shattering together in a long burst of extravagant pleasure, when she completely consumed him and he completely consumed her and Phoenix had no idea where his love ended and hers began.

Limbs entwined, heart thundering, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, unable to stop neither his pelvic gyrations nor the need to remain joined with her, wanting to release over a years' worth of yearning. Maya clung to him as she began to convulse again, until her rhythmic spasms had finally drained them both of everything except a feeling of overwhelming joy and peace.

He collapsed against her, his skin fiery, his breathing labored, and then he shifted onto his side to keep himself from crushing her, taking her with him, his arm around her back, his fingers buried into the bunched satin of her hair. Silent, floating, still one with her, he let his hand drift up and down her spine, reveling in the warm brush of her lips against his collarbone.

Gathering her into his arms, he pulled her tightly against his chest and felt her breathing even out and realized she was falling asleep. He smiled to himself, a little embarrassed his lack of restraint had worn her out so completely and so quickly, but grateful that she was at least falling into a satiated, blissful slumber.

He closed his eyes, savoring it, filled with reverence for all the things she was and for all the things she made him want to be. Almost a year and a half ago, he'd been cheated of heaven; but somehow they'd smiled down upon him and he'd found it again today, and there was nothing that he wouldn't do to avoid losing it again. He knew right now he had nothing to offer Maya except himself, and that tomorrow there might be consequences for the huge sacrifice she'd just made, but he knew they'd get through it; that together, they could and would get through anything and everything.

But right now, at that moment, nothing in the world mattered to him except holding the love of his life in his arms.

After hundreds of courtroom and real life battles for both his life and her own, the greatest moment of triumph he'd ever known had come to him when this brave, irrepressible, fearless woman had decided, for all the world to see, to cast aside everything that'd ever mattered to her in order to publicly prove her unwavering love and belief in him, regardless of what it might cost her.

This morning, his life had seemed as bleak as death. Tonight, he held joy in his arms. Someone or something—fate or fortune or God—had looked down upon him this day and seen his anguish. And, for some reason, Maya had been given back to him.

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey. They were meant to be together. They had _always_ been meant to be together.

Closing his eyes, Phoenix brushed a kiss against her smooth forehead. _Thank you_ , he thought.

And in his heart, he could have sworn he heard a voice answer, _You're welcome._

* * *

 ** _Detective Tyrell Badd_**  
 _Somewhere in Europe_  
June 17, 2026 8:30 AM

* * *

 ** _In my solitude you haunt me  
_** ** _With reveries of days gone by  
_** ** _In my solitude you taunt me  
_** ** _With memories that never die_**

* * *

The burly man looked up from his computer monitor and groaned loudly as he heard the familiar melancholic strains of the piano, followed by the lugubrious song blaring from the speakers in the next room – _yet again!_

* * *

 ** _I sit in my chair  
I'm filled with despair  
There's no one could be so sad  
With gloom everywhere  
I sit and I stare  
I know that I'll soon go mad_**

* * *

 _Not **this** tune again!_ He face palmed. _I love Nina Simone as much as the next guy, but **not** the same song for the **third** time in a row in the past half hour! If I were more tech savvy, I'd rearrange the wiring and fry the damn stereo! Maybe I can just riddle it with bullet holes until it finally dies of long overdue, untimely death?!_

* * *

 ** _In my solitude  
I'm praying  
Dear Lord above  
Send back my love…_**

* * *

"Will you quit listening to that depressing stuff already?" He bellowed to the occupant in the next room. "Get your butt in here and check out the latest scoop! It's on that celebrity online news channel Kay introduced me to! You'll never guess what latest video has gone _viral,_ even though it was just uploaded a few of hours ago!"

The music abruptly switched off so his companion could answer him.

"Humph! I have no interest in such banal frivolities!" The occupant in the other room replied tersely. "Have you been _net surfing_ when you are supposed to be _screening_ all those _thousands of hours_ of captured footage for Lang?!"

"Aw, give me a break, _all merciful warden_! Even _prisoners_ are allowed time off for good behavior!" Badd guffawed loudly. "Just trust me – you've _got_ to see this! Your tedious, never-ending data mining can wait for a few minutes!"

The Detective's 'warden' came to his office doorway and scowled at him.

"At least _I_ am doing my job and I do not allow my recreational indulgences to interfere with my work unlike _some_ people! If _you_ are so adverse to my favorite crooner, may I suggest you get ear plugs! Since you only have _one_ good ear, you would only need to worry about the _other_ side!"

"You're just a big old ray of sunshine today, aren't you?" Badd goaded, completely unaffected by the lofty words of his cohort. "I didn't call you for a lecture! I just wanted you to see something I thought might be of personal interest."

"How very unlikely." A contemptuous sniff. "Fine, I shall indulge you this _one time,_ despite your asinine bellyaching about my favorite singer on a daily basis! Let us see what drivel has got you so distracted. But I would like to make it clear that if you continue shunning your duties of going through the surveillance footage for this cocoon investigation, I will _unplug_ the internet!"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're an incredibly _pushy_ _hellion_?" Badd popped a fresh lollipop into his mouth and arched a derisive, bushy eyebrow. "I'd think you'd would have a _slight_ soft spot for a recovering old man who was injured in the line of duty! The same one who provided _refuge_ for you this past year!"

"Spare me the self-pity story - I am hardly _squatting_ here! _Somebody_ had to play nursemaid after you nearly got yourself blown up to smithereens!" His colleague grumbled as they came behind him to stare at the monitor. "Since you have me here now, go and show me what piqued your attentiveness, and made you believe it was something _I_ would care to see as well?"

"Well, assuming you ever ceased playing forlorn music while being moled up in the guest room, and actually planned on resurfacing back to the _land of the living_ , perhaps this _could_ be a _person of interest_ to you." Badd waved his tootsie pop at the screen, where a beautiful young woman was singing her heart out, on what appeared to be a luxury hotel stage. "It's that famous spirit medium girl, isn't it? She was pals with Miles – but wasn't she friends with you, too?"

The second pair of startled eyes were now riveted on the video footage, which showed Maya singing a nearly flawless performance of the famous _Coyote Ugly_ soundtrack song, and then racing from the stage, right into Phoenix's waiting arms, with the obviously reunited lovers sharing a passionate embrace in front of hundreds of witnesses.

Well _millions_ of spectators now, since the video had apparently gone viral worldwide! The incident had only happened a couple of hours ago in California and was already streaming in Europe!

The caption running in huge letters across the bottom of the video screen read: **_Stand By Your Man! Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, Maya Fey Severs All Ties That Bind Her To Being Village Leader To Support Lover, Former Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright!_**

"Only time will tell if that was a romantic or idiot move on her behalf," Badd speculated. "Nowadays, in this tell-all age of the media and internet, is there _really_ such a thing as bad publicity? Either way, I don't think Maya needs to worry if ultimately, her loyalty to Phoenix, who was also a friend of Miles's if I'm not mistaken, ends up slowing down the spirit medium racket. The gal's got quite a set of pipes on her – she could always be the next pop-star!"

"Maya Fey was always foolishly reckless, even as a girl. I see womanhood has not changed her in the least, but perhaps that's the way things were meant to be." A nostalgic smile played on Badd's coworker's face. "But she and Phoenix Wright have always deserved one another. Good for them, having worked things out. At least they have one another at the end of the day."

The figure abruptly turned and headed for the door, stopping briefly to lovingly pet the gorgeous golden retriever who had been sleeping next to the entrance, before waving their finger warningly at Badd.

"Now, thank you, we've had our fun, but there's much to be done! Time to get back to work! Or your _next_ lashing will not be of the _verbal_ , but of the _whipping_ variety!"

"That's hardly the kind of TLC a recovering old man needs, _Nurse Ratchet!"_ Badd called after her retreating back, then shook his head at the dog, who cocked her head inquisitively at him. "That's one mean Mommy you've got there, Pess!"

"Quit bad-mouthing me to my daughter!" The dog owner's amusement was palpable despite the attempt at mock indignation, while the sounds of Nina Simone once again began playing from the other room. "You _know_ your recovery since the accident has entirely been due to the benefit of _my_ bedside manner, you stubborn old goat!"

"Whatever you say, Miss Bossy Pants! _You_ know you're _still_ the same bad-tempered firecracker you were as a young kid, right Franziska?"

" _You_ know you _love_ it, you foolish fool!"

 _ **Celine Dion – It's All Coming Back To Me  
**_ _ **Leanne Rimes – The Wright Kind of Wrong  
**_ _ **Nina Simone – Solitude**_

* * *

 _AN: **who wants to see Maya's promise ring? imgur dot com/a/o1khh**  
Also, thanks so much to my loyal readers, friends and FF writers TheFreelancerSeal for the Celine Dion and Ilet Moratar for the Nina Simone song suggestions!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 163**

DannyDragon

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_ See review below, _mi hermana tien un español recomendación port tu!_

I like the idea more of the foxy Mia being a diva more than Yoda! Of course Miles enjoyed dancing with the sexiest woman in the room! He is still a man – and as the bartender reminded him, Mia is _all_ woman! :p

And I am so happy you liked the Magshoe cameos…they are what marital domestic bliss is all about and the AA cast in this story should be so lucky to have the same outcome as them! We know Larris and Phaya are on the happily ever after train…we now open the chapter back to Miles to see what's in store for him. Especially now that a certain someone is back! ;)

Gotta love Feyt! Luke had to jump through a few hoops for this puzzle, including the supernatural encounters, but in the end they are end game and despite their Disney couple status I did try to make them resolve their differences like adults.

I got your song list and sing you give me such great songs, am glad at least I can give you new words and terminologies including for band names! XD

 **Chapter 164**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **Ilet Moratar**

I am here writing a story and I am delighted if it entertains you, but I'm not here to be anyone's sex educator (apparently **, the site, p*rnhub** actually now has a sex ed section for that by the way!) , therefore, if and when coitus becomes a real-life occurrence in those of my readers, I cannot answer your hilarious query about the whole _what-if factor_ in your very amusing _"if lemons bother, make lemonade!"_ supposition! XD

Different strokes for different folks no matter how tasteful my efforts, but it's why I give heads up all the time at chapter start, and will surely not make me value those readers any less!

That being said, I'm very happy that you enjoyed my last chapter efforts as erotic and filled with the love in tended to be shown with Larris _mi hermana dulce_ \- as Larry was thinking to himself marital relations are not only culturally and religiously supported but _expected, es verdad, no?_ :p

Fewer things make me happier than knowing my readers have enjoyed my work and sense not only the love I put into it but that which I tried to show between the characters! I will never tire of anybody repeating that they enjoyed what I did with the unlikely pairing of Larry and Iris, never mind hearing that they think I captured their romance without any sort of vulgarity. I do think that even those with the most tumultuous past can have a lot of their pains erased with the love of the right person, and with his love, the bride is now on the path to being free from her painful past memories to have them be replaced with happy ones.

Since Larry did not get a bachelor party I had to say it was fun sneaking in that brief moment of Wrightworth boy talk with Larry! Thank you very much for your assistance with that dialogue I personally thought it was pretty damn funny and it seems my readers had no objections to it either! XD

 _"There is a beautiful phrase that Italian Hero Luigi Rossetti tells his beloved Barbara in the novel 7 Women (I recommend it to **DannyDragon,** who can watch it in Spanish): "There is no dishonor when there is love. That love, because of it a new life is generated, and the capacity to create new lives is what most brings a woman closer to God."_

I am going to just leave that up and hope _mi amiga musica,_ **Danny Dragon** knows you thought of her! :)

 **Joeclone**

I never did get a guest review sweetie, just this delightful one from one of my favorite guys on here! I am grinning like an idiot at having my wonderful readers describe my first love scene in ages as first _hot and fluffy_ , and now _romantic and spicy_! Too cute! Thanks so much! :)

 **Brock's Geodude**

Thank you my fellow Canadian! It seems since he's a model worshiping type that Larry is a man who appreciates great beauty, which Iris definitely is, but is nowhere near shallow or vapid like the rest of them! I'm so happy you like this pairing, and indeed two characters who have done a lot of dumb things in the past seems to be the unlikely tie that binds these two! :p

 **Feraligreater328**

I've decided I actually don't mind Iris at all (just not with Nick!) now that I've written her. After all, she is still related to two of my favorite living characters, and it's almost tragic how Capcom hasn't even mentioned her, or at least acknowledged her as a Fey relative, since the third game!

Everybody deserves happiness, and I know Iris and Larry were very admittedly The Odd Couple, but I am absolutely giddy with how the majority of my readers have accepted the pairing and can feel the love I tried to show between them! You're the best, pal! :-)

 **thepudz**

 _Hot and fluffy_ has never been a term that I think has been used to describe my work before – but I think I rather like it! For the most part, I try very hard not to write any sort of close encounters between these characters that isn't an expression of love, and I am delighted the love between the newlyweds was palpable last chapter! Thanks for making my day, mate! :)

P.S. ignoring the fact that they totally regressed and ruined Larry's character in Spirit of Justice, he's kind of cute now, and official shirtless artwork has shown that while actually thinner than Phoenix and Miles, the Butz is still nicely shredded, so it wasn't too hard to write him in la boudoir, although we all know Larry's still definitely the luckier one in the Larris pairing! :p

 **chloemcg**

I really believe the love of the great person can help conquer all your demons, including in the case of poor Iris having had an actual demon for twin! Also, the idea of the bride thinking that she had married Don Juan DeMarco (only to find out he was _anything Butz_!) was definitely supposed to be comical, so no, you're not mean for laughing at that milady! XD

Indeed the ever despicable to the very end Mildew is deserving of a ferocious feline kiss from Regent (if not worse!) seeing as how the aftermath of her vile poison has continued to affect both Larris and Phaya even now!

I hope you're not dealing with anything similar to what I have been enduring with Tumblr dear girl, keep me posted on that! I'm very excited about your upcoming story with Luke and Pearl as I adore them and you write delightful fluff so I'm sure it will be wonderful you're very welcome for following you! :)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Iris honestly seems like a very sweet character who loves without guile either people don't deserve it, and I can only imagine that even though she was wicked beyond all reason, Dahlia still was her twin, so losing her couldn't have been any easier on her then coming to terms with the fact that she shares the face of a monster.

The reason I love beauty and the Butz so much is because I really do think they bring out the best in each other, she makes him less annoying and eyeball rolling worthy, while his unwavering and unconditional love gives her the extra strength and support she needs to finally have a spine and love herself at last!

Nick and Miles are normally such great and loyal pals, but it _was_ a wedding and booze was _bountiful_! Since Larry didn't get a stag night to give them a chance to rip on him, this bout of drunken male hijinks was the best they could do! Hee! Glad you liked that round of poor Larry being the Butz of all the jokes right till the end!

I try very hard not to write meaningless sex, although I do understand it's not for everybody, and acknowledge that I have readers of many various ages and tastes out there, so I will always give a heads up whenever a chapter has _pow chikka pow pow_! :p

Also, I'd like to say as a public announcement that if I were not already happily married, I would _marry the heck_ out of you for being so amazeballs and supportive, not only for my music choices (Celine Dion does make me proud to be Canadian!) but for actually enjoying _and_ defending my last hot and fluffy/romantic and spicy scene, despite hilariously disclaiming that you're a prude! XD

You're the best, bud! *hugs*

 **CzarThwomp**

She may have done some questionably idiotic things trying to prove her sibling loyalty to her much undeserved daemonic twin, but Iris is ultimately one of the nicer characters in Ace Attorney I really think she believed Dahlia was merely misunderstood since she actually felt _sorry_ for her! It gave me great pleasure give her a happy ending I thought she deserved am very happy you liked it!

While not as handsome as Phoenix and Mile, I felt in Ace Attorney 6 Larry was actually not bad looking, (minus the ridiculous facial expressions he makes and his ability to weep at the drop of a hat) so I did imagine him not to be a _total virgin_ , like his pals teased him for being, but reckoned he has the ability (if a girl has weaker resistance than the rest!) to _literally_ charm the pants off a gal… However since _he_ was usually the one that was dumped instead of vice versa I do think he may have been mostly a one-hit wonder what the 2-3 girls he _did_ get to _"do the nasty"_ with him, therefore your hysterical scenario of said girls _"handcuffing him to a bedframe before running off with his clothes and wallet?"_ Is perhaps not so far-fetched! After all, we know all those shallow model types are all about the Benjamins, baby! XD

I have to thank my Latina sister from another Mister, _Ilet Moratar_ for her comedic wit and helping portray the Edgeworth being a super villain scenario that you enjoyed thusly! Your idea of him " _sitting in a maroon swivel chair in some high tech lair"_ with Pess and Kay at his side while he waited for the prime opportunity to ruin poor Larry's honeymoon with an inopportune phone call not only had me wheezing for breath, (as is tradition with your reviews/writing!) But made me think that _Edgeworth the super villain_ running Miles Edgeworth land (with rides such as " _Big Nnnnnggghhhhoooooh Mountain, Whip Lash Splash Mountain, Ms. Oldbag's Wild Ride_!") as the means to fund his fortune to run his megalomaniac schemes would be a sidesplitting alternative universe FF/one shot… If you ever run out of writing ideas or ever request a prompt that would definitely be _my_ request to you funny man! :p

 **napoleon32**

Since Larry is normally such a comic relief guy, it was very hard to try to keep him in character to show that wonderful goofy nature in play (that's why I had to throw in one final round of ribbing with his friends, the duo of merciless drunks and yes, agreed, Edgeworth should _never_ be allowed to drink in public again – _ever_!) while still showing him as the loving husband who would be sympathetic and supportive to his poor wife's shattered spirits due to the double whammy of dragons and demons past!

I really do believe being a nun would make Iris be too pious to hate anyone, even if they deserved it, and I wanted to give her a bit more depth while showing just how much Larry's love can at last lift her up where she belongs! XD

I am so glad that I was not only able to use your wonderful head canon but you felt I did it justice! :)

Hehe. I was excited about the Phaya chapter and getting to write my OTP the way I've been yearning to for ages! I hope my readers share the same sentiment!

 **Yanmegaman**

 _"Huh. So Larry was a virgin? Honestly, I'm surprised I'm not more surprised."_

No he'd gotten _some_ action pal, just nowhere near the 30-40 like Iris speculated, but not quite _nada_ like Wrightworth was ribbing. The Butz told his wife to drop the ZERO not the 3 or 4! Silly arse!

 **JaDe In NighT**

Since the redheaded demon spawn was willing to let Iris killed or be incarcerated, it's hard for me to fathom that Dahlia ever loved anyone but _Dahlia_! However, I do think that for a girl who pretty much hated everybody around her, the satanic succubus definitely hated Iris _the least_! XD

I try really hard not to have PWP, but since this is a love story, the odd steamy scene (which I know I have not had in a long time!) will still be scattered here and there. However, it is also why I always put the standard disclaimer up, so my readers have the option to read or not. I appreciate the fact that you have still stuck with the story this far, even if there are parts written which I acknowledge are definitely not for everybody. So thanks for still reading Jade! :)


	166. The King of Wishful Thinking

_A/N: Hi guys! I have missed you all, as well as this story, something fierce during my mini-break! I took some time to update my sorely abandoned other fanfiction,_ _ **Filling the Void**_ _. Now that I have left it at a suspenseful but hopefully enjoyable cliffhanger, I now return to my baby, which is TE, where I know I also left things on a high note...then opened up a whole new can of worms at the very end of the chapter, post Phaya reunion. ;)_

 _Also, I have a new poll on my profile with a question for my wonderful readers regarding TE updates which I'd really love your feedback on, please and thanks!_

 _Anyway, enough of my rambling! On with the Edgeworth arc! I hope you enjoy this new arc as your weekend reading! :)_

* * *

 _I was told that it's been a long time  
_ _no one knows where you are  
_ _Tired of waiting for me,  
_ _one day you left me  
_ _I was told that you suffered  
_ _and never forgot me_

 _My love, that's life, it's just like that  
_ _Because for not having loved you enough, I lost you  
_ _And today, I regret it  
_ _You see, time just confirms  
_ _that love is something you never can play with  
_ _Love is a feeling_

 _It hurts to think  
_ _you don't love me anymore  
_ _It hurts even more  
_ _to know that tomorrow doesn't exist anymore...  
_ _My love, that's life, it's just like that  
_ _I played with love, and I lost you  
_ _And now, I go back home, alone_

 _I was told that it's been a long time  
_ _no one knows where you are  
_ _Tired of waiting for me,  
_ _one day you left me  
_ _I was told that you suffered  
_ _ _and never forgot me__

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Six:** **The King of Wishful Thinking**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth  
**_ _High Prosecutor's Office  
_ July 12, 2026 12:33 PM

 _There are some things in life that defy logic. I would think at this point in my life, I'd have learned to suspend disbelief and finally come to terms with the fact that absolutely nothing is set in stone, either with anything I've ever grown up believing in, or reckoning to be true._

Miles had witnessed spirit channeling on several occasions now, and was therefore aware that such a thing was definitely not the mere bedlamite nonsense he had once dismissed it to be. Both Pearl and Maya Fey's otherworldly powers were no farce, and indeed the real deal.

Therefore, knowing what he did about the inexplicable Fey mystical capabilities, and as inconceivable a notion as it'd seemed to have nothing but the premonitions of a dead psychic's warnings to go by, Miles had known instinctively everything Mia Fey had told him would somehow prove to be true. That with regards to the Dark Age of the Law, and implied corruption, both with the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor's Office itself, it all warranted further investigation on his behalf.

So then why was he _still_ so thunderstruck when the world as he knew it, despite the foreshadowing given by his best friend's deceased mentor at Larry and Iris's wedding reception, had come crashing down around him two days ago, yet _again_?

 _Because I didn't_ _ **want**_ _to believe it could be true. Even though I knew Mia would never steer me false, a part of me was pitifully hoping against hope that she was merely trying to distract my forlorn self with more work to delve into, in the unlikely event that investigating a certain wretched Kurain harpy wasn't enough to keep me occupied and then have nothing better to do but mope about losing Franziska!_

"Forget being the one-time _King of Prosecutors_!" He let out a mirthless bark of laughter. "More like the _King of Wishful Thinking_!"

 _I naïvely wanted to believe that after making examples of Manfred Von Karma, Damon Gant and Blaise Debeste, all power-holding parties involved within our legal administration would be above reproach! Is it our destiny to be forever doomed and led by narcissist, morally bankrupt, self-serving sociopaths with megalomaniac tendencies?_

The High Prosecutor leaned back in his leather wingback office chair and shut his eyes as he mulled over the devastating outcome of the _State vs. Machi Tobaye_ trial. It had opened up a Pandora's Box from hell. On top of that, as the result of all the inconvenient truths that'd unraveled when Apollo Justice had helped convict the true killer of Romein LeTouse, it'd also consequentially and unexpectedly thrust an enormous responsibility upon Miles himself.

Normally any sort of new challenge would have been welcomed by the workaholic attorney, but in light of everything else, it now seemed slightly overwhelming. The legal eagle hated the idea of leaving loose ends, but this latest pile on his plate wouldn't allow him to partake in _anything_ else, including the very much ongoing sting operation.

Unfortunately, working alongside Phoenix and Maya for the past month while further inspecting the shady deeds of the scheming fortune hunter that was Mildred Latrine had not only taken top precedence, but a lot more of his time than he'd initially estimated it would. Ergo, he'd scarcely had opportunity to wrap up the investigations of the whole Kurain financial fraud scandal, when all hell had broken loose.

 _When will the madness cease for good?!_ He rubbed his aching temples. _When will all this mayhem and corruption around us finally come to an end?! If only Wright still had his badge…he would be my ultimate ally in unravelling all this mess!_

Miles had been deeply chagrined to discover he'd barely scratched the surface of the unscrupulousness ill-doings of his fellow peers when, much like the firecracker used in the last case, the ugly truths had exploded around them, leaving nothing behind but carnage and debris in the aftermath. Not only had the young red attorney exposed how ostentatiously debauched things had gotten with the American legal system, but the murder of foreign visitor, LeTouse – and at the hands of a _detective_ , no less! – had thrown a wrench into the entire cocoon operation.

After all, the homicide victim who'd been posing as the mysterious singer Lamiroir's manager had been no mere Interpol Agent. LeTouse had been their inside man, and Miles, as the planted American land asset, had been the agent's sole point of contact. The two men had agreed to get together to go over strategies along with the Borginian's latest findings right after The Gavinners concert. Unfortunately, the bearded man's unforeseen murder had thrown a monkey wrench into _that_ entire arrangement.

Regardless of how dismissive and contemptuous LeTouse had been towards Miles and Lana the one time they had met him in New York, he still hadn't deserved his cruel fate. And as much as Miles's partner had despised the Borginian for stealing credit for _their_ stumbling upon black-market rhino horn being used as a recreational drug, the prosecutor had never wished any ill-will upon the man, never mind an untimely and _suffering_ demise via a .45 caliber handgun's bullet!

To say that Interpol had experienced "a setback" to the entire seven-year long undercover case would've been the _understatement_ of the century! The worst part was the relentless Lang would never accept how such a thing could have ever happened, or that Miles's hands were now tied! In fact, he was due for a video chat with the irate Interpol head any moment now, something he was anticipating about as much as one would look forward to a month in the dentist's chair.

The stressful situation was giving him a terrible headache, and he fervently wished Phoenix would hurry up and get there already, so they could finally tie everything together regarding the Dragon Lady. Miles had actually been enjoying the welcome distraction of investigating with his favorite ex-courtroom rival and plucky spirit medium. And while seeing the recently reunified pianist with Maya again filled him with genuine happiness for the other man, he'd be lying if he didn't also admit it filled him with the occasional wistful pang of envy as well.

 _It's not very fair of me to feel this way,_ he acknowledged ruefully. _Wright has also suffered and lost so much himself all these years. He deserves to have some happiness and the support of a good woman by his side. Those swains are two of a kind, and should have never been apart in the first place. It's not their fault being around them is an often painful reminder to me of how happy Franziska and I used to be…_

He cursed inwardly at himself for allowing his mind to go down that disconsolate path and impatiently drummed his well-manicured fingers on his mahogany desk, now feeling slightly restless.

Since he'd already completed the morning newspaper crossword, Miles blindly reached for the remote to his office stereo and randomly hit a button, hoping some music would help soothe his frayed nerves.

A familiar, up-tempo beat began playing from the speakers.

 _ **I don't need to fall at your feet  
Just 'cause you cut me to the bone  
And I won't miss the way that you kiss me  
We were never carved in stone  
If I don't listen to the talk of the town  
Then maybe I can fool myself**_

He jerked slightly at the nostalgic stanza.

 _ **I'll get over you I know I will  
I'll pretend my ship's not sinking  
And I'll tell myself I'm over you  
'Cause I'm the king of wishful thinking  
I am the king of wishful thinking**_

Miles immediately recognized the opening song from the movie _Pretty Woman_. It had been Katharina's favorite movie growing up, one of the many inane "chick flicks" which, along with her relentless retro music, the elder Von Karma sister had repeatedly subjected him and Franziska to over the years. In spite of being raised in the same pendant, over-achieving house of the perfectionist Manfred, the psychologist had nevertheless inherited the benevolent Minna Von Karma's latent romantic streak.

 _ **I refuse to give in to my blues  
That's not how it's going to be  
And I deny the tears in my eyes  
'Cause I don't want to let you see no  
That you have made a hole in my heart  
And now I've got to fool myself**_

The slate-haired man took a huge gulp of steaming hot tea as he unwittingly allowed the piercing lyrics to flood his mind, gasping as the heated liquid burned a searing path down his chest, which now mirrored the resurfaced burning ache of his heart.

 _ **I'll get over you I know I will  
I'll pretend my ship's not sinking  
And I'll tell myself I'm over you  
'Cause I'm the king of wishful thinking**_

 _Dammit Wright! Where_ _ **are**_ _you? Get your hobo chic behind over here post-haste, so I can distract the disquietude of my ravaged mind from careening down this saturnine path again!_

 _ **I'll get over you... I know I will  
You made a hole in my heart  
But I won't shed a tear for you  
I'll be the king of wishful thinking**_

His subliminal urges to the universe and his best friend remained unheard, as Phoenix remained nowhere in sight, and the song ended with its final gut-wrenching verse, which was way too close to home for his liking.

 _ **I'll get over you...  
I'll pretend my heart's still beating  
'Cause I've got no more tears for you  
I'm the king of wishful thinking...  
I'll get over you... I know I will  
You made a hole in my heart  
And I'll tell myself I'm over you  
'Cause I'm the king of wishful thinking**_

In a precipitous, uncharacteristic display of frustration, Miles swiftly powered off the music and hurled the remote across the room, where it bounced against the cream wallpaper before landing harmlessly on the cushions of the cerise colored sofa positioned against the side wall.

He drew in a sharp breath, squeezed his eyes shut, and allowed himself to be enveloped in the surrounding stifling reticence.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Ema Skye  
**_ _Hickfield Clinic_  
July 9, 2026 6:00 PM

 _Ema sure picks the weirdest meet up locations for our friendly dinner dates!_ Phoenix reflected with wry amusement as he leaned back against his friend's vehicle in the hospital parking lot. _It's been not even a month since I got discharged from this place, yet here I am again already! Yeesh, I hope Karin doesn't spot me! She was the reason Maya nearly killed me last time! I swear, if I_ _ **never**_ _see this medical prison or its_ _ **overly-handy**_ _nursing staff again, it'll be too soon!_

Luckily, the petite brunette came bursting out the side doors just then, greeting the pianist with a warm hug.

"You _just_ missed the kids," the smiling detective informed him. "They wanted to see how Lamiroir was faring."

" _Lamiroir_?" He furrowed his brow. "That's the Borginian siren from The Gavinners concert, right? Why would _she_ be here?"

"She was admitted earlier this afternoon, because someone attacked the poor thing," Ema sighed, a distressed look on her face. "She's going to be fine, but Trucy and Apollo still came by to check up on her. It makes me sick to my stomach! Who would attack a helpless blind woman?"

"Some sort of monster, no doubt," Phoenix murmured as he climbed into the car. " _Who_ indeed?"

He remained lost in thought as he tried to recall some of the case details his daughter and employee had been regaling him with during the last couple of days. It was embarrassing to admit that since reuniting with his lover, he hadn't really had too many opportunities to pay much mind to Apollo's courtroom trials, as whatever free time he did have, whenever not working, had been spent with Maya, and/or Edgeworth, due to the Mildew investigation.

"Well look, the diva's back in her room already," Ema noted, jutting her chin towards a ground level window as they slowly drove past it. "I guess she was too tired from the stress and recovering from her head injury to want to visit with Boy Wonder and his assistant for too long. She's a pretty lady, isn't she?"

The patient had obviously just been administered some medication, which had been placed by her bedside table. As the curious Phoenix craned his neck to peer through the open curtains of the windowed room, he saw the mysterious singer raise a hand to pop the pills into her mouth. The actions caused the long sleeve of her cloak to fall back, exposing one slender wrist, while with her free hand, she discreetly lifted the translucent veil which masked the lower part of her face, revealing the ethereal porcelain visage beneath. Her flawless features perfectly complemented her startling, albeit tragically sightless, wide-set blue eyes.

 _Holy jumping mother o' God in a side-car with chocolate jimmies and a lobster bib!_

Phoenix's lips parted into a wide _O_ as he did a double-take, right before his head fell back gracelessly against the passenger headrest with a heavy _thunk_.

Fortunately, Ema had been too busy focusing on driving towards the exit to have noticed her friend's dumbfounded expression. Phoenix hastily attempted to morph back to his customary inscrutable countenance, yet failed miserably, as she suddenly swiveled puzzled teal eyes towards him.

"Um, hello? Earth to Mr. Wright?"

The science enthusiast cast him another quizzical sideways glimpse, now noting he hadn't answered her prompt, and quirked a teasing grin as she saw his saucer-sized orbs.

"I hope you know that you were just privy to a _very elusive peep_ of the famous songbird _sans_ mystery veil, Mr. Wright! But feel free to pick your jaw off the ground _any day now_! I mean, sure, Lamiroir _is_ a beauty, but get a grip! Aren't you a _spoken for_ man?"

Phoenix struggled to come up with a believable fib for his all-too telling reaction to the singer, but his brain cogs couldn't turn fast enough to take in the information his still-staggered eyes had observed.

 _Hot diggety, dagnabbit! That unmistakable hidden_ _ **bracelet**_ _! It has a_ _ **twin**_ _! Those eyes… I_ _ **know**_ _those eyes! They're my_ _ **daughter's**_ _eyes! And that_ _ **face**_ _– I've seen it in photos! Lamiroir_ _is no mere_ _ **singer**_ _! She's…_ _ **Thalassa Gramarye**_ _! Apollo and Trucy's long-lost, so-called dead_ _ **mother!**_

He slumped in his seat as he tried to digest all this, feeling slightly queasy at the magnitude of this latest discovery, which was only another layer of deception added to the mountain of Gramarye secrets he'd be forced to keep.

 _Some bastard tried to kill my daughter's mother. Apollo's mother. But_ _ **why**_ _? I recall the kids telling me the siren lost her memory, along with her eyesight. She just woke up one day, reborn as Lamiroir, ergo she has no idea or recollection of who she really is! So why would anyone want to hurt her?_

Before he could utter some sort of feeble excuse about his bizarre behavior, Ema, who'd been rummaging through her purse to locate her wallet in order to pay for the parking, suddenly let out a gasp of dismay.

"Holy cripes on toast and criminalities!" The chocolate muncher exclaimed, clapping an aghast hand to her cheek. "I am missing one of my bags of Snackoos! Grrr! How can this be?! I didn't whip _that_ many at the fop this week, _did_ I? Ooh! I know! I must have left it behind at the Sunshine Coliseum while investigating in one of the dressing rooms!"

She shot Phoenix a sheepish grin, her earlier query mercifully forgotten.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wright, but do you mind if we make a slight detour en route to our dining destination? I need to return to the scene of the crime!"

The poker champ found his voice at last while dragging together the rags of his composure.

"Er, sure, no problem Ema." He forced a smile. "It'll be a nice nostalgia trip for me to be checking out investigation grounds again! We may even find more evidence to help out Apollo which may have been overlooked, right?"

She playfully stuck out her tongue in response. They both knew full well that as an officer of the law, her bias _should_ have been on the side of the prosecution, _not_ the defense. However, considering how much she despised Klavier, her assistance to Apollo in any way possible would be an unspoken _given_.

There was also the fact that the kind-hearted detective didn't genuinely believe a slight-built teenage musician was any more capable of firing such an enormous revolver than Phoenix did. It was yet another glaring example of how badly their legal system had gone to hell.

"Maya's a lucky girl! You're such a good sport - both about my waywardness _and_ my incurable sweet tooth!" Ema praised gratefully as she sped off towards the concert venue. "And you're right, it doesn't hurt to comb for evidence again! Who knows what might turn up when I have a second sharp set of eyes with me?"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright  
**_ _High Prosecutor's Office  
_ July 12, 2026 12:40 PM

Phoenix burst into the office and skidded to a halt at the irregular sight of his normally imperturbable best friend leaning back in his plush desk chair, eyes clenched tightly shut as though in pain. He cleared his throat, not wanting to startle the other man, but the DA didn't even flicker an eyelid in his direction.

"Hey, Edgeworth. Sorry I'm a little late," he began gawkily. "I missed the first bus to get here and had to wait another 20 minutes for the next one."

No response.

The spiky-haired man waited until a couple of more seconds had gone by, but it appeared the man in magenta remained unaware of his presence, and his apology.

"So, I've got some great news! Maya and I are now _officially_ done gathering all the actual comparative figures from every single one of the dozens of vendors that'd partaken the wedding. She had a couple of more shops to hit in Beverly Hills before making her way over here, but she wanted you to know she's on her way."

He paused for a breath.

"All we need now is to cross-reference _our_ legit pricing discrepancies against the fudged quotes in the ledger book. From there, it should be a breeze to figure out the corresponding amount of swindled dollars in Mildew's Cayman Islands bank accounts, which you've been scouring. I'm pretty sure we now have everything we need, evidence wise, to _roast_ the Dragon Lady with her own flames!"

Miles jerked up in his chair at the sound of the former defense attorney's ramblings, and blinked several times as his haunted gaze met the pianist's, whose forehead wrinkled with concern as he saw the dark circles beneath the Chess Master's eyes.

"Jeez, you look like hell, Edgeworth," Phoenix stated with the typical bluntness only a close friend could get away with. He tried to coax a reaction out of the dull-eyed attorney by veering to their predictable wisecracking. "Have you been dipping into the sauce again? I'd have thought you'd have learned your lesson at Larry's wedding! You must've had the _mother_ of all hangovers!"

Miles glowered at his friend, the taunting jibes possessing the desirous effect of putting the spark back into his listless, sleep-deprived self. While he knew he _looked_ every bit as drained as he _felt_ , nevertheless, it was most _uncouth_ for a _scrofulous_ man (with possession of _zero_ fashion sense!) to so _blatantly_ point it out, best friend or not!

"Like _you_ didn't?" The cravat-wearer snapped back peevishly. "If memory serves me correctly, Wright, I wasn't the _only_ one who _Mama Mia_ felt needed to be cut off that night!"

"I'm most blessed that Maya was a great nursemaid. She made sure I drank plenty of water after the reception _and_ had aspirin handy the next morning," Phoenix revealed. "It's actually pretty funny how you, me _and_ the newlyweds were utter, bleary-eyed messes at their legal ceremony the next morning! We all looked like we had been ridden hard and put away wet! Luckily there was no photographers around your office to capture our non-glory on film, huh?"

"Trust me Wright, while I appreciated you returning my suit back to me in one piece, _lucky_ was the very last thing I felt like! _"_ Miles replied dryly. _"Especially_ when I had to wake up at what felt like the crack of dawn in order to arrange the vicar and the marriage license, when I'd have preferred to sleep until at least _noon_! The worst part of nursing my hangover was not being able to treat it with my own preferred remedy of choice!"

"Oh?" Phoenix inquired. "What would _that_ be?"

"I'm a firm believer in _hair of the dog_ ," the counselor answered. "Instead, I was forced to endure Hendricks's wholesome, hearty alternative remedy of a _greasy English breakfast_! I normally prefer only tea and a crumpet for my first meal du jour, but my pushy manservant insisted I intake his artery-clogging homemade fare. It consisted of bangers, bacon, fried grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, tea, toast and marmalade – along with baked beans and black pudding!"

"Ugh, Maya told me about the horrors of black pudding when she went to England last year!" Phoenix shuddered. "Although it still sounds like you ate better than me! I'd have loved a hearty morning feast, but barely had time to make myself a cup of black coffee on the java maker in our hotel room! There was just no time for us to eat the offered breakfast there, because….er… _reasons_."

Miles bit back a knowing smirk, knowing _exactly_ what the reunited lovebirds had opted for during their last moments together instead of _food_!

"Um, then I hopped out of the taxi, which was already taking Maya back to Kurain, to meet up with you here, where I had to be an official wedding witness in my _track pants_!"

"Stop your grousing, Wright! At the risk of sounding crass, seeing as how _I_ was the only one of us three childhood chums who went to bed that night with only a splitting headache as _my_ sole company, and then a bossy British butler as my wake-up call, forgive me if I _don't cry for you, Argentina_."

"Well, you still did manage to make out better than _me_ , since _you_ probably got to go back to bed immediately after the legal ceremony!" Phoenix protested gamely. "Whereas right after leaving here, _I_ had to go _act natural_ in front of Apollo and Trucy at the courthouse before day three of the _State vs. Wocky Kitaki_ trial! This was in spite of my incorrigible daughter opting to test how good Daddy's poker-face was after hardly any sleep and too much to drink!"

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Trucy Wright  
**_ _District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 2  
_ June 17, 2026 9:52 AM

Phoenix barely hid a smirk as he sauntered over to his daughter and her secret half-brother in the lobby. The slouched-shouldered Apollo appeared to be positively exhausted. He was telling Trucy how he'd barely slept two hours, with the bubbly magician cheerfully reminding the red attorney not to worry, because even though he hadn't had any _Zzz's_ , he still had _her_ … as well as the Amazing Mr. Hat!

 _Such a supportive little sister!_ The poker shark smiled to himself as he strolled up to them, deciding to keep his visit short and sweet upon spotting the visible shadows beneath Apollo's eyes as he drew nearer.

The poor kid. Defending a recalcitrant, ungrateful punk with the IQ of room temperature was definitely taking its visible toll on him.

 _So it sounds like none of us guys got much sleep last night – albeit for entirely different reasons!_ The pianist chuckled inwardly. _Although to be frank, out of everyone, it would seem_ _ **I**_ _have least cause for complaint for my own lack of slumber last night…except for maybe Larry!_

"Good luck today, Apollo," Phoenix ventured as he came up from behind. He purposely kept a neutral tone, knowing full well the younger man, despite being his employee, still held him in some wary contempt over the whole forged ace incident.

"Th-That voice..." The horned lawyer spun around, his mouth dropping open in surprise.

"Heya," Phoenix greeted the spiky-fringed boy with his most benign smile, not wanting to let on how much he'd overheard. "Get any sleep?"

"Mr. Wright!" Apollo croaked, his Bambi orbs nearly bulging out of his head upon sight of the pianist, whom he'd last seen as a bandage-footed patient at the hospital.

The rookie's nonplussed reaction indicated to the card shark the magician had remained close-lipped regarding her awareness that her father was no longer at the Hickfield Clinic, and presumably kept the knowledge about his _other_ personal affairs undisclosed as well, which suited him perfectly fine. Until Apollo learned to trust Phoenix implicitly, he saw no need to let the younger man know too much about his private life, beyond a _need to know_ basis.

"I was going out of my mind with boredom, so I signed myself out earlier today," he lied glibly to the defense attorney, in response to the unspoken question about what he was doing there. "Somehow, that place makes fake piano playing at the Indochine pasta joint seem almost fun!"

Apollo still looked entirely flummoxed by his presence, so Trucy wisely chose to change the conversation topic onto a subject which would benefit all of them.

"Daddy! Do you know who Prosecutor Gavin's witness is today?"

Apollo eyed his assistant skeptically, obviously thinking the question to be an inane one to ask a disbarred defense attorney.

Phoenix bit back a smug grin.

 _As a matter of fact, dear boy, considering my best friend is a High Prosecutor and always one step ahead of everybody in the court system, I_ _ **do**_ _know, actually! But I think I'll mess with you a little bit, simply because your expressive facial expressions are so dang comical!_

"Take a guess!" He said mysteriously.

"Hmm..." Trucy tapped her chin thoughtfully. "How about Little Plum?"

"Ah ha ha!" Phoenix snickered and shook his head. "That Sherman tank of a mom? Nope, guess again."

"That's too bad. You know, speaking of _moms_..."

A mischievous twinkle flickered in the teenage girl's azure orbs as she bounced on her heels.

"You need to find me a _new mommy_ one of these days, Daddy!"

Apollo simply gaped at the magician, obviously more taken aback by her brazen candor with her father than the older man's impromptu appearance at the courthouse. In his newly stunned state, the Clarion of Revelations missed the knowing glance Phoenix and the magician exchanged.

The ex-attorney was keenly aware his daughter was cognizant about his reconciliation with Maya. After all, _Trucy_ had been the one who'd obviously had his belongings _and_ Maya's stashed away jewelry delivered to the hotel last night – and who knew what _other_ involvement she'd shared with Pearls in their reunion?!

However, that certainly wasn't the sort of thing Phoenix was about to get into with an employee around, even if he _was_ family. Not _yet_ , anyway.

"It's barely morning and you're at it already, Trucy!" He laughed good-naturedly. "Ah ha ha ha ha ha! At least wait until Daddy's had a few more cups of coffee in him before you start your daily Spanish Inquisition!"

"I'll grill you again at dinner then!" Trucy winked and tipped her hat at him.

Phoenix grinned right back. _Christ_ , he loved this kid, even though she clearly had _zero_ respect whatsoever for child/parental boundaries or privacy!

Apollo simply stared at both father and daughter with a mystified expression.

 _OK, see, this is why I don't buy their "father-daughter" relationship!_

"So, Mr. Wright! _Do_ you know who the prosecution's witness is?" He asked hopefully.

Relenting at last, Phoenix revealed that Wocky's fiancée, Alita Tiala, would be the one testifying, much to the perplexity of both siblings. Apollo seemed quite troubled by this report, but there was no more inside information the card shark could offer him.

Besides, he _really_ needed to get some sleep! His insatiable nymphomaniac lover had left him feeling more worn out than a three-armed tobacco picker on a blistering hot day pining for a cold glass of ice water!

Nodding brusquely, the former Ace Attorney bid the perceptive pair adieu, then turned and exited the courthouse.

Back in the lobby, Trucy was attempting to bolster the rookie's drooping spirits.

"Well, not to worry, Polly!" She trilled. "I've got my panties back!"

" _Gack_!" Apollo cringed as he felt his cheeks grew warm. "Again with _that_? What is it with _everything_ always coming back to your _magical underwear_?"

"Not _underwear_ – my _panties_ , Polly! Get it right! And don't you knock my _panties_! They're my stock and trade!" Trucy boasted, tittering at the awkward expression on his mien which surfaced whenever her signature prop was mentioned. "If we can't find a killer, I'll just pull one out of _there_!"

 _Jesus Haploid Christ!_

Apollo's horns drooped as he clapped a hand to his face. This was promising to be a _very_ long day _already_ , and it wasn't even 10:00 in the morning yet!

"Let's _not_ and say you _did_?!"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright  
**_ _High Prosecutor's Office  
_ July 12, 2026 12:51 PM

"Wright, I do believe, based on the story just you've told me, that Trucy has now joined Pearl as the co-owner in the future upcoming _Ace Matchmakers Agency_ ," Miles drawled, his lips twitching as he fought back a smile. "I do believe those two best friends are also shipping soulmates."

"No doubt!" Phoenix chortled. "Although is there really any further _matchmaking_ required on their behalf, now that Maya and I are officially back together? Those two need another project already! Perhaps they can shift their focus on hooking up young Mr. Justice with a new love interest? I'd suggest Ema, but all _she_ does is pelt the kid with Snackoos, like she does with almost everybody else!"

"In the meantime, perhaps your investigative daughter could hone her sleuthing skills by helping her Uncle Miles solve a particular mystery?" The barrister affixed the card shark with a pointed glare. "Since I was so rudely interrupted by _you_ shamelessly seizing yet _another_ opportunity to begin prattling gleefully about your rediscovered romance…"

" _Sorry_!" Phoenix flushed slightly, knowing he'd been as giddy as a love-struck teenager since reconnecting with Maya and that his friend was probably sick to death of it. "Carry on then?"

"Ahem. I never _did_ get a chance to elaborate about _why,_ the morning after the reception, I was forced to settle for a nauseatingly large breakfast, rather than my preferred typical antidote of _hair of the dog_ , did I?"

"Er, no, you didn't." Phoenix squirmed uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the unwavering slate stare. "My sincere apologies for monopolizing the conversation…"

"I'm very particular about my alcohol, Larry's last-minute nuptials notwithstanding, when I profess to indulging in whatever concoctions would obviate me from my surroundings most expeditiously."

Miles spoke pleasantly, although his eyes never left his friend's suddenly apprehensive mien.

"I am an avid wine connoisseur _and_ collector, which is why it was my key beverage of choice that night of the reception. The following morning, upon waking up and feeling like _death warmed over_ , I decided the time had finally arrived to dip into my vast collection. I fancied a nip of my exclusive vintage port, which I'd been saving for the longest time. The name of the coveted Portugal vino was _Quinta do Vallado Adelaide Tributa_ , and costs about $3700 a bottle."

Vivid recollections of the host gift he and Maya had presented to the Gumshoes a year and a half ago at Christmastime, which he'd nipped from Edgeworth's wine cellar, figuring it would never be missed amongst the _hundreds_ of other bottles, sprang to Phoenix's guilty mind. He _knew_ where this was going!

The former lawyer gulped, running his finger along the neckline of his T-shirt beneath his hoodie, which suddenly felt as though it were _suffocating_ him.

"Wow! That's, um, pretty steep for _one_ lousy bottle of _wine_! Kind of a _rip-off_ , really! I mean, what is _wine_ anyway, except _grape juice that burns_?!"

"It's one of my indulgences," Miles said primly, his voice still neutral even though his gaze hardened. "We are all entitled to have the occasional vice. _Yours_ is your questionable passion for grape juice, whereas _mine_ is with vintage wine – in this case, a rare port from 1866. You can't imagine my _astoundment,_ upon requesting Hendricks to fetch me the bottle, when I was informed, despite being away from the country _for seven years_ , that he was _unable to locate it_."

"Is that so?" Phoenix's mouth felt dry as he attempted to play dumb. "Does that mean your butler decided to help himself during your lengthy absence abroad?"

"Hendricks is so _English_ that despite being in America since before I was born, he still refers to elevators, apartments and crossing guards as _lifts_ and _flats_ and _lollipop men."_

Miles smiled humorlessly.

"This also means the only type of alcohol my butler ever indulges in is _gin,_ and a small glass of sherry at holiday dinners. Therefore, the likelihood of _him_ drinking from his Master's exclusive collection would be slim to none. Now, I was wondering about how to solve this most puzzling mystery I shall now dub 'The Case of The Missing Wine?' You wouldn't happen to have any clues to provide that'd be of assistance, would you, Wright?"

Phoenix wished he could disappear into the floor beneath him, as he had no idea how he would ever have the means to replace the carelessly filched bottle, the value of which was easily the equivalent of about _three months' rent_!

"Ah, well…" he croaked. "You see, Edgeworth…"

"Hi guys! How's it going?"

The out of the blue resonance of an _angel_ filled the room suddenly, causing the immensely relieved beanie-wearer to slump down onto the sofa like a sack of potatoes. The two men's discomfiting conversation came to an abrupt standstill, due to the impeccably timed interruption of Maya Fey, who chose that _exact_ moment to waltz through the office doorway.

"Sorry I'm late! I had to get the final missing figures from few of the wedding vendors who've been out of town till now!"

The flustered ex-attorney smiled gratefully at his girlfriend for her flawless timing. Maya blew him a kiss in response, while Miles tried not to roll his eyes.

 _It's official!_ He heaved a disgusted sigh. _Phoenix Wright truly is the luckiest sonofagun in the entire world! We_ _ **both**_ _know there's no way I'm going to rake his wine-pinching posterior over the coals **now** , as I'd never make a scene in front of a __**lady**_ _!_

The Kurain Master swept in grandly, blissfully unaware of the catastrophe she'd just averted, and flopped down onto the couch beside her inamorato, pecking him lightly on the lips as she did so. Then she greeted the prosecutor with one of her megawatt beams.

"Talk to me, you gorgeous guys! What have I missed so far?"

Before either man could answer, Miles's computer radiated a loud ringing sound. Right on schedule, Lang was making his video call, giving him no choice but to answer.

"Wright, Maya please excuse me," he said curtly, mentally letting loose a daisy chain of swear words in his mind before answering the live chat request of the irate-looking Wolf Man. "It's my superior from Interpol."

"Should we leave and give you some privacy?" Maya offered, already rising from the cushions and tugging at Phoenix's arm. "I'm assuming it's all classified information you need to discuss…"

The legist clenched his jaw. In light of everything else he was facing presently, the _last_ thing in the world he wanted was a lengthy, and sure to be _inauspicious,_ discussion with the tight-lipped man currently scowling at him on the computer screen.

Actually, he'd been _counting_ on the presence of his friends to be his surefire excuse which ensured he could cut things short if need be, as he was in no current mindset to handle any further sort of unpleasantry! Moreover, he was _positive_ Lang was going blow a fuse once Miles relayed that, in light of recent developments which had been _hurled_ at him, he'd no longer be able to partake in the cocoon investigation.

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Shi-Long Lang**_  
 _High Prosecutor's Office  
_ July 12, 2026 1:00 PM

"No!" Miles answered quickly, holding up his hand to stop the pair from leaving.

His atypical loud outburst caused Phoenix and Maya to eye him strangely, so he hurriedly attempted to sound less frantic and more friendly.

"I mean, _no_ , that shan't be necessary. Please stay, both of you. It's fine. _Really_."

" _Not so fast_!" Lang objected. "What the heck is wrong with you, Miles? I'm hardly going to discuss Interpol insider Intel within the presence of _civilians_! That's top secret!"

Miles smiled thinly, first at the stormy-eyed Interpol Agent on the monitor, then at the couple.

"Nonsense! There's nothing which needs to be rehashed that hasn't been relentlessly dissected _already_ , after all! The good agent and I need only to go over the details which unraveled during the Tobaye trial, most of which is already public knowledge. At the very least, it's certainly no secret to _Wright_ , since it was _his_ employee who brought everything to light! Isn't that right, Agent Lang?"

" _Lang_?" Maya perked up upon hearing the name and leapt from the sofa. "As in _Shi-Long Lang_?"

"Erm, yes…"

"No way! I've heard _so_ much about him from Gumshoe! I _have_ to say hello to the man who bravely took a bullet for his subordinate, even though it turned out she was a _homicidal maniac_!"

The village leader bounced over to the monitor behind Miles within the blink of an eye and waved gaily at the flabbergasted Interpol Agent on the screen.

"Hiya, Mr. Lang! I'm Maya Fey, spirit _medium_ at _large_! Get it? Tee hee! At long last we finally meet one of the folks from Miles's squad! Well, _virtually_ any way – _holy guacamole_ , has anyone ever told you that you look like a less hairy version of _Wolverine_?!"

There was a shocked silence following the outrageous question. From his place on the sofa, Phoenix slunk down on the cushions and emitted a low moan of embarrassment, which was echoed by Miles, whilst the staggered Interpol Agent fumbled for a response.

"Er, well…"

Lang seemed slightly flustered by the unanticipated combination of such friendly effusiveness, coupled with a side of heavy bluntness! He self-consciously ran a hand over the tufts of his superhero Twin Peaks hairdo and smiled tentatively.

"I am sure many have _thought_ it ... although no one's ever really said it to my _face_ …"

"That's because they're _terrified_ of your fangs, Wolf-Man!" A female voice in the background cut in with a giggle.

Lang glared over his shoulder at whoever had spoken and emitted _a very canine_ _growl_ in response, silencing them effectively, before turning back to Maya, who was beaming winsomely.

"It's nice to make your acquaintance, too, Miss Fey," the X-Men doppelgänger said politely. "Miles has spoken very highly of both you and Mr. Wright over the years. That was some video you made. It's gone viral worldwide, you know! Despite not being a fan of country music in general, I quite enjoyed your vocal tribute to Leann Rimes. I actually know all the lyrics to the song by heart now, since Kay's been playing it on constant replay every day for the last month!"

"Guilty as charged!" The female voice from earlier piped up.

The next thing Maya knew, the unsuspecting Interpol Agent had been pushed to the side of the screen, and an ebony-haired young woman, sporting a large key in the middle of her high ponytail, waved enthusiastically at the spirit medium.

"Hi Maya! I'm Kay Faraday, but you can call me Kay, K? Just wanted you know I absolutely _loved_ your grand romantic gesture, your singing, and the _song_ _itself_! Agent Lang knows _nothing_ about good music, because Leann Rimes is amazeballs! And so were _you_!"

"Oh my goodness! _Kay Faraday_! You're Miles's former assistant!" Maya delightedly clapped her hands. "I can't _believe_ we've never met before!"

"I know right?" Kay grinned mischievously. "You would think it was some sort of conspiracy by the powers that be or something! I think it's because Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth are paranoid about what dirty secrets would be revealed if their two ex-assistants ever got together!"

"Trust me, I gathered _a lot of dirt_ on Nick in the three years I worked with him!" Maya divulged with a wicked grin. "We should totally get together sometime and compare notes!"

"Mr. Edgeworth is a _total_ geek for _Steel Samurai_ …"

"I am too!"

" _I'm_ more of a _Jammin' Ninja_ girl, but you're so cool, I'm going like you _in spite of that_!" Kay snickered. "Anyway, Mr. Fanboy in Denial was all excited a few years ago when he met the _Steel Samurai_ mascot…but you should have seen the horrified look on his face when he saw it was _Larry Butz_ under the helmet! It was the same crestfallen expression of a little boy finding out there was no Santa Claus!"

"OMG!" Maya howled. "I wish you'd had a camera! That reminds _me_ of the time Nick and I were investigating the Big Berry Circus homicide. Money the Monkey, collector of all things shiny, stole his attorney badge and then he couldn't find where it was hidden! The indignant expression on his face, knowing he'd somehow been outwitted by a _simian,_ was absolutely _priceless!_ "

"Yup, that's the woman I love and am going to marry, ladies and gentlemen! As is tradition, she is currently _busting my balls_ to total smithereens!" The Master's mortified lover muttered darkly to himself as the two girls exploded into fits of mirth. "For an encore, she will then proceed to carry the shredded remains of _my dignity_ around in her handbag!"

"You and I have _got_ to get together sometime and compare the notes we have on these two dorks!" Maya was saying presently, oblivious to how red-faced her beau was by this whole exchange. "It would be _epic_!"

"For _sure_!" Kay clapped a gloved hand to her mouth to muffle a guffaw. "If all their quirks were brought to the other's attentions, you _know_ both these rivals would totally _die of embarrassment_!"

"I'm already _halfway_ there!" Phoenix groaned, while Miles simply face palmed for the umpteenth time and Lang's helpless gaze darted back and forth between the two raven-haired beauties, obviously wondering _when_ and _how_ he'd lost _all control_ of what supposed to be a _strictly business_ conversation!

"By the way Maya, I _love_ your hair!" Kay chirped. "Especially the beads! Way to _accessorize_!"

"I love _your_ hair!" Maya gushed. "You're _rocking_ that key! I bet it holds your mane together so much better than a pencil or chopsticks! What's it unlock? The key to some lucky guy's heart?"

"I _wish_!" Kay tittered. "You know, I _still_ haven't actually learned what the heck this thing is for! Maybe I _could_ figure it out if I ever got _time off for good behavior_ …"

She impishly tilted her head in the stony-faced Lang's direction, ignoring the flare of his nostrils at the _slave-driver_ implication as a warning sign until they all heard the loud, unmistakable battle cry of the fed-up Wolf-Man.

"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL!"

The Great Thief jumped slightly at the animalistic yowl as Lang shoved his way back in front of the webcam.

"OK, that's enough!" The exasperated Lang-Zi disciple declared. "Kay, I think it's high time your _overly hardworking_ self took a break."

" _Really_? But what about my duties, oh merciful warden?" The Yatagarasu grinned cheekily. "I thought I was supposed to work right through my dinner break tonight, since we'd fallen behind?"

"Just _go_ already!" Lang snarled. "A _cub_ who disrespects others soon feels the _disciplinary bite_ of an _elder_!"

"Whatever you say!"

They could almost hear Kay shrug, completely unfazed by her superior's bark, which she knew was worse than his bite. For good measure, she poked her head in front of Lang's vexed mug one last time and waved farewell to the camera.

"It was great meeting you, Maya! Talk to you later Mr. Edgeworth!"

As she moved away from the webcam, Kay laughingly called out her last words.

"Alright Lang! I'm going! I'm _going_! There's no need to crib Mr. Edgeworth's style and get all icey-glare-y on me!"

Lang removed his X-shaped shades from his pocket with a flourish and slipped them back on as he nodded at the monitor, his authoritative alpha male rank now restored.

"Miss Fey, if you'd kindly let Miles have the screen back, please?" It was an order more than a request.

The spirit medium wisely obliged, but Maya didn't return to her seat beside Phoenix. Instead, she opted to stand off to the side of the prosecutor's chair, so she could still see the Interpol Agent's face, but _he_ could no longer see _her_.

"OK, so without going into too much classified detailsbefore _mixed company,_ " Lang began. "Items that become evidence should never have any part overlooked! What further information can you give me about the illicitly obtained contraband? Was it utilized?"

"Unfortunately yes," Miles admitted. "The verboten item used as evidence in the Tobaye case was merely a replica. Before he was arrested, the Minister of Justice managed to ensure that his son, who'd previously been terminally diagnosed with _incuritis_ , had been successfully treated with the illicit goods. I suppose it's great news that the young boy will live, even though the consequence for his restored health will be that his father shall now be spending the rest of his life behind bars because of it."

"Well that's just freaking spit on your neck, kick you in the crotch, _fantastic_! So much for tracing the origins back to the supplier of _those goods_!" Lang fumed. "Has anybody interrogated Shark Boy? Is it safe to assume that he's nothing more than a useless pawn out to make a quick buck, and is neither a dealer nor supplier of the coveted Borginian smuggling item?"

"Negative to both," Miles affirmed, folding his arms across his chest. "Although getting answers out of Detective Crescend may be quite difficult, seeing as how Prosecutor Gavin has been creating quite a fuss. He was quite distraught to have his best friend indicted for murder."

"Inevitably, all who have evil in their hearts find themselves in Hell. Shark Boy should have thought of that before he murdered one of our finest agents. Tough luck for that pretty boy lawyer! I really couldn't care less about the pathetic cries of some sniveling… _cub_! Which is _all_ that Gavin kid is!"

Lang's draconian disposition was in full effect.

"One should always know one's place in life, and in the case of that _embryonic rocker_ , _little cubs_ never do know the real _fury of the elder wolves_ until they try to _impede their path to justice_. I won't have _anyone_ stand in Interpol's way! I need somebody to put the screws to Crescend, see if they can cut him some sort of plea bargain if he's willing to cough up the information about who he got the goods from."

"I'll have the matter looked into," Miles replied. "Although I'm not quite sure what can be done for the man. Between the international smuggling _and_ homicide charges, the most I could offer Crescend is keeping him from being executed for his crimes. We're talking a _minimum_ life imprisonment, nothing less."

"I don't care _how_ you go about it, but I _demand_ the use of _any means necessary_ to extract _whatever information possible_ from that murdering bastard!" Lang ordered. "I need to have the findings relayed to our European ground asset – ah, _Miss Debbie Dallas -_ _immediately_."

Lang's eyes resembled fiery twin coals, his cadence rife with disgust.

"What a crock! I should've stuck to my instincts and searched where the water is deepest. We've obviously been wasting our time trotting all around the globe, when it seems the contraband was being dealt within the _country of origin_ – Borginia!"

"Hindsight _is_ 20/20..." Miles agreed guardedly.

It was definitely _give me strength time_. The lawyer expelled a long breath.

"Agent Lang, there's something important you need to know. I'm sure you can appreciate that with the incarceration of one of the Criminal Affairs' finest detectives, along with arresting the Minister of Justice and all the corrupt officials who were appointed and served under him, there's a great shortage of dependable and trustworthy officers of the courts now remaining…"

"The darkness inside a criminal's heart can be likened to a monster. There was definitely more than one running afoot, so yes, I imagine there was quite a bit of trash that needed to be taken out," the agent responded impatiently. "Is there particular reason you're bringing this all up now?"

"One of the immediately vacated positions which needed to be filled was Chief Prosecutor," Miles asserted flatly, seeing no sense in hiding the news any longer. "I've been appointed the position, and have accepted the role. _Effective immediately_."

"Miles, what are you trying to say?" A prominent vein began visibly throbbing on Lang's forehead. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I regret to inform you that this means, as much as I would love to be in two places at once, my hands are now tied to my new duties here in the Los Angeles legal district."

Miles met the other man's gaze steadily, loath to do this but seeing no other alternative.

"After I look into acquiring some answers from Daryan Crescend regarding his involvement with the cocoon smuggling, it will be the last bit of assistance I can offer the operation. I will be bound to my new role as Chief Prosecutor and unable to do anything else. I'm very sorry, Agent Lang."

"You're _sorry_?!" Lang's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull as he began to sweat drop. "You're dropping this crushing weight on me, informing me you're leaving me in the lurch while completely _blindsiding_ me in the process, and you're telling me you're _sorry_?!"

"This wasn't a decision I made lightly." Miles closed his eyes and sighed. "Nor is this anything _personal_ in the slightest. But I can't see any other alternative, as I'm desperately needed here at the Prosecutor's Office, now more than ever…"

"You're needed by _Interpol_!" Lang shouted, his face red. "The pack that _runs_ together, _stays_ together! That's _always_ been my belief, and I've done nothing but treat _you_ as a true member of _my_ pack all these years, Miles Edgeworth! Yet _this_ is how you thank me? How could you _do_ this to me?"

Unaffected, Miles narrowed his eyes at the irate agent, not even bothering to mince his next words.

" _Only cooperate with those you can trust_. Wasn't that another Lang-Zi motto?" He countered in a dangerously soft voice. " _I_ entrusted _you_ to help me for a very special task months ago, and it has _yet to be delivered_. So tell me, Agent Lang, how is it that a man with countless resources and tracking capabilities at his disposal _still_ has no leads to the whereabouts of my missing ex-fiancée?"

There was an excruciating silence as the irrefutable statement fell over the room like a dark cloud.

Phoenix aimed an uncomfortable gander at Maya, who was still standing behind the prosecutor. He was seriously wishing they'd gone with her initial instincts and left his friend to take this call in private, as the tension in that office was presently so thick, you could have cut it with a katana.

After what seemed like ages, Lang cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry to have gone off on you like that, Miles," he said at last. "But you _did_ take the wind out of my sails with that bomb you dropped on me! As for Franziska, we haven't forgotten or dismissed your request. I still don't know where she is – but don't lose your trust in me. We've merely hit a temporary dead end, that's all."

Maya's eyes widened incredulously, and she pursed her lips tightly, but remained silent.

"Don't fret, we're not giving up until we find her, Miles," Lang assured him. "As for your news…we can discuss it at another time. It's getting late over here, so I'm going to wrap this up now. Take it easy."

"Take care, Lang," Miles replied civilly, then hung up.

Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his tired eyes with the heels of his palms before turning guiltily towards his friends.

"I'm sorry you two had to be around not only for all the hullabaloo, but that you had to hear my news in such a manner. I swear I was planning on telling you about my promotion right after I ended the call."

"It's alright, Edgeworth," Phoenix smiled awkwardly, unsure of what else to say. "Nevertheless, the courts need someone capable and honest, and there is _no one_ better to be Chief Prosecutor than _you_! Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Wright." Miles smiled slightly, then tilted his head towards the silent, perturbed Kurain Master, who was shaking her head, but still hadn't spoken. "Ah, is something on your mind, Maya? You're awfully quiet."

The village leader cast a plaintive glance first at Phoenix, then at her friend, sparks flying out of her dark eyes as she pointed an accusing finger at the computer monitor.

"I suppose _I_ should bequeath you an indispensable, _celebratory magatama_ of your own to assist you in your new job, Miles Edgeworth!" Maya puffed out her cheeks. "Because with regards to not knowing where Franziska is, I can tell you right now, that _Wolverine wannabe_ was flat-out _lying through his fangs!"_

 _ **Julio Iglesias – Cosas de la Vida (That's Life)  
**_ _ **Go West – King of Wishful Thinking**_

 _A/N: Muchas gracias mi hermana dulce, Ilet Moratar, for the chapter quote song suggestion!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 146**

 **(guest) Angel**

I sincerely hope that _Broken Wings_ , which I was told by readers was a bit of a tearjerker chapter, didn't hinder you from keeping on the crazy train! I _promise_ after all this angst that things pick up from there, as most of the AA gang's fates collide and everyone gets set on an all-new series of adventures! J

Your kind words have truly made my day, and I wanted to let you know I really appreciate you taking the time to read and review.

Also, I do like JusticeCykes, but in order to have them, first Apollo would need a certain redhead to enter stage Wright… ;)

 **Chapter 164**

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_

I figured the love of a good man could help cure the demons/ _el diablo hermana_ of poor Iris's past - and I completely agree W Hawthorne is definitely the stuff for movies are made of

I'm sure her other fears regarding her groom were also obliterated since he reassured her he was nowhere near the man of ill-repute his friends thought he was with the ladies!

 _Larry no estaba completamente puro y casto, pero él no estaba un puta masculine! No es Don Juan DeMarco! XD_

Am glad you liked the song, Celine Dion makes me proud to be Canadian!

 _Si, es verdad mi hermana Ilet tien mucho fuego, pero ella es muy dulce!_

 **Chapter 165**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **Forgreatcoffee**

 _Señor Java,_

We are now in the Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma storyline so you will find out pretty soon why she chose to run and why she's been hiding under ground with Detective Badass!

I figure Maya would've learned the gift of articulation (at least publicly) what with all of her Master duties and conferences she probably has to go on in promoting the Kurain Channeling Technique. I'd like to think she always keeps Phoenix on his toes - he probably was not expecting her to bust out the legendary Mohammed Ali in her speech any more than anybody else was!

Also your idea of torturing Mildew by forcing her to watch the speech in the song on never ending repeat while in prison was deliciously diabolical… Why not make her suffer more and see how happy all of her hated ones are by playing the entire reception video while we're at it? XD

I'm very happy you thought that long overdue reunion was worthwhile. I think couples who were meant to be together would bring out the best in one another Phoenix I feel would always know what the right thing is to say when he speaks from the heart although it definitely is not completely infeasible that he may have had more than a part of Maya's soul rub off on him during the use of that magatama!

Poor Nick! He now not only has to trump or at least match his public marriage proposal, which I thought he did a decent job of when he give Maya back that promise ring, (if you haven't already checked it out, I posted the link to it last chapter and it is a _beauty_!) But now you are giving the reminder that he has to give the speech of all speeches when he gets down on bended knee to give her THE RING! Perhaps your kitten could be of some assistance there as well? :p

 _Por ser mi abogado… Muchas gracias por su apoyo! Veo que ya no eres un fiscal porque todavía eres un abogado defensor en el corazón!_

 **Brock's Geodude**

Until SOJ timeline comes around and destroys my canon manipulation I will try to work the AJ/DD events in whenever possible without resorting too much to tedious trials!

Also, as much as I appreciate looking out for my typos, it's very hard to edit your own work, especially when the chapters are as long as mine! However, I hope it doesn't take away from a reader's enjoyment of the story! However, in this case, nope, not an error:

 **ir·re·me·di·a·ble**

 **ˌi(r)rəˈmēdēəb(ə)l/**

 ** _adjective_**

 ** _1._** ** _impossible to cure or put right._**

 **thepudz**

Franziska has been playing Nurse Ratchet to poor Detective Badd -and you will definitely not need to drag Franny over to Miles… I have given my readers a heads up that their reunion will be just as _explosive_ as Nick and Maya's was… When _fate_ decides to do the dirty work for you! ;)

I have sorely missed writing my OTP being fluffy and steamy and romantic! I am so happy you have no longer have reason to destroy your bedroom because of your hilarious about adorable outbursts to the story, and that you enjoyed Nick and Maya's private reunion! You're the best, mate!

 **Yanmegaman**

Inasmuch as Señor Java figures that Maya's gift of articulation may have rubbed off on Phoenix, I would think that perhaps Nick's fly by the seat of his pants/bluffing bravado may have rubbed off on her after being together for six years and knowing him for 10!

At last we discovered the true purpose of Jesse's existence -no it wasn't just to be the bane of Phoenix and Miles's existence as a bus boy from hell or to be the clueless protégé of the fuming/recently shorn Lotta Hart! Mr. Ventura was the one who actually made Maya's _Stand By Your Man_ stance become public record, (the fact that we unburied the mole that is Franziska Von Karma during her public cry of love and loyalty was just a fortunate and well-timed coincidence!) and he's not such a bad guy in the end – I do believe this actually will be his big break! :-)

 **SpiritsOfFire**

How are you? I feel like it's been ages since I've heard from you and what a pleasure to get such a delightful review letting me know you had no objections to my fave couples...Coupling? Lol

Miles is back in Los Angeles now and Franziska is "somewhere in Europe" (I didn't say where because I'm evil like that! Hahaha!) But don't rule out him having to hunt for her while she and Badd continue to remotely work on data mining and surveillance for Lang... Remember that Mia the Mirific _did_ tell Edgy to keep his passport updated! ;)

 **napoleon32**

 _"Whew, I need a cold shower! Steamy, yet soul-merging and somewhat dorky at the same time. It's so Phaya. Well done!"_

That was such an avidly perfect description and exactly what I was going for with these two lovable dorks! Thank you so much for the kind words and I am thrilled that you enjoyed Maya no longer caring what anyone thinks about her publicly declared, and unwavering position by the love of her life's side, where she belongs!

Yes the mystery about Pess's whereabouts (last seen as a puppy in a flashback during Miles's reminiscence of his proposal to Franny at Larris's nuptials) along with her Mommy, is solved at last! Now we also know why Miles was weeping in Phoenix's arms when he first got back to town – he was missing _both_ of his daughters!

It's funny that you mentioned Daddy issues with Franziska and Badd. I hope to God none of my readers saw their interaction as _anything but_ typical back-and-forth bickering between two coworkers who genuinely do like each other. He was a great father/Uncle Badd to Kay and I want him to be same for Franny who never had one…worth mentioning.

Some more light on the _who_ (and later the _why_ ) with regards to Franny's location will be revealed soon enough…and I am delighted you liked my depiction of my fave AA detective! No doubt the " _Ace Gossip Hound"_ I have no doubt he does actually read " _wrestling dirt sheets and has online tabloid subscriptions_!"

 **Ilet Moratar**

The term **_falling_** _in love_ has always been very amusing to me as well! I truly believe in love with the right person actually makes you _soar_ more than _plummet_ in any sense of the word! Although it's a very cheesy song I think the title from the tune by Jennifer Warner and Joe Cocker _"Love Lift Us Up (Where We Belong)"_ is a more fitting summation!

I think the best way for Phoenix to gain possession of any of Miles's otherwise unaffordable and expensive/luxury items is just to use it vigorously either directly or indirectly during any act of hot and sweaty coitus! Edgeworth very well may give Phoenix that _blissful_ suit… Along with his much overused bed (Edgy's been sleeping in the guest room since he got back in town you know!) And it would not be surprising if he'd also bequeathed the reunited lovers his imported Italian leather sofas, which poor Hendricks needed _three months_ to get all the butt prints from! XD

Despite you thinking reggaetón would still be better for poor Detective Badd's badly abused _one_ ear which I'm sure is still hearing Nina Simone in his sleep, I'm sure _he_ would disagree! It was the perfect song suggestion for the supposedly mournful Franziska! _Muchas gracias mi hermana!_

 **Jove's Boy**

 _"YAHOO! It appears that I shall be writing Review no. 1400 for your story!"_

It is fantastic to have one of my favorite new readers mark this wonderful milestone! Thank you very much JB!

This is one of the few times in her miserable life that Lotta had a free pass to do as she pleased with those pictures, and despite her personal disdain for the southern she devil, allowing her that autonomy was proof enough how much Maya does love Phoenix, even if she had not had that passionate speech and very revealing song right after!

As I'm sure you may have guessed a lot of my OC's are based off real life people… When I ran by your hilarious suggestion of shipping Jesse with Lotta, I was met with the threat that _I_ would be the recipient of unwanted sponge bathing from Doctor Hotti in his next fanfiction! XD

I think the love interest you have for him in your own wonderful fanfiction about Gordy Gumshoe might be infinitely more pleasing to him!

Don't sell yourself short! I know people (who have chosen to disclose to me about their own real life lack of experience – I assure you without my asking!) who have written quite adequate steamy scenes and their stories just basically with their imagination! You would not be the first person to ship yourself with an Ace Attorney character or write a story all about it I say if you love Apollo, go on and Wright steam until it comes out of your own ears even if it is for your eyes only my friend!

I'm so happy you thought Maya's declaration speech was inspiring… And would be even more so if it actually did prompt a real-life declaration for their own lovers amongst my readers!

Indeed we're back to the Miles Edgeworth storyline I hope you enjoy it as much as you did the Phaya arc hun!

 **CzarThwomp**

The Periwinkle Piss Head is literally in my top most despised Ace Attorney billon of all time… Not just due to him having destroyed Nick's career and reputation and force him to live in constant fear, because Bitchtoff Gavin is a jealous little, well, _bitch_ , but because he needed resort to _"dressing like a hobo and working in Boris' little slice of Siberia"_ and end result which you think would have been enough of a C-block in itself, since most women don't prefer bums no matter how sexy they look (unless you're reading _Filling The Void_ where Phoenix managed to rock that shizz!) – But luckily Maya is an exception to every rule! Isn't it great how even the most twisted and diabolical fiend's evil plans can be thwarted by the power of true love? :-)

 _"Emotions are always smarter than logic" and "ignore logic"... Good thing Edgey left before Maya started her speech, because given the heartbroken prosecutor's current state of mind, there would have been blood- or at the very least some strong language and lots of three, four syllable words."_

This was just too damn funny not to quote directly! Miles was already in enough pain as it was… I don't think enough alcohol in the world could have taken away the stinging barb of Maya throwing shade on his sole superpower of "Logic" – which as I'm sure you've seen in derivative fan art, sort of pales in comparison when compared to the otherworldly powers of the magatama, perception, and literally being able to hear the emotions in your heart! I don't know if the end result would've been three or four _syllable_ words and or simply _four letter words_ if he had been around to hear this! XD

Poor Detective Badd is no doubt wishing that he had lost the hearing in _both_ his ears – or that he had actually succumbed to the bomb blast! – after withstanding the endless depressing love songs of Nina Simone and God knows who else Franziska has been playing on never ending repeat since she has been his merciless wisecracking and _whip cracking_ nurse! LOL

 **Joeclone**

 _Coyote Ugly_ was the ultimate chick flick… And the song was called the "(W)Right Kind Of Wrong" it was assigned and I have been dying to use it for so long! I'm glad you liked it and enjoyed the newfound happiness of the reunited Phaya! I'm also very happy to know that you are only not adverse to me showing these OTP's expressing their love physically in a "spicy" manner and I love hearing that it's been pleasant reading! You're amazeballs! :)

It doesn't matter Nick is (the world's sexiest) hobo bum now… Maya has finally proven to him irrefutably, that if she can't make him feel better about the man he no longer thinks he is, then she at least she had that mystical gemstone to prove that they are not just lovers but soulmates. Moreover, he know she honest to goodness does not care about the fact gotta that he's no longer a lawyer and that she just loves him for _him_ … gotta love Mia in helping her little sister _turn around her with thinking_ and finally getting Phoenix the reassurance and comfort he hadn't even realized he so desperately needed!

As for Athena…yes she doesn't come onto the scene until after The Creepy German Sausage gets fried by Polly, but who's to say WHEN Nick met her? ;)

I am so excited about this Miles arc too! We are picking up where we left off with the cocoon storyline and a lot of characters who may have been forgotten and will be back with a vengeance… hold onto your hat!

If there are any video game fanatics of Sonic The Hedgehog and/or Zelda, my sweet and loyal reader has penned a true gem if you guys want to check it out: **_Thinking-For-Myself_ – **_A Sonic The Hedgehog And Legend Of Zelda crossover._

 **chloemcg**

 _"OH SWEET LORD, FRANZISKA IS WORKING WITH DETECTIVE BADD! I was wondering when we would be seeing her in this awesome masterpiece of a fanfic overflowing with beautiful poetry and comedic opportunities and just cute and adorable scenes..."_

This was just too absolutely endearing to not quote directly thank you so much milady. I'm glad you're not dealing with any sort of lame ass attempted identity theft on Tumblr – there is only ONE real **Chloemcg** out there dammit who is apparently not only one hell of a fluffy _writer_ , but I just found out is also an _artist_ of some pretty adorable creations! Good for you!

 _"Btw, it was so sweet that Maya did a musical number and slightly embarrassed herself all to bring Feenie's self-esteem back up. Its enough to warm my heart and make it feel like its been wrapped up in several fluffy socks (seriously, I wear fluffy socks all the time and they are also awesome. I will randomly recommend them to you if that's ok)."_

OMG you are TOO CUTE! There is no shame in loving someone, and even less so in declaring it publicly…luckily Maya can actually sing though! I have a head canon that all the AA cast can sing well and play instruments. All but the Paynes. They sound like dying cats! :p

I _love_ fluffy socks – I need them nine months a year as I live in the frigid country of Canada! And I love toe socks – but fluffy toe socks FTW!

Franziska and Badd are still working together on the cocoon operation for Lang, albeit remotely, as he's been injured and she's been his nurse, with her on data mining duty and him in charge of all related video surveillance. We will be finding out _who's_ known her whereabouts all this time, and _why_ she's been hiding, in this next arc – it's gonna be a crazy ride as all the gang's fates collide and take them on a bunch of mini-adventures!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I'm so happy that Mr. Premonition Juice didn't see the twist coming up about where Franny has been! I am so excited about getting back to Miles's storyline as this time it's not going to be a separate entity of the story would include most of the Ace Attorney cast as readers wait to see if he will be destined to find the same happy ending that Phaya and Larris did!

I very much wanted to do a nod to Phoenix and Maya's history in this trilogy which was him winning her over with the power of music and lyrics in the first tale of the series. Although Nick won her heart with his singing of impromptu personalized manipulation to the words of Bruno Mars's "Grenade" and Maya stuck to the script with Leann Rimes, the actual lyrics spoke for themselves as it perfectly outlines their current predicament with everyone insisting that her Mr. (W)Right is Mr. Wrong and her just no longer giving a flip but still being too much of a classy lady to actually _flip off_ any of those who ever opposed her/them!

 _He_ publicly proposed, rebranded her with a ring and _she_ publicly declared that not only she his soulmate but that she will eternally be by his side no matter what… These two are pretty much married at this point if not engaged by this point! I'm happy that your soft spot allowed you to not only enjoy the wonderful song you suggested in the capacity I used it for, but also the way these two intimately expressed their love physically, after their already agreeably more intimate connection of heart and soul due to that mystical gemstone connection, and that you do see the romantic components as different and more meaningful than other PWP banality, which is always been what I have aspired to do. In spite of your own chivalrous believes it means the world to me that you can still appreciate the love I tried to portray with these characters. Indeed…DAMMIT CAPCOM!

 **JaDe In NighT**

I am glad you're sticking around. Loyal readers are hard to come by! :)

Kay will pop up again in this story (I adore her but I have such a full "cast" of characters in this tale that it was nigh impossible to give her and my fave Detective, Uncle Badass, their own storyline!)

I hope you enjoy the return of the Miles Edgeworth crew, even if it's not as his love interest but indeed as his right hand! ( _Timeless Love_ , my project with the guys, _will_ have a cute Kayworth chapter though!)

And indeed – Miles's love life will be _very_ dramatic! Let's just say when he sees Franny again, it will be a more _explosive_ reunion than even Phaya's! ;)

 **Feraligreater328**

I think it indeed was almost a year Phaya was kept apart! It wasn't my intention of course – just ability to write on top of other projects…but I hope it was worth waiting for! I know you're a Feenris shipper so I love you for your support of this tale my friend! :)

I am terrible with the cliffhangers aren't I? Hee! But I had to segway back to The Edgeworth somehow, Wright? :p


	167. I Will Find You

_A/N: Once again, thanks for your music suggestion of using the "Last of the Mohicans" soundtrack theme for the chapter quote, Ilet Moratar!_

 _I am so delighted you guys enjoyed the two former Ace Assistants, Kay and Maya meeting up even though it was only a small part of the last chapter! Looks like these raven haired beauties were the total scene stealers in Miles's opening arc! Definitely going to try to give those two mischievous girls some more interaction! :)_

* * *

 _Hope is your survival_  
 _A captive path I lead_

 _No matter where you go_  
 _I will find you_  
 _If it takes a long long time_  
 _No matter where you go_  
 _I will find you_  
 _If it takes a thousand years_

 _(mohican)_  
 _Nachgochema_  
 _Anetaha_  
 _Anachemowagan_

 _No matter where you go_  
 _I will find you_  
 _In the place with no frontiers_  
 _No matter where you go_  
 _I will find you_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Seven:** **I Will Find You**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth  
**_ _Courthouse Offices_ _ **  
**_July 11, 2026 4:30 PM

 _Ah, karma. Why do you continue to come up to me and kick me? Have I wronged you somehow?_

With a heavy sense of inquietude and an unshakable sense of foreboding, Miles's weary body trudged down the seemingly endless hall. The sensation of dragging his unwilling leaden feet to his destination felt as though he was literally walking the proverbial green mile.

He had no inkling of why he'd been summoned to the courthouse office, but he couldn't imagine it being for any sort of extol purposes.

Quite the contrary.

In fact, in light of the calamitous aftermath from the previous day's _State vs. Machi Tobaye_ trial, which in the manner of all bad news, had already swept across the Prosecutor's Office like wildfire, he irrationally intuited that he was about to be heavily sentenced, despite having committed no crime.

 _My life summation: it's_ _ **Rückkehrunruhe**_ _. That's what I'm experiencing right now. The feeling of returning home after an immersive trip only to find it fading rapidly from your awareness…_ _take a trip... come home... be thrust precipitously into a world even more mystifying and bizarre than the one you just came from._

The effect of the egregious outcome on the flabbergasted attorney was ineffable. On top of discovering the shocking true murderer of Romein LeTouse, the man who'd been the insider for the Interpol cocoon operation, it'd been almost more staggering news that the catalyst behind the smuggling fiasco, and whole tragic chain of events itself, was none other than the esteemed Minister of Justice himself.

 _Whoever had said trouble came in 3's didn't know their arse from their elbow!_

The corruption which had begun with Manfred Von Karma, Damon Gant and Blaise Debeste a decade ago certainly hadn't ended as a completed trilogy. Instead, it appeared a new darkness was incipient, and if they were _lucky_ , there'd only be three more bodies of evil to contend with consequentially in this Dark Age of the Law.

 _Here's my journey-bated self, freshly back in the country after so long, still reeling from the latest earthquake that shook up our entire legal system and has literally left casualties in the aftershock! I was barely able to register desideratum over LeTouse's murder before I was forcibly engulfed by yet_ _ **another**_ _scandal involving a high ranking bureaucrat of the courts. Once again, an official whom I've long trusted and admired, ever since I began my legal career, ultimately turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing._

While the normally unshakable prosecutor was still reeling from the allegorical macroseism tremors as he sifted through the copious rubble of the aftermath, his recent dysthymic nature couldn't help but make him reflect upon this latest tribulation with tremendous dispiritedness, rather than trepidation.

 _In a similar manner to my former lorthew, the ruthless perfectionist, immediately followed by the disingenuous swimming enthusiast and then the cold-blooded pyromaniac thereafter, the Minister was proven to be equally as self-serving and morally bankrupt as his three predecessors._

This latest bombshell had filled Miles with a nearly overpowering sense of _hiraeth_ – the feeling of homesickness for a home to which he could not return, although maybe never truly _was_ , yet knowing that still didn't erase the nostalgia, yearning, and grief for the lost places of the past.

He'd wanted nothing more than to spend the day in his pajamas with a cup of tea, while lamenting over the complete degradation of the entire rotten world from the sanctity of his penthouse.

 _As Kay would have said, today I yearn for nothing more than an extensive stint at Club Bed, featuring DJ Pillow and MC Blanky!_

Thusly, being presently seated in perpetually irritating taciturnity for _the past five minutes_ , while his presence had yet to even be _acknowledged_ , was truly the last thing in the world the dyspeptic Miles was in the mood for!

Another few moments of reticence passed.

By this point, the magenta clad lawyer was inwardly fuming.

 _I'm afraid the moss is growing under our feet as I await the recognition of my existence!_

Still in his official work attire, in spite of it now being end of business day, the man before him blithely continued to be preoccupied with shuffling through some paperwork, mumbling and nodding incomprehensively to himself, while being seemingly unmindful that he had _company_!

Miles found himself hankering for the power of Superman's x-ray vision at that instant, so the daft man would unignorably _feel_ the steadily increasing _heat_ of his irate glare!

 _How can he_ _ **not**_ _feel my visibly unimpressed, baleful stare, which I've spent_ _ **years**_ _perfecting?! If something glares at you, it's only polite to return the favor! That is what I was taught! This is grossly unacceptable, ungracious and inhospitable behavior on his behalf! He should have at least offered me some sort of greeting and hot beverage by this point!_

After what seemed like ages, the office holder, whom Chief Gant had at one time affectionately referred to as "Udgey" had finally moved on from his disarray of papers.

Miles watched him hopefully, but the gent of flawless, bone china pate was now obliviously squinting at the computer screen on his desk, his bushy eyebrows knitted into a pensive frown which the beleaguered prosecutor knew mirrored _his own_!

"Whatever does that _mean_?" The old man mumbled. "It makes _no sense_! Life was so much simpler back in _my_ day, when you didn't need to worry about these space-age, bone-headed _whatchamacallit's_ and _thingamabobs_!"

A deep, perplexed wrinkle marred his glabrous head as he continued grumbling to himself. Then, just as Miles was about to explode from agitation, the magistrate glimpsed upward at last.

"Mr. Edgeworth, what size would you say my computer's…" he fumbled for the word while gesturing at his computer monitor. " _Picture screen_ is?"

The prosecutor stared at the bald man incredulously, trying to grasp that _those_ would be the first words the normally congenial judge would utter to his visitor!

 _Egad! Would it kill you to at least say_ _ **hello**_ _first?_

"If you're referring to your PC monitor, Your Honor…" Miles struggled to maintain a cordial tone. "It appears to be about 24 inches. Why do you ask?"

" _Bah_! Inches? That doesn't help _at all!"_ The judge exclaimed. "What would that measurement be in _centimeters_?"

 _Do I look like a human calculator to you?!_

The increasingly annoyed and now _bewildered_ logical genius did a quick mental conversion.

"About 61cm, Your Honor."

There was a moment of silence as the older man stared at him blankly.

Miles barely stifled a sigh of ennui.

 _That far-off look in his eyes suggests that his mind is far-off in La-La land…._

The legal eagle never had a chance to finish his cynical thought as in the next instant, the bearded judiciary abruptly exploded into a fit of wrath.

" _Laird Thunderin' Jaysus!"_

The official in black robes forcefully banged a frustrated fist on the heavy wooden bureau, making the picture frames and office supplies upon it bounce precariously.

The resulting loud rattle of the desk objects made Miles's eyelids flutter ever so slightly.

 _The old man seems to have acquired an iron fist which rivals the bang of his courtroom mallet!_ _It reminds me of a dream I had once that I was being squashed from above by his gavel…_

"The sizes don't go up that high! The largest hat I see here is _48_ cm!"

Now it was Miles's turn to stare vacuously.

 _Whatever is he going on about?! He summoned me to his chambers and now he's_ _ **hat shopping?!**_ _I got out of bed for_ _ **this**_ _?!_

"Ahem, at the risk of sounding _presumptuous,_ I agree that could possibly be too small," Miles ventured cautiously. "The average human skull has a circumference of 57 cm…"

"It's not for _me_!" The judge shot him a withering glance. "It's for this… _monitor_ , as you call it, of mine!"

Noting the slate-haired man's baffled expression, the chrome dome gestured at his computer screen.

"My grandchild told me if I wanted to copy lengthy documentation for future reference, without having to type it all out manually, I should just _get a screen cap_! But all they're showing here are these Santa Claus ones, none of which seem like they'll fit! It just makes no sense, these Christmas hats, since we're in _July_ now…"

The cravat-wearer dubiously regarded the kindly old man, for whom he'd always felt a combination of respect (and occasional exasperation) over the years. Yet right then, all he could do was internally groan as it dawned on him that he'd finally stumbled upon someone who was truly even _more_ technologically clueless than even Phoenix Wright. And that was _saying_ _something_!

 _ **Boneheaded**_ _His Honor said, without even a_ _ **hint**_ _of irony?_ Miles barely resisted the urge to face palm. _Well, indeed that was the operative term - although in this case, most definitely not pertaining to **the computer**_ _!_

"I do believe your grandchild meant the latter word as a short term for _capture_ , Your Honor." Somehow, he maintained a remarkably straight face. "It refers to the ability of taking a _snapshot_ of something, images or documentation, that's on your … _picture screen_ for future reference. I can assure you, _screen cap_ doesn't entail _getting_ _an actual hat_ for your computer monitor. Please allow me to show you…"

The old man smiled gratefully as Miles got up and patiently demonstrated the how-to shortcuts on the keyboard, then took his seat on the other side of the desk once again.

"I think I've grasped the basic know-how, thanks. That was a most comprehensive tutorial on your part," the judge praised. "I know bupkis about these hi-tech doohickeys! It's very kind of you to take the time to try to teach this old dog some new tricks if he's ever gonna keep up in this 21st-century futuristic age we're in!"

"Think nothing of it, Your Honor," Miles replied chivalrously, hoping they could now finally get to the point of his unofficial subpoenaing. "It was my pleasure to be of service."

"Even though I called you here on business, it _is_ after hours," the judge declared, leaning back in his chair and smiling benevolently. "I'm going to call you _Miles_. And I want you to feel free to use _my_ first name as well."

"Ah, I'm afraid I can't do that, Your Honor."

"We're not in court, Miles. Smile! Lighten up for once and stop being such an unyielding old fuddy-duddy!" The judge jibed good-naturedly. "All these years of being so rigid and austere is taking its physical toll on you. Is that a line – or a _crease_ which I just spotted between those ever-frowning brows?"

 _Nnngrrrrk...! Et tu, Your Honor...?!_

Similar maddening taunts from the past, vis-à-vis to his supposedly aging appearance, made by the ever-goading, adolescent Franziska flashed through his memory. Disgruntled, he barely bit back an angry retort, only because he needed to remind himself this was a rare instance where _he_ was in the subordinate position!

"Th-They're not _lines_!" He clenched his jaw. "They're perfectly normal and a part of my natural face!"

"No need to be in denial, Miles," the judge chuckled. "Getting older is a natural part of life!"

"What? I am _not_ in denial!"

"Don't get a bee in your bonnet! I am merely busting your chops, my good man! I just don't think it would _kill_ you to have some _smile_ lines to balance out those _frown_ lines of yours! No need to fret –you're aging better than _me_ anyway! At least _you_ still have a full head of hair!"

 _I should hope so!_ Miles thought crossly. _I'm only 33 years old!_

The slightly triggered attorney mentally counted to 10 so he wouldn't erupt.

"I wasn't trying to insist that we maintain unnecessary formality when I said _I can't do that_. It was _because_ I've never been privy to know your given name, Your Honor."

" _Huh_? Is that right?" The judge blinked in surprise, then smiled winsomely. "Apologies for that then! My name is Chambers. Jughead Chambers."

"Oh?" For once, Miles wasn't sure how to respond! "Is that because you served in the Marines?"

Chambers blinked once more upon hearing the question, then fell back against his chair and let out a loud shout of laughter for a good half minute.

" _Haha_! That's a good one!" The judge wiped two stray tears of mirth away from his eyes. "No counselor, no formal military life for me. However in the days of my youth, I _did_ briefly serve in the Coast Guard before I decided to pursue the legal path. Seems like you really _are_ getting up there in age, my boy, visible brow lines or not!"

 _Gnnrgk! I wish I could inform you that there is not a single crinkle upon my youthful brow!_

"Either _your_ _hearing_ is starting to fade with age, or _I_ need to enunciate." The expressive dark orbs were now twinkling with merriment as they regarded the bristling prosecutor. "I said _Jughead_ , not _Jarhead_! My friends, however, call me _Jug_ , and I invite you to do the same, Mr. Prosecutor."

Miles's eyes widened, his signature composure vanquished momentarily at this latest absurdity.

"Do you mean to tell me that your name is literally: _Jug_ … _Chambers_?"

"It is, and yes I am! I suppose I would've fit in very well back in the golden days of yore, when a man's surname also dictated his occupation… _Cook, Carpenter_ , and so forth."

Chambers smiled ruefully.

"In my case, I suppose some things are just meant to be, aren't they? My mother _Veronica_ was a huge fan of the Archie series. She thought it was a sign from up above that she married a man named _Reginald_. Luckily, since I wasn't born with red hair, I was spared being named after the main protagonist of the comics, so instead got named after his crown-wearing, food enthusiast sidekick instead. You have no idea how mocked I was in school having such a moniker! As I got older, my nearest and dearest began calling me _Jug_. All except for my wife, who calls me _Juggie_."

He caught the amused flicker on Miles's countenance and his grin broadened.

"My dear mother, God rest her soul, never believed more in destiny than the day my younger brother, whose name is _Benjamin,_ _**not**_ _Archibald_ , by the way, joined me in the ranks of becoming a fellow judge –except of course, on _my wedding day_. It was on said fateful date that I pledged my vows to a beautiful blonde woman named _Elizabeth._ Mom was always slightly disappointed her daughter-in-law refused to be called…"

" _Betty_?" Miles finished, a small smile tugging on his own lips, as the snickering Chambers nodded.

"Now that you've been given the backstory and apparently, _insider_ , information about my Christian name, I suppose you're wondering why I called you to come in today."

All traces of humor then vanished from the mug of the Honorable Jughead Chambers.

"I'm sure you're aware of the scandal regarding the outcome of yesterday's trial, which is now public knowledge?" His phizog grew wary. "Jeepers creepers! An international Interpol Agent murdered by a criminal affairs Detective/smuggler who exploited a foreign teenage musician to be an accessory! And all because of an unlawful request made by our own Minister of Justice."

Chambers dragged a hand down his suddenly weary mien.

 _He looks like I feel_ , Miles realized empathetically. _We're both overridden by a seemingly inescapable impression of_ _ **kuebiko**_ _. A state of exhaustion inspired by acts of senseless violence, which force you to revise your image of what can happen in this world—mending the fences of your expectations, weeding out all unwelcome and invasive truths, cultivating the perennial good that's buried under the surface, and propping yourself up like an old scarecrow, who's bursting at the seams but powerless to do anything but stand there and watch._

"He was someone I'd known, admired and worked alongside for longer than you've been _alive_ Miles! I'm his son's _godfather_! Oh, the _humanity_! _Cheatum_ , of all people! I still can't believe Howard was the mastermind behind the whole series of unfortunate events!"

It was the first time Miles had heard the Minister of Justice's full designation, but seeing the goodhearted senior appear so distressed instantly obliterated any snide thoughts about the ironic name of the fallen bureaucrat.

"We've had to do a clean sweep of _everybody_ and _anybody_ who'd served under Howie, or been appointed by him," Chambers continued despondently. "It's a crying shame just how far the _crooked_ long arm of the law – _enforcement_ – reached! It wasn't only pertaining to the officials in high-ranking positions above you and I either. In the end, not even the Prosecutor's Office itself was free from venality."

Miles frowned upon hearing this particular news as the distraught judge went on.

"Due to all this hoopla, we are now down to a bare-bones skeleton staff of reliable lawyers. I'd honestly thought after the whole incident with Lana Skye, that we'd finally gotten somebody unswerving to be in charge of the prosecutors. Nevertheless, they ultimately had to be taken out with the rest the trash, too, hence the Chief Prosecutor position is now vacant on top of the Minister's. Moreover, _I_ have been tasked to fill the role."

"Are you saying that you're stepping down from the bench and into the former Minister's shoes… _Jug_?" Miles was struggling to comprehend this deluge of eye-opening information which had just been hurled at him.

"I'm just not being clear with you _at all_ today, am I?" Chambers groaned and shook his head. "No, Miles. _I_ shan't be changing roles. The Governor of California is very friendly with a diplomat confrère of mine, Harold Palms. He took it upon himself to offer his assistance to the newly elected politician – who, you can imagine, was quite overwhelmed by all of this calamity that'd occurred within his first few months of being sworn in!"

 _Most unusual…a_ _ **diplomat's**_ _involvement pertaining to the assignment of legal officials?_ Miles arched a brow. _This should be interesting!_

"Harry and his wife have a business associate who is quite familiar with most of this district courthouse staff. This influential contact made _a specific endorsement_ to the Palms about who could help out the young governor in this trying time…by taking the daunting task of selecting these new legal representatives off the politician's plate."

"Amazing," Miles commented wryly. "Diplomats really _do_ know how to craft answers that don't _answer_ _anything_."

"They're _infamous_ for it." Chambers agreed humorlessly. "The overwrought governor venerates my friend's opinion as much as Harry and Rosie revere that of their ascendant chum! Ergo, it was decreed that _I_ would be the most upright and uncorrupted source to count on for this designation duty."

"While quite the honor, it is nonetheless an unenviable responsibility you've had thrust upon your shoulders, Your Hon – er, _Jug_." Miles tried not to cringe at the incongruous name. "As you know, I shall be here to render my services if they're required, at any time."

"Considering I'm starting _from scratch_ with the hiring and assigning process, those words are music to my ears! I'm not surprised though, as I would expect _nothing less_ from _you_." Chambers looked relieved beyond belief. "In fact, you have only _further_ reinforced my decision!"

" _Decision_?" Miles echoed. "I don't understand what you mean."

"Why, Chief Prosecutor of course!" The old man rubbed his hands together gleefully. "I couldn't think of a more qualified, no-nonsense man to help me clean house than _you,_ Miles!"

The surprised but ever-cautious Miles peered into Chambers' mien, now filled with ebullience.

"Are you absolutely _certain_ about this, Jug? While I'm flattered you think so highly of my capabilities, surely you should at least consider another prosecutor? One who _hasn't_ been out of the country for the past seven years? Who may be more familiar with any legislations or procedures which may have changed during my long absence abroad?"

"My options are limited, and it all comes back to _you,_ irrespective of how many different ways I look at it," Chambers maintained stubbornly. "Klavier Gavin is not only too young and relatively inexperienced by comparison, but he's also a flashy rock star! The _last_ thing we need is extra eyes on us at a time like this, which is what would happen should we put a headlining celebrity in charge of things!"

"Gavin's not a rock star anymore. What with his best friend, the second Gavinners guitarist, being incarcerated, I would assume the young man's sole job henceforth would be strictly that of a prosecutor."

"Even so, he was too personally involved with the last case for me not to question his impartiality. Also, his track record, compared to yours, prevents me from seeing him as a true contender for the position. Now, young Franziska Von Karma, _she_ was a brilliant and experienced prosecutor. However, I know she has other responsibilities elsewhere and is presently unavailable…"

 _Don't remind me!_ Miles thought sullenly. _**I**_ _have other responsibilities as well, plus_ _ **I'm**_ _also still attached to the sting operation with Interpol! How can I just abandon Lang at a time like this?_

"It's precisely _because_ you've been out of the country and away from all the shady undergoing's that were happening right beneath my nose that I just _know_ you're the most trustworthy and qualified candidate for the role!" Chambers pressed. "And that's without even taking into account your exemplary history as a prosecutor on top of that!"

 _Evidently, since the Minister of Justice and everybody he ever appointed was completely corrupt, and now that they've done a full sweep, there aren't too many people remaining who can be trusted,_ Miles reflected sardonically. _Essentially, I'm almost being offered the job by_ _ **default**_ _! I would actually affronted if I didn't agree that I probably_ _ **am**_ _the most qualified candidate left!_

"This is a great privilege, but it's not something I can just make up my mind about _overnight_ ," Miles said at last as the judge eyed him hopefully. "For one thing, the very same responsibilities that Ms. Von Karma has are applicable to myself as well. She and I were both partaking in the same investigative operation with Interpol. You must understand that it'd be quite the breach of trust, not to mention most unprofessional, to just leave them high and dry, with zero notice."

"It's either you or _Winston Payne_!" Chambers cried frantically. "Don't make me choose a man bearing a _seven year losing streak_ – most notably to greenhorn defense attorneys! Please Miles, I _implore_ you don't make me do it!"

Miles winced in pain at the mention of the barely competent counselor formerly known as The Rookie Killer while the judge's voice turned beseeching.

"That follicly challenged bumbler is essentially the sole prosecutor who was too much of a _dullard simpleton_ to ever be besmirched! We are so dreadfully short-staffed right now, that if he hadn't already been released from prison, we would've welcomed _a nameless blind man_ with unverified credentials back into the position!"

Chambers was practically wringing his hands in desperation now.

"The Prosecutor's Office is in such dire straits that we've had convicted felon _Simon Blackquill_ step in and prosecute cases, even though he's on death row for murder! Also, my brother Ben is not a viable option because he's _Canadian_ and hence, they worry he's too _liberal_! _Please_ , Miles. We _need_ you. More than Interpol. More than _anyone_ or _anything_ else… _Justice_ needs you."

Miles shook his head back and forth as he struggled with the decision. As much as he knew Lang would hit the roof if he were to pull out of the cocoon operation, Judge Chambers was right – they couldn't possibly let an incompetent imbecile like Payne have the position! The bufoon would run the courthouse into the ground and criminals would run amok!

The answer was a given. His decision wouldn't earn him any popularity points, but he had no choice.

Chambers studied him expectantly.

"How soon do you need an answer?" Miles queried at last. "When does this position need to be filled?"

The judge's intense eyes bored into his.

" _Immediately_."

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Phaya**_  
 _High Prosecutor's Office  
_ July 12, 2026 1:22 PM

There was a terse silence among the trio following the Kurain Master's earth-shattering proclamation, rendering the normally articulate logic master wholly speechless.

Never before had Miles ever experienced such a disorienting sense of _acatalepsy_ – of the impossibility of comprehending the universe; of the belief that human knowledge could never have true certainty.

Absolutely nothing made sense to him anymore.

The prosecutor's jaw hit his chest as he googled speechlessly at the still-huffy spirit medium, while his stupefied mind was churned at warp speed, a kaleidoscope of ranging emotions –shock, doubt, skepticism, rage, grief – all swirled together, nearly indecipherable from one another.

Phoenix was the first one to recover.

"Lang's _lying_? About not knowing where Franziska is?! Maya, do you even realize what you're _saying_?" He gasped, shooting up from the couch and staring at his girlfriend with round eyes. "You don't know Agent Lang from a hole in the ground! How can you possibly make such a bold accusation?"

"FYI, I _don't_ need to know somebody's character to be able to see their _psyche locks_ , Nick!"

The village leader puffed out her cheeks with indignation and held up the yellow magatama hanging around her neck.

"Or have you somehow _forgotten_ you're not _only_ one that has one of these spiritually powered _lie detectors?!"_

Maya tore her defiant eyes away from her lover's questioning gaze and swung them back at the thunderstruck Miles, who was clutching the edges of his desk as he fought to regain control of the senses.

" _Psycho locks_ ," the prosecutor repeated numbly while the remains of his world slowly crumbled around him. "Of course. _That's_ why you chose to keep watching Lang's face on the monitor, even after he ended your conversation, isn't it? You _sensed_ something awry! Something that neither Wright nor I had the ability to ever fathom, in a million years…"

His words trailed off, and his face was so pale that neither Phoenix nor Maya had the heart to correct his consistent mispronunciation of the mystical locks and chains Lang had been harboring.

Maya's face was wreathed with sympathy now, her former righteous ire on his behalf entirely obliterated as she saw her friend's distressed expression.

"I'm _so_ sorry Miles. I wish more than anything I could tell you that _I_ was the one who was lying! I know you were counting on Lang to help you find Franziska's whereabouts. But you're going to need to find another source to get you that information, because the Wolf Man already _knows_ – he's just not telling you! I can't even begin to figure out _why_ …"

Miles's brain couldn't register the words for a split-second – it remained frozen and suspended; an inability to compute. It was too much. It was all just _too damn much_ …

"Maya, _please_." He shook his head vehemently and shut his eyes. "Please – just… _stop_. I need a minute."

The raven-haired beauty obediently shut her mouth and instead silently rubbed his shoulder in a soothing gesture of compassion, while Phoenix awkwardly shuffled his feet and kept mum, uncertain of what to say.

The lawyer stared sightlessly at the blank computer monitor as he tried to register the ugly truth that'd just been unleashed upon him. He felt sickened and infuriated. Hapless and defenseless ….

Then, as he took a few deep breaths, all his previously roiling emotions were swept away like the tides, and replaced by only one.

Betrayal.

Above all else, nerve-grinding, brain-shattering, stomach-churning _betrayal_.

Phoenix's unassuming other half, despite all her otherworldly psychic abilities, may not be able to wrap her head around possible reasons for Lang's deception, but the festering green-eyed monster rapidly growing within _Miles_ most certainly _could_!

His gorgeous, fiery, easily incited former lover.

The darkly mysterious, prowling, equally inflammable Wolf Man.

Shi-Long Lang and Franziska Von Karma. An incompatible match made in _hell_ …a fiery, burning, _passionate_ hell.

True, his ex-fiancée had never deemed the infuriating Wolf Man to be anything more than a whipping post, and Lang had always referred to Franziska as "Sister"…. But then again, at some point so had _Miles himself_!

There was no denying history – or the fact that it was capable of repeating itself. His own feelings for Franziska had done a complete turnabout over the years… Was it really so far-fetched that the same could happen with _Lang_?

Together, the hot-tempered Interpol Agent and tempestuous Wild Mare had always clashed and butted heads, creating flaming rages that'd always needed to be hosed down whenever they were in one another's vicinity for too long.

To date, no other man had ever ignited the fire within the stormy German woman in the same manner as Lang… except for Miles himself.

Now, with the chess enthusiast out of the way and the on the other side of the world, was it possible that without the prosecutor's calming presence to smother the dually blazing inferno … that Lang had decided to _fan_ those flames?

The idea of the _wannabe Wolverine's_ underlying lustful intentions as the true sinister reason for his willful duplicity made Miles feel sick to his stomach. Another white-hot surge of impotent rage coursed through him, along with another wave of hopelessness and frustration at the whole damn situation.

Staring at his desk, he felt as though he could see his own obstructing locks, visible to only his own eyes. They were attached to invisible hindering chains that were binding him to his duties in his LA Office … Which was suddenly _last place on earth_ he wanted to be!

Slamming his palm on his desk, Miles gritted his teeth.

"So what the hell am I supposed to do now?"

He hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud until he felt Maya's hand leave his shoulder. She then leaned down towards him, so her face was level with his.

"Duh! Isn't it obvious? You go _after_ her… Just like you did the _last_ time she took off!"

Miles slowly turned his head and regarded the beaming spirit medium, whose hands were clasped together in front of her chest, than at Phoenix, who shrugged helplessly and nodded.

"It's not the _worst_ idea in the world, right Edgeworth? I mean, when Franziska took off after the Engarde case eight years ago, all it took was a _five-minute_ prodding conversation from us to get you to jump on the first plane to chase her all the way back to Germany!"

"It's _different_ this time, Wright!" Miles snapped. "That was when I _knew_ where Franziska was going, and she hadn't mysteriously disappeared and forced me to play an unwitting game of _Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego!"_

"You're a resourceful, wealthy guy, my friend," the pianist shrugged, unaffected by the outburst. "So _what_ if you can't rely on Lang to get you a lead on her whereabouts? Put out your _own_ feelers and trackers! If need be, storm back to Europe or Asia or wherever the heck those Interpol guys are stationed, and _force_ Lang to talk if you have to! _Bribe_ Kay if you must! If there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's that absolutely _nothing_ is _impossible_!"

"Nick's right, Miles! People can't just _vanish_!"

"Be that as it may, your newly donned rose-colored glasses seem to be making the two of you _conveniently_ forget _a key glaring factor_ here."

Miles affixed the duo with his most icy stare.

"How is it your idealistic selves have both been so busy trying to simplify my plight that you've forgotten _why_ Lang flared up just now? It was _because_ I told him I was withdrawing from the Interpol investigation in order to accept my newly bequeathed role of Chief Prosecutor! I'm _stuck_ _here_ in LA whether I like it or not!"

"You technically haven't even _started_ yet!" Maya pointed out. "Didn't you just get the offer _yesterday_?"

"Well yes," he admitted. "I told Judge Chambers I couldn't very well _commence_ my new position until I had _resigned_ from my old one!"

"So it's just like I thought. The Chief Prosecutor position is still vacant."

" _And_?" Miles's patience was wearing thin, as it appeared they were talking in circles now. "What's your point?"

Maya glanced over at her lover for help, but found him staring back at her with a lost expression.

"Sorry my love. I'm not following you either."

"How is it that two men who were both legal legends in the courtroom could be this unbelievably _clueless_?"

Maya blew upward at her bangs in vexation, then spoke slowly and deliberately, as though talking to a dimwitted child.

"If you have not _accepted_ the position as of yet, Miles, it means you _still_ have _leverage_ you can _utilize_! It's called _bartering_. To put it bluntly, _Udgey_ needs you more than _you_ need him! Should it come to that, though I don't think it will, you're definitely in a prime position to bend that old man over a barrel!"

The two best friends grimaced at the exact same time.

"Ugh! I could've lived without _that_ imagery!" Phoenix shuddered.

" _Same_ ," Miles inserted dryly.

"I can't _believe_ I need to _spell_ this out for you guys!" Maya scowled at them. "Read my lips, Miles! Tell the judge _you need time_! And then use that window of opportunity to go find your ex! Didn't my sister _tell_ you that you'd need to keep your passport updated, because you might need to make a trip overseas again? It seems that prophecy is coming true! _Wherever_ Franny is, it sure isn't here in _this_ country!"

She clapped her hands excitedly.

"Time for another Euro Trip!"

"At the very least, it may give you the opportunity to properly wrap up things with Interpol, if not be the key instrument to solving things entirely, what with the newly acquired insider information you may be getting from interrogating Crescend," Phoenix added encouragingly. "I _know_ you, Edgeworth. You can't possibly be happy leaving things with Lang like this. Even if you're justifiably furious with him right now, you _hate_ loose ends as much as you despise leaving anyone in the lurch!"

The pianist morphed into full courtroom persuasion mode.

"The Miles Edgeworth _I've_ always known never leaves a task unfinished! It's just not _you_. This gives you a chance to at least _try_ to tie things up with a neat little bow pertaining to your Interpol operation! Finding Franziska on top of that will just be the icing on the cake!"

The card shark smiled coaxingly at the contemplative barrister.

"Besides, as much as Franziska may have claimed she didn't want to be found, if you don't try to do everything in your power to get answers regarding this whole thing, it's going to haunt you for the rest of your life. And don't even try lying right now and claiming it won't!" He waved his own magatama in the air and smirked. "Remember _I've_ got one of these too, you know!"

"Damn you two and your psycho locks," Miles muttered disgustedly, drumming his well-manicured fingers against the top of his desk as he mulled this over while the couple studied him, anxiously awaiting his answer.

A few more seconds of agonizing stillness dragged by before Maya lost her serenity.

" _Well_?" She prompted impatiently. "What's it going to be Miles? Shit or get off the pot?"

"This is absolute _madness_!" Miles protested, but with now less conviction. "Let's just say I _do_ go and confront Lang about being Judas. What's to stop him from lying to me _again,_ this time to my face?"

"Oh that's easy!" Maya chirped. "You'll have a trusty magatama with you this time! And not just the gemstone! It'll have a real life, _polygraph psychic_ attached to it, because _I'm_ coming with you!"

" _You're_ going to come to Europe with me?" Miles was taken aback at the unexpected offer. "Wouldn't it just be easier to give me the magatama?"

"Absolutely not! You have no idea how to use it properly!"

" _Objection_! I've used it before when I was playing defense attorney for your boyfriend!"

"Oh _puh-lease_! Compared to me, you have no idea just what this thing can really do! Besides, you don't even know how to pronounce _psyche locks_ properly, _Mr. Psycho Locks_! You _need_ me!"

Maya linked arms with Phoenix and beamed charmingly.

"In fact, why rely on _one_ set of investigative eyes when you can have _three_? Heck, you need _us_!"

" _Us_?" The confused ex-attorney parroted. "Say _what_?"

" _Naturally_!" She slightly tapped Phoenix's nose. "You and me – we're a _package deal_! No _way_ am I leaving the country after _just_ getting you back! You're coming with me!"

"Maya, I can't even afford to take a taxi to The Borscht Bowl Club! How the heck do you think I'd have the funds to go on a cross-continental trip?"

"Nick, when are you going to be like a regular human being and take advantage of the fact that your girlfriend is _loaded_? I'm already paying your rent again, so what's a lousy plane ticket?" Maya stuck out her tongue playfully. "Just this one time, let me be your _sugar mama!"_

"As if I have a _choice_!" Phoenix groaned, but he was laughing as he spoke. "I learned a long time ago that I could never beat you in any sort of argument!"

"Glad you learn fast!" Maya quipped. "What's a little air fare among lovers, right?"

She leaned over and whispered throatily in her beau's ear.

"You can work off the _entire_ cost of that ticket if you simply agree to join the Mile High Club with me, Old Man."

Pulling away from her suddenly flush-faced swain, Maya winked at Miles.

"Unless of course _you_ want to handle the flight preparations… so then _nobody_ needs to buy any plane tickets?"

"I am _not_ chartering another jet! We're going to fly the friendly skies like regular mortals this time!" Miles crossed his arms. "However, if _you_ taking care of your boyfriend's expenses means _I_ don't need to foot the bill for him, I fully support that notion, Maya."

He turned to Phoenix.

"And as a matter of fact, I _do_ remember Mia saying Europe has a jury structure that should be studied firsthand, Wright. Let's not waste a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone – _I'll_ resume investigating with Interpol and tracking down Franziska, while _you_ can look into their legal system."

"I'm really happy we were able to talk some sense into that thick skull of yours, Edgeworth," Phoenix joked, then surveyed his best friend's face with a serious expression. "But at the same time, I want to make sure you're _truly_ prepared for this, both mentally _and_ emotionally. Do you really think you'll be able to handle potentially facing not only _one_ but _two_ of your exes again?"

The words carried a lead weight across his ears and into Miles's brain.

 _Lana_.

He blew out a slow breath. He'd tried to push all thoughts of his former paramour out of his mind since he'd sent off that irrevocable letter, but it didn't change that Lana was technically still his official undercover partner. It'd be nigh impossible to resume things with the operation without coming into _some_ sort of contact with her, one way or another.

A wave of guilt washed over him.

There was _one_ particular demand he'd have to make when wrangling concessions with Judge Chambers if he _ever_ wanted to sleep soundly again.

Miles caught Phoenix's questioning gaze and nodded mutely in response to the query.

Yes, he could handle seeing Lana again. Whatever the outcome of that would be, he'd handle it somehow. It could be no more painful than finding Franziska once more – and discovering if his gnawing, ever-mounting paranoid suspicions about her and Lang had any validation.

"Let's just say, for the sake of the argument, I go through all the trouble of booking three plane tickets…"

" _Four_ ," Maya corrected sunnily. "Have you forgotten that I have a little girl who just tearfully bid her English boyfriend goodbye after the wedding, and wasn't expecting to see him again until Christmas? Heaven help me if I went to The Continent without her! She'll be over the moon about this! Plus, I'm positive Pearly will be as excited about finally meeting Kay Faraday as _I_ am!"

" _Fine_ ," Mile's tone was resigned. "Suppose I go to the trouble of booking _four_ airline tickets…"

"First class!" She interrupted boisterously. "Or at least business! No _coach_ for me! I don't want to be crammed like a sardine in a can for 10 hours!"

The prosecutor affixed his best friend with a pointed look that clearly said, _how_ _ **do**_ _you keep up with her?_

Phoenix gave a barely discernible smirk in response, which just as clearly stated: _she's worth it._

"It would be greatly appreciated if you would stay here with me in _reality_ , _and_ in the _moment_ , Maya!" Miles gritted his teeth. "Now, as I've been trying to _twice_ ascertain… What if we've gone through all this trouble of making arrangements to go to Europe, but the judge doesn't agree to any sort of compromise or meet any of my demands?"

"Oh _trust_ me." Maya smiled smugly. "He _will_."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because chain of command dictates that the overwrought governor leans very heavily upon the shoulders of his darling diplomat friend! The _very_ same one who suggested Udgey be the one to appoint new, trustworthy officials," she drawled with a wicked grin. "The judge holds his old comrade in the _highest_ esteem! _Almost_ in as much esteem as dear Harry and Rosie Palms hold _their_ influential friend who suggested His Honor in the first place!"

 _A_ _business associate who is quite familiar with most of this district courthouse staff…_

Miles gawked at the spirit medium as the realization dawned on him.

" _Ngh_! Maya…it was _you_?! _You're_ the one who suggested to the diplomat to relay to the governor that _Chambers_ should be the one delegating the newly vacated posts?!"

"Was I wrong to do so? They didn't know where to turn, and the judge is as _pure as snow_! It wasn't like I gave anyone a bum steer by suggesting him, although I _swear_ I had no idea _you'd_ be the one he'd appoint for the Chief Prosecutor position. Nevertheless, he chose wisely – I can't think of anybody better than _you_ , Miles."

Maya smiled innocently as the lawyer and Phoenix gaped at her.

"Come on! Stop looking at me like that! It's not like I broke any laws or anything! Don't you think after all these years of being in an influential position like Master of Kurain, I'd learn a few things about politics? Dealing with the duplicitous, backstabbing harpies on the elder council has taught me to have a trick or two up my sleeve!"

She flashed a lascivious wink at her inamorato.

"It also doesn't hurt to have a poker champ for a significant other, either! Nick's taught me how to play my cards right, literally and figuratively! And for more uses than just being able to _beat the pants off him_ , in _every_ sense of the words, while playing _strip poker_!"

" _Gah_!" Miles clapped an aghast hand to his face. "I truly _didn't_ need to hear that!"

"Jeez, Maya!" Phoenix turned beat red. "Ever hear the term _sharing_ , not _scaring_?!"

"You two are _way_ too easy to embarrass!" The shameless spirit medium tittered. "It's just _too_ much fun! Hee!"

Maya reached for her still red-faced partner's hand, then smiled sweetly at her friend.

"Miles, I think you need to make a very important, power-play phone call to a particular judiciary figure right about now. This time, though, Nick and I are going to leave you in peace to sort things out. We're headed down to the police station now, because there's some more unfinished business we need to take care of, which partially involves _you_ , Mr. Chief Prosecutor! Meet us there as soon as you're done making your stipulations!"

She begin sashaying towards the door, pulling at Phoenix like a determined little tugboat.

"While we're waiting for Miles, we can bug Chief Gumshoe for free donuts! And hopefully I'll see Ema again – it's been _far_ too long! Maybe we'll get lucky and catch her in mid-action, pelting Snackoos at the fop! Let's go Nick!"

"I promise we won't take away _the real fun_ of our surprise visit to the precinct until _you_ join us, Edgeworth," the spiky-haired man promised over his shoulder as he allowed Maya to tug him out of the office. "See you soon!"

"Since you refuse to get your driver's license, it's a good thing the cop shop is right next door!" Miles heard Maya say laughingly from down the hall. "We should go there via the connecting underground walkway between the buildings! This will be the very first time I'll be taking that route _without_ being in handcuffs!"

 _I swear, those two dorks deserve each other!_

Miles shook his head with wry amusement and waited until his friends were finally out of earshot before staring pensively at the telephone while he mentally rehearsed his list of so-called negotiations.

However, the only unwavering thoughts running through his mind right then were _unspeakably lewd ones_ , starring Franziska, Lang and their entwined bare limbs, amongst other torturous similar scenarios! These speculations would drive him slowly insane until he finally got the answers he was seeking!

He needed them. He deserved them. He _would_ get them.

It would be a very grim day indeed when he came come face to face with Shi-Long Lang again.

 _One way or another, I_ _ **will**_ _discover the truth behind the Wild Mare's disappearance_ , Miles swore to himself. _You can't hide forever, Franziska Von Karma. Wherever you are, I_ _ **will**_ _find you._

 _ **Clannad – I Will Find You**_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 162**

 **Ariastella**

I think there's a reason why I've been able to use the majority of your wonderful suggestions… Great minds think alike or at least are on the same wavelength so nothing you've ever suggested would've been too outrageous for me! From your wonderful sentient magatama idea to Magnifi's premonitions prompting his spirit to trying to redeem himself by steering Phoenix to the truth…it's no wonder you wouldn't think pet séances were too out there! I don't think Pearl could actually change form into Fido of course…mayhap just be able to bark out his "voice" while Luke the Animal Whisperer interprets then translates as human speak? :)

 **Chapter 163**

 **Ariastella**

I have been very fortunate to have been given such wonderful ideas which have been very well received by my equally readers! The Phaya reunion in _Objection_ didn't seem like the right place for that hilarious Mystic Ami rant but I'm happy you like the way I managed to use it in the end it was off freaking awesome!

 **Chapter 165**

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_

Have I told you that I have a head canon that all the Ace Attorney cast has musical and/or singing ability except for the Payne brothers…. _Suenan como gatos moribundos!_ XD

I am happy that you liked Phaya's private reunion - I hope it was worth the wait!

I really hope nobody took it as anything more than a friendly/paternal vibe on Detective Badd's part with him harboring the hidden Franziska. However, Miles _may_ lose his mind when he finds out that Lang _also_ knew all this time where his ex was… after all, unlike Badd, the Wolf Man is _not_ old enough to be her father! ;)

 **Chapter 166**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **napoleon32**

I'm already trying to brainstorm how to get Kay and Maya together again! I'm grinning like an idiot that how much my readers liked their brief scene stealing interaction!

At this point I agree with you fully! All Ace Attorney characters should stay away from alcohol and music of any sort when their moods are anything but cheery as the tunes always tend to be little pointed darts aimed directly after battered hearts, which usually leads them to drink if they haven't been already and just lead to a whole new comedy/tragedy of errors!

The former _King of Prosecutor's_ becoming the _King of Wishful Thinking_ was as serendipitous as the timing of his unplanned promotion to Chief Prosecutor. Nobody can probably blame poor Miles for wanting to drop it like it's hot regarding Interpol, which only reminds him of his ex, but don't rule him so quickly as thanks to Nick and Maya, he's found a way to have his cake and eat it too! I am trying very hard, up until we get further into the Ace Attorney timeline (aka SOJ which completely destroys any attempt at canon in the story dammit!) to stick with as many as possible canon events, which dictated that the prissy, ever-pristine, crumpet-loving Miles Edgeworth did not actually become Chief Prosecutor until December 2026, which makes him completely free to wrap up the sting operation assuming it can be done by year end… _Can he do it?_ :p

If Klavier had tried to intercept her while she was rushing back to get her beloved Snackoos, I have little doubt that Ema the speed demon (it's not so far-fetched; fast tempered chocolate pelter, fast talker, fast driver!) _would_ _indeed_ have run him off the road! Of course, until she finds out the truth about how he was nothing but a dupe to his own brother regarding Nick's disbarring, there's always the chance that she would want to do that anyway!

I just had to throw the adorable little magician in there! It's always a blast to show the contrast of her playful nature against her _secret stick in the mud_ brother! Her desire and actual request for a new Mommy right before the obnoxious Wocky Kitaki trial is one of the most adorable (and canon) things in the god-awful Apollo Justice game, and I'm glad you liked it!

Cursed _psycho locks_! I truly believe that as long as you're within visible distance of the wearer of a magatama, even on a computer screen, your lies will be exposed. I'm thinking the loud rattling of those locks and chain may still be audible even on a phone call when you're a prodigal medium like Pearl! That was probably why Maya chose to _text_ her daughter, many chapters ago, with her flimsy excuse for not coming to the Gumshoe's on New Year's Day when she chose to stalk Nick at The Borscht Bowl Club instead. However, when Trucy lied via Skype to Pearl about her missing (hungover) father just stepping out to the store last Christmas, the teen spirit medium immediately saw the on-screen psyche locks.

Thank God for Maya and her impeccable timing indeed! I really think Phoenix may need to capitalize on the fact that his girlfriend is loaded, since his hobo chic behind has no hope in hell at this point of replacing that _nicked_ wine otherwise! I really don't think any of the Ace Attorney cast is big on drinking, so it's understandable how Nick thought Miles would never miss it, but since he is fortunes fool, of _course_ that was gonna come up and bite him in the bum at some point! The poor guy (until Apollo steps in later on and takes his place!) is truly the _group butt monkey_ , and can't get away with _anything_ , even in this case trying to be kind by giving a Christmas host gift to the beloved Gumshoes! I don't think telling Edgeworth that the steeply priced vino wasn't even for his own consumption would help at all… I think the fusty prosecutor would probably want to strangle Phoenix with his cravat once he finds out that they dared drink a port wine with _white_ (turkey) meat! XD

 **Ariastella**

Having played _Project X Zone 2, (_ which I bought because I am shameless Phaya garbage!) And watching Maya fearlessly/insanely announce in front of super psycho Major Bison to Nick, "his chin looks like a butt!" I realized that the spirit medium with no guile or obvious fear for her life would not be even remotely intimidated by the Wolf Man or his fangs, and I have always wanted to point out how playing is a Wolverine wannabe! XD

That being said, I'm so happy you enjoyed how the two feisty black haired beauties played off one another! Always happy to make one of my favorite loyal readers laugh!

 **Yanmegaman**

 _"By the way, your dad says hello!"_

 _Ngh_! Do you not think Miles has suffered enough, you soulless cretin? LOL. You are _savage_ and I don't know whether a hug your slug you! XD

That being said I honestly do believe Phoenix and Miles have a friendly pissing contest going on between them, so I have little doubt that the two of them what would be bragging about the unique talents of each of their assistants very much in the manner of two little boys comparing action hero figures! :p

 **thepudz**

You're very welcome for making you laugh after all the tears you told me you have shed in the story… I'm delighted you got a kick out of my X-Men comparison and the virtual meeting of two equally hyper former Ace Assistants!

I'm sure Hendricks would've given Miles a big hug to go with his artery clogging English breakfast if the prissy prosecutor wasn't so prickly and anti-human affection! XD

It's funny I can't picture mouse Edgeworth being a chocolate lover… Unless it's imported $50 a pound _Godiva_ Belgian chocolates or something… Because he's such a sourpuss I picture him being more of a sour patch candy guy! :p

You are right though Edgy does need love, and right now what I can offer him is his friends' shoulders to lean on and a possible change of scenery - hello _Euro Trip 2_!

 **Brock's Geodude**

I cannot get enough of Kay Faraday! So far we have only seen her with characters who mostly play the role of the straight man like Miles and Lang, but having had the pleasure of putting her with an equally zany spirit medium really shows what a riot that girl can be! Glad you liked the comedy! :)

 **Feraligreater328**

I'm really happy you like the route I went getting back into Edgeworth's character and arc. I feel almost rusty writing him now, as it's been Phaya arc for so long!

As much as loathe the AJ game and Mommy Dearest, I had to throw in Nick's knowledge of Lamiroir's true identity somehow. At the end of the game she mentioned how he had sought her specifically to be a jurist for the jury system, something he obviously wouldn't have done if he just thought she was the mysterious singer and hadn't known somehow her true identity. :-)

I really do believe most people are intimidated by Lang, which is understandable considering his Wolf Man exterior, but surely Maya couldn't be the first person to think that he looks like an X-Men impersonator! I do believe that she's probably the first person to say it to his _face_ though! :p

The cliffhangers are gonna get worse as the quest for the former bearer of the (Edgeworth engagement) ring begins! ;)

 **Ilet Moratar**

I think none of these characters by nature are alcoholics or overt blues enthusiasts, except when they are sad, stressed or happen to be stuck at a last-minute wedding while they are missing the love of their life, such as the case of poor Miles… And indeed it was only him trying to cure the hangover from the impromptu Larris event which caused him to reach for his long ignored but no longer existent coveted bottle! XD

I was wondering if anyone would catch the famous musical line! You never disappoint me with your cultural/musical knowledge particularly pertaining to anything Latin, _mi hermana dulce!_ I truly do believe that Miles is such a culture snob, he would turn up his nose at more mainstream operas such as Phantom of the Opera, but would be in favor of more culturally rich or historical musicals such as Evita, where the _don't cry for me Argentina_ line was from, or even Les Miserables. :) (He's pretty miserable right now so I don't think you'd find it to be as depressing as I did would probably more than likely see it as life imitating art!)

I do have a very fun head canon about Kay trying to form a new Yatagarasu with Franziska and Maya! I'm happy you enjoyed their interaction I definitely will try to get the two girls together again in the story!

Indeed it was the famous magatama which led Maya to realize that wannabe Wolverine was lying! I can't really comment on whether or not Miles will have the green eyed monster rear its ugly head when he finds out about Lang's duplicity regarding Franziska… But let's just say heads will probably roll? ;)

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Unfortunately Nick's valor about keeping an oath which was extracted from Mommy later means he can't (and still hasn't as of game six!) do anything with his newfound knowledge about Lamiroir's true identity – it got shoved under the pile of harbored Gramarye secrets he stashing underneath that beanie.

I wanted to show my take of how he found out about her identity, because it is canon that he asked her to be a jurist in the newly established (but never heard from again after this Swiss cheese, plot hole ridden game!) jury system… Something I truly believe he wouldn't have done unless he knew who she really was.

As I was saying to my other reader, about great minds thinking alike with regards to Phoenix replacing the wine with grape juice! I really think Nick just _forgot_ about the wine! He really is a completely unthinking foolish fool when he's not the courtroom! I think he's now hoping he won't need to beg Maya to foot the bill to replace it, in light of Miles just finding out that Lang is a lying Wolf Man in sheep's clothing!

The hyperactive ninja with the vivacious spirit medium together could create enough energy which would rival solar wind! Neither Phoenix nor Miles would escape that meeting with their dignity intact!

I think the _true_ Wolverine here is actually the unbreakable never aging _Phoenix_ , who gets hotter and younger looking with age, and has built up a lot of tolerance for pain (what with getting hit by a car and everything!) since last time he was subjected to Franny's whip. I don't think she can any longer hit him to the point of passing out … though I think she'd more than likely would want to skin him alive, not so much for the filched wine bottle, but for what he and Maya did to Edgeworth's prized Italian leather couch! :p

 **Jove's Boy**

Hendricks is my favorite OC ever! Most of my readers who have read about the cheeky c*ck blocking Butler from Brighton in more detail in _Double DILF Doodies_ have agreed with me, and I would've loved to have had and had a cameo in this chapter but didn't want to make it too long but he is definitely going to pop up again and show that he can be even more of a hilarious nuisance _on_ -screen! As you found out in this chapter, the talented manservant also has some serious elbow grease power in his arsenal since he had to scrub as no man has ever scrubbed before to get those Phaya butt prints off Edgeworth's Italian leather couch! XD

Even though Miles was such an ornery bugger at the Larris wedding that Mia the stamp on his foot and threaten him with strangled death by his own cravat, he is honestly as equally noble character as Phoenix, which I think is the reason the two men are such good friends while being so different –they do have the same values – which is why they're going to be an unstoppable force to be reckoned with as they reform the legal system! I really do think he would be happy for his best friend being reunited with the love of his life despite no longer having his own by his side. I'm really happy you are able to see and point out how many others were affected tragically when the main couple of the story got split up, as it was always my intention to make all these characters' fates collide and intertwined together, even if it was in unfortunate circumstances! I do love an astute (and, as it seems like you're as equally kindhearted as the characters!) reader! :-)

I'm really happy that somebody else agrees with me how the whole angle of the mysterious blind firing being not so mummy dearest to the magical sibling's was one of the most annoying and contrived plot points in Apollo Justice! Your observation about Magnifi basically pulling the strings from the heavens alongside Helios (Jove) Justice actually gave me the idea to throw in that little note in this chapter. Plus I do love writing omniscient point of view from above! Thanks for that!

Have you seen those commercials _what would you do for a Klondike bar?_ I really think that has to be the case with Ema and her everlasting passion for those crunchy chocolate snacks of hers…no hold barred! It was probably a different bag than the one from _Gordy Gumshoe Goodness_ … I think in between being rattled by the constant presence of the loathsome fop, and pelting him with Snackoos, she misplaces the bags more often than not! XD

 **chloemcg**

 _"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! I have been so waiting for this, but it's okay because this chapter was so cool!_ "

That was too cute not to quote and I will say this in the most shameless bragging possible … I am truly blessed to have **_the_** most _endearing, adorable, hilarious_ readers in all a fanfiction! That is all! :-)

Nah, in JP world, Nick belongs to only Maya and vice a versa, but I can totally see why you were temporarily thinking along the lines of Ema was regarding Phoenix's jaw dropping to his chest, milady. It was natural to assume his stupor was because he was blown away by Lamiroir's beauty… Because who would ever think that the truth is stranger than fiction, and that she's not at all who she think she is proclaimed to be that he's the only person on earth that knows the truth about her true identity as Thalassa Gramarye! How many secrets can a poor guy fit underneath that beanie already?!

I don't know if any old spirit medium or even a newly discovered one like Iris, would be able to detect psyche locks at a distance while merely video chatting, but both Pearl and Maya are in leagues of their own! After all, Pearl is a child prodigy, and while she kept mum, she could see Trucy's psyche locks when she lied to her last Christmas about Nick's whereabouts while Skyping! And as for Lang… He's gonna have some explaining to do now that Maya has outed him for being a big fat fibber…

I am very excited to see what you have in store for my favorite Ace Attorney Disney couple! No doubt it will be filled with your trademarked fluff!

 _FLUFFY SOCKS FOREVEEER indeed_!

 **CzarThwomp**

I love when great minds think alike pertaining to my readers! You're my _second_ reader to joke around about how Phoenix should've just replaced the wine that he _nicked_ with grape juice! Perhaps it's best that he didn't, as I think the end result would've been a _bottle_ (never mind _boot_!) to the head _ala_ Zak Gramarye!

As much as I have wry affection for Shi-Long Lang, (I found him quite nerve grating until the end of the first Miles game to be honest… And only ended up liking him by default in Miles 2 with the introduction of Sebastian Debeste – because they managed to create a character who annoyed me even more than the Wolf Man!) his constant spouting nonsensical parables were driving me insane! I can't believe that none of the other characters ever pose an objection or rolled their eyes during the games! While I don't think _Lang himself_ would ever claim not to give a rat's ass about what Lang Zi says, it gave me great pleasure, while Detective Badd was the hospital back in chapter 113 when I made Kay Faraday be the one to scream: _"I am sick and tired of you constantly spewing off nonsensical crap about what Lang-Zi says! Nobody gives a **damn** about what Lang-Zi says!_ "

As it is already, even if Edgeworth and Franziska don't reunite, words maybe flying among other objects one smile finds out that his boss knew all along where his ex-fiancée has been and has been lying about it to him! ;)

 _"Just the thought of Manfred, the least romantic person on the face of the earth, having to deal with his eldest daughter watching rom-coms in his house is enough to cause me to roll around on the floor laughing. But then again, he probably built up a tolerance to them while courting Minna as he bashed his head against a wall in a similar fashion to his breakdown."_

OK this was just too funny not to quote directly! I have seen it many videos on YouTube with the infamous head banging of Manfred Von Karma, and the best one has to be in tune to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen! He must've built up quite a tolerance over the years between his starry eyed eldest daughter and having to pretend to be human while courting his angelic wife! Speaking of Katharina, I hope readers liked her because she will be popping up again soon in the story as the quest to find Franziska continues!

Kay and Maya and Pearl….oh myyyyy! With these three unstoppable females together, I don't think they would even wait until holiday party with their conjoined efforts to shame their former bosses! LOL that being said he may have given me a really great idea for future interactions between the ninja in the spirit medium! :p

 _"You're as cool as room temperature at the Borscht Bowl, which is what I assume is the temperature that you were referring to in regards to Wocky's intelligence."_

Thankyouverymuch! You're kinda cool yourself funnyman! :)

Being Canadian, we measure everything in Celsius the room temperature. On average, the room temperature in order to be comfortable, is relatively low (during the two months of the year we have which isn't winter), around 20° or so. I figured even if Americans were to convert that joke into Fahrenheit (what with their stubborn refusal to join the rest of the world with the metric system!), thanks to The Big Bang theory, I know that usually a comfortable room temperature is around 69 to 72° in Fahrenheit, so regardless of the conversion, either measurement in relation to an IQ would be suitable for the intended insult towards the loathsome _fart stain_ that is Wocky Kitaki… Who I envision having the intellect of a lemming at best! XD

 **Joeclone**

 _"Ooh hoo hoo hoo! Finally a new chapter begins! I feel like it's the start of a new season of an anime!_ "

OMG, WHY are you so adorable?! I want to squish your cheeks, even though I know it would probably get me smacked! XD

Ahem, onto the rest of your review sweet boy…

I absolutely loved the notion of Mildew being forced to listen to a song in prison this entire time! I really do welcome any and all reader suggestions to matter how crazy it may seem… After all this entire story is a crazy train, Wright? :p

It makes me so happy you can actually envision my little behind the scenes additions to the actual games as being feasible!

I'm glad you like Nick's shocked inner monologue of _"HOLY JUMPING MOTHER OF GOD IN A SIDE-CAR WITH CHOCOLATE JIMMIES AND A LOBSTER BIB!"_ when he found out that his daughter's mother is very much still alive! I need to keep up his brooding hobo exterior for the rest of the AJ timeline if I'm going to keep him in character, but he's no longer going to be internally miserable and angsty anymore because he's got Maya back now! However, I so enjoy showing how underneath the hobo chic gear and poker face, and whenever he's with familiar friends like Maya and Miles, he is _still_ the same expressive, adorkable Phoenix Wright we all know and love!

Phoenix always had that sexy, hooded, bedroom eye thing through all of AJ, so I'm glad it wasn't too far-fetched to picture that one time was due to being hung over! That being said, getting drunk is totally overrated so hopefully you're not in too much of a rush to abuse your liver! That's why video games are better for having a good time anyway!

I know I am terrible with torturing these beloved characters with music aren't I? Hopefully I made up for it by making the rest of the chapter lighthearted fluff, what with the raven haired beauties interacting and embarrassing their former bosses while completely flummoxed thing the normally cynical Logan impersonator! XD

It's been a month since Larry and Iris got married so Phoenix would've definitely filled Maya in on the fact that Franziska and Miles are no longer together, and _way_ they split, including Edgy not knowing where in the world his ex is, but him attempting to find her with his internal contacts. Up until now, nobody had any reason to believe that Interpol _wasn't_ hot on the trail of finding Franny's whereabouts… As you saw this chapter, poor Miles was just as shocked and infuriated as Maya was to find out Lang had been lying to him with his proclaimed ignorance of Lady von Whippingburg's whereabouts this whole time! (the speculation as to _why_ fake Wolverine lied is going to be _fun_!) ;)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

At some point in this story I will stop torturing these beloved characters with music like I did with poor Miles here! It won't be anytime soon… But at least promise to _try_! After all, music is what feelings sound like and they express thing so much better than I ever could in some cases! Also if you have actually seen pretty woman and know that particular song, "the King of wishful thinking" its misleading upbeat tempo disguises some very angsty lyrics! No wonder the poor prosecutor was a mess!

Phoenix and Maya's miracle reconciliation was the work of basically a small village and close to a dozen people, including otherworldly spirits! Miles was a huge factor and getting Phaya back together in the end, and I am going to do everything I can to make sure that once again, the reunited lovebirds need to pay it forward and return the favor back somehow! ;)

I was going to make Phoenix spotting the mysterious siren be happenstance, but one of my friends/terrific readers mentioned about how Lamiroir actually being Thalassa was so ridiculously contrived that I may have to think outside the box! I hope you like the angle I take in explaining that _not so coincidental sighting_ of the blind finger in her hospital room!

I had no idea you were such a Klema fan!

After playing Dual Destinies, when his mentor was killed, I finally decided to let up on my resentment towards Klavier for his part in Phoenix's disbarring. Having his brother sent to prison and in my mind death row, along with his best friend being incarcerated in his band breaking up (in this story have decided that Daryan giving Interpol some inside information to steer than towards the cocoons might be the only thing that kept him from death row but didn't save him from lifetime imprisonment) … karma (in canon) was much crueler to pour Klavier in the end for something he did in error for trusting the wrong person (damn you Bitchtoff!) than _I_ could ever be by making him slightly forlorn about Fräulein Detective hating his guts! If Phoenix and Maya could get back together, don't close a casebook just yet on Ema eventually loathing him less… Keeping in mind that there is absolutely _no other way_ for her to go! XD

 _"I think he's the Frozen of the AA fandom, in that he is over-hyped, over-emphasized, and over-praised but altogether bland. So seeing him get embarrassed by his sister is funny to me, in a slightly sadistic sort of way. Ok, I admit, I don't hate Apollo, but I do hate how he's stolen the spotlight from the namesake of the series, even if we are in his game right now."_

You have successfully nailed how I generally feel about Apollo, and the (admittedly savage but accurate) _Frozen_ parallel was brilliant. I don't _dislike_ him, I actually kinda like him when I write him, especially when attempting to show that he's got a very good heart underneath being an outward stick in the mud with a bit too much snark for my liking – but as a character alone, I don't _love_ him. Not like I _love_ Phoenix. Some people like McDonald's more than Burger King, and I simply like Phoenix more than Apollo. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I'm not going to fry you for stating your own mixed emotions towards the red attorney, especially when I generally share it.

Allow me to explain. I _love_ Miles Edgeworth, but I do see him similar to Apollo (his personality is more like Miles's even though people compare him to Phoenix the only thing they have in common is spiky hair!) since they're both straight men sorta characters, I feel they may be kind of dry on their own. They need to be balanced out with more lighthearted and goofy characters to really shine for their comedic value, like when the debonair prosecutor is flanked by the likes of the bumbling Gumshoe and playful Kay Faraday (or bickering like one half of an old married couple with Phoenix who ironically is the straight man with Maya but turns into complete tool with his best friend!). Likewise, Apollo's best shining moments to me are when he is with the more lighthearted BFF Clay, or being slightly ribbed by Phoenix, or being subjected to (panty) embarrassment by his ever adorable secret sister!

Don't worry, regarding your thoughts about Apollo based on this last chapter, I didn't mean any way take it as critical in the least, since his words and thoughts actually weren't even _my_ dialogue but the ones Capcom chose to him!

The entire courthouse dialogue, from Trucy asking about a new Mommy to Nick's antiphon (minus the smug "morning after" thoughts!) and then Apollo's reactions, were strictly taken from the AJ game, with only the two extra magic panties jokes being tossed in for comedic value. It never occur to me to think twice about Apollo's possibly unseemly response to Phoenix and Trucy's father/daughter relationship with the line: _"OK, see, this is why I don't buy their "father-daughter" relationship!"_

This is what I mean when I say Polly is more like Miles than Nick (speaking of Miles he absolutely is going to hit the roof now that he knows Lang has been lying to him about Franziska!) Edgy's thoughts and dialogue are comparatively edgier than Phoenix's, whose inner monologues are more _sarcastic_ whereas Apollo's is a bit too _cutting_ (and he actually says the stuff out loud at times!) you which just gave a really good example of!

But now that you've pointed out, while I can _totally_ see what you're saying about his thoughts regarding Phoenix and Trucy's unconventional dynamic as…off. For the sake of my sanity, as I love the purity of DILF Nick and love expanding on his genuine father/daughter bond with Trucy whenever I can, I really don't want to think of Polly's thoughts as _perverse_ (simply because otherwise it would be just _squick_!) but more of a case of over the aforementioned _snarkiness_ at its best.

As Phoenix already acknowledges at this point, Apollo still probably doesn't think very much of the man that he is actually employed by because of the whole forged Ace fiasco. Good point – I also wonder if his thoughts towards his former idol would be softer if he knew just how good of a father he is towards Trucy and what he's gone through trying to legally make her his daughter.

Back to Nick and getting _saved by the bell_ which was Maya…(Who is always going to be busting his balls whether she's his wife or girlfriend, but I'm glad readers could tell the difference that this time it was just Nick feeling embarrassment and not humiliation and Maya had malice whatsoever but was simply being a goofy girl with another equally/goofier girl!) You did remind me about how Phoenix has done more sinful things in Edgeworth's condo than merely swiping some wine as an intended gift! I hope you enjoyed some of the down and dirty details this chapter! :p


	168. Inevitable

A/N: _I'm really happy you guys enjoyed my naming the Judge Jughead "Jug" Chambers, and his parents Reginald and Veronica and his wife (not) Betty from the_ _ **Archie**_ _comics! I opted to refer to Juggie's father not as Reggie because I didn't want to be too obvious, but apparently a few readers didn't get the reference. I haven't read the comics in ages, so he might be more of a minor or forgotten character by now, but at the time I read them, the character of black-haired Reggie Mantle, a roguish troublemaker, while a more a secondary character compared to the main four but he was Archie's major rival for Veronica's affections. Reggie only plays a bit part in the trashy night-time soap_ _ **Riverdale**_ _as well. It's my guilty pleasure, anyone else watch it?_

 _Anyway, just thought I'd clarify! :-)_

* * *

 _~Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals ~  
_ _ **Martin Luther King, Jr.**_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Eight:** **Inevitable**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Jughead Chambers**_  
 _High Prosecutor's Office  
_ July 12, 2026 2:00 PM

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, since you indicated you have pressing engagements," Chambers apologized when he finally called the impatient legal eagle back half an hour later. "But since you insisted on driving such a hard bargain, _I_ needed to ensure I could meet your demands before committing to anything. I hope you understand."

"It's fine, Your Honor," Miles replied politely. "While my list of provisions in accepting the Chief Prosecutor position was short, albeit hopefully not inconceivable, I can appreciate that determining whether or not they were even _feasible_ could take time. I am quite surprised you insisted on getting back to me today, actually."

 _To be honest, I wish_ _ **that**_ _hadn't been the case! There's nothing worse than sitting around idling while awaiting your callback, when I'm expected by Maya and Wright at the precinct!_

"I just wanted to seal the deal as soon as possible no matter what it took! In the end, I did have to make a few _unsavory deals_ in order to accommodate your stipulations."

Miles could almost hear the old man shuddering at the other end of the line.

"Ultimately, though, here's what I have to offer you: in light of the fact that you are literally required in two places at once, and it would be very unsuitable for you to leave Interpol in the lurch, I'm giving you until December 2026 to sort matters out. In light of the exigency to fill this position permanently, however, there's one thing you need bear in mind, which is not subject for further wriggling room."

"Go on…" Miles said cautiously.

"My condition is this, Mr. Edgeworth. If by that time, _regardless_ of whether or not Interpol investigations are complete, you _must_ assume the Chief Prosecutor position no later than year end, _zero exceptions or extensions_."

The chess enthusiast slowly expelled a breath. It was now nearly mid-July. That gave him just under five months to try to help wrap up the undercover sting operation. The caveat wasn't entirely unreasonable given the dire straits they were in, and was still better than nothing. He had no choice but to agree to this concession, and fervently hope that either Machi Tobaye or Detective Crescend, when interrogated, would have _some_ additional information which would help steer things in the right direction at last.

"That's quite fair, Your Honor. Thank you." Then, almost afraid to hear the answer, he carefully asked the next question. "Do you care to elaborate about this unsavory deal you needed to make in order to make this allowance for me?"

"I would call it making a mercenary deal with the devil, if said charlatan _devil_ wasn't actually a _court jester_!" Chambers snorted. "From now until the end of the year I shall be praying, with bated breath, that _nothing out of the norm_ transpires until you take over! The _reason_ for my pleading to with God is that _fool_ _Winston Payne_ shall be the one acting as Chief Prosecutor in your absence!"

"I'm confused. Weren't you pleading with me to take the role due to the fact that you specifically _didn't_ want Payne to be Chief Prosecutor?"

"Not for the _long-term_ , but the half-witted dissenter to all the corruption was close to superannuation anyway, so in that sense he's perfect for the _interim_. The former Rookie Killer agreed to take the temporary role, along with the salary increase accompanying it. This is under the condition that when he finally surrenders the position over to you and leaves office, it will be with the same retirement and benefit package of a _Chief Prosecutor_ , not just a _Prosecutor_."

"I'm surprised, _but_ _impressed_ , the man was astute enough to have the foresight to make the additional concession for himself post-retirement," Miles commented. "While a _shrewd_ bargain indeed, it hardly constitutes being referred to as _mercenary_ surely?"

"Not at all. I actually commend Payne for such enterprising conduct regarding arbitrations to ensure his future long-term comfort – not that I'd actually stroke that _meathead's_ ego! We all know that man is _dead_ _from the neck up_!"

The judge's normally jovial cadence was laced with disgust.

"The true reason I'm feeling contemptuous about Payne's _very applicable_ _avariciousness_ is due to the _extra prerequisite_ he made in agreeing to all of this!"

"I am almost afraid to ask…"

"Winston Payne has a younger brother who is _also_ a prosecutor," Chambers groaned defeatedly. "The _other_ Payne - in the _neck_ , no doubt! - up until now, has been working out east in New York. He has recently left the Manhattan courts most swiftly and unexpectedly, and now needs a job. His crafty elder sibling pointed out that since _he_ is filling in your role even short-term, it still leaves us _short one prosecutor._ "

The magistrate paused for a breath.

"In a shameless display of _'I'm scratching his back, so why not scratch it some **more**_ ,' Payne has wrangled a deal to have his brother, "The Rookie Humiliator" to take his place, and against my better judgment, I agreed to it. I truly hope I won't regret my decision. Perhaps I'm being unfairly prejudiced in thinking this already, as they say _what's in a name_ …"

Miles moaned inwardly at the out of place literary reference.

 _Ngh! I refuse to feed this man's neurotic idiosyncrasies! I mustn't allow him to hesitate nor worry about banalities, and need to thwart his ambiguous worries about trivialities like a man's_ _ **name**_ _! I absolutely need to ensure we have all our ducks in a row before I head back to Europe!_

"Indeed that would be _most_ unfair, Your Honor! Don't let a trifling thing like a _name_ sully your mind against a man you don't even know! In fact, it's inadvisable to be hasty in resisting life's changes _in general_!" Miles improvised quickly. "After all, without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable."

There was a brief pause, and for a split second he wondered if he'd been successful in oscillating the mind of the normally all too easily swayed judiciary. Finally, Chambers spoke.

"You're right, good man. I can't help it though, if my haunches went up upon hearing not _only_ about the man's unfortunate moniker, but by his sudden departure from such a long-standing position on the other side of the country! I hope it wasn't due to any sort of scandal attached his name… This District Court couldn't handle any more of those!"

Miles chose to keep mum about the normally clueless judge's possibly validated trepidation regarding the mysterious new prosecutor's swift departure from New York. He didn't want to give the old man further reason to be wary, as he desperately needed to ensure everything was at least _somewhat_ accounted for during his time off!

Soothing his conscience by swearing to himself that he would _personally_ inspect matters pertaining to Winston's brother as soon as he returned, the prosecutor then attempted to veer the subject away from the younger Payne's dubious background.

"Whatever _is_ the brother's name?"

" _Gaspen_!" Chambers grumbled. "I am torn between wondering if their mother lost some sort of bet when naming her sons, or just simply _loathed_ them!"

Miles swallowed back a chuckle.

"Ahem, regarding my second provision, which I realize I left relatively open-ended, ergo is the equivalent of saying _you'll owe me one_ …"

"That was _exactly_ how I took it," Chambers stated bluntly. "Seeing as how the exact words you used were, _I wish to leave my second request to put under the admittedly semi-obscure umbrella of I'll owe you one!"_

"Having no desire to have you regard me as the same type of covetous counselor as Winston Payne, there's a reason I didn't make any specifications, Your Honor." Miles's tone was one of utmost sincerity. "It's because at this point, I'm not only uncertain of exactly _what_ I would require of you, but also because it's not even for _myself_ that I ask this future unknown favor."

"I feel better now that you've expanded on this." The judge sounded less leery and somewhat pacified now. "But could you at least tell me for _whom_ this _to be determined boon_ would be for?"

"Phoenix Wright." The prosecutor replied matter-of-factly. "I know you're one of the few in the legal system who believes his unfortunate disbarring was not only unwarranted but unjustified. I plan to do everything in my _legal_ power to clear his name and get him reinstated. However, doing so may require the cooperation of a court official who ranks even higher than myself. Therefore…"

"Say no more." The hesitation was gone from Chambers' voice. "Not only was Mr. Wright a very revered defense attorney, he was one of my favorites. Whatever it is I can do within my own legal power to help _Wright the wrong_ that was done to him, consider it done."

The judge let out a long sigh.

"Your _third_ clause _can_ certainly be taken care of… But will require other chains of command to cooperate, not just myself. Ergo, the matter will be resolved _soon_ , though not as swiftly as you would think. Would it be too prying to inquire what made you ask for such a thing, Mr. Edgeworth?"

Miles had dreaded such a question, as he still hadn't come up with a sufficient answer – at least, not without opening up a can of worms that he had no desire to release.

"I hate to be nosy, it's just that I can easily understand the nature of your _other_ two requests," Chambers continued awkwardly, when his dialogue partner remained silent. "However, I am entirely unaware of any six degrees of separation _whatsoever_ between you and –"

"I have my reasons, Your Honor," Miles interrupted, his tone polite but firm. "Normally, I would never intentionally wish to be prevaricating while citing preconditions. Nonetheless, regarding _this particular subject_ , I can only humbly request you trust my judgment, along with belief that it's a matter of nothing more than a desire for justice."

"That's the nicest, most eloquent way of being told to _mind my own beeswax_ I think I've ever heard!" Chambers let out a booming laugh. "Hint taken, Mr. Prosecutor. I'll let it go and move on. I think we've wrapped up everything right about now, anyway."

"Yes, I believe we have, Your Honor." The prosecutor cradled the receiver against his shoulder as he rose from his desk at last and powered off his computer. "Thank you again."

"Ah, just one more thing, before you head out …" Chambers sounded somewhat sheepish. "If memory serves me correctly, you have a pooch, don't you?"

 _Pess_.

The poignant memory of his beloved four-legged daughter, the beautiful golden retriever he'd gotten as a puppy, as lost to him as Franziska now was, flashed through his mind. He clenched his jaw.

"I _did_." His voice was clipped.

"Right…" The old man sounded uncomfortable, as though sensing he'd unwittingly hit a nerve. "Well, I wasn't sure who else to ask, but I thought mayhap _you'd_ know what time the pet store was open till this evening?"

"Oh." Miles felt some of the tension leave his body. "I think _Indiana Bones Temple of Groom_ closes at 6:00 tonight."

"That's on the other side of town though. Don't you know anything closer to the court?"

The attorney was officially drumming his fingers on the desk by now. It was 2:15. Miles deplored tardiness for any reason, and was fastidiously punctual to a near fault. He hated that Phoenix and Maya had been waiting for him at the police station for nearly an hour now.

" _Howl To The Chief_ is open until 8:00, I believe." In spite of his rush to get to the precinct, which was luckily next door, his curiosity was piqued. "Ah, I didn't know you had a dog, Your Honor."

"I don't! But I was just complaining to my grandchild that the _doggone clicker thingamajigger_ keeps sticking whenever I try to point at stuff on my picture screen – er, _monitor_!"

After the _screen-cap_ incident, absolutely nothing fazed Miles regarding the judge being a techno-dinosaur. Be that as it may, for the life of him, he had zero inkling what said computer accessory had to do with needing a pet store!

"Are you referring to your _mouse_ giving you issues, Your Honor?"

"Yes that's it! I _knew_ you'd understand what I meant and know what this blasted doodad was called!" Chambers sounded relieved. "What with you being a logical genius and all!"

 _I'm hardly a genius – at least, not because of knowing the name of a simple PC accessory!_ Miles clapped a hand to his forehead, grateful the judge couldn't see him. _Of_ _ **course**_ _I knew that! That's bloody common sense!_

"Anyhow," the daft judiciary went on mindlessly. "It was suggested that my rodent – er, _mouse_! – problem could be solved if I were to just get a mouse _mat_ for it…"

* * *

 _ **Phaya and Dick Gumshoe**_  
 _Los Angeles Police Department  
_ July 12, 2026 2:30 PM

"Watch it pal!" Gumshoe admonished laughingly as he managed to finally pry away a cruller from the pastry box on his bureau, which had yet to be relinquished from Maya's greedy paws. "You're getting donut crumbs all over my paperwork!"

" _Sowwy_!" The spirit medium garbled somewhat incoherently, through a mouthful of Boston-cream – her sixth filched donut from the multi-variety assortment on the big man's desk in the last five minutes. " _Bug der toe goooood!"_

"I _think_ there may be _one_ left for me!" Phoenix joked, reaching around the fastidiously chomping human garburator and grabbing a sweet treat from the carton. "No thanks to this gluttonous girlfriend of mine!"

Maya was managing the neat trick of chewing the partially consumed sugary concoction in her mouth, hands-free, while having two donuts wrapped like oversized rings around her two index fingers, and still somehow maintaining a steady stream of chatter.

"I can't _believe_ I wasted a year of my life going to these fancy-schmancy, high-end bakeries with Longines! He always took me to ridiculously overpriced places that dared to snub _wheat_ , such as _Gluteus Minimus_ , or worse, sounded like a workout video, like _Buns of Steel_!" She smirked at the Chief. "It looks like the cop _pigeon-hole_ about _pastries with holes_ is true after all, huh? The best tasting donuts are an unknown secret that's closely harbored by the boys in blue, but are unheard of for the general public!"

"Today's delicious desserts were brought to you courtesy of _The Rolling Scones_ around the corner," Gumshoe smilingly confided, taking no offense to the shameless universal stereotype about the police force's treat of choice. "I thought nothing would replace _Cake Me Up, Before You Go-Go_ when they shut down, but this new unknown hole in the wall is the _Stairway to Leaven_! Another hidden gem that Meekins found when I sent him on a coffee and donut run last month – at least he's good for _something_! – which I'd recommend is _Led Zeppoli!"_

"It's good to know that when he's not tripping over his own feet, that klutzy clod takes the time to _Stop and Smell the Flours!"_ Phoenix chuckled while, unlike his messier other half, taking care to brush the crumbs from his fingers into the waste basket. "That was probably the best grape-jelly donut I've ever had."

"I could get used to working in a place like this!" Maya grinned impishly as she licked the sticky traces of her final consumed confection off her lips. "What a great way to say _Top of the Muffin To Ya!"_

She gave a squawk of protest as she reached for the last donut, only to have Gumshoe shake his head and snap the lid shut on her questing fingers as he moved the box out of reach.

"Sorry pal, but I at least need to save at least one of these for Ema. She's been working her tail off on the Interpol Agent homicide case, and even though I gave her a package of Snackoos to make up for chewing her out early in the investigation, I still feel like adding some more sugary goodness to atone couldn't hurt."

"She deserves it," Phoenix said loyally. "After all, Ema was the one who gifted me those firecracker remains to give to Apollo, which was the final decisive evidence to pin Daryan Cresend to the crime."

"Where _is_ Ema?" Maya asked, glancing around for sight of her former look-alike. "We were hoping to bump into her today while we wait for Miles to come join us. I haven't seen her in a dog's age!"

"She started at noon," Gumshoe replied, glimpsing down at his watch. "Which means she either slunk in here without me noticing or she's running late, which is not like her at all…"

"Here I am, Chief," a familiar suddenly sounded behind the couple, sounding slightly strained. "I got here on time. I've just been holed up in my office until now, but I heard Mr. Wright out here, so thought I'd come say hi."

Phoenix and Maya spun around, and there stood a slightly edgy-looking Ema Skye, who smiled faintly at the pianist in friendly greeting, then turned to his inamorata, only to be nearly winded by the effusive hug the Kurain Master gave her in the next instant.

" _Ema_!" The village leader squealed, throwing her arms around the petite brunette and embracing her tightly. "It's so great to see you again! It's been forever and a day!"

The spirit medium's vivacious and friendly nature was nearly impossible to resist for most people, and the normally grumpy policewoman was no exception. Ema's edgy countenance was replaced with a little laugh of surprise as she returned the hug.

"Glad to see you too, Maya," she grinned. "You haven't aged a bit!"

"And _you_ have gotten even prettier since I saw you last! Though you've still got the trusty lab coat I see?"

"You know it! This is my regular uniform, just as I'm guessing that robe is yours?"

"Yup! When I'm not wearing a killer mini-dress and freezing my heinie off in a Russian bar, this is my customary Kurain Master ensemble."

Maya was practically giddy at seeing her friend again as she giggled at the obvious reference to their meeting in the ladies restroom at The Borscht Bowl Club all those years ago.

"I have been _so_ jealous of Nick since _he's_ gotten to hang out with you a few times already, yet _I_ can never seem to correlate my schedule with his for whenever you two have gotten together. We _really_ need to organize some hang time, girl!"

"Absolutely. I promise to move heaven and earth so next time, you'll _definitely_ get to join us, and I swear it'll be _sooner_ rather than _later,"_ the Detective agreed, smiling back at the beaming Maya. "It's been _way_ too long!"

She gestured at her signature pristine white lab coat.

"Wherever we _do_ end up going, though, just like you'll probably be in _your_ occupational gear, there's a pretty high chance _I'll_ still be wearing _this_!"

"I seem to recall being part of the reason that thing didn't end up being _permanently_ stained!" Maya teased. "If memory serves me correctly, wasn't it a certain _glimmerous fop_ who was responsible for your lab coat being splattered with drinks in the first place?"

Phoenix had made his lover wholly aware of the detective's antipathy towards the prosecutor, and Gumshoe had regaled the couple about the _boot to the groin_ Klavier had thus received the month prior. Therefore, the ever-playful Maya was fully anticipating some sort of jesting banter in response to the wisecrack.

What none of the three had anticipated was for Ema's smiling visage to abruptly become shuttered and unreadable, as all her traces of good humor suddenly vanished.

"Yeah, something like that," the science enthusiast replied dully, her former guarded disposition resurfacing once more.

She then evaded her eyes from the duo's astonished gazes at the out of the blue mood change, while purposefully ensuring her back was facing the prying stare of Gumshoe.

"Anyway, it was great seeing you again Maya – _do_ make sure Mr. Wright brings you with him next time he and I get together for dinner, OK?"

"Um sure?" Maya was too taken aback from her friend's unanticipated attitude shift to even know how else to answer. "Will do, Ema."

The wannabe forensics investigator turned to head back to her office, still refusing to make eye contact with her concerned supervisor.

"Chief, thanks for the donut, but you can let someone else have it. I'm trying to watch my sugar intake. I need to get back to work now. See you all later."

The three stared silently after the brunette's retreating back, all wearing identical expressions of disquietude.

"Trying to _watch her sugar intake_?" Phoenix echoed in disbelief. "Since _when_?! The woman _eats her weight_ in those crunchy chocolate snacks of hers! The fact that she miraculously remains thin in spite of that is almost as _enigmatic_ as _Maya_ not being the size of a house, despite have a bottomless pit for a stomach!"

Maya ignored her partner's jab about her eating habits and peered anxiously at Gumshoe.

"Oh dear, I didn't mean to upset her!" She cried in dismay, her dark eyes distressed. "Was it something I said?"

"No, I don't think so." Gumshoe shook his head, appearing slightly troubled. "Now that I think of it, Ema hasn't really been herself since the _State vs._ _Tobaye_ trial ended two days ago. I never thought I'd say this, but I think I prefer her when she's _surly and Snackoo pelting_ , rather than _withdrawn_ and _subdued_! Obviously the aftermath of everything pertaining to the incident has gotten to her."

"What a remarkable coincidence," a fourth voice inserted dryly. "It appears that nightmare of a trial not only shook up the Prosecutor's Office, but the _precinct_ as well. Apparently, Klavier Gavin has suddenly decided to take advantage of his normally seldom-used sick days, and hasn't been back at work ever since."

Phoenix, Maya and Gumshoe all looked up in surprise as Miles strolled into the room.

"Are you kidding? Prosecutor Gavin is almost as much of a workaholic as _you_ are, Mr. Edgeworth!" The Chief exclaimed, too startled to remember the magenta-clad man was no longer his boss. "He managed to drag himself into work even after that wretched brother of his got sent to the hoosegow back in the springtime. I'd figured if he was going to take any time off work, it would've been _then_."

"I guess his best friend being declared a murderer while simultaneously having The Gavinners get disbanded a mere three months later was a bit too much for any one man to handle?" Phoenix speculated. "I really do feel bad for the guy. Even though he played a hand in costing me my badge, it seems _karma_ is a bigger bitch than _I_ could ever be!"

"That's pretty noble of you, pal," Gumshoe acknowledged ruefully. "I don't know if _I'd_ be anywhere near as sympathetic to him if I were in your shoes."

"Nick's just a good-old fashioned _mensch_!" Maya bragged, winking at Phoenix. "He can't hate _anyone_. He probably thinks even my evil homicidal maniac Aunt Morgan was merely _misunderstood_!"

"Come on, guys!" Phoenix blushed slightly. "I wouldn't go _that_ far!"

"Cease the modesty, Wright. We all know your famous valor is still intact, even if your badge isn't," Miles said dryly, reaching for the last donut. "How nice, was this for me? I'd prefer a scone, of course, but as I missed out on my afternoon tea time, this shall have to suffice."

He bit into the pastry.

"Apologies to have kept you lot waiting, as I know you said there's some unfinished business that needs tending to. However, I had no choice but to sit in anticipation awaiting the honorary Judge Chambers to ring me back after I named him my list of demands…"

The lawyer's lips twitched, as though fighting back a smile.

"And then I had to let His Honor know that there was _no pet shop required_ for his much needed mouse pad … referred to by his presumably British grandchild as a _mouse mat!"_

" _Bwahaha!"_ A loud burst of laughter followed this announcement, as Gumshoe, Maya and Phoenix all simultaneously cracked up.

Down the hall in her office, Ema listened to the gales of mirth from her friends at whatever punchline the unmistakable voice of Miles Edgeworth had just relayed to them.

How she envied them at that moment. They sounded so happy and carefree. She really should be out there with her comrades, jesting, eating donuts and rejoicing how the worst of it all seemed to be over.

Instead, just as she'd been the last couple of days, she opted to instead seclude herself within the confines of her office, under the guise of boondoggle with her case files.

Meanwhile, while she did work of little importance with the intention of seeming busy, internally, the detective was a jumbled mess of ensnared thoughts which she couldn't seem to untangle ... Not to mention being in a turmoil of inexplicable and conflicting emotions to boot!

 _Apollo told me he won that trial by remembering Mr. Wright's words when he gave him that evidence he and I found when we went back to get my Snackoos._ _ **Every man has an igniter inside him.**_ _He told the rookie to find Daryan Crescend's igniter..._ _ **and set it off.**_

At the time, Ema hadn't comprehended what the cryptic message the ex-attorney had been trying to relay had meant. Scientifically it made no sense at all.

But now, she completely understood.

 _One day, whether you are 14, 28 or 65,_ _you will stumble upon_ _a man –_ _ **or a woman**_ _–_ _who will ignite a fire within you that cannot die. However, the saddest, most awful truth you will ever come to find – is they are not always with whom we spend our lives._

She dropped her head in her hands. _Nothing_ had been the same since this trial from hell. Not Mr. Wright, with his curiously extra guarded persona since spotting Lamiroir in the hospital, not their entire court hierarchy … and most definitely, not _even Ema herself_.

 _Sometimes, that very flame is set off by someone whose very purpose of existence in our lives is questioned more and more with each passing day._

Tears of frustrated confusion stung her eyes.

 _Damn you, Klavier Gavin. You stupid, glimmerous fop!_ _ **You're**_ _the sole reason I'm such a tumultuous mess right now!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 166**

 **DannyDragon**

Hee! Looks like my Latin readers are fans of _Evita_ since you also caught the "forgive me if I don't cry for you, Argentina" line! XD

Kay and Maya together would ensure neither Nick or Edgy would live too long as dying from embarrassment of all their dorky quirks being outed would from the loose-lipped ladies!

As much as I hate the AJ game and am largely indifferent about Mommy, it's an integral part of the game, and will continue into the next couple chapters. Also, Lang's treachery about Franny is definitely something that's going to have Miles and friends in hot pursuit! Cue the AA "pursuit" _musica, mi amiga musica!_

 **Chapter 167**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **chloemcg**

I'll take skinning alive for 5000! We also have torturing Lang with threat of burning Lang Zi scrolls and strangulation by cravat as forms of retribution for his deception! XD

I think if you leave Nick and Miles alone too long, they would be trying to strangle _each other_ since they had such a bantering relationship therefore they need Maya to lighten up the mood and embarrassed them! I'm happy you're enjoying her antics because I love writing her!

I have the most adorable side storyline for Pearl once she and Luke get together in England! The gang will make a new friend over there and I hope it's a pleasant surprise - plus I really want to give a more screen time with the other Ace Attorney cast she is so amazing and the idea of her giving Maya ninja stealth training is hilarious… And definitely something that I wonder if I could work around, because Maya is just so noisy and boisterous most of the time!

Compared to Gaspen, Winston is the lesser of two evils… I'm setting up the scene for Dual Destinies! It's looming in the horizon!

Very much looking forward to your Feyt fic milady! The fandom needs more fluff!

 **Ariastella**

My wonderful longtime loyal reader, I swear I have not ignored your email (strep throat…thanks Mr. Nixy!) and will reply to it tomorrow. I did glance at it and am pretty sure I can try to find a way to weave your wonderful warden into the story and I do hope you continue your wonderful prison is a punishment series.

I'm happy you're excited about this European trip because I really am to!

In fact I love the idea of going back to visit the ideas of the Paris Catacombs and absolutely where there is Luke there is Layton and Maya made it very clear that Pearl would be reunited with her boyfriend in merry old England… Surely the teen's 'parents' would want to pop in for some tea while they're at it as well? :)

 **napoleon32**

Anyone who does not love the judge also does not love puppies because he's just like a big clueless lovable puppy with oversize paws! LOL

I cracked up at your PDF story… I hope you don't mind if I use it in the future! Surely you're not _that_ bad… _are_ you?!

I have shamelessly been throwing about terrible punny names throughout last chapter as well as this one but I don't know if it went over my sweet innocent readers heads are there were too embarrassed to bring up the noticing that _Rosie Palms_ (which some were threatened would result in the him having Harry Palms!) was every teenager's companion! XD

It's funny how you mentioned how the Wolf Man better be careful because Edgeworth may have a worse temper than Franziska. In my story _Double DILF Doodies_ (it's a comedy were Phoenix and Miles proved to be the worst disciplining daddies ever!) Miles does blow his top at one point with his kids and Nick does ruefully acknowledge that when angry, his best friend _is_ scarier than his wife!

I honestly think Maya is shameless/has no filter more than is an exhibitionist! She truly loves embarrassing Phoenix and admitted that it's because it's so easy to do because him and Edgy try so hard to act all proper… At least when the other is around! I don't think she would have as much fun _exhibiting_ her and Nick's sexcapades if they would stop being so uptight and just roll with it! One of the things I've always loved about the dynamic with these three is that Phoenix is the straight man whenever he's around Maya, that whenever you get him with the Edgeworth he becomes the goofy one to the prosecutor's straight man shtick.

I'm going to try to see if I can work in Trucy into the next chapter… I'm trying to keep the somewhat frequent and short as that seems to be what the majority of readers have voted for… I can't promise she'll be a stowaway this time… but I _do_ want to try to use that line!

 **CzarThwomp**

 _I can just imagine it now- Edgeworth, Phoenix, and Maya overpowering Lang and interrogating him by burning one of his millions of Lang Zi scrolls every time he doesn't reveal Franziska's location…_

That would be so psychotic….why can't I stop laughing?! I shall let you know if I end up using it and I really just might because you are freaking hilarious! XD

Blissfully naïve is a great way to describe the judge… I was describing him as a sweet and harmless puppy to another reader but this is definitely applicable to the man who is even more technologically clueless than Phoenix! We find that this chapter he does not have a dog or cat even though he was asking about a pet store although thanks to you I actually have the names handy if he decides that he wants four-legged grandchildren!

Have you played all the Layton games? Which seriously think is more tragic? And do you think Layton's had the most tragic love life out of all of the guys except for maybe Diego Armando?

I know Edgeworth was in the DLC for the crossover but I can't remember if he actually crossed paths with Layton… What are members of the actor actually sounded more British than the professor himself which was kind of jarring!

At this point if Layton were to offer Edgeworth a puzzle as consolation over Franziska… I truly believe the normally pacifist prosecutor would attempt to smother the kindhearted gentleman with his own top hat!

 **Brock's Geodude**

Apollo is a snarky bugger, the end. For the sake of my own sanity, I took his remark as nothing more than the way you did, but considering what little respect he obviously has for Phoenix in the Apollo Justice game, I could just as easily see how someone could interpret the line "this is why I don't buy their 'father-daughter' relationship." Truly, with the way he seems to regard hobo Feenie, there is no way Polly would even give a second thought or appreciate the strife a single father surely must've gone through trying to custody of a little girl.

I don't really think asking for new Mommy was that scandalous, just slightly too personal to maybe bring up in front of mixed company. If anything, Apollo should've figured out they weren't biological father and daughter based on how young Phoenix is! She would've had to have been a high school accident in order for that to work!

Maya is always going to be outrageous until her boyfriend and his best friend finally learn to lighten up and stop getting embarrassed so easily! :p

 **Forgreatcoffee**

The name Chambers for a judge seemed to be the most obvious forgone conclusion, just as I would've made his last name Cook if he were a chef… Given my passion for puns I was trying to find a name that sounded as close to Judge as possible…enter the Jughead Chambers! A fellow Ace Attorney fan had joked in a forum I'm in about a potential judge name being Ben, which is why it was the name I gave his little brother, as it also sounds amusing (although not as much as Jug!) With the surname.

Can't blame Meekins for this one – seems like both the judge's and the prosecutor's names are legit! Too legit to quit! :p

I figure with Udgey, mummy Veronica was just high on Demerol when she named her boys the same as the mother of Winston and Gaspen Payne! Or she…lost a bet?

Everybody seems to want to have Miles open up a can of whoopass on the Wolf Man! I shall put asphyxiation by cravat at the top of the list in the unlikely event that Edgy will need Nick to defend him in a court of law!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

I'm really happy to hear that you're still taking the time to read about the antics of the duplicitous Wolf Man, the virtual meeting of a very mischievous ninja and spirit medium, and Miles's promotion!

I was thinking of naming the one of the bakeries Sugar Mama's in honor of Maya claiming that role in Nick's life… But wasn't Buns Of Steel so much better? :p

 **allamanda29**

I am very sad that the updates for the site are still not working with readers getting notifications when a story is published! I can only hope that they fastidiously check the feed?!

Edgy in the _psycho locks_ will never get old! I think it's taken some great restraint on Maya's part that she's never mocked him for it since she makes fun of Phoenix for everything else!

Thank you for persevering and leaving me your wonderful review and I'm delighted that you're now following the story.

Gotta love the clueless judge… I have to give that man a cameo more often!

I notice that you can't seem to catch a break with trolls who try to school you on how to write in your own language…so tragic.

But the point is you're still writing as you've realized you have more supporters than haters but I hope you still continue writing in English – not only is a great way to challenge with your English language skills which have been vastly improved since you first started but because there's so much obvious heart and research in your stories!

 **Yanmegaman**

There's a very high chance Maya may have predicted the outcome after all… She is _psychic_ …Wright? ;)

And who wouldn't want to have a Eurotrip with Nick which more than likely won't result in her being tossed into a flaming fire pit of hell this time? That's assuming of course they ever get off the plane…*cough* Mile High Club… ;)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I wasn't quite sure how much of your personal information you wanted divulged to my readers otherwise I totally web dedicated the last chapter is a happy birthday to one of my favorite readers and friends! :)

I have a neurotic need to use the heck out of a thesaurus every time I write a chapter because I hate repeating the same words and it's just a way to push myself to expand my vocabulary and keep my brain active! I try very hard not to seem like a walking dictionary and use words that are not either explained in the next sentence or identifiable the context, but I am so pleased that you're impressed by my extensive vocabulary sweetie!

When you say bussing tables of think of my last character Jesse the busboy… Who made both Phoenix and Miles see red at some point! I wonder if Winston Payne being a bus boy would invoke the same level of wrath in those around him? :p

I can only imagine what Jughead Chambers would've been like as a lawyer… Less bumbling in his younger days or would he always have had his endearing ineptitude in general and not just pertaining to technology? Also I really wish I knew what he had looked like when he had hair?

I'm glad you like my filling in the blanks… You have to play the Miles games or at least check out a few YouTube videos! The jokes about Miles's aging wrinkles by Franziska are actually canon, as is her need to lash out at him because he insists on calling her short… Some excessively considering she was only 13 at the time! I am also sticking to canon which decrees that Miles Edgeworth became Chief prosecutor as of December 2026… Which gives him just under half a year to get his butt in gear with the Interpol investigation!

You have not forgotten the details playing it has worked alongside Miles and Franziska both in the Miles Edgeworth games as well is in this story. In TE he has been the supervisor since they been working with Interpol, with Kay now being an agent and Detective Badd also being part of the operation.

A good old-fashioned gun for Lang… The most traditional homicide route suggested by my readers! Hee!

I am very grateful that you have not jumped to the worst conclusion about Franziska actually rolling around in the hay with the Wolf Man even if Miles has not given the same benefit of the doubt just yet!

Growing up in a house with that monster that was Manfred would've definitely done damage to both Miles and Franny's psyches… An inferiority complex in both of them could definitely be the result of living in Dracula's castle.

The way I look at it Phoenix and Maya are such an equally matched gorgeous couple if he's the one getting naked in strip poker is anyone actually really _losing?_ And with my shameless girl crush on Maya Fey and her being an undeniable babe now that she's grown up… You could flip that scenario around pertaining to her and still come up with the same naughty question couldn't you? ;)

I'm happy you can root for these two lovebirds even when Maya is embarrassing the hell out of her boyfriend by blurting out some other naughty shenanigans in mixed company! Any change in living arrangements in this story would definitely not be behind the scenes so no she is not living with Nick yet. He _does_ live across the street from the Gatewater hotel though, and she has a pretty much endless bank account. Plus Trucy seemed to spend a lot of time out of the house investigating with Polly even though she's not in school right now… There's ways to get creative with those get-togethers! :p

You're the second reader to mention Trucy being a stowaway. Although Maya with the nearly infinite bank account could easily cover her other daughter's plane ticket, I love writing her with Apollo so I definitely want to see what I can do with strengthening the magical sibling's bond and writing some local fun for them while the gang is in Europe… I still gotta manage to work that stowaway line in there somewhere now that's been mentioned twice though!


	169. Drive Me Crazy

A/N: _I know some of you may get this notification (which at press time was fixed after being broken for weeks!) despite having missed chapter 168 which I posted earlier this week. It's a longer weekend read, hope you enjoy! :)_

* * *

" _You've got this life and while you've got it, you'd better embrace the craziness! Kiss like you only have one moment, try to hold someone's hand like you will never get another chance to, look into people's eyes like they're the last you'll ever see, watch someone sleeping like there's no time left, jump if you feel like jumping, run if you feel like running, play music in your head when there is none, and eat cake like it's the only one left in the world!"_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Sixty Nine:** **Drive Me Crazy**

 _ **Klavier Gavin  
**_ _Prosecutor Klavier Gavin's Office_  
July 10, 2026 8:30 PM

 _Heilig jumping weasel critters on a hot cross bun! I still can't wrap my head around any of this! I_ _ **loved**_ _that man. Treated him like Mein Bruder! How could this have happened?_

The despondent, and more than a little _Besoffen_ Gavinners front man lolled listlessly on the window-side leather lounger in his spacious office. He flopped his throbbing skull back against the headrest, arms flung carelessly on each side of the chaise, a bottle of amber spirit gripped loosely in each hand.

 _Dummkopf!_ _ **How**_ _could you have done such a thing? Why didn't you just come to me if you were so in need of money?!_

A bottle of halfway finished _Jägermeister_ dangled from the fingertips of his right hand. Lifting his head, he brought the German alcohol to his lips and took a hefty swig.

 _As I said to my guitarist today in court:_ _ **"I consider that my last session with you. We rocked."**_ _It's all over now – someone grab a helmet with the horns and turn this tragedy into an opera, for the preverbal fat lady hath sung!_

Normally the spicy liquor was the prosecutor's premier libation of choice, but he'd needed something stronger. Hence he'd decided to drown his sorrows with copious amounts of an aptly sinful concoction called _Blood of Satan._ It normally consisted of _Goldschläger_ and whiskey to go with the _Jägermeister_. Unfortunately, he wasn't in possession of the required Swiss, cinnamon flavored schnapps, or even shooter glasses.

Also, he didn't give a _scheisse_ about doing anything properly at the moment!

Therefore, he'd forgone following the recipe to the hilt and had instead poured a mouthful of whiskey, and then of Jägermeister, straight from each bottle, and right into his mouth, swishing it around like mouthwash before guzzling down the burning mixture.

 _Daryan used to make fun of me for my accismus; for purposely denying myself the pleasure of this decadence and continually keeping this limited-edition, Johnnie Walker, Diamond Jubilee bottle in my office all these years. He never could fathom the concept of delaying hedonism, despite continuously explaining I was saving it for a_ _ **special occasion.**_

He didn't even flinch as the burning blend seared a trail down his throat.

 _Since there were only 60 of these Baccarat crystals, Britannia silver and half-carat diamond studded bottles made in the entire world, in celebration of the Queen Elizabeth's 60_ _th_ _anniversary of inheriting her throne in 1952, I wasn't going to drink this $165,000 special on just_ _ **any**_ _old day! I was going to wait until The Gavinners won their first Grammy!_

Obviously _that_ pipedream was never going to happen, as The Gavinners were officially deader than the Macarena.

They said trouble came in threes, and _Gott_ save the Queen, he was feeling every single poleaxing strike.

Within the span of three months, he'd gone from being on top of the world – a universally renowned rock god and prosecutor at the height of his career with a gorgeous, wanton femme to warm his bed every night if he'd so chosen – to a man who'd now lose both his brother _and_ his best friend to the gallows, while his beloved band since high school had also bit the dust.

 _Then_ , to top it all off, thanks to the events of that accursed _State vs. Tobaye_ trial where she'd felt her superior had intentionally made a fool out of her on the witness stand by purposely withholding crucial information, Ema thoroughly loathed him now, more than ever!

And all within the span of a quarter year.

Naturally, Adele chose that exact moment to come blaring on his office stereo speakers, and Klavier was simply too languid and broken to even have the energy to turn off the haunting, tormenting melody of "Crazy For You."

* * *

 _ **Found myself today  
Singing out loud your name,  
You said I'm crazy,  
If I am I'm crazy for you**_

 _ **Sometimes sitting in the dark**_  
 _ **Wishing you were here**_  
 _ **Turns me crazy,**_  
 _ **But it's you who makes me lose my head**_

* * *

The lyrics painfully reminded him of his incensed _Fräulein Detective_ , who'd single-handedly tried to ensure he could never reproduce when she'd found out about his part in Phoenix Wright's disbarring.

* * *

 _ **And every time I'm meant to be acting sensible  
You drift into my head  
And turn me into a crumbling fool**_

 _ **Tell me to run and I'll race,**_  
 _ **If you want me to stop I'll freeze,**_  
 _ **And if you want me gone, I'll leave,**_  
 _ **Just hold me closer, baby,**_  
 _ **And make me crazy for you**_  
 _ **Crazy for you**_

* * *

Lord help him if he could stop himself from having her on his mind every waking moment nevertheless.

* * *

 _ **Lately with this state I'm in  
I can't help myself but spin.  
I wish you'd come over,  
Send me spinning closer to you**_

* * *

Ema Skye, who'd given him not only a _shot_ to the _crotch,_ but his actual _heart._

While storming off the witness stand after her testimony for the Tobaye trial, she'd stopped at the prosecution bench and subjected him to a scathing glare. Then, uncaring who else around overheard, she'd furiously hissed that Klavier, despite his "disgusting, egotistic, showboating tendencies", was still _nothing_ compared to the likes of debonair, indelible High Prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth! Her teen idol, Ema had spat loftily, was a true _gentleman_ and " _simmerous"_ in every way, whereas the rocker would _never_ achieve anything beyond being " _glimmerous_!"

* * *

 _ **My oh my, how my blood boils,  
It's sweet taste for you,  
Strips me down bare  
And gets me into my favorite mood**_

 _ **I keep on trying, fighting these feelings away,**_  
 _ **But the more I do,**_  
 _ **The crazier I turn into…**_

* * *

Ema. The woman was a firecracker and a half! Nonetheless, she fanned his inner flame unlike any other female he'd ever known. It was pathetic, really. The more she hated him, the more he couldn't seem to shake her from his senses.

 _What have I ever done to deserve such woeful fate?_ He wondered dismally. _Loving someone who doesn't love you is hell on earth! It's a one-way ticket to self-driven purgatory by thinking you can find happiness with someone who doesn't love you in return!_

Klavier shook his head with a jolt, wondering how he'd even allowed himself to jump to such an unimaginable, not to mention _insane_ , conclusion! He couldn't _possibly_ be in love a woman with whom he'd only enjoyed a few whirlwind months of a friendly flirtationship, right before his past had reared its ugly head, cruelly snatching the _tempestuous_ now turned _contemptuous_ beauty away from him.

 _Love_ Ema Skye? _Nein_! Impossible! Such a notion _belied all reason_!

Certainly, his hot-headed subordinate, whose eyes resembled a stormy ocean whenever they glared in his direction, compelled him and challenged him like no other _frau_ ever had before. And yes, she pertinaciously lingered in his innermost thoughts, day and night. Yet that didn't necessarily mean what he felt for her was _love_!

 _Achtung, baby! I must be more furschnickered than I thought!_

No, his feelings were naught more than heady concupiscence, he assured himself. A crazed, all-consuming lust, undoubtedly fueled by his mislaid desperation to feel something real in this cold, dark abyss that'd become his existence. Ema merely represented an igniter who sparked a light within him, to remind him that he was still alive at a time he felt dead inside.

 _I don't_ _ **love**_ _her – I refuse to believe that! I've never been in love before, with any of these countless women who throw themselves at my feet, so how could I possibly be masochistic enough to fall for a woman who hates me? Nevertheless, I_ _ **will**_ _admit that I want her in the bluntest way. I want her the way the ocean wants the shore. I want her the way the rain wants to fall. The way the sun wants to shine. I want her to the millionth degree. For no amount of rain can douse the fire I have in me for her._

On top of his hapless infatuation from which he couldn't seem to escape – he'd _gotten_ _under_ many an eager groupie in vain efforts to _get_ _over_ his obsession with Ema! – Klavier literally had no idea what karmic retribution had warranted such smite from every other aspect in his life: family, friends, _and_ career.

The prosecutor had always prided himself on being a decent person for the most part, and did his best to be a good guy in every way imaginable.

He'd never led on the fan girls with whom he enjoyed casual carnal relations – they never believed they were getting anything more than one night of unbridled passion with him. Moreover, being mindful of his reputation, he was ever solicitous with his lovers. None of his _aficionadas_ could claim he did anything but his best in ensuring _Geschlechtsverkehr_ was always mutually pleasurable for both of them.

He'd never broken any laws. Even though he was a lead-foot driver, he'd never gotten so much as a speeding ticket in his life – possibly because of his knack for flirting his way out of it whenever he'd been pulled over – irrespective of the officer being a _man_ or _woman_!

He donated copious amounts of dollars to charities, as he had more money than he'd ever spend. Hell, even the limited edition whiskey sales had gone to a noble cause: The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust Fund for the education of talented craftspeople to sustain traditional British craftsmanship!

 _Holy cat-humpin mountain goat! Not only did I give Herr Forehead and Trucy 20% off those front-row tickets to The Gavinners sold out concert, my generosity didn't stop there! I also helped coax along that greenhorn on no less than_ _ **two**_ _occasions in court, even though the end result each time resulted in my humbling loss to such a legal neophyte!_

If that last act of altruism towards his courtroom rival wasn't the epitome of magnanimousness, Klavier didn't know _what_ was!

Regardless, it seemed Ema wasn't the only person who didn't hold him in high esteem. Although the benign Trucy (in spite of being Phoenix Wright's daughter) seemed to like him, _Apollo_ , on the other hand, got quite prickly whenever the prosecutor came across him. Although, to be fair, it was uncertain if the uptight young man's lackluster reaction was simply balking at the blond's innate tendency, (as it was with _everyone_ he encountered), to playfully flirt with him. Klavier just couldn't help himself! Watching the horned attorney get so red-faced and flustered was positively _priceless_!

Of course, the waves of resentment wafting from the defense bench could _also_ be because _Mr. No Volume Control_ had objections to being addressed as _Herr Forehead_!

Alas, it wasn't only Ema and Apollo who disliked him. The most painful realization of all had come to light earlier that evening.

* * *

 _ **Klavier Gavin and Daryan Crescend**_ _  
Detention Center  
_ July 10, 2026 6:00 PM _  
_

The Gavinners lead vocalist beseechingly eyed his former best friend through the Plexiglas, who simply stared back at him stonily.

"Save me the hissy fit or sanctimonious speech," Daryan finally snarled, without preamble. "You said all you needed to say in court when you coldly turned your nose up in front of the gallery and washed your hands of me!"

Klavier desperately wished he had a wall to punch right about now. As a performer, he'd managed to easily come across as composed and unaffected when the detective's guilty verdict had been announced, but only as public façade. Surely Daryan had to know how genuinely broken up he'd actually been _internally_?

"Dammit, Daryan! Tell me why you'd throw it all away?" He'd pleaded to the stoic, shark-haired man on the other side. "You were a detective _and_ a rock star! Respect, authority, fame…you had it _all_. _We_ had it all!"

"No, Klavier, _you_ had it all." Dispassionate navy eyes stared coldly back at the distraught flaxen-braided man, unmoved by his anguish. "I was simply your often overlooked, less memorable sidekick who it seemed couldn't hold a match to your _musical genius standards_ near the end!"

" _Achtung baby!_ " Klavier gaped at the harsh unfairness of the words. "Daryan, The Gavinners have been successful musicians for quite some time now, all of us multimillionaires many times over! I never had any reason to believe you were in need of money at any point, but surely you should have known that all you'd have to do was ask me, _ja_?"

"You'd have _loved_ that wouldn't you?" Daryan sneered. "Nothing would have made you as happy as a pig in shit than if I'd continued to rely on you for _everything_ – including the prestige and recognition I was supposed to get from the Minister of Justice for coming through in his darkest hour! Why can't you get it through that _thick, shining skull_ of yours? I didn't _want_ your help, Klavier! For once, _I_ wanted to be the hero in the time of strife! The knight in shining armor who rescued Howie Cheatum's dying son and was thusly rewarded most richly for it!"

"How could you have been so hungry for money and glory that you'd be willing to get blood on your hands for it?" The singer struggled to comprehend such twisted rationale. " _How_ can you put a price tag on aiding and abetting a minor with smuggling illicit contraband?"

"Far be it for me to be allowed to make a few bucks _of my_ _own_! What a _surprise_ – the golden boy would have had _objections_ to Robin trying to save the day without the meddling of Batman! For Barney Rubble to have his day, and not include Fred Flintstone! Perish the thought of The Sundance Kid _daring to shine_ minus Butch Cassidy!"

The prosecutor flinched at the unmasked animosity and jealousy on the other man's face. He'd never known his best friend had been harboring such ill-will and resentment towards him. How long had Daryan been feeling this way? And how could Klavier have been so blissfully unaware of it all this time?

"You've always driven me crazy with your perfectionist nit-picking of the band when we didn't meet up to your great expectations! And it drove me up the wall every time you'd just suddenly change lyrics on whim, as _you_ saw fit, never caring what _we_ thought," Daryan continued harshly.

His tone was rife with repugnance as he noted the blond's stricken expression.

"I'm sorry I wasn't all I was cracked up to be, golden boy! First your brother, and then _I_ ended up being a disappointment to you. Too bad, so sad. Then again, I'm sure you can find some Gavinner loving bimbo to dry your tears with her lacy teddy. Alternately, you can go and weep into your millions… _ja_?"

The biting mockery of the prosecutor's idioms was the final nail in their friendship coffin. No amount of acting lessons could have prepared him for this onslaught, or be able to mask the pain of this particular low-blow.

Klavier had been a natural performer since childhood, with early stumbling blocks like most others. When he was 8, he'd tried to demonstrate to the cute girl next door how good he'd gotten at doing frontal flips in his basement. The first time, he'd been so nervous, he'd landed smack on his face. Hearing his crush's horrified cry, accompanied with the subsequent thump, his folks had come running. They'd found their youngest son, unscathed, standing up and smiling, and asked him what happened.

While proudly describing what'd transpired, Klavier had reenacted the event, only this time gone crashing into the unnoticed skateboard carelessly left out on the floor. It was the same one his parents were always nagging Kristoph, (who'd used it all of one time in his unsuccessful efforts to impress some skater-girl who'd later snubbed him) to put away, in case someone stepped on it and got hurt.

The impact of the collision with the wheeled item had resulted in the boy breaking his nose and suffering a cheek laceration, requiring seven singeing stitches. At the time, the future rock god been positive _this_ ordeal would be _the_ most unsurpassably excruciating – and humiliating! – moment of his whole life.

He'd been wrong.

 _This_ was a thousand times worse.

How could he have possibly cared so much for someone who'd detested him so much?

Staring at his provoker with tormented eyes, the attorney felt Daryan's pointed barbs, mercilessly aimed at his chest, as sharply as if they were actual daggers. He would have gladly broken another limb or braved any other sort of bodily affliction rather than endure this level of gut-wrenching suffering.

 _Physical_ pain was a _cake-walk_ compared to _emotional_ pain.

Almost more torturous was immediately discerning that he was wholly alone in his pain, as he observed absolutely no penitence or expression on that granite face of the ex-detective, who was impassively staring back at the German with cold, remorseless eyes.

 _Shark eyes_.

Ultimately, the bullet-haired guitarist's bad boy gimmick hadn't been merely a Gavinners publicity image. Because in the end, Daryan Crescend had shown irrefutable evidence that his _Jaws_ persona was truly who he'd been all along.

* * *

 _ **Flashback…**_

 _ **Ema Skye**_ _  
District Court  
_ _Courtroom No. 3  
_ July 9, 2026

 _Bad enough I was unable to achieve my desired forensics goal and got stuck in a job I despise, working under a pompous prig. But, to add further insult to injury, I got degraded to doing security for my patronizing boss's fopping band?!_

Incontestably, Ema was a far better cop than that bumble butt, Mike Meekins! So why hadn't _he_ been degraded to playing rent a cop at that noise pollution of a concert, and then have a murder happened right under his nose?!

The whole incident was as _mortifying_ as it was _horrifying_ , and the anxious detective couldn't seem to stop fretfully munching her Snackoos in rapid-fire succession as she stood at witness stand, waiting to give her testimony.

"The killing happened in the middle of my concert. Someone had already stolen my keys," Klavier was telling the judge. "I didn't want anything else stolen."

The prosecutor then paused meaningfully as he flashed a goading grin in Ema's direction.

"So I put the detective with the most time on their hands on the task."

"I see," Chambers nodded. "I can accept that."

Ema was beyond embarrassed and angry by this entire exchange. Yes, she may have shown her disdain for her boss in the past, but at least _she_ had mostly left it on a _one-on-one basis_! Unlike _him_ , who'd just _publicly_ announced how little he thought of her work competence!

"Well _I_ can't accept that!" The brunette stamped her foot indignantly and glowered at the fop. "What do you mean " _time on their hands"!?_ Did you really think I, as a detective, honestly had _nothing_ better to do than stand watch while listening to that _noise pollution_ which _you_ refer to as music, and fend off your overzealous fan girls?!"

Klavier simply smirked in response, making her palm absolutely itch to smack it right off his _overly tanned, yam-colored face!_

In spite of this, that hadn't even been the worst of the assaults to her dignity. Not by a longshot.

Feigning like the worst was over, the unctuous prosecutor had then made Ema waste her time and energy discussing how the bullet holes in the dressing room wall were indication that the gunman either had bad aim, or hadn't been able to see the target he was shooting at.

Ergo, it was conclusive proof, as far as she was concerned (despite secretly being skeptical that a rail thin young boy could've possibly fired such a huge gun without dislocating his shoulder!) that the crime had occurred because the shooter, Machi Tobaye, must've been blind.

If she'd been yearning to slap the smirk off Klavier's face earlier, her hands were positively _curling into fists of fury_ as he silkily asked her exactly _why_ she surmised the teenage musician couldn't see.

Completely flustered by the question, Ema had lamely responded, (based solely on the information she'd been given up until that point!) about how the boy was always seen being led around the siren. She knew the uneasy expression on her face mirrored both Apollo and Trucy's as Klavier treated them all to a relaxed, lazy smile as he elaborated that the Borginian teenager could, in all actuality, see quite well.

" _Fräulein Detective_ , please accept my apologies," Klavier said indulgently. "I received word that the defendant could, in fact, see, just before the trial began. It seemed too much of a bother to tell you."

 _Holy Batshit, Robin!_ _Are you freaking kidding me?!_

Ema gritted her teeth at the half-assed apology which sounded about as genuine as a three dollar bill but refused to lose her cool again so soon and jutted her chin.

"You had me until that last bit," she replied in a voice that was pure ice.

Klavier went on to expand on how the boy feigning blindness was a clever Borginian publicity stunt, and that it was Lamiroir who actually couldn't say see.

"So you see," the prosecutor drawled. "Machi didn't miss because he couldn't see. It was the kickback from the 45-caliber revolver. A simple accident, in other words."

"Ack...!" Apollo recoiled upon hearing this, his shock at the news clearly evident.

"How's that?" Klavier mocked. "I'm afraid your "objection" has just flown off for brighter skies...

"Urk..." Apollo gulped, too flustered to even be comprehensible.

"This is where the real fun begins, _Herr_ Forehead!" Klavier taunted, a gleam in his eye showing just how much he was enjoying having the upper hand. "I _knew_ you didn't have what it took!"

Ema gritted her teeth. She'd had enough of this demeaning game. It was one thing for the arrogant bastard to make _her_ look like a fool, but now the _Arschloch_ was going to resort to belittling and being condescending to a rookie kid lawyer who was simply trying to do his job?! As far as she was concerned, _this_ was _the last straw_!

"You... You _jerk_!" The detective fumed, shooting daggers at the smug German. "Just what was _I_ in here for? Comic relief!?"

" _Yeah_!" The normally sunny Trucy huffed, scowling at the blond man. " _Apologize_!"

Faced with no longer _one_ , but _two_ irate females, Klavier wisely backed off.

"Ah ha ha. Oh, sorry!"

"That's no way to apologize!" The magician was not placated any more than Ema was.

"Ahem," inserted Chambers. "If we can please end the bickering. Now."

" _Whatever_!" Ema snapped peevishly. "I'm not leaving! I _can't_ leave like this! I'll come up with some clue to solving this case if _it kills me_!"

She cast of withering glare in the smug Klavier's direction.

 _Or I might just snap and just kill_ _ **you**_ _first, you smarmy, condescending, nerve-grating fop! I would get Apollo to defend me, and I'm pretty sure there is not a jury in the world that'd convict me – not after seeing what I have to regularly put up with!_

* * *

Ema's foul mood officially graduated to _black_ by the time she met up with the kids later that day in Lamiroir's Dressing Room. Trucy and Apollo caught up with her just as she was furiously shoveling a mouthful of Snackoos into her mouth.

MUNCH. MUNCH. MUNCH.

"Uh oh..." Apollo gulped nervously. "There's only one person I know who can munch with such... venom."

Ema paused in her mindless crunching and regarded him sulkily. "What are you doing here in Lamiroir's dressing room?"

"Hello, Ema," the red attorney smiled weakly at the grouchy policewoman. "You're looking as…grumpy as ever."

"Oh, am I supposed to be happy?" Ema subjected him to a baleful glare. "First, _you_ give me the second degree in court, and then the _fo_ – Prosecutor Gavin – makes me look like a fool!"

Apollo flushed guiltily. "You're talking about the blood stain Mr. LeTouse left?"

"My department chief had a _field day_ with that one!" She bristled while recalling how irritated Gumshoe had been. "I'm surprised I have _any ass left_ after the Chief was done chewing it!"

"Sorry to hear that," the red attorney mumbled, at a loss for words, while Trucy's lips twitched to fight back a giggle at the mental imagery of Ema _literally_ having her bum chewed off!

" _Even a_ _ **blind**_ _person could see the shooter wasn't blind_!" Ema mimicked the Chief's thundering baritone, then puffed out her cheeks in agitation. "Funny guy, huh?"

"Come on, don't feel too bad," Trucy soothed. "That blood stain helped uncover the biggest mystery of all!"

"She's right," Apollo nodded. "Now we know that Mr. LeTouse was really with Interpol."

"Yeah!" Trucy added cajolingly. "We wouldn't have found that out without you!"

 _I'm a grown woman who's feeling lower than a dog's balls in the summertime, and needing a pep talk from a greenhorn lawyer and 15-year-old!_ Ema reflected disgustedly _. What's even more pathetic is that it's_ _ **working**_ _!_

"I suppose," she conceded sullenly. "Maybe that's why the Chief gave me these after he was finished chewing me out."

She waved a large bag of Snackoos at the investigative partners, who she suddenly noticed looked very similar, both in facial features and spiky cowlicks.

 _They could almost pass for siblings or cousins or something. But that's impossible! Wouldn't Mr. Wright have mentioned if his daughter had any other family?_

"Anyway…" Ema popped a crunchy sweet into her mouth. "I guess Gumshoe felt bad about reprimanding me, the big softy that he is. Said it was my reward."

"Uncle Gumshoe's just a big old teddy bear," Trucy agreed, sneaking her hand into the Snackoo bag and popping a treat into her mouth before Ema noticed, and then glowered at her forebodingly.

"I guess that was pretty nice of him," Apollo acknowledged. "Are chocolate Snackoos popular down at the precinct or something?"

"Only with me." Ema popped another goody into her mouth. "All the other boys in blue love their donuts. But nothing beats Snackoos in _my_ opinion! They're the tasty, handy snack on the go, and are even handier as pseudo-weapons of choice, all rolled into one, for _any_ occasion!"

"I guess. I'll take your word for it. I've never had them before."

Apollo watched enviously as Trucy, heedless to the detective's warning look, somehow managed to sneak another chocolate out of the bag while Ema had been talking to him and was now merrily munching.

"Er, could I try one?" He mumbled sheepishly. "Please?"

*ka-tonk*

"Sorry, I don't speak Snackoo!"

*ka-tonk*

"Hey! At least I _asked_ first instead of just _pilfering_ them like Trucy did!"

*ka-tonk*

"I'll take that as _no_!"

*ka-tonk*

" _Ow_! You know, it's pretty mean that you'd rather _waste_ those things as bouncing ricochets off my forehead rather than _share_ them!"

*ka-tonk*

 ** _End Flashback_**

* * *

 _ **Ema Skye**_ _  
Criminal Affairs Department_  
July 10, 2026 8:53 PM

"That Klavier Gavin sure is one vengeful _Hurensohn_!" Ema grumbled herself.

She rapidly shuffled through the copious amounts of paperwork from the _State vs. Tobaye_ trial and grunted.

"Sure, in a moment of unthinking, unmitigated rage, I may have _accidentally on purpose_ given him a _Fuß auf die Hoden_ , but that was a _one-time low blow_! _He_ has more than gotten his retribution by _repeatedly_ attacking my professional competence by making me look like a bumbling, unprofessional nincompoop! Isn't attacking one's _dignity_ _10 times worse_ than assaulting one's… _Glied_ area?!"

Recollecting all the cringe worthy moments she'd had to suffer at that blasted man's hands the last few days still made her cringe. Even the comical memory of using Apollo's ginormous forehead as target practice with her Snackoos couldn't even make her feel better.

What she needed, Ema decided to herself as she shoved the case files into a manila folder, was to _obliterate_ this entire horrible trial from her memory.

For that she would need booze. _Lots of it_! But somehow, the idea of sitting like a lonely barfly at a pub seemed too pitiful for words.

Instead, she figured she'd grab a couple bottles of wine and some pizza on her way home and put herself into a merrily oblivious carb-laden, alcohol soaked state, while passing out on her sofa, watching reruns of _Bill Nye the Science Guy_ on Netflix.

The policewoman was almost out the door when she peeked out the window at the prosecutor's building, which she had a clear view of from her office, and saw that the light was on in Klavier's office.

She clenched her jaw and tucked the folder under her arm as she grabbed her purse.

 _Well, the fop wanted me to give him this entire file as soon as possible, so they could close it off. After all he's put me through, seeing his annoying mien is the last thing I want to do! Nevertheless, if I just go over there now, I'll get that task out of the way. Afterward, I might be able to dodge him for another few days, until the urge to pummel him into a pulp subsides somewhat…_ _ **eventually**_ _!_

* * *

 _ **Klavier Gavin and Ema Skye  
**_ _Prosecutor Klavier Gavin's Office_  
July 10, 2026 9:03 PM

 _Emotional pain isn't felt the way a cut or bruise is. This is much different, and only_ _ **you**_ _can tell it's there. Sometimes, the pain is at the back of your mind, like a throbbing pulse. Other times, it pushes itself forward, demanding attention, whilst cutting your heart and mind in half, and stinging with every breath you take._

Klavier listlessly raised the whiskey bottle to his lips, and swore under his breath as he realized it was practically empty. He hadn't even realized he'd nearly demolished both liquors, but obviously, he hadn't guzzled _enough_ , because he wasn't anywhere near comfortably numb.

He could still feel the piercing stab of Daryan's betrayal as though it were a fresh, gaping wound.

 _Perhaps I've built-up too much of a high tolerance for alcohol,_ he speculated humorlessly _. It must be all those beers I sneak in at lunch time. Or mayhap it's the wine I have with dinner? If only the public knew every lawyer's dirty little secret… On any given day, we're usually half in the bag! All except for_ _ **me**_ _, though. I've built up such an elevated threshold, booze merely takes the edge off, ever so slightly, so that I can deal with my ever barbed-tongue Fräulein, along with all other unpleasantries of my job!_

He dropped back against the headrest and shut his eyes, finally feeling the initial blissful sensations of his mind beginning to spin.

 _Ah, that's good. Perhaps if I'm lucky I can just blackout, and when I wake up again, the nightmare of today will just be a horrible memory…_

"What the hell?! Why does it smell like a… brewery in here?!"

Klavier slowly rolled his head to the side so he was facing the door, and caught sight of Ema Skye staring questioningly at him from the doorway, an aghast hand clapped against her cheek.

 _Maybe I'm already dreaming?_ He wondered hazily. _How else do you explain the fact that I was just thinking about a wingless seraph … only to have her materialize right before my eyes?_

Ema cautiously strode into the office and wrinkled her pert nose as the stench of strong liquor battered her nostrils. A few amber drops had spilled onto the shag carpeting when the empty bottles had carelessly fallen from his fingers, but fortuitously, not broken.

"Prosecutor Gavin?" She was standing over him now, gaping down at the nearly supine blonde man, who'd remained sprawled on his chaise lounge in a nearly horizontal position. "What the – are you _inebriated_?!"

" _Guten Abend, Fräulein Detective,"_ Klavier smiled dopily at the vision in white. "Have I ever told you that lab coat of yours makes you look like an angel?"

Ema furrowed her brow, caught between annoyance and incredulity at the sight of her normally _too cool for school_ employer in such a state.

"I'm hoping you're _not_ an angel!" He emitted a groggy laugh. "As _that_ would mean I'm _dead_! That would make all my many fan girls so sad, _ja_?"

She grimaced that he could still be so narcissistic even when out of his tree.

"Indeed! The dearly departed " _Candle in the Wind"_ would result in the sound of _immeasurable_ _sorrowfulness_ heard _worldwide_ ," she replied dryly. "Sir Elton John would give a tribute performance trumping even his homage to the late Princess Diana, no doubt! I imagine the international _candlelight vigil_ would be large enough to be seen from outer space!"

"Do not mock a pain that you haven't endured, Miss Skye." While Klavier didn't raise his voice, his somber tone sounded more like a plea, than an actual reprimand. "As much as my adoring fans annoyed you when crowding our crime scenes…"

 _Great Caesar's ghost! He just_ _ **loves**_ _unashamedly bringing that up to me, doesn't he? This is not a human being. This is an_ _ **ego with feet!**_

She rolled her eyes at his puckerfist antics, even when obviously incoherently shit-faced! She was ready to cut him down a peg for his overinflated sense of self-importance, but held her tongue, as she realized he wasn't wearing his normally cocky expression at all, but rather, one of heart-breaking, almost child-like, vulnerability.

"Those adoring fans…they may be all I have left. And I don't even know if I even have _them_ anymore."

Ema was startled by this unforeseen speculation, and simply gawped at him.

"I don't think I'm going to have any more fan girls, to be honest. Because effective today, The Gavinners are as extinct as the dinosaurs," he intoned hollowly. "Which means I now _truly_ have _nothing_. I've already lost my brother, and today, as the icing on the cake, I also lost my best friend….who may have never even cared about me at all. So now, there is _nobody_ left who really, truly cares if I live or die."

Ema drew in a sharp breath at the forlorn words, uncertain of what to say.

Klavier turned his head towards the window. The spectacular nighttime view of LA lay sprawled out below him, but he was mindless to it. While she struggled to come up with an answer, he spoke again. His voice was so quiet, she had to crouch down beside him on the chaise to hear him.

"Can I ask you something, _Fräulein Detective_?" Klavier asked, in a lonely, little boy voice Ema had never imagined she'd hear from him in a million years. " _Bitte_?"

"Sure." She nodded slowly, unsure of what to expect now. "Go ahead."

"How many people can you claim _truly_ care about you? I mean, not just the people in your life who are fun to hang out with, not just the people who you love and trust. But people who feel good when you are happy and successful, who feel bad when you are hurt or going through a hard time, people who would walk away from their lives for a little while to help you with yours?"

He turned haunted azure orbs towards her, and Ema saw so much anguish in them that her chest instinctively ached with sympathy, even without knowing the cause. She was completely taken aback by the query, and her voice quivered with hesitation as she tried to come up with an appropriate response.

"I have my sister, Lana, who I've not seen in years, yet I know she loves me unconditionally," she said at last. "She nearly gave up her very _life_ for me."

"It must be so nice," he whispered lugubriously. "To have family who loves you so much. Kristoph…well you know what happened there. As for my parents, they lived in Germany, so I never saw them much once I began touring, and they've since...passed. But before that, we were still never too close, as they had little regard for a son who they deemed just some over-hyped, frivolous rock star."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But you still have your friends," she reminded him gently. " _Other_ friends, besides Daryan. Don't you?"

"I don't know who I can call a friend anymore." He turned away. "I just know that I seem to be losing people I care about at an alarmingly rapid rate. Kristoph. Daryan. The rest of the Gavinners…."

"I know what it's like to lose people you care for," Ema commiserated. "I lost my parents when I was just a young girl, and Lana raised me as a daughter, more than a sister. And I don't have a long list of friends anymore, not since I studied forensics in Europe. There are friends I had stop talking to and I miss them dearly. In the span of my short adult hood life, I have had to hold back many times due to my dysfunctional concept of handling relationships. I just want to love but loving with a balance is always the hardest thing to do…"

She closed her mouth immediately, astounded at how much personal information she'd just revealed, and cursed herself inwardly.

Fortunately, Klavier was too wrapped up in his mourning to even make a wisecrack about her uncharacteristic sentiment, which he undoubtedly normally would have.

"Maybe it's just as well if I withdraw from the public eye and all the many people that go along with it," he stated tiredly. "Being an artist means forever healing your own wounds and at the same time, endlessly exposing them. Being around people tires me so much, as I am in constant attention as to when I might hurt them. Being so cautious and walking on a very thin thread when you're always in the spotlight is just so… _draining_."

"Holding people away from you and denying yourself love… that doesn't make you _strong_!" Ema exclaimed before she could stop and remind herself that she was trying to bestow wisdom to somebody who probably wouldn't even remember anything she said after his head hit the pillow that night. "If anything, it makes you _weaker_ because you're doing it out of _fear_."

He laughed bitterly and he shook his head.

"Isn't that funny? I've spent my entire life trying to ensure I don't hurt anybody I care for. Yet here I sit, all heartbroken, like a shattered hero in some kind of tragic love story, when it wasn't even a _frau_ who broke my heart this time. As much as I'd like nothing more than to say that I have no regrets in life, I would be lying if I did so."

Lachrymose pavonine orbs stared into sympathetic teal ones.

"One of my main regrets in life is giving considerable thought to inconsiderate people. I know we're past mid-year now, and I've never been one to believe in making New Year's resolutions, but this year, I only want to be around the people that _honestly love me_ , not the people that _pretend_ they do."

As a nerdy scientific introvert, Ema never could have fathomed the day would come when _she_ of all people, could sincerely commiserate with a flamboyant, cocksure, universally-renowned rock star. She knew no matter how much vitriol she'd felt towards him, due to his obnoxious behavior during the trial, and how resentful she'd been for what he'd done to Phoenix, he had still suffered a lot recently.

Now that he wasn't in performer mode, she could see how much he was hurting. It made him seem legitimately human, when he was normally a larger-than-life star, and it slowly began chiseling away at the protective shield she'd built around her heart. In the end, under all the glimmer and bling, Klavier Gavin was just a scared, sad little boy who wanted somebody to love him, but kept being let down by people he'd trusted.

As hardhearted as she'd tried to be towards him, she knew she was going to burst into tears if she let him keep talking like this.

"Buck up, Gavin!" She advised, speaking in a slightly louder voice to keep it from trembling. "Live and learn, right? Yeah, they should've treated you better. They should've cared more. But they didn't and they don't, and your life keeps moving forward."

"You make it sound so easy." Klavier was sitting up now, his head buried in his hands as he spoke. "But whether you believe it or not, I'm a romantic. So things are harder for me."

"Of course I believe you," Ema lied to her _pissed as a fart_ man-whore boss, whose idea of a seven-course meal was probably a hot-dog and a six-pack of beer! "It's just that I'm a woman of science, so I tend to lead my life with my _head,_ as opposed to my _heart_."

Rising up from her crouching position, she reached down and gently tugged at his arm.

"Speaking of leading, allow me to lead your intoxicated behind out the door now! It's after 9:00 already!"

"You're right." He rose unsteadily to his feet and patted down the front of his trouser pockets, a perplexed expression on his face. "Now, where did I put my car keys?"

"You're _shitting_ me, right?" Ema goggled at him in disbelief. "With all due respect, Prosecutor Gavin, if I were to hold up a lighter up and have you breathe into the flame right now, I'm pretty sure you'd be able to start a forest fire! There is no way in hell you are driving _anywhere_!"

"But –"

"Are you _seriously_ trying to argue your case to drive home while under the influence to an actual police officer?!"

Ema drew herself up to her full 5'1" and poked him right in the chest.

"As much as you made a mockery of me, my work _and_ my credentials these last few days, you seem to be forgetting that I _do_ possess the authority to _throw the book at you_ if you get behind the wheel tonight! It's not very often I get to pull rank with my supervisor, but I'm _doing it right now_! Boss or no boss, I have _zero qualms_ busting your butt for drinking and driving!"

She let out a disgusted sigh as he emitted a drunken chuckle at her outburst.

"You're adorable when you're trying to be all authoritative, you know that?" He swayed slightly to the left, and Ema quickly moved over to catch him before he toppled over.

"Ugh! You are beyond _hammered_ , Gavin! If you weren't three sheets to the wind already, I'd toss your _flutered_ rear end into a taxi! But, nice gal that I am, in order to ensure you get home in one piece, I will personally make sure that's exactly what happens!"

"Somehow I never thought you _coming home with_ me would be under _these_ circumstances," he leered, all previous traces of moroseness vanquished as he swiftly shifted into lecherous flirt overdrive. "Luckily, I happen to like bossy, take-charge women!"

"Just shut up and tell me where you live!"

Ema found some of her previous anger resurfacing. _This_ was the Klavier she could handle, _no problem!_ The arrogant, conceited, womanizing prosecutor she knew, who thought he was the best thing to happen to women since pantyhose – that was a man she had no issues with keeping at arm's length.

Conversely, it was the saddened, brokenhearted little boy she'd gotten a rare glimpse of… _that_ was who'd nearly wrung out her heart just moments ago, and she wouldn't have refused _him_ anything! This was alarming to grasp, and she wasn't sure she could ever deal with seeing that side of him again.

"I _think_ I live on Calico Drive, above Sunset Boulevard," he mumbled, trying to recollect the address of his residence as he searched through the fuzzy confines of his brain. "Or is that my _brother's_ home? _My_ place I think, it's just _before_ Beverly Hills? Or is it _in_ Beverly Hills?"

Ema eyed him warily.

"Well, tie me down and spank my bottom with a wet fish!" Klavier burst out a rambunctious guffaw. "I can't seem to remember where I live, _Fräulein Detective_!"

" _Great Odin's Raven_!" Ema let out an angry mutter as she kept one secure arm around his waist and impatiently groped first in his jacket, and then trouser pockets in pursuit of his wallet, until her fingers finally slid to his seat of his pants.

" _Achtung Baby_!" Klavier quirked a brow as she unwittingly fondled his rear end. "I'm not quite sure if you're _seriously_ trying to take me up on my offer to spank me on the bottom, _minus said fish_ …"

"Get over yourself, fop!"

Her cheeks warmed slightly as she felt the firmness of his butt cheek against her open palm while she slid her fingers into the back opening.

"And before you say something equally stupid, I'm neither trying to pickpocket you nor _enjoying_ this hunt, even marginally!"

"I would never think that a classy _Fräulein_ like yourself would try to take advantage of a man who is not fully in possession of his senses."

There was a knowing grin in his voice.

"And while I have no _objections_ to being this up close and personal to a frisky female, I can't help but wonder if she's trying to _get just a little bit fresh,_ since she continues to _linger and hold_ a handful of my _Hintern_ …"

" _Grk_!" Blushing furiously, Ema quickly removed her unknowingly intrusive hand as though it'd been scorched. "Stop being such a _pervert_ , fop! I was _trying_ to find your _wallet_!"

"You'd think you'd realize after the first 10 seconds, judging by my _very empty left back pocket_ , that you were coming up _emptyhanded_ , minus a _handful of posterior_!" He teased mercilessly, cerulean eyes twinkling with mirth. "If you'd _halted_ in trying to get _a nice wholesome squeeze_ , you surely would've already shifted to my _other_ back pocket. AKA, the one actually holding my sought-for billfold!"

" _Argh_!" Ema puffed out her burning cheeks. "I hate you so much right now, fop!"

"No you don't!" Klavier was enjoying himself way too much. "You just _think_ you do!"

Ema glared at him so hard her eyes were burning in her skull.

"You're so cute when you're mad!" He ribbed, bopping her on the nose. " _Boop_!"

She grinded her teeth and barely resisted the urge to bite his finger.

"This is so _adorable_! You're actually _baring your teeth_!" Klavier sounded more endeared than endangered. "I swear, _Fräulein_ if you were a _fruit_ , you'd be a _fineapple_!"

"No, I'd be a _dragon fruit_!" Ema growled. "Because I _slay_ men when they try to enter my castle!"

"After my last flaming guitar performance, I've decided to invest in fireproof clothing." He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively like Groucho Marx. "So it wouldn't be a real stretch to go all _Saint George_ and snag _a sword and shield_ as well, my little fire breather…"

"Oh for crying in the night! Look, I located your stupid wallet and need to find your address, so can you quit flapping your gums already?!"

Ema dropped her flaming face downward as she focused on fumbling through the wallet slots, trying to ignore the impressive string of prestigious credit cards, including a Black American Express, while she hunted for his driver's license.

Holding it up and observing the residential location (the _drucking funk_ _dolt_ lived in a penthouse condominium on Olympic Avenue), she also noted, with a slight grimace, that the man, in _someway_ , had managed to look as attractive in the photo as he did in person!

 _Jesus Roller Blading Christ!_ _ **Who**_ _actually looks_ _ **good**_ _on their government issued ID?! Personally, in all_ _ **my**_ _identification photos,_ _ **I**_ _, along with most of the mere mortals of the world, resemble someone whose mug belongs with the pictures of most wanted criminals at the post office!_

"OK, I know where you live now." She slapped the calfskin wallet back into his hand, ignoring his mischievous suggestion that she would get a free pass to squeeze his _other_ butt cheek if she wished to put it back in its pocket! "Let's go Gavin."

Klavier took a tentative step unassisted, but began to waver immediately. Ema quickly stepped beside him, and allowed his right arm to fall over her shoulders, nearly sending her to her knees beneath his weight.

"Ugh, did you eat bricks for dinner?" The tiny policewoman complained as they started awkwardly out the door and down the hall towards the elevators. "You weigh a ton!"

"Sorry, _Fräulein_ ," he slurred slightly, offering no resistance as she propped him up against the wall once they got inside the lift. "For what it's worth, I'm close to losing the contents of my evening meal if we stay in this grotty-smelling elevator much longer, which should lighten me up considerably…"

"Gross! Don't puke! Try to hold it in! We're almost at the parking lot level…" Ema cast an anxious gander at him, then breathed a sigh of relief as the doors opened and no upchucking event transpired.

This time, when Klavier used her as a human crutch, she'd mentally braced herself for his weight, and with more slightly considerable grace than before, they made it out the parking lot. Once there, the detective glanced back and forth between the prosecutor's purple Mercedes convertible and then at her own car, parked closer to the precinct, and made an executive decision.

"If you're going to toss your cookies, you're doing it in your _own_ car," she announced firmly, deftly reaching into his jacket pocket for his car keys, which she'd discovered during her quest for his billfold.

She then walked around to the passenger side door and ensured the prosecutor was seated and buckled in before coming to the driver side.

"I see this is a five-speed model, but since I spent my formative years in Europe, I know how to drive a stick shift."

Klavier didn't reply. His head was tipped back against the headrest, and his eyes were closed.

"Gavin, did you pass out?" She asked sharply as she put the car into drive. "There is _no way_ I can carry your deadweight if you fall asleep – I need you to _stay awake_ until I get you home!"

"I feel less nauseous when my eyes are closed _Fräulein_." He made no move to open his lids. "Don't worry, I'll stay awake – you have my word."

"I'll put the car's top down. The extra fresh air may help you feel better."

It was a very warm summer night, so Ema took off her lab coat while she was at it. She'd undoubtedly have to escort the prosecutor into his residence once they got there, and the _last_ thing she needed to risk was him drunkenly _drooling or slobbering_ on it! She'd have _no choice_ but to _kill him_ if he inadvertently caused harm to her precious jacket – yet _again_!

Ema blared the car stereo loudly to ensure he stayed true to his word and remained alert. She picked random radio channels that had the loudest music, but aside from complaining " _rap music should be spelled with a big fat 'C' in front of it_ ," the two drove along in relative silence.

* * *

At this time of night, there wasn't much L.A. traffic, and only about 20 minutes had passed by the time she pulled into the tenant parking lot for his penthouse.

"We have an underground too," Klavier mumbled. "But that's where my motorcycle is."

"Good to know," she said wryly, assisting him out of the vehicle and tottering with him towards the lobby entrance of the posh looking building. The entire time, she was trying desperately to keep her mind off the bizarre, not wholly disagreeable combination of his sandalwood cologne, mixed with the fumes of alcohol, as they headed for the elevators.

Once they reached the 40th floor of the penthouse, Ema opened the door, using the same key ring which had his car keys attached. Stepping inside the dimly suite her boss called home, she closed the door behind them, then turned to Klavier, who mercifully, hadn't heaved at all thus far.

"Can you assist me to the sofa, _Fräulein Detective_?"

Surprised and pleasantly pleased he hadn't made things even more uncomfortable by requesting she help him to his _bedroom_ , Ema willingly obliged, pausing to flick on a tableside lamp once she'd deposited him onto the luxurious white leather couch. The Tiffany lamp revealed an enormous living room that would have fit her entire flat within it. An entire whole wall had floor to ceiling windows, offering a stunning panoramic view of the LA skyline. The white and purple décor was done in sophisticated Art Deco style, giving an overall, very chic, modern minimalist look, but this was hardly the time for her to ogling the splendor of the place.

"Would it be too troubling to help me take off my boots?" He was already lying back against the plush sofa cushions, black leather-clad feet propped up on the large matching ottoman before him, which Ema was now tentatively perched upon.

"It figures you couldn't just wear normal, slip off shoes like a _regular_ person!" She faltered for a moment and bit her lip. "Um, are you OK with me rolling up your pant legs a bit to unlace them?"

Even in his altered mindset, he could hear the discomfort in her voice at the requirement of being so up-close and personal with him, and Klavier let out a rueful chortle.

"Never mind about the boots then," he said magnanimously, and with that, he lay down and carelessly swung his booted feet up onto the couch itself. "Thanks for getting me here safely, _Fräulein Detective."_

His tone was warm and appreciative. Somehow, he'd morphed back into sweet and sincere mode ever since leaving the office, and it threw her for a loop.

"You're welcome," she said quietly. "It was the least I could do. You had a rough day. We _both_ did."

Shifting over on the sofa, but remaining in a reclined position, he reached out and captured her hand. Immediately, she stiffened at the unexpected touch of his warm skin against hers, but he didn't loosen his grip. Instead, his words, although still slightly slurred, were downright pleading.

"Can you come sit beside me? Just for a moment." He gazed imploringly at her. " _Please_?"

As she hesitantly sat down beside his prone body, she noticed the slightly increasing pressure of his hand, but couldn't pay much mind to it, as she was startled by the unmasked expression in his eyes, one she couldn't quite describe.

But it was in a manner in which she'd never seen another man view her before.

She sought his face for answers, and spotted a humble, lopsided smile creeping across his visage.

"Please don't look so nervous, Miss Skye," he said gently. "I promise I'm not going to try to take advantage of your kindness, or of this situation."

Ema let out an unsteady laugh, self-conscious that her reactions were so easy to read, even in his altered state.

" _You're_ the plastered one here, fop, not _me_ ," she reminded him. "Shouldn't _I_ be the one making such avowals to _you_?"

"I know you're too much of a lady to ever do any such thing." He eyed her levelly. "Although, it's taking _all_ my weakened willpower to remain the _gentleman_ you've repeatedly accused me of never being. At least, not compared to _Herr_ Edgeworth."

Her heart constricted with contrition and guilt. For some reason, even while tanked-up, he still remembered every unfair thing she'd ever said to him.

"I was angry with you for embarrassing me at the trial at the time," she confessed, dropping her eyes down to her hand, which was still engulfed by his large clasping one. "But I know I've said some very unkind things to you in the past, and I'm sorry."

"This is why I wanted you to stay with me for a bit," he grinned impishly. "So I could try to vainly prolong this peace between us, which will only last until we clash _again_ somehow at the office, because I know I continuously, yet unwillingly keep annoying you somehow."

"Then you should enjoy this cease-fire while it lasts!" She smiled in spite of herself, because for some reason, that gamin grin of his seemed particularly irresistible right then. "Tomorrow morning, you're going to wake up with a splitting headache, while you wonder where your car is or how you even got home, and wonder if this was all a dream!"

"Please consider me a dream."

The intensity of his gaze was having the effect of making her knees shake, and she clamped them together tightly to keep from them knocking.

"That's _all_ this will be for you in the morning." Her voice trembled slightly, and she didn't understand _why_. "None of this will seem real, as of tomorrow. Believe me."

"If this _is_ a dream, Miss Skye, I _never_ wish to awaken again." His voice turned husky. "And while a part of me hates when you get angry with me, the other part of me can't help but get you riled up intentionally at times. Do you want to know why?"

Ema's mouth felt dry. He'd never used this tone with her before, and she was powerless to do anything to break the inexplicable spell his hypnotic eyes were having on her as they held hers.

"Why?" She could barely find her voice.

"Because." Reaching up, he cradled her shocked face between his two hands, drawing her closer to him, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "When you get mad, _really, really_ _mad_ … you look even more beautiful."

The sacchariferous words hit her at the exact same time the pungent whiskey fumes blasted her in the face.

"Klavier, stop talking like this! This isn't _you_ saying these things!" Ema accused, lurching back. "This is strictly the booze and your _beer goggles_ talking! You're even more of a transparent Libertine when you're drunk, you _wannabe Romeo!"_

"I _am_ drunk," he agreed genially. "But I mean every word I said. Have you never heard the Latin phrase: _In vino veritas_?"

"In wine, truth?" She eyed him skeptically, hating that when she'd _finally_ been called beautiful for the first time in her life, it'd been by _Klavier_ , of all people. And it was while he was _looped_ , so he wouldn't even _remember_ saying it, or _any_ of this, after tonight! "Are you _sure_ it wouldn't be more accurate, in this instance, to state that _beauty is in the eyes of the **beer-holder**_?"

Klavier shook his head to refute her words, but said nothing as his fascinated gaze moved over her. Her shining hair tumbled over her shoulders in glorious chestnut waves, framing a finely sculpted face of breathtaking beauty. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain, her brows delicately arched, her lashes thick and curly. Her eyes were like large, luminous emeralds as they worriedly scanned his face, trying to assess his condition – and his sincerity.

Pride and courage showed in every feature of her face, from her high cheekbones and stubborn little nose to her small chin. Yet her mouth was full and soft. As soft as the breasts that swelled at his eye level in her sleeveless fitted blouse, and for once not covered by that dreadfully shapeless lab coat she always wore, and which he was now growing to loathe, as it hid her lush, feminine curves from his admiring eyes. But it was her mouth he wanted to taste first ... He tightened his hand on her upper arm, drawing her closer.

"Prosecutor Gavin!" she warned darkly, trying to pull back.

"A moment ago, you called me _Klavier_. I heard you, don't deny it."

"It slipped out!" Ema said desperately. "That was a mistake!"

His lips quirked in a faint smile. "Then let's make another one."

As he spoke, his hand went to the nape of her neck, curving around it and inexorably pulling her face down to his.

"Please don't," Ema gasped, her face only inches from his. "Don't make me fight you off in your sorry impaired state! It'd be no contest at all for me to overpower you and to emerge easily victorious. This would be most tragic, for you hold your own against me, via _verbal sparring_ , with such ease!"

The pressure on her nape eased very slightly, not enough to let her up, but not forcing her closer either as Klavier surveyed her in thoughtful silence.

Ema waited patiently for him to let her go, knowing his senses were confused by sadness, emotional pain, and a goodly quantity of liquor. Not for a moment did she believe he felt the slightest genuine desire for her, and she eyed him with something akin to amusement.

"Have you ever been kissed, _really_ kissed, _properly_ in your life, Ema?" he asked lazily.

"Yes I have, if you must know! And it's _Miss Skye_ , if you please," she corrected, her lips twitching with laughter. "I can't have you getting too used to informality between us, Prosecutor Gavin! Just like Cinderella's ball, this will be over _by or before midnight_ – assuming you won't pass out before then! – and your _beer goggles_ by then shall be broken!"

He choose to ignore that. "Not all men kiss alike, did you know that?"

A titter escaped before Ema could stop it. "Really? How many men have you kissed?"

An answering smile tugged at his sensuous lips, but he ignored her quip.

"Such fire. Such rapier wit!" He murmured huskily, subtly increasing the pressure of his hand on her nape again. "It's positively _tantalizing_! It's impossible to sit here and be close to you and _not_ kiss you."

Ema's complaisance vanished and she felt her pulse began to race – although she wasn't sure if it was with excitement or panic.

"Prosecutor Gavin, stop this!" She pleaded. "You're my _superior_ and I'm your _subordinate_! Don't do something you'll regret in the morning!"

"It's been a hellish past few days, Ema." His burning gaze never left hers. "Come and kiss me and let's forget…"

"I won't kiss you," she said wildly, her heart thudding like a jungle drum. "It might get to be a habit, and I can't get out of habits. I'm a _creature_ of habits and you know it! You've seen me devour a bag of Snackoos before you even finish your opening statement to the court!"

"I didn't think you could get any more alluring than when you're angry." His eyes were like twin flames now. "But when you're all flustered like this, you're even more intoxicating than _anything_ I've consumed tonight – or in my entire lifetime."

Her breath caught in her throat as she felt herself falling under this unspoken spell that was encircling them both.

 _Your voice makes me tremble inside. And your smile is an invitation for my imagination to go wild._

A shiver went down her spine, but she refused to give into it. What was _wrong_ with her?! This was all nothing but _sheer madness_ and she _never_ should have let down her guard and allowed things to even get _this_ far! Curse the man for still managing to be so seductive, even when _sloshed_!

"Listen to me, Klavier, I can't let this happen," she stated resolutely. "You're so bombed right now, you couldn't find a Dixie coonskin with an Ohio hooker holding your _Glied_ and showing you the way!"

Ignoring his shout of incredulous laughter, she hastily rushed on.

" _Trust_ me – you _don't_ want to kiss me! You don't even _like_ me more than a little when you aren't drunk!"

A harsh laugh escaped him.

"I like you too damned much!" He whispered fervently, then pulled her head down.

With the remaining shreds of her willpower, Ema braced her hands against his granite pecs and managed to create a slight gap of distance between them, feeling her heart was pounding so loudly at that moment, she was positive he could hear it.

"You've been drinking! This isn't right!" Her lips were less than an inch from his as he stroked the back of her nape in a sensuous, determined caress. "Let me go."

"I _can't_ ," he said hoarsely, but his grip on her hair loosened and his long fingers slid downward, curving around her nape while his mesmerizing eyes stared deeply into hers.

Confused teal eyes probed fervor-filled blues ones as she tried to comprehend what he'd just said.

As if the confession were being tortured out of him, he said raggedly, "I've tried a hundred times to let you go, and get you out of my mind, Ema Skye, but I can't. Believe _me_ , I want to more than anything in the world, but I just _can't_."

He drew in an unsteady breath and lightly traced the satiny flesh of her fully parted lips, which had opened into a wide _O_ of astonishment from that incredible statement.

"You're right though, _Fräulein_. Now isn't meant to be our time. Not until I know it isn't only _my own_ desire to feel those lush lips on mine, but _yours_ as well." He trailed his fingers down her chin and over her jawline, cradling her cheek in his palm. "I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees."

And while Ema was still reeling from the exquisite sensation of his gentle fingertips on her skin and his ardent claims, Klavier groaned and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her tightly against his muscled form so that she was lying atop him, crushing her breasts against his hard chest. He slid his lips along her hot cheek, kissing her jaw and temple while she remained pliant in his arms, unable to move or resist, and remained laying in his arms in a tender embrace, feeling the steady thud of his heartbeat against her own hammering one.

Then, without warning, he loosened his arms, breaking the trance and making her slowly rise up ever so slightly. She stared down at him, jade orbs the size of dinner plates as she tried to register what had just happened.

Sanity slowly came back to Ema, bringing with it an awful realization of her shameless behavior. Her cheek was still pressed to his hard chest and she was half-lying atop him like one of his _shameless hussy groupies!_ Shaking inside, she forced herself to raise her head, fully expecting to see Klavier regarding her with either triumph or contempt, which was nothing more than she deserved – since _she_ was supposed to be the _sober_ one – yet somehow she'd allowed him to drug her senses so she felt as though _she_ were the one who'd been drinking!

Reluctantly she forced her wide eyes to meet his heated gaze.

" _Mein Gott_ , you are _sweet_ ," he whispered hoarsely, his blue eyes smoldering. Ema flinched instinctively as he lifted his hand, but instead of shoving her away, he laid his palm against her flushed cheek, his fingertips softly tracing the delicate bones of her face.

Intrigued but mystified by his inexplicable mood, she stared searchingly into that sultry gaze.

"Your name doesn't suit you," he susurrated thoughtfully. " _Ema_ is too short a name for such a small, fiery creature who provokes such long and engaging sparring and battles of wit."

Completely captivated by the intimate look in his eyes and the compelling gentleness in his voice, she wet her lips nervously and confided, "My full name is Ema Sharona."

"Ah yes, I recall you telling me that before. _Ema Sharona_ …it _does_ sound like _My Sharona_ ," he repeated, smiling softly. "I like that; it suits you perfectly."

His hypnotic gaze held hers as his hand continued its seductive stroking, sliding over her shoulder and up and down her bare arm.

"I also like the way your eyes sparkle like jewels whenever you get excited and talk about science," he continued. "And I like the sound of your laughter. I like the way your cheeks flush and turn pink when you're angry. ...

Drawing her head down, he lightly brushed his lips over hers, just the briefest of featherlike touches, before drawing back and smiling tenderly.

"Do you know what _else_ I like, My Sharona?" He asked as his eyelids drifted closed and he leaned back against the cushions.

Ema shook her head, mesmerized by his voice and the mellifluousness of his words.

"Since you're not wearing that overly obscuring lab coat of yours, I have a free pass to let you know…" Eyes closed and a naughty smile on his lips, he ended with, "that _most of all_ ... I _really_ like the way you fill out that blouse you're wearing."

Ema jerked back in affronted modesty at this pernicious observation as his hand fell away then, landing limply beside his head on the couch. He was fast asleep.

With huge, disbelieving orbs, she studied his slumbering form, not knowing what to think or how to feel anymore.

 _Judas Tap Dancing Priest!_ _Klavier Gavin is **really** a piece of work! He is honestly **the** most arrogant, bold, **infuriating…audacious** … _

The outrage she was trying to summon absolutely refused to come forth, and a reluctant smile touched her lips as she watched him. The angular planes of his face were softer in sleep and, without that provocative yet grating smirk on his mouth, he looked vulnerable, innocent, and incredibly boyish.

Her smile deepened as she noticed how outrageously thick his eyelashes were; long, spiky lashes that any girl would yearn to have. Watching him, she began to wonder what he had been like as a little boy. Surely he had been making female hearts flutter even as a child, and must had _some_ moments of happiness being the natural charmer he was, despite having aloof, unappreciative parents and a vicious monster for an older brother.

"Even though I was orphaned at a young age, and didn't grow up in a life of luxury, I nevertheless had a loving sister to fill the void my parents left behind. And now, with Mr. Wright, the Chief and probably Maya as close, lifelong friends, I see how I've still been blessed to know a life of love, even if it wasn't one of opulence. Perhaps that makes _me_ the more fortunate in the end, for tonight, you showed me that the wealthy and the beautiful have heartaches too, just like everybody else."

She placed a finger to her lips as she continued to think out loud.

"Also, in-between being _totally rat-arsed_ , and even _more_ of an outlandish, incorrigible flirt than usual, you managed to nevertheless show me a glimpse into who you _really_ are underneath all the glimmerousness. You made me realize that you don't deserve any of the horrible things that've happened to you, in spite of everything. You deserve to be happy and loved as much as anybody else. I hope things get simpler for you, peaceful. That you spend your days with easy breaths and soft words. You deserve light through your window sill, fop. I hope it comes your way soon."

He turned his head on the pillow and a stray lock of silky, platinum hair fell across his forehead. Feeling strangely maternal and slightly wicked, Ema reached out and smoothed it away with her fingertips.

"I'll tell you a secret," she professed, knowing he wouldn't hear her. "Everybody is special. Everybody. Everybody is a hero, a lover, a fool, a villain. Everybody. Everybody has their story to tell. But despite you claiming to be the fallen hero of this tale, ours is neither tragic, nor love story. Therefore, I'm _not_ going to be play the part of the pining heroine, confessing her secret feelings to the lead protagonist, by taking this chance to secretly tell you I'm _in love_ with you now. Heck, you're so over the top glimmerous and flashy and a complete showoff, that most the time, I'm not even sure that I _like_ you."

She expelled a slow, resigned breath as she headed to the door to see herself out.

"However, I _can_ say this much after spending this wild, unpredictable evening with you, which will undoubtedly have me in a tailspin hereafter: you _do_ make it _really_ hard to hate you sometimes, Klavier Gavin."

* * *

 ** _Magnifi Gramarye and Helios Justice_** ** _  
_** _Heaven_ ** _  
_**July 10, 2026

"By the beard of Zeus!" Helios exclaimed. "While it's obvious, despite her best efforts, that the young lady – who _insists_ on using my son's _forehead_ as _Snackoo_ _target practice_ – wasn't _entirely_ immune to the masculine wiles of her would-be suitor, she's _definitely_ going to be a tough nut to crack for that Don Juan DeMarco prosecutor!"

"Yes, I suppose that really was … _something else_ , wasn't it?" Magnifi stared down at the pretty, conflicted looking brunette – whom he'd observed to be a close friend of Phoenix Wright's and an associate of both his grandchildren – as she exited the penthouse. "She wasn't kidding about being more _head_ than _heart_ driven! She's _truly_ not the romantic type _whatsoever_! This was hardly the swoon worthy romantic moment it should've been! What a wasted opportunity!"

"I agree." Helios lamented, shaking his head. "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"

"Pfft! Are you trying to speak in more lyrical manner for any _particular_ reason, Mr. _Jangly Jove,_ née Helios, _Justice_?" The old man's mustache twitched as he fought back a cackle. "Perhaps it's your attempted _compensation_ for that downright _absurd_ moniker you gave yourself and shall forever be immortalized as?"

"Don't mock the stage name I opted for when I proved to be a better _musician_ than _magician_ , father-in-law dearest!" Apollo's father scowled. "I thought the _triple J alliteration_ would stick to minds of my fans better than my given name! Plus, I reckoned it sounded less _pretentious_ than my Christened name of a Greek Sun God! How was I to know I'd marry a woman named after the Grecian primeval spirit of the sea shortly after I legally changed from _Helios_ to _Jove_?"

"Fair enough!" Magnifi snickered. "Regardless, I think the former Gavinners singer was _waxing poetic_ enough for us all this evening, without _you_ adding unnecessary Shakespeare quotes into the mix!"

"Hey! It seemed _fitting_!" His son-in-law protested defensively. "Although for the record, it's most admirable how charming the German, who unknowingly assisted in turning the wheel of fortune pertaining to the blue Phoenix's fate, could still be coherent enough to woo, despite drinking like a fish! Either that makes Klavier Gavin some sort of _enigma_ … or an _insatiable alcoholic_ who the lovely science enthusiast should be quite leery of!"

"If Ema's leery, it won't be because of his drinking! That woman couldn't hide from that man any more than she can hide from her newfound feelings – not after _tonight_! Believe you me, you _can't fight fate_ , dear boy. Whether they know it yet or not, from the moment they collided at that bar seven years ago, Ema Skye and Klavier Gavin were _meant to be_ – just as Phoenix and Maya were! Mark my words!"

Helios cast a sulky sideways glance at the amused legendary illusionist.

"I suppose _I_ have no choice but to get my entertainment via inserting romantic prose commentary, since _you_ got to have the fun of manipulating the meeting between my darling wife and Phoenix! You _already_ got to plunder his dreams and turn him in the right direction to get assistance from the top hatted English gentleman! It's not fair you got to pull the puppet strings for _Thalassa_ too!"

"If you're referring to my spectral powers of suggestion yesterday when _Lamiroir_ had the _sudden_ need to return to her room and take some pain medication before she went to the detention center with my grandchildren..." Magnifi smiled innocently. "That very well could have been a _coincidence_!"

"You really expect me to believe it was _happenstance_ Thalassa was well enough to go traipsing off with Apollo and Trucy to go see Machi _right afterward_ , despite having just been attacked by that shark-haired bastard… At _the exact same time_ Phoenix Wright would happen to be outside her hospital room and would peer into the window?" Helios narrowed his eyes. "That's a load of malarkey and you _know_ it, Magnifi!"

"Fine! I admit it! I _did_ help manipulate things so that Phoenix would discover my daughter's true identity at the right moment, since he already knew what she looked like from photos!" Magnifi shrugged apologetically. "However my granddaughter's guardian opting to go visit _Lamiroir_ earlier this afternoon during Machi's trial, under the guise of merely being a fan like his daughter, that was his _own_ choice!"

"At first, I wondered why her bracelet didn't react to the fact that he knows her real identity – then I remembered the rare Gramarye ancestral trait is actually in the _eyes_ and _not_ in the accessory! Phoenix is most fortunate Thalassa's blindness detained her from perceiving that hidden truth!"

"That was definitely advantageous for him. May I also point out that his so-called _innocuous_ suggestion she undergo the new eye operation exclusively being offered in America, as a means to potentially restore her vision, was entirely _his_ _own_ doing?"

"It seems like all the wheels are in motion for there to be a Gramarye family reunion in the future, just like you always wanted," the musician remarked. "I don't think our loved ones below will be needing any more of our otherworldly intervention. While I'm slightly disappointed _I_ probably won't get a chance to make an earthly visit of my own, I suppose it's equally nice to just sit back and watch all their _somewhat assisted_ destinies take place."

"Helios, I foresee you and I being spectators to a dramatic production more spectacular than _anything_ we ever performed while on earth!" Magnifi predicted, beaming broadly. "I can already tell it'll have a blend of intriguing suspense _and_ a bit comedy all rolled in one! What a joy it will be to observe the dramas ahead for this unsuspecting group of kind people, whose fates were all predestined to be entwined."

"Don't forget the _romance_ element in store for these characters! I'm personally rooting for Miles and Klavier to win over their women in the end!" Helios flashed a conspiratorial grin. "And _I_ , for one, shall remain on edge of my seat awaiting the next act!"

 ** _Adele- Crazy For You_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 168**

 ***review of the week***

 **SpiritsOfFire**

If you're a Phaya fan, I am particularly interested to know what your thoughts are on SOJ once you chance to play it. I don't know if you watched the video play-throughs or not or how much you know about the storyline, but I can tell you that since it has pretty much destroyed my canon manipulation attempts for this story, you won't need to worry much about many spoilers for it here!

Apparently there were workouts videos released back in the day called _buns and abs of steel_. I actually wonder if somebody actually would name the former as a bakery name… And if anyone would be gullible enough to believe that eating copious amounts flabbenating carb-heaven goods from such a place would result in their coveted posterior becoming one that you could balance a quarter off rather than have the foresight to realize that instead all they'd get is an arse where the coin would probably get lost in the folds… XD

Miles has till the end of 2026 to relieve poor Jughead of his double Payne in the neck… will he actually take that long though…? We shall see!

I'm not sure what country you live in but it does seem Archie comics are universal renowned which was exactly what I was hoping for when I named the judge and his family! Truth be known Veronica was such a beyotch in the comics I always wished Archie would pick Betty (Reggie was a meanie asshat I didn't want him with _anybody_ and thoroughly enjoyed all the times big moose would kick his ass!) However now that I'm watching the darker edgier nighttime soap opera that is _Riverdale_ , the actress who plays Betty doesn't seem to have the right chemistry with Archie on screen, whereas _Veronica_ (who is way more likable in this TV show than in the comics!) does… And I am thoroughly enjoying the sweet romance the girl next door has found with a surprisingly cute actor they have chosen to play Jughead as my new OTP!

Looks like you're a SkyeFop fan! (hee! My readers come up with the best names! Thanks for the James Bond sounding name, Jove's Boy!) I hope you enjoyed the teaser moment for this long overdue pair this chapter! :)

 **Brock's Geodude**

Thank you very much for the kind words. I did get your message regarding your suggestion about a certain adorable magician and I liked it very much I'm definitely going to work that angle in the story!  
:-)

 **CzarThwomp**

As much as I love Professor Layton his back story with Claire is so tragic it's probably the reason I don't write Layton only fan fictions… I can't possibly ship him with Emmy who ended up being a traitorous bitch in the end…

Don Paolo was a hilarious over the top cartoon villain in every way but compared to the sinister evil of the creepy German sausage he's like a fart a hurricane as he proved in the end to have a soft spot and actually helped out Layton… Meanwhile Kristoph just wants to kill everybody that Nick has ever loved or has ever been associated with him! I wouldn't put it past him to try to poison Nick and Maya's wedding cake!

Atroquinine flavored wedding cake as the result of a corrupt Payne in power which would make Nick winced in pain, Maya gasped in pain and then they remain married till death do them part…which should be…according to AA Wiki….about 15 minutes! :p

If you're a SkyeFop fan I really hope you enjoyed this chapter which was pure Klema. Aside from the fact that she hates his guts in canon, this is the kind of romance which is most relatable. They didn't grow up together like Fredgeworth, so they can't claim to have lifelong love which evolved. They weren't best friends brought together by tragedy whose love blossoms like Nick and Maya… They're just good old-fashioned coworkers - much like Dick and Maggey were! In the case of Ema and Klavier, let's just ignore the fact that it would be inappropriate right now for him to be together since he's technically still her boss, and just go with the fact that 70 to 80% of people, before the invention of the Internet, actually met their future life partner at work! :-)

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Gaspen was definitely the worst of the two brothers what with his leaving in disgrace at the end of Dual Destinies only to become a psychopath of murderous tendencies when we saw him again! That man is destined to be a Payne in Nick's behind!

 _Once a Pun a Time_ could've been the alternative name if this had been a strictly Nick and Maya chapter since Pearl has always garnished how these two are like a (pun-laden) fairytale. But right now the main hero is Edgeworth, who is presently more filled with _saudade_ than _sentiment_ , as he's in a deep emotional state of melancholic longing for a certain person that is absent.

Your guess about it involving Apollo since his last thing as Justice was not a bad one at all, but I am a terrible person and will not let my readers know for a little bit what Edgy's third request was; although I'm very curious to know if anyone out there actually saw it coming! ;)

Poor Jug! His non-tech self desperately in need of a Babbage machine!

Maya the human garburator not being built like a brick house as a consequence of her diet is equally as mystifying as Ema the never ending Snackoo snacker – I totally agree she needs some sort of reprieve from her angst which now that you've read this chapter, you now know what the cause what was! I'm sure all she wants right now is to get the hell away from the fop… But will fate have other plans?

 **Napoleon32**

We found out this chapter why Ema was so angsty. The fop can be a charmer even when drunk...but am sure her loyalty to Nick makes her feel guilty (love) for wavering even briefly since she still blames him for his disbarring.

A _computron_? Hee! That's almost as funny as when my pal with fat fingers is trying to type "computer" in text and instead inadvertently texting the word "compooper!" :p

My father in law was like Udgey. Had no idea how to text and still had a rotary phone! Glad you're enjoying the poor guy's dual Payne! XD

Cheaper by the dozen may not be applicable for donuts or anything when garbage disposal Maya Fey is in da house! Poor Gummy, he never stood a chance! Poor Meekins woulda worn a groove into the precinct floor going on countless donut runs if Maya visited more/worked there!

Hey we were talking about naming a pastry shop of course I had to nuts with the puns! Apparently there's one out there called GLORY HOLES!

Bonus points if you can get the ass with the raunchy retro comedy flick that made those (in)famous! ;)

 **Jove's Boy**

*the following reader reply contains minor SOJ spoiler regarding Klema!*

I refuse to make Jughead become tech savvy… It's just so much fun to include his lovable cluelessness which makes him one of the most endearing characters in Ace Attorney, don't you think? :)

I have made it no secret that I despise the Apollo Justice game and case three was probably the most loathsome for me in general however since you have drawn the parallel between case three of this game along with case three of SLJ which is my second favorite game, I can definitely see what you've done so and it may have lowered my ire just a tad! What can I say, I truly do value my reader's inputs and opinions!

 _The Rolling Scones. Cake Me Up Before You Go-Go. Stairway to Leaven. Stop and Smell the Flours. Top of the Muffin To Ya!_

There's a lot of music to go with all that sugary goodness music man! Don't forget _Led Zeppoli!_ :p

That being said, the idea of Gumshoe and Maggey now dealing with a hyperactive Gordy and his friends who are ready to fly to the moon and back from a doughnut sugar craze after already enduring hurricane Trucy when she got into the chocolate covered coffee beans many years ago is hilarious! In fact I would love to see you do something like that in your wonderful Gordy Gumshoe drabbles! Bonus points if you pick one of these over-the-top names for the bakery!

I'm glad you caught the fact that even in her mysterious emotionally-wrought state (the reason for which was answered in this chapter) you did notice _the blink and you'll miss_ it astuteness of Ema noticing that Phoenix has been inexplicably off kilter since spotting the mysterious singer. I also want to now publicly thank you not only for helping me work around Apollo's father's actual name, but for your previous comment about Lamiroir being Thalassa as all too convenient. As you saw in this chapter, it wasn't exactly a _coincidence_ that everything lined up the way! ;)

The golden hearted Phoenix, I truly believe with all my heart, is a complete mensch and doesn't hate anybody… With the possible exception of Matt Engarde. I have no reason to think he has any ill will towards Klavier, but the fact that Ema still continues to dislike him makes me very sad because I realize just how non-canon of a couple ship Klema is thanks to SOJ.

Although he's not one of my favorite characters, I was very frustrated about how Ema continues to see Klavier when she expressed how glad she feels about no longer working with that Europhile in Spirit of Justice. It was understandable that she mistakenly hated his guts because she thought he screwed over someone that has done so much for her family whom she genuinely adores, but now that she realizes the poor guy was basically a marionette to his evil Puppet Master elder sibling, it was little bit frustrating because I really do like _SkyeFop_! (hee! Nice one pal!)

I was like…Ema COME ON! It's like you're _reaching_ for reasons to dislike Klavier… OK so now you can't hate him because of Phoenix anymore… so now you just hate him for being _him_? Nothing against people who actually _like_ Prosecutor Sad Monk or ship Elsa with Ema, but I would rather take a glimmerous fop over the sanctimonious, putrid, overly man pretty (seriously how did they manage to make a guy whose prettier/has nicer hair than Ema AND Klavier combined? LOL) _manipulative...I could go on forever! I hate that guy!_

Yeah the Payne brothers suck harder than Hoover! For shits and giggles, I might throw in _Cofftin Payne_ being the name of Winston's wife, because I don't believe Gaspen is married because no woman should ever decide to tie her life with a vengeful human piece of excrement that tries to send both my darling Phoenix an innocent child to death! GRRRR….


	170. Candy Man

_A/N: By the power of Gray Skull! Almost 1500 reviews, and over 100K VIEWS later, I can't believe I can say –_ _ **Happy 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **Birthday, Turnabout Everlasting!**_ _I celebrate with this short but sweet chapter which continues the SkyeFop arc… look for the following one to be up by this weekend/early next week. I love you guys so much for still being with me on this crazy train, but also for your support for SkyeFop last chapter! They're going into my OTP books! :)_

 ** _p.s. the events of this chapter happen the day after Klema's July 10 night together (chapter 169) - July 11 - but still before the afternoon of July 12 (chapter 168) - when Ema met up with Phaya at the cop shop! VERY IMPORTANT!_**

* * *

 _Certainly the most destructive vice if you like, that a person can have. More than pride, which is supposedly the number one of the cardinal sins - is self-pity. Self-pity is the worst possible emotion anyone can have. And the most destructive. Hatred is subset of self-pity and not the other way around. It destroys everything around it, except itself._

 _Self-pity will destroy relationships, it'll destroy anything that's good, it will fulfill all the prophecies it makes and leave only itself. And it's so simple to imagine that one is hard done by, and that things are unfair, and that one is underappreciated, and that if only one had had a chance at this, only one had had a chance at that, things would have gone better, you would be happier if only this, that one is unlucky. All those things. And some of them may well even be true. But, to pity oneself as a result of them is to do oneself an enormous disservice._

 _And it sounds like 'Oh that's so simple', because it's not simple to stop feeling sorry for yourself, it's bloody hard. Because we do feel sorry for ourselves, it's what Genesis is all about._

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Seventy:** **Candy Man**

 _ **Klavier Gavin**_  
 _The Surly Wench Pub  
_ July 11, 2026 11:55 PM

Along the wall was every hue of amber liquid in their inverted bottles. Ice clinked against the glass, and sizzled in contact with the warm air that flushed the faces of the bartender and the assortment of people perched on bar stools before him. The atmosphere was the buzz of happily chugging, chattering patrons and loud bouts of surrounding laughter. At the main bar, glasses of various spirits slid across the wood top for exchanges of money, with the occasional grumbling about the high prices of the booze in the very same, admittedly overpriced tavern.

It was this very pub that Klavier had once brought a certain grumpy female detective for her birthday. Naturally, being currently present in said establishment was doing nothing to banish the object of his unrequited affections from his torturous reflections, and could only be chalked up to a moment of nothing less than mindless masochism.

The prosecutor, dressed all in black and wearing a hat to hide this noticeable golden mane in attempts to be inconspicuous, drowned his sorrows in the elixir at a single table in a corner of the bar. He watched impassively as a young couple flirted shamelessly at the other end of the room, each with a nectar in hand, making him smirk knowingly as he observed their antics.

The comely, buxom barfly, who was presently batting her eyelashes at a sandy-haired young man with a slicked back 'do, had attempted her feminine wiles on Klavier earlier that evening. However, the green-eyed brunette was too much of a scantily dressed, overly made-up version of a certain female police officer for the blond's liking. She'd proceeded to stalk off in a huff when he'd politely revoked her coquetry, blithely moving onto her next attempted conquest of the night.

Her second attempt appeared to be going quite swimmingly, based on their body language – his hand on her arm and the toe of her pump caressing his leg.

The former singer chuckled as he observed that the ever-eager, sycophantic Gatewater Hotel bellboy, still in his tell-tale cream-colored uniform, seemed to have zero _objections_ to being _serviced_ , instead of _vice versa!_

 _Perhaps they'll have a role reversal tomorrow morning, and he'll offer to bring her tea and breakfast in bed?_ Klavier thought wryly. _Well, good for them! Cheers to good sex! A tribute like this needs to be done in both English_ _ **and**_ _German, even if no else hears it!_

The German silently raised his ale in a mock salute at the now wildly necking duo.

 _Prost!_ _Zu großem Geschlechtsverkehr!_ He cheerlessly toasted his previous castoff and downed the rest of his beer in one swig. _At the very least, may he warm your loins to your heart's content tonight, schöne Frau! At the very most, may Herr Mann be the lifelong Beischlaf of your dreams!_

Dreams…

The last word of his lighthearted musings made all traces of humor vanish in the next instant, leaving a queasiness in his stomach which had naught to do with the four foamy mugs he'd downed already.

" _Please consider me a dream."_

Klavier shut his eyes against the mortifying memories of the previous night, as his lovesick, sozzled ramblings came flooding back to him.

As much as he'd wished to drink to the point of blacking out yesterday, unfortunately, his high alcohol tolerance wouldn't allow it. Ergo, he could remember _every single pitiable, undoubtedly desperate_ sounding declaration he'd uttered to his subordinate, who up until that night, had made it _glaringly_ clear she did nothing more than _tolerate_ him.

 _"I like you too damned much!" He whispered fervently, then tried to pull her in for a kiss._

He knew why he'd wanted to kiss her. Because she was beautiful. And before that, because she was kind. And before that, because she was smart and funny. Because she was exactly the right kind of smart and funny. Because he could imagine taking a long trip with her without ever getting bored. Because whenever he saw something new and interesting, or new and ridiculous, he always wondered what she'd have to say about it-how many stars she'd give it and why.

Recalling her mild but consistent resistance to his overly amorous advances, shame washed over him in sickening waves as he pondered what he'd be facing when forced to endure her inevitable reaction to the humiliating incident.

 _How_ could he have unleashed so much ardor to a woman who could barely abide him? She'd clearly only been indulging him due to his pitiful, woeful state, stemmed from nothing more than _polite kindness_ , which in his inebriated state, he'd pathetically mistaken for _genuine_ _affection_.

Klavier truly didn't know if he'd ever be able to look her in the eye again after this.

As cowardly and lame as it was to admit, avoiding Ema had been a huge part of the reason he'd called sick into work that day. The other factor, naturally, had been the delirium tremens he'd faced when he'd awoken. Looking at his reflection in the mirror had been a nightmarish experience; the glass showing his eyes were no longer those of sparkling blue but a lattice of pink over the white, set in a drawn, beleaguered face only a mother could love.

 _The hangover felt like a balloon under my cranium, slowly being inflated, pressure mounting. I remember splashing cold water on my face just to feel something refreshing and instantly wished I could wash my brain free of the toxins too, along with these agonizing memories._

He realized the prudent thing to do would have been to take the hint when she'd protested how polemic his actions were. Regardless of Ema's aversion to him, she'd remained genteel enough to try to appeal to his non-existent rationale. In spite of how unbearable she found him, she'd still been too polite to make her repulsion palpable, and instead reminded Klavier that he was her _boss_! Moreover, she'd hastily added, as though she'd needed any further excuses to protest, he was also quite intoxicated and none of this was right.

He should have taken heed and respected her wishes when she'd asked him to let her go. Instead, like a hopelessly besotted schoolboy, he'd proceeded to put his heart on his sleeve even further!

 _"I've tried a hundred times to let you go, and get you out of my mind, Ema Skye, but I can't. Believe me, I want to more than anything in the world, but I just can't."_

Propping his elbows up onto the table, Klavier groaned and buried his head in his hands.

In light of what had happened with Ema last night, ignominy had temporarily replaced his compounding despondency about both Daryan and Kristoph by a _tenfold_! Embarrassment wasn't an emotion, it was a weapon wielded without a trace of pity.

And what _else_ could Ema Skye, who clearly despised him, have felt for him _but a_ sense of charity? Surely there was _no other explanation_ whatsoever to have even _momentarily_ allowed him to embrace her, never mind pliantly lain in his arms for those long, glorious moments, leading him to believe _she_ was as swept away as _he_ had been!

 _I'd rather she_ _ **hate**_ _me than feel_ _ **pathos**_ _for me!_ Klavier lamented, rubbing his eyes. _At least that way I'd be able to keep my_ _ **dignity**_ _, which is_ _ **all**_ _I had left! Better an honest enemy than a false friend, ja? Slap me with the truth rather than kiss me with a lie? Her abhorrent disdain would have been largely preferable to knowing she was merely stomaching me and allowing me take such liberties – all simply because she felt_ _ **sorry**_ _for me!_

He honestly wished Ema _had_ just given him _five across the eyes_ for his actions and been done with it! Yes, such a deed would have left him undeniably red-faced (also, perhaps, given that she was such a spitfire, _temporarily cross-eyed_!) but nonetheless, at least it would have brought things to a head.

Had that happened, he wouldn't have had any other choice but to concede that he'd been rebuked, and thenceforth, attempt to atone!

Undoubtedly, while the rejection would have stung, both physically _and_ emotionally, Klavier still would have been better off if he'd been obligated to apologize. It would have left him less forlorn if he'd never haplessly believed, even for a heartbeat, that the chestnut-haired beauty had even marginally relished their propinquity as much as _he_ had.

 _Fräulein Detective must_ _have been shuddering in revulsion to my_ _proximity the whole time she was humoring me_ , Klavier thought miserably, newly fretful about how his unseemly actions would impact their working relationship now. _All the while, I remained blissfully negligent of her reluctance. I somehow was convinced that her lack of struggling was_ _ **acquiescence**_ _and was beatifically oblivious to anything except for the satiny skin of that exquisite face on my fingertips, while reveling in those soft curves pressed against my body._

Having to have been handled with kid gloves due to him acting in such a jejune manner was almost more humiliating than he could bear. Even worse was the knowledge that in spite of what had transpired, it'd done nothing more than fan the flames of his unrelenting searing ardor.

 _My burning and mounting passion for that woman refuses to be reduced to ashes. It is a fire that consumes me. But_ _ **I**_ _am the fire._

In hopes to quench his thirst if not his fruitless ardency, he hastily waved at a passing waitress for another drink, hoping to obliterate his tumultuous thoughts.

"Hey there handsome," a friendly female chirped from behind him. "You're looking lower than the boobs on a retired stripper! Before I ask what I can bring that'll help turn that frown upside down, mind if I ask, why so glum, chum?"

Klavier pursed his lips, realizing despite his efforts not to be noticed, he'd still been recognized. How could he possibly answer such a query, innocuous as it was, which at that moment seemed more _invasive_ above anything else?

 _What do I have to mope about, really? What more do I want?...Love. Purpose. Those are the things that you can't plan for. Those are the things that just happen. And what if they don't happen? Do you spend your whole life pining for them? Waiting to be happy?_

With no desire to share his existential angst with a stranger, nor in the mood for small-talk or being Mr. Congeniality, he turned to address the voice.

But then his eyes widened in astonishment as he recognized the friendly, familiar visage of the very fetching waitress, _Candi_ the autographed cleavage enthusiast! The busty redhead, still in the same sexy bar-wench uniform as last time, was beaming winsomely at him. He recalled now that the server was the very same one who'd last taken care of him and Ema on Valentine's Day – as well as being the girl who'd _literally collided_ the musician's fate with both herself _and_ the detective many moons ago!

" _Candi_!" He blinked in surprise. "Fancy seeing _you_ here!"

"I _work_ here, Mr. Gavin!" She tittered, tossing back her ginger curls. "Although I'm flattered that you still remember my _name_ , if not my place of occupation!"

He took off his hat and dropped it on the table with a resigned sigh. While force of habit made him act pleasantly when confronted with a known face, he was secretly resentful of the fact that unlike Phoenix Wright, _he_ wasn't able to able to claim the same incognito status by covering up his own locks!

"Good evening to you, Candi," Klavier murmured politely. "Apologies. I didn't see you until now."

"It's been a busy night," Candi replied cheerfully, already in bosom flaunting, coy smiling mode. "I didn't see you here until now, either. Although, The Gavinners leading man is the _last_ guy I thought I'd see here all by his lonesome! Where's your little friend who was with you last time?"

A dead silence followed the question as he felt a reflexive pang in his chest, and the redhead finally seemed to clue in that something was amiss. The expectant smile left her pretty face, replaced by one of wary trepidation.

Obviously the poor girl thought she was about to be told off, when she'd simply been trying to do her job and make friendly chitchat with somebody who was slightly more than a stranger to her. It made Klavier felt absolutely terrible.

Sporting a counterfeit smile, the prosecutor hoped the awkwardness that bathed the moment would be transient.

"It's just me tonight Candi." He gestured to his empty beer mug. "Could I please get another pint of whatever's on tap?"

"Just beer?" Her sunny disposition appeared again as she returned the smile. "You sure I can't interest you in something stronger?"

Klavier cringed at the thought of putting his poor liver through the wringer two nights in a row, and shook his head.

" _Ja_ , just beer. It's all I think I can handle right now." He chuckled ruefully, and caught a flicker of compassion in Candi's thickly mascaraed eyes, which for some reason prompted his tongue to loosen considerably. "Let's just say yesterday and today have not been good days, so I am treating myself gently, with the hope that tomorrow will be a better one."

"Well I'm assuming that's not your first beer, but whether or not you're having _barley_ or a _stiff one_ , I really hope you're not driving tonight, nevertheless!" Candi lectured sternly, nodding approval as he shook his head in response. "I'll be right back with your beer, and hopefully that will at least put a smile on your face. It's very jarring to see my favorite singer look so down in the dumps, whatever the reason is."

For some reason Klavier found it oddly comforting that he had come across possibly one of the few people who hadn't seen the news or read the papers thus far, as _**one**_ _pitying female_ had been more than enough for him to endure! Which meant the waitress's inquiry was actually intended as genuine friendly concern.

"Tonight, I will be the first to admit that I'm really not myself," he admitted, shaking his head. "Among other things, I guess you could say I'm sort of… coming off a really… _crazy_ relationship."

" _Ouch_! Been there, done that!" She winced sympathetically. "When did it end?"

Klavier shut his eyes as a flicker of pain came over him.

 _Actually,_ _ **that's**_ _my secret. I can't even talk about you to anybody, because I don't want any more people to know how wonderful you are, Ema Skye, even though I know you don't view me the same way I do you. And you do drive me crazy. In every way possible – the good, the bad, and the ugly._

He expelled a breath, ignoring the bewildered look in her eyes as he responded.

"Slightly before it started."

* * *

 _ **Klavier Gavin**_  
 _The Surly Wench Pub, Parking Lot  
_ July 12, 2026 2:10 AM

It died down considerably in the bar shortly thereafter, and Candi was able to keep him company for the most part while she made her rounds. Klavier finally stopped himself at six beers, which, given his high threshold, was nothing more than water, considering he'd annihilated two full liquor bottles and could still speak full sentences the previous night! By the time last call came around, the redhead watched as he wobbled on the high stool, his leg buckling when he stood to reach into his back pocket for his wallet to pay bill.

"We're officially closed now. My shift's over." She smiled as she noticed the generous tip he'd left her. "Thanks a lot, Mr. Gavin. You going to be alright finding your way home? You want me to call you a taxi?"

"I'm fine," he assured the server, knowing she'd seen his initial wobble. "I think my feet just…fell asleep from sitting so long, that's all."

"I don't think that you're bombed," the waitress assured him, merrily seizing the opportunity to unabashedly study him from head to toe. "You don't sound or look it. I've been in the industry long enough to recognize when a guy needs to be cut off. You didn't quite reach that point."

Klavier noticed her admiring gaze and bit back a smug grin. It wasn't entirely unpleasant to see that not only was he in the presence of someone who was blessedly unaware of his bleak plight, but truly looked at him with _desire_ rather than _disdain_. It was for this reason that he rose from his seat and came to stand right in front of her, his hands on his hips and a twinkle in his azure eyes.

"Allow me to at least escort you to your car as way to show my appreciation for your hospitality," he offered with a wink. "I can wave a cab from outside after I safely see you off."

They exited the bar and headed to the back parking, and reached the waitress's little red Toyota. Pausing at the driver's side door, Candi bit her lip, wondering if it be too presumptuous to offer him a ride home, but as she turned around to face him her breath caught in her throat.

He was standing so close to her that she could smell the spicy scent of his aftershave. His shirt was open at the top, emphasizing the strong column of his neck and offering her a tantalizing glimpse of his impressive chest. Really, the man was too sexy to be let out amongst the regular population. Downright _smoldering_. She couldn't think of another word to describe him.

She didn't want to assume she was reading his signals wrong, but the flirtatious rock star was being _a lot friendlier_ than she could have ever dreamed – certainly more so than the last couple of times she'd bumped into him! A shiver raced down her spine as she realized it was now _his_ turn to be eyeing her from head to toe.

And he certainly wasn't taking any _shortcuts_!

Was it just her or was the air getting _hotter_ here _outside_ than it'd been _inside_? Candi's bar wench uniform suddenly seemed incredibly tight and she struggled to breathe. Her breasts felt so heavy and the tips ached unbearably. The tight lacing that cinched her waist and torso made her feel voluptuous and unbelievably sexy. He was watching her with a heavy-lidded gaze like he wanted to eat her alive, his grin downright wolfish.

She felt tingles shooting throughout her body.

Glancing down, she had a quick peek at her cleavage to make sure she hadn't fallen out of the bust-enhancing corset. It was close. Her breasts swelled against the lace trim, but her modesty was intact. Barely.

Her head jerked up when she felt his fingers beneath her chin. But instead of releasing her, his hand cupped her jaw and he leaned closer. For a moment she thought he might kiss her. Her lips parted in anticipation. His breath was warm on her moist mouth. He was close. So very close.

"As I was admiring you back in the bar, I noticed _you_ were taking your time earlier in assessing how sober I was?" he purred. "I dared flatter myself that _perhaps_ …you might have liked what you saw, _schöne Frau_? Tell me, _did you_? Because I think you know how I hope you'll answer…"

Her tongue felt thick in her mouth, but she somehow managed to nod.

"That's so flattering," he said silkily, his lips only inches away from hers. "Tell me, did you have some place to be…or rather, _someone_ that you were going to see tonight after work?"

Candi's pulse skittered alarmingly. She could not believe what she was hearing, and yet she was strangely excited by his seductive words. She glanced down for a moment before peeking up at him through her lashes, and her breath caught. His tongue slid leisurely along the seam of his lips, as if he tasted her. When he caught the full lower curve between his teeth, she could've sworn she felt the sensation as though it'd been on her own body.

The redhead shifted restlessly, her longing gaze riveted to his own scorching one.

"Aren't you going to answer my question?" His voice was so soft and seductive it took a few seconds for her to process the meaning of his words. She jerked her head back in embarrassment, her cheeks heating. While she'd been all but undressing the man with her eyes, he'd been waiting for her to reply to his probing enquiry.

Feeling vixenish but strangely nervous, she licked her lips, allowing her tongue to stroke across first the upper and then the lower lip. His eyes tracked every movement of her tongue.

"No," she managed to whisper, lost in that heated gaze. "I didn't have any plans."

Desire, strong and potent, ripped through his veins at the unmasked longing in her eyes as she replied in the way he'd known she would. Klavier could feel himself swelling and pushing against the opening of his leather pants. It felt like ages since he'd flagrantly coveted a woman on a purely primal level, and even longer since he'd _succumbed_ to his baser animal instincts. It'd been a few months now since he'd actually allowed another female to get his attentions. Since meeting Ema, he hadn't been overly interested in a meaningless casual exchange. Until now.

It was just what he needed. _Candi_ was just what he needed.

He another step forward so that her full, heaving mounds brushed against his chest and stared down at her, his eyes dark as they roved over her statuesque physique.

 _When any man sees you, all he can think about is Fickerei._

The waitress had a body made for debauchery, and more than anything right now, all he yearned to do was be irredeemably, immorally _sinful_.

"I'm happy to hear that," he murmured. "Because otherwise I would have been _very_ disappointed."

Klavier leaned forward and stared into her eyes. The world around them disappeared. The sounds of the rustling traffic around them, and the chatter of the people still exiting the bar seemed to fade into nothing. There was only him and Candi. His lips barely skimmed hers before leaving a trail of hot, moist kisses to her ear, tracing the edge with his tongue before nipping the lobe with his teeth.

"You have plans _now_ ," he whispered. "If that's what you want."

* * *

 _AN: Don't worry if you didn't get the notification or reviewed chapter 168 dear readers. The lingering broken notification site function now seems to have been fixed and hey, it prompted me to crank out the second chapter 169 in the same week the moment I saw it was working again! I'm just delighted you guys are still reading!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading! You may need to scroll to find your reply - ya'll love SkyeFop! - but I promise your review reply is always there!_

 **Chapter 167**

 **Joeclone**.

I'm glad you appreciate the Archies! I grew up with them and my pun loving self just couldn't resist giving the lovable lug that is Jug the last name Chambers! Sorry for conflicting your inner canon, MLP lover! :p

I ship Langziska as the most insanely passionate duo out there who'd have _Mr & Mrs. Smith_ style sex – right before they'd kill each other since they're too corrosive for long term in my mind. Which is why I love her with Miles – he can calmly handle her fire without adding his own! Sometimes a little jealousy (is it imagined or warranted at all?) can go a long way for motivation! ;)

This isn't really a spoiler but pretty much a given – yup, two birds, one stone. While Miles tries to find Fran/resume the sting, Nick is going to use this Euro Trip to study the jury system and bump into a certain phycology loving redhead! :-)

 **Ilet Moratar**

I think that's what the Ace Attorney gang should give the old man for Christmas… Some intensive computer training courses because eventually despite being a gentleman of at least outward patients I could see Miles eventually snapping at poor _Torómbolo_ ( _mouse mat/screen cap_ ) Chambers!

I think _Manowar_ or any kind of loud intense rock or metal music would be applicable for when Miles finally confront Lang for his treachery! The warrior spirit of Aphrodite will be backing him surely! Or just good old-fashioned long suppressed unmitigated rage – no Greeks required! XD

 **Chapter 168**

 **Joeclone**

OMG _Diane Payne_! I had another reader suggest _Cofftin Payne_ as a sibling/wife but this seems more hilarious/feasible! Hee!

Hail Juggie Chambers the techno dino! Protect this man he is precious! (and will be suffering dual Payne until Edgy comes back!)

I still am going to squish your cheeks for staying up until vampire hours to catch up you absolute doll! In return for being so adorbs the confused and emotion Ema the science beauty can hug you back twice as hard! :)

 **Ilet Moratar**

I hope you're not tired of Jughead Chambers the techno dinosaur just yet as I may need to throw in a third reference at some point in the story, just for good measure! XD

The fact that you were feeling hungry during Maya's sugary food orgy is so funny, as I have another reader who mentioned that he was living vicariously through Maya's doughnut gorging himself! Much like the spirit medium up you are one of the blessed few women out there that can afford to have such a lusty appetite without any repercussions to your waistline; if you weren't _mi amgia dulce_ , I would hate you for this! :p

If Ema and Klavier ever got together it would not only be a collision of the _stars_ from the _heavens above_ with all the pent-up tension between them! A love-hate dynamic like theirs can be very fiery indeed although despite the obvious sparks between them, look for progression to be _una quemadura muy lenta_ … Because I don't want _el fuego_ to die out quickly… But be more of _una llama eterna_ … ;)

 **DannyDragon**

 _Estoy tan feliz que te guste SkyeFop!_ I looked up the song by pink that you mentioned and _muchas gracias, mi amiga musica! Es perfecto para ellos! Besos!_ _Abrazos para ti!_

 **Chapter 169**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _Mi hermana dulce_ , you are my review of the week because you are the second reader to have now mentioned Klavier's bratwurst, and I am a very bad girl and I'm not sorry! XD

No, seriously, I am not only delighted that I could make my friend the non-drinker happily drink up this chapter, but was so happy you embraced this pairing since I know how much you hate the Apollo Justice game overall! In the same way I always feel nervous apprehension whenever I introduce a new couple to the story, as I don't know how readers will react, (at least Klema is a popular pairing; I was on pins and needles when I introduced Larris!) I was anxious about reader reactions. To add to my anxiety, with the arrival of said aka Elsa, into the Ace Attorney universe, it seemed a lot of former SkyeFop lovers abandon ship!

However the outpouring support I got for this chapter made my soul sing… Because it seems my readers do enjoy the beautiful science enthusiast with "the manly pimp rock star" over "the female monk."

My goal was always to show tender persuasion here, not pushy or overbearing. Ergo, I am so glad I accomplished making drunken Klavier adorable! I was desperately striving to make his antics come across as sincere (yet comical) despite being hammered as he inadvertently let out his inhibitions about his ardor for Ema even though she initially put up some resistance…. Right before she turned into a puddle of goo in his arms. However, I couldn't let either one of them take advantage of the other in this situation, and have their first kiss be a drunken one/coerced one!

There was a singer a few years back who performed at a club I went to with my girlfriends named Mike Posner (his big hit at the time was "Cooler Than Me") and the rabid fan girls were reaching up on the stage and groping wildly at his culo…and yes even at his mango area! It wouldn't shock me if the fop's fangirls were also so bold as to try to steal the buttons off his fly – perhaps that's why I have a new head canon that the fop, like all male rock gods, wears zipper instead?

It seems nowadays because women can be so sexually aggressive a lot of men are happy to be complacent and let the ladies take the driver seat with the pursuing, but perhaps I'm all fashion I really do insist that it's very sexy when a man has no qualms about showing of interest – but without seeming pushy or overbearing which was the delicate balance I was trying to achieve with Klavier and Ema and this chapter. I intended very much for the simple admission of being unable to let her go be the flame of which melted the ice around her heart before she melted into his embrace. I agree with you that the sexual tension between these two would be super nova equivalent if it ever exploded… Especially if your theory is true that he is packing a XXL sheepskin for his mango, which Ema may have stumbled across in his wallet while looking for his driver's license! :p

Of course there has been a minor setback now with these two crazy kids but you know me; I'm a terribly sadistic person who never makes things easy for anyone in this story! Try not to hate me too much and stay tuned as both their fates become entwined with that of your favorite Ace Attorney character! ;)

 **Jove's Boy**

With the existence of the man pretty monk in the Ace Attorney universe it brings me great joy to say that when it comes to my readers at least… Indeed long live SkyeFop!

 _"Whoooooop! Detective Gumshooooe!"_

I had no idea that was actually a canon line said by the normally stuffy prosecutor! I want somebody to find out where and when he set it and you should know very well the moment you said it that I was going to look for a shameless reason to use it somehow!

Alas when I named Apollo's Daddy Helios Spirit of Justice had not come along. This is going to be one of the few parts of it Ace Attorney 6 that I can actually work around because I've mentioned in the past unfortunately despite my love for the game it has undone a lot of my attempt at canon for this story!

Because you and I are actually friends off the site, and for that reason alone, I am going to resist the urge to throw Snackoos that you for making, however flattering it was, a Star Wars geek comparison in your review! You _know_ who I'm married to dammit! Was this your sick retribution because I said Star Wars was stupid? _Was_ it?! XD

*clears throat*

Anyway…

Yes, I am definitely leading up to the big finale and I do remember Vera's strange reaction to seeing Klavier's face and instinctively knowing what the situation was even before the big reveal! What are some fascinating about that whole jurist trial system is that Klavier seemed to be aware of what was happening even though Apollo wasn't which means Phoenix must've somehow talked him into going along with this… But I don't think the fop was aware of anything that would've involved Kristoph otherwise there was no way he would've agreed to it! You're absolutely right that the rock God is normally very friendly and easy going and he totally lost it at that moment in the game meaning he was as blindsided as everybody else when that came up!

I got a kick out of your attempted German accent with your voice acting moment between the fop and the shark which I was privy to hear… Still doesn't beat your surfer dude moment but I digress! Thanks you and this review, I know much more about both Star Wars and Power Rangers, both things I've never had interest in before but I absolutely loved the parallel you drew about the red and green Ranger!

Bill Nye, The Science Guy is the go to for all science nerd/geeks I think! He was the reason I decided to have fun with a certain entertainer named _Bill Thigh_ , The Science Guy in my _Double DILF Doodies,_ when Ema's lust for science potentially got her into some hot water! :p

You have officially surpassed my husband for all things geek related I had no idea that great Caesar's ghost was from editor Perry White from Superman! I was just trying to find something unique as an exclamation since my characters are continuously exasperated and/or surprised in this story besides _Holy Flerkin Schnitt!_

Klavier is amazing enigma, isn't he? He manages to be a Romeo even when he is intoxicated, _and_ looks good in government ID! Also I am posting this response under my Cuban girlfriends, because since you devils mentioned how this chapter made you envision Klavier's "goods" she wants you to look up the very acclaimed _Long Dong Silver_ of Cuban pimp, Alberto Yarini! To this day women and men leave their undergarments at his grave as offerings to this Latino sex god who my girl is convinced is reincarnated by the fop, hence her constant Yarini gags in her reviews! XD

I find it hard to believe that you weren't ever the nice guy I am so fond of today, but I will concede that because you are, I also shall resist the urge to pelt you would chocolate snacks for that cryptic last line of your review which when I finally encoded, can only say this to you in response… _Do You Know The Muffin Man?_

 **Joeclone**

I named Apollo's Daddy before Spirit of Justice came out but I'm happy else successfully able to weave his given identity into the canon which will be next to impossible to do for most of SOJ but I will where I can!

I'm so glad the mutual tension between these two was obvious! These two sizzle – they're opposites and I love the idea of the science beauty and the glimmerous fop – one with too much experienced "action" and the other I honestly don't think with enough if any at least not enough to know how to handle this kind of situation! Plus I can't imagine what it must be like thinking you might be attracted to someone that you should really hate by principle!

Will Klavier remember? Well here's a better question… After what happened this chapter… how much will it matter…? :p

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Europeans tend to drink more often than North Americans so I can surmise that they build up a better tolerance what with having wine with dinner in a lot of cases, or if you're a lawyer, having beer with lunch etc? In his defense, at least he has refined taste since he was drinking six figure limited edition priced booze!

Booze can be a bad thing indeed. In this case, despite being a _panty dropping prosecutor,_ it looks like it's what led to the fop's own _Glied_ _Obstruction_! XD

 **thepudz**

Leanne Neeson _is_ kind of hot and is a total silver fox I think he'd be great! Neeson playing Edgeworth be like: "Franziska… I will find you. And Lang… I _will_ kill you." :p

I am glad that despite your traitorous ass going to the dark side and shipping the science hottie with the putrid Prosecutor Sad Monk that you could still find it in you to appreciate some SkyeFop! XD

I'm glad you liked the line: _"Just shut up and tell me where you live!"_

I had in my head that either due to her canon dislike of Klavier, combining it with my shipping trash head canon of her reluctant attraction to him, that Ema would get ridiculously frazzled at times and say hilarious stuff that makes no sense and can be taken out of context!

 **Yanmegaman**

 _"It seems the wheels are in motion for there to be a Gramarye family reunion"_

 _Me: Looks into the camera like I'm on the office._

I did completely realize the irony of what I was saying but let's count the magical siblings finding each other and falling into typical brother and sister relationship despite not knowing who they really are to one another as a _small_ victory towards poor hopeful Jove/Helios Justice? XD

I think Klavier Gavin would be hard to hate general enough you're not into men who are prettier than you are!

The fop was basically holding Apollo's hand through most of Apollo Justice – he's not set out to destroy his courtroom adversaries! – and didn't condemn Polly to hell or attack him with a killer hawk or some sort of samurai blade so I'd say that makes him the nicest prosecutor horny boy has ever gone up against! Sure calling a guy _Herr Forehead_ is annoying, but it still beats _putrid pepper_ along with all other sanctimonious damnation is said to him and the rest of the W AA members by Prosecutor Flutter!

As I wrote these two, I decided I get a kick out of the fop's over-the-top flirtations with everybody and have been having a blast writing everyone's various responses to it! He does have _some_ sort of charm and Ema is _still_ a female… He hasn't _charmed the pants off of her_ but apparently when he drops a ladies man bit his drunken behind can be so pitiful it could almost be seen as touching! :p

 **Brock's Geodude**

Love/hate relationships are a blast to Wright, and I love the idea being torn between her attraction to the fop and her loyalty to Nick which is what I'm sure is where most of her ire comes from! Plus they're colleagues and surely most of us have experienced some sort of workplace attraction! (or someday will!)

Considering he was helping Apollo out and agreed to go along with the jurist system setup at end of game, I think the fop is a good guy overall so should have some likeability surely! And while not my type, he isn't hard on the eyes! Oddly, I find most male gamers don't like Klavier much though…I wonder why?

 **Ariastella**

 _Sì bella signora!_ I recall I did acknowledge Polly's paternal roots with the cute backstory suggestion you had for him!

I had to go back to chapter 125, _The Day of Reckoning_ which was Nick's first impressions of Apollo, whom he'd done the backstory and homework on. I'd written about Helios before SOJ named Polly's dad, but being a performer, still managed to work around making his birth name more mainstream. (stupid SOJ it undid a lot of attempted canon of TE but at least this one I could work around!)

 _"So this was Apollo Justice, in the flesh, at long last. Or rather, as the only son of the late, great magician, Thalassa Gramarye's first husband, Helios Giustizia de Illumios, Apollo Justice, née Giustizia de Illumios. Giustizia was the Italian word for Justice, which he surmised Thalassa had changed it to when she had given the boy up for adoption, as it was a much more mainstream not to mention easier name for American pronunciation and society._

 _His sharp eyes scanned over the slightly sweaty, twitchy, but good-looking, young man standing before him, searching for evidence of his Italian heritage and resemblance to his daughter, as her secret elder half- sibling._

 _Apollo Justice was of slight stature and build, no more than 5'5" beneath his red-vest business suit and white collar shirt, which contrasted nicely against his lightly tanned skin, which the pianist surmised the boy had inherited as part of his father's Mediterranean ancestry."_

I recall the other two siblings as well – Hyperion and Diana, Wright? Cannot recall Aunt Trucy but can throw in an homage flashback/side explanation about her name just email me reminder notes if you still have them and I'll see what I can do to work some of your wonderful side story ideas for Apollo's father into the story. :)

Also, post what you've written already for the Illumios Troupe – it's great!

 **napoleon32**

On the OTP scale, after Phaya, Fredgeworth and Feyt, is honestly a tossup for me between Klavier and Ema and Larry and Iris. I'm so happy people haven't fully abandon ship with SkyeFop because of a  
overly man-pretty ( _presumably celibate_ like you said!) monk being tossed to the mix as of SOJ ( _dammit indeed_ for that reason entering off a lot of my attempt at canon to boot despite it being my second favorite AA game!).

At this point you could say _the lady doth protest too much_ but let me know if you still think it's an act after this chapter that you just read! :p

 _"Rule 1: NEVER sit next to the human embodiment of flirting on a couch. Rule 2: Avoid any searches of pant pockets."_

You've got to give Klavier credit for still being able to pull the Lothario bit off even _semi-successfully_ considering how liquored up he was! Also I figured it would be a bit over the top if he accused Ema of trying to play _pocket pool_ when she was frisking him for his keys! Instead I decided to have fun with the concept of a nice wholesome squeeze of his _Hintern_!

One of the things I hated about the game Apollo Justice was the villains were very one dimensional and almost… underwhelming. Even the not so obvious ones such as Zak Gramarye, whose sole reason for being seem to be to be the poker obsessed bane of Nick's existence (twice ruining his life despite taking care of his daughter be damned!) And shark boy was a sack of garbage indeed - while I did make him out to be claiming to have had no wealth or fame compared to the Klavier, surely an internationally famed band didn't exactly have paupers for members? Daryan honestly didn't seem to express any regret for his actions whatsoever, and only seemed to have any kind of reaction in the final moments when he got caught, and up until then seemed tightlipped and defiant the whole time. What _is_ it with Ace Attorney monsters picking on young children? While wannabe Stevie wonder was hardly innocent, he didn't deserve execution any more than the sweet little boy in Spirit of Justice did! Yeesh!

I honestly do believe what Klavier claimed was true even if it was only to himself that it's every lawyer's dirty little secret to always be half in the bag and I know on TV shows in the offices that I have seen, there's always a couple of conspicuously placed crystal decanters filled with some sort of amber spirits! Did you know the character of Godot was actually supposed to be a booze drinking smoker but they decided to switch his vice to coffee for the purposes of children influence? It seems an Ace Attorney land characters either **_smoke_** like Dee Vasquez, _or_ **_drink_** , like everybody in SOJ case four – but not both! :p

 _"I guess prosecutors are drawn to alcohol (or sometimes coffee) when they're heartbroken. Fran after her awful first encounter, Miles after losing Fran, and now Klavier."_

To be fair, on top of the perdition the canon events already done to them, I _have_ put all the prosecutors through more hell in this story, so hopefully there's no judgment about them drowning their sorrows! I have even made Nick indulge in the sauce on a couple of occasions here, (and throughout his entire starring fanfiction _Filling the Void_ where **_DILF Man + Booze = nothing good happening EVER_**!) and he ended having his own moments of embarassment! It's my subliminal public service message to any underage readers I have – see that? Alcohol when not in moderation can be VERY BAD! (Although in some FF cases, _hilarious!)_ XD

I am shamelessly capitalizing on the fact the Ace Attorney embraces spiritual intervention and ghost trips, so I figured why not have some heavenly moments as well? I am delighted that you think it does help fill in the blanks of where the AJ canon abuses the suspension of disbelief/law of averages, because it was always my attempt to do that with this story. Thank you! :-)

 **chloemcg**

Blame the FF notifications milady I know you're a darling loyal reader who would have reviewed otherwise! The point is my readers are mostly caught up since the site issue is now fixed!

Daryan was just THE WORST! He really did strike me as a sociopathic shark who expressed no remorse for what he did, only that he got caught!

Can I just tell you in between your envisioning of Edgy's wrath on Lang and Mildew and now shark boy, how endeared I am that you now wanted to _"headbutt him in the jaw and maybe rip his mouth off"_ for being so mean to poor Klavier? You are too cute!

Edgy knows about Simon right now as mentioned by Mia (an innocent man on death row) but their paths won't cross until post AJ SL…which is coming to a close soon enough.

Also, Miles is going to be the fop's boss! He can relate to a lot of strife like losing a parent and trusting someone who sucked…these two will have entwined fates coming up for sure!

Feyt is going to be in England when his parents reunite! I love what you did with mini Feyt the couple with your story – I saw a fan art of little Luke comforting a crying Pearl and immediately thought of your fluffy piece! :)

SkyeFop is still TBD since Ema's attraction/thawing out towards the fop is conflicting with her loyalty to Nick but she can't possibly hate him any more …. _can_ she? :)

 **CzarThwomp**

When Ema was speculating (while was in a murderous rage on the witness stand when Klavier was admittedly, although perhaps not intentionally, being a complete _Arschloch)_ , surely a sympathetic jury would acquit her when they saw what she had to deal with on a regular basis? Assuming it wasn't filled with rabid _Gavinners_ fan girls who would be aching to lynch her for now having been nothing to fawn over about a good-looking corpse! But with your comment, I just had the funniest notion about the fact that since she is a forensics expert (even though uncredited at this point) that if Ema ever had snapped and indeed decided to commit _fopocide_ via beer bottle throttle, she would be able to scientifically conceal the evidence so she would be unlikely to be caught!

 _"You, ma'am, are the master of romantic stories, ranging from attorneys and spirit mediums to a detective and prosecutor to two prosecutors with enough daddy issues between them to fill a library's worth of books!"_

Thank you so much!

*pauses to blush modestly and grin like an idiot*

Ahem, moving along now, funny man…

Even though Edgeworth is a comical but grumpy drunk at wedding receptions, he is also a straight as an arrow (during the workday, anyway) and his head spinning would rival even that of Linda Blair if he knew about Klavier's dirty little secret of always being half in the bag! That man's going to have his hands full cleaning up the prosecutor's office when he finally gets back from his Euro Trip!

The idea of that imbecile Sebastian Debeste trying to drunkenly pick fights and boasting his imagined achievements to a lamppost while inebriated is the stuff comic dreams are made out of! I wish she was featured in more fan fictions as so far the only time I've been able to mock he of butchering the English language and of misnomer name acclaim was in my _Filling the Void_ Story! I am going to try very hard to see if I can throw him in as a comical cameo at some point in this story simply because of that image you just painted! LOL

I would like to think the reason Kristoph's skater girl crush would've turned down his completely incompetent teenage skateboarding self would've been because he was no Tony Hawk, and instead _did_ face plant and weep over chipping a well-manicured nail like a little bitch he is – right in front of her!

As much as Kristoph might appear to be a man of refined taste and elegance, I still see him as such an overly snooty and pretentious popinjay that it'd turn off someone as earnest as Ema, who seems to value sincerity above all else. I feel like the reason the creepy German sausage looks down at people that he thinks are beneath him is because he strives so hard to appear as though he is so high above them – like a poser – instead of Edgeworth, were the elegance just rolls off of him in natural waves. Even though Miles is debonair and elegant, he still hangs out with people who are comparatively rough around the edges, and underneath his lofty exterior actually has affection and acceptance of them (like Gummy and Nick). In contrast, I see Bitchtoff only being desirous to be around people he dubs to be his society level equal, ergo I really can't see Ema thinking too highly of him except acknowledging that he's not horrible to look at. Of course my loathing towards him could be biased in my thinking the science beauty would never look at Kristoph Gavin in a swoon worthy manner? Perhaps since Miles occupied her teenage dreams first and foremost there is only room in her heart and fantasies for merely _one_ dandy man at a time? XD

 **SpiritsOfFire**

You're from Indonesia? No wonder you're so cool! One of my all-time favorite people on this site is my Indonesian friend and fellow ff Wrighter **Allamanda29** and I've had the pleasure of chatting with a small handful of others who were also from your country such sweet and lovely people :-)

The _Riverdale_ TV series is very loosely based on the fluffy wholesome comics as it's much darker and edgier but it's so deliciously trashy I just can't stop watching it!

The dubbing of _SkyeFop_ was the witty brainchild of my friend and fellow reader **Jove's Boy!** :)

I think right now Ema in torn between her loathing lessening for a man she hates, for what he (unknowingly) did to someone she adores, and her guilt for having any sort of warm fuzzies for him. I have a head canon that in spite of being such a beauty, Ema is nowhere near as experienced with the opposite sex as Klavier is, so she may not be as familiar with what to do in such situations! I hope it came across though that she was actually tempted though, and not in any way coerced, but just didn't want to take advantage of his drunken state/doesn't really believe he'd be as attracted to her if he were sober!

Like Nick said karma is a bigger bitch than HE could ever be with the poor fop – (and this was even before DD when the poor guy lost his mentor, to boot!) he was a puppet of Bitchtoff Gavin yet he went onto lose his bro, BFF and band all in three months! I wish Capcom had showed some of the ramifications he must have gone through. I am positive being a performer like Trucy, he masks a lot of pain behind that gleaming smile.

PLEASE watch the DLC and lemme know what you think! It's my fave AA case EVER!

Did you figure out what Phoenix's deal was since you have been watching the last case and the Phoenix versus Apollo final trial? I'm surprised nobody else's comment on the fact that even though he doesn't have the beanie and brooding five anymore he still has maintained his Apollo Justice beanie Feenie poker face, since neither of his protégés were able to cut through his poker face and use their powers to determine that something was awry for him to be acting so OOC?!

 **THEFREELANCERSEAL (SPECIAL SECTION)**

 **Chapter 168**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I am so glad my bakery puns had you in Tiers of Joy my friend! :p

The judge is seriously underrated and I wish I saw more of him beyond just the courtroom scenes in fan fictions! I've been playing some fan-based Ace Attorney games which had been great and much more challenging than some of the actual Capcom games, and they always feature the judge in a similar manner as the bumbling but endearing Homer Simpson style man who while you can't take seriously you can't help but love nevertheless! I decided to join the trend by making Miles flex his IT consumer helpdesk skills (and patience!) with Mr. Jughead Chambers!

As much as I despise the hair forging, half witted, Rookie Killer that is Winston Payne, as unremarkable he is as a prosecutor he is even less remarkable as a villain and we cannot blame him for The Dark Age of the Law… Although no doubt his interim time as Chief Prosecutor would do nothing to thwart it any more than having his even more corrupt Rookie Humiliator brother Gaspen in da (court) house! I have no doubt under his watch a lot of innocent people probably would get a guilty verdict especially with his big brother being top rank!

One of the reasons I hate Kristoph Gavin so much is while you could argue that The Dark Age of Law commenced in the Miles investigations games, I still think that Kristoph Gavin was a key instigator in the Ace Attorney world. If Simon Blackquill getting incarcerated was the second main event after Phoenix's disbarment which made things hell in the legal world, I have little doubt that the poor man never would've been incarcerated for a crime he never committed if Phoenix had still had his badge widget this point in the story he does _not_ …because _Bitchtoff Gavin_ is a jealous little _Miststück_!

I'm really glad somebody caught that third, mysterious request Miles made! I cannot comment on how accurate your psychic abilities are just yet, but I hope my readers will be pleasantly surprised because since Edgy _is_ the secondary male lead in this story you know it will be as noble and endeavor as getting Jughead to help out with Phoenix! ;)

After Maya and Pearl, since poor Mia is gone, Ema Skye is possibly my third favorite female character to write. Franziska might be the secondary female lead but she is definitely more challenging and is generally not as adored by fans as the science beauty! Since Ema sort of still hates Klavier's guts as of the end of this chapter, and only recently about a month ago kicked him in the crotch, I can promise you she did _not_ sleep with the fop (no way would I leave a monumental event like that to be behind the scenes!)

For the most part, I try very hard to make carnal relations be meaningful between Ace Attorney characters, so considering how she feels about him, it would be a cold day in hell for Ema to give it up so easily in generally, especially for a guy she can hardly abide. This proposed match will be the ultimate in slow burn – emphasis on the (fopping) _burn_! ;)

To be honest Ema would possibly the least promiscuous character I can think of off the top of my head, as she strikes me as someone who wouldn't prioritize romance over her science passion. I can't imagine she's had too many beaus, not because she's not pretty (as of the wedding scene in the Spirit of Justice DLC and I actually think Ema, although more of a fresh-faced, girl –next-door aesthetic appeal, compared to her older sister is quite stunning and wouldn't think of her as plain – when I think Plain Jane I think more along the lines of Valerie Hawthorne or even Lisa Basil) but because she so dedicated and focused on her craft. I wouldn't be surprised if the _pure_ _whiteness_ of that lab coat had another allegorical meaning to it if you catch my drift…

Also, while I am no scientist, I have a soft spot for Ema because we both have the common trait of being baby faced and looking pretty much the same as we did in high school! She probably still gets ID'd when trying to buy alcohol like _I_ still also do on occasion, even though I am the minimum drinking age in the United States! XD

Since you've decided to Waive the Grain and go Off The Wheaten Path, I am glad to have live vicariously through the gluttony of Maya Fey… Queen of Tarts who eats like a trucker but remains a swizzle stick albeit now with some grown-up curves as she tries to undo that coerced size 2! I know this short but sweet chapter must have had my readers groaning: Gah! For Goodness Cakes! XD

Better late than never dear boy. As always, your reviews Cake My Day! :p

 **Chapter 169**

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I really did not like the way Capcom handled Klavier. Perhaps fans weren't supposed to like him much because of what he unknowingly did to Phoenix, (mission accomplished I couldn't stand him!) but the Periwinkle Piss Head was still his only brother… And it wasn't that much longer after word when Daryan betrayed him… And yet we saw no reaction from him other than saying _"Consider that our last set. We rocked."_

WTF?!

Considering it he is the tentative love interest for one of my favorite girls in the Ace Attorney world I tried very hard to make him just like I did with Franziska, a more sympathetic character. I'm glad I was successful because my dislike for him only wavered when I started exploring how cruel karma was to him for an unwitting mistake he made in trusting his brother.

I checked out the Green Day lyrics to that tune you mentioned _Wake Me Up When September Ends_ … Was that a song request? :)

Booze is the answer to everything when hardship strikes… Not always the _best_ one of course! Regardless, I always try to make it have comedic or at least dramatic and entertaining results for the characters when I do!

I'm really happy the setting between Klavier and Ema came across the way I wanted. The last thing in the world I ever wanted was for him to come across as creepy, as I've been hinting that he seems to have feelings for her for some time now even despite the admittedly brutal physical altercation that transpired between them the previous month. Guys like cam I honestly think would want a challenge but because he seems to be such a good guy underneath I really don't think this is just about the chase and eventual conquest for him… Ema would always challenge him and keep him on his toes in a similar but separate way that Franziska and Maya do for Miles and Phoenix because she's feisty although in a different way than the other two women, and he would never be bored with her as she can also offer intellectual stimulus on top of that, which I don't think he's going to get from his fan girls. Being a brainy beauty is elusive apparently! LOL

I was trying very hard to make evident the Ema was enjoying this sweet, sincere side of him, as well as some of his sweet talking am very glad that came across. The obstacles of course are that he is a glimmerous rock star (or at least he _was_ ), so being a humble hottie (my head canon is she hasn't had too much experience with men therefore not too many that would've wound her or showered her compliments about her looks!) she's not gonna believe that Klavier would actually look twice at _her_ – not when he surrounded by busty bimbos who he seemed to recall before even remembering Ema herself! He totally shot himself in the foot with _that_ one! :p

The Ace Attorney cast is mostly very likable, and while Ema is not going to be easy to win over especially not after this chapter, I hope you enjoy the future _(read: slow burn)_ interactions between her and Klavier, who I agree is not a bad guy at all. He deserves happiness as much as anyone else. I can't think of any other prosecutor that's actually try to help out his courtroom competition, aside for Miles with Phoenix but those two are bro's, however, Klavier and Apollo are not!

I most definitely will never write any sort of scene with clothing coming off where it seems like both parties are not willing participants, and absolutely Klavier still managed to be a gentleman even though his inhibitions were lowered. The most he wanted was a kiss, and even acknowledged in his altered state that perhaps this wasn't the time to do it, since she expressed great reluctance to take advantage of him in his drunken state – also he _is_ her boss so _totally appropriate_! While the fop was still not so drunk he didn't know what he was doing, what's good for the goose is good for the gander and it's unlikely readers would've really liked it a whole lot if SkyeFop's first kiss had been a drunken one! Also I like Ema too much to make her seem like she advantage of someone when they were drunk – it's no better or more excusable for a _girl_ to do it than it is for a _guy_!

Their budding romance… Such as it is (or _was)_ after _this_ chapter anyway is going to be slightly back burned as there's more important things for these to deal with Ema and Klavier are part of the grand scheme that Magnifi and Helios were talking about in that their fates are going to be intertwined with almost everybody else is in the story, including the main four characters. I hope you enjoy what I have planned for this unlikely pair!


	171. Blow Me (One Last Kiss)

_A/N: Happy Victoria Day from Canada! This takes place right after the events of the July 11 Candi chapter 170, and is set to follow the events of 168 at the cop shop, where Phaya and Miles came by and Ema was a mess because of what happened with her and the fop July 10._

 _Thanks to Danny Dragon, aka mi amiga musica, for the chapter song suggestion. If there's a better song for Klema at this point in the game out there, I certainly didn't know of one!_

 _Also this chapter is dedicated to hilarious fanfic writer CzarThwomp. I'm sure he'll figure out why! :p_

 _This is the conclusion of the SkyeFop arc for now – next chapter, back to Miles and company! - so it's a longer read! Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Sometimes I hate every single stupid word you say  
Sometimes I wanna slap you in your whole face  
There's no one quite like you  
You push all my buttons down  
I know life would suck without you_

 _At the same time, I wanna hug you_  
 _I wanna wrap my hands around your neck_  
 _You're an asshole but I love you_  
 _And you make me so mad I ask myself_  
 _Why I'm still here, or where could I go_  
 _You're the only love I've ever known_  
 _But I hate you, I really hate you,_  
 _So much, I think it must be_

 _True love, true love_  
 _It must be true love_  
 _Nothing else can break my heart like_  
 _True love, true love,_  
 _It must be true love_  
 _No one else can break my heart like you_

 _Just once try to wrap your little brain around my feelings_  
 _Just once please try not to be so mean_  
 _Repeat after me now R-O-M-A-N-C-E-E-E_  
 _Come on I'll say it slowly (Romance)_  
 _You can do it baby_

 _(I love you, I think it must be love, I love you)_

 _Why do you rub me up the wrong way?_  
 _Why do you say the things that you say?_  
 _Sometimes I wonder how we ever came to be_  
 _But without you I'm incomplete_

 _I think it must be_  
 _True love, true love_  
 _It must be true love_  
 _Nothing else can break my heart like_  
 _True love, true love,_  
 _It must be true love_  
 _And no one else can break my heart like you (like you)_  
 _No one else can break my heart like you (like you)_  
 _No one else can break my heart like you_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Seventy One:** **Blow Me (One Last Kiss)**

 _ **Ema Skye  
**_ _Criminal Affairs_  
July 12, 2026 3:00 PM

As the day crept forward, Ema's confusion began to grow and her tension continued to increase the more she thought about what had happened between her and Klavier.

Thoroughly disgusted with herself for getting worried to the point of distraction, she remained stationed in her office, trying to concentrate on her work, unable to carry on any sort of intelligent conversation with Chief Gumshoe whenever he'd popped in, and skipping lunch to remain at her desk, feeling like she had zero appetite.

She anxiously wondered how Klavier would act towards her after the other night. Her mind revolved around the possibilities, unable to leave them alone.

Perhaps he would despise her for letting him even take the liberties he'd taken – even as _Disney rated_ as they were! – considering how drunk he'd been. Maybe he would hate _himself_ for admitting he liked her and didn't want to let her go. Perchance he hadn't meant _any_ of the sweet things he'd said.

" _I also like the way your eyes sparkle like jewels whenever you get excited and talk about science," he'd told her, sliding his warm hands over her shoulder and up and down her bare arm, making electric jolts surge throughout her body. "And I like the sound of your laughter. I like the way your cheeks flush and turn pink when you're angry…"_

Not once since that night had she permitted herself to dwell on the pleasure his lips against her skin had given her, how she'd tingled head to toe from being pressed up against his virile physique, and how her heart had raced when he'd told her try as he might, he couldn't let her go.

Now she couldn't seem to think of anything else.

How tempting he'd made it seem to try to befriend him.

 _As tempting as sin,_ she admitted to herself. _As foolish as trying to befriend the devil. And probably just as dangerous._

She was quite certain that most of his actions that night had been induced by strong spirits, but she wanted very much to believe some sort of closer friendship, rather than their tentative one, would result from letting the barriers down between them. In the past weeks, she had come to not only _hate him less_ , but _respect_ him as a prosecutor and grudgingly _admire_ his work ethic.

 _Even though on the surface we have nothing in common, in the end, our zest for our legal careers is the tie that binds. Klavier knows about my enthusiastic scientific zeal for getting to the bottom of things – and he not only accepts, but even seems to **like** that about me! _

_At times, it seems like he could **really** know me. Like he could understand **anything** I told him. And the more we spoke, I knew why. The same things concerned us. The same things excited us. We're both about the law. About seeking the truth._

She may have even begun to _like_ him as a person; the genuinely, goodhearted one, underneath all the womanizing and the glimmerousness.

Beyond that, she . . . Beyond that, she refused to think.

Every time Ema remembered those tender moments in Klavier's arms, her heart began to pound. Whenever she wasn't busying herself with paperwork, she couldn't cease recollecting those gentle lips against the smoothness of her cheek the day before yesterday. She could still feel the long, strong fingers that had slid with such aching tenderness over her face and twined in her hair.

At the beginning of the year, when she'd joined the LAPD, before she'd found out the truth about Klavier's part in Phoenix's downfall, she'd fallen under his spell.

Now, half a year later, she was wiser, wearier, and no longer blind to his masculine wiles. Ema knew the Adonis could easily mask treachery beneath a veneer of charm. She knew he was a shameless libertine.

After the other night, however, her heart rebelled against wanting to fully believe it. That night, in his arms, she'd felt as if she was special to him – as if he not only wanted her close, but _needed_ her there.

 _Very vain, Ema_ , she warned herself severely. _And very foolish_.

While she had nowhere near the amount of experience with the opposite sex Klavier did, she was hardly naïve about the ways of the world and men like him. Skilled Casanovas like the fop were accomplished flirts and probably made every female feel she was special. No doubt they kissed a woman with demanding hunger and passion one moment until she surrendered herself to him entirely, and then, when his rampant craving was over, forgot she was alive.

As Ema had repeatedly heard from her sister and her girlfriends, a lady-killer rock star like Klavier easily feigned genuine interest in his conquests, then dropped them without compunction the instant that interest waned.

Exactly in the same manner, now that he was sober and possibly aware of his torrid actions, the fop was likely to do with her.

While she'd suspected his acclaimed desire for her wasn't real – why would a man who had women resembling lingerie models literally dropping at his feet even give a second glance to a science nerd who was _passably cute_ but hardly _carnal inspiring_ in appearance? – it was not a comforting thought.

Ema was rendered even more confused than ever. _Did_ she want him to remember, or _didn't_ she? Who should bring it up? How would she feel if he _did_ remember? How would she act if he _didn't_?!

 _I'm fighting myself. I know I am. I'm like that. Either I forget right away or I never forget. One minute I want to remember. I want_ _ **him**_ _to remember. The next minute I want to live in the land of forgetting. One minute I want to feel. The next minute I never want to feel ever again, because it's terrifying where those feelings could lead…._

"Ahem. _Working hard_ , or _hardly working,_ Detective Skye?" A nasally voice suddenly sounded from right in front of her bureau, making her jolt out of her reverie. "Have we come at an inopportune time?"

The startled detective's head jerked up, her surprised gaze landing on that _wimpy talking hairpiece,_ otherwise known as Winston Payne. He was standing next to a slightly younger, black-suited version of himself, obviously a relative of his.

In contrast to the Rookie Killer's foggy coke bottle glasses, the other man wore dark sunglasses, despite it being broad daylight. He was was also sporting a ridiculous, 80's inspired, greasy frontal black fringe, making him resemble a retro reject from Flock of Seagulls. On his unctuous mug was a can't-miss oily smile, which immediately gave her the heebie-jeebies.

Ema affected her most neutral cadence and impassive expression.

"Good afternoon, Prosecutor Payne." Her tone was politeness personified as she graciously inclined her head in acknowledgement towards the attorney's companion. "I'm not working on anything that can't wait. How can I help you?"

"That's _Chief Prosecutor_ Payne, for your kind information," the spectacled lawyer sniffed, straightening his slouched shoulders and flicking back the scant remains of his balding hair in customary pompous ass fashion. "I prefer to be addressed as a man with the newfound dignity of my office."

Her composure slipped somewhat.

 _Chief Prosecutor?! **This** incompetent shit weasel, with a voice like nails on a blackboard, who for at least the last seven years has been as useless as a chocolate teapot in the courtroom, has somehow scored the coveted newly vacated position?!_

Blinking rapidly, she was momentarily distracted by the flashing light on her cell, which was sitting on top of her desk, indicating that she had a new notification.

Murmuring politely about the urgency of the text to her unwanted visitors, she grabbed the phone and stared down at the screen, which read a message from Chief Gumshoe.

 ** _Sorry to have left you alone with the wolves pal, but I had to take the gang down to the detention center. Prosecutor Payne called to say he's going to pay the precinct a visit. Also, he's bringing his supposedly big-shot New York prosecutor brother with_** _**him for introduction**_. _**Cryden**_ ** _is his name, I think? Don't let that pipsqueak bully you though! He's only ACTING Chief Prosecutor until maximum year end, when Mr. Edgeworth will rightfully take over the position permanently._**

 _Cryden Payne?! So the other man with him must be said brother, just as I suspected. Ugh! What did I ever do to deserve this DUAL PAYNE IN THE ASS?!_

Ema smirked to herself as she absorbed this newfound knowledge. Now _that_ actually made sense! _Acting_ Chief Prosecutor. As an _interim_. As in Mr. Too Big For His Britches already didn't want to be known that he was only _temporarily_ filling in the role. Nevertheless, she decided to humor him.

"My apologies, _Chief Prosecutor Payne_ ," she smiled with phony sweetness. "How may I be of service?"

"I realize the LAPD is at the bottom rung of our legal hierarchy, so you may not have been privy to the newest changes in rankings. Ergo, as you may or may not know, the officials of the courts are trying to clear house and clean up the mess left behind in the aftermath of Howard Cheatum's dishonorable fall from grace."

Winston's tone was predictably snooty.

"I decided to take the liberty of personally coming by and ensuring you lot were kept in the loop. I'd also like to introduce you to my brother, Gaspen Payne, who is our newest prosecutor. He's recently transferred here from Manhattan."

 _Huh. So it's **Gaspen** , not **Cryden**. I'm not that's much better though...still pretty ouchy!_

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Prosecutor Payne," Ema nodded civilly at the darker haired man, while gritting her teeth at the patronizing dialogue she was being forced to endure by his even more _painful_ windbag of a brother. "Welcome to Los Angeles."

"I assure you, the pleasure is _all_ mine." Gaspen Payne flashed what could only be described as a _leer_ in her direction, tangible even through his opaque shades. "I can _already_ determine that I find the officers of this precinct much more _... favorable_ to those I had to endure back in The City."

The implication of his raspy words was not missed by the thoroughly unimpressed police woman. Enjoying flattery pertaining to her physical appearance when it'd come from _Klavier_ was one thing. But having it being indirectly, yet so _blatantly_ made, by a man she had _just_ _met_ , who was also clearly old enough to be her father – _and bore a mug that belonged on the radio! –_ made her feel quite disturbed indeed.

She reflexively clutched her lab coat tightly closed over her chest and turned her attentions to the ruder, but less lascivious, Payne brother.

"I appreciate you taking the time to stop by, but I'm actually quite busy," she said crisply, making a show out of shuffling the papers on her desk. "So unless there was something else you needed…"

"As a matter of fact, there is." The Chief Prosecutor folded his arms over his bony chest as he peered down his nose at her. "Like I just said, we are trying to clear house, and that starts with closing off and archiving all settled case records. Has the _State vs. Tobaye_ file been dealt with yet?"

Ema bit her lip. She _had_ taken the folder over to Klavier's office two nights ago, but in the end, if memory served her correctly, that was _exactly_ where the folder containing all the related paperwork still remained! Neither of them had remembered to scoop it up before she'd had to escort the prosecutor's staggering, intoxicated behind to his car, and thus, it'd been completely disregarded.

However, she felt no need to air her boss's dirty laundry to his obnoxious new supervisor, and suddenly felt inexplicably protective of him.

"Prosecutor Gavin is in charge of taking care of that file, and I _did_ bring it to him as requested," she responded carefully, mindful with how much she divulged. "As I'm sure you're aware, he is ever diligent about remaining on top of his workload, so I've no reason to think it'll remain outstanding."

"And yet it's _still_ unsettled, _two days_ later!" Winston snapped. "I find it quite inappropriate that amidst all this chaos we are trying to deal with, Gavin has been shirking his duties and lollygagging on the post-trial, follow-up duties."

"Things are much faster paced in New York," Gaspen inserted with snobbish disapproval. "There is zero tolerance for dawdling with your legal obligations, regardless of how _famous_ an artist the attorney happens to be! Why, our top Manhattan prosecutor, Felix Cited, was also a Tony winning Broadway actor, yet _he_ always managed to stay on top of _his_ cases in between shows!"

"That's the way it _should_ be," Winston nodded, pursing his thin lips, which made him resemble Kermit the Frog. " _Law_ first, _celebrity_ second."

Ema gritted her teeth as a spark of loyalty lit within her upon hearing both these irksome blowhards attempting to badmouth Klavier. It was one thing for _her_ to grumble about her boss, but _she_ always did so to his _face_ , not behind his back, like _these_ two _catty bitches_!

"Prosecutor Gavin has not returned since the conclusion of the Tobaye trial." She mentally counted to ten to keep from exploding with anger. "I imagine it'd be quite challenging for him to be _doing his work_ when he hasn't even _been in the office_ , wouldn't you?"

"Was the unfavorable outcome of one of his _own peons_ being the true culprit ... _über_ strenuous for _Herr Gavin_ to stomach? Is _that_ why he's still not come back to resume his legal duties?" Winston sneered, making Ema itch to slap his smug phizog so hard her hand would hurt, and then slap him _again_ for _making_ it hurt!

"We are _all_ entitled to sick days, which to my knowledge, my superior has never been in the habit of abusing, in all his seven years as an attorney."

Her voice was pure ice.

"As you said, we are trying to tidy up matters at this toilsome time. I would think that would include a sense of _teamwork_ and, in light of the difficult circumstances surrounding Prosecutor Gavin pertaining to the last case, perhaps _a side of compassion_ , Chief Prosecutor Payne."

Winston's eyes narrowed. He obviously had not been anticipating any sort of rebuke from someone he saw as so far beneath him.

"We _all_ have problems. What we _don't_ have is time to sit around languishing in wait for poor little Blondie to feel better," he told Ema haughtily. "As the saying goes, _if the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain._ Therefore I kindly ask – scratch that – I _order_ you, Detective Skye, to take that file over to Prosecutor Gavin's residence and have him deal with it, _immediately_."

Ema's belly did a somersault. In spite of her passionate defense of her immediate superior, she had little desire to go see him again so soon, not with her emotions still being in such an upheaval! In fact, Klavier not being in the office the last couple of days had been a blessing in disguise. She wasn't sure _when_ she would ever be ready to face him again after the other night, but until then, she had no yearning whatsoever to expedite things!

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that request." She jutted her chin. "I have no idea exactly what instances prompted Mr. Gavin to call in the last few days, but it's most unreasonable to expect a man to work from his sick bed! _Especially_ on a file which has been resolved, and isn't going anywhere!"

"You _will_ respect my authority!" Winston screeched, his nostrils flaring so hard she could see his nose hairs swaying. "I have heard the scuttlebutt that you aren't exactly rejoicing about being the assistant of Prosecutor Gavin, Detective Skye. I surmise it's the reason for this most impudent insubordination to a direct order from the Chief Prosecutor! In fact, rumor has it that only last month, you decided to _physically demonstrate_ just _how violently opposed_ you were to the German being your boss. Isn't that right?"

Ema stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him stonily, refusing to further fuel what was obviously a reference to her crazed attack on Klavier when she'd found out about his role in Phoenix's disbarring.

"Sometimes personalities clash, which is totally understandable, and we all just can't get along, as much as we try."

Winston braced his spindly arms on her desk and leaned forward so close, she could smell his pungent garlic and ginger breath on her face.

"As Chief Prosecutor, I _do_ aim to make sure things run swimmingly for everybody. Also, I have _no_ problem reassigning you to a different prosecutor, one with whom you might find more favorable working conditions, Detective Skye."

A supercilious smile crept over his rat-like mien.

"My brother _Gaspen, The Rookie Humiliator_ , for example, doesn't have an officer placed as his underling just yet. I _was_ going to offer him Mike Meekins, but now I'm contemplating if perhaps it would be in _everyone's_ better interests if _you_ were to work for him instead? Mayhap I'll let Prosecutor Gavin have the newly reinstated, bumbling officer assigned as _his_ new subordinate. What do you think?"

"I know _I_ , for one, have zero _objections_ to having Detective Skye working _under_ me, brother." Gaspen treated the shuddering Snackoo muncher to a lascivious grin. "I think perhaps this proposal would be a most agreeable arrangement indeed…"

Ema recognized the barely veiled threat, and wished to nip it in the bud rather than call Winston's bluff. As much as she'd complained about hating to work for Klavier, the mere notion of working _under_ the libidinous younger Payne sibling made her flesh crawl.

"Fine!" The brunette said quickly. "I'll head over to the Prosecutor's Office building, retrieve the file, and _hand deliver_ it to Mr. Gavin. In fact, I'll go do that _right now."_

She ignored the disappointed look on Gaspen's mien at her swift rejection and hurriedly grabbed her bag from her drawer just as Winston's cell phone rang.

"Yes dear…to what do I owe the pleasure…What you _mean_ I need to park my car in the driveway tonight because you're remodeling my home office and the contractors just pulled in?! You're going to turn my study into a _what_?!"

"Into a play room for Gaspen's little boy!" Diana Payne informed her husband loftily. "The precious darling absolutely _adores_ trains, so I thought we would install _a life-size track_ and choo-choo train that he could actually ride on whenever sweet little Cofftin comes to visit!"

" _Gah_!" A mysterious breeze from out of nowhere made the aghast Winston's hair fly back as he yelped in protest. "Number one, Diana, his name is _Aiden_..."

" _Cofftin_ is his special pet name!"

"You _know_ Gaspen hates it when you refer to his son by the unfortunate nickname he was dubbed due to his allergic hacking fit from that kitten we unknowingly gave him last Christmas!"

Standing beside his sibling, Gaspen winced in pain accordingly.

"And number two, little Aiden is still living out East with his mother! My brother is having a very difficult time arranging the divorce custody visitation arrangements with her from cross country! Right now as we speak, we will be lucky if our nephew visits us more than a few times a year!"

"But _whenever_ he _does_ , he'll have a wonderful little play room at his favorite aunt and uncle's house!" Diana replied gaily. "There's really no excuse _not_ to do this, Winston! On top of the hot tub I'm also installing in the backyard, we can certainly afford these extra luxuries with your new salary as Chief Prosecutor!"

Both brothers were too distracted to even notice that Ema had discreetly slunk out of the office at this point, a hand clapped over her mouth to keep from snorting with mirth.

" _A hot tub_?!" Winston spluttered. _"Objection_! You _know_ the chlorine affects my sinuses! That's why I never use our pool! And I absolutely _forbid_ you to make over my study, woman! I am the _man_ of the house and my word is _final_!"

"I have to go now!" Diana chirped merrily, ignoring her husband's orders, as was tradition. "The man just arrived to install the new wet bar! I'll see you later!"

"You cannot _do_ this, Diana!" Winston howled. "That office is my _sanctuary_! Where _else_ am I supposed to go for my moments of solitude and deep, reflective thinking?"

"Oh quit your grousing! You're acting like an even bigger, whinier baby than five-year-old Cofftin!" Diana countered peevishly. "Just use _the damn can_ like everyone else!"

* * *

 _ **Ema Skye and Klavier Gavin**_  
 _Ritz-Carlton Metropolis Condominium,  
Gavin Penthouse  
_July 12, 2026 3:45 PM

Time seemed to drag as she neared the swanky condominium where Klavier resided. By time she came to his door, Ema was so unstrung she nearly jumped a mile when he answered her knock at the door by unexpectedly flinging it open, his eyes the size of saucers at the sight of her.

" _Fräulein Detective_!" Klavier gasped, quickly tightening the sash of his silky, knee-length wrap, with a purple _G_ emblazoned on the right side, around his waist. He made no move to invite her in, but instead remained at the door, looking stupefied by her presence. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Leaning in the doorway, the prosecutor stood before her with his arms folded, appearing more _rigid_ than _relaxed_. The slightly open clasp of his robe showed off his bare, tanned chest, and the light, clingy satin material hugged his wide, strong shoulders. The long sleeves of the robe were rolled up at the elbow, displaying darkly tanned, very muscular forearms whose strength she had already experienced when he'd pulled her against those well-developed pecs she was privy to get a glimpse of.

Her cheeks warmed slightly.

Truthfully, even though he appeared in guarded stance, Klavier nevertheless seemed more approachable than usual with his disheveled appearance; his still damp hair, worn long and loose around his shoulders, his bare feet adorned with corresponding silver house slippers to match the bathrobe he still wore, even though it was afternoon.

"Er, hey, Gavin," she began apologetically, finally releasing the bated breath in her lungs now that she'd seen him at last. "Sorry to barge in on you like this."

"Ah, it's fine." He shuffled uncomfortably. " _I'm_ sorry to not even be dressed, I just wasn't expecting company."

"I apologize for dropping by out of the blue like this. It's just that Acting Chief Prosecutor … Winston Payne, made me come here," she said after a long, embarrassing moment during which she couldn't remember the irritating runt's name. "He asked me to bring you this."

Her hand shook as she held out the manila folder for the Tobaye case.

"I see." Rather than accept the file, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his robe and looked down. "Well that was very nice of you. I'm sorry to have put you out."

"It's no problem." She smiled uncertainly. "I brought my own car here, of course – yours is safely still at work in the parking lot, so it's Taxi Town for you when you finally decide to come back to the office! It can be a real pain trying to nab one during morning rush hour, in which case, you'll have to slum it on the bus, like the rest of us mere mortals do!"

There was a pregnant pause following her weak attempt to resume the light banter they normally exchanged. Feeling increasingly awkward, Ema shuffled her feet and returned his unreadable gaze with her own perplexed one.

Klavier stared at the detective as though still in paralyzed surprise as his gaze roved over her cheek and jaw, then shifted to her lips, lingering there. Abruptly he looked away.

"Miss Skye," he began, and for the first time she noticed the tension around his mouth. He hesitated, as if searching for the right words. "Did I do anything last night I should apologize for?"

 _If he has to ask, it means he doesn't recollect a damn thing!_ Ema thought disgustedly as her heart sank. When _it comes to being memorable, I seem to be a minus one hundred and ten!_

It was just as well nothing had transpired between them. He didn't recall any of it. Now she finally had her answer – as pitiable as it seemed, she _had_ been hoping he would've recalled at least _something_!

"Nothing that I remember." She tried to keep her disappointment from showing.

The ghost of a smile hovered at his lips. "Usually, the person who can't remember is the one who overindulged, not the other way round."

"I see. Well, no, you didn't."

"Good. In that case, I'll see you at the office then." With a terse nod, he turned to go back inside.

" _Wait_!" Ema burst out before she could stop herself. "Do you _really_ not remember… _anything_?"

For one breathless, heart pounding moment, neither of them spoke, but then he cocked a half grin, the _smarmy_ one which she absolutely _hated_.

"I merely wanted to know if, in _your_ opinion, I did anything I ought to apologize for, _Fräulein Detective_ ," he drawled in a borderline insolent tone which gave zero evidence that the sweet man beneath the obnoxious veneer even existed. "Were you _lying_ to me about that?"

His audacity had her seeing red as she puffed out her cheeks.

"You are _the_ most exasperating man alive!" Ema exclaimed with frustration. "Of _course_ I'm not lying! What do you take me for? You were in a mindless inebriated stupor, so _of course,_ _nobody_ took advantage of _anybody!_ But I'd imagine _if_ such a thing _had_ happened, your fickle memory would at least remember _that_!"

Klavier drew back, startled by her outburst.

Realization of what she'd just said caused her words to become caught in her throat. Ema glanced up and saw he was peering at her in utter bewilderment. She felt the heat rising to her cheeks and prayed it wasn't noticeable, then coughed and pushed her hair back behind her ear, even though it was already there.

"Anyway, um, because I wanted a coffee on the way over here, I stopped at this cute new bakery called _Cake a Diem_." Her breath came out in an embarrassed, choking laugh as she struggled to regain her aplomb. "They specialize in German pastries, so I thought I'd get you some _Streuselkuchen."_

His expression didn't change or have any flicker of appreciation or recognition, and Ema uneasily wondered if she'd pronounced the word wrong.

"Um, you know – _streusel cake_?"

She waved the bag in the air and forgot her annoyance as at that moment, the long lineup at the pastry shop, coupled with LA traffic en route during peak rush hour, plus the large cup of java, suddenly surfaced, rearing its ugly head _with a vengeance_!

"So… in exchange for my kind good deed, could I _please_ use your bathroom?"

Klavier blanched slightly, with an expression which, had nature not been calling so loudly, could have only be construed as _guilt_! However, as Ema was in such frenzied need of the toilet, she figured she'd imagined that strange, discomfited expression on his visage.

"Er, that's probably a bad idea," he hedged, moving more squarely in the doorway, as though trying to obstruct her view into the suite. "To be honest, my place isn't very clean right now…"

"Don't be so prissy! I was just here the other night, so I know firsthand this place makes even _museums_ look like a pigsty in comparison! I'd ask for the number of your cleaning lady if I could _afford_ one!"

Uncaring about decorum anymore, the detective – who at this point felt her _teeth were floating_! – shoved the bag at his chest as she made a move to push past him into the condo, the unanticipated action allowing her to slip past him and into the foyer.

"I'm a cop, remember? I'm sure your facilities are downright _luxurious_ compared to some of the gas station toilets I've had to use!"

" _Achtung Baby_!" Klavier appeared officially panicked now as he tossed the pastry bag onto the small hallway table and made a move in Ema's direction, as if to detain her. "Miss Skye, _hold it_!"

"What's with you, Gavin?" Something in his tone caught her attention. "You hiding a dead body in here or something?"

"Well…"

Flummoxed, the brunette turned back to quizzically regard him as she took another step into the room – then froze in her tracks.

Standing in the hallway, which led to the bedrooms, stood a tall, long-stemmed, voluptuous _sexpot_. She had the kind of body Ema would have killed for, with gleaming, reddish-gold curls that tumbled past her full bust, which was covered by nothing more than an over-sized Gavinners t-shirt, and only came down to mid-thigh.

" _Candi_!" Klavier croaked.

The science enthusiast was so thunderstruck by the redhead's impromptu appearance that she was barely cognizant of the manila folder in her hands abruptly sliding from her shaky fingertips, sending the papers flying to the plushy carpeted floor.

 _Candi. The very chick who'd asked him to sign her breasts – twice. Well, it seems like she got something more **memorable** sprayed across her chest than just **signature ink**!_

Ema knew she should bend down to pick up the scattered _State vs. Tobaye_ files, but she felt frozen in place, even though her mind had begun to spiral amidst a cyclone of tumultuous emotions.

 _Candi the waitress_. _The one the fickle Arschloch remembered from all those years ago at the Russian bar– yet initially forgot all about_ _ **me**_ _! It's glaringly evident_ _ **why**_ _. The Lothario obviously has a_ _ **type**_ _._ _It's not her fault that she's so irresistible._ _But all the damage she's caused isn't fixable._

" _Candi_!" Klavier repeated, a bit more frantically. "What are you doing out here?"

Ema's feeling of gaucheness was abating, replaced by slowly mounting indignation.

 _Every twenty seconds you repeat her name._ _But when it comes to_ _ **me**_ _, you don't care if I'm alive or dead. Humph!_ _Objection! I don't want to be the exception to get a bit of your attention. Well I get it, fop. Next to her cheap silicone I look minimal. That's why in front of your eyes I'm invisible – and obviously_ _ **never memorable**_ _._

"Sorry to bother you, _Klavi-kins!"_ Candi simpered, running scarlet fingernails through her tousled mane. "But I wasn't sure how long you were going to be, and I've got to get ready for work soon. I needed to take a shower…though you never did tell me where you keep the guest towels?"

" _Klavi-kins?"_ Ema blinked, too numb with shock to even make a snarky jibe about the sickening nickname as she swiveled her head back and forth between the redhead and red-cheeked lawyer in disbelief.

Candi smiled brightly at the dumbfounded Ema and spoke before the mortified prosecutor could respond.

"Oh _hiiiiii_!" She waggled her fingers at the detective. "I remember _you_! I seem to keep bumping into you almost as much as _Klavi-kins_! You're _Ella_ , right?"

"It's _Ema_ , actually," the policewoman replied faintly, _feeling_ exactly the way the former rock star currently _looked_ – like someone who wished they were somewhere, _anywhere_ , else! "Detective Ema Skye, LAPD."

" _Ema_! Right! _Duh_!" Candy tittered, giving herself an exaggerated smack to the forehead. "Why the heck did I think, _Ella_?"

Klavier was ogling his boudoir partner with an expression that could only be described as _horrified pleading,_ as though mentally willing her not to speak another word.

"Oh right!" As though a light bulb had appeared over her head, the waitress beamed sunnily at her lover. " _Ella_ – _that's_ what you cried out in bed last night, _Klavi-kins!_ "

The German made an unintelligible sound, which could only be described as a cat trying to cough up a hairball.

"Don't you remember?" A contemplative frown flickered across the server's visage. "You screamed it out, but then tried to muffle the sound by burying your face in my –"

" _Nein!"_ Klavier found his voice at last, although it sounded partially strangled from his throat. " _Nein_!"

"Noooo…." Candi tipped her head to the side and eyed him strangely. "It wasn't _nine_ times! I mean it was _quite a few_ – but not _nine_! Otherwise I wouldn't still be _walking,_ because my knees would be like rubber! Tee hee!"

She winked suggestively at him.

"Be that as it may – it was still _quite_ the workout you gave me, stud muffin! I think that's why we both slept in so late! Regardless of my state of exhaustion though, I'm _positive_ I heard you, at least twice, cry out _El_ –"

"I never said _Ella_!" Klavier's eyes were giving the impression they were about to bulge out of his skull. "I said _Bella_! It means _beautiful_ in Italian!"

"Oh! I didn't know that!" The waitress let out high-pitched screeching titter, which sounded as ear-grating as a squealing pig in a vacuum cleaner. " _Gracias_ , Klavi-kins! That's so sweet! But – wait, aren't you like, _German_ or something?"

Klavier barely resisted the urge to face palm.

" _Ja_ , but I am many things!" _None of which includes being a man with discerning tastes in Frauen_ …

Hot color raced to Ema's countenance as it dimly dawned on her, within the sentient recesses of her spinning mind, that she'd invaded upon her employer having an _intimate tryst,_ which was appalling enough!

But what was even _more so_ was realizing that while she'd known _aiding and abedding_ was par for course with her complete _man-whore,_ rock star boss, there was still something that'd momentarily eluded her. Something she'd ingenuously forgotten, in spite of knowing about his reputation for being a notorious Lothario.

Never, not in her worst imaginings, had she ever envisioned, after baring his soul to her like he had, that Klavier would seek out a random dalliance… _immediately_ following what Ema had naïvely deemed to be a genuine declaration of affection for her.

And _never_ before had she felt so gullible, or foolish, in her entire life.

But the self-loathing could come later. Right now, she _had_ to get out of there!

"Apparently you're also _Klavi-kins_ ," Ema spat rancorously, spinning on her heel in an effort to stalk past him while averting her gaze from his flustered one. "Please pardon my interruption, Prosecutor Gavin. The purpose of my visit has been fulfilled. All case file contents are now accounted for, and I hope the two of you enjoy the pastries. Good day to you both."

Klavier finally snapped out of his stupor as he realized Ema was about to leave, feeling even guiltier by the second, although unsure as to _why_! All he knew was that he'd seen a flicker of undeniable hurt in those stormy green eyes right before her fair cheeks had flushed with discontent, and more than anything, he desperately wanted to make things right again.

"Miss Skye, wait!" He cried, grabbing her by the hand, but she shrugged it off and made a beeline for the door.

A slight cough came from the other end of the room, reminding him of his cumbersome house guest. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled feebly at the redhead.

"Candi, the towels are in the linen closet outside the guest bedroom. I'll be right back."

Humiliated past bearing, Ema whirled on her heel and stalked out of the room, only one thought in her mind: escape.

There had to be _some_ way to show Klavier Gavin that this stumbled upon discovery of his true nature didn't matter in the least. That she didn't care. Bonus points if she could show him that _she_ too, was _genuinely_ desirable; that other men _did_ want her!

And she was never, never going to let herself trust him again.

She'd actually been lulled into thinking they were _friends_. She had even dared believe that for once, a man had actually _noticed_ her – looked _at_ her, instead of _through_ her. Had believed that he'd actually, possibly _liked_ her.

Somehow, she had let his beguiling charm cast its spell on her and let down her defenses, forgetting what he'd done to Phoenix, and bought into his earnest, sweet, sad little boy act. Even worse, she'd nonsensically _fallen_ for his sincere captivated claims, as she was obviously too much of an ingénue to stick to her initial beliefs that it'd all purely been beer-goggled concupiscence!

The fact that he couldn't recall any of his alleged heartfelt ardency or desire for her afterward was conclusive proof that Klavier had been so sozzled, he undoubtedly would have seen a bottle of _luminol_ as _lust-worthy_ had there been a _skirt_ on it, and that even while intoxicated, his debaucher _Arsch_ had still managed to play her like his blasted guitar!

If he knew how affected she was by all this, he would surely mock her senselessly – but not before laughing himself silly.

" _Fräulein Detective, you actually took my drunken flirtations seriously?! Ha-ha! What a joke!"_

Ema was already reaching for the doorknob and had flung it open, Klavier hot on her heels. Quickly reaching for her arm with one hand, he pulled the door shut behind him with the other as he stepped out in the hallway.

She stiffened at his touch and closed her eyes, mortified to the very core.

" _Fräulein Detective_ , please don't go." His timbre was imploring as he turned her rigid form around to face him. "Not like this."

Ema couldn't dare look at him right then, so instead focused on staring at the ludicrous blingy _G_ chain he was still sporting, even while at home. She steeled her jaw defiantly.

"It's rush hour now. I've got to get going." Her tone was hollow. "I need to get back to the station."

"Not when you're like this!" He insisted. "I feel as if you're angry with me, and I need to apologize…"

"There's no need for that." She shook her head and kept her eyes affixed on the pendant. " _I_ ought to be the one apologizing. I should have called first. I didn't know you had company."

 _Although I_ _ **really**_ _should have foreseen that outcome! Siamese twins probably sleep alone more than you do, you Mann Hure!_

The former singer tried to put a hand under her chin to lift her head so he could look into her eyes, but when his fingers brushed her skin, she jerked back violently, as though she'd been scorched. The feel of his touch on her flesh was the last thing she wanted in the world.

"Keep your damn hands off me, you filthy _Schlampe_!" The revulsion in her inflection was palpable as she shot daggers at him. "I can only imagine where they've been!"

Klavier saw the flaming twin emeralds now glaring into his orbs, noting the rebellious set of her chin and angry pride blazing in her eyes, warning him not to underestimate her. Even though he was her superior, she'd always had zero qualms about disconcerting him! Ema hadn't ever squelched her daring impertinence when she deliberately expressed her displeasure with his antics – _verbally_ or _physically_! He had no desire to have a historical repeat of the latter.

Reluctantly, he dropped his hand, instead staring at her with a pleading expression.

"Please at least let me explain, Miss Skye."

The fire drained out of her, and she suddenly wanted to vanish into the hall carpeting for such a petty, jealous reaction. What the _hell_ was wrong with her?! She remembered the German slur she had just called him, and her mortification doubled. _How_ could she have let him provoke her into calling him names!

"You don't owe me any apology or explanation for what you do in your private life, Prosecutor Gavin." Her voice was formal and void of emotion as she met his gaze, careful to keep her countenance expressionless. "I get it. You're a rock star. This is _who you are_."

Wishing to dispel all these deleterious charges against him, even marginally, the lawyer gazed at the tempestuous, teal-eyed beauty before him. Her cheeks were still flushed, her russet tresses tumbling riotously over her shoulders and her white lab coat gave her an appeal that was a conflicting mix of bewildered yet ireful; like a virtuous, yet fiery angel.

No other woman had ever defied him with such satisfaction, although it was never behind his back. It was always to his face. Ema's indomitable spirit was one of the things he most admired her for, but right now, it was obvious the obduracy which accompanied it was unyielding, and the fieriness he'd always adored was vanquished, with cooling, barely glowing embers in its stead. It was unmistakable by the coldly dismissive, dispassionate look in her orbs; coupled with blend of contempt and resolute resignation that he'd never witnessed there before.

His chest constricted painfully.

She was already beyond yelling. Which meant she was past caring.

With a heavy heart, Klavier bowed his head in submission and nodded. There was no point in defending his actions or pleading his case to her. Her mind was made up about the kind of man he was, and he knew that the door to friendship, which had previously been opened by the tiniest crack, was now as bolted and sealed as his fate.

The fat lady had sung. Before it'd even had a chance to truly begin, it was over. It was really and truly _over_.

The realization hurt even more than the time she'd kicked him in his _Hoden_ area.

"I won't interfere with the rest of your work day then." It was his turn to look away. "I'll see you at the office tomorrow."

"Fine." She sensed he'd backed off now, and knew she should savor having gotten the upper hand, but couldn't resist making a breezy query. "For the record, if I _had_ thought there was need, and allowed you to explain yourself, for whatever reason, exactly what, pray tell, would you have said?"

"It doesn't matter," he responded flatly. "You have asked me to no longer detain you from returning to work, so I shall concede to your demand. Despite our unexpected malapropos circumstances, in which I've been caught _playing hooky with my pants down_ , we are both nevertheless, professionals. In the end, although you're my subordinate, we are still colleagues, _ja_? I need to respect that, along with your boundaries, and your wishes."

"How nice of you to finally allow me _that_ much, at long last, after only a near _half year_!" She retorted waspishly, flipping her long hair back over her shoulder as she turned to leave. "Whatever did I say that finally earned me such hard-earned allowance, Prosecutor Gavin?"

"It's just realizing who _you_ are, Miss Skye," he said tiredly, the defeat evident in his voice. "I know better than to try to speak to willfully deafened ears. You are the fearsome champion of oozing preemptive, _leave-me-alone death rays_. You're a very strong-willed woman. _Gott_ help the man who doesn't heed the warning signs and oblige you when you wish to be left alone."

For some reason, his compliance stung. She wasn't sure how she felt about being seen as so aloof and touch-me-not … was this _really_ the way he saw her? The way _all_ men had forever seen her? Was _this_ why they could continue to regard her in the manner Klavier was now doing?

 _His dry eyes staring at me, while internally, I fall apart. If only he knew. I wish I were as tough as I want you to think I am, fop._

"Alright then." Ema nodded stiffly. "See you tomorrow, Mr. Gavin."

As she heard the door close behind her, all of a sudden, she had the insane urge to want to add something else.

" _I'm sorry," or perhaps "Fop you!" I want to say, "I let you in and you abused that position of trust!" But no, no, no. Maybe, I just want_ _to say,_ " _I forgive you. You're not sorry but I still forgive you." Then I want to say, "The other night, when you wanted to kiss me and forget, my biggest regret is I didn't let you. I wish I could turn back time, and see if it would have made a difference, and you would have remembered if I'd just gone along with it. If I'd said, "Yes. Please kiss me, Klavier. Please. Please… so we can both forget everything…."_

* * *

 _ **Klavier Gavin and Candi Kane  
**_ _Ritz-Carlton Metropolis Condominium  
Gavin Penthouse  
_July 12, 2026 4:00 PM

As he turned to walk back into his suite, Klavier was surprised to see that rather than showering, Candi was standing there in the living room, although the sought-for towel had been located and was in her hands.

"I'm sorry if I caused any trouble," she said anxiously. "It's just … I couldn't lie another minute with all those crumbs in my hair from those sugary thingies you brought to bed! What are they called again? _Snack-poos?"_

 _Snackpoos?! Ngh! Mein Gott, someone just put me out my misery already, right here, right now!_

He mentally groaned and vowed to never go within 100 feet near the blasted crunchy chocolates again. Not if he _ever_ wished to have a moment of his life exist without having a certain grumpy detective constantly on his mind!

"You didn't cause any trouble, Candi," he answered wearily. "And they're called _Snackoos_. I'm sorry they left such a burdensome trail behind."

"It's no problem! They're messy but tasty – and obviously provided the sugar fuel we needed to keep going all night – even if they _do_ look like little sticks of _poo_!"

She flashed a winsome smile as she turned to head to the shower.

"By the way, _Klavi-kins_ , I love your hair when it's all wet and hanging loose like that! Much sexier than that braid of yours, which kinda looks like a _drill_!"

" _Danke_ , _schöne Frau._ " He ran a self-conscious hand through his uncombed locks and smiled his thanks at the compliment. "Granting, it'd look better if I were to at least brush it out somewhat, _ja_?"

"No, leave it as it is!" Candi let out a guffaw, this time sounding like a constipated braying donkey mating with a power drill. "You're _rockin'_ the bed head! It looks like a _glamorous mop_!"

With that, she sashayed down the hall to the bathroom, cheerfully oblivious to the poleaxed look on his visage at her unintentionally barbed praise.

Even after Candi was out of sight, Klavier continued to stare dully after this _airheaded_ _bimbo_ whom he'd decided to make his bed warmer last night, and wondered how normal it was have been sexually fulfilled, yet remain feeling so empty inside.

Then he pondered his very sanity, for he felt the urge to laugh and cry at the same time, even though, for the third time in just as many months, his heart was inherently destroyed.

 _I am in misery. There ain't nobody here to comfort me._ _It's like my sadness is so deep and overwhelming, I'm worried it will drown everyone else in my life if I let them too close to it._

Klavier sunk down onto his sofa. Lately, it seemed as though sadness was going to be familiar to him from now on. So like an abusive habit he couldn't shake, he found himself returning to it, even though he swore he never would.

 _Sadness is good at lending a hand when you're down. It's good at pretending to be your friend. It's good at looking you up and down, a cigarette in its upturned mouth, and saying - "I'm the only one that's here for you now. See? I'm the only one who understands."_ _And in times like these, you almost welcome its reappearance. It's a liability, but it's a constant. It doesn't love you like you wish something - someone, would, but it loves you in its own, corrupted way. It's better than nothing, you tell yourself "It's still love."_

He laughed humorlessly. Loving Ema Skye now meant feeling bittersweet happiness and emptiness at the same time. It was downright _pathetic_.

 _Congratulations, Gavin_ , he thought bitterly. _You got to a point where you wanted Ema Skye so badly that you were afraid in a weak moment, you'd profess what was truly in your heart. And so you sought out any reason in the world to convince yourself she didn't give a damn about you. No matter how many women you've bedded, in the end, asleep, awake, drunk or sober, you only wanted **her**. _

He continued torturing himself with the memory of the pained look in Ema's eyes. The one she hadn't been quick enough to hide when he'd opted for the coward's path, and told her he didn't recall anything from the other night.

 _You've **never** stopped wanting her! You **love** her, you care for her, and you hate yourself for that weakness! Nevertheless, you still tried to lose yourself in the arms of that **mental midget of a hoochie mama** who is named after your least favorite Christmas confection! The same one who is presently in your shower, washing out the crumbs of Ema's favorite snack – which **you** gave her – from her hair!_

She'd wanted him to remember. But he'd realized that too late.

 _You thought it'd be easier for her to despise you. Enjoy the easy life now that you know exactly how she feels about you – because you gave her no other choice! Even though she didn't slap you like you wanted, you still got your wish! The woman of your dreams showed up at your door, and for the second time, you let her think she's unmemorable! That you forgot all the details of the drunken night you **practically confessed you loved her**! And **then** she saw glaring evidence contradicting your proclaimed devotion, because you lay with another woman **immediately afterward!**_

"I didn't _know_!" Klavier slumped back on the sofa. "Right up until I saw that hopeful flame in her eyes extinguish, like a dying cinders in a fire after I lied about not recalling anything, I had _no idea_ she'd want me to _remember_ what I'd professed to her … and perhaps even have _meant_ those avowals!"

 _Well, now you don't have to worry about knowing where you stand with her – she's been so thoroughly humiliated that she'll never forgive you for it! She was right. Like she said, not only are you a **slut** in **German,** but also **in English,** and you deserved no less than to be called as such! Moreover, you're a complete a bastard! You don't have to worry about weakening anymore. Ema will hate you even more now than when she found out you got her dear friend disbarred. She will never again trust a word you say and loathe you until the day she dies!_

"Would it have made any difference if I _did_ tell her I remembered and meant every single word?" He rubbed his eyes. "Or would we still have been dead in the water the moment she saw Candi? Have we just been doomed from the start, no matter what? Is _this_ my damnation for what happened with _Herr Wright_?"

 _I don't think there's anything sadder than when two people are meant to be together and something intervenes._

Klavier dropped his head into his hands.

 _On days like these, when you find yourself missing something you never even had, I wish I were still making music_ , he reflected grimly. _For broken hearts make good literature…and even better songs._

"If all the cards hadn't been stacked against us, if things had somehow been different for us, a part of me needs to think it could have worked out," he whispered into the emptiness of the living room. "We could have loved each other."

"It doesn't matter anymore," the emptiness replied mercilessly. "Why torture yourself this way?"

"Because in spite of knowing all of this, I can't stop loving her. She wears strength and darkness equally well. That woman has always been half goddess, half hell."

* * *

 _ **Ema Skye**_ _  
Ritz-Carlton Residences Parking Lot  
_ July 12, 2026 4:04 PM

As she sat inside her car in the condo parking lot, unmoving and silent, save for her labored breathing, Ema realized she must be going slightly mad. How else to explain willingly asking for Klavier to let her be, and then having the strange urge to burst into tears because he'd proceeded to throw in the towel so easily, and done _exactly_ _that_?!

 _I'm losing my ever-loving mind._ Her hand jerked to the knob on her car stereo and picked a random music station, eager to drown out her thoughts. _There's no other explanation_.

The feminist singer, Pink, was playing on the radio. Perfect. The no-nonsense, plain-speaking performer, with her edgy, indelible brand of lyrics, were just what Ema needed at the moment.

* * *

 _ **White knuckles  
And sweaty palms from hanging on too tight  
Clenched shut jaw**_ _ **  
**_ _ **I've got another headache again tonight**_ _ **  
**_ _ **Eyes on fire, eyes on fire**_ _ **…**_

* * *

 _Yeah, sing it, girl!_ She felt slightly cheered already as she cranked the volume up. _No cheesy love songs for me! I need some straight-talking, tough-girl tunes to give me some inner strength right about now!_

* * *

 _ **Tie a knot in the rope  
Trying to hold, trying to hold  
But there's nothing to grasp so  
I let go**_

* * *

That _nothingness_ Pink spoke of … it was referring to forlorn loss. Of _heartache_.

Matters of the heart were something Ema had no familiarity with at all. But Lana had, and had taught her little sister some important lessons about it.

She remembered once when her sister and her beau had gotten into an ugly fight. The elder Skye had vehemently insisted that there was nothing left for her and Jake, and had cried that she was sick of all the fighting. Then Lana had painstakingly explained to her then adolescent sibling to always stay strong, even when crumbling inside. To always maintain your dignity, even when you felt internally shattered.

" _Never lose face in front of any man, Ema_ ," the Legendary Duo detective had lectured. " _I pray to God this is advice you'll never need to know or take, but nonetheless, heed my words."_

Ema hadn't thought she'd ever never truly come to understand her sister's advice. But now, unfortunately, she did. And all too well.

* * *

 _ **I think I finally had enough  
I think I maybe think too much  
I think this might be it for us  
Blow me one last kiss  
You think I'm just too serious  
I think you're full of shit**_ _ **  
**_ _ **My head is spinning so**_ _ **  
Blow me one last kiss**_

* * *

Pink had the right idea. She'd been _sad_ , but then she got _mad_. She'd had enough – and so had Ema.

"For some reason, this time it's taking longer than the last few instances to graduate from sadness to anger at that accursed skirt-chaser! Your lies filled my lungs with smoke, Klavier Gavin! I need fresh air! I need you to go – to get you out of my damn head! Then I can say, _'you're full of shit, fop!_ _Enough is enough_!' And I _will_ get there!" She fiercely vowed out loud. "I _will_ be stronger than my sadness."

Lana's words drifted back to her mind.

" _The day he breaks your heart, wait till you get home to cry. Wait until it's one o'clock in the morning and you swear the pillow between your arms is your new best friend. Practice smiling in the mirror, so the next day when you sit by him he can't distinguish your eyeliner from the redness of your eyes."_

* * *

 _ **Just when it can't get worse  
I've had a shit day  
Have you had a shit day?  
We've had a shit day**_

* * *

" _You can smile when your heart is breaking, because you're a woman. So smile because you can. Not because you want to. Laugh at stupid jokes because it makes you happy. Not because you need to."_

To smile, you needed to be happy. So no, she wouldn't seek out anger to get her through this. She would instead strive for ataraxia. An inner calmness, and peace of mind; emotional tranquility.

* * *

 _ **I think that life's too short for this  
I want back my ignorance and bliss  
I think I've had enough of this  
Blow me one last kiss**_

* * *

" _And don't you look at him and let him see the pain in your eyes. No, tuck the loose strand of hair up behind your ear, smooth over the creases in your shirt and don't look up. You're not over it, and every sharp intake of breath breaks your heart, but he doesn't need to know that. After all, the daggers are **yours** , not **his**."_

The daggers carried sharp points which pierced her heart, as though from the inside. Unambiguously, this pain was _hers,_ and hers alone.

 _I hate this. I hate knowing what I wanted and knowing what was right and knowing they weren't the same thing._

"Forget science! I must be an emotional archaeologist, because I keep looking for the roots of things, particularly the roots of behavior and why I feel certain ways about certain things."

 _Why_ did this hurt so much? Why did she feel more betrayed and _sad_ rather than _enraged_ at having been duped? How could she feel so broken up over a man she'd never actually even _been_ with? One she'd sworn to despise? It didn't make sense!

" _The mind can't explain it, and you can't make it go away. It's called love, Ema."_ She could almost hear Lana's voice murmuring softly in her ear. _"Some things in life, like matters of the heart, bely scientific logic or explanation. Allowing your heart to feel also means surrendering to being helpless, to being out of control of your own emotions. A bit of madness is key."_

"Wasn't it nice?" Ema spoke into the silence. "To feel wanted, even if it was only for a little while?"

"You mean to be lusted only while he was drunk, and then promptly forgotten?" Returned the scrutinizing, critical voice. "Isn't that what you found out today? That is was all just _your_ cherished moments and memories, not _his_? Which means it wasn't real."

"I can't help it. It was probably nothing, but it felt like the world. Those stolen moments in his arms … I can't forget how it made me feel. No matter how much I wish I could." She squeezed her eyes shut and thought for a moment. "It was nice. Even if it wasn't real."

 _It was easier when I simply hated you – but then you had to go fop that up for me!_

"I hate the fact that I don't hate you, not even a little."

She banged her fist against the steering wheel.

 _Damn you, Klavier Gavin! It was real for **me**. **That's** why this hurts so much!_

"I hate _myself_ for letting this happen to me. For letting myself get so vulnerable, and now it hurts how you unthinkably, unknowingly broke me. And now it's going to take superhuman effort trying to make myself believe I'm OK. It hurts how you didn't care at all, when all I wanted was to keep believing that you did."

Her voice trembled.

"It hurts that I'm going to have to drive myself crazy convincing myself I'm over you, even though you're my first and last thought. It hurts knowing you're messing around with others, yet I don't know when I'll ever be able to even _talk_ to anyone else without comparing him to you, because it's _you_ and I'm scared to death that it will _always_ be you."

A tear rolled down her cheek, quickly followed by another.

 _The truth is, there's fewer things in life sadder than meaning a minute to someone, when you were open to making them your eternity._

 ** _Pink – True Love (Chapter Quote)  
_** ** _Shakira – Objection  
_** ** _Pink – Blow Me (One Last Kiss)_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 _I'm really touched by how great my readers were with giving me their wonderful feedback on my mini milestone chapter 170 which marked this fanfiction's two-year birthday/anniversary, considering what a shorty it was. That being said I am very delighted to tell you guys that for the first time I have a Review Of The Week that got split into **two** since they are under the same account yet two different people – **Jove's Boy** (who is a good friend of mine off-line) and **Jove's Boy (Toy!)**_

 **Chapter 170**

 ***Review of the Week* Part 1A**

 _*readers, in case you're wondering, this real life Romeo is delightfully easy on the eyes, too!*_

 **Jove's Boy ( _Toy_ )**

I have had my mind blown to have people compare my writing to those of literary icons such as Shakespeare/Terry Pratchett/JK Rowling and been blessed to have another reader tell me that they've used my words for their actual nuptials… But _now_ I have this shameless unapologetic love story used as a platform shout out for _real-life love_ pertaining to one of my favorite guy... _woot_! I've been grinning like a total tool ever since!

It has been wet in dreary in in my Northern neck of the woods but this feedback felt like a ray of sunshine in my inbox! The German piano otherwise known as Klavier (I'm totally gonna have fun with that later in the story trust me!) is an acquired taste. I find either you love him or hate him and it seems the majority of his fans are female or as most of my male readers either dislike him or are in different. I personally had a hard time getting over his part in Nick's disbarring, but as I started writing about everything he actually endured in the aftermath, I'll let your boyfriend fill you in on the final cruel hand of fate which happened in Dual Destinies! (Ironically a fate that poor Phoenix himself actually shared in the first game – who would've thought these very different men guys would ultimately have something in common?!)

The fact that you're so new to the fandom but already like one of my OTP's a.k.a. the former Klema now known as SkyeFop as renamed by your other half makes me like you already! I'll even forgive you for originally shipping _he whose face most want to punch,_ Mike Meekins with my darling little Ema! :p

Kudos not only for being a lover of fidelity and being anti-bullying (I'm with you there too!) but also for knowing your women so well even though you're so new to knowing the characters! You definitely called that one Wright… Ema definitely was _not_ happy to hear about the fop's dipping his sticky fingers into the Candi bowl! Now to be fair, Klavier did not _cheat_ on Ema per se, as they not actually not _together_ at this point and he has no idea what she feels towards him (except what he perceived as last night as _pity_ , which prior to that was mostly professional aloofness with a side of disdain!) So technically he's free to do _whomever_ he pleases…

 ** _But_** ….

While Ema and the fop didn't actually have any kind of _labeling_ or even _understanding_ , to hear a guy tell you he's sweet on you and then get his sweet tooth fixed _the very next night_ elsewhere could definitely be a deal breaker! The worst part of Klavier knew pretty much out of the gate that he done goofed as he felt guilty the moment he saw Ema on his doorstep, never mind the look that must've done her face when she realized that she had interrupted….the _foppening_.

I absolutely love hearing JB either singing or voice acting – he has a real talent! – as it brings my stories to life to hear characters like Daryan and Klavier acted out, although if you wanna bust a gut, make him act out the surfer dude who wearing too tight booty shorts who was being sexually harassed by the pink pouf that was Jean Armstrong! XD

I hope you guys have a magical week together and I wanted to let you know that I've actually seen and heard myself how happy JB has been since you have surfaced… The light is back in his voice! Bless you for making someone so dear to me so happy! I can tell you're a great person too!

Welcome to the Ace Attorney fandom Bryce, you _adorable_ romantic cutie pie! That Jove's Boy is one lucky guy… _Sigh_ … I didn't realize outside of fan fictions and literature/movies that men like you actually existed…* _swoons_ * Why can't _all_ men be this grand sweeping and romantic?!

 ***Review of the Week* Part 1B**

 **(Guest) Jove's Boy**

Greetings, JB! Number one thank you for loving Klema enough to renamed them the scads cooler sounding James Bond movie title worthy _SkyeFop!_ Also I love you to death for sharing my shipping of The Ice Queen Elsa aka White Rapunzel X Twisted Samurai Panda (aka BlackMadhi!)

Now you actually I am not a person in denial about my shipping realities – one of my steadfast ships is Feyt even though I realize the adorable duo is a crack pairing as they are from separate series and have never even met! However Brock's Geodude brought up a delightful possibility in which I am going to happily clench with both fists regarding what Ema said about Klavier in Spirit of Justice. Mayhap if she's no longer Klavier's subordinate, perhaps she saw that as a latent case of _two hips and a hooray_ because _now_ it would no longer be unethical for them to be together! (let me dream dammit!)

That being said, if I actually thought that Capcom would listen to me I totally would write a lengthy letter begging to make Nick and Maya canon and offering my firstborn child if they could do the same with all my OTPs including Ema and Klavier! :p

I'm very interested see if any of my suggestions that we talked about come to play regarding your adorable Gordy Gumshoe drabbles. The including of Miles Edgeworth last chapter was absolutely uproarious… Lucky Tiana are getting a bite out of that prosecutie. MEOW!

You definitely hit the nail on the head about Klavier the idiot basically being of wounded heart (for various reasons) and ego simply looking at the first attractive wench available (who, unlike his first rejected barfly, looks nothing like the object of his affection whatsoever!) just for the sake of meaningless _Fickerei!_ It was definitely compounded by Ema's rejection and what he perceived to be her solely pity based motives for her participation to his advances. At least he knew _Candi_ was actually _attracted_ to him. It never occurred to him, in his _one-time moment of unassuming humility_ , that _Ema_ was a partially willing participant _for the same reason_!

As for whether or not he was imagining Candi to be Ema… I think you got the answer to that in this chapter, _psychic one!_

Since these two are secondary characters to the main plot am hoping any sadness won't be comparative to the heart rending Fredgeworth and Phaya, because ultimately Ema and Klavier may have had a huge setback but they are still an integral part of the storyline for the four main characters especially Miles and Franziska!

Such a grand sweeping declaration of love with not a care about who knows about it should be vigorously and thusly rewarded in as many creative ways as possible! Once you come back from seventh heaven and I look forward to having you rejoin me back on earth! Squeeze your his biceps for me, OK? ;)

 **Ilet Moratar**

Ema is a nerdy hottie! No doubt since even she felt hot and bothered from her short but sweet up close and personal moments with the rock god, there's no doubt he would have needed some serious release as well…although the besotted fool somehow overlooked her reasons for remaining in his embrace, so he convinced himself he would never get it from her! Hence… Candi, whose last name I've decided is Kane! XD

You're right, Klavier has no more control over Ema, unlike the famed pimp, than he does over his emotions, as we finally realize the poor man whore really does love her. He's lucky he didn't get any Snackoos launched at him – especially since Candi didn't need to have undergarments to show evidence of her presence! :p

Ralph will always put me to sleep in _English Patient_ and scare me too much a Voldemort to see him as sexy, but Liam Neeson's voice alone is a panty dropper! ;)

But about Simon and White Rapunzel (my readers come up with _the best_ names and ideas eh?)… surely after he publicly threatens with _"If you approach my katana, I'll break you in two and not in the sense that you would like"_ in private he'd have no objections to _stabbing Elsa with his sword_ … repeatedly! Hee!

 **thepudz**

Ahem. As much as I love quoting some of my readers delightful reviews, I'm not going to do that here as the only type of _feline_ references I'm going to make are going to be to Tiana the ruffle munching Gumshoe cat who was a character and Jove's boy's Gordy Gumshoe drabbles! XD

I'm really happy and relieved that unlike when my readers thought Nick cheated on Iris (and were screaming NGHOOOOO!) I was not raked over the coals for Klavier actually acting like a real rock star –aka getting more push, push in the bush! – than probably anybody in the Ace Attorney fandom without any sort of recourse/anyone blinking twice!

Thank you for the TE birthday wishes! That being said, my story is definitely on an upswing with very minimal angst now, so which hopefully that bucket of tears you mentioned my story has given you will be dried out and hopefully replaced with tears of laughter henceforth!

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Being a rock star means _sex, drugs and rock 'n roll_ for reason. I'd like to think of alcohol as falling under the drugs category in this case and that the fop being the natural charmer that he is would not be exempt from get in some sugary goodness at the blink of an eye whenever he desires! For a man who generally seems to know about his appeal to the masses, he was being pretty unassuming when it came to Ema's motivations, wasn't he? Perhaps in his drunken state he may have missed the subtle signals the reader picked up on, meaning that she was allowing the small liberties he took with her because she was _touched by his sincerity_ , and _not_ because _she felt sorry for him_ … But I think he's too in love with her to allow him himself have such remote hope hence the inevitable heart ache of this chapter. I'm pretty sure he would have preferred cavities over having Ema hated him again… Imagine if he knew that underneath her ire that realizing what a man whore he is unwillingly managed to hurt her almost as much as _she_ hurt _him_ when she gave him that boot to the crotch! She probably wishes she'd kicked him harder now!

 **Yanmegaman**

Objection! Candi might be a ditzy bimbo made as easy as shooting fish in a barrel to have gotten weinered six ways from Sunday, but there was zero spare change or exchange of any dollars required for that lollipop! Klavier is a sexy rock God and I guarantee you he got that sugar for _free_! XD

 **CzarThwomp**.

Reviews are a writer's way of getting rewarded for writing a free novel, and while chapter 168 was admittedly a short piece, I really put my all into chapter 169 for SkyeFop, so I was over the moon that the notification issue is fixed! It meant I got to hear from my favorite funnyman! :-)

 _"Poor Klavier! With all his pain, reading this chapter made me want to give him a lollipop and a pat on the head, though with how things are moving along with Candi, it seems like he's going to have his own little treat."_

I have been infused with so many Candi-laced jokes it's amazing I hadn't spent this past week in the dentist chair for cavities! Would be too crude to point out that perhaps it was the waitress, and not the rock star, who was the one getting said pat on the head post/during lollipop… OK I'll stop now… XD

The only romp poor Apollo would have _with an actual candy store_ and "getting some sugar" that is solely the cavity inducing variety, and _not_ the sinful, low-calorie kind that Klavier is accustomed to. However when it comes to sad love life, I still think the fop would win over _Herr Forehead_ since Apollo's only option thus far, as you said has been his underage half-sister ( _gah_!)

In the case of it's better to have loved and lost than never loved it all, am pretty sure the fop would disagree, since right now there's probably a greater chance of Wocky Kitaki actually learning to speak normal English than Ema actually not hating the fop after this! Ouch!

I would sincerely like to thank you for your sidesplitting speculation about Klavier projecting his feelings for Ema onto Candi. It's the reason I dedicated this chapter to you! Thanks so much for that!

 **Joeclone**

A terrible side effect of being able to hold your liquor so well means you're not only expensive drunk (unlike me I'm a pretty cheap date three beers and am totally gone!) it means you can't forget the things you want to forget… Although in this case it could also just be because Ema Skye is so unforgettable! I have not used _You and I_ by Lady Gaga but I am now adding it to my list of potential songs or chapter titles!

Ema was upset enough last chapter because she was confused about how she now felt about Klavier after he is more successful than he ever could of dreamed wooing antics and being in his arms. And this was _prior_ to her discovery at the condo! After this chapter, she would probably welcome your pro-offered time travel, memory wipes, enhancing drugs _or all of the above_ to wipe away the image from her mind causing the nightmarish turmoil while she's now in, and berating herself for letting her guard down and allowing herself to have feelings for a man she now thinks is an insincere _fopping Arschloch!_

Thanks for the anniversary sweetie. *Cheek pinch!* (not squish, am restraining self!)

 **chloemcg**

Sorry if you aren't a SkyeFop fan, and I hope it doesn't take away your enjoyment of the story. You seem to like my other pairings enough to keep reading though, I hope! For what it's worth SkyeFop seems to have hit a pretty steadfast roadblock after the events of this chapter, but we will still see them quite a bit – albeit not as a couple – as they both have important roles in the main characters' storylines.

I've seen many stories out there speculating about the childhood of Kristoph and Klavier and how the former became such a demonic monster. Personally I just subscribed to the age old saying that some towels are born to give sour milk to matter how sweet the grass they've been fed on?

I'm not gonna keep continuing with Klavier's downward spiral because certain events are going to happen where he basically needs to pull himself together really quick! He'll have no choice but to resume to being as cool as ice faster than you can say _Achtung Baby!_

 _"Now, I've got a quick and random question for you: Are you related to William Shakespeare? Because your poetic descriptions never fail to sweep me off my feet from how awesome it is!"_

*blushes like mad and shuffles feet*

Thank you milady. I am ever so humbly grateful for such kind words yet still feel unworthy of such a compliment. Nevertheless, cyber hug! :)

Sorry for any confusion… AJ SL means Apollo Justice Storyline. And there will be a colliding of many characters' fates…and of course, Feyt coming right up! Hope you're as stoked as I am!

 **Brock's Geodude**

Like Napoleon32 pointed out, I didn't think it be too much of a stretch that heartbroken Klavier would turn to the bottle in a manner of the two great prosecutors in this story who came before him, Miles and Franziska. However, given the fact that he is both a lawyer _and_ a rock star (just because his music career just came to an abrupt retirement doesn't mean all habits die hard!) I decided to capitalize on the fact that the fop would hit the bottle hard (harder than _usual_ , anyway – while I don't think he's a lush both occupations are nefarious for wetting their whistles!) by having to deal with his reasons for perceiving Ema's rejection hot on the heels of his brother and shark boy breaking his heart. The fact that he needed to get _under_ Candi (I'll leave it up to the reader to determine whether or not he ever got around to signing her chest as she has twice requested!) in order to get _over_ Fräulein Detective is absolutely indication of how head over heels he is for her.

Edgeworth was really good evidence that Ema does like boys, but while she is a pretty little thing, I agree with you about the more than likely slim to no romantic experience. Although she claimed to Klavier that she has been kissed before it doesn't necessarily mean she's been in many if any relationships, it's true that we still don't know how truthful she was being… ;)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I tried very hard not to portray Phoenix and Miles, the two leading man in the story to be anything but steadfast and faithful lovers even when apart from the women there meant to be with… Which was why Phoenix never got past second base with Tiffany when he was plastered. The busty blonde didn't fare as luckily as the busty redhead did, because all _Miss Southern Belle_ got from trying to get with a drunken Nick was singed nose hairs! Hee! However with Klavier, being a rock star and a natural flirt it's not that far-fetched to believe he'd be the United States contender for the bedroom Olympics!

As usual you're pretty psychic about there being a price to pay for this kind of dalliance. Ema is back to hating him more than ever – because this time, it's not indignation on a loved one's behalf, it's a personal wound. Klavier hurt her very badly by making her feel like a fool for believing what was practically a love declaration (while drunk!) only to have it all be undone by doing the mattress mambo with a waitress he never forgot – and claiming her didn't recall anything that happened between him and Ema.

It's not so much that his love was one-sided here– it's that Klavier convinced himself that all Fräulein Detective felt for him was pity, hence the mindless role in the hay with Candi (don't feel too bad for her although she's a bimbo she knew she was going to be a one hit wonder!) You hit the nail right on the head with the fact that Ema was starting to feel something other than distaste for the fop last chapter – of all the times for the rock God to be humble about his own beguiling charm, never dreaming that it actually worked on the one person he wants to win over more than anything! In this case under assuming led to the heartache we witnessed in this chapter… You took the words right out of my mouth about Ema probably wishing she had done more permanent damage to his _Glied_ area! XD


	172. Promise Of A New Day

_AN: Every time I take a break from this story, even a short one, I miss it terribly, although I have still been busily writing! I cranked out the latest chapter of my shamefully neglected other project which thankfully is close to done,_ _ **Filling The Void**_ _, and, if you're an FMA/Royai fan, I took a shot at writing for the_ **Full Metal Alchemist** _fandom, and wrote a fluffy comedy one-shot on the red-hot duo of Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye called_ _ **Light My Fire.**_ _I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)_

 _This chapter picks up on the same day as the last one – July 12 – and lets us in on what Miles, Gumshoe and Phaya have been up to regarding that "unfinished business" the Chief texted Ema about when he told her he needed to take the gang to the detention center. Also, to make up for my delay in posting, like the previous chapter, which was kinda angsty, it's a longer one, and took_ _ **forever**_ _to write! In atonement for anyone I made be sad, I hope you like this lighter but lengthy read! :)_

* * *

 _Eagle's calling_ _  
_ _And he's calling your name_ _  
_ _Tides are turning_ _  
_ _Bringing winds of change_ _  
_ _Why do I feel this way?_

 _The promise of a new day_ _  
_ _The promise_ _  
_ _The promise of a new day_

 _As through time_ _  
_ _The earth moves under my feet_ _  
_ _One step closer_ _  
_ _To make love complete_ _  
_ _What has the final say?_

 _The promise of a new day_ _  
_ _The promise_ _  
_ _The promise of a new day_

 _And so time over time_ _  
_ _What will change the world_ _  
_ _No one knows_

 _So the only promise_ _  
_ _Is a day to live_ _  
_ _To give_ _  
_ _And share with one another_

 _See the wisdom_ _  
_ _From mistakes in our past_ _  
_ _Hear the younger generation ask_ _  
_ _Why do I feel this way?_

 _The promise of a new day_

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Phaya_** _  
Detention Center  
_ July 12, 2026 3:00 PM

"Wait right here, pals. I'll come back for you as soon as I get proper clearance," the Police Chief advised his friends as they entered the detention center. "It's very seldom we allow visitors to actually go down to the prisoner's holding cells, instead of bringing the convict out to communicate through the glass partition. Plus, I need to ensure there's no issues with allowing the _three_ of you a group visit. I should only be a few minutes."

"Luckily, I have absolutely _no_ life!" Phoenix replied easily, flopping down onto one of the chairs in the skylit entrance lobby beside the already seated prosecutor, who bit back a smirk at such a buoyant proclamation. "Don't rush on _my_ account, Gumshoe. Trucy's dragged Apollo somewhere on her one of her whimsical outings, I'm not working tonight, and my better half's cleared her schedule today, so we're just hanging out the rest of the evening, with nothing better to do. Hence, Maya and I have all the time in the world!"

The magenta-clad man was simultaneously entertained _and_ a twinge envious of his old courtroom rival's continued _fly by the seat of his pants_ approach to life, which apparently hadn't changed much at all over the years. Now that Maya was back, in spite of his badge loss, the pianist seemed almost as happy and carefree as ever.

 _What must it be like, being Phoenix Wright?_ Miles pondered warily. _Would **I** be happier as well if I attempted to emulate such a bourgeois mentality and be laissez-faire about everything? Uurrngh! What in blazes am I thinking?! **Me** , be like **Wright**?! Surely, I must have taken leave of my senses for even **momentarily** contemplating such a cockamamie notion! Even if I wanted to, I'm far too set in my ways to bother changing at this point in my life! I probably shouldn't say any of this out loud, though. Thank God for inner monologue. Speaking of things being kept to yourself…_

"Tell me, have either your daughter or protégé met your girlfriend, as of yet?" The logic genius asked Phoenix. The ex-lawyer was lounging comfortably in his chair, with an ankle propped up against his knee, arms spread out, and looking as though he didn't have a care in the world. Just as he was about to answer, Maya came to realize that they were in near proximity of a fully stocked vending machine.

" _Hot diggity_! Swiss rolls!" The village leader leapt to her feet from her seated place beside her beau. "I haven't had those nummy things in _ages_! Hubba, hubba, come to mama! Do you guys want anything?"

Miles and Phoenix both shook their heads at the offer, then watched with great merriment as Maya made an immediate beeline to the contraption of overpriced munchie heaven.

Despite all his years of knowing the girl's insatiable appetite, the chess enthusiast couldn't help but silently marvel at the sight of the _questionably_ _tiny_ spirit medium as she proceeded to unload an arsenal of caloric, sugary goodness into her purse, in spite of having demolished nearly an entire box of doughnuts at the precinct barely half an hour ago!

"Wright, how is that woman not _400 pounds_?!"

"I've been contemplating that same question for the last ten years! Maybe all that spirit channeling burns mega calories?"

Phoenix barely suppressed a snigger as Maya struggled to shut her now overflowing pocketbook, which was stuffed to the brim with various snacks, before turning away and responding to his friend's earlier query.

"Have _Trucy_ , never mind _Apollo_ , hitherto met my little glutton, you asked?" The pianist chuckled ruefully and shook his head. "As unbelievable as it may seem, would you believe me if I told you they literally seem to keep missing each other, every single time Maya comes down to the city? Truce won't stop guilt-tripping me with her constant reminders of how _she_ was hugely instrumental in getting the two of us back together, either! Trust me, the kid hasn't _once_ ceased begging for the chance to finally meet her Future Mommy! Nevertheless, my two girls seem to be like two ships in the night, whose paths just haven't been destined to cross up until now!"

"Need I give the reminder that you lovebirds reconciled nearly _a month ago_ , Wright?" Miles arched a derisive, well-groomed brow. "And Maya's come down quite frequently to help the two of us further investigate Mildred Latrine's shady money laundering attempts! Are you telling me it's really been _that_ impossible to correlate both young ladies' schedules?"

"Well, whenever Maya came down, by the time we'd wrapped up our extensive, mostly _all day_ Mildew investigations, it'd be time for _her_ to get back to her Master duties in Kurain and _I'd_ have to go to work!" Phoenix answered, somewhat defensively. "Heck, _you_ were with us most of the time, Edgeworth! You oughta know firsthand how time-consuming all that digging was. We _had_ to be thorough with the details if we hoped to fry The Dragon Lady!"

The spiky-haired man averted his eyes from the attorney's probing stare.

"Or else, um, my daughter's been at busy at work, or running around with Apollo somewhere. I'm actually really grateful that between him and Jinxie, Trucy has been so busily preoccupied. It means she hasn't been too neglected by the fact that her father has scarcely been around the last few weeks."

Phoenix's cheeks colored slightly as Miles continued to regard him knowingly.

"Is it really bad to admit Maya and I been so joined at the hip and rediscovering each other, we sort of holed ourselves off in our own little world until now?" He admitted sheepishly. "And that whenever she _has_ met me after work, it was already pretty late, so we shamelessly took advantage of the fact that the Gatewater Hotel is across the street from my place?"

"I imagine the chambermaids on morning room cleanup duty are truly _earning their keep_!" Miles replied dryly as Phoenix's face reddened. "But luckily for you, Wright, your gem of a daughter is probably most understanding about the need for you two to be inseparable after being apart for so long. Obviously, Maya isn't going anywhere, and she _will_ eventually meet Trucy when the time is right. I'd wager it will be a most _memorable_ event."

" _Speaking_ of memorable events," Maya inserted as she returned to the men, her mouth full of Swiss roll. "That reminds me – I have yet to call _my_ little girl and inform her that she and Luke are due for a surprise reunion in less than a week!"

She dug around for her phone in her bursting handbag, sending packets of sweets sailing onto her startled boyfriend's lap as she attempted to retrieve the item. Waving it triumphantly when she unearthed it at last, she smilingly hit the speed dial for Pearl's cell. A slight frown slowly slid across her visage as the line failed to connect.

"Huh. The call's not going through for some reason?" The crease in her forehead deepened as she squinted down at the screen. "I can't seem to get a signal in here! Do I need to look into getting a different cell provider? Or just need to get a brand-new phone altogether?"

"Neither. The reception in this place has always been terrible, Maya. Try standing by the windows near the doors, or stepping outside," Miles advised. "It's just because the building foundation is so ancient, and the walls are so thick, they belie cell phone technology."

"Great, I'll give that a try!" Maya absently tossed her purse at Phoenix, oblivious to his surprised grunt at the unexpected heaviness as it collided against his chest. She grinned back at the magenta-clad man as she sashayed towards the front entrance, mobile in hand. "Thanks Miles!"

The ex-defense lawyer grimaced as he rubbed his afflicted pectoral area and placed the offending object in the seat beside him.

"What the heck does she carry in there anyway? Bricks? I can't believe it's merely the additional snacks causing so much extra heft! You could seriously _lift weights_ with that thing!"

"If Maya's anything like the other women I've known in my life, I'd imagine she carries _everything but the kitchen sink_ within those leather contents," Miles replied wryly, just as his own cell began to ring at that moment, causing his comrade to blink with surprise.

"Hey, how come _your_ cell gets reception in here, but Maya's didn't?"

"Femtocell. It's a private cellular network exclusively available for the legal and law enforcement staff to have access to, but isn't accessible to the general public." The counselor reached into his suit pocket for his phone and clapped it to his ear. "Miles Edgeworth speaking."

"Greetings, Master Edgeworth." The refined British intonation of Hendricks, the barrister's faithful butler, resonated on the line. "I apologize to be disrupting you during the workday, but I had a few matters which I needed to verify. I shall only require a moment of your time."

"No worries, Hendricks." Miles remained seated beside Phoenix, unaware of any personal matters that would warrant needing to take this call in private. "What do you need?"

"I wish to inform you that the deliverymen are here with your new bed, sir. As you know, there was a back order on your previous model, the Monarch, due to a large unforeseen demand in London. Whencefore, this is the next model up – the Majesty. The Vispring Company guarantees your deepest satisfaction with this upgrade, and will allow up a year of use, and still promise a full refund for the $84,425, minus shipping costs. "

The manservant may have appeared to be reading from a cue card, but Miles was aware that the astute Englishman knew the product particulars memoriter, as the new bed selection had been his own recommendation to his employer.

"As this item is from my own mother country, I substantiate that Vispring has never strayed from the great pride they take in their craftsmanship. The Majesty is twice as soft as the Monarch and was hand crafted by Jab Anstoez. With more than 6000 springs, each 182 x 200cm size, it's made from cotton, cashmere and silk is like a dream come true for the bedroom. Exclusive natural fillings: silk, cashmere, blended Platinum Certified real Shetland wool and cotton, hand-opened Mooseburger horsetail. Finest quality ticking and handtied woolen tufts and twine. The divan is platinum certified British fleece wool and horse hair, and it also features several layers of gold and silver in the design."

"I'm sure it will be fine, Hendricks," Miles assured him, now speculating if plying him with new mattress trivia was really the _sole_ purpose the Brighton gentleman had rung him. "You are a man of quality taste, and I trust your judgement implicitly."

"Very good, sir." He could almost hear Hendricks bowing in the background. "Howbeit, I thought I would ring you before I stepped out to procure sheets for your new mattress. Shall I succumb your old divan to the same flaming death via a _bonfire of the vanities_ in the identical manner I did with the previous linens?"

"Not at all," Miles replied darkly, noticing his _very guilty-looking_ best friend, who'd obviously heard _every single word_ , was now discreetly trying to inch away. "Tell the delivery men to take the Monarch into storage until further notice. It shall be a wedding gift for Wright and Maya, for whenever _she_ decides to make _an honest man_ out of _him_!"

"You're giving us your luxury b –bed?" Phoenix gulped nervously, not even _trying_ to pretend he hadn't overheard everything. "B – but it's a _California King!"_

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Miles snapped, momentarily forgetting that Hendricks was still on the phone, as he was too busy glaring at the card shark. " _I_ didn't design the thing!"

"B –but it'll never _fit_ into my comparatively _diminutive_ place!" Phoenix protested franticly. "That bed is almost bigger than _my whole bedroom_ at the apartment! I'd really prefer _not_ to have to knock out a wall within my humble abode to make that thing fit!"

" _Arngh_!" The customarily unruffled man was beyond livid at the unfathomable nerve of this jabbering flibbertigibbet! "Your preferences have _zero_ bearing on what is at hand!"

"Wouldn't it be easier just to get rid of it?"

"It would be a nonsensical waste! I'll have you know the Monarch is an exclusive London import which set me back _$50,000_! I _refuse_ to be frivolous and just thoughtlessly dispose of such a top-of-the-line model, considering it's the very same one favored by world-renowned celebrities, such as David Beckham!"

" _Holey moley_!" Phoenix's jaw hit his chest. "You spent _50 grand_ on a freaking _bed_?!"

"Indubitably I did! And I'll have you know I barely slept in it _for a month_ before I got called away overseas, although since returning home, have been reduced to sleeping in the _guest room_!"

Miles glowered at Phoenix.

"For the galling reason that thanks to you and Maya's yauld, vigorous frolicking, that glorious divan now has more _mileage on it_ than _The Spirit of Saint Louis_! You _make your squalid bed,_ Wright _,_ ergo _,_ you _must now lie in it!_ "

Miles clamped his hand down firmly on his friend's arm to keep him from moving another muscle, and thus, preventing him from rising and scampering away, which Phoenix very much appeared in wont to do!

"The rationale behind the extravagant price tag is that it boasted 3,420 springs for optimum cushioning. Plus, the mattress was handcrafted and covered with soft and silken bamboo fiber of the highest quality along with a fine blend of cashmere, mohair and lamb's wool!"

While the staggered poker champ appeared to be wrapping his head around the fact that he'd someday be in custody of a mere _bed_ which cost _more than what he'd typically made in a whole year_ as a lawyer, Miles heard Hendricks discreetly clear his throat on the other end of the line, reminding his Master of his presence.

"I also wanted to let you know that after three months of tenacious care and a whole lot of elbow grease, I have finally managed to remove _every single_ oil-stained mark from your living room chesterfield." Hendricks sounded quite pleased with himself. "This was no small feat, I assure you. It appeared the most persevering of smears were attributed to a _heart-shaped variety_ , which would be indicative to belonging to a _female_ posterior, sir."

The pianist felt the blood drain from his mien upon hearing this, as memories of Phoenix's unwitting webcam confession during their Skype call with Miles and Franziska came rushing back to _both_ men at the same instant.

" _What's with the innocent denial act, all of a sudden, Little Miss Insatiable? You're the one who jumped me **right here on this very sofa…"**_

" _Nnngrrrrk_!" Miles recoiled at the reminder of the _rampant defiling_ regarding one of his most prized possessions. "Hendricks, do you mean to tell me there were _visible_ _sweat imprints,_ made by a bare _woman's buttock prints…_ upon my priceless Italian leather sofa?!"

"Verily, sir, I regret to confirm this."

" _Ngh_! Is there _no way_ to dispose of my poor, grossly desecrated furniture and place an order for a new one, post haste?!"

"I _would_ , Master Edgeworth, but this was an exclusive chair and sofa lounge group from Italy. The "Maralunga" set was custom-built by the globally acclaimed, but now deceased, Italian designer, Vico Magistretti. The waiting list for the coveted leather _alone_ would be _at least_ a decade, given the Mad Cow influx that overcame Europe a few years back, not to mention the intricate tanning process and handmade construction required as well."

Hendricks clucked sympathetically at Miles's soft whimper as he recited this abysmal news with his customary, stiff upper lip, _ever-so-British_ , aplomb.

"I give you my word, sir, the cushions are once again restored to their initial pristine state, and appear as good as new now that I've removed the aforementioned second, _smaller_ set of burdensome splotches. They were only slightly more indefatigable than the _larger_ twin set. _Those_ were shaped more like a _rounded, inverted-V shape_ , presumably belonging to _male_ hindquarters."

" _God save the queen_!" Miles muttered under his breath as he glowered at the sweat-dropping poker shark. "I'll _kill_ this man, I swear it..."

Phoenix was now wriggling vainly against the prosecutor's vice grip on his arm as Miles remained inwardly fuming.

"Master Edgeworth, are you still there?" Hendricks inquired politely after several more moments of silence on the line. "I apologize if this update caused a kerfuffle of sorts. I hadn't intended for you to be completely shaken out of the norm."

"Don't be ridiculous!" The aghast attorney struggled to speak and tightened his fingers menacingly around his companion's forearm. "I'm perfectly _finngh_!"

Phoenix fruitlessly struggled against Miles's grasp a second time.

"I should go see what's keeping Maya on the phone!" He shrank back against the withering glare he was presently being subjected to. "If you'll just excuse me for a moment…"

"Can the antics, Wright!" Miles growled, stiffening his hold, then returning back to his butler. "On the topic of _disposal_ , Hendricks … At this point I'm sorely tempted to say let's try to compact Mr. Wright here, and see if we can't fit him in the rubbish bin!"

Now it was the former Ace Attorney's turn to whimper. Miles's eyes turned into tiny slits as they shot daggers at him.

"Is there something of _value_ that you'd like to say, you boorish buffoon?"

"Er, sorry?" Phoenix smiled weakly. "Like, _really, really_ sorry? And um, please… don't _actually_ kill me?"

"Is that Mr. Wright with you at the moment, Master Edgeworth?" Hendricks' tone was rich with amusement. "If you would be so kind as to enquire of him if there's any _particular_ parts of the place I should pay _special_ attention to? Need I re-glaze the bathtub in the Master and/or guest lavatories? Utilize steam cleaning on any certain areas of the carpeting? Get specialty shampoo for the bearskin rug by the hearth, because of too much _bare skin_ rubbing against it? Ho-ho!"

" _Wright_." Miles gritted his teeth. "Is there _any_ existing part of my house that has _not_ been sullied by your _hedonistic deviancy_?"

Phoenix took one glimpse at his friend's strained features and concluded he was mentally strangling him.

"I – I'm not sure, as my faulty presently memory fails me." The pianist scratched the back of his neck and gave a sickly grin. "M – Maya and I broke up over a year ago, so I haven't been back at your place since early 2025…"

"Then _why_ are you stammering like you just flew over a cuckoo's nest!?" The legal eagle challenged scathingly. "Do I need to burn the sheets in the _guest_ room as well?"

"Nooo…." Phoenix ducked his head – but not quickly enough.

"Why are you _smirking_ like that when you say it!?" Miles's accusing eyes narrowed even further. "Can I safely eat off my own dining table? Would it be prudent to place my _feet_ on that bearskin rug - the _very_ one I imported from _Germany! -_ without needing to disinfect?!"

Red-hot memories of Maya _jingling his bells_ as they writhed and thrashed by the roaring fireplace the Christmas before last flashed through Phoenix's mind, and he yanked his beanie down low to hide his incriminating countenance.

"I guess it wouldn't _hurt_ to treat that rug?" He mumbled. "Um, the tables are safe though … I think?"

"Bloody hell, libidinous _alley cats in heat_ practice more discretion than you two _incorrigibly lubricous animals_!" Miles grumbled disgustedly. "I supposed my _bed_ would be a _given_ when I offered my flat, but at this point I'm half tempted to set my _entire tainted condo ablaze_ and purchase a new one with the insurance money! Did you hear that Hendricks? While you're out shopping for new bedding – Mulberry silk as usual – please buy some specialty cleanser for all the carpeting, as well."

"Jolly good then," Hendricks agreed amiably. "I shall add that to my list, and keep it on hand for _negotiating my raise_ when you return for supper tonight! You _are_ coming home for this evening's meal, aren't you, sir?"

Miles sighed in resignation. He should have expected as much.

"Yes, I should be home by or before 6 this evening," he replied defeatedly. "And I suppose tonight will be as good as any to discuss your much deserved salary increase, Hendricks."

"I shall prepare a superlative steak and kidney for tonight's menu." The butler seemed positively chipper now. "Moreover, I shall ensure you have the proper wine pairing to accompany it. I took the liberty of contacting The Westin Bonaventure, and was put through to Mr. Lee Vatipp, of LA Prime. The restaurant regularly boasts the annual winning of the prestigious Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. After some shrewd arbitrations, the maître d'hôtel agreed to part with a case of their exclusive Portuguese vintage port, to replace the bottle that seems to have gone… astray."

"Brilliant. Thank you for that, Hendricks."

"What can I say? I'm simply one hell of a butler!" Hendricks chortled. "My regards to Mr. Wright, and to you, Master Edgeworth. I shall ring off now. Cheerio!"

Miles pursed his lips as he ended the call with his manservant and dropped his phone back into his pocket, his fiery gaze practically boring holes into Phoenix's mug the entire time.

" _So_ …" Phoenix offered weakly. "Great news overall? Hurray for Hendricks! There's nothing that mirific butler of yours can't achieve, huh? I mean, a whole _case_ of imported vintage! Good stuff!"

" _Wright._ " Miles spoke in a dangerously soft voice. "I want you to answer this for me, and depending on the answer, I _may_ let you live."

"Ask me no questions, I tell you no lies?" The Baron of Bluffing joked feebly as he affixed his most benign expression.

"Are you _finally_ going to profess the truth about my missing bottle of port?" Miles's tone was still even, although his orbs were steel flints. "Or are you going to maintain it _grew a pair of legs_ and _walked away on its own_ …"

"Hey guys! Sorry to be gone so long!"

Maya bounced over from out of nowhere and smilingly plopped herself right down beside Phoenix, while the barrister mentally swore a blue streak at the Kurain Master's mistimed interruption – _yet again!_

 _If I didn't know better, I would think she was doing it on purpose! How can she possibly keep having the uncanny knack to save her lover's neck from the noose, at the 11th hour, **each and every time,** after all these years?!_

"Pearly was _over the moon_ when I told her about Europe!" Maya gushed, her eyes sparkling. "My little fashion diva in training has a yen to buy a whole new wardrobe for this trip! She's still flip-flopping on the decision to surprise Luke about her pending arrival, or give him a heads up to ensure his schedule is cleared."

"That's so adorable!" Phoenix wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and tried not to show his obvious relief at her impeccable arrival. "Pearls deserves to seize any opportunity she gets to act like a normal teenage girl!"

"Indeed," Miles nodded stiffly, still rankled by the call with Hendricks. "Incidentally Maya, I should have told you to inform Pearl that _she_ will be my preferred trip seatmate – within our _own_ cordoned section of the plane, en route _to_ Europe, as well as _returning_! Furthermore, our seats shall be _as far away_ from you and Wright as possible – because enduring a 10 and a half hour flight with you two _PDA fiends_ will make me more _nauseated_ than the sub-par haute cuisine at Armstrong's failed French restaurant _ever_ did!"

Flashing a laconic smirk at the stupefied, gaping couple, he then glanced up as Gumshoe strode towards them, making a thumbs up gesture at his friends as he approached.

"Wright, Maya, it appears the time has arrived for us to go visit our favorite inmate."

"Clearance granted, pals!" The big man announced with a broad grin. "Sorry about the delay. I got accosted by a call from Chief Prosecutor Payne, who's on the warpath already! That scum bum was giving me a hard time because how _dare_ I not be at the precinct when he decided to spring a visit on us today! Apparently, he's decided to grace us with not only his presence, but is eager to introduce the department to his supposed big-shot prosecutor brother from New York. I had to shoot Ema a text to give her a heads up about a dose of _double Payne in the rear_ coming her way!"

"Payne? As in _Winston Payne_?" Phoenix goggled at the police Chief in disbelief. "I thought _Edgeworth_ was going to be Chief Prosecutor? What's that little shit weasel doing in office?"

"Relax pal, it's only interim until Mr. Edgeworth takes over," Gumshoe reassured him. "That lame booger burger just loves trying to hurl his crusty butt nuggets around, for all the good it does him! Don't worry, nothing's gonna change! _Nobody_ respected him before, and they sure as heck aren't going to _now_ , no matter how much that dweeby wedgie bomb throws out his vocal cords whining, shrieking and demanding it!"

He was met with three sets of dumbfounded, gawping eyes.

" _Lame booger burger_?!" Maya repeated incredulously at the exact same time Phoenix chimed in with _"crusty butt nuggets?!"_ and Miles ended with _"dweeby wedgie bomb?!"_

"Hey pals, don't judge a man of two impressionable house apes for trying to keep the slang _PG_!" Gumshoe laughed good-naturedly. "My boys are starting to mimic everything Maggey and I say more than Polly the Parrot ever did, so we try to keep it semi-clean, and it's just force of habit now! You think it's _anyone's_ reflex to stub their toe and shout, _'oh, sugar'_?!"

The four shared a rousing collective guffaw.

" _Winston Payne_ is _Chief Prosecutor_." Phoenix give a mock shudder. "This really _is_ the Dark Age of Law! I can't _believe_ I'm saying this, but for once I'm _glad_ that I'm not a lawyer right now! I can think of several things I'd rather do than have to pay any kind of homage to that turd fondler! I'd rather jump naked on a huge pile of thumbtacks. Or stick my nostrils together with crazy glue. I'd rather clean all the bathroom in Grand Central Station with my tongue…"

"Eweth! _Mondo grosso_ , Nick!" The spirit medium laughingly gave her boyfriend a playful shove. "You won't need to worry about dealing with that sphincter boil, because by the time we get your name cleared and you get your badge back, _Miles_ will be Chief Prosecutor, just as always intended! So you can stop channeling your inner Weird Al Yankovic!"

"I may have gotten you guys clearance, but our _jailbird_ wasn't forewarned about your visit," Gumshoe informed them with a jaunty grin as they headed down to the cells. "I thought the _element of surprise_ would make things much more _interesting_!"

"No doubt!" Maya rubbed her hands together gleefully, like a cartoon villain. "I don't have any young kids around, so _I_ have no problem saying this: I have so eagerly been looking forward to the day when karma dry humps that bony ass with a cactus, without even using hot sauce for lube!"

The Master had spoken louder than intended, and hadn't realized they'd already reached their destination, until Gumshoe abruptly halted his gait in front of a lone, isolated cell, causing the unprepared woman to crash her face into his brawny back. As she rubbed her slightly sore nose, the Chief moved out of the way, and Maya found herself face-to-face with the inmate, who was staring at her hatefully, clearly having heard every word.

* * *

 ** _Phaya and Friends vs. The Dragon Lady_** _  
Prison, Special Cell  
_ July 12, 2026 3:30 PM

"Ah, Maya Fey, as _classy_ as ever I see," the prisoner spat contemptuously, not even bothering to pre-face the Master's name with the term _Mystic_. "Truly, Kurain truly could not have been bestowed a more _respectable, dignified_ … _lady_ to be in charge of their village. Although, considering the ne'er-do-well company you have so _publicly_ announced you're keeping…"

Her beady-eyed, scornful gaze then fell upon her enemy's beau, who stood right beside the spirit medium.

"I would say it's _par for course_ , really."

Maya hands curled into fists at this unanticipated onslaught towards her swain. While _she_ could handle any sort of belliferous barbs her bête noire had to dish out, their mutual antipathy was strictly between _them_ alone, and she refused to tolerate such ilk subjected at _her Nick_! She opened her mouth to utter a blistering retort, but felt him squeeze her hand reassuringly. To her amazement, unlike all the previous times he'd been subjected to the wyvern's acrimony, Phoenix didn't look at all fazed.

In fact, he was flat out _cracking up_!

The act of his lover's arch nemesis attempting to talk down to him, even _now_ , despite being behind bars, and somehow looking more decrepit than ever in her acherontic, oversized prison garb, which only emphasized her skeletal frame, literally made Phoenix double over. _How_ was it he'd ever allowed this atrabilious basilisk's words to have any sort of pernicious effect on him, _ever_?! His gales of unrepressed mirth caused the harpy's knurled fingers to clench impotently at her cell bars in helpless fury as she saw his merrymaking reaction.

" _My, my_ , Dragon Lady." In recognition of her pitiful attempts to jab him with her forked tongue, the tickled pianist treated Mildred Latrine to the _mother_ of all shit-eating grins. "Aren't _we_ two scoops of grumpy in a bowl of bitchy this afternoon?"

"I believe the next lunch you'll be eating is _humble pie_!" Miles inserted sardonically. "Assuming, of course, you're amenable to what we have to say to you."

" _However_ have you managed the mind-boggling achievement of _fossilizing by another century,_ merely within the past month, Jurassic one?" Maya cooed with poisonous sweetness, her impish leer rivaling her boyfriend's as she observed the bloodshot, puffy eyes of the glaring harridan. "Seriously, Mildew, I've seen less _bags_ at the airport!"

Mildred lifted her head fully to show a ghastly phizog, bloodshot pallid eyes and bloodless lips.

"You expect me to be winning some sort of beauty contest when I haven't slept in a month, you sadistic fiend? Do you have _any_ idea what happens to the human brain when it is not allowed the restfulness of slumber? It's the premise of how most horror movies are made! There's only so long the main hero can go without a rested mind before he _snaps_ and turns homicidal! Before he feels like the shampoo bottle instructions are starting to giving him advice in the shower, or he starts to see hooded aliens in the streets! I would describe _my_ insomnia similar to being jacked up on uppers all night, but without any of the _fun_!"

Miles, Phoenix and Maya simply stared at her uncomprehendingly for several moments, confused about this out of the blue, dramatic outpouring.

"I do believe all this time in confinement has caused the _lady_ , and I use that term _quite loosely_ , to have taken completely leave of her senses!" Miles spoke at last. "It's no wonder she's been in isolation all this time. I reckon the other criminals found her shenanigans as unpalatable as the rest of us, Gumshoe?"

Before the Chief could answer, the former village elder turned the full force of her baleful glare to the stoical lawyer.

"Put a sock in it, you _frilly_ _coxcomb_!" She screeched, her pruny face twisted into a snarl as she pointed a gaunt finger at the unimpressed Miles. "What would _you_ know about the hardship of being caged like an animal? You've probably never endured any sort of destitution in your life! Just _look_ at you! Your nails and eyebrows are more meticulously manicured than even _Maya's_ , and I _know_ you must shop at the same _dandy man_ boutiques as that flouncy, fussy popinjay she almost married! What kind of respectable professional walks around wearing _pink_?!"

Miles clenched his jaw. This wretched she-thing _dared_ compare his refined _magenta_ suit to the loud, outrageous apparel the hair heir?! Of all the _nerve_!

 _And what, pray tell, is so wrong with wanting to keep myself – and my hands – well groomed?! How else am I supposed to prevent the build-up of calluses from all that bench slamming?!_

" _Ms. Latrine_ ," he ground out through gritted teeth as he attempted to quell his rising temper – truly, this Xanthippe could have made the sainted _Mother Theresa_ homicidal! "First of all, you can take that finger and _point it at your own head_! Additionally …"

Before he could continue, Maya leapt to his defense.

"Where do you get off, insulting my boyfriend _and_ my friend, in _my_ presence, you miserable, _dilapidated battle-axe_?" The Master angrily puffed out her cheeks. "I'll have you know that despite his looks, Miles Edgeworth has informally been known as the _panty-dropping prosecutor_ amongst the vast female population for well over a decade now!"

 _Panty-dropping prosecutor?!_ Miles ogled his best friend's inamorata in shock. _D-Do I really inspire this sort of frothing desire from the female masses?! Wait…what **else** did my defense attorney say just now?!_

" _Despite my looks_?" He crossed his arms and eyed Maya huffily. "And just _what_ is wrong with the way I look?!"

"Nothing at all." Maya soothed, patting him on his shoulder. "Pearly and I agree that over the years, you've only gotten _more_ cute-iful with age!"

" _Cute-iful_?!" Miles echoed, not knowing whether or not this was _mollifying_ or _mortifying_ for a High Prosecutor in his 30's to be called! "Maya, _where_ on earth did you –?"

"Pals, we're getting off topic here," Gumshoe cut in, his lips twitching. "The inmate wasn't always in isolation. But we had to move the other prisoners because they were also complaining, like _she_ is, about the constant noise effecting _their_ sleep, as well."

" _Noise_?" Maya echoed, looking at the empty cells around her. " _What_ noise?"

The answer came just then, from the 32-inch TV mounted directly above their heads on the wall behind them, right across from Mildred's cell.

 ** _Know all about, yeah, 'bout your reputation  
And now it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time that I'm where you are…_**

Spinning around, the friends all turned around to view Maya, in full performer glory, belting her heart out to the lyrics of "The Right Kind of Wrong" at Larry and Iris's wedding reception.

Mildew's eyeballs went wild and crazed, like a Bedlam patient.

"Great gobs of goose-shit!" The traumatized barracuda screamed, clapping her hands against her ears. "Not _again_! _Pull the lever_! Make it stop! Make it stop! _Make it stawwwwwwp!"_

"Um, _that_ noise? Well, since Jesse Ventura, the now wildly successful videographer, has been _swamped_ , what with being the one to make your pop-stop debut go viral, Maya, my wife took the editing of Larry and Iris's wedding video off his hands! The lucky newlyweds get an edited and _raw copy footage_ copy!"

The Chief's shoulders shook with laughter.

"Maggey had a blast inserting some blooper and Looney Tune sound effects, including _the slide whistle_ noise when Lotta slipped on her heinie and lost her hair! This _special_ copy, personalized for our little jailbird, is prefaced with the commencing of Phoenix being serenaded, then goes on to play the entire _uncut_ wedding video, including everything before the ceremony, like Iris's Whitney Houston debut. It shows _all_ subsequent events on that unforgettable day, from the ceremony, toasts, speeches, last dance …and then the Leann Rimes tribute, _one more time_ for good measure!"

"As if being coerced into viewing the happy faces of everyone I loathe, _over and over again,_ wasn't penalty enough…" Yzma incarnate bellyached spitefully. "I _then_ had to endure listening to Maya's _putrid love_ song, _again and again_ …"

"Wait a minute." Miles held up his hand. "When you say _everything_ that transpired that day, would this also include _that_ precise instant with the Big Berry Circus primates? The one where Jylan lifted his tail and…"

"But _of course_!" Gumshoe declared proudly, smothering back a snort. "This version _also_ included _every second_ of Jesse's little two-bit _narrations_ too, including for Phoenix's _Objection_! As for the Jylan highlight – _that_ part gets _played and replayed in slow motion_ a few times! Maggey actually created and amplified the sublime resonance of monkey flatus to come out sounding like a groaning, dying tuba!"

Maya couldn't find the words to speak … possibly because she was laughing so hard, she had to lean on Phoenix for support.

All the while, Mildew was squawking loudly in protest, rambling something along the lines of " _cruel and unusual punishment_ ," and " _sleep depravity because of non-stop 24/7 loop_ " and " _I would sue these evil sadists if I had the lawyer… or the money!_ "

" _Objection_!" Gumshoe interjected, although he was sniggering maniacally. "It is _not_ 24/7! The video _does_ have _five minute intervals_! I have _some_ mercy! Besides, does it really count as _cruel and unusual punishment_ when you get to listen to a lark voice like my good pal Maya's?"

"It is to _me_!" Mildred cried. "Never in my life have I ever _prayed for deafness_ more than I have since I've locked up! The _humanity_! After _everything_ I did trying to preserve the good name of Kurain, in hopes to restore it to its days of glory…this… weak-willed _strumpet_ just decides to _publicly_ thumb her nose at her own family legacy! She opted to disgrace it once more by waving her unquenchable lust for this _no-goodnik … NICK_ of hers!"

Her nostrils flared.

"My _only_ regret is not getting to see _firsthand_ , like a row of dominoes, the _fall of Kurain Village_ under your depraved leadership, Maya Fey!"

Maya stopped her wild fit of laughter long enough to wipe her now streaming eyes, then smothered back a new set of fresh giggles at her enemy's eruption.

"What's so funny?!" Mildred demanded, stamping her foot.

" _You_!" Maya gasped in between wheezes. "Mildew I swear, hand over heart, honest to God, you are _the_ biggest _joke_ of all! I'm not even sure what's funnier – _you_ , or your pathetic attempts to curse me and my village!"

She smiled smugly and looked down her nose at her rival.

"Sure, I lost some business after I decided to publicly stand by my man. In fact, I was unceremoniously dropped like a hot potato by both the _La Nouvelle Société de Vanderbilt_ and the _Daughters of the Confederacy_. I could care less about either, as the former is naught more than a bunch of wannabe socialites and would-be debutantes who aspire to be as famous as the Vanderbilt women in upper crust society, but are nothing more than shallow, money-grubbing _social climbers_! As if _I_ wish to align myself with mercenary types who think anyone without some sort of blue blood or pedigree is crass or unworthy! As for the latter, _they_ claimed they simply cannot support my alliance with a _damn Yankee_ – I believe _that_ bothered them more than Nick's alleged forgery! They can choke on their Mint Julep Sweet Tea for all _I_ can be bothered!"

"You lost that prestigious Society Club _and_ the DOC?!" Mildred's mug blanched. "Are you proud of yourself now, you shameless harlot, for waving your tawdry affair about like some sort of parade flag?! Those Southern Belles were amongst our oldest and most reputable clientele!"

"And they were always trying to wriggle discounts because of it!" Maya snapped. "But let me tell you this – there's _no_ such thing as _bad publicity_. For your kind information, the only other thing I _regrettably_ lost was _a record deal_ that was offered to me by the son of the legendary music producer, Clive Davis! He was so impressed by my performance he offered to make me the next pop star, but there's no way I could manage music and my _more thriving than ever_ business as Master of Kurain!"

" _More – thriving_?" Mildred repeated weakly, her face falling. "But _how_?! How is that even possible?!"

" _Exposure_ my dear," Maya responded with a cheeky grin. "Thanks to _you_ and your attempted swindling, Kurain has gotten more publicity than I ever could have _dreamed_ of! Once we recovered all the funds you tried to rip off Longines, that altruistic paragon decided to let us _donate_ the money – since _he_ has no need for it, being richer than God – to various charities. Most notably, _widows and orphan_ organizations! Not only is that additional income a _legitimate_ Kurain tax write-off, but all these grateful organizations _insist_ our generosity be _highlighted regularly_ in the headlines!"

Mildred looked slightly queasy now, and turned a shade of viridian which would have made an actual dragon proud as the Master continued.

"Why, if you hadn't plotted your self-serving attempted alliance with Longines, Iris _never_ would have learned to channel! And Mystic Ami help me, I would be utterly _lost_ without my dear cousin, as she, Pearly and I have been _booked solid_ for spirit channeling – _and_ cabin rentals! We've even had to step-up training for our acolytes to meet the increased demands of these new clientele who, thanks to that viral stream of mine, believe in the power of faith…and love, more than ever! To think I owe almost all of it to _you_ , dear Millie girl!"

Maya tilted her head to the side and beamed sunnily as she concluded, in a voice dripping with honey.

"So! How do you like _them_ apples?"

"I think I'm going to be sick to my stomach!" Mildred groaned, swaying slightly. "Are prisoners given the privilege of barf bags, Chief Gumtree?"

"It's _Gumshoe_ , and _no_. They can toss their cookies in their cell _latrine,_ just like everyone else! Among other uses, that _is_ what it's there for!"

"It certainly isn't a wishing well!" Miles couldn't resist adding. "Besides, you can't be ill just yet. Wright and Maya tell me they have an offer you can't refuse."

"Well, technically you _could_ ," Phoenix grinned mischievously. "But the alternative is never seeing the light of day again. Although a much deserved fate for you, that may be an avoidable fate for you, Dragon Lady ... assuming Mr. High Prosecutor agrees to it."

" _Offer_?" Mildred observed the grinning trio suspiciously. "What offer?"

"Since business has been booming, not only do we have more clientele than we can handle, we have a foreign investor who wants to help us expand by funding an off-site _training_ centre in Asia. _You_ tell her more, Nick."

Phoenix eyed at his girlfriend strangely upon hearing this preluding description, but elaborated as requested.

"Like Maya just said, my boss at the bar wants to open up a – _training_ center. We need someone, no matter how ultracrepidarian they are, who is at least well versed in knowledge, if not practice about the Kurain Channeling Technique, to manage it."

"In _your_ case, it's perfectly fine that you've forever been in the habit of giving advice on matters you truly know _diddly squat_ about, like _channeling_!" Maya chirped. "As they say, _those who can't do_ , **_teach!_** _You_ can be our proof of that!"

Miles raised an eyebrow. He was quite familiar with not only the undergoing shady activities at The Borscht Bowl, but of its owner, Boris Badenov, aka Upton O'Goode. When he'd mildly inquired about the details of how likely it was that the suspected Russian mobster would be using this new centre as a front for the smuggling of contraband in and out of the country, Phoenix had advised the prosecutor that it'd be in all their best interests to play dumb. The less questions they asked, the better, considering the bar owner was about as genuine as a $3 bill!

"Nick's boss will take care of your transportation and _everything_ , Mildred!" Maya enthused, clasping her hands to her chest. "Think of this as a work program… in lieu of a jail sentence! It'll save the taxpayers and courts the time and money of a lengthy trial and conviction, so it's a win-win! What say _you_ , Miles?"

"I can't see how Ms. Latrine has a choice," Miles responded coolly. "But then again, I _also_ couldn't see how she thought marrying you off to a closet-case billionaire was going to help your village live long and prosper either! No objections on my end, with the further stipulation that the accused be subjected to an unmovable tracking device."

"There's one thing that makes no sense to me," Mildred said guardedly, pointing at Phoenix. "Which is, _why_ would the boss of a man _who_ hates _me_ , just as much as _I_ hate _him,_ be willing to do _me_ any favors?"

"Nick's a _saint_! He's not the type to hold a grudge, and _everyone_ knows it!" Maya winked at her boyfriend. "Besides, we told his employer that you were his future wife's relative, so it would be a favor for _family_."

"How in the world did you guys convince anyone that _Miss Scary Beyond All Reason_ was in any way, shape, or form _related to **you**_ , Maya?" Gumshoe sounded amazed. "Or even part of the same _species_?! The woman is irrefutable proof that dinosaurs once roamed the earth!"

"You know, just because I said I _wished_ I were deaf, thanks to the hellacious torture you subjected me to, it doesn't mean I actually _can't_ hear you, you big, stupid shaved ape!" Mildred scowled at the slightly chastened looking Chief.

Maya narrowed her eyes at her nemesis for this rudeness, then smiled even more brightly.

"We merely claimed to Nick's boss that Millie girl is my third cousin's brother's wife's step-niece's great aunt. _Twice removed_! Also, Mr. Boss Man will provide a BB Gun and wants you to feel free to shoot at any flying squirrels you may come across, Mildred! For _some_ reason, he _really_ can't stand _squirrels_!"

"Or _moose_!" Phoenix mumbled under his breath, but his girlfriend shushed him.

"Whereabouts in Asia would they have flying squirrels?" Mildred wanted to know.

"Some remote, quiet place…you can't teach spirit channeling in a noisy, crowded area! The name escapes me…" Maya tapped her chin and appeared to be in deep recollection. "Somewhere out in _Suburbia_ or something?"

"I take it there's no _geography test_ required in order to become Master?" Mildred queried snidely, twisting her thin lips. "You never _did_ learn how to read a map, did you?"

 _If I wanted to kill myself, I'd climb your ego and **jump** to **your** IQ, you gnarled, gullible gecko! _ The village leader thought cynically, but kept her beaming visage intact.

"Nope, never bothered!" Maya chirped. "That's what a GPS is for! What I do know is that this place is _really_ nice, peaceful and is surrounded by beautiful wildlife! Don't worry, there's absolutely _no_ monkeys there! I checked!"

 _No, just leopards, and tigers and bears … oh myyyy_! Phoenix mentally added while barely biting back a snicker, but wisely keeping silent.

" _If_ I agree to this deal… how soon will I be out of this dank, urine-soaked hell-hole?" Mildred was restlessly hopping from one foot to another. "And how long will I have to stay there?"

"Well, I _was_ going to have you imprisoned for life, but I rather like _this_ better. I'll have the official files say that you're part of an outplacement, and that we're going in a different direction with you," Miles told her. "I can agree to drop all charges and negotiate a minimum sentence of 15 years…10 for good behavior. You'll be released as soon as we get the paperwork together and get it signed by a judge, so no more than a week."

The old woman looked so genuinely relieved at this supposed reprieve that Maya almost considered changing her plans. _Almost_ , but not quite.

"And to show that there's no hard feelings, I'm going to turn off this video for the rest of your stay here so you can get some rest at last." Gumshoe reached up and switched off the TV, just as Mildred was forced to watch Jylan emit a blast of noxious gas in her face for the umpteenth time.

"So that's it for now," Maya concluded, affixing her most angelic smile. "I'm not sure when or if we'll cross paths before you are… _let go_ , and your life goes in in a different direction, so… I guess this is it! It's been a real... _experience_ knowing you, Mildred Latrine. I know _my singing voice_ is forever embedded in your mind, but perhaps after all is said and done…you'll never forget my _name_ , either. Toodles!"

She sailed off before her adversary could reply, Gumshoe at her side, leaving Phoenix and Miles behind at the cell, with Mildred staring at the two men expectantly.

"Er…" The attorney cleared his throat. "Enjoy your sleep – and your energy, while you can. After all, tomorrow is another day."

Phoenix bit back a grin, and Miles belatedly realized he'd unwittingly unleashed his hidden penchant for _Gone With The Wind_ , for which he personally blamed _Maya_ for having brought up _The Daughters of the Confederacy_! Flushing slightly, Miles tried again.

"Er, for what it's worth, just remember humans don't live forever... and neither do lawyers. I'll see you again in week or less, Ms. Latrine. Good day."

Then he stepped back and shoved his hands in his pockets, and two sets of eyes then swiveled to Phoenix.

The pianist wracked his brain, at a loss for words in uttering a memorable parting line as he stared blankly at the vicious tarragon who'd made it her mission to make _their_ lives a living hell the past seven years.

Somehow saying: _"Don't worry, I promise that I will always hate you, to infinity and beyond!"_ Didn't _quite_ fit the mensch image Maya had just portrayed of him!

"Farewell, Mildred," Phoenix said at last. "Remember not to take any advice, or directions, from squirrels."

Then he all but _ran_ out of there.

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean you barb-headed hobo?!" Mildew shouted after Phoenix's retreating back, but to no avail, as the pianist had booked it out of there as fast as he could – he didn't think he could hold a straight face for another minute!

Miles followed suit, albeit at a much slower, more dignified pace.

The men caught up with Maya and Gumshoe by the exit, and saw the two friends were clutching one another and laughing uproariously.

" _S-Suburbia_?" The Chief was howling. " _Training_ school?"

" _Training_ … _trading_ , what's the difference?" Maya waved her hand airily. "Besides, better she thinks I'm a ditz who can't remember where her _final destination_ will be, rather than tell her that the Asian place, where she's going to be in charge of a _trading_ post, is actually in _Siberia_!"

"I can't believe the old toe rag _fell_ for it!" Phoenix chuckled ruthlessly. "I double checked with Boris what the chances of her escaping were, armed with _nothing but a BB gun_ , and he told me she'd be a sitting duck. Apparently, where the remote trading post is stationed, civilization is about 150 to 200 miles by foot and is surrounded by nothing but wilderness. There's little chance of her getting more than a mile away from her cabin in the woods before her tracker would let off an alert, or she got lost in the endless forest and thus died as a frozen vanilla Popsicle!"

"Or, _my_ personal favorite, she becomes dinner to wolves, an Amur Leopard, East Siberian Brown Bear or Siberian tiger and curses _my_ name as the last thing on her lips!" Maya's shoulders shook with mirth. "Subjecting Mildew to such a place makes me _almost_ feel pity … for the poor _wildlife_ over there! _Hee_!"

"Such a shame the Dragon Lady doesn't _literally_ have the ability to create the required flames which would help keep her warm during the subarctic winters averaging -39 Celsius!" Miles remarked wryly. "Who says it can't snow in hell? Because it can last for up six months after falling in the frigid location that wretched woman shall be spending her remaining days, all the while fretting about what new lurking horrors await her tomorrow!"

"It's just like _you_ said, _Scarlet O'Hara_ ," Phoenix teased his best friend, who glowered back in response. _"Tomorrow is another day_ , right?"

"Mock me if you will for quoting a classic piece of literature if you wish, Wright," Miles responded loftily. "But there _is_ truth in what I speak. You never know what tomorrow may bring."

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Ema Skye_** _  
Criminal Affairs_  
July 12, 2026 5:15 PM

Phoenix and Maya had been in high spirits now that the whole burdensome debacle with the Dragon Lady had been tied up into a neat little bow. The giddy couple had announced that they'd be dropping by The Borscht Bowl Club to let Boris and Natasha know Mildred Latrine had accepted – albeit under thinly veiled circumstances – the offer to manage their boondocks business in "Suburbia." The twosome wanted to celebrate the occasion, even inviting Gumshoe and Miles to join them.

The Chief had declined, as he still had some matters to take care of back at the precinct, and the prosecutor had opted to give the cozy duo some alone time (hoping that if they got most of the schmoopiness out of their system _now_ , they'd be more bearable whilst traveling to Europe!). Miles had informed his friends that he'd be starting work on the Latrine file, and had politely requested Gumshoe drop him back at the Prosecutor's Office first, on their way back from the detention center.

Phoenix had called the Russian bar to confirm whether or not the owners were there yet, and was informed that they wouldn't be in until a little bit later in the evening. When Maya had slyly suggested to her beau that they head back to his place and find " _some_ way to occupy themselves for another few hours!" Miles had been beyond relieved to see he'd made the right decision to not be the third wheel with the lovable but cavity inducing sweethearts!

As he neatly filed away the paperwork into his desk drawer, he peeked out his office window and saw Ema's telltale yellow Volkswagen beetle was still in their shared parking lot adjacent to the precinct.

He felt strangely guilty about the fact that the Detective had been left to fend for herself against Double Payne that afternoon. Also, as he hadn't really seen much of Ema since arriving back into town, and she hadn't surfaced when he'd dropped by the police station earlier, Miles at least wanted to inform her in person that he'd be leaving the country yet again, and decided to drop in on her on his way home.

When he approached Ema's office door five minutes later, he found the petite policewoman sitting at her desk, idly tapping her chin with her index while staring off into space, with what could only be described as a morose expression on her pretty face.

Standing in the open doorway, he studied the lines of her troubled visage, slightly disarrayed mane and cloudy demeanor. While the Skye sisters didn't look alike in the traditional sense, with the younger sibling being more baby faced compared to the more vixenish features of his ex, their coloring was identical, from their hair to their fair complexions to their beautiful teal orbs. Something stirred within him as he quietly stepped into the room, still unnoticed, and saw the unmistakable sadness within those wide, expressive eyes.

 _Lana's eyes._

The young woman seated before him had no inkling of his sordid, tumultuous past with her sister, or the fact that in the end, Miles had possibly hurt Lana just as much as she had hurt him. But for some strange reason, the sight of Ema's dejected face stirred a strange, protective emotion within him. Even though things with Lana had been a mess in the end, he felt compelled perhaps even more, to have a peaceful bond with her younger sister, for whom he'd always felt the similar brotherly affection that he did with Kay.

"Will I ever be happy?" Ema asked the silence, still unaware of her unanticipated visitor, her voice bleak.

"That's up to you," Miles replied quietly, finally announcing his presence. "Will you _let_ yourself be?"

Ema let out a startled gasp, and jolted forward in her chair, which she had been leaning back on, her fair cheeks turning bright red to have been busted in the act of talking to herself.

"Prosecutor Edgeworth!" She awkwardly tucked an errant strand of chestnut hair behind her ear, still blushing furiously at looking so foolish before her teen idol. "Sorry! I um, I didn't notice you were here. How can I help you?"

"Relax, Detective Skye." There was a hint of amusement in his normally reserved tone that he couldn't mask for the life of him. The flustered brunette was quite endearing as she nervously reached into her everlasting supply of Snackoos and popped one into her mouth. "I'm here on entirely informal, _off the record_ business. I was told that you met with interim Chief Prosecutor Payne today along with his brother. How did that go? What was your impression?"

There was a pregnant pause.

"Before I answer that question, did you _really_ mean what you just said, Prosecutor Edgeworth?" Ema asked hesitantly. "You're looking for me to answer your question candidly, because this is and shall remain strictly off the record?"

Miles nodded.

"Then with all due respect, I can only tell you that regarding the Payne brothers, they, along with the rest of their family presumably must be able to trace back their original ancestral roots not to _apes_ , as Darwin believed, but to _porcupines –_ because they're _both_ a couple of _pricks_!"

Historically, Ema Skye had always been so helpful, congenially polite and well-behaved around him. Therefore, this impromptu outburst was so out of the blue that Miles couldn't hold back the uncharacteristic burst of surprised laughter that escaped his lips. She smiled apologetically in response and shrugged.

"Don't get me wrong! I could deal with Winston Payne on his own, no problem! But his brother Gaspen is really… Something else." She grimaced at the mere mention of the new prosecutor's name. "The elder sibling is most definitely the lesser of two evils whereas with regards to the _younger_ one… All I can say is there is a land somewhere called _Douche Bhagistan_ and _he_ is their _king_!"

Miles nearly laughed again at the quip, but didn't wish to appear to be the sort that actually _condoned_ this sort of unseemly gossip, so instead treated the Detective to one of his elusive smiles instead.

"It's most unfortunate that your first impression was not the best one, Detective Skye, but I promise you there is nil need for you to ever suffer any sort of indignity at either one of their hands. In my absence, Prosecutor Gavin will undoubtedly be supportive of you, should anything go askew."

At the mention of her boss, Ema visibly flinched, and the same flicker of pain Miles had spotted when he'd first set eyes upon her face resurfaced once more, although was quickly replaced by a forced smile.

"I'm sure Prosecutor Gavin has other, more important things on his mind than resolving petty squabbles." Even though her lips were curved upward, Miles could see that the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "However, the point is moot, really. In my particular line of work, since I already have an attorney assigned to me, I really don't foresee my paths crossing very often with either one of the two gentlemen in question."

The prosecutor surveyed her strained features, suddenly wishing he was in possession of a magatama, as he was positive he would've seen Psycho Locks appearing the moment Klavier's name had been mentioned, and instinctively knew the German had something to do with Ema's lugubrious state.

"Well, be that as it may, I must reiterate that you are very valued member of the LAPD, and I want you to always feel that you are working in a fair and harassment free environment. As I mentioned, even if _I_ am not around, please note that your first line of defense is Chief Gumshoe, who will always have your back."

"My first line of defense is _myself_ Prosecutor Edgeworth. After all, I _am_ a police officer, fully trained in combat, also possessing a brown belt in karate if anyone ever gets out of line." Ema let out a little laugh. "But what's this about you not being around? Don't tell me you're jetting off _again_! Didn't you only get back into town just a few months ago?"

"That was the primary reason I wanted to see you." Miles shoved his hands in his pockets. "Within less than a week's time, I'll be going back to Europe to tie up some loose ends. Mr. Wright and Miss Fey are accompanying me as well, although I believe they'll be returning back to the States sooner than I will."

Ema's eyes turned into golf balls at this astonishing news.

" _Gah_! Please tell me you're joking!" She emitted a plaintive wail. "You're _all_ leaving me alone – _at the same time_?! I'm going to be left to fend for myself in suffering the likes of _Tweedlescreechy_ and _Tweedleslimy_?!"

Despite the comical nicknames bestowed upon Winston and Gaspen, Miles could detect genuine distress in her tone, and was uncertain how to respond. Even though he liked Ema very much, he wouldn't say he was overly close to her, beyond a friendly working relationship. She shared a much closer personal relationship with Phoenix, whom the attorney very much wished was present at that moment to help him handle this situation!

Uncaring that Miles still hadn't replied, Ema continued her cantankerous diatribe.

"Can I just give you a short list of things I would rather endure than have to deal with _Mr. Sleazebag McGuilty_ a.k.a. Gaspen Payne?!" The science enthusiast cried. "I'd rather get a hundred thousand paper cuts on my face. I'd rather rip out my intestines with a fork. I'd rather dive into a swimming pool filled with double-edged razor blades than endure one moment alone with him! Just ten minutes in his oily, smarmy presence gave me the inexplicable need to go scrub my flesh raw in the most scalding shower I could possibly tolerate!"

Miles simply stared at her in slightly uncomfortable silence.

Suddenly, Ema realized that she had behaved in _the_ most mortifyingly unprofessional manner possible, around a man she had admired and revered for the past decade of her life!

She clenched her eyes shut to temporarily block out what she knew would probably be the dignified attorney's disdainful expression, and dreadfully wished for the ground to open up and swallow her.

Obviously the pain of catching Klavier getting his sticky fingers caught the Candi dish earlier that afternoon had shaken her up more than she cared to admit – not that it made her unseemly behavior and rancorous eruptions any more excusable!

"Please excuse me, Prosecutor Edgeworth." She dug her fingernails tightly into her palms in vain efforts to halt the sting of humiliated tears beginning to prick at her eyelids. "I haven't been myself today and I've no idea what just came over me. I give you my word I will never behave in such an inappropriate manner again."

Noticing he still hadn't spoken, she dropped her head towards her lap and allowed her long hair to fall forward over her face, fervently praying he wouldn't see the stray tear that was rolling down her cheek.

The stillness in the room continued, and Ema could only assume she'd made her hero so uncomfortable that he'd discreetly left the room in his polite efforts to allow her to regain her bearings in peace.

Therefore, she jolted sharply as she felt the light brush of soft cotton being pressed against her knuckles and peering upward, saw that not only had he offered his ever present crisp white handkerchief, but that the normally somber grey eyes wore an expression of benevolent sympathy.

"Thank you, Prosecutor Edgeworth," she whispered, gently dabbing at her eyes. "I can't apologize enough for acting in such a churlish manner… Especially around _you_. All I've ever wanted since meeting you and Mr. Wright was to become a forensic scientist and help the two of you out, and prove how grown-up I am now… yet here's me _regressed_ to an even worse state of childishness than you even saw in me as a teenager!"

Miles spoke at last, and lightly patted her hand as he did so.

"We are all just children of varied ages, evolving and growing through different stages, Detective Skye. Moreover, at the end of the day, we are all human. Please don't be so hard on yourself. I'm certainly not holding anything against you at all."

Ema dully eyed the strong, well-manicured hand as it gave her own one more consoling pat before pulling away, and realized with a pang that there'd been a point in her life when she would've given her eyeteeth to be in such close proximity to Miles Edgeworth - never mind feeling the sensation of his skin against hers! - as she had been so wildly infatuated with the handsome prosecutor as a teenager.

But Klavier had ruined that forever.

Now, instead of the wild rush of tingles she had always associated with being in the prosecutor's formidable presence, she felt _comforted_ , not _concupiscent_ , and still more than a little embarrassed.

"Prosecutor Edgeworth, can ask you something?" She asked quietly.

He nodded.

"I don't mean to get too personal, and please forgive me if I am…" She looked away shyly. "But have you ever let your guard down in your life with someone who perhaps didn't deserve it, and it hurt you so badly that you can't even _imagine_ doing so again, ever?"

Miles knew he should have been more taken aback by the question, which was indeed of a more personal nature than his friendly work relationship with Ema would've normally allowed. Nonetheless, he was not affronted, considering how out of character she had been acting just now, and it didn't take any sort of a game of logic chess to determine that her entire game was off because somebody had recently hurt her very badly, and she was desperately seeking some sort of kindred spirit at the moment.

The problem was not so much that he didn't feel close enough to Ema to bare his soul. It was the fact that aside from Phoenix and once upon a time, Franziska, and in _another_ lifetime, to a slightly lesser degree, with _Lana_ , Miles Edgeworth kept his heart and emotions under guarded at all costs from _everybody_. Ergo, he had no idea what to say, even though he was hardly a stranger to heartache.

 _Sometimes you think you're giving a person the world but you're not. Sometimes your world is not their world. I loved a woman who had opened up a whole new world to me, but didn't love me enough to stay in it. She came and left like a shooting star, yet still, I wished upon her._

How Miles wished he could tell his forlorn friend these words.

 _I have a habit of falling in love with souls who have yet to be at peace with their bodies, their minds, their weaknesses. I tried to build them, to find the parts of them missing in me. I ended up with holes in the chest. We share our lips with strangers just so we can fill a hole by someone who is now a stranger. I don't know how I could ever deal with her now, in any sort of detached manner, after all we've been through. How do you go back to being strangers with someone who has seen your soul?_

"I am not going to pry into what prompted your query, Detective Skye, although I can tell you this much about the people who come and go in your life: Never blame anyone. Good people give you happiness, bad people give you experience, unkind people give you a lesson, and the best kind of people give you memories."

He met her gaze levelly.

"I can also tell you to stop kicking yourself for letting your guard down because it ended up being a lamentable decision. The best advice I can offer you henceforth is to trust your gut. Your brain can be fooled and your heart is an idiot. The gut can't lie. Does that make sense, even though it has no _logical_ or _scientific_ foundation?"

It was Ema's turn to nod, and her trepidation melted away as she caught the slightly teasing inflection in his cadence.

"New beginnings are often described as painful endings, Detective. Such is life. But there is something else I wish to tell you about life: the prettier the garden, the dirtier the hands of the gardener. If you can survive this world without getting burned, betrayed, destroyed or loathed, you have not _really_ lived."

"I guess that's the way life is. Sometimes you stumble and fall until you find your footing." Subdued green eyes met compassionate grey ones. "Sometimes you have to get a little bit lost until you end up where you want to be."

"That's exactly it. Now I'm going to tell you something else, and I would prefer if this didn't go outside the walls of your office."

Miles chose his words carefully, uncertain how much he felt secure divulging in his efforts to comfort.

"Assuming I'm not mistaken in my assessment of your plight, I can safely tell you that yes, I _have_ been where you are now. And it hurt like hell. I still think about her. But I don't say it anymore."

Ema was beyond floored. One, that a man could somehow convey so much – yet say so little. And two, she had to seriously question the sanity of any woman that could _willingly_ break the ever-dreamy Miles Edgeworth's heart!

"Did you feel really stupid afterward for putting yourself out there like that?" She asked softly. "Did you ever get over that hurt? Or have you sworn off taking that sort of risk, ever again?"

Miles stared down into that earnest visage, and realized that more than anything in the world, he wanted to see the familiar spark once again return to those formerly twinkling, inquisitive, sea-colored orbs. She was too callow, too jejune, to already have such a jaded, dejected spirit.

He wasn't sure if he was being completely selfless, as in the act of trying to soothe Ema Skye's soul, he hoped to bring some peace to his own. But he knew that he would hate himself if he didn't at least _try_.

"Detective Skye, in spite of everything, I can honestly tell you that pertaining to _myself_ , I want very badly to be in love again, which is why I am in no position to look for it," he stated sincerely. "But for _you_ … I can say with utmost sincerity that I hope you find the kind of love where a single touch can calm your tormented soul. Don't ever lose hope, because tomorrow could be the someday you have been waiting for."

If he'd been Phoenix Wright, Ema would had leapt over the desk, right into his arms, and hugged Miles Edgeworth like there was no tomorrow – that was how uplifted she felt at that moment by his kind words, and this overall wisdom-filled exchange.

But he _wasn't_ Phoenix, affectionate long-time friend who wore his heart on his sleeve. He was _Miles_ , her schoolgirl crush (now mildly resurfaced), who kept _his_ own heart under lock and key. It must have taken superhuman effort to even allow her to see this slight glimpse of his rare, softer side under his stern veneer, and with all her heart, Ema _adored_ him for it.

Even if respecting his boundaries meant she couldn't _express her gratitude_ in the way she yearned to!

"Thank you, Prosecutor Edgeworth." As the lawyer turned to leave, she cast him a grateful, heartfelt smile which thawed most of the ice protecting Miles's heart. "Thank you for making me feel like I don't have to feel too bad for allowing myself to have been… _stupid_. Who says you have to be smart all the time, right?"

"Don't sell yourself short, Detective Skye." Miles paused at the doorway and shot her a disarming grin, unaware of how appealing it made him. "For one thing, you're still smarter than most, which is why I enjoy your company and respect you as a colleague. As anyone who knows me can attest, I have little patience, and even lesser tolerance, for idiocy. Also, I'd like you to keep one more thing in mind. No matter how stupid you may ever feel, remember: Little Red Riding Hood couldn't figure out that a _talking wolf in drag_ actually _wasn't her grandma_!"

Ema blinked as the words sank into her flabbergasted ears, then clapped a hand over her mouth to suppress a squeal of delight.

" _Prosecutor Edgeworth_!" She giggled. "Did _you_ just … make a _joke_?!"

"Keep _that_ under your hat as well, Detective." Miles's eyes held a wicked glint as he held a secretive finger to his lips. "After all, I _do_ have a certain _reputation_ to uphold!"

 ** _Paula Abdul – Promise of a New Day_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 169**

 **DannyDragon**

Hola mi amiga musical! _Si, el tiburón_ _es un gilipollas grande_! but am glad I managed to make drunken fop lovable! Let's see if Ema feels the same way! ;)

 **Chapter 171**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **Joeclone**

It's every writer's dream to make their readers feel the empathy of emotions they are trying to portray, but not when they get so sad! :(

When you said you were hoping you could have been like Klavier when it came to your relationships, did you mean by drowning your sorrows or (attempting) getting _over_ someone by getting _under_ someone else? Or finally coming to the realization that you were loved all along? (Although in the poor fop's case he made that realization a little too late!)

You seem like too much of a sweetheart for any of these sad scenarios… I suppose I don't know which one to wish upon you, as I'm under the impression you might be under the legal American drinking age? (Apologies if I am wrong!) All I can say is regardless of how old you are, you are one of my favorite readers and I'm sorry that I made you sad last chapter! I hope the comedy of this one made up for it somewhat sweetie!

Although not together as a couple, (I am following canon and Ema seemed to hold a grudge about what happened to Nick against the fop and I can't see her being disloyal enough to be with Klavier hence!) Ema and Klavier will definitely still be on screen as their fates play very importantly into the Fredgeworth storyline! It's going to be a wild ride! I couldn't ask for a greater reader to be addicted to my work even if I wanted to! I am so flattered! *hugs*

p.s. Thanks for _Diana Payne_ (aka Winston's wife) hun!

 **Ilet Moratar**

I love how you keep coming up with names for Elsa- first **White Rapunzel** now **Galadriel of Kurain!** I was asked if I was serious about shipping him with Simon (aka BlackMahdi) as their banter was so delightful in case 6-4, and I truly am, but I don't know who yet I'd pair The Twisted Samurai with in this tale, if anyone. But I _won't_ be putting Ema with the LOTR Elf Queen!

Back to your review….

First of all… _ewwwww_! I know you told me the prosecutors in your country are ugly (and now I saw the picture thanks for the bad dreams! LOL) but I didn't realize you actually had your _own_ lecherous _mondo-gross Payne_ to contend with! I have no desire to be wincing or grasping in Payne by meeting his real-life counterpart! _Gracias, pero no gracias, hermana_!

Ema make the fop jealous? Hmmm…who could she rustle up to ruffle the fop's feathers? ;)

My readers have generally been pretty amazing I am blessed. Even when they have other couple preferences, they have found in their hearts to enjoy this story. And this case, even those who may prefer Ema with White Rapunzel, as you call him, can still enjoy the struggles between the Snackoo muncher on the fop! Like I told _mi hermanita_ , it is not because I like torturing my readers or these wonderful characters that I had to create a monkey wrench for SkyeFop. Nick and Maya were apart because she was inexplicably gone for Apollo Justice, therefore she was not with Phoenix for over half the game timeline, and only came back to him in time for the last case.

Ema's dislike for Klavier is canon, and it's stated in the game she blames him for what happened to Phoenix. I don't think that resentment, no matter how charmed she is by him, could possibly _truly_ waiver until after she finds out he was Kristoph's puppet. That's why I couldn't put them together now; I felt like it really wouldn't feel genuine, as she would always have that nagging guilt in the back of her mind for falling for a man that cause such harm to someone so dear to her.

Now me keeping them apart for even _more_ purposes than just Nick… _That_ is because I'm evil! Bwahahahaha!

 _"There is no nostalgia worse, than to yearn for what never happened."_

 _Es verdad_ : Human nature dictates that we tend to long for what has been lost and even more for what could've been. It was probably a very humbling and eye-opening experience when Klavier realized that he has been desperately convincing himself Ema feels nothing for him but disdain and pity because it was _easier_ that way for him… Even though hopefully the readers sensed all along how he was fooling himself, as it _was_ reciprocated! After all, even though _no queiro hombres que son bonitos_ …(My heart belongs to Phoenix!) Klavier's _un muy caliente papi chulo_ – and only if she were a _vegetal_ would Ema not feel _something_ back, _yo penso_! ;)

I tried to make this chapter not a simple case of Ema automatically hates him again after this incident, but to add more layers to Klema's story, because she's now at a point where she can no longer easily do so… Because she was starting to fall for him too. And yes I finally made Klavier, in spite of being a man (whore) of the world who has _been there,_ and _done that_ (possibly twice!) at last recognize something that my readers have probably known all along… He does not just _like_ or even _lust_ Ema - he's fallen in love with her and he can't fall back out now!

p.s. Thanks for the idea of Edgy and Ema having a heart-to-heart. I hope you like what I did with the science nerd and her crush!

 **Yanmegaman**

I'm liking the Payneful puns, punny man! I'm thinking they have a Khura'inese cousin: Skreem'dhin Payne and Korean cousin, Yel Din Payne, who is always attended by his loyal dog, Howlden Payne! XD

I can just see savage Miles getting wind of the Fop's (no more booze for him though – in this story hilarious but generally bad things happen when the AA cast drinks!) moment of tender moment ruining: _"I'm guessing your shoe has blood on it too... you just shot yourself in the foot!"_

 **chloemcg**

I have been very lucky to have amazing readers like you who may not share all my shipping preferences but have been so supportive so thank you very kindly milady! *hugs*

Phoenix's disbarment created friction for most couples in this story with the exception of Fredgeworth, who have their own issues to deal with… It's all been a domino effect ever since for everyone, which is why I like the idea of making everyone's fates collide and coincide just the way the heavens intended!

I never meant for this chapter to be depressing but I think any good couple worth rooting for is going to have their obstacles and I didn't want this to be a simple case of girl hates boy because she thinks boy unjustly wronged her friend… (Hence the tornado devastation. Very poetically put! :)

Poor Klavier – his woes aren't done yet – (and not just pertaining to the horrible dueling meanie Paynes … If only he knew what a bullet he just dodged by almost getting assigned Mike Meekins as his assistant!) as in the looming horizon he finds out yet another inconvenient truth about his horrible brother… But not before he's going to need to _be_ a shoulder to lean on very soon… ;)

Finally back to Miles and therefore euro trip! Hope you enjoy this next arc!

 **Forgreatcoffee**

It's always funny how the puny little pipsqueaks like Payne attempt to be bullies when they undoubtedly were bullied for most of their lives… you think they'd be a bit more sympathetic? Yeesh.

I will leave it up to the reader to decide why Gaspen, a man in his late 50s who was getting elevator eyes to a lovely young woman in her 20s have to suddenly up and leave his apparently stellar career as a Manhattan prosecutor but considering he's also a vicious petty vengeful bastard who tried to get a little boy and Phoenix decapitated, can you really put anything past him? Into a body of water you say? I second the motion to have him dive headfirst into Winston's pool… The same one his brother avoids because chlorine affects his sinuses… Wearing cement shoes!

I tried to make it pretty obvious _Klavi-kins_ didn't want to be around anybody reminded him of Ema even marginally… Which is why he turned down the first green eyed brunette who hit on him and instead ended up bedding the complete opposite of the grumpy Detective: a pneumatic waitress whose sole purpose of having a body was to keep that head of hers from floating away! You don't get any more anti- _Ella_ – er, _Ema_! – than that! :p

I hope you enjoyed finding out what Gummy and the gang were up to his chapter!

 **CzarThwomp**

I am always delighted to give credit where credit is due and I bow to your comic genius, both in your stories and your reviews! I was giggling like a mad scientist in my attempts to incorporate your hilarious idea about the fop trying to envision Candi as Ema in this case with Snackoo foreplay!

Ema has come a long way from giving Klavier boot to the crotch and wanting to bludgeon him with his own chain… More than likely the thought of having violent history repeat itself ran through her mind that in the end, I think her heartache trumped all.

Come to think of it Elsa's irksome presence in SOJ was because of the prosecutor shortage wasn't it? I can't recall if that was explained or just fits in perfectly with this speculation, but Ima roll with _"most of the decent prosecutors fled the city within the first week in a mass exodus that would make Moses blush."_ (also am stealing that) :p

I decided to make Gaspen Payne be a disgusting perverse lecher on top of his many other canon sins including forging evidence and trying to get a nine-year-old boy sentenced to death along with the attorney who was trying to save him simply because said attorney beat him in court! And I here I thought Bitchtoff Gavin was a sore loser! I have no idea where his nauseating arrogance comes from… But earlier in the story Ema was speculating that men who drove flashy cars were obviously compensating for something which is why she prefers the guy with a pickup truck! Let's just say _he_ would need to have a _Lamborghini…_ XD

Due to the police shortage, I did make Mike Meekins get promoted from being a court bailiff to a police officer stuck on meter maid duty up until the fall of Howie Cheatum, where he's now allowed to be assigned to a prosecutor as needed – no matter how incompetent an assistant Meekins would be, Gumshoe just wants him out of his hair!

The idea of Twilight having any parallel to this story is sidesplitting. Franny _can_ seem cold (except when, _ahem_ , she's _fiery_!) and there's a hilarious FF out there by Mister Mystery ( /s/4362515/1/Ach-Dracul) where Edgy gets a black suit (minus silver glitter) and Nick mocks him to officially looking like Dracula! So that wasn't really a stretch. Lang the Wolf Man…that speaks for itself! LOL

p.s. I am shamelessly using your new christening of the Payne brothers from being Winston and Gaspen to _Tweedlescreechy_ and _Tweedleslimy_! Thanks funny man!

 **napoleon32**

Yay! Though have not forsaken me! :)

It's interesting that you sent them both at fault because whenever I do try to write a conflict between the characters like I did with Phoenix and Miles at the restaurant for Maya's wedding I do always intended to seem as though there are two good sides to the story and no one person is fully at fault on the rare instances that have been the case, it's glaringly evident!

While I have zero intention of making Klavier an alcoholic, I really did want to show his downward spiral and hopefully make it realistic, because there is no way a guy can lose his best friend's band and his brother and not to be affected by it the way they made it seem in the game!

Plus of course he's going to drink and be a man whore – he's a rock star! Achtung Baby

I also tried to make him a sympathetic character who had every reason to believe that because Ema has always treated him with scorn at every turn prior to, and even including the earlier part of, that night at his condo, it was easy for him to deduce and his morose state that any kindness or lack of struggling to park was purely done out of pity and nothing more.

That being said while no, poor Ema has no right to expect any kind of fidelity from a guy, he was so adorably sincere even though he give himself enough credit that she obviously thought that there could've maybe been a chance for _something…_ Or the very least he wouldn't _undo every single thing said_ by banging like a screen door in a hurricane, the more than amply endowed waitress he remembered before he ever remembered Ema … _the next night!_ I also think it's because poor Ema is an ingénue, and nowhere near as experienced with the opposite sex as Klavier that she took it so badly to heart.

That being said it means a lot to me that you're still with me. I realized that some of my readers may not have been happy with the way it ended the last SkyeFop arc, but I said it before and I'll say it again, happy couples are _boring_ and I really intended to give you guys a new couple to hopefully route for, even if things don't look the greatest right now for them… stay tuned to see if these two are deader than Romein LeTouse!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

I know what you mean about getting a blank face… I literally have no other friends who play Ace Attorney and the only spiky-haired character they know of a Sonic the Hedgehog! I am lucky if I can catch 1-5 maximum Ace Attorney characters whenever I go to a fan convention!

Klavier is a rock star is par for course he's going be no stranger to dipping into the sauce or dipping into the….ahem, be a _Mann Hurr_! XD

I'm glad you liked my little one-liner on the follicly challenged Payne brothers!

Considering this series has no qualms with the occasional suggestive themes like when Athena asked Apollo to tie her up and Dual Destinies and he asked if she was into that sort of thing, and has actually has used the word _bastard_ before (in the first Miles Edgeworth game) I'm surprised they haven't made the _Payne in the Ass_ reference yet… Or even tried to clean it up by saying _Payne in the neck_ or _Payne in the butt!_

Aha! So the trail of Snackoos was missed by nobody except by MR herself of course with Klavier's luck being what it was this telltale sign was not mentioned until after she had left fighting back tears! That man's need some sort of love advice indeed showering Ema with her favorite crunchy snacks as opposed to showering with a bimbo waitress would have been a great _peace_ offering instead of getting a _piece…_ OK I'll stop now! :p

I'm really happy that you seem to share the very rarely expressed notion that in the last SOJ case, (when we're not listening to his hilarious inner monologue and sing him sweat drop at the thought of no longer being able to _live long and prosper!)_ Phoenix is actually a _very_ competent Ace Attorney! He has obviously perfected his AJ poker face to the point where there was no twitching that Herr Forehead could pick up on that something was awry… Although don't get me started about _why the hell the useless as a screen door on a submarine_ Athena _could not hear the discord in his heart_! (Don't get me wrong I love big red but they really did a number on her character into regressing it in SOJ!)

I'm very much looking forward to hearing your thoughts about Turnabout Time Traveler! It's my favorite case of all time!

 **Luffy**

A mi querida Maya,

While I swear to you it was never my intention to attempt to write a chapter with sadness that rivaled Phaya's, I _did_ want to try to give extra layers to the traditional "girl hates boy for being a pompous/womanizing bastard" story and hopefully give my readers a couple to root for against all odds, in the same manner as Nick and Maya, _pero lo siento por tus lágrimas mi hermanita_!

Yes, Ema wears her heart on her sleeve and it's pretty obvious when she's angry or stressed out or said (because she puffed out her adorable cheeks and munches Snackoos like a chipmunk on steroids!) but I'd like to think that while her reflex would've been to channel her inner Latina and bludgeon the fop's head with the first available object the way she attempted to with his mango a few chapters ago, that she still would be able to keep her cool if she really needed to. After all, Ema is still (the world's most reluctant!) homicide detective, and that was what allowed her to hold her head high and not let the fop see her cry! I personally do my best to live by the motto of the words that Lana gave her little sister, which is to not let him see your pain and keep your dignity! I think the older Skye sister would've been proud of her!

It means a lot to me that even though I depressed you with this chapter you still like the way I described introduce the feelings of the characters, and that you trust me enough to still stick with the story even though things have taken a slippery slope for SkyeFop!

Even though Klavier kinda sucks right now for his impulsive behavior, let's give him some credit for at least knowing the error of his ways immediately even though he did make the realization of little too late… But in this story and really do know when it's too late… Nick was on his proverbial third strike before he finally whisked Maya away from the altar! ;)

 _Abrazos a ti ya tu esposo!_

Mia

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

It means a lot to me that you picked up on the fact that I do try to show whenever possible the guys in the story when they are with someone they love versus when it is just a purely lust infused carnal encounter. I was able to show that with Miles when he was with Lana versus with Franziska, and to a slightly lesser degree with Phoenix and Tiffany compared to when he's with Maya but it's _really_ fun (and admittedly easier!) to do when you're a man whore rock star with a heart of gold underneath all the womanizing! Ema is definitely cute but obviously not the lingerie model-league like the fop would be used to which I only think makes it more adorable that he's fallen for her!

I not only giggled maniacally at the Weird Al video but at the term _overstuffed floozy_ , which was pretty much the way I was trying to portray Candi Kane (hooray! Somebody _did_ catch on to the fact that he _wasn't_ screaming out _Bella_ in bed!) I really can't see how someone with his lifestyle although very knowledgeable of the opposite sex would actually recognize love unless it slapped him in the face (or in the case with Ema gave him a boot to the _Glied_!). When you combine that lack of knowledge about matters of the _heart_ (I will try to refrain from the obvious joke of the fact that he spent too much of his life knowing and perhaps surplus knowledge of matters of the _parts_ – oops I just did!) With the fact that I can't see Ema being overly knowledgeable about these things either you have a couple at odds.

I've always enjoyed Ema's loyalty. You know that she holds Klavier responsible for what happened to Phoenix even though we know the poor guy was duped by Kristoph, and once again you see it in Spirit of Justice when White Rapunzel forces her to testify against Maya who she is friends with, even though it's her job to do so. Ema's reluctance and sadness is palpable and only made me like her more. It's because I see the character so fiercely loyal that I could not see her not having any kind of guilt of her and Klavier were to be together right now because would always be the pink elephant in the room that she was falling for a man who had ruined Phoenix's life. How could they actually truly be happy under those circumstances?

To be honest I have a very good friend (I like to think of him as a lovable Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh!) who, along with some other people I know, are so afraid of being disappointed that they convince themselves of the worst-case scenario or of their desire of being entirely impossible despite there being clues about the contrary!

Said friend was what inspired me to make it that Klavier literally persuaded himself despised the glaring evidence the readers were aware of, that Ema didn't offer any resistance that memorable night together for any reason other than pity!

To a slightly lesser degree it is also what I did in Fredgeworth's love story (The Ties That Bind) when Miles was also no stranger disappointment in life, convinced himself that there was no way Franziska was interested in a traditional relationship of marriage and family, so he used every excuse to make himself see her as the girl he'd always known rather than the woman she'd become, because he was too terrified to admit that was always all he's ever wanted.

 _Cofftin_ Payne was a hilarious name that was suggested by Jove's Boy as a Payne relative and _Diana_ was the brainchild of JoeClone. I really do have the greatest readers ever to help make the puns even more groan inducing than usual at times don't I?

I'm really happy my attempted humor was still evident throughout the heartache. I cannot emphasize enough how happy couples are boring! Now that Nick and Maya are together they are going to join them ranks of Larris, Feyt and Magshoe and sort of be sidelined (albeit not quite as back burned as it is _their_ story!)

It means the world to me that you're rooting for this couple and are going to stick with this story. It is always a joy to hear from you. Also, _you_ above all people know that even though I love putting the Ace Attorney characters hearts through the wringer… I am a diehard romantic in the end! ;)

P.S. My readers really do influence me – I decided to pay that Weird Al tune some homage! Thanks pal!

 **Brock's Geodude**

Ace Attorney characters are very real to us because none of them are really a boring Mary or Gary Sue's… they are relatable and they are flawed and that's what makes them so interesting. At times I feel like the games portrayed Klavier as a bit too perfect – this man-pretty, flirty, friendly guy who was so _good_ he's even willing to help out the competition! It was almost like they were trying to gloss over how he unwittingly cost the main character of the series his badge and it drove me crazy! He's a rocker, I thought, surely he has flaws? Surely he didn't endure all he did suffrage wise with that gleaming grin in place _not_ being a façade?!

However, as much as I've been enjoying playing on the stereotype of Klavier being no stranger to dipping into the sauce and being a man whore, since he is a rock star ( _and_ a lawyer), I have no intention of making him be an alcoholic. No more drinking for the TE cast unless it's in celebration or hilarity! That's why I actually made his next day _hair of the dog_ for his hangover be nothing more than, which to a guy like him, with his built-up tolerance, would be barely have any effect. Did you know in parts of the world including Europe, beer is not only cleaner but cheaper than water? :)

The events of the final case a.k.a. Turnabout Succession are just around the corner, which means that the one lingering strike Klavier still has against him which is ever the pink elephant in the room (and a part of Ema is still resenting him, is for his part in Nick's disbarment) will be abolished… We'll just have to see how or even if he ever can rid himself of the other strikes built up against him in this chapter! ;)


	173. Born To Be My Baby

_A/N One last hurrah for the AA gang before switching continents next chapter…brace yourself for fluff and music galore in this table-turning, longer (but I hope worthwhile!) read!_

* * *

 _Rainy night and we worked all day_  
 _We both got jobs 'cause there's bills to pay_  
 _We got something they can't take away_  
 _Our love, our lives_

 _Close the door, leave the cold outside_  
 _I don't need nothing when I'm by your side_  
 _We got something that'll never die_  
 _Our dreams, our pride_

 _My heart beats like a drum (all night)_  
 _Flesh to flesh, one to one (and it's alright)_  
 _And I'll never let go cause_  
 _There's something I know deep inside_

 _You were born to be my baby_  
 _And baby, I was made to be your man_

 _We got something to believe in_  
 _Even if we don't know where we stand_  
 _Only God would know the reasons_  
 _But I bet he must have had a plan_  
 _Cause you were born to be my baby_  
 _And baby, I was made to be your man_

 _Light a candle, blow the world away_  
 _Table for two on a TV tray_  
 _It ain't fancy, baby that's OK_  
 _Our time, our way_

 _So hold me close better hang on tight_  
 _Buckle up, baby, it's a bumpy ride_  
 _We're two kids hitching down the road of life_  
 _Our world, our fight_

 _If we stand side by side (all night)_  
 _There's a chance we'll get by (and it's alright)_  
 _And I'll know that you'll be live_  
 _In my heart till the day that I die_

 _Cause you were born to be my baby_  
 _And baby, I was made to be your man_

 _We got something to believe in_  
 _Even if we don't know where we stand_  
 _Only God would know the reasons_  
 _But I bet he must have had a plan_  
 _Cause you were born to be my baby_  
 _And baby, I was made to be your man_

 _My heart beats like a drum (all night)_  
 _Flesh to flesh, one to one (and it's alright)_  
 _And I'll never let go cause_  
 _There's something I know deep inside_

 _Cause you were born to be my baby_  
 _And baby, I was made to be your man_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Three: Born To Be My Baby**

 _The Borscht Bowl Club  
_ July 12, 2026 6:45 PM

"Are you sure _this_ is the place?" The woman asked, dubiously regarding the faded name on the sign of the establishment in front of her. "I've only heard about it by reputation, but have never been here."

"It's the same name and address on the flyer the wind _literally_ blew in my mug the moment I stepped out the door. It's a destined sign if I ever heard of one." The man spit out the toothpick dangling from the corner of his mouth and replaced it with a cigarette, which bobbed as he spoke. "Let's head on in."

Around dinnertime, most of The Borscht Bowl regulars were either dining elsewhere or in the upstairs restaurant, with a scarcely populated bar area this early in the evening. However, the few patrons present all swiveled their heads and turned to simultaneously gawk at the large, imposing man and his female companion as they entered the Russian lower level tavern.

The hulking titan was easily a clear head higher than what most people would consider tall – about 7'5" easily – and not at all lanky like an NBA player. He was literally a tower of bunched muscles, visible even beneath his jeans and flannel shirt, the rolled up sleeves exposing tree trunk forearms. Appearing to be in his early 60's, but clearly still a force to be reckoned with, his rough, tanned mien was covered in faded scar tissue aplenty, with only a few wrinkles around his sharp golden eyes. He sported a chestnut and silver streaked mane, buzzed at the sides, but the hair circling the top of his head from his widow's peak was left to grow and fall over the sides, stopping short just past the tops of his ears. The final touch was a braided rattail at the base of his neck, forming a lion's tail brush at the end. Well-groomed muttonchops and a bushy goatee circled his chin and mouth, from which dangled an unlit cigarette.

Taking one gander at the newest arrivals standing in the doorway, Tyler decided he'd rather die of secondhand smoke inhalation before he told this walking hulk of a man that it was a _non-smoking establishment!_

With the blonde trailing by his side, the stranger lumbered right up to the bar and thumped a huge, leathered hand onto the counter – although luckily, made no move to light up.

The tapster eyed the two new patrons warily. While the pretty, honey-haired woman of medium height and build seemed harmless enough – slightly younger than the man, though she'd aged well, with scarcely noticeable lines around her stunning Peridot eyes – the intimidating giant was something else entirely; _definitely_ not the sort you'd want to bump into in a dark alley!

Squinting up into the weathered phizog, Tyler briefly wondered how many jokes and comments about his stature the man had gotten daily, such as jibes about "the air being thin up there." Not that _he'd_ dare make such commentary. He valued his job – and his _life_! – too damn much!

This guy didn't look like he had a sense of humor.

"Tell me something, son." The customer's deep voice sounded like a rumble of thunder. "Word on the street says _this_ is the place where a certain legendary _bird_ of law and truth has morphed into an infamous card shark that lures in unsuspecting _pigeons_ who try to challenge him in poker."

"Oh, you mean _Phoenix_?" Tyler cleared his throat nervously. "Um, he's off tonight."

"Such a damn shame." The visitor's expression was unreadable. "I was sorely hoping to… _bump_ into him."

"You wouldn't want to bump him _too hard_!" The barkeep's words died in his throat as he found himself being met with stone-cold silence at the attempted joke. "You'd knock him right over!"

The young man was so skittish, he entirely missed the barely discernable, half-upward twitch of the stranger's mouth, or the telltale smirk on the woman's lips, in response to the jibe. Gulping hard, Tyler hastily attempted to atone.

"Er, as luck would have it though, our poker champ called earlier because he needed to speak to the owners, but they aren't going to be in until a bit later tonight. Phoenix _did_ mention he'd pop by then. But, um, that won't be for a few more hours."

"Sounds good." The man idly stroked his 5 o'clock shadow and pulled up a stool for the woman beside him, a wicked glint in his eye. "Looks like I've got some time to kill."

* * *

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
_** _Wright Anything Agency  
_ July 12, 2026 7:30 PM

" _Cheers_!" Phoenix sunk down on the lower level agency sofa and raised his wineglass of sparkling prosecco he and Maya had picked up after their celebration dinner at Alden Tae's. "To finally extinguishing the flame of the Dragon Lady, once and for all!"

"Here's to _you_ , Mildew!" Maya tittered. "May you suffer in the dregs of the Gulag as much as you've made everyone else around you suffer your miserable existence all these years!"

"I'll drink to that!"

The smiling duo intertwined their arms and then Maya lifted her drink to Phoenix's mouth, while he did the same with his, raising it to her lips, and then each took a long swig of the cold fizzy libation from the other's flute.

"I so wish the girls were here right now!" The spirit medium set down her goblet on the coffee table and let out a sigh. "This is _such_ a momentous event that we're celebrating and I wish we had more people to rejoice with us! At least we can toast with Boris and Natasha later this evening… When did Tyler say they're going to be in?"

"Around 9:00 or so."

"Well, I guess it's just you and me with some time to kill until then?" She winked, then jumped up from the couch and flicked on the stereo. "Let's make this a real commemoration… And spice things up with some _tuneage_!"

A loud, pulsating beat filled the room.

"Ooh! I _love_ this song!" Maya began shimmying her hips. "This a classic by Timbaland! FYI, he's a seriously famous music producer and rapper, just to keep you in the loop, Old Man!"

"I am fully aware of who he is!" Phoenix informed her wryly. "I actually know this song, too! You're not the _only_ one with a teenage daughter who has bad taste in music!"

" _Bad taste_?" She took the remote and turned the song up to nearly full blast. "Nick, you old fart! This song is amazeballs! Plus, it was _made_ for you and me!"

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him to his feet and began wriggling herself up and down the snickering pianist's form.

 ** _I ain't got no money  
I ain't got no car to take you on a date  
I can't even buy you flowers  
But together we'll be the perfect soulmates  
Talk to me girl  
_**

"Maya, what are you _doing_?"

Phoenix couldn't stop laughing as he gauchely attempted to scuffle his feet to the beat – he was a much better singer than dancer – and listened to the admitted _fitting_ lyrics about a man who had nothing to offer the woman he loved, except his heart, because he didn't have a cent to his name.

There had been a time such a sharp parallel reminder about his own circumstances would have stung. But since Larris's wedding, when Maya had blithely risked everything to show how she'd remain forever affixed by his side, Phoenix was left with no room for any bleakness within his heart.

Besides that, it was _impossible_ to be in a funk with the tantalizing sight of his lyrical lover warbling the next chorus whilst shaking her moneymaker.

 ** _Baby if you strip, you can get a tip_** ** _  
Cause I like you just the way you are  
_** ** _(I'm about to strip and I'm well equipped  
Can you handle me the way I'm are?)_** ** _  
_** ** _I don't need the G's or the car keys  
Boy I like you just the way you are_** ** _  
Let me see ya strip, you can get a tip  
Cause I like, I like, I like…_**

" _Thug_ it out?" Phoenix parroted, giving an unprepared yelp as his girlfriend snatched his aqua hat and placed it onto her head, looking for all intents and purposes, like a pint-sized, wannabe gangsta. "Maya, what the _heck_ …"

"At least _try_ to move to the beat, Mr. _Double Left Foot_!" She playfully stuck out her tongue and tugged at his hands, trying to speed along his inept shuffling. "Or, if you insist on boogieing like _the whitest man in North America_ , at least _sing_ along!"

 ** _I ain't got no Visa  
I ain't got no Red American Express  
We can't go nowhere exotic  
It don't matter cause I'm the one that loves you best…_**

Phoenix stopped pretending to have any rhythm whatsoever and instead began to slowly savor the sensation of the magnificent Kurain Master grinding against his body and continuing to gyrate her hips in an unmistakably provocative manner, creating a slow burn within him while his avid gaze marveled at the titillating view of his woman in her man's attire.

On _him_ , that cap looked hobo chic, at best. On _Maya_ , it looked _dead sexy._

Especially alluring was the way the too-large beanie slung low over one twinkling orb, which, as she tossed back her hair, was now knowingly winking at him.

The heat simmering within him intensified as he drank in just _how_ _hot_ his dancing queen looked in his gear while continually pressing her undulating hips back against him.

Between her suggestive ministrations and the sight of her in his hat, Phoenix yearned more than anything to _keep_ seeing her in it … while wearing absolutely _nothing_ else. And suddenly, the only thing he cared about was showing Maya Fey just how good _his_ moves could be, as well.

But it _wouldn't_ be while on his feet. Or _vertical_ …

"Come here, my little booty shaker." He abruptly snagged Maya by the waist and unceremoniously tossed her back onto the sofa. "You've made your point."

" _Hey_!" She protested laughingly, not expecting to be interrupted mid-performance. "What gives?"

"I don't need no rapper in the background reminding me about art imitating life, and that just like his lady in the song, _you_ don't need me to flash my non-existent cash to impress you. _In spite of this …"_

His indigo eyes smoldered as he stared down at her flushed visage.

"If you want to _let me see you strip, you'll_ definitely get more than _just a tip_ …"

Maya's breath caught in her throat as his intentions became _quite_ clear, and she reflexively reached up to stroke his jaw with her fingertips, the fevered sensation in her mocha orbs now matching his.

 _Nothing is sexier than someone who wants you as much as you want them._

"You've more than proved to me – and to the entire world – that no matter what, you're not going anywhere, my love. And I've had more than enough proof at this point that regardless of where my life path or my fate leads takes me, I was _made_ to be your man."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her up towards him, his gaze intense.

"And you, my love? What were _you_ born for? To be play double duty as Master of Kurain and my unofficial investigative partner in trying to clean my name? To be mistress of Fey Manor by day, and my no-longer-secret lover by night? To someday be the wife of a man who may or may not get his badge back, and might be a subpar pianist the rest of his life, but will love you till the end of his days?"

Maya stared up into his loving gaze, and as always, found herself helplessly lost.

 _Only in the eyes of love can you find infinity._

It wasn't his taut, toned physique that'd haunted her dreams almost since day one, and never ceased to rise her from even the deepest slumber, aching and yearning for his touch, or the heated lips which never failed to set her ablaze.

 _It's never been just about the physical with me and Nick._ _When we've made love, it's been_ _how we've openly surrendered to this unbounded love, even as thoughts come and go, fears clench and pass, and desires ebb and flow. But it's easy to take off your clothes and copulate for the hell of it. People do it all the time. Yet opening up your soul to someone, letting them into your spirit, thoughts, fears, future, hopes, dreams… **that** is being naked. That's why with us, sex is not just sex – it's_ _the outermost layer; deep inside is sempiternal love._

Phoenix was her heart and the breath of her body. She wouldn't leave him, irrespective of circumstances. She _couldn't_.

"I was born for _you_." She held out her arms to him. "I can't live without you, Nick."

" _Maya_." His eyes were blazing as he leaned his head down towards hers. "I'll never be able to look at your face without loving you."

" _Nick_ ," she whispered, already raising herself upward. "Oh, Nick…"

The next thing she knew, he had slammed his lips to hers and nearly knocked all wind from her lungs. Maya hardly had a moment to react before he pressed his tongue to the seam of her lips and, at her grant of access, delved inside her mouth. It was a fervent, passionate kiss, with the lingering taste of wine being exchanged in the intermingling of their billowing breaths.

Her arms reached up and tangled around his strong neck. In an instant she'd pulled away and arched up into his broad chest, moaning in the contact of body heat against her own, before she drew back into his lips. She could nearly feel the slight burn of the wine as it rolled off her tongue and seeped down her throat with every thrust of his tongue against hers. Then she pushed Phoenix backward and climbed atop him, so that he was seated back against the cushions and she was now astride his lap, their lips still infused.

All the while, the stereo in the background continued to blare, while the enamored pair remained blissfully unaware of what was happening in the outside hallway.

* * *

 ** _Apollo Justice and the Fey/Wright Family  
_** _Wright Anything Agency  
_ July 12, 2026 7:40 PM

 ** _My baby, he don't talk sweet  
He ain't got much to say  
But he loves me, loves me, loves me  
I know that he loves me anyway_**

" _Somebody's_ got an affinity for retro tunes!"

Apollo's voice was muffled by the nearly sky-high armload of boxes and parcels he was carrying as he approached what he imagined was the Wright Anything Agency door.

"I could hear the music blasting all the way down the hall! Is your father hard of hearing, Trucy?"

 ** _And maybe he don't dress fine  
But I don't really mind  
'Cause every time he pulls me near  
I just wanna cheer_**

"Don't be rude, Polly! Daddy's not _that_ old!" Trucy chided, walking ahead of the bellyaching ersatz bellboy and fumbling for her keys. "Being a music man, he just _really_ loves classic 80's musicals, especially _Dirty Dancing_. I know that song from _Footloose_. I guess that means Daddy's home!"

 ** _Let's hear it for the boy  
Oh, let's give the boy a hand  
Let's hear it for my baby  
You know you gotta understand  
Oh, maybe he's no Romeo  
But he's my lovin' one-man show  
Oh, whoa, let's hear it for the boy_**

"Well then I wish you'd called Mr. Wright when the cab dropped us out front to come help me with all this stuff!" Apollo grunted. "I can't believe I didn't break my neck climbing the stairs, since I can't see _anything_ over these packages!"

"Maybe Mr. Nick's having a party?"

Pearl shifted the bags in her own hands and cautiously kept her distance behind the red attorney and the precariously hobbling, heavy stack he was holding.

"Last time I checked, Mr. Nick could hear _just fine_! Unless there's some side effect from his accident last month we still don't know about?"

 ** _My baby may not be rich  
He's watchin' every dime  
But he loves me, loves me, loves me  
We always have a real good time  
And maybe he plays off-key  
But that's alright by me, yeah  
'Cause what he does, he does so well  
Makes me wanna yell…_**

"I'd almost be _more_ upset if Daddy was having a party and didn't invite me, than if he really _was_ losing his hearing already!" Trucy joked, flinging the door open, Apollo at her heels, with Pearl right behind him. "Hey Daddy! Pearly came down and we went shopping and Polly's our pack mule … _ACK!"_

She sharply halted mid-sentence as her jaw hit the floor upon the sight that greeted her, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

A flash of blue caught the corner of her vision, and the gobsmacked magician was dimly aware it was the bright cyan knitted beanie she'd made for Phoenix years ago that'd caught her attention. It was the fact that _he_ wasn't the one wearing it which was presently making her feet be cemented in place within the open doorway. Trucy was almost not even aware of Apollo subsequently bumping into her back, as the unassuming Pearl had collided headfirst into _him_.

It was _one_ thing to _know_ she and her best friend had been successful in their joint Cupid endeavors with her father and Future New Mommy – whom Trucy _still_ had not met yet, because … reasons.

It was quite _another_ thing to _see_ – _literally_ accompanied by full stereo, surround sound – the fruits of their labor, _live_ and _in living color_!

Her scandalized eyes presently comprehended that it was _Maya_ wearing _said_ _beanie_ … And her _Daddy_ was wearing the straddling _Maya –_ all over _him!_

The obsidian-haired woman was as mindless to their presence as Phoenix. Their hungry mouths were preoccupied with wildly exploring one another's, while groping and grinding against each other with crazed abandon, not unlike _a pair of cats in heat_!

"Trucy, why are you just _standing_ there?" Apollo inquired grumpily, trying to push past her to get in to the office. "My arms are about to fall off! This stuff is _heavy_!"

Strangely enough, in room where it appeared a _helicopter_ could have landed without notice, the seemingly _conjoined_ twosome had been so engrossed in their activities that the unsuspecting triad had been unnoticed until now. This was possible due to the fully cranked stereo, which had somehow masked their chattering arrival and Trucy's initial startled shriek.

Ultimately, the passionate pair at last managed to become mindful of having an audience upon hearing Apollo's _Chords of Steel_ above the din, as the greenhorn chose _that second_ to do a side peek around the tower of boxes to determine what'd caused their three-man collision!

The egregious spotting of the entwined twosome, still in their amorous clinch, by the sore, tired and now _grouchy_ Clarion of Revelations resulted in the stack of packages collectively falling from the astonished boy's arms to the floor, and the stupefied phrase being blurted at full decibel, before he could stop himself.

 _"By Odin's Beard!"_

The crimson-cheeked lovers froze, and only ceased _sucking face_ at the booming sound of the greenhorn's voice!

Without even thinking, Apollo reflexively swung out both his arms to the sides and simultaneously clapped a hand over Pearl and Trucy's dumbfounded orbs. The defense attorney fervently wished _he_ could somehow _un-see_ the sight of the ebony-haired woman's nearly bared shoulders, which her robes had partially slid down from, and his boss's mostly exposed torso, as Phoenix's hoodie was undone, and his T-shirt hiked up around his neck!

 _Great Hammer of Thor!_ The aghast red attorney thought wildly. _Imagine if we'd gotten here_ _merely_ **_five minutes_** _**later**! Gah!_

Failing to notice that in her shock, Trucy had unconsciously released and discarded Mr. Hat to one side, and gaping like a fish out of water, the beet-red young man attempted to smooth over the embarrassing scenario (having now dropped his shielding hands from both girls' eyes).

He took a step forward, frantically wracking his brain of a way to diffuse things by saying something – _anything_! – only to find himself stubbing his toe on the metal coat rack, knocking over the umbrella stand, and somehow managing to trip over Mr. Hat as a grand finale, face planting on the carpet alongside the scattered shopping parcels.

Fortunately no one paid him the slightest attention, because in the next instant Pearl was clutching her cheeks and squealing something incomprehensible while Trucy gaped at the horny pair, at a loss of words. Phoenix and Maya simply gawped at their unplanned arrivals like a pair of guilty teenagers.

Attempting to regain her dignity, the Master snapped out of her stupor and hopped off her beau like a jackrabbit, hastily attempting to refasten and smooth out her robes and fix her disheveled hair, while the pianist shot up from the couch and quickly pulled his shirt back into place.

Pearl tactfully reached down and helped the mortified Apollo to his feet.

" _Trucy_!" Maya offered the magician her most engaging smile while graciously inclining her head at her daughter and then the horn-fringed gamin. "And _you_ must be Apollo! I've heard so much about you…"

" _Really_?" Croaked the still-staggered rookie. "Because this is _my_ first time hearing anything about _you_ …"

Looking around the room, he noted that _Pearl_ was the _only_ one of the three who didn't seem in the least blown away by this bizarre situation. In fact, the spirit medium looked positively _starry eyed_! Trucy no longer appeared taken aback either, although her expression was now indecipherable, and her eyes were fixated on the cap Maya still wore on her head.

"Hey there, kids. Ah, didn't expect to see either of you at all." Phoenix zipped his sweatshirt back up and nervously stuffed his hands in the pockets, at last spotting the petite pretzel-haired girl, who'd been partially obscured by Apollo. "And – _Pearls_! Hello! _Erm_ , what a nice surprise!"

"Hi, Mr. Nick." Pearl offered weakly, finally seeming to grasp that the others becoming cognizant of her OTP may not be as ideal as she'd thought it would be! "Um, _likewise_ , I'm sure?"

" _Sooo_ …." Phoenix awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Ah, I guess these long overdue introductions are in order? Apollo, Trucy, this is Maya Fey…"

"Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique," Apollo finished, his hazel eyes wide. "Wait – I _have_ heard of you! I've seen your face in all the newspapers!"

"I guess I'm more famous than I thought?" Maya didn't know what else to say. "Although if anything, I thought the young folks would know me more from my viral stream of the _Coyote Ugly_ cover!"

"I've been jobless until recently, and the internet costs extra!" Apollo admitted sheepishly. "But I've seen the headlines! You were engaged to that hair heir guy…"

"Not anymore." Phoenix gave a sickly grin. "I sort of turned Maya into a Runaway Bride last month…"

"I mean, when I met Pearl this afternoon, she _told_ me she had a cousin named _Maya,_ but I failed to make the connection until now!" Apollo pressed his index against his forehead as he scanned the recesses of his memory. "Wait! You used to be Mr. Wright's assistant! Um, well obviously you're _more_ than just _that_ …"

"You mean you didn't know Mystic Maya was Mr. Nick's Special Someone, Mr. Apollo?" Pearl looked puzzled. "They've been together since he lost his badge!"

" _No_ I did _not_ know! Nobody tells me _anything_!"

* * *

 ** _Trucy Wright and Maya Fey  
_** _Wright Anything Agency  
_ July 12, 2026 7:45 PM

Trucy found her voice at last, her lapis orbs still riveted on the beanie perched atop the Kurain leader's dark hair, one gloved hand clapped to her parted lips.

"Holy Harry Houdini…that _beanie_!" The top-hatted teen pointed at the accessory in question. "You're wearing _Daddy's_ beanie!"

" _Oh dear God_!" Maya let out a horrified gasp, naturally assuming she had committed an unpardonable sin, and yanked the offending item off her head, leaving the raven tresses puffed out from static. She hurriedly tossed the cap back to its owner, who promptly put it back on. "I – I'm _so_ sorry Trucy! I wasn't thinking…"

Phoenix hastily jumped in, attempting to thwart disaster.

"Baby girl, _please_ don't be upset! Maya didn't mean anything by it!" He reached a placating hand out to his daughter. "You know I love that hat! I hardly take it off!"

"Oh _Daddy_!" Trucy cried, her voice trembling as she rushed past them and out of the room. "You don't _understand_!"

There was a loud thudding of the girl's white boots racing up the stairs leading to the upper level apartment following the impromptu departure.

Pearl, Apollo, and the couple were rendered speechless. The only sound in the office was the forgotten music still in the background, and the teenage spirit medium quickly snatched the remote on the coffee table, powering it off. Then she bit her thumb as she helplessly eyed her guardian and the two flummoxed men.

"This was never the way I wanted to meet your daughter, Nick!" Maya shot a stricken glance at her boyfriend. "What a disaster! She hates me _already_!"

"Don't say that! I'm sure she doesn't _hate_ you..." Phoenix's voice trailed off unconvincingly as he cast his uncertain view up the stairs behind him. "Maybe I should go after her…?"

"I'd always hoped Trucy would be as over the moon as _I've_ always been about you two being together!" Pearl said miserably. "I honestly thought she was as happy as I was about helping you guys reconcile!"

Her shoulders slumped dejectedly.

"She and I always loved being like cousins all these years! Since last month, the only thing we've been talking about is how exciting it is that someday we'll be _sisters_ …"

"Relax, Pearly."

Trucy reappeared almost as swiftly as she'd vanished, flashing a reassuring smile for her best friend's benefit. Then, striding up to Maya, she regarded the older woman with an unreadable expression for the longest time, before slowly producing the famous oversized, heart decorated bloomers, her fingers clearly shaking.

"Daddy recently told me that _you're_ the one who actually gave me these seven years ago, during my first Christmas with him," she said shyly. "At the time, of course, he had various reasons for keeping you, and your relationship, a secret from me, so he told me they were from Santa. You have no idea how happy I am to at last let you know, in person, that these magic panties have actually become my signature performance prop! Thank you so much."

Maya hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath this entire time, but as she released the pent up air from her lungs, the collective outward expelling of oxygen echoed around the room as everybody else resumed normal breathing as well.

"You're welcome, sweetie," she managed to utter, the relief evident in her tone. "It was very difficult shopping for a little girl I'd never met, but I did my best. Luckily for me, you believed in magic and miracles for so long, Nick was able to get away with claiming Santa gave you all those mysterious gifts up until you were 13."

"I'm too old to believe in Santa now, but I've never stopped believing in otherworldly miracles."

Trucy looked Maya right in the eye, and the Master was astonished to see a tear trembling on the edge of the teenager's lashes. She felt her own lips begin to quiver.

"Because of _you_ , I understand the love of God so much more clearly. He says He loves us unconditionally and freely gives us all things, and was willing to sacrifice everything He had to prove His love for us. In the same manner, I know that all these years, _you've_ been the one buying me all these expensive gifts for Christmas and my birthday. _You've_ been paying our rent so the two of us could get by. _You_ showed us what it was like to be able to have enough and be perfectly content."

Apollo inexplicably felt his chest constrict at hearing this unexpected poignancy. He felt torn – as though he was invading a very intimate moment. Nonetheless, the magician's heartfelt words struck a chord within him, and he knew he just couldn't find it in him to simply leave the family to their privacy, even though he was sure social protocol would have dictated that he should. Yearning to hear more, he waited for Trucy to continue addressing the tremulous, liquid-eyed woman.

"You didn't know when you first started dating my Daddy, you were inadvertently dating _me_ too! I might not have been there for all of the dinners, movies, trips, or romance, but you knew eventually, I would be around for most everything else. That you weren't scared about an additional burden amazes me, and the way you've still managed to show your love for me, even in absentia, greatly humbles me. For that, I'll never be able to repay you, but having the chance to finally get to thank you as my New Mommy today excites me beyond measure."

A barely stifled, elated cry escaped Pearl's lips. Wordlessly, Phoenix walked over and wrapped a loving arm around the spirit medium's shoulder, clasping her against him while she rested her head against his side and watched the tableau further unfold.

" _You_ have selflessly given so much of yourself to take care of Daddy and me, and constantly gone above and beyond the call of duty to show us how much you care about us – for my Daddy, but moreover for _me_ , and you didn't even _know_ me! Now I finally get the chance to express my gratitude to you. Thank you for all you've done for us. Moreover, I want to thank you for showing my Daddy what it was to be truly loved; for loving him so selflessly and for helping him smile again. Only _you_ could have done that, and because of that, you're the only woman who deserves this great man."

Trucy wiped a stray droplet from her eye, and unknownst to anyone else in the room, Apollo discreetly found himself doing the same.

"Although we all have our moments, Daddy included, you've known just how to handle him, support him, and give him a little kick in the pants. You treated my Daddy like the king he is, and have given him the unconditional love that he needs and deserves, just as you've done with Pearly. Thank you for taking care of Pearly and being _her_ mommy, and managing to have room in your heart for _me_. I will never be able to tell you how much that means to me."

Taking a deep breath, Trucy reached into her magic panties, and whipped out a pink item. Clenching it tightly in her fist, she stared intently into Maya's eyes, and saw the umber orbs staring back into hers were glistening.

"Daddy once joked that you used to make fun of his hat and always tried to make him take it off, saying it made him look like a hobo. Even though all this time I've been scared about how you'd react, I just couldn't help myself and spent the past month working on this for you. Today, when I saw how amazing you looked in that beanie I made for Daddy, I hoped it meant that you didn't hate it anymore. But more than that, I was hoping with all my heart that you'd like this one I made especially for you, since you're going to be my New Mommy."

The magician held up the smaller beanie, bearing an identical yellow smiley face. Just like Phoenix's, which had pink characters that read _Papa_ , this one had a large, meticulously stitched word on the rose knit as well. The sky colored letters spelt out: _Mama_.

"I know it's not much."

The huge blue eyes were earnest as they peered beseechingly at the village leader, who was now officially sniffling and sobbing, wiping at her eyes over a maternal smile that reflected off every shimmering drop.

"You've shown us kindness, love, and now you've given me my heart's desire – what I've been pleading with Daddy for all along. You didn't _have_ to love me. You _chose_ to. For that, and for just being who you _are_ … I want you to know that I love you already. And I really hope you can accept this small token of my love, and maybe even wear it once in a while…"

" _Trucy_!" Maya choked, her chest heaving with sobs as she seized the beanie from the proffered hands and clutched it to her heart. Then she grabbed the teen so quickly, her top hat fell off, unnoticed, to the floor and clenched her into such a tight bear hug, Trucy would have been crushed if she hadn't already been hugging the Master back so hard.

"I've been waiting so long for this day, you precious angel. You have no idea how jealous I was of Pearly for getting to know you so long before I ever did! Witnessing how happy my little girl was to have found a sister after all these years, seeing you be the light in Nick's life…all those things made me love you even more, just by association. Before I even met you, just hearing Nick, and then later, Pearly, share so many stories about you, I felt as if I already knew you."

Rocking her back and forth, Maya held onto the girl for dear life, as though she'd never let her go while the two exchanged tearful giggles.

Pearl let out a blissful sigh, then tilted up her head and beamed adoringly at her father figure, who tenderly returned the smile, then resumed his enjoyment of the heartwarming exchange between his girls.

Apollo goggled at his employer, somewhat discombobulated at the sight of unbridled halcyon expression on the older man's mien.

That smile…it could have put the sun to shame.

It never occurred to him that Mr. Wright could ever have a different form of beaming other than his customary sad little smile, the one which shielded everything else. A real, true grin had bloomed completely into life, and over it…

 _I can't believe it! Mr. Wright's… **happy**! He's grinning like an idiot! Like he couldn't have stopped grinning even if you'd paid him!_

Several moments passed with the spirit medium softly weeping tears of joy into the magician's hair, before pulling back slightly and cradling Trucy's shining face in her hands.

"You were never a burden – you were a _bonus_. The day your father chose to bring you into his life, and therefore, _mine_ as well, was the day I made my own matching vow to Nick's, to also love you unconditionally. To be the best Ace Mommy I could be. You and I both know I will never will try to replace your mother. All the same, even though I did not give birth to you, just like Pearly, from this day on, Trucy, you are _my child_. I will love you more than words can describe and nothing will ever change that."

Maya gently stoked Trucy's satiny, tear-stained cheek, admiring the youthful beauty of this incredible young woman she was blessed to have as another daughter.

"Look at you. You're so pretty. I can't wait to watch as you grow up, into that smart, beautiful soul I know you'll become. On that day my heart will smile because I'll know I had part in making and molding you. It will smile like it is right now, when I first laid eyes on your precious face. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for giving me this hat, this most cherished gift. But moreover, thank you, Trucy, for giving me the gift of motherhood. _Again_."

She pulled the pink beanie onto her head and managed an ear-to-ear grin through her tears.

"Please know that I'm always just busting your Daddy's chops as my favorite pastime! I never _really_ hated the beanie you gave Nick – I think I was latently envious of his reminder of you to always have with him, when _I_ hadn't even met you yet! The truth is, as much as I secretly loved Nick's hat, I love _mine_ more! I promise you, darling girl, I will wear the heck out of this memento of you! Especially while we're away in Europe. We can be Hobo Chic Mama and Papa all across The Continent!"

After the admittedly lachrymose, schmaltzy exchange between the two, Maya's jocoserious quip was so out of the blue that Apollo couldn't control the bark of laughter that escaped him, unwittingly reminding the newly forged family of his presence. The lawyer felt his cheeks flaming as four sets of formerly flooded eyes all swung in his direction.

" _Apollo_! I never meant to forget about _you_!"

Maya's eyes lit up with their familiar mischievous sparkle as she strode purposefully towards him, making him take an uneasy step backward.

" _You're_ the one I need to properly thank for _literally_ saving Nick's neck from the noose a few months ago! I've only been doing it in the _figurative_ sense for the past decade! Hee! Thank you for all you've done, you adorable little baby-faced cutie pie! If you get any _redder_ , we can just add some _white_ paint and use you as _a stop sign_!"

Without warning, she leaned forward, grabbed one of Apollo's horns and gave it an amused tweak.

"Oh my!" She exclaimed jubilantly. "Nick, his spikes are softer than they look, just like _yours_! They may _resemble_ demon horns, but up close they really look and feel more like feathers! The name _Apollo_ doesn't suit you! From this day forward I'm going to call you _Polly_!"

" _What_?" Apollo recoiled indignantly. Having _Trucy_ christen him with a parrot moniker was bad enough, but now _Maya_ was going to join the mix as well?! "No way! These are _not_ feathers, and I am _not_ a bird!"

" _Polly_ want a cracker?" Trucy twittered in a singsong voice. "They _do_ look like feathers, don't they? Why do you think I call you _Polly_ , Polly?"

" _Objection_!"

The agitated Apollo jerked backward, further out of reach, and scowled, first at Trucy, then at Maya.

"That's _enough_! Now _see here_ , Ms. Fey! My name is not _Polly_ , it's _Apollo_! I may be slightly small, but I'm _wiry_! Moreover, I am _a grown man_! I am _not_ a little boy, nor any sort of _cracker crunching avian species_! Since I saved your boyfriend from the gallows, is it too much to ask for just a _little_ bit of _respect_ around here? And to actually be called by my _given_ name?!"

His defiant stance only further endeared him to the now maniacally tittering, and completely undaunted Maya, for despite his outburst, she had _zero_ intentions of ever addressing the boy as _anything_ _but_ Polly! Wisely, she decided to keep this particular tidbit to herself for now!

 _"_ _Zvarri_ _!"_ Phoenix cut in, swallowing back a chuckle and trying to sound authoritative. "There's no need to _bellow_ , Apollo. Respect is a _two-way_ _street_ , and you need to show some to your elders! I can't have you getting too comfortable raising your voice at the future Mrs. Wright, or else I'll be forced to dock your pay!"

"B – But…" Apollo asserted feebly. "You don't pay me _anything_!"

"And it's going to _stay_ that way until you learn some volume control, young man!"

"So _take that_!" Trucy stuck out her tongue.

"I give up!" Apollo let out a defeated groan and slunk towards the bar fridge in the corner. "This _impromptu bellboy_ is going to get himself a pudding."

"Oh dear…the white container in the door?" Maya flushed guiltily. "Was that _yours_? Nick and I didn't get any dessert after dinner, so um, I sort of… _ate_ it."

"That's…fine. No big deal." The crestfallen lawyer forced a smile and headed towards the stairs. "There's still the secret cup I stashed in the main fridge upstairs…"

"You mean the one you tried to conceal under the carrots in the vegetable crisper?" Trucy asked brightly. "Sorry Polly! You can't hide _anything_ from a _magician_! _I_ ate that one!"

Apollo's horns drooped.

"Man…This officially sucks. I don't even get paid in pudding!"

* * *

 ** _Apollo Justice and the Fey/Wright Family  
_** _The Borscht Bowl Club  
_ July 12, 2026 9:00 PM

Pearl had bought over a dozen different outfits for the planned trip to Europe, and it had taken over half an hour for her to decide what to wear out – finally deciding on a cute lavender tank top and skinny jeans – as Phoenix and Maya had decided it would be a whole _family_ celebration of Mildred's decided fate.

They had dragged the protesting Apollo along, insisting it wouldn't be a _complete_ fam-jam without him (and bribing his participation with the promise of pudding).

But first, the lovers had needed to pop into The Borscht Bowl Club to let Boris and Natasha know the good news about Mildew and Siberia.

Since Trucy and Pearl were minors who obviously wouldn't be allowed into the bar, Phoenix had instructed the girls to wait for him and Maya outside, then had ordered the disgruntled Apollo to babysit them while he and his girlfriend took care of business.

The pretzel-haired teen was lost in her own little world, leaning against the tavern wall outside the front door and messaging Luke on her cell, leaving Trucy and Apollo to amuse themselves as they awaited the couple's return.

Apollo was still grumbling and making a big show of rubbing his aching arms, as his overly gallant arse had been stuck carrying not only the teenage spirit medium's new wardrobe purchases for the majority of the afternoon, but several cumbersome bags of items _Trucy_ had insisted on getting, as well!

"Why the heck were _you_ shopping?" He demanded grouchily. "I realize _Pearl_ wanted some new clothes for her upcoming vacation, but I could've sworn when Mr. Wright called you earlier this afternoon regarding his overseas trip, he also told you that he needed _you_ to stay behind and hold down the fort!"

"Well, it's true! _Somebody_ needs to keep things running, and even if one third of our talent is away, nevertheless, the show _must_ go on!" Trucy tipped her hat at him. "Besides, I couldn't leave you all alone, Polly! You'd simply be _lost_ without me and you _know_ it!"

She shamelessly took a bite of the candy bar retrieved from her magic panties, which she'd initially extended to Apollo. The counselor had curtly declined the offer, for as much as he'd been lamenting his pudding shortchange and craving something sweet, eating _anything_ produced from _that_ _particular prop_ was just too damn _disturbing_!

"Don't be silly! I wasn't buying _clothes_. At least, not for _me_! I decided to spruce up my act at The Wonder Bar, and since you're going to be my assistant from time to time, I decided to get some new magic props and get _you_ your own stage outfit! You are going to look so cute in your red cape and top hat!"

" _Hold it!"_ Apollo reflexively banged his fists on the wall behind him, cringing as he realized that _brick_ was noticeably more painful to pound than a _wooden_ bench. " _When_ the heck did I ever agree to _that_?! Come to think of it, _when_ did I even agree to _let_ you call me _Polly_? You just went ahead and _did_ it and left me with _no other choice_!"

"That goes _double_ for being my assistant!" Cerulean eyes gleamed impishly. "After all, I _am_ CEO of The Wright Anything Agency, and in Daddy's absence, _I'm_ in charge, which would make me... _your_ boss!"

" _Objection_! This – this _can't_ be _legal_!"

"Hey guys?" Pearl came and interrupted the bickering pair. "Mystic Maya just messaged me to tell us to come inside. Also, we may have _a situation_ with Mr. Nick…"

"We're allowed inside now?" Apollo wondered as he followed the girls into the dimly lit pub while subtly massaging his abused hands. "I thought no underage…"

"I've been visiting Daddy at The Hydeout during his poker tournaments for years, so being at the main bar shouldn't be a big deal if we aren't drinking," Trucy shrugged. "Maybe Boris and Natasha are making an exception in light of our celebration?"

The threesome searched for Phoenix and Maya, and spotted the former looking quite discomfited as he was approached by a hulking giant of a man, with a demure blonde at his side. The Master anxiously kept herself planted at her lover's side, while casting an eye around the room, possibly for something to use as a _weapon_ if need be!

"Are you Phoenix Wright?" The burly patron in plaid stepped up to the pianist, who attempted to maintain his poker face but felt himself beginning to sweat beneath his beanie at the intimidating rumble in the man's voice. "I've been waiting for you."

"That would be me, indeed." The card shark _felt_ , rather than _saw_ , Apollo and the girls sidle up next to Maya an inch closer behind him, displaying a picture perfect, albeit _pint sized_ , family fortress behind him. "Er, how can I help you? If you're looking to play poker, I'm afraid it's my night off. I'd merely needed to speak to the owners briefly, and was just about to head out to enjoy a little celebration with my family here…"

The man's broad face suddenly split into a wide grin, transforming his countenance from _petrifying_ to _pleasant_ in the blink of an eye.

" _You're_ celebrating too, are you? What a coincidence! That's what me and the wife here were doing tonight when we decided to pop in."

He placed a tree trunk arm around the pretty woman standing at his side and pulled her closer to him.

"It's our wedding anniversary. We figured since we were in the area, we'd pop in for a drink and say hello to a friend of a friend while we were at it. Two birds, one stone sort of thing. "

 _A friend of a friend_?

Phoenix's brain groped for recollection involving _any_ sort of six degrees of separation linking him and this fierce looking Titan, whose appearance obviously belied a gruff but harmless nature – at least towards _him_! – but drew a blank.

"Wait a second…" Maya stepped forward and studied the man inquisitively. "You wouldn't happen to have a relative or brother who's in law enforcement, would you? I've seen photos of a former Detective family friend of ours, alongside a massive man who has some features similar to yours… his name escapes me but he wears a trench coat riddled with bullet holes…"

"That would be Detective Tyrell Badd, mentor to one, Dick Gumshoe." The man finished for her. "He's my first cousin. _Massive_ you say? Ha! He's considered the _short_ one in the family!"

He extended his hand to first Phoenix, then Maya's and nodded at the silent, awestruck triad behind them.

"Taimak Thunderwolf, but you can call me Tai. This beauty here is my Angelina. I'm currently in charge of the holding cells at the detection center, but soon to be new warden of the local penitentiary. I got a phone call today informing me that wretched, nerve grating _eyesore_ , Mildred Latrine, has been bragging about how she's dodging a _real_ prison sentence because she struck some sort of deal with _you_ , Mr. Wright."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I can't stand slaps on the wrist to criminals who deserve to do hard time for their crimes – especially that She-Devil, who deserves a hug around the neck ... with a _rope_! Is this some sort of shady, _get out of jail_ scheme you cooked up, or is she _blowing smoke_? Care to elaborate?"

"Please, Nick, allow me," Maya offered benignly, treating Tai to her most winsome smile. "After all, it was _my_ idea."

She gleefully filled in the warden on the reality of Mildew's so-called reprieve, and by the time she was finished elaborating, the two couples were sharing a good snigger at the whole thing.

"Well don't that beat all! Sounds like justice to me!" Tai nodded approvingly. "The old bat's only been locked up a month, but I just can't _stand_ that woman! She's got a soul that's blacker than coal, and a mug that belongs on the radio! Apparently it'd be illegal to succumb her to using a key to try and unlock an electrical outlet, so this trading post sounds like the next best thing! I'm going to delay my new prison warden post another week to make sure _I'm_ the one to personally drive the transport vehicle and ensure that shrew is taken far away to No Man's Land, and will be out of our hair for good!"

"I _really_ like you! We share the same aversion to shrill, fire-breathing wyverns!" Maya flashed Tai a toothy grin. "How would you two like to join us in our celebration?"

"We'd _love_ it!" Angelina beamed. "This place has its own unique charm, although it'd have been nice to have some music! It's a shame you're not playing piano tonight, Mr. Wright. My husband and I first met in a dive bar like this over 40 years ago, and I remember we danced the night away!"

"Phoenix Wright is _Badenov_ pianist!" Boris interjected as he came up to the group, his wife in tow. "Trustink me! His playink bring tears to your eyes – the no-goodnik kind! No makink nice lady cryink on wedding anniversary!"

"Dhalink! Sharrup your mouth!" Natasha harshly commanded her husband. "Don't be insultink employees in front of valued customers!"

"Even if it be _truth_ , _kotik_?" Boris sulked.

" _Da! Da!_ Even _then_!" Natasha smiled engagingly at the group. "We bringink up karaoke machine from basement from Christmas party, and Phoenix singink for you! Voice like lark! We even give one round of drinks to all of you, on house!"

Her thickly made up eyes settled on Apollo and she frowned.

"Phoenix, you no worry about young children tonight. We only givink Shirley Temples for your daughters. I tell Tyler to bringink vodka cocktails for you four, but we makink _three_ non-alcoholic, _da_? How old is zee little boy?"

 _Little boy?!_ The frustrated lawyer had had enough! He clenched his fists and let it rip.

"Excuse me madam, but that is baseless conjecture! First of all, unless Mr. Wright had me when he was _11-years-old_ , it would be _impossible_ for _me_ to be his _son_!" Apollo squawked, startling the Russian woman with his volume. "Secondly, I am _not_ a _little boy_! _Why_ do I have to be subjected to drinking a fruity girly juice like _these_ two?"

He fumbled in his wallet and whipped out his ID, waving it under the owner's nose.

"As you can see, I'm _22,_ and _here's_ my badge – I am _also_ a _fully licensed defense attorney_!"

Natasha raised her thinly penciled brows, not at all impressed.

"Why must you Americans makink such loud noise when you talkink? Sound like angry, constipated moose!" She sniffed. "Fine, but boy-child only gettink _one_ drink. Make it a beer only. He lookink like he no hold his alcohol well."

Apollo was so grateful for his one, meagre victory that evening, he didn't even bother to argue the presumptuousness of that obnoxious analysis. Truthfully, he _had_ always been a lightweight, and Clay often joked his best friend could get drunk merely from _sniffing a beer cap!_

 _Why did I have to be born short **and** baby-faced? Maybe I should invest in some elevator shoes…_

* * *

 ** _Apollo Justice and the Fey/Wright Family_**  
 _The Borscht Bowl Club  
_ July 12, 2026 10:30 PM

 ** _Every time our eyes meet  
This feeling inside me  
Is almost more than I can take  
Baby, when you touch me  
I can feel how much you love me  
And it just blows me away_**

 _ **I've never been this close to anyone or anything**_  
 _ **I can hear your thoughts**_  
 _ **I can see your dreams**_

The karaoke machine was a hit. Phoenix was presently wowing the crowd with the song "Amazed" for Tai and his Angel to glide dreamily to, and Maya had even dragged the red-faced Apollo onto the dance floor to join the blissful pair as her lover's velvet voice crooned the romantic lyrics.

 ** _I don't know how you do what you do  
I'm so in love with you  
It just keeps getting better  
I wanna spend the rest of my life  
With you by my side  
Forever and ever  
Every little thing that you do  
Baby, I'm amazed by you…_**

Phoenix was in high spirits following his second ever karaoke performance, and the enthusiastic hooting audience had loved every minute of the country ballad. Stepping down from the platform amidst the applause as the song wrapped up, Tai waved the pianist over to where he and his wife still remained on the dance floor, a thoughtful expression on his weathered mien.

"That Russian dame wasn't kidding. You've got a real golden throat there," the warden commended the pianist, with his wife enthusiastically nodding her agreement. "Serenade was much appreciated. It reminded me of what you told me about how Tyrell's old pal was torturing that Latrine broad by playing Maya singing her heart out for you, over and over again. I know you all are heading over to Europe soon, but before you jet off do you think you could get me a copy of that wedding video?"

"I'm sure that could be arranged." Phoenix flashed him a puzzled smile. "Do you mind if I ask why?"

"I haven't met him yet, but I've heard about that infamous defense attorney that tried to frame you for murder a few months back, Kristoph Gavin."

Tai's lip curled disdainfully.

"The scuttlebutt is the coldhearted snake is living in the lap of luxury in his cell as if he's on vacation, rather than actually having prison be a punishment for him the way it was intended to be! What's good for the goose is good for the gander! I figure the sickening sight of the hated man whom the Periwinkle Pisshead tried to make his patsy, being happily reunited with the love of his life, streaming on constant replay should be enough discomfort to at least make his stay a _wee_ bit less comfortable!"

The mental image of the German sitting in a posh chair, forced to view the combination of his arch nemesis's display of dedication and affection, teamed with the cartoon childishness of Maggey's sound edits, with his arms crossed and left eye twitching, groaning in exasperation while face palming, made the former defense attorney double over. Revenge was a dish best served cold, indeed!

"I'll have it for you tomorrow morning!" He promised Tai with a wink. "Now if you two will excuse me, keep those dancing shoes warm, because you two are going to have another tune to sway to in a moment. I need to celebrate the other event we are toasting tonight, which was finally having all my girls together at last!"

Stepping back in front of the microphone, Phoenix beamed at the whistling patrons.

"Hey guys it's me again! Don't worry, the music will stay good, since I'm not playing the piano tonight!"

He gestured towards his table, were Apollo was sitting with Maya and the two teens.

"I'm here this evening with the raven-haired beauty over there, who is the love of my life, and my employee, who apparently only _looks_ like my son, but actually _isn't_ …"

The audience chuckled appreciatively while Apollo slunk down lower in his chair.

"… And my two beautiful girls, the lights of my life. I wanted to sing these angels a little song , so everybody knows how much their Daddy loves them."

Trucy beamed and waved at the room, while Pearl blushed furiously and clasped her cheeks as the new song began to play, and Phoenix began to sing.

 ** _I'll try to make the sun shine brighter for you  
I will even play the fool if it makes you smile  
I'll try to make you laugh if there's a tear in your eye  
After all is said  
After all is done  
I'd do anything for you_**

Maya's eyes filled with emotive tears. Phil Collins would have been so proud. As proud as _she_ was to call this warmhearted, loving man her future husband.

 ** _Come with me, close your eyes  
Hold my hand, it'll be alright  
Don't be scared, don't be shy  
Lift your head it's gonna be alright_**

Leaning across the table, the Master reached out across the table for one of Trucy and Pearl's hands, and gently squeezed each of them with hers, silently conveying her own love.

 ** _I'll try to make the stars shine brighter for you  
And I'll take you on my shoulders, hold you way up high  
I'll even chase the rainbow hanging in the sky  
Cos after all is said  
After all is done  
I'd do anything for you_**

Standing at the back of the bar, watching the enthralled listeners humming along to the moving lyrics of "Come to Me," Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale Slotzky smiled approvingly as once more, Phoenix's captivating singing voice worked its magic.

 ** _Come with me, close your eyes  
Hold my hand, it'll be alright  
Don't be scared, don't be shy  
Lift your head it's gonna be alright_**

"It's been long time since Christmas party. I forget Phoenix Wright was actually very good at singink. But I can see this karaoke idea was good one, dahlink," Natasha told her husband. "I tink we makink his job as a pianist expandink? Maybe havink machine here on weekends, bringink more customers?"

 ** _Through the eyes of innocence  
You will find, you will see  
There'll come a time it all makes sense  
And you won't know, but it will show inside, deep inside_**

"How about we lettink them make singink requests, instead of listenink to no-goodnik piano show tunes on repeat, _kotik_?" Boris smiled hopefully. "I likink the idea of havink Phoenix singink for his supper! His _voice_ no givink me headache! His _playink_ … not so much!"

 ** _Come with me, close your eyes  
Hold my hand, it'll be alright  
Don't be scared, don't be shy  
Lift your head it's gonna be alright_**

" _Da! Da_! We talkink to him later about new job plannink, dahlink!"

 ** _I'll try to make the days last longer for you  
From the daybreak, 'til the sunset, 'til the end of time  
I'll keep you safe, away from the heartache  
Cos when all is said  
And when all is done  
I'd do anything for you_**

 _I feel like a gatecrasher at this party, even though I was invited._ Apollo reflected dolefully, wistful and a tad envious of the family bond he was witnessing, and feeling more and more like a conspicuous outsider, looking in. _This was a night that should've been celebrated between a father and mother and their daughters. I don't belong here. They're just too polite to tell me to get lost!_

 ** _Come with me, close your eyes  
Hold my hand, it'll be alright  
Don't be scared, don't be shy  
Lift your head it's gonna be alright_**

Both Trucy and Pearl had stars in their eyes as Phoenix concluded the beautiful song, and the red attorney dutifully rose from his seat, along with everybody else in the bar, and gave his boss the standing ovation he deserved. Apollo briefly contemplated, amidst all the hustle and bustle, if anyone would notice until long after he was gone, if he slipped away and gave the foursome their privacy.

Phoenix took an exaggerated bow at the microphone for his adoring crowd, then returned the kisses Maya and the girls blew at him.

"Thanks so much, you guys," he beamed. "I had a blast letting my girls know how much they mean to me, but now I want to do a shout out to someone who's just like family to me – heck, even though he's only young enough to be my little brother, his _can't miss hairdo_ makes him look like he's my offspring! I want him to come join me for this next tune! Get your rear up here, Apollo!"

The patrons all hollered enthusiastically, as did Trucy, Maya and Pearl, while the dumbstruck lawyer looked around, as though unsure who Phoenix was referring to. Finally, when the magician jabbed him in the ribs – _hard_! – he pointed to his chest and stared at the beckoning poker champ on stage with round, terrified eyes.

"What, _me_?!" He croaked. "Mr. Wright wants _me_ to _sing_? With _him_?!"

"Do you see another _Apollo_ around?" Maya teased, trying to push him towards the platform. "Go on up there! Nick's waiting for you!"

"I can't sing!" Apollo cried, attempting to lock down his feet to keep from being shoved forward another step – for such a tiny woman, Maya was deceptively strong. "I'm a _violinist_ , not a _singer_!"

"What's your point? Mr. Nick is obviously a _singer_ , and not really a _pianist_!" Pearl gave him an encouraging smile. "Even if you really stink, Mr. Apollo, don't worry I'm sure _he'll_ be able to carry you!"

Apollo's horns drooped.

"Not really helping there, Pearl!"

"Get out there, Polly!" Trucy kicked the back of his heel with her boot. "You can do this!"

"Yeah Polly! Sing!" Someone called out coaxingly. "Let's see if you inherited the same set of pipes your father/brother did!"

"For the hundredth time Mr. Wright is my _boss!_ He and I are _not_ related!" Apollo shouted impotently, knowing full well that logic and drunkards didn't mix. "Apparently we just _look_ like we are!"

"Let's see what you got, kid!"

"Come on, Apollo!"

The lawyer's protests had obviously fallen on unreasonable and drunken ears, as the encouraging shouts only continued.

"Sing! Sing! Sing!"

Soon the bar was filled with loud chanting

"Sing Polly Sing! Sing Polly Sing!"

Gulping nervously, Apollo found himself being forcibly propelled towards the stage by the combined efforts of two very strong spirit mediums, and a very determined magician. Phoenix tugged him by the arm and pulled the self-conscious young lad beside him, smiling warmly the whole time.

"Like I said to you on your first day in court," the spiky-haired man whispered reassuringly in the quaking boy's ear. " _You can do it. Be confident."_

Apollo tried to speak into the microphone to greet the spectators, and let them know this was his first time singing since middle school glee club, and to beg them to have mercy on him and please _not be a tough crowd_!

Unfortunately, all he ended up doing was hacking like a cat with a hairball.

Pulling away from the mike, he cleared his throat and opened his mouth again…only to emit an unintelligible, high-pitched squeak.

Watching this with mounting dismay, both Boris and Natasha simultaneously clapped their exasperated hands against their foreheads.

"This is _my_ fault!" Natasha moaned. "I tellink pipsqueak he too loud like constipated moose, so now he actink like pathetic little titmouse!"

"That _durak_ is go-ink be for _singink_ , what _Phoenix_ is to _piano_!" Boris predicted, slumping back against the back wall. "Probably _worse_!"

Phoenix regarded Apollo sympathetically as the upbeat melody to a very familiar song began to play.

"I'm going to start. Jump in whenever you're comfortable, okay?"

Leaning into the microphone, Phoenix began the famous _Friends_ theme song.

 ** _So no one told you life was gonna be this way  
Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A.  
It's like you're always stuck in second gear  
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, but_**

 ** _I'll be there for you  
(When the rain starts to pour)  
I'll be there for you  
(Like I've been there before)  
I'll be there for you  
('Cause you're there for me too)_**

The lyrics were fun and lighthearted, yet Apollo found himself mystified and quite touched that his employer had chosen this particular song to sing not only with _him_ in mind, but also wanted to sing along _with_ him. It was almost as though Phoenix had sensed what a lonely outcast his employee had started feeling like this evening, and was trying to make him feel as though he truly _did_ belong.

Like he _wasn't_ all alone.

The realization made of warm, unfamiliar tingle spread from Apollo's fingertips, all the way down to his toes, and the horn fringed attorney was grinning as he leaned towards the second microphone.

 ** _You're still in bed at ten and work began at eight  
You've burned your breakfast, so far things are going great  
Your mother warned you there'd be days like these  
But she didn't tell you when the world has brought you down to your knees that_**

 _ **I'll be there for you**_  
 _ **(When the rain starts to pour)**_  
 _ **I'll be there for you**_  
 _ **(Like I've been there before)**_  
 _ **I'll be there for you**_  
 _ **('Cause you're there for me too)**_

Apollo's singing voice was a deeper, richer baritone than Phoenix's, but his intonation suited the older man's alto vocals perfectly, and the end result was that Apollo Justice was just as much of a talented crooner as the pianist was … Possibly even _more_ so!

"Wow! Polly can actually _sing_!" Trucy exclaimed delightedly, clapping her hands. "Looks like all his years of _Chords of Steel_ training paid off!"

"He's really good!" Maya agreed cheerily. "Color me impressed!"

"Singing up there looks like _so_ much fun, and I know this song _so well_!" Pearl gushed, looking wistful. "Not that I'd _ever_ have the nerve to do it _myself_ , of course…"

"What if you _weren't_ by yourself, Pearly?" Trucy sprang to her feet and grabbed the confusticated spirit medium's hand. "What if _I_ came up with you?"

"What if we _all_ went onstage and gave this joint the family affair performance of a lifetime?" Maya yelled, jumping from her chair.

Without further ado, the Master rushed up to Phoenix's microphone while the teens shared Apollo's, and the five of them belted out the rest of the song with gusto.

 ** _No one could ever know me  
No one could ever see me  
Seems you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me  
Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with  
Someone I'll always laugh with  
Even at my worst, I'm best with you, yeah!_**

 ** _I_ _t's like you're always stuck in second gear  
_** ** _When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year_**

"Wow! Whole family is _larks_!" Natasha was as pleased as punch. "Maybe we askink them all to come for special performance nights? And regular havink Phoenix sing request duets with customers?"

" _Da, kotik_! We turnink this place into musical ear porn palace!" Boris rubbed his hands together greedily. "I tinkink Mr. Wright is better at performink when he has help. Plus, we no havink to pay them, because the customers be requestink from us! We could even charge _extra_! Be like karaoke bar!"

The money-grubbing Russian idly twirled his moustache as he eyed the mini choir assembly on stage.

"Since Phoenix singink with so many people, should we no be chargink extra?"

Natasha lightly smacked her husband upside the head.

"Boris, sharrup your mouth! Phoenix and his lady friend are ones who brinkink this idea to us! As gratitude, first collab is _free_!"

 ** _I'll be there for you  
(When the rain starts to pour)  
I'll be there for you  
(Like I've been there before)  
I'll be there for you  
('Cause you're there for me too)_**

The nearly deafening applause in the bar when the five of them finished the song was the loudest Phoenix had ever been given to date. Laughing jovially, he bowed at the crowd and gestured to the other four.

"Let's give it up again for my family, everyone!"

The patrons had no qualms extending their standing ovation.

The exultant pianist stretched out his arms and wrapped them around Maya and Trucy and Pearl and the four shared an adorable group hug, while Apollo stood there with a bashful smile.

The magician glanced back at the attorney over her shoulder and jutted her chin towards him, then back at the still embracing group.

"Join the huddle, Polly!"

Surprised, but secretly pleased at the invite, Apollo hesitantly approached the hugging lot, but Pearl reached out and pulled him into the clinch before he could pussyfoot another moment.

At first, it was strange sensation, being clasped in a public sandwich with his usually impossible to read boss, his cool but often pesky assistant, and two women he'd only just met _today_!

 _OK, this is beyond weird! We are having a family hug-fest in a seedy Russian bar, in front of at least a hundred witnesses…_

Yeah, it felt kind of peculiar.

But it also felt _amazing._ Like this was where he really _belonged_.

 _Family isn't about blood, because the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb._

Apollo decided to stop overthinking for once and just enjoy the exhilarating sensation of finally feeling like he was part of a real family, for the first time in his entire life.

 _Sometimes you meet certain people, and it's so clear that you, on some level belong together. As lovers, or as friends, or as family, or as something entirely different. You just work, whether you understand one another or you're in love or you're partners in crime. You meet these people throughout your life, out of nowhere, under the strangest circumstances, and they help you feel alive. I don't know if that makes me believe in coincidence, or fate, or sheer blind luck, but it definitely makes me believe in something. It makes me believe that home isn't four walls. It's two eyes and a heartbeat, and who it beats for._

 ** _Bon Jovi – Born To Be My Baby  
Timbaland - The Way I Are  
Deniece Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy  
Lonestar – Amazed  
Phil Collins – Come To Me  
The Rembrandts – I'll Be There For You (Theme From Friends)_**

 _AN: This chapter is dedicated to Ariastella. Check out her colorful one-shot and OC here called_ **The-Warden-Prison-is-a-Punishment!**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 171  
**  
 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola!_ You have helped me out with quite a few songs in this story and I still have your musical suggestions which I want you to keep an eye out for in future chapters as I went to ensure I do them Justice, and moreover want to thank you again for giving me that perfect Klema song by Pink!

Never give up on love in this undisguised roller coaster of a love story! While SkyeFop _is_ a mess right now because Klavier has been very delayed indeed in accepting his feelings…

 _Pero, no se olvide de lo mal que por las cosas eran para el hombre y la mujer principals en un punto también! ;)_

 _Siempre confía en mi amiga musica!_

 **Chapter 172**

 ***Review of the Week* (#1500! Holy Toledo Batman!)**

 **napoleon32**

 _Tweedle Screechy and Tweedle Slimy. TweedleDick and TweedleCheese. Tweedledoofuses_. It's official now I am keeping a tally of the sidesplitting names my hilarious readers have decided to bequeath the Payne brothers! _Heeeee_!

The meteor of death is the one Nick dodged, yet again, thanks to Maya interrupting Mile's relentless wine interrogation! XD

Miles Edgeworth, _Ace Fuss Pot_! I honestly do think that while the prim and proper prosecutor would still have no problems unleashing _his_ latent feral beast in the sheets (and beyond!), but he honestly didn't realize just what deviant freaks he was lending his love shack to! I think he was really hoping/praying I wouldn't go past needing exorcism of his bedroom/bed! Hee! I wouldn't go as far as far as to say that I have a head canon that he has OCD, but whenever I think about his fastidious obsession with hygiene and cleanliness, I think of the character of Niles Crane from my favorite TV show _Frasier_ , and how he would without his handkerchief and wiped down a chair before he would dare sit his posterior down onto a public seat where another heathen's buttocks had previously rested! LOL

For all his endearing cluelessness, I think even Gummy is astute enough to learn by the time the second kid rolls around that just like anything you say in a court of law, around kids, anything you say can and _will_ be held against you so curb your tongue for the love of God! " _Yanni Yogi's parrot on steroids"_ indeed! :p

I loved the _Gulag_ commentary so much that it actually made an appearance in this chapter so thank you very much for that and the crash course in horrific human history! _Gah_!

I wonder if Ema would be mad should she ever find out that Lana had lived out _her_ teenage dream… Or just slightly envious? I think full-blown jealousy would be out of the question, seeing as how Klavier has ruined her to the point where even the hot touch of the sexy prosecutor's hand can now only, at best, create the slightest sensation of insipid moths in her tummy. But as we also saw, the old torch is not entirely extinguished! After all who can resist the charms of The Edgeworth… Especially when you combine that debonair elegance with that very well hidden wit which he only exposed to the very fortunate Detective Skye? Lucky girl!

Thank you so much for being my mini-milestone #1500 review my friend! :)

 **Ariastella**

I wracked my brain but decided that a fate worse than death was applicable for Yzma incarnate – though technically you could say I put the _Dragon_ _Lady_ … on _ice_! Hee!

Big Red's first appearance is just around the corner… I hope Justice does her! I mean, I hope _I_ can do _her_ justice! XD

Thank you again for your Phil Collins song, (and I did use Bon Jovi for Nick and Maya as the chapter quote so good call!) the karaoke/Boris and Natasha idea, your wonderful OC Tai and spinoff **_The-Warden-Prison-is-a-Punishment_** which I hope you will continue! While not Tim McGraw I still ended up using a country song for Tai and his Angel in the end… hope you approved! XOXO

 **Yanmegaman**

I am shamelessly going to utilize _TweedleDick and TweedleCheese_ somewhere in the story to add to the growing list of not so flattering names my funny as all holy hell readers are giving Gaspen and Winston… I don't even think it matters which one is which! LOL

 _Objection_! There are some people in the world who actually still find Nicholas Cage appealing for some reason! My husband actually has a questionable man crush on Mr. Hound Dog Mug, but I digress. I am trying to figure out which was worse between putting a toothpick under my toenail and kicking a coffee table and accepting a drink from Bill Cosby! Slow down there Satan! XD

Actually wait don't… Keep plying me with your witticisms I imagine I am not the only one who reckons they will make for great story reading later! :p

 **SpiritsOfFire**

Miles and Franny were together 8 years before things went south, so surely he is qualified somewhat even as a (surly) Cupid? _Broken souls._ Very poetically albeit tragically put! I don't know how what man thinks he's kidding with his tsundere façade! We all know he's a big ol' cinnamon roll!

We have a leather sofa (but I married for _love_ not _money_ so I assure you it isn't the Edgy priceless leather variety!) and if we aren't quick to wipe it, anything at all can leave a telltale mark behind and likely stain– water, greasy fingers from potato chips… then my X-rated comedy inspiration was fueled, and thus I was inspired to write the… _memorabilia_ of Phaya's 6 years of loading the clown into the cannon (Miles of course didn't find this FUNNY!) Hee!

There's a bit me in Maya – I am practically map illiterate, and had to ascertain before posting…yes indeed Mildew's fated Gulag hell in _Suburbia_ is in Asia…yet Russians are considered European not Asian? Maddening, I tell you! :p

 **Xbox 360 1953**

I have always gotten a kick out of the fact that Miles refers to _psyche lock_ s as _psycho locks_ so I had Maya even tease him about it a few chapters back when she claimed that she could see them on Agent Lang even on the Skype screen, to know that he was lying about Franziska. Miles is a brilliant logical man by don't really think he's very in tune with his intuition like Phoenix is, but he's been forced to acknowledge firsthand now the existence of spirit channeling, first with Mia's repeated visits, and now seeing how reliable that gemstone is. A magatama would've confirmed what his gut told him – which was that Ema was holding something back about Klavier and the fop was probably the reason she was so upset.

Since Miles is not normally an emotional/overly expressive person, so he probably pondered, being a man who is not comfortable sharing his own personal details, if he even had the right to question her about private life. The "emotionally constipated" prosecutor definitely was trying to be considerate and didn't want to pry here by going into his "chess logic" aggressive interrogation mode here, especially with somebody who he likes, but acknowledges he isn't that close to. Ema's situation didn't require of any kind of pressing treatment, so yes, that's exactly what it was, just as you said. :)

I shall wrap up by saying do believe this is the first time had the pleasure of hearing from you, so I'd like to pre-face this by thinking you so much for reading and taking the time to drop me a line!

 **Joeclone**

For the most part the story is on an uphill swing from here and I am so happy to have relieved any angst I gave you last chapter sweetie! I _had_ to have _Ms. Pull The Lever_ go out as memorably as possible! Glad you liked her swan song and that last chapter made you laugh! :)

Weep not for Edgeworth being put out by the shagadelic Phaya…any man that can afford to blow an average yearly salary on a bed and then replace it with a steeper model without batting an eyelash is hardly hurting in the wallet…Edgy knew he'd be bidding his divan adieu the minute he offered them his Love Shack! Fun fact – all the names, prices and descriptions about those British beds are very real, and I figured with Miles being schooled/raised in Europe and having an English Butler, there would be an appreciation for football – aka soccer – and even more for the ever delicious Beckham, who actually does favor the Monarch model that Nick will now be knocking out a wall to make fit into his humble abode! XD

More than anything, I wanted to not only show a softer side to Miles with Ema – even if he doesn't love Lana I figure he'll always have a soft spot for her/her family and how can you NOT adore Ema, even if she wasn't his ex's adorable baby sister? – but give back some hope to anyone who lost it for "Miss Scientifically Speaking." Mission accomplished! You made my day Mr. Clone!

The Fop…will have some help from the most unexpected source imaginable! ;)

If Karin Jenson had a nurse cameo, Rhoda the good hearted ditzy stewardess sure as heck was going to be the one to ensure Edgy wouldn't be sitting pretty on this flight!

Stay tuned for next chapter when the gang gets on the plane… and poor Edgy contends with the agony of sitting beside a Skyping love-struck teen… and a certain type of _turbulence_ as one of my readers said! Will Miles snap and opt for an impromptu, _parachute optional_ skydive? XD

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Let's just go with Phoenix's educated guess that spirit channeling burns mega calories! Even though we all know Maya's idea of exercising is flushing the toilet, we also saw her get one hell of a workout and get twisted into a human pretzel via the obviously yoga loving priest she channeled (while raping our eyeballs!) in Spirit of Justice… So that has to count for _something_? At the very least, that Nick is a pretty lucky man? :p

I just had a horrific thought… The true test to find out what isn't contaminated would be the _luminal_ test is there enough luminal in the world and the smiles really want to know what part of his house _isn't_ contaminated?! If he were to go that route I'm pretty sure setting his house on fire and collecting the insurance money would look like a more attractive option!

Undoubtedly beneath his formal exterior Hendricks the c*ck blocking Butler from Brighton is a complete shit disturber right down to his grin and knows exactly how to push Miles's buttons! I like how you caught the line about him being _one hell of a Butler -_ are you also a fan of Sebastian Michaelis a.k.a. the debonair demon British Butler from _Black Butler?_

At this point for going to assume Miles has given up on that wine. Possibly because after the traumatizing flight of being monkey in the middle of a giant _Goo-which_ on both sides, he has other things to whinge about now!

I decided as much as death becomes her, it was still too good for Mildew in which case making her wilderness chow or frozen Popsicle in _suburbia_ was a much more appealing fate for her. I can guarantee you that Ema would still probably wish to join the Dragon Lady's side rather than ever deal with the King of Douche Bhagistan ever again! Can ya BLAME her? :p

 **chloemcg**

Before I thank you for your fluffier than fuzzy socks review milady, as a fellow writer am very curious about something just simply based on the way you describe the Layton (not so much the Ace Attorney) characters in your stories. When you mentally envision the characters in fan fiction, including Ace Attorney, do you see them in your mind as real people or as more of the similar animated cartoons sort they are in the video games? I tend to envision them more as human people, because otherwise I'd have a hard time wrapping my head around cartoon characters with such depth of emotions/physically expressing those feelings – not that there isn't some great emotive animes (hello Full Metal!) and cartoons out there! But with Layton, for example, I just describe him as having dark eyes, and you described him as in the gams, as having small, beady eyes, which is what prompted this question? Sheer writer to writer curiosity, naught else, and most definitely not any sort of criticism either way – I've just always been very curious what readers envision when reading fanfiction. :-)

 _The Emperor's New Groove_ has to be there most underrated movie ever! It is literally the funniest one I think they've ever done and I hate the fact that they had never made another comedy of such magnitude we are not going to speak of _Kronk's New Groove_ the sequel to that movie because in my mind it's the equivalent of the _Star Wars Christmas_ … It _never_ happened! That being said I am delighted that this gem of a movie was so widely recognized with my subtle and not-so-subtle references last chapter!

In the end I decided to combine a little bit of Disney and _Rocky and Bullwinkle_ references regarding Boris and his aversion to moose and flying squirrels, because the end result would be Mildew the Meanie getting a _fate worse than death_ by being chucked into the frigid, vicious wildlife filled remote depths of " _Suburbia_!" Considering how much you hated her I am so happy you approve! :p

Phoenix is _such_ a dork! I absolutely _had_ to give him a ridiculous parting line that was applicable to the fact that he wasn't even trying to hide the fact anymore that he and his friends had _always_ seen Mildew as Yzma incarnate (even if the Dragon Lady didn't grasp the reference which I thought made it even funnier!) I'm glad you picked up on him telling her " _not take any directions from a squirrel!"_ XD

I think one of the things I love most about Miles Edgeworth is he still thinks he's fooling anybody with his lofty exterior when everybody knows what a softy he is beneath it all, but he particularly seems to have a soft spot for young girls. While Ema is nowhere near as young as Trucy and Pearl, (I have a head canon that he loves being Uncle Miles for them!) he has still known her since she was a teenager, and therefore I think he would hold the same brotherly affection for her that he would for Kay, and let her see his soft side as he offered her some heartfelt big brother advice.

I have some fun ideas for Layton but I wonder how much LL will undo like SOJ did for the TE story? :p

Either way I'm stoked for it! I hope Luke is adorable and doesn't look too much like Clive. Am not sure how old Kat is but in her 20's? That means…he's at least a decade older than her…so Luke would be older than me and most of my readers! WOW!

 **CzarThwomp**

The idea of Hendricks playing Amazing Grace on his bagpipes has to be tied with Edgeworth's constant indignation about the color of his suit!

Hendricks: "Cor blimey! Verily I say to you good sir that this is an outrage! _Me_ , play the bagpipes like some h _eathen Scot_? I'm not _Scottish_ I'm _English_!"

Edgeworth : "It's not _pink_ it's _magenta_!" Or as of Dual Destinies onward: "It's not _burgundy_ , it's _maroon_ you fool! Except in the animated cut scenes!" XD

Of course the winner of it all is the idea of Phoenix being mummified in the sheets of the show that he was forced to endure for the sake of Maya throughout the entire series, even down to the point where he was writing reports on said shows in Apollo Justice to show how much he still cared! I think _Nick_ would be the one screaming " _NGHOOOOOO_!"

I figure Gumshoe is rich enough right now from his blue badger royalties and could sully his _own_ bed! :p  
After all he's not _Edgy_ loaded but rich enough to at least live in the same swanky condo, and is possibly the only man in the world to "un-retire" himself and actually go back to work just because the simple life does not suit him and he's too awkward and tank size to be any good at golf!

We shall not my friend, must speak of Pearl sacrificing her body or the things that Gumshoe has seen… Because…*cough* as both horrors are applicable to this: nothing can be worse than what _I_ have recently seen, which is a fellow AA fan allegedly stumbling upon a fan made game called "Phoenix Drive" and then telling _me_ about it. Gah! It's ….NOT a race car game, OK? All I can say is… Give me a troll fic _any day._ That is all! :|

As I'm sure you know I tend to use a lot of reader feedback and recommendations, and I now officially think I'm going to utilize Kristoph being tortured by that wedding video… How believable would it be if I mentioned that either he was given a metric shit ton a coffee which forces his eyelids awake or they are propped open with toothpicks?! After all they say living well is the best revenge and Mildew shamelessly admitted that she was in great pain watching everyone she hated look so happy… I think the agony would go double for the periwinkle piss head! _Hee_! Thanks for this hilarious part of your review – which I shamelessly used in this chapter! :p

It's funny I'm playing the same games that everybody else is yet not only did I miss the apparent blink and you'll miss it moment in Dual Destinies when they mentioned that the jurist system has not been utilized yet because people still don't trust it, but the apparent moment in Spirit of Justice regarding the prosecutor shortage! Obviously they just wanted to get _Torpedo Elsa_ in there (I really need to start making a list of the names my readers give prosecutor sad monk because that one will have to go up there with _Kurain Galadriel_ and _White Rapunzel_!) XD

It's really funny how you mentioned Mildew and Kristoph meeting and sharing their shared love of hating Phoenix… For my collaboration with the guys timeless love I recently had a request for Kristoph X Dahlia – yet another diabolical and canon female who would share his hatred for the spiky-haired man!

Also I am shamelessly going to utilize said Phaya turbulence… You let me know how close you think Edgeworth was to grabbing the mysterious folded package, uncaring if it was a parachute or knapsack and screaming _Geronimo_ this chapter? :D

Speaking of which, what the heck was Geronimo himself yell whenever _he_ is skydiving or leaping off a tall building? " _Meeeeeeeeeeeeeee_?!"

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I am very happy you thought this chapter was worth the wait as hard as I tried to stick to a weekly update with this story, sometimes life has other plans!

I think the secret of the gluttonous Maya's mysteriously whittled waistline and nondiabetic status is an ambiguity that not even the combination of Phoenix, Miles _and_ Sherlock Holmes will ever uncover! As much as I love writing about Nick and Maya being lovey-dovey, in the end they are still best friends and Maya still has her ridiculous quirks which we witnessed in the video games and I try to incorporate that into their daily dynamics… She never seemed to notice when Phoenix was in pain or when his wallet was crying out for mercy canon wise, so I figured she would take for granted that her boyfriend is unbreakable and not give a second thought to walloping him with her candy overstuffed handbag!

I do love my c*ck blocking Butler from Brighton and am pleased as punch that you enjoyed his exchange with the traumatized Master Edgeworth who was considerably less amused than my readers! XD

Miles is usually declared the most aesthetic man in the Ace Attorney universe by both male and female and while my heart belongs to Phoenix, I will not disagree that He of _It's Not Pink It's Magenta Suit/Dracula Inspired Ruffled Accessory_ is more classically handsome than the drop-dead sexy DILF (who still holds Ace place in my heart after three years). Therefore any cracks about his appearance absolutely _kill_ me, (the lines Maya said while not originally uttered by her, were canon BTW, so Capcom obviously shares my humor!) especially ones suggesting his visage might be anything but flawless considering I'm sure he would not be above using a good eye cream and moisturizer to ensure he never gets even the slightest of lines on his ever _youthful brow_!

One of my favorite quotes ever is that _"nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent."_ I truly believe with all my heart that as much as love can move mountains, knowing now at last, (something he should of known ages ago) that he'll _always_ have Maya's unconditional love and unwavering loyalty seemed to be just what Phoenix needed to finally stop giving the fiendish Dragon Lady the power to make him feel like crap anymore! It was very satisfying to write that scene, almost as much as finally bringing to light the path to _frozen Abaddon_ her extinguished bony behind will now be placed upon! Living well is the truly the best revenge, and I can only imagine how it must've pained Mildew to know that she is inadvertently responsible for the thriving of both the Master _and_ the village which she tried to destroy with her selfish greed! One has to wonder if discovering _that_ was actually even worse than the 24/7 loop of torture (minus the five minute intervals of course!) of actually witnessing and re-witnessing Maya's pop star debut as well as the joy of everyone she loathes in living color… _Over and over and over again! Hee!_

I love showing platonic bonds, as you know. It really annoys me how Ema has reverence and crush on Miles is canon, and yet these two never seem to get enough screen time together or at least show some sort of established bond like the one she's always had with Phoenix and the one she obviously now has with Maya! Therefore I have a lot of fun writing that little scene because one of the greatest things about Miles is the fact that we all know he's a big softy under that lofty exterior. Thanks to Manfred, he's gone through hell in the games, _and_ in his life, and is therefore almost as misunderstood as Franziska (who, always knew was going to end up being a fan favorite and was actually only created because they figure people would not want to see this wonderful fleshed out character keep losing to Phoenix back to back!). The exception being that the games have actually allowed _him_ to get some character development that have resulted in most liking him a lot… In most cases so much more than we initially liked his Ace Asshat self in first game! I'm very happy you come around to warming up towards the Prodigy Prosecutor, since he is the deuteragonist of this dramedy! :p

Thank you kindly for the praise, but please keep your hands the way God intended, dear friend! As soon as you publish that AA FF you've been working on at last, the rest of this wonderful fandom will finally know what I've known for some time – that _you_ too, are a terrific writer/Wrighter! :)

 **Ilet Moratar**

You cannot rush a good thing _hermana_ – I can say this to you because you loved the chapter and just hope everybody else did too for me to make such a broad statement which is pure tongue-in-cheek of course!

Most of my writing is actually done with Dragon Speech To Text microphone program because there is no way I could write chapters this long as well as give my readers the replies that they deserve if I were actually typing my fingers would've fallen off years ago! It's got about a 95% accuracy rate and while I do edit my work sometimes I get lax from hours of editing the actual story and don't spend as much time looking over my review replies before I post them, so apologies in advance as well as in the past for any confusing replies I have ever given you or my other readers!

Where there is England there was late and moreover there is Luke in there therefore will be Feyt!

I had to make Trucy and Maya meet of course, after the big foreshadowing of Miles saying what a _memorable event_ it'd be! It was definitely an event that _nobody_ is going to forget and I hope was worth the wait for my readers!

Indeed, you were a huge inspiration in depicting Ema's feelings towards the gruesome twosome that is the Payne brothers with telling me that you work with the real-life Payne (in the _culo_!) Especially with that gristly photo you showed me (which I am still debating about forgiving you for!) I was able to channel her horrific disdain which she could not even hide about even the mere idea of "working under" an _"old boisterous green frog!"_

It's definitely a very tragic sign that Klavier has gotten so deep in her heart that she couldn't even enjoy some solo time with her teenage dream! It just goes to show exactly what you said that she is no longer a child with illusions as her heart to her with Miles was probably a wake-up call in more ways than one and I'm delighted you like the direction I'm taking with her character because she is very dear to me after Maya and Pearl. I can certainly relate to having a much older glamorous sibling and as you know having personally met me, while more geeky (I'm writing a novel about a video game – you don't get much more geekier than that!) science nerdy, I am also notoriously baby faced, which will be great when I'm old but not so much when I was trying to date guys my own age and explain to them that I was _not_ jailbait! :p

I am very touched that you like the way I portray Miles Edgeworth, and even find it to be Capcom Worthy! (hee! See what I did there?) because hand to heart, after Franziska Von Karma, who was a very difficult character to make likable while trying to keep in character, given how one-dimensional they made her in the Phoenix Wright games (unless you played the Miles games and saw her character develop, most people think she was just a _bruja_!) the perfect prosecutor is definitely the hardest character to write.

I like to think of Miles as somebody who is a little bit like Mia the Mirific, in that he has been through so much in his life, hence always has some wonderful pearls of wisdom to anyone who's willing to listen to it. I'm glad you enjoyed his quote about people in life:

 _"(...) although I can tell you this much about the people who come and go in your life: Never blame anyone. Good people give you happiness, bad people give you experience, unkind people give you a lesson, and the best kind of people give you memories."_

The advice seemed transferrable for any occasion! This was the first time, with Ema, that I let him share that with somebody who was _not_ Phoenix because he gave heartfelt advice minus the prelude of sarcasm and tongue lashing which his best friend tends to get before during and after!

Perhaps one of the reasons Phoenix and Maya are my favorite characters individually and as a couple, and ergo find them easier to Wright is because I can relate to them more and I also tend to wear my heart of my sleeve. Also you know my husband… and all that's missing is the spiky hair! :p

Most of us enjoy the idea of a handsome, (closet geeky!) man with a gruff exterior who is a softy on the inside – the prerequisite cinnamon roll if you will, but trying to balance that out in writing while trying to keep him in character is very difficult! It's one of the reasons you find such big lapses between Phoenix/Maya and Miles/Franny chapters as the latter takes much longer to write!

I figured Miles is logical enough to know that his bed would be a write off when he offered his place as a love shack for Phaya but I don't think he was fully grasping what a couple of _conejos juguetones_ his friends are and that _his entire house_ would thus need to be exorcised! XD

I do like to challenge and expand my characters, while desperately trying to keep them _in_ character – so I _cannot_ promise that Miles will be …as cool and calm as usual when it comes to Lang… Especially given the circumstances under which those two will come to pass when they see each other again! ;)

But I _can_ promise that much like the _volcano_ allegory you just gave Fredgeworth things will be quite _explosive_ when they set eyes on each other again! About as explosive as things would've gotten if Maya had not been there to get Phoenix out of jail yet again regarding the case of the missing wine!

Keep an eye out for next chapter when the Euro Trip begins! Miles is gonna being stuck between a rock and a hard place on the plane! I love Miles so much I don't know why I torment him so! _Hee_!

 **Brock's Geodude**

 _Cofftin. Diane/Diana_. Now _Kirsten_. Quite clever really. I'm officially now keeping a list of not only unflattering twin names for the Payne brothers and Prosecutor Sad Monk but accompanying first name puns for the former! The list appears to be _everlasting_!

I am very happy to hear that Disney's most underrated movie references were still not lost to my readers. I figured after the angst the SkyeFop cliffhanger you guys definitely deserved some fluffy emotional bonding and good old-fashioned goofiness! I don't think Edgeworth was trying too hard to use his investigative impressing skills, as Ema's poor battered definitely required a gentler touch and not interrogation – and unfortunately Edgy is not necessarily the most skilled with these things but all things considered, I think he did OK don't you? :-)

I do wish the fop and Big Red had shared more screen time. No doubt she would have seen right through his performer façade which he's perfected so well, as she proved in DD's Turnabout Academy, when despite his feigned bravado, she could still hear his sadness about the death of his mentor.

She of sensitive hearing makes her grand entrance very soon! She would have assessed the deal with Ema no doubt – possibly also just because of women's intuition, which IS a thing! The Euro Trip will be like a less random Pulp Fiction – everyone is going to have their own story, including (I hope), a few surprise characters! But in the end, everyone's story, along with their fates, collide into one, just as Jove and Magnifi always knew they would.

 _"Thank you for taking so much time to respond to people's reviews. You put exponentially more effort into that than any fanfic writer I've ever seen. I appreciate it."_

I only give back what my amazing readers give me! They keep me Wrighting and smiling, and there's no way such wonderful, in-depth reviews will only be given merely a one-liner of _"thankyouverymuch!"_

And now, *sings in the words of The Rock in his ear-worm song from Moana*… _"You're Welcome!"_


	174. The Miles High Club

_A/N: Mi amiga musica is the one I must thank for the perfect Fredgeworth chapter quote song suggestion, and mi hermana dulce is the one to thank for Miles's choice of music on board. Muchas gracias, DannyDragon y Ilet Moratar!_

 _To the rest of my Ace readers – hope you enjoy this lighthearted, lengthier read!_

* * *

 _I know your eyes in the morning sun  
I feel you touch me in the pouring rain  
And the moment that you wander far from me  
I want to feel you in my arms again  
And you come to me on a summer breeze  
Keep me warm in your love, then you softly leave  
And it's me you need to show_

 _How deep is your love, how deep is your love  
How deep is your love?  
I really mean to learn  
'Cause we're living in a world of fools  
Breaking us down when they all should let us be  
We belong to you and me_

 _I believe in you  
You know the door to my very soul  
You're the light in my deepest, darkest hour  
You're my savior when I fall  
And you may not think I care for you  
When you know down inside that I really do  
And it's me you need to show_

 _How deep is your love, how deep is your love  
How deep is your love?  
I really mean to learn  
'Cause we're living in a world of fools  
Breaking us down when they all should let us be  
We belong to you and me_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Four:** **The Miles High Club**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Rhoda Teneiro  
**_ _Flight 1-390, Second Floor  
First Class Cabins, iFly Airlines  
_July 18, 2026 3:15 PM

For once, things at the normally frenzied Los Angeles International Airport were running smoothly. Being a very frequent flier with privileged travel member status, Miles knew this meant he and his amiable travel companion, already standing at the front of line by the iFly Airlines departures gate, would be amongst the first seated, with no rushing. There was another 20 minutes left until the scheduled 3:35 takeoff, which was set to land at London's Heathrow Airport at 10:10 AM the next day.

Normally the fastidious legal eagle would have been pleased that regardless of _several, teeth-grinding hiccups_ he'd endured en route to LAX, things had nonetheless gone quite swimmingly.

However, there was _only_ pesky detail which was _conspicuously missing_ , and thus keeping things from _perfectly_ going according to plan – otherwise known as the _absolutely maddening twosome_ of _Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey_!

The pair had traveled in the same airport taxi with him and Pearl, and the foursome had checked in their luggage with _almost_ zero issues – yet somehow, the wayward duo had managed to utterly _vanish_ 15 minutes ago. Phoenix was nowhere to be seen, and in Maya's case, _she_ remained a _missing **medium** at **large!**_

 _Those fools better show up shortly! As soon as the gold member travelers are called, and then seated, the rest of first-class is thenceforth set to follow! What was the point of me taking the trouble to ensure the four of us_ _ **traveled here together**_ _so no one would be running tardy, when Wright apparently hasn't evolved whatsoever from his ever-tardy lawyer days?! It boggles my mind that even when he's_ _ **on time**_ _, that spiky-haired prat somehow_ _ **still**_ _manages to be late!_

"This is the final boarding call for all first class passengers with _VIP gold-flyer member status_ for Flight I-390 to London England." The comely (and seemingly _familiar_ ) black-haired flight attendant with the geometric topknot announced into her hand held intercom. "Please proceed to gate three."

"It is _unfathomable_ that this airline _still_ insists on spelling their name as ' _iFly Airlines'_!" Miles grumbled, his tone rife with disdain as he and Pearl settled themselves into their luxurious, first-class loungers near the front of the plane. " _Why_ does nobody know how to properly capitalize and space nouns anymore!?"

"Maybe they think the name is suitably cute-iful for _Mr. IFly_ , who's the symbol for their logo?"

The teenage spirit medium's head was already too deliriously in the clouds to even be marginally affected by the prosecutor's surly disposition. Carefully placing the small puppy carrier containing the snoozing Feyt under her seat, she then pointed to the golden Slow Loris model piggy bank, which wore a blue captain's hat, pictured on the cover of the airline magazine tucked into her chaise pocket.

"I think this little guy is just _adorable,_ don't you, Mr. Eh-ji-worth?" She gushed, her doe orbs sparkling with a youthful enthusiasm, which the slate-haired man normally would've found endearing if he wasn't already feeling peevish. "He comes in a piggy bank and even a _plushy_! His sweet miniature hat reminds me of my boyfriend's news cap! Oooh! I'm _definitely_ going to buy one for Luke… Do you think he'd prefer the coin holder or the stuffed mascot version?"

Miles cringed as he recalled being on board when the _gaudy_ (and neither _adorable_ nor _cute-iful_!) Mr. IFly piggy bank statue had been used as the weapon for a grisly murder seven years ago – which _he_ had initially been accused of committing!

However, in spite of his present disgruntled mood, he liked the starry-eyed girl too much to ruin her unalienable dreamy state about the prospect of seeing her darling beau again, and saw no need to ply her unassuming ears with gory past details.

Therefore, he kept his advice short and sweet.

"The doll. Most _definitely_ the doll."

Glancing down at his Patek Philippe watch, he frowned and peered around at the bustle of travelers seating themselves, noticing that _two conspicuous spots_ near the bathrooms, situated five rows behind them, had yet to be filled.

"They just announced the last call for the remaining first class passengers! _Where in the world_ are Wright and your cousin, Pearl? Their seats are _still_ empty!"

" _Uh-oh_ …"

Pearl bit her lip and anxiously fired off a rapid text on her cell, which in typical teenage fashion, she was obviously going to leave turned on until the last split-second, when advised to power off by the airline prior to takeoff.

"Mystic Maya wanted to get a quick bite to eat in the airport bistro lounge. I guess she and Mr. Nick missed the boarding call because they couldn't hear it all the way over there? I just sent her a friendly reminder to hurry up, and she _just_ replied that they're hauling their tails!"

"Maya went to go eat something … _again_?!" Miles stared at his seatmate incredulously. "Has she forgotten that she nearly made us late arriving here because of her need to stop the taxi and grab _a half dozen_ takeout burgers _at noon_ on the way to the airport, _despite_ my numerous reminders to you all that we were _supposed_ to arrive at the airport _three hours prior_ because this is an international flight?!"

"Mystic Maya claimed she burned off a bunch of calories laughing herself silly at the unexpected, um _…_ _incident_ at baggage check-in."

Pearl's cheeks reddened as Miles arched a knowing brow at the mention of the unforgettable (and slightly _embarrassing_!) episode, which had only compounded his presently irritable temperament.

"Um, she also swears up and down that it was because of said _incident_ that she was nearly rolling on the ground in hysterics, and totally was _not_ at the sight of your ' _girly canary'_ luggage!"

 _Don't bother defending your laughing hyena kinswoman, Pearl! We're both aware that the sight of Rhoda Teneiro's hideously designed baggage – along with the_ _ **matching carry-on**_ _– which Hendricks thought would be_ _ **hilarious**_ _to secretly procure and pack as well, was the cause for all the mirth! There's no use in trying to deny it was my garish luggage that_ _ **really**_ _had both Maya and Wright doubling over the entire time, whereas_ _ **I**_ _was left trying to smooth things over with security!_

Miles scowled at the memory, barely cognizant of the fact that the boarding call for the rest of the economy class passengers had now been announced, and wondered if his scatterbrained friends would even make it before the plane took off. Well, after being subjected to their unspoken ridicule, _he_ would hardly be shedding any tears for them!

 _Also, note to self,_ _find_ _ **some**_ _sort of loophole to justify lowering the recently wrangled, and_ _ **very handsomely inflated,**_ _salary of my normally loyal and steadfast British Butler with the_ _ **twisted sense of humor**_ _! I reckon this is his attempted retribution for having to scrub out posterior marks from my leather furniture for months! Ngh! There must be_ _ **some**_ _punishment that's suitable for evidently deeming it would be an absolute_ _ **riot**_ _to pack my clothing in that horrendous valise! I judge_ _ **no one but**_ _ **myself**_ _for foolishly keeping Rhoda's gifted monstrosity all this time, rather than decreeing that my manservant - who was conveniently_ _ **nowhere to be found**_ _this morning when I awoke – to_ _ **kill it with fire**_ _in the same manner he did my old bed sheets!_

"Don't be mad, Mr. Eh-ji-worth!" The teen spotted the dark cloud looming across his mien and guessed his murky thoughts. "Even with the certain _unanticipated events_ , we all made it on time nevertheless! Plus, _I_ think those lime green Mr. IFly faces on your bags are quite nice against the sunshine yellow background! And the pink bows are the _perfect_ touch - they're almost the _same shade_ as your _suit_!"

 _Objection!_ Miles was too irked to even respond to this, though he knew the dulcet teen was only trying to placate him. _My magenta suit is_ _ **not**_ _Barbie pink!_

"Yay! They _made_ it!"

Pearl bounced up from her seat, then stood and waved enthusiastically at the rapidly ascending Phoenix and Maya. Miles turned and saw the harried-looking couple were being escorted by the same dark-haired flight attendant who'd been making the boarding announcements. The pianist was lugging both his own carry-on luggage, along with his girlfriend's. In the meantime, the village leader was hastily dabbing at a stray smear of telltale mustard on her cheek with a Kleenex.

The barrister felt something jump inside his stomach as he observed the stewardess _wasn't_ stopping at the assigned rear spots, which he'd _strategically_ booked for the twosome. The seats close enough to be within _shouting_ distance from himself and Pearl if need be, but also _purposefully far enough_ behind them so he wouldn't even need to lay eyes upon the _public display of affection aficionados_ , unless he turned around or needed to use the facilities!

The iFly employee hurriedly ushered the duo _up_ the aisle - _right_ towards where Miles and Pearl were located!

 _Gaaaaaaah!_ Miles shrank back in horror. _I'm in the aisle spot, which means the noisier and more_ _ **boisterously rambunctious**_ _Fey is now within_ _ **spitting distance**_ _away from me!_ _ **How**_ _could such a gross, negligent error have transpired here, in spite of all my painstaking plotting to ensure my tranquility and peace of mind during this nearly 11 hour flight?!_

The flabbergasted lawyer continued to gape while Phoenix and Maya quickly took their seats, completely unaware that, no more than a foot and a half away, they were sitting in the two-seater section… _right beside_ Miles and Pearl!

 _Which of these four doesn't belong here?_ The magenta-clad man could not _believe_ this was really happening. _Up, down, left…_ _ **Wright!**_

"Here you go Mr. Wright, Ms. Fey. So glad you made it in time!" The air hostess beamed congenially at the tardy travelers. "I've put your carry-ons in the luggage bin overhead for you. Please fasten your seat-belts and make sure your chairs are in the upright position as we get ready for takeoff."

As the woman in white uniform turned around to make her way back down the walkway, Miles saw her familiar visage, and finally realized that it was actually the gifter of his _much mocked, eyesore luggage_ who'd shepherded the fellow _travel neighbors from hell_ to his side – _Rhoda Teneiro_ herself!

" _Ms. Teneiro!"_ He hissed, frantically waving to get her attention, attempting to be discreet and not have the dual beanie-sporting lovebirds – who were, _ad nauseam_ , already rubbing their noses together! – overhear. "Ms. Teneiro, your attention please!"

An inquisitive expression on her pretty face, Rhoda strode up to the prosecutor, her dark eyes lighting up with friendly recognition at the sight of him.

"Mr. Edgeworth!" She smiled brightly. " _There_ you are!"

 _Yes indeed,_ _ **here I am**_ _, she who is still deserving the Master of Obvious title!_ Miles thought frantically. _Wait- that's a strange response,_ _ **even for**_ _ **her**_ _ **!** Did she know I was on this flight prior to this?!_

"Long time no see!" Rhoda trilled. "How can I help you? As we are preparing for takeoff, I do hope it's quick Mr. Edgeworth…"

" _Edgeworth_?!" Phoenix exclaimed, this time overhearing the flight attendant just as Maya cried, " _Miles_?!"

Barely stifling a groan at having been detected before he could remedy this _grievous blunder_ , Miles ignored his friends and attempted to speak in a slightly hushed tone, momentarily forgetting that Pearl was sitting right beside him.

"Ahem, this seems to be _a slight oversight_ , Ms. Teneiro." He tried to speak lightly, and not let his growing panic be too evident. "As memory serves me, you are an esteemed Chief Flight Attendant, ergo, I'm hoping you're the right party who can remedy this situation."

"You know me! _Service with a smile, even if we're crashing into the ocean_!" Rhoda replied cheerfully. "What can I do to ensure you keep your love of the friendly skies?"

"I booked the tickets for myself and my young companion here." He subtly inclined his head towards Pearl. "As well as for those two passengers you just seated. All in first-class, of course, except I could've _sworn_ I'd booked their spots several rows back. I thought I would advise you about this mishap, as I would sorely hate for there to be any sort of unnecessary kerfuffle if their places had gotten mixed up with another passenger…"

"Did you mean your _good_ _friends_ , Mr. Wright and Ms. Fey?" Rhoda stepped back so that Miles was now the in direct line of vision from the curious-eyed duo, who weren't even bothering to pretend they weren't trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. "I've always been aware of Mr. Ace Defense Attorney being your courtroom rival back in the day – the two of you were always in the media headlines!"

Before Miles could shamelessly lie about the nature of his friendship with Phoenix (he was desperate enough to do _anything_ in attempt to preserve his lucidity by this point!) and claim that since the other man had lost his badge, their previous bond over the years had become nonexistent, and therefore, sitting next to him on such a lengthy flight would be nothing short of awkward, the bubbly stewardess blithely put the kibosh on the entire notion with her next words.

"Then, last winter – I think it was in November? – I had the pleasure of attending to your former associate, Dick Gumshoe, on a flight to Europe. He's such a kind man – did you know he tried to _tip me_ for my services? Tee hee! Anyway, he was going to visit his old mentor, Detective Badd, who'd been hospitalized at the time. We got to chatting, and he mentioned that in spite of the _forgery_ _scandal_ which engulfed Mr. Wright all those years ago, _both_ of you had loyally stayed in touch with your old pal, and _never_ abandoned him, even for a _second!_ "

" _Did_ he now?" Miles murmured faintly. "How… _telling_ of him…"

He was going to _shove cotton balls_ into Gumshoe's large, _overly flapping cake hole_ the next time he saw the big lug! As he brooded his ex-subordinate's loose lips, Rhoda rounded the bend, and made him realize it'd have been a moot point.

" _Then,_ of course, I saw the _viral video_ of Ms. Fey serenading her boyfriend in that wedding video last month, which also showed the two of you legal legends sitting next to each other at the reception hall, all dapper and dressed to the nines, even though _you_ were still in that trademarked suit of yours!"

Rhoda sounded quite proud of herself.

"Therefore, when I saw that you and Mr. Wright were booked on the same flight, I took the liberty of changing the seating around, so you could _all be together!_ I figured being in the company of your dear chums would make your flight even more enjoyable – and I did this fleeting game of musical chairs at n _o extra charge,_ since you're such a valued, frequent flier!"

Miles felt his face warming as he felt _three_ sets of eyes, Phoenix's, Maya's and now _Pearl's_ , staring at him intently, awaiting his feedback. He barely kept from groaning in defeat as he saw _no way out_ _of the situation whatsoever_ , thanks to the meddling hand of the former Master of _Obvious_ turned Master of _Oblivious,_ whose nobly intended actions could _never_ possibly allow her to clue into what a _glaring faux pas_ she'd made!

"I'm sure… the results of your efforts shall result in a flight that's most... _unforgettable_ , indeed," he managed to get out in a slightly strangled voice. "With these arrangements you've made, I may be so...entertained that I may not even get a chance to lose myself in the thriller hardcover I brought along, which I've been most eager to read! So…thank you for trying to have my best interests at heart, Ms. Teneiro."

"My pleasure!" Rhoda chirped. "I'll see you later, Mr. Edgeworth. I need to get to my seat now!"

And off she went.

"Hey, this was really nice of Rhoda, wasn't it?" Maya smiled happily at the prosecutor. "I mean, I know you said you wanted to be cordoned away from me and Nick at the time, Miles, but don't you worry about being distracted! I've got my laptop and tablet to entertain us, and I _swear_ we won't interrupt your reading _at all!"_

"Yeah, Edgeworth, don't give us _another thought_!" Phoenix assured his friend with a grin. "This is the first time Ace Mommy and Daddy have had a moment to ourselves since Maya and Trucy met, because we've spent every waking minute until now doing the family bonding thing with the girls, so me and the gal pal have some catching up to do! You'll see – you _won't even know we're here_!"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Larry Butz  
**_ _Blood-Soaked Nightmare Hellscape  
AKA  
First Class Cabins, iFly Airlines  
_July 18, 2026 4:45 PM

Miles hadn't been lying about wanting to lose himself in the book he'd brought with him. He figured his recently reawakened Anglophile yearnings were further bolstered at the concept of being reunited with a true English gentleman, in the country where he'd done most of his legal schooling.

Therefore, the attorney was quite eager to use the lengthy flight as an opportunity to immerse himself in the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and was thoroughly enjoying the solitude and relatively quiet atmosphere Phoenix and Maya had promised him. Pearl, angel that she was, was amusing herself on her own tablet, and appeared to be messaging with her boyfriend, lost in her own little world of teenage romance.

Even though his laptop was turned on and connected to the airplane Wi-Fi, in case Agent Lang needed to message him, an hour into the flight, Miles was surrounded by nothing but heavenly silence. This allowed the prosecutor the prime opportunity to pleasurably sip the English Breakfast tea Rhoda had just served him when making her beverage and snack rounds, while contentedly pouring over the legendary British author's Sherlock Holmes mystery: _A Study in Scarlet._

Sherlock was no ordinary sleuth who'd relied on disciplines of criminal and forensic science. He was able to conclude the most detailed information from the minutest scraps, for he was strongly led by intuition and a keen sense of observation which came to him as though by a second nature. His immense powers of observation and his tactics were very prescient and thus influential.

 _ **"Oh! A mystery is it?" I cried, rubbing my hands. "This is very piquant. I am much obliged to you for bringing us together. 'The proper study of mankind is man,' you know."**_

Miles was both captivated and amused by Watson's quote about his new flatmate, Holmes. It seemed the character of Sherlock Holmes was acclaimed not only for his famed Detective skills, but watching men and observing their every move, utterance, and physical characteristics. He knew that Phoenix, no doubt, would have likened this to his ability to use his magatama's spiritual powers when he'd been an attorney, and even now, his innate capabilities as an unbeaten card shark.

 _A fascinating concept but surely naught more than a work of brilliant fiction? I know Wright claims his undefeated card shark streak is because there's much more to a game of poker than merely dumb luck; that it's all about being able to_ _ **read**_ _your opponent, but even in court, although he was obviously talented, nevertheless, for the longest time, that man_ _ **did**_ _possess a lucky streak greater than any horseshoe, rabbit's foot and four-leaf clover…_ _ **combined**_ _ **!** As if there could ever be any sort of superpower in the real world that existed which would allow any mere mortal to __**perceive**_ _the most minuscule actions of an individual and properly deduce their true latent intentions because of it! Poppycock, I say!_

Smirking to himself over such nonsensical drivel, the logic genius continued to read.

Suddenly, a ringing noise sounded in Miles's headset from his laptop, indicating he had a call on video chat. He quickly answered, assuming it would be the Wolfman, but instead saw the smiling, goateed mug of the newly married Larry Butz on-screen.

"Wazzup, Edgy? Got a few minutes to help an old pal out?"

Surprised but slightly wary, as nearly all his conversations with his childhood friend had threatened to destroy every last lingering shard of his sanity, Miles gave a cautious nod, figuring he could handle a quick chat with the other man, whom he hadn't heard from since the wedding.

"Looks like you're on a plane," Larry observed. "Can you hear me OK?"

"I can. The reception is quite clear on this Internet connection. It's a good thing you caught me now, as I am presently flying to Europe for Interpol and will be there for an undetermined amount of time."

"Then I'm glad I got you when I did! I'm really sorry in advance to be bugging you with these matters, and normally I'd ask Maya, since _Nick_ wouldn't even know how to use video chat if his _life_ depended on it, but she's not online right now…"

Miles glanced across the narrow aisle at the seats beside him. Phoenix and Maya were chatting and laughing softly amongst themselves, lost in their own little world of private paradise. Normally, he would've leaned over and crisply instructed the spirit medium to use either one of her available electronic devices and log onto her messenger service so Larry could contact _her_ directly, thus getting the Butz out of _his_ hair so he could get back to his book!

However, now that everything was smooth sailing on their journey, he was feeling quite relaxed and magnanimous, and supposed it would be unkind to break the couple out of their lover's spell, especially since so far, they'd made good on their promise and hadn't given the lawyer any reason as of yet to reach for his emergency barf bag!

Plus, he was going to assume (hopefully not regrettably!) that marriage and being with Iris must have accordingly mellowed and matured Larry to the point of at least being _somewhat_ tolerable by now! After all, it wasn't as though his friend could have possibly gotten any _worse!_

"Let me see if I can be of any assistance before ascertaining if there's a need to bother the newly reunited lovebirds. How can I help you?"

"The wife and I have barely had a free moment to even _breathe_ since getting back from our fortnight honeymoon in Italy, as we've had to get right back into the daily grind!" Larry explained. "We're only _now_ managing to slowly get through the tower of _frivolous_ and absolutely _bizarre_ gifts Mr. _You Blo Me's_ equally richer than God friends bequeathed him and Maya… But ended up being given _to us_ in the end."

He jerked his thumb at the large pile of packages behind him, a nonplussed expression on his mien.

"Almost all of the prezzies are some sort of mystery gadget for the kitchen. What is _up_ with that anyway?! It's like people think once you're married, all you'll be doing is sitting around... _cooking_ … and _eating_!"

Miles felt his lips twitch ever so slightly.

"Didn't you know, Larry?" He deadpanned. "That's _exactly_ what people think, for _that_ is the general expectation: marriage signifies _letting yourself go,_ and therefore, no longer needing to be attractive!"

"Who the heck says _that_?!"

Larry seemed appalled at the notion of _ever_ being married to anything besides the beauty queen he'd tied the knot with a month ago.

"Iris has only gotten _hotter_ since we got hitched, dude! Like, her _skin_ glows more, her _hair_ appears shinier … and man, let me tell you, she hasn't gained a pound from what I can tell, but her _boobs_ seem to have gotten _bigger_!"

 _And… you've disappointed me from the start._ The prosecutor let out a soundless sigh. _So much for Larry changing post wedlock!_

The disapproving expression on his normally stoic countenance was hard to miss, and the newlywed was immediately contrite, grinning self-consciously and scratching his head.

"Oops! Sorry! That last part sort of slipped out! The point is, my gorgeous wife is a total _goddess_ , and I can't see my point of view about that _ever_ changing - even if she gains _100 pounds!_ "

Miles nodded indulgently. The Butz would _always_ be a boneheaded _Putz_ , but his genuine love for his wife was unmistakable. The solicitor decided he found this newfound attribute of the former womanizer slightly charming.

"I'm sure Iris will be delighted to hear your love is unconditional. Nonetheless, I am going to go out on a limb and presume you did _not_ call me to prattle on about the fetching attributes of the new Mrs. Butz?"

"Actually, it's still _Hawthorne_ ," Larry revealed. "My wife and I decided to compromise, and Iris decreed that _I_ could name any kids we have, as long as _she_ didn't have to deal with having a _first_ and _last_ name that were parts of the human anatomy! She said _Iris Butz_ reminds her too much of getting pink eye! Alas, I divagate…."

"As is tradition." Miles said wryly. "Also, Iris seems to be quite the shrewd negotiator!"

 _She's also dodged the lifelong-ridicule bullet associated with that moniker, and ergo, is much cleverer than one would give her credit for!_

"The thing is, we have some whatchamacallit's here for which I can neither think of any use nor begin to identify! Send in the clowns! What kind of _lazy dumbass_ needs an _electric cheese grater_ or an _automated twirling spaghetti fork_?!"

"Nobody _I_ know – or _care_ to know."

" _Really_?! _No one…_ at _all?!_ Well spank me cross-eyed – although I may _like_ it! Heh, heh! I was honestly hoping maybe you knew some over-privileged, thrasonical Yuppies of similar _shi-shi frou-frou_ circles? Ones who'd possibly covet any of this _overrated stupidness?_ "

"You thought _I_ associated with these sorts of _poseurs_?!" Miles was indignant. "Wh-Where did that cockamamie idea come from!?"

"I dunno, you're all fussy and urbane so I figured maybe you hung around _other_ snooty folks too –" Larry's voice trailed off as he saw his friend's murderous expression. "I mean, ah… _no particular reason_! Just … _because_!"

"Humph! I would appreciate it if you didn't take my life so lightly with a simple, ' _Just because_ '!"

" _Anywhore_ … _I_ have neither the space nor need to be like the James Bond of the kitchen, with a gadget for each occasion and every possible kitchen emergency, but hell, maybe _you_ would! I mean, you even have the sorta British accent!"

There was a rummaging sound in the background.

"How about _this_ bad boy?" Larry held up a large red, cylinder shaped launcher and smiled hopefully.

"What on earth is _that_?" Miles was bollixed at the sight of the canister. "Some sort of culinary _shooter_ contrivance?!"

The newlywed appeared to be reading the written inscription on the accompanying gift card.

"Pulling out a popcorn bag and throwing it into the microwave is easy, but cooking this snack like a sane person is so overdone, don't you think? Relive the glory of the Revolutionary age by loading that shit into a _cannon_. Yes, I said a _cannon_! _The Cannon Popcorn Maker_ uses hot air circulation technology to bring out the deliciousness from each kernel. But more importantly, it shoots the finished product into a bowl. _Frivolous_? Indubitably! Totally awesomesauce? Also _yes_!"

He shrugged helplessly at Miles.

"I guess what they're trying to say is that ultimately … _bitches love cannons_?!"

The prosecutor barely stifled a snort of derision, but again shook his head in silent refusal.

"How about the _SensorFreshQ_?"

Larry read aloud the accompanying gift card with a furrowed brow.

"Mad cow and all sorts of food-related diseases have been in the news lately, so it's for people who can be a bit paranoid, so this doodad "sniffs" uncooked meat to determine if it's fresh or not. If you see a "green" light, that means the meat is fresh; "yellow" means the meat is still edible, while "red" indicates that you should steer clear!"

The jokester aimed the laser downward at his pelvic area and suggestively waggled his eyebrows.

"Nothing but a "fresh" green light here, FYI!"

" _Larry_ …" Miles narrowed his eyes warningly, visibly unamused. "How about… _no_?!"

"Awe stop being such a stick in the mud! I'm just messin' around! But _shitnuts_ , dude! Considering most of Kurain village and the surrounding Eagle Mountain area exists on a mostly _vegetarian_ diet, this thing would is as useless as a fart in a space suit! Why wouldn't they just go by the _expiration date_ on the meat?!"

Larry threw his exasperated hands in the air at the sheer madness of it all.

"If you can't tell whether the meat that's been sitting in your fridge for weeks is bad, then your family probably doesn't want you to cook for them anymore! I don't understand these elite rich folks, Edgy! I mean, an aerosolic power _Stainless Steel Whipped Cream Dispenser_?! _Iced Tea and Lemonade_ machine?! It's like they have more _dollars_ than _sense_! Nyuk-Nyuk! Hey… _dollars_ … _cents_ … lookit me, I made a funny!"

Miles barely resisted the urge to face palm at this low-brow attempt at wit.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Larry. I barely eat red meat, and whenever I do, I implicitly trust my competent manservant with _everything_ household related, including _not poisoning me_!"

 _Well, that being said, I suppose I still_ _ **do**_ _trust Hendricks with everything …. But effective today, I no longer have much confidence with his taste in selecting an acceptable traveling valise! What was that man **thinking**? ...Rather, __**not**_ _thinking?_

"Grrr! Have a _heart_ , Edgy!" Larry whined plaintively. "Pleeeease take some of this cluttery junk off our hands! We have _no_ room for it, and compared to _our_ place, that swanky condo of _yours_ is Buckingham Palace! Hey speaking of England … ask Luke's old mentor the good professor if _he_ wants any of this stuff? He probably entertains more than we do, and could probably make better use of at least this _European Drinking Chocolate Machine_ , designed for mixing and dispensing espresso-like shots of velvety drinking chocolate! Hey they left the price tag on this by accident… Say whaaaaat?! Dip my balls in sweet cream and squat my ass in a kitchen full of kittens!"

Miles nearly rolled his eyes at this irreverent exclamation, but Larry's own eyeballs were too busy bugging out of his skull to notice his friend's unimpressed reaction.

"This thing costs $ ** _1,169_! ** That's _ridiculous_! Wait, apparently they justify the price by claiming it does a couple other things, such as dispensing cream sauces, drawn butter for seafood, cheese sauces or gravy, because darn it if I didn't always wish I could get me a big ol' _mug o' gravy in the morning!_ What a _pick-me-up_!"

"I concur, that _does_ sound pretty outlandish for such a limited use apparatus."

The slate-haired man tried to sound noncommittal, wondering at what point he could politely terminate this conversation, since he had nil intention of allowing Larry to unload his newly acquired smorgasbord of gastronomic paraphernalia upon him!

"Just to clarify though, was there something you needed my actual _succor_ with, aside from merely inquiring if I would be a willing taker for any of these space hogging gadgets, for which by the way, you could fetch a pretty penny if you tried to pawn online?"

"Hey! That's a _great_ idea, Edgy!" The Butz enthused, nodding earnestly. "Now why didn't _I_ think of that? If lame folks can buy _fidget spinners_ and _Pet Rocks_ , they'll buy _anything_! OK, I'll try to thrust some of this junk upon some fancy-pants schmuck with a boner for overpriced, high-end implements!"

More fumbling sounds.

"Still, there's quite a few unidentified objects remaining that I'm hoping you can help me at least pinpoint, so I can decide whether or not I want to try to use it myself, or to sell it for the highest dollar? Warning … some of these are _mondo disturbia_ , and if _I_ saw them in anyone's house, I'd _run_ – not _walk_! I'd _run_ _ **so**_ _far away_!"

At this point, the now very impatient Miles was thinking he'd willingly buy _any_ device at all – regardless of how peculiar and/or frivolous! – if _that_ was all it took to make Larry Butz stay _far, far away_ from him! In fact, he'd gladly buy a _dozen_ of them!

"I'll do my best to help." A note of impatience crept into his voice as he longingly eyed his novel, which he'd barely cracked open. "Let me see what you've got that is so perplexing."

With a discombobulated frown, Larry held up another cylinder shaped item, this one black and white, and much smaller than the cannon popcorn maker.

"Oh hell shit fire! _What_ is this _Rollie Eggmaster_ thing supposed to do?! I mean, aside from making the creators of this idiotic contraption giggle maniacally that they've made you consume eggs that resemble a … _dildo_?"

 _Ngh!_ Miles recoiled at the crude description. _I had a bad feeling before about where this was all going, but this just made it official!_

" _Uurrngh_! That _does it,_ Larry Butz...! You've really outdone yourself this time!"

The barrister cast a furtive glimpse at Pearl, who luckily continued to be unaware of this conversation, then went into incensed, finger-tapping against forearm mode as he glared at the artist.

" _Why_ must you be so damn _crass_? There's an innocent young girl right beside me, and I am ever grateful that I'm wearing privacy headphones, so she can't hear your _cringe-worthy_ speculating! For your kind information, you _heathen_ , that device is a multi-purpose, vertical grill. Not only for eggs, but also for cinnamon rolls, pizza rolls and burritos. Mayhap Iris would actually enjoy the versatility of this particular item."

"Nah. Why should eggs be eaten in the shape of a schlong – er, _long_ …roll? Just seems so _limiting_. Why not in the shape of an octagon, or a triangle, ya know? Kitchen tools that _discriminate_ in such a manner don't deserve a place in _my_ drawer!" Larry declared.

Before Miles could point out the ludicrousness of that statement, his friend was already rooting about for the next mysterious offering. He then gingerly held up a gleaming chrome object, which resembled an oblong _Morningstar_!

"Holy shit-snacks! What's _this_ scary-ass thing? Some horrendous … _alien probe?!_ "

"For the love of – that's a _citrus reamer_ , Larry!"

"Huh. Welp, I maintain my stance that at first glance, it'd be deemed as a sort of _hedonistic adult toy_! Listen, I know up until the day of the nixed nuptials, Longines was so deep in the closet, Aslan the Lion was ready to ask him to save Narnia, but I _really_ think his pals were doing their best to _coax_ him out!"

 _Arngh! Butz has a point there! That's not "Friendship"; it's utter humiliation to have_ _ **anyone**_ _be that involved in your intimate details and trying to expose them!_

Larry grimaced as he held up the next questionable item.

"I don't care _what_ you say, but there seems to be a legit _kinky fetish_ theme here! First that _medieval weaponry_ from hell, then there was _the dong-shaped egg-maker_ , and _now_ this _Kitchen Art Ham Dogger_ takes hamburger meat and shapes it into a _one-fourth-pound_ hot dog?! That's a lot of _meat_ they're asking him to _handle_ … then _eat_! What is _with_ his deviant perv friends being obsessed with giving Longines naughty or _johnson_ themed shizz?!"

 _Ngrk! The_ _ **less**_ _I know about other's private affairs, the_ _ **happier**_ _I am! I'm not interested in caring to discover other people's unnecessary business. I used to work with a man for 3 years and never learned his name. Best friend I ever had! We_ _ **still**_ _never talk sometimes…_

"A burger press is bad enough, especially if you have two hands," Miles finally conceded in a strained voice. "Just eat a bloody hot dog!"

"That's not even the _worst_ of the gifts to further fuel my speculation about Blondie's hairdresser friends being a bunch of _depraved freakazoids_!"

Larry held up a white, phallic-shaped wand, which appeared to make a buzzing sound when he pushed the button.

"Well shiver me timbers and call me Woody – for _more_ reasons than _one_! Ha-ha! Seriously though, this is hardly an appropriate _wedding_ present! A _stag_ gag gift maybe, but _who_ presents a bride and groom with a battery operated … _marital aid_?!"

The children's book illustrator expelled a lamenting sigh.

"You're probably going to tell me _I'm_ the one with a dirty mind and that it's totally a _coincidence_ that this curious thing happens to vibrate. Am I right, Edgy?"

Miles blew out a long-suffering breath and began rubbing the sides of his skull.

"Larry, your uncultured Philistine behind is _officially_ beginning to cause a _searing_ _**and**_ _throbbing_ pain – in _both_ my temples!"

" _Headache_?" Pearl asked perkily, glancing up from her tablet. She dug into her purse, producing a small bottle. " _Aspirin_?"

The prosecutor smiled politely at the helpful teen and shook his head at the proffered meds, then turned back to his galling mate.

"For the record, the aforementioned reverberating device _is_ intended for giving satisfying head…"

" _Ew,_ man! _Mondo grosso_!" The plastic object flew out of Larry's horrorstruck grip and shot across the room, as though ejected from the popcorn canon maker. "What the _shit_?!"

"For _beer_ , Larry, you _uncouth Neanderthal_!" Miles couldn't even hide his irritation this time. "That's a _Beer Vibrator_ , intended to give ale connoisseurs the ability to create the perfect, creamy head – aka _foam_! – on any kind of carbonated _beer_!"

" _Oopsie_! My bad!" Larry grinned sheepishly. "The onus is on _you_ for _this_ one, though, Edgy! _You're_ the one who used the word _head_ … What _else_ was I supposed to think?!"

Miles gritted his teeth and silently began counting to ten.

Then, instead of replying, the now thoroughly vexed counsellor raised a hand in the air for the passing Rhoda's attention and brusquely ordered a brandy, much to her consternation.

"Are _you_ sure you want such a stiff drink _already_ , Mr. Edgeworth? It's not even 5 o'clock yet!"

"It's happy hour _somewhere_ in the world!" He retorted laconically, and literally waited until the air hostess had returned with his liquor and he'd taken a _long_ swig from the tumbler in his hand before addressing the _nerve-grating_ man occupying his monitor once more.

 _Judge me all you want Ms. Teneiro, but I need to put some alcohol in my mouth to block the words from coming out!_

"Um, it's been nice chatting with you, Edgy…" Larry seemed relieved that the cravat wearer no longer appeared homicidal. "I guess I'll sign off now and wish you a safe trip and flight. Iris sends her regards, of course. She'd normally come on and say _hello_ , but she's resting right now. I'm sure you can appreciate that in light of our current circumstances, my poor wife is simply too worn out to even move a muscle…"

" _Sweet Jesus_!" Miles exploded wrathfully, slamming his glass down on the table and glaring daggers at the _shameless_ _lummox_ on screen. "Larry Butz, _what_ in the name of all that is holy is _wrong_ with you? You are a _married_ – although obviously not a _respectable_! – man now! At least _attempt_ to show some respect for the genteel woman whom you've wed and spare me the lecherous alluding to your marital life!"

" _Martial life_?! Edgy, what kind of dude do you _take_ me for?! I wasn't in _any_ way trying to claim my Iris's somnolence was due to her vigorous… _wifely duties_!"

Larry sounded absolutely gobsmacked at his friend's unforeseen vagaries, and then a tad offended.

"FYI, it's _because_ , as I thought you already knew, thanks to her cousin's loving broadcast for Nick at our wedding, the spirit business, along with cabin rentals, has been through the roof! Almost every day, milady, Maya, Pearl, Bikini and Matilda have been working nearly dusk till dawn! And with her sister and cousin gone now, it's just going to be the three of them, and Irish had been channeling until maybe an hour before I called you! Of _course_ she's wiped out! I am _affronted_ you'd think I'd simply _blurt out_ personal details about the woman I tied the knot with in such a _lewd_ manner!"

Miles felt his cheeks warming at being on the rare receiving end of such a much-deserved tongue lashing – and from _the Butz_ , of all people! But after all the preceding built-up and assumptions the new groom had made, could he really be blamed for jumping to the worst conclusion?!

Regardless, it seemed a slice of humble pie was in order.

"Indeed...it was wrong of me to have assumed a libidinous undertone on the subject of your wife, Larry," he said abjectly. "Verily, I say. Ergo…"

"No sweat, Edgy! We're pals, I hold no grudges!" Larry shrugged amicably. "While I'm not about to divulge anything _juicy_ about the love of my life, I _can_ share _this_ much…"

A goofy, dreamy smile came over his face, and it seemed he momentarily forgot Miles was even there.

"I have _no clue_ why people assume once you're hitched, the _behind closed doors stuff_ is either _nonexistent_ … or _mundane_! Knowing someone in the biblical sense…when it's your _soulmate,_ just takes things to a whole new _spiritual_ level that I've _never_ experienced before! Almost _tantric_ , ya know what I mean?"

 _I never should have apologized!_ A sense of foreboding slowly crept over Miles, as he waited for the other shoe to drop. _It's made him think it's now_ _ **acceptable**_ _to disclose!_ _I'm sensing my_ _ **own**_ _shoe is about to get blood on it…_

"It's so _charged_ , I don't know where _my_ flesh ends and _hers_ begins. A sensation so intoxicatingly addicting, it's pure, unadulterated… _sexual napalm_. Like… doing peyote and sneezing slowly for six hours…"

… _.because I just shot myself in the foot!_

The appalled Miles spluttered on his brandy, and then, without even bothering to say goodbye, his hand reflexively flew to the logoff button, silencing Larry from stating one more _nightmare inducing word_ and effectively terminating the call.

No good deed went unpunished! _This_ was obviously his reward for not passing the buck to Maya when he had taken Larry's hellacious call in the first place!

 _Nnnghhhooooh!_ His temples had resumed their pounding. _**What**_ _did I ever do to deserve unwitting participation in the traumatizing game of SCARE not SHARE with the Butz?!_ _ **Peyote**_ _?! As in_ _ **psychedelic**_ _/_ _ **hallucinogenic**_ _effect?! And…_ _ **napalm**_ _?! Gaaaaaaah! As much as I wish I could, nonetheless, I_ _ **cannot**_ _…_ _ **un-hear**_ _what the blasted man just said!_

" _Ngh_! My poor ears!" He went back to massaging his temples, not even realizing he'd spoken aloud until he heard the slight rustle of his seatmate turning towards him.

"Are your ears bugging you, Mr. Eh-ji-worth? Mine also tend to pop from the air pressure every time I fly, but _this_ can help!" Pearl waved a package of Wrigley's Doublemint at him. _"Chewing gum?"_

Miles stared blankly into her sweet face, unsure of how to respond for a moment, before finally shaking his head.

"No thank you, Pearl. I didn't mean my _ears_ in the _literal_ sense."

"You look kind of disturbed," the observant teen noted. "Who were you talking to that got you so mad?"

The entire time he'd been chatting with Larry, whilst being fearful he was about to have an _aneurysm of sheer stupidity,_ his benign fellow passenger had been so quiet and unobtrusive that he'd nearly forgotten she'd been present _the entire time_!

"I don't know if _mad_ is the word _per se…_ "

For once he felt himself struggling for words, unsure of how to articulate his displeasure, seeing as it was with an actual a member of the _Fey family_ , albeit _through marriage_!

"But I just got off a call with your new brother-in-law…"

"I know he's married to Sis, and most of the time I like him just fine, but I know that Larry's still kind of a … _tool_." Pearl nodded solemnly. "Was he being a pain in your butt?"

"Pearl, even if I _tried_ …" The prosecutor sighed ruefully and took a long sip of amber. "Words would _still_ fail to describe the immeasurable suffering he has caused me!"

"Married or not… _once_ a tool, _always_ a tool," she said knowingly, with a sage maturity that belied her years. Reaching over, she gave his arm a consoling pat. "Forget about him, Mr. Eh-ji-worth. Go back to your book. I promise _I_ won't bother you at all."

A slight smile tugged at his lips as he picked up his novel again and nodded at Pearl.

It seemed like he'd picked the right Fey as his airplane companion after all.

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth**_ _ **and Phaya**_ _  
Underworld Chasm of Hades  
_ July 18, 2026 6:00 PM

Another hour passed with no harrowing activity occurring, and in spite the earlier disturbance, Miles found himself once again thoroughly engrossed in his novel.

" _ **Do you remember what Darwin says about music? He claims that the power of producing and appreciating it existed among the human race long before the power of speech was arrived at. Perhaps that is why we are so subtly influenced by it. There are vague memories in our souls of those misty centuries when the world was in its childhood.'**_

 _ **That's a rather broad idea,' I remarked.**_

 _ **One's ideas must be as broad as Nature if they are to interpret Nature,' he answered."**_

What a fascinating character Holmes was, he mused. Doyle's stories had a veneer of magic to them -an ability to beguile readers with the mixture of science and wonderment. The detective was quite the complex and intriguing man, mixing the contrast of sheer reason and practicality with poetry, both in his speech and his appreciation for the arts.

 _It's quite true. Musicians, lyric writers, are often the truth tellers of society. They open a window into the soul, show the pain inside, search for love - the antidote to fear. They are not simply the "entertainers," they often carry the spirit of the young, a safe way to hold a community conversation. That's why we love our music, that's why it speaks to us..._

"Fuck-a-roo, and suck me off with a breast pump! That was the best titty-farting rest I have _ever_ had!"

" _Maya_!" Phoenix loudly groaned in mortification just as Miles's head shot up at the shocking vulgarity.

" _Wright?! Maya?!"_

He jolted in his seat at this rude interruption and shot daggers at the couple, thankful that everybody else in their immediate vicinity of the plane appeared to be dozing and/or wearing headphones, and therefore had been spared overhearing the Master's profane outburst.

"Do you two have _no_ shame?! There's an unsullied ingénue present, whose innocuous ears must be bleeding even more than _mine_ …"

Sliding his gaze towards the adolescent in question, he noted with relief that Pearl wasn't in her spot beside him, and had therefore missed this moment of her zany cousin acting _more_ unseemly than _usual_!

"Well, never mind, I reckon Pearl went to use the facilities, but still…what the _hell_?!"

"Relax, Miles! It wasn't _me_ being randomly raunchy!" Maya snorted, not at all daunted by his ire. She tapped at her tablet. "I was just reading aloud this _hilarious_ email from Longines! He was regaling me with details of his Curacao trip with Armstrong – which turned out to be not just the best vacation of his life, but a spontaneous _elopement_ and _honeymoon_!"

"Beaugosse and Armstrong tied the knot over there, did they?" Miles felt some of his irritation dulling and being replaced by mild curiosity. "Well, good for them."

"Am I the only one who finds it crazy that the man who came flying out of the closet at your canceled nuptials is even _remotely_ referring to any part of the _female_ form, a.k.a. _breasts_?!" Phoenix asked dubiously. "What's _that_ all about?"

"Well… Armstrong _is_ spouting an impressive pair of _man boobs_ in this picture!" Maya sniggered, gesturing to the screen. "Even bigger than _mine_ really… I'd say those moobs are at _least_ a C-cup, Nick! What say _you_?"

She held up the iPad to Phoenix's face, but her lover swatted away at the tablet, as though shooing away a pesky fly.

" _Christ on pogo stick_ , Maya! Get that thing away from me! I don't need to lose my appetite – or my _eyesight_! – before they serve dinner!"

"You're being _such_ a baby!" She twittered. " _How_ can you support my claim and rate his bra size unless you _see for yourself_?"

"I am making the _mother_ of all _objections_ on this one! Absolutely _no_ guy – or _girl_! – other than your ex, and that's only because in _this case, love_ _must be blind,_ wants to see _any_ bared skin of that _wriggling mass of pink_ poufiness!"

"At least _Longines_ was easy on the eyes. Wanna see _his_ wedding attire?"

"NO!"

"Well, the phony Frenchman _is_ totally topless in this pirate themed beach wedding photo, where their _hot chocolate_ minister is dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow! You can't help but _look_!"

Maya scrolled through the attached pictures in the email.

"This is _so_ cute… Longines is wearing _a pirate hat_! _Wow_ … And that's _all_ he's wearing! _Yarr_! Lucky Armstrong! That's _quite_ the impressive _Golden Pirate Cutlass_ his new husband be wielding!"

" _Maya_!" Phoenix goggled at his girlfriend in comical disbelief, making Miles smirk ever so slightly in spite of himself. "I can't _believe_ you!"

"Oh come _on_ , Nick! Obviously the fact that my ex-fiancé, with whom I assure you I shared a most _chaste_ betrothal, happens to be swinging _massive pipe_ is a _brand-new_ revelation to me! I assure you I was _not_ privy to this knowledge until this _very_ moment!"

Maya hooted with laughter at Phoenix's aghast expression.

" _Awe_! Armstrong is doing the whole pirate themed costume as well! He's even wearing an eye patch! But is it still considered an _eye_ patch if he's wearing it on _his_ …"

She suddenly raised the screen so that both unsuspecting men's eyes were simultaneously assailed by the sight of the two beaming bridegrooms … At their _clothing optional_ , _Pirates of the Caribbean_ themed wedding!

" _Arrr_!" Miles choked out just as Phoenix garbled out a horrified " _Argh_!" at the exact same time.

"Hee! You two sound like fellow pirates! All that's missing is the parrot!" The sadistic Maya cackled gleefully in the background, uncaring that she had just committed the unforgivable sin of _eye-rape!_

The lawyer fell back against his seat and squeezed his eyes shut, still reeling from the unforgettably, _scarring_ vision of Jean Armstrong and Longines Beaugosse, both wearing _nothing but smiles_ in a tropical beach surrounding.

 _Life why do you continue to torment me so mercilessly?_ He thought wildly. _What have I ever done to justify being subjected to both auditory_ _ **and**_ _visual assault within only a few hours of one another?_

Miles had never been a huge fan of weddings, but at least when he'd been with Franziska, they had at least been _bearable_. Since losing her, he still thought it was a _miracle_ how he'd managed to survive Larry and Iris's nuptials with only a slight hangover the next day, but otherwise not feeling any other bilious side effects, such as feeling positively _nauseated,_ like he _presently_ was, thanks to the images of _this_ particular wedding which he hadn't even been _present_ for!

" _First_ a _grueling headache_ , and _now_ I feel _sick to my stomach_!" He muttered disgustedly to himself. "The next miracle will be if I somehow managed to survive this bloody flight without flinging open the emergency exit and making myself _airborne_ to put myself out of my misery!"

" _Stomach_?"

Pearl's concerned voice popped up out of nowhere as she returned to her seat just then, mercifully having missed the entire dueling _swashbuckling sword show_. She regarded Miles with a pensive expression.

"Is your tummy bothering you, Mr. Eh-ji-worth? You look sort of green. Are you feeling airsick?"

She dug into her bag and held up a blister pack of Dimenhydrinate, anti-nausea tablets.

" _Gravol_?"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and His Sherlock Holmes Deductions**_  
 _Everlasting Fiery Abyss, Abaddon_  
July 18, 2026 7:00 PM

Dinner was served shortly after the _gut churning_ event. Since it was first class, as far as airline fare went, the food was at least edible, and not _completely_ terrible – not that Miles was overly hungry after said _unsettling vision_!

Phenomenally, Phoenix and Maya piped right down when mealtime came around, allowing Miles some peace and quiet. Unsurprisingly, Pearl faithfully kept her word and remained no trouble at all. She continued happily chatting with Luke on video chat the entire time, while discreetly slipping pieces of the Chicken à la King to Feyt in his cage when nobody was watching.

Miles somehow managed to get back into his book, and found himself increasingly enthralled with Sherlock.

" _ **Let me see—what are my other shortcomings? I get in the dumps at times, and don't open my mouth for days on end. You must not think I am sulky when I do that. Just let me alone, and I'll soon be right. What have you to confess now? It's just as well for two fellows to know the worst of one another before they begin to live together."**_

 _I most certainly know what that feeling is like! It's going to take a lot of reflective solitude time until my quantum of solace is restored after all the previous upheaval, but I'll be alright eventually. My frayed nerves will surely be restored at by the time we get to England, surely? There's still about another eight hours to go!_

At one point, Miles had heard the familiar music of Walt Disney's _Lady and the Tramp_ coming from Maya's tablet, and assumed it'd been the reason the vociferous duo had been quiet for the past hour.

However, the unaccustomed silence coming from the seats adjacent to him was downright _unnerving -_ like something out of _science fiction!_

Peeking up from his novel, he noticed Phoenix's and Maya's spots were both vacant, then cast a sideways glance at Pearl, who was making soothing sounds to the puppy beneath her, as the plane had hit some minor turbulence.

"Wherever did your cousin and Wright jet off to?"

"I saw them go to the bathroom about 20 minutes ago."

 _Did they_ _ **fall**_ _in?! I've long since been aware of the mystifying female behavior which makes them always go to the loo in pairs, but_ _ **couples**_ _?! Franziska and I never did that!_

" _20 minutes_?" He echoed. "That sounds almost like cause for concern. Should we send out a _search party_?"

"Maybe dinner didn't sit right in their tummies?" The unassuming teen shrugged. "Chicken can be pretty temperamental, I guess?"

 _I hope at least_ _ **one**_ _of the facilities is suitable for use if that's the case!_ _I'll need to go use the loo myself soon!_

Several more moments passed by, and he realized he had to take care of the call of nature. Rising up and stepping into the aisle, he saw the couple had returned to their seats, and were now giggling amongst themselves.

"Stop acting like such an old fart, Nick! I want to try it!"

"Awe Maya! This is so embarrassing!"

"It was so cute when _they_ did it! What's wrong with wanting to have _life_ imitate _art_?"

"Is _this_ why you made me order the spaghetti and meatballs?!"

"Just _humor_ me, old man!"

There was the familiar, somewhat comical sound of loud slurping immediately thereafter, and the prosecutor had the misfortune of walking past his friends' seats just in time to see Hobo Mama and Papa reenacting the overly saccharine, noodle slurping scene between the two dogs outside the Italian restaurant.

" _Actual_ canines don't need to worry about excess tomato sauce dribbling down their chin!"

Miles paused beside the couple just as their lips met in the middle with a loud smooch as the ends of the connecting pasta strand was sucked into their mouths.

"That goes _double_ for both of you _goo-birds_! Also, it's a good thing I already ate my dinner, because that nauseating display of sugary sweetness would easily made me _lose my appetite_ otherwise!"

Drawing back quickly, Phoenix's cheeks turned the same color of the marinara now decorating his face as he self-consciously dabbed at himself with a napkin.

"Cut us some slack, Edgeworth! I needed to watch something sweet and innocent like Disney after I got _eye-saulted_ earlier, and I guess I got affected by the mushiness! _Sue me_!"

Maya grinned impishly and playfully stuck out her tongue at her friend.

"Sorry Miles, but this is the first time Nick and I have had a chance to even _marginally_ be alone together all week, since we've been spending every free minute with our girls! But we'll _try_ to keep it down to a minimum, for the sake of your _delicate sensibilities_ , OK?"

"I'm going to hold you to that," Miles said dryly, his sharp eyes zeroing in on the Master's pink beanie, which now seemed _askew_. "I admit, your cap is slightly less of a _fashion don't_ than your partner's, but wasn't the _Mama_ lettering more visible and turned to the _front_? Why is it now facing _backward_?"

His gaze narrowed as Phoenix's face turned even redder by this observation, while Maya quickly adjusted Trucy's bestowed gift on her head back into its normal position and smiled sheepishly.

"And Wright, wasn't _your_ manky beanie at least giving you the benefit of covering up those spikes? They're sticking out all over the place now, which defeats the purpose of wearing the blasted thing!"

"Oh, are they?" Phoenix awkwardly began tucking his stray black locks back under the aqua hat. "Thanks for letting me know! There, all fixed now!"

"You two are acting awfully strange…" Miles commented suspiciously as he headed towards the restroom. "Let's hope it wasn't something you ate."

 _Especially since it's my turn to now use the bathroom after one of you!_

Once he got to his destination, the prosecutor was taken aback when he realized there was actually only _one_ deluxe-sized lavatory for passenger use. A horrible sense of déjà vu came over him as he cautiously entered… And spotted the hastily smudged _palm prints_ on the mirror!

 _Handprints_ … _butt prints_ … _Nghoooo!_

Flashbacks about his dearly beloved, _coarsely defiled_ bearskin rug, _tainted_ , priceless Italian leather sofa, and memories of his English imported, but _grossly besmirched_ Monarch bed flashed through his scandalized mind as all the clues of this latest puzzle began clicking together in his perturbed mind.

 _Single bathroom…Wright and Maya gone together…20 minutes… unruly hair… misaligned hats…Gack! This must be the turbulence that was making Pearl's poor puppy whimper earlier! Oh, dear God! Is there **no** place that safe from being **sullied** by their voracious, overused loins?!_

It seemed a mere _sennight_ of playing Mommy and Daddy, instead of _playing doctor,_ had resulted in the ever insatiable Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey becoming the latest members of the _Mile High Club_!

Shuddering slightly, Miles backed away from the contaminated washroom and gritted his teeth.

 _It appears I will need to be at the mercy of the toilets in the **coach** section of the airplane. I am now half tempted to take up Wright on his half-assed offer to sue him for **that** alone!_

A quarter of an hour later, he stalked back to his seat and glowered at the lovebirds, who were now cozily resting their heads against one another's as they watched the rest of the animated film on the iPad.

"Wright. Maya."

They looked up with surprise at the terseness in his tone.

"I hate you both. That is all."

* * *

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Pearl Fey  
_** _Infernal Regions of Hades_  
July 18, 2026 8:00 PM

 ** _Ever and ever, forever and ever you'll be the one  
That shines in me like the morning sun  
Ever and ever, forever and ever you'll be my spring  
My rainbow's end and the song I sing_**

 ** _Take me far beyond imagination  
You're my dream come true, my consolation_**

 ** _You'll be my dream  
My symphony, my own lover's theme  
(Ever and ever forever and ever) my destiny  
Will follow you eternally_**

 ** _Take me far beyond imagination  
You're my dream come true, my consolation_**

 ** _You'll be the one  
That shines in me like the morning sun  
(Ever and ever, forever and ever) my destiny  
Will follow you eternally_**

It was a stroke of sheer genius. He seriously _judged_ himself for not thinking of it sooner.

Eventually, Miles had gotten wise and grasped that the only way he'd survive whatever _fresh hell_ was dealt to him on this _voyage of the damned_ would be to essentially to create a modified sensory deprivation atmosphere, where nobody around him subsisted.

He realized things were actually quite copacetic when utilizing the very headphones that'd allowed him the privacy to converse with Larry, allowing him to listen to the songs downloaded on his laptop while pouring over his book.

The double immersion into peaceful realm gave him the ability to visually block _and_ drown out the sounds of everybody around him – _especially_ the gruesome twosome!

At last, Miles was in a very tranquil mindset. He'd actually managed to convince himself that as long as he didn't turn his head – for _any_ reason! – there was zero need to _look_ at Phoenix and Maya, and with these magical earbuds playing soul soothing music in his ears, he couldn't _hear_ them either!

 _If I can neither **see** you or hear you… You don't exist. Ergo, strangulation via ruffled neck-wear urges **dwindling** … Along with blood pressure. Happiness levels consequently… **Rising!**_

 ** _Miles's Personal Flight Itinerary_**

 ***Turned red – 8**  
 *** Drinks consumed – 4**  
 *** Excused himself to go to the *Coach!* bathroom - 2**  
 *** Pieces of Wrigley's chewing gum swallowed - 5**  
 *** Moaned in self-pity- 307**  
 *** Grumbled - 539**  
 *** Tried to read - 9**  
 *** Wanted to kill Wright/Maya – 250**  
 *** Wanted to throw self off of plane while yelling _Geronimo_! – 251**  
 *** Tried not to think about Franziska - 99**  
 *** Thoughts of Franziska – 500**

Admittedly, the running tally pertaining to his ex-fiancée would've probably been _lower_ – and possibly his levels of contentment would have been _higher_ , and less laden with melancholy, had he not currently been listening to the poignant lyrics of Demis Roussos.

 _Such is life. It's a cruel irony my music player chose to shuffle to such a sentimental tune, designed to make me think of my own love lost, especially when I'm sandwiched between those sickening PDA fiends **and** a love-struck teen who has not even once halted in talking off the ear of her own boyfriend, even though it's probably an ungodly hour in England right now._

At least he had Sherlock. And it was getting eerily _relatable_ , in _more_ ways than one!

 ** _"I had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air - or as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be. Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained…."_**

Miles was so absorbed in a particular passage that he was idyllically unaware of the shenanigans in the next aisle.

" _Nick_! Can't you catch?"

"I am not a _trained sea lion_ , Maya! Therefore, sorry for being untrained in the art of catching the food in my mouth that you toss at me!"

"It's easy! Let me show you! _I'm_ going to open wide this time, and _you_ try throwing it at me, and _I'll_ catch it!"

*ka-tonk*

Something bounced off Miles's forehead. Not hard, but certainly with enough velocity to get his attention and snap him out of his transfixed state into the wonderful of mystery.

 _What the deuce?!_

*ka-tonk*

Miles agitatedly yanked out his earbuds, just as _another_ small spherical object beaned him yet _again_!

*ka-tonk*

"Nick, you goof! Your aim _stinks_! That one went _way_ over my head!"

Glaring down at the offending item which had ricocheted onto his lap, the chess enthusiast saw it was a green _grape_ , part of the bunch which had been included with the cheese and crackers Rhoda had just distributed as an evening nosh.

 _I cannot **believe** those two! _ Miles fumed, feeling his blood pressure going through the roof yet again _. I swear, someone needs to summon the air marshal and handcuff their hands behind their back, while **gagging** them so they can't make any more noise **or** mischief! I've seen **preschoolers** who were better behaved and less annoying to be around! Give me the proverbial **crying baby** on the aircraft over **these** bloody imbeciles **any** day!_

" _Wright_!" The sharpness of his tone could've cut through steel. "You damn buffoon! Cease these childish antics post-haste! This is _not_ a request!"

"Oh, _hey_ , Edgeworth." Phoenix leaned across his girlfriend and peered guiltily at the tight-lipped prosecutor. "Um, I guess my aim is a _wee_ bit off, huh? Did that hit you? _Sorry_!"

"If _one_ more of those flying objects comes in my direction Wright, you will _not_ like the consequences." He affixed his best friend with his best baleful glare. "This is not a _threat_ , it's a _promise_. I used to take fencing. And I assure you, there is _nothing_ lacking about _my_ aim! Do I make myself clear?!"

" _Crystal_." Phoenix gave him a weak smile. "Roger that! No more _grapes of wrath_! Heh, heh."

Miles nodded curtly and was about to put on his headphones once again when he heard the mellifluous susurrating of not _one_ but _two_ sets of voices coming from Pearl's seat. Clenching his jaw, the edgy solicitor listened as the girl cooed at Luke on her FaceTime chat, in customary melodramatic teenage fashion.

"It's getting late. I _really_ should let you go this time."

The spirit medium sighed mournfully, as though she hadn't been gabbing with her boyfriend _this entire time_ until now and _wouldn't_ be seeing him again in only a matter of _hours_.

"You need to get your rest, otherwise you're going to be so tired by the time me and our son meet up with you at Heathrow tomorrow morning!"

"I can't wait," Luke replied tenderly. "It'll be like a family reunion!"

The British lad yawned slightly right after he spoke.

 _I really should give them their alone time,_ Miles thought _. It's rude to eavesdrop. But why isn't Pearl using her earbuds anymore?_

A quick glimpse at the mangled wires on her side table immediately gave him the answer. Somehow, the teen must have unknowingly dropped them too close to Feyt's cage, and in typical puppy fashion, he had chewed right through it.

"Oh no! You're so tired!" Pearl moaned in dismay. "I should really let you go so you can get some sleep!"

"Sleep is overrated, love!" Layton's former apprentice dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Besides, even if I _do_ close my eyes, I'll still see that precious face of yours in my dreams."

"I'm always dreaming of you too, Luke."

Miles literally felt a _cavity_ forming at this entire exchange! Sighing, and against his better judgment, he slid one earbud into his ear and swiveled his head to regard the recently chastised pair on his left – then _immediately_ wished he hadn't.

Whereas Luke and Pearl merely made his _teeth rot_ with their cloying antics, Phoenix and Maya could have given him _diabetes_ at this point! The former defense attorney was now resting his head in his girlfriend's lap as she fed him grapes directly off the vine, all the while lovingly stroking his head.

 _I wish I **had** taken Pearl up on her previous offer for the vomit prevention pills from earlier! Once again, I feel slightly queasy – albeit this time, **for different reasons!** This time it's because my poor body has endured saccharine overdose and is going through **sugar shock!**_

"I'm not going to go unless _you_ hang up!" The bloke maintained stubbornly. "So if that's what you want, _you're_ going to have to be the one to end this call."

"You _know_ I can never be the first one to hang up!" Pearl wailed, as though her boyfriend had just asked her to unplug his life support. " _You_ hang up!"

"No, _you_ hang up!" Luke insisted with a chuckle.

Miles felt his left eye beginning to twitch.

"No, _you_ hang up!" She giggled.

The prosecutor's other eye began to twitch.

"No, _you_ hang up!"

"No, _you_ hang up!"

Clenching his jaw so tightly his teeth hurt, Miles's hand moved, as if on its own volition, and without preamble, reached over and disconnected the call, leaving him and Pearl in merciful reticence.

The stunned teenager simply stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide.

It slowly dawned him what an awful thing he'd just done, and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Er, Luke's a growing boy, and he needs his rest. Bad things happen whenever people don't get enough sleep. It's the premise for most horror movies. _Trust_ me on this one."

"Um, he's 19, Mr. Eh-ji-worth." Pearl bit her thumb. "He's not going to get any bigger."

"Then... blame turbulence and call him back."

"No…it's OK. Luke really should get some rest. He's been up over 24 hours. You probably did us a favor."

Miles's temples were beginning to throb yet again, and he slowly began to rub them, wondering if ordering a coffee from Rhoda would help.

"Irrespective of that, I was unspeakably rude just now. My head isn't right, Pearl. Please accept my apologies for doing such a churlish thing."

"Is your head hurting again, Mr. Eh-ji-worth?"

Miles nodded and continued massaging the sore area with his fingertips.

"That's not good, having your head hurt again so soon after the last time. It could be something serious. Do you get headaches very often?"

"Sometimes, but only in stressful situations. This one is most definitely tension related."

"Are you sure that's _all_ it is? You should get that checked out! It could be a _tumor_!"

"It's _not_ a **_tumor_**!"

She eyed him apprehensively, then reached into her purse and held out another small white bottle, this one different from the previous one.

"Did you want an acetaminophen? Excedrin has caffeine in it, so it might help constrict the blood vessels better than aspirin."

This time, Miles accepted the offer, and washed the pill down with the scant remains of his tea from snack time.

"Are you always a walking pharmacy whenever you travel?"

"It never hurts to be prepared," she replied primly. "I also have a first aid kit and that mini sewing kit as well. Also antacids, because airplane food is really yucky and gives me indigestion."

Miles swallowed back an endeared chuckle. He truly was fond of this beatific young lady, and Pearl was possibly the last person in the world he'd ever want to suffer his aggravation. He'd have to find some way to atone for his brash actions – perhaps start with purchasing an iFly plushy for both her _and_ Luke.

There was a brief silence, and then she beamed sunnily.

"Luke's really nice, isn't he?"

"Very." He shot her a puzzled smile. "You surely couldn't have asked for more of a gentleman."

"He's the best guy in the whole _world_!" Pearl gushed, her eyes sparkling. "We talked about marriage at Larry and Iris's wedding you know! Mr. Eh-ji-worth, I want you to tell me _everything_ you know about boys! Do you think Luke will ever change his mind about wanting to marry me someday? What do _you_ think is the perfect age to get married and have children?"

He gaped at the teen, his mind spinning at the rapid-fire succession of questions … _None_ of which he felt fit or desirous to answer!

"Well…"

"How can I be certain if he's giving me a kiss of true love or a fake one?" She interrupted, uncaring that Miles still hadn't answered her previous questions. "And how was _your_ first kiss of true love? Did you know _right away_?"

Miles was haplessly starting to think the option of _skydiving_ despite _not having a parachute_ was becoming a more and more attractive option!

"I…I suppose together, you'll _both_ someway just… _know_ when things are right?" He offered uncomfortably. "If Luke truly loves you, he will love you when you are an ocean breeze, but also when you are a summer storm. You were not made to be loved in _parts_. You were meant to be loved as a _whole_."

"Hmmm. That makes sense – you mean he'd take the bad _and_ the good," she responded thoughtfully. "I think he proved that to me at Sis's wedding. Thank you for reminding me of that."

"As for when to settle down… May I suggest waiting until at least _one_ of you is no longer in school?"

"That's a _given_!" She giggled, then switched gears without even missing a beat. "My Luke is _so_ handsome, wouldn't you say, Mr. Eh-ji-worth?"

"Er, yes…"

"I hope he's as handsome as _you_ when he gets older!" Pearl treated him to a megawatt smile, oblivious to the slight blush on the lawyer's cheeks at the unexpected compliment and reached into her carry-on. "I was so excited about this trip that I went shopping for lots of new clothes, because London is so _posh_ and I want Luke think I'm his pretty little fashionista! Soooo…. I brought a few special outfits to change into once we land at Heathrow, so I can surprise him with my Euro Chic look!"

She held up a lilac sundress against her jimp form.

"Do you think I could use a strapless frock like this to impress him? Or do you think something more floral and pink would be better?"

"I'm not sure if _I'm_ the best person to ask…" Miles hedged, growing increasingly flustered. He had _never_ been an expert on female matters, and was beginning to feel as though he were being subjected to _interrogation_ rather than giddy teenage _conversation_! "Don't you think _Maya_ might be a better source of fashion advice?"

"She's not around at present," Pearl told him. "I saw her and Mr. Nick leave their seats right before my call with Luke got…um, _disconnected_. I think they must've drank a bit too much, since they keep needing to go the bathroom!"

 _What?! The forever frisky duo have both left their seats – **again?!**_

Miles swung his head to look in the direction of the vacated spots across the aisle and mentally face-palmed.

 _I swear to God… There are **bunny rabbits** out there who I'm sure would stare at those two in **amazement**!_

Turning back towards the tiny brunette again, who was blissfully unmindful to the concupiscent reality of her OTP's absence, he flashed her an uncomfortable smile.

"Apologies, I forgot what we were talking about, Pearl."

"So did _I!_ Maybe I'm more tired than I thought!" She tittered good-naturedly. "By the way Mr. Eh-ji-worth… All my talk earlier about me and Luke being married someday made me realize that when Mr. Nick marries Mystic Maya, he's going to be my new Daddy, just like she's going to be Trucy's new Mommy. My future sister and I decided to wait until they officially tie the knot so then we can call them Mommy and Daddy together. It really gives us something to look forward to!"

"That's really nice, Pearl," he told her sincerely. "I'm honestly happy for you and your family."

"Thank you. But then I was also thinking… You and Mr. Nick have known each other for so long, you're like _brothers_ more than simply just friends!"

Startled, the legal eagle contemplated this instantiation. Yes, Phoenix _was_ like his brother in arms. They more often that not bickered like siblings, but in the end, his Ace Idiot, seemingly _younger_ sibling _always_ had his back, in the identical manner Mile would always have his.

"And that means when those two get married, Mystic Maya will be like your _sister-in-law_ , which would also make you... _my_ _Uncle Miles!"_

"Yes…" he agreed slowly, finding this irregular conversation to be unexpectedly pleasant. "I suppose that union would indeed make me family by marriage, thus uniting us all, wouldn't it?"

"So you wouldn't mind then, Mr. Eh-ji-worth?" Pearl smiled at him shyly. "If when Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick get married … I call you Uncle Miles, just like Trucy does?"

Miles's heart melted at the words, as did any previous resentment and frustration he'd felt towards the goopy swains. _Yes_ , more often than not the maddening pair drove him _absolutely crazy_ , but that was par for course – because at the end of the day, nevertheless, they were _family_. The only one he had at the moment.

It was unbelievable how this Bambi-eyed stripling could have such a way with words, giving him no choice but to remember these important matters, especially during times when he'd been contemplating _Hari Kari!_

Miles smiled warmly at the spirit medium and patted her hand.

"Pearl Fey, you can call me _Uncle Miles_ whenever you want."

 ** _Bee Gees – How Deep Is Your Love  
_** ** _Demis Roussos - Forever And Ever_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 172**

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_ I know my chapters and dialogues can be lengthy at times, so it means a lot to me that you like them so much! In particular I really enjoyed showing a moment, however brief, of bonding between Ema Skye and Miles Edgeworth. They are two characters whom I wish could interact more in the series considering how long and how deeply she's revered the handsome prosecutor. Yes, _braggarts_ is definitely the correct term you would use to describe the pompous blowhards that are the _Dual Paynes in the culo_ that is Winston and Gaspen, although I suppose that would be the _least_ of their sins, seeing as how both a triple threat in grating one's ears, nerves AND sanity and the latter has proven to be morally bankrupt on top of everything else! Poor Ema!

 **Chapter 173**

 ** _*Review of the Week*_**

 **Jove's Boy**

I swear to you for the most part there will be very little angst drama although certainly no shortage on excitement I hope from this point on in the story! The main couple is back together and as I'm sure you noticed that relationship and its breakup seem to have an effect on everybody around them! To be honest I prefer fluff over drama and this chapter was definitely no exception!

I'm glad people don't think I'm a depraved freak for making Trucy and Maya's initial meeting be stemmed from interrupting such an embarrassing up close and personal encounter with her Daddy! Like I was telling my Cuban soul sister from another mister, I hate perfect the idea of perfect characters, and while I certainly hope Trucy and Maya's eventual first time bond was memorable and sweet, her and Nick are _both such bumbling dorks_ (it took a small village to reconcile them for Mystic Ami's sake!) that I can't see anything ever going Wright for them the first time despite it being the main hero's last name! Plus the loveable Apollo is nonetheless such a prude that I'm sure walking in on that moment was more embarrassing for _him_ than even for Trucy or Pearl! There's a hilarious fan art of him and Trucy walking in on Nick and Maya very much in the same position that they found them in, which inspired this chapter. In it, just like he did with both girls, he is actually clapping his hand over Trucy's eyes, even though both Nick and Maya were fully clothed at the time of the lip lock! XD

 _"You write Apollo with such a vulnerability. He feels he doesn't belong there, but he has no idea just how much he actually DOES. Phoenix, who of course knows he's a Gramarye, *insists* on including him, and that was heartwarming. And that amazing sense of first awkwardness, then belonging, the feeling of truly being *loved* for perhaps the first time in his life (not counting Clay, of course), the feeling and mild surprise that he is *wanted.* I've lived that with Apollo, and it's portrayed so well here that I may have shed a tear or two."_

Considering I know nothing about music, but am being praised for doing it JUSTICE by a man in the field, that means a lot to me. Go Boris and Natasha for letting Polly show off those musical genes, eh? Also, knowing how much you revere the red attorney, JB, I am delighted that you like the way I write him. The Ace Attorney cast has more ties that bind familial chords than even some blood relatives. I agree with you 110%… PHOENIX (who no doubt would have enlightened Trucy a lot to music what was his piano practicing and musical preferences) is Trucy's _father_ (was it really so surprising that, just like her secret half-brother, the little magician was _also_ a lark by genetics, when she went up there on the microphone, since she is also Thalassa's daughter?) NOT that _bastard sperm donor_ who abandoned her!

I myself am no stranger to feeling deeper connections to people in my life with whom I share no blood ties with, so I can definitely empathize with the newfound wonder of Apollo realizing that he actually _does_ have a family (even though he doesn't know he _is_ blood related to one member - dammit Capcom!)

As one of the privileged few who is very well aware firsthand, of how adorably baby faced you and Jove's Boy Toy are, (it helps that am ridiculously baby faced myself, yet have a comparatively vixen elder sister, which is why can empathize so much with Ema Skye!) I know how hilarious flattering and frustrating it can be to keep being thought you're younger than you are and having to be ID'd even when you're older than your country's legal drinking age! The one thing I have going for me as I'm not short… But then I married a guy who was, so I'm stuck wearing flats instead of high heels regardless! Ah, but I divagate, as you did in your heartwarming review, so no worries! Back to your review!

 _Mystic Mil-dope!_ Heee! I swear have the best readers on earth I now have a laundry list of names for The Dragon Lady, the Payne brothers (and names for their family members!) _and_ Kurain Galadriel! I figure for a miserable termagant like her, death is too good (and unfortunately I can't imagine a white collar crime like embezzling would warrant execution!) and prison would be a waste of tax payer dollars! A slow, drawn out torment in isolation with nothing look forward to but snowmen or possibly turning into a Turdsicle for _Mil-Dung_ (huzzah!) I thought would be the grimmest fate of all! Although not as homicidal as Morgan she is definitely in the same league I have a head canon that she was murdered during a prison fight food riot!

 _"May I simply echo Brock Geodude's appreciation about how you respond to our reviews and even incorporate some of our ideas into the narrative."_

You certainly may echo away and I feel just as fuzzy and gratefully hearing it from you as I did from him!

Considering what a big cast of characters I have to work with, major and mini arcs are the only way I can manage all of them, so I am really happy to hear that the particular method that I've been utilizing has been enjoyable! Sometimes I feel like I'm a juggler … Somebody call Big Berry Circus!

 _I_ cannot reiterate to you how much I adore my readers and their ideas. I'm always wide open to suggestions, whether it's story ideas or sharing a head canons or something as simple as song suggestions, I welcome them and will try to incorporate them as much as possible! It truly delights me to make my readers feel like they're part of this story, considering what a lengthy journey it's been and I figure it's the least I can do to pay them back for sticking around for the past two years! Probably to the surprise of no one, because I love the idea of people so dear to me literally being a part of the story even if they didn't give me any ideas to put into it, there are some wonderful people whom I have befriended off of the site because of our shared passion for certain spiky-haired lawyer and his comrades, and they have snuck their way into my various stories as OC's…nope I'm not saying who they are or which ones, although I'm pretty sure some of my savvy readers have figured a few of them out! ;)

" _Your final quote in this chapter - Apollo's thoughts about home - is so inspirational to me that I have copied it out into my journal, because it is exactly what I feel. JP, you have such a way of *reaching* out to your readers, of inspiring pathos, of making us *think.* In an interview with Random House nearly a decade ago, sci-fi/fantasy author Karen Traviss said, "Fiction should make us feel strong emotions. It enables us as readers to 'rehearse' difficult emotional events in a safe environment." So say I: "Well done!"_

I don't know what I've ever done to deserve such wonderful male readers but I honestly think I have the best ones _on the entire Internet_ never mind the _Ace Attorney fandom_! I sometimes am still overwhelmed with how lucky I am to have such kind and loyal readers, and moreover, that 99% of my reviewers are _male_ (despite this being _an unapologetic love story_!), which totally squashes the notion that men cannot be romantic! On top of that, these amazeballs peeps have no problem fueling my artistic soul and letting me know that my work has touched them and even brought into tears, both of happiness and sadness. There are no words to describe the joy that brings me as a writer to know that I'm doing something Wright, and with all my heart, my friend, I thank you for that.

For what it's worth I _may_ have shed a tear or two reading your review, so consider us even! *hugs!* 3

 **Klap**

 _"This was a legendary writing, and you are one of the greatest writers I've ever read before, this was amazing."_

First of all I'm not sure if I've ever had the pleasure of hearing from you before, so I wanted to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly thank you not only for reading but taking the time to drop me a line of such wonderful and kind words of encouragement. I am humbled and grateful by such praise and will do my very best to make sure that I remain worthy of it. You're Ace, Klap! :-)

 **Ariastella**

I figured given that the fierce appearance you gave this war veteran giant of a man, his looks would be very deceiving at first sight! Plus given that he is a relative of the equally fierce looking and misunderstood Detective Badd, I _didn't_ to have fun with people's terrified first impressions! Never judge a book by its cover right? I'm really happy you like the portrayal of your wonderful OC and if you check out the rest of the comments on last chapter, it appears like my other readers did as well! I really look forward to having him pop up again in the story and I really hope you continue writing the adventures of the guy who opens up a can of whoop ass on the periwinkle piss head!

 **chloemcg**

You definitely add your fluffy socks worthy flare with your work, and her latest was no exception, milady. You have a particular panache with writing animal scenes and me and the boys have definitely not forgotten you when it comes time for Rifle and Taka have their meeting in _Timeless Love_. With regards to Lady Layton, I am also very excited about seeing how handsome Luke is as he's gotten older… And I can't help but wonder if Layton will have an appearance at all and if we will see him having grey hair underneath that top hat after all this time is past!

The Ace Attorney gang is a bunch of lovable orphans with hearts of gold who have all found each other and I really believe Maya, whose had more loss and strife than just about anybody, would happily embrace anybody who already loves Nick and Pearl so much. I'm so happy you enjoyed this musical and cavity inducing chapter!

 **Brock's Geodude**

 _"Hilarious and beautiful as always. I am blinking back tears (I think, I'm not sure, I could just be tired...I honestly have a hard time identifying and expressing my emotions) right now after the fluff here, especially Trucy's speech to Maya."_

I'm going to be really conceited and nevertheless say _thankyouverymuch_ for the emotional response even if fatigue _was_ a factor! :p

As a Wrighter, my only goal is to make my readers smile, and if possible, stir some sense of emotion in them when there's a particularly poignant moment for the characters, like Trucy meeting her future Mommy. Apollo being there as well made the moment all the more perfect even though he felt like an outsider at first since he belongs there just as much as Trucy does, even if he doesn't know it yet. I'm happy you enjoyed it, as it was wonderful to write all of Nick's girls being together for the first time ever. Hands down, this is the most favorite review of yours I've ever gotten. You ROCK Geodude!

 **DannyDragon**

 _Usted está al día en la historia ahora por fin! Yay!_

I hope it was a worthwhile moment having Trucy _finally_ meet her future new Mommy! I had so much fun writing that chapter as well as slyly incorporating Apollo into the family festivities. With both of his parents being musicians I have a head canon that he may very well be the best singer of all because hello musical genes!

There was a huge throwback to the 80's last chapter, and I'm happy you liked it! You have no idea how long I have been dying to utilize that Timbaland song about a broke boy loving a girl with all his heart, with nothing but his love to offer her! I don't know how familiar you are with the other retro song that was playing when the kids walked in on Phoenix and Maya and nearly in the throes of passion, called _Let's Hear It For The Boy_ from the amazing musical _Footloose_ … Please do _not_ watch the 2011 remake if you're not familiar with the movie and stick with the 80s classic version I beg of you! The reason I threw that song in there as well as it is more of an upbeat version with the same underlying message as _The Way I R…_ Which I also thought was very applicable to Phoenix and Maya… It's about a boy who loves a girl very much, but still has a lot of shortcomings just like Phoenix does; the man she sings about is _not_ a Rico Suave sweet talker or a snazzy dresser… _But what he does he does so well,_ it makes her _want to yell_ and every time he pulls her _near_ , it makes her want to _cheer_ …. In a case of life imitating art, _creo que ambos sabemos por qué Maya es tan feliz, no? :p_

 **thepudz**

I'm sorry you nearly got yourself thrown off a plane on my account about serves you Wright for being so behind for so long! XD

But I'm happy that you were not forced to go skydiving without a parachute… Much like poor Miles was tempted to do in this chapter! If perchance you happen to read this while returning from your real life Euro Trip, I hope this chapter wouldn't stir up anything distracting within you but tears of laughter this time!

 **Yanmegaman**

 _The One Where Frank Sahwit  
The One with Dead Mia  
The One with the Samurai  
The One with Miles's Dad  
The One with Maya 2.0_

Whether you love or hate the show, _Friends_ was iconic and I'd say a good chunk of the Western world knows that Rembrandt's theme song!

I could see Larry being just like Joey and getting himself locked up inside the entertainment center and having to be bailed out by Apollo, playing the role of the very exasperated Chandler! LOL

I got a real kick out of your proposed list of _Friends_ episodes for the Ace Attorney cases. To be honest I have always likened Juniper to a more _Iris_ kind of character (because…reasons) but I suppose Juniper Woods could be considered Maya 2.0 as well! However, not even Maya managed to get herself arrested for murder twice the same game! _Kidnapped_ yes, but not _murder_! Wouldn't that make the flower maiden even more unlucky than the spirit medium? I didn't even know that was possible! XD

 **SpiritsOfFire**

I'm pretty much done torturing Phoenix for now… And he's too beautiful to let them get his face kicked in by 7 foot giant! LOL. The story is definitely on an upswing now in Miles's resumed arc now that the main couple is back together, but will definitely have its share of twists and turns (and hopefully pleasant surprises!) with the gang now on their way to Europe.

Although to a lesser degree now, because of the appearance of Apollo Justice, Phoenix Wright is also a butt monkey of sorts! Therefore I _had_ to throw in something ridiculously embarrassing but memorable the first time Trucy met her future Mommy… I couldn't think of too many things or mortifying than Daddy getting busted playing tonsil hockey! Hee!

Apollo needs to realize he is not only the butt monkey of the family, but also learn really quickly that it's just as you said: if a woman has already done something, you can only accept your fate! This is also applicable to sisters… They _will_ eat your pudding and they _will_ make you their tortured magician assistant and your job is to _deal_ with it, _do_ it and _like_ it, _dammit_! XD

 **Xbox 360 1953**

 _"I have discovered the reason why Phoenix and Apollo can sing. Phoenix is a bird. Apollo is sometimes called "Polly". Polly is a bird, therefore, Apollo is a bird. Birds sing. Phoenix and Apollo sing. Phoenix and Apollo are birds."_

Far be it for me to even think about arguing with this kind of logic which was too amazeballs not to quote in its entirety! In fact, allow me to provide further evidence to your avian speculation!

The descendant of dual musicians is also named Apollo. _Pollo_ is Spanish for _chicken_. Chickens are also a bird. Perhaps this is not a coincidence and would also explain his acrophobia and perhaps even _aquaphobia,_ given his inability to swim! Therefore, this landlubber lawyer who shares his mentor's fear of heights was indeed _fated_ to be some sort of Songbird! XD

 **Joeclone**

Well if you want to talk about _sanity_ … How much do you think poor Miles had left after this airplane trip from hell? XD

First of all, I want to let you know that I really get a kick out of the way you start your reviews with the same character, place and time/date stamp (holy vampire hours, Batman!) as the story. It's almost as endearing as your reactions, particularly to this latest chapter. :-)

 _"THEY ALL MET EACH OTHER AAAAAAAHHHHHH IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD! I kid. I'M SO HAPPY NOW!"_

I am so delighted after depressing you with the SkyeFop arc, to at least know that now and going forward, any teary-eyed moments of one of my fave readers will only be ones of happiness, like the moment when Trucy gave Maya her Mama beanie. I figured after the emotional father and daughter reunion that Nick and Pearl had in the "You'll Be In My Heart" chapter, Trucy and Maya deserved their magic moment, too.

Tai, aka The Warden is wicked cool, and I plan to nag the heck out of Ariastella to write the next installment of **_Prison Is A Punishment._** Who _doesn't_ want to see Badd's badass cousin torment the creepy German sausage?!

I'm sure the moneygrubbing but otherwise delightful Boris and Natasha would have a heyday with you if you bear such a striking but hornless resemblance to Apollo Justice should you try to get served booze in their bar! I find it astonishing how you are my third reader to admit to having an affinity with Mr. Loudmouth! It is so cool that your parents have music skills… Did that rub off on you, too? Even though I know you're older than I initially thought and are actually old enough to drink (but probably need to keep whipping out the ID if you're like poor Polly!) knowing that you have all this cool stuff in common with the baby faced cutie _still_ makes me want to squish your cheeks!

Don't worry Apollo is still a huge part of the story even before we go into Dual Destinies and we will still see him and Trucy a few times while the gang is in Europe after all… Trucy _did_ rope him into being her assistant…

 **napoleon32**

 _"AAAHHH! Trucy finally met Maya! My world is now complete. Although it wouldn't be Nick and Maya if Trucy and Apollo's first meeting with her didn't almost involve coitus interruptus."_

Even though Apollo has usurped Phoenix's throne as the Ace Attorney butt monkey, it just wouldn't be classic Nick and Maya unless one of the most significant moments of their lives was not pre-faced with almost literally getting busted with their pants down!

Ah, poor mortified Phaya…These two delightfully flawed adorkable creatures will be lucky if Maya doesn't get kidnapped on her wedding day with the way they have _both_ been the butt monkeys of life on more occasion than one! That being said, now that they have both fully assumed parental responsibilities for _both_ their girls that will be the last time in a _very_ long time readers will see Phaya necking on screen! Fun time is over folks! Which is a good thing, because otherwise the long-suffering Edgeworth will have no choice but to strangle the goo-birds with his cravat … Right before he accidentally on purpose grabs a parachute, which is really a knapsack, while screaming _Geronimo_ and leaping from that iFly jumbo jet of the damned!

Polly the stick in the mud stop being such a Wesley?! Inconceivable! After reading this chapter, let me know who you think deserves the title of _head stickler_ between him and Edgeworth, who I generally think Apollo is more similar to personality wise minus the refinement, even though _Phoenix_ is supposedly his mentor! The only thing I think Nick and Apollo have in common is spiky hair, and a little bit of sarcasm, although _Phoenix_ mostly keeps his internal!

I figure I already love Apollo say _Objection_ a couple of times, but as we saw in the first case of the Apollo Justice game, Phoenix does still love throwing that phrase around and putting a little finger action into the mix even though he doesn't have his badge right now, so I came up with the next best thing with (the criminally underused!) _Zvarri_ when Nick was cheerfully reminding his poor ribbed to the max protégé to give his future wife the same respect that _he_ is due! :p

I'm so happy that the Boris and Natasha gag from the _Rocky and Bullwinkle_ show has not completely been lost on all my readers! And now with the mix of most and squirrel references enter the Tiger… I personally can't get enough of my favorite feline or of my favorite redhead! Coming soon to a fanfiction near you!

 **CzarThwomp**

I don't think it would be too hard for a pint sized spirit medium to be more gangsta than Wocky…I married _the_ **_whitest_** man in North America. Like, so pale, he glows in the dark, even _white_ people call him white kinda white, and even HE would be able to thug it out more than Fox Boy, BIZZOY! XD

That being said, I have seen way too much fan art of Maya wearing Phoenix's beanie or wearing her own pink mama beanie to have not done some sort of homage! Although these two are going to be back-burnered for a while as they are now in the (boring) happily ever after category of the Gumshoe's and Larris, I have been itching to use that song by Timbaland for far too long! I'm really glad you liked that moment of Phaya fluff!

 _"After learning that Tai is related to Badd, I could just picture parties with the his family- a bunch of giant, hulking, stern-faced men fighting to the death over the dessert table with Badd using his hand mirror as a weapon."_

I am picturing a large wooden table like the one in Shrek, bench style, to hold all the titans! Tai the Warden in an amazing OC although I cannot take credit for Ariastella's creation, and it was genius of her to make him related to the most badass character in the series! I'm going to pass along your hilarious scenario and see if she can create something whimsical out of it!

In Spirit of Justice, there actually is a point when Apollo very well may have been lamenting about the fact that in the name of Justice, he is now being paid with a bowl of noodles and humiliation instead of the money he would've earned if he was still working under the periwinkle piss head when he actually bid his pride adieu and thought _"farewell my dignity!"_ It was of the funniest lines in the otherwise tearjerker of a game! That poor boy definitely has enough material in his life to become a country hit sensation since his entire existence is angst personified… At least he has both maternal and paternal singing genes going for him though even though unfortunately baby-faced genes goes with it! At least we can Apollo will be able to get the ultimate "TAKE THAT!" Over everybody else when they are all old/fat/bald and/or gray-haired (except for Phoenix, who is Wolverine and seems to get somehow _younger_ and hotter looking with every passing game!) And Polly will remain looking as fresh as a daisy! XD

I think it was his love for Franziska which kept Edgeworth from committing hara-kiri/homicide on that turbulent laden flight! I hope you enjoyed Ace Attorney gang's hijinks in the not so friendly skies! XD

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

As for purposely misleading with writing the Warden as ominous… that's just me being evil! But I imagine a 7 ½ foot tall goliath would make anybody shake in their boots even if they are ultimately the friendly giant who is only there to clean the clock of the likes of Kristoph Gavin! Hee!

Because the ever passionate pair of Phoenix and Maya are together now, it means of course they will join the "curse" of Larry and Iris as well as Gumshoe and Maggey in that they will be back burned and probably never again have sex "on screen" ever! Time to play ace Mommy in Daddy now that the kids have all been together and everybody knows parents _never_ get to have sex! XD

I had to make the meeting of Trucy and Maya be memorable, over the top, hopefully touching…and of course, and slightly traumatic for _Polly_ since he was using both his hands to spare (thankfully only _the preview and not the main event_!) Trucy and Pearl, even if it meant his _own_ eyes had to bleed consequently! Isn't he a gallant prudish knight in that sense? Since Phoenix doesn't pay him anything perhaps he can pay for the therapy with whatever pudding he can snag away from Trucy and Maya's greedy paws!

As I mentioned to Jove's Boy the moment of traumatized Polly walking in on the making out like bandits pair and clapping a hand over Trucy's eyes actually based off a fan art which inspired this chapter… Remind me to send it to you!

 _"And poor, poor Apollo, always the butt of the jokes, but it's so easy to make fun of him. I mean, I don't hate him, but I still don't like that he's stolen the spotlight from the guy who the series is actually named for. But it was funny, him getting cheated out of pudding by his future mother (I'm sure they'll tell him someday) and his sister. It made the last moment at the bar really touching, having the whole family right there. No one can write sweet quite like you; no mistake about that."_

Napoleon 32 refers to the "stick in the mud" Apollo as the _office butt monkey_ and that is the perfect way to describe the poor boy… Who at this point doesn't even get paid in pudding! Hee! I don't hate the kid either I _like_ him but I don't _love_ him the way I love Phoenix, and I hope they have an equal splitting of screen time in the next game! I am delighted that you thought when all the smoke cleared that meeting her future Mommy was a sweet moment in the end first Trucy who deserves love from two parents every bit as much as Pearl does! I

I'm happy that you liked the meeting because I do specifically remembering you asking me if Trucy and Maya had met yet and I promised you that I would never let such a momentous event happen off-screen! :-)

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _"Hahaha! I do not know why suddenly came to me with the idea of a Tom Jones voice Apollo singing "Delilah" ... Can you imagine? What a thing!"_

I definitely think Apollo would have a very deep voice, more so than even Phoenix when singing, and Tom Jones is as good an example of any… Although I've never heard of the song _Delilah_ and only know the Vegas performer for "What's New Pussycat" and of course, his number one hit: "It's Not Unusual" which was made all the more famous by the hilarious Carlton dance from the actor on fresh Prince of Bel Air! XD

I know some people have criticized the character of Trucy as being a Mary Sue or have griped that she is written like too much of the Pollyanna of sorts, but the truth is there are some young girls who genuinely are a rare gem and the parent just happens to get lucky! The fact that Phoenix got such an angelic daughter in light of everything else that fell apart in his life, I just choose to save maybe life threw the poor guy a bone for once! However, I'm not a big fan of overly perfect characters myself, so have tried to show that even Trucy has _some_ flaws like her mischievousness and impetuousness on top of her naughty magician's streak underneath her sunny demeanor!

That being said, the old parable about daughters and fathers could've easily applied here and like most teenage girls, Trucy could've easily been a little brat and acted very hostile, jealous and spiteful towards Maya for taking her Daddy away. But seeing as how it's actually canon that the character has asked for a new Mommy, I really do believe she would be behave just the opposite when finally given what she has actually been asking for… Even though she finally _did_ meet Maya under _the_ most awkward and embarrassing circumstances ever! Trucy loves her Daddy and just wants him to be happy – how lucky is she that this won't be a tragic Cinderella story, as Pearl is an angel and will be one as a sister, and Maya will never be a wicked step-mother!

I really do believe that's the reason why Pearl has always idolized the idea of Phoenix and Maya – since she has no father, she has always probably not so secretly wished Phoenix would (marry Maya) and just adopt her! The four of them would make _the_ most beautiful Ace family in the world, even though I'm a terrible person and made poor Pearl frantic about Trucy's initial reaction in thinking that her longtime cousin (soon-to-be sister) wasn't as embracing of the idea of Phaya being together as _she_ was!

I try very hard to balance out Maya's playful, child-like streak which I have fallen in love with, along with her more mature, (maternal) nature which if you ever get a chance to check out Spirit of Justice, you will see when she is speaking to Princess Rayfa after the third case. That being said, I think her giddiness of finally being with her soulmate will keep her forever young writer hobbled she gets and as you saw in this chapter at the expense of even poor Miles's sanity, that playful and not a streak of hers is nowhere near vanquished! It's… _everlasting_! :p


	175. Across The Pond

_A/N: For my more innocuous readers who didn't realize the pun of last chapter name,_ _The_ _ **Miles**_ _High Club_ _… THE_ _ **MILE**_ _HIGH CLUB definition is: indulging in any form of sexual intercourse in an in-flight airplane restroom, while, obviously, being at least a mile off the ground. Given their multiple trips, the little bunny rabbits known as Phaya are now gold members! :p_

 _There are going to be spoilers/references to the Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney crossover game in the next few chapters as the gang is now officially in merry ol' England!_

 _p.s. Every single one of those ridiculous items mentioned by Larry in chapter 174 is for_ _ **real**_ _including the dong shaped making egg contraption and the vibrating beer wand of dubious shape! XD_

* * *

 _"Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold. The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively." ~_ _Bob Marley~_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Seventy Five:** **Across the Pond**

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Phaya  
**_ _The Savoy Hotel, London  
_ July 20, 2026 9:00 AM

Exiting the main doors of Strand Palace Hotel, Phoenix and Maya walked several meters up the road and waited at the crosswalk, even though Edgeworth's hotel, the Savoy, England's most upscale caravansary, was almost directly across the street from their own lodging. The extra walk may have seemed like an unnecessary precaution, but jay-walking would have been suicide, as even at this early hour, the London streets were already milling with buses and cars and taxis.

Maya had of course, wanted to take a shortcut and just sprint across the road, but her boyfriend had sharply reminded her that the British drove on "the wrong side of the road" and when attempting to cut across an intersection the _last_ time they'd visited the country, she'd nearly made them both become as flattened as the pancakes they'd just had for breakfast!

Also, although the English were comparatively well-mannered to Americans, they were _not_ too civilized to blare their horns and yell a few choice words out their windows when displeased!

Layton had tactfully warned his visitors that English courthouses had a strict dress code and would probably frown upon his hobo gear, then politely suggested the card shark at least wear something business casual.

Phoenix had balked at the idea of wearing the same sweltering black suit he'd borrowed for Larris's wedding last month just for a day trip, even though Miles had grudgingly agreed to lend it to him again. However, despite the fact that he was dressed more smartly than usual in a polo shirt and khakis in preparation of a visit to the courthouses, the pianist felt self-consciously out of his realm as he and the Master walked into the posh, five-star Savoy. It was even more upscale than the Regent Beverly Wilshire in LA – which he'd naïvely thought was _la crème de la crème_ in snoot factor lodging!

But there was _no_ comparison…The Savoy was _leagues_ above even the most luxe caliber in Los Angeles splendor! It was a different elite world entirely even from their own hotel, the four-star Strand Palace, and even the regal lobby, which in itself looked fit for royalty, was done in English Edwardian design– which made the contemporary modern décor of their inn seem like a _hovel_ in comparison!

As always, _only the best_ for (future) Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth!

Never a morning person, Phoenix was feeling quite disgruntled as they approached The Savoy Suite, the second-most luxurious room only to the Savoy's exclusive crown jewel, known as The _Royal_ Suite.

"I don't understand the man at all! The Professor isn't meeting us until after mid-day, and The Old Bailey isn't open until _10:00_ to the public! So remind me again _why_ Edgeworth insisted I be up so early, especially since we were all out so late at dinner last night?"

He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm still jet-lagged and getting used to the time difference here! I wish I could have made like Pearls and stayed in bed!"

"Stop sounding like such an old man, Nick!" Maya admonished laughingly. " _Pearly_ is a growing girl who needs her beauty sleep when she sees her boyfriend again today! You'd think the coffee you had at breakfast would have awoken you _somewhat_!"

"Don't even pretend _you_ aren't going back to bed as soon as Mr. Early Bird and I get into our taxi!" Phoenix grimaced at the mention of Luke. "And by the way, Mr. Triton is most fortunate I even _allowed_ him to _talk_ his way out of that horrendous scenario instead of _throttling_ him! And _Pearls_ is lucky we didn't _ground_ her after that little incident yesterday!"

"It was a _misunderstanding_! Luke is _ever_ the perfect gentleman he's _always_ been!" Maya lightly cuffed her frowning inamorato on the arm as they approached their friend's hotel room door and knocked on the rich wood. "Stop being such an overprotective papa bear!"

"I'd be the _exact_ same way if it were _Trucy_ and you _know_ it!"

The door was flung open at that moment by a snowy-haired, uniformed butler.

"Top of the morning to you," the Savoy-appointed steward bowed in greeting. "You must be Mr. Wright and Ms. Fey. Mr. Edgeworth is just finishing his tea in the lounge and will be with you shortly."

The butler ushered them into the entrance foyer of the grand suite. Just like the lobby, the palatial Edwardian influences were combined with a color palette of creams, ivories and blacks in keeping with the 1930's look that ran throughout the hotel. A bolder, contrasting cinnamon tone provided warmth and complemented the wood used throughout the posh suite.

"Good Morning, Wright, Maya." Miles joined the duo at that moment, looking well-rested and as immaculately groomed as ever in his usual suit and cravat. "Are you ready to leg off?"

"Good Day, sir," the Englishman greeted the lawyer. "Was this morning's nosh to your liking?"

"Breakfast was quite lush, thank you. I won't be back until evening, so that will be all for now."

Phoenix bit back an amused grin as he noticed his friend's slight English inflection had sharpened to the point where it nearly rivaled Sebastian's!

 _ **Lush?!**_ _God save the Queen! How is it that Edgeworth's British accent and mannerisms could have possibly_ _ **magnified a tenfold…**_ _ **overnight?!**_ _Ah well…when in Rome, right? Or in this case… when in **London?**_

"Very good, sir. Shall I ring Benson, your driver, and make him aware you will be down shortly?"

"Yes, thank you. My companion and I shall meet him at the car park."

"Right away, sir. Best of British to you gentlemen, and fair lady." The old man smilingly excused himself. "Pip pip!"

The couple stared in awe as Hendricks 2.0 bowed his way out of the room, and Miles smiled smugly.

"This place has all the comforts of home, including to the manservant. Sebastian comes with this suite, along with a courtesy travel Rolls, which will be taking us to the courthouse, Wright."

"A _Rolls_ you say? As in _Rolls Royce_?!" Phoenix whistled appreciatively. "Wow! Jolly good! It sure beats taking a plain old cab!"

He looked around, utterly blown away by the opulence of the room as he took in the two wall to wall windows, which boasted unrivaled views of the River Thames, then glanced back at the prosecutor.

"By the way, Edgeworth, do you mind if I duck into your bathroom before we head out?"

Maya was just opening her mouth to say _she_ suddenly needed to use The Whizz Palace as well – she blamed the combination of all her breakfast tea and the unbridled sight of that glorious rushing river view! – But went mum as Miles crossed his arms and affixed the swains with his trademark glare.

"Actually I _do_ mind! After the blood-soaked, nightmare hellscape that was the plane ride over here, largely in thanks to your _libidinous shenanigans_ , I made a _solemn oath_ to myself. That I would share any sort of facilities with either one of you ... When pigs fly and I own my private jet!"

The barrister blithely disregarded the simultaneous flush of crimson which crept over the lovers' cheeks at the ruthless outing of their Mile High Club lechery while he drove his point home.

"Furthermore, such is a personal avowal I intend to _keep_! Now, gather your bearings, and let's chivvy along."

The spiky-haired man's eyes widened in dismay, while the now mildly incontinent Maya silently thanked all that was holy that her _own_ hotel restroom was merely across the street rather than dare ask if _she_ could powder her nose as well! The look on the prosecutor's face indicated he wasn't at all kidding about his refusal, as it was as forebodingly no-nonsense as it was in court!

"Have a _heart_ , Edgeworth! I went a bit overboard with coffee at breakfast!" Phoenix complained as the lawyer practically grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and hurled him out the door. "Where am I supposed to answer the call of nature?"

"The courthouse is only a quarter hour ride away, and has a public loo," Miles said crisply, marshaling them down the hall. "You're a grown man, Wright. I'm sure you shan't _melt into a puddle_ until we arrive there."

"But there's morning traffic _already_!" Phoenix protested pitifully. "It may take longer than 15 minutes to get there! What am I supposed to do in the _meantime_?"

Miles glared at his best friend.

"HOLD IT!"

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey**_  
 _The Savoy Hotel, Main Entrance_  
July 20, 2026 9:05 AM

" _Cheerio_ , mates!" Maya swallowed back a giggle at the strained expression on her beau's mien as he visibly squirmed in his seat while waving goodbye to her, indicating how _desperately_ he needed to relieve himself! "Ring me later to advise where you two fancy meeting us for this eventide's scrummy fare!"

Feeling quite proud of herself for her use of local slang – and ignoring the cringing exchange between Miles and the chauffer at her admittedly godawful English accent – she leaned in the rear door of the luxury, chauffeur driven vehicle to give Phoenix a quick goodbye peck, then stepped back as Benson closed it shut, tipped his cap at her, and took his place behind the wheel.

The spirit medium let out a yawn as she watched the Rolls-Royce drive away. As much as she'd been teasing Phoenix about acting like an old fart for being so _knackered,_ as they said here in England, the eight hour time difference between Los Angeles and England remained a rough adjustment for _her_ as well. Now that she and her boyfriend had had their breakfast, she really did have every intention of making like her cousin and catching a few more winks for at _least_ another hour. She and Pearl weren't due to meet up for sightseeing with Luke and Flora, Layton's foster daughter, who was home from boarding school for the summer, until noon.

Maya peered across the street at Strand Palace and let out a wistful sigh that she couldn't just make the mad dash over the busy roads to the other side, like she would've done if she'd been at home. Jaywalking was almost unheard of in the UK, therefore she would have to forgo it and do the more civilized option of walking _all the way_ to the crosswalk in order to get back to her lodging, which seemed like _such_ a waste of time and energy!

Suddenly her mocha orbs morphed into the size of silver dollars as she spotted something at the outdoor café adjacent to Strand Palace which literally made her _rub them_ for clarity, as she was sure in her bleary-eyed state, her vision must be deceiving her.

"You've got to be _shitting_ me!" Maya gasped in disbelief. "Of all the café joints, in all the towns, in all the hotels in the world, _she_ walks into the one _right next to_ _**mine**_?!"

Forgetting all about her previous fatigue and urgent need to go pee, the Master quickened her pace on the sidewalk, never taking her vision off her target as she reached for her cell phone and quickly dialed front desk reception at her hotel, asking to be connected to the slumbering Pearl's room. She cast one last, frantic gander across the busy road, in final contemplation of simply saying _sod it_ to British social convention and just making her way over, in the _shortest distance possible_!

A fleet of double-decker red buses and back to back cars swarmed past just as she tentatively placed her foot down on the cement, as though giving her on ominous indication to _not even think about it!_

" _Hello_?" The teenage spirit medium's groggy voice answered the line, indicating her cousin's phone call had woken her up. " _Luke_?"

"Pearly, it's me! Throw on some clothes and get yourself downstairs to the café next door _this instant_!" Maya's voice came out in frantic huffs as she hurried towards the crosswalk. "I'll explain later, but you'll never _believe_ who I just spotted sitting outside, after practically _stalking_ her this past _year_!"

Cursing the fashionable high-heeled sandals she'd opted to wear with her chic summer dress, as running shoes would have undoubtedly allowed her to run at a faster pace, the village leader hightailed it across the street. At a golden marathon Olympic level sprint, she dashed towards the table where the mysterious figure, who was wearing a large sun hat and black sunglasses, was seated. The necromancer was panting heavily as she stood there, her chest heaving in exertion from the unexpected exercise.

Uncaring of the fact that she must've resembled a mad hatter candidate for _Bedlam,_ her face flushed, red and sweaty, long tresses in a disarray, and eyes wild, Maya dramatically slammed both her hands down on the unsuspecting patron's table, courtroom style, in a manner that would've made Phoenix proud.

"The cruel hide and seek game you've been playing with me ends today, _right here_ , _right now_!" She declared, staring accusingly into the face of the startled woman who had been evading her for so long. "Don't even _think_ of trying to run away from me _this_ time, Franziska Von Karma!"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright  
**_ _The Royal Courts of Justice_ _ **  
**_July 20, 2026 11:00 AM

Phoenix couldn't stop fidgeting.

It wasn't because he still needed the loo, as he'd long since relieved himself in the public restrooms. His current discomposure had absolutely nil to do with the urge to _tinkle_ anymore.

Humorously enough _'to give someone a tinkle'_ in England had nothing to do with draining one's lizard, any more than ' _giving them a ring'_ meant buying them jewelry! Gosh, the British had some strange jargon!

No, the reason the former Ace Attorney was wriggling like he had fiery ants in his pants was because he was vainly trying – and _failing_! – to appear interested while Miles relentlessly plied his ears with facts and trivia regarding their _impromptu detoured_ location, on as though he were an official tour guide, instead of just _sounding_ like one!

"Queen Victoria opened the Royal Courts in December 1882 after eleven years of construction. The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, has approximately 1000 rooms, 35 long corridors and 19 court rooms, and The Great Central Hall alone is about 238 feet long, 48 feet wide and 80 feet high. This place houses both the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales."

The prosecutor continued to refer to his information pamphlet and drone on in the same tireless manner of the past _hour_ since the courthouse doors had opened, uncaring of his friend's palpably distracted twitching or clearly bored expression.

"The enchanting building instantly became an awe-inspiring landmark in the heart of London's Fleet Street. The architecture is 19th century Victorian Gothic style, reminiscent of a cathedral in both style and scale."

Miles kept swiveling his gaze to fully take in the soaring arches and beautiful stained glass windows, ornamented with the coats of arms of Lord Chancellors and keepers of the Great Seal. The courthouse was even more enhanced by its spectacular, mosaic marble floor, leading to a maze of enchanting corridors that went on for miles.

"It is quite evident why this place, one of London's best-kept secrets, is considered to be such a smashing, can't miss destination. During my year sabbatical, when I toured Europe, I somehow missed the chance to fully explore this place, so I knew I _had_ to see it before we went to the Old Bailey…"

The ex-defense attorney clapped a hand to his mouth to stifle a yawn. He thought he'd been discreet, so was taken aback when subjected to a penetrating glower by the other man.

"Are you still knackered by the time difference, Wright?" Miles pursed his lips disapprovingly. "Surely you aren't such a bloody chav that you're actually _bored_ in such splendid, majestic settings?"

Phoenix opted not to snap at the _growing more British by the minute_ Anglophile counsellor to please speak _(American!) English_ , even though he was having an increasingly harder and harder time understanding the prosecutor's UK idioms! Nonetheless, he _was_ astute enough to recognize that a _chav_ was probably not a _complimentary_ term!

"So _this_ is why you made me get out of bed so early, when I could have been catching a few more Zzzz's?"

He goggled at the nerdy Poindexter he called his best friend, who even on a mini-vacation before heading off for Interpol duty, could manage to be so _frigging dull_ with his rendition of a jolly good time!

"I thought you were taking me to _Central Criminal Court_ extra early so we could check out the jurist system, but instead you dragged my exhausted rear end… _here_!"

" _Here_ being one of the largest courts in Europe, you _xenophobic_ , _unappreciative cur!"_ Miles shot him a withering look. "Both locals _and_ tourists alike find this to be an ace opportunity to immerse themselves into the fascinating history of the courts and the majestic setting! And it's not just a courthouse. There are many different popular attractions located both inside and surrounding the courts, such as the Bear Gardens, the Painted Room, the Crypt, the Great Hall and the sculpture/costume exhibit room, and as you can clearly see, all the masses around us are find this place to be right blinding! Ergo, obviously, there is no issue with the location itself."

He narrowed his eyes at the poker champ.

"Well, Wright? I see no problem here. No problem... except _you_."

"I guess I can't see the point of this place," Phoenix shrugged helplessly. "I mean, sure it _is_ pretty to look at, but we were supposed to be taking jury notes for when we get back to the States, and there's not much here that'll help us do that! The Royal Courts of Justice only deal with _civil_ not _criminal_ issues, and the majority of cases involve topics such as financial or family disputes, as well as asylum, libel or deportation hearings, which means they will more than likely be _boring as heck_!"

"Horses for courses, I suppose."

Miles sighed in resignation, knowing there was no point in trying to argue the historic and cultural richness of their location to such a willfully unschooled plebeian!

"Wright, I was planning to allow myself only a few days of leisure with your British chums before I let Lang know that I was back in Europe, and he commands me to join him to wherever he's stationed! Can you not _cease your whinging_ and allow me another few hours of recreational pleasure before we are due to go meet Professor Layton at the Old Bailey, which is only a half mile east from here?"

His voice hardened as Phoenix continued giving the logic genius the same pained look as when he'd been denied using his Savoy suite lav.

"I was loath to pull out my trump card this early, but your gormless self has left me nary a choice but to give you the bollocking you sorely deserve! You _will_ stop your grousing, posthaste, and allow _me_ this rare opportunity to enjoy myself, because after what _I_ endured on the plane ride over here, _**you**_ _and Maya_ owe me for at _least_ another decade!"

"You're never going to let this go, _are_ you?" Phoenix groaned, his cheeks reddening at the reminder. "Maya _told_ you what happened to us last night! Don't you think we've suffered enough for our sins, after the harrowing incident with Luke and Pearl?"

"That was not _suffering_ , Wright!" Miles emitted a derisive snort. "That was pure, unadulterated _karma_!"

* * *

 _Flashback: Previous Night_

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey  
**_ _Strand Palace Hotel, Deluxe Suite  
_ July 19, 2026 6:45 PM

Standing before the bathroom mirror of their hotel suite, the elegantly dressed Phoenix and Maya had nearly finished their primping for their first London dinner with Layton, Luke and Flora that night at Le Gavroche.

"It was pretty cool of Edgeworth to get us a room right next to our not so little girl." Phoenix fastened the rear clasp of Maya's dangling ruby pendant and lightly kissed the side of her neck. "Even though Pearls is going to be legal age next year, it's still quite comforting knowing this lavatory has a connecting door to her room, in case of emergency."

"Nick, Pearly will _always_ be our little girl, even when she's 100! This place is really nice, too. It's really one of the nicest inns I've ever stayed at, and heaven knows how extensively I've travelled for my Master duties! Funny how it ultimately wasn't good enough for Mr. Moneybags Prosecutor."

Maya stepped away from him and did a little twirl so he could admire the simple but chic black cocktail dress she was wearing, then suddenly tapped a finger to her chin, as though trying to remember something.

"Refresh my memory… are we taking the taxi over to the restaurant with Miles, or was he going to go there on his own?"

"He said he'd meet us there for 7:30." Phoenix gave a rueful shake of his head. "Apparently, it's not enough that he's staying at a different hotel from all of us entirely; it seems Edgeworth's nerves remain too shot from the plane ride over with us to even stomach sharing a 20-minute cab ride over to this snooty establishment of fine French dining!"

"Where, according to the website, tonight, we shall have the choices of _haute cuisine_ fare such as _succulent lamb rump from Yorkshire_ , or _lamb plucked from the mountainous peaks of the Lake District_ if you want to eat more than merely its arse! _Mais non_! It's not limited to cute nursery rhyme starring sorts of dead animal to feast on! _Pas de tout!"_

Maya's eyes were dancing with mirth as she began ticking the items off on her fingers.

"There's also gastronome options of _Roast Saddle of Deer, Dorset_ _escargot, Orkney scallops, Venison from the Moreland Estate_ and _Yorkshire Galloway Beef_ , which is probably the sole item there that's closest to a simple steak! Since the kindhearted Professor is hosting our welcome meal, I didn't have the heart to let him know how much I _hate_ French food, and would have been happier merely going to a burger place!"

"This _bon-vivant_ stuff is _definitely_ more up Edgeworth's alley than ours," Phoenix sniggered. "But I guess it's not too surprising that a knighted English gentleman would also occasionally opt for the finer things in life. Heck, as long as the Professor is buying, I guess we can't really complain!"

"I wonder what the _deal_ is with Miles! He was _supposed_ to have the room next to us, and I thought we were all going to be together until he had to take off on Interpol business. I still don't get what was so unbearable for him on the flight that resulted in him doing a last-minute turnabout, pulling his reservation _here_ , and deciding to stay at the Savoy hotel across the street instead!"

"Yeah, Edgeworth isn't exactly the fly-by-seat-of-his-pants, spontaneous type – _he's_ always mocking _me_ because such is more _my_ go-to style!" The pianist chuckled, adjusting the last button on his dress shirt. "But I know the Savoy is _the_ swankest hotel in London! Maybe he just wants to live large?"

"I couldn't help but overhear the front desk lady on the phone tell him that they were fully booked, except for The Savoy Suite, which is _9000 pounds_ a night! He didn't even _blink_ , or seem to care about the fee he'd be charged for the last minute cancelling at this place and put it on his American Express Centurion anyway! Ya know, the _Amex Black Card_ that's _invitation only_? Longines had one, too!"

"Edgeworth has the same exclusive credit card as Mr. 1% ….aka richer than Croesus? That _is_ impressive! I should feel less guilt now about all those times I let him pick up the dinner tab!"

Phoenix was grinning as he put a final dab of gel on his spikes and slicked them back – only to have the same stubborn stray lock resume its tenacious spot back on his forehead in its endearing Superman curl, no matter how many times he attempted to smooth it back into place. Groaning with defeat, he reached for the bathroom doorknob which connected it to Pearl's suite.

"Let's just take the shortcut over. Pearls must be ready, since I just I heard Luke's voice next-door – I guess the kid couldn't wait any longer to see his girlfriend again! Ready to go eat some overpriced gourmet food, my love?"

The spirit medium put a final dab of lipstick on her smiling mouth, dropped it into her beaded clutch, and nodded at her boyfriend.

"I'm good to go too. Luke must've been counting down the hours since he met us at the airport this morning to see Pearl and his furry little son again! Those two are just the sweetest, most adorable Disney couple in the world!"

The adjoining door had just been flung open, but before they could announce their presence, the duo heard the teenage boy's garbled speech, along with Pearl's own frantic cries – and froze in their tracks.

"We need to hurry! Do you think you'll be down there much longer, Luke?"

"I hope not! It's hard to breathe under here!"

"Is _that_ why it seems like you have no idea what you're doing? Hey watch it! Your _hair_ is tickling my _leg_!"

The master let out a soundless gasp, one hand flying to her heart as she and Phoenix remained cemented in the adjacent doorway, their poleaxed eyes taking in the happily tail-wagging Feyt in the corner of the suite. Various pieces of girl's clothing were haphazardly strewn on the carpet by the bed…right next to a pair of _discarded male loafers_ and _suit jacket_!

"Apologies, love! There's not much light here and it _is_ rather small…" Luke's voice was muffled.

"How are you going to _find_ it if you don't even know what you're _looking_ for?!" Pearl exclaimed in exasperation.

"It's not like _this_ is the sort of puzzle I'm used to solving! I've never done anything like this before!"

Maya's mouth froze open in silent horror, and Phoenix's orbs were nearly bugging out of his head as the thunderstruck, still unnoticed couple saw the unmistakable shape of _the British boy's head_ moving beneath their _untouched, virtuous daughter's_ bedcovers.

All the while, the teenage girl's bared arms were holding up the duvet as she peered below at her beau and directed her conversation downward.

"Oops! _Sorry_! I didn't know this would be so hard for you! What can I do to make things easier?"

"Please keep holding up those blankets so I get enough light to see what I'm doing! I only had a quick look at it earlier, and there was still a lot of hair in the way!"

Snapping out of their mutual stupor and bursting forward into the room, the traumatized swains at last found their voices at the exact same time.

" _Argh_! Luke Triton, I'm going to _kill_ you!" Phoenix bellowed just as Maya shrieked " _Gack_! Luke, _what_ are you doing to our daughter?!"

" _Eeep_!" Pearl squeaked, her eyes widening in shock. "Mr. Nick! Mystic Maya!"

" _What_ is the _meaning_ of this?!" Maya shouted, waving an accusing finger at the stupefied teen. "Luke Triton, you little creep! Get out of my daughter's bed _this instant,_ before _you're_ the next spirit that needs channeling!"

The startled young woman dropped the blankets and sprang up from the bed like a shot.

Maya sagged with some relief against Phoenix's side as it was _mercifully_ revealed that in spite of their initial view of her exposed shoulders and arms, Pearl was in an entirely _dressed state_ , as her slender, barefoot frame was clad in the strapless lilac dress she'd been showcasing to Miles on the plane.

" _Cor_ _blimey_!" Luke rasped, poking his head up from under the sheets, his sandy head tousled as he waved his hand triumphantly in the air. "I _finally_ found it!"

Turning his head, he spotted first the stormy faces of the adults and then that of his panicked girlfriend, and his face turned white with fright. Clutching the unidentified, glittery object in his fingers like a peace offering, the fully clothed lad slowly slid off the mattress, his saucer-sized eyes reflecting his petrified state.

"Maya, Mr. Wright!" He croaked. "I _know_ this _seems_ really, _really_ bad, but I swear, this _isn't_ what it looks like!"

" _Please_ don't kill him!" Pearl begged, snatching the item from her boyfriend's trembling fingers and holding it up in the air. "I _swear_ we can explain!"

* * *

 _Flashback: 15 minutes earlier_

 _ **Pearl Fey and Luke Triton**_  
 _The Strand Palace_ , _Junior_ _Suite  
_ July 19, 2026 6:30 PM

Pearl carefully applied a final coat of pale pink lip gloss in front of the mirror and smiled at the sleepy-eyed canine lying on his furry tummy atop the thick shag carpeting at her feet.

"You _look_ like how I _feel_ , Feyt! I almost wish I could nap a little bit longer, too! But that would mean not seeing your Daddy again, and that just _won't_ do! Tonight will be lots of fun and catching up! Plus, I _really_ liked Flora, and it will be great to have a new female friend here."

Feyt yawned.

"Now stop that yawning, you! At least _you_ can go back to sleep after I leave – I've read that most dogs sleep at least 10 hours a day! I've gotten used to traveling and being in countries with different time zones over the years with Mystic Maya – it's a good thing I'm young enough to adapt! Regardless, this latest time difference is going to take some getting used to! I woke up from my nap half an hour ago yet I haven't entirely shaken away all the drowsy!"

Her four-legged son tilted his head to the side as though listening intently to his Mommy, his tiny pink tongue sticking out in what appeared to be a goofy puppy grin.

"Tee-hee! Professor Layton had to practically _drag_ Luke away after our group lunch, because he insisted that we all needed to get some rest before dinner. He was right, since I crashed the minute my head hit the pillow, but after not seeing your Daddy for a month, these were the _longest four hours_ of my life! There's nothing in the world I wouldn't do if it meant my sweetie could live closer to us, instead of across the pond! Although considering I wasn't expecting to see him again until Christmas, I shouldn't really be griping, right?"

Feyt wagged his tail, as though nodding agreement, and Pearl giggled as she bent over and scratched him behind his velvety ears.

"I promise you, we won't leave you alone too often, little guy. This place we are going tonight is really fancy, but for the most part, we're going to stick to outdoor cafés, so you can always stay with me, because Luke won't want to be separated from you any more than _I_ will! Speaking of your Daddy, I sure hope he likes my new dress! Time for dinner! I should go next door and see if Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick are finished getting ready."

There was an unexpected knock at the door. She naturally assumed it was her cousin and was smiling as she answered it.

"Hi, Mystic Maya! I was just about to come get you guys…" Her eyes lit up with surprised delight as she saw not the mahogany orbs of the village leader, but the loving cinnamon ones of her boyfriend. " _Luke_!"

"I'm sorry to spring myself on you like this instead of just meeting you at the restaurant," Luke smiled sheepishly and bashfully held up the rose bouquet he'd been hiding behind his back. "But I just missed you so much, and this morning at the airport, I was bit too bleary-eyed from our late-night conversation during your plane ride to have remembered to bring you this little _welcome back to England_ token of my affection …"

"Please don't apologize!"

Pearl's face was shining with happiness as Luke crouched down and scooped up Feyt, who had come over to investigate the new visitor and upon seeing his Daddy, was merrily yipping in greeting.

"This was the nicest surprise ever! _You_ , I mean, not the flowers. They're beautiful though. Thank you so much! By the way, I love that navy suit! You look so handsome."

Luke was blushing shyly as he stroked the puppy's head, his visage aglow with admiration as he took in the flattering shade of the frock, and how extra fetching his girlfriend looked with her caramel mane partially pulled back at the crown and the rest tumbling loosely around her shoulders in silky waves, with wispy tendrils framing her pretty face.

"Thank you, love. I'm glad you like them – the Tudor rose is the national flower of England. But the flowers are merely _pretty_. You… _you're_ beautiful."

"Thank you! You really think so?"

Her cheeks turn pink with pleasure at the compliment as she ushered Luke into the room and placed the bouquet on top of her dresser before turning back to him.

"This is a brand-new dress. I bought a whole bunch of new clothes for this trip. I hope you like them!"

"It's not the dress. It's just… _you_."

Carefully placing Feyt back onto the floor, Luke stroked her cheek with his knuckles, still awestruck at the reality that they were together again and he could actually take in that treasured visage in person at last.

Her gray eyes sparkled, the light making them look alive, while reflecting the warmth of her unconditional love. They were such a unique color, a mix of light and dark silver. They gazed adoringly into his, so big and beautiful, so much emotion held inside. They smiled constantly, those doe eyes. Eyeliner rimmed her expressive orbs, making them stand out so much more, and making him fall even deeper under her spell each time he saw them.

How exquisite the fair Fey girl was. And how just like her to be so wonderfully diffident in thinking mere clothing could in any way enhance or alter her naturally ethereal beauty. He loved how blissfully unaware of her own comeliness Pearl still was, all this time later. It only made him love her more.

 _She could never understand the beauty she is made of, because she doesn't see herself as I do. As anyone does._

"You don't need to ever worry about changing anything about yourself for _my_ sake, Pearl," Luke said tenderly, already tilting up her chin for his descending lips. "You're perfect just the way you are. I love the dress, but you could be wearing _a potato sack_ and you'd still be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Pearl felt a warm glow spreading through her at this ardent declaration, but any response she could have given was lost in the next instant as his mouth gently covered hers.

His lips were the sweetest; every word uttered by him would always leave her weakened and deeper in love than before. These were the memories she cherished most. There had been times, in the beginning, when she would look into his bright eyes, wondering if he truly meant it when he said he loved her, and her fragile heart would question her for falling in love so easily; and she'd feared it'd only be a matter of him to leave her for someone else, to say he was tired of her love and wanted to be with someone who lived closer to home. Those doubts were fewer and far between nowadays, but at times she still sought some reassurance that _this_ was real; that it was forever.

"I don't suppose," she whispered shakily when their lips had finally parted. "That your biased opinion of my looks is in part because I live so far away and you appreciate me so much because we hardly see each other?"

Recognizing the underlying query beneath her humility, Luke threw his head back and laughed at her quip. It was a sound she hadn't heard in a thousand years and it was a sound she would wait another thousand to hear.

He leaned close, their breaths mingling, and kissed her again. Short and sweet.

"I love you," he told her, pulling her tightly against him and breathing in the fragrant scent of her hair. "Near, far, wherever you are, my Princess Pearl, I'll always love you."

All fleeting doubts were vanquished in the next instant, and Pearl blissfully melted in his embrace, knowing that every day she was with him, she could feel herself falling deeper. She often wondered if this was that elusive treasure known as _true love_ , or just an ever growing love that simply existed and would never extinguish.

"We really should get going," she said reluctantly, a few lingering kisses later. "I was just about to go get Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya right before you came along."

"I _suppose_ you're right. As much as I'd like nothing more, I reckon I can't keep a hold of you the _entire_ night." He flashed her a cheeky grin and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, then frowned slightly. "Er, Pearl, did you know one of your gem studs was missing?"

"No way! Are you _serious_?!" Pearl clapped a hand against her barren earlobe and spun around to confirm this terrible news in the mirror. "Oh no! When did I lose it?! These were the gold and diamond teardrop earrings Mystic Maya gave me as a maid of honor gift last month! I've only worn them _once_!"

Her face fell, and she looked as though she were about to cry.

"I _love_ these earrings! They were my first ever diamond jewelry… And Mystic Maya is going to be so disappointed that I could be so careless with something so expensive!"

"Don't fret love," Luke said quickly, never one to ever wish seeing a lady in distress, especially _this_ one. "Let's retrace your steps. When is the last time you remember having both of the earrings on?"

"I know when I'm tired, I tend to forget smaller details, like jewelry, and I was exhausted by the time I got to my room this afternoon," Pearl recalled, biting her thumb. "I knew I wanted to wear these earrings tonight, and before I took my nap, I put them on. I set the alarm clock on my cell phone to wake me up at 6:00. As soon as I got up, I drew back just the corner of the covers – it's easier to make the bed afterwards if you do it that way instead of rolling them down all the way. Then I took a shower, and emptied out half my suitcase onto the bed trying to figure out what to wear to dinner…"

She gestured at the discarded pile of outfits and groaned.

"It may have fallen somewhere amongst the clothing… Or it could have gotten snagged on my pillow while I was sleeping."

"That's a good possibility. Which means it could still be on the bed somewhere." Luke cast a dubious glance at the jumbled mess on the bed. "Or…somewhere in that massive heap."

"But we can't just toss everything onto the floor! What if Feyt sees it before we do and accidentally swallows it? You know he likes bright and shiny things!"

"Well then, we'll check under the covers first. We can't have you ruining that lovely hairstyle, so _I'll_ do the honors," Luke declared valiantly, already shucking off his jacket and slipping out of his shoes. "I just need you to carefully slip back onto the bed, and hold up the covers to give me some light so I can have a look. They always make hotel linens so heavy!"

Pearls cheeks warmed slightly at the idea of being in the same bed as her boyfriend, with whom she had shared nothing but the utmost chaste relationship for the past year, but her urgency to find the missing earring quickly outweighed her brief moment of modesty.

"It sounds crazy but it just might work!"

As Feyt eyed his parents inquisitively, she carefully slid back under the blanket flap and held them up just high enough for Luke to slip underneath, and then shift himself, feet first, down the length of the queen mattress.

"How's _this_ for allowing light?" She asked anxiously. "Can you make out anything down there?"

"It's darker than I expected but I can try to feel my way around. I wish I had thought to use my cell phone as a flashlight before I ducked beneath these things, but I left it in my jacket pocket!"

For what seemed like ages, the English bloke frantically groped around every surface of mattress, his questing fingers roaming for anything that even marginally mimicked the glittering stone he had only briefly glanced at in his girlfriend's ear.

" _Luke_!" Pearl tittered as his fingertips accidentally grazed her bare calf. "Your hands are _freezing_ _cold_!"

"Whoops! Sorry love!" He chortled self-consciously. "Didn't mean to grab at your leg like that! But you know what they say, _cold hands, warm heart_! Ha-ha!"

He sounded more embarrassed by the unseemly situation than Pearl was. However, after what felt like eons, it seemed as though the whole thing was an exercise in futility.

"We need to hurry!" She cried in frustration, nearly fed-up and ready to call off the entire pointless search at this point. "Do you think you'll be down there much longer, Luke?"

"I hope not!" Luke was barely audible beneath the mountain of linens. "It's hard to breathe under here!"

Peeking at the wall clock, Pearl was abruptly reminded of the time, and realized Phoenix and Maya would probably come fetch her _at any minute_!

She would simply _die of embarrassment_ if they happened to walk in on her and Luke _now_!

 _End Flashback_

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright  
** The Old Bailey  
AKA  
The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales  
_July 20, 2026 11:35 AM

Miles's fleeting moment of annoyance had vanished, and he sounded positively chipper now as he and Phoenix neared the criminal courthouse.

"It's the egregious adventure tales of parenthood such as _this,_ which undoubtedly shall forever on live in infamy within your tormented memories, that make me genuinely _rue_ switching hotels at the last minute!"

The prosecutor treated his best friend to one of his infamous smirks.

"Since _my_ room was supposed to be next-door to yours, I have no doubt that you and Maya's screams of horror would have definitely been palpable, even from behind closed doors!"

Phoenix scowled darkly at his friend.

"I can't _believe_ you find my trauma at the lurid, albeit misconstrued, moment of walking in on my _innocent_ eldest daughter – whom you and I have _both_ known since childhood! – being in bed with her boyfriend so damn amusing! You're such an ass, Edgeworth!"

" _I_ can't believe _you_ can't see how the whole misunderstanding with Luke and Pearl is naught more than _divine retribution_ at its finest!" Miles snickered unabashedly, ignoring the other man's glare. "Any more than I can believe you and Maya were at all nonplussed about why I decided to change not just _rooms_ , but _hotels_! It occurred to me after my torturous plane ride – during which I countlessly contemplated going skydiving without parachute! – that it wouldn't have mattered if I had decided to take a room on even another _floor_ from you two incorrigible _randy rabbits_!"

He crossed his arms and stared pointedly at his old courtroom rival.

"Staying at the Strand Palace would have meant enduring my _second_ biggest phobia if I were to be in the quarters _above_ yours, what with having my floors _shake_ in the manner of a _California quake_ …"

Miles paid zero heed to Phoenix's telltale blush.

"Otherwise, I would face the equally hellacious prospect of having "Dancing on the Ceiling" be _an actual experienced sensation_ instead of merely being a hit retro song, should I be the unfortunate sod in the room _beneath_ your ever tremulous bed! You can see how a mere hotel cancellation fee and 9000 pounds was a small price to pay for guaranteed piece of mind!"

Phoenix wisely dropped the topic. _Inside_ the courtroom, he'd been only been defeated by Miles Edgeworth _one time_ , and upon his own free will. _Outside_ of it, though, he conceded when he needed to throw in the towel and acquiesce his defeat in this particular battle of wits.

He _also_ knew he should be thankful to whatever God was watching over him that, all things considered, the lawyer hadn't murdered either him _or_ Maya in their sleep!

The childhood chums stopped in front of the main entrance of Old Bailey, and looking up, Phoenix drank in the sight of his first destination for jury studying. Even though he wasn't the architecture enthusiast the culture snob solicitor was, the former King of the Turnabout found himself venerating the bronze statue on the dome above the court. It was Lady Justice herself, holding a sword in her right hand and the scales of justice in her left.

Miles nodded approvingly at his mate's visible approbation.

"This sculpture was crafted by the British sculptor F. W. Pomeroy," he informed Phoenix, folding his arms over his chest. "She holds a sword in her right hand and the scales of justice in her left. The statue is popularly supposed to show blind Justice, however, the figure is not blindfolded: Lady Justice was originally not blindfolded, and because her "maidenly form" is supposed to guarantee her impartiality which renders the blindfold redundant."

Phoenix slid a sideways glance at his friend, and the barrister gave a smug smile that unlike at the previous courthouse, _this_ time he had his companion's rapt attention as they entered The Great Hall.

"During the Blitz of World War II, the Old Bailey was bombed and severely damaged, but subsequent reconstruction work restored most of it in the early 1950s. In 1952, the restored interior of the Grand Hall of the Central Criminal Court was once again open. The interior of the Great Hall, underneath the dome, is decorated with paintings commemorating the Blitz, as well as quasi-historical scenes of St Paul's Cathedral with nobles outside. Running around the entire hall are a series of axioms, some of biblical reference. Amongst them: _"The law of the wise is a fountain of life", "The welfare of the people is supreme", "Right lives by law and law subsists by power", "Poise the cause in justice's equal scales", "Moses gave unto the people the laws of God"_ and _"London shall have all its ancient rights."_

"That's a brilliant wealth of Old Bailey trivia to know, especially for somebody who is not even an official tour guide! Even more ace is not even _once_ needing to consult a visitor pamphlet," a third voice intervened from behind them, sounding simultaneously impressed and amused. "Most impressive indeed, Mr. Edgeworth."

 _Whose voice is this? How the devil do they know my name?_

Miles's brain was already shifting into high gear in attempted recollection as they both turned around to face whomever had spoken. Meanwhile, Phoenix goggled incredulously at the sight of the _very familiar form_ standing there _,_ belonging to a person whom he'd never _dreamed_ he would set eyes on _, ever_ again!

"It's been a long time, but welcome back to England, Mr. Wright." A mystical smile flickered across the person's face. "I've been waiting for you."

 _A/N: Thanks to my reader,_ _ **mostypesofsalt**_ _for the amusing suggestion of Luke and Pearl getting caught in bed… Resulting in a traumatizing experience for all parties involved! XD_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 174**

 **Jove's Boy Toy**

 ***review of the week***

JBT, your other half wrote me a very lengthy and touching review last chapter which was largely centered around Apollo, and it was a _very_ pleasant surprise to hear from my favorite guest reviewer, who is more than good enough and did an absolutely killer job in finishing my (admittedly adorable!) dear friend JB's original review, as he explained to me that his itchy trigger finger hit the send button too soon before he could complete it! :-)

 _"Ah, Longines and Armstrong. *Theirs* is an epic romance!"_

That means a lot to me to have you say that, because _everybody_ deserves love, even the phony Frenchman, although most of my readers find him to be quite creepy and cringe-worthy, what with his butchering of the romance language… and just his overall state of being! Just do yourself a favor, and save thyself from the traumatized mind lest you be mulling over too long of _where_ he of disturbingly wriggling torso was wearing that eye patch! Hee!

Iris seems like a pushover but I think in the end lifelong ridicule of having _two_ body parts for her first _and_ last name might be a bit too much to ask in the name of love! Ergo, keeping the same surname as her psychotic and satanic twin sister still seemed to be better than a lifetime of ridicule! You know what's an even _scarier_ thought? Imagining what Larry is going to name their offspring, since she gave him free pass to name them whatever he wishes! XD

The funniest things are when people do it without even trying! While I admit Hendricks has a twisted sense of (passive/aggressive) dry British humor and has been known to be a little shit disturber/c-blocker accidentally-on-purpose, poor Rhoda was only trying to do her job as best as she could never knowing what misery she was causing by playing musical chairs with Phoenix and Maya! I got a real kick out of creating the scenario that in trying to be the perfect (air) _hostess with the mostest_ , she was largely instrumental in getting the ball rolling for Miles's blood-soaked, nightmare hellscape of a plane ride!

Luke and Pearl are the unofficial Disney couple of the Ace Attorney world, and despite the misconstrued Feyt circumstances of this chapter, have every intention of making sure he maintains his gentlemanly status. After all, the good professor's former apprentice has to ensure Layton remains proud! Even though Pearl was ultimately the reason Miles did not throw himself off that plane with no parachute, I figure the whole "no _you_ hang up" game, regardless of how adorable it is, when coupled with the nauseating saccharine levels of Phaya, would be enough to make anyone snap and do what he did! The idea of you and JB doing that, even in jest, now has me giggling maniacally!

 _Edgeworth's flight itinerary was so fucking amazing! I'll have to try something like that sometime.  
Times I tried not to think about J.B. – 0  
Times I thought about J.B. - choose a number, any number_

I do love using reader feedback and input where I can, and _mi hermana_ Ilet Morartar, was the one who gave me the inspiration for Edgeworth's personalized flight itinerary. How much do you want to vets Miles was able to calculate all of that mentally, and didn't even need to write it down?

I am absolutely giddy about how after only playing the third Ace Attorney game (have you played any others since?) during your last visit, you not only have the eye-sore Armstrong fresh in your mind (poor thing!) but are able to make these fantastic Godot references… Give me 17 dishes of _ice cream_ over _coffee_ any day – it gives you really achy breath which makes smooching yucky! Unless… it's _coffee ice cream_ … Then I don't know! :p

You have no idea how much it means to me to have such diverse and interesting readers, as I love having such variety in my audience, and the highlight of which is the ever-awesome OTP of mine Jove's Boy and Jove's Boy Toy!

Hugs,  
JP

 **Jove's Boy**

You really do need to play the Miles game again – is canon that the ever-zealous and overly helpful Rhoda Teneiro has been dubbed Master of _Obvious_ , and in this case…. _Oblivious_!

Almost as ridiculous as The Hair you say? I'd say Morgan is tied with _Daryan_ being the male equivalent of most outrageous Ace Attorney hair… Perhaps I didn't pay the flight attendant care much mind because while playing that case, I was more distracted by the narcoleptic Miss Tits-A-Popping! When you play that case you will realize there is actually an Ace Attorney female with a chest more obscene and pronounced than even the late great Mia Fey! XD

I had described Rhoda's comically square shaped topknot as being geometric last chapter but right after I read your review I realized how fitting it would be for her to be called Nuts & Bolts Lady like you said because that is exactly what the shape resembles… Extra irony being that she is not in the least a Miss Fix It, and in fact the _more_ she tries to fix things, the _worse_ they end up becoming especially in the case of poor Miles the mystery novel lover (thanks for that!)

I'm pretty positive Edgy would've preferred the world to go up in flames rather than endure that journey of the damned! XD

 **Yanmegaman**

Miles Edgeworth seems to be the Renaissance man of Ace Attorney…and I already made him have his pilot's license for flying helicopters, so certainly landing a plane would be a cakewalk for him. And that cake would _not_ be a lie!

 _Actually, I can totally see someone saying "Surely you can't be serious!" to Phoenix. To which he replies "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley."_

This is so hilarious that he said this… In my last chapter of _Filling The Void_ I actually had _Maya_ (who in _this_ story is Nick's other half) actually use that very line! :p

Great minds seriously think alike, bud!

 **Feraligreater328**

Greetings and salutations my ever nomadic friend! Even if you're only visiting and not moving to the land of Miles Edgeworth's second-worst fear, I am semi-jealous because I remain as stationary as that stubborn Superman lock on Nick's forehead!

Even if the rudely awakened senior in your vicinity didn't appreciate _your_ appreciation of the soothing balm applied to the brokenhearted and maximum tortured Uncle Mile's nerves (the poor man truly was the Butz of Sod's Law) by his newfound, angelic niece, I _myself_ am ever appreciative that you and the Mrs. Still take the time to read this thing! :)

 **DannyDragon**

It seems so perfect to actually have Miles reading Sherlock Holmes, considering the Detective is actually a character alongside Phoenix's ancestor in the still yet to be localized DGS games!

I think Miles could've handled dealing with the Butz (Iris has suffered enough having Dahlia for twin sister I could not in good faith give her such a horrendous last name!)… **_Or_** getting _eye-saulted_ at the sight of Longines and Armstrong's junk… ** _or_** being forced to endure Nick and Maya being so sickeningly lovey-dovey while being trapped next to them with his breakup still being so fresh… But all of the above would make any man snap! Thank goodness for his new "niece" (despite being almost Phaya level nauseatingly sweet with her Feyt romance) reminding Uncle Miles about the things that really matter in life!

I have a serious head canon that the lofty prosecutor is a secret softy when it comes to kids, as he has known Pearl since she was a little girl and loves playing Uncle Miles to both her and Trucy!

 _Muchas gracias_ for the music suggestion _mi amiga musica_ , _y de nada_ for the dedication… _el gusto es mio_!

 **Xbox 360 1953**

 _"This chapter could have easily been called Miles hates everybody."_

I could've easily called the chapter that but it would've been for good reason! The poor guy's heart which Franziska tossed into a blender and put on purée setting is _still_ raw and bleeding as he's only had three months to recover from a relationship that lasted eight years! Plus…Phaya. PDA FIENDS FROM HELL. How undignified can they get! It seems he's going to be reminded of his salaciously sullied condo even while abroad!

 _"For some reason, now I believe Edgeworth can sing too. Why, you might ask? Well, whenever I see Edgeworth, I always think there is a bird atop his head as his hair resembles a bird. And as I've said before, birds sing."_

Heeeee! I am glad I'm not the _only_ one who thinks that the handsome prosecutor despite having a more normal hair than a lot of other Ace Attorney characters, nevertheless looks like he has a bird on his head! If his hair were darker I would say it resembles a _crow_ , but that was more evident during his Bratworth days. Now, with it being slate in color… I dunno. A _pigeon_? Although neither one of these birds can sing… Miles is good at pretty much _everything_ , so I have no doubt that he can carry a tune like nobody's business! You may have inspired me to do some musical homage to everyone's favorite prosecutor in the story at some point my funny new reader!

Thanks! ;)

 **chloemcg**

I was bouncing off the walls when you told me about the English trailer for Lady Layton! I feel at July 20 will never come I'm so excited and I love the wisecracking puppy that is her sidekick!

Iris may have avoided the fate of an embarrassing last name… But considering she gave Larry the freedom to name their offspring… We cannot be guaranteed that their children will be spared the dually mortifying fate of their family name combined with whatever moniker their Daddy gives them! :p

I have no idea why Miles doesn't just drop the austere act already – canon wise he has chartered jet _twice_ because his best friend needed him! Does he really think anyone actually believes he is as icy and unfeeling as he attempts to come across? Nevertheless, I so immensely enjoy the most unexpected sources chipping away at that frozen demeanor of his… From Ema Skye to Trucy and now Miss Doe eyes. He's the perfect Uncle Miles! There is a wonderful canon artwork from Capcom of all the Ace Attorney characters enjoying opening their gifts around the Christmas tree and Miles secretly creeping outside the window with a big Santa sack over his shoulder!

I'm going to give the adorable Luke and Pearl their own little side storyline which I hope you enjoy, and little Feyt will definitely be playing a part of it!

I'm very much looking forward to your 100th installment milady. :-)

 **thepudz**

Normally if anyone else who was _not_ _you_ claimed they'd fallen off the bed laughing, I'd think they were _exaggerating_. But I've actually been on the phone and/or video chat with you during one of your famous wheezing/thrashing gales of mirth, and have seen/witnessed the thuds. Ergo, I literally believe, and am therefore quite flattered that my chapter was so funny that it caused potential personal injury… Massa just next time having a fort of pillows on the bed or at least on the floor to break the fall? Hee!

Incidentally… FALL OFF THE BED LAUGHING… that deserves its _own_ acronym, yeah? Because after all we have ROTFL and LMFAO why not have FOTBL? It spells _football_ and _you_ play football… I think we might be onto something mate! XD

I sent you the email with photos so you could see for yourself that every single one of those gadgets is _for real_ … And undoubtedly owned by highfalutin rich folk with more _dollars_ than _sense_ just like Larry said!

I suppose we can call it comic irony that Pearl was the only thing keeping Miles sane on the flight into the gaping maw of Hades… Yet she was also the one who unwittingly made him finally snap when he put an abrupt end to Feyt's _you hang up_ game. You saw the video clip I sent you… No judgment for wanting to toss the phone off a cliff yourself if you were in Edgy's shoes – it's annoying enough when done by two adorable love-struck _teenagers_ …can you imagine witnessing it with _grown-ass_ _adults_ a.k.a. Ross from _Friends?!_

I am grateful that my loyal readers still take the time read and review, considering how long this story is, and how long I've been writing it for. And I also acknowledge that it takes time, effort, and even creativity to drop a writer a line of appreciation. I have never been opposed to a simple short/one-liner review, which you and Yanmegaman for example, have surely done in the past, quite comically and successfully… Because there has always been a clear and specific reference to the chapter which indicates that you _had_ actually _read_ the chapter.

As a fellow writer, you know more than most that reviews are rarer than unicorns… I reckon I have to take what I can get, and hope that even if not expressed, my work was at least _read_ and appreciated, beyond what was perhaps not (specifically) expressed. And, nevertheless, it is my personal creed to thank every single reader who still takes the time to drop me a line.

Yes, general blanket praise can indeed be disheartening at times, when we both know how many hours of work go into a writing a FF chapter, but sometimes can still sting less than when a reader is specific. I recall when I got Phaya back together, which my readers had been eagerly awaiting for nearly a year, one reader wasn't affected by anything more than my diverse terms for The Dragon Lady in that chapter. I felt if _that_ was the _sole_ reaction spurned from such a pivotal story moment, that I'd failed my readers as a writer, and even briefly contemplated hanging up my pen.

Mercifully, I had readers like you who expressed what genuine joy they got from the story itself, beyond my vast vocabulary, which is what kept me going. Thank you for that, and your continued loyalty, Roo. :)

 **CzarThwomp**

The ever debonair prosecutor would probably think spending his final mortal moments amongst the airplane cargo like poor Hicks probably would not be the dignified enough. I still think he'd prefer a more samurai style _hara-kiri_ or skydiving in hopes that his frilly fluttery napkin thingy allows him to be airborne!

I don't know why I so thoroughly enjoyed torturing Miles Edgeworth, seeing as how he's my second favorite guy in the entire Ace Attorney world and the canon has been cruel enough to him, what with having being raised by Nosferatu and people constantly referring to his maroon – er, _magenta_! – (it doesn't turn _maroon_ until Dual Destinies!) as pink, but after Apollo, his uptight self is just _so much fun_ to designate in the role of (well-dressed) butt monkey! Hee!

I am so happy you like the refines, loyal, but always subtly shit-disturbing Lawrence, er, Hendricks and will do my very best to ensure he remains worthy of your official decree: _"Most Savage 'Ace Attorney' OC"._ _Very good, sir!_ XD

I think Maya has been through enough hell of her own in her life, which is the only reason she was the _only_ one who was unfazed and not reaching for the eye bleach at the sight of Longines and Jean in their birthday suits! Poor Edgy…I think his horror was _still_ too fresh from his conversation with Larry at the time! We must give Miles credit for his Sherlock Holmes deductions since that telltale mirror handprint was _attempted_ to be wiped off but not well enough! And then to think Miles had to use the bathroom in _coach!_ Oh, the _humanity_!

I wonder if what the nobly intended but ever catastrophic Rhoda would remember her personal creed of "service with a smile even if crashing into the ocean" if Edgy had decided to hijack the plane… Or if the ever frisky bunnies would even pause in their hoppy boink-fest to have realized that this time they were _not_ the cause of suspected turbulence! XD

Things are definitely going to come to a head when Miles and the Wolf Man cross paths… I think any potential OOC behavior on Edgy's part can be excused after the events of this hellacious flight into the abyss! As for the loose-lipped Gummy….we'll see how forgiving a mood the Prosecutie is in by the time he becomes Chief Prosecutor! :p

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _El gusto es mio_ for the dedication, _mi hermana dulce_. You and _mi amiga musica_ seem to be my only female readers after all! XD

I can see from our numerous conversations how much _Undertale_ has affected your life! Perhaps that trombone whenever something happened to Miles would've been very fitting if he had succumbed to the urges to scream _Geronimo_! No doubt probe reminding him that he is her darling Uncle was the only thing that kept him from getting into the urges!

I can only imagine what it must be like to be single, only three months after being in an eight year relationship with someone that you thought you would spend the rest of your life with, and being sandwiched in between a love-struck teenager and an overly amorous recently reunited pair soulmates!

Don't you dare jump off your balcony! Visiting our beautiful Cuban family the only thing that makes us look forward to at Christmastime when such idiotic and overpriced gifts like the ones in this chapter are often exchanged! XD

Miles Edgeworth expert computer explainer _and_ connoisseur of all shi-shi froufrou kitchen devices for the rich and lazy!

It is mortifying, having visited your beautiful country and very much favoring the comparatively simple and comparatively less lazy lifestyle Cubans, to tell you that every single one of these gadgets is real and widely utilized quite a bit by overly pampered Canadians and Americans! (Not sure about Europeans although any readers out there from The Continent can certainly chime in about how widely used these frivolous devices are or not!)

You did receive the gizmo email did you not? Indeed, I imagine at some point in the near future people will longer need _hands_ especially when we're at a point when people are too lazy to even twirl their own spaghetti! Automatically twirling forks are actually a thing although being a normal middle-class girl myself who married love not money, there is no way my practical self or my ever frugal husband would allow such frivolous items into our home! I would no doubt need to have somebody explain to me what some of these things are as well as they are usually favored more by people of the class of Miles Edgeworth rather than the Larry Butz's of the world, even though Edgy was very offended that Larry _assumed_ he would hang out with such people that would use these idiot devices!

I cannot comment on whether or not Miles will be vindictive enough to seek a similar revenge on Phoenix if he and Franny ever get back together, although as you read in this chapter, it looks like Phoenix and Maya already had a little bit of karma thrown their way (which Edgy richly enjoyed!) as they had a heart-stopping incident to remind them that yes, (the still innocent!) Pearl is no longer a little girl, even though the circumstances were not quite what they seemed… _thank God!_ XD

 **napoleon32**

Nick is only creative when it comes to bluffing, so there is no doubt Maya is definitely the one who keeps it spicy and interesting after six years of togetherness! Also she has proven to have a very mischievous and naughty streak, and you don't get any naughtier than joining the mile high club! ;)

I have not read the Wolfe books but I am very intrigued about the eccentric intellectual/work ethic protagonists you've mentioned! Between you and me I honestly think given the fact that he does rely a lot on his gut instincts as well as logic that Sherlock Holmes, at least in the books, is a bit more like _Phoenix_ then Miles, but ultimately doesn't every guy like to envision himself as being the leading hero of any story, even if it's not totally accurate? :p

I am really enjoying making Pearl the walking pharmacy! I was trying really hard to think of scenarios that would make her bust out remedies for the most common side effects of travel… Popped ears, nausea and headache… And seeing the pink pouf naked would definitely rank up there to make at least two of the three! The last time we saw Pearl randomly throwing medicinal aid at a character was at Jean Armstrong's love interest (later turned husband) Longines… But that was in order to thwart him for making a move on Maya, which ended up being in vain nevertheless since her cousin was still subjected to unsolicited lip lock to the then closeted hair heir!

Is there anyone out there who actually doesn't adore Pearl Fey? Now that she's past her Phoenix slaphappy phase, I really do think she's about as angelic as they come, as Trucy has been shown to actually have a latent naughty streak, what with the infamous bloody Ace stunt, the Mr. Hat in court incident and throwing a knife and a Segway to only name a few!

Edgy is about as fussy and overly fastidious as they come, so I have no doubt he _would_ be grinding his teeth if the flight had dared be a mere five minutes late in takeoff although no doubt after everything he endured during the trip he would've preferred slight tardiness of the plane, if he could have been spared everything else! I think being reminded that the people who made him contemplate yelling _Geronimo_ are indeed _not_ _strangers_ , but _family_ , was what ultimately kept him from taking up skydiving! Which I suppose is a good thing since he is the deuteragonist of this story! XD

I hope you enjoyed this first peek into the European adventurers, which will be split into several segments to include Nick meeting of a certain redhead, Miles's Interpol sting, and a really cute side story including Feyt and Layton!

 **Joeclone**

After the last chapter we cannot only declare Miles Edgeworth to have a cast iron stomach but indeed more sanity than one can possibly think of to have been dealing with violation to his senses including, but not limited to, his eyes _and_ ears on a nonstop basis on this doomed voyage from the pits of the underworld!

And all the poor guy wanted to do was just read his Sherlock Holmes novel!

Although Nick and Maya will be backburner and even separated (different plots not split up!) I had to toss in some of their typical goofiness to go with the schmoopiness! Face it they are both dorks! Extremely attractive dorks who'd make the most gorgeous couple in the Ace Attorney world (since poor Mia is dead and gone and Diego is Godot and of questionable fate!) But nevertheless… Dorks!

I had no idea Sherlock Holmes appeared in the Batman franchise! Butz-style divagate forgiven! By the way, thanks to this and the previous chapter commentary from you (further proof that I really do pay attention to what my readers tell me/suggest!)… I went and saw the new Spiderman movie! Although it's funny that you mentioned Batman who before Deadpool came along, was my favorite superhero!

Luke was very attracted to Pearl's delicate beauty and modesty…(Don't worry I'm not about to make Pearl start dressing like a target for Jack the Ripper… But I do remember in Spirit of Justice how she was showing an interest in wearing more modern fashion and clothing and I like to think on her time off when she's traveling she would get to dress like a typical teenager and let her hair down literally and figuratively!) But moreover, what makes Pearl so amazing to me is that innocent, unspoiled sweetness which was what finally melted the heart of the newly formed Uncle Miles, and made him no longer homicidal/suicidal. Who could resist those Bambi eyes?

 _I'll be honest. Your story is so beautiful that it makes me stop whatever I'm doing when I see that notification email, and I immediately go to the link and read to my heart's content. You truly have me that excited every time. It's like a drug to me. You have a great hobby doing this and you're following is constantly growing. I'm so proud to be an insignificant observer of this budding author's journey!_

 _Insignificant part of my author journey_? Objection! My dear vampire (hour) reader I cannot allow this conjecture! I have to declare right now that as you tend to read and review my stories while I am still in bed they are _such_ a lovely gift to wake up to, and make me happily grin like an idiot, because you are hands down one of my favorite readers! *cheek squish*

 **Forgreatcoffee**

Yes Hendricks the Horrible but _Hilarious_ Butler has struck again! Miles should have definitely taken as an ominous sign when he saw that he was stuck with Rhoda's luggage… Of course the maker of said atrocity had to soon follow up with her own appearance!

Based on some of the fan art I have seen there are some Ace Attorney lovers who ship of Rhoda and Miles together were you thinking that he would be joining the mile high club with her perchance? I can't see Miles being the sort to have rebound sex… If he was it would've been with _Lana_ but obviously he has iron will… and, after enduring the schmoopy Feyt and Phaya (both spaghetti _and_ smudges on any surface are now permanently scarring!), the TMI unwitting details into the sex life of Larris ( _sneezing_ will indeed never be the same again!) and the sight of Armstrong naked (Miles will never watch _Pirates of the Caribbean_ – or even consume coconut rum… _Ever_!) Obviously he has a cast iron _stomach_ as well! Let's hear it for Miles Edgeworth and his intestinal fortitude – without the use of anti-vomiting drugs! XD

Bless Pearl Fey the newfound niece of Uncle Miles, to remind him that life is still worth living!

p.s. Thanks for the mystery novel suggestion of Sherlock Holmes for _Herr Frilly_!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Up until we get to Dual Destinies, where Miles actually gets a legit stunning _maroon_ suit which can know where near be seen as part of the _pink_ family, I will never get tired of making the pink/magenta joke! :p

I know you have not played the Miles Edgeworth games but I hope you got a good look at the yellow and neon green and pink iFly designed luggage I sent you! Of course since they were so hideous (which Miles succinctly informed her they were!), they were not selling, but she insisted on buying one on every flight so it seemed like they _were_ and actually did gift one to Edgy… So in this case the dignified British Butler has very refined taste when it comes to mattresses and wine… but just a terrible _twisted_ sense of humor since he secretly also bought the matching carry-on to go with the valise! Hee!

Fun fact about Arthur Conan Doyle the author of Sherlock Holmes… People fell so in love with the character that at one point he tried to kill him off, and was literally threatened and assaulted by seemingly respectable mild-mannered British citizens for doing so leaving the poor man no choice but to have to ret con his own story and make it seem that Holmes had faked his own death and continue the series! Gotta love overzealous fans! LOL

About Iris _Hawthorne's_ husband pointedly noticing that her boobs have gotten bigger… Let's just say she was exhausted for reasons besides channeling, my psychic friend! Indeed there _is_ a honeymoon Butz baby en route! Don't you know that those who you would never dream of or ever want to reproduce are the ones who do so in droves? :p

I sent you the email! _Absotively Posilutely_ every single one of those gifts are 100% real life items designed for people who love food but hate having money… But indeed somebody needs to lose their job… I think the _beer vibrator_ would have to be the worst offender of all? What say you?

To be honest Larry's ridiculous over-the-top crass/goofiness when paired with Edgeworth's permanent straight man demeanor is almost comparably enjoyable to the banter Edgy has with Nick in the Ace Attorney games, but of course, you see it much more in Miles's games rather than the Phoenix Wright ones. As much as the Butz did deserve to be happily married to the woman of his dreams, I tried very hard to keep that leery character trait of his even, despite being now a (supposedly) respectable married man. He would never dream of cheating on Iris and will not share locker room details of their love life (hence why Miles got shamed into apologizing for having his mind in the gutter for which I imagine _nobody_ blamed him, after all that previous build up!), but the Butz, as Pearl said: "married or not, _once_ a tool, _always_ a tool!"

I think my female readers ( _do_ I have any I wonder? 98% of my reviewers are males! Lol) are probably less nauseated at the thought of Jean Armstrong in general than my fellow guy readers… but I do know that staunch heterosexual males (like you) have one basic rule when it comes to checking out (or in this case even _envisioning_!) another guy's junk… They don't _wanna_! EVER! _Especially_ not the grotesque pink pouf! I figured Miles and Phoenix, as evolved as they are, would still share that same sentiment as you regarding Longines's atrocious taste in grooms, and I thank you very much for proving me correct! However, apologies to you and any readers who shared the best friends' queasiness at the mere thought of that risqué clothing optional ceremony! XD

Poor Miles was suffering from post-traumatic memories of his defiled condo when he spotted the clues of the frolicsome rabbit duo being raunchy in the bathroom… Which is probably compounded by the horrors of having to use the _third class_ facilities!

I'm glad you enjoyed the line he said to them upon returning to his seat – I had a lot of fun with it!

 _"I hate you both. That is all."_

Very well put! If poor Miles had succumbed to either solo skydiving or strangling of the sickeningly lovebirds, I'm pretty sure that would be a fair case of insanity… Hell, it's an11 hour flight! He can even claim cabin fever!

Did you know that shortly after I posted this chapter there was a case of a passenger who literally tried to fling open the emergency exit door (who I _know_ for fact wasn't facing circumstances nowhere near as traumatized as poor Miles was!) And was whacked over the head with two wine bottles one of which broke by the flight attendant? Remove spaces from the link below.

_/ 3pFL8k_

I can't imagine too many men that actually have hearts, as we know the tsundere Uncle Miles (the secret cinnamon roll) does beneath his stoic demeanor, who could resist either the magical charm of Trucy Wright or the Bambi eyed innocence of Pearl Fey! I enjoy any opportunity to show Edgy having warmth towards other characters because as much as he loves Phoenix, glimpses of his aloof demeanor ever softening around his best friend will be slim to none if I'm going to try to keep him in character! That's what's always going to be the case with the two courtroom geniuses who are also permanent rivals!

I had to end things on a less homicidal note… After all we are primarily in Edgy's storyline right now although like I said to my other reader, Europe has a whole bunch of adventures in store for the entire group that I hope you'll enjoy!

 **Brock's Geodude**

 _Phew_! 12 hours later, I'm mighty drained myself. Thanks, I try!


	176. Knowing Me, Knowing You

_A/N: Missed you guys! Hope you enjoy this longer read to make up for my absence - and prepare for crossover characters from this chapter onward! :)_

* * *

 _"Life can be so good if you let it. But you must trade with life. You give something and you get something, then you give something of yourself again and you receive something again. Life goes bad when people try to take from it without giving. Then they came away empty-handed, and they grab harder and more often, growing more disappointed and disillusioned each time._ _Most of us know ourselves from our limited experiences in familiar situations that involve rules, laws, policies, and pressures that constrain us. We go to work, to school, on vacation, to parties; we pay the bills and taxes, day in and year out._

 _But what happens when we are exposed to totally new and unfamiliar settings where our regular habits don't suffice? The old you might not work as expected when the ground rules change. We need to learn that sometimes, change, even unexpected change, can be a good thing._

 _We need to learn that sometimes, change, even unexpected change, can be a good thing. It is only when we openly embrace, not fight, new vicissitudes in our lives, that we may be fortunate enough to experience what the French call_ _ **"Trouvaille."**_

 _ **Trouvaille**_ _is defined as a serendipitous, lucky encounter with something wonderful._

 _It is based on the essential belief that every choice you make, each decision you take, comes from the script of your fate."_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Seventy Six:** **Knowing Me, Knowing You**

 _ **Maya Fey  
**_ _Strand Palace Hotel  
Sacred Café London  
_July 20, 2026

Completely caught off guard by the unexpected newcomer, who was now heavily supporting her arms against the table of the outdoor café, the seated woman in the wide-brimmed, straw panama jolted in her chair. Her full lips parted in an astonished gasp, one well-manicured hand flying to the front of her chest, which was covered by a fetching white floral jumpsuit, as she gaped at the perspiring, wide-eyed, ebony-haired female before her.

"The cruel hide and seek game you've been playing with me ends today, _right here, right now!"_ Maya panted, staring accusingly into the acquainted visage of the supposed friend who'd been avoiding her for so long. "Don't even _think_ of trying to run away from me _this_ time, Franziska Von Karma!"

Unfortunately for the completely winded psychic, her dramatic proclamation was completely nullified as she attempted to suck in another wheezing breath to break into another tirade, only to end up sounding like a whistling tea kettle.

" _Mein Gott_!" The woman's voice rose with alarm, as the village leader appeared ready to outright _faint_ from exertion. "Are you all right? Please, take a seat before you pass out!"

Poor Maya leaned over and braced her hands against her thighs, for she was utterly spent from the irregular and unprepared for physical activity of sprinting across the street in high-heeled shoes, on what was already beginning to be a blisteringly hot summer day, despite only being just after 9 o'clock in the morning!

Concern was etched across the patron's face as she hastily poured some water from the frosty pitcher on the table into an untouched glass, then pressed it against Maya's sweaty palm.

" _Drink this_!" She commanded, her German accent clearly palpable as she forcibly rose from her chair and pressed a hand against the visitor's shoulder, forcing the Master to sit down into an unoccupied seat beside her and shoving the water glass forward. "It's already 26° in this record-breaking heatwave London is having, yet you actually came _running_ over here? And in those _pumps_?! Are you _mad_?"

Maya didn't answer, as she was too busy chugging down the icy liquid down her parched, burning throat, downing the entire contents of the proffered glass in one gulp before setting it back down and eyeing the woman gratefully, but still with a determined expression.

"Thanks, I really needed that! But _of course_ I darted over here! I _had_ to! I just couldn't let you get away _again –_ not after dodging me all this time!"

" _Again_?" The woman slid her dark shades partially down her pert nose, so Maya could clearly see the genuine bewilderment in the well-known gray eyes. "I'm afraid I have _no_ idea what you're going on about!"

" _What_?!" Now it was Maya's turn to be perplexed as she goggled at her friend. "Are you _seriously_ going to play dumb about the fact that you've been _purposely_ ignoring all my calls and messages for this past _year_ , Franziska?!"

" _Franziska_? Oh dear. I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid there's been some sort of mistake…" The woman began just as Pearl rushed up to their table and skidded to a stop, having caught the tail end of her cousin's sentence.

"Who _are_ you?" The teenage spirit medium gawked at the mysterious figure in the over-sized sunhat. " _You're_ not the mean whipping lady!"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright  
**_ _The Old Bailey  
AKA  
The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales_ _ **  
**_July 20, 2026

At times like this, the great differences between Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth were clearly tangible, as the dignified prosecutor, despite being equally taken aback at the unanticipated voice behind them in the lobby, was at least able to maintain his composure, unlike his slack-jawed counterpart.

"It's been a long time, but welcome back to England, Mr. Wright." Beneath jade colored fringe, a mystical twinkle flickered in the familiar cerulean eyes. "I've been waiting for you."

Miles stared at the androgynous, smiling mien, and sternly reminded himself that this was _real life_ and _not_ a Pokémon game! Ergo, it would be most impudent to blurt out the 64 million-dollar question in his mind: " _Are you a_ _ **boy**_ _or a_ _ **girl**_?"

Instead, he curbed his tongue, and politely awaited an introduction, which would obviously clear the enigma surrounding the _sex_ of the slim figure clad in brown breeches and matching vest with a white, long sleeved dress-shirt beneath. Whoever the person was, in spite of knowing the legal eagle's name, they were nevertheless a total stranger to _him_ , yet undoubtedly knew Phoenix well enough. The small, heart-shaped face was peering up at the spiky-haired man expectantly.

The pianist closed his mouth hurriedly, and offered his hand to their arrival.

"Stone the crows, I haven't heard from you for yonks, Mr. Wright!" The ex-defense attorney's hand was shaken up as down enthusiastically, as though pumping for water. "You're looking even _more_ fit than you did back then!"

" _Jean Greyerl_!" Phoenix's surprise was still evident. "You're just about the _last_ person I thought I'd ever see again!"

Miles groaned inwardly. _Jean_. Naturally, the person's name _had_ to be an undeniably gender neutral name like _Jean_! Just like _Jean Armstrong_ himself!

"Wright!" He hissed in his best friend's ear, unable to quell his curiosity another minute. "Is this a _lass_ or a _lad_?"

"Um, it depends on who's asking?" Phoenix muttered back out of the side of his mouth, flashing Jean a sickly grin and hoping they weren't overheard. "Or what _day_ it is!"

Oblivious to this exchange, the dubious chap extended a hand to Miles, who shook it tentatively.

"Charmed, I'm sure, Jean," he said politely.

"Believe me when I assure you, the pleasure is _all_ mine, Mr. Edgeworth." A coquettish smirk played on the hoyden's lips as the small hand lingered purposely on the lawyer's. "Truly, I am chuffed to bits to see the both of you at last! The good Professor kindly informed me that Mr. Wright would be accompanied by world-famous prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth this morning, so I was able to ascertain your identity by process of elimination. _However_ …Sir Layton failed to mention just how _cracking_ that English accent of yours was!"

 _He can deepen said inflection on a whim, depending on who's around, and is turning even more British with every passing second!_ Phoenix longed to add, while Miles felt his face grow warm at the blatant admiration as Jean's tone took on a flirty inflection.

"He also didn't let on just how _dishy_ you were, either! Tee hee!"

Jean tittered as a blush swept over the magenta-suited man's cheeks, and made no move to release his hand.

Miles discreetly struggled to free his palm from the determined clasp of the odd boy/girl, who was now batting their lashes at him.

 _Blast it_! _Why is it maddening persons or those of evasive gender keep having designs on me, or else force me to be seeing them starkers, like in the harrowing Armstrong plane photo?! I'm having a sickening sense of déjà vu identical to when I met that wriggling pink pudding puff, as I still have no idea what_ _ **this**_ _bleeding Jean is!_ _ **Jean**_ _! A pox on that name!_

Mercifully, as though sensing his discomfort, Phoenix swept in to rescue him.

"What brings you to the British courts, Jean?" He asked congenially. "Last time I saw you in Labyrinthia, was after I'd gotten you exonerated from the trial. Barnham told me you'd returned to the late Newton Belduke's house to continue your duties tending your former master's home."

Jean finally let go of Miles's hand and directed her attentions to her old friend, while nonchalantly freeing her long hair from its hidden ponytail. Heavy, sea-colored waves came tumbling free, leaving no further speculation about her gender. The former accused witch was blessedly unaware of the slate-haired man's sigh of relief at this revelation of femininity, knowing he was still _batting 1000_ in creating frothing desire amongst the _female_ masses!

"Well it turns out there's not much of an occupation in tending to the _abandoned_ estate of a late alchemist, since Eve started up a cat sanctuary and had no desire to resume living in a place of such painful memories," she explained. "Labyrinthia is still the hunky-dory dorp you recall... steeped in the annals of history! And it is still residence for most of the locals you met. However, having no master means there's nobody to serve. I came to London to pursue the path of legal scholar, right after Espella's father sacked me."

"Sweet merciful crap! That debauched old lecher did _what_? _Sacked_ _you_?!" Phoenix's mouth hung open in horrified disbelief. "How could he _do_ that?! Were you even _legal_ at the time?! What is the age of consent in this country, anyway?!"

Miles eyed his gormless friend disbelievingly, questioning how someone so _thick_ had ever managed to defeat him – or _anyone_! – in a court of law!

"Crikey, Wright! Stop being such a _buggering_ _dimwitted pillock_! The young lady isn't implying that Cantabella _shagged_ her when she says he _sacked_ her! It means he _fired_ her!"

"Nice one, Mr. Edgeworth! Indeed, the dashing barrister is correct," Jean giggled, winking at Miles. "No _beds_ were involved with the proverbial sacks! Mayor Cantabella merely gave me my formal pink slip, in order to make me officially redundant so I could pursue greener pastures on the mainland."

"Oh, is _that_ what it translates into?" Phoenix grinned sheepishly at the amused young lady and scratched the back on his neck. "Whoops! I guess I'm still trying to get _au fait_ with the lingo barrier between countries! I mean, England is like _another world_ compared to America for me! Even though we're both speaking _English_ , at times it feels like we aren't talking the same _language_! Heh, heh."

Miles sighed disgustedly and shook his head, but said nothing.

"I trust you found the alchemy notes Sir Layton sent you last year to be helpful, Mr. Wright?" Jean prodded hopefully. "Due to my prior alchemy knowledge from my time with Sir Belduke, the good Professor put me on the job of having a butchers at the tablets he found in the French catacombs whilst digging into your daughter's history, then getting sorted all the ancient scribe translations."

"Were _you_ the one who clarified all that information for us?" Phoenix beamed and warmly squeezed her shoulder in gratitude. "Jean, I can't thank you enough for that! Trucy was over the moon with the revelations about her ancestry and knowing she descends from a long line of alchemists! I was almost jealous, really. I'd love to know more about my own roots, but as I have no living family anymore, that's unlikely to happen."

"Sod's law. I am very sorry to hear that. It's nice to know where you came from, so you can have a better idea of where you're going to," Jean commiserated. "Although there are some times it can't be helped, I suppose."

She tilted her head and gave the men a sunny smile.

"Any road, that's enough of me waffling on! Sir Layton disclosed that you folks are here to gen up on our court systems, and I am to lead you to one of our exciting trials in session, so let's chivvy along! You'll have to leave your mobiles with me, of course, before entering the courtroom, as they aren't allowed."

"Court's not _too_ far into session, is it?" Miles couldn't help but be slightly disappointed. "I hope we didn't miss anything important getting here at nearly noon."

Phoenix swallowed back a scathing retort, _barely_ refraining from reminding his companion that had he not insisted on prolonging their initial, _boring as hell_ tour at _The Royal Courts of Justice_ , they could have been at the Old Bailey _much_ earlier!

"Cases are open to the public from 10 in the morning, but there's been lunch break since then, so I reckon you didn't miss _too_ much," Jean informed them as she began leading the way to the courtrooms. "It's a world-famous courthouse that we are presently in, gentleman. Its presence is prominent in a few bits of pop culture. As a young court reporter, Dickens was a regular as the Old Bailey, and the tales he heard sometimes inspired his own fiction. In _A Tale of Two Cities_ by Charles Dickens, the Old Bailey is the courthouse named in the novel where Charles Darnay is put on trial for treason."

Ever the bibliophile, Miles nodded, impressed with this bit of literary trivia, while Phoenix just surveyed the legal scholar blankly. Stifling an amused grin, Jean further elaborated.

" _The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales_ is also prominent in mainstream cinema as well. In the beginning of _Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides_ , Joshamee Gibbs is tried in the Old Bailey, and Jack Sparrow disguises himself as Justice Smith."

" _Now_ you're talking my language!" Phoenix crowed ebulliently. "Maya has _the_ biggest crush on Johnny Depp, even though she denies it, so I've had to sit through _every single one_ of those swashbuckling films!"

"Far be it for your chav self to actually know a reference to actual _literature_ , Wright." Miles's tone was haughtier than usual. "Would it truly be such a beastly experience for you to pick up a bloody book and become more erudite every once in a while?"

Phoenix glowered at the sanctimonious, wannabe Englishman, whose patronizing nose was so high in the air at this point, it was amazing one could still see his eyes!

" _I'll_ stop being a _pillbox_ or whatever it was you called me, if _you_ quit it with the snobbish, condescending Anglophile spiel and speak _normal English_!"

"I _am_ speaking English! The _Queen's_ _English_ , you blasted, _benighted_ _Yank_!"

"I see you've conveniently forgotten _you're_ a born _American_ too, you _holier-than-thou, pretentious prig_! So as they say here in England – _belt up_!"

Dissolving into gales of laughter at their non-stop sparring, the legal scholar escorted them down a long hallway and continued regaling them with information. This time, the poker champ did not find the material boring in the least, for he was very interested in anything pertaining to criminal law.

 _Plus, Jean's effervescent speech is so much more lilting to the ear than Edgeworth's endless monologues, made even more insufferably monotonous with his new euphuistic accent, which is even more British than blood pudding!_

"In England and Wales jury trials are used for criminal cases, requiring 12 jurors (between the ages of 18 and 75), though the trial may continue with as few as 9. The right to a jury trial has been enshrined in English law since Magna Carta in 1215, and is most common in serious cases, but the defendant can insist on a jury trial for most criminal cases. That being said, on 18 June 2009 the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, sitting in the Court of Appeal, made English legal history by ruling that a criminal trial in the Crown Court could take place without a jury, under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003."

Jean escorted the men along, peppering their ears with more trivia en route.

"There are two parts to the building, old and new. Entrance to the public gallery for the old part is in Newgate Street. This building contains the two most important courts: Court One and Court Two. Court One has witnessed some of the most notorious defendants in British criminal history. The trial of Ian Huntley, who was jailed for the murder of two 10-year-old schoolgirls in Soham, Cambridgeshire, was held in this court. The Kray Twins and The Yorkshire Ripper also appeared in Court One. However because the court is old, has small seats and not much leg room, especially for the Jury, judges often move to the more modern courts in the new building, which are more comfortable. Court Two is the high-security court, and terrorist trials and the like often take place here. That's where I am taking you gents right now."

"Do only the judges have to wear those frilly white wigs, or do the lawyers have to wear those, too?" Phoenix asked Jean while Miles marveled at some of the magnificent ten-foot high paintings of legendary legal men and woman adorning the hallway walls.

"Barristers and judges alike are required to wear the wigs, along with the robes, as well. Like many uniforms, wigs are an emblem of anonymity, an attempt to distance the wearer from personal involvement and a way to visually draw on the supremacy of the law. Wigs are so much a part of British criminal courts that if a barrister _doesn't_ wear a wig, it's seen as an insult to the court."

The lass twittered at the card shark's expression, which conveyed he'd been thinking that exact thought!

"Yes, we all know the blasted things are ugly as sin, and make them all look like they're wearing a dead sheep on their bonces!"

Both friends chuckled slightly at this unescapable truth as she went on.

"Barristers must wear a wig slightly frizzed at the crown, with horizontal curls on the sides and back. In addition, there are two long strips of hair that hang down below the hairline on the neck and sport a looped curl at each end. Different types of lawyers, though, have distinctions in the style of wig. A judge's wig is similar, but more ornate. It's a full wig, from a slightly frizzed top that transitions into tight horizontal curls that range several inches below the shoulders. Most wigs are made of white horse hair, but as a wig yellows with age, it takes on a coveted patina that conveys experience."

"You see that, Edgeworth?" Phoenix teased his comrade. "Your hair isn't prematurely _grey_ …it's a _coveted patina_ that conveys _all_ your many years of logical legal _expertise_ and _experience_!"

"You've got some bloody cheek, Wright!"

Miles seemed downright murderous right then, so the snickering Jean hurriedly stepped in between them before the ex-lawyer fell victim to the scenario where the prosecutor would become a _homicide defendant_ in this very courthouse!

"Mr. Wright, stop taking the mickey with your distinguished _silver fox_ of a mate!" She chastised playfully, winking at the lawyer again. "For the record, methinks Mr. Edgeworth is quite _tidy_ with that dashing mane of his!"

Miles cursed the heat resurfacing in his cheeks once again, and attempted to hide it by abruptly turning his back to his friends to study a particularly eye-catching set of paintings as Jean continued to lecture about judicial wigs.

"Horse hair may not seem like a particularly precious material, but pair specialty hair with an age-old craft of styling, sewing and gluing, and the resulting wigs aren't cheap. A judge's full-length wig can cost more than $3,000, while the shorter ones worn by barristers cost more than $500."

Phoenix let out a long whistle. "That's pretty steep alright!"

They approached a couple of beautifully detailed paintings, positioned side-by-side, just before the entrance to courtroom number two, and Jean beamed as she noted how the Americans were enthralled with the first portrait of the two oils.

It showed a strapping man with aristocratic bearing, who appeared to be in his mid-30's. He was dressed in shiny, knee-high, black boots, worn over snowy breaches that matched his elbow-length gloves and cravat. The regal ensemble was flanked by a deep, forest-green cape. Gold tassels hung from the shoulders on his matching, high collared doublet and vest beneath, and a white sash with a red lining hung across his broad chest. Attractive but aloof in appearance, he had classic, patrician features, and the imposing male's piercing, frosty blue-grey eyes seemed to be staring down at the trio with unmistakable disapproval. His metal-grey hair was combed back from his forehead, which bore a faint X-shaped scar, save for two, sharp-looking fringes that sat on either side of his forehead into stubborn locks, grazing along artfully groomed, and deeply furrowed eyebrows. In one gloved hand, the man held a rapier, a skinny, Musketeer-style sword, while in the other was a gold-rimmed goblet filled with ruby liquid.

"Who the heck is this _vampire_ holding the glass of blood?" Phoenix inquired with a mock shudder. "Edgeworth, am I the only one getting the creepy reminder of Manfred Von Karma?!"

While Miles couldn't refute the eerie resemblance to his late mentor, he was much too reticent to say such gauche things aloud, and merely nodded his silent agreement.

"This was would one of Britain's most legendary prosecutors during early 20th century, Sir Barok van Zieks. While you're not the first to make the _bloodsucker comparison_ , Mr. Wright, I assure you the chalice in his hand was filled with _red wine_ , and _not_ any kind of actual sanguine fluid."

The mirth was evident in Jean's voice at Phoenix's unabashed observation.

"That being said, the poor man _did_ literally suffer from an accursed reputation as a Bringer of Death! He was known as the "Death God of the Old Bailey", due to the fact that all defendants he'd prosecuted would supposedly wind up dying in some way or another, regardless of their innocence or guilt. This "curse" eventually led to a five-year leave of absence. Upon his return, he prosecuted trials again opposite a young, equally legendary defense attorney – England's first ever exchange lawyer – named Ryūnosuke Naruhodō. He sailed over during Japan's Meiji period and began his long legal career at the tail end of the Victorian period, which continued and went well past the following Edwardian era. That's him in the painting next to said Nosferatu, alongside his wife and former legal assistant, Susato Mikotoba."

" _Barmy_! _A defense attorney_ who _fell in love_ with, then _married_ his _legal assistant_ ," Miles remarked wryly, crossing his arms over his chest and arching a brow at the pianist, who simply shrugged in response. "Who could ever fathom such a thing…"

Just then, Phoenix's phone rang, and he stepped away from the other two in attempt to be discreet, leaving Jean and the prosecutor to study the second portrait of the two foreigners who'd left their mark in the British legal system.

In sharp contrast to the cold realism of the slightly ominous prosecutor, this portrait was full of warmth, vibrancy and life. Even if Jean hadn't disclosed the man and woman were a couple, it still would have been as clear as day. The love between them was irrefutably visible to all who regarded the splendid artwork of the pair. They seemed to be in their 20's, although it was impossible to decipher their ages, as both bore the typical countenance and diminutive statures of eternal Asian youthfulness.

With a loving expression, Ryūnosuke was slightly leaning down towards the petite Susato, whose dainty fingertips rested against his forearm, while gazing tenderly at his spouse, who was staring up at him with equal adoration. The gifted artist had somehow managed to capture their miens at an angle that didn't just limit them to profile view, so both of their faces and bodies were showcased to spectacular effect, and in vivid detail, right down the exquisite sakura floral ring on the lady's left ring-finger.

The sweet-faced young woman's most striking feature were her almond, wide-set, doe-eyes. She was dressed in a traditional Japanese pink kimono, detailed with delicate white cherry blossoms. The benign smile on her rosebud lips made her seem almost angelic, and her flawless fair skin needed no artifice whatsoever, as she had a natural, almost otherworldly sort of prettiness. She wore her ebony hair swept back from her forehead, with the rest tied in a large loop dangling beside each seashell ear, held in place atop her head with a white ribbon.

But it wasn't the undeniable exotic beauty of _Susato Mikotoba_ which now had Miles's eyes growing uncharacteristically wide as he further studied the pulchritudinous Japanese couple. It was the lingering inspection of _Ryūnosuke Naruhodō_ which had him literally doing a double take.

Like his rival prosecutor, he also had a noticeable sheathed sword strapped to his side, although his was a katana. One hand was resting against the blade's handle, which had a prominent burgundy cloth wrapped around it. In his other hand, he held a framed black and white photo clutched tightly against his chest. The picture was of a young, good-looking Japanese male with angular features, wearing a red headband around his forehead. The slim Asian man was dressed in a dark brown student uniform, with a flat collar, embellished by gold buttons.

All in all, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the boyishly handsome lawyer at first glance. _Nothing at all_ …save for the determined jutting of the portrait attorney's distinct, well-defined jawline, revealing a latent obstinate nature, which undoubtedly matched the couldn't-miss, _jagged_ _peaks_ of his fringe and numerous _pointed tufts_ within his thick black hair which could only be referred to as _spikes_!

 _Spikes_ which were _indisputably identical_ to the trademarked ones currently on the noggin of the totally obtuse Phoenix Wright!

The ex-Ace Attorney was presumably chatting with Maya at present, back turned to his company and the painting – and thus _entirely_ unmindful to the queer reactions of the logic genius and former alchemist aid! Both Jean and Miles were _literally_ swiveling their heads back and forth between the redolent painting and the midnight-haired man standing in their midst, their visages wearing identical expressions of shock and awe as Phoenix jauntily continued prattling on the phone.

"Have I got a major _surprise_ for you blokes!" Maya was saying coyly. "I am _super stoked_ to tell you that we are going to have an _additional dinner_ guest joining us tonight!"

"The more the merrier I always say!" Phoenix replied cheerfully. "I'm already looking forward to meeting this mysterious new friend that you girls have already made – and it's only our second day in England!"

 _What's this? Some blooming random stranger will be dining with us tonight? Count me out!_ Miles thought grumpily. _As it is, I am still jet-lagged, and can barely tolerate the maddening company I_ _ **arrived**_ _here with! Even the added dash of culture and class that comes with the addition of a knighted professor won't be enough to persuade me to join them! I'm in no mood to be social to some random chit Maya has decided to impose upon us, it is most definitely to be a hard pass on my behalf! I will simply order a room service dinner from Sebastien and tuck in at a less ungodly hour than last night's festivities took us all! Perhaps I can even delve back into my book. It's just as well, Wright and I need to be up early on the morrow for our "surprise tour" with Layton. Ergo, another late night just shall_ _ **not**_ _do!_

"It was like serendipity, to be honest!" Maya said happily. "Although it feels strange to have you use the word _new_. It's sort of hard to explain – I mean, kinda sorta,but _not really_. Oh, I can't stand keeping secrets from you, Nick –I'm too excited! Keep this to _yourself_ , so everyone else doesn't have the surprise ruined for them, but…I'm sure you'd agree that all things considered, it'd make perfect sense to claim it _feels_ like it has been _forever_ that I've known Ms…"

Unfortunately, at that moment, a rude driver cut off a double decker bus on the busy street in front of the Strand Palace hotel, just as the spirit medium was returning to the outdoor café table she'd just vacated to make this quick phone call. There was a series of angrily blaring honking sounds in the background, which completely drowned out the first name of their extra dining guest that evening.

"…Rudolf."

" _Rudolph_? As in the _Red Nose Reindeer_?" Phoenix joked. "I'm sure your friend will be a _glowing_ addition to our night, ha, ha, ha!"

Glancing impatiently at his watch as his _mindless wazzock_ of a mate continued jabbering away and wasting precious time which could be _better spent_ observing the on-going trial, the stupefied lawyer was now also officially _brassed off_! Storming up behind the unsuspecting poker champ, and indifferent to the blatant act of solecism about to be enacted, he reached over and snatched the cell out of his friend's hand before the Master could reply.

" _Hey_!"

"Sorry to cut you off, Maya," the dyspeptic Miles stated curtly. "You shall have to discuss your new mate's _shiny nose_ some other time, as we are about to go into the courtroom, where mobiles are strictly prohibited. We shall give you a bell later."

Ignoring the spirit medium's protests, the prosecutor disconnected the call and powered off the card shark's cell phone, before surrendering it, along with his own, into Jean's outstretched palm.

"Enough faffing about," the prosecutor declared coolly, dismissing Phoenix's affronted expression. "It's time for us to finally get to the point of our visit, which you were so keen to do up until now! But before we venture into the courtroom, Wright, turn around and have a gander at this painting. Do you notice anything… _peculiar_?"

"You mean the portrait of that Dracula guy, who is _so_ obviously an ancestor of Manfred's?" Phoenix asked blankly, his distracted brain too preoccupied with contemplating tonight's enigmatic dinner guest to pay attention to much else. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Give over, Mr. Wright!" Jean exclaimed in disbelief, while Miles scarcely resisted the urge to shake the imperceptive other man. "You're winding me up, surely?"

"How I _wish_ he was only having a laugh, Jean." Miles's dwindling patience was now totally obliterated. "Wright, kindly remove the wool from your eyes and cast your gaze over to the _other_ painting. Is there truly _nothing_ that's catching your attention?"

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Phoenix stared at the comely duo in the painting while Miles and Jean watched him expectantly for what seemed like ages, until his eyes finally lit up, and he snapped his fingers.

" _Hang on_! I see it now!" The spiky-haired man clapped a hand to his forehead. "I can't _believe_ I missed it!"

The other two regarded him hopefully.

"The guy in the black and white picture the defense attorney is holding – he really _does_ sort of resemble _you_ , doesn't he, Edgeworth? Who knows? Maybe your kin have some Japanese ancestry in your bloodline, just like _Maya_ does!"

A dead silence followed his words, then awkwardly lingered amongst the triad.

Jean was left wholly speechless for a moment, while Miles closed his eyes and mentally counted to 10 to refrain from exasperatedly spewing any pernicious dialogue at the _utter_ _prat_ who was his closest mate.

 _Well, I suppose it takes a super-duper kind of dumb to miss a clue like this. It's like giving strawberries to a donkey!_

When Jean finally spoke, her cadence indicated that she remained dumbfounded at how blind Phoenix about his own startling similitude to the man in the painting.

"The man in the picture was named Asōgi Kazuma, Mr. Wright. Asōgi was a dear friend to Ryūnosuke Naruhodō, and the sole reason he became a lawyer. More than likely it's sheer coincidence but I guess it _could_ be a possibility…"

" _Objection!"_ Miles interrupted, raising his hand. "Allow me to stop this cockamamie speculation right there! I know my lineage on both parental sides, both which can be traced back to nothing but Anglo-Saxon England for over a thousand years!"

"Huh. Well, so much for _that_ conjecture!" Phoenix shrugged good-naturedly, mindless to the aghast expressions on his friends' faces. "Well, time's a wastin! What say we go check out some British court action, Edgeworth?"

Then he nonchalantly moseyed on into the courtroom, without a care in the world.

Miles and Jean remained out in the hallway, staring after him for the longest time before the former witch broke the silence.

"Has Mr. Wright always been the sort to have the brass neck?" She began hesitantly. "That is, dropping a clanger on a regular basis, and being blinkered to even the most obvious –"

" _Yes_." Miles's tone was rife with resignation.

"So he's _not_ talking bollocks, then? He really _can't_ see, _at all_ , that the man in the painting –"

" _No_." Miles let out a soundless sigh.

" _Cor love a duck_!" Her eyes widened incredulously. " _How_ hasn't he driven you completely mad by now?"

 _I need to sternly remind myself on a regular basis that I love that man like a brother, ergo all homicidal tendencies which arise are merely_ _ **fleeting!**_

"That is a true stumper, I'm afraid," Miles answered wearily. "One which I'm not even sure the good Professor could solve. I reckon I have nil choice but to simply keep calm and lawyer on."

 _Professor…solve_ … _lawyer_ …

Jean's still whirling mind snapped to attention regarding the fascinating mystery that was calling out to her to unravel, and she flashed the lawyer a hasty grin as she began inching away.

"Ha-ha! Indeed! Now then, you go on, and enjoy the trial," she said quickly, already preoccupied with her underlying mission at hand as she scooted away. "Be sure to come by the archive office, which is down the corridor from the main loos, to retrieve your mobiles when you're ready to leave. _Tara_ to you, Mr. Edgeworth!"

"Cheers," Miles responded numbly, still reeling from the latest dismal reminder that his childhood chum was confined to only being a _genius_ in the court… and an utter _git_ in _every other aspect of life_!

* * *

 _ **Jean Greyerl and Ridelle Mystere**_  
 _Old Bailey Archives_  
July 20, 2026

" _Ridelle_!"

Rushing back to her office, Jean carelessly flung the door open, uncaring how the loud slamming of the heavy wood against the wall made the unprepared young woman inside nearly leap out of her skin as she dropped the heavy textbooks she'd been organizing onto the desk with a thud at the shrill holler.

"Drop whatever it is you're working on this instant!" She exigently ordered her colleague her cerise plaited colleague. "We have a top priority emergency on our hands!"

"Gawd Blimey, Jean!" Ridelle Mystere's hand fluttered to the front of her high-necked black dress. "Are you trying to scare the bleeding shite out of me, bellowing loud enough to raise the dead?"

"Sorry, but this is important! I need to you to go through _all_ the Victorian and Edwardian files in our court _and_ National Archives pertaining to every single lawyer that ever set foot in the Old Bailey during those periods. Start taking notes!"

Ridelle grabbed a pen and notepad and peered at her cohort inquisitively over her spectacles.

"I say! And exactly what will _you_ be doing as I shun _my_ regular librarian duties and fill the role of Dogsbody?"

"I need to contact Sir Layton post-haste! He alone is our sole source with enough clout to access all our nation's historical societies, and help solve this great lineage mystery that's sprung up!"

"Why do _you_ get to talk to the Professor?" Ridelle whinged plaintively. " _I'm_ the one he's better acquainted with, you know! After all, _I_ spent more time with him in Labyrinthia than _you_ did, being the keeper of his beloved puzzles!"

"Stop acting like a spoiled, selfish cow! Don't tell me you _still_ fancy him after all these years?" Jean scowled darkly at her friend. "Surely you realize how _squick_ it would be for you and he to play a round of _How's Your Father?_ Since Sir Layton is _literally_ old enough to _be_ _your_ _father_?"

"Get stuffed, Jean!" The insulted Ridelle glared at her friend. "There's no need to get shirty here!"

"Bloody hell! Time is of essence here, and I shan't waste another second on such petty buggery!"

Ridelle petulantly folded her arms over her bony chest and continued to look balky, while the green-haired lass blew upward at her fringe in frustration.

"Well then, if it will keep you out of the doldrums, _I'll_ have a dekko through the old files while _you_ ring him!" Jean acquiesced with a sigh. "All that matters is securing the aid of Sir Hershel Layton! He's literally the _only_ one who can solve this complex puzzle about Phoenix Wright's ancestry!"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright**_  
 _Old Bailey, Court Two_  
July 20, 2026

Miles had discreetly taken the spot beside Phoenix in the center row, which allowed both men prime view of the trial in progress, which they watched with rapt fascination.

 _The consuetude of English court is so much more chivalrous and civilized than American ones!_ Miles reflected approvingly. _There's no uncouth, loud yelling or any sort of over-the-top theatrics…_

Suddenly, the prosecutor let out a booming, impassioned cry that reverberated throughout the eardrums of everybody in the room.

"Nay! This will _not_ do, My Lord!"

"So much for the famous British courtroom _civility_ …" the critical Miles muttered in an undertone, but the engrossed Phoenix leaned more forward in his seat and scrutinized the British prosecutor intensely, trying to suss the identity of the man beneath that distracting hairpiece.

That eye-opening, sonorous _voice_. Now that it'd been raised by several decibels, he was certain he'd been acquainted with it before! And those strangely _recognizable movements_. He'd _seen_ that smooth, unveiling reach in action before. He was _sure_ of it! But _when_? _Where_?

The prosecutor's shout had been made while he'd been simultaneously reaching into his inner robes, as though searching for something to draw out, but came up empty handed. He flushed as the judge cocked a quizzical brow.

"Is something troubling you, Barrister?" The magistrate queried politely. "Whatever were you searching for?"

"Methinks my learned friend is suffering from a case of _old habits die hard_ ," mocked the defense, a spindly man with a reed-thin voice and slightly twitchy eye. "At times he needs to remember his conduct in civilized court and not reflexively reach for a long ago abandoned weapon from days of yore…"

"That's enough, Mr. _Spudley_ ," the judge ordered sternly, then swiftly corrected himself. "Beg your pardon – Mr. _Knightle_." He cleared his throat. "Apologies, it seems _I'm_ also doomed to make numerous gaffes with your numerous surnames before I finally get it correct! At least I didn't call you Mr. _Ignitle_ this time! Oh ho-ho! I suppose the prosecution isn't the _only_ one to fall victim to old habits!"

"I only had _three alternative_ names temporarily, whilst trying to _find myself_ back in the day!" Knightle sulked to himself. " _Must_ I endure this indignity _each and every_ trial?!"

Belatedly realizing the futility of his robe search, which had made him look the fool, the animated barrister now raised a hand over his head, then heavily thumped his fist on the bench before him, bringing back everyone's attention to his initial grievance with the opposition.

Phoenix's jaw dropped to his chest as it dawned on him that even with the goofy wig, not only did he know the true identity of the failed Labyrinthian knight from yesteryear, but he was now _positive_ he'd seen the other barrister's single fist desk slam somewhere before!

"My Lord, I must object to this line of questioning!" The prosecutor's heated gaze met that of the slightly quivering defense council. "My learned friend is clearly leading the witness!"

"Sustained. Yes, Mr. _Whatley_ – er, _Knightle_. Please change your line of questioning or rephrase the question."

"Thank you, My Lord."

The prosecutor bowed chivalrously, in a much more sweeping and grand gesture than even Miles Edgeworth himself ever had, and _that_ was what fully jogged Phoenix's memory at last.

He _knew_ this _man_ , alright! However, the last time he'd seen that distinctive fist slam down, it'd been accompanied by the _heavy clank of armor_! And the item brandished from the side had been a _Broadsword_!

" _Edgeworth_!" He whispered urgently in his friend's ear. "I _know_ that prosecutor!"

"Are you absolutely _certain_?" Miles whispered back. "They are supposed to be _undiscernible_ in those wigs!"

"Trust me, I'd recognize the ministrations of the _only_ opposition I've ever had who was more melodramatic with his motions than _I_ was, _any day_! That man is none other than former Labyrinthian knight, _Sir Zacharias Barnham_!"

* * *

 _ **Maya Fey  
**_ _Strand Palace Hotel  
Sacred Café London  
_July 20, 2026

Maya was still peeved at Miles's audacity as she headed back to the table where her cousin was chattering away with their new friend, just as they had been doing all morning, ever since she'd kissed Phoenix goodbye before he'd gone off to the courthouse.

 _I cannot_ _ **believe**_ _Mr. Supposedly Well-Mannered Prosecutor disconnected my call like that!_ She fumed, puffing out her cheeks indignantly. _And right in the middle of my fun game of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner!" The_ _ **nerve**_ _of him! How_ _ **rude**_ _!_

Shortly after Pearl had entered the scene in the midst of Maya's accosting the unsuspecting "Franziska," the cousins had since been joined by a lovely blonde teenage girl, around the teen spirit medium's age, who now was animatedly engaged in the conversation as apparently having taken to the younger Fey like a duck to water.

" _Meine Güte_ , Maya," Dr. Katharina Rudolf's eyes were filled with amusement. "You were gone so long in the loo, we thought you'd _fallen in_!"

Maya's mind raced to come up with an acceptable response to the teasing jibe about her prolonged absence when she'd snuck in her call to Phoenix about her secret dinner plans, under the ruse of needing the loo.

Terrified that Franziska's lookalike sister would fly out of there like a bat out of hell if she'd known about the existence of her former brother-in-law amongst their group, (figuring it would be too late to escape once Miles and Katharina were sprung upon each other in a public restaurant), Maya had neatly avoided mentioning the prosecutor _at all_ , thus far! She hadn't even brought up her ulterior strategy of including the psychologist in their evening dinner plans to the woman _herself_ just yet!

All she knew was that the elder Von Karma sibling was the key to locating the missing Franziska – but that if she pushed too hard, she'd only scare her away! In fact, it was already a divine miracle the poor _frau_ hadn't been driven off right after their crazed impromptu meeting three hours ago…which had stemmed from a _beyond mortifying_ case of _mistaken identity_!

* * *

 _Earlier that morning…_

 _ **Maya Fey and Katharina Rudolf  
**_ _Strand Palace Hotel  
Sacred Café, London  
_July 20, 2026

"The _mean whipping lady_?" The mysterious female lowered her sunglasses down her nose again to stare at Pearl with an indecipherable expression. "I assume, Miss, that you are referring to my younger _sister_ , Franziska, whom _this_ woman…" She pointed across the table at the visibly flustered Maya. "Has obviously mistaken _me_ for?"

"Y – Your _sister_?" Pearl stammered, turning bright red as she realized her embarrassing slip of the tongue. "Um, sorry, I didn't mean it quite the way that came out, ma'am…"

" _Sure_ you did!" The woman teased, her eyes sparkling with laughter. "No offense taken though, dear girl! I love my baby sister, but having known Franziska all her life, am also more than aware of that infamous temper of hers, which makes her…an _acquired_ taste, shall we say? Although for what it's worth, I assure you, she has certainly _mellowed_ with age. Of course, there was _no_ _other way_ for her to go!"

She smiled warmly at the still blushing teen and waved a graceful hand at the vacant spot beside her, extending her free one to Pearl, who shook it awkwardly.

"You can stop seeming so worried that you offended my delicate sensibilities, love. I know how outspoken teenagers can be since I have a daughter about your age. But just to set the record straight, I am obviously _not_ Franziska Von Karma. I am her sister, Katharina Rudolf."

"It's nice to meet you Miss Katharina." Pearl was beyond relieved to have been forgiven for her blunder. "I'm Pearl, and this is my cousin, Maya. She's a good friend of Miss Franziska, and obviously cares a lot about your sister since she _ran_ across a busy street for her! Mystic Maya _never_ runs for _anything_ – except maybe _burgers_ …"

Katharina turned to Maya, who mutely nodded her acknowledgement at this slightly embarrassing revelation, and let out a silvery peal of laughter.

"Oh, you are just _too_ precious, Pearl!" Katharina removed her sunglasses entirely then, leaving her mien in fully clear view, so the Feys could see the visible mirth on her face. "You just can't stop divulging the real truth about _anything,_ even though you're so endearingly _polite_ about it! I wish Anneliese were here right now – you two would get along _famously_."

"I never really learned how to lie," Pearl admitted, biting her thumb. "Still, my apologies for insulting Miss Franziska. I should have known you were related to her. After all, you _do_ look a bit alike…"

"A _bit_ alike?" Maya blurted out, gawking in unmasked fascination at the breathtaking woman seated across from her. "No… _Elijah Wood_ and _Daniel Radcliffe_ look a _bit_ alike! I apologize as well for my earlier insanity when mistaking you for Franziska, Katharina, but while I knew she had a sister, I never knew the two of you were essentially _twins!"_

" _Twins_? Quite _impossible_ , as I can show you."

Katharina tittered as she lifted her sunhat, revealing not argentate tresses like her sibling's beneath, but a head of shiny ash blonde hair, pulled back at the nape. Carefully replacing the wide-brimmed hat back in place, she smilingly gave a rueful shake of her head.

"Nonetheless, I am beyond flattered that you thought an old hag like _me_ could _possibly_ be any sort of doppelgänger to my _Schöne kleine Schwester_ … Considering I _am_ 10 years older than she is!"

Both Feys stared at the self-effacing beauty with matching expressions of comical incredulity.

 _Old hag?!_ A _decade_ older?!

Now that Maya could fully make out Katharina's ethereal visage without the shades obstructing it, she was blown away by the older woman's modesty about her own attractiveness, and could also make out the distinguishing differences which set the two sisters apart.

For a woman that was closer to 40 rather than presumed late 20's, there wasn't even the faintest wrinkle or even fine line marring any part of Katharina's flawless peaches and cream complexion, which she shared with Franziska. And while both Germans had identical fine bone structures and classically sculpted features, upon closer inspection, one could see the biggest difference between the sisters was in their eyes. While the same shape and color, the elder sibling's orbs, which were the soft grey of a signet on the Thames, but with the lustrous sheen of polished opals, bore none of the stern coldness that the younger Von Karma's were renowned for. Instead there was a wise, gentle kindness to them. On top of that, her Cupid's bow lips were relaxed, obviously much more accustomed to _smiling_ rather than _scowling_ , and her countenance was open and inviting, not aloof or shuttered in order to mask the revealing of any sort of emotion. Katharina Rudolf was essentially a blonde, more serene, softer version of the beautiful Franziska Von Karma… whenever she chose to let her guard down – which of course, was next to _never_!

"Blow me down with a feather! You're _ten years older_ than me and Franziska?" Maya gaped at Katharina. " _Inconceivable_! Either you are genetically blessed and I'm totally jealous and I hate you, or you have _got_ to tell me the name of the moisturizer you use, since it obviously has droplets from the _fountain of youth_ …or the sacrificial blood of 1000 virgins mixed within it!"

Katharina emitted another tinkly laugh at the Master's over the top compliment, while secretly thinking that although Maya was in her late 20's, like her sister, she didn't look much older than a high school girl, ergo if she were to get _any_ younger looking, she'd surely resemble a _minor_!

"You flatter me too much, Maya! The experts always say that laughter is the key to being forever young, and if this is the truth, then you ladies have at least set me back to my _schoolgirl days_ these last few minutes alone, as I have not laughed this hard _in eons_! To think I imagined coming here for a week-long psychology conference would be uneventful and dull as dishwater!"

"So that's why you're here in London?" Pearl's eyes were bright with curiosity. "You're a psychologist?"

"Indeed I am, Pearl. I have not been to England in _ages_ , and Anneliese has never been here at all. This trip was supposed to be a combination of business and pleasure, as whatever free time I had when I was not scheduled to be at the seminars was supposed to be spent touring about. Moreover, if I am fortunate enough, that shall include reunions and some family bonding time…"

Katharina's voice trailed off as though she realized her unwitting slip of the tongue. She flushed slightly, then took a long sip of her tea.

 _Family bonding?_ Maya sat up straighter in her chair, her pulse beginning to race with excitement. _Reunion?_

The good Doctor had already indicated she was there in England with her daughter, so what _other_ family could she possibly have alluded to getting _reunited_ with – other than the long sought-after _Franziska_ herself?

Katharina looked distinctly uncomfortable as Maya leaned across the table, even though she tried to keep her voice casual, as the speculative gleam in the spirit medium's eye was impossible to miss.

"Getting time to connect with family can be rare at times, but is just _wonderful_ isn't it?" She gushed with her most disarming grin. "Pearly and I came here to assist with some business matters as well, but also to spend some time together and enjoy some sightseeing. Believe me, I can _totally_ understand having to literally squeeze in that girly bonding time wherever possible! I know we only happened to meet each other by happenstance Katharina, but we would love to have you and your daughter join us for some sightseeing! We've both previously been here to London recently, and Pearly's boyfriend actually resides here and we'd all be the perfect tour guides!"

The warmth on the blonde's phizog faded, and she turned away slightly.

" _Sie sind_ , Maya, but as nice as your offer is, I am unsure if I will have as much free time as I would like." Katharina peeked at her watch. "In fact, perhaps I should head back to my hotel now and check on Anneliese…"

Instantly, the cousins heard the loud rattling of two chained psyche locks slamming into place over her chest, invisible to the human eye except to the holders of the magatama.

Maya's stomach dropped. _No_! She couldn't let Katharina disappear _now_! Not when she was the sole key to locating the runaway Von Karma sibling!

"Which way are you headed?" She asked desperately. "Pearly and I were just about to head out and see some shops… Maybe we could all take a taxi together?"

"That will not be necessary, as the Radisson Blu Portman is merely walking distance away…" Katharina hedged, eyeing the elder Fey with wary orbs now. " _How_ was it you ladies happened to know my sister again?"

Maya recognized the protective vibe emanating from the psychologist at this point, as the novelty of their chance encounter seem to have worn off now, and it was changing her entire persona from gregarious to visibly guarded. Reality was obviously kicking in for the Doc, accompanied by the suspicious pondering of just _who_ _the hell_ these strangers claiming to be chummy with her only sister _actually were_!

 _Crap baskets! I guess the close-lipped Franziska never mentioned to Katharina that we were friends – let alone that I came and visited last spring! I guess_ _ **anybody**_ _could come along and claim to know the famous whip happy prosecutor…she's worried I'm some sort of weirdo stalker now! Big Sis is now probably wondering if there's a_ _ **reason**_ _her little sister has been dodging me in the first place! How am I going to prove that I've been telling her the truth this whole time?!_

" _Heiliger Strohsack!_ You're _Maya Fey_!" A girl's voice squealed just then, from out of the blue. "Mama! How do _you_ know _her_?!"

The three new friends simultaneously raised their heads to see the latest addition to their party; a pretty, fair-haired teen who was unmistakably nothing but pure Von Karma in appearance.

"Look who has decided to wake up at last!" The psychologist beamed and pulled out the chair beside her. "Maya, Pearl, this is the previously mentioned Anneliese, who has _finally_ decided to roll out of bed and join the land of the living."

Katharina's mini-me playfully stuck out her tongue at her mother for such an introduction, then grinned and waved at the brunettes in greeting.

"Anneliese, _apparently_ these young ladies know your _Tante_ Franziska…?" The slightly skeptical air with which the sentence was phrased was impossible to miss. "And evidently _you_ somehow know Maya… _Fey_ , you said?"

" _Ach, nee, Mama!_ Of _course_ I know who _Maya Fey_ is! _Everybody_ does! Do you not pay attention _at all_?" Anneliese shook her head and rolled her eyes in typical teenage fashion. " _Fräulein_ Fey is that _wundervoll_ singer from the video last month! I must have shown it to you at least half a dozen times!"

The German teen's hazel eyes lit up at the sight of Pearl.

"I remember seeing _you_ in that video too! Of course, your hair was down then, not tied up like it is right now… Which I _love_ , by the way! How do you get it into those adorable little loops?"

"My hair is really long, so that makes it easier, but I think it has a memory of its own at this point," Pearl replied shyly, although her cheeks were flushed pink with pleasure at the other girl's friendliness. "I only need to twirl the loops into shape with my finger and then secure with bobby pins. By the way, I love your pink sundress! I have one just like it, but in lavender."

Like a couple of chittering chipmunks, the two teens began happily nattering away, as though they'd known each other for ages.

" _Maya Fey_ …as in the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique?" Katharina asked in surprise as she studied the village leader's face. "I apologize for not identifying you initially, although your _name_ is definitely recognizable, especially now that my daughter has reminded me you are an online singing sensation! I am trying to ascertain _how_ I know you by your _full_ name though – it is not because I am up to speed with your work as a spirit medium. I think I had heard it _long_ before then, although I cannot quite place _where_ , _when_ , or _why_ it now rings a memorable bell…"

"You _really_ need to put down those boring psychology books and pick up a newspaper or tabloid every once in a while, Mama!" Anneliese interrupted, abruptly pausing her side conversation with Pearl about the latest summer fashions. "You undoubtedly have heard her name through _Onkle_ Miles or _Tante_ Franziska _, both_ whom _Fräulein_ Fey is _definitely_ acquainted with, since they _each_ prosecuted her for murder!"

" _Murder_?!" Katharina's eyes widened to the size of golf balls and Maya immediately intervened before her new well-meaning 'defense attorney' said another incriminating word!

"I was wrongfully accused and found _not guilty_ both times! It's all water under the bridge! I bare no grudges against Mr. Edgeworth or Franziska _whatsoever_!" She said quickly, hoping to dispel any thought that she might be a disgruntled former defendant who was hunting for Katharina's sister for revenge purposes. "In fact, just last year I went by the Von Karma mansion to pay your sister a visit. I've been meaning to ask you how you ladies stayed so slim if you grew up eating the _lecker_ cooking of that culinary genius that is Helga! Her strudels are absolutely to _die_ for!"

"You know _Helga_?" One Psyche lock next to Katharina's heart begin to rattle loudly upon hearing this validating statement.

"And Hans, too!" Maya nodded earnestly. "I even went for a tour out in the stables and met Thor, Franziska's childhood horse!"

The quivering Psyche lock shattered, indicating the elder Von Karma sibling was fully convinced that Maya's proclaimed friendship with her sister was no farce. However one lock remained, and the Master wasn't quite sure how or if she would be able to break it, considering she was positive it was in correlation to this cryptic person with _whom_ Katharina was scheduled to have a London reunion!

The only way Maya would ever get the answers she was seeking was to forge a connection with the kindhearted psychologist, and eventually earn her trust enough to gain the information she was so fervently seeking – for Miles's sake as well as her own! And the best way to do so was to make sure she didn't let the woman out of her sight – or at least make Katharina feel that even if she _wished_ to leave, she'd still have no choice _but to stay!_

 _But how in Mystic Ami's name am I going to guarantee **that**?! _ Maya wondered agonizingly. _If Franziska Von Karma was ever **the wild mare** amongst them, then her sister, while the more approachable of one, is obviously the more **skittish** mare!_

As she observed her normally sullen teenage daughter cheerfully chatting away with Pearl, Katharina Rudolf never before felt so torn. There was no way anybody but a monster would be quick to break up the endearing bond the two girls had obviously formed.

A happy Anneliese was a happy Katharina. As a mother, she would do anything to make sure that smile, which had become more and more of a rare thing over the years, never left her daughter's lovely face. Moreover, she genuinely liked Maya and Pearl Fey. Spending more time with them was scarcely a hardship.

Maya Fey was no phony. She obviously considered herself to be a good friend of her sister's, and although she was obviously hurt and confused at being shunned by Franziska this past year, it was obvious she still cared for her deeply.

 _Franziska has been so lost and alone_ _for this past year_ , Katharina despaired as she wrestled with her conscience. _She needs to know there are people out there who care for her and her well-being… But if I place her and Maya in each other's paths, there's no telling how my temperamental sister will react! She may never forgive me for betraying her trust! I wish I knew what to do…_

* * *

 ** _Detective Tyrell Badd_**  
 _Germany_  
July 20, 2026

 ** _I tried to be perfect  
But nothing was worth it  
I don't believe it makes me real  
I thought it'd be easy  
But no one believes me  
I meant all the things I said_**

" _ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...!"_

The distressed cry from the four-legged canine was even louder than the morose lyrics blaring from the other room, startling the engrossed detective from his intense inspection of video surveillance.

"Christ on a jet ski! Not _this_ shit again!"

Detective Badd slammed his palm heavily onto his computer desk as he heard the agonized whimper of the golden retriever in the doorway of his office, who had obviously sought solace with her Uncle due to the overly morose music sounding from her mother's office.

 ** _If you believe it's in my soul  
I'd say all the words that I know  
Just to see if it would show  
That I'm trying to let you know  
That I'm better off on my own_**

" _ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...!"_ Pess whimpered, padding into the room and flopping herself at the brawny man's feet, then gazing up at him pleadingly with her soulful dark eyes, as if silently begging him to save her from any more depressing lyrics which Franziska had become infamous for.

"Don't you worry girl," he cooed with uncharacteristic gentleness as he lovingly stroked the dog's silky ears. "Uncle Badd is going to go take care of this wicked torture to _both_ of our ears, and then as soon as your Mommy is gone, it will be nothing but _energizing hard_ rock – the classics like _KISS_ and _AC/DC_ – none of that _Gavinners_ boy band crap that's trying to impersonate real music!"

 ** _This place is so empty  
My thoughts are so tempting  
I don't know how it got so bad  
Sometimes it's so crazy  
That nothing can save me  
But it's the only thing that I have_**

Pess stuck her tongue out into a huge grin, then licked his hand as if to convey her gratitude for this promise.

 ** _If you believe it's in my soul  
I'd say all the words that I know  
Just to see if it would show  
That I'm trying to let you know  
That I'm better off on my own_**

Muttering profanities to himself, Badd stormed into the office next door, with Pess hot on his heels. Then, without preamble or bothering to greet the woman frowning at the computer monitor on her desk, marched over to the wall which the stereo was plugged into and yanked out the wire right from the socket, abruptly leaving the room in unprecedented silence.

Franziska's head jerked up with a start, her slate eyes narrowing into tiny slits at such unforgivable boorishness.

" _Donnerwetter_! How _dare_ you!" If looks could kill the old man would've been worm chow – the Interpol agent's glare was _that_ lethal. "You _foolish_ fool! You have a lot of nerve, manhandling my possessions and just marching into my room as if you _own_ the place!"

"Reminder, Nurse Ratchet, this is _my_ house! Therefore I _do_ own the place, even if this is _your_ office." The completely unapologetic Badd folded his arms over his wide chest and stared her down. "I never dreamed the day would come when I would say this… But give me the disheartening tunes of Nina Simone _any_ day over whatever dismal track you're listening to now! What in the name of arse possessed you to think _that_ miserable music was actually an improvement?"

"You just love to grumble, old man!" Franziska defiantly folded her arms across her own chest. "Who died and made _you_ music critic? Do _I_ ever complain about that _noise pollution_ rock 'n roll that _you_ insist on playing?"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear such blasphemy," Badd said darkly, then jutted his chin at the golden mass of fur beside him. "But for the record, this latest ditty was over the top on the sorrowful scale! It was even depressing the _dog_!"

Pess let out a short wail of agreement, then theatrically flopped, belly-first, down to the floor and clapped a paw over her eyes.

In spite of her annoyance, Franziska's lips twitched into a barely suppressed amused smile at her furry daughter's melodramatic antics. Badd instinctively took this opportunity to further make his point.

"Why in Sam Hill are you down in the dumps anyway, Franziska? Shouldn't you be happy for a change, and hence, listening to something more upbeat to lift your high spirits?" He demanded. "Since you're going to be reunited with your family in London _tomorrow?_ The same sister and niece whom you've not seen for _over a year_ now?!"

"I am very much looking forward to being reunited with Katharina and Anneliese," Franziska replied staunchly. "It's just that I have pressing duties that need to be resolved before I head over to England. You should know that I take my new position as Interpol's Case Analyst & Profiler very seriously."

"Listen girlie, I'm as happy as a clam about your promotion, even though it bogged me down with the newfound dual role of surveillance as well as _your_ previous data mining duties! But you're going to be gone for at least a week and you haven't even _packed_! And you _do_ know they have Interpol offices in London that your workaholic behind can go to, right?"

Despite his ribbing, the Detective was genuinely proud of Franziska for finding something fresh to pour her heart and soul into, as merely data mining through the mountains of information surrounding the sting operation had not been anywhere challenging enough for someone of her genius level. Luckily, Agent Lang had actually taken Badd's recommendation to heart, and also recognized that her former work as a prosecutor had given the German a keen knack for figuring out details about criminals by gathering information from the crime scenes and analyzing everything she found.

"I _have_ packed," Franziska answered distractedly, her sharp eyes zeroing in on a particularly glaring item on the screen. "You have no idea what you are talking about, as usual."

" _One_ change of clothing and two whips does _not_ count as packing when you're going to be gone for a whole week!"

"You have the _nerve_ to spy _and_ sift through my things?" She raged. "And for your kind information, one outfit and backups of my weapon of choice is more than enough!"

"Yes I _did_ snoop and I'll _do it again_!" Badd snapped back. "Because I _care_ about you, kid, and you're turning into an old maid before my very eyes! You're still so young – yet you never smile or leave this house! _That_ in itself is even more depressing than all the whiny, crybaby music you've forced me to listen to every day for this past year, _combined_!"

Franziska sucked in a sharp breath at the painful weight of his truthful words. In the past, she had whipped people for saying much less insolent things. But Tyrell Badd was one of the few people who had never tasted her whip and probably never would. They both knew that in spite of her lofty exterior, she loved this gruff old man with all her heart. He was the father she'd never had.

Which is why his observation stung so much.

"Take this trip as a chance to finally get out and enjoy your life!" Badd urged, his tone gentler now. "Franziska, this trip to London is supposed to be your _vacation_ – now start _acting_ like it! What if your sister and niece want to go out to some fancy restaurants or the theater in England? How are you going to be sure that you're dressed accordingly with only _one_ extra set of clothing? Were you not planning on enjoying _any_ time with them at all? Or were you just going to be using this trip as an excuse to work some more but just in another country?"

"Fine! You win, you fool! Stop your incessant yapping!" Franziska flashed him a cheeky grin. "I shall go pack a couple of pairs of shoes and perhaps a cocktail dress as well… As soon as I take care of this one last detail!"

"Sounds good. I threw a couple of T-bones on the barbecue for lunch and they're nearly ready. I'll see you out on the patio in 20 minutes."

Pess let out a pleading whimper, and his harsh features softened along with his tone as he reached down and scratched her head.

"Yes, Pess, you get to chew the bone afterward," he told her tenderly as the dog happily wagged her tail. "Because you're _such_ a good girl!"

"Stop spoiling my daughter!" Franziska laughed indulgently as Pess and Badd left the room. "She's not going to eat her own food if you keep sneaking her steaks! I've seen how much meat you leave for her on those bones, you fool!"

Hearing no retort or refuting of the allegation, she smirked to herself, then went back to zeroing in on the attention grabbing article she'd noticed earlier.

"Everybody from Ku's circle that was killed has had their body accounted for… up till _now_ ," she murmured to herself, a frown of concentration creasing her brow as she tapped the monitor with a gloved finger. "All except for _this_ person. But that makes _no sense_?!"

Picking up the phone on her desk, she dialed the familiar number and once she heard the voice on the other end of the line, swiftly relayed her newfound concerns about her disturbing speculations.

"That's impossible! There's no way in hell _they_ could still be alive!" Shi-Long Lang barked, a hint of panic underlying the dubiousness in his harsh tone. "But if you're right about this Franziska… Heads will _roll._ And they will be _ours_!"

 ** _Sum_ _41 – Pieces_**

 _A/N: Pleeeeeease don't hate for being such a tease about Franziska last chapter, but as one of my readers asked… Maya found her **already**?! I couldn't have it be THAT easy, (W)right? I hope the discovery of Franny's near doppelgänger sis Katharina wasn't **too** much of a letdown, considering with whom her story line is going to entwine with! As you saw at the end of this chapter… We still saw the actual **real** runaway German lady as we segue into Miles-town…and shizz is about to get really intense! __Thanks to mi amiga musical, DannyDragon, for the song choice!_

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 73-74, 89-94 and 103/111**

 **New Guest**

I want to thank you not only for reading, but even more so for your comical short but sweet one-liners, which shows how much you care about this story, which means the world to me. About JusticeCykes… we need to have Big Red come onto the scene, first! Polly had long since made his debut, but once you get to this point in the story, you know Athena's entrance is coming up soon! As for Phaya and Fredgeworth… well you know how at least one of those turned out if you're here in the story, Wright? Stay tuned for the other! :D

 **Chapter 175**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **CzarThwomp**

It turns out you aren't my only reader to picture some sort of music involved during that mortifying moment with Luke and Pearl! Another saw it as a _trombone_ moment! XD

 _"Speaking of which, how do you think Layton would have reacted to that ordeal had he been in Phoenix and Maya's position? I personally think that he would be either surprisingly chill about the whole thing, slowly backing away and pretending that he saw nothing, or utterly outraged, ripping Luke out of that bed while yelling about how "a gentleman waits until he is at the very least engaged before proceeding with such activities" and how there is no shame in using a hint coin if you're having trouble with a puzzle."_

After I was done snickering about the idea of Luke needing a hint coin in these circumstances… I can say that having Layton's puzzle music in the background was quite fitting, and I absolutely think unlike the act first, think later Phaya, he would've handled that situation with his signature aplomb and allowed them to explain themselves but I guess it would depend on what day you caught them on as I tried very hard to convey in this chapter that him ripping Luke out of that bed and lecturing him on ungentlemanly behavior wouldn't have been so out of character because under certain circumstances even the great Hershel Layton can get rattled! ;)

 _While on the topic of Edgey, if he was in the room above the Phaya and had to deal with their bedroom butter churning, it wouldn't be as bad as he'd think... it'd be much worse. Knowing Phoenix's sheer animalistic might when going at it, the room would not only shake, but the walls would crack as the ceiling above them caves in, crushing them under Edgeworth's bed while he lays on top of it, curled up in a ball and he crying his eyes out._

Phaya's " _bedroom butter churning"_ … Good Lord, I have found someone that might rival me with the terrible sexual euphemisms! Also even though I've tried to show that Phoenix is a very solicitous and tender lover, your reference to his not so latent animalistic instincts has me undoubtedly agreeing that poor Miles, regardless of whether or not he was below or above the voracious beast and his paramour bringing an al dente noodle to the spaghetti house would have him more traumatized than earthquakes and elevators combined! XD

I wonder if after all the heartache Franziska has caused Miles, if forcing them in between Phoenix and Maya on the return flight would be _suitable_ enough/too cruel punishment, or _none whatsoever_ because then _Franny_ would get to do what _she_ loves best and whip them senseless if they come even within arm's reach from each other, because there is no way she would stand for any of the horror Edgy had to endure!

Turnabout is fair play…will Miles use the intellectual method of tormenting Lang for his treacherous silence about Franziska by boring him to tears and _using his words_ , or will he get _creative_? :)

 _"I don't know what would be worse- Manfred's stun gun, Franziska's whip, or Edgeworth boring you to tears with his history lectures. At least the stun gun and whip can knock you out, giving you some relief, but the lectures... they're slow, painful, and if you show even the slightest signs of boredom, Edgeworth will chastise you. Then again, Phoenix and Maya tortured him with an activity that they love, so it's only fair that he return the favor."_

Phoenix could have easily said to his best friend during that droning: "I'm doing something I hate for you. If _this_ isn't what it means to be love someone, I don't know what the hell is!"

It's hilarious how you are equally relating Edgeworth and his historical lectures on the same pain level of Manfred's stun gun and Franziska's whip! No doubt Phoenix would've agreed with you, since he was just antsy to get to a real criminal court since him and Miles are of _criminal_ legal background not _civil_ irrespective of how beautiful the historical building might be! I in turn have a question for _you_ , funny man! What do you think would be more tedious to endure… Edgeworth lecturing you and then chastising you… Are one of Prosecutor Sad Monk subjecting you to one of his eight hour sermon lectures like he did too poor Ema? :p

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica! Muchas gracias for the song choice!_

Since you seem to be such a great lover of music it does not surprise me that you would appreciate the wonderful chapter quote by the legendary Bob Marley! It means a lot to me that even though you're not big on teenage romances despite being a teenager that you appreciate the sweetness that is Luke Triton and Pearl Fey, and it does not surprise me that you are a fan of Edgy's everlasting attitude! LOL

I'm not sure if you have played the crossover but I admit I was trying to go with somebody with readers were unlikely to suspect… I hope you enjoyed the appearance of the handsome Zacharias Barnham, as well as the subsequent Labyrinthia crossover characters that will be popping up!

 **SpiritsOfFire**

 _Halo sayang pembaca! Aku sangat senang kau masih membaca!_

Edgeworth does need some release desperately! I totally agree! The funny thing is he's a total babe and no doubt could have joined the Mile High Club with Rhoda if he'd so chosen, or even shagged Jean (the girl _not_ Armstrong – although am sure the phony Frenchman would never say _non_ to Miles, either!) with the way she was flirting with him! He's just really picky I guess? Has more frothing desire amongst the female masses than he knows what to do with? XD

Poor Phoenix needs to get a bull-eye on his forehead because everything makes him subject to a scathing Edgy tongue-lash! Poor guy! But at least Nick has a potentially cool surprise coming his way if Layton and the Labyrinthia company can successfully trace his Japanese roots!

I will never have Luke cease being the perfect gentleman – but it sure is fun to make Phaya sweat at the mere _idea_ of anyone sullying the loins of their innocent angel! You know me – lover of all naughty innuendo! Hee!

I hope this chapter was worth the wait!

 **Ariastella**

Luke had a way better role model in Layton for sleuthing didn't he? I actually think the idea of Nick ever letting the cat out the bag about Watson…but moreover, what a bumble-butt DGS Sherlock was!

I really think the _competent_ book version of Holmes, given his intuition use, is more like Nick than Miles, which is why it _would be a scream_ to find out the truth, especially since Miles is such a fan of Holmes! I am absolutely going to have Nick find out about his Japanese roots in this story! I am taking some creative liberties of course, but I hope you find it enjoyable and I thank you for the suggestion of great-grandpa Ryu's journal being brought to attention – it will be so fitting for Nick to get his hands on it, since I have made Phoenix have a journal in this tale as well.

 **Jove's Boy**

Barnham did show up in this chapter so you will not totally off in your guessing my friend! Pearl is the cutest thing in the world and I have no doubt that she could turn potato sacks into a fashion statement and it would be an asset to Kurain and its economy… By the way I love your store idea a lot about calling it the store "As Feyt Would Have It" clothing store. Starring Feyt as the mascot of course… I wonder how Tiana would get along with him she doesn't even like Missile…or Edgy! Gah! What would she do to Pearl and Luke's son?! Gack!

By the way I am calling out right now - Princess Tiana Gum-Chew's rage against Miles Edgeworth will be known as _"T for Tiana's Vendetta!"_

Edgeworth grows more British with every passing chapter… Even though he acted all embarrassed by Jean's fawning all over him I think you secretly loved it since in case you didn't notice his inner monologue now has British expressions as well as his actual dialogue! Perhaps if he had stayed in the same hotel and into word the ceiling quakes of Phaya it would've shaken the English accent right out of his Anglophile arse! XD

 **F** **orgreatcoffee**

 _"So another man servant. Why do I have the feeling that Sebastian is also one hell of a butler?"  
_  
I think you're my only other _Black Butler_ fan out there who has gotten these sly references pertaining to the manservants of British heritage! Sebastian might be from the prestigious five-star Savoy but nobody beats the Hendricks when it comes to being one hell of a Butler!

I would imagine at this point Miles is going to make poor Hendricks wear out his elbows with all the elbow grease that will be required to disinfect if not entirely redo his bathrooms at home, which my readers have seen in earlier chapters were gloriously utilized in the permanent boinkfest that was Phaya when they were using the love shack for their clandestine trysts! That will probably include the walls and ceiling while there was no literal dancing on the ceiling… It's more of a case of _if these walls could talk_ and Edgeworth has no desire to hear any of it!

I imagine Miles would be able to keep up with Maya no problem if they were to drag Nick to a Steel Samurai exhibit. Phoenix would of course be wanting to opt for _Seppuku_ using the hero's own sword about an hour in of course… And that's being generous!

The big disclosure about who greeted them at Old Bailey has been revealed! Did you see that coming?

 **Joeclone**

 _"KXUXJKWGOFUWJWHLTGISYATQRIJFIBIGOFIVJSKDIDEIVIFKFIIFKFIFOFFHOLVUAWU FRANZISKA WAS FOUND ALREADY BY MAYA?"_

Ultimately since it was the wrong Von Karma, no she didn't, because I am a terrible person that likes torturing my readers! :p

Seriously though, your initial surprise skepticism was well warranted because Franny is still the secondary female lead in this story, even though she's been back burned for so long, so there is no way I could have her first encounter with the rest of the characters be so anticlimactic or immediate, even though we did find out in this chapter that she is very much on the scene as things take a bit of a darker twist!

 _"Using HOLD IT! as a bathroom saying was ingenious! Completely unexpected and threw me down laughing! I also love Edgeworth's growing English vocabulary. I know most of what he means!"_

A lot of the terms I'm familiar with being in a Commonwealth country that utilizes a blend of British jargon jumbled with American, but I actually had to look up a few of these to make wannabe British Edgeworth extra stereotypically authentic! And you have no idea how long I've been waiting to abuse the term _hold it_! Glad you liked it, although Nick's poor bladder would have _objections_ to your mirth! :p

I had such a blast having Phoenix and Maya endure what they thought would be every parent's worst nightmare in catching their angelic Pearl getting a leg over, even though Turnabout is fair play it would've serve them right, not just for what happened with Miles on the airplane but because the girls and Apollo almost walked in on _them_ wildly snogging! Hee!

Even if most crossover fans remember ex-witch Jean Greyerl, a lot of fans may not remember Ridelle Mystere as the keeper of puzzles from the crossover which is absolutely why I picked her to be the secondary legal scholar who helps uncovers the mystery of Phoenix's Japanese heritage and gives Layton the ultimate puzzle to unravel! But funny that you mentioned Espella Cantabella, because she absolutely will be popping up in the story and said British snob prosecutor Sir Zacharias Barnham will be back as well! I'll try to keep my fave redhead less snobby in this story! :p

 **napoleon32**

Maya totally called Pearl in for reinforcements because she wanted another set of arms in case Franny got whip happy – and to keep an eye on her so the poor girl could finally use the loo since Miles the meanie wouldn't let her! XD

Isn't it brilliant how Franny has managed to evade the super snoopy investigative Miles Edgeworth and two psychic females up until now? She won't be able to keep up the disappearing much longer seeing as how she is due to meet up with Katharina pretty soon and I'm sure the Fey girls will hold the elder Von Karma sister hostage _one way or another_ until Franziska shows her face at last – because she won't really _have a choice!_

The sting operation is where this story is headed next… There's a chance that the ever effusive Maya _could_ possibly blow things if I were to incorporate her into top-secret Interpol business… So maybe I should keep her away and keep her hands full with instead trying to solve the mystery behind the disappearance of the _Silver Ghost?_

Miles Edgeworth, the terse and eccentric millionaire who can easily fund ways to delay further aggravation regardless of the cost, was a real hoot to turn into the _tedious tour guide from hell_! Edgy deserves a good laugh for all the perdition he's endured… Not in the least of which is at the unwitting hands of the goo birds! Usually his mirth is at poor Nick's expense, but hell what are best friends for, Wright? :p

It never occurred to me that anybody would think of the good professor as the mysterious voice, but I liked your speculation so much I decided that when I revealed of the character from Labyrinthia, I would still try to tie them in to the good professor! Enter adopted daughter of the deceased Belduke alchemist, who would've helped Layton uncovering the mystery earlier in the story about Trucy's Gramarye descent being from alchemists! :-)

 **chloemcg**

Weather-wise my summer has kind of sucked for getting a tan! Sadly for this entire summer, since June, my neck of the woods has been hit with a relentless amount of rain, and thunderstorms which give me terrible headaches (Barometric pressure affects me terribly!) But reviews from you and my other wonderful readers have been like sunshine in my inbox and very cathartic for my pain! :-)

Sorry! I _swear_ I'm not like the Game of Throne guy with the whole "the dragons are coming!" because we also found out in this chapter that the real Franziska IS indeed coming to London, and Maya WILL be bumping into her – possibly headfirst! XD

I feel really bad about the purposeful misleading regarding in my last chapter about not-Franziska and it instead was her nearly doppelganger sister. I remember you particularly said you liked Katharina, milady, so I hope it's not too disappointing, since I have a fun storyline planned for the elder Von Karma and the other characters, so just know her sudden reappearance was _not_ random! Her reasons for leaving Edgy will be revealed to some of the others before Miles finds out the truth.

I love Luke to bits but I just had to make him sweat, _just a bit_ , in the face of his future in-laws even though he was innocent! Aren't I awful? :p

Did you play Lady Layton yet? Looks like Alfendi is canon as Layton's son, seeing who Kat wrote that letter to in the beginning. Yay!

Neither Kat or Al exist just yet, but Layton _does_ get a mini arc in this story which will make their existence make a lot more sense! ;)

I actually had to look up what the gherkin and BT tower were and playing lady Layton has definitely piqued my interest in London landmarks! I remember you gave me some really cute ideas regarding Big Ben which I have learned from the game is also known as the Elizabeth Tower. Let me know, if you will, anything about Hyde Park or of the possibility of live concerts and or plays around London? In Toronto we have something called Shakespeare in the Park – I'm wondering if there is something similar in the city? For some reason I picture Layton being an enthusiast of such things.

I absolutely loved the character of Espella Cantabella and she will be popping up in this story arc whenever we flip over to Phoenix, who has a mini arc in this Euro Trip running parallel to Miles's. Also, never be afraid to offer me suggestions or ideas, because I absolutely love hearing from my readers and it means the world to me that they are that invested in the story especially this far along!

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _"Dancing in the ceiling" ... Darling, you reminded me of a horrible moment in the life of my own Miles, when his neighbors in the upper apartment made an orgy and was forced to hit him with the broom on the ceiling, trying that they shut up and he did not suffer the high fire tone exclamations... The reality sometimes is worse than the fantasy in that sense ;D ;P_

I laughed about this imagery for a good 30 seconds! Miles did not need to have any bit of that plane nightmare relived hence his changing of hotel rooms! Given the circumstances with Phaya, it was a case of their ears deceiving them even though common sense should have dictated that Luke and Pearl are the most pure and chased Disney couple in the AA world! _Karma_! Not the VON kind! _Trombone_ indeed! :p

I don't think they are too many people who would judge Miles for not wanting to open up his personal bathroom to the overly amorous Phoenix and Maya, ( _Outlander_ better BRING IT with the steam season 3!) even _individually_! Sure, poor Nick's teeth were probably floating by the time that taxi got them to the courthouse, but it makes for better comedy when I torture these beloved characters even somewhat, Wright? Hee!

Anecdote: when I was getting married I went to a florist who owned the company alongside her elder sister by five years… The two looked so alike that I _literally_ thought that _Mary_ was _Susie_ and had just cut herself some fringe when I came back a few weeks later to give the deposit! Therefore, I decided to have some fun with how much alike Katharina and Franny look, which I have purposely never disclosed to my readers. I'd written as a boy, Miles has always thought the late Minna Von Karma was most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, and as Franziska got older he noted that she was now the spitting image of her ethereal mother, but since Miles only saw Katharina is an older sister figure, within his narrative, it never came up (until now) how similar Katharina and Franziska looked, except for the fact that the elder sister was blonde, not granite-haired, although she also had inherited their mother's unforgettable silver eyes.

I promise you if I have Phoenix and Miles come visit your beautiful country, _both_ will be completely captivated, as it will be purely for pleasure and not business!

Truth be known, and as you _personally_ know, given my rapt captivation by all of Cuba's beautiful historical monuments when we visited Havana, I would be open to Miles schooling me on my surroundings, as am fascinated by beautiful old structures and discovering facts about them, but depending on my tour guide, I may prefer to actually check out the place myself and read about it in a book, as opposed to having it _droned_ on to me! In Dual Destinies, Phoenix showed he was actually very interested in the space center and wanted to check it out on his own time in the future, so he is not completely an uncultured swine like Miles thinks, it's just that right now, he is just very anxious to get started on the homework to help clear his name… Plus you know I love making Miles pick on him! By the way, even though I'm sure Edgy was a most invigorating tour guide, methinks if you were the one he was lecturing I find it hard to believe you would actually be paying attention to the trivia you were hearing and would instead be staring at him with the same love-struck expressions all females tend to acquire whenever they come across the handsome prosecutor! XD

I hope you do not kill me by the tease about Franziska's appearance, but as we find out in this chapter, the real Franziska _is_ coming to England and I promise you this time she will not escape! Maya will definitely be a bit more gracious and subdued now that she spent to the initial hyperactive energy on poor Katharina when she and her old friend finally come face-to-face again! :p

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

Inasmuch as you were kind enough to inform me that reading my story makes your night, I will never cease telling you, dear friend, how much your reviews make _my_ day!

I'm still contemplating whether or not to be mad at you for actually being in my neck of the woods and not giving me a tinkle as the British would say! That being said, we have a few stately hotels and I must inquire which one you are staying in to make you feel the real life equivalent of hobo bum Phoenix at the luxurious five-star Savoy!

I'm glad you enjoyed the interesting London trivia. I am such a history/culture geek and I want to make my readers feel like they are right there with the characters, and do my best to paint a portrait with words, since I can't draw a straight line with a ruler! It gave me a great opportunity to show how similar but separate these legal eagles are in foreign surroundings, with the snooty Miles referring to his BFF as a chav for not acting as raptly captivated as he was by all the trivia!

Edgy, ratting on his best friends, the dirty deeds duo, for making the most of the cramped plane loo, who the angelic Pearl reminded him are more like _family_? Never! Nah, Miles is no narc. He'd rather torment them at his own leisure, like torture Nick to bored tears with English history lessons and make Maya's eyes turn yellow in her legit time of need of a lav, which Miles mercilessly denied! XD

Am glad you enjoyed the HOLD IT line Miles turned around on Nick. I've been saving that one! LOL

Also, I can't make Miles too much of a hypocrite – if you read _The Ties That Bind_ , Edgy and Franny had a nighttime park tryst when he had her bent of a vehicle so… :p

I work very hard to show that Phaya, even a couple, will have the same BFF teasing dynamic that made most of us love them as a duo. Maya will always call her hunky other half _old man_ even though Wolverine doesn't age, and Nick will always act embarrassed by her childlike shenanigans but love her unconditionally.

About Fran and Maya – I think it could be an equally fair tussle if the wild mare was disarmed, but sorry to ruin the MMA/girl fight images, but I wouldn't let it come to that, as I loved making them bond as soul sisters in the _Daughters of Destiny_ chapter. Nick would be more protective about her breaking Miles's heart as that's his best friend – Maya would be more likely to demand answers and want to know why she's been ignored for so long, as she thought Franny and her were legit close friends now! Right now though, she's got her hands full trying to make sure Katharina doesn't escape her, as the elder Von Karma is her ticket to getting the answers Maya seeks! Good thing the Fey Master is so famous – imagine any _other_ random stranger coming along and claiming to know your sibling! Kat will become a friend to the entire gang in England who will hopefully allow Franny and Maya to come face to face at last – which _will_ happen soon, as Lady Von Whippingburg IS coming to London!

I had a blast with the misconstrued Feyt scandal! _Karma_ at its finest indeed, as Miles was gleefully reminding Nick! Mia is probably rolling around laughing while munching on popcorn in front of her heavenly jumbo-tron alongside Jove and Magnifi! Hee!

I love making these guys a family – and making DILF Nick in protective papa bear mode, as he won't even let Trucy wear lipstick yet! We all know Maya can be a hellcat, and Pearl is her little girl, so Luke would have been a dead chap if it weren't for the quickly given innocuous explanation!

 **thepudz**

I swear on my Phoenix and Miles limited edition Dual Destinies figurines I will _never_ corrupt the chaste purity of Feyt! However, seeing as how Miles is my second favorite man in the Ace Attorney world I had to give him some satisfaction in seeing Phaya twitch after all they unwittingly put him through!

 _"As an Australian, I can account for how those Pommy Wankers sound like. You want to shove a cup of tea down their throat after a while."_

Egad! That wouldn't be a very gentleman thing to do!

Most commonly, whacking on noses with newspapers is effective for housebreaking puppies I've heard?

Layton _will be_ make his re-entry here in the story really soon! In the meantime, we had Jean, the newest Miles lover, and Ridelle who seemed to harboring a bit of a crush on the top-hatted Brit in the crossover! Think they will be able to connect the Mystere about that strange Japanese man who looks so much like Nick?

 **Yanmegaman**

Apologies, to you or any readers who were momentarily traumatized. I made your mind like a sewer, did I? Ain't I a stinker?

Considering the traumatized state of my favorite Prosecutie last chapter, and since Phaya are back together for good, I could not think of a better alternative for their _hint_ of deserved comeuppance than making Nick and Maya believe they were walking in on Feyt playing a game of _"How's your father?"_

Naturally, had said suspected _knob in fanny_ transpired, it actually would have resulted occurred just as you said: with Hobo Mama and Papa nearly _merking_ **_themselves_** in their struggles of _who_ would get to throttle poor Luke _first_!

 _"That being said, if that HAD been what was happening, that'd be most polite round of nookie in recorded history."_

I do believe all the years of gentleman training would definitely result in the young lad courteously announcing that he was, indeed, _"arriving!"_

 **Brock's Geodude**

 _"I assumed Edgeworth no longer had that suitcase, since it contained the ransom money he used in the kidnapping case in AAI? I always assumed he had to give it up as evidence, and if so, he certainly wouldn't have taken it back once the trial was over. Anyway, it doesn't really matter, since it made for a fun read."_

I'd gotten the gaudy baggage trivia from the AA wiki page as I hadn't played _Turnabout Airlines_ in ages, but my man Jove's Boy just did so, and…in gratitude for saving her from Franziska's false charges, Rhoda Teneiro does indeed present Edgeworth (who indeed does seem to be a secret softy with kids, which is why I love making him Uncle Miles to Trucy and Pearl!) with an iFly suitcase of his very own. And then, post Kidnapped Turnabout, Miles does get the suitcase back, even after the whole ransom thing. I believe he tried to pawn it off on Gumshoe, but the Ace Detective didn't take the bait. You know it's Badd when a man so broke he lives on ramen and weenies won't even that take the freebie handout of hideousness!

I am a terrible person for making anyone even briefly think Luke had tainted Pearl, but I do love trying to use reader ideas where I can, and a Feyt misunderstanding submitted idea proved to be a comic gem! It seems we are of similar mind regarding crossover characters as one of your musings came to fruition this chapter – stay tuned to see Athena's debut and what other Labyrinthia folks pop up!


	177. It's A Small World After All

_The paths we choose in life will intertwine with those of others. When they do, remember those other crossroads of life are for you to show respect, love, tolerance and kindness. They are not the points of comparison or judgment. Do not be tense, just be ready, not thinking but not dreaming, not being set but being flexible. It is being "wholly" and quietly alive, aware and alert, ready for whatever may come._

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Seven:** **It's A Small World After All**

 ** _Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright_**  
 _Old Bailey, Court Two_  
July 20, 2026

"These are most serious charges being brought against Mr. Dracuslab." The judge grimly peered over his half-moon spectacles at the legal counsel. "He is being accused of the felonies of Malicious Mischief, Criminal Damage _without lawful excuse,_ Heritage Crime and possible Terrorism."

"Nay, My Lord! There was no _terrorism_ intent with Vlad Dracuslab's actions, as they were not in any way undertaken for the purpose of intimidating a government or society at large!" The defense negated passionately. "At the very least, I move to dismiss that _last_ erroneous allegation from the record! Not only was my client unsuccessful in his endeavors, I move that the charges all be lessened to _attempted,_ due to his _foiled_ attempts!"

The wobbly attorney, whom Phoenix had identified as Knightle, was visibly evading his opposition's withering stare. He knew there was little he could say to defend his client's heinous actions, despite the fact the fuzz, having caught him bang to rights in the dodgy act, had thwarted them in the nick of time. Casting an imploring gaze towards the judge and jury, he feebly wrung his hands while making his plea.

"My client reckoned the object as nigh more than an insignificant doofer! He was wholly unknowing about how, in an unmindful, steaming state after too many pints, his thoughtless act of alleged _harmless_ vandalism was actually _desecration_ of a _scared national monument_!"

"Hard cheese for the bloomin' numpty then?" The other barrister grunted portentously under this breath, eyeing the defense stonily. "What a load of cobblers!"

The spindly ex-knight discernably wilted under the prosecution's tight-lipped glower and turned back beseechingly towards the unimpressed judiciary.

"This is naught more than an artless fraternity dare, gone all to pot! Mr. Dracuslab has been utmost cooperative this whole time! He didn't even resist arrest from The Old Bills who took him in!"

Knightle pointed to the tremulous, gothic-looking defendant, his pallid mien sharply contrasting against his greasy-slicked back ebon hair.

"The poor chap is a harmless honor student at Gressenheller University, and is specializing in _Phlebotomy!_ He has nil prior convictions and has a promising future ahead of him!"

"Flow _what_ now?!" Phoenix asked Miles in a hushed undertone, taking in the accused's questionable _undertaker_ fashion sense, despite it being the height of summer. "I'm more confused than a homeless man under house arrest here!"

"It means _venipuncture,_ you _daft plonker_!" The magenta-clad man answered tersely from the side of his mouth, never taking his eyes off the display before them. "The bloke is training to be a lab technician who draws blood from patients for clinical or medical testing, transfusions, donations, or research."

"Well excuuuuuusee me, Princess!" The pianist hissed back defensively. "It seems being such an _unworthy chav_ keeps me from being the same sort of bright as a button, _anorak_ that _you_ are!"

Scowling at Miles, he then leaned forward in his seat, scrutinizing the accused with rapt fascination. The violently quaking youth's dark, monochromatic sartorial _alone_ could've easily qualified him as the bastard lovechild of Manfred Von Karma himself!

"So the presumed _Transylvanian Sanguisuge_ aspires to work with hemoglobin?" Phoenix mused softly. "Huh! _That_ would perhaps explain his head-to-toe black ensemble and the panache use of high, upturned collar? Yeesh, talk about _fueling_ your _stereotypes_ …"

Vlad Dracuslab was presently cowering on the stand, his unfortunate overbite visibly showing his elongated canines, even though his lips were clamped shut to keep them from trembling.

"I daresay," Knightly was now appealing fulsomely to the court. "That I in fact, _challenge_ you to find even _one_ amongst us who has not been guilty of a cock-up back in their younger days! My Lord, please show an act of mercy and chalk up this incident as naught more than damp squib, due to the foolish ignorance of youth…."

 _ **Ppppppwwarrrrppppp!**_ An unexpected reverberation blasted just then, cutting off the defense in mid-argument and echoing loudly in the suddenly still courtroom, causing a rustle amid the silent spectators as the vile effluvium hit their nostrils.

"Gor Blimey! Was that _you_ , mate?!"

"I say! _Who blew off_?"

The buzzing in the gallery continued murmuring among themselves, some scrutinizing each other accusingly, while others barely stifled back a snigger.

Appearing ready to faint from mortification, the Romanian squeezed his eyes as another tell-tale noise, quieter but just as perceptible as the first, resonated in the courtroom once again.

 _ **Ffffffffffffff!**_

"Oh my, did the defendant just _pop_?" The judge inquired placidly, raising a bushy eyebrow at the blushing blood-fanatic. "Or was that merely your way of attempting to pose some sort of … _objection_?"

Knightle clapped a hand to his face and moaned softly to himself at his client's foul timing.

"P-Pardon me, My Lord," Vlad stammered, his alabaster phizog now puce in color. "I –I'm just so nervous…"

"Keep your pecker up, lad! It's quite all right."

The magistrate waved an unconcerned hand at the shamed gas-passer, then nodded his chin at the defeated-looking defense, a hint of a smile on his snowy mustached lips.

"Tickety-boo! Anything more from _your end_ , Mr. _Fartley_?"

As the courtroom tittered slightly at this misnomer, the old man then realized his unintentional flub, and his tone was rich with merriment.

"Oops, ho-ho! Er, forgive the gaffe! I meant, Mr. _Knightle_?"

 _Crikey Moses! I was about to close the deal until the borborygmus arse of this bleedin' vampire queered my pitch!_

The newly christened Knightle hung his head glumly, knowing full well yet _another_ undignified name had just been added to his roster, thanks to his client's _ill-scheduled fluff_!

"Nay, My Lord. The prosecution may commence their counterclaim."

Without needing further preamble, the prosecution jumped right into the fray.

"Psh! _Harmless_? What's this about?" Scoffed the wigged barrister Phoenix had just recognized as ex-Inquisitor Zacharias Barnham. "Since when is obliviousness of England's laws a valid excuse in _any_ way, shape, or form?"

Barnham stretched out his robed arm and pointed an accusing index at the shaky young man on the witness stand, his grey eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Defendant, do you understand this was no mere _prank_ , but a _felony_? Inspector Chelmey and Constable Barton apprehended you _amidst the cack-handed act of attempting to remove a sacred battle memento_ , bearing legendary significance to Bailey's turbulent past! I am referring, of course, to the two-inch shard of glass, which flew through the hall back in 1973, when the IRA targeted the court and Scotland Yard in car bombings! It has since been bedded in the wall above the main entrance, untouched, to serve as a solemn reminder that is steeped in history!"

The wannabe Nosferatu was sweat-dropping profusely as he felt the condemning glares of all 12 jurors and the magistrate upon him and his words came out as barely audible squeaks.

"S-Sorry! I – I knew sweet fanny Adams about…"

" _Speak up!"_ The barrister barked. "What say you in your defense? I highly recommend you give us nothing but the truth!"

"You're _certain_ that man is your old chum, _Sir_ _Barnham_?" Miles darted a quick gander about to make sure nobody else was overhearing his hushed murmurings into his companion's ear. "Assuming you haven't lost the plot on this one, Wright, and know your onions pertaining to the true identity of that wigged barrister, this coincidence would be the absolute bee's knees! But why didn't the Professor mention that former Head of Labyrinthia's Order of Knights is now working here in Old Blighty?"

"Beats the hell out of me!" Phoenix kept one riveted eye on the barrister and the defense. "But being an unwilling music man the last seven years has sharpened these ears to the point you where could call me _Batman_! Believe you me, I _know_ a voice when I hear one!"

Miles wisely held his tongue on this all-too easy lead in. Given their surroundings, he figured best not be bellicose, and remain mum regarding his bilious opinion that the former lawyer was too much of a Boy Scout to _ever_ be, in _any_ way, the famed vigilante caped crusader!

 _Truthfully, I'm not interested in getting all argy-bargy over which superhero characteristics Wright possesses!_ He thought wryly. _Although, if anything, given his repeated penchant for defying death and injury, I'd say that he's more like_ _ **Wolverine**_ _– even though unlike Lang, he doesn't look the part, and actually more resembles_ _ **Superman**_ _, what with that persistent stray lock constantly falling onto his forehead!_

Barnham had now wrapped up his rebuttal, and stood confidently with his arms folded over his chest, while Knightle appeared to be crestfallen in comparison as the judge banged his gavel.

"The court will now take a 15-minute recess."

Bowing grandly, both the defense and prosecution took their leave, heading out the side doors closest to the jurors. Phoenix and Miles hurriedly followed them, managing to accost the lawyers as they got to the hallway.

"Sir Barnham!" The card shark called out, stopping the barrister and his cohort in their tracks, unsure his old buddies would recognize him again after so long. "Knightle! Please wait!"

"It's just _Mr._ Barnham now, good man." Barnham slowly turned to face the Americans. "I haven't been called _Sir_ in almost a decade, as _makeshift_ knights aren't privy to keep their esteemed title… _bloody nora_!"

The former knight's eyes widened as he realized just who was standing there, and his handsome face broke into a surprised smile. Forgoing all rules of decorum, he disregarded the hand Phoenix nervously extended and embraced him in a quick, friendly clasp.

" _Sir Blue Knight_?! I say! It's been donkey's years since I saw you last!" The barrister released the poker champ and clapped him on the shoulder. "What brings you to merry ol' England after all this time?"

"Blast it!" Knightle crowed excitedly, pumping the spiky-haired man's hand with gusto. "All this while later, I can't believe it's _you,_ mate!"

Phoenix hadn't been sure what sort of reception he'd get from the Brits, but their lack of pretension and genuine effusiveness was both contagious and heartwarming. He was grinning like an idiot for a good half-minute before he heard Miles discreetly clear his throat beside him, as a reminder _he_ still required introduction.

"Oh! Guys, allow me to introduce you to my longtime friend, who's traveled here with me from the States…Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. Edgeworth, these are my old comrades and former knights, Zacharias Barnham and Knightle."

" _Any_ mate of Sir Blue Knight is a mate of _mine_!" Knightle enthusiastically shook Miles's hand. "Welcome to the UK!"

"Another man of law! And a fellow _prosecutor_ , yet!" Barnham grinned congenially at the lawyer. "We _must_ confabulate after court!"

"Er... thank y'all very much." Miles temporarily lapsed from his affected Brit speak, as he was a tad taken aback to be so immediately and warmly welcomed by two strangers. "Indeed, a chinwag with others of legal vocation would be nice – I mean, _cracking_. Most chuffed to meet you both."

"Please tell me you gentleman can linger until court is adjourned, so that I may take you for lunch? From the way things were just left, it seems we are nearly ready to wrap up for the day."

Barnham chuckled and cast a smug, sideways gander at his suddenly indignant colleague.

"The jury will be sequestered soon after the break, and I reckon they shan't be deliberating on the verdict for _too_ long!"

"Shut your laughing gear, Barnham!" Knightle shot daggers at the copper-haired man, still fuming from his embarrassment in court. "Bloomin 'eck! Those inflated charges of yours are as bent as a nine-bob note! _Terrorism_?! Have you lost your marbles?!"

"Don't throw a paddy about the fact that you'll be losing to me on this round, as is tradition!" Barnham couldn't stop howling at the smaller man's ire. " _Must_ you demonstrate to our American mates what a sore loser the defense counsel can be?"

 _It wouldn't faze_ _ **me**_ _at all!_ Phoenix longed to pipe up. _I'm used to sore losers after being around Edgeworth all these years! In our LA courthouse, the victories between defense and prosecutors do a complete turnabout!_

"Draculslab's a bloody git, no doubt, but still naught more than a meek Romanian exchange scholar!" Knightle snapped peevishly. "But if you have _your_ way with those indictments, his life will end up pear-shaped! Then, after doing porridge, he'll end up an old lag who can't find a job, and will perish away the rest of his days at pubs, just sitting and drinking all day!"

"What's all this hullabaloo about? There's no need to be so gobby, my learned friend!"

The jollity in his tone made it evident Barnham was completely unaffected by his cohort's wrath.

"I am fully aware most of the allegation shan't stick! I was obviously throwing as many charges as possible in the hopes that at least a _few_ would prevail, given the severity of the crime! But while I _could_ push to get the little bloodsucker a maximum of 10 years or get him deported, thus losing his privileged scholarship, you should know by now I would _never_ be so beastly!"

"I see." Knightle seemed more subdued now, as his anger seemed to have fizzled.

"At most, given his non-existent criminal record and first offence, Dracuslab will be charged with mere vandalism, and his misdeeds will land him a community sentence – more than likely in the form of Community Payback by picking up rubbish and removing graffiti!"

 _Well I'll be doggarned! What a magnanimous prosecutor the former bloodthirsty inquisitor has morphed into over the years!_ Phoenix marveled, eyeing the barrister with newfound respect. _Barnham's come a long way from his days of barbequing perceived witches, hasn't he?_

"Now then, you can see there was no need to get your knickers in a twist, _was_ there?" Barnham flashed his coworker a shit-eating grin. "Sometimes, it pays to have trust in our justice system, _and_ have some faith in your colleagues…Mr. _Fartley_!"

Phoenix barely swallowed back the laughter threatening to erupt at the goading jibe, and Miles quickly tried to mask his muffled guffaw as a cough, but to no avail, as Knightle's enraged mug turned the same shade as the cravat-wearing man's suit.

"On your bike, Barnham!" He yelled furiously at the much larger man, waving his small fist and standing on his tiptoes in attempts to make menacing eye-contact with the derisive prosecutor, all the while failing miserably. "I'd _give you a bunch of fives_ if we weren't in court right now for that sodding tosh!"

"It would be most advantageous if you could even _reach_ that high!" Barnham goaded mercilessly, his smirk only widening as his associate huffed and spun on his heel, about to storm off. "Wait – are you leaving so soon? Come now, mate! I was only taking the piss!"

"Bugger off! I need to go spend a penny, if you _must_ know!" Knightle glared over his shoulder at his courtroom rival, then graciously inclined his head at the two mirth-filled visitors. "Gentlemen, if you'll please excuse me. I'll see you lot back in court."

With that he stomped away, leaving the flummoxed but amused Americans and the still chortling Barnham in his wake.

"Has Knightle always been the sort to go to spare so easily?" Miles asked mildly, arching a sardonic brow. "Also, does this mean he won't be joining us for nosh later?"

"Don't mind him!" Barnham replied airily, not at all concerned. "He's always been sort to be easily cheesed off, as well as being all mouth and no trousers. I take the mickey with him, and he does his nut, shouts at me to clear off… and then returns back to normal on the morrow. Regardless of whether or not he's joining us, though, I'd love to catch up with you, Sir Blue Knight, and swap legal tales with you, Mr. Edgeworth. Perhaps I can tour you on some sights as well, such as the Tower of London and London Dungeon. There's also the must-see London and Tower Bridges…"

Phoenix was touched by the solicitous offer, even though he was wary of anything that would result in him being high off the ground, given his acrophobia.

"Will wonders never cease? They're _two_ different overpasses? It sounds great, but Edgeworth and I _do_ have dinner plans tonight with the gang, so hopefully we'll have time to do it all! Ah – perhaps we can check out those other tourist attractions _first_ , and um, save those _bridges_ _for_ _last_?"

He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and gave the Englishman a sickly grin, snubbing Miles's knowing expression regarding his weak attempt to dodge the famed altitudinous crossings.

Barnham smiled indulgently, understandably used to foreigner misconceptions about the world's two most famous bridges, and his zealousness about playing impromptu tour guide was evident.

"Are they disparate? Quite! London Bridge has existed in one form or another for nearly 2,000 years now. It's the site of the oldest crossing of the River Thames on record. The London Bridge that still stands today dates from 1973. So, despite the fact London Bridge has existed here the longest, the actual bridge standing today is one of the more modern bridges over the Thames in London. Tower Bridge was opened in 1894 making this a purely Victorian bridge. Very little has changed over the following decades so Tower Bridge looks pretty much exactly how it would have when it first opened – aside from a new lick of paint! Like most of London, they're both close together and the other attractions, easily accessible by tube _and_ blinding to behold!"

"Hold it! As brilliant as this all sounds, it would be imprudent to make plans beyond lunch, until the Professor arrives," Miles inserted diplomatically. "We need to ensure _he_ didn't have anything else planned for us after the courthouse, and thus throw a spanner in the works."

"That's right! Professor _was_ supposed to meet us here some time ago, right after he dropped Flora off to Maya, Luke and Pearl. I thought he'd be here by now – it's not _that_ a far drive from our hotel." Phoenix frowned at his watch, noting it was later in the afternoon than he'd realized. "He's never late! What in the world is keeping that man?!"

* * *

 ** _Maya Fey and Katharina Rudolf_** _ **  
**_ _Strand Palace Hotel_ _  
_ _Sacred Café, London_ _  
_July 20, 2026

"So you brought your little dog here from America? You _must_ go fetch him from your room – I just _adore_ canines of all sorts and sizes!" Anneliese was excitedly telling Pearl. "I have a German Shepard back home named Phoenix! Papa is watching him while we're away, but I miss him like crazy already! Bring down little Feyt so I can transfer some of my puppy love to him!"

"Hee! It's such a funny coincidence how your dog has the same name as Mr. Nick!" Pearl twittered, and jumped up to her feet. "I know what you mean about missing your dog. I miss my furry son if we're apart more than a few hours! He's just a baby, so he sleeps a lot – he was napping when I rushed down earlier, but that was _hours_ ago – he should be awake by now. Sit tight, I'll be right back!"

"Yes, go on, Pearl! Surely the joint forces of my daughter and your cousin can easily _pin me down_ , lest I try to _take flight_!"

Katharina tittered as the spirit medium dashed off, smirking slightly as the Master's cheeks reddened.

"Stop looking so embarrassed, Maya! It was not _that_ difficult to ascertain the true purpose of making your little girl rush downstairs to come meet me this morning! Considering _you stage whispered_ in her ear, right before you rushed to the lavatory, how you were about to _melt into a puddle_ if you did not find the loo, post haste!"

"Why would Maya think you were going to take off on her, Mama?" Anneliese was bemused. "She's a friend of _Tante_ Franziska, and therefore a friend of yours by association, is she not?"

"Of _course_ she is!" Katharina winked at the still blushing Maya. "At the time though, she was not as worried about _Dr. Rudolf_ sprinting away as she was about _Franziska Von Karma_ , whom she originally mistook _me_ for, doing just that! I imagine such would be the reason why her harried instructions to Pearl before she darted off were: ' _keep that woman here by_ _ **any**_ _means necessary, even if you need to channel the spirit of Attila the Hun to restrain her_ '!"

Anneliese threw her head back and hooted uproariously at this anecdote, her long flaxen curls bouncing around her shoulders like a halo.

Katharina was grinning so hard at her daughter, her cheeks almost ached. Aside from the anomaly of her typically _sulky_ teen turning downright _social butterfly_ due to her and Pearl's newfound camaraderie, she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Anneliese _smile_ so much, never mind _laugh_ wholeheartedly! The aural was music to her ears, and momentarily made the psychologist squelch her malaise and forget the imbroglio about whether or not to place her absquatulating sister on the same path of her long-lost, jackanapes comrade!

 _But will Franziska ever forgive such jiggery-pokery?_ _ **That**_ _is the dilemma…_

Maya studied her new friend intensely, noting the one remaining psyche lock remaining across the blonde's chest was rattling heavily. It didn't take a psychic like herself to figure out part of what was going on. Katharina was overjoyed that her daughter was so happy and had made a new friend, which meant _for now_ , she wasn't about to jet off _anywhere_! But how to extend their time together _beyond_ this café?

Another beverage was out of the question until she used the bathroom again. She'd long since demolished her breakfast, and had already consumed at least 17 cups of tea in her fervent attempts to extend the visit! She couldn't possibly have _another_ drink until she relieved herself! Her teeth were positively _floating_ by this point!

Despite the fact that the two teenagers had been cheerily nattering nineteen to the dozen right out of the gate, nevertheless, the village leader wasn't entirely convinced that if she excused herself before Pearl returned hold down the fort, Katharina _still_ wouldn't try to make a break for it! After all, that had been _exactly_ what she'd been about to do before the amazeballs Anneliese had miraculously materialized and saved her bacon!

 _Anneliese… Perhaps kidnapping Franziska's niece is the answer to this quandary! No wait – don't look at it_ _ **that**_ _way, Maya!_ She admonished herself _. It's not_ _ **abducting**_ _her, as much as it's finagling an opportunity to be_ _ **entertaining,**_ _albeit_ _via_ _ **hornswoggle**_ _means_ _ **!**_ _Ergo, I'm not being a scofflaw, even though she's a minor, so long as the kid is_ _ **voluntarily**_ _compliant to us ambushing her! If she_ _ **isn't**_ _, then hang on to your straws, cause mama's gonna be_ _ **grasping**_ _!_

Leaning forward, Maya treated the girl to her most winsome smile.

"Did you have anything planned for today while your mother heads off to her afternoon conference?"

"Not really." A typical teenage shrug. "I might check out our hotel facilities, or just lounge about in our suite on my e-reader until her meeting is over."

"Flapdoodle!" Maya exclaimed. "Why hole yourself up with your gadgets while you're on _vacation_? Don't you want to explore this amazing city? Katharina told us you've never been here."

"Mama has always been the fusty and fretful sort, and does not really like me going out by myself, even in areas I am _familiar_ with." Anneliese flashed her mother a petulant glance then turned back to Maya. "So she was hardly advocating the idea of me traveling around alone in a strange city by myself – even though _I am almost 18 years old_! It's a good thing I also brought my mobile and laptop with me, so I can be suitably entertained."

" _Absolutely not_!" Maya declared, shaking her head. "We're going to check out the BT tower and the Gherkin as soon as Pearly's boyfriend gets here, and you _have_ to join us, sweet girl! I can already tell Pearly is crazy about you, which is fabulous, because she's normally so shy! We'll just wait for Luke and the professor's daughter to get here – she's about your age and I just know you'll _adore_ her! – then we can _all_ head out and do some marvelous sight-seeing!"

"That sounds _smashing_!"

The pretty blonde was beaming widely, yet her mother remained silent. Gulping, the village head realized the grievous social faux-pas she'd just made, and cast an anxious peek at Katharina.

"We would love nothing more than to have Anneliese join us, um, assuming that's kosher with _you_ of course," she added hastily, cursing herself for the protocol malinger. "I sincerely apologize for not asking _you_ initially! After all, _I'm_ a single parent myself! It's just that our girls are about the same age, and with Pearly nearly grown, I usually give her carte-blanche for the most part. Irrespective, it was presumptuous to assume it was the case with you ladies, as well. My apologies for failing to immediately realize the correct thing should have been to ask for parental consent _first_."

The psychologist smiled benignly and responded before her willful daughter could stubbornly object about being nearly an adult who should be allowed to make such a call _for herself!_

" _Du bist so nett_ , my dear," the German woman replied with utmost veracity. "I cannot deny being an overly protective parent, so I was quite dismayed at the idea leaving my little girl, bored and alone, while I was stuck in these meetings. But by some spawny outcome, a serendipitous encounter resulted in coming across a kindhearted stranger, who technically is not really a _stranger_ at all, but a longtime family friend!"

Anneliese was expectantly eyeing her mother while bouncing in her seat.

"So _can_ I go with them then, Mama?" She asked hopefully. " _Bitte_?"

" _Mit meinem segen_! As long as it is not any trouble to have an extra body around on your tours, Maya, please know that you have my full benediction to show Anneliese around London. My instincts tell me that whenever duty calls, and I cannot be around, you are somebody I can entrust completely with my daughter."

There was a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Also, I am very cognizant that Franziska Von Karma would _never_ befriend any sort of untrustworthy or _foolish fool!"_

The two women dissolved into gales of mirth at the quip, and the delicate budding bond between them further deepened. It made the Kurain leader forsake all subterfuge then, and decide the sincere route was the one best taken.

"The thing is," Maya admitted shyly, with her endearing trademarked lack of guile. " _Pearly_ isn't in the only one who is delighted to have made a new friend today. I like you very much, Katharina, and assuming your schedule allows, would love to get together with you again. Would you and Anneliese like to join us for dinner tonight?"

Katharina blinked, startled by such unaccustomed forthrightness, but before her mother could respond, Anneliese beat her to the punch.

" _Ja, todsicher_!" She crowed jubilantly, her eyes sparkling. "It will be _much_ more fun for us to be dining _mit unseren Freunden_ , rather than just the two of us having a boring supper alone! It looks like you Fey girls were just what the doctor ordered – for me _and_ for Mama! She works so much that she _never_ goes out anymore, and it's starting to get _depressing_!"

Katharina blushed at this personal bit of information being so cavalierly shared, but nodded her agreement.

" _Danke_ , for the kind offer, Maya." She smiled amiably at the apprehensive-looking necromancer. "We would _both_ love nothing more than to join you tonight."

 _Oh thank God!_ Maya expelled a sigh of relief. _I've got Kat pinned down at least for the rest of today! I'll worry later about_ _ **tomorrow**_ _and thereafter! Right now, my eyes are probably yellow though, cuz I reallllly need to unload this tea! Where the heck is Pearly?! I need her to get back here so I can take care of nature's calling!_

Raising her frantic eyes, she was elated to see Pearl had finally returned, the tiny Feyt leashed and cradled in her arms.

"Pearly! Guess what?" Anneliese squealed. "Mama and I are joining you all tonight for supper!"

" _Yay_! This will be _so_ fun!" Pearl gushed. "I just _know_ you and your mom will love Mr. Nick, Luke, the Professor and his daughter – _whoa, boy_! Easy there!"

Feyt's mother giggled helplessly as the squirming Bichon Frise practically leapt from her arms and lunged at the German girl, who was already cooing and stretching her arms out for him. Releasing the puppy to shower his new friend with tiny pink-tongued kisses, she turned to Franziska's sister with her customary dulcet smile.

"Since you and Anneliese are our honored guests tonight, did you have any particular preferences for type of cuisine, Miss Katharina?"

"My live-in housekeeper has helped keep me and my daughter fed for the past decade, so I cannot remember the last time I dined out," Katharina confessed ruefully. "We neither of us are too fussy though..."

" _Jolly hockey sticks_!" A high-pitched feminine voice cried from behind them. " _Anneliese_?! Is that _really_ you?!"

Maya and Pearl turned and saw Flora standing behind them, but the English girl was unmindful to either the psychologist or the Feys' presence. Her wide sable eyes were lit up with delighted surprise and focused solely on the younger Rudolf, whose own chartreuse orbs had transformed into saucers as they stared at the brunette with identical exultation. Without warning, the blonde jumped up from her chair and engulfed Layton's daughter in tight hug.

" _Flora Reinhold!"_ Anneliese was positively giddy as she rocked the girl from side to side in her embrace. " _Ich glaub mich knutscht ein Elch!_ I have not seen you in _ages!"_

" _Cheese 'n rice!"_ Flora shook her head in wonder as she drew back to beam happily at the blonde. "At _least_ ten years! Not since our camping days!"

Maya, who'd been as blindsided by this exchange as Pearl and Katharina, finally spoke.

"I guess we don't need to worry about your daughter getting on with the Professor's!" She joked, grinning at the dumbfounded doctor. "It's a smaller world than we think, since it appears they _already_ know each other!"

"We were best mates in our primary school days!" Flora informed them happily. "Up until my father died, we used to go to the same finishing camp in Switzerland for years!"

"Did the Baron pass on?" Anneliese asked sympathetically. "I'm so sorry to hear that! He used to always take you and I out for supper on the first and last day of camp, and I remember how much I liked him! Such a kind man."

"Thank you. He was fond you, too." Flora's bronze ponytail bobbed as she nodded her gracious acceptance to the condolence. "But soon after you and I lost touch, I was taken in and raised by very loving, wonderful man, and my name is now Flora Layton. My adopted father is world renowned archeologist, Professor Hershel Layton."

She clapped a hand to her mouth to muffle a giggle.

"Daddy and I live in a cottage about an hour outside of London, and he was going to drop me off on the way to the courthouse to meet his friends, but when I spotted you at the table, I bounded out of the car while it was stopped at a red light and raced right over! He's probably looking for a place to park on these busy streets and wondering where the deuce I vanished to!"

 _Looks like I'm not the only one who barely looks before she leaps!_

Maya was cracking up and already in the middle of texting their whereabouts to Layton, while the two reunited friends continued prattling on without a care in the world.

"Mama and I are going to be joining you lot for dinner tonight, and were just trying to determine where to go, but although these three have been here before, none of us are overly familiar with England's restaurant scene," Anneliese was telling Flora. "And I've _never_ been here before! Do _you_ have any recommendations?"

"Well then, you must try some nommy British fare! I know a place that's the dog's bollocks!" Flora decreed. "We'll all have a right old knees up The Ritz Restaurant! Mother and Father used to take me there all the time for special occasions."

She paused to take a breath to wave at Maya and Pearl, and graciously inclined her head at Katharina before breathlessly continuing.

"Trust me, you'll _all_ think it's lush! Cracking high-end British and French dining, and the finest of British ingredients are cooked using Escoffier-inspired classical recipes! The detail, presentation and service are second to none making it a truly memorable dining experience, plus diners enjoy breath-taking views of The Royal Green Park."

"It sounds quite _posh_ …" Anneliese bit her lip.

"It _is_ upscale. But you already look smart in that faux suede romper you're sporting, which is at the height of trend now! Surely a Super High-School Level Fashionista like yourself has plenty of luvvly-jubbly apparel to reflect the elegant nature of the restaurant!" Flora said kindly. "They don't allow trainers, jeans and sportswear, and gentlemen are required to wear a jacket and tie, but for the ladies, it's a bit more lax, and any sort of smart casual attire is suitable."

"But I've heard of this place! _Famous_ people like Margaret Thatcher have been known to go there!" The blonde teen groaned. "I'm not sure I have _anything_ suitable to wear, _including_ proper fancy footwear!"

Anneliese admiringly scanned Flora's trendy rope and leather sandals, then pouted sulkily at her mother.

" _Mama_! _Why_ didn't you let me pack my favorite dusty rose Manolo Blahnik, Verna Velvet, Crystal-Buckle Mary Jane Pumps?!"

"Because your valise was already bursting at the seams, as you had packed enough clothing for a _month,_ even though we are only supposed to be here for a _sennight_ , _meine diva_ ," Katharina replied dryly. "And _also_ because you had already packed _10 pairs_ of shoes!"

"But _those_ pumps would have been the impeccable companion for my _only_ passable outfit for such a place!" She whined. "My little black cocktail dress! You _know_ the one, Mama! My devastatingly sexy lace dress with deep V-neck, sheer back and scalloped edges by Hugo Boss!"

"You poor, mistreated child! How grievously I have wronged you," the psychologist deadpanned, (only because she was too classy to bark at her only child to _stop whinging on_ around mixed company) _._ "I suppose that leaves you no choice but to make do with the _several dozens_ outfits you already packed in _your_ suitcase, as well as _mine,_ because yours got too full!"

Ignoring her mother's sarcasm, Anneliese turned to Flora.

"Flora, on the way here to meet Mama this morning, I saw this _fantastisch_ shoe boutique! It was not open yet, as it was so early, but should be by now! Fancy coming along and helping me pick out a pair?"

"Spiffing!" Flora enthused, nodding. "We're going sightseeing with the Feys later, but I reckon we have some time to shop, as Luke isn't here yet. Let's chivvy along then! Pearl, are you coming?"

"I'd like to…" Pearl bit her thumb uncertainly. "But I really _should_ wait for Luke. It would be rude to have him show up to meet me, and I'm not here. We can meet you guys at the shop, or call you to meet us somewhere as soon as he arrives."

"Let's go then!" Anneliese gave her mother a fleeting peck on the cheek. "We should not be more than half an hour or so, but I know you have to head out to the conference soon, Mama. See you later this evening then, around dinnertime! "

"You _really_ mean to go fetch another pair of shoes for your insurmountable collection, _Imelda Marcos_?" Katharina demanded disbelievingly as she gawked at her daughter, who'd linked arms with Flora and was already sashaying away. "But you _just_ ordered a plate of fish and chips! You know better than to waste food!"

"Don't worry, Miss Katharina. There will be no waste! Luke can have them," Pearl ventured. "He's the only person I know with an appetite to rival Mystic Maya's!"

"There you go, problem solved!" Anneliese dismissed breezily, blowing another kiss before jetting away. " _Auf Wiedersehen_ , Mama!"

Katharina gave her head a shake, appearing to be slightly dazed by the whirligig of events, and let out a little laugh as the waitress came by just then to place the aforementioned grub on the table.

"I do not know whether to laugh or cry right now! I gave her a joint credit card for emergencies and I know _this_ will somehow qualify, and with my daughter's champagne tastes, I do not want to even _think_ about the bill next month!" She eyed the Master dubiously. "Maya, are you _sure_ you can handle her?"

Maya's stomach plummeted, as she was coming to the sinking realization that although Anneliese's fine facial lineaments made her the very image of her beauteous mother, in _personality_ , she was the quintessential junior version of her steamrolling, ball-breaking, _Tante_ Franziska!

 _Nonetheless, I don't have much of a choice, Kat!_ _Taking your headstrong_ _offspring "hostage" is the only way I can be_ _ **certain**_ _to keep you around, and_ _ **you're**_ _the ticket to finding a particular evasive German woman!_

"Handle _whom_?" Luke asked brightly, out of the blue. He sat down beside his girlfriend, greeting her with a quick peck on the cheek and then dropping a smooch onto the head of Feyt, who was back in his mother's lap. "I didn't mean to earwig but…hullo, what's this? Chips?! Those look downright _scrummy_! May I filch a few?"

His entrance lines were so perfectly, yet unwittingly, on par with Pearl's glutton comment that the Feys could barely mask their snickers as the unassuming lad popped two fries into his mouth, then smiled chivalrously in greeting at the stranger in his midst.

"Good day to you, madam." He extended his non greasy hand to Katharina. "I'm Luke Triton."

"That would have been my guess, since it would take a skin cream even more advanced than my own _miraculous one_ to make you be Flora's _father_."

The German woman smirked at the still giggling cousins, paying no attention to the boy's confused look at her inside joke, and smilingly shook the proffered palm.

"Nice to meet you, Luke. My name is Katharina, and consider that fare all yours. It was just discarded by my daughter, the recently deviated Anneliese, who will be joining your touring group today."

" _What_?" Luke halted mid-mouthful, and swiveled bewildered dark eyes at Pearl. " _How_ did we go about acquiring a new troop member?"

"Long story. I'll explain later." The teen calmly patted him on the hand and reached for the pungent berry and citrus smelling teapot that had come along with the food. "Let me pour your favorite hot beverage in the meantime, Oasis Berry."

"Is there any way to get a _condensed_ version, so I can cease worrying about my daughter's whereabouts?" An amused male voice chuckled from behind the blonde. "Considering Maya _just_ texted me that Flora was here at the café with you lot, yet now is nowhere to be found?"

"Although she might guilty of scaring the dickens out of you by scurrying through traffic, Flora is _not_ at fault for being otherwise engaged at the moment," Katharina laughed, turning around to see the face belonging to the sophisticated baritone. "You see, the unsuspecting girl was dragged off on an impulsive shoe shopping expedition …"

As she got her first glimpse of their latest arrival, who _this_ time, undeniably _had to be_ Flora's father, her words abruptly died on her lips, and she found herself simply staring at him.

The Professor stared right back.

Layton's former apprentice and the American girls swung their flummoxed eyes back and forth between the two, but from where they were sitting, the archaeologist's and psychologist's miens remained obscured by the wide brims of their hats.

There was an excruciatingly extensive silence as Layton continued to remain mum, rather than pleasantly introducing himself, as was his typical gentleman tradition.

The psychologist was no better with her behavior. Luke and the Feys watched in utter mystification as the blonde woman's visage transformed from a pleasant, laughing, oval shape into a perfect _nerd of a square_! It was almost as though steel ridges had formed around her mouth, which had altered into a straight, unsmiling line as she and Layton continued to stare at one another.

Finally, Maya couldn't take it anymore. Everybody else seemed to have taken to her new friend like a fat kid to cake… So what the heck was the _Professor's_ problem?

"Er, Professor Layton, may I introduce you to Dr. Katharina Rudolf, who is here for both business and pleasure purposes. She is the sister of both Miles and my friend Franziska Von Karma."

Layton still didn't speak, but Katharina finally snapped out of her bizarre trance and courteously gestured to the chair beside her.

"Please join us, Professor." Averting her gaze, she reached for the freshly filled teapot that'd just arrived, unnoticed, to the table, and pointed to an unused cup. "Would you care for a spot of tea? It's Belle Classic."

"That's quite alright, thank you." Layton cleared his throat and shifted in his seat to ensure Luke, who was sitting across from him, was the only one within his field of vision, and directed his reply to the middle of the tabletop without even slightly turning his head towards Franziska's sister. "I do appreciate the offer, Dr. Rudolf, but I regret to say that isn't a flavor which particularly tickles my fancy."

Katharina rigidly down the silver pot, then began plucking listlessly at the tablecloth corner, and targeted her gaze to veer nowhere but at the cousins.

The triad of magatama possessors exchanged startled glances with one another as they all simultaneously heard the telltale rattling of a psyche lock slamming into place, and Luke wildly pondered if his former mentor had been body snatched by aliens.

 _Strike a light!_ _ **Professor Hershel Layton**_ _isn't in the mood for_ _ **tea**_ _?! Is he off his trolley?! Or should I be on alert for the_ _ **rest**_ _of the pod people?!_

Maya, who by now had forgotten her previously unrelenting urge to pee, and had consumed more cups of tea with the Professor her than she could ever count, was thinking the exact same thing.

 _Shit fire and save your matches! What in thunderation has gotten into the Professor? Belle Classic is his absolute_ _ **favorite!**_ _He loves the sweet berries, tart citron and refreshing tropics blend of coconut and pineapple, all fused together to make a most memorable cup of tea!_

"I hope you weren't worried for _too_ long about where Flora had run off to, Professor," the Master began awkwardly. "I swear I messaged you right after she got here! But you see, she ran into an old school friend and…"

"No worries, Maya." Layton raised his lowered brim ever so slightly so she could see the cordial smile on his lips. "Have you decided where you wanted to go for dinner tonight?"

"Um, Flora mentioned The Ritz?" Pearl offered. "Since we're going touring today, maybe we should make reservations for around 8?"

"My daughter made a brilliant choice." Layton nodded approvingly. "I'll give them a bell on my way back to the car. At that late a mealtime, I'm positive even a swank establishment like theirs will have no difficulties accommodating a large party of seven."

"Um, actually, it'll be for _nine_ , Professor," Pearl corrected him, feeling the quelling urge to gnaw her thumb but not understanding why. "Miss Katharina will be joining us tonight, along with –"

"Her travelling companion," Layton finished stiffly, still not turning his head to acknowledge Katharina. "Yes, of course. How nice – the more the merrier, I always say. I shall let the steward know about our larger than usual party when I ring to book the table."

He gave the teen a ghost of a smile, then directing his attentions to his former apprentice.

"Luke, The Ritz makes a grand loin of lamb, which you'll undoubtedly enjoy."

"Ha-ha! You know me too well, Professor!" The young man forced himself to sound convivial, even though the tense atmosphere was getting more painful with each passing minute. "Although surely nothing holds a candle to your roast lamb!"

"I'm sure you'll find the braised shoulder, served with courgette and tomato, to be a more than adequate substitution for my home cooking." The gentleman's voice sounded slightly strained, as though speaking was difficult, and he pointed to Luke's teapot. "Is that Oasis Berry my boy?"

The boy nodded.

"Might I have a cup? I think something sweet just might be what I need before I hit the road and go meet Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth at the courthouse. I'm already tardy, but that daughter of mine who is usually full of beans, was so tuckered out from yesterday's late night festivities that she couldn't seem to get out of bed early enough, and being the pushover that I am, I didn't have the heart to knock her up."

Pearl's eyes nearly bulged out of their skull at this _very_ unfamiliar colloquialism, which had a much more _lewd_ American equivalent. However, unlike her loose-tongued guardian, but she was much too well-mannered to blurt out the query if _knocking someone up_ had a _dissimilar_ meaning in England – which she was desperately _hoping_ it did!

Layton's phone rang at just then, and he hurriedly went to answer it.

As though having read his sweetheart's mind, Luke discreetly leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"Don't worry love. It means _rise her up_ , as in _awaken her from bed_! It has absolutely _nothing_ in common with its Yankee counterpart idiom." The laughter was evident in his tone. "Although I _suppose_ in both instances, you _do_ need to be _awake_ for it…"

" _Hee_!"

The teenage spirit medium clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from loudly snickering, playfully swatting at Luke's arm for this unseemly jesting, and the mood around the table lightened up a notch.

In the interim, Layton had turned his head away from the table and was speaking very softly into his phone, although it just sounded as though the entire conversation was merely a series of, _"hmm,"_ _"indeed"_ and _"that is quite the puzzle!"_ and " _this shall require some critical thinking..."_

Finally, he rung off, pushed his barely touched teacup aside and smiled faintly at his friends.

"That was Ridelle Mystere from the Old Bailey. There's something that requires my assistance at the courthouse. Unfortunately, I must be off now."

"Professor, must you go _already_?" Luke asked in dismay, loath to have his former advisor leave before he figured out the puzzle behind Layton's baffling behavior. "You've hardly taken a sip of tea! Can't you at least stay for a cup?"

"Indeed, I'm required to leave right away. Miss Mystere indicated this was a matter of urgency and stressed that I needed to assist her, posthaste."

This time, the trio wasn't surprised to hear and even louder clank of a secondary psyche lock slamming into place. Although for the life of them, they couldn't figure out _what_ could possibly make the normally honest archaeologist lie about having a sudden _need_ to make tracks like a bat out of hell!

Layton tipped his hat and gave a slight bow towards Katharina while profoundly keeping his eyes diverted.

"Dr. Rudolf, it was a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to seeing you at dinner. Cheers."

There was a subdued chorus of goodbyes, and then he was gone.

"I have to be going, as well." Katharina announced stiffly, reaching into her purse and putting a few currency notes on the table, while carefully avoiding all eye-contact. "I need to get ready for my conference this afternoon. Luke, ladies, it was very nice meeting you, and I will see you at dinner. _Auf Wiedersehen_."

"See you later, Katharina," the Master called after her, feeling as dismal as the other woman had looked.

All things said, the _one_ solace she had was that in the case of the good doctor, there had been no more soul- obstructing padlocks, indicating that in spite of this strange encounter with Layton, Katharina Rudolf had every intention of still coming to dinner, even if it would now possibly only be for Anneliese's sake, and _against her own will._

 _And if that_ _ **is**_ _the case, thanks to the Nutty Professor, it's something which none of us could blame her for!_

The troubled Maya then looked over at Pearl. Pearl looked at Luke. Luke looked at Maya.

Then they all let out a collective, gloomy sigh.

 _This_ time, all three had been prepared for the final clang of the third psyche lock echoing in their ears as Hershel Layton had left the café.

* * *

 ** _Damian Cain_**  
Date: ? Time: ? Location: ?

Lying on the floor next to the spare tires and "kit" was the victim – not shot dead with a sniper, like the rest of his "targets" but unmoving. Underfoot, hidden in the dim light lay redundant zip-ties in the dust.

His stygian eyes, baring deep shadows under protruding cheek bones, narrowed into speculative, serpentine slits as the executioner crept closer. Slow, slinking movements as fluidly as though he had no bones at all.

He felt the same thrill that enveloped him every time he got to use his vast array of assassin skills for a living hit, for a change of pace. Kidnapping was infinitely more convoluted, and involved more precision then a clean shoot to kill bullseye target.

Because in this case, the top brass wanted the captive to be kept alive – for now.

He lay his hand on her denim clad hip, noting the curves were firm, yet soft. Feminine. Meaning less sinew and muscle to get in the way if any of the blades on the walls needed to utilized for more "interrogation" rather than "decoration" purposes.

His blunt, weathered hand swiftly roamed up to her chest, detecting a slow but steady heartbeat. She was warm enough not to be dead, but so immobile that the drugs had her out for the count. He felt the urge to see her face, touch her hair, but the mesh hood still over her head meant the games had not yet begun and his boss was a stickler for the rules. No doubt the shanghaier mastermind was off negotiating the assessed value of this prisoner – or if they were even worth the hassle.

It made no difference to the banausic Damian. Alive or dead – he got paid either way.

His dispassionate, incogitant detachment towards victims was par for course, as his Faustian pact with the devil had repaid itself at the cost of his soul. When he wasn't on a job, he was living the high-life as one of the highest-paid and successful contract killers in the world.

And if "The Gentleman," which was the reputed title he maintained, ended up needing to ultimately dispose of the target, he would ensure he maintained his own grim tradition of sending flowers to the family of this latest victim.

A speculative smile crept over his normally impassive, immobile features as he contemplated which way this would end. Whatever the game was, it never lasted long, and in the meantime, the thrills were custom made by his own daydreams. What else mattered?

As for the motionless figure being held at his mercy…she'd have to wake up at some point, and he would be waiting patiently for when she did, as there was no gratification in silencing a limp target.

After all, he was a predator, not a scavenger.

* * *

 _ **Kidnapping Victim  
**_ Date: ? Time: ? Location: ?

 _Fear is shackles, worse than the ones that bind me. Fear is a knife in the gut slowly twisted, fear is a constant hammer on the head…._

She strained against the zip-ties, and could feel the blood running over the translucent plastic, red on white. Her nose filled with the musty scent of the sack that covered her head and in the almost blackness her eyes strained for some sign of what was to come. From the cold, unmoving cement now beneath her body, she could determine the shifting motions from right to left and the revving of the engine were no longer present, indicating her surroundings were stationary and she was no longer in transit.

Surely someone was looking for her, the police, the FBI…Interpol…

Suddenly, strong hands lifted her roughly under the arms and shoved her reclined form into a wall behind her, the act slamming the back of her hooded head against it with a heavy thud. It stung, and sent swells of pain through her body.

Cold fingers clamped down on her bare shoulder in a vice grip, and she could hear heavy breathing in her ear.

She could feel the sweat drenching her skin, the throbbing of my own eyes, and the thumping of her heart against my chest. She couldn't hear my rapid breathing, but she could feel the oxygen flooding in and out of her lungs as the sack was suddenly yanked off her head without warning, and her horrified eyes rested on a face she'd never dreamed she'd ever see again for the rest of her days.

The resurfaced fear tortured her guts, churning her stomach in tense cramps, and engulfed her conscience, knocking all other thoughts aside as she gaped at her captor.

" _Y –You!"_ She gasped. "You're supposed to be _dead_!"

Running a finger down the bound woman's cheek, a supercilious smirk played on the familiar lips, belonging to the spiteful face of _last_ person any of them had ever suspected.

"I thought the _exact_ same thing about _you_ …Ms. _Debbie Dallas_."

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 176**

 **AA Fan Guest**

Yay I can finally address my newest reader by name (sorta!)

Thank you so much! I am delighted you enjoyed this chapter I am having a blast weaving all parts of AA world – DGS and the crossover – into the story with the AA gang while slowly weaving the characters' fate together as well! Exasperated Edgeworth as a snarky wannabe Brit is almost as much fun as grumpy drunk Miles! Which do you prefer? :p

As for Polly, he's still an open book for pairing as I have only written him in a relationship twice. All I can say is based on my past history in writing FF, I have paired Polly with Pearl in one collab, and then I have paired JusticeCykes off in _Double DILF Doodies…_ but _*cough*_ there _was_ something mentioned in my earlier chapter _Fallen Heroes_ …. ;)

 ***Review of the Week***

 **Eveshowrtc**

Welcome back dear reader! I don't realize it'd been a whole nine months a.k.a. three trimesters since I last had the pleasure of hearing from you! One of these characters could've gotten pregnant and had a baby in that time! But of course I remember you! It's hard to forget somebody that gave you and to other talented writers the esteemed name of " _Fan Fiction's Yatagarasu_ " which we have shamelessly used in the title of some of our collaborative works (and which some… _other_ types of FF writers… have since decided to dub _themselves_ but I digress!) XD

· **Chapter 156: I Think I Wanna Marry You - A fitting new interpretation of butt monkey  
** Hey Apollo can't be around all the time, Wright?!

· **Chapter 157: Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Mildred's non-channeling exposed  
** The Dragon Lady hath been slain and her blazing inferno extinguished! A collaborative effort for the entire gang as they got to take turns in playing St. George!

· **Chapter 158: From This Moment - Larry's unintentional Friends reference  
** The _Friends_ reference was actually inspired by a fan art somebody did of Nick and Larry with the groom making the same ridiculous erroneous faux pas of naming it his _Larry's Apple!_

· **Chapter 159: I Believe I Can Fly - Phoenix being more scared of Gumshoe's driving than a helicopter  
** Otherwise known as the chapter where Mildew's bony finger gets chomped by Constantine Junior – and one active prosecutor and the Chief of police turning a willful blind eye to the whole thing!

· **Chapter 160: Forever Your Girl - Larry's speech and reactions to it**

It was very difficult trying to make Larry be a worthy husband for Iris while still making him the canon goofball Butz we all know! But out of all the speeches in that chapter I'm very pleased that his was the one that you enjoyed the most! The dreaded OOC is every fanfiction writer's worst nightmare and I'm glad to know so far I've managed to dodge it for the most part!

· **Chapter 161: Danger Zone - Lotta's cheesy hair**

I don't know if you have watched the AA anime, which did a wonderful job of actually humanizing the Southern she devil as well as when the Oldbag but for the most part the woman is nerve grinding and deserved a dose of instant karma… In this case it was of the _fromage_ variety but only because Ms. _Von Karma_ and her whip were nowhere around!

· **Chapter 162: With A Little Help From My Friends - Drunk Edgeworth  
** I still have not decided if I had more fun with drunk Miles or Anglophile Miles… Let me know your choice!

· **Chapter 163: Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You - Agitated Drunk Edgeworth  
** This was also the chapter we got to see Mia Fey and Miles Edgeworth playing Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire on the dance floor! He would've gotten worse in the agitated drunk category if she hadn't cut him off… He is really paying in spades for that one-time "bimbo" line, eh? :p

· **Chapter 164: All My Life - Larry having horrible friends**

You can't have a surname like Butz without _being_ **_Your Last Name_** of ill-timed jokes and even worse marital advice by your slightly jealous and drunken childhood friends!

· **Chapter 165: Everything I Do, I Do It For You - The performance that made Maya famous**

I figured it was about time my favorite videogame heroine had a case of tit-for-tat and finally sacrificed something for Phoenix in return, since he has literally risked everything, from his reputation to his badge to his _life_ for her in the six video games! This chapter can also be called JP's umpteenth homage to Leann Rimes (and she still ain't done!) :p

· **Chapter 166: The King of Wishful Thinking - Maya meeting Lang and Kay**

If I could choose any two characters to meet out of the many lovable Ace Attorney characters, it would be these playful, ebony-haired beauties. It would then be Nick and Miles's turns to be the Butz of jokes while their former assistants mocked them relentlessly… the vengeful Larry would deserve to be there with the video camera to immortalize their shame!

· **Chapter 167: I Will Find You - Judge Chambers' lack of technological knowledge  
** I reckon Jughead Chambers has apparently been on this earth for almost as long as the Archie's comics have – they started 1939 – meaning he _literally_ predates  the metric system _and_ the computer age! Is it possible he's even older than Wendy Oldbag?

· **Chapter 168: Inevitable - More of His Honor's lacking tech knowledge**

It's amazing how Miles has any patience left for the honorable Judge Chambers seeing as how he already has to suffer having a not so techno-savvy best friend like Phoenix, who doesn't even know how to use his phone calendar to record appointments! See? More proof Miles is cinnamon roll!

· **Chapter 169: Drive Me Crazy - Heavenly bantering**

I know some people have jumped onto Ema X Elsa ship after Spirit of Justice but I can't help it these two sizzle… Hail SkyeFop!

· **Chapter 170: Candy Man - Before Candi and Klavier saw each other**

Otherwise known as the umpteenth situation where a character gets drunk in this story and you know that I know that you know that I know it's going to bite him in the arsch _somehow_!

· **Chapter 171: Blow Me (One Last Kiss) - The Paynes' home predicament**

For all the times we have winced in pain due to the elder Payne brother, none of us thought the day would come where he would seem like a saint in comparison to his slimy brother… Although is it any surprise that a man who lacks presence in the courtroom would also lack having testicles at home? XD

· **Chapter 172: Promise Of A New Day - Edgeworth's joke**

Edgy actually is a really nice guy… He just does a really better job of hiding it! Someone needs to throw him a cinnamon roll, coming-out party!

· **Chapter 173: Born To Be My Baby - Apollo and Trucy meeting Maya**

Episode known as _All in the Family_ …. And all of them are larks. To the surprise absolutely nobody. I think all the Ace Attorney characters have musical talent and /or can sing. Except for the Payne brothers. They sound like dying cats

· **Chapter 174: The Miles High Club - Edgeworth discovering that his friends have joined the Mile High Club**

The one which should've been called _Thank God for Pearl Fey_ otherwise Miles Edgeworth would've gone skydiving without a parachute!

· **Chapter 175: Across the Pond - Phoenix and Maya misunderstanding a jewelry hunt**

This one could also been called _Karmic Revenge_ for the unwitting hell Phaya put Edgeworth through on the flight from England!

· **Chapter 176: Knowing Me, Knowing You - Wright proving how oblivious he is outside of court**

I think in a former life Phoenix may have been a horse – because he suffers from really shitty tunnel vision and may as well have blinders on to everything around him which is obvious to everybody else… Which was why in this entire trilogy it took _three years_ for him to realize the lovely budding beauty that was his assistant may actually have returned his feelings! :p

I can't believe you took the time to actually cover the last 20 chapters! Mind equals blown I am so touched by this!

Absence forgiven, although there was nothing to forgive – we all get busy and have lives to live, plus your review made me grin like an idiot from ear to ear! I look at my readers like this… I don't wannabe like Larry Butz who is never really had a problem _getting_ a girl but _keeping_ one! Meeting over two years of writing this fanfiction it's very easy to acquire new readers but to actually have readers still be with me all this time later is incredible even if they don't always review and it means a lot to me that you not only taken the time to leave such a thoughtful well worded review but have let me know that you've been with me the entire time I imagine this is similar to the warm fuzzy feeling Phoenix feels knowing he has Mia Fey as his guardian angel – always there even if she doesn't always make her presence known!

Thank you, kind sir. The pleasure was mine. :)

 **Yanmegaman**

One of the worst things aside from boring your readers when even writing a story for as long as I have is having them think I am too anticlimactic/predictable! Hence why that couldn't possibly have been Franziska Maya spotted just yet… And why I totally tried to make Wrightworth's mystery guest be somebody that most people wouldn't think of, even though I do hope fans of the crossover will know and like Barnham and Espella and assume their appearance is a given because I loved them! Darklaw…well you know what I thought of _her_ so moving on…

Hunky Knight aside, I've never been a fan of male redheads (except for Jamie Fraser from _Outlander_!) Hard to believe that in this case that glorious ginger hair would be an improvement over those ridiculous frilly wigs! XD

On the topic of redheads, who I suppose a universally more preferable by the masses compared to male gingers… A certain fiery redhead and her often too chatty neck accessory _are_ just around the bend… There will be a lot of mini arcs in Europe but I assure you The Courtroom Revolutionnaire is one of them!

 **DannyDragon**

 _Hola mi amiga musica!_

 _Muchas gracias! Si, es verdad_ …As a FF writer you have no idea how mind blowing it is to have people actually care about your OC… Considering what a rich and colorful cast of canon characters there are in Ace Attorney! Thank you very much for the kind words about Franziska's niece and sister you will definitely be seeing them in this next arc and I hope your enjoyment continues with the Miles (yes everyone loves Edgy!)and Franny storyline. Jean Greyerl was considered a minor character in the crossover… Yet it's awesome how many of my readers knew her and remembered her, considering she definitely opened up the can of worms which eventually led Maya into the… _Cáliz de fuego_ shall we say?

 **Ariastella**

As far as I'm concerned Manfred can join Zak Gramarye among the ranks of useless sperm donor that has caused irreparable damage to his daughter (nobody can tell me Trucy did not have abandonment issues at some point!). Seeing as how Badd has always been so paternal towards Kay as Uncle Badd, I really embrace the idea of him seeing Franny as one of his own pack! He can help soothe her soul the way she has been taking care of his injured ass post car-bomb blast – I think we all know Detective Badass recuperated _ages_ ago from his injuries (busted ribs don't take half a year to heal!) but the emotionally constipated Franziska needs the excuse to still be staying with him and since he sees her as part of his clan he's happy to give her one! :p

Good Lord woman, it's a good thing actually am able to correspond with you off this site/not only limited to reviews so I can decipher the always colorful locational cryptic messages that are enclosed in your reviews… Although I suppose it's fitting that I occasionally find your references _puzzling_ since you have given me so many gem ideas for this story and other fan fictions – including having Layton decipher the mysterious puzzle surrounding Trucy's ancestry and alchemy! Now that I've solved the meaning behind your suggested reference to Ryu's backstory… You know what my offline answer was to the suggestion! :)

 **Brock's Geodude**

Thankyouverymuch glad you likey!

I know it's been over 100 chapters since we last saw Manfred Von Karma's granddaughter and Franziska's more levelheaded older sister Katharina, but now that everybody's in Europe now seemed as good a time as any to refresh my readers' memories as they play an important role with one of the story arcs!

I cannot for the life of me stop shipping Su and Ryu even though the evil Come headquarters refused to release DGS into the West! Some kindhearted fan translation videos were all I needed to convince me that Susato is the ever delightfully clueless Nick's great-grandma (we all know Ryu's ancestral tie-in to Phoenix is already canon) and see these two as the original Phaya! 3

Aside from the ending I absolutely _loved_ the Layton and Phoenix Wright crossover and seeing Nick and Maya's interactions with the colorful characters of Labyrinthia! Barnham was too good at slamming down his fist to let him only remain a dough-abusing baker in my opinion! (Plus *cough* _major_ storyline correlation upcoming! *cough*) ;)

 **Chloemcg**

Very high praise indeed to have my story compared to Edgeworth investigations thank you so much milady!

 _The Lion King_ is my favorite hands-down Disney movie and the play was unbelievable as seen it twice! Lucky you are milady, to have gotten to see it! Did you know they are making a live-action movie out of that?

How wonderful to live in a place with so many wonderful landmarks! Thank you for the suggestions! Looking into the history/trivia of these places with the gang keeps ending up has been a lot of fun unlike Phoenix I do not find these things boring in the least! Even though I relate to my favorite character Nick more overall, when it comes to soaking of culture I am Miles Edgeworth 100% (well 99% - I would refuse to keep droning on with my acquired information if I thought I didn't have a captive audience!)

The horrible rain appears to have let off and I finally got to go to the beach since I last wrote about news is we're now looking at a cold front in the average temperature even though we are still in August is about 20°… Sunny but too cold to swim this is what life is like is a Canadian! The true frigid north we be that the people there are quite warm as individuals internally! :-)

Good news Lady Layton does come out beginning of October this year I do believe it was only available for cell phones not tablets which really sucks but it's just around the corner! I would love to know if there's going to be a sequel as well as I only have two more cases to play before I'm done it is such delightful fluff and Kat is _so_ adorable and girly with her constant outfit changes! The dog = scene stealer. That's all I'm saying! ;)

Loved the Feyt story, and also, your Pess X Shah'do story gave me cavities and all I can say is your animal shipping has definitely given me some ideas for this story… I'm going to thank you in advance for the inspiration and give that shout out to you when that point comes up in this tale!

 **Joeclone**

Look it hasn't been a whole month! Three weeks yes but not a whole _month_! (I had to update _Filling the Void_ but thank heavens that's almost done!)

We know that Manfred actually has a granddaughter – it seems to be accepted as canon that said grandchild would be from a _daughter_ instead of a _son_ because otherwise why would Manny be grooming Miles in his own image if he'd had his own Von Karma male heir? I hope you didn't face palm _too_ hard sweetie; it's been _ages_ since we saw Katharina and Anneliese - the former was after Fredgeworth lost Carol and the latter was last seen as a rascally munchkin who barged into _Oncle_ Miles's closed door without knocking, making the teenage Franny almost walk in on her Little Brother _in the buff_ , post shower! But you were 100% Wright in asking if it was really _that_ easy for Maya to have spotted the runaway Von Karma already! The answer is _absolutely_ it would have been! And when do I ever make _anything_ easy for _anybody_ in this story? :p

I love to surprise my readers and keep them guessing and I have a lot of fun reading of my readers guess is about with a mysterious voice greeting Nick and Miles at the courthouse would be! Jean was a character with a small role but played such a huge part in the Labyrinthia storyline as she got the ball rolling for Maya to take the fall for Espella! Plus I always saw a bit of a mischievous glint in the former witch's eye which is why I made her so cheeky! I am almost finished watching the translated videos of the first DGS and the same awesome guy is in the middle of putting up the DGS2 videos already which means I am sure the English subtitles are soon to follow! I am so excited because I'm in love with Su and Ryu! You have no idea how eager I am to make Nick finally get a clue and realize his roots aren't as lost to him as he thought! You can put some money on Jean and Ridelle since they have the illustrious Sir Layton puzzle solver extraordinaire in the corner! :-)

Even though she is still very playful and silly I think Maya being a single mother all this time would've given her _some_ patience to make her realize that you cannot _force_ open a psyche lock! Because the last thing she wants to happen is her sole connection of Franziska a.k.a. Katharina to go running – with the rest of the Scooby Doo gang (the role of Trucy will temporarily be played by Flora Reinhold) having to be in hot pursuit in the mystery machine! But what's this you saw this chapter? _More_ psyche locks… And they belonged to the _professor_? What the heck could _he_ possibly have to hide? Hehehe…

 **Ilet Moratar**

 _No problem, mi hermana dulce! Guardar lo mejor para el ultimo, derecho?_

How lucky you are to have me to keeping you up to speed/in channel on these crossover/DD and DGS characters that will pop up in the story! You have to agree that Barnham is to redhead in videogames what Jamie Fraser is to TV series? ;)

I think anybody who first meets Maya, Kat included, would be _über_ surprised to know just _how_ much shrieking energy is inside that tiny frame of hers, let alone that the stoic Franziska Von Karma could ever be friends with such a person! However they are so similar despite their vast differences in that they are both daughters of destiny which of course was the last time my readers saw them together however a reunion of these two separated _amigas_ is just around the corner! As for Pearl that little darling is guaranteed to soften just about any atmosphere she's in… soft and any atmosphere… After all she capped Uncle Miles from going skydiving without a parachute right? XD

It is so much fun to finally put the teenage spirit medium amongst peers her own age at last… I'll try hard not to make poor Luke be left out as an Anneliese, Flora and Pearl become the Three Musketeers!

Katharina is definitely going to have to be the voice of reason to all matters concerning her headstrong little sister and I'm so happy that _you_ of all people, being Franziska's biggest fan girl, did not throw a toaster at _me_ for my little fake out in making my readers first think that Maya had stumbled upon the runaway Carmen Sandiego so easily!

Poor Miles if he and Franny were to have such an explosive Cuban style exchange of words! _He_ has been angered due to being given reason believe _she_ may have been entangling her limbs with the Wolf Man, whereas _she_ no doubt thinks that _he_ was _disfrutando de ensalada de mango y papaya con su viejo amante_! _Jajaja_!

Badd is literally my third favorite guy after Phoenix and Miles in the entire Ace Attorney history although unlike with the two gorgeous lawyers… It is more of an esteemed reverence rather than extreme fan girl crush so of course I had to give him amazing taste in music – and make him a lover of furry dogs and tempestuous Germans whom they have adopted as their own daughter within the heart! Is there anything more endearing than a man who is hard on the outside and a big softy on the inside much like the lollipops he eats? :D

It's funny how Miles enjoys being ironic with Phoenix and yet so much of it, much like his British slang, goes over Nick's clueless spiked head ( _toda el_ _haciendo el amor_ _con su inamorata es la razón de su cerebro es frito?_ ) – such as his startling resemblance to _his own ancestor_! I'm going to have a lot of fun with that! Definitely a trombone moment there! Hee!

 **napoleon32**

First of all, thanks for your long ago suggestion about the embedded IRA glass in Old Bailey! I swear my readers have _Debeste_ ideas!

This story is all about chance encounters and fate and everybody's destinies intertwining so don't rule those out entirely but in the case of making it that easy for Maya to have stumbled across Franziska… No way José! You're right… I _am_ a bit mean for that fake out, but most of my readers seem to like Katharina so hopefully was an adequate substitute Von Karma! She plays a very important part in Miles and Franny's storyline… And will definitely be popping up a few more times during this euro trip!

 _I always like seeing Katharina. I did have an odd thought: Do Katharina and Franziska look so much alike because Katharina actually looks so much younger than her age or has Franziska spent so much of her life stressing the hell out of herself that she looks older?_

I always thought because Franziska felt she had to grow up so fast, she does have a somewhat older disposition and even appearance, although I do knowledge being such a young prodigy herself she definitely would've had to be a precocious child so par for course. Of course also being _Fräulein Perma Scowl_ definitely would make you look a bit older ( _smiling_ is the universal secret to youthful beauty!) as opposed to her more prone to beaming elder _Schwester –_ even when Franny was introduced to the series as a young woman in her late teens I always thought she still looked like somebody slightly in her early 20s. If you want me to actually think about your question on a more tragic note, I honestly think yes, enduring the agony and stress of her inherited prosecutor destiny + a soul-sucking Nosferatu father longer than Katharina did because she got married so young and got the hell out of the house, would _definitely_ be another factor to the whole appearance thing- although it's more a case of Kat just being an ageless freak of nature like Nick, not so much Franny looking older than her age. Nothing wrong with looking mature, because love or hate her, it's undeniable that Franziska _is_ very beautiful – even more so in the Miles games! – and her blonde doppelgänger big sister (who _also_ ended up looking exactly like their late exquisite mother Minna) probably just looks very young for her age, possibly due to blessed perfect Von Karma genetics/that elusive skin cream Maya coveted! Or… just because she protects that fair skin with sun hats/shades, even though it was what caused this case of comical mistaken identity with Maya? :p

Franziska would definitely keep in touch with her only remaining family, even though she's been in hiding. In this case, she'd purposely made her whereabouts unknown by not seeing anyone until now, partially because she has still been eyeballs deep in the sting operation even if it was behind the scenes, and partially because she'd know Miles would try to reach out to Katharina to find out her whereabouts and if her big sister hasn't _seen_ her she can't really pinpoint where Franny has been hiding and potentially crack under Miles's relentless interrogation!

We'll find out a little more about _why_ Anneliese is your typical brooding teenager even if she does have moments of cheeriness which definitely surpassed her somewhat more depression prone and Franziska and Uncle Miles! But luckily, new pal Pearl (who can be in a bad mood around that angel? Not even grumpy Edgy can!) and reunited with Flora can keep her peppy!

Maya is the ever dense but lovable Nick's soulmate for a reason – but _he's_ still Ace Fortune's Fool even if he's somehow miraculously managed to dodge Miles murdering him thus far! Hee! Although _her_ luck sucks if she's _sole_ instigator of schemes – but with the more auspicious and unsuspecting Pearl (and Luke!) as the lead, she's got a better chance of making Kat stick around! CAN THEY **DO** IT?! XD

 _"I love how Pess is THIS close to being completely anthropomorphic._ "

I will shamelessly admit that I actually had to look up that word, and I absolutely _love_ it! While Luke wasn't around to actually be able to translate the anguish of poor, tormented Pess, who has better ears than her humans and is suffering worse from Franziska's taste in music than even Badd himself, I _did_ try to make the personification of her actions be along the same lines of little Feyt! I'm so glad you liked Fredgeworth's daughter's according responses to reflect the circumstances/dialogue around her!

I have always been so endeared about the most badass Detective in Ace Attorney being such a tender Uncle Badd to Kay, so him playing tsundere father figure to Franziska and her four-legged daughter has been a lot of fun! And like any proud and caring parent (read: NOT _Papa Jerk_ Manny) he would want what's best for his daughter. In this case knowing, that she was probably miserable as a prosecutor but was so talented in other areas he saw traits within her which could put her on a similar but separate and much more enjoyable career path! I really do believe in canon Franny is probably still working with Interpol and is all the much happier being in hands-on investigations rather than the courtroom – in this case a profiler (as she's not ready to get away from behind the scenes just yet!) Seemed like a perfect gig in the meantime! :-)

We are nearing the bend of who has been playing possum all this time! Unfortunately, Lana was the first one to find out…the _hard_ way…

 **CzarThwomp**

No Jean, whether dubious male or female they be can resist the debonair Miles, ("a _plague on all the houses_ _of anyone bearing that accursed androgynous name!"_ he'd cry at this point!) any more than the poor lawyer can be immune from being briefly traumatize slashed embarrassed around them! As God as his witness, _absolutely no progeny_ of Miles Edgeworth shall ever bear that tormenting name!

I love Phoenix so much! I don't know _why_ I keep turning him into a stereotypical daft American tourist by making him slow to embrace different cultures/foods but as he's such a sharp contrast to the articulate and comparably more sophisticated, frothing desire amongst the lasses, Miles Edgeworth, it's just so much funnier that way, _amIWright_? :p

I keep forgetting that Doug Swallow was apparently an Anglophile as well, but the hilarious concept of Edgy being possessed by his vengeful ghost in order to make Phoenix look utterly incompetent is only thwarted by _one small thing_ … The delightfully clueless Nick really doesn't need much help in _that_ department now, _does_ he? Hee! I think Phoenix might be safe from being pushed down any staircases, (even though Miles _did_ make good use of Pearl's drugs in order to survive the blood-soaked nightmare hellscape plane trip!) as I figure if Edgeworth somehow did _not,_ miraculously, push his best friend _or himself_ off that flight from Hades over to England, I reckon it's safe to say that Hobo Papa might be safe from being victim of homicide – spectral or otherwise! – _for now…_

 _"Franziska, being Ms. Misery-Enjoys-Company, has other plans by gradually making her music more and more depressing until it essentially becomes just a ringing cemetery bell."_

I could literally give a near chapter length testimony to how much I love Detective Badd, but as you have read my other works you are undoubtedly aware of this already, so I digress! He is so perfect to complement Franziska and Miles in the ace investigations games, as he also has an outwardly aloof (not so much _icy_ like the prosecutors) exterior but everybody knows he's a big softy with a good heart on the inside! As for her despairing taste in music… for Whom The Bell Tolls? Any sound of a cemetery DONG! DONG! Hereafter will be because she officially depressed her poor Uncle and puppy _to death_! It's a good thing she's going away so they have a week to repair their bleeding ears and tormented souls alike!

 _"Speaking of music, Badd had better be careful of who's around when he's talking smack about the Gavinners. Klavier is the rock star of choice for tween girls and ditzy drunks across the globe, and they will mess up anyone who dares to insult their aubergine-cladded dreamboat. Badd may be a seasoned detective who has seen his fair share of action, but no amount of experience can prepare him for a mob of 13 year-old girls swarming him like army ants on a beetle while the busty airheads bludgeon him with their selfie sticks."_

This was just too damn funny not to quote in its entirety! I think Ms. Candi with an "I" who much to Ema's dismay has become way too familiar with the international dreamboat's… Aubergine in question would probably be the head of the mob of fan girl defense attorney's out for Detective Badd's blood for daring to debase their demi-God – either with said self-sticks, or with force of their faux pneumatic body parts… I had a friend who once had his head bounced around the triple-F knockers of an exotic dancer, he said it felt like concrete and to this day still marvels that he survived the experience without garnering a concussion!

 _Thankfully, having the knowledge at her fingertips to defuse such situations between her siblings is probably one of the reasons why Katharina became a psychologist in the first place- that, and being able to figure out the Freudian implications behind her late father's stun gun and Edgeworth's frequent finger pointing._

Vile fiend! Gah! Even the beyond harrowing thought of anything even _remotely_ correlated to Nosferatu's _glied,_ in any way shape or form, on a Freudian level that's represented with his Taser obsession, is enough for me to want to take Miles's finger, somehow load it with a bullets, and point it at my own head! LMAO

Place your bets now on what will be sharper – Miles's rapier, often _scathing_ , wit, or the wild filly's weapon of choice when he discloses what suffrage he hath endured in Franny's absence? It's hard to say what he's gonna have a harder time getting over: everything he endured on the plane across the pond, or the fact that Larry Butz beat him to the altar! NGH! The humanity!

I would like to think that Maya is immune to being whipped by her co-Daughter Of Destiny, but who are we kidding? You read _Double DILF Doodies_ right? Hee! She definitely will have to think fast on her feet literally and figuratively if she wants to avoid… _whip-lash!_

It's funny that you mentioned what sort of "Rambo-worthy" wrath Franziska could potentially unleash… Keep that in mind funnyman! ;)

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

There you go dipping into the psychic potion again since you already ascertained that there is no way would be so easy to stumble across Franziska at this point! You must have certainly ran out at the time of Maya's almost wedding because I'm sure you would've picked up at least on _Mia_ impromptu showing up, if not Misty… I'm actually happy to know that this part of the story I can _still_ surprise my readers nevertheless!

Pearl: Um, sorry, I didn't mean it quite the way that came out, ma'am…"

Kat: " _Sure_ you did!"

I really do believe that even though Pearl is supposed to be the more soft-spoken and polite Fey girl, she also has no concept of lying and can only blurt out the truth about what she thinks, even though she's older now. I definitely need to have her cross paths with _the mean whipping lady_ again, to see how they'd interact now. It's pretty canon that when she called Franziska out on her behavior in the third game the wild mare was obviously very affected by it, which really shouldn't have been a big surprise to us. Because at the end of Justice For All, it was pretty obvious the German _does_ have a heart beneath her icy demeanor!

I have since cut you up to speed on the DGS and crossover characters the latter which I really hope you play at some point because if you ignore the ending it is such a good game with great graphics and sound track and very colorful characters at the very least I really think you would like Zacharias Barnham. He had a female fan base in the game that could've rivaled Edgeworth! LOL

I exaggerate the characters gaucheness for comedic purposes, but I think the vast majority of us are more like Phoenix than Miles, simply because we all are more videogame geeks (that's why you guys are all here because he fell in love with videogame characters as much as I did !) than culture snobs in general! Ergo, more likely to know blockbuster movies than classic lit novels … I still cannot make myself watch the latest Pirates of the Caribbean I heard it's got awful all those far sequels go on stranger tides wasn't terrible but it's very rare for a sequel to ever match up to the original movie in general!

I am sorry if I made you lose your lunch at the mere mention of Jean Armstrong even though he's no longer on screen as I know you found them is cringe worthy as Miles, Phoenix and especially Luke did! _I'm_ not the one who named the adorable androgynous accused witch with the same moniker as the _ugly, jiggling pink puffball!_ XD

England has so much fascinating history and landmarks I'm happy you're enjoying the trivia because it really is fascinating for me to put it in as much as possible fix all my readers to really experience this trip to Europe with the AA gang! I am also having a blast and half with the British idioms and having most of them go over both Nick and Maya's heads! The first time I heard the term _sack_ I knew I had to find some way to have fun with it, because it has nothing to do with the term _hitting the sack_ anymore that has to do with the more viewed definition that poor Phoenix mistook it for!

Now then, in the defense of my poor favorite videogame character, let's look at this from Phoenix's point of view for a second. I'm sure he doesn't think it's that uncommon for people who work together to end up together, like he and Maya, and in this case, Su and Ryu did, as that is the case of almost every single couple in the story that you are reading – and most of the shippings of Ace Attorneys! ;p

As far as Phoenix knows, he's 100% Caucasian, and would have no reason to think he could ever be descended from somebody of a different ethnicity entirely so surely any speculated physical resemblance - which he entirely missed because after all he is ever the _clueless_ ace attorney! – would _have_ to be a coincidence! After all, he is _not_ fair skinned like a lot of East Asians, and the character is depicted especially in Apollo Justice also since then, as being fairly tanned – at least compared to Miles and Maya. His last name is _Wright_ , which is pretty WASP/white as they come, and although he has black hair, (which is not something I've seen in too many Caucasians in _my_ life), he also has (dark) blue eyes, another _almost_ exclusively Caucasian feature, with few ethnic exceptions of course. Yes I have heard of real life blue-eyed duties like the geisha in the real-life story of _Memoirs of a Geisha_ and am familiar with the beautiful Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai! :-)

Yes as much as you can bring a horse to water but you can't make him drink – Edgeworth's crappy luck would have it – yes they could make them go to dinner but they couldn't make him wait! Of course you can understand why cannot have him and Katharina cross paths just _yet_ … It would be game over! I couldn't make it that easy for Maya and unfortunately I can't make it that easy for Miles either!

Ridelle having admiration/a schoolgirl crush on Layton is actually canon from the crossover, so I _had_ to have fun with it! In this case because Phoenix is only in Europe for an unknown but still limited time, and there will be _a lot_ of digging required to look into his family roots, it would classify as a top priority emergency for the legal scholars as it would entail having to drop all their regular duties but of course for very good reason! The end justifies the means! Also in the case of the bookish young woman, it's happy day for her the object of her affection, aka Sir Layton will in all likelihood be at least somewhat working alongside her in the poor exasperated Jean if he's going to be assisting in solving Phoenix's ancestral mystery!

 _Get stuffed_ is every bit as vulgar as it sounds! Hee! But the British have so many glorious ways of swearing without actually _swearing_ that it even makes its way onto American television and under most people's noses – or at least those of the censors! For example on the show _Married With Children_ Peggy Bundy's maiden name was _Wanker_ (yet outthink you really hear the term _jerk off_ on regular cable television – at least you didn't back then and on _Frasier_ on more than one occasion Daphne Moon more than once called Martin Crane _"an old sod!"_ XD

I hope now that I've gotten you up to speed with the crossover/DGS characters, you can actually get a bit of a kick out of the references even more now!

Franziska absolutely thinks Miles and Lana are lounging about somewhere, and poor Miles thinks that Franny and Agent Lang have hit the sheets hence the Wolf Man's duplicity! It's a terrible mess with poor Katharina caught in the middle, but luckily she's made some allies who want Franny and Miles to be happy again as much as the readers do! Franziska and Miles are both very stubborn and when they cross paths again it will require the outside hand of many in the same manner it did for Phaya's reunion… Things will just be much more… _explosive_ shall we say? I'll give you a hand that has a lot to do with this presumed dead but not really person!

Send me that countdown list about worst videogame fathers! Manfred should be at the top of the heap! And also lookup Tyrell Badd while you're at it as I do believe you haven't played the Miles investigations games and at least you'll see why I love the badass Detective so much, as he is adorably paternal to Kay Faraday to whom he is only known as Uncle Badd. I am a big lover of dogs so having Luke and Pearl with their puppy and Pess is so much fun! Look for more puppy love to be coming up in the story… In more ways than one!


	178. Come What May

_AN: I have missed you guys! Some life changes going on but I'm starting to sort shizz out, and herby dub weekends as now my designated FF geek time! I did write since last chapter though – the talented pal of mine_ _**Jove's Boy** __and I are collaborating on the origins of Miego and Diego's backstory in the new romantic/suspense FF,_ _**"The Man Behind The Mask"…**_ _check it out!_

 _I hope you guys enjoy this chapter… Prepare for Wrightworth (bromance!) heaven with a couple of other… Twists…_

* * *

 _Blowing out the candles on another birthday cake_  
 _Old enough to look back and laugh at my mistakes_  
 _Young enough to look at the future and like what I see_  
 _My best days are ahead of me_

 _Life hasn't always been a party_  
 _But mostly it's been good_  
 _There's only one or two things_  
 _That I'd change if I could_  
 _I don't get lost in the past_  
 _Or get stuck in some sad memory, yeah_  
 _My best days are ahead of me_

 _Age ain't nothing but a number_  
 _Sometimes I have to wonder what does it really mean_  
 _Hey, I'm still putting it together_  
 _I keep getting better, if I keep getting better_  
 _I can be whatever I wanna be_  
 _My best days are ahead of me_

 _I've got sunsets to witness_  
 _Dreams to dance with_  
 _Beaches to walk on_  
 _And lovers to kiss_  
 _There's a whole lot of world out there_  
 _That I can't wait to see_  
 _My best days are ahead of me_

* * *

 **Chapter One Hundred Seventy Eight: Come What May**

 ** _Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth_  
** _The River Thames, London_ **  
**July 20, 2026

"That was quite the splendid experience indeed," Miles effused as the trio exited The Tower of London grounds. "I don't even give a toss that we didn't get a chance to visit the London Dungeon."

"Even though I ended up taking over your entire afternoon well into evening at the Tower of London, I hope this outing hasn't entirely thrown a spanner in the works, and that you enjoyed yourselves _somewhat_ ," Barnham apologized to the Americans. "My senses must have taken temporary leave to have forgotten just how stonking those grounds are! It's far too vast to see the Full Monty in a single day on limited time, what with the adjacent Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, and Hillsborough Castle!"

"Are you kidding? That place was _incredible_! The live historical re-enactment was definitely my personal favorite," Phoenix told Barnham with a cheerfully. "And I'm sure you felt right at home in the setting, considering your history as a medieval knight! That was some wild suspense, wondering if the Red Earl would batter down the walls with his siege engines and if Joanna Ferrour would lead the rebellious peasants through the fortified gates! I was literally on the edge of my seat contemplating if ultimately, Sir Thomas Neville and his newly-invented cannons would prove too much for the ancient defenses!"

For once, even the usually sobersides Miles was unable to keep his normally reserved tone from conveying his uncharacteristic fervor about the tourist destination as the three men exited the Tower of London.

"Indeed, no apologies are necessary, Mr. Barnham, and once again, I cannot convey what a most thorough and brilliant tour you gave us, especially of The Crown Jewels! Even though it took longer than anticipated, and I'm feeling a bit knackered now, it was most assuredly worthwhile. That place was a real corker. We are much obliged that you kindly took the time to show us about."

"The pleasure was mine, Mr. Edgeworth," Barham waved away the thanks. "Since I reside here, I'd forgotten how large the grounds were, and hadn't planned on monopolizing your entire afternoon and now only leaving it only a few hours before your dinnertime. But Sir Layton did convey to my mobile earlier when he rang that your reservations weren't until 8 o'clock?"

Phoenix tried not to visibly cringe as they approached the famous – and dauntingly _high_! – London Bridge, which was a 29 feet clearance over the River Thames that would lead them back to the main part of town. He tried to avert his attentions from his reflexively tumultuous stomach, focusing on chattering with his friends in order to distract himself.

"It really is fortunate we ran into you, Mr. Barnham." He cautiously stepped onto the footpath of the elevated overpass and forced his mouth into a smile to mask his trepidation. "Originally of course, Edgeworth and I were supposed to spend the afternoon with the Professor after the courthouse, but then he called you up with that mysterious pressing matter that Jean and Ridelle needed his assistance with! I hope he doesn't mind us going ahead with dining _and_ touring without him – and that the Tower of London wasn't one of the planned tours he was going to take us on!"

"Not at all," Barnham replied easily. "I told him of our planned excursion, and he fully endorsed the idea – not to mention that we were already at lunch by the time he rang! And even if he _did_ mind, the good Professor is so bleedin' polite, you'd never know _anyway_!"

"True say!"

"The ever-accommodating Mr. Layton is quite pucker for offering to bring our mobiles with him to dinner tonight," Miles added, shooting his best friend a wry smile. "Otherwise, considering how far we are from the courthouse now, it would have been balls up for us indeed! It's inconceivable how Wright and I got so distracted by the events of this afternoon that it entirely slipped _both_ our minds to go pick them from Ms. Greyerl afterward."

"It's not that big of a deal," Phoenix shrugged as he continued his cautious shuffle over the bridge, taking painstaking effort not to look down while he did so. "After all, the Professor already relayed where and what time we're meeting up for dinner. Maya is probably so busy sightseeing with the kids, I'm sure she wouldn't need to message me about anything of great _importance_!"

After what seemed like ages, the three men reached the other side of the bridge, where a few vendors had set up a few kiosks with the traditional Britain souvenirs on sale, along with various other touristy books, art works and local snacks for visitors to enjoy.

Phoenix went over to one of the stands, intending to see if he could somehow scrounge up a few dollars to pick up something for Trucy and Apollo, when suddenly, he halted dead in his tracks in front of one particular display – nearly causing Miles and Barnham to collide into his back, while the blood visibly drained from his mien.

* * *

 ** _Lana Skye_**  
 _Europe_  
Date: ? Time: ?

A lost youngster wailed for his mother, a man frantically searched for his missing dog, stall holders bellowed out offers on the top of their voices to attract customers, each pushing harder than the one before to unload their wares as customers desperately tried to bargain for the best possible prices.

This was the local, year-round farmers market, a place which was always drowning in the sea of people. Not a single empty place could be spotted between the stalls. Some held a hand against their forehead to shield themselves from the sun, others made fans out of newspapers or magazines. The sun relentlessly shone down upon the marketplace.

Beads of sweat glistened on everyone's forehead and many mugs turned red due to the sweltering heat. The salty redolence of sweat mingled with the nose tingling aroma of spices and the sweet smell of flowers coming from the florist's shop. All of these smells mixed together and gave the market a rather unique scent, which hung in the air from early morning to late evening.

Every Saturday morning she would drink in the colors, the aromas and the atmosphere like an elixir. She thrived on interacting with the stall holders, each one almost a caricature of bubbly friendliness. They knew her by sight and often had kept something back from the stall that they knew she would buy...and she always did.

She weaved through the crowds, edging through the dense flow of people with her bag getting fuller by the minute. The air was perfumed with produce, the ground was gritty stone and the air reflecting just a slight breeze coming from the nearby lake. There was no irritating music, just a busker with a guitar. This to her was life now, _real_ life, not the sanitized pre-packed convenience world of individual yoghurts and personal cheeses.

After spending the several months trying to blend amid the locals in the quaint villages of northern Europe, Lana Skye couldn't ever again imagine herself shopping in the cool and perfect indifference of a major city supermarket, served by underpaid drones and sucked into purchasing the over processed salty junk. What she couldn't get at the local market, henceforth, she just wouldn't buy!

That day, she was idly browsing for vegetables, thinking she'd make a hearty soup, and of those there were plenty; turnips, swede, fat carrots and bunches of cilantro. Her back ached slightly from the weight of her produce in her rucksack, but still she kept marching along like a determined soldier.

 _I am only done shopping when my army surplus back pack is so heavy it threatens to pull me over and leave me stranded like a flipped turtle._

Market stalls lined the route, and the undercover Interpol agent paused for a moment to survey the flamboyant scene, and observe the milling throng. Lovers strolled hand in hand, casually browsing, whilst housewives hustled and bustled, and haggled over the price of the exotic fruits and other imported merchandise, with vendors of various nationality.

 _The media conditions us to crave the spotlight, but we are happiest when part of a crowd. We love to work together, achieve a common goal and cheer each other on. I'd only ever want to be a star in a brilliant night sky, surrounded by stars equally as bright. Every person has a light, a calling, and by following it the world becomes a little less distorted, a little healthier._

She was so lost in her contented reverie on one of her rare blissful days off that at first she thought she'd imagined the loud, bellicose voices coming from the stall of the tropical fruit stand behind her, initially dismissing it as customary spirited haggling and bartering between vendor and potential customer. But then she heard the small girl's cry, and it made her whirl around so quickly in the direction she heard the sound, it made her oversized bag almost knock over another marketer who happened to be in her vicinity.

Ignoring the unflattering foreign curses the boorish peasant shouted at her, Lana cagily shifted forward, watching with unwavering eyes at the scene unfolding.

What she saw made her blood began to boil, and a crimson veil cloud her vision as her entire body began quaking with unspoken rage.

* * *

 ** _Wrightworth_**

"Congratulations on your collywobbles behind making it across without incident, Wright," Miles commented dryly, obviously had not fooled by the ex-attorney's feigned bravado. "You managed to venture over London Bridge while only turning about _five_ shades of white! I was expecting _50_!"

"At least I didn't need to take the mickey out of you to stop being such a big girl's blouse, since you triumphantly braved London _and_ Tower Bridge!" Barnham remarked with amusement, coming up behind the spiky-haired man. "But are you simply zonked after a long day, or trying to catch flies with that gaping trap right about now? Methinks you need to take a moment to gather your senses once again after our distressing journey over the bridge, ho-ho! Which of these tourist traps has tickled your fancy and transitioned you from a _pallid shufflebutt_ to entirely _gobsmacked peruser_?"

Phoenix turned towards others, a stricken expression now replacing his previously stunned one.

"Oh bloomin 'eck! You look right _lurgy_ , mate!" The erstwhile inquisitor exclaimed, his merriment immediately being replaced by concern. "Don't tell me you actually took a _bite_ of dogdy nosh at  
The Codfather those vile fiends dared tried to serve us? Such grotty fare isn't fit for human consumption, I say! I swear that fish was so raw, I'm sure you didn't know whether to _eat_ or _defend_ it!"

Phoenix turned slightly green at those words.

"It was bleeding tosh at its best – or _worst_ – as it were!" Miles's disdain was obvious. "I'm chuffed we all unanimously decided to move to another eatery after that! While it was a shame The Fishcotheque was too busy, as its world renowned for its fish and chips, but the fare at A Salt  & Battery was positively scrummy."

"I reckoned it would be a tidy consolation place as well, but now I'm wondering if I should've taken you to Frying Nemo instead, as it appears the grub at the _secondary_ establishment didn't sit right with my friend's palate any better than the _first_ would have!"

Barnham cast the visibly shaken poker champ an anxious glance, fearing a forthcoming _pavement pizza_ incident in the making.

"All right? Are you about to chunder, Sir Blue Knight?"

"Mr. Barnham, _please_ don't address me as such anymore." Phoenix swallowed hard, and directed his focus away from the ginger's startled phizog. "I – I didn't really think anything of it when you first said it back at the courthouse, but now it just feels like a _sham_ , which I can no longer endure! I was so blithe to see you again that I didn't think to correct you at the time, but I simply can't take it anymore! I –I'm not a lawyer anymore. There was a…scandal and I was disbarred seven years ago. It brings me great dismay to tell you that I'm no longer the man you once knew."

A terse reticence fell over the threesome.

Miles shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and remained silent.

Phoenix warily lifted his downtrodden gaze to meet the Englishman's, and to his surprise, rather than see the horrified shock in the slate orbs that he'd been expecting, saw the barrister's eyes were shining with knowing sympathy, but fully devoid of any judgement.

"I am aware," Barnham said simply, folding his arms over his chest. "Given your legal acclaim, it was international news, and I was with Sir Layton when we saw the deplorable media headlines."

"Y – You _knew_?" Phoenix eyed him dubiously, wondering if the quondam knight had been mocking him this whole time. "But then why would you still call me by my old nickname?"

"Because you don't need to be a knight or be knighted to know a man of valor, and it changes nothing," Barnham stated bluntly, his intonation reflecting both unwavering determination and steadfast loyalty. "If there's one thing the whole medieval experiment taught me years ago, it's that you can't always believe everything so readily, as things are rarely what they seem, as I know is the case with _you,_ despite what those wretched propagandists would have the public believe."

He met Phoenix's gaze levelly.

"Therefore, you shall _always_ be _Sir Blue Knight_ to _me_ , Phoenix Wright."

* * *

 ** _Lana Skye_**

A dowdy local in a faded print dress, wearing a headscarf to protect her hair from the blaring sun was being cornered at the stall. She was clutching a tiny chestnut haired girl, no more than 5-years-old, to her side. Her entire body shook with fear as she shrank back from the two bilious, imposing men who were barking into her terrified face.

"We know who you are, Mrs. Dedbeatzski." The shorter of the two men, with a thin, greasy hair pulled back into a rat-like ponytail and a fedora hat was saying, his weathered mien wearing an oily leer. "Now why don't you be nice, cooperative lady and just tell us where your husband is?"

"I swear to God, I have no idea _where_ Ohmi is!" The woman cried in her thick European accent. She clutched her basket of eggs tightly against body, as though to create a barrier between herself and the ominous figures who kept creeping closer and closer to her and the now whimpering little girl, who was burying her head in her mother's skirt. "He snuck out of town and left me alone to raise our daughter _months_ ago without as much as a call or a note ever since…"

"Ah _yes_. Let's not forget your precious wee little lamb," the man purred silkily, leaning closer until he was face to face with the kid, and she could have an up-close view of the visible scar running from his cheek to his mouth.

With a flesh-crawling leer, he directed his serpentine stare straight into the frightened green orbs of the cowering youngster, who looked so much like a young Ema, it felt like a sucker punch to Lana's gut to watch this sickening display. Her hands balled into involuntary fists, and positively _itched_ to give the bastard's repulsive mug _another_ scar to match his original one!

"We know _all_ about her, too, don't we, Arsen?" The hood jutted his chin at the intimidating, mountain-sized gorilla on his left. "This must be sweet little Mikaela."

The woman's pale orbs widened in horror that these goons not only knew _her_ identity, but that of her cherished daughter, and she clutched the girl even tighter.

" _Please_ ," she begged. "Leave us alone! I have no clue of my husband's whereabouts, or even one red cent to my name, as I have been nothing more than a housewife since my daughter was born. I only make just enough to keep a roof over our heads with my meager wages that I earn as the county tailor…"

"Well that's a crying shame, isn't it Arachnis?" The larger man, Arsen, who resembled a retired linebacker, with no neck or hair to speak of, also leaned closer. "You claim you have no money, yet your deadbeat husband owes his bookie _$10,000 big ones_."

"A _bookie_?" Mrs. Dedbeatzski seemed genuinely bewildered by the term, as it was evident that English was not her first language. "What was my husband doing in a _library_?"

" _Shearly_ , you are almost done trying to make fools of us? Because if you'll excuse the pun, I don't find this playing dumb routine to even remotely be as _cute as a button_ , Mrs. Dedbeatzski!" Arsen hissed, who although smaller, was definitely the more _deadly_ of the two ruffians. "Your husband wagered a lot of money betting on sports teams through our boss. It's been months, and while he's been a patient man, he wants his money and he wants it _now_."

He lowered his voice threateningly.

"Otherwise even though _you're_ the tailor here…it will be _us_ doing the _cutting of the hands and neck -_ and I ain't talking about shirt sleeves and collars here, understand?"

"If you come quietly with us, madam, we won't hurt the girl," Arsen vowed, a malicious gleam in his eye as he bared his teeth at Mikaela. "We'll just take her as our valuable collateral until your husband's debt is repaid."

"No!" Mrs. Dedbeatzski gasped in horror. "Not my daughter! Please! I beg of you…"

"You can beg during the car trip," Arachnis stated smoothly, grabbing the woman's wrist. "We'll be taking a _very_ long ride."

" _Mommy, help me_!" The girl screamed as Arsen grabbed her by the waist and pried her arms from her mother's leg and began hauling her away. "Don't let them take me away! _Mommy_!"

Lana gritted her teeth. She'd seen enough!

Adrenaline coursed through her as her mounting fury, and innate protective instincts kicked in. Even if the helpless, flailing child struggling in the brute's grasp _hadn't_ resembled her own beloved sister at the same age, which Mikaela _very much_ did, she regardless couldn't have idly stood by and let this horrendous tableau unfold without interceding. Whoever these depraved beasts were, they were nefarious – or at least _sinister_ – enough to petrify the nearby townsfolk, who were also haplessly witnessing this horror, but rendered too powerless to interfere.

It was all up to her. Irrespective of the consequences, she had to make a move. And she had to do it _fast_.

Come what may.

* * *

 ** _Wrightworth_**

The card shark didn't know how to respond to such benevolence, except to tell Barnham that _he_ didn't need to don a metal suit and helmet either, for he still bore the fighting, valiant heart of a true knight himself. However, before he could speak, the ex-inquisitor was already reaching into his pants pocket.

"I need to ring Knightle over in Labyrinthia. There's a pressing matter that needs my urgent attention, and requires his assistance." The Brit's tone was abrupt now. "If you gentlemen will please excuse me for a moment…"

He began to step away from the travelers, but the next question gave him brief pause.

"Mr. Knightle works here in London but resides all the way over there? Isn't that a bothersome voyage to make?" The prodigy genius queried. "Why not just move to the city?"

"Knightle commutes back and forth to London regularly, as it's only an hour travel via ferry, and half an hour by speed boat. While the village is no longer a research facility for Labrelum Inc, Labyrinthia remains a well-preserved, medieval village. The old town has since been declared its own city, with its own municipal government, where Arthur Cantabella is the Mayor. Many of the residents chose to keep habitation there and continue with their established, provincial lives, the defense attorney and his wife included."

Barnham nodded swiftly at his visitors.

"Any road – I need to give my mate a bell now. Please feel free to take a gander about. I shan't be too long."

As Barnham walked away for some privacy, Miles returned his attentions to his counterpart, who was dazedly observing the display of children's picture books which had caused his precipitous change of disposition, and picked up one from the pile. It was a beautifully illustrated cover, with vibrant paintings of children and rainbows.

"It's quite fetching artwork, although I think it's a perhaps _a trifle_ below your reading level," he jibed, trying to cajole Phoenix out of his entranced state. "I imagine at nearly 16, Trucy would be too old for it, as well. And in spite of the greenhorn's slight stature and child-like countenance, I imagine young Mr. Justice wouldn't find such literature to be quite _his_ cup of tea either."

Phoenix kept mum.

"Might I suggest either of _these_ as England mementos instead for the young bloke?" The legal eagle pointed to some key-chains with the Union Jack emblazoned on it. "Or the T-shirt reading _'keep calm and carry on',_ which has a quaint, very UK vibe to it. For your gem of a sprog, perhaps _this_ particular piece of jewelry would be suitable."

The magenta-clad counsellor gestured at an absolutely stunning charm bracelet with a red plaited band, bearing an enamel painted Union Jack Mini car, silver Big Ben, English rose, Royal crown and two crystal charm beads.

When his companion still didn't speak, a note of impatience crept into Miles's tone.

"You're getting on my goat, Wright! Why so fascinated with this rainbow book?"

Phoenix's visage was solemn as he wordlessly tapped the cover, where it listed the name of the author, who was also the illustrator. The credential typography was in print nearly as large as the title of the book itself. The chess enthusiast speculated the illustrator must be a famous one.

" _The Adventures of Sunny Righteous & Tracy the Bunny_ by _Drew Misham?"_

Reading the title, the realization still didn't immediately sink in, and it wasn't until he heard himself say the _credential_ name aloud that Miles made the connection.

" _Bugger and blast_!"

* * *

 ** _Lana Skye_**

Mindlessly chasing after, and then _combating,_ a couple of lawless bozos in public, open spaces filled with innocent bystanders (who would undoubtedly get hurt in the crossfire!), was only entertaining in action movies. Such activities would have positively deadly ramifications in real life. Attempting to confront or ambush these jerks right now would have been a grotesque error of irrevocable magnitude, making things more _hazardous_ than _heroic_ for all parties involved.

Lana had no desire to further endanger innocuous civilians. _Two_ innocent victims was bad enough!

Therefore, in spite of being unarmed, she was convinced of her abilities of tackling this spur-of-the-moment, sticky situation. With her many years of skirmish training as a homicide detective, combined with her newly honed fight skills as an Interpol agent, Lana was pretty confident in her ability to disarm the two merciless bastards. Right now, they were in the midst of dragging the defenseless, pleading, and openly weeping Mrs. Dedbeatzski, along with the squirming, shrieking Mikaela, away from the aghast sight of surrounding onlookers.

Lana stealthily crept behind them, keeping a safe distance behind Arsen and Arachnid, so they wouldn't suspect they were being followed.

The men and their bleating captives nimbly headed through the residential alleyway, towards the dense woods on the outskirts of the town market.

The alleyway was quaint and cobbled. She noiselessly walked along the cobblestone sidewalk, her shoes making no sound with every panther-like step she took. The houses on each side had walls that wobbled ever so slightly, which was apparent in the bright sunlight. The winding trail arced to the right and the heady scent of flowers drifted down from the many window boxes, creating shades on the footpath.

The surreptitious agent used the shadows to her advantage, ducking low to the ground and keeping within the cast shadows. From her shrouded, stooping position, she was able to maintain her undetected pursual of the louts, faltering slightly as she saw the abductors reach the clearing for the eerie Hoia-Baciu Forest, which was known worldwide as the Bermuda Triangle of all worldwide woods.

The denseness of the copious neighboring trees cast a heavy dimness, in spite of it being broad daylight. They were now far enough away from civilization for her to acknowledge it was quite dangerous for her to be out there alone, and when she reached the alley leading to the ill-reputed woodland, she paused.

The infamous Hoia-Baciu Forest, the world's Most Haunted Forest, was named from the rumor of being able to hear cries from lost souls of the past, howling in pain. It had a reputation for paranormal and unexplained activity and the townsfolk whispered about witnessed numerous strange events on the land. The most common phenomenon included the sudden appearance of mysterious orbs of light. People also reported hearing disembodied voices breaking the heavy silence, dubbed as the cries from lost souls of the past howling in pain and even seeing apparitions.

Many of the locals who had been brave enough to venture into the forest complained of physical harm, including rashes, nausea, vomiting, migraines, burns, scratches, anxiety, and other unusual sensations. Moreover, electronic devices are known to malfunction when introduced into the area. Strange lights had been seen, the wind seemed to speak, and people had been known to disappear.

All these things happened with no reasonable explanation.

It was also the direction the hooligans had taken their captives, obviously taking advantage of the superstitious locals being too terrified by the lore to give them chase. Lana peered down the stretch of the alley into the stygian forest. She should have ran away, but the overcoming desire to rescue those who couldn't defend themselves was too hard to resist.

Her moment of hesitation shattered as a single, bloodcurdling scream ripped from the forest. Without a second thought, she ran through the alley and woods, searching for the source.

There was a brown, unmarked car – which she was positive would have no license plates upon it! – could be made out, parked several hundred yards away on the other side of the clearing.

 _These bullies really have some nerve, having the audacity to partake commit a kidnapping in front of so many witnesses, no doubt to make "an example" out of the Dedbeatskis as a warning as to happens to anyone who dares double-cross them!_ She fumed to herself. _Yet they aren't **completely** mindless minions either, since they ambushed the market via an untraceable forest trail, and were crafty enough to hide their identifying getaway vehicle out of sight like this! They've ensured a clean escape without fear of being tailed or traced! _

Irrespective, there was no way in _hell_ Lana would allow the poor mother and kid to be taken hostage into that automobile, because then it would all be over. Statistically speaking, once your captor got you into their car, your odds of survival plummeted.

It was high time to make her presence known.

" _Stop_!" She barked authoritatively, her forceful voice echoing loudly in the stillness of the wood. "Release those women at once!"

The two men froze only for an instant before spinning around, obviously unaware they had been followed up until then.

Plainly, the criminals had been expecting the heat, but when they turned around and encountered their intruder, instead of looking worried about being caught in the middle of their dastardly deeds, both men's phizog's cracked into smarmy grins as their vision settled on the slender, nonthreatening female, was still wearing her cumbersome knapsack, and dressed in regular citizen attire.

"Lookit what we have here," Arsen drawled, abruptly releasing Mikaela. The moppet scampered over to her mother, whose arm was still caught in a vice grip by Arachnis. "Brunette Barbie coming to the rescue?"

"This ain't no place for nosy dames who can't mind their own business." Every muscle on Arachnis's creepy mien tightened, eyes narrowed, chin jutted outward. He reached up to adjust his fedora, placing it at a jaunty angle on the back of his head. "Scram, if you know what's good for you."

"I don't want to hurt you." Lana stated calmly as she came closer, while shucking off her knapsack in a single, fluid movement. "Just release these two, and we'll all go about our merry way."

"Hurt _us_?" The larger thug hooted scornfully. " _That's_ a riot! Looks like you's been watching too many butt-kicking chick flicks, lady! _You're_ no Wonder Woman, and _I_ ain't got no qualms with using undue force _against_ a dame, so you may want to think _twice_ about who you're messing with if ya wanna keep that pretty face of yours _intact_ , see? _Beat it_!"

Now it was Lana's turn to smirk. All her years of mixed far eastern discipline training had given her to ability to move almost without sound and to be more deadly in close combat than many men double her size. To someone unaccustomed to the lethal capabilities of the one-time, Legendary Duo detective, her small lithe limbs were an unknown advantage. All they saw was an attractive, unassuming femme, whom they falsely dubbed to be easily conquerable, as she looked more like a _model_ than a skilled _mixed marital artist_!

Which meant they tended to underestimate the skills required to take her down.

Arachnis stood, folding both arms over his chest, the disdain in his eyes evident in spite of his smug expression. He didn't fear a woman in the least.

But when she approached, the hoodlum was close to changing that disposition when Lana expertly curved her fingers inward and collided a sharp palm strike against his cheekbone, flaying his neck backward like a willow caught in the wind. As the kidnapper stumbled, he released his grip on the young mother, and nearly fell over a nearby log, rubbing his cheek with his palm. Her actions had definitely taken him by surprise.

Her flesh felt as though it were on fire, for she had felt each of his yellowed teeth rake across her palm. Arachnis reeled from the smash, but his facial scar should have been evidence he'd been in more than a few brawls in his lifetime, as despite the force of the blow, he'd somehow continued standing.

Consequently, her moment of victory was short-lived.

The smaller man affixed her with a greasy grin, teeth showing like a wild animal. He shook his head and emitted a repugnant, minatory laugh as his soulless eyes affixed her with a blood-thirsty glare.

"You are one _dead_ fucking bitch."

* * *

 ** _Wrightworth_**

The pianist's mien took on a haunted expression as he directed his friend to the inside flap of the dustcover, showing a lengthy list of different youngsters' books Drew Misham had written and illustrated. His grip on the book tightened as Miles read aloud the story description on the back.

"Follow the hoppy trails of the lovable magician Sunny Righteous and his top-hat wearing bunny assistant, Tracy, who keeps getting him to follow her _harebrained_ schemes. His favorite gimmicks are cool _playing card_ tricks."

Phoenix's voice was hollow as he pointed to an illustration showing a disembodied hand holding out a fanned display of cards – five of them, as though in a poker game.

"Sunny loves eating ramen from his favorite stand, by _The Noodle Doctor_."

He flipped to the next page, showing a strangely familiar rickshaw noodle stand on wheels.

"Sunny also likes to listen to rock music."

His trembling fingers turned to another page.

"Sunny's number one favorite music band is _The Ebony and Ivory Keys_. The lead singer, _Chord Piano_ , puts on a super wild show! One time, while singing the hit song, "Convicted Affection," his concert got so _hot_ , it was like he actually set the stage on _fire_! It was the coolest stage magic trick ever!"

Miles gawked at the third colorful sketch. This one showed the main protagonist, a young boy with comically drawn, and quite discernible, rabbit-eared fringe. The character beside him was Tracy the Bunny, whose long floppy ears stuck out from the sides of her magician top hat. The pair were standing amongst a concert crowd, with an elevated stage in the background – which appeared to be burning in flames.

"This is Mr. Misham's latest, hot off the press best-seller, if you're keen, good sir," the vendor offered helpfully. "He's quite a smashing hit over here in the UK and Europe, although he's a bit of a queer sort! If I'm not mistaken, the creator has the sole stipulation that despite being a _Yank,_ his books are _exclusively_ sold overseas – but _not_ in America! Quite barmy, hey? I've got some more of his works, if you wish to see those, too…"

"That's quite alright." Miles replied politely. "We were just browsing."

Then, having seen quite enough, the lawyer discreetly steered the tremulous other man away from the stand. Once they were out of earshot from the purveyor, he faced his best friend squarely.

"I wonder if it would be a good or better idea here is you going to advise Trucy and Apollo that his cases have garnered them a _very_ intense fan, who believes all too eerily in the premise of art imitating life? That's sodding pants, is what it is!"

Miles placed a commiserating hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"Now I understand why your behavior did such a precipitous turnabout! I'm very sorry, Wright. Given the circumstances, it's quite normal, not to mention completely understandable, for you to feel those old reemerged emotions of anger and betrayal all over again."

Agonized navy eyes met condoling grey ones.

"It shouldn't matter that the man who helped ruin my life is profiting by cashing in on the real-life experiences of my wholly oblivious daughter and assistant. I suppose I should be giving him kudos. After all, it does look like Mr. Misham has decided to go legit and use his talents for good instead of evil now."

Phoenix squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, obviously trying to regain his composure.

"Good for him, right? He's a single father, too. At my final trial, Drew Misham asked my name, and swore he'd neither forget him nor me…I guess this proves he's a man of his word."

A weary sigh.

"I –I met him. Shortly after I got disbarred. It was before I legally adopted Trucy. He has this adorable daughter, Vera, not much older than Truce. I met her once. The poor thing has a very frail constitution –nearly debilitating shyness and social anxiety, on top of suffering from nearly crippling agoraphobia. Her father was probably was just doing that stuff when she was little to help make ends meet. I can understand that. I – I shouldn't judge him."

Miles studied him thoughtfully, trying to find the right words to ease the tormented man. As much of a paragon as his schoolmate chum was, and as proud he was of him for trying to be forgiving and turn the other cheek and be the bigger man in this instance, he was still skeptical if this was how his friend _genuinely_ felt about the forger who caused him to lose his license. In the end, Phoenix was only human. It was probably gutting to learn that the person who took away his livelihood was now a successful artist whereas the man who had always tried to help those who couldn't help themselves was left living like a hobo.

Nevertheless, the prosecutor was also a firm believer in clemency and trying to move on, just as the forger turned artist had, no matter how difficult. But first he had to get the poker champ to open up – nothing good could ever come from bottling up one's emotions. Miles himself could personally attest to that!

"Perhaps we should pick up that book after all. Even if Trucy _is_ a teenager… She maintains a trademarked youthful spirit and would indisputably enjoy the art style, methinks. In fact – why don't _I_ get it? It can be the little magician's personalized London souvenir from her Daddy/Uncle Miles."

Phoenix nodded wordlessly but hung back as the logic aficionado went and made the transaction. They both knew who the gift was truly for, and Miles better than anybody else knew what it was like to be longing for the unspoken need of peace and closure.

 _I need to somehow relay to him that when thinking about life, he needs to remember no amount of guilt can change the past, and no amount of anxiety can change the future._

It wasn't even about him being disbarred anymore – with Maya back in his life at times he acted as though he was content in his new life as a musician and father and wouldn't really enjoy resuming the legal path again. It was about all the loose ends that still needed to come together and that the truth that has been lost somewhere in a mountain of lies.

 _We demand closure as though our lives were put together as neatly as novels, but the fact of the matter is they're not. In the real world…every aspect, from relationships to life itself, is messy and poorly written, ending too early or too late, and sometimes in the middle of a sentence._

When the prosecutor returned to his mate, he was holding not one flat brown package in his hands, but two. He judiciously tucked the larger purchase under one of Phoenix's rigid arms, which had stayed stiffly at his sides.

Judging by the small tell-tale bulges of the bagged parcel pressed against his body, Phoenix noted that his pseudo kinsman had thoughtfully purchased not only the book for him, but the aforementioned souvenir bracelet and keychain for Trucy and Apollo, as well. The impromptu generosity of the gesture was appreciated, but he found himself struggling to express what he was feeling at the moment – among which was like a totally degenerate _ponce_!

"I'm sorry to be such a wet blanket after what was such an enjoyable outing, especially since I know your workaholic self doesn't get too many leisure opportunities," the midnight-haired man mumbled miserably. "It's just that – every time it seems like I'm starting to heal, and have convinced myself I've moved on from the past, something, or _someone_ , seems to drag me right back!"

"Get off the bloody cross! We need the wood!" Miles admonished sternly, never one to know how soothe a wounded soul. "Stop apologizing! Moreover, cease being a martyr, post haste, dammit! You're bloody _human_ , Wright, and it's alright to concede that sometimes! It's understandable to still feel angry, or bitter or hurt by what happened to you, because you did nothing to deserve having such a cruel hand dealt to you…"

" _That's_ where you're wrong, my friend. Dead wrong." Phoenix faced his confidant squarely. "Losing my badge, my defining symbolic representation of everything I was and ever tried to be…no, it didn't _hurt_ me. Not ' _hurt'_. _Hurt_ is a four letter word. It's short, almost cute sounding. ' _Aawwww, did that hurt?'_ No. It didn't hurt. Destroyed. Obliterated. Desecrated. Annihilated. Demolished. Shattered. _Demoralized_ maybe… But no. It didn't _hurt_ me. It didn't 'hurt' me at all."

The look of unmasked commiseration on Miles's normally stoic countenance was impossible to miss, and he let out a harsh laugh, devoid of all mirth as he tried to resume the former convivial mood they had been in prior to stumbling across a ghost from his past.

"Apologies if I'm making you uncomfortable by letting you see the dark side that's been lurking beneath the exterior all this time, ready to come out at the slightest provocation, Edgeworth. It's not like I suffer from anhedonia – I haven't been _feigning_ my recent exultance, honest! Most of the time I really _am_ as happy as a clam! I have the love of my life by my side, two beloved daughters who couldn't love me more than if I'd sired them myself, and friends like you who always have my back."

He stared downward miserably.

"Nonetheless, there are still times I can be a bit complex, you know? It's like…I have a happy personality… with a heavy soul. And sometimes it gets weird."

"You _are_ an odd duck, Wright," Miles acknowledged with a friend's bluntness. "Albeit not for _those_ reasons! The cold harsh truth is that ultimately, _everybody's_ damaged. It's just a question of how badly, and whether or not you're healing or still bleeding."

"To be honest, I don't know _what_ I am anymore."

"Have you ever stopped and thought maybe it's for the best that things fell apart, so you can cast yourself as something _else_ this time? Something _better_? After all, for a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn't understand growth, it would look like complete destruction."

The pianist nodded slowly as he mulled this over, so the emboldened Miles pressed on.

"We've all got both light and darkness inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. _That's_ who we really are! A decade ago, you deemed _Dahlia Hawthorne_ to be the love of your life and that her betrayal was _the_ worst thing that could ever happen to you. You believed you would _never_ get over it that trauma. Yet you sold yourself short and proved yourself wrong, because in the end, you _did_ recover."

"I know that's true, but I feel like I'm looking back at a projection reel of somebody else's life, not mine. I don't even recognize the person I was during my Ivy University days, when I was this wimpy crybaby kid whose fake girlfriend called him _Feenie_! I don't remember the person I was 10 years ago. I was a kid, yes, and I remember the highlights, but that's pretty much it."

Phoenix shook his head ruefully.

"Sure, I remember the bad stuff too. However, let me assure you that the ratio of the good stuff to the bad stuff I remember is _insane_. To give you a number, it's 9:1. And it's not like all the bad stuff now has an expiry date. All the emotions get turned into bad memories, most of which you forget, or die trying, but at the same time, I realized _remembering_ and _feeling_ are so damn different than memories…because _those_ may never fade, but the feelings definitely do, if you work on them enough."

"I will be the first person to wholeheartedly give the late, great Mia Fey her due for being the one to give you the required _boot to the head_ to get you out of your undoubted reoccurring slumps into self-pity back during your shaky days of recovery, that's not what's important at the end of the day. What _is_ most important though is you took that traumatic incident and changed your entire life path, and became even wiser and stronger than you were to begin with!"

"I won't argue that I never would have made it through that time in my life of nearly being murdered and thinking I'd never trust another human being again if it weren't for the Chief's patience and never-ending belief in me," Phoenix confessed humbly, then smirked. "However, if hard times are what make you stronger, then I should be able to whup Superman's ass by now!"

"It's a good thing this isn't the 'Phoenix Wright Wax Philosophical Power Hour' right now," Miles told him, his indecipherable countenance belying his latent amusement at his friend's comment. "Tell me, are you quite done your banal waffling?"

When the card shark seemed confused by the question, the legal eagle's famous forefinger came into play as he tapped it against his bicep.

"In other words, Wright, be quiet and listen."

"Yes…. _Daddy_!" Phoenix assumed his most obedient tone and subdued listening expression, even though his eyes held an impish glint, and Miles barely resisted the urge to give a scathing ear-bashing to the cheeky bugger!

Crossing his arms, the austere man then put on his most wise, "paternal" air of authority.

"Be serious for once and stop being such a wind-up merchant! To be frank, I reckon you're going about this all pear-shaped, Wright. Mayhap you shouldn't try so hard to forget the murky clouds which you had to endure to become the man that you are today."

Phoenix nodded his unspoken agreement, and Miles was encouraged as his onetime courtroom rival thoughtfully continued to absorb his speech without interruption.

"Sometimes, it will be easy to feel out of control. Small things will affect you greatly. At these times, take a deep breath and remind yourself that you are doing better than you think and that you have this figured out. You'll be okay. I _promise_ you'll be okay."

Phoenix gave another small, almost imperceptible nod, and Miles took a deep breath as he prepared to confide something he was loath to admit out loud to anyone.

"Trust me – I _know_ of what I speak, for I too have been there before. I know firsthand how it hurts to lose who you are. But I've bled so many times, and _I'm_ still alive."

Phoenix blinked as he digested what he'd just heard. It was one thing to instinctively _know_ that his longtime pal knew him better than just about anybody in the world, but given his tightlipped nature on emotional matters, it was very rare the opportunity was given to actually prove it so readily.

"You are not weak just because your heart feels so heavy," Miles advised kindly. "Sometimes the people who have been through many storms often take the longest to find their path because their sensitivity is a double edged sword. At their core lies great strength, but they are more susceptible to life's pains. Fortunately for you, the soul doesn't know a blasted thing about deadlines."

The strained lined in his forehead dissipated from the soothing words, while his anguished eyes now appeared more serene. Phoenix quirked a slight smile of gratitude.

"Thank you, Edgeworth."

"Unfortunately, both of you _are_ on a deadline, since you still need to get yourselves ready for your grand experience at The Ritz in the next 90 minutes, which means our time to fanny around has come to an end, and we'd best leg it if you don't want to be tardy!"

Barnham's voice interjected just then.

"I only caught the tail end of your conversation, but my gallant decorum prevents me from being a nose ointment sort and inquiring what you two were going on about! Instead, I shall bequeath you gentlemen some additional information that I acquired from speaking to Knightle just now about the establishment at which you lot are going dine. It's where the Knightle's celebrated their last wedding anniversary. Not only is it one of the swankest places in all of London, but it has a very strict dress code as well – especially for men, who are required to don a jacket and tie. Mr. Edgeworth would be fine in _his_ current ensemble, but did _you_ happen to pack any suits, Mr. Wright?"

"Um, my old blue suit doesn't fit me anymore… So I _kinda, sorta_ have been using the elegant black suit from The Miles Edgeworth's Collection. At this point, one could say it's on an _extended loan_ ," Phoenix professed sheepishly. "You don't have any objections to lending it to me again, do you, Edgeworth?"

Before Miles could retort with a typical snippy response, Barnham intervened, all giddy kipper.

" _No suit_ , you say? Well that's just _ace_! Pun _not_ intended, I assure you!"

His handsome face conveyed puzzling jubilation at the notion of his guest not having formal apparel.

"This means I have a chance to _partially_ repay my debt to you, Sir Blue Knight! It's most spawny that we have _just_ enough time for us to go shopping at hot spot that's paid homage to London's own Alexander McQueen. The place is simply the dog's bollocks – it _reinterprets_ menswear! I am positive you will find something you like. When it comes to top-notch tailoring, Alexander McQueen is the bee's knees! It has the right mix of suave attitude and emphasis on luxury to be up there with the best!"

"That's very nice of you, Mr. Barnham, but since I didn't anticipate making any large purchases, Maya didn't lend me her credit card today. Therefore, left to my own devices, I'm absolutely _skint_! And I doubt I could use my good looks to pay the surely astronomical bill at a designer shop!"

Phoenix felt his cheeks turning red at having to confess his sad arse state, yet not wanting his friend to think he was being deliberately parsimonious!

"I mean – Edgeworth had to spot me the funds so I could even get _souvenirs_ for my daughter and assistant…"

"Consider _that_ a _gift_ , not a _loan_ , Wright," Miles cut in, before his friend embarrassed himself any further. "As for my suit, well, I suppose it's not a bother for you to hang onto it just a bit longer if need be…"

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Edgeworth." Barnham beamed winsomely. "I owe a great debt to Sir Blue Knight. The suit shall be my treat, as a thank-you gift!"

" _Hold it!_ I can't accept something of such extravagance!" Phoenix protested, who while unignorably impoverished, still staunchly refused to be seen as an outright _charity case_! "As for debt – don't be silly! You don't owe me any darn thing!"

"For freeing us from our mental prison and unraveling the webs of lies ensnaring us within Labyrinthia's walls as a result of the pharmaceutical company? We citizens owe you and Sir Layton a debt that can never be repaid!" The redhead declared, then flashed a doleful grin. "I implore of you, Sir Blue Knight! Allow me the pleasure to do you this service, because at the very _least_ , I owe you a _tangible_ form of apology, if naught else! I desperately yearn to atone for the unforgivable peccadillo of accusing Maya of witchcraft back in the days of yore!"

"That's all water under the bridge!" Phoenix asserted stubbornly. "You aren't indebted to me in the least!"

" _Bloody hell_!" Frustration crept into the Brit's cadence. "I tried _to barbeque your girlfriend_! After such a sin, a mere suit of repentance is hunky-dory!"

Phoenix barely repressed a shudder at the harrowing memory all those years ago of those metal doors slamming shut and hearing Maya desperately wailing his name before she was dropped into the cavernous flames of that treacherous fire pit.

"You were _brainwashed_ back then! I bear you no grudges, at all!" Was all he could muster in response. "Besides, M –Maya wasn't my girlfriend at the time."

"Nevertheless, you loved her." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, I did. I think I _always_ have, one way or another."

"Well then, allow me to bequeath you this gift of contrition, as my way to make reparations for the sorrow I caused you both," Barnham persisted. "The Ritz is a posh place where you _must_ look smart! You _cannot_ be seen there appearing even _remotely_ naff!"

"Um, fine then," the pianist agreed hesitantly. "If you absolutely insist upon _this_ …"

"Verily! I most certainly do! As for Maya….here's my card. Have her give me a tinkle if she's ever in want of anything – all she needs to do is _name_ it, and it's hers. No questions asked!"

"I hope you know what can of worms you're unleashing!" Phoenix chuckled as he took the proffered business card and tucked it into his trouser pocket. "My girlfriend, while not _greedy_ per se… is definitely…the fanciful sort! Moreover, she can be very _creative_ with her demands! And unlike _me_ , not only can she drive a hard bargain, but she has zero qualms with cashing in favors!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Barnham swore, stepping off the sidewalk and whistling for a taxi. Leaning in, he directed the cabbie to drive them to the Alexander McQueen store on Savile Row, before turning to Miles and pointing at the bag in the prosecutor's hand. "I say, Mr. Edgeworth, it looks like _you_ picked up UK trinket as well! What do we have there?"

"Oh, it's Sweet Fanny Adams, really. Merely a local travel guide." Miles flushed slightly and hastily shoved the wrapped item into his inner suit jacket, and out of sight. "A little memento I bought for myself – for naught more than the sake of …nostalgia."

The triad settled into the hired car and as Phoenix and Barnham continued to chatter, the attorney patted at the hidden item he'd purchased, which filled him with the bitter-sweet melancholy of days gone by.

 _" **Remembering** and **feeling** are so damn different than **memories** …because **those** may never fade, but the feelings definitely do, if you work on them enough."_

His best friend's words rankled as they resurfaced in Miles's mind. Truer words had never been spoken. Some memories would never fade. Not for _him_. Never for him.

How else to explain the copy of _"Franzy's Whippity-Whip Trip"_ by Laurice Deauxnim searing a proverbial hole in his pocket, which was identical to the burning pain that remained in his heart?

* * *

 ** _Lana Skye_**

Lana let a moment pass, mostly because her heart was slamming against her chest – not with fear, but a surge of wrathful epinephrine.

" _Run_!" The brunette shouted at the quaking Mrs. Dedbeatzski and Mikaela, who were frozen in fear and clinging to one another as they observed the nightmare occurring before their very eyes. "Take your daughter and _run_ , goddammit!"

The poor woman didn't need to be told twice. Snatching her daughter by the hand, the peasant cast a grateful glance at her savior, then took off like a jackrabbit, disappearing into the enveloping shadows of the pervasive woods.

The agent shot a quick glimpse in the directions they'd escaped, as her underlying maternal instincts had reflexively compelled her to ascertain that Ema's childhood twin had made it to safety.

Unfortunately, that split-second of compassion was where she made her fateful mistake.

There was only one unspoken rule in all battles against a foe. Never, ever take your eyes off your opponent.

In this case, as her eyes shifted back to focus on the assaulted Arachnis, in anticipation of his next move, she'd allowed the hulking lummox in her blind-spot, Arsen, to evade her normally hawk-like peripheral vision for a nanosecond.

That was all time the oaf needed.

"I warned ya lady! I don't give a fuck about laying my hands on a woman!"

As Lana shifted to address her assailant, Arsen drew back his tree-trunk arm and walloped her right in the pit of her stomach.

Lana made no noise at the impact, because she had no breath. She fell to the ground, doubled over, struggling to draw air into her lungs. She was shocked far beyond the actual pain of the sucker punch, which was beginning to make itself felt, along with a wave of giddy sickness.

In a fairly eventful life, no one had ever purposely struck her before – not before _she_ got the first shot!

Lana was beginning to make a rather odd wheezing noise, as the first wisps of oxygen found their way painfully into her throat. She rolled onto her hands and knees and groped frantically at the dry earth for something to latch onto so she could pull herself back to her feet.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Arsen sneered smugly, standing just over her head, with not an inch of remorse at what he'd just done. "Didja think I was gonna take it easy on ya just cuz you're a looker, ya dumb broad?"

With a sudden burst of renewed strength, Lana felt her second wind coming on. She propelled herself up onto her arms and then, bracing her hands flat on the ground, pushed up into a squatting position, spinning and extending her left leg as she did so.

The action resulted in the gigantic ogre of a man feeling the unforgiving result of the agent's expert drop-sweep kick as she spun and swept both of his calves in one swish from her semi-crouched position, knocking him entirely off balance as she took his legs out from beneath him.

Arsen let out a rumbling grunt as he toppled onto his back with a resounding thud. The heavily winded ox tried to raise himself again, but it was a case of "the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

Because before the giant could sit himself back up, his eyes crossed in pain from the sensation of Lana's unforgiving heel – training had taught her that the hard bone on the bottom part of the foot was more effective than striking with the sole or ball – land a pummeling kick right between his legs.

Uttering an agonized groan of expletives, the big ape squeezed his eyes shut from the torturous pain. Waves of blackness seemed to ripple over him as he grabbed himself, then slumped harmlessly back against the grass.

Lana was panting as she focused on regaining her strength and forgetting the lingering ache in her solar plexus. It was easier said than done. For some reason, breathing was quite difficult for her, and with every twitch of a finger on her right hand, there was a numbing tingling sensation mixed with split seconds of piercing pain.

Being the wilier snake of the two, Arachnis had no issues with taking advantage of his adversary not having fully regained her bearings. Also, being a man of slight stature, his skulking footfall made no sound as he crept up to the unsuspecting Interpol Agent, who had her back turned to him, and didn't realize the grave danger in arrears of her until it was too late.

Lana yelped as she felt a sharp steel toe kick in the side from behind, which sent her sprawling down to the ground once again, this time to her hands and knees.

Before she could blink, she felt another rapid-succession blow, this time in the form of a hammered a fist to the side of her cheek. She saw stars and pitched backwards to the ground. There was a salty, metallic taste of sanguine fluid filling her mouth, and then a heavy boot slammed into her stomach.

It felt like her innards were being replaced by some kind of obfuscous abyss. Then nausea crept from her abdomen to her head as she crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of its strings. The breath shot from her lungs and Lana rolled from the blow, until she was on her back, staring sightlessly up at the sky between the branches of leaves. She felt herself choking on the blood that was trying to trickle its way down her throat and coughed, the motion making her ribs protest as a wave of agony washed over her.

Her eyesight blurred, but not because tears were welling up. Everything became fuzzy as her consciousness was floating through an empty space, filled with a thick static. Throughout the inky void, her heartbeats pounded loudly, echoing in her ears.

The last thing she was cognizant of was the evil, triumphant snarl on Arachnis's split, bleeding lips as he rubbed his sore cheekbone, then spit out the tooth she'd knocked loose when she'd hit him.

"You put up a good fight, you crazy whore, but it's all over now."

Without warning, he crushed his ruthless fist squarely against her face one final time, right upside her jaw, and all feeling in her body drained as everything around her faded into complete blackness.

The battle had been lost.

Lana Skye was left lying in the dirt of that nefarious, accursed forest, barely breathing and as still as a corpse.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**  
 ** _  
Danny Gokey - My Best Days Are Ahead Of Me_**

* * *

 _Quick shout out of thanks and replies to the following amazeballs readers/reviewers including PM's! Everyone else…thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 177**

 ***Review of the Week***

 **Jove's Boy**

Cheerio old boy!

 _"Handle whom? I didn't mean to earwig but ... hullo, what's this? Chips?! Those look downright scrummy! May I filch a few?"_

 _This is the best Luke Triton quote in the entire TE-verse. You have a real handle on English colloquialism, and it's fun voice acting for Luke. He's the greatest thing to happen to Ace Attorney since Dzibilchchaltunchunchucmil!_

Number one I cannot believe you actually remembered that guy's name and if you're going to give me my Luke Triton the voice acting clip also, include your pronunciation of that name LOL

You did such an incredible German accent when you were doing Klavier that I can only implore with you beseechingly because you know you have a life to please send me a voice clip of your Luke Triton Englishman!

Never again mention the fact that I ruined your innocence behind by telling you the awful truth about the Mile(s) high club! I really should let you think it meant living at a high altitude like Colorado except when you unwittingly told me that your folks were members… _Gah_! XD

If you mean he is the prosecutor butt monkey of England then verily you can compare nightly to being an an Incredible Payne - but I think his woes have only just begun because I do believe the mischievous Barnham will be changing his business cards to Fartley (all because his Dracula client had digestive issues! What a poor sod that man is!) and now I really want to create another relative aptly named Fartz'en Payne! Heeeeee!

As for Mr. punching bag… Stay tuned because Phoenix obviously has to good Labyrinthia…Wright?

You're my second reader to allude to Twilight! If I didn't know better I would think everybody sat around and made comparative notes! Either way great minds think alike… And I also do think that vampires have a amazing sex but I do think the blood enthusiast of gassy ass will die a virgin – unless she is also a vampire how will he ever find a girl that's willing to hold her breath for that long? Imagine the stench of those garlic farts! (Yes I know they are normally used as a hindrance to vampires but for comedic purposes I would like to think that the Romanian has built up a tolerance even though he has an intolerant stomach!)

I am so happy you caught the mentioning of Chelmy and Barton from the Layton series! My husband is obsessed with Grosky aka chesty McChesterton and I've already sworn a blood oath that The grumpy Chlemy's brother-in-law along with those two bumbling bobbys will be seen in this story!

England is definitely one be a huge factor in shaping the jurist system for Phoenix and I am delighted that you remembered the beloved Mia the Mirific being a key instigator behind all of this since that was some chapters ago. As much as I hate doing trials in entirety I may have to make an exception when I do Turnabout Succession as I will enjoy writing Kristoph Gavin's downfall and it is very fresh in my mind since I just finished playing Apollo Justice yet again for research purposes!

I love making Miles Edgeworth be this debonair gallant gentleman who was almost British on the outside and snarky little bugger on the inside what with comparing his best friend to Wolverine even though we all know Nick is unbreakable like Superman! He is like the X-Man in that he never ages and seems to get only hotter as the years go by but I digress! I'd like to think Maya is much more likable in cooler than Lois Lane the ongoing joke about her is that she's more Princess Peach and I has seen more than enough fan art with Marielle/Phoenix offering to clean her pipes! XD

I do like the idea of Edgeworth being Batman he is brooding and has a lot of money after all and if you are member his bat cave like bedroom with its hidden TV sets and other smorgasbord of gadgets… With this make Franziska Catwoman? She's definitely no batgirl because she's way too cool! Also the idea of Gumshoe being Robin and Mia being storm is so awesomesauce! And it's hilarious that Pearl would be Jean Grey Earl instead of the actual Jean Greyerl! But considering how much Pearly loves her Mr. Nick it would be quite fitting considering the X-Men characters alter ego is known as Phoenix! Now who would Maya be?

This is too funny that you named your surrounding animals after Ace Attorney characters because my Cuban girlfriend literally has two cats named Maya and Miles so of course the cats would have to be named Phoenix and Apollo! LOL

If I could be friends with any girls in the whole series it would have to be the Fey clan people just take to them like ducks to water… As for whether or not Katharina and Maya's new friendship will be the key to Franziska's Turnabout all I can say is… Stay tuned! What I _can_ tell you is that Katharina is imperative to finding Franziska and you will be definitely be seeing her fashionista diva daughter again soon since she is childhood chums with the Layton's adopted daughter who I think is adorable in spite of her bizarre upbringing around robots and absolutely Layton still has the Laytonmobile! That thing is as iconic in videogames as Miles driving that Alfa Romeo 12 years later!

Layton will not need to steal the scene too often as he actually will be getting his own mini storyline as well! I hope you like it!

I wonder if Maya and Katharina's new friendship will be the key to Franziska's turnabout.

Don't tell my best friend this, but I actually do like Flora. She was a little annoying at times, but first off, she was raised by a town of robots. She was kidnapped by Don Paolo, and later by Clive. I think she's doing pretty well, all things considered. So we have a scene where Layton completely steals the show when he's not even in it. Picturing him trying to park the Laytonmobile in a crowded parking lot really gave me a laugh. That's assuming he still has the Laytonmobile, but still.

 **DannyDragon**

Hola mi amiga musica! Are you familiar with the Professor Layton series? Flora Reinhold was Professor Layton's foster daughter who was in a handful of games and who was like an adorable sister figure to Luke. I have not mentioned Franziska's sister and niece in some time as Anneliese was last spotted as the naughty five-year-old who almost made her and walk in on a nearly naked Miles fresh out of the shower! :p

Naturally, Flora and Anneliese will be friends with Maya! Maya is the coolest Ace Attorney female in the AA universe and she's going to have the coolest friends, Wright?

 **Yanmegaman**

We're going to find out next chapter what's going on with the nutty Professor! I have not forgotten that this is Miles story line arc therefore that does include the alter ego/porn star titled ex of his now coming into play!

 **Ilet Moratar**

I am particularly interested in what you think of Lana after this chapter as we lead up to the events that led to her being kidnapped, your considering I know she is _absolutely favorite_ Ace Attorney female _mi hermana dulce_! XD

I love the idea ever since I played Spirit of Justice of making Pearl being a mini fashionista diva since she was expressing more of an interest in trends and fashions during her all too brief cameo! I had the cutest little side storyline for this trio of adorable shopaholic teens even though this chapter ended on a suspenseful note it's mostly going to be more fluff than cotton candy!

You have no idea how excited I am to finally give Layton a storyline! Just know that where there is Lana there will be Franziska because she is obviously an integral part of Miles story line as well, which we are now in with a vengeance! Prepare for some more jumping! ;)

 **Forgreatcoffee**

That is an excellent question… Would the coffee of a Dracula wannabe student be Miles Edgeworth _it's not pink, it's magenta_ or Stygian in hue? I say why not both? They have black and white desserts and Italians make chocolate and raspberry Tartufo so I'm picturing something like that but just a little bit blacker

I could totally see Barnham being an evil bastard and changing his punching bag coworker's business card name from Knightle to Fartley! I'm glad you found my five-year-old humor to be such a _gas_! :p

When I was having Maya mull over abduction of Anneliese I'm happy it was understood that it don't mean literally in this case more like _abscond_ versus actually _abduct_ … But for the record it's not really _kidnapping_ since Anneliese is so willing to spend time with her newly rekindled friend Flora and new pal Pearly? Either way I'm going to stick with staying for the hell away from Liam Neeson!

I am very much looking forward to getting to the next chapter where we will get into a bit more of the mystery surrounding Layton's bizarre reaction to Katharina. Also I am delighted that even though it's been a while my readers do seem to remember who Debbie Dallas really is she is not an OCE she is a very well-known Ace Attorney character who just happens to be the deuteragonist's former paramour! ;)

As for surviving that plane crash… How many times have we seen Nick defy death? LOL

 **CzarThwomp**

I'd like to think that Manfred Von Karma's long-suffering, beautiful wife Minna, may have been a fan of pretty clothing and a lovely wardrobe was the only enjoyment she had in her short life, since she was married to the philandering never chose to change his clothes Nosferatu! Therefore – let's just say she of _owning more outfits and shoes than there are stars in the sky_ can thank that, and her looks, to the lesser unfortunate looking grand-mama?

Also you may have given me a delicious idea about Manfred rolling in his grave at the idea of his younger daughter _knowing_ the file seed of Gregory Edgeworth in the biblical sense! Hee! Thanks in advance for that! :p

It means a lot to me that my readers seem to like Katharina. I've tried very hard to make her a gentler version of Franny and Miles, any of her patience in dealing with her spoiled daughter definitely is attributed to the fact that she moved out of Manfred's house of horrors very early! Also it wouldn't surprise me if Phoenix and Maya were not his first victims of that blasted stun gun or his cane. A good friend of mine has a head canon that his physical abuse may have not just have been limited to occasionally slapping saintly wife and that there is a reason for any Franny wears those gloves!

I am very much looking forward to having Miles and Layton (we'll find out a bit more about what is up with the bug up the nutty professor's butt next chapter!) at the same posh dinner table, although be prepared for Edgeworth to be in full nerd Anglophile mode – even _more_ than he is now – he tends to slip in and out when he's at Phoenix probably because when giving his best friend of much-needed pep talk needs to make sure that Phoenix can actually understand him! XD

Also you may have given me a delicious idea about Manfred rolling in his grave at the idea of his younger daughter _knowing_ the file seed of Gregory Edgeworth in the biblical sense! Hee! Thanks in advance for that! :p

 **napoleon32**

I've tortured poor Phoenix enough! (no I'm kidding he'll have his butt monkey moments next chapter!) :p

This chapter was reminder that to my readers that have not gotten so caught up in my own interpretation of events during his disbarment that I've forgotten where we are in the timeline which is tailing the end of Apollo Justice, and that canon has given him his own hell to contend with, which was also the point of bringing up the load some so-called artist that was Drew Misham!

I really think the gentlemanly Layton would rather die than ever make and innuendo in front of a lady never mind and underage one like Pearl, but I really think he was so busy being English he really didn't think twice about scandalizing his American friends by using the innocuous British term for waking somebody up! Hee!

I remember giggling like a five-year-old when I saw the term _keeping your pecker up_ which has absolutely nothing to do with the North American version of that either!

Can't comment on big red except that her grand debut is within spitting distance, as is a little bit more light to being shed on what the deal is with Katharina and Layton!

Yay! You guys remember Lana! I know it's been a while but that really makes me happy!

Franziska is a terrific character but when she was younger especially she was a bit of a brat. I have been told my eldest niece looks and acts more like _me_ than her mother so therefore I had to make Anneliese have a bit of it Franny's tendencies because how boring would she be if she was a saintly as her mother? No Mary Sue's in this story! That being said, I am going to have some fun with Luke and Maya and Pearl now that they have the additions of both Flora and Anneliese in their crew! Poor Luke Triton he seems to be cursed with being surrounded by beautiful women! Good thing he only has eyes for Pearl!

 **chloemcg**

Well, milady, it's not really _abducting_ if Anneliese is a _willing_ participant to be taken around on tours of your lovely country while her hard-working mummy is away at conferences, is it? :p

Maya should be given some credit for being so resourceful… Considering the Professor's behavior last chapter probably made poor Katharina one of bolt faster than a speeding bullet, by keeping her recalcitrant teenage daughter occupied and happy, she's gonna play the guilty money card for whatever it's worth so that Kat can't go anywhere – at least until the daughters of destiny are reunited again!

Nghooooo! No Dahlia! Evil Incarnate redhead is dead is going to stay dead and only lives within the tortured confines of poor tormented Iris's mind, but hopefully having a loving husband will kill that once and for all!

It's been a while since I last mentioned Miles and the sting operation but while Interpol was on the mad hunt for those Borginian cocoons, his undercover identity was Maximillian Banks and while the bimbo that was his girlfriend was played by Debbie Dallas a.k.a. Lana Skye.

With the help of his ever supportive, suit lending, generous, albeit _tsundere_ best friend, even though Phoenix had a bit of an emotional setback this chapter, we'll see that he is doing just fine! I swear am addicted to writing Wrightworth moments like this I hope you liked it!

 **TheFreelancerSeal**

I am always happy to perk up one of my favorite readers! I hope this chapter was uplifting because hearing from you always has that effect on me my friend!

I will never get tired of vampire jokes as that is always how I will refer to Manfred Von Karma, or fart jokes! This chapter was a real gas because it let me do both with the phlebotomy loving, fang bearing, Romanian student who may or may not be dipping into his own supply… I'll leave that to readers imaginations!

Also I'm really happy that my ridiculous habit of acting my shoe size instead of my age when it comes to fart jokes doesn't make my readers think _I_ stink! XD

I have not played any of the Castlevania games, although of course I've heard of them, but the only vampire I am familiar with and video games is Dimitri from Darkstalkers, ever since I played the project X zone two game (please play it! It is so funny and the music is so good!)

Absolutely I was inspired by Zelda which am obsessed with, when I used the _excuse me Princess_ line! I think Phoenix actually use that line at some point in Spirit of Justice but I can't seem to remember the game…which is why am now replaying it!

I would never let anything awful happen to Professor Layton (and not just because I need him for this Europe storyline!) But because I genuinely like the guy, and because I do not believe in killing off characters… At least in the past! Bwahahahaha!

My fascination with Eastern European countries continued in this chapter you seem like a really smart guys so let me know if you picked up on it! ;)

I'd like to think that Maya has matured somewhat since she is a single parent to Pearl, and yes Anneliese was very much intended to be reminiscent of her and Franny with her high maintenance diva readiness but Maya is too much of the paragon just like her boyfriend, to actually throw the girl into the river Thames! However, I'm sure they're going the moment when she contemplates _throwing_ herself in! LOL

The good Professor would probably be a wonderful ally in figuring out the mystery behind Fran in her disappearance… But right now he's been put to work trying to unravel the mystery regarding the ancestry of the main protagonist! Can he DO it? :p

The OC hitman named Damian Cain was only mentioned briefly in chapter 100 when he took out Ku (because I am a terrible person and made a lot of my readers think that he had assassinated Miles!) So I decided to give him double duty as a kidnapper for Lana. She is going to need some saving although you might be surprised with whom her rescuer ends up being…

 **Joeclone**

I absolutely love your story and I am delighted that I can return the favor of enjoying the works of one of my favorite readers was also a very talented writer!

I actually Robert Pattinson is decent looking when he's not playing Edward SULLEN so I definitely had a creepier vision of Vlad in my head although he definitely would be as pale as the twilight crew! FYI, I don't think the sparkling thang is a good look on _anybody_ except maybe a sequined gold dust dancer from the 80s! Considering how much I like you I am happy that you've not had a terrible girlfriend that has forced you to read the books and or watch the movies as my best friend has made me not only do so with _Twilight_ but _50 Shades of Grey!_ (Yes we know they are cheesier than a fondue dip and we do not take that horrible steaming pile of crap that is the latter seriously at all any more than we do the novel series that single-handedly setback the woman's movement to the Victorian century but at least we left herself silly at the films!)

I absolutely love Barnham! He was my favorite character aside from Constantine in the crossover aside from the main for and I'm happy that people like the subtle changes I gave his personality. I am also happy you like my work even though I can't stop making Fartley jokes! :P

In a cast of colorful characters like Ace Attorney I cannot reiterate how much it means to me that my readers seem to enjoy my OC's and their quirks so much! I am seriously grinning like an idiot here! I have seen Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva and it is pretty cool… Although I can't remember much of it now have you played the new lady Layton game? His daughter Katrielle is adorable!

We will find out what in the world is going on with the Professor (and wishes she could run away but she can't because Maya has abducted her daughter the shopaholic!) Katharina Indie next chapter… which if my schedule will allow, I should be able to do with in the next week or two because I really want the story to actually end before the next presidential election!

I am delighted to have given you one of _those_ chapters. I really hope this chapter was equally as enjoyable for you my friend, *cheek squish!*


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